UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.    )

 

 

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Yum China Holdings, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

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LOGO

LOGO

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

 

7100 Corporate Drive

 

Plano, Texas 75024

 

United States of America

 

Yum China Building

 

20 Tian Yao Qiao Road

 

Shanghai 200030

 

People’s Republic of China

March 30, 2018April 15, 2021

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

We are pleased to invite you to attend the 20182021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Yum China Holdings, Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”). The Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, May 11, 2018,28, 2021, at 8:3000 a.m. local time, at Mandarin Oriental Beijing/Hong Kong 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong.time (Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time). Our Board of Directors implemented a virtual meeting format in 2020, and determined that it is prudent to hold a virtual meeting again this year, in light of the continued public health concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and related travel restrictions.

You may attend the Annual Meeting via the internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021. To participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number which appears on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”), proxy card or the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. The attached notice of annual meeting and proxy statement contain details of the business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting and the detailed procedures for attending, submitting questions and voting at the Annual Meeting. In addition, the Company’s 20172020 annual report, which is being made available to you along with the proxy statement, contains information about the Company and its performance.

Your vote is important. We encourage you to vote promptly, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. You may vote your shares over the Internet or via telephone. If you received a paper copy of the proxy materials, you may complete, sign, date and mail the proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided.

If you plan to attend the meeting, you may also vote in person. If you hold your shares through a bank, broker or other nominee, you will be required to show the notice or voting instructions form you received from your bank, broker or other nominee or a copy of a statement (such as a brokerage statement) from your bank, broker or other nominee reflecting your stock ownership as of March 13, 2018 in order to be admitted to the meeting. All attendees must bring valid photo identification to gain admission to the meeting. Whether or not you attend the meeting, we encourage you to consider the matters presented in the proxy statement and vote as soon as possible.Sincerely,

Sincerely,

LOGO

Joey Wat

Chief Executive Officer


Yum China Holdings, Inc.

Notice Of Annual Meeting

Of Stockholders

 

Time and Date:

  

8:3000 a.m. (local time)Beijing/Hong Kong time on Friday, May 11, 2018.28, 2021 /

8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on Thursday, May 27, 2021.

Place:Location:

  

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong.Online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021.

Items of Business:

  

(1) To elect the four Class II10 director nominees named in the accompanying proxy statement to serve untilfor a one-year term expiring at the 20192022 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders.

  

(2) To ratify the appointment of KPMG Huazhen LLP as the Company’s independent auditor for 2018.2021.

  

(3) To approve, on an advisory basis, the Company’s named executive officer compensation.

  

(4) To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to allow stockholders holding 25% of the Company’s outstanding shares the right to call special meetings.

(5) To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Who Can Vote:

  

You can vote if you were a stockholder of record as of the close of business on March 13, 2018.29, 2021.

Attending the Meeting:

Stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 29, 2021 and the general public will be able to attend the Annual Meeting by visiting our Annual Meeting website at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021. To participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included on your Notice, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

The Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on May 28, 2021 / 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on May 27, 2021. Online check-in will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting, and you should allow ample time for the online check-in procedures.

How to Vote:

  

You may vote over the Internet or via telephone by following the instructions set forth in the accompanying proxy statement. If you received a paper copy of the proxy materials, you may also vote by completing, signing, dating and returning the proxy card. If you attend the Annual Meeting using your 16-digit control number, you may vote in person.during the Annual Meeting. Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please vote promptly.

Date of Mailing:

  

This notice of annual meeting, the accompanying proxy statement and the form of proxy are first being mailed to stockholders on or about March 30, 2018.April 15, 2021.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

LOGOLOGO

Shella NgJoseph Chan

Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary


 

 PROXY STATEMENT –TABLE– TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY   1 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING   5 
GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   1011 

Governance Highlights

   1011 

Board Composition and Director Elections

   1112 

Board Meetings and Director Attendance

   1112 

Selection of Director Nominees

   1112 

Director Qualifications and Skills

   1213 

Diversity of the Board

13

Stockholder Nominations for Directors

   1214 

Board Leadership Structure

   1214 

Governance Policies and

14

Risk Oversight

   1316 

Management Development and Succession Planning

   1518 

Director Independence

   1618 

Stockholder Communications and Engagement

   1618 

Policies Regarding Accounting and Auditing Matters

   1719 

Committees of the Board

   1820 

Related Person Transactions Policies and Procedures

   2022 

Director and Executive Officer Stock Ownership Policies

   2122 

Policy Regarding Hedging and Speculative Trading

   2123 
MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION   2224 

ITEM 1

  

Election of Directors

   2224 

ITEM 2

  

Ratification of Independent Auditor

   2930 

ITEM 3

  Advisory Vote on Named Executive Officer Compensation   3132

ITEM 4

Approval of an Amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to Allow Stockholders Holding 25% of the Company’s Outstanding Shares the Right to Call Special Meetings33 
STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION   3235 


SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE34
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   3537 

Named Executive Officers

   3537 

2017Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business

38

2020 Business Overview and Performance Highlights

39

Company Total Shareholder Return Performance

   3539 


Recent Changes to the Compensation ProgramHighlights

   3640 

2017 “Say on Pay” VoteAlignment of Executive Compensation Program with Business Performance

   3642 

Compensation PhilosophyPay Components

   3743 

Executive Compensation Practices

44

Stockholder Engagement

44

Elements of the Executive Compensation Program

   3845 

20172020 Named Executive Officer Compensation and Performance Summary

   4057 

Retirement and Other Benefits

45

How Compensation Decisions Are Made

   4660 

Compensation Policies and Practices

   4862 

Compensation Committee Report

   4963 

Executive Compensation Tables

   4964 

Pay Ratio Disclosure

   5975 
20172020 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION   6077 
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION   6279 
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT   6380 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION   6583
APPENDIX A86
APPENDIX B87 


 

 PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

 

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire proxy statement carefully before voting.

MEETING INFORMATION

 

 

 

Time and Date:     8:00 a.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on Friday, May 11, 201828, 2021 /

                               8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on Thursday, May 27, 2021

 

Time:                 8:30 a.m. (local time)Location:              Online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021

 

Record Date:        March 13, 2018

Location:    Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

5 Connaught Road, Central

Hong Kong29, 2021

HOW TO VOTE

 

 

 

Whether or not you plan to attendStockholders of record as of the Annual Meeting, pleaseclose of business on March 29, 2021 may vote as promptly as possibleby using oneany of the following methods:

Before the Annual Meeting:

 

  

Via Internetby following the instructions onwww.proxyvote.com;

 

  

Via telephoneby calling 1 (800)690-6903 (toll-free in the U.S.)and following the instructions provided by the recorded message; or

 

Via mail,if you received your proxy materials by mail, by completing, signing, dating and mailing the proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided.

Proxies submitted through the Internet or by telephone as described above must be received by 11:59 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time / 11:59 a.m.

U.S. Eastern time on May 27, 2021. Proxies submitted by mail must be received prior to the meeting.

During the Annual Meeting:

Vote online during the Annual Meeting. You may vote during the Annual Meeting through www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021 using your 16-digit control number.

Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote your shares by proxy. You may still vote your shares during the Annual Meeting even if you have previously voted by proxy.

If you hold your shares in the name of a bank, broker or other nominee, your ability to vote by telephone or the Internet depends on their voting processes. Please follow the directions of your bank, broker or other nominee carefully.

 

 

ITEMS OF BUSINESS

 

 

 

Proposal  Board Voting
Recommendation
  Page
Reference
 

1.Election1. Election of Four Class IIthe 10 Director Nominees Named in this Proxy Statement to Serve for a One-Year Term

  FOR each nominee   2224 

2.Ratification2. Ratification of the Appointment of KPMG Huazhen LLP as the Company’s Independent Auditor for 20182021

  FOR   2930 

3.Advisory3. Advisory Vote on Named Executive Officer Compensation

  FOR   3132

4. Approval of an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to allow stockholders holding 25% of the Company’s outstanding shares the right to call special meetings

FOR33 


 

YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement   

  1


 

 

 

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY   

 

    

 

COMPANY OVERVIEW

 

 

 

On October 31, 2016, Yum China Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), was is the largest restaurant company in China in terms of system sales, with $8.3 billion of revenue in 2020 and over 10,500 restaurants as of spun-offyear-end from Yum! Brands, Inc. (“YUM”), becoming an independent publicly traded company2020. Our growing restaurant network consists of our flagship KFC and Pizza Hut brands, as a result of a pro rata distribution of the Company’s common stock to shareholders of YUM. In this proxy statement, we refer to this transactionwell as the “spin-off.”emerging brands such as Little Sheep, Huang Ji Huang, COFFii & JOY, East Dawning, Taco Bell and

Lavazza. We have the exclusive right to operate andsub-license in mainland

China sublicense the KFC, concept, the leading quick-service restaurant brandPizza Hut and, subject to achieving certain agreed-upon milestones, Taco Bell brands in China in terms of system sales(excluding Hong Kong, Macau and number of restaurants, the Pizza Hut concept, the leading casual dining restaurant brand in China as measured by system salesTaiwan), and number of restaurants, and the Taco Bell concept, a Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant brand. We also own the intellectual property of the Little Sheep, Huang Ji Huang, COFFii & JOY and East Dawning concepts outright.

 

 

SUMMARY INFORMATION REGARDING DIRECTORSNOMINEES

 

 

The following table provides summary information about each of the composition ofnominees to our board of directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”).

 

Name Age Director
Since
 

Class;

Year Term
Expires

 Primary Occupation Independent Board Committee
Membership as of
March 30, 2018
 Age Director
Since
 Primary Occupation Independent Board Committee
Membership as of
April��15, 2021*
 A C G F A C G F

Fred Hu (Chairman)

 54 2016 III – 2019 Chairman and founder of Primavera Capital Group    CC  57 2016 Chairman and founder of Primavera Capital Group    CC 

Joey Wat

 46 2017 I – 2019 Chief Executive Officer of the Company      49 2017 Chief Executive Officer of the Company     

Muktesh “Micky” Pant

 63 2016 II – 2018 Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor to the Company     

Peter A. Bassi

 68 2016 I – 2019 Former Chairman of Yum! Restaurants International  X   X 71 2016 Former Chairman of Yum! Restaurants International  X   X

Christian L. Campbell

 67 2016 III – 2019 Owner of Christian L. Campbell Consulting LLC     X

EdYiu-Cheong Chan

 55 2016 I – 2019 Former Vice Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited  X   

Edouard Ettedgui

 66 2016 I – 2019 Non-Executive Chairman of Alliance Française, Hong Kong   CC   69 2016 Non-Executive Chairman of Alliance Française, Hong Kong   X X X

Cyril Han

 43 2019 Chief Financial Officer of Ant Group Co., Ltd.  X   

Louis T. Hsieh

 53 2016 II – 2018 Chief Financial Officer of NIO Inc.  CC    56 2016 Former Chief Financial Officer of NIO Inc.  X   

Jonathan S. Linen

 74 2016 II – 2018 Former Vice Chairman of American Express Company   X X 

Ruby Lu

 47 2016 III – 2019 Independent venture capitalist  X  X  50 2016 Venture capitalist   CC X 

Zili Shao

 58 2016 III – 2019 Non-executive Chairman of Fangda Partners     CC 61 2016 Non-executive Chairman of Fangda Partners     CC

William Wang

 43 2017 II – 2018 Partner of Primavera Capital Group    X     46 2017 Partner of Primavera Capital Group   X  

Min (Jenny) Zhang

 47 —   Vice-chairlady of Huazhu Group Limited         

A – Audit Committee; C – Compensation Committee; G – Nominating and Governance Committee; F – Food Safety and Sustainability Committee; CC – Committee Chair

*

Christian L. Campbell is the chair of Audit Committee, and a member of Compensation Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. Ed Yiu-Cheong Chan is a member of Audit Committee. Messrs. Campbell and Chan will not stand for re-election to the Board at the Annual Meeting.



 

2   

  YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement


  

 

 

   PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

 

   

 

GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

The Board believes that good corporate governance is a critical factor in achieving business success and in fulfilling the Board’s responsibilities to stockholders. The Board believes that its principles and practices align management and stockholder interests. Highlights include:

 

Director Independence

  

  Independent Board Chairman

 

  9 of 12 directors10 director nominees are independent

Director Elections and Attendance  

  Declassified Board to be effective asAnnual election of the 2019 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholdersall directors

 

  Majority voting policy for elections of directors in uncontested elections

 

  Proxy access for director nominees by stockholders

 

  100%97% director attendance at Board and committee meetings in 2017

  100% director attendance at the 2017 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders2020

Board Refreshment and Diversity  

  Directors with experience, qualifications and skills across a wide range of public and private companies

 

  Directors reflect a diversity of gender, race and ethnicity

Average director nominee age of 5855 as of April 15, 2021

 

  Independent andnon-management directors may generally not stand forre-election after age 75

Other Governance Practices  

  ShareholderActive stockholder engagement

  No shareholder rights plan expired in 2017 and was not renewed(also known as a poison pill)

 

  Director and executive officer stock ownership policies

 

  Policy prohibiting hedging or other speculative trading of Company stock

 

  Policy regarding resignation if any director experiences a significant change in professional roles and responsibilities

 

  Board access to senior management and independent advisors



 

YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement   

  3


 

 

 

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY   

 

    

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

Our Investor Relations website is located atwww.yumchina.com/Enir.yumchina.com. Although the information contained on or connected to our website is not part of this proxy statement, you can view additional information on our website, such as our 20172020 annual report, the charters of our Board committees, our Corporate Governance Principles, our Code of Conduct and reports that we file with the Securities and

Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and

the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange” or the “HKEX”). Copies of these documents may also be obtained free of charge by writing Yum China Holdings, Inc., 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas 75024, or Yum China Holdings, Inc., Yum China Building, 20 Tian Yao Qiao Road, Shanghai 200030 People’s Republic of China, Attention: Corporate Secretary.

 


 

4   

  YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement


 

 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING

 AND VOTING

 

 

The Board of Directors of Yum China Holdings, Inc. solicits the enclosed proxy for use at the 2018 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held at 8:3000 a.m. (local time),Beijing/Hong Kong time on Friday, May 11, 2018, at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Con-28, 2021 / 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on Thursday, May 27, 2021. This year, the Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual-only format, through a live audio webcast. The

naught Road, Central, Hong Kong.meeting will only be conducted via webcast; there will be no physical meeting location. This proxy statement contains information about the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting and the voting process, as well as information about our directors and most highly paid executive officers.

 

 

What is the purpose of the Annual Meeting?

 

 

 

At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will vote on several important Company matters. In addition, our management will report on the Company’s performance over the

last fiscal year and, following the meeting, respond to questions from stockholders.

 

 

Why am I receiving these materials?

 

 

 

You received these materials because our Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting. As a stockholder of record as of the

close of business on March 13, 2018,29, 2021, you are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and are entitled to vote on the items of business described in this proxy statement.

 

 

Why did I receive aone-page notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?

 

 

 

As permitted by SEC rules, we are making this proxy statement and our 20172020 annual report available to our stockholders electronically via the Internet. On or about March 30, 2018,April 15, 2021, we mailed to our stockholders athe Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) containing instructions on how to access this proxy statement and our 20172020 annual report and vote online. If you received a Notice by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials unless you request a copy. The Notice contains instructions on how to access and review all of the important information contained in the

proxy statement and the annual report. The Notice also

instructs you on how you may submit your proxy over the Internet. If you received a Notice by mail and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials contained on the Notice.

We encourage you to take advantage of the availability of the proxy materials on the Internet in order to help lower the costs of delivery and reduce the Company’s environmental impact.

 

 

YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement   

  5


 

 

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING   

 

    

 

Who mayWhy is the Annual Meeting a virtual meeting this year?

In light of the continued public health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions, the Board of Directors has determined that it is prudent to hold the Annual Meeting in a virtual-only format, conducted via live audio webcast.

The Board of Directors has been monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including with regard to the

health and well-being of our employees and stockholders, as well as the related government-imposed restrictions on travel. Hosting the Annual Meeting in a virtual-only format protects our employees and stockholders during this time. It provides easy access for stockholders and facilitates participation without the need to travel, since stockholders can participate from any location around the world.

How do I attend the Annual Meeting?

 

 

The Annual Meeting is open to all stockholderswill be held in a virtual-only format, through a live audio webcast. The Annual Meeting will only be conducted via webcast; there will be no physical meeting location. Stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 13, 2018, or their duly appointed proxies. If you would like29, 2021 and the general public will be able to attend the Annual Meeting by visiting our Annual Meeting website at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021. To participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included on your Notice, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

The Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on May 28, 2021 / 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on May 27, 2021. Online check-in will begin 15 minutes prior to bring a valid picture identification. If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other nominee, you will need to bring a legal proxy from your bank or nominee or other proof of ownership asstart of the record datemeeting, and you should allow ample time for the online check-in procedures. We encourage our stockholders to be admitted to the

Annual Meeting. A recent brokerage statement or letter from a bank, broker or other nominee is an example of proof of ownership.

Please note that computers, cameras, sound or video recording equipment, large bags, briefcases and packages will not be allowed inaccess the meeting room.prior to the start time.

 

 

May stockholders ask questions?

 

 

Yes. RepresentativesStockholders will have the ability to submit questions during the Annual Meeting via the Annual Meeting website. As part of the CompanyAnnual Meeting, we will hold a live Q&A session, during which we intend to answer stockholders’ all

questions of general interest followingsubmitted during the meeting in accordance with the Annual Meeting.Meeting’s Rules of Conduct which are pertinent to the Company and the meeting matters, as time permits.

What if I have technical difficulties or trouble accessing the Annual Meeting?

Beginning 30 minutes prior to the start of and during the Annual Meeting, you may contact 1 (844) 986-0822 (U.S.) or 1 (303) 562-9302 (International) for technical assistance.

Who may vote?

 

 

You may vote if you owned any shares of Company common stock as of the close of business on the record date, March 13, 2018.29, 2021. Each share of Company common stock

is entitled to one vote. As of March 13, 2018,29, 2021, there were 385,926,528420,467,575 shares of Company common stock outstanding.

 

6  

  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


   QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING

 

What am I voting on?

 

 

 

You will be voting on the following threefour items of business at the Annual Meeting:

 

The election of the four Class II10 director nominees named in this proxy statement to serve until the 2019 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders;for a one-year term;

 

The ratification of the appointment of KPMG Huazhen LLP as the Company’s independent auditor for 2018; and2021;

The approval, on an advisory basis, of the Company’s named executive officer compensation.compensation; and

The approval of an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to allow stockholders holding 25% of the Company’s outstanding shares the right to call special meetings.

We will also consider other business that properly comes before the meeting.

 

 

How does the Board of Directors recommend that I vote?

 

 

 

Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote your shares:

 

FOR each of the four10 nominees named in this proxy statement for election to the Board;

 

FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG Huazhen LLP as our independent auditor for 2018;2021; and

 

FOR the proposal on named executive officer compensation.

FOR the proposal to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to allow stockholders holding not less than 25% of the Company’s outstanding shares the right to call special meetings.

 

6  

  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


   QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING

 

How do I vote before the Annual Meeting?

 

 

 

There are three ways to vote before the meeting:

 

  

ByInternet—we encourage you to vote online atwww.proxyvote.com by following instructions on the Notice or proxy card;

 

Bytelephone—you may vote by making a telephone call to 1 (800)690-6903 (toll-free in the U.S.); or

 

Bymail—if you received your proxy materials by mail, you may vote by completing, signing, dating and mailing the proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided.

Proxies submitted through the Internet or by telephone as described above must be received by 11:59 p.m., local Beijing/Hong Kong time / 11:59 a.m. U.S. Eastern time on May 10, 2018.27, 2021. Proxies submitted by mail must be received prior to the meeting.

If you hold your shares in the name of a bank, broker or other nominee, your ability to vote throughbefore the InternetAnnual Meeting depends on their voting processes. Please follow the directions of your bank, broker or other nominee carefully.

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

  7


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING   

Can I vote during the Annual Meeting?

Yes. To vote during the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included on your Notice, on your proxy card, or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote your shares by telephoneproxy. You may still vote your shares during the Annual Meeting even if you have previously voted by proxy.

If you hold your shares in the name of a bank, broker or other nominee, your ability to vote during the Annual Meeting depends on their voting processes. Please follow the directions of your bank, broker or other nominee carefully.

 

 

Can I vote at the Annual Meeting?

Shares registered directly in your name as the stockholder of record may be voted in person at the Annual Meeting. Shares held through a bank, broker or other nominee may be voted in person only if you obtain a legal proxy from the bank, broker or other nominee that holds your shares

giving you the right to vote the shares. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote your shares by proxy. You may still vote your shares in person at the meeting even if you have previously voted by proxy.

Can I change my mind after I vote?

 

 

You may change your vote at any time before the polls close at the Annual Meeting. You may do this by:

 

signing another proxy card with a later date and returning it to us for receipt prior to the Annual Meeting;

 

voting again through the Internet or by telephone prior to 11:59 p.m., local Beijing/Hong Kong time / 11:59 a.m. U.S. Eastern time on May 10, 2018;27, 2021;

 

giving written notice to the Corporate Secretary of the Company prior to the Annual Meeting; or

 

voting again atduring the Annual Meeting.

Your attendance at the Annual Meeting will not have the effect of revoking a proxy unless you notify our Corporate Secretary in writing before the polls close that you wish to revoke a previous proxy.

If you hold your shares in the name of a bank, broker or other nominee, your ability change your vote depends on their voting processes. Please follow the directions of your bank, broker or other nominee carefully.

 

 

Who will count the votes?

 

Representatives of American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLCBroadridge Financial Solutions will count the votes and will serve as the independent inspector of election.

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

  7


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING   

What if I return my proxy card but do not provide voting instructions?

 

 

If you vote by proxy card, your shares will be voted as you instruct by the individuals named on the proxy card. If you sign and return a proxy card but do not specify how your

shares are to be voted, the persons named as proxies on the proxy card will vote your shares in accordance with the recommendations of the Board set forth on page 1.

 

 

What does it mean if I receive more than one Notice or proxy card?

 

 

If you received more than one Notice or proxy card, it means that you have multiple accounts with brokers and/or our transfer agent. Please vote all of these shares. We recommend that you contact your broker and/or our

transfer agent to consolidate as many accounts as possible under the same name and address. Our U.S. transfer agent

is American Stock Transfer andComputershare Trust Company, LLC,N.A., which may be reached at 1 (888)(877) 439-4986.854-0865 (U.S.) and 1 (781) 575-3102 (International). Computershare Investor Services Limited, which can be reached at 852-2862-8500 (Hong Kong), acts as our co-transfer agent to maintain the Hong Kong share register.

 

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  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


   QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING

 

Will my shares be voted if I do not provide my proxy?

 

 

 

Your shares may be voted on certain matters if they are held in the name of a brokerage firm, even if you do not provide the brokerage firm with voting instructions. Brokerage firms have the authority under the New York Stock Exchange (“(the “NYSE”) rules to vote shares for which their customers do not provide voting instructions on certain “routine” matters.

The proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG Huazhen LLP as our independent auditor for 20182021 is considered a routine matter for which brokerage firms may vote

shares for which they have not received voting instructions. The other matters to be voted on at our Annual Meeting are not considered “routine” under applicable rules. When a matter is not a routine matter and the brokerage firm has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares with respect to that matter, the brokerage firm cannot vote the shares on that proposal. This is called a “brokernon-vote.”

 

 

How many votes must be present to hold the Annual Meeting?

 

 

 

Your shares are counted as present at the Annual Meeting if you attend the Annual Meeting in personvia webcast using your 16-digit control number or if you properly submit a proxy by Internet, telephone or mail. In order for us to conduct our Annual Meeting, a majority of the shares of Company

common stock outstanding as of

March 13, 201829, 2021 must be present in personvia webcast or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting. This is referred to as a “quorum.” Abstentions and brokernon-votes will be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum at the Annual Meeting.

 

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  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


   QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING

 

How many votes are needed to elect directors?

 

 

 

You may vote “FOR” each nominee or “AGAINST” each nominee, or “ABSTAIN” from voting on one or more nominees. Unless you mark “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN” with respect to a particular nominee or nominees or for all nominees, your proxy will be voted “FOR” each of the director nominees named in this proxy statement. In an uncontested election, a nominee will be elected as a director if the number of “FOR” votes

exceeds 50% of the number of votes cast with respect to that director’s election. Abstentions will be counted as present but not voted. Abstentions and brokernon-votes will not affect the outcome of the election of directors. Full details of the Company’s majority voting policy are set out in our Corporate Governance Principles and are described under “Governance of the Company—Majority Voting Policy.”

 

 

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

  9


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING   

How many votes are needed to approve the other proposals?

 

 

 

Proposals 2 and 3 must receive the “FOR” vote of a majority of the shares of our common stock, present in personvia webcast or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. For each of these proposals, you may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN.” Abstentions will be counted as shares present and entitled to vote at the

Annual Meeting. Accordingly, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” Proposals 2 and 3. Brokernon-votes will not be counted as shares present and entitled to vote with respect to the particular matter on

which the broker has not voted. Thus, brokernon-votes will not affect the outcome of either of these proposals.

Proposal 4 must receive the “FOR” vote of a majority of the shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote on the proposal. For Proposal 4, you may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN.” Abstentions and broker non-votes constitute shares outstanding and entitled to vote for purposes of Proposal 4, and so a vote to “ABSTAIN” or a broker non-vote will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” Proposal 4.

 

 

When will the Company announce the voting results?

 

 

The Company will announce the voting results of the Annual Meeting on a Current Report on Form8-K filed with the SEC within four business days of the Annual

Meeting. The voting results will also be filed with HKEX simultaneously.

What if other matters are presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting?

 

 

 

The Company knows of no other matters to be submitted to the stockholders at the Annual Meeting, other than the proposals referred to in this proxy statement. If any other matters properly come before the stockholders at the

Annual Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named on the proxy to vote the shares represented thereby on such matters in accordance with their best judgment.

 

 

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement10   

  9  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


 

 GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

 

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Board believes that good corporate governance is a critical factor in achieving business success and in fulfilling the Board’s responsibilities to stockholders. The Board believes that its practices align management and stockholder interests.

The corporate governance section of our website makes available certain of the Company’s corporate governance materials, including our Corporate Governance Principles, the charters for each Board committee and our Code of Conduct. To access these documents on our Investor Relations website,ir.yumchina.com, click on “Governance”“ABOUT YUM CHINA—Governance” and then “Corporate Governance Documents.”

 

 

Highlights of our corporate governance policies and practices are described below.

 

Director Independence

  

  Independent Board Chairman

 

  9 of 12 directors10 director nominees are independent

Director Elections and Attendance

  

  Declassified Board to be effective asAnnual election of the 2019 annual meeting of the
Company’s stockholdersall directors

 

  Majority voting policy for elections of directors in uncontested elections

 

  Proxy access for director nominees by stockholders

 

  100%97% director attendance at Board and committee meetings in 2017

  100% director attendance at the 2017 annual meeting of the Company’s
stockholders2020

Board Refreshment and Diversity

  

  Directors with experience, qualifications and skills across a wide range of
public and private companies

 

  Directors reflect a diversity of gender, race and ethnicity

Average director nominee age of 5855 as of April 15, 2021

 

  Independent andnon-management directors may generally not stand forre-election after age 75

Other Governance Practices

  

  ShareholderActive stockholder engagement

  No shareholder rights plan expired in 2017 and was not renewed(also known as a poison pill)

 

  Director and executive officer stock ownership policies

 

  Policy prohibiting hedging or other speculative trading of Company stock

 

  Policy regarding resignation if any director experiences a significant change in professional roles and responsibilities

 

  Board access to senior management and independent advisors

 

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  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement  11


 

 

 

GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

 

  

 

What is the composition of the Board of Directors and how often are members elected?

 

 

Our Board of Directors presently consists of 12 directors. As discussed in more detail later in this section, the Board has determined that11 directors, nine of those directors, including three of the directorswhom are standing for electionre-election at the Annual Meeting, are independent underMeeting. Each director is elected for a one-year term.

Two of our current directors, Christian L. Campbell and Ed Yiu-Cheong Chan will not stand for re-election at the rules

Annual Meeting. The Company thanks Messrs. Campbell and Chan for their service as members of the NYSE.

our Board. The Board is currently divided into three classes of equal size. The directors designated as Class I and Class III directors have terms expiringdetermined that, effective at the 2019 annual meeting

conclusion of the Company’s stockholders. The directors designated as Class II directors have terms expiring at the Annual Meeting, and, if elected, will serve for aone-year term. Beginning at the 2019 annual meetingsize of the Company’s stockholders, each of our directors will stand for election each year for aone-year term, and our Board will therefore no longer be divided into three classes.decreased from 11 to ten directors.

 

 

How often did the Board meet in 2017?2020?

 

 

 

Directors are expected, absent extraordinary circumstances, to attend all Board meetings and meetings of committees on which they serve. Our Board met seven10 times and the committees collectively met 25 times during 2017. Each director2020. In 2020, overall attendance at Board and committee meetings was 97% and all directors attended all at least 75%

of the aggregate total of meetings of the Board and committees on which such director served that were held during 2017 while the director was a member.served. Our independent direc-

torsdirectors meet privately in executive session without management present at each regularly scheduled Board meeting and held six such executive sessions in 2017.meeting. Our independent Chairman leads these Board executive sessions.

 

 

What is the Board’s policy regarding director attendance at the Annual Meeting?

 

 

All directors are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting. All of theincumbent directors then serving on our Board attended the 20172020 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders.

How are director nominees selected?

 

 

 

The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for recommending director candidates to the full Board for nomination and election at the annual meetings of stockholders. The Nominating and Governance Committee will interview a director candidate before the candidate is submitted to the full Board for approval. The Nominating and Governance Committee’s charter provides that it may retain a third-party search firm to identify candidates from time to time. This year, with the assistance of a third-party search firm, the Nominating and Governance Committee undertook a broad and extensive search for new directors who would contribute to the collective skills, experience and diversity of the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee provided the search firm with guidance as to the skills, experience and qualifications that it was seeking in potential candidates, and the search firm identified several potential candidates.

After considering and interviewing a number of highly qualified candidates, the Nominating and Governance Committee recommended to the Board that Min (Jenny) Zhang be nominated to stand for election by our stockholders at the Annual Meeting.

The Nominating and Governance Committee will also consider director candidates recommended by stockholders or other sources in the same manner as nominees identified by the Committee.

For a stockholder to submit a candidate for consideration by the Nominating and Governance Committee, a stockholder must notify the Company’s Corporate Secretary by mail at Yum China Holdings, Inc., 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas 75024 or at Yum China Holdings, Inc., Yum China Building, 20 Tian Yao Qiao Road, Shanghai 200030, People’s Republic of China.

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  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

In accordance with the Corporate Governance Principles, our Board seeks members from diverse professional backgrounds who combine a broad spectrum of experience and expertise with a reputation for integrity.

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

  11


GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

Directors should have experience in positions with a high degree of responsibility and be leaders in the companies or institutions with which they are affiliated, and are selected based upon contributions they can make to the Board and management. The Nominating and Governance Committee seeks to complete customary vetting procedures and background checks with respect to individuals suggested for potential Board membership by stockholders of the Company or other sources.

Ten of our current directors joined the Board in connection with thespin-off from YUM in 2016. In 2017, the Board expanded its size from ten directors to 12 directors and appointed Ms. Joey Wat and Mr. William Wang as directors. Ms. Wat serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Mr. Wang was identified to the Company by Primavera pursuant to the shareholders agreement discussed below. We believe that each of our directors and director nominees

has met the guidelines set forth in the Corporate Governance Principles.

The Company is party to a shareholders agreement with Primavera Capital Group (“Primavera”), and API (Hong Kong) Investment Limited, an affiliate of Zhejiang Ant Small and Micro Financial Services Group Co., Ltd. (currently known as Ant Group Co., Ltd., “Ant Group”) pursuant to which Primavera has identified two director designees, Dr. Fred Hu and Mr. William Wang. In addition, Mr. Cyril Han served as the non-voting Board observer designated by Ant Group since November 2016 and was elected as a director at the 2019 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders.

 

 

What are the directors’ qualifications and skills?

 

 

 

As noted in the director biographies that follow this section,listed below, our directors have experience, qualifications and skills across a wide range of public and private companies spanning many different industries, possessingpossess-

ing a broad

spectrum of experience both individually and collectively. They bring a diverse mix of regional, industry and professional expertise to the Company.

 

 

LOGO

How does the composition of our Board reflect diversity?

The Nominating and Governance Committee seeks to recommend nominees that bring a unique perspective to the Board in order to contribute to the collective diversity of the Board. As a part of this process, in connection with director nominations, the Nominating and Governance Committee considers several factors to ensure the entire Board collectively embraces a wide variety of characteristics, including professional background, experience,

skills and knowledge. Each director nominee will generally exhibit different and varying degrees of these characteristics. With respect to the Company’s current slate of director nominees, the Company also benefits from the diversity inherent from differences in Board member age, gender, race and ethnicity. Thirty percent of director nominees are women.

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

  13


GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

Can stockholders nominate directors for election to the Board?

 

 

 

Yes, under our amendedAmended and restated bylaws,Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”), stockholders may nominate persons for electionelec-

tion as directors at an annual meeting by following the procedures described under “Additional Information.”

In addition, our amended and restated bylaws include provisions permitting, subject to certain terms and conditions, stockholders owning at least 3% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock for at least three consecutive years to use our annual meeting proxy statement to nominate a number of director candidates not to exceed 20% of the number of directors in office, subject to reduc-

tion in certain circumstances. Because we have been an independent publicly traded company for less than three years, stockholders will not be able to nominate directors for election using these proxy access procedures until the 2020 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders.

 

 

What is the Board’s leadership structure?

 

 

 

Our Board is currently led by an independent Chairman, Dr. Fred Hu. Our Board believes that Board independence and oversight of management are effectively maintained through a strong independent Chairman and through the Board’s composition, committee system and policy of having regular executive sessions ofnon-management directors, all of which are discussed below this section.

Further, separating the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles enables the Chairman to focus on corporate governance matters and the Chief Executive Officer to

focus on the Company’s business. We find that this structure works well to foster an open dialogue and constructive feedback among the independent directors and

12  

  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

management. It further allows the Board to effectively represent the best interests of all stockholders and contribute to the Company’s long-term success.

To promote effective independent oversight, the Board has adopted a number of governance practices discussed below.

 

 

What are the Company’s governance policies and ethical guidelines?

 

 

 

  

Board Committee Charters. The Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and Food Safety and Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors operate pursuant to their respective written charters. These charters were approved by the Board of Directors and are reviewed annually by the respective committees. Each charter is available on the Company’s website atir.yumchina.com.

 

  

Governance Principles. The Board of Directors has adopted Corporate Governance Principles, which are intended to embody the governance principles and procedures by which the Board functions. These principles are available on the Company’s website atir.yumchina.com.

 

Ethical Guidelines. YUMC’sYum China’s Code of Conduct was adopted to emphasize the Company’s commitment to the highest standards of business conduct. The Code of

  

to the highest standards of business conduct. The Code of Conduct also sets forth information and procedures for employees to report ethical or accounting concerns, misconduct or violations of the Code of Conduct in a confidential manner. The Code of Conduct applies to all directors and employees of the Company, including the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer and the principal accounting officer. All employees of the Company are required, on an annual basis, to complete the Yum China Code of Conduct Questionnaire and certify in writing that they have read and understand the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is available on the Company’s website atir.yumchina.com. The Company intends to post amendments to or waivers from the Code of Conduct (to the extent applicable to directors or executive officers)officers and required by the rules of the SEC, NYSE or HKEX) on this website.

 

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  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

 

What other significant Board governance practices does the Company have?

 

 

 

Annual Election of Directors. In accordance with our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, our directors are elected to serve a one-year term and until their successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

Role of Lead Director. Our Corporate Governance Principles require the independent directors to appoint a Lead Director when the Chairman does not qualify as independent in accordance with the applicable rules of the NYSE. The Company currently does not have a Lead Director because the Chairman of the Board is independent.

