Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A)
Table of Contents
| ☐ | Preliminary Proxy Statement | |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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| ☒ | Definitive Proxy Statement | |
| ☐ | Definitive Additional Materials | |
| ☐ | Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12 | |
| ☒ | No fee required. | |||
| ☐ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. | |||
| ☐ | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. | |||
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Dear Stockholders,
On behalf of your Board of Directors, I want to invite you to attend our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The meeting will be held on
I would like to personally thank you for your continued investment in Mr. Cooper Group. We look forward to welcoming you to our annual meeting. Your vote is important to us - even if you do not plan to attend the meeting, we hope that you vote your proxy promptly, so your shares are represented.
We are furnishing proxy materials to our stockholders primarily over the Internet. As a result, we are mailing to many of our stockholders a notice instead of a paper copy of our Proxy Statement and our 2024 Form 10-K.The notice contains instructions on how to access those documents over the Internet. The notice also contains instructions on how each of those stockholders can receive a paper copy of our proxy materials, including our Proxy Statement, our 2024 Form 10-Kand a proxy card or voting instruction form. Stockholders who do not receive a notice will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail.
| Sincerely, |
| Chairman & Chief Executive Officer |
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REVIEW THE PROXY STATEMENT AND VOTE IN ONE OF FOUR WAYS: |
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VIA THE INTERNET Visit www.proxypush.com/COOP |
BY MAIL Sign, date and retuthe enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form. |
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BY TELEPHONE Call the telephone number on your proxy card or voting instruction form. |
IN PERSON Attend the annual meeting in person. Please RSVP at [email protected]. |
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NOTICE OF THE 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
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Four Points by Sheraton - Dallas/Fort Worth Airport North |
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(1) Election of Directors; (2) Advisory vote on executive compensation (Say on Pay); (3) Advisory vote on the frequency of Say-on-Pay votes; (4) Ratification of (5) Any other business that may properly come before the meeting. |
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| Holders of our common stock at the close of business on |
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| Please complete, sign, date and retuyour proxy card or submit your proxy by following the instructions contained in this Proxy Statement and on your proxy card. Even if you plan on attending in person and voting, you are encouraged to submit your proxy to ensure your vote is counted if you are unable to attend. You may revoke your proxy and vote in person at the annual meeting if you choose to do so. | ||
| If you plan to attend the meeting, please RSVP at [email protected]by |
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| By order of the Board of Directors, | ||
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Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Corporate Secretary |
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholders Meeting to Be Held on
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In this proxy statement, "Mr.
2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS INFORMATION
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DATE AND TIME |
PLACE |
RECORD DATE |
ADMISSION |
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Four Points by Sheraton - Dallas Fort Worth Airport North |
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Photo identification and proof of ownership as of the record date are required to attend the meeting |
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MATTERS TO BE VOTED ON AT OUR 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
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Board Recommendation |
Page |
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Proposal 1: |
Election of Directors | FOR each director | 9 | |||
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Proposal 2: |
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say on Pay) | FOR | 68 | |||
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Proposal 3 |
Advisory vote on the frequency of Say-on-Pay votes | EVERY YEAR | 69 | |||
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Proposal 4: |
Ratification of the Appointment of |
FOR | 71 | |||
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ABOUT MR. COOPER GROUP
We are the largest servicer in the country and a major originator of residential mortgage loans as reported by Investor Mortgage Finance ("IMF"). Our subsidiary Xome facilitates foreclosure sales using a digital auction platform.
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Largest servicer with 11.1% of the market share * |
Top 20 originator of home mortgages * |
6.7M Customers *As of 4Q'24 |
~7,900 Employees *As of 4Q'24 |
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
2024 was an outstanding year for the Company, marked by strong financial performance, strategic execution and market leadership. We achieved retuon common equity of 14.7% and an operating retuon tangible common equity ("ROTCE")(1) of 15.6%, surpassing the previous year's 12.5%. Book value increased to
Among our key accomplishments, we grew our servicing portfolio by 57% to
A significant driver of this growth was the acquisition of Flagstar's mortgage operations, which demonstrated our ability to deliver full-service solutions to major financial institutions. This transaction included mortgage servicing rights ("MSRs"), advances, subservicing contracts and a third-party originations platform and solidified our position as the #1 largest subservicer.(2) Our strong reputation and onboarding capabilities enabled the smooth integration of Flagstar's customers, clients and team members, reinforcing our industry leadership. The acquisition was financed through a high-yield issuance at the Company's tightest spreads to date, reflecting strong investor confidence in our balance sheet management. This confidence was further validated by a
Meanwhile, we continued investing in technology and operational efficiencies. We launched AgentiQ, advanced digitization and automation in originations through Project Flash, and, in anticipation of a normalizing bulk market, focused on enhancing our correspondent channel. Key correspondent initiatives included developing a new client portal, enhancing our pricing models and capital markets execution, deepening client engagement and improving cycle times. These efforts, along with the dedication of our correspondent team and the trust of our clients, propelled us to a top five correspondent market share position by end of 2024, a substantial increase from #14 in 2023.
Beyond financial and operational achievements, we sustained our strong corporate culture, earning
All of these accomplishments were achieved while maintaining a strong balance sheet, with capital and liquidity levels aligned with our strategic targets, ensuring sustained success and long-term stockholder value creation.
| (1) |
Annex A includes a discussion and reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. |
| (2) |
Inside Mortgage Finance ranking, based on data as of |
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PERFORMANCESUMMARY · Reported · Generated a retuon common equity of 14.7% and an operating retuon tangible common equity(1) of 15.6% · Grew book value to · Grew tangible book value(1) to · Servicing portfolio unpaid principal balance ("UPB") ended the year at · Originated · Repurchased 1.8 million common shares for · Acquired Flagstar's mortgage operations, including MSRs and subservicing contracts totaling · Issued · Upgraded by · Received Freddie Mac's 2024 SHARP Gold Award and recognized by · Achieved Great Place to Work certification for the sixth consecutive year; was ranked #14 on the Best Workplaces in |
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SERVICING · Produced pretax income of · Acquired approximately · Introduced PYRO and AgentiQ, our AI-driven coaching platform, to 1,400+ team members in the fourth quarter, analyzing 400,000+ calls per month to enhance performance and efficiency · Provided 93,821 modifications and workouts to help keep our customers in their homes |
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ORIGINATIONS · Funded 85,215 loans totaling · Produced pretax income of · Our direct-to-consumer channel funded · Our correspondent channel funded |
| (1) |
Annex A includes a discussion and reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. |
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TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURN ("TSR")
Under our executive team's leadership and against the backdrop of an evolving mortgage market and interest rate environment, we have meaningfully and consistently outperformed peers over a one-, three-, and five-year period. Our operational focus on growing our Servicing portfolio through accretive acquisitions and enhancing our capabilities and existing infrastructure, as well as our continued investments to bolster efficiency and product roll-outs in Originations, has resulted in outsized shareholder returns.
| (1) |
1-Year TSR shown represents FY2024. |
| (2) |
3-Year TSR shown represents period from FY2022 - FY2024. |
| (3) |
5-Year TSR shown represents period from FY2020 - FY2024. |
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2025 DIRECTOR NOMINEE HIGHLIGHTS
| Name | Age | Other Public Company Boards | Title | Director Since |
Committees | |||||
| Jay Bray | 58 | - | Chair & CEO, Mr. Cooper Group | 2018 | - | |||||
| Andrew Bon Salle | 59 | - | President, |
2025 | ||||||
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Roy Guthrie (Lead Director) |
71 | Former CFO, |
2018 |
Compensation |
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| Daniela Jorge | 53 | - | SVP & Chief Design Officer, |
2022 | Nominating & Corporate Governance | |||||
| Shveta Mujumdar | 46 | - | SVP, Corporate Development, Intuit | 2020 | Nominating & Corporate Governance | |||||
| Tagar Olson | 47 | - | Founder, |
2015 | Compensation (Chair) | |||||
| Steven Scheiwe | 64 | - | President, |
2012 | ||||||
Board Skills
Our Board consists of the optimal mix of skills and expertise capable of effectively overseeing the execution of our business.
| Board Skills |
Total |
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| Strategic Leadership and Management | 7 | |||
| Financial Services Industry | 7 | |||
| Accounting and Financial Literacy | 7 | |||
| Risk Management | 5 | |||
| Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions | 6 | |||
| Public Company Board and Corporate Governance | 5 | |||
| Government Relations, Regulatory or Legal | 4 | |||
| 6 | ||||
| Environmental, Social and Governance Matters | 4 | |||
| Technology and Innovation | 6 | |||
| Branding and Marketing | 2 | |||
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Composition of the Board
Demonstrated Board Refreshment: We have added three new Directors to our Board since 2020.
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COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS
Compensation Objectives and Pay for Performance
Our compensation program is designed to balance three objectives:
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Motivate and reward management for creating and executing a strategy that drives stockholder return; |
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Attract, retain and motivate our executive level talent; and |
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Manage the cost of the program by aligning compensation with both Company and executive performance. |
We review our compensation programs and related governance provisions and practices to ensure our compensation programs are aligned to the interests of stockholders, provide for appropriate pay for performance alignment, contain risk mitigating features and do not promote unnecessary and excessive risk. Our compensation program for senior executives aligns the interests of management and stockholders in growing the value of our Company while managing risk. At the same time, we recognize the market for executive talent requires competitive remuneration.
Over the course of the past several years, the Compensation Committee, Board and management team have substantially reoriented our compensation program from a framework that was primarily cash-based and discretionary to a framework that directly aligns compensation with the achievement of well-defined financial and strategic goals and increases equity-based compensation. We believe this better aligns the interests of management with those of stockholders and provides the proper incentives for management to focus on long-term stockholder value. We will continue to ensure our compensation program meets these goals.
Compensation Program Engagement and Disclosure Enhancements
Through our stockholder engagement program (discussed more fully below), we had conversations with our stockholders regarding our pay programs, and our stockholders re-affirmed that the structure, design and accompanying pay opportunities of our compensation program are appropriate, meaningfully align management and stockholder interests and are working as intended to incentivize and reward value creating performance by our leadership team. No investors we spoke to sought any meaningful changes to our program, nor shared any expectations other than re-assurance that we would maintain our commitment to not providing
To further our commitment to transparency and to demonstrating stockholder responsiveness on our compensation program, in this year's proxy statement we have meaningfully enhanced our disclosure in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis section found on page 38 which includes:
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A letter from our Compensation Committee; |
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Key compensation-related stockholder themes and our actions taken; and |
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A timeline detailing our evolving compensation program. |
STOCKHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
We maintain a year-round stockholder engagement program, and this ongoing dialogue has been an important input into the Board's review and decisions around our Board, governance, compensation and sustainability-related practices. In 2024, we continued to proactively reach out to our stockholders with a focus on discussing executive compensation and to provide our investors with an opportunity to provide management and the Compensation Committee with their views. After the 2024 say-on-pay vote, we broadened this outreach and invited stockholders representing 70% of our shares outstanding - including stockholders who voted against say-on-pay at the 2024 Annual Meeting - to meet with our management team, and in certain cases, our Compensation Committee Chair. We ultimately engaged with stockholders representing 30% of shares outstanding, which included ten of our largest investors and those that voted against say-on-pay. Our Compensation Committee Chair met with investors representing 25% of shares outstanding.
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More details on this stockholder engagement and our continued focus areas regarding our compensation program can be found on page 39 in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
Our stockholders will be asked to consider seven nominees for election to our Board to serve for a one-year term until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified, subject to their earlier death, resignation or removal.
The names of the nominees for director and biographical information follow. All of the nominees, with the exception of
In determining whether to nominate our directors for another term, the Board considered the factors discussed under "Corporate Governance - Criteria and Procedures for Selection of Director Nominees" as well as each director's qualifications as discussed below and concluded that each of the directors possess those talents, backgrounds, perspectives, attributes and skills that will enable him or her to continue to provide valuable insights to our management and play an important role in helping us achieve our goals and objectives. The age, principal occupation and certain other information for our director nominees are set forth below. It is our general policy that no director having obtained the age of 70 years will stand for re-election; however, the Board may waive this requirement and did so for
Directors are elected by a majority of the votes present in person or by proxy entitled to vote, meaning that each director nominee must receive more votes cast "for" than "against" his or her election. If an incumbent director does not receive more votes cast "for" than "against" his or her election, then the director must tender his or her resignation to the Board. In that situation, the NCG Committee would make a recommendation to the Board about whether to accept or reject the resignation, or whether to take other action. Within 90 days from the date the election results are certified, the Board would act on the NCG Committee's recommendation and publicly disclose its decision and rationale behind it.
The Board believes that each of the director nominees will be able to stand for election.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE NOMINEES NAMED BELOW.
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DIRECTOR NOMINEES
Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Board consist of not more than 11 directors, or such greater number as may be determined by the Board. As of the date of this proxy statement, the Board consists of seven members who are elected each year at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to hold office until the next annual meeting. Our director nominees are:
| Name | Age |
Other Public Company Boards |
Title |
Director Since |
Committees | |||||
| Jay Bray | 58 | - | Chair & CEO, Mr. Cooper Group | 2018 | - | |||||
| Andrew Bon Salle |
59 | - | President, |
2025 | ||||||
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Roy Guthrie (Lead Director) |
71 | Former CFO, |
2018 | |||||||
| Daniela Jorge | 53 | - | SVP & Chief Design Officer, |
2022 | Nominating & Corporate Governance | |||||
| Shveta Mujumdar |
46 | - | SVP, Corporate Development, Intuit | 2020 | Nominating & Corporate Governance | |||||
| Tagar Olson | 47 | - | Founder, |
2015 | Compensation (Chair) | |||||
| Steven Scheiwe | 64 | - | President, |
2012 | ||||||
Our Directors' Attributes
The following sets forth information regarding our director nominees, illustrating the high level of experience each brings to the Board, as well as additional Director attributes:
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Strategic Leadership and Management Directors bring valuable senior leadership or executive experience relating to strategy formulation, management, operations and achievement of strategic objectives |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Financial Services Industry Directors possess in-depth understanding of our industry and/or have worked in or with the financial services industry |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Accounting and Financial Literacy Directors understand public company accounting and financial reporting, auditing process and standards, internal controls and/or preparation, audit, and evaluation of financial statements comparable in complexity to ours |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Risk Management Directors have experience with overseeing material risks and understanding risk evaluation, mitigation framework and risk management policies and procedures |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions Directors understand the essential role that transactional activity, M&A and capital markets and financing plays in the Company's business and growth strategy |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Public Company Board and Corporate Governance Directors possess experience serving on the public company boards and, knowledge of public company corporate governance issues, regulatory concerns and policies and governance best practices |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Government Relations, Regulatory or Legal Directors have experience with regulated businesses, regulatory requirements, relationships with regulators, managing governmental and regulatory affairs and/or interacting with regulators and members of government |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Directors have experience in senior executive acquisition, development, retention, succession planning, corporate culture and compensation matters and obtaining and retaining the most qualified and satisfied employees with diverse skills and backgrounds |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Environmental, Social and Governance Matters Directors possess experience in the evaluation of environmental impact, corporate social responsibility initiatives and sustainability |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Technology and Innovation Directors have experience in (a) developing, investing in and adoption of new technologies and ideas and/or (b) innovation systems, including but not limited to research & development and technology acquisition processes and methods of monetizing acquired technologies or intellectual property rights and evaluation of innovation system effectiveness |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Branding and Marketing Directors bring experience in brand development, marketing and sales |
✓ |
✓ |
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Biographical Information of Our Directors
Set forth below is detailed biographical information for each of the nominees for director and the qualifications and skills demonstrated by each director's experience.
