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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark One)
 
 
QUARTERLY
 
REPORT
 
PURSUANT
 
TO
 
SECTION
 
13
 
OR
 
15(d)
 
OF
 
THE
 
SECURITIES
 
EXCHANGE
 
ACT
 
OF
 
1934
FOR THE QUARTERLY
 
PERIOD ENDED
AUGUST 27, 2023
 
TRANSITION
 
REPORT
 
PURSUANT
 
TO
 
SECTION
 
13
 
OR
 
15(d)
 
OF
 
THE
 
SECURITIES
 
EXCHANGE
 
ACT
 
OF
 
1934
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM
 
TO
 
Commission file number:
001-01185
________________
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
 
41-0274440
(State or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)
Identification No.)
Number One General Mills Boulevard
 
Minneapolis
,
Minnesota
55426
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(763)
764-7600
(Registrant’s telephone number,
 
including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
 
Title of each class
 
Trading Symbol(s)
 
Name of each exchange
on which registered
Common Stock, $.10 par value
 
GIS
 
New York Stock Exchange
0.125% Notes due 2025
GIS 25A
New York Stock Exchange
0.450% Notes due 2026
 
GIS 26
 
New York Stock Exchange
1.500% Notes due 2027
 
GIS 27
 
New York Stock Exchange
3.907% Notes due 2029
GIS 29
New York Stock Exchange
________________
Indicate
 
by
 
check
 
mark
 
whether
 
the
 
registrant
 
(1)
 
has
 
filed
 
all
 
reports
 
required
 
to
 
be
 
filed
 
by
 
Section
 
13
 
or
 
15(d)
 
of
 
the
 
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
 
during the preceding 12
 
months (or for such shorter
 
period that the registrant
 
was required to file such
 
reports),
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
 
Yes
 
No
Indicate
 
by
 
check
 
mark
 
whether
 
the
 
registrant
 
has
 
submitted
 
electronically
 
every
 
Interactive
 
Data
 
File
 
required
 
to
 
be
 
submitted
pursuant to Rule 405
 
of Regulation S-T (§
 
232.405 of this chapter) during
 
the preceding 12 months (or
 
for such shorter period that
 
the
registrant was required to submit such files).
Yes
 
 
No
Indicate by check mark
 
whether the registrant is a
 
large accelerated filer,
 
an accelerated filer,
 
a non-accelerated filer,
 
smaller reporting
company,
 
or
 
an
 
emerging
 
growth
 
company.
 
See
 
the
 
definitions
 
of
 
“large
 
accelerated
 
filer,”
 
“accelerated
 
filer,”
 
“smaller
 
reporting
company,” and “emerging
 
growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Accelerated filer
 
Non-accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
 
If
 
an
 
emerging
 
growth
 
company,
 
indicate
 
by
 
check
 
mark
 
if
 
the
 
registrant
 
has
 
elected
 
not
 
to
 
use
 
the
 
extended
 
transition
 
period
 
for
complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided
 
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined
 
in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
 
No
Number of
 
shares of
 
Common Stock
 
outstanding
 
as of
 
September 13,
 
2023:
581,279,229
 
(excluding
173,334,099
 
shares held
 
in the
treasury).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4
 
PART
 
I.
 
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.
 
Financial Statements
Consolidated Statements of Earnings
GENERAL MILLS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Unaudited) (In Millions, Except per Share Data)
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Net sales
$
4,904.7
$
4,717.6
Cost of sales
3,134.2
3,269.9
Selling, general, and administrative expenses
839.3
791.4
Divestitures gain, net
-
(430.9)
Restructuring, impairment, and other exit costs
1.2
1.6
Operating profit
930.0
1,085.6
Benefit plan non-service income
(17.0)
(21.7)
Interest, net
117.0
87.7
Earnings before income taxes and after-tax earnings
 
from
 
 
joint ventures
830.0
1,019.6
Income taxes
173.2
216.1
After-tax earnings from joint ventures
23.5
19.8
Net earnings, including earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests
680.3
823.3
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests
6.8
3.3
Net earnings attributable to General Mills
$
673.5
$
820.0
Earnings per share – basic
$
1.15
$
1.37
Earnings per share – diluted
$
1.14
$
1.35
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5
 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
GENERAL MILLS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Unaudited) (In Millions)
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Net earnings, including earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests
$
680.3
$
823.3
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax:
Foreign currency translation
(18.1)
3.8
Other fair value changes:
Hedge derivatives
(2.3)
(38.3)
Reclassification to earnings:
Foreign currency translation
-
(7.4)
Hedge derivatives
0.2
(1.4)
Amortization of losses and prior service costs
9.1
14.1
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax
(11.1)
(29.2)
Total comprehensive
 
income
 
669.2
794.1
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
6.9
2.0
Comprehensive income attributable to General Mills
$
662.3
$
792.1
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6
 
Consolidated Balance Sheets
GENERAL MILLS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(In Millions, Except Par Value)
Aug. 27, 2023
May 28, 2023
(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
490.9
$
585.5
Receivables
1,791.1
1,683.2
Inventories
2,228.8
2,172.0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
596.2
735.7
Total current
 
assets
5,107.0
5,176.4
Land, buildings, and equipment
3,585.2
3,636.2
Goodwill
14,522.0
14,511.2
Other intangible assets
6,965.7
6,967.6
Other assets
1,139.8
1,160.3
Total assets
$
31,319.7
$
31,451.7
LIABILITIES
 
AND EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$
3,705.8
$
4,194.2
Current portion of long-term debt
1,174.6
1,709.1
Notes payable
584.3
31.7
Other current liabilities
1,603.1
1,600.7
Total current
 
liabilities
7,067.8
7,535.7
Long-term debt
10,523.5
9,965.1
Deferred income taxes
2,085.0
2,110.9
Other liabilities
1,128.0
1,140.0
Total liabilities
20,804.3
20,751.7
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock,
754.6
 
shares issued, $
0.10
 
par value
75.5
75.5
Additional paid-in capital
1,185.7
1,222.4
Retained earnings
20,163.6
19,838.6
Common stock in treasury,
 
at cost, shares of
173.4
 
and
168.0
(8,874.3)
(8,410.0)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(2,288.1)
(2,276.9)
Total stockholders' equity
10,262.4
10,449.6
Noncontrolling interests
253.0
250.4
Total equity
10,515.4
10,700.0
Total liabilities and equity
$
31,319.7
$
31,451.7
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7
 
Consolidated Statements of Total
 
Equity
GENERAL MILLS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Unaudited) (In Millions, Except per Share Data)
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Total equity,
 
beginning balance
$
10,700.0
$
10,788.0
Common stock,
1
 
billion shares authorized, $
0.10
 
par value
754.6
75.5
754.6
75.5
Additional paid-in capital:
Beginning balance
1,222.4
1,182.9
Stock compensation plans
7.3
9.3
Unearned compensation related to stock unit awards
(79.4)
(79.0)
Earned compensation
35.4
32.9
Ending balance
1,185.7
1,146.1
Retained earnings:
Beginning balance
19,838.6
18,532.6
Net earnings attributable to General Mills
673.5
820.0
Cash dividends declared ($
0.59
 
and $
0.54
 
per share)
(348.5)
(325.0)
Ending balance
20,163.6
19,027.6
Common stock in treasury:
Beginning balance
(168.0)
(8,410.0)
(155.7)
(7,278.1)
Shares purchased, including $
4.2
 
million of excise tax
(6.4)
(504.7)
(6.9)
(500.8)
Stock compensation plans
1.0
40.4
2.3
102.9
Ending balance
(173.4)
(8,874.3)
(160.3)
(7,676.0)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss:
Beginning balance
(2,276.9)
(1,970.5)
Comprehensive loss
(11.2)
(27.9)
Ending balance
(2,288.1)
(1,998.4)
Noncontrolling interests:
Beginning balance
250.4
245.6
Comprehensive income
6.9
2.0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
(4.3)
(1.9)
Divestiture
-
5.1
Ending balance
253.0
250.8
Total equity,
 
ending balance
$
10,515.4
$
10,825.6
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8
 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
GENERAL MILLS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Unaudited) (In Millions)
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Cash Flows - Operating Activities
Net earnings, including earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests
$
680.3
$
823.3
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
137.2
134.3
After-tax earnings from joint ventures
(23.5)
(19.8)
Distributions of earnings from joint ventures
15.8
15.5
Stock-based compensation
35.3
33.5
Deferred income taxes
(14.5)
9.2
Pension and other postretirement benefit plan contributions
(7.4)
(5.3)
Pension and other postretirement benefit plan costs
(5.3)
(6.7)
Divestitures gain, net
-
(430.9)
Restructuring, impairment, and other exit costs
2.4
(15.7)
Changes in current assets and liabilities, excluding the effects of
 
 
acquisitions and divestitures
(457.4)
(209.7)
Other, net
15.2
61.1
Net cash provided by operating activities
378.1
388.8
Cash Flows - Investing Activities
Purchases of land, buildings, and equipment
(141.7)
(90.9)
Acquisition, net of cash acquired
-
(252.1)
Proceeds from divestitures, net of cash divested
-
610.7
Other, net
6.2
(1.9)
Net cash (used) provided by investing activities
(135.5)
265.8
Cash Flows - Financing Activities
Change in notes payable
551.8
188.0
Proceeds from common stock issued on exercised options
4.5
65.5
Purchases of common stock for treasury
(500.5)
(500.8)
Dividends paid
(348.5)
(325.0)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
(4.3)
(1.9)
Other, net
(37.2)
(34.9)
Net cash used by financing activities
(334.2)
(609.1)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
(3.0)
(20.5)
(Decrease) Increase in cash and cash equivalents
(94.6)
25.0
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year
585.5
569.4
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period
$
490.9
$
594.4
Cash Flow from changes in current assets and liabilities, excluding the effects
 
of
 
 
acquisitions and divestitures:
Receivables
$
(104.4)
$
(91.1)
Inventories
(54.3)
(243.3)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
140.9
79.5
Accounts payable
(443.8)
(130.4)
Other current liabilities
4.2
175.6
Changes in current assets and liabilities
$
(457.4)
$
(209.7)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
 
 
 
9
GENERAL MILLS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(1) Background
The accompanying
 
Consolidated Financial
 
Statements of
 
General Mills,
 
Inc. (we,
 
us, our,
 
General Mills,
 
or the Company)
 
have been
prepared in
 
accordance with
 
accounting principles
 
generally accepted
 
in the
 
United States
 
(GAAP) for
 
interim financial
 
information
and with
 
the rules
 
and regulations
 
for reporting
 
on Form
 
10-Q. Accordingly,
 
they do
 
not include
 
certain information
 
and disclosures
required
 
for
 
comprehensive
 
financial
 
statements.
 
In
 
the
 
opinion
 
of
 
management,
 
all
 
adjustments
 
considered
 
necessary
 
for
 
a
 
fair
presentation have
 
been included
 
and are
 
of a
 
normal recurring
 
nature, including
 
the elimination
 
of all
 
intercompany transactions
 
and
any
 
noncontrolling
 
interests’
 
share
 
of
 
those
 
transactions.
 
Operating
 
results
 
for
 
the
 
fiscal
 
quarter
 
ended
 
August
 
27,
 
2023,
 
are
 
not
necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending
 
May 26, 2024.
 
These
 
statements
 
should
 
be
 
read
 
in
 
conjunction
 
with
 
the
 
Consolidated
 
Financial
 
Statements
 
and
 
footnotes
 
included
 
in
 
our
 
Annual
Report on Form
 
10-K for the fiscal
 
year ended May
 
28, 2023. The
 
accounting policies used
 
in preparing these
 
Consolidated Financial
Statements are the same as those described in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial
 
Statements in that Form 10-K with the exception of
new requirements adopted in the first quarter of fiscal 2024.
In the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2024, we
 
adopted optional accounting guidance
 
to ease the burden
 
in accounting for reference
 
rate reform.
The new
 
standard provides
 
temporary expedients
 
and exceptions
 
to existing
 
accounting requirements
 
for contract
 
modifications
 
and
hedge accounting
 
related to transitioning
 
from discontinued
 
reference rates.
 
This resulted in
 
modifying contracts,
 
where necessary,
 
to
apply a new reference rate,
 
primarily SOFR. The adoption of
 
this accounting guidance did not
 
have a material impact on our
 
results of
operations or financial position.
In the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024, we adopted
 
new requirements
 
for enhanced
 
disclosures related
 
to supplier
 
financing programs.
 
The
new standard requires
 
disclosure of the
 
key terms of
 
the program and
 
a rollforward of
 
the related obligation
 
during the annual
 
period,
including
 
the
 
amount
 
of
 
obligations
 
confirmed
 
and
 
obligations
 
subsequently
 
paid.
 
We
 
have
 
historically
 
presented
 
the
 
key
 
terms
 
of
these programs
 
and the associated
 
obligation outstanding
 
(please see Note
 
6). The
 
rollforward requirement
 
is effective
 
in fiscal 2025.
The adoption did not have a material impact on our financial statements and related
 
disclosures.
Certain terms used throughout this report are defined in the “Glossary” section below.
(2) Acquisition and Divestiture
During
 
the first
 
quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023,
 
we
 
acquired
 
TNT Crust,
 
a
 
manufacturer
 
of high-quality
 
frozen pizza
 
crusts
 
for
 
regional
 
and
national pizza
 
chains, foodservice
 
distributors, and
 
retail outlets,
 
for a
 
purchase price
 
of $
253.0
 
million. We
 
financed the
 
transaction
with U.S. commercial paper.
 
We consolidated
 
the TNT Crust business into
 
our Consolidated Balance Sheets
 
and recorded goodwill
 
of
$
156.7
 
million. The
 
goodwill is
 
included in
 
the North
 
America Foodservice
 
segment and
 
is not
 
deductible for
 
tax purposes.
 
The pro
forma effects of this acquisition were not material.
 
During the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023,
 
we completed
 
the sale
 
of our
 
Helper main
 
meals and
 
Suddenly
 
Salad side
 
dishes business
 
to
Eagle Family Foods Group for $
606.8
 
million and recorded a pre-tax gain of $
442.2
 
million.
(3) Restructuring, Impairment, and Other Exit Costs
During the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal 2024,
 
we did not
 
undertake any
 
new restructuring
 
actions. We
 
recorded $
9.8
 
million of restructuring
charges
 
in
 
the first
 
quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024
 
and
 
$
2.3
 
million
 
of
 
restructuring
 
charges
 
in the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2023 for
 
previously
announced restructuring actions. We
 
expect these actions to be completed by the end of fiscal 2025.
We
 
paid net
 
$
7.4
 
million of
 
cash in
 
the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2024
 
related to
 
restructuring actions
 
previously announced.
 
We
 
paid net
$
18.0
 
million of cash in the same period of fiscal 2023.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10
Restructuring and impairment charges and project-related
 
costs are recorded in our Consolidated Statement of Earnings as follows:
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Cost of sales
$
8.6
$
0.7
Restructuring, impairment, and other exit costs
1.2
1.6
Total restructuring
 
charges
$
9.8
$
2.3
Project-related costs classified in cost of sales
$
0.8
$
-
The roll forward of our restructuring and other exit cost reserves, included
 
in other current liabilities, is as follows:
In Millions
Total
Reserve balance as of May 28, 2023
$
47.7
Fiscal 2024 charges, including foreign currency translation
1.2
Utilized in fiscal 2024
(6.4)
Reserve balance as of Aug. 27, 2023
$
42.5
The reserve balance primarily consists of expected severance payments
 
associated with restructuring actions.
 
The charges
 
recognized in
 
the roll forward
 
of our reserves
 
for restructuring
 
and other exit
 
costs do not
 
include items
 
charged
 
directly
to expense
 
(e.g., asset
 
impairment charges,
 
accelerated depreciation,
 
the gain
 
or loss
 
on the
 
sale of
 
restructured assets,
 
and the
 
write-
off
 
of
 
spare parts)
 
and other
 
periodic
 
exit costs
 
are
 
recognized
 
as incurred,
 
as those
 
items are
 
not reflected
 
in our
 
restructuring
 
and
other exit cost reserves on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(4) Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The components of goodwill and other intangible assets are as follows:
 
 
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
May 28, 2023
Goodwill
$
14,522.0
$
14,511.2
Other intangible assets:
Intangible assets not subject to amortization:
Brands and other indefinite-lived intangibles
6,715.0
6,712.4
Intangible assets subject to amortization:
Customer relationships and other finite-lived intangibles
386.9
386.3
Less accumulated amortization
(136.2)
(131.1)
Intangible assets subject to amortization, net
250.7
255.2
Other intangible assets
6,965.7
6,967.6
Total
$
21,487.7
$
21,478.8
Based on
 
the carrying
 
value of
 
finite-lived intangible
 
assets as
 
of August
 
27, 2023,
 
annual amortization
 
expense for
 
each of
 
the next
five fiscal years is estimated to be approximately $
20
 
million.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11
The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the first quarter of fiscal 2024
 
were as follows:
In Millions
North America
Retail
Pet
North America
Foodservice
International
Joint Ventures
Total
Balance as of May 28, 2023
$
6,542.4
$
6,062.8
$
805.6
$
708.4
$
392.0
$
14,511.2
Other activity, primarily
 
 
foreign currency translation
0.1
-
(0.1)
8.2
2.6
10.8
Balance as of Aug. 27, 2023
$
6,542.5
$
6,062.8
$
805.5
$
716.6
$
394.6
$
14,522.0
The changes in the carrying amount of other intangible assets during the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2024 were as follows:
In Millions
Total
Balance as of May 28, 2023
$
6,967.6
Amortization, net of foreign currency translation
(1.9)
Balance as of Aug. 27, 2023
$
6,965.7
Our
 
annual
 
goodwill
 
and
 
indefinite-lived
 
intangible
 
assets
 
impairment
 
test
 
was
 
performed
 
on
 
the
 
first
 
day
 
of
 
the
 
second
 
quarter
 
of
fiscal
 
2023,
 
and
 
we
 
determined
 
there
 
was
no
 
impairment
 
of
 
our
 
intangible
 
assets
 
as
 
their
 
related
 
fair
 
values
 
were
 
substantially
 
in
excess of the
 
carrying values,
 
except for
 
the
Uncle Toby’s
 
brand intangible
 
asset. In addition,
 
while having
 
significant coverage
 
as of
our fiscal 2023
 
assessment date, the
Progresso
 
and
EPIC
 
brand intangible assets had
 
risk of decreasing coverage.
 
We
 
will continue to
monitor these businesses for potential impairment.
(5) Inventories
The components of inventories were as follows:
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
May 28, 2023
Finished goods
$
2,093.0
$
2,066.9
Raw materials and packaging
553.5
572.2
Grain
130.1
133.8
Excess of FIFO over LIFO cost
(547.8)
(600.9)
Total
$
2,228.8
$
2,172.0
 
(6) Risk Management Activities
 
Many commodities we
 
use in the
 
production and distribution
 
of our products
 
are exposed to
 
market price risks.
 
We
 
utilize derivatives
to manage price risk for our principal
 
ingredients and energy costs, including
 
grains (oats, wheat, and corn), oils
 
(principally soybean),
dairy products, natural
 
gas, and diesel fuel.
 
Our primary objective
 
when entering into
 
these derivative contracts
 
is to achieve
 
certainty
with
 
regard
 
to
 
the
 
future
 
price
 
of
 
commodities
 
purchased
 
for
 
use
 
in
 
our
 
supply
 
chain.
 
We
 
manage
 
our
 
exposures
 
through
 
a
combination of purchase orders, long-term
 
contracts with suppliers, exchange-traded
 
futures and options, and over-the-counter
 
options
and swaps.
 
We
 
offset
 
our exposures
 
based on
 
current and
 
projected market
 
conditions and
 
generally seek
 
to acquire
 
the inputs
 
at as
close as possible to or below our planned cost.
We
 
use derivatives
 
to manage
 
our exposure
 
to changes
 
in commodity
 
prices. We
 
do not
 
perform the
 
assessments required
 
to achieve
hedge
 
accounting
 
for
 
commodity
 
derivative
 
positions.
 
Accordingly,
 
the
 
changes
 
in
 
the
 
values
 
of
 
these
 
derivatives
 
are
 
recorded
currently in cost of sales in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings.
Although we do
 
not meet the
 
criteria for
 
cash flow hedge
 
accounting, we believe
 
that these instruments
 
are effective
 
in achieving our
objective of providing certainty
 
in the future price of commodities purchased
 
for use in our supply chain.
 
Accordingly, for
 
purposes of
measuring
 
segment
 
operating
 
performance,
 
these
 
gains
 
and
 
losses
 
are
 
reported
 
in
 
unallocated
 
corporate
 
items
 
outside
 
of
 
segment
operating results
 
until such time
 
that the exposure
 
we are manag
 
ing affects
 
earnings. At
 
that time, we
 
reclassify the
 
gain or
 
loss from
unallocated
 
corporate
 
items
 
to
 
segment
 
operating
 
profit,
 
allowing
 
our
 
operating
 
segments
 
to
 
realize
 
the
 
economic
 
effects
 
of
 
the
derivative without experiencing any resulting mark-to-market volatility,
 
which remains in unallocated corporate items.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12
Unallocated corporate items for the quarters ended August 27, 2023, and
 
August 28, 2022, included:
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Net gain (loss) on mark-to-market valuation of certain
 
 
commodity positions
$
28.4
$
(72.3)
Net loss (gain) on commodity positions reclassified from
 
 
unallocated corporate items to segment operating profit
3.2
(43.0)
Net mark-to-market revaluation of certain grain inventories
13.3
(59.4)
Net mark-to-market valuation of certain commodity
 
 
positions recognized in unallocated corporate items
$
44.9
$
(174.7)
As of August 27, 2023,
 
the net notional value of commodity
 
derivatives was $
278.2
 
million, of which $
113.2
 
million related to energy
inputs and
 
$
165.0
 
million related
 
to agricultural
 
inputs. These
 
contracts relate
 
to inputs
 
that generally
 
will be
 
utilized within
 
the next
12
 
months.
We
 
also have
 
net investments
 
in foreign
 
subsidiaries that
 
are denominated
 
in euros.
 
As of
 
August 27,
 
2023, we
 
hedged a
 
portion
 
of
these investments with €
2,954.1
 
million of euro-denominated bonds.
The
 
fair
 
values
 
of
 
the
 
derivative
 
positions
 
used
 
in
 
our
 
risk
 
management
 
activities
 
and
 
other
 
assets
 
recorded
 
at
 
fair
 
value
 
were
 
not
material as of
 
August 27, 2023,
 
and were Level
 
1 or Level
 
2 assets and
 
liabilities in the
 
fair value
 
hierarchy.
 
We
 
did not significantly
change our valuation techniques from prior periods.
 
We
 
offer
 
certain
 
suppliers
 
access
 
to
 
third-party
 
services
 
that
 
allow
 
them
 
to
 
view
 
our
 
scheduled
 
payments
 
online.
 
The
 
third-party
services also
 
allow suppliers
 
to finance
 
advances on
 
our scheduled
 
payments at
 
the sole
 
discretion of
 
the supplier
 
and the third
 
party.
We
 
have no
 
economic interest
 
in these
 
financing arrangements
 
and no
 
direct relationship
 
with the
 
suppliers, the
 
third parties,
 
or any
financial institutions
 
concerning these
 
services, including
 
not providing
 
any form
 
of guarantee
 
and not
 
pledging assets
 
as security
 
to
the third
 
parties or
 
financial institutions.
 
All of
 
our accounts
 
payable remain
 
as obligations
 
to our
 
suppliers as
 
stated in
 
our supplier
agreements. As
 
of August
 
27, 2023,
 
$
1,362.8
 
million of
 
our total
 
accounts payable
 
were payable
 
to suppliers
 
who utilize
 
these third-
party services.
 
As of
 
May 28,
 
2023, $
1,430.1
 
million of
 
our total
 
accounts payable
 
were payable
 
to suppliers
 
who utilize
 
these third-
party services.
(7) Debt
The components of notes payable were as follows:
 
 
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
May 28, 2023
U.S. commercial paper
$
529.2
$
-
Financial institutions
55.1
31.7
Total
$
584.3
$
31.7
To ensure availability
 
of funds, we maintain bank credit lines and have commercial paper programs
 
available to us in the United States
and Europe.
The following table details the fee-paid committed and uncommitted credit
 
lines we had available as of August 27, 2023:
 
In Billions
Facility
 
Amount
Borrowed
Amount
Committed credit facility expiring April 2026
$
2.7
$
-
Uncommitted credit facilities
0.6
-
Total committed
 
and uncommitted credit facilities
$
3.3
$
-
The
 
credit
 
facilities
 
contain
 
covenants,
 
including
 
a
 
requirement
 
to
 
maintain
 
a
 
fixed
 
charge
 
coverage
 
ratio
 
of
 
at
 
least
2.5
 
times.
We
were in compliance with all credit facility covenants as of August 27, 2023.
Long-Term
 
Debt
 
The fair values
 
and carrying
 
amounts of long-term
 
debt, including
 
the current portion,
 
were $
10,811.1
 
million and $
11,698.1
 
million,
respectively,
 
as
 
of
 
August
 
27,
 
2023.
 
The
 
fair
 
value
 
of
 
long-term
 
debt
 
was
 
estimated
 
using
 
market
 
quotations
 
and
 
discounted
 
cash
 
13
flows based
 
on our
 
current incremental
 
borrowing rates
 
for similar
 
types of
 
instruments. Long
 
-term debt
 
is a
 
Level 2
 
liability in
 
the
fair value hierarchy.
 
In the first
 
quarter of fiscal
 
2024, we issued
 
500.0
 
million of floating-rate
 
notes due
November 8, 2024
. We
 
used the net proceeds
 
to
repay €
500.0
 
million of floating-rate notes due
July 27, 2023
.
 
In the fourth quarter
 
of fiscal 2023, we
 
issued €
250.0
 
million of floating-rate notes
 
due
November 10, 2023
. We
 
used the net proceeds
to repay €
250.0
 
million of floating-rate notes due
May 16, 2023
.
In the
 
fourth quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023, we
 
issued €
750.0
 
million of
3.907
 
percent fixed-rate
 
notes due
April 13, 2029
. We
 
used the
 
net
proceeds to repay €
500.0
 
million of
1.0
 
percent fixed-rate notes due
April 27, 2023
, and €
250.0
 
million of floating-rate notes due
May
16, 2023
.
In the fourth
 
quarter of fiscal
 
2023, we
 
issued $
1,000.0
 
million of
4.95
 
percent fixed-rate
 
notes due
March 29, 2033
. We
 
used the net
proceeds to repay our outstanding commercial paper and for general
 
corporate purposes.
In the second
 
quarter of fiscal
 
2023, we issued
 
$
500.0
 
million of
5.241
 
percent fixed-rate notes
 
due
November 18, 2025
. We
 
used the
net proceeds to repay a portion of our outstanding commercial paper and for general
 
corporate purposes.
In the
 
second quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023, we
 
issued €
250.0
 
million of
 
floating-rate notes
 
due
May 16, 2023
. We
 
used the
 
net proceeds
 
to
repay €
250.0
 
million of
0.0
 
percent fixed-rate notes due
November 11, 2022
.
In the
 
second quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023,
 
we repaid
 
$
500.0
 
million of
2.6
 
percent fixed-rate
 
notes due
October 12, 2022
, using
 
proceeds
from the issuance of commercial paper.
Certain
 
of
 
our
 
long-term
 
debt
 
agreements
 
contain
 
restrictive
 
covenants.
As of August 27, 2023, we were in compliance with all of
these covenants.
(8) Noncontrolling Interests
The
 
third-party
 
holder
 
of
 
the
 
General
 
Mills
 
Cereals,
 
LLC
 
(GMC)
 
Class A
 
Interests
 
receives
 
quarterly
 
preferred
 
distributions
 
from
available net
 
income based
 
on the application
 
of a
 
floating preferred
 
return rate
 
to the
 
holder’s capital
 
account balance
 
established in
the most recent
 
mark-to-market valuation
 
(currently $
251.5
 
million). The
 
floating preferred return
 
rate on GMC’s
 
Class A Interests is
the
 
sum
 
of
 
the
three-month Term SOFR
 
plus
186
 
basis
 
points.
 
The
 
preferred
 
return
 
rate
 
is
 
adjusted
 
every
three years
 
through
 
a
negotiated agreement with the Class A Interest holder or through
 
a remarketing auction.
Our noncontrolling interests contain restrictive covenants. As of August 27, 2023, we were in compliance with all of these covenants.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14
(9) Stockholders’ Equity
 
The following tables provide details of total comprehensive income:
Quarter Ended
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
General Mills
Noncontrolling
Interests
 
General Mills
Noncontrolling
Interests
In Millions
Pretax
Tax
Net
Net
Pretax
Tax
Net
Net
Net earnings, including earnings
attributable to noncontrolling interests
 
$
673.5
$
6.8
$
820.0
$
3.3
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Foreign currency translation
$
(22.0)
$
3.8
(18.2)
0.1
$
(48.0)
$
53.1
5.1
(1.3)
Other fair value changes:
Hedge derivatives
(2.7)
0.4
(2.3)
-
(49.8)
11.5
(38.3)
-
Reclassification to earnings:
Foreign currency translation
-
-
-
-
(7.4)
-
(7.4)
-
Hedge derivatives (a)
(1.3)
1.5
0.2
-
(1.9)
0.5
(1.4)
-
Amortization of losses and
 
prior service costs (b)
11.5
(2.4)
9.1
-
18.2
(4.1)
14.1
-
Other comprehensive (loss) income
$
(14.5)
$
3.3
(11.2)
0.1
$
(88.9)
$
61.0
(27.9)
(1.3)
Total comprehensive income
$
662.3
$
6.9
$
$
792.1
$
2.0
(a)
 
(Gain) loss reclassified from AOCI into earnings is reported in interest, net for interest rate swaps and in cost of sales and SG&A expenses for foreign exchange contracts.
(b)
 
Loss reclassified from AOCI into earnings is reported in benefit plan non-service income.
Accumulated other comprehensive loss balances, net of tax effects,
 
were as follows:
 
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
May 28, 2023
Foreign currency translation adjustments
$
(726.8)
$
(708.6)
Unrealized gain from hedge derivatives
3.8
5.9
Pension, other postretirement, and postemployment benefits:
Net actuarial loss
(1,655.7)
(1,670.6)
Prior service credits
90.6
96.4
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
$
(2,288.1)
$
(2,276.9)
 
(10) Stock Plans
We
 
have various
 
stock-based compensation
 
programs under
 
which awards,
 
including stock
 
options, restricted
 
stock, restricted
 
stock
units, and performance
 
awards, may be granted
 
to employees and non-employee
 
directors. These programs
 
and related accounting
 
are
described in Note
 
12 to the
 
Consolidated Financial
 
Statements included
 
in our Annual
 
Report on Form
 
10-K for the
 
fiscal year ended
May 28, 2023.
Compensation expense related to stock-based payments recognized
 
in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings was as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Compensation expense related to stock-based payments
$
35.3
$
33.5
Windfall tax benefits from stock-based payments
 
in income tax expense in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings
 
were as follows:
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Windfall tax benefits from stock-based payments
$
8.4
$
12.8
As
 
of
 
August
 
27,
 
2023,
 
unrecognized
 
compensation
 
expense
 
related
 
to
 
non-vested
 
stock
 
options,
 
restricted
 
stock
 
units,
 
and
performance share units was $
172.2
 
million. This expense will be recognized over
25
 
months, on average.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15
Net cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options
 
less shares used for withholding taxes and the intrinsic
 
value of options exercised
were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Net cash proceeds
$
4.5
$
65.5
Intrinsic value of options exercised
$
2.1
$
32.0
We estimate the fair value of each stock option on the grant date using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Black-Scholes option-
pricing models require us to make predictive assumptions regarding future stock price volatility, employee exercise behavior, and
dividend yield. We estimate our future stock price volatility using the historical volatility over the expected term of the option,
excluding time periods of volatility we believe a marketplace participant would exclude in estimating our stock price volatility. We
also have considered, but did not use, implied volatility in our estimate, because trading activity in options on our stock, especially
those with tenors of greater than 6 months, is insufficient to provide a reliable measure of expected volatility. Our method of selecting
the other valuation assumptions is explained in Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 28, 2023.
The
 
estimated
 
fair
 
values
 
of
 
stock
 
options
 
granted
 
and
 
the
 
assumptions
 
used
 
for
 
the
 
Black-Scholes
 
option-pricing
 
model
 
were
 
as
follows:
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Estimated fair values of stock options granted
 
$
17.47
$
14.16
Assumptions:
Risk-free interest rate
4.0
%
3.3
%
Expected term
8.5
years
8.5
years
Expected volatility
21.4
%
20.9
%
Dividend yield
2.8
%
3.1
%
The total grant date fair value of restricted stock unit awards that vested during
 
the period was as follows:
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Total grant date fair
 
value
$
104.8
$
82.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16
(11) Earnings Per Share
Basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) were calculated using the following:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions, Except per Share Data
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Net earnings attributable to General Mills
$
673.5
$
820.0
Average
 
number of common shares - basic EPS
586.3
600.2
Incremental share effect from: (a)
Stock options
2.8
3.3
Restricted stock units and performance share units
2.3
2.5
Average
 
number of common shares - diluted EPS
591.4
606.0
Earnings per share – basic
$
1.15
$
1.37
Earnings per share – diluted
$
1.14
$
1.35
(a)
 
Incremental
 
shares
 
from
 
stock
 
options,
 
restricted
 
stock
 
units,
 
and
 
performance
 
share
 
units
 
are
 
computed
 
by
 
the
 
treasury
 
stock
method.
 
Stock
 
options,
 
restricted
 
stock
 
units,
 
and
 
performance
 
share units
 
excluded
 
from
 
our
 
computation
 
of
 
diluted
 
EPS
 
because
 
they
were not dilutive were as follows
:
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Anti-dilutive stock options, restricted stock units, and
 
performance share units
 
1.6
0.8
 
(12) Share Repurchases
Share repurchases were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Shares of common stock
6.4
6.9
Aggregate purchase price
$
504.7
$
500.8
 
(13) Statements of Cash Flows
Our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows include the following:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Net cash interest payments
$
83.9
$
55.2
Net income tax payments
$
13.7
$
9.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17
(14) Retirement and Postemployment Benefits
Components of net periodic benefit expense (income) are as follows:
 
Defined Benefit
Pension Plans
Other Postretirement
 
Benefit Plans
Postemployment
Benefit Plans
Quarter Ended
Quarter Ended
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27,
2023
Aug. 28,
2022
Aug. 27,
2023
Aug. 28,
2022
Aug. 27,
2023
Aug. 28,
2022
Service cost
$
14.2
$
17.6
$
1.2
$
1.4
$
1.8
$
2.1
Interest cost
74.2
64.6
5.3
4.5
1.0
0.8
Expected return on plan assets
(102.9)
(105.0)
(8.7)
(7.8)
-
-
Amortization of losses (gains)
21.5
28.3
(5.1)
(4.9)
-
0.1
Amortization of prior service costs (credits)
0.4
0.4
(5.4)
(5.8)
0.1
0.1
Other adjustments
-
-
-
-
2.6
3.0
Net expense (income)
$
7.4
$
5.9
$
(12.7)
$
(12.6)
$
5.5
$
6.1
 
(15) Income Taxes
During
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2023,
 
the
 
Inflation
 
Reduction
 
Act
 
(IRA)
 
was
 
signed
 
into
 
law.
 
The
 
IRA
 
introduces
 
a
 
Corporate
Alternative Minimum Tax
 
beginning in our fiscal 2024
 
and an excise tax on
 
the repurchase of corporate
 
stock starting after January
 
1,
2023. We
 
do not expect the IRA to have a material impact on our financial
 
results, including our annual estimated effective tax
 
rate, or
on our liquidity.
(16) Contingencies
During
 
fiscal
 
2020,
 
we
 
received
 
notice
 
from
 
the
 
tax
 
authorities of
 
the
 
State of
 
São
 
Paulo,
 
Brazil
 
regarding
 
our
 
compliance
 
with
 
its
state sales tax requirements.
 
As a result, we
 
have been assessed additional
 
state sales taxes, interest,
 
and penalties. We
 
believe that we
have meritorious defenses against this claim and will vigorously defend
 
our position. As of August 27, 2023, we are unable to estimate
any possible loss and have not recorded a loss contingency for this matter.
(17) Business Segment and Geographic Information
We
 
operate
 
in
 
the
 
packaged
 
foods
 
industry.
 
Our
 
operating
 
segments
 
are
 
as
 
follows:
 
North
 
America
 
Retail,
 
International,
 
Pet,
 
and
North America Foodservice.
 
Our North America Retail
 
operating segment reflects business
 
with a wide variety of
 
grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership
stores,
 
natural
 
food
 
chains,
 
drug,
 
dollar
 
and
 
discount
 
chains,
 
convenience
 
stores,
 
and
 
e-commerce
 
grocery
 
providers.
 
Our
 
product
categories
 
in
 
this
 
business
 
segment
 
include
 
ready-to-eat
 
cereals,
 
refrigerated
 
yogurt,
 
soup,
 
meal
 
kits,
 
refrigerated
 
and
 
frozen
 
dough
products,
 
dessert
 
and
 
baking
 
mixes,
 
frozen
 
pizza
 
and
 
pizza
 
snacks,
 
snack
 
bars,
 
fruit
 
snacks,
 
savory
 
snacks,
 
and
 
a
 
wide
 
variety
 
of
organic products including ready-to-eat cereal, frozen
 
and shelf-stable vegetables, meal kits, fruit snacks, and snack bars.
Our
 
International
 
operating
 
segment
 
consists
 
of
 
retail
 
and
 
foodservice
 
businesses
 
outside
 
of
 
the
 
United
 
States
 
and
 
Canada.
 
Our
product categories include super-premium
 
ice cream and frozen desserts, meal kits, salty snacks,
 
snack bars, dessert and baking mixes,
and
 
shelf
 
stable
 
vegetables.
 
We
 
also
 
sell
 
super-premium
 
ice
 
cream
 
and
 
frozen
 
desserts
 
directly
 
to
 
consumers
 
through
 
owned
 
retail
shops. Our
 
International segment
 
also includes
 
products manufactured
 
in the United
 
States for
 
export, mainly
 
to Caribbean
 
and Latin
American markets, as well as
 
products we manufacture
 
for sale to our international
 
joint ventures. Revenues from
 
export activities are
reported in the region or country where the end customer is located.
Our Pet operating segment includes
 
pet food products sold primarily in the
 
United States and Canada in national
 
pet superstore chains,
e-commerce retailers,
 
grocery stores,
 
regional pet
 
store chains,
 
mass merchandisers,
 
and veterinary
 
clinics and
 
hospitals. Our
 
product
categories include dog and cat food (dry
 
foods, wet foods, and treats) made with
 
whole meats, fruits, vegetables and other
 
high-quality
natural
 
ingredients.
 
Our
 
tailored
 
pet
 
product
 
offerings
 
address
 
specific
 
dietary,
 
lifestyle,
 
and
 
life-stage
 
needs
 
and
 
span
 
different
product types, diet types, breed sizes for dogs, lifestages, flavors, product
 
functions,
 
and textures and cuts for wet foods.
Our
 
North
 
America
 
Foodservice
 
segment
 
consists
 
of
 
foodservice
 
businesses
 
in
 
the
 
United
 
States
 
and
 
Canada.
 
Our
 
major
 
product
categories
 
in
 
our
 
North
 
America
 
Foodservice
 
operating
 
segment
 
are
 
ready-to-eat
 
cereals,
 
snacks,
 
refrigerated
 
yogurt,
 
frozen
 
meals,
unbaked and
 
fully baked
 
frozen dough products,
 
baking mixes,
 
and bakery
 
flour.
 
Many products we
 
sell are branded
 
to the consumer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18
and nearly
 
all are
 
branded to
 
our customers.
 
We
 
sell to
 
distributors and
 
operators in
 
many customer
 
channels including
 
foodservice,
vending, and supermarket bakeries.
Operating profit
 
for these
 
segments excludes
 
unallocated corporate
 
items, gain
 
or loss
 
on divestitures,
 
and restructuring,
 
impairment,
and
 
other
 
exit
 
costs.
 
Unallocated
 
corporate
 
items
 
include
 
corporate
 
overhead
 
expenses,
 
variances
 
to
 
planned
 
North
 
American
employee
 
benefits
 
and
 
incentives,
 
certain
 
charitable
 
contributions,
 
restructuring
 
initiative
 
project-related
 
costs,
 
gains
 
and
 
losses
 
on
corporate investments,
 
and other
 
items that
 
are not
 
part of
 
our measurement
 
of segment
 
operating performance.
 
These include
 
gains
and
 
losses
 
arising
 
from
 
the
 
revaluation
 
of
 
certain
 
grain
 
inventories
 
and
 
gains
 
and
 
losses
 
from
 
mark-to-market
 
valuation
 
of
 
certain
commodity positions
 
until passed back
 
to our operating
 
segments. These items
 
affecting operating
 
profit are centrally
 
managed at
 
the
corporate
 
level
 
and
 
are
 
excluded
 
from
 
the
 
measure
 
of
 
segment
 
profitability
 
reviewed
 
by
 
executive
 
management.
 
Under
 
our
 
supply
chain organization, our manufacturing,
 
warehouse, and distribution activities are substantially integrated
 
across our operations in order
to maximize
 
efficiency
 
and productivity.
 
As a
 
result, fixed
 
assets and
 
depreciation and
 
amortization expenses
 
are neither
 
maintained
nor available by operating segment.
Our operating segment results were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Net sales:
North America Retail
$
3,073.0
$
2,988.8
International
715.8
652.5
Pet
579.9
579.9
North America Foodservice
536.0
496.4
Total
$
4,904.7
$
4,717.6
Operating profit:
North America Retail
$
798.2
$
777.8
International
50.0
34.8
Pet
111.2
123.1
North America Foodservice
59.1
53.6
Total segment operating
 
profit
$
1,018.5
$
989.3
Unallocated corporate items
87.3
333.0
Divestitures gain, net
-
(430.9)
Restructuring, impairment, and other exit costs
1.2
1.6
Operating profit
$
930.0
$
1,085.6
Net sales for our North America Retail operating units were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
U.S. Snacks
$
954.5
$
887.2
U.S. Meals & Baking Solutions
941.9
949.2
U.S. Morning Foods
927.8
904.0
Canada
248.8
248.4
Total
$
3,073.0
$
2,988.8
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19
Net sales by class of similar products were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
In Millions
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Snacks
$
1,136.7
$
1,068.4
Cereal
817.9
814.7
Convenient meals
665.5
679.2
Pet
579.9
580.8
Dough
534.9
464.8
Baking mixes and ingredients
466.5
473.5
Yogurt
368.4
346.0
Super-premium ice cream
224.0
183.5
Other
110.9
106.7
Total
$
4,904.7
$
4,717.6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20
Item 2.
 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis
 
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
INTRODUCTION
This
 
Management’s
 
Discussion
 
and
 
Analysis
 
of
 
Financial
 
Condition
 
and
 
Results
 
of
 
Operations
 
(MD&A)
 
should
 
be
 
read
 
in
conjunction
 
with
 
the
 
MD&A
 
included
 
in
 
our
 
Annual
 
Report
 
on
 
Form
 
10-K
 
for
 
the
 
fiscal
 
year
 
ended
 
May
 
28,
 
2023
 
for
 
important
background
 
regarding,
 
among other
 
things, our
 
key business
 
drivers.
 
Significant
 
trademarks and
 
service marks
 
used in
 
our business
are set forth in
italics
herein. Certain terms used throughout this report are defined in the
 
“Glossary” section below.
We
expect the largest
 
factors impacting our performance
 
in fiscal 2024
 
will be the economic
 
health of consumers, the
 
moderating rate
of input
 
cost inflation
 
,
 
and
 
the increasing
 
stability of
 
the supply
 
chain environment
 
.
 
We
 
expect
 
to drive
 
organic
 
net sales
 
growth
 
in
fiscal 2024
 
through strong
 
marketing, innovation,
 
in-store support,
 
and net
 
price realization
 
generated through
 
our Strategic
 
Revenue
Management (SRM)
 
capability,
 
most of
 
which will
 
be carried
 
over from
 
SRM actions
 
taken in
 
fiscal 2023.
 
We
 
anticipate input
 
cost
inflation of
 
approximately 5
 
percent in
 
fiscal 2024
 
and expect
 
to generate
 
higher levels
 
of Holistic
 
Margin Management
 
(HMM) cost
savings compared to fiscal 2023.
CONSOLIDATED
 
RESULTS
 
OF OPERATIONS
First Quarter Results
In the first
 
quarter of fiscal
 
2024, net sales
 
and organic net
 
sales increased 4
 
percent compared to
 
the same period
 
last year.
 
Operating
profit decreased
 
14 percent
 
to $930
 
million, primarily
 
driven by
 
a net
 
gain on
 
divestitures
 
in fiscal
 
2023, higher
 
input costs,
 
and
 
an
increase in selling,
 
general and administrative
 
(SG&A) expenses, including
 
increased media and
 
advertising expenses, partially
 
offset
by favorable net price
 
realization and mix
 
and a favorable change
 
to the mark-to-market valuation
 
of certain commodity positions
 
and
grain
 
inventories.
 
Operating
 
profit
 
margin
 
of
 
19.0
 
percent
 
decreased
 
400
 
basis
 
points.
 
