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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TARGET 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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PROXY STATEMENT

AND NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
OF SHAREHOLDERS

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. PDT

Bently Reserve
400 Sansome Street
San Francisco, California 94111

 

 

 

 

Dear Fellow Shareholder,

We are providing the enclosed proxy materials in preparation for our 2015 Annual MeetingNotice of Shareholders. At last year’s2017 annual meeting we were in a period of significant transition, and I am pleased to report that your Board and Company have made significant progress since that time. In particular:shareholders

The Board named Brian Cornell as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer in July, 2014. Mr. Cornell is the first ever CEO hired directly from outside the organization and brings a wealth of experience in both retailing and consumer product marketing to Target.
The Board supported management’s recommendation to discontinue our Canadian operations. Although this decision was difficult, your Board believes that it will lead to improved financial results and, most importantly, allow the management team to focus its energy on accelerating profitable growth in the U.S. market.
Given the evolving environment around risk oversight, during 2014 we embarked on a comprehensive review of risk oversight at the management, Board and Committee levels, with the assistance of a third-party strategy, risk management and regulatory compliance consultant. As a result of that comprehensive review, in January 2015 we clarified and enhanced existing practices to provide more transparency about how risk oversight is exercised at the Board and Committee levels.

We also experienced a significant transition at the Board level. After nearly 20 years of dedicated service, Jim Johnson, who had been our Lead Independent Director, will be retiring from our Board at the end of his current term. The Board is grateful to Jim for his leadership, wisdom and exemplary service.

In light of Jim’s retirement, the Board engaged in an in-depth process to select a new Lead Independent Director, and it is with a mix of honor and humility that I have agreed to take on this role. In this role I will work to support and enable the Board and management as we work to deliver on our responsibilities to our shareholders of continuing Target’s long history of profitable growth, great citizenship and shareholder responsiveness.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I invite you to attend Target Corporation’s 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The accompanying proxy statement and 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K contain information about:

The date, location, and time of the meeting.
Business matters on which you are encouraged to vote.
Governance and executive compensation disclosures, including the changes we made this past year in response to developments in our business and our continuing shareholder outreach efforts.
Our 2014 financial results.

We value your feedback and thank you for your continued support of Target.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr.

Lead Independent Director

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     3

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2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     4

Notice of 2015 Annual Meeting
of Shareholders

 

Wednesday, June 10, 201514, 2017

8:9:00 a.m. PacificEastern Daylight Time

Bently ReserveThe Westin Cincinnati located at 400 Sansome21 East 5th Street, San Francisco, California 94111
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

TO OUR SHAREHOLDERSTo our shareholders,

 

You are invited to attend Target Corporation’s 2015 Annual Meeting2017 annual meeting of Shareholdersshareholders (Annual Meeting) to be held at Bently ReserveThe Westin Cincinnati located at 400 Sansome21 East 5th Street, San Francisco, California 94111Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 on Wednesday, June 10, 201514, 2017 at 8:9:00 a.m. PacificEastern Daylight Time.

 

PURPOSEPurpose

 

Shareholders will vote on the following items of business:

 

1.Election of all 1012 directors named in our proxy statement to our Board of Directors for the coming year;
2.Ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm;
3.Approval, on an advisory basis, of our executive compensation;compensation (“Say on Pay”);
4.4.Approval, on an advisory basis, of the frequency of our Say on Pay votes;
5.Approval of the Target Corporation Amended & Restated 2011 Long-TermExecutive Officer Cash Incentive Plan; and
5.The shareholder proposals contained in this proxy statement, if properly presented at the meeting; and
6.Transaction of any other business properly brought before the meetingAnnual Meeting or any adjournment.

 

You may vote if you were a shareholder of record at the close of business onApril 13, 201517, 2017.. We hope you will be able to attend the Annual Meeting, but if you cannot do so, it is important that your shares be represented. If you plan to attend the meeting,Annual Meeting, please follow the instructions provided in Question 12 “How can I attend the Annual Meeting?” on page 8563 of the proxy statement.

 

Following the formal business of the meeting,Annual Meeting, our Chairman and CEOChief Executive Officer will provide prepared remarks, followed by a question and answer session.

 

We urge you to read the proxy statement carefully and to vote in accordance with the Board of Directors’ recommendations by telephone or Internet, or by signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting.

 

Thank you for your continued support.

 

Sincerely,

 

Timothy R. Baer

Don H. Liu
Corporate Secretary

Approximate Date of Mailing of Proxy Materials or

Notice of Internet Availability:

April 27, 2015

May 1, 2017

 

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION     5

2017 Proxy Statement
3

 

 Table of Contents
contents

PROXY SUMMARY8
NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS9
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS10
Corporate Governance Highlights10
Our Directors11
Board Leadership Structure11
Management Evaluations and Succession Planning12
Risk Oversight12
Committees13
Board and Shareholder Meeting Attendance14
Director Independence15
Policy on Transactions with Related Persons15
Business Ethics and Conduct16
Communications with Directors16
ITEM ONE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS17
Election and Nomination Process17
Determining Board and Committee Composition17
Board Evaluations and Refreshment18
2015 Nominees for Director19
STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION25
Stock Ownership Guidelines25
Beneficial Ownership of Directors and Officers27
Beneficial Ownership of Target’s Largest Shareholders28
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance28
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT29
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS29
Introduction29
Executive Summary30
Our Performance Framework for Executive Compensation37
Other Benefit Elements44
Compensation Governance45

 

2015 Proxy Statementsummary5
Notice of internet availability of proxy materials6
General information about corporate governance and the Board of Directors7
Corporate governance highlights7
Our directors8
Board leadership structure8
Committees9
Committee composition and leadership10
Risk oversight11
Our capital allocation policy and priorities12
Board’s role in management evaluations and management succession planning13
Corporate responsibility and reputation13
Board and shareholder meeting attendance13
Director independence13
Policy on transactions with related persons14
Business ethics and conduct14
Communications with directors and shareholder outreach14
Item one     Election of directors15
Election and nomination process15
Determining board composition15
Board evaluations and refreshment16
2017 Nominees for director17
Stock ownership information24
Stock ownership guidelines24
Beneficial ownership of directors and officers26
Beneficial ownership of Target’s largest shareholders27
Section 16(a) beneficial ownership reporting compliance27
Human Resources & Compensation Committee Report28
Compensation Discussion and Analysis28
Introduction28
Executive summary29
Our performance framework for executive compensation33
Other benefit elements38
Compensation governance39
Compensation tables42
Summary compensation table42
Grants of plan-based awards in fiscal 201644
Outstanding equity awards at 2016 fiscal year-end45
Option exercises and stock vested in fiscal 201646
Pension benefits for fiscal 201646
Nonqualified deferred compensation for fiscal 201647
Potential payments upon termination or change-in-control48
Table of potential payments upon termination or change-in-control48
Director compensation52
Equity compensation plan information54
Advances of defense costs for certain litigation matters54
Other voting items55
Item twoRatification of appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as independent registered public accounting firm55
Item threeAdvisory approval of executive compensation (Say on Pay)57
Item fourAdvisory approval of the frequency of Say on Pay votes58
Item fiveApproval of the Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan59
Questions and answers about our Annual Meeting and voting61
Appendix A Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan67

TARGET CORPORATION      2017 Proxy Statement4
6Proxy
summary

This summary highlights information described in other parts of this proxy statement and does not contain all of the information you should consider in voting. Please read the entire proxy statement carefully before voting.

The Board of Directors of Target Corporation solicits the enclosed proxy for the 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and for any adjournment thereof.

Target 2017 annual meeting of shareholders

Date june 14 2017 Time 9:00 a.m.Eastern Daylight Time Location The Westin Cincinnati 21 East 5th StreetCincinnati, Ohio 45202

Items of business

Board’s
ItemRecommendation
Election of 12 directors(page 15)FOReach Director Nominee
Ratification of independent registered public accounting firm(page 55)FOR
Advisory approval of executive compensation (“Say on Pay”)(page 57)FOR
Advisory approval of the frequency of Say on Pay votes(page 58)1 YEAR
Approval of the Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan(page 59)FOR

Questions and answers about our Annual Meeting and voting

We encourage you to review the “Questions and Answers About Our Annual Meeting and Voting” beginning on page 61 for answers to common questions on the rules and procedures surrounding the proxy and Annual Meeting process as well as the business to be conducted at our Annual Meeting.

Admission at the Annual Meeting

If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, please see the information in Question 12 “How can I attend the Annual Meeting?” on page 63. We strongly encourage you to pre-register. If you plan to bring a guest or are attending as an authorized representative of a shareholder you must pre-register by June 9, 2017.Any person who does not present identification and establish proof of ownership will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

Voting

If you held shares of Target common stock as of the record date(April 17, 2017), you are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

 Your vote is important. Thank you for voting.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement5
 
COMPENSATION TABLES49
Summary Compensation Table49
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 201452
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End53
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in Fiscal 201455
Pension Benefits for Fiscal 201456
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for Fiscal 201457
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control59
Table of Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control60
Director Compensation64
Equity Compensation Plan Information67
Advances of Defense Costs for Certain Litigation Matters67
OTHER VOTING ITEMS68
Item TwoRatification of Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm68
Item ThreeAdvisory Approval of Executive Compensation (“Say on Pay”)70
Item FourApproval of Amended and Restated Target Corporation 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan72
Item FiveShareholder Proposal to Adopt a Policy for an Independent Chairman79
Item SixShareholder Proposal to Adopt a Policy Prohibiting Discrimination “Against” or “For” Persons80
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING82
APPENDIX A RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES TO GAAP MEASURES88
APPENDIX B AMENDED AND RESTATED TARGET CORPORATION 2011 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN90

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     7

PROXY STATEMENT
Annual Meeting of Shareholders June 10, 2015

Advance voting methods and deadlines

 

The Board of Directors of Target Corporation solicits the enclosed proxy for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and for any adjournment thereof.

PROXY SUMMARY

This summary highlights information described in other parts of this proxy statement, and does not contain all of the information you should consider in voting. Please read the entire proxy statement carefully before voting.

TARGET 2015 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

June 10, 2015Bently Reserve
8:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time400 Sansome Street
San Francisco, California 94111
Method Internet Telephone Mail
Instruction

ITEMS OF BUSINESS

BOARD’S
ITEMRECOMMENDATION
Election of 10 Directors (page 17)FOR● each Director Nominee
Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (page 68)FOR
Advisory Approval of Executive Compensation (page 70)FOR
Approval of the Target Corporation Amended & Restated 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan (page 72)FOR
Shareholder Proposals, if Properly Presented (pages 79-81)AGAINST

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

We encourage you to review the “Questions and Answers About Our Annual Meeting and Voting” beginning on page 82 for answers to common questions on the rules and procedures surrounding the proxy and annual meeting process, as well as the business to be conducted at our Annual Meeting.

ADMISSION AT THE MEETING

If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, please see the information in Question 12 “How can I attend the Annual Meeting?” on page 85. We strongly encourage you to pre-register. If you plan to bring a guest you must pre-register by June 5, 2015.Any person who does not present identification and establish proof of ownership will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     8

VOTING

If you held shares of Target common stock as of the record date(April 13, 2015)you are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Your vote is important. Thank you for voting.

ADVANCE VOTING METHODS AND DEADLINES

METHODINSTRUCTIONDEADLINE

Internet

Go to website identified on proxy card, voter instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

  Enter Control Number on proxy card, voter instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

  Follow instructions on the screen

Internet and telephone voting are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week up to these deadlines:

Registered Shareholders or Beneficial Owners –11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 9, 2015

Participants in the Target 401(k) Plan – 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 8, 2015

Telephone

  Call the toll-free number identified on the enclosed proxy card or voter instruction form or, after viewing the proxy materials on the website provided in your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, call the toll-free number for telephone voting identified on the website

  Enter Control Number on the proxy card, voter instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

  Follow the recorded instructions

Mail

  Mark your selections on the enclosed proxy card or voter instruction form

  Date and sign your name exactly as it appears on the proxy card or voter instruction form

  Promptly mail the proxy card or voter instruction form in the enclosed postage-paid envelope

Return promptly to ensure proxy card or voter instruction form is received before the date of the Annual Meeting or, for participants in the Target 401(k) Plan, by 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 8, 2015

If you received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and would like to vote by mail, you must follow the

● Enter Control Number on proxy card, voter instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

● Follow instructions on the Notice to request a written copy ofscreen

● Call the proxy materials, which will include atoll-free number identified on the enclosed proxy card or voter instruction form.

Anyform or, after viewing the proxy may be revoked at any time prior to its exercise atmaterials on the Annual Meeting. Please see the informationwebsite provided in Question 3 “What is a proxy and what is a proxy statement?” on page 82.

VOTING AT THE MEETING

All registered shareholders may vote in person at the Annual Meeting. Beneficial owners may vote in person at the Annual Meeting if they have a legal proxy. Please see the information in Question 6 “How do I vote?” on page 82. In either case, shareholders wishing to attend the meeting must follow the procedures under “Admission at the Meeting.”

NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS

Importantyour Notice Regarding theof Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, call the toll-free number for telephone voting identified on the website

● Enter Control Number on the proxy card, voter instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

● Follow the recorded instructions

● Mark your selections on the enclosed proxy card or voter instruction form

● Date and sign your name exactly as it appears on the proxy card or voter instruction form

● Promptly mail the proxy card or voter instruction form in the enclosed postage-paid envelope

Deadline

Internet and telephone voting are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week up to these deadlines:

● Registered Shareholders Meeting to be heldor Beneficial Owners –11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 10, 2015.13, 2017

● Participants in the Target 401(k) Plan – 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 12, 2017

Return promptly to ensure proxy card or voter instruction form is received before the date of the Annual Meeting or, for participants in the Target 401(k) Plan, by 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 12, 2017

If you received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and would like to vote by mail, you must follow the instructions on the Notice to request a written copy of the proxy materials, which will include a proxy card or voter instruction form.

Any proxy may be revoked at any time prior to its exercise at the Annual Meeting. Please see the information in Question 3 “What is a proxy and what is a proxy statement?” on page 61.

Voting at the Annual Meeting

All registered shareholders may vote in person at the Annual Meeting. Beneficial owners may vote in person at the Annual Meeting if they have a legal proxy. Please see the information in Question 6 “How do I vote?” on page 61. In either case, shareholders wishing to attend the Annual Meeting must follow the procedures in Question 12 “How can I attend the Annual Meeting?” on page 63.

Notice of internet availability of proxy materials

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Shareholders Meeting to be held on June 14, 2017.

The proxy statement and annual report are available at www.proxyvote.com.

 

The proxy statement and annual report are available atwww.proxyvote.com.

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION     9

2017 Proxy Statement6

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS

At Target, we have actively supported strong corporate governance practices for decades. Our Board of Directors recognizes that our corporate governance practices must continually evolve to appropriately balance the interests of our stakeholders in order to effectively serve our guests, team members, shareholders and the communities in which we do business. Supporting that philosophy, we have adopted a balanced set of corporate governance practices, including:

MORE
PRACTICEDESCRIPTIONINFORMATION
BOARD COMPOSITION AND ACCOUNTABILITY
IndependenceA majority of our directors must be independent. Currently, all of our directors other than our CEO are independent, and all of our Committees consist exclusively of independent directors.
Diversity of Relevant ExperiencesThe composition of our Board represents broad perspectives, experiences and knowledge relevant to our business while maintaining a balanced approach to gender and ethnic diversity.
Lead Independent DirectorOur Corporate Governance Guidelines require a Lead Independent Director position with specific responsibilities to ensure independent oversight of management whenever our CEO is also the Chair of the Board. The Lead Independent Director is elected annually by the independent directors.
Annual Management Succession Planning ReviewOur Board conducts an annual review of management development and succession planning, with the Nominating & Governance Committee coordinating the Board’s review of CEO succession planning.
Director Tenure PoliciesOur director tenure policies include mandatory retirement at age 72, a maximum term limit of 20 years and a separate five-year term limit for directors who retire from active employment in order to ensure the Board regularly benefits from a balanced mix of perspectives and experiences. In addition, a director is required to submit an offer of resignation for consideration by the Board upon any change in the director’s principal employment.
Director Overboarding PolicyAny director who is not serving as CEO of a public company is expected to serve on no more than five public company boards (including our Board), and any director serving as a CEO of a public company is expected to serve on no more than two outside public company boards (including our Board).
Committee Membership and Leadership RotationsThe Board appoints members of its Committees on an annual basis, with the Nominating & Governance Committee reviewing and recommending Committee membership, and assignments rotate periodically. The guideline for rotating Committee chair assignments and the Lead Independent Director position is four to six years.
Board Evaluations and Board RefreshmentTo enhance Board functioning and the effectiveness of the Board-management relationship for the benefit of Target and its shareholders, the Board regularly evaluates its performance through self-evaluations, corporate governance reviews and periodic charter reviews. Those evaluations, changes in our business strategy or operating environment and the future needs of the Board in light of anticipated director retirements are used to identify desired backgrounds and skillsets for future Board members.
Risk OversightDuring 2014, we clarified and enhanced existing practices to provide more transparency about how risk oversight is exercised at the Board and Committee levels, and reallocated and clarified risk oversight responsibilities among the Committees.
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS
Annual Election of DirectorsAll directors are elected annually, which reinforces our Board’s accountability to shareholders.
Majority Voting Standard for Director ElectionsOur Articles of Incorporation mandate that directors be elected under a “majority voting” standard in uncontested elections—each director must receive more votes “For” his or her election than votes “Against” in order to be elected.
Director Resignation PolicyAn incumbent director who is not re-elected must promptly offer to resign. The Nominating & Governance Committee will make a recommendation on the offer and the Board must accept or reject the offer within 90 days and publicly disclose its decision and rationale.
Single Voting ClassTarget common stock is the only class of voting shares outstanding.
10% Threshold for Special MeetingsShareholders holding 10% or more of Target’s outstanding stock have the right to call a special meeting of shareholders.
No Poison PillWe do not have a poison pill.
COMPENSATION
Follow Leading PracticesSee “Target’s Executive Compensation Practices.”

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     10

OUR DIRECTORS

               
 NAME AGE DIRECTOR
SINCE
 COMPANY TITLE INDEPENDENT OTHER CURRENT
PUBLIC COMPANY
BOARDS
 
 Roxanne S. Austin 54 2002 Austin Investment Advisers President Yes 4 
 Douglas M. Baker, Jr. 56 2013 Ecolab Inc. Chairman & CEO Yes 2 
 Brian C. Cornell 56 2014 Target Corporation Chairman & CEO No 1 
 Calvin Darden 65 2003 Darden Putnam Energy &
Logistics, LLC
 Chairman Yes 2 
 Henrique De Castro 49 2013 Yahoo! Inc. (Until January 2014) Former COO Yes 0 
 Mary E. Minnick 55 2005 Lion Capital Partner Yes 2 
 Anne M. Mulcahy 62 1997 Save The Children Federation, Inc. Chairman of the Board of Trustees Yes 3 
 Derica W. Rice 50 2007 Eli Lilly and Company EVP, Global Services and CFO Yes 0 
 Kenneth L. Salazar 60 2013 WilmerHale Partner Yes 0 
 John G. Stumpf 61 2010 Wells Fargo & Company Chairman, President & CEO Yes 2 
               

BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

Mr. Cornell leads the Board in his role as Chairman. Mr. Cornell is also the Chief Executive Officer. We do not have an express policy as to whether the roles of Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer should be combined or separated. Instead, the Board prefers to maintain the flexibility to determine which leadership structure best serves the interests of Target based on the circumstances. However, if the Chair/CEO roles are combined as they are currently, our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that we have a Lead Independent Director position to complement the Chair’s role, and to serve as the principal liaison between the non-management directors and the Chair. Doug Baker currently serves as our Lead Independent Director. The Board regularly reevaluates our Board leadership structure as part of the Board evaluation process described under “Board Evaluations” on page 18.

During the past year the Board supplemented its review of its leadership structure with the assistance of a third-party organizational consultant. The additional review was primarily driven by two events. First, a shareholder proposal at our 2014 Annual Meeting requesting that we adopt a policy to have an independent chairman received approximately 46% support of the shares voted. Second, we hired a new CEO. At the time the Board was engaged in its comprehensive CEO search, the Board made it clear that a decision of whether to combine the Chair and CEO roles would be candidate-specific. The Board concluded that Mr. Cornell’s 30 years of relevant experience, including his CEO and public company board experience, provide the proper leadership qualifications and sensitivity to the different roles of management and the Board. The Board worked directly with the third-party organizational consultant to review its leadership structure, organization and functioning in arriving at an optimal leadership structure. This review included discussion of the academic studies that compare an independent chair model with a combined chair/CEO model and the attributes necessary in a Lead Independent Director to foster strong independent leadership if the chair/CEO roles are combined.

The Board’s decision to offer Mr. Cornell both the Chairman and CEO positions is also expected to serve Target’s goals by allowing Mr. Cornell to coordinate the development, articulation and execution of a unified strategy at the Board and management levels. The Board has maintained its view that Target should have the flexibility to determine whether to combine or separate the roles of chair and CEO. Through our shareholder engagement meetings following Mr. Cornell’s appointment, we concluded that, although shareholders expressed different views on their preferred leadership structure, there was no prevailing theme on a preferred structure for Target Corporation. The Board is committed to continuing to seek shareholder feedback on its approach as part of its ongoing shareholder outreach efforts, and will continue to reassess its approach to this issue on a regular basis.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     11

 
LEAD INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR – DOUGLAS M. BAKER, JR.
Annual Election:Elected annually by the independent, non-management directors.

General information about corporate governance and the Board of Directors

Corporate governance highlights

PracticeDescriptionMore
information
Board composition and accountability
Regular Duties:
Has the authority to convene meetings of the Board and executive sessions consisting solely of independent directors at every meeting;
Presides at all meetings of the Board of Directors at which the Chair is not present, including executive sessions of independent directors;
Conducts the annual performance reviews of the CEO, with input from the other independent directors, and serves as the primary liaison between the CEO and the independent directors;
Provides insights to the Compensation Committee as it annually reviews the performance of the CEO as it relates to all elements of compensation;
Approves meeting schedules, agendas and the information furnished to the Board to ensure that the Board has adequate time and information for discussion;
Is expected to engage in consultation and direct communication with major shareholders as appropriate;
Coordinates with the CEO to establish minimum expectations for non-management directors to consistently monitor Target’s retail operations and those of our competitors; and
Consults with the Nominating & Governance Committee regarding Board and Committee composition, Committee chair selection, the annual performance review of the Board and its Committees, director succession planning, management evaluation, and senior management succession planning.
Service:As a guideline, the Lead Independent Director should serve in that capacity for no more than four to six years.
 

IndependenceA majority of our directors must be independent. Currently, all of our directors other than our CEO are independent, and all of our Committees consist exclusively of independent directors.
DiversityThe composition of our Board represents broad perspectives, experiences and knowledge relevant to our business while maintaining a balanced approach to gender and ethnic diversity.MANAGEMENT EVALUATIONS AND SUCCESSION PLANNING

One

Lead Independent DirectorOur Corporate Governance Guidelines require a Lead Independent Director position with specific responsibilities to ensure independent oversight of management whenever our CEO is also the Chair of the primary responsibilitiesBoard. The Lead Independent Director and the Chair of the Board is to ensure that Target has a high-performing management team in place. Onare elected annually by the independent directors.
Management Succession Planning ReviewOur Board conducts an annual basis, the Board conducts a detailed review of management development and succession planning, activities to maximize the pool of internal candidates who can assume top management positions without undue interruption. The independent directors, ledwith more frequent reviews conducted by the Lead Independent Human Resources & Compensation Committee.
Director reviewTenure PoliciesOur director tenure policies include mandatory retirement at age 72 and a maximum term limit of 20 years in order to ensure the Board regularly benefits from a balanced mix of perspectives and experiences. In addition, a director is required to submit an offer of resignation for consideration by the Board upon any change in the director’s principal employment.
Director Overboarding PolicyAny director who is not serving as CEO succession planning,of a public company is expected to serve on no more than five public company boards (including our Board), and ensure that managementany director serving as a CEO of a public company is evaluated regularlyexpected to serve on no more than two outside public company boards (including our Board).
Committee Membership and that senior management succession planning reviews are conducted at least annually, either byLeadership RotationsThe Board appoints members of its Committees on an annual basis, with the Nominating & Governance Committee reviewing and recommending Committee membership, and assignments rotate periodically. The guideline for rotating Committee Chair assignments and the Lead Independent Director position is four to six years.
Board Evaluations and Board RefreshmentThe Board regularly evaluates its performance through self-evaluations, corporate governance reviews and periodic Charter reviews. Those evaluations, along with assessments of changes in our business strategy or operating environment and the independent directors as a group.

During the past year,future needs of the Board conducted a comprehensive search with the assistancein light of a third-party executive leadership consultant that resulted in Brian Cornell becoming our Chairmananticipated director retirements, are used to identify desired backgrounds and CEO. Prior to hiring Mr. Cornell, theskill sets for future Board appointed an experienced executive from our pool of internal candidates, John Mulligan, our Chief Financial Officer, to serve in the additional capacities of Interim President & CEO. The quality leadership provided by Mr. Mulligan during that interim period allowed the Board sufficient time to ensure that its comprehensive search resulted in hiring the right candidate to lead Target.

members.

RISK OVERSIGHT

The primary responsibility for the identification, assessment and management of the various risks that we face belongs with management. The Board’s oversight of these risks occurs as an integral and continuous part of the Board’s oversight of our business. For example, our principal strategic risks are reviewed as part of the Board’s regular discussion and consideration of our strategy, and the alignment of specific initiatives with that strategy. Similarly, at every meeting the Board reviews the principal factors influencing our operating results, including the competitive environment, and discusses with our senior executive officers the major events, activities and challenges affecting their respective functional areas. The Board’s ongoing oversight of risk also occurs at the Board Committee level on a more focused basis.

Given the evolving environment around risk oversight, during 2014 we embarked on a comprehensive review of risk oversight at the management, Board and Committee levels, with the assistance of a third-party strategy, risk management and regulatory compliance consultant. As a result of that comprehensive review, in January 2015 we clarified and enhanced existing practices to provide more transparency about

Risk OversightWe disclose how risk oversight is exercised at the Board and Committee levels. In addition, we reallocatedlevels and clarifiedhow risk oversight responsibilities are allocated among the Committees, most notablyCommittees.
Capital Allocation Policies and PrioritiesWe disclose our capital allocation policies and priorities and how they are overseen by elevating the Board and its Committees.
Shareholder rights
Annual Election of DirectorsAll directors are elected annually, which reinforces our Board’s accountability to shareholders.
Majority Voting Standard for Director ElectionsOur Articles of Incorporation mandate that directors be elected under a “majority voting” standard in uncontested elections—each director must receive more votes “For” his or her election than votes “Against” in order to be elected.
Director Resignation PolicyAn incumbent director who is not re-elected must promptly offer to resign. The Nominating & Governance Committee will make a recommendation on the offer, and the Board must accept or reject the offer within 90 days and publicly disclose its decision and rationale.
Proxy AccessWe allow each shareholder, or a group of up to 20 shareholders, owning 3% or more of Target common stock continuously for at least three years, to nominate and include in our proxy materials director nominees constituting up to the greater of 20% of the Board of Directors or at least two directors.
Single Voting ClassTarget common stock is the only class of voting shares outstanding.
10% Threshold for Special MeetingsShareholders holding 10% or more of Target’s outstanding stock have the right to call a special meeting of shareholders.
No Poison PillWe do not have a poison pill.
Compensation
Follow Leading PracticesSee “Target’s Executive Compensation Practices.”

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement7

Our directors

            Other current
            public
    Director       company
Name Age since Company Title Independent boards
Roxanne S. Austin 56 2002 Austin Investment Advisors President Yes 3
Douglas M. Baker, Jr. 58 2013 Ecolab Inc. Chairman & CEO Yes 2
Brian C. Cornell 58 2014 Target Corporation Chairman & CEO No 1
Calvin Darden 67 2003 Darden Putnam Energy & Logistics, LLC Chairman Yes 1
Henrique De Castro 51 2013 Yahoo! Inc. (Until January 2014) Former COO Yes 0
Robert L. Edwards 61 2015 AB Acquisition LLC (Albertsons/Safeway) (Until April 2015) Former President & CEO Yes 1
Melanie L. Healey 56 2015 The Procter & Gamble Company (Until December 2014) Former Group President, North America Yes 2
Donald R. Knauss 66 2015 The Clorox Company (Until June 2015) Former Executive Chairman Yes 2
Monica C. Lozano 60 2016 U.S. Hispanic Media, Inc. (Until January 2016) Former Chairman Yes 1
Mary E. Minnick 57 2005 Lion Capital LLP Partner Yes 0
Anne M. Mulcahy(1) 64 1997 Save The Children Federation, Inc. Former Chair of the Board of Trustees Yes 3
Derica W. Rice 52 2007 Eli Lilly and Company EVP, Global Services & CFO Yes 0
Kenneth L. Salazar 62 2013 WilmerHale Partner Yes 0
(1)Ms. Mulcahy will retire from the Board when her current term ends at the Annual Meeting in connection with our mandatory retirement policy.

Board leadership structure

We do not have an express policy as to whether the roles of Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) should be combined or separated. Instead, the Board prefers to maintain the flexibility to determine which leadership structure best serves the interests of Target and our shareholders based on the evolving needs of the company. We currently have a combined Chair/CEO leadership structure. The Board regularly reevaluates our Board leadership structure as part of the Board evaluation process described under “Board Evaluations and Refreshment” on page 16 and also considers shareholder feedback on the topic. As a result of its most recent evaluation, the Board decided to continue having Mr. Cornell serve as both Chairman and CEO to allow him to coordinate the development, articulation and execution of a unified strategy at the Board and management levels. Where the Chair/CEO roles are combined as they are currently, our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that we have a Lead Independent Director position to complement the Chair’s role, and to serve as the principal liaison between the non-management directors and the Chair. Mr. Baker currently serves as our Lead Independent Director, providing effective, independent leadership of our Board through his clearly defined and robust set of roles and responsibilities.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that both the Chairman and Lead Independent Director be elected annually by the independent, non-management directors, which ensures that the leadership structure is reviewed at least annually. The Board is committed to continuing to seek shareholder feedback on its approach as part of its ongoing shareholder outreach efforts, and will continue to reassess its Board leadership structure on a regular basis.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr. Lead independent director Regular duties: Has the authority to convene meetings of the Board and executive sessions consisting solely of independent directors at every meeting; Presides at all meetings of the Board of Directors at which the Chair is not present, including executive sessions of independent directors; Conducts the annual performance reviews of the CEO, with input from the other independent directors, and serves as the primary liaison between the CEO and the independent directors; Provides insights to the Human Resources &Compensation Committee as it annually reviews the performance of the CEO for purposes of all elements of the CEO’s compensation; Approves meeting schedules, agendas and the information furnished to the Board to ensure that the Board has adequate time and information for discussion; Is expected to engage in consultation and direct communication with major shareholders, as appropriate; Coordinates with the CEO to establish minimum expectations for non-management directors to consistently monitor Target’s retail operations and those of our competitors; and Consults with the Nominating &Governance Committee regarding Board and Committee composition, Committee Chair selection, the annual performance review of the Board and its Committees, and director succession planning. Annual election: Elected annually by the independent, non-management directors. Service: As a guideline, the Lead Independent Director should serve in that capacity for no more than four to six years.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement8

Committees

The Board has the following Committees and Committee composition as of the date of this proxy statement. All members of each Committee are independent directors. Each Committee operates under a written Charter, a current copy of which is available on our company website, as described in Question 14 on page 65.

Audit & Finance Committee(1) Responsibilities Assists the Board in overseeing our financial reporting process, including the integrity of our financial statements and internal controls, the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence, performance of our internal audit function and approval of transactions with related persons Prepares the “Report of the Audit &Finance Committee” on page 56 and performs the duties and activities described in that report Discusses with management our positions with respect to income and other tax obligations Reviews with management our risk assessment and management policies and our major financial, accounting and compliance risk exposures; conducts a joint meeting annually with the Risk &Compliance Committee to review legal and regulatory risk and compliance matters Assists the Board in overseeing our financial policies, financial condition, including our liquidity position, funding requirements, ability to access the capital markets, interest rate exposures and policies regarding return of cash to shareholders Committee members Mr. Rice (Chair) Ms. Lozano Ms. Minnick Number of meetings during fiscal 2016 7 (1) The Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Audit &Finance Committee satisfy the applicable audit committee independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Board also determined that all members have acquired the attributes necessary to qualify them as “audit committee financial experts” as defined by applicable SEC rules. The determination for each of Ms. Lozano and Mr. Rice was based on past experiences as a principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, public accountant or auditor, or actively supervising a person holding one of those positions. For Ms. Minnick, the determination was based on her experience with analyzing the financial statements and financial performance of portfolio companies of Lion Capital.

Human Resources &Compensation Committee(2) Responsibilities Reviews our compensation philosophy, selection and relative weightings of different compensation elements to balance risk, reward and retention objectives and the alignment of incentive compensation performance measures with our strategy Determines the composition and value of non-CEO executive officer compensation and makes recommendations with respect to CEO compensation to the independent members of the Board, who collectively have final approval authority Reviews the compensation provided to non-management directors and makes recommendations to the independent members of the Board Prepares the “Human Resources &Compensation Committee Report” on page 28 Oversees risks associated with our compensation policies and practices, and annually reviews with its compensation consultant whether those policies and practices create material risks to Target Oversees management development, evaluation and succession planning Committee members Ms. Mulcahy (Chair) Ms. Austin Mr. Darden Mr. De Castro Ms. Healey Mr. Knauss Number of meetings during fiscal 2016 4 (2) The Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee satisfy the applicable compensation committee independence requirements of the NYSE and the SEC.

Nominating &Governance Committee Responsibilities Oversees our corporate governance practices Leads director succession planning and identifies individuals qualified to become Board members Makes recommendations, in consultation with the Lead Independent Director, on overall composition of the Board, its Committees, and the selection of the Committee Chairs and the Lead Independent Director Leads the annual self-evaluation performance review of the Board and its Committees in consultation with the Lead Independent Director Oversees policies and practices regarding public advocacy and political activities Periodically reviews our Committee Charters and Corporate Governance Guidelines Committee members Mr. Baker (Chair) Mr. Darden Mr. Knauss Ms. Lozano Number of meetings during fiscal 2016 3

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement9

Risk &Compliance Committee Responsibilities Assists the Board in overseeing management’s identification and evaluation of our principal operational, business and compliance risks, including our risk management framework and the policies, procedures and practices employed to manage risks Oversees and monitors the effectiveness of our business ethics and compliance program Supports the Audit & Finance Committee in oversight of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements Committee members Mr. Salazar (Chair) Ms. Austin Mr. Baker Mr. Edwards Ms. Mulcahy Mr. Rice Number of meetings during fiscal 2016 5

Infrastructure & Investment Committee Responsibilities Assists the Board in overseeing our investment activity, including alignment of investments with our strategy and evaluating the effectiveness of investment decisions Oversees management’s resource allocation plans regarding infrastructure requirements Reviews management’s plans for business development, business acquisitions and other significant business relationships, including alignment of opportunities with our strategic objectives, expected return on investment and post-acquisition integration and performance of acquired businesses Committee members Mr. Edwards (Chair) Mr. De Castro Ms. Healey Ms. Minnick Mr. Salazar Number of meetings during fiscal 2016 3

Committee composition and leadership

The Board appoints members of its Committees on an annual basis, with the Nominating & Governance Committee reviewing and recommending Committee membership, and assignments rotate periodically. The following considerations provide the framework for determining Committee composition and leadership:

The guideline for rotating Committee Chair assignments is four to six years, and six to twelve months before the date of a director’s anticipated retirement from the Board;
The Board seeks to have directors on two to three Committees;
The Board considers a number of factors in deciding Committee composition, including individual director experience and qualifications, prior Committee experience and increased time commitments for directors serving as a Committee Chair or Lead Independent Director;
By virtue of the position, the Lead Independent Director is a member of the Nominating & Governance Committee; and
To enhance risk oversight role ofcoordination, each Committee Chair serves on the Corporate Risk & Responsibility Committee (formerly known as the Corporate Responsibility Committee). Compliance Committee.

As part of the Nominating & Governance Committee’s annual review, in November 2016 Roxanne Austin was added to the Human Resources & Compensation Committee with the intention that she will become Chair of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee when Anne Mulcahy retires from the Board when her current term ends at the Annual Meeting.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement10

Risk oversight

A summary of the allocation of general risk oversight functions among management, the Board and its Committees is as follows:

 

Board of Directors Continuous oversight of overall risks, with emphasis on strategic risks, as well as reputation and corporate social responsibility efforts Audit & Finance Committee Financial reporting, internal controls and financial risks Risk & Compliance Committee Principal operating, business, and compliance risks, including information security and incident response Human Resources & Compensation Committee Compensation policies, practices and incentive-related risks, organizational talent and culture, and management succession risks Nominating & Governance Committee Governance structure, Board succession and public policy engagement risks Infrastructure & Investment Committee Risks related to capital expenditures, major expense commitments and infrastructure needs Management Identification, assessment and management of risks

The primary responsibility for the identification, assessment and management of the various risks that we face belongs with management. At the management level, risks are prioritized and assigned to senior leaders based on the risk’s relationship to the leader’s business area and focus. Those senior leaders develop plans to address the risks and measure the progress of risk management efforts. Our Chief Risk & Compliance Officer provides centralized oversight of Target’s enterprise risk management program. Our Chairman and CEO and his direct reports meet regularly with the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer to identify, assess and manage risks facing the business. In addition, the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer and other enterprise risk management team members regularly meet with leaders of business areas to inform, coordinate and manage the enterprise risk management program.

The Board’s oversight of these risks occurs as an integral and continuous part of the Board’s oversight of our business and seeks to ensure that management has in place processes to deal appropriately with risk. For example, our principal strategic risks are reviewed as part of the Board’s regular discussion and consideration of our strategy, and the alignment of specific initiatives with that strategy. Similarly, at every meeting the Board reviews the principal factors influencing our operating results, including the competitive environment, and discusses with our senior executive officers the major events, activities and challenges affecting the company. The Board’s ongoing oversight of risk also occurs at the Board Committee level on a more focused basis. To help coordinate the oversight of different risks, each Committee Chair is a member of the Risk & Compliance Committee. The Chief Risk & Compliance Officer annually presents an overview of the enterprise risk management program to the Board’s Risk & Compliance Committee and provides them with regular updates on the program and status of key risks facing the business. In addition, the Risk & Compliance Committee and Audit & Finance Committee annually conduct a joint meeting to review legal and regulatory risk and compliance matters.

 
RESPONSIBLE PARTYGENERAL DESCRIPTION OF RISK OVERSIGHT FUNCTION
ManagementIdentification, assessment and management of risks
Board of DirectorsContinuous oversight of overall risks, with emphasis on strategic risks
Audit CommitteeFinancial reporting and internal control risks
Compensation CommitteeCompensation policies, practices and incentive-related risks
Nominating & Governance CommitteeBoard and management succession risks
Corporate Risk & Responsibility CommitteeOperating, business, compliance and reputational risks, including information security and technology
Finance CommitteeFinancial risks, including liquidity and capital markets risk

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     12 2017 Proxy Statement

11

Our capital allocation policy and priorities

Three capital allocation priorities

Development and execution of our capital allocation policy are primarily the responsibility of our management and are overseen by the Board and its Committees. Our management follows a disciplined and balanced approach to capital allocation based on the following priorities, ranked in order of importance:

PrioritiesDescription
1. Investing in our BusinessFully invest in opportunities to grow our business profitably, create sustainable long-term value, and maintain our current operations and assets
2. Annual DividendMaintain a competitive quarterly dividend and seek to grow it annually
3. Share RepurchaseReturn excess cash to shareholders by repurchasing shares within the limits of our credit rating goals

Dividend and share repurchase philosophy

Our business generates more cash than we currently need to fully invest in the growth and long-term health of our business, so we return excess cash to shareholders through an appropriate balance between dividends and share repurchase. We believe that both dividends and share repurchases serve important purposes. We believe that our dividend should be competitive, reliable and sustainable. We also believe that share repurchase is the most effective way to return any excess cash to shareholders after we have met our other priorities of fully investing in our business and maintaining a competitive dividend, because it allows shareholders to redeploy the cash as they choose, while providing us with appropriate flexibility to respond to changes in our operating performance and investment opportunities. For example, we suspended all share repurchase activity for a period from the middle of 2013 through early 2015 in response to changes in our operating performance, but we continued to invest in our business, maintained our quarterly dividend and grew our annual dividend during the entire period.

Capital allocation oversight

The Board of Directors and its Committees share responsibility for overseeing capital allocation among our three capital allocation priorities:

Responsible partyGeneral oversight areaDescription of responsibilities
Board of DirectorsAll Capital Allocation PrioritiesBalance three main priorities appropriately for the growth and long-term health of our business and shareholders
Review annual and long-term capital and operating plans, including planned share repurchase activities
Authorize dividends and share repurchase programs
Infrastructure & Investment CommitteeInvesting in Our BusinessMonitor the overall level of investments in opportunities to create sustainable long-term value
Review alignment of investments with our strategies
Evaluate effectiveness of investments in achieving appropriate returns
Audit & Finance CommitteeAnnual Dividend and Share Repurchase PrioritiesOversee liquidity to support operations and investments
Evaluate capacity for and competitiveness of annual dividends
Monitor execution of share repurchase activity
Review management’s credit rating goals
Provide recommendations to full Board on amount of dividends and share repurchase authorization levels
Human Resources & Compensation CommitteeCompensation Effects of All Capital Allocation PrioritiesConsider effects of our capital allocation strategy during compensation plan design and goal-setting process
Receive regular performance updates
Retain ability to use discretion to adjust payouts where extraordinary circumstances occur

The mix of responsibilities between the Board of Directors and its Committees ensures that we are fully investing in the growth and long-term health of our business and pursuing our strategic priorities. In addition, it ensures that distribution of any cash remaining after investing our business is in the best interests of shareholders and without unintended consequences.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement12

Board’s role in management evaluations and management succession planning

One of the primary responsibilities of the Board is to ensure that Target has a high-performing management team in place. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a detailed review of management development and succession planning activities to maximize the pool of internal candidates who can assume top management positions without undue interruption. In addition to the annual review, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee conducts regular reviews of talent development and succession planning activities with a deeper focus than the full Board review, emphasizing career development of promising management talent.

Corporate responsibility and reputation

Target recognizes that environmental, social and governance issues are of increasing importance to many investors. We have a longstanding dedication to improving the communities where we operate. We know that working together with our team members, guests, suppliers and communities creates better outcomes on issues that matter to us all. Corporate social responsibility is an enterprise-wide commitment informed by and integrated into our business strategy.

We are especially proud that since 1946, we have given 5 percent of our profit to communities. Our Board of Directors monitors and supports corporate responsibility efforts, and we publish an annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report, which uses the Global Reporting Initiative framework, to share our work.

Our most recent report, published in June 2016, covers a variety of topics, including responsible sourcing practices, diversity and inclusion, responsible products, environmental standards, stakeholder engagement, corporate philanthropy and volunteerism. Through our Corporate Social Responsibility reports, we set goals in a variety of areas, including those relating to the environment and sustainability, and report our progress on those goals. A copy of our most recent Corporate Social Responsibility Report is available on our company website, as described in Question 14 on page 65.

Board and shareholder meeting attendance

The Board of Directors met six times during fiscal 2016. All directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate total of meetings of the Board and Board Committees on which the director served during the last fiscal year.

Thirteen of our fourteen then-serving directors attended our June 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Board has a policy requiring all directors to attend all annual meetings of shareholders, absent extraordinary circumstances.

Director independence

The Board of Directors believes that a majority of its members should be independent directors. The Board annually reviews all relationships that directors have with Target to affirmatively determine whether the directors are independent. If a director has a material relationship with Target, that director is not independent. The listing standards of the NYSE detail certain relationships that, if present, preclude a finding of independence.

Given recent investor focus on the impact of director tenure on independence, the Board also specifically considered each director’s length of service on the Board in making its annual independence determination. Specifically, the Board determined that Ms. Austin and Mr. Darden, each of whom are up for re-election and have served on the Board for more than 12 years, continue to demonstrate the independence of judgment expected of independent directors.

The Board affirmatively determined that all non-management directors are independent. Mr. Cornell is the only management director and is not independent. The Board specifically considered the following transactions and concluded that none of the transactions impaired any director’s independence. In addition, none of the transactions are related-party transactions because none of the directors have a direct or indirect material interest in the listed transactions.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement13
 

COMMITTEES

The
% of entity’s annual
revenues in each of
DirectorEntity and relationshipTransactionslast 3 years
Douglas M. Baker, Jr.Ecolab Inc.
Chairman & CEO
We purchase supplies, servicing, repairs and merchandise from Ecolab.Less than 0.01%
Mary E. MinnickEach portfolio company of Lion Capital(1) Partner in Lion CapitalWe purchase merchandise for resale from portfolio companies of Lion Capital.Less than 2% of each portfolio company
Anne M. MulcahySave the Children Federation Former Chair of Board hasof TrusteesWe make charitable contributions to Save the following Committees and Committee composition asChildren.Less than 2%
Kenneth L. SalazarWilmerHale PartnerIn fiscal 2016, WilmerHale was engaged to provide legal services.(2)Less than 1%
(1)Ms. Minnick’s indirect ownership in each of these portfolio companies is less than 5%.
(2)WilmerHale represented to us that: (a) Mr. Salazar’s compensation was not affected by the amount of legal services performed by WilmerHale for Target, (b) Mr. Salazar did not receive any of the datefees from the Target relationship during each of this proxy statement. All membersthe last three years and (c) Mr. Salazar will not receive any of each Committee are independent directors. Each Committee operates under a written Charter, a current copythe fees from the Target relationship in the future. Mr. Salazar does not personally provide any of which is available on our company website, as described in Question 14 on page 86.the legal services to Target.

Policy on transactions with related persons

 

The Board of Directors has adopted a written policy requiring that any transaction: (a) involving Target; (b) in which one of our directors, nominees for director, executive officers, or greater than five percent shareholders, or their immediate family members, have a direct or indirect material interest; and (c) where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 in any fiscal year, be approved or ratified by a majority of independent directors of the full Board or by a designated Committee of the Board. The Board has designated the Audit & Finance Committee as having responsibility for reviewing and approving all such transactions except those dealing with compensation of executive officers and directors, or their immediate family members, in which case it will be reviewed and approved by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee.

In determining whether to approve or ratify any such transaction, the independent directors or relevant Committee must consider, in addition to other factors deemed appropriate, whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable to Target than those involving unrelated parties. No director may participate in any review, approval or ratification of any transaction if he or she, or his or her immediate family member, has a direct or indirect material interest in the transaction.

We ratified two related party transactions in accordance with this policy during fiscal 2016. Both transactions dealt with compensation of immediate family members of one of our executive officers, Casey Carl, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer. Mr. Carl’s brother joined Target in 2005, has been a team member in merchandising since that time and earned annual compensation of $180,116 in 2016. Mr. Carl’s sister-in-law joined Target in 2009, has been a team member in merchandising since that time and earned annual compensation of $315,318 in 2016. For each of these immediate family members, the compensation is commensurate with the immediate family member’s peers.

Business ethics and conduct

We are committed to conducting business lawfully and ethically. All of our directors and named executive officers, like all Target team members, are required to act at all times with honesty and integrity. Our Business Conduct Guide covers areas of professional conduct, including conflicts of interest, the protection of corporate opportunities and assets, employment policies, confidentiality, vendor standards and intellectual property, and requires strict adherence to all laws and regulations applicable to our business. Our Business Conduct Guide also describes the means by which any employee can provide an anonymous report of an actual or apparent violation of our Business Conduct Guide.

We disclose any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of our Business Conduct Guide involving our directors, our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller or other persons performing similar functions on our website within four business days following the date of any such amendment or waiver.

Communications with directors and shareholder outreach

Shareholders and other interested parties seeking to communicate with any individual director or group of directors may send correspondence to Target Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, 1000 Nicollet Mall, TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 or may send an email to BoardOfDirectors@target.com, which is managed by the Corporate Secretary. The Corporate Secretary, in turn, has been instructed by the Board to forward all communications, except those that are clearly unrelated to Board or shareholder matters, to the relevant Board members.

We regularly engage in outreach efforts with our shareholders, both large and small, relating to our business, compensation practices, and environmental, social and governance issues. We involve one or more independent directors in these conversations as appropriate. While we benefit from an ongoing dialogue with many of our shareholders, we recognize that we have not communicated directly with all of our shareholders. If you would like to engage with us, please send correspondence to Target Corporation, Attn: Investor Relations, 1000 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 or email investorrelations@target.com.

 
RESPONSIBILITIESCOMMITTEE
MEMBERS
NUMBER OF MEETINGS
DURING FISCAL 2014
AUDIT
COMMITTEE(1)
Assists the Board in overseeing our financial reporting process, including the integrity of our financial statements and internal controls, the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence, performance of our internal audit function and approval of transactions with related personsMr. Rice (Chair)
Ms. Austin
Ms. Minnick
Mr. Stumpf
7
In coordination with the Corporate Risk & Responsibility Committee, oversees compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
Prepares the “Report of the Audit Committee” on page 69 and performs the duties and activities described in that report
Discusses with management our positions with respect to income and other tax obligations
Reviews and discusses with management our policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management, including the risk of fraud, commitment of internal audit resources and policies and procedures to mitigate identified risks
Considers our major financial, accounting and compliance risk exposures and, as appropriate, involves our principal risk officer and compliance officer and our internal audit function
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE(2)
Determines the composition and value of non-CEO executive officer compensation and makes recommendations with respect to CEO compensation to the independent members of the Board, who collectively have final approval authorityMs. Mulcahy (Chair)
Mr. Baker
Mr. Darden
Mr. De Castro
6
Consults with the Lead Independent Director as part of the annual review of the performance of the CEO as it relates to the appropriate level and elements of compensation
Reviews our compensation philosophy, selection and relative weightings of different compensation elements to balance risk, reward and retention objectives and the alignment of incentive compensation performance measures with our strategy
Reviews the compensation provided to non-management directors and makes recommendations to the independent members of the Board
Prepares the “Compensation Committee Report” on page 29
Oversees risks associated with our compensation policies and practices, and annually reviews with its compensation consultant whether those policies and practices create material risks to Target
NOMINATING &
GOVERNANCE
COMMITTEE
Oversees our corporate governance practicesMr. Stumpf (Chair)6
Identifies individuals qualified to become Board membersMr. Baker
Mr. Darden
Ms. Mulcahy
Makes recommendations, in consultation with the Lead Independent Director, on overall composition of the Board, its Committees, and the selection of the Committee chairs and the Lead Independent Director
Leads the annual self-evaluation performance review of the Board and its Committees in consultation with the Lead Independent Director
With input from the Lead Independent Director, leads director succession planning, and ensures that management is regularly evaluated and senior management succession planning reviews are conducted at least annually
Oversees risks associated with Board and management succession

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     13

2017 Proxy Statement14
RESPONSIBILITIESCOMMITTEE
MEMBERS
NUMBER OF MEETINGS
DURING FISCAL 2014
CORPORATE
RISK &
RESPONSIBILITY
COMMITTEE
Assists the Board in overseeing management’s identification and evaluation of major strategic operating, business, compliance and reputational risks, including our risk management framework and the policies, procedures and practices employed to manage risksMr. Salazar (Chair)
Ms. Austin
Mr. Darden
Ms. Minnick
Mr. Rice
 3
Oversees and monitors the effectiveness of our business ethics and compliance program
Reviews and provides oversight of significant strategies and activities relating to our reputation management and social responsibility efforts
Supports the Audit Committee in oversight of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
FINANCE
COMMITTEE
Assists the Board in overseeing our financial policies, financial condition, including our liquidity position, funding requirements, ability to access the capital markets, interest rate exposures and policies regarding return of cash to shareholdersMs. Austin (Chair)
Mr. De Castro
Ms. Minnick
Mr. Salazar
2
Oversees financial risks, including liquidity and capital markets risks by discussing with management our financial risk assessment process, financial risk management activities and strategies and the use of third-party insurance and self-insurance strategies

(1)The Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Audit Committee satisfy the applicable audit committee independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Board also determined that all members have acquired the attributes necessary to qualify them as “audit committee financial experts” as defined by applicable SEC rules. The determination for each of Ms. Austin, Mr. Rice and Mr. Stumpf was based on past experiences as a principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, public accountant or auditor, or actively supervising a person holding one of those positions. For Ms. Minnick, the determination was based on her experience with analyzing the financial statements and financial performance of portfolio companies of Lion Capital.
(2)The Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Compensation Committee satisfy the applicable compensation committee independence requirements of the NYSE and the SEC.

BOARD AND SHAREHOLDER MEETING ATTENDANCE

The Board of Directors met 11 times during fiscal 2014. All directors attended at least 90% of the aggregate total of meetings of the Board and Board Committees on which the director served during the last fiscal year.

All of our 10 then-serving directors attended our June 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Board has a policy requiring all directors to attend all Annual Meetings of Shareholders, absent extraordinary circumstances.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     14

 

DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCEItem one

The Board

Election of Directors believes that a majority of its members should be independent directors. The Board annually reviews all relationships that directors have with Target to affirmatively determine whether the directors are independent. If a director has a material relationship with Target, that director is not independent. The listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) detail certain relationships that, if present, preclude a finding of independence.

The Board affirmatively determined that all non-management directors are independent. Mr. Cornell is the only management director and is not independent. The Board specifically considered the following transactions and concluded that none of the transactions impaired any director’s independence. In addition, none of the transactions are related party transactions because none of the directors have a direct or indirect material interest in the listed transactions.

DIRECTORENTITY AND RELATIONSHIPTRANSACTIONS% OF ENTITY’S
ANNUAL REVENUES
IN EACH OF
LAST 3 YEARS
Douglas M. Baker, Jr.Ecolab Inc. Chairman & CEOWe purchase supplies, servicing, repairs and merchandise from Ecolab.Less than 0.01%
Mary E. MinnickEach portfolio company of Lion Capital(1)Partner in Lion CapitalWe purchase merchandise for resale from portfolio companies of Lion Capital.Less than 2% of each portfolio company
Anne M. MulcahySave the Children Federation Chairman of Board of TrusteesWe make charitable contributions to Save the Children.Less than 2%
Kenneth L. SalazarWilmerHale PartnerIn fiscal 2014, WilmerHale was engaged to provide legal services.(2)Less than 1%
John G. StumpfWells Fargo & Company Chairman, President & CEOWells Fargo provides commercial banking, brokerage, trust and equipment financing services, serves as a non-lead participant in Target’s syndicated revolving credit facility and is Target’s transfer agent.(3)Less than 0.02%

 

(1)Ms. Minnick’s indirect ownership in each of these portfolio companies is less than 5%.
(2)WilmerHale represented to us that: (a) Mr. Salazar’s compensation was not affected by the amount of legal services performed by WilmerHale for Target, (b) Mr. Salazar did not receive any of the fees from the Target relationship during each of the last three years and (c) Mr. Salazar will not receive any of the fees from the Target relationship in the future. Mr. Salazar does not personally provide any of the legal services to Target.
(3)Target does not use Wells Fargo for any investment banking, consulting or advisory services.

POLICY ON TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

Election and nomination process

Our election process is backed by sound corporate governance principles:

 

The Board of Directors has adopted a written policy requiring that any transaction: (a) involving Target; (b) in which one of our directors, nominees for director, executive officers, or greater than five percent shareholders, or their immediate family members, have a direct or indirect material interest; and (c) where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 in any fiscal year, be approved or ratified by a majority of independent directors of the full Board or by a designated Committee of the Board. The Board has designated the Audit Committee as having responsibility for reviewing and approving all such transactions except those dealing with compensation of executive officers and directors, or their immediate family members, in which case it will be reviewed and approved by the Compensation Committee.

In determining whether to approve or ratify any such transaction, the independent directors or relevant Committee must consider, in addition to other factors deemed appropriate, whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable to Target than those involving unrelated parties. No director may participate in any review, approval or ratification of any transaction if he or she, or his or her immediate family member, has a direct or indirect material interest in the transaction.

We ratified two related party transactions in accordance with this policy during fiscal 2014. Both transactions dealt with compensation of immediate family members of one of our executive officers, Casey Carl, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, who became an executive officer in December 2014. Mr. Carl’s brother joined Target in 2005, has been a team member in merchandising since that time and earned compensation of $144,590 in fiscal 2014. Mr. Carl’s sister-in-law joined Target in 2009, has been a team member in merchandising since that time and earned compensation of $249,880 in fiscal 2014. For each of these immediate family members, the compensation is commensurate with the immediate family member’s peers.