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Director Since: 2018 (Chair) Age: 58 Committees: None |
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Professional Experience |
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• Chief Executive Officer of the Company since o Company's President from o Nationstar Mortgage Holding Inc. ("Nationstar"), the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary's ◾ Chief Executive Officer and Director since 2012 ◾ President from ◾ EVP & Chief Financial Officer from o Nationstar's wholly-owned subsidiary, ◾ Chief Executive Officer and Manager since ◾ President from ◾ Chief Financial Officer from o Executive Chairman of • Various leadership roles at • Various roles at • Serves on the Boards of: o Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity since o Sagent M&C, LLC since o Mortgage Bankers Association since |
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Other |
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• Current o None • Past Five Years o Elevate Credit, Inc. |
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Skills, Experiences and Attributes |
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| Strategic Leadership and Management | ||||
| Financial Services Industry | ||||
| Accounting and Financial Literacy | ||||
| Risk Management | ||||
| Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions | ||||
| Public Company Board and Corporate Governance | ||||
| Government Relations, Regulatory or Legal | ||||
| Environmental, Social and Governance Matters | ||||
| Technology and Innovation | ||||
| Branding and Marketing | ||||
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Independent Director Since: 2025 Age: 59 Committees: NCG (Chair) |
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Professional Experience |
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• President of • Former Executive Vice President-Single Family Mortgage Business for o Previously served as Senior Vice President-Single-Family Underwriting, Pricing, and Capital Markets and in other executive roles from • Serves on the Boards of: o CoreLogic, Inc., a property insights and solutions provider, since o Meridian Capital Group, LLC, a commercial real estate finance, investment sales and retail leasing advisor, since o PollyEx, Inc., a mortgage industry services provider, since |
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Other |
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• Current o None |
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• Past Five Years o Home Point Capital Inc. |
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Skills, Experiences and Attributes |
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| Strategic Leadership and Management | ||||
| Financial Services Industry | ||||
| Accounting and Financial Literacy | ||||
| Risk Management | ||||
| Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions | ||||
| Public Company Board and Corporate Governance | ||||
| Government Relations, Regulatory or Legal | ||||
| Environmental, Social and Governance Matters | ||||
| Technology and Innovation | ||||
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Independent Director Since: 2018 (Independent Lead Director) Age: 71 Committees: • Audit & Risk (Chair) • Compensation |
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Professional Experience |
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• Former Chairman of the Executive Committee of o Served as Chief Executive Officer from • Independent Lead Director: o Nationstar from o Mr. Cooper from • Executive Vice President of o Served as Chief Financial Officer from 2005 to 2011 o Served as Treasurer from 2009 to 2010 • President & Chief Executive Officer of o Served on Management Committee • Chief Financial Officer of o Served as a member of its Board of Directors from 1998 to 2000 |
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Other |
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• Current o OneMain Holdings, Inc. o Synchrony Financial |
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• Past Five Years o Cascade Acquisition Corp. o Lifelock, Inc. |
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| Skills, Experiences and Attributes | ||||
| Strategic Leadership and Management | ||||
| Financial Services Industry | ||||
| Accounting and Financial Literacy | ||||
| Risk Management | ||||
| Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions | ||||
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| Government Relations, Regulatory or Legal | ||||
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Independent Director Since: 2022 Age: 53 Committee: • NCG |
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Professional Experience |
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• Senior Vice President & Chief Design Officer at • Chief Design Officer at o Previously served as Vice President of Design and Research from • Vice President of • Various senior leadership roles at: o eBay Inc. o Intuit Inc. o Yahoo! o Kaiser Permanente o Kodak • Serves on the Board of Directors of BayBrazil, a non-profit technology community • Serves as a board advisor at Loft Brasil, Tecnologia LTDA, a privately-held Brazilian real estate technology company |
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Other |
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• Current o None |
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• Past Five Years o None |
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Skills, Experiences and Attributes |
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| Accounting and Financial Literacy | ||||
| Technology and Innovation | ||||
| Branding and Marketing | ||||
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Independent Director Since: 2020 Age: 46 Committee: • NCG |
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Professional Experience |
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• Senior Vice President, Corporate Development for • Head of Corporate Development for • Vice President, Corporate Development for • Vice President, Corporate Development for Lynda.com from o Continued as a consultant for LinkedIn until • Various senior-leadership roles at: o QuinStreet o LiveNation/Ticketmaster o Goldman Sachs Group o Deloitte • Member of the Board of the |
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Other |
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• Current o None |
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• Past Five Years o None |
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Skills, Experiences and Attributes |
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| Strategic Leadership and Management | ||||
| Financial Services Industry | ||||
| Accounting and Financial Literacy | ||||
| Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions | ||||
| Technology and Innovation | ||||
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Independent Director Since: 2015 Age: 47 Committee: • Compensation (Chair) |
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Professional Experience |
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• Founder of o Management Committee member o Investment Committee chair • Partner at KKR from 2002 to o Served as head of financial services and hospitality and leisure industry teams o Served as member of: • Investment Committee (America's Private Equity platform) • Portfolio Management Committee (America's Private Equity platform) • Global Investment, Markets and Distribution Committee o Played significant role in many other financial services sector investments • Previous role at • Co-founder of the DHPS Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to the research and treatment of rare genetic diseases • Serves on the boards of directors of a number of privately-held companies |
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Other |
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• Current o None |
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• Past Five Years o None |
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Skills, Experiences and Attributes |
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| Strategic Leadership and Management | ||||
| Financial Services Industry | ||||
| Accounting and Financial Literacy | ||||
| Risk Management | ||||
| Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions | ||||
| Public Company Board and Corporate Governance | ||||
| Environmental, Social and Governance Matters | ||||
| Technology and Innovation | ||||
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Independent Director Since: 2012 Age: 64 Committees: • Audit & Risk • Compensation |
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Professional Experience |
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• President of • Serves on the Board of Directors of: o Penn Treaty American Corporation, a privately-held company operating through three insurance company subsidiaries, since o Atlas Financial Holdings, Inc., a former publicly-traded company offering commercial automobile insurance, since • Previously served on the boards of directors of several other public and privately-held companies in the last ten years |
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Other |
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• Current o None |
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• Past Five Years o Alimco Financial Corporation o Atlas Financial Holdings, Inc. o F45 Training Holdings Inc. o Verso Corporation |
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Skills, Experiences and Attributes |
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| Strategic Leadership and Management | ||||
| Financial Services Industry | ||||
| Accounting and Financial Literacy | ||||
| Risk Management | ||||
| Capital Markets/Mergers & Acquisitions | ||||
| Public Company Board and Corporate Governance | ||||
| Government Relations, Regulatory or Legal | ||||
| Environmental, Social and Governance Matters | ||||
| Technology and Innovation | ||||
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We believe that good corporate governance promotes the long-term interests of our stockholders, strengthens our Board and management accountability and leads to better business performance. We are committed to maintaining strong corporate governance practices and will continually evaluate these practices. Additionally, we value our stockholders' continued interest and feedback and are committed to maintaining an active dialogue to understand the priorities and concerns of our stockholders on a variety of topics, as well as to understand stockholders' perspectives on our executive compensation program, our decision-making processes, our disclosure and recent trends and events. This outreach program ensures that our Board considers the issues that matter most to our stockholders so we can address them effectively. Below are some highlights of our corporate governance practices.
| Unclassified Board |
Stockholder Right to Call Special Meetings and Act by Written Consent of Majority |
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Majority Independent Director Nominees |
Year-Round Stockholder Engagement Process |
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| Independent Lead Director | Board Risk Oversight | |||
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Majority Voting for Directors with Resignation Policy |
Stock Ownership Guidelines for Officers and Directors |
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Director Attendance at >75% Of Meetings |
Executive Succession Planning Process | |||
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100% Board Attendance at 2024 Annual Meeting |
Anti-Hedging/Pledging Policy | |||
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Independent Directors Meet without Management Present |
Annual Review of and Governance Guidelines |
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| Annual Say-on-Pay Vote |
Annual Board and Committee Evaluations |
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| CEO Evaluation Process | Demonstrated Board Refreshment | |||
| Board Continuing Education Program |
Code of Conduct for Directors, Officers and Employees |
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Key Areas of Board Oversight
Our Board is responsible for, and committed to, the oversight of the business and affairs of our Company. In carrying out this responsibility, our Board advises our senior management to help drive success for us and for long-term value creation for our stockholders. Our Board discusses and receives regular updates on a wide variety of matters affecting us. Our Board met 11 times in 2024.
Governing Documents
The following primary documents make up our corporate governance framework:
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Corporate Governance Guidelines |
| • |
Audit & Risk Committee Charter |
| • |
Compensation Committee Charter |
| • |
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Charter |
| • |
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics |
| • |
Code of Ethics for our CEO and Senior Financial Officers |
These documents are accessible on our website at www.mrcoopergroup.comby clicking on "Governance" under the "Investors" tab. You may also obtain a free copy of any of these documents by sending a written request to Mr. Cooper Group Inc.,
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Corporate Governance Guidelines
This document sets forth the Company's primary principles and policies regarding corporate governance. The Corporate Governance Guidelines are reviewed from time to time as deemed appropriate by the Board. The matters covered by the Corporate Governance Guidelines include the following:
| Board Leadership | Board and Committee Compensation | |||
| Size of the Board | Board Self-Evaluation | |||
| Board Membership Criteria | Strategic Direction of the Company | |||
| Other |
Board Access to Management | |||
| Independence of Directors | Attendance of Management at Board Meetings | |||
| Ethics and Code of Conduct | Director Interaction with Outside Constituencies | |||
| Conflicts of Interest | Confidentiality | |||
| Director's Change of Job Responsibility | Board Orientation and Continuing Education | |||
| Director Retirement Age and Tenure | Director Attendance at Annual Meetings of Stockholders | |||
| Director Resignations | Succession Planning | |||
|
Executive Sessions for Non-Management and Independent Directors |
of the Chief Executive Officer |
|||
Board's Role in Risk Oversight
Senior management has the responsibility to develop and implement our strategic plans and to identify, evaluate, manage and mitigate the risks inherent in those plans. It is the responsibility of the Board to understand and oversee our strategic plans, the associated risks and the steps that our
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management oversight, the full Board conducts several reviews throughout the year to ensure that our strategy and risk management is appropriate and prudent, including:
| · |
A comprehensive annual review of our overall strategic plan with updates throughout the year. |
| · |
Direct discussions with our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in executive sessions held at our Board meetings about the state of the business. |
| · |
Reviews of the strategic plans and results for our business segments, including the risks associated with these strategic plans, at Board meetings during the year. |
| · |
Reviews of other strategic focus areas for the Company, such as innovation, including our mortgage-centric artificial intelligence capabilities, information technology, ESG initiatives, cybersecurity and organizational management. |
| · |
The Board also has overall responsibility for leadership succession for our most senior officers and our Board and reviews succession plans on an ongoing basis. |
| · |
Annual review of the conclusions and recommendations generated by management's enterprise risk management process. This process involves a cross-functional group of the Company's senior management and the Internal Audit team who identify on a continual basis current and future potential risks facing the Company and provide direction on actions to appropriately manage and mitigate those potential risks. In conjunction with our enterprise risk management process, management also analyzes emerging cybersecurity threats and data privacy laws, as well as our plans and strategies to address them. |
The Board has delegated certain risk management oversight responsibilities to specific Board committees, each of which reports regularly to the full Board as follows:
Information Security, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Maintaining the privacy and security of the information we create and receive about the Company, our team members, customers, vendors and others is a component of our enterprise risk management program. We have systems in place to safely receive and store that information and to detect, contain and respond to data security incidents. While everyone at Mr. Cooper Group plays a part in information security and data privacy, oversight responsibility is shared by the Board, its committees and management. For additional information on our Information Security program please see "Environmental, Social and Governance - Information Security" on page 34.
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| Responsible Party | Oversight area | |
| Board | Oversight of these topics within the Company's enterprise-wide risk management program | |
| Audit & Risk Committee | Primary oversight responsibility for information security and cybersecurity, including internal controls designed to mitigate risks related to these topics | |
| Management |
Our Chief Information Security Officer, |
|
Our program and practices in these areas include the following:
| · |
Frequent Board and Committee Education.Management provides regular updates to the Board and the |
| · |
Systems and Processes.We use a combination of industry-leading tools and technologies to protect the Company and the personal information we maintain and operate a proactive threat intelligence program to identify and assess risk. |
| · |
Understanding Evolving Threats.Our information security team works to understand evolving threats and industry trends. |
| · |
Tabletop Exercises.We engage in tabletop exercises to simulate real-life cybersecurity and data privacy threats to provide our management team with the opportunity to practice crisis response and implement policies and processes. |
| · |
Operations Based on Best Practices. We have adopted the |
| · |
Program Evaluation and Testing. In addition to our internal evaluation and audit of our information security programs, we engage external experts, including cybersecurity assessors, consultants and auditors, to evaluate and test our risk management systems. |
| · |
Data Privacy Program.We have invested in resources and technology to meet the evolving data privacy regulatory requirements. |
| · |
Regular Training and Compliance Activities for Our Team Members.Our team members receive training to understand the behaviors necessary to protect company and personal information and receive training on privacy laws and requirements. We also offer ongoing practice and education for team members to recognize and report suspicious activity, including phishing campaigns. |
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|
Strength of
Character |
Business
Experience
and Areas of Expertise
|
Judgment
|
Composition of the
Board |
Time
Availability
and
Dedication
|
Conflicts of
Interest |
| • |
the name, age, business and residence address and the principal occupation and employment of the nominee;
|
| • |
a completed written questionnaire regarding the background and qualification of the nominee;
|
| • |
the nominee's consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and all information that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings about the nominee;
|
| • |
a written representation and agreement regarding voting arrangements that have not been disclosed; compliance with applicable laws; intention to serve a full term if elected and that the nominee will provide true, correct and non-misleading information in all material respects; and
|
|
·
|
a description of all monetary arrangements during the past three years and any other material relationships between the nominee and a stockholder.
|
| • |
serve as chair during executive sessions of the Board;
|
| • |
call meetings of the independent directors when necessary;
|
| • |
preside at meetings of the Board when the Chairman is not present;
|
| • |
act as liaison between the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer and the Board;
|
| • |
manage intra-board relationships;
|
| • |
set meeting agendas; and
|
| • |
if requested by major stockholders, ensure that he is available for consultation and direct communication.
|
an independent Board that is accountable to Mr. Cooper Group and its stockholders. Accordingly, our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that a majority of our directors shall be independent in accordance with NASDAQ listing standards. Currently, nearly 86% of our Board is independent.
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Board, Committee and Annual Meeting Attendance
The Board held 11 meetings during 2024. Each director attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board and committees held during the period he or she served. Directors are invited and encouraged but are not required to attend our annual meeting of stockholders. In 2024, all of our directors attended our annual meeting of stockholders.
Presiding Non-Management Director and Executive Sessions
Our non-management and independent directors meet in executive session without management at least twice per year. Our Independent Lead Director presides at each executive session.