Executive Sessions. Our independent andnon-management directors meet regularly in executive session. The executive sessions are attended only by the independent andnon-management directors and are presided over by the independent Chairman. Our independent directors also meet in executive session at least once per year.

 

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

  13


GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

Board and Committee Evaluations. The Board conductsrecognizes that a thorough, constructive evaluation process enhances our Board’s effectiveness and is an annual self-evaluation process that is led byessential element of good corporate governance. Each year, the Nominating and Governance Committee. This assessment focusesCommittee oversees the design and implementation of the evaluation process, focused on the Board’s contribution to the Company and emphasizes thoseon areas in which the Board believes a better contribution could be made. In addition, each of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Governance CommitteesCommittee and the Food Safety and Sustainability Committee also conducts a similar annual self-evaluation pursuant to their respective charters. Written questionnaires completed by each director, as well as discussions with selected directors, solicit feedback on a wide range of issues, including Board/committee composition and leadership, meetings, responsibilities and overall effectiveness. A summary of the Board and committee evaluation results is discussed with the Board and with the respective committees, and policies and practices are updated in response

to the evaluation results. Director suggestions for improvements to evaluation questionnaires and processes are considered for incorporation for the following year.

 

Retirement Policy. Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Principles, independent ornon-management directors may not stand forre-election to the Board after they have reached the age of 75, unless the Board unanimously elects to have the director stand forre-election.

 

Limits on Director Service on Other Public Company Boards.Our Corporate Governance Principles provide that directors may serve on no more than four other public company boards. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer, if a director, may serve on no more than twoone other public company boards.board. All directors are expected to advise the Chairman and the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee prior to accepting any other public company directorship or any assignment to the audit committee or compensation committee of other public company boards.

 

Majority Voting Policy. Our amended and restated bylawsBylaws require majority voting for the election of directors in uncontested elections. This means that director nominees in an uncontested election for directors must receive a number of votes “FOR” their election in excess of 50% of the number of votes cast with respect to that director’s election. The Corporate Governance Principles further provide that any incumbent director who does not receive a majority of “FOR” votes will promptly tender to the Board his or her resignation from the Board. The resignation will specify that it is effective upon the Board’s acceptance of the resignation. The Board will, through a process managed by the Nominating and Governance Committee and excluding the nominee in question, accept or reject the resignation and publicly disclose the Board’s decision regarding the resignation and the rationale behind the decision within 90 days from the date of the certification of the election results.

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement 

Principles further provide that any incumbent director who does not receive a majority of “FOR” votes will promptly tender to the Board his or her resignation from the Board. The resignation will specify that it is effective upon the Board’s acceptance of the resignation. The Board will, through a process managed by the Nominating and Governance Committee and excluding the nominee in question, accept or reject the resignation and publicly disclose the Board’s decision regarding the resignation and the rationale behind the decision within 90 days from the date of the certification of the election results.  15


GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

 

Access to Management and Employees. Our directors have complete and open access to senior members of management. Our Chief Executive Officer invites key employees of the Company to attend Board sessions at which the Chief Executive Officer believes they can meaningfully contribute to Board discussion.

 

Access to Outside Advisors. The Board and Board committees have the right to consult and retain independent legal and other advisors at the expense of the Company. The Audit Committee has the sole authority to appoint, determine funding for and replace the independent auditor. The Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain any advisor to assist it in the performance of its duties, after taking into consideration all factors relevant to the advisor’s independence from management. The Nominating and Governance Committee has the sole authority to retain search firms to be used to identify director candidates. The Food Safety Committee has the authority to consult and retain any advisor to assist it in connection with the exercise of its responsibilities and authority.

to appoint, determine funding for and replace the independent auditor. The Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain any advisor to assist it in the performance of its duties, after taking into consideration all factors relevant to the advisor’s independence from management. The Nominating and Governance Committee has the sole authority to retain search firms to be used to identify director candidates. The Food Safety and Sustainability Committee has the authority to consult and retain any advisor to assist it in connection with the exercise of its responsibilities and authority.

 

 

What is the Board’s role in risk oversight?

 

 

 

The Board maintains overall responsibility for overseeing the Company’s risk management framework. In furtherance of its responsibility, the Board has delegated specific

risk-related responsibilities to the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Food Safety and Sustainability Committee.

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  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee engages in substantive discussions with management regarding the Company’s major risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, including the Company’s risk assessment and risk management policies. Our Head of Corporate Audit reports directly to the Audit Committee, as well as our Chief Financial Officer. The Audit Committee also receives reports at each committee meeting regarding legal and regulatory risks from management and meets periodically in separate executive sessions with

our independent auditor and our Head of Corporate Audit. The Chief Legal Officer reports regularly to the Audit Committee on the Company’s key risk areas and compliance programs. The Audit Committee periodically provides a summary to the full Board of the risk areas reviewed together with any other risk-related subjects discussed at the Audit Committee meeting. Alternatively, the Board may review and discuss directly with management the major risks arising from the Company’s business and operations.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee considers the risks that may be implicated by our compensation programs through a risk assessment conducted by management and reports its conclusions to the full Board. This oversight helps ensure the Company’s compensation programs

align with the Company’s goals and compensation philosophies and, along with other factors, operate to mitigate against the risk that such programs would encourage excessive or inappropriate risk-taking.

Food Safety and Sustainability Committee

In December 2017, the Board established theThe Food Safety and Sustainability Committee to assistassists the Board in its oversight of the Company’s practices, programs,policies, procedures, strategies and initiatives relating to the protection of food safety. The Food Safety Committee also

monitors trends, issues and concerns affecting the Company’s food safety practices, and the risks arising therefrom, in light of the Company’s overall efforts related to food safety.

The Food Safety and Sustainability Committee also assists the Board in its oversight of the Company’s practices, policies, procedures, strategies and initiatives relating to sustainability, including environmental, supply chain and food nutrition and health. The Committee monitors trends, issues and concerns affecting the Company’s sustainability practices, policies, procedures, strategies and initiatives.

 

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  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

How does the Board oversee food safety risk?

The Board and the Food Safety and Sustainability Committee are involved in oversight of the Company’s food safety risk. The Food Safety and Sustainability Committee assists the Board in the oversight of food safety risk and regularly receives reports from management in connection with the Company’s practices, procedures, strategies and initiatives relating to food safety and the risks arising therefrom. The Board and the Food Safety and

Sustainability Committee also monitor and evaluate significant changes in regulatory requirements on food safety, material food safety incidents that could potentially affect the Company, as well as any severe public health situations, including the COVID-19 pandemic, that could adversely affect the Company’s business and operations.

How does the Board oversee cybersecurity risk?

The Board and the Audit Committee are involved in oversight of the Company’s cybersecurity risk. The Audit Committee assists the Board in the oversight of cybersecurity and other technology risks, discusses with management cybersecurity risk mitigation and incident management, and reviews management reports regarding the Company’s cybersecurity governance processes, incident response system and applicable cybersecurity laws, regulations and standards, status of projects to strengthen internal cybersecurity, the evolving threat environment,

vulnerability assessments, specific cybersecurity incidents and management’s efforts to monitor, detect and prevent cybersecurity threats.

The Company’s cybersecurity programs are regularly audited by independent third parties against established regulatory and industry standards. We incorporate regular information security training as part of our employee education and development program. In addition, the Company maintains cybersecurity insurance as part of its overall insurance portfolio.

How has the Board overseen the Company’s response to COVID-19?

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Board and its committees took additional actions to ensure effective oversight of the Company’s response plans to mitigate the risks related to the pandemic. In addition to a COVID-19 crisis management team comprised of cross-brand and cross-functional executives at the management level, the Board has formed a crisis management committee to support management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through regular updates and additional communications with management, the Board has actively participated in

overseeing the Company’s management of the COVID-19 crisis, including protecting the health and safety of our employees and customers, evaluating the impact of the pandemic on the Company’s operations and strategies, monitoring continued compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, managing human capital and assessing the impact of the pandemic on the Company’s liquidity and financial position. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it will continue to be a key focus of the Board’s risk oversight activity.

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

  17


GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

What is the Board’s role in management development and succession planning?

 

 

 

The Board considers management development and succession planning to be a critical part of our Company’s long-term strategy. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Principles, the Board reviews the Company’s succession planning, including succession planning in the case of retirement of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The Chief Executive Officer periodically reports to the Board with regard to his or her recommendationsrecommen-

dations for potential successors to senior executive positions and development plans for such individuals. In addition, the Board reviews recommendations from the Compensation Committeean independent committee with regard to the performance evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer, which the

Compensation Committee committee conducts annually, in accordance with its charter.

In September 2017, Mr. Micky Pant notified the Board that he would be stepping down from the office of Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective March 1, 2018. Pursuant to the Company’s succession plan and after careful deliberations, the Board appointed Ms. Joey Wat as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1, 2018. Mr. Pant continues to serve the Company as Senior Advisor to the Company and also assumed the role of Vice Chairman of the Board.

 

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

  15


GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

 

How does the Board determine which directors are considered independent?

 

 

 

The Company’s Corporate Governance Principles, adopted by the Board, require that a majority of the directors qualify as independent in accordance with the applicable rules of the NYSE. The Board also considers independence requirements of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “HK Listing Rules”). The Board determines on an annual basis whether each director qualifies as independent pursuant to the applicable rules of the NYSE.NYSE and the HK Listing Rules.

Pursuant to the Corporate Governance Principles, the Board undertook its annual review of director independence. During this review, the Board considered transactions and relationships between each director or any member of his or her immediate family and the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. As provided in the Corporate Governance Principles, the purpose of this review

was to determine whether any such relationships or transactions were inconsistent with a determination that the director is independent.

As a result of the review, the Board affirmatively determined that all of the directors and director nominees are independent of the Company and its management under NYSE rules and the HK Listing Rules, with the exception of Christian Campbell, Micky Pant and Joey Wat. Mr. Campbell is not considered an independent director because he served as an executive officer of

YUM until his retirement in February 2016. Mr. Pant is not considered an independent director because he formerly served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Ms. Wat is not considered an independent director because she is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

In reaching this conclusion, the Board determined that Dr. Hu, Messrs. Bassi, Campbell, Chan, Ettedgui, Han, Hsieh, Linen, Shao and Wang and Ms.Mess. Lu and Zhang had no material relationship with the Company other than, in the case of incumbent directors, their relationship as a director. As part of its assessment, the Board considered the fact that Mr. Shao served asCo-Chairman and Partner of King & Wood Mallesons China until May 2017, and that the Company paid fees to King & Wood Mallesons China for legal services that accounted for less than 1% of King & Wood Mallesons China’s revenue in 2017. Based on the amount of fees the Company paid to King & Wood Mallesons China, and based on the fact that Mr. Shao did not directly participate in rendering legal services to the Company, the Board determined that this relationship was not material to Mr. Shao or King & Wood Mallesons China, and therefore the Board determined Mr. Shao was independent.

 

 

How do stockholders communicate with the Board?

 

 

 

Stockholders or other parties who wish to communicate directly with thenon-management directors, individually or as a group, or the entire Board may do so by writing to the Nominating and Governance Committee, c/o the Corporate Secretary, Yum China Holdings, Inc., 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas, 75024. The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board has approved a processpro-

cess for handling correspondence received by the Company and addressed tonon-management members of the Board or the entire Board. Under that process, the Corporate Secretary of the Company reviews all such correspondence and regularly forwards to a designated member of the Nominating and Governance Committee copies of all such correspondence (except commercial

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   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

correspondence and correspondence that is duplicative in nature) and a summary of all such correspondence. Directors may at any time review a log of all correspondence received by the Company that is addressed to members of the Board and request copies of any such correspondence. Written correspondence from stockholders relating to accounting, internal controls or auditing matters are

brought to the attention of the Chairperson of the Audit Committee and to the internal audit department and are handled in accordance with procedures established by the Audit Committee with respect to such matters (described below). Correspondence from stockholders relating to Compensation Committee matters are referred to the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee.

 

 

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   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

How do the Board and management engage with stockholders?

 

 

 

Our Board and management are committed to regular engagement with our stockholders. In 2017,2020, we contactedreached out to our top 25 stockholders, which comprise holders of nearlymore than 50% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock, in order to solicit their input on important governance, executive compensation, sustainability and other matters. Additionally, our senior management team, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, regularly engage in meaningful dialogue with our stockholders, including through our quarterly earnings calls and

investor conferences and meetings. Our senior management team regularly reports to our Board and, as applicable, committees of our Board, regarding stockholder views.

We evaluate and respond to the views voiced by our stockholders. As a result of ourBased on feedback received during the Company’s stockholder engagement processefforts over the past several years, the Compensation Committee approved

certain changes to the Company’s executive compensation program in 2017, we2020, including expanding the recipients of annual performance stock unit (“PSU”) grants, and using PSU grants with multiple performance metrics to replace the existing restricted stock unit (“RSU”) component. For more information on stockholder engagement regarding compensation for executive officers, please see “Executive Compensation—Stockholder Engagement.”

With the increasing focus on environmental sustainability issues, the responsibilities of the Food Safety Committee (recently renamed as the Food Safety and Sustainability Committee) have been expanded our disclosures on riskto also cover the oversight of environmental, supply chain and succession planning in this proxy statement.food nutrition and health issues. In addition, beginning with the 2021 annual incentive program, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) measures will be incorporated into the key performance indicators that are used to determine the individual performance factor for each leadership team member.

 

 

What are the Company’s policies on reporting of concerns regarding accounting and auditing matters?

 

 

 

The Audit Committee has established policies on reporting concerns regarding accounting and auditing matters in addition to our policy on communicating with ournon-management directors. Any employee may, on a confidential or anonymous basis, submit complaints or concerns regarding accounting or auditing matters to the Chief Legal Officer of the Company through the Company’s Employee Hotline or bye-mail or regular mail. If an

employee is uncomfortable for any reason contacting the Chief Legal Officer, the employee may contact the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. The Chief Legal Officer maintains a log of all complaints or concerns, tracking their receipt, investigation and resolution and prepares a periodic summary report thereof for the Audit Committee.

 

 

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GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

 

    

 

What are the Committees of the Board?

 

 

The Board of Directors has standing Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Governance and Food Safety and Sustainability Committees. Set forth below is a summary of the functions of each committee, the members of each committee as of April 15, 2021 and the number of meetings each committee held in 2017.2020.

 

Audit Committee

 

Louis T. Hsieh,Christian L. Campbell*, Chair

Peter A. Bassi

EdYiu-Cheong Chan Chan*

Ruby LuCyril Han

Louis T. Hsieh

 

Number of meetings held in 2017: 82020: 11

  

  Possesses sole authority regarding the selection and retention of the independent auditor

  Reviews and has oversight over the Company’s internal audit function

  Reviews and approves all auditing services, internal control-related services and permittednon-audit services to be performed for the Company by the independent auditor

  Reviews the independence, qualification and performance of the independent auditor

  Reviews and discusses with management and the independent auditor any major issues as to the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls, any special steps adopted in light of material control deficiencies and the adequacy of disclosures about changes in internal control over financial reporting

  Reviews and discusses with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, results of the review of the Company’s quarterly financial statements and significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the Company’s financial statements

  Review and discuss with the independent auditor any critical audit matter (“CAM”) addressed in the audit of the Company’s financial statements and the relevant financial statement accounts and disclosures that relate to each CAM.

Reviews the Company’s accounting and financial reporting principles and practices, including any significant changes thereto

  Advises the Board with respect to Company policies and procedures regarding compliance with applicable laws and regulations and with the Company’s Code of Conduct

  Discusses with management the Company’s major risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, includingexposures; and assists the Company’s risk assessmentBoard in the oversight of cybersecurity and risk management policies.other technology risks. Further detail about the role of the Audit Committee in risk assessment and risk management is included in the section entitled “What is the Board’s role in risk oversight?”. and “How does the Board oversee cybersecurity risk?”

The Board of Directors has determined that all of the members of the Audit Committee are independent within the meaning of applicable SEC regulations and the listing standards of the NYSE. The Board has also determined that each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate within the meaning of the listing standards of the NYSE and that Mr.each of Messrs. Bassi, Chan, Han and Hsieh the Chairperson of the Committee, is qualified as an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of SEC regulations. The Board has also determined that Mr. Hsieh has accounting and related financial management expertise within the meaning of the listing standards of the NYSE and that each member is financially literate within the meaning of the listing standards of the NYSE.

 

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   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

 

   

 

Compensation Committee

 

Ruby Lu, Chair

Christian L. Campbell*

Edouard EttedguiChairJonathan S. Linen

William Wang

 

Number of meetings

held in 2017: 72020: 9

  

  Oversees the Company’s executive compensation plans and programs and reviews and recommends changes to these plans and programs

  Monitors the performance of the Chief Executive Officer and other senior executives in light of corporate goals set by the Committee

  Reviews and approves the corporate goals and objectives relevant to the Chief Executive Officer’s and other senior executives’ compensation and evaluates their performance in light of those goals and objectives

  Determines and approves the compensation level of the Chief Executive Officer and other senior executive officers based on this evaluation

  Reviews the Company’s compensation plans, policies and programs to assess the extent to which they encourage excessive or inappropriate risk-taking or earnings manipulation

  Reviews management succession planning and makes recommendations to the Board

The Board has determined that all of the members of the Compensation Committee are independent within the meaning of the listing standards of the NYSE.

 

Nominating and

Governance Committee

 

Fred Hu,Chair

Jonathan S. LinenChristian L. Campbell*

Edouard Ettedgui

Ruby Lu

 

Number of meetings

held in 2017: 42020: 3

  

  Identifies and proposes to the Board individuals qualified to become Board members and recommends to the Board director nominees for each committee

  Advises the Board on matters of corporate governance

  Reviews and reassesses from time to time the adequacy of the Company’s Corporate Governance Principles and recommends any proposed changes to the Board for approval

  Receives comments from all directors and reports annually to the Board with assessment of the Board’s performance

  Reviews annually and makes recommendations to the Board with respect to the compensation and benefits of directors

  Reviews management succession planning and makes recommendations to the Board

  Review emerging corporate governance issues and best practices

The Board has determined that all of the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are independent within the meaning of the listing standards of the NYSE.

 

Food Safety and

Sustainability

Committee

 

Zili Shao,Chair

Peter A. Bassi

Christian L. CampbellEdouard Ettedgui

Number of meetings

held in 2020: 2

  

  Reviews, evaluates and advises the Board regarding the practices, procedures, strategies and initiatives to protect food safety

  Reviews, evaluates and advises the Board regarding trends, issues and concerns which affect or could affect the Company’s food safety practices, and the risks arising therefrom, in light of the Company’s overall efforts related to food safety

  Reviews and evaluates any corrective action taken by management to address any food safety related risks or incident, if any, and advises the Board regarding any proposed action in relation thereto

  Reviews, evaluates and advises the Board regarding the Company’s practices, policies, procedures, strategies and initiatives relating to sustainability, including environmental, supply chain and food nutrition and health

  Reviews and evaluates the trends, issues and concerns which affect or could affect the Company’s sustainability practices, policies, procedures, strategies and initiatives

  Reviews and oversees the development and implementation of the goals the Company may establish from time to time with respect to its sustainability initiatives

  Oversees the reporting and communication with stakeholders with respect to sustainability

The Food Safety Committee was established in December 2017* At the Annual Meeting, Messrs. Campbell and didChan are stepping down from the Board and its committees and are not hold any meetings in 2017.standing for re-election.

 

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GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY   

 

    

 

What are the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to related person transactions?

 

 

 

Under the Company’s Related Person Transaction Policies and Procedures, the Audit Committee reviews the material facts of all related person transactions that require the Audit Committee’s approval and either approves or disapproves of the entry into the related person transaction. In determining whether to approve or ratify a related person transaction, the Audit Committee will determine whether such transaction is in, or not opposed to, the best interest of the Company and will take into account, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether such transaction is on terms no less favorable to the Company than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction. Transactions, arrangements or relationships or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships in which (i) a related person has or will have a direct or indirect material interest, (ii) the Company is a participant and (iii) that exceed $120,000 in any calendar year are subject to the Audit Committee’s review. Any director who is a related person with respect to a transaction under review may not participate in any discussion or approval of the transaction, except that the director will provide all material information concerning the transaction to the Audit Committee.

Related persons are directors, director nominees, executive officers, beneficial owners of 5% or more of the outstanding shares of Company common stock and their immediate family members. An immediate family member includes a person’s children, stepchildren, parents, stepparents, spouse, siblings, mothers- andfathers-in-law, sons- anddaughters-in-law, and brothers- andsisters-in-law and anyone sharing such person’s household (other than a tenant or employee).

After its review, the Audit Committee may approve or ratify the transaction. The policies and procedures provide that certain transactions are deemed to bepre-approved even if they will exceed $120,000. These transactions include employment of executive officers, director compensation and transactions with other companies if the

aggregate amount of the transaction does not exceed the greater of $1 million or 2% of that company’s total consolidated gross revenues and the related person is not an executive officer of the other company.

Other than as described below, thereThere were no transactions considered to be a related person transaction from January 1, 20172020 through the date of this proxy statement.

In connection with thespin-off, on September 1, 2016, YUM and the Company entered into investment agreements with each of Pollos Investment L.P., an affiliate of Primavera Capital Group (“Primavera”), and API (Hong Kong) Investment Limited, an affiliate of Zhejiang Ant Small and Micro Financial Services Group Co., Ltd. (“Ant Financial” and, together with Primavera, the “Investors”). Pursuant to the investment agreements, on November 1, 2016, Primavera and Ant Financial collectively invested $460 million (the “Investment”) in the Company in exchange for: (i) shares of the Company’s common stock representing in the aggregate 4.8% of the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding immediately following thespin-off, after giving effect to the post-closing adjustment as discussed below and (ii) two tranches of warrants (the “Warrants”), exercisable by the Investors for an approximate additional 3.9% ownership, in the aggregate, of the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding after thespin-off, taking into account the shares previously issued to the Investors. In connection with and at the closing of the Investment, on November 1, 2016, the Company and the Investors entered into a shareholders agreement, relating to rights and obligations of the Investors as holders of Company common stock and Warrants. Pursuant to the terms of the shareholders agreement, Primavera identified two director designees, Dr. Hu and Mr. Wang. In addition, Ant Financial designated onenon-voting Board observer.

On January 9, 2017, following the expiration of the post-closing measurement period specified in the investment agreements, the Company repurchased from the Investors a portion of the previously-issued shares of Company

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  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

common stock at par value. In addition, the Company issued the Warrants to the Investors. These transactions were completed pursuant to the terms of the investment

agreements entered into prior to thespin-off and were, accordingly, approved by the board of directors of YUM.

 

 

Does the Company require stock ownership by directors?

 

 

 

The Board believes that the number of shares of Company common stock owned by each director is a personal decision. However, the Board strongly supports the position that directors should own a meaningful number of shares of Company common stock and expects that a director will not sell any shares received as director compensation until at least 12 months following the director’s retirement or departure from the Board.

The Company’snon-employee directors receive a significant portion of their annual compensation in shares of Company common stock. The Company believes that the emphasis on the equity component of director compensation serves to further align the interests of directors with those of our stockholders.

 

 

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  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


   GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

Does the Company require stock ownership by executive officers?

 

 

 

The Board has adopted Stock Ownership Guidelines, which require executive officers to own a substantial amount of Company common stock in order to promote

an ownership mentality among management and align

their interests with those of stockholders. See “Executive Compensation—Compensation Policies and Practices—Stock Ownership Guidelines” for more information.

 

 

How many shares of Company common stock do the directors and executive officers own?

 

 

Stock ownership information for our directors and executive officers is shown under “Stock Ownership Information.”

Does the Company have a policy on hedging or other speculative trading in Company common stock?

 

 

Directors, and executive officers and certain other designated employees are prohibited from speculative trading in Company common stock, including trading in puts, calls or other hedging or monetization transactions.

How are directors compensated?

 

 

Employee directors do not receive additional compensation for serving on the Board of Directors. The annual compensation for each director who is not an employee of

the Company is discussed under “2017“2020 Director Compensation.”

 

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 MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION

 

ITEM 1.    Election of Directors

 

 

 

Our Board currently consists of 12 directors divided into three classes of equal size. The directors designated as Class I and Class III directors have terms expiring atWho are the 2019 annual meetingdirector nominees?

Each of the Company’s stockholders. The directors designateddirector nominees, other than Min (Jenny) Zhang, currently serves as Class II directors have terms expiringa director of the Company. Ms. Zhang is being nominated as a director for election at the Annual Meeting following a search process undertaken by the Nominating and if elected, will serveGovernance Committee, as described above under “Governance of the Company—How are director nominees selected?”

Each nominee has been nominated by the Board for election at the Annual Meeting to hold office for aone-year term. Beginning at the 2019 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders, each of our directors will stand for election each year for aone-year term, and our Board will therefore no longer be divided into three classes.

Who are the Class II director nominees?

The Board has selected Louis T. Hsieh, Jonathan S. Linen, Muktesh “Micky” Pant and William Wang for election as Class II director nominees. None of the Class II nominees has been elected by our public stockholders. If elected, the nominees will serve as directors and hold office until the 20192022 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

At the Annual Meeting, proxies cannot be voted for a greater number of individuals than the 10 nominees named in this proxy statement.

The biographies of each of the nominees for Class II directors and the continuing Class I and Class III directors below contain information regarding the person’s service as a director, business experience, director positions held currently or at any time during the last five years, information regarding involvement in certain legal or administrative proceedings, if applicable, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused the Nomi-

natingNominating and Governance Committee and the Board to determine that

the person should serve as a director for the Company. In addition to the information presented below regarding each nominee’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led our Board to the conclusion that he or she should serve as a director, we also believe that all of our director nominees have a reputation for integrity, honesty and adherence to high ethical standards. They each have demonstrated business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as a commitment of service to the Company and our Board.

There are no family relationships among any of the directors, director nominees and executive officers of the Company. Director agesAges are as of March 13, 2018.April 15, 2021.

What if a nominee is unwilling or unable to serve?

That is not expected to occur. If it does, proxies may be voted for a substitute nominated by the Board of Directors.

What vote is required to elect directors?

A nominee will be elected as a director if the number of “FOR” votes exceeds the number of “AGAINST” votes with respect to his or her election.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the election of the four Class II10 director nominees.

 

 

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  YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement


  

 

 

   MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION

 

   

 

Director Nominees for Class II Directors Whose Terms, if Elected, Will Expire in 2019

 

LOGOLOGO

 

 

Louis T. HsiehFred Hu

Age 5357

Director Since 2016

 

Louis T. HsiehFred Huhas served as the Chief Financial Officerchairman and founder of NextEV (NIOPrimavera, a China-based global investment firm, since its inception in 2011. Prior to Primavera, Dr. Hu served in various roles at Goldman Sachs from 1997 to 2010, including as partner and chairman of Greater China at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.), a developer of electric, autonomous vehicles, since May 2017. Mr. Hsieh also has From 1991 to 1996, he served as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington D.C. Dr. Hu currently is a Senior Advisermember of the board of directors of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 0388), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, a company listed on both the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 1398) and the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SHA: 601398), and UBS Group AG, a company listed on both the SIX Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: UBSG) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: UBS). From May 2011 to the Chief Executive Officer since 2016 and as a director since 2007 of New Oriental Education & Technology Group, a provider of private educational services in China. Prior to his current role, Mr. HsiehMay 2018, Dr. Hu served as that company’s Chief Financial Officer from 2005 to 2015 and President from 2009 to 2016. In addition, Mr. Hsiehan independent non-executive director of Hang Seng Bank Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 0011). Dr. Hu serves as an independent non-executivedirector memberfor Ant Group since August 2020 and as a co-director of the corporate governance committeeNational Center for Economic Research and Chairman of the audit committee for JD.com, Inc. Previously, Mr. Hsieh served as an independent director and Chairman of the audit committee for Nord Anglia Education, Inc. He also served as an independent director, member of the corporate governance committee and Chairman of the audit committee for Perfect World Co., Ltd. and China Digital TV Holding Co., Ltd. Mr. Hsieha professor at Tsinghua University. Dr. Hu obtained his doctoral degree in economics from Harvard University. Dr. Hu brings to our Board extensive expertise in international affairs and the Chinese economy. In addition, Dr. Hu brings valuable business, strategic development and corporate leadership and public company board experience as well as his extensive financialexpertise in economics, finance and international business experience.global capital markets.

 

LOGO

Jonathan S. Linen

Age 74

Director Since 2016

Jonathan S. Linenhas been a member of the board of directors of Modern Bank, N.A. since 2005. Mr. Linen served as advisor to the Chairman of American Express Company, a financial services company, from January 2006 to July 2016. Prior to his role as advisor to the Chairman, Mr. Linen served as the Vice Chairman of American Express Company since August 1993. Mr. Linen served on the board of directors of YUM from 2005 to 2016 and of The Intercontinental Hotels Group from 2005 to 2015. In addition, Mr. Linen is a former director of Bausch & Lomb. Mr. Linen brings to our Board operating and management experience, expertise in finance, marketing and international business development and public company board and committee experience.

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

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MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION   

LOGO

Micky Pant

Age 63

Director Since 2016

Micky Panthas served as the Vice Chairman of the Board and Senior Advisor to the Company since March 2018. Mr. Pant served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company from October 2016 to February 2018. He also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the YUM China Division of YUM from August 2015 to October 2016. Commencing in 2006, Mr. Pant held a number of leadership positions at YUM, including the Chief Executive Officer of the KFC Division, CEO of YRI, President of Global Branding for YUM, President of YRI, Chief Marketing Officer of YUM, Global Chief Concept Officer for YUM and President of Taco Bell International. Before joining YUM, Mr. Pant built a foundation in marketing and international business with 15 years at Unilever in India and the U.K. and worked at PepsiCo, Inc. and Reebok International Limited. Since December 2014, Mr. Pant has served as an independent director on the board of Pinnacle Foods, Inc., where he also serves on the audit committee and the nominating and governance committee. Mr. Pant brings to our Board his vast knowledge of KFC and Pizza Hut best practices from around the globe and strategic, brand building expertise. In addition, Mr. Pant brings to our Board his corporate leadership knowledge and public company board experience.

LOGO

William Wang

Age 43

Director Since 2017

William Wang is one of the founding partners of Primavera Capital Group, a China-based global investment firm (“Primavera”). Prior to Primavera, Mr. Wang served as a Managing Director of Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking/Principal Investment Area (“GS”), where he led significant successful investments in China for the group. Prior to GS, Mr. Wang worked in Investment Banking Division and Private Equity Group of China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC). Mr. Wang currently serves as a director on the board of Geely Automobile Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong listed company, in addition to directorships at Primavera’s portfolio companies. Mr. Wang brings to our Board deep knowledge and investment insights of the Chinese market.

24  

  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


Continuing Class I Directors Whose Terms Will Expire in 2019

LOGO

Peter A. Bassi

Age 68

Director Since 2016

Peter A. Bassiserved as Chairman of Yum! Restaurants International (“YRI”) from 2003 to 2005 and as its President from 1997 to 2003. Prior to that position, Mr. Bassi spent 25 years in a wide range of financial and general management positions at PepsiCo, Inc., Pepsi-Cola International, Pizza Hut (U.S. and International), Frito-Lay and Taco Bell. Mr. Bassi currently serves as lead director and Chairman of the nominating and governance committee of BJ’s Restaurant, where he also serves on the audit committee and compensation committee, and as the Chairman of the board and the Chairman of the nominating and governance committee of Potbelly Sandwich Works. He has been a member of each board of directors since 2004 and 2009, respectively. In addition, Mr. Bassi serves on the Value Optimization Board for the private equity firm Mekong Capital, based in Vietnam. Mr. Bassi served on the board of The Pep Boys—Manny, Moe & Jack from 2002 to 2009, and served on the board of Amrest Holdings (Poland) from 2012 to 2015. Mr. Bassi brings to our Board knowledge of the quick-service restaurant industry and global franchising. In addition, he brings to our Board extensive public company board and corporate governance experience.

LOGO

Ed Yiu-Cheong Chan

Age 55

Director Since 2016

Ed Yiu-Cheong Chanserved as Vice Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited and as an Executive Director and Vice Chairman of C.P. Lotus Corporation from 2012 to February 2018. Mr. Chan was Regional Director of North Asia of the Dairy Farm Group and a director of Dairy Farm Management Services Limited from November 2001 to November 2006. Mr. Chan was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart China from November 2006 to October 2011. Mr. Chan is a non-executive director of Treasury Wine Estates Limited, a company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, and an independent non-executive director of Link Real Estate Investment Trust, which is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. Mr. Chan brings to our Board knowledge of the food and beverage industry in Asia and extensive public company board and corporate governance experience.

LOGO

Edouard Ettedgui

Age 66

Director Since 2016

Edouard Ettedguihas served as the non-executive Chairman of Alliance Française, Hong Kong since 2016. He also serves as a non-executive director of Mandarin Oriental International Limited, the company for which he was the Group Chief Executive from 1998 to 2016. Prior to his time at Mandarin Oriental International, Mr. Ettedgui was the Chief Financial Officer for Dairy Farm International Holdings, and he served in various roles for British American Tobacco, including Business Development Director, Group Finance Controller and Group Head of Finance. Mr. Ettedgui has also held senior finance positions in seven countries at Philips International. Mr. Ettedgui brings to our Board senior management experience in various international consumer-product industries, extensive financial expertise and public company board experience.

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

  25


LOGOLOGO

 

 

Joey Wat

Age 4649

Director Since 2017

 

Joey Wat has served as a director of our Company since July 2017 and as the Chief Executive Officer of theour Company since March 2018. Ms. WatShe served as our President and Chief Operating Officer of Yum China from February 2017 to February 2018 and the Chief Executive Officer, KFC from October 2016 to February 2017, a position she held at Yum! Restaurants China, from August 2015 to October 2016. Ms. Wat joined Yum! Restaurants China in September 2014 as President of KFC China and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer for KFC China in August 2015. Before joining YUM, Ms. Wat served in both management and strategy positions at ASA.S. Watson of Hutchison Group (“Watson”), an international health, beauty and lifestyle retailer, in the U.K. from 2004 to 2014. Her last position at Watson was Managing Directormanaging director of Watson Health & Beauty U.K., which operates Superdrug and Savers, two retail chains specializing in the sale of pharmacy and health and beauty products, from 2012 to 2014. She made the transition from Headhead of Strategystrategy of Watson in Europe to Managing Directormanaging director of Savers in 2007. Before joining Watson, Ms. Wat spent seven years in management consulting including with McKinsey & Company’s Hong Kong office from 2000 to 2003. Ms. Wat obtained a master of management degree from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2000. Ms. Wat brings to our Board extensive knowledge of the Company’s business and her industry acumen acquired in the course of a career that included several leadership roles in retail companies.

 

26  YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement 

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Continuing Class III Directors Whose Term Will Expire in 2019

MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION   

 

LOGOLOGO

 

 

Christian L. CampbellPeter A. Bassi

Age 6771

Director Since 2016

 

Christian L. CampbellPeter A. Bassiowns Christian L. Campbell Consulting LLC, which specializes served as Chairman of Yum! Restaurants International from 2003 to 2005 and as its President from 1997 to 2003. Prior to that position, Mr. Bassi spent 25 years in global corporatea wide range of financial and general management positions at PepsiCo, Inc., Pepsi-Cola International, Pizza Hut (U.S. and International), Frito-Lay and Taco Bell. Mr. Bassi currently serves as lead independent director and chairman of the governance and compliance,nominating committee of BJ’s Restaurant, Inc. (NASDAQ: BJRI), where he also serves on the audit committee and hecompensation committee. He has served asbeen a member of the ownerboard of that entityBJ’s Restaurant, Inc. since February 2016.2004. From January 2009 to May 2019, Mr. Campbell previously served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and SecretaryBassi held various positions on the board of YUM from its formation in 1997 until his retirement in February 2016. In 2001,Potbelly Corporation (NASDAQ: PBPB). From June 2015 to December 2018, Mr. Campbell’s role was expanded to include Chief Franchise Policy Officer. In these positions, Mr. Campbell oversaw all legal matters at YUM and was responsible for the oversight of YUM purchasing as a director of YUM’s purchasing cooperative with its franchisees. Prior to joining YUM, Mr. Campbell was a Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Owens Corning, a leading global producer of fiberglass insulation and composite building materials. Prior to Owens Corning, he was Vice President and General Counsel for Nalco Chemical Company. In addition, Mr. Campbell was a founding director of Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. (“RSCS”), a purchasing cooperative for YUM’s U.S. franchising partners, and heBassi served on RSCS’sthe value optimization board for Mekong Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Vietnam. He also served on the board of directorssupervisors of AmRest Holdings SE (WSE: EAT) from its formation2013 to 2015, and served on the board of the Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack from 2002 to 2009. Mr. Bassi received his master’s degree of business administration (MBA) from the University of Rhode Island in 2001 until 2015. Mr. Campbell1972. He brings to our Board expertise in corporate governance and corporate compliance of publicly traded companies. In addition, Mr. Campbell brings to our Board extensive knowledge of the quick-service restaurant industry and global franchising, as well as financial expertise and extensive public company board and corporate leadership.governance experience.