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BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT

We are committed to conducting business lawfully and ethically. All of our directors and named executive officers, like all Target team members, are required to act at all times with honesty and integrity. Our Business Conduct Guide covers areas of professional conduct, including conflicts of interest, the protection of corporate opportunities and assets, employment policies, confidentiality, vendor standards and intellectual property, and requires strict adherence to all laws and regulations applicable to our business. Our Business Conduct Guide alsodescribes the means by which any employee can provide an anonymous report of an actual or apparent violation of our Business Conduct Guide.

We disclose any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of our Business Conduct Guide involving our directors, our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller or other persons performing similar functions on our website within four business days following the date of any such amendment or waiver.

COMMUNICATIONS WITH DIRECTORS

Shareholders and other interested parties seeking to communicate with any individual director or group of directors may send correspondence to Target Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, 1000 Nicollet Mall, TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 or may send an email to BoardOfDirectors@target.com,which is managed by the Corporate Secretary. The Corporate Secretary, in turn, has been instructed by the Board to forward all communications, except those that are clearly unrelated to Board or shareholder matters, to the relevant Board members.

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ITEM ONEELECTION OF DIRECTORS

ELECTION AND NOMINATION PROCESS

Our election process is backed by sound corporate governance principles:

All directors are elected annually;
Directors are elected under a “majority voting” standard – each director in an uncontested election must receive more votes “For” his or her election than votes “Against” in order to be elected; and
An incumbent director who is not re-elected must promptly offer to resign. The Nominating & Governance Committee will make a recommendation on the offer and the Board must accept or reject the offer within 90 days and publicly disclose its decision and rationale.

The Nominating & Governance Committee is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to becomewill make a recommendation on the offer, and the Board membersmust accept or reject the offer within 90 days and publicly disclose its decision and rationale.

The Nominating & Governance Committee is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to become Board members and making recommendations on director nominees to the full Board. The Committee considers the following factors in its efforts to identify potential director candidates:

Input from the full Board. The Committee considers the following factors in its efforts to identify potential director candidates:

Input from the Board’s self-evaluation processBoard to identify the backgrounds or skill sets that are desired; and
Changes in our business strategy or operating environment and the future needs of the Board in light of anticipated director retirements under our Board tenure policies.

The Nominating & Governance Committee has retained a third-party search firm to assist in identifying director candidates and will also consider recommendations from shareholders. Any shareholder who wishes the Committee to consider a candidate should submit a written request and related information to our Corporate Secretary no later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the next Annual MeetingBoard in light of Shareholders.

DETERMINING BOARD AND COMMITTEE COMPOSITIONanticipated director retirements under our Board tenure policies.

The Nominating & Governance Committee has retained a third-party search firm to assist in identifying director candidates and will also consider recommendations from shareholders. Any shareholder who wishes the Committee to consider a candidate should submit a written request and related information to our Corporate Secretary no later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the next annual meeting of shareholders. Shareholders may also nominate director candidates directly if they comply with our bylaws, which are described in more detail in Question 18 “How do I submit a proposal or nominate a director candidate for the 2018 annual meeting of shareholders?” on page 66 of the proxy statement.

Determining board composition

 

The criteria the Board follows in determining the composition of the Board is simple: directors are to have broad perspective, experience, knowledge and independence of judgment. The Board as a whole should consist predominantly of persons with strong business backgrounds that span multiple industries. The Board does not have a specific policy regarding consideration of gender, ethnic or other diversity criteria in identifying director candidates. However, the Board has had a longstanding commitment to, and practice of, maintaining diverse representation on the Board. At least annually the Board seeks input from each of its members with respect to the current composition of the Board in light of changes in our current and future business strategies, as well as our operating environment, as a means to identify any backgrounds or skill sets that may be helpful in maintaining or improving alignment between Board composition and our business. In addition, we seek feedback from our shareholders regarding the backgrounds and skill sets that they would like to see represented on our Board. This input is then used by our Nominating & Governance Committee in its director search process.

 

The Board appoints members of its Committees on an annual basis, with the Nominating & Governance Committee reviewing and recommending Committee membership, and assignments rotate periodically. The guideline for rotating Committee chair assignments is four to six years. The Board seeks to have directors on two to three Committees, and considers a number of factors in deciding Committee composition, including individual director experience and qualifications, the benefits and symmetry of having common directors on Committees with complementary functions (e.g., Audit and Corporate Risk & Responsibility; Audit and Finance; Compensation and Nominating & Governance), prior Committee experience and increased time commitments for directors serving as a Committee Chair or Lead Independent Director.

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BOARD EVALUATIONS AND REFRESHMENT

Board evaluations and refreshment

 

The Board regularly evaluates its performance to enhance Board functioning and the effectiveness of the Board-management relationship.

 

EVALUATION METHODDESCRIPTION
Self-EvaluationThe Nominating & Governance Committee, in consultation with the Lead Independent Director, annually leads the performance review of the Board and its Committees. In 2014, the Board self-evaluation was administered by a third-party governance expert through individual interviews with each director and an online survey completed by each director. After discussion with the Nominating & Governance Committee, the external party facilitated a discussion of the results with the full Board.
The self-evaluation process seeks to obtain each director’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Committees and their leadership, and Board/management dynamics in the following categories:
  The Board’s purpose and mandate
  Business knowledge and risk management
  Information sharing
  Board and Committee composition, roles and contribution
  Meeting effectiveness
Corporate Governance ReviewOur Nominating & Governance Committee conducts an annual corporate governance review that compares our core corporate governance practices with prevailing best practices, emerging practices and evolving topics as indicated by current literature, corporate governance organizations and institutional shareholders.
Charter and Corporate GovernanceGuidelines ReviewWe periodically review our Committee charters and Corporate Governance Guidelines. In January 2015, as a result of our comprehensive review of risk oversight at the management, Board and Committee levels, we clarified and enhanced existing practices through amendments to our Committee charters and Corporate Governance Guidelines to provide more transparency on how risk oversight is exercised at the Board and Committee levels, and reallocated and clarified risk oversight responsibilities among the Committees.

The Board maintains the following tenure policies (contained in our Corporate Governance Guidelines) as a means of ensuring that the Board regularly benefits from a balanced mix of perspectives and experiences:

Self-evaluation The Nominating & Governance Committee, in consultation with the Lead Independent Director, annually leads the performance review of the Board and its Committees. In 2016, the Board self-evaluation involved a survey completed by each director about the Board and the Committees on which the director served, followed by individual interviews. Following completion of the interviews, the results were discussed by the full Board and each Committee. In 2016, the Board self-evaluation was administered by the Corporate Secretary’s office. The annual self-evaluation has periodically been conducted by a third-party consultant, as appropriate. The self-evaluation process seeks to obtain each director’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Committees and their leadership, Board and Committee composition and Board/management dynamics.

 

TENURE POLICIES
Term LimitDirectors may not serve on the Board for more than 20 years, or five years after they retire from active employment, whichever occurs first
Mandatory RetirementDirectors must retire at the end of the term in which they reach age 72
Change in Principal EmploymentDirectors must offer to resign upon any substantial change in principal employment

We had the following changes in our Board since our 2014 Annual Meeting:

Corporate governance review Our Nominating & Governance Committee conducts an annual corporate governance review that compares our core corporate governance practices with prevailing best practices, emerging practices and evolving topics as indicated by current literature, corporate governance organizations and institutional shareholders.

 

DEPARTURESADDITIONS
James A. Johnson – Will retire at the end of his term in connection with our mandatory retirement policy  None

In addition to those changes, the following director is scheduled to complete her service on our Board within the next five years under our tenure policies:

The Board maintains tenure policies (contained in our Corporate Governance Guidelines) as a means of ensuring that the Board regularly benefits from a balanced mix of perspectives and experiences.

 

TENURE POLICY
DIRECTORIMPLICATEDYEAR
Anne M. MulcahyTerm Limit2017

Calvin Darden experienced a

Tenure policies Term limit Directors may not serve on the Board for more than 20years Mandatory retirement Directors must retire at the end of the term in which they reach age72 Change in principal employment Directors must offer to resign upon any substantial change in his principal employment in February 2015 and submitted an offer of resignation. Following a review and upon recommendation of the Nominating & Governance Committee, the Board declined his offer of resignation.

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2015 NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR

After considering the recommendations of the Nominating & Governance Committee, the Board has set the number of directors at 10 and nominated all of the current directors to stand for re-election, except for Jim Johnson who will retire from the Board at the end of his current term. The Board believes that each of these nominees is qualified to serve as a director of Target and the specific qualifications of each nominee that were considered by the Board follow each nominee’s biographical description. Equally important, the Board believes that the combination of backgrounds, skills and experiences has produced a Board that is well-equipped to exercise oversight responsibilities for Target’s shareholders and other stakeholders.

The following table describes key characteristics of our business and experiences of our Board.

 

TARGET’S BUSINESS CHARACTERISTICSCOLLECTIVE EXPERIENCES
Target’s scale and complexity requires aligning many different areas of our operations, including marketing, merchandising, supply chain, technology, human resources, property development, credit card servicing and our community and charitable activities.Senior Leadership. Experience as executive officer level business leader or senior government leader.    
Our brand is the cornerstone of our strategy to provide a relevant and affordable differentiated shopping experience for our guests.  Marketing or Brand Management. Marketing or managing well-known brands or the types of consumer products and services we sell.
We own most of our stores and a network of distribution centers.  Real Estate. Real estate acquisitions and dispositions or property management experience.
We have a large and global workforce, which represents one of our key resources, as well as one of our largest operating expenses.Workforce Management. Managing a large or global workforce.
Our business has become increasingly complex as we have expanded our offerings as well as the channels in which we deliver our shopping experience. This increased complexity requires an increasingly sophisticated technology infrastructure.Technology. Leadership and understanding of technology, digital platforms and new media, data security, and data analytics.  
Our business involves sourcing merchandise domestically and internationally from a large number of vendors and distributing it through our network of distribution centers.Multi-National Operations or Supply Chain Logistics. Executive officer roles at multi-national organizations or in global supply chain operations.
We are a large public company committed to disciplined financial and risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and accurate disclosure.Finance or Risk Management. Public company management, financial stewardship, enterprise risk management or credit card servicing experience.
To be successful, we must preserve, grow and leverage the value of our reputation with our guests, team members, the communities in which we operate and our shareholders.Public Affairs or Corporate Governance. Public sector experience, community relations or corporate governance expertise.

In addition, our

Our current Board’s composition represents a balanced approach to director tenure, allowing the Board to benefit from the experience of longer-serving directors combined with fresh perspectives from newer directors:

 

NUMBER OF
TENURE ON BOARDDIRECTOR NOMINEES
More than 10 years4
5 to 10 years3
Less than 5 years3
Average Director Tenure –6.8 years

Tenure on board Less than 5 years 8 directors 5 to 10 years 1 director More than 10 years 4 directors Average director tenure 6.5 years 38% Female 62% Male Ethnic or racial diversity(1) 38% Diverse 62% Non-diverse

(1)We define diverse directors as those that are ethnically or racially diverse. Our diverse directors are Mr. Darden, Ms. Healey, Ms. Lozano, Mr. Rice and Mr. Salazar.

 

We have no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable or unwilling for good cause to serve if elected. However, if any nominee should become unable for any reason or unwilling for good cause to serve, proxies may be voted for another person nominated as a substitute by the Board, or the Board may reduce the number of directors.

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Roxanne S. Austin

Age 54

Director since 2002

Independent

Committees

Finance (Chair)

Audit

Corporate Risk & Responsibility

2017 nominees for director

After considering the recommendations of the Nominating & Governance Committee, the Board has set the number of directors at 12 and nominated all of the current directors to stand for re-election, except for Anne Mulcahy who will retire from the Board at the end of her current term. The Board believes that each of these nominees is qualified to serve as a director of Target and the specific qualifications of each nominee that were considered by the Board follow each nominee’s biographical description. Equally important, the Board believes that the combination of backgrounds, skills and experiences has produced a Board that is well-equipped to exercise oversight responsibilities on behalf of Target’s shareholders and other stakeholders.

The following table describes key characteristics of our business and the skills our Board collectively possesses.

 

BACKGROUND

Roxanne S. Austin is President of Austin Investment Advisors, a private investment and consulting firm, a position she has held since 2004. From May 2014 to August 2014 she served as Interim Chair of Target Corporation. From July 2009 through July 2010, Ms. Austin also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Move Networks, Inc., a provider of Internet television services. Ms. Austin also previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of DIRECTV, Inc., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hughes Electronics Corporation and as a partner of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

QUALIFICATIONS

Through her extensive management and operating roles, including her financial roles, Ms. Austin provides the Board with financial, operational and risk management expertise, and substantial knowledge of new media technologies.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

Abbott Laboratories(1)

AbbVie Inc.(1)

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

LM Ericsson Telephone Company

Past 5 Years

None

(1)AbbVie Inc. became a public company in January 2013 following its separation from Abbott Laboratories. Ms. Austin was serving on the Board of Abbott Laboratories at the time of the separation and became a director of AbbVie Inc. in connection with the separation.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr.

Age 56

Director since 2013

Lead Independent Director

Committees

Compensation

Nominating & Governance

BACKGROUND

Douglas M. Baker, Jr., is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ecolab Inc., a provider of water and hygiene services and technologies for the food, hospitality, industrial and energy markets. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Ecolab since May 2006 and Chief Executive Officer since July 2004, and served as President from 2002 to 2011.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mr. Baker provides the Board with valuable global marketing, sales and general management experience, as well as operational and governance perspectives. His current role as CEO of a large publicly-held company provides the Board with additional top-level perspective in organizational management.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

Ecolab Inc.

U.S. Bancorp

Past 5 Years

None

Target’s business characteristics Skills our board collectively possesses
Target is a large retailer that offers everyday essentials and fashionable, differentiated merchandise at discounted prices in stores and through digital channels.Retail industry experienceLarge retail or consumer products company experience.
Target’s scale and complexity requires aligning many different areas of our operations, including marketing, merchandising, supply chain, technology, human resources, property development, credit card servicing and our community and charitable activities.Senior
Leadership
Experience as executive officer level business leader or senior government leader.
Our brand is the cornerstone of our strategy to provide a relevant and affordable differentiated shopping experience for our guests.Marketing or
Brand Management
Marketing or managing well-known brands or the types of consumer products and services we sell.
We operate a large network of stores and distribution centers.Real EstateReal estate acquisitions and dispositions or property management experience.
We have a large and global workforce, which represents one of our key resources, as well as one of our largest operating expenses.Workforce ManagementManaging a large or global workforce.
Our business has become increasingly complex as we have expanded our offerings as well as the channels in which we deliver our shopping experience. This increased complexity requires sophisticated technology infrastructure.TechnologyLeadership and understanding of technology, digital platforms and new   media, data security, and data analytics.
Our business involves sourcing merchandise domestically and   internationally from a large number of vendors and distributing it   through our network of distribution centers.Multi-National   Operations or   Supply Chain   LogisticsExecutive officer roles at multi-national   organizations or in global supply chain   operations.
We are a large public company committed to disciplined financial and risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and accurate disclosure.Finance or Risk ManagementPublic company management, financial stewardship or enterprise risk management experience.
To be successful, we must preserve, grow and leverage the value of our reputation with our guests, team members, the communities in which we operate and our shareholders.Public Affairs or Corporate GovernancePublic sector experience, community relations or corporate governance expertise.

 

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Brian C. Cornell

Age 56

Director since 2014

Committees

None

BACKGROUND

We have no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable or unwilling for good cause to serve if elected. However, if any nominee should become unable for any reason or unwilling for good cause to serve, proxies may be voted for another person nominated as a substitute by the Board, or the Board may reduce the number of directors.

Roxanne S. Austin Age 56 Director since 2002 Independent Committees Human Resources & Compensation Risk & Compliance Background Roxanne S. Austin is President of Austin Investment Advisors, a private investment and consulting firm, a position she has held since 2004. Ms. Austin also previously served as President & Chief Executive Officer of Move Networks, Inc., President & Chief Operating Officer of DIRECTV, Inc., Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Hughes Electronics Corporation and as a partner of Deloitte & Touche LLP. Qualifications Through her extensive management and operating roles, including her financial roles, Ms. Austin provides the Board with financial, operational and risk management expertise, and substantial knowledge of new media technologies. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years Abbott Laboratories LM Ericsson Telephone Company AbbVie Inc. Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

Douglas M. Baker, Jr. Age 58 Director since 2013 Lead Independent Director Committees Nominating & Governance (Chair) Risk & Compliance Background Douglas M. Baker, Jr., is Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Ecolab Inc., a provider of water and hygiene services and technologies for the food, hospitality, industrial and energy markets. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Ecolab since May 2006 and Chief Executive Officer since July 2004. Qualifications Mr. Baker provides the Board with valuable global marketing, sales and general management experience, as well as operational and governance perspectives. His current role as CEO of a large publicly-held company provides the Board with additional top-level perspective in organizational management. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years Ecolab Inc. None U.S. Bancorp

 

Brian C. Cornell has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Target Corporation since August 2014. Mr. Cornell served as Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Americas Foods, a division of PepsiCo, Inc., from March 2012 to July 2014. From April 2009 to January 2012, Mr. Cornell served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and as an executive vice president of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

QUALIFICATIONS

Through his more than 30 years in escalating leadership positions at leading retail and global consumer product companies, including three CEO roles and more than two decades doing business in North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America, Mr. Cornell provides meaningful leadership experience and retail knowledge. His past experience includes time as both a vendor partner and a competitor to Target, and he brings insights from those roles to the company today.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

Polaris Industries Inc.

Past 5 Years

None

 

Calvin Darden

Age 65

Director since 2003

Independent

Committees

Compensation

Corporate Risk & Responsibility

Nominating & Governance

BACKGROUND

Calvin Darden is Chairman of Darden Putnam Energy & Logistics, LLC, a company that sells fuel products, a position he has held on a full-time basis since February 2015. From November 2009 to February 2015, he was Chairman of Darden Development Group, LLC, a real estate development company. From February 2006 to November 2009, he was Chairman of The Atlanta Beltline, Inc., an urban revitalization project for the City of Atlanta.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mr. Darden provides the Board with significant experience in supply chain networks, logistics, customer service and management of a large-scale workforce obtained over his 33-year career with United Parcel Service of America, Inc., and more recently has developed expertise in community relations and real estate development.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.

Cardinal Health, Inc. 

Past 5 Years

None

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Henrique De Castro

Age 49

Director since 2013

Independent

Committees

Compensation

Finance

BACKGROUND

Brian C. Cornell Age 58 Director since 2014 Committees None Background Brian C. Cornell has served as Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer of Target Corporation since August 2014. Mr. Cornell served as Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Americas Foods, a division of PepsiCo, Inc., a multinational food and beverage corporation, from March 2012 to July 2014. From April 2009 to January 2012, Mr. Cornell served as Chief Executive Officer & President of Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., a discount retailer, and as an Executive Vice President of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Qualifications Through his more than 30 years in escalating leadership positions at leading retail and global consumer product companies, including three CEO roles and more than two decades doing business in North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America, Mr. Cornell provides meaningful leadership experience and retail knowledge. His past experience includes time as both a vendor partner and a competitor to Target, and he brings insights from those roles to the company today. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years Yum! Brands, Inc. Polaris Industries Inc.

Calvin Darden Age 67 Director since 2003 Independent Committees Human Resources & Compensation Nominating & Governance Background Calvin Darden is Chairman of Darden Putnam Energy & Logistics, LLC, a company that sells fuel products, a position he has held on a full-time basis since February 2015. From November 2009 to February 2015, he was Chairman of Darden Development Group, LLC, a real estate development company. Mr. Darden had a 33-year career with the United Parcel Service of America, Inc., an express carrier and package delivery company, and served in a variety of senior management positions, ending as Senior Vice President of U.S. Operations in February 2005. Qualifications Mr. Darden provides the Board with significant experience in supply chain networks, logistics, customer service and management of a large-scale workforce obtained over his career with United Parcel Service of America, Inc., and more recently has developed expertise in community relations and real estate development. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years Cardinal Health, Inc. Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.

 

Henrique De Castro is the former Chief Operating Officer of Yahoo! Inc., a digital media company that delivers personalized digital content and experiences worldwide by offering online properties and services to users. He held that position from November 2012 to January 2014. He previously served Google Inc. as President, Partner Business Worldwide from March 2012 to November 2012, President, Global Media, Mobile & Platforms from June 2009 to March 2012, and as Managing Director, European Sales from July 2006 to May 2009.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mr. De Castro provides the Board with valuable insight into media, mobile and technology platforms. His experiences at Yahoo! and Google, as well as his prior experience at Dell Inc. provides him with global perspectives on leading operations, strategy, partner management and revenue generation in the technology and media industries.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

None

Past 5 Years

None

 

Mary E. Minnick

Age 55

Director since 2005

Independent

Committees

Audit

Corporate Risk & Responsibility

Finance

BACKGROUND

Mary E. Minnick is a Partner of Lion Capital LLP, a consumer-focused private investment firm, a position she has held since May 2007.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ms. Minnick provides the Board with substantial expertise in building brand awareness, general management, product development, marketing, distribution and sales on a global scale obtained over her 23-year career with The Coca-Cola Company. Her current position with Lion Capital provides the Board with additional insights into the retail business and consumer marketing trends outside the United States.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

The WhiteWave Foods Company

Heineken NV

Past 5 Years

None

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Anne M. Mulcahy

Age 62

Director since 1997

Independent

Committees

Compensation (Chair)

Nominating & Governance

BACKGROUND

Anne M. Mulcahy is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Save The Children Federation, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to creating lasting change in the lives of children throughout the world, a position she has held since March 2010. She previously served as Chairman of the Board of Xerox Corp., a document management company, from January 2002 to May 2010, and Chief Executive Officer of Xerox from August 2001 to July 2009.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ms. Mulcahy obtained extensive experience in all areas of business management as she led Xerox through a transformational turnaround. This experience, combined with her leadership roles in business trade associations and public policy activities, provides the Board with additional expertise in the areas of organizational effectiveness, financial management and corporate governance.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

Graham Holdings Company

Johnson & Johnson

LPL

Henrique De Castro Age 51 Director since 2013 Independent Committees Human Resources & Compensation Infrastructure & Investment Background Henrique De Castro is the former Chief Operating Officer of Yahoo! Inc., a digital media company that delivers personalized digital content and experiences worldwide by offering online properties and services to users. He held that position from November 2012 to January 2014. He previously served at Google Inc., a company that builds technology products and provides services to organize information, as President, Partner Business Worldwide from March 2012 to November 2012 and as President, Global Media, Mobile & Platforms from June 2009 to March 2012. Qualifications Mr. De Castro provides the Board with valuable insight into media, mobile and technology platforms. His experiences at Yahoo! and Google, as well as his prior experience at Dell Inc., provides him with global perspectives on leading operations, strategy, partner management and revenue generation in the technology and media industries. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years None None

Robert L. Edwards Age 61 Director since 2015 Independent Committees Infrastructure & Investment (Chair) Risk & Compliance Background Robert L. Edwards is the former President & Chief Executive Officer of AB Acquisition LLC, a North American food and drug retail company, a position he held from January 2015 to April 2015 due to Albertsons’ acquisition of Safeway Inc. Mr. Edwards previously held several executive level positions with Safeway Inc., a United States food and drug retail company, including President & Chief Executive Officer from May 2013 to April 2015, President & Chief Financial Officer from April 2012 to May 2013, and Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer from March 2004 to April 2012. Qualifications Mr. Edwards provides the Board with substantial food and drug retail expertise and perspectives from his time at Safeway and Albertsons. In addition, his prior experiences as a CEO of a large publicly-held company and as CFO of multiple public companies provide the Board with extensive public company accounting and financial reporting expertise and a top-level perspective in organizational management. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. Flextronics International Ltd. KKR Financial Holdings LLC Safeway Inc.

 

Past 5 Years

None

 

Derica W. Rice

Age 50

Director since 2007

Independent

Committees

Audit (Chair)

Corporate Risk & Responsibility

BACKGROUND

Derica W. Rice is Executive Vice President, Global Services and Chief Financial Officer of Eli Lilly and Company, a pharmaceutical company, positions he has held since January 2010 and May 2006, respectively. From May 2006 to December 2009, he served as Eli Lilly’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mr. Rice’s career with Eli Lilly has provided him with substantial experience in managing worldwide financial operations. His expertise gives the Board additional skills in the areas of financial oversight, risk management and the alignment of financial and strategic initiatives.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

None

Past 5 Years

None

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Kenneth L. Salazar

Age 60

Director since 2013

Independent

Committees

Corporate Risk & Responsibility (Chair)

Finance

BACKGROUND

Kenneth L. Salazar is a Partner at WilmerHale, a full service business law firm, a position he has held since June 2013. Previously, Mr. Salazar served as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2009 to 2013, U.S. Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009 and as Attorney General of Colorado from 1999 to 2005.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mr. Salazar has substantial public policy experience at both the state and federal levels. Mr. Salazar provides the Board with additional insights on public policy issues and leadership on matters involving multiple stakeholder stewardship.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Melanie L. Healey Age 56 Director since 2015 Independent Committees Human Resources & Compensation Infrastructure & Investment Background Melanie L. Healey is the former Group President, North America, of The Procter & Gamble Company, one of the world’s leading providers of branded consumer packaged goods, a position she held from January 2009 to December 2014. Ms. Healey also served as Group President & Advisor to the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of The Procter & Gamble Company from January 2015 to July 2015. Qualifications Ms. Healey provides the Board with valuable strategic, branding, distribution and operating experience on a global scale obtained over her more than 30-year career in the consumer goods industry in three multinational companies (Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and S.C. Johnson & Sons). Her deep experience in marketing, including her 18 years outside the United States, provides the Board with strategic and operational leadership and critical insights into brand building and consumer marketing trends globally. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years PPG Industries, Inc. None Verizon Communications Inc.

 

Donald R. Knauss Age 66 Director since 2015 Independent Committees Human Resources & Compensation Nominating & Governance Background Donald R. Knauss is the former Executive Chairman of The Clorox Company, a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products, a position he held from November 2014 to June 2015. Mr. Knauss previously served as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of The Clorox Company from October 2006 until November 2014. Qualifications Mr. Knauss possesses substantial senior management level experience in a variety of areas, including branded consumer products and consumer dynamics, manufacturing and supply chain, the retail environment, and sales and distribution, which strengthens the Board’s collective knowledge, capabilities and experience. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years Kellogg Company The Clorox Company McKesson Corporation URS Corporation

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement21

Monica C. Lozano Age 60 Director since 2016 Independent Committees Audit & Finance Nominating & Governance Background Monica C. Lozano is the former Chairman of U.S. Hispanic Media, Inc., a leading Hispanic news and information company with outlets in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other U.S. cities, a position she held from June 2014 to January 2016. Ms. Lozano previously served ImpreMedia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Hispanic Media, Inc., as Chair from July 2012 to May 2014, and as Chief Executive Officer from May 2010 to May 2014. Ms. Lozano served as Publisher of La Opinion, a subsidiary of ImpreMedia, LLC, from 2004 to May 2014 and was Chief Executive Officer from 2004 to July 2012. Qualifications Ms. Lozano possesses substantial senior management experience in areas such as operations, marketing and strategic planning. She also has a deep understanding of issues that are important to Hispanics, a growing U.S. demographic. Ms. Lozano has board-level experience overseeing large organizations with diversified operations on matters such as governance, risk management and financial reporting. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years Bank of America Corporation The Walt Disney Company

Mary E. Minnick Age 57 Director since 2005 Independent Committees Audit & Finance Infrastructure & Investment Background Mary E. Minnick is a Partner of Lion Capital LLP, a consumer-focused private investment firm, a position she has held since May 2007. Ms. Minnick had a 23-year career with The Coca-Cola Company, a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and served in a variety of senior management positions, including Chief Operating Officer of the Asian region, Division President roles in the Japan, South Pacific and Asian regions, and ending as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer and Global President of Strategy and Innovation in February 2007. Qualifications Ms. Minnick provides the Board with substantial expertise in operations management, building brand awareness, product development, marketing, distribution and sales on a global scale obtained over her career with The Coca-Cola Company. Her current position with Lion Capital provides the Board with additional insights into the retail business and consumer marketing trends outside the United States. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years None Heineken NV The WhiteWave Foods Company

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement22

Derica W. Rice Age 52 Director since 2007 Independent Committees Audit & Finance (Chair) Risk & Compliance Background Derica W. Rice is Executive Vice President, Global Services & Chief Financial Officer of Eli Lilly and Company, a pharmaceutical company, positions he has held since January 2010 and May 2006, respectively. Qualifications Mr. Rice’s career with Eli Lilly has provided him with substantial experience in managing worldwide financial operations. His expertise gives the Board additional skills in the areas of financial oversight, risk management and the alignment of financial and strategic initiatives. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years None None

Kenneth L. Salazar Age 62 Director since 2013 Independent Committees Risk & Compliance (Chair) Infrastructure & Investment Background Kenneth L. Salazar is a Partner at WilmerHale, a full service business law firm, a position he has held since June 2013. Previously, Mr. Salazar served as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2009 to 2013, as U.S. Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009 and as Attorney General of Colorado from 1999 to 2005. Qualifications Mr. Salazar has substantial public policy experience at both the state and federal levels. Mr. Salazar provides the Board with additional insights on public policy issues, government regulation and leadership on matters involving multiple stakeholder stewardship. Other public company boards Current Past 5 years None None

 

Past 5 Years

None

 TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement23
 
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Stock ownership information

 

John G. Stumpf

Age 61

Director since 2010

Independent

Committees

Nominating & Governance (Chair)

Audit

BACKGROUND

John G. Stumpf is Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wells Fargo & Company, a banking and financial services company. He has been President since August 2005, Chief Executive Officer since June 2007, and Chairman since January 2010. A 32-year veteran of Wells Fargo, he has held various operational and managerial positions throughout his career.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mr. Stumpf’s current role as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wells Fargo, and long career in banking, provides the Board with expertise in brand management, financial oversight and stewardship of capital, as well as valuable perspectives in large public company organizational structuring and management.

OTHER PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS

Current

Chevron Corporation

Wells Fargo & Company 

Past 5 Years

None

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STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

STOCK OWNERSHIP GUIDELINES

Stock ownership guidelines

 

Stock ownership that must be disclosed in this proxy statement includes shares directly or indirectly owned and shares issuable or options exercisable that the person has the right to acquire within 60 days. Our stock ownership guidelines vary from the required ownership disclosure in that they do not include any options, but do include share equivalents held under deferred compensation arrangements as well as unvested restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance-based RSUs (PBRSUs) at the minimum share payout. We believe our stock ownership guidelines for our directors and executive officers are aligned with shareholders’ interests because the guidelines reflect equity that has economic exposure to both upside and downside risk.

 

OWNERSHIP GUIDELINES BY POSITION
DIRECTORSCEOOTHER NEOS
Fixed Value of $270,0007x base salary3x base salary

EQUITY USED TO MEET STOCK OWNERSHIP GUIDELINES
YESNO
Outstanding shares that the person beneficially owns or is deemed tobeneficially own, directly or indirectly, under the federal securities lawsOptions, regardless of when they are exercisable
RSUs and PBRSUs (at their minimum share payout, which is 75% ofthe target payout level), whether vested or unvestedPerformance Share Units (PSUs) because their minimum sharepayout is 0% of the target payout level
Deferred compensation amounts that are indexed to Target commonstock, but ultimately paid in cash

Ownership guidelines by position Directors Fixed value of $500,000 CEO 7x base salary Other NEOs 3x base salary Equity used to meet stock ownership guidelines Yes Outstanding shares that the person beneficially owns or is deemed to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, under the federal securities laws RSUs and PBRSUs (at their minimum share payout, which is 75% of the at-goal payout level), whether vested or unvested Deferred compensation amounts that are indexed to Target common stock, but ultimately paid in cash No Options, regardless of when they are exercisable Performance Share Units (PSUs) because their minimum share payout is 0% of the at-goal payout level

 

All directors and executive officers are expected to achieve the required levels of ownership under our stock ownership guidelines within five years of their election or appointment. If a director or executive officer has not satisfied the ownership guideline amounts within those first five years, he or she must retain all shares acquired on the vesting of equity awards or the exercise of stock options (in all cases net of exercise costs and taxes) until compliance is achieved. In addition, if an executive officer is below the ownership guideline amounts during the first five years after becoming an executive officer, he or she must retain at least 50% of all shares acquired on the vesting of equity awards or the exercise of stock options (in all cases net of exercise costs and taxes) until compliance is achieved. In 2014 the stock ownership guidelines were amended to add an another requirement that if an executive officer is below the ownership guideline amounts during their first five years, he or she must retain at least 50% of all shares acquired on the vesting of equity awards or the exercise of stock options until compliance is achieved.

 

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The following table shows the holdings of our current directors and NEOs recognized for purposes of our stock ownership guidelines as of March 29, 2017, and the respective ownership guidelines calculations.

  Shares     Total stock Stock 
  directly or     ownership for ownership 
  indirectly RSUs & Share guidelines guidelines 
  owned PBRSUs equivalents (# of shares)(1) calculation 
Directors         Total value(2) 
Roxanne S. Austin  10,000  25,359  0  35,359 $1,950,049 
Douglas M. Baker, Jr.  0  12,445  0  12,445 $686,342 
Calvin Darden  0  25,359  803  26,162 $1,442,860 
Henrique De Castro  0  15,335  0  15,335 $845,725 
Robert L. Edwards  10,000  6,503  0  16,503 $910,140 
Melanie L. Healey(3)  0  5,963  0  5,963 $328,859 
Donald R. Knauss  10,000  6,503  0  16,503 $910,140 
Monica C. Lozano(3)  0  4,856  0  4,856 $267,808 
Mary E. Minnick  886  60,811  460  62,157 $3,427,932 
Anne M. Mulcahy  7,114  33,199  0  40,313 $2,223,262 
Derica W. Rice  0  55,301  0  55,301 $3,049,850 
Kenneth L. Salazar  0  11,871  0  11,871 $654,686 
Current named         Multiple of base 
executive officers         salary(2) 
Brian C. Cornell  128,416  118,856  8,497  255,770  10.9 
Cathy R. Smith(4)  19,537  20,911  0  40,448  2.8 
John J. Mulligan  65,624  42,735  19,804  128,163  7.1 
Don H. Liu  4,000  53,557  0  57,557  4.9 
Mark J. Tritton(4)  0  21,998  0  21,998  1.8 
(1)The “Total Stock Ownership” calculation, like the required disclosure of “Total Shares Beneficially Owned” on page 26, starts with “Shares Directly or Indirectly Owned” but differs by (a) excluding all options, regardless of whether they can be converted into common stock on or before May 28, 2017, and (b) including (i) share equivalents that are held under deferred compensation arrangements and (ii) RSUs and PBRSUs (at their minimum share payout, which is 75% of the at-goal payout level), whether vested or unvested, even if they will be converted into common stock more than 60 days from March 29, 2017.
(2)Based on closing stock price of $55.15 as of March 29, 2017.
(3)Ms. Healey joined the Board on November 11, 2015. Ms. Lozano joined the Board on March 9, 2016. They currently comply with our stock ownership guidelines as of April 7,because they have five years from those respective dates to meet the required $500,000 stock ownership level.
(4)Ms. Smith became Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer on September 1, 2015, and the respectiveMr. Tritton became Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer on June 5, 2016. They currently comply with our stock ownership guidelines calculations.

                      
  SHARES
DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY
OWNED
 RSUs &
PBRSUs
 SHARE
EQUIVALENTS
 TOTAL STOCK
OWNERSHIP FOR
GUIDELINES
(# OF SHARES)(1)
 STOCK
OWNERSHIP
GUIDELINES
CALCULATION
 
 DIRECTORS        TOTAL VALUE(2) 
 Roxanne S. Austin 10,000   19,195   0   29,195  $2,411,799  
 Douglas M. Baker, Jr. 0   7,103   0   7,103  $586,779  
 Calvin Darden 0   19,195   754   19,949  $1,648,025  
 Henrique De Castro 0   9,816   0   9,816  $810,900  
 Mary E. Minnick 886   52,449   431   53,766  $4,441,650  
 Anne M. Mulcahy 7,114   26,551   0   33,665  $2,781,066  
 Derica W. Rice 0   44,077   0   44,077  $3,641,201  
 Kenneth L. Salazar 0   6,567   0   6,567  $542,500  
 John G. Stumpf 0   11,307   0   11,307  $934,071  
 CURRENT NAMED
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
                MULTIPLE OF BASE
SALARY(2)
 
 Brian C. Cornell 37,804   145,587   0   183,391   11.7  
 John J. Mulligan 25,583   40,321   10,488   76,392   6.3  
 Kathryn A. Tesija 21,996   32,779   9,402   64,176   5.6  
 Tina M. Tyler 8,400   22,728   11,696   42,825   4.9  
 Jeffrey J. Jones II 7,805   25,609   0   33,414   3.8  
                      

(1)The “Total Stock Ownership” calculation, like the required disclosure of “Total Shares Beneficially Owned” on page 27, starts with “Shares Directly or Indirectly Owned” but differs by (a) excluding all options, regardless of whether they can be converted into common stock on or before June 6, 2015, and (b) including (i) share equivalents that are held under deferred compensation arrangements and (ii) RSUs and PBRSUs (at their minimum share payout, which is 75% of the target payout level), whether vested or unvested, even if they will be converted into common stock more than 60 days from April 7, 2015.
(2)Based on closing stock price of $82.61 as of April 7, 2015.because they have five years from those respective dates to meet the required 3x base salary stock ownership level.

 

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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

The following table includes information about the shares of Target common stock (our only outstanding class of equity securities) which are beneficially owned on April 7, 2015 or which the person has the right to acquire within 60 days of April 7, 2015 for each director, named executive officer in the Summary Compensation Table on page 49,Contents

Beneficial ownership of directors and officers

The following table includes information about the shares of Target common stock (our only outstanding class of equity securities) which are beneficially owned on March 29, 2017 or which the person has the right to acquire within 60 days of March 29, 2017 for each director, named executive officer in the Summary Compensation Table on page 42, and all current Target directors and executive officers as a group.

  Shares  Shares  Stock options   
  directly or  issuable  exercisable  Total shares
  indirectly  within  within  beneficially
Directors owned  60 days(1)  60 days  owned(2)
Roxanne S. Austin  10,000   23,557   20,392   53,949
Douglas M. Baker, Jr.  0   10,643   5,570   16,213
Calvin Darden  0   23,557   0   23,557
Henrique De Castro  0   13,533   5,570   19,103
Robert L. Edwards  10,000   4,701   0   14,701
Melanie L. Healey  0   4,161   0   4,161
Donald R. Knauss  10,000   4,701   0   14,701
Monica C. Lozano  0   3,054   0   3,054
Mary E. Minnick  886   59,009   0   59,895
Anne M. Mulcahy  7,114   31,397   19,368   57,879
Derica W. Rice  0   52,227   0   52,227
Kenneth L. Salazar  0   10,069   3,601   13,670
Named executive officers               
Brian C. Cornell  128,416   0   0   128,416
Cathy R. Smith  19,537   0   0   19,537
John J. Mulligan  65,624   6,474   257,391   329,489
Don H. Liu(3)  4,000   0   0   4,000
Mark J. Tritton(3)  0   0   0   0
All current directors and executive officers               
As a group (24 persons)  332,673(4)   247,083   530,340   1,110,096
(1)Includes shares of common stock that the named individuals may acquire on or before May 28, 2017 pursuant to the conversion of vested RSUs into common stock.
(2)All directors and executive officers as a group.

          
  SHARES
DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY
OWNED
 SHARES
ISSUABLE
WITHIN 60 DAYS(1)
 STOCK OPTIONS
EXERCISABLE
WITHIN 60 DAYS
 TOTAL SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED(2)
 
 DIRECTORS            
 Roxanne S. Austin10,000  17,464  28,055  55,519  
 Douglas M. Baker, Jr.0  5,372  5,570  10,942  
 Calvin Darden0  17,464  40,811  58,275  
 Henrique De Castro0  7,169  5,570  12,739  
 Mary E. Minnick886  49,802  0  50,688  
 Anne M. Mulcahy7,114  24,820  27,031  58,965  
 Derica W. Rice0  41,278  0  41,278  
 Kenneth L. Salazar0  4,836  3,601  8,437  
 John G. Stumpf0  9,576  17,889  27,465  
 NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS            
 Brian C. Cornell(3)37,804  0  0  37,804  
 John J. Mulligan25,583  6,078  196,706  228,367  
 Kathryn A. Tesija21,996  0  308,070  330,066  
 Tina M. Tyler8,400  179  179,745  188,324  
 Jeffrey J. Jones II7,805  0  100,609  108,414  
 Gregg W. Steinhafel(4)27,370  0  0  27,370  
 ALL CURRENT DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS            
 As a group (19 persons)158,271(5)  186,868  1,795,922  2,141,061  
              

(1)Includes shares of common stock that the named individuals may acquire on or before June 6, 2015 pursuant to the conversion of vested RSUs into common stock.
(2)All directors and executive officers as a group own less than 1% of Target’s outstanding common stock. The persons listed have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares listed.
(3)Mr. Cornell became Chairman & CEO on August 12, 2014.
(4)Mr. Steinhafel stepped down as President & CEO on May 5, 2014.
(5)Includes shares of common stock owned by executive officers in the Target 401(k) Plan as of April 7, 2015.group own less than 1% of Target’s outstanding common stock. The persons listed have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares listed.
(3)Mr. Liu became Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary on August 22, 2016, and Mr. Tritton became Executive Vice president & Chief Merchandising Officer on June 5, 2016.
(4)Includes shares of common stock owned by executive officers in the Target 401(k) Plan as of March 29, 2017.

 

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Back to ContentsBENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF TARGET’S LARGEST SHAREHOLDERS

Beneficial ownership of Target’s largest shareholders

 

The following table includes certain information about each person or entity known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of our common stock:

 

        
  NUMBER OF    
  COMMON SHARES    
 NAME AND ADDRESSBENEFICIALLY PERCENT OF  
 OF >5% BENEFICIAL OWNEROWNED CLASS(1)  
 State Street Corporation59,878,459(2)  9.4% 
 One Lincoln Street      
 Boston, Massachusetts 02111      
 The Vanguard Group37,945,527(3)  5.9% 
 100 Vanguard Boulevard      
 Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355      
 Franklin Resources, Inc.32,992,866(4)  5.2% 
 One Franklin Parkway      
 San Mateo, California 94403-1906      
 BlackRock, Inc.32,530,687(5)  5.1% 
 55 East 52ndStreet      
 New York, New York 10022      
        

(1)Based on shares outstanding on April 7, 2015.
Number of
Name and addresscommon sharesPercent of
of >5% beneficial ownerbeneficially ownedclass(1)
State Street Corporation51,204,237(2)9.3%
One Lincoln Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
The Vanguard Group40,599,172(3)7.4%
100 Vanguard Boulevard
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
BlackRock, Inc.38,296,297(4)6.9%
55 East 52nd Street
New York, New York 10055  
(2)State Street Corporation (State Street) reported its direct and indirect beneficial ownership in various fiduciary capacities (including as trustee under Target’s 401(k) Plan) on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 12, 2015. The filing indicates that as of December 31, 2014, State Street had sole voting power for 0 shares, shared voting power for 59,878,459 shares, sole dispositive power for 0 shares and shared dispositive power for 59,878,459
(1)Based on shares outstanding on March 29, 2017.
(2)State Street Corporation (State Street) reported its direct and indirect beneficial ownership in various fiduciary capacities (including as trustee under Target’s 401(k) Plan) on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14, 2017. The filing indicates that as of December 31, 2016, State Street had sole voting power for 0 shares, shared voting power for 51,204,237 shares, sole dispositive power for 0 shares and shared dispositive power for 51,204,237 shares.
(3)The Vanguard Group (Vanguard) reported its direct and indirect beneficial ownership on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 10, 2017. The filing indicates that as of December 31, 2016, Vanguard had sole voting power for 887,398 shares, shared voting power for 121,104 shares, sole dispositive power for 39,595,350 shares and shared dispositive power for 1,003,822 shares.
(4)BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock) reported its direct and indirect beneficial ownership on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on January 27, 2017. The filing indicates that as of December 31, 2016, BlackRock had sole voting power for 31,784,390 shares, shared voting power for 19,504 shares, sole dispositive power for 38,276,793 shares and shared dispositive power for 19,504 shares.
(3)The Vanguard Group (Vanguard) reported its direct and indirect beneficial ownership on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 11, 2015. The filing indicates that as of December 31, 2014, Vanguard had sole voting power for 1,083,792 shares, shared voting power for 0 shares, sole dispositive power for 36,935,677 shares and shared dispositive power for 1,009,850 shares.
(4)Franklin Resources, Inc. (FRI) reported its direct and indirect beneficial ownership on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 10, 2015. The filing indicates that as of December 31, 2014, FRI or its affiliates had sole voting power for 32,501,750 shares, shared voting power for 2,030 shares, sole dispositive power for 32,946,913 shares and shared dispositive power for 45,953 shares.
(5)BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock) reported its direct and indirect beneficial ownership on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 6, 2015. The filing indicates that as of December 31, 2014, BlackRock had sole voting power for 27,070,282 shares, shared voting power for 21,834 shares, sole dispositive power for 32,508,853 shares and shared dispositive power for 21,834 shares.

SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

SEC rules require disclosure of those directors, officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our common stock who fail to timely file reports required by Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the most recent fiscal year. Based solely on review of reports furnished to us and written representations that no other reports were required during the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015,

Section 16(a) beneficial ownership reporting compliance

SEC rules require disclosure of those directors, officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our common stock who fail to timely file reports required by Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the most recent fiscal year. Based solely on review of reports furnished to us and written representations that no other reports were required during the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017, all Section 16(a) filing requirements were met.

 

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COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the following Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our annual report on Form 10-K and this proxy statement.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE(1)Contents

Human Resources & Compensation Committee Report

James A. Johnson, Chair(2)

Douglas M. Baker, Jr. 

Calvin Darden 

John G. Stumpf(2)

 

(1)Ms. Mulcahy and Mr. De Castro joined the Compensation Committee following the preparation of this report, with Ms. Mulcahy becoming Chair.
(2)Messrs. Johnson and Stumpf rotated off of the Compensation Committee following the preparation of this report.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) focuses on how our Named Executive Officers (NEOs) were compensated for fiscal 2014 (February 2, 2014 through January 31, 2015) and how their fiscal 2014 compensation aligns with our pay for performance philosophy. We also discuss significant actions taken in fiscal 2015 that relate to an understanding of fiscal 2014 compensation.

Mr. Cornell was hired as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on August 12, 2014. Prior to Mr. Cornell’s hire, Mr. Mulligan served in the capacity of Interim President & Chief Executive Officer from May 5, 2014 to August 11, 2014. Our former Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Gregg Steinhafel, ceased serving in those capacities on May 5, 2014, but continued to serve in an advisory role until August 23, 2014. The details of Mr. Steinhafel’s post-termination benefits can be found on page 63. For fiscal 2014,

The Human Resources & Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the following Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussion, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and this proxy statement.

Human Resources & Compensation Committee

Anne M. Mulcahy, Chair

Roxanne S. Austin

Calvin Darden

Henrique De Castro

Melanie L. Healey

Donald R. Knauss

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Introduction

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) focuses on how our Named Executive Officers (NEOs) were compensated for fiscal 2016 (January 31, 2016 through January 28, 2017) and how their fiscal 2016 compensation aligns with our pay for performance philosophy.

For fiscal 2016, our NEOs were:

 

NAMEPRINCIPAL POSITION
Brian C. CornellChairman & Chief Executive Officer
John J. MulliganExecutive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Kathryn A. TesijaExecutive Vice President & Chief Merchandising & Supply Chain Officer
Tina M. TylerExecutive Vice President & Chief Stores Officer
Jeffrey J. Jones IIExecutive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
Gregg W. SteinhafelFormer Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer

Name and principal positionBrian C. Cornell Chairman & Chief Executive OfficerCathy R. Smith Executive Vice President & Chief Financial OfficerJohn J. Mulligan Executive Vice President & Chief Operating OfficerDon H. Liu Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate SecretaryMark J. Tritton Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer

On June 5, 2016, Mr. Tritton joined Target as Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer. On August 22, 2016, Mr. Liu joined Target as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary.

 

Our CD&A is divided into the following sections:

 

Executive Summary

 Our Performance Framework for Executive Compensation
Other Benefit Elements
Compensation Governance

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive summary

Guiding principles of our compensation program

We believe executive compensation should be directly linked to performance and the creation of long-term value for our shareholders. With that in mind, the three guiding principles of our compensation program are to:

 

We have made significant progress in the past year. In particular, we named our first ever CEO hired from outside the organization who brings
Attract, retain and motivate a wealth of experience in both retailing and consumer products marketing to Target. We made the difficult decision to discontinue our Canadian operations which allows ourpremier management team to focus all ofsustain our distinctive brand and its energy on pursuing profitable growthcompetitive advantage in the U.S. market and is expected to lead to improvedmarketplace
Provide a framework that encourages outstanding financial results overall. As a resultand shareholder returns over the long-term
Deliver on our pay for performance philosophy in support of discontinuing our Canadian operations we did not meet the minimumstrategy

A significant portion of our executive compensation is at risk and therefore may vary from targeted compensation based upon the level of achievement of specified performance objectives and stock price performance.

Shareholder support for our 2016 advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder outreach program

At our June 2016 annual meeting of shareholders, shareholders approved our Say on Pay proposal in support of our executive compensation program by 96.4%, consistent with the fiscal 2015 vote of 96.6%. We believe open dialogue with our shareholders and incorporation of their feedback into our executive compensation program has been instrumental in obtaining shareholder support for our compensation program’s design and direction.

We regularly engage in outreach efforts with our shareholders relating to a variety of topics and involve one or more independent directors in these conversations as appropriate. We use the information gathered through these outreach efforts to help inform our compensation decisions. We look forward to continued dialogue on compensation matters and other issues relevant to our business.

Summary of key compensation decisions made in fiscal 2016

TopicDescriptionMore
information
Financial Component of STIPBased on below threshold established for tax purposesperformance for fiscal 2014 (162(m) threshold) which led to the forfeiture of long-term and short-term incentive compensation for our executive officers described in more detail throughout the CD&A.

Pay for Performance

Proven Record of Accountability in Pay Programs

Our incentive award payouts align with our financial performance.

No financial payouts were earned under our short-term incentive plan (STIP) over the past two years. As a result, no STIP payouts were paid to our CEO this year or last year.
We significantly enhanced our long-term incentive (LTI) program last year in response to shareholder feedback: 100% of our annual LTI mix features performance-based metrics and is tied to relative performance versus our retail peers.
Our retail peers set the benchmark against which we are measured; our relative performance against set performance metrics under our two most recent performance share unit (PSU) payouts yielded payouts well below goal.
Our PSU award for the 2012-2014 performance period was forfeited entirely, as described under “Discontinuing Our Canadian Operations Results in 162(m) Threshold Not Being Met in Fiscal 2014.” If we had met the 162(m) threshold, the financial results based on our performance versus our peers would have yielded a payout of 41.5% of the goal number of shares.

The charts below illustrate actual payouts, as a percentage of goal, over the last three years for our STIP and PSU plans. PSU awards and2016, the financial component of our short-term incentive plan (STIP) had a zero payout. Therefore, our CEO did not receive a STIP made up more than 60%payout for the year.

Team Scorecard Component of at-goal annual total direct compensation (TDC) for our NEOsSTIPBeginning in fiscal 2014.2016 and to replace the personal performance component of the non-CEO NEOs’ STIP, we introduced the team scorecard. The first performance-based restricted stock unit (PBRSU) payout has not yet occurred as PBRSUs were introduced in January 2014.

Payouts for Financial Component of STIPscorecard was designed to strongly align non-CEO NEO pay opportunity to our strategy, focusing on certain key initiatives believed to ensure a foundation for future growth.
Strategic Alignment Award Payout Payouts for PSU Awards

Discontinuing Our Canadian Operations Results in 162(m) Threshold Not Being Met in Fiscal 2014

As described above and throughout this CD&A, we utilize performance metrics core to our business within our STI (incentive earnings before interest and taxes and incentive economic value added) and LTI (relative market share growth, earnings per share growth, and return on invested capital) to drive strategy, measure our relative performance against retail competitors and determine actual payouts for each award. In addition, our short-term and long-term compensation programs are intended to qualify as deductible performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code based on achieving a minimum level of consolidated earnings before interest and taxes. The minimum level of performance represented by the 162(m) threshold is in addition to the aforementioned performance metrics that are intended to drive payout within our plans.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     30

On January 14, 2015, in accordance with management’s recommendation, our Board of Directors decided to discontinue our Canadian operations. As a result of the one-time charges associated with this decision, in March 2015 our Compensation Committee determined that we did not meet our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014. Based on that determination, long-term and short-term incentive compensation for our NEOs (including our former CEO) was forfeited entirely as illustrated in the following tables:

    
  IMPACT ON LONG-TERM INCENTIVE ANNUAL GRANTS FOR DIFFERENT FISCAL YEARS 
 AWARD TYPE2011201220132014 
 PBRSUs/RSUs(1)
Performance Period
No Impact
(2012-2014)
No Impact
(2013-2015)
Forfeited
(2014-2016)
No Impact
(2015-2017)
 
 PSUs(2)
Performance Period
Forfeited,
would have paid 41.5%
(2012-2014)
Forfeited
(2013-2015)
Forfeited
(2014-2016)
No Impact
(2015-2017)
 
 Stock Options(3)No ImpactNo ImpactNot ApplicableNot Applicable 
       

(1)The annual grants of PBRSUs and RSUs were made during January of each of the fiscal years referenced in the table.
(2)The annual grants of PSUs for fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012 were made in March of fiscal 2012 and March of fiscal 2013, respectively, and the annual grants of PSUs for fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014 were made in January 2014 and January 2015, respectively.
(3)The annual grants of Stock Options for fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012 were made during January of those fiscal years. We discontinued granting options after fiscal 2012.

IMPACT ON SHORT-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN FOR FISCAL 2014
COMPONENTCEO / FORMER CEOOTHER NEOs
Financial(1)Forfeited,
would have paid $0
Forfeited,
would have paid $0
Personal(2)Not ApplicableForfeited

(1)The financial component is 100% of STIP for the CEO and former CEO, and two-thirds of STIP at-goal for our other NEOs. Although our STI for fiscal 2014 was forfeited due to us not achieving the 162(m) threshold, our below threshold financial performance would have resulted in a $0 payout even if that forfeiture did not occur.
(2)The CEO and former CEO do not have a personal component to their STI. The personal component is one-third of STI for our other NEOs. The forfeiture due to us not achieving the 162(m) threshold removed the opportunity for our other NEOs to receive a payout under our existing plan.

See “Compensation Tax Policy” on p. 48 for more information.

Not meeting the 162(m) threshold in 2014 significantly reduced the amount of compensation that could be realized from awards reported in the Summary Compensation Table (SCT) for fiscal 2012, 2013, and 2014. To illustrate, the following table shows the impact on certain compensation components reported in the Summary Compensation Table for fiscal 2013, which includes grants that were only one year into their three-year performance cycle. Although Mr. Cornell is not included in the table below, his 2014 Pro-Rata PSU and PBRSU awards were forfeited because they were subject to the same performance condition and covered the same performance period as the other NEOs’ fiscal 2013 stock awards. See page 39 for more details on his “Pro-Rata TDC for Fiscal 2014”.