Committees of the Board
The Board currently has three principal standing committees -
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee
The current members of the NCG Committee are
The NCG Committee's purpose is to:
| · |
assist the Board in identifying individuals qualified to serve as members of the Board and its committees; |
| · |
develop and recommend to the Board a set of corporate governance guidelines for the Company; |
| · |
oversee the evaluation of the Board and its committees; |
| · |
review, approve or ratify related-party transactions and other matters which may pose conflicts of interest; and |
| · |
otherwise taking a leadership role in shaping our corporate governance. |
A copy of the NCG Committee Charter is available on our website. For more information about the process for identifying and evaluating nominees for director, see the "Corporate Governance - Criteria and Procedures for Selection of Director Nominees" section above.
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The current members of the
| · |
our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of our financial statements; |
| · |
the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm; |
| · |
our internal audit function and the performance of our internal accounting and financial controls; |
| · |
risk management, including information security and cyber risks; and |
| · |
our compliance with legal, ethics and regulatory requirements. |
A copy of the
Compensation Committee
The current members of the Compensation Committee are
The Compensation Committee's purpose is to:
| · |
discharge the Board's responsibilities relating to the compensation of our Chairman & Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers; |
| · |
oversee our compensation policies and programs for our executive officers and directors of the Board; |
| · |
review and discuss with management our compensation discussion and analysis to be included in our annual proxy statement and annual report filed with the |
| · |
prepare the Compensation Committee Report as required by the rules of the |
A copy of the Compensation Committee Charter is available on our website. For additional information regarding the Compensation Committee's processes and procedures for consideration of director compensation and executive compensation see "Director Compensation" and "Compensation Discussion and Analysis," respectively.
Incentive Awards Committee
The Compensation Committee has delegated to the Incentive Awards Committee, which consists of
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Compensation Advisor
The Compensation Committee has the authority, in its sole discretion, to retain and terminate compensation advisors, including approval of the terms and fees of any such arrangement. In
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
There is not, nor was there during 2024, any compensation committee interlock or insider participation on the Compensation Committee.
Board and Committee Evaluations
Our Board is committed to continuous improvement and recognizes the importance of a robust evaluation process to enhance board performance and effectiveness. Our NCG Committee oversees the annual performance evaluation of the Board and ensures that each of the Board's committees conducts an annual self-evaluation. The NCG Committee typically engages an external evaluator to facilitate the assessment process either through administering questionnaires or through an active individual Director interview process. In general, covered areas for the assessments include Board alignment, governance, strategy, risk management, culture, composition, information received, meetings and leadership. In 2024, the NCG Committee engaged an outside law firm to conduct in-depth individual interviews to assist in candid discussions to identify and promote areas for improvements, as well as successes. Upon completion of the individual director interviews, the outside law firm synthesized the Directors' assessments and reported the findings to our Chief Legal Officer, who (a) discussed the findings with the Lead Director and NCG Committee and (b) led a discussion in a closed session with the full Board. The Board then identified successes and areas for improvement and established goals for the upcoming fiscal year.
2024 Evaluations: A Multi-Step Process:
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Communications with the Board
Any Mr. Cooper Group stockholder or other interested party who wishes to communicate with the Board or any of its members, including our Independent Lead Director, may do so by writing to: Board of Directors (or one or more named directors) c/o Mr. Cooper Group Inc.,
Communications with the
Complaints and concerns relating to our accounting, financial reporting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters (together, "Accounting Matters") should be communicated to the
All complaints and concerns will be reviewed under the direction of the
Stockholder Engagement
We believe that effective corporate governance includes regular, active dialogue with analysts, stewardship teams, investors in our equity and senior notes, and other market participants, and we consider their feedback on our executive compensation program, governance, board as well as the Company's strategy, financial results and disclosures, and industry and market trends.
Director Compensation
The Compensation Committee seeks outside advice from its compensation advisor on market practice and reviews independent director compensation to confirm the compensation we offer is market appropriate without being excessive. Under this assessment, the Compensation Committee determines if it should recommend that the Board make any changes to the compensation for our independent directors. Based on this assessment, the Compensation Committee recommended that the Board approve a slight increase to our Directors' annual equity component to align the total compensation (cash and equity) with the market median. Based on this assessment and recommendation, the Board increased the Directors' annual equity award from
|
Cash Retainer |
Lead Director |
Committee Chair |
Compensation Committee Chair |
NCG Committee Chair |
Committee Member |
Compensation Committee Member |
NCG Committee Member |
Annual Equity Award |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
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Our Directors had the following responsibilities in 2024:
| Name | Independent Lead Director |
Committee |
Compensation Committee |
NCG Committee |
||||||
|
|
X(1) | C | M(1) | |||||||
|
|
M | |||||||||
|
|
M | |||||||||
|
|
C | |||||||||
|
|
M | M | ||||||||
|
Former Directors: |
||||||||||
|
Busy Burr(2) |
M | |||||||||
|
|
X | M | C | |||||||
|
(X denotes Independent Lead Director; C = Committee Chair; M = Committee Member) |
||||||||||
| (1) |
On |
| (2) |
Busy Burr resigned from our Board of Directors effective |
| (3) |
|
All of our independent directors received a grant of
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the compensation paid in 2024 to our independent directors.
| Name |
Fees earned or paid in cash ($)(1) |
Stock Awards ($)(2)(3) |
Total ($) | |||||||||
|
Andrew Bon Salle |
- | - | - | |||||||||
|
Roy Guthrie |
240,356 | 125,000 | 365,356 | |||||||||
|
Daniela Jorge |
160,000 | 125,000 | 285,000 | |||||||||
|
Shveta Mujumdar |
145,000 | 125,000 | 270,000 | |||||||||
|
Tagar Olson |
185,000 | 125,000 | 310,000 | |||||||||
|
Steven Scheiwe |
180,000 | 125,000 | 305,000 | |||||||||
|
Former Directors: |
||||||||||||
|
Busy Burr |
150,000 | 125,000 | 275,000 | |||||||||
|
Mike Malone |
169,075 | 125,000 | 294,075 | |||||||||
| (1) |
Represents fees actually paid in 2024. |
| (2) |
On |
| (3) |
Represents the aggregate grant date fair value, as computed in accordance with |
Fees to independent directors may be made by issuance of Mr. Cooper Group common stock, based on the value of common stock at the date of grant, rather than in cash, provided that any such issuance does not prevent a director from being independent and the shares are granted pursuant to a stockholder approved plan. Directors who are also our employees receive no additional compensation for their services on the Board. All members of the Board are reimbursed for reasonable costs and expenses related to attending Board or committee meetings or other meetings with management and for expenses related to director education programs.
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Director Stock Ownership Guidelines
Our stock ownership guidelines provide that non-employee directors are expected to accumulate, within five years of their election to the Board, shares of Mr. Cooper Group stock equal in value to at least five times the amount of their annual cash retainer. Shares counted toward these guidelines include any shares held by the director directly or indirectly, including deferred vested awards and unvested restricted stock units. Our Board established this particular level of stock ownership for our non-employee directors to have the interests of our non-employee directors aligned with the investment interests of our stockholders.
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ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE ("ESG")
Our Board oversees ESG-related risks and opportunities relating to our business and long-term strategy. Our EVP & Chief Experience Officer raises relevant ESG topics to the Board on an ongoing basis.
Environmental Practice
We are committed to conducting operations and activities in a manner that provides and maintains safe and healthful working conditions, protects the environment and conserves natural resources. We maintain practices so that our operations are managed and operated in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. As part of our green initiatives, we promote environment-friendly solutions within our buildings, including a recycling program and a reduction in paper products. Our corporate headquarters building is Energy Star Certified and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified by the
For our customers, we actively encourage electronic communications including campaigns tied to customers choosing to go "paperless." In 2024, we continued our tradition of organizing a paperless campaign for customers. As of the end of 2024, more than 86% of our customers have a registered digital account with us and more than 55% of our customers have signed up for paperless communications as a result of our efforts to encourage digital communication.
Social Responsibility
Social Responsibility plays an important role in our business as we aim to foster our team culture, meet the evolving needs of our customers and be good stewards of our communities. We are grounded in a set of three intangible core values - being challengers of convention, champions for our customers and cheerleaders for our team.
For Our Team Members
|
We want our approximately 7,900 team members across the Over the last few years, we have cultivated a people-first culture, utilizing team member feedback to drive new initiatives and have focused on the following: |
| • |
|
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| • |
Performance Management: To drive transparency in ratings and team member performance, our performance management process is based on a five-point scale, which simplifies the review process and makes it easier for team members to evaluate themselves, while improving the process for managers in evaluating their teams. In the evaluation and goal setting processes, every team member has strategic goals that align with our priorities. Additionally, every team member is rated on our three core values, helping to ensure that all team members are striving to reflect our values every day through their work. Leaders are also encouraged to have more frequent touchpoints to share feedback on performance and create an open dialogue on career goals. |
| • |
Total Rewards: We are proud to offer team members competitive pay and a variety of benefits to attract and retain top talent. To provide more insight into the value of all benefits they receive from compensation to medical benefits, each team member has access to a personalized Total Rewards statement, which provides a simple, complete picture of a team member's pay, medical benefits, life insurance, retirement plan, tax-free spending accounts, family benefits, career development opportunities and more. |
| o |
Compensation: We abide by a pay for performance philosophy, which is a model in which rewards are linked to a team member's performance. Rewards are differentiated, which results in top performers receiving higher rewards, showing team members they are being compensated based on their individual contributions. To ensure our compensation practices are fair and market competitive, we evaluate our pay ranges every year using data from several industry surveys. |
| o |
Attractive Benefits: We believe that our benefits help us to attract and retain top talent, including some of the following offerings - Healthcare Exchange, which provides a choice of competitive insurance options; Team Member Mortgage Loan Program; Down |
In Our Communities
Alongside government and non-profit housing organizations, in 2024, we regularly partnered with local communities to connect with homeowners to assist with their housing questions and provide helpful resources. We also encourage team members to volunteer their time and efforts to support their local communities through Company initiatives.
As the country's largest servicer, we are committed to working alongside other industry leaders to ensure we keep the dream of homeownership alive. We have continued to play an active role in industry and housing policy conversations focused on supporting homeowners as the country has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud to participate in the
We are also a premier sponsor of our local
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Information Security
Cyber Risk Management and Strategy
Our cyber risk management and strategy has been incorporated into our compliance and risk management program across a number of verticals. For example, information security risk assessments are performed across our business processes, including, but not limited to, third-party services, vendors and systems that process sensitive data. We undergo external annual penetration assessments to evaluate susceptibility to attack, for example, through social engineering, application websites and system/network vulnerabilities. We aim to continuously evolve our information security program in response to the ever-changing landscape of best practices, industry-specific risks, company-specific risks, and potential threats. This evolution is also driven by validation tests in an effort to ensure our program remains robust and effective. In the wake of an
We also have a process to evaluate third-party providers, which is designed to understand the potential risks and impact of threats to our supply chains as well as potential privacy risks associated with external data management. This process has multiple components and is designed to assess our providers performance across several domains, including data security, asset management, communications and operations management, access control, business continuity management, financial, and legal compliance.
Considering the complexity and evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, we engage with a range of external experts, including cybersecurity assessors, consultants, and auditors, in evaluating and testing our risk management systems. These engagements allow us to leverage specialized knowledge and insights, including leading industry practices, to better inform our cybersecurity strategies and processes. Our collaboration with these third parties includes audits, threat assessments, and consultations to enhance our security measures.
In addition, we undergo several compliance audits annually, which include a SOX compliance audit, a SOC1 audit and a SOC2 audit. Our approach to managing compliance-related risks includes maintaining a data loss prevention program, centralized compliance management, an identity management platform, ongoing Managed Security monitoring, threat and vulnerability monitoring, and information security risk insurance.
Governance Related to Cybersecurity Risks
Our Board conducts several reviews throughout the year in an effort to ensure that our cyber strategy and risk management is appropriate and prudent. It is the responsibility of the Board to understand and oversee our strategic plans, the associated risks, and the steps that our senior management team is taking to manage and mitigate those risks. Principal accountability in this domain is placed with our Chief Information Security Officer, who has approximately 25 years of experience in cybersecurity program design and implementation. Responsibility is shared by our
Our Enterprise Risk Committee reviews and discusses cybersecurity, information security and data privacy risks at regular intervals. A quarterly Enterprise Risk Committee meeting is chaired by our
We also hold quarterly
We believe in a proactive approach to enterprise risk management. A major tenet of our cybersecurity program includes training to educate and inform team members on cyber hygiene and threat management as well as regular testing to check for understanding. We have invested in technology and dedicated internal resources to facilitate training for application developers, conduct tabletop exercises, run anti-phishing campaigns, and train on privacy regulations. These training activities, along with other key risk indicators, are tracked and reported to our Enterprise Risk Committee on a quarterly basis.
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following summarizes the business experience of our current executive officers other than
|
Michael Weinbach President Age: 51 |
|
|
|
Professional Experience |
||
|
• Company's President since o Executive Vice President from • Advisor for • CEO of Consumer Lending for o Member of the firm's Operating Committee, responsible for leading more than 40,000 team members focused on credit cards, merchant services and home, auto, student and personal lending • CEO of • Prior leadership roles in consumer and business banking, mortgage servicing and auto finance, with oversight of sales, finance and operations |
|
Kurt Johnson Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Age: 55 |
|
|
|
Professional Experience |
||
|
• Company's Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer since o Executive Vice President & o Executive Vice President & o Senior Vice President & o Senior Vice President of ◾ Led Project Titan, the Company's initiative to enhance servicing technology • Senior leadership positions at • Assisted FDIC in developing a streamline modification program-the template for the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) |
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|
Carlos Pelayo Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer Age: 56 |
|
|
|
Professional Experience |
||
|
• Company's Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer since • Managing Director and Legal Executive for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, a division of • Managing Director and General Counsel for Barclays' investment-driven private banking business in the • Senior Vice President, Legal for • Senior Associate for • Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable |
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Letter from Our Compensation Committee Chair
Dear Fellow Stockholders,
On behalf of the Compensation Committee, as we reflect on 2024, we are proud of our Company's strong performance and track record of sustained portfolio growth. This is a testament to the Company's execution capabilities, cultural commitment to serving customers and stakeholders, and consistent approach to investing in technology solutions that scale our platform and capabilities.
For our Committee, the past couple years have required careful consideration, and we wanted to take the opportunity to share with you our priorities and perspectives that informed our compensation-related decisions and actions, and why we continue to believe that our current program is well designed, incentivizes actions that will lead to long-term stockholder value creation and aligns pay with performance.
Engaging, Hearing and Responding to Our Stockholders
We take the feedback of our stockholders seriously, and were disappointed with the 68% support our say-on-pay proposal received at the 2024 Annual Stockholders Meeting. Our Board, including the members of this Committee, has long taken a proactive approach to stockholder engagement, which enables us to better understand stockholder perspectives and ensure your feedback is considered accordingly.
To continue and further demonstrate our commitment to aligning our compensation program with both our pay-for-performance philosophy and fulsome stockholder feedback, we have meaningfully expanded the 'Compensation Discussion & Analysis' section in this year's proxy statement, including enhanced discussion of: (a) stockholder feedback heard and addressed in 2024; (b) our go-forward approach to one-time awards; and (c) a summary of how we have addressed stockholder feedback and evolved our pay practices over the past five plus years.
