Ultra Clean (NASDAQ: UCTT) 2026 proxy outlines 2025 results, pay and plan share hikes
Ultra Clean Holdings is asking stockholders to approve eight director nominees, ratify PricewaterhouseCoopers as auditor for 2026, hold an advisory vote on 2025 executive pay, and expand its stock incentive and employee stock purchase plans.
The stock incentive plan share reserve would rise from 12,555,695 to 16,055,695 shares and the employee stock purchase plan from 1,055,343 to 1,505,343 shares. The proxy also reviews 2025 results: revenue was $2.05 billion, down 2.1% from 2024, with GAAP income from operations shifting to a $107.4 million loss versus a $91.2 million profit and non-GAAP operating income of $109.8 million. Operating cash flow was $65.6 million and year-end market capitalization was $1.18 billion.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- Profitability deterioration in 2025: GAAP income from operations moved from a $91.2 million profit in 2024 to a $107.4 million loss in 2025, and non-GAAP operating income declined from $145.4 million to $109.8 million, alongside a 28.2% drop in year-end market capitalization.
Insights
Proxy combines routine governance items with weaker 2025 profitability.
Ultra Clean presents standard annual meeting business while highlighting a tougher 2025. Revenue slipped to $2.054 billion, and GAAP income from operations swung to a $107.4 million loss from a prior-year profit, while non-GAAP operating income declined to $109.8 million.
Margins compressed, with GAAP gross margin at 15.7% and non-GAAP at 16.5%, and market capitalization at year-end fell to $1.184 billion. At the same time, cash generation held steady with operating cash flow of $65.6 million, and the company continues emphasizing ESG, climate initiatives and board independence.
The proposals to increase the stock incentive plan by 3.5 million shares and the employee stock purchase plan by 450,000 shares would modestly expand potential equity overhang, while aligning employee and director pay with performance targets discussed in the compensation sections.
Key Figures
Key Terms
non-GAAP income from operations financial
Say-on-Pay financial
SuCCESS2030 financial
Semiconductor Climate Consortium financial
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures financial
Section 16(a) regulatory
Compensation Summary
- Election of eight directors
- Ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent registered public accounting firm for 2026
- Advisory vote on compensation of named executive officers for fiscal 2025
- Approval of amended and restated stock incentive plan increasing share reserve
- Approval of amended and restated employee stock purchase plan increasing share reserve
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Filed by the Registrant ☒ | |||
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐ | |||
☐ | Preliminary Proxy Statement | ||
☐ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | ||
☒ | Definitive Proxy Statement | ||
☐ | Definitive Additional Materials | ||
☐ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 | ||
☒ | No fee required. | |||||
☐ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. | |||||
☐ | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. | |||||
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Purposes: |
• Elect our directors |
• Ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2026 |
• Hold an advisory vote on executive compensation |
• Approval of an amendment and restatement of our stock incentive plan |
• Approval of an amendment and restatement of our employee stock purchase plan |
• Conduct other business that may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof |
Adjournments or Postponements |
In the event of an adjournment, postponement or emergency that may change the annual meeting’s time, date or location, we will make an announcement, issue a press release or post information at www.uct.com/investors to notify stockholders, as appropriate. Information on or accessible through our website is not incorporated by reference in this Proxy Statement. |
Important Notice Regarding The Availability Of Proxy Materials For The Stockholder Meeting To Be Held On May 22, 2026: This Proxy Statement, along with our 2026 Annual Report to Stockholders, is available on the following website: http://materials.proxyvote.com. |
Sincerely, |
/s/ James Xiao James Xiao Chief Executive Officer April 27, 2026 |
![]() | Date: May 22, 2026 Time: 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time | ||||
Virtual Meeting: | |||||
www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UCTT2026 | |||||
The Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only. You will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting physically. To be admitted to the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UCTT2026, you must enter the control number found on your proxy card, voting instruction form or notice. | |||||
Who Can Vote: | |||||
March 27, 2026 is the record date for voting. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on that date may vote at the annual meeting or any adjournment thereof. | |||||
All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting. At the meeting, you will hear a report on our business and have a chance to meet some of our directors and executive officers. | |||||
![]() | VOTE ONLINE | ||||
![]() | VOTE BY PHONE | ||||
![]() | VOTE BY MAIL Sign, date and return your proxy card in the postage-paid envelope. | ||||
![]() | VOTE DURING THE MEETING Whether you expect to attend the meeting or not, please vote electronically via the Internet or by telephone or by completing, signing and promptly returning the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed postage-prepaid envelope. You may change your vote and revoke your proxy at any time before the polls close at the meeting by following the procedures described in the accompanying proxy statement. | ||||
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INFORMATION CONCERNING SOLICITATION AND VOTING | 1 | ||
Company Overview | 8 | ||
PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | 11 | ||
Board Recommendation | 14 | ||
Structure of Board of Directors and Corporate Governance Information | 14 | ||
Risk Oversight | 15 | ||
Sustainability and Governance Considerations | 15 | ||
Committees of Our Board of Directors | 21 | ||
Consideration of Director Nominees | 22 | ||
Director Compensation | 23 | ||
Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions | 24 | ||
PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | 25 | ||
Audit Fees | 25 | ||
Preapproval Policy of Audit Committee of Services Performed by Independent Auditors | 25 | ||
Board Recommendation | 25 | ||
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | 26 | ||
PROPOSAL 3: ADVISORY VOTE APPROVING THE COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS | 27 | ||
Board Recommendation | 27 | ||
EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | 28 | ||
Compensation Discussion and Analysis | 28 | ||
Stock Ownership Guidelines; Policy Against Hedging Transactions and Pledges | 41 | ||
Compensation Consultant | 42 | ||
Compensation and People Committee Report | 42 | ||
Summary Compensation Table | 43 | ||
Grants of Plan-Based Awards | 44 | ||
Outstanding Equity Awards | 45 | ||
Stock Awards Vested | 46 | ||
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation | 46 | ||
Post-Termination Arrangements | 46 | ||
Pay Versus Performance | 49 | ||
OTHER MATTERS | 60 | ||
APPENDIX A: RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES | A-1 | ||
APPENDIX B: AMENDED AND RESTATED STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN (AMENDED AS OF MAY 17, 2023) | B-1 | ||
APPENDIX C:EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN (AMENDED AND RESTATED AS OF MAY 17, 2023) | C-1 | ||
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• | FOR the election of each of the named nominees for director; |
• | FOR the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm; |
• | FOR the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers; |
• | FOR the approval of an amendment and restatement of our stock incentive plan; |
• | FOR the approval of an amendment and restatement of our employee stock purchase plan; and |
• | with respect to any other matter that may come before the annual meeting, as recommended by our Board of Directors or otherwise in the proxies’ discretion. |
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• | each person or group known by us to own beneficially more than five percent of our common stock; |
• | each of our directors, director nominees and named executive officers individually; and |
• | all directors and executive officers as a group. |
SHARES OF COMMON STOCK BENEFICIALLY OWNED | ||||||||
NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER | NUMBER | PERCENT | ||||||
Greater than 5% Stockholders | ||||||||
BlackRock, Inc.(1) | 6,748,231 | 14.8% | ||||||
50 Hudson Yards | ||||||||
New York, NY 10001 | ||||||||
The Vanguard Group(2) | 4,580,193 | 10.1% | ||||||
100 Vanguard Boulevard | ||||||||
Malvern, PA 19355 | ||||||||
Frontier Capital Management Co., LLC.(3) | 3,509,839 | 7.7% | ||||||
99 Summer Street | ||||||||
Boston, MA 02110 | ||||||||
Invesco Ltd.(4) | 3,399,834 | 7.5% | ||||||
1331 Spring Street NW, Suite 2500 | ||||||||
Atlanta, GA 30309 | ||||||||
Named Executive Officers, Directors and Director Nominees | ||||||||
James Xiao(5) | 0 | * | ||||||
James P. Scholhamer(6) | 282,855 | * | ||||||
Sheri L. Savage(7) | 42,063 | * | ||||||
Harjinder Bajwa(8) | 33,700 | * | ||||||
Christopher S. Cook(9) | 36,688 | * | ||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben(10) | 10,647 | * | ||||||
Clarence L. Granger(11)(12) | 112,817 | * | ||||||
Thomas T. Edman(12) | 46,041 | * | ||||||
David T. ibnAle(12) | 45,241 | * | ||||||
Emily M. Liggett(12) | 43,775 | * | ||||||
Ernest E. Maddock(12) | 56,241 | * | ||||||
Jacqueline A. Seto(12) | 28,950 | * | ||||||
Joanne Solomon(12) | 9,508 | * | ||||||
All Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (17 persons)(13) | 822,251 | 1.8% | ||||||
* | Less than 1%. |
(1) | Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on April 30, 2025 for the period ended March 31, 2025. |
(2) | Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on August 12, 2024 for the period ended July 31, 2024. |
(3) | Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 17, 2026 for the period ended December 31, 2025. |
(4) | Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 12, 2026 for the period ended December 31, 2025. |
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(5) | Mr. Xiao was appointed, effective September 2, 2025, as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. |
(6) | Mr. Scholhamer stepped down, effective March 4, 2025, as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. |
(7) | Includes 22,298 restricted stock units that were scheduled to vest on April 30, 2026. |
(8) | Mr. Bajwa’s employment as Chief Operating Officer was terminated effective January 25, 2026. No restricted stock units are scheduled to vest. |
(9) | Includes 20,865 restricted stock units that were scheduled to vest on April 30, 2026. |
(10) | Includes 10,647 restricted stock units that were scheduled to vest on April 30, 2026. |
(11) | Mr. Granger served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer on an interim basis from March 5, 2025 to September 1, 2025. |
(12) | Includes 8,198 restricted stock units that vest on the earlier of the day before the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and May 21, 2026. |
(13) | Consists of shares beneficially owned by our current executive officers and directors as of March 1, 2026, which include (i) 4,115 restricted stock units that were scheduled to vest on March 31, 2026; (ii) 93,115 restricted stock units that were scheduled to vest on April 30, 2026; and (iii) 57,386 restricted stock units that were scheduled to vest on the earlier of the day before the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and May 21, 2026. |
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•By telephone: | 510-576-4400 | ||
•By fax: | 510-576-4401 | ||