 

LOGOLOGO

 

 

Fred HuEdouard Ettedgui

Age 5469

Director Since 2016

 

Fred HuEdouard Ettedguiis Chairman and founder of Primavera. Dr. Hu has served as Chairmanthe non-executive chairman of PrimaveraAlliance Française, Hong Kong since its inception in 2010.2016. He also served as a non-executive director of Mandarin Oriental International Limited from April 2016 to May 2020, the company for which he was the group chief executive from 1998 to 2016. Prior to Primavera, Dr. Huhis time at Mandarin Oriental International, Mr. Ettedgui was the chief financial officer for Dairy Farm International Holdings, and he served in various roles at Goldman Sachs from 1997 to 2010,for British American Tobacco (“BAT”), including serving as Chairmanthe business development director, group finance controller and group head of Greater China at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.finance. From 19911990 to 1996, Dr. Hu servedhe spent around six years with BAT Industries PLC in London, initially as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington D.C., where he engaged in macroeconomic research, policy consultations and technical assistance for member country governments including China. Dr. Hu also served as directorhead of the National Center for Economic Research and professor at Tsinghua University. He is the author of several books and other publications in the areas of economics and finance and on Chinalater as the group finance controller and Asian economies. Dr. Hu has advised the Chinese government on financial and pension reform, state-owned enterprise (SOE) restructuring and macroeconomic policies. Dr. Hu is a trustee of China Medical Board and the Co-Chairman of the Nature Conservatory’s Asia Pacific Council. Dr. Hudirector for new business development. Mr. Ettedgui graduated from ESSEC Business School (France) in 1975. He brings to our Board senior management experience in various international consumer-product industries, extensive financial expertise and public company board experience.

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LOGO

Cyril Han

Age 43

Director Since 2019

Cyril Han has served as the chief financial officer of Ant Group, an innovative technology provider, since April 2020. Mr. Han joined Ant Group in international affairsMay 2014 and previously served as senior director and vice president. He joined Alibaba Group, a Chinese multinational conglomerate, as senior director of the corporate finance department in 2011. Before joining Alibaba Group, Mr. Han worked at the investment banking division of China International Capital Corporation from July 2001 to September 2011. He has served as a non-executive director of Hundsun Technologies Inc., a company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SHA: 600570), since February 2016, and has served as a non-executive director of Zhong An Online P & C Insurance Co., Ltd., a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 6060), since October 2016. Mr. Han obtained his master’s degree in economics from Tsinghua University. He brings to our Board deep knowledge and insights in the fields of finance and technology.

LOGO

Louis T. Hsieh

Age 56

Director Since 2016

Louis T. Hsieh served as the chief financial officer of NIO Inc., an electric and autonomous vehicle developer that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: NIO), from May 2017 to October 2019. Mr. Hsieh has held various positions at New Oriental Education & Technology Group, a private educational service provider that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EDU), including positions as a director since 2007, the president from 2009 to 2016 and the Chinese economy.chief financial officer from 2005 to 2015. In addition, Dr. Hu brings valuable business, strategic developmentMr. Hsieh serves as an independent director, member of the nominating and corporate governance committee and chairman of the audit committee for JD.com, Inc., an e-commerce company that is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ: JD) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 9618). Previously, Mr. Hsieh served as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee for Nord Anglia Education, Inc. (NYSE: NORD). He also served as an independent director and the chairman of audit committee for both Perfect World Co., Ltd. and China Digital TV Holding Co., Ltd. Mr. Hsieh obtained a juris doctor degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1990. He brings to our Board corporate leadership and public company board experience as well as expertise in economics, financehis extensive financial and global capital markets.international business experience.

 

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LOGOLOGO

 

 

Ruby Lu

Age 4750

Director Since 2016

 

Ruby Luis an independenta venture capitalist investing in technology start-ups in the U.S. and China. Ms. Lu founded Atypical Ventures, an early-stage technology venture investment firm, in 2019. In 2006, sheco-founded DCM China, an early-stagea venture capital firm. During her more than 12-year tenure at DCM, she invested in, and served as a board member for, many leading technology companies, including BitAuto Holdings Limited,E-Commerce Ecommerce China Dangdang Inc. and Pactera Technology International Ltd. Prior to joining DCM in 2003, Ms. Lu was a vice president in the investment banking group of technology, media and telecommunications at Goldman Sachs & Co. in Menlo Park, California. She also served as an independent director and on the audit committee of iKang Healthcare Group, Inc., and served as an independent director and Chairman of the special committee for iDreamSky Technologies Limited before it wasthese two companies were taken private. She is currently an independent director on the board of iKang Healthcare Group, Inc., whereUxin Limited (NASDAQ: UXIN) and Blue City Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: BLCT). In both companies, she serves as the chairman of the compensation committee and a member of the audit committee, and in Uxin Limited, she also serves on the auditas a member of nominating and corporate governance committee. Prior to joining DCM in 2003, Ms. Lu was a Vice Presidentobtained her master of arts from Johns Hopkins University in the technology, media and telecommunications investment banking group of Goldman Sachs & Co. in Menlo Park, California. Ms. Lu1996. She brings to our Board public company board experience as well as extensive financial and global market experience.

 

LOGO

 

 

Zili Shao

Age 5861

Director Since 2016

 

Zili Shaohas served as the non-executive Chairman chairman of Fangda Partners, a leading PRC law firm, since June 2017. Mr. Shao also serves as an independent non-executive director of Bank of Montreal (China) Co., Ltd. Mr. Shao is the founder and chairman of MountVue Capital Management Co. Ltd. From September 2015 to January 2018, he served as Co-Chairmana non-executive director of Elife Holdings Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 0223). From April 2015 to May 2017, he served as co-chairman and Partnerpartner at King & Wood Mallesons China, a law firm, from April 2015 to May 2017.firm. From 20092010 to 2015, Mr. Shao held various positions with JPMorganat JP Morgan Chase & Co. (“JP Morgan”), a financial services company, including Chairmanroles such as chairman and Chief Executive Officerchief executive officer of JPMorganJP Morgan China Vice Chairmanand vice chairman of JPMorganJP Morgan Asia Pacific and Chairman of JPMorgan Chase Bank (China) Company Limited.Pacific. Prior to JPMorgan,JP Morgan, he was a former partner withat Linklaters LLP, a globalleading international law firm.firm, for 12 years. He held positionsacted as Greater China managing partner and managing partner of Linklaters of Greater China and subsequently was appointed managing partner of the Asia Pacific.Pacific region. Mr. Shao is currently a director onobtained his master’s degree in law from the boardUniversity of Elife Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong listed company, and a member of the audit committee of Bank of Montreal (China) Co., Ltd.Melbourne in 1994. Mr. Shao brings to our Board extensive professional experience in Asia and public company board and corporate governance experience.

 

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   MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION

 

   

LOGO

William Wang

Age 46

Director Since 2017

William Wang is one of the founding partners of Primavera. Prior to Primavera, Mr. Wang served as a managing director of Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking/Principal Investment Area, where he led significant successful investments in China for the group. Prior to that, Mr. Wang worked in the investment banking division and private equity group of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Mr. Wang currently serves as a director on the board of Geely Automobile Holdings Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 0175), and Sunlands Technology Group, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: STG), in addition to directorships at Primavera’s portfolio companies. Mr. Wang obtained a master of management degree in management science and engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2000. He brings to our Board deep knowledge and investment insights of the Chinese market.

LOGO

Min (Jenny) Zhang

Age 47

Director Nominee

Min (Jenny) Zhang has served as the vice-chairlady of Huazhu Group Limited (“Huazhu”), a multi-brand hotel group listed on both the Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ: HTHT) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 1179), since July 20, 2020. Ms. Zhang joined Huazhu in September 2007 and held various leadership positions, including as executive vice-chairlady from November 2019 to July 2020, chief executive officer from May 2015 to November 2019, president from January 2015 to May 2015, chief financial officer from March 2008 to May 2015, chief strategic officer from November 2013 to January 2015 and senior vice president of finance from September 2007 to February 2008. Ms. Zhang also serves as an independent director of LAIX Inc., an artificial intelligence company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LAIX). She served as an independent non-executive director of Genscript Biotech Corporation, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 1548), from August 2015 to November 2018, and an independent director of OneSmart Education Group Limited, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ONE), from March 2018 to February 2020. Ms. Zhang received a master of business administration degree from Harvard Business School in 2003. Ms. Zhang will bring to our board leadership experience in a consumer-focused industry in China, extensive financial expertise and public company board experience.

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ITEM 2.    Ratification of Independent Auditor

 

 

 

What am I voting on?

We are asking stockholders to approve a proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG Huazhen LLP (“KPMG”) as our independent auditor for 2018.2021. KPMG has served as our independent auditor since 2016.

As part of its audit engagement process, the Audit Committee considers on at least an annual basis the engagement of the independent auditor. In deciding to engage KPMG as the independent auditor for 2018,2021, the Audit Committee considered:

 

KPMG’s performance in 2017;2020;

 

KPMG’s independence;

 

The depth and expertise of the KPMG’s audit team, including its understanding of the Company’s industry, business, operations and systems, as well as accounting policies and processes;

 

The appropriateness of KPMG’s fees;

 

A consideration of KPMG’s known legal risks and significant proceedings that may impair its ability to perform the audit; and

 

KPMG’s tenure as the Company’s independent auditor.

KPMG rotates its lead audit engagement partner every five years. The Audit Committee is directly involved in the evaluation of the lead audit engagement partner to ensure that the he or she is appropriately qualified to lead the Company’s audit. After considering the criteria set forth above, the Audit Committee believes that retaining KPMG as the Company’s independent auditor is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

Will a representative of KPMG be present atattend the Annual Meeting?

Representatives of KPMG will be present atattend the Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they

they desire and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.

What vote is required to approve this proposal?

Approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in personvia webcast or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors recommend that you vote FOR approval of this proposal.

What were KPMG’s fees for audit and other services for 20172020 and 2016?2019?

The following table presents fees for professional services rendered by KPMG for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements, and fees billed for audit-related services, tax services and all other services rendered by KPMG for 20172020 and 2016.2019. All KPMG services for 20172020 and 20162019 were approved in advance by the Audit Committee (or, prior to thespin-off, YUM’s audit committee) specifically or pursuant to procedures similar to those outlined below.

 

   2017    2016    2020    2019 

Audit fees(1)

  $    3,039,981   $    3,922,978   $    3,840,887   $    2,613,403 

Audit-related fees(2)

   25,434    23,532    236,235    12,237 

Tax fees(3)

   16,547    16,157    29,253    25,905 

All other fees

                
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL FEES

  $3,081,962   $3,962,667   $4,106,375   $2,651,545 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

Audit fees include fees for the audit of the annual consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s annual reports, reviews of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s quarterly reports, and services related to statutory filings or engagements. Audit fees in 20162020 also includes fees for the audits of the combined financial statements of the Company for the three years ended December 31, 2015 and the interim reviewincluded audit services rendered in connection with our global offering and secondary listing on the Form 10 filed with the SEC and

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MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION   

other services rendered in connection with thespin-off, which were paid by YUM.HKEX.

 

(2)

Audit-related fees include audits of financial statements of certain employee benefit plans agreed upon procedures and other attestations.agreed-upon procedures. Audit-related fees in 2020 also included the

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review of internal controls in connection with our global offering and secondary listing on the HKEX, which are not reported under “Audit fees.”

 

(3)

Tax fees consist principally of fees for tax filling assistance services.

What is the Company’s policy regarding the approval of audit andnon-audit services?

The Audit Committee has implemented a policy for thepre-approval of all audit and permittednon-audit services, including tax services, proposed to be provided to the Company by its independent auditor. Under the policy, the Audit Committee may approve engagements on acase-by-case basis orpre-approve engagements on a categorical basis pursuant to the Audit Committee’spre-approval policy. The Audit Committee may delegatepre-approval authority to one of its independent members and has currently delegatedpre-approval authority up to certain amounts to its Chairperson.

In consideringpre-approvals, the Audit Committee considers the nature, scope and fees of the service to be providedpro-

vided to the Company as well as the principles and guidance established by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) with respect to auditor independence. Services as to which a generalpre-approval has been granted on an annual basis are effective for the applicable year. Any proposed service for which the estimated fees would cause the total fees for that class of service to exceed the applicable estimated fee threshold requires specific approval by the Audit Committee or its delegate.

The Principal Accounting Officer monitors the performance of all services provided by the independent auditor and determines whether such services are in compliance with this policy. The Principal Accounting Officer reports periodically to the Audit Committee with respect to compliance with this policy and the status of outstanding engagements, including actual services provided by the independent auditor and associated fees, and must promptly report to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee anynon-compliance (or attemptednon-compliance) with this policy of which the Corporate Controller becomes aware.

 

 

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MATTERS REQUIRING STOCKHOLDER ACTION

 

  

 

ITEM 3.    Advisory Vote on Named Executive Officer Compensation

 

 

 

What am I voting on?

In accordance with SEC rules, we are asking stockholders to approve, on anon-binding basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement. Thisnon-binding advisory vote is also known as the “Say on Pay” vote. This is not a vote on the Company’s general compensation policies or the compensation of the Board. At the 20172020 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders, approximately 96%94% of the votes cast by our stockholders were voted in approval of the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the 20172020 proxy statement.

Our performance-based executive compensation program is designed to attract, reward and retain the talented leaders necessary for our Company to succeed in the highly competitive market for talent, while maximizing stockholder returns. This approach has made our management team a key driver in the Company’s strong performance over both the long and short term. We believe that our compensation program has attracted and retained strong leaders, and is closely aligned with the interests of our stockholders.

In deciding how to vote on this proposal, we urge you to read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement, which discusses in detail how our compensation policies and procedures operate and are

designed to meet our compensation goals and how our Compensation Committee makes compensation decisions under our programs.

Accordingly, we ask our stockholders to vote in favor of the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the named executive officers, as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables and related materials included in the proxy statement, is hereby approved.”

What vote is required to approve this proposal?

Approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of shares present in personvia webcast or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. While this vote is advisory andnon-binding on the Company, the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee will review the voting results and consider stockholder concerns in their continuing evaluation of the Company’s compensation program.

What is the recommendation of the Board of Directors?

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR approval of this proposal.

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ITEM 4.    Approval of an Amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to Allow Stockholders Holding 25% of the Company’s Outstanding Shares the Right to Call Special Meetings

In connection with the secondary listing of the Company’s common stock on the HKEX, the Board agreed to propose an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to allow stockholders holding not less than 25% of the Company’s outstanding shares the right to call special meetings of stockholders (the “Special Meeting Amendment”), and if the stockholders approve the Special Meeting Amendment, to amend the Company’s Bylaws accordingly. The description in this Proposal 4 of the proposed Special Meeting Amendment is qualified in its entirety by and should be read in conjunction with the full text of the Special Meeting Amendment set forth in Article SEVENTH(b) of the proposed Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which is included as Appendix A to this proxy statement.

If this Proposal 4 is approved by our stockholders, the Board plans to adopt amendments to the Bylaws to implement the special meeting request right. The description in this Proposal 4 of the contemplated amendments to the Bylaws is qualified in its entirety by and should be read in conjunction with the full text of the contemplated amendments, which are set forth in Appendix B to this proxy statement.

Description of the Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Delaware law does not grant stockholders of a corporation the absolute right to call or to request that the corporation call a special meeting. Rather, it provides that special meetings of stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by such person or persons as may be authorized by the certificate of incorporation or by the bylaws of the corporation. Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation currently allows special meetings of stockholders to be called only (i) by the Board or (ii) by the Chairman of the Board, the CEO or the Corporate

Secretary, in each case with the concurrence of a majority of the Board. If this Proposal 4 is approved by stockholders, special meetings may also be called by the Corporate Secretary upon the written request of stockholders holding at least 25% of our outstanding shares of common stock and who otherwise comply with the requirements set forth in the Bylaws.

The Board believes that a 25% ownership threshold strikes an appropriate balance between giving stockholders the ability to call a special meeting to vote on important matters and protecting the interests of all Yum China stockholders and resources of Yum China. The 25% ownership threshold is also aligned with the interests of stockholders and is consistent with prevailing market practice at large U.S. public companies.

Overview of Related Changes to the Bylaws

If this Proposal 4 is approved by our stockholders, our Board of Directors will adopt amendments to the Bylaws to implement the special meeting request right, which are expected to include provisions setting forth the holding period, procedural and informational requirements described below. Our Board of Directors believes that these requirements are important to protect the long-term interests of the Company and its stockholders by deterring against the abuse of the right to request a special meeting. Among other things, these procedural and informational requirements are designed to ensure that the Company avoids duplicative and unnecessary special meetings addressing matters recently considered by stockholders or that stockholders will soon consider at an upcoming stockholder meeting. In addition, they provide certain protections so that the special meeting right is not abused by short-term stockholders, including those with special interests, and prevent them from triggering the expense and distraction of a special meeting (i) to pursue interests that are not widely shared by our stockholders or (ii) for reasons that may not be in the best interests of Yum China

 

 

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and our stockholders. These provisions are also intended to provide the Company with reasonable information regarding the identity of the requesting stockholders and the matters proposed to be addressed at the special meeting. These requirements include, without limitation:

The requesting stockholder(s) must have held the requisite amount of the Company’s common stock for at least one year prior to requesting the special meeting.

The requesting stockholder(s) must provide information demonstrating that such stockholders have continuously owned 25% or more of the Company’s common stock for at least one year.

The requesting stockholder(s) must provide information regarding the business proposed to be conducted at the special meeting and information regarding the requesting stockholder(s) that is generally similar to the information required in order for a stockholder to nominate directors or propose business at our annual meetings.

In order to avoid duplicative or unnecessary special meetings, the provisions provide for certain circumstances where a special meeting request would not be valid. For example, a special meeting cannot be requested beginning 90 days prior to the first anniversary date of the preceding annual meeting of stockholders and ending on the date of the final adjournment of the next annual meeting, or if a substantially similar item was presented at any meeting of stockholders held within 120 days prior to our receipt of the special meeting request or is included in our notice of a stockholder meeting that has been or will be called and will be held within 90 days after receipt of the special meeting request. We are also not required to call a special meeting if the proposed special meeting relates to an item of business that is not a matter on which stockholders are

authorized to act under, or that involves a violation of, applicable law.

If the conditions described in the Bylaw amendments are satisfied, we would be required to hold a stockholder-requested special meeting within 90 days after receipt of proper stockholder request for the meeting. Business transacted at the meeting would be limited to the purpose(s) stated in the special meeting request, and any other matters submitted to the meeting by our Board.

After these Bylaw amendments are adopted, these provisions will be subject to further possible amendments or modifications from time to time by the Board in accordance with the amendment provisions of the Bylaws.

What vote is required to approve this proposal?

In order to be approved, this Proposal 4 requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote on the Special Meeting Amendment. If the Company’s stockholders approve this Proposal 4, we intend to promptly file with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation setting forth the Special Meeting Amendment attached to this proxy statement as Appendix A, and we will adopt amendments to the Bylaws attached to this proxy statement as Appendix B to implement the special meeting request right. If the Company’s stockholders do not approve this Proposal 4, stockholders will not have the ability to request that the Company call a special meeting.

What is the recommendation of the Board of Directors?

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR approval of this proposal.

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  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


 

STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

 

Who are our largest stockholders?

 

 

 

The following table sets forth the number of shares of Company common stock beneficially owned as of March 13, 201829, 2021 by (i) beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock, (ii) each of the Company’s named executive officers, (iii) each of the Company’s directors and director nominees and (iv) all of the Company’s directors and executive officers as a group.

In accordance with SEC rules, beneficial ownership includes all shares the stockholder actually owns beneficially or of record, all shares over which the stockholder has or shares voting or dispositive control and all shares the stockholder has the right to acquire within 60 days of March 13, 2018.29, 2021. Except as indicated in the footnotes to the table, the Company believes that the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares owned beneficially by them.

 

 

Name of Beneficial Owner  Number of Shares
Beneficially Owned
  

    Percent of    

Shares(1)    

 

More Than 5% Owners

   

Invesco Ltd.

   
41,897,729
(2) 
 
  10.0

1555 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1800

   

Atlanta, GA 30309

   

BlackRock, Inc.

   
29,685,927
(3) 
 
  7.1

55 East 52nd Street

   

New York, NY 10055

   

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

   23,919,072(4)   5.7

200 West Street

   

New York, NY 10282

   

 

 

Named Executive Officers

   

Joey Wat

   416,251(5)   * 

Andy Yeung

   7,926(6)   * 

Johnson Huang

   110,972(7)   * 

Danny Tan

   108,719(8)   * 

Aiken Yuen

   32,046(9)   * 

 

 

Non-Employee Directors and Director Nominees

   

Peter A. Bassi

   57,588   * 

Christian L. Campbell

   169,881(10)   * 

Ed Yiu-Cheong Chan

   27,876   * 

Edouard Ettedgui

   28,083   * 

Cyril Han

   12,386   * 

Louis T. Hsieh

   59,669   * 

Fred Hu

   33,043   * 

Ruby Lu

   31,898   * 

Zili Shao

   27,980   * 

William Wang

   24,688   * 

Min (Jenny) Zhang

       

 

 

Ownership of all directors and executive officers as a group (20 total)

   1,284,626(11)   * 

 

 

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  35


Name of Beneficial Owner Number of Shares
Beneficially Owned
Percent  of
Shares(1)

More than 5% ownersSTOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION   

  

Standard Life Aberdeen plc

31,105,955(2)8.1

30 Lothian Rd

Edinburgh, UK EH1 2DH

Primavera Capital Management Ltd.

30,982,892(3)7.7

28 Hennessy Road, 28th Floor

Hong Kong

BlackRock, Inc.

26,705,056(4)6.9

55 East 52nd Street

New York, NY 10055

Named Executive Officers

Micky Pant

765,135(5)*

Jacky Lo

2,259(6)*

Joey Wat

51,802(7)*

Shella Ng

49,586(8)*

Johnson Huang

36,256(9)*

Ted Stedem

77,908(10)*

Non-Employee Directors

Peter A. Bassi

49,093*

Christian L. Campbell

127,604(11)*

EdYiu-Cheong Chan

13,979*

Edouard Ettedgui

10,741*

Louis T. Hsieh

45,221*

Fred Hu

14,601*

Jonathan S. Linen

69,242(12)*

Ruby Lu

13,979*

Zili Shao

9,912*

William Wang

7,695*

Ownership of all directors and executive officers as a group (23 total)

1,438,896(13)*

 

*

Represents less than one percent

 

(1)

Percentage ownership is determined based on a total of 385,926,528420,467,575 shares of Company common stock outstanding as of March 13, 2018.29, 2021.

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   STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

 

(2)

Based on Amendment No. 12 to the Schedule 13G filed by Standard Life Aberdeen plcInvesco Ltd. on February 6, 2018,12, 2021, which indicated that, as of December 29, 2017, Standard Life Aberdeen plc31, 2020, Invesco Ltd. had sole voting power over 41,865,970 shares of Company common stock and sole dispositive power over 41,897,729 shares of Company common stock.

(3)

Based on Amendment No. 5 to the Schedule 13G filed by BlackRock, Inc. on March 15, 2021, which indicated that, as of December 31, 2020, BlackRock, Inc. had sole voting power over 25,046,301 shares of Company common stock and sole dispositive power over 29,685,927 shares of Company common stock.

(4)

Based on the Schedule 13G filed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. on February 12, 2021, which indicated that, as of December 31, 2020, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. had shared voting power over 23,644,41723,744,213 shares of Company common stock and shared dispositive power over 31,105,955 shares of Company common stock.

3)

Based on Amendment No. 2 to the Schedule 13D filed by Primavera Capital Management Ltd. on July 6, 2017, which indicated that, as of June 30, 2017, Primavera Capital Management Ltd. had sole voting and dispositive power over 30,982,892 shares of Company common stock, Pollos Investment GP Ltd. shared voting and dispositive control over 16,364,778 shares of Company common stock and Pollos L.L.C. shared voting and dispositive control over 14,618,114 shares of Company common stock. Such amounts include 14,618,114 shares underlying outstanding Warrants.

(4)

Based on Amendment No. 1 to the Schedule 13G filed by BlackRock, Inc. on January 23, 2018, which indicated that, as of December 31, 2017, BlackRock, Inc. had sole voting power over 23,791,883 shares of Company common stock and sole dispositive power over 26,705,05623,919,072 shares of Company common stock.

 

(5)

Includes 589,993232,021 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested stock appreciation rights (“SARs”).

 

(6)

Includes 1,8253,016 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested SARs.

 

(7)

Includes 43,80586,688 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested SARs.

 

(8)

Includes 35,53578,264 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested SARs.

 

(9)

Includes 30,14428,388 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested SARs.

 

(10)

Reflects the amount of vested SARs held by Mr. Stedem as of June 1, 2017, the date on which he resigned from the Company.

(11)

Includes 86,028109,924 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested SARs. Also includes 80 shares held by Mr. Campbell’s spouse.

 

(12)(11)

Includes 14,006 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested SARs. Also includes 10,000 shares held in a trust for which Mr. Linen is a trustee and 4,000 shares held by Mr. Linen’s spouse.

(13)

Includes 956,820642,409 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested SARs.

 

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

  33


 SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING

 COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock to file with the SEC reports of their ownership and changes in their ownership of Company common stock. Directors, executive officers andgreater-than-ten percent stockholders are also required to furnish to us copies of all ownership reports

they file with the SEC. To our knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports and representations by our directors and executive officers that no other reports were required, all of the reports required to be filed by such persons during 2017 were timely filed, except that a Form 4 filed on October 20, 2017 by Mr. Jacky Lo reported one late transaction.

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 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

 

 

Introduction

 

2017 was a transformative year for the Company, as we completed our first full calendar year as an independent, public company. Following our successful separation from YUM in October 2016 (the “spin-off”), the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board (the “Compensation Committee”) approved an executive compensation program designed to reflect the Company’s business strategy, performance and evolving corporate governance best practices. As a newly independent company, we expect the Company’s executive compensation program to continue to evolve in support of our ongoing business strategy and to further align the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders. This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“(our “CD&A”) describes theprovides an overview of our executive compensation program for each of2020 and our executive compensation philosophies and objectives.

Our named executive officers (“NEOs”). consist of our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, and our three other most highly compensated executive officers for 2020.

For 2020, our NEOs were:

NameTitle

Joey Wat

Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”)

Andy Yeung

Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”)

Johnson Huang

General Manager, KFC

Danny Tan

Chief Supply Chain Officer

Aiken Yuen

Chief People Officer

This CD&A is divided into four sections:

Executive Summary

•  Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business

•  2020 Business Overview and Performance Highlights

•  Company Total Shareholder Return Performance

•  Recent Compensation Highlights

•  Alignment of Executive Compensation Program with Business Performance

•  Pay Components

•  Executive Compensation Practices

•  Stockholder Engagement

Elements of the Executive

Compensation Program

•  Base Salary

•  Annual Performance-Based Cash Bonuses

•  Long-Term Equity Incentives

•  2020 Partner Long-Term Performance-Based Grants

•  2021 Chairman Grants

•  Other Elements of Executive Compensation Program

•  2020 NEO Compensation and Performance Summary

How Compensation Decisions Are Made

•  Executive Compensation Philosophy

•  Role of the Compensation Committee

•  Role of the Independent Consultant

•  Competitive Market Review

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

Compensation Policies

and Practices

•  Compensation Recovery Policy

•  Equity-Based Awards Grant Policy

•  Stock Ownership Guidelines

•  Hedging and Pledging of Company Stock

Executive Summary

Named Executive OfficersImpact of COVID-19 on Our Business

The .COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges and has significantly impacted the Company’s operations and financial results in 2020. During the 2020 Chinese New Year holiday period, the pandemic led to same-store sales declines of 40-50% compared to the comparable period in 2019. Approximately 35% of stores were closed by mid-February 2020 at the peak of the outbreak, with significant regional differences. For 2017,restaurants that remained open, same-store sales declined due to shortened operating hours and reduced traffic, with a significant portion of stores providing only delivery and takeaway services. Operating results improved sequentially in the NEOs, whose compensation willfollowing three quarters of 2020, although sales continued to be discussedimpacted by reduced traffic at transportation and tourist locations, delayed and shortened school holidays, regional resurgences and the other lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The management team led the implementation of key actions that we undertook to protect our employees, serve our customers, drive stockholder value-creation and give back to the community in detailconnection with the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which we believe have contributed to our ability to navigate the pandemic to date. These actions included:

We prioritized the safety and health of our employees and customers. We supported our employees and their families by extending their holiday pay and strengthening their medical insurance coverage. Our Board members and senior executives contributed to a fund to provide additional assistance for frontline employees and their families impacted by COVID-19 as well as other emergency relief.

A majority of our stores remained open, and our employees and delivery riders continued to provide a

critical food service in a time of crisis. For stores that were temporarily closed, we honored our commitments to our employees for scheduled hours, which allowed us to re-open the stores quickly as restrictions eased and when appropriate. Actions such as this allowed us to nimbly respond to changing circumstances and foster goodwill among our employees.

We leveraged our vast member platform to provide information to, and engage with, members. Our loyalty program continued to grow with over 300 million members at the end of 2020, with member sales accounting for approximately 60% of our system sales in this CD&A, were:2020.

Leveraging our digital pre-order capability and strong value proposition, we captured consumer demand for delivery and takeaway. In late January 2020, we rolled out contactless delivery on our Super App at both KFC and Pizza Hut, which was well received by our customers. Delivery was crucial to driving online orders to our stores, while takeaway offered a safe alternative as dine-in services were limited or closed. Delivery sales grew rapidly and contributed to approximately 30% of Company sales in 2020, compared to approximately 21% in 2019.

We quickly implemented measures to control costs, including managing inventory in order to reduce write-offs, and dynamically scheduling employees to reflect reduced volumes and increased safety protocols. With the dedication of our employees across dine-in, delivery and takeaway and a strong digital platform, we were quick to adapt and tackle operational challenges, from inventory management to labor productivity improvement.

We provided over 170,000 free meals to many hospitals and community health centers across China.

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   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

While new store openings were interrupted due to outbreak-related traffic restrictions and reduced availability of construction workers, we overcame many operational challenges to accelerate development schedule in the second half of 2020. The Company opened 1,165 new stores in 2020, marking the highest new store openings in our 33-year history of operating in China.

2020 Business Overview and Performance Highlights

2020 was an unprecedented year that tested our people, systems and capabilities. As noted above, we adjusted our operations and leveraged our digital and delivery resources to capture dine-in and off-premise opportunities. Sales and traffic recovered sequentially since the first quarter of 2020.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, we had strong execution against our 2020 operating plan and our 2020 performance highlights include the following:

 

  

Micky Pant – Chief Executive OfficerWe delivered a total shareholder return (“CEOTSR”) (through February 28, 2018)

Jacky Lo – Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”)in 2020 of 22.74%, calculated based on the 20 trading day average closing price prior to and Treasurerincluding the start and end dates of the 2020 calendar year and assuming reinvestment of all dividends;

 

Joey Wat – President and Chief Operating Officer (through February 28, 2018 and CEO, effective March 1, 2018)Opened 1,165 new stores during the year, bringing total store count to 10,506 across more than 1,500 cities in China;

 

Shella Ng – Chief Legal Officer and Corporate SecretaryRemodeled 939 stores;

 

Johnson Huang – General Manager,The KFC and Pizza Hut loyalty programs exceeded 300 million members combined, with member sales accounting for approximately 60% of system sales in 2020;

We completed our secondary listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and global offering on September 10, 2020, with net proceeds of $2.2 billion and which expanded our stockholder base in China and Asia;

Ted Stedem – Former CFO (through May 31, 2017)When responding to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, our management team undertook immediate and strategic actions to protect our businesses, sales and operations. Despite the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, we managed to achieve total revenues at a year-over-year decline of 6%, from $8.78 billion in 2019 to $8.26 billion in 2020;

During 2017

With the additional measures implemented to control costs, the Company delivered Operating Profit of $961 million, compared to $901 million in 2019, with the year-over-year increase primarily due to the re-measurement gain of the Suzhou KFC acquisition and early 2018, we experienced transitionsa year-over-year decline of 20% in Adjusted Operating Profit from $912 million to $732 million;

Net Income increased 10% to $784 million from $713 million in the CEOprior year, primarily due to the increase in Operating Profit, Adjusted Net Income declined 16% to $615 million from $729 million in the prior year (a 19% decline excluding $75 million and CFO roles$63 million net gains in 2020 and 2019, respectively, from our equity investment in Meituan); and

Diluted Earnings Per Common Share increased 6% to $1.95 from $1.84 in the prior year, and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share declined 19% to $1.53 from $1.88 in the prior year (a 22% decline excluding the net gains from our equity investment in Meituan in 2020 and 2019).

See the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 for a reconciliation of the Company, which resulted in various NEO compensation adjustments as described in this CD&A. In September 2017, the Company promoted Ms. Watmost directly comparable GAAP financial measures to the position of CEOnon-GAAP adjusted financial measures.

Company Total Shareholder Return Performance

The Board and the Compensation Committee believe that the leadership provided by the Company’s management team was key to the Company’s execution and strong performance in 2020. In addition, since its spin-off from YUM! Brands, Inc. (“YUM”) on November 1, 2016, the Company’s TSR outperformed that of the Company, to succeed toMSCI China Index, as shown in the role upon Mr. Pant stepping down as CEO on March 1, 2018. In connection with CEO transition, Mr. Pant entered into a transition agreement pursuant to which he will remain an employeegraph below. The graph assumes that the value of the Company, serving as Senior Advisor for atwo-year period. In February 2017, Ms. Wat was promoted frominvestment in the position of Chief Executive Officer of KFC to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. In addition, in June 2017, Mr. Stedem stepped down from the position of CFO and Mr. Lo succeeded him in an interim capacity until he was appointed as the CFO of the Company, effective in September 2017.

2017 Performance. 2017 was a year of significant financial and operational accomplishments for the Company. As of the end of 2017, the Company was the largest restaurant company in China, with over 7,900 restaurants. Our restaurant base consists of KFC, the leading quick-service restaurant brand in China in terms of system sales and number of restaurants, Pizza Hut, the leading casual dining restaurant concept in China as measured by system sales and number of restaurants, Taco Bell, East Dawning and Little Sheep. We maintain the exclusive right to operate and sub-license the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands in China (excluding Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), and own the East Dawning and Little Sheep concepts outright.

 

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

 

    

 

Our 2017 performance highlights includeCompany’s common stock and the following:MSCI China Index on November 1, 2016 was $100 and that all dividends were reinvested, and tracks it each year thereafter on the

last day of each calendar year through December 31, 2020. Under such assumption, the Company delivered a TSR of 19.47% in 2020 and 124.55% since its spin-off.

LOGO

The Company delivered a TSR of 22.74% in 2020, calculated based on the 20 trading day average closing price prior to and including the start and end dates of the 2020 calendar year and assuming reinvestment of all dividends.

Recent Compensation Highlights

As part of its ongoing review of the executive compensation program and after considering market practices, input from the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant and stockholder feedback, the Compensation Committee implemented the changes set forth below to the Company’s executive compensation program. Certain of these compensation changes were made in response to the pandemic and its resulting impact.