Adjusted
 
operating
 
profit
 
of
 
$899
 
million
increased 2 percent on
 
a constant-currency basis, primarily
 
driven by favorable net price
 
realization and mix, partially offset
 
by higher
input costs, an
 
increase in SG&A
 
expenses, including
 
increased media and
 
advertising expenses, and
 
a decrease in
 
contributions from
volume
 
growth.
 
Adjusted
 
operating
 
profit
 
margin
 
decreased
 
40
 
basis
 
points
 
to
 
18.3
 
percent.
 
Diluted
 
earnings
 
per
 
share
 
of
 
$1.14
decreased 16 percent in the first
 
quarter of fiscal 2024. Adjusted diluted
 
earnings per share of $1.09 decreased 1
 
percent on a constant-
currency basis compared
 
to the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2023.
 
See the “Non-GAAP
 
Measures” section below
 
for a description
 
of our use
of measures not defined by GAAP.
A summary of our consolidated financial results for the first quarter of
 
fiscal 2024 follows:
 
Quarter Ended Aug. 27, 2023
In millions,
except per share
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023 vs.
Aug. 28, 2022
Percent
of Net
Sales
Constant-
Currency
Growth (a)
Net sales
 
$
4,904.7
4
%
Operating profit
930.0
(14)
%
19.0
%
Net earnings attributable to General Mills
673.5
(18)
%
Diluted earnings per share
$
1.14
(16)
%
Organic net sales growth rate (a)
4
%
Adjusted operating profit (a)
899.0
2
%
18.3
%
2
%
Adjusted diluted earnings per share (a)
$
1.09
(2)
%
(1)
%
(a)
 
See the "Non-GAAP Measures" section below for our use of measures not defined by
 
GAAP.
Consolidated
net sales
 
were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 27, 2023 vs.
 
Aug. 28, 2022
Aug. 28, 2022
Net sales (in millions)
$
4,904.7
4%
$
4,717.6
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(2)
pts
Net price realization and mix
6
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
 
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21
Net sales
 
in the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024
 
increased 4
 
percent compared
 
to the
 
same period
 
in fiscal
 
2023,
 
driven by
 
favorable
 
net
price realization and mix, partially offset by a decrease in
 
contributions from volume growth.
Components of organic net sales growth are shown in the following
 
table:
 
 
Quarter Ended Aug. 27, 2023 vs.
Quarter Ended Aug. 28, 2022
Contributions from organic volume growth (a)
(2)
pts
Organic net price realization and mix
7
pts
Organic net sales growth
4
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Acquisitions and divestitures
Flat
Net sales growth
4
pts
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
 
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
Organic net sales increased 4 percent
 
in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 compared
 
to the same period in fiscal 2023, driven by favorable
organic net price realization and mix, partially offset
 
by a decrease in contributions from organic volume growth
 
.
Cost of
 
sales
decreased $136 million
 
to $3,134
 
million in
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2024
 
compared to
 
the same
 
period in
 
fiscal 2023.
The decrease included
 
a $54 million decrease attributable
 
to lower volume and
 
a $150 million increase attributable
 
to product rate and
mix. We
 
recorded a
 
$45 million
 
net decrease
 
in cost
 
of sales
 
related to
 
the mark-to-market
 
valuation of
 
certain commodity
 
positions
and grain inventories in the first quarter of fiscal 2024
 
compared to a $175 million net increase in the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2023.
 
In the
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023,
 
we recorded
 
a $21
 
million
 
charge
 
related
 
to a
 
voluntary recall
 
on certain
 
international
Häagen-Dazs
 
ice
cream products.
 
We
 
also recorded $9
 
million of restructuring
 
charges and $1
 
million of restructuring
 
initiative project-related
 
costs in
cost of sales in the first
 
quarter of fiscal 2024 compared
 
to $1 million of restructuring
 
charges in the first
 
quarter of fiscal 2023 (please
refer to Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report).
SG&A expenses
increased $48 million
 
to $839 million in
 
the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2024,
 
compared to the
 
same period in
 
fiscal 2023,
primarily driven
 
by increased
 
media and
 
advertising expenses.
 
SG&A expenses
 
as a
 
percent of
 
net sales
 
in the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
2024 increased 30 basis points compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
Divestitures
 
gain,
 
net
 
totaled $431
 
million in
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2023,
 
primarily related
 
to the
 
sale of
 
our Helper
 
main meals
and
 
Suddenly
 
Salad
 
side
 
dishes
 
business
 
(please
 
refer
 
to
 
Note
 
2
 
to
 
the
 
Consolidated
 
Financial
 
Statements
 
in
 
Part
 
I,
 
Item
 
1
 
of
 
this
report).
 
Restructuring, impairment,
 
and other exit
 
costs
totaled $1 million
 
in the first
 
quarter of fiscal
 
2024,
 
compared to $2
 
million in the
same period last year (please refer to Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial
 
Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report).
Benefit plan
 
non-service income
totaled $17 million
 
in the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024, compared
 
to $22 million
 
in the
 
same period
last year, primarily reflecting an increase
 
in interest costs, partially offset by lower amortization of losses.
 
Interest,
 
net
for
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024
 
totaled
 
$117 million,
 
up
 
$29 million
 
from
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023,
 
primarily
driven by higher interest rates and higher average long-term debt levels.
The
effective tax rate
 
for the first quarter of fiscal
 
2024 was 20.9 percent compared
 
to 21.2 percent for the first
 
quarter of fiscal 2023.
The
 
0.3
 
percentage
 
point
 
decrease
 
was
 
primarily
 
due
 
to
 
certain
 
unfavorable
 
tax
 
components
 
related
 
to
 
the
 
divestitures
 
in
 
the
 
first
quarter of
 
fiscal 2023,
 
partially offset
 
by certain
 
nonrecurring discrete
 
tax benefits
 
in the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2023 and
 
unfavorable
earnings mix
 
by jurisdiction
 
in the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024. Our
 
effective
 
tax rate
 
excluding certain
 
items affecting
 
comparability
was
 
21.1
 
percent
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024,
 
compared
 
to
 
19.7
 
percent
 
in
 
the
 
same
 
period
 
last
 
year
 
(see
 
the
 
“Non-GAAP
Measures”
 
section
 
below
 
for
 
a
 
description
 
of
 
our
 
use
 
of
 
measures
 
not
 
defined
 
by
 
GAAP).
 
The
 
1.4
 
percentage
 
point
 
increase
 
was
primarily
 
due
 
to
 
certain
 
nonrecurring
 
discrete
 
tax
 
benefits
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2023
 
and
 
unfavorable
 
earnings
 
mix
 
by
jurisdiction in the first quarter of fiscal 2024.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22
After-tax
 
earnings from
 
joint ventures
 
for the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024
increased to
 
$24 million compared
 
to $20 million
 
in the
same period in fiscal 2023,
 
primarily driven by higher net
 
sales as a result of favorable
 
net price realization and mix
 
at Cereal Partners
Worldwide
 
(CPW) and
 
favorable
 
discrete tax
 
items at
 
CPW,
 
partially
 
offset
 
by higher
 
input
 
costs at
 
CPW and
 
Häagen-Dazs
 
Japan,
Inc. (HDJ). On
 
a constant-currency basis,
 
after-tax earnings from
 
joint ventures increased 26
 
percent (see the
 
“Non-GAAP Measures”
section below for a description of our use of measures not defined by GAAP).
 
The components of our joint ventures’ net sales growth are shown in the following
 
table:
 
Quarter Ended Aug. 27, 2023 vs.
Quarter Ended Aug. 28, 2022
CPW
HDJ
Total
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(11)
pts
(5)
pts
Net price realization and mix
19
pts
9
pts
Net sales growth in constant currency
8
pts
4
pts
7
pts
Foreign currency exchange
1
pt
(5)
pts
Flat
Net sales growth
9
pts
(1)
pt
7
pts
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
 
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
Average
 
diluted
 
shares
 
outstanding
decreased
 
by
 
15
 
million
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024
 
from
 
the
 
same
 
period
 
a
 
year
 
ago
primarily due to share repurchases, partially offset by option
 
exercises.
 
SEGMENT OPERATING
 
RESULTS
Our businesses are
 
organized into
 
four operating segments:
 
North America Retail,
 
International,
 
Pet, and North
 
America Foodservice.
Please
 
refer
 
to
 
Note
 
17
 
of
 
the
 
Consolidated
 
Financial
 
Statements
 
in
 
Part
 
I,
 
Item
 
1
 
of
 
this
 
report
 
for
 
a
 
description
 
of
 
our
 
operating
segments.
North America Retail Segment Results
North America Retail net sales were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27,
2023
Aug. 27, 2023 vs
Aug. 28, 2022
Aug. 28,
2022
Net sales (in millions)
$
3,073.0
3
%
$
2,988.8
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(5)
pts
Net price realization and mix
8
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
 
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
North
 
America
 
Retail
 
net
 
sales
 
increased
 
3
 
percent
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024,
 
compared
 
to
 
the
 
same
 
period
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023,
driven by favorable net price realization and mix, partially offset
 
by a decrease in contributions from volume growth.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23
The components of North America Retail organic net
 
sales growth are shown in the following table:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Contributions from organic volume growth (a)
(4)
pts
Organic net price realization and mix
8
pts
Organic net sales growth
4
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Divestiture (b)
(1)
pt
Net sales growth
3
pts
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a) Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
(b) Divestiture of our Helper main meals and Suddenly Salad side dishes businesses in
 
fiscal 2023. Please see Note 2 to the
 
Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
North
 
America Retail
 
organic
 
net sales
 
increased 4
 
percent in
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2024,
 
compared to
 
the same
 
period in
 
fiscal
2023,
 
driven by
 
favorable organic
 
net price
 
realization and
 
mix,
 
partially offset
 
by a
 
decrease in
 
contributions from
 
organic
 
volume
growth.
North America Retail net sales percentage change by operating unit are shown
 
in the following table:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
U.S. Snacks
8
%
U.S. Morning Foods
3
%
Canada (a)
Flat
U.S. Meals & Baking Solutions
(1)
%
Total
3
%
(a)
 
On a constant-currency basis,
 
Canada net sales increased 4
 
percent in the first quarter of
 
fiscal 2024,
 
compared to the same period
in fiscal 2023. See the "Non-GAAP Measures" section below for our use of this measure not
 
defined by GAAP.
Segment operating
 
profit increased 3
 
percent to
 
$798 million in the
 
first quarter of
 
fiscal 2024,
 
compared to $778 million
 
in the same
period in
 
fiscal 2023,
 
primarily driven
 
by favorable
 
net price
 
realization and
 
mix, partially
 
offset by
 
higher input
 
costs, a
 
decrease in
contributions from volume
 
growth, and an
 
increase in SG&A expenses
 
,
 
including increased media
 
and advertising expenses. Segment
operating
 
profit
 
increased
 
3
 
percent
 
on
 
a
 
constant-currency
 
basis
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024
 
compared
 
to
 
the
 
same
 
period
 
in
fiscal 2023 (see the “Non-GAAP Measures” section below for our use of this measure
 
not defined by GAAP).
International Segment Results
International net sales were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27,
2023
Aug. 27, 2023 vs
Aug. 28, 2022
Aug. 28,
2022
Net sales (in millions)
$
715.8
10
%
$
652.5
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(5)
pts
Net price realization and mix
13
pts
Foreign currency exchange
1
pt
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
 
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
International net sales increased 10 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2024,
 
compared to the same period in fiscal 2023 which
included the impact of the voluntary recall on certain international
Häagen-Dazs
 
ice cream products, driven by favorable net price
realization and mix and favorable foreign currency exchange, partially
 
offset by a decrease in contributions from volume growth.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24
The components of International organic net sales growth
 
are shown in the following table:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Contributions from organic volume growth (a)
(5)
pts
Organic net price realization and mix
13
pts
Organic net sales growth
9
pts
Foreign currency exchange
1
pt
Net sales growth
10
pts
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a) Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
International organic net
 
sales increased 9 percent
 
in the first quarter of
 
fiscal 2024,
 
compared to the same period
 
in fiscal 2023 which
included the
 
impact of
 
the voluntary
 
recall on
 
certain international
Häagen-Dazs
 
ice cream
 
products,
 
driven by
 
favorable organic
 
net
price realization and mix, partially offset by a decrease in
 
contributions from organic volume growth.
Segment operating
 
profit increased
 
44 percent
 
to $50 million
 
in the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024,
 
compared to
 
$35 million in
 
the same
period
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023,
 
primarily
 
driven
 
by
 
favorable
 
net
 
price
 
realization
 
and
 
mix
 
and
 
the
 
voluntary
 
recall
 
on
 
certain
 
international
Häagen-Dazs
 
ice cream
 
products in
 
fiscal 2023,
 
partially offset
 
by higher
 
input costs.
 
Segment operating
 
profit increased
 
52 percent
on
 
a
 
constant-currency
 
basis
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024
 
compared
 
to
 
the
 
same
 
period
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023
 
(see
 
the
 
“Non-GAAP
Measures” section below for our use of this measure not defined by GAAP).
Pet Segment Results
Pet net sales were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27,
2023
Aug. 27, 2023 vs
Aug. 28, 2022
Aug. 28,
2022
Net sales (in millions)
$
579.9
Flat
$
579.9
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(5)
pts
Net price realization and mix
5
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
 
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
Pet net
 
sales in
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2024
 
matched the same
 
period in
 
fiscal 2023,
 
as favorable
 
net price realization
 
and mix
 
was
offset by a decrease in contributions from volume growth.
The components of Pet organic net sales growth are shown in the following
 
table:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Contributions from organic volume growth (a)
(5)
pts
Organic net price realization and mix
5
pts
Organic net sales growth
Flat
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Net sales growth
Flat
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a) Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
Pet
 
organic
 
net
 
sales
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024
 
matched
 
the
 
same
 
period
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023,
 
as
 
favorable
 
organic
 
net
 
price
realization and mix was offset by a decrease in contributions from
 
organic volume growth.
Segment operating profit decreased 10 percent
 
to $111 million in the
 
first quarter of fiscal 2024,
 
compared to $123 million in the same
period
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023,
 
primarily
 
driven
 
by
 
higher
 
input
 
costs,
 
a
 
decrease
 
in
 
contributions
 
from
 
volume
 
growth,
 
and
 
an
 
increase
 
in
SG&A
 
expenses,
 
partially
 
offset
 
by
 
favorable
 
net
 
price
 
realization
 
and
 
mix.
 
Segment
 
operating
 
profit
 
decreased
 
10
 
percent
 
on
 
a
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25
constant-currency basis in
 
the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2024
 
compared to the
 
same period in
 
fiscal 2023 (see
 
the “Non-GAAP Measures”
section below for our use of this measure not defined by GAAP).
North America Foodservice Segment Results
North America Foodservice net sales were as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27,
2023
Aug. 27, 2023 vs
Aug. 28, 2022
Aug. 28,
2022
Net sales (in millions)
$
536.0
8
%
$
496.4
Contributions from volume growth (a)
7
pts
Net price realization and mix
1
pt
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
 
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
North America Foodservice net sales increased 8 percent in the first
 
quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to the same period in fiscal 2023,
driven by an increase in contributions from volume growth and favorable
 
net price realization and mix.
The components of North America Foodservice organic
 
net sales growth are shown in the following table:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Contributions from organic volume growth (a)
4
pts
Organic net price realization and mix
Flat
Organic net sales growth
4
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Acquisition (b)
4
pts
Net sales growth
8
pts
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
(a) Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
(b) Acquisition of TNT Crust in fiscal 2023. Please see Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements
 
in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
North
 
America Foodservice
 
organic
 
net sales
 
increased 4
 
percent in
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2024,
 
compared to
 
the same
 
period in
fiscal 2023, driven by an increase in contributions from organic
 
volume growth.
Segment operating
 
profit increased
 
10 percent
 
to $59
 
million in
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2024,
 
compared to
 
$54 million in
 
the same
period
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023,
 
primarily
 
driven
 
by
 
favorable
 
net
 
price
 
realization
 
and
 
mix,
 
partially
 
offset
 
by
 
higher
 
input
 
costs.
 
Segment
operating
 
profit increased
 
10 percent
 
on a
 
constant-currency
 
basis in
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2024
 
compared to
 
the same
 
period in
fiscal 2023 (see the “Non-GAAP Measures” section below for our use of this measure
 
not defined by GAAP).
UNALLOCATED
 
CORPORATE
 
ITEMS
Unallocated corporate
 
expenses totaled $87
 
million in the
 
first quarter of
 
fiscal 2024, compared
 
to $333 million
 
in the same
 
period in
fiscal
 
2023.
 
In
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024,
 
we
 
recorded
 
a
 
$45 million
 
net
 
decrease
 
in
 
expense
 
related
 
to
 
the
 
mark-to-market
valuation of certain commodity positions
 
and grain inventories, compared to
 
a $175 million net increase in expense
 
in the same period
last year.
 
We
 
recorded $3 million
 
of net losses
 
related to valuation
 
adjustments on certain
 
corporate investments
 
in the first quarter
 
of
fiscal
 
2024,
 
compared
 
to
 
$26 million
 
of
 
net
 
losses
 
related
 
to
 
valuation
 
adjustments
 
and
 
the
 
loss
 
on
 
sale
 
of
 
certain
 
corporate
investments
 
in
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2023.
 
In
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2023,
 
we
 
recorded
 
a
 
$22
 
million
 
charge
 
related
 
to
 
a
voluntary
 
recall
 
on
 
certain
 
international
Häagen-Dazs
 
ice
 
cream
 
products.
 
We
 
recorded
 
$9
 
million
 
of
 
restructuring
 
charges
 
and
 
$1
million
 
of
 
restructuring
 
initiative
 
project-related
 
costs
 
in
 
cost
 
of
 
sales
 
in
 
the
 
first quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024,
 
compared
 
to
 
$1
 
million
 
of
restructuring
 
charges
 
in cost
 
of sales
 
in the
 
same period
 
last year.
 
In addition,
 
we recorded
 
$2 million
 
of integration
 
costs primarily
related to our acquisition of TNT Crust in the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26
LIQUIDITY
 
AND CAPITAL
 
RESOURCES
During the first quarter of
 
fiscal 2024, cash provided by operations
 
was $378 million compared to $389
 
million in the same period last
year.
 
The $11 million
 
decrease was mainly
 
driven by
 
a $248 million
 
change in
 
current assets and
 
liabilities and
 
a $46
 
million change
in
 
other
 
non-cash
 
items
 
in
 
net
 
earnings,
 
including
 
changes
 
in
 
the
 
valuation
 
of
 
certain
 
corporate
 
investments.
 
These
 
were
 
partially
offset
 
by a
 
$288 million
 
increase
 
in
 
net
 
earnings,
 
excluding
 
the
 
$431 million
 
net
 
divestitures
 
gain
 
in fiscal
 
2023.
 
The $248
 
million
change in current assets and liabilities is primarily driven by a $313 million
 
change in the timing of accounts payable.
Cash
 
used
 
by
 
investing
 
activities
 
during
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
fiscal
 
2024
 
was
 
$136
 
million
 
compared
 
to
 
cash
 
provided
 
by
 
investing
activities
 
of
 
$266 million
 
for
 
the
 
same
 
period
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023.
 
During
 
the
 
first
 
quarter
 
of
 
the
 
2023,
 
we
 
completed
 
the
 
sale
 
of
 
the
Helper main meals and Suddenly Salad side dishes
 
business for $607 million cash. In the
 
first quarter of fiscal 2023, we acquired
 
TNT
Crust for $252
 
million cash, net of cash acquired. In addition, we spent $142 million
 
on purchases of land, buildings, and equipment in
the first quarter of fiscal 2024 compared to $91 million in the same period
 
last year.
Cash used
 
by financing
 
activities during
 
the first
 
quarter of
 
fiscal 2024
 
was $334 million
 
compared
 
to $609 million
 
of cash
 
used by
financing activities
 
in the
 
same period
 
in fiscal 202
 
3. We
 
paid $348 million
 
of dividends
 
in the
 
first quarter
 
of fiscal
 
2024, compared
to $325 million
 
in the
 
same period
 
last year.
 
We
 
paid $500
 
million for
 
purchases of
 
common stock
 
for treasury
 
in the first
 
quarter of
fiscal 2024, consistent with the same period in fiscal 2023
 
.
 
In addition, we had $552 million of net debt issuances in the first
 
quarter of
fiscal 2024 compared to $188 million of net debt issuances in the first quarter
 
of fiscal 2023.
 
As of August
 
27, 2023, we had
 
$425 million of cash
 
and cash equivalents
 
in foreign jurisdictions. In
 
anticipation of repatriating
 
funds
from
 
foreign
 
jurisdictions,
 
we
 
record
 
local
 
country
 
withholding
 
taxes
 
on
 
our
 
international
 
earnings,
 
as
 
applicable.
 
Furthermore,
 
we
may repatriate our
 
cash and cash equivalents
 
held by our
 
foreign subsidiaries without
 
such funds being
 
subject to further
 
U.S. income
tax liability. Earnings prior
 
to fiscal 2018 from our foreign subsidiaries remain permanently reinvested
 
in those jurisdictions.
The following table details the fee-paid committed and uncommitted credit
 
lines we had available as of August 27, 2023:
 
In Billions
Facility
 
Amount
Borrowed
Amount
Committed credit facility expiring April 2026
$
2.7
$
-
Uncommitted credit facilities
0.6
-
Total committed
 
and uncommitted credit facilities
$
3.3
$
-
The
 
third-party
 
holder
 
of
 
the
 
General
 
Mills
 
Cereals,
 
LLC
 
(GMC)
 
Class A
 
Interests
 
receives
 
quarterly
 
preferred
 
distributions
 
from
available net
 
income based
 
on the application
 
of a
 
floating preferred
 
return rate
 
to the
 
holder’s capital
 
account balance
 
established in
the most
 
recent mark
 
-to-market valuation
 
(currently
 
$252 million). The
 
floating preferred
 
return rate
 
on GMC’s
 
Class A Interests
 
is
the sum of three
 
-month Term
 
SOFR plus 186
 
basis points. The preferred
 
return rate is adjusted
 
every three years
 
through a negotiated
agreement with the Class A Interest holder or through a remarketing auction.
 
We
 
have an option
 
to purchase the
 
Class A Interests for
 
consideration equal to
 
the then current
 
capital account value,
 
plus any unpaid
preferred return
 
and the
 
prescribed make-whole
 
amount. If
 
we purchase
 
these interests,
 
any change
 
in the
 
third-party holder’s
 
capital
account
 
from
 
its
 
original
 
value
 
will
 
be
 
charged
 
directly
 
to
 
retained
 
earnings
 
and
 
will
 
increase
 
or
 
decrease
 
the
 
net
 
earnings
 
used
 
to
calculate EPS in that period.
 
To ensure availability
 
of funds, we maintain bank credit lines and have commercial paper programs
 
available to us in the United States
and Europe.
Certain
 
of
 
our
 
long-term
 
debt
 
agreements,
 
our
 
credit
 
facilities,
 
and
 
our
 
noncontrolling
 
interests
 
contain
 
restrictive
 
covenants.
 
As
 
of
August 27, 2023, we were in compliance with all of these covenants.
 
We
 
have
 
$1,175
 
million
 
of
 
long-term
 
debt
 
maturing
 
in
 
the
 
next
 
12
 
months
 
that
 
is
 
classified
 
as
 
current,
 
including
 
$400
 
million
 
of
floating-rate
 
notes
 
due
 
October
 
17,
 
2023,
 
€250
 
million
 
of
 
floating-rate
 
notes
 
due
 
November
 
10,
 
2023,
 
and
 
$500
 
million
 
of
 
3.65
percent fixed-rate
 
notes due
 
February 15,
 
2024. We
 
believe that
 
cash flows
 
from operations,
 
together with
 
available short-
 
and long-
term debt financing, will be adequate to meet our liquidity and capital needs
 
for at least the next 12 months.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2
 
to the Consolidated Financial Statements included
 
in our Annual Report on
Form
 
10-K for
 
the fiscal
 
year ended
 
May 28,
 
2023. The
 
accounting policies
 
used in
 
preparing our
 
interim fiscal
 
2024
Consolidated
Financial
 
Statements
 
are
 
the
 
same
 
as
 
those
 
described
 
in
 
our
 
Form
 
10-K
 
with
 
the
 
exception
 
of
 
the
 
new
 
accounting
 
requirements
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27
adopted in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. Please see Note 1
 
to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1
 
of this report for
additional information.
Our
 
critical
 
accounting
 
estimates
 
are
 
those
 
that
 
have
 
meaningful
 
impact
 
on
 
the
 
reporting
 
of
 
our
 
financial
 
condition
 
and
 
results
 
of
operations.
 
These
 
estimates
 
include
 
our
 
accounting
 
for
 
revenue
 
recognition,
 
valuation
 
of
 
long-lived
 
assets,
 
intangible
 
assets,
 
stock-
based compensation,
 
income taxes,
 
and defined
 
benefit pension,
 
other postretirement
 
benefit, and
 
postemployment benefit
 
plans. The
assumptions and methodologies used
 
in the determination of
 
those estimates as of August
 
27, 2023, are the
 
same as those described in
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 28, 2023.
Our
 
annual
 
goodwill
 
and
 
indefinite-lived
 
intangible
 
assets
 
impairment
 
test
 
was
 
performed
 
on
 
the
 
first
 
day
 
of
 
the
 
second
 
quarter
 
of
fiscal
 
2023,
 
and
 
we
 
determined
 
there
 
was
 
no
 
impairment
 
of
 
our
 
intangible
 
assets
 
as
 
their
 
related
 
fair
 
values
 
were
 
substantially
 
in
excess of the
 
carrying values,
 
except for
 
the
Uncle Toby’s
 
brand intangible
 
asset. In addition,
 
while having
 
significant coverage
 
as of
our fiscal 2023
 
assessment date, the
Progresso
 
and
EPIC
brand intangible assets had
 
risk of decreasing coverage.
 
We
 
will continue to
monitor these businesses for potential impairment.
NON-GAAP MEASURES
We
 
have
 
included
 
in
 
this
 
report
 
measures
 
of
 
financial
 
performance
 
that
 
are not
 
defined
 
by
 
GAAP.
 
We
 
believe
 
that
 
these
 
measures
provide useful information to investors, and include these measures in other
 
communications to investors.
 
For each
 
of these
 
non-GAAP financial
 
measures, we
 
are providing
 
below a
 
reconciliation of
 
the differences
 
between the
 
non-GAAP
measure and the most
 
directly comparable GAAP measure,
 
an explanation of why
 
we believe the non-GAAP
 
measure provides useful
information to
 
investors, and
 
any additional
 
material purposes
 
for which
 
our management
 
or Board
 
of Directors
 
uses the
 
non-GAAP
measure. These non-GAAP measures should be viewed in addition to, and not
 
in lieu of, the comparable GAAP measure.
Significant Items Impacting Comparability
Several
 
measures
 
below
 
are
 
presented
 
on
 
an
 
adjusted
 
basis.
 
The
 
adjustments
 
are
 
either
 
items
 
resulting
 
from
 
infrequently
 
occurring
events or items that, in management’s
 
judgment, significantly affect the year-to-year
 
assessment of operating results.
 
The following are descriptions of significant items impacting comparability
 
of our results.
 
Mark-to-market effects
Net
 
mark-to-market
 
valuation
 
of
 
certain
 
commodity
 
positions
 
recognized
 
in
 
unallocated
 
corporate
 
items.
 
Please
 
see
 
Note
 
6
 
to
 
the
Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Restructuring charges and project-related costs
Restructuring
 
charges and
 
project-related
 
costs for
 
previously announced
 
restructuring actions
 
recorded in
 
fiscal 2024.
 
Restructuring
charges
 
for
 
previously
 
announced
 
restructuring
 
actions
 
recorded
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2023.
 
Please
 
see
 
Note
 
3
 
to
 
the
 
Consolidated
 
Financial
Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Investment activity, net
Valuation
 
adjustments of
 
certain corporate
 
investments in
 
fiscal 2024. Valuation
 
adjustments and
 
the loss on
 
sale of certain
 
corporate
investments in fiscal 2023.
 
Acquisition integration costs
Integration
 
costs
 
primarily
 
resulting
 
from
 
the
 
acquisition
 
of
 
TNT
 
Crust
 
in
 
fiscal
 
2024
 
and
 
fiscal
 
2023.
 
Please
 
see
 
Note
 
2
 
to
 
the
Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Product recall
Costs related to the fiscal 2023 voluntary recall of certain international
Häagen-Dazs
 
ice cream products.
 
Divestitures gain, net
Net divestitures
 
gain primarily
 
related to
 
the sale
 
of our
 
Helper main
 
meals and
 
Suddenly Salad
 
side dishes
 
business in
 
fiscal 2023.
Please see Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Transaction costs
Transaction costs primarily related
 
to the sale of our Helper main meals and Suddenly
 
Salad side dishes business in fiscal 2023.
 
Please
see Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28
Organic Net Sales Growth Rates
We
 
provide organic
 
net sales
 
growth rates
 
for our
 
consolidated net
 
sales and
 
segment net
 
sales. This
 
measure is
 
used in
 
reporting to
our
 
Board
 
of
 
Directors
 
and
 
executive
 
management
 
and
 
as
 
a
 
component
 
of
 
the
 
measurement
 
of
 
our
 
performance
 
for
 
incentive
compensation purposes.
 
We
 
believe that
 
organic net
 
sales growth
 
rates provide
 
useful information
 
to investors
 
because they
 
provide
transparency
 
to
 
underlying
 
performance
 
in
 
our
 
net
 
sales
 
by
 
excluding
 
the
 
effect
 
that
 
foreign
 
currency
 
exchange
 
rate
 
fluctuations,
acquisitions, divestitures,
 
and a 53
rd
 
week, when applicable,
 
have on year-to-year comparability.
 
A reconciliation of
 
these measures to
reported net
 
sales growth
 
rates, the
 
relevant GAAP
 
measures, are
 
included in
 
our Consolidated
 
Results of
 
Operations and
 
Results of
Segment Operations discussions in the MD&A above.
Adjusted Operating Profit as a Percent of Net Sales (Adjusted Operating Profit
 
Margin)
We believe
 
this measure provides useful information
 
to investors because it is important
 
for assessing our operating profit margin
 
on a
comparable basis.
Our adjusted operating profit margins are calculated as follows:
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
In Millions
Value
Percent of
Net Sales
Value
 
Percent of
Net Sales
Operating profit as reported
$
930.0
19.0
%
$
1,085.6
23.0
%
Mark-to-market effects
(44.9)
(0.9)
%
174.7
3.7
%
Restructuring charges
9.8
0.2
%
2.3
-
%
Investment activity, net
2.9
0.1
%
26.3
0.6
%
Project-related costs
0.8
-
%
-
-
%
Acquisition integration costs
0.2
-
%
1.5
-
%
Product recall
0.2
-
%
21.5
0.5
%
Divestitures gain, net
-
-
%
(430.9)
(9.1)
%
Transaction costs
-
-
%
0.2
-
%
Adjusted operating profit
$
899.0
18.3
%
$
881.2
18.7
%
Note: Table may not foot due to rounding.
 
For more information on the reconciling items, please refer to the Significant Items Impacting Comparability section above.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29
Adjusted Operating Profit Growth on a Constant-currency Basis
This measure is used in reporting
 
to our Board of Directors and
 
executive management and as a
 
component of the measurement of
 
our
performance for
 
incentive compensation purposes.
 
We
 
believe that
 
this measure provides
 
useful information
 
to investors because
 
it is
the
 
operating
 
profit
 
measure
 
we
 
use
 
to
 
evaluate
 
operating
 
profit
 
performance
 
on
 
a
 
comparable
 
year-to-year
 
basis.
 
The
 
measure
 
is
evaluated on
 
a constant-currency
 
basis by
 
excluding the
 
effect that
 
foreign currency
 
exchange rate
 
fluctuations have
 
on year-to-year
comparability given the volatility in foreign currency exchange rates.
 
Our adjusted operating profit growth on a constant-currency basis is calculated
 
as follows:
 
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Change
Operating profit as reported
$
930.0
$
1,085.6
(14)
%
Mark-to-market effects
(44.9)
174.7
Restructuring charges
9.8
2.3
Investment activity, net
2.9
26.3
Project-related costs
0.8
-
Acquisition integration costs
0.2
1.5
Product recall
0.2
21.5
Divestitures gain, net
-
(430.9)
Transaction costs
-
0.2
Adjusted operating profit
$
899.0
$
881.2
2
%
Foreign currency exchange impact
Flat
Adjusted operating profit growth, on a constant-currency basis
2
%
Note: Table may not foot due to rounding.
For more information on the reconciling items, please refer to the Significant Items Impacting Comparability section above.
Adjusted Diluted EPS and Related Constant-currency Growth Rates
This measure
 
is used in
 
reporting to
 
our Board of
 
Directors and executive
 
management. We
 
believe that
 
this measure provides
 
useful
information to
 
investors because it
 
is the profitability
 
measure we use
 
to evaluate earnings
 
performance on
 
a comparable year-to-year
basis.
The reconciliation of our GAAP measure, diluted EPS, to adjusted diluted
 
EPS and the related constant-currency growth rates follows:
 
Quarter Ended
Per Share Data
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
Change
Diluted earnings per share, as reported
$
1.14
$
1.35
(16)
%
Mark-to-market effects
(0.06)
0.22
Restructuring charges
0.01
-
Investment activity, net
-
0.04
Product recall
 
-
0.03
Divestitures gain, net
-
(0.54)
Adjusted diluted earnings per share
$
1.09
$
1.11
(2)
%
Foreign currency exchange impact
(1)
pt
Adjusted diluted earnings per share growth, on a constant-currency basis
(1)
%
Note: Table may not foot due to rounding.
For more information on the reconciling items, please refer to the Significant Items Impacting Comparability section above.
See our reconciliation
 
below of the effective
 
income tax rate as
 
reported to the adjusted
 
effective income tax
 
rate for the tax
 
impact of
each item affecting comparability.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30
Constant-currency After-tax Earnings from Joint Ventures
 
Growth Rates
 
We
 
believe that
 
this measure
 
provides useful
 
information to
 
investors because
 
it provides
 
transparency to
 
underlying performance
 
of
our joint
 
ventures by
 
excluding the
 
effect
 
that foreign
 
currency exchange
 
rate fluctuations
 
have on
 
year-to-year
 
comparability given
volatility in foreign currency exchange markets.
 
After-tax earnings from joint ventures growth rates on a constant-currency
 
basis are calculated as follows:
 
Percentage Change in
After-Tax
 
Earnings from Joint
Ventures
 
as Reported
Impact of Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Percentage Change in After-Tax
Earnings from Joint Ventures
on Constant-Currency Basis
Quarter Ended Aug. 27, 2023
19
%
(7)
pts
26
%
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
Net Sales Growth Rates for Our Canada Operating Unit on Constant-currency
 
Basis
 
We
 
believe
 
that
 
this
 
measure
 
of
 
our
 
Canada
 
operating
 
unit
 
net
 
sales
 
provides
 
useful
 
information
 
to
 
investors
 
because
 
it
 
provides
transparency to
 
the underlying
 
performance for
 
the Canada operating
 
unit within our
 
North America Retail
 
segment by
 
excluding the
effect
 
that
 
foreign
 
currency
 
exchange
 
rate
 
fluctuations
 
have
 
on
 
year-to-year
 
comparability
 
given
 
volatility
 
in
 
foreign
 
currency
exchange markets.
Net sales growth rates for our Canada operating unit on a constant-currency
 
basis are calculated as follows:
 
Percentage Change in
Net Sales
as Reported
Impact of Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Percentage Change in
Net Sales on Constant-
Currency Basis
Quarter Ended Aug. 27, 2023
Flat
(4)
pts
4
%
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
Constant-currency Segment Operating Profit Growth Rates
 
We
 
believe that
 
this measure
 
provides useful
 
information to
 
investors because
 
it provides
 
transparency to
 
underlying performance
 
of
our
 
segments
 
by
 
excluding
 
the
 
effect
 
that
 
foreign
 
currency
 
exchange
 
rate
 
fluctuations
 
have
 
on
 
year-to-year
 
comparability
 
given
volatility in foreign currency exchange markets.
 
Our segments’ operating profit growth rates on a constant-currency
 
basis are calculated as follows:
 
Quarter Ended Aug. 27, 2023
Percentage Change in
Operating Profit
as Reported
Impact of Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Percentage Change in Operating
Profit on Constant-Currency
Basis
North America Retail
3
%
Flat
3
%
International
44
%
(8)
pts
52
%
Pet
(10)
%
Flat
(10)
%
North America Foodservice
10
%
Flat
10
%
Note: Table may
 
not foot due to rounding.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31
Adjusted Effective Income Tax
 
Rates
 
We
 
believe
 
this
 
measure
 
provides
 
useful
 
information
 
to
 
investors
 
because
 
it
 
presents
 
the
 
adjusted
 
effective
 
income
 
tax
 
rate
 
on
 
a
comparable year-to-year basis.
 
Adjusted effective income tax rates are calculated as follows:
 
 
Quarter Ended
 
Aug. 27, 2023
Aug. 28, 2022
In Millions
(Except Per Share Data)
Pretax
Earnings (a)
Income
Taxes
Pretax
Earnings (a)
Income
Taxes
As reported
$
830.0
$
173.2
$
1,019.6
$
216.1
Mark-to-market effects
(44.9)
(10.3)
174.7
40.2
Restructuring charges
9.8
4.7
2.3
0.6
Investment activity, net
2.9
1.0
26.3
0.5
Project-related costs
0.8
0.3
-
-
Acquisition integration costs
0.2
0.1
1.5
0.3
Product recall
 
0.2
0.1
21.5
4.9
Divestitures gain, net
-
-
(430.9)
(101.9)
Transaction costs
-
-
0.2
-
As adjusted
$
799.1
$
169.0
$
815.2
$
160.8
Effective tax rate:
As reported
20.9%
21.2%
As adjusted
21.1%
19.7%
Sum of adjustment to income taxes
$
(4.3)
$
(55.3)
Average number
 
of common shares - diluted EPS
591.4
606.0
Impact of income tax adjustments on adjusted diluted EPS
$
0.01
$
0.09
Note: Table may not foot due to rounding.
(a)
Earnings before income taxes and after-tax earnings from joint ventures.
 
For more information on the reconciling items, please refer to the Significant Items Impacting Comparability section above.
32
Glossary
AOCI
. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
Adjusted diluted EPS.
 
Diluted EPS adjusted for certain items affecting year-to-year
 
comparability.
Adjusted operating profit.
 
Operating profit adjusted for certain items affecting year-to-year
 
comparability.
Adjusted operating profit
 
margin.
Operating profit adjusted
 
for certain items
 
affecting year-over-year
 
comparability,
 
divided by net
sales.
Constant currency.
 
Financial results
 
translated to
 
United States
 
dollars using
 
constant foreign
 
currency exchange
 
rates based
 
on the
rates
 
in
 
effect
 
for
 
the
 
comparable
 
prior-year
 
period.
 
To
 
present
 
this
 
information,
 
current
 
period
 
results
 
for
 
entities
 
reporting
 
in
currencies other
 
than United
 
States dollars
 
are translated
 
into United
 
States dollars
 
at the
 
average exchange
 
rates in
 
effect during
 
the
corresponding
 
period
 
of
 
the
 
prior
 
fiscal
 
year,
 
rather
 
than
 
the
 
actual
 
average
 
exchange
 
rates
 
in
 
effect
 
during
 
the
 
current
 
fiscal
 
year.
Therefore,
 
the
 
foreign
 
currency
 
impact
 
is
 
equal
 
to
 
current
 
year
 
results
 
in
 
local
 
currencies
 
multiplied
 
by
 
the
 
change
 
in
 
the
 
average
foreign currency exchange rate between the current fiscal period and the corresponding
 
period of the prior fiscal year.
 
Core working capital.
 
Accounts receivable plus inventories less accounts payable.
Derivatives.
Financial instruments such
 
as futures, swaps,
 
options, and forward
 
contracts that we
 
use to manage
 
our risk arising
 
from
changes in commodity prices, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and stock
 
prices.
Euribor.
 
Euro Interbank Offered Rate.
Fair value
 
hierarchy.
For purposes
 
of fair
 
value measurement,
 
we categorize
 
assets and
 
liabilities into
 
one of
 
three levels
 
based on
the assumptions
 
(inputs) used
 
in valuing
 
the asset or
 
liability.
 
Level 1 provides
 
the most reliable
 
measure of
 
fair value, while
 
Level 3
generally requires significant management judgment. The three levels are
 
defined as follows:
 
Level 1:
 
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2:
 
Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in
 
Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in
active markets or quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in inactive markets.
Level 3:
 
Unobservable inputs reflecting management’s
 
assumptions about the inputs used in pricing the asset or liability.
Free cash flow.
 
Net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of land, buildings, and equipment.
Generally Accepted
 
Accounting Principles
 
(GAAP).
Guidelines, procedures,
 
and practices
 
that we
 
are required
 
to use
 
in recording
and reporting accounting information in our financial statements.
Goodwill.
The difference
 
between the purchase
 
price of acquired
 
companies plus the fair
 
value of any noncontrolling
 
and redeemable
interests and the related fair values of net assets acquired.
 
Gross margin.
 
Net sales less cost of sales.
Hedge accounting.
Accounting for qualifying
 
hedges that allows changes in
 
a hedging instrument’s
 
fair value to offset
 
corresponding
changes in
 
the hedged
 
item in
 
the same
 
reporting period.
 
Hedge accounting
 
is permitted
 
for certain
 
hedging instruments
 
and hedged
items
 
only
 
if
 
the
 
hedging
 
relationship
 
is
 
highly
 
effective,
 
and
 
only
 
prospectively
 
from
 
the
 
date
 
a
 
hedging
 
relationship
 
is
 
formally
documented.
Holistic Margin Management
 
(HMM).
 
Company-wide initiative to
 
use productivity savings, mix
 
management, and price realization
to offset input cost inflation, protect margins,
 
and generate funds to reinvest in sales-generating activities.
Interest
 
bearing
 
instruments.
Notes
 
payable,
 
long-term
 
debt,
 
including
 
current
 
portion,
 
cash
 
and
 
cash
 
equivalents,
 
and
 
certain
interest bearing investments classified within prepaid expenses and other current
 
assets and other assets.
 
Mark-to-market.
The act of determining a value for
 
financial instruments, commodity contracts, and
 
related assets or liabilities based
on the current market price for that item.
 
 
33
Net
 
mark-to-market
 
valuation of
 
certain
 
commodity
 
positions.
Realized
 
and
 
unrealized
 
gains
 
and
 
losses on
 
derivative
 
contracts
that will be allocated to segment operating profit when the exposure we are hedging
 
affects earnings.
Net price realization.
The impact of list and promoted price changes, net of trade and other price
 
promotion costs.
Net realizable
 
value.
The estimated
 
selling price
 
in the
 
ordinary course
 
of business,
 
less reasonably
 
predictable costs
 
of completion,
disposal, and transportation.
 
Noncontrolling interests.
Interests of subsidiaries held by third parties.
 
Notional
 
amount.
The
 
amount
 
of
 
a
 
position
 
or
 
an
 
agreed
 
upon
 
amount
 
in
 
a
 
derivative
 
contract
 
on
 
which
 
the
 
value
 
of
 
financial
instruments are calculated.
OCI.
Other Comprehensive Income.
 
Organic net sales growth
. Net sales growth adjusted
 
for foreign currency translation,
 
acquisitions, divestitures and a
 
53
rd
 
fiscal week,
when applicable.
Project-related costs.
Costs incurred related to our restructuring initiatives not included in restructuring
 
charges.
Reporting unit
. An operating segment or a business one level below an operating
 
segment.
SOFR.
 
Secured Overnight Financing Rate.
Strategic
 
Revenue
 
Management
 
(SRM).
 
A
 
company-wide
 
capability
 
focused
 
on
 
generating
 
sustainable
 
benefits
 
from
 
net
 
price
realization
 
and
 
mix
 
by
 
identifying
 
and
 
executing
 
against
 
specific
 
opportunities
 
to
 
apply
 
tools
 
including
 
pricing,
 
sizing,
 
mix
management, and promotion optimization across each of our businesses.
Supply chain
 
input costs.
 
Costs incurred
 
to produce
 
and deliver
 
product,
 
including costs
 
for
 
ingredients
 
and
 
conversion, inventory
management, logistics, and warehousing.
Translation
 
adjustments.
The impact
 
of the conversion
 
of our foreign
 
affiliates’ financial
 
statements to United
 
States dollars
 
for the
purpose of consolidating our financial statements.
Working capital
. Current assets and current liabilities, all as of the last day of our fiscal year.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
34
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
 
RELEVANT
 
TO FORWARD
 
-LOOKING INFORMATION
 
FOR THE PURPOSE OF “SAFE
HARBOR” PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE
 
SECURITIES LITIGATION
 
REFORM ACT OF 1995
This report
 
contains or
 
incorporates by
 
reference
 
forward-looking
 
statements within
 
the meaning
 
of the
 
Private Securities
 
Litigation
Reform Act
 
of 1995
 
that are
 
based on
 
our current
 
expectations and
 
assumptions. We
 
also may
 
make written
 
or oral
 
forward-looking
statements,
 
including
 
statements
 
contained
 
in
 
our
 
filings
 
with
 
the
 
Securities
 
and
 
Exchange
 
Commission
 
and
 
in
 
our
 
reports
 
to
stockholders.
The words or
 
phrases “will likely
 
result,” “are expected
 
to,” “will continue,”
 
“is anticipated,” “estimate,”
 
“plan,” “project,” or
 
similar
expressions identify
 
“forward-looking statements”
 
within the
 
meaning of
 
the Private
 
Securities Litigation
 
Reform Act
 
of 1995.
 
