ANNUAL REPORT 

A copy of the Company’s annual report for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, including the financial statements and notes thereto, is being mailed to the shareholders of record along with this proxy statement and is also available on the Company’s website at www.occfiber.com/proxy. The annual report is not incorporated by reference in this proxy statement and is not considered to be part of the proxy material.  

FURTHER INFORMATION 

The Company will provide without charge to each person from whom a proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors, upon the written request of any such person, a copy of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, including the financial statements and financial statement schedule attached as exhibits thereto, required to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act for the Company’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2016. These materials are available on-line at www.occfiber.com/proxy. You may also call the Company toll free at 1-800-622-7711, e-mail the Company at investorrelations@occfiber.com or write to the Company at 5290 Concourse Drive, Roanoke, Virginia 24019, attention Tracy G. Smith, Corporate Secretary, to receive a free copy of the proxy materials. Additionally, the Company’s SEC filings are available to the public on the SEC Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Upon request, the Company will also furnish any other exhibit of the annual report on Form 10-K upon advance payment of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Company related to the Company’s furnishing of such exhibit. Requests for copies of any exhibit should be directed to the Company at its principal executive offices, 5290 Concourse Drive, Roanoke, Virginia 24019, attention Tracy G. Smith, Corporate Secretary.

Date: March 13, 2017

Appendix A

OPTICAL CABLE CORPORATION

2017 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

1. Purpose. The Optical Cable Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), is intended to secure for the Company, its Related Companies and its shareholders the benefits arising from ownership of the Company’s Common Stock by the employees and other service providers of the Company and its Related Companies who are and will be responsible for the Company’s future growth. The Plan is designed to help attract and retain for the Company and its Related Companies personnel of superior ability for positions of exceptional responsibility, to reward employees and other service providers for past services to the Company and its Related Companies, and to motivate such individuals through added incentives to further contribute to the success of the Company. With respect to persons subject to section 16 of the Act (as defined below), transactions under this Plan are intended to satisfy the requirements of Rule 16b-3 of the Act.

2. Definitions. As used in the Plan, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

(a) “Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(b) “Applicable Withholding Taxes” means the aggregate amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes that an Employer is required to withhold in connection with the grant of a Stock Award, any lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock, any compensatory dividends paid on Restricted Stock, any payments under Restricted Stock Unit awards or Performance Grants, or any exercise of a Nonstatutory Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or other taxable event with respect to an Incentive Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may determine Applicable Withholding Taxes based on rates up to and including the maximum statutory rates for federal, state and local income and employment taxes in the Participant’s applicable jurisdictions for which the Company has an obligation to withhold.

(c) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(d) “Change in Control” means the date on which the Company experiences a change in ownership (as described in subsection (i)) or a change in effective control (as described in subsection (ii)):

(i)  A change in ownership shall occur if any person or more than one person acting as a group acquires beneficial ownership of Company stock that, together with the Company stock already held by such person or group, represents more than 50 percent of the total voting power of the Company stock; provided, however, that if any one person or more than one person acting as a group is considered to own more than 50 percent of the total voting power of the Company stock, the acquisition of additional stock by the same person or persons is not considered to cause a change in the ownership of the Company for purposes of this subsection (i).

(ii) A change in effective control shall occur if a majority of members of the Board is replaced during a twelve-consecutive-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board before the date of the appointment or election; provided, however, that if any one person or more than one person acting as a group is considered to effectively control the Company for purposes of this subsection (ii), the acquisition of additional control of the corporation by the same person or persons is not considered to cause a change in the effective control for purposes of this subsection (ii). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Incentive Award to which this subsection (ii) applies is not subject to Code section 409A, whether a change in effective control has occurred for purposes of that Incentive Award shall be determined based on a three-consecutive-year period instead of a twelve-consecutive-month period.

For purposes of this section, the term “group” shall have the same meaning as in section 13(d)(3) of the Act, modified to the extent necessary to comply with sections 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B), (vi)(D) or (vii)(C) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provisions). The term “beneficial ownership” shall have the same meaning as in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Act, modified to the extent necessary to comply with section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(iii) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision). Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, an event which does not constitute a change in the ownership or a change in the effective control of the Company, each as defined in section 1.409A-3(i)(5) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not constitute a Change of Control for purposes of this Plan.

(e) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(f) “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (or any successor Board committee designated by the Board to administer the Plan), provided that, if any member of the Compensation Committee does not qualify as (i) an outside director for purposes of Code section 162(m), (ii) a non-employee director for purposes of Rule 16b-3, and (iii) an independent director for purposes of the rules of the exchange on which the Company Stock is traded, the remaining members of the Committee (but not less than two members) shall be constituted as a subcommittee to act as the Committee for purposes of the Plan.

(g) “Company” means Optical Cable Corporation, and its successors or assigns.

(h) “Company Stock” means the Common Stock of the Company. In the event of a change in the capital structure of the Company (as provided in Section 19), the shares resulting from the change shall be deemed to be Company Stock within the meaning of the Plan. Shares of Company Stock may be issued under this Plan without cash consideration.

(i) “Consultant” means any natural person providing bona fide services to the Company or a Related Company other than as an Employee or a Director.

(j) “Date of Grant” means (i) with respect to a Non-Option Award, the date on which the Committee grants the award; (ii) with respect to a Nonstatutory Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right, the date on which the Committee completes the corporate action necessary to create a legally binding right constituting the Nonstatutory Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right; or (iii) with respect to an Incentive Stock Option, the date on which the Committee completes the corporate action constituting an offer of stock for sale to a Participant under the terms and conditions of the Incentive Stock Option. With respect to any Incentive Award, the Committee may specify a future date on which the grant is to be granted or become effective.

(k) “Director” means any non-employee member of the Board.

(l) “Disability” means, as to an Incentive Stock Option, a Disability within the meaning of Code section 22(e)(3). As to all other Incentive Awards, the Committee shall determine whether a Disability exists and the determination shall be conclusive; provided, however, that for any Incentive Award that is subject to Code section 409A, Disability (or variations thereof) shall mean a disability as defined in Code section 409A(a)(2)(C) and section 1.409A-3(i)(4) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision).

(m) “Effective Date” means the date described in Section 16(a) of the Plan.

(n) “Employee” means an individual employed by the Company or a Related Company as a common-law employee.

(o) “Employer” means the Company or Related Company with respect to which an Employee provides services.

(p) “Fair Market Value” per share of Company Stock on any relevant date shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:

(i)  If the Company Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq Global Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price per share of Company Stock at the close of regular trading hours (i.e. before after-hours trading begins) on the Nasdaq Global Market on the date in question, as such price is reported by the Nasdaq Global Market either as reported on the Nasdaq website (www.nasdaq.com), or otherwise. If there is no closing selling price for the Company Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

(ii) If the Company Stock is at the time listed on any other stock exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price per share of Company Stock at the close of regular trading hours (i.e. before after-hours trading begins) on the date in question on the stock exchange determined by the Committee to be the primary market for the Company Stock, as such price is officially quoted in the composite tape of transactions on such exchange. If there is no closing selling price for the Company Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

(q) “Grant Agreement” means the written or electronic agreement between the Company and a Participant containing the terms and conditions with respect to an Incentive Award. The Committee may in its discretion waive any requirement that a Participant execute the Grant Agreement and treat the Participant’s acceptance of the award as his or her agreement to the terms of the Grant Agreement instead.