 

  

Total system salesVoluntary Salary Reductions to Address Impact of COVID-19—During 2020, our Board members and senior executives, including the NEOs, agreed to voluntarily forgo 10% of their base compensation during the period of April 2020 to December 2020 as contributions to fund additional assistance for the year grew 8%, including growth of 9% at KFCfrontline employees and 7% at Pizza Hut Casual Dining, excluding foreign currency translation (“F/X”);their families impacted by COVID-19 as well as other emergency relief.

We opened 691 new restaurants for the full year, surpassing 7,900 restaurants in China; and

Reported operating profit for the year grew23%.

Recent Changes to the Compensation Program. The Compensation Committee evaluated the Company’s executive compensation program after thespin-off and took the following key actions:

Stock Ownership Guidelines: Reviewed and recommended and the Board approved the YUMC Stock Ownership Guidelines, which require executives to own a substantial amount of Company stock in order to promote an ownership mentality among management and align their interests with those of stockholders.

Phasing Out Certain Tax Equalization Benefits: In connection with Ms. Wat’s appointment to the position of CEO, we entered into a letter agreement with Ms. Wat that provides, among other items, the elimination of tax equalization benefits other than certain grandfathered tax equalization benefits. In addition, tax equalization benefits for Messrs. Lo and Huang were also eliminated, other than certain grandfathered tax equalization benefits.

 

  

Supplemented Annual Incentive Program Performance Share Unit ProgramMeasures to Address the Impact of COVID-19: In early 2018, adopted a performance share unit program with awards vesting based on our total shareholder return performance relative to a peer group consisting of 149 peer companies included in the MSCI International China Index, measured over a three-year performance period. By economic value, approximately 50% of Ms. Wat’s 2018 target long-term incentive opportunity will be delivered as Performance Share Units (“PSUs”). While Ms. Wat is currently the only participant in the PSU program,July 2020, the Compensation Committee continues to evaluateconsidered the useimpact of PSUsthe COVID-19 pandemic on a broader basisthe Company’s operations and intendsthe restaurant

  

industry in general, and the shifting consumer demand from dine-in services to review, enhancedelivery and extendtakeaway services. To further incentivize the capturing of market opportunities in takeaway and delivery, the Compensation Committee evaluated whether any adjustments to the 2020 annual incentive plan were necessary in order to continue to incentivize and reward actions designed to support critical strategies and long-term value creation, including strategies designed to help the Company navigate through the pandemic and emerge as an innovative and strong market leader.    On July 16, 2020, the Compensation Committee determined that it was in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to supplement the annual performance metrics with additional key performance indicators (“KPIs”) as well as a relative total shareholder return (“rTSR”) measure. These KPIs were viewed as supportive of the Company’s long-term strategy and the creation of stockholder value and the Compensation Committee believed that performance against these measures would reflect the extent of the Company’s success in the execution of its operating plan after the outbreak of COVID-19. Specifically, the KPIs measured the Company’s ability to grow non-dine-in transactions, capture the market, contain costs, and increase stockholder value.

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   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

2021 Chairman Grants—In February 2021, the Compensation Committee awarded three-year cliff-vesting RSU awards to select Company executive officers and employees. These awards are intended to provide recognition for exemplary individual leadership demonstrated by select executives and employees during 2020, in particular in resolving many novel and complex regulatory issues to execute the Company’s secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and navigating the Company through the COVID-19 crisis. While in the midst of the constraints of a global pandemic, we completed the listing on an accelerated timeframe, resulting in the Company being the first Delaware and non-TMT company to qualify as an innovative company and successfully list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange raised net proceeds of $2.2 billion and expanded the Company’s stockholder base in China and Asia. Among the NEOs, Ms. Wat and Mr. Yeung were selected as recipients of the Chairman long-term equity grant. While these awards were granted in recognition of the significant individual achievements and leadership displayed by recipients during 2020, the Compensation Committee elected to deliver the Chairman grants as RSUs that cliff-vest on the third anniversary of the grant date to incentivize retention over this three-year period.

Incorporate ESG Metrics into 2021 Annual Incentive Program—Management and the Board have engaged in extensive discussions regarding how to further incentivize and assess performance with respect to specific ESG, Sustainability and Human Capital Management initiatives. Beginning with the 2021 annual incentive program, ESG measures will be incorporated into the KPIs that are used to determine the individual performance factor for each leadership team member. Depending on their roles and responsibilities, leadership team members will be required to reflect ESG in their performance goals, against which the Committee will assess their performance in these areas. As such, the NEOs’ performance on ESG-related areas could significantly impact payouts under the Company’s 2021 annual incentive program.

Expanded Recipients of Annual PSU Grants—Since 2018, the CEO’s annual equity grant has been delivered in the form of equally weighted PSUs and SARs

while the Company’s other NEOs generally received an equal mix of SARs and time-based RSUs. Beginning with the 2020 annual equity grants, the PSU program has been expanded to include all of the Company’s executive officers, with a 2020 annual equity grant in the form of SARs and PSUs. As a result of this change, the entire portion of the annual equity grant is considered by the Compensation Committee to be performance-based. The 2020 PSUs will vest based only on the Company’s achievement of performance goals relating to growth in total revenue adjusted to exclude certain items for the purpose of the Annual PSU Grants (“Adjusted Total Revenue Growth”) and growth in diluted earnings per common share adjusted to exclude certain items for the purpose of Annual PSU Grants (“Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth”), with a rTSR payout modifier based on our performance against the MSCI China Index. The SARs will realize value only to the extent the Company’s other executive officers instock price increases from the future.date of grant.

 

Expanded Performance Metrics Used under the LTI Program—Beginning with the 2020 PSU grants, vesting will be determined based on three performance measures (Adjusted Total Revenue Growth, Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth and rTSR) as compared to our prior practice of using rTSR as the sole performance measure under our PSU program. The Compensation Committee believes that this combination of metrics strikes an appropriate balance with respect to incentivizing top-line growth, profitability and stock price performance.

February 2020 Partner PSU Awards—As further described below in the “2020 Partner Long-Term Performance-Based Grants” section, the Compensation Committee endorsed the design of special PSUs (the “Partner PSU Awards”), and approved, on February 7, 2020 a grant of Partner PSU Awards to select employees of the Company and its subsidiaries who were deemed critical to the Company’s execution of its strategic operating plan, including each of the NEOs. The Partner PSU Awards will vest only if threshold performance goals relating to stock price, growth in Adjusted Total Revenue Growth, growth in EBITDA adjusted to exclude certain items for the purpose of Partner PSU

Compensation Recovery Policy: Reviewed and approved the Compensation Recovery Policy, which requires an executive officer to return compensation paid or the Company to cancel performance awards previously granted to the executive officer, under certain circumstances as described in the policy.

 

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

  41


EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

Awards (“Adjusted EBITDA Growth”), and transformational objectives are achieved over a four-year performance period commencing on January 1, 2020 and ending on December 31, 2023. The Partner PSU Awards also include non-competition and non-solicitation restrictive covenants. The Partner PSU Awards were granted to (i) address increased competition from new retail platform companies in China as well as other startup companies and the existing pay gap between the Company’s executive compensation program and the relevant competitive market, (ii) incentivize an entrepreneurial mindset and transformational performance that the Compensation Committee believes will contribute to business growth and exceptional stockholder value creation and (iii) facilitate long-term retention, which has become increasingly important in light of senior leadership changes over the past several years.

Peer Group Selection Criteria: Adopted an approachAlignment of Executive Compensation Program with Business Performance

Attracting, motivating and retaining talented executives is critical to peer company selection that we believe better aligns withour success, and our executive compensation program is designed to support this objective. The Company’s executive compensation program is structured to support the executive selection and retention strategieslong-term sustainable growth of the Company and provides clearer comparability betweencreate value for stockholders by aligning our executives with business performance goals. As such, the Compensation Committee reviews and endorses performance goals that are deemed central to the Company’s business performance and stockholder value creation. Specifically, the Compensation Committee has selected performance goals under the Company’s 2020 incentive programs that are based on metrics such as operating profit, same store sales, new builds, customer satisfaction, total shareholder return, revenue growth, earnings per share growth, and other key performance indicators described in greater detail below. These performance goals comprise an overall executive compensation program that the Compensation Committee believes appropriately reflects the Company’s emphasis on increasing profitability and revenue, enhancing customer experience and creating stockholder value.

While the Compensation Committee’s practice has been to establish and communicate goals at the beginning of each year, the Compensation Committee also retains flexibility to modify the Company’s executive compensation program when circumstances warrant in order to continue to incentivize actions to drive operational performance and long-term strategies. For 2020, the Compensation Committee incorporated additional performance factors to be considered when determining annual incentive compensation in light of the impact of COVID-19 on the Company and the peer companies with regardunprecedented challenging business environment on the economy in general and the restaurant industry in particular that had caused a shifting consumer demand from dine-in services to industry, geographic coveragedelivery and size.

Reviewtakeaway services. To further incentivize the capturing of Performance Measures: Reviewedmarket opportunities in takeaway and delivery, the Compensation Committee approved additional team performance measures usedfactors in order to continue to incentivize and reward actions designed to support critical strategies and long-term value creation, including strategies designed to help the annual incentive planCompany navigate through the pandemic and revised financialemerge as an innovative and strong market leader. The Compensation Committee believes that maintaining this flexibility allows the Company to appropriately reward performance rangesin areas deemed critical to better align incentive payouts with Company performance while maintaining a focus on key performance measuresthe Company’s long-term strategy.

The following chart provides an overview of the Company’s overall business2020 target total direct compensation program applicable to our CEO, consisting of base salary, annual performance-based cash incentives (i.e., short-term incentives, or “STI”), and operating segmentslong-term equity incentives (“LTI”). As demonstrated by the following chart, 2020 compensation for 2017.

Equity-Basedour CEO was heavily weighted toward variable pay elements, and such elements represented approximately 85% of the 2020 annual target compensation for Ms. Wat (consisting of the target payout opportunity under the cash bonus plan, target annual PSUs and stock-settled SARs). For purposes of this calculation, we have excluded the Partner PSU Awards Grant Policy: Reviewed and approved the Equity-Based Awards Grant Policy, which establishes procedures for granting equity awards, including specifyingpre-determined dates fordescribed below, as such grants do not represent an annual andoff-cycle grants and specifying that the Company will not purposely accelerate or delay the public release of material information in consideration of pending equity grants.

2017 “Say on Pay” Vote. As part of its ongoing reviewcomponent of the Company’s executive compensation program, the Compensation Committee considered the approval by approximately 96% of the votes cast for the Company’s “say on pay” vote at the Company’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. After considering the 2017 “say on pay” results, the Compensation Committee determined that the Company’s executive compensation philosophy, compensation objectives, and compensation elements continued to be appropriate and did not make any specific changes to the Company’s executive compensation program in response to the 2017 “say on pay” vote.program.

 

 

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   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

   

 

2020 CEO Target Compensation Mix

LOGO

Compensation PhilosophyPay Components

 

A unique feature of the Company is that while the Company operates largely in China, it is registered in the U.S. and listed on the NYSE. As a result, knowledge and expertise of both U.S. and China regulatory regimes and business practices are required for many of the Company’s executive officers.

The Company’s executive compensation program has been designed to attract and retain the talent necessary to achieve superior stockholder results and support the long-term growth of the Company while simultaneously hold-

ing our executives accountable to continuously achieve results year after year. In addition, the program has been designed to reward performance, emphasize long-term value creation and drive an ownership mentality.

The Company’s executive compensation program has three primary pay components: (i) base salary; (ii) annual performance-based cash bonuses;bonuses (i.e., short-term incentives); and (iii) long-term equity awards. We believe thatthesethat

these key elements are aligned with the Company’s compensation philosophy and objectives, as illustrated in the following table.

 

 

Objective    Base
Salary
     Annual
Performance-
Based Cash
Bonuses
   

  Long-Term

Equity
   EquityIncentives

 

Attract and retain the right talent to achieve superior stockholder results — Competitive total reward program structure that enables pay to vary based on role, responsibility, experience, market value and future potential of talent in order to drive superior results year over year.

 

     

X

     

X

 X

   

X

 X

Reward performance — Motivate both short-term andlong-term performance through annual and long-term equity programs. A significant portionmajority of NEO payannual target compensation isperformance-based or variable and,therefore, at-risk.

 

         

X

   

X

 X

Emphasize long-term value creation — The Company’s belief is simple: if it creates long-term value for stockholders, then it shares a portion of that value with those responsible for the results. Stock Appreciation Rights (“SARs”) reward value creation generated from sustained results and the favorable expectations of the Company’s stockholders. Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) and, beginning in 2018, PSUs focus on the long-term performance of the Company and directly align the interests of the recipients with those of the Company’s stockholders.

 

           

X

 

Drive ownership mentality — We require executives to invest in the Company’s success by owning a substantial amount of Company stock.

 

                 

X

 

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

 

    

 

Executive Compensation Practices

The Compensation Committee reviews on an ongoing basis the Company’s executive compensation program to evaluate whether it supports the Company’s executive compensation philosophies and objectives and is aligned

with stockholder interests. Our executive compensation practices include the following, each of which the Compensation Committee believes reinforces our executive compensation philosophy and objectives:

Our Executive Compensation Practices

We deliver a significant percentage of annual target compensation in the form of variable compensation tied to performance, with 85% of Ms. Wat’s 2020 annual target compensation in the form of variable pay elements

We deliver a significant portion of total compensation in the form of equity

We have multi-year vesting periods for equity awards

We perform market comparisons of executive compensation against a relevant peer group, recognizing the different geographic regions where executives are sourced and recruited

We use an independent compensation consultant reporting directly to the Compensation Committee

We have double-trigger vesting for equity awards in the event of a change in control under our long-term incentive plan

We maintain stock ownership guidelines, which includes a retention requirement until the guideline is achieved

We maintain a compensation recovery policy

We maintain an equity-based awards grant policy specifying pre-determined dates for annual equity grants

We hold an annual “say on pay” vote

We maintain an annual stockholder engagement process

Our Compensation Committee regularly meets in executive session without any members of management present

X

We do not pay dividends or dividend equivalents on PSUs unless and until they vest

X

We do not allow repricing of underwater SARs under our long-term incentive plan without stockholder approval

X

We do not allow hedging, short sales or pledging of our securities

X

We do not allow backdating of SARs

Stockholder Engagement

In its compensation review process, the Compensation Committee focuses on structuring the executive compensation program to serve the interests of our stockholders. In that respect, as part of its ongoing review of our executive compensation program, the Compensation Committee considered the approval by approximately 94% of the votes cast for the Company’s “say on pay” vote at our 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Although the Compensation Committee was pleased with this favorable outcome and interpreted this level of support as an endorsement by our stockholders of our executive com-

pensation program and policies, the Compensation Committee continuously evaluates program design and considers adjustments to the Company’s compensation program based on stockholder feedback, market practices and other considerations in order to deliver a program designed to be aligned with our business strategy, the creation of long-term value and our stockholders’ interests.

During 2020, the Company reached out to its 25 largest stockholders (which represented more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding shares) to solicit feedback on a

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variety of corporate governance matters (including with respect to executive compensation), and the Company held discussions with all stockholders who accepted an invitation. Management shared this stockholder feedback with the Compensation Committee for its consideration in designing the Company’s executive compensation program.

Based on feedback received during the Company’s stockholder engagement efforts over the past several years, the Compensation Committee approved the following changes to the Company’s executive compensation program:

Expanded Use of PSUsBeginning in 2020, the Compensation Committee expanded the PSU program to include all NEOs.

50% of Equity Compensation Delivered as PSUsBeginning with the 2020 annual PSU grants, the NEOs’ annual equity awards are delivered in the form of PSUs and SARs, each weighted 50%, with the PSUs vesting based on the achievement of

pre-established performance goals and the SARs only delivering value if the stock price appreciates from the grant date.    By replacing the RSU component with PSUs, the Compensation Committee considers the entire portion of the annual equity grant to be performance-based.

Expanded Performance Metrics Used under the LTI ProgramBeginning with the 2020 PSU grants, vesting will be determined based on three performance measures (Adjusted Total Revenue Growth, Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth and rTSR) as compared to our prior practice of using rTSR as the sole performance measure under our PSU program.

Incorporate ESG Metrics into 2021 Annual Incentive Program— As noted above, beginning with the 2021 annual incentive program, ESG measures will be incorporated into the key performance indicators that are used to determine the individual performance factor for each leadership team member.

Elements of the Executive Compensation Program

 

The Company’s 2020 executive compensation program consists of three primary pay components: (i) base salary; (ii) annual performance-based cash bonuses;bonuses (i.e., short-term incentives); and (iii) long-term equity awards. The following chart demonstratescharts demonstrate that 20172020 annual target compensation for Mr. Pant,Ms. Wat, our CEO, during the year, and our other NEOs was heavily weighted toward variable pay elements. Such elements and such elements comprisedrepresented approximately 83%85% of the targeted 2017 2020

annual target compensation for Mr. Pant (consisting of the target

payout opportunity under the cash bonus plan and his SAR grants and excluding all other compensation reported in the 2017 Summary Compensation Table)Ms. Wat and, on average, 65%70% of the targeted 20172020 annual target compensation for our other NEOs (consisting of the target payout opportunity under the cash bonus plan and SARtarget annual equity grants and excluding theone-time RSU grants Partner PSU Awards and all other compensation reported in the 20172020 Summary Compensation Table).

 

 

2020 CEO Target Compensation Mix

2020 Other NEOs Average

Target Compensation Mix

LOGOLOGO

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

 

Base Salary.

The Company provides a fixed level of cash compensation to attract and retain high-caliber talent. Base salary in the form of cash is provided to compensatecompensates executives for their primary roles and responsibilities. An executive’s actual salary is dependent on factors such as the executive’s role (including the market value of the role), level of responsibility, experience, individual performance and future potential. The Compensation Com-

mitteeCommittee annually reviews salary levels of the Company’s executive officers.

As noted above, during 2020, senior executives, including the NEOs, agreed to voluntarily forgo 10% of their base compensation during the period of April 2020 to December 2020 as contributions to fund additional assistance for frontline employees and their families impacted by COVID-19 as well as other emergency relief.

Annual Performance-Based Cash Bonuses.

The principal purpose of our cash-based annual incentive program is to motivate and reward short-term team and individual performance. The following is the formula that was used to calculate 20172020 annual performance-based annualcash bonuses:

 

 

Base Salary ×
 

Target Bonus
Percentage
(As a % of
Base Salary)

 × 

Team
Performance
Factor
(0-200%(0%-200%)

 × 

Individual
Performance
Factor
(0-150%(0%-150%)

 = 

Final  

Individual  

Performance  

Bonus Payout  
(0-300%)  

 

In conjunction with setting 2017 compensation opportunities, theTeam Performance Factors

The Compensation Committee reviewed the performance measures used in the annual incentive plan to assess the program’s alignment of the incentive payouts with Company performance as an independent company, while maintaining a focus on key performance measures of the Company’s overall business and operating segments for 2017.at the time the measures were set. In reviewing the performance measures used in the annual incentive plan, the Compensation Committee considered the Company’s operational plans and strategic priorities, in light of the current and expected future operating environment. The measures described below were selected because they were viewed asat the time to be key indicators of the

Company’s success in executing against its business plans.

The Compensation Committee established the team performance measures, targets and weights in January 2017for the 2020 bonus program at the beginning of the year after receiving input and recommendations from management and the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant.

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The team performance objectives and targets in 20172020 were developed through the Company’s annual financial

planning process, which took into account growth strategies, historical performance, and the existing and expected future operating environment of the Company. TheCompany, including the Company’s very strong performance in 2019 which reset the performance baseline to measure 2020 improvement. Because the target setting process begins in late 2019 and is completed in early 2020, these targets were set prior to the full onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time the targets were set, the performance targets were designed to be challenging but achievable with strong management performance. A leverage formula for each team performance measure magnifies the potential impact that performance above or below the performance target will have on the calculation of the annual bonus.

This leverage increases the payouts when targets are exceeded and reduces payouts when performance is below target. There istarget, with a threshold level of performance for all measures that must be metrequired in order for any bonus associated with such metric to be paid. Additionally, all measures havepaid and a cap on the level of performance above which no additional bonus will be paid regardless of performance above the cap.payments.

The team performance targets, actual results, weights and overall performance for each measure forestablished at the Company’s NEOs are outlined below.

COMPANY

Team Performance Measures   Target   Actual   
Earned As a
% of Target

 
     Weighting   
Final Team
Performance
 
 

Adjusted Operating Profit Growth*

   18  25  167      50  84 

Same Store Sales Growth**

   3.4  4.2  152      25  38 

System Gross New Builds

   600   691   200      15  30 

System Customer Satisfaction***

         200      10  20 
  

 

 

 

FINAL COMPANY TEAM FACTOR

   172        
  

 

 

 

KFC China

Team Performance Measures   Target   Actual   
Earned As a
% of Target

 
     Weighting   
Final Team
Performance
 
 

Adjusted Operating Profit Growth*

   18  29  200      50  100 

Adjusted Same Store Sales Growth**

   3.5  5.3  200      25  50 

System Gross New Builds

   325   408   200      15  30 

System Customer Satisfaction***

   81  85  200      10  20 
  

 

 

 

FINAL KFC China TEAM FACTOR

   200        
  

 

 

 

*

Adjusted Operating Profit Growth is the reported operating profit growth, excluding items that we believe are not directly relating to or impacted by the performance of the executives, such as operating results of the newly acquired business during 2017.

**

Adjusted Same Store Sales Growth is the Same Stores Sales Growth disclosed in the Annual Reporton Form 10-K, but adjusted for items to reflect how we evaluate same store sales growth for our brands internally.

***

System Customer Satisfaction target for the Company is measured, starting in 2017, based on feedback obtained from real customers through online customer surveys to better gauge customer satisfaction.

Based on Company performance, each of the NEOs other than Mr. Huang was assigned a Final Team Factor of 172% since the portion of their bonus tied to the Team Performance Factor was based entirely on Company performance. Mr. Huang was assigned a Final Team Factor of 193%, reflecting the weighting of his Team Performance Factor of 25% Company performance and 75% KFC China. The Compensation Committee then assessed individual performance and assigned an individual performance factor for the NEOs ranging from 120% to 150%, as described below under “2017 Named Executive Officer Compensation and Performance Summary.”

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

Long-Term Equity Incentives. The Company provides long-term equity compensation to its executives to encourage decision-making that creates long-term sustainable stockholder value. In determining the size of the award, the Compensation Committee considers the following:

Prior year individual and team performance;

Expected contribution in future years;

Consideration of the market value of the executive’s role compared with similar roles in the Company’s peer group and based on compensation survey data; and

Achievement of the Company’s stock ownership guidelines.

Annual Equity Grants. For 2017, the Compensation Committee granted SARs as the annual equity awards for each of our NEOs. These SARshave ten-year terms and vest over four years. The exercise price of each SAR grant was based on the closing market price of the underlying Company common stock on the date of grant. Therefore, SAR awards will have value only if the share price appreciates above the awards’ exercise price.

Promotion Grants. In connection with her promotion to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of

the Company, the Board awarded Ms. Wat a promotion equity grant in the form of service-based RSUs with a grant date economic value of $2,000,000. These RSUs cliff vest on the fourth anniversary of the grant date, thereby serving as a retention incentive for the entire vesting period and further aligning the interests of Ms. Wat with the Company’s stockholders by aligning her compensation with the long-term performance of the Company. In addition, as described below under “2017 Named Executive Officer Compensation and Performance Summary,” in connection with Ms. Wat’s promotion to the position of CEO of the Company, the Compensation Committee granted Ms. Wat SARs and PSUs as part of her 2018 long-term incentive award, with an aggregate economic value of $5,017,000.

Retention Grants. In September 2017, the Compensation Committee awarded retention grants of RSUs to each of Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang, with a grant date economic value of $1,000,000 and $800,000, respectively. These retention grants were intended to further align the interests of Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang with those of the Company, incentivize management to maximize the value of the Company, and retain critical talent to support the CEO transition. The RSUs granted to Ms. Ng vest in 25% equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date, while the RSUs granted to Mr. Huang cliff vest on the fourth anniversary of the grant date.

2017 Named Executive Officer Compensation and Performance Summary

Below is a summary of our NEOs’ 2017 compensation—which includes base salary, annual cash bonus, equity awards and compensation arrangements entered into in

connection with the management transitions described above—and an overview of their 2017 performance relative to the annual performance goals.

Micky Pant

Chief Executive Officer (through February 28, 2018)

2017 Performance Summary. Mr. Pant, currently Senior Advisor to the Company, served as the Company’s CEO for the duration of 2017. The Compensation Committee determined Mr. Pant’s performance to be significantly above target with an individual performance factor of 150%. In considering Mr. Pant’s performance, the Compensation Committee recognized that under the leadership of Mr. Pant in 2017, the Company had achieved an

adjusted operating profit growth of 25% while opening 691 new restaurants, exceeding the new builds target of 600. Mr. Pant was recognized for not only achieving strong operating and business results, but also for his management of the transition processes for our senior leadership changes during 2017, including with respect to the identification of strong internal candidates for the positions of CEO, CFO, and Chief People Officer.

 

 

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   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

   

 

2017 Decisions. In January 2017,beginning of 2020 for the Compensation Committee Company’s NEOs are outlined below. The Company’s performance metrics were established as growth rate goals with 2019 as the base line measure. This methodology required performance better than in 2019 in order to receive a target payout. As such, while the Adjusted Operating Profit Growth rate goal was

set Mr. Pant’s 2017 compensation levels after considering individualbelow last year’s growth rate goal, such goal would still require improvement over last year’s actual results. This methodology resulted in particularly challenging goals in 2020 given that 2019 was an exceptionally strong performance and the input of its compensation consultant and market data.

Base Salary. For 2017, no changes were made to Mr. Pant’s annual base salary. Accordingly, Mr. Pant’s annual base salary remained at $1,100,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. For 2017, there were no changes to Mr. Pant’s 2017 annual cash bonus plan target. Accordingly, it remained at 130% of base salary, or $1,430,000. Mr. Pant’s 2017 annual cash bonus award payout was $3,689,400, reflecting a total payout of 258% of target based on the Company team factor of 172% and individual performance factor of 150% based on Mr. Pant’s individual performance.

Long-Term Incentive Award. For 2017, Mr. Pant’s annual long-term incentive award increased from a grant date economic value of $3,000,000 to a grant date economic value of $4,000,000year and was delivered innot impacted by the form of SARs.

Compensation Adjustments in Connection with Resignation as CEO. On October 5, 2017, the Company announced that, effective March 1, 2018, Mr. Pant would be stepping down from the position of CEO, and assuming the position of Senior Advisor to the Company for atwo-yearCOVID-19 term. Mr. Pant’s long tenure at YUM and the Company and his expertise in the global restaurant industry will continue to bring to the Company his valuable business and strategic development experience in his role of Senior Advisor. In order to account for Mr. Pant’s new role, the Compensation Committee adjusted Mr. Pant’s base salary from $1,100,000 to $1,000,000, payable in cash or Company common stock, as elected by Mr. Pant. In his role as Senior Advisor, Mr. Pant is no longer eligible to participate in the Company’s annual incentive program or receive annual equity grants under the Company’s long-term incentive program. In connection with his stepping down as CEO and assuming the position of Senior Advisor effective March 1, 2018, the outstanding equity awards of Mr. Pant will be allowed to continue to vest under the terms of his letter of understanding dated October 28, 2016 and his transition agreement dated September 29, 2017.pandemic.

 

 

COMPANY

Team Performance Measures   Target      Actual    
Earned As a
% of Target

 
   

Weighting

(at the beginning

of 2020)

 

 

 

   
Final Team
Performance

 

Adjusted Operating Profit Growth*

   2.5%      

Negative

Growth Rate

 

 

   0    50   0 

Same Store Sales Growth

   2.8%      

Negative

Growth Rate

 

 

   0    25   0 

System Gross New Builds**

   832      1,044    200    15   30 

System Customer Satisfaction***

             198    10   19.8 
  

 

 

 

FINAL COMPANY TEAM FACTOR

             49.8 
  

 

 

 

*

Adjusted Operating Profit Growth as a team performance measure is the adjusted operating profit growth, excluding the impact from the acquisition of Huang Ji Huang, the launch of Lavazza and foreign exchange rate. The impact from the acquisition of Huang Ji Huang and the launch of Lavazza were excluded to allow adjusted operating profit growth to be calculated on a comparable basis with 2019. We also excluded the effects of RMB to USD translations (either positive or negative) because we believe that changes in the foreign exchange rate can cause Operating Profit Growth to appear more or less favorable than business results indicate.

**

Jacky Lo

Chief Financial OfficerThe Compensation Committee excluded Huang Ji Huang and TreasurerLavazza, when determining the Company’s target and actual results for the System Gross New Builds performance measure because the Lavazza business remains in an initial testing stage, with the Company’s annual plans for new builds subject to change, and Huang Ji Huang was acquired after the setting of the performance targets.

***

System Customer Satisfaction is measured based on feedback obtained from customers through online customer surveys. For the Company, this goal is measured on an aggregate basis for all of the Company’s brands.

 

2017 Performance Summary.The Compensation Committee determined Mr. Lo’s performance to be above target with an individual performance factorIn light of 120%. The Compensation Committee determined that under Mr. Lo’s leadership, the Company achieved exceptional financial resultsimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in 2017, with payback periods for new restaurants reduced to two andthree-to-four years for KFC and Pizza Hut, respectively. Additionally, during his tenure as CFO, the Company declared its first dividend and expanded its share repurchase program.

In March 2017,May 2020, the Compensation Committee approvedbegan to re-evaluate the 2017 compensation levels for Mr. Lo2020 annual incentive plan and acknowledged that the unprecedented challenging business environment on the economy in connection with his promotiongeneral and the restaurant industry in particular had caused a shifting consumer demand from dine-in services to delivery and takeaway services. This shift in services and the position of Vice President, Controller and Principal Accounting Officerimpact of the Company. In September 2017, Mr. Lo’s compensationpandemic made the achievement of the team performance targets described above significantly more challenging than was originally intended. To further adjustedincentivize the capturing of market opportunities in connection with his promotion to the position of CFO. In approving the 2017 adjustments to Mr. Lo’s

compensation,takeaway and delivery, the Compensation Committee considered evaluated whether any Team Performance Factor adjustments were necessary to

the input of its compensation consultant, market data2020 annual incentive plan in order to continue to incentivize and the compensation paidreward actions designed to Mr. Lo’s predecessors at the Company.

Base Salary. In March 2017, in connection with Mr. Lo’s promotionsupport critical strategies and long-term value creation, including strategies designed to the position of Vice President, Controller and Principal Accounting Officer ofhelp the Company Mr. Lo’s base salary was increased from $301,667 to $330,018and further increased in September 2017 to $580,573 when he was promoted to the position of CFO.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. In March 2017, Mr. Lo’s annual cash bonus target was increased from 40% to 50% of his base salary and in September 2017 his annual cash bonus target was further increased to 70% of his base salary, resulting in a

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

blended bonus target for the year of $318,440. Mr. Lo’s 2017 annual cash bonus award payout was $657,261, reflecting a total payout of 206% of target based on the Company team factor of 172% and individual performance factor of 120% based on Mr. Lo’s individual performance.

Long-Term Incentive Award. For 2017, Mr. Lo’s annual long-term incentive award, provided in the form of SARs, had a face value of $550,000.

Transition Compensation. For his service as interim CFO during 2017, Mr. Lo received an additional monthly cash payment of $ 10,010 while in the interim role.

Joey Wat

President and Chief Operating Officer

2017 Performance Summary. Ms. Wat, our current CEO, served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company from February 2017 through February 28, 2018. In this role, general managers of KFC and Pizza Hut as well as Head of Technology and Public Affairs reported to Ms. Wat. Ms. Wat had previously served as CEO of KFC China. Ms. Wat’s 2017 performance was rated as significantly above target with an individual performance factor of 150%. During 2017, Ms. Wat directed the Company’s formulation of a three-year corporate growth plan, which is now under execution. Ms. Wat assumed responsibilities with respect to Pizza Hut in February 2017 and applied her consumer instinct in driving its turnaround. In addition, Ms. Wat led a product improvement program by enhancing food taste and value perception. Ms. Wat was also viewed as instrumental in PH Bistro gaining traction and reductions in crew turnover, as well as the integration of Pizza HutDine-in and Delivery as one brand. The KFC “Little Bird” program that she championed was proven to be a meaningful and successful CSR initiative reaching over 21 provinces and benefiting over 60,000 children.

In January 2017, the Board’s independent andnon-management directors approved the 2017 compensation levels for Ms. Wat in connection with her promotion to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company.

Base Salary. In February 2017, Ms. Wat’s base salary was increased from $628,300 to $750,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. In February 2017, Ms. Wat’s annual cash bonus target was increased from 85% to 100% of her base salary, resulting in a blended bonus target for the year of $738,288. Ms. Wat’s 2017 annual cash bonus award payout was $1,904,782, reflecting a total payout of 258% of target based on the Company team factor of 172% and individual performance factor of 150% based on Ms. Wat’s individual performance.

Long-Term Incentive Award. In 2017, Ms. Wat received an annual long-term incentive award in the form of SARs with a grant date face value of $3,000,000 (equal to a grant date economic value of $1,139,167). In addition, in connection with her promotion to the role of President and Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Wat received a grant of service-based RSUs with a grant date economic value of $2,000,000, which cliff vest on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant, subject to Ms. Wat’s continued employment with the Companynavigate through the vesting date.

Compensation Adjustments in Connection with Promotion to CEO.On October 5, 2017, the Company announced that Ms. Wat would be assuming the position of CEO of the Company, effective March 1, 2018. In formulating Ms. Wat’s compensationpandemic and emerge as CEO,an innovative and strong market leader. Specifically, the Compensation Committee worked closely with its compensation consultantwanted to create an overall package thatsupport the following strategies, which would be competitive and reasonable when compared against peer companies, potential competing offers and the compensation paid to the current CEO. After considering the advice of its compensation consultant, the Compensation

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  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Committee recommended and the Board approved an increase in Ms. Wat’s annual base salary from $750,000 to $1,100,000 and an increase in her annual performance-based cash bonus target from 100% to 130% of her annual base salary. Pursuantcritical to the Company’s long-term incentive program,success in 2018, Ms. Wat is eligiblesuccessfully responding to receive SARsthe pandemic: implementing end to end digitalization; deepening the B2B ecosystem; accelerating delivery and PSUs, weighted 75%business-to-business opportunities; and 25% in terms of face value, respectively, with a grant date face value of $10,000,000 (equal to a grant date economic value of $5,017,000). By economic value, approximately 50% of Ms. Wat’s 2018 target long-term incentive opportunity was delivered as PSUs. Ms. Wat remains eligible to receive certain expa-

triate benefits in connection with her employmentexpanding new retail businesses, with the Company. Ms. Wat will no longer be eligible for tax equalization benefits, except for those connectedgoal of motivating transformative actions to previous equity grants and retirement contributions. If Ms. Wat’s employment is terminated bygrow the Company without “cause” prior to March 1, 2021, then she will be entitled to a severance payment, payable in monthly installments, equal to two times her base salary and annual bonus target, subject to her execution of a post-termination agreement that includes restrictive covenants relating tonon-solicitation,non-competition andnon-disclosure.

Shella Ng

Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

2017 Performance Summary. During 2017, Ms. Ng served as the Company’s Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. Ms. Ng’s performance was rated as above target with an individual performance factor of 125%. In determining Ms. Ng’s bonus payout, Ms. Ng was recognized for the leadership roles she assumed with respect to the Company’s establishment of a compliance oversight committee, the Company’s acquisition of Daojia, and declaration of the Company’s first dividend. Dating back to her time with YUM, Ms. Ng has over 22 years of experience with the Company, andher know-how has been critical to providing a strong legal and corporate foundation to our newly independent company.

In January 2017, the Compensation Committee set Ms. Ng’s 2017 compensation levels after considering the input of its compensation consultant and market data.

Base Salary. For 2017, Ms. Ng’s base salary was increased from $370,307 to $400,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. For 2017, Ms. Ng’s annual cash bonus target was increased from 60% to 65% of her base salary, resulting in a blended bonus target for the year of $257,363. Ms. Ng’s 2017 annual cash bonus award payout was $553,331,

reflecting a total payout of 215% of target based on the Company team factor of 172% and individual performance factor of 125% based on Ms. Ng’s individual performance.

