Proxy Statement

for the

2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

on

May 24, 2023

April 7, 2023

Dear Graphic Packaging Holding Company Stockholders:

It is my pleasure to invite you to Graphic Packaging Holding Company’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held at the offices of Alston & Bird LLP, One Atlantic Center, 1201 West Peachtree Street, Suite 4900, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

The formal Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement are enclosed with this letter. The Proxy Statement describes the matters to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting. It also describes how our Board of Directors operates and provides compensation and other information about the management and Board of Directors of Graphic Packaging Holding Company. In addition, we are providing updated information regarding our Vision 2025 goals for sustainability and growth.

Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, your vote is important, and I hope you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote over the internet, by telephone or by mailing a proxy or voting instruction card. Voting over the internet, by telephone or by written proxy will ensure your representation at the Annual Meeting, regardless of whether you attend in person. If you hold your shares in your own name and choose to attend the Annual Meeting, you may revoke your proxy and personally cast your votes at the Annual Meeting. If you hold your shares through an account with a brokerage firm, bank or other nominee, please follow instructions from such firm to vote your shares.

Sincerely yours,

Michael P. Doss

President and

Chief Executive Officer

Notice of 2023 Annual

Meeting of Stockholders

YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

EVEN IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS IN PERSON, PLEASE AUTHORIZE YOUR PROXY OR DIRECT YOUR VOTE BY MAIL, INTERNET OR TELEPHONE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

Table of Contents

Page  i

Definition of Certain Terms or Abbreviations

Page  iii

Proxy Summary

This summary provides an overview of key information in this Proxy Statement. We encourage you to read the entire Proxy Statement before voting.

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

VOTING MATTERS

				Page  iv

Proxy Statement

for the

Annual Meeting of Stockholders

on

May 24, 2023

General Information

ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING INFORMATION

This Proxy Statement is being furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Graphic Packaging Holding Company of proxies to be voted at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”). This Proxy Statement and the enclosed proxy card or notice of availability on the Internet will first be sent on or before April 7, 2023 to the Company’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on the Record Date. References in this Proxy Statement to the “Company,” “Graphic Packaging,” “GPHC,” “we,” “us,” and “our” or similar terms are to Graphic Packaging Holding Company.

Outstanding Shares

As of the close of business on the Record Date, there were 307,322,962 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. Stockholders are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to come before the Annual Meeting.

Who May Vote

Only stockholders who held shares of the Company’s common stock at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

How Proxies Work

The Board of Directors is asking for your proxy. By giving the Board your proxy, your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting in the manner you direct. If you do not specify how you wish to vote your shares, your shares will be voted “FOR” the election of each of the Director nominees, “FOR” the approval of the ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, “FOR” the proposal to approve the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers, and for holding the stockholders vote on the compensation of the named executive officers (a Say-on-Pay vote) every year. The proxyholders will vote shares according to their discretion on any other matter properly brought before the Annual Meeting.

If for any reason any nominee for election as Director is unable or declines to serve as a Director, discretionary authority may be exercised by the proxyholders to vote for a substitute proposed by the Board.

If the shares you own are held beneficially in street name by a bank or brokerage firm, such firm, as the record holder of your shares, is required to vote your shares according to your instructions. To vote your shares, you will need to follow the directions your bank or brokerage firm provides to you. Under the rules of the NYSE, if you do not give instructions to your bank or brokerage firm, it will still be able to vote your shares with respect to certain “discretionary” items, but will not be allowed to vote your shares with respect to certain “non-discretionary” items. In the case of non-discretionary items, the shares will be treated as “broker non-votes.” Banks and brokerage firms are allowed to exercise discretionary voting authority for beneficial owners who have not provided voting instructions only with respect to Proposal 2 set forth in this Proxy Statement and not with respect to any other proposal to be voted on at the Annual Meeting.

How to Vote Your 401(k) Plan Shares

If you participate in the Company’s 401(k) Savings Plan or the Company’s Hourly 401(k) Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plans”), you may give voting instructions as to the number of share equivalents held in your account as of the Record Date

				Page  1

General Information

to the trustee of the 401(k) Plans. You provide voting instructions to the trustee, Fidelity Management Trust Company, by completing and returning the proxy card accompanying this Proxy Statement. The trustee will vote your shares in accordance with your duly executed instructions if received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 21, 2023. If you do not send instructions, the trustee will not vote the number of share equivalents credited to your account.

You may also revoke voting instructions previously given to the trustee by filing either a written notice of revocation or a properly completed and signed proxy card bearing a later date with the trustee no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 21, 2023. Your voting instructions will be kept confidential by the trustee.