Such
statements are
 
subject to
 
certain risks
 
and uncertainties
 
that could
 
cause actual
 
results to
 
differ
 
materially from
 
historical results
 
and
those currently anticipated or projected. We
 
caution you not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements.
In connection
 
with the “safe
 
harbor” provisions
 
of the Private
 
Securities Litigation
 
Reform Act of
 
1995, we are
 
identifying important
factors
 
that could
 
affect
 
our financial
 
performance
 
and could
 
cause our
 
actual results
 
in future
 
periods
 
to differ
 
materially from
 
any
current opinions or statements.
Our
 
future
 
results
 
could
 
be
 
affected
 
by
 
a
 
variety
 
of
 
factors,
 
such
 
as:
 
disruptions
 
or
 
inefficiencies
 
in
 
the
 
supply
 
chain;
 
competitive
dynamics in the consumer foods
 
industry and the markets for
 
our products, including new product
 
introductions, advertising activities,
pricing actions, and promotional
 
activities of our competitors;
 
economic conditions, including
 
changes in inflation rates,
 
interest rates,
tax
 
rates,
 
or
 
the
 
availability
 
of
 
capital;
 
product
 
development
 
and
 
innovation;
 
consumer
 
acceptance
 
of
 
new
 
products
 
and
 
product
improvements;
 
consumer
 
reaction
 
to
 
pricing
 
actions
 
and
 
changes
 
in
 
promotion
 
levels;
 
acquisitions
 
or
 
dispositions
 
of
 
businesses
 
or
assets; changes in capital structure;
 
changes in the legal and regulatory
 
environment, including tax legislation, labeling
 
and advertising
regulations, and litigation; impairments in the carrying
 
value of goodwill, other intangible assets, or other long
 
-lived assets, or changes
in the
 
useful lives
 
of other
 
intangible assets;
 
changes in
 
accounting standards
 
and the impact
 
of critical
 
accounting estimates;
 
product
quality
 
and
 
safety
 
issues,
 
including
 
recalls
 
and
 
product
 
liability;
 
changes
 
in
 
consumer
 
demand
 
for
 
our
 
products;
 
effectiveness
 
of
advertising,
 
marketing,
 
and
 
promotional
 
programs;
 
changes
 
in
 
consumer
 
behavior,
 
trends,
 
and
 
preferences,
 
including
 
weight
 
loss
trends; consumer perception
 
of health-related issues,
 
including obesity; consolidation
 
in the retail environment;
 
changes in purchasing
and
 
inventory
 
levels
 
of
 
significant
 
customers;
 
fluctuations
 
in
 
the
 
cost
 
and
 
availability
 
of
 
supply
 
chain
 
resources,
 
including
 
raw
materials,
 
packaging,
 
energy,
 
and
 
transportation;
 
effectiveness
 
of
 
restructuring
 
and
 
cost
 
saving
 
initiatives;
 
volatility
 
in
 
the
 
market
value of
 
derivatives used to
 
manage price
 
risk for certain
 
commodities; benefit
 
plan expenses due
 
to changes
 
in plan asset
 
values and
discount rates used to determine plan liabilities; failure
 
or breach of our information technology systems;
 
foreign economic conditions,
including currency rate fluctuations; and political unrest in foreign markets
 
and economic uncertainty due to terrorism or war.
You
 
should also
 
consider the risk
 
factors that we
 
identify in Item
 
1A of Part
 
I of our
 
Annual Report on
 
Form 10-K for
 
the fiscal year
ended May 28, 2023, which could also affect our future results.
We undertake
 
no obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking
 
statements to reflect events or circumstances
 
after the date of those
statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated
 
events.
Item 3.
 
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
 
The
 
estimated
 
maximum
 
potential
 
value-at-risk
 
arising
 
from
 
a
 
one-day
 
loss
 
in
 
fair
 
value
 
for
 
our
 
interest
 
rate,
 
foreign
 
exchange,
commodity, and equity
 
market-risk-sensitive instruments outstanding as of August 27, 2023,
 
was as follows:
 
In Millions
One-day Risk
of Loss
Change During
Quarter Ended
Aug. 27, 2023
Analysis of Change
Interest rate instruments
$
59
$
(6)
Lower interest rate volatility
Foreign currency instruments
36
(1)
Immaterial
Commodity instruments
5
(3)
Decrease in commodity prices
Equity instruments
3
-
Immaterial
For additional information, see Item 7A of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K
 
for the fiscal year ended May 28, 2023.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
35
Item 4.
 
Controls and Procedures.
 
We,
 
under the
 
supervision and
 
with the
 
participation of
 
our management,
 
including our
 
Chief Executive
 
Officer and
 
Chief Financial
Officer,
 
have
 
evaluated
 
the
 
effectiveness
 
of
 
the design
 
and
 
operation
 
of
 
our
 
disclosure
 
controls
 
and
 
procedures
 
(as
 
defined
 
in
 
Rule
13a-15(e)
 
under
 
the
 
Securities
 
Exchange
 
Act
 
of
 
1934).
 
Based
 
on
 
our
 
evaluation,
 
our
 
Chief
 
Executive
 
Officer
 
and
 
Chief
 
Financial
Officer have
 
concluded that,
 
as of
 
August 27,
 
2023, our
 
disclosure controls
 
and procedures
 
were effective
 
to ensure
 
that information
required to
 
be disclosed
 
by us
 
in reports
 
that we file
 
or submit
 
under the
 
Securities Exchange
 
Act of
 
1934 is (1)
 
recorded, processed,
summarized,
 
and
 
reported
 
within
 
the
 
time
 
periods
 
specified
 
in
 
Securities
 
and
 
Exchange
 
Commission
 
rules
 
and
 
forms,
 
and
 
(2)
accumulated and
 
communicated to
 
our management,
 
including our
 
Chief Executive
 
Officer and
 
Chief Financial
 
Officer,
 
in a
 
manner
that allows timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There were no changes in our internal
 
control over financial reporting (as defined
 
in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange
 
Act
of 1934)
 
during the
 
quarter ended
 
August 27,
 
2023, that
 
materially affected,
 
or are reasonably
 
likely to
 
materially affect,
 
our internal
control
 
over financial reporting.
PART
 
II.
 
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 2.
 
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
 
The
 
following
 
table
 
sets forth
 
information
 
with
 
respect
 
to
 
shares
 
of
 
our
 
common
 
stock
 
that we
 
purchased
 
during
 
the quarter
 
ended
August 27, 2023:
Period
Total
 
Number
 
of Shares
Purchased (a)
Average
Price Paid
Per Share
Total
 
Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of a Publicly
Announced Program (b)
Maximum Number of Shares
that may yet be Purchased
Under the Program (b)
May 29, 2023 -
July 2, 2023
3,648,025
$
80.40
3,648,025
81,214,844
July 3, 2023 -
July 30, 2023
2,739,485
77.18
2,739,485
78,475,359
July 31, 2023 -
 
August 27, 2023
-
-
-
78,475,359
Total
6,387,510
$
79.02
6,387,510
78,475,359
(a)
 
The total number
 
of shares purchased
 
includes shares of
 
common stock withheld
 
for the payment
 
of withholding taxes
 
upon the distribution
 
of
deferred option units.
(b)
 
On June
 
27, 2022,
 
our Board
 
of Directors approved
 
an authorization
 
for the
 
repurchase of
 
up to
 
100,000,000 shares of
 
our common stock
 
and
terminated the
 
prior authorization.
 
Purchases can
 
be made
 
in the
 
open market
 
or in
 
privately negotiated
 
transactions, including
 
the use
 
of call
options
 
and
 
other
 
derivative
 
instruments,
 
Rule
 
10b5-1
 
trading
 
plans,
 
and
 
accelerated
 
repurchase
 
programs.
 
The
 
Board
 
did
 
not
 
specify
 
an
expiration date for the authorization.
Item 5.
 
Other Information.
 
None.
 
 
36
PART
 
II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 6.
Exhibits.
 
10.1
 
10.2
 
10.3
 
31.1
 
31.2
 
32.1
 
32.2
 
101
Financial
 
Statements
 
from
 
the Quarterly
 
Report
 
on Form
 
10-Q
 
of the
 
Company
 
for
 
the quarter
 
ended
 
August
 
27,
2023,
 
formatted
 
in
 
Inline
 
Extensible
 
Business
 
Reporting
 
Language:
 
(i)
 
Consolidated
 
Statements
 
of
 
Earnings;
 
(ii)
Consolidated
 
Statements
 
of
 
Comprehensive
 
Income,
 
(iii)
 
Consolidated
 
Balance
 
Sheets;
 
(iv)
 
Consolidated
Statements of
 
Total
 
Equity; (v)
 
Consolidated Statements
 
of Cash
 
Flows; and
 
(vi) Notes
 
to Consolidated
 
Financial
Statements.
 
104
Cover Page, formatted in Inline Extensible Business Reporting Language
 
and contained in Exhibit 101.
 
 
37
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
 
to
 
the
 
requirements
 
of
 
the
 
Securities
 
Exchange
 
Act
 
of
 
1934,
 
the
 
registrant
 
has
 
duly
 
caused
 
this
 
report
 
to
 
be
 
signed
 
on
 
its
behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
 
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
(Registrant)
Date: September 20, 2023
/s/ Mark A. Pallot
Mark A. Pallot
Vice President, Chief Accounting
 
Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer and Duly Authorized
 
Officer)
 
 
1
Exhibit 10.1
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD
 
AGREEMENT
GRANT DATE:
PARTICIPANT:
[Officer]
PERNR:
TARGET NUMBER OF
 
UNITS SUBJECT TO
AWARD:
PERFORMANCE PERIOD:
EXPIRATION DATE
 
OF RESTRICTED
PERIOD:
This Award
 
is made
 
under the
 
General Mills,
 
Inc. 2022
 
Stock Compensation
 
Plan (the
 
"Plan"), and
 
is
subject
 
to
 
the
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
contained
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
document
 
and
 
this
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Unit
Award
 
Agreement (“Agreement”).
 
The Participant:
 
(i) acknowledges
 
receipt of
 
a copy
 
of the
 
Plan and
Plan prospectus, (ii) represents that the Participant
 
has carefully read and is familiar with the provisions
of this Agreement and the Plan, and (iii) hereby accepts
 
the Performance Stock Units subject to all of the
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
set
 
forth
 
herein,
 
and
 
in the
 
Plan.
 
If the
 
Participant
 
does
 
not
 
wish to
 
receive
 
the
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units and/or
 
does
 
not
 
consent
 
and
 
agree
 
to the
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions on
 
which the
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
are offered,
 
as set
 
forth in
 
this Agreement
 
and the
 
Plan, then
 
the Participant
must
 
reject
 
this
 
Award
 
via
 
the
 
website
 
of
 
the
 
Company’s
 
designated
 
broker,
 
no
 
later
 
than
 
60
 
days
following the Grant Date.
 
If the Participant rejects this Award,
 
this Award will immediately
 
be forfeited
and cancelled.
 
The Participant’s failure to
 
reject this Award
 
within this 60 day period will constitute the
Participant’s
 
acceptance
 
of this
 
Award
 
and all
 
terms
 
and conditions
 
of this
 
Award,
 
as set
 
forth
 
in this
Agreement and the Plan.
THIS AWARD,
 
dated on
 
the above
 
Grant Date,
 
is made
 
by General
 
Mills, Inc., (the
 
"Company"), and
 
made to
the person named above (the "Participant"
 
or referred to as “I”, “you”, or “my”) (“Award”).
1.
Award
 
of Units.
 
Each unit
 
awarded represents
 
the right
 
to receive
 
one share
 
of the
 
Company common
 
stock,
par value
 
USD 0.10
 
per share
 
(“Stock”).
 
The units
 
granted
 
pursuant
 
to this
 
Agreement
 
are referred
 
to as
 
the
“Performance
 
Stock
 
Units”.
 
The
 
number
 
of
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
earned
 
by
 
the
 
Participant
 
for
 
the
Performance Period will be determined at the end
 
of the Performance Period based on the level of achievement
against the
 
Performance Measures
 
and conditions
 
in accordance
 
with Attachment
 
A. The
 
number of
 
shares of
Stock the
 
Participant is
 
paid is
 
dependent on
 
the number
 
of Performance
 
Stock Units
 
earned and
 
satisfactory
completion
 
of
 
the
 
service
 
requirements
 
described
 
herein.
 
Whether,
 
and
 
the
 
extent
 
to
 
which
 
Performance
Measures have
 
been satisfied
 
at the
 
end of
 
the Performance
 
Period shall
 
be certified
 
by the
 
Compensation
 
&
Talent Committee before any payment is made, and all such determinations shall be made by the Compensation
& Talent
 
Committee in
 
its sole
 
discretion. For
 
each Performance
 
Stock Unit
 
earned and
 
vested, if
 
any,
 
at the
Expiration Date of the Restricted Period, one share of the Company’s Stock shall be issued to the Participant on
the Expiration
 
Date of
 
the Restricted
 
Period, subject
 
to any
 
additional restrictions
 
or holding
 
requirements in
Attachment A. Except
 
as otherwise defined herein,
 
capitalized terms shall have
 
the same meanings
 
ascribed to
them under the Plan.
2.
Vesting of
 
Performance Stock Units; Forfeiture of Performance
 
Stock Units.
(a)
Vesting
 
Schedule
. The
 
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
shall vest
 
on the
 
Expiration
 
Date of
 
the Restricted
Period set forth above (“Vesting
 
Date”) subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan.
(b)
Forfeiture
 
of Performance
 
Stock Units
. The
 
Participant acknowledges
 
that the
 
Performance Stock
Units awarded hereunder are subject to forfeiture if the
 
Participant’s employment with the Company or
any subsidiary or affiliated companies terminates under certain circumstances before the Vesting
 
Date,
as herein provided.
2
(i)
Resignation or Termination
 
for Cause.
 
If the Participant’s employment with the Company or
any subsidiary or affiliated
 
companies is terminated
 
by either (i)
 
resignation, or (ii)
 
a discharge
due to Participant’s
 
illegal activities, poor
 
work performance,
 
misconduct or
 
violation of the
Company’s Code of Conduct, policies or practices, then
 
these Performance Stock Units, to
 
the
extent
 
they
 
are
 
not
 
fully
 
vested
 
as
 
of
 
the
 
Termination
 
Date,
 
shall
 
for
 
no
 
consideration
 
be
cancelled and
 
forfeited in
 
their entirety.
 
For the
 
avoidance of
 
doubt, “Termination
 
Date” for
purposes of this Award will be deemed to occur as of the date Participant is no
 
longer actively
providing services
 
as an
 
employee, unless
 
otherwise determined
 
by the
 
Company in
 
its sole
discretion, and no vesting shall continue during any notice period that may be specified under
contract or
 
applicable law
 
with respect
 
to such
 
termination, including
 
any “garden
 
leave” or
similar period, except as may otherwise be permitted in the Company’s
 
sole discretion.
(ii)
Involuntary Termination.
 
If the
 
Participant’s employment with the
 
Company or
 
any subsidiary
or affiliated companies terminates
 
involuntarily at the
 
initiation of the
 
Company for any
 
reason
other than specified in Plan Section 11 (Change in Control), or (i), (iv) or (v) in this section 2,
and upon the execution (without revoking) of an effective general legal release and such other
documents as are satisfactory to the Company,
 
the following rules shall apply:
a)
In the event
 
that, at the
 
Termination
 
Date, the sum
 
of the Participant’s
 
age and
years
 
of
 
service
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
 
subsidiary
 
or
 
affiliated
 
companies
equals or exceeds 70, then if such involuntary termination occurs before the end
of the Company’s fiscal year
 
within which this Award
 
was granted, it shall vest
in a
 
pro-rata amount
 
based on
 
actual employment
 
completed during
 
said fiscal
year.
 
But if such involuntary termination
 
occurs after the end of
 
the fiscal year
in which it is
 
awarded, then it shall
 
vest fully.
 
In either case,
 
vested Performance
Stock
 
Units
 
shall
 
be
 
settled
 
and
 
paid
 
(subject
 
to
 
any
 
additional
 
restrictions
 
or
holding requirements in Attachment A) on the Expiration Date of the Restricted
Period, with a value, if any, that otherwise would be earned under the
 
applicable
Performance
 
Measures
 
established
 
in
 
Attachment
 
A
 
based
 
on
 
actual
performance.
b)
In the event
 
that, at the
 
Termination
 
Date, the sum
 
of the Participant’s
 
age and
years of service
 
with the Company
 
or any subsidiary
 
or affiliated
 
companies is
less than 70,
 
this Award
 
shall be settled
 
and paid on
 
the Expiration Date
 
of the
Restricted Period (subject to any additional restrictions or holding requirements
in Attachment A) with a value, if any, that otherwise would be earned under
 
the
applicable Performance
 
Measures established
 
in Attachment A
 
based on actual
performance; and shall
 
vest at the Expiration
 
Date of the Restricted
 
Period in a
pro-rata amount based on actual
 
employment completed during the Performance
Period through
 
the Termination
 
Date. All
 
other Performance
 
Stock Units
 
shall
be forfeited as of the Termination
 
Date.
(iii)
Death.
 
If a
 
Participant dies
 
while employed
 
by the
 
Company or
 
any subsidiary
 
or affiliated
companies during the Performance Period, this Award
 
shall fully vest and shall be considered
to
 
be
 
earned
 
in
 
full
 
“at
 
target”
 
as
 
if
 
the
 
applicable
 
Performance
 
Measures
 
established
 
in
Attachment A have been achieved at target,
 
and settled and paid on the first day of the month
following death to the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries.
(iv)
Retirement
.
 
If the termination of employment is due to the Participant’s retirement on or after
age 55 and completion of at least
 
five (5) years of service with the Company
 
or any subsidiary
or affiliated companies, then if such retirement occurs before the end of the Company’s
 
fiscal
year within
 
which this Award
 
was granted, it
 
shall vest in
 
a pro-rata amount
 
based on actual
employment completed during said
 
fiscal year.
 
But if such retirement occurs after
 
the end of
the fiscal
 
year in which
 
it is
 
awarded, then it
 
shall vest
 
fully.
 
In either case,
 
vested Performance
Stock Units shall be
 
settled and paid on
 
the Expiration Date of
 
the Restricted Period
 
(subject
to any additional
 
restrictions or holding
 
requirements in Attachment
 
A), with a
 
value, if any,
that
 
otherwise
 
would
 
be
 
earned
 
under
 
the
 
applicable
 
Performance
 
Measures
 
established
 
in
Attachment
 
A
 
based
 
on
 
actual
 
performance.
 
Notwithstanding
 
the
 
above,
 
the
 
terms
 
of
 
this
paragraph (iv) shall not apply to a Participant who, prior to
 
a Change of Control, is terminated
for cause as
 
described in (b)(i); said
 
Participant shall be treated
 
as provided in paragraph
 
(b)(i).
 
 
 
 
3
(v)
Spin-offs and Other
 
Divestitures.
 
If the termination
 
of employment
 
is due to
 
the divestiture,
cessation,
 
transfer,
 
or
 
spin-off
 
of
 
a
 
line
 
of
 
business
 
or
 
other
 
activity
 
of
 
the
 
Company,
 
the
Committee, in
 
its sole
 
discretion, shall
 
determine the
 
conversion, vesting,
 
or other
 
treatment
of these Awards. Such treatment shall be consistent with
 
Code Section 409A, and in particular
will take into
 
account whether a
 
separation from
 
service has occurred
 
within the meaning
 
of
Code Section 409A.
3.
Dividend
 
Equivalents.
 
Subject
 
to
 
any
 
applicable
 
provisions
 
in
 
Attachment
 
A,
 
any
 
dividends
 
or
 
other
distributions declared payable on the Company’s Stock on or after the Grant Date of
 
this Award until the Award
is settled
 
and/or
 
forfeited
 
shall
 
be
 
credited
 
notionally
 
to
 
the Participant
 
in
 
an
 
amount
 
equal
 
to
 
such
 
declared
dividends or other distributions
 
on an equivalent number
 
of shares of Stock
 
(“Dividend Equivalents”).
 
Dividend
Equivalents so credited shall be paid if,
 
and only to the extent, the
 
underlying Performance Stock Units to which
they relate become unrestricted and vest, as provided under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement.
 
Dividend
Equivalents credited in respect to Performance Stock Units that
 
are forfeited under the terms of the
 
Plan and this
document,
 
are
 
correspondingly
 
forfeited.
 
No
 
interest
 
or
 
other
 
earnings
 
shall
 
be
 
credited
 
on
 
Dividend
Equivalents.
 
Vested
 
Dividend Equivalents shall be paid in cash at the same time as the
 
underlying Performance
Stock Units to which they relate are settled.
4.
Settlement
 
of Performance
 
Stock
 
Units.
 
Upon vesting
 
of the
 
Performance
 
Stock Units,
 
settlement
 
shall
 
be
completed as soon as administratively practicable
 
but in no event
 
later than 30 days
 
after the vesting date, except
where
 
such
 
settlement
 
following
 
a
 
Section
 
409A
 
Separation
 
from
 
Service
 
requires
 
a
 
six-month
 
delay.
 
The
Company
 
will provide
 
for settlement
 
in the
 
form of
 
shares of
 
Stock. At
 
the Company’s
 
discretion, additional
restrictions or holding requirements may be imposed on settled Units and dividend
 
equivalents, if any.
 
5.
Non-Transferability
.
 
The
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
may
 
not
 
be
 
sold,
 
assigned,
 
pledged,
 
exchanged,
hypothecated, encumbered,
 
disposed of, or
 
otherwise transferred, unless
 
otherwise provided in
 
the Plan or
 
this
Agreement.
 
Upon any attempt to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose
 
of the Performance
Stock Units or
 
of such rights contrary
 
to the provisions hereof
 
or in the Plan,
 
the Performance Stock
 
Units and
such rights shall immediately become null and void.
6.
Withholding of
 
Tax.
 
The Participant acknowledges
 
that, regardless of
 
any action taken by
 
the Company or,
 
if
different,
 
the
 
subsidiary
 
or
 
affiliated
 
company
 
that
 
employs
 
the
 
Participant
 
(the
 
“Employer”),
 
the
 
ultimate
liability for all
 
income tax, social
 
contributions, payroll tax,
 
fringe benefits tax,
 
payment on account,
 
hypothetical
tax or
 
other tax-related
 
items related
 
to the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan
 
and legally
 
applicable to
 
the
Participant or
 
deemed by
 
the Company
 
or the
 
Employer in
 
their discretion
 
to be
 
an appropriate
 
charge to
 
the
Participant even if legally applicable to the
 
Company or the Employer
 
(“Tax-Related Items”), is and remains the
Participant’s
 
responsibility and
 
may exceed the
 
amount actually withheld
 
by the Company
 
or the Employer,
 
if
any.
 
The Participant further
 
acknowledges that the
 
Company and/or the
 
Employer (a) make
 
no representations
or
 
undertakings
 
regarding
 
the
 
treatment
 
of
 
any
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
in
 
connection
 
with
 
any
 
aspect
 
of
 
the
Performance Stock Units, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting, the subsequent sale of shares of
 
Stock
acquired pursuant
 
to such vesting
 
and the receipt
 
of any dividends;
 
and (b) do
 
not commit to
 
and are under
 
no
obligation to structure the terms of the
 
grant or any aspect of the Performance Stock
 
Units to reduce or eliminate
the Participant’s liability for Tax
 
-Related Items or achieve any particular tax result. Further, if the Participant is
subject to Tax
 
-Related Items in more than one
 
jurisdiction between the Grant Date
 
and the date of any relevant
taxable
 
or
 
tax
 
withholding
 
event,
 
as
 
applicable,
 
the
 
Participant
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and/or
 
the
Employer (or former employer, as applicable)
 
may be required to withhold or account for Tax
 
-Related Items in
more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to
 
the relevant
 
taxable or
 
tax withholding
 
event, as
 
applicable,
 
the Participant
 
agrees to
 
make
 
adequate
arrangements satisfactory to
 
the Company and/or
 
the Employer to satisfy
 
all Tax-Related
 
Items. In this regard,
unless otherwise approved by
 
the Committee, the Company
 
shall satisfy the obligations
 
with regard to all Tax-
Related Items by
 
one or
 
a combination
 
of the following:
 
(i) withholding
 
from the Participant’s
 
wages or other
cash compensation paid to
 
the Participant by the
 
Company and/or the Employer;
 
(ii) withholding from the
 
shares
of
 
Stock
 
to
 
be
 
delivered
 
upon
 
settlement
 
of
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
other
 
awards
 
granted
 
to
 
the
Participant or
 
(iii) permitting
 
the Participant
 
to tender
 
to the
 
Company cash
 
or,
 
if allowed
 
by the
 
Committee,
shares of Stock.
Depending
 
on
 
the
 
withholding
 
method,
 
the
 
Company
 
may
 
withhold
 
or
 
account
 
for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
by
considering applicable statutory
 
withholding rates (as
 
determined by the
 
Company in good
 
faith and in
 
its sole
discretion)
 
or
 
other
 
applicable
 
withholding
 
rates,
 
including
 
maximum
 
applicable
 
rates,
 
in
 
which
 
case
 
the
Participant
 
will
 
receive
 
a
 
refund
 
of
 
any
 
over-withheld
 
amount
 
and
 
will
 
have
 
no
 
entitlement
 
to
 
the
 
share
 
4
equivalent.
 
If the
 
obligation for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items is
 
satisfied by
 
withholding from
 
the shares
 
of Stock
 
to be
delivered upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, for tax purposes, the Participant is deemed to have been
issued the full number of shares of
 
Stock subject to the Performance Stock Units, notwithstanding that a
 
number
of shares
 
of Stock
 
are held
 
back solely
 
for the
 
purpose of
 
paying the
 
Tax-Related
 
Items. The
 
Participant will
have
 
no further
 
rights with
 
respect to
 
any
 
shares of
 
Stock that
 
are retained
 
by the
 
Company pursuant
 
to
 
this
provision.
The
 
Participant
 
agrees
 
to
 
pay
 
to
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
 
Employer
 
any
 
amount
 
of
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
that
 
the
Company or the
 
Employer may be
 
required to withhold
 
or account for
 
as a
 
result of the
 
Participant’s participation
in the
 
Plan that
 
cannot be
 
satisfied by
 
the means
 
previously
 
described.
 
The Company
 
may refuse
 
to issue
 
or
deliver
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
or
 
proceeds
 
from
 
the
 
sale
 
of
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
until
 
arrangements
 
satisfactory
 
to
 
the
Company have been made in connection with the Tax
 
-Related Items.
7.
Restrictive Covenants;
 
Confidential Information.
 
The Participant
 
agrees to
 
cooperate with
 
the Company
 
in
any way
 
needed in order
 
to comply with,
 
or fulfill the
 
terms of the
 
Plan and this
 
Award
 
document.
 
As a term
and condition of this Award,
 
Participant agrees to the following terms:
 
a.
I agree to use General Mills Confidential Information only as needed in the performance of my duties,
to
 
hold
 
and
 
protect
 
such
 
information
 
as
 
confidential
 
to
 
the
 
Company,
 
and
 
not
 
to
 
engage
 
in
 
any
unauthorized
 
use
 
or
 
disclosure
 
of
 
such
 
information
 
for
 
so
 
long
 
as
 
such
 
information
 
qualifies
 
as
Confidential
 
Information.
 
I
 
agree
 
that
 
after
 
my
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
terminates
 
for
 
any
reason, including
 
“retirement” as
 
that term
 
is used
 
in the
 
Plan, I
 
will not
 
use or
 
disclose, directly
 
or
indirectly,
 
Company Confidential
 
Information or
 
trade secrets
 
for any
 
purpose, unless
 
I get
 
the prior
written consent of my manager to do so.
This document does
 
not prevent me from
 
filing a complaint with
 
a government agency
 
(including the
Securities
 
and
 
Exchange
 
Commission,
 
Department
 
of
 
Justice,
 
Equal
 
Employment
 
Opportunity
Commission and
 
others) or from
 
participating in
 
an agency proceeding.
 
This document also
 
does not
prevent
 
me
 
from
 
providing
 
an
 
agency
 
with
 
information,
 
including
 
this
 
document,
 
unless
 
such
information
 
is
 
legally
 
protected
 
from
 
disclosure
 
to
 
third
 
parties.
 
I
 
do
 
not
 
need
 
prior
 
company
authorization to take these actions, nor must I notify the company I have done so.
Also, as provided in
 
18 U.S.C. 1833(b), I
 
cannot be held criminally
 
or civilly liable under
 
any federal
or state
 
trade secret
 
law for
 
making a
 
trade secret
 
disclosure: (A)
 
in confidence
 
to a
 
federal, state,
 
or
local
 
government
 
official,
 
either
 
directly
 
or
 
indirectly,
 
or
 
to
 
an
 
attorney,
 
solely
 
for
 
the
 
purpose
 
of
reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) in
 
a complaint or other document filed in
a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
General
 
Mills
 
Confidential
 
Information
 
means
 
any
 
non-public
 
information
 
I
 
create,
 
receive,
 
use
 
or
observe
 
in
 
the
 
performance
 
of
 
my
 
job
 
at
 
General
 
Mills,
 
including
 
trade
 
secrets.
 
Examples
 
of
Confidential Information include marketing,
 
merchandising, business plans, business
 
methods, pricing,
purchasing,
 
licensing,
 
contracts,
 
employee,
 
supplier
 
or
 
customer
 
information,
 
financial
 
data,
technological developments, manufacturing processes and specifications, product formulas, ingredient
specifications, software
 
code, and
 
all other proprietary
 
information which
 
is not publicly
 
available to
others.
Prior to leaving the Company,
 
I agree to return all materials in
 
my possession containing Confidential
Information, as well as all other
 
documents and other tangible items provided
 
to me by General Mills,
or developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
b.
[
This Section
 
7.b. does
 
not apply
 
to Colorado
 
and Minnesota-based
 
employees.
] I
 
agree that
 
for one
year after I leave
 
the Company,
 
including retiring from the Company,
 
I will not work on any
 
product,
brand category, process, or service: (A) on which
 
I worked, or about
 
which I had access
 
to Confidential
Information,
 
in the
 
year immediately
 
preceding my
 
termination
 
(including retirement)
 
from General
Mills, and
 
(B)
 
which
 
competes
 
with
 
General
 
Mills
 
products,
 
brand
 
categories,
 
processes,
 
or
 
related
services.
 
c.
I agree that for one year after I
 
leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company, I will refrain
from directly
 
or indirectly
 
soliciting Company
 
employees for
 
the purpose
 
of hiring
 
them or
 
inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
 
5
d.
I agree that after I leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company, I will indefinitely refrain
from
 
using
 
Company
 
client
 
or
 
contact
 
lists,
 
and
 
for
 
two
 
years
 
I
 
will
 
refrain
 
from
 
soliciting
 
the
Company’s customers.
A breach of the obligations set forth in this
 
paragraph may result in the rescission of the
 
Award, termination and
forfeiture of
 
any unvested Units,
 
and/or required
 
payment to the
 
Company of
 
all or a
 
portion of
 
any monetary
gains acquired
 
by the Participant
 
as a result
 
of the Award,
 
unless the Award
 
vested and
 
was settled more
 
than
four (4) years prior to the breach.
 
The foregoing remedies are in addition to, and
 
not in lieu of injunctive relief
and/or any other legal or equitable remedies available under applicable law.
8.
Nature of Grant.
 
In accepting the Performance Stock Units, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that:
(a)
the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and
 
it may be modified,
amended, suspended
 
or terminated
 
by the Company,
 
in its sole
 
discretion, at
 
any time (subject
 
to any
limitations set forth in the Plan);
(b)
the grant of
 
the Performance Stock
 
Units is
 
voluntary and occasional
 
and does not
 
create any
 
contractual
or other right
 
to receive future
 
grants of restricted stock
 
units, or benefits
 
in lieu of
 
restricted stock units,
even if restricted stock units or other awards have been granted in the past;
(c)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any,
 
will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(d)
the Participant’s participation
 
in the Plan is voluntary;
(e)
the Performance
 
Stock Units
 
and the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan
 
shall not
 
create a
 
right to
employment
 
or
 
be
 
interpreted
 
as
 
forming
 
an
 
employment
 
contract
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
 
of
 
its
Subsidiaries
 
or
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
and
 
shall
 
not
 
interfere
 
with
 
the
 
ability
 
of
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
Employer, as
 
applicable, to terminate
 
the Participant’s
 
employment relationship (as
 
otherwise may be
permitted under local law);
(f)
unless
 
otherwise
 
agreed
 
with
 
the
 
Company,
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
acquired upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, and the income from and value of
 
same, are not
granted as consideration for, or
 
in connection with, any
 
service the Participant
 
may provide as a
 
director
of any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(g)
the Performance Stock Units and any
 
shares of Stock acquired under the
 
Plan and the income and
 
value
of same,
 
are not
 
part of
 
normal or
 
expected compensation
 
for purposes
 
of calculating
 
any severance,
resignation,
 
termination,
 
redundancy,
 
dismissal,
 
end-of-service
 
payments,
 
bonuses,
 
long-service
awards,
 
pension
 
or
 
retirement
 
or
 
welfare
 
benefits
 
or
 
similar
 
payments
 
and
 
in
 
no
 
event
 
should
 
be
considered as compensation for, or relating in any
 
way to, past services
 
for the Company, the Employer
or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(h)
the
 
future
 
value
 
of
 
the
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
underlying
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
is
 
unknown,
indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;
 
(i)
upon vesting of
 
the Performance
 
Stock Units, the
 
value of such
 
shares of Stock
 
may increase or
 
decrease
in value;
 
(j)
no
 
claim
 
or
 
entitlement
 
to
 
compensation
 
or
 
damages
 
shall
 
arise
 
from
 
forfeiture
 
of
 
the
 
Performance
Stock Units resulting from termination
 
of the Participant’s employment (for any reason
 
whatsoever and
whether
 
or
 
not
 
in
 
breach
 
of
 
local
 
labor
 
laws
 
or
 
later
 
found
 
invalid)
 
and,
 
in
 
consideration
 
of
 
the
Performance Stock Units,
 
the Participant agrees
 
not to institute any
 
claim against the Company
 
or the
Employer;
(k)
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
the
 
benefits
 
evidenced
 
by
 
this
 
Agreement
 
do
 
not
 
create
 
any
entitlement
 
not
 
otherwise
 
specifically
 
provided
 
for
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
or
 
provided
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
in
 
its
discretion,
 
to have
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
or
 
any
 
such benefits
 
transferred
 
to, or
 
assumed
 
by,
another company, nor to be exchanged,
 
cashed out or substituted for, in connection with any corporate
transaction affecting the shares of Stock; and
 
 
 
 
 
6
(l)
neither the Company
 
nor any of its
 
Subsidiaries or affiliated
 
companies shall be
 
liable for any foreign
exchange rate
 
fluctuation between
 
the Participant’s
 
local currency and
 
the U.S. dollar
 
that may affect
the value of the Performance Stock Units or any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the vesting
of the Performance Stock Units or the subsequent sale of any shares of Stock acquired upon vesting
 
of
the Performance Stock Units.
9.
Data
 
Privacy.
If the
 
Participant would
 
like to
 
participate in
 
the Plan,
 
the Participant
 
will need
 
to review
 
the
information provided in this Section 9 and, where applicable, declare the Participant’s consent to the processing
of personal data by the Company and the third parties stated below.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
is
 
based
 
in
 
the
 
European
 
Union
 
(“EU”),
 
European
 
Economic
 
Area
 
(“EEA”)
 
or
 
United
Kingdom,
 
please
 
note
 
that
 
General
 
Mills,
 
Inc.
 
with
 
registered
 
address
 
at
 
One
 
General
 
Mills
 
Boulevard,
Minneapolis, MN 55426-1347, is the controller responsible for the processing of the Participant’s
 
personal data
in connection with the Agreement and the Plan.
 
(a)
Data Collection
 
and Usage.
 
The Company
 
collects, processes,
 
uses and
 
transfers certain
 
personally-
identifiable information about the Participant,
 
specifically, the
 
Participant’s
 
name, home address and
telephone
 
number,
 
email
 
address,
 
date
 
of
 
birth,
 
social
 
insurance,
 
passport
 
number
 
or
 
other
identification
 
number,
 
salary,
 
nationality,
 
job
 
title,
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
or
 
directorships
 
held
 
in
 
the
Company or
 
any affiliated
 
company,
 
details of
 
all Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
or any
 
other entitlement
 
to
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
awarded,
 
canceled,
 
exercised,
 
settled,
 
vested,
 
unvested
 
or
 
outstanding
 
in
 
the
Participant’s
 
favor,
 
which the Company
 
receives from
 
the Participant or
 
the Employer (the
 
“Data”).
The
 
Company
 
collects,
 
processes
 
and
 
uses
 
the
 
Data
 
for
 
the
 
purposes
 
of
 
performing
 
its
 
contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement,
 
implementing,
 
administering
 
and
 
managing
 
the
 
Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable
 
tax and securities law.
If the Participant is based in the EU, EEA or United Kingdom, the legal basis for the processing of the
Data by
 
the Company
 
is the
 
necessity of
 
the processing
 
for the
 
Company
 
to perform
 
its contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement
 
and
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Company’s
 
legitimate
 
business
 
interests
 
of
managing
 
the
 
Plan,
 
administering
 
employee
 
equity
 
awards
 
and
 
complying
 
with
 
its
 
contractual
 
and
statutory obligations.
If the
 
Participant is
 
based in
 
any other
 
jurisdiction, the
 
legal basis
 
for the
 
processing
 
of the
 
Data by
the Company is the Participant’s
 
consent as further described below.
(b)
Stock
 
Plan
 
Administration
 
Service
 
Providers.
 
The
 
Company
 
transfers
 
Data
 
to
 
E*TRADE
 
Financial
Corporate Services,
 
Inc. (including
 
its affiliated
 
companies), an
 
independent service
 
provider
 
which
assists
 
the
 
Company
 
with
 
the
 
implementation,
 
administration
 
and
 
management
 
of
 
the
 
Plan.
 
In
 
the
future, the Company may select
 
a different service provider, which will in a similar manner, share Data
with
 
such
 
service
 
provider.
 
The
 
Company’s
 
service
 
provider
 
will
 
maintain
 
an
 
account
 
for
 
the
Participant to
 
administer the
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units. The
 
processing
 
of Data
 
will take
 
place through
both electronic and
 
non-electronic means.
 
Data will only be accessible
 
by those individuals requiring
access to it for purposes of implementing, administering and operating
 
the Plan.
(c)
International Data
 
Transfers.
 
The Company
 
and its
 
service providers
 
are
 
based in
 
the United
 
States
and
 
India.
 
The
 
Participant’s
 
country
 
or
 
jurisdiction
 
may
 
have
 
different
 
data
 
privacy
 
laws
 
and
protections
 
than the
 
United States
 
and India.
 
An appropriate
 
level of
 
protection
 
can be
 
achieved by
implementing safeguards such as the Standard
 
Contractual Clauses adopted by the EU Commission.
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the Data will be transferred from the Participant’s
jurisdiction to the Company and onward from the Company to any of its
 
service providers based on the
Participant’s
 
consent, as further described below.
(d)
Data Retention.
 
The Company
 
will use
 
the Data
 
only as
 
long as
 
necessary to
 
implement, administer
and
 
manage
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
participation
 
in
 
the
 
Plan,
 
or
 
as
 
required
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
legal
 
or
regulatory
 
obligations,
 
including
 
tax
 
and
 
securities
 
laws.
 
When
 
the
 
Company
 
no
 
longer
 
needs
 
the
Data, the Company
 
will remove it
 
from its
 
systems.
 
If the Company
 
keeps data longer,
 
it would be to
satisfy
 
legal
 
or
 
regulatory
 
obligations
 
and
 
the
 
Company’s
 
legal
 
basis
 
would
 
be
 
relevant
 
laws
 
or
regulations
 
(if the
 
Participant is
 
in the
 
EU, EEA or
 
United Kingdom)
 
or the
 
Participant’s
 
consent (if
the Participant is outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
 
 
 
 
 
 
7
(e)
Data
 
Subject
 
Rights.
 
The
 
Participant
 
may
 
have
 
a
 
number
 
of
 
rights
 
under
 
data
 
privacy
 
laws
 
in
 
the
Participant’s
 
jurisdiction.
 
Subject
 
to
 
the
 
conditions
 
set
 
out
 
in
 
the
 
applicable
 
law
 
and
 
depending
 
on
where the Participant
 
is based, such rights may
 
include the right to (i)
 
request access to,
 
or copies of,
the
 
Data
 
processed
 
by
 
the
 
Company,
 
(ii)
 
rectification
 
of
 
incorrect
 
Data,
 
(iii)
 
deletion
 
of
 
Data,
 
(iv)
restrictions on the processing of
 
Data, (v) object to the processing of Data for legitimate interests, (vi)
portability of Data, (vii) lodge
 
complaints with competent authorities in
 
the Participant’s
 
jurisdiction,
and/or
 
to
 
(viii)
 
receive
 
a
 
list
 
with
 
the
 
names
 
and
 
addresses
 
of
 
any
 
potential
 
recipients
 
of
 
Data.
 
To
receive clarification regarding
 
these rights or to exercise
 
these rights, the Participant can
 
contact HR
Direct.
(f)
Necessary Disclosure of Personal Data. The Participant understands that providing the Company with
Data is necessary
 
for the performance
 
of the Agreement
 
and that the
 
Participant’s
 
refusal to
 
provide
the Data
 
would make
 
it impossible
 
for the
 
Company to
 
perform its
 
contractual
 
obligations
 
and may
affect the Participant’s
 
ability to participate in the Plan.
(g)
Declaration
 
of
 
Consent
 
(if
 
the
 
Participant
 
is
 
outside
 
the
 
EU,
 
EEA
 
and
 
United
 
Kingdom).
 
The
Participant hereby
 
unambiguously consents
 
to the
 
collection, use
 
and transfer,
 
in electronic
 
or other
form, of the Data,
 
as described above and
 
in any other grant
 
materials, by and among,
 
as applicable,
the
 
Employer,
 
the
 
Company
 
and
 
any
 
affiliated
 
company
 
for
 
the
 
exclusive
 
purpose
 
of
 
implementing,
administering and
 
managing the Participant’s
 
participation in the
 
Plan. The Participant
 
understands
that the Participant may, at any time, refuse or withdraw the consents herein,
 
in any case without cost,
by contacting HR Direct.
 
If the Participant does not consent or later seeks to revoke the
 
Participant’s
consent,
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
status
 
or
 
service
 
with
 
the
 
Employer
 
will
 
not
 
be
 
affected;
 
the
Participant’s
 
consequence of refusing
 
or withdrawing consent
 
is that the Company
 
would not be able
to
 
award
 
the
 
Participant
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
any
 
other
 
equity
 
award
 
to
 
the
 
Participant
 
or
administer
 
or
 
maintain
 
such
 
awards.
 
Therefore,
 
the
 
Participant
 
understands
 
that
 
refusing
 
or
withdrawing
 
consent
 
may
 
affect
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
ability
 
to
 
participate
 
in
 
the
 
Plan.
 
For
 
more
information on the consequences of refusal to consent or withdrawal of
 
consent, the Participant should
contact HR Direct.
10.
Clawback
.
 
This
 
Award
 
is
 
specifically
 
made
 
subject
 
to
 
the
 
Company’s
 
Executive
 
Compensation
 
Clawback
Policy.
11.
Insider Trading;
 
Market Abuse Laws.
 
By participating in the Plan,
 
the Participant agrees to comply with the
Company’s policy on insider trading (to the extent that it is applicable to the Participant), the Participant further
acknowledges that, depending on the
 
Participant’s or his or her broker’s country
 
of residence or where
 
the shares
of Stock
 
are listed,
 
the Participant
 
may be
 
subject to
 
insider trading
 
restrictions and/or
 
market abuse
 
laws that
may affect the Participant’s ability
 
to accept, acquire,
 
sell or
 
otherwise dispose of
 
shares of Stock,
 
rights to shares
of
 
Stock
 
(e.g.,
 
restricted
 
stock
 
units)
 
or
 
rights
 
linked
 
to
 
the
 
value
 
of
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock,
 
during
 
such
 
times
 
the
Participant
 
is
 
considered
 
to
 
have
 
“inside
 
information”
 
regarding
 
the
 
Company
 
as
 
defined
 
by
 
the
 
laws
 
or
regulations in the Participant’s country.
 
Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation
or amendment of
 
orders the Participant
 
places before he
 
or she possessed
 
inside information.
 
Furthermore, the
Participant could be
 
prohibited from (i)
 
disclosing the inside
 
information to any
 
third party (other
 
than on a
 
“need
to know” basis)
 
and (ii) “tipping”
 
third parties or
 
causing them otherwise
 
to buy or
 
sell securities. The
 
Participant
understands
 
that
 
third
 
parties
 
include
 
fellow
 
employees.
 
Any
 
restriction
 
under
 
these
 
laws
 
or
 
regulations
 
are
separate from
 
and in
 
addition to
 
any restrictions
 
that may
 
be imposed
 
under any
 
applicable Company
 
insider
trading
 
policy.
 