(r) “Incentive Award” means any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, share of Restricted Stock, Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit or Performance Grant awarded to a Service Provider under the Plan.

(s) “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option intended to meet the requirements of, and qualify for favorable federal income tax treatment under, Code section 422.

(t) “Non-Option Award” means an Incentive Award other than an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

(u) “Nonstatutory Stock Option” means an Option that does not meet the requirements of Code section 422, or, even if meeting the requirements of Code section 422, is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option and is so designated.

(v) “Option” means a right to purchase Company Stock granted under the Plan, at a price determined in accordance with the Plan granted under Section 8.

(w) “Participant” means any Service Provider who receives an Incentive Award under the Plan.

(x) “Performance Criteria” means any one or more of the performance criteria listed below as applied to the performance of the Company on a consolidated basis or any segment, sector, one or more customers, subsidiary, affiliate, division or business unit of the Company. The performance criteria may be applied either individually, alternatively, or in any combination and measured on as reported (GAAP), gross, net or operating basis, on a total or continuing basis, on an annual or cumulatively over a defined period of time basis, and can be measured on an absolute, relative, growth, or per-share basis. The performance criteria may be measured including or excluding extraordinary items such as restructuring charges, casualty losses, insurance recoveries, and other one-time, non-recurring items. The performance criteria may include: total shareholder return, stock price, revenue, gross profit, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes), operating income, pre-tax earnings, net operating profit after taxes, net income, earnings per share, gross margin, operating margin, net margin, operating cash flow, free cash flow, return on assets, return on invested capital, return on equity, or return on some defined set of assets, capital or equity as determined by the Committee.

(y) “Performance Goal” means an objectively determinable performance goal established by the Committee that relates to one or more Performance Criteria. Performance Goals with respect to Performance Criteria may be specified in absolute terms, in percentages, or in terms of growth from period to period or growth rates over time, as well as measured relative to the performance of a group of comparator companies, or a published or special index, or a stock market index, that the Committee deems appropriate. Any member of a comparator group or index that ceases to exist as a separate entity during a measurement period shall be disregarded for the entire measurement period. Performance goals need not be based upon an increase or positive result under a Performance Criteria and could include, for example, the maintenance of the status quo or the limitation of economic losses (measured, in each case, by reference to a Performance Criteria).

(z) “Performance Grant” means a right to receive an amount denominated in cash (but payable in cash or Company Stock) subject to the attainment of Performance Goals as set forth in Section 10.

(aa) “Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.

(bb) “Plan Year” means the calendar year.

(cc) “Related Company” means, (i) for purposes of determining eligibility to receive an Incentive Stock Option, any “parent corporation” with respect to the Company within the meaning of Code section 424(e) or any “subsidiary corporation” with respect to the Company within the meaning of Code section 424(f); (ii) for purposes of determining eligibility to receive a Nonstatutory Stock Option, any corporation or other entity in a chain of corporations or other entities in which each corporation or other entity has a controlling interest (within the meaning of section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(E)(1) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision)) in another corporation or other entity in the chain, beginning with a corporation or other entity in which the Company has a controlling interest; and (iii) for all other purposes under the Plan, any corporation, trade or business that would be required to be treated as a single employer with the Company under Code sections 414(b) or (c), provided that, in applying Code sections 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) for purposes of determining a controlled group of corporations, or in applying section 1.414(c)-2 of the Treasury Regulations for purposes of determining trades or businesses under common control, the phrase “at least 50%” shall replace the phrase “at least 80%” each time it appears in those sections.

(dd) “Repricing” means, with respect to an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, any of the following: (i) the lowering of the exercise price after the Date of Grant; (ii) the taking of any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles; (iii) the cancellation of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for an Option or Stock Appreciation Right with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or (iv) the cancellation of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right at a time when its exercise price exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Company Stock in exchange for cash, other Company securities or any other Incentive Award; provided, however, that an adjustment pursuant to Section 19(a) or a cancellation and exchange that occurs pursuant to Section 19(b) shall not constitute a Repricing.

(ee) “Restricted Stock” means Company Stock awarded upon the terms and subject to restrictions as set forth in Section 6.

(ff) “Restricted Stock Unit” means a right to receive Company Stock or cash awarded upon the terms and subject to vesting conditions as set forth in Section 7.

(gg) “Retirement” means retirement as determined under procedures established by the Committee or in any Incentive Award, as set forth in a Participant’s Grant Agreement.

(hh) “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated under the Act, as amended from time to time.

(ii) “Service Provider” means an Employee, Director or Consultant.

(jj) “Stock Appreciation Right” means a right to receive Company Stock or cash granted under Section 9.

(kk) “Stock Award” means a share of Company Stock awarded upon the terms set forth in Section 12.

(ll) “Tandem Right” means a type of Stock Appreciation Right granted in connection with a Nonstatutory Stock Option as described in Section 9.

(mm) “Taxable Year” means the fiscal period used by the Company for reporting taxes on its income under the Code.

(nn) “Ten Percent Stockholder” means a person who owns, directly or indirectly, stock possessing more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Related Company. Indirect ownership of stock shall be determined in accordance with Code section 424(d).

(oo) “Treasury Regulations” mean the final or temporary regulations issued by the Treasury Department and/or Internal Revenue Service as codified in Title 26 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. Any references made in the Plan to specific Treasury Regulations shall also refer to any successor or replacement regulations thereto.

(pp) “2011 Plan” means the Company’s Second Amended and Restated 2011 Stock Incentive Plan, as originally approved and later amended and restated by the Company’s stockholders at the annual meetings of the stockholders held on March 29, 2011, March 26, 2013, and March 31, 2015.

3. General. The following types of Incentive Awards may be granted under the Plan: shares of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Performance Grants and Stock Awards. Options granted under the Plan may be Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options.

4. Stock.

(a) Reserve. Subject to Section 19 of the Plan, there shall be reserved for issuance under the Plan an aggregate total of (i) 500,000 new shares of Company Stock, provided these new shares are approved by the Company’s stockholders at the annual meeting of the stockholders to be held on March 28, 2017, plus (ii) the 36,903 shares of Company Stock that were reserved and still available for issuance (and not subject to an outstanding award) under the 2011 Plan as of the effective date of the Plan, as specified in Section 16(a) plus (iii) the number of shares of Company Stock subject to awards outstanding under the 2011 Plan as of the Effective Date that expire, are forfeited or terminate unexercised thereafter (the “Total Share Reserve”). The shares available for issuance under the Plan shall be authorized but unissued shares. The maximum aggregate number of shares that may be issued under the Plan through Incentive Stock Options is the same as the Total Share Reserve. For all purposes under the Plan, each share of Company Stock issued under a stock-settled Stock Appreciation Right shall be counted as one share of Company Stock against the Total Share Reserve.