•In writing at our principal executive offices: | Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. Attn: Secretary 26462 Corporate Avenue Hayward, CA 94545 | ||
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• | Revenue was $2.05 billion in 2025, compared to $2.10 billion in 2024. |
• | GAAP operating margin was (5.2)% in 2025, compared to 4.3% in the prior year. Non-GAAP* operating margin was 5.3% in 2025, compared to 6.9% in 2024. Margins continue to be influenced by fluctuations in volume, mix, manufacturing region and related tariffs as well as material and transportation costs. The financial results for fiscal year 2025 reflect a pre-tax, non-cash charge of $151.1 million related to goodwill impairments. |
• | GAAP earnings (loss) per share (“EPS”) was ($4.00) in 2025 and $0.52 in 2024. Non-GAAP EPS* was $1.05 in 2025, compared to $1.44 in 2024. |
• | Continued to advance global capacity while consolidating and modernizing operations into state-of-the-art, scalable facilities in strategic locations around the world. |
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Years Ended | ||||||||||||||
December 26, 2025 | December 27, 2024 | Increase (December) | % Increase (December) | |||||||||||
(dollars are in millions)% | ||||||||||||||
Revenues | $2,054.0 | $2,097.6 | $(43.6) | -2.1% | ||||||||||
GAAP Gross margin | 15.7% | 17.0% | -1.3% | -7.6% | ||||||||||
Non-GAAP Gross margin* | 16.5% | 17.5% | -1.0% | -5.7% | ||||||||||
Income (loss) from operations | $(107.4) | $91.2 | $(198.6) | -217.8% | ||||||||||
Non-GAAP income from operations* | $109.8 | $145.4 | $(35.6) | -24.5% | ||||||||||
Operating cash flow | $65.6 | $65.0 | $0.6 | 0.9% | ||||||||||
Market capitalization at fiscal year end | $1,184.4 | $1,648.5 | $(464.1) | -28.2% | ||||||||||
* | In addition to providing results that are determined in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), management uses non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP net income to evaluate the Company’s operating and financial results. Management believes the presentation of non-GAAP results is useful to investors for analyzing our core business and business trends and comparing performance to prior periods, along with enhancing investors’ ability to view the Company’s results from management’s perspective. The presentation of this additional information should not be considered a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. |
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NAME | POSITION/OFFICE HELD WITH THE COMPANY | AGE | DIRECTOR SINCE | ||||||||
Thomas T. Edman | Chairman and Nominee for Director | 63 | 2015 | ||||||||
James Xiao | Chief Executive Officer, Director and Nominee for Director | 55 | 2025 | ||||||||
Clarence L. Granger | Director and Nominee for Director | 77 | 2002 | ||||||||
David T. ibnAle | Director and Nominee for Director | 54 | 2002 | ||||||||
Emily M. Liggett | Director and Nominee for Director | 70 | 2014 | ||||||||
Ernest E. Maddock | Director and Nominee for Director | 68 | 2018 | ||||||||
Jacqueline A. Seto | Director and Nominee for Director | 59 | 2020 | ||||||||
Joanne Solomon | Director and Nominee for Director | 60 | 2025 | ||||||||
| Thomas T. Edman — Independent Chairperson Director since 2015 Age: 63 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • Strong business acumen and deep technology-industry experience with sizeable companies, including as former CEO of a public company • Executive vision and leadership with extensive experience in Asia and with compensation matters • Global network of customer, industry and government relationships | ||
Thomas T. Edman served as Chief Executive Officer of TTM Technologies Inc. from 2014 until his retirement in September 2025, and has been a member of its Board of Directors since 2004. Mr. Edman also has been a member of the Board of Directors at Jabil, Inc. and Materion Corporation since January 2026. Prior to joining TTM Technologies, Inc., Mr. Edman held multiple management roles at Applied Materials Inc., including Group Vice President and General Manager of the AKT Display Business Group and Corporate Vice President of Corporate Business Development. Before that, he served as President and CEO of Applied Films Corporation and also as General Manager of the High Performance Materials Division of Marubeni Specialty Chemicals Inc. Mr. Edman is currently the Emeritus chairman of the Global Electronics Association, a trade association for the electronics manufacturing industry. Mr. Edman holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies (Japan) from Yale University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. | |||
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![]() | James Xiao — Chief Executive Officer and Director Director since 2025 Age: 55 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • Executive leadership and vision • Extensive industry experience and in-depth customer knowledge • Strong engineering and operations experience • Global network of customer, industry and government relationships | ||
James Xiao joined UCT as Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors in September 2025. Mr. Xiao is a proven technology leader with a successful track record of unlocking value through cutting-edge technologies, market expansion, and operational excellence. With over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor, solar, and display industries, he spent 19 years at Applied Materials in a range of leadership roles, most recently as Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the company’s multi-billion-dollar semiconductor ALD product group. He joined Applied Materials in 2006 through the acquisition of Applied Films, where he was President of the China branch, overseeing operations, service and sales. Mr. Xiao holds a B.S. in Applied Physics from Dalian University of Technology, an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and has completed executive leadership training at Stanford University. | |||
![]() | Clarence L. Granger — Independent Director Director since 2002 Age: 77 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • Extensive knowledge of UCT’s business, strategy, people, operations, finances and competitive position in the semiconductor capital equipment industry • Executive leadership and vision • Global network of customer, industry and government relationships | ||
Clarence L. Granger has served as our Chairman since October 2006 and has served as our interim Chief Executive Officer from March 4, 2025 to September 1, 2025. Mr. Granger was integral to the successful onboarding of and transition to our new CEO. From 1996 to 2015, Mr. Granger served in multiple roles with UCT including Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations, culminating with 12 years as our Chief Executive Officer until his retirement. Before joining UCT, Mr. Granger held executive management roles at Seagate Technology, HMT Technology and Xidex, including the position of Chief Executive Officer for HMT Technology. Mr. Granger has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. | |||
![]() | David T. ibnAle — Independent Director Director since 2002 Age: 54 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • Expertise in corporate finance, accounting and strategy • Brings a thorough understanding of business management, including investment, corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions to UCT’s growth initiatives • Qualifies as a financial expert and provides important support as a member of our Audit Committee | ||
David T. ibnAle is a Founding and Managing Partner of Advance Venture Partners LLC. He has 28 years of experience as an investor in high-growth technology companies. Before co-founding AVP, Mr. ibnAle was a Managing Director of TPG Growth, the growth equity and middle-market investment platform of TPG. Prior to joining TPG Growth, he was an investment professional and Partner at Francisco Partners and an investment professional at Summit Partners. Mr. ibnAle has served on the Boards of Directors of several public and private technology companies, and currently serves on the Boards of Affinity, Alto Solutions, AutoLeap, Morning Consult, Boulder Care and Midi Health. Mr. ibnAle also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Foundation. Mr. ibnAle holds a B.A. in Public Policy and an M.A. in International Development Policy from Stanford University, and an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. | |||
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| Emily Liggett — Independent Director Director since 2014 Age: 70 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • CEO and management experience in a variety of technical industrial companies • Strong international perspective, having managed worldwide businesses, partnerships, and international joint ventures • Expertise in governance, strategy, operations, new product development, sales, marketing, and business development for highly technical businesses | ||
Emily Liggett is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Liggett Advisors, a strategy/implementation consulting business, since 2017. Previously, Ms. Liggett was CEO of NovaTorque, Inc., CEO of Apexon, CEO of Capstone Turbine and CEO of Elo TouchSystems. Before these roles, she held assignments in sales, marketing, operations and general management at Raychem Corporation, including GM of the Raychem Telecommunications Division. Ms. Liggett is presently a director of Materion Corporation. She was previously a director of Kaiser Aluminum, MTS Systems Corporation and of Immersion Corporation, and serves on the Purdue Research Foundation Board of Directors. As a board member, Ms. Liggett has developed expertise in oversight of corporate sustainability matters including environmental, social and governance best practices and implementation. She teaches Corporate Governance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Ms. Liggett has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, an M.S. degree in Manufacturing Systems and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. | |||
![]() | Ernest E. Maddock — Independent Director Director since 2018 Age: 68 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • Practical and strategic insight into complex financial reporting and management issues • Significant operational expertise • Knowledge of critical drivers across the semiconductor ecosystem | ||
Ernest E. Maddock has held leadership positions at multiple global companies during his career. Mr. Maddock served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Micron Technology from 2015 until his retirement in 2018. Prior to joining Micron, Mr. Maddock served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Riverbed Technology. Before joining Riverbed, he spent 15 years at Lam Research Corporation (“Lam”), rising to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. His previous roles at Lam included Vice President, Customer Support Business Group; and Group Vice President and Senior Vice President of Global Operations. Currently, Mr. Maddock serves on the Board of Directors of Avnet, Inc., Ouster Inc., Teradyne, Inc., and previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for Intersil Corporation. Mr. Maddock holds a B.S. in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Georgia State University. | |||
![]() | Jacqueline A. Seto — Independent Director Director since 2020 Age: 60 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • Deep understanding of the semiconductor/semiconductor equipment industry and customers • Strong engineering and operations expertise • Extensive experience in product development, strategy and marketing | ||
Jacqueline A. Seto is currently Principal of Side People Consulting, partnering with emerging companies and with non-profit organizations advising on strategic planning and leadership consulting. Previously, Ms. Seto spent 22 years at Lam Research, where she advanced to the position of Group Vice President and General Manager of the Clean Business Unit. Her previous roles at Lam included Corporate Vice President and General Manager in the Reliant Business Unit, Vice President of Product and Strategic Marketing and Managing Director of Emerging Businesses. Ms. Seto currently serves as a member of the Faculty Advancement Board for McGill University Faculty of Engineering and as the President and a member of the Board of Directors for the International Women’s Forum Oregon. She previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, TriAegis Residential Services, for Mastersranking.com and as the Board Secretary of Prevent Child Abuse Oregon. As a board member, Ms. Seto has | |||
