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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SYSCO CORPORATION

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

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Table of Contents

INVITATION FROM OUR LEADERSHIP

Dear Fellow Stockholder,

It is our pleasure to invite you to join us, our Board of Directors, senior leadership and other associates at Sysco Corporation’s 20142016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2014,16, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at The Houstonian Hotel located at 111 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024.

Please vote right away

Our stockholder meeting is an opportunity for our senior management and Board of Directors to present Sysco’s performance and strategy, and to respond to your questions. By participating in our stockholder meeting, you play an active role in the future of your company. Please vote right away over the internet, by telephone or by signing and mailing the attached proxy card.

Enhanced stockholder communications

We are committed to ensuring that our proxy statement and associated materials are clear and easy to read. Our 20142016 proxy statement displays our ongoing commitment to clearly explain the matters to be addressed at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders. We encourage you to begin your review of this year’s document with our proxy summary, which provides highlights of the detailed information included elsewhere in the proxy statement.

If you wish to receive future E-Proxy Notices electronically, which helps to reduce Sysco’s printing costs and aligns with our sustainability principles, please visithttp://enroll.icsdelivery.com/syy for additional information.

Board and Leadershipleadership & oversight

We continuously strive for the most effective Board and Leadership Structure to promote Sysco’s vision to be our customer’s most valued and trusted business partner and to represent the long-term interests of Sysco’s stockholders. We have active participation by all Directors, including eight independent directors.members of our Board of Directors. We believe that the structure of our Board, relyingas well as the deep, relevant expertise that our directors collectively provide, cultivate strong oversight and guidance as we execute on leadership from both independent and non-independent directors, positions Sysco to benefit from the respective strengths of our CEO and our independent Non-Executive Chairman of the Board. Immediately preceding our 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Houston on November 15, 2013, our Board named Jackie M. Ward as its Non-Executive Chairman, succeeding Manny Fernandez. Ms. Ward, a Sysco director since September 2001, was previously the Board’s lead director, chaired the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, and served on the Compensation Committee and the Executive Committee.long-term strategy. You will find detailed information about the qualifications of all of our Directors beginning on page 22.24 and information about our Board refreshment and tenure policy on page 15.

Thank you for your interest

We trust that enhanced communication about our annual stockholder meeting will reinforce our dialogue with stockholders, and encourage you to cast your vote right away. Thank you for your continued trust and confidence in Sysco.

Bill DeLaney, President and Chief Executive Officer

Jackie Ward, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board

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1390 Enclave Parkway

Houston, Texas 77077-2099

November 19, 201416, 2016

10:00 a.m.

The Houstonian Hotel located at 111 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Sysco Corporation, a Delaware corporation, will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 201416, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at The Houstonian Hotel located at 111 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024, for the following purposes:

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on September 22, 2014,19, 2016, will be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. For instructions on voting, please refer to the notice you received in the mail or, if you requested a hard copy of the proxy statement, on your enclosed proxy card. You may inspect a list of stockholders of record at the company’s headquarters during regular business hours during the 10-day period before the Annual Meeting. You may also inspect this list at the Annual Meeting.

October 8, 20145, 2016

Houston, Texas

By Order of the Board of Directors

Russell T. Libby

Executive Vice President, – Corporate AffairsAdministration
and Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary

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SYSCO CORPORATION-2014 Proxy Statement6Important Dates for 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (page 84)

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Sysco Corporation
1390 Enclave Parkway
Houston, Texas 77077-2099
October 8, 20145, 2016

PROXY STATEMENT

We are providing you with a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and access to these proxy materials, which include this 20142016 Proxy Statement, the proxy card for the 20142016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2014,2016, because our Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” or “Sysco,” as used in this proxy statement, refer to Sysco Corporation. Our Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2014,16, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at The Houstonian Hotel located at 111 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024.

At the close of business on September 22, 2014,19, 2016, there were 587,249,628551,217,611 shares of Sysco Corporation common stock (“Common Stock”) outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. All of our current directors and executive officers (18(24 persons) beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, an aggregate of 3,737,28448,570,829 shares, which was less than 1%approximately 8.81% of our outstanding common stockCommon Stock as of September 22, 2014.19, 2016.

Only owners of record of shares of Sysco’s common stockCommon Stock as of the close of business on the record date, September 22, 2014,19, 2016, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at the Annual Meeting or at any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. Each owner of record is entitled to one vote for each share owned on the record date on each matter presented at the Annual Meeting.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING

A proxy statement is a document that Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regulations require us to give you when we ask you to sign a proxy designating individuals to vote on your behalf. A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the stock you own. That other person is called a proxy. If you designate someone as your proxy in a written document, that document also is called a proxy or a proxy card. We have designated three of our officers as proxies for the 20142016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. These three officers are William J. DeLaney, Chris KreidlerJoel T. Grade and Russell T. Libby.

In accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the SEC, instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials, including our annual report to stockholders, to each stockholder of record, we now generally furnish proxy materials, including our annual report to stockholders, to our stockholders on the Internet. Unless you have previously signed up to receive your materials in paper, you will receive a document entitledNotice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (which we also refer to as the E-Proxy Notice) and will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials or the annual report to stockholders (unless you specifically request them). Instead, the E-Proxy Notice will instruct you as to how you may use the Internet to access and review all of the important information contained in the proxy materials, including our annual report to stockholders.

The E-Proxy Notice also instructs you as to how you may submit your proxy on the Internet. Instructions for requesting printed proxy materials are included in the E-Proxy Notice. E-Proxy Notices are distributed by mail, unless you previously signed up to receive your proxy materials electronically, in which case it will be emailed to you. Set forth below is a summary of delivery methods.

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Receiving Future Proxy Materials Electronically and Receiving the E-Proxy Notice by e-mail: If you previously elected to receive your proxy materials in printed format, but would like to receive an E-Proxy Notice only and use the Internet to access proxy materials, please visithttp://enroll.icsdelivery.com/syyfor additional information. This would significantly reduce our printing and postage costs and eliminate bulky paper documents from your personal files. To receive your E-Proxy Notice by e-mail, please visithttp://enroll.icsdelivery.com/syyfor additional information.

These terms describe the manner in which your shares are held. If your shares are registered directly in your name with the Company’s registrar and transfer agent, American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, you are considered a “stockholder of record” with respect to those shares. If your shares are held inthrough a brokerage account, bank, trust or other nominee as custodian on your behalf, you are considered the “beneficial owner” or “street name holder” of those shares. See questions 5, 6 and 9 below for important information for beneficial owners.

You may vote your shares as follows:

You need to bring documentation showing that you owned Common Stock on the record date, September 22, 2014.19, 2016.You also will need to bring a photo ID to gain admissionadmission.. Please note that cameras, sound or video recording equipment cellular telephones, smartphones or other similar equipment, electronic devices, large bags, briefcases or packages may not be allowed in the meeting room. If you are a beneficial owner, bring the notice or voting instruction form you received from your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee for admission to the meeting. You also may bring your brokerage statement reflecting your ownership of Common Stock as of September 22, 201419, 2016 with you to the meeting.Please note that you will not be able to vote your shares at the meeting without a legal proxy, as described in the response to question 6 below..

You will need to ask your broker, bank or other intermediary to furnish you with a legal proxy. You will need to bring the legal proxy with you to the meeting and hand it in with a signed ballot that will be provided to you at the meeting. You will not be able to vote your shares at the meeting without a legal proxy. If you do not receive the legal proxy in time, you can follow the procedures described in the response to question 5 above to gain admission to the meeting. However, you will not be able to vote your shares at the meeting. Accordingly, we encourage you to vote your shares in advance, even if you intend to attend the meeting. Please note that, if you request a legal proxy, any previously executed proxy will be revoked and your vote will not be counted unless you appear at the meeting and vote in person or legally appoint another proxy to vote on your behalf.

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If you vote by proxy, the individuals named on the proxy card (your proxies) will vote your shares in the manner you indicate. Directors will be elected by a majority of the votes cast, either for or against, by the holders of the shares of Common Stock voting in person or by proxy at the meeting. In order to be approved, each other proposal will require approval by a majority of the votes cast, either for or against, by the holders of the shares of Common Stock voting in person or by proxy at the meeting. As an advisory vote, the proposal to approve executive compensation is not binding upon the Company. However, the Compensation Committee, which is responsible for designing and administering the Company’s executive compensation program, values the opinions expressed by stockholders and will consider the outcome of the vote when making future compensation decisions.

Stockholders should specify their choices for each matter on the proxy card. If no specific instructions are given, proxies that are signed and returned will be voted:

Proxies will be voted in the discretion of the proxy holders on any other matter that may properly come before the Annual Meeting.

As a beneficial owner, in order to ensure your shares are voted in the way you would like, you must provide voting instructions to your bank, broker or other nominee by the deadline provided in the materials you receive from your bank, broker or other nominee. If you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, broker or other nominee, whether your shares can be voted by such person depends on the type of item being considered for vote.

Non-Discretionary ItemsItems.. The election of Directors, the proposal to approve the adoption of the Sysco Corporation 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and the advisory proposal to approve executive compensation and the stockholder proposal are non-discretionary items and may not be voted on by brokers, banks or other nominees who have not received specific voting instructions from beneficial owners.

Discretionary Items. The ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm is a discretionary item. Generally, brokers, banks and other nominees that do not receive voting instructions from beneficial owners may vote on this proposal in their discretion.

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You may revoke or change your proxy at any time prior to the completion of voting at the Annual Meeting by:

The last vote that we receive from you will be the vote that is counted.

A quorum is necessary to hold a valid meeting. A quorum will exist if the holders of at least 35% of all the shares entitled to vote at the meeting are present in person or by proxy. All shares voted by proxy are counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum, including those that abstain or as to which the proxies contain broker non-votes as to one or more items.