             
   MR. MULLIGAN MS. TESIJA MS. TYLER MR. JONES MR. STEINHAFEL 
 FISCAL 2013 COMPENSATION
COMPONENT
 2013 SCT ACTUAL
REALIZED
COMP
 2013 SCT ACTUAL
REALIZED
COMP
 2013 SCT ACTUAL
REALIZED
COMP
 2013 SCT ACTUAL
REALIZED
COMP
 2013 SCT ACTUAL
REALIZED
COMP
 
 Base Salary $700,000 $700,000 $950,000 $950,000 $725,000 $725,000 $700,000 $700,000 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 
 Bonus $150,000 $150,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 
 Stock Awards $3,505,105 $0 $5,841,653 $0 $3,797,152 $0 $3,505,105 $0 $10,224,120 $0 
 Option Awards $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 
 Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 
 Total 2013 Compensation(1) $4,355,105 $850,000 $6,791,653 $950,000 $4,522,152 $725,000 $4,205,105 $700,000 $11,724,120 $1,500,000 
 % of 2013 Compensation Realized     20%     14%     16%     17%     13%
                                 

(1)Total 2013 compensation excludes items shown under “Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” and “All Other Compensation” in the Summary Compensation Table. Total 2013 Compensation for a fiscal year includes: (a) base salary levels approved for that year, (b) STIP payouts related to performance for that year, and (c) annual LTI awards representing the aggregate grant date fair value of awards granted in March 2013 and January 2014. Beginning in January 2014, we changed our grant timing practices to grant both PBRSUs and PSUs in January.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     31

Strategic Alignment Awards and Bonuses for Fiscal 2014 Performance

The Board of Directors and Compensation Committee recognize that the current management team no longer includes those most directly responsible for developing and executing Target’s strategy to enter Canada. The current team, however, worked tirelessly to salvage that strategy and, together with our Board, ultimately made the tough decision—and the right one for shareholders—to discontinue our Canadian operations while strengthening performancewere granted in the U.S. The Board and Committee note that the decision to discontinue our Canadian operations resulted in a write-off in 2014 that, due to the 162(m) threshold, caused the forfeiture of three years of PSUs and the January 2014 PBRSU grant, as well as the 2014 STIP for Executive Officers.

The Board and Committee acknowledge the current management team’s performance in creating shareholder value as demonstrated by the attempts to optimize the Canadian investment while driving the strong momentum shown in fiscal 2014 third and fourth quarter U.S. results. Further, in connection with the five key priorities to transform our business for long-term growth announced in early March 2015 and described in more detail on page 36, our executive officers have been tasked with specific goals to deliver on Target’s transformation with important foundational steps to be taken over the next two years.

Strategic Alignment Awards

In March 2015 the Compensation Committee and the independent members of the Board approved Strategic Alignment Awards. The awards are designed to connect the current management team’s pay with its performance in achieving goals designed to re-positionreposition Target and drive long-term growth consistent with our transformational plan along the five key priorities announced earlier in the month. In addition to strengthening pay with performance, the Committee considered the overall retentive value of the awards in a key time of transition. The awards are in addition to the annual LTI grants, and were granted off-cycle to allow the Compensation Committee and full Board to carefully consider this matter in the context of Target’s full year financial performance, as well as to gain input from shareholders in advance of making the awards.

Specifically, in March 2015, our active NEOs received performance-based awards with grant date present values as follows: Mr. Cornell – $3.75 million, Mr. Mulligan – $3 million, Ms. Tesija – $3 million, Mr. Jones – $2.85 million, Ms. Tyler – $2.85 million.

The grants are based on performance, have a two-year performance period, are settled in stock and will be reflected in the Summary Compensation Table for fiscal 2015. The two-year performance period and performance metrics are explicitly designed to align with timing and metrics that drive the transformational plan set by our CEO and Board. A two-year performance period bolsters the performance-based nature of our executive pay program during this important time in Target’s transformation, as all other outstanding LTI with active performance metrics do not vest until 2018. The award is forfeited if termination occurs prior to the conclusion of the performance period, except in the event of death and disability.

priorities. Payout of these awards iswas based on important absolute metrics, each selected to drive focused outcomes that complement the relative performance metrics in our annual LTIlong-term incentive (LTI) awards. The payouts up

NEO New Hire CompensationAs part of the offers given to 150%Mr. Tritton and Mr. Liu to join Target, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee approved sign-on bonuses, make-whole RSUs and pro-rata equity grants consisting of goal will be assessed based onPSUs and PBRSUs.

For context to understand the key compensation decisions made in fiscal 2016, it is also important to understand a compensation decision that took place after the end of fiscal 2016. At our February 2017 Financial Community meeting, we announced that Target is aggressively accelerating investments in its strategic initiatives, including:

An expected capital investment of over $2 billion in fiscal 2017, and over $7 billion expected in the next three core metrics closely aligned withyears, principally in store remodels, new small format stores, and digital and supply chain capabilities; and
A planned $1 billion investment in operating margin in fiscal 2017 to enhance the digital and in-store experience of our transformation, as outlined below, with an additional ability to earn up to 200% of goal payout with an After-tax Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) modifier:guests.

These investments, which are intended to position Target for sustained and profitable sales growth and market share gains in the long-term, may result in lower near-term profitability that could negatively affect outstanding LTI awards granted before the decision to make those investments. Accordingly, with the perspective of this extensive long-term investment plan, in April 2017 the Board decided to grant price-vested stock options (Price-Vested Options) to maintain continuity of the executive team throughout this investment period, galvanize them around the key initiatives and reward success in this transformational effort. The Price-Vested Options serve as a supplemental compensation element based exclusively on stock price performance, to complement outstanding LTI awards through the investment period announced in February 2017. The Price-Vested Options have an effective grant date of May 22, 2017, the first trading day that begins after 72 hours following our first quarter earnings release, and the exercise price will be equal to the fair market value on the effective grant date. The key design features of the Price-Vested Options align management’s interests with shareholders:

 

 
METRICIMPORTANCEPERFORMANCE GOALS
Total Sales GrowthDrive sales through a focus on signature categories, increased personalization, and localizationGoal: 3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
Maximum: 4.5% CAGR
No payout for 0% CAGR
Digital Channel Sales GrowthContinued focus on omnichannel strategy that enables our guests to engage with Target anywhere, anytimeGoal: 30% CAGR
Maximum: 45% CAGR
No payout for 0% CAGR
Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) GrowthEnsure that we are growing sales profitably, and optimizing expenses to fuel this profitable growthGoal: increase Segment EBIT by $500M (2016 v. 2014), surpassing all time high EBIT performance Maximum: $750 million increase
No payout for less than $250 million increase
Return on Invested Capital ModifierInvest smartly in our business, effectively allocating capital to drive profitTo earn additional upside, requires at least 13.75% for fiscal 2016, representing the highest in recent history

Additional information regarding the Strategic Alignment Awards will be disclosed in our proxy statement for the 2016 annual meeting.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     32

2017 Proxy Statement29
 

BonusesVesting is Based on Both Time and Stock Price Criteria – The Price-Vested Options are not exercisable during the first three years and will become exercisable only if Target’s stock price exceeds a hurdle of $75 for Fiscal 2014 Performance

To recognize20 consecutive trading days within the NEOsseven-year term of the options.

The Stock Price Criteria are Challenging – The performance hurdle of $75 maintained for dedicated performance during an extended leadership transition last year,a period of 20 days is challenging, both in terms of historic stock price levels and in relation to our more recent share price following the Compensation Committee determined it appropriate to approve bonus paymentsFebruary 2017 announcement. The $75 price hurdle represents a 40% premium over our closing price of $53.68 on April 17, 2017, the date the awards were approved. The $75 price hurdle is also well above our average price for the currently employed NEOs, excluding our CEO.period between the February 2017 announcement and approval date, which was $54.62. The management team was responsible for developing and delivering on20-consecutive day requirement helps to mitigate temporary stock price fluctuations from influencing potential gains. Finally, at any time prior to the strategieseffective grant date, the Board can decide not to issue the Price-Vested Options if it determines that led to positive U.S. results in comparable sales, digital channel sales growth and year-over-year gross margin rate performance improvementunexpected circumstances have arisen which drove earnings above expectations inundermine the third and fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. These payments, are included in the “Bonus” columnpurpose of the Summary Compensation TablePrice-Vested Options, such as the stock price criteria becoming no longer sufficiently challenging.
Mandatory Post-Exercise Holding Period – The shares received upon exercise, net of exercise costs and describedtaxes, are subject to a one-year post-exercise holding period, even if this period extends beyond termination of employment. During the post-exercise holding period, the shares received upon exercise may not be used by the executive in further detail on page 41.

Current CEO Hire

Effective August 12, 2014, Mr. Cornell was appointedsatisfying our stock ownership guidelines.

Strict Forfeiture Provisions – For voluntary terminations, Price-Vested Options are completely forfeited if the executive leaves within the first three years.
No Retirement-Based Extensions – Notably, and in contrast to the position of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. As part of Mr. Cornell’s offer, he received:

Fiscal 2014 pro-rata total direct compensation (TDC) of $5,320,000 derived from at-goal annual compensation of $12,250,000 to approximate the median of our combined retail and general industry peer group. TDC consists of base salary, at-goal STIP opportunity and grant date present value of LTI. Mr. Cornell realized only $595,000 of his pro-rata TDC because STIP paid out at $0 and LTI was forfeited due to our not meeting the 162(m) threshold.
Make-whole grant of $13,979,481 intended to replace forfeited equity from former employer and subject to further performance and time-based restrictions.

More details of Mr. Cornell’s pay package can be found on page 39.

Results of 2014 Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation

At our June 2014 annual meeting of shareholders, shareholders approved our Say on Pay proposal in supportterms of our executive compensation program by 78%, a significant improvement over the prior year. We believe that open dialogue with our shareholders and reflecting their feedback in our compensation decisions is criticalannual LTI awards, there are no retirement-based extensions of vesting or exercisability for these Price-Vested Options.

Relationship to our success.

Shareholder Outreach

Following the announcement to discontinue our Canadian operations, we hosted calls or held meetings with shareholders representing approximately 41% of shares voted. The majority of the conversations were led by Anne Mulcahy, then-current Chair of our Board’s Nominating & Governance Committee and the current Chair of our Board’sOther Compensation Committee, and included soliciting feedback on key compensation and governance issues that informed our decision to award bonuses for fiscal 2014 performance and the design of the Strategic Alignment Awards. We value the feedback provided by our shareholders and look forward to continued, open dialogue on compensation matters and other issues relevant to our business.

The Board’s overarching goal is to deliver on our pay for performance philosophy by offering compensation strategies that incent strong results, attract and retain a premier management team, and are supported by shareholders. In 2013, we undertook a significant overhaul of our compensation programs to ensure that our pay practices demonstrate Target’s strong commitment to our pay for performance philosophy and high standards of corporate governance. In 2014, we continued that momentum by making additional changes described under “Compensation Program Enhancements in Response to Shareholder Feedback” on page 39.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATIONElements    33

Target’s Executive Compensation Practices

The following practices and policies ensure alignment of interests between shareholders and executives, and effective ongoing compensation governance.

COMPENSATION
PRACTICE
TARGET POLICYMORE
INFORMATION
Pay for PerformanceYESA significant percentage of the total direct compensation package features performance-based metrics, including 100% of our annual LTI.
Robust stock ownership guidelinesYESWe have stock ownership guidelines for executive officers of 7x base salary for CEO(increased from 5x), 3x base salary for non-CEO executive officers and $270,000 for directors.
Annual Shareholder
“Say on Pay”
YESWe value our shareholders’ input on our executive compensation programs. Our Board of Directors seeks an annual non-binding advisory vote from shareholders to approve theexecutive compensation disclosed in our CD&A, tabular disclosures and related narrative of this proxy statement.
Double Trigger Change-in-ControlYESWe now grant equity awards that require both a change-in-control and an involuntarytermination or voluntary termination with good reason before vesting.
Annual compensation risk assessmentYES A risk assessment of our compensation programs is performed on an annual basis.
Clawback policyYESOur policy allows recovery of incentive cash and equity compensation if it is earned basedon inaccurate financial statements.
Independent compensation consultantYESThe Compensation Committee retains an independent compensation consultant to adviseon the executive compensation program and practices.
Hedging of company stockNOExecutive officers and members of the Board of Directors may not directly or indirectlyengage in transactions intended to hedge or offset the market value of Target common stock owned by them.
Pledging of company stockNOExecutive officers and members of the Board of Directors may not directly or indirectlypledge Target common stock as collateral for any obligation.
Tax gross-upsNO We do not provide tax gross-ups to our executive officers.
Dividends on unearned performance awardsNO We do not pay dividends on unearned performance awards.
Repricing or exchange of underwater stock optionsNOOur equity incentive plan does not permit repricing or exchange of underwater stockoptions without shareholder approval.
Employment contractsNO None of our current named executive officers has an employment contract.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     34

Performance Highlights

Target’s Segment Total Sales, Digital Channel Sales Growth, Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS) from Continuing Operations, Segment After-Tax ROIC and Total Shareholder Return (TSR) performance over the past five fiscal years are shown below:

Segment Total Sales
(in millions)
Digital Channel Sales Growth
Adjusted EPS from
Continuing Operations(2)
Segment After-Tax ROIC

Total Shareholder Return

 

(1)2012 reflects a 53-week accounting year.
(2)A reconciliation of Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations to GAAP EPS is provided in Appendix A.

The Board and management team have demonstrated a strong commitment to returning capital to shareholders over the past five fiscal years.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     35

2014 Performance Review

Fiscal 2014 was a year of transition in which we began to lay the foundation for the transformation we will accomplish in the next few years. A year ago we were in recovery mode, working to repair guest relationships following the data breach while we undertook an assessment of the long-term prospects for our Canadian business. The recovery of our business was evident in the progression of our financial results throughout the year. Specifically, comparable sales, digital channel sales growth and year-over-year gross margin rate performance improved throughout 2014, as our guests moved beyond the impact of the breach and we began to see early progress on our transformation.

Strategic Priorities

With the data breach more than a year behind us and the difficult decision to discontinue our Canadian operations made, our team is focused and aligned on the following five key priorities to transform our business for long-term growth, which were announced in early March 2015:

Leading in omnichannel and taking a “channel agnostic” view to growing our business. Our digital channel growth led the industry in 2014 and we are working to build on that success in 2015 and beyond.
Defining category roles and re-establishing leadership in signature categories of baby, kids, beauty, style and wellness. These are the categories we are well known for and our guests have asked us to lead with them in the years ahead. Beyond these signature categories, we are defining appropriate roles for all of our categories and will invest in them appropriately to ensure we’re providing our guests convenience through a differentiated, inspirational, one-stop-shopping experience.
Becoming much more localized in the assortment and experience we provide in our stores, and more personalized in the digital experience we deliver.
Developing and testing new formats that will help us to better serve our guests over time. We have experienced strong financial results from our first eight CityTarget stores and very strong initial performance in the test of our first Target Express location.
Reducing complexity and controlling costs in order to fuel our investments in strategies that will grow our business. The management team is committed to moving decisively to modernize the way we work and create the capacity we need to invest in the priorities that will drive our growth and return on invested capital.

We have a fantastic foundation to build on, with a great brand, loyal guests and an outstanding team, and we are committed to maintaining our focus on our key priorities and making the tough decisions to position Target for long-run success.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     36

OUR PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK FOR EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Our compensation programs are structured to align the interests of our executive officers with the interests of our shareholders. They are designed to attract, retain, and motivate a premier management team to sustain our distinctive brand and its competitive advantage in the marketplace, and to provide a framework that encourages outstanding financial results and shareholder returns over the long term.

CURRENT CEO PAY MIX(1)OTHER ACTIVE NEOs PAY MIX
 
        
         
 Performance-Based89%   Performance-Based84% 
         

(1)Represents annual at-goal TDC.

How Annual CEO Pay is Tied to Performance
The following pay elements are performance-based and represent a significant percentage of the total direct compensation package.
STIP The financial STIP payout was 0% for fiscal 2014. Payouts range from 75% to 300% when performance levels are at or between 5% below and 5% above goal, respectively.
PSUs– Payouts range from 0% to 175% of goal depending on our performance relative to our retail peer group.
PBRSUs– Payouts range from 75% to 125% of goal depending on TSR performance relative to our retail peer group.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     37

Elements of Fiscal 2014 Executive Total Direct Compensation

ELEMENTKEY
CHARACTERISTICS
LINK TOSHAREHOLDER
VALUE
HOW WE DETERMINE
AMOUNT
KEY
DECISIONS
FIXEDBase SalaryFixed compensation component payable in cash, representing less than 20% of TDC for our NEOs. Reviewed annually and adjusted when appropriate.A means to attract and retain talented executives capable of driving superior performance.Scope and complexity of each executive officer’s roles, individual skills, contributions, market data and prior experience.

Approved in January of 2014, our former CEO and NEOs received no base salary increases. Mr. Mulligan received a base salary increase in May 2014 when he became Interim President & CEO.

For fiscal 2015, Mr. Jones received a base salary increase. See page 40.

Short Term
Incentives
Variable compensation component payable in cash based on performance against annually established financial goals and assessment of individual performance (excluding CEO).

Incentive targets are tied to achievement of key annual strategic, operational, and financial measures.

Our CEO’s STIP is exclusively tied to financial measures.

Financial portion of award based on:

- Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (Incentive EBIT)

- Economic Value Added (Incentive EVA)

Personal scores are based on critical factors upon which we believe leadership and performance should be assessed, but which are not quantifiable. We do not use a personal score in our CEO’s STIP.

Weak performance against goals resulted in no financial payout for the CEO and other NEOs for fiscal 2014.

To reinforce the importance of profitable growth, for fiscal 2015, we added sales as a metric. We also removed Incentive EVA since we have a measure of capital management (After-tax ROIC) appropriately positioned within our LTI mix. See page 41.

PERFORMANCE BASED

Performance Share
Unit Awards
PSUs cliff vest three years from the date of grant and payouts are based on relative three-year performance versus our retail peer group.

PSUs recognize our executive officers for achieving superior long-term relative performance in:

-Market share change

-EPS growth

-After-tax ROIC

Grant award levels based on individual performance, potential future contributions, historical grant amounts, retention considerations and market data.

Actual award payout based on change in market share and EPS compound annual growth rate versus retail peer group (added relative After-tax ROIC with the award granted in January 2014).

As discussed on pages 30-31, we did not meet the 162(m) threshold, effectively cancelling the fiscal 2011, 2012, and 2013 PSU awards.
Performance Based
Restricted Stock
Unit Awards
PBRSUs cliff vest three years from the date of grant with the number of shares based on relative three-year TSR performance versus our retail peer group.Fosters a culture of ownership, aligns the long-term interests of Target’s executive officers with our shareholders and rewards or penalizes based on relative TSR performance.

Grant awards based on individual performance, historical grant amounts, retention considerations and market data.

Payout varies from 75% to 125% of award based on TSR versus retail peer group.

As discussed on pages 30-31, we did not meet the 162(m) threshold, effectively cancelling the fiscal 2013 PBRSU award.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     38

Compensation Program Enhancements in Response to Shareholder Feedback

During 2013, we embarked on a comprehensive overhaul of our executive compensation program. We continued to make meaningful changes to our pay programs over the last year, including:

Double Trigger Change-in-Control.For grants made starting in January 2015, the Committee adopted a double trigger treatment that requires both a change-in-control and either an involuntary termination without cause or voluntary termination with good reason before vesting is accelerated. The amount accelerated is generally a pro-rata share amount based on the date of termination, unless the amount of shares the executive officer would have received upon termination had the change in control not occurred is a greater amount.
Ownership Guidelines.We increased our CEO’s ownership guidelines from 5x base salary to 7x base salary.
Pre-guideline Holding Requirement.If an executive officer is below the applicable ownership threshold prior to the compliance date, he or she must retain 50% of all shares acquired on the vesting of equity awards or the exercise of stock options (net of exercise costs and taxes) until the ownership guideline amount is satisfied.
Compensation Peer Groups.We updated our retail peer group to broaden the view of the competitive landscape in assessing relative performance under the PSU and PBRSU plans, as well as assessing executive officer compensation levels. Our general industry peer group was updated to increase alignment from a revenue and market capitalization perspective and maintain diverse industry representation across the peer group.
Limited Current CEO Perquisites.Mr. Cornell is only eligible for perquisites that support his safety, health and well-being. See page 44 for more details.
Fiscal 2015 Short-Term Incentive Plan Redesign.Beginning in fiscal 2015, the short-term incentive plan is based on Incentive Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (weighted 75% at-goal) and sales (weighted 25% at-goal) to align annual incentives with our strategy of driving growth, with an emphasis on profitability. In conjunction, Incentive Economic Value Added was eliminated as a metric. With the introduction of Return on Invested Capital in our performance share unit plan, assessing capital management is now appropriately positioned within our long-term plan.

Current CEO Compensation Focused on Long-Term Performance

On August 12, 2014, Mr. Cornell became Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. To attract Mr. Cornell to the company and ensure his compensation was structured in accordance with current best practices and principles of pay for performance, the Compensation Committee constructed a compensation package with the following elements:

Pro-Rated TDC for Fiscal 2014.Aligned Mr. Cornell’s pro-rated fiscal 2014 TDC with the incentive structure applied to our other executive officers, and approximated the at-goal median compensation for CEOs of our peer groups.
Make-Whole Compensation. Provided Mr. Cornell make-whole compensation to replace compensation he forfeited from his former employer when he became our Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. The LTI awards are subject to further performance and time-based restrictions.

               
 Current CEO Compensation Package 
  PRO-RATED TDC FOR FISCAL 2014MAKE-WHOLE COMPENSATION 
     
 PURPOSE   
  Aligned structure, timing and forms of compensation with other executive officers, and approximates the at-goal median compensation for CEOs of our combined retail and general industry peer groups. Compensation pro-rated based on Mr. Cornell’s start date of August 12, 2014.Replaced the estimated value of awards Mr. Cornell gave up from his former employer to join Target. The make-whole compensation consists primarily of Target stock subject to further performance and time-vesting restrictions. 
               
 COMPENSATION ELEMENTS          
 Salary  $595,000    $0   
 Short-Term lncentives(1)  $975,000  

Represents at-goal

 $48,390   
 PSUs  $  2,812,500 

value at time of
offer, actual realized

 $0   
 PBRSUs  $937,500  

value was $0.

 $9,785,637(2)   
 RSUs  $0    $4,193,844(2)   
 Total  $5,320,000    $14,027,871   
               

(1)The Short-Term Incentives for the “Pro-Rated TDC for Fiscal 2014” represents an at-goal amount that is 150% of Annual Base Salary, based on the number of months worked during the year. The Short-Term Incentives for the “Make-Whole Compensation” represents the portion of Mr. Cornell’s $835,890 annual bonus payment that he forfeited when he left his former employer.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     39

(2)At the time of hire, it was uncertain how much LTI Mr. Cornell would forfeit from his former employer. Target committed to the estimated value of awards Mr. Cornell would forfeit of $19,250,000 and agreed toreduce it by the target value of any incentive awards from his former employer that he was eligible to retain. Mr. Cornell ultimately retained $5,270,519 from his previous employer, making his final make-whole LTI grant equal to $13,979,481. The PBRSUs represent 70% of the make-whole LTI and 75% to 125% of the PBRSUs vest in March 2016, 2017 and 2018 based on Target’s TSR relative to its retail peers from the grant date of the award through each of those dates. The RSUs, which vested in March 2015, represent 30% of the make-whole LTI and approximate the value and timing of payments he was scheduled to receive from his former employer. See the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table on page 52 for the grant date fair value of these awards as determined pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718.

Base Salary

We provide base salary as a means to provide a stable amount of cash compensation to our executive officers. In alignment with our pay for performance philosophy, it represents the smallest portion of TDC.

In January 2014, the Compensation Committee approved no fiscal 2014 base salary increases for our NEOs. Mr. Mulligan received an increase in May 2014 at the time he was appointed to his additional capacities as Interim President & Chief Executive Officer in connection with his increased role and to reflect him assuming responsibility for the Target properties function, which continued after Mr. Cornell was hired as our CEO.

In January 2015, the Compensation Committee approved a fiscal 2015 base salary increase of $25,000 for Mr. Jones for his leadership in rebuilding the brand following the data breach.

Short-Term Incentives

All NEOs are eligible to earn cash awards under our STIP program, which is designed to motivate and reward executives for performance on key annual measures. For fiscal 2014, STIP metrics included both profitability (Incentive EBIT) and investment discipline (Incentive EVA). To incent and reward performance aligned with our goals and strategy as a business going-forward, we replaced Incentive EVA with sales beginning in fiscal 2015, as described in more detail on page 41.

Fiscal 2014 Performance Metrics

Our STIP program for fiscal 2014 was based on two metrics and appropriately challenging goals set at the beginning of the performance period:

Incentive EBIT.Incentive EBIT represented 50% of the financial component of the STIP payout. For fiscal 2014, Incentive EBIT consisted of Consolidated EBIT, as determined under GAAP, with certain adjustments that can be found in Appendix A.
Incentive EVA.Incentive EVA accounted for the other 50% of the financial component of the STIP payout. Incentive EVA is a measure of earnings after an estimated after-tax cost of capital charge. A positive Incentive EVA performance indicates we are generating returns on invested capital at rates higher than the cost of capital. For fiscal 2014, Incentive EVA included the U.S. Segment and the Canadian Segment.
Personal Performance (excludes CEO).Personal performance payments correspond to a predetermined percentage of base salary tied to a payout matrix for each personal performance review score. The maximum personal performance payout is equal to 46.7% of base salary. Review scores are a subjective element within our mix of variable compensation elements to recognize the critical factors upon which we believe leadership and performance should be assessed, but which are not quantifiable, including: enterprise leadership, the development of a high performing and diverse team, a strong commitment to high ethical standards, and the achievement of strategic goals and objectives for the year.

The following tables summarize the total short-term incentive opportunity for financial performance measures at 5% below goal, goal, and 5% above goal, and a representative incentive opportunity for the personal performance aspect of the short-term incentive program under various performance levels as a percentage of base pay. The tables are not substitutes for the information disclosed in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table located on page 52.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     40

         
 Illustrative Payouts for our CEO(as a % of base salary) 
   PERFORMANCE LEVEL 
   5% BELOW GOAL GOAL 5% ABOVE GOAL 
 Financial Component 75% 150% 300% 
 (50% Incentive EBIT, 50% Incentive EVA)       
         

         
 Illustrative Payouts for Other NEOs(as a % of base salary) 
   PERFORMANCE LEVEL 
   BELOW GOAL(1) GOAL(2) ABOVE GOAL(3) 
 Financial Component 20% 53% 120% 
 (50% Incentive EBIT, 50% Incentive EVA)       
 Personal Performance Component 20% 27% 40% 
 Total(4) 40% 80% 160% 
         

(1)Reflects financial performance at 5% below goal and “effective” personal performance.
(2)Reflects financial performance at-goal and “excellent” personal performance.
(3)Reflects financial performance at 5% above goal and “outstanding” personal performance.
(4)In May 2014, the Board increased Mr. Mulligan’s fiscal 2014 short-term incentive opportunity amounts, pro-rated for three months during which he served in the additional capacities of Interim President & CEO. Using this table for illustrative payouts, the annualized payouts would be as follows: below goal payout would be 42%, at-goal payout would be 84% and above goal payout would be 167% of base salary.

Fiscal 2014 Performance Goals and How We Performed in Comparison to These Goals

The final STIP goals were based on our overall 2014 performance goals, which were reviewed, discussed and approved by the Board at the beginning of the year. When approving these goals the Board takes into account our business strategies, the economic environment and how the annual goal aligns with our long range plan.

As previously described, we did not achieve our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014 required to earn a payout for financial or personal performance under the STIP. As a result, our CEO and other NEOs did not receive payouts under the STIP for fiscal 2014.

Historically, our STIP goals have proven challenging, with 0% payouts for both fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014. For fiscal 2014, our Incentive EBIT and Incentive EVA goal amounts were $4,822 million and $299 million, respectively. The threshold amounts to receive a payout were $4,581 million for Incentive EBIT and $142 million for Incentive EVA, as further detailed in our Reconciliation of Incentive EBIT to Consolidated GAAP EBIT in Appendix A. Our actual results were below threshold for both metrics, which would have resulted in a $0 financial payout even if we had achieved our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014.

Fiscal 2014 Performance Bonuses

To recognize the NEOs for dedicated performance during an extended leadership transition last year, the Compensation Committee determined it appropriate to approve bonus payments for the currently employed NEOs, excluding our CEO, of 40% of salary. The management team was tasked with developing and delivering on the strategies that led to positive U.S. results in comparable sales, digital channel sales growth and year-over-year gross margin rate performance improvement which drove earnings above expectations in the third and fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.

Fiscal 2015 Performance Metrics

Beginning in fiscal 2015, we introduced sales as a metric to complement Incentive EBIT within the financial component of the CEO and other NEOs’ STIP. We placed additional weight on profitability (Incentive EBIT at 75% at-goal and sales at 25% at-goal) to align our annual incentives with our strategy of driving growth, with an emphasis on profitability. We removed incentive EVA from our short-term plan because assessing capital management is now appropriately positioned within our LTI mix with the introduction of After-tax ROIC to our PSU plan beginning with fiscal 2013’s annual grant. This change will continue to motivate and reward our executives for performance on key annual measures.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     41

Long-Term Incentives

To align our executive officers’ pay outcomes with long-term performance, 100% of our annual LTI grant features performance-based metrics and comprises the majority of each NEO’s total compensation.

Value of LTI Awarded

In determining the amount of individual long-term incentive awards, the Compensation Committee considered each NEO’s performance during the fiscal year, potential future contributions, historical annual grant amounts and retention considerations, as well as market data for comparable executives fromthat measure our retail and general industry peer groups.

As agreed to in his offer letter, Mr. Cornell received an annual LTI grant date present value of $9,000,000 in January 2015. The grant date present value of this award was positioned just below the median at-goal LTI amount for CEOs of our combined peer groups at the time of his offer.

The Compensation Committee made three changes to the NEOs’ annual LTI grants versus the prior year. Mr.  Mulligan’s LTI grant was increased by $500,000 in recognition of the positive results delivered stemming from his leadership as Interim President & CEO and for assuming responsibility for Target’s properties function. Mr. Jones’ LTI was increased by $250,000 for his leadership in rebuilding the brand following the data breach. Ms. Tesija’s LTI grant was decreased by $750,000 due to a shift in responsibilities and to achieve an appropriate alignment relative to other executive officers.

Mix of LTI

Once the total annual grant amount is determined, the Compensation Committee grants 75% of this value in PSUs and 25% in PBRSUs. Under this approach, strong long-term performance relative to peers on critical metrics becomesour peers. In addition, our outstanding PSUs feature an EPS Growth metric, which was affected by the key driverFebruary 2017 announcement to aggressively accelerate investments. The Committee believes the Price-Vested Options provide a market-based complement to the relative performance measures of the other outstanding compensation realized by executive officers.elements through the investment period announced in February 2017.

As a result of these actions, Mr. Cornell and each of the other NEOs would receive Price-Vested Options with effective grant date fair values of $2 million and $1 million, respectively. The grant date present value of the Price-Vested Options was considered in relation to the most recently completed fiscal year with the grant representing approximately 21% of CEO’s annual LTI grant for fiscal 2016. Because these awards were not granted in fiscal 2016, they will be reflected in the Summary Compensation Table for fiscal 2017.

Pay for performance

We provide our NEOs a mix of base salary, short-term and long-term incentives with compensation opportunities measured by a variety of time horizons to balance our near-term and long-term strategic goals. Our short-term incentives are based on annual absolute financial goals and progress made toward key strategic priorities. 100% of our LTI program features performance-based metrics and is tied to relative performance versus our retail peers over a three-year time period.

The charts below illustrate close alignment of executive compensation and our performance. The charts show actual payouts, as a percentage of goal, over the last five years for our STIP and PSU plans. PSU awards and STIP made up more than 65% of at-goal annual total direct compensation (TDC) for our NEOs in fiscal 2016. The calculation of our at-goal TDC is described on page 33. No payout was earned under the financial component of STIP for fiscal 2016; therefore our CEO did not receive a STIP payout. The fiscal 2016 STIP payout as a percentage of goal below reflects the team scorecard payout for our non-CEO NEOS.

As disclosed in prior proxy statements, PSUs spanning the 2012-2014, 2013-2015 and 2014-2016 performance periods and 2014 STIP payouts were forfeited for active executive officers (including current NEOs Mr. Cornell and Mr. Mulligan) when we did not meet the minimum performance condition under 162(m) for fiscal 2014, due to the discontinuation of Canadian operations. If the awards were not forfeited, the financial results versus our peers would have yielded payouts well below goal. Refer to page 37 for payout information on special, one-time Strategic Alignment Awards granted in 2015 to executive officers to re-connect pay with performance in achieving goals designed to re-position Target and drive long-term growth consistent with our key priorities.

 

PSUsTARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement30

Performance highlights

The following highlights show our historical performance on key metrics we use in our executive compensation program over each of the last three years. Our performance on these metrics drives our compensation outcomes and provides context to our decisions in setting our goal levels under those metrics. These metrics, including the goal levels and actual results for fiscal 2016, are described in more detail in the narratives for each compensation element.

 

In January
(1)Total Adjusted Sales is calculated by excluding pharmacy and clinic sales for fiscal 2014-2016 GAAP from consolidated sales. This adjustment is made for comparison purposes due to the sale of the pharmacy and clinic business to CVS at the end of fiscal 2015.
(2)The computation of segment earnings before interest expense and income taxes (Segment EBIT) under GAAP is found in Note 30, Segment Reporting, to our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2016. Incentive EBIT, which is one of the metrics we use in our short-term incentive plan, represents Segment EBIT on a pre-incentive compensation basis and is calculated by excluding incentive expense from our Segment EBIT.
(3)Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS) from Continuing Operations is calculated by starting with GAAP EPS from Continuing Operations and excluding losses on early retirement of debt, the impact of the 2015 sale of our pharmacy and clinics business, 2015 restructuring costs, net expenses related to the 2013 data breach, and resolution of income tax matters. A reconciliation of Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations to GAAP EPS from Continuing Operations can be found on page 21 of our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2016.
(4)After-Tax Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) from Continuing Operations is a ratio based on GAAP information, with the exception of adjustments made to capitalize operating leases. For 2015, the Committee granted PSU awards in connection with fiscal 2014 performance. Our PSUs have a three-year performance period and are settled in stock. As previously described, we added After-taxAfter-Tax ROIC as a third metricfrom Continuing Operations for the trailing twelve months ended January 30, 2016 was 16.0%, but was 13.9% excluding the net gain on the sale of our PSU plan beginningpharmacy and clinic businesses.

Our performance has allowed us to fully invest in opportunities to grow our business profitably, create sustainable long-term value, maintain our current operations and assets and return excess capital to shareholders over the past three fiscal years.

Total three-year shareholder return 28% Dividends paid in the last three years $3.9B Since 2014, $3.9 billion has been returned to shareholders through dividends. 2016 increase in annual dividend per share 7.4% Our 45th successive year of dividend growth. Shares repurchased in the last three years $72 B Since 2014, $7.2 billion has been returned to shareholders through share repurchases.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement31

Target’s executive compensation practices

The following practices and policies ensure alignment of interests between shareholders and executives, and effective ongoing compensation governance.

Compensation
practice
Target policyMore
information
Pay for PerformanceYesA significant percentage of the total direct compensation package features performance-based metrics, including 100% of our annual LTI.
Robust Stock Ownership GuidelinesYesWe have stock ownership guidelines for executive officers of 7x base salary for CEO, 3x base salary for non-CEO executive officers and $500,000 for directors.
Annual Shareholder “Say on Pay”YesWe value our shareholders’ input on our executive compensation programs. Our Board of Directors seeks an annual non-binding advisory vote from shareholders to approve the executive compensation disclosed in fiscal 2013our CD&A, tabular disclosures and related narrative of this proxy statement.
Double Trigger Change-in-ControlYesWe grant equity awards that require both a change-in-control and an involuntary termination or voluntary termination with good reason before vesting.
Annual Compensation Risk AssessmentYesA risk assessment of our compensation programs is performed on an annual basis to ensure that our compensation programs and policies do not incentivize excessive risk-taking behavior.
Clawback PolicyYesOur policy allows recovery of incentive cash and equity compensation if it is earned based on inaccurate financial statements.
Independent Compensation ConsultantYesThe Human Resources & Compensation Committee retains an independent compensation consultant to advise on the executive compensation program and practices.
Hedging of Company StockNoExecutive officers and members of the Board of Directors may not directly or indirectly engage in transactions intended to hedge or offset the market value of Target common stock owned by them.
Pledging of Company StockNoExecutive officers and members of the Board of Directors may not directly or indirectly pledge Target common stock as collateral for any obligation.
Tax Gross-UpsNoWe do not provide tax gross-ups to our executive officers.
Dividends on Unearned Performance AwardsNoWe do not pay dividends on unearned performance awards.
Repricing or Exchange of Underwater Stock OptionsNoOur equity incentive plan payout reflectsdoes not permit repricing or exchange of underwater stock options without shareholder approval.
Employment ContractsNoNone of our current NEOs has an employment contract.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement32

Our performance framework for executive compensation

Our compensation programs are structured to align the interests of our executive officers with the interests of our shareholders and support our strategy based on the guiding principles discussed above. See the following page for more details on the elements of our compensation program.

 

(1)Represents annual at-goal TDC, which includes: (a) base salary levels approved for that year, (b) STIP opportunity at-goal for performance for that year, and (c) annual LTI awards representing the aggregate grant date fair value of awards granted in January 2017. For this purpose, TDC excludes items shown under “Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” and “All Other Compensation”.

How annual CEO pay is tied to performanceThe following pay elements are performance-based and represent a significant percentage of the total direct compensation package.STIP– Payouts range from 0% to 230% of goal when Incentive EBIT and Total Adjusted Sales performance levels are below threshold and at or above maximum, respectively.PSUs– Payouts range from 0% to 175% of goal depending on our performance relative to our retail peer group.PBRSUs– Payouts range from 75% to 125% of goal depending on TSR performance relative to our retail peer group.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement33

Elements of fiscal 2016 executive total direct compensation

Fixed Element Key characteristics Link to shareholder value How we determine amount Key decisions Base Salary Fixed compensation component payable in cash, representing less than 20% of TDC for our NEOs. Reviewed annually and adjusted when appropriate. A means to attract and retain talented executives capable of driving superior performance. Scope and complexity of each executive officer’s roles, individual skills, contributions, market data and prior experience. For fiscal 2016, one NEO received a base salary increase. See page 35. Performance- Based Short-Term Incentives Variable compensation component payable in cash based on performance against annually established financial goals and assessment of team performance (excluding CEO). Incentive targets are tied to achievement of key annual financial measures. NEOs other than the CEO are also evaluated against identified strategic initiatives important to driving profitable sales growth. Our CEO’s STIP is exclusively tied to financial measures. Financial component of award based on: - Incentive EBIT - Total Adjusted Sales For NEO STIP (excluding CEO), there is a team scorecard component based on the Human Resources & Compensation Committee’s assessment of management’s progress toward strategic priorities. For fiscal 2016, the financial component of our STIP resulted in 0% payout. Beginning in fiscal 2016, we replaced the personal performance component of NEO STIP (excluding CEO) with a team scorecard component, which paid out at 30% of salary. See page 35. Performance Share Unit Awards (75% of annual LTI grants) PSUs cliff vest at the end of the three-year performance period and payouts are based on relative three-year performance versus our retail peer group. PSUs recognize our executive officers for achieving superior long-term relative performance on three key metrics: - Market share change - EPS growth - After-tax ROIC Grant award levels based on individual performance, potential future contributions, historical grant amounts, retention considerations and market data. Actual award payout based on performance versus retail peer group over the three-year performance period. No significant changes from prior year grant levels and award terms. As previously disclosed, we did not meet the 162(m) minimum performance condition for fiscal 2014, effectively cancelling the fiscal 2012-2014, 2013-2015, and 2014- 2016 PSU awards. Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Awards (25% of annual LTI grants) PBRSUs cliff vest at the end of the three-year performance period with the number of shares based on relative three-year TSR performance versus our retail peer group. Fosters a culture of ownership, aligns the long-term interests of Target’s executive officers with our shareholders and rewards or penalizes based on relative TSR performance. Grant award levels based on individual performance, potential future contributions, historical grant amounts, retention considerations and market data. No significant changes from prior year grant levels and award terms. As previously disclosed, we did not meet the 162(m) minimum performance condition for fiscal 2014, effectively cancelling the fiscal 2014-2016 PBRSU award.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement34

Base salary

We provide base salary as a means to deliver a stable amount of cash compensation to our executive officers. In alignment with our pay for performance philosophy, it represents the smallest portion of TDC.

In January 2016, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee approved a fiscal 2016 base salary increase of $75,000 for Ms. Smith in recognition of her performance and market considerations. No other NEO received a base salary increase.

Short-term incentives

All NEOs are eligible to earn cash awards under our STIP program, which is designed to motivate and reward executives for performance on key annual measures. The financial component of our STIP program is based on two financial metrics to align our annual incentives with our strategy of driving growth, with an emphasis on profitability: Incentive EBIT (75%) and Total Adjusted Sales (25%). The CEO STIP design is exclusively based on the financial component. See the Performance Highlights tables and footnotes on page 31 for a description of how Incentive EBIT and Total Adjusted Sales are calculated from our financial statements.

For our non-CEO NEOs, 80% of their STIP is based on the financial component. The remaining 20% of their STIP is based on a team scorecard, designed to strongly align pay opportunity to Target’s strategic agenda. The team scorecard component is new for fiscal 2016 and replaced the personal component of STIP that was used for the non-CEO NEOs in prior years. The intent of the scorecard is to align the team around a key set of collective strategic priorities.

The following table shows financial and scorecard goals expressed as a percentage of salary.

*CEO’s maximum: lesser of $7 million and 400% of base salary

Fiscal 2016 (payout as a % of salary) CEO Component Weight Threshold Goal Maximum Actual Payout % Financial (Incentive EBIT 75%, Total Adjusted Sales 25%)100% 75% 175% 400%* 0% Other NEOs Financial (Incentive EBIT 75%, Total Adjusted Sales 25%) 80% 16% 72% 160% 0% Scorecard 20% 4% 18% 40% 30% Total 20% 90% 200% 30%

Fiscal 2016 financial STIP performance

The final financial STIP goals were based on our overall 2016 performance goals, which were reviewed, discussed and approved by the independent members of the full Board at the beginning of the year. When approving these goals, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee takes into account our business strategies, the economic environment, and how the annual goal aligns with our long-range plan, including anticipated capital allocation needs.

Historically, STIP goals have proven rigorous. For fiscal 2016, our Incentive EBIT and Total Adjusted Sales goal amounts were $5,737 million and $71,622 million, respectively. Our actual Incentive EBIT and Total Adjusted Sales results of $5,114 million and $69,495 million resulted in below threshold performance and a $0 financial payout.

Based on below threshold financial performance, our CEO did not receive a STIP payout for fiscal 2016.

Fiscal 2016 team scorecard assessment

The team scorecard portion of the STIP for our non-CEO NEOs is based on the broad priorities of core retail foundations and guest initiatives. The team scorecard provides a general structure for discussing and measuring performance on a team basis for the management team, excluding our CEO. Throughout the year, our CEO provided the Human Resources & Compensation Committee interim assessments of team scorecard performance.

For fiscal 2016, primary team scorecard progress indicators identified at the beginning of the year included increased reliability across channels through out-of-stock management; improved stability in digital, stores and point of sale systems; and signature category growth within style, baby, kids and wellness that outperformed the total company.

Despite falling well short of the financial goals set at the beginning of the year, our management team drove meaningful progress against these key indicators. We delivered historically low out-of-stock rates for stores, digital and our top 2,000 items. We delivered significantly improved system stability and our digital systems flawlessly performed over the holiday season, which resulted in 100% availability of the website through all-time high peak volume. In our stores, team member satisfaction with systems was at a three-year high. Additionally our signature categories grew 3 percentage points faster than the total company, fueled by digital growth that outpaced the industry.

Taking into consideration the outcomes described above, the CEO recommended, and the Human Resources & Compensation Committee approved, a team scorecard payout of 30% of base salary for our non-CEO NEOs.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement35

Long-term incentives

To align our executive officers’ pay outcomes with long-term performance, 100% of our annual LTI grant features performance-based metrics and comprises the majority of each NEO’s total compensation.

Value of LTI awarded at grant

In determining the amount of individual LTI awards, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee considered each NEO’s performance during the fiscal year, potential future contributions, historical annual grant amounts and retention considerations, as well as market data for comparable executives from our retail and general industry peer groups. The annual LTI grants for our NEOs are made in January of each year (the last month of our fiscal year) to allow the Committee to include an assessment of our financial performance in determining grant levels.

The Human Resources & Compensation Committee made no changes to the NEOs’ annual LTI grants versus the prior year.

Mix of LTI

Once the total annual grant date present value for a NEO is determined, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee grants 75% of this value in PSUs and 25% in PBRSUs. Under this approach, strong long-term performance relative to peers on critical metrics becomes the key driver of compensation realized by executive officers.

PSUs

Our PSUs have a three-year performance period and are settled in stock. The plan payout is intended to reflect the same key metrics we use to manage our business and drive shareholder returns over time. Each metric is compared relative to our retail peer group and is intended to incent management to outperform the peer group over the long term. The three relative metrics used in our PSU plan are:

 

Change in Market Share.A company’s change in market share expressed as a percentage, is calculated by subtractingdetermining the difference between (b) and (a) from (b), as described below:

(a)The Company’sand dividing that difference by (a). The “market” is the sum of domestic net sales for us and our retail peer group.
(a)The company’s domestic net sales in the baseline year is divided by the market’s domestic net sales for the baseline year.
(b)The company’s domestic net sales in the final year of the performance period is divided by the market’s domestic net sales for the baseline year. The “market” is the sum of the domestic net sales for us and our retail peer group.

(b)The Company’s domestic net sales in the final year of the performance period is divided by the market for the final year.

EPS Growth.Our The compound annual growth rate of a non-GAAP measure ofour EPS for PSUsfrom continuing operations versus the reported EPS from continuing operations of our retail peer group.

After-Tax ROIC.Three year Three-year average net operating profit after-tax (NOPAT) divided by average invested capital for both our results and our retail peer group, excluding discontinued operations.

With these three independent metrics, our PSU program supports the critical drivers of our success: to grow top-line relative to the retail sector, to grow it profitably, and to ensure prudent deployment of capital to drive the business.

A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measure of EPS for PSUs to GAAP EPS is provided in Appendix A.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     42

The following example illustrates PSU payouts at various levels of performance:

 

For more information about our Peer Groups see pages 45-47.

Adjustments

The intent of our PSU program is to measure performance relative to the retail peer group (defined on page 46) on the previously described measures. To achieve this measurement in an objective manner, we base the initial rankings on annual reported financial results of each member of the retail peer group and Target (except as may be determined at the time of grant). The Compensation Committee has reserved discretion to adjust the reported financial results for Target or any member of the retail peer group if it believes such adjustments are necessary to properly gauge Target’s relative performance. Since the implementation of our relative performance plan, the only adjustment to our peers’ results was a reduction in sales to remove the impact of the 53rd week in the retail accounting calendar to ensure consistency on relative market share performance across companies. Adjustments to Target and peers’ results, if any, are disclosed in the proxy in the year of award payout. There were no adjustments to the 2012-2014 PSUs after the grant date.

2012-2014 PSU Payout

We did not achieve our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014 required to earn a payout for three PSU award cycles: 2012-2014, 2013-2015, and 2014-2016.

With respect to PSU awards that were granted in March 2012 for the three-year performance period ended January 31, 2015, our NEOs would have earned 41.5% of the goal number of shares if the 162(m) threshold had been met. This outcome is based on our 13-company retail peer group at the time of that grant: Amazon.com, Best Buy, Costco, CVS Caremark, Home Depot, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Kroger, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Sears, Walgreens and Walmart. The following table summarizes the rankings and results for awards granted in March 2012 with a base year of fiscal 2011 and a final performance year of fiscal 2014:

           
       PAYOUT IF 162(m) ACTUAL TOTAL 
 METRIC RANKING PAYOUT THRESHOLD ACHIEVED PAYOUT 
 Market Share 11th 58% 41.5% 0% 
 EPS Growth 9th 25%  
           

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     43

No adjustments were made to competitors’ results. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measure of EPS for PSUs to GAAP EPS is provided in Appendix A.

PBRSUs

Beginning in January 2014, we introduced PBRSUs to our NEOs’ annual LTI grant mix so that 100% of the annual LTI grant mix features metrics tied to Target’s performance relative to our retail peers. The PBRSU amount will be adjusted up or down by 25 percentage points if Target’s TSR is in the top one-third or bottom one-third for the retail peer group, respectively, over the three year vesting period. These stock-settled awards cliff vest three years from the date of grant.

PBRSU Payout Schedule
TSR PERFORMANCE RANKING(1)PERCENT OF GOAL
1-6125%
7-12100%
13-1875%

 

(1)

With these three independent metrics, our PSU program supports the critical drivers of our success: to grow the top-line relative to the retail sector, to grow it profitably, and to ensure prudent deployment of capital to drive the business. The following example illustrates PSU payouts at various levels of performance:

For more information about our peer groups, see pages 39-40.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement36

PSU adjustments

The intent of our PSU program is to measure performance relative to our peer group on the previously described metrics. To achieve this measurement in an objective manner, we base the initial rankings on annual reported financial results of each member of the retail peer group and Target (unless determined otherwise at the time of grant). The Human Resources & Compensation Committee has reserved discretion to adjust the reported financial results for Target or any member of the retail peer group if it believes such adjustments necessary to properly gauge Target’s relative performance. Adjustments to Target and peer results, if any, are disclosed in the proxy in the year of payout.

Historically, adjustments to Target’s results have not been material in nature, eliminated items that did not reflect our core operations, and ultimately decreased participants’ resulting payouts. The only adjustment to our peers’ results historically has been a reduction in sales to remove the impact of the 53rdweek in the retail accounting calendar to ensure consistency on relative market share comparisons.

2014-2016 PSU payout

We did not meet the 162(m) minimum performance condition for fiscal 2014 required to earn the 2014-2016 PSU payout.

PBRSUs

In January 2017, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee granted PBRSU awards in connection with fiscal 2016 performance. The PBRSU amount will be adjusted up or down by 25 percentage points if Target’s TSR is in the top one-third or bottom one-third for the retail peer group, respectively, over the three-year vesting period. These stock-settled awards cliff vest at the end of the three-year performance period.

PBRSU payout schedule
TSR performance ranking(1)Percent of goal
1-6125%
7-12100%
13-1875%
(1)The retail peers for PBRSUs exclude Publix. The value of Publix’s stock price is established on an annual basis, making them an inappropriate comparator for the purpose of assessing our relative TSR performance.

We did not achieve our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014 required to earn a payout for the purpose of assessing our relative TSR performance.

2014-2016 PBRSU payout

We did not meet the 162(m) minimum performance condition for fiscal 2014 required to earn a payout for the 2014-2016 PBRSU performance period, so the PBRSUs for that performance period were forfeited.

Strategic alignment award payout

As described in our CD&A the past two years, Strategic Alignment Awards were granted and reported as compensation in 2015 to connect the management team’s pay with performance in achieving goals designed to reposition Target and drive long-term growth consistent with our key priorities. Shareholder feedback gained in 2015 informed our decision to grant these one-time awards.

Payout of these awards was based on important absolute metrics, each selected to drive focused outcomes that complement the relative performance metrics in our annual LTI awards. The core metrics include total sales growth, digital channel sales growth, and earnings before interest and taxes growth, which can deliver up to 150% of goal payout. Additionally, ROIC can modify awards upward by 50% of goal payout for a total maximum payout of 200% of goal. Payouts are based on fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2016 performance and assessed based on the metrics below and paid out in March 2017 at 104.7% of goal, as detailed below.

Core Metrics Goal Actual Actual Payout % Sales compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 3.0% 0.7% 23.3% Digital channel sales CAGR 30.0% 26.6% 88.7% Segment EBIT dollar growth (in millions) $500 $261 52.2% ROIC Modifier 13.75% 15.0% 50.0% Total Payout Calculation (expressed as a % of goal) Average of Core Metrics 54.7% + ROIC Modifier 50.0% Total Payout 104.7%

 

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement37

Back to ContentsOTHER BENEFIT ELEMENTS

Competitive sign-on compensation related to new hires

On June 5, 2016, Mr. Tritton joined Target as Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer. To attract Mr. Tritton to Target, he received a sign-on bonus of $500,000, RSUs valued at $1 million which cliff vest three years from the grant date and pro-rata equity grants consisting of PSUs and PBRSUs valued at $1 million. In addition, he received a STIP payout for fiscal 2016 performance pro-rated based on his hire date.

On August 22, 2016, Mr. Liu joined Target as Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. To attract Mr. Liu to Target, he received a sign-on bonus of $500,000, RSUs valued at $3 million, which ratably vest over three years, and pro-rata equity grants consisting of PSUs and PBRSUs valued at $1.5 million. In addition, he received a STIP payout for fiscal 2016 performance pro-rated based on his hire date.

Sign-on compensation for Mr. Tritton and Mr. Liu is reflective of their respective significant experience and was designed to orient a meaningful portion of their compensation to common goals shared by the other NEOs on terms consistent with the awards granted to Target’s other executive officers in January 2016. The respective RSU grants to Mr. Tritton and Mr. Liu were designed to make them whole for compensation they forfeited from their former employers when they joined Target (Make-Whole RSUs).

We have a relocation policy that provides a transfer allowance and pays for certain expenses, including travel related to finding a new home, moving family and reporting to work, home sale assistance for selling a current home and purchasing a new home, interim living and moving personal property. Mr. Tritton and Mr. Liu received approximately $475,000 and $250,000, respectively, in benefits under our relocation policy to help facilitate their moves to our corporate office. The entire relocation benefit is subject to repayment if the recipient voluntarily leaves Target at any time during the recipient’s first 36 months with the company. No tax gross-up is provided for the relocation benefit.

Other benefit elements

 

We offer other benefit components designed to encourage retention of key talent including:

 

Pension plan. No pension plan is available to any employee hired after January 2009. We maintain a pension plan for team members hired prior to January 2009 who meet certain eligibility criteria. We also maintain supplemental pension plans for those team members who are subject to IRS limits on the basic pension plan or whose pensions are adversely impacted by participating in our deferred compensation plan. Our pension formula under these plans is the same for all participants—there are no enhanced benefits provided to executive officers beyond extending the pension formula to earnings above the qualified plan limits.limits or contributed to our deferred compensation plan.

401(k) plan.Available to all team members who work more than 1,000 hours for the company. There is no enhanced benefit for executives.

Deferred compensation plan.For a broad management group (approximately 3,8003,500 eligible team members), we offer a non-qualified, unfunded, individual account deferred compensation plan. The plan has investment options that mirror our 401(k) plan.

Perquisites.We provide certain perquisites to our executive officers, principally to allow them to devote more time to our business and to promote their health and safety. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee reviews these perquisites annually to ensure they are consistent with our philosophy and appropriate in magnitude. Mr. Cornell is only eligible for perquisites that support his safety, health and well-being—home security, parking, executive physical exercise room access and personal use of company ownedcompany-owned aircraft for security reasons. Mr. Cornell is required to reimburse Target for the incremental costs of using company-owned aircraft for personal purposes if his personal use exceeds $175,000 per year. Mr. Cornell did not exceed that amount in fiscal 2014. He is not provided a company car or car allowance, financial management or incidental gifts.2016.

 

Greater detail on these components is provided in the tables that follow the Summary Compensation Table on page 42.

Income continuance

None of our NEOs has an employment contract, enhanced change-of-control benefits or rights to tax gross-ups. We provide an Income Continuance Policy (ICP) to executive officers who are involuntarily terminated without cause to assist in their occupational transitions. The maximum payment under this policy (paid during regular pay cycles over two years) is two times the sum of base salary and the average of the last three years of short-term incentive and personal performance payments. In addition, any NEO who receives severance payments under our ICP also receives a $30,000 allowance for outplacement services.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement38

Compensation governance

Process for determining executive compensation (including NEOS)

Human Resources & Compensation Committee

The Human Resources & Compensation Committee is responsible for determining the composition and value of our non-CEO executive officer pay packages and for developing a recommendation for our CEO’s pay package that is reviewed and approved by the independent directors of the full Board. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee receives assistance from two sources: (a) an independent compensation consulting firm, Semler Brossy Consulting Group (SBCG); and (b) our internal executive compensation staff, led by our Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer. All decisions regarding executive compensation and final recommendations to the independent members of the full Board are made solely by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee may not delegate its primary responsibility of overseeing executive officer compensation, but it may delegate to management the administrative aspects of our compensation plans that do not involve the setting of compensation levels for executive officers.

Human Resources & Compensation Committee’s independent consultant

SBCG has been retained by and reports directly to the Human Resources & Compensation Committee and does not have any other consulting engagements with management or Target. The Committee assessed SBCG’s independence in light of the SEC and NYSE listing standards and determined that no conflict of interest or independence concerns exist.

With respect to CEO compensation, SBCG provides an independent recommendation to the Human Resources & Compensation Committee, in the form of a range of possible outcomes, for the Human Resources & Compensation Committee’s consideration. In developing its recommendation, SBCG relies on its understanding of Target’s business and compensation programs and SBCG’s independent research and analysis. SBCG does not meet with our CEO with respect to CEO compensation. SBCG also provides an independent assessment of the CEO’s recommendations on NEO compensation to the Human Resources & Compensation Committee.