Quorum

In order to carry out the business of the Annual Meeting, there must be a quorum. This means that at least a majority of the outstanding shares eligible to vote must be represented at the Annual Meeting, either by proxy or in person. Proxies received but marked as abstentions and broker non-votes will be included in the calculation of the number of votes present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of calculating whether a quorum is present.

Votes Needed

The Director nominees receiving the largest number of votes cast are elected, up to the maximum number of Directors fixed by the Board to be elected at the Annual Meeting. As a result, any shares not voted, whether by abstention, broker non-vote or otherwise, have no effect on the election of Directors, except to the extent that the failure to vote for a particular nominee may result in another nominee receiving a larger number of votes. However, under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, a nominee for director who receives a greater number of votes “withheld” than “for” is expected to tender his or her resignation to the Board promptly following certification of the election results. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider any resignation tendered under this policy and recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject it. The Board will act on such resignation within 90 days following the certification of election results. A Director who tenders his or her resignation will not participate in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation or in the Board’s decision regarding whether to accept such resignation. Approval of Proposals 2 and 3 requires the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on such matter at the Annual Meeting. An abstention with respect to these matters will have the effect of a vote against such proposal and broker non-votes will have no effect, as broker non-votes are not treated as shares entitled to vote. For Proposal 4, the option regarding the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation (every year, every two years or every three years) that receives the highest number of votes will be the frequency recommendation selected by stockholders. An abstention or broker non-vote with respect to this matter will have no effect.

Changing Your Vote

Shares of the Company’s common stock represented by proxy will be voted as directed unless the proxy is revoked. Any proxy may be revoked before it is exercised by sending an instrument revoking the proxy or a proxy bearing a later date to the Company’s Corporate Secretary. Any notice of revocation should be sent to: Graphic Packaging Holding Company, 1500 Riveredge Parkway, Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Any proxy submitted over the Internet or by telephone may also be revoked by submitting a new proxy over the Internet or by telephone. A proxy is also revoked if the person who executed the proxy is present at the Annual Meeting and elects to vote in person.

Attending in Person

Only stockholders, their designated proxies and guests of the Company may attend the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held beneficially in street name, you must bring an account statement or letter from your brokerage firm or bank showing that you are the beneficial owner of shares of the Company’s common stock as of the Record Date in order to be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

Internet Availability of this Proxy Statement and Form 10-K

The Company’s Proxy Statement, 2022 Annual Report to Stockholders and 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available on the Company’s website at www.graphicpkg.com in the Investors section.

ANNUAL REPORT

The Company’s 2022 Annual Report accompanies this Proxy Statement. The Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 for GPHC is included in the Annual Report and is available without charge upon written request addressed to Graphic Packaging Holding Company, Investor Relations, 1500 Riveredge Parkway, Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30328. The Company will also furnish any exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, if specifically requested.

Page  2

Corporate Governance Matters

INFORMATION REGARDING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Members, Standing Committees and Meetings of the Board of Directors

The table below shows the current members and chairs of the Board of Directors and each standing committee of the Board, the tenure and independence status of each Board member, the Audit Committee Financial Expert status of the members of the Audit Committee and the number of Board and committee meetings held during 2022.

● Member                 C Chair                ^# Non Independent                * Financial Expert

Q.        How does Graphic Packaging determine which Directors are independent?

A.        For purposes of this Proxy Statement, “independent” and “independence” have the meanings set forth under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the rules and regulations adopted thereunder by the SEC, the corporate governance listing standards of the NYSE, and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, all as in effect from time to time. A Director will not qualify as independent unless the Board affirmatively determines that the Director has no material relationship with the Company (either directly or as a partner, stockholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the Company). In addition, in accordance with the corporate governance listing standards of the NYSE, the Company will also apply the following standards in determining whether a Director is independent:

				Page  3

Corporate Governance Matters

Applying these standards, the Board of Directors determined that all of the Company’s Directors who served in 2022 were independent, except Mr. Doss. Mr. Doss is not considered independent because he serves as an executive officer of the Company.

Q.        What is the leadership structure of the Board of Directors?

A.        Pursuant to the Company’s By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board of Directors is elected from time to time by the members of the Board of Directors. The By-Laws do not require, and the Board of Directors does not have a specific policy with respect to, the separation of the roles of the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer. The By-Laws provide that the Chairman of the Board shall preside over each meeting of the stockholders of the Company and the Board of Directors and may have other duties and powers as conferred upon the Chairman by the Board of Directors. In accordance with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, if the Chairman of the Board is the Chief Executive Officer, the independent directors are required