UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.     )

Filed by the Registrant ☒                            Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Check the appropriate box:

Texas Instruments Incorporated

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

April 23, 2020

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders on Thursday, April 23, 2020, in the auditorium on our property at 12500 TI Boulevard, Dallas, Texas, at 8:30 a.m. (Central time). See “Attendance requirements” for important information about attending the annual meeting. At the meeting we will consider and act upon the following matters:

Stockholders of record at the close of business on February 24, 2020, are entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

We urge you to vote your shares as promptly as possible by: (1) accessing the voting website, (2) calling the toll-free number or (3) signing, dating and mailing the enclosed proxy.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Hoff Trochu

Senior Vice President,

Secretary and

General Counsel

Dallas, Texas

March 10, 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY STATEMENT – MARCH 10, 2020

EXECUTIVE OFFICES

12500 TI BOULEVARD, DALLAS, TX 75243

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 660199, DALLAS, TX 75266-0199

Voting procedures, quorum and attendance requirements

TI’s board of directors requests your proxy for the annual meeting of stockholders on April 23, 2020. If you sign and return the enclosed proxy, or vote by telephone or on the internet, you authorize the persons named in the proxy to represent you and vote your shares for the purposes mentioned in the notice of annual meeting. This proxy statement and related proxy are being distributed on or about March 10, 2020. If you come to the meeting, you can vote in person. If you do not come to the meeting, your shares can be voted only if you have returned a properly signed proxy or followed the telephone or internet voting instructions, which can be found on the enclosed proxy. If you sign and return your proxy but do not give voting instructions, the shares represented by that proxy will be voted as recommended by the board of directors. You can revoke your authorization at any time before the shares are voted at the meeting.

A quorum of stockholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. If at least a majority of the shares of TI common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote are present in person or by proxy, a quorum will exist. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum. Broker non-votes occur when a beneficial owner who holds company stock through a broker does not provide the broker with voting instructions as to any matter on which the broker is not permitted to exercise its discretion and vote without specific instruction.

Shown below is a list of the matters to be considered at the meeting (each of which is discussed elsewhere in this proxy statement), and the vote required for election or approval, as the case may be.

Attendance requirements

Attendance at the meeting is limited to stockholders or their legal proxy holders. Each attendee must present a government-issued photo ID and an advance registration form.

If you plan to attend the annual meeting in person, you must print your own advance registration form and bring it to the meeting to gain access.

Guest advance registration forms are not available. Exceptions may be granted to stockholders who require a companion in order to facilitate their own attendance (for example, due to a physical disability) by contacting Investor Relations.

Additionally, if you plan to attend as proxy for a stockholder of record, you must present a valid legal proxy from the stockholder of record to you. If you plan to attend as proxy for a street name stockholder, you must present a valid legal proxy from the stockholder of record (i.e., the bank, broker or other holder of record) to the street name stockholder that is assignable and a valid legal proxy from the street name stockholder to you. Stockholders may appoint only one proxy holder to attend on their behalf.

Election of directors

Directors are elected at the annual meeting to hold office until the next annual meeting and until their successors are elected and qualified. The board of directors has designated the following persons as nominees: Mark A. Blinn, Todd M. Bluedorn, Janet F. Clark, Carrie S. Cox, Martin S. Craighead, Jean M. Hobby, Michael D. Hsu, Ronald Kirk, Pamela H. Patsley, Robert E. Sanchez and Richard K. Templeton.

If you return a proxy that is not otherwise marked, your shares will be voted FOR each of the nominees.

Director nominees, qualifications and experience

All of the nominees for directorship will be directors of the company at the time of the annual meeting. If any nominee becomes unable to serve before the meeting, the persons named as proxies may vote for a substitute or the number of directors will be reduced accordingly.

Summary

This table provides a summary view of the qualifications, experience and demographics of each director nominee as of the proxy statement filing date.

* Elected to the board effective April 1, 2020

** A = Asian; B = African American/Black; C = Caucasian/White; H = Hispanic/Latino

The board prefers a mix of background and experience among its members. The board does not follow any ratio or formula to determine the appropriate mix. Rather, it uses its judgment to identify nominees whose backgrounds, attributes and experiences, taken as a whole, will contribute to the high standards of board service at the company. The board actively seeks women and minority candidates for the pool from which board candidates are chosen. Maintaining a balance of tenure among the directors is also part of the board’s consideration. Longer-serving directors bring valuable experience with the company and familiarity with the strategic and operational challenges it has faced over the years, while newer directors bring fresh perspectives and ideas. To help maintain this balance, the company has a mandatory retirement policy, pursuant to which directors cannot stand for election after reaching age 70. The effectiveness of the board’s approach to board composition decisions is evidenced by the directors’ participation in the insightful and robust, yet respectful, deliberation that occurs at board and committee meetings, and in shaping the agendas for those meetings.

Nominee criteria

In evaluating prospective nominees and as stated in our corporate governance guidelines, the Governance and Stockholder Relations (GSR) Committee considers the following criteria:

Nominee assessment

As it considered director nominees for the 2020 annual meeting, the board kept in mind that the most important issues it considers typically relate to the company’s strategic direction; succession planning for senior executive positions; the company’s financial performance; the challenges of running a large, complex enterprise, including the management of its risks; major acquisitions and divestitures; and significant research and development (R&D) and capital investment decisions. These issues arise in the context of the company’s operations, which primarily involve the manufacture and sale of semiconductors all over the world into industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment and enterprise systems markets.