(b) Share Use. Shares allocable to Incentive Awards or portions thereof granted under the Plan or the 2011 Plan that expire, are forfeited, or that terminate unexercised, unconverted or undistributed may be subjected to a new Incentive Award under the Plan. Any shares of Company Stock withheld by the Employer in satisfaction of an Employee’s obligations to pay Applicable Withholding Taxes with respect to any Non-Option Award (or with respect to options or other Non-Option Awards granted under the 2011 Plan) shall be available for issuance, subjected to new Incentive Awards or otherwise used to increase the Total Share Reserve. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the following shares shall not be added to the Total Share Reserve or otherwise be available for issuance: (i) shares issued upon the exercise, vesting or distribution under an Incentive Award, (ii) shares tendered by the Participant or withheld by the Employer in payment of the purchase price of an Option and to pay applicable withholding tax obligations with respect to an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, (iii) shares subject to a Stock Appreciation Right that are not issued in connection with its stock settlement on exercise thereof, and (iv) shares reacquired by the Company on the open market or otherwise using cash proceeds from the exercise of Options.

(c) Plan Limits. No more than 250,000 shares of Company Stock may be allocated to Incentive Awards that are granted to any individual Participant during any single Taxable Year. The aggregate maximum cash amount payable under the Plan to any Participant in any single Taxable Year shall not exceed $2,000,000. The aggregate maximum number of shares of Common Stock that shall be available for grants of Incentive Awards to all Directors as a group during any single Plan Year shall be 125,000 shares.

(d) Assumed Awards. Any shares of Company Stock that are issued by the Company, and any awards that are granted by, or become obligations of, the Company, through the assumption by the Company (or a Related Company) of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an acquired company (including a predecessor of the acquired company), or any direct or indirect parent thereof, in the case of persons that become Service Providers of the Company (or a Related Company) in connection with a business or asset acquisition or similar transaction, shall not be counted against the shares available for issuance under the Plan.

5. Eligibility. All present and future Service Providers of the Company or any Related Company (whether now existing or hereafter created or acquired) who have contributed or who can be expected to contribute significantly to the Company or a Related Company shall be eligible to receive Incentive Awards under the Plan. The Committee shall have the power and complete discretion, as provided in Section 20, to select eligible Service Providers to receive Incentive Awards and to determine for each Service Provider the nature of the award and the terms and conditions of each Incentive Award.

6. Restricted Stock Awards.

(a) The Committee may grant Restricted Stock to eligible Service Providers. Each award of Restricted Stock shall be evidenced by a Grant Agreement, which shall state the number of shares of Restricted Stock granted and the terms and conditions to which the Restricted Stock is subject.

(b) The Committee shall establish as to each award of Restricted Stock the terms and conditions upon which the restrictions set forth in paragraph (c) below shall lapse. The terms and conditions may include the continued performance of services, the achievement of one or more Performance Goals or the achievement of other performance conditions measured on an individual, corporate or other basis, or any combination thereof. Awards shall be subject to the minimum vesting requirements of Section 28. If the award is intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code section 162(m), the award shall be governed by the provisions of Section 11.

(c) No shares of Restricted Stock may be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, or otherwise encumbered or disposed of until the restrictions on the shares established by the Committee have lapsed or been removed.

(d) Upon the acceptance by a Participant of an award of Restricted Stock, the Participant shall, subject to the restrictions set forth in paragraph (c) above, have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock, including, but not limited to, the right to vote the shares of Restricted Stock and the right to receive all dividends and other distributions paid thereon. Any (i) stock dividends or other distributions with respect to any outstanding shares of Restricted Stock shall be issued subject to the same vesting conditions and transferability restrictions as the underlying shares of Restricted Stock, and (ii) cash dividends or distributions shall be subject to the same vesting restrictions (and, to the extent applicable, transferability restrictions) as the underlying shares of Restricted Stock and a Participant shall have no rights to such dividends until those restrictions have lapsed or been removed.

(e) Upon issuance, the Company shall direct its registrar and transfer agent to make a book entry for the shares of Restricted Stock and no certificates representing the shares of Restricted Stock shall be issuable until the shares have vested and any restrictions on transferability have lapsed or been removed.

7. Restricted Stock Units.

(a) The Committee may grant Restricted Stock Units to eligible Service Providers. Each award of Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by a Grant Agreement, which shall state the number of Restricted Stock Units granted and the terms and conditions to which the Restricted Stock Units are subject.

(b) The Committee shall establish as to each award of Restricted Stock Units the terms and conditions upon which the Restricted Stock Units shall vest and be paid. Vesting of Restricted Stock Units may be conditioned on the continued performance of services or the achievement of performance conditions measured on an individual, corporate, or other basis, or any combination thereof. Awards shall be subject to the minimum vesting requirements of Section 28. If the award is intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code section 162(m), the award shall be governed by the provisions of Section 11.

(c) Restricted Stock Units may be paid in cash, Company Stock or a fixed combination of Company Stock or cash as provided in the Grant Agreement, or the Committee may reserve the right to determine the manner of payment at the time the Restricted Stock Units become payable. The delivery of Company Stock in payment of Restricted Stock Units may be subject to additional conditions established in the Grant Agreement. The Committee may provide in the Grant Agreement that the Participant may make an election to defer the payment under a Restricted Stock Unit subject to such terms as the Committee may determine in accordance with Code section 409A.

(d) A Participant who receives Restricted Stock Units payable in Company Stock shall have no rights as a stockholder until the Company Stock is issued pursuant to the terms of the Grant Agreement and all requirements with respect to the issuance of such shares have been satisfied. The Committee may, in its discretion, provide that a Participant shall be entitled to receive dividend equivalents on outstanding Restricted Stock Units. Dividend equivalents, if any, will be credited with respect to an award of Restricted Stock Units as follows: (i) in the case of a stock dividend or other distribution, by crediting the Participant with an additional number of Restricted Stock Units equal to the number of shares of Company Stock the Participant would have received in the dividend with respect to his or her Restricted Stock Units had the Restricted Stock Units been outstanding shares of Company Stock on the dividend payment date; and (ii) in the case of a cash dividend or other distribution, by crediting the Participant with an additional number of Restricted Stock Units equal to the quotient of (A) the aggregate cash amount the Participant would have received in the dividend with respect to his or her Restricted Stock Units had the Restricted Stock Units been outstanding shares of Company Stock on the dividend payment date, divided by (B) the Fair Market Value of a share of Company Stock on the dividend payment date, rounded down to the nearest whole share. Any additional Restricted Stock Units issued as dividend equivalents shall be subject to the same vesting and other terms and conditions as the underlying Restricted Stock Units.

8. Stock Options.

(a) The Committee may grant Options to eligible Service Providers. Each award of Options shall be evidenced by a Grant Agreement, which shall state the number of shares for which Options are granted, the Option exercise price per share, whether the Options are Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options, and the conditions to which the grant and exercise of the Options are subject.

(b) The exercise price of shares of Company Stock covered by an Option shall not be, and shall never become, less than 100 percent of the Fair Market Value of the shares on the Date of Grant, except as may be provided in Section 19 (regarding certain changes affecting Company Stock). If the Participant is a Ten Percent Stockholder and the Option is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, the exercise price shall be not less than 110 percent of the Fair Market Value of such shares on the Date of Grant. The Committee may not provide for payment of dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to Options.

