The information provided in this Proxy Summary is for your convenience only and is merely a summary of the information contained in this proxy statement. You should read this entire proxy statement carefully. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not intended to be incorporated by reference into this proxy statement and references to our website address in this proxy statement are inactive textual references only.

 

Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.

5500 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 1600

Golden Valley, MN 55416

This proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) and our annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report” and, together with the Proxy Statement, the “proxy materials”) are being furnished by and on behalf of the board of directors (the “Board” or the “Board of Directors”) of Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (the “Company,” “Inspire,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), in connection with our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”). This Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement are first being distributed or made available, as the case may be, on or about March 16, 2022.

In connection with our solicitation of proxies for our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, we intend to file a proxy statement and WHITE proxy card with the SEC. Stockholders may obtain our proxy statement (and any amendments and supplements thereto) and other documents as and when filed with the SEC without charge from the SEC’s website at: www.sec.gov.

The Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time. The Annual Meeting will be a completely virtual meeting, which will be conducted via live webcast. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting online and submit your questions during the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/INSP2022 and entering your 16-digit control number included in your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. If you lose your 16-digit control number, you may join the Annual Meeting as a “Guest” but you will not be able to vote, ask questions or access the list of stockholders as of the close of business on March 3, 2022 (the “Record Date”).

The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to vote on the following items described in this Proxy Statement:

At the date this Proxy Statement went to press, we did not know of any matters to be properly presented at the Annual Meeting other than those referred to in this Proxy Statement. If other matters are properly presented at the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof for consideration, and you are a stockholder of record and have submitted a proxy card, the persons named in your proxy card will have the discretion to vote on those matters for you.

The rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) permit us to furnish proxy materials, including this Proxy Statement and the Annual Report, to our stockholders by providing access to such documents on the Internet instead of mailing printed copies. Stockholders will not receive paper copies of the proxy materials unless they request them. Instead, the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice and Access Card”) provides instructions on how to access and review on the Internet all of the proxy materials. The Notice and Access Card also instructs you as to how to authorize, via the Internet, your proxy to vote your shares according to your voting instructions. If you would like to receive a paper or email copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials described in the Notice and Access Card.

It means that your shares are held in more than one account at the transfer agent and/or with banks or brokers. Please vote all of your shares. To ensure that all of your shares are voted, for each Notice and Access Card or set of proxy materials, please submit your proxy by phone, via the Internet, or, if you received printed copies of the proxy materials, by signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed envelope.

No. The Notice and Access Card identifies the items to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, but you cannot vote by marking the Notice and Access Card and returning it. If you would like a paper proxy card, you should follow the instructions in the Notice and Access Card. The paper proxy card you receive will also provide instructions as to how to authorize via the Internet or telephone your proxy to vote your shares according to your voting instructions. Alternatively, you can mark the paper proxy card with how you would like your shares voted, sign the proxy card, and return it in the envelope provided.

Holders of record of shares of our common stock as of the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any continuation, postponement or adjournment thereof. At the close of business on the Record Date, there were 27,549,950 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. Each share of our common stock is entitled to one vote on any matter presented to stockholders at the Annual Meeting. You will need to obtain your own Internet access if you choose to attend the Annual Meeting online and/or vote over the Internet.

To attend and participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included in your Notice and Access Card, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. If your shares are held in “street name,” you should contact your bank or broker to obtain your 16-digit control number or otherwise vote through the bank or broker. If you lose your 16-digit control number, you may join the Annual Meeting as a “Guest” but you will not be able to vote, ask questions or access the list of stockholders as of the Record Date. The meeting webcast will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. Central Time. We encourage you to access the meeting prior to the start time. Online check-in will begin at 7:45 a.m. Central Time, and you should allow ample time for the check-in procedures.

A record holder (also called a “registered holder”) has an Inspire stock certificate or holds their Inspire shares in an account with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. Shares held in “street name” means that shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other nominee on the holder’s behalf.

If your shares are held in a brokerage account or by a bank or other holder of record, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name.” The Notice and Access Card or the proxy materials, if you elected to receive a hard copy, has been forwarded to you by your broker, bank or other nominee who is considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other holder of record on how to vote your shares by following their instructions for voting. Please refer to information from your bank, broker or other nominee on how to submit your voting instructions.

A quorum must be present at the Annual Meeting for any business to be conducted. The holders of a majority in voting power of the Company’s capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or by remote communication, or represented by proxy constitutes a quorum. If you sign and return your paper proxy card or authorize a proxy to vote electronically or telephonically, your shares will be counted to determine whether we have a quorum even if you abstain or fail to vote as indicated in the proxy materials.

Broker non-votes will also be considered present for the purpose of determining whether there is a quorum for the Annual Meeting.

A “broker non-vote” occurs when shares held by a broker in “street name” for a beneficial owner are not voted with respect to a proposal because (1) the broker has not received voting instructions from the stockholder who beneficially owns the shares and (2) the broker lacks the authority to vote the shares at their discretion.

Under current New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) interpretations that govern broker non-votes, Proposal Nos. 1 and 3 are considered non-discretionary matters, and a broker will lack the authority to vote uninstructed shares at their discretion on such proposals. Proposal No. 2 is considered a discretionary matter, and a broker will be permitted to exercise its discretion to vote uninstructed shares on this proposal.

If a quorum is not present or represented at the scheduled time of the Annual Meeting, (i) the Chair of the Annual Meeting or (ii) a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, present electronically or represented by proxy, may adjourn the Annual Meeting until a quorum is present or represented.

We recommend that stockholders vote by proxy even if they plan to attend the Annual Meeting and vote electronically. If you are a stockholder of record, there are three ways to vote by proxy:

Telephone and Internet voting facilities for stockholders of record will be available 24 hours a day and will close at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on April 27, 2022. If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder of record, you will receive instructions on how to vote from the bank, broker or holder of record. You must follow the instructions of such bank, broker or holder of record in order for your shares to be voted.

We will be hosting the Annual Meeting live via audio webcast. Any stockholder can attend the Annual Meeting live online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/INSP2022. If you were a stockholder as of the Record Date, or you hold a valid proxy for the Annual Meeting, you can vote at the Annual Meeting. A summary of the information you need to attend the Annual Meeting online is provided below:

To attend and participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included in your Notice and Access Card, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. If your shares are held in “street name,” you should contact your bank or broker to obtain your 16-digit control number or otherwise vote through the bank or broker. If you lose your 16-digit control number, you may join the Annual Meeting as a “Guest” but you will not be able to vote, ask questions or access the list of stockholders as of the Record Date.

We will have technicians ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the virtual meeting website. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting website during the check-in or meeting time, please call the technical support number that will be posted on the Annual Meeting login page.

As part of the Annual Meeting, we will hold a live Q&A session, during which we intend to answer appropriate questions submitted during the meeting and that relate to the matters to be voted on. We intend to reserve up to fifteen minutes before the closing of the polls to address questions submitted. Only stockholders that have accessed the Annual Meeting as a stockholder (rather than a “Guest”) by following the procedures outlined above in “How can I attend and vote at the Annual Meeting?” will be able to submit questions during the Annual Meeting. Additionally, our Annual Meeting will follow “Rules of Conduct,” which will be available on our Annual Meeting webpage for stockholders that have accessed the Annual Meeting as a stockholder (rather than a “Guest”). Under these Rules of Conduct, a stockholder may ask up to two questions, and we will not address questions that are, among other things:

Additional information regarding the Q&A session will be available in the “Rules of Conduct” available on the Annual Meeting webpage for stockholders that have accessed the Annual Meeting as a stockholder (rather than a “Guest”) by following the procedures outlined above in “How can I attend and vote at the Annual Meeting?”.

The Board recommends that you vote:

The table below summarizes the proposals that will be voted on, the vote required to approve each item, and how votes are counted:

If you submit a proxy but do not indicate any voting instructions, the persons named as proxies will vote in accordance with the recommendations of the Board. The Board’s recommendations are set forth above, as well as with the description of each proposal in this Proxy Statement.

Representatives of Broadridge Investor Communications Services (“Broadridge”) will tabulate the votes, and a representative of Broadridge will act as inspector of election.

Yes. Whether you have voted by Internet, telephone or mail, if you are a stockholder of record, you may change your vote and revoke your proxy by:

If you hold shares in street name, you may submit new voting instructions by contacting your bank, broker or other nominee. You may also change your vote or revoke your proxy at the Annual Meeting if you obtain a signed proxy from the record holder (broker, bank or other nominee) giving you the right to vote the shares.

Your most recent proxy card or telephone or Internet proxy is the one that is counted. Your attendance at the Annual Meeting by itself will not revoke your proxy unless you give written notice of revocation to the Company before your proxy is voted or you vote at the Annual Meeting.

We will pay the cost of soliciting proxies. Proxies may be solicited on our behalf by directors, officers or employees (for no additional compensation) in person or by telephone, electronic transmission, and facsimile transmission. Brokers and other nominees will be requested to solicit proxies or authorizations from beneficial owners and will be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses.

We are excited to continue using the latest technology to provide expanded access, improved communication, and cost savings for our stockholders and the Company while providing stockholders the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would have at an in-person meeting. Furthermore, as part of our effort to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our directors, members of management, and stockholders who wish to attend the Annual Meeting, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that hosting a virtual meeting is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders and enables increased stockholder attendance and participation because stockholders can participate from any location around the world.

nominee will be voted for a substitute nominee selected by the Board. Alternatively, the proxies, at the Board’s discretion, may be voted for that fewer number of nominees as results from the inability of any nominee to serve. The Board has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable to serve.

The following pages contain certain biographical information as of March 3, 2022 for each nominee for director and each director whose term as a director will continue after the Annual Meeting, including all positions she or he holds, her or his principal occupation and business experience for the past five years, and the names of other publicly-held companies of which the director or nominee currently serves as a director or has served as a director during the past five years.

We believe that all of our directors and nominees have or display: personal and professional integrity; satisfactory levels of education and/or business experience; broad-based business acumen; an appropriate level of understanding of our business and its industry and other industries relevant to our business; the ability and willingness to devote adequate time to the work of our board of directors and its committees; skills and personality that complement those of our other directors and that helps build a board that is effective, collegial and responsive to the needs of our company; strategic thinking and a willingness to share ideas; a diversity of experiences, expertise and background; and the ability to represent the interests of all of our stockholders. The information presented below regarding each nominee and continuing director also sets forth specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led our board of directors to the conclusion that such individual should serve as a director in light of our business and structure.

