Becton Dickinson and Company filed SEC Form 8-K: Leadership Update, Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders, Financial Statements and Exhibits
$BDX
Medical/Dental Instruments
Health Care
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) January 27, 2026
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Executive Officer Severance Plan
On January 27, 2026, the Board of Directors of Becton, Dickinson and Company (“BD”) approved and adopted the BD Executive Severance Plan (the “Severance Plan”), effective January 27, 2026.
The Severance Plan provides severance benefits to management employees designated at job level J-G9 (including the Company’s named executive officers and executive officers) upon a termination of their employment by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Severance Plan), other than due to death or disability, and who execute and do not revoke a general release of claims. Severance benefits under the Severance Plan include:
•A lump sum cash severance payment equal to:
◦1.5x Base Salary (as defined in the Severance Plan) and Target Bonus (as defined in the Severance Plan) for the Chief Executive Officer;
◦1.0x Base Salary and Target Bonus for members of the Executive Leadership Team; and
◦1.0x Base Salary for Business Unit Presidents and other eligible participants.
•A Pro-Rated Target Bonus (as defined in the Severance Plan) for the fiscal year in which the relevant termination of employment occurred, based on the target level (or, for terminations occurring between September 1st and September 30th of such year, based on actual performance for the full fiscal year).
•For participants eligible for continued medical, dental and vision benefits for them and their eligible dependents through the continuation of coverage provisions (“COBRA”), a lump sum payment equal to twelve months of the excess of COBRA premiums over active employee premiums.
•Up to nine months of outplacement services.
The Severance Plan does not provide for severance benefits in connection with a termination of employment for Cause, voluntary resignation, retirement or certain other terminations in connection with a divestiture where continued employment is offered.
Payment of benefits under the Severance Plan is subject to: (i) the execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims, (ii) compliance with customary post-employment restrictive covenants, (iii) applicable tax withholdings, and (iv) the Company’s clawback policies, to the extent applicable.
The foregoing description of the Severance Plan does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Severance Plan, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1.
Amendment to Equity Compensation Plan
At the BD 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on January 27, 2026 (the “2026 Annual Meeting”), BD’s shareholders approved an amendment to BD’s 2004 Employee and Director Equity-Based Compensation Plan (the “2004 Plan”) to increase the number of shares available for awards under the 2004 Plan by 3,935,000 shares. A description of the terms of the 2004 Plan, as so amended, is contained under the caption “Proposal 4. Approval of Amendment to 2004 Plan” in BD's proxy statement relating to the 2026 Annual Meeting. A copy of the 2004 Plan, as so amended, is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.2.
Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
BD held its 2026 Annual Meeting on January 27, 2026. The final voting results for each of the matters submitted to a vote of shareholders at the 2026 Annual Meeting are as follows:
Proposal No. 1: All of the Board of Directors’ nominees for director were elected to serve for a term of one year and until their respective successors are elected and qualified, by the votes set forth in the table below.
| Nominee | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William M. Brown | 237,720,570 | 3,016,225 | 817,505 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carrie L. Byington | 238,581,229 | 2,159,383 | 813,687 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R. Andrew Eckert | 228,746,564 | 12,047,293 | 760,442 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Claire M. Fraser | 232,018,364 | 8,591,176 | 944,760 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gregory J. Hayes | 239,602,889 | 1,133,261 | 818,150 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeffrey W. Henderson | 235,178,937 | 5,555,191 | 820,172 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Robert L. Huffines | 239,504,845 | 1,271,230 | 778,224 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Christopher Jones | 228,853,909 | 11,856,339 | 844,051 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas E. Polen | 226,504,723 | 12,359,729 | 2,689,847 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Timothy M. Ring | 238,705,299 | 2,053,924 | 795,076 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bertram L. Scott | 232,037,210 | 8,752,024 | 765,065 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joanne Waldstreicher | 238,782,853 | 1,784,284 | 987,162 | 16,710,351 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jacqueline Wright | ` | 239,972,724 | 772,714 | 808,862 | 16,710,351 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Proposal No. 2: The appointment of Ernst & Young as BD’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2026 was ratified by the shareholders by the votes set forth in the table below.
| For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 240,467,316 | 16,959,702 | 837,633 | N/A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Proposal No. 3: The shareholders approved, on an advisory, non-binding basis, the compensation of BD’s named executive officers by the votes set forth in the table below.
| For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 219,718,308 | 20,659,474 | 1,176,517 | 16,710,351 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Proposal No. 4: The shareholders approved an amendment to the 2004 Plan by the votes set forth in the table below.
| For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 232,072,981 | 8,310,708 | 1,170,610 | 16,710,351 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ITEM 9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
| BD Executive Severance Plan, effective January 27, 2026 | |||||
| 2004 Employee and Director Equity-Based Compensation Plan, as amended and restated as of January 27, 2026 | |||||
| Exhibit 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) | ||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
(Registrant)
| By: | /s/ Stephanie M. Kelly | ||||
| Stephanie M. Kelly | |||||
| Chief Securities and Governance Counsel and Corporate Secretary | |||||
Date: January 30, 2026