As described below, each of our director nominees has achieved an extremely high level of success in his or her career, whether at multi-billion dollar, multinational corporate enterprises or significant governmental organizations. In these positions, each has been directly involved in the challenges relating to setting the strategic direction and managing the financial performance, personnel and processes of large, complex organizations. Each has had exposure to effective leaders and has developed the ability to judge leadership qualities. Ten of the director nominees have experience in serving on the board of directors of at least one other major corporation, and one has served in high political office, all of which provides additional relevant experience on which each nominee can draw.

In concluding that each nominee should serve as a director, the board relied on the specific experiences and attributes listed below and on the direct personal knowledge (except as to Mr. Hsu who will join the board April 1, 2020), born of previous service on the board, that each of the nominees brings insight to board deliberations as well as a willingness to ask challenging questions.

All nominees for directorship will be directors of the company at the time of the annual meeting. Mr. Hsu is the only director nominee at the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders who is standing for election by the stockholders for the first time. A search firm retained by the company to assist the GSR Committee in identifying and evaluating potential nominees initially identified Mr. Hsu as a potential director candidate. The search firm conducted research to identify a number of potential candidates, based on the qualifications and skills the GSR Committee determined that candidates should possess. It then conducted further research on the candidates in whom the GSR Committee had the most interest. Following this process, Mr. Hsu was unanimously elected to the company’s board of directors.

With the election of Mr. Hsu, the board believes its current size is within the desired range as stated in the board’s corporate governance guidelines.

Director nominees

Director nomination process

The board is responsible for approving nominees for election as directors. To assist in this task, the board has designated a standing committee, the GSR Committee, that is responsible for reviewing and recommending nominees to the board. The GSR Committee is comprised solely of independent directors as defined by the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) and the board’s corporate governance guidelines. Our board of directors has adopted a written charter for the GSR Committee. It can be found on our website at www.ti.com/corporategovernance.

It is a long-standing policy of the board to consider prospective board nominees recommended by stockholders. A stockholder who wishes to recommend a prospective board nominee for the GSR Committee’s consideration can write to the Secretary of the GSR Committee, Texas Instruments Incorporated, P.O. Box 655936, MS 8658, Dallas, TX 75265-5936. The GSR Committee will evaluate the stockholder’s prospective board nominee in the same manner as it evaluates other nominees.

Under the company’s by-laws, a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, owning at least 3 percent of the company’s outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years, may nominate and include in the company’s proxy materials director nominees constituting up to the greater of two individuals or 20 percent of the board of directors, provided that the stockholder(s) and the nominee(s) satisfy the requirements specified in the by-laws, which can be found on our website at www.ti.com/corporategovernance.

The company’s by-laws also allow stockholders to nominate directors without involving the GSR Committee or including the nominee in the company’s proxy materials. To do so, stockholders must comply with the requirements set forth in the by-laws.

Communications with the board

Stockholders and others who wish to communicate with the board, a board committee or an individual director may write to them at: P.O. Box 655936, MS 8658, Dallas, TX 75265-5936. All communications addressed to the board, a board committee, or an individual director that are sent to this address will be shared with the addressee.

Corporate governance

The board has a long-standing commitment to responsible and effective corporate governance. We annually conduct extensive governance reviews and engage in investor outreach specific to governance, executive compensation and environmental and social matters. The board’s corporate governance guidelines (which include the director independence standards), the charters of each of the board’s committees, TI’s code of conduct, our code of ethics for our CEO and senior financial officers and our by-laws are available on our website at www.ti.com/corporategovernance. Stockholders may request copies of these documents free of charge by writing to Texas Instruments Incorporated, P.O. Box 660199, MS 8657, Dallas, TX 75266-0199, Attn: Investor Relations.

Annual meeting attendance

It is a policy of the board to encourage directors to attend each annual meeting of stockholders. Attendance allows for direct interaction between stockholders and board members. In 2019, all directors then in office and standing for re-election attended TI’s annual meeting of stockholders.

Director independence

The board has determined that each of our directors is independent except for Mr. Templeton. In connection with this determination, information was reviewed regarding directors’ business and charitable affiliations, directors’ immediate family members and their employers, and any transactions or arrangements between the company and such persons or entities. The board has adopted the following standards for determining independence.

For purposes of these independence determinations, “company” and “family member” will have the same meaning as under Nasdaq rules.

Board organization

Board and committee meetings

During 2019, the board held eight meetings. The board has three standing committees described below. The standing committees of the board collectively held 19 meetings in 2019. Each director attended all of the board and relevant committee meetings.