Shelley G. Broader has served as a member of our Board since October 2020. Ms. Broader served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Chico’s FAS, Inc., a fashion retailer, from December 2015 to April 2019. Prior to this, Ms. Broader served at Walmart Inc., a multinational retail company, from 2009 to 2015 in various executive roles, including as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walmart Europe, Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa region from 2014 to 2015, President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart Canada Corp. from 2011 to 2014, Chief Merchandising Officer of Walmart Canada Corp. from 2010 to 2011 and Senior Vice President for Sam’s Club (a division of Walmart) from 2009 to 2010. Since September 2021, Ms. Broader has served on the board of directors of Dutch Bros Inc., a drive-through coffee chain, and is a director nominee for Chobani Inc., a food company specializing in dairy products, and will serve as a director upon the completion of that company’s initial public offering. Ms. Broader previously served on the board of directors of Chico’s FAS, Inc. from 2015 to April 2019 and Raymond James Financial, Inc. from 2008 to February 2020. Ms. Broader is a member of the board of directors of the Moffitt Cancer Center’s National Board of Advisors. Ms. Broader holds a B.A. from Washington State University. We believe Ms. Broader’s significant C-suite leadership experience at a multitude of leading multinational brands enable her to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Timothy P. Herbert, our founder, has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President and as a member of our Board since November 2007. Prior to joining us, Mr. Herbert spent 11 years at Medtronic plc, a medical equipment development company, where he held management positions in product development, clinical research, sales, marketing, and healthcare reimbursement. Mr. Herbert holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from North Dakota State University and an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas. We believe Mr. Herbert's experience in the industry, his role as our Chief Executive Officer and President and his knowledge of the Company enable him to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Shawn T McCormick has served as a member of our Board since January 2017. Mr. McCormick served as Chief Financial Officer of Aldevron, LLC, a technology company specializing in the manufacture of plasmid DNA, mRNA and proteins, from November 2020 to February 2021. Aldevron was acquired by Danaher Corporation in August 2021. Previously, Mr. McCormick served as Chief Financial Officer of Tornier N.V., a global orthopedic company, from 2012 until 2015 when Tornier merged with Wright Medical Group, Inc. Before Tornier, Mr. McCormick served as Chief Operating Officer of Lutonix, Inc., a medical device company, from 2011 to 2012, and as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of ev3 Inc., a global endovascular company, from 2009 to 2010, when ev3 was acquired by Covidien plc. From 1992 to 2009, Mr. McCormick held various positions at Medtronic plc, including as its Vice President, Corporate Development, where he was responsible for leading Medtronic's worldwide business development activities, and Vice President of Finance for the Spinal, Biologics and Navigation business. In addition to serving on our Board, Mr. McCormick has served on the board of directors of Nevro Corp. since 2014. Mr. McCormick also served on the board of directors of Entellus Medical, Inc. from 2014 to February 2018, and Surmodics, Inc. from 2015 to December 2020. Mr. McCormick holds a B.S. in Accounting from Arizona State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). We believe Mr. McCormick's financial expertise and extensive experience in the medical device industry enable him to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Gary L. Ellis has served as a member of our Board since July 2019. Mr. Ellis was formerly with Medtronic plc and its subsidiary, Medtronic, Inc., a global medical technology company, until his retirement in December 2016. While at Medtronic, he served in various executive capacities, including: Executive Vice President, Global Operations, Information Technology and Facilities & Real Estate of Medtronic plc from June 2016 to December 2016; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Medtronic, Inc. from 2014 to 2016; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Medtronic, Inc. from 2005 to 2014; and Vice President, Corporate Controller and Treasurer of Medtronic, Inc. from 1999 to 2005. Mr. Ellis currently serves on the board of directors of The Toro Company, a manufacturer of outdoor maintenance equipment, and previously served on the boards of directors of Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., a medical equipment manufacturing company from 2017 to December 2021, and Itamar Medical Ltd., a maker of home medical equipment for sleep apnea from 2007 to 2017. Mr. Ellis holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of South Dakota and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). We believe Mr. Ellis’ financial expertise and extensive experience in the medical device industry enable him to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Georgia Garinois-Melenikiotou has served as a member of our Board since July 2020. Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou was formerly Executive Vice President, Corporate Marketing at The Estée Lauder Companies (“ELC”), a global beauty products company, from 2015 through July 2020 and ELC’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing from 2010 through 2014. Prior to ELC, Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou had a 27-year career at Johnson & Johnson, a global manufacturer of medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and consumer packaged goods, including several senior leadership positions, most recently as President, Beauty Global Business Unit Strategy and New Growth from 2007 to 2010 and, prior to that, as President, Beauty Care, EAME from 2006 to 2007. Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou has served on the Board of Directors of Almirall, S.A., a Spanish pharmaceutical company, since 2015, Pulmonx Corporation, a medical technology company, since September 2020, and Natura & Co, a personal care cosmetics company, since May 2021. Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou holds a B.S. and an M.S. in engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and an M.B.A. from the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T. We believe Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou’s expertise in global consumer marketing, as well as broad corporate management experience through various senior level roles at multinational companies, enable her to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Dana G. Mead, Jr. has served as a member of our Board since July 2008. Mr. Mead served from May 2019 to February 2021 as the Chief Executive Officer and President of HeartFlow, Inc., a digital health company transforming how heart disease is diagnosed and treated. From 2016 to May 2019, Mr. Mead served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Beaver-Visitec International, Inc., a surgical device developer and manufacturer. From 2005 to 2016, Mr. Mead served as a Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a venture capital investment firm. In addition to serving on our Board of Directors, Mr. Mead has served on the board of directors of Intersect ENT, Inc., a medical technology company, since June 2015, Inari Medical Inc., a commercial-stage medical device company since October 2021, and Pulmonx Corporation, a medical technology company since November 2020. Mr. Mead holds a B.A. from Lafayette College and an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. We believe Mr. Mead’s extensive directorship experience and his broad experience in the healthcare industry enable him to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson has served as a member of our Board and as its Chair since November 2016. Ms. Nelson served as Co-Chair of the board of directors and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Carlson Holdings, Inc., an international holdings company, from 1999 until her retirement in June 2020. Ms. Nelson previously served as a member of the board of directors of Carlson, Inc., a hospitality and travel company, from 1989 to 2015, and as its Chief Executive Officer from 1998 to 2008. Ms. Nelson also served on the board of directors of ExxonMobil from 1991 to 2012. Ms. Nelson holds a B.A. in international economics from Smith College and honorary doctorates from Smith College, the University of Minnesota, Johnson & Wales University, Gustavus Adolphus College, and the College of St. Catherine. We believe Ms. Nelson’s extensive public and private board experience and her knowledge of the Company as one of our early investors enable her to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Jerry C. Griffin, M.D. has served as a member of our Board since January 2008. Since 2006, Dr. Griffin has served as President of Griffin & Schwartz, Scientific Services, Inc., a management consulting firm in the healthcare products industry. From 2000 to 2006, Dr. Griffin served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of POINT Biomedical Corp., a developer of pharmaceutical products for use with ultrasound imaging. Dr. Griffin has also been a professor or assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology at various teaching institutions. Dr. Griffin holds a B.S. from the University of Southern Mississippi and a M.D. from the University of Mississippi. We believe Dr. Griffin's public and private board experience and his extensive experience in the healthcare products industry enable him to make valuable contributions to our Board.

Casey M. Tansey has served as a member of our Board since January 2008. Since 2014, Mr. Tansey has served as a Managing Partner of U.S. Venture Partners (“USVP”), a venture capital investment firm, and, from 2005 to 2014, as a Managing Member of USVP. Mr. Tansey previously served on the board of directors of Intersect ENT, Inc. from 2006 to 2017 and Reshape Medical, Inc. from 2008 to 2017. Mr. Tansey holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from the College of Notre Dame. We believe Mr. Casey’s extensive experience in the medical device industry enables him to make valuable contributions to our Board.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR the election of Shelley G. Broader, Timothy P. Herbert, and Shawn T McCormick as Class I directors to hold office until the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2025 and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified.

The table below sets forth the aggregate fees billed to Inspire for services related to the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, by Ernst & Young LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm.

The formal written charter for our audit committee requires that the audit committee pre-approve all audit services to be provided to us, whether provided by our principal auditor or other firms, and all other services (review, attest, and non-audit) to be provided to us by our independent registered public accounting firm, other than de minimis non-audit services approved in accordance with applicable SEC rules.

The audit committee has adopted a pre-approval policy that sets forth the procedures and conditions pursuant to which audit and non-audit services proposed to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm may be pre-approved. This pre-approval policy generally provides that the audit committee will not engage an independent registered public accounting firm to render any audit, audit-related, tax or permissible non-audit service unless the service is either (i) explicitly approved by the audit committee or (ii) entered into pursuant to the pre-approval policies and procedures described in the pre-approval policy. Unless a type of service to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm has received this latter general pre-approval under the pre-approval policy, it requires specific pre-approval by the audit committee.

On an annual basis, the audit committee reviews and generally pre-approves the services (and related fee levels or budgeted amounts) that may be provided by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm without first obtaining specific pre-approval from the audit committee. The audit committee may revise the list of general pre-approved services from time to time, based on subsequent determinations. Any member of the audit committee to whom the committee delegates authority to make pre-approval decisions must report any such pre-approval decisions to the audit committee at its next scheduled meeting. If circumstances arise where it becomes necessary to engage the independent registered public accounting firm for additional services not contemplated in the original pre-approval categories or above the pre-approved amounts, the audit committee requires pre-approval for such additional services or such additional amounts.

The services provided to us by Ernst & Young LLP in fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021 were provided in accordance with our pre-approval policies and procedures, as applicable.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2022.

Richard J. Buchholz has served as our Chief Financial Officer since May 2014. Prior to joining us, Mr. Buchholz served as the Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and Treasurer at superDimension, Ltd., a medical device manufacturer (which was acquired by Covidien plc in 2012), from 2006 to 2013. Mr. Buchholz holds a B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

Randall A. Ban has served as our Chief Commercial Officer since July 2019. Prior to that, he served as our Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing from 2009 to December 2018 and, in December 2018, his title was changed to Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing. Before joining us, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Vertebral Technologies Inc., a medical device company, from 2008 to 2009. From 1994 to 2008, Mr. Ban worked in a variety of sales and marketing leadership positions while at Guidant Corporation (Guidant was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2006). He began his career at Eli Lilly and Company in 1990. Mr. Ban holds a B.S. in marketing and an M.B.A., both from Indiana University.