Compensation of other executive officers and role of management

In developing compensation recommendations for other executive officers, the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer provides our CEO with market data on pay levels and compensation design practices provided by management’s external compensation consultants, Willis Towers Watson and Korn Ferry Hay Group, covering our retail and general industry peer group companies. Management’s outside consultants do not have any interaction with either the Human Resources & Compensation Committee or our CEO, but do interact with the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer and her staff. In addition to providing market data, management’s external compensation consultants perform other services for Target unrelated to the determination of executive compensation.

Our Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer and the CEO work together to develop our CEO’s compensation recommendations to the Human Resources & Compensation Committee for other executive officers. The CEO alone is responsible for providing final compensation recommendations for the other executive officers to the Human Resources & Compensation Committee.

Benchmarking using compensation peer groups

Peer group market positioning is another important factor considered in determining each executive officer’s TDC.

The TDC levels and elements described in the preceding pages are evaluated annually for each executive officer relative to our retail and general industry peer group companies. The market comparisons are determined by use of compensation data obtained from publicly available proxy statements analyzed by SBCG and proprietary survey data assembled by Willis Towers Watson and Korn Ferry Hay Group.

Due to a range of factors, including the scope of NEO positions, tenure in role and company-specific concerns, there is an imperfect comparability of NEO positions between companies. As such, market position served as a reference point in the TDC determination process rather than a formula-driven outcome.

The retail peer group was formulated based on an initial screen of companies in the Global Industry Classification Standard retailing index with revenue from core retail operations greater than $15 billion. The retail peer group is also used within our LTI plans. Target’s relative performance compared to this peer group on key metrics determines overall payout for our PSU and PBRSU awards.

General industry companies are also included as a peer group because they represent companies with whom we compete for talent. Like the selected retailers, the general industry companies are large and among the leaders in their industries.

The composition of the peer groups is reviewed annually to ensure it is appropriate in terms of company size and business focus, and any changes made are reviewed with SBCG and approved by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee. No changes were made to our peer groups in fiscal 2016. The companies included in the 2016 market comparisons are listed below.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement39

2016 peer groups Retail Amazon.com, Inc. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Best Buy Co., Inc. Macy’s, Inc. Cost co Wholesale Corporation Publix Super Markets, Inc. CVS Health Corporation Rite Aid Corporation Dollar General Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation The Gap, Inc. Staples, Inc. The Home Depot, Inc. The TJX Companies, Inc. Kohl’s Corporation Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. The Kroger Co. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. General industry 3M Company Johnson Controls, Inc. Abbott Laboratories McDonald’s Corporation Anthem, Inc. MetLife, Inc. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Mondelez International, Inc. The Coca-Cola Company PepsiCo, Inc. Deere Company Pfizer Inc. The Dow Chemical Company The Procter & Gamble Company Express Scripts Holding Company Time Warner Inc. FedEx Corporation United Parcel Services, Inc. General Mills, Inc. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated Johnson & Johnson United Technologies Corporation

The following table summarizes our scale relative to our retail and general industry peer groups. The financial information reflects fiscal year end data available as of January 28, 2017:

  2016 peer group comparison(1)(2) 
  Retail  General industry 
   Revenues   Market cap   Employees   Revenues   Market cap  Employees 
25th Percentile $25,629  $9,240   125,250  $29,795  $51,324  53,942 
Median  36,073   25,729   162,450   49,608   74,090  98,450 
75th Percentile  109,124   81,467   227,100   67,101   149,355  182,650 
Target Corporation $69,495  $36,044   323,000  $69,495  $36,044  323,000 
(1)All amounts in millions, except employees.
(2)Data Source: Equilar

Compensation policies and risk

As part of our regular review of our compensation practices, we conduct an analysis of whether our compensation policies and practices for our employees create material risks to the company. Our risk assessment is two pronged. First, we take a “tops-down” approach by evaluating whether our compensation programs and policies exacerbate top enterprise-wide risks. Next, we take a “bottoms-up” approach to assess the following key compensation risk areas: performance measures, pay mix, goal setting and performance curve, leverage, magnitude of pay, calculation of performance, participant communication, severance and corporate governance.

The results of this analysis, which concluded that our policies and practices do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the company, were reviewed by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee’s independent consultant and discussed with the Human Resources & Compensation Committee. More specifically, this conclusion was based on the following considerations:

Compensation risk considerations
Pay MixCompensation mix of base salary and short-term and long-term incentives provides compensation opportunitiesmeasured by a variety of time horizons to balance our near-term and long-term strategic goals.
Performance MetricsA variety of distinct performance metrics are used in both the short-term and long-term incentive plans. This “portfolio” approach to performance metrics encourages focus on sustained and holistic overall company performance.
Performance GoalsGoals are approved by our independent directors and take into account our historical performance, current strategicinitiatives and the expected macroeconomic environment. In addition, short-term and long-term incentive compensationprograms are designed with payout curves and leverage that support our pay for performance philosophy.
Equity IncentivesEquity incentive programs and stock ownership guidelines are designed to align management and shareholder interestsby providing vehicles for executive officers to accumulate and maintain an ownership position in the tablescompany.
Risk Mitigation Policies

We incorporate several risk mitigation policies into our officer compensation program, including:

● The Human Resources & Compensation Committee’s ability to use “negative discretion” to determine appropriate payouts under formula-based plans;

 A clawback policy to recover incentive compensation that follow the Summary Compensation Tablewas based on page 49.inaccurate financial statements;

● Stock ownership guidelines for executive officers and directors; and

● Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies.

 

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION     44 2017 Proxy Statement40

Clawback policy

Our clawback policy, which covers all officers, allows for recovery of the following compensation elements:

All amounts paid under the Short-Term Incentive Plan (including any discretionary payments) that were paid with respect to any fiscal year that is restated; and
All awards under the Long-Term Incentive Plan whether exercised, vested, unvested, or deferred.

All demands for repayment are subject to Human Resources & Compensation Committees’s discretion. For an officer to be subject to recovery or cancellation under this policy, he or she must have engaged in intentional misconduct that contributed to the need for a restatement of our consolidated financial statements.

Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy

Executive officers and members of the Board of Directors may not directly or indirectly engage in capital transactions intended to hedge or offset the market value of Target common stock owned by them, nor may they pledge Target common stock owned by them as collateral for any loan. All of our executive officers and members of the Board of Directors are in compliance with this policy.

Grant timing practices

The following practices regarding the timing of equity compensation grants have not been formalized in a written policy, but they have been regularly followed:

Our annual LTI grant date has been the date of our regularly scheduled January Board of Directors meeting. This meeting is scheduled more than one year in advance. The Board has retained discretion to change the annual grant date in the future under appropriate circumstances.
We have no practice or policy of coordinating or timing the release of company information around our grant dates.
On occasion we grant equity compensation to executive officers outside of our annual LTI grant cycle for new hires, promotions, recognition, retention or other purposes. If the grant date is after the approval date, it must be on a date specified at the time of approval.

Compensation tax policy

Our short-term and long-term compensation programs, including the compensation paid in fiscal 2016, are intended to qualify as deductible performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). These compensation programs are generally structured such that executive officers are entitled to receive a maximum payout amount upon achievement of a minimum performance condition determined by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee then uses its negative discretion to determine the actual payout amount. The performance objectives that are communicated to our executive officers, which are described in detail above, guide the Human Resources & Compensation Committee’s exercise of its negative discretion to determine the actual payouts. We may provide non-deductible compensation in situations the Human Resources & Compensation Committee or our Board of Directors believes appropriate.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement41

Compensation tables

Summary compensation table

The following Summary Compensation table contains values calculated and disclosed according to SEC reporting requirements. Salary, Bonus, and Non-Equity Incentive Plan compensation amounts reflect the compensation earned during each fiscal year. Stock Awards reflect awards with a grant date during each fiscal year.

Name and
principal position
Fiscal
year
 Salary Bonus(1)  Stock
awards(2)(3)
 Option
awards(2)
 Non-equity
incentive plan
compensation(4)
 Change in
pension
value and
nonqualified
deferred
compensation
earnings(5)
 All other
compensation(6)
 Total 
Brian C. Cornell
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
 2016 $1,300,000 $0$  9,650,837 $0 $0 $0 $330,532 $11,281,369 
 2015 $1,300,000 $0$  13,422,958 $0 $1,950,000 $0 $273,379 $16,946,337 
 2014 $595,000 $48,390$  27,354,887 $0 $0 $0 $165,747 $28,164,024 
Cathy R. Smith
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
 2016 $798,558 $240,000$  3,301,662 $0 $0 $0 $99,123 $4,439,343 
 2015 $290,000 $608,750$  5,683,978 $0 $161,313 $0 $788,775 $7,532,815 
                            
John J. Mulligan
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
 2016 $1,000,000 $300,000$  5,079,385 $0 $0 $55,765 $595,493 $7,030,643 
 2015 $1,000,000 $387,000$  8,091,035 $0 $534,000 $4,063 $377,385 $10,393,482 
 2014 $919,231 $400,000$  4,555,603 $0 $0 $89,446 $328,348 $6,292,627 
Don H. Liu
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary
 2016 $275,000 $597,500$  6,812,539 $0 $0 $0 $263,804 $7,948,843 
                            
                            
Mark J. Tritton
Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer
 2016 $396,635 $625,000$  3,643,812 $0 $0 $0 $484,867 $5,150,313 
                            
                            

(1)For NEOs other than our CEO, the “Bonus” amount shows actual payouts earned under our Short-Term Incentive Plan for the team scorecard component in 2016 and the personal component for 2015. The CEO has no team scorecard or personal component to his Short-Term Incentive Plan payout. For Mr. Liu and Mr. Tritton, the “Bonus” amount for 2016 also includes $500,000 each for sign-on bonuses included in their new hire compensation.
(2)Amounts represent the aggregate grant date fair value of awards made each fiscal year, as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. See Note 26, Share-Based Compensation, to our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2016 and Note 26, Share-Based Compensation, to our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2015 for a description of our accounting and the assumptions used.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement42
 

Income Continuance

We provide an Income Continuance Policy (ICP) to executive officers who are involuntarily terminated without cause to assist in their occupational transitions. The maximum payment under this policy (paid during regular pay cycles over two years) is two times
(3)Represents the sumaggregate grant date fair value of base salaryPSUs and PBRSUs that were computed based on the averageprobable outcome of the last three yearsperformance conditions as of short-term incentivethe grant date. Actual payments will be based on degree of attainment of the performance conditions and personal performance payments. None of our currently employed named executive officers has an employment contract, enhanced change-of-control benefits or rights to tax gross-ups.

COMPENSATION GOVERNANCE

Process for Determining Executive Compensation (Including NEOs)

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee is responsible for determiningstock price on the compositionsettlement date. For Mr. Liu and Mr. Tritton, this also includes the aggregate grant date fair value of our non-CEO executive officer pay packagesRSUs, PSUs and for developing a recommendation for our CEO’s pay package that is reviewed and approved by the independent directorsPBRSUs granted as part of the full Board. The Compensation Committee receives assistance from two sources: (a) an independent compensation consulting firm, Semler Brossy Consulting Group (SBCG); and (b) our internal executive compensation staff, led by our Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer.

All decisions regarding executive compensation and final recommendations to the independent members of the full Board are made solely by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee may not delegate its primary responsibility of overseeing executive officer compensation, but it may delegate to management the administrative aspects of our compensation plans that do not involve the setting of compensation levels for executive officers.

Compensation Committee’s Independent Consultant

SBCG has been retained by and reports directly to the Compensation Committee and does not have any other consulting engagements with management or Target. The Committee assessed SBCG’s independence in light of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and NYSE listing standards and determined that no conflict of interest or independence concerns exist.

With respect to CEO compensation, SBCG provides an independent recommendation to the Compensation Committee, in the form of a range of possible outcomes, for the Compensation Committee’s consideration. In developing its recommendation, SBCG relies on its understanding of Target’s business and compensation programs and SBCG’s independent research and analysis. SBCG does not meet with our CEO with respect to CEOtheir new hire compensation. SBCG also provides an independent assessment of the CEO’s recommendations on NEO compensation to the Compensation Committee.

Compensation of Other Executive Officers and Role of Management

In developing compensation recommendations for other executive officers, the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer provides our CEO with market data on pay levels and compensation design practices provided by management’s external compensation consultants, Towers Watson and Hay Group, covering our retail and general industry peer group companies. Management’s outside consultants do not have any interaction with either the Compensation Committee or our CEO, but do interact with the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer and her staff. In addition to providing market data, management’s external compensation consultants perform other services for Target unrelated to the determination of executive compensation.

Our Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer and the CEO work together to develop our CEO’s compensation recommendations to the Compensation Committee for other executive officers. The CEO alone is responsible for providing final compensation recommendations for the other executive officers to the Compensation Committee.

Benchmarking Using Compensation Peer Groups

Peer group market positioning is another important factor considered in determining each executive officer’s TDC.

The TDC levels and elements described in the preceding pages are evaluated annually for each executive officer relative to our retail and general industry peer group companies. The market comparisons are determined by use of compensation data obtained from publicly available proxy statements analyzed by SBCG and proprietary survey data assembled by Towers Watson and Hay Group.

Due to imperfect comparability of NEO positions between companies, market position served as a reference point in the TDC determination process rather than a formula-driven outcome.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     45

The composition of the peer groups is reviewed annually to ensure it is appropriate in terms of company size and business focus, and any changes made are reviewed with SBCG and approved by the Compensation Committee. The changes for fiscal 2014 are as follows:

 2014 Peer Group Changes
RETAILGENERAL INDUSTRY
Additions   PublixAnthem
   TJXExpress Scripts
   Rite Aid
   Staples
   Dollar General
   Gap
Removals   J.C. PenneyMicrosoft
Walt Disney

With a significant portion of the executive officer’s annual grant LTI mix (75% PSUs/25% PBRSUs) contingent on relative performance versus the retail peer group, a focus of this year’s annual review was to broaden the view of the competitive landscape in assessing relative performance under the PSU and PBRSU plans, as well as assessing the executive officer’s compensation levels. The retail peer group was formulated based on an initial screen of companies in the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) retailing index with revenue from core retail operations greater than $15 billion. From there, four automotive or food distribution companies with which we do not compete were excluded (Sysco, AutoNation, Murphy USA, and Penske Automotive Group). This approach yielded six additions (Publix, TJX, Rite Aid, Staples, Dollar General, and Gap) and one removal (J.C. Penney) for a peer group of nineteen companies.

To increase alignment from a revenue and market capitalization perspective and maintain diverse industry representation across the peer group, we replaced Walt Disney and Microsoft with Anthem and Express Scripts resulting in a general industry peer group of twenty-two companies.

The companies included in the 2014 market comparisons are listed below.

2014 Peer Groups
RETAILGENERAL INDUSTRY
Amazon.comMacy’s3MJohnson Controls
Best BuyPublixAbbott LabsMcDonald’s
CostcoRite AidAnthemMetLife
CVS CaremarkSafewayArcher Daniels MidlandMondelez
Dollar GeneralSearsCoca-ColaPepsiCo
GapStaplesDeerePfizer
Home DepotTJX CompaniesDow ChemicalProcter & Gamble
Kohl’sWalgreens Boots AllianceExpress ScriptsTime Warner
KrogerWalmartFedExUPS
Lowe’sGeneral MillsUnitedHealth Group
Johnson & JohnsonUnited Technologies

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     46

The following table summarizes our scale relative to our retail and general industry peer groups. The financial information reflects fiscal year end data available as of January 30, 2015:

        
  2014 Peer Group Comparison 
  RETAILGENERAL INDUSTRY 
  REVENUESMARKET CAPEMPLOYEESREVENUESMARKET CAPEMPLOYEES 
 25th Percentile$ 26,475 $11,865  114,650 $35,491 $49,998  54,448  
 Median 36,188  22,568  140,000  53,511  67,502  97,834  
 75th Percentile 77,602  74,658  183,000  70,317   106,038  166,500  
 Target Corporation$72,618 $ 48,084  347,000 $ 72,618 $48,084  347,000  
                     

(1)All amounts in millions, except employees.
(2)Data Source: Equilar

Compensation Policies and Risk

As part of our regular review of our compensation practices, we conducted an analysis of whether our compensation policies and practices for our employees create material risks to the company. The results of this analysis were reviewed by the Compensation Committee’s independent consultant and discussed with the Compensation Committee, which agreed with management’s conclusion that our compensation programs do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the company. More specifically, this conclusion was based on the following considerations:

COMPENSATION RISK CONSIDERATIONS
Pay MixCompensation mix of base salary, short-term and long-term incentives provides compensation opportunities measured by a variety of time horizons to balance our near-term and long-term strategic goals.
Performance MetricsA variety of distinct performance metrics are used in both the short-term and long-term incentive plans. This “portfolio” approach to performance metrics encourages focus on sustained and holistic overall company performance.
Performance GoalsGoals are approved by our independent directors and take into account our historical performance, current strategic initiatives and the expected macroeconomic environment. In addition, short-term and long-term incentive compensation programs are designed with payout curves and leverage that support our pay for performance philosophy.
Equity IncentivesEquity incentive programs and stock ownership guidelines are designed to align management and shareholder interests by providing vehicles for executive officers to accumulate and maintain an ownership position in the company.
Risk Mitigation Policies

We incorporate several risk mitigation policies into our officer compensation program, including:

   The Compensation Committee’s ability to use “negative discretion” to determine appropriate payouts under formula based plans;

   A clawback policy to recover incentive compensation that was based on inaccurate financial statements;

   Stock ownership guidelines for executive officers and directors; and

   Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     47

Clawback Policy

Our clawback policy, which covers all officers, allows for recovery of the following compensation elements:

All amounts paid under the Short-Term Incentive Plan (including any discretionary payments) that were paid with respect to any fiscal year that is restated; and
All awards under the Long-Term Incentive Plan whether exercised, vested, unvested, or deferred.

All demands for repayment are subject to Compensation Committee discretion. For an officer to be subject to recovery or cancellation under this policy, he or she must have engaged in intentional misconduct that contributed to the need for a restatement of our consolidated financial statements.

Anti-Hedging and Anti-Pledging Policy

Executive officers and members of the Board of Directors may not directly or indirectly engage in capital transactions intended to hedge or offset the market value of Target common stock owned by them, nor may they pledge Target common stock owned by them as collateral for any loan. In compliance with this policy, none of our executive officers or members of the Board of Directors have any hedges or pledges of Target common stock.

Grant Timing Practices

We have the following practices regarding the timing of equity compensation grants. These practices have not been formalized in a written policy, but they are strictly observed.

Our annual LTI grant is made on the date of our regularly scheduled January Board of Directors meeting. These meetings are scheduled more than one year in advance.
We have no practice or policy of coordinating or timing the release of company information around our grant dates.
On occasion we grant equity compensation outside of our annual LTI grant cycle for new hires, promotions, recognition, retention or other purposes. If the grant date is after the approval date, it must be on a date specified at the time of approval.

Compensation Tax Policy

Our short-term and long-term compensation programs, including the compensation paid in fiscal 2014, are intended to qualify as deductible performance based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). These compensation programs are generally structured such that executive officers are entitled to receive a maximum payout amount upon achievement of consolidated earnings before interest and taxes performance metric determined by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee then uses its negative discretion to determine the actual payout amount. The performance objectives that are communicated to our executive officers, which are described in detail above, guide the Compensation Committee’s exercise of its negative discretion to determine the actual payouts. We may provide non-deductible compensation in situations the Compensation Committee or our Board of Directors believes appropriate. As described under “Discontinuing Our Canadian Operations Results in 162(m) Threshold Not Being Met in Fiscal 2014,” this year we did not meet our 162(m) threshold, which affected our named executive officers’ compensation.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     48

COMPENSATION TABLES

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The following Summary Compensation Table contains values calculated and disclosed according to SEC reporting requirements. Salary, Bonus, and Non-Equity Incentive Plan compensation amounts are reflective of the compensation earned during each fiscal year. The stock awards and option awards reflect awards with a grant date during each fiscal year. Beginning in January 2014, we aligned our equity grant dates for executives officers so that all annual equity grants occur in January each year, instead of our previous practice of granting RSUs or PBRSUs in January and PSUs in March. The change enhances visibility to the annual grant amount because all equity related to a given year is reported in the Summary Compensation Table for that year. However, for 2013, it artificially increases the “Stock Awards” amount reported in this proxy statement by including awards from two separate annual grant cycles. As a result, 2013 pay as shown in the Summary Compensation Table includes LTI awards granted for 2013 as well as part of the 2012 LTI grant, as described in more detail in Note 4 to the table.

 NAME AND
PRINCIPAL POSITION
 FISCAL YEAR SALARY BONUS(2) STOCK
AWARDS(3)(4)
 OPTION
AWARDS(3)
 NON-EQUITY
INCENTIVE PLAN
COMPENSATION
 CHANGE IN
PENSION
VALUE AND
NONQUALIFIED
DEFERRED
COMPENSATION
EARNINGS(5)
 ALL OTHER
COMPENSATION(6)
 TOTAL 
 Brian C. Cornell
Chairman &
Chief Executive
Officer
 2014  $595,000  $48,390  $27,354,887  $0  $0  $0  $165,747  $28,164,024 
                                    
                                    
 John J. Mulligan
Executive Vice
President &
Chief Financial
Officer(1)    
 2014  $919,231  $400,000’  $4,555,603  $0  $0  $89,446  $328,348  $6,292,627 
  2013  $700,000  $150,000  $3,505,105  $0  $0  $5,465  $273,286  $4,633,856 
  2012  $602,404  $371,917  $1,395,687  $1,340,064  $415,250  $35,381  $313,505  $4,474,207 
 Kathryn A. Tesija
Executive Vice
President & Chief
Merchandising &
Supply Chain
Officer  
 2014  $950,000  $380,000  $4,317,535  $0  $0  $143,604  $532,366  $6,323,505 
  2013  $950,000  $0  $5,841,653  $0  $0  $8,080  $398,268  $7,198,001 
  2012  $900,000  $371,700  $2,306,493  $2,233,443  $648,000  $54,159  $653,424  $7,167,219 
 Tina M. Tyler
Executive Vice
President &
Chief Stores
Officer  
 2014  $725,000  $290,000  $3,301,716  $0  $0  $71,911  $135,964  $4,524,591 
  2013  $725,000  $0  $3,797,152  $0  $0  $7,595  $149,975  $4,679,722 
  2012  $700,000  $270,900  $1,516,896  $1,451,738  $504,000  $30,031  $166,606  $4,640,170 
 Jeffrey J. Jones II
Executive Vice
President &
Chief Marketing
Officer
 2014  $700,000  $290,000  $3,301,716  $0  $0  $0  $67,343  $4,359,059 
                                     
  2013  $700,000  $0  $3,505,105  $0  $0  $0  $87,169  $4,292,275 
  2012  $537,500  $202,042  $3,000,088  $ 2,072,624  $390,000  $0  $597,017  $6,799,271 
 Gregg W. Steinhafel
Former Chairman,
President &
Chief Executive
Officer(1)
 2014  $865,385  $0  $0  $0  $0  $996,366  $(4,901,334)   $(3,039,584) 
  2013  $1,500,000  $0  $10,224,120  $0  $0  $720,219  $508,875   $12,953,214 
  2012  $1,500,000  $0  $5,285,245  $5,248,573  $2,880,000  $665,528  $5,068,118  $20,647,464 
                                     

(1)On May 5, 2014, Mr. Steinhafel stepped down as President & CEO, and resigned as a Director. The Board appointed Mr. Mulligan to serve in the additional capacities of Interim President & CEO, which he did until August 12, 2014. Mr. Steinhafel remained employed by Target in an advisory capacity to assist with the transition until August 23, 2014. Mr. Steinhafel is a named executive officer because he was our President & CEO for part of fiscal 2014. In connection with Mr. Steinhafel’s departure, which was an involuntary termination without cause, Mr. Steinhafel is eligible for 24 months of income continuation severance benefits under our ICP. The ICP payments are not included in the table because they do not commence until fiscal 2015. As a condition to receiving those payments, Mr. Steinhafel signed an agreement that included a non-solicitation clause and a release of claims, and provided that severance payments may be recovered and that any outstanding equity awards held by him may be terminated if he becomes employed by specified competitors. Due to his ICP eligibility, during fiscal 2014 Mr. Steinhafel had to pay back all of his enhanced early retirement benefits under the Target Corporate Supplemental Pension Plan III (SPP III), which is discussed in more detail in Note 6 to this table. For more information about Mr. Steinhafel’s departure, including his Post-Termination Benefits, please see “Former CEO Departure” on page 63, located in the “Potential Payments Upon Termination of Change-in-Control” section of this proxy statement.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     49

(2)Amount for Mr. Cornell includes his “Make-Whole Bonus” he received in connection with his hiring compensation package, representing the amount of annual bonus payment that he gave up when he left his former employer. See page 39 of the CD&A for a discussion of his hiring compensation package. Amount for Mr. Mulligan includes a payment in the amount of $150,000 in each of fiscal 2013 and 2012 under a special retention award he was granted in October 2011 when he was Senior Vice President, Treasury, Accounting and Operations. The special retention award was for a total amount of $300,000, with $150,000 paid in October 2012 and the remaining $150,000 paid in October 2013.
(3)Amounts represent the aggregate grant date fair value of awards made each fiscal year, as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. See Note 24, Share Based Compensation, to our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013 for a description of our accounting and the assumptions used.
(4)Represents the aggregate grant date fair value of PSUs and PBRSUs that were computed based on the probable outcome of the performance conditions as of the grant date. Actual payments will be based on degree of attainment of the performance conditions and our stock price on the settlement date.

The range of payments for the PSUs granted in fiscal 20142016 is as follows:

Name Minimum
amount
  Amount
reported
  Maximum
amount
 
Mr. Cornell            
PSU Granted 1/11/17 $0  $7,125,037  $12,468,815 
Ms. Smith            
PSU Granted 1/11/17 $0  $2,437,545  $4,265,703 
Mr. Mulligan            
PSU Granted 1/11/17 $0  $3,750,008  $6,562,514 
Mr. Liu            
PSU Granted 8/22/16 $0  $937,514  $1,640,650 
PSU Granted 1/11/17 $0  $1,875,040  $3,281,320 
Mr. Tritton            
PSU Granted 6/6/16 $0  $750,050  $1,312,588 
PSU Granted 1/11/17 $0  $1,200,034  $2,100,060 

 

   MINIMUM AMOUNT MAXIMUM 
 NAME AMOUNT REPORTED AMOUNT 
 Mr. Cornell             
 •   PSU Granted 8/21/14 $0  $ 2,577,875  $4,511,281  
 •   PSU Granted 1/14/15 $0  $6,750,009  $ 11,812,516  
 Mr. Mulligan             
 •   PSU Granted 1/14/15 $0  $2,625,008  $4,593,763  
 Ms. Tesija             
    PSU Granted 1/14/15 $0  $3,187,515  $5,578,151  
 Ms. Tyler             
    PSU Granted 1/14/15 $0  $2,437,555  $4,265,721  
 Mr. Jones             
 •   PSU Granted 1/14/15 $0  $2,437,555  $4,265,721  
               

The PSU granted on August 21, 2014 was part of a Pro-Rata Equity Grant intended to align Mr. Cornell with the PSUs granted in January 2014 to the other named executive officers, which use fiscal 2014 as the first year of their three-year performance period. See page 39 of the CD&A for a discussion of his hiring compensation package. The PSU under the Pro-Rata Equity Grant to Mr. Cornell was forfeited as a result of the Compensation Committee’s determination in March 2015 that we did not meet our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014.
Beginning January 2014, we changed our grant timing practice to grant both PBRSUs and PSUs in January. Our prior policy of granting RSUs in January and PSUs in March straddled two fiscal years, causing PSU grants to be reported in the proxy statement one year after RSU grants were reported. The new grant timing enhances visibility of the annual grant amount by reporting PBRSUs and PSUs in the same proxy statement. However, the transition artificially increases the Stock Awards amount reported in fiscal 2013 by including awards from two separate annual grant cycles. For example, the Stock Awards total for fiscal 2013 reflects the 2013 award of PSUs and PBRSUs for our former CEO of $7,474,365, and also includes an additional $2,749,755 from his 2012 PSU award that was granted in March 2013. Our former CEO did not receive a PSU grant in fiscal 2014.
(5)For fiscal 2014, the following amounts are related to the change in the qualified pension plan value, which applies to all eligible NEOs, and above-market earnings on nonqualified deferred compensation, which only applies to Mr. Steinhafel:
(4)The “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” amount shows actual payouts earned under the financial component of our Short-Term Incentive Plan. Fiscal 2015 is the only year of the last three years in which our NEOs earned a payout under the financial component our Short-Term Incentive Plan.

     NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED 
   CHANGE IN PENSION COMPENSATION 
 NAME VALUE ABOVE-MARKET EARNINGS 
 Mr. Mulligan $89,446  $0  
 Ms. Tesija $143,604  $0  
 Ms. Tyler $71,911  $0  
 Mr. Steinhafel $ 243,478  $ 752,888  
           

(5)For fiscal 2016, Mr. Mulligan’s change in the qualified pension plan value amount was $55,765. Mr. Cornell, Ms. Smith, Mr. Liu and Mr. JonesTritton are not eligible for the Target Corporation Pension Plan or any supplemental pension plans because they were hired after January 2009.

Consistent with applicable law, the accrued benefits under the pension plan cannot be reduced; however, the present value of the benefit is dependent on the discount rate used. The discount rates used in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014 2013were 4.42%, 4.71% and 2012 were 3.87%, 4.77% and 4.40%, respectively. The Change in Pension Value column reflects the additional pension benefits attributable to additional service, increases in eligible earnings and changes in the discount rate.

(6)The above-market earnings on nonqualified deferredamounts reported for fiscal 2016 include matching credits of up to a maximum of 5% of cash compensation consist of an additional 7.69% annual return onallocated between the Target 401(k) Plan and our formercurrent executive deferred compensation plan (EDCP), the dollar value of life insurance premiums paid by Target, Corporation Officer Deferred Compensation Plan (ODCP), which was frozen for new participantscredits to the EDCP representing annual changes in supplemental pension plan values, relocation benefits and further compensation deferrals after 1996. Mr. Steinhafel was the only NEO eligible for the ODCP. See the narrative following the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for Fiscal 2014 table for additional information.perquisites.

Name Match credits  Life insurance  SPP credits  Relocation  Perquisites  Total 
Mr. Cornell $162,750  $15,479  $0  $0  $152,303  $330,532 
Ms. Smith $50,118  $7,491  $0  $27,929  $13,585  $99,123 
Mr. Mulligan $96,050  $8,279  $459,668  $0  $31,496  $595,493 
Mr. Liu $0  $4,257  $0  $250,092  $9,455  $263,804 
Mr. Tritton $3,570  $3,184  $0  $474,540  $3,573  $484,867 

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     50

(6)The amounts reported for fiscal 2014 include matching credits of up to a maximum of 5% of cash compensation allocated among the Target 401(k) Plan and our current executive deferred compensation plan (EDCP), the dollar value of life insurance premiums paid by Target, credits to the EDCP representing annual changes in supplemental pension plan values and perquisites.

 NAME MATCH CREDITS  LIFE INSURANCE  SPP CREDITS  PERQUISITES  TOTAL  
 Mr. Cornell $0  $6,549  $0  $159,198  $165,747  
 Mr. Mulligan $45,875  $5,621  $232,144  $44,707  $328,348  
 Ms. Tesija $43,389  $8,009  $454,383  $26,584  $532,366  
 Ms. Tyler $34,493  $4,590  $53,956  $42,925  $135,964  
 Mr. Jones $35,000  $4,341  $0  $28,002  $67,343  
 Mr. Steinhafel $ 27,404  $ 8,931  $ (5,083,232) $145,563  $ (4,901,334) 
                       

Supplemental Pension Plan.Plans.The SPP Credits for our NEOs represent additional accruals of supplemental pension plan benefits under the Target Corporation Supplemental Pension Plan I (SPP I) and the Target Corporation Supplemental Pension Plan II (SPP II) that are credited to their deferred compensation accounts. These benefits are based on our normal pension formula, so they are affected by final average pay, service, age and changes in interest rates. Mr. Steinhafel’s SPP Credits consist of:

($5,277,556) in enhanced early retirement benefits he paid back under our SPP III because he was eligible for severance benefits under our ICP in connection with his departure on August 23, 2015; and
$194,324 for his final credit of accrued supplemental pension plan benefits under SPP I and SPP II.

Mr. Steinhafel was the only NEO who had enhanced early retirement benefits under the SPP III as no new participants have been allowed since 1989. See “Former CEO Departure” on page 63 of this proxy statement. See the narrative following the Pension Benefits for Fiscal 20142016 table for more information about our pension plans.

Relocation.In connection with the hiring and appointment of Mr. Liu as our Chief Legal Officer and Mr. Tritton as our Chief Merchandising Officer, we paid $250,092 and $474,540, respectively, under our relocation policy to facilitate moves to our corporate office in Minnesota. In early fiscal 2016, we paid $27,929 under our relocation policy for Ms. Smith, who was hired as our Chief Financial Officer in September 2015. See page 38 for more information about the benefits provided under our relocation policy. The entire relocation benefit is subject to repayment if the recipient voluntarily leaves Target at any time during the recipient’s first 36 months with the company. No tax gross-up is provided for the relocation benefit.
Perquisites.The perquisites for our NEOs other than Mr. Cornell consist of a company-provided car or car allowance, reimbursement of financial management expenses, reimbursement of home security expenses, on-site parking, on-site exercise room, spousal travel on business trips, giftslimited personal use of company-owned aircraft and executive physicals. Mr. Cornell is only eligible for perquisites that support his safety, health and well-being—well-being, namely: reimbursement of home security expenses, on-site parking, executive physical, on-site exercise room, and personal use of company-owned aircraft for security reasons. Mr. Cornell is required to reimburse Target for the incremental costs of using company-owned aircraft for personal purposes if his personal use exceeds $175,000 per year.

The only individual perquisites whichperquisite that exceeded $25,000 werewas Mr. Cornell’s and Mr. Steinhafel’s personal use of company-owned aircraft for security reasons, which amounted to $112,486 and $73,162, respectively, and home security for Mr. Steinhafel, which amounted to $35,467.$147,036. No tax gross-ups aregross-up is provided on these perquisites.

this perquisite.

The dollar amount of perquisites represents the incremental cost of providing the perquisite. We generally measure incremental cost by the additional variable costs attributable to personal use, and we disregard fixed costs that do not change based on usage. Incremental cost for personal use of company-owned aircraft was determined by including fuel cost, landing fees, on-board catering and variable maintenance costs attributable to personal flights and related unoccupied positioning, or “deadhead,” flights.

In addition to the perquisites included in the table in this footnote, the NEOs occasionally use support staff time for personal matters, principally to allow them to devote more time to our business, and receive certain other personal use of empty seats on business flights of company-owned aircraft and personal use of event tickets when such tickets are not being used for business purposes, each of which are benefits for which we have no incremental cost, as follows:

Occasional use of support staff time for personal matters, principally to allow them to devote more time to our business;
Occasional personal use of empty seats on business flights of company-owned aircraft; and
Occasional personal use of event tickets when such tickets are not being used for business purposes.cost.

 

Until he left the company, Mr. Steinhafel had a membership in a Minneapolis business club as the result of a grandfathered perquisite that is no longer available. The club was used almost exclusively for business functions; however, he was permitted to occasionally use the club for personal purposes provided that he paid for any meal or other incremental costs.

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION     51

2017 Proxy Statement43

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS IN FISCAL 2014

            
 NAME 

GRANT

DATE

 ESTIMATED POSSIBLE PAYOUTS
UNDER NON-EQUITY INCENTIVE
PLAN AWARDS(1)
 ESTIMATED FUTURE PAYOUTS
UNDER EQUITY INCENTIVE
PLAN AWARDS(2)
 GRANT DATE
FAIR VALUE
OF STOCK
AWARDS(3)
 
      THRESHOLD TARGET MAXIMUM THRESHOLD
(#)
 TARGET
(#)
 MAXIMUM
(#)
   
 Brian C. Cornell 8/21/14(4)  $487,500  $1,950,000  $5,200,000             
   8/21/14(5)               0  69,149 69,149 $4,193,887 
   8/21/14(5)               121,012  161,347 201,685 $10,437,000 
   8/21/14(4)(5)               0  46,373 81,153 $2,577,875 
   8/21/14(4)(5)               11,594  15,458 19,323 $1,003,224 
   1/14/15                22,749  30,332 37,915 $2,392,891 
   1/14/15                0  90,995 159,242 $6,750,009 
 John J. Mulligan 3/12/14(4)  $70,000  $373,800  $2,730,000             
   5/22/14(4)(6)  $9,000  $48,700  $240,194             
   5/22/14(6)               0  17,835 17,835 $1,000,008 
   1/14/15                8,847  11,796 14,745 $930,586 
   1/14/15                0  35,387 61,928 $2,625,008 
 Kathryn A. Tesija 3/12/14(4)  $95,000  $507,300  $3,705,000             
   1/14/15                10,743  14,324 17,905 $1,130,020 
   1/14/15                0  42,970 75,198 $3,187,515 
 Tina M. Tyler 3/12/14(4)  $72,500  $387,150  $2,827,500             
   1/14/15                8,216  10,954 13,693 $864,161 
   1/14/15                0  32,860 57,505 $2,437,555 
 Jeffrey J. Jones II 3/12/14(4)  $70,000  $373,800  $2,730,000             
   1/14/15                8,216  10,954 13,693 $864,161 
   1/14/15                0  32,860 57,505 $2,437,555 
 Gregg W. Steinhafel 3/12/14(4)  $562,500  $2,250,000  $6,000,000             
                              

(1)Awards represent potential payments under the current Target Corporation Officer Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP). Payments are based on specified target levels of Incentive EBIT and Incentive EVA, as described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.
No amounts were earned under this plan for fiscal 2014. Executive officers must be employed on the date the payments are made (typically in March of each year with respect to the preceding fiscal year) to be eligible for a payment, except in the event of death, disability or retirement eligibility (termination other than for cause after age 55 with at least five years of service). The maximum payment is the annual plan maximum, which is generally four times salary less, for executive officers other than our CEO, the minimum personal performance bonus payable as a condition to receiving a financial performance payout under the STIP.
(2)Except for the footnoted grants to Mr. Cornell and Mr. Mulligan on August 21, 2014 and May 22, 2014, respectively, awards represent potential payments under PSUs and PBRSUs granted under our 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan in fiscal 2014. For PSUs and PBRSUs, payments are based on our performance relative to a retail peer group over a three-year measurement period. The PSUs granted on January 14, 2015 have three relative performance measures: domestic market share change, earnings per share growth, and return on invested capital. The PBRSUs granted on January 14, 2015 are based on our total shareholder return relative to our retail peer group. See the Compensation Discussion and Analysis for a more detailed description of these performance measures. The other terms of the PSUs and PBRSUs are described in Note 4 to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End table.
(3)Grant date fair value for PSUs, PBRSUs and RSUs was determined pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718.
(4)Awards were forfeited in March 2015 as a result of the Compensation Committee determination that we did not achieve the 162(m) threshold, which is based on a minimum level of consolidated earnings before interest and taxes for fiscal 2014. The one-time charges associated with the decision of the Board of Directors, on management’s recommendation, to discontinue our Canadian operations were the primary reason that the 162(m) threshold was not met.
(5)Awards represent the potential payments under the equity grants made to Mr. Cornell when he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. To compensate Mr. Cornell for incentive awards from his former employer that he forfeited to join Target, Mr. Cornell received a “Make-Whole Equity Grant” consisting of RSUs that vested in March 2015 and PBRSUs that will vest in one third increments in March 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively, subject to his continued employment through the applicable vesting dates. To align Mr. Cornell with the other executive officers, he also received a “Pro-Rata Equity Grant” consisting of PSUs and PBRSUs on terms consistent with the awards granted to Target’s other executive officers in January 2014. See page 39 of the CD&A for a discussion of Mr. Cornell’s hiring compensation package.
(6)Mr. Mulligan served in the additional capacities of Interim President & CEO from May 2014 until Mr. Cornell’s arrival in August 2014. In connection with the appointment of Mr. Mulligan to those additional capacities, the Board increased his fiscal 2014 short-term incentive opportunity amounts from 80% to 90% of his base salary, pro-rated for the time period during which he served in the additional capacities of Interim President & CEO. The amount shown represents the incremental amount of that increased short-term incentive opportunity above what he was previously granted on March 12, 2014. In addition, the Board approved a one-time grant, effective May 22, 2014, of RSUs outside of our annual grant to Mr. Mulligan. The RSUs have a grant date fair value of $1 million and have the same general terms as the other RSUs described in Note 3 to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End table, except that the shares subject to the award will vest in one-third increments on each anniversary of the grant date and will vest in full in the event that Mr. Mulligan’s employment is involuntarily terminated without cause.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     52

 
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2014 FISCAL YEAR-END

Grants of plan-based awards in fiscal 2016

     Estimated possible payouts
under non-equity incentive
plan awards(1)
  Estimated future payouts
under equity incentive
plan awards(2)
     
Name Grant
date
  Threshold   Target   Maximum   Threshold
(#)
   Target
(#)
   Maximum
(#)
   Grant date
 fair value
of stock
awards(3)
 
Brian C. Cornell 3/9/16 $975,000  $2,275,000  $5,200,000                 
  1/11/17              24,906   33,208   41,510  $2,525,800 
  1/11/17              0   99,623   174,341  $7,125,037 
Cathy R. Smith 3/9/16 $128,000  $720,000  $1,600,000                 
  1/11/17              8,521   11,361   14,202  $864,118 
  1/11/17              0   34,082   59,644  $2,437,545 
John J. Mulligan 3/9/16 $160,000  $900,000  $2,000,000                 
  1/11/17              13,109   17,478   21,848  $1,329,377 
  1/11/17              0   52,433   91,758  $3,750,008 
Don H. Liu 8/22/16(4)  $52,000  $292,500  $650,000                 
  8/22/16(4)              0   42,729   42,729  $3,000,003 
  8/22/16(4)              3,339   4,451   5,564  $335,294 
  8/22/16(4)              0   13,353   23,368  $937,514 
  1/11/17              6,555   8,739   10,924  $664,688 
  1/11/17              0   26,217   45,880  $1,875,040 
Mark J. Tritton 6/6/16(4) $66,667  $375,000  $833,333                 
  6/6/16(4)              0   14,550   14,550  $1,000,022 
  6/6/16(4)              2,729   3,638   4,548  $268,303 
  6/6/16(4)              0   10,913   19,098  $750,050 
  1/11/17              4,195   5,593   6,992  $425,404 
  1/11/17              0   16,779   29,364  $1,200,034 

(1)Awards represent potential payments under the current STIP. Payments are based on specified target levels of Incentive EBIT and Total Adjusted Sales, as described in the CD&A. Executive officers must be employed on the date the payments are made (typically in March of each year with respect to the preceding fiscal year) to be eligible for a payment, except in the event of death, disability or retirement eligibility (termination other than for cause after age 55 with at least five years of service). The maximum payment is the annual plan maximum, which is generally four times salary for our CEO and two times salary for executive officers other than our CEO.
 
(2)Awards represent potential payments under PSUs, PBRSUs and RSUs granted under our Amended and Restated 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan in fiscal 2016. See the CD&A for a more detailed description of the performance measures for those awards. The other terms of the PSUs, PBRSUs and RSUs are described in Notes 2 and 3 to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2016 Fiscal Year-End table.
(3)Grant date fair value for PSUs, PBRSUs and RSUs was determined pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718.
(4)Awards represent the potential payments under the equity grants made to Mr. Liu and Mr. Tritton in connection with their hire dates of August 22, 2016 and June 5, 2016, respectively. Each received a pro-rata equity grant consisting of PSUs and PBRSUs and pro-rata STIP award, each on terms consistent with the awards granted to Target’s other executive officers in January 2016. In addition, to compensate for incentive awards from former employers that were forfeited to join Target, Mr. Liu and Mr. Tritton each received a grant of Make-Whole RSUs that have the same general terms as other RSUs and PBRSUs described in Notes 2 and 3 to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2016 Fiscal Year-End table except that Mr. Liu’s Make-Whole RSUs vest in one-third increments on each anniversary of the grant date.

 

   OPTION AWARDS STOCK AWARDS(1) 
                 EQUITY 
                 INCENTIVE 
                 PLAN 
                 AWARDS: 
               EQUITY MARKET OR 
               INCENTIVE PAYOUT 
               PLAN AWARDS: VALUE OF 
             MARKET NUMBER OF UNEARNED 
   NUMBER OF NUMBER OF     NUMBER OF VALUE OF UNEARNED SHARES, 
   SECURITIES SECURITIES     SHARES OR SHARES OR SHARES, UNITS UNITS OR 
   UNDERLYING UNDERLYING     UNITS OF UNITS OF OR OTHER OTHER 
   UNEXERCISED UNEXERCISED OPTION OPTION STOCK THAT STOCK THAT RIGHTS THAT RIGHTS THAT 
   OPTIONS(#) OPTIONS(#) EXERCISE EXPIRATION HAVE NOT HAVE NOT HAVE NOT HAVE NOT 
 NAME EXERCISABLE(2) UNEXERCISABLE(2) PRICE DATE VESTED(#)(3) VESTED VESTED(#)(4) VESTED(4) 
 Brian C.                69,639  $5,126,127   283,817  $20,891,769 
 Cornell                              
 John J.  4,632   0  $53.98  01/11/2016  31,205  $2,297,000   47,183  $3,473,141 
 Mulligan  2,044   0  $48.94  09/01/2016                
    6,021   0  $58.13  01/10/2017                
    10,228   0  $48.89  01/09/2018                
    3,645   0  $54.87  09/02/2018                
    8,876   0  $33.80  01/14/2019                
    1,784   0  $42.05  08/10/2019                
    10,406   0  $49.41  01/13/2020                
    9,466   0  $53.36  08/09/2020                
    11,557   0  $55.46  01/12/2021                
    22,374   7,459  $48.88  01/11/2022                
    57,737   19,246  $50.51  01/24/2022                
    69,509   69,509  $60.48  01/09/2023                
 Kathryn A.  14,821   0  $53.98  01/11/2016  21,818  $1,606,023   57,294  $4,217,411 
 Tesija  17,203   0  $58.13  01/10/2017                
    57,406   0  $52.26  04/11/2018                
    24,714   0  $49.41  01/13/2020                
    102,723   0  $55.46  01/12/2021                
    89,499   44,750  $48.88  01/11/2022                
    115,848   115,849  $60.48  01/09/2023                
 Tina M.  5,416   0  $64.63  09/04/2017  14,183  $1,044,011   43,814  $3,225,149 
 Tyler  51,362   0  $55.46  01/12/2021                
    47,666   29,833  $48.88  01/11/2022                
    75,301   75,302  $60.48  01/09/2023                
 Jeffrey J.  33,400   33,401  $58.21  04/02/2022  54,090  $3,981,565   43,814  $3,225,149 
 Jones II  69,509   69,509  $60.48  01/09/2023                
 Gregg W.  147,139   0  $49.41  05/14/2019  0  $0   0  $0 
 Steinhafel  256,806   0  $55.46  05/14/2019                
    198,329   99,444  $48.88  05/14/2019                
    272,243   272,243  $60.48  05/14/2019                
                                

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION     53

2017 Proxy Statement
44

 

Outstanding equity awards at 2016 fiscal year-end

 Option awards  Stock awards 
                      Equity 
                   Equity  incentive 
                   incentive  plan awards: 
                   plan awards:  market or 
                   number of  payout value 
 Number of  Number of        Number     unearned  of unearned 
 securities  securities        of shares  Market value  shares, units  shares, units 
 underlying  underlying        or units of  of shares or  or other  or other 
 unexercised  unexercised  Option  Option  stock that  units of stock  rights that  rights that 
 options(#)  options(#)  exercise  expiration  have not  that have not  have not  have not 
Nameexercisable(1)  unexercisable(1)  price  date  vested(#)(2)  vested  vested(#)(3)  vested(3) 
Brian C. Cornell                         640,375  $40,791,888 
Cathy R. Smith                         142,770  $9,094,449 
John J. Mulligan 11,557   0  $ 55.46   01/12/2021   6,404  $407,935   242,587  $15,452,792 
  29,833   0  $48.88   01/11/2022                 
  76,983   0  $50.51   01/24/2022                 
  139,018   0  $60.48   01/09/2023                 
Don H. Liu                 43,063  $2,743,113   75,870  $4,832,919 
Mark J. Tritton                 14,792  $942,250   52,075  $3,317,178 

(1)This table excludes awards that were forfeited in March 2015 as a result of the Compensation Committee determination that we did not achieve the 162(m) threshold, which is based on a minimum level of consolidated earnings before interest and taxes for fiscal 2014 and is discussed on pages 30-31 of the CD&A.
(2)Stock options have a ten-year term and generally vest and become exercisable in 25% increments on each anniversary of the grant date. In general, recipients of stock options must be continuously employed from the grant date to the applicable vesting date to become vested. If an executive officer’s employment is terminated other than for cause, unvested stock options are forfeited and the executive officer will have 210 days to exercise any vested stock options. An extension of the vesting and post-termination exercise periods may be provided (but not in excess of the original ten-year term of the option) if the executive officer satisfies certain age and years of service conditions as of the date of termination, as follows:

 

AGEMINIMUM YEARS
OF SERVICE
VESTING AND
EXERCISE
EXTENSION PERIOD
60+1010 Years
55-59155 Years
52-54154 Years
48-51153 Years
45-47152 Years

For stock options granted on or after January 12, 2005 but prior to September 14, 2011, the potential extension of the post-termination exercise periods is based on the following age and years of service schedule:

 Options granted before Options granted on or after 
 September 14, 2011 September 14, 2011 
   Minimum years   Vesting and exercise   Minimum years   Vesting and exercise 
Age  of service   extension period   of service   extension period 
65+  5   5 Years   10   10 Years 
60-64  15   5 Years   10   10 Years 
55-59  15   5 Years   15   5 Years 
52-54  15   4 Years   15   4 Years 
48-51  15   3 Years   15   3 Years 
45-47  15   2 Years   15   2 Years 

 

 AGEMINIMUM YEARS
OF SERVICE
VESTING AND
EXERCISE
EXTENSION PERIOD
65+  55 Years
55-64155 Years
52-54154 Years
48-51153 Years
45-47152 Years

To receive these extension provisions, the executive officer must sign an agreement that includes a non-solicitation clause and a release of claims, and provides that the award will be terminated if the executive officer becomes employed by specified competitors. If the termination is voluntary, the executive officer must also have commenced discussions with the company regarding the executive officer’s consideration of termination at least six months prior to termination. These vesting-extension provisions are not available if an executive officer’s employment is terminated for cause. If an executive officer’s employment is terminated for cause, both the vested and unvested stock options are forfeited.

A five-year exercise period will apply in the event of the executive officer’s termination due to death or a disability, except that the exercise period will be ten years if the executive officer meets the described age and years of service requirements. The exercise period is not to exceed the original ten-year term of the option, except to the extent necessary to provide at least one year to exercise after the executive officer’s death during employment. Vesting is accelerated upon death and continues during the post terminationpost-termination exercise period in the event of disability. Stock options are transferable during the life of the executive officer to certain family members and family-controlled entities.

(3)Includes RSUs granted to all executive officers in fiscal 2012, and RSUs granted to Mr. Mulligan and Mr. Cornell on May 22, 2014 and August 21, 2014, respectively. Except for the RSUs granted to Mr. Mulligan and Mr. Cornell in fiscal 2014, all of these awards are subject to cliff-vesting three years after the date of grant. After vesting, RSUs are converted into shares of our common stock on a 1:1 basis. Dividend equivalents are accrued (in the form of additional units) on RSUs during the vesting period and converted to shares if and after the underlying RSUs vest. Recipients of these awards must generally be continuously employed for three years from the date of grant in order to receive the shares. Continuous employment is not required if the executive officer meets the following age and years of service requirements:

AGEMINIMUM YEARS
OF SERVICE
60+10
55-5915
  

In addition

(2)Includes RSUs granted to Mr. Mulligan on May 22, 2014 and Make-Whole RSUs granted to Mr. Liu on August 22, 2016, which will vest in one-third increments on each anniversary of the agegrant date, and Make-Whole RSUs granted to Mr. Tritton on June 6, 2016, which will vest in full on the third anniversary of the grant date. After vesting, the RSUs and Make-Whole RSUs will be converted into shares of our common stock on a 1:1 basis. Dividend equivalents are accrued (in the form of additional units) on RSUs and Make-Whole RSUs during the vesting period and converted to shares if and after the underlying RSUs and Make-Whole RSUs vest. Messrs. Mulligan, Liu and Tritton must generally be continuously employed for three years from the date of service requirementsgrant in order to receive the executive officershares, except that in the event employment is involuntarily terminated without cause Mr. Mulligan’s unvested RSUs will vest in full and 50% of Mr. Liu��s and Mr. Tritton’s outstanding unvested Make-Whole RSUs will vest, provided that they must sign an agreement that includes a non-solicitation clause and a release of claims and provides that the award will be terminated if the executive officer becomesthey become employed by specified competitors. If the terminationVesting is voluntary, the executive officer must also have commenced discussions with the company regarding the executive officer’s consideration of termination at least six months prior to termination. RSUs are intended to comply with IRC Section 409A. As a result, share issuances to executive officers based on a termination of employment will be delayed six months.

Vesting is accelerated in the event of death or disability,disability.

(3)The shares reported in this column represent potentially issuable shares under outstanding PSU and 50%PBRSU awards. PSUs and PBRSUs represent the right to receive a variable number of shares based on actual performance over the performance period. The number of shares subject to an award will vest ifreported is based on our actual performance results through the recipient is involuntarily terminated without cause prior toend of fiscal 2016 under the scheduled vesting date other than for causeapplicable performance measures and the executive officer signs an agreement that includes a non-solicitation clause and a release of claims, and providesassuming that the awardpayout will be terminated ifoccur at the executive officer becomes employednext highest level (threshold, target or maximum). The performance levels required for payouts on outstanding awards are described in the CD&A. The market value of stock reported is calculated by specified competitors.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     54

The RSUs granted to Mr. Mulligan on May 22, 2014 described in Note 6 to the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table, have the same general terms as the other RSUs described in this Note, except that the shares subject to the award will vest in one-third increments on each anniversary of the grant date and will vest in full in the event that Mr. Mulligan’s employment is involuntarily terminated without cause.
The RSUs granted to Mr. Cornell as part of the Make-Whole Equity Grant described in Note 5 to the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table vested in March 2015. If Mr. Cornell had been involuntarily terminated without cause before those RSUs vested in March 2015, he would have received 100% of the unvested RSUs.
(4)The shares reported in this column represent potentially issuable shares under outstanding PSU and PBRSU awards granted in fiscal 2014, and the PBRSU granted to Mr. Cornell as part of the Make-Whole Equity Grant described in Note 5 of the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table.
PSUs and PBRSUs represent the right to receive a variable number of shares based on actual performance over the performance period. The number of shares reported is based on our actual performance results through the end of fiscal 2014 under the applicable performance measures and assuming that the payout will occur at the next highest level (threshold, target or maximum). The performance levels required for payouts on outstanding awards are described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.multiplying the number of shares by our 2016 fiscal year-end closing stock price of $63.70.
  
 Dividend equivalents are accrued (in the form of additional units) on PSUs and PBRSUs, respectively, during the vesting period and are subject to the same performance and other conditions as the underlying PSUs and PBRSUs. The dividend equivalents are converted to shares if and after the underlying PSUs and PBRSUs vest.
The payment date of the awards, to the extent they are earned, will be within a certain time after the date the Compensation Committee certifies the financial results following completion of the performance period (60 days for PSUs and 90 days for PBRSUs). Recipients must be continuously employed during the performance period to become vested, except that vesting will also occur, and any shares earned upon certification of the financial results following completion of the performance period will be paid, if a termination occurs under the following circumstances prior to the end of the performance period (referred to as “vesting-extension provisions”):

 TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement45
 

The payment date of the awards, to the extent they are earned, will be within a certain time after the date the Human Resources & Compensation Committee certifies the financial results following completion of the performance period (60 days for PSUs and 90 days for PBRSUs). Recipients must be continuously employed during the performance period to become vested, except that vesting will also occur, and any shares earned upon certification of the financial results following completion of the performance period will be paid, if a termination occurs under the following circumstances prior to the end of the performance period (referred to as “vesting-extension provisions”):

Death or disability;
For PSUs and PBRSUs only, executive officer is:
For awards granted on or after January 13, 2016 – Age 55 or greater and has at least 5 years of service; or
For awards granted before January 13, 2016 – Age 60 or greater and has at least 10 years of service or disability;
Executive officer is age 60 or greater and has at least 10 years of service;
Executive officer is age 55-59 and has at least 15 years of service;
For PSUs only, the executive officer is age 45-54, has at least 15 years of service and has worked for a specified minimum amount of the performance period (1-2 years, depending on age); or
For PBRSUs only, 50% of the shares subject to an award will vest if the recipient is involuntarily terminated without cause prior to the scheduled vesting date and the executive officer signs an agreement that includes a non-solicitation clause and a release of claims, and provides that the award will be terminated if the executive officer becomes employed by specified competitors.