Adding Key Leadership Talent
In 2024, after a diligent search process,
Enhancing Alignment Between our Pay Practices and Long-Term Strategy & Performance
Over the past several years, the Committee and full Board have evolved our compensation program to a framework that aligns compensation with the achievement of well-defined financial and strategic goals and increased equity-based compensation. Recent changes to our performance stock unit ("PSU") program reflect that evolution, including the: (a) elimination of the one-year vesting period and implementation of a three-year performance and vesting period, (b) incorporation of two evenly-weighted performance metrics - Tangible Book Value and Relative TSR (measured against companies of the S&P 1500 Financials Index) and (c) addition of a negative TSR cap such that if the Company's TSR is negative during the performance period, the Relative TSR portion of the award is capped at target.
Rewarding Strong 2024 Performance
In assessing 2024 performance and determining final cash and equity incentive awards, the Committee recognized our Company's outstanding performance against our financial and strategic objectives, which led to above target payouts on our annual cash incentive awards. The Committee also concluded that above target equity awards - the value of which is based on prior year performance - were appropriate for our CEO and CFO, given their contributions to our success, and notably for
Thank you for your investment and continued confidence in Mr. Cooper Group.
Sincerely,
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis ("CD&A") provides information regarding the executive compensation programs for the individuals that served as our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and our other named executive officers ("NEOs") in 2024 as set forth below.
| Name | Title | |
|
|
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
|
|
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | |
|
|
President | |
|
|
Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer | |
|
|
Executive Vice President - CEO Xome | |
|
|
Former Vice Chairman and President | |
On
This CD&A provides discussion and analysis of our executive compensation framework, including (a) elements of pay, (b) 2024 performance of our NEOs and resulting incentive awards, (c) the process and rationale by which we determined these awards and (d) our compensation governance policies.
Executive Summary
Over the course of the past several years, the Compensation Committee, Board and management team have substantially reoriented our compensation program from a framework that was primarily cash-based and discretionary to a framework that directly aligns compensation with the achievement of well-defined financial and strategic goals and increases equity-based compensation. We believe this better aligns the interests of management with those of stockholders and provides the proper incentives for management to focus on long-term stockholder value. Our executive compensation program achieves this alignment by awarding a substantial majority of annual compensation in the form of variable performance-based incentives. In making its final compensation decisions for 2024, the Compensation Committee considered the following accomplishments during the fiscal year:
| • |
Generated |
| • |
Generated pretax servicing income of |
| • |
Further enhanced the customer experience with process improvements and investments in automation, increasing digital engagement and successfully reducing the number of servicing calls per loan from 1.3 to 1.0 year-over-year. |
| • |
Originated |
| • |
Retained our customers achieving a refinance recapture rate of approximately 51% in the Direct-to-Consumer channel that was more than two times the industry average. |
| • |
Increased tangible book value per share(1) by 12%, from |
| • |
|
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| • |
Grew the servicing portfolio to |
| • |
Issued |
| • |
Upgraded by |
| (1) |
Annex A includes a discussion and reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. |
Under our executive team's leadership and against the backdrop of an evolving mortgage market and interest rate environment, we have meaningfully and consistently outperformed peers over a one-, three- and five-year period through thoughtful strategic decision-making and successful navigation of management transitions. Our operational focus on growing our Servicing portfolio through accretive acquisitions and enhancing our capabilities and existing infrastructure, as well as our continued investments to bolster efficiency and product roll-outs in Originations, has resulted in outsized stockholder returns when benchmarked against broader market constituencies.
| (1) |
1-Year TSR shown represents FY2024. |
| (2) |
3-Year TSR shown represents period from FY2022 - FY2024. |
| (3) |
5-Year TSR shown represents period from FY2020 - FY2024. |
2024 Stockholder Outreach and Say-On-Pay Vote
At our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our say-on-pay proposal received the support of approximately 68% of votes cast. The Compensation Committee and full Board were disappointed with this level of support. We take all stockholder feedback seriously and are committed to being responsive to the results of this vote as well as the input we have received through our ongoing direct engagement with stockholders.
We maintain a year-round stockholder engagement program, and the feedback received in these discussions has been an input into the design, disclosure and structural enhancements we have made to our executive compensation program. In 2024, we continued to proactively reach out to our stockholders to discuss executive compensation and to provide our investors with an opportunity to provide management and the Compensation Committee with feedback. After the 2024 say-on-pay vote, we broadened this outreach, and invited stockholders representing 70% of our shares outstanding - including stockholders who voted against say-on-pay at the 2024 Annual Meeting - to meet with our management team, and in certain cases, our Compensation Committee Chair. We ultimately engaged with stockholders representing 30% of shares outstanding, which included ten of our largest investors and those that voted against say-on-pay. Our Compensation Committee Chair met with investors representing 25% of shares outstanding.
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What we Heard in 2024
During these engagements, we discussed a number of compensation-related topics including the Compensation Committee's rationale behind
Through these discussions, the vast majority of stockholders we spoke with voiced their support for the decisive measures taken to retain
| Themes | Our Actions/Perspective | |
| One-Time Awards | ||
| Use of one-time awards moving forward | We reaffirm our stated commitment to not grant |
|
| Design, structure and timing of the one-time award to |
In granting this award, the Board considered the importance of his long-term leadership of the Company, our significant outperformance during his tenure and the Company's current critical growth juncture. |
|
| 'Stretch goals' associated with the one-time award |
The targets set for the PSUs align with the strategic goals we've shared with investors and include targets significantly higher than normal PSUs. The PSUs require outperformance beyond even the rigorous achievement required for We believe this plan is strongly aligned with stockholder interests, as the achievement of the defined target goal would equate to an increase in book value of nearly |
|
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| Themes | Our Actions/Perspective | |
| Executive Management Incentive Plan Awards | ||
| Inclusion of the strategic metrics in the EMIP (as defined below) instead of the LTIP (as defined below) |
Our annual bonus plan rewards achievement against financial and strategic objectives that are aligned to our growth strategy. Our performance against these objectives needs to be continuously viewed through an annual lens to ensure we are vigilant in our progress as we aim to improve the customer experience, maintain regulatory compliance, manage risk and strengthen employee commitment. Having these measures subject to annual review also ensures that we can make any necessary adjustments as performance and conditions evolve year over year. |
|
| Peer group selection and benchmarking process for CEO target incentive compensation |
We have constructed a peer group comprised of companies of similar size (as measured by market cap) that are in businesses like ours and/or are direct competitors for business and talent. The Compensation Committee's own analysis has found that Over a three-year period, Mr. Cooper Group has delivered more than 300% in returns to our stockholders, ranking first among our direct peers. |
|
| Long-Term Incentive Awards | ||
| Goal setting process and rigor of LTIP targets |
For our incentive plans, the Compensation Committee sets targets at the beginning of the year based on a robust budgeting and strategic planning process with the full Board. Targets are set based on internal financial and operating plans for the year, as well as external market factors. The majority of our executive's compensation continues to be in the form of variable performance-based incentives and tied to the achievement of these well-defined financial and strategic goals - on average, ~87% of the NEO's total target compensation and ~91% of our CEO's ongoing annual compensation is in the form of variable awards. |
|
| Disclosure Practices | ||
| Enhanced disclosure practices, especially when pay outcomes exceed target amounts | We have provided enhanced disclosure around our pay outcomes and the factors driving the Compensation Committee's decision-making process, as well as meaningful expanded this 'Compensation Discussion & Analysis' section to now include: (a) stockholder feedback heard and addressed in 2024, (b) our go-forward approach to one-time awards and (c) a summary of how we have addressed stockholder feedback and evolved our pay practices over the past five years. | |
In summary, our conversations with our stockholders re-affirmed that the structure, design and accompanying pay opportunities of our compensation program are appropriate, meaningfully align management and stockholder interests and are working as intended to incentivize and reward value creating performance by our leadership team. No investors we spoke to sought any meaningful changes to our program, nor shared any expectations other than re-assurance that we would maintain our commitment to not providing
Beyond this five-year commitment, the Compensation Committee believes that one-time awards should not be a routine component of our compensation program, will continue to limit their use to exceptional circumstances and disclose a clear rationale for any such award in the CD&A when granted to named executive officers. The award granted to
Our Evolving Pay Strategy
Over the past five years, we have reviewed and refined our executive compensation practices, while also incorporating stockholder feedback, with some key examples highlighted in the table below. We remain committed to maintaining an active dialogue with our stockholders to understand their perspectives on our
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executive compensation program and provide transparency around our practices. The Compensation Committee will continue to review our compensation program as part of its annual assessment process to ensure it remains aligned with our long-term strategy and optimizes stockholder returns.
| Year | What | Why | ||
| 2021 | Appointed new Compensation Committee Chair | Review existing practices and align our compensation framework with a more formal factor-based approach incorporating a wider range of quantitative strategic and financial factors | ||
| 2021 | Revised and expanded CD&A disclosure in the proxy statement | More clearly explain the rationale for Compensation Committee decisions | ||
| 2022 | Re-designed our annual incentive plan framework to place more emphasis on quantitative performance by increasing the financial metrics scorecard weighting | Respond to stockholders' expressed preferences for a more quantitative and factor-based approach to setting executive incentive awards based on a broader range of strategic and financial metrics | ||
| 2023 | Introduced a new PSU program which: (a) Eliminated the one-year vesting period and provided three-year cliff vest | Respond to stockholder's expressed preferences and ensure our pay program focuses on rewarding long-term instead of annual performance | ||
| (b) Utilized two evenly weighted key performance metrics: Tangible Book Value and Relative TSR, measured against the S&P 1500 Composite Financials Index | Determine compensation outcomes using a balance of performance metrics which are useful and well received by investors and are easily comparable to industry peer set performance | |||
| (c) Introduced a negative TSR cap such that if the Company's TSR is negative during the performance period, the Relative TSR portion of the award is capped at target | Enhance pay-for-performance alignment, demonstrating consistency with the stockholder experience in the event of sustained challenges to performance | |||
| 2023 | Committed to not granting |
Demonstrate Compensation Committee's view that one-time awards should be used infrequently and only in exceptional circumstances, in this instance to secure |
||
Corporate Objective and Executive Compensation
Our overall corporate objective is to deliver a fair retuto stockholders that is commensurate with the risks of our business. We review our compensation programs and related governance provisions and practices to ensure our compensation programs are aligned to the interests of stockholders, provide for appropriate pay-for-performance alignment, contain risk mitigating features and do not promote unnecessary and excessive risk. For example, as discussed below, the strategic metrics in our annual cash incentive plan contain metrics to maintain regulatory compliance and manage risk. Our critical measure of success is stockholder return. Our compensation program for senior executives aligns the interests of management and stockholders in growing the value of our Company while managing risk. At the same time, we recognize the market for executive talent requires competitive remuneration. Our compensation program is designed to balance three objectives:
| • |
Motivate and reward management for creating and executing a strategy that drives stockholder return; |
| • |
Attract, retain and motivate our executive level talent; and |
| • |
Manage the cost of the program by aligning compensation with both Company and executive performance. |
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Below are some highlights of our compensation program:
|
• Align our executive pay with performance • Annual "say-on-pay" advisory vote • Set multiple challenging performance objectives • Stock ownership guidelines for executive officers and directors • Independent compensation consultant engaged by the Compensation Committee • Annual review and approval of our compensation strategy • Significant portion of executive compensation at risk • Double trigger equity acceleration default provision upon change of control • Minimum equity award vesting periods for time-based restricted stock units • Clawback of incentive compensation under specified circumstances • No short sales, hedging, or pledging of stock ownership positions • No strict benchmarking of compensation to a specific percentile of our peer group • No excessive perquisites |
Overview of the 2024 Executive Compensation Program for our NEOs
The compensation program for our NEOs has three components: base salary, annual cash incentive awards and equity awards (both time- and performance-based). On average, approximately 87% of the NEOs' target total compensation is in the form of variable awards, with the award value based on financial performance and the execution of strategic objectives. The chart below illustrates the principal pay elements of our compensation program and the rationale for their use.
| Long-term Equity Incentive Awards | ||||||||||
| Base Salary | Annual Cash Incentive | PSUs(1) | RSUs(2) | |||||||
| Fixed | Variable Pay (~87%) | |||||||||
|
Purpose of Pay Element |
• Provide a fixed level of compensation to attract and retain executives |
• Provide cash rewards for the attainment of short-term performance objectives • The short-term objectives aim to improve the customer experience, maintain regulatory compliance, manage risk and strengthen employee commitment |
• Holds executives accountable to long-term objectives and ensures their interests align with those of stockholders |
• Retain and reward executives • Align interests of the executives with those of stockholders |
||||||
|
Timeframe |
N/A |
• Annual |
• 3-yearperformance period |
• 3-yearratable vesting period |
||||||
|
Performance Metrics |
N/A |
• Metrics differ per executive and include the following: o Adjusted EBT o Xome Adjusted EBT o Core functional expense o Strategic objectives |
• Tangible Book Value (50%) • Relative TSR measured against S&P Composite 1500 Financials index (50%) |
N/A |
||||||
| (1) |
Messrs. Bray, Johnson, Weinbach and Marshall received performance-based equity in 2024. |
| (2) |
All of our NEOs received time-based equity in 2024. |
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2024 Total Target Compensation and Outcomes
The Compensation Committee reviewed our target compensation pay levels to assess whether they remain aligned with current strategic and business objectives and best practices within our industry. To maintain competitiveness, and to ensure there is a proper pay-for-performance alignment, the Compensation Committee considered industry prevalent practice, scope of our NEOs' responsibilities, individual performance, tenure and experience at their respective role and internal pay equity when identifying target compensation figures. For 2024, the Compensation Committee set target total direct compensation at the same level as that of 2023 for each of our returning NEOs, other than
The table below outlines the target total compensation for the 2024 performance year on an annualized basis for each of our NEOs based on our four principal pay elements. The Compensation Committee determined the target total direct compensation, and that of each element, at the beginning of 2024.
| Executive | Base Salary |
Target Annual EMIP |
Target Long-Term Incentive (1) |
Target Total Direct Compensation |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
$ | 1,000,000 | $ | 2,500,000 | $ | 7,250,000 | $ | 10,750,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
$ | 500,000 | $ | 750,000 | $ | 1,500,000 | $ | 2,750,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
$ | 750,000 | $ | 1,500,000 | $ | 4,250,000 | $ | 6,500,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
$ | 430,000 | $ | 387,000 | $ | 387,000 | $ | 1,204,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
$ | 450,000 | $ | 1,080,000 | $ | 750,000 | $ | 2,280,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
$ | 750,000 | $ | 2,875,000 | (2) | $ | 2,875,000 | (2) | $ | 6,500,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| (1) |
In 2024, Messrs. Bray, Johnson, Weinbach and Marshall received performance-based equity awards. Each of our NEOs received time-based equity awards. |
| (2) |
Target annual EMIP and target long-term incentive values are split 50/50 per |
At the conclusion of 2024, based on Company and individual performance, the annual EMIP payouts and the long-term incentive award grant values were determined, and are shown in the table below. The long-term incentive awards were granted in
| Executive | Base Salary ($) |
Annual Cash Incentive ($) |
RSUs ($) | PSUs ($) |
Total Compensation ($) |
|||||
|
|
1,000,000 | 4,625,000 | 3,625,000 | 5,375,000 | 14,625,000 | |||||
|
|
500,000 | 1,362,750 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 4,862,750 | |||||
|
|
750,000 | 2,775,000 | 2,125,000 | 2,125,000 | 7,775,000 | |||||
|
|
430,000 | 631,971 | 387,000 | - | 1,448,971 | |||||
|
|
450,000 | 1,242,000 | 750,000 | - | 2,442,000 | |||||
|
|
750,000 | 3,512,500 | 2,107,500 | 1,405,000 | 7,775,000 | |||||
Our annual cash incentive paid out above target for all of our NEOs, given our outstanding performance against our financial and strategic objectives, which was also reflected in our significant stock price outperformance. Messrs. Bray and Johnson also received above target equity awards based on their respective contributions to our overall 2024 performance, and in the case of
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The graphs below outline our NEOs' 2024 target pay mix:
| CEO Target Mix of Pay | Average NEO Target Mix of Pay | |||||
Base Salary
The Compensation Committee sets base salaries considering the scope of each NEO's responsibilities and market data on compensation levels necessary to recruit and retain executives with the appropriate skills and experience. The Compensation Committee reviews base salaries annually in connection with its performance evaluation process and adjusts salaries periodically based on the individual performance of each NEO and the overall performance of the Company. Periodic base salary adjustments are intended to ensure that the individual's overall compensation remains competitive for the position and responsibilities.