Philip J. Ebeling has served as our Chief Operating Officer since June 2020. Prior to joining Inspire, he worked for Abbott Laboratories as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer in the Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Division from January 2017 to March 2018. From January 2016 to January 2017, Mr. Ebeling was Chief Technology Officer of St. Jude Medical, Inc., a medical device company that was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in January 2017. Prior to that, Mr. Ebeling served in various other roles at St. Jude Medical, Inc., including Senior Vice President, Research and Development in the Cardiovascular and Electrophysiology Division from 2012 to January 2016 and Vice President of Research and Development for the Cardiovascular Division from 2008 to 2011. Before joining St. Jude Medical in 2008, Mr. Ebeling spent 12 years at Boston Scientific Corporation where he held numerous positions including Director of Program Management—Risk Management. Mr. Ebeling has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. He is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Steven L. Jandrich has served as our Vice President, Human Resources since September 2017, and as our Chief Compliance Officer from September 2017 to January 2021. Mr. Jandrich served as Vice President, Human Resources for Link Snacks, Inc., a multinational retail snack producer from 2015 to September 2017. From 2001 through April 2015, Mr. Jandrich held several leadership positions at St. Jude Medical which included Vice President Human Resources, leading the International Division's human resources and commercial operations functions through rapid development. Mr. Jandrich holds a B.B.A. and M.B.A., from the University of St. Thomas.

Bryan K. Phillips has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer since January 2021. From December 2019 to January 2021, Mr. Phillips served as Chief Legal Officer of Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. From 2005 to November 2019, Mr. Phillips held several positions of increasing responsibility at Surmodics, Inc., a medical technology company, most recently as its Senior Vice President, Legal and Human Resources, General Counsel, and Secretary. Previously, Mr. Phillips served as Patent Counsel at Guidant Corporation’s Cardiac Rhythm Management Group (now part of Boston Scientific) from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Phillips began his legal career at a Minneapolis-based intellectual property law firm. Mr. Phillips earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide our Board of Directors with flexibility to combine or separate the positions of Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in accordance with its determination that utilizing one or the other structure would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. If the Chair of the Board is a member of management or does not otherwise qualify as independent, our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide for the appointment of a lead independent director (the “Lead Director”) by the independent directors of the Board. The Lead Director’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to: presiding over all meetings of the Board at which the Chair of the Board is not present, including any executive sessions of the independent directors; approving Board meeting schedules and agendas; and acting as the liaison between the independent directors and the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that, at such times as the Chair of the Board qualifies as independent, the Chair of the Board will serve as Lead Director.

The positions of our Chair of the Board and our Chief Executive Officer and President are currently served by two separate persons. Ms. Nelson serves as Chair of the Board, and Mr. Herbert serves as our Chief Executive Officer and President. In her capacity as the independent Board Chair, Ms. Nelson performs the functions of the Lead Director.

The Board believes that our current leadership structure of Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board being held by two separate individuals is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and strikes the appropriate balance between the Chief Executive Officer and President’s responsibility for the strategic direction, day-to day-leadership, and performance of our Company and the Chair of the Board’s responsibility to guide the overall strategic direction of our Company, and provide oversight of our corporate governance and guidance to our Chief Executive Officer and President and to set the agenda for and preside over Board meetings. We recognize that different leadership structures may be appropriate for companies in different situations and believe that no one structure is suitable for all companies. Accordingly, the Board will continue to periodically review our leadership structure and make such changes in the future as it deems appropriate and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the NYSE rules, a director is not independent unless the Board affirmatively determines that he or she does not have a direct or indirect material relationship with us. In addition, the director must meet the bright-line tests for independence set forth by the NYSE rules.

Our Board has undertaken a review of its composition, the composition of its committees, and the independence of our directors and considered whether any director has a material relationship with us that could compromise his or her ability to exercise independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibilities. Based upon information requested from and provided by each director concerning his or her background, employment and affiliations, including family relationships, our Board of Directors has determined that none of Ms. Broader, Mr. Ellis, Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou, Dr. Griffin, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Mead, Ms. Nelson or Mr. Tansey, representing eight of our nine directors, has a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors qualifies as “independent” as that term is defined under the rules of the NYSE. In making these determinations, our Board of Directors considered the relationships that each non-employee director has with us and all other facts and circumstances our Board of Directors deemed relevant in determining their independence, including the director’s beneficial ownership of our common stock and the relationships of our non-employee directors with certain of our significant stockholders.

Our Board of Directors has three standing committees: an audit committee, an organization and compensation committee, and a nominating and corporate governance committee, each of which has the composition and the responsibilities described below. In addition, from time to time, special committees may be established under the direction of our Board when necessary to address specific issues. Each of the audit committee, the organization and compensation committee, and the nominating and corporate governance committee operates under a written charter.

Our audit committee oversees our corporate accounting and financial reporting process and assists our Board of Directors in its oversight of (i) the integrity of our financial statements, (ii) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (iii) our risk management program, (iv) the performance of our independent auditor, and (v) the design and implementation of our internal audit function and internal controls. Our audit committee is responsible for, among other things:

The audit committee may delegate its authority under its charter to one or more subcommittees as it deems appropriate from time to time. The audit committee has the authority to engage independent legal, accounting, and other advisors as it deems necessary or appropriate to assist in carrying out its responsibilities, and we must pay the compensation of such advisors.

Our audit committee currently consists of Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou, Mr. McCormick, and Mr. Mead, with Mr. McCormick serving as chair. All members of our audit committee meet the requirements for financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the NYSE. Our Board of Directors has affirmatively determined that each of Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou, Mr. McCormick, and Mr. Mead qualifies as “independent” under NYSE’s additional standards applicable to audit committee members and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). In addition, our Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou, Mr. McCormick, and Mr. Mead each qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K. The determination by our Board of Directors for Mr. McCormick was made based on experience and education which demonstrate his attributes as an audit committee financial expert, including the fact that he has been the chief financial officer of several medical technology companies and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive), holding a degree in accounting and a M.B.A. Both Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou and Mr. Mead also have education and experience supporting their determination by the Board of Directors as audit committee financial experts, including that both have M.B.A. degrees and financial oversight experience, with Ms. Garinois-Melenikiotou gaining this experience as a president at Johnson & Johnson and Mr. Mead gaining this experience as a chief executive officer of several medical technology companies.

Our organization and compensation committee oversees our human capital strategies and programs, and our compensation policies, plans, and benefits programs. The committee is responsible for, among other things:

The organization and compensation committee may delegate its authority under its charter to one or more subcommittees as it deems appropriate from time to time.

Our organization and compensation committee currently consists of Ms. Broader, Dr. Griffin, and Mr. Tansey, with Mr. Tansey serving as chair. Our Board of Directors has determined that each of Ms. Broader, Dr. Griffin, and Mr. Tansey qualify as “independent” under NYSE’s additional standards applicable to compensation committee members and as a “non-employee directors” as defined in Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act.

The organization and compensation committee has the authority to retain or obtain the advice of compensation consultants, legal counsel, and other advisors to assist in carrying out its responsibilities. Before selecting any such consultant, counsel or advisor, the organization and compensation committee reviews and considers the independence of such consultant, counsel, or advisor in accordance with applicable NYSE rules. We must provide appropriate funding for payment of reasonable compensation to any advisor retained by the organization and compensation committee.

The organization and compensation committee has the authority under its charter to retain outside consultants or advisors, as it deems necessary or advisable. In accordance with this authority, the organization and compensation committee has engaged the services of Aon, which is part of the Rewards Solutions practice at Aon plc, as its independent outside compensation consultant.

All executive compensation services provided by Aon during fiscal 2021 were conducted under the direction or authority of the organization and compensation committee, and all work performed by Aon was pre-approved by the organization and compensation committee. Aon’s services during fiscal 2021 included, among other things, reviewing the Company’s executive compensation policy, evaluating the Company’s peer group used to set executive compensation, providing benchmark data as well as broad market data regarding compensation for executives serving in similar capacities, and providing information on current trends and developments in executive and director compensation. Neither Aon nor any of its affiliates maintains any other direct or indirect business relationships with us or any of our subsidiaries. The organization and compensation committee evaluated whether any work provided by Aon raised any conflict of interest for services performed during fiscal 2021 and determined that it did not.

Additionally, during fiscal 2021, Aon did not provide any services to us unrelated to executive and director compensation.

Executive sessions, which are meetings of the non-management members of the Board, are regularly scheduled throughout the year. In addition, at least once a year, the independent directors meet in a private session that excludes management and any non-independent directors. The Chair of the Board presides at each of these meetings and, in her absence, the non-management and independent directors in attendance, as applicable, determine which member will preside at such session.

We do not have a formal policy regarding the attendance of our Board members at our annual meetings of stockholders, but we expect all directors to make every effort to attend any meeting of stockholders. All of our directors attended our annual meeting of stockholders held in fiscal 2021.

The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for recommending candidates to serve on the Board and its committees. In considering whether to recommend any particular candidate to serve on the Board or its committees or for inclusion in the Board’s slate of recommended director nominees for election at the annual meeting of stockholders, the nominating and corporate governance committee considers the criteria set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines. Specifically, the nominating and corporate governance committee considers candidates who have a high level of personal and professional integrity, strong ethics and values, and the ability to make mature business judgments. In addition to any factors they deem relevant, the nominating and corporate governance committee may consider: the candidate’s experience in corporate management, such as serving as an officer or former officer of a publicly held company; the candidate’s experience as a board member of another publicly held company; the candidate’s professional and academic experience relevant to the Company’s industry; the strength of the candidate’s leadership skills; the candidate’s experience in finance and accounting and/or executive compensation practices; whether the candidate has the time required for preparation, participation, and attendance at Board meetings and committee meetings, if applicable; and the candidate’s geographic background, gender, age, and ethnicity.

