[46] Variable remuneration

KEEP Employee Equity Program

KEEP is a share matching plan. Participating employees acquire KION shares for their own investment purposes. Each set of three KION shares represents a share package. Once the three-year holding period has expired, employees are entitled to another free matching share (bonus share) for each share package. However, KION GROUP AG has the right to satisfy each program participant’s entitlement by paying a cash settlement instead of granting a bonus share.

Each year, the Executive Board of KION GROUP AG decides whether there will be an offer made under the Employee Equity Program that year and which companies will participate.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Executive Board of KION GROUP AG decided not to run the KEEP Employee Equity Program in 2020 and 2021.

In 2019, KION GROUP AG plus 19 German and 60 foreign subsidiaries were eligible to take part in KEEP 2019.

For employees taking part for the first time, the KION Group offers a special incentive in the form of starter packages. Under KEEP 2019, the KION Group bore the cost of one KION share (free share) in each of the first seven share packages that an employee took up.

The right to obtain a bonus share lapses if participants sell their own investment in KION shares or cease to work for the KION Group. The change in the number of bonus shares granted was as follows:

The free shares to be issued are measured at their fair value on the day on which employees obtain the right to acquire shares as their own investment. The fair value on the grant date was determined on the basis of Monte Carlo simulation. The following measurement parameters were used:

As at December 31, 2021, the fair value of a bonus share for KEEP 2019 was €55.16.

The fair value of the bonus shares to be granted is recognized as an expense and paid into capital reserves over the three-year holding period. The holding period for KEEP 2018 ended on October 2, 2021 and the bonus shares were issued to the eligible employees at no cost.

In 2021, an expense totaling €0.6 million was recognized under the relevant functional costs for free shares and bonus shares in connection with the Employee Equity Program (2020: €0.8 million).

KION performance share plan (PSP) for managers

The 2021 tranche of the long-term, variable remuneration component for the managers in the KION Group (LTI 2021) was granted with effect from January 1, 2021 and has a term of three years. The remuneration component measured over the long term is based in equal parts on the total shareholder return (TSR) of KION GROUP AG shares compared with the performance of the MDAX index as a market-oriented measure of performance, and with return on capital employed (ROCE) as an internal measure of performance. The plan also depends on the performance of KION GROUP AG shares during the relevant period.

The performance period for the 2021 tranche ends on December 31, 2023 (2020 tranche: December 31, 2022). The 2019 tranche expired on December 31, 2021 and will be paid out in the first quarter of 2022.

At the beginning of the performance period on January 1, 2021 (2020 tranche: January 1, 2020; 2019 tranche: January 1, 2019), the managers were allocated a total of 191,733 phantom shares for this tranche (2020 tranche: 264,191 phantom shares; 2019 tranche: 274,460 phantom shares). The allocation was based on a particular percentage of each manager’s individual gross annual remuneration at the time of grant. At the end of the performance period, the number of the phantom shares is amended depending on the degree to which the relevant targets are achieved. The resulting final number of phantom shares multiplied by the smoothed price of KION GROUP AG shares at the end of the performance period determines the amount of cash actually paid. The KION Group has the right to adjust the amount payable at the end of the performance period in the event of exceptional occurrences or developments. The maximum amount payable is limited to 200.0 percent of the value of the shares allotted to an individual at the grant date.

The pro rata expense calculation based on the fair value of the phantom shares on each valuation date is carried out using Monte Carlo simulation. The measurement parameters used to value the phantom shares on the reporting date were as follows:

Taking account of the remaining term of two years (2021 tranche) and one year (2020 tranche), the historic volatility of KION shares was used to determine the volatility on which the valuation is based. As at December 31, 2021, the fair value of one phantom share was €96.56 for the 2020 tranche (December 31, 2020: €52.86) and €76.53 for the 2021 tranche. On that date, the total fair value was €22.5 million for the 2020 tranche based on 232,833 phantom shares (December 31, 2020: €13.2 million) and €15.9 million for the 2021 tranche based on 207,327 phantom shares. The amount of €22.5 million that is expected to be paid out for the 2019 tranche (2020: €3.5 million for the 2018 tranche) is calculated on the basis of a preliminary total target achievement rate.

In March 2021, a payment from the 2018 tranche was made on the basis of the achievement of the long-term targets that were defined in 2018 at the start of the performance period.