The
 
Participant
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
it
 
is
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
responsibility
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
any
applicable restrictions, and that the
 
Participant should therefore consult the Participant’s personal advisor on
 
this
matter.
12.
Electronic
 
Delivery.
The
 
Participant
 
agrees,
 
to
 
the
 
fullest
 
extent
 
permitted
 
by
 
law,
 
in
 
lieu
 
of
 
receiving
documents in paper
 
format, to accept
 
electronic delivery of
 
any documents that
 
the Company and
 
its Subsidiaries
or affiliated companies may deliver in connection with this grant
 
and any other grants offered by the Company,
including
 
prospectuses,
 
grant
 
notifications,
 
account
 
statements,
 
annual
 
or
 
quarterly
 
reports,
 
and
 
other
communications.
 
Electronic
 
delivery
 
of
 
a
 
document
 
may
 
be
 
made
 
via
 
the
 
Company’s
 
email
 
system
 
or
 
by
reference to a location on the Company’s intranet or website or a website of the Company’s agent administering
the
 
Plan.
 
By
 
accepting
 
this
 
grant,
 
whether
 
electronically
 
or
 
otherwise,
 
the
 
Participant
 
hereby
 
consents
 
to
participate in the Plan through
 
such system, intranet, or website,
 
including but not limited to
 
the use of electronic
signatures or click-through electronic acceptance of terms and conditions.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8
13.
English Language.
The Participant acknowledges
 
and agrees that it
 
is the Participant’s
 
express intent that
 
this
Agreement and the Plan and all other documents, notices and legal proceedings
 
entered into, given or instituted
pursuant to the Performance Stock
 
Units be drawn up in
 
English. To the extent the Participant has
 
been provided
with a copy of this Agreement, the Plan, or any other documents relating to this Award
 
in a language other than
English, the
 
English language
 
documents will
 
prevail in
 
case of
 
any ambiguities
 
or divergences
 
as a
 
result of
translation.
14.
Addendum.
Notwithstanding any
 
provisions in
 
this Agreement,
 
the Performance
 
Stock Units shall
 
be subject
to
 
any
 
special
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
set
 
forth
 
in
 
the
 
Country-Specific
 
Addendum
 
to
 
this
 
Agreement
 
(the
“Addendum”).
 
Moreover,
 
if the
 
Participant transfers
 
to one
 
of the
 
countries included
 
in such
 
Addendum,
 
the
special terms and conditions
 
for such country will
 
apply to the Participant,
 
to the extent the
 
Company determines
that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable to comply with local law or facilitate
the
 
administration
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
(or
 
the
 
Company
 
may
 
establish
 
alternative
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
as
 
may
 
be
necessary
 
or
 
advisable
 
to
 
accommodate
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
transfer).
 
The
 
Addendum
 
constitutes
 
part
 
of
 
this
Agreement.
15.
Not a
 
Public Offering
. The
 
award of
 
the Performance
 
Stock Units
 
is not
 
intended
 
to be
 
a public
 
offering
 
of
securities in the
 
Participant’s
 
country of
 
employment (or
 
country of residence,
 
if different).
 
The Company
 
has
not submitted any registration
 
statement, prospectus or other
 
filings with the local
 
securities authorities (unless
otherwise
 
required
 
under
 
local
 
law),
 
and
 
the
 
award
 
of
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
is
 
not
 
subject
 
to
 
the
supervision of the
 
local securities authorities.
No employee of
 
the Company or
 
any of its
 
Subsidiaries or affiliated
companies is
 
permitted to
 
advise the
 
Participant on
 
whether he/she
 
should participate
 
in the
 
Plan. Acquiring
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
involves
 
a
 
degree
 
of
 
risk.
 
Before
 
deciding
 
to
 
participate
 
in
 
the
 
Plan,
 
the
 
Participant
 
should
carefully
 
consider
 
all risk
 
factors relevant
 
to the
 
acquisition
 
of shares
 
of Stock
 
under the
 
Plan
 
and carefully
review
 
all of
 
the materials
 
related
 
to the
 
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
and the
 
Plan. In
 
addition,
 
the Participant
should consult with his/her personal advisor for professional
 
investment advice.
16.
Repatriation; Compliance with
 
Law
. The Participant
 
agrees to repatriate
 
all payments attributable
 
to the
 
shares
of
 
Stock
 
and/or
 
cash
 
acquired
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
in
 
accordance
 
with
 
applicable
 
foreign
 
exchange
 
rules
 
and
regulations in the
 
Participant’s
 
country of employment
 
(and country of
 
residence, if different).
 
In addition, the
Participant agrees to take any and all actions, and consent
 
to any and all actions taken by the Company and any
of its Subsidiaries and
 
affiliated companies, as may be
 
required to allow the
 
Company and any of
 
its Subsidiaries
and
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
local
 
laws,
 
rules
 
and/or
 
regulations
 
in
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
country
 
of
employment (and country of residence, if different). Finally, the Participant agrees to take any and all actions as
may be required to comply with the Participant’s personal obligations under
 
local laws, rules and/or regulations
in the Participant’s country of employment
 
and country of residence, if different).
17.
Imposition
 
of
 
Other
 
Requirements
.
 
The
 
Company
 
reserves
 
the
 
right
 
to
 
impose
 
other
 
requirements
 
on
 
the
Participant’s participation in the Plan, on
 
the Performance Stock Unit,
 
and on any
 
shares of Stock acquired
 
under
the Plan, to
 
the extent the
 
Company determines it
 
is necessary or
 
advisable for legal
 
or administrative reasons,
and
 
to
 
require
 
the
 
Participant
 
to
 
sign
 
any
 
additional
 
agreements
 
or
 
undertakings
 
that
 
may
 
be
 
necessary
 
to
accomplish the foregoing.
18.
Committee’s Powers
. No provision contained in this Agreement shall in any way terminate, modify or alter, or
be construed or interpreted as terminating, modifying or altering any of the powers, rights or authority vested in
the Committee or, to the extent
 
delegated, in its delegate, pursuant
 
to the terms of
 
the Plan or
 
resolutions adopted
in furtherance of
 
the Plan, including,
 
without limitation, the
 
right to make
 
certain determinations and
 
elections
with respect
 
to the
 
Performance Stock
 
Unit. Any
 
dispute regarding
 
the interpretation
 
of this
 
Agreement or
 
the
terms of the Plan shall be submitted to the Committee
 
or its delegate who shall have the discretionary
 
authority
to construe the
 
terms of this Agreement,
 
the Plan, and all
 
documents ancillary to
 
this Award.
 
The decisions of
the Committee or its delegate shall be
 
final and binding and any reviewing court of
 
law or other party shall defer
to its decision,
 
overruling if, and
 
only if, it
 
is arbitrary and
 
capricious. In no
 
way is it intended
 
that this review
standard subject the Plan or Award
 
to the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
19.
Binding Effect
. This Agreement
 
shall be binding
 
upon and inure
 
to the
 
benefit of any
 
successors to the
 
Company
and all persons lawfully claiming under the Participant.
20.
Governing Law
 
and Forum
. Without
 
limiting the
 
effect of
 
section 16,
 
this Agreement
 
shall be
 
governed by,
and construed in
 
accordance with, the
 
laws of the
 
State of Delaware
 
without regard to
 
principles of conflict
 
of
laws.
 
 
9
21.
Severability
.
 
The
 
provisions
 
of
 
this
 
Agreement
 
are
 
severable
 
and
 
if
 
any
 
one
 
or
 
more
 
of
 
the
 
provisions
 
are
determined to
 
be illegal or
 
otherwise unenforceable,
 
in whole or
 
in part, the
 
Agreement shall be
 
reformed and
construed so that it would
 
be enforceable to the maximum
 
extent legally possible, and if
 
it cannot be so
 
reformed
and construed, as if such unenforceable provision, or part thereof, had
 
never been contained herein.
22.
Waiver
. The waiver by the Company
 
with respect to Participant’s
 
(or any other participant’s)
 
compliance with
any
 
provision
 
of this
 
Agreement
 
shall not
 
operate
 
or be
 
construed
 
as a
 
waiver
 
of any
 
other
 
provision
 
of this
Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.
A copy of the Plan and the Prospectus to the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan is available on G&Me
by searching “2022 Stock Compensation Plan”.
 
A copy of the Company’s latest Annual Report
 
on Form 10-K is also
available on the Company’s website
 
at www.generalmills.com
 
under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
 
 
10
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD
 
AGREEMENT
GRANT DATE:
PARTICIPANT:
[CEO]
PERNR:
TARGET NUMBER OF
 
UNITS SUBJECT TO
AWARD:
PERFORMANCE PERIOD:
EXPIRATION DATE
 
OF RESTRICTED
PERIOD:
This Award
 
is made
 
under the
 
General Mills,
 
Inc. 2022
 
Stock Compensation
 
Plan (the
 
"Plan"), and
 
is
subject
 
to
 
the
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
contained
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
document
 
and
 
this
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Unit
Award
 
Agreement (“Agreement”).
 
The Participant:
 
(i) acknowledges
 
receipt of
 
a copy
 
of the
 
Plan and
Plan prospectus, (ii) represents that the Participant
 
has carefully read and is familiar with the provisions
of this Agreement and the Plan, and (iii) hereby accepts
 
the Performance Stock Units subject to all of the
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
set
 
forth
 
herein,
 
and
 
in the
 
Plan.
 
If the
 
Participant
 
does
 
not
 
wish to
 
receive
 
the
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units and/or
 
does
 
not
 
consent
 
and
 
agree
 
to the
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions on
 
which the
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
are offered,
 
as set
 
forth in
 
this Agreement
 
and the
 
Plan, then
 
the Participant
must
 
reject
 
this
 
Award
 
via
 
the
 
website
 
of
 
the
 
Company’s
 
designated
 
broker,
 
no
 
later
 
than
 
60
 
days
following the Grant Date.
 
If the Participant rejects this Award,
 
this Award will immediately
 
be forfeited
and cancelled.
 
The Participant’s failure to
 
reject this Award
 
within this 60 day period will constitute the
Participant’s
 
acceptance
 
of this
 
Award
 
and all
 
terms
 
and conditions
 
of this
 
Award,
 
as set
 
forth
 
in this
Agreement and the Plan.
THIS AWARD,
 
dated on
 
the above
 
Grant Date,
 
is made
 
by General
 
Mills, Inc., (the
 
"Company"), and
 
made to
the person named above (the "Participant" or referred
 
to as “I”, “you”, or “my”) (“Award”).
23.
Award
 
of Units.
 
Each unit
 
awarded represents
 
the right
 
to receive
 
one share
 
of the
 
Company common
 
stock,
par value
 
USD 0.10
 
per share
 
(“Stock”).
 
The units
 
granted
 
pursuant
 
to this
 
Agreement
 
are referred
 
to as
 
the
“Performance
 
Stock
 
Units”.
 
The
 
number
 
of
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
earned
 
by
 
the
 
Participant
 
for
 
the
Performance Period will be determined at the end
 
of the Performance Period based on the level of
 
achievement
against the
 
Performance Measures
 
and conditions
 
in accordance
 
with Attachment
 
A. The
 
number of
 
shares of
Stock the
 
Participant is
 
paid is
 
dependent on
 
the number
 
of Performance
 
Stock Units
 
earned and
 
satisfactory
completion
 
of
 
the
 
service
 
requirements
 
described
 
herein.
 
Whether,
 
and
 
the
 
extent
 
to
 
which
 
Performance
Measures have
 
been satisfied
 
at the
 
end of
 
the Performance
 
Period shall
 
be certified
 
by the
 
Compensation &
Talent Committee before any payment is made, and all such determinations shall be made by the Compensation
& Talent
 
Committee in
 
its sole
 
discretion. For
 
each Performance
 
Stock Unit
 
earned and
 
vested, if
 
any,
 
at the
Expiration Date of the Restricted Period, one share of the Company’s Stock shall be issued to the Participant on
the Expiration
 
Date of
 
the Restricted
 
Period, subject
 
to any
 
additional restrictions
 
or holding
 
requirements in
Attachment A. Except
 
as otherwise defined herein,
 
capitalized terms shall have
 
the same meanings
 
ascribed to
them under the Plan.
24.
Vesting of
 
Performance Stock Units; Forfeiture of Performance
 
Stock Units.
(a)
Vesting
 
Schedule
. The
 
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
shall vest
 
on the
 
Expiration
 
Date of
 
the Restricted
Period set forth above (“Vesting
 
Date”) subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan.
(b)
Forfeiture
 
of Performance
 
Stock Units
. The
 
Participant acknowledges
 
that the
 
Performance Stock
Units awarded hereunder are subject to forfeiture if the
 
Participant’s employment with the Company or
any subsidiary or affiliated companies terminates under certain circumstances before the Vesting
 
Date,
as herein provided.
(vi)
Resignation or Termination
 
for Cause.
 
If the Participant’s employment with the Company or
any subsidiary or affiliated
 
companies is terminated
 
by either (i)
 
resignation, or (ii)
 
a discharge
due to Participant’s
 
illegal activities, poor
 
work performance,
 
misconduct or
 
violation of the
 
 
11
Company’s Code of Conduct, policies or practices, then
 
these Performance Stock Units, to
 
the
extent
 
they
 
are
 
not
 
fully
 
vested
 
as
 
of
 
the
 
Termination
 
Date,
 
shall
 
for
 
no
 
consideration
 
be
cancelled and
 
forfeited in
 
their entirety.
 
For the
 
avoidance of
 
doubt, “Termination
 
Date” for
purposes of this Award will be deemed to occur as of the date Participant is no
 
longer actively
providing services
 
as an
 
employee, unless
 
otherwise determined
 
by the
 
Company in
 
its sole
discretion, and no vesting shall continue during any notice period that may be specified under
contract or
 
applicable law
 
with respect
 
to such
 
termination, including
 
any “garden
 
leave” or
similar period, except as may otherwise be permitted in the Company’s
 
sole discretion.
(vii)
Involuntary Termination/ Early Retirement.
 
If the Participant’s employment by the Company
terminates involuntarily
 
at the initiation
 
of the
 
Company for
 
any reason
 
other than
 
specified
in
 
Plan
 
Section
 
11
 
(Change
 
in
 
Control),
 
or
 
(i),
 
(iv)
 
or
 
(v)
 
in
 
this
 
section
 
2,
 
and
 
upon
 
the
execution (without
 
revoking) of
 
an effective
 
general legal
 
release and
 
such other
 
documents
as are
 
satisfactory to
 
the Company,
 
or if
 
the Participant
 
retires on
 
or after
 
age 55
 
but before
age 62,
 
this Award
 
shall be
 
payable on
 
the Expiration
 
Date of
 
the Restricted
 
Period
 
with a
value,
 
if
 
any,
 
that
 
otherwise
 
would
 
be
 
earned
 
under
 
the
 
applicable
 
performance
 
goals
established under Attachment A based on actual performance; and shall vest at the Expiration
Date
 
of
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Period
 
in
 
a
 
pro-rata
 
amount
 
based
 
on actual
 
employment
 
completed
during the Performance
 
Period through the
 
date of termination.
 
All other Performance
 
Share
Units shall be forfeited as of the date of termination.
 
(viii)
Death.
 
If a
 
Participant dies
 
while employed
 
by the
 
Company or
 
any subsidiary
 
or
affiliated companies
 
during the
 
Performance Period,
 
this Award
 
shall fully
 
vest and
 
shall be
considered
 
to
 
be
 
earned
 
in
 
full
 
“at
 
target”
 
as
 
if
 
the
 
applicable
 
Performance
 
Measures
established in Attachment A have been achieved at target, and settled and
 
paid on the first day
of the month following death to the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries.
(ix)
Normal Retirement
.
 
If the termination
 
of employment is due
 
to a Participant’s
 
retirement on
or after
 
age 62,
 
then
 
if such
 
retirement occurs
 
before the
 
end of
 
the Company’s
 
fiscal year
within
 
which
 
this
 
Award
 
was
 
granted,
 
it
 
shall
 
vest
 
in
 
a
 
pro-rata
 
amount
 
based
 
on
 
actual
employment completed during said
 
fiscal year.
 
But if such retirement occurs after
 
the end of
the fiscal year in which it is awarded, then it shall vest fully.
 
In either case, vested Units shall
be paid
 
on the
 
Expiration Date
 
of the
 
Restricted Period,
 
with a
 
value, if
 
any,
 
that otherwise
would be earned under the applicable
 
performance goals established in the Attachment
 
based
on actual performance.
(x)
Spin-offs and Other
 
Divestitures.
 
If the termination
 
of employment
 
is due to
 
the divestiture,
cessation,
 
transfer,
 
or
 
spin-off
 
of
 
a
 
line
 
of
 
business
 
or
 
other
 
activity
 
of
 
the
 
Company,
 
the
Committee, in
 
its sole
 
discretion, shall
 
determine the
 
conversion, vesting,
 
or other
 
treatment
of these Awards. Such treatment shall be consistent with
 
Code Section 409A, and in particular
will take into
 
account whether a
 
separation from
 
service has occurred
 
within the meaning
 
of
Code Section 409A.
25.
Dividend
 
Equivalents.
 
Subject
 
to
 
any
 
applicable
 
provisions
 
in
 
Attachment
 
A,
 
any
 
dividends
 
or
 
other
distributions declared payable on the Company’s Stock on or after the Grant Date of
 
this Award until the Award
is settled
 
and/or
 
forfeited
 
shall
 
be
 
credited
 
notionally
 
to
 
the Participant
 
in
 
an
 
amount
 
equal
 
to
 
such
 
declared
dividends or other distributions
 
on an equivalent number
 
of shares of Stock
 
(“Dividend Equivalents”).
 
Dividend
Equivalents so credited shall be paid if,
 
and only to the extent, the
 
underlying Performance Stock Units to which
they relate become unrestricted and vest, as provided under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement.
 
Dividend
Equivalents credited in respect to Performance Stock Units that
 
are forfeited under the terms of the
 
Plan and this
document,
 
are
 
correspondingly
 
forfeited.
 
No
 
interest
 
or
 
other
 
earnings
 
shall
 
be
 
credited
 
on
 
Dividend
Equivalents.
 
Vested
 
Dividend Equivalents shall be paid in cash at the same time as the
 
underlying Performance
Stock Units to which they relate are settled.
26.
Settlement
 
of Performance
 
Stock
 
Units.
 
Upon vesting
 
of the
 
Performance
 
Stock Units,
 
settlement
 
shall
 
be
completed as soon as administratively practicable
 
but in no event
 
later than 30 days
 
after the vesting date, except
where
 
such
 
settlement
 
following
 
a
 
Section
 
409A
 
Separation
 
from
 
Service
 
requires
 
a
 
six-month
 
delay.
 
The
Company
 
will provide
 
for settlement
 
in the
 
form of
 
shares of
 
Stock. At
 
the Company’s
 
discretion, additional
restrictions or holding requirements may be imposed on settled Units and
 
dividend equivalents, if any.
 
 
 
 
12
27.
Non-Transferability
.
 
The
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
may
 
not
 
be
 
sold,
 
assigned,
 
pledged,
 
exchanged,
hypothecated, encumbered,
 
disposed of, or
 
otherwise transferred, unless
 
otherwise provided in
 
the Plan or
 
this
Agreement.
 
Upon any attempt to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose
 
of the Performance
Stock Units or
 
of such rights contrary
 
to the provisions hereof
 
or in the Plan,
 
the Performance Stock
 
Units and
such rights shall immediately become null and void.
28.
Withholding of
 
Tax.
 
The Participant acknowledges
 
that, regardless of
 
any action taken by
 
the Company or,
 
if
different,
 
the
 
subsidiary
 
or
 
affiliated
 
company
 
that
 
employs
 
the
 
Participant
 
(the
 
“Employer”),
 
the
 
ultimate
liability for all
 
income tax, social
 
contributions, payroll tax,
 
fringe benefits tax,
 
payment on account,
 
hypothetical
tax or
 
other tax-related
 
items related
 
to the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan
 
and legally
 
applicable to
 
the
Participant or
 
deemed by
 
the Company
 
or the
 
Employer in
 
their discretion
 
to be
 
an appropriate
 
charge to
 
the
Participant even if legally applicable to the
 
Company or the Employer (“Tax-Related Items”),
 
is and remains the
Participant’s
 
responsibility and
 
may exceed the
 
amount actually withheld
 
by the Company
 
or the Employer,
 
if
any.
 
The Participant further
 
acknowledges that the
 
Company and/or the
 
Employer (a) make
 
no representations
or
 
undertakings
 
regarding
 
the
 
treatment
 
of
 
any
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
in
 
connection
 
with
 
any
 
aspect
 
of
 
the
Performance Stock Units, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting, the subsequent sale of shares of
 
Stock
acquired pursuant
 
to such vesting
 
and the receipt
 
of any dividends;
 
and (b) do
 
not commit to
 
and are under
 
no
obligation to structure the terms of the
 
grant or any aspect of the Performance Stock
 
Units to reduce or eliminate
the Participant’s liability for Tax
 
-Related Items or achieve any particular tax result. Further, if the Participant is
subject to Tax
 
-Related Items in more than one
 
jurisdiction between the Grant Date
 
and the date of any relevant
taxable
 
or
 
tax
 
withholding
 
event,
 
as
 
applicable,
 
the
 
Participant
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and/or
 
the
Employer (or former employer, as applicable)
 
may be required to withhold or account for Tax
 
-Related Items in
more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to
 
the relevant
 
taxable or
 
tax withholding
 
event, as
 
applicable,
 
the Participant
 
agrees to
 
make
 
adequate
arrangements satisfactory to
 
the Company and/or
 
the Employer to satisfy
 
all Tax-Related
 
Items. In this regard,
unless otherwise approved by
 
the Committee, the Company
 
shall satisfy the obligations
 
with regard to all Tax-
Related Items by
 
one or
 
a combination
 
of the following:
 
(i) withholding
 
from the Participant’s
 
wages or other
cash compensation paid to
 
the Participant by the
 
Company and/or the Employer;
 
(ii) withholding from the
 
shares
of
 
Stock
 
to
 
be
 
delivered
 
upon
 
settlement
 
of
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
other
 
awards
 
granted
 
to
 
the
Participant or
 
(iii) permitting
 
the Participant
 
to tender
 
to the
 
Company cash
 
or,
 
if allowed
 
by the
 
Committee,
shares of Stock.
Depending
 
on
 
the
 
withholding
 
method,
 
the
 
Company
 
may
 
withhold
 
or
 
account
 
for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
by
considering applicable statutory
 
withholding rates (as
 
determined by the
 
Company in good
 
faith and in
 
its sole
discretion)
 
or
 
other
 
applicable
 
withholding
 
rates,
 
including
 
maximum
 
applicable
 
rates,
 
in
 
which
 
case
 
the
Participant
 
will
 
receive
 
a
 
refund
 
of
 
any
 
over-withheld
 
amount
 
and
 
will
 
have
 
no
 
entitlement
 
to
 
the
 
share
equivalent.
 
If the
 
obligation for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items is
 
satisfied by
 
withholding from
 
the shares
 
of Stock
 
to be
delivered upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, for tax purposes, the Participant is deemed to have been
issued the full number of shares of
 
Stock subject to the Performance Stock Units, notwithstanding that a
 
number
of shares
 
of Stock
 
are held
 
back solely
 
for the
 
purpose of
 
paying the
 
Tax-Related
 
Items. The
 
Participant will
have
 
no further
 
rights with
 
respect to
 
any
 
shares of
 
Stock that
 
are retained
 
by the
 
Company pursuant
 
to
 
this
provision.
The
 
Participant
 
agrees
 
to
 
pay
 
to
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
 
Employer
 
any
 
amount
 
of
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
that
 
the
Company or the
 
Employer may be
 
required to withhold
 
or account for
 
as a
 
result of the
 
Participant’s participation
in the
 
Plan that
 
cannot be
 
satisfied by
 
the means
 
previously
 
described.
 
The Company
 
may refuse
 
to issue
 
or
deliver
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
or
 
proceeds
 
from
 
the
 
sale
 
of
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
until
 
arrangements
 
satisfactory
 
to
 
the
Company have been made in connection with the Tax
 
-Related Items.
29.
Restrictive Covenants;
 
Confidential Information.
 
The Participant
 
agrees to
 
cooperate with
 
the Company
 
in
any way
 
needed in order
 
to comply with,
 
or fulfill the
 
terms of the
 
Plan and this
 
Award
 
document.
 
As a term
and condition of this Award,
 
Participant agrees to the following terms:
 
e.
I agree to use General Mills Confidential Information only as needed in the performance of my duties,
to
 
hold
 
and
 
protect
 
such
 
information
 
as
 
confidential
 
to
 
the
 
Company,
 
and
 
not
 
to
 
engage
 
in
 
any
unauthorized
 
use
 
or
 
disclosure
 
of
 
such
 
information
 
for
 
so
 
long
 
as
 
such
 
information
 
qualifies
 
as
Confidential
 
Information.
 
I
 
agree
 
that
 
after
 
my
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
terminates
 
for
 
any
reason, including
 
“retirement” as
 
that term
 
is used
 
in the
 
Plan, I
 
will not
 
use or
 
disclose, directly
 
or
indirectly,
 
Company Confidential
 
Information or
 
trade secrets
 
for any
 
purpose, unless
 
I get
 
the prior
written consent of my manager to do so.
 
13
This document does
 
not prevent me from
 
filing a complaint with
 
a government agency
 
(including the
Securities
 
and
 
Exchange
 
Commission,
 
Department
 
of
 
Justice,
 
Equal
 
Employment
 
Opportunity
Commission and
 
others) or from
 
participating in
 
an agency proceeding.
 
This document also
 
does not
prevent
 
me
 
from
 
providing
 
an
 
agency
 
with
 
information,
 
including
 
this
 
document,
 
unless
 
such
information
 
is
 
legally
 
protected
 
from
 
disclosure
 
to
 
third
 
parties.
 
I
 
do
 
not
 
need
 
prior
 
company
authorization to take these actions, nor must I notify the company I have done so.
Also, as provided in
 
18 U.S.C. 1833(b), I
 
cannot be held criminally
 
or civilly liable under
 
any federal
or state
 
trade secret
 
law for
 
making a
 
trade secret
 
disclosure: (A)
 
in confidence
 
to a
 
federal, state,
 
or
local
 
government
 
official,
 
either
 
directly
 
or
 
indirectly,
 
or
 
to
 
an
 
attorney,
 
solely
 
for
 
the
 
purpose
 
of
reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) in
 
a complaint or other document filed in
a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
General
 
Mills
 
Confidential
 
Information
 
means
 
any
 
non-public
 
information
 
I
 
create,
 
receive,
 
use
 
or
observe
 
in
 
the
 
performance
 
of
 
my
 
job
 
at
 
General
 
Mills,
 
including
 
trade
 
secrets.
 
Examples
 
of
Confidential Information include marketing,
 
merchandising, business plans, business
 
methods, pricing,
purchasing,
 
licensing,
 
contracts,
 
employee,
 
supplier
 
or
 
customer
 
information,
 
financial
 
data,
technological developments, manufacturing processes and specifications, product formulas, ingredient
specifications, software
 
code, and
 
all other proprietary
 
information which
 
is not publicly
 
available to
others.
Prior to leaving the Company,
 
I agree to return all materials in
 
my possession containing Confidential
Information, as well as all other
 
documents and other tangible items provided
 
to me by General Mills,
or developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
f.
[
This Section
 
7.b. does
 
not apply
 
to Colorado
 
and Minnesota-based
 
employees.
] I
 
agree that
 
for one
year after I leave
 
the Company,
 
including retiring from the Company,
 
I will not work on any
 
product,
brand category, process, or service: (A) on which
 
I worked, or about
 
which I had access
 
to Confidential
Information,
 
in the
 
year immediately
 
preceding my
 
termination
 
(including retirement)
 
from General
Mills, and
 
(B)
 
which
 
competes
 
with
 
General
 
Mills
 
products,
 
brand
 
categories,
 
processes,
 
or
 
related
services.
 
g.
I agree that for one year after I
 
leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company, I will refrain
from directly
 
or indirectly
 
soliciting Company
 
employees for
 
the purpose
 
of hiring
 
them or
 
inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
h.
I agree that after I leave General Mills, including retiring from the Company,
 
I will indefinitely refrain
from
 
using
 
Company
 
client
 
or
 
contact
 
lists,
 
and
 
for
 
two
 
years
 
I
 
will
 
refrain
 
from
 
soliciting
 
the
Company’s customers.
A breach of the obligations set forth in this
 
paragraph may result in the rescission of the
 
Award, termination and
forfeiture of
 
any unvested Units,
 
and/or required
 
payment to the
 
Company of
 
all or a
 
portion of
 
any monetary
gains acquired
 
by the Participant
 
as a result
 
of the Award,
 
unless the Award
 
vested and
 
was settled more
 
than
four (4) years prior to the breach.
 
The foregoing remedies are in addition to, and
 
not in lieu of injunctive relief
and/or any other legal or equitable remedies available under applicable
 
law.
30.
Nature of Grant.
 
In accepting the Performance Stock Units, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that:
(m)
the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and
 
it may be modified,
amended, suspended
 
or terminated
 
by the Company,
 
in its sole
 
discretion, at
 
any time (subject
 
to any
limitations set forth in the Plan);
(n)
the grant of
 
the Performance Stock
 
Units is
 
voluntary and occasional
 
and does not
 
create any
 
contractual
or other right
 
to receive future
 
grants of restricted stock
 
units, or benefits
 
in lieu of
 
restricted stock units,
even if restricted stock units or other awards have been granted in the past;
(o)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any,
 
will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(p)
the Participant’s participation
 
in the Plan is voluntary;
 
 
14
(q)
the Performance
 
Stock Units
 
and the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan
 
shall not
 
create a
 
right to
employment
 
or
 
be
 
interpreted
 
as
 
forming
 
an
 
employment
 
contract
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
 
of
 
its
Subsidiaries
 
or
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
and
 
shall
 
not
 
interfere
 
with
 
the
 
ability
 
of
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
Employer, as
 
applicable, to terminate
 
the Participant’s
 
employment relationship (as
 
otherwise may be
permitted under local law);
(r)
unless
 
otherwise
 
agreed
 
with
 
the
 
Company,
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
acquired upon vesting of the Performance Stock Units, and the income from and value of
 
same, are not
granted as consideration for, or
 
in connection with, any
 
service the Participant
 
may provide as a
 
director
of any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(s)
the Performance Stock Units and any
 
shares of Stock acquired under the
 
Plan and the income and
 
value
of same,
 
are not
 
part of
 
normal or
 
expected compensation
 
for purposes
 
of calculating
 
any severance,
resignation,
 
termination,
 
redundancy,
 
dismissal,
 
end-of-service
 
payments,
 
bonuses,
 
long-service
awards,
 
pension
 
or
 
retirement
 
or
 
welfare
 
benefits
 
or
 
similar
 
payments
 
and
 
in
 
no
 
event
 
should
 
be
considered as compensation for, or relating in any
 
way to, past services
 
for the Company, the Employer
or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(t)
the
 
future
 
value
 
of
 
the
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
underlying
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
is
 
unknown,
indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;
 
(u)
upon vesting of
 
the Performance
 
Stock Units, the
 
value of such
 
shares of Stock
 
may increase or
 
decrease
in value;
 
(v)
no
 
claim
 
or
 
entitlement
 
to
 
compensation
 
or
 
damages
 
shall
 
arise
 
from
 
forfeiture
 
of
 
the
 
Performance
Stock Units resulting from termination
 
of the Participant’s employment (for any reason
 
whatsoever and
whether
 
or
 
not
 
in
 
breach
 
of
 
local
 
labor
 
laws
 
or
 
later
 
found
 
invalid)
 
and,
 
in
 
consideration
 
of
 
the
Performance Stock Units,
 
the Participant agrees
 
not to institute any
 
claim against the Company
 
or the
Employer;
(w)
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
the
 
benefits
 
evidenced
 
by
 
this
 
Agreement
 
do
 
not
 
create
 
any
entitlement
 
not
 
otherwise
 
specifically
 
provided
 
for
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
or
 
provided
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
in
 
its
discretion,
 
to have
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
or
 
any
 
such benefits
 
transferred
 
to, or
 
assumed
 
by,
another company, nor to be exchanged,
 
cashed out or substituted for, in connection with any corporate
transaction affecting the shares of Stock; and
(x)
neither the Company
 
nor any of its
 
Subsidiaries or affiliated
 
companies shall be
 
liable for any foreign
exchange rate
 
fluctuation between
 
the Participant’s
 
local currency and
 
the U.S. dollar
 
that may affect
the value of the Performance Stock Units or any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the vesting
of the Performance Stock Units or the subsequent sale of any shares of Stock acquired upon vesting
 
of
the Performance Stock Units.
31.
Data
 
Privacy.
If the
 
Participant would
 
like to
 
participate in
 
the Plan,
 
the Participant
 
will need
 
to review
 
the
information provided in this Section 9 and, where applicable, declare the Participant’s consent to the processing
of personal data by the Company and the third parties stated below.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
is
 
based
 
in
 
the
 
European
 
Union
 
(“EU”),
 
European
 
Economic
 
Area
 
(“EEA”)
 
or
 
United
Kingdom,
 
please
 
note
 
that
 
General
 
Mills,
 
Inc.
 
with
 
registered
 
address
 
at
 
One
 
General
 
Mills
 
Boulevard,
Minneapolis, MN 55426-1347, is the controller responsible for the processing of the Participant’s
 
personal data
in connection with the Agreement and the Plan.
 
(h)
Data Collection
 
and Usage.
 
The Company
 
collects, processes,
 
uses and
 
transfers certain
 
personally-
identifiable information about the Participant,
 
specifically, the
 
Participant’s
 
name, home address and
telephone
 
number,
 
email
 
address,
 
date
 
of
 
birth,
 
social
 
insurance,
 
passport
 
number
 
or
 
other
identification
 
number,
 
salary,
 
nationality,
 
job
 
title,
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
or
 
directorships
 
held
 
in
 
the
Company or
 
any affiliated
 
company,
 
details of
 
all Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
or any
 
other entitlement
 
to
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
awarded,
 
canceled,
 
exercised,
 
settled,
 
vested,
 
unvested
 
or
 
outstanding
 
in
 
the
Participant’s
 
favor,
 
which the Company
 
receives from
 
the Participant or
 
the Employer (the
 
“Data”).
The
 
Company
 
collects,
 
processes
 
and
 
uses
 
the
 
Data
 
for
 
the
 
purposes
 
of
 
performing
 
its
 
contractual
 
 
 
 
 
 
15
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement,
 
implementing,
 
administering
 
and
 
managing
 
the
 
Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable
 
tax and securities law.
If the Participant is based in the EU, EEA or United Kingdom, the legal basis for the processing of the
Data by
 
the Company
 
is the
 
necessity of
 
the processing
 
for the
 
Company
 
to perform
 
its contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement
 
and
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Company’s
 
legitimate
 
business
 
interests
 
of
managing
 
the
 
Plan,
 
administering
 
employee
 
equity
 
awards
 
and
 
complying
 
with
 
its
 
contractual
 
and
statutory obligations.
If the
 
Participant is
 
based in
 
any other
 
jurisdiction, the
 
legal basis
 
for the
 
processing
 
of the
 
Data by
the Company is the Participant’s
 
consent as further described below.
(i)
Stock
 
Plan
 
Administration
 
Service
 
Providers.
 
The
 
Company
 
transfers
 
Data
 
to
 
E*TRADE
 
Financial
Corporate Services,
 
Inc. (including
 
its affiliated
 
companies), an
 
independent service
 
provider
 
which
assists
 
the
 
Company
 
with
 
the
 
implementation,
 
administration
 
and
 
management
 
of
 
the
 
Plan.
 
In
 
the
future, the Company may select
 
a different service provider, which will in a similar manner, share Data
with
 
such
 
service
 
provider.
 
The
 
Company’s
 
service
 
provider
 
will
 
maintain
 
an
 
account
 
for
 
the
Participant to
 
administer the
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units. The
 
processing
 
of Data
 
will take
 
place through
both electronic and
 
non-electronic means.
 
Data will only be accessible
 
by those individuals requiring
access to it for purposes of implementing, administering and operating
 
the Plan.
(j)
International Data
 
Transfers.
 
The Company
 
and its
 
service providers
 
are
 
based in
 
the United
 
States
and
 
India.
 
The
 
Participant’s
 
country
 
or
 
jurisdiction
 
may
 
have
 
different
 
data
 
privacy
 
laws
 
and
protections
 
than the
 
United States
 
and India.
 
An appropriate
 
level of
 
protection
 
can be
 
achieved by
implementing safeguards such as the Standard
 
Contractual Clauses adopted by the EU Commission.
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the Data will be transferred from the Participant’s
jurisdiction to the Company and onward from the Company to any of its
 
service providers based on the
Participant’s
 
consent, as further described below.
(k)
Data Retention.
 
The Company
 
will use
 
the Data
 
only as
 
long as
 
necessary to
 
implement, administer
and
 
manage
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
participation
 
in
 
the
 
Plan,
 
or
 
as
 
required
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
legal
 
or
regulatory
 
obligations,
 
including
 
tax
 
and
 
securities
 
laws.
 
When
 
the
 
Company
 
no
 
longer
 
needs
 
the
Data, the Company
 
will remove it
 
from its
 
systems.
 
If the Company
 
keeps data longer,
 
it would be to
satisfy
 
legal
 
or
 
regulatory
 
obligations
 
and
 
the
 
Company’s
 
legal
 
basis
 
would
 
be
 
relevant
 
laws
 
or
regulations
 
(if the
 
Participant is
 
in the
 
EU, EEA or
 
United Kingdom)
 
or the
 
Participant’s
 
consent (if
the Participant is outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
(l)
Data
 
Subject
 
Rights.
 
The
 
Participant
 
may
 
have
 
a
 
number
 
of
 
rights
 
under
 
data
 
privacy
 
laws
 
in
 
the
Participant’s
 
jurisdiction.
 
Subject
 
to
 
the
 
conditions
 
set
 
out
 
in
 
the
 
applicable
 
law
 
and
 
depending
 
on
where the Participant
 
is based, such rights may
 
include the right to (i)
 
request access to,
 
or copies of,
the
 
Data
 
processed
 
by
 
the
 
Company,
 
(ii)
 
rectification
 
of
 
incorrect
 
Data,
 
(iii)
 
deletion
 
of
 
Data,
 
(iv)
restrictions on the processing of
 
Data, (v) object to the processing of Data for legitimate interests, (vi)
portability of Data, (vii) lodge
 
complaints with competent authorities in
 
the Participant’s
 
jurisdiction,
and/or
 
to
 
(viii)
 
receive
 
a
 
list
 
with
 
the
 
names
 
and
 
addresses
 
of
 
any
 
potential
 
recipients
 
of
 
Data.
 
To
receive clarification regarding
 
these rights or to exercise
 
these rights, the Participant can contact
 
HR
Direct.
(m)
Necessary Disclosure of Personal Data. The Participant understands that providing the Company with
Data is necessary
 
for the performance
 
of the Agreement
 
and that the
 
Participant’s
 
refusal to
 
provide
the Data
 
would make
 
it impossible
 
for the
 
Company to
 
perform its
 
contractual
 
obligations
 
and may
affect the Participant’s
 
ability to participate in the Plan.
(n)
Declaration
 
of
 
Consent
 
(if
 
the
 
Participant
 
is
 
outside
 
the
 
EU,
 
EEA
 
and
 
United
 
Kingdom).
 
The
Participant hereby
 
unambiguously consents
 
to the
 
collection, use
 
and transfer,
 
in electronic
 
or other
form, of the Data,
 
as described above and
 
in any other grant
 
materials, by and among,
 
as applicable,
the
 
Employer,
 
the
 
Company
 
and
 
any
 
affiliated
 
company
 
for
 
the
 
exclusive
 
purpose
 
of
 
implementing,
administering and
 
managing the Participant’s
 
participation in the
 
Plan. The Participant
 
understands
that the Participant may, at any time, refuse or withdraw the consents herein,
 
in any case without cost,
by contacting HR Direct.
 
If the Participant does not consent or later seeks to revoke the
 
Participant’s
consent,
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
status
 
or
 
service
 
with
 
the
 
Employer
 
will
 
not
 
be
 
affected;
 
the
 
 
 
 
 
 
16
Participant’s
 
consequence of refusing
 
or withdrawing consent
 
is that the Company
 
would not be able
to
 
award
 
the
 
Participant
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
any
 
other
 
equity
 
award
 
to
 
the
 
Participant
 
or
administer
 
or
 
maintain
 
such
 
awards.
 
Therefore,
 
the
 
Participant
 
understands
 
that
 
refusing
 
or
withdrawing
 
consent
 
may
 
affect
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
ability
 
to
 
participate
 
in
 
the
 
Plan.
 
For
 
more
information on the consequences of refusal to consent or withdrawal of
 
consent, the Participant should
contact HR Direct.
32.
Clawback
.
 
This
 
Award
 
is
 
specifically
 
made
 
subject
 
to
 
the
 
Company’s
 
Executive
 
Compensation
 
Clawback
Policy.
33.
Insider Trading;
 
Market Abuse Laws.
 
By participating in the Plan,
 
the Participant agrees to comply with the
Company’s policy on insider trading (to the extent that it is applicable to the Participant), the Participant further
acknowledges that, depending on the
 
Participant’s or his or her broker’s country
 
of residence or where
 
the shares
of Stock
 
are listed,
 
the Participant
 
may be
 
subject to
 
insider trading
 
restrictions and/or
 
market abuse
 
laws that
may affect the Participant’s ability
 
to accept, acquire,
 
sell or
 
otherwise dispose of
 
shares of Stock,
 
rights to shares
of
 
Stock
 
(e.g.,
 
restricted
 
stock
 
units)
 
or
 
rights
 
linked
 
to
 
the
 
value
 
of
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock,
 
during
 
such
 
times
 
the
Participant
 
is
 
considered
 
to
 
have
 
“inside
 
information”
 
regarding
 
the
 
Company
 
as
 
defined
 
by
 
the
 
laws
 
or
regulations in the Participant’s country.
 
Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation
or amendment of
 
orders the Participant
 
places before he
 
or she possessed
 
inside information.
 
Furthermore, the
Participant could be
 
prohibited from (i)
 
disclosing the inside
 
information to any
 
third party (other
 
than on a
 
“need
to know” basis)
 
and (ii) “tipping”
 
third parties or
 
causing them otherwise
 
to buy or
 
sell securities. The
 
Participant
understands
 
that
 
third
 
parties
 
include
 
fellow
 
employees.
 
Any
 
restriction
 
under
 
these
 
laws
 
or
 
regulations
 
are
separate from
 
and in
 
addition to
 
any restrictions
 
that may
 
be imposed
 
under any
 
applicable Company
 
insider
trading
 
policy.
 
The
 
Participant
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
it
 
is
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
responsibility
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
any
applicable restrictions, and that the
 
Participant should therefore consult the Participant’s personal advisor on
 
this
matter.
34.
Electronic
 
Delivery.
The
 
Participant
 
agrees,
 
to
 
the
 
fullest
 
extent
 
permitted
 
by
 
law,
 
in
 
lieu
 
of
 
receiving
documents in paper
 
format, to accept
 
electronic delivery of
 
any documents that
 
the Company and
 
its Subsidiaries
or affiliated companies may deliver in connection with this grant
 
and any other grants offered by the Company,
including
 
prospectuses,
 
grant
 
notifications,
 
account
 
statements,
 
annual
 
or
 
quarterly
 
reports,
 
and
 
other
communications.
 
Electronic
 
delivery
 
of
 
a
 
document
 
may
 
be
 
made
 
via
 
the
 
Company’s
 
email
 
system
 
or
 
by
reference to a location on the Company’s intranet or website or a website of the Company’s agent administering
the
 
Plan.
 
By
 
accepting
 
this
 
grant,
 
whether
 
electronically
 
or
 
otherwise,
 
the
 
Participant
 
hereby
 
consents
 
to
participate in the Plan through
 
such system, intranet, or website,
 
including but not limited to
 
the use of electronic
signatures or click-through electronic acceptance of terms and conditions.
35.
English Language.
The Participant acknowledges
 
and agrees that it
 
is the Participant’s
 
express intent that
 
this
Agreement and the Plan and all other documents, notices and legal proceedings
 
entered into, given or instituted
pursuant to the Performance Stock
 
Units be drawn up in
 
English. To the extent the Participant has
 
been provided
with a copy of this Agreement, the Plan, or any other documents relating to this Award
 
in a language other than
English, the
 
English language
 
documents will
 
prevail in
 
case of
 
any ambiguities
 
or divergences
 
as a
 
result of
translation.
36.
Addendum.
Notwithstanding any
 
provisions in
 
this Agreement,
 
the Performance
 
Stock Units shall
 
be subject
to
 
any
 
special
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
set
 
forth
 
in
 
the
 
Country-Specific
 
Addendum
 
to
 
this
 
Agreement
 
(the
“Addendum”).
 
Moreover,
 
if the
 
Participant transfers
 
to one
 
of the
 
countries included
 
in such
 
Addendum,
 
the
special terms and conditions
 
for such country will
 
apply to the Participant,
 
to the extent the
 
Company determines
that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable to comply with local law or facilitate
the
 
administration
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
(or
 
the
 
Company
 
may
 
establish
 
alternative
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
as
 
may
 
be
necessary
 
or
 
advisable
 
to
 
accommodate
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
transfer).
 
The
 
Addendum
 
constitutes
 
part
 
of
 
this
Agreement.
37.
Not a
 
Public Offering
. The
 
award of
 
the Performance
 
Stock Units
 
is not
 
intended
 
to be
 
a public
 
offering
 
of
securities in the
 
Participant’s
 
country of
 
employment (or
 
country of residence,
 
if different).
 