(c) Options may be exercised in whole or in part at the times as may be specified by the Committee in the Participant’s Grant Agreement; provided that no Option may be exercised after the expiration of ten (10) years from the Date of Grant. If the Participant is a Ten Percent Stockholder and the Option is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, the Option may not be exercised after the expiration of five (5) years from the Date of Grant.

(d) By their terms, Incentive Stock Options shall not be transferable except by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable, during the Participant’s lifetime, only by the Participant.

(e) Options that are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options shall be granted only to Employees who meet the eligibility requirements of Section 5.

(f) Options that are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options shall, by their terms, not be exercisable after the first to occur of (x) ten years from the Date of Grant (five years if the Participant to whom the Option has been granted is a Ten Percent Stockholder), (y) three months following the date of the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company and all Related Companies for reasons other than Disability or death, or (z) one year following the date of the Participant’s termination of employment on account of Disability or death.

(g) Options that are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options shall, by their terms, be exercisable in any calendar year only to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Date of Grant) of the Company Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time during the Plan Year does not exceed $100,000 (the “Limitation Amount”). Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan and all other plans of the Company and all Related Companies shall be aggregated for purposes of determining whether the Limitation Amount has been exceeded. The Committee may impose any conditions as it deems appropriate on an Incentive Stock Option to ensure that the foregoing requirement is met. If Incentive Stock Options that first become exercisable in a Plan Year exceed the Limitation Amount, the excess Options shall be treated as Nonstatutory Stock Options to the extent permitted by law.

(h) A Participant who purchases shares of Company Stock under an Option shall have no rights as a stockholder until the Company Stock is issued pursuant to the terms of the Grant Agreement and all requirements with respect to the issuance of such shares have been satisfied.

(i) Options may be exercised by the Participant giving written notice of the exercise to the Company, stating the number of shares the Participant has elected to purchase under the Option. The notice shall be effective only if accompanied by the exercise price in full in cash; provided, however, that if the terms of an Option or the Committee in its discretion so permits, (i) unless prohibited by law, the Participant may deliver a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to deliver promptly to the Company, from the sale or loan proceeds with respect to the sale of Company Stock or a loan secured by Company Stock, the amount necessary to pay the exercise price and, if required by the terms of the Option or the Committee in its discretion, Applicable Withholding Taxes, (ii) the Participant may deliver shares of Company Stock for which the Participant has good title, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances (valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise) in satisfaction of all or any part of the exercise price, or (iii) the Company may withhold from the Option shares, shares of Company Stock (valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise) in satisfaction of all or any part of the exercise price; or (iv) may use any other methods of payment as the Committee, at its discretion, deems appropriate. Until the Participant has paid the exercise price and any Applicable Withholding Taxes, no shares shall be issued.

(j) (i) No Modification shall be made in respect to any Option if such Modification would result in the Option constituting a deferral of compensation, and (ii) no Extension shall be made in respect to any Option if such Extension would result in the Option having an additional deferral feature from the Date of Grant, in each case within the meaning of applicable Treasury Regulations under Code section 409A. Subject to the remaining part of this subsection (j), (i) a “Modification” means any change in the terms of the Option (or change in the terms of the Plan or applicable Grant Agreement) that may provide the holder of the Option with a direct or indirect reduction in the exercise price of the Option, regardless of whether the holder in fact benefits from the change in terms; and (ii) an “Extension” means either (A) the provision to the holder of an additional period of time within which to exercise the Option beyond the time originally prescribed, (B) the conversion or exchange of the Option for a legally binding right to compensation in a future taxable year, (C) the addition of any feature for the deferral of compensation to the terms of the Option, or (D) any renewal of the Option that has the effect of (A) through (C) above. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, it shall not be a Modification or an Extension, respectively, to change the terms of an Option in accordance with Section 19 of the Plan, or in any of the other ways or for any of the other purposes provided in applicable Treasury Regulations or other generally applicable guidance under Code section 409A as not resulting in a Modification or Extension for purposes of that section. In particular, it shall not be an Extension to extend the exercise period of an Option to a date no later than the earlier of (i) the latest date upon which the Option could have expired by its original terms under any circumstances or (ii) the tenth anniversary of the original Date of Grant.

9. Stock Appreciation Rights.

(a) The Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights to eligible Service Providers. Each award of Stock Appreciation Rights shall be evidenced by a Grant Agreement, which shall state the number of shares with respect to which Stock Appreciation Rights are granted, the extent, if any, to which the Stock Appreciation Rights are granted in connection with all or any part of a Nonstatutory Stock Option (“Tandem Rights”), and the conditions to which the grant and exercise of the Stock Appreciation Rights are subject.

(b) Stock Appreciation Rights (other than Tandem Rights) shall entitle the Participant, upon exercise of all or any part of the Stock Appreciation Rights, to receive in exchange from the Company an amount equal to the excess of (x) the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of the Company Stock covered by the surrendered Stock Appreciation Right over (y) the exercise price of the Stock Appreciation Right, which shall not be and, except as provided in Section 19 below, shall never become less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Company Stock on the Date of Grant. The Committee may not provide for payment of dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to Stock Appreciation Rights.

(c) Tandem Rights shall entitle the Participant, upon exercise of all or any part of the Tandem Rights, to surrender to the Company unexercised that portion of the underlying Nonstatutory Stock Option relating to the same number of shares of Company Stock as is covered by the Tandem Right (or the portion of the Tandem Right so exercised) and to receive in exchange from the Company an amount equal to the excess of (x) the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of the Company Stock covered by the surrendered portion of the underlying Nonstatutory Stock Option over (y) the exercise price of the Company Stock covered by the surrendered portion of the underlying Nonstatutory Stock Option.

(d) Upon the exercise of a Tandem Right and surrender of the related portion of the underlying Nonstatutory Stock Option, the Nonstatutory Stock Option, to the extent surrendered, shall not thereafter be exercisable.

(e) Subject to any further conditions upon exercise imposed by the Committee, a Tandem Right shall be granted on the same Date of Grant as the related Nonstatutory Stock Option, be transferable only to the extent that the related Nonstatutory Stock Option is transferable, be exercisable only to the extent that the related Nonstatutory Stock Option is exercisable and shall expire no later than the date on which the related Nonstatutory Stock Option expires.

(f) The Committee may limit the amount that the Participant will be entitled to receive upon exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights.

(g) Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised in whole or in part at the times as may be specified by the Committee in the Participant’s Grant Agreement; provided that no Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised after the expiration of ten (10) years from the Date of Grant.

(h) A Stock Appreciation Right may only be exercised at a time when the Fair Market Value of the Company Stock covered by the Stock Appreciation Right exceeds the exercise price of the Stock Appreciation Right (or, in the case of a Tandem Right, only to the extent it exceeds the exercise price of the Company Stock covered by the underlying Nonstatutory Stock Option).