Committees of the board

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is a separately designated standing committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All members of the Audit Committee are independent under Nasdaq rules and the board’s corporate governance guidelines. From April 26, 2018, to April 24, 2019, the committee members were Mr. Blinn (chair), Mr. Bluedorn and Ms. Hobby, with Mr. Craighead joining the committee on July 1, 2018. Since April 25, 2019, the committee members have been Mr. Blinn (chair), Mr. Bluedorn and Ms. Hobby. Mr. Hsu will join the Audit Committee effective April 1, 2020. The Audit Committee is generally responsible for:

The board has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are financially sophisticated, as the board has interpreted such qualifications in its business judgment. In addition, the board has designated Mr. Blinn as the audit committee financial expert as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

The Audit Committee met seven times in 2019. The Audit Committee holds regularly scheduled meetings and reports its activities to the board. The committee also continued its long-standing practice of meeting directly with our internal audit staff to discuss the audit plan and to allow for direct interaction between Audit Committee members and our internal auditors. See page 44 for a report of the committee.

Compensation Committee

All members of the Compensation Committee are independent. From April 26, 2018, to April 24, 2019, the committee members were Ms. Patsley (chair), Mr. Daniel A. Carp and Ms. Cox. Since April 25, 2019, the committee members have been Ms. Patsley (chair), Ms. Cox and Mr. Craighead. The committee is responsible for:

The Compensation Committee met six times in 2019. The Compensation Committee holds regularly scheduled meetings, reports its activities to the board, and consults with the board before setting annual executive compensation. See page 31 for a report of the committee.

In performing its functions, the committee is supported by the company’s Human Resources organization. The committee has the authority to retain any advisors it deems appropriate to carry out its responsibilities. The committee retained Pearl Meyer & Partners as its compensation consultant for the 2019 compensation cycle. The committee instructed the consultant to advise it directly on executive compensation philosophy, strategies, pay levels, decision-making processes and other matters within the scope of the committee’s charter. Additionally, the committee instructed the consultant to assist the company’s Human Resources organization in its support of the committee in these matters with such items as peer-group assessment, analysis of the executive compensation market, and compensation recommendations.

The Compensation Committee considers it important that its compensation consultant’s objectivity not be compromised by other engagements with the company or its management. In support of this belief, the committee has a policy on compensation consultants, a copy of which may be found on www.ti.com/corporategovernance. During 2019, the committee determined that its compensation consultant was independent of the company and had no conflict of interest.

The Compensation Committee considers executive compensation in a multistep process that involves the review of market information, performance data and possible compensation levels over several meetings leading to the annual determinations in January. Before setting executive compensation, the committee reviews the total compensation and benefits of the executive officers and considers the impact that their retirement, or termination under various other scenarios, would have on their compensation and benefits.

The CEO and the senior vice president responsible for Human Resources, who is an executive officer, are regularly invited to attend meetings of the committee. The CEO is excused from the meeting during any deliberations or vote on his compensation. No executive officer determines his or her own compensation or the compensation of any other executive officer. As members of the board, the members of the committee receive information concerning the performance of the company during the year and interact with our management. The CEO gives the committee and the board an assessment of his own performance during the year just ended. He also reviews the performance of the other executive officers with the committee and makes recommendations regarding their compensation. The senior vice president responsible for Human Resources assists in the preparation of and reviews the compensation recommendations made to the committee other than for her compensation.

The Compensation Committee’s charter provides that it may delegate its power, authority and rights with respect to TI’s long-term incentive plans, employee stock purchase plan and employee benefit plans to (i) one or more committees of the board established or delegated authority for that purpose; or (ii) employees or committees of employees except that no such delegation may be made with respect to compensation of the company’s executive officers.

Pursuant to that authority, the Compensation Committee has delegated to a special committee established by the board the authority to, among other things, grant a limited number of stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) under the company’s long-term incentive plans. The sole member of the special committee is Mr. Templeton. The special committee has no authority to grant, amend or terminate any form of compensation for TI’s executive officers. The Compensation Committee reviews all activity of the special committee.

Governance and Stockholder Relations Committee

All members of the GSR Committee are independent. From April 26, 2019, to April 24, 2019, the committee members were Mr. Kirk (Chair), Mr. Ralph W. Babb, Jr., Ms. Clark and Mr. Sanchez. Since April 25, 2019, the committee members have been Mr. Kirk (chair), Ms. Clark and Mr. Sanchez. The GSR Committee is generally responsible for:

The GSR Committee met six times in 2019. The GSR Committee holds regularly scheduled meetings and reports its activities to the board. See “Director nomination process” for a discussion of stockholder nominations and recommendations and “Communications with the board” for details on how to contact the board.

Board evaluation process

The board recognizes that a robust and constructive evaluation process is an essential part of good corporate governance and board effectiveness. The board and committee annual evaluation processes are designed to assess board and committee effectiveness, as well as individual director performance and contribution levels. The results of the evaluations are part of the GSR Committee’s and the board’s consideration in connection with their review of director nominees to ensure the board continues to operate effectively.

Annually, each of our directors completes comprehensive board and committee questionnaires. Each committee oversees its own evaluation process, and the GSR Committee also oversees the board evaluation process. The questionnaires, and ongoing feedback from individual directors, facilitate a candid assessment of: (i) the board and committees’ oversight of risk, strategy, and operations; (ii) the board’s culture, leadership structure, and mix of director skills, qualifications and experiences; and (iii) board and committee meeting mechanics. Our directors are willing to have honest and difficult conversations as needed during the evaluation and nomination process.