To receive these vesting-extension provisions, the executive officer must comply with the same conditions that are applicable to the vesting and post-termination extension of stock options that are described in Note 1 to this table. These vesting-extension provisions are not available if an executive officer’s employment is terminated for cause. If an executive officer’s employment is terminated for cause, then all PSUs and PBRSUs are forfeited.

The shares reported in this column also include make-whole PBRSUs granted to Mr. Cornell on August 21, 2014 to compensate him for incentive awards from his former employer he forfeited to join Target (Make-Whole PBRSUs). Those Make-Whole PBRSUs have the same general terms as the other PBRSUs described in this Note, except that one third vested in each of March 2016 and March 2017, and the remaining one third vests in March 2018, subject to Mr. Cornell’s continued employment through the applicable vesting dates. If Mr. Cornell’s employment is involuntarily terminated without cause before an applicable vesting date, Mr. Cornell will receive 50% of the at-goal payout of any outstanding unvested Make-Whole PBRSUs.

Option exercises and stock vested in fiscal 2016

  Option awards  Stock awards 
Name Number of shares
acquired on
exercise (#)
  Value realized
on exercise(1)
  Number of shares
acquired on
vesting (#)
  Value realized
on vesting(2)
 
Brian C. Cornell  0  $0   108,866  $7,453,708 
Cathy R. Smith  0  $0   14,363  $793,987 
John J. Mulligan  35,529  $1,103,714   48,787  $2,779,439 
Don H. Liu  0  $0   0  $0 
Mark J. Tritton  0  $0   0  $0 

(1)Value Realized on Exercise is calculated as the difference between the market value of Target common stock on the respective exercise date(s) and the exercise price of the option(s).
To receive these vesting-extension provisions, the executive officer must comply with the same conditions that are applicable to the vesting and post-termination extension of stock options that are described in Note 2 to this table. These vesting-extension provisions are not available if an executive officer’s employment is terminated for cause. If an executive officer’s employment is terminated for cause, then all PSUs and PBRSUs are forfeited.
Mr. Cornell’s PBRSUs from the Make-Whole Equity Grant described in Note 5 to the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table have the same general terms as the other PBRSUs described in this Note, except that they will vest in one third increments in March 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively, subject to his continued employment through the applicable vesting dates. If Mr. Cornell’s employment is involuntarily terminated without cause before an applicable vesting date, Mr. Cornell will receive 50% of the unvested PBRSUs under his Make-Whole Equity Grant.
(2)Value Realized on Vesting is calculated by multiplying the number of shares acquired on vesting by the market value of Target common stock on the respective vesting date(s), except that where the Human Resources & Compensation Committee must certify the number of shares earned, Value Realized on Vesting is calculated by multiplying the number of shares earned by the market value of Target common stock on the date the Human Resources & Compensation Committee certifies the shares that were earned.

 

OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED IN FISCAL 2014

Pension benefits for fiscal 2016

Name(1) Plan name Age at FYE  Number of years
credited service(#)
  Present value of
accumulated benefit
 
John J. Mulligan Target Corporation Pension Plan  51   20  $357,362 

 

   OPTION AWARDS STOCK AWARDS 
   NUMBER OF   NUMBER OF   
   SHARES   SHARES   
   ACQUIRED VALUE ACQUIRED VALUE 
   ON EXERCISE REALIZED ON VESTING REALIZED 
 NAME (#) ON EXERCISE(1) (#) ON VESTING(2) 
 Brian C. Cornell  0  $0   0   $0  
 John J. Mulligan  0  $0   20,874   $1,480,247  
 Kathryn A. Tesija  0  $0   24,998   $1,909,482  
 Tina M. Tyler  59,668  $1,138,154   16,553   $1,266,139  
 Jeffrey J. Jones II  0  $0   0   $0  
 Gregg W. Steinhafel  836,075  $16,215,717   52,841   $3,892,268  
                    

(1)Value Realized on Exercise is calculated as the difference between the market value of Target common stock on the respective exercise date(s) and the exercise price of the option(s).
(2)Value Realized on Vesting is calculated by multiplying the number of shares acquired on vesting by the market value of Target common stock on the respective vesting date(s).

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     55

PENSION BENEFITS FOR FISCAL 2014

       NUMBER OF PRESENT 
       YEARS VALUE OF 
     AGE CREDITED ACCUMULATED 
 NAME(1) PLAN NAME AT FYE SERVICE(#) BENEFIT 
 John J. Mulligan Target Corporation Pension Plan  49   18  $297,534  
 Kathryn A. Tesija Target Corporation Pension Plan  51   29  $487,336  
 Tina M. Tyler Target Corporation Pension Plan  49   28  $320,970  
 Gregg W. Steinhafel Target Corporation Pension Plan  60   35  $1,442,012  
                 

(1)Mr. Cornell and Mr. Jones
(1)Mr. Cornell, Ms. Smith, Mr. Liu and Mr. Tritton are not eligible for the Target Corporation Pension Plan or any supplemental pension plans because they were hired after January 2009.

The Pension Benefits for Fiscal 2014 table reports benefits under our principal pension plan, the Target Corporation Pension Plan (Pension Plan), which is a tax qualified retirement plan that provides retirement benefits to our employees who are at least 21 years of age, have completed at least three years of service and were hired prior to January 2009. The Pension Plan is comprised of two different benefit formulas: Final Average Pay and Personal Pension Account. Team members who were active participants in the Pension Plan prior to 2003 had the choice to have benefits for their service after December 31, 2002 calculated using either the Final Average Pay formula or the Personal Pension Account formula. Participants prior to 2003 who elected to have benefits for their service after December 31, 2002 calculated under the Personal Pension Account formula have benefits under both benefit formulas (Combined Formula). Based on their elections, the NEOs have the following benefit formulas under this plan:

John J. MulliganFinal Average Pay
Kathryn A. TesijaFinal Average Pay
Tina M. TylerCombined Formula
Gregg W. SteinhafelFinal Average Pay

Final Average Pay Benefit

The final average pay benefit under the Pension Plan, expressed as a monthly, single life annuity commencing at age 65, is equal to the sum of: (a) 0.8% of the participant’s final average monthly pay multiplied by the years of service (not to exceed 25 years of service), plus (b) 0.25% of the participant’s final average monthly pay multiplied by the years of service in excess of 25 years of service, plus (c) 0.5% of the participant’s final average monthly pay in excess of 12.5% of the average of the Social Security Taxable Wage Base for the 35-year period ending when the participant terminates employment multiplied by the years of service (not to exceed 25 years of service). Final average monthly pay is equal to one twelfth of the highest average annual salary, Bonus and Non Equity Incentive Plan compensation earned during any five years of the last ten year period the participant earned service in the Pension Plan, subject to IRC limits. The present value of the accumulated benefit is based on the same assumptions and valuation dates used for the valuation of pension plan liabilities in our financial statements. Participants can elect other annuity forms that have an actuarially equivalent value.

Early retirement payments may commence at age 55. A participant who terminates employment before age 55 has his or her vested benefit calculated based on the final average monthly pay as of their termination date, but service is projected to age 65. The vested benefit is then multiplied by the ratio of the participant’s actual completed service to their projected service through age 65. The result will always be equal to or less than the vested benefit as of the termination date. Benefits are also reduced for early commencement by 6.67% per year between age 65 and age 60 and 3.33% per year between age 60 and age 55 (based upon the participant’s age when benefits commence).

Personal Pension Account Benefit

A participant’s personal pension account benefit is determined by the value of the participant’s personal pension account balance, which is credited each calendar quarter with both pay credits and interest credits. Pay credits to a participant’s personal pension account are based on a fixed percentage of the participant’s eligible pay for the quarter, ranging from 1.5% to 6.5%, depending upon the participant’s combined age and service. Eligible pay includes the participant’s base salary, Bonus, and Non-Equity Incentive Plan compensation received during the calendar quarter, subject to the annual IRC limit. Interest credits to a participant’s personal pension account are generally made on the last day of the quarter based on the value of the account at the beginning of the quarter and an interest rate equal to the greater of (i) the average 10-year Treasury note rate for the month that is the 2nd month prior to the beginning of the quarter, or (ii) 4.64%.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     56

A participant’s personal pension account balance is payable to the participant at any time after termination of employment in a lump sum or an actuarially equivalent monthly annuity as provided under the Pension Plan and elected by the participant.

The beneficiary of a personal pension account participant who dies before commencing benefits will receive a death benefit equal to the participant’s account balance, payable either in a lump sum or an actuarially equivalent monthly annuity.

Supplemental Pension Plan

We also provide benefits under supplemental pension plans because of limits imposed on tax qualified plans by the IRC. Benefits under those plans are reflected in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table. The Target Corporation Supplemental Pension Plan I (SPP I) restores the lost qualified Pension Plan benefit due to an officer’s eligible pay being greater than the annual compensation limits imposed by the IRC for qualified retirement plans, and is based on the same benefit formula used for determining benefits under the Pension Plan. The Target Corporation Supplemental Pension Plan II (SPP II) restores the lost qualified Pension Plan benefit due to amounts being deferred under the EDCP (our current deferred compensation plan) and therefore not considered for benefit purposes under the Pension Plan or SPP I. The Target Corporation Supplemental Pension Plan III (SPP III) provided for a subsidized early retirement benefit once a participant attains age 55 by increasing the participant’s age by 5 years, but not greater than age 65, for purposes of determining the reduction factors for early commencement of their pension benefits from the Pension Plan, SPP I and SPP II. No new participantsthey were allowed in SPP III since 1989, and Mr. Steinhafel was the only NEO who participated in or accrued any benefits under the SPP III prior to it being frozen to any further benefits accruals inhired after January 2014. During fiscal 2014 Mr. Steinhafel had to pay back all of his enhanced early retirement benefits under SPP III, which is discussed in more detail in “Former CEO Departure” on page 63 of this proxy statement.2009.

Pension plan

The Pension Benefits for Fiscal 2016 table reports benefits under the Target Corporation Pension Plan (Pension Plan), which is a tax qualified retirement plan that provides retirement benefits to eligible employees who were hired prior to January 2009. The Pension Plan benefit for Mr. Mulligan is based on his final average pay as limited by the IRC. The final average pay benefit, expressed as a monthly, single life annuity commencing at age 65, is equal to the sum of: (a) 0.8% of the participant’s final average monthly pay multiplied by the years of service (not to exceed 25 years of service), plus (b) 0.25% of the participant’s final average monthly pay multiplied by the years of service in excess

 

Each year, the annual change in the actuarial lump-sum amount of a participant vested benefits under SPP I, II, and III is calculated and added to, or deducted from, the participant’s EDCP account. This same calculation and an EDCP account adjustment also occurs upon termination of employment. To determine the amount of the annual change in actuarial equivalent lump-sum amount, the current actuarial equivalent lump sum value of the SPP benefits is reduced by the amount of the prior transfers adjusted by an assumed annual earnings rate based on a conservative investment of the prior transfers. For the final average pay benefit, actuarial equivalents are determined using the discount methodology we use in calculating lump-sum payments under the Pension Plan. Currently, we use the applicable interest rate and mortality factors under IRC Section 417(e) published in the month of transfer for active officers, and in the month prior to the month of termination for terminated officers. For the personal pension account benefit, the actuarial lump-sum amount is the balance of the non-qualified personal pension account maintained under SPP I and SPP II. Because of this transfer feature, the benefits accrued under SPP I and II are reflected as EDCP deferrals in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table. If the current actuarial equivalent lump sum value of the SPP benefit is less than the prior transfers to EDCP, adjusted for assumed annual earnings, there will be a negative adjustment (forfeiture) reflected in the participant’s EDCP account equal to such difference.

NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION FOR FISCAL 2014

The amounts in the following table represent deferrals under the EDCP (which includes the supplemental pension benefits discussed in the preceding section), deferrals under the ODCP, and deferrals of PSUs that are held as stock units. The ODCP was frozen to new participants and further compensation deferrals in 1996.

             
         AGGREGATE   
   EXECUTIVE REGISTRANT AGGREGATE WITHDRAWALS/ AGGREGATE 
   CONTRIBUTIONS CONTRIBUTIONS EARNINGS IN DISTRIBUTIONS IN BALANCE AT 
 NAME IN LAST FY(2) IN LAST FY(3) LAST FY(4) LAST FY LAST FYE(5) 
 Brian C. Cornell                     
 EDCP $7,500  $0  $(16) $0  $7,484  
 John J. Mulligan                     
 EDCP $65,962  $263,375  $229,786  $194,674  $1,538,095  
 Kathryn A. Tesija                     
 EDCP $144,911  $488,883  $176,560  $0  $3,519,174  
 Tina M. Tyler                     
 EDCP $93,135  $77,206  $226,436  $0  $1,489,673  
 Stock Units     $240  $3,217      $13,029  
 Jeffrey J. Jones II                     
 EDCP $49,500  $22,000  $9,035  $0  $155,127  
 Gregg W. Steinhafel                     
 EDCP $230,769  $(5,064,501) $(18,604) $72,326  $28,205,349  
 ODCP(1) $0  $0  $1,187,015  $(501,208) $10,549,104  
                       

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION     57

2017 Proxy Statement
46

 
(1)Mr. Steinhafel was the only NEO eligible for the ODCP, which is a legacy plan that was frozen to new participants and further compensation deferrals in 1996.

of 25 years of service, plus (c) 0.5% of the participant’s final average monthly pay in excess of 12.5% of the average of the Social Security Taxable Wage Base for the 35-year period ending when the participant terminates employment multiplied by the years of service (not to exceed 25 years of service). Participants can elect among annuity forms that have an actuarially equivalent value. Early retirement payments may commence at age 55.

Supplemental pension plans

We also provide benefits under supplemental pension plans, which are reflected in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table. The Target Corporation Supplemental Pension Plan I (SPP I) restores the lost qualified Pension Plan benefit due to an officer’s eligible pay being greater than the annual compensation limits imposed by the IRC, and is based on the same benefit formula used for determining benefits under the Pension Plan. The Target Corporation Supplemental Pension Plan II (SPP II) restores the lost qualified Pension Plan benefit due to amounts being deferred under the EDCP (our current deferred compensation plan) and therefore not considered for benefit purposes under the Pension Plan or SPP I.

Each year, the annual change in the actuarial lump-sum amount of a participant vested benefits under SPP I and II is calculated and added to, or deducted from, the participant’s EDCP account. A final calculation and an EDCP account adjustment occurs upon termination of employment. Because of the feature that annually transfers amounts to a participant’s EDCP account, the benefits accrued under SPP I and II are reflected as EDCP deferrals in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table.

Nonqualified deferred compensation for fiscal 2016

The amounts in the following table represent deferrals under the EDCP, which includes the supplemental pension benefits discussed in the preceding section.

Name Executive
contributions
in last FY(1)
  Registrant
contributions
in last FY(2)
  Aggregate
earnings
in last FY(3)
  Aggregate
withdrawals/
distributions
in last FY
  Aggregate
balance
at last FYE(4)
 
Brian C. Cornell $164,000  $149,250  $36,586  $0  $472,868 
Cathy R. Smith $103,856  $34,099  $11,431  $0  $155,014 
John J. Mulligan $65,000  $542,468  $125,766  $195,512  $2,400,942 
Don H. Liu $7,500  $0  $218  $0  $7,718 
Mark J. Tritton $13,942  $120  $481  $0  $14,543 

(1)All amounts of Executive Contributions in the table have been reported in the current year Summary Compensation Table.
(2)The following amounts of Executive Contributions from the table have been reported in the current year Summary Compensation Table:

       
 Mr. Cornell $7,500  
 Mr. Mulligan $65,962  
 Ms. Tesija $144,911  
 Ms. Tyler $93,135  
 Mr. Jones $49,500  
 Mr. Steinhafel $230,769  
       

(3)All of the Registrant Contributions from the table have been reported in the current year Summary Compensation Table. Registrant Contributions include transfers of supplemental pension benefits, net of any negative credits, and restored matching contributions on executive deferrals into the EDCP (i.e., matching contributions not able to be made into the Target 401(k) Plan because of IRC limits). The Registrant Contributions for Mr. Steinhafel included the SPP Credits detailed in Note 6 to the Summary Compensation Table and $18,731 in restored matching contributions on executive deferrals into the EDCP.
(4)The following amounts of Aggregate Earnings from the table have been reported in the current year Summary Compensation Table:

       
 Mr. Cornell $0  
 Mr. Mulligan $0  
 Ms. Tesija $0  
 Ms. Tyler $0  
 Mr. Jones $0  
 Mr. Steinhafel $752,888  
       

(5)The following amounts of the Aggregate Balance from the table were reported in the Summary Compensation Tables covering fiscal years 2006-2013.

      
   REPORTED IN PRIOR 
   YEARS’ SUMMARY 
   COMPENSATION TABLES 
 Mr. Cornell $0  
 Mr. Mulligan $556,972  
 Ms. Tesija $2,073,430  
 Ms. Tyler $303,647  
 Mr. Jones $73,365  
 Mr. Steinhafel $23,594,875  
       

Participants in the EDCP may generally elect to defer up to 80% of their salary, Bonus and Non-Equity Incentive Plan payments; however, certain executive officers may defer up to 100% of their compensation if IRC Section 162(m) could limit our deductibility of such compensation. At any time, EDCP participants are permitted to choose to have their account balance indexed to crediting rate alternatives that mirror the investment choices and actual rates of return available under the Target 401(k) Plan including a Target common stock fund. Target invests general corporate assets through various investment vehicles to offset a substantial portionbecause of IRC limits).

(3)No amounts from Aggregate Earnings in the table have been reported in the current year Summary Compensation Table.
(4)The following amounts of the economic exposure toAggregate Balance from the investment returns earned under EDCP. See Note 25, Defined Contribution Plans, to our fiscal 2014 consolidated financial statements for additional information.

No additional deferrals have been made to the ODCP after 1996. Participants’ ODCP accounts are credited with earnings based on the average Moody’s Bond Indices Corporate AA rate for June of the preceding calendar year, plus an additional annual return of 6%. The minimum crediting rate is 12% and the maximum is 20%. The average Moody’s Bond Indices Corporate AA rate was 4.26% as of June 2014, when the rate for calendar 2015 was set. The interest credits in excess of the Moody’s Bond Indices Corporate AA rate are included in the above-market earnings on deferred compensationtable were reported in the Summary Compensation Table.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     58

At the time of deferral, participants can elect to receive a distribution of their EDCP account at a fixed date or upon termination of employment. EDCP payouts at a fixed date will be made as lump-sum payments. EDCP payouts made on termination of employment can be made as a lump-sum payment, installment payments over fiveTables covering fiscal years or installment payments over ten years commencing immediately or one-year after termination of employment. EDCP payouts are also made in the case of the termination of EDCP, a qualifying change-in-control, or unforeseeable financial emergency of the participant creating severe financial hardship.

Payouts from the ODCP cannot be made until termination of employment, death, termination of the ODCP, a qualifying change-in-control, or unforeseeable financial emergency of the participant creating severe financial hardship. Participants can elect distributions as a lump-sum payment or lifetime periodic payments with guaranteed payments for 15 years. The payments can commence immediately or up to ten years after termination of employment; however, payments must commence when a participant has terminated employment and reached age 65.

Both the EDCP and ODCP are intended to comply with IRC Section 409A. As a result, payments to executive officers based on a termination of employment will be delayed six months.

The EDCP and the ODCP are unfunded plans and represent general unsecured obligations2006-2015.

   Reported in prior
years’ summary
compensation
tables
 
 Mr. Cornell $129,670 
 Ms. Smith $5,577 
 Mr. Mulligan $1,269,189 
 Mr. Liu $0 
 Mr. Tritton $0 

Participants in the EDCP may generally elect to defer up to 80% of their salary, Bonus and Non-Equity Incentive Plan payments; however, certain executive officers may defer up to 100% of their compensation if IRC Section 162(m) could limit our deductibility of such compensation. At any time, EDCP participants are permitted to choose to have their account balance indexed to crediting rate alternatives that mirror the investment choices and actual rates of return available under the Target 401(k) Plan, including a Target common stock fund. Target invests general corporate assets through various investment vehicles to offset a substantial portion of the economic exposure to the investment returns earned under EDCP. See Note 27, Defined Contribution Plans, to our fiscal 2016 consolidated financial statements for additional information.

At the time of deferral, participants can elect to receive a distribution of their EDCP account at a fixed date or upon termination of employment. EDCP payouts at a fixed date will be made as lump-sum payments. EDCP payouts made on termination of employment can be made as a lump-sum payment, or installment payments over five or ten years commencing immediately or one year after termination of employment. EDCP payouts are also made in the case of the termination of EDCP, a qualifying change-in-control, or unforeseeable financial emergency of the participant creating severe financial hardship.

The EDCP is intended to comply with IRC Section 409A. As a result, payments to executive officers based on a termination of employment will be delayed six months. The EDCP is an unfunded plan and represents a general unsecured obligation of Target. Participants’ account balances will be paid only if Target has the ability to pay. Accordingly, account balances may be lost in the event of Target’s bankruptcy or insolvency.

 

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement47

Back to ContentsPOTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE-IN-CONTROL

Potential payments upon termination or change-in-control

 

This section explains the payments and benefits to which our currently employed NEOs are entitled in various termination of employment and change-in-control scenarios. The potential payments to the currently employed NEOs are hypothetical situations only, and assume that termination of employment and/or change-in-control occurred on January 28, 2017, the last day of our 2016 fiscal year, and that any change-in-control was at our fiscal year-end closing stock price of $63.70 per share. Beginning in January 2015, a double-trigger applies to RSUs, PBRSUs or PSU awards, meaning that no outstanding awards of those types granted on or after January 14, 2015 will accelerate upon a change-in-control unless an involuntary termination of employment without cause or a voluntary termination of employment for good reason occurs.

The intent of this section is to isolate those payments and benefits for which the amount, vesting or time of payment is altered by the described situations. This section does not cover all amounts the NEOs will receive following termination. Specifically, the NEOs are entitled to receive their vested balances under our pension and deferred compensation plans, as disclosed in the preceding tables, under all employment termination scenarios. In addition, unless the termination is for cause (generally defined as deliberate and serious disloyal or dishonest conduct), they retain their vested stock option awards, and if they meet specified minimum age and years of service requirements at the time of termination, the unvested portion of stock options and PSUs are not forfeited, and vesting will continue according to the original schedule for defined periods. A description of these age and years of service requirements is provided in the notes under the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2016 Fiscal Year-End table. Only Mr. Mulligan has met the minimum age and years of service requirements.

The following table shows the payments and benefits for which the amount, vesting or time of payment is altered by each situation (referred to as Post-Termination Benefits). The paragraphs following the table explain the general provisions applicable to each termination situation.

Table of potential payments upon termination or change-in-control

              Change-in-control 
                 Involuntary 
                 or voluntary 
Name/
Payment type
 Voluntary
termination
  Involuntary
termination
  Death  Disability  No termination  good reason
Termination(6)
 
Brian C. Cornell                        
ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $6,530,000  $0  $0  $0  $6,530,000 
PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $3,161,972  $4,742,959  $4,742,959  $0  $3,503,840 
Make-Whole PBRSU Vesting(1)(3) $0  $3,662,591  $7,325,182  $7,325,182  $5,896,406  $5,896,406 
PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $0  $9,223,871 
Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $3,000,000  $0  $0  $0 
Excess Long-Term Disability Plan (Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $441,000  $0  $0 
Total $0  $13,354,563  $15,068,140  $12,509,140  $5,896,406  $25,154,117 
Cathy R. Smith                        
ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $2,170,126  $0  $0  $0  $2,170,126 
PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $878,423  $1,317,635  $1,317,635  $0  $899,494 
PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $0  $2,020,425 
Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $3,000,000  $0  $0  $0 
Excess Long-Term Disability Plan                        
(Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $441,000  $0  $0 
Total $0  $3,048,549  $4,317,635  $1,758,635  $0  $5,090,046 
John J. Mulligan                        
ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $2,910,667  $0  $0  $0  $2,910,667 
RSU Vesting(1)(4) $0  $407,935  $407,935  $407,935  $275,276  $275,276 
PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $1,523,354  $2,285,030  $2,285,030  $0  $1,656,317 
PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $0  $5,900,223 
Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $3,000,000  $0  $0  $0 
Excess Long-Term Disability Plan
(Annual Payments)
 $0  $0  $0  $441,000  $0  $0 
Total $0  $4,841,955  $5,692,965  $3,133,965  $275,276  $10,742,483 

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement48

              Change-in-control 
                 Involuntary 
                 or voluntary 
Name/
Payment type
 Voluntary
termination
  Involuntary
termination
  Death  Disability  No termination  good reason
Termination(6)
 
Don H. Liu                        
ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $1,330,000  $0  $0  $0  $1,330,000 
Make-Whole RSU Vesting(1)(5) $0  $1,371,557  $2,743,113  $2,743,113  $0  $1,371,557 
PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $421,216  $631,824  $631,824  $0  $421,216 
PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $0  $153,085 
Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $1,950,000  $0  $0  $0 
Excess Long-Term Disability Plan                        
(Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $231,000  $0  $0 
Total $0  $3,122,773  $5,324,937  $3,605,937  $0  $3,275,858 
Mark J. Tritton                        
ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $1,280,000  $0  $0  $0  $1,280,000 
Make-Whole RSU Vesting(1)(5) $0  $471,125  $942,250  $942,250  $0  $471,125 
PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $295,950  $443,925  $443,925  $0  $295,950 
PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $0  $159,589 
Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $1,875,000  $0  $0  $0 
Excess Long-Term Disability Plan                        
(Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $216,000  $0  $0 
Total $0  $2,047,075  $3,261,176  $1,602,176  $0  $2,206,664 
(1)Amounts are determined by multiplying the number of shares for which vesting is accelerated by our closing stock price on January 27, 2017 ($63.70 per share). Any remaining unvested RSUs, PBRSUs and PSUs are forfeited.
(2)For purposes of calculating the number of PBRSU shares vesting upon death and disability, the table uses the minimum payout, though the actual number of shares will be based on the actual performance at the end of the performance period.
(3)For the Make-Whole PBRSUs granted to Mr. Cornell on August 21, 2014, the number of PBRSU shares vesting upon death and disability is equal to the at-goal payout, and the number of shares vesting upon involuntary termination without cause is equal to 50% of the at-goal payout of the outstanding unvested Make-Whole PBRSUs. In addition, in both change-in-control scenarios the Make-Whole PBRSUs would pay out a pro-rata portion of the at-goal payout within ten days following the change-in-control based on percentage of the performance period that had elapsed as of the date of the change-in-control.
(4)The RSUs granted to Mr. Mulligan on May 22, 2014 will vest in full in the event of Mr. Mulligan’s death or disability. In addition, in both change-in-control scenarios Mr. Mulligan’s RSUs would pay out a pro-rata portion of the total shares subject to the award within ten days following the change-in-control.
(5)The Make-Whole RSUs granted to Mr. Liu on August 22, 2016 and the Make-Whole RSUs granted to Mr. Tritton on June 6, 2016 vest in full in the event of death or disability. In addition, in a change-in-control without termination of employment, and change-in-control scenarios, as well as the post-employment benefits Mr. Steinhafel receivedthere is no vesting or acceleration. However, if there is a change in connection with the termination of his employment with the company. The potential payments to the currently employed NEOs are hypothetical situations only, and assumecontrol that includes an involuntary termination of employment and/without cause or change-in-control occurreda voluntary termination of employment for good reason, unvested Make-Whole RSUs would accelerate in an amount equal to the greater of (a) 50% of the total number of outstanding unvested Make-Whole RSUs, or (b) a pro-rata portion the outstanding unvested Make-Whole RSUs based on January 31, 2015, the last daypercentage of our 2014 fiscal year,the performance period that has elapsed as of the date of the termination following the change-in-control. The balance of those awards is forfeited.
(6)With the exception of Mr. Cornell’s Make-Whole PBRSUs, the PSU and that any change-in-control was at our fiscal year-end closing stock price of $73.61 per share. Beginning in January 2015,PBRSU awards are subject to a double-trigger, applies to RSUs, PBRSUs or PSU awards, meaning that no outstanding awards of those types granted in or after January 2015vesting will accelerate upon a change-in-control unless an involuntary termination of employment without cause or a voluntary termination of employment for good reason occurs.

The intent of this sectionamount accelerated is equal to isolate those payments and benefits for whichthe greater of: (a) the amount vesting or time of payment is altered by the described situations. This section does not cover all amounts the NEOs will receive following termination. Specifically, the NEOs arerecipient would have been entitled to receive their vested balances under our pension and deferred compensation plans, as disclosed in the preceding tables, and payment of accrued vacation balances under all employment termination scenarios. In addition, unlesshad the termination is for cause (generally defined as deliberateoccurred without a change-in-control (which ranges from 50% to 100% depending on the award type and serious disloyal or dishonest conduct), they retain their vested stock option awards, and if they meet specified minimumthe participant’s age and years of service requirements at the time of termination, the unvestedservice), or (b) a pro-rata portion of stock options and PSUs are not forfeited, and vesting will continue according to the original schedule for defined periods. A description of these age and years of service requirements is provided in the notes under the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End table. All NEOs, except for Mr. Cornell and Mr. Jones, have met the minimum age and years of service requirements.

The following table shows the payments and benefits for which the amount, vesting or time of payment is altered by each situation (referred to as Post-Termination Benefits). The paragraphs following the table explain each termination situation. The post-employment benefits Mr. Steinhafel received in connection with the termination of his employment with the company is provided under the heading “Former CEO Departure” on page 63.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     59

TABLE OF POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE-IN-CONTROL

                  
               CHANGE-IN-CONTROL(5)  
 NAME /
PAYMENT TYPE
 VOLUNTARY
TERMINATION(4)
 INVOLUNTARY
TERMINATION(4)
 DEATH(4) DISABILITY(4) NO TERMINATION INVOLUNTARY
OR VOLUNTARY
GOOD REASON
TERMINATION(6)
 
 Brian C. Cornell                         
 ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $2,600,000  $0  $0  $0  $2,600,000  
 RSU Vesting(1) $0  $5,126,127  $5,126,127  $5,126,127  $4,393,823  $4,393,823  
 PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $7,096,814  $13,635,443  $13,635,443  $2,230,577  $3,346,946  
 PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $706,245  $892,304  
 Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $3,000,000  $0  $0  $0  
 Excess Long-Term Disability Plan (Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $453,000  $0  $0  
 Total $0  $14,822,941  $21,761,570  $19,214,570  $7,330,645  $11,233,073  
 John J. Mulligan                         
 ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $2,685,778  $0  $0  $0  $2,685,778  
 Accelerated Vesting of Stock Options $0  $0  $1,541,697  $0  $0  $1,541,697  
 RSU Vesting(1) $0  $1,815,186  $2,297,000  $2,297,000  $1,002,529  $1,002,529  
 PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $434,152  $651,228  $651,228  $328,121  $762,272  
 PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $1,526,367  $1,598,723  
 Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $2,100,000  $0  $0  $0  
 Excess Long-Term Disability Plan (Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $453,000  $0  $0  
 Total $0  $4,935,116  $6,589,925  $3,401,228  $2,857,017  $7,591,000  
 Kathryn A. Tesija                         
 ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $3,108,500  $0  $0  $0  $3,108,500  
 Accelerated Vesting of Stock Options $0  $0  $2,627,765  $0  $0  $2,627,765  
 RSU Vesting(1) $0  $803,011  $1,606,023  $1,606,023  $1,115,294  $1,115,294  
 PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $527,195  $790,792  $790,792  $546,806  $1,074,001  
 PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $2,543,876  $2,631,737  
 Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $2,850,000  $0  $0  $0  
 Excess Long-Term Disability Plan (Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $453,000  $0  $0  
 Total $0  $4,438,706  $7,874,580  $2,849,815  $4,205,975  $10,557,297  
 Tina M. Tyler                         
 ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $2,329,400  $0  $0  $0  $2,329,400  
 Accelerated Vesting of Stock Options $0  $0  $1,726,485  $0  $0  $1,726,485  
 RSU Vesting(1) $0  $522,005  $1,044,011  $1,044,011  $725,007  $725,007  
 PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $403,162  $604,743  $604,743  $355,473  $758,635  
 PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $1,653,542  $1,720,732  
 Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $2,175,000  $0  $0  $0  
 Excess Long-Term Disability Plan (Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $453,000  $0  $0  
 Total $0  $3,254,567  $5,550,239  $2,101,754  $2,734,023  $7,260,260  
 Jeffrey J. Jones II                         
 ICP Payments (Severance) $0  $1,794,695  $0  $0  $0  $1,794,695  
 Accelerated Vesting of Stock Options $0  $0  $1,427,029  $0  $0  $1,427,029  
 RSU Vesting(1) $0  $1,990,782  $3,981,565  $3,981,565  $3,477,226  $3,477,226  
 PBRSU Vesting(1)(2) $0  $403,162  $604,743  $604,743  $328,121  $731,283  
 PSU Vesting(1) $0  $0  $0  $0  $955,122  $1,022,312  
 Life Insurance Proceeds $0  $0  $2,100,000  $0  $0  $0  
 Excess Long-Term Disability Plan (Annual Payments) $0  $0  $0  $391,408  $0  $0  
 Total $0  $4,188,639  $8,113,336  $4,977,716  $4,760,469  $8,452,544  
                           

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     60

(1)Amounts are determined by multiplying the number of shares for which vesting is accelerated by our closing stock price on January 30, 2015 ($73.61 per share). The remaining RSUs, PBRSUs and PSUs are forfeited.
(2)Other than the PBRSUs that were part of the Make-Whole Equity Grant to Mr. Cornell, the amounts for death and disability are determined by multiplying the number of shares equal to the minimum payout by our closing stock price on January 30, 2015 ($73.61 per share), though the actual number of shares will be based on the actual performance at the end of the performance period. For the PBRSUs that were part of the Make-Whole Equity Grant to Mr. Cornell, the amounts for death and disability are determined by multiplying the number of shares equal to the target level payout by our closing price on January 30, 2015.
(3)Amounts determined by multiplying the number of option shares for which vesting is accelerated by our closing stock price on January 30, 2015 ($73.61 per share) and subtracting the exercise price of such option shares. Mr. Cornell does not have options outstanding because we ceased granting options to NEOs in January 2014.
(4)The PBRSU amounts reported for these termination scenarios do not include shares that were potentially issuable under outstanding PBRSU awards granted in fiscal 2013 or the PBRSUs that were part of the Pro-Rata Equity Grant to Mr. Cornell described in Note 5 to the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table because the amount paid was dependent on us meeting our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014. The Compensation Committee determined in March 2015 that that our 162(m) threshold was not met.
(5)The PSU and PBRSU amounts reported for both change-in-control scenarios include shares that were potentially issuable under outstanding PSU awards granted in fiscal 2011, fiscal 2012, or fiscal 2013, PBRSUs granted in fiscal 2013, and PSUs and PBRSUs that were part of the Pro-Rata Equity Grant to Mr. Cornell described in Note 5 to the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table because in the event of any change-in-control occurring prior to the Compensation Committee determination in March 2015 that our 162(m) threshold was not met, those awards would have paid a pro-rata amount of the target level payout within ten days following the change-in-control based on percentage of the three-year performance period that had elapsed as of the date of the change-in-control.
(6)The PSU and PBRSU amounts reported include shares that were potentially issuable under outstanding PSU and PBRSU awards granted in January 2015, which are subject to a double-trigger, meaning that no outstanding awards of those types granted in or after January 2015 will accelerate upon a change-in-control unless an involuntary termination of employment without cause or a voluntary termination of employment for good reason occurs. The amount accelerated is equal to the greater of: (a) the amount the recipient would have been entitled to had the termination occurred without a change-in-control (which ranges from 50% to 100% depending on the award type and the participant’s age and years of service), or (b) a pro-rata portion of the target levelat-goal payout based on the percentage of the three-year performance period that has elapsed as of the date of the termination following the change-in-control. The balance of those awards is forfeited.

 

Voluntary Termination

None of our currently employed NEOs are entitled
TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement49

Voluntary termination

None of our currently employed NEOs are entitled to payments and benefits for which the amount, vesting or time of payment is altered by their voluntary termination.

Involuntary termination

 

If a NEO was involuntarily terminated for cause, he or she would not be eligible for any of the Post-Termination Benefits described in this section. If a NEO is involuntarily terminated without cause, the potential Post-Termination Benefits generally consist of:

Severance payments under our Income Continuance Policy (ICP); and
Accelerated vesting of 50% of the at-goal payout of PBRSU awards, and forfeiture of the remaining 50%.

Our ICP provides for continuation of annual cash compensation (salary and average of three most recent Bonuses and Non-Equity Incentive Plan payments) over a period ranging from 12 to 24 months, paid in equal monthly installments. Each of the NEOs is eligible for 24 months of income continuation under the ICP. Payments under the ICP are conditioned on the executive officer releasing any claims against us, a non-solicitation covenant, and are subject to reduction if the executive officer becomes employed by specified competitors. In addition, a NEO who receives severance payments under our ICP also receives a $30,000 allowance for outplacement services.

The accelerated vesting provisions of PBRSU awards are described in the notes under the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2016 Fiscal Year-End table.

Death

If a NEO dies while employed, the Post-Termination Benefits generally consist of:

 

Severance payments under our Income Continuance Policy (ICP);
Accelerated vesting of 50% of RSU awards and forfeiture of the remaining 50%; and
Accelerated vesting of 50% of the target payout level of PBRSU awards, and forfeiture of the remaining 50%.

Accelerated vesting of stock options;

Our ICP provides for continuation of annual cash compensation (salary and average of three most recent Bonuses and Non-Equity Incentive Plan payments) over a period ranging from 12 to 24 months, paid in equal monthly installments. Each of the NEOs is eligible for 24 months of income continuation under the ICP. Payments under the ICP are conditioned on the executive officer releasing any claims against us, a non-solicitation covenant, and are subject to reduction if the executive officer becomes employed by specified competitors.

The accelerated vesting provisions of RSU and PBRSU awards are described in the notes under the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End table. In addition, Mr. Mulligan’s RSUs granted May 22, 2014 and Mr. Cornell’s RSU Make-Whole Equity Grant granted on August 21, 2014 would have vested 100% if an involuntary termination without cause occurred on January 31, 2015.

Death

If a NEO dies while employed, the Post-Termination Benefits consist of:

Accelerated vesting of stock options and RSUs;
Vesting of PBRSUs, with payout occurring after the end of the performance period based on the actual performance at the end of that period; and
Life insurance proceeds equal to three times the sum of the prior year’s annual base salary, plus the most recent Bonus and Non-Equity Incentive Plan payments, up to a maximum of $3 million.

In addition, the NEO’s beneficiary will have the right to receive a payout, if any, under PSUs after the end of the performance period based on the actual performance at the end of that period.

Disability

If a NEO becomes totallyperiod; and permanently disabled while employed,

Life insurance proceeds equal to three times the Post-Termination Benefits consist of:

Accelerated vestingsum of RSU awards;
Vesting of PBRSUs, with payout occurring after the end of the performance period based on the actual performance at the end of that period; and
Monthly payments under the Excess Long-Term Disability Plan if he or she also participated in the widely available qualified long-term disability plan.

Our Excess Long-Term Disability Plan, a self-insured unfunded plan, provides monthly disability income payments with respect to the portion of annualizedprior year’s annual base salary, and three-year averageplus the most recent Bonus and Non-Equity Incentive Plan compensation above the annual compensation limit (currently set at $245,000) but not exceeding

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     61

$1payments, up to a maximum of $3 million. The plan replaces 60% of a participant’s eligible compensation. A participant who becomes disabled before age 65 is eligible to receive payments under the plan while he or she is totally and permanently disabled through age 65 (with a minimum of three years of disability payments) or death, if sooner. In addition, the NEO

In addition, the NEO’s beneficiary will have the right to receive a payout, if any, under PSUs after the end of the performance period based on the actual performance at the end of that period.

Disability

If a NEO becomes totally and permanently disabled while employed, the Post-Termination Benefits generally consist of:

Vesting of PBRSUs, with payout occurring after the end of the performance period based on the actual performance at the end of that period; and
Monthly payments under the Excess Long-Term Disability Plan if he or she also participated in the widely available qualified long-term disability plan.

Our Excess Long-Term Disability Plan, a self-insured unfunded plan, provides monthly disability income payments with respect to the portion of annualized salary and three-year average Bonus and Non-Equity Incentive Plan compensation above the annual compensation limit (currently set at $265,000) but not exceeding $1 million. The plan replaces 60% of a participant’s eligible compensation. A participant who becomes disabled before age 65 is eligible to receive payments under the plan while he or she is totally and permanently disabled through age 65 (with a minimum of three years of disability payments) or death, if sooner. In addition, the NEO will have the right to receive a payout, if any, under PSUs after the end of the performance period based on the actual performance at the end of that period.

 

Change-in-Control

 

The following discussion describes the payments and benefits that are triggered by: (a) the occurrence of a change-in-control; and (b) the occurrence of a change-in-control that is followed by the NEO’s employment terminating involuntarily without cause or voluntarily with good reason (a material reduction in compensation or responsibilities or a required relocation following a change-in-control). In general terms, we will experience a change-in-control, as defined in our compensation plans, whenever any of the following events occur:

 

50% or more of our Board of Directors consists of persons who have not been nominated or appointed by incumbent directors, for which purpose any director who assumes office as a result of an actual or threatened contested election will not be considered as having been nominated or appointed by incumbent directors;
Any person or group acquires 30% or more of our common stock;
We merge with or into another company and our shareholders own less than 60% of the combined company; or

50% or more of our Board of Directors consists of persons who were not initially nominated or appointed by incumbent directors, for which purpose any director who assumes office as a result of an actual or threatened contested election will not be considered as having been nominated or appointed by incumbent directors;
Any person or group acquires 30% or more of our common stock;
We merge with or into another company and our shareholders own less than 60% of the combined company; or
Our shareholders approve an agreement or plan to liquidate or dissolve our company.

 

Our plans do not provide for any gross-ups for taxes due on any payments described in this section.

 

Without Termination of EmploymentTARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement50

Without termination of employment

 

The consequence of a change-in-control to the NEOs without termination of employment is generally as follows:

 

The deferred compensation balance in the EDCP will be paid in a lump sum as soon as allowed under IRC Section 409A, unless the Board of Directors determines not to accelerate payment of these amounts.
For outstanding awards granted January 2015 or later, a double-trigger applies to RSUs, PBRSUs or PSU awards, meaning that no outstanding awards of those types granted in or after January 2015

The deferred compensation balance in the EDCP will be paid in a lump sum as soon as allowed under IRC Section 409A, unless the Board of Directors determines not to accelerate payment of these amounts; and
A double-trigger applies to PBRSUs or PSU awards, meaning that no vesting will accelerate upon a change-in-control unless an involuntary termination of employment without cause or a voluntary termination of employment for good reason occurs.
For outstanding awards granted before January 2015:
A pro-rata portion of outstanding RSUs will vest and be paid out within ten days following the change-in-control. The pro-rata vesting is based on the percentage of the three-year vesting period that has elapsed as of the date of the change-in-control. The balance of the awards is forfeited. If the executive officer meets the age and years of service requirements described in Note 3 to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End table, all RSUs subject to those awards will vest and be paid out within ten days following the change-in-control.
A pro-rata portion of outstanding PBRSU and PSU awards (those still in their respective performance period) will be deemed to have been earned at the target payout level and paid out within ten days following the change-in-control. The pro-rata payout is based on the percentage of the three-year performance period that has elapsed as of the date of the change-in-control. The balance of the awards is forfeited. We use the target payout level for this calculation rather than actual performance to eliminate arbitrary results that could occur with a shortened performance period. For PBRSU awards, if the executive officer meets the age and years of service requirements described in Note 4 to the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End table, all PBRSUs subject to those awards will be deemed to have been earned at the target payout level and be paid out within ten days following the change-in-control.

With Involuntary or Good Reason Termination of Employment

With involuntary or good reason termination of employment

 

In addition to the payments upon a change-in-control explained under “Without Termination of Employment,” if a NEO’s employment terminates involuntarily without cause or voluntarily with good reason (a material reduction in compensation or responsibilities or a required relocation following a change-in-control) following a change-in-control, the double-trigger requirement will be met and the Post-Termination Benefits that may be received generally consist of:

 

Severance payments under our ICP;
Accelerated vesting of outstanding stock options; and

Severance payments under our ICP;
Accelerated vesting of outstanding stock options; and
For outstanding RSUs, PBRSUs and PSUs granted January 2015 or later, the greater of: (a) the amount the recipient would have been entitled to had the termination occurred without a change-in-control (which ranges from 50% to 100% depending on the award type and the participant’s age and years of service), or (b) a pro-rata portion of the target level payout based on the percentage of the three-year vesting or performance period that has elapsed as of the date of the termination following the change-in-control. The balance of the awards is forfeited.

We use the “greater of” calculation for RSUs, PBRSUs and PSUs, granted January 2015 or laterthe greater of: (a) the amount the recipient would have been entitled to prevent a NEO from receiving less due tohad the termination occurred without a change-in-control than they would have received

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     62

(which ranges from 50% to 100% depending on the award type and the participant’s age and years of service), or (b) a pro-rata portion of the at-goal payout based on the percentage of the three-year vesting or performance period that has elapsed as a result of a similarthe date of the termination absent afollowing the change-in-control. In addition, we useThe balance of the targetawards is forfeited.

We use the “greater of” calculation for PBRSUs and PSUs to prevent a NEO from receiving less due to a change-in-control than they would have received as a result of a similar termination absent a change-in-control. In addition, we use the at-goal payout level for calculating the pro-rata portion rather than actual performance to eliminate arbitrary results that could occur with a shortened performance period and in case calculation of actual or comparable performance metrics would be unfeasible following the change-in-control.

 

Former CEO Departure

On May 5, 2014, Mr. Steinhafel stepped down as President & CEO, and resigned as a Director. On August 23, 2014 his employment with Target in an advisory capacity terminated. In connection with his departure from Target, which was an involuntary termination without cause, Mr. Steinhafel was eligible to receive severance benefits under our ICP. In addition, he paid back all of his enhanced early retirement benefits under a supplemental pension plan because he was eligible for severance benefits under our ICP. Due to Mr. Steinhafel’s age and years of service with Target, under the pre-existing program he remained eligible for a fiscal 2014 short-term incentive opportunity under Target’s Short-Term Incentive Plan based on Target’s actual financial performance, pro-rated based on his length of employment during the year. No fiscal 2014 short-term incentive was earned. Mr. Steinhafel’s outstanding PSUs were to continue to vest according to the original schedule for defined periods based on his age and years of service. However, because we did not meet our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014, all of Mr. Steinhafel’s outstanding PSUs were forfeited.

His Post-Termination Benefits consisted of:

 Severance payments under our ICP;
The right to continued above-market interest under our legacy ODCP that was frozen to new participants and further compensation deferrals in 1996;
Accelerated vesting of 50% of RSU awards, and forfeiture of the remaining 50%; and
Accelerated vesting of 50% of the target payout level of PBRSU awards, and forfeiture of the remaining 50%.

In accordance with the ICP, as a condition to severance payment eligibility, Mr. Steinhafel signed an agreement that included a non-solicitation clause and a release of claims, and provided that severance payments may be recovered and that any outstanding equity awards held by him may be terminated if he becomes employed by specified competitors.

The values of Mr. Steinhafel’s Post-Termination Benefits as of August 23, 2014, the date Mr. Steinhafel’s employment terminated are as follows:

       
 ICP Payments (Severance) $7,223,334  
 SPP III(1) $(5,277,556) 
 ODCP: Present Value of Above-Market Interest(2) $10,497,094  
 RSU Vesting at 50%(3) $3,198,837  
 PBRSU Vesting at 50%(3) $0  
       

(1)Mr. Steinhafel was the only NEO who had enhanced early retirement benefits under SPP III as no new participants have been allowed since 1989. Mr. Steinhafel paid back all of those enhanced early retirement benefits under SPP III because he was eligible for severance benefits under our ICP.
(2)Mr. Steinhafel was the only NEO eligible for the ODCP, which was frozen to new participants and further compensation deferrals in 1996. Amounts represent the present value of the above-market earnings that the CEO and his beneficiary would receive during their joint life, calculated using 12% as the earnings rate (as provided in the plan) and a discount rate of 4.3% (reflecting the Moody’s Bond Indices Corporate Avg rate determined as of July 31, 2014).
(3)Amounts determined by multiplying the number of shares for which vesting is accelerated by our closing stock price on August 23, 2014 ($59.87 per share). The remaining RSUs were forfeited. The amount for PBRSUs, which was based on PBRSUs granted in fiscal 2013, was zero. It was dependent on us meeting our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014, which the Compensation Committee determined in March 2015 was not met.

Additional information about the payments under these plans is detailed under “Involuntary Termination” on page 61.

Mr. Steinhafel remained employed by Target in an advisory capacity to assist with the transition through August 23, 2014. During this advisory period, he continued to receive the same base salary and benefits that were in effect on the date he stepped down as President & CEO. The Board determined that the amount of the short-term incentive payout opportunity for the portion of the payout, attributable to the advisory period would be based on the same terms as in effect on the date he stepped down as President & CEO. However, no fiscal 2014 short-term incentive was ultimately earned. After the advisory period ended, Mr. Steinhafel began receiving the described Post-Termination Benefits. Other than the compensation relating to retaining Mr. Steinhafel in an advisory capacity and the portion of the short-term incentive payout opportunity attributable to that advisory period, all of the post-employment benefits and other consequences of Mr. Steinhafel’s departure were consistent with our pre-existing compensation plans.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     63

2017 Proxy Statement
51
 

Back to ContentsDIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Director compensation

General description of director compensation

Our non-employee director compensation program allows directors to choose one of two forms of annual compensation:

 

General Description
a combination of Director Compensation

cash and RSUs; or
RSUs only.

Our non-employee director compensation program allows directors to choose one of two forms of annual compensation:

 

a combination of cash and RSUs; or
RSUs only.

Each form under the compensation program is intended to provide $260,000 in value to non-employee directors as follows:

       
   CASH RSUs 
 Combination (Cash and RSUs) $90,000 $170,000 
 RSUs Only $0 $260,000 
         

Each form under the compensation program is intended to provide $260,000 in value to non-employee directors as follows:

   Cash  RSUs 
Combination (Cash and RSUs) $90,000 $170,000 
RSUs Only $0 $260,000 

 

The forms of annual compensation have the following terms:

 

The cash retainer is paid pro-rata in quarterly installments. Directors may defer receipt of all or a portion of any cash retainer into the Director Deferred Compensation Plan. Deferrals earn market returns based on the investment alternatives chosen by them from the funds offered by Target’s 401(k) Plan, including the Target Corporation Common Stock Fund.
RSUs are settled in shares of Target common stock immediately following a director’s departure from the Board. Dividend equivalents are paid on RSUs in the form of additional RSUs. RSUs are granted in January each year and vest quarterly over a one-year period.

The Lead Independent Director and Committee Chairs receive additional compensation for those roles, which is paid (a)pro-rata in quarterly installments. Directors may defer receipt of all or a portion of any cash ifretainer into the director electsDirector Deferred Compensation Plan. Deferrals earn market returns based on the investment alternatives chosen by them from the funds offered by Target’s 401(k) Plan, including the Target Corporation Common Stock Fund.

RSUs are settled in shares of Target common stock immediately following a combinationdirector’s departure from the Board. Dividend equivalents are paid on RSUs in the form of cashadditional RSUs. RSUs are granted in January each year and RSUs, or (b) in RSUs if the director elects all RSUs. Compensation for Lead Independent Director and Committee Chairs is as follows:

     
 ROLE AMOUNT 
 Lead Independent Director $25,000 
 Audit Committee Chair $30,000 
 Compensation Committee Chair $20,000 
 Nominating & Governance Committee Chair $15,000 
 Corporate Risk & Responsibility Committee Chair $15,000 
 Finance Committee Chair $15,000 
      
vest quarterly over a one-year period.

The Lead Independent Director and Committee Chairs receive additional compensation for those roles, which is paid (a) in cash if the director elects a combination of cash and RSUs, or (b) in RSUs if the director elects all RSUs. Compensation for Lead Independent Director and Committee Chairs is as follows:

Role  Amount 
Lead Independent Director $30,000 
Audit & Finance Committee Chair $30,000 
Human Resources & Compensation Committee Chair $20,000 
Nominating & Governance Committee Chair $15,000 
Risk & Compliance Committee Chair $15,000 
Infrastructure & Investment Committee Chair $15,000 

 

New directors also receive a one-time grant of RSUs with a $50,000 grant date fair value upon joining the Board, as well as a pro-rated portion of the annual compensation based on the date they joined the Board using the combination of cash and RSUs.

 

On May 5, 2014, Mr. Steinhafel stepped down as President & CEO, and resigned as a Director and Chairman. Roxanne S. Austin, one of our independent directors, was elected by the independent directors to serve as Interim Chair of the Board. In connection with Ms. Austin’s additional duties as Interim Chair, the Board initially provided her an additional annual cash retainer of $190,000, pro-rated for the time Ms. Austin served as Interim Chair. Ms. Austin served as Interim Chair from May 5, 2014 until August 12, 2014. The Compensation Committee recommended that Ms. Austin receive the full $190,000 retainer, rather than a pro-rated portion, in light of her significant contributions during that period and her role in the leadership transition, and the Board approved providing Ms. Austin with the full retainer.

