Employment Agreement - Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. and Susan Watson
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of November 14, 2002, by and between THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC., a corporation of the State of Delaware, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Interpublic" or the "Corporation") and SUSAN WATSON (hereinafter referred to as "Executive").
In consideration of the mutual promises set forth herein the parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Term of Employment
1.01 Subject to the provisions of Article VI and Article VII, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, Interpublic will employ Executive beginning November 14, 2002. (The period during which Executive is employed hereunder is referred to herein as the "term of employment"). Executive will serve Interpublic during the term of employment.
ARTICLE II
Duties
2.01 During the term of employment Executive will:
(i) Serve as Senior Vice President, Investor Relations of Interpublic,
(ii) Use her best efforts to promote the interests of Interpublic and devote her full time and efforts to their business and affairs;
(iii) Perform such duties as Interpublic may from time to time assign to her; and
(iv) Serve in such other offices of Interpublic as she may be elected or appointed to.
ARTICLE III
Regular Compensation
3.01 Interpublic will compensate Executive for the duties performed by her hereunder, by payment of a base salary at the rate of Two Hundred Seventy Five Thousand Dollars ($275,000) per annum, payable in equal installments, which Interpublic may pay at semi-monthly intervals, subject to customarily withholding for federal, state and local taxes.
3.02 Interpublic may at any time increase the compensation paid to Executive under this Article III if Interpublic in its discretion shall deem it advisable so to do in order to compensate her fairly for services rendered to Interpublic.
ARTICLE IV
Bonuses
4.01 Executive will be eligible during the term of employment to participate in the Management Incentive Compensation Plan ("MICP"), in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan established from time to time. The actual award, if any, shall be determined by Interpublic and shall be based on profits of Interpublic, Executive's individual performance, and management discretion.
4.02 Executive will be eligible during the term of employment to participate in
certain Long-Term Performance Incentive Plans, established by the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan established from time to time.
ARTICLE V
Other Employment Benefits
5.01 Executive shall be eligible to participate in such other employee benefits as are available from time to time to other key management executives of Interpublic in accordance with the then-current terms and conditions established by Interpublic for eligibility and employee contributions are required for participation in such benefits opportunities.
5.02 Employee will be entitled to annual paid time off, in accordance with Interpublic's policies and procedures, to be taken in such amounts and at such times as shall be mutually convenient for Executive and Interpublic.
5.03 Executive shall be reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred by her in the conduct of the business Interpublic provided that Executive submits all substantiation of such expenses to Interpublic on a timely basis in accordance with standard policies of Interpublic.
ARTICLE VI
Termination
6.01 Interpublic may terminate the employment of Executive hereunder:
(i) By giving Executive notice in writing at any time specifying a termination date not less than twelve (12) months after the date on which such notice is given, in which event her employment hereunder shall terminate on the date specified in such notice or;
(ii) By giving Executive notice in writing at any time specifying a termination date less than twelve (12) months after the date on which such notice is given. In this event Executive's employment hereunder shall terminate on the date specified in such notice and Interpublic shall thereafter pay her a sum equal to the amount by which twelve (12) months salary at her then current rate exceeds the salary paid to her for the period from the date on which such notice is given to the termination date specified in such notice. Such payment shall be made during the period immediately following the termination date specified in such notice, in successive equal monthly installments each of which shall be equal to one (1) month's salary at the rate in effect at the time of such termination, with any residue in respect of a period less than one (1) month to be paid together with the last installment.
(iii) During the termination period provided in subsection (i), or in the case of a termination under subsection (ii) providing for a termination period of less than twelve (12) months, for a period of twelve (12) months after the termination notice, Executive will be entitled to receive all employee benefits accorded to her prior to termination which are made available to employees generally; provided, that such benefits shall cease upon such date that Executive accepts employment with another employer offering similar benefits.