Board leadership structure

The board’s current leadership structure combines the positions of chairman and CEO, and includes a lead director who presides at executive sessions and performs the duties listed below. The board believes that this structure, combined with its other practices (such as (a) including on each board agenda an opportunity for the independent directors to comment on and influence the proposed strategic agenda for future meetings and (b) holding an executive session of the independent directors at each board meeting), allows it to maintain the active engagement of independent directors and appropriate oversight of management.

The lead director is elected by the independent directors annually. The independent directors have elected Ms. Patsley to serve as lead director. The duties of the lead director are to:

In addition, the lead director has authority to call meetings of the independent directors.

The board, led by its GSR Committee, regularly reviews the board’s leadership structure. The board’s consideration is guided by two questions: would stockholders be better served and would the board be more effective with a different structure. The board’s views are informed by a review of the practices of other companies and insight into the preferences of top stockholders, as gathered from face-to-face dialogue and review of published guidelines. The board also considers how board roles and interactions would change if its leadership structure changed. The board’s goal is for each director to have an equal stake in the board’s actions and equal accountability to the corporation and its stockholders.

The board continues to believe that there is no uniform solution for a board leadership structure. Indeed, the company has had varying board leadership models over its history, at times separating the positions of chairman and CEO and at times combining the two, and now utilizing a lead director.

Risk oversight by the board

It is management’s responsibility to assess and manage the various risks TI faces. It is the board’s responsibility to oversee management in this effort. In exercising its oversight, the board has allocated some areas of focus to its committees and has retained areas of focus for itself, as more fully described below.

Management generally views the risks TI faces as falling into the following categories: strategic, operational, financial and compliance. The board as a whole has oversight responsibility for the company’s strategic and operational risks (e.g., major initiatives, competitive markets and products, sales and marketing, R&D and cybersecurity). Throughout the year the CEO discusses these risks with the board. Additionally, at least once each year, the company’s chief information officer provides information on the cybersecurity risks and the company’s approach to protecting the company’s data and systems infrastructure with the board. In the event of a material cybersecurity event, management would notify the board and, in compliance with our procedures, determine the timing and extent of the response and public disclosure, and whether and any future vulnerabilities are expected.

TI’s Audit Committee has oversight responsibility for financial risk (such as accounting, finance, internal controls and tax strategy). Oversight responsibility for compliance risk is shared by the board committees. For example, the Audit Committee oversees compliance with the company’s code of conduct and finance- and accounting-related laws and policies, as well as the company’s compliance program itself; the Compensation Committee oversees compliance with the company’s executive compensation plans and related laws and policies; and the GSR Committee oversees compliance with governance-related laws and policies, including the company’s corporate governance guidelines.

The Audit Committee oversees the company’s approach to risk management as a whole. The company’s CFO reviews the company’s risk management process with the Audit Committee at least annually. In addition, the company’s chief information officer reviews the company’s information technology systems with the Audit Committee periodically and includes a discussion of key cybersecurity risks as appropriate.

The board’s leadership structure is consistent with the board and committees’ roles in risk oversight. As discussed above, the board has found that its current structure and practices are effective in fully engaging the independent directors. Allocating various aspects of risk oversight among the committees provides for similar engagement. Having the chairman and CEO review strategic and operational risks with the board ensures that the director most knowledgeable about the company, the industry in which it operates and the competition and other challenges it faces shares those insights with the board, providing for a thorough and efficient process.

Director compensation

The GSR Committee has responsibility for reviewing and making recommendations to the board on compensation for non-employee directors, with the board making the final determination. The committee has no authority to delegate its responsibility regarding director compensation. In carrying out this responsibility, it is supported by TI’s Human Resources organization. The CEO, the senior vice president responsible for Human Resources and the Secretary review the recommendations made to the committee. The CEO also votes, as a member of the board, on the compensation of non-employee directors.

The compensation arrangements in 2019 for the non-employee directors were:

The board has determined that annual grants of equity compensation to non-employee directors will be timed to occur in January when grants are made to our U.S. employees in connection with the annual compensation review process. See “Process for equity grants” for a discussion regarding the timing of equity compensation grants.

It is against TI policy for any employee, including an executive officer, or director to engage in trading in “puts” (options to sell at a fixed price), “calls” (similar options to buy), or other options or hedging techniques on TI stock specifically designed to limit losses on TI stock or equity compensation held by the employee or director.

Directors are not paid a fee for meeting attendance, but we reimburse non-employee directors for their travel, lodging and related expenses incurred in connection with attending board, committee and stockholders meetings and other designated events. In addition, non-employee directors may travel on company aircraft to and from these meetings and other designated events.

Under the Director Plan, some directors have chosen to defer all or part of their cash compensation. These deferred amounts are credited to either a cash account or stock unit account. Cash accounts earn interest from TI at a rate currently based on Moody’s Seasoned Aaa Corporate Bonds. For 2019, that rate was 3.99 percent. Stock unit accounts fluctuate in value with the underlying shares of TI common stock, which will be issued after the deferral period. Dividend equivalents are paid on these stock units. Directors may also defer settlement of the restricted stock units they receive.

We have arrangements with certain customers whereby our employees may purchase consumer products containing TI components at discounted pricing. In addition, the TI Foundation has an educational and cultural matching gift program. In both cases, directors are entitled to participate on the same terms and conditions available to employees.

Non-employee directors are not eligible to participate in any TI-sponsored pension plan.

