Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Commitment Not to Make Retention or Other Special or One-Time Awards
On February 17, 2023, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (the “Company”) and the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) resolved not to make any special or one-time awards to the Company’s executive officers absent extraordinary circumstances.
Compensation Program for 2023
On February 17, 2023, the Board approved, as recommended by the Compensation Committee, compensatory arrangements in which the executive officers of the Company will participate for 2023.
For 2023, the Compensation Committee and the Board determined that compensation for each executive will consist of: (i) an annual cash base salary; (ii) an annual cash bonus incentive award under the Company’s 2009 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated effective July 10, 2012, as amended through May 16, 2022 (the “Plan”); and (iii) regular awards of long-term equity-based compensation under the Plan.
Of the awards of long-term equity-based compensation:
•40% is subject to time-based vesting in one-third increments on January 1, 2024, 2025 and 2026 ("Time-Based Grants") and consists of restricted common shares of beneficial interest of the Company, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Shares”), or LTIP Class B Units of the Company’s operating partnership ("LTIP Units"); and
•60% is subject to performance-based cliff vesting following a three-year measurement period ending December 31, 2025 only if and to the extent that certain enumerated performance objectives are achieved and consists of performance units. If they become vested, the performance units will be settled in the form of Common Shares (or, at the sole discretion of the Company, cash), pursuant to the Plan.
The following table shows each of the three components of target total compensation as a percentage of target total compensation for 2023 as determined by the Compensation Committee and the Board.
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| | 2023 Target Compensation Components |
| | As A Percentage of Target Total Compensation (1) |
| | Base Salary | | Target Cash Incentive Bonus | | Target Equity-Based Compensation (2) |
| | | | | | |
Jon E. Bortz | | 14% | | 24% | | 62% |
| | | | | | |
Raymond D. Martz | | 21% | | 22% | | 57% |
| | | | | | |
Thomas C. Fisher | | 21% | | 22% | | 57% |
______________________
(1) Target total compensation includes base salary, target cash incentive bonus, the Time-Based Grant and the target amount of performance units, as discussed below.
(2) Percentages include the Time-Based Grant and the target amount of performance units, as discussed below.
Base Salary and Annual Cash Incentive Bonus
The Compensation Committee and the Board approved the following cash compensation arrangements for 2023 for each of the executive officers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Target Cash Incentive Bonus As A % of |
| Base Salary | | Target Cash Incentive Bonus | | Base Salary | | Target Total Compensation(1) |
| | | | | | | |
Jon E. Bortz | $790,000 | | $1,300,000 | | 165% | | 24% |
| | | | | | | |
Raymond D. Martz | $525,000 | | $550,000 | | 105% | | 22% |
| | | | | | | |
Thomas C. Fisher | $525,000 | | $550,000 | | 105% | | 22% |
______________________
(1) Target total compensation includes base salary, target cash incentive bonus, the Time-Based Grant and the target amount of performance units, as discussed below.
For each executive, the target cash incentive bonus is contingent on the Company meeting the target level of performance overall for the five management objectives and goals established by the Board (the “2023 Annual Objectives”), which are designed to align the interests of the executives and the Company’s other officers and employees with the interests of the Company’s shareholders.
The 2023 Annual Objectives are as follows:
•Adjusted FFO per Share Objective – 30% (up to a maximum of 75%) of the target cash amount may be earned based on the Company's adjusted funds from operations ("Adjusted FFO") per Common Share for 2023;
•Completed Dispositions Objective – 30% (up to a maximum of 75%) of the target cash amount may earned based on the aggregate sales price of the dispositions the Company completes during 2023;
•Same-Property Hotel EBITDA per Key vs. Peers' Objective – 20% (up to a maximum of 50%) of the target cash amount may be earned based on the year-over-year growth over 2022 of same-property hotel earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization per key for the Company compared to that same metric for certain publicly listed hospitality REITs;
•Portfolio RevPAR Penetration Index Improvement Objective – 10% (up to a maximum of 25%) of the target cash amount may be earned based on the year-over-year improvement over 2022 of the Company's hotel portfolio's RevPAR penetration index; and
•ESG Goals Objective – 10% (up to a maximum of 25%) of the target cash amount may be earned based on the Company's achieving 13 goals under its Environmental, Social and Governance program in 2023.
Performance results against each 2023 Annual Objective will be measured relative to threshold, target and maximum levels. Subject to a maximum payout of 200% of the target cash incentive bonus, the payout for each objective will be a minimum of 0% (if less than the threshold level of performance is met), 100% (if target performance is met) and up to a maximum of 250% (if the maximum performance level is achieved), with payout levels for results between threshold and target, or between target and maximum, being interpolated. Regardless of actual performance against any particular 2023 Annual Objective, no executive officer will be entitled to receive more than a maximum of 200% of his target cash incentive bonus. In addition, if the Company is determined to have a material weakness in its financial controls for 2023, no executive officer will be entitled to receive more than 100% of his target cash incentive bonus.
Long-Term Equity Incentive Awards
Long-term equity incentive awards are intended to provide grantees with an incentive to promote the long-term success of the Company in line with the interests of the Company’s shareholders. The Compensation Committee and the Board approved long-term equity incentive awards to each executive officer for 2023, consisting of a Time-Based Grant subject to vesting in one-third increments over three years and performance units subject to performance-based vesting following completion of a three-year measurement period.