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION     64

2017 Proxy Statement52

Director Compensation Table

               
          CHANGE IN   
          PENSION VALUE   
          AND NONQUALIFIED   
          DEFERRED   
   FEES EARNED OR STOCK OPTION COMPENSATION   
 NAME PAID IN CASH AWARDS(1)(2) AWARDS(1)(2) EARNINGS(3)(4) TOTAL(5) 
 Roxanne S. Austin(6) $310,000  $170,021 $0 $0  $480,021 
 Douglas M. Baker, Jr. $90,000  $170,021 $0 $0  $260,021 
 Calvin Darden $90,000  $170,021 $0 $0  $260,021 
 Henrique De Castro $0  $260,001 $0 $0  $ 260,001 
 James A. Johnson(6)(7) $135,000  $305,028 $0 $17,968  $457,997 
 Mary E. Minnick $0  $260,001 $0 $0  $260,001 
 Anne M. Mulcahy(6) $105,000  $170,021 $0 $0  $275,021 
 Derica W. Rice(6) $0  $275,059 $0 $0  $275,059 
 Kenneth L. Salazar $102,500  $170,021 $0 $0  $272,521 
 John G. Stumpf $90,000  $170,021 $0 $0  $260,021 
 Solomon D. Trujillo(6)(7) $26,250  $0 $0 $20,233  $46,483 
                    

(1)Amounts represent the aggregate grant date fair value of RSUs and stock options that were granted in fiscal 2014, as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Stock Compensation. See Note 24, Share-Based Compensation, to our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2014 for a description of our accounting and the assumptions used. Details on the stock awards granted during fiscal 2014 are as follows:

     
   STOCK AWARDS (RSUs) 
     GRANT DATE 
 NAME # OF UNITS FAIR VALUE 
 Ms. Austin  2,292 $170,021 
 Mr. Baker  2,292 $170,021 
 Mr. Darden  2,292 $170,021 
 Mr. De Castro  3,505 $260,001 
 Mr. Johnson  4,112 $305,028 
 Ms. Minnick  3,505 $260,001 
 Ms. Mulcahy�� 2,292 $170,021 
 Mr. Rice  3,708 $ 275,059 
 Mr. Salazar  2,292 $170,021 
 Mr. Stumpf  2,292 $170,021 
 Mr. Trujillo  0 $0 
         

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     65

 
(2)The aggregate number of unexercised stock options (which were granted in years prior to fiscal 2013) and unvested RSUs outstanding at fiscal year-end held by directors was as follows:

Director compensation table

Name Fees earned or
paid in cash
  Stock
awards(1)(2)
   Option
awards(1)(2)
   Total(3) 
Roxanne S. Austin(4) $105,000  $170,003  $0  $275,003 
Douglas M. Baker, Jr.(4) $120,000  $170,003  $0  $290,003 
Calvin Darden $90,000  $170,003  $0  $260,003 
Henrique De Castro $0  $170,003  $0  $170,003 
Robert L. Edwards(4) $90,000  $170,003  $0  $260,003 
Melanie L. Healey $90,000  $170,003  $0  $260,003 
Donald R. Knauss $90,000  $170,003  $0  $260,003 
Monica C. Lozano $75,000  $361,794  $0  $436,794 
Mary E. Minnick $0  $170,003  $0  $170,003 
Anne M. Mulcahy(4)(5) $110,000  $170,003  $0  $280,003 
Derica W. Rice(4) $0  $290,014  $0  $290,014 
Kenneth L. Salazar(4) $105,000  $170,003  $0  $275,003 
John G. Stumpf(4)(5) $87,500  $0  $0  $87,500 

 

       
   STOCK RESTRICTED 
 NAME OPTIONS STOCK UNITS 
 Ms. Austin  34,420  2,292 
 Mr. Baker  5,570  2,292 
 Mr. Darden  40,811  2,292 
 Mr. De Castro  5,570  3,505 
 Mr. Johnson  78,129  4,112 
 Ms. Minnick  0  3,505 
 Ms. Mulcahy  27,031  2,292 
 Mr. Rice  0  3,708 
 Mr. Salazar  3,601  2,292 
 Mr. Stumpf  17,889  2,292 
 Mr. Trujillo  57,596  0 
         
(1)Amounts represent the aggregate grant date fair value of RSUs and stock options that were granted in fiscal 2016, as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Stock Compensation. See Note 26, Share-Based Compensation, to our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2016 for a description of our accounting and the assumptions used. Details on the stock awards granted during fiscal 2016 are as follows:

 

  Stock awards (RSUs)
Name # of units  Grant date
fair value
 
Ms. Austin  2,377  $170,003 
Mr. Baker  2,377  $170,003 
Mr. Darden  2,377  $170,003 
Mr. De Castro  2,377  $170,003 
Mr. Edwards  2,377  $170,003 
Ms. Healey  2,377  $170,003 
Mr. Knauss  2,377  $170,003 
Ms. Lozano  4,741  $361,794 
Ms. Minnick  2,377  $170,003 
Ms. Mulcahy  2,377  $170,003 
Mr. Rice  4,055  $290,014 
Mr. Salazar  2,377  $170,003 
Mr. Stumpf  0  $0 

(2)The aggregate number of unexercised stock options (which were granted in years prior to fiscal 2013) and unvested RSUs outstanding at fiscal year-end held by directors was as follows:

  Stock  Restricted 
Name options  stock units 
Ms. Austin  20,392   2,377 
Mr. Baker  5,570   2,377 
Mr. Darden  0   2,377 
Mr. De Castro  5,570   2,377 
Mr. Edwards  0   2,377 
Ms. Healey  0   2,377 
Mr. Knauss  0   2,377 
Ms. Lozano  0   2,377 
Ms. Minnick  0   2,377 
Ms. Mulcahy  19,368   2,377 
Mr. Rice  0   4,055 
Mr. Salazar  3,601   2,377 
Mr. Stumpf  0   0 

(3)Amount reported represents above-market earnings on nonqualified deferred compensation, consisting of an additional 7.69% annual return on a frozen deferred compensation plan. Prior to December 31, 1996, deferrals were allowed under our Deferred Compensation Plan Directors (DCP-Director). No new deferrals or participants were allowed after that year. Participants’ DCP-Director accounts are credited each month with earnings based on the average Moody’s Bond Indices Corporate AA rate for June of the preceding calendar year, plus an additional annual return of 6%. The minimum crediting rate is 12% and the maximum is 20%.
(4)In addition to amounts reported, non-employee directors who were elected prior to 1997 are eligible to receive a lump-sum payment in the February following the date they leave their directorship. The payment is equal to the present value of an annual payment stream of $25,000 (i.e., the director’s fee in effect as of December 31, 1996) for a period equal to the number of years of service of the individual as a director before December 31, 1996. The present value is based on a discount rate of 3.80% based on the Moody’s Bond Indices Corporate AA rate on December 31, 2014. During fiscal 2014, there were two directors eligible to receive a benefit under this program, one of whom retired before the end of the year and one of whom retired subsequent to the end of the year. Those directors, and their benefit values are:

RETIREMENT
NAMEBENEFIT
Mr. Johnson$ 18,938
Mr. Trujillo$ 53,094

(5)In addition to the amounts reported, all directors also receive a 10% discount on merchandise purchased at Target stores and Target.com, both during active service and following retirement. Non-employee directors are also provided with $100,000 of accidental death life insurance.
(6)The following directors received additional compensation in fiscal 2014 for their roles as Committee Chairs and, in the case of Ms. Austin and Mr. Johnson, as Interim Chair of the Board and Lead Independent Director, respectively. The additional compensation is reflected in “Fees Earned or Paid in Cash” and/or “Stock Awards” based on the form of annual compensation selected by the director as described under the heading “General Description of Director Compensation.” Amounts paid as Stock Awards were granted in January of fiscal 2013.

 

 
NAMEROLE(S) DURING FISCAL 2014
Ms. AustinInterim Chair of the Board (from May 2014 until August 2014) Audit Chair
Mr. JohnsonLead Independent Director
Compensation Chair
Ms. MulcahyNominating & Governance Chair
Mr. RiceFinance Chair
Mr. SalazarCorporate Risk & Responsibility Chair (from March 2014)
Mr. TrujilloCorporate Responsibility Chair (until March 2014)

(7)Mr. Johnson will retire from the Board when his current term ends at the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in connection with our mandatory retirement policy. Mr. Trujillo retired from the Board on March 31, 2014 as a result of five years elapsing since retiring from active employment and reaching mandatory retirement. Mr. Trujillo served as an independent director until his retirement.

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53

(4)The following directors received additional compensation in fiscal 2016 for their roles as Committee Chairs and, in the case of Mr. Baker, as Lead Independent Director. The additional compensation is reflected in “Fees Earned or Paid in Cash” and/or “Stock Awards” based on the form of annual compensation selected by the director as described under the heading “General Description of Director Compensation.” Amounts paid as Stock Awards were granted in January of fiscal 2015.

NameRole(s) during fiscal 2016
Ms. AustinInfrastructure & Investment Chair (until November 2016)
Mr. BakerLead Independent Director
Nominating & Governance Chair (since November 2016)
Mr. EdwardsInfrastructure & Investment Chair (since November 2016)
Ms. MulcahyHuman Resources & Compensation Chair
Mr. RiceAudit & Finance Chair
Mr. SalazarRisk & Compliance Chair
Mr. StumpfNominating & Governance Chair (until October 2016)

(5)Ms. Mulcahy will retire from the Board when her current term ends at the Annual Meeting in connection with our mandatory retirement policy. Mr. Stumpf resigned from the Board on October 17, 2016 in connection with a change in his principal employment. Mr. Stumpf served as an independent director until his resignation.

Equity compensation plan information

     Number of securities
     remaining available for
 Number of securities   future issuance under equity
 to be issued upon Weighted-average exercise compensation plans as of
 exercise of outstanding price of outstanding January 28, 2017
Planoptions, warrants and rights options, warrants and rights (excluding securities
Categoryas of January 28, 2017 as of January 28, 2017 reflected in column (a))
 (a) (b) (c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders13,521,775(1)  $53.68 31,043,439
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders0    0
TOTAL13,521,775 $53.68 31,043,439

(1)This amount includes 7,311,715 Strategic Alignment Award, PSU, RSU and PBRSU shares potentially issuable upon settlement of Strategic Alignment Awards, PSUs, RSUs and PBRSUs issued under our Long-Term Incentive Plan and Amended and Restated 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan. The actual number of Strategic Alignment Award and PSU shares to be issued depends on our financial performance over a period of time and the actual number of PBRSU shares to be issued depends on our total shareholder return over a period of time. Strategic Alignment Awards, PSUs, RSUs and PBRSUs do not have an exercise price and thus they have been excluded from the weighted average exercise price calculation in column (b).

Advances of defense costs for certain litigation matters

Certain members of our current Board and current executive officers, and certain former Board members and former executive officers have been named as defendants in lawsuits alleging breaches of fiduciary duties to Target in connection with the data breach that occurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. The current and former directors and officers who have been named as defendants in this action have a legal right under the Minnesota Business Corporation Act and our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to advancement of their costs of defense. Accordingly, in fiscal 2016, we advanced defense costs on behalf of the current and former directors and officers amounting to approximately $83,564.

66TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement54

 

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATIONItem twoRatification of appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as independent registered public accounting firm

The Audit & Finance Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm retained to audit our financial statements. The Audit & Finance Committee appointed Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for Target and its subsidiaries for the fiscal year ending February 3, 2018. Ernst & Young LLP has been retained in that capacity since 1931. The Audit & Finance Committee is aware that a long-tenured auditor may be believed by some to pose an independence risk. To address these concerns, our Audit & Finance Committee:

 

           
        NUMBER OF SECURITIES 
        REMAINING AVAILABLE 
        FOR FUTURE ISSUANCE 
        UNDER EQUITY 
   NUMBER OF SECURITIES   COMPENSATION PLANS 
   TO BE ISSUED UPON WEIGHTED-AVERAGE AS OF 
   EXERCISE OF EXERCISE PRICE OF JANUARY 31, 2015 
   OUTSTANDING OPTIONS, OUTSTANDING OPTIONS, (EXCLUDING SECURITIES 
 PLAN WARRANTS AND RIGHTS WARRANTS AND RIGHTS REFLECTED IN 
 CATEGORY AS OF JANUARY 31, 2015 AS OF JANUARY 31, 2015 COLUMN (A)) 
   (a) (b)(c) 
 Equity compensation plans approved by security holders 25,037,192(1)  $53.04 14,011,963  
 Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders 0    0  
 TOTAL 25,037,192  $53.04 14,011,963  
           
Reviews all non-audit services and engagements provided by Ernst & Young LLP, specifically with regard to the impact on the firm’s independence;
Conducts an annual assessment of Ernst & Young LLP’s qualifications, service quality, sufficiency of resources, quality of communications, independence, working relationship with our management, objectivity, and professional skepticism;
Conducts regular private meetings separately with each of Ernst & Young LLP and our management;
Interviews and approves the selection of Ernst & Young LLP’s new lead engagement partner with each rotation, which occurs every five years;
At least annually obtains and reviews a report from Ernst  & Young LLP describing all relationships between the independent auditor and Target; and
Periodically considers whether the independent registered public accounting firm should be rotated and the advisability and potential impact of selecting a different independent registered public accounting firm.

 

(1)This amount includes 8,312,380 PSU, RSU and PBRSU shares potentially issuable upon settlement of PSUs, RSUs and PBRSUs issued under our Long-Term Incentive Plan and 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan. The actual number of PSU and PBRSU shares to be issued depends on our financial performance and total shareholder return, respectively, over a period of time. PSUs, RSUs and PBRSUs do not have an exercise price and thus they have been excluded from the weighted average exercise price calculation in column (b).

The members of the Audit & Finance Committee believe that the continued retention of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm is in the best interests of our company and its shareholders.

As a good corporate governance practice, the Board of Directors is seeking shareholder ratification of the appointment even though ratification is not legally required. Proxies solicited by the Board of Directors will, unless otherwise directed, be voted to ratify the appointment by the Audit & Finance Committee of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for Target and its subsidiaries for the fiscal year ending February 3, 2018.

A representative from Ernst & Young LLP will be at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement if such representative so desires and will be available to respond to appropriate questions during the Annual Meeting.

Audit and non-audit fees

The following table presents fees for professional services performed by Ernst & Young LLP for the annual audit of our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2016 and 2015, the review of our interim consolidated financial statements for each quarter in fiscal 2016 and 2015, and for audit-related, tax and all other services performed in 2016 and 2015:

  Fiscal year end
  January 28, 2017  January 30, 2016
Audit Fees(1) $4,599,000  $5,124,000
Audit-Related Fees(2)  581,000   678,000
Tax Fees:       
Compliance(3)  497,000   1,104,000
Planning & Advice(4)  17,000   314,000
Total $5,694,000  $7,220,000

(1)Includes annual integrated audit, statutory audits of certain foreign subsidiaries, consents for securities offerings and registration statements, accounting consultations, and other agreed-upon procedures.
(2)Includes benefit plan audits, accounting consultations, and other attestation services.
(3)Includes tax return preparation and other tax compliance services, including tax methods analysis and support.
(4)Includes tax-planning advice and assistance with tax audits and appeals, including fees related to our exit from Canada.

 

ADVANCES OF DEFENSE COSTS FOR CERTAIN LITIGATION MATTERS

Certain members of our current Board and current executive officers, and certain former Board members and former executive officers have been named as defendants in lawsuits alleging breaches of fiduciary duties to Target in connection with the data breach that occurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. The current and former directors and officers who have been named as defendants in this action have a legal right under the Minnesota Business Corporation Act and our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to advancement of their costs of defense. Accordingly, in fiscal 2014, we advanced defense costs on behalf of the current and former directors and officers amounting to approximately $896,437.

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION      2017 Proxy Statement55

The Audit & Finance Committee’s current practice requires pre-approval of all audit services and permissible non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit & Finance Committee reviews each non-audit service to be provided and assesses the impact of the service on the firm’s independence. In addition, the Audit & Finance Committee has delegated authority to grant certain pre-approvals to the Audit & Finance Committee Chair. Pre-approvals granted by the Audit & Finance Committee Chair are reported to the full Audit & Finance Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

67The Audit & Finance Committee recommends that shareholders voteForthe ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.

Report of the Audit & Finance Committee

The role of the Audit & Finance Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee Target’s financial reporting process. Management has primary responsibility for our consolidated financial statements and reporting process, including our systems of internal controls. Target’s independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, is responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of our consolidated financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In addition, the independent registered public accounting firm will express its opinion on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

A copy of the Audit & Finance Committee Charter, which has been adopted by our Board of Directors and further describes the role of the Audit & Finance Committee in overseeing our financial reporting process, is available online atinvestors.target.com (hover over “company,” then click on “corporate governance” in the “investors” column, then click on “More about Board Committees”). All members of the Audit & Finance Committee satisfy the applicable audit committee independence requirements of the NYSE and the SEC and have acquired the attributes necessary to qualify them as “audit committee financial experts” as defined by applicable SEC rules.

In performing its functions, the Audit & Finance Committee:

Met with our internal auditors and independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the overall scope and plans for their respective audits, the results of their examinations and their evaluations of Target’s internal controls;
Reviewed and discussed with management the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report;
Discussed with our independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by the applicable Public Company Oversight Board standards; and
Received the written disclosures and the letter from our independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent registered accountant’s communication with the Audit & Finance Committee concerning independence, and discussed with them matters relating to their independence.

Based on the review and discussions described in this report, and subject to the limitations on the role and responsibilities of the Audit & Finance Committee referred to above and in the Audit & Finance Committee Charter, the Audit & Finance Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017, for filing with the SEC.

Audit & Finance Committee

Derica W. Rice, Chair

Monica C. Lozano

Mary E. Minnick

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement56
 

Item threeAdvisory approval of executive compensation (Say on Pay)

 

ITEM TWORATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm retained to audit our financial statements. The Audit Committee appointed Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for Target and its subsidiaries for the fiscal year ending January 30, 2016. Ernst & Young LLP has been retained in that capacity since 1931. The Audit Committee is aware that a long-tenured auditor may be believed by some to pose an independence risk. To address these concerns, our Audit Committee:

Consistent with the views expressed by shareholders at our 2011 annual meeting of shareholders, the Board of Directors has determined to seek an annual non-binding advisory vote from shareholders to approve the executive compensation as disclosed in the CD&A, tabular disclosures and related narrative of this proxy statement.

 

Reviews all non-audit services and engagements provided by Ernst & Young LLP, specifically

Our compensation programs are structured to align the interests of our executive officers with regard to the impact on the firm’s independence;

Conducts an annual assessment of Ernst & Young LLP’s service quality, and its working relationship with our management;
Conducts regular private meetings separately with each of Ernst & Young LLP and our management;
Interviews and approves the selection of Ernst & Young LLP’s new lead engagement partner with each rotation; and
At least annually obtains and reviews a report from Ernst & Young LLP describing all relationships between the independent auditor and Target.

The members of the Audit Committee believe that the continued retention of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm is in the best interests of our company and its shareholders. They are designed to attract, retain, and motivate a premier management team to sustain our distinctive brand and its competitive advantage in the marketplace, and to provide a framework that encourages outstanding financial results and shareholder returns over the long term. Shareholders are urged to read the CD&A, which discusses in-depth how our executive compensation programs are aligned with our performance and the creation of shareholder value.

At our June 2016 annual meeting of shareholders, 96.4% of shareholder votes were cast in support of our executive compensation program for our Say on Pay proposal.

 

As a good corporate governance practice, the
The Board of Directors, is seeking shareholder ratificationupon recommendation of the appointment even though ratification is not legally required. Proxies solicited by the Board of Directors will, unless otherwise directed, be voted to ratify the appointment by the AuditHuman Resources & Compensation Committee, of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for Target and its subsidiaries for the fiscal year ending January 30, 2016.

A representative from Ernst & Young LLP will be at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement if such representative so desires and will be available to respond to questions during the meeting.

AUDIT AND NON-AUDIT FEES

The following table presents fees for professional services performed by Ernst & Young LLP for the annual audit of our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2014 and 2013, the review of our interim consolidated financial statements for each quarter in fiscal 2014 and 2013, and for audit-related, tax and all other services performed in 2014 and 2013:

     
   FISCAL YEAR END 
   JANUARY 31,  FEBRUARY 1, 
   2015  2014 
 Audit Fees(1) $  5,911,000  $  4,912,000 
 Audit-Related Fees(2)  870,000   596,000 
 Tax Fees:        
 Compliance(3)  1,653,000   2,294,000 
 Planning & Advice(4)  133,000   2,056,000 
 All Other Fees(5)     86,000 
 Total $  8,567,000  $  9,944,000 
          

(1)Includes annual integrated audit, audits of certain foreign subsidiaries, consents for securities offerings and registration statements and accounting consultations.
(2)Includes benefit plan audits, accounting consultations and other attestation services.
(3)Includes tax return preparation and other tax compliance services, including tax methods analysis and support.
(4)Includes tax planning advice and assistance with tax audits and appeals.
(5)Includes various non-tax governmental application and filing services.

recommends that shareholders vote2015 Proxy StatementForTARGET CORPORATION     68

The Audit Committee’s current practice requires pre-approval of all audit services and permissible non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee reviews each non-audit service to be provided and assesses the impactapproval of the service on the firm’s independence. In addition, the Audit Committee has delegated authority to grant certain pre-approvals to the Audit Committee Chair. Pre-approvals granted by the Audit Committee Chair are reported to the full Audit Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

THE AUDIT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEEfollowing non-binding resolution:

The role of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee Target’s financial reporting process. Management has primary responsibility for our consolidated financial statements and reporting process, including our systems of internal controls. Target’s independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of our consolidated financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In addition, the independent registered public accounting firm will express its opinion on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

A copy of the Audit Committee Charter, which has been adopted by our Board of Directors and further describes the role of the Audit Committee in overseeing our financial reporting process, is available online atwww.target.com/investors (click on “Board of Directors,” then “Board Committees”).

In performing its functions, the Audit Committee:

Met with our internal auditors and independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the overall scope and plans for their respective audits, the results of their examinations and their evaluations of Target’s internal controls;
Reviewed and discussed with management the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report;
Discussed with our independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by the applicable Public Company Oversight Board standards; and
Received the written disclosures and the letter from our independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent registered accountant’s communication with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and discussed with them matters relating to their independence.

Based on the review and discussions described in this report, and subject to the limitations on the role and responsibilities of the Audit Committee referred to above and in the Audit Committee Charter, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015, for filing with the SEC.

AUDIT COMMITTEE(1)

Roxanne S. Austin, Chair(2)

Mary E. Minnick

Anne M. Mulcahy(3)

Derica W. Rice(2)

(1)Mr. Stumpf joined the Audit Committee following the preparation of this report.
(2)Mr. Rice assumed the role of Chair of the Audit Committee following the preparation of this report, with Ms. Austin remaining on the Audit Committee in a non-Chair capacity.
(3)Ms. Mulcahy rotated off of the Audit Committee following the preparation of this report.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     69

ITEM THREEADVISORY APPROVAL OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (“SAY ON PAY”)

Consistent with the views expressed by shareholders at our 2011 Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors has determined to seek an annual non-binding advisory vote from shareholders to approve the executive compensation as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis (“CD&A”), tabular disclosures and related narrative of this proxy statement.

Our compensation programs are structured to align the interests of our executive officers with the interests of our shareholders. They are designed to attract, retain, and motivate a premier management team to sustain our distinctive brand and its competitive advantage in the marketplace, and to provide a framework that encourages outstanding financial results and shareholder returns over the long term. Shareholders are urged to read the CD&A, which discusses in-depth how our executive compensation programs are aligned with our performance and the creation of shareholder value.

We have always believed that open dialogue with our shareholders is critical to our success, and we take their feedback seriously. At our June 2014 annual meeting of shareholders, shareholders approved our Say on Pay proposal in support of our executive compensation program by 78%, a significant improvement over the prior year. We believe that open dialogue with our shareholders is critical to our success, and we take their feedback seriously.

Since our June 2014 Say on Pay vote, we have hosted calls or held meetings with shareholders representing approximately 41% of shares voted. The majority of the conversations was led by Anne Mulcahy, then-Chair of our Board’s Nominating & Governance Committee and current Chair of our Board’s Compensation Committee, and included soliciting feedback on key compensation and governance issues that informed our decision to award bonuses for fiscal 2014 performance and the design of Strategic Alignment Awards.

Specifically, highlights of our executive compensation disclosed in the CD&A include:

Performance-Based Plans Paying Out at $0
There have been no financial payouts under our STIP plan over the past two years.
Our PSU award for the 2012-2014 performance period was forfeited entirely due to the 162(m) threshold not being met in connection with discontinuing our Canadian operations, but would have resulted in a payout of 41.5% had we met the 162(m) threshold.
Our PSU awards for the 2013-2015 and 2014-2016 performance periods were also forfeited entirely due to the 162(m) threshold not being met in connection with discontinuing our Canadian operations. Those awards were in the middle of their performance periods, so it is uncertain what the payouts would have been had we met the 162(m) threshold.
Our PBRSU award for the 2014-2016 performance period was forfeited entirely due to the 162(m) threshold not being met in connection with discontinuing our Canadian operations. The award was in the middle of its performance period, so it is uncertain what the payout would have been had we met the 162(m) threshold.
Key Plan and Governance Changes
Redesigned our 2015 Short-term Incentive Plan to be based on Incentive EBIT (weighted 75% at-goal) and sales (weighted 25% at-goal) to align annual incentives with our strategy of driving growth, with an emphasis on profitability.
Adopted a double-trigger change-in-control requirement for PSU and PBRSU grants made starting in January 2015.
Increased CEO’s ownership guidelines from 5x to 7x base salary.
Introduced a requirement that if the executive officer is below the ownership guideline amounts during the first five years, he or she must retain at least 50% of all shares acquired upon vesting of equity awards or the exercise of stock options until compliance is achieved. This new requirement is in addition to the existing requirement of 100% retention if the guidelines are not met after five years.
  

We value the feedback provided by our shareholders and look forward to continued, open dialogue on compensation matters and other issues relevant to our business.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING NON-BINDING RESOLUTION:

RESOLVED,Resolved, that the shareholders approve the compensation awarded to the named executive officers, as described in the CD&A, tabular disclosures, and other narrative executive compensation disclosures in this proxy statement.”

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     70

EFFECT OF ITEM

Effect of item

 

The Say on Pay resolution is non-binding. The approval or disapproval of this item by shareholders will not require the Board or the Human Resources & Compensation Committee to take any action regarding Target’s executive compensation practices. The final decision on the compensation and benefits of our executive officers and on whether, and if so, how, to address shareholder disapproval remains with the Board and the Human Resources & Compensation Committee.

 

The Board believes that the Human Resources & Compensation Committee is in the best position to consider the extensive information and factors necessary to make independent, objective, and competitive compensation recommendations and decisions that are in the best interests of Target and its shareholders.

 

The Board values the opinions of Target’s shareholders as expressed through their votes and other communications. Although the resolution is non-binding, as evidenced by our outreach and response to the 2013 and 2014 Say on Pay votes, the Board will carefully consider the outcome of the advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder opinions received from other communications when making future compensation decisions.

 

2015 Proxy Statement
TARGET CORPORATION      2017 Proxy Statement57

71Item fourAdvisory approval of the frequency of Say on Pay votes

Pursuant to Section 951 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, at least once every six years we are required to submit for a shareholder vote a non-binding resolution to determine whether the advisory shareholder vote on executive compensation shall occur every one, two, or three years.

Since shareholders first voted in favor of an annual Say on Pay vote at our 2011 annual meeting of shareholders, the Board of Directors sought an annual non-binding advisory vote from shareholders to approve the executive compensation as disclosed in the CD&A, tabular disclosures and related narrative of this proxy statement. After careful consideration of the various arguments supporting each frequency level, the Board believes that continuing to submit the advisory vote on executive compensation to shareholders on an annual basis is appropriate for Target and its shareholders at this time.

The proxy card provides shareholders with four choices (every 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, or abstain). Shareholders are not voting to approve or disapprove the Board’s recommendation.

The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee, recommends a vote for a frequency of every1 year.

Effect of item

The Say on Pay frequency vote is non-binding. The outcome of voting on this item by shareholders will not require the Board or the Human Resources & Compensation Committee to take any action regarding the frequency of future Say on Pay votes. Although the resolution is non-binding, the Board and the Human Resources & Compensation Committee will carefully consider the outcome of the advisory vote on this item in the decision on how often to present the Say on Pay vote to shareholders.

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement58
Item fiveApproval of the Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan

Introduction

The independent members of the Board of Directors, upon recommendation by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, adopted the Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan on March 8, 2017, subject to shareholder approval (“Incentive Plan”). The Incentive Plan is substantially similar to the Target Corporation Officer Short-Term Incentive Plan approved in 2012 (referred to as the “current STIP” for purposes of this Item Five). We are seeking shareholder approval of the Incentive Plan because one of the conditions for qualification as “performance-based compensation” for U.S. tax purposes is that the shareholders must approve the material terms of the plan and re-approve those material terms every five years. Shareholder approval of the Incentive Plan will allow us to preserve the tax deduction for our performance-based officer compensation payable under the Incentive Plan that may otherwise exceed the deduction limit established by Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (see “Tax Matters” below).

The purpose of the Incentive Plan, like our current STIP, is to promote our pay-for-performance compensation philosophy by providing cash incentive awards to executive officers, who through their efforts directly and significantly impact the achievement of our goals and objectives. The Incentive Plan gives the Human Resources & Compensation Committee discretion to choose one or more appropriate performance measures by which to measure executive officers’ performance in any given performance period. The performance measures are set at the beginning of each performance period.

Summary of the plan

The basic features of the Incentive Plan are summarized below. The Incentive Plan will not become effective unless approved by the shareholders.

Administration. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee, all of whose members are independent, outside directors, will administer the Incentive Plan. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee will have the authority to grant cash incentive awards upon such terms, consistent with the terms of the Incentive Plan, as it considers appropriate, to our executive officers. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee will have authority to interpret all provisions of the Incentive Plan, to adopt, amend and rescind rules and regulations pertaining to the administration of the Incentive Plan and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Incentive Plan.

Eligibility. Any executive officer designated by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee from time to time is eligible to participate in the Incentive Plan for a given performance period. In fiscal 2016, approximately 13 executive officers were selected to participate in the current STIP, and participation in the Incentive Plan is expected to be comparable.

Determination of Performance Measures. Awards may be based on one or more of the following performance measures chosen by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee:

Performance measures
RevenuesProfitability measured by return ratios (including, but not limited to, return on assets, return on equity, return on invested capital and return on revenue)
SalesCash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow and cash flow return on investment)
Comparable salesMargins (including, but not limited to, one or more of gross, operating and net earnings margins)
Earnings before one or more of interest, taxes, depreciation and amortizationCost and expense management
Net earningsEconomic value added or similar value added measurements
Earnings per shareTotal shareholder return

TARGET CORPORATION 2017 Proxy Statement59
 
ITEM FOURAPPROVAL OF AMENDED AND RESTATED TARGET CORPORATION 2011 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

INTRODUCTION

In addition, for any award to a participant who is not a covered officer under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code or that is not intended to constitute performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, the performance measures may include, alone or in combination with the performance measures listed above, any other measure of performance as determined by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee.

 

The Human Resources & Compensation Committee may select different performance measures for different participants in any performance period. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee also selects the relevant performance periods, which must be at least one fiscal quarter. In addition to selecting the performance measures, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee will also approve the level of attainment required to earn a payment under an award. The required level of attainment can be measured as an absolute amount, on a per share basis, measured as a change from prior periods, measured against or in relationship to other companies comparably, similar or otherwise situated, or measured against other indices or external measures, and may relate to consolidated results or performance of a segment, subsidiary, operating company, division, unit or test strategy or new venture of Target. Each measure may also be adjusted as the Committee determines to exclude the effects of extraordinary items, unusual or non-recurring events and certain other items as the Committee determines to be required to permit computation of the operating results on a consistent basis with the measures established for the performance period. In recent years, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee has selected a combination of EBIT and sales as the performance measures for the financial component of awards to our executive officers.

Determination of Cash Incentive Amounts. The target opportunity for each participant will be determined by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee at the beginning of the performance period. The target opportunity may be established as a set dollar amount or as a percentage of the participant’s compensation (typically based on a percentage of base salary). In addition, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee may establish an incentive pool and determine each participant’s award based on a ratio of the participant’s award to all awards earned under the Incentive Plan multiplied by the pool. At the end of the performance period, the Human Resources & Compensation Committee will certify levels of achievement of the performance measures and pay out any earned awards in the form of cash payments. The Human Resources & Compensation Committee has discretion to exclude the effects of extraordinary items, unusual or non-recurring events and other items to permit consistent computation, so long as such adjustments to awards intended to constitute performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code do not preclude the awards from so qualifying.

Maximum Payments. No executive officer shall receive awards intended to constitute performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code payable in any fiscal year that exceed the lesser of $7 million or 400% of the participant’s base salary as of the date of grant of the award.

Tax Matters. As described in the CD&A in this Proxy Statement, Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code limits the deductibility of compensation paid to our covered officers to $1 million per year. This limitation does not apply to “performance-based compensation.” One of the conditions for qualification as “performance-based compensation” is that the shareholders must approve the material terms of the plan, which include a general description of the employees eligible to receive compensation under the plan, a description of the business criteria on which any performance goals are to be based, and the maximum amount of the compensation that could be paid to any employee if the applicable performance goals are attained, and re-approve those material terms every five years. Amounts paid under the objective performance measures established under the Incentive Plan will, under current tax law, continue to qualify as performance-based compensation if shareholders approve the Incentive Plan.

New plan benefits

The Incentive Plan will be effective February 4, 2018 so long as it is approved by shareholders prior to June 30, 2017. As a result, the first awards granted under the Incentive Plan will relate to fiscal 2018. Amounts payable under the Incentive Plan for fiscal 2018 are not determinable because the performance measures and target opportunities will not be set by the Human Resources & Compensation Committee until early in fiscal 2018. However, the benefits paid under the current STIP for fiscal 2016 (which are the same benefits reported under the Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column and, for officers other than the CEO, the Bonus column of the Summary Compensation Table on page 42) are as follows:

Name Principal position Fiscal 2016
benefits paid
 
Brian C. Cornell Chairman & Chief Executive Officer $0 
Cathy R. Smith Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer $240,000 
John J. Mulligan Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer $300,000 
Don H. Liu Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary $97,500 
Mark J. Tritton Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer $125,000 

The Board of Directors considers stock-based incentive compensation an essential tool to attract and retain team members of outstanding ability and to align the interests of our management and Board with the interests of our shareholders. Consistent with this view, in March 2011 and June 2011, respectively, the Board and shareholders approved the 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan (referred to as the “2011 Plan”) that allows us to grant several different types of stock-based compensation awards, which gives us flexibility to adapt awards to changes in corporate objectives and the market. In March 2015, the Board approved, subject to shareholder recommends a voteForapproval an amendment and restatement of the 2011 Plan (referred to as the “2015 Restatement” or the plan) to:

Authorize an additional 20,000,000 shares for issuance;
Approve the material terms of the 2011 Plan’s performance goals in connection with Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m);
Increase the individual limit for full value awards intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) from 1,000,000 shares in any consecutive 36-month period for “covered employees” to 2,000,000 shares, which the Committee determined is appropriate as a result of the change in the mix of our annual grant from 50% performance-based full value awards to 100% performance-based full value awards beginning in fiscal 2013; and
Change the plan default for acceleration of restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards upon a Change-in-Control to double-trigger pro-rata acceleration based on the number of months that have elapsed in the applicable restriction or performance period prior to the termination of employment following the change-in-control.Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan.

 

Additional Authorized Shares. The 2011 Plan authorized an aggregate of 40,000,000 shares for issuance under the plan. By approving the 2015 Restatement, shareholders would authorize an additional 20,000,000 shares for issuance, bringing the total authorized shares under the plan to 60,000,000. Of the 40,000,000 shares previously authorized, 15,941,950 shares remained available for new grants as of April 13, 2015. As a result, if shareholders approve this proposal, the pool of shares available for future awards under the plan for grants going forward will be 35,941,950 shares, plus any shares attributable to awards already made under the 2011 Plan or under an earlier stock plan (a “Prior Plan”) of Target which are subsequently forfeited, expire unexercised or are otherwise not issued and can be returned to the share pool. There were 26,966,722 of those shares (i.e., shares subject to outstanding awards) as of April 13, 2015.

Performance Goals. Shareholder approval of the 2011 Plan allowed us to preserve the tax deduction for some of our performance-based officer compensation payable under the 2011 Plan that otherwise may have exceeded the deduction limit established by Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) (“Section 162(m)”) (see “Federal Income Tax Consequences—Section 162(m) Limit” below). The approval obtained in June 2011, however, is only effective for five years. In order to preserve the tax deduction for future performance-based awards that are subject to Section 162(m), the Board decided to seek shareholder approval of the material terms of the plan’s performance goals as part of the 2015 Restatement. The list of performance goals is the same as in the original 2011 Plan, except we adjusted the performance goals related to our credit card segment, which was eliminated in connection with the sale of our credit card receivables in 2013, to be more broadly applicable to our business.

Individual Limit for Performance-Based Full Value Awards. The 2011 Plan contains limits on performance-based awards that can be granted over any consecutive 36-month period to a participant who is, or is likely to be, a “covered employee” for purposes of Section 162(m) as of the end of the tax year, including a 1,000,000 share limit for performance-based full value awards (e.g., stock-settled performance awards, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance-based restricted stock units and performance share units). The Committee determined it is appropriate, as part of the 2015 Restatement, to increase that 1,000,000 share limit to 2,000,000 shares as a result of the change in the mix of our annual grant from 50% performance-based full value awards to 100% performance-based full value awards beginning in fiscal 2013.

Double-Trigger Pro Rata Vesting. The 2011 Plan provided for single-trigger pro-rated acceleration of restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards based on the number of months that have elapsed in the applicable restriction or performance period prior to the change in control. The 2015 Restatement now provides for double-trigger pro-rata acceleration of restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards based on the number of months that have elapsed in the applicable restriction or performance period prior to the termination of employment following the change-in-

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control. In each case, the pro-rata fraction is multiplied by 100% of the goal payout of the performance award. The 2015 Plan Restatement also contains a provision that ensures a participant does not receive fewer shares due to termination following a change-in-control than he or she would have received as a result of a similar termination absent a change-in-control.

PLAN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE FEATURES AND PRACTICES

The 2015 Plan Restatement and our equity grant practices follow many leading corporate governance practices:

FEATUREDESCRIPTION
PLAN PROVISIONS AND OUR PRACTICES
Independent AdministrationAdministered by our independent Compensation Committee.
Fungible Share PoolUses a fungible share pool model in which full value awards count as two shares against the plan reserve.
Individual Limits forPerformance-Based AwardsContains limits on awards intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) that can be granted over any consecutive 36-month period for “covered employees”:
4,000,000 share limit for options and/or stock appreciation rights;
2,000,000 share limit for performance-based full value awards; and
$15,000,000 limit for cash-settled performance-based full value awards.
Fixed 10-Year TermHas a fixed 10-year term ending on March 9, 2021.
Minimum Exercise PriceRequires that stock options and stock appreciation rights must have an exercise price of no less than fair market value.
Minimum Vesting RequirementsGenerally requires a minimum vesting period of three years for time-based awards and a minimum performance period of one year for performance-based awards.
Dividend EquivalentsRequires that any dividend equivalents paid on awards that have performance-based or service-based vesting conditions be subject to the same restrictions as the underlying shares, and prohibits dividend equivalents on stock options and stock appreciation rights.
Clawback PolicyContemplates that awards will be subject to any compensation recovery, or “clawback,” policy in effect at the time.
No Repricing or BuyoutsOption and stock appreciation right repricing and cash buyouts areprohibited without explicit shareholder approval.
No Evergreen FeaturesDoesnot contain any evergreen features which would automatically provide for an increase in the shares available for grant.
No Liberal Share RecyclingDoesnot permit liberal share recycling of either full value awards or options or stock appreciation rights. In particular, any shares tendered or withheld to pay the exercise price or satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with any award, any shares we repurchase using option exercise proceeds, and any shares subject to a stock appreciation right that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of the stock appreciation right on its exercise may not be used again for new grants.
No Option ReloadingWe do not grant reload options.
CHANGE IN CONTROL
No liberal Change-in-Control definitionOur change-in-control definition does not permit acceleration of equity awards unless an actual change- in-control occurs and the terms of the equity awards provide for such acceleration.
Double-Trigger Vesting of Options and Stock Appreciation RightsThe plan default is double-trigger stock option and stock appreciation right vesting.
Double-Trigger Pro Rata Vesting of Full Value AwardsThe plan default is double-trigger pro-rata acceleration of restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards based on the number of months that have elapsed in the applicable restriction or performance period prior to the termination of employment following the change-in-control.
No Excise Tax Gross-upsExcise tax gross-ups are not permitted on any equity award grants.

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SUMMARY OF THE PLAN

The principal features of the 2015 Restatement are summarized below. The summary is subject, in all respects, to the terms of the 2015 Restatement, which is attached as Appendix B to this proxy statement and is marked to show changes from the 2011 Plan.

Name of Plan; Effective Date.The plan will be named the “Amended and Restated Target Corporation 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan.” The 2015 Restatement became effective March 11, 2015, subject to shareholder approval at the Annual Meeting.

Purpose. The purpose of the plan is to advance the performance and long-term growth of Target by offering long-term incentives to team members and directors of Target and our subsidiaries and to our advisors or consultants who the Compensation Committee determines will contribute to the our growth and performance for the benefit of shareholders. The plan is also intended to facilitate recruiting and retaining team members of outstanding ability.

Plan Administration. Our independent Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) will administer all aspects of the plan. The Committee is composed of persons who are both non-employee directors, as defined under Rule 16b-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m). All of the members of the Committee also meet the director independence criteria established by the NYSE. The Committee has the authority to, among other things:

select participants to receive awards, determine the timing of awards, and determine the types of awards and number of shares covered by the awards;
establish the terms of awards, including the performance criteria and restrictions of the awards and whether the awards are settled in cash or shares;
administer outstanding awards, including approval of any amendment to an award; and
establish rules interpreting the plan.

The Committee may delegate its authority to a subcommittee of directors and/or, for purposes of determining and administering awards to persons who are not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, our officers.

Eligibility. Any officer, employee, director, advisor or individual consultant of Target or any of its subsidiaries is eligible for any type of award, except for incentive stock options which can only be granted to employees of Target or its subsidiaries. We currently have over 347,000 employees and 10 non-employee directors. The selection of participants and the nature and size of grants and awards are within the discretion of the Committee, subject to the terms of the plan. Consequently, we cannot specifically identify those employees, directors or other participants to whom awards may be granted under the plan since no such determination has been made.

Types of Awards; Dividends and Dividend Equivalents. The plan provides for the grant of non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards, which can include performance shares, performance share units and performance units. The plan permits dividends on restricted stock if determined by the Committee, provided that any dividends, other than regular quarterly cash dividends on service-based vesting restricted stock, must be subject to the same restrictions as the underlying shares. The plan also permits dividend equivalents on other full value awards if determined by the Committee, provided that any dividend equivalents on full value awards subject to performance-based or service-based conditions must be subject to the same restrictions as the underlying awards. The plan does not permit dividend equivalent on stock options or stock appreciation rights.

Authorized Shares; Individual Limits. The plan, as amended and restated, authorizes the issuance of 60,000,000 shares. As a result, as of April 13, 2015, an aggregate of 35,941,950 shares remained available for grant under the 2015 Restatement and an aggregate of 26,966,722 shares were subject to outstanding grants under our prior equity compensation plans, including the prior Long-Term Incentive Plan.

In determining the number of shares that remain available for grant, each stock option or stock appreciation right granted under the plan will reduce the number of shares available for grant by one share for every one share granted, and except as provided below, each award other than a stock option or stock appreciation right (referred to as a “full value award”) will reduce the number of shares available for grant by two shares for every one share granted. If two awards are granted in tandem, so that only awards of one type can be exercised, only the award that would result in the higher reduction of the number of shares available will be counted.

Any shares of common stock subject to an award under the plan, or to an award under the Prior Plan that is outstanding on the date the plan was originally adopted, that expires, is forfeited, or is settled or exchanged for cash or other property will, to the extent of such expiration, forfeiture, settlement or exchange, automatically again become available for issuance under the plan. Each share that again becomes available for issuance will be added back as (a) one share if the share was subject to an option or stock appreciation right granted under either the plan or the Prior Plan, or (b) as two shares if the share was subject to a full-value award under the plan or the Prior Plan. However, any shares tendered or withheld to pay the exercise price or satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with any award, any shares we repurchase using option exercise proceeds, and any shares subject to a stock appreciation right that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of the stock appreciation right on its exercise may not be used again for new grants.

Awards granted under the plan upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding equity awards previously granted by an entity acquired by us or any of our subsidiaries will not reduce the number of shares of common stock authorized for

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issuance under the plan. Additionally, if a company acquired by us or any of our subsidiaries has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by shareholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of that pre-existing plan may be used for awards under the plan and will not reduce the shares authorized for issuance under the plan, but only if the shares are used for awards made to individuals who were not employed by or providing services to us or any of our subsidiaries immediately prior to such acquisition.

A participant who is, or is likely to be, a “covered employee” for purposes of Code Section 162(m) as of the end of the tax year cannot during any consecutive 36-month period be granted awards under the plan intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Code Section 162(m) that could result in the individual receiving, earning or acquiring:

Stock options and stock appreciation rights, in the aggregate, for more than 4,000,000 shares of common stock;
Full value awards (e.g., stock-settled performance awards, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance-based restricted stock units and performance share units) in the aggregate, for more than 2,000,000 shares of common stock; and
Cash-settled performance units with a value exceeding $15,000,000.

AWARD TERMS

Stock Options. The Committee may grant to participants options to purchase common stock that qualify as incentive stock options for purposes of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code (“incentive stock options”), options that do not qualify as incentive stock options (“non-qualified stock options”) or a combination of those types. The terms and conditions of stock option grants, including the number of shares, exercise price, vesting periods, and other conditions on exercise, will be determined by the Committee.

The per share exercise price for stock options will be determined by the Committee in its discretion, but may not be less than the fair market value of one share of our common stock on the date when the stock option is granted. Additionally, in the case of incentive stock options granted to a holder of more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock on the date of grant, the exercise price may not be less than 110% of the fair market value of one share of common stock on the date the stock option is granted. On April 7, 2015, the fair market value of a share of common stock was $82.61 based on the closing sale price of our common stock on the NYSE on such date.

Stock options must be exercised within a period fixed by the Committee that may not exceed ten years from the date of grant, except where an employee terminates due to death and has one full year to exercise following his or her death.

At the Committee’s discretion, payment for shares of common stock on the exercise of stock options may be made in cash, in shares of our common stock held by the participant, by withholding a number of shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of the option, or in any manner acceptable to the Committee (including one or more forms of broker-assisted “cashless” exercise).

Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee may grant to a participant an award of stock appreciation rights, which entitles the participant to receive, upon its exercise, a payment equal to (a) the excess of the fair market value of a share of common stock on the exercise date over the stock appreciation right exercise price, times (b) the number of shares of common stock with respect to which the stock appreciation right is exercised. The payment upon exercise of a stock appreciation right may be in cash, shares of common stock, or any combination thereof, as approved by the Committee in its sole discretion.

The per share exercise price for a stock appreciation right will be determined by the Committee in its discretion, but may not be less than the fair market value of one share of our common stock on the date when the stock appreciation right is granted. Stock appreciation rights must be exercised within a period fixed by the Committee that may not exceed ten years from the date of grant, subject to the same exception as described above for stock options.

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. The Committee may award to a participant shares of common stock subject to specified restrictions. Shares of restricted stock are subject to forfeiture if the participant does not meet certain conditions such as continued employment over a specified vesting period, subject to limited exceptions for certain termination events, and/ or the attainment of specified company performance objectives over a specified performance period.

The Committee also may award to a participant restricted stock units, each representing the right to receive in the future, in cash and/or shares of our common stock as determined by the Committee, the fair market value of a share of common stock subject to the achievement of one or more goals relating to the completion of a specified period of service by the participant and/or the achievement of specified performance or other objectives. The terms and conditions of restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards are determined by the Committee.

Performance Awards. The Committee may grant awards subject to performance-based vesting conditions and other restrictions, such as performance share units and performance-based restricted stock units. The performance award may be made in the form of a number of shares, a right to receive a number of shares or a cash amount. The performance award will typically set a goal payout amount and may provide for variable payout amounts based on performance above or below the performance threshold corresponding to the goal payout amount.

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For awards subject to performance-based vesting conditions the Committee establishes the performance goals on or before the date of grant of the award and within a reasonable period of time after the beginning of the performance period. The Committee also establishes the performance period (not less than one year) and the amount payable at various performance levels. At any time prior to payment, the Committee can adjust awards for the effect of unforeseen events that have a substantial effect on the performance goals and would otherwise make application of the performance goals unfair. However, the Committee may not increase the amount that would otherwise be payable under an award intended to constitute performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The performance goals are set at the sole discretion of the Committee and may be based upon criteria including one or more of the following:

PERFORMANCE GOAL CRITERIA 
Net salesComparable store sales
Total revenueGross margin rate
Selling, general and administrative expense rateEarnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
Earnings before interest and taxesEarnings before taxes
Net earningsEarnings per share
Target Corporation share priceTotal shareholder return
Return on equityReturn on sales
Return on assetsReturn on invested capital
Cash flow return on investmentEconomic value added
ProfitabilityPre-tax return on invested capital
Credit card spread to LIBOROperating cash flow
Free cash flowWorking capital
Interest coverageNet debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent expense ratio
Debt leverageTotal net debt

The specific performance goals may be absolute in their terms, on a per share basis, as a growth rate or change from preceding periods, or as a comparison to the performance of specified companies or other external measures, and may relate to one or any combination of corporate, group, unit, division, subsidiary or individual performance.

Changes in Capitalization and Fundamental Changes; Change-in-Control. In the event of a change in our capitalization that constitutes an equity restructuring, such as a stock split, the Committee will make adjustments to the number of authorized shares and the individual limitations set forth above, and the Committee may, but need not, make adjustments in the case of other changes. In the event of certain fundamental changes, such as a merger or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, the Committee may provide for assumption of outstanding awards by the successor entity or cash-out stock options and stock appreciation rights based on the consideration to be received by shareholders in the fundamental change transaction.

Unless otherwise provided in an award agreement, the plan provides for single-trigger acceleration of any awards that are not assumed or replaced in a change-in-control, and double-trigger acceleration if the awards are assumed or replaced. Double-trigger acceleration requires both a change-in-control and the participant’s employment terminating without “cause” or for “good reason”. For this purpose, “cause” is defined in any agreement with the participant or otherwise means the participant’s deliberate and serious disloyal or dishonest conduct in the course of employment that justifies and results in prompt discharge under our policies and practices. A termination is for “good reason” if the participant’s position, authority, duties or responsibilities are significantly diminished, the participant’s compensation, incentive opportunities or aggregate employee benefits are reduced, or if the participant is required to work at a place that is more than 40 miles from the participant’s principal work site prior to the change-in-control.

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Options and stock appreciation rights become exercisable if the termination occurs within two years of the change-in-control. Restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards have double-trigger pro-rata acceleration based on the number of months that have elapsed in the applicable restriction or performance period prior to the termination of employment following the change-in-control as a fraction of the number of months in the restriction or performance period. In the case of performance awards, the awards will assume a goal payout following a change-in-control, which will be subject to the proration. The 2015 Plan Restatement also contains a provision that ensures a participant does not receive fewer shares due to termination following a change-in-control than he or she would have received as a result of a similar termination absent a change-in-control.

Term. The plan has a 10-year term from the 2011 Plan’s original approval date that will expire on March 9, 2021 or any earlier termination of the plan by the Board or the distribution of all shares under the plan.

Amendment or Termination. The Board may terminate or amend the plan at any time, except that shareholder approval is required for any amendment that requires shareholder approval under the rules of the NYSE. Except as required by law, termination or amendment of the plan may not materially impair the rights of any participant without his or her consent. In addition, no “underwater” option or stock appreciation right may be repriced in any manner (except for anti-dilution adjustments) without shareholder approval.

Withholding. Distributions under the plan are subject to any required withholding taxes and other withholdings. The plan provides that we may require a participant to pay cash to cover required withholdings or pay part or all of the withholdings by having shares of common stock withheld or by tendering already owned shares of common stock having a market value equal to the required withholding.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES

The following summary constitutes a brief overview of the principal U.S. Federal income tax consequences relating to awards that may be granted under the plan based upon current tax laws. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and does not describe state, local, or foreign tax consequences.

Non-Qualified Stock Options. A participant will realize no taxable income at the time a non-qualified option is granted under the plan, but generally at the time such non-qualified option is exercised, the participant will realize ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the option exercise price. Upon a disposition of those shares, the difference between the amount received and the fair market value on the date of exercise will generally be treated as a long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period of the shares. We will generally be entitled to a deduction for Federal income tax purposes at the same time and in the same amount as the participant is considered to have realized ordinary income in connection with the exercise of a non-qualified option.

Incentive Stock Options. A participant will realize no taxable income, and we will not be entitled to any related deduction, at the time any incentive stock option is granted. If certain employment and holding period conditions are satisfied, then no taxable income will result upon the exercise of such option and we will not be entitled to any deduction in connection with that exercise. Upon disposition of the shares after expiration of the statutory holding periods, any gain realized by a participant will be taxed as long-term capital gain and any loss sustained will be long-term capital loss, and we will not be entitled to a deduction in respect to such disposition. While no ordinary taxable income is recognized at exercise (unless there is a “disqualifying disposition”, see below), the excess of the fair market value of the shares over the option exercise price is a preference item that is recognized for alternative minimum tax purposes.

Except in the event of death, if shares acquired by a participant upon the exercise of an incentive stock option are disposed of by such participant before the expiration of the statutory holding periods (i.e., a “disqualifying disposition”), such participant will be considered to have realized as compensation taxed as ordinary income in the year of such disposition an amount, not exceeding the gain realized on such disposition, equal to the difference between the option price and the fair market value of such shares on the date of exercise of such option. Generally any gain realized on the disposition in excess of the amount treated as compensation or any loss realized on the disposition will constitute capital gain or loss, respectively. If a participant makes a “disqualifying disposition,” generally in the fiscal year of such “disqualifying disposition,” we will be allowed a deduction for Federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to the compensation realized by such participant.

If the participant pays the option price with shares that were originally acquired pursuant to the exercise of an incentive stock option and the statutory holding periods for such shares have not been met, the optionee will be treated for tax purposes as having made a “disqualifying disposition” of such shares.

Exercise with Shares. An optionee who pays the purchase price upon exercise of an option, in whole or in part, by delivering already owned shares of our common stock will generally not recognize gain or loss on the shares surrendered at the time of such delivery, except under certain circumstances relating to incentive stock options. Rather, such gain or loss recognition will generally occur upon disposition of the shares acquired in substitution for the shares surrendered.

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SARs. A grant of SARs has no federal income tax consequences at the time of grant. Upon the exercise of SARs, the value of the shares and cash received is generally taxable to the grantee as ordinary income, and we generally will be entitled to a corresponding tax deduction.

Restricted Stock. A participant receiving restricted stock under the plan may be taxed in one of two ways: the participant (a) pays tax when the restrictions lapse, or (b) makes a special election to pay tax in the year the grant is made. At either time, the value of the award for tax purposes is the excess of the fair market value of the shares at that time over the amount (if any) paid for the shares. This value is taxed as ordinary income and is subject to income tax withholding. We receive a tax deduction at the same time and for the same amount taxable to the participant. If a participant elects to be taxed at grant, then, when the restrictions lapse, there will be no further tax consequences attributable to the awarded stock until disposition of the stock.

Restricted Stock Units. In general, no taxable income is realized by a participant in the plan upon the grant of a restricted stock unit award. Such participant generally would include in ordinary income the fair market value of the award of stock at the time shares of stock are delivered to the participant. We generally will be entitled to a tax deduction at the time and in the amount that the participant recognizes ordinary income.

Performance Shares. The participant will not realize income when a performance share is granted, but will realize ordinary income when shares and cash are transferred to the participant. The amount of such income will be equal to the fair market value of such transferred shares on the date of transfer and the cash received in lieu of shares. We will be entitled to a deduction for Federal income tax purposes at the same time and in the same amount as the participant is considered to have realized ordinary income as a result of the transfer of shares and cash to the participant.

Performance Units. In general, no taxable income is realized by a participant in the plan upon the grant of performance units. At the time of payment, such participant generally would include in ordinary income the dollar amount received with respect to the performance units and the fair market value of any shares of common stock delivered. We generally will be entitled to a tax deduction with respect to the amounts paid at the time that the participant recognizes ordinary income.

Section 162(m) Limit. The plan is intended to enable us to provide certain forms of performance-based compensation to executive officers that will meet the requirements for tax deductibility under Section 162(m). Section 162(m) provides that, subject to certain exceptions, we may not deduct compensation paid to any one of certain executive officers in excess of $1 million in any one year. Section 162(m) excludes certain performance-based compensation from the $1 million limitation.

NEW PLAN BENEFITS

As described above, the Committee, in its discretion, will select the participants who receive awards and the size and types of those awards, if the plan is approved by shareholders. It is, therefore, not possible to predict the awards that will be made to particular individuals or groups under the plan. Performance shares awarded to the named executive officers in fiscal 2014 under the 2011 Plan are set forth in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2014 table. The value of restricted stock awarded to non-employee directors in fiscal 2014 under the 2011 Plan are set forth in the Director Compensation table.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL OF THE AMENDED AND RESTATED TARGET CORPORATION 2011 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN.

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ITEM FIVESHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL TO ADOPT A POLICY FOR AN INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN

Questions and answers about our Annual Meeting and voting

 

John Chevedden, 2215 Nelson Avenue, No. 205, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, who held more than $2,000
1.What is the purpose of shares of common stock on January 7, 2015, intends to submit the following resolution to shareholders for approval at the 2015 annual meeting (the language belowour Annual Meeting?

Our Annual Meeting provides shareholders with the opportunity to act upon the items of business described in the accompanying Notice of 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In addition, the Annual Meeting serves as a forum where our management reports on Target’s performance and governance during fiscal 2016 and responds to questions from shareholders.

2.What is included in the “Resolution” and “Shareholder’s Supporting Statement” is reproduced without alteration):proxy materials?

The proxy materials for our Annual Meeting include the accompanying Notice of 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, this proxy statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 28, 2017 (Annual Report). If you received a paper copy of these materials, the proxy materials also include a proxy card or voting instruction form.

 

RESOLUTION
3.What is a proxy and what is a proxy statement?

A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the shares you own. The person you designate is called a proxy or proxy holder. If you designate someone as your proxy in a written document, that document also is called a proxy or a proxy card. Any proxy may be revoked at any time prior to completion of voting at the Annual Meeting by delivering either a proper written notice of revocation of your proxy or a later-dated proxy to our Corporate Secretary, 1000 Nicollet Mall, TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403. We have designated three of our officers as proxies for the Annual Meeting—Brian C. Cornell, Cathy R. Smith and Don H. Liu. A proxy statement is the document that contains the information the SEC rules require us to provide when we ask you to sign a proxy designating individuals to vote on your behalf.