2019 director compensation

The following table shows the compensation of all persons who were non-employee members of the board during 2019 for services in all capacities to TI in 2019.

The table below shows the aggregate number of shares underlying outstanding restricted stock units held by the named individuals as of December 31, 2019.

Executive compensation

We are providing shareholders the opportunity to cast advisory votes on named executive officer compensation as required by Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act.

Proposal regarding advisory approval of the company’s executive compensation

The “named executive officers” are the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer and the three other most highly compensated executive officers, as named in the compensation tables on pages 32-43.

We ask shareholders to approve the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in this proxy statement pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s compensation disclosure rules, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussion on pages 20-43 of this proxy statement, is hereby approved.

We encourage shareholders to review the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of the proxy statement, which follows. It discusses our executive compensation policies and programs and explains the compensation decisions relating to the named executive officers for 2019. We believe that the policies and programs serve the interests of our shareholders and that the compensation received by the named executive officers is commensurate with the performance and strategic position of the company.

Although the outcome of this annual vote is not binding on the company or the board, the Compensation Committee of the board will consider it when setting future compensation for the executive officers.

The board of directors recommends a vote FOR the annual resolution approving the named executive officer compensation for 2019, as disclosed in this proxy statement.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This section describes TI’s compensation program for executive officers. It will provide insight into the following:

The executive officers of TI have the broadest job responsibilities and policy-making authority in the company. We hold them accountable for the company’s performance and for maintaining a culture of strong ethics and compliance. Details of compensation for our CEO, our CFO and the three other highest paid individuals who were executive officers in 2019 (collectively called the “named executive officers”) can be found in the tables following the Compensation Committee report.

Executive summary

Detailed discussion

Compensation philosophy and elements

The Compensation Committee of TI’s board of directors is responsible for setting the compensation of all TI executive officers. The committee consults with the other independent directors and its compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer & Partners, before setting annual compensation for the executives. The committee chair regularly reports on committee actions at board meetings.

The primary elements of our executive compensation program are as follows:

Near-term compensation, paid in cash

Long-term compensation, awarded in equity

Comparator group

The Compensation Committee considers the market level of compensation when setting the salary, bonuses and equity compensation of the executive officers. To estimate the market level of pay, the committee uses information provided by its compensation consultant and TI’s Compensation and Benefits organization about compensation paid to executives in similar positions at a peer group of companies (the “Comparator Group”).

The committee sets the Comparator Group and reviews it annually. In general, the Comparator Group companies (i) are U.S.-based, (ii) engage in the semiconductor business, other electronics or information technology activities or use sophisticated manufacturing processes, (iii) have executive positions comparable in complexity to those of TI and (iv) use forms of executive compensation comparable to TI’s.

Shown in the table below is the Comparator Group used for the compensation decisions for 2019.

The committee set the Comparator Group in July 2018 for the base salary and equity compensation decisions it made in 2019. For a discussion of the factors considered by the committee in setting the Comparator Group in July 2018, please see “Comparator group” on pages 21-22 of the company’s 2019 proxy statement.

In July 2019, the committee conducted its regular review of the Comparator Group in terms of industry, revenue and market capitalization. With the advice of its compensation consultant, the committee decided to make no change to the group. Accordingly, the committee used the same Comparator Group for the bonus decisions in January 2020 relating to 2019 performance as it used to set salary and equity compensation in January 2019. The table below compares the current Comparator Group to TI in terms of revenue and market capitalization.

Analysis of compensation determinations

Total compensation

Before finalizing the compensation of the executive officers, the committee reviewed all elements of compensation. The information included total cash compensation (salary, profit sharing and projected bonus), the grant date fair value of equity compensation, the impact that proposed compensation would have on other compensation elements such as pension, and a summary of benefits that the executives would receive under various termination scenarios. The review enabled the committee to see how various compensation elements relate to one another and what impact its decisions would have on the total earnings opportunity of the executives. In assessing the information, the committee did not target a specific level of total compensation or use a formula to allocate compensation among the various elements. Instead, it used its judgment in assessing whether the total was consistent with the objectives of the program. Based on this review, the committee determined that the level of compensation was appropriate.

Base salary

The committee set the 2019 rate of base salary for the following named executive officers as follows:

For each of these executive officers, the committee set the 2019 base-salary rate listed above in January 2019. In keeping with its strategy, the committee targeted the annual base-salary rates to be at the estimated median level of salaries expected to be paid to similarly situated executives (considering job scope and tenure) of companies within the Comparator Group in January 2019.

The salary differences between the named executive officers were driven primarily by the market rate of pay (considering job scope and tenure) for each officer and not the application of a formula designed to maintain a differential between the officers.

Equity compensation

In 2019, the committee awarded equity compensation to each of the named executive officers listed below. The grants are shown in the table under “Grants of plan-based awards in 2019.” The grant date fair value of the awards is reflected in that table and in the “Stock Awards” and “Option Awards” columns of the 2019 summary compensation table. The table below is provided to assist the reader in comparing the grant date fair values and number of shares for each of the years shown in the summary compensation table.

In January 2019, the committee awarded equity compensation to each of the named executive officers listed above. The committee’s general objective was to award to those officers equity compensation that had a grant date fair value at approximately the median market level of the most recently disclosed equity compensation granted by the Comparator Group.