6.02 Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6.01, during the period of notice of termination, Executive will use reasonable, good faith efforts to obtain other employment reasonably comparable to her employment under this Agreement. Upon obtaining other employment (including work as a consultant, independent contractor or establishing her own business), Executive will promptly notify Interpublic, and (a) in the event that Executive's salary and other non-contingent compensation ("new compensation") payable to Executive in connection with her new employment shall equal or exceed the salary portion of the amount payable by Interpublic under Section 6.01, Interpublic shall be relieved of any obligation to make payments under Section 6.01, or (b) in the event Executive's new compensation shall be less than the salary portion of payments to be made under Section 6.01, Interpublic will pay Executive the difference between such payments and the new compensation. In the event Executive accepts employment with any company owned or controlled by Interpublic during the period in which payments are being made pursuant to Section 6.01 of this Agreement, all such payments shall cease upon commencement of such employment. Furthermore, if Executive has received a lump sum payment pursuant to Section 6.01 of this Agreement and commences employment with another company owned or controlled by Interpublic, Executive agrees to reimburse Interpublic for any portion of the payment that compensates Executive for the subsequent employment period.
6.03 Executive may at any time give notice in writing to Interpublic specifying a termination date not less than twelve (12) months after the date on which such notice is given, in which event her employment hereunder shall terminate on the date specified in such notice. Provided, however, Interpublic may, at its option, upon receipt of such notice determine an earlier termination date. During the notice period, Executive will continue to be an employee, will assist Interpublic in the transition of her responsibilities and will be entitled to continue to receive base salary and to participate in all benefit plans for which an employee at Executive's level is eligible, but not to receive any MICP or other bonus award that might otherwise be paid during that period except as otherwise provided herein. Interpublic may require that Executive not come to work during the notice period. In no event, however, may Executive perform services for any other employer during the notice period.
6.04 Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6.01, Interpublic may terminate the employment of Executive hereunder, at any time after the Commencement Date, for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, "Cause" means any of the following:
(i) Any material breach by Executive of any material provision of this Agreement (including without limitation Sections 7.01 and 7.02 hereof) upon written notice of same by Interpublic which breach, if capable of being cured, has not been cured within fifteen (15) days after such notice (it being understood and agreed that a breach of Section 7.01 or 7.02 hereof, among others, shall be deemed not capable of being cured);
(ii) Executive's absence from duty for a period of time exceeding fifteen (15) consecutive business days or twenty (20) out of any (30) consecutive business days (other than account of permitted vacation or as permitted for illness, disability or authorized leave in accordance with Interpublic's policies and procedures) without the consent of the Board of Directors;
(iii) The acceptance by Executive, prior to the effective date of Executive's voluntary resignation from employment with Interpublic, of a position with another employer, without the consent of the Interpublic Board of Directors;
(iv) Misappropriation by Executive of funds or property of Interpublic or any attempt by Executive to secure any personal profit related to the business of Interpublic (other than as permitted by this Agreement) and not fairly disclosed to and approved by the Board of Directors;
(v) Fraud, dishonesty, disloyalty, gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of Executive in the performance of her duties as an employee of Interpublic;
(vi) A felony conviction of Executive; or
(vii) Executive's engaging, during the term of employment, in activities which are prohibited by federal, state or local laws or Interpublic's policy prohibiting discrimination based on age, sex, race, religion, disability, national origin, or any other protected category; or Executive's engaging in conduct which is constituting prohibited harassment under federal, state or local law, or in violation of Interpublic's policy (including without limitation, sexual harassment).
Upon a termination for Cause, Interpublic shall pay Executive her salary and benefits through the date of termination of employment and Executive shall not be entitled to any bonus with respect to the year of termination, or to any other payments hereunder.
ARTICLE VII
Covenants
7.01 While Executive is employed hereunder by Interpublic she shall not without the prior written consent of Interpublic, which will not be unreasonably withheld, engage, directly or indirectly, in any other trade, business or employment, or have any interest, direct or indirect, in any other business, firm or corporation; provided, however, that she may continue to own or may hereafter acquire any securities of any class of any publicly-owned company.
7.02 Executive shall treat as confidential and keep secret the affairs of Interpublic and shall not at any time during the term of employment or thereafter, without the prior written consent of Interpublic, divulge, furnish or make known or accessible to, or use for the benefit of, anyone other than Interpublic and its subsidiaries and affiliates any information of a confidential nature relating in any way to the business of Interpublic or its subsidiaries or affiliates or their clients and obtained by her in the course of her employment hereunder.