Sysco’s Bylaws and Corporate Governance Guidelines include a majority vote standard for uncontested director elections. Since the number of nominees timely nominated for the Annual Meeting does not exceed the number of directors to be elected, each director to be elected shall be elected if the number of votes cast “for” election of the director exceeds those cast “against.” Any incumbent director who is not re-elected will be required to tender his or her resignation promptly following certification of the stockholders’ vote. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will consider the tendered resignation and recommend to the Board of Directors whether to accept or reject the resignation offer, or whether other action should be taken. The Board of Directors will act on the recommendation within 120 days following certification of the stockholders’ vote and will promptly make a public disclosure of its decision regarding whether to accept the director’s resignation offer.

Pursuant to Sysco’s Bylaws, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast, either for or against, is required for the approval of:

The vote on compensation paid to Sysco’s named executive officers is being provided pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act. In light of the stockholder recommendation at Sysco’s 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders regarding the frequency of the stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation, it is the current intention of the Sysco Board of Directors to conduct an annual stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation until the next required vote on the frequency of stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation that will occur at our 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Broker non-votes and abstentions will be disregarded with respect to the election of directors and each of the other proposals.

We will appoint one or more Inspectors of Election who will determine the number of shares outstanding, the voting power of each, the number of shares represented at the Annual Meeting, the existence of a quorum and whether or not the proxies and ballots are valid and effective.

The Inspectors of Election will determine, and retain for a reasonable period, a record of the disposition of any challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and will count all votes and ballots cast for and against and any abstentions or broker non-votes with respect to all proposals and will determine the results of each vote.

Abstentions and broker non-votes are included in determining whether a quorum is present. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the broker does not have discretionary voting authority and has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner. Broker non-votes and abstentions will be disregarded with respect to the election of directors and each of the other proposals.

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We will pay all of the cost of solicitation of proxies including preparing, printing and mailing this proxy statement and the E-Proxy Notice. Solicitation may be made personally or by mail, telephone or electronic data transfer by officers, directors and employees of the Company (who will not receive any additional compensation for any solicitation of proxies).

We will also authorize banks, brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to forward copies of proxy materials and will reimburse them for their costs in sending the materials. We have retained Georgeson Shareholder Communications to help us solicit proxies from these entities and certain other stockholders, in writing or by telephone, at an estimated fee of $12,000 plus reimbursement for their out-of-pocket expenses.

We do not know of any matter that will be presented at the Annual Meeting other than the election of directors and the other proposals discussed in this proxy statement. However, if any other matter is properly presented at the Annual Meeting, your proxies will act on such matter in their best judgment.

We will furnish additional copies of our annual report to stockholders, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K, without exhibits, for the year ended June 28, 2014,July 2, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Annual Report on Form“Form 10-K”), for no charge, upon your written request if you are a record or beneficial owner of Sysco Corporation common stock whose proxy we are soliciting in connection with the Annual Meeting.

Please address requests for a copy of the Annual Report on Form 10-K to the Investor Relations Department, Sysco Corporation, 1390 Enclave Parkway, Houston, Texas 77077-2099. The Annual Report on Form 10-K is also available on our website under “Investors— Annual Reports & Financial Information”and SEC Filings” atwww.sysco.com.

If your shares are held in the name of your broker or agent, and you share the same last name and address with another Sysco stockholder, you and the other stockholders at your address may receive only one copy of the E-Proxy Notice and any other proxy materials we choose to mail, unless contrary instructions are provided from any stockholder at that address. This is referred to as “householding.” If you prefer to receive multiple copies of the E-Proxy Notice and any other proxy materials that we mail, at the same address, additional copies will be provided to you promptly upon written or oral request, and if you are receiving multiple copies of the E-Proxy Notice and other proxy materials, you may request that you receive only one copy. Please address requests for a copy of the E-Proxy Notice and other proxy materials to the Investor RelationsBroadridge, Householding Department, Sysco Corporation, 1390 Enclave Parkway, Houston, Texas 77077-2099,51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York, 11717, or call the Investor Relations DepartmentBroadridge at 281-584-1308. The Annual Report on Form 10-K is also available on our website under “Investors—Reports & Financial Information” atwww.sysco.com.

If your shares are not registered in your own name, you can request additional copies of the E-Proxy Notice and any other proxy materials we mail or you can request householding by notifying your broker or agent in whose name your shares are registered.(866) 540-7095.

We will announce the preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders.Meeting. The Company will report the final results on our website and in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC within four business days following the Annual Meeting.

It is the Board’s policy that Directors attend the Annual Meeting, of Stockholders, to the extent practicable. In fiscal 2014, allAll Directors who were in office at that time attended the Annual Meetingannual meeting of stockholders held in November 2013.2015.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

We believe that good corporate governance is critical to achieving business success. The CompanyBoard has adopted certain documents, referred to herein as our Governance Documents, to provide a general framework for the Company and reflect our commitment to sound governance practices, including:

These Governance Documents outline the functions of the Board, each of the Board’s committees, director responsibilities, and various processes and procedures designed to ensure effective and responsive governance. These guidelines also outline qualities and characteristics we consider when determining whether a member or candidate is qualified to serve on the Board, including diversity, skills, experience, time available and the number of other boards the member sits on, in the context of the needs of the Board and Sysco.

The Corporate Governance Guidelines comply with the listing standards of the NYSE and include guidelines for determining director independence and qualifications. OurThese guidelines define qualities and characteristics utilized in evaluating if an existing Board member or candidate meets the qualifications for service as a Sysco Board member. Additionally, diversity, skills, experience and time available for service (including consideration of other board service) are all important considerations. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee regularly reviews the Governance Documents and makes changesrecommends revisions to the Board from time to time to reflect developments in the law and corporate governance practices.

Copies of the Governance Documents can be accessed from the corporate governance section of the Company’s website at “Investors— Corporate Governance” atwww.sysco.com. These documents will also be provided without charge to any stockholder upon written request to the Corporate Secretary at Sysco Corporation, 1390 Enclave Parkway, Houston, Texas 77077.

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Stockholder Engagement

Communicating with stakeholders, whether customers, employees or stockholders, has always been an important part of how Sysco does business. In 2015, in furtherance of these efforts, we began a more formal engagement process with our stockholders regarding matters of corporate governance. This engagement process is incremental to our customary participation at industry and investment community conferences, investor road shows, and analyst meetings.

At the direction of our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, senior leaders and subject matter experts from the company met with representatives at many of our top institutional stockholders to discuss Sysco’s governance practices, executive compensation, compliance programs, and other environmental, social, and governance related matters. Management reported regularly to the Board and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee concerning these meetings, including feedback on the concerns and issues raised by our stockholders.

In fiscal 2016, this engagement program was expanded to include Ms. Ward and Mr. Glasscock, who have each participated in meetings with many of our top institutional stockholders to discuss the same governance and compensation matters described above. We look forward to gaining further insight from our stockholders during future engagements.

Enhancing Stockholder Rights

In recognition of developments in corporate governance practices and the feedback received through our engagement with stockholders, our Board has implemented the following enhancements to stockholder rights, as recommended by our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee:

Proxy Access – In August 2016, our Board adopted amendments to the Company’s bylaws to establish “proxy access” rights, beginning with our 2017 annual meeting, permitting stockholders who have beneficially owned 3% or more of Sysco’s outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years (as of the time of submission of the nomination) the right to nominate a number of director nominees equal to the greater of 2 or 20% (rounded down) of the total number of directors constituting our Board, subject to applicable limitations and procedural requirements.

Right of Stockholders to Call a Special Meeting – In November 2015, our Board adopted amendments to the Company’s bylaws to establish the right for holders of at least 25% of Sysco’s outstanding common stock who comply with certain procedural requirements to call a special meeting of stockholders.

Board Leadership Structure

The Governance Documents provide the Board with the flexibility to select the appropriate leadership structure for the Company.

Immediately preceding our 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our Board named Jackie M. Ward as its Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, succeeding Manny Fernandez.Board. Ms. Ward, a Sysco director since September 2001, previously served as the Board’s lead director and chaired the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, and she has served continuously on the Compensation Committee, the Corporate Governance and Nominating and the Executive Committee.Committee for nearly twelve years. The Board elected Ms. Ward as its Non-Executive Chairman in order to provide experienced, independent leadership for the Directors and to foster the Board’s oversight of management and the Company.

At times when our chairman is not independent or when otherwise appropriate, we utilize an independent Lead Director in order to ensure that the Board continues to maintain an independent thought process that ultimately benefits stockholders. The Lead Director, among other things, reviews meeting schedules and agendas with the chairman of the Board and serves as the primary liaison between the independent directors and the chairman of the Board.

The independent directors meet in executive session at least once a year, without the other directors present, and the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board presides at such meetings. The non-management directors meet regularly without the CEO or any other member of management present and in fiscal 20142016 met fourfive times. Ms. Ward, first as Lead Director and, subsequently, as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, presided over the sessions of the non-management and independent directors in fiscal 2014.2016.

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Communicating with the Board

Interested parties may communicate with the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, the non-management directors or independent directors as a group and the individual members of the Board by confidential web submission or by mail. All such correspondence will be delivered to the parties to whom they are addressed. The Board requests that items unrelated to the duties and responsibilities of the Board not be submitted, such as product inquiries and complaints, job inquiries, business solicitations and junk mail. You may access the form to communicate by confidential web submission in the corporate governance section of Sysco’s website under “Investors — Corporate Governance— Contact the Board” atwww.sysco.com. You can contact any of our Directors by mail in care of the Office of the Corporate Secretary, Sysco Corporation, 1390 Enclave Parkway, Houston, Texas 77077.

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Board Meetings and Committees

During fiscal 2014,2016, the Board held 1214 meetings, including four regular meetings and eightten special meetings, and committees of the Board held a total of 3034 meetings. Overall attendance at such meetings was approximately 98%. Each director attended 75% or more of the aggregate of all meetings of the Board and the committees on which he or she served during fiscal 2014.2016. The Board has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, a Corporate Sustainability Committee, a Finance Committee, and an Executive Committee. Current copies of the written charters for the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, the Finance Committee and the Corporate Sustainability Committee are published on our website under “Investors — Corporate Governance” at www.sysco.com.www.sysco.com. The current membership and primary responsibilities of the committees are summarized in the following table.