In assessing the market level, the committee considered information presented by TI’s Compensation and Benefits organization (prepared using data provided by the committee’s compensation consultant) on the estimated value of the awards expected to be granted to similarly situated executives (considering job scope and tenure) of companies within the Comparator Group. The award value was estimated using the same methodology used for financial accounting.

For each officer, the committee set the desired grant value. The committee decided to allocate the value equally between restricted stock units and options for each officer, to give equal emphasis to promoting retention and performance, motivating the executive and aligning interests with those of shareholders.

Before approving the grants, the committee reviewed the amount of unvested equity compensation held by the officers to assess its retention value. In making this assessment, the committee used its judgment and did not apply any formula, threshold or maximum. This review did not result in an increase or decrease of the awards.

The exercise price of the options was the closing price of TI stock on January 25, 2019, the second trading day after the company released its annual and fourth-quarter financial results for 2018. All grants were made under the Texas Instruments 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan, which shareholders approved in April 2009 and amended in 2016.

All grants have the terms described under “Outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2019.” The differences in the equity awards between the named executive officers were primarily the result of differences in the applicable estimated market level of equity compensation for their positions, and not the application of any formula designed to maintain differentials between the officers.

Bonus

In January 2020, the committee set the 2019 bonus compensation for executive officers based on its assessment of 2019 performance. In setting the bonuses, the committee used the following performance measures to assess the company:

In addition, the committee considered strategic progress by reviewing TI competitiveness in key markets with core products and technologies, as well as the strength of relationships with customers.

In assessing performance, the committee did not use formulas, thresholds or multiples. Because market conditions can quickly change in our industry, thresholds established at the beginning of a year could prove irrelevant by year-end. The committee believes its approach, which assesses the company’s relative performance in hindsight after year-end, gives it the insight to most effectively and critically judge results and encourages executives to pursue strategies that serve the long-term interests of the company and its shareholders.

In the comparison of relative performance, the committee used the following companies (the “competitor companies”):

To the extent the companies had not released financial results for the year or the most recent quarter, the committee based its evaluation on estimates and projections of the companies’ financial results for 2019.

This list includes both broad-based and niche suppliers that operate in our key markets or offer technology that competes with our products. The committee considers annually whether the list is still appropriate in terms of revenue, market capitalization and changes in business activities of the companies. The committee made no changes to the list of competitor companies in 2019.

Assessment of 2019 performance

The committee spent extensive time in December and January assessing TI’s results and strategic progress for 2019. In setting bonuses, the committee considered quantitative and qualitative measures on both an absolute and relative basis and made certain that resulting decisions were founded on both solid data and sound judgment. On an absolute basis, operating profit margin was positive and better than median relative to competitors while revenue decreased and revenue growth rate remained below median. TSR was also positive on an absolute basis and slightly below median relative to competitors. Free cash flow for the year was $5.8 billion and 40% of revenue. In aggregate, the committee determined that while the company’s strategic position and operating performance continued to be strong, the 2019 relative revenue growth rate was disappointing. Therefore, the committee targeted a bonus decrease of 5 percent for 2019, with business performance influencing individual decisions for named executive officers. Details on the committee’s assessment are below.

Revenue and margin

Total shareholder return (TSR)

Strategic progress

Performance summary

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is calculated using the formula (Ending Value/Beginning Value)^{1/number of years} minus 1.

One-year and three-year TSR percentages are obtained from a report generated using a subscription service to Equilar, an executive compensation and corporate governance data firm.

Before setting the bonuses for the named executive officers, the committee considered the officers’ individual performance. The performance of Mr. Templeton was judged according to the performance of the company. For the other officers, the committee considered the factors described below in assessing individual performance. In making this assessment, the committee did not apply any formula or performance targets.

Mr. Lizardi is the chief financial officer. The committee noted the financial management of the company.

Mr. Anderskouv is responsible for our power product line within our analog business. The committee noted the financial performance and strategic position of this product line.

Mr. Delagi was responsible for our embedded processing business prior to announcing his retirement plans. The committee noted the financial performance and strategic position of these product lines.

Mr. Ilan is responsible for our signal chain product line within our analog business. The committee noted the financial performance and strategic position of this product line.

The bonuses awarded for 2019 performance are shown in the table below. The differences in the amounts awarded to the named executive officers were primarily the result of differences in the officers’ level of responsibility and related performance and the applicable market level of total cash compensation expected to be paid to similarly situated officers at companies within the Comparator Group.

Results of the compensation decisions

Results of the compensation decisions made by the committee relating to the named executive officers are summarized in the following table. This table is provided as a supplement to the summary compensation table for investors who may find it useful to see the data presented in this form. Although the committee does not target a specific level of total compensation, it considers information similar to that in the table to ensure that the sum of these elements is, in its judgment, in a reasonable range.

This table shows the annual rate of base salary for each named executive officer. In the summary compensation table, the “Salary” column shows the actual salary paid in the year. This table has separate columns for profit sharing and bonus. In the summary compensation table, profit sharing and bonus are aggregated in the column for “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation,” in accordance with SEC requirements. Please see Notes 2 and 3 to the summary compensation table for information about how grant date fair value was calculated.