(i) The manner in which the Company’s obligation arising upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right shall be paid shall be determined by the Committee and shall be set forth in the Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement may provide for payment in Company Stock or cash, or a fixed combination of Company Stock or cash, or the Committee may reserve the right to determine the manner of payment at the time the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised. Shares of Company Stock issued upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right shall be valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise.

(j) A Participant who acquires shares of Company Stock upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right shall have no rights as a stockholder until the Company Stock is issued pursuant to the terms of the Grant Agreement and all requirements with respect to the issuance of such shares have been satisfied.

(k) Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised by the Participant giving written notice of the exercise to the Company, stating the number of Stock Appreciation Rights the Participant has elected to exercise.

(l) (i) No Modification shall be made in respect to any Stock Appreciation Right if such Modification would result in the Stock Appreciation Right constituting a deferral of compensation, and (ii) no Extension shall be made in respect to any Stock Appreciation Right if such Extension would result in the Stock Appreciation Right having an additional deferral feature from the Date of Grant, in each case within the meaning of applicable Treasury Regulations under Code section 409A. Subject to the remaining part of this subsection (l), (i) a “Modification” means any change in the terms of the Stock Appreciation Right (or change in the terms of the Plan or applicable Grant Agreement) that may provide the holder of the Stock Appreciation Right with a direct or indirect reduction in the exercise price of the Stock Appreciation Right, regardless of whether the holder in fact benefits from the change in terms; and (ii) an “Extension” means either (A) the provision to the holder of an additional period of time within which to exercise the Stock Appreciation Right beyond the time originally prescribed, (B) the conversion or exchange of the Stock Appreciation Right for a legally binding right to compensation in a future taxable year, (C) the addition of any feature for the deferral of compensation to the terms of the Stock Appreciation Right, or (D) any renewal of the Stock Appreciation Right that has the effect of (A) through (C) above. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, it shall not be a Modification or an Extension, respectively, to change the terms of a Stock Appreciation Right in accordance with Section 19 of the Plan, or in any of the other ways or for any of the other purposes provided in applicable Treasury Regulations or other generally applicable guidance under Code section 409A as not resulting in a Modification or Extension for purposes of that section. In particular, it shall not be an Extension to extend the exercise period of a Stock Appreciation Right to a date no later than the earlier of (i) the latest date upon which the Stock Appreciation Right could have expired by its original terms under any circumstances or (ii) the tenth anniversary of the original Date of Grant.

10. Performance Grants.

(a) The Committee may make Performance Grants to eligible Service Providers. Each Performance Grant shall include the Performance Goals for the award, the Performance Criteria with respect to which such goals are to be measured, the threshold, target and maximum amounts payable under the award, as applicable, the period over which the award is to be earned, and any other terms and conditions as are applicable to the Performance Grant. The terms of a Performance Grant may be set in an annual or long-term bonus plan or other similar document. In the event of any conflict between such document and the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall control. Performance Grants shall be granted and administered in such a way as to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code section 162(m), and shall be governed by the provisions of Section 11. Awards shall be subject to the minimum vesting requirements of Section 28.

(b) The Committee shall establish for each Performance Grant the amount of cash or Company Stock payable at specified levels of performance, based on the Performance Goal or Goals with respect to each Performance Criterion. Performance Grants may be paid in cash, Company Stock, or a fixed combination of Company Stock or cash as provided by the Committee at the time of grant, or the Committee may reserve the right to determine the manner of payment at the time the Performance Grant becomes payable. Any payment in Company Stock shall be based on the Fair Market Value of a share of Company Stock on the payment date. The Committee may provide in the Grant Agreement that the Participant may make an election to defer the payment under a Performance Grant subject to such terms as the Committee may determine in accordance with Code section 409A.

(c) A Participant who receives a Performance Grant payable in Company Stock shall have no rights as a stockholder until the Company Stock is issued pursuant to the terms of the Performance Grant and all requirements with respect to the issuance of such shares have been satisfied. Any dividends, distributions or dividend equivalents with respect to Performance grants shall be credited in accordance with the same provisions for crediting dividends, distributions or dividend equivalents as set forth in Section 7(d) for Restricted Stock Units and Section 6(d) for Restricted Stock, as appropriate.

11. Incentive Awards Subject to Performance Goals. The following provisions shall apply to (i) all Performance Grants and (ii) any Restricted Stock awards and Restricted Stock Unit awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code section 162(m):

(a) The Committee shall establish the Performance Goals for the Incentive Award. The Committee shall determine the extent to which any Performance Criteria shall be used and weighted with respect to any Incentive Award. The Committee may vary the Performance Criteria, Performance Goals and weightings from Participant to Participant, Incentive Award to Incentive Award and Taxable Year to Taxable Year. The Committee may increase, but not decrease, the minimum and target levels (but not increase the amount payable) with respect to any Performance Goals after the Date of Grant or start of the Performance Period, as applicable. However, the Committee shall adjust the Performance Goals, but only to the extent permitted pursuant to Code section 162(m), if it determines that nonrecurring, extraordinary or non-operational items have materially affected the fairness of the Performance Goals and have unduly affected the Company’s ability to meet them, including without limitation, items such as the effects of currency fluctuations, items excluded from the calculation of earnings publicly reported by the Company in relation to an earnings announcement, asset write-downs, litigation or claim judgments or settlements, accruals for reorganizations and restructuring programs and the effect of changes in tax law, accounting principles or other laws or provisions affecting reported results. In addition, Performance Goals shall be calculated without regard to any changes in accounting standards that may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board after such Performance Goals are established.

(b) The Committee shall establish for each Incentive Award the amount of cash or Company Stock payable or which will vest at specified levels of performance, based on the Performance Goal for each Performance Criteria. Any Incentive Award shall be awarded not later than 90 days after the start of the period to which the Incentive Award relates and shall be awarded prior to the completion of 25% of such period. All determinations regarding the achievement of any Performance Goals will be made by the Committee. The Committee may not increase during a Taxable Year the amount of cash or Company Stock that would otherwise be payable or vest upon achievement of the Performance Goal or Goals, but may reduce or eliminate the payments or scheduled vesting unless otherwise provided in the Incentive Award. The Committee may provide for an Incentive Award to be payable at the target level (or other level as determined by the Committee in its discretion) prior to the attainment of a Performance Goal or Goals, and for vesting and payment of Restricted Stock awards or Restricted Stock Unit awards, solely upon the Participant’s death, Disability, or the occurrence of a Change of Control.

(c) The actual payments to a Participant under an Incentive Award will be calculated by applying the achievement of a Performance Criteria to the Performance Goal as established in the Grant Agreement. All calculations of actual payments shall be made by the Committee and the Committee shall certify in writing the extent, if any, to which the Performance Goals have been met.

(d) The Company shall distribute amounts payable to Participants pursuant to Incentive Awards as soon as is administratively practicable following the determination and written certification of the Committee for a Performance Period, but in no event later than two and one-half months after the end of the calendar year in which the Performance Period ends (and subject to any deferred payment authorized by the Committee).

12. Stock Awards.

(a) The Committee may grant Stock Awards to Directors and Consultants in payment of compensation that has been earned or of compensation to be earned, including without limitation compensation awarded or earned concurrently with or prior to the grant of the Stock Award, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 12. The Committee in its discretion may determine that a portion of the compensation payable to an eligible Director for a specified period in cash may instead be paid in the form of a Stock Award, at the election of the Director.