The Company
 
has
not submitted any registration
 
statement, prospectus or other
 
filings with the local
 
securities authorities (unless
otherwise
 
required
 
under
 
local
 
law),
 
and
 
the
 
award
 
of
 
the
 
Performance
 
Stock
 
Units
 
is
 
not
 
subject
 
to
 
the
supervision of the
 
local securities authorities.
No employee of
 
the Company or
 
any of its
 
Subsidiaries or affiliated
companies is
 
permitted to
 
advise the
 
Participant on
 
whether he/she
 
should participate
 
in the
 
Plan. Acquiring
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
involves
 
a
 
degree
 
of
 
risk.
 
Before
 
deciding
 
to
 
participate
 
in
 
the
 
Plan,
 
the
 
Participant
 
should
carefully
 
consider
 
all risk
 
factors relevant
 
to the
 
acquisition
 
of shares
 
of Stock
 
under the
 
Plan
 
and carefully
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17
review
 
all of
 
the materials
 
related
 
to the
 
Performance
 
Stock Units
 
and the
 
Plan. In
 
addition,
 
the Participant
should consult with his/her personal advisor for professional
 
investment advice.
38.
Repatriation; Compliance with
 
Law
. The Participant
 
agrees to repatriate
 
all payments attributable
 
to the
 
shares
of
 
Stock
 
and/or
 
cash
 
acquired
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
in
 
accordance
 
with
 
applicable
 
foreign
 
exchange
 
rules
 
and
regulations in the
 
Participant’s country
 
of employment (and
 
country of residence,
 
if different). In
 
addition, the
Participant agrees to take any and all actions, and
 
consent to any and all actions taken by the Company and
 
any
of its Subsidiaries and
 
affiliated companies, as may be
 
required to allow the
 
Company and any of
 
its Subsidiaries
and
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
local
 
laws,
 
rules
 
and/or
 
regulations
 
in
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
country
 
of
employment (and country of residence, if different). Finally, the Participant agrees to take any and all actions as
may be required to comply with the Participant’s personal obligations under
 
local laws, rules and/or regulations
in the Participant’s country of employment
 
and country of residence, if different).
39.
Imposition
 
of
 
Other
 
Requirements
.
 
The
 
Company
 
reserves
 
the
 
right
 
to
 
impose
 
other
 
requirements
 
on
 
the
Participant’s participation in the Plan, on
 
the Performance Stock Unit,
 
and on any
 
shares of Stock acquired
 
under
the Plan, to
 
the extent the
 
Company determines it
 
is necessary or
 
advisable for legal
 
or administrative reasons,
and
 
to
 
require
 
the
 
Participant
 
to
 
sign
 
any
 
additional
 
agreements
 
or
 
undertakings
 
that
 
may
 
be
 
necessary
 
to
accomplish the foregoing.
40.
Committee’s Powers
. No provision contained in this Agreement shall in any way terminate, modify or alter, or
be construed or interpreted as terminating, modifying or altering any of the powers, rights or authority vested in
the Committee or, to the extent
 
delegated, in its delegate, pursuant
 
to the terms of
 
the Plan or
 
resolutions adopted
in furtherance of
 
the Plan, including,
 
without limitation, the
 
right to make
 
certain determinations and
 
elections
with respect
 
to the
 
Performance Stock
 
Unit. Any dispute
 
regarding the
 
interpretation of
 
this Agreement
 
or the
terms of the Plan shall be submitted to the Committee or
 
its delegate who shall have the discretionary
 
authority
to construe the
 
terms of this Agreement,
 
the Plan, and all
 
documents ancillary to
 
this Award.
 
The decisions of
the Committee or its delegate shall be
 
final and binding and any reviewing court of
 
law or other party shall defer
to its decision,
 
overruling if, and
 
only if, it
 
is arbitrary and
 
capricious. In no
 
way is it intended
 
that this review
standard subject the Plan or Award
 
to the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
41.
Binding Effect
. This Agreement
 
shall be binding
 
upon and inure
 
to the
 
benefit of any
 
successors to the
 
Company
and all persons lawfully claiming under the Participant.
42.
Governing Law
 
and Forum
. Without
 
limiting the
 
effect of
 
section 16,
 
this Agreement
 
shall be
 
governed by,
and construed in
 
accordance with, the
 
laws of the
 
State of Delaware
 
without regard to
 
principles of conflict
 
of
laws.
43.
Severability
.
 
The
 
provisions
 
of
 
this
 
Agreement
 
are
 
severable
 
and
 
if
 
any
 
one
 
or
 
more
 
of
 
the
 
provisions
 
are
determined to
 
be illegal or
 
otherwise unenforceable,
 
in whole or
 
in part, the
 
Agreement shall be
 
reformed and
construed so that it would
 
be enforceable to the
 
maximum extent legally possible, and
 
if it cannot be
 
so reformed
and construed, as if such unenforceable provision, or part thereof, had
 
never been contained herein.
44.
Waiver
. The waiver by the Company
 
with respect to Participant’s
 
(or any other participant’s)
 
compliance with
any
 
provision
 
of this
 
Agreement
 
shall not
 
operate
 
or be
 
construed
 
as a
 
waiver
 
of any
 
other
 
provision
 
of this
Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.
A copy of the Plan and the Prospectus to the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan is available on G&Me
by searching “2022 Stock Compensation Plan”.
 
A copy of the Company’s latest Annual Report
 
on Form 10-K is also
available on the Company’s website
 
at www.generalmills.com
 
under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
 
 
 
 
 
1
Exhibit 10.2
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
STOCK OPTION AWARD
 
AGREEMENT
OPTIONEE:
[Officer]
PERNR:
This Award is made
 
under the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan (the "Plan"), and is subject to the
terms and conditions contained in the Plan document and this Stock Option Award
 
Agreement (“Agreement”).
 
The
Optionee: (i)
 
acknowledges receipt
 
of a
 
copy of
 
the Plan
 
and Plan
 
prospectus, (ii)
 
represents
 
that the
 
Optionee has
carefully read
 
and is familiar with
 
the provisions of
 
this Agreement and
 
the Plan, and (iii)
 
hereby accepts the
 
Stock
Option subject to
 
all of the
 
terms and conditions
 
set forth herein,
 
and in the
 
Plan.
 
If the Optionee
 
does not wish
 
to
receive the Stock Option and/or does not consent and agree to the terms and conditions on which the Stock Option is
offered, as set forth
 
in this Agreement and
 
the Plan, then the Optionee must
 
reject this Award
 
via the website of the
Company’s
 
designated broker,
 
no later than
 
60 days following
 
the Grant Date.
 
If the Optionee
 
rejects this
 
Award,
this Award
 
will immediately
 
be forfeited
 
and cancelled.
 
The Optionee’s
 
exercise of
 
this Award
 
will also
 
constitute
the Optionee’s
 
acceptance of this
 
Award
 
and all terms
 
and conditions of
 
this Award,
 
as set forth
 
in this Agreement
and the Plan.
THIS AWARD,
 
dated on the
 
below Grant Date, is
 
made by General Mills,
 
Inc., (the "Company"), and
 
made to the
 
person
named above (the "Optionee" or referred to
 
as “I”, “you”, or “my”) (“Award”).
1.
Award
 
of
 
Stock
 
Option
.
 
The
 
Company
 
grants
 
to
 
the
 
Optionee
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
the
 
following
 
non-qualified
 
option
 
to
purchase the Company's
 
common stock, par
 
value USD 0.10
 
per share (“Common
 
Stock”). The option
 
granted pursuant
to this
 
Agreement is
 
referred to
 
as the
 
“Stock Option”
 
and subject
 
to the
 
terms in
 
this Agreement.
 
Except as
 
otherwise
defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the same meanings ascribed
 
to them under the Plan.
Expiration Date:
Option Shares:
 
Exercise price per share:
 
Type of Stock Option:
2.
Vesting of
 
Stock Option; Forfeiture.
(a)
Vesting
 
Schedule
. The
 
Stock Option
 
shall vest
 
and become
 
exercisable in
 
tranches, each
 
tranche having
 
its
own 12 month vesting period occurring consecutively,
 
starting on the Grant Date.
 
Tranche
 
Number of Options
Scheduled Date Exercisable
(b)
Forfeiture of Stock Option
. The Optionee acknowledges that
 
the Stock Options granted
 
hereunder are subject
to forfeiture, and/or
 
limited exercise period, if
 
the Optionee’s employment with the
 
Company or any
 
Subsidiary
terminates under certain circumstances, as herein provided.
 
(i)
Resignation
 
or
 
Termination
 
for
 
Cause.
 
If
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
Subsidiary
 
or
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
is
 
terminated
 
at
 
any
 
time
 
prior
 
to
 
the
 
Expiration
 
Date
 
by
 
either
 
(i)
resignation, or (ii) a discharge due to Optionee’s
 
illegal activities, poor work performance, misconduct or
violation of the
 
Company’s
 
Code of Conduct,
 
policies or practices,
 
then, to the
 
extent the Option
 
Shares
are vested as of
 
the Termination
 
Date, they shall
 
expire three (3)
 
months after the
 
Termination
 
Date (but
in no event
 
beyond the Expiration
 
Date); and,
 
if and to
 
the extent the
 
Option Shares
 
are not vested
 
as of
the
 
Termination
 
Date,
 
the
 
unvested
 
portions
 
shall
 
for
 
no
 
consideration
 
be
 
cancelled
 
and
 
forfeited
immediately with no ability to be exercised. For the avoidance of doubt, “Termination
 
Date” for purposes
of this Award
 
will be deemed to occur
 
as of the date Optionee is no
 
longer actively providing services
 
as
an
 
employee,
 
unless
 
otherwise
 
determined
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
in
 
its
 
sole
 
discretion,
 
and
 
no
 
vesting
 
shall
 
2
continue during
 
any notice period
 
that may be
 
specified under contract
 
or applicable law
 
with respect to
such termination, including any “garden leave” or similar period, except as may otherwise be permitted in
the Company’s sole discretion.
(ii)
Involuntary Termination.
 
If the Optionee’s employment with the Company or
 
any Subsidiary or affiliated
companies terminates involuntarily at the initiation of the Company for any reason other than specified in
Plan
 
Section 11
 
(
Change
 
in
 
Control
),
 
or
 
(i),
 
(iv) or
 
(v)
 
in
 
this
 
section
 
2,
 
and
 
only
 
upon
 
the
 
execution
(without revoking) of an effective general legal release and such
 
other documents as are satisfactory to the
Company, the following
 
rules shall apply:
a)
In the
 
event that,
 
at the Termination
 
Date, the
 
sum of
 
the Optionee’s
 
age and
 
years of
 
service with
the Company or
 
any Subsidiary or
 
affiliated companies
 
equals or exceeds
 
70, and (A) if,
 
and to the
extent, the
 
Stock Option
 
is not fully
 
vested, then
 
such unvested
 
tranches shall
 
continue to
 
vest and
become
 
exercisable
 
on
 
each
 
respective
 
Scheduled
 
Date
 
Exercisable
 
and
 
remain
 
so
 
until
 
the
Expiration
 
Date; and
 
(B) if,
 
and to
 
the extent,
 
the Stock
 
Option
 
is vested
 
and
 
exercisable, it
 
shall
remain so until the Expiration Date.
 
b)
In the event that at the Termination Date, the sum of the Optionee’s age and years of service
 
with the
Company or any Subsidiary or affiliated
 
companies is less than 70, and (A)
 
if, and to the extent, the
Award’s
 
tranches
 
are
 
already
 
vested
 
and
 
exercisable
 
on
 
the
 
Termination
 
Date,
 
they
 
shall
 
remain
exercisable for the lesser of
 
one (1) year from the
 
Termination Date, or until the Expiration Date; and
(B) if,
 
and
 
to the
 
extent,
 
tranches
 
of the
 
Award
 
are not
 
vested,
 
solely the
 
unvested
 
tranche
 
of the
Award
 
with a Scheduled Date
 
Exercisable within 12 months
 
of the Termination
 
Date shall vest and
become exercisable as of the Termination
 
Date, in an amount equal to the
 
pro-rata amount based on
actual
 
employment
 
completed
 
during
 
the
 
tranche’s
 
12
 
month
 
vesting
 
period,
 
with
 
such
 
newly-
exercisable Stock Options remaining exercisable
 
for one (1) year from the Termination
 
Date.
 
Stock
Options that do
 
not become vested
 
and exercisable based on
 
the previous provisions
 
shall be forfeited
as of the Termination
 
Date.
(iii)
Death.
 
If an Optionee dies while
 
employed with the Company
 
or any Subsidiary or
 
affiliated companies
during
 
any applicable
 
vesting period,
 
this Award
 
shall become
 
fully vested
 
and exercisable
 
upon death
and may be
 
exercised by the
 
person designated
 
as such Optionee’s
 
beneficiary or beneficiaries
 
or, in
 
the
absence of such designation, by the Optionee’s estate. The Stock Option shall remain exercisable until the
Expiration Date.
(iv)
Retirement.
 
If the termination
 
of employment
 
is due to
 
the Optionee’s
 
retirement on
 
or after age
 
55 and
completion of at least five (5) years of Company service, this Award
 
’s tranches shall continue to vest and
become
 
exercisable
 
on
 
each
 
respective
 
Scheduled
 
Date
 
Exercisable,
 
remaining
 
exercisable
 
until
 
the
Expiration Date. Notwithstanding the
 
above, the terms of
 
this paragraph (iv) shall
 
not apply to
 
an Optionee
who, prior to a Change of Control, is
 
terminated for cause as described in (b)(i) above; said
 
Optionee shall
be treated as provided in (b)(i).
(v)
Spin-offs
 
and Other
 
Divestitures.
 
If the
 
termination
 
of employment
 
is due
 
to the
 
divestiture,
 
cessation,
transfer,
 
or
 
spin-off
 
of
 
a
 
line
 
of
 
business
 
or
 
other
 
activity
 
of
 
the
 
Company,
 
the
 
Committee,
 
in
 
its
 
sole
discretion, shall determine the conversion, vesting, or other treatment of
 
the Stock Option.
3.
Exercise of the Option.
(a)
Method of Exercise
. Optionee may exercise the vested portion of the Stock Option (provided the Fair Market
Value
 
of the shares of Common Stock exercised exceeds the exercise price) prior to the Expiration Date of the
Stock Option
 
or such earlier
 
date indicated hereunder
 
by delivering
 
a notice of
 
exercise in such
 
form as may
be
 
designated
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
from
 
time
 
to
 
time,
 
or
 
making
 
the
 
required
 
electronic
 
election
 
with
 
the
Company’s designated broker,
 
and paying the exercise price and any Tax-Related
 
Items (as defined in section
5
 
below)
 
and
 
costs
 
to
 
the
 
Company’s
 
stock
 
plan
 
administrator
 
or
 
such
 
other
 
person
 
as
 
the
 
Company
 
may
designate, together with such additional documents as the Company may then require
 
pursuant to the terms of
the Plan.
(b)
Method of Payment
. Payment of
 
the exercise price
 
may be made
 
by one of
 
the methods available
 
under the
Company’s exercise procedures, which
 
may include:
(i)
Payment by cash or check.
 
 
 
 
 
3
(ii)
Payment by transfer to the Company of whole shares of Common Stock
 
Optionee already owns having
a Fair Market Value
 
determined at the time of exercise of the Stock Option equal to, but not exceeding,
the exercise price and any Tax
 
-Related Items; and
(iii)
A “same day sale”
 
transaction pursuant to which
 
a third party (engaged
 
by you or the
 
Company) loans
funds to
 
you to
 
enable you
 
to purchase
 
shares of Common
 
Stock and
 
pay any
 
Tax-Related
 
Items, and
then sells a sufficient number of the exercised shares of Common Stock on your behalf to enable you to
repay the loan and any fees.
 
The remaining shares of Common Stock
 
and/or cash are then delivered by
the third party to the Optionee.
The Company may suspend, or
 
eliminate, various forms of permissible
 
payment of the exercise price
 
from time
to time in its sole discretion. Further, notwithstanding any provision within this Agreement to the contrary,
 
if the
Optionee
 
is
 
a
 
resident
 
or
 
provides
 
services
 
outside
 
of
 
the
 
United
 
States,
 
the
 
Committee
 
may
 
require
 
that
 
the
Optionee (or in the event of the Optionee’s death, his or her legal representative, as the case may
 
be) exercise the
Stock Option in
 
a method other than
 
as specified above,
 
may require the
 
Optionee to exercise the
 
Stock Option
only by means of a “same day sale” transaction (either a “sell-all” transaction or a “sell-to-cover” transaction) as
it determines in its sole discretion, or
 
may require the Optionee to sell
 
any shares of Common Stock the Optionee
acquires
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
immediately
 
or
 
within
 
a
 
specified
 
period
 
following
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
termination
 
of
employment with
 
the Company
 
or any
 
Subsidiary or
 
affiliated companies
 
(in which
 
case, the
 
Optionee hereby
agrees
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
shall
 
have
 
the
 
authority
 
to
 
issue
 
sale
 
instructions
 
in
 
relation
 
to
 
such
 
shares
 
on
 
the
Optionee’s behalf).
 
(c)
Responsibility for Exercise.
The Optionee is responsible for taking any and
 
all actions as may be required to
exercise
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option
 
in
 
a
 
timely
 
manner
 
and
 
for
 
properly
 
executing
 
any
 
such
 
documents
 
as
 
may
 
be
required for
 
exercise in
 
accordance with
 
such rules
 
and procedures
 
as may
 
be established
 
from time
 
to time.
The Optionee acknowledges that information regarding
 
the procedures and requirements for
 
the exercise of the
Stock Option
 
is available
 
to the
 
Optionee on
 
request. Neither
 
the Company
 
nor any
 
Subsidiary or
 
affiliated
companies shall have any duty or obligation to notify you of the Expiration
 
Date of the Option.
4.
Non-Transferability.
 
The
 
Stock
 
Option
 
may
 
not
 
be
 
sold,
 
assigned,
 
pledged,
 
exchanged,
 
hypothecated,
 
encumbered,
disposed
 
of,
 
or
 
otherwise
 
transferred,
 
unless
 
otherwise
 
provided
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
or
 
this
 
Agreement.
 
Upon
 
any
 
attempt
 
to
transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or
 
otherwise dispose of the Stock Option or of such rights contrary
 
to the provisions
hereof or in the Plan, the Stock Option and such rights shall immediately
 
become null and void.
5.
Withholding of Tax
. The Optionee acknowledges that, regardless of any
 
action taken by the Company or, if
 
different, the
Subsidiary or
 
affiliated company
 
that employs
 
the Optionee
 
(the “Employer”),
 
the ultimate
 
liability for
 
all income
 
tax,
social contributions, payroll tax,
 
fringe benefits tax,
 
payment on account,
 
hypothetical tax or
 
other tax-related items related
to
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
participation
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
legally
 
applicable
 
to
 
the
 
Optionee
 
or
 
deemed
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
Employer in their discretion to be
 
an appropriate charge to the
 
Optionee even if legally applicable to
 
the Company or the
Employer
 
(“Tax-Related
 
Items”),
 
is
 
and
 
remains
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
responsibility
 
and
 
may
 
exceed
 
the
 
amount
 
actually
withheld
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
 
Employer,
 
if
 
any.
 
The
 
Optionee
 
further
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and/or
 
the
Employer (a)
 
make no
 
representations or
 
undertakings
 
regarding the
 
treatment of
 
any Tax
 
-Related Items
 
in connection
with any aspect
 
of the Stock Option,
 
including, but not
 
limited to, the grant,
 
vesting, exercise and
 
the subsequent sale
 
of
shares of Common Stock
 
acquired pursuant to such
 
vesting and exercise and
 
the receipt of any dividends;
 
and (b) do not
commit to
 
and are under
 
no obligation to
 
structure the
 
terms of the
 
grant or any
 
aspect of the
 
Stock Option
 
to reduce or
eliminate the
 
Optionee’s
 
liability for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items or
 
achieve any
 
particular tax
 
result. Further,
 
if the
 
Optionee is
subject to Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction
 
between the Grant Date and the date of any relevant taxable or
tax
 
withholding
 
event,
 
as
 
applicable,
 
the
 
Optionee
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and/or
 
the
 
Employer
 
(or
 
former
employer, as applicable) may be required
 
to withhold or account for Tax
 
-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to the relevant
 
taxable or tax withholding
 
event, as applicable, the Optionee
 
agrees to make adequate
 
arrangements
satisfactory to the
 
Company and/or the
 
Employer to
 
satisfy all
 
Tax-Related Items. In this
 
regard, unless
 
otherwise approved
by the Committee, the Company shall satisfy the
 
obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by one or
 
a combination
of
 
the
 
following:
 
(i)
 
withholding
 
from
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
wages
 
or
 
other
 
cash
 
compensation
 
paid
 
to
 
the
 
Optionee
 
by
 
the
Company and/or the Employer; (ii) withholding from the shares of Common Stock to be delivered upon settlement of the
Stock Option or other awards granted to the Optionee or (iii) permitting the Optionee to tender to the Company cash or, if
allowed by the Committee, shares of Common Stock.
Depending
 
on
 
the
 
withholding
 
method,
 
the
 
Company
 
may
 
withhold
 
or
 
account
 
for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
by
 
considering
applicable statutory
 
withholding rates
 
(as determined
 
by the
 
Company
 
in good
 
faith and
 
in its
 
sole discretion)
 
or other
applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates,
 
in which case the
 
Optionee will receive a refund
 
of any
 
4
over-withheld
 
amount
 
and
 
will have
 
no
 
entitlement
 
to
 
the
 
share
 
equivalent.
 
If
 
the
 
obligation
 
for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
is
satisfied
 
by
 
withholding
 
from
 
the
 
shares
 
of
 
Common
 
Stock
 
to
 
be
 
delivered
 
upon
 
vesting
 
of
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option,
 
for
 
tax
purposes, the
 
Optionee is
 
deemed to
 
have been
 
issued the
 
full number
 
of shares
 
of Common
 
Stock subject
 
to the
 
Stock
Option, notwithstanding that a number of
 
shares of Common Stock are
 
held back solely for the
 
purpose of paying the Tax-
Related Items. The Optionee will have
 
no further rights with respect to any
 
shares of Common Stock that are
 
retained by
the Company pursuant to this provision.
The Optionee agrees
 
to pay to the
 
Company or the
 
Employer any amount
 
of Tax
 
-Related Items that the
 
Company or the
Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of the Optionee’s
 
participation in the Plan that cannot be
satisfied by
 
the means
 
previously described.
 
The Company
 
may refuse
 
to issue
 
or deliver
 
shares of
 
Common Stock
 
or
proceeds from
 
the sale
 
of shares
 
of Common
 
Stock until
 
arrangements satisfactory
 
to the
 
Company have
 
been made
 
in
connection with the Tax
 
-Related Items.
6.
Restrictive
 
Covenants;
 
Confidential
 
Information.
The
 
Optionee
 
agrees
 
to
 
cooperate
 
with
 
the
Company in
 
any way needed
 
in order
 
to comply with,
 
or fulfill the
 
terms of the
 
Plan and this
 
Grant document.
 
As a term and condition of this Grant, Optionee agrees to the following terms:
a.
I agree to use
 
General Mills Confidential
 
Information only as needed
 
in the performance of
 
my duties,
to
 
hold
 
and
 
protect
 
such
 
information
 
as
 
confidential
 
to
 
the
 
Company,
 
and
 
not
 
to
 
engage
 
in
 
any
unauthorized
 
use
 
or
 
disclosure
 
of
 
such
 
information
 
for
 
so
 
long
 
as
 
such
 
information
 
qualifies
 
as
Confidential
 
Information.
 
I
 
agree
 
that
 
after
 
my
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
terminates
 
for
 
any
reason,
 
including
 
“retirement”
 
as that
 
term
 
is used
 
in
 
the Plan,
 
I
 
will not
 
use
 
or disclose,
 
directly
 
or
indirectly,
 
Company
 
Confidential Information
 
or trade
 
secrets for
 
any purpose,
 
unless I
 
get the
 
prior
written consent of my manager to do so.
This document
 
does not
 
prevent me
 
from filing
 
a complaint
 
with a
 
government agency
 
(including the
Securities
 
and
 
Exchange
 
Commission,
 
Department
 
of
 
Justice,
 
Equal
 
Employment
 
Opportunity
Commission and
 
others) or
 
from participating
 
in an
 
agency proceeding.
 
This document
 
also does
 
not
prevent
 
me
 
from
 
providing
 
an
 
agency
 
with
 
information,
 
including
 
this
 
document,
 
unless
 
such
information
 
is
 
legally
 
protected
 
from
 
disclosure
 
to
 
third
 
parties.
 
I
 
do
 
not
 
need
 
prior
 
company
authorization to take these actions, nor must I notify the company I have done so.
Also, as provided
 
in 18 U.S.C.
 
1833(b), I
 
cannot be held
 
criminally or civilly
 
liable under any
 
federal
or state
 
trade secret
 
law for
 
making a
 
trade secret
 
disclosure: (A)
 
in confidence
 
to a
 
federal, state,
 
or
local
 
government
 
official,
 
either
 
directly
 
or
 
indirectly,
 
or
 
to
 
an
 
attorney,
 
solely
 
for
 
the
 
purpose
 
of
reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or
 
(B) in a complaint or other document filed in
a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
General
 
Mills
 
Confidential
 
Information
 
means
 
any
 
non-public
 
information
 
I
 
create,
 
receive,
 
use
 
or
observe
 
in
 
the
 
performance
 
of
 
my
 
job
 
at
 
General
 
Mills,
 
including
 
trade
 
secrets.
 
Examples
 
of
Confidential Information include marketing, merchandising, business plans,
 
business methods, pricing,
purchasing,
 
licensing,
 
contracts,
 
employee,
 
supplier
 
or
 
customer
 
information,
 
financial
 
data,
technological developments,
 
manufacturing processes
 
and specifications,
 
product formulas,
 
ingredient
specifications, software
 
code, and
 
all other
 
proprietary
 
information which
 
is not
 
publicly available
 
to
others.
Prior to leaving
 
the Company,
 
I agree to
 
return all materials
 
in my possession
 
containing Confidential
Information, as well
 
as all other
 
documents and other
 
tangible items provided
 
to me by
 
General Mills,
or developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
b.
[
This Section 6.b. does
 
not apply to Colorado
 
and Minnesota-based employees.
] I agree that
 
for one year
after I leave the Company,
 
including retiring from the Company,
 
I will not work on any product, brand
category,
 
process,
 
or
 
service:
 
(A)
 
on
 
which
 
I
 
worked,
 
or
 
about
 
which
 
I
 
had
 
access
 
to
 
Confidential
Information,
 
in
 
the
 
year
 
immediately
 
preceding
 
my
 
termination
 
(including
 
retirement)
 
from
 
General
Mills,
 
and
 
(B)
 
which
 
competes
 
with
 
General
 
Mills
 
products,
 
brand
 
categories,
 
processes,
 
or
 
related
services.
 
c.
I agree that for one year after I leave General Mills, including
 
retiring from the Company,
 
I will refrain
from directly
 
or indirectly
 
soliciting Company
 
employees for
 
the purpose
 
of hiring
 
them or
 
inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
 
5
d.
I agree that after I
 
leave General Mills, including
 
retiring from the Company,
 
I will indefinitely refrain
from
 
using
 
Company
 
client
 
or
 
contact
 
lists,
 
and
 
for
 
two
 
years
 
I
 
will
 
refrain
 
from
 
soliciting
 
the
Company’s customers.
A breach of
 
the obligations set forth
 
in this paragraph
 
may result in the
 
rescission of the Grant,
 
termination and
forfeiture of
 
any unvested
 
or un-exercised
 
Options, and/or
 
required payment
 
to Company
 
of all
 
or a
 
portion of
any monetary gains acquired
 
by Optionee as a
 
result of the Grant, unless
 
the Grant vested and
 
was settled more
than four
 
(4) years
 
prior to
 
the breach.
 
The foregoing
 
remedies are
 
in addition
 
to, and
 
not in lieu
 
of injunctive
relief and/or any other legal or equitable remedies available under
 
applicable law.
7.
Nature of Grant
. In accepting the Stock Option, the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that:
(a)
the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company,
 
it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified,
amended, suspended
 
or terminated
 
by the
 
Company,
 
in its
 
sole discretion,
 
at any
 
time (subject
 
to any
limitations set forth in the Plan);
(b)
the grant
 
of the Stock
 
Option is voluntary
 
and occasional
 
and does not
 
create any
 
contractual or
 
other
right to receive future grants
 
of stock options, or benefits
 
in lieu of stock options,
 
even if stock options
or other awards have been granted in the past;
(c)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any,
 
will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(d)
the Optionee’s participation
 
in the Plan is voluntary;
(e)
the Stock Option
 
and the Optionee’s
 
participation in the Plan
 
shall not create a
 
right to employment or
be
 
interpreted
 
as
 
forming
 
an
 
employment
 
contract
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
 
of
 
its
 
Subsidiaries
 
or
affiliated
 
companies
 
and
 
shall
 
not
 
interfere
 
with
 
the
 
ability
 
of
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
 
Employer,
 
as
applicable, to terminate the
 
Optionee’s employment
 
relationship (as otherwise may
 
be permitted under
local law);
(f)
unless otherwise agreed with
 
the Company, the Stock Option and
 
any shares of
 
Common Stock acquired
upon vesting and exercise of the Stock Option, and the income from and value of same, are not granted
as consideration for, or in connection with, any service the Optionee may provide as a
 
director of any of
any Subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(g)
the Stock Option
 
and any shares
 
of Common
 
Stock acquired under
 
the Plan and
 
the income and
 
value
of same,
 
are not
 
part of
 
normal or
 
expected compensation
 
for purposes
 
of calculating
 
any severance,
resignation,
 
termination,
 
redundancy,
 
dismissal,
 
end-of-service
 
payments,
 
bonuses,
 
long-service
awards,
 
pension
 
or
 
retirement
 
or
 
welfare
 
benefits
 
or
 
similar
 
payments
 
and
 
in
 
no
 
event
 
should
 
be
considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company, the Employer
or any Subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(h)
the
 
future
 
value
 
of
 
the
 
shares
 
of
 
Common
 
Stock
 
underlying
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option
 
is
 
unknown,
indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;
 
(i)
if the underlying shares of Common Stock do not increase in value, the Stock
 
Option will have no
value;
 
(j)
upon exercise of the Stock Option, the value of such shares of Common Stock may increase
 
or decrease
in value, even below the exercise price;
 
(k)
no
 
claim
 
or
 
entitlement
 
to
 
compensation
 
or
 
damages
 
shall
 
arise
 
from
 
forfeiture
 
of
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option
resulting from
 
termination of
 
the Optionee’s
 
employment (for
 
any reason
 
whatsoever and
 
whether or
not in
 
breach of
 
local labor
 
laws or later
 
found invalid)
 
and, in
 
consideration of
 
the Stock
 
Option, the
Optionee agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or the Employer;
(l)
the Stock Option and
 
the rights evidenced by
 
this Agreement do
 
not create any entitlement
 
not otherwise
specifically
 
provided
 
for
 
in the
 
Plan to
 
have the
 
Stock Option
 
transferred
 
to, or
 
assumed by,
 
another
 
 
 
 
 
6
company,
 
nor
 
to
 
be
 
exchanged,
 
cashed
 
out
 
or
 
substituted
 
for,
 
in
 
connection
 
with
 
any
 
corporate
transaction affecting the shares of Common Stock; and
(m)
neither the
 
Company nor
 
any of its
 
Subsidiaries or
 
affiliated companies
 
shall be liable
 
for any
 
foreign
exchange rate fluctuation between the Optionee’s
 
local currency and the U.S. dollar that may affect the
value
 
of the
 
Stock Option
 
or any
 
amounts due
 
to
 
the Optionee
 
pursuant
 
to the
 
exercise of
 
the Stock
Option
 
or
 
the
 
subsequent
 
sale
 
of
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Common
 
Stock
 
acquired
 
upon
 
exercise
 
of
 
the
 
Stock
Option.
8.
Data Privacy
.
If the Participant would like to participate in the Plan, the Participant will need to review
 
the information
provided in this Section
 
8 and, where applicable,
 
declare the Participant’s
 
consent to the processing
 
of personal data by
the Company and the third parties stated below
 
.
 
If the Participant is
 
based in the European Union (“EU”), European Economic Area (“EEA”)
 
or United Kingdom, please
note
 
that General
 
Mills, Inc.
 
with registered
 
address
 
at
 
One
 
General
 
Mills Boulevard,
 
Minneapolis,
 
MN 55426
 
-1347,
U.S.A., is the
 
controller responsible for the processing of
 
the Participant’s personal data in connection
 
with the Agreement
and the Plan.
(a)
Data Collection
 
and Usage.
 
The Company
 
collects, processes,
 
uses and
 
transfers certain
 
personally-
identifiable information
 
about the
 
Participant, specifically,
 
the Participant’s
 
name, home address
 
and
telephone
 
number,
 
email
 
address,
 
date
 
of
 
birth,
 
social
 
insurance,
 
passport
 
number
 
or
 
other
identification
 
number,
 
salary,
 
nationality,
 
job
 
title,
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
or
 
directorships
 
held
 
in
 
the
Company
 
or any
 
affiliated
 
company,
 
details
 
of all
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or any
 
other
 
entitlement
 
to
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
awarded,
 
canceled,
 
exercised,
 
settled,
 
vested,
 
unvested
 
or
 
outstanding
 
in
 
the
Participant’s
 
favor,
 
which the
 
Company receives
 
from
 
the Participant
 
or the
 
Employer (the
 
“Data”).
The
 
Company
 
collects,
 
processes
 
and
 
uses
 
the
 
Data
 
for
 
the
 
purposes
 
of
 
performing
 
its
 
contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement,
 
implementing,
 
administering
 
and
 
managing
 
the
 
Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable tax
 
and securities law.
 
If the Participant is based
 
in the EU, EEA or United
 
Kingdom, the legal basis for the
 
processing of the
Data
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
is
 
the
 
necessity
 
of
 
the
 
processing
 
for
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
perform
 
its
 
contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement
 
and
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Company’s
 
legitimate
 
business
 
interests
 
of
managing
 
the
 
Plan,
 
administering
 
employee
 
equity
 
awards
 
and
 
complying
 
with
 
its
 
contractual
 
and
statutory obligations.
 
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the legal basis for the processing of the Data by the
Company is the Participant’s
 
consent as further described below.
(b)
Stock
 
Plan
 
Administration
 
Service
 
Providers.
 
The
 
Company
 
transfers
 
Data
 
to
 
E*TRADE
 
Financial
Corporate
 
Services,
 
Inc.
 
(including
 
its
 
affiliated
 
companies),
 
an
 
independent
 
service
 
provider
 
which
assists the
 
Company with the
 
implementation, administration and management
 
of the
 
Plan.
 
In the future,
the Company
 
may select a
 
different service
 
provider,
 
which will
 
in a similar
 
manner,
 
share Data
 
with
such service provider.
 
The Company’s
 
service provider will
 
maintain an account for the
 
Participant to
administer the
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units. The
 
processing
 
of Data
 
will take
 
place through
 
both electronic
and non-electronic
 
means. Data
 
will only
 
be accessible
 
by those
 
individuals requiring
 
access to it
 
for
purposes of implementing, administering and operating the Plan.
(c)
International Data Transfers. The Company and its service
 
providers are based in the United States and
India. The
 
Participant’s
 
country or
 
jurisdiction may
 
have different
 
data privacy
 
laws and
 
protections
than the
 
United States
 
and India. An
 
appropriate level
 
of protection
 
can be
 
achieved by implementing
safeguards such as the Standard
 
Contractual Clauses adopted by the EU Commission.
If the Participant is based
 
in any other jurisdiction, the
 
Data will be transferred from
 
the Participant’s
jurisdiction to the Company and onward from
 
the Company to any of its service providers based on the
Participant’s
 
consent, as further described below.
(d)
Data Retention. The Company will use the Data
 
only as long as necessary to implement, administer
 
and
manage the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan,
 
or as
 
required
 
to comply
 
with legal
 
or regulatory
obligations,
 
including
 
tax
 
and
 
securities
 
laws.
 
When
 
the
 
Company
 
no
 
longer
 
needs
 
the
 
Data,
 
the
Company will remove it from its systems.
 
If the Company keeps data longer,
 
it would be to satisfy legal
or regulatory
 
obligations and
 
the Company’s
 
legal basis would
 
be relevant
 
laws or regulations
 
(if the
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7
Participant
 
is in
 
the EU,
 
EEA or
 
United Kingdom)
 
or the
 
Participant’s
 
consent (if
 
the Participant
 
is
outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
(e)
Data
 
Subject
 
Rights.
 
The
 
Participant
 
may
 
have
 
a
 
number
 
of
 
rights
 
under
 
data
 
privacy
 
laws
 
in
 
the
Participant’s jurisdiction. Subject to the conditions
 
set out
 
in the
 
applicable law and
 
depending on where
the Participant is based, such rights may include the
 
right to (i) request access to, or copies of, the
 
Data
processed by the Company, (ii) rectification
 
of incorrect Data, (iii) deletion of Data, (iv) restrictions on
the processing
 
of Data,
 
(v) object
 
to the
 
processing
 
of Data
 
for legitimate
 
interests, (vi)
 
portability of
Data, (vii) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Participant’s
 
jurisdiction, and/or to (viii)
receive a list with
 
the names and addresses
 
of any potential recipients
 
of Data. To
 
receive clarification
regarding these
 
rights or to exercise these rights, the Participant can contact
 
HR Direct.
(f)
Necessary Disclosure of Personal
 
Data. The Participant understands that providing
 
the Company with
Data is
 
necessary for
 
the performance
 
of the
 
Agreement
 
and that
 
the Participant’s
 
refusal
 
to provide
the
 
Data
 
would
 
make
 
it
 
impossible
 
for
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
perform
 
its
 
contractual
 
obligations
 
and
 
may
affect the Participant’s
 
ability to participate in the Plan.
(g)
Declaration of Consent (if
 
the Participant is
 
outside the EU,
 
EEA and United
 
Kingdom). The Participant
hereby
 
unambiguously consents
 
to the
 
collection, use
 
and transfer,
 
in electronic
 
or other
 
form, of
 
the
Data, as described above and in any other grant materials, by and among, as applicable, the
 
Employer,
the Company and any affiliated company for the exclusive
 
purpose of implementing, administering and
managing the Participant’s
 
participation in the Plan.
 
The Participant understands that
 
the Participant
may,
 
at any
 
time, refuse
 
or withdraw
 
the consents
 
herein,
 
in any
 
case without
 
cost, by
 
contacting HR
Direct.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
does
 
not
 
consent
 
or
 
later
 
seeks
 
to
 
revoke
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
consent,
 
the
Participant’s
 
employment
 
status
 
or
 
service
 
with
 
the
 
Employer
 
will
 
not
 
be
 
affected;
 
the
 
Participant’s
consequence of
 
refusing or
 
withdrawing consent
 
is that
 
the Company
 
would not
 
be able
 
to award
 
the
Participant
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
any
 
other
 
equity
 
award
 
to
 
the
 
Participant
 
or
 
administer
 
or
maintain
 
such awards.
 
Therefore,
 
the Participant
 
understands
 
that refusing
 
or withdrawing
 
consent
may affect the
 
Participant’s
 
ability to participate
 
in the Plan.
 
For more information on the
 
consequences
of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent,
 
the Participant should contact HR Direct.
9.
Insider Trading; Market Abuse Laws
. By participating in the Plan, the Optionee agrees to comply with the Company’s
policy
 
on
 
insider
 
trading
 
(to
 
the
 
extent
 
that
 
it
 
is
 
applicable
 
to
 
the
 
Optionee),
 
the
 
Optionee
 
further
 
acknowledges
 
that,
depending on the Optionee’s
 
or his or her broker’s country of residence
 
or where the shares of Common Stock are listed,
the Optionee may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws that
 
may affect the Optionee’s ability
to accept,
 
acquire, sell or
 
otherwise dispose
 
of shares
 
of Common
 
Stock, rights
 
to shares
 
of Common
 
Stock (e.g.,
 
stock
options) or
 
rights linked to
 
the value
 
of shares of
 
Common Stock,
 
during such
 
times the
 
Optionee is considered
 
to have
“inside information” regarding the Company as
 
defined by the laws
 
or regulations in the Optionee’s country. Local insider
trading laws and
 
regulations may prohibit
 
the cancellation or
 
amendment of orders
 
the Optionee places
 
before he or
 
she
possessed inside information. Furthermore, the Optionee could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information
 
to
any third party (other than on a “need to know” basis) and
 
(ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy
 
or
sell securities. The Optionee understands
 
that third parties include fellow
 
employees. Any restriction under these
 
laws or
regulations
 
are
 
separate
 
from
 
and
 
in
 
addition
 
to
 
any
 
restrictions
 
that
 
may
 
be
 
imposed
 
under
 
any
 
applicable
 
Company
insider trading policy.
 
The Optionee acknowledges
 
that it is the
 
Optionee’s
 
responsibility to comply
 
with any applicable
restrictions, and that the Optionee should therefore consult the Optionee’s
 
personal advisor on this matter
10.
11.
Clawback
. This Award
 
is specifically made subject to the Company’s Executive
 
Compensation Clawback Policy.
Electronic Delivery
. The Optionee agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by
 
law, in lieu of receiving documents
 
in paper
format, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company and its Subsidiaries or affiliated companies may
deliver
 
in
 
connection
 
with
 
this
 
grant
 
and
 
any
 
other
 
grants
 
offered
 
by
 
the
 
Company,
 
including
 
prospectuses,
 
grant
notifications,
 
account
 
statements,
 
annual
 
or
 
quarterly
 
reports,
 
and
 
other
 
communications.
 
Electronic
 
delivery
 
of
 
a
document
 
may
 
be
 
made
 
via
 
the
 
Company’s
 
email
 
system
 
or
 
by
 
reference
 
to
 
a
 
location
 
on
 
the
 
Company’s
 
intranet
 
or
website or
 
a website
 
of the
 
Company’s
 
agent administering
 
the Plan.
 
By accepting
 
this grant,
 
whether electronically
 
or
otherwise, the Optionee hereby consents to participate in the Plan through such system, intranet, or website, including but
not limited to the use of electronic signatures or click-through electronic
 
acceptance of terms and conditions.
12.
English Language
. The
 
Optionee acknowledges
 
and agrees
 
that it
 
is the
 
Optionee’s
 
express intent
 
that this
 
Agreement
and the Plan and all other documents, notices and legal proceedings entered into, given or instituted pursuant to the Stock
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8
Option be drawn up in English. To
 
the extent the Optionee has been provided with a copy of this Agreement, the Plan, or
any other documents relating to this Award in a language other than English, the English language documents will prevail
in case of any ambiguities or divergences as a result of translation.
13.
Addendum
. Notwithstanding
 
any provisions
 
in this
 
Agreement, the
 
Stock Option
 
shall be
 
subject to
 
any special
 
terms
and
 
conditions
 
set
 
forth
 
in
 
the
 
Country-Specific
 
Addendum
 
to
 
this
 
Agreement
 
(the
 
“Addendum”).
 
Moreover,
 
if
 
the
Optionee transfers to one
 
of the countries included
 
in such Addendum, the special
 
terms and conditions for such
 
country
will apply
 
to the
 
Optionee,
 
to the
 
extent
 
the Company
 
determines
 
that
 
the application
 
of such
 
terms and
 
conditions
 
is
necessary or advisable to comply with local law or facilitate
 
the administration of the Plan (or the Company may establish
alternative
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
as
 
may
 
be
 
necessary
 
or
 
advisable
 
to
 
accommodate
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
transfer).
 
The
Addendum constitutes part of this Agreement.
14.
Not a Public
 
Offering
. The award
 
of the Stock
 
Option is not
 
intended to be
 
a public offering
 
of securities in
 
the Optionee’s
country of employment (or country of residence, if different). The Company has not submitted any registration statement,
prospectus or other filings with the
 
local securities authorities (unless otherwise
 
required under local law), and the award
of the Stock
 
Option is not
 
subject to the
 
supervision of
 
the local securities
 
authorities. No
 
employee of
 
the Company
 
or
any of its Subsidiaries or affiliated companies is permitted to advise the Optionee on
 
whether he/she should participate in
the Plan.
 
Acquiring
 
shares of
 
Common
 
Stock involves
 
a degree
 
of risk.
 
Before deciding
 
to participate
 
in the
 
Plan, the
Optionee should carefully
 
consider all risk factors
 
relevant to the acquisition
 
of shares of Common
 
Stock under the Plan
and carefully review all of the materials related to the Stock Option and the Plan. In addition, the Optionee should consult
with his/her personal advisor for professional investment advice.
15.
Repatriation;
 
Compliance
 
with
 
Law
.
 
The
 
Optionee
 
agrees
 
to
 
repatriate
 
all
 
payments
 
attributable
 
to
 
the
 
shares
 
of
Common Stock and/or cash acquired under the Plan in accordance with applicable foreign exchange rules and regulations
in the Optionee’s country
 
of employment (and country of residence, if different).
 