Long-Term Incentive Award. In 2017, Ms. Ng received an annual long-term incentive award in the form of SARs with a face value of $1,000,000.

In September 2017, the Compensation Committee awarded a retention award of RSUs with a grant date economic value of $1,000,000, which vests in 25% annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date. Concurrently with the award of RSUs, Ms. Ng was awarded a cash retention award of $256,664 payable in 2019, subject to her remaining employed with the Company through March 31, 2019. Ms. Ng is eligible to receive apro-rated portion of her retention bonus based on the number of days she remained with the Company from November 1, 2017 through March 31, 2019 in the event her employment is terminated by the Company without cause on or after November 30, 2018. These retention grants were intended to further align the interests of Ms. Ng with those of the Company, incentivize management to maximize the value of the Company, and retain critical talent to support the CEO transition.business post-pandemic.

 

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

Johnson Huang

General Manager, KFC

2017 Performance Summary. Mr. Huang has served as General Manager, KFC since February 2017. He previously served as the Company’s Chief Information and Marketing Support Officer from October 2016 to February 2017. During 2017, Mr. Huang’s performance was rated as above target with an individual performance factor of 130%. The Compensation Committee determined that under Mr. Huang’s leadership in 2017, KFC achieved exceptional performance, exceeding targets in adjusted operating profit growth, adjusted same stores sales growth, new builds and customer satisfaction. Mr. Huang’s technology-driven expertise was considered by the Compensation Committee to be critical to KFC’s continued development of digital and customer relationship management initiatives, with KFC loyalty program members surpassing 110 million, with member sales representing 38% of KFC’s sales in the fourth quarter of 2017.

In January 2017, in connection with Mr. Huang’s promotion to the position of General Manager, KFC, the Board’s independent andnon-management directors approved Mr. Huang’s 2017 compensation levels. In September 2017, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Huang’s compensation to reflect his increased responsibilities as General Manager, KFC, based on the input of its compensation consultant and market data, Mr. Huang’s performance and potential and the compensation package of his predecessor.

Base Salary. In March 2017, Mr. Huang’s base salary was increased from $362,900 to $400,000 and further increased in October 2017 to $585,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. In February 2017, Mr. Huang’s annual cash bonus target was increased from 55% to 65% of his base salary, and in October 2017 his annual cash bonus target was further increased to 75% of his base salary, resulting in a blended bonus target for the year of $388,905. Mr. Huang’s 2017 annual cash bonus award payout was $975,762, reflecting a total payout of 251% of target based on the blended team factor of 193% and individual performance factor of 130% based on Mr. Huang’s individual performance.

Long-Term Incentive Award. In 2017, Mr. Huang received an annual long-term incentive award in the form of SARs with a face value of $1,000,000.

In September 2017, the Compensation Committee awarded a retention award of RSUs with a grant date economic value of $800,000, which cliff vest on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant, subject to Mr. Huang’s continued employment with the Company through the vesting date. This retention grant was intended to further align the interests of Mr. Huang with those of the Company, incentivize management to maximize the value of the Company, and retain critical talent to support the CEO transition.

Ted Stedem

Former Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Stedem served as the Company’s CFO from the beginning of the year until June 1, when he resigned and ceased to have an employment relationship with the Company.

In January 2017, the Compensation Committee set Mr. Stedem’s 2017 compensation levels after considering the input of its compensation consultant, individual performance and market data.

Base Salary. For 2017, Mr. Stedem’s base salary was increased from $525,000 to $580,000.

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  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


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Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. For 2017, Mr. Stedem’s annual cash bonus target was increased from 65% to 70% of his base salary, which would have resulted in a blended bonus target for the year of $400,086. As noted below, Mr. Stedem received a prorated target payout under the annual cash bonus plan in connection with his resignation from the Company in June 2017.

Long-Term Incentive Award. In 2017, Mr. Stedem received an annual long-term incentive award in the form of SARs with a face value of $3,000,000. In con-

nection with his resignation, Mr. Stedem forfeited his 2017 annual long-term incentive award.

Transition Compensation. In connection with Mr. Stedem’s resignation, the Compensation Committee approved a prorated 2017 annual bonus for Mr. Stedem at his target level and a repatriation expense reimbursement of $35,775 to compensate Mr. Stedem and his family for airfare and shipment of personal belongings to the U.S.

Retirement and Other Benefits

As with all Company employees, Company executive officers receive certain employment and post-employment benefits. Benefits are an important part of retention and capital preservation for all levels of employees. Our benefits are designed to protect against unexpected catastrophic losses of health and earnings potential and provide a means to save and accumulate assets for retirement and other post-employment needs.

Retirement Plans. The Company maintains the Yum China Holdings, Inc. Leadership Retirement Plan (“YCHLRP”), which is an unfunded, unsecured account-based retirement plan that allocates a percentage of pay to an account payable to a participating executive following the later to occur of the executive’s separation of employment and attainment of age 55. During 2017, Messrs. Pant and Stedem received annual allocations to their accounts under the YCHLRP. The Company offers certain executives working in China retirement benefits under the Bai Sheng Restaurants (Hong Kong) Limited Retirement Scheme. Under this program, the Company provides a company-funded contribution ranging from 5% to 10% of an executive’s base salary. During 2017, Mr. Lo, Ms. Wat, Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang were participants in the program.

Medical, Dental, Life Insurance and Disability Coverage. The Company provides benefits such as medical, dental, life insurance and disability coverage to its executive officers through the same benefit plans that are provided to all eligible China-based employees.

Perquisites. Certain perquisites are provided to certain Company executive officers relating to overseas assignments. These perquisites are governed by the Company’s formal mobility policy, are offered ona case-by-case basis and reflect each executive’s particular circumstances while also generally reflecting market practices for similarly situated, globally mobile executives working in international companies based in Mainland China. For example, the Company may offer executive perquisites such as housing reimbursement, children education, mobility allowances, home leave payments, cost of living allowances, tax preparation services and tax equalization benefits while the executive is performing services in China. These perquisites are intended to help the Company attract and retain high-performing executives from different countries who have the skill sets and experience to successfully manage and lead the Company while living in Mainland China. While tax equalization benefits are viewed as an important element in our ability to recruit and retain talent to work in Mainland China, we intend to review these benefits in connection with new compensation arrangements to assess whether they remain consistent with our overall compensation program. In connection with the entry into Ms. Wat’s letter agreement for her role as CEO, we eliminated tax equalization benefits other than certain grandfathered tax equalization benefits. In addition, tax equalization benefits for Messrs. Lo and Huang were also eliminated, other than certain grandfathered tax equalization benefits. See the 2017 All Other Compensation Table for details regarding the perquisites received by our NEOs with respect to 2017.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

How Compensation Decisions Are Made

Role of the Compensation Committee.The Compensation Committee reviews and approves corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the CEO and other executive officers, sets the compensation levels of each of the executive officers and approves the compensation of the CEO, with ratification by the independent directors of the Board. The Compensation Committee’s responsibilities under its charter are further described in the “Governance of the Company” section of this Proxy Statement. While not members of the Compensation Committee, the CEO and Chief People Officer as well as Chief Legal Officer, when necessary, also attended meetings of the Compensation Committee in 2017 to contribute to and understand the committee’s oversight of, and decisions relating to, executive compensation. The CEO, Chief People Officer and Chief Legal Officer did not attend portions of the meetings relating to their compensation. The Compensation Committee regularly conducts executive sessions without management present. The Compensation Committee also engages in an ongoing dialog with the CEO and Chief People Officer and the committee’s compensation consultant in the evaluation and establishment of the elements of our executive compensation program.

Role of the Independent Consultants. During 2017, the Compensation Committee retained Willis Tower Watson (“WTW”) as its principal independent consultant to advise it on executive compensation matters. WTW’s responsibilities for 2017 included providing advice and guidance to the Compensation Committee on the design of the annual and long-term incentive plans, including the design of the new PSU plan; the market competitiveness of executive pay policies, practices and levels, including those pertaining to expatriates; pay recommendations for executive officers, including pay actions in response to promotions and other role changes; the competiveness and design of non-employee director compensation; stock ownership guidelines for executives and Board members; equity award valuation services; and advice on pay disclosures, including the CD&A. The Compensation Committee has assessed the independence of WTW pursuant to NYSE rules, and the Company has concluded that WTW’s work for the Compensation Committee does not raise any conflicts of interest.

During 2017, the Compensation Committee also retained Mercer to conduct a competitive market review of executive officer (excluding the CEO position) compensation and advise the Compensation Committee regarding the form and level of compensation for these officers. The Compensation Committee has assessed the independence of Mercer pursuant to NYSE rules, and the Company has concluded that Mercer’s work for the Compensation Committee does not raise any conflicts of interest.

Competitive Market Review. One of the key objectives of our executive compensation program is to retain and reward the right talent by providing reasonable and competitive compensation. Accordingly, in 2017, the Compensation Committee determined that it should establish a peer group applicable to the Company. Recognizing the evolving nature of the competitive landscape for executive talent, the Compensation Committee intends to reassess the peer companies on a periodic basis to evaluate the continued appropriateness of such peer companies. As part of its engagement with the Compensation Committee, WTW assisted with the development of the peer group.

Based on its review and after consideration of the skills, background and understanding of the business and regulatory environments that are required of the management team to run a U.S. listed company with all operations in China, WTW developed two sets of peer companies with the following characteristics:

Publicly listed Greater China companies primarily in the F&B, restaurant, retail, hospitality, and consumer goods and general industry and of similar revenue size to the Company.

For Greater China companies, additional criteria are applied to include companies of similar market prominence with globally mobile executive teams and rigorous pay governance practices and processes.

Publicly listed U.S. companies in the F&B, restaurant, hospitality and consumer goods industry and of similar revenue size as the Company.

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Having considered the peer group selection criteria above and the comparability of each of the peer companies in terms of business size, industry, regulatory environment and source of executive talent, the Compensation Committee approved the following two peer groups of companies to be used for purposes of evaluating 2017 executive compensation decisions:

Greater China Peer GroupU.S. Peer Group

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited

China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd.

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.

CLP Holdings Ltd.

Dah Chong Hong Holdings Limited

Esprit Holdings Limited

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd

MGM China Holdings Limited

Sands China Ltd.

Shangri-La Asia Limited

SJM Holdings Limited

Swire Pacific Limited

Swire Properties Limited

Techtronic Industries Company Limited

Want China Holdings Ltd.

WH Group Limited

Wilmar International Limited

Wynn Macau Ltd.

AutoZone, Inc.

Avon Products, Inc.*

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.

Brinker International, Inc.

Campbell Soup Company*

Colgate-Palmolive Company

Conagra Brands, Inc.*

Constellation Brands, Inc.

Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Dean Foods Company*

Domino’s Pizza, Inc.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.

General Mills, Inc.

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

Hormel Foods Corporation*

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Kellogg Company*

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

L Brands, Inc.*

Marriott International, Inc.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated*

McDonald’s Corporation

MGM Resorts, International*

Molson Coors Brewing Company

Starbucks Corporation*

The Clorox Company*

The Gap, Inc.*

The Hershey Company

The J.M. Smucker Company*

The Wendy’s Company

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation

Yum! Brands, Inc.

*

Added to the peer group in September 2017 to provide a more robust group of peers based on the criteria noted above with respect to publicly listed U.S. companies.

The Company’s revenue size falls at or about the median of each of the peer groups.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

 

    

 

In its review, the Compensation Committee discussed a number of alternatives, including the use of a discretionary year-end adjustment to recognize the strategic achievements and replacing the performance goals entirely. The Compensation Committee determined that it was still appropriate to use the initial goals set at the beginning of the year to determine annual incentive payouts in order to hold management accountable to such goals, but with such goals supplemented with additional KPIs as well as a rTSR measure to help motivate management to focus on critical strategies discussed above that were deemed essential to the Company’s ability to operate in the COVID-19 environment and which were deemed supportive of long-term value creation and aligned with stockholder interests. At the time, the Compensation Committee determined to establish a performance framework for evaluating the supplemental KPIs, which included target goals.

After reviewing feedback from management regarding the KPIs as well as input from the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant, in July 2020, the Compensation Committee approved (i) the maintaining of the original KPIs to hold participants accountable to such goals, but with a reduction in the weighting of the team performance factors described above from 100% to 35% of the team factor weighting, (ii) the introduction of six supplemental KPIs, accounting for 35% of the team factor weighting in order to motivate strategic actions designed to help the Company navigate through the pandemic and emerge as an innovative and strong market leader, and (iii) the introduction of a rTSR metric, accounting for the remaining 30% of the team factor weighting, as illustrated in the following graphic:

LOGO

*

Based on the achievement of the original team performance measures discussed above and the adjusted weighting approved in July 2020, the final team performance factor for the original KPIs was 17.5 (team performance factor of 49.8 multiplied by adjusted weighting).

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The Compensation Committee determined that this combination of performance metrics was appropriate to motivate management to focus on the successful execution against the Company’s operational plan during this challenging time and, at the same time, were aligned with the Company’s strategic priorities in order to position the Company as a strong market leader.

The six new KPIs approved by the Compensation Committee in July 2020 are set forth in the table below. Four of the KPIs (Digital, B2B Ecosystem, KFC Delivery Sales Growth and Pizza Hut Non-Dine-In Transactions) were

aligned with the Company’s strategy of exploring new growth opportunities given the reduced dine-in traffic during 2020 and were deemed essential to the Company’s ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and emerge as a strong market leader. The cost control measure was viewed as a critical measure to protect operating margin and profitability. Finally, the market penetration factor was viewed as a strong factor contributing to the Company’s long-term growth. The KPIs were designed to motivate the NEOs to achieve strategically important goals that were also designed to be challenging but attainable with strong management performance.

Key Performance Indicator   Target    Actual    

Performance

v. Target

 

 

   Weighting 

Market Penetration*

   *    *    on target    25

Digital**

   60.0%    60.2%    on target    15

B2B Ecosystem***

   920    1,015    above target    10

KFC Delivery Sales Growth****

   38.0%    41.9%    above target    25

Pizza Hut Non-Dine-In Transactions*****

   42.0%    45.2%    above target    15

Cost Control******

   -10.0%    -12%    above target    10

*

Market Penetration measures the Company’s total store count as a percentage of the total store count of the Company and its key peer companies. The Company is not disclosing this goal due to the competitively sensitive nature of such goal. The goal was designed to be challenging but achievable with strong management performance.

**

Digital measures digital member sales for the KFC and Pizza Hut brands as a percentage of total system sales.

***

B2B Ecosystem measures the Company’s total business-to-business gross merchandising value in millions of U.S. dollars.

****

KFC measures the year-over-year delivery sales growth of our KFC brand.

*****

Pizza Hut measures the percentage of sales of our Pizza Hut brand that are attributable to non-dine-in transactions.

******

Cost Control measures actual general and administrative expenses for 2020 compared to the Company’s operating plan for the year.

Based on an assessment of performance, the Committee assigned 40 points to the achievement of the six new KPIs. This performance assessment reflected the Company’s overall strong performance in these categories in the challenging COVID-19 environment, as evidenced by the on target and above target attainment levels.

In July 2020, the Compensation Committee also determined to include rTSR as a supplemental Team Perfor-

mance Factor in the adjusted annual incentive program. The Compensation Committee determined that rTSR was viewed as a core measure to evaluate the Company’s performance and stockholder value creation. In addition, the use of rTSR was viewed as appropriate in light of the unpredictable operating environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In making this decision, the Compensation Committee also considered the fact that the rTSR performance measure was in addition to the abso-

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

lute performance goals, both in terms of the original KPIs and the supplemental business transformation KPIs introduced in July 2020, in order to strike an appropriate balance in 2020 with respect to incentivizing financial, operational, transformational and TSR performance.

The rTSR portion of the annual incentive program was to be paid out based on the Company’s 2020 rTSR perfor-

mance as compared to the constituents of the MSCI China Index as of January 1, 2020 in accordance with the schedule set forth below. Based on the Company’s TSR performance of 22.74% and a corresponding percentile ranking at the 57th percentile, the TSR team performance factor was 32 points based on the weighting assigned to the TSR performance metric (TSR vesting level of 106.77% of target multiplied by the TSR weighting).

   YUMC TSR v. Constituents of MSCI CHINA INDEX* 

Percentile Ranking Achieved

   <40th      40th    55th    85th    Actual 

Proportion of Target Award Vesting

   0     50   100   200   106.77

*

Calculated based on the 20 trading day average closing price prior to and including the start and end dates of the 2020 calendar year and assuming reinvestment of all dividends.

Based on the achievement of the Team Factor performance goals, including the original and supplemental KPIs and the rTSR metric discussed above, the Compensation Committee determined a Team Performance Factor of 90%.

Individual Performance Factors

In February 2020, the Compensation Committee established the performance goals that would be used to determine the Individual Performance Factor for the CEO and provided input on the performance goals set by the CEO for the other NEOs, which would subsequently be used by the CEO to recommend the Individual Performance Factor for each NEO. As part of the Company’s annual performance evaluation process, the CEO, after having received input from the Compensation Committee and after consultation with each NEO, establishes that NEO’s performance objectives for the coming year, which are ultimately approved by the Compensation Committee. These performance objectives are not intended to be rigid or formulaic, but rather to serve as the framework upon which the CEO evaluates the NEO’s overall performance.

These annual performance goals generally fell within the performance categories of mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing stockholder returns, accelerating the growth of our brands, driving new business initiatives, and building people capabilities and organizational strength and resilience. Under each performance goal category, each NEO has a number of

underlying pre-established goals against which the NEO’s performance is assessed to determine whether the NEO has achieved the overall performance goal. The evaluation of an executive’s performance relative to these goals is inherently subjective, involving a high degree of judgment based on the CEO’s observations of, and interactions with, the executive throughout the year. As an additional input to the evaluation of an executive’s performance, the CEO assesses the overall performance of the Company in light of the dynamics of the China market. As a result, no single performance goal or group of goals is determinative for the CEO’s evaluation of the executive’s performance.

The above evaluation provides the basis for the CEO’s recommendation to the Compensation Committee for the executive’s Individual Performance Factor. The Compensation Committee then meets with the CEO and discusses the CEO’s recommendations and meets separately in executive session to discuss the CEO’s recommendations and make a determination of the Individual Performance Factor for the NEOs, excluding the CEO.

The Compensation Committee applies similar factors in determining the Individual Performance Factor for the CEO. The Compensation Committee meets in executive session to discuss the CEO’s individual performance and then consults with the Chairman of the Board for their collective determination of the CEO’s Individual Performance Factor. The evaluation of the CEO’s overall performance relative to these factors is also inherently

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subjective, involving a high degree of judgment. The Compensation Committee and the other independent directors assess the overall performance of the Company in light of the dynamics of the China market in which the Company operates. As a result, no single performance goal or group of goals is determinative for the evaluation of the CEO’s performance.

The use of Individual Performance Factors provides the Company with a degree of flexibility (applied reasonably and in moderation by the Compensation Committee) to reward contributions to strategic business initiatives and the building of organizational capabilities supportive of the creation of long-term value.

Based on the foregoing, the Compensation Committee assigned 2020 Individual Performance Factors for the NEOs ranging from 100% to 150%, as described below under “2020 NEO Compensation and Performance Summary.”

Long-Term Equity Incentives

The Company provides long-term equity compensation to its executives to encourage decision-making that creates long-term sustainable stockholder value. In determining the size of the annual equity awards, the Compensation Committee considers the following:

Prior year individual and team performance;

Expected contributions in future years;

The market value of the executive’s role compared with similar roles in the Company’s peer group, based on compensation survey data; and

Achievement of the Company’s stock ownership guidelines.

Beginning with the 2020 annual equity grants, the PSU program has been expanded to include each of the NEOs, resulting in 2020 annual equity grants in the form of SARs and PSUs, equally weighted. As a result of this change,

the entire portion of the annual equity grant is considered by the Compensation Committee to be performance-based as the PSUs will vest based only on the Company’s achievement of performance goals relating to Adjusted Total Revenue Growth and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth, with a rTSR payout modifier, and the SARs will realize value only to the extent the Company’s stock price increases from the date of grant.

The SARs vest annually in equal installments of 25%, beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date and generally subject to continued employment through the applicable vesting date. The exercise price of each SAR grant is based on the closing market price of the underlying Company stock on the date of grant.

The annual PSU grants (the “Annual PSU Awards”) are designed to incentivize each NEO’s performance over the January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022 performance period and to further align their interests with the interests of our stockholders. The Annual PSU Awards will vest based on the achievement of performance goals relating to Adjusted Total Revenue Growth (with a weighting of 60%), Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth (with a weighting of 40%), and a rTSR payout modifier. The Adjusted Total Revenue Growth and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share Growth goals use the 2019 results as a baseline from which to measure growth. Given 2019 performance and the Company’s operating plan over the three-year performance period, the Adjusted Total Revenue Growth and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share Growth performance goals were designed to be challenging but achievable with strong management performance. If the Company outperformed or underperformed the MCSI China Index by 20%, then the number of PSUs that would vest based on the Company’s Adjusted Total Revenue Growth and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth performance would be increased or decreased by 20% based on the Company’s rTSR. Based on performance, vesting may range from 0% to 240% of the target number of shares subject to the Annual PSU Awards

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The PSU program was first used by the Company in 2018 and 2020 represented the final year of the 2018-2020 performance period for Ms. Wat’s 2018 PSU award. Ms. Wat served as the Company’s CEO for nearly the entire performance period. Under the 2018 PSU program, Ms. Wat’s 2018 PSUs would be settled in shares of our

common stock based on our rTSR performance over the 2018-2020 performance period relative to the 149 companies in the MSCI International China Index as of January 1, 2018. Under the program, payout would be capped at target if the Company’s TSR was negative over the three-year performance period.

           Threshold   Target   Maximum 

TSR Percentile Rank Achieved

   <30     30   55   85

Proportion of Target Award Vesting*

   0     35   100   200

*

Vesting proportion for performance between performance levels would be determined based on linear interpolation.

Based on the Company’s 44.76% TSR performance during the three-year performance period, the Company ranked at the 79th percentile as compared to the TSR performance of the active constituents of the MSCI International China Index at the end of the performance period, resulting in 181.27% of the target PSUs and dividend equivalents vesting, or 111,489.79 shares of our common stock.

2020 Partner Long-Term Performance-Based Grants

The Compensation Committee supplemented the executive compensation program in 2020 to include an award of PSUs in the form of the Partner PSU Awards to select employees of the Company and its subsidiaries, including the NEOs, who were deemed critical to the Company’s execution of its strategic operating plan. The Compensation Committee determined that these Partner PSU Awards were necessary to:

Address Increased Competition and the Existing Pay Gap—The Company is increasingly competing for executive talent with new food retail platform companies in China as well as other startup companies. The Company, with a proven and successful track record, is prominent in the restaurant and retail industry in China. Competitors in the new retail space, including startups considering United States or overseas listing, are increasingly competing for executive talent with deep knowledge of both the United States and China market practices and regulatory environments. These competitors often offer compensation programs with significant one-time equity grants, which is a common practice in

the Chinese executive compensation market. This increased competition and the related new-hire offers of significant one-time equity grants, coupled with an already challenging market for executive talent, has created a pay gap for the Company’s leadership team as compared to the competitive market and has posed significant challenges to the Company’s ability to retain and motivate the Company’s visionary and entrepreneurial leadership team. In 2019, four executive team members left the Company and joined startups or companies with new retail platforms preparing for overseas listing. The Compensation Committee believes that the Partner PSU Awards will help address the existing pay gap, are responsive to the compensation packages offered by this increased competition, including the practice of granting significant one-time equity grants, and are designed to create an entrepreneurial mindset.

Motivate Transformational Performance—The Compensation Committee determined that the Partner PSU Awards were particularly important as the Company is at a strategic inflection point as it executes on its vision to become the world’s most innovative pioneer in the restaurant industry. Specifically, the Partner PSU Awards are designed to support the execution of the Company’s multi-year strategic operating plan, focusing on the transformation and reengineering of the Company’s strong casual dining businesses and expanding their monetization capabilities by deepening the connections with customers, suppliers, distributors and business partners via the Company’s end-to-end digital ecosystem. The Company believes that integrating offline restaurants with online presence and its leadership in digital, data and delivery are crucial to building

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a transformational business model aimed at meeting the evolving needs of its customers. The Partner PSU Awards have been designed to incentivize an entrepreneurial mindset and transformational performance that the Compensation Committee believes will contribute to business growth and exceptional stockholder value creation.

Encourage Long-Term Retention—Over the past several years, the Company has experienced a number of senior leadership changes. The Board is committed to building an organization with continuity in its leadership. In designing the award, the Compensation Committee considered, in particular, the challenges associated with attracting and retaining high-quality leadership over the long-term to manage the complexities of the Company’s business. The Committee sought to structure an award that would incentivize longer-term retention.

The Compensation Committee evaluated a number of alternatives to structure this special incentive in a way to address the pay gap as compared to the competitive market and to serve as a meaningful incentive for retention and the execution of the Company’s strategic operating plan. With advice from the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant, the Compensation Committee determined that the best way to retain key leaders for at least the next four years was to provide them with a compelling upside compensation opportunity, beyond the Company’s regular long-term incentive programs, that would motivate them to achieve the Company’s strategic priorities, including growth of the business and continued execution of innovation and strategy. These grants are intended to provide value to the executive officers only if the Company successfully executes on its strategic operating plan, which the Compensation Committee believes will contribute to a significant increase in stockholder value. Given the unique nature of these grants, the Compensation Committee has committed not to grant similar, special grants of performance units during the performance period, although award recipients will continue to receive equity awards as part of the Company’s regular annual program.

Accordingly, in February 2020, the Compensation Committee approved the long-term Partner PSU Awards to the NEOs. On the grant date, Partner PSU Awards with an aggregate grant date fair value, assuming target performance, were granted to the NEOs as follows: Ms. Wat, $12,000,000; Mr. Yeung, $2,000,000; Mr. Huang, $2,000,000; Mr. Tan, $1,500,000; and Mr. Yuen, $1,500,000. With the annualized value of the Partner PSU Awards over their four-year performance period, target total direct compensation for Ms. Wat would be positioned at approximately the median of that of the compensation peers and between approximately the lower quartile and median of the relevant market for the other NEOs.

These long-term Partner PSU Awards will vest only if threshold performance goals relating to stock price (weighted 55%), Adjusted Total Revenue Growth (weighted 20%), Adjusted EBITDA Growth (weighted 15%) and transformational objectives (weighted 10%) are achieved over a four-year performance period, commencing on January 1, 2020 and ending on December 31, 2023. Target vesting with respect to the stock price trigger will not occur unless the Company’s stock price is at least $80.00 measured as the trailing 60-day average closing price, with threshold vesting and maximum vesting occurring based on average stock prices equal to $60.00 and $100.00, respectively. The closing stock price on the date of grant was $42.71. The other performance goals were designed to be challenging but achievable with strong execution of the Company’s strategic operating plan. Adjusted Total Revenue Growth and Adjusted EBITDA Growth are set at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) using the 2019 results as the baseline, and are aligned with the Company’s long-term growth plan to drive value creation for stockholders. Based on performance, vesting may range from 0% to 200% of the target number of shares subject to the Partner PSU Awards.

In designing the Partner PSU Awards, the Compensation Committee sought to align the interests of the recipients with the Company’s stockholders and to incentivize long-term stockholder value creation, resulting in the following features in the Partner PSU Award design:

4-Year Performance and Vesting Period—Even if the performance goals are achieved prior to the expiration

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

of the performance period, the Partner PSU Awards remain subject to service-based vesting through the expiration of the performance period.

Challenging Stock Price Targets—In order to receive target payout for the award, the stock price must almost double from the closing stock price on the date of grant and threshold payout requires a 40% increase in the stock price.

Payout Cap to Incentivize Stock Price Performance for Duration of Performance Period—In order to incentivize stock price performance throughout the entire performance period, payout will be capped at target if the average stock price for the last 60 days of the performance period is below threshold, even if a higher stock price average was attained earlier in the performance period.

Termination Provisions—The awards will generally vest pro rata based on actual performance through the end of the performance period in the event of termination due to death, retirement, or termination without cause. In the event of a termination of employment by the Company without cause or by the award recipient due to good reason within two years following a change in control of the Company, the award will vest based on the greater of actual performance and target.

Compensation Recovery Policy—The Partner PSU Awards are subject to the Company’s Compensation Recovery Policy, which allows the Company to recover or cancel performance awards, such as the Partner PSU Awards.

Restrictive Covenants—The Partner PSU Awards also include non-competition and non-solicitation restrictive covenants.

2021 Chairman Grants

In February 2021, the Compensation Committee awarded three-year cliff-vesting RSU awards to select Company executive officers and employees. Among the NEOs, Ms. Wat and Mr. Yeung were selected as recipients of the Chairman long-term equity grant. These awards are intended to provide recognition for exemplary individual

leadership demonstrated by select executives and employees during 2020, in particular in resolving many novel and complex regulatory issues to execute the Company’s secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and navigating the Company through the COVID-19 crisis. The Company considers it important to retain the flexibility to make long-term equity awards to specifically reward demonstrated individual leadership actions and behaviors that are not factored into the corporate performance goals underlying the equity awards made to our entire management team, but which still recognize individual actions and behaviors that the Company wants to encourage and foster. While these awards were granted in recognition of the significant individual achievements and leadership displayed by recipients during 2020, the Compensation Committee elected to deliver the Chairman grants as RSUs that cliff-vest on the third anniversary of the grant date to incentivize retention over this three-year period. Factors considered in awarding the Chairman Awards included:

Listing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong—Management assumed a significant amount of additional duties to resolve many novel and complex regulatory issues to execute the Company’s secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on an accelerated timeframe in the midst of the global pandemic to become the first Delaware and non-TMT company to qualify as an innovative company and successfully list on the exchange. The secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange raised net proceeds of $2.2 billion and expanded the Company’s stockholder base in China and Asia.

COVID-19 Responsiveness—The management team led the implementation of key actions that we undertook to protect our employees, serve our customers, drive stockholder value-creation and give back to the community in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which we believe have contributed to our ability to navigate the pandemic to date. These actions included: implementing stringent health measures at our restaurants and workplaces and providing extended healthcare and other support to employees; keeping majority of our stores open even at the peak of the outbreak; launching contactless delivery, takeaway and corporate catering to support businesses during the time

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of reduced dine-in traffic; and addressing operational complexities and challenges in response to changes in regulatory requirements imposed by governmental authorities. Throughout the pandemic, management demonstrated their commitment to our long-term success by taking actions that were key to the Company’s ability to effectively navigate the pandemic and emerge even stronger, even if such actions entail certain additional costs. For example, while many of our competitors elected to lay-off employees during the pandemic, we kept employees on our payroll to allow us to recall employees as soon as possible once restrictions eased and it was appropriate to open stores. Actions such as this allowed us to nimbly respond to changing circumstances and foster goodwill among our employees. Sales and traffic recovered sequentially since the first quarter of 2020. The Company also served over 170,000 free meals to 1,450 hospitals and medical centers.

Strong Execution Against the Company’s Strategic Operating Plan—In the context of a challenging year without precedent, the Company delivered strong results, including the opening of 1,165 new stores, bringing total store count to over 10,500 across more than 1,500 cities in China. The KFC and Pizza Hut loyalty programs exceeded 300 million members combined, with member sales accounted for approximately 60% of system sales in 2020. Leveraging its digital and delivery capabilities, the Company continued to capture dine-in and off-premise opportunities. These priorities were aligned with the Company’s strategic operating plan in order to position the Company as a strong market leader.

The grants to Ms. Wat and Mr. Yeung have a grant date fair value of $2,500,000 and $1,600,000, respectively, and will cliff-vest on the three-year anniversary of the grant date based on continued service through the vesting date. The Compensation Committee elected to deliver the Chairman grants as RSUs rather than as cash bonuses in order to further incentivize the retention of these key contributors over the applicable vesting period and to further align their interests with the interests of our stockholders. While the Compensation Committee considered the strong contributions of these executive officers and employees to the Company’s performance during 2020 in determining these awards, these awards are considered

2021 compensation under applicable SEC disclosure rules and will be reflected in the 2021 Summary Compensation Table.

Other Elements of Executive Compensation Program

As with all Company employees, Company executive officers receive certain employment benefits. We believe the benefits we offer are an important part of retention and capital preservation for all levels of employees. Our benefits are designed to protect against unexpected catastrophic losses of health and earnings potential and provide a means to save and accumulate assets for retirement.

Post-Termination and Change in Control Compensation.

The Company provides certain post-termination and change in control compensation to help accomplish the Company’s compensation philosophy of attracting and retaining executive talent. The Compensation Committee believes change in control compensation promotes management independence and helps retain, stabilize, and focus the executive officers in the event of a change in control. Severance benefits are payable only upon a qualifying termination, which is defined as a termination by the Company without cause or by the participant due to good reason, within 24 months following the consummation of a change in control of the Company. In addition, certain post-termination compensation offered by the Company helps protect the Company’s interests as such compensation is provided in exchange for the executive officer agreeing to comply with post-termination restrictive covenants. The award agreements with respect to the Company’s outstanding equity awards also provide for pro-rata accelerated vesting in the event of certain qualifying terminations of employment. The terms of the Company’s post-termination and change in control compensation were determined after considering market data, the input of the compensation consultant and, in some cases, the negotiations of the parties.

Please see the “Potential Payments upon a Termination or a Change in Control” section below for a quantification of the amounts that would be payable to each of the NEOs in connection with a termination of employment or change in control as of December 31, 2020.

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Retirement Plans. The Company offers certain executives working in China retirement benefits under the Bai Sheng Restaurants China Holdings Limited Retirement Scheme (“BSRCHLRS”). Under the BSRCHLRS, executives may make personal contributions, and the Company provides a company-funded contribution ranging from 5% to 10% of a participating executive’s base salary. During 2020, all of our NEOs were participants in the BSRCHLRS, and each NEO received a company-funded contribution.

Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance and Disability Coverage. The Company provides benefits such as medical, dental, and life insurance and disability coverage to its executive officers through the same benefit plans that are provided to all eligible China-based employees.

Perquisites. Certain perquisites are provided to certain Company executive officers relating to overseas assignments. These perquisites are governed by the Company’s formal mobility policy, are offered on a case-by-case basis and reflect each executive’s particular circumstances while also generally reflecting market practices for similarly situated, globally mobile execu-

tives working in international companies based in mainland China. For example, the Company may offer perquisites such as housing cost subsidies, dependent education, and home leave payments to executives performing services in China. These perquisites are considered to be a necessary component of the Company’s executive compensation program in order to attract and retain high-performing executives from different countries who have the skill sets and experience to successfully manage and lead the Company in mainland China.

Prior to our spin-off from YUM, certain of our NEOs were offered tax equalization benefits as an element of their compensation. These tax equalization benefits represent legacy compensation arrangements entered into with our former parent. After the spin-off, the Compensation Committee began to phase out tax equalization benefits for the NEOs (other than certain grandfathered benefits pursuant to the legacy arrangements).

See the 2020 All Other Compensation Table in this CD&A for details regarding the perquisites received by our NEOs during 2020.

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2020 NEO Compensation and Performance Summary

Below is a summary of our NEOs’ 2020 compensation—which includes base salary, annual cash bonus, and equity

awards—and an overview of our NEOs’ 2020 performance relative to the annual performance goals.