We consider diversity, such as, gender, race, and ethnicity, in identifying director nominees and view such diversity characteristics as meaningful factors to consider. Currently, three of our Board members, self-identify as women. Moreover, the nominating and corporate governance committee is committed to identifying qualified diverse candidates for our Board, including diversity of gender, race and ethnicity. In furtherance of this commitment, the nominating and corporate governance committee will seek to include women, and ethnically and racially diverse candidates in the initial list of candidates from which it will select prospective director candidates in each future director search, and will require that any search firm it may engage to assist with a director search do the same. The nominating and corporate governance committee has set as a goal the addition of a new director who is ethnically or racially diverse before our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.

The Board evaluates each individual in the context of the Board as a whole, with the objective of assembling a group that has the necessary tools to perform its oversight function effectively in light of the Company’s business and structure. In determining whether to recommend a director for re-election, the nominating and corporate governance committee may also consider potential conflicts of interest with the candidate’s other personal and profession pursuits.

In identifying prospective director candidates, the nominating and corporate governance committee may seek referrals from other members of the Board, management, stockholders, and other sources, including third party recommendations. The nominating and corporate governance committee also may, but need not, retain a third-party search firm in order to assist it in identifying candidates to serve as directors of the Company. The nominating and corporate governance committee uses the same criteria for evaluating candidates regardless of the source of the referral or recommendation. When considering director candidates, the nominating and corporate governance

committee seeks individuals with backgrounds and qualities that, when combined with those of our incumbent directors, provide a blend of skills and experience to further enhance the Board’s effectiveness. In connection with its annual recommendation of a slate of nominees, the nominating and corporate governance committee also may assess the contributions of those directors recommended for re-election in the context of the Board evaluation process and other perceived needs of the Board.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has recommended, and the Board of Directors selected, Shelley G. Broader, Timothy P. Herbert, and Shawn T McCormick as the Board's nominees for election as Class I directors at the Annual Meeting. Each of the director nominees to be elected at the Annual Meeting was evaluated in accordance with our standard review process for director candidates in connection with their initial appointment and their nomination for election or re-election, as applicable, at the Annual Meeting. Ms. Broader was identified with the assistance of Russell Reynolds.

When considering whether the directors and nominees have the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, taken as a whole, to enable the Board to satisfy its oversight responsibilities effectively in light of our business and structure, the Board focused primarily on the information discussed in each of the board member’s biographical information set forth above. We believe that our directors provide an appropriate mix of experience and skills relevant to the size and nature of our business. This process resulted in the Board’s nomination of the incumbent directors named in this Proxy Statement and proposed for election by you at the Annual Meeting.

The nominating and corporate governance committee will consider director candidates recommended by stockholders, and such candidates will be considered and evaluated under the same criteria described above. Any recommendation submitted to the Company should be in writing and should include any supporting material the stockholder considers appropriate in support of that recommendation, but must include information that would be required under the rules of the SEC to be included in a proxy statement soliciting proxies for the election of such candidate and a written consent of the candidate to serve as one of our directors if elected. Stockholders wishing to propose a candidate for consideration may do so by submitting the above information to the attention of the Secretary, Inspire Medical Systems, Inc., 5500 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 1600, Golden Valley, MN 55416. All recommendations for director nominations received by the Secretary will be presented to the nominating and corporate governance committee for its consideration. Stockholders intending to nominate a director candidate for consideration at a stockholder meeting also must satisfy the notification, timeliness, consent and information requirements set forth in our bylaws. These timing requirements are also described under the caption “Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations.”

The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for risk oversight, including, as part of regular Board and committee meetings, general oversight of executives’ management of risks relevant to the Company. A fundamental part of risk oversight is not only understanding the material risks a company faces and the steps management is taking to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate for the Company. The involvement of the Board of Directors in reviewing our business strategy is an integral aspect of the Board’s assessment of management’s tolerance for risk and its determination of what constitutes an appropriate level of risk for the Company. While the full Board has overall responsibility for risk oversight, it is supported in this function by its audit committee, organization and compensation committee, and nominating and corporate governance committee. Each of the committees regularly reports to the Board.

The audit committee assists the Board in fulfilling its risk oversight responsibilities by periodically reviewing our accounting, reporting and financial practices, including the integrity of our financial statements, the surveillance of administrative and financial controls, our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and our enterprise risk management program. Through its regular meetings with management, including the finance, legal, internal audit, tax, compliance, and information technology functions, the audit committee reviews and discusses significant areas of our business and summarizes for the Board areas of risk and the appropriate mitigating factors, including the Company's major financial risk exposures. The organization and compensation committee assists the Board by overseeing and evaluating risks related to the Company’s compensation structure and compensation programs, including the

formulation, administration and regulatory compliance with respect to compensation matters, and coordinating, along with the Board’s Chair, succession planning discussions. The nominating and corporate governance committee assists the Board by overseeing and evaluating programs and risks associated with Board organization, membership and structure, and corporate governance. The organization and compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee jointly oversee ESG-related risks. In addition, our Board receives periodic detailed operating performance reviews from management.

As a leading medical technology company, Inspire is committed to improving the economic, social, and environmental (“ESG”) impacts that our business has on the communities in which we operate, as well as our customers, business partners, suppliers, team members, and stockholders. We understand our responsibilities as a corporate citizen and are focused on developing ESG programs and initiatives that are sustainable and have real impact. In order to ensure adequate oversight and ultimate accountability by the Board relating to ESG issues, during fiscal 2021, the Board amended the charter of the nominating and corporate governance committee to expand its authority and responsibility for ESG matters. In particular, the nominating and corporate governance committee will, in coordination with other Board committees, as appropriate, periodically review and oversee the Company’s strategy, policies, and practices and related reporting with respect to significant environmental, social, and governance matters.

The following principles and philosophies are foundational to our approach to ESG matters and are integrated into our business operations.

Inspire is committed to conducting business in accordance with the highest ethical standards and applicable laws. We maintain, and all of our employees are expected to adhere to, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code of Conduct”), which serves as the foundation of Inspire’s core values that drive our Company’s culture. In addition, our employees regularly complete training and education on a range of important issues related to our Code of Conduct and their roles within the Company, such as:

At Inspire, our corporate culture defines who we are and how we act, and our diverse employee base who embody our culture is the driving force behind our success. We pride ourselves on our innovative and collaborative work environment, which we believe has driven our success and which we seek to uphold through a diverse workforce, generous compensation and benefits, open communication, a focus on employee health, wellbeing and engagement, and robust training and development programs.

We employ approximately 500 people worldwide. Over 90% of our employees work in the United States, a significant number of which are at our headquarters in Golden Valley, Minnesota. We also have a substantial sales organization working remotely across the country. Internationally, we also have employees based in Europe, including in Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland, and one employee supporting our international expansion efforts in Japan.

We strive to create a culture in which all employees feel heard, respected, and valued. All new employees participate in training focused on appropriate, respectful, and inclusive workplace behavior. In 2020, we created an engaging training initiative for all employees which encourages awareness of unconscious bias and microaggressions. Building on our 2020 program, during fiscal 2021, we implemented sessions specifically for Inspire leaders in their roles to create respectful culture within their teams. The goals of these programs are to encourage broad and diverse viewpoints to achieve the best outcomes for our patients, customers, and employees, and to build awareness of how our own behaviors impact our colleagues.

With our aggressive growth objectives, it is imperative that we continue to hire exceptional talent and invest in the growth and development of our existing employees. We seek to foster a culture where learning is continuous, and strive to promote from within. We believe in our people and their ability to accept new responsibilities and challenges, and to grow with us to contribute to our success. Growth is fostered through professional development and learning programs, as well as practical experience leading projects or teams. To support newly promoted leaders, we have implemented a leadership program specially designed to help them succeed in their expanded roles. Additionally, we provide leadership coaching opportunities through external partners. On an annual basis, our leadership team participates in a talent review and succession planning exercise to identify organizational needs, development opportunities, and potential future leaders. This enables us to identify the resources and skill sets needed to meet our growth objectives.

Our human capital strategies, initiatives, and outcomes are reviewed on a regular basis with our Board to assure alignment with the Company’s overall business strategies. We continue to evaluate all reward-related strategies to remain competitive. At the direction of the organization and compensation committee of our Board, we continue to partner with an independent consulting firm to assess the market competitiveness of our compensation programs and offerings. We believe strongly in providing employees the opportunity to participate as owners in the Company. All of our full-time employees are eligible to receive annual grants of stock awards, which may include stock options, restricted stock units, or performance share units, and can elect to participate in our employee stock purchase program. Additionally, beginning in fiscal 2022, we have incorporated a 401(k) employer match for all U.S.-based employees.

Inspire is committed to conducting its business in compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and to reducing its impact on the environment wherever possible. Our products are typically single-use sterile devices which limits our ability to completely reduce our environmental footprint. Despite this, in furtherance of our commitment to the environment, we consider the following principles, among other things, when operating our business:

We have not received any regulatory notices regarding material environmental issues in our history, nor are we aware of any regulatory notices or complaints raised regarding environmental matters against any of our suppliers in respect of the products we manufacture.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; PRODUCT SAFETY

The effectiveness of our quality management system is evaluated and improved through the establishment of the quality policy and quality objectives, internal and external audits, identifying corrective and preventive actions, and analysis of data, including data collected during the manufacturing process, quality inspection, and post-market product surveillance. These inputs into the quality management system are then evaluated by senior management at meetings held as needed, but at a minimum, at least semi-annually. The goal of these meetings is to ensure that quality objectives are being met, that product risk is acceptable, and that the quality management system is effective in controlling product quality, safety, and effectiveness. Additionally, these meetings evaluate the effectiveness of our quality management system to support regulatory requirements.

Product safety and quality are priorities at Inspire. We have established processes that aim to ensure our quality management system meets or exceeds international regulatory requirements and standards. A risk-based approach is applied to control the processes of our quality management system and is applied throughout the product life-cycle, from design through commercialization and distribution. Continuous monitoring of product performance and safety in the field is a fundamental part of product risk management and development to ensure safe and effective products. Additionally, our quality management system requirements include reporting and communication with regulators to monitor and ensure the safety and effectiveness of our products.

In September 2021, we issued the Inspire Patient Experience Report which summarizes, among other things, the post-market surveillance system that we utilize to collect and analyze experiences about our products, patient satisfaction data, quality of life and compliance data, and surgical revision and device explant data. A copy of the Inspire Patient Experience Report is available in the “For Health Care Professionals” section of our website at https://professionals.inspiresleep.com/. Information on or accessible through our website is not incorporated by reference in this Proxy Statement.

PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY

At Inspire, we recognize our data privacy responsibilities for managing employee data (including current, former, and prospective employees), customer data, as well as data collected when prospective patients and others visit our websites or call our advisor care program. We recognize the need to maintain the security and confidentiality of personally identifiable information, protected health information, and other protected data under the Privacy Act (together referred to as “sensitive data”) that we collect and use in connection with our business. Internally, Inspire protects data by:

Inspire has established an incident response process that ensures that, should a data breach occur, the Company will notify all affected parties and individuals whose sensitive data may have been compromised. The notice will be accompanied by a description of actions being taken to mitigate any damage as a result of the data breach. Notices will be provided as expeditiously as possible. On our website, we provide transparency on what data we collect and how that data is used.

COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENT LEADING DATA SECURITY SAFEGUARDS

Inspire has implemented cyber security measures intended to prevent, detect, and respond to malicious cyber activities that could adversely affect the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of Inspire’s, or our customers’ information or information systems. These measures include (a) security design and engineering for existing and emerging technologies, (b) awareness training, (c) identification of high value/risk information, (d) implementation of sophisticated monitoring capabilities, and (e) rapid incident response.

GOVERNANCE

Inspire is dedicated to corporate governance practices that are transparent, responsive to the interests of our stakeholders, and compliant with applicable laws and regulations. Inspire’s standards for corporate governance are established by law, regulation, and internal corporate documents and policies, including those discussed below.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, charters of the audit committee, organization and compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee and other corporate governance information are available under the Corporate Governance section of the Investors page of our website located at

www.inspiresleep.com

, or by writing to our Secretary at our offices at 5500 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 1600, Golden Valley, MN 55416.

We have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics (the “Code of Conduct”) that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions. A copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available under the Corporate Governance section of the Investors page of our website located at

www.inspiresleep.com

, or by writing to our Secretary at our offices at 5500 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 1600, Golden Valley, MN 55416. We intend to make any legally required disclosures regarding amendments to, or waivers of, provisions of our Code of Conduct on our website rather than by filing a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Our Board of Directors has adopted an Insider Trading Compliance Policy, which applies to all of our directors, officers, and employees. The policy prohibits our directors, officers, and employees from engaging in hedging or monetization transactions, such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts, short sales, and transactions in publicly traded options, such as puts, calls, and other derivatives involving our equity securities.

Any stockholder or any other interested party who desires to communicate with our Board of Directors, our

non-management directors or any specified individual director, may do so by directing such correspondence to the attention of the Secretary, Inspire Medical Systems, Inc., 5500 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 1600, Golden Valley, MN 55416. The Secretary will forward the communication to the appropriate director or directors as appropriate.

As shown in the graphic below, our Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) for 2021 was 22.4%, and our cumulative TSR since our May 2018 IPO through the end of fiscal 2021 was 821.7%, outperforming relevant indices.

 

Compensation Philosophy. Our compensation philosophy is performance-based and focuses on aligning the financial interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders. Generally, this is accomplished by placing a substantial portion of our executive officers’ total compensation “at risk.” We consider compensation to be “at-risk” if it is subject to achievement of meaningful pre-set, objective financial or operating goals, such as in our annual incentive program, or if it depends on stock price appreciation or value, as in our long-term incentive program.

Consistent with the market practice of similar, newly-public companies in our industry, and in order to focus executives on growth and increasing stockholder value at our early stage of development, our long-term incentive (“LTI”) program has historically consisted solely of stock options. In our view, stock options are simple and inherently performance-based, requiring stock price appreciation before there is any real value earned.

Performance Stock Units. In addition, as the Company has continued to evolve and mature following its IPO in 2018, the organization and compensation committee has correspondingly sought to evolve the executive compensation program as appropriate for a company of our stage of development and size. In particular, the organization and compensation committee is in the midst of a multi-year plan to transition the amounts and forms of compensation to those aligned with public companies, including our peer group, by having a more typical, regular program of equity grants.

In the first quarter of 2022, the organization and compensation committee, with the assistance of its independent compensation consultant, took the first step toward growing the performance nature of long-term incentive equity

grants by introducing grants of performance stock units, or PSUs. The performance-based metrics, in conjunction with the proportion of total compensation that was variable and at-risk, further enhanced the link between pay and performance for the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and executive officers, as well as strengthened the alignment of the interests of the executive officers with those of our stockholders.

As shown in the graphic below, in fiscal 2021, 88% of our CEO’s target total direct compensation was variable and at-risk compensation, and on average, 81% of the target total direct compensation of our other named executive officers was variable and at-risk.

 

The performance-based metrics and the proportion of total compensation that was variable and at-risk further enhanced the link between pay and performance for the CEO and executive officers and strengthened the alignment of the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders. See the following pages for more details on the elements of our compensation program.

At the outset of 2021, we established goals for the Revenue, Operating Loss, Global Insurance Reimbursement Approvals, and Regulatory and Product Development objectives metrics under our annual cash Management Incentive Program. These objectives were rigorous, aggressive, and challenging, attainable only with strong performance, and took into account the relevant opportunities and risks. The revenue target represented a 72% increase over the prior year’s actual results, reflecting our ambitious business and operational plans for the year. In order to earn any payout with respect to this most heavily weighted goal, a minimum of 80% of target performance had to be achieved. The organization and compensation committee also set similarly challenging targets and threshold levels for the other performance metrics, and evaluated performance achievement relative to the goals.

The Company is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative, minimally invasive solutions for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. We believe that for us to be successful, we must hire and retain highly-skilled and experienced people who can continue to develop and execute our strategy, innovate our products and services and lead our team.

Our compensation philosophy is performance-based and focuses on aligning the financial interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders. Generally, this is accomplished by placing a substantial portion of our executive officers’ total compensation “at risk,” while providing overall compensation opportunities that are comparable to market levels. With this in mind, our executive compensation programs are designed to:

The organization and compensation committee establishes our compensation philosophy and objectives, determines the structure, components, and other elements of executive compensation, and reviews and approves the compensation of the named executive officers or recommends it for approval by the Board. The organization and compensation committee structures the executive compensation program to accomplish its articulated objectives in light of the compensation philosophy described above.

The organization and compensation committee obtains input from executive officers regarding the annual operating plan, including the expected range of financial and operating results and the potential opportunities and risks that could impact those results. Based on this information, the organization and compensation committee establishes the performance-based metrics and targets used in connection with our performance-based annual cash incentives (as discussed below). For each metric, the organization and compensation committee sets appropriate threshold and maximum levels of performance designed to motivate achievement without incentivizing excessive risk-taking. The organization and compensation committee reviews the elements of our executive compensation program to verify the alignment of the program with our business strategy and with the items that we believe drive the creation of stockholder value, and to determine whether any changes would be appropriate.

After the end of the annual performance period, the organization and compensation committee evaluates achievement relative to the performance targets, and determines corresponding payouts earned. With the input of the CEO, the organization and compensation committee also establishes the compensation for all the other executive officers.

The organization and compensation committee works with our CEO to set the target total direct compensation of each of our named executive officers other than with respect to his own compensation. As part of this process, our CEO evaluates each other named executive officer, determines his recommendations about the target compensation of each such named executive officer, and delivers his evaluations and compensation recommendations to the organization and compensation committee. The committee gives significant weight to the recommendations of the CEO in light of his greater familiarity with the day-to-day performance of his direct reports and the importance of incentive compensation in driving the performance of the business. Nevertheless, the committee makes the ultimate determination regarding the compensation of the executive officers.

When the organization and compensation committee discusses and formulates the compensation recommendation for our CEO, he does not play any role with respect to any matter affecting his own compensation and is not present.

To design and develop the compensation program, the organization and compensation committee coordinates with the Vice President, Human Resources, and collaborates with the finance and legal teams as appropriate. This group supports the organization and compensation committee through the preparation of analyses of financial data, peer comparisons and other materials, and helps to implement the committee’s decisions.

The organization and compensation committee recognizes that there is value in procuring independent, objective expertise and counsel in connection with fulfilling its duties, and has the authority to retain an independent compensation consultant to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities and duties.

Since 2017, the organization and compensation committee has engaged Aon’s Human Capital Solutions practice, a division of Aon plc, as its independent compensation consultant for compensation decisions. Aon reported directly to the organization and compensation committee, and the organization and compensation committee has the sole authority to retain, terminate and obtain the advice of Aon at the Company’s expense.

The organization and compensation committee worked with Aon to develop a peer group, provide a competitive market analysis of the base salary, annual cash incentive awards, and long-term incentive compensation of our executive officers compared against the compensation peer group, report on share utilization, and review other market practices and trends.

Although the organization and compensation committee took into consideration the review and recommendations of Aon when making decisions about our executive compensation program, ultimately, the organization and compensation committee made its own independent decisions in determining our executives’ compensation.

The organization and compensation committee assessed the independence of Aon pursuant to SEC and NYSE rules. In doing so, the organization and compensation committee considered each of the factors set forth by the SEC and NYSE with respect to a compensation consultant’s independence. The organization and compensation committee also considered the nature and amount of work performed for the organization and compensation committee and the fees paid for those services in relation to the firm’s total revenues. On the basis of its consideration of the foregoing and other relevant factors, the organization and compensation committee concluded that Aon was independent and that there were no conflicts of interest.

The organization and compensation committee believes that obtaining relevant market and benchmark data is of paramount importance in the executive compensation determination. Such information provides helpful context and a solid reference point when making compensation decisions, though, unique aspects of the Company and our business may ultimately drive compensation decisions that differ from our peers. The organization and compensation committee takes into consideration the structure and components of, and the amounts paid under, the executive compensation programs of other comparable peer companies. This information is derived from public filings and other sources when making decisions about the structure and component mix of our executive compensation program.

The organization and compensation committee, with the assistance of Aon, developed a peer group using criteria designed to identify companies that reflect our size (measured by revenue, market capitalization, number of employees, and other size measures) and business profile (generally medical device companies). Based on these criteria, the organization and compensation committee approved the following peer group:

The following table summarizes our scale relative to our peer group. Financial data reflects fiscal year-end data available as of July 26, 2021.

Consistent with best practices for corporate governance, the organization and compensation committee reviews our peer group at least annually. In addition to the selected peer group, as discussed above, the organization and compensation committee references general and specific industry surveys from other sources.