(b) For the purposes of this Plan, in determining the value of a Stock Award, all shares of Company Stock subject to such Stock Award shall be valued at not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of such shares of Company Stock on the Date of Grant of such Stock Award, regardless of when such shares of Company Stock are issued to the Participant.

(c) Unless otherwise determined by the Committee and set forth in the related Grant Agreement, shares of Company Stock subject to a Stock Award will be issued to the Participant as soon as practicable following the Date of Grant of such Stock Award. Upon the issuance of such shares such Participant shall be and become a shareholder of the Company fully entitled to receive dividends, to vote and to exercise all other rights of a shareholder of the Company.

(d) Awards shall be subject to the minimum vesting requirements of Section 28. Subject to the requirements of Section 28, Stock Awards granted to Directors (“Director Stock Awards”) may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, or otherwise encumbered or disposed of until the passage of six (6) months beginning on the Date of Grant, and the Committee shall establish as to each Director Stock Award the terms and conditions upon which such restriction (or any other restrictions) shall lapse. The Participant (and not the Company) will be responsible for any tax liability that may arise as a result of a Director Stock Award.

13. Applicable Withholding Taxes. The Employer shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Employer, an amount sufficient to satisfy the Employer’s obligation to withhold Applicable Withholding Taxes with respect to any exercise, lapse of restriction or other taxable event arising as a result of the Plan. The obligations of the Company under the Plan will be conditioned on such payment or arrangements and the Employer will, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Participant. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time the Incentive Award is made or thereafter, any such withholding requirement may be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from the Incentive Award shares of Company Stock having a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding equal to the amount that the Employer determines is necessary to satisfy its withholding obligation. All such elections shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

14. Nontransferability. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 14, by applicable law or by the terms of a Grant Agreement, (i) all Incentive Awards are non-transferable and shall not be subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge; (ii) Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercised only by the Participant; and (iii) amounts payable or shares issuable pursuant to an Incentive Award shall be delivered only to (or for the account of) the Participant. The foregoing exercise and transfer restrictions shall not apply to: (a) transfers to the Company upon forfeiture or cancellation of an Incentive Award or to pay the exercise price of an Option or to an Employer to pay Applicable Withholding Taxes; (b) transfers to or exercises by the Participant’s beneficiary in the event of a Participant’s death, or, in the absence of a validly designated beneficiary, transfers by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (c) transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order (as defined in the Code) (in the case of Incentive Stock Options, to the extent such transfers are permitted by the Code); or (d) if the Participant is incapacitated, permitted transfers to or exercises on behalf of the Participant by his or her legal representative. The Committee may expressly provide in the Grant Agreement that an Incentive Award (other than an Incentive Stock Option) may be transferred to, exercised by and paid to members of the Participant’s family, charitable institutions, or trusts or other entities whose beneficiaries or beneficial owners are members of the Participant’s family and/or charitable institutions, for estate and/or tax planning purposes and in compliance with applicable securities laws.

15. Prohibition on Repricing. The Committee is prohibited from Repricing any Option or Stock Appreciation Right without the prior approval of the stockholders of the Company with respect to the proposed Repricing. No Option or Stock Appreciation Right may include provisions that “reload” the Option or Stock Appreciation Right upon exercise or that extend the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right beyond what is the maximum period specified in the Plan and/or Grant Agreement.

16. Effective Date of the Plan; Effect on the 2011 Plan.

(a) The Plan shall become immediately effective upon approval by the Company’s stockholders at the annual meeting of stockholders held on March 28, 2017.

(b) No further incentive awards may be granted under the 2011 Plan after the Effective Date of the Plan. Each outstanding incentive award granted under the 2011 Plan shall continue to be governed solely by the terms of the 2011 Plan and the award agreements relating to such incentive awards. In accordance with Section 4(b), shares of Company Stock relating to awards or portions of awards granted under the 2011 Plan may in certain circumstances be subjected to an Incentive Award under the Plan or used to increase the share reserve under the Plan.

17. Securities Law Compliance. If at any time on or after the Effective Date the requirements of any applicable federal or state securities laws should fail to be met, no shares of Company Stock issuable under Non-Option Awards shall be issued and no Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable until the Committee has determined that these requirements have again been met. The Committee may suspend the right to exercise an Option or Stock Appreciation Right at any time when it determines that allowing the exercise and issuance of Company Stock would violate any federal or state securities or other laws, and may provide that any time periods to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Rights are extended during a period of suspension. Shares of Company Stock issued and delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which the Company Stock is then listed and any applicable federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be placed on any certificate or certificates representing any such shares to make appropriate reference to any such restrictions. In making such determination, the Committee may rely upon an opinion of counsel for the Company.

18. Termination and Amendment. If not sooner terminated by the Board, this Plan shall terminate at the close of business on February 26, 2027. No new Incentive Awards shall be granted under the Plan after its termination. The Board may terminate the Plan at any time and may amend the Plan at any time in any respect as it shall deem advisable; provided that no change shall be made that increases the total number of shares of Company Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan (except pursuant to Section 19), materially modifies the requirements as to eligibility for participation in the Plan, or that would otherwise be considered a material revision or amendment under Code section 422 or the listing standards of the exchange on which the Company Stock is traded, unless the change is authorized by the stockholders of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may unilaterally amend the Plan and outstanding Incentive Awards with respect to Participants as it deems appropriate to ensure compliance with Rule 16b-3 and other applicable federal or state securities laws and to meet the requirements of the Code and applicable regulations or other generally applicable guidance thereunder. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, a termination or amendment of the Plan or of an Incentive Award shall not, without the consent of the Participant, adversely affect a Participant’s rights under an Incentive Award previously granted to him or her.

19. Change in Capital Structure.

(a) The Committee shall proportionately adjust the number and kind of shares of stock or securities of the Company to be subject to the Plan and to Incentive Awards then outstanding or to be granted thereunder, the maximum number of shares or securities which may be delivered under the Plan, the maximum number of shares or securities that can be granted to an individual Participant under Section 4, the exercise price of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, and other relevant terms of the Plan and any Incentive Awards whenever, in the event of a stock dividend, stock split or combination of shares, recapitalization or merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation, or other change in the Company’s corporate structure or capital stock (including, but not limited to, the creation or issuance to stockholders generally of rights, options or warrants for the purchase of common stock or preferred stock of the Company), it deems any such adjustment necessary or desirable to preserve the intended benefits of the Plan and any outstanding Incentive Awards for the Company and the Participants. The Committee’s determination in this regard shall be binding on all persons. If the adjustment would produce fractional shares with respect to any unexercised Option or Stock Appreciation Right or fractional cents with respect to the exercise price thereof, the Committee shall round down the number of shares covered by the Option or Stock Appreciation Right to the nearest whole share and round up the exercise price to the nearest whole cent.