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Director IndependenceAnnual Board Self-Evaluation

The Board conducts an annual self-evaluation to determine whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively. As part of the evaluation process, each director completes a Board self-evaluation questionnaire developed by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The questionnaire responses are compiled and reviewed by outside legal counsel, which provides a summary of the responses, without attribution to any individual director, to the Chairman of the Board and the Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The outside legal counsel also conducts interviews with each director individually. The results of the questionnaires and the interview process are subsequently discussed by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and are then presented to the full Board for review and discussion.

In addition, each Board committee conducts a similar self-evaluation of its performance focused on the Committee’s key responsibilities. Feedback from the committees’ self-evaluations is reviewed by the applicable committee and also presented to the full Board for review and discussion.

In fiscal 2016, following consultation with leading third party experts on public company board governance and director evaluations, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee approved the following enhancements to the Board’s annual self-evaluation process:

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Director Independence

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that at least a majority of our directors meet the criteria for independence that the New York Stock Exchange has established for continued listing, as well as the additional criteria set forth in the Guidelines. Additionally, we require that all members of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee be independent, that all members of the Audit Committee satisfy the additional requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and applicable rules promulgated under the Exchange Act, and that all members of the Compensation Committee satisfy the additional requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

Under New York Stock Exchange listing standards, to consider a director to be independent, we must determine that he or she has no material relationship with Sysco other than as a director. The standards specify the criteria by which we must determine whether directors are independent, and contain guidelines for directors and their immediate family members with respect to employment or affiliation with Sysco or its independent public accountants.

In addition to the NYSE’s standards for independence, our Corporate Governance Guidelines contain categorical standards that provide that the following relationships will not impair a director’s independence:

The Board of Directors has reviewed all relevant relationships of the directors with Sysco. The relationships reviewed included those described under “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,” and several relationships that did not automatically make the individual non-independent under the NYSE standards or our Corporate Governance Guidelines, either because of the type of affiliation between the director and the other entity or because the amounts involved did not meet the applicable thresholds.

These additional relationships include the following (for purposes of this section, “Sysco”, “we,” “us” and “our” include our operating companies):

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After reviewing such information, the Board of Directors has determined that each of Mr. Brutto, Mr. Cassaday, Dr. Craven, Mr. Frank, Mr. Glasscock, Mr. Hafner, Mr. Halverson, Dr. Koerber, Ms. Newcomb, Mr. Peltz, Mr. Shirley, Mr. Tilghman and Ms. Ward has no material relationship with Sysco and is independent under the NYSE standards and the categorical standards set forth in the Corporate Governance Guidelines and described above.

The Board also determined that Mr. DeLaney, and Mr. Fernandez, each of whomwho served as an executive officer of the Company during fiscal 2014, are2016, is not independent pursuant to the NYSE independence standards due to such service, and that Mr. Golden is not independent due to his relationship to Arnall Golden Gregory LLP. See “Transactions with Related Persons” below for further discussion.

The Board has also determined that each member of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is independent. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines also provide that no independent director who is a member of the Audit, Compensation or Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees may receive any compensation from Sysco other than in his or her capacity as a non-employee director or committee member. The Board has determined that no non-employee director received any compensation from Sysco at any time since the beginning of fiscal 2014,2016, other than in his or her capacity as a non-employee director, committee member, committee chairman lead director or Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.

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Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions

Related Person Transactions Policies and Procedures

The Board has adopted written policies and procedures for review and approval or ratification of transactions with related persons. We subject the following related persons to these policies: directors, director nominees, executive officers, beneficial owners of more than five percent of our stock and any immediate family members of these persons.

We follow the policies and procedures below for any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships in which Sysco was or is to be a participant, the amount involved exceeds $100,000, and in which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. These policies specifically apply without limitation to purchases of goods or services by or from the related person or entities in which the related person has a material interest, indebtedness, guarantees of indebtedness, and employment by Sysco of a related person. The Board of Directors has determined that the following do not create a material direct or indirect interest on behalf of the related person, and are, therefore, not related person transactions to which these policies and procedures apply:

Any of our employees, officers or directors who have knowledge of a proposed related person transaction must report the transaction to our Chief Legal Officer.chief legal officer. Whenever practicable, before the transaction goes effective or becomes consummated, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors will review and approve the proposed transaction in accordance with the terms of this policy. If the Chief Legal Officerchief legal officer determines that it is not practicable to obtain advance approval of the transaction under the circumstances, the Committee will review and, in its discretion may ratify, the transaction at its next meeting. In addition, the Board of Directors has delegated to the Chair of the Committee the authority to pre-approve or ratify, as applicable, any related person transaction in which the aggregate amount involved is expected to be less than $500,000.

In addition, if a related person transaction is ongoing in nature and the Committee has previously approved it, or the transaction otherwise already exists, the Committee will review the transaction during its first meeting of each fiscal year to:

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The Committee will review such additional information about the transaction as it in its sole discretion shall deem relevant. The Committee may approve or ratify the transaction only if the Committee determines that, based on its review, the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, the best interests of Sysco. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, impose such conditions as it deems appropriate on Sysco or the related person when approving a transaction. If the Committee or the Chair, as applicable, does not ratify a related person transaction, we will either rescind or modify the transaction, as the Committee or the Chair, as applicable, directs, as soon as practicable following the failure to ratify the transaction. The Chair will report to the Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting any action that he or she has taken under the authority delegated pursuant to this policy. If any director has an interest in a related person transaction, he or she is not allowed to participate in any discussion or approval of the transaction, except that the director is required to provide all material information concerning the transaction to the Committee.

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Transactions with Related Persons

Mr. Golden, one of our directors, is the sole stockholder of Jonathan Golden, P.C., a partner in the law firm of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, Atlanta, Georgia, which provided legal services to Sysco during fiscal 20142016 and continues to do so in fiscal 2015.2017. During fiscal 2014,2016, Sysco incurred approximately $2.2$1.2 million in legal fees and disbursements related to these services. We believe the amounts were fair and reasonable in view of the level and extent of services rendered. Due to this relationship, Mr. Golden is not considered to be an independent director under the NYSE standards or the categorical standards set forth in Sysco’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.

Michael W. Green’s brother-in-law works for, and handles the account for, Red Gold, Inc., a company which supplies tomato products to Sysco. Sysco paid Red Gold approximately $62.7 million during fiscal 2014. Mr. Green’s sister and brother-in-law own Sunrise Café, one of Sysco’s customers. Sysco and its affiliates sold approximately $158,000 in product to Sunrise Café during fiscal 2014. Mr. Green serves as our Executive Vice President and President of Foodservice Operations.

Ms. Twila Day is the wife of William Day, our Executive Vice President, Merchandising. Ms. Day previously served as Sysco’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer from December 2005 until January 2010, when she was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, and served in this position until her departure from Sysco effective June 29, 2013. In July 2013, Ms. Day received a lump sum separation payment of $1,155,000. In August 2013, Ms. Day received a payment of $144,698 with respect to a 2011 CPU grant and a MIP bonus of $153,384. Following her departure from Sysco, Ms. Day accepted a position as a managing director of the consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, which has provided consulting services to Sysco since 2004. Sysco and its affiliates purchased approximately $3.6$1.7 million in consulting services from this firm in fiscal 2014,2016, although Ms. Day did not personally provide any services to Sysco, nor did she receive any compensation as a result of these services.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee has approved alleach of the above transactions in accordance with the disclosed policies and procedures.

Risk Oversight

One of the primary oversight functions of the Board is to ensure that Sysco has an appropriate risk management process in place that is commensurate with both the short and long-term goals of the Company. In order to effectively fulfill this oversight role, the Board relies on various individuals and committees within management and among our Board members. See “Board of Directors Matters—Election of Directors at 20142016 Annual Meeting (Item I)1) —Director Qualifications” and “Board of Directors Matters—Board Composition” below for a description of individual director qualifications, including risk management experience.

Management is responsible for identifying, managing and mitigating risks, and reports directly to the Audit Committee and the Board on a regular basis with respect to risk management. As discussed above under “Board Meetings and Committees of the Board,” the Audit Committee reviews Sysco’s process by which management assesses and manages the Company’s exposure to risk. The Audit Committee also makes recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to the process by which members of the Board and relevant committees will be made aware of the Company’s significant risks, including recommendations regarding what committee of the Board would be most appropriate to take responsibility for oversight of management with respect to the most material risks faced by the Company. On an annual basis management reviews with the Board the key enterprise risks identified in the process, such as strategic, operational, financial, compliance and reputation risks, as well as management’s process for addressing and mitigating the potential effects of such risks. Through this process Sysco has developed an enhanced enterprise risk management proceduresprocess that includeincludes frequent discussion and prioritization of key risk issues by the executive management team, enhanceda deep dive approach to fully understand the risks, creation of a risk management plan in support of lowering the risk’s exposure to the level of management’s preferred tolerance, and tracking and monitoring of risk information and identificationmanagement’s execution of particular risks for which management intends to develop or enhance Sysco’s managementthe plan, all within a governance and mitigation plans.reporting cadence.

The Board’s committees help oversee the risk management process within the respective areas of the committees’ delegated oversight authority. The Audit Committee is primarily responsible for hiring and evaluating our independent auditor, review of our internal controls, oversight of our internal audit function, oversight of customer credit risk, reviewing contingent liabilities that may be material to the Company and various regulatory and compliance oversight functions. The Compensation Committee is responsible for ensuring that our executive compensation policies and practices do not incentivize excessive or inappropriate risk-taking by employees. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee monitors risk by ensuring that proper corporate governance standards are maintained, that the Board is comprised of qualified Directors, and that qualified individuals are chosen as senior officers. The Finance Committee oversees risks involving capital structure of the enterprise, including borrowing, liquidity, allocation of capital, major capital transactions and expenditures, funding of benefit plans, credit/counterparty risk investment risk and cyber-securityinvestment risk. The Non-Executive Chairman of the Board coordinates the flow of information regarding risk oversight from each respective committee to the independent Directors and participates in the review of the agenda for each Board and Committee meeting. As the areas of oversight among committees sometimes overlap, committees may hold joint meetings when appropriate and address certain risk oversight issues at the full Board level. The Board considers risk in evaluating the Company’s strategy, including specific strategic and emerging risks, and annually reviews and approves corporate goals and capital budgets. The Board also monitors any specific risks for which it has chosen to retain oversight rather than delegating oversight to one of its committees, such as risks related to our Business Transformation Project (including the associated informationcyber-security, technology risks)platform development and our proposed merger with USF Holding Corp.succession planning.