Joey Wat

Chief Executive Officer

2020 Performance Summary. The Compensation Committee determined Ms. Wat’s performance to be significantly above target with an Individual Performance Factor of 150%. The Compensation Committee recognized that Ms. Wat’s foresight and leadership were critical in guiding the Company through the crisis. Ms. Wat directed an immediate strategic response plan to navigate and tackle the emerging challenges of the unprecedented pandemic, such as evolving government regulations, city lockdowns, logistics challenges and potential material write-offs. Ms. Wat demonstrated her strong leadership to transform the Company’s business focus to capture new opportunities. With the innovative “contactless delivery” model, she guided KFC and Pizza Hut to drive significant growth from their delivery and non-dine-in businesses. Ms. Wat also supported a flexible operating model to help identify and satisfy customers’ unmet needs and fast-tracked the Company’s corporate catering business. The Compensation Committee also attached importance to Ms. Wat’s building of a B2B ecosystem through collaboration with selected strategic partners, which have demonstrated promising new business opportunities. Under her oversight, the Company’s secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was successfully completed in September 2020, raising net proceeds of $2.2 billion and expanding the Company’s stockholder base in China and Asia. In the context of a challenging year without precedent, the Company still delivered strong results, including the opening of 1,165 new stores, bringing total store count to over 10,500 across more than 1,500 cities in China, the expansion of the KFC and Pizza Hut loyalty programs, which

exceeded 300 million members combined and with member sales accounting for approximately 60% of system sales in 2020, and delivering a total shareholder return for 2020 of 22.74%. Leveraging its digital and delivery capabilities, the Company also continued to capture dine-in and off-premise opportunities. These priorities were aligned with the Company’s strategic operating plan in order to position the Company as a strong market leader.

2020 Compensation Decisions. Effective February 1, 2020, the Compensation Committee set Ms. Wat’s 2020 compensation levels after considering the advice of its compensation consultant, market practices and Ms. Wat’s individual performance.

Base Salary. Ms. Wat’s base salary was increased from $1,188,000 to $1,250,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. Ms. Wat’s annual cash bonus target increased from 130% to 150% of her base salary, resulting in a blended bonus target for the year of $1,853,825. Ms. Wat’s 2020 annual cash bonus award payout was $2,502,664, reflecting a total payout of 135% of target based on the Team Performance Factor of 90% and Individual Performance Factor of 150%.

Long-Term Incentive Award. Ms. Wat received an annual long-term incentive award with a grant date fair value of approximately $5,000,000 in 2020, unchanged from 2019 and delivered equally in SARs and PSUs. Ms. Wat also received a Partner PSU Award with an aggregate grant date fair value, assuming target performance, of $12,000,000.

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Andy Yeung

Chief Financial Officer

2020 Performance Summary. The Compensation Committee determined Mr. Yeung’s performance to be significantly above target with an Individual Performance Factor of 140%. Mr. Yeung was recognized for his significant contribution as the overall leader for the successful completion of Company’s secondary listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in September 2020. He led the team in resolving many novel and complex issues, making Yum China the first Delaware-incorporated company listed in Hong Kong, as well as the first non-TMT company to complete a secondary listing in Hong Kong as an innovative company. This global offering raised net proceeds of $2.2 billion and expanded the Company’s stockholder base in China and Asia. Mr. Yeung was instrumental in protecting the Company’s liquidity during the peak of the pandemic through a number of proactive measures, including disciplined working capital management as well as thoughtful operating and cash flow models and cash allocation guidelines. To address the sharp drop in sales particularly in the first quarter of 2020, Mr. Yeung quickly developed and orchestrated a Company-wide cost control plan, resulting in 12% in savings in general and administrative expenses for 2020 compared to the Company’s operating plan for the year.

2020 Compensation Decisions. Effective February 1, 2020, the Compensation Committee set Mr. Yeung’s 2020 compensation levels after considering the advice of its compensation consultant, market practices and Mr. Yeung’s strong individual performance since he assumed the role of CFO.

Base Salary. Mr. Yeung’s base salary was increased from $650,000 to $700,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. Mr. Yeung’s annual cash bonus target increased from 75% to 80% of his base salary, resulting in a blended bonus target for the year of $557,036. Mr. Yeung’s 2020 annual cash bonus award payout was $701,865, reflecting a total payout of 126% of target based on the Team Performance Factor of 90% and Individual Performance Factor of 140%.

Long-Term Incentive Award. Mr. Yeung received an annual long-term incentive award with a grant date fair value of approximately $1,200,000 in 2020, delivered equally in SARs and PSUs. Mr. Yeung also received a Partner PSU Award with an aggregate grant date fair value, assuming target performance, of $2,000,000.

Johnson Huang

General Manager, KFC

2020 Performance Summary. During 2020, Mr. Huang served as General Manager, KFC. The Compensation Committee determined that Mr. Huang’s 2020 performance was on target with an Individual Performance Factor of 100%. As previously disclosed, Mr. Huang took a medical leave of absence during the year and returned from his medical leave in December 2020. Before Mr. Huang’s medical leave in 2020, he effectively led the KFC team in keeping most of the stores open even at the peak of the outbreak, while implementing safety measures for employees and customers, and capturing off-premise consumption opportunities leveraging KFC’s digital and delivery capabilities. Throughout 2020, Mr. Huang provided direction and guidance to his team in

managing various complex issues, including city lockdowns, mandated store closures and potential raw material write-offs.

2020 Compensation Decisions. Effective February 1, 2020, the Compensation Committee set Mr. Huang’s 2020 compensation levels after considering the advice of its compensation consultant, market practices, Mr. Huang’s individual performance and the strong performance of KFC.

Base Salary. Mr. Huang’s base salary was increased from $700,000 to $740,000.

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Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. Mr. Huang’s annual cash bonus target was increased from 85% to 90% of his base salary, resulting in a blended bonus target for the year of $662,866. Mr. Huang’s 2020 annual cash bonus award payout was $251,021, reflecting a total payout of 38% of target based on the blended Team Performance Factor of 90% and Individual Performance Factor of 100% and pro-rated for his period of service during the year.

Long-Term Incentive Award. Mr. Huang received a long-term incentive award with a grant date fair value of approximately $1,200,000 in 2020, delivered equally in SARs and PSUs, as the compensation review showed that the prior year award size, which had remained unchanged from that of the year before last, was under-competitive. Mr. Huang also received a Partner PSU Award with an aggregate grant date fair value, assuming target performance, of $2,000,000.

Danny Tan

Chief Supply Chain Officer

2020 Performance Summary. The Compensation Committee determined Mr. Tan’s performance to be significantly above target with an Individual Performance Factor of 130%. Mr. Tan was recognized for his significant contribution to address the many operational challenges and complexities during the pandemic, and for being a core member of the Company’s crisis management team. Under Mr. Tan’s leadership, the supply chain team overcame the global shortage at the time to secure adequate protective equipment for employees, and addressed the complex logistics issues due to city lockdowns. Mr. Tan also ensured the continuous compliance with food safety requirements and precautionary measures imposed by different levels of governments across China, both in our stores and with our supply chains. Mr. Tan also successfully led the effort in conjunction of the brand teams in minimizing raw materials write-offs at the outbreak of the pandemic. Mr. Tan led the refinement of the Company’s sustainability strategy and roadmap as well as the preparation of its sustainability report. In 2020, Yum China made significant progress on sustainability and was ranked by Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) as number one out of 30 companies in the global restaurant industry.

2020 Compensation Decisions. Effective February 1, 2020, the Compensation Committee set Mr. Tan’s 2020

compensation levels after considering the advice of its compensation consultant, market practices and Mr. Tan’s individual performance.

Base Salary. Mr. Tan’s base salary was increased from $630,000 to $670,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. Mr. Tan’s annual cash bonus target was set at 80% of his base salary, unchanged from the prior year, resulting in a bonus target for the year of $536,000. Mr. Tan’s 2020 annual cash bonus award payout was $631,166, reflecting a total payout of 118% of target based on the Team Performance Factor of 90% and Individual Performance Factor of 130%.

Long-Term Incentive Award. Mr. Tan received a long-term incentive award with a grant date fair value of approximately $950,000 in 2020, delivered equally in SARs and PSUs, as the compensation review shows that the prior year long-term incentive award, which had remained unchanged from the prior year, was under-competitive. Mr. Tan also received a Partner PSU Award with an aggregate grant date fair value, assuming target performance, of $1,500,000.

Aiken Yuen

Chief People Officer

2020 Performance Summary. The Compensation Committee determined Mr. Yuen’s performance to be significantly above target with an Individual Performance

Factor of 140%. Mr. Yuen was in charge of coordinating the Company’s COVID-19 crisis management team. In such role, Mr. Yuen was responsible for establishing and

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implementing measures to protect the safety and health of our employees and to comply with the differentiated health tracking and reporting requirements across China. Mr. Yuen also directed timely employee communication to maintain employee morale, engagement and confidence during the unprecedented pandemic. Mr. Yuen helped re-evaluate performance objectives used for eligible employees to establish bonus programs that would serve as a strong incentive device and redirect employees to focus on key performance goals designed to address the particularly challenging environment due to the pandemic and to position the Company as a strong market leader. Mr. Yuen was also a key participant in the Company-wide cost management initiatives and worked with all functions to adjust their people planning, contributing to a 12% savings in general and administrative expenses for 2020 compared to the Company’s operating plan for the year.

2020 Compensation Decisions. Effective February 1, 2020, the Compensation Committee set Mr. Yuen’s 2020 compensation levels after considering the advice of its compensation consultant, market practices and Mr. Yuen’s individual performance.

Base Salary. Mr. Yuen’s base salary was increased from $518,000 to $560,000.

Annual Incentive Plan Target and Payout Level. Mr. Yuen’s annual cash bonus target remained at 65% of his base salary, resulting in a bonus target for the year of $364,000. Mr. Yuen’s 2020 annual cash bonus award payout was $461,599, reflecting a total payout of 127% of target based on the Team Performance Factor of 90% and Individual Performance Factor of 140%.

Long-Term Incentive Award. Mr. Yuen received a long-term incentive award with a grant date fair value of approximately $650,000 in 2020, delivered equally in SARs and PSUs, as the compensation review showed that the prior year annual long-term incentive award was under-competitive. Mr. Yuen also received a Partner PSU Award with an aggregate grant date fair value, assuming target performance, of $1,500,000.

Retention Award. Mr. Yuen received the second of two installment payments of his 2018 cash retention award in the amount of $100,566 in February 2020, based on his continued employment with the Company through the applicable payment date.

How Compensation Decisions Are Made

Executive Compensation Philosophy

A unique feature of the Company is that while it is registered in the U.S. and listed on the NYSE, it operates largely in China. As a result, knowledge and expertise of both U.S. and China regulatory regimes and business practices are required for many of the Company’s executive officers.

The Company’s executive compensation program has been designed to attract and retain the talent necessary to achieve superior stockholder results and support the long-term sustainable growth of the Company while simultaneously holding our executives accountable to continuously achieve results year after year. In addition, the program has been designed to reward performance, emphasize long-term value creation and drive an ownership mentality.

Role of the Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee reviews and approves goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the CEO and other executive officers, sets the compensation levels of each of the executive officers, and together with the other independent directors of the Board, approves the compensation of the CEO. The Compensation Committee’s responsibilities under its charter are further described in the “Governance of the Company” section of this Proxy Statement. While not members of the Compensation Committee, the CEO, the CFO, the Chief People Officer, and the Chief Legal Officer, when necessary, also attended meetings of the Compensation Committee in 2020 to contribute to and understand the Compensation Committee’s oversight of, and decisions relating to, executive compensation. The CEO, the CFO, the Chief People Officer, and the Chief Legal Officer did not attend portions of the meetings relating to their own compensation.

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The Compensation Committee regularly conducts executive sessions without management present. The Compensation Committee also engages in an ongoing dialog with its compensation consultant, the CEO, and the Chief People Officer for the evaluation and establishment of the elements of our executive compensation program.

Role of the Independent Consultant

During 2020, the Compensation Committee retained Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited (“Mercer”) as its independent consultant to advise it on executive compensation matters. Mercer attended Compensation Committee meetings in 2020 and provided advice and guidance to the Compensation Committee on (i) the market competitiveness of the Company’s executive pay practices and levels; (ii) the Partner PSU Awards; (iii) trends in the restaurant sector affecting executive compensation, due to the impact of COVID-19, regulatory changes, and institutional shareholder views; (iv) the incorporation of additional performance factors into the 2020 annual incentive plan in light of the impact of COVID-19 on the Company; (v) the 2021 compensation peer group; (vi) the results of equity compensation analytics and award valuations; (vii) 2021 Chairman equity awards for select Company officers; (viii) the Company’s stock ownership guidelines and retention policies; and (ix) pay disclosures, including this CD&A. The Compensation Committee has assessed the independence of Mercer pursuant to NYSE rules and conflicts of interest specifically enumerated by the SEC’s six factors, and the Company has concluded that Mercer’s work for the Compensation Committee does not raise any conflicts of interest. The Compensation Committee annually reviews its relationship with Mercer and determines whether to renew the engagement. Only the Compensation Committee has the right to approve the services to be provided by, or to terminate the services of, its compensation consultant.

Competitive Market Review

One of the key objectives of our executive compensation program is to retain and reward the right talent by providing reasonable and competitive compensation. One method that the Compensation Committee utilizes to attain this objective is by establishing a group of peer companies for comparison of executive compensation practices.

The peer group approved by the Compensation Committee based on the recommendations of Mercer consisted of companies in the restaurant, food and consumer services industries in the United States, Greater China and Europe. In addition, Mercer suggested that, for purposes of benchmarking compensation levels for NEOs other than the CEO, the peer group data be supplemented with compensation survey data to provide a broader perspective on market practices. References in this CD&A to market data refer to the peer group or survey data, as appropriate.

After considering the advice of Mercer, the Compensation Committee approved a revised peer group for evaluating 2020 compensation decisions for the NEOs, which consisted of the companies below. As part of these revisions, the Compensation Committee added Haidilao International Holding Ltd. and McDonald’s Corporation to the revised peer group because these companies operate in the same industry and are direct competitors, and removed The Gap, Inc. because it considered specialty retail to be a less relevant industry. Our peer group reflects a median market capitalization of $12.6 billion and median annual revenues of $7.9 billion, both as of June 30, 2020, and consists of 13 U.S. and 14 non-U.S. companies.

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Peer Group

Aramark Corporation

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Compass Group PLC

Conagra Brands, Inc.

Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Domino’s Pizza, Inc.

Haidilao International Holdings Ltd.

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Lenovo Group Limited

Link Real Estate Investment Trust

McDonald’s Corporation

Melco International Development

Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Sodexo S.A.

Starbucks Corporation

Techtronic Industries Company Limited

The Hershey Company

Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp.

US Foods Holding Corp.

Want Want China Holdings Limited

WH Group Limited

Whitbread PLC

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Wynn Macau, Limited

X5 Retail Group N.V.

YUM! Brands, Inc.

Data from our 2020 peer group was supplemented by data from companies included in three executive compensation surveys conducted by Mercer in China, Hong Kong, and the U.S., size adjusted to reflect the Company’s revenue. During 2020, the Compensation Committee reviewed a report summarizing compensation levels at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles of the peer group and, as applicable, of the survey data for positions comparable to our NEOs. The report compared target and actual total cash compensation (base salary and annual incentives) and total direct compensation (base salary plus annual incentives plus long-term incentives) for each of the NEOs against these benchmarks. The Compensation Committee also reviewed detailed tally sheets that captured comprehensive compensation, benefits and stock ownership details.

In December 2020, the Compensation Committee revised the Company’s compensation peer group and decided to remove seven (7) companies and add seven

(7) companies so as to eliminate casino and gaming as well as food retail companies and to place greater emphasis on internet- and direct marketing retail and packaged food sectors. The Compensation Committee added Beyond Meat, Inc., China Mengniu Dairy, eBay Inc., Expedia Group, Inc., Kellogg Company, Marriott International, Inc., and McCormick & Co. and removed Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Melco International Development Limited, US Foods Holding Corp., Whitbread PLC, Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC, Wynn Macau, Limited and X5 Retail Group N.V. The new compensation peer group consists of 17 U.S. and 10 non-U.S. peers. These changes were made in order to further align the peer group with the Company’s size and operations. This revised peer group will be used to evaluate 2021 compensation decisions. Founder CEOs at Beyond Meat, Inc., Haidilao International Holdings Ltd., and Want Want China Holdings Limited are expected to be excluded from the competitive market review.

Compensation Policies and Practices

 

Payments upon Termination of Employment. Currently, Ms. Wat is the only executive whom the Company has an agreement with that provides for severance payments upon termination of employment, the terms of which were determined during the negotiation of the CEO compensation offer considering the peer group data and the input of WTW.

The award agreements with respect to the Company’s outstanding equity awards provide for “double trigger” vesting pursuant to which outstanding awards will fully and immediately vest only if the executive is employed on the date of a change in control of the Company and is involuntarily terminated (other than for cause) on or within two years following the change in control.

In addition, in the case of an executive officer’s retirement, the Company provides retirement benefits described above and the continued ability to exercise vested SARs/Options in accordance with the underlying award agreements.

Compensation Recovery Policy.

Pursuant to the Company’s Compensation Recovery Policy, in the event of any restatement of the Company’s financial statements due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, the Compensation Committee will recover or cancel any performance awards that were awarded to a current or

former executive officer as a result of achieving performance targets that couldwould not have been met under the restated results. The Company’s recovery authority applies to any performance award received by such individuala current or former executive officer during the three most-recently completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare the restatement. Under the terms of the policy, a performance award

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means any cash or equity-based award that is made, vests or is payable based wholly or in part on the results of a financial reporting measure.

Equity-Based Awards Grant Policy. In 2017, the Compensation Committee adopted the

The Company’s Equity-Based Awards Grant Policy which establishesprovides for certain procedures with

respect to the granting of equity awards, including specifyingpre-determined dates for annual andoff-cycle grants and specifying that the Company will not purposely accelerate or delay the public release of material information in consideration of pending equity grants. AllGenerally, annual equity grants are to be effective as of the date that is two business days after the Company publicly discloses its results for the previous fiscal year.

Stock Ownership Guidelines.

To align the efforts of our executives with the long-term interests of our stockholders and to reinforce their commitment to the Company’s long-term objectives, the Compensation Committee established a stock ownership and retention policy that applies to our Section 16 Officers and all members of our Leadership Team. Under the Stock Ownership Guidelines, anstock ownership and retention policy, the executives have a five-year period from July 1, 2017 or, if later, the date of appointment to a covered position to attain the required ownership level. During the five-year phase-in period, the executives must retain, until the required ownership guideline levels have been achieved, at least 50% of the after-tax shares resulting from the vesting or exercise of

equity awards, including PSUs. If the guideline is not achieved after such five-year period, the executive isofficer will be required to own a minimum value of shares (which may be met in actual shares and/or immediate rights to shares) in a guideline amount set under the Stock Ownership Guidelines for the executive’s position. An executive must meetretain 100% of after-tax shares resulting from the applicable guideline within five yearsvesting or exercise of becoming subject to such guidelines, with 25% ofequity awards until the guideline to be met within two years, 50% within three years and 75% within four years. is achieved.

The tablechart below shows the value of shares (asstock ownership requirements as a multiple of annual base salary) that must be owned by each NEO. Eachsalary for our NEOs. As of the NEOsRecord Date, each NEO is expected to satisfyin compliance with the applicableCompany’s stock ownership multiple within the timeframe set forth in the Stock Ownership Guidelines.requirements.

 

NEOsNEO  Stock Ownership as
Multiple of Annual
Base Salary
 

CEO

   6X 

CFO

   3X 

President & Chief Operating Officer

3X

Chief Legal OfficerGeneral Manager, KFC

   2X 
Chief Supply Chain Officer2X

General Manager, KFCChief People Officer

   2X 

 

 

Hedging and Pledging of Company Stock

Under the Company’s Code of Conduct, no employee or director is permitted to engage in securities transactions that would allow such employee or director either to insulate himself or herself from, or profit from, a decline in the Company’s stock price. Similarly, no employee or director may enter into hedging transactions in Company stock. Such transactions include, (without limitation)without limitation, short sales as well as any hedging transactions in derivative securities (e.g., puts, calls, swaps or collars) or other speculative transactions related to the Company’s stock. Pledging of Company stock by executive officers and directors is also prohibited.

 

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   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

 

 

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management.

Based on such review and discussion with management, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statementProxy Statement and incorporated by reference in the Company’s Annual Report onForm 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.2020.

Compensation Committee:

Ruby Lu (Chair)

Christian L. Campbell

Edouard Ettedgui (Chair)

Jonathan S. Linen

William Wang

2017 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The following table and footnotes summarize the total compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the NEOs for fiscal year 2017 and, to the extent required by SEC executive compensation disclosure rules, fiscal years 2016 and 2015. The Company’s NEOs are its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, former Chief Financial Officer and the three other most highly compensated executive officers for the 2017 fiscal year.

Name and Principal Position

 Year  

Salary

($)

  

Bonus

($)(1)

  

Stock

Awards

($)(2)

  

Option/
SAR

Awards

($)(3)

  

Non-Equity

Incentive Plan

Compensation

($)(4)

  

Change in

Pension

Value and

Nonqualified

Deferred

Compensation

Earnings

($)(5)

  

All Other

Compensation

($)(6)

  

Total

($)(7)

 
(a) (b)  (c)  (d)  (e)  (f)  (g)  (h)  (i)    
Micky Pant  2017   1,100,000         4,000,008   3,689,400   62,098   719,511   9,571,017 
Chief Executive Officer  2016   1,013,645      1,500,007   4,500,017   2,470,417   63,974   881,776   10,429,836 
   2015   849,038      355,012   1,419,011   1,473,548   42,979   950,622   5,090,210 
Jacky Lo  2017   407,917         208,848   657,261      291,305   1,565,331 
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer                                    
Joey Wat  2017   739,858   200,000   2,000,021   1,139,167   1,904,782      1,583,655   7,567,483 
President and
Chief Operating Officer
  2016   626,775      899,486   1,096,251   1,231,175      979,262   4,832,949 
   2015   590,000         1,059,813   518,500      1,560,728   3,729,041 
Shella Ng  2017   396,058   179,663   1,007,342   379,722   553,331      1,240,914   3,757,030 
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary  2016   369,408      649,489   418,935   425,112      854,506   2,717,450 
   2015   359,243         185,558   135,147      900,935   1,580,883 
Johnson Huang  2017   443,158   165,000   805,898   379,722   975,762      280,672   3,050,212 
General Manager, KFC                                    
Ted Stedem  2017   246,635       1,139,167   286,571   690   213,354   1,886,417 
Former Chief Financial Officer  2016   439,931      500,020   649,072   400,712   229   829,754   2,819,718 
   2015   356,280         120,076   160,867      514,250   1,151,473 

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

 

    

 

2020 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The following table and footnotes summarize the total compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the NEOs for fiscal year 2020 and, to the extent required by SEC executive compensation disclosure rules, fiscal years 2019 and 2018. The Company’s NEOs for the 2020 fiscal year are its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and the three other most highly compensated executive officers.

Name and Principal Position

 Year  

Salary

($)(1)

  

Bonus

($)(2)

  

Stock

Awards

($)(3)

  

Option/
SAR

Awards

($)(4)

  

Non-Equity

Incentive Plan

Compensation

($)(5)

  

All Other

Compensation

($)(6)

  

Total

($)(7)

 

Joey Wat

  2020   1,151,083      14,500,084   2,500,003   2,502,664   517,744   21,171,578 

Chief Executive Officer

  2019   1,180,667      2,500,031   2,500,012   4,355,208   1,634,083   12,170,001 
   2018   1,041,667      2,500,032   2,516,929   1,635,469   2,792,279   10,486,376 

Andy Yeung

  2020   643,333      2,600,068   600,013   701,865   149,144   4,694,423 

Chief Financial Officer

  2019   189,895      1,000,030      322,407   29,638   1,541,970 

Johnson Huang(8)

  2020   516,814      2,600,068   600,013   251,021   209,701   4,177,617 

General Manager, KFC

  2019   695,833      440,013   440,007   1,682,635   386,480   3,644,968 
   2018   644,583      440,007   440,011   866,775   453,540   2,844,916 

Danny Tan

  2020   618,431      1,975,039   475,001   631,166   602,913   4,302,550 

Chief Supply Chain Officer

  2019   624,689      380,023   380,013   1,313,575   666,369   3,364,669 
  2018   592,990      380,015   380,005   554,218   1,338,085   3,245,313 

Aiken Yuen

  2020   517,413   100,566   1,825,078   325,011   461,599   542,754   3,772,421 

Chief People Officer

  2019   512,527   99,552   228,005   228,010   882,224   193,251   2,143,569 

(1)

During 2020, our senior executives, including the NEOs, agreed to voluntarily forgo 10% of their base compensation during the period of April 2020 to December 2020 as contributions to fund additional assistance for frontline employees and their families impacted by COVID-19 as well as other emergency relief. The amounts reported in this column for 2020 reflect the 10% salary reduction.

(2)

The amount reported in this column for 2020 represents the second installment of a 2018 cash retention award paid to Mr. Yuen.

(3)

The amounts reported in this column for Ms. Wat, Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang represent Founder’s cash retention awards approved by YUM in January 2016, in connection with thespin-off, the payment of which was subject to the executive’s continued employment through January 31, 2017.

(2)

The amounts reported in this column for 20172020 represent the grant date fair value of the February RSU awardsAnnual PSU Awards and the Partner PSU Awards granted to Ms. Wat andeach of the November RSU awards granted to Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang,NEOs, calculated in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (“ASC 718”), Compensation-StockCompensation—Stock Compensation. The aggregate fair value of PSU awards with performance-based conditions are based on the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of grant and the probable satisfaction of the performance conditions for such awards as of the date of grant. The fair value of PSU awards with market–based conditions has been determined based on the outcome of a Monte-Carlo simulation model. The maximum value of the 2020 PSU awards at the grant date assuming that the highest level of performance conditions will be achieved is as follows: Ms. Wat, Annual PSU Award—$5,000,037 and Partner PSU Award—$17,400,104; Mr. Yeung, Annual PSU Award—$1,200,036 and Partner PSU Award—$2,900,078; Mr. Huang, Annual PSU Award—$1,200,036 and Partner PSU Award—$2,900,078; Mr. Tan, Annual PSU Award—$950,000 and Partner PSU Award—$2,175,071; and Mr. Yuen, Annual PSU Award—$650,077 and Partner PSU Award—$2,175,071. See Note 1514 to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Annual Report onForm 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20172020 (the “Audited Financial Statements”). for further discussion of the relevant assumptions used in calculating these amounts.

 

(3)(4)

The amounts reported in this column for 20172020 represent the grant date fair value of the annual SAR awards granted to each of the NEOs, calculated in accordance with ASC 718. See Note 15 toTo compute the Company’s Audited Financial Statements for a discussiongrant date fair value of the relevant assumptions used in calculating these amounts.

(4)

Amounts in this column reflect the annual incentive awards earned for the applicable fiscal year performance periods under the annual bonus program, which is described further in our Compensation Discussion and Analysis under the heading “Annual Performance-Based Cash Bonuses.”

(5)

Pursuant to SEC disclosure rules, the amounts reported for Messrs. Pant and Stedem represent above-market earnings credited under the YCHLRP that exceed 120% of the applicable federal long-term rate. Please see the narrative accompanying the “2017 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” table for further information regarding the YCHLRP.

(6)

The amounts in this column for 2017 are explained in the All Other Compensation Table and footnotes to that table, which follow.

(7)

Certain compensation included in the All Other Compensation column was denominated in Chinese Renminbi. Mr. Lo and Ms. Ng’s salaries and 2017 bonus awards were denominated in Hong Kong dollars. Compensation paid in Chinese Renminbi or Hong Kong dollars were converted to U.S. dollars using an exchange rate of 6.7423 and 7.7923, respectively, for disclosure purposes.SAR

 

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  YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement


  

 

 

   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

   

 

awards, the Company uses the Black-Scholes model with the following assumptions: risk-free interest rate of 1.5%, expected term based on historical experience of 6.5 years, expected volatility of 33.2%, and expected dividend yield of 1.1%. See Note 14 to the Company’s Audited Financial Statements for further discussion of the relevant assumptions used in calculating these amounts.

(5)

Amounts in this column reflect the annual incentive awards earned for the applicable fiscal year performance periods under the annual bonus program, which is described further in our CD&A under the heading “Annual Performance-Based Cash Bonuses.”

(6)

The amounts in this column for 2020 are detailed in the 2020 All Other Compensation Table and footnotes to that table, which follow.

(7)

Certain compensation included in the All Other Compensation column was denominated in Chinese Renminbi. Messrs. Tan and Yuen’s salaries and 2020 annual incentive and bonus awards were denominated in Hong Kong dollars. Compensation paid in Chinese Renminbi or Hong Kong dollars was converted to U.S. dollars using an exchange rate of 6.8946 and 7.7561, respectively, for disclosure purposes.

(8)

During 2020, Mr. Huang took a medical leave of absence from the Company and returned from such leave in December 2020. Mr. Huang’s 2020 base salary and annual incentive award compensation is reduced as compared to 2019 due to such medical leave.

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

20172020 ALL OTHER COMPENSATION TABLE

 

 

The following table and footnotes summarize the compensation and benefits included under the “All Other Compensation” column in the 20172020 Summary Compensation Table that were awarded to, earned by or paid to the Company’s NEOs for the fiscal year endingended December 31, 2017.2020.

 

Name

  

Perquisites and

other personal

benefits

($)(1)

     

Tax

Reimbursements

($)(2)

     

Insurance

premiums

($)(3)

     

Retirement

Scheme

Contributions

($)(4)

     

Other

($)(5)

     

Total

($)

   

Perquisites and
Other Personal
Benefits

($)(1)

     

Tax

Reimbursements

($)(2)

     

Retirement

Scheme

Contributions

($)(3)

     

Other

($)(4)

     

Total

($)

 

(a)

  (b)     (c)     (d)     (e)     (f)     (g)   (b)     (c)     (d)     (e)     (f) 

Mr. Pant

   137,555            17,684      521,857      42,415      719,511 

Mr. Lo

   88,893      143,304            20,396      38,712      291,305 

Ms. Wat

   148,295      1,278,568            36,975      119,817      1,583,655    148,474      176,100      124,608      68,562      517,744 

Ms. Ng

   91,660      1,070,682            39,606      38,966      1,240,914 

Mr. Yeung

   92,004            34,826      22,314      149,144 

Mr. Huang

   111,264      92,004            44,307      33,097      280,672    113,131            73,740      22,830      209,701 

Mr. Stedem

   68,244            562      40,411      104,137      213,354 

Mr. Tan

   167,277      333,677      67,044      34,915      602,913 

Mr. Yuen

   83,679      383,907      55,965      19,203      542,754 

 

(1)

Amounts in this column represent: for Messrs. Pant, Lo, and Huang and Ms. Ng, a housing reimbursement; for Ms. Wat, an education reimbursement ($26,111)34,340) and housing reimbursementcost subsidy ($122,184)114,134); for Messrs. Yeung, Huang and Yuen, a housing cost subsidy; and for Mr. Stedem,Tan, an education reimbursement ($12,412)43,703) and housing reimbursementcost subsidy ($55,832)123,574). Such amounts are valued based on the amounts paid directly to thesethe NEOs or the service provider,providers, as applicable.

 

(2)

Amounts in this column for Messrs. Tan and Yuen represent legacy tax reimbursements for salary and expenditure/housing allowances. Thesegains realized in 2020 on equity awards granted before 2018. For Ms. Wat, the amount consists of legacy tax reimbursements as well asfor the other overseas assignment allowances provided are intended to ensure that our executives serving on overseas assignments are in the same approximate financial position as they would have been if they have remained in their home country during their time on overseas assignment. As noted in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, pursuant to her CEO letter agreement, Ms. Wat will no longer receive tax reimbursements, other than in connection with certain grandfathered benefits. Tax equalization benefits for Messrs. Lo and Huang were also eliminated, other than certain grandfathered tax equalization benefits.exercise of Yum! Brands, Inc. SARs.

 

(3)

These amounts reflectThis column represents contributions to the income each NEO was deemed to receive from IRS tables related to Company provided life insurance in excessBSRCHLRS for all of $50,000.our NEOs.

 

(4)

This column represents allocations to the YCHLRP for Messrs. Pant and Stedem and contributions to the Bai Sheng Restaurants (Hong Kong) Limited Retirement Scheme for Mr. Lo, Ms. Wat, Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang.

(5)

This column reports the total amount of other benefits provided. Such amounts, which are reflective of market practice for similarly situated global executives working in international companies based in mainland China, are paid directly to the NEOs or service providers, as applicable. Other than for certain benefits described below, none of the other benefits individually exceeded the greater of $25,000 or 10% of the total amount of these other benefits and the perquisites and other personal benefits shown in column (b) for the NEO. These other benefits consist of amounts paid for utilities, home leave expenses, transportation expenses, club membershipsallowances, repatriation expense reimbursement and executive physicals. In 2017, Mr. Pant received car expense reimbursement of $35,698, Mr. Stedem2020, Ms. Wat received home leave reimbursement of $39,133 and a repatriation expense reimbursement of $35,775, Mr. Lo received an additional cash payment of $30,030 for his service as interim CFO during 2017, and Ms. Wat received mobility premiums of $60,000. These amounts were valued based on the amounts paid directly to the NEO or the service provider, as applicable.$29,566.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

  

 

20172020 GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS

 

 

The following table provides information on the annual incentive program that the Company’s NEOs participated in during 20172020 and the SARs, Annual PSU Awards and RSUsPartner PSU Awards granted under the Company’s Long Term Incentive Plan in 20172020 to the Company’s NEOs. The per share value of each award is determined based on the Company’s stock price on the date of grant.

 

Name

     Estimated Possible Payouts
Under Non-Equity Incentive
Plan Awards(1)
      Estimated Future Payouts
Under Equity Incentive
Plan Awards
  All Other
Stock
Awards;
Number of
Shares of
Stock or
Units
(#)(2)
  All Other
Option/
SAR
Awards;
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
(#)(3)
  Exercise or
Base Price
Option/SAR
Awards
($/Sh)(4)
  Grant Date
Fair Value
($)(5)
      Estimated Future Payouts
Under Non-Equity Incentive
Plan Awards(1)
      Estimated Future Payouts
Under Equity Incentive
Plan Awards
  All Other
Stock
Awards:
Number of
Shares of
Stock or
Units
(#)
 All Other
Option/
SAR
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
(#)(2)
 Exercise or
Base Price
of
Option/
SAR
Awards
($/Sh)(3)
 

Grant Date  

Fair Value  

of Stock,  

Option and  

SAR  
Awards  

($)(4)

 
Grant
Date
 Threshold
($)
 Target
($)
 Maximum
($)
   Threshold
(#)
 Target
(#)
 Maximum
(#)
   Grant
Date
  Threshold
($)
 Target
($)
 Maximum
($)
      Threshold
(#)
 Target
(#)
 Maximum
(#)
 

(a)

 (b) (c) (d) (e)    (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l)  (b) (c) (d) (e)   (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) 

Mr. Pant

       1,430,000  4,290,000                       
 2/10/2017                        392,477  26.56  4,000,008 

Mr. Lo

       318,440  955,320                       
 2/10/2017                        20,492  26.56  208,848 

Ms. Wat

       738,288  2,214,863                              1,853,825  5,561,475                       
 2/10/2017                        111,774  26.56  1,139,167 
 2/10/2017                     75,302        2,000,021  2/7/2020                        187,063  $42.71  2,500,003 

Ms. Ng

       257,363  772,090                       
 2/7/2020(5)            23,213  58,032  139,277           2,500,019 
 2/7/2020(6)             156,333  312,666  625,332           12,000,065 

Mr. Yeung

       557,036  1,671,108                       
 2/7/2020                        44,896  $42.71  600,013 
 2/7/2020(5)            5,571  13,928  33,427           600,018 
 2/10/2017                        37,258  26.56  379,722  2/7/2020(6)             26,056  52,112  104,224           2,000,050 
 11/1/2017                     25,253        1,007,342 

Mr. Huang

       388,905  1,166,714                              662,866  1,988,598                       
 2/10/2017                        37,258  26.56  379,722 
 11/1/2017                     20,203        805,898  2/7/2020                        44,896  $42.71  600,013 

Mr. Stedem

       400,086  1,200,257                       
 2/10/2017                         111,774  26.56  1,139,167 
 2/7/2020(5)            5,571  13,928  33,427           600,018 
 2/7/2020(6)             26,056  52,112  104,224           2,000,050 

Mr. Tan

       536,000  1,608,000                       
 2/7/2020                        35,542  $42.71  475,001 
 2/7/2020(5)            4,410  11,026  26,462           475,000 
 2/7/2020(6)             19,542  39,084  78,168           1,500,039 

Mr. Yuen

       364,000  1,092,000                       
 2/7/2020                        24,319  $42.71  325,011 
 2/7/2020(5)            3,018  7,545  18,108           325,039 
 2/7/2020(6)             19,542  39,084  78,168           1,500,039 

 

(1)

Amounts in columns (c), (d) and (e) provide the minimum, amount, target amount and maximum amountamounts payable as annual incentive compensation under the 2017 annual bonus programto each NEO based on respective team performances and on individual performance during 2017.2020. The actual amounts of annual incentive compensation awards paid for 20172020 performance are shown in the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column (g) of the 20172020 Summary Compensation Table. The performance measurements, performance targets and target bonus percentages are described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis,CD&A, beginning under the discussion of annual incentive compensation.heading “Annual Performance-Based Cash Bonuses.”