7.03 All records, papers and documents kept or made by Executive relating to the business of Interpublic or its subsidiaries or affiliates or their clients shall be and remain the property of Interpublic.
7.04 7.04 All articles invented by Executive, processes discovered by her, trademarks, designs, advertising copy and art work, display and promotion materials and, in general, everything of value conceived or created by her pertaining to the business of Interpublic or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates during the term of employment, and any and all rights of every nature whatever thereto, shall immediately become the property of Interpublic, and Executive will assign, transfer and deliver all patents, copyrights, royalties, designs and copy, and any and all interests and rights whatever thereto and thereunder to Interpublic.
7.05 Following the termination of Executive's employment hereunder for any reason, Executive shall not for a period of one (1) year from such termination either: (a) directly or indirectly solicit any employee of Interpublic to leave such employ to enter the employ of Executive or of any person, firm or corporation with which Executive is then associated, or induce or encourage any such employee to leave the employment of Interpublic or to join any other company, or hire any such employee, or otherwise interfere with the relationship between Interpublic and any of its employees or (b) directly or indirectly solicit or handle on Executive's own behalf or on behalf of any other person, firm or corporation, the event marketing, public relations, advertising, sales promotion or market research business of any person or entity which is a client of Interpublic, or to induce any such client to cease to engage the services of Interpublic or to use the services of any entity or person that competes directly with a material business of Interpublic, where the identity of such client, or the client's need, desire or receptiveness to services offered by Interpublic is known by Executive as part of her employment with Interpublic. Executive acknowledges that these provisions are reasonable and necessary to protect Interpublic's legitimate business interests, and that these provisions do not prevent Executive from earning a living.
7.06 If at the time of enforcement of any provisions of this Agreement, a court shall hold that the duration, scope or area restriction of any provision hereof is unreasonable under circumstances now or then existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum duration, scope or area reasonable under the circumstances shall be substituted by the court for the stated duration, scope or area.
7.07 Executive acknowledges that a remedy at law for any breach or attempted breach of Article VII of this Agreement will be inadequate, and agrees that Interpublic shall be entitled to specific performance and injunctive and other equitable relief in the case of any such breach or attempted breach.
7.08 Executive represents and warrants that neither the execution and delivery of this Employment Agreement nor the performance of Executive's services hereunder will conflict with, or result in a breach of, any agreement to which Executive is a party or by which he may be bound or affected, in particular the terms of any employment agreement to which Executive may be a party. Executive further represents and warrants that she has full right, power and authority to carry out the provisions of this Employment Agreement.
ARTICLE VIII
Arbitration
8.01 Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, including claims involving alleged legally protected rights, such as claims for age discrimination in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as amended, and all other federal and state law claims for defamation, breach of contract, wrongful termination and any other claim arising because of Executive's employment, termination of employment or otherwise, shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association and Section 11.01 hereof, and judgement upon the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The arbitration shall take place in the city where Executive customarily renders services to Interpublic. This Agreement shall be binding upon and enure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of Interpublic. The prevailing party in any such arbitration shall be entitled to receive attorney's fees and costs.
ARTICLE IX
Assignment
9.01 This Agreement shall be binding upon and enure to the benefit of the successors and assigns Interpublic. Neither this Agreement nor any rights hereunder shall be assignable by Executive and any such purported assignment by her shall be void.
ARTICLE X
Agreement Entire
10.01 This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between Interpublic and Executive concerning her employment by Interpublic or any of its parents, affiliates or subsidiaries and supersedes any and all previous agreements between Executive and Interpublic or any of its parents, affiliates or subsidiaries concerning such employment, and/or any compensation or bonuses. Each party hereto shall pay its own costs and expenses (including legal fees) incurred in connection with the preparation, negotiation and execution of this Agreement. This Agreement may not be changed orally.
ARTICLE XI
Applicable Law
11.01 The Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
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THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. | |
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By: /s/ Sean Orr | |
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Name: Sean Orr | |
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Title: Executive Vice President & | |
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Chief Financial Officer | |
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/s/ Susan Watson | |
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Susan Watson | |
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Signed as of |