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Codes of Conduct

We require all of our officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller, to comply with our Code of Conduct applicable to Sysco employees to help ensure that we conduct our business in accordance with the highest standards of moral and ethical behavior. This Code of Conduct addresses the following, among other topics:

Our Code, which is reviewed annually by our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, requires strict adherence to all laws and regulations applicable to our business and requires employees to report any violations or suspected violations of the Code. In August 2010, we also adopted a separate Code of Conduct applicable to non-employee directors that is similar in scope to the employee Code but is tailored to the issues and concerns facing Sysco directors. We have published the Codes of Conduct for employees and non-employee directors on our website under “Investors— Corporate Governance” atwww.sysco.com. We intend to disclose any future amendments to or waivers of our Code applicable to our principaldirectors or executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller, as well as any employees performing similar functions,officers on our website atwww.sysco.com under the heading “Investors— Corporate Governance.”

Reporting a Concern or Violation

Our Code of Conduct explains that there are multiple channels for an employee to report a concern, including to his or her manager, a human resource professional, orour legal counsel, to ouror internal audit department, or to the Sysco Associate Hotline, which is monitored by Global Compliance. Our Global Compliance Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to receive calls or web submissions from anyone wishing to report a concern or complaint, anonymous or otherwise. Our HotLine contact information can be found on our website atwww.sysco.comunder the heading “Investors—Corporate Governance—Contact the Board.”

Any report to any one of our multiple channels for reporting concerns that raiseraises a concern or allegation of impropriety relating to our accounting, internal controls or other financial or audit matters is immediately forwarded to the Office of the Chief Legal Officer, whichour Executive Vice President, Administration and Corporate Secretary, who is then responsible for reporting such matters, unfiltered, to the Chair of our Audit Committee. All such matters are investigated and responded to in accordance with the procedures established by the Audit Committee to ensure compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Compensation Consultants

Since September 2009,In May 2014, the Compensation Committee has retained Compensation Advisory PartnersExequity LLP (“CAP”Exequity”) as its executive compensation consultant. Retained by and reporting directly to the Compensation Committee, CAP has providedExequity provides the Committee with assistance in evaluating Sysco’s executive compensation programs and policies, and, where appropriate, has assisted with the redesign and enhancement of elements of the programs. The scope of CAP’sExequity’s assignments inwith regard to fiscal 20142016 executive compensation included:

CAPExequity has also advisesadvised the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee with respect to non-employee director compensation. At the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s request, CAPExequity has provided data regarding the amounts and type of compensation paid to non-employee directors at the companies in Sysco’s peer group, and has also identified trends in director compensation. All decisions regarding non-employee director compensation are recommended by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. In addition to providing background information and written materials, CAPExequity representatives attendattended meetings at which the Committee Chairmen believe that their expertise would be beneficial to the Committees’ discussions. Neither CAPExequity nor any of its affiliates provided any additional services to Sysco and its affiliates in fiscal 20142016, or any such services in fiscal 20152017 through the date of the proxy statement. Sysco does not expect CAPExequity to provide any such services to Sysco duringin the remainder of fiscal 2015.future. The Compensation Committee has determined CAPExequity to be independent from the Company and that no conflicts of interest exist related to CAP’sExequity’s services provided to the Compensation Committee. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis–How Executive Pay is Established—Committee Oversight.”

For a discussion of the role of the CEO and other executive officers in determining or recommending NEO compensation, see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – How Executive Pay is Established – Role of CEO and/or Other Executive Officers in Determining NEO Compensation.”

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Since September 2010, the Senior Vice President, Human Resources and his Human Resources department (“HR”) have retained the services of Towers Watson to provide assistance to HR and Sysco management in making recommendations to the Compensation Committee and the Board with respect to certain aspects of executive compensation. Towers Watson has provided advice directly to Sysco’s management team and has consulted directly with management and provided, among other things, reports based on their proprietary data and information regarding market benchmarks. While Towers Watson did not provide the Committee with any direct advice regarding any of the NEOs, the Compensation Committee’s decisions are indirectly impacted by input from Towers Watson that is presented by management, and such information is used by the Committee in its dialogue with CAP representatives.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MATTERS

We believe that our directors should possess the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and values, and be committed to representing the long-term interests of Sysco’s stockholders. They must also have an inquisitive and objective perspective, practical wisdom and mature judgment. We endeavor to have a Board representing a range of backgrounds and experiences in areas that are relevant to the Company’s activities so that the Board, as a whole, possesses the combination of skills, professional experience, and diversity of backgrounds necessary to oversee Sysco’s business. In particular, we place a high level of importance on knowledge and experience specific to and relevant in our industry, with eight directors with direct food industry experience.

Election of Directors at 20142016 Annual Meeting (Item 1)

Election Process

The company’s Bylawsbylaws provide for majority voting in uncontested director elections. Majority voting means that directors are elected by a majority of the votes cast—that is, the number of shares voted “for” a director must exceed the number of shares voted “against” that director. Any incumbent director who is not re-elected in an election in which majority voting applies shall tender his or her resignation promptly following certification of the stockholders’ vote. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee shall consider the tendered resignation and recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject the resignation offer, or whether other action should be taken. The director who tenders his or her resignation shall not participate in the recommendation of the committee or the decision of the Board with respect to his or her resignation. The Board shall act on the recommendation within 120 days following certification of the stockholders’ vote and shall promptly disclose its decision regarding whether to accept the director’s resignation offer. In contested elections, where there are more nominees than seats on the Board as of the record date of the meeting at which the election will take place, directors are elected by a plurality vote. This means that the nominees who receive the most votes of all the votes cast for directors will be elected.

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Nomination Process

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and evaluating candidates for election to Sysco’s Board of Directors.

Director Candidates Identified by the Board and Management. In consideringidentifying candidates for election to the Board, the Committee will determine which of the incumbent directors whose terms expirehas an interest in being nominated for re-election at the upcoming Annual Meeting and who wish to continue their service on the Board.next meeting of stockholders. The Committee will also identify and evaluate new candidates for election to the Board for the purpose of filling vacancies. The Committee will solicit recommendations for nominees from persons that the Committee believes are likely to be familiar with qualified candidates. These persons may includecandidates, including current members of the Board and Sysco’s management and stockholders who beneficially own individually or as a group at least five percent of Sysco’s outstanding shares for at least one year and who have expressed an interest in recommending director candidates. In evaluating candidates, the Committee will consider the absence or presence of material relationships with Sysco that might impact independence, as well as the diversity, age, skills, experience, time available and the number of other boards the candidate sits on in the context of the needs of the Board and Sysco, and such other criteria as the Committee shall determine to be relevant at the time.management. The Committee may also determine to engage a professional search firm to assist in identifying qualified candidates. WhereWhen such a search firm is engaged, the Committee shall set its fees and scope of engagement.

During 2016, in connection with the Board refreshment efforts described above, the Board engaged the services of a search firm to assist with identifying and recruiting appropriate director candidates. Following consideration of director candidates referred by our then-current directors and identified by our search firm, upon the recommendation of our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, in September 2016 our Board unanimously expanded the size of the Board from 12 to 15 directors and elected three new independent, non-employee directors: Mr. Daniel J. Brutto, Mr. Bradley M. Halverson and Mr. Edward  D. Shirley. The size of the Board will be reduced from 15 to 14 directors, effective at the time of the Annual Meeting, in connection with the expiration of Mr. Hafner’s term. As our longest-tenured directors retire from the Board pursuant to the director tenure policy, we will continue our director recruitment efforts to help ensure that the size of the Board may be maintained at an appropriate level. Accordingly, over the next two years, the Board has determined to elect one additional independent director in each of 2017 and 2018, assuming that it is able to identify a sufficient number of qualified candidates interested in serving as a director.

Director Candidates Recommended by Stockholders.The Committee will also consider candidates recommended by stockholders. The Committee will evaluate such recommendations using the same criteria that it uses to evaluate other director candidates. Stockholders can recommend candidates for consideration by the Committee by writing to the Corporate Secretary, 1390 Enclave Parkway, Houston, Texas 77077, and including the following information:

The Committee typically recommends director candidates to the Board in early July of each year. The Committee will consider, in advance of Sysco’s next Annual Meetingannual meeting of stockholders, those director candidate recommendations that the Committee receives by May 1st. With respect1, 2017.

In addition, if we receive by June 7, 2017, a recommendation of a director candidate from one or more stockholders who have beneficially owned at least five percent of our outstanding common stock for at least one year as of the date the stockholder makes the recommendation, then we will disclose in our next proxy materials relating to the election of directors the identity of the candidate, the identity of the nominating stockholder(s) and whether the Committee determined to nominate such candidate for election to the Board. However, we will not provide this disclosure without first obtaining written consent of such disclosure from both the nominating stockholder and the candidate it is planning to recommend. The Committee will maintain appropriate records regarding its process of identifying and evaluating candidates for election to the Board. The Committee has not received any recommendations for director nominees for election at the 2016 annual stockholders meeting from any Sysco stockholders beneficially owning more than five percent of Sysco’s outstanding common stock.