 

(2)

RSUsSARs allow the grantee to receive the number of shares of the underlying common stock subject to the award upon vesting. The RSUs granted to Ms. Wat on February 10, 2017 vest 100% on the fourth anniversary of the grant date, subject to Ms. Wat’s continued employment through the vesting date. The RSUs granted to Ms. Ng on November 1, 2017 vest 25% on the first, second, third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date, subject to Ms. Ng’s continued employment through the applicable vesting date. The RSUs granted to Mr. Huang on November 1, 2017 vest 100% on the fourth anniversary of the grant date, subject to Mr. Huang’s continued employment through the vesting date. During the vesting period, the RSUs will be adjusted to reflect the accrual of dividend equivalents, which will be distributed in additional Company shares at the same time and to the extent the underlying shares vest.

(3)

SARs allow the grantee to receive, in cash or the number of shares of the underlying common stock that in each case, is equal in value to the appreciation in the underlying common stock with respect to the number of SARs granted from the date of grant to the date of exercise. SARs become exercisable in equal installments on the first, second, third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date, subject to the recipient’s continued employment through the applicable vesting date.

(3)

The exercise price of the SARs equals the closing price of the underlying common stock on the grant date.

(4)

The amounts reported in this column for 2020 represent the grant date fair value of the annual SAR awards, the Annual PSU awards and the Partner PSU Awards granted to each of the NEOs, calculated in accordance with

 

52YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

ASC 718. The aggregate fair value of PSU awards with performance-based conditions are based on the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of grant and the probable satisfaction of the performance conditions as of the date of grant. The fair value of PSU awards with market –based conditions has been determined based on the outcome of a Monte-Carlo simulation model. To compute the grant date fair value of SAR awards, the Company uses the Black-Scholes model with the following assumptions: risk-free interest rate of 1.5%, expected term based on historical experience of 6.5 years, expected volatility of 33.2%, and expected dividend yield of 1.1%. See Note 14 to the Company’s Audited Financial Statements for further discussion of the relevant assumptions used in calculating the grant date fair value for the SARs and PSU awards.

(5)

Amounts reported in this row and associated with columns (f), (g) and (h) provide the threshold, target and maximum numbers of shares of common stock that may be received by the grantee upon vesting of the Annual PSU Awards. The Annual PSU Awards granted to each of the NEOs on February 7, 2020 will be settled in shares of common stock, subject to the achievement of performance goals relating to Adjusted Total Revenue Growth and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth, with a rTSR payout modifier, during a performance period beginning on January 1, 2020 and extending through December 31, 2022, and the NEO’s continued employment through the last day of the performance period. Amounts reported in the “Threshold” column represent payout of 40% of target PSUs awarded, and amounts reported in the “Maximum” column represent payout of 240% of the target PSUs awarded.

(6)

Amounts reported in this row and associated with columns (f), (g) and (h) provide the threshold, target and maximum numbers of shares of common stock that may be received by the grantee upon vesting of the Partner PSU Awards. The Partner PSU Awards granted to each of the NEOs on February 7, 2020 will be settled in shares of common stock, subject to the achievement of performance goals relating to absolute stock price hurdles, Adjusted Total Revenue Growth, Adjusted EBITDA Growth and transformational objectives during a four-year performance period beginning on January 1, 2020 and ending on December 31, 2023, and the NEO’s continued employment through the last day of the performance period. Amounts reported in the “Threshold” column represent payout of 50% of target PSUs awarded, and amounts reported in the “Maximum” column represent payout of 200% of the target PSUs awarded.

68   

  YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement


   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2020 YEAR-END

The following table shows the number of Company shares covered by exercisable and unexercisable SARs, unvested RSUs and unvested PSUs held by the Company’s NEOs on December 31, 2020. This table excludes any YUM shares received by the NEOs upon conversion of their outstanding YUM equity awards in connection with the spin-off.

       Option/SAR Awards      Stock Awards 
Name Grant
Date
  

Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/
SARs

(#)
Exercisable

  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/ SARs
(#)
Unexercisable(1)
  

Option/
SAR
Exercise
Price

($)

  Option/
SAR
Expiration
Date
      

Number

of Shares
or Units of
Stock
That Have
Not Vested
(#)(2)

  Market
Value
of Shares
or Units of
Stock That
Have
Not Vested
($)(3)
  

Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Number of
Unearned
Shares, Units
or Other
Rights

That Have
Not Vested
(#)(4)

  

Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Market or
Payout Value
of Unearned
Shares, Units
or Other
Rights

That Have
Not Vested
($)(3)

 
(a) (b)  (c)  (d)  (e)  (f)     (g)  (h)  (i)  (j) 

Ms. Wat

  2/6/2015   27,063      22.32   2/6/2025              
  3/25/2015   32,309      23.90   3/25/2025              
  2/5/2016   41,316      21.06   2/5/2026              
  11/11/2016   48,846      26.98   11/11/2026              
  2/10/2017   83,830   27,944(i)   26.56   2/10/2027    77,532(i)   4,426,314       
  2/9/2018   93,075   93,076(ii)   40.29   2/9/2028              
  2/7/2019   46,525   139,575(iii)   41.66   2/7/2029          83,950(i)   4,792,706 
  2/7/2020      187,063(iv)   42.71   2/7/2030          23,213(ii)   1,325,219 
   2/7/2020                         156,333(iii)   8,925,051 

Mr. Yeung

  11/1/2019                16,287(ii)   929,809       
  2/7/2020      44,896(iv)   42.71   2/7/2030          5,571(ii)   318,060 
   2/7/2020                         26,056(iii)   1,487,537 

Mr. Huang

  2/8/2012   8,994      19.46   2/8/2022              
  2/6/2013   9,652      19.00   2/6/2023              
  2/5/2014   6,797      21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/5/2014   9,516      21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/6/2015   10,149      22.32   2/6/2025              
  2/5/2016   13,772      21.06   2/5/2026              
  11/11/2016   24,423      26.98   11/11/2026              
  2/10/2017   27,943   9,315(i)   26.56   2/10/2027              
  11/1/2017                20,801(iii)   1,187,549       
  2/9/2018   16,271   16,272(ii)   40.29   2/9/2028    11,217(iv)   640,387       
  2/7/2019   8,188   24,566(iii)   41.66   2/7/2029    10,728(v)   612,436       
  2/7/2020      44,896(iv)   42.71   2/7/2030          5,571(ii)   318,060 
   2/7/2020                         26,056(iii)   1,487,537 

Mr. Tan

  2/8/2012   3,679      19.46   2/8/2022              
  2/6/2013   7,556      19.00   2/6/2023              
  2/5/2014   6,797      21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/5/2014   7,681      21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/6/2015   10,149      22.32   2/6/2025              
  2/5/2016   13,772      21.06   2/5/2026              
  11/11/2016   24,423      26.98   11/11/2026              
  2/10/2017   27,943   9,315(i)   26.56   2/10/2027              
  2/9/2018   14,052   14,053(ii)   40.29   2/9/2028    9,688(iv)   553,075       
  2/7/2019   7,072   21,216(iii)   41.66   2/7/2029    9,265(v)   528,938       
  2/7/2020      35,542(iv)   42.71   2/7/2030          4,410(ii)   251,790 
   2/7/2020                         19,542(iii)   1,115,653 

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

       Option/SAR Awards      Stock Awards 
Name Grant
Date
  

Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/
SARs

(#)
Exercisable

  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/ SARs
(#)
Unexercisable(1)
  

Option/
SAR
Exercise
Price

($)

  Option/
SAR
Expiration
Date
      

Number

of Shares
or Units of
Stock
That Have
Not Vested
(#)(2)

  Market
Value
of Shares
or Units of
Stock That
Have
Not Vested
($)(3)
  

Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Number of
Unearned
Shares, Units
or Other
Rights

That Have
Not Vested
(#)(4)

  

Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Market or
Payout Value
of Unearned
Shares, Units
or Other
Rights

That Have
Not Vested
($)(3)

 
(a) (b)  (c)  (d)  (e)  (f)     (g)  (h)  (i)  (j) 

Mr. Yuen

  2/8/2012   2,290      19.46   2/8/2022              
  2/6/2013   3,591      19.00   2/6/2023              
  2/5/2014   3,602      21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/6/2015   4,060      22.32   2/6/2025              
  2/6/2015   4,060      22.32   2/6/2025              
  2/5/2016   4,614      21.06   2/5/2026              
    2/10/2017   8,523   2,841(i)   26.56   2/10/2027              
  2/9/2018   8,431   8,432(ii)   40.29   2/9/2028    5,812(iv)   331,833       
  2/7/2019   4,243   12,730(iii)   41.66   2/7/2029    5,559(v)   317,350       
  2/7/2020      24,319(iv)   42.71   2/7/2030          3,018(ii)   172,298 
   2/7/2020                         19,542(iii)   1,115,653 

(1)

The actual vesting dates for unexercisable SARs are as follows:

(i)

Remainder of the unexercisable award vested on February 10, 2021.

(ii)

One-half of the unexercisable award vested or will vest on each of February 9, 2021 and 2022.

(iii)

One-third of the unexercisable award vested or will vest on each of February 7, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

(iv)

One-fourth of the unexercisable award vested or will vest on each of February 7, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

(2)

The RSUs reported in this column include additional RSUs received with respect to dividend equivalents, which remain subject to the same underlying vesting conditions. The actual vesting dates for unvested RSUs are as follows:

(i)

The RSUs vested in full on February 10, 2021.

(ii)

One-half of the RSUs will vest on each of November 1, 2021 and 2022.

(iii)

The RSUs will vest in full on November 1, 2021.

(iv)

The RSUs vested in full on February 9, 2021.

(v)

The RSUs will vest in full on February 7, 2022.

(3)

The market value of each award is calculated by multiplying the number of shares covered by the award by $57.09, the closing price of the Company’s stock on the NYSE on December 31, 2020.

(4)

The awards reported in this column represent PSU awards granted to the NEOs with the following vesting terms:

(i)

PSU award scheduled to vest based on the Company’s rTSR performance against constituents of the MSCI International China Index over the January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2021 performance period, sub-

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  YUM CHINA– 2021 Proxy Statement


  

 

 

   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

   

 

 

second, third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date, subjectject to the recipient’sMs. Wat’s continued employment through the applicable vesting date.last day of the performance period except as otherwise provided for in the underlying equity award agreement upon a qualifying termination of employment. In accordance with SEC disclosure rules, the amount reported for this award is reported assuming maximum payout. Based on performance, these PSUs will vest in full on December 31, 2021.

 

(4)(ii)

The exercise pricePSU awards that are scheduled to vest based on the Company’s Adjusted Total Revenue Growth and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Growth, with a rTSR payout modifier, over the January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022 performance period, subject to the NEO’s continued employment through the last day of the SARs equals the closing price ofperformance period except as otherwise provided for in the underlying common stockequity award agreement upon a qualifying termination of employment. In accordance with SEC disclosure rules, the amount reported for this award is reported assuming threshold payout. Based on the grant date.performance, these PSUs will vest in full on December 31, 2022.

 

(5)(iii)

The amounts reported in this column for 2017 representPSU awards that are scheduled to vest based on the grant date fair valueabsolute Company stock price hurdles, Adjusted Total Revenue Growth, Adjusted EBITDA Growth and transformational objectives, over the January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2023 performance period, subject to the NEO’s continued employment through the last day of the annual SAR awards granted to eachperformance period except as otherwise provided for in the underlying equity award agreement upon a qualifying termination of the NEOs and the RSU awards granted to Ms. Wat, Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang, calculated inemployment. In accordance with ASC 718. See Note 15 toSEC disclosure rules, the Company’s Audited Financial Statementsamount reported for a discussion of the relevant assumptions usedthis award is reported assuming threshold payout. Based on performance, these PSUs will vest in calculating these amounts.full on December 31, 2023.

 

YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement   

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

 

    

 

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2017YEAR-END

The following table shows the number of Company shares covered by exercisable and unexercisable SARs, and RSUs held by the Company’s NEOs on December 31, 2017. This table excludes any Yum shares received by the NEOs upon conversion of their outstanding YUM equity awards in connection with the spin-off.

       Option/SAR Awards      Stock Awards 

Name

 Grant
Date
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/
SARs
(#)
Exercisable
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/ SARs
(#)
Unexercisable(1)
  Option/
SAR
Exercise
Price
($)
  Option/
SAR
Expiration
Date
      Number
of Shares
or Units of
Stock
That Have
Not Vested
(#)(2)
  Market
Value
of Shares
or Units of
Stock
That Have
Not Vested
($)(3)
  Equity
incentive
plan awards:
Number of
unearned
shares, units
or other
rights
that have
not vested
(#)
  Equity
incentive
plan awards:
market or
payout value
of unearned
shares, units
or other
rights
that have
not vested
($)
 
(a) (b)  (c)  (d)  (e)  (f)     (g)  (h)  (i)  (j) 

Mr. Pant

          
  2/5/2009   133,503      8.84   2/5/2019              
  2/5/2010   113,250      9.96   2/5/2020              
  2/4/2011   100,468      14.88   2/4/2021              
  11/18/2011   93,672      16.25   11/18/2021              
  2/8/2012   114,478      19.46   2/8/2022              
  2/6/2013   89,779      19.00   2/6/2023              
  2/5/2014   62,703   20,902(i)  21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/6/2015   43,980   43,980(ii)  22.32   2/6/2025              
  2/5/2016   51,970   155,913(iii)  21.06   2/5/2026              
  11/11/2016   36,634   109,904(iv)  26.98   11/11/2026    55,732(i)  2,230,407       
   2/10/2017      392,477(v)   26.56   2/10/2027                 

Mr. Lo

  9/23/2016                873(ii)   34,942       
   2/10/2017      20,492(v)   26.56   2/10/2027                 

Ms. Wat

  2/6/2015   13,531   13,532(ii)  22.32   2/6/2025              
  3/25/2015   16,154   16,155(vi)  23.90   3/25/2025              
  1/4/2016                14,098(iii)  564,211       
  2/5/2016   10,329   30,987(iii)  21.06   2/5/2026              
  11/11/2016   12,211   36,635(iv)  26.98   11/11/2026    18,578(i)  743,496       
   2/10/2017      111,774(v)   26.56   2/10/2027       75,485(iv)   3,020,920       

Ms. Ng

  2/8/2012   5,213      19.46   2/8/2022              
  2/8/2012   13,901      19.46   2/8/2022              
  2/6/2013   13,467      19.00   2/6/2023              
  2/5/2014   9,175   3,059(i)  21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/6/2015   5,750   5,752(ii)  22.32   2/6/2025              
  1/4/2016                14,098(iii)  564,211       
  2/5/2016   2,926   8,780(iii)  21.06   2/5/2026              
  11/11/2016   6,105   18,318(iv)  26.98   11/11/2026    9,290(i)  371,768       
  2/10/2017      37,258(v)   26.56   2/10/2027              
   11/1/2017                   25,314(v)   1,013,085       

Mr. Huang

  2/8/2012   8,994      19.46   2/8/2022              
  2/6/2013   9,652      19.00   2/6/2023              
  2/5/2014      6,797(vii)   21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/5/2014   7,137   2,379(i)   21.30   2/5/2024              
  2/6/2015   5,074   5,075(ii)   22.32   2/6/2025              
  1/4/2016                14,098(iii)   564,211       
  2/5/2016   3,443   10,329(iii)   21.06   2/5/2026              
  11/11/2016   6,105   18,318(iv)   26.98   11/11/2026    9,290(i)   371,768       
  2/10/2017      37,258(v)   26.56   2/10/2027              
   11/1/2017                   20,252(vi)   810,492       

Mr. Stedem

                               

54  

  YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement


   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

(1)

The actual vesting dates for unexercisable SARs are as follows:

(i)

Remainder of the unexercisable award vested on February 5, 2018.

(ii)

One-half of the unexercisable award vested or will vest on each of February 6, 2018 and 2019.

(iii)

One-third of the unexercisable award vested or will vest on each of February 5, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

(iv)

One-third of the unexercisable award will vest on each of November 11, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

(v)

One-fourth of the unexercisable award vested or will vest on each of February 10, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

(vi)

One-half of the unexercisable award will vest on each of March 25, 2018 and 2019.

(vii)

100% of the unexercisable award will vest on February 5, 2018.

(2)

The RSUs reported in this column include additional RSUs received with respect to dividends and which remain subject to the same underlying vesting conditions. The actual vesting dates for unvested RSUs are as follows:

(i)

The RSUs vestone-half on each of November 11, 2018 and 2019.

(ii)

The RSUs vestone-half on each of September 23, 2018 and 2019.

(iii)

The RSUs vestone-third on January 4, 2018 andtwo-thirds on January 4, 2019.

(iv)

The RSUs vest in full on February 10, 2021.

(v)

The RSUs vestone-fourth on November 1, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

(vi)

The RSUs vest in full on November 1, 2021.

(3)

The market value of these awards are calculated by multiplying the number of shares covered by the award by $40.02, the closing price of the Company’s stock on the NYSE on December 29, 2017.

YUM CHINA– 2018 Proxy Statement

  55


EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

2017 OPTION/SAR EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED

 

 

The table below shows the number of Company shares acquired during 20172020 upon the exercise of Company SAR awards and the vesting of Company stock awards and before payment of applicable withholding taxes and broker commissions. This table does not include any shares acquired upon the exercise or vesting of outstanding YUM equity awards.

 

  Option/SAR Awards       Stock Awards     Option/SAR Awards         Stock Awards 

Name

  Number
of Shares
Acquired on
Exercise
(#)
   Value
Realized
on
Exercise
($)
      Number
of Shares
Acquired on
Vesting
(#)
   Value
Realized on
Vesting
($)
     

Number

of Shares
Acquired on
Exercise

(#)

     Value
Realized
on
Exercise
($)
         

Number

of Shares
Acquired on
Vesting

(#)

   

Value
Realized on
Vesting

($)

 

(a)

  (b)   (c)     (d)   (e)     (b)     (c)       (d)   (e) 

Mr. Pant

   59,409    2,081,701          

Mr. Lo

            434    17,244 

Ms. Wat

            4,687    124,771                   111,489(1)    6,364,952(1) 

Ms. Ng

            4,687    124,771 

Mr. Yeung

                  8,005    426,103 

Mr. Huang

            4,687    124,771                       ��� 

Mr. Stedem

   39,982    1,437,876           

Mr. Tan

     5,238      305,584            

Mr. Yuen

     2,015      116,713             

(1)

This amount includes the number of shares acquired upon the vesting of the 2018 PSU award based on performance during the 2018-2020 performance period, with the value realized on vesting determined based on the closing stock price of our common stock on December 31, 2020.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

 

During 2017, Messrs. Pant and Stedem were the only NEOs who participated in the YCHLRP, an unfunded, unsecured account-based plan maintained by the Company. In 2017, the YCHLRP provided an annual allocation to the accounts of Messrs. Pant and Stedem equal to 20% and 8%, respectively, of their respective salary plus target bonus.

The YCHLRP provides an annual earnings credit to each participant’s account based on the value of the participant’s account at the end of each year. Under the YCHLRP, Messrs. Pant and Stedem each received an annual earnings credit equal to 5% of their account balances. The Company’s contributions for 2017 were equal to 20% and 8%, respectively, of Messrs. Pant and Stedem’s salaries plus target bonuses.

Under the YCHLRP, participants age 55 or older are entitled to a lump sum distribution of their account balance in the quarter following their separation of employment. Participants under age 55 with a vested YCHLRP benefit, combined with any other deferred compensation benefits

covered under Code Section 409A exceeding $15,000, will not receive a distribution until the calendar quarter following the participant’s 55th birthday.

The Company offers certain executives working in China retirement benefits under the Bai Sheng Restaurants (Hong Kong) Limited Retirement Scheme.BSRCHLRS. Under this program, executives may make personal contributions and the Company provides a company fundedcompany-funded contribution ranging from 5% to 10% of an executive’s base salary. In 2020, Mr. Tan made a personal contribution to the BSRCHLRS equal to 5% of base salary. The Company’s contributionscontribution for 2017 were2020 was equal to 5% of salary for each of Mr. Lo and Ms. WatYeung and 10% of salary for each of Ms. NgWat and Mr. Huang.Messrs. Huang, Tan and Yuen. Participants may elect a

variety of mutual funds in which to invest their account balances under the plan. Additionally, upon termination, participants receive a lump sum equal to a percentage of the Company’s contributions, including investment returns. This percentage is based on a vesting schedule that provides participants with a vested 30% interest upon completion of a minimum of three years of service, and an additional 10% vested interest for each additional completed year, up to a maximum of 100%. Participants may elect a variety of mutual funds in which to invest their account balances under the plan.

 

 

5672   

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   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

   

 

20172020 NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION TABLE

 

 

 

Name

  

Executive

Contributions

in Last Fiscal
Year

($)

   

Registrant

Contributions

in Last Fiscal
Year

($)(1)

   

Aggregate

Earnings in

Last Fiscal
Year

($)(2)

   

Aggregate

Withdrawals/

Distributions

($)

   

Aggregate

Balance at

Last
Fiscal
Year End

($)(3)

 
   (a)   (b)   (c)   (d)   (e) 

Mr. Pant

       521,857    168,745        4,033,796 

Mr. Lo

       20,396            26,234(4) 

Ms. Wat

       36,975            106,085(4) 

Ms. Ng

       39,606            491,642(4) 

Mr. Huang

       44,307            216,366(4) 

Mr. Stedem

       40,411    1,875        77,835 

Name

 

Executive

Contributions

in Last Fiscal
Year

($)(1)

  

Registrant

Contributions

in Last Fiscal
Year

($)(2)

  

Aggregate

Earnings in

Last Fiscal
Year

($)(3)

  

Aggregate

Withdrawals/

Distributions

($)

  

Aggregate

Balance at

Last
Fiscal
Year End

($)(4)

 
  (a)  (b)  (c)  (d)  (e) 

Ms. Wat

     124,608         444,920(5) 

Mr. Yeung

     34,826         43,972(5) 

Mr. Huang

     73,740         422,252(5) 

Mr. Tan

  33,522   67,044         392,809(5) 

Mr. Yuen

     55,965         286,095(5) 

 

(1)

Amounts in this column primarily reflect allocationsMr. Tan’s personal contributions to the YCHLRP for Messrs. Pant and Stedem and allocationsBSRCHLRS with respect to the Bai Sheng Restaurants (Hong Kong) Limited Retirement Scheme for Mr. Lo, Ms. Wat, Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang.2020.

 

(2)

Amounts in this column reflect earnings duringregistrant contributions to the last fiscal year on amounts deferred underBSRCHLRS for the YCHLRP. All earnings for Messrs. PantNEOs and Stedemwhich are based on the earnings credit provided under the YCHLRP describedreflected in the narrative above this table. For Messrs. Pant and Stedem, of the earnings reflected in this column, $62,098 and $690, respectively, was deemed above-market earnings accruing to their accounts under the YCHLRP. For above-market earnings on nonqualified deferred compensation, see the “Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” column of the 20172020 Summary Compensation Table.

(3)

Under the Hong Kong Data Privacy Act, the administrator of the Bai Sheng Restaurants (Hong Kong) Limited Retirement SchemeBSRCHLRS is restricted from disclosing individual account balances under that planthe BSRCHLRS, and accordingly, the Company is unable to compile earnings information with respect to this plan.the BSRCHLRS. Under the terms of the plan,BSRCHLRS, participants may elect a variety of mutual funds in which to invest their account balances under the plan.BSRCHLRS.

 

(3)(4)

The amounts reflected in this column arethe estimated year-end balances balances for Messrs. Pant and Stedemthe NEOs under the YCHLRP and theestimated year-end balances for Mr. Lo, Ms. Wat, Ms. Ng and Mr. Huang under the Bai Sheng Restaurants (Hong Kong) Limited Retirement Scheme.BSRCHLRS.

 

(4)(5)

This amount represents the aggregate amount of the Company’sCompany contributions, excluding investment returns. See note (2)(3) to this table for further information regarding investment returns with respect to the Bai Sheng Restaurants (Hong Kong) Limited Retirement Scheme.BSRCHLRS. This amount was denominated in Hong Kong dollars and was converted to U.S. dollars using an exchange rate of 7.79237.7561 Hong Kong dollars to U.S. dollars for disclosure purposes.

Potential Payments upon a Termination or a Change in Control

 

YCHLRPTermination of Employment without a Change in Control.. Under The Company is party to Restrictive Covenant Letter Agreements with each NEO. The Restrictive Covenant Letter Agreements include restrictive covenants relating to non-disclosure, non-competition, non-solicitation and non-disparagement, as well as cooperation in investigations and litigation clauses. As consideration for the YCHLRP, participants age 55 are entitledrestrictive covenants, the Company is obligated to pay an amount equivalent to five times the NEO’s average monthly salary upon a lump sum distribution of their account balance following their termination of employment, subject toother than in the case of a change-in-control-related termination or the NEO’s death. Such amount is offset by amounts otherwise owed under any delay required to comply with applicable law. Participants under age 55 who terminate with more than fiveother termination-related agreement between the employee and the Company (including the agree-

yearsments described below for Ms. Wat and Mr. Yeung) so that there is no duplication of service will receive their account balance at their 55th birthday. payments.

As of December 31, 2017,2020, Ms. Wat was party to an individual agreement with the Company, which provided that if Ms. Wat’s employment had been terminated by the Company without “cause” prior to March 1, 2021, then Ms. Wat would have been entitled to a severance payment ($6,250,000), payable in monthly installments, equal to two times her annual base salary and annual bonus target, subject to Ms. Wat’s execution of a post-termination agreement that includes restrictive covenants relating to non-solicitation, non-competition and non-disclosure. The amount payable under Mr. Pant and Mr. Stedem each had balances underWat’s letter agreement would be offset by the YCHLRP of $4,033,796 and $77,835, respectively.amount paid pursuant to the

 

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

 

    

 

Severance andRestrictive Covenant Letter Agreement. In addition, in the event Ms. Wat became eligible for benefits under the Change in Control Arrangements.Severance Plan, such benefits would be paid in lieu of any amounts under her letter agreement.

As of December 31, 2017, Ms. Wat2020, Mr. Yeung was the only executiveparty to a letter agreement with whom the Company, had an agreementwhich provided that provided for severance payments upon termination of employment. However, Ms. Wat’s agreement did not provide for any enhancement of severance in connection with a change in control, nor was the Company a party to any other severance or change in control agreements that would entitle any of the NEOs to severance benefits upon a termination or a change in control. Under the terms of Ms. Wat’s letter agreement, if Ms. Wat’sMr. Yeung’s employment is terminated by the Company without “cause” prior to March 1, 2021, then Ms. Wat will be entitled to a severance payment, payable in monthly installments, equal to two times her base salary and annual bonus target ($5,060,000), subject to Ms. Wat’s execution of a post-termination agreement that includes restrictive covenants relating tonon-solicitation,non-competition andnon-disclosure.

In addition, Mr. Pant is subject to a letter of understanding with the Company that specifies thatany post-spin-off equity awards from“cause,” the Company will be eligiblepay Mr. Yeung a lump sum payment ($289,930) equal to five times his average monthly base salary during the 12-month period prior to termination. In return for continued vesting upon retirement, providedthis payment, Mr. Pant (i) is actively employedYeung must comply with certain non-competition restrictive covenants for at least one year following his termination of employment. The amount payable under Mr. Yeung’s letter agreement would be offset by the grant date, (ii) provides at least six months notificationamount paid pursuant to the Restrictive Covenant Letter Agreement.

The Company’s equity awards provide for pro-rata vesting for terminations due to death, retirement (age 55 and ten years of intention to retire,service or age 65 and (iii) signsnon-solicitation andnon-compete agreements. The letterfive years of understanding also provides that Mr. Pant’s unvested awards from YUM will continue to vest during his employment withservice) or involuntary termination by the Company without cause, with PSUs determined based on actual performance. Outstanding equity awards are forfeited upon a termination for cause. If the NEOs’ employment had terminated as of December 31, 2020 without cause or due to death, they would have been entitled to pro-rata vesting of their outstanding RSUs, SARs and upon his separation fromPSUs as follows: Ms. Wat, $14,323,412; Mr. Yeung, $1,237,918; Mr. Huang, $3,617,420; Mr. Tan, $2,233,000; and Mr. Yuen, $1,514,707, assuming target performance for purposes of this disclosure. As of December 31, 2020, Messrs. Huang and Yuen were retirement eligible.

Termination of Employment Following a Change in Control. As noted in the CD&A, the Company Mr. Pant will be treated asmaintains the Change in Control Severance Plan, which provides severance benefits to our NEOs in the event of a retiree from YUM, his vested SARs can be held untiltermination of employment by the term expires, and he willreceive pro-rated vesting of his unvested SARs. In connection with his stepping down as CEO and assumingCompany without “cause” or by the position of Senior Advisor effective March 1, 2018, the outstanding equity awards of Mr. Pant will be allowedNEO due to continue to vest under the terms of his letter of under-

standing dated October 28, 2016 and his transition agreement dated September 29, 2017 (estimated value of Company SARs of $10,841,731, YUM SARs of $6,905,175 and Company RSUs of $2,230,407,“good reason,” in each case based on the closing price of a Company or YUM share, as applicable, as reported on December 29, 2017).

In connection with Mr. Stedem’s separation from the Company, the Compensation Committee approved the payment of a pro rata 2017 annual cash bonus to Mr. Stedem, for his period of service from January 1, 2017 to June 1, 2017, subject to the achievement of at least target Company performance for 2017 and with such payment to be made on the same terms and at the same time as annual bonuses are payable to the Company’s other executive officers. For 2017, Mr. Stedem received a prorated annual bonus of $286,571. The Compensation Committee also approved the reimbursement of air travel for Mr. Stedem and his family to the United States and certain relocation expenses in connection with Mr. Stedem’s relocation to the United States of $35,775. In consideration for such payments, Mr. Stedem will be bound by certain confidentiality,non-disparagement,non-solicitation andnon-competition covenants.

Under the terms of our equity agreements, all outstanding stock options and/or SARs would fully and immediately vestwithin 24 months following a change in control if(a “Qualifying Termination”). Each NEO has executed a participation and restrictive covenant agreement to participate in the executive is employedChange in Control Severance Plan, which contains

restrictive covenants in favor of the Company relating to non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disclosure, and non-disparagement. In the event of a Qualifying Termination under the Change in Control Severance Plan, the NEO would receive, in lieu of any severance benefits under any other arrangement with the participant, the following severance benefits:

An amount equal to the “Severance Multiple” multiplied by the sum of (x) such NEO’s monthly base salary in effect immediately prior to a Qualifying Termination (or prior to any reduction for purposes of good reason) and (y) 1/12 of the greater of such NEO’s annual target cash bonus for the calendar year in which the Qualifying Termination occurs and the most recent annual cash bonus paid to the NEO, with such amounts payable over the 12-month period following the NEO’s termination of employment. The Severance Multiple is 30 for the CEO and 24 for each of the other participating NEOs. For purposes of the 2020 calculation, the severance calculation for each NEO other than Mr. Yeung was determined based on 2019 actual bonus, while Mr. Yeung’s severance calculation was determined based on 2020 target bonus.

Any accrued, but unpaid as of the date of the change in controlQualifying Termination, annual cash bonus for any completed fiscal year preceding a Qualifying Termination, to be paid within 60 days of the Company and is involuntarily terminated (other than for cause) on or within two years following the change in control.

The below table shows the amount of payments and other benefits that each NEO would have received upon a change in control and involuntary termination on December 31, 2017.Qualifying Termination.

   

Pant

$

   

Lo

$

   

Wat

$

   

Ng

$

   

Huang

$

 

Accelerated Vesting of SARs

   10,841,731    275,822    3,069,647    1,065,903    1,197,799 

Accelerated Vesting of RSUs

   2,230,407    34,942    4,328,627    1,949,064    1,746,471 
  

 

 

 

TOTAL

   13,072,138    310,765    7,398,274    3,014,967    2,944,270 
  

 

 

 

 

In addition, if a change in controlAccrued benefits under any retirement plan or health or welfare plan.

If permitted by the terms of the Company’s health plan and applicable law, continued health insurance coverage, subsidized by the Company had occurred asat active employee rates, through the earlier of December 31, 2017, the NEOs would have been entitledone-year anniversary of the participant’s termination of employment and the participant becoming eligible for health insurance coverage under another employer’s plan.

Outplacement services, in an aggregate cost to receive the accelerated vestingCompany not to exceed $25,000, for a one-year period (or, if earlier, until the NEO accepts an offer of their equity awards with respect to YUM, with the value ofemployment).

such awards as follows: for Mr. Pant, $6,905,175; for Ms. Wat, $1,787,567; for Ms. Ng, $542,676; and for Mr. Huang, $764,313.

 

 

5874   

  YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement


  

 

 

   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

   

 

Under the terms of our equity agreements prior to 2020, all outstanding SARs, RSUs and PSUs would fully and immediately vest following a change in control of the Company if the NEO is employed on the date of the change in control and is involuntarily terminated (other than for cause) on or within two years following the change in control, with performance measured through the date of termination and subject to proration for time served during the performance period in the case of the PSUs. Under the terms of the 2020 Annual PSU Awards and Partner PSU Awards, if the NEO is employed on the date of the change in control and resigns for good reason or is involuntarily terminated other than for cause within two years following a change in control, then vesting shall be measured based on the greater of (i) actual performance for the performance period through the date of ter-

mination of employment and (ii) target performance (provided, however, that if the change in control and termination of employment occur during the first year of the performance period, then performance will be measured based on target performance). In addition, beginning with the 2020 equity awards, if awards are not effectively assumed in a change in control of the Company, then the awards will vest in full upon such change in control with any stock price performance goal vesting based on the per share transaction price in such change in control and the other performance goals vesting at the greater of actual performance through the date of the change in control and target performance (provided, however, if the change in control occurs during the first year of the performance period, then performance will be measured based on target performance).

The below table shows the maximum amount of payments and other benefits that each NEO would have received upon a change in control and qualifying termination on December 31, 2020 under the terms of the Change in Control Severance Plan and the Company’s equity award agreements, assuming target performance of the PSUs for purposes of this disclosure.

   

Wat

$

 

 

   

Yeung

$

 

 

   

Huang

$

 

 

   

Tan

$

 

 

   

Yuen

$

 

 

Cash Severance

   14,013,020    2,520,000    4,845,270    3,967,150    2,884,448 

Continued Health Insurance Coverage

   17,664    10,773    10,773    16,621    12,615 

Outplacement Services

   25,000    25,000    25,000    25,000    25,000 

Accelerated Vesting of SARs

   7,260,415    645,604    1,582,414    1,358,934    774,524 

Accelerated Vesting of RSUs

   4,426,314    929,809    2,440,371    1,082,012    649,184 

Accelerated Vesting of PSUs

   22,886,919    3,788,245    3,788,245    2,874,455    2,674,774 
  

 

 

 

TOTAL

   48,629,332    7,919,432    12,692,074    9,324,172    7,020,545 
  

 

 

 

PAY RATIO DISCLOSURE

 

 

 

As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Company is providing the following disclosure about the relationship of the annual total compensation of our employees to the annual total compensation of Mr. Pant, our CEO during 2017.Ms. Wat.

Identification of Median Pay Employee

The Company employed over 450,000400,000 persons as of year-end 2017, 2020, and substantially all of them are based in China. Given the nature of its operations, approximately 91%90% of the Company’s employees were restaurant crewmembers. More than 60%Approximately 74% of the 366,000 crewmembers many attendingworked part-time, approximately 42% of whom attended university at the same time, worked part-time and were paid on an hourly basis. Our wage rates for crewmembers are determineddeter-

mined based on a number of factors, including but not limited to cost of living, labor supply and demand, and competitive market pay rates in the city in which the crewmember works.