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 19(a), the provisions of this Section 19(b) shall apply to an outstanding Incentive Award if a Change of Control occurs. If the Company undergoes a Change of Control and the Company is not the surviving entity and the successor to the Company (if any) (or a parent thereof) does not agree in writing prior to the occurrence of the Change of Control to continue and assume the award following the Change of Control, or if for any other reason the award would not continue after the Change of Control, then upon the Change of Control: (i) if the award is an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, it shall vest fully and completely, any and all restrictions on exercisability or otherwise shall lapse, and it shall be fully exercisable; and (ii) if the award is a Non-Option Award, it shall immediately vest fully and completely, and all restrictions shall lapse, and the award shall be paid or settled; provided, however, that if the award is performance-based, any payment under the award shall be computed based on the performance terms of the award and based on actual performance achieved to the date of the Change of Control. No acceleration of vesting, exercisability and/or payment of an outstanding Incentive Award shall occur in connection with a Change of Control if either (i) the Company is the surviving entity, or (ii) the successor to the Company (if any) (or a parent thereof) agrees in writing prior to the Change of Control to assume the award; provided, however, that individual awards may provide for acceleration under these circumstances as contemplated by Section 19(c) below. If an Option or Stock Appreciation Right is fully vested or becomes fully vested as provided in this paragraph but is not exercised or paid prior to the Change of Control and the Company is not the surviving entity and the successor to the Company (if any) (or a parent thereof) does not agree in writing prior to the occurrence of the Change of Control to continue and assume the award following the Change of Control, or if for any other reason the award would not continue after the Change of Control, then the Committee may provide for the settlement in cash of the award (such settlement to be calculated as though the award was paid or exercised simultaneously with the Change of Control and based upon the then Fair Market Value of a share of Company Stock). An Option or Stock Appreciation Right so settled by the Committee shall automatically terminate. If, in such circumstances, the Committee does not provide for the cash settlement of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, then upon the Change of Control such Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall terminate; provided that the Participant shall be given reasonable notice of such intended termination and an opportunity to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right prior to or upon the Change of Control.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 19(b), Incentive Awards issued under the Plan may contain specific provisions regarding the consequences of a Change of Control and, if contained in an award, those provisions shall be controlling in the event of any inconsistency. (For example, and without limitation, an award may provide that acceleration will occur in connection with a Change of Control if the Participant is terminated by his or her Employer without cause or the participant terminates employment for good reason.) The occurrence of a particular Change of Control under the Plan shall have no effect on any award granted under the Plan after the date of that Change of Control. The Committee may deem an acceleration of vesting of awards pursuant to Section 19(b) to occur sufficiently prior to an event if necessary or deemed appropriate to permit the Participant to realize the benefits intended to be conveyed with respect to the shares underlying the award; provided, however, that, the Committee shall reinstate the original terms of an award if the related event does not actually occur.

(d) Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, the Committee may take the foregoing actions without the consent of any Participant, and its determination shall be conclusive and binding on all persons and for all purposes.

20. Administration of the Plan.

(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. Subject to the express provisions and limitations set forth in this Plan or the Committee’s charter or as otherwise established by the Board, the Committee shall be authorized and empowered to do all things necessary or desirable, in its sole discretion, in connection with the administration of this Plan, including, without limitation, the following:

(i) to prescribe, amend and rescind policies relating to this Plan, and to interpret the Plan, including defining terms not otherwise defined;

(ii) to determine which persons are eligible Service Providers, to which of the Service Providers, if any, Incentive Awards shall be granted hereunder and the timing of any Incentive Awards;

(iii) to grant Incentive Awards to Service Providers and determine the terms and conditions thereof, including the number of shares of Company Stock subject to Incentive Awards and the exercise or purchase price of the shares of Company Stock and the circumstances under which Incentive Awards become exercisable, vested, payable, forfeited or expire, which terms (x) may but need not be conditioned upon the passage of time, continued employment, the satisfaction of performance conditions (including Performance Goals), the occurrence of certain events (such as a Change in Control) or other factors, and (y) may provide that vesting conditions or other restrictions will expire as a result of the occurrence of one or more of Disability or death of the Service Provider or a Change in Control.

(iv) to establish or verify the extent of satisfaction of any Performance Goals or other conditions applicable to the grant, issuance, exercisability, vesting and/or ability to retain any Incentive Award;

(v) to prescribe and amend the terms of the Grant Agreements or other documents evidencing Incentive Awards made under this Plan (which need not be identical);

(vi) to determine whether, and the extent to which, adjustments are required pursuant to Section 19;

(vii) to interpret and construe this Plan, any policies under this Plan and the terms and conditions of any Incentive Award granted hereunder, and to make exceptions to any provisions for the benefit of the Company;

(viii) to delegate, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any portion of its authority under the Plan to make Incentive Awards to an executive officer of the Company, subject to any conditions that the Committee may establish (including but not limited to conditions on such officer’s ability to make awards to “executive officers” within the meaning of section 16 of the Act or to “covered employees” within the meaning of Code section 162(m));

(ix) to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan.

(b) The Committee may amend the terms of previously granted Incentive Awards so long as the terms as amended are consistent with the terms of the Plan and provided that the consent of the Participant is obtained with respect to any amendment that would be detrimental to him or her, except that the consent will not be required if the amendment is for the purpose of complying with applicable provisions of the Code or any federal or state securities laws or as provided in Section 19.

(c) When granting Incentive Awards to Service Providers who are not United States residents, the Committee shall have complete discretion and authority to grant such Incentive Awards in compliance with all present and future laws of the country or countries with laws that may apply to the grant of the Incentive Award or the issuance of Company Stock pursuant to the Incentive Award. Such authorization shall extend to and include establishing one or more separate sub-plans which include provisions not inconsistent with the Plan that comply with statutory or regulatory requirements imposed by the foreign country or countries in which the Participant resides.

(d) The interpretation and construction of any provision of the Plan by the Committee shall be final and conclusive as to any Participant. The Committee may consult with counsel, who may be counsel to the Company, and shall not incur any liability for any action taken in good faith in reliance upon the advice of counsel.

(e) The Committee shall meet at such times and places as it determines. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and all actions of the Committee shall be taken by a majority of the members present. Any action may be taken by the Committee in writing or by electronic transmission or transmissions as permitted by the Bylaws of the Company, and any action so taken shall be fully effective as if it had been taken at a meeting.

(f) The Committee may delegate the administration of the Plan to an officer or officers of the Company, and such officer(s) may have the authority to execute and distribute agreements or other documents evidencing or relating to Incentive Awards granted by the Committee under this Plan, to maintain records relating to the grant, vesting, exercise, forfeiture or expiration of Incentive Awards, to process or oversee the issuance of shares of Company Stock upon the exercise, vesting and/or settlement of an Incentive Award, to interpret the terms of Incentive Awards and to take any other actions as the Committee may specify, provided that in no case shall any such officer(s) be authorized to grant Incentive Awards under the Plan, except in accordance with Section 20(a)(viii) above. Any action by an administrator within the scope of its delegation shall be deemed for all purposes to have been taken by the Committee and references in this Plan to the Committee shall include any such officer(s), provided that the actions and interpretations of any such officer(s) shall be subject to review and approval, disapproval or modification by the Committee.