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developed expertise in oversight of corporate sustainability matters including environmental, social and governance best practices and implementation. Ms. Seto holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from McGill University. | |||
![]() | Joanne Solomon — Independent Director Director since 2025 Age: 60 Key qualifications and expertise considered by the Board in nominating this director: • Deep understanding of corporate finance, accounting and strategy • Finance leadership in multiple technology companies and industries • Extensive experience in global expansion and acquisitions | ||
Joanne Solomon served as Chief Financial Officer at Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. from 2020 until 2021 and at Katerra Inc. from 2017 until 2019. Ms. Solomon spent sixteen years at Amkor Technology, Inc. (Amkor) from 2000 until 2016. She served as Chief Financial Officer from 2007 until 2016. Her previous roles at Amkor included, among others, Senior Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller, and Senior Vice President, Finance and Treasurer, from 2000 until 2007. Ms. Solomon holds a B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting and Finance from Drexel University, and an M.B.A. in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management (now part of Arizona State University). Ms. Solomon also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Viavi Solutions Inc. since 2022, and previously served as a member of the Board of Director for Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix (non-profit) from 2007 until 2017. | |||
![]() | Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” each of the nominees to the Board of Directors set forth in this Proposal 1. | ||||
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![]() | We are committed to sustainable solutions that minimize our environmental impact and support our long-term success. As a growing global company, we are continuously improving and expanding the scope of our environmental efforts. Our policy on environmental protection is supported by the executive leadership team. The foundation of the policy is the concept of reducing, reusing and recycling to minimize our environmental footprint. We focus on continuous improvement by regularly assessing new requirements and stakeholder input. In addition, we have established an Environmental Management System that includes procedures to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices. We have a goal of zero environmental impact incidents. Our performance against this policy is monitored by reviews and audits | ||
OUR EFFORTS TO ADVANCE INDUSTRY-WIDE SOLUTIONS We are committed to “SuCCESS2030” (Supply Chain Certification for Environmental and Social Sustainability) spearheaded by Applied Materials. This initiative supports sustainability efforts throughout the semiconductor equipment supply chain. The goal is to build a responsible and sustainable end-to-end supply chain for the future of semiconductors. Consistent with SuCCESS2030 goals, we are an active member of the Responsible Business Alliance (“RBA”) and adhere to the RBA Code of Conduct, which is a set of sustainability and ethical industry standards. As a participant in SuCCESS2030, we engage with Applied Materials’ external auditors and analyze operational enhancements, including auditing our suppliers to ensure adherence to RBA guidelines. We also subscribe to the RBA’s Responsible Mineral Initiative, which establishes standards for environmentally responsible and ethical business practices in the electronics industry and its supply chain. In 2022, we successfully submitted the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template and Extended Minerals Reporting Template as part of our commitment to SuCCESS2030. In 2022, we became a Founding Member of the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (“SCC”), the first global alliance of semiconductor ecosystem companies focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain. The SCC’s members are committed to the following objectives: • Collaboration – Align on common approaches, technology innovations and communications channels to continuously reduce greenhouse gas emissions. • Transparency – Publicly report progress and Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions annually. • Ambition – Set near- and long-term decarbonization targets with the aim of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. | |||
SCC founding members are committed to driving climate progress within the semiconductor industry and support the Paris Agreement and related accords aimed at accelerating and intensifying the actions and investments required for a sustainable low-carbon future. Additionally, we are actively engaged with various industry efforts offered by our key customers, such as the Catalyze program that aims at furthering the adoption of renewable electricity throughout the global semiconductor value chain. | |||
To support our ambition, we are committed to lowering our greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions and sharing our progress on a timeline as required by various regulatory authorities. To achieve our objectives, since 2022 and continuing through 2025, we have been working with outside experts to develop internal processes and automated systems that will enable us to collect, analyze and report our GHG footprint across global operational sites. This system is now implemented with baseline Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 GHG data. Our reporting will be aligned with the framework developed by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”), which has emerged as the most prominent global standard for reporting in accordance with the regulatory requirements. Using this baseline, we have developed an initiatives roadmap aligned with our business and operational strategy to support long term emissions reduction consistent with SCC and the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). We submitted our targets to the SBTi for validation in 2026. Our key customers are supportive of our roadmap and we regularly update them on our progress. | |||
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We have voluntarily prepared and publicly provided on our website climate-related financial risk information consistent with California SB 261 guidance, demonstrating our commitment to transparency and proactive climate-risk governance. Other highlights: | |||
ENERGY EFFICIENT OPERATIONS Increased efficiency can lower GHG emissions and other pollutants to help protect the environment. • We are reducing air freight, particularly express shipments, by shifting to ocean freight in alignment with our sustainability objectives. Over the past two years, we have also localized and regionalized material sourcing to reduce transportation emissions and enhance efficiency. • We incorporate energy efficiency considerations into our capacity expansions. For example, one of our newest facilities in Malaysia recently completed a solar installation that will reduce our energy consumption over time. In addition, the site design of our recently opened state-of-the-art facilities in Chandler, Arizona and Austin, Texas, follow Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) certification guidelines. We incorporate “Natural Light” design, LED lighting, motion sensors and energy efficient HVACs in new facilities to reduce energy consumption. • Our global sites incorporate lean manufacturing methods where possible to increase energy efficiency and reduce waste. | |||
RESPONSIBLE USE OF RESOURCES We recognize that the responsible use of natural resources is essential to sustainably growing our business and protecting the environment. • We follow RBA’s Responsible Minerals Assurance Process for tantalum. Tantalum is a rare metal commonly used in the electronics industry where high reliability in extreme environments is required. Tantalum is covered by regulations related to “conflict minerals” in the United States and the European Union. • Our Environmentally Clean Process (“EnCP”) for tantalum-deposited parts recover up to 95% of the metal, enabling it to re-enter the commodity market and reduce the demand for mined material. • EnCP also increases part lifetime and reduces wastewater generation while eliminating the use of chemicals at some of our high-volume cleaning facilities. • We acknowledge our duty to protect water sources in the communities in which we operate and we strive to conserve water use across our global operations by sharing best practices among sites. • We have made advancements in the identification and risk assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), supported by expanded supplier disclosures obtained in 2023 when UCT introduced a supplier survey to gauge awareness of PFAS risks and adoption of sustainability principles. | |||
REDUCING CHEMICAL USE Our parts cleaning business uses chemical-free processes where possible. This lowers our environmental impact by reducing the amount of waste requiring treatment and enabling the safe return of water to the environment. | |||
MINIMIZING WASTE We are committed to reducing waste across our locations to limit our environmental footprint. We have implemented reuse programs for packaging materials with our customers and suppliers, adhering to the semiconductor industry’s stringent protective packaging requirements. | |||
REDUCING TRANSPORTATION To reduce our overall emissions, we seek to minimize transportation emissions wherever possible among our operations, and with our suppliers and employees. Many of our sites are strategically positioned close to our customers, which reduces the distance products must travel. Where possible, we develop regional supply chains that reduce overall shipping requirements. | |||
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![]() | We aim to build a responsible and sustainable end-to-end supply chain, ensure employee health and safety in the workplace, foster an atmosphere of acceptance, inclusion, belonging, trust and mutual respect in the workplace, promote employee engagement inside and outside the company and give back to communities. We strive to positively impact society by ensuring the people we work with are safe and treated with dignity and respect. We strive to be a good neighbor in the communities in which we operate. | ||
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND SAFETY • The safety of our personnel is our top priority. We have an established Safety policy to outline expectations, including our goal of zero accidents and injuries. Safety incident levels across our Products and Services Divisions are consistently below industry benchmarks. • We consistently train, educate and qualify personnel to enable a safety-focused work environment. • We subscribe to the Responsible Business Alliance (“RBA”) Responsible Labor Initiative, which establishes standards to ensure that working conditions in the electronics industry and its supply chains are safe and that workers are treated with respect and dignity. • We require written certification from strategic direct product suppliers that the materials incorporated into their products comply with applicable laws and regulations, including laws regarding slavery and human trafficking of the country or countries in which they are doing business. | |||