With the assistance of Aon, the committee uses data from the peer group to establish a market reference for each executive position. For fiscal 2021, the organization and compensation committee determined that the appropriate market reference continues to be the market 50th percentile, and that an executive officer’s target and actual total direct compensation may be above or below this reference depending on individual factors and performance. We do not formally set total compensation, or any specific element of compensation, at a specific percentile of the peer groups for that position. Instead, the market data is used as a reference point to provide information on the range of competitive pay levels and current compensation practices in our industry.

In May 2018, we completed our initial public offering. As the Company has continued to evolve and mature following its IPO, the organization and compensation committee has correspondingly sought to evolve the executive compensation program as appropriate for a company of Inspire Medical’s stage of development and size. In particular, the organization and compensation committee is in the midst of a multi-year plan to transition the amounts and forms of compensation from those more typical of a private company to those aligned with public companies, including the Company’s peer group.

In the first quarter of 2022, the organization and compensation committee, with the assistance of its independent compensation consultant, took the first step toward growing the performance nature of long-term incentive equity grants by introducing grants of performance stock units, or PSUs. The performance-based metrics, in conjunction with the proportion of total compensation that was variable and at-risk, further enhanced the link between pay and performance for the CEO and executive officers, as well as strengthened the alignment of the interests of the executive officers with those of our stockholders.

At last year’s annual meeting, over 90% of the votes cast on the 2021 “say-on-pay vote” were voted in favor of the proposal. We have considered the 2021 say-on-pay vote and we believe that the overwhelming support of our stockholders for the 2021 say-on-pay vote indicates that our stockholders are generally supportive of our approach to executive compensation.

We are committed to ongoing engagement with our investors on all appropriate matters, including executive compensation and governance. Following the advisory votes at the Annual Meeting, the organization and compensation committee has considered stockholder input in evaluating the design of our executive compensation and the compensation decisions for each of the named executive officers.

III. Elements of our Executive Compensation Program

In order to achieve our objectives, the organization and compensation committee utilizes the components of compensation set forth below. The organization and compensation committee regularly reviews all components of the program in order to verify that each component is aligned with our strategy and ensure that each executive officer’s total compensation is consistent with our compensation philosophy.

The primary elements of our named executive officers’ compensation and the main objectives of each are:

In addition, our named executive officers are eligible to participate in our health and welfare programs and our 401(k) plan on the same basis as our other employees. Each of these elements of compensation for fiscal 2021 is described further below.

The base salaries of our named executive officers are an important part of their total compensation package. Base salary is a visible and stable fixed component of our compensation program. In determining base salary levels, the organization and compensation committee considers individual contributions to business outcomes, the scope and complexity of each role, future potential, market data, and internal pay equity. Mr. Herbert’s increase was intended bring his salary closer to the market median for CEOs in our peer group. The following table sets forth the base salaries of our named executive officers for fiscal 2021:

All of our employees, including our named executive officers, are eligible to receive performance-based cash incentive compensation. We believe that performance-based cash incentives motivate our employees, including our named executive officers, to achieve both short and long-term goals. This approach is critical to the execution of our overall business strategy which, if achieved, has the potential to significantly enhance stockholder value.

In fiscal 2021, with the exception of Mr. Ban, the performance-based cash incentive opportunity available to each of our named executive officers was provided pursuant to the terms of our Management Incentive Program (“MIP”). Given the specific nature of his role as our Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ban’s performance-based cash incentive opportunity was commission-based and tied to certain sales-related performance metrics.

Target Opportunities. Consistent with our compensation philosophy and objectives, the organization and compensation committee generally sets the target incentive opportunity under the MIP within the median range of annual cash incentive target pay for comparable executives at our peer group. For fiscal 2021, based on a review of the market data and the individual role and duties for each executive, the organization and compensation opportunity increased the target incentive opportunity for Mr. Herbert from 80% to 90%. The following table summarizes the target incentive opportunity for each of our named executive officers under the MIP:

Performance Measures. Under the MIP, the amount of the payout, if any, is based upon the achievement of financial metrics (weighted 70%) and strategic metrics (weighted 30%). Specifically, the following performance metrics were used to determine payouts under the fiscal 2021 MIP:

Payout Opportunities. Pursuant to the MIP, each participant’s target incentive opportunity is payable upon the 100% achievement of each of the applicable performance measures. At the beginning of the fiscal year, the organization and compensation committee approved the target performance goal and performance range for each performance metric. The targets for each performance metric are based on the Board-approved annual operating plan. The performance range for each metric defines threshold and above-target levels of performance. The threshold payout for the revenue and reimbursement approval metrics is 80% of the target incentive opportunity.

There is no payout opportunity below the target for the adjusted operating income (loss) metric. The payout opportunity associated with the regulatory and product development metrics, and quality and operations metrics could range between 0% (if none of the metrics were achieved) and 100% (if all of the metrics were achieved) of the target opportunity for those metrics. The maximum payout for the operating income (loss) metric and reimbursement approval metric is 120% of the target incentive opportunity for those metrics. The maximum payout for the regulatory and product development metrics, and quality and operations metrics is 100% of the target incentive opportunity for each of those metrics. There is no maximum payout percentage established for revenue performance that exceeds target. For performance levels between the specified threshold, target and above-target levels (where applicable, and for revenue that exceeds the above-target level), the resulting payout percentage is determined on a linear interpolation basis, and in the case of regulatory and product development metrics, and quality and operations metrics, based upon the percentage of the total number of those metrics actually achieved. The table below sets forth the weight, threshold, target, above-target, and actual performance for each performance metric:

Payout Determination. At its January 2022 meeting, the organization and compensation committee reviewed and confirmed the Company's performance for each of the performance metrics. The committee then determined the achievement percentage associated with each metric by interpolating actual performance within the applicable performance range. Following this approach, as shown in the table above, the committee determined that the overall achievement percentage for the MIP was 117.0%. The actual incentive payouts for each executive were determined by multiplying the executive’s eligible earnings by his target incentive opportunity, and then by the overall achievement percentage. The following table summarizes the compensation earned by our named executive officers under the MIP:

Mr. Ban is eligible to receive commissions based on the achievement of certain sales-related performance metrics, which are determined and paid on a quarterly basis. The organization and compensation committee established the target incentive opportunity for Mr. Ban in reference to the median range for annual cash incentive target pay for comparable executives at our peer group. Following this approach, the committee established Mr. Ban’s target cash incentive opportunity for fiscal 2021 at $149,000.

Under this program, during fiscal 2021, Mr. Ban was eligible to earn performance-based cash incentive compensation based on the following: (i) quarterly global sales, (ii) quarterly global sales plan achievement, (iii) quarterly U.S. patient procedure readiness metrics, and (iv) quarterly U.S. implant productivity metrics. The committee selected these metrics based on its judgment that they represent meaningful categories of sales performance based on our 2021 annual operating plan. The table below sets out the quarterly and annual target opportunities for Mr. Ban for fiscal 2021:

Based on the achievement of the applicable quarterly performance metrics, and consistent with the doubling of revenues in fiscal 2021 over fiscal 2020 and the large increase in sales territories, Mr. Ban earned commission-based cash incentives totaling an aggregate $270,470, which represents 181% of his annual target commission amount. In fiscal 2021, Mr. Ban received quarterly incentive payments of $38,290, $76,640, $77,370, and $78,170.

The actual cash incentives earned by each named executive officer for fiscal 2021 are set forth below in the Summary Compensation Table under the column entitled “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation.”

As described above, the third and largest primary component of our executive compensation program is long-term equity incentives. The organization and compensation committee designed this long-term incentive opportunity to motivate executive officers to achieve multi-year strategic goals and to deliver sustained, long-term value to stockholders. Our long-term incentives create a strong link between payouts and performance and align our executive officers’ interests with the interests of our stockholders. Long-term equity incentives promote retention, as executive officers will only receive value if they remain employed by us over the required term, and they foster an ownership culture among our executive officers by making executive officers stockholders with a personal stake in the value they intend to create.

The organization and compensation committee intends to make grants of long-term incentive awards annually. Special, one-time awards are used in limited circumstances, including, as may be necessary to attract, retain and motivate experienced and well-qualified executive officers, as recognition of an increase in the scope of an executive’s responsibilities or major accomplishments. In January 2021, the committee approved special equity awards to Mr. Phillips in connection with his hiring as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer, including (1) a stock option to purchase 15,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, and (2) an award of 2,275 restricted stock units.

Equity Vehicle. Historically, and consistent with the market practice of similar, newly-public companies in our industry, our long-term incentive compensation has consisted solely of stock options.

Beginning with fiscal 2022, the organization and compensation committee approved a change in the mix of long-term incentive compensation to be granted to executives. In particular, the committee determined that long-term incentive compensation would be granted as a mix of stock options and revenue-based PSUs (each constituting 50% of the target LTI value, respectively). The committee determined that this mix was appropriate given the current stage of our business taking into consideration the relative growth of the Company as we continue to execute our business strategy. The organization and compensation committee believes that the addition of PSUs encourages focus on long-term stockholder value creation through growth and increase in stock price over time, aligns compensation with key indicators of the success of our strategy, and promotes retention through long-term performance achievement and vesting requirements.

Our PSUs have a three-year performance period and will be settled in stock. The actual number of PSUs that will vest will be based on the Company’s cumulative revenue during the three-year performance period. The organization and compensation committee selected this metric because it focuses on revenue growth, which is a critical driver of our success. The addition of the PSUs also reinforces the pay-for-performance nature of the long-term incentive grants and the executive compensation program overall. The organization and compensation committee also believes it is important to continue to utilize stock options because it believes that stock options are very effective tools for motivating executives to increase long-term value and align our executives' interests with those of our stockholders.

In future years, the committee will continue to evaluate and select the form and mix of long-term incentive compensation (which may include stock options, restricted shares, restricted share units, performance share units, or other long-term incentives) provided to our executive officers that it believes best accomplishes the goals discussed above.

New Grant Timing Practice for 2022. During fiscal 2021, the organization and compensation committee approved a shift in the timing of our annual equity grants to the first quarter of a new fiscal year, instead of our previous practice of granting equity to executive officers in December, which is the last month of our fiscal year. This grant timing allows for consideration of full-year financial results for the most recently completed fiscal year prior to making the grants. Due to this grant timing shift, the equity grant that would have traditionally been made in December 2021 (during fiscal 2021) was instead made in February 2022 (during fiscal 2022). As a result, the executive officers’ compensation as reported in the “Summary Compensation Table” for fiscal 2021 is significantly lower than prior years because it does not include any annual equity grants.