(g) In addition to such other rights of indemnification as they may have as Directors or as members of the Committee, the members of the Committee shall be indemnified by the Company against reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, actually and necessarily incurred in connection with the defense of any action, suit or proceeding, or in connection with any appeal thereof, to which they or any of them may be a party by reason of any action taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan or any Incentive Award granted thereunder, and against all amounts paid by them in settlement thereof (provided such settlement is approved by independent legal counsel selected by the Company) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment or settlement in any such action, suit or proceeding, except as to matters as to which the Committee member has been negligent or engaged in misconduct in the performance of his duties; provided, however, that within sixty (60) days after institution of any such action, suit or proceeding, a Committee member shall in writing offer the Company the opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same.

(h) Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full power and authority to determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances any outstanding Incentive Award shall be terminated, canceled, forfeited or suspended, which may include, without limitation, (i) competing with the Company or participating in any enterprise that competes with the Company; (ii) using or disclosing, other than as expressly authorized by the Company or a Related Company, any confidential business information or trade secrets that the Participant obtains during the course of his or her employment with the Company or any Related Company; and (iii) soliciting any employee or customer of the Company or a Related Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of the Plan or a Grant Agreement, all Incentive Awards to any Participant that are subject to any restriction or have not been earned or exercised in full by the Participant shall be terminated and canceled if the Participant is terminated for cause, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, to the extent consistent with such Participant’s employment agreement, if any. Additionally, any Incentive Awards granted pursuant to this Plan shall be subject to any recoupment or clawback policy that is adopted by, or applicable to, the Company.

21. Notice. All notices and other communications required or permitted to be given under this Plan shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered personally or mailed first class, postage prepaid, as follows (a) if to the Company—at the principal business address of the Company to the attention of the Corporate Secretary of the Company; and (b) if to any Participant—at the last address of the Participant known to the sender at the time the notice or other communication is sent.

22. No Effect on Other Plans. Except as provided in Section 16(b), nothing contained in the Plan will be deemed in any way to limit or restrict the Company or any Related Company from making any award or payment to any person under any other plan, arrangement or understanding, whether now existing or hereafter in effect.

23. Interpretation. The Plan is intended to operate in compliance with the provisions of Rule 16b-3 and to facilitate compliance with, and optimize the benefits from, Code section 162(m). The terms of this Plan are subject to all present and future regulations and rulings of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States or his or her delegate relating to the qualification of Incentive Stock Options under the Code. To the extent applicable, this Plan and the individual Incentive Awards under the Plan are intended to comply with any applicable requirements of Code section 409A and shall be interpreted to the extent context reasonably permits in accordance with such requirements. If any provision of the Plan conflicts with any such regulation or ruling, then that provision of the Plan shall be void and of no effect. The terms of this Plan shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

24. No Employment/Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan or any Incentive Award shall confer upon any Participant any right to continue in service for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of the Company (or any Related Company employing or retaining such person) or of the Participant, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate such person’s service at any time for any reason, with or without cause.

25. Beneficiary. A Participant may designate a beneficiary to receive benefits due under an Incentive Award, if any, upon the Participant’s death. Designation of a beneficiary shall be made by execution of a form approved or accepted by the Committee. In the absence of a valid beneficiary designation, a Participant’s surviving spouse, if any, and if none, the Participant’s estate, shall be the beneficiary. A Participant may change a prior beneficiary designation made under this Section 25 by a subsequent execution of a new beneficiary designation form. The change in beneficiary will be effective upon receipt by the Committee. Any payment made to a beneficiary under this Plan in good faith shall fully discharge the Company and any Related Company from all further obligations with respect to that payment. If the Committee has any doubt as to the proper beneficiary to receive a payment under this Plan, the Committee shall have the right to withhold such payment until the matter is fully adjudicated. In making any payment to or for the benefit of any minor or an incompetent Participant or beneficiary, the administrator, in its sole and absolute discretion, may make a distribution to a legal or natural guardian or other relative of a minor or court-appointed representative of such incompetent. Alternatively, it may make a payment to any adult with whom the minor or incompetent temporarily or permanently resides. The receipt by a guardian, representative, relative or other person shall be a complete discharge of the Company and any Related Company’s obligations under the Plan. The Company shall have no responsibility to see to the proper application of any payment so made. The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of a Participant, including, without limitation, the estate of such participant and the executor, administrator or trustee of such estate, or any receiver or trustee in bankruptcy or representative of the Participant’s creditors.

26. Unfunded Plan. This Plan is unfunded. Although bookkeeping accounts may be established with respect to Participants who are entitled to cash, Company Stock or rights thereto under this Plan, any such accounts shall be used merely as a bookkeeping convenience. The Company shall not be required to segregate any assets that may at any time be represented by cash, Company Stock or rights thereto, nor shall this Plan be construed as providing for such segregation, nor shall the Company, the Board or the Committee be deemed to be a trustee of any cash, Company Stock or rights thereto to be granted under this Plan. Any liability or obligation of the Company to any Participant with respect to an Incentive Award of cash, Company Stock or rights thereto under this Plan shall be based solely upon any contractual obligations that may be created by this Plan and any Grant Agreement, and no such liability or obligation of the Company shall be deemed to be secured by any pledge or other encumbrance on any property of the Company. None of the Company, the Board or the Committee shall be required to give any security or bond for the performance of any obligation that may be created by this Plan. With respect to this Plan and any Incentive Awards granted hereunder, Participants are general and unsecured creditors of the Company and have no rights or claims except as otherwise provided in this Plan or any applicable Grant Agreement.

27. Section 409A. The Plan and any Incentive Awards granted hereunder that provide for a deferral of compensation for purposes of Code section 409A are intended to comply with the applicable provisions of Code section 409A and shall be interpreted to the maximum extent possible in accordance with such intent. With respect to any Incentive Award that provides for a deferral of compensation for purposes of Code section 409A and that is payable under its terms on a Participant’s termination of employment or other service, (i) any references herein and in the Participant’s Grant Agreement to the Participant’s termination of employment or other service shall refer to the Participant’s “separation from service,” as defined in Code section 409A; and (ii) notwithstanding any provision herein or in the Participant’s Incentive Award to the contrary, if at the time of payment under such an Incentive Award, the Participant is a “specified employee” (as defined in Code section 409A), no such payment shall occur prior to the earlier of (A) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of the Participant’s “separation from service,” or (B) the date of the Participant’s death. Upon the expiration of the six (6)-month deferral period referred to in the preceding sentence or the Participant’s death, all amounts that would otherwise have been paid during such period but for this Section 27 shall be paid and any amounts that remain to be paid under the Incentive Award shall be paid in accordance with the terms hereof and of the Grant Agreement.

28. Minimum Vesting Requirement. The minimum vesting period for any Incentive Award under the Plan shall be one (1) year from the Date of Grant of the award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the minimum-vesting restrictions of this section shall not apply with respect to a maximum of 5% of the Shares authorized to be issued under the Plan, including any Awards granted as an inducement to join the Company or an Affiliate as a new Employee to replace forfeited awards from a former employer.

OPTICAL CABLE CORPORATION