The total carrying amount for liabilities in connection with share-based remuneration was €42.7 million as at December 31, 2021 (December 31, 2020: €17.3 million). Of this amount, €22.5 million related to the 2019 tranche (2020: €9.4 million), €15.0 million to the 2020 tranche (2020: €4.4 million), and €5.3 million to the 2021 tranche. In 2020, there had also been an amount of €3.5 million relating to the 2018 tranche. In 2021, a pro rata expense for twelve months of €13.1 million in respect of the 2019 tranche (2020: expense of €5.0 million), a pro rata expense for twelve months of €10.6 million for the 2020 tranche (2020: expense of €4.4 million), and a pro rata expense for twelve months of €5.3 million for the 2021 tranche were recognized under the relevant functional costs. Furthermore, income of €0.9 million for the 2018 tranche had been recognized under the relevant functional costs in 2020.

KION performance share plan (PSP) for the Executive Board

The members of the Executive Board have been promised a multiple-year variable remuneration component in the form of a performance share plan with a three-year term in each case. The financial performance targets for the 2021 tranche, each with a weighting of 40 percent (2019 tranche and 2020 tranche: each with a weighting of 50 percent), are the relative total shareholder return (TSR) for the shares of KION GROUP AG compared with the MDAX (market-oriented measure of financial performance) and return on capital employed (ROCE) (internal measure of financial performance). Starting with the 2021 tranche, 20 percent of the performance share plan is now linked to ESG targets. The plan also depends on the performance of KION GROUP AG shares during the relevant period.

The performance period for the 2021 tranche ends on December 31, 2023 (2020 tranche: December 31, 2022).

At the beginning of the performance period on January 1, 2021 (2020 tranche: January 1, 2020; 2019 tranche: January 1, 2019), the Executive Board members were allocated a total of 96,785 phantom shares for this tranche (2020 tranche: 76,656 phantom shares; 2019 tranche: 111,544 phantom shares) on the basis of the starting price of KION shares (60-day average). The shares were allocated on the basis of an allocation value in euros specified in each Executive Board member’s service contract. At the end of the performance period, the number of the phantom shares is amended depending on the degree to which the relevant targets are achieved. The resulting final number of phantom shares multiplied by the smoothed price of KION GROUP AG shares at the end of the performance period determines the amount of cash actually paid. The Supervisory Board can also use a discretionary personal performance multiplier to adjust the final payment at the end of the performance period by + / – 30.0 percent. The maximum amount payable is limited to 200.0 percent of the value of the shares allotted to an individual at the grant date.

The pro rata expense calculation based on the fair value of the phantom shares on each valuation date is carried out using Monte Carlo simulation. The measurement parameters used to value the phantom shares on the reporting date are shown in the > table ‘Significant measurement parameters of the KION Performance Share Plans’.

Taking account of the remaining term of two years (2021 tranche) and one year (2020 tranche), the historic volatility of KION shares was used to determine the volatility on which the valuation is based. As at December 31, 2021, the fair value of one phantom share was €96.56 for the 2020 tranche (December 31, 2020: €52.86) and €78.76 for the 2021 tranche. On that date, the total fair value was €5.8 million for the 2020 tranche based on 63,390 phantom shares (December 31, 2020: €4.1 million) and €6.3 million for the 2021 tranche based on 80,477 phantom shares.

In 2020, the Executive Board had waived its variable remuneration for 2020 (2018 tranche) as part of the agreement of the now terminated KfW liquidity line.

The total carrying amount for liabilities in connection with share-based remuneration was €16.2 million as at December 31, 2021 (December 31, 2020: €5.2 million). Of this amount, €9.1 million related to the 2019 tranche (2020: €3.8 million), €4.6 million to the 2020 tranche (2020: €1.4 million), and €2.5 million to the 2021 tranche. In 2021, a pro rata expense for twelve months of €5.3 million in respect of the 2019 tranche (2020: expense of €1.8 million), a pro rata expense for twelve months of €3.2 million for the 2020 tranche (2020: expense of €1.4 million), and a pro rata expense for twelve months of €2.5 million for the 2021 tranche were recognized under the relevant functional costs. Furthermore, income of €2.0 million for the 2018 tranche had been recognized under the relevant functional costs in 2020.

The total carrying amount for liabilities in connection with share-based remuneration was €58.9 million as at December 31, 2021 (December 31, 2020: €22.5 million). In 2021, a total expense of €40.5 million for twelve months was recognized for share-based remuneration (2020: €10.6 million).