Proxy Access Director Candidates. For director elections following the Annual Meeting, our proxy access bylaw provisions will permit an eligible stockholder (or a group of up to 20 eligible stockholders), who have continuously owned for a period of three years at least 3% of the aggregate of our outstanding common stock, to nominate a number of

SYSCO CORPORATION - 2016 Proxy Statement23

director nominees equal to 20% (rounded down) of the total number of directors constituting our Board (provided that, if the total number of directors is less than 10, an eligible stockholder or group may nominate up to 2 persons), which nominees will be included in our proxy statement for the relevant annual stockholders meeting if the nominating stockholder(s) and the respective nominee(s) comply with all applicable eligibility, procedural and disclosure requirements set forth in our bylaws.

Evaluation of Director Candidates.In evaluating all incumbent and new director candidates that the Committee believesdetermines merit consideration, the Committee will:

In its discretion, the Committee may designate one or more of its members, or the entire Committee, to interview any proposed candidate. Based on all available information and relevant considerations, the Committee will recommend to the full Board for nomination those candidates who, in the viewjudgment of the Committee, are most suitedappropriate for membership on the Board.Board based on each candidate’s characteristics, skills and qualifications.

The Committee has not received any recommendations for director nominees for election at the 2014 annual stockholders meeting from any Sysco security holder or group of security holders beneficially owning more than five percent of Sysco’s outstanding common stock.Diversity

IfAs a matter of practice, the Board looks for diversity in nominees such that the individuals can enhance perspective and experience through diversity in race, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, age, geographic origin, education, and professional and life experiences. Because we receive by June 10, 2015, a recommendation of a director candidate from one or more stockholders who have beneficially owned at least five percentvalue gender and racial diversity among our Board members, three of our outstanding common stock for at leastcurrent Board members are women, including one year asAfrican American and the Chairman of the dateBoard, and two of our current Board members are from outside the stockholder makes the recommendation, then we will disclose in our next proxy materials relating to the election of directors the identity of the candidate, the identity of the nominating stockholder(s) and whether the Committee determined to nominate such candidate for election to the Board. However, we will not provide this disclosure without first obtaining written consent of such disclosure from both the nominating stockholder and the candidate it is planning to identify. The Committee will maintain appropriate records regarding its process of identifying and evaluating candidates for election to the Board.United States.

Director Qualifications and Board Succession

The Board andOur Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee consideris responsible for reviewing with the qualification ofBoard, on an annual basis, the requisite characteristics, skills and qualifications that directors and director candidates should possess individually and in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition and the company’s currentCompany’s business and future needs. Below we identifystructure. This review includes consideration of diversity, skills, experience, time available and describe somethe number of other boards for which the key experience, qualificationsindividual serves as a director, and skills that our Corporate Governancesuch other criteria as the Committee shall determine to be relevant at the time. The Committee is responsible for developing a succession plan for the Board and Nominating Committee believes individuals serving as directors of Sysco should collectively bringmaking recommendations to the Board in addition toregarding director succession.

Key Characteristics of All Nominees. Each director nominee should demonstrate and possess all of the key characteristics described above, and that are important in light of our business and structure. The priorities and emphasisfollowing characteristics:

Director Qualifications. In fiscal 2015, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and ofenhanced the Board with regard to these factors may change from time to time to take into account changes in our business and other trends, as well asCompany’s process for identifying the portfolio of skills, characteristics and experiencequalifications required for the Board to establish and oversee management’s execution of current the Company’s strategic priorities. The Committee, together with the Board as a whole

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and prospectivewith the assistance of an independent law firm, utilized feedback from senior management and the individual directors to identify the following director qualifications, which the Board members.determined are the most significant for the Board to possess, collectively, in light of the Company’s strategic priorities. These director qualifications were reviewed and affirmed by the Committee in fiscal 2016.

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In selecting the director nominees, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board reviewed each of the incumbent directors in light of these qualifications and the Company’s strategic priorities, and it concluded that each of the nominees contributed significantly to the Board’s collective portfolio of requisite skills, characteristics and qualifications and to the Board’s overall composition. The Committee and the Board also applied these qualifications in connection with its consideration of the director candidates elected to the Board in September 2016, and expects to continue to utilize these qualification criteria in connection with its ongoing Board refreshment efforts to identify additional candidates for future Board service.

The priorities and emphasis of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and of the Board with regard to these qualifications will change from time to time as the Company’s strategic priorities and the composition of the Board evolve. Included in the individual biographies below is a discussion of the most significant aspects of each director’s background that strengthen the Board’s collective qualifications, skills and experience and that the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board considered in reaching their conclusion that he or she should continue to serve as a director of Sysco.

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Nominees for Election as Directors at the 20142016 Annual Meeting

Ten directors are to be elected at the meeting. The Board of Directors currently consists of ten members. The Board of Directors was previously divided into three classes, and prior to 2012, the directors of only one of the three classes were elected at each annual meeting, for a three-year term. However, at the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders, the stockholders approved an amendment to the Bylaws to provide for the staggered de-classification of the Board, beginning in 2012.

This year, all ten directors are nominated for election at the annual meeting, for a term of one year only.

The Board of Directors has nominated the following tenfourteen persons for election as directors to serve for one-year terms or until their successors are elected and qualified:

Mr. Joseph A. Hafner is not standing for re-election, and his term will expire at the Annual Meeting. Each of the nominees is currently serving as a director of Sysco. Each of the nominees has consented to serve if elected. Although management does not contemplate the possibility, in the event any nominee is not a candidate or is unable to serve as a director at the time of the election, the proxies will vote for any nominee who is designated by the present Board of Directors to fill the vacancy.

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The Board believes that the combination of the various qualifications, skills and experiences of the nominees for election as Directors at the 20142016 Annual Meeting wouldwill contribute to an effective and well-functioning Board. Set forth below is biographical information for each of the nominees for election as a director at the 20142016 Annual Meeting. Unless otherwise noted, the persons named below have been engaged in the principal occupations shown for the past five years or longer. In addition to the information described below, many of our directors serve as trustees, directors or officers of various non-profit, educational, charitable and philanthropic organizations.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR each of the nominees listed above.

Board Composition

 Nominees for Election as Directors at the Annual Meeting:

Daniel J. Brutto

Age: 60

Director Since: September 2016

Primary Occupation: Mr. Brutto served as President of UPS International and Senior Vice President of United Parcel Service, Inc. (“UPS”) from January 2008 until his retirement in June 2013.

Other Boards: Mr. Brutto has served as a director of Illinois Tool Works Inc. since February 2012.

Key Director Qualifications:Mr. Brutto earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting degree from Loyola University in 1978, followed by a Master of Business Administration degree from Keller Graduate School of Management in 1982. Mr. Brutto served as President of UPS International and Senior Vice President of UPS, a global package delivery, supply chain management and freight forwarding company, from January 2008 until his retirement in June 2013. Previously, he served as President, Global Freight Forwarding, for UPS from 2006 to 2007, and corporate controller from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Brutto’s more than 38-year career at UPS, during which he served in various capacities with increasing levels of responsibility, provided him with extensive experience in the following areas: executive leadership/management, strategy development, business operations, finance, information systems, mergers & acquisitions, marketing and international/global. He also has public company board experience, having served as a director of Illinois Tool Works Inc. since February 2012. Additionally, Mr. Brutto is currently Vice Chairman of Radial, a privately held global fulfillment, customer care and technology company, and he has served on the board of UNICEF since 2009. In the past, he has served on the board of the US-China Business Council, the Guangdong Economic Council, and the Turkey Economic Advisory Council. He was also a delegate to the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland, from 2009 to 2013.

John M. Cassaday

Age: 61

63

Director Since: November 2004

Committees: Compensation Committee (Chair), Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

Primary Occupation: Since September 1999, Mr. Cassaday has served as President and Chief Executive Officer as well as a director, of Corus Entertainment Inc., a media and entertainment company based from September 1999 until his retirement in Canada.

March 2015.

Other Boards: Mr. Cassaday is a director of Manulife Financial Corporation, a director of Corus EntertainmentSleep Country Canada Holdings Inc., and Spin Master Ltd. and a director of one privately held companycompany: Irving Oil Limited.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. Cassaday earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration Degree with honors from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Prior to his current positionmore than 15 years of service as the founding President and CEOChief Executive Officer of Corus Entertainment Inc., a Canadian leader in radio and specialtycable television, Mr. Cassaday served as President and CEO of CTV Television Network Ltd. Mr. Cassaday’s career prior to broadcasting included executive positions in a number of leading packaged goods companies, including RJR-Macdonald, Inc., General Foods Corporation and Campbell Soup Company, where he gained food processing and food safety experience while advancing through positions in sales, marketing, and strategic planning in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. His career at Campbell’s culminated in service as President of Campbell Soup Company’s operations in Canada and then the United Kingdom. Mr. Cassaday gained additional foodservice experience through his service as a director of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food distributor,retailer, and of J.M. Schnieder, a meat processing company. This background has provided Mr. Cassaday with extensive experience and knowledge in the areas of leadership, corporate strategy

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and development, the foodservice industry, distribution and supply chains, marketing, international operations, accounting, finance and financial reporting. In addition, Mr. Cassaday’s service on the Board of Directors of Manulife Financial Corporation has provided a greater understanding of risk management and global compensation considerations. Mr. Cassaday has received many business, industry and charitable honors, including designation as the most distinguished alumni of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management in 1998, receipt of the Gold Medal from the Association of Canadian Advertisers in 2004 (which recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of marketing communications in Canada) and, induction in the Marketing Hall of Legends of Canada in 2006.2006 and induction into the Canadian Broadcast and Music Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2013, Mr. Cassaday was inducted into the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honor.

Judith B. Craven, M.D.

Age: 69

70

Director Since: July 1996

Committees: Corporate Sustainability Committee (Chair), Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

Primary Occupation: Dr. Craven served as President of the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast from 1992 until her retirement in September 1998.

Other Boards: Director of Luby’s, Inc., Sun America Funds and VALIC. In the last five years, Dr. Craven served as a director of Belo Corporation.