We selected December31, 2017,December 31, 2020, as the date on which to determine our median employee. For purposes of identifying the median employee from the employee population base (excluding Ms. Wat), we considered the total compensation of all of our employees, as compiled from our payroll records. In addition, we measured compensation for purposes of determining the median employee using December 20172020 payroll records. Compensation paid in foreign currencies was converted to U.S. dollars based on a weighted average exchange rate for the relevant period.

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

  75


EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   

Using this methodology, our median employee other than Mr. Pant, was identified as a part-time crewmember attending university and located in a second tiersecond-tier city in China.

Ratio

For 2017,2020:

 

The annual total compensation of the median employee, as identified above, was $3,396.$5,507.

 

Mr. Pant’sMs. Wat’s annual total compensation, as reported in the Total column of the 20172020 Summary Compensation Table, was $9,571,017.$21,171,578.

 

Based on this information, the ratio of the annual total compensation of Mr. PantMs. Wat to the median of the annual total compensation of all employees is estimated to be 2,818approximately 3,844 to 1.

Accordingly, ourOur pay ratio is significantly impacted by the fact that substantially all of our employees are based in China, approximately 60%74% of our over 420,000366,000 crewmembers are employed on a part-time and hourly basis, and wage variation occurs based ontypical wages vary between the cities in which our restaurants are located.

The above ratio and annual total compensation amount of the median employee are reasonable estimates that have been calculated using methodologies and assumptions permitted by SEC rules. The Company notes that its ratio and annual total compensation amount may not be directly comparable to those of other companies because the methodologies and assumptions used to identify the median employee may vary significantly among companies.

Alternative Ratio Annualizing Partner PSU Awards

As discussed above in the CD&A during 2020, each of the NEOs, including Ms. Wat, received a Partner PSU Award to address increased competition and the Compa-

ny’s existing pay gap, motivate transformational performance, and encourage long-term retention over the four-year performance period. Under SEC disclosure rules, the entire grant date fair value of the Partner PSU Award is required to be reported in the Summary Compensation Table in the year of grant rather than over the performance period. Accordingly, when calculating the pay ratio disclosed above, Ms. Wat’s 2020 Partner PSU Award was included in the calculation at its full grant date fair value.

When determining grant levels, however, the Compensation Committee considers the long-term performance period of the Partner PSU Awards and reviews executive pay on an annualized basis rather than on a grant date basis. The Compensation Committee believes that annualizing Ms. Wat’s 2020 Partner PSU Award over the performance period is more representative of how the awards are earned and provides a better comparison to market levels that are reported on an annualized basis. In addition to the required pay ratio calculation above, the Company has calculated an alternative pay ratio using an adjusted amount of compensation for Ms. Wat that annualizes Ms. Wat’s 2020 Partner PSU Award by (i) deducting the grant date fair value of the 2020 Partner PSU Award from 2020 compensation and (ii) instead including as 2020 compensation one-fourth of the grant date fair value of the 2020 Partner PSU Award granted to Ms. Wat to reflect the four-year performance period. When calculated in this manner, Ms. Wat’s adjusted compensation is $12,171,529 and the ratio of the annual total compensation of Ms. Wat to the median of the annual total compensation of all of the Company’s employees other than Ms. Wat is estimated to be 2,210 to 1.

This alternative pay ratio is not a substitute for the pay ratio calculated in accordance with the SEC disclosure rules, but the Company believes it is helpful in fully evaluating the ratio of Ms. Wat’s annual total compensation to the median of the annual total compensation of all of the Company’s employees.

 

 

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 20172020 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

 

 

The Company primarily uses stock-based compensation to attract and retain qualified candidates to serve on the Board. In setting director compensation, the Board considers the significant amount of time that directors expend in fulfilling their duties to the Company as well as the skill level required by the Company of members of the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board considers advice from the compensation consultant and reviews and makes recommendations to the Board with respect to the compensation and benefits of directors on an annual basis. The Company’s director compensation structure for 2020 is discussed below.

Employee Directors. Employee directors do not receive additional compensation for serving on the Board of Directors. Please see the 2020 Summary Compensation Table for the compensation received by Ms. Wat during 2020 for her role as CEO of the Company.

Non-Employee Directors Retainer.Ournon-employee directors were each compensated in 2017 with aan annual retainer equal to $225,000,$275,000, payable in Company common stock or, if requested by a director, upto one-half in cash. TheseThe annual retainers were paid in late 2017June 2020 to compensate the

directors for their serviceservices from NovemberJune 1, 2017, through October2020 to May 31, 2018.2021. During 2020, members of our Board agreed to voluntarily forgo 10% of their retainers during the period of June 2020 to December 2020 as contributions to fund additional assistance for frontline employees and their families impacted by COVID-19 as well as other emergency relief, which are reflected in the table disclosing the retainers to non-employee directors during 2020.

Chairman and Committee Chairperson Retainer. In 2017, in addition to the annual retainer paid toall non-employee directors, the Chairman of the Board (Dr. Hu) received an additional annual cash retainer of $225,000. The Chairperson of the Audit Committee (Mr. Hsieh)Campbell) received an additional $20,000stock$30,000 stock retainer, the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee (Mr. Ettedgui)(Ms. Lu) received an additional $15,000$20,000 stock retainer, and the Chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee (Dr. Hu) received an additional $10,000$15,000 stock retainer, and the Chairperson of the Food Safety and Sustainability Committee (Mr. Shao) received an additional $15,000 stock retainer. TheseAll such retainers were paid in late 2017June 2020 to compensate the directors for their serviceservices from November 1, 2017, through October 31, 2018.

Employee Directors. Employee directors do not receive additional compensation for serving on the Board of Directors.

Changes to Director Compensation.The Company’s 2017 and earlier director compensation structure had been determined by the board of directors of YUM prior to thespin-off. After considering the advice of the compensation consultant, the Company adjusted its director compensation structure in December 2017, effective June 1, 2018, to better reflect the fact that the Company’s directors require knowledge, expertise, time and efforts beyond what is typical of directors of peer companies due to the Company’s demands in areas of both U.S. and China regulatory regimes and business practices.

Effective June 1, 2018,our non-employee directors will each be compensated with an annual retainer equal to $275,000, payable in Company common stock or, if requested by a director, upto one-half in cash. In addition to the annual retainer paid toall non-employee directors, the Chairman of the Board will receive an additional annual cash retainer of $225,000, the Chairperson of the Audit Committee will receive an additional $30,000stock retainer annually, the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee will receive an additional $20,000 stock retainer annually, and the Chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee will receive an additional $15,000 stock retainer annually.

In December 2017, the Board also established a Food Safety Committee. The Board approved annual stock retainer for the Chairperson of the Food Safety Committee of $10,000 (prorated for the period from January 1, 20182020 to May 31, 2018) and $15,000 (effective June 1, 2018).

The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board will continue to consider advice from the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant and review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the compensation and benefits of directors on an annual basis.2021.

 

The table below summarizes cash compensation earned by and stock retainers granted to each non-employee director during 2020.

Name

    

Fees Earned or

Paid in Cash($)(1)

     

Stock Awards

($)(2)

     

Total

($)

 

(a)

    (b)     (c)     (d) 

Peter A. Bassi

     129,479      129,479      258,958 

Christian L. Campbell

           288,958      288,958 

Ed Yiu-Cheong Chan

           275,000      275,000 

Edouard Ettedgui

           258,958      258,958 

Cyril Han

           258,958      258,958 

Louis T. Hsieh

           275,000      275,000 

Fred Hu

     225,000      273,958      498,958 

Ruby Lu

           278,958      278,958 

Zili Shao

           273,958      273,958 

William Wang

           258,958      258,958 

 

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   20172020 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

 

  

The table below summarizes compensation paid toeach non-employee director during 2017.

Name  

Fees Earned or

Paid in Cash($)(1)

   

Stock Awards

($)(2)

   

Option/SAR

Awards

($)(3)

   

Total

($)

 

Peter A. Bassi

   112,510    112,490        225,000 

Christian L. Campbell

   20    224,980        225,000 

EdYiu-Cheong Chan

   20    224,980        225,000 

Edouard Ettedgui

   22    239,978        240,000 

Louis T. Hsieh

   36    244,964        245,000 

Fred Hu

   225,008    234,992        460,000 

Jonathan S. Linen

   20    224,980        225,000 

Ruby Lu

   20    224,980        225,000 

Zili Shao

   20    224,980        225,000 

William Wang

   33    299,967        300,000 

 

(1)

Represents the portion of the annual retainer that the directorMr. Bassi elected to receive in cash rather than equity with respect to Mr. Bassi, cash fees received in lieu of fractional shares by Messrs. Campbell, Chan, Ettedgui, Hsieh, Linen, Shao and Wang and Ms. Lu and the annual cash retainer paid to Dr. Hu as Chairman of the Board.

 

(2)

Represents the grant date fair value for annual stock retainer awards granted in 2017.2020. Each director received shares of Company common stock determined by dividing the applicable annual retainer by the closing market price of a share of Company common stock on the date of grant, with any fractional shares paid in cash rather than equity. In connection with his appointment to the Board in July 2017, Mr. Wang also received an equity award based on the annual grant value of $225,000, prorated for his service on the Board in 2017.

(3)

At December 31, 2017, the aggregate number of Company SARs outstanding foreach non-employee director are set forth in the following table. These SARs were received by theapplicable non-employee directors in connection with the adjustment of their outstanding YUM equity awards.

NameSARs

Peter A. Bassi

Christian L. Campbell

167,415

EdYiu-Cheong Chan

Edouard Ettedgui

Louis T. Hsieh

Fred Hu

Jonathan S. Linen

Ruby Lu

22,943

Zili Shao

William Wang

 

Stock Ownership Requirements. Although our directors are not subject to the Stock Ownership Guidelines, which apply to management, we nevertheless expect our directors to own a meaningful number of shares of Company common stock, and we do have a share retention policy in

place for directors. PursuantPursu-

ant to thisthe share retention policy, no director may sell any shares received as director compensation until at least 12 months following the director’s retirement or departure from the Board.

 

 

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 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

 

The following table summarizes, as of December 31, 2017,2020, the equity compensation we may issue to our directors, officers, employees and other persons under the Company’s Long Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”), which was approved by YUM as the Company’s sole stockholder prior to the spin-off.Company’s spin-off from YUM.

 

Plan Category

  Number of Securities to
be Issued Upon
Exercise of Outstanding
Options, Warrants and
Rights
 Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
of  Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
 Number of Securities
Remaining Available
For Future Issuance
Under Equity
Compensation Plans
(Excluding Securities
Reflected in
Column (a))
     Number of Securities to
be Issued Upon
Exercise of Outstanding
Options, Warrants and
Rights
   Weighted-
Average
Exercise  Price
of Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
   

Number of Securities  

Remaining Available  

For Future Issuance  

Under Equity  

Compensation Plans  

(Excluding Securities  

Reflected in  

Column (a))  

 
  (a) (b) (c)     (a)   (b)   (c) 

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders

   23,565,936(1)   18.96(2)   14,651,155(3)      13,627,981(1)    27.49(2)    11,640,269(3) 

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders

                        
    

 

 

 
  

 

 

 

TOTAL

   23,565,936  18.96  14,651,155      13,627,981    27.49    11,640,269 
  

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes 1,970,2871,778,057 shares issuable in respect of restricted stock units and executive income deferral awards.performance share units.

 

(2)

Restricted stock units and executive income deferral awardsperformance share units do not have an exercise price. Accordingly, this amount represents the weighted-average exercise price of outstanding stock appreciation rights.rights and stock options.

 

(3)

After the spin-off, full value awards granted to the Company’s employees under the LTIP, including restricted stock units and performance stockshare units, will reduce the number of shares available for issuance by two shares. Stock appreciation rights granted to the Company’s employees under the LTIP will reduce the number of shares available for issuance only by one share.

 

62  YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement 

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  AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

 

Who serves on the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors?

 

 

 

The members of the Audit Committee are Louis T. HsiehChristian L. Campbell (Chair), Peter A. Bassi, EdYiu-Cheong Chan, Cyril Han and Ruby Lu. The BoardLouis T. Hsieh, each of Directors has determined that all of the members of the Audit Committeewhom are independent within the meaning of applicable SEC regulationsregu-

lations and the listing standards of the NYSE and that Mr. Hsieh,NYSE. For additional information about the Chairpersonmembers of the Audit Committee, is qualified as an audit com-

mittee financial expert within the meaning of SEC regulations. The Board has also determined that Mr. Hsieh has accounting and related financial management expertise within the meaningsee “Governance of the listing standardsCompany—What are the Committees of the NYSE and that each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards.Board?”

 

 

What document governs the activities of the Audit Committee?

 

 

 

The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities are set forth in the charter. The Audit Committee annually reviews and reassesses the adequacy

of its charter and recommends any proposed changes to the Board for approval. The charter is available on our website atir.yumchina.com.

 

 

What are the responsibilities of the Audit Committee?

 

 

 

The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities for general oversight of the integrity of the Company’s financial statements, the adequacy of the Company’s system of internal controls and procedures and disclosure controls and procedures, the Company’s risk management, the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence and the performance of the Company’s internal audit function and independent auditor. The Audit Committee has the authority to obtain advice and assistance from independent legal, accounting or other advisors as the Audit Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its duties and receive appropriate funding, as determined by the Audit Committee, from the Company for such advice and assistance.

The Audit Committee has sole authority to appoint, determine funding for or replace the independent auditor and manages the Company’s relationship with its independent auditor, which reports directly to the Audit Committee.

Each year, the Audit Committee evaluates the performance,perfor-

mance, qualifications and independence of the independent auditor. In doing so, the Audit Committee considers whether the independent auditor’s quality controls are adequate and the provision of permittednon-audit services is compatible with maintaining the auditor’s independence, taking into account the opinions of management and internal auditor.

The members of the Audit Committee meet periodically in separate executive sessions with management (including the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Principal Accounting Officer), the internal auditors and the independent auditor, and have such other direct and independent interaction with such persons from time to time as the members of the Audit Committee deem appropriate. The Audit Committee may request any officer or employee of the Company or the Company’s outside counsel or independent auditor to attend a meeting of the Audit Committee or to meet with any members of, or consultants to, the Audit Committee.

 

 

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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

 

  

 

What matters have members of the Audit Committee discussed with management and the independent auditor?

 

 

 

As part of its oversight of the Company’s financial statements, the Audit Committee reviews and discusses with both management and the Company’s independent auditor all annual and quarterly financial statements prior to their issuance. During 2017,2020, management advised the Audit Committee that each set of financial statements reviewed had been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and reviewed significant accounting and disclosure issues with the Audit Committee. These reviews included discussions with the independent auditor of matters required to be discussed pursuant to applicable requirements of the PCAOB and the SEC, including the quality (not merely the acceptability) of the Company’s accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments, the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements, and disclosures related to critical accounting practices.practices, and critical audit matters during the course of the audit. The Audit Committee has also discussed with KPMG matters relating to its independence, including a review of audit andnon-audit fees and the written disclosures and letter received from KPMG required by applicable requirementsrequire-

ments of the PCAOB regarding KPMG’s communica-

tionscommunications with the Audit Committee concerning independence. The Audit Committee also considered whethernon-audit services provided by the independent auditor are compatible with the independent auditor’s independence. The Audit Committee also received regular updates, and written summaries as required by the PCAOB rules (for tax and other services), on the amount of fees and scope of audit, audit-related, tax and other services provided.

In addition, the Audit Committee reviewed key initiatives and programs aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the Company’s internal and disclosure control structure. As part of this process, the Audit Committee monitored the scope and adequacy of the Company’s internal auditing program, reviewing staffing levels and steps taken to implement recommended improvements in internal procedures and controls. The Audit Committee also reviewed and discussed legal and compliance matters with management, and, as necessary or advisable, the Company’s independent auditor.

 

 

Has the Audit Committee made a recommendation regarding the audited financial statements for fiscal 2017?2020?

 

 

 

Based on the Audit Committee’s discussions with management and the independent auditor and the Audit Committee’s review of the representations of management and the report of the independent auditor to the Board of Directors, and subject to the limitations on the Audit Committee’s role and responsibilities referred to above

and in the Audit Committee Charter, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that it include the audited consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20172020 for filing with the SEC.

 

YUM CHINA – 2021 Proxy Statement

  81


AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT   

 

Who prepared this report?

 

 

This report has been furnished by the members of the Audit Committee:

Louis T. Hsieh,Christian L. Campbell, Chair

Peter A. Bassi

EdYiu-Cheong Chan

Ruby LuCyril Han

Louis T. Hsieh

 

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  YUM CHINA20182021 Proxy Statement


 

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Who pays the expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies?

 

 

 

Expenses in connection with the solicitation of proxies will be paid by us. Proxies are being solicited principally by mail, by telephone and through the Internet. We have retained Georgeson Inc. to act as a proxy solicitor for a fee estimated to be $9,500,$10,000, plus reimbursement ofout-of-pocket expenses. In addition, our directors, officers

and regular employees, without additional compensation, may solicit proxies personally, bye-mail, telephone, fax or special letter. We will reimburse brokerage firms and others for their expenses in forwarding proxy materials to the beneficial owners of shares of Company common stock.

 

 

How may I elect to receive stockholder materials electronically and discontinue my receipt of paper copies?materials?

 

 

 

For stockholders of our common stock registered on our U.S. register

Stockholders with shares registered directly in their name who received stockholder materials in the mail may elect to receive future annual reports and proxy statements from us and to vote their shares through the Internet instead of receiving copies through the mail. We are offering this service to provide stockholders with added convenience, to reduce our environmental impact and to reduce annual report printing and mailing costs.

To elect this option, go towww.amstock.comwww.computershare.com, click on StockholderShareholder Account Access, log in and locate the option to receive Company mailings viae-mail. Stockholders who elect this option will be notified by mail how to access the proxy materials and how to vote their shares on the Internet or by phone.

If you consent to receive future proxy materials electronically, your consent will remain in effect unless it is withdrawn by writing our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer andComputershare Trust Company, LLC, 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219N.A., 505000, Louisville, KY 40233-5000, or by logging onto our transfer agent’s website atwww.amstock.comwww.computershare.com and following the applicable instructions. Also, while this consent is in effect, if you decide you would like to receive a paperhard copy of the proxy materials, you may call, write ore-mail American Stock Transfer andComputershare Trust Company, LLC or Yum China Holdings, Inc., 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas 75024, or Yum China Holdings, Inc., Yum China Building, 20 Tian Yao Qiao Road, Shanghai 200030, People’s RepublicN.A.

For stockholders of China, Attention: Corporate Secretary.our common stock registered on our Hong Kong register

We will publish annual reports and proxy statements on our website and on HKEX’s website in English and Chinese. We will provide printed copies of proxy materials in English and Chinese at no cost upon your request.

 

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I share an address with another stockholder, and we received only one paper copy of the proxy materials. How may I obtain an additional copy of the proxy materials?

 

 

 

The Company has adopted a procedure called “householding,” which has been approved by the SEC. The Company and some brokers household proxy materials, delivering a single Notice and, if applicable, this

proxy statement and the annual report, to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected stockholders or they participate in electronic delivery of proxy materials.

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Stockholders who participate in householding will continue to access and receive separate proxy cards. This process will help reduce our printing and postage fees, as well

as save natural resources. If at any time you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statement, or if you are receiving multiple copies of the proxy statement and wish to receive

only one, please notify your broker if your shares are held in a brokerage account or us if you hold registered shares. You can notify us by sending a written request to Yum China Holdings, Inc., 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas 75024, or to Yum China Holdings, Inc., Yum China Building, 20 Tian Yao Qiao Road, Shanghai 200030 People’s Republic of China, Attention: Investor Relations.

 

 

May I propose actions for consideration at next year’s annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders or nominate individuals to serve as directors?

 

 

 

Under the rules of the SEC, if a stockholder wants us to include a proposal in our proxy statement and proxy card for presentation at the 20192022 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders, the proposal must be received by our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices, Yum China Holdings, Inc., 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas 75024, or Yum China Holdings, Inc., Yum China Building, 20 Tian Yao Qiao Road, Shanghai 200030, People’s Republic of China, by November 30, 2018.December 16, 2021. We strongly encourage any stockholder interested in submitting a proposal to contact our Chief Legal Officer in advance of this deadline to discuss the proposal. Stockholders may want to consult knowledgeable counsel with regard to the detailed requirements of applicable securities laws. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee that we will include it in our proxy statement.

In addition, our Bylaws include provisions permitting, subject to certain terms and conditions, stockholders owning at least 3% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock for at least three consecutive years to use our annual meeting proxy statement to nominate a number of director candidates not to exceed 20% of the number of directors in office, subject to reduction in certain circumstances (the “Proxy Access”). Pursuant to our Proxy Access bylaw, stockholder nomination of directors to be included in our proxy statement and proxy card for the 2022 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders must be received by our Corporate Secretary no earlier than November 16, 2021 and no later than December 16, 2021. Stockholders must also satisfy the other requirements specified in our Bylaws. You may contact the

Company’s Corporate Secretary at the addresses mentioned above for a copy of the relevant bylaw provisions regarding the requirements for nominating director candidates pursuant to Proxy Access.

Under our amended and restated bylaws,Bylaws, stockholders may also nominate persons for election as directors at an annual meeting or introduce an item of business that is not included in our proxy statement. These procedures provide that nominations for director nominees and/or an item of business to be introduced at an annual meeting

must be submitted in writing to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices, and the stockholder submitting any such nomination or item of business must include information set forth in our amended and restated bylaws.Bylaws. For the 20192022 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders, we must receive the notice of your intention to introduce a nomination or to propose an item of business no earlier than January 11, 201928, 2022 and no later than February 10, 2019,27, 2022, unless we hold the 20192022 annual meeting before April 11, 201928, 2022 or after June 10, 2019,27, 2022, in which case notice must be received no later than 10 days after notice of the date of the annual meeting is mailed or public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is made, whichever first occurs. Stockholders must also satisfy the other requirements specified in our amended and restated bylaws.Bylaws. You may contact the Company’s Corporate Secretary at the addressaddresses mentioned above for a copy of the relevant bylaw provisions regarding the requirements for making stockholder proposals and nominating director candidates.

 

 

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   ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

   

 

Is any other business expected to be conducted at the Annual Meeting?

 

 

 

The Board is not aware of any matters that are expected to come before the Annual Meeting other than those referred to in this proxy statement. If any other matter should come before the Annual Meeting, the individuals named on the form of proxy intend to vote the proxies in accordance with their best judgment.

The chairman of the Annual Meeting may refuse to allow the transaction of any business, or to acknowledge the nomination of any person, not made in compliance with the foregoing procedures.

 

 

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 APPENDIX A

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE SEVENTH(b) OF YUM CHINA’S AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

For the text of the proposed amendments, deletions are indicated by strikeouts and additions are indicated by underlining.

(b) Special meetings of the Stockholders may be called exclusively: (i) by the Board of Directors;or(ii) by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer or the Corporation’s Secretary, in each case with the concurrence of a majority of the Board of Directors; or (iii) by the Corporation’s Secretary upon written request by Stockholders owning at least twentyfive (25) percent of all outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation as determined pursuant to the Bylaws and who otherwise comply with such other requirements and procedures set forth in the Bylaws, as now or hereinafter in effect. Special meetings of Stockholders shall be held at such places and times as determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of Directors and of business to be brought before any meeting of the Stockholders shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws.

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 APPENDIX B

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO YUM CHINA’S AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

If the stockholders approve Proposal 4 at the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors currently intends to amend Section 3 and 4 of Article 2 of the Company’s Bylaws as follows:

For the text of the proposed amendments, deletions are indicated by strikeouts and additions are indicated by underlining.

Section 3.    Special Meetings.

(a)    General. Special meetings of the Stockholders may be called exclusively: (ai) by the Board of Directors;or(bii) by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer or the Corporation’s Secretary, in each case with the concurrence of a majority of the Board of Directors;Special meetings of the Stockholders shall be held at such places, if any, and times as: or (iii) by the Corporation’s Secretary upon the written request (each such request, a “Special Meeting Request” and such meeting, a “Stockholder Requested Special Meeting”) of Stockholders of record representing not less than 25% of all outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (“Common Stock”) entitled to vote on the matter or matters to be brought before the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting (such percentage, the “Requisite Percentage”) that have complied in full with the requirements set forth in this Section 3 and related provisions of these Bylaws; provided, that each such Stockholder of record, or beneficial owner directing such Stockholder of record, must have continuously held all of his, her or its shares included in such aggregate amount constituting the Requisite Percentage for at least one (1) year prior to the date such Special Meeting Request is delivered to the Corporation. Whether the Stockholders have submitted valid Special Meeting Requests representing the Requisite Percentage and complying with the requirements ofthis Section 3 and related provisions of these Bylaws (a“Valid Special Meeting Request”) shall be determined in good faith by the Board of Directors,in its discretionwhich determination shall be conclusive and binding on the Corporation and the Stockholders.

(b)    Calling a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. In order for a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting to be called, the Special Meeting Requests must be signed by Stockholders of record (or their duly authorized agents) representing in the aggregate not less than the Requisite Percentage, and be dated and delivered personally or by registered mail to the Corporation’s Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation. Such Special Meeting Requests shall comply with Section 3 and shall include with particularity as to the Stockholders of record submitting the Special Meeting Requests and any Stockholder Associated Persons (as defined below)(collectively, the “Requesting Stockholders”): (i) a statement of the specific purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, including a description of all intended proposals; (ii) except with respect to any Solicited Stockholders (as defined below), all information required to be set forth in a notice under Section 9(a)–(d) of this Article 2; (iii) documentary evidence that the Requisite Percentage of shares have been owned continuously for the one-year period by each Stockholder of record who signed a Special Meeting Request; provided, however, that if any Stockholders of record making a Special Meeting Request are not the beneficial owner of the shares of Common Stock representing the Requisite Percentage, then to be valid, each such Special Meeting Request must also include documentary evidence that the beneficial owners on whose behalf such Special Meeting Request is made beneficially owned, together with the Stockholders of record

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APPENDIX B   

who are beneficial owners, the Requisite Percentage as of the date onwhich such Special Meeting Request is delivered tothe Corporation’s Secretary and for a minimum of one full year prior to the date of such delivery; (iv) an acknowledgment by each Requesting Stockholder and the beneficial owners, if any, on whose behalf a Special Meeting Request is being made (or their respective duly authorized agents) that any reduction in the number of shares owned by such Stockholders as of the date of delivery of the Special Meeting Request and prior to the record date for the proposed Stockholder Requested Special Meeting shall constitute a revocation of the Special Meeting Request to the extent of such reduction, and a commitment to promptly notify the Corporation of any such decrease; and (v) a representation that at least one Requesting Stockholder, or a qualified representative of at least one Requesting Stockholder, intends to appear in person to present each item of business to be brought before the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. In addition, each Requesting Stockholder that is not a Solicited Stockholder shall promptly provide any other information reasonably requested by the Corporation in connection with the Special Meeting Request. If the Board of Directors determines that the Special Meeting Request complies with the provisions of these Bylaws and that the proposal to be considered or business to be conducted is a proper subject for Stockholder action under applicable law, the Board of Directors shall call and send notice of a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting for the purpose set forth in the Special Meeting Request in accordance with Section 4 of this Article 2.

In addition, to be considered timely, proper and valid, a Special Meeting Request shall further be updated, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such Special Meeting Request shall be true and correct (x) as of the record date for the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and (y) as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to such meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (provided that such update shall be delivered to the Corporation’s Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update required to be made pursuant to the foregoing clause (x), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of theupdate required to be made pursuant to the foregoingclause (y)). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation toupdate as set forth in this Section 3 or any other section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any Special Meeting Request or other notice provided by a Stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder to amend or update any proposal or nomination (or notice thereof) or to submit any new proposal or nomination (or notice thereof), including, without limitation, by changing or adding nominees, matters, business and/or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the Stockholders.

For the purposes of this Section 3, “Solicited Stockholder” shall mean any Stockholder that has provided a request to call a special meeting in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14 of the Exchange Act; and “Stockholder Associated Person” shall mean (A) any person who is a member of a “group” (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Act”) (or any successor provision at law)) with or otherwise acting in concert with such Stockholder providing notice, (B) any beneficial owner of Common Stock owned of record by such Stockholder (other than a Stockholder that is a depositary), (C) any affiliate or associate of such Stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person, (D) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A, or any successor instructions) with such Stockholder or other Stockholder Associated Person in respect of any proposals or nominations, as applicable and (E) any person whom the Stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director of the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case shall it mean a Solicited Stockholder.

(c)    Multiple Special Meeting Requests. In determining whether Special Meeting Requests have met the requirements of this Section 3, multiple Special Meeting Requests will be considered together only if (i) each Special Meeting Request identifies the same or substantially the same purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and the same or substantially the same items of business proposed to be brought before the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting (which, ifsuch purpose is the nominating of a person or persons forelection to the Board of Directors, will mean

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   APPENDIX B

that the exact same person or persons are nominated in each relevant Special Meeting Request), and (ii) such Special Meeting Requests have been dated and delivered to the Corporation’s Secretary within sixty (60) days of the delivery to the Corporation’s Secretary of the earliest dated Special Meeting Request relating to such item(s) of business. A Requesting Stockholder may revoke a Special Meeting Request at any time by written revocation delivered to the Corporation’s Secretary and if, following such revocation, there are outstanding un-revoked requests from Requesting Stockholders holding less than the Requisite Percentage, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion, cancel the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting.

(d)    Valid Items of Business for a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 3, a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting shall not be held if (i) the Special Meeting Request does not comply with these Bylaws; (ii) the Special Meeting Request relates to an item of business that is not a proper subject for Stockholder action under applicable law; (iii) the Special Meeting Request is received by the Corporation’s Secretary during the period commencing ninety (90) days prior to the anniversary date of the prior year’s annual meeting of Stockholders and ending on the date of the final adjournment of the next annual meeting of Stockholders; (iv) an identical or substantially similar item (a “Similar Item”) was presented at any meeting of Stockholders held not more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to receipt by the Corporation’s Secretary of the Special Meeting Request; (v) the Board of Directors has called or calls for an annual or special meeting of Stockholders to be held within ninety (90) days after the Corporation’s Secretary receives the Special Meeting Request and the Board of Directors determines that the business of such meeting includes (among any other matters properly brought before the annual or special meeting) a Similar Item; or (vi) the Special Meeting Request was made in a manner that involved a violation of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, would violate an applicable law or regulation, or would cause the company to violate the law or other applicable law. For purposes of this Section 3(d), the nomination, election or removal of directors shall be deemed a “Similar Item” with respect to all items of business involvingthe nomination, election or removal of directors, thechanging of the size of the Board of Directors and the filling of vacancies and/or newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of Directors. If none of the Requesting Stockholders appears or sends a qualified representative to present the item of business submitted by the Stockholder(s) for consideration at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, such item of business shall not be submitted for a vote of the Stockholders at such Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation or such Stockholder(s). Whether the Requesting Stockholders have complied with the requirements of this Section 3 and related provisions of these Bylaws shall be determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, which determination shall be exclusive and binding on the Corporation and the Stockholders. Nothing contained in this Section 3 shall prohibit the Board of Directors from submitting matters to Stockholders at any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting.

(e)    Holding a Special Meeting. Special meetings of Stockholders shall be held at such date, time and place as may be fixed by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting requested pursuant to a Valid Special Meeting Request shall be not more than ninety (90) days after the date on which a Valid Special Meeting Request has been delivered to the Corporation’s Secretary.

Section 4.    Notice of Meetings. At least ten (10) and no more than sixty (60) days prior to any annual or special meeting of the Stockholders, the Corporation shall notify the Stockholders of the date, time and place, if any, and means of remote communication, if any, of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or where otherwise required by the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate”) or by statute, shall briefly describe the purpose or purposes of the meeting. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to Stockholders, notice of meetings may be given to Stockholders by means of electronic transmission in accordance with applicable law. Only business within the purpose or purposes described in the notice may be conducted at a special meeting. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit theBoard of Directors from submitting matters to the Stockholders at

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any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. Unless otherwise required by the Certificate or by statute, the Corporation shall be required to give notice only to the Stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting. If an annual or special Stockholders’ meeting is adjourned to a different date, time or place, notice thereof need not be given if the new date, time or place, if any, and means of remote communication, if any, is announced at the meeting before adjournment. If a new record date for the adjourned meeting is fixed pursuant to Article 7, Section 5 hereof, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to persons who are Stockholders as of the new record date. If mailed, notice shall be deemed to be effective when deposited in the United States mail with postage thereon prepaid, correctly addressed to the Stockholder’s address shown in the Corporation’s current record of Stockholders.

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LOGOLOGO

PRELIMINARY PROXY CARD YUM CHINA HOLDINGS, INC. 7100 CORPORATE DRIVE PLANO, TX 75024 VOTE BY INTERNET -Before The Meeting—Go to www.proxyvote.com Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until at 11:59 PM (local time) the day before the meeting date.p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong Time / 11:59 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on May 27, 2021. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web sitewebsite and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY MATERIALS If you would likeDuring The Meeting—Go to reducewww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021 You may attend the costs incurred by our company in mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronicallymeeting via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions above to vote using the Internet and when prompted, indicatevote during the meeting. Have the information that you agree to receive or access proxy materials electronicallyis printed in future years.the box marked by the arrow available and follow the instructions. VOTE BY PHONE - PHONE—1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M. (local time) the day before the meeting date.p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong Time / 11:59 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on May 27, 2021. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. YUM CHINA HOLDINGS, INC. 7100 CORPORATE DRIVE PLANO, TX 75024 E42343-P02209ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY MATERIALS If you would like to reduce the costs incurred by our company in mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions above to vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access proxy materials electronically in future years. TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: D42388-P53537 KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY YUM CHINA HOLDINGS, INC. The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following: 1. Election of Directors Nominees: For Against Abstain Nominees: ! ! ! 1a. Louis T. Hsieh ! ! !Fred Hu 1b. Jonathan S. Linen ! ! ! 1c. Muktesh “Micky” Pant ! ! ! 1d. William Wang For Against AbstainJoey Wat The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR For Against Abstain proposals 2, 3 and 3. ! ! !4. 1c. Peter A. Bassi 2. Ratification of the Appointment of KPMG Huazhen LLP as the Company’s Independent Auditor ! ! !1d. Edouard Ettedgui 3. Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation 1e. Cyril Han 4. Amended Approval and of an Restated Amendment Certificate to of the Incorporation Company’s to Allow Stockholders Holding 25% of the Company’s 1f. Louis T. Hsieh Outstanding Shares the Right to Call Special Meetings 1g. Ruby Lu upon NOTE: such The other proxies business are authorized as may properly to vote in come their before discretion upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. 1h. Zili Shao 1i. William Wang 1j. Min (Jenny) Zhang Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by authorized officer. Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] Date Signature (Joint Owners) Date


LOGOLOGO

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:The Notice and Proxy Statement and Form 10-K are available at www.proxyvote.com. E42344-P02209D42389-P53537 YUM CHINA HOLDINGS, INC. Annual Meeting of Stockholders 8:00 a.m. on May 11, 201828, 2021 Beijing/Hong Kong Time / 8:30 AM00 p.m. on May 27, 2021 U.S. Eastern Time This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors The undersigned stockholder(s) hereby appoint(s) Shella NgAndy Yeung and Jacky Lo,Joseph Chan, or either of them, as proxies, each with the power to appoint his/herhis substitute, revoking all proxies previously given, and hereby authorize(s) them to represent and to vote, as designated on the reverse side of this proxy, all of the shares of common stock of Yum China Holdings, Inc. that the stockholder(s) is/are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held via a live webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/YUMC2021 at 8:3000 a.m. local time, on May 11, 2018, atthe Mandarin Oriental 28, 2021 Beijing/Hong Kong 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong,Time / 8:00 p.m. on May 27, 2021 U.S. Eastern Time, and any adjournment or postponement thereof. This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If no such direction is made, this proxy will be voted in accordance with the Board of Directors’ recommendations. Continued and to be signed on reverse side