For Messrs. Templeton and Lizardi, the “Total” for 2019 was higher than for 2018 primarily due to the higher equity awards in 2019, reflecting an effort to align with the projected market range for similarly situated executives in our comparator group.

The compensation decisions shown above resulted in the following 2019 compensation mix for the named executive officers:

Equity dilution

The Compensation Committee’s goal is to keep net annual dilution from equity compensation under 2 percent. “Net annual dilution” means the number of shares under equity awards granted by the committee each year to all employees (net of award forfeitures) as a percentage of the shares of the company’s outstanding common stock. Equity awards granted in 2019 resulted in 0.5 percent net annual dilution.

Process for equity grants

The Compensation Committee makes grant decisions for equity compensation at its January meeting each year. The dates on which these meetings occur are generally set three years in advance. The January meetings of the board and the committee generally occur in the week or two before we announce our financial results for the previous quarter and year.

On occasion, the committee may grant stock options or restricted stock units to executives at times other than January. For example, it has done so in connection with job promotions and for purposes of retention.

We do not back-date stock options or restricted stock units. We do not accelerate or delay the release of information due to plans for making equity grants.

If the committee meeting falls in the same month as the release of the company’s financial results, the committee’s practice is to make grants effective (i) on the second trading day after the results have been released or (ii) on the meeting day if later. In other months, its practice is to make them effective on the day of committee action. The exercise price of stock options is the closing price of TI stock on the effective date of the grant.

Recoupment policy

The committee has a policy concerning recoupment (“claw back”) of executive bonuses and equity compensation. Under the policy, in the event of a material restatement of TI’s financial results due to misconduct, the committee will review the facts and circumstances and take the actions it considers appropriate with respect to the compensation of any executive officer whose fraud or willful misconduct contributed to the need for such restatement. Such action may include (a) seeking reimbursement of any bonus paid to such officer exceeding the amount that, in the judgment of the committee, would have been paid had the financial results been properly reported and (b) seeking to recover profits received by such officer during the 12 months after the restated period under equity compensation awards. All determinations by the committee with respect to this policy are final and binding on all interested parties.

Most recent stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation

In April 2019, our shareholders cast an advisory vote on the company’s executive compensation decisions and policies as disclosed in the proxy statement issued by the company in March 2019. Approximately 93 percent of the shares voted on the matter were cast in support of the compensation decisions and policies as disclosed. The committee considered this result and determined that it was not necessary at this time to make any material changes to the company’s compensation policies and practices in response to the advisory vote.

Benefits

Retirement plans

The executive officers participate in our retirement plans under the same rules that apply to other U.S. employees. We maintain these plans to have a competitive benefits program and for retention.

Like other established U.S. manufacturers, we have had a U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan for many years. At its origin, the plan was designed to be consistent with those offered by other employers in the diverse markets in which we operated, which at the time included consumer and defense electronics, as well as semiconductors and materials products. In order to limit the cost of the plan, we closed the plan to new participants in 1997. We gave U.S. employees as of November 1997 the choice to continue participating in the plan, or to have their plan benefits frozen (i.e., no benefit increase attributable to years of service or change in eligible earnings) and begin participating in an enhanced defined contribution plan. Mr. Templeton chose not to continue participating in the defined benefit plan. As a result, his benefits under that plan were frozen in 1997, and he participates in the enhanced defined contribution plan described below. Mr. Delagi continued his participation in the defined benefit pension plan until his retirement on February 5, 2020. Messrs. Lizardi, Anderskouv and Ilan joined the company after 1997 and are not eligible to participate in the defined benefit plan.

The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) imposes certain limits on the retirement benefits that may be provided under a qualified plan. To maintain the desired level of benefits, we have non-qualified defined benefit pension plans for participants in the qualified pension plan. Under the non-qualified plans, participants receive benefits that would ordinarily be paid under the qualified pension plan but for the limitations under the IRC. For additional information about the defined benefit plans, please see “2019 pension benefits.”

Employees accruing benefits in the qualified pension plan, including Mr. Delagi prior to his retirement, also are eligible to participate in a defined contribution plan that provides employer matching contributions. All other employees are eligible to participate in the enhanced defined contribution plan, in which Messrs. Templeton, Lizardi, Anderskouv and Ilan participate. This plan provides for (i) a fixed employer contribution plus an employer matching contribution for employees hired on or before December 31, 2003 or (ii) an employer matching contribution for employees hired after December 31, 2003.

In general, if an employee who participates in the pension plan (including an employee whose benefits are frozen as described above) dies after having met the requirements for normal or early retirement, his or her beneficiary will receive a benefit equal to the lump-sum amount that the participant would have received if he or she had retired before death. Having already reached the age of 55 and at least 20 years of employment, Mr. Templeton is eligible for early retirement under the pension plans. Mr. Delagi retired effective February 5, 2020, so the lump sum payment option is no longer available to his beneficiary.

Because benefits under the qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans are calculated on the basis of eligible earnings (salary and bonus), an increase in salary or bonus may result in an increase in benefits under the plans. Salary or bonus increases for Mr. Templeton do not result in greater benefits for him under the company’s defined benefit pension plans because his benefits under those plans were frozen in 1997. Messrs. Lizardi, Anderskouv and Ilan do not participate in the company’s defined benefit pension plans. The committee considers the potential effect on the executives’ retirement benefits when it sets salary and performance bonus levels.