 

Proposal 5 – Independent Board Chairman

RESOLVED: The shareholders request our Board of Directors to adopt as policy, and amend the bylaws as necessary, to require the Chair of the Board of Directors, whenever possible, to be an independent member of the Board. The Board would have the discretion to phase in this policy for the next CEO transition, implemented so it did not violate any existing agreement. If the Board determines that a Chair who was independent when selected is no longer independent, the Board shall select a new Chair who satisfies the requirements of the policy within a reasonable amount of time. Compliance with this policy is waived if no independent director is available and willing to serve as Chair.

SHAREHOLDER’S SUPPORTING STATEMENT

When our CEO is our board chairman, this arrangement can hinder our board’s ability to monitor our CEO’s performance. Many companies already have an independent Chairman. An independent Chairman
4.What is the prevailing practice in the United Kingdom and many international markets. This proposal topic won 50%-plus support at 5 major U.S. companies in 2013 including 73%-support at Netflix.

This topic is particularly important for Target since our Lead Director, James Johnson, is supposed to serve in a checks and balances role in regard to our new CEO/Chairman Brian Cornell. However, Mr. Clark [sic] had 19-years long-tenure  to compromise his independence and received our highest negatives votes – a whooping 36%.

Our clearly improvable corporate governance (as reported in 2014) is an added incentive to vote for this proposal:

GMI Ratings, an independent investment research firm, rated our board D. Seven of our 10 directors received 19% to 36% in negative votes in 2014. This included every member of our audit committee and half our executive pay committee.

Anne Mulcahy and Roxanne Austin were potentially over extended with 4 or 5 director seats each on public companies. Plus Ms. Mulcahy (36% in negative votes) and Ms. Austin (21% in negative votes) were assigned to our audit committee which is the most demanding committee assignment.

GMI said multiple related party transactions and other potential conflicts of interest involving our company’s board or senior managers should be reviewed in greater depth. Two shareholder actions were filed against Target directors and officers following a major data breach, alleging that they failed to ensure Target had adequate data security and that they made false and misleading statements and failed to take adequate steps to protect Target in the wake of the breach, April 2014.

Returning to the core topic of this proposal from the context of our clearly improvable corporate governance, please vote to protect shareholder value:

Independent Board Chairman – Proposal 5

POSITION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors has considered this proposal and continues to believe that its adoption at this time is not in the best interests of Target or our shareholders. The Board believes that any decision to maintain a combined Chair/CEO role or to separate these roles should be based on the specific circumstances of a corporation, the independence and capabilities of its directors, and the leadership provided by its CEO. The Board does not believe that separating the roles of Chair and CEO should be mandated or that such a separation would, by itself, deliver additional benefit for shareholders. The Board prefers to maintain the flexibility to determine which leadership structure best serves the interests of Target based on the circumstances. The Board regularly reevaluates its Board leadership structuredifference between holding shares as part of the Board evaluation process described under “Board Evaluations” on page 18.

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The Board believes that its current leadership structure and governance practices allow it to provide effective, independent oversight of our company. Specifically:

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines require us to have a Lead Independent Director with significant responsibilities that are described in detail on pages 11-12 whenever the roles of Chair and CEO are combined, as they are currently.
Our Lead Independent Director is elected annually by the independent, non-management directors, and that position transitioned to Doug Baker in March 2015.
Independent directors meet frequently in executive sessions that are presided over by our Lead Independent Director with no members of management present. Independent directors use these executive sessions to discuss matters of concern as well as any matter they deem appropriate, including evaluation of the CEO and senior management, management succession planning, matters to be included on board agendas, board informational needs and board effectiveness.
The Chairpersons—and all members—of the Audit, Nominating & Governance, and Compensation Committees are independent directors. These Board committee chairpersons determine matters to be discussed and materials to be evaluated in the areas covered by their respective committee charters.

As explained under “Board Leadership Structure” on page 11 of this proxy statement, during the past year the Board supplemented its review of its leadership structure with the assistance of a third-party organizational consultant. The additional review was primarily driven by two events. First, the same shareholder submitted this proposal at our 2014 Annual Meeting and it received approximately 46% support of the shares voted. Second, we hired a new CEO. At the time the Board was engaged in its comprehensive CEO search, the Board made it clear that a decision of whether to combine the Chair and CEO roles would be candidate-specific. The Board concluded that Mr. Cornell’s 30 years of relevant experience, including his CEO and public company board experience, provide the proper leadership qualifications and sensitivity to the different roles of management and the Board. The Board worked directly with the third-party organizational consultant to review its leadership structure, organization and functioning in arriving at an optimal leadership structure. This review included discussion of the academic studies that compare an independent chair model with a combined chair/CEO model and the attributes necessary in a Lead Independent Director to foster strong independent leadership if the chair/CEO roles are combined.

The Board’s decision to offer Mr. Cornell both the Chairman and CEO positions is also expected to serve Target’s goals by allowing Mr. Cornell to coordinate the development, articulation and execution of a unified strategy at the Board and management levels. The Board has maintained its view that Target should have the flexibility to determine whether to combine or separate the roles of chair and CEO. Through shareholder engagement meetings following Mr. Cornell’s appointment, we concluded that, although shareholders expressed different views on their preferred leadership structure, there was no prevailing theme on a preferred structure for Target Corporation. The Board is committed to continuing to seek shareholder feedback on its approach as part of its ongoing shareholder outreach efforts, and will continue to reassess its approach to this issue on a regular basis.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “AGAINST” THE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL TO ADOPT A POLICY FOR AN INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN.

ITEM SIXSHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL TO ADOPT A POLICY PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION “AGAINST” OR “FOR” PERSONS

Thomas Strobhar, 3183 Beaver Vu Drive, Ste. A, Beavercreek, Ohio 45434, who held more than $2,000 of shares of common stock on January 14, 2015, intends to submit the following resolution to shareholders for approval at the 2015 annual meeting (the language below in the “Resolution” and “Shareholder’s Supporting Statement” is reproduced without alteration):

RESOLUTION

The shareholders request the Board of Directors to institute the following policy:

There shall be no discrimination against or discrimination for persons based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation in hiring, vendor contracts or customer relations, except where required by law.

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SHAREHOLDER’S SUPPORTING STATEMENT

“The best way to stop discrimination on the basis of race, is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”- John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Our country was founded on the principal of equality. Thousands of Americans have given their “last full measure of devotion” for this principal. We dishonor them by continuing practices that are inherently discriminatory. We cannot discriminate “for” a particular group of persons, for whatever reason, without discriminating “against” another group. Let us resolve to commit our company to true equality.

POSITION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

This shareholder submitted this same proposal at the 2014 Annual Meeting and it received just over 3% support. The Board of Directors has reconsidered this proposal in light of that result and continues to believe its adoption at this time is not in the best interests of Target or our shareholders because we already have policies and practices that the Board believes and, based on last year’s voting results, our shareholders believe substantially address the proposal. Our existing equal opportunity policy provides that our employment practices will be implemented without regard to race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, military status, genetic information or any other basis protected by federal, state or local fair employment practice laws. In addition, our Standards of Vendor Engagement require our vendors to comply with local laws and seek to eliminate workplace discrimination based on race, gender, personal characteristics or beliefs.

Our policies and practices comply with and are permitted by law, but the proposal seeks to limit our policies and practices to only thoserequired by law. The Board believes that arbitrarily limiting our legally permissible activities would put the company at a competitive disadvantage. In particular, the Board believes the proposal would interfere with our ability to tailor our employment, benefits and sourcing policies and to attract and retain a diverse workforce and vendor base.

At the heart of our company are the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of our more than 347,000 Target team members. The diversity of our team fosters a unique, inclusive culture that is collaborative, dynamic and guided by our shared commitment to delivering outstanding results. The market insight, community building and commitment of our African American, Asian American, Hispanic, LGBTA, Women’s and Military Business Councils help make Target a great place to work and inform business decisions that create a competitive advantage. Our Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion leads a team that works to integrate the Business Councils with our company-wide diversity strategy.

We also believe it is important that our stores and merchandise reflect the communities in which we operate. As a result, we actively recruit and engage diverse suppliers and business partners through meaningful participation in national and local organizations focused on diverse business development. In addition, we extend this commitment to our involvement in many innovative programs, partnerships and sponsorships that share our objective of fostering an inclusive culture. We care about the needs of the communities we serve, and embrace their diversity through our support. Information regarding our diversity programs is located atwww.target.com/diversity.

We believe the Board and management are in the best position to determine the most effective approach to hiring, vendor contracts and customer relations, while complying with all applicable laws. For these reasons, we believe that adopting this proposal would not be in the best interests of Target or its shareholders.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “AGAINST” THE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL TO ADOPT A POLICY PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION “AGAINST” OR “FOR” PERSONS.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

1.WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF OUR ANNUAL MEETING?

Our Annual Meeting provides shareholders with the opportunity to act upon the items of business described in the accompanying Notice of 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In addition, the Annual Meeting serves as a forum where our management reports on Target’s performance during fiscal 2014 and responds to questions from shareholders.

2.WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROXY MATERIALS?

The proxy materials for our 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders include the accompanying Notice of 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, this proxy statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2015 (Annual Report). If you received a paper copy of these materials, the proxy materials also include a proxy card or voting instruction form.

3.WHAT IS A PROXY AND WHAT IS A PROXY STATEMENT?

A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the shares you own. The person you designate is called a proxy or proxy holder. If you designate someone as your proxy in a written document, that document also is called a proxy or a proxy card. Any proxy may be revoked at any time prior to completion of voting at the Annual Meeting by delivering either a proper written notice of revocation of your proxy or a later-dated proxy to our Corporate Secretary, 1000 Nicollet Mall, TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403. We have designated three of our officers as proxies for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareowners—Brian C. Cornell, John J. Mulligan and Timothy R. Baer. A proxy statement is the document that contains the information the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules require us to provide when we ask you to sign a proxy designating individuals to vote on your behalf.

4.WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOLDING SHARES AS A REGISTERED SHAREHOLDER AND AS A BENEFICIAL OWNER?

If your shares are registered directly in your name with Target’s transfer agent, Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, you are considered a registered shareholder and as a beneficial owner?

If your shares are registered directly in your name with Target’s transfer agent, Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, you are considered a registered shareholder with respect to those shares. If your shares are held through a broker, trustee, bank or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of those shares.

5.Who may vote and what constitutes a quorum for the Annual Meeting?

Only registered shareholders or beneficial owners holding our outstanding shares at the close of business on the record date, April 17, 2017, are entitled to receive notice of the Annual Meeting and to vote. Target common stock is the only class of voting shares we have outstanding. Each share of common stock will have one vote for each director nominee and one vote on each item of business to be voted on. As of the record date, 551,601,217 shares of our common stock were outstanding.

 

5.WHO MAY VOTE AND WHAT CONSTITUTES A QUORUM FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING?

Only registered shareholders or beneficial owners holding our outstanding shares at the close of business on the record date, April 13, 2015, are entitled to receive notice of the Annual Meeting and to vote. Target common stock is the only class of voting shares we have outstanding. Each share of common stock will have one vote for each director nominee and one vote on each item of business to be voted on. As of the record date, 639,121,710 shares of our common stock were outstanding.

We need a quorum to be able to hold the Annual Meeting. The presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of our common stock outstanding on the record date will constitute a quorum. Proxies received but marked as abstentions and broker non-votes will be included in the calculation of the number of shares considered to be present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum.

 

We need a quorum to be able to hold the Annual Meeting. The presence at the meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of our common stock outstanding on the record date will constitute a quorum. Proxies received but marked as abstentions and broker non-votes will be included in the calculation of the number of shares considered to be present at the meeting for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum.

6.HOW DO I VOTE?
6.How do I vote?

 

Depending on how you hold your shares, you have up to three options for voting in advance:

 

Internet.If you are a registered shareholder or a beneficial owner holding shares through the Target 401(k) Plan you may vote through the Internet by going to the website identified on your proxy card or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (Notice) entering the Control Number found on your proxy card or Notice and following the instructions on the website. If you are a beneficial owner holding shares outside of Target’s 401(k) Plan you may vote through the Internet if your broker, trustee, bank or nominee makes that method available by going to the website identified on your voter instruction form or Notice, entering the Control number found on the voter instruction form or Notice and following the instructions on that website. Internet voting is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week up to the deadline. The Internet voting deadline for shares held by a beneficial owner through the Target 401(k) Plan is 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 8, 2015.12, 2017. For all registered shareholders or other beneficial owners, the deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 9, 2015.13, 2017.

 

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Telephone.If you are a registered shareholder or a beneficial owner holding shares through the Target 401(k) Plan you may vote by touch-tone telephone by either calling the toll-free number identified on your proxy card or, after viewing the proxy materials on the website provided in your Notice, calling the toll-free number for telephone voting identified on the website, and following the recorded instructions during the call. If you are a beneficial owner holding shares outside of the Target 401(k) Plan you may vote by touch-tone telephone if your broker, trustee, bank or nominee makes that method available by either calling the toll-free number identified on your voter instruction form or, after viewing the proxy materials on the website provided in your Notice, calling the toll-free number for telephone voting identified on that website, and following the recorded instructions during the call. Telephone voting is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week up to the deadline. The telephone voting deadline for shares held by a beneficial owner through the Target 401(k) Plan is 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 8, 2015.12, 2017. For all registered shareholders or other beneficial owners, the deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 9, 2015.

Mail.If you are a registered shareholder or a beneficial owner holding shares through the Target 401(k) Plan you may vote by completing, properly signing and mailing a written proxy card. If you are a beneficial owner holding shares outside of the Target 401(k) Plan you may vote by completing, properly signing and mailing a written voter instruction form. If you did not receive a proxy card or voter instruction form by mail, you must request a written copy of the proxy materials, which will include a proxy card or voter instruction form, by visitingwww.proxyvote.com, dialing 1-800-579-1639 or emailing sendmaterial@proxyvote.com. If requesting a written copy of the proxy materials, please be prepared to provide your control number, which can be found in your Notice. Those shareholders voting by mail should return their proxy card or voter instruction form promptly to ensure it is received before the date of the Annual Meeting or, for participants in the Target 401(k) Plan, by 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 8, 2015.13, 2017.
Mail.If you are a registered shareholder or a beneficial owner holding shares through the Target 401(k) Plan you may vote by completing, properly signing and mailing a written proxy card. If you are a beneficial owner holding shares outside of the Target 401(k) Plan you may vote by completing, properly signing and mailing a written voter instruction form. If you did not receive a proxy card or voter instruction form by mail, you must request a written copy of the proxy materials, which will include a proxy card or voter instruction form, by visitingwww.proxyvote.com, dialing 1-800-579-1639 or emailing sendmaterial@proxyvote.com. If requesting a written copy of the proxy materials, please be prepared to provide your control number, which can be found in your Notice. Those shareholders voting by mail should return their proxy card or voter instruction form promptly to ensure it is received before the date of the Annual Meeting or, for participants in the Target 401(k) Plan, by 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 12, 2017.

 

In addition, you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting if you follow these procedures:

 

In Person.If you are a registered shareholder you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting, unless you have legally appointed another proxy to vote on your behalf and not revoked that appointed proxy. If you are a beneficial owner you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting if you have obtained a legal proxy from your broker, trustee, bank or nominee. Please note that if you are a beneficial owner and request a legal proxy, any previously executed proxy will be revoked, and your vote will not be counted unless you appear at the meetingAnnual Meeting and vote in person or legally appoint another proxy to vote on your behalf. Registered shareholders and beneficial owners planning to attend the meetingAnnual Meeting and vote in person must follow the instructions provided in Question 12 “How can I attend the Annual Meeting?” on page 85.

7.WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO VOTE OR IF OTHER MATTERS ARE PRESENTED FOR DETERMINATION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING?63.

7.What happens if I do not provide instructions on how to vote or if other matters are presented for determination at the Annual Meeting?

 

If you are a registered shareholder and return your proxy card without instructions, the persons named as proxy holders on the proxy card will vote in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors.

 

If you are a beneficial owner, you generally cannot vote your shares directly and must instead instruct your broker, trustee, bank or nominee how to vote your shares using the voting instruction form provided by that intermediary. If you do not provide voting instructions, whether your shares can be voted by your broker, bank or nominee depends on the type of item being considered.

 

Non-Discretionary Items.If you do not provide voting instructions for any of the non-discretionary items at the Annual Meeting, your broker, bank or nominee cannot vote your shares, resulting in a “broker non-vote.” All items of business other than Item 2 (Ratification of Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm) are non-discretionary items. Shares constituting broker non-votes will be counted as present for the purpose of determining a quorum at the Annual Meeting, but generally are not counted or deemed to be present in person or by proxy for the purpose of voting on any of the non-discretionary items.

Discretionary Items.Even if you do not provide voting instructions, your broker, bank or nominee may vote in its discretion on Item 2 (Ratification of Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm) because it is a discretionary item.

 

If you hold shares through a trust, whether your trustee can vote your shares if you do not provide voting instructions depends on the agreement governing the trust holding your shares. Voting for shares held in the Target 401(k) Plan is detailed in the following Question 8 “How will shares in the Target 401(k) Plan be voted?”.

 

As of the date of this proxy statement, we know of no matters that will be presented for determination at the Annual Meeting other than those referred to in this proxy statement. If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting other than those referred to in this proxy statement. If any other matters properly come before the meeting calling for a vote of shareholders, proxy holders will vote as recommended by the Board of Directors or, if no recommendation is given, in their own discretion.

 

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8.HOW WILL SHARES IN THE TARGET 401(K) PLAN BE VOTED?

This proxy statement is being used to solicit voting instructions from participantsHow will shares in the Target 401(k) plan be voted?

This proxy statement is being used to solicit voting instructions from participants in the Target 401(k) Plan with respect to shares of our common stock that are held by the trustee of the plan for the benefit of plan participants. If you are a plan participant and also own other shares as a registered shareholder or beneficial owner, you will separately receive proxy materials to vote those other shares you hold outside of the Target 401(k) Plan. If you are a plan participant, you must instruct the plan trustee to vote your shares by utilizing one of the methods described on the voting instruction form that you receive in connection with your shares held in the plan. If you do not give voting instructions, the trustee generally will vote the shares allocated to your personal account in proportion to the instructions actually received by the trustee from participants who give voting instructions.

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9.What items are being voted upon, how does the board recommend that I vote, and what are the standards for determining whether any item has been approved?

Item of businessBoard
recommendation
Voting approval
standard
Effect of
abstention
Effect of
broker
non-vote
Item 1: Election of 12 DirectorsFOR
each Director Nominee
More votes “FOR” than “AGAINST”No effectNo effect
Item 2: Ratification of Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmFORMajority of shares presentand entitled to vote(1)Vote AgainstNot
applicable
Item 3: Advisory Approval of Executive CompensationFORMore votes “FOR” than “AGAINST”No effectNo effect
Item 4: Advisory Approval of the Frequency of Say on Pay Votes1 YEARFrequency that receives the greatest number of votesNo effectNo effect
Item 5: Approval of the Target 401(k) Plan. If you are a plan participant, you must instruct the plan trusteeCorporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive PlanFORMajority of shares presentand entitled to vote your shares by utilizing one(1)Vote AgainstNo effect(2)

(1)This amount must be at least a majority of the methods described onminimum number of shares entitled to vote that would constitute a quorum. “Shares present” includes shares represented in person or by proxy at the voting instruction form that you receive in connection with your shares held inAnnual Meeting.
(2)If quorum cannot be established without including broker non-votes, then those broker non-votes required to establish a minimum quorum will have the plan. If you do not give voting instructions, the trustee generally will vote the shares allocated to your personal account in proportion to the instructions actually received by the trustee from participants who give voting instructions.

9.WHAT ITEMS ARE BEING VOTED UPON, HOW DOES THE BOARD RECOMMEND THAT I VOTE, AND WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER ANY ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED?same effect as votes “Against.”

 

EFFECT OF

An item of business will not be considered to be approved unless it meets the applicable Voting Approval Standard listed above. However, we believe in being responsive to shareholder input, and will consider whether there is majority opposition to management proposals or majority support for shareholder proposals (whether binding or non-binding) using a simple majority of more votes “FOR” than “AGAINST” in determining the level of support for purposes of the Board’s response.

10.May I vote confidentially?
BOARDVOTING APPROVALEFFECT OFBROKER
ITEM OF BUSINESSRECOMMENDATIONSTANDARDABSTENTIONNON-VOTE
Item 1: Election of 10 DirectorsFOR each Director NomineeMore votes “FOR” than “AGAINST”No effectNo effect
Item 2: Ratification of Appointmentof Ernst & Young LLP as IndependentRegistered Public Accounting FirmFORMajority of shares present and entitled to vote(1)Vote AgainstNot applicable
Item 3: Advisory Approval of ExecutiveCompensationFORMore votes “FOR” than “AGAINST”No effectNo effect
Item 4: Approval of Target CorporationAmended & Restated 2011 Long-TermIncentive PlanFORMajority of shares present and entitled to vote(1)Vote AgainstNo effect(2)
Item 5: Shareholder Proposal to Adopt aPolicy for an Independent ChairmanAGAINSTMajority of shares present and entitled to vote(1)Vote AgainstNo effect(2)
Item 6: Shareholder Proposal to Adopt aPolicy Prohibiting Discrimination “Against”or “For” PersonsAGAINSTMajority of shares present and entitled to vote(1)Vote AgainstNo effect(2)

(1)This amount must be at least a majority of the minimum number of shares entitled to vote that would constitute a quorum. “Shares present” includes shares represented in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting.

(2)If quorum cannot be established without including broker non-votes, then those broker non-votes required to establish a minimum quorum will have the same effect as votes “Against.”

10.MAY I VOTE CONFIDENTIALLY?

 

Subject to the described exceptions, where the shareholder has requested confidentiality on the proxy card, our policy is to treat all proxies, ballots and voting tabulations of a shareholder confidentially.

 

If you so request, your proxy will not be available for examination and your vote will not be disclosed prior to the tabulation of the final vote at the Annual Meeting, except (a) to meet applicable legal requirements, (b) to allow the independent election inspectors to count and certify the results of the vote, or (c) if there is a proxy solicitation in opposition to the Board of Directors, based upon an opposition proxy statement filed with the SEC. The independent election inspectors may at any time inform us whether or not a shareholder has voted.

11.May I change my vote?

Yes. Even after you have submitted your proxy, you may change your vote at any time by mailing a later-dated proxy card or by voting again via telephone or Internet before the applicable deadline—see the instructions under Question 6 “How do I vote?” on page 61. If you are a registered shareholder, you can also change your vote by attending the Annual Meeting in person and delivering a proper written notice of revocation of your proxy. Attendance at the Annual Meeting except (a) to meet applicable legal requirements, (b) to allow the independent election inspectors to count and certify the results of the vote, or (c) if there is a proxy solicitation in opposition to the Board of Directors, based upon an opposition proxy statement filed with the SEC. The independent election inspectors may at any time inform us whether or not a shareholder has voted.

11.MAY I CHANGE MY VOTE?

Yes. Even after you have submitted your proxy, you may change your vote at any time by mailing a later-dated proxy card or by voting again via telephone or Internet before the applicable deadline—see the instructions under Question 6 “How do I vote?” on page 82. If you are a registered shareholder, you can also change your vote by attending the meeting in person and delivering a proper written notice of revocation of your proxy. Attendance at the meeting will not by itself revoke a previously granted proxy.

 

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12.HOW CANHow can I ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING?

Only registered shareholders or beneficial owners of common stock holding shares at the close of business on the record date (April 13, 2015), or their duly appointed proxies, may attend the Annual Meeting. If you plan to attend the meeting,Meeting?

Only registered shareholders or beneficial owners of common stock holding shares at the close of business on the record date (April 17, 2017), or their duly appointed proxies, may attend the Annual Meeting. If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, you must:

 

Present a government-issued photo identification on the day of the Annual Meeting, such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID card, or passport, and

Establish proof of ownership using one of the following permitted methods:

ATTENDEEPERMITTED PROOF OF OWNERSHIP
RegisteredAnyone of the following:
ShareholderRegistered Shareholder List.Your name will be verified against our list of registered shareholders as of the record date;
Proxy Card.The proxy card that you received in the mail or, if you have already voted and returned your proxy card, the top part of the proxy card marked “Keep this Portion for Your Records”;
Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received in the mail containing a valid control number; or
Email with Voting Instructions.A copy of the email you received with instructions containing a link to the website where our proxy materials are available, a link to the proxy voting website and a valid control number.
Beneficial OwnerAnyone of the following:
through the TargetAccount Statement.Your account statement showing your share ownership as of the record date;
401(k) PlanProxy Card.The proxy card that you received in the mail or, if you have already voted and returned your proxy card, the top part of the proxy card marked “Keep this Portion for Your Records”;
Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received in the mail containing a valid control number;
Email with Voting Instructions.A copy of the email you received with instructions containing a link to the website where our proxy materials are available, a link to the proxy voting website and a valid control number;
Legal Proxy.A valid legal proxy containing a valid control number or a letter from a registered shareholder naming you as proxy; or
Letter from Intermediary.A letter from a broker, trustee, bank or nominee holding your shares confirming your ownership as of the record date.
Other BeneficialAnyone of the following:
OwnerAccount Statement.Your account statement showing your share ownership as of the record date;
Voting Instruction Form.The voting instruction form you received in the mail from your broker, trustee, bank or nominee holding your shares containing a valid control number;
Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received in the mail containing a valid control number;
Email with Voting Instructions.A copy of the email you received with instructions containing a link to the website where our proxy materials are available, a link to the proxy voting website and a valid control number;
Legal Proxy.A valid legal proxy containing a valid control number or a letter from a registered shareholder naming you as proxy; or
Letter from Intermediary.A letter from a broker, trustee, bank or nominee holding your shares confirming your ownership as of the record date.
GuestYou must be accompanied by a shareholder who pre-registered no later than June 5, 2015 by submitting a request to Target’s Investor Relations Department, providing proof of ownership and submitting your name as the shareholder’s guest. Only one guest is permitted per shareholder.

 

Any person who does not have identification and establish proof of ownership will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

We will decidein our sole discretionwhether the documentation you present for admission to the meeting meets the admission requirements. If you hold your shares in a joint account, both owners can be admitted to the meeting if proof of joint ownership is provided and you both provide identification.

To expedite the admission process we strongly encourage all shareholders wishing to attend the Annual meeting to pre-register by submitting their attendance request and proof of ownership to Target’s Investor Relations Department by email at investorrelations@ target.com or by telephone at (800) 775-3110. Pre-registration requests will be processed in the order in which they are received and must be received no later than June 5, 2015. Shareholders who wish to bring a guest must complete the pre-registration process and submit the guest’s name to Target’s Investor Relations Department by that deadline. Only one guest is permitted per shareholder.

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13.HOW WILL THE ANNUAL MEETING BE CONDUCTED?

Same-day registration and admittance will begin at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. We will have two separate lines, one for pre-registered attendees and one for same-day registering attendees. If you do not pre-register for the meeting, you should allow ample time for the same-day registration, as no attendees will be admitted after 8:10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Both pre-registered attendees and same-day registering attendees must present their identification to be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

An Annual Meeting program containing rules of conduct for the Annual Meeting will be provided to meeting attendees. The use of cameras, video and audio recording devices and other electronic devices at the Annual Meeting is prohibited, and such devices will not be allowed in the Annual Meeting or any other related areas, except by credentialed media. We realize that many cellular phones have built-in digital cameras, and while you may bring these phones into the venue, you may not use the camera function at any time.

Attendee Permitted proof of ownership Registered shareholder Any one of the following:•Registered Shareholder List. Your name will be verified against our list of registered shareholders as of the record date;•Proxy Card. The proxy card that you received in the mail or, if you have already voted and returned your proxy card, the top part of the proxy card marked “Keep this Portion for Your Records”;•Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received in the mail containing a valid control number; or •Email with Voting Instructions. A copy of the email you received with instructions containing a link to the website where our proxy materials are available, a link to the proxy voting website and a valid control number. Beneficial owner through the Target 401(K) plan Any one of the following:•Account Statement. Your account statement showing your share ownership as of the record date;•Proxy Card. The proxy card that you received in the mail or, if you have already voted and returned your proxy card, the top part of the proxy card marked “Keep this Portion for Your Records”;•Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received in the mail containing a valid control number;•Email with Voting Instructions. A copy of the email you received with instructions containing a link to the website where our proxy materials are available, a link to the proxy voting website and a valid control number;• Legal Proxy. A valid legal proxy containing a valid control number or a letter from a registered shareholder naming you as proxy; or • Letter from Intermediary. A letter from a broker, trustee, bank or nominee holding your shares confirming your ownership as of the record date. Other beneficial owner Any one of the following:•Account Statement. Your account statement showing your share ownership as of the record date;•Voting Instruction Form. The voting instruction form you received in the mail from your broker, trustee, bank or nominee holding your shares containing a valid control number;•Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you received in the mail containing a valid control number;•Email with Voting Instructions. A copy of the email you received with instructions containing a link to the website where our proxy materials are available, a link to the proxy voting website and a valid control number;• Legal Proxy. A valid legal proxy containing a valid control number or a letter from a registered shareholder naming you as proxy; or • Letter from Intermediary. A letter from a broker, trustee, bank or nominee holding your shares confirming your ownership as of the record date. Guest • You must be accompanied by a shareholder who pre-registered no later than June 9, 2017 by submitting a request to Target’s Investor Relations Department, providing proof of ownership and submitting your name as the shareholder’s guest.•Only one guest is permitted per shareholder. Authorized representative •Where the shareholder is an entity or the shareholder is unable to attend the Annual Meeting, the shareholder may have an authorized representative attend on that shareholder’s behalf.•A shareholder desiring to have an authorized representative attend on the shareholderfs behalf must pre-register that authorized representative no later than June 9, 2017 by submitting a request to Target’s Investor Relations Department, providing proof of the shareholder’s ownership, identifying the authorized representative and authorizing the authorized representative to attend the Annual Meeting on the shareholder’s behalf.•Only one authorized representative is permitted per shareholder.

 

14.HOW MAY I ACCESS OR RECEIVE THE PROXY MATERIALS, OTHER PERIODIC FILINGS, KEY CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS AND OTHER INFORMATION?

You can access our proxy statement and Annual Report, SEC filings, key corporate governance documents and other information in a number of different ways, free of charge:

Any person who does not have identification and establish proof of ownership will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

We will decide at our sole discretion whether the documentation you present for admission to the Annual Meeting meets the admission requirements. If you hold your shares in a joint account, both owners can be admitted to the Annual Meeting if proof of joint ownership is provided and you both provide identification.

To expedite the admission process we strongly encourage all shareholders wishing to attend the Annual Meeting to pre-register by submitting their attendance request and proof of ownership to Target’s Investor Relations Department by email at investorrelations@target.com or by telephone at (800) 775-3110. Pre-registration requests will be processed in the order in which they are received and must be received no later than June 9, 2017.

 

 
METHODS OF ACCESS
WEBSITEELECTRONIC DELIVERYHARD COPY
Proxy Materials
Proxy Statement

Annual Report
www.target.com/investors
Register to receive email alerts by   entering your email address under “Investor Email Alerts.”
Sign up atwww.target.com/investors  (hover over “company,” then click on “shareholder services” in the “investors” column and click on “Sign up for E-Delivery”)Contact Investor Relations:
Email
investorrelations@target.com
Phone
(800) 775-3110
Mail
Target Corporation
Attn: Investor Relations
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Online
www.target.com/investors
(hover over “company” then click on “shareholder services” in the “investors” column and click on “Request Materials”)
Other Information

Other Periodic Reports:

Forms 10-Q

Forms 8-K

www.target.com/investors
Register to receive email alerts by entering your email address under “Investor Email Alerts.”  
Contact Investor Relations:
Email
investorrelations@target.com
Contact Investor Relations:
Email
investorrelations@target.com
Phone

Corporate Governance   Documents:

Articles of Incorporation  

Bylaws

Corporate Governance   Guidelines

Board Committee Charters

Business Conduct Guide

www.target.com/investors
(hover over “company,” then click   on “corporate governance” in the   “investors” column)
(800) 775-3110
Mail
Target Corporation
Attn: Investor Relations
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Corporate Responsibility Reporthttps://corporate.target.com/corporate- responsibility
(click on “2013 Corporate Responsibility Report”)

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     86

2017 Proxy Statement64
15.WHAT IS HOUSEHOLDING?

We have adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called “householding.” Under this procedure, certain shareholders who have the same address and last name and do not participate in electronic delivery of proxy materials will receive only one copy of our annual report and proxy statement, unless one or more of these shareholders notifies us that they would like to continue to receive individual copies. This will reduce our printing costs and postage fees. Shareholders who participate in householding will continue to receive separate proxy cards. Also, householding will not in any way affect dividend check mailings.

If you and other shareholders with whom you share an address currently receive multiple copies of our annual report and/or proxy statement, or if you hold stock in more than one account, and in either case, you would like to receive only a single copy of the annual report or proxy statement for your household, please contact our Investor Relations Department by email, phone or mail using the information in the “Hard Copy” column of Question 14.

If you participate in householding and would like to receive a separate copy of our 2014 annual report or this proxy statement, please contact us in the manner described in the immediately preceding paragraph. We will deliver the requested documents to you promptly upon receipt of your request.

16.HOW ARE PROXIES BEING SOLICITED AND WHO PAYS THE RELATED EXPENSES?

Proxies are being solicited principally by mail, by telephone and through the Internet. In addition to sending you these materials, some of our directors and officers, as well as management employees, may contact you by telephone, mail, email or in person. You may also be solicited by means of news releases issued by Target, postings on our website,www.target.com and print advertisements. None of our officers or employees will receive any extra compensation for soliciting you. We have retained Georgeson Inc. to act as a proxy solicitor for a fee estimated to be $45,000, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. We will pay the expenses in connection with our solicitation of proxies.

17.HOW CAN I COMMUNICATE WITH TARGET’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS?

Shareholders and other interested parties seeking to communicate with any individual director or group of directors may send correspondence to Target Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, 1000 Nicollet Mall, TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 or may send an email to BoardOfDirectors@target.com, which is managed by the Corporate Secretary. The Corporate Secretary, in turn, has been instructed by the Board to forward all communications, except those that are clearly unrelated to Board or shareholder matters, to the relevant Board members.

18.HOW DO I SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR ACTION AT THE 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS?

Proposals by shareholders that are submitted for inclusion in our proxy statement for our 2016 Annual Meeting must follow the procedures provided in Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. To be timely under Rule 14a-8, they must be received by our Corporate Secretary by December 29, 2015. The contact information for our Corporate Secretary is Target Corporation, 1000 Nicollet Mall, Mail Stop TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403.

If a shareholder does not submit a proposal for inclusion in our proxy statement but does wish to propose an item of business to be considered at an annual meeting of shareholders (other than director nominations), that shareholder must give advance written notice of such proposal to our Corporate Secretary, which notice must be received at least 90 days prior to the anniversary of the most recent annual meeting. For our 2016 Annual Meeting, notice must be received by March 12, 2016, and must comply with all applicable statutes and regulations, as well as certain other provisions contained in our bylaws, which generally require the shareholder to provide a brief description of the proposed business, reasons for proposing the business and certain information about the shareholder and the Target securities held by the shareholder.

Under our bylaws, if a shareholder plans to nominate a person as a director at an annual meeting, the shareholder is required to place the proposed director’s name in nomination by written request received by our Corporate Secretary at least 90 days prior to the anniversary of the most recent annual meeting. Shareholder-proposed nominations for our 2016 Annual Meeting must be received by March 12, 2016, and must comply with all applicable statutes and regulations, as well as certain other provisions contained in our bylaws, which generally require the shareholder to provide certain information about the proposed director, the shareholder and the Target securities held by the shareholder.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     87

APPENDIX A

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES TO GAAP MEASURES

We report our financial results in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). We also use certain non-GAAP financial measures as part of our compensation program: (a) Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations, (b) Incentive EBIT, and (c) a non-GAAP measure of EPS for PSUs. Our reconciliation of those non-GAAP financial measures to our GAAP measures is included in this Appendix. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitution for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Other companies may calculate similar non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do, limiting the usefulness of the measure for comparisons with other companies.

ADJUSTED EPS FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS

We used a non-GAAP Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations reflecting operating results from our continuing operations, excluding the impact of the 2013 sale of our U.S. consumer credit card receivables portfolio, losses on early retirement of debt, net expenses related to the 2013 data breach and other matters presented in the following table. The most comparable GAAP measure is diluted earnings per share. Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations is disclosed on page 35 of the proxy statement under “Performance Highlights.”

                  
 (PER SHARE AMOUNTS) 2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  
 GAAP diluted earnings per share $4.00  $4.28  $4.52  $3.07  $(2.56) 
 GAAP diluted earnings per share from discontinued operations     (0.18)  (0.48)  (1.13)  (6.38) 
 GAAP diluted earnings per share from continuing operations $4.00  $4.46  $5.00  $4.20  $3.83  
 Adjustments(a)                     
 Loss on early retirement of debt     0.08      0.42   0.27  
 Data breach related costs, net of insurance receivable           0.02   0.15  
 Resolution of income tax matters     (0.12)  (0.09)  (0.03)  (0.06) 
 Gain on receivables transaction        (0.15)  (0.38)    
 Reduction of beneficial interest asset           0.09   0.05  
 Undeveloped land impairments           0.02   0.01  
 Card brand conversion costs              0.01  
 Health insurance incentive           0.02     
 Workforce reduction           0.02     
 Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations $4.00  $4.42  $4.76  $4.38  $4.27  
                       

Note: The sum of the adjustments may not equal the total adjustment amounts due to rounding.

(a)For more information on the types of adjustments we make, see “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures to GAAP Measures” on page 21 of our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2014.

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INCENTIVE EBIT

We used a non-GAAP Incentive EBIT metric that excludes incentive compensation expense and other matters presented in the following table. We believe excluding these items is useful for reflecting our core business operations and, in the case of excluding incentive compensation expense, to simplify the calculation of Incentive EBIT. The most comparable GAAP measure is Consolidated EBIT from Continuing Operations.

      
  2014 
 (MILLIONS)THRESHOLD GOAL 
 Consolidated GAAP EBIT from Continuing Operations$4,370 $4,559 
 Adjustments      
 Incentive Compensation Expense(a) 211  263 
 Incentive EBIT$ 4,581 $ 4,822 
        

Note: The sum of the adjustments may not equal the total adjustment amounts due to rounding.

(a)To simplify the calculation of Incentive EBIT, our Short-Term Incentive Program measures Incentive EBIT on a pre-incentive compensation expense basis.
(b)At the time the 2014 threshold and goal amounts were determined, there was uncertainty surrounding the amount of any data breach expense, so actual Incentive EBIT results excluded all data breach related expenses. In addition, Canadian Segment EBIT included in actual Incentive EBIT results were intended to be translated to U.S. dollars using a fixed exchange rate and excluded foreign currency exchange gains and losses. Actual Incentive EBIT results were well below threshold, and we did not achieve our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014 required to earn a payout under our Short-Term Incentive Program.

NON-GAAP MEASURE OF EPS FOR PSUs

We used a non-GAAP measure of EPS for PSUs that excludes our discontinued Canadian operations and other matters presented in the following table from our (a) fiscal 2014 PSU awards granted in January 2015 covering 2015-2017, and (b) our fiscal 2011 PSUs granted in March 2012 covering 2012-2014. The most comparable GAAP measure is diluted earnings per share. At the time the PSUs were granted in March 2012, our Canadian Segment had yet to start its retail operations. The Compensation Committee believed that starting Canadian retail operations in the middle of the 2012-2014 performance period would result in both inflated EPS and market share results compared to the beginning of the period. In order to prevent payouts from being similarly inflated, the PSUs were designed to exclude the impacts of our Canadian Segment from Target’s GAAP EPS and market share results for the 2012-2014 PSUs. The design also excluded the impact of the sale of our U.S. consumer credit card receivables portfolio because it did not reflect our core operations.

      
 (PER SHARE AMOUNTS) 2011(a)   2014(b)  
 GAAP diluted earnings per share$4.28  $(2.56) 
 GAAP diluted earnings per share from discontinued operations(c) (0.18)  (6.38) 
 GAAP diluted earnings per share from continuing operations$4.46  $3.83  
 Adjustments        
 Reduction of beneficial interest asset    0.05  
 Non-GAAP EPS for PSUs$4.46  $3.88  
          

Note: The sum of the adjustments may not equal the total adjustment amounts due to rounding.

(a)2011 is the baseline year for the fiscal 2011 PSU awards, which were forfeited because we did not achieve our 162(m) threshold for fiscal 2014 required to earn a payout for those awards. We include this reconciliation because we discuss on page 43 of the proxy statement what a payout would have been under the fiscal 2011 PSU awards if we had achieved our 162(m) threshold.
(b)2014 is the final year of the fiscal 2011 PSU awards and the baseline year for the fiscal 2014 PSU awards.
(c)Total Canadian losses consisting of Canadian Segment EBIT, interest expense and taxes allocated to the Canadian Segment based on income tax rates applicable to the operations of the segment for the period were intended to be excluded from Non-GAAP EPS for PSUs. With the decision to exit our Canadian operations, the exclusion of our Canadian losses is reflected in our GAAP diluted earnings per share from discontinued operations.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     89

APPENDIX B

AMENDED AND RESTATEDTARGET CORPORATION 2011 LONGTERM INCENTIVE PLAN (Adopted onMarch 9, 201111, 2015)

1.Purpose.

The purpose of the Plan is to advance the performance and long-term growth of the Company by offering long-term incentives to directors and employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries and such other Participants who the Committee determines will contribute to such performance and growth inuring to the benefit of the shareholders of the Company. This Plan is also intended to facilitate recruiting and retaining personnel of outstanding ability.

2.Definitions.

In this Plan, the following definitions will apply.

(a)“Agreement” means the written or electronic agreement containing the terms and conditions applicable to each Award granted under the Plan. An Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(b)“Award” means a grant made under the Plan in the form of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Performance Awards.

(c)“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(d)“Cause” means what the term is expressly defined to mean in a then-effective written agreement (including an Agreement) between a Participant and the Company or any Subsidiary, or in the absence of any such then-effective agreement or definition, a Participant’s deliberate and serious disloyal or dishonest conduct in the course of employment that justifies and results in prompt discharge for specific cause under the established policies and practices of the Company or one of its Subsidiaries. Examples of such deliberate and serious disloyal or dishonest conduct would include material unlawful conduct, material and conscious falsification or unauthorized disclosure of important records, embezzlement or unauthorized conversion of property, serious violation of conflict of interest or vender relations policies, and misuse or disclosure of significant trade secrets or other information likely to be of use to the detriment of the Company or its interests.

(e)“Change in Control” means, unless otherwise provided in an Agreement, one of the following:

(1)Individuals who are Continuing Directors cease for any reason to constitute 50% or more of the directors of the Company; or

(2)30% or more of the outstanding voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company is acquired or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by any Person, other than an entity resulting from a Business Combination in which clauses (x) and (y) of Section 2(e)(3) apply; or

(3)the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity, a statutory share exchange, a sale or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or a similar business combination (each, a “Business Combination”), in each case unless, immediately following such Business Combination, (x) all or substantially all of the beneficial owners (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of the Company’s Voting Stock immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 60% of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of voting stock (or comparable voting equity interests) of the surviving or acquiring entity resulting from such Business Combination (including such beneficial ownership of an entity that, as a result of such transaction, owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries), in substantially the same proportions (as compared to the other beneficial owners of the Company’s Voting Stock immediately prior to such Business Combination) as their beneficial ownership of the Company’s Voting Stock immediately prior to such Business Combination, and (y) no Person beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 30% or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock (or comparable equity interests) of the surviving or acquiring entity (other than a direct or indirect parent entity of the surviving or acquiring entity, that, after giving effect to the Business Combination, beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 100% of the outstanding voting stock (or comparable equity interests) of the surviving or acquiring entity); or

(4)approval by the shareholders of a definitive agreement or plan to liquidate or dissolve the Company.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Award constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A, and if that Award provides for a change in the time or form of payment upon a Change in Control, then, solely for purposes of applying such change in the time or form of payment provision, a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred upon an event described in Section 2(e) only if the event would also constitute a change in ownership or effective control of, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of, the Company under Code Section 409A.

(f)“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time to time, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(g)“Committee” means two or more Non-Employee Directors designated by the Board to administer the Plan under Section 3, each member of which shall be (i) an independent director within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange, (ii) a non-employee director within the meaning of Exchange Act Rule 16b-3, and (iii) an outside director for purposes of Code Section 162(m).

(h)“Company” means Target Corporation, a Minnesota corporation, or any successor thereto.

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(i)“Continuing Director” means an individual (A) who is, as of the effective date of the Plan, a director of the Company, or (B) who becomes a director of the Company after the effective date hereof and whose initial appointment, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by at least a majority of the then Continuing Directors; provided, however, that any individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened contested election by any Person (other than the Board of Directors) seeking the election of such nominee in which the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected shall not be a Continuing Director.

(j)“Disability” means, unless provided otherwise in an Agreement, total and permanent disability.

(k)“Employee” means an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary.

(l)“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect from time to time, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(m)“Fair Market Value” of a Share:

(1)Solely for purposes of determining the exercise price of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, “Fair Market Value” of a Share on any date is the Volume Weighted Average Price for such Share as reported for such stock by Bloomberg L.P. on such date, or in the absence of such report the Volume Weighted Average Price for such stock as reported for such stock by the New York Stock Exchange on such date or, if no sale has been recorded by Bloomberg L.P. or the New York Stock Exchange on such date, then on the last preceding date on which any such sale shall have been made in the order of primacy indicated above; or

(2)For all other purposes of the Plan except Section 11(c)(2)(ii), “Fair Market Value” of a Share shall be the amount determined by the Company using such criteria as it shall determine, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate for valuation.

(n)“Full Value Award” means an Award other than an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

(o)“Fundamental Change” means a (i) consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity, regardless of whether the Company is the surviving entity, (ii) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (iii) a statutory share exchange involving the capital stock of the Company, or (iv) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company.

(p)“Good Reason” means, for purposes of Section 11(b), any material diminution of the Participant’s position, authority, duties or responsibilities (including the assignment of duties materially inconsistent with the Participant’s position or a material increase in the time Participant is required by the Company or its successor to travel), any reduction in salary or in the Participant’s aggregate bonus and incentive opportunities, any material reduction in the aggregate value of the Participant’s employee benefits (including retirement, welfare and fringe benefits), or relocation to a principal work site that is more than 40 miles from the Participant’s principal work site immediately prior to the Change in Control.

(p)(q)“Grant Date” means the date on which the Committee approves the grant of an Award under the Plan, or such later date as may be specified by the Committee on the date the Committee approves the Award.

(q)(r)“Non-Employee Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee.

(r)(s)“Option” means a right granted under the Plan to purchase a specified number of Shares at a specified price. An “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option designated as such and granted in accordance with the requirements of Code Section 422. A “Non-Qualified Stock Option” means an Option other than an Incentive Stock Option.

(s)(t)“Participant” means a Service Provider to whom an Award is or has been made in accordance with the Plan.

(t)(u)“Performance Award” means a right to receive cash and/or Shares as determined by the Committee, subject to satisfying certain performance-based vesting conditions and other restrictions or limitations as may be set forth in this Plan and the applicable Agreement, which Award may be in the form of a number of shares (“Performance Shares”), a right to receive a number of Shares (“Performance Share Units”) or a cash amount (“Performance Units”), based in all cases on the extent to which the applicable performance-based vesting conditions are achieved. The Performance Award will typically set a nominal payout amount (which the Company refers to as the 100% payout), and such Award may provide for further variable payout amounts based on performance above or below the performance threshold corresponding to the nominal payout amount.

(u)(v)“Performance-Based Compensation” means an Award to a person who is, or is determined by the Committee to likely become, a “covered employee” (as defined in Section 162(m)(3) of the Code) and that is intended to constitute “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code.

(v)(w)“Person”, as used in Sections 2(e) and 2(i), means any individual, firm, corporation or other entity and shall include any group comprised of any person and any other person with whom such person or any affiliate or associate (as defined in Rule 14a-1(a) of the Exchange Act) of such person has any agreement, arrangement or understanding, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any capital stock of the Company.

(w)(x)“Plan” means this 2011 Target Corporation Long Term Incentive Plan, as amended and in effect from time to time.

(x)(y)“Prior Plan” means the Target Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended and restated on May 28, 2009), as may be amended from time to time.

(y)(z)“Restricted Stock” means Shares issued to a Participant that are subject to such restrictions on transfer, forfeiture conditions and other restrictions or limitations as may be set forth in this Plan and the applicable Agreement.

(z)(aa)“Service” means the provision of services by a Participant to the Company or any Subsidiary in any Service Provider capacity. A Service Provider’s Service shall be deemed to have terminated either upon an actual cessation of actively providing services or upon the entity for which the Service Provider provides services ceasing to be a Subsidiary. Except as otherwise provided in this Plan or any Agreement, Service shall not be deemed terminated in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence or (ii) transfers among the Company and any Subsidiaries in the same Service Provider capacity; however, a termination shall occur if the relationship the Participant had with the Company or a Subsidiary at the Grant Date terminates, even if the Participant continues in another relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary.

(aa)(bb)“Service Provider” means an Employee, a Non-Employee Director, or any consultant or advisor who is a natural person and who provides services (other than in connection with (i) a capital-raising transaction or (ii) promoting or maintaining a market in Company securities) to the Company or any Subsidiary.

(bb)(cc)“Share” means a share of Stock.

2015 Proxy StatementTARGET CORPORATION     91

(cc)(dd)“Stock” means the common stock, $0.833 par value, of the Company.

(dd)(ee)“Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means the right to receive, in cash and/or Shares as determined by the Committee, an amount equal to the appreciation in value of a specified number of Shares between the Grant Date of the SAR and its exercise date.

(ee)(ff)“Restricted Stock Unit” means a right to receive, in cash and/or Shares as determined by the Committee, the Fair Market Value of a Share, subject to such restrictions on transfer, forfeiture conditions and other restrictions or limitations as may be set forth in this Plan and the applicable Agreement.

(ff)(gg)“Subsidiary” means any corporation or other entity (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations or entities beginning with the Company, in which each of the corporations or entities other than the last corporation or other entity in the unbroken chain owns stock or other voting securities possessing fifty percent or more of the total combined voting power in one of the other corporations or entities in such chain as determined at the point in time when reference is made to such “Subsidiary” in this Plan.

(gg)(hh)“Substitute Award” means an Award granted upon the assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, outstanding awards granted by a company or other entity acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines.

(hh)(ii)“Voting Stock” means all then-outstanding capital stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the Company.

3.Administration of the Plan.

(a)Administration. The authority to control and manage the operations and administration of the Plan shall be vested in the Committee in accordance with this Section 3.

(b)Scope of Authority. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority, in its discretion, to take such actions as it deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan, including:

(1)determining the Service Providers to whom Awards will be granted, the timing of each such Award, the types of Awards and the number of Shares covered by each Award, the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions and other provisions of Awards, and the manner in which Awards are paid or settled;

(2)cancelling or suspending an Award or the exercisability of an Award, accelerating the vesting or extending the exercise period of an Award, or otherwise amending the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award, subject to the requirements of Sections 14(d) and 14(e);

(3)establishing, amending or rescinding rules to administer the Plan, interpreting the Plan and any Award or Agreement made under the Plan, and making all other determinations necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan; and

(4)taking such actions as are described in Section 3(c) with respect to Awards to foreign Service Providers.

(c)Awards to Foreign Service Providers. The Committee may grant Awards to Service Providers who are foreign nationals, who are located outside of the United States or who are not compensated from a payroll maintained in the United States, or who are otherwise subject to (or could cause the Company or a Subsidiary to be subject to) legal or regulatory requirements of countries outside of the United States, on such terms and conditions different from those specified in the Plan as may, in the judgment of the Committee, be necessary or desirable to comply with applicable foreign laws and regulatory requirements and to promote achievement of the purposes of the Plan. The Committee may also modify the terms and conditions of such an Award to comply with applicable foreign laws or listing requirements, subject to compliance with the other provisions of the Plan. In connection therewith, the Committee may establish such subplans and modify exercise procedures and other Plan rules and procedures to the extent such actions are deemed necessary or desirable, and may take any other action that it deems advisable to obtain local regulatory approvals or to comply with any necessary local governmental regulatory exemptions.

(d)Acts of the Committee; Delegation. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Committee, and any act of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present or any act unanimously approved in writing by all members of the Committee shall be the act of the Committee. Any such action of the Committee shall be valid and effective even if the members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied all of the criteria for membership in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 2(g). To the extent not inconsistent with applicable law or stock exchange rules, the Committee may delegate all or any portion of its authority under the Plan to any one or more of its members or, as to Awards to Participants who are not subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, to one or more executive officers of the Company. The Committee may also delegate non-discretionary administrative responsibilities in connection with the Plan to such other persons as it deems advisable.

(e)Finality of Decisions. The Committee’s interpretation of the Plan and of any Award or Agreement made under the Plan and all related decisions or resolutions of the Board or Committee shall be final and binding on all parties with an interest therein.

4.Shares Available Under the Plan.

(a)Maximum Shares Available. Subject to Section 4(b) and to adjustment as provided in Section 11(a), the number of Shares that may be the subject of Awards and issued under the Plan shall be40,000,00060,000,000. After the effective date of the Plan, no additional awards may be granted under the Prior Plan. Shares issued under the Plan may come from authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares. In determining the number of Shares to be counted against this share reserve in connection with any Award, the following rules shall apply:

(1)Shares that are subject to Awards of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall be counted against the share reserve as one Share for every one Share granted.

(2)Shares that are subject to Full Value Awards shall be counted against the share reserve as two Shares for every one Share granted.

(3)Where the number of Shares subject to an Award is variable on the Grant Date, the number of Shares to be counted against the share reserve prior to the settlement of the Award shall be the maximum number of Shares that could be received under that particular Award.

(4)Where two or more types of Awards are granted to a Participant in tandem with each other, such that the exercise of one type of Award with respect to a number of Shares cancels at least an equal number of Shares of the other, the number of Shares to be counted against the share reserve shall be the largest number of Shares that would be counted against the share reserve under either of the Awards.

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(5)Substitute Awards shall not be counted against the share reserve, nor shall they reduce the Shares authorized for grant to a Participant in any thirty-six month period.

(b)Effect of Forfeitures and Other Actions. Any Shares subject to an Award, or to an award granted under the Prior Plan that is outstanding on the effective date of this Plan (a “Prior Plan Award”), that is forfeited or expires or is settled for cash shall, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration or cash settlement, again become available for Awards under this Plan, and the total number of Shares available for grant under Section 4(a) shall be correspondingly increased as provided in Section 4(c) below. The following Shares shall not, however, again become available for Awards or increase the number of Shares available for grant under Section 4(a): (i) Shares tendered by the Participant or withheld by the Company in payment of the purchase price of an option issued under this Plan or the Prior Plan, (ii) Shares tendered by the Participant or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation with respect to an Award or a Prior Plan Award, (iii) Shares repurchased by the Company with proceeds received from the exercise of an option issued under this Plan or the Prior Plan, and (iv) Shares subject to a Stock Appreciation Right issued under this Plan or the Prior Plan that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of that Stock Appreciation Right upon its exercise.

(c)Counting Shares Again Available. Each Share that again becomes available for Awards as provided in Section 4(b) shall increase the total number of Shares available for grant under Section 4(a) by (i) one Share if such Share was subject to an Option or Stock Appreciation Right under the Plan or a stock option or stock appreciation right under the Prior Plan, and (ii) two Shares if such Share was subject to a Full Value Award under the Plan or an award other than a stock option or stock appreciation right under the Prior Plan.

(d)Effect of Plans Operated by Acquired Companies. If a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by shareholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan. Awards using such available shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not Employees or Non-Employee Directors prior to such acquisition or combination.

(e)No Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the number of Shares subject to an Award shall always be a whole number. No fractional Shares may be issued under the Plan, but the Committee may, in its discretion, pay cash in lieu of any fractional Share in settlement of an Award.

5.General Terms of Awards.

(a)Award Agreement. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Agreement setting forth the number of Shares subject to the Award together with such other terms and conditions applicable to the Award (and not inconsistent with the Plan) as determined by the Committee. An Award to a Participant may be made singly or in combination with any form of Award. Two types of Awards may be made in tandem with each other such that the exercise of one type of Award with respect to a number of Shares reduces the number of Shares subject to the related Award by at least an equal amount.