In addition, the Optionee agrees to take
any and
 
all actions,
 
and consent
 
to any
 
and all
 
actions taken
 
by the
 
Company and
 
any of
 
its Subsidiaries
 
and affiliated
companies, as may be required to allow the Company and any of its Subsidiaries and affiliated companies to comply with
local
 
laws,
 
rules
 
and/or
 
regulations
 
in
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
country
 
of
 
employment
 
(and
 
country
 
of
 
residence,
 
if
 
different).
Finally,
 
the
 
Optionee
 
agrees
 
to
 
take
 
any
 
and
 
all
 
actions
 
as
 
may
 
be
 
required
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
personal
obligations under local laws, rules and/or
 
regulations in the Optionee’s
 
country of employment and country of
 
residence,
if different).
16.
Imposition of
 
Other Requirements.
The Company
 
reserves the
 
right to
 
impose other
 
requirements on
 
the Optionee’s
participation in the Plan, on the Stock Option, and on any shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan, to the extent
the Company
 
determines it
 
is necessary
 
or advisable
 
for legal
 
or administrative
 
reasons, and
 
to require
 
the Optionee
 
to
sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish
 
the foregoing
.
17.
Committee’s
 
Powers.
No
 
provision
 
contained
 
in
 
this
 
Agreement
 
shall
 
in
 
any
 
way
 
terminate,
 
modify
 
or
 
alter,
 
or
 
be
construed
 
or
 
interpreted
 
as
 
terminating,
 
modifying
 
or
 
altering
 
any
 
of
 
the
 
powers,
 
rights
 
or
 
authority
 
vested
 
in
 
the
Committee or, to the
 
extent delegated, in
 
its delegate, pursuant
 
to the
 
terms of the
 
Plan or resolutions
 
adopted in furtherance
of the Plan, including, without limitation, the right to make
 
certain determinations and elections with respect to the Stock
Option.
 
Any
 
dispute
 
regarding
 
the
 
interpretation
 
of
 
this
 
Agreement
 
or
 
the
 
terms
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
shall
 
be
 
submitted
 
to
 
the
Committee or
 
its delegate
 
who shall
 
have the
 
discretionary authority
 
to construe
 
the terms
 
of this
 
Agreement, the
 
Plan,
and all documents ancillary to
 
this Award.
 
The decisions of the Committee
 
or its delegate shall be
 
final and binding and
any reviewing court of law or
 
other party shall defer to its
 
decision, overruling if, and only if,
 
it is arbitrary and capricious.
In no
 
way is
 
it intended
 
that this
 
review
 
standard subject
 
the Plan
 
or Award
 
to the
 
U.S. Employee
 
Retirement
 
Income
Security Act.
18.
Binding Effect.
 
This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
 
of any successors to the Company and all
persons lawfully claiming under the Optionee.
19.
Governing
 
Law
 
and
 
Forum
.
 
Without
 
limiting
 
the
 
effect
 
of
 
section
 
16,
 
this
 
Agreement
 
shall
 
be
 
governed
 
by,
 
and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard
 
to principles of conflict of laws.
20.
Severability
. The provisions of
 
this Agreement are severable
 
and if any one
 
or more of the provisions
 
are determined to
be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the Agreement shall be reformed and construed so that it would
be
 
enforceable
 
to
 
the
 
maximum
 
extent
 
legally
 
possible,
 
and
 
if
 
it
 
cannot
 
be
 
so
 
reformed
 
and
 
construed,
 
as
 
if
 
such
unenforceable provision, or part thereof, had never been contained herein.
 
9
21.
Waiver
. The waiver
 
by the
 
Company with respect
 
to Optionee’s (or any
 
other participant’s) compliance with
 
any provision
of
 
this
 
Agreement
 
shall
 
not
 
operate
 
or
 
be
 
construed
 
as
 
a
 
waiver
 
of
 
any
 
other
 
provision
 
of
 
this
 
Agreement,
 
or
 
of
 
any
subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement
A
 
copy
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Prospectus
 
to
 
the
 
General
 
Mills,
 
Inc.
 
2022
 
Stock
 
Compensation
 
Plan
 
is
 
available
 
on
 
G&Me
 
by
searching “2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan”.
 
A copy of the Company’s
 
latest Annual Report on Form 10-K is
 
also available on
the Company’s website at www.generalmills.com
 
under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
 
 
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
 
 
 
 
 
10
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
STOCK OPTION AWARD
 
AGREEMENT
OPTIONEE:
[CEO]
PERNR:
This Award
 
is made
 
under the
 
General Mills,
 
Inc. 2022
 
Stock Compensation
 
Plan (the "Plan"),
 
and is
 
subject to
 
the terms
and conditions contained
 
in the Plan
 
document and this
 
Stock Option Award
 
Agreement (“Agreement”).
 
The Optionee: (i)
acknowledges receipt
 
of a
 
copy of
 
the Plan
 
and Plan
 
prospectus, (ii)
 
represents
 
that the
 
Optionee has
 
carefully read
 
and is
familiar with
 
the provisions
 
of this
 
Agreement
 
and the
 
Plan, and
 
(iii) hereby
 
accepts the
 
Stock Option
 
subject to
 
all of
 
the
terms and conditions set forth herein, and in the Plan.
 
If the Optionee does not wish to receive the Stock Option and/or does
not consent
 
and agree
 
to the terms
 
and conditions
 
on which
 
the Stock
 
Option is offered,
 
as set
 
forth in this
 
Agreement and
the Plan, then the Optionee must
 
reject this Award via the website of the Company’s designated broker, no later than 60 days
following the
 
Grant Date.
 
If the Optionee
 
rejects this
 
Award,
 
this Award
 
will immediately
 
be forfeited
 
and cancelled.
 
The
Optionee’s exercise
 
of this Award
 
will also constitute
 
the Optionee’s
 
acceptance of this
 
Award
 
and all terms
 
and conditions
of this Award, as set
 
forth in this Agreement and the Plan.
THIS AWARD,
 
dated on the below Grant Date, is made
 
by General Mills, Inc., (the "Company"), and made to the
 
person named
above (the "Optionee" or referred to as “I”,
 
“you”, or “my”) (“Award”).
1.
Award
 
of Stock Option
. The Company grants
 
to the Optionee under
 
the Plan the following
 
non-qualified option to
 
purchase the
Company's common
 
stock, par
 
value USD
 
0.10 per
 
share (“Common
 
Stock”). The
 
option granted
 
pursuant to
 
this Agreement
 
is
referred to as the “Stock Option” and subject to the
 
terms in this Agreement.
 
Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms
shall have the same meanings ascribed to them under the Plan.
Grant Date:
Expiration Date:
Option Shares:
Exercise Price per share:
Type of Stock Option:
2.
Vesting of
 
Stock Option; Forfeiture of Stock Option.
(c)
Vesting
 
Schedule
. The
 
Stock Option
 
shall vest
 
and become
 
exercisable in
 
tranches, each
 
tranche having
 
its own
 
12
month vesting period occurring consecutively,
 
starting on the Grant Date.
 
Tranche
 
Number of Options
Scheduled Date Exercisable
(d)
Forfeiture
 
of
 
Stock
 
Option
.
 
The
 
Optionee
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Stock
 
Options
 
granted
 
hereunder
 
are
 
subject
 
to
forfeiture, and/or limited exercise
 
period, if the Optionee’s employment with
 
the Company or
 
any Subsidiary terminates
under certain circumstances, as herein provided.
 
(vi)
Termination
 
for Cause.
 
If the
 
Optionee’s
 
employment with
 
the Company
 
is terminated
 
at any
 
time prior
 
to the
Expiration Date by a
 
discharge due to Optionee’s illegal activities,
 
poor work performance, misconduct or
 
violation
of the
 
Company’s
 
Code of Conduct,
 
policies or
 
practices, then,
 
to the
 
extent the Stock
 
Option is
 
vested as of
 
the
Termination
 
Date, those tranches shall expire three (3) months after the Termination
 
Date (but in no event beyond
the
 
Expiration
 
Date);
 
and,
 
if and
 
to
 
the extent
 
the Stock
 
Option
 
is not
 
fully
 
vested
 
as of
 
the
 
Termination
 
Date,
tranches not
 
fully vested
 
shall for
 
no consideration
 
be cancelled
 
and forfeited
 
immediately with
 
no ability
 
to be
exercised. For the avoidance
 
of doubt, “Termination
 
Date” for purposes of this
 
Award
 
will be deemed to occur
 
as
of the date
 
Optionee is no
 
longer actively providing
 
services as an
 
employee, unless otherwise
 
determined by the
Company in its sole discretion, and no vesting shall continue during any notice period
 
that may be specified under
contract or applicable law with respect to such termination, including
 
any “garden leave” or similar period, except
as may otherwise be permitted in the Company’s
 
sole discretion.
 
11
(vii)
Involuntary Termination.
 
If the Optionee’s employment
 
by the Company terminates involuntarily at the initiation
of the Company for any reason
 
other than specified in Plan Section 11,
 
or (i), (iv) or (v) herein, and only
 
upon the
execution (without revoking)
 
of an effective
 
general legal release
 
and such other
 
documents as are
 
satisfactory to
the Company, and (A) to the extent these Stock
 
Options are already exercisable on
 
the Termination Date, they shall
remain exercisable for the
 
lesser of one year from
 
the date of termination,
 
or until the Expiration Date;
 
and/or (B)
to the extent
 
these Stock Options
 
are not yet
 
exercisable on the
 
Termination Date, then the tranche
 
with a Scheduled
Date Exercisable within 12 months of the Termination
 
Date, shall become exercisable as of the Termination
 
Date,
in a pro-rata amount based
 
on actual employment completed during
 
the relevant 12 month tranche
 
vesting period,
 
with such newly-exercisable Stock
 
Options remaining exercisable for
 
one year from the Termination
 
Date.
 
Stock
Options that do
 
not become
 
exercisable based
 
on the previous
 
provisions shall
 
be forfeited
 
as of the
 
Termination
Date.
(viii)
Death.
 
If an Optionee dies while employed with the Company or any Subsidiary or affiliated
 
companies during
any
 
applicable
 
vesting
 
period,
 
this
 
Award
 
shall
 
become
 
fully
 
vested
 
and
 
exercisable
 
upon
 
death
 
and
 
may
 
be
exercised
 
by
 
the
 
person
 
designated
 
as
 
such
 
Optionee’s
 
beneficiary
 
or
 
beneficiaries
 
or,
 
in
 
the
 
absence
 
of
 
such
designation, by the Optionee’s estate. The
 
Stock Option shall remain exercisable until the Expiration Date.
(ix)
Retirement.
 
If the termination of employment is due to retirement on or after age 62, the Optionee
 
may, effective
as of each tranche’s Scheduled
 
Date Exercisable, exercise these Stock Options until the Expiration
 
Date.
 
If the
Participant retires before age 62 but after age 55, (A) any tranche not already
 
exercisable on the Termination
 
Date
shall either become exercisable if its respective Scheduled Date Exercisable
 
is within 12 months of the
Termination
 
Date, and remain so until the Expiration Date, in a pro-rata amount based on actual employment
completed during the tranche’s 12
 
month vesting period, or be forfeited if the tranche’s
 
Scheduled Date
Exercisable is more than 12 months from the Termination
 
Date; and (B) if any tranches are exercisable they shall
remain exercisable until the Expiration Date.
 
(x)
Spin-offs and Other Divestitures.
 
If the termination of employment is due to the divestiture, cessation, transfer,
 
or
spin-off of a line of
 
business or other activity of
 
the Company, the Committee, in its sole
 
discretion, shall determine
the conversion, vesting, or other treatment of the Stock Option.
3.
Exercise of the Option.
(d)
Method of Exercise
. Optionee may exercise the vested portion of the Stock Option
 
(provided the Fair Market Value of
the shares of Common Stock
 
exercised exceeds the exercise
 
price) prior to the Expiration
 
Date of the Stock Option
 
by
delivering a
 
notice of
 
exercise in
 
such form
 
as may
 
be designated
 
by the
 
Company from
 
time to
 
time, or
 
making the
required electronic election with the Company’s
 
designated broker, and paying
 
the exercise price and any Tax
 
-Related
Items (as defined
 
in section 5 below)
 
and costs to
 
the Company’s
 
stock plan administrator
 
or such other
 
person as the
Company may
 
designate, together
 
with such
 
additional documents
 
as the
 
Company may
 
then require
 
pursuant to
 
the
terms of the Plan.
(e)
Method of Payment
. Payment of the
 
exercise price may be
 
made by one of
 
the methods available under
 
the Company’s
exercise procedures, which may include:
(iv)
Payment by cash or check.
 
(v)
Payment by
 
transfer to
 
the Company
 
of whole
 
shares of
 
Common Stock
 
Optionee already
 
owns having
 
a Fair
Market Value
 
determined at
 
the time
 
of exercise
 
of the
 
Stock Option
 
equal to,
 
but not
 
exceeding, the
 
exercise
price and any Tax-Related
 
Items; and
(vi)
A “same day sale”
 
transaction pursuant to which
 
a third party (engaged
 
by you or the Company)
 
loans funds to
you to enable
 
you to purchase
 
shares of Common
 
Stock and pay
 
any Tax-Related Items, and then
 
sells a sufficient
number of the
 
exercised shares of
 
Common Stock on
 
your behalf to
 
enable you to
 
repay the loan
 
and any fees.
The remaining shares of Common Stock and/or cash are then delivered
 
by the third party to the Optionee.
The Company
 
may suspend, or
 
eliminate, various
 
forms of permissible
 
payment of
 
the exercise price
 
from time to
 
time
in its
 
sole discretion.
 
Further, notwithstanding
 
any provision
 
within this
 
Agreement to
 
the contrary,
 
if the
 
Optionee is
 
a
resident or provides services outside of the United States, the Committee may
 
require that the Optionee (or in the event of
the Optionee’s death, his or her legal representative, as the case may be) exercise the Stock Option in a method other than
as specified above, may require the Optionee to exercise the
 
Stock Option only by means of a “same
 
day sale” transaction
(either a
 
“sell-all” transaction
 
or a
 
“sell-to-cover” transaction)
 
as it
 
determines in
 
its sole
 
discretion, or
 
may require
 
the
Optionee to
 
sell any
 
shares of
 
Common Stock
 
the Optionee
 
acquires under
 
the Plan
 
immediately or
 
within a
 
specified
 
 
 
 
 
12
period following the Optionee’s termination
 
of employment with the Company or any Subsidiary or affiliated companies
(in which case, the Optionee hereby agrees that the Company shall have the authority to issue sale instructions in relation
to such shares on the Optionee’s behalf).
 
(f)
Responsibility for Exercise.
The Optionee is responsible for taking any and
 
all actions as may be required to exercise
the Stock Option in a timely manner and for properly executing any such documents as may be required for exercise in
accordance with such
 
rules and procedures
 
as may be
 
established from time
 
to time. The
 
Optionee acknowledges
 
that
information regarding the procedures and requirements for the exercise of the Stock Option
 
is available to the Optionee
on request. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary or affiliated companies shall have any duty or obligation to notify
you of the Expiration Date of the Option.
4.
Non-Transferability.
 
The Stock Option may not
 
be sold, assigned, pledged,
 
exchanged, hypothecated, encumbered,
 
disposed of,
or otherwise
 
transferred, unless
 
otherwise provided
 
in the
 
Plan or this
 
Agreement.
 
Upon any attempt
 
to transfer,
 
assign, pledge,
hypothecate or otherwise
 
dispose of the
 
Stock Option or
 
of such rights
 
contrary to the
 
provisions hereof or
 
in the Plan,
 
the Stock
Option and such rights shall immediately become null and void.
5.
Withholding
 
of
 
Tax
.
 
The
 
Optionee
 
acknowledges
 
that,
 
regardless
 
of
 
any
 
action
 
taken
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
or,
 
if
 
different,
 
the
Subsidiary
 
or
 
affiliated
 
company
 
that
 
employs
 
the
 
Optionee
 
(the
 
“Employer”),
 
the
 
ultimate
 
liability
 
for
 
all
 
income
 
tax,
 
social
contributions,
 
payroll
 
tax,
 
fringe
 
benefits
 
tax,
 
payment
 
on
 
account,
 
hypothetical
 
tax
 
or
 
other
 
tax-related
 
items
 
related
 
to
 
the
Optionee’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan
 
and legally
 
applicable to
 
the Optionee
 
or deemed
 
by the
 
Company or
 
the Employer
 
in their
discretion to
 
be an appropriate
 
charge to
 
the Optionee
 
even if legally
 
applicable to
 
the Company
 
or the Employer
 
(“Tax-Related
Items”),
 
is
 
and
 
remains
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
responsibility
 
and
 
may
 
exceed
 
the
 
amount
 
actually
 
withheld
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
Employer,
 
if
 
any.
 
The
 
Optionee
 
further
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and/or
 
the
 
Employer
 
(a) make
 
no
 
representations
 
or
undertakings regarding
 
the treatment of
 
any Tax
 
-Related Items in
 
connection with any
 
aspect of the Stock
 
Option, including, but
not limited to,
 
the grant, vesting,
 
exercise and the
 
subsequent sale of
 
shares of Common
 
Stock acquired
 
pursuant to such
 
vesting
and exercise
 
and the receipt
 
of any dividends;
 
and (b) do
 
not commit to
 
and are
 
under no obligation
 
to structure
 
the terms of
 
the
grant
 
or
 
any
 
aspect
 
of
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option
 
to
 
reduce
 
or
 
eliminate
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
liability
 
for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
or
 
achieve
 
any
particular tax result. Further, if the Optionee
 
is subject to Tax-Related Items in more
 
than one jurisdiction between the Grant Date
and the date of
 
any relevant taxable or tax
 
withholding event, as applicable,
 
the Optionee acknowledges that
 
the Company and/or
the Employer (or former employer,
 
as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax
 
-Related Items in more than one
jurisdiction.
Prior to the
 
relevant taxable
 
or tax
 
withholding event, as
 
applicable, the Optionee
 
agrees to
 
make adequate arrangements
 
satisfactory
to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, unless otherwise approved by the Committee,
the
 
Company
 
shall
 
satisfy
 
the
 
obligations
 
with
 
regard
 
to
 
all
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
by
 
one
 
or
 
a
 
combination
 
of
 
the
 
following:
 
(i)
withholding from
 
the Optionee’s
 
wages or
 
other cash
 
compensation paid
 
to the
 
Optionee by
 
the Company
 
and/or the
 
Employer;
(ii) withholding from the shares of Common Stock to be delivered upon
 
settlement of the Stock Option or other awards granted to
the Optionee or
 
(iii) permitting the
 
Optionee to tender
 
to the Company
 
cash or,
 
if allowed by
 
the Committee, shares
 
of Common
Stock.
Depending on
 
the withholding
 
method, the
 
Company may
 
withhold or
 
account for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items by
 
considering applicable
statutory withholding rates (as determined by the Company in good faith and in its sole discretion) or other applicable withholding
rates, including maximum applicable rates, in which case the Optionee will receive a refund of any over-withheld amount and will
have no entitlement
 
to the share equivalent.
 
If the obligation for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items is satisfied
 
by withholding from
 
the shares of
Common Stock to be delivered upon vesting of the Stock Option, for tax purposes, the Optionee is
 
deemed to have been issued the
full number of
 
shares of Common
 
Stock subject to
 
the Stock Option,
 
notwithstanding that a
 
number of shares
 
of Common Stock
are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax
 
-Related Items. The Optionee will have no further rights with respect to any
shares of Common Stock that are retained by the Company pursuant
 
to this provision.
The Optionee agrees to pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company or the Employer
may be
 
required to
 
withhold or
 
account for
 
as a
 
result of
 
the Optionee’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan
 
that cannot
 
be satisfied
 
by the
means previously
 
described. The
 
Company may
 
refuse to issue
 
or deliver
 
shares of
 
Common Stock
 
or proceeds
 
from the
 
sale of
shares
 
of
 
Common
 
Stock
 
until arrangements
 
satisfactory
 
to the
 
Company
 
have
 
been
 
made
 
in
 
connection
 
with
 
the
 
Tax-Related
Items.
6.
Restrictive Covenants; Confidential Information
. The Optionee agrees to cooperate with the Company in any way needed in
order to comply with, or fulfill the terms of the Plan and this Grant document.
 
As a term and condition of this Grant, Optionee
agrees to the following terms:
 
13
e.
I agree
 
to use General
 
Mills Confidential
 
Information only
 
as needed
 
in the
 
performance of
 
my duties,
 
to hold
and
 
protect
 
such
 
information
 
as
 
confidential
 
to
 
the
 
Company,
 
and
 
not
 
to
 
engage
 
in
 
any
 
unauthorized
 
use
 
or
disclosure of such information for so long as such information qualifies as Confidential Information. I agree that
after my employment with the Company terminates for any reason, including “retirement” as
 
that term is used in
the Plan, I will not use or disclose,
 
directly or indirectly,
 
Company Confidential Information or trade
 
secrets for
any purpose, unless I get the prior written consent of my manager to do so.
This document does not prevent me from filing
 
a complaint with a government agency (including the Securities
and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
 
and others) or
from participating in an agency
 
proceeding. This document also does
 
not prevent me from providing
 
an agency
with information, including this
 
document, unless such information
 
is legally protected from disclosure
 
to third
parties.
 
I do not
 
need prior company
 
authorization to take
 
these actions, nor
 
must I notify
 
the company I
 
have
done so.
Also, as
 
provided in
 
18 U.S.C.
 
1833(b), I
 
cannot be
 
held criminally
 
or civilly
 
liable under
 
any federal
 
or state
trade secret
 
law for making
 
a trade secret
 
disclosure: (A)
 
in confidence
 
to a federal,
 
state, or
 
local government
official,
 
either
 
directly
 
or
 
indirectly,
 
or
 
to
 
an
 
attorney,
 
solely
 
for
 
the
 
purpose
 
of
 
reporting
 
or
 
investigating
 
a
suspected violation of law; or (B) in a
 
complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other
 
proceeding, if such
filing is made under seal.
General Mills Confidential Information means any non-public
 
information I create, receive, use
 
or observe in the
performance of my job at General Mills, including
 
trade secrets.
 
Examples of Confidential Information include
marketing, merchandising, business plans,
 
business methods, pricing,
 
purchasing, licensing, contracts,
 
employee,
supplier
 
or
 
customer
 
information,
 
financial
 
data,
 
technological
 
developments,
 
manufacturing
 
processes
 
and
specifications, product
 
formulas, ingredient
 
specifications, software
 
code, and all
 
other proprietary information
which is not publicly available to others.
Prior
 
to
 
leaving
 
the
 
Company,
 
I
 
agree
 
to
 
return
 
all
 
materials
 
in
 
my
 
possession
 
containing
 
Confidential
Information,
 
as
 
well
 
as
 
all
 
other
 
documents
 
and
 
other
 
tangible
 
items
 
provided
 
to
 
me
 
by
 
General
 
Mills,
 
or
developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
f.
[
This Section 6.b. does not apply
 
to Colorado and Minnesota-based
 
employees.
] I agree that for one
 
year after I
leave
 
the
 
Company,
 
including
 
retiring
 
from
 
the
 
Company,
 
I
 
will
 
not
 
work
 
on
 
any
 
product,
 
brand
 
category,
process, or service: (A) on which I worked, or about
 
which I had access to Confidential Information, in the year
immediately preceding my termination (including retirement) from General Mills, and (B) which competes with
General Mills products, brand categories, processes, or related services.
 
g.
I agree
 
that for
 
one year
 
after I
 
leave General
 
Mills, including
 
retiring from
 
the Company,
 
I will
 
refrain from
directly or
 
indirectly soliciting
 
Company
 
employees for
 
the purpose
 
of hiring
 
them or
 
inducing them
 
to leave
their employment with the Company.
h.
I agree that
 
after I leave
 
General Mills, including
 
retiring from the
 
Company, I will indefinitely refrain from
 
using
Company client or contact lists, and for two years I will refrain from soliciting the Company’s
 
customers.
A breach of
 
the obligations set
 
forth in this
 
paragraph may result
 
in the rescission
 
of the Grant,
 
termination and forfeiture
 
of any
unvested
 
or un-exercised
 
Options, and/or
 
required
 
payment to
 
Company
 
of all
 
or a
 
portion
 
of any
 
monetary
 
gains acquired
 
by
Optionee as a
 
result of the
 
Grant, unless the
 
Grant vested and
 
was settled more
 
than four (4)
 
years prior to
 
the breach.
 
The foregoing
remedies are in
 
addition to, and
 
not in lieu
 
of injunctive relief
 
and/or any other
 
legal or equitable
 
remedies available under
 
applicable
law
7.
Nature of Grant
. In accepting the Stock Option, the Optionee acknowledges and agrees that:
(n)
the Plan is established
 
voluntarily by the Company, it is
 
discretionary in nature and
 
it may be
 
modified, amended,
suspended or terminated
 
by the Company,
 
in its sole discretion,
 
at any time (subject
 
to any limitations set
 
forth
in the Plan);
(o)
the grant
 
of the
 
Stock Option
 
is voluntary
 
and occasional
 
and does
 
not create
 
any contractual
 
or other
 
right to
receive future grants
 
of stock options,
 
or benefits in lieu
 
of stock options, even
 
if stock options
 
or other awards
have been granted in the past;
 
 
14
(p)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any,
 
will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(q)
the Optionee’s participation
 
in the Plan is voluntary;
(r)
the
 
Stock
 
Option
 
and
 
the
 
Optionee’s
 
participation
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
shall
 
not
 
create
 
a
 
right
 
to
 
employment
 
or
 
be
interpreted
 
as
 
forming
 
an
 
employment
 
contract
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
 
of
 
its
 
Subsidiaries
 
or
 
affiliated
companies and
 
shall not
 
interfere with
 
the ability of
 
the Company
 
or the
 
Employer,
 
as applicable,
 
to terminate
the Optionee’s employment relationship
 
(as otherwise may be permitted under local law);
(s)
unless otherwise agreed
 
with the Company,
 
the Stock Option
 
and any
 
shares of Common
 
Stock acquired
 
upon
vesting and exercise
 
of the Stock
 
Option, and the
 
income from and
 
value of same,
 
are not granted
 
as consideration
for, or in connection with, any
 
service the Optionee may
 
provide as a director
 
of any of
 
any Subsidiary or affiliate
of the Company;
(t)
the Stock Option
 
and any shares of
 
Common Stock acquired
 
under the Plan
 
and the income and
 
value of same,
are
 
not
 
part
 
of
 
normal
 
or
 
expected
 
compensation
 
for
 
purposes
 
of
 
calculating
 
any
 
severance,
 
resignation,
termination,
 
redundancy,
 
dismissal,
 
end-of-service
 
payments,
 
bonuses,
 
long-service
 
awards,
 
pension
 
or
retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments and in no event should
 
be considered as compensation for, or
relating
 
in
 
any
 
way
 
to,
 
past
 
services
 
for
 
the
 
Company,
 
the
 
Employer
 
or
 
any
 
Subsidiary
 
or
 
affiliate
 
of
 
the
Company;
(u)
the future
 
value of
 
the shares of
 
Common Stock
 
underlying the
 
Stock Option
 
is unknown,
 
indeterminable, and
cannot be predicted with certainty;
 
(v)
if the underlying shares of Common Stock do not increase in value, the Stock
 
Option will have no value;
 
(w)
upon exercise of the Stock Option, the
 
value of such shares of Common Stock
 
may increase or decrease in value,
even below the exercise price;
 
(x)
no claim or
 
entitlement to compensation or
 
damages shall arise
 
from forfeiture of the
 
Stock Option resulting from
termination of the Optionee’s employment (for
 
any reason whatsoever and
 
whether or not
 
in breach of local
 
labor
laws or
 
later found
 
invalid) and,
 
in consideration
 
of the
 
Stock Option,
 
the Optionee
 
agrees not
 
to institute
 
any
claim against the Company or the Employer;
(y)
the
 
Stock
 
Option
 
and
 
the
 
benefits
 
evidenced
 
by
 
this
 
Agreement
 
do
 
not
 
create
 
any
 
entitlement
 
not
 
otherwise
specifically provided
 
for in the
 
Plan or provided
 
by the Company
 
in its discretion,
 
to have the
 
Stock Option
 
or
any such benefits transferred to, or assumed
 
by, another company, nor to be exchanged, cashed out or substituted
for, in connection with any corporate
 
transaction affecting the shares of Common Stock; and
(z)
neither the Company nor any of
 
its Subsidiaries or affiliated companies
 
shall be liable for any foreign
 
exchange
rate fluctuation between the Optionee’s
 
local currency and the U.S. dollar that may affect
 
the value of the Stock
Option or any
 
amounts due to
 
the Optionee pursuant
 
to the exercise
 
of the Stock
 
Option or the
 
subsequent sale
of any shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise of the Stock Option.
8.
Data Privacy
.
If the Participant would like to participate in the Plan, the Participant will need to review the information provided
in this Section 8 and, where
 
applicable, declare the
 
Participant’s
 
consent to the processing
 
of personal data by the Company
 
and
the third parties stated below.
 
If the
 
Participant is
 
based in
 
the European
 
Union (“EU”),
 
European
 
Economic Area
 
(“EEA”) or
 
United Kingdom,
 
please note
that General
 
Mills, Inc.
 
with registered
 
address
 
at One
 
General Mills
 
Boulevard,
 
Minneapolis,
 
MN 55426
 
-1347,
 
U.S.A., is
 
the
controller responsible
 
for the processing of the Participant’s
 
personal data in connection with the Agreement
 
and the Plan.
(h)
Data Collection and Usage. The Company collects, processes, uses and transfers certain personally-identifiable
information
 
about
 
the Participant,
 
specifically,
 
the Participant’s
 
name,
 
home
 
address
 
and
 
telephone
 
number,
email
 
address,
 
date
 
of
 
birth,
 
social
 
insurance,
 
passport
 
number
 
or
 
other
 
identification
 
number,
 
salary,
nationality, job title, any shares of Stock or directorships held in the Company or any affiliated company, details
of all
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units or
 
any other
 
entitlement to
 
shares of
 
Stock awarded,
 
canceled, exercised,
 
settled,
vested, unvested or
 
outstanding in the Participant’s
 
favor,
 
which the Company receives
 
from the
 
Participant or
the Employer (the “Data”).
 
The Company collects, processes
 
and uses the Data for
 
the purposes of performing
 
 
 
 
 
 
15
its contractual
 
obligations under this
 
Agreement, implementing,
 
administering and
 
managing the Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable
 
tax and securities law.
 
If the Participant is based
 
in the EU, EEA or
 
United Kingdom, the legal
 
basis for the processing
 
of the Data by
the Company is the necessity of the processing for the Company to
 
perform its contractual obligations under this
Agreement
 
and the
 
Plan and
 
the Company’s
 
legitimate business
 
interests
 
of managing
 
the Plan,
 
administering
employee equity awards and complying with its contractual
 
and statutory obligations.
 
If the Participant is
 
based in any other
 
jurisdiction, the legal basis
 
for the processing of the
 
Data by the Company
is the Participant’s
 
consent as further described below.
(i)
Stock Plan
 
Administration Service
 
Providers.
 
The Company
 
transfers Data
 
to E*TRADE
 
Financial Corporate
Services, Inc.
 
(including its
 
affiliated companies),
 
an independent
 
service provider
 
which assists
 
the Company
with the implementation,
 
administration and management
 
of the Plan.
 
In the future,
 
the Company may select
 
a
different service provider, which will in a similar
 
manner, share Data with such service provider. The Company’s
service
 
provider
 
will
 
maintain
 
an
 
account
 
for
 
the
 
Participant
 
to
 
administer
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units.
 
The
processing of Data
 
will take
 
place through both
 
electronic and non-electronic means. Data
 
will only
 
be accessible
by those individuals requiring access to it for purposes
 
of implementing, administering and operating the Plan.
(j)
International Data Transfers.
 
The Company and
 
its service providers
 
are based
 
in the United States
 
and India.
The Participant’s
 
country or jurisdiction
 
may have different
 
data privacy laws
 
and protections
 
than the United
States and
 
India. An
 
appropriate
 
level of
 
protection
 
can be
 
achieved by
 
implementing
 
safeguards
 
such as
 
the
Standard Contractual Clauses adopted by
 
the EU Commission.
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
is
 
based
 
in
 
any
 
other
 
jurisdiction,
 
the
 
Data
 
will
 
be
 
transferred
 
from
 
the
 
Participant’s
jurisdiction
 
to
 
the
 
Company
 
and
 
onward
 
from
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
any
 
of
 
its
 
service
 
providers
 
based
 
on
 
the
Participant’s
 
consent, as further described below.
(k)
Data Retention.
 
The Company will use the Data only as long as necessary to implement, administer and manage
the
 
Participant’s
 
participation
 
in
 
the
 
Plan,
 
or
 
as
 
required
 
to
 
comply
 
with
 
legal
 
or
 
regulatory
 
obligations,
including tax
 
and securities
 
laws.
 
When the
 
Company no
 
longer needs
 
the Data,
 
the Company
 
will remove
 
it
from its systems.
 
If the Company keeps data longer, it would be to satisfy legal or regulatory obligations and the
Company’s
 
legal basis
 
would be
 
relevant
 
laws or
 
regulations
 
(if the
 
Participant is
 
in the
 
EU, EEA
 
or United
Kingdom) or the Participant’s
 
consent (if the Participant is outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
(l)
Data Subject Rights.
 
The Participant may have
 
a number of rights
 
under data privacy
 
laws in the Participant’s
jurisdiction. Subject
 
to the
 
conditions set
 
out in
 
the applicable
 
law and
 
depending on
 
where the
 
Participant is
based, such rights
 
may include the
 
right to (i)
 
request access to, or
 
copies of, the
 
Data processed by the
 
Company,
(ii) rectification of incorrect Data,
 
(iii) deletion of Data, (iv) restrictions on the processing
 
of Data, (v) object to
the processing
 
of Data
 
for legitimate
 
interests,
 
(vi) portability
 
of Data,
 
(vii) lodge
 
complaints with
 
competent
authorities in
 
the Participant’s
 
jurisdiction, and/or
 
to (viii)
 
receive
 
a list
 
with the
 
names and
 
addresses
 
of any
potential
 
recipients
 
of
 
Data.
 
To
 
receive
 
clarification
 
regarding
 
these
 
rights
 
or
 
to
 
exercise
 
these
 
rights,
 
the
Participant can contact HR Direct.
(m)
Necessary Disclosure
 
of Personal Data.
 
The Participant understands
 
that providing
 
the Company with
 
Data is
necessary for
 
the performance
 
of the
 
Agreement
 
and that
 
the Participant’s
 
refusal
 
to provide
 
the Data
 
would
make it impossible
 
for the Company
 
to perform its
 
contractual obligations and
 
may affect the
 
Participant’s
 
ability
to participate in the Plan.
(n)
Declaration of Consent (if the Participant is outside the EU, EEA and United Kingdom). The Participant hereby
unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of the Data, as described
above
 
and
 
in
 
any
 
other
 
grant
 
materials,
 
by
 
and
 
among,
 
as
 
applicable,
 
the
 
Employer,
 
the
 
Company
 
and
 
any
affiliated
 
company
 
for
 
the
 
exclusive
 
purpose
 
of
 
implementing,
 
administering
 
and
 
managing
 
the
 
Participant’s
participation in the Plan. The Participant understands that the Participant
 
may, at any time, refuse or withdraw
the consents
 
herein,
 
in any
 
case without
 
cost, by
 
contacting HR
 
Direct.
 
If the
 
Participant does
 
not consent
 
or
later seeks to revoke the Participant’s consent, the Participant’s
 
employment status or service with the Employer
will not be
 
affected; the Participant’s consequence of refusing or withdrawing
 
consent is that
 
the Company would
not
 
be
 
able
 
to
 
award
 
the
 
Participant
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
any
 
other
 
equity
 
award
 
to
 
the
 
Participant
 
or
administer
 
or
 
maintain
 
such
 
awards.
 
Therefore,
 
the
 
Participant
 
understands
 
that
 
refusing
 
or
 
withdrawing
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16
consent may affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan. For more information on the
 
consequences
of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent,
 
the Participant should contact HR Direct.
9.
Insider Trading;
 
Market Abuse Laws
. By participating
 
in the Plan,
 
the Optionee agrees
 
to comply with
 
the Company’s
 
policy
on insider
 
trading (to
 
the extent
 
that it
 
is applicable
 
to the
 
Optionee), the
 
Optionee further
 
acknowledges that,
 
depending on
 
the
Optionee’s or his or her
 
broker’s country of residence or
 
where the shares
 
of Common Stock are
 
listed, the Optionee may
 
be subject
to insider trading
 
restrictions and/or market
 
abuse laws that may
 
affect the Optionee’s
 
ability to accept,
 
acquire, sell or otherwise
dispose of shares of Common Stock,
 
rights to shares of Common Stock (e.g.,
 
stock options) or rights linked to the
 
value of shares
of Common Stock,
 
during such times
 
the Optionee is
 
considered to have
 
“inside information” regarding
 
the Company as defined
by the
 
laws or
 
regulations in
 
the Optionee’s
 
country.
 
Local insider
 
trading laws
 
and regulations
 
may prohibit
 
the cancellation
 
or
amendment
 
of
 
orders
 
the
 
Optionee
 
places
 
before
 
he
 
or
 
she
 
possessed
 
inside
 
information.
 
Furthermore,
 
the
 
Optionee
 
could
 
be
prohibited from
 
(i) disclosing the
 
inside information
 
to any
 
third party
 
(other than
 
on a
 
“need to
 
know” basis)
 
and (ii)
 
“tipping”
third
 
parties
 
or
 
causing
 
them
 
otherwise
 
to
 
buy
 
or
 
sell
 
securities.
 
The
 
Optionee
 
understands
 
that
 
third
 
parties
 
include
 
fellow
employees. Any restriction under
 
these laws or
 
regulations are separate from
 
and in addition
 
to any restrictions
 
that may be
 
imposed
under any applicable Company
 
insider trading policy. The Optionee acknowledges
 
that it is
 
the Optionee’s responsibility to comply
with any applicable restrictions, and that the Optionee should therefore
 
consult the Optionee’s personal advisor
 
on this matter
10.
11.
Clawback
. This Award
 
is specifically made subject to the Company’s Executive
 
Compensation Clawback Policy.
Electronic Delivery
. The Optionee
 
agrees, to the fullest
 
extent permitted by law,
 
in lieu of receiving
 
documents in paper format,
to
 
accept
 
electronic
 
delivery
 
of
 
any
 
documents
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and
 
its
 
Subsidiaries
 
or
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
may
 
deliver
 
in
connection
 
with
 
this
 
grant
 
and
 
any
 
other
 
grants
 
offered
 
by
 
the
 
Company,
 
including
 
prospectuses,
 
grant
 
notifications,
 
account
statements,
 
annual
 
or
 
quarterly
 
reports,
 
and
 
other
 
communications.
 
Electronic
 
delivery
 
of
 
a
 
document
 
may
 
be
 
made
 
via
 
the
Company’s email
 
system or by reference to a
 
location on the Company’s
 
intranet or website or a website
 
of the Company’s
 
agent
administering the Plan. By accepting this grant, whether electronically or otherwise, the Optionee hereby consents to participate in
the Plan
 
through such
 
system, intranet,
 
or website,
 
including but
 
not limited
 
to the
 
use of
 
electronic signatures
 
or click-through
electronic acceptance of terms and conditions.
12.
English Language
. The
 
Optionee acknowledges
 
and agrees
 
that it
 
is the
 
Optionee’s
 
express intent
 
that this
 
Agreement and
 
the
Plan and all other documents, notices and legal proceedings entered into, given or
 
instituted pursuant to the Stock Option be drawn
up in
 
English. To
 
the extent
 
the Optionee
 
has been
 
provided with
 
a copy
 
of this
 
Agreement,
 
the Plan,
 
or any
 
other documents
relating to this Award
 
in a language other than English, the English language documents will prevail in case of
 
any ambiguities or
divergences as a result of translation.
13.
Addendum
.
 
Notwithstanding
 
any
 
provisions
 
in
 
this
 
Agreement,
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option
 
shall
 
be
 
subject
 
to
 
any
 
special
 
terms
 
and
conditions set forth in the
 
Country-Specific Addendum to this Agreement
 
(the “Addendum”). Moreover,
 
if the Optionee transfers
to one of the
 
countries included in such
 
Addendum, the special terms
 
and conditions for such
 
country will apply
 
to the Optionee,
to the extent
 
the Company determines
 
that the application
 
of such terms
 
and conditions is
 
necessary or advisable
 
to comply with
local law
 
or facilitate
 
the administration
 
of the
 
Plan (or
 
the Company
 
may establish
 
alternative terms
 
and conditions
 
as may
 
be
necessary or advisable to accommodate the Optionee’s
 
transfer). The Addendum constitutes part of this Agreement.
14.
Not a Public Offering
. The award of
 
the Stock Option is
 
not intended to
 
be a public offering
 
of securities in the
 
Optionee’s country
of employment
 
(or country
 
of residence,
 
if different).
 
The Company
 
has not
 
submitted any
 
registration statement,
 
prospectus or
other filings with the local
 
securities authorities (unless otherwise
 
required under local law), and
 
the award of the Stock Option
 
is
not subject to the supervision
 
of the local securities authorities.
 
No employee of the Company or
 
any of its Subsidiaries
 
or affiliated
companies is permitted to
 
advise the Optionee
 
on whether he/she
 
should participate in the
 
Plan. Acquiring shares
 
of Common Stock
involves a degree of risk. Before deciding to participate in the Plan, the Optionee should carefully consider all risk factors relevant
to the acquisition of
 
shares of Common Stock
 
under the Plan and
 
carefully review all of
 
the materials related to
 
the Stock Option
and the Plan. In addition, the Optionee should consult with his/her personal
 
advisor for professional investment advice.
15.
Repatriation; Compliance with Law
. The Optionee agrees to repatriate all payments attributable to the shares of Common Stock
and/or cash acquired under the
 
Plan in accordance with
 
applicable foreign exchange rules and
 
regulations in the Optionee’s country
of employment (and country of residence, if different).
 
In addition, the Optionee agrees to take any and all actions, and
 
consent to
any and
 
all actions
 
taken by
 
the Company
 
and any
 
of its
 
Subsidiaries and
 
affiliated companies,
 
as may
 
be required
 
to allow
 
the
Company and any of its Subsidiaries and affiliated companies to
 
comply with local laws, rules and/or regulations in the
 
Optionee’s
 
 
 
 
 
 
17
country of employment (and
 
country of residence, if different).
 
Finally, the
 
Optionee agrees to take any
 
and all actions as may
 
be
required to
 
comply with the
 
Optionee’s
 
personal obligations
 
under local
 
laws, rules and/or
 
regulations in
 
the Optionee’s
 
country
of employment and country of residence, if different).
16.
Imposition of Other Requirements.
The Company reserves the
 
right to impose other
 
requirements on the Optionee’s participation
in
 
the
 
Plan,
 
on
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option,
 
and
 
on
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Common
 
Stock
 
acquired
 
under
 
the
 
Plan,
 
to
 
the
 
extent
 
the
 
Company
determines
 
it
 
is
 
necessary
 
or
 
advisable
 
for
 
legal
 
or
 
administrative
 
reasons,
 
and
 
to
 
require
 
the
 
Optionee
 
to
 
sign
 
any
 
additional
agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the
 
foregoing
.
17.
Committee’s
 
Powers.
No provision
 
contained in
 
this Agreement
 
shall in any
 
way terminate,
 
modify or
 
alter, or
 
be construed
 
or
interpreted as
 
terminating, modifying
 
or altering
 
any of
 
the powers,
 
rights or
 
authority vested
 
in the
 
Committee or,
 
to the
 
extent
delegated, in
 
its delegate,
 
pursuant to
 
the terms
 
of the
 
Plan or
 
resolutions adopted
 
in furtherance
 
of the
 
Plan, including,
 
without
limitation,
 
the
 
right
 
to
 
make
 
certain
 
determinations
 
and
 
elections
 
with
 
respect
 
to
 
the
 
Stock
 
Option.
 
Any
 
dispute
 
regarding
 
the
interpretation of
 
this Agreement
 
or the
 
terms of
 
the Plan
 
shall be
 
submitted to
 
the Committee
 
or its
 
delegate who
 
shall have
 
the
discretionary authority to construe the terms of this Agreement, the Plan,
 
and all documents ancillary to this Award.
 
The decisions
of the Committee or its delegate shall be final and binding and any reviewing court of law or other party shall defer to its decision,
overruling if, and only if, it is arbitrary and capricious. In no way is it intended that this review standard subject the Plan or Award
to the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
18.
Binding Effect.
 
This Agreement shall be binding
 
upon and inure to the benefit
 
of any successors to the Company
 
and all persons
lawfully claiming under the Optionee.
19.
Governing Law
 
and Forum
. Without
 
limiting the
 
effect of
 
section 16,
 
this Agreement
 
shall be
 
governed by,
 
and construed
 
in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to principles
 
of conflict of laws.
20.
Severability
. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more of the provisions are determined to be illegal
or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or
 
in part, the Agreement shall be reformed
 
and construed so that it would be enforceable
 
to
the maximum
 
extent legally
 
possible, and
 
if it
 
cannot be
 
so reformed
 
and construed,
 
as if
 
such unenforceable
 
provision, or
 
part
thereof, had never been contained herein.
21.
Waiver
. The waiver by the Company with respect to Optionee’s (or any other participant’s) compliance with any provision of this
Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach
 
by
such party of a provision of this Agreement
A copy of the
 
Plan and the Prospectus
 
to the General Mills,
 
Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation Plan
 
is available on G&Me
 
by searching “2022
Stock Compensation Plan”.
 