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Central to our values is the belief that employees are foundational to our success. Our goal is to foster an atmosphere of trust and respect for all, where every person feels value and empowered to effectively contribute to our business objectives. We respect regional differences while fostering a culture that maximizes both organizational and individual potential. Our culture emphasizes leadership, open and honest communication, training and mentoring, and a positive reward system. • Our Human Rights Policy Statement outlines our formal commitment to human rights, and is aligned with internationally accepted frameworks. The statement prioritizes respect for human dignity, non-discrimination, a safe and healthy workplace, fair labor practices, and community engagement, and complements our existing Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking policy statements. • Our employees take mandatory training to establish behavioral expectations, foster an atmosphere of acceptance and trust, and ensure that every employee is treated with dignity and respect. • We launched a company-wide learning management system (LMS) in 2022 that provides all employees with opportunities to advance their skills, knowledge and careers. Course offerings include leadership and professional skills, management training, project management certification, environmental, health and safety courses and more. In 2025, more than 6,000 UCT employees engaged in LMS training for a total of more than 30,000 training hours. • We are committed to the success of our employees. In 2025, 99% of our global workforce participated in performance reviews to measure achievements and opportunities against personal and corporate goals. All of our full-time, permanent employees participate financially in the success of the company via formal profit sharing or performance bonus plans, and our US-based employees may participate in our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). • We invest in specialized training for front-line leadership and high-potential employees to enhance individual capabilities and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. • We actively solicit the input of our employees on an ongoing basis as part of our efforts to | |||
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make UCT an attractive place to work and to enhance recruiting and retention. In 2025, 60% of our employees participated in a company-wide third-party survey compared to 34% in 2024, reflecting increased employee engagement. | |||
We are committed to contributing to the communities in which we operate, and supporting our employees who participate in local events through the investment of time and resources. In 2025, we organized and conducted 85 events designed to give back and support local organizations and individuals. | |||
![]() | Sound governance and strong leadership are key to delivering sustained value to our stakeholders. To succeed, we must safeguard and retain the trust of employees, partners, customers, investors and the communities in which we work and live. As stewards of the company, our Board of Directors provides guidance and oversight and ensures that we maintain our high ethical standards. Effective corporate governance requires achieving the right mix of experience, background and diversity in perspectives; this is particularly important in a complex and highly technical business like ours. We benefit from a highly engaged and informed Board of Directors. Our board composition complies with Nasdaq and Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding director independence and includes women and those from under-represented groups. Two of our three board committees share oversight responsibility for sustainability and governance : • The Nominating, Sustainability and Corporate Governance Committee provides oversight and guidance for ESG matters focusing on sustainability and governance areas. • The Compensation and People Committee provides oversight and guidance for the social component of sustainability, including talent and career development, employee retention, promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion and other people-related matters. | ||
These committees meet regularly and provide input and guidance for consideration of sustainability and governance matters to the broader board on a regular basis. | |||
CYBERSECURITY Managing cyber-risk is increasingly critical to effective governance in today’s interconnected world and forms an important component of UCT’s overall enterprise risk management program. Our Board of Directors has the overall oversight responsibility for our risk management, and delegates the cybersecurity and other risks relating to our information controls and security to our Audit Committee. Both the Audit Committee and the full Board receive regular updates from our management on cybersecurity matters, results of ongoing risk management efforts, significant developments in the cybersecurity landscape, and the effectiveness of our controls. Board members actively engage in these ongoing discussions. In addition, the Board and the Compensation and People Committee review and approve the key performance indicators applicable to all management personnel responsible for effectively managing cybersecurity risk management programs at UCT and regularly assess the Company’s performance against those indicators. Our cybersecurity program is led by the Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”), who reports to the Chief Information Officer (“CIO”), and provides formal reports to the Board and Audit Committee at least annually, with interim updates as needed. Under the CISO’s leadership, we maintain processes to assess, identify, manage, and report cybersecurity risks, supported by broader business continuity planning to ensure effective incident response and swift restoration of critical systems. Our senior management and information technology security teams devote considerable time and resources to conducting regular evaluations of our systems and implementing necessary enhancements to our security infrastructure to better guard against evolving cybersecurity threats. We actively scan our information environment for vulnerabilities across the systems on which our | |||
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business relies, including ERP platforms, supply chain management systems, electronic payment gateways, and other interconnected technologies. We conduct regular penetration testing in collaboration with third-party experts and promptly remediate identified vulnerabilities to prevent any potential compromise of our systems or data. Using threat models and intelligence, we regularly assess a range of cyber threats, including hacking attempts, malware attacks, phishing schemes, infrastructure intrusions, and insider threats. In conjunction with our ongoing threat and vulnerability assessments, we evaluate the various ways, and the extent to which, cyberattacks may materially impact our business, including financial loss, regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and litigation risks. In this rapidly evolving cybersecurity environment, we recognize staying informed about emerging cybersecurity threats and industry best practices is an indispensable part of assessing and identifying cybersecurity risks, particularly within the manufacturing sector. Our involvement includes active participation in industry associations, sharing threat intelligence, and collaborating with regulatory bodies and law enforcement. This collaboration strengthens our defenses against potential threats to our financial and information systems. Our preventive framework includes advanced security technologies, encryption protocols, Identity and Access Management controls, security monitoring tools, and multi-factor authentication. Our employees, contractors and directors receive regular information security training and participate in ongoing, mandatory cybersecurity awareness programs at least annually. We also maintain a third-party risk management program to evaluate vendor cybersecurity practices and regularly engages third-party experts to assess the effectiveness of our security protocols. Our cybersecurity program is supported by comprehensive policies and incident response playbooks, including defined escalation procedures involving senior management and the Board. Our security posture is reviewed through external audits based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Cybersecurity Framework, annual financial audit procedures, customer cybersecurity assessments, and monitoring by third-party service providers. UCT also maintains cybersecurity risk insurance. | |||
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AUDIT COMMITTEE | ||
Among other matters, the Audit Committee is responsible for: | ||
• providing oversight of our accounting and financial reporting processes and audits of our financial statements; | ||
• assisting the Board in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements and the adequacy and effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting; | ||
• periodically reviewing risks related to data protection and cybersecurity; | ||
• the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent auditors (including hiring and replacing our independent auditors as appropriate, reviewing and pre-approving any audit and non-audit services provided by our independent auditors and approving fees related to such services); | ||
• the performance of our internal audit function; | ||
• the review, approval and oversight of our Cash and Investment Policy and Financial Risk Management Policy, including oversight over our hedging strategy and the use of swaps and other derivative instruments for hedging risks; | ||
• compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; | ||
• compliance with our code of business conduct and ethics (and requests for waivers therefrom); and | ||
• preparing the Audit Committee report that SEC rules require to be included in our proxy statement. | ||
COMPENSATION AND PEOPLE COMMITTEE | ||
Among other matters, our Compensation and People Committee: | ||
• oversees our compensation and benefits programs and policies generally, including the compensation of our CEO and other senior executives and the issuance of equity-based compensation; | ||
• evaluates the performance of our executive officers and other senior executives; | ||
• reviews our management succession plan; | ||
• oversees and sets compensation for our executive officers, Board members and other senior executives; | ||
• reviews and recommends inclusion of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required to be included in our proxy statement by SEC rules; | ||
• oversees the social component of ESG matters; and | ||
• oversees the administration of, and, as appropriate, the enforcement of the Company’s Compensation Recoupment Policy and any recoupment-related activity. | ||
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NOMINATING, SUSTAINABILITY AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE | ||
Among other matters, our Nominating, Sustainability and Corporate Governance Committee: | ||
• reviews and evaluates the size, composition, function and duties of the Board consistent with its needs; | ||
• establishes criteria for the selection of candidates to the Board and its committees, and identifies individuals qualified to become Board members consistent with such criteria, including the consideration of nominees submitted by shareholders; | ||
• recommends to the Board director nominees for election at our annual or special meetings of stockholders at which directors are to be elected or to fill any vacancies or newly created directorships that may occur between such meetings; | ||
• recommends directors for appointment to committees of the Board; | ||
• makes recommendations to the Board as to determinations of director independence; | ||
• leads the process and assists the Board in evaluating its performance and the performance of its committees; | ||
• periodically reviews our corporate governance guidelines and code of business conduct and ethics, and oversees compliance with our corporate governance guidelines; and | ||
• oversees sustainability matters focused on the environmental and governance components. | ||
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• | a $70,000 twelve-month cash retainer for service as a member of our Board of Directors |
• | an additional $70,000 twelve-month cash fee for serving as chair of our Board of Directors |