Target Opportunities. The organization and compensation committee established target long-term incentive opportunities for each of the named executive officers in December 2021. As noted above, the committee shifted the timing of our annual equity grants to the February 2022. The grant date value of the long-term incentive compensation granted to our executive officers in February 2022 is as follows:

The organization and compensation committee intends to make grants of long-term incentive awards annually. Special, one-time awards are used in limited circumstances, including, as may be necessary to attract, retain, and motivate experienced and well-qualified executive officers, as recognition of an increase in the scope of an executive’s responsibilities or major accomplishments.

We currently maintain a 401(k) retirement savings plan for our employees, including our named executive officers, who satisfy certain eligibility requirements. Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in the 401(k) plan on the same terms as other full-time employees. The Internal Revenue Code allows eligible employees to defer a portion of their compensation, within prescribed limits, on a pre-tax basis through contributions to the 401(k) plan. We believe that providing a vehicle for tax-deferred retirement savings through our 401(k) plan adds to the overall desirability of our executive compensation package and further incentivizes our employees, including our named executive officers, in accordance with our compensation policies.

All of our full-time employees, including our named executive officers, are eligible to participate in our health and welfare plans, including (a) medical, dental, and vision benefits; (b) medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts; (c) long-term disability insurance; and (d) life insurance.

We believe the general benefits described above are necessary to provide a competitive compensation package to our named executive officers. We do not currently provide perquisites or other special benefit arrangements to our named executive officers. In the future we may provide perquisites or other personal benefits in limited circumstances where our organization and compensation committee deems appropriate to assist an individual executive officer in the performance of his duties or for motivation or retention purposes, though we do not expect these perquisites to be a significant component of our compensation program.

Pursuant to their respective employment agreements and/or option agreements, each of our named executive officers is entitled to certain payments and benefits in certain termination situations or upon a change in control. See “— Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-In-Control” for information regarding benefits under Company Executive Severance.

Section 162(m) of the Code, as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, generally prohibits executive compensation in excess of $1 million per year to be deducted by us as a compensation expense. The organization and compensation committee has approved, and may continue to approve, compensation exceeding the $1 million limitation, including with respect to a portion of base salary, annual bonus, and long-term incentives. While compensation tax deductions are relevant issues to consider, the organization and compensation committee believes that stockholder interests are best served by not restricting flexibility in designing compensation programs, even though such programs may result in nondeductible compensation expenses for tax purposes.

Accounting Standards. Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (“ASC 718”) requires us to calculate the grant date “fair value” of our stock-based awards using a variety of assumptions. ASC 718 also requires us to recognize an expense for the fair value of equity-based compensation awards. Grants of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs and PSUs under our equity incentive award plans will accounted for under ASC 718. The organization and compensation committee will regularly consider the accounting implications of significant compensation decisions, especially in connection with decisions that relate to our equity incentive award plans and programs. As accounting standards change, we may revise certain programs to appropriately align the accounting expense of our equity awards with our overall executive compensation philosophy and objectives.

Our Board of Directors has adopted an Insider Trading Compliance Policy, which applies to all of our directors, officers, and employees. The policy prohibits our directors, officers, and employees from engaging in hedging or monetization transactions, such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts; short sales; and transactions in publicly traded options, such as puts, calls and other derivatives involving our equity securities.

Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act directs the SEC to issue rules to require national securities exchanges and national securities associations to list only those companies that implement a policy requiring the mandatory recoupment of incentive compensation paid to current and former executive officers for the three-year period preceding a restatement of a listed company’s financial statements that would not have been paid under the restated financial statements. The SEC has not yet adopted final rules implementing these

requirements. The Company will adopt a clawback policy that complies with the final rules as adopted by the SEC and the NYSE. In the event the Company restates its financial statements, the Board or Committee would evaluate whether compensation adjustments are appropriate based upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the restatement.

The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation of our named executive officers for the fiscal years presented.

The following table provides supplemental information relating to grants of plan-based awards made during fiscal 2021 to help explain information provided above in our Summary Compensation Table. This table presents information regarding all grants of plan-based awards which the Company granted to the named executive officers during fiscal 2021.

Each of our named executive officers’ employment is “at will” and may be terminated at any time, subject to certain notice requirements, described below. We have entered into new employment agreements with each of our named executive officers. The written descriptions and material terms of such new employment agreements are discussed below.

We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Herbert, dated November 16, 2007, as was subsequently amended and restated effective as of April 9, 2018 (the “Herbert Employment Agreement”). The Herbert Employment Agreement provides for an indefinite term and is terminable at will by us or Mr. Herbert, provided that one month’s advance notice must be provided by the terminating party in the event of a termination of employment without “Cause” by us or a resignation without “Good Reason” by Mr. Herbert.

The Herbert Employment Agreement provides for Mr. Herbert’s eligibility to receive discretionary annual bonuses (expressed as a target percentage of base salary) based upon achievement of annual performance targets, and/or long term incentive compensation. Pursuant to the Herbert Employment Agreement, upon termination of employment by us without Cause or by Mr. Herbert for Good Reason, Mr. Herbert will receive the sum of his (x) then current annual base salary and (y) a pro rata portion of his target annual bonus, with such amount payable in installments over the 12-month period following such termination, as well as subsidized COBRA premiums for 12 months following his termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event such a termination of employment occurs on or within the 12-month period following a Change of Control, Mr. Herbert will be entitled to receive: (A) the sum of (x) 18 months of his then current base salary and (y) target annual bonus, payable in substantially equal installments for 18 months following his termination of employment, (B) subsidized COBRA premiums for 18 months following his termination of employment and (C) acceleration in full of the vesting of his outstanding equity awards. Mr. Herbert will be required to execute a release of claims in favor of us in order to receive his severance benefits.

The Herbert Employment Agreement also provides for a Code Section 280G “cutback” such that payments or benefits that he receives in connection with a Change of Control will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of any excise tax under Code Sections 280G and 4999 if such reduction would result in a greater after-tax payment amount to Mr. Herbert.

“Change of Control” is defined in the Herbert Employment Agreement as the occurrence of one of the following: (i) a sale by our stockholders of a substantial portion of their stock in us, or a merger, reorganization or consolidation, whereby our equity holders existing immediately prior to such sale, merger, reorganization or consolidation do not, immediately after consummation of such sale, reorganization, merger or consolidation, own more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the surviving entity’s then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors but only if such event results in a change in board of directors composition such that the directors immediately preceding such events do not comprise a majority of the board of directors following such event, or (ii) the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets to an entity in which we, any of our subsidiaries, or our equity holders existing immediately prior to such sale beneficially own less than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of such acquiring entity’s then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors but only if such event results in a change in board of directors composition such that the directors immediately preceding such events do not comprise a majority of the board of directors following such event.

“Cause” is defined in the Herbert Employment Agreement as (i) Mr. Herbert’s material breach of his obligations under the Herbert Employment Agreement, or his repeated failure or refusal to perform or observe his duties, responsibilities

and obligations as an executive, for reasons other than disability, if such breach, failure or refusal continues or it or another breach, failure or refusal is repeated following written notice thereof to him; (ii) any material dishonesty or other breach of the duty of loyalty affecting us or any of our customers, vendors or employees; (iii) use of alcohol or other drugs in a manner which materially affects the performance of Mr. Herbert’s duties, responsibilities and obligations as an employee, if such use continues or is repeated following written notice thereof to him; (iv) conviction of, or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a charge of commission of a felony or of any crime involving misrepresentation, moral turpitude or fraud; (v) commission by Mr. Herbert of any other willful or intentional act which materially injures our reputation, business or business relationships if such act occurs or continues following written notice to him of the same or of a prior willful or intentional act injuring our reputation, business or business relationships; or (vi) the existence of any court order or settlement agreement prohibiting Mr. Herbert’s continued employment with us.

“Good Reason” is defined in the Herbert Employment Agreement as (i) a material reduction, without Mr. Herbert’s consent, in Mr. Herbert’s duties or responsibilities, (provided no such reduction shall be deemed to have occurred solely by reason of our having hired a new Chief Executive or President as long as Mr. Herbert continues to have responsibilities that are consistent with executive status); (ii) a material reduction of Mr. Herbert’s base salary, unless such reduction is part of an overall reduction in salary for executive employees and Mr. Herbert’s reduction is proportionate to the overall reduction in salary; (iii) us moving Mr. Herbert’s place of employment, without his consent, more than 50 miles from the place of his employment prior to such move, although business travel shall not be deemed to be a move of his place of employment; or (iv) our material breach of the Herbert Employment Agreement, provided Mr. Herbert has provided us detailed written notice of such alleged breach and we have not, within thirty (30) days of receipt of such notice, cured such alleged breach.

The Herbert Employment Agreement contains non-competition and employee non-solicitation covenants that apply through one year following termination of employment.

We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Buchholz, dated June 1, 2014, as was subsequently amended and restated effective as of April 9, 2018 (the “Buchholz Employment Agreement”). The Buchholz Employment Agreement provides for an indefinite term and is terminable at will by us or Mr. Buchholz, provided that one month’s advance notice must be provided by us in the event of a termination of employment without “Cause” and two weeks’ advance notice must be provided by Mr. Buchholz in the event of a resignation for any reason.

The Buchholz Employment Agreement provides for Mr. Buchholz’s eligibility to receive discretionary annual bonuses (expressed as a target percentage of base salary) based upon achievement of annual performance targets, and/or long term incentive compensation. Pursuant to the Buchholz Employment Agreement, upon termination of employment by us without Cause, Mr. Buchholz will receive the sum of (x) nine months of his then current annual base salary and (y) a pro rata portion of his target annual bonus, with such amount payable in installments over the nine-month period following such termination, as well as subsidized COBRA premiums for nine months following his termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event such a termination of employment occurs on or within the twelve-month period following a Change of Control, Mr. Buchholz will be entitled to receive: (A) the sum of (x) 12 months of his then current base salary and (y) target annual bonus, payable in substantially equal installments for 12 months following his termination of employment, (B) subsidized COBRA premiums for 12 months following his termination of employment and (C) acceleration in full of the vesting of his outstanding equity awards. Mr. Buchholz will be required to execute a release of claims in favor of us in order to receive his severance benefits.