Award of Time-Based Grants
For 2023, the Board awarded Time-Based Grants, which will vest in one-third increments on January 1, 2024, 2025 and 2026, provided that the recipient remains employed by the Company through the applicable vesting date or as otherwise described below, to Messrs. Bortz, Martz and Fisher as follows:
•Mr. Bortz - 92,181 LTIP Units;
•Mr. Martz - 39,095 LTIP Units; and
•Mr. Fisher - 39,095 Common Shares.
The Time-Based Grants also provide the following vesting- and forfeiture-related terms:
•upon a change in control of the Company, unvested awards vest;
•upon termination of the executive’s employment with the Company because of his death or disability, unvested awards vest;
•upon resignation of the executive for good reason (which must be in connection with or within one year after a change in control), unvested awards vest;
•upon termination of the executive’s employment with the Company without cause, unvested awards vest; and
•upon termination of the executive’s employment with the Company for cause, unvested awards are forfeited.
Except as described above, any awards that are unvested at the time the executive terminates his employment with the Company are forfeited.
The time-based restricted Common Shares and LTIP Units were awarded pursuant to award agreements substantially in the forms filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 16, 2018 and Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 29, 2021, respectively.
Award of Performance Units
For 2023, the Board awarded performance units to each of the Company’s executive officers. The performance units will vest after a three-year measurement period only if, and to the degree that, the performance criteria established by the Board (the "2023-25 Long-Term Objectives") are met and the recipient remains employed by the Company or as otherwise described below. Performance results against each 2023-25 Long-Term Objective will be measured relative to threshold, target and maximum levels. Vesting of the units for each objective will vary by performance results against that objective, from a minimum of 0% if less than the threshold performance level is met up to a maximum of 200% if the maximum performance level is achieved (and vesting for results between threshold and target, or between target and maximum, will be interpolated).
As summarized in the table below, there are two 2023-25 Long-Term Objectives for the three-year measurement period ending December 31, 2025:
•70% (up to a maximum of 140%) of the target number of performance units may vest based on the Company’s total shareholder return (common share price appreciation/depreciation plus paid dividends) (“TSR”) compared to the TSR of certain publicly listed hospitality REITs with a market capitalization greater than $500 million as of January 1, 2023 (the "Relative TSR Objective"); and
•30% (up to a maximum of 60%) of the target number of performance units may vest based on the Company’s TSR (the "Absolute TSR Objective").
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2023-25 Long-Term Objective /Weighting | | Threshold | Target | Maximum |
Relative TSR (70%) | Performance Level | Percentile rank = 25 | Percentile rank = 55 | Percentile rank ≥ 75 |
Payout % of Target | 50% | 100% | 200% |
| | | | |
Absolute TSR (30%) | Performance Level | 5.0% | 8.0% | ≥ 10.0% |
Payout % of Target | 50% | 100% | 200% |
| | | | |
Cap on payout if result of Absolute TSR Objective is < 0% | 100% |
In addition, if the Company’s TSR is less than 0% for the measurement period, then the maximum percentage of the target number of performance units that may vest will be capped at 100%, regardless of the degree of the Company’s out-performance, if any, against the Relative TSR Objective.
The numbers of performance units subject to vesting for the Company’s three executive officers are as follows, based on the performance level achieved against the 2023-25 Long-Term Objectives:
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| Minimum | | Threshold | | Target | | Maximum |
Jon E. Bortz | — | | 69,136 | | 138,272 | | 276,544 |
Raymond D. Martz | — | | 29,321 | | 58,642 | | 117,284 |
Thomas C. Fisher | — | | 29,321 | | 58,642 | | 117,284 |
For each executive, the actual amount of performance units that will vest (and be settled in the form of Common Shares, or, at the discretion of the Company, cash) after the end of each measurement period will depend on the Company’s performance against the 2023-25 Long-Term Objectives as determined by the Compensation Committee and requires that the recipient remains employed by the Company through the end of the measurement period or as otherwise described below. The performance units will, prior to vesting, not be entitled either to receive dividends or to be voted, but dividends will, in effect, accrue on the performance units and will be paid if, but only if, and to the extent the performance units vest.
The vesting-related terms of the performance units granted to each of Messrs. Bortz, Martz and Fisher also provide that, prior to December 31, 2025, upon termination of the executive’s employment with the Company: (i) for cause, the unvested units are forfeited; and (ii) under the following scenarios, the number of units that shall vest will be up to the greater of (x) the target number of units and (y) the number of units determined by the performance provisions:
•upon a change in control of the Company;
•upon termination of the executive’s employment with the Company because of his death or disability;
•upon resignation of the executive for good reason (which must be in connection with or within one year after a change in control); and
•upon termination of the executive’s employment with the Company without cause.
The performance units were awarded pursuant to award agreements substantially in the form filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K. The preceding description of such agreements is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such form of agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Change in Appointments of Executive Officers
On February 17, 2023, in recognition of the extent and scope of Raymond D. Martz's and Thomas C. Fisher's roles and responsibilities, the Board appointed each Co-President of the Company. Mr. Martz, 52, has been Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of the Company since its initial public offering in December 2009. In addition to serving as Co-President, Mr. Martz continues to serve as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary. Mr. Fisher, 51, has been Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the Company since January 2010. In addition to serving as Co-President, Mr. Fisher continues to serve as Chief Investment Officer. Concurrently with appointing each of Messrs. Martz and Fisher as Co-President, the Board removed the title of President from Jon. E. Bortz. Mr. Bortz continues to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. No compensation plans, arrangements or contracts were entered into or amended in connection with these appointments.