A copy of the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K is also available on the Company’s
 
website at
www.generalmills.com
 
under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
 
 
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
 
 
 
 
 
1
Exhibit 10.3
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD
GRANT DATE:
PARTICIPANT:
[Officer]
PERNR:
AGGREGATE
 
NUMBER
 
OF
 
UNITS
AWARD
 
ED:
EXPIRATION
 
DATE
 
OF
 
RESTRICTED
PERIOD:
This Award is made
 
under the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan (the "Plan"), and is subject to the
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
contained
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
document
 
and
 
this
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Unit
 
Award
 
Agreement
(“Agreement”).
 
The Participant: (i) acknowledges
 
receipt of a
 
copy of the Plan
 
and Plan prospectus,
 
(ii) represents
that the
 
Participant has
 
carefully read
 
and is familiar
 
with the provisions
 
of this
 
Agreement and
 
the Plan,
 
and (iii)
hereby accepts the
 
Restricted Stock Units
 
subject to all
 
of the terms
 
and conditions set
 
forth herein, and
 
in the
 
Plan.
 
If
the Participant
 
does not
 
wish to
 
receive the
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units and/or
 
does not
 
consent and
 
agree to
 
the terms
and conditions on which the Restricted Stock Units are offered,
 
as set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, then the
Participant
 
must
 
reject
 
this
 
Award
 
via
 
the
 
website
 
of
 
the
 
Company’s
 
designated
 
broker,
 
no
 
later
 
than
 
60
 
days
following
 
the
 
Grant
 
Date.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
rejects
 
this
 
Award,
 
this
 
Award
 
will
 
immediately
 
be
 
forfeited
 
and
cancelled.
 
The Participant’s
 
failure to
 
reject this
 
Award
 
within this
 
60 day
 
period will
 
constitute the
 
Participant’s
acceptance of this Award
 
and all terms and conditions of this Award,
 
as set forth in this Agreement and the Plan.
THIS AWARD,
 
dated on the above Grant Date,
 
is made by General Mills,
 
Inc., and made to the
 
person named above (the
"Participant" or referred to as “I”, “you”,
 
or “my”) (“Award”).
1.
Award
 
of Units
. Each unit
 
awarded represents
 
the right
 
to receive
 
one share
 
of the
 
Company common
 
stock, par value
USD 0.10 per
 
share (“Stock”). The
 
units granted pursuant
 
to this
 
Agreement are referred
 
to as
 
the “Restricted Stock
 
Units”.
Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the same
 
meanings ascribed to them under the Plan.
2.
Vesting/Payment
 
of Restricted Stock Units; Forfeiture.
(a)
Vesting/Payment
 
Schedule
. Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
shall vest
 
in tranches
 
,
 
each tranche
 
having
 
its own
 
12
month vesting period occurring
 
consecutively,
 
starting on the Grant
 
Date.
 
Vested
 
units in a tranche
 
shall be
paid on the respective Scheduled Vesting
 
Date, subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan.
 
Tranche
Number of Units
Scheduled Vesting
 
Date
(b)
Forfeiture of Restricted Stock Units
. The Participant acknowledges that
 
the Restricted Stock Units awarded
hereunder
 
are subject
 
to forfeiture
 
if the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
with the
 
Company
 
or any
 
subsidiary or
affiliated companies (the “Company”)
 
terminates under certain
 
circumstances before the
 
respective Scheduled
Vesting
 
Dates, as herein provided.
 
(i)
Resignation
 
or
 
Termination
 
for
 
Cause.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
is
terminated by either (i) resignation, or (ii) a discharge due to
 
Participant’s illegal activities, poor work
performance, misconduct or violation
 
of the Company’s
 
Code of Conduct, policies
 
or practices, then
these Restricted Stock Units, to
 
the extent they are
 
not previously vested as of
 
the Termination
 
Date,
shall for no consideration be cancelled and forfeited. For the avoidance of doubt, “Termination
 
Date”
 
 
2
for purposes
 
of this
 
Award
 
will be
 
deemed to
 
occur as
 
of the
 
date Participant
 
is no
 
longer actively
providing services as
 
an employee, unless otherwise
 
determined by the Company
 
in its sole
 
discretion,
and
 
no
 
vesting
 
shall
 
continue
 
during
 
any
 
notice
 
period
 
that
 
may
 
be
 
specified
 
under
 
contract
 
or
applicable law with
 
respect to such
 
termination, including any “garden
 
leave” or similar
 
period, except
as may otherwise be permitted in the Company’s
 
sole discretion.
(ii)
Involuntary Termination.
 
If the Participant’s employment with the Company terminates
 
involuntarily
at the
 
initiation
 
of the
 
Company
 
for any
 
reason other
 
than specified
 
in Plan
 
Section 11
 
(
Change
 
in
Control
),
 
or (i),
 
(iv) or
 
(v)
 
in this
 
section
 
2,
 
and
 
only
 
upon the
 
execution
 
(without
 
revoking)
 
of an
effective
 
general
 
legal
 
release
 
and
 
such
 
other
 
documents
 
as
 
are
 
satisfactory
 
to
 
the
 
Company,
 
the
following rules shall apply:
a)
In the event that at the
 
Termination
 
Date, the sum of the Participant’s
 
age and years of service
with the Company equals or
 
exceeds 70, all Restricted Stock Units
 
not previously vested shall
become vested
 
and be paid
 
based on
 
each tranche
 
on the respective
 
Scheduled Vesting
 
Dates
otherwise applicable to each tranche.
 
b)
In the event that at the
 
Termination
 
Date, the sum of the Participant’s
 
age and years of service
with the
 
Company is
 
less than
 
70, the
 
unvested Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
that are
 
in the
 
tranche
with
 
a
 
Scheduled
 
Vesting
 
Date
 
within
 
12
 
months
 
of
 
the
 
Termination
 
Date
 
shall
 
vest,
 
in
 
an
amount equal
 
to the
 
pro-rata amount
 
based on
 
employment completed
 
during the
 
relevant 12
month tranche vesting period.
 
All other unvested Restricted Stock Units shall be forfeited as of
the Termination
 
Date. All
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units that
 
vest under
 
this paragraph
 
shall be
 
paid
on the respective Scheduled Vesting
 
Date otherwise applicable to such tranche.
 
(iii)
Death
.
 
If a
 
Participant dies
 
while employed
 
by the
 
Company during
 
any applicable
 
vesting period,
this Award shall become fully vested, effective
 
as of the date of death, and shall be paid as of the first
day of the month following death to the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries, or to the Participant's
estate if no beneficiary is appropriately designated.
 
(iv)
Retirement.
 
If the termination of employment is due to the Participant’s retireme
 
nt on or after age 55
and completion
 
of at
 
least five
 
(5) years
 
of service
 
with the
 
Company,
 
all Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
in
unvested
 
tranches
 
shall
 
vest
 
and
 
be
 
paid
 
on
 
each
 
tranche’s
 
respective
 
Scheduled
 
Vesting
 
Date.
 
Notwithstanding the above, the terms of this paragraph shall not apply to a Participant who, prior to a
Change of Control, is
 
terminated for cause
 
as described in
 
(b)(i) above; said
 
Participant shall be
 
treated
as provided in (b)(i) above.
(v)
Spin-offs and Other
 
Divestitures.
 
If the termination
 
of employment is
 
due to the
 
divestiture, cessation,
transfer, or
 
spin-off of a
 
line of business or other
 
activity of the Company,
 
the Committee, in its
 
sole
discretion, shall determine the
 
conversion, vesting, or other
 
treatment of these Awards. Such treatment
shall
 
be
 
consistent
 
with
 
Code
 
Section 409A,
 
and
 
in
 
particular
 
will
 
take
 
into
 
account
 
whether
 
a
separation from service has occurred within the meaning of Code Section
 
409A.
3.
Dividend
 
Equivalents.
For
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
awarded
 
hereunder,
 
any
 
dividends
 
or
 
other
 
distributions
 
declared
payable on
 
the Company’s
 
Stock on
 
or after
 
the Grant
 
Date until
 
the Award
 
is settled
 
and/or forfeited
 
shall be
 
credited
notionally to the Participant in an amount equal to such declared dividends or other distributions on an equivalent number
of shares of Stock (“Dividend Equivalents”).
 
Dividend Equivalents so credited shall be paid if, and only to the
 
extent, the
underlying Restricted
 
Stock Units to
 
which they
 
relate become unrestricted
 
and vest, as
 
provided under
 
the terms of
 
the
Plan and this Agreement.
 
Dividend Equivalents credited
 
in respect to Restricted
 
Stock Units that are
 
forfeited under the
terms of
 
the Plan
 
and
 
this document,
 
are correspondingly
 
forfeited.
 
No interest
 
or other
 
earnings
 
shall be
 
credited
 
on
Dividend Equivalents.
 
Vested
 
Dividend Equivalents
 
shall be paid
 
in cash at
 
the same time
 
as the underlying
 
Restricted
Stock Units to which they relate.
4.
Settlement of
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units.
 
Settlement shall
 
be completed
 
as soon
 
as administratively
 
practicable but
 
in no
event later than
 
30 days after
 
the date the
 
Restricted Stock Units
 
vest, except where
 
such settlement following
 
a Section
409A Separation from Service requires a six-month delay. The Company will provide for settlement in the form of shares
of Stock.
 
Awards
 
subject to
 
proper deferral
 
elections shall
 
be deferred
 
into the
 
General Mills
 
Deferred
 
Compensation
Plan.
 
 
 
3
5.
Non-Transferability
.
 
The
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
may
 
not
 
be
 
sold,
 
assigned,
 
pledged,
 
exchanged,
 
hypothecated,
encumbered, disposed
 
of, or
 
otherwise transferred,
 
unless otherwise
 
provided in
 
the Plan or
 
this Agreement.
 
Upon any
attempt to transfer, assign,
 
pledge, hypothecate or
 
otherwise dispose of
 
the Restricted
 
Stock Units or
 
of such rights
 
contrary
to the provisions hereof or in the Plan,
 
the Restricted Stock Units and such rights shall
 
immediately become null and void.
6.
Withholding of
 
Tax
. The Participant acknowledges
 
that, regardless of
 
any action taken by
 
the Company or, if
 
different,
the subsidiary
 
or affiliated
 
company that
 
employs the
 
Participant (the
 
“Employer”), the
 
ultimate liability
 
for all
 
income
tax, social contributions,
 
payroll tax, fringe
 
benefits tax, payment
 
on account, hypothetical
 
tax or other
 
tax-related items
related to the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan and
 
legally applicable
 
to the Participant
 
or deemed by
 
the Company
or the Employer in their discretion to
 
be an appropriate charge to the Participant even
 
if legally applicable to the Company
or the Employer
 
(“Tax-Related Items”), is and remains
 
the Participant’s responsibility and
 
may exceed the
 
amount actually
withheld
 
by the
 
Company or
 
the Employer,
 
if any.
 
The Participant
 
further
 
acknowledges that
 
the Company
 
and/or the
Employer (a)
 
make no
 
representations or
 
undertakings
 
regarding the
 
treatment of
 
any Tax
 
-Related Items
 
in connection
with any aspect of
 
the Restricted Stock Units,
 
including, but not limited
 
to, the grant, vesting,
 
the subsequent sale of
 
shares
of Stock acquired
 
pursuant to such
 
vesting and the
 
receipt of any
 
dividends,
 
or dividend equivalents;
 
and (b) do not
 
commit
to and are under
 
no obligation to structure
 
the terms of the
 
grant or any aspect
 
of the Restricted Stock
 
Units to reduce or
eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax
 
-Related Items or achieve any particular tax result. Further, if the Participant is
subject to Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction
 
between the Grant Date and the date of any relevant taxable or
tax
 
withholding
 
event,
 
as
 
applicable,
 
the
 
Participant
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and/or
 
the
 
Employer
 
(or
 
former
employer, as applicable) may be required
 
to withhold or account for Tax
 
-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to the relevant taxable or tax
 
withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make
 
adequate arrangements
satisfactory to the
 
Company and/or the
 
Employer to
 
satisfy all
 
Tax-Related Items. In this
 
regard, unless
 
otherwise approved
by the Committee, the Company shall satisfy the
 
obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by one or
 
a combination
of the following:
 
(i) withholding
 
from the
 
Participant’s
 
wages or other
 
cash compensation
 
paid to the
 
Participant by
 
the
Company and/or the Employer; (ii) withholding from the shares
 
of Stock to be delivered upon settlement of
 
the Restricted
Stock Units or other awards granted to the Participant or (iii) permitting the Participant to tender to the Company cash or,
if allowed by the Committee, shares of Stock.
Depending
 
on
 
the
 
withholding
 
method,
 
the
 
Company
 
may
 
withhold
 
or
 
account
 
for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
by
 
considering
applicable statutory
 
withholding rates
 
(as determined
 
by the
 
Company
 
in good
 
faith and
 
in its
 
sole discretion)
 
or other
applicable withholding rates,
 
including maximum
 
applicable rates, in
 
which case the
 
Participant will receive
 
a refund of
any over-withheld amount and will have no entitlement
 
to the share equivalent. If the obligation for Tax
 
-Related Items is
satisfied
 
by
 
withholding
 
from
 
the
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
to
 
be
 
delivered
 
upon
 
vesting
 
of
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units,
 
for
 
tax
purposes, the Participant is deemed to have been issued the full number of shares of Stock subject to the
 
Restricted Stock
Units, notwithstanding
 
that a number
 
of shares
 
of Stock
 
are held
 
back solely
 
for the purpose
 
of paying
 
the Ta
 
x-Related
Items. The
 
Participant will
 
have no
 
further rights
 
with respect
 
to any
 
shares of
 
Stock that
 
are retained
 
by the
 
Company
pursuant to this provision.
The Participant agrees to pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company or the
Employer may be
 
required to withhold
 
or account for as
 
a result of the
 
Participant’s participation
 
in the Plan that
 
cannot
be satisfied by the
 
means previously described.
 
The Company may refuse
 
to issue or deliver shares
 
of Stock or proceeds
from the
 
sale of shares
 
of Stock until
 
arrangements satisfactory
 
to the Company
 
have been made
 
in connection with
 
the
Tax-Related Items.
7.
Restrictive Covenants;
 
Confidential Information
. The
 
Participant agrees
 
to cooperate
 
with the
 
Company in
 
any way
needed in order to comply with, or fulfill the terms of the Plan and this Award
 
document.
 
As a term and condition of this
Award,
 
Participant agrees to the following terms:
 
a.
I agree to use
 
General Mills Confidential
 
Information only as needed
 
in the performance of
 
my duties,
to
 
hold
 
and
 
protect
 
such
 
information
 
as
 
confidential
 
to
 
the
 
Company,
 
and
 
not
 
to
 
engage
 
in
 
any
unauthorized
 
use
 
or
 
disclosure
 
of
 
such
 
information
 
for
 
so
 
long
 
as
 
such
 
information
 
qualifies
 
as
Confidential
 
Information.
 
I
 
agree
 
that
 
after
 
my
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
terminates
 
for
 
any
reason,
 
including
 
“retirement”
 
as that
 
term
 
is used
 
in
 
the Plan,
 
I
 
will not
 
use
 
or disclose,
 
directly
 
or
indirectly,
 
Company
 
Confidential Information
 
or trade
 
secrets for
 
any purpose,
 
unless I
 
get the
 
prior
written consent of my manager to do so.
This document
 
does not
 
prevent me
 
from filing
 
a complaint
 
with a
 
government agency
 
(including the
Securities
 
and
 
Exchange
 
Commission,
 
Department
 
of
 
Justice,
 
Equal
 
Employment
 
Opportunity
Commission and
 
others) or
 
from participating
 
in an
 
agency proceeding.
 
This document
 
also does
 
not
prevent
 
me
 
from
 
providing
 
an
 
agency
 
with
 
information,
 
including
 
this
 
document,
 
unless
 
such
 
4
information
 
is
 
legally
 
protected
 
from
 
disclosure
 
to
 
third
 
parties.
 
I
 
do
 
not
 
need
 
prior
 
company
authorization to take these actions, nor must I notify the company I have done
 
so.
Also, as provided
 
in 18 U.S.C.
 
1833(b), I
 
cannot be held
 
criminally or civilly
 
liable under any
 
federal
or state
 
trade secret
 
law for
 
making
 
a trade
 
secret disclosure:
 
(A) in
 
confidence to
 
a federal,
 
state, or
local
 
government
 
official,
 
either
 
directly
 
or
 
indirectly,
 
or
 
to
 
an
 
attorney,
 
solely
 
for
 
the
 
purpose
 
of
reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or
 
(B) in a complaint or other document filed in
a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
General
 
Mills
 
Confidential
 
Information
 
means
 
any
 
non-public
 
information
 
I
 
create,
 
receive,
 
use
 
or
observe
 
in
 
the
 
performance
 
of
 
my
 
job
 
at
 
General
 
Mills,
 
including
 
trade
 
secrets.
 
Examples
 
of
Confidential Information include marketing, merchandising, business plans,
 
business methods, pricing,
purchasing,
 
licensing,
 
contracts,
 
employee,
 
supplier
 
or
 
customer
 
information,
 
financial
 
data,
technological developments,
 
manufacturing processes
 
and specifications,
 
product formulas, ingredient
specifications, software
 
code, and
 
all other
 
proprietary
 
information which
 
is not
 
publicly available
 
to
others.
Prior to leaving
 
the Company,
 
I agree to
 
return all materials
 
in my possession
 
containing Confidential
Information, as well
 
as all other
 
documents and other
 
tangible items provided
 
to me by
 
General Mills,
or developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
b.
[
This Section 7.b. does
 
not apply to Colorado
 
and Minnesota-based employees.
] I agree that
 
for one year
after I leave the Company,
 
including retiring from the Company,
 
I will not work on any product, brand
category,
 
process,
 
or
 
service:
 
(A)
 
on
 
which
 
I
 
worked,
 
or
 
about
 
which
 
I
 
had
 
access
 
to
 
Confidential
Information,
 
in
 
the
 
year
 
immediately
 
preceding
 
my
 
termination
 
(including
 
retirement)
 
from
 
General
Mills,
 
and
 
(B)
 
which
 
competes
 
with
 
General
 
Mills
 
products,
 
brand
 
categories,
 
processes,
 
or
 
related
services.
 
c.
I agree that for one year after I leave General Mills, including
 
retiring from the Company,
 
I will refrain
from directly
 
or indirectly
 
soliciting Company
 
employees for
 
the purpose
 
of hiring
 
them or
 
inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
d.
I agree that after I
 
leave General Mills, including
 
retiring from the Company,
 
I will indefinitely refrain
from
 
using
 
Company
 
client
 
or
 
contact
 
lists,
 
and
 
for
 
two
 
years
 
I
 
will
 
refrain
 
from
 
soliciting
 
the
Company’s customers.
A breach
 
of the
 
obligations set
 
forth in
 
this paragraph
 
may result
 
in the
 
rescission of
 
the Award,
 
termination and
forfeiture of any unvested Units, and/or required payment
 
to the Company of all or a portion of any monetary gains
acquired by
 
the Participant
 
as a
 
result of
 
the Award,
 
unless the
 
Award
 
vested and
 
was settled
 
more than
 
four (4)
years prior to
 
the breach.
 
The foregoing remedies
 
are in addition
 
to, and not
 
in lieu of
 
injunctive relief and/or
 
any
other legal or equitable remedies available under applicable law.
8.
Nature of Grant
. In accepting the Restricted Stock Units, the Participant acknowledges and agrees
 
that:
(a)
the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company,
 
it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified,
amended, suspended
 
or terminated
 
by the
 
Company,
 
in its
 
sole discretion,
 
at any
 
time (subject
 
to any
limitations set forth in the Plan);
(b)
the grant of
 
the Restricted Stock
 
Units is voluntary
 
and occasional and
 
does not create
 
any contractual
or other right to receive future
 
grants of restricted stock units, or
 
benefits in lieu of restricted
 
stock units,
even if restricted stock units or other awards have been granted in the past;
(c)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any,
 
will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(d)
the Participant’s participation
 
in the Plan is voluntary;
(e)
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
participation
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
shall
 
not
 
create
 
a
 
right
 
to
employment
 
or
 
be
 
interpreted
 
as
 
forming
 
an
 
employment
 
contract
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
 
of
 
its
Subsidiaries
 
or
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
and
 
shall
 
not
 
interfere
 
with
 
the
 
ability
 
of
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
Employer,
 
as applicable,
 
to terminate
 
the Participant’s
 
employment relationship
 
(as otherwise
 
may be
permitted under local law);
 
 
5
(f)
unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the Restricted Stock Units and any shares of
 
Stock acquired
upon vesting of
 
the Restricted Stock
 
Units, and the income
 
from and value of
 
same, are not granted
 
as
consideration
 
for,
 
or in
 
connection with,
 
any service
 
the Participant
 
may provide
 
as a
 
director of
 
any
subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(g)
the Restricted Stock Units and any shares of Stock acquired under the Plan and the income and value of
same,
 
are
 
not
 
part
 
of
 
normal
 
or
 
expected
 
compensation
 
for
 
purposes
 
of
 
calculating
 
any
 
severance,
resignation,
 
termination,
 
redundancy,
 
dismissal,
 
end-of-service
 
payments,
 
bonuses,
 
long-service
awards,
 
pension
 
or
 
retirement
 
or
 
welfare
 
benefits
 
or
 
similar
 
payments
 
and
 
in
 
no
 
event
 
should
 
be
considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company, the Employer
or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(h)
the future value
 
of the
 
shares of
 
Stock underlying the
 
Restricted Stock Units
 
is unknown, indeterminable,
and cannot be predicted with certainty;
 
(i)
upon vesting of
 
the Restricted Stock Units,
 
the value of such
 
shares of Stock may
 
increase or decrease
in value;
 
(j)
no claim or
 
entitlement to compensation
 
or damages shall
 
arise from forfeiture
 
of the Restricted Stock
Units
 
resulting
 
from
 
termination
 
of
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
(for
 
any
 
reason
 
whatsoever
 
and
whether or not in
 
breach of local labor
 
laws or later found
 
invalid) and, in consideration
 
of the Restricted
Stock Units, the Participant agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or
 
the Employer;
(k)
the Restricted Stock Units and the rights evidenced by this Agreement do not create any entitlement not
otherwise
 
specifically
 
provided
 
for
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
to
 
have
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
transferred
 
to,
 
or
assumed by,
 
another company,
 
nor to
 
be exchanged,
 
cashed out
 
or substituted
 
for,
 
in connection
 
with
any corporate transaction affecting the shares of Stock; and
(l)
neither the
 
Company nor
 
any of its
 
Subsidiaries or
 
affiliated companies
 
shall be liable
 
for any
 
foreign
exchange rate
 
fluctuation between
 
the Participant’s
 
local currency
 
and the
 
U.S. dollar
 
that may
 
affect
the value of the Restricted
 
Stock Units or any amounts due
 
to the Participant pursuant to
 
the vesting of
the Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
or the
 
subsequent sale
 
of any
 
shares of
 
Stock acquired
 
upon vesting
 
of the
Restricted Stock Units.
9.
Data Privacy
.
If the Participant would like to participate in the Plan, the Participant will need to review
 
the information
provided in this Section
 
9 and, where applicable,
 
declare the Participant’s
 
consent to the processing
 
of personal data by
the Company and the third parties stated below.
 
If the Participant is
 
based in the European Union (“EU”), European Economic Area (“EEA”)
 
or United Kingdom, please
note
 
that General
 
Mills, Inc.
 
with registered
 
address
 
at
 
One
 
General
 
Mills Boulevard,
 
Minneapolis,
 
MN 55426
 
-1347,
U.S.A., is the
 
controller responsible for the processing of
 
the Participant’s personal data in connection
 
with the Agreement
and the Plan.
(a)
Data Collection
 
and Usage.
 
The Company
 
collects, processes,
 
uses and
 
transfers certain
 
personally-
identifiable information
 
about the
 
Participant, specifically,
 
the Participant’s
 
name, home address
 
and
telephone
 
number,
 
email
 
address,
 
date
 
of
 
birth,
 
social
 
insurance,
 
passport
 
number
 
or
 
other
identification
 
number,
 
salary,
 
nationality,
 
job
 
title,
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
or
 
directorships
 
held
 
in
 
the
Company
 
or any
 
affiliated
 
company,
 
details
 
of all
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or any
 
other
 
entitlement
 
to
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
awarded,
 
canceled,
 
exercised,
 
settled,
 
vested,
 
unvested
 
or
 
outstanding
 
in
 
the
Participant’s
 
favor,
 
which the
 
Company receives
 
from
 
the Participant
 
or the
 
Employer (the
 
“Data”).
The
 
Company
 
collects,
 
processes
 
and
 
uses
 
the
 
Data
 
for
 
the
 
purposes
 
of
 
performing
 
its
 
contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement,
 
implementing,
 
administering
 
and
 
managing
 
the
 
Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable
 
tax and securities law.
 
If the Participant is based
 
in the EU, EEA or United
 
Kingdom, the legal basis for the
 
processing of the
Data
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
is
 
the
 
necessity
 
of
 
the
 
processing
 
for
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
perform
 
its
 
contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement
 
and
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Company’s
 
legitimate
 
business
 
interests
 
of
managing
 
the
 
Plan,
 
administering
 
employee
 
equity
 
awards
 
and
 
complying
 
with
 
its
 
contractual
 
and
statutory obligations.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the legal basis for the processing of the Data by the
Company is the Participant’s
 
consent as further described below.
(b)
Stock
 
Plan
 
Administration
 
Service
 
Providers.
 
The
 
Company
 
transfers
 
Data
 
to
 
E*TRADE
 
Financial
Corporate
 
Services,
 
Inc.
 
(including
 
its
 
affiliated
 
companies),
 
an
 
independent
 
service
 
provider
 
which
assists the
 
Company with the
 
implementation, administration and management
 
of the
 
Plan.
 
In the future,
the Company
 
may select a
 
different service
 
provider,
 
which will
 
in a similar
 
manner,
 
share Data
 
with
such service provider.
 
The Company’s
 
service provider will
 
maintain an account for the
 
Participant to
administer the
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units. The
 
processing
 
of Data
 
will take
 
place through
 
both electronic
and non-electronic
 
means. Data
 
will only
 
be accessible
 
by those
 
individuals requiring
 
access to it
 
for
purposes of implementing, administering and operating the Plan.
(c)
International Data Transfers. The Company and its service
 
providers are based in the United States and
India. The
 
Participant’s
 
country or
 
jurisdiction may
 
have different
 
data privacy
 
laws and
 
protections
than the
 
United States
 
and India. An
 
appropriate level
 
of protection
 
can be
 
achieved by implementing
safeguards such as the Standard
 
Contractual Clauses adopted by the EU Commission.
If the Participant is based
 
in any other jurisdiction, the
 
Data will be transferred from
 
the Participant’s
jurisdiction to the Company and onward from
 
the Company to any of its service providers based on the
Participant’s
 
consent, as further described below.
(d)
Data Retention. The Company will use the Data
 
only as long as necessary to implement, administer
 
and
manage the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan,
 
or as
 
required
 
to comply
 
with legal
 
or regulatory
obligations,
 
including
 
tax
 
and
 
securities
 
laws.
 
When
 
the
 
Company
 
no
 
longer
 
needs
 
the
 
Data,
 
the
Company will remove it from its systems.
 
If the Company keeps data longer,
 
it would be to satisfy legal
or regulatory
 
obligations and
 
the Company’s
 
legal basis would
 
be relevant
 
laws or regulations
 
(if the
Participant
 
is in
 
the EU,
 
EEA or
 
United Kingdom)
 
or the
 
Participant’s
 
consent (if
 
the Participant
 
is
outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
(e)
Data
 
Subject
 
Rights.
 
The
 
Participant
 
may
 
have
 
a
 
number
 
of
 
rights
 
under
 
data
 
privacy
 
laws
 
in
 
the
Participant’s jurisdiction. Subject to the conditions
 
set out
 
in the
 
applicable law and
 
depending on where
the Participant is based, such rights may include the
 
right to (i) request access to, or copies of, the
 
Data
processed by the Company, (ii) rectification
 
of incorrect Data, (iii) deletion of Data, (iv) restrictions on
the processing
 
of Data,
 
(v) object
 
to the
 
processing
 
of Data
 
for legitimate
 
interests, (vi)
 
portability of
Data, (vii) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Participant’s
 
jurisdiction, and/or to (viii)
receive a list with
 
the names and addresses
 
of any potential recipients
 
of Data. To
 
receive clarification
regarding these
 
rights or to exercise these rights, the Participant can contact
 
HR Direct.
(f)
Necessary Disclosure of Personal
 
Data. The Participant understands that providing
 
the Company with
Data is
 
necessary for
 
the performance
 
of the
 
Agreement
 
and that
 
the Participant’s
 
refusal
 
to provide
the
 
Data
 
would
 
make
 
it impossible
 
for
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
perform
 
its
 
contractual
 
obligations
 
and
 
may
affect the Participant’s
 
ability to participate in the Plan.
(g)
Declaration of Consent (if
 
the Participant is
 
outside the EU,
 
EEA and United
 
Kingdom). The Participant
hereby
 
unambiguously consents
 
to the
 
collection, use
 
and transfer,
 
in electronic
 
or other
 
form, of
 
the
Data, as described above and in any other grant materials, by and among, as
 
applicable, the Employer,
the Company and any affiliated company for the exclusive
 
purpose of implementing, administering and
managing the Participant’s
 
participation in the Plan.
 
The Participant understands that
 
the Participant
may,
 
at any
 
time, refuse
 
or withdraw
 
the consents
 
herein,
 
in any
 
case without
 
cost, by
 
contacting HR
Direct.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
does
 
not
 
consent
 
or
 
later
 
seeks
 
to
 
revoke
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
consent,
 
the
Participant’s
 
employment
 
status
 
or
 
service
 
with
 
the
 
Employer
 
will
 
not
 
be
 
affected;
 
the
 
Participant’s
consequence of
 
refusing or
 
withdrawing consent
 
is that
 
the Company
 
would not
 
be able
 
to award
 
the
Participant
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
any
 
other
 
equity
 
award
 
to
 
the
 
Participant
 
or
 
administer
 
or
maintain
 
such awards.
 
Therefore,
 
the Participant
 
understands
 
that refusing
 
or withdrawing
 
consent
may affect the
 
Participant’s
 
ability to participate
 
in the Plan.
 
For more information on the
 
consequences
of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent,
 
the Participant should contact HR Direct.
10.
Clawback
. This Award
 
is specifically made subject to the Company’s Executive
 
Compensation Clawback Policy.
11.
Insider Trading; Market Abuse Laws
. By participating in
 
the Plan, the
 
Participant agrees to
 
comply with the
 
Company’s
policy on
 
insider trading (to
 
the extent that
 
it is applicable
 
to the Participant),
 
the Participant further
 
acknowledges that,
 
 
 
 
 
 
7
depending
 
on the
 
Participant’s
 
or
 
his
 
or
 
her broker’s
 
country
 
of residence
 
or where
 
the shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
are
 
listed,
 
the
Participant may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws that may affect the Participant’s ability
to accept,
 
acquire, sell
 
or otherwise
 
dispose of
 
shares of
 
Stock, rights
 
to shares
 
of Stock
 
(e.g., restricted
 
stock units)
 
or
rights linked to the value
 
of shares of Stock, during
 
such times the Participant is
 
considered to have “inside
 
information”
regarding the Company
 
as defined by the
 
laws or regulations in
 
the Participant’s
 
country. Local
 
insider trading laws and
regulations may prohibit the cancellation or amendment of orders the Participant places before he or she possessed inside
information. Furthermore, the Participant could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information
 
to any third party
(other than on a “need
 
to know” basis) and (ii) “tipping”
 
third parties or causing them
 
otherwise to buy or sell
 
securities.
The Participant
 
understands that
 
third parties
 
include fellow
 
employees. Any
 
restriction under
 
these laws or
 
regulations
are separate from
 
and in addition
 
to any restrictions
 
that may be
 
imposed under any
 
applicable Company insider
 
trading
policy.
 
The Participant acknowledges that it
 
is the Participant’s
 
responsibility to comply with any
 
applicable restrictions,
and that the Participant should therefore consult the Participant’s
 
personal advisor on this matter.
12.
Electronic Delivery
. The Participant agrees, to
 
the fullest extent permitted by
 
law, in lieu of receiving documents in
 
paper
format, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company and its Subsidiaries or affiliated companies may
deliver
 
in
 
connection
 
with
 
this
 
grant
 
and
 
any
 
other
 
grants
 
offered
 
by
 
the
 
Company,
 
including
 
prospectuses,
 
grant
notifications,
 
account
 
statements,
 
annual
 
or
 
quarterly
 
reports,
 
and
 
other
 
communications.
 
Electronic
 
delivery
 
of
 
a
document
 
may
 
be
 
made
 
via
 
the
 
Company’s
 
email
 
system
 
or
 
by
 
reference
 
to
 
a
 
location
 
on
 
the
 
Company’s
 
intranet
 
or
website or
 
a website
 
of the
 
Company’s
 
agent administering
 
the Plan.
 
By accepting
 
this grant,
 
whether electronically
 
or
otherwise, the
 
Participant hereby
 
consents to participate
 
in the Plan
 
through such
 
system, intranet,
 
or website, including
but not limited to the use of electronic signatures or click-through electronic
 
acceptance of terms and conditions.
13.
English Language
. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that
 
it is the Participant’s express intent that this
 
Agreement
and
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
all
 
other
 
documents,
 
notices
 
and
 
legal
 
proceedings
 
entered
 
into,
 
given
 
or
 
instituted
 
pursuant
 
to
 
the
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
be
 
drawn
 
up
 
in
 
English.
 
To
 
the
 
extent
 
the
 
Participant
 
has
 
been
 
provided
 
with
 
a
 
copy
 
of
 
this
Agreement, the Plan, or any
 
other documents relating to this
 
Award in a language other than English, the
 
English language
documents will prevail in case of any ambiguities or divergences as a result
 
of translation.
14.
Addendum.
Notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to any special
terms and conditions set forth in the Country-Specific
 
Addendum to this Agreement (the “Addendum”). Moreover,
 
if the
Participant transfers to one of the countries included in such
 
Addendum, the special terms and conditions for such country
will apply
 
to the
 
Participant, to
 
the extent
 
the Company
 
determines that
 
the application
 
of such
 
terms and
 
conditions is
necessary or advisable to comply with local law or facilitate
 
the administration of the Plan (or the Company may establish
alternative
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
as
 
may
 
be
 
necessary
 
or
 
advisable
 
to
 
accommodate
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
transfer).
 
The
Addendum constitutes part of this Agreement.
15.
Not a Public Offering
. The award of the Restricted Stock Units is not intended to be a public offering of securities in the
Participant’s
 
country
 
of
 
employment
 
(or
 
country
 
of
 
residence,
 
if
 
different).
 
The
 
Company
 
has
 
not
 
submitted
 
any
registration
 
statement,
 
prospectus or
 
other
 
filings
 
with the
 
local
 
securities
 
authorities
 
(unless otherwise
 
required
 
under
local law), and the award of
 
the Restricted Stock Units is not subject
 
to the supervision of the local
 
securities authorities.
No employee of
 
the Company or
 
any of its Subsidiaries
 
or affiliated companies
 
is permitted to
 
advise the Participant
 
on
whether he/she
 
should
 
participate in
 
the Plan.
 
Acquiring shares
 
of Stock
 
involves a
 
degree
 
of risk.
 
Before
 
deciding
 
to
participate in
 
the Plan,
 
the Participant
 
should carefully
 
consider all risk
 
factors relevant
 
to the acquisition
 
of shares
 
of
Stock
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
carefully
 
review
 
all
 
of
 
the
 
materials
 
related
 
to
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
the
 
Plan.
 
In
addition, the Participant should consult with his/her personal advisor for professional
 
investment advice.
16.
Repatriation; Compliance with Law.
 
The Participant agrees to repatriate all
 
payments attributable to the shares of
 
Stock
and/or
 
cash
 
acquired
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
in
 
accordance
 
with
 
applicable
 
foreign
 
exchange
 
rules
 
and
 
regulations
 
in
 
the
Participant’s country of employment (and country of residence, if different). In addition, the Participant
 
agrees to take any
and
 
all
 
actions,
 
and
 
consent
 
to
 
any
 
and
 
all
 
actions
 
taken
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
and
 
any
 
of
 
its
 
Subsidiaries
 
and
 
affiliated
companies, as may be required to allow the Company and any of its Subsidiaries and affiliated companies to comply with
local laws,
 
rules and/or
 
regulations in
 
the Participant’s
 
country
 
of employment
 
(and country
 
of residence,
 
if different).
Finally,
 
the Participant
 
agrees to
 
take any
 
and all
 
actions as
 
may be
 
required to
 
comply with
 
the Participant’s
 
personal
obligations under local laws, rules
 
and/or regulations in the Participant’s country of employment and
 
country of residence,
if different).
17.
Imposition of Other
 
Requirements.
 
The Company reserves
 
the right to
 
impose other requirements
 
on the Participant’s
participation in the Plan, on
 
the Restricted Stock Units, and on
 
any shares of Stock acquired under
 
the Plan, to the extent
the Company determines
 
it is necessary or
 
advisable for legal or
 
administrative reasons, and
 
to require the Participant
 
to
sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish
 
the foregoing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
8
18.
Committee’s
 
Powers.
No
 
provision
 
contained
 
in
 
this
 
Agreement
 
shall
 
in
 
any
 
way
 
terminate,
 
modify
 
or
 
alter,
 
or
 
be
construed
 
or
 
interpreted
 
as
 
terminating,
 
modifying
 
or
 
altering
 
any
 
of
 
the
 
powers,
 
rights
 
or
 
authority
 
vested
 
in
 
the
Committee or, to the
 
extent delegated, in
 
its delegate, pursuant
 
to the
 
terms of the
 
Plan or resolutions
 
adopted in furtherance
of
 
the
 
Plan,
 
including,
 
without
 
limitation,
 
the
 
right
 
to
 
make
 
certain
 
determinations
 
and
 
elections
 
with
 
respect
 
to
 
the
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units.
 
Any
 
dispute
 
regarding
 
the
 
interpretation
 
of
 
this
 
Agreement
 
or
 
the
 
terms
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
shall
 
be
submitted
 
to
 
the
 
Committee
 
or
 
its
 
delegate
 
who
 
shall
 
have
 
the
 
discretionary
 
authority
 
to
 
construe
 
the
 
terms
 
of
 
this
Agreement, the Plan, and
 
all documents ancillary to
 
this Award.
 
The decisions of the
 
Committee or its delegate shall
 
be
final and binding
 
and any reviewing court
 
of law or other
 
party shall defer
 
to its decision,
 
overruling if, and
 
only if, it
 
is
arbitrary and capricious. In no way is
 
it intended that this review standard subject the Plan
 
or Award to the U.S. Employee
Retirement Income Security Act
.
19.
Binding Effect.
 
This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
 
of any successors to the Company and all
persons lawfully claiming under the Participant.
20.
Governing
 
Law
 
and
 
Forum
.
 
Without
 
limiting
 
the
 
effect
 
of
 
section
 
17,
 
this
 
Agreement
 
shall
 
be
 
governed
 
by,
 
and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard
 
to principles of conflict of laws.
21.
Severability
. The provisions of
 
this Agreement are severable
 
and if any one
 
or more of the provisions
 
are determined to
be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the Agreement shall be reformed and construed so that it would
be
 
enforceable
 
to
 
the
 
maximum
 
extent
 
legally
 
possible,
 
and
 
if
 
it
 
cannot
 
be
 
so
 
reformed
 
and
 
construed,
 
as
 
if
 
such
unenforceable provision, or part thereof, had never been contained herein.
 
22.
Waiver
.
 
The
 
waiver
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
with
 
respect
 
to
 
Employee’s
 
(or
 
any
 
other
 
participant’s)
 
compliance
 
with
 
any
provision of this Agreement shall
 
not operate or be construed as
 
a waiver of any other provision
 
of this Agreement, or of
any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.
A
 
copy
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Prospectus
 
to
 
the
 
General
 
Mills,
 
Inc.
 
2022Stock
 
Compensation
 
Plan
 
is
 
available
 
on
 
G&Me
 
by
searching “2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan”.
 
A copy of the Company’s
 
latest Annual Report on Form 10-K is
 
also available on
the Company’s website at www.generalmills.com
 
under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
 
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
 
 
 
 
 
9
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD
GRANT DATE:
PARTICIPANT:
[CEO]
PERNR:
AGGREGATE
 
NUMBER
 
OF
 
UNITS
 
SUBJECT
TO AWARD:
EXPIRATION DATE
 
OF RESTRICTED
PERIOD:
This Award is made
 
under the General Mills, Inc. 2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan (the "Plan"), and is subject to the
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
contained
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
document
 
and
 
this
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Unit
 
Award
 
Agreement
(“Agreement”).
 
The Participant: (i) acknowledges
 
receipt of a
 
copy of the Plan
 
and Plan prospectus,
 
(ii) represents
that the
 
Participant has
 
carefully read
 
and is familiar
 
with the provisions
 
of this
 
Agreement and
 
the Plan,
 
and (iii)
hereby accepts the
 
Restricted Stock Units
 
subject to all
 
of the terms
 
and conditions set
 
forth herein, and
 
in the
 
Plan.
 
If
the Participant
 
does not
 
wish to
 
receive the
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units and/or
 
does not
 
consent and
 
agree to
 
the terms
and conditions on which the Restricted Stock Units are offered,
 
as set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, then the
Participant
 
must
 
reject
 
this
 
Award
 
via
 
the
 
website
 
of
 
the
 
Company’s
 
designated
 
broker,
 
no
 
later
 
than
 
60
 
days
following
 
the
 
Grant
 
Date.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
rejects
 
this
 
Award,
 
this
 
Award
 
will
 
immediately
 
be
 
forfeited
 
and
cancelled.
 
The Participant’s
 
failure to
 
reject this
 
Award
 
within this
 
60 day
 
period will
 
constitute the
 
Participant’s
acceptance of this Award
 
and all terms and conditions of this Award,
 
as set forth in this Agreement and the Plan.
THIS AWARD,
 
dated on the above Grant Date,
 
is made by General Mills,
 
Inc., and made to the
 
person named above (the
"Participant" or referred to as “I”, “you”,
 
or “my”) (“Award”).
1.
Award
 
of Units
. Each unit
 
awarded represents
 
the right
 
to receive
 
one share
 
of the
 
Company common
 
stock, par value
USD 0.10 per
 
share (“Stock”). The
 
units granted pursuant
 
to this
 
Agreement are referred
 
to as
 
the “Restricted Stock
 
Units”.
Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the same
 
meanings ascribed to them under the Plan.
2.
Vesting of
 
Restricted Stock Units; Forfeiture of Restricted Stock Units.
(c)
Vesting Schedule
. Restricted Stock
 
Units shall vest
 
in tranches, each
 
tranche having its
 
own 12 month
 
vesting
period
 
occurring consecutively,
 
starting on
 
the Grant
 
Date.
 
Vested
 
units in
 
a tranche
 
shall be
 
paid
 
on the
respective Scheduled Vesting
 
Date, subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan.
 
Tranche
Number of Units
Scheduled Vesting
 
Date
(d)
Forfeiture of Restricted Stock Units
. The Participant acknowledges that
 
the Restricted Stock Units awarded
hereunder
 
are subject
 
to forfeiture
 
if the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
with the
 
Company
 
or any
 
subsidiary or
affiliated companies (the “Company”)
 
terminates under certain
 
circumstances before the
 
respective Scheduled
Vesting
 
Dates, as herein provided.
 
(vi)
Termination
 
for
 
Cause.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
is
 
terminated
 
by
 
a
discharge due to Participant’s illegal activities, poor
 
work performance, misconduct or violation
 
of the
Company’s
 
Code of
 
Conduct, policies
 
or practices,
 
then these
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units, to
 
the extent
they
 
are
 
not
 
fully
 
vested
 
as
 
of
 
the
 
Termination
 
Date,
 
shall
 
for
 
no
 
consideration
 
be
 
cancelled
 
and
forfeited in their entirety. For the avoidance
 
of doubt, “Termination Date” for purposes of this Award
will
 
be
 
deemed
 
to
 
occur
 
as
 
of
 
the
 
date
 
Participant
 
is
 
no
 
longer
 
actively
 
providing
 
services
 
as
 
an
employee,
 
unless otherwise
 
determined
 
by the
 
Company in
 
its sole
 
discretion, and
 
no vesting
 
shall
continue during any notice period that may be specified under contract or applicable law with respect
 
 
 
 
10
to
 
such
 
termination,
 
including
 
any
 
“garden
 
leave”
 
or
 
similar
 
period,
 
except
 
as
 
may
 
otherwise
 
be
permitted in the Company’s sole discretion.
(vii)
Involuntary
 
Termination/Early
 
Retirement.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
by
 
the
 
Company
terminates involuntarily
 
at the initiation
 
of the
 
Company for
 
any reason
 
other than
 
specified in
 
Plan
Section 11, or (i), (iv) or (v) herein or if
 
the Participant retires on or after age
 
55 but before age 62, the
unvested
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
that
 
are
 
in
 
the
 
tranche
 
with
 
a
 
Scheduled
 
Vesting
 
Date
 
within
 
12
months of the
 
Termination Date shall vest
 
in a
 
pro-rata amount based
 
on actual employment
 
completed
during the relevant
 
12 month tranche
 
vesting period. All
 
other unvested Restricted
 
Stock Units shall
be forfeited as of the Termination Date.
 