• | an additional $30,000 cash fee for serving as independent lead director of our Board of Directors |
• | the following additional twelve-month cash retainers for service on the standing committees of our Board of Directors: |
• | Audit Committee – $12,500 (or $35,000 for the chair) |
• | Compensation and People Committee – $10,000 (or $20,000 for the chair) |
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NAME | FEES EARNED OR PAID IN CASH ($) | STOCK AWARDS(1)(2) ($) | TOTAL ($) | ||||||||
Thomas T. Edman | 98,333 | 176,257 | 274,590 | ||||||||
Clarence L. Granger | 135,922 | 819,827 | 955,749 | ||||||||
David T. ibnAle | 88,333 | 176,257 | 264,590 | ||||||||
Emily M. Liggett | 105,470 | 176,257 | 281,727 | ||||||||
Ernest E. Maddock | 110,833 | 176,257 | 287,090 | ||||||||
Jacqueline A. Seto | 95,833 | 176,257 | 272,090 | ||||||||
Joanne Solomon | 66,125 | 208,955 | 275,080 | ||||||||
(1) | The amounts shown are the grant date fair values for restricted stock units granted in fiscal year 2025 computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 based on the closing price of our common stock on the day preceding the grant date. Pursuant to SEC rules, the amounts shown exclude the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. |
(2) | Messrs. Edman, Granger, ibnAle and Maddock and Mses. Liggett, Seto and Solomon each held an outstanding restricted stock award with respect to 8,198 shares of our common stock as of December 26, 2025. |
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FISCAL YEAR ENDED | ||||||||
DECEMBER 26, 2025 | DECEMBER 27, 2024 | |||||||
Audit fees | $3,602,000 | $4,127,387 | ||||||
Audit related fees | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Tax Services | 0 | 21,279 | ||||||
Other non-audit services | 2,000 | 2,000 | ||||||
Total | $3,604,000 | $4,150,666 | ||||||
![]() | Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2026. | ||||
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![]() | Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” the approval of the non-binding advisory vote on compensation of our named executive officers for fiscal 2025 as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC, which disclosure includes the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” the compensation tables and other narrative executive compensation disclosures in this proxy statement. | ||||
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NAME | AGE | POSITION | ||||||
James Xiao(1) | 56 | Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
James P. Scholhamer(2) | 59 | Former Chief Executive Officer & Director | ||||||
Clarence L. Granger(2) | 77 | Former Interim Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 54 | Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance | ||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 57 | Chief Business Officer | ||||||
Harjinder Bajwa(3) | 59 | Chief Operating Officer | ||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 63 | Chief Information Officer | ||||||
(1) | Mr. Xiao was appointed Chief Executive Officer effective September 2025. |
(2) | Mr. Scholhamer stepped down, effective March 4, 2025, as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Following Mr. Scholhamer’s departure, Clarence Granger, the Company’s Chairman, served as the Company’s interim Chief Executive Officer until September 2025. |
(3) | Mr. Bajwa left the Company in January 2026. Mr. Robert Wunar was appointed Chief Operating Officer effective March 2026. |
• | Achieved revenue of $2.05 billion in 2025, compared to $2.10 billion in 2024. |
• | GAAP operating margin was (5.2)% in 2025, compared to 4.3% in the prior year. Non-GAAP operating margin was 5.3% in 2025, compared to 6.9% in 2024. Margins continue to be influenced by fluctuations in volume, mix, manufacturing region and related tariffs as well as material and transportation costs. |
• | GAAP earnings (loss) per share (“EPS”) was ($4.00) in 2025 and $0.52 in 2024. Non-GAAP EPS was $1.05 in 2025, compared to $1.44 in 2024. As of December 26, 2025, UCT had $311.8 million in cash and cash equivalents. The financial results for fiscal year 2025 reflect a pre-tax, non-cash charge of $151.1 million related to goodwill impairments. |
• | Our annual cash incentive outcomes for FY2025 were paid based on revenue, operating results and execution against strategic objectives. These cash payouts ranged from 94% to 103% of target for the NEOs, and on average, 99% of target. |
• | Base salary increases for the non-CEO NEOs ranged from 4% to 14.4%(1) to more closely align them with market median levels. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer did not receive a base salary increase in 2025, as the CEO was appointed during the year. |
• | With the exception of the Chief Business Officer, whose target annual cash incentive increased from 60% to 85% in connection with his promotion during 2025, there were no changes to the target annual cash incentive opportunities for the other NEOs. Target bonus opportunities ranged from 60% to 110% of base salary. |
• | The three-year relative revenue growth under the PSU program was replaced by a three-year average absolute revenue measure. |
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• | The total target compensation (defined as the sum of base salary, target annual incentive and the equity grant value) for non-CEO NEOs ranged from a reduction of 27.6% to an increase of 119.4%(2). The Company’s Chief Executive Officer did not receive an increase in total target compensation, as the CEO was appointed during the year. |
• | We continued to rely on performance-based equity as a key part of our long-term incentive program with a 55% mix for our CEO, 50% mix for Chief Financial Officer, Chief Business Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer. Based on the pre-determined calculation criteria set forth in our long-term incentive program, our performance-based equity payout for the equity granted in 2023, which measured performance from 2023 to 2025, vested at 0%. |
(1) | The high end of this non-CEO NEOs’ range reflects Mr. Cook’s promotion to the Chief Business Officer in September 2025. This range excluding the promotion is from 4% to 7.7%. |
(2) | The increase in the total target compensation for non-CEO NEOs reflects Mr. Cook’s promotion to the Chief Business Officer in September 2025. Compensation excluding the promotion ranges from a reduction of 27.6% to an increase of 9.5%. |
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WHAT WE DO | WHAT WE DO NOT DO | ||
✔ Conduct an annual compensation review | ✗ No excessive perquisites or benefits | ||
✔ Conduct an annual Say-on-Pay advisory vote | ✗ No excise tax gross-ups | ||
✔ Conduct an annual compensation risk assessment | ✗ No hedging or pledging of equity holdings | ||
✔ Utilize an independent compensation consultant | ✗ No stock option repricing | ||
✔ Balance performance metrics in incentive plans | ✗ No single-trigger change in control benefits | ||
✔ Deliver more than 50% of CEO equity in PSUs | |||
✔ Utilize relative performance in PSUs | |||
✔ Provide market competitive severance benefits | |||
✔ Maintain stock ownership guidelines | |||
✔ Have the ability to clawback incentive payments | |||
✔ Incorporate an average of 75% of “at risk” compensation for executive officers | |||
1. | Attract, reward, and retain executive officers and other key employees to help drive our business forward. More specifically, we compete for key talent with other companies in the semiconductor sector, and the competition is high. Further, we are in regular talent competition with other technology companies outside of the semiconductor sector, which puts upward pressure on pay opportunities – particularly long-term, equity incentive values. |
2. | Motivate key employees to achieve goals using individual performance goals combined with a balanced scorecard approach at the corporate, business unit and operational levels that enhance stockholder value. These corporate goals track with our longer-term objective of profitable growth and market share gains. Our corporate goals also addressed the integration of newly acquired businesses and key talents. |
3. | Promote pay for performance, internal compensation equity and external competitiveness. |
• | Pay compensation that is competitive with the practices of similarly situated electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies and the practices of similar companies noted in industry surveys; and |
• | Pay for performance by: |
• | offering short-term cash incentive opportunities upon achievement of performance goals we consider challenging but achievable; and |
• | providing significant, long-term equity incentive opportunities in order to retain those individuals with the leadership abilities necessary for increasing long-term stockholder value while aligning the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders. |
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(i) | base salary; |
(ii) | cash-based annual incentive opportunities; |
(iii) | equity-based long-term incentives (both time-based and performance-based); and |
(iv) | retirement and welfare benefit plans, including a deferred compensation plan, a 401(k) plan, limited executive perquisites and other benefit programs generally available to all employees. |

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• Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS) • Alpha & Omega Semiconductor (AOSL) • Benchmark Electronics (BHE) • Cohu (COHU) • Diodes (DIOD) • Fabrinet (FN) • FormFactor (FORM) • Ichor (ICHR) • Kimball Electronics (KE) • Kulicke and Soffa Industries (KLIC) | • Methode Electronics (MEI) • MKS Instruments (MKSI) • Onto Innovation (ONTO) • OSI Systems (OSIS) • Photronics (PLAB) • Plexus (PLXS) • Semtech (SMTC) • Penguin Solutions (PENG) • Synaptics (SYNA) • TTM Technologies (TTMI) | ||
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BASE SALARY | |||||||||||
NAME | 2025 ($) | 2024 ($) | Y/Y CHANGE (%) | ||||||||
James Xiao(1) | 710,000 | — | — | ||||||||
James P. Scholhamer(2) | 810,000 | 810,000 | 0 | ||||||||
Clarence L. Granger(3) | 810,000 | — | — | ||||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 595,000 | 572,000 | 4.0 | ||||||||
Christopher S. Cook(4) | 595,000 | 520,000 | 14.4 | ||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa | 580,000 | 550,000 | 5.5 | ||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 475,000 | 455,400 | 4.3 | ||||||||
(1) | Year-over-year data is not presented as this was Mr. Xiao’s first year of employment with the Company. |
(2) | Mr. Scholhamer stepped down prior to the effective date of the 2025 base salary increase; accordingly, no year-over-year change is reflected. |
(3) | Year-over-year data is not presented as Mr. Granger served in an interim executive role during 2025 and did not receive executive compensation in the prior year. |
(4) | Mr. Cook’s base salary prior to his promotion to CBO in September 2025 was $560,000. |
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TARGET BONUS AS A PERCENTAGE OF BASE SALARY | ||||||||
Named Executive Officer | 2025 (%) | 2024 (%) | ||||||
James Xiao(1) | 105 | — | ||||||
James P. Scholhamer | 110 | 110 | ||||||
Clarence L. Granger(2) | 110 | — | ||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 85 | 85 | ||||||
Christopher S. Cook(3) | 85 | 60 | ||||||
Harjinder Bajwa | 85 | 85 | ||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 60 | 60 | ||||||
(1) | Year-over-year target annual cash incentive data is not presented as Mr. Xiao was hired in fiscal 2025. |
(2) | Year-over-year target annual cash incentive data is not presented as Mr. Granger was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer during fiscal 2025 and did not serve in the role in the prior year. |
(3) | Mr. Cook’s target annual cash incentive prior to his promotion to CBO in September 2025 was 60%. |
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NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER(1) | 2025 CASH INCENTIVE BONUS | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||
1H ($) | 2H ($) | ANNUAL ($) | TOTAL ($) | TARGET(2) ($) | ACHIEVEMENT (%) | ACHIEVEMENT (%) | |||||||||||||||||