The Buchholz Employment Agreement also provides for a Code Section 280G “cutback” such that payments or benefits that he receives in connection with a Change of Control will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of any excise tax under Code Sections 280G and 4999 if such reduction would result in a greater after-tax payment amount to Mr. Buchholz.

For purposes of the Buchholz Employment Agreement, “Change of Control” has the same meaning as used in the Herbert Employment Agreement.

“Cause” is defined in the Buchholz Employment Agreement as (i) Mr. Buchholz’s breach of his obligations under the Buchholz Employment Agreement, or his repeated failure or refusal to perform or observe his duties, responsibilities and obligations as an executive, for reasons other than disability; (ii) any material dishonesty or other breach of the duty of loyalty affecting us or any of our customers, vendors or employees; (iii) use of alcohol or other drugs in a manner which affects the performance of Mr. Buchholz’s duties, responsibilities and obligations as an employee; (iv) conviction of, or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a charge of commission of a felony or of any crime involving misrepresentation, moral turpitude or fraud; (v) commission by Mr. Buchholz of any other willful or intentional act which injures our reputation, business or business relationships; or (vi) the existence of any court order or settlement agreement prohibiting Mr. Buchholz’s continued employment with us.

The Buchholz Employment Agreement contains non-competition and employee non-solicitation covenants that apply through one year following termination of employment.

We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Ban, dated July 20, 2009, as was subsequently amended and restated effective as of April 9, 2018 (the “Ban Employment Agreement”). The Ban Employment Agreement provides for an indefinite term and is terminable at will by us or Mr. Ban, provided that one month’s advance notice must be provided by us in the event of a termination of employment without “Cause” and two weeks’ advance notice must be provided by Mr. Ban in the event of a resignation for any reason.

The Ban Employment Agreement provides for Mr. Ban’s eligibility to receive discretionary annual bonuses and/or long term incentive compensation, as well as Mr. Ban’s current participation in a commission program in lieu of the foregoing. The Ban Employment Agreement provides that Mr. Ban will be eligible for an annual target commission amount as determined at the beginning of each calendar year. Pursuant to the Ban Employment Agreement, upon termination of employment by us without Cause, Mr. Ban will receive the sum of (x) nine months of his then current annual base salary and (y) a pro rata portion of his target annual commission, with such amount payable in installments over the 9-month period following such termination, as well as subsidized COBRA premiums for nine months following his termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event such a termination of employment occurs on or within the twelve-month period following a Change of Control, Mr. Ban will be entitled to receive: the sum of (A) 12 months of his then current base salary and (B) target annual commission, payable in substantially equal installments for 12 months following his termination of employment, (C) subsidized COBRA premiums for 12 months following his termination of employment and (D) acceleration in full of the vesting of his outstanding equity awards. Mr. Ban will be required to execute a release of claims in favor of us in order to receive his severance benefits.

The Ban Employment Agreement also provides for a Code Section 280G “cutback” such that payments or benefits that he receives in connection with a Change of Control will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of any excise tax under Code Sections 280G and 4999 if such reduction would result in a greater after-tax payment amount to Mr. Ban.

For purposes of the Ban Employment Agreement, “Change of Control” has the same meaning as used in the Herbert Employment Agreement and “Cause” is defined as in the Buchholz Employment Agreement.

The Ban Employment Agreement contains non-competition and employee non-solicitation covenants that apply through one year following termination of employment.

On July 1, 2019, Mr. Ban was promoted to the role of Chief Commercial Officer.

We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Ebeling, dated June 1, 2020 (the “Ebeling Employment Agreement”). The Ebeling Employment Agreement provides for an indefinite term and is terminable at will by us or Mr. Ebeling, provided that one month’s advance notice must be provided by us in the event of a termination of employment without “Cause” and two weeks’ advance notice must be provided by Mr. Ebeling in the event of a resignation for any reason.

The Ebeling Employment Agreement provides for Mr. Ebeling’s eligibility to receive discretionary annual bonuses (expressed as a target percentage of base salary) based upon achievement of annual performance targets, and/or long term incentive compensation. Pursuant to the Ebeling Employment Agreement, upon termination of employment by us without Cause, Mr. Ebeling will receive the sum of (x) nine months of his then current annual base salary and (y) a pro rata portion of his target annual bonus, as well as subsidized COBRA premiums for nine months following his termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event such a termination of employment occurs on or within the twelve-month period following a Change of Control, Mr. Ebeling will be entitled to receive: the sum of (A) 12 months of his then current base salary and (B) target annual bonus, payable in substantially equal installments for 12 months following his termination of employment, (C) subsidized COBRA premiums for 12 months following his termination of employment and (D) acceleration in full of the vesting of his outstanding equity awards. Mr. Ebeling will be required to execute a release of claims in favor of us in order to receive his severance benefits.

The Ebeling Employment Agreement also provides for a Code Section 280G “cutback” such that payments or benefits that he receives in connection with a Change of Control will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of any excise tax under Code Sections 280G and 4999 if such reduction would result in a greater after-tax payment amount to Mr. Ebeling.

For purposes of the Ebeling Employment Agreement, “Change of Control” has the same meaning as used in the Herbert Employment Agreement.

“Cause” is defined in the Ebeling Employment Agreement as in the Buchholz Employment Agreement, except as follows: (v) commission by Mr. Ebeling of any other willful or intentional act which materially injures our reputation, business or business relationships if such act occurs or continues following written notice to him of the same or of a prior willful or intentional act injuring our reputation, business or business relationships.

“Good Reason” is defined in the Ebeling Employment Agreement as (i) a material reduction, without Mr. Ebeling’s consent, in Mr. Ebeling’s duties or responsibilities provided no such reduction shall be deemed to have occurred solely by reason of the Company’s having hired a new Chief Operating Officer as long as Mr. Ebeling continues to have responsibilities that are consistent with his status and further provided that no such reduction shall be deemed to have occurred solely due to the change in the Company’s status from that of an independent company to that of a subsidiary or division of a buyer of the Company following a Change of Control; (ii) a material reduction, without Mr. Ebeling’s consent, of the Base Salary, unless such reduction is part of an overall reduction in salary for executive employees and Mr. Ebeling’s reduction is proportionate to the overall reduction in salary; (iii) the Company’s moving Mr. Ebeling’s place of employment, without Mr. Ebeling’s consent, more than fifty (50) miles from the place of Mr. Ebeling’s employment prior to such move, although business travel shall not be deemed to be a move of Executive’s place of employment; or (iv) the Company’s material breach of the Ebeling Employment Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Mr. Ebeling may only terminate his employment for Good Reason within two (2) years following the occurrence of one or more of the foregoing conditions, subject to Mr. Ebeling first providing thirty (30) days written notice of Mr. Ebeling’s claimed Good Reason to the Company within ninety (90) days after the initial existence of such condition and the Company failing to cure the basis for such claimed Good Reason within thirty (30) days following such notice.

The Ebeling Employment Agreement contains non-competition and employee non-solicitation covenants that apply through one year following termination of employment.

We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Phillips, dated October 14, 2020 (the “Phillips Employment Agreement”), providing for his position as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer. The Phillips Employment Agreement provides for an indefinite term and is terminable at will by us or Mr. Phillips, provided that one month’s advance notice must be provided by us in the event of a termination of employment without “Cause” and two weeks’ advance notice must be provided by Mr. Phillips in the event of a resignation for any reason.

The Phillips Employment Agreement provides for Mr. Phillips’ eligibility to receive discretionary annual bonuses (expressed as a target percentage of base salary) based upon achievement of annual performance targets, and/or long term incentive compensation. Pursuant to the Phillips Employment Agreement, upon termination of employment by us without Cause, Mr. Phillips will receive the sum of (x) nine months of his then current annual base salary and (y) a pro rata portion of his target annual bonus, as well as subsidized COBRA premiums for nine months following his termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event such a termination of employment occurs within the twelve-month period following a Change of Control, Mr. Phillips will be entitled to receive the sum of (A) 12 months of his then current base salary and (B) target annual bonus, payable in substantially equal installments for 12 months following his termination of employment; (C) subsidized COBRA premiums for 12 months following his termination of employment; and (D) acceleration in full of the vesting of his outstanding equity awards. Mr. Phillips will be required to execute a release of claims in favor of us in order to receive his severance benefits.

The Phillips Employment Agreement also provides for a Code Section 280G “cutback” such that payments or benefits that he receives in connection with a Change of Control will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of any excise tax under Code Sections 280G and 4999 if such reduction would result in a greater after-tax payment amount to Mr. Phillips.

For purposes of the Phillips Employment Agreement, “Change of Control” has the same meaning as used in the Herbert Employment Agreement.

“Cause” is defined in the Phillips Employment Agreement as in the Buchholz Employment Agreement, except as follows: (i) Mr. Phillips’ material breach of his obligations under the Phillips Employment Agreement, or his repeated failure or refusal to perform or observe his duties, responsibilities and obligations as an executive, for reasons other than disability.

“Good Reason” is defined in the Phillips Employment Agreement as (i) a material reduction, without Mr. Phillips’ consent, in Mr. Phillips’ duties or responsibilities; (ii) a material reduction, without Mr. Phillips’ consent, of the Base Salary, unless such reduction is part of an overall reduction in salary for executive employees and Mr. Phillips’ reduction is proportionate to the overall reduction in salary; (iii) the Company’s moving Mr. Phillips’ place of employment, without Mr. Phillips’ consent, more than fifty (50) miles from the place of Mr. Phillips’ employment prior to such move, although business travel shall not be deemed to be a move of Executive’s place of employment; or (iv) the Company’s material breach of the Phillips Employment Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Mr. Phillips may only terminate his employment for Good Reason within two (2) years following the occurrence of one or more of the foregoing conditions, subject to Mr. Phillips first providing thirty (30) days written notice of Mr. Phillips’ claimed Good Reason to the Company within ninety (90) days after the initial existence of such condition and the Company failing to cure the basis for such claimed Good Reason within thirty (30) days following such notice.

The Phillips Employment Agreement contains non-competition and employee non-solicitation covenants that apply through one year following termination of employment.

The following table summarizes the number of shares of common stock underlying outstanding equity incentive plan awards for each named executive officer as of December 31, 2021.