Deferred compensation

Any U.S. employee whose base salary and management responsibility exceed a certain level may defer the receipt of a portion of his or her salary, bonus and profit sharing. Rules of the U.S. Department of Labor require that this plan be limited to a select group of management or highly compensated employees. The plan allows employees to defer the receipt of their compensation in a tax-efficient manner. Eligible employees include, but are not limited to, the executive officers. We have the plan to be competitive with the benefits packages offered by other companies.

The executive officers’ deferred compensation account balances are unsecured and all amounts remain part of the company’s operating assets. The value of the deferred amounts tracks the performance of investment alternatives selected by the participant. These alternatives are identical to those offered to participants in the defined contribution plans described above. The company does not guarantee any minimum return on the amounts deferred. In accordance with SEC rules, no earnings on deferred compensation are shown in the summary compensation table for 2019 because no “above market” rates were earned on deferred amounts in that year.

Employee stock purchase plan

We have an employee stock purchase plan. Under the plan, which our shareholders approved, all employees in the U.S. and certain other countries may purchase a limited number of shares of the company’s common stock at a 15 percent discount. The plan is designed to offer the broad-based employee population an opportunity to acquire an equity interest in the company and thereby align their interests with those of shareholders. Consistent with our general approach to benefit programs, executive officers are also eligible to participate.

Health-related benefits

Executive officers are eligible under the same plans as all other U.S. employees for medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance. These benefits are intended to be competitive with benefits offered in the semiconductor industry.

Other benefits

Executive officers receive only a few benefits that are not available to all other U.S. employees. They are eligible for a company-paid physical and financial counseling. In addition, the board of directors has determined that for security reasons, it is in the company’s interest to allow Mr. Templeton, at his option, to use company aircraft for personal air travel. Please see Footnote 6 of the summary compensation table for 2019 and “Potential payments upon termination or change in control – Termination – Perquisites” for further details. The company provides no tax gross-ups for perquisites to any of the executive officers.

Compensation following employment termination or change in control

None of the executive officers has an employment contract. Executive officers are eligible for benefits on the same terms as other U.S. employees upon termination of employment or a change in control of the company. The current programs are described under “Potential payments upon termination or change in control.” None of the few additional benefits that the executive officers receive continue after termination of employment, except that financial counseling is provided for a transition period following retirement. The committee reviews the potential impact of these programs before finalizing the annual compensation for the named executive officers. The committee did not raise or lower compensation for 2019 based on this review.

The Texas Instruments 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan generally establishes double-trigger change-in-control terms for grants made in 2010 and later years. Under those terms, options become fully exercisable and shares are issued under restricted stock unit awards (to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the IRC) if the grantee is involuntarily terminated within 24 months after a change in control of TI. These terms are intended to encourage employees to remain with the company through a transaction while reducing employee uncertainty and distraction in the period leading up to any such event.

Stock ownership guidelines and policy against hedging

Our board of directors has established stock ownership guidelines for executive officers. The guideline for the CEO is four times base salary or 125,000 shares, whichever is less. The guideline for other executive officers is three times base salary or 25,000 shares, whichever is less. Executive officers have five years from their election as executive officers to reach these targets. Directly owned shares and restricted stock units count toward satisfying the guidelines.

Short sales of TI stock by our executive officers are prohibited. It is against TI policy for any employee, including an executive officer, to engage in trading in “puts” (options to sell at a fixed price), “calls” (similar options to buy), or other options or hedging techniques on TI stock.

Consideration of tax and accounting treatment of compensation

Current tax law limits the tax deductibility of annual compensation paid to any publicly held corporation’s “covered employees,” which includes all of our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee considers the impact of this deductibility limit as one factor in its determination of compensation.

When setting equity compensation, the committee considers the cost for financial reporting purposes of equity compensation it intends to grant. Its consideration of the cost of grants made in 2019 is discussed under “Analysis of compensation determination for 2019 – Equity compensation.”

Compensation Committee report

The Compensation Committee of the board of directors has furnished the following report:

The committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) with the company’s management. Based on that review and discussion, the committee has recommended to the board of directors that the CD&A be included in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for 2019 and the company’s proxy statement for the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders.

2019 summary compensation table

The table below shows the compensation of the CEO, the CFO and each of the other three most highly compensated individuals who were executive officers during 2019 (collectively called the “named executive officers” (NEOs)) for services in all capacities to the company in 2019.

The perquisites and personal benefits are: $33,285 for Mr. Templeton and $34,233 for Mr. Lizardi, consisting of financial counseling, an executive physical, personal use of company aircraft ($20,099 for Mr. Templeton and $23,174 for Mr. Lizardi) and a one-time payment made to all employees who participated in the company’s dental plan. Financial counseling and an executive physical were made available to the other named executive officers, but the amounts attributable to those officers were below the disclosure thresholds.

Grants of plan-based awards in 2019

The following table shows the grants of plan-based awards to the named executive officers in 2019.

None of the options or other equity awards granted to the named executive officers was repriced or modified by the company.

For additional information regarding TI’s equity compensation grant practices, see the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

Outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2019

The following table shows the outstanding equity awards for each of the named executive officers as of December 31, 2019.