Key Director Qualifications: Dr. Craven earned a B.S. degree in Biology and English from Bowling Green State University, then completed premedical requirements at Texas Southern University before earning a Doctor of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine and a Master of Public Health from the University of Texas School of Public Health. She also completed the Harvard University Program for Senior Managers in Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Craven provides a unique viewpoint on Sysco’s Board as a medical doctor and distinguished public health expert. She gained a distinctive understanding of the foodservice industry after serving as Director of Public Health for the City of Houston from 1980 through 1983, which included responsibility for the regulation of all foodservice establishments in the City of Houston, including an emphasis on food safety and food handling. Following this appointment, Dr. Craven served as Dean of the University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences from 1983 to 1992. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Luby’s, Inc., which operates almost 100 restaurants and provides food services to select hospital and other medical institutions in Texas. Dr. Craven’s education and service in these various positions has provided her with extensive experience and knowledge in the areas of executive leadership and management, strategy development and the foodservice industry. Dr. Craven also has experience and knowledge in, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to, diversity and social responsibility, having led many initiatives to help increase and incorporate diversity in schools, the workplace and the community. Dr. Craven served as Vice President for Multicultural Affairs for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston from 1987 to 1992, and served as Chair of the Committee on Diversity for the University of Texas Board of Regents for six years. Under Dr. Craven’s leadership as president for six years, The United Way of The Texas Gulf Coast won the first National Award for diversity from the United Way of America. She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Compaq Corporation and the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Dr. Craven has received numerous awards and honors, including the NAACP VIP Award for Community Service, Houston’s Thirty Most Influential Black Women Award and induction into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989.

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William J. DeLaney

Age: 58

60

Director Since: January 2009

Committees: Finance Committee

Primary Occupation: Mr. DeLaney began servinghas served as Sysco’s Chief Executive Officer insince March 2009. He assumed the additional title of President in March 2010. Mr. DeLaney began his Sysco career in 1987 as Assistant Treasurer at the company’s corporate headquarters. He was promoted to Treasurer in 1991, and in 1993 he was named a Vice President of the company, continuing in those responsibilities until 1994. Mr. DeLaney joined Sysco Food Services of Syracuse in 1996 as chief financial officer, progressed to senior vice president in 1998 and executive vice president in 2002. In 2004, Mr. DeLaney was appointed president and chief executive officer of Sysco Food Services of Charlotte. He held that position until December 2006, when he was named Sysco’s Senior Vice President of Financial Reporting. Effective July 1, 2007, Mr. DeLaney was promoted to the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and continued to serve in such position following his promotion to CEO until October 2009.

Other Boards: Mr. DeLaney is a director of Express Scripts, Inc. and serves on the Compensation Committee and the Audit Committee of the Express Scripts, Inc. Board of Directors.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. DeLaney earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton Graduate Division of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. DeLaney has worked in various capacities at Sysco and its subsidiaries for more than 2025 years. Through various accounting, finance, operations and management positions within Sysco and its operating companies, Mr. DeLaney has gained valuable insight into the foodservice industry, as well as Sysco’s competitive advantages and how to further build upon them. Throughout his career, Mr. DeLaney has developed experience and knowledge in the areas of leadership and management development, corporate strategy and development, finance and accounting and distribution and supply chain management. Further, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board believe that it is appropriate and beneficial to Sysco to have its Chief Executive Officer serve as management’s voice on the Board.

Joshua D. Frank

Age: 37

Director Since: August 2015

Committees: Compensation Committee, Finance Committee

Primary Occupation: Mr. Frank is a Partner at Trian Fund Management, L.P. and has been a member of the Trian investment team since Trian’s formation in 2005.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. Frank has played a leading role in many of Trian’s investments in the consumer sector, including investments in Mondelēz International, Inc., H.J. Heinz Company and PepsiCo, Inc., as well as numerous investments across other industries. As a senior member of the Trian investment team, he sources new investment ideas, leads due diligence on potential investments and focuses on portfolio construction and corporate governance matters. Mr. Frank was previously an Associate, Corporate Development, of Triarc Companies, Inc. (now known as The Wendy’s Company) (“Triarc”). Prior to joining Triarc in 2003, Mr. Frank worked at Credit Suisse First Boston from 2001 to 2003, where he spent time in both the mergers & acquisitions and healthcare investment banking groups. Throughout his career, Mr. Frank has developed experience and knowledge in the areas of corporate strategy development, finance, accounting, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, foodservice and the broader consumer sector. Mr. Frank graduated cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics.

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Larry C. Glasscock

Age: 66

68

Director Since: September 2010

Committees: Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee (Chair), Compensation Committee, Corporate Sustainability Committee

Primary Occupation: In March 2010, Mr. Glasscock retired from his position as Chairman of the Board of Directors of WellPoint, Inc., one of the largest health benefits companies in the United States, (now Anthem, Inc.) after serving in the role since November 2005. He also served as WellPoint’s President and CEO from November 2004 until July 2007. Mr. Glasscock previously served as Chairman, President and CEO of Anthem, Inc., a health benefits company, from 2001 to 2004, assuming additional responsibilities as Chairman from 2003 to 2004.

Other Boards: Mr. Glasscock has served as a director of Simon Property Group, Inc., a real estate investment trust, since March 2010;2010, where he is currently the lead independent director, and as a director of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., a global leader in the design, development, manufacture and marketing of orthopedic reconstructive implants, dental implants, spinal implants, trauma products and related surgical devices, since August 2001.2001, where he is currently the non-executive chairman of the board. In the last five years, Mr. Glasscock served as a director of WellPoint, Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corporation.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. Glasscock attended Cleveland State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later studied at the School of International Banking, participated in the American Bankers Association Conference of Executive Officers, and completed the Commercial Bank Management Program at Columbia University. Mr. Glasscock has developed significant leadership and corporate strategy expertise through over 30 years of business experience, including former service as President and CEO of WellPoint, Inc. (2004 –2007), Chairman, President and CEO of Anthem, Inc. (2001 – 2004), assuming additional responsibilities as Chairman from 2003 to 2004, as well as his service as COO of CareFirst, Inc., President and CEO of Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc., President and COO of First American Bank, N.A., and President and CEO of Essex Holdings, Inc. During his tenure at WellPoint, Inc., he played a major role in transforming the company from a regional health insurer into a national healthcare leader and championed company efforts to improve quality and customer service. Throughout his career, Mr. Glasscock has developed expertise in the successful completion and integration of mergers, utilization of technology to improve productivity and customer service, and team building and human capital development. Mr. Glasscock’s expertise in the utilization of technology to improve productivity will be valuable to Sysco as we continue to implement and build upontechnological solutions in connection with our Business Transformation Project.strategic priorities. His knowledge and experience in team building and human capital development are also extremely valuable to Sysco, as management development was oneand succession planning remain top priorities of our CEO’s key non-financial goalsexecutive management and the Board during fiscal 2012 and 2013.2017. Mr. Glasscock also has considerable financial experience, as he has supervised the chief financial officers of major corporations. Earlier in his career he served as a bank officer lending to major corporations and supervised assessments of companies’ creditworthiness. Mr. Glasscock also has significant experience as a public company director and as a member of various committees related to important board functions, including audit, finance, governance and compensation.

Jonathan Golden

Age: 77

79

Director Since: February 1984

Committees: Corporate Sustainability Committee, Finance Committee

Primary Occupation: Mr. Golden is a partner of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, counsel to Sysco.LLP.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. Golden is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He also has served as an adjunct professor at Emory Law School in Atlanta for nine years. Mr. Golden, who is not considered an independent director, has developed an extensive knowledge of Sysco’s business through his service as a director of the companyCompany since 1984 and through Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, a firm that has served as legal advisor to the companyCompany on numerous transactions. Mr. Golden has served as Chairman of that firm for approximately eleven years. He personally has a long history of representing participants in the food industry, including manufacturers, distributors and food industry trade associations. Mr. Golden has gained further experience regarding the distribution and supply chain of foodservice companies as a member of the Board of Directors of a major privately-held food manufacturer that is a leader in the frozen food industry and sells to foodservice customers, particularly in-store bakeries and retail marketplaces. In addition to his legal and regulatory experience and focus on corporate responsibility, Mr. Golden has developed a knowledge of other public company Board practices through his past service on the Boards of The Profit Recovery Group International, Inc., Intermedics, Inc., Automatic Service Company and Butler Shoe Corp.

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Joseph A. Hafner, Jr.Bradley M. Halverson

Age: 69

56

Director Since: November 2003

Committees: Finance Committee (Chair), Audit Committee, Corporate Sustainability Committee

September 2016

Primary Occupation: Mr. Hafner retired as Chairman of Riviana Foods, Inc. in 2006, a position he had held since March 2005. HeHalverson has served as the Group President, Financial Products and Corporate Services and Chief ExecutiveFinancial Officer of Riviana from 1984 until March 2004.Caterpillar Inc. (“Caterpillar”) since January 2013.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. HafnerHalverson attended Dartmouth College,the University of Illinois, where he graduated cum laude, then earnedreceived a masterBachelor of business administrationScience degree with high distinction from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck Schoolin Accounting in 1982 and an Executive Master of Business Administration. After graduation, Mr. Hafner served for two yearsAdministration degree in the Latin American Internship Program of Cornell University1996. He is a Certified Public Accountant and the Ford Foundation in Lima, Peru, followed by two years with the Arthur Andersen & Co. accounting firm in Houston. In 1972, Mr. Hafner began his career with Riviana Foods, Inc. in Guatemala City as Controller of Riviana’s Central American Division. For over 30 years, Mr. Hafner worked in positions of increasing authority for Riviana, a company that processed, marketed and distributed rice products in the U.S. and Europe, as well as other food products in Central America and Europe. Mr. Hafner continued his international exposure through the oversight of Riviana’s rice operations in South Africa and Australia. His career culminated in his service as President and CEO of Riviana for over 20 years, providing him with experience in the areas of leadership, corporate strategy and development, the foodservice industry, distribution and supply chains, finance and accounting and international operations. In addition, Mr. Hafner has developed finance and accounting expertise during his career at Arthur Andersen and Riviana and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Halverson currently serves as Group President, Financial Products and Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer of Caterpillar, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel - electric locomotives. He is responsible for Caterpillar’s Finance Services Division, Human Services Division, Global Information Services Division, Financial Products Division, Global Supply Network Division, as well as Corporate Auditing. He joined Caterpillar in 1988, serving in budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis roles of increasing responsibility. In 1993, Mr. Halverson moved to Geneva, Switzerland, to become a strategy and planning consultant with Caterpillar Overseas, S.A. He went on to become controller in Europe, responsible for Caterpillar’s financial reporting in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, returning to the U.S. in 1996 to manage general accounting and financial systems. From 1998 until 2012, Mr. Halverson served in various leadership roles at Caterpillar, including Corporate Controller (2007-2010) and Vice President, Financial Services Division (2010-2012). During the course of his nearly 30 year career with Caterpillar, together with his prior service with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Mr. Halverson has developed deep expertise in accounting, financial reporting and corporate finance, and has leadership experience in the areas of executive leadership and management, corporate strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, information technology systems oversight

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and international business. Mr. Halverson is a member of the Executive Committee of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Board and also serves on the OSF St. Francis Medical Center Community Advisory Board and is Immediate Past Chairman of the Easter Seals Central Illinois Board of Directors and Treasurer of the Easter Seals Foundation of Central Illinois Board of Trustees.