(b)Vesting and Term. Each Agreement shall set forth the period until the applicable Award is scheduled to expire (which shall not be more than ten years from the Grant Date, provided that an Agreement may provide that the Award may continue for up to one year following termination of employment due to death), and any applicable performance period. The Committee may provide in an Agreement for such vesting conditions as it may determine, subject to the following limitations:

(1)A Full Value Award that vestssolelyas the result of the passage of time and continued Service by the Participant shall be subject to a vesting period of not less than three years from the applicable Grant Date (but permitting pro rata vesting over such vesting period); and

(2)A Full Value Award whose vesting is subject to the satisfaction of performance goals over a performance period shall be subject to a performance period of not less than one year.

The minimum vesting periods specified in clauses (1) and (2) above will not, however, apply: (i) to Awards made in payment of or exchange for other earned compensation (including performance-based Awards); (ii) upon a Change in Control; (iii) to termination of Service due to death, Disability or retirement; (iv) to a Substitute Award that does not reduce the vesting period of the award being replaced; (v) Awards made to Non-Employee Directors as part of their retainer; and (vi) Awards involving an aggregate number of Shares not in excess of 5% of the number of Shares available for Awards under Section 4(a).

(c)Transferability. Except as provided in this Section 5(c), (i) during the lifetime of a Participant, only the Participant or the Participant’s guardian or legal representative may exercise an Option or SAR, or receive payment with respect to any other Award; and (ii) no Award may be sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged or encumbered other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempted transfer in violation of this Section 5(c) shall be of no effect. The Committee may, however, provide in an Agreement or otherwise that an Award (other than an Incentive Stock Option) may be transferred pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order or may be transferable by gift to any “family member” (as defined in General Instruction A(5) to Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933) of the Participant. Any Award held by a transferee shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to that Award immediately before the transfer thereof. For purposes of any provision of the Plan relating to notice to a Participant or to acceleration or termination of an Award upon the death or termination of employment of a Participant, the references to “Participant” shall mean the original grantee of an Award and not any transferee.

(d)Designation of Beneficiary. Each Participant may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise any Award or receive a payment under any Award payable on or after the Participant’s death. Any such designation shall be on a written or electronic form approved by the Committee and shall be effective upon its receipt by the Company or an agent selected by the Company.

(e)Termination of Service. Unless otherwise provided in an Agreement, and subject to Section 11 of this Plan, if a Participant’s Service with the Company and all of its Subsidiaries terminates, the following provisions shall apply (in all cases subject to the scheduled expiration of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable):

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(1)Upon termination of Service for Cause, all unexercised Options and SARs and all unvested portions of any other outstanding Awards shall be immediately forfeited without consideration.

(2)Upon termination of Service for any other reason, all unvested and unexercisable portions of any outstanding Awards shall be immediately forfeited without consideration.

(3)Upon termination of Service for any reason other than Cause, death or Disability, the currently vested and exercisable portions of Options and SARs may be exercised for a period of 90 days (210 days if Participant would be subject to the provisions of Rule 16b of the Exchange Act on the date of termination) after the date of such termination. However, if a Participant thereafter dies during such 90-day (or 210-day) period, the vested and exercisable portions of the Options and SARs may be exercised for a period of one year after the date of such termination, but in no event later than the stated expiration date of the Option or SAR.

(4)Upon termination of Service due to death or Disability, the currently vested and exercisable portions of Options and SARs may be exercised for a period of one year after the date of such termination, which may, if so provided in an Agreement, extend beyond the stated expiration date of the Option or SAR.

(f)Rights as Shareholder. No Participant shall have any rights as a shareholder with respect to any securities covered by an Award unless and until the date the Participant becomes the holder of record of the Shares, if any, to which the Award relates.

(g)Performance-Based Awards. Any Award may be granted as a performance-based Award if the Committee establishes one or more measures of corporate, business unit or individual performance that must be attained, and the performance period over which the specified performance is to be attained, as a condition to the vesting, exercisability, lapse of restrictions and/or settlement in cash or Shares of such Award. In connection with any such Award, the Committee shall determine the extent to which performance measures have been attained and other applicable terms and conditions have been satisfied, and the degree to which vesting, exercisability, lapse of restrictions and/or settlement in cash or Shares of such Award has been earned. Any performance-based Award that is intended by the Committee to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation shall additionally be subject to the requirements of Section 16 of this Plan. Except as provided in Section 16 with respect to Performance-Based Compensation, the Committee shall also have the authority to provide, in an Agreement or otherwise, for the modification of a performance period and/or an adjustment or waiver of the achievement of performance measures upon the occurrence of certain events, which may include a Change of Control, a Fundamental Change, a recapitalization, a change in the accounting practices of the Company, or the Participant’s death or Disability.

(h)Dividends and Dividend Equivalents. Any dividends or distributions paid with respect to Shares that are subject to the unvested portion of a Restricted Stock Award will be subject to the same restrictions as the Shares to which such dividends or distributions relate, except for regular quarterly cash dividends on Shares subject to the unvested portion of a Restricted Stock Award that is subject only to service-based vesting conditions. In its discretion, the Committee may provide in an Award Agreement fora Restricted Stock Unitany Full ValueAward that the Participant will be entitled to receive dividend equivalents on theunitsSharessubject to the Award based on dividends actually declared on outstanding Shares, provided that any dividend equivalents on aRestricted Stock UnitFull ValueAward that is subject toservice-based orperformance-based vesting conditions shall be subject to the same vesting conditions as, and any payment thereof shall occur to the same extent as, the Shares underlying suchFull ValueAward. The terms of any dividend equivalents will be as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, including the time and form of payment and whether such dividend equivalents will be credited with interest or deemed to be reinvested in additional units or Share equivalents. The Committee may, in its discretion, provide in Award Agreements for restrictions on dividends and dividend equivalents in addition to those specified in this Section 5(h).

6.Stock Option Awards.

(a)Type and Exercise Price. The Agreement pursuant to which an Option is granted shall specify whether the Option is an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The exercise price at which each Share subject to an Option may be purchased shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement, and shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date, except in the case of Substitute Awards.

(b)Payment of Exercise Price. The purchase price of the Shares with respect to which an Option is exercised shall be payable in full at the time of exercise, which may include, to the extent permitted by the Committee, payment under a broker-assisted sale and remittance program acceptable to the Committee. The purchase price may be paid in cash in U.S. dollars or check denominated in U.S. dollars or in such other manner as the Committee may permit, which may include by withholding Shares otherwise issuable to the Participant upon exercise of the Option or by delivery to the Company of Shares (by actual delivery or attestation) already owned by the Participant (in each case, such Shares having a Fair Market Value as of the date the Option is exercised equal to the purchase price of the Shares being purchased).

(c)Exercisability and Expiration. Each Option shall be exercisable in whole or in part on the terms provided in the Agreement. No Option shall be exercisable at any time after its scheduled expiration, which shall be set in a manner consistent with Section 5(b). When an Option is no longer exercisable, it shall be deemed to have terminated.

(d)Incentive Stock Options.

(1)An Option will constitute an Incentive Stock Option only if the Participant receiving the Option is an Employee, and only to the extent that (i) it is so designated in the applicable Agreement and (ii) the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Option’s Grant Date) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options held by the Participant first become exercisable in any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Subsidiaries) does not exceed $100,000. To the extent an Option granted to a Participant exceeds this limit, the Option shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The maximum number of Shares that may be issued upon the exercise of Incentive Stock Options shall equal the maximum number of Shares that may be the subject of Awards and issued under the Plan as provided in the first sentence of Section 4(a).

(2)No Participant may receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan if, immediately after the grant of such Award, the Participant would own (after application of the rules contained in Code Section 424(d)) Shares possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or a Subsidiary, unless (i) the option price for that Incentive Stock Option is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to that Incentive Stock Option on the Grant Date and (ii) that Option will expire no later than five years after its Grant Date.

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(3)For purposes of continued Service by a Participant who has been granted an Incentive Stock Option, no approved leave of absence may exceed three months unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is provided by statute or contract. If reemployment is not so provided, then on the date six months following the first day of such leave, any Incentive Stock Option held by the Participant shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated for tax purposes as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(4)If an Incentive Stock Option is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods that apply for purposes of Code Section 422, such Option shall thereafter be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(5)The Agreement covering an Incentive Stock Option shall contain such other terms and provisions that the Committee determines necessary to qualify the Option as an Incentive Stock Option.

7.Stock Appreciation Rights.

(a)Nature of Award. An Award of Stock Appreciation Rights shall be subject to such terms and conditions determined by the Committee, to receive upon exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right all or a portion of the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of a specified number of Shares as of the date of exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right over (ii) a specified exercise price that shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of such Shares on the Grant Date of the Stock Appreciation Right, except in the case of Substitute Awards.

(b)Exercise of SAR. Each Stock Appreciation Right may be exercisable in whole or in part at the times, on the terms and in the manner provided in the Agreement. No Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable at any time after its scheduled expiration, which shall be set in a manner consistent with Section 5(b). When a Stock Appreciation Right is no longer exercisable, it shall be deemed to have terminated. Upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, payment to the Participant shall be made at such time or times as shall be provided in the Agreement in the form of cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares as determined by the Committee. The Agreement may provide for a limitation upon the amount or percentage of the total appreciation on which payment (whether in cash and/or Shares) may be made in the event of the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right.

8.Restricted Stock Awards.

(a)Vesting and Consideration. Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be subject to vesting conditions, and the corresponding lapse or waiver of forfeiture conditions and other restrictions, based on such factors and occurring over such period of time (the “restriction period”) as the Committee may determine in its discretion. The Committee may provide whether any consideration other than Services must be received by the Company or any Subsidiary as a condition precedent to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award.

(b)Shares Subject to Restricted Stock Awards. Unvested Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be evidenced by a book-entry in the name of the Participant with the Company’s transfer agent or by one or more Stock certificates issued in the name of the Participant. Any such Stock certificate shall be deposited with the Company or its designee, together with an assignment separate from the certificate, in blank, signed by the Participant, and bear an appropriate legend referring to the restricted nature of the Restricted Stock evidenced thereby. Any book-entry shall be subject to transfer restrictions and accompanied by a similar legend. Upon the vesting of Shares of Restricted Stock and the corresponding lapse of the restrictions and forfeiture conditions, the corresponding transfer restrictions and restrictive legend will be removed from the book-entry evidencing such Shares or the certificate evidencing such Shares, and such certificate shall be delivered to the Participant. Such vested Shares may, however, remain subject to additional restrictions as provided in Section 17(c).

(c)Rights of a Shareholder. Except as otherwise provided in this Plan, including Section 5(h), and the applicable Agreement, a Participant with a Restricted Stock Award shall have all the other rights of a shareholder, including the right to receive dividends and the right to vote the Shares of Restricted Stock.

9.Restricted Stock Unit Awards.

(a)Vesting and Consideration. A Restricted Stock Unit Award shall be subject to vesting conditions, and the corresponding lapse or waiver of forfeiture conditions and other restrictions, based on such factors and occurring over such restriction period as the Committee may determine in its discretion. The Committee may provide whether any consideration other than Services must be received by the Company or any Subsidiary as a condition precedent to the settlement of a Restricted Stock Unit Award.

(b)Payment of Award. Following the vesting of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, settlement of the Award and payment to the Participant shall be made at such time or times in the form of cash, Shares (which may themselves be considered Restricted Stock under the Plan subject to restrictions on transfer and forfeiture conditions) or a combination of cash and Shares as determined by the Committee. If the Restricted Stock Unit Award is not by its terms exempt from the requirements of Code Section 409A, then the applicable Agreement shall contain terms and conditions necessary to avoid adverse tax consequences specified in Code Section 409A.

10.Performance Awards.

(a)Vesting and Consideration. A Performance Award shall be subject to performance-based vesting conditions and other restrictions, based on such factors and occurring over such period of time (the “performance period”) as the Committee may determine in its discretion. The Committee may provide whether any consideration other than Services must be received by the Company or any Subsidiary as a condition precedent to the settlement of a Performance Award.

(b)Payment of Award. Following the vesting of a Performance Award, settlement of the Award and payment to the Participant shall be made at such time or times in the form of cash, Shares (which may themselves be considered Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units under the Plan subject to restrictions on transfer and forfeiture conditions) or a combination of cash and Shares as determined by the Committee. If the Performance Award is not by its terms exempt from the requirements of Code Section 409A, then the applicable Agreement shall contain terms and conditions necessary to avoid adverse tax consequences specified in Code Section 409A.

11.Changes in Capitalization; Change in Control; Fundamental Change; Reduction in Awards.

(a)Adjustments for Changes in Capitalization. In the event of any equity restructuring (within the meaning of FASB ASC Topic 718 – Stock Compensation) other than: (1) any distribution of securities or other property by the Company to shareholders in a spin-off or split-up that does not qualify as a tax-free spin-off or split-up under Section 355 of the Code (or any successor provision of the Code); or (2) any cash dividend (including extraordinary cash dividends),

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appropriate adjustments in the number of Shares available for grant, in the maximum Award limitations under the Plan, and in any outstanding Awards, including adjustments in the size of the Award and in the exercise price per share of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, shall be made by the Committee to give effect to such equity restructuring to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan. No such adjustment shall be required to reflect the events described in clauses (1) and (2) above, or any other change in capitalization that does not constitute an equity restructuring, however such adjustment may be made: (x) if necessary to comply with Code Section 409A, the adjustment qualifies as a substitution or assumption under Treasury Regulation Section 1.424-11.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(D); and (y) the Committee affirmatively determines, in its discretion, that such an adjustment is appropriate.

(b)Change in Control. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable Agreement, the following provisions shall apply to outstanding Awards in the event of a Change in Control. Nothing in this Section 11(b) shall limit the provisions of Section 11(c).:

(1)Options and Stock Appreciation RightsAssumption or Replacement. If the Company is the surviving entity andany adjustmentsan outstanding Award is not adjusted asnecessary to preserve the intrinsic value of theParticipant’s outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights have been made, orAward or ifthe Company’s successorat the time of the Change in Controldoes notirrevocably assumesthe Company’s obligations under this Plan or replacestheParticipant’soutstandingOptions and Stock Appreciation Rights with stock options and stock appreciation rightsAwards with Awardshaving substantially the same intrinsic value and having terms and conditions no less favorable to the Participant than those applicable to theParticipant’s Options and Stock Appreciation RightsAwardsimmediately prior to the Change in Control(collectively, an “Equitable Assumption or Replacement”), then such Awards or their replacement awardsthen, without any action by the Committee or the Board, each such outstanding Award granted under the Plan shall become immediately vested and, if applicable, exercisable, in full.

(2)Options and Stock Appreciation Rights. In the event of a Change in Control in which the Participant’s outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights granted under the Plan are assumed or replaced as provided in Section 11(b) (1) above, such Options and Stock Appreciation Rightsshall become immediately exercisable in fullonlyif,within two years after the Change in Control,the Participant’s employment:

(x)is terminatedby the Company or a Subsidiarywithout Cause;

(y)terminates with “Good Reason”, which for purposes of this Section 11(b) shall mean any material diminution of the Participant’s position, authority, duties or responsibilities (including the assignment of duties materially inconsistent with the Participant’s position or a material increase in the time Participant is required by the Company or its successor to travel), any reduction in salary or in the Participant’s aggregate bonus and incentive opportunities, any material reduction in the aggregate value of the Participant’s employee benefits (including retirement, welfare and fringe benefits), or relocation to a principal work site that is more than 40 miles from the Participant’s principal work site immediately prior to the Change in Control; oris terminated by the Participant for Good Reason; or

(z)terminates under circumstances that entitle the Participant to accelerated exercisability under any individual employment agreement between the Participant and the Company, a Subsidiary, or any successor thereof.

If there is no Equitable Assumption or Replacement, then without any action by the Committee or the Board, each outstanding Option and Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan that has not been previously exercised or otherwise lapsed and terminated shall become immediately exercisable in full; provided, however, that the Committee, in its sole discretion, and without the consent of any Participant affected thereby, may determine that a cash payment shall be made promptly following the Change in Control in lieu of all or any portion of the outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights granted under this Plan. The amount payable with respect to each share of Common Stock subject to an affected Option and each affected Stock Appreciation Right shall equal the excess of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock immediately prior to such Change in Control over the exercise price of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right. After such a determination by the Committee, each Option and Stock Appreciation Right, with respect to which a cash payment is to be made shall terminate, and the Participant shall have no further rights thereunder except the right to receive such cash payment.

(2)(3)Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. In the event of a Change in Control, restrictions on a fraction of eachin which theParticipant’s outstanding Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units granted under the Planwill lapseare assumed or replaced as provided in Section 11(b)(1) above, a fraction of such outstanding Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units granted under the Plan will vest (and any restrictions on that fraction of such Awards shall lapse)and the remainder of the Awardswill terminate.if, within two years after the Change in Control and during the vesting period of the Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units, the Participant’s employment:

(x)is terminated by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause; or

(y)is terminated by the Participant for Good Reason.

The numerator of such fraction with respect to an Award shall be the number of months that have elapsedbetween the beginning of the vesting period (or, if applicable, the date on which the last tranche of Shares or units subject to the Award vested inthe applicablerestrictionvestingperiod)prior to thetermination of employment after theChange in Control and the denominator shall be the number of months in suchrestrictionvestingperiod(or, if applicable, the portion of the vesting period between the date on which the last tranche of Shares or units subject to the Award vested and the date on which the next tranche of Shares or units will vest). If the Participant’s employment terminates after a Change in Control and during the vesting period under circumstances that entitle the Participant to accelerated vesting of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, as applicable, under any agreement between the Participant and the Company involving a number of Shares or units greater than the number determined under this Section 11(b)(3), the amount to be accelerated shall be such greater amount.Distribution of any Shares not previously distributed shall be madewithin ten days after the Change in Control or later if soin accordance with the timingprovided in the applicable Agreement or a related deferral election.

(3)(4)Performance Awards. In the event of a Change in Control, theperformance period shall be deemed to have ended and a pro rata portion of allnumber of Shares or units subject to each of the Participant’soutstanding Performance Awardsgrantedunder the Planshall be deemed to have been earned

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that may vest shall be deemed to be equal to the goal payout of such Performance Awardand the remainder of the Award will terminate. Specifically, the pro rata amount earned shall be determined by multiplying 100% of each Performance Award by a fraction, the numerator of which, regardless of whether the Participant’s outstanding Performance Awards are assumed or replaced as provided in Section 11(b)(1) above. In the event of a Change in Control in which the Participant’s outstanding Performance Awards granted under the Plan are assumed or replaced as provided in Section 11(b)(1) above, such outstanding Performance Awards will continue to be subject to any continuing service requirements of the Awards. However, a fraction of such outstanding Performance Awards granted under the Plan will vest (and any restrictions on that fraction of such Awards shall lapse) and the remainder of the Awards will terminate if, within two years after the Change in Control and during the continuing service period of the Performance Awards, the Participant’s employment:

(x)is terminated by the Company or any Subsidiary without Cause; or

(y)terminated by the Participant for Good Reason.

The numerator of such fraction with respect to a Performance Awardshall be the number of months that have elapsedbetween the beginning of the original performance period (or, if applicable, the date on which the last tranche of Shares or units subject to the Award vestedin the applicable performance period)prior to thetermination of employment after theChange in Control and the denominatorof whichshall be thetotalnumber of months inthesuch originalperformance period.(or, if applicable, the portion of the performance period between the date on which the last tranche of Shares or units subject to the Award vested and the date on which the next tranche of Shares or units will vest). If the Participant’s employment terminates after a Change in Control and during the original performance period under circumstances that entitle the Participant to accelerated vesting of the Performance Awards under any agreement between the Participant and the Company involving a number of Shares or units greater than the number determined under this Section 11(b)(4), the amount to be accelerated shall be such greater amount. Distribution of any Shares not previously distributed and anyamount deemed earned shall be madewithin ten days after the Change in Control or later if soin accordance with the timingprovided in the applicableAward agreementAgreementor a related deferral election.

(c)Fundamental Change. In the case of a proposed Fundamental Change, the Committee may, but shall not be obligated to:

(1)with respect to a Fundamental Change that involves a merger, consolidation or statutory share exchange, make appropriate provision for the protection of each outstanding Award granted thereunder by the substitution on an equitable basis of appropriate awards and voting stock of the surviving corporation or, if appropriate, the “parent corporation” (as defined in Code Section 424(e) or any successor provision) of such surviving corporation, in lieu of the Awards and Shares, subject to compliance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(D), to the extent applicable; or

(2)with respect to any Fundamental Change, declare, prior to the occurrence of the Fundamental Change, and provide written notice to(x)the holders of all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights of the declaration, that the outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall accelerate and become exercisable in full and that all such Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, whether or not exercisable prior to such acceleration, must be exercised within the period of time set forth in such notice or they will terminate. In connection with any declarationand (y) the holders of all outstanding Full Value Awards that such Full Value Awards shall fully vest immediately prior to the effective time of the Fundamental Change. In lieu of any notice of accelerationpursuant to this Section 11(c)(2), the Committeeand, with respect to Awards subject to Code Section 409A, only if and to the extent such cancellation and liquidation is permitted under Code Section 409A, the Committee may provide notice of the cancellation of any outstanding Award andshall provide for a cash payment (or, if the Committee so elects in lieu of solely cash, of such form(s) of consideration, including cash and/or property, singly or in such combination as the Committee shall determine, that the Participant would have received as a result of the Fundamental Change if the holder oftheanOption or Stock Appreciation Right had exercised the Option or Stock Appreciation Right immediately prior to the Fundamental Change) to each holder of an Option or Stock Appreciation Rightor if the holder of a Full Value Award had held the number of shares subject to the Full Value Award at the time of the Fundamental Change, for which purpose, the number of shares subject to a Performance Award shall be deemed to be the number of shares or units that would vest at goal payout) to each holder of an Awardthat is terminated in an amount equal to,: (i)for each Share covered by a canceled Optionor Stock Appreciation Right, (i) in case of an Option, the amount, if any, by which the Proceeds Per Share (as defined below) exceeds the exercise price per share covered by such Optionor,(ii) for each Stock Appreciation Right, the amount determined pursuant to Section 7(a), except that solely for purposes of this Section 11(c)(2)(ii), the Fair Market Value of a Share as of the date of exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right shall be deemed to be the Proceeds Per Share, or (iii) for each Share covered by a Full Value Award, the Proceeds Per Share. In the event of a declaration pursuant to this Section 11(c)(2), each Option and Stock Appreciation Right, to the extent that it has not been exercised prior to the Fundamental Change, shall be canceled at the time of, or immediately prior to, the Fundamental Change, as provided in the declaration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the holder ofeach Option or Stock Appreciation Rightan Awardshall not be entitled to the payment provided for in this Section 11(c)(2) if theOption or Stock Appreciation RightAwardshall have expired or been forfeited. For purposes of this Section 11(c)(2), the “Proceeds Per Share” shall mean the fair market value, as determined in good faith by the Committee, of the consideration to be received per Share by the shareholders of the Company upon the occurrence of the Fundamental Change.Nothing in this Section 11(c) shall limit the provisions of Section 11(b).

(d)Reduction in Awards.

(1)When Applicable. Anything in this Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, the provisions of this Section 11(d) shall apply to a Participant if an independent auditor selected by the Committee (the “Auditor”) determines that each of (x) and (y) below are applicable.

(x)Payments or distributions hereunder, determined without application of this Section 11(d), either alone or together with other payments in the nature of compensation to the Participant which are contingent on a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, or otherwise (but after any elimination or reduction of such payments

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under the terms of the Company’s Officer Income Continuance Policy Statement, as amended), would result in any portion of the payments hereunder being subject to an excise tax on excess parachute payments imposed under Section 4999 of the Code.

(y)The excise tax imposed on the Participant under Section 4999 of the Code on excess parachute payments, from whatever source, would result in a lesser net aggregate present value of payments and distributions to the Participant (after subtraction of the excise tax) than if payments and distributions to the Participant were reduced to the maximum amount that could be made without incurring the excise tax.

(2)Reduced Amount. Under this Section 11(d) the payments and distributions under this Plan shall be reduced (but not below zero) so that the present value of such payments and distributions shall equal the Reduced Amount. The “Reduced Amount” (which may be zero) shall be an amount expressed in present value which maximizes the aggregate present value of payments and distributions under this Plan which can be made without causing any such payment to be subject to the excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code. The determinations and reductions under this Section 11(d)(2) shall be made after eliminations or reductions, if any, have been made under the Company’s Officer Income Continuance Policy Statement, as amended.

(3)Procedure.If the Auditor determines that this Section 11(d) is applicable to a Participant, it shall so advise the Committee in writing. The Committee shall then promptly give the Participant notice to that effect together with a copy of the detailed calculation supporting such determination which shall include a statement of the Reduced Amount. Such notice shall also include a description of which and how much of the Awards shall be eliminated or reduced (as long as their aggregate present value equals the Reduced Amount). For purposes of this Section 11(d), Awards shall be reduced in the following order: (1) Options with an exercise price above the then Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock that have a positive value for purposes of Section 280G of the Code, as determined under applicable IRS guidance; (2) pro rata among Awards that constitute deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A; and (3) if a further reduction is necessary to reach the Reduced Amount, among the Awards that are not subject to Code Section 409A. Present value shall be determined in accordance with Code Section 280G. All the foregoing determinations made by the Auditor under this Section 11(d) shall be made as promptly as practicable after it is determined that excess parachute payments (as defined in Section 280G of the Code) will be made to the Participant if an elimination or reduction is not made. As promptly as practicable, the Company shall provide to or for the benefit of the Participant such amounts and shares as are then due to the Participant under this Plan and shall promptly provide to or for the benefit of the Participant in the future such amounts and shares as become due to the Participant under this Plan.

(4)Corrections.As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Section 280G of the Code at the time of the initial determination by the Auditor hereunder, it is possible that payments or distributions under this Plan will have been made which should not have been made (“Overpayment”) or that additional payments or distributions which will have not been made could have been made (“Underpayment”), in each case, consistent with the calculation of the Reduced Amount hereunder. In the event that the Auditor, based upon the assertion of a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against the Company or the Participant which the Auditor believes has a high probability of success, determines that an Overpayment has been made, any such Overpayment shall be treated for all purposes as a loan to the Participant which the Participant shall repay together with interest at the applicable Federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f) (2) of the Code; provided, however, that no amount shall be payable by the Participant if and to the extent such payment would not reduce the amount which is subject to the excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code. In the event that the Auditor, based upon controlling precedent, determines that an Underpayment has occurred, any such Underpayment shall be promptly paid to or for the benefit of the Participant together with interest at the applicable Federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f) (2)(A) of the Code.

(5)Non-Cash Benefits. In making its determination under this Section 11(d), the value of any non-cash benefit shall be determined by the Auditor in accordance with the principles of Section 280G(d)(3) of the Code.

(6)Determinations Binding. All determinations made by the Auditor under this Section 11(d) shall be binding upon the Company, the Committee and the Participant.

12.Plan Participation and Service Provider Status.

Status as a Service Provider shall not be construed as a commitment that any Award will be made under the Plan to that Service Provider or to eligible Service Providers generally. Nothing in the Plan or in any Agreement or related documents shall confer upon any Service Provider or Participant any right to continued Service with the Company or any Subsidiary (as applicable), nor shall it interfere with or limit in any way any right of the Company or any Subsidiary (as applicable) to terminate the person’s Service at any time with or without Cause or change such person’s compensation, other benefits, job responsibilities or title provided in compliance with applicable local laws and permitted under the terms of Participant’s employment contract (if any).

13.Tax Withholding.

The Company or any Subsidiary, as applicable, shall have the right to (i) withhold from any cash payment made under the Plan or any other compensation or payments owed to a Participant an amount sufficient to cover any required withholding taxes (including income taxes, social insurance contributions, payments on account or any other taxes or charges owed by Participant) related to the grant, vesting, exercise or settlement of an Award, and (ii) require a Participant or other person receiving Shares under the Plan to pay a cash amount sufficient to cover any required withholding taxes (as described above) before actual receipt of those Shares. In lieu of all or any part of a cash payment from a person receiving Shares under the Plan, the Committee may permit the individual to cover all or any part of the required withholdings (up to the Participant’s minimum required tax withholding rate, if any) through a reduction in the number of Shares delivered or a delivery or tender to the Company of Shares held by the Participant or other person, in each case valued in the same manner as used in computing the withholding taxes under applicable laws.

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14.Effective Date, Duration, Amendment and Termination of the Plan.

(a)Effective Date. The Plan shall become effective on the date it is approved by the requisite vote of the Company’s Board, subject to approval by the Company’s shareholders. If the shareholders fail to approve the Plan within 12 months of its adoption by the Board, any Awards already made will be null and void and no additional Awards shall be made.

(b)Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall remain in effect until all Shares subject to it shall be distributed, all Awards have expired or terminated, the Plan is terminated pursuant to Section 14(c), or the tenth anniversary of the effective date of the Plan, whichever occurs first (the “Termination Date”). Awards made before the Termination Date may be exercised, vested or otherwise effectuated beyond the Termination Date unless limited in the Agreement or otherwise.

(c)Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board may at any time terminate, suspend or amend the Plan. The Company shall submit any amendment of the Plan to its shareholders for approval only to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or the rules of any securities exchange on which the Shares may then be listed. No termination, suspension, or amendment of the Plan may materially impair the rights of any Participant under a previously granted Award without the Participant’s consent, unless such action is necessary to comply with applicable law or stock exchange rules.

(d)Amendment of Awards. Subject to Section 14(e), the Committee may unilaterally amend the terms of any Agreement previously granted, except that no such amendment may materially impair the rights of any Participant under the applicable Award without the Participant’s consent, unless such amendment is necessary to comply with applicable law or stock exchange rules.

(e)No Option or SAR Repricing. Except as provided in Section 11(a), no Option or Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan may be amended to decrease the exercise price thereof, be cancelled in exchange for the grant of any new Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a lower exercise price or any new Full Value Award, be repurchased by the Company or any Subsidiary, or otherwise be subject to any action that would be treated under accounting rules or otherwise as a “repricing” of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right (including a cash buyout or voluntary surrender/subsequent regrant of an underwater Option or Stock Appreciation Right), unless such action is first approved by the Company’s shareholders.

15.Substitute Awards.

The Committee may also grant Awards under the Plan in substitution for, or in connection with the assumption of, existing awards granted or issued by another corporation and assumed or otherwise agreed to be provided for by the Company pursuant to or by reason of a transaction involving a merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation, corporate reorganization or liquidation to which the Company or a Subsidiary is a party. The terms and conditions of the Substitute Awards may vary from the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan to the extent that the Board at the time of the grant may deem appropriate to conform, in whole or in part, to the provisions of the awards in substitution for which they are granted.

16.Performance-Based Compensation.

(a)Designation of Awards. A Full Value Award granted to a Participant who is, or is likely to be, a “covered employee” for purposes of Code Section 162(m) as of the end of the tax year in which the Company would ordinarily claim a tax deduction in connection with such Award, must comply with the provisions of this Section 16 if such Award is intended by the Committee to constitute Performance-Based Compensation.

(b)Compliance with Code Section 162(m). If an Award is subject to this Section 16, then the lapsing of restrictions thereon and the distribution of cash, Shares or other property pursuant thereto, as applicable, shall be subject to the achievement over the applicable performance period of one or more performance goals based on one or more of the performance measures specified in Section 16(d). The Committee will select the applicable performance measure(s) and specify the performance goal(s) based on those performance measures for any performance period, specify in terms of an objective formula or standard the method for calculating the amount payable to a Participant if the performance goal(s) are satisfied, and certify the degree to which applicable performance goals have been satisfied and any amount payable in connection with an Award subject to this Section 16, all within the time periods prescribed by and consistent with the other requirements of Code Section 162(m). In specifying the performance goals applicable to any performance period, the Committee may provide that one or more objectively determinable adjustments shall be made to the performance measures on which the performance goals are based, which may include adjustments that would cause such measures to be considered “non-GAAP financial measures” within the meaning of Rule 101 under Regulation G promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Committee may also adjust performance measures for a performance period to the extent permitted by Code Section 162(m) in connection with an event described in Section 11(a) to prevent the dilution or enlargement of a Participant’s rights with respect to Performance-Based Compensation. The Committee may adjust downward, but not upward, any amount determined to be otherwise payable in connection with such an Award. The Committee may also provide, in an Agreement or otherwise, that the achievement of specified performance goals in connection with an Award subject to this Section 16 may be waived upon the death or Disability of the Participant or under any other circumstance with respect to which the existence of such possible waiver will not cause the Award to fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m).

(c)Limitations. The maximum number of Shares that may be the subject of any Full Value Awards that are to be settled in Shares and that are granted to any one Participant during any consecutive thirty-six month period shall not exceed1,000,0002,000,000Shares (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11(a)), and the maximum amount payable with respect to any Full Value Awards that are to be settled in cash and that are granted to any one Participant during any consecutive thirty-six month period shall not exceed $15,000,000. The aggregate number of Shares subject to Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights granted during any thirty-six month period to any one Participant shall not exceed 4,000,000 Shares.

(d)Performance Measures. For purposes of any Full Value Award considered Performance-Based Compensation subject to this Section 16, the performance measures to be utilized shall be limited to one or a combination of two or more of the following performance criteria: net sales; comparable store sales; total revenue; gross margin rate; selling, general and administrative expense rate; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; earnings before interest and taxes; earnings before taxes; net earnings; earnings per share; Target Corporation share price; total shareholder return; return on equity; return on sales; return on assets; return on invested capital; cash flow return

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on investment; economic value added;credit card segmentprofitability;credit card segmentpre-tax return on invested capital; credit card spread to LIBOR; operating cash flow; free cash flow; working capital; interest coverage; net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent expense ratio; debt leverage; and total net debt. Any performance goal based on one of the foregoing performance measures utilized may be expressed in absolute amounts, on a per share basis, as a growth rate or change from preceding periods, or as a comparison to the performance of specified companies or other external measures, and may relate to one or any combination of corporate, group, unit, division, Subsidiary or individual performance.

17.Other Provisions.

(a)Unfunded Plan. The Plan shall be unfunded and the Company shall not be required to segregate any assets that may at any time be represented by Awards under the Plan. Neither the Company, its Subsidiaries, the Committee, nor the Board shall be deemed to be a trustee of any amounts to be paid under the Plan nor shall anything contained in the Plan or any action taken pursuant to its provisions create or be construed to create a fiduciary relationship between the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, and a Participant. To the extent any person has or acquires a right to receive a payment in connection with an Award under the Plan, this right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

(b)Limits of Liability. Except as may be required by law, neither the Company nor any member of the Board or of the Committee, nor any other person participating (including participation pursuant to a delegation of authority under Section 3(d) of the Plan) in any determination of any question under the Plan, or in the interpretation, administration or application of the Plan, shall have any liability to any party for any action taken, or not taken, in good faith under the Plan.

(c)Compliance with Applicable Legal Requirements. No Shares distributable pursuant to the Plan shall be issued and delivered unless the issuance of the Shares complies with all applicable legal requirements, including compliance with the provisions of applicable state, federal and foreign securities laws, and the requirements of any securities exchanges on which the Company’s Shares may, at the time, be listed. No such restriction shall affect the termination date of an Award, which shall be suspended until such restriction is removed. During any period in which the offering and issuance of Shares under the Plan are not registered under federal or state securities laws, Participants shall acknowledge that they are acquiring Shares under the Plan for investment purposes and not for resale, and that Shares may not be transferred except pursuant to an effective registration statement under, or an exemption from the registration requirements of, such securities laws. Any book-entry or stock certificate evidencing Shares issued under the Plan that are subject to such securities law restrictions shall be accompanied by or bear an appropriate restrictive legend.

(d)Other Benefit and Compensation Programs. Payments and other benefits received by a Participant under an Award made pursuant to the Plan shall not be deemed a part of a Participant’s regular, recurring compensation for purposes of the termination, indemnity or severance pay laws of any country and shall not be included in, nor have any effect on, the determination of benefits under any other employee benefit plan, contract or similar arrangement provided by the Company or a Subsidiary unless expressly so provided by such other plan, contract or arrangement, or unless the Committee expressly determines that an Award or portion of an Award should be included to accurately reflect competitive compensation practices or to recognize that an Award has been made in lieu of a portion of competitive cash compensation.

(e)Governing Law. To the extent that federal laws do not otherwise control, the Plan and all determinations made and actions taken pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota without regard to its conflicts-of-law principles and shall be construed accordingly.

(f)Severability. If any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

(g)Code Section 409A. It is intended that (i) all Awards of Options, SARs and Restricted Stock under the Plan will not provide for the deferral of compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A and thereby be exempt from Code Section 409A, and (ii) all other Awards under the Plan will either not provide for the deferral of compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A, or will comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A, and Awards shall be structured and the Plan administered and interpreted in accordance with this intent. The Plan and any Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company in any manner deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee or Board in order to maintain such exemption from or compliance with Code Section 409A, and any such amendment shall conclusively be presumed to be necessary to comply with applicable law. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or any Agreement, with respect to any Award that constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A:

(1)If any amount is payable under such Award upon a termination of Service, a termination of Service will be deemed to have occurred only at such time as the Participant has experienced a “separation from service” as such term is defined for purposes of Code Section 409A;

(2)If any amount shall be payable with respect to any such Award as a result of a Participant’s “separation from service” at such time as the Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, then no payment shall be made, except as permitted under Code Section 409A, prior to the first business day after the earlier of (i) the date that is six months after the Participant’s separation from service or (ii) the Participant’s death. Unless the Committee has adopted a specified employee identification policy as contemplated by Code Section 409A, specified employees will be identified in accordance with the default provisions specified under Code Section 409A.

(3)Any cancellation or termination of an Award and its liquidation, including under Section 11(c)(2), may only be made if and only to the extent and at the time permitted under Code Section 409A.

(h)Rule 16b-3. It is intended that the Plan and all Awards granted pursuant to it to Participants who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall be administered by the Committee so as to permit the Plan and Awards to comply with Exchange Act Rule 16b-3. If any provision of the Plan or of any Award would otherwise frustrate or conflict with the intent expressed in this Section 17(h), that provision to the extent possible shall be interpreted and deemed amended in the manner determined by the Committee so as to avoid the conflict. To the extent of any remaining irreconcilable conflict with this intent, the provision shall be deemed void as applied to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent permitted by law and in the manner deemed advisable by the Committee.

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(i)Compensation Recoupment Policy. Awards may be made subject to any compensation recoupment policy adopted by the Board or the Committee at any time prior to or after the effective date of the Plan, and as such policy may be amended from time to time after its adoption. The compensation recoupment policy shall be applied to any Award that constitutes the deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A in a manner that complies with the requirements of Code Section 409A.

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13.How will the Annual Meeting be conducted?

Same-day registration and admittance will begin at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. We will have two separate lines, one for pre-registered attendees and one for same-day registering attendees. If you do not pre-register for the meeting, you should allow ample time for the same-day registration, as no attendees will be admitted after 9:10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Both pre-registered attendees and same-day registering attendees must present their identification to be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

An Annual Meeting program containing rules of conduct for the Annual Meeting will be provided to attendees. The use of cameras, video and audio recording devices and other electronic devices at the Annual Meeting is prohibited, and such devices will not be allowed in the Annual Meeting or any other related areas, except by credentialed media. We realize that many cellular phones have built-in digital cameras and recording functions, and while you may bring these phones into the venue, you may not use the camera or recording functions at any time.

 

14.How may I access or receive the proxy materials, other periodic filings, key corporate governance documents and other information?

You can access our proxy statement and Annual Report, SEC filings, key corporate governance documents and other information in a number of different ways, free of charge:

Methods of access
WebsiteElectronic deliveryHard copy
Proxy Materials
2015 Proxy Statement
Annual Report
investors.target.com
Register to receive email alerts by
entering your email address under
“Investor Email Alerts.”
Sign up at investors.target.com
(hover over “company,” then click on “shareholder services” in the “investors” column and click on “Sign up for E-Delivery”)
Contact Investor Relations:
Email
investorrelations@target.com
Phone
(800) 775-3110
Mail
Target Corporation
Attn: Investor Relations
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Online
investors.target.com
(hover over “company” then click on “shareholder services” in the “investors” column and click on “Request Materials”)
Other Information

Other Periodic Reports:

 Forms 10-Q

 Forms 8-K

investors.target.com
Register to receive email alerts by entering your email address under “Investor Email Alerts.”
Contact Investor Relations:
Email
investorrelations@target.com
Contact Investor Relations:
Email
investorrelations@target.com
Phone
(800) 775-3110
Mail
Target Corporation
Attn: Investor Relations
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403

Corporate Governance

Documents:

 Articles of Incorporation

 Bylaws

 Corporate Governance Guidelines

 Board Committee Charters

 Business Conduct Guide

investors.target.com
(hover over “company,” then click on “corporate governance” in the “investors” column)
Corporate Social
Responsibility Report
https://corporate.target.com/ corporate-responsibility/goals-reporting

15.What is householding?

We have adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called “householding.” Under this procedure, certain shareholders who have the same address and last name and do not participate in electronic delivery of proxy materials will receive only one copy of our annual report and proxy statement, unless one or more of these shareholders notifies us that they would like to continue to receive individual copies. This will reduce our printing costs and postage fees. Shareholders who participate in householding will continue to receive separate proxy cards. Also, householding will not in any way affect dividend check mailings.

If you and other shareholders with whom you share an address currently receive multiple copies of our annual report and/or proxy statement, or if you hold stock in more than one account, and in either case, you would like to receive only a single copy of the annual report or proxy statement for your household, please contact our Investor Relations Department by email, phone or mail using the information in the “Hard Copy” column of Question 14.

If you participate in householding and would like to receive a separate copy of our 2016 annual report or this proxy statement, please contact us in the manner described in the immediately preceding paragraph. We will deliver the requested documents to you promptly upon receipt of your request.

TARGET CORPORATION      2017 Proxy Statement65
16.How are proxies being solicited and who pays the related expenses?

Proxies are being solicited principally by mail, by telephone and through the Internet. In addition to sending you these materials, some of our directors and officers, as well as management employees, may contact you by telephone, mail, email or in person. You may also be solicited by means of news releases issued by Target, postings on our website, www.target.com and print advertisements. None of our officers or employees will receive any extra compensation for soliciting you. We have retained Morrow Sodali LLC to act as a proxy solicitor for a fee estimated to be $45,000, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. We will pay the expenses in connection with our solicitation of proxies.

17.How can I communicate with Target’s Board of Directors?

Shareholders and other interested parties seeking to communicate with any individual director or group of directors may send correspondence to Target Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, 1000 Nicollet Mall, TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 or may send an email to BoardOfDirectors@target.com, which is managed by the Corporate Secretary. The Corporate Secretary, in turn, has been instructed by the Board to forward all communications, except those that are clearly unrelated to Board or shareholder matters, to the relevant Board members.

18.How do I submit a proposal or nominate a director candidate for the 2018 annual meeting of shareholders?

Shareholder proposals

Proposals by shareholders that are submitted for inclusion in our proxy statement for our 2018 annual meeting of shareholders must follow the procedures provided in Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. To be timely under Rule 14a-8, they must be received by our Corporate Secretary by January 1, 2018. The contact information for our Corporate Secretary is Target Corporation, 1000 Nicollet Mall, Mail Stop TPS-2670, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403.

If a shareholder does not submit a proposal for inclusion in our proxy statement but does wish to propose an item of business to be considered at an annual meeting of shareholders (other than director nominations), that shareholder must give advance written notice of such proposal to our Corporate Secretary, which notice must be received at least 90 days prior to the anniversary of the most recent annual meeting of shareholders. For our 2018 annual meeting of shareholders, notice must be received by March 16, 2018, and must comply with all applicable statutes and regulations, as well as certain other provisions contained in our bylaws, which generally require the shareholder to provide a brief description of the proposed business, reasons for proposing the business and certain information about the shareholder and the Target securities held by the shareholder.

Nomination of director candidates

Any shareholder who wishes the Nominating & Governance Committee to consider a candidate for nomination should submit a written request and related information to our Corporate Secretary no later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the next annual meeting of shareholders. Under our bylaws, if a shareholder plans to directly nominate a person as a director at an annual meeting of shareholders, the shareholder is required to place the proposed director’s name in nomination by written request received by our Corporate Secretary at least 90 days prior to the anniversary of the most recent annual meeting of shareholders. Shareholder-proposed nominations for our 2018 annual meeting of shareholders must be received by March 16, 2018, and must comply with all applicable statutes and regulations, as well as certain other provisions contained in our bylaws, which generally require the shareholder to provide certain information about the proposed director, the shareholder and the Target securities held by the shareholder.

In addition, our bylaws provide that under certain circumstances, a shareholder or group of shareholders may include director candidates that they have nominated in our proxy statement for an annual meeting of shareholders. These proxy access provisions of our bylaws provide, among other things, that a shareholder or group of up to 20 shareholders seeking to include their director candidates in our proxy statement must own 3% or more of Target’s outstanding common stock continuously for at least the previous three years. The number of shareholder-nominated candidates appearing in any proxy statement cannot exceed 20% of the number of directors then serving on the Board, but may be at least two directors. If 20% is not a whole number, the maximum number of shareholder-nominated candidates would be the closest whole number below 20%. Based on the current Board size of 12 directors, the maximum number of proxy access candidates that we would be required to include in our proxy statement is two. Nominees submitted under the proxy access procedures that are later withdrawn or are included in the proxy materials as Board-nominated candidates will be counted in determining whether the 20% maximum has been reached. If the number of shareholder nominated candidates exceeds 20%, each nominating shareholder or group of shareholders may select one nominee for inclusion in the proxy materials until the maximum number is reached. The order of selection would be determined by the amount (largest to smallest) of shares of Target common stock held by each nominating shareholder or group of shareholders. Requests to include shareholder-nominated candidates in our proxy materials for next year’s annual meeting of shareholders must be received by our Corporate Secretary not less than 120 days and not more than 150 days prior to the anniversary of the date that the Target distributed its proxy statement to shareholders for the preceding year’s annual meeting of shareholders. For our 2018 Annual Meeting, notice must be received by not earlier than December 2, 2017 and not later than January 1, 2018. The nominating shareholder or group of shareholders also must deliver the information required by our bylaws, and each nominee must meet the qualifications required by our bylaws.

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Appendix A

Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan

(Adopted on March 7, 2017)

Article IBackground

1.1Name. The name of this plan is the “Target Corporation Executive Officer Cash Incentive Plan.” It is sometimes hereinafter referred to as the “Plan.” Unless otherwise defined in the Plan or the context clearly indicates to the contrary, capitalized terms are defined in Article II.
1.2Compensation Policy and Plan Intent. The Plan is intended to promote the Company’s pay-for-performance compensation philosophy by providing incentive cash bonus payments to Executive Officers, who through their efforts, directly and significantly impact the achievement of Company goals and objectives.
1.3Eligibility. Bonuses may be granted to any Executive Officer who is designated as a Participant from time to time by the Committee. Designation as a Participant for a Bonus in one period shall not confer on a Participant the right to participate in the Plan for any other period.

Article IIDefinitions

2.1Board. “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.2Bonus. “Bonus” means an incentive award which, subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Committee, entitles a Participant to receive a cash bonus payment from the Company pursuant to Article III.
2.3Code. “Code” refers to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
2.4Company. “Company” refers to Target Corporation and its subsidiaries.
2.5Committee. “Committee” means the Human Resources & Compensation Committee of the Board and if no such named committee shall be designated by the Board, it shall mean the Committee of the Board most nearly performing the duties of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee as defined at the time of its elimination as a Board Committee.
2.6Covered Officer. “Covered Officer” includes all Participants whose compensation, in the Performance Period for which the Bonus is calculated, is or, in the Committee’s discretion, may be subject to the compensation expense deduction limitations set forth in Section 162(m) of the Code.
2.7Executive Officer. “Executive Officer” is as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
2.8Participants. “Participants” means Executive Officers participating in the Plan.
2.9Performance-Based Compensation. “Performance-Based Compensation” means a Bonus that is intended to constitute “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
2.10 Performance Measures. “Performance Measures” means one or a combination of two or more of the following performance-based metrics, as approved by the Committee; provided, however, that different Performance Measures may be approved for different Participants during the same Performance Period: revenues; sales; comparable sales; earnings before one or more of interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; net earnings; earnings per share; profitability as measured by return ratios (including, but not limited to, return on assets, return on equity, return on invested capital and return on revenue); cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow and cash flow return on investment); margins (including, but not limited to, one or more of gross, operating and net earnings margins); cost and expense management; economic value added or similar value added measurements; and total shareholder return. In addition, for any Bonus to a Participant that is not intended to constitute Performance-Based Compensation, Performance Measures may include, alone or in combination with the foregoing Performance Measures, any other measure of performance as determined by the Committee.
2.11Performance Period. “Performance Period” is the period, which shall be a period of at least one fiscal quarter, specified by the Committee at the time a Bonus is granted during which specified Performance Measures must be attained as a condition to the payment of the Bonus.

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Article IIIBonuses

3.1General. Bonuses may be granted to a Participant in such amounts and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee, at the time a Bonus is granted, shall specify the terms and conditions which govern the Bonus, which terms and conditions will prescribe the degree of attainment of such Performance Measures required for payment of a Bonus and that the Bonus shall be earned only upon, and to the extent that, Performance Measures as described in Section 3.2 are satisfied within the Performance Period for the Bonus. The Committee may establish terms and conditions for payment of Bonuses in the event of changes of duties of any Participant with the Company during the Performance Period or in the event of a Participant’s termination of employment (including death, disability, retirement, or termination with or without cause) or leave of absence; provided that no such payment shall be made if it would cause a Bonus intended to constitute Performance-Based Compensation to fail to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation. Different terms and conditions may be established by the Committee for different Bonuses and for different Participants.
3.2Performance Measures. Payment of Bonuses shall be contingent upon the degree of attainment of specified Performance Measures over the Performance Period. Multiple Performance Periods may be established, each with different lengths and which run concurrently. Performance Measures may be absolute in their terms, on a per share basis, measured as a change from prior periods, measured against or in relationship to other companies comparably, similarly or otherwise situated or measured against other indices or external measures, and may relate to the Company or a segment, subsidiary, operating company, division, unit or test strategy or new venture of the Company. Each measure that is a financial measure shall be adjusted if so determined by the Committee, to exclude the effects of extraordinary items, unusual or non-recurring events, changes in accounting principles or methods, realized investment gains or losses, discontinued operations, acquisitions, divestitures, material restructuring or impairment charges, retained and uninsured losses for natural catastrophes and any other items as the Committee determines to be required so that the operating results of the Company, segment, subsidiary, operating company, division, unit or test strategy or new venture, as applicable, shall be computed on a basis consistent with the Performance Measures established for the Performance Period.
3.3Payment of Bonuses. Following the completion of each Performance Period, the Committee shall certify the level of attainment of the applicable Performance Measures for each Participant. Bonuses shall be paid to Participants in cash at a time determined by the Committee, but in no event later than two and one-half months after the end of the fiscal year in which the Performance Period ends. However, any Participant who is a participant in a deferred compensation plan may defer payment of his/her Bonus if and to the extent permissible under any such plan.
3.4Adjustments. The Committee is authorized at any time during or after a Performance Period, in its sole and absolute discretion, to reduce or eliminate a Bonus payable to any Participant for any reason. No reduction in a Bonus payable to any Participant shall increase the amount of the Bonus payable to any other Participant. In addition, the Committee may adjust the specified Performance Measures or the degree of attainment required to earn a Bonus for such factors as may permit consistent computation, such as those factors set forth in Section 3.2 above; provided that no such adjustment shall be made if the effect of such adjustment would be to cause a Bonus intended to constitute Performance-Based Compensation to fail to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation.
3.5Terms Applicable to Performance-Based Compensation; Maximum Bonus Amount. With respect to each Performance Period, Performance Measures for Performance-Based Compensation will be established and approved by the Committee on or before the earlier of (i) 90 days following the commencement of the Performance Period or (ii) the passage of 25% of the duration of the Performance Period. In no event shall a Covered Officer receive Bonuses intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation payable in any fiscal year that exceeds the lesser of (i) $7,000,000 or (ii) 400% of the Covered Officer’s base salary (prior to any salary reduction or deferral elections) as of the date of the grant of the Bonus.

Article IVGeneral

4.1Administration and Interpretation of Plan. This Plan shall be interpreted by the Committee and its interpretations shall be final and binding on Participants and all other parties in interest.
The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee reserves the right, from time to time, to prescribe rules and regulations which are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, and to modify or revoke such rules and regulations at such time and in such manner as it may deem proper. The Committee may specify a pool from which some or all Bonuses may be paid to all or a subset of Participants in accordance with this Plan and grant Bonuses under Section 3.1 based on allocations from such pool. A copy of the then current Plan shall be maintained in the Company’s offices and shall be available, upon request, for review by any Participant or his duly authorized agent. The Committee may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in this Plan or in any Bonus in the manner and to the extent it shall deem desirable. The determinations of the Committee in the administration of this Plan, as described herein, shall be final, binding and conclusive, subject to the provisions of this Plan. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Committee.
All persons in the Plan shall be bound by the terms of the Plan and of all rules and regulations pursuant thereto, all as now in effect or hereafter amended, promulgated or passed which shall likewise be maintained at the Company.
4.2Rights of Participants and Beneficiaries. The Plan is not an employment agreement and does not ensure or evidence to any degree the continued employment or the claim to continued employment of any Participant for any time or period or job.
No Participant or beneficiary shall, by virtue of this Plan, have any interest in any specific asset or assets of the Company. If a Bonus has been granted, a Participant or beneficiary has only an unsecured contract right to receive cash payments in accordance with and at the times specified by the Plan.
No Participant shall have the right or ability to assign, pledge, or otherwise dispose of any part of a Bonus hereunder.

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4.3Amendment, Modification and Termination of the Plan. The Committee may at any time terminate, suspend or modify the Plan and the terms and provisions of any Bonus to any Participant which has not been paid. Amendments are subject to approval of the shareholders of the Company only if such approval is necessary to maintain the Plan in compliance with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code, its successor provisions or any other applicable law or regulation. No Bonus may be granted during any suspension of the Plan or after its termination.
4.4Unfunded Plan. The Plan shall be unfunded, and the Company shall not be required to segregate any assets that may at any time be represented by Bonuses under the Plan.
4.5Other Benefit and Compensation Programs; No Right to Employment. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Committee nor its submission to the shareholders of the Company shall be construed as creating any limitation on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem appropriate. Payments received by a Participant under a Bonus granted pursuant to the Plan shall not be deemed a part of the Participant’s regular recurring compensation for purposes of the termination, indemnity or severance pay law of any state, and shall not be included in, nor have any effect on, the determination of benefits under any other employee benefit plan, contract, or arrangement, unless the Committee expressly determines otherwise. Nothing in the Plan or any Bonus constitutes or implies any obligation or undertaking to employ or retain a Participant for any period of time or in any position or any limitation of the Company to terminate a Participant’s employment at any time with or without notice or cause.
4.6Governing Law. To the extent that federal laws do not otherwise control, the Plan and all determinations made and actions taken pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota without regard to its conflicts-of-law principles and shall be construed accordingly. The exclusive forum and venue for any legal action arising out of or related to the Plan shall be the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, and each Participant, as a condition of participating in the Plan, submits to the personal jurisdiction of that court. If neither subject matter nor diversity jurisdiction exists in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, then the exclusive forum and venue for any such action shall be the courts of the State of Minnesota located in Hennepin County, and each Participant, as a condition of participating in the Plan, submits to the personal jurisdiction of that court.
4.7Tax Withholding. The Company shall have the right to withhold from cash payments under the Plan to a Participant or other person an amount sufficient to cover any withholding taxes the Company reasonably determines are legally payable by the Participant.
4.8Compensation Recoupment Policy. Bonuses may be made subject to any compensation recoupment policy adopted by the Board or the Committee at any time prior to or after the effective date of the Plan, and as such policy may be amended from time to time after its adoption.
4.9Miscellaneous Provisions.
a.Headings. Headings at the beginning of sections hereof are for convenience of reference, shall not be considered a part of the text of the Plan, and shall not influence its construction.
b.Construed as a Whole. The provisions of the Plan shall be construed as a whole in such manner as to carry out the provisions thereof and shall not be construed separately without relation to the context.
4.10Effective Date of the Plan. The Plan shall become effective as of February 4, 2018; provided that this Plan is approved and ratified by the shareholders of the Company no later than June 30, 2017. The Plan shall remain in effect until it has been terminated pursuant to Section 4.3.

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1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403
 612.304.6073
 Target.com
 
 
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612.304.6073
Target.com