In determining base salary for our NEOs for 2024, the Compensation Committee considered the base salaries of our peer group and determined that no increase to base salary was appropriate for our NEOs at this time.
Base Salary
| Executive | 2023 | 2024 | % Increase | |||
|
|
0% | |||||
|
|
0% | |||||
|
|
0% | |||||
|
|
0% | |||||
|
|
0% | |||||
|
|
0% | |||||
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Executive Management Incentive Plan Awards
Each of our NEOs participates in the Executive Management Incentive Program ("EMIP"), a formulaic annual cash incentive program intended to reward strong individual performance and the Company's overall achievement of financial and strategic goals. For 2024, each of our NEOs was eligible to eathe following percentage of his respective base salary, with defined Threshold and Maximum performance receiving a 50% and 200% multiple of target payout respectively (with intermediate performance linearly interpolated):
| Executive |
EMIP Target % of Base Salary |
|
EMIP Target Amount |
|
||||
|
|
250% | |||||||
|
|
150% | |||||||
|
|
200% | |||||||
|
|
90% | |||||||
|
|
240% | |||||||
|
|
200% | |||||||
| (1) |
Target annual EMIP and target long-term incentive values are split 50/50 upon payout per |
Goal Setting Process
Financial and strategic objectives, which are used to determine incentive compensation, are set by the Compensation Committee at the beginning of the year based on a robust budgeting and planning process with the full Board. As part of this process, we use quantitative scorecards with metrics tailored for each NEO's areas of responsibility. Targets are set based on internal financial and operating plans for the year as well as external market factors. In 2024, financial performance weighting of the scorecard was 70% and the remaining 30% was based on achievement of strategic objectives. Throughout the year, the Compensation Committee, along with management and the Board, reviews progress against these objectives on at least a quarterly basis to ensure progress against the Company's goals and alignment around the implications on incentive compensation at year-end. The determination of year-end incentive compensation is based primarily on performance against these financial and strategic objectives set at the beginning of the year, based on identifiable and quantifiable measures deemed appropriate to measure progress. In determining appropriate awards for each NEO, the Compensation Committee may use its discretion to adjust the amount of any award based on a participant's individual performance or other factors that the Compensation Committee deems relevant.
Financial Objectives
During 2024, the Compensation Committee set a rigorous financial target for Adjusted EBT of
| Performance Metric | Performance Target and Payout | Performance Achievement |
Performance Payout |
|||||||
|
Threshold 50% |
Target 100% |
Maximum 200% |
||||||||
|
Adjusted EBT(1) |
200% | |||||||||
|
Xome Adjusted EBT(2) |
( |
0% | ||||||||
|
Corp. Finance Functional Expense |
( |
( |
( |
( |
69.2% | |||||
|
Legal Functional Expense |
( |
( |
( |
( |
96.4% | |||||
| (1) |
Adjusted EBT is a non-GAAP measure that begins with the GAAP pre-tax income of the total Company and excludes non-GAAP adjustment items. |
| (2) |
Adjusted Xome EBT is a non-GAAP measure that begins with the GAAP pre-tax income of Xome and excludes non-GAAP adjustment items. |
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| Performance
Payout |
Named Executive Officer Weighting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Metric |
Bray |
Weinbach |
Johnson |
Pelayo |
Rawls |
Marshall |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Adjusted EBT |
200% | 100% | 100% | 80% | 70% | 50% | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Xome Adjusted EBT |
0% | - | - | - | - | 50% | - | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Corp. Finance Functional Expense |
69.2% | - | - | 20% | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Legal Functional Expense |
96.4% | - | - | - | 30% | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Weighted Payout |
200% | 200% | 173.8% | 168.9% | 100% | 200% | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Financial Performance Weighting |
70% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Financial Performance Payout |
140% | 140% | 121.7% | 118.3% | 70% | 140% | ||||||||||||||||||||
Strategic Objectives
The 2024 strategic metrics, representing 30% of the 2024 scorecard, were developed at the start of the year in conjunction with the Company's annual strategic planning process, and are presented in the table below, as is a summary of the year's results relative to these metrics.
| Scorecard Category | Measurements | Achievements | Performance | |||||||||
|
Employee Engagement Further Enhance Company Culture with Focus on Long-Term Inspired People Strategy |
Recertify as a Increase Diversity & Inclusion GPTW score Decrease annual voluntary and regrettable turnover rate |
• Achieved Great Place to Work certification for the sixth consecutive year and was ranked #14 on the Best Workplaces in • GPTW Diversity & Inclusion scores were higher year-over-year demonstrating a high trust and inclusive team member environment. • Total and regrettable turnover improved by 25%. |
Exceeded |
|||||||||
|
(1) GPTW is an external third-party certification program that quantifies the employee experience via an employee |
||||||||||||
|
Customer Drive More Customer Loyalty with More Intuitive and Easy-To-Use Solutions |
Recapture scores Subservicing Scorecards Reduce cycle time through technology driven enhancements Improved self-service offerings |
• Refinance recapture rates were two times the industry average. • Demonstrated commitment to quality with subservicing clients, ranking #1 in scorecards. • Drove a more seamless experience for customers with cycle time improvement. • Launched new web-based tools making it easier for customers to self-serve including applying for forbearance and changing escrow allocations. • Focused on eliminating issues with customers with a dedicated team to solve and address root causes of complaints resulting in a decrease in year-over-year complaints. • Launched AI powered tools resulting in better customer and team member experiences. |
Exceeded |
|||||||||
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| Scorecard Category | Measurements | Achievements | Performance | |||||||||
|
Long-Term Strategy Perfecting the Platform |
Lower cost per loan through streamlining and automation MSR fund fundraising Originations front office modernization Implementation of cloud-based servicing platform |
• Grew to • Acquired the mortgage operations of Flagstar and started onboarding their more than 1M customers in 4Q'24. • Our correspondent/co-issue channel gained significant market share during the year, with 100% sequential volume growth in correspondent in 3Q'24 alone due to operational enhancements. • Fundraising for the MSR fund: commitments starting in Q1'25. • Originations front office modernization resulted in accretive benefit to customers and sales, including launching an enhanced online application and a unified agent experience for better customer service. • Cloud-based servicing platform implementation is progressing with updates made in the year to streamline activities. |
Exceeded |
|||||||||
|
Compliance Federal and State Regulatory Compliance Examination Issue Resolution |
No material or patteof repeat findings and examination issues resolved at >= 85% validation rate performed by Internal Audit Enhance cybersecurity protocols |
• 100% validation rate. • All state/federal examinations received a rating of "1" or "2" (on a 5-point scale). • Implemented Zero Trust cyber-security posture |
Exceeded |
|||||||||
|
Governance Ready the |
Continuously build and modify long-term succession plans for key roles across the organization including the CFO, CIO, Originations and Servicing Executives |
• Built deep bench of talent across the organization in 2024, including the hiring of our (a) President, (b) Chief Investment Officer, (c) Chief Technology Officer and (d) several new hires in the Innovation and Digital Team, while strengthening our talent bench across our legal and finance functions |
Exceeded |
|||||||||
The Compensation Committee evaluated results against our strategic objectives and awarded a strategic score of 150% resulting in a weighted strategic score of 45% for all NEOs except
Approved Annual Bonus Payouts
At its
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|
Executive |
Base Salary | EMIP Target
% of Base Salary |
EMIP Target
Monetary Amount |
Weighted
Financial Performance Score |
Weighted Strategic Score |
Total EMIP
Score (% of Target) |
Final Payment | |||||||
|
|
250% | 140% | 45% | 185% | ||||||||||
|
|
$ 500,000 | 150% | $ 750,000 | 121.7% | 60% | 181.7% | ||||||||
|
|
$ 750,000 | 200% | 140% | 45% | 185% | |||||||||
|
|
$ 430,000 | 90% | $ 387,000 | 118.3% | 45% | 163.3% | $ 631,971 | |||||||
|
|
$ 450,000 | 240% | 70% | 45% | 115% | |||||||||
|
|
$ 750,000 | 200% | 140% | 45% | 185% | |||||||||
| (1) |
Under |
Long-Term Incentive Awards
The Compensation Committee grants equity awards, as both time-based awards, in the form of Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") and performance-based awards, in the form of Performance Stock Units ("PSUs"), at the beginning of a fiscal year based on each executive's contributions to our achievements throughout the prior year. Therefore, the equity awards granted during 2024 and detailed below are in recognition of the 2023 performance year and not the 2024 target long-term incentive values described above. Our performance-based awards are further aligned to our long-term performance through forward-looking performance goals that incentivize our senior executives to deliver accretive value to stockholders over the length of the performance period. Messrs. Bray, Johnson, Weinbach and Marshall received 50% performance-based equity awards and 50% time-based equity awards. Messrs. Pelayo and Rawls each received time-based equity awards.
PSUs:Our PSU program provides for a three-year performance period with cliff vesting and utilizes two evenly weighted key performance metrics: Tangible Book Value and Relative TSR, which is measured against companies of the S&P Composite 1500 Financials index. If the Company's TSR is negative during the performance period, the Relative TSR portion of the award is capped at target and can only be adjusted downward. Each PSU granted entitles the participant to receive one share of common stock upon settlement.
| 2024 - 2026 LTI Award Design(1) | ||||||
| Annualized Tangible Book Value Growth |
Relative TSR(2) | |||||
|
Weighting |
50% | 50% | ||||
| Performance Targets | ||||||
|
Threshold |
5.0% | 25th Percentile | ||||
|
Target |
8.0% | 51st Percentile | ||||
|
Maximum |
12.0% | 75th Percentile | ||||
| Payout Percentages | Shares awarded as a percent of Target shares | |||||
|
Below Threshold |
0% | 0% | ||||
|
Threshold |
50% | 50% | ||||
|
Target |
100% | 100% | ||||
|
Maximum |
200% | 200% | ||||
| (1) |
Intermediate performance will be linearly interpolated. |
| (2) |
If Mr. Cooper Group's TSR performance is negative over the three-year performance period, the maximum payout for the Relative TSR portion of the award is 100%. |
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Table of Contents
PSU Awards Granted in 2024
In
|
Executive |
Value of PSUs | |
|
Jay Bray |
||
|
Kurt Johnson |
$ 750,000 | |
|
Chris Marshall |
||
2022 PSUs: Final Performance Cycle Results
For the 2022 PSU award, the financial target was based on TSR. If the one-year target of 10% and/or the three-year target of 33.1% is exceeded, additional shares may vest; if performance is less than target, fewer shares vest; and, if performance is below a minimum level, no shares vest. After the initial performance period in
|
Executive |
PSUs Vested | |
|
Jay Bray |
129,562 | |
|
Chris Marshall |
74,282 | |
RSUs:The Compensation Committee grants time-based awards of RSUs to reward our executives for the contributions to our achievements throughout the year, to retain key talent and to align the interest of executives with our stockholders through stock ownership. Each RSU is equivalent in value to one share of our common stock and generally vests in one-third installments on each of the first three anniversaries of the award, provided the participant remains continuously employed with the Company during that time. In addition, upon death, disability or a change-in-control of the Company and subsequent qualified termination within a specified window, unvested RSUs will vest. We believe that time-based vesting requirements provide an effective retention mechanism that complements other aspects of our compensation framework. Since the ultimate value of these awards depends on the market value of our common stock on the vesting date, time-based equity awards also serve to effectively align the interests of the participants with our stockholders.
RSU Awards Granted in 2024
In
|
Executive |
Value of RSUs | |
|
Jay Bray |
||
|
Kurt Johnson |
$ 750,000 | |
|
Michael Weinbach |
||
|
Carlos Pelayo |
$ 387,000 | |
|
Michael Rawls |
$ 850,000 | |
|
Chris Marshall |
||
Equity Granted in 2025 in Recognition of 2024 Performance
As previously discussed, the Compensation Committee grants equity awards at the beginning of a fiscal year based on each executive's contributions to our achievements throughout the prior year. The following long-term incentive awards were granted in
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Table of Contents
|
Executive |
Target Long-Term Incentive | Actual RSUs ($) | Actual PSUs ($) | |||
|
Jay Bray |
7,250,000 | 3,625,000 | 5,375,000 | |||
|
Kurt Johnson |
1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | |||
|
Michael Weinbach |
4,250,000 | 2,125,000 | 2,125,000 | |||
|
Carlos Pelayo |
387,000 | 387,000 | - | |||
|
Michael Rawls |
750,000 | 750,000 | - | |||
|
Chris Marshall |
2,875,000 | 2,107,500 | 1,405,000 | |||
In awarding above target equity awards to Messrs. Bray and Johnson, the Committee considered the following factors:
| • |
Overall contributions to significant value created for stockholders, including meaningfully and consistently outperforming peers over a three- and five-year period |
| • |
Overseeing 57% growth of servicing portfolio, strengthening our scale advantage by making us more than 50% larger than our next competitor |
| • |
Achieving |
| • |
The increase in award value over target value was delivered entirely as PSUs |
| • |
Exceptional strategic performance in the Flagstar transaction |
| • |
Performance in his expanded roles and responsibilities in addition to his role as Chief Financial Officer, including, but not limited to, his role as the Company's |
| • |
Responsibility for strategic transactions |
| • |
Ensuring the smooth onboarding and transition of the Company's President |
Process for Setting Executive Officer Compensation
Role of Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee administers our compensation plans, programs and policies relating to our NEOs. The Compensation Committee conducts periodic reviews, at least annually, and monitors our overall compensation strategy to ensure that executive compensation supports our business objectives. As described above, financial and strategic objectives are set at the beginning of each year in conjunction with the Company's budgeting and strategic planning process and are reviewed throughout the year and for purposes of setting compensation. The Compensation Committee also conducts an annual evaluation of our CEO's performance. As part of this process, the Compensation Committee, with assistance from its compensation advisor, reviews compensation data including base salary, annual cash incentives, long-term incentives and other benefits of similarly situated executive officers in our peer group.