Restricted Stock Units that vest under this paragraph shall be
paid (or deferred, if properly
 
elected) on the respective Scheduled
 
Vesting
 
Date otherwise applicable
to such tranche.
 
No Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
shall vest upon
 
involuntary termination under
 
this provision
without
 
the
 
execution
 
(without
 
revoking)
 
of
 
an
 
effective
 
general
 
legal
 
release
 
and
 
such
 
other
documents as are satisfactory to the Company.
(viii)
Death
.
 
If a
 
Participant dies
 
while employed
 
by the
 
Company during
 
any applicable
 
vesting period,
this Award shall become fully vested, effective
 
as of the date of death, and shall be paid as of the first
day of the month following death to the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries, or to the Participant's
estate if no beneficiary is appropriately designated.
 
(ix)
Normal Retirement.
If the termination of employment is due to the Participant’s retirement on or after
age 62, all Restricted Stock Units in unvested tranches shall vest, and be paid (or deferred, if properly
elected) on each
 
tranche’s
 
respective Scheduled
 
Vesting
 
Date. Notwithstanding the
 
above, the terms
of this paragraph shall
 
not apply to a Participant
 
who, prior to a Change
 
of Control, is terminated
 
for
cause as described in (b)(i) above.
 
(x)
Spin-offs and Other
 
Divestitures.
 
If the termination
 
of employment is
 
due to the
 
divestiture, cessation,
transfer, or
 
spin-off of a
 
line of business or other
 
activity of the Company,
 
the Committee, in its
 
sole
discretion, shall determine the
 
conversion, vesting, or other
 
treatment of these Awards. Such treatment
shall
 
be
 
consistent
 
with
 
Code
 
Section 409A,
 
and
 
in
 
particular
 
will
 
take
 
into
 
account
 
whether
 
a
separation from service has occurred within the meaning of Code Section
 
409A.
3.
Dividend Equivalents.
Any dividends
 
or other
 
distributions declared
 
payable on
 
the Company’s
 
Stock on
 
or after
 
the
Grant Date
 
of this
 
Award
 
until the
 
Award
 
is settled
 
and/or forfeited
 
shall be
 
credited notionally
 
to the
 
Participant in
 
an
amount equal
 
to such
 
declared dividends
 
or other
 
distributions on
 
an equivalent
 
number of
 
shares of
 
Stock (“Dividend
Equivalents”).
 
Dividend Equivalents so credited
 
shall be paid if,
 
and only to the
 
extent, the underlying
 
Restricted Stock
Units to
 
which
 
they
 
relate become
 
unrestricted
 
and
 
vest, as
 
provided
 
under the
 
terms of
 
the Plan
 
and
 
this Agreement.
 
Dividend Equivalents credited
 
in respect to
 
Restricted Stock Units
 
that are forfeited
 
under the terms
 
of the Plan
 
and this
document, are correspondingly forfeited.
 
No interest or other earnings shall be credited
 
on Dividend Equivalents.
 
Vested
Dividend Equivalents shall be paid in cash at the same time as the underlying Restricted Stock Units to which they relate.
4.
Settlement of
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units.
 
Settlement shall
 
be completed
 
as soon
 
as administratively
 
practicable but
 
in no
event later than 30 days after the
 
date on which payment is supposed to be
 
made under this Agreement, except where such
settlement following a Section 409A
 
Separation from Service requires
 
a six-month delay.
 
The Company will provide for
settlement in the form of shares of Stock.
5.
Non-Transferability
.
 
The
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
may
 
not
 
be
 
sold,
 
assigned,
 
pledged,
 
exchanged,
 
hypothecated,
encumbered, disposed
 
of, or
 
otherwise transferred,
 
unless otherwise
 
provided in
 
the Plan or
 
this Agreement.
 
Upon any
attempt to transfer, assign,
 
pledge, hypothecate or
 
otherwise dispose of
 
the Restricted
 
Stock Units or
 
of such rights
 
contrary
to the provisions hereof or in the Plan,
 
the Restricted Stock Units and such rights shall
 
immediately become null and void.
6.
Withholding of
 
Tax
. The Participant acknowledges
 
that, regardless of
 
any action taken by
 
the Company or, if
 
different,
the subsidiary
 
or affiliated
 
company that
 
employs the
 
Participant (the
 
“Employer”), the
 
ultimate liability
 
for all
 
income
tax, social contributions,
 
payroll tax, fringe
 
benefits tax, payment
 
on account, hypothetical
 
tax or other
 
tax-related items
related to the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan and
 
legally applicable
 
to the Participant
 
or deemed by
 
the Company
or the Employer in their discretion to
 
be an appropriate charge to the Participant even
 
if legally applicable to the Company
or the Employer
 
(“Tax-Related Items”), is and remains
 
the Participant’s responsibility and
 
may exceed the
 
amount actually
withheld
 
by the
 
Company or
 
the Employer,
 
if any.
 
The Participant
 
further
 
acknowledges that
 
the Company
 
and/or the
Employer (a)
 
make no
 
representations or
 
undertakings
 
regarding the
 
treatment of
 
any Tax
 
-Related Items
 
in connection
with any aspect of
 
the Restricted Stock Units,
 
including, but not limited
 
to, the grant, vesting,
 
the subsequent sale of
 
shares
 
11
of Stock
 
acquired pursuant
 
to such vesting
 
and the receipt
 
of any
 
dividends; and
 
(b) do not
 
commit to
 
and are
 
under no
obligation
 
to
 
structure
 
the
 
terms
 
of
 
the
 
grant
 
or
 
any
 
aspect
 
of
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
to
 
reduce
 
or
 
eliminate
 
the
Participant’s
 
liability for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items or
 
achieve any
 
particular tax
 
result. Further,
 
if the
 
Participant is
 
subject to
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
in
 
more
 
than
 
one
 
jurisdiction
 
between
 
the
 
Grant
 
Date
 
and
 
the
 
date
 
of
 
any
 
relevant
 
taxable
 
or
 
tax
withholding
 
event,
 
as
 
applicable,
 
the
 
Participant
 
acknowledges
 
that
 
the
 
Company
 
and/or
 
the
 
Employer
 
(or
 
former
employer, as applicable) may be required
 
to withhold or account for Tax
 
-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to the relevant taxable or tax
 
withholding event, as applicable, the Participant agrees to make adequate
 
arrangements
satisfactory to the
 
Company and/or the
 
Employer to
 
satisfy all
 
Tax-Related Items. In this
 
regard, unless
 
otherwise approved
by the Committee, the Company shall satisfy the
 
obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by one or a
 
combination
of the following:
 
(i) withholding
 
from the
 
Participant’s
 
wages or other
 
cash compensation
 
paid to the
 
Participant by
 
the
Company and/or the Employer; (ii) withholding from the shares
 
of Stock to be delivered upon settlement of
 
the Restricted
Stock Units or other awards granted to the Participant or (iii) permitting the Participant to tender to the Company cash or,
if allowed by the Committee, shares of Stock.
Depending
 
on
 
the
 
withholding
 
method,
 
the
 
Company
 
may
 
withhold
 
or
 
account
 
for
 
Tax-Related
 
Items
 
by
 
considering
applicable statutory
 
withholding rates
 
(as determined
 
by the
 
Company
 
in good
 
faith and
 
in its
 
sole discretion)
 
or other
applicable withholding rates,
 
including maximum
 
applicable rates, in
 
which case the
 
Participant will receive
 
a refund of
any over-withheld amount and will have no entitlement
 
to the share equivalent. If the obligation for Tax
 
-Related Items is
satisfied
 
by
 
withholding
 
from
 
the
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
to
 
be
 
delivered
 
upon
 
vesting
 
of
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units,
 
for
 
tax
purposes, the Participant is deemed to have been issued the full number of shares of Stock subject to the
 
Restricted Stock
Units, notwithstanding
 
that a number
 
of shares
 
of Stock
 
are held
 
back solely
 
for the purpose
 
of paying
 
the Tax
 
-Related
Items. The
 
Participant will
 
have no
 
further rights
 
with respect
 
to any
 
shares of
 
Stock that
 
are retained
 
by the
 
Company
pursuant to this provision.
The Participant agrees to pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company or the
Employer may be
 
required to withhold
 
or account for as
 
a result of the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in the Plan
 
that cannot
be satisfied by the
 
means previously described.
 
The Company may refuse
 
to issue or deliver shares
 
of Stock or proceeds
from the
 
sale of shares
 
of Stock until
 
arrangements satisfactory
 
to the Company
 
have been made
 
in connection
 
with the
Tax-Related Items.
7.
Restrictive Covenants;
 
Confidential Information
. The
 
Participant agrees
 
to cooperate
 
with the
 
Company in
 
any way
needed in order to comply with, or fulfill the terms of the Plan and this Award
 
document.
 
As a term and condition of this
Award,
 
Participant agrees to the following terms:
 
e.
I agree to use
 
General Mills Confidential
 
Information only as needed
 
in the performance of
 
my duties,
to
 
hold
 
and
 
protect
 
such
 
information
 
as
 
confidential
 
to
 
the
 
Company,
 
and
 
not
 
to
 
engage
 
in
 
any
unauthorized
 
use
 
or
 
disclosure
 
of
 
such
 
information
 
for
 
so
 
long
 
as
 
such
 
information
 
qualifies
 
as
Confidential
 
Information.
 
I
 
agree
 
that
 
after
 
my
 
employment
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
terminates
 
for
 
any
reason,
 
including
 
“retirement”
 
as that
 
term
 
is used
 
in
 
the Plan,
 
I
 
will not
 
use
 
or disclose,
 
directly
 
or
indirectly,
 
Company
 
Confidential Information
 
or trade
 
secrets for
 
any purpose,
 
unless I
 
get the
 
prior
written consent of my manager to do so.
This document
 
does not
 
prevent me
 
from filing
 
a complaint
 
with a
 
government agency
 
(including the
Securities
 
and
 
Exchange
 
Commission,
 
Department
 
of
 
Justice,
 
Equal
 
Employment
 
Opportunity
Commission and
 
others) or
 
from participating
 
in an
 
agency proceeding.
 
This document
 
also does
 
not
prevent
 
me
 
from
 
providing
 
an
 
agency
 
with
 
information,
 
including
 
this
 
document,
 
unless
 
such
information
 
is
 
legally
 
protected
 
from
 
disclosure
 
to
 
third
 
parties.
 
I
 
do
 
not
 
need
 
prior
 
company
authorization to take these actions, nor must I notify the company I have done
 
so.
Also, as provided
 
in 18 U.S.C.
 
1833(b), I
 
cannot be held
 
criminally or civilly
 
liable under any
 
federal
or state
 
trade secret
 
law for
 
making
 
a trade
 
secret disclosure:
 
(A) in
 
confidence to
 
a federal,
 
state, or
local
 
government
 
official,
 
either
 
directly
 
or
 
indirectly,
 
or
 
to
 
an
 
attorney,
 
solely
 
for
 
the
 
purpose
 
of
reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or
 
(B) in a complaint or other document filed in
a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
General
 
Mills
 
Confidential
 
Information
 
means
 
any
 
non-public
 
information
 
I
 
create,
 
receive,
 
use
 
or
observe
 
in
 
the
 
performance
 
of
 
my
 
job
 
at
 
General
 
Mills,
 
including
 
trade
 
secrets.
 
Examples
 
of
Confidential Information include marketing, merchandising, business plans,
 
business methods, pricing,
purchasing,
 
licensing,
 
contracts,
 
employee,
 
supplier
 
or
 
customer
 
information,
 
financial
 
data,
technological developments,
 
manufacturing processes
 
and specifications,
 
product formulas, ingredient
 
12
specifications, software
 
code, and
 
all other
 
proprietary
 
information which
 
is not
 
publicly available
 
to
others.
Prior to leaving
 
the Company,
 
I agree to
 
return all materials
 
in my possession
 
containing Confidential
Information, as well
 
as all other
 
documents and other
 
tangible items provided
 
to me by
 
General Mills,
or developed by me in connection with my employment with the Company.
f.
[
This Section 7.b. does
 
not apply to Colorado
 
and Minnesota-based employees.
] I agree that
 
for one year
after I leave the Company,
 
including retiring from the Company,
 
I will not work on any product, brand
category,
 
process,
 
or
 
service:
 
(A)
 
on
 
which
 
I
 
worked,
 
or
 
about
 
which
 
I
 
had
 
access
 
to
 
Confidential
Information,
 
in
 
the
 
year
 
immediately
 
preceding
 
my
 
termination
 
(including
 
retirement)
 
from
 
General
Mills,
 
and
 
(B)
 
which
 
competes
 
with
 
General
 
Mills
 
products,
 
brand
 
categories,
 
processes,
 
or
 
related
services.
 
g.
I agree that for one year after I leave General Mills, including
 
retiring from the Company,
 
I will refrain
from directly
 
or indirectly
 
soliciting Company
 
employees for
 
the purpose
 
of hiring
 
them or
 
inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
h.
I agree that after I
 
leave General Mills, including
 
retiring from the Company,
 
I will indefinitely refrain
from
 
using
 
Company
 
client
 
or
 
contact
 
lists,
 
and
 
for
 
two
 
years
 
I
 
will
 
refrain
 
from
 
soliciting
 
the
Company’s customers.
 
i.
I agree that for one year after I leave General Mills, including
 
retiring from the Company,
 
I will refrain
from directly
 
or indirectly
 
soliciting Company
 
employees for
 
the purpose
 
of hiring
 
them or
 
inducing
them to leave their employment with the Company.
A breach
 
of the
 
obligations set
 
forth in
 
this paragraph
 
may result
 
in the
 
rescission of
 
the Award,
 
termination and
forfeiture of any unvested Units, and/or required payment
 
to the Company of all or a portion of any monetary gains
acquired by
 
the Participant
 
as a
 
result of
 
the Award,
 
unless the
 
Award
 
vested and
 
was settled
 
more than
 
four (4)
years prior to
 
the breach.
 
The foregoing remedies
 
are in addition
 
to, and not
 
in lieu of
 
injunctive relief and/or
 
any
other legal or equitable remedies available under applicable law.
8.
Nature of Grant
. In accepting the Restricted Stock Units, the Participant acknowledges and agrees
 
that:
(m)
the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company,
 
it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified,
amended, suspended
 
or terminated
 
by the
 
Company,
 
in its
 
sole discretion,
 
at any
 
time (subject
 
to any
limitations set forth in the Plan);
(n)
the grant of
 
the Restricted Stock
 
Units is voluntary
 
and occasional and
 
does not create
 
any contractual
or other right to receive future
 
grants of restricted stock units, or
 
benefits in lieu of restricted
 
stock units,
even if restricted stock units or other awards have been granted in the past;
(o)
all decisions with respect to future awards, if any,
 
will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(p)
the Participant’s participation
 
in the Plan is voluntary;
(q)
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
participation
 
in
 
the
 
Plan
 
shall
 
not
 
create
 
a
 
right
 
to
employment
 
or
 
be
 
interpreted
 
as
 
forming
 
an
 
employment
 
contract
 
with
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
any
 
of
 
its
Subsidiaries
 
or
 
affiliated
 
companies
 
and
 
shall
 
not
 
interfere
 
with
 
the
 
ability
 
of
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
Employer,
 
as applicable,
 
to terminate
 
the Participant’s
 
employment relationship
 
(as otherwise
 
may be
permitted under local law);
(r)
unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the Restricted Stock Units and any shares of
 
Stock acquired
upon vesting of
 
the Restricted Stock
 
Units, and the income
 
from and value of
 
same, are not granted
 
as
consideration
 
for,
 
or in
 
connection with,
 
any service
 
the Participant
 
may provide
 
as a
 
director of
 
any
subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(s)
the Restricted Stock Units and any shares of Stock acquired under the Plan and the income and value of
same,
 
are
 
not
 
part
 
of
 
normal
 
or
 
expected
 
compensation
 
for
 
purposes
 
of
 
calculating
 
any
 
severance,
resignation,
 
termination,
 
redundancy,
 
dismissal,
 
end-of-service
 
payments,
 
bonuses,
 
long-service
awards,
 
pension
 
or
 
retirement
 
or
 
welfare
 
benefits
 
or
 
similar
 
payments
 
and
 
in
 
no
 
event
 
should
 
be
 
 
 
13
considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company, the Employer
or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company;
(t)
the future value
 
of the
 
shares of
 
Stock underlying the
 
Restricted Stock Units
 
is unknown, indeterminable,
and cannot be predicted with certainty;
 
(u)
upon vesting of
 
the Restricted Stock Units,
 
the value of such
 
shares of Stock may
 
increase or decrease
in value;
 
(v)
no claim or
 
entitlement to compensation
 
or damages shall
 
arise from forfeiture
 
of the Restricted Stock
Units
 
resulting
 
from
 
termination
 
of
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
employment
 
(for
 
any
 
reason
 
whatsoever
 
and
whether or not in
 
breach of local labor
 
laws or later found
 
invalid) and, in consideration
 
of the Restricted
Stock Units, the Participant agrees not to institute any claim against the Company or
 
the Employer;
(w)
the Restricted Stock
 
Units and the
 
benefits evidenced by
 
this Agreement do not
 
create any entitlement
not otherwise specifically provided for in the Plan or provided by
 
the Company in its discretion, to have
the Restricted Stock
 
Units or any such
 
benefits transferred to, or
 
assumed by,
 
another company,
 
nor to
be exchanged, cashed
 
out or substituted
 
for, in
 
connection with any corporate
 
transaction affecting
 
the
shares of Stock; and
(x)
neither the
 
Company nor
 
any of its
 
Subsidiaries or
 
affiliated companies
 
shall be liable
 
for any
 
foreign
exchange rate
 
fluctuation between
 
the Participant’s
 
local currency
 
and the
 
U.S. dollar
 
that may
 
affect
the value of the Restricted
 
Stock Units or any amounts
 
due to the Participant pursuant
 
to the vesting of
the Restricted
 
Stock Units
 
or the
 
subsequent sale
 
of any
 
shares of
 
Stock acquired
 
upon vesting
 
of the
Restricted Stock Units.
9.
Data Privacy
.
If the Participant would like to participate in the Plan, the Participant will need to review
 
the information
provided in this Section
 
9 and, where applicable,
 
declare the Participant’s
 
consent to the processing
 
of personal data by
the Company and the third parties stated below.
 
If the Participant is
 
based in the European Union (“EU”), European Economic Area (“EEA”)
 
or United Kingdom, please
note
 
that General
 
Mills, Inc.
 
with registered
 
address
 
at
 
One
 
General
 
Mills Boulevard,
 
Minneapolis,
 
MN 55426
 
-1347,
U.S.A., is the
 
controller responsible for the processing of
 
the Participant’s personal data in connection
 
with the Agreement
and the Plan.
(h)
Data Collection
 
and Usage.
 
The Company
 
collects, processes,
 
uses and
 
transfers certain
 
personally-
identifiable information
 
about the
 
Participant, specifically,
 
the Participant’s
 
name, home address
 
and
telephone
 
number,
 
email
 
address,
 
date
 
of
 
birth,
 
social
 
insurance,
 
passport
 
number
 
or
 
other
identification
 
number,
 
salary,
 
nationality,
 
job
 
title,
 
any
 
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
or
 
directorships
 
held
 
in
 
the
Company
 
or any
 
affiliated
 
company,
 
details
 
of all
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or any
 
other
 
entitlement
 
to
shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
awarded,
 
canceled,
 
exercised,
 
settled,
 
vested,
 
unvested
 
or
 
outstanding
 
in
 
the
Participant’s
 
favor,
 
which the
 
Company receives
 
from
 
the Participant
 
or the
 
Employer (the
 
“Data”).
The
 
Company
 
collects,
 
processes
 
and
 
uses
 
the
 
Data
 
for
 
the
 
purposes
 
of
 
performing
 
its
 
contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement,
 
implementing,
 
administering
 
and
 
managing
 
the
 
Participant’s
participation in the Plan and facilitating compliance with applicable
 
tax and securities law.
 
If the Participant is based
 
in the EU, EEA or United
 
Kingdom, the legal basis for the
 
processing of the
Data
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
is
 
the
 
necessity
 
of
 
the
 
processing
 
for
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
perform
 
its
 
contractual
obligations
 
under
 
this
 
Agreement
 
and
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Company’s
 
legitimate
 
business
 
interests
 
of
managing
 
the
 
Plan,
 
administering
 
employee
 
equity
 
awards
 
and
 
complying
 
with
 
its
 
contractual
 
and
statutory obligations.
 
If the Participant is based in any other jurisdiction, the legal basis for the processing of the Data by the
Company is the Participant’s
 
consent as further described below.
(i)
Stock
 
Plan
 
Administration
 
Service
 
Providers.
 
The
 
Company
 
transfers
 
Data
 
to
 
E*TRADE
 
Financial
Corporate
 
Services,
 
Inc.
 
(including
 
its
 
affiliated
 
companies),
 
an
 
independent
 
service
 
provider
 
which
assists the
 
Company with the
 
implementation, administration and management
 
of the
 
Plan.
 
In the future,
the Company
 
may select a
 
different service
 
provider,
 
which will
 
in a similar
 
manner,
 
share Data
 
with
such service provider.
 
The Company’s
 
service provider will
 
maintain an account for
 
the Participant to
administer the
 
Restricted Stock
 
Units. The
 
processing
 
of Data
 
will take
 
place through
 
both electronic
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14
and non-electronic
 
means. Data
 
will only
 
be accessible
 
by those
 
individuals requiring
 
access to it
 
for
purposes of implementing, administering and operating the Plan.
(j)
International Data Transfers.
 
The Company and its
 
service providers are based in the United States
 
and
India. The
 
Participant’s
 
country or
 
jurisdiction may
 
have different
 
data privacy
 
laws and
 
protections
than the
 
United States
 
and India. An
 
appropriate level
 
of protection
 
can be achieved
 
by implementing
safeguards such as the Standard
 
Contractual Clauses adopted by the EU Commission.
If the Participant is based
 
in any other jurisdiction, the
 
Data will be transferred from
 
the Participant’s
jurisdiction to the Company and onward from
 
the Company to any of its service providers based on the
Participant’s
 
consent, as further described below.
(k)
Data Retention. The Company will use the Data
 
only as long as necessary to implement, administer
 
and
manage the
 
Participant’s
 
participation in
 
the Plan,
 
or as
 
required
 
to comply
 
with legal
 
or regulatory
obligations,
 
including
 
tax
 
and
 
securities
 
laws.
 
When
 
the
 
Company
 
no
 
longer
 
needs
 
the
 
Data,
 
the
Company will remove it from its systems.
 
If the Company keeps data longer,
 
it would be to satisfy legal
or regulatory
 
obligations and
 
the Company’s
 
legal basis would
 
be relevant
 
laws or regulations
 
(if the
Participant
 
is in
 
the EU,
 
EEA or
 
United Kingdom)
 
or the
 
Participant’s
 
consent (if
 
the Participant
 
is
outside the EU, EEA or United Kingdom).
(l)
Data
 
Subject
 
Rights.
 
The
 
Participant
 
may
 
have
 
a
 
number
 
of
 
rights
 
under
 
data
 
privacy
 
laws
 
in
 
the
Participant’s jurisdiction. Subject to the conditions
 
set out
 
in the applicable
 
law and
 
depending on where
the Participant is based, such rights may include the
 
right to (i) request access to, or copies of, the
 
Data
processed by the Company, (ii) rectification
 
of incorrect Data, (iii) deletion of Data, (iv) restrictions on
the processing
 
of Data,
 
(v) object
 
to the
 
processing
 
of Data
 
for legitimate
 
interests, (vi)
 
portability of
Data, (vii) lodge complaints with competent authorities in the Participant’s
 
jurisdiction, and/or to (viii)
receive a list with
 
the names and addresses
 
of any potential recipients
 
of Data. To
 
receive clarification
regarding these
 
rights or to exercise these rights, the Participant can contact
 
HR Direct.
(m)
Necessary Disclosure of Personal
 
Data. The Participant understands that providing
 
the Company with
Data is
 
necessary for
 
the performance
 
of the
 
Agreement
 
and that
 
the Participant’s
 
refusal
 
to provide
the
 
Data
 
would
 
make
 
it impossible
 
for
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
perform
 
its
 
contractual
 
obligations
 
and
 
may
affect the Participant’s
 
ability to participate in the Plan.
(n)
Declaration of Consent (if
 
the Participant is
 
outside the EU,
 
EEA and United
 
Kingdom). The Participant
hereby
 
unambiguously consents
 
to the
 
collection, use
 
and transfer,
 
in electronic
 
or other
 
form, of
 
the
Data, as described above and in any other grant materials, by and among, as
 
applicable, the Employer,
the Company and any affiliated company for the exclusive
 
purpose of implementing, administering and
managing the Participant’s
 
participation in the Plan.
 
The Participant understands that
 
the Participant
may,
 
at any
 
time, refuse
 
or withdraw
 
the consents
 
herein,
 
in any
 
case without
 
cost, by
 
contacting HR
Direct.
 
If
 
the
 
Participant
 
does
 
not
 
consent
 
or
 
later
 
seeks
 
to
 
revoke
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
consent,
 
the
Participant’s
 
employment
 
status
 
or
 
service
 
with
 
the
 
Employer
 
will
 
not
 
be
 
affected;
 
the
 
Participant’s
consequence of
 
refusing or
 
withdrawing consent
 
is that
 
the Company
 
would not
 
be able
 
to award
 
the
Participant
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
or
 
any
 
other
 
equity
 
award
 
to
 
the
 
Participant
 
or
 
administer
 
or
maintain
 
such awards.
 
Therefore,
 
the Participant
 
understands
 
that refusing
 
or withdrawing
 
consent
may affect the
 
Participant’s
 
ability to participate
 
in the Plan.
 
For more information on the
 
consequences
of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent,
 
the Participant should contact HR Direct.
10.
Clawback
. This Award
 
is specifically made subject to the Company’s Executive
 
Compensation Clawback Policy.
11.
Insider Trading; Market Abuse Laws
. By participating in
 
the Plan, the
 
Participant agrees to
 
comply with the
 
Company’s
policy on
 
insider trading (to
 
the extent that
 
it is applicable
 
to the Participant),
 
the Participant further
 
acknowledges that,
depending
 
on the
 
Participant’s
 
or
 
his
 
or
 
her broker’s
 
country
 
of residence
 
or where
 
the shares
 
of
 
Stock
 
are
 
listed,
 
the
Participant may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws that may affect the Participant’s ability
to accept,
 
acquire, sell
 
or otherwise
 
dispose of
 
shares of
 
Stock, rights
 
to shares
 
of Stock
 
(e.g., restricted
 
stock units)
 
or
rights linked to the value
 
of shares of Stock, during
 
such times the Participant is
 
considered to have “inside
 
information”
regarding the Company
 
as defined by the
 
laws or regulations in
 
the Participant’s
 
country. Local
 
insider trading laws and
regulations may prohibit the cancellation or amendment of orders the Participant places before he or she possessed inside
information. Furthermore, the Participant could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information
 
to any third party
(other than on a “need
 
to know” basis) and (ii) “tipping”
 
third parties or causing them
 
otherwise to buy or sell
 
securities.
The Participant
 
understands that
 
third parties
 
include fellow
 
employees. Any
 
restriction under
 
these laws
 
or regulations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15
are separate from
 
and in addition
 
to any restrictions
 
that may be
 
imposed under any
 
applicable Company insider
 
trading
policy.
 
The Participant acknowledges that it
 
is the Participant’s
 
responsibility to comply with any
 
applicable restrictions,
and that the Participant should therefore consult the Participant’s
 
personal advisor on this matter.
12.
Electronic Delivery
. The Participant agrees, to
 
the fullest extent permitted by
 
law, in lieu of receiving documents in
 
paper
format, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company and its Subsidiaries or affiliated companies may
deliver
 
in
 
connection
 
with
 
this
 
grant
 
and
 
any
 
other
 
grants
 
offered
 
by
 
the
 
Company,
 
including
 
prospectuses,
 
grant
notifications,
 
account
 
statements,
 
annual
 
or
 
quarterly
 
reports,
 
and
 
other
 
communications.
 
Electronic
 
delivery
 
of
 
a
document
 
may
 
be
 
made
 
via
 
the
 
Company’s
 
email
 
system
 
or
 
by
 
reference
 
to
 
a
 
location
 
on
 
the
 
Company’s
 
intranet
 
or
website or
 
a website
 
of the
 
Company’s
 
agent administering
 
the Plan.
 
By accepting
 
this grant,
 
whether electronically
 
or
otherwise, the
 
Participant hereby
 
consents to participate
 
in the Plan
 
through such
 
system, intranet,
 
or website, including
but not limited to the use of electronic signatures or click-through electronic
 
acceptance of terms and conditions.
13.
English Language
. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that
 
it is the Participant’s express intent that this
 
Agreement
and
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
all
 
other
 
documents,
 
notices
 
and
 
legal
 
proceedings
 
entered
 
into,
 
given
 
or
 
instituted
 
pursuant
 
to
 
the
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
be
 
drawn
 
up
 
in
 
English.
 
To
 
the
 
extent
 
the
 
Participant
 
has
 
been
 
provided
 
with
 
a
 
copy
 
of
 
this
Agreement, the Plan, or any
 
other documents relating to this
 
Award in a language other than English, the
 
English language
documents will prevail in case of any ambiguities or divergences as a result
 
of translation.
14.
Addendum.
Notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to any special
terms and conditions set forth in the Country-Specific
 
Addendum to this Agreement (the “Addendum”). Moreover,
 
if the
Participant transfers to one of the countries included in such
 
Addendum, the special terms and conditions for such country
will apply
 
to the
 
Participant, to
 
the extent
 
the Company
 
determines that
 
the application
 
of such
 
terms and
 
conditions is
necessary or advisable to comply with local law or facilitate
 
the administration of the Plan (or the Company may establish
alternative
 
terms
 
and
 
conditions
 
as
 
may
 
be
 
necessary
 
or
 
advisable
 
to
 
accommodate
 
the
 
Participant’s
 
transfer).
 
The
Addendum constitutes part of this Agreement.
15.
Not a Public Offering
. The award of the Restricted Stock Units is not intended to be a public offering of securities in the
Participant’s
 
country
 
of
 
employment
 
(or
 
country
 
of
 
residence,
 
if
 
different).
 
The
 
Company
 
has
 
not
 
submitted
 
any
registration
 
statement,
 
prospectus or
 
other
 
filings
 
with the
 
local
 
securities
 
authorities
 
(unless otherwise
 
required
 
under
local law), and the award of
 
the Restricted Stock Units is not subject
 
to the supervision of the local
 
securities authorities.
No employee of
 
the Company or
 
any of its Subsidiaries
 
or affiliated companies
 
is permitted to
 
advise the Participant
 
on
whether he/she
 
should
 
participate in
 
the Plan.
 
Acquiring shares
 
of Stock
 
involves a
 
degree
 
of risk.
 
Before
 
deciding
 
to
participate in
 
the Plan,
 
the Participant
 
should carefully
 
consider all risk
 
factors relevant
 
to the acquisition
 
of shares
 
of
Stock
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
carefully
 
review
 
all
 
of
 
the
 
materials
 
related
 
to
 
the
 
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units
 
and
 
the
 
Plan.
 
In
addition, the Participant should consult with his/her personal advisor for professional
 
investment advice.
16.
Repatriation; Compliance with Law.
 
The Participant agrees to repatriate all
 
payments attributable to the shares of
 
Stock
and/or
 
cash
 
acquired
 
under
 
the
 
Plan
 
in
 
accordance
 
with
 
applicable
 
foreign
 
exchange
 
rules
 
and
 
regulations
 
in
 
the
Participant’s country of employment (and country of residence, if different). In addition, the Participant
 
agrees to take any
and
 
all
 
actions,
 
and
 
consent
 
to
 
any
 
and
 
all
 
actions
 
taken
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
and
 
any
 
of
 
its
 
Subsidiaries
 
and
 
affiliated
companies, as may be required to allow the Company and any of its Subsidiaries and affiliated companies to comply with
local laws,
 
rules and/or
 
regulations in
 
the Participant’s
 
country
 
of employment
 
(and country
 
of residence,
 
if different).
Finally,
 
the Participant
 
agrees to
 
take any
 
and all
 
actions as
 
may be
 
required to
 
comply with
 
the Participant’s
 
personal
obligations under local laws, rules
 
and/or regulations in the Participant’s country of employment and
 
country of residence,
if different).
17.
Imposition of Other
 
Requirements.
 
The Company reserves
 
the right to
 
impose other requirements
 
on the Participant’s
participation in the Plan, on
 
the Restricted Stock Units, and on
 
any shares of Stock acquired under
 
the Plan, to the extent
the Company determines
 
it is necessary or
 
advisable for legal or
 
administrative reasons, and
 
to require the Participant
 
to
sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish
 
the foregoing.
18.
Committee’s
 
Powers.
No
 
provision
 
contained
 
in
 
this
 
Agreement
 
shall
 
in
 
any
 
way
 
terminate,
 
modify
 
or
 
alter,
 
or
 
be
construed
 
or
 
interpreted
 
as
 
terminating,
 
modifying
 
or
 
altering
 
any
 
of
 
the
 
powers,
 
rights
 
or
 
authority
 
vested
 
in
 
the
Committee or, to the
 
extent delegated, in
 
its delegate, pursuant
 
to the
 
terms of the
 
Plan or resolutions
 
adopted in furtherance
of
 
the
 
Plan,
 
including,
 
without
 
limitation,
 
the
 
right
 
to
 
make
 
certain
 
determinations
 
and
 
elections
 
with
 
respect
 
to
 
the
Restricted
 
Stock
 
Units.
 
Any
 
dispute
 
regarding
 
the
 
interpretation
 
of
 
this
 
Agreement
 
or
 
the
 
terms
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
shall
 
be
submitted
 
to
 
the
 
Committee
 
or
 
its
 
delegate
 
who
 
shall
 
have
 
the
 
discretionary
 
authority
 
to
 
construe
 
the
 
terms
 
of
 
this
Agreement, the Plan, and
 
all documents ancillary to
 
this Award.
 
The decisions of the
 
Committee or its delegate shall
 
be
final and binding
 
and any reviewing court
 
of law or other
 
party shall defer
 
to its decision,
 
overruling if, and
 
only if, it
 
is
 
 
 
 
 
16
arbitrary and capricious. In no way is
 
it intended that this review standard subject the Plan
 
or Award to the U.S. Employee
Retirement Income Security Act
.
19.
Binding Effect.
 
This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
 
of any successors to the Company and all
persons lawfully claiming under the Participant.
20.
Governing
 
Law
 
and
 
Forum
.
 
Without
 
limiting
 
the
 
effect
 
of
 
section
 
17,
 
this
 
Agreement
 
shall
 
be
 
governed
 
by,
 
and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard
 
to principles of conflict of laws.
21.
Severability
. The provisions of
 
this Agreement are severable
 
and if any one
 
or more of the provisions
 
are determined to
be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the Agreement shall be reformed and construed so that it would
be
 
enforceable
 
to
 
the
 
maximum
 
extent
 
legally
 
possible,
 
and
 
if
 
it
 
cannot
 
be
 
so
 
reformed
 
and
 
construed,
 
as
 
if
 
such
unenforceable provision, or part thereof, had never been contained herein.
 
22.
Waiver
.
 
The
 
waiver
 
by
 
the
 
Company
 
with
 
respect
 
to
 
Employee’s
 
(or
 
any
 
other
 
participant’s)
 
compliance
 
with
 
any
provision of this Agreement shall
 
not operate or be construed as
 
a waiver of any other provision
 
of this Agreement, or of
any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.
A
 
copy
 
of
 
the
 
Plan
 
and
 
the
 
Prospectus
 
to
 
the
 
General
 
Mills,
 
Inc.
 
2022
 
Stock
 
Compensation
 
Plan
 
is
 
available
 
on
 
G&Me
 
by
searching “2022 Stock Compensation
 
Plan”.
 
A copy of the Company’s
 
latest Annual Report on Form 10-K is
 
also available on
the Company’s website at www.generalmills.com
 
under Investor Information/Annual Reports.
 
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
 
1
Exhibit 31.1
I, Jeffrey L. Harmening, certify that:
 
1.
 
I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of General Mills, Inc.;
2.
 
Based
 
on
 
my
 
knowledge,
 
this
 
report
 
does
 
not
 
contain
 
any
 
untrue
 
statement
 
of
 
a
 
material
 
fact
 
or
 
omit
 
to
 
state
 
a
 
material
 
fact
necessary
 
to make
 
the statements
 
made,
 
in light
 
of the
 
circumstances under
 
which such
 
statements were
 
made,
 
not misleading
with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.
 
Based
 
on
 
my
 
knowledge,
 
the
 
financial
 
statements,
 
and
 
other
 
financial
 
information
 
included
 
in
 
this
 
report,
 
fairly
 
present
 
in
 
all
material
 
respects
 
the
 
financial
 
condition,
 
results
 
of
 
operations
 
and
 
cash
 
flows
 
of
 
the
 
registrant
 
as
 
of,
 
and
 
for,
 
the
 
periods
presented in this report;
4.
 
The registrant’s
 
other certifying officer
 
and I are responsible
 
for establishing and
 
maintaining disclosure controls
 
and procedures
(as
 
defined
 
in
 
Exchange
 
Act
 
Rules
 
13a-15(e)
 
and
 
15d-15(e))
 
and
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting
 
(as
 
defined
 
in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a)
 
designed such
 
disclosure controls
 
and procedures,
 
or caused
 
such disclosure
 
controls and
 
procedures to
 
be designed
 
under
our
 
supervision,
 
to
 
ensure
 
that
 
material
 
information
 
relating
 
to
 
the
 
registrant,
 
including
 
its
 
consolidated
 
subsidiaries,
 
is
made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period
 
in which this report is being prepared;
(b)
 
designed
 
such
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting,
 
or
 
caused
 
such
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting
 
to
 
be
designed
 
under
 
our
 
supervision,
 
to
 
provide
 
reasonable
 
assurance
 
regarding
 
the
 
reliability
 
of
 
financial
 
reporting
 
and
 
the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
 
with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c)
 
evaluated
 
the
 
effectiveness
 
of
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
disclosure
 
controls
 
and
 
procedures
 
and
 
presented
 
in
 
this
 
report
 
our
conclusions
 
about the
 
effectiveness
 
of the
 
disclosure
 
controls and
 
procedures,
 
as of
 
the end
 
of the
 
period covered
 
by this
report based on such evaluation; and
(d)
 
disclosed
 
in
 
this
 
report
 
any
 
change
 
in
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting
 
that
 
occurred
 
during
 
the
registrant’s
 
most
 
recent
 
fiscal
 
quarter
 
(the
 
registrant’s
 
fourth
 
fiscal
 
quarter
 
in
 
the
 
case
 
of
 
an
 
annual
 
report)
 
that
 
has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
 
affect, the registrant’s internal
 
control over financial reporting; and
5.
 
The
 
registrant’s
 
other
 
certifying
 
officer
 
and
 
I
 
have
 
disclosed,
 
based
 
on
 
our
 
most
 
recent
 
evaluation
 
of
 
internal
 
control
 
over
financial
 
reporting,
 
to
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
auditors
 
and
 
the
 
audit
 
committee
 
of
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
board
 
of
 
directors
 
(or
 
persons
performing the equivalent functions):
(a)
 
all significant
 
deficiencies
 
and
 
material
 
weaknesses in
 
the
 
design
 
or operation
 
of internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial reporting
which
 
are
 
reasonably
 
likely
 
to
 
adversely
 
affect
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
ability
 
to
 
record,
 
process,
 
summarize
 
and
 
report
 
financial
information; and
(b)
 
any
 
fraud,
 
whether
 
or
 
not
 
material,
 
that
 
involves
 
management
 
or
 
other
 
employees
 
who
 
have
 
a
 
significant
 
role
 
in
 
the
registrant’s internal control
 
over financial reporting.
Date: September 20, 2023
/s/ Jeffrey L. Harmening
 
Jeffrey L. Harmening
Chief Executive Officer
 
 
1
Exhibit 31.2
I, Kofi A. Bruce, certify that:
 
1.
 
I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of General Mills, Inc.;
2.
 
Based
 
on
 
my
 
knowledge,
 
this
 
report
 
does
 
not
 
contain
 
any
 
untrue
 
statement
 
of
 
a
 
material
 
fact
 
or
 
omit
 
to
 
state
 
a
 
material
 
fact
necessary
 
to make
 
the statements
 
made,
 
in light
 
of the
 
circumstances under
 
which such
 
statements were
 
made,
 
not misleading
with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.
 
Based
 
on
 
my
 
knowledge,
 
the
 
financial
 
statements,
 
and
 
other
 
financial
 
information
 
included
 
in
 
this
 
report,
 
fairly
 
present
 
in
 
all
material
 
respects
 
the
 
financial
 
condition,
 
results
 
of
 
operations
 
and
 
cash
 
flows
 
of
 
the
 
registrant
 
as
 
of,
 
and
 
for,
 
the
 
periods
presented in this report;
4.
 
The registrant’s
 
other certifying officer
 
and I are responsible
 
for establishing and
 
maintaining disclosure controls
 
and procedures
(as
 
defined
 
in
 
Exchange
 
Act
 
Rules
 
13a-15(e)
 
and
 
15d-15(e))
 
and
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting
 
(as
 
defined
 
in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a)
 
designed such
 
disclosure controls
 
and procedures,
 
or caused
 
such disclosure
 
controls and
 
procedures to
 
be designed
 
under
our
 
supervision,
 
to
 
ensure
 
that
 
material
 
information
 
relating
 
to
 
the
 
registrant,
 
including
 
its
 
consolidated
 
subsidiaries,
 
is
made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period
 
in which this report is being prepared;
(b)
 
designed
 
such
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting,
 
or
 
caused
 
such
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting
 
to
 
be
designed
 
under
 
our
 
supervision,
 
to
 
provide
 
reasonable
 
assurance
 
regarding
 
the
 
reliability
 
of
 
financial
 
reporting
 
and
 
the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
 
with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c)
 
evaluated
 
the
 
effectiveness
 
of
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
disclosure
 
controls
 
and
 
procedures
 
and
 
presented
 
in
 
this
 
report
 
our
conclusions
 
about the
 
effectiveness
 
of the
 
disclosure
 
controls and
 
procedures,
 
as of
 
the end
 
of the
 
period covered
 
by this
report based on such evaluation; and
(d)
 
disclosed
 
in
 
this
 
report
 
any
 
change
 
in
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting
 
that
 
occurred
 
during
 
the
registrant’s
 
most
 
recent
 
fiscal
 
quarter
 
(the
 
registrant’s
 
fourth
 
fiscal
 
quarter
 
in
 
the
 
case
 
of
 
an
 
annual
 
report)
 
that
 
has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect,
 
the registrant’s internal control over
 
financial reporting; and
5.
 
The
 
registrant’s
 
other
 
certifying
 
officer
 
and
 
I
 
have
 
disclosed,
 
based
 
on
 
our
 
most
 
recent
 
evaluation
 
of
 
internal
 
control
 
over
financial
 
reporting,
 
to
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
auditors
 
and
 
the
 
audit
 
committee
 
of
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
board
 
of
 
directors
 
(or
 
persons
performing the equivalent functions):
(a)
 
all significant
 
deficiencies
 
and
 
material
 
weaknesses in
 
the
 
design
 
or operation
 
of internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial reporting
which
 
are
 
reasonably
 
likely
 
to
 
adversely
 
affect
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
ability
 
to
 
record,
 
process,
 
summarize
 
and
 
report
 
financial
information; and
(b)
 
any
 
fraud,
 
whether
 
or
 
not
 
material,
 
that
 
involves
 
management
 
or
 
other
 
employees
 
who
 
have
 
a
 
significant
 
role
 
in
 
the
registrant’s internal control
 
over financial reporting.
Date: September
 
20, 2023
/s/ Kofi A. Bruce
 
Kofi A. Bruce
 
Chief Financial Officer
 
 
1
Exhibit 32.1
I,
 
Jeffrey
 
L.
 
Harmening,
 
Chief
 
Executive
 
Officer
 
of
 
General
 
Mills,
 
Inc.
 
(the
 
“Company”),
 
certify,
 
pursuant
 
to
 
Section
 
906
 
of
 
the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:
(1)
 
the Quarterly
 
Report on
 
Form 10-Q
 
of the
 
Company for
 
the fiscal quarter
 
ended August
 
27, 2023
 
(the “Report”)
 
fully complies
with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
 
and
(2)
 
the information
 
contained in
 
the Report
 
fairly presents,
 
in all
 
material respects,
 
the financial
 
condition and
 
results of
 
operations
of the Company.
Dated: September 20, 2023
/s/ Jeffrey L. Harmening
 
Jeffrey L. Harmening
Chief Executive Officer
 
 
1
Exhibit 32.2
I, Kofi
 
A. Bruce,
 
Chief Financial
 
Officer
 
of General
 
Mills, Inc.
 
(the “Company”),
 
certify,
 
pursuant
 
to Section
 
906 of
 
the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:
(1)
 
the Quarterly
 
Report on
 
Form 10-Q
 
of the
 
Company for
 
the fiscal quarter
 
ended August
 
27, 2023
 
(the “Report”)
 
fully complies
with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
 
of 1934; and
(2)
 
the information
 
contained in
 
the Report
 
fairly presents,
 
in all
 
material respects,
 
the financial
 
condition and
 
results of
 
operations
of the Company.
Dated: September 20, 2023
/s/ Kofi A. Bruce
 
Kofi A. Bruce
Chief Financial Officer