James Xiao(3) | — | 69,787 | 118,493 | 188,280 | 186,375 | 101 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Clarence L. Granger(4) | 90,039 | 70,576 | 261,450 | 422,065 | 411,231 | 102.6 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 99,784 | 94,688 | 310,223 | 504,695 | 499,735 | 101 | 106.8 | ||||||||||||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 64,923 | 87,843 | 225,917 | 378,683 | 394,924 | 95.9 | 107.9 | ||||||||||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa | 96,467 | 92,301 | 267,259 | 456,027 | 485,154 | 94 | 101.1 | ||||||||||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 56,138 | 53,358 | 178,895 | 288,391 | 281,382 | 102.5 | 104.8 | ||||||||||||||||
(1) | The Management Bonus Plan for 2025 included semi-annual bonus opportunities based on Company financial and operational metrics, and a separate annual bonus opportunity based on additional annual Company financial and operational metrics and individual goals. |
(2) | Target incentive cash compensation was calculated based on the Target Bonus as a Percentage of Base Salary table above and the executive officer’s base salary for 2025 as set forth in the Base Salary table above. |
(3) | Bonus achievement for 2024 is not presented as Mr. Xiao was hired in fiscal 2025 and did not participate in the 2024 annual incentive program. |
(4) | Bonus achievement for 2024 is not presented as Mr. Granger was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer during fiscal 2025 and did not serve in the role in the prior year. |
(5) | Mr. Scholhamer is excluded from this table because he was not scored for 2025. |
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• Advanced Energy Industries (*) (AEIS) • Amkor (AMKR) • Applied Materials (AMAT) • ASM International (ASM) • Axcelis Technologies (ACLS) • Azenta (AZTA) • Entegris (ENTG) • FormFactor (*) (FORM) • Ichor (*) (ICHR) • KLA (KLAC) | • Kulicke and Soffa Industries (*) (KLIC) • Lam Research (LRCX) • MKS Instruments (*) ((MKSI) • Nova Measuring Instruments (NVMI) • Onto Innovation (*) (ONTO) • PDF Solutions (PDFS) • Photronics (*) (PLAB) • Teradyne (TER) • Veeco Instruments (VECO) | ||
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Annual Revenue vs. Plan (3-Year Average Results)(1) | ||||||||
Year | Revenue vs. Plan | Payout % | ||||||
2025 | Maximum (120% AOP) | 200% | ||||||
Target (100% AOP) | 100% | |||||||
Threshold (80% AOP) | 50% | |||||||
2026 | Maximum (TBD) | 200% | ||||||
Target (TBD) | 100% | |||||||
Threshold (TBD) | 50% | |||||||
2027 | Maximum (TBD) | 200% | ||||||
Target (TBD) | 100% | |||||||
Threshold (TBD) | 50% | |||||||
(1) | GAAP revenue is measured annually, excluding the impact of any divestiture or acquisitions made during the year. |
FY2024-FY2026 AVERAGE OPERATING EBITDA MARGIN(1) | PAYOUT | ||||
More than +200 basis points improvement | +25% | ||||
Within -200 and 200 basis points improvement | 0% | ||||
More than -200 basis point improvement | -25% | ||||
(1) | See Appendix A for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures and for additional information about the non-GAAP measures we use in this proxy statement. |
FY2024-FY2026 RELATIVE TSR RANK (INCLUDING ULTRA CLEAN) | PAYOUT | ||||
>66.67 Percentile | +25% | ||||
33.33 to 66.67 Percentile | 0% | ||||
<33.33 Percentile | -25% | ||||
NAME | TIME- BASED (# SHARES) | PERFORMANCE- BASED (# SHARES) | TOTAL (# SHARES) | VALUE OF TARGET ANNUAL EQUITY GRANT ($)(1) | ||||||||||
James Xiao(2) | 117,948 | 44,314 | 162,262 | 3,972,603(2) | ||||||||||
James P. Scholhamer(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
Clarence L. Granger(4) | 27,776 | 0 | 27,776 | 900,000(4) | ||||||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 27,831 | 27,831 | 55,662 | 1,500,000(5) | ||||||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 27,831 | 9,277 | 37,108 | 1,000,000(5) | ||||||||||
73,686 | 0 | 73,686 | 1,700,000(6) | |||||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa | 25,976 | 27,831 | 51,952 | 1,400,000(5) | ||||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 12,988 | 12,988 | 25,976 | 700,000(5) | ||||||||||
(1) | The number of RSUs awarded to each of our executive officers was determined using a target dollar value, with the number of RSUs and PSUs granted to achieve such target dollar value based on the average closing price of the Company’s common stock during the 60 business days prior to the grant date. |
(2) | New hire grants were awarded in September 2025. |
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(3) | Mr. Scholhamer did not receive any long-term equity awards in 2025 as he stepped down from his role in March 2025. |
(4) | New hire grants were awarded in March 2025. |
(5) | These grants were made in April 2025 as part of the Company’s annual grant cycle. The grant date for these awards was April 25, 2025, and the 60 trading days average closing price was $26.95 |
(6) | There grants were made in August 2025 as part of Mr. Cook’s promotion to CBO. |
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NAME AND POSITION | YEAR | SALARY ($) | BONUS ($)(1) | STOCK AWARDS ($)(2) | NON-EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN COMPENSATION ($)(3) | ALL OTHER COMPENSATION ($) | TOTAL ($) | ||||||||||||||||
James Xiao(4) Chief Executive Officer | 2025 | 202,077 | 600,000(13) | 4,993,384 | 188,280 | 619(5) | 5,984,360 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Clarence L. Granger Former Interim Chief Executive Officer | 2025 | 433,038 | — | 643,570 | 422,065 | 0 | 1,498,673 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
James P. Scholhamer Former Chief Executive Officer & Director | 2025 | 177,577 | — | 0 | 0 | 2,551,924(6) | 2,729,501 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | 800,577 | — | 4,027,383 | 940,874 | 12,446 | 5,781,280 | |||||||||||||||||
2023 | 736,538 | — | 3,507,146 | 788,084 | 11,996 | 5,043,764 | |||||||||||||||||
Sheri L. Savage Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance | 2025 | 587,038 | — | 1,234,027 | 504,695 | 10,698(7) | 2,336,458 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | 566,077 | — | 1,411,474 | 514,066 | 10,499 | 2,502,116 | |||||||||||||||||
2023 | 511,539 | — | 1,227,505 | 423,814 | 10,366 | 2,173,224 | |||||||||||||||||
Christopher S. Cook(8) Chief Business Officer | 2025 | 558,538 | — | 2,648,623 | 378,683 | 3,262(9) | 3,589,106 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | 514,615 | — | 846,852 | 333,373 | 2,096 | 1,696,936 | |||||||||||||||||
2023 | 484,615 | — | 701,395 | 281,626 | 2,075 | 1,469,711 | |||||||||||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa Chief Operating Officer | 2025 | 573,916 | — | 1,151,776(10) | 456,027 | 191,729(11) | 2,373,448 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | 295,686 | 250,000 | 2,539,251 | 236,300 | 17,655 | 3,338,892 | |||||||||||||||||
2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben Chief Information Officer | 2025 | 468,215 | — | 575,888 | 288,392 | 12,469(12) | 1,344,964 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | 451,254 | — | 658,672 | 283,837 | 8,799 | 1,402,561 | |||||||||||||||||
2023 | 424,615 | — | 613,753 | 243,633 | 8,363 | 1,290,364 | |||||||||||||||||
(1) | This amount consists of sign-on bonuses at the time of hire. |
(2) | Amounts shown do not reflect compensation received by the named executive officers. The amounts shown are the value for stock awards granted in the applicable fiscal year, based on the 60 trading days average price of our common stock preceding the grant date. The other valuation assumptions and the methodology used to determine such amounts are set forth in Note 1 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2025. The value the NEOs will ultimately receive from their 2025 PSUs will depend on the performance requirements and the market price of Common Stock at the end of the three-year performance cycle. In fiscal year 2025, PSUs were granted to all NEOs. The amounts reported were calculated in accordance with ASC 718 and reflect the grant date fair value at target (100%). The minimum number of PSUs that can be earned at the end of the three-year performance cycle is 0 and the maximum is 200% of target. The grant date fair value for the PSUs awarded to Mr. Xiao, Ms. Savage, Mr. Cook, Mr. Bajwa, and Mr. McKibben at the maximum payout of 200% is $2,390,297, $1,234,027, $411,342, $1,151,776, and $575,888, respectively. The value the NEOs may receive from their RSUs will depend on whether the time-based vesting requirement is met and the market price of Common Stock on the vesting date. See Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal Year 2025 table for the number of RSUs granted in fiscal year 2025. |
(3) | Amounts consist of incentive bonuses earned in 2025. |
(4) | Mr. Xiao’s start date was September 2, 2025. Stock Awards reflect new hire award amounts. Salary and bonus do not reflect a full year. |
(5) | This amount consists of (a) $619 in disability, accident, and life insurance premiums. |
(6) | This is part of Mr. Scholhamer’s separation package. |
(7) | This amount consists of (a) matching contribution of $8,686 under the 401(k) Plan and (b) $2,012 in disability, accident, and life insurance premiums. |
(8) | Christopher Cook was promoted on August 7, 2025. Stock Awards reflect Promotion award amounts. |
(9) | This amount consists of (a) $2,012 in disability, accident, and life insurance premiums, and (b) 1,250 in health savings contributions. |
(10) | Mr. Bajwa’s PSU grants have been cancelled as he is no longer employed by the Company. |
(11) | This amount consists of (a) $121,673 for expatriate assignment housing, (b) $60,836 for expatriate assignment transportation, (c) matching contribution of $7,540 under the 401(k) Plan, and (d) $1,680 in disability, accident, and life insurance premiums. |
(12) | This amount consists of (a) matching contribution of $10,500 under the 401(k) Plan and (b) $1,969 in disability, accident, and life insurance premiums. |
(13) | This amount must be repaid in full if Mr. Xiao’s employment is terminated for cause or if he resigns without good cause within the first 12 months of employment. |
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NAME | GRANT DATE | COMPENSATION COMMITTEE COMPENSATION ACTION DATE | ESTIMATED FUTURE PAYOUTS UNDER NON-EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN AWARDS(1) | ESTIMATED FUTURE PAYOUTS UNDER EQUITY INCENTIVE PLANS(2) | ALL OTHER STOCK AWARDS NUMBER OF STOCK OR UNITS (#)(3) | GRANT DATE FAIR VALUE OF STOCK AWARDS ($)(4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
TARGET ($) | MAXIMUM ($) | THRESHOLD (#) | TARGET (#) | MAXIMUM (#) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Xiao | 745,500 | 1,379,175 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
9/26/2025 | 8/1/2025 | — | — | 11,079 | 44,314 | 88,628 | — | 1,195,149 | |||||||||||||||||||||
9/26/2025 | 8/1/2025 | — | — | — | — | — | 36,257 | 977,851 | |||||||||||||||||||||
9/26/2025 | 8/1/2025 | 81,691 | 2,203,206 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Clarence L. Granger | 891,000 | 1,648,350 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3/28/2025 | 3/4/2025 | — | — | — | — | — | 27,776 | 643,570 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sheri L Savage | 505,750 | 935,638 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | 6,958 | 27,831 | 55,662 | — | 617,013 | |||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | — | — | — | 27,831 | 617,013 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 336,000 | 621,600 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | 2,319 | 9,277 | 18,554 | — | 205,671 | |||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | — | — | — | 27,831 | 617,013 | |||||||||||||||||||||
505,750 | 935,638 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8/29/2025 | 2/12/2025 | 73,686 | 1,825,939 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa | 493,000 | 912,050 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | 6,494 | 25,976 | 51,952 | — | 575,888 | |||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | — | — | — | 25,976 | 575,888 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 285,000 | 527,250 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | 3,247 | 12,988 | 25,976 | — | 287,944 | |||||||||||||||||||||