Role of NEOs in the Compensation Process
Our CEO provides the Compensation Committee with his evaluation of the job performance of the other NEOs and offers recommendations as to their compensation levels. The Compensation Committee considers these recommendations but makes all compensation decisions related to our executive officers in its sole discretion. The other NEOs do not play a role in the compensation process.
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Role of Compensation Advisor
Under its charter, the Compensation Committee has the authority to engage the services of a compensation advisor to assist it in the performance of its duties. During 2024, the Compensation Committee retained KoFerry to serve as its independent compensation advisor on matters related to executive and board of director compensation for 2024. The compensation advisor regularly attended Compensation Committee meetings and reported directly to the Compensation Committee.
During 2024, the compensation advisor:
| • |
Reviewed our peer group; |
| • |
Conducted an analysis of compensation for our executive officers and independent directors; |
| • |
Assessed how compensation aligns with our philosophy and objectives; |
| • |
Assisted the Compensation Committee in the review of incentive plan design and related benefit programs; and |
| • |
Provided the Compensation Committee with ongoing advice and counsel on market compensation and governance trends including their impact on our executive and director compensation programs. |
Compensation
The Compensation Committee, with assistance from its compensation advisor, annually assesses market conditions through a review of compensation levels within a group of peer companies (the "
| • |
Mortgage industry-related peers, including loan originators and servicers, whose businesses are similar functionally to the Company's and direct competitors for business and talent; |
| • |
FinTech organizations, whose focus on technology and innovation is similar to the Company's focus on technology platforms; |
| • |
Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") including those with mortgage banking operations and/or exposure to mortgage-related fundamentals such as in market rates, home price appreciation and other related macroeconomic factors; and |
| • |
Banks and Specialty Finance who have strong lending and financial services products. |
|
Mortgage Industry-Related Peers |
||||||
|
loanDepot, Inc. |
LDI |
|
PFSI | |||
|
|
RKT |
|
RDN | |||
|
|
UWMC | |||||
|
FinTech Organizations |
||||||
|
|
ZG | |||||
|
Mortgage REITs |
||||||
|
|
NLY |
|
RITM | |||
|
Banks and Specialty Finance |
||||||
|
|
OMF |
|
SOFI | |||
|
|
WD | |||||
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|
Multiple of Annual Salary
|
||
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
5x | |
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
3x | |
|
President
|
3x | |
|
All Other Executive Officers
|
2x | |
, the Compensation Committee considers the business risks inherent in the design of compensation arrangements to ensure they do not induce executives to take unacceptable levels of business risk for the purpose of increasing their incentive plan awards. At the request of our Compensation Committee,
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COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
|
The Compensation Committee of the Board has reviewed and discussed the above "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" with the Company's management. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" be included in the Company's 2025 Proxy Statement and the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended This report was submitted by the |
||
|
Members of the Compensation Committee: |
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56
Table of Contents
HISTORICAL EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION INFORMATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the annual compensation for our NEOs for 2024:
|
Position |
Year | Salary ($) |
Bonus ($) |
Stock Awards ($)(1) |
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)(2) |
All Other Compensation ($)(3) |
Total ($) |
|||||||
|
|
2024 | 1,000,000 | - | 7,977,273 | 4,625,000 | 16,265 | 13,618,538 | |||||||
|
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer |
2023 | 1,000,000 | - | 24,668,773 | 4,625,000 | 17,189 | 30,310,962 | |||||||
| 2022 | 1,000,000 | - | 7,250,173 | 2,500,000 | 12,200 | 10,762,373 | ||||||||
|
|
2024 | 500,000 | - | 1,650,481 | 1,362,750 | 14,801 | 3,528,032 | |||||||
|
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer |
2023 | 478,846 | - | 600,015 | 1,230,000 | 14,549 | 2,323,410 | |||||||
| 2022 | 385,577 | - | 500,015 | 476,000 | 12,200 | 1,373,792 | ||||||||
|
|
2024 | 706,731(4) | 350,000(5) | 2,000,046 | 2,775,000 | 13,022 | 5,844,799 | |||||||
|
President |
||||||||||||||
|
|
2024 | 430,000 | - | 387,050 | 631,971 | 12,124 | 1,461,145 | |||||||
|
Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer |
2023 | 353,923(6) | 250,000(7) | 637,066 | 553,656 | 13,405 | 1,808,050 | |||||||
|
|
2024 | 450,000 | - | 850,014 | 1,242,000 | 15,300 | 2,557,314 | |||||||
|
Executive Vice President & CEO Xome |
2023 | 450,000 | - | 850,040 | 1,026,000 | 15,149 | 2,341,189 | |||||||
| 2022 | 450,000 | - | 1,158,060 | 756,000 | 12,362 | 2,376,422 | ||||||||
|
|
2024 | 750,000 | - | 3,794,403 | 3,512,500 | 18,217 | 8,075,120 | |||||||
|
Former Vice Chairman & Former President |
2023 | 750,000 | - | 4,317,539 | 3,512,500 | 20,465 | 8,600,504 | |||||||
| 2022 | 750,000 | - | 4,150,101 | 1,500,000 | 12,056 | 6,412,157 | ||||||||
| (1) |
The amounts reported in the Stock Awards column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensationexcluding the effect of estimated forfeitures during the applicable vesting periods, of RSUs or PSUs granted to our NEOs. The amount of the PSUs that vest is subject to the achievement of certain performance criteria at the end of (a) a one-year and three-year performance period for the 2022 PSUs and (b) a three-year performance period for the 2023 and 2024 PSUs. Assumptions used for determining the value of the awards reported in these columns are set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended |
| (2) |
These amounts represent non-equity payments for annual bonus awards which were paid in the first quarter of 2025 but represent awards with respect to the Company's and individual performance in 2024. |
| (3) |
Includes for 2024 (a) for |
| (4) |
Represents actual salary paid to |
| (5) |
Represents a sign-on award in connection with |
| (6) |
Represents actual salary paid to |
| (7) |
Represents a sign-on award in connection with |
57
Table of Contents
Grants of Plan Based Awards for 2024
The following table sets forth, for each of our NEOs, the grants of awards under any plan during the year 2024, as described in further detail in the sections titled "Annual Cash Incentive Awards" and "Long-Term Incentive Awards:"
|
Name |
Grant Date | Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-EquityIncentive Plan Awards(1) |
Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards(2) |
All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units (#)(3) |
Grant Date Fair Value of Stock Awards ($)(4) |
|||||||||||||||
| Date of Compensation Committee Approval |
Threshold ($) |
Target ($) |
Maximum ($) |
Threshold (#) |
Target (#) |
Maximum (#) |
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 1,250,000 | 2,500,000 | 5,000,000 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-RSUs |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 50,856 | 3,625,016 | ||||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-PSUs |
- | - | - | 25,428 | 50,856 | 101,712 | - | 4,352,257 | ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 375,000 | 750,000 | 1,500,000 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-RSUs |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 10,522 | 750,008 | ||||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-PSUs |
- | - | - | 5,261 | 10,522 | 21,044 | - | 900,473 | ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 750,000 | 1,500,000, | 3,000,000 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-RSUs |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 28,059 | 2,000,046 | ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 193,500 | 387,000 | 774,000 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-RSUs |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 5,430 | 387,050 | ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 540,000 | 1,080,000 | 2,160,000 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-RSUs |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 11,925 | 850,014 | ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 2,500,000 | 2,875,000 | 3,625,000 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-RSUs |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 29,567 | 2,107,536 | ||||||||||||
|
Incentive Plan-PSUs |
- | - | - | 9,856 | 19,711 | 39,422 | - | 1,686,867 | ||||||||||||
| (1) |
The amounts reported in the Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards column represent the potential payouts of awards under our annual bonus plan subject to the achievement of certain performance measures. The actual amount of the awards made to our NEOs is included in the Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column of the Summary Compensation Table. |
| (2) |
The amounts reported in the Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards column represent the threshold, target and maximum number of shares issuable with respect to performance share units granted in |
| (3) |
Represents awards of time-based restricted stock units that vest in one-third installments on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date of the award. |
| (4) |
Represents the aggregate grant date fair value as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensationexcluding the effect of estimated forfeitures during the applicable vesting periods, of RSUs or PSUs granted to our NEOs. The RSU awards were valued at |
58
Table of Contents
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
The following table sets forth, for each of our NEOs, their outstanding equity awards as of
| Stock Awards | ||||||||||
| Grant Date |
Number of Shares or Units of Stock that Have Not Vested (#) |
Market Value or Units of Stock Have Not |
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#) |
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or other Rights That Have Not Vested ($)(1) |
||||||
|
|
- | - | 129,562(2) | 12,439,248 | ||||||
| 22,999(3) | 2,208,134 | - | - | |||||||
| 52,077(4) | 4,999,913 | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | 166,324(5) | 15,968,767 | |||||||
| - | - | 318,416(5) | 30,571,120 | |||||||
| 106,139(6) | 10,190,405 | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | 101,712(5) | 9,765,369 | |||||||
| 50,856(7) | 4,882,685 | - | - | |||||||
|
|
3,286(8) | 315,489 | - | - | ||||||
| 8,620(9) | 827,606 | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | 21,044(5) | 2,020,434 | |||||||
| 10,522(10) | 1,010,217 | - | - | |||||||
|
|
28,059(11) | 2,693,945 | - | - | ||||||
|
|
9,153(12) | 878,780 | - | - | ||||||
| 5,430(13) | 521,334 | - | - | |||||||
|
|
7,611(14) | 730,732 | - | - | ||||||
| 12,212(15) | 1,172,474 | - | - | |||||||
| 11,925(16) | 1,144,919 | - | - | |||||||
|
|
- | - | 74,282(2) | 7,131,815 | ||||||
| 13,142(17) | 1,261,763 | - | - | |||||||
| 30,528(17) | 2,930,993 | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | 97,500(5) | 9,360,975 | |||||||
| - | - | 39,422(5) | 3,784,906 | |||||||
| 29,567(17) | 2,838,728 | - | - | |||||||
| (1) |
Based on the closing market price of our common stock on |
| (2) |
Because the actual performance achieved for the TSR performance condition was above the maximum performance level on |
| (3) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 22,999 units vested on |
| (4) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 25,999 units vested on |
| (5) |
Because the actual performance achieved for the Tangible Book Value and Relative TSR performance conditions was above the target performance level on |
| (6) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 53,069 units will vest on |
| (7) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 16,935 units vested on |
59
Table of Contents
| (8) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 3,286 units vested on |
| (9) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 4,303 units vested on |
| (10) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 3,503 units vested on |
| (11) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 9,343 units vested on |
| (12) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 4,569 units vested on |
| (13) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 1,808 units vested on |
| (14) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 7,611 units vested on |
| (15) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 6,097 units vested on |
| (16) |
This award of restricted stock units is subject to vesting. 3,971 units vested on |
| (17) |
This award of restricted stock units vested in full on |
Stock Vested for 2024
The following table provides information on the vesting of shares of Mr. Cooper Group common stock for our NEOs in 2024:
| Stock Awards | ||||||||
| Name | Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#) | Value Realized on Vesting ($)(1) | ||||||
|
|
452,178 | 32,396,599 | ||||||
|
|
10,766 | 767,400 | ||||||
|
|
- | - | ||||||
|
|
4,568 | 325,607 | ||||||
|
|
24,304 | 1,732,389 | ||||||
|
|
224,354 | 16,076,060 | ||||||
| (1) |
Values calculated by multiplying the number of PSUs and RSUs, as applicable, that vested by the fair market value per share of our common stock on each vesting date. |
60
Table of Contents
Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control
We have entered into contractual arrangements with certain our NEOs that provide for payments, acceleration of vesting or other benefits upon a termination of employment in certain circumstances. The discussion in the CD&A describes these contractual arrangements in greater detail. The table below estimates the value of payments and benefits that each NEO would have been entitled to receive had his employment terminated on
|
|
Death ($) |
Disability ($) |
Termination Without Cause ($) |
Retirement ($) |
Change in Control ($) |
|||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Salary |
- | - | 2,000,000(1) | - | 2,000,000(1) | |||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 9,250,000(2) | - | 9,250,000(2) | |||||
|
Accelerated Vesting of RSUs |
22,281,137(3) | 22,281,137(3) | 12,090,731(5) | 12,090,731(6) | 22,281,137(3) | |||||
|
Accelerated Vesting of PSUs |
28,563,551(4) | 28,563,551(4) | -(5) | -(7) | 52,620,393(4) | |||||
|
Medical Coverage |
- | - | 48,809(9) | - | 48,809(9) | |||||
|
Life Insurance |
2,500,000(8) | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Total |
53,344,688 | 50,844,688 | 23,389,540 | 12,090,731 | 86,200,338 | |||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Salary |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Accelerated Vesting of RSUs |
2,153,312(3) | 2,153,312(3) | - | - | 2,153,312(3) | |||||
|
Accelerated Vesting of PSUs |
337,091(4) | 337,091(4) | - | - | 1,207,230(4) | |||||
|
Medical Coverage |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Life Insurance |
1,500,000(8) | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Total |
3,990,403 | 2,490,403 | - | - | 3,360,542 | |||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Salary |
- | - | 1,500,000(1) | - | 1,500,000(1) | |||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | 4,275,000(2) | - | 4,275,000(2) | |||||
|
Accelerated Vesting of RSUs |
2,693,945(3) | 2,693,945(3) | - | - | 2,693,945(3) | |||||
|
Medical Coverage |
- | - | 41,342(9) | - | 41,342(9) | |||||
|
Life Insurance |
2,000,000(8) | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Total |
4,693,945 | 2,693,945 | 5,816,342 | - | 8,510,287 | |||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Salary |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Accelerated Vesting of RSUs |
1,400,114(3) | 1,400,114(3) | - | - | 1,400,114(3) | |||||
|
Medical Coverage |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Life Insurance |
1,360,000(8) | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Total |
2,760,114 | 1,400,114 | - | - | 1,400,114 | |||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Salary |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Annual Bonus |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Accelerated Vesting of RSUs |
3,048,125(3) | 3,048,125(3) | - | 3,048,125(3) | 3,048,125(3) | |||||
|
Medical Coverage |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Life Insurance |
1,400,000(8) | - | - | - | - | |||||
|
Total |
4,448,125 | 3,048,125 | - | 3,048,125 | 3,048,125 | |||||
61
Table of Contents
| (1) |
Represents an amount equal to his base salary as of |
| (2) |
Pursuant to the Employment and Retention Agreement with |
| (3) |
Pursuant to the RSU award agreements granting each of Messrs. Bray, Johnson, Weinbach, Pelayo and Rawls RSU awards under our Omnibus Incentive Plan, in the event our NEO's employment terminates (i) as a result of his death or disability, (ii) prior to the first anniversary of a change in control or (iii) without cause or for good reason, all unvested RSU awards shall immediately vest. This is based on the closing market price of |
| (4) |
Pursuant to the PSU award agreements granting each of Messrs. Bray's and Johnson's PSU awards under our Omnibus Incentive Plan, in the event our NEO's employment terminates (a) as a result of his death or disability, a pro-rated amount of PSUs shall immediately vest based on actual performance on the date of the death or disability and (b) in the event of a change of control, all unvested PSUs shall immediately vest based on actual performance through the date the change in control. |
| (5) |
Pursuant to the Employment and Retention Agreement with |
| (6) |
Pursuant to certain RSU award agreements granting Mr. Bray RSU awards under our Omnibus Incentive Plan other than the Value-Driver Retention and Performance Award, in the event |
| (7) |
Pursuant to certain PSU award agreements granting Mr. Bray PSU awards under our Omnibus Incentive Plan other than the Value-Driver Retention and Performance Award, in the event |
| (8) |
Represents payments made pursuant to our employee group term life insurance and our executive life insurance policies. |
| (5) |
Pursuant to the Employment and Retention Agreement with |
62
Table of Contents
CEO Pay Ratio
Under the
The 2024 total annual compensation of our CEO was
We identified the median employee by using total cash compensation (salary, wages and bonus) as reflected in our payroll records for
This pay ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with
63
Table of Contents
|
Value of Initial Fixed
Based on:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Year
|
Summary
Compensation Table Total for PEO (1)
|
Compensation
Actually Paid to PEO (1,2,3)
|
Average
Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs
(1)
|
Average
Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs (1,2,3)
|
TSR
|
Peer
Group TSR (4)
|
Net
Income (millions)
|
Tangible
Book Value (millions)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | $ | 13,618,538 | $ | 48,562,758 | $ | 4,293,282 | $ | 8,125,624 | $ | 767 | $ | 182 | $ | 669 | $ | 4,553 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | $ | 30,310,962 | $ | 60,423,730 | $ | 3,097,390 | $ | 8,082,513 | $ | 521 | $ | 121 | $ | 500 | $ | 4,113 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | $ | 10,762,373 | $ | 10,654,884 | $ | 2,808,655 | $ | 2,810,727 | $ | 321 | $ | 111 | $ | 923 | $ | 3,929 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | $ | 8,761,455 | $ | 19,701,296 | $ | 3,359,019 | $ | 5,536,118 | $ | 333 | $ | 126 | $ | 1,454 | $ | 3,233 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | $ | 9,261,290 | $ | 40,893,899 | $ | 3,689,256 | $ | 12,707,838 | $ | 248 | $ | 96 | $ | 307 | $ | 2,353 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
(1)
|
The PEO in each covered year is
individuals
comprising the Non-PEO NEOs for each covered year presented are listed below: |
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
||||
|
(2)
|
The amounts shown for Compensation Actually Paid have been calculated in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K and do not reflect compensation actually earned, realized, or received by the Company's NEOs. These amounts reflect the Summary Compensation Table total with certain adjustments as described in footnote 3 below.