Hans-Joachim Koerber

Age: 68

70

Director Since: January 2008

Committees: Audit Committee, Finance Committee

Primary Occupation: Dr. Koerber served as the chairman and chief executive officer of METRO Group Germany’s largest retailer, from 1999 until his retirement in October 2007.

Other Boards: Dr. Koerber is chairman of the board of directors of Air Berlin PLC and a director of Eurocash SA, as well as a director of several private European companies, including Klüh Service management GmbH, WEPA Industrieholding SE and DAW SE, and Eurocash SA.SE.

Key Director Qualifications: Dr. Koerber earned a degree as a Master Brewer in Brewing Technology and a Ph.D. in Business Management from the Technical University of Berlin. Dr. Koerber began his career in the beverage industry, including management positions in which he was responsible for finance and accounting, information technology, purchasing and personnel. He first became involved with the company that would eventually become METRO when he joined the predecessor company’s cash-and-carry, self-service wholesale company in charge of finance and accounting, controlling, logistics and information technology. His responsibilities continued to expand to include international cash-and-carry activities in six countries. When METRO AG was formed in 1996, Dr. Koerber became part of the METRO management board. His responsibilities included corporate development, corporate communications and investor relations and he became chairman and chief executive officer in 1999. Dr. Koerber introduced a new management style, streamlined the company to focus on four of the original 16 business divisions in order to remain competitive and achieve profitability, adopted international accounting standards and rapidly developed METRO’s international presence, including hands-on experience in expanding METRO into Eastern Europe and Asia, including China and India. These efforts helped make METRO Germany’s largest retailer, operating wholesale cash & carry stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, department stores and consumer electronics shops throughout the world. Throughout his career, Dr. Koerber developed experience and qualifications in the areas of leadership, corporate strategy and development, the foodservice industry, distribution and supply chains, marketing and risk management. Dr. Koerber’s insights on running and expanding a foodservice business with international operations have been, and will continue to be, particularly helpful to Sysco. Dr. Koerber’s career at METRO AG, combined with his 10 years of service on the Board of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (the parent company of the SEB Group, a North European banking concern catering to corporations, institutions, and private individuals) and the Board of Directors of several other international companies, has provided him with financial expertise, particularly with regard to international financial accounting standards. His service on the Board of Air Berlin PLC (Germany’s second largest airline) has deepened his experience in marketing.

Nancy S. Newcomb

Age: 69

71

Director Since: February 2006

Committees: Audit Committee, Finance Committee

Primary Occupation: Ms. Newcomb served as Senior Corporate Officer, Risk Management, of Citigroup from May 1998 until her retirement in 2004. She served as a customer group executive of Citicorp (the predecessor corporation of Citigroup) from December 1995 to April 1998, and as a division executive, Latin America from September 1993 to December 1995. From January 1988 to August 1993 she was the principal financial officer, responsible for liquidity, funding and capital management.

Other Boards: In the last five years, Ms. Newcomb isserved as a director of The DIRECTV Group, Inc., and during the last five years, was a director of Moody’s Corporation.

Key Director Qualifications: Ms. Newcomb is a graduate of Connecticut College and received a Master’s Degree in Economics from Boston University. She also graduated from Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development. Ms. Newcomb served as Senior Corporate Officer, Risk Management, of Citigroup (May 1998 – April 2004), Customer Group Executive of Citicorp (the predecessor corporation of Citigroup) (December 1995 – April 1998), Division Executive, Latin America of Citicorp (September 1993 – December 1995) and Principal Financial Officer, Citicorp (January 1988 – August 1993), responsible for liquidity, funding and capital management. Ms. Newcomb’s 35-year career with Citigroup, a major international financial services company, and its predecessors Citicorp and Citibank, provided her with experience in the areas of leadership, corporate strategy and development, finance, risk management and international operations. Ms. Newcomb developed extensive risk management experience throughout her career, including holding the position of Citigroup’s Senior Corporate Officer of Risk Management for the last six years of her career. In the area of Finance and International Operations, Ms. Newcomb served as Citigroup’s Principal Financial Officer, responsible for liquidity, funding and capital management. She has had extensive international experience as head of worldwide treasury operations in over 100 countries, and co-head of Citigroup’s global, multinational customer business.

Nelson Peltz

Age: 74

Director Since: August 2015

Committees: Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

Primary Occupation: Mr. Peltz has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a Founding Partner of Trian Fund Management, L.P. since its formation in 2005. From April 1993 through June 2007, Mr. Peltz served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Triarc Companies, Inc. (now known as The Wendy’s Company).

Other Boards: Mr. Peltz has served as a director of Mondelēz International, Inc. since January 2014 and as a director and non-executive Chairman of The Wendy’s Company since June 2007. He has also served as a director of The Madison Square Garden Company since it was separated from MSG Networks Inc. (formerly, The Madison Square Garden Company) in September 2015, and prior to that, as a director of MSG Networks Inc. since December 2014. Mr. Peltz previously served as a director of Legg Mason, Inc. from October 2009 to December 2014. He also served as a director of Ingersoll-Rand plc from August 2012 to June 2014 and H.J. Heinz Company from September 2006 to June 2013. In addition, he served as a director of Trian Acquisition I Corp. from October 2007 until May 2013.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. Peltz has more than 40 years of business and investment experience and over 20 years of service as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of public companies. Mr. Peltz has developed extensive experience working with management teams and boards of directors, and in acquiring, investing in and building companies and implementing operational improvements at the companies with which he has been involved. As a

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result, he has strong operating experience and strategic planning skills and has strong relationships with institutional investors, investment banking and capital markets advisors and others that can be drawn upon for the Company’s benefit. Mr. Peltz has also gained extensive experience in the foodservice industry through his service on the boards of directors of H.J. Heinz Company, Mondelēz International, Inc. and The Wendy’s Company.

Edward D. Shirley

Age: 59

Director Since: September 2016

Primary Occupation: Mr. Shirley served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Bacardi Limited from March 2012 until his retirement in April 2014.

Other Boards: Mr. Shirley has served as a director of Elizabeth Arden, Inc. since December 2015 and as a director of New York Life Insurance Company since November 2015. In the last five years, Mr. Shirley served as a director of Time Warner Cable Inc.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. Shirley attended the University of Massachusetts, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting degree in 1978. Mr. Shirley served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bacardi Limited, a global beverage and spirits company, from March 2012 to April 2014. Prior to that, he served as Vice Chairman of Global Beauty and Grooming, a business unit of The Procter & Gamble Company (“Procter & Gamble”), a consumer goods company, from July 2008 through June 2011, and as Vice Chair on Special Assignment from July 2011 through December 2011. Prior to that, he served as Group President, North America of Procter & Gamble from April 2006 and held several senior executive positions during his 27 years with The Gillette Company, a consumer goods company that was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2005. Mr. Shirley has substantial experience in the areas of executive leadership, strategy development, marketing/brand development and business operations developed in his various senior executive positions with large consumer products companies, including during more than 30 years as a senior executive at global personal care companies like Procter & Gamble and The Gillette Company. He also has public company board experience, having served as a member of the Elizabeth Arden, Inc. board of directors since December 2015, including as Chair of its Compensation Committee, and as a member of the board of directors of Time Warner Cable Inc. from 2009 to 2016.

Richard G. Tilghman

Age: 74

76

Director Since: November 2002

Committees: Audit Committee (Chair), Finance Committee

Primary Occupation: Mr. Tilghman served as Vice Chairman and Director of SunTrust Banks from 1999 until his retirement in 2000. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Crestar Financial Corporation, a bank holding company, from 1986 until 1999.

Key Director Qualifications: After graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and serving in the U.S. Army as a lieutenant, Mr. Tilghman enjoyed a 34-year banking career, including service as Vice Chairman and Director of Suntrust Banks, as well as the former Chairman and CEO of Crestar Financial Corporation, a bank holding company for fifteen years. His career provided him with experience and expertise in the areas of leadership, corporate strategy and development, finance, banking, accounting and risk management. Mr. Tilghman’s experience overseeing a business and technology transformation for a series of banks acquired through acquisitions is very important to Sysco as we undertake to streamline our operations using a common technology platform. Mr. Tilghman also gained high tech and regional marketing experience that has been valuable to Sysco as we have redefined oversight of our operating companies by marketing region and focus on the use of e-Commerce technologies to service Sysco customers more efficiently. Mr. Tilghman’s experience also includes approximately 20 years of service on the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Corporation, which was then a leading supplier of cartons, labels, leaflets, and specialty plastic packaging, with manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe and the U.S. at that time.

Jackie M. Ward

Age: 76

78

Director Since: September 2001 (Non-Executive Chairman(Chairman of the Board since November 2013)

Committees: Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

Primary Occupation: Ms. Ward is the former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Computer Generation Incorporated (CGI), a company she founded in 1968 that was acquired in December 2000 by Crescent Capital and later Intec Telecom Systems PLC, a technology company based in the United Kingdom.