4/25/2025 | 2/12/2025 | — | — | — | — | — | 12,988 | 287,944 | |||||||||||||||||||||
(1) | Reflects target at 100% and maximum annual incentive amounts pursuant to the Management Bonus Plan for fiscal 2025. |
(2) | Reflects performance-based restricted stock units. The amounts shown in the “Threshold”, “Target”, and “Maximum” columns reflect the payout opportunity associated with established levels of performance or achievement. |
(3) | Represents time-based stock units issued under our stock incentive plan. |
(4) | Under the terms of our stock incentive plan, fair market value is defined as the closing price on the day preceding the grant date. Our practice is for grants to be effective on the last Friday of the month in which the grant is approved. |
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STOCK AWARDS | EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN AWARDS | ||||||||||||||||
NAME | GRANT DATE | RSU SHARES OR UNITS THAT HAVE NOT VESTED (#) | MARKET VALUE OF SHARES OR UNITS THAT HAVE NOT VESTED ($)(1) | NUMBER OF UNEARNED SHARES, UNITS OR OTHER RIGHTS THAT HAVE NOT VESTED (#) | MARKET VALUE OF UNEARNED SHARES, UNITS OR OTHER RIGHTS THAT HAVE NOT VESTED ($)(1) | ||||||||||||
James Xiao | 09/26/2025 | 81,691(2) | 2,127,234 | ||||||||||||||
09/26/2025 | 36,257(3) | 944,132 | 44,314(4) | 1,153,937 | |||||||||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 04/28/2023 | 7,258(5) | 188,998 | ||||||||||||||
04/26/2024 | 11,526(6) | 300,137 | 17,289(7) | 450,206 | |||||||||||||
04/25/2025 | 27,831(3) | 724,719 | 27,831(4) | 724,719 | |||||||||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 04/28/2023 | 6,221(5) | 161,995 | ||||||||||||||
04/26/2024 | 11,407(6) | 297,038 | 5,186(7) | 135,043 | |||||||||||||
04/25/2025 | 27,831(3) | 724,719 | 9,277(4) | 241,573 | |||||||||||||
08/29/2025 | 73,686(8) | 1,918,783 | |||||||||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa(9) | 06/28/2024 | 17,861(10) | 465,100 | 26,791(10) | 697,638 | ||||||||||||
04/25/2025 | 25,976(10) | 676,415 | 25,976(10) | 676,415 | |||||||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 04/28/2023 | 3,629(5) | 94,499 | ||||||||||||||
04/26/2024 | 5,379(6) | 140,069 | 8,068(7) | 210,091 | |||||||||||||
04/25/2025 | 12,988(3) | 338,208 | 12,988(4) | 338,208 | |||||||||||||
(1) | Based on the closing price of our common stock as of December 26, 2025 (our fiscal 2025 year-end), which was $26.04. |
(2) | New hire grants, vesting over three years in three equal installments on or around each anniversary of the grant date.5 |
(3) | These units vest over three years in three equal installments on or around each anniversary of the grant date. |
(4) | Represents performance-based equity units granted in fiscal 2025. The extent to which these units will vest depends on the level of achievement against performance criteria at the end of the three-year performance cycle. |
(5) | Vesting date for these units is April 30, 2026. |
(6) | These units vest in two equal installments on April 30, 2026, and April 30, 2027. |
(7) | Represents performance-based equity units granted in fiscal 2024. The extent to which these units will vest depends on the level of achievement against performance criteria at the end of the three-year performance cycle. |
(8) | Promotion grants, vesting over three years in three equal installments on or around each anniversary of the grant date. |
(9) | Mr. Bajwa’s unvested units as of 12/26/2025 have been forfeited upon his departure from the company and will not vest. |
(10) | Upon Mr. Bajwa’s termination of employment on January 25, 2026, all outstanding units have been forfeited and will not vest. |
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STOCK AWARDS | ||||||||
NAME | NUMBER OF SHARES ACQUIRED ON VESTING (#) | VALUE REALIZED ON VESTING ($)(1) | ||||||
James Xiao(2) | 0 | 0 | ||||||
James P. Scholhamer | 45,577 | 1,664,928 | ||||||
Clarence L. Granger | 27,776 | 700,788 | ||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 20,616 | 391,176 | ||||||
Harjinder Bajwa | 13,347 | 249,656 | ||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 8,930 | 201,550 | ||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 9,090 | 170,028 | ||||||
(1) | The value realized equals the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of vesting multiplied by the number of stock awards vesting. |
(2) | Mr. Xiao does not have any vested shares as of 12/26/2025. His equity grants were issued in September 2025 in connection with his hire. |
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NAME | SALARY ($) | CASH INCENTIVE ($) | HEALTH BENEFITS ($)(2) | VALUE OF ACCELERATED VESTING ($)(3) | ||||||||||
James Xiao(1) | 1,420,000 | 376,559 | 85,353 | 4,225,302 | ||||||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 892,500 | 721,288 | 4,684 | 2,955,722 | ||||||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 840,000 | 496,841 | 85,353 | 3,614,222 | ||||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa(4) | 870,000 | 346,164 | 69,141 | 2,515,568 | ||||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 356,250 | 203,965 | 45,924 | 1,404,546 | ||||||||||
(1) | Mr. Xiao was appointed Chief Executive Officer effective September 2025. |
(2) | Estimated assuming that each executive enrolls in continued group health benefits. |
(3) | Amounts based on our stock price as of December 26, 2025, less the option exercise price, in the case of options. |
(4) | Mr. Bajwa’s employment as Chief Operating Officer was terminated effective January 25, 2026. |
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NAME | SALARY ($) | CASH INCENTIVE ($) | HEALTH BENEFITS ($)(2) | VALUE OF ACCELERATED VESTING ($)(3) | ||||||||||
James Xiao(1) | 1,065,000 | 282,419 | 64,015 | 1,023,763 | ||||||||||
Sheri L. Savage | 595,000 | 480,858 | 2,342 | 1,147,583 | ||||||||||
Christopher S. Cook | 560,000 | 331,227 | 42,677 | 1,340,201 | ||||||||||
Harjinder Bajwa(4) | 580,000 | 230,776 | 34,571 | 457,992 | ||||||||||
Jeffrey L. McKibben | 356,250 | 135,977 | 45,925 | 560,719 | ||||||||||
(1) | Mr. Xiao was appointed Chief Executive Officer effective September 2025. |
(2) | Estimated assuming that each executive enrolls in continued group health benefits. |
(3) | Amounts based on our stock price as of December 26, 2025. |
(4) | Mr. Bajwa’s employment as Chief Operating Officer was terminated effective January 25, 2026. |
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Year(1) | Summary Comp Table Total for James Scholhamer(2) | Compensation Actually Paid to James Scholhamer(3)(4) | Summary Comp Table Total for Clarence Granger(2) | Compensation Actually Paid to Clarence Granger(3)(4) | Summary Comp Table Total for James Xiao(2) | Compensation Actually Paid to James Xiao(3)(4) | Average Summary Comp Table Total for non-CEO NEOs(2) | Average Compensation Actually Paid to non-CEO NEOs(3)(5) | Ultra Clean Total Shareholder Return(6) | Peer Group Total Shareholder Return(6) | Ultra Clean GAAP Net Income ($M) | Ultra Clean GAAP Revenue Growth(7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2025 | $ | ($ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ($ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2024 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ($ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022 | $ | ($ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) | NEOs included in the above compensation columns reflect the following: |
Year | CEO(s) | NON-CEO NEOs | ||||||
2025 | Messrs. Bajwa, Cook, and McKibben and Ms. Savage | |||||||
2024 | Messrs. Bajwa, Cook, and McKibben and Ms. Savage | |||||||
2023 | Messrs. Chinnasami, Cook, and McKibben and Ms. Savage | |||||||
2022 | Messrs. Chinnasami, Cook, and McKibben and Ms. Savage | |||||||
2021 | Messrs. Chinnasami, Williams, and Bentick and Ms. Savage | |||||||
(2) | Amounts reported in this column represent (i) the total compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year in the case of our CEOs and (ii) the average of the total compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the Company’s other NEOs for the applicable year. |
(3) | SEC rules require certain adjustments be made to the Summary Compensation Table totals to determine “Compensation Actually Paid” as reported in the Pay versus Performance Table. “Compensation Actually Paid” does not necessarily represent cash and/or equity value transferred to the applicable NEO without restriction, but rather is a value calculated under applicable SEC rules. |
(4) | Compensation Actually Paid to our former, interim, and current CEOs reflects the following adjustments from total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table: |
James Scholhamer | 2025 | ||||
Total Reported in Summary Compensation Table (SCT) | $ | ||||
Less, value of Stock Awards reported in SCT | $ | ||||
Plus, Year-End value of Awards Granted in Fiscal Year that are Unvested and Outstanding | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that are Outstanding and Unvested | $ | ||||
Plus, Fair Value as of the Vesting Date of Awards Granted this Year and that Vested this Year | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that Vested this Year | ($ | ||||
Less, Prior Year Fair Value of Prior Year awards that Failed to Vest this Year | ($ | ||||
Total Adjustments | ($ | ||||
Compensation Actually Paid | ($ | ||||
Clarence Granger | 2025 | ||||
Total Reported in Summary Compensation Table (SCT) | $ | ||||
Less, value of Stock Awards reported in SCT | ($ | ||||
Plus, Year-End value of Awards Granted in Fiscal Year that are Unvested and Outstanding | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that are Outstanding and Unvested | $ | ||||
Plus, Fair Value as of the Vesting Date of Awards Granted this Year and that Vested this Year | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that Vested this Year | $ | ||||
Less, Prior Year Fair Value of Prior Year awards that Failed to Vest this Year | $ | ||||
Total Adjustments | $ | ||||
Compensation Actually Paid | $ | ||||
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James Xiao | 2025 | ||||
Total Reported in Summary Compensation Table (SCT) | $ | ||||
Less, value of Stock Awards reported in SCT | ($ | ||||
Plus, Year-End value of Awards Granted in Fiscal Year that are Unvested and Outstanding | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that are Outstanding and Unvested | $ | ||||
Plus, Fair Value as of the Vesting Date of Awards Granted this Year and that Vested this Year | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that Vested this Year | $ | ||||
Less, Prior Year Fair Value of Prior Year awards that Failed to Vest this Year | $ | ||||
Total Adjustments | ($ | ||||
Compensation Actually Paid | $ | ||||
(5) | The average Compensation Actually Paid to the non-CEO NEOs reflects the following adjustments from total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table: |
Average non-CEO NEO | 2025 | ||||
Total Reported in Summary Compensation Table (SCT) | $ | ||||
Less, value of Stock Awards reported in SCT | ($ | ||||
Plus, Year-End value of Awards Granted in Fiscal Year that are Unvested and Outstanding | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that are Outstanding and Unvested | ($ | ||||
Plus, Fair Value as of the Vesting Date of Awards Granted this Year and that Vested this Year | $ | ||||
Plus (Less), Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Prior Year Awards that Vested this Year | ($ | ||||
Less, Prior Year Fair Value of Prior Year awards that Failed to Vest this Year | $ | ||||
Total Adjustments | ($ | ||||
Compensation Actually Paid | $ | ||||
(6) | Peer group TSR reflects the PHLX Semiconductor Index performance as reflected in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2025 pursuant to Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K. For the Company and peer group TSR, each year reflects what the cumulative value of $100 would be, including reinvestment of dividends, if such amount were invested on December 25, 2020. |
(7) |
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(i) |
(ii) |
(iii) |
(iv) |
(v) |
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(vi) |