|
|
(3)
|
Adjustments:
|
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Total Amounts Reported in the Summary Compensation Table for Applicable FY
|
9,261,290 | 3,689,256 | 8,761,455 | 3,359,019 | 10,762,373 | 2,808,655 | 30,310,962 | 3,097,390 | 13,618,538 | 4,293,282 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Deduction for Amounts Reported under the "Stock Awards" and "Option Awards" Columns in the Summary Compensation Table for Applicable FY
|
(3,500,000 | ) | (937,504 | ) | (4,750,000 | ) | (1,612,511 | ) | (7,250,173 | ) | (1,527,056 | ) | (24,668,773 | ) | (1,280,932 | ) | (7,977,273 | ) | (1,736,399 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase based on ASC 718 Fair Value of Awards Granted during Applicable FY that Remain Unvested as of Applicable FY End, determined as of Applicable FY End
|
16,442,974 | 3,646,734 | 7,960,519 | 2,036,075 | 4,777,273 | 1,069,909 | 31,666,309 | 2,543,572 | 11,177,132 | 2,390,216 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase/deduction for Awards Granted during a Prior FY that were Outstanding and Unvested as of Applicable FY End, determined based on change in ASC 718 Fair Value from Prior FY End to Applicable FY End
|
18,658,901 | 6,298,140 | 6,974,323 | 1,453,292 | (1,107,235 | ) | (163,698 | ) | 13,560,323 | 2,618,154 | 25,103,181 | 2,265,368 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
PEO ($)
|
Average
non-PEO NEOs ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase based on ASC 718 Fair Value of Awards Granted during Applicable FY that Vested during Applicable FY, determined as of Vesting Date
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase/deduction for Awards Granted during a Prior FY that Vested During Applicable FY, determined based on change in ASC 718 Fair Value from Prior FY End to Vesting Date
|
30,734 | 11,212 | 754,999 | 300,243 | 3,472,646 | 622,917 | 9,554,909 | 1,104,329 | 6,641,180 | 913,157 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Deduction of ASC 718 Fair Value of Awards Granted during a Prior FY that were Forfeited during Applicable FY, determined as of Prior FY End
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase based on Dividends or Other Earnings Paid during Applicable FY prior to Vesting Date
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase based on Incremental Fair Value of Options/SARs Modified during Applicable FY
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Deduction for Change in the Actuarial Present Values reported under the "Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings" Column of the Summary Compensation Table for Applicable FY
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase for Service Cost and, if applicable, Prior Service Cost for Pension Plans
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
TOTALS
|
40,893,899
|
12,707,838
|
19,701,296
|
5,536,118
|
10,654,884
|
2,810,727
|
60,423,730
|
8,082,513
|
48,562,758
|
8,125,624
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
(4)
|
We selected the S&P Composite 1500 Financials Index as our peer group for purposes of this disclosure. This index is also utilized in (a) our Annual Reports on Form 10-K in connection with the required performance graph and (b) our 2024 PSU plan to measure Relative TSR.
|
|
Financial Performance Measures
|
||||
|
Tangible Book Value
|
Relative TSR | Adjusted EBT | ||
|
Plan Category
|
Number of Securities
to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (1)
|
Weighted Average
Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights |
Number of Securities
Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (2)
|
|||
|
Equity Compensation Plans approved by stockholders
(3)(4)
|
2,057,599 | - | 10,435,690 | |||
|
Equity Compensation Plans not approved by stockholders
|
- | - | - | |||
|
Total
|
2,057,599 | - | 10,435,690 | |||
|
(1)
|
Includes shares of the Company's common stock in the amount of (a) 948,262, which represents the maximum number of shares that may be issued upon the vesting of performance stock units granted under the Omnibus Incentive Plan if maximum performance goals are achieved for each performance cycle, (b) 988,950, which may be issued upon the vesting of restricted stock units granted under the Omnibus Incentive Plan, (c) 116,019, the receipt of which has been deferred by our independent directors and (d) 4,368, the receipt of which has been deferred due to the retirement of certain employees.
|
|
(2)
|
Represents shares underlying awards that have been granted under the terms of the Omnibus Incentive Plan.
|
|
(3)
|
Reflects securities available for issuance under the Omnibus Incentive Plan. Under the terms of the Omnibus Incentive Plan, any award, other than an option or stock appreciation right, will count as 2.0 shares against the remaining pool.
|
|
(4)
|
For additional information, please see Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, "Stockholders' Equity and Employee Benefit Plans" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
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PROPOSAL 2: ADVISORY VOTE ON SAY ON PAY
In accordance with Section 14A of the Exchange Act, we are providing stockholders with an opportunity to vote to approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation of our NEOs as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with the rules of the
The Compensation Committee regularly reviews the compensation programs for our NEOs to ensure that they achieve the desired goals of aligning the interests of executive management with stockholders, attracting, retaining and motivating high-quality executive officers and creating long-term value. We urge you to read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement, which describes how the executive compensation program reflects our compensation philosophy and objectives and the decisions made by the Compensation Committee for 2024 in detail.
We are asking stockholders to indicate their support for the NEO compensation described in this proxy statement. This proposal, commonly known as a "say-on-pay" proposal, gives our stockholders the opportunity to express their views on our NEOs' compensation. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of the NEOs and the philosophy, policies and practices described in this proxy statement. Accordingly, the Board recommends that stockholders vote in favor of the following resolution:
"RESOLVED, that the stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company's NEOs, as disclosed in this proxy statement, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the executive compensation tables and the related narrative."
Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding upon the Board. However, the Board values stockholders' opinions, and the Compensation Committee and the Board will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering future executive compensation decisions.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
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PROPOSAL 3: ADVISORY VOTE ON THE FREQUENCY
OF SAY-ON-PAY VOTES
In accordance with Section 14A of the Exchange Act, we are providing stockholders with an opportunity to indicate how frequently we should seek an advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers. You may specify whether you prefer the vote to occur every year, two years, three years or may abstain from voting on this proposal. We previously have held say-on-pay advisory votes every year, and the Board recommends that future say-on-pay advisory votes occur every year. Stockholders will have an opportunity to cast an advisory vote on the frequency of the say-on-pay advisory vote at least every six years.
The option that receives the highest number of votes cast by stockholders will be deemed to be the choice of the frequency for the advisory vote on executive compensation that has been selected by stockholders. Although this advisory vote is non-binding, the Compensation Committee and the Board will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR "1 YEAR" ON THIS PROPOSAL.
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AUDIT FUNCTION
Report of the Audit & Risk Committee
Management is responsible for our overall financial reporting process.
In this context, the Audit & Risk Committee:
| • |
has met and held discussions with management of the Company, who represented to the Audit & Risk Committee that our audited consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with |
| • |
has reviewed and discussed the audited consolidated financial statements and discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed under the applicable standards adopted by the |
| • |
has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by the applicable requirements of the |
| • |
participated in the certification process relating to the filing of certain reports pursuant to the Exchange Act. |
Based on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit & Risk Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 for filing with the
This report was submitted by the Audit & Risk Committee and shall not be deemed to be "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the
| Members of the Audit & Risk Committee* |
| * |
On February 11, 2025, the composition of the Audit & Risk Committee changed. Throughout 2024 and until February 11, 2025, the members were |
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PROPOSAL 4: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT
OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The Audit & Risk Committee has appointed
We anticipate that a representative of E&Y will attend the annual meeting, will be available to respond to appropriate questions and will have an opportunity to make a statement.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees
The following table presents fees for professional services rendered by E&Y for each of the last two fiscal years:
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||
|
Audit Fees(1) |
$ | 5,686,800 | $ | 5,929,300 | ||||||||
|
Audit-Related Fees(2) |
811,300 | 833,250 | ||||||||||
|
Tax Fees(3) |
1,109,988 | 1,198,661 | ||||||||||
|
All Other Fees(4) |
3,838 | 3,838 | ||||||||||
|
Total |
$ | 7,611,936 | $ | 7,965,049 | ||||||||
| (1) |
Audit fees include fees related to the annual integrated audits of our consolidated financial statements, including internal control over financial reporting, the reviews of our interim consolidated financial statements related to our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other services that generally only the independent registered public accountant can provide such as the issuance of comfort letters and consents |
| (2) |
Audit-related fees generally include fees related to the performance of other attest engagements under professional auditing standards, including internal control-related engagements, Regulation AB and other servicer compliance-related engagements and the audit of an employee benefit plan. |
| (3) |
Tax fees relate to the performance of tax compliance services, including the preparation, review and filing of tax returns and consulting services for various matters, including an assessment of certain federal and state tax credits. |
| (4) |
This amount relates to the subscription to E&Y's web-based accounting and auditing research library. |
Audit & Risk Committee's Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit & Risk Committee must approve any service to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm in advance of the service being performed. The Audit & Risk Committee approved in advance the services performed in 2024 and 2023 by our independent registered public accounting firm.
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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
The following table shows, as of March 24, 2025, the beneficial ownership of shares of Mr. Cooper Group common stock by: (a) each director, (b) our NEOs for 2024, (c) all of our directors and executive officers as a group and (d) each stockholder known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of Mr. Cooper Group common stock. Beneficial ownership means that the individual has or shares voting power or investment power with respect to the shares of Mr. Cooper Group common stock or the individual has the right to acquire the shares within 60 days of March 24, 2025.
|
|
Shares beneficially owned(1) |
% of shares outstanding |
||||||
|
Directors and NEOs(2) |
||||||||
|
|
817,387 | 1.28% | ||||||
|
|
- | * | ||||||
|
|
70,500 | * | ||||||
|
|
7,201 | * | ||||||
|
|
23,743 | * | ||||||
|
|
23,309 | * | ||||||
|
|
81,402 | * | ||||||
|
|
54,226 | * | ||||||
|
|
67,236 | * | ||||||
|
|
6,520 | * | ||||||
|
|
32,895 | * | ||||||
|
|
21,573 | * | ||||||
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (10 persons)(6) |
1,105,861 | 1.73% | ||||||
|
5% Stockholders |
||||||||
|
|
10,228,991(7) | 15.99% | ||||||
|
The Vanguard Group |
7,626,038(8) | 11.92% | ||||||
| * |
Indicates less than one percent. |
| (1) |
Includes with respect to each of the following NEOs, directors and all executive officers and directors as a group, restricted stock units which vest within 60 days of March 24, 2025: |
| Restricted Stock Units |
||||
|
Directors and NEOs |
||||
|
|
- | |||
|
|
- | |||
|
|
1,499 | |||
|
|
1,499 | |||
|
|
1,499 | |||
|
|
1,499 | |||
|
|
1,499 | |||
|
|
- | |||
|
|
- | |||
|
|
- | |||
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (10 persons) |
7,495 | |||
| (2) |
The address for each Director and NEO is 8950 Cypress Waters Blvd., |
| (3) |
Shares held in the name of the Jesse K. Bray Living Trust, under which |
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| (4) |
Total includes shares for which no voting or investment power currently exists, the receipt of which has been deferred by (a) |
| (5) |
Includes 32,803 shares held in the name of the Scheiwe Family Living Trust, under which |
| (6) |
Excludes (a) |
| (7) |
Based solely on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the |
| (8) |
Based solely on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the |
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Related-Party Transaction Policy
The Board recognizes the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest between us and our employees, directors and affiliates of our employees and directors and any person who is the beneficial owner or more than 5% of Mr. Cooper Group voting securities (each, a "related party"). Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics requires directors and executive officers, including their affiliates, to avoid any activity, interest or relationship that would create, or might appear to others to create, a conflict of interest with us. Accordingly, our Board has adopted a written policy regarding the approval of any related-party transaction, which is any transaction or series of transactions involving us or any of our consolidated subsidiaries and a related party where the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 and the related party has a direct or indirect material interest. In addition, under our policy, the provision of mortgage origination and mortgage servicing to our directors, executive offices and their immediate family members is not considered a related-party transaction, provided that the transaction is (a) on substantially the same terms for comparable services provided to non-affiliates or (b) pursuant to Company policy or programs.
Pursuant to this policy and our related procedures, directors (including director nominees), executive officers and employees are required to report to our legal department any related-party transactions or circumstances that may create or appear to create a conflict between the personal interests of the individual and the interests of the Company. These transactions are then reported to the NCG Committee. The disinterested members of the NCG Committee who do not have material direct or indirect interests evaluates each related-party transaction to determine if the transaction is fair, reasonable and within Company policy and whether it should be ratified and approved. Additionally, the NCG Committee may determine that the Board should approve or ratify any related-party transaction. If the chairman of the NCG Committee determines that it is not practicable or desirable for the Company to wait until the next regularly-scheduled meeting of the NCG Committee, the chairman may approve or ratify related-party transactions and report to the full NCG Committee at its next regularly-scheduled committee meeting any approvals or ratifications made by the chairman. In addition, we also make inquiries of management personnel and, as appropriate, third parties and other resources for purposes of identifying related-party transactions. The NCG Committee considers various factors, including the benefit of the transaction to the Company, the terms of the transaction and whether they are at arm's-length and in the ordinary course of the Company's business, the direct or indirect nature of the related-person's interest in the transaction, the size and expected term of the transaction and other facts and circumstances that bear on the materiality of the related-party transaction under applicable law and listing standards.