Other Boards: Director of Sanmina-SCI Corporation. In the last five years, Ms. Ward also served as a director of Bank of America Corporation, Equifax Inc., Flowers Foods, Inc. and WellPoint, Inc.

Key Director Qualifications: Ms. Ward attended Georgia State College for Women and the University of Georgia Extension Center, where she majored in psychology and mathematics. She later attended the London School of Business and was awarded a Doctor of Laws from Mercer University. Early in her career, Ms. Ward held programming, engineering, marketing and management positions with UNIVAC (a division of Sperry Corporation), General Electric Company and J.P. Stevens Company. Ms. Ward then founded, was elected chairman, president and chief executive officer, and had over 30 years of experience with Computer Generation Incorporated (CGI), a provider of software/hardware solutions to the telecommunications and general industry with operations in the U.S., England and much of Europe, Australia, South Africa, Mexico and Latin America. Ms. Ward’s lengthy career has provided her with extensive leadership, information technology, retail/mass marketing, corporate strategy and development, finance, banking, and international experience. In addition, significant projects undertaken by CGI for governmental and private entities provided unique experience for Ms. Ward in developing and implementing

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supply chain inventory control systems, fraud detection systems and software/hardware to handle generalized and specific accounting functions. Ms. Ward has gained knowledge of the foodservice industry through her membership on the Board of Directors of Flowers Foods, Inc., one of the largest producers and marketers of bakery products in the U.S., as well as developing systems for related food clients, such as Edwards Baking Company and Eastern Food Services. She also has significant public company board experience as a current or former member of numerous Boards of Directors where she served in various leadership positions, including lead director, presiding director, chairman of the board and the chairman of various committees. With respect to Flowers Foods, Ms. Ward served as the Lead Director, Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Compensation and Executive Committees. With respect to WellPoint, Ms. Ward served as Chairman of the Board, Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and Executive Committee, and a member of the Compensation Committee. She also serves as the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of Sanmina-SCI Corporation. Ms. Ward furthered her expertise in the areas of finance and risk management as Chairman of the Asset Quality Committee of Bank of America’s Board of Directors for 15 years and her expertise in the areas of accounting and internal audit as a member of the Board of PRG-Schultz International, Inc., now known as PRGX Global, Inc., which provides recovery audit services to organizations with high volumes of payment transactions, including retail and wholesale businesses, manufacturers, health care, and government agencies. In addition, Ms. Ward was named a member of the “NACD Directorship 100” in 2015, an annual honor sponsored by the National Association of Corporate Directors to recognize directors who exhibit exemplary leadership in the boardroom and promote the highest standards of corporate governance.

Current Director Not Standing for Re-election:

Joseph A. Hafner, Jr.

Age: 71

Director Since: November 2003

Committees: Finance Committee (Chair), Audit Committee, Corporate Sustainability Committee

Primary Occupation: Mr. Hafner retired as Chairman of Riviana Foods, Inc. in 2006, a position he had held since March 2005. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Riviana from 1984 until March 2004.

Key Director Qualifications: Mr. Hafner attended Dartmouth College, where he graduated cum laude, then earned a master of business administration degree with high distinction from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School of Business Administration. After graduation, Mr. Hafner served for two years in the Latin American Internship Program of Cornell University and the Ford Foundation in Lima, Peru, followed by two years with the Arthur Andersen & Co. accounting firm in Houston. In 1972, Mr. Hafner began his career with Riviana Foods, Inc. in Guatemala City as Controller of Riviana’s Central American Division. For over 30 years, Mr. Hafner worked in positions of increasing authority for Riviana, a company that processed, marketed and distributed rice products in the U.S. and Europe, as well as other food products in Central America and Europe. Mr. Hafner continued his international exposure through the oversight of Riviana’s rice operations in South Africa and Australia. His career culminated in his service as President and CEO of Riviana for over 20 years, providing him with experience in the areas of leadership, corporate strategy and development, the foodservice industry, distribution and supply chains, finance and accounting and international operations. In addition, Mr. Hafner has developed finance and accounting expertise during his career at Arthur Andersen and Riviana and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Overview of Non-Employee Director Compensation

The Company uses a combination of cash and stock-based compensation to attract and retain qualified candidates to serve on the Board, as described below. Members of the Board who are employees of the Company are not compensated for services on the Board or any of its Committees. We currently pay each non-employee director a base retainer of $100,000 per year. Non-employee directors who serve as committee chairpersons receive annual additional amounts as follows:

In November 2013, the Board elected Ms. Ward as its Non-Executive Chairman.We pay these annual retainers quarterly. In addition to the compensation received by all non-employee directors, Ms. Ward receives an additional annual retainer of $475,000 for her service as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, which is paid quarterly in the form of “elected shares” that are deferred as described below under “—Deferral of Shares.” See footnote 1 to the “Fiscal 20142016 Director Compensation” table below for a detailed discussion of the elected shares deferred by Ms. Ward.

Each November, the Board grants approximately $160,000 in time vesting equity incentives to each of the non-employee directors in the form of restricted stock awards. For fiscal 2014,2016, the Board granted approximately $160,000 in restricted stock awards that vest in full on the first anniversary of the grant date. See “2009 Non-Employee Directors Stock Plan—Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units” below for a description of the plan under which these awards may currentlyare expected to be granted anduntil the plan’s expiration in November 2016, the “Fiscal 20142016 Non-Employee Director Compensation” table below for detailed compensation information for fiscal 20142016 for each of our non-employee directors and “Stock Ownership—Stock Ownership Guidelines” below for a description of the stock ownership requirements applicable to our non-employee directors. Future grants of restricted stock awards to the non-employee directors may be made pursuant to the 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan.

Reimbursement of Expenses

All non-employee directors are entitled to receive reimbursements of expenses for all services as a director, including committee participation or special assignments. We pay the annual retainers quarterly. Directors are invited to have their spouses accompany them to dinners and other functions held in connection with one or two board meetings each year, and the company pays, either directly or through reimbursement, all expenses associated with their travel to and attendance at these business-related functions. Reimbursement for non-employee director travel may include reimbursement of a portion of the cost of travel on private aircraft.

Specifically, this includes reimbursement for non-commercial air travel in connection with Sysco business, subject to specified maximums, provided that amounts related to the purchase price of an aircraft or fractional interest in an aircraft are not reimbursable and any portion of the reimbursement that relates to insurance, maintenance and other non-incremental costs is limited to a maximum annual amount. Non-employee directors also receive discounts on products carried by the companyCompany and its subsidiaries comparable to the discounts offered to all company employees.

Directors Deferred Compensation Plan

Non-employee directors may defer all or a portion of their annual retainer, including additional fees paid to committee chairpersons and the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board’s and/or Lead Directors’Director’s annual retainer, under the Directors Deferred Compensation Plan. Non-employee directors may choose from a variety of investment options, including Moody’s Average Corporate Bond Yield plus 1%, with respect to amounts deferred prior to fiscal 2009. This investment option was reduced to Moody’s Average Corporate Bond Yield, without the addition of 1%, for amounts deferred after fiscal 2008. We credit such deferred amounts with investment gains or losses until the non-employee director’s retirement from the Board or until the occurrence of certain other events.

Directors Stock Plans

As of September 22, 2014,19, 2016, the non-employee directors held shares of restricted stock that were issued under the 2009 Non-Employee Directors Stock Plan. They also held elected and match shares (as described below) issued under the 2009 Non-Employee Directors Stock Plan. Below is a description of the 2009 Non-Employee Directors Stock Plan.

SYSCO CORPORATION - 20142016 Proxy Statement  2832

2009 Non-Employee Directors Stock Plan

Election to Receive a Portion of the Annual Retainer in Common Stock

Under the 2009 Non-Employee Directors Stock Plan, instead of receiving his or her full annual retainer fee in cash, a non-employee director may elect to receive up to 100% of his or her annual retainer fee, including any additional retainer fee paid to the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board and/or Lead Director for his or her service in such capacity and any fees paid to a committee chairman for his or her service in such capacity, in 10% increments, in common stock. If a director makes this election, on the date we make each quarterly payment of the director’s annual retainer fee we will credit the director’s stock account with:

The elected shares and match shares vest as soon as we credit the director’s account with them, but we do not issue them until the end of the calendar year. The director may not transfer the match shares, however, until one year after we issue them, or, if deferred, the date that we otherwise would have issued them, provided that certain events will cause this transfer restriction to lapse.

The one year transfer restriction on match shares will lapse if:

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units

The plan provides that the Board may grant shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units in the amounts and on such terms as it determines, but specifies that no grant may vest earlier than one year following the grant date. A restricted stock unit is an award denominated in units whose value is derived from common stock, and which is subject to similar restrictions and possibility of forfeiture, as is the restricted stock. In November 2013,2015, we issued restricted stock awards to non-employee directors under this plan. We have not yet issued any restricted stock units to non-employee directors under this plan.

Generally, if a director ceases to serve as a director of Sysco, he or she will forfeit all the unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units that he or she holds. However, if the director leaves the board after serving out his or her term, or for any reason after reaching age 71, his or her restricted stock and restricted stock units will remain in effect and continue to vest as if the director had remained a director of Sysco. All unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units will automatically vest upon the director’s death.

Deferral of Shares

A non-employee director may elect to defer receipt of all or any portion of any shares of common stock issued under the plan, whether such shares are to be issued as a grant of restricted stock, elected shares or match shares, or upon the vesting of a restricted stock unit grant. Generally, the receipt of stock may be deferred until the earliest to occur of the death of the non-employee director, the date on which the non-employee director ceases to be a director of the company,Company, or a change of control of Sysco. All such deferral elections shall be made in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Sysco’s 2009 Board of Directors Stock Deferral Plan.

Change in Control

Grant agreements underUnder the 2009 Non-Employee Directors Stock Plan and the applicable grant agreements, any unvested awards of restricted stock or restricted stock units will determine vesting provisionsvest immediately upon the occurrence of a specified change in control.

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