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• | No Stock Option Repricing. The Plan prohibits the repricing of stock options and stock appreciation rights without the approval of our stockholders. This provision applies to both direct repricing—lowering the exercise price of a stock option—and indirect repricing—canceling an outstanding stock option and granting a replacement equity award. |
• | No Discount Stock Options. The Plan prohibits the grant of stock options with an exercise price of less than the fair market value of our common stock on the date the stock option is granted. |
• | No Evergreen Provision. The Plan does not have an “evergreen” feature. This means we are asking for a specific number of shares now and will not increase that amount without stockholder approval. |
• | Share Recycling. The Plan prohibits the following from being made available for issuance as awards under the Plan: (i) shares not issued or delivered as a result of the net settlement of an outstanding SAR or option: (ii) shares used to pay the exercise price or withholding taxes related to an outstanding option or SAR; or (iii) shares repurchased on the open market with the proceeds of the option exercise price. |
• | Performance-Based Awards. The Compensation and People Committee has the authority to grant awards so that the shares of common stock subject to those awards will vest only upon the achievement of pre- established corporate performance goals. |
• | Dividends. The Plan prohibits the granting of dividends on options, stock appreciation rights and unearned performance-based awards. |
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• | As of March 27, 2026, the equity awards available and outstanding were as follows(1): |
Options Outstanding | 0 | ||||
Full-Value Awards Outstanding | 1,424,739 | ||||
Shares Available for Grant | 105,725 | ||||
Weighted Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options | N/A | ||||
Weighted Average Remaining Term of Outstanding Options | N/A | ||||
(1) | This table excludes the 3,500,000 shares requested in this proposal and all shares associated with our Employee Stock Purchase Plan. |
• | Our stockholders last approved a share increase in May 2023. Since that time, we have granted equity awards representing a total of 1.94 million underlying shares. The number of shares subject to equity awards granted during each year divided by the total weighted average number of shares outstanding during the applicable year (also referred to as our burn rate) was 1.6% and 2.5% for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, respectively. |
• | The per share closing price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market as of March 27, 2026 was $58.87. |
• | Because of the importance of stock-based compensation to our compensation program, if we do not increase the shares available for issuance under the Plan, then based on historical usage rates, the available shares would be insufficient to grant annual equity awards to our executives and other employees. |
• | Based on historical usage and the recent increase in the number of our employees, we estimate that the additional shares would be sufficient for approximately three years of awards, assuming we continue to grant awards consistent with our historical usage and current practices. However, because grants are discretionary, the share reserve could last for a longer or shorter period of time. |
• | As of March 27, 2026, (i) the number of shares subject to equity awards outstanding as of such date plus the number of shares remaining available for issuance under our Plan divided by (ii) the number of our shares outstanding as of such date (assuming all outstanding RSUs have vested and all outstanding options have been exercised), was approximately 3.3%. If the additional 3,500,000 shares are included, this figure would be approximately 10.9%. |
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![]() | Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” the approval of the proposed share increase to the plan. | ||||
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• | Increase the aggregate number of shares of our common stock that may be offered under the ESPP by an additional 450,000 shares. The ESPP was initially adopted in 2004, amended in 2023 and reserved 1,055,343 shares of our common stock for issuance under the ESPP. If the proposed amendments to the ESPP are approved by our stockholders, the total number of our common shares that will be reserved for issuance under the ESPP will be 1,505,343 shares. |
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INDIVIDUAL/GROUP | AGGREGATE NUMBER OF SHARES PURCHASED SINCE ESPP INCEPTION | ||||
James Xiao | 0 | ||||
Clarence Granger | 0 | ||||
James P. Scholhamer | 0 | ||||
Sheri Savage | 0 | ||||
Harjinder Bajwa | 1,804 | ||||
Christopher Cook | 0 | ||||
Jeffrey McKibben | 0 | ||||
All named executive officers as a group | 1,804 | ||||
All employees other than named executive officers as a group | 200,009 | ||||
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![]() | Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” the Amendment and Restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan. | ||||
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | ||||||
By: | /s/ James Xiao | |||||
Name: James Xiao | ||||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
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Twelve months ended | ||||||||
December 26, 2025 | December 27, 2024 | |||||||
Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income (Loss) to Non-GAAP Net Income (in millions) | ||||||||
Reported net income (loss) attributable to UCT on a GAAP basis | $ (181.2) | $23.7 | ||||||
Amortization of intangible assets(1) | 28.1 | 30.4 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation expense(2) | 19.2 | 17.8 | ||||||
Restructuring charges(3) | 17.1 | 2.3 | ||||||
Legal-related costs(4) | 1.9 | 2.7 | ||||||
Impairment of goodwill(5) | 151.1 | — | ||||||
Debt refinancing costs expensed(6) | 1.1 | 4.0 | ||||||
Fair value related adjustments(7) | (0.1) | (29.1) | ||||||
VAT settlement(8) | (0.2) | — | ||||||
Acquisition related costs(9) | — | 1.0 | ||||||
Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments(10) | (45.8) | (6.1) | ||||||
Income tax effect of valuation allowance(11) | 56.5 | 18.5 | ||||||
Non-GAAP net income attributable to UCT | $47.7 | $65.2 | ||||||
Reconciliation of GAAP Income from operations to Non-GAAP Income from operations (in millions) | ||||||||
Reported income from operations on a GAAP basis | $ (107.4) | $91.2 | ||||||
Amortization of intangible assets(1) | 28.1 | 30.4 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation expense(2) | 19.2 | 17.8 | ||||||
Restructuring charges(3) | 17.1 | 2.3 | ||||||
Legal-related costs(4) | 1.9 | 2.7 | ||||||
Impairment of goodwill(5) | 151.1 | — | ||||||
VAT settlement(8) | (0.2) | — | ||||||
Acquisition related costs(9) | — | 1.0 | ||||||
Non-GAAP income from operations | $109.8 | $ 145.4 | ||||||
Reconciliation of GAAP Operating margin to Non-GAAP Operating margin | ||||||||
Reported operating margin on a GAAP basis | (5.2)% | 4.3 % | ||||||
Amortization of intangible assets(1) | 1.4 % | 1.4 % | ||||||
Stock-based compensation expense(2) | 0.9 % | 0.9 % | ||||||
Restructuring charges(3) | 0.8 % | 0.1 % | ||||||
Legal-related costs(4) | 0.1 % | 0.1 % | ||||||
Impairment of goodwill(5) | 7.3 % | — % | ||||||
VAT settlement(8) | 0.0 % | — % | ||||||
Acquisition related costs(9) | — % | 0.1 % | ||||||
Non-GAAP operating margin | 5.3 % | 6.9 % | ||||||
Reconciliation of GAAP Gross profit to Non-GAAP Gross profit (in millions) | ||||||||
Reported gross profit on a GAAP basis | $322.9 | $ 356.3 | ||||||
Amortization of intangible assets(1) | 9.1 | 9.1 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation expense(2) | 1.4 | 1.9 | ||||||
Restructuring charges(3) | 6.3 | 0.3 | ||||||
VAT settlement(8) | (0.2) | — | ||||||
Non-GAAP gross profit | $339.5 | $ 367.6 | ||||||
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December 26, 2025 | December 27, 2024 | |||||||
Reconciliation of GAAP Gross margin to Non-GAAP Gross margin | ||||||||
Reported gross margin on a GAAP basis | 15.7 % | 17.0 % | ||||||
Amortization of intangible assets(1) | 0.4 % | 0.4 % | ||||||
Stock-based compensation expense(2) | 0.1 % | 0.1 % | ||||||
Restructuring charges(3) | 0.3 % | 0.0 % | ||||||
VAT settlement(8) | 0.0 % | — % | ||||||
Non-GAAP gross margin | 16.5 % | 17.5 % | ||||||
Reconciliation of GAAP Other income (expense), net to Non-GAAP Other income (expense), net (in millions) | ||||||||
Reported Other income (expense), net on a GAAP basis | $(3.9) | $17.7 | ||||||
Fair value related adjustments(7) | (0.1) | (29.1) | ||||||
Debt refinancing costs expensed(6) | 1.1 | 4.0 | ||||||
Non-GAAP Other income (expense), net | $(2.9) | $(7.4) | ||||||
Reconciliation of GAAP Income (Loss) Per Diluted Share to Non-GAAP Earnings Per Diluted Share | ||||||||
Reported net income (loss) on a GAAP basis | $ (4.00) | $0.52 | ||||||
Amortization of intangible assets(1) | 0.62 | 0.67 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation expense(2) | 0.42 | 0.39 | ||||||
Restructuring charges(3) | 0.38 | 0.05 | ||||||
Legal-related costs(4) | 0.04 | 0.06 | ||||||
Impairment of goodwill(5) | 3.32 | — | ||||||
Debt refinancing costs expensed(6) | 0.02 | 0.09 | ||||||
Fair value related adjustments(7) | 0.00 | (0.64) | ||||||
VAT settlement(8) | 0.00 | — | ||||||
Acquisition related costs(9) | — | 0.02 | ||||||
Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments(10) | (1.01) | (0.13) | ||||||
Income tax effect of valuation allowance(11) | 1.24 | 0.41 | ||||||
Impact of dilutive shares | 0.02 | — | ||||||
Non-GAAP net earnings | $1.05 | $1.44 | ||||||
Weighted average number of diluted shares (in millions) on a non-GAAP basis | 45.5 | 45.3 | ||||||
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Twelve months ended | ||||||||
December 26, 2025 | December 27, 2024 | |||||||
Provision for income taxes on a GAAP basis | $25.9 | $32.7 | ||||||
Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments(10) | 45.8 | 6.1 | ||||||
Income tax effect of valuation allowance(11) | (56.5) | (18.5) | ||||||
Non-GAAP provision for income taxes | $15.2 | $20.3 | ||||||
Income before income taxes on a GAAP basis | $ (145.7) | $67.2 | ||||||
Amortization of intangible assets(1) | 28.1 | 30.4 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation expense(2) | 19.2 | 17.8 | ||||||
Restructuring charges(3) | 17.1 | 2.3 | ||||||
Legal-related costs(4) | 1.9 | 2.7 | ||||||
Impairment of goodwill(5) | 151.1 | — | ||||||
Debt refinancing costs expensed(6) | 1.1 | 4.0 | ||||||
Fair value related adjustments(7) | (0.1) | (29.1) | ||||||
VAT settlement(8) | (0.2) | — | ||||||
Acquisition related costs(9) | — | 1.0 | ||||||
Non-GAAP income before income taxes | $72.5 | $96.3 | ||||||
Effective income tax rate on a GAAP basis | (17.8)% | 48.7 % | ||||||
Non-GAAP effective income tax rate | 21.0 % | 21.1 % | ||||||
1 | Amortization of intangible assets related to the Company’s business acquisitions |
2 | Represents compensation expense for stock granted to employees and directors |
3 | Represents severance, retention and costs related to facility closures |
4 | Represents estimated costs related to certain legal proceedings |
5 | Represents non-cash charges related to the impairment of goodwill |
6 | Represents the third party transaction costs related to the amended credit agreement and the previously capitalized costs of extinguished debt |
7 | Fair value adjustments related to contingent consideration |
8 | Represents impact of value added tax ruling |
9 | Represents acquisition activity costs |
10 | Tax effect of items (1) through (9) above based on the non-GAAP tax rate |
11 | The Company’s GAAP tax expense is generally higher than the Company’s non-GAAP tax expense, primarily due to losses in the U.S. with full federal and state valuation allowances. The Company’s non-GAAP tax rate and resulting non-GAAP tax expense considers the tax implications as if there was no federal or state valuation allowance position in effect |
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