OTHER MATTERS
The Board knows of no other matters to be brought before the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. If matters other than the ones listed in this proxy statement properly come before the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the persons named in the proxy will vote the shares represented by the proxy according to their judgment.
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company's directors and executive officers and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company's equity securities, to file with the
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Stockholder Proposals
Stockholder Proxy Proposal Deadline
Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, stockholder proposals will need to be received by us not later than December 11, 2025, to be eligible for inclusion in our proxy statement and form of proxy with respect to the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Stockholder proposals must be sent to us at Mr. Cooper Group Inc., 8950 Cypress Waters Boulevard,
Stockholder Business - Annual Meeting
Stockholders who wish to introduce an item of business at an annual meeting of stockholders may do so in accordance with our Bylaw procedures. A stockholder desiring to bring a proper subject of business before the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, without inclusion of such proposal in the proxy statement, must provide a written notice timely received by us not sooner than December 11, 2025, but not later than January 10, 2026, at our principal executive offices. Any notice of intent to introduce an item of business at an annual meeting of stockholders must, among other things, contain the name and address of the stockholder and a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record and that the stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting. A complete listing of the other requirements the advance notice must meet is found in Section 2.13 of our Bylaws. A complete copy of our Bylaws may be found on our website at www.mrcoopergroup.comor by writing to Mr. Cooper Group Inc., 8950 Cypress Waters Boulevard,
The chairman of the annual meeting may refuse to allow the transaction of any business not presented in compliance with the foregoing procedures.
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT
THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING
What is the purpose of this proxy statement?
The purpose of this proxy statement is to provide information regarding matters to be voted on at our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Additionally, it contains certain information that the
When and where will the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders be held?
The annual meeting will be held on May 22, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton - Dallas/Fort Worth Airport North, 1580 Point West Blvd.,
What will be voted on and how many votes are required to elect directors and adopt other proposals?
|
Proposal |
Votes Required |
|
| Election of Directors | Majority of the votes present in person or by proxy entitled to vote | |
| Advisory vote on Say-on-Pay | Affirmative vote of a majority of Mr. Cooper Group common stock present in person or by proxy entitled to vote | |
| Advisory vote on the frequency of Say-on-Pay votes | Affirmative vote of a majority of Mr. Cooper Group common stock present in person or by proxy entitled to vote | |
| Ratification of |
Affirmative vote of a majority of Mr. Cooper Group common stock present in person or by proxy entitled to vote | |
We also will consider any other business that may properly come before the annual meeting.
Who may vote at the annual meeting?
All stockholders who owned Mr. Cooper Group common stock at the close of business on the record date of March 24, 2025 may attend and vote at the annual meeting.
Are Proxy Materials available via the Internet?
Under rules adopted by the
How do I vote?
You can vote either in person at the annual meeting or by proxy whether or not you attend the annual meeting. To vote by proxy:
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By internet
| • |
Go to the website www.proxypush.com/COOPand follow the instructions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
| • |
You will need the control number included on your proxy card to vote online. |
By telephone
| • |
From a touch-tone telephone, dial 866-395-4184 and follow the recorded instructions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
| • |
You will need the control number included on your proxy card in order to vote by telephone. |
By mail
| • |
Mark your selections on the proxy card that accompanies this proxy statement. |
| • |
Date and sign your name exactly as it appears on your proxy card. |
| • |
Mail the proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope provided to you. |
To vote by proxy, you must properly complete and retuthe enclosed proxy card in a timely manner. If you vote by proxy, your shares will be voted as you indicate on the card. If you sign your proxy card but do not specify how you want your shares voted, they will be voted as the Board recommends.
Can I change my vote or revoke my proxy?
Yes. Whether you have voted by Internet, telephone or mail, if you are a stockholder of record, you may change your vote and revoke your proxy by:
| • |
sending a written statement to that effect to our Corporate Secretary, provided such statement is received no later than May 21, 2025; |
| • |
voting again by Internet or telephone at a later time before the closing of those voting facilities; |
| • |
submitting a properly signed proxy card with a later date that is received no later than May 21, 2025; or |
| • |
attending the annual meeting, revoking your proxy and voting. |
If you hold shares in street name, you may submit new voting instructions by contacting your bank, broker or other nominee. You may also change your vote or revoke your proxy at the annual meeting if you obtain a signed proxy from the record holder (broker, bank or other nominee) giving you the right to vote the shares.
How many votes do I have?
You will have one vote for each share of Mr. Cooper Group common stock which you owned at the close of business on March 24, 2025 the record date for the annual meeting.
How many shares of Company Stock are eligible to vote at the annual meeting?
At the close of business on March 24, 2025, the record date of the annual meeting, there was a total of 63,983,373 shares of Mr. Cooper Group common stock outstanding and eligible to vote at the annual meeting.
How many shares must be present to hold the annual meeting?
The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of the Company Stock, voting together as a single class, entitled to vote at the meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum. Shares are counted as present at the annual meeting if stockholders are present in person or a proxy card has been properly submitted by or on behalf of stockholders. Votes to abstain, referred to as "abstentions," and broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum.
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What if I hold my shares in a brokerage account?
If you hold your shares in a brokerage account, the shares are said to be held in "street name." In this case your broker will send you a package, including a voter instruction card which will ask you how you want your shares to be voted. If you give your broker instructions, the broker will vote your shares as you direct. If you do not give your broker instructions (these shares are often referred to as broker non-votes) and the proposal involves a "routine" matter, then NASDAQ rules provide brokers with discretionary power to vote your shares. However, if a proposal involves a "non-routine" matter, then brokers are not permitted to vote your shares without instructions from you.
What is a Broker Non-Vote?
A "broker non-vote" occurs when your broker submits a proxy for the meeting with respect to the ratification of the appointment of independent registered public accounting firm but does not vote on non-discretionary matters because you did not provide voting instructions on these matters. Please instruct your broker so your vote can be counted.
If I abstain, what happens to my vote?
If you choose to abstain in voting on the Election of Directors, your abstention will have no effect, as the required vote is calculated through the following calculation: votes FOR divided by the sum of votes FOR plus votes AGAINST.
If you choose to abstain in voting on any other matter, your abstention will be counted as a vote AGAINST the proposal, as the required vote is calculated through the following calculation: votes FOR divided by the sum of votes FOR plus votes AGAINST plus votes ABSTAINING.
How do I attend the annual meeting?
If you plan to attend the meeting in person, please RSVP via email to [email protected]with RSVP as the subject line no later than 5:00 p.m. central time on May 21, 2025. Admission to the annual meeting is limited to Mr. Cooper Group stockholders or their proxy holders. In order to be admitted to the annual meeting, each stockholder will be asked to present proof of stock ownership and valid government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license. Proof of stock ownership may consist of the proxy card, or if shares are held in the name of a broker, bank or other nominee, an account statement or letter from the nominee indicating that you beneficially owned shares of Mr. Cooper Group common stock at the close of business on March 24, 2025, the record date for the annual meeting.
Who will pay for the cost of this proxy solicitation?
We will pay the cost of soliciting proxies. We have retained Laurel Hill Advisory Group to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the 2025 Annual Meeting for a fee of approximately $15,000, plus reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. Proxies may be solicited on our behalf by directors, officers or employees (for no additional compensation) in person or by telephone, electronic transmission and facsimile transmission. Brokers and other nominees will be requested to solicit proxies or authorizations from beneficial owners and will be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses.
How do I obtain more information about Mr. Cooper Group
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the
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What is "householding"?
The
Once a stockholder receives notice from his or her broker or us that they will be householding materials to his or her address, householding will continue until the stockholder revokes the consent. If you are not eligible for householding, but you and other stockholders of record with whom you share an address currently receive multiple copies of the proxy materials, or if you hold stock in more than one account, and in either case you wish to receive only a single copy of each of these documents for your household, please send your request to Mr. Cooper Group Inc. at 8950 Cypress Waters Boulevard,
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ANNEX A - NON-GAAP MEASURES
We provide certain non-GAAP financial measures in this proxy statement that are not in accordance with, or alternatives for, generally accepted accounting principles in
Adjusted operating financial measures facilitate a meaningful analysis and allow more accurate comparisons of our ongoing business operations because they exclude items that may not be indicative of or are unrelated to the Company's and our business segments' core operating performance and are better measures for assessing trends in our underlying businesses. These notable items are consistent with how management views our businesses. Pretax operating income in the servicing segmenteliminates the effects of mark-to-market adjustments which primarily reflects unrealized gains or losses based on the changes in fair value measurements of MSRs and their related financing liabilities for which a fair value accounting election was made. These adjustments, which can be highly volatile and material due to changes in credit markets, are not necessarily reflective of the gains and losses that will ultimately be realized by the Company. Pretax operating income in the servicing segment also eliminated a $60 million accounting item and $14 million for intangible amortization in 2024.
Operating retuon tangible common equityis a non-GAAP financial measure that is computed by dividing adjusted net income (operating income) by average tangible common equity (also known as tangible book value). Tangible common equity equals total stockholders' equity less goodwill and intangible assets. The annual average is calculated by taking the quarterly averages of beginning and ending period. Management believes that operating retuon tangible common equity is a useful financial measure because it measures the performance of a business consistently and enables investors and others to assess the Company's use of equity.
Tangible book valueis a non-GAAP financial measure that is defined as stockholders' equity less goodwill and intangible assets.Tangible book value per shareis calculated by dividing tangible book value by the number of common shares outstanding. Management believes tangible book value and tangible book value per share are useful metrics to investors because they provide a more accurate measure of the realizable value of stockholder returns, excluding the impact of goodwill and intangible assets.
The following tables reconcile (a) GAAP retuon common equity to operating retuon tangible common equity (b) GAAP book value and GAAP book value per share to tangible book value and tangible book value per share, respectively and (c) GAAP pretax income to pretax operating income in the servicing segment.
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RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
| mm's | 2024 | |||
|
Pretax income |
$ | 901 | ||
|
Income tax expense |
(232 | ) | ||
|
Net income |
$ | 669 | ||
|
Retuon common equity (ROCE)(¹) |
14.7 | % | ||
|
Average book value(²) |
$ | 4,546 | ||
|
Pretax income |
$ | 901 | ||
|
Other mark-to-market |
(76 | ) | ||
|
Accounting items / other |
60 | |||
|
Intangible amortization |
14 | |||
|
Pretax operating income |
$ | 899 | ||
|
Income tax expense(³) |
(218 | ) | ||
|
Operating income |
$ | 681 | ||
|
Operating retuon tangible common equity (ROTCE) |
15.6 | % | ||
|
Average tangible book value |
$ | 4,368 | ||
|
Servicing pretax income |
$ | 1,237 | ||
|
Other mark-to-market |
(76 | ) | ||
|
Accounting items / other |
9 | |||
|
Intangible amortization |
12 | |||
|
Servicing pretax operating income |
$ | 1,182 | ||
| (¹) |
ROCE is computed by dividing earnings by the average of quarterly BV averages |
| (²) |
Average of quarterly BV averages of $4,344 for 1Q'24, $4,500 for 2Q'24, $4,616 for 3Q'24, and $4,726 for 4Q'24 |
| (³) |
Assumes GAAP tax-rate of 24.2% and does not give credit to cash flow benefits of the DTA |
| mm's, except per share amounts | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2024 | Y/Y Change |
|||||||||
|
Stockholders' equity (BV) |
$4,282 | $4,813 | ||||||||||
|
Goodwill |
(141 | ) | (141 | ) | ||||||||
|
Intangible assets |
(28 | ) | (119 | ) | ||||||||
|
Tangible book value (TBV) |
$4,113 | $4,553 | ||||||||||
|
Ending shares of common stock outstanding (mm's) |
64.6 | 63.6 | ||||||||||
|
BV/share |
$66.29 | $75.70 | 14% | |||||||||
|
TBV/share |
$63.67 | $71.61 | 12% | |||||||||
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|
P.O. BOX 8016, |
||
|
Mr. Cooper Group Inc. For Shareholders of record as of March 24, 2025 Thursday, May 22, 2025 9:00 AM, Local Time Four Points by Sheraton, Dallas/Fort Worth Airport North, 1580 Point West Blvd., YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT! PLEASE VOTE BY: 9:00 AM, Local Time, May 22, 2025. |
Internet: www.proxypush.com/COOP • Cast your vote online • Have your Proxy Card ready • Follow the simple instructions to record your vote Phone: 1-866-395-4184 • Use any touch-tone telephone • Have your Proxy Card ready • Follow the simple recorded instructions Mail: • Mark, sign and date your Proxy Card • Fold and retuyour Proxy Card in the postage-paid envelope provided |
This proxy is being solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors
The undersigned hereby appoints
THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED OR, IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN, SHARES WILL BE VOTED IDENTICAL TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDATION. This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. In their discretion, the Named Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other matters that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
You are encouraged to specify your choice by marking the appropriate box (SEE REVERSE SIDE) but you need not mark any box if you wish to vote in accordance with the Board of Directors' recommendation. The Named Proxies cannot vote your shares unless you sign (on the reverse side) and retuthis card.
PLEASE BE SURE TO SIGN AND DATE THIS PROXY CARD AND MARK ON THE REVERSE SIDE
Copyright © 2025 BetaNXT, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved
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|
Mr. Cooper Group Inc. Annual Meeting of Shareholders |
| Please make your marks like this: |
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE:
FOR ON PROPOSALS 1, 2 AND 4
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT AN ADVISORY VOTE ON THE COMPENSATION FOR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS BE HELD EVERY 1 YEAR.
|
PROPOSAL |
YOUR VOTE |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS |
||||||||||
| 1. | Election of Directors | FOR | AGAINST | ABSTAIN | ||||||||
| 1.01. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | ||||||||
| 1.02. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | ||||||||
| 1.03. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | ||||||||
| 1.04. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | ||||||||
| 1.05. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | ||||||||
| 1.06. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | ||||||||
| 1.07. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | ||||||||
| FOR | AGAINST | ABSTAIN | ||||||||||
| 2. | Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say on Pay) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | |||||||
| 1YR | 2YR | 3YR | ABSTAIN | |||||||||
| 3. | Advisory vote on the frequency of Say on Pay votes | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 1 YEAR | ||||||
| FOR | AGAINST | ABSTAIN | ||||||||||
| 4. | Ratification of the Appointment of |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ | FOR | |||||||
| 5. |
Any other business that may properly come before the meeting. |
|||||||||||
If you plan to attend the meeting, you must email your RSVP to [email protected].
Authorized Signatures - Must be completed for your instructions to be executed.
Please sign exactly as your name(s) appears on your account. If held in joint tenancy, all persons should sign. Trustees, administrators, etc., should include title and authority. Corporations should provide full name of corporation and title of authorized officer signing the Proxy/Vote Form.
| Signature (and Title if applicable) | Date |
Signature (if held jointly) |
Date |
Attachments
Disclaimer
Mr. Cooper Group Inc. published this content on April 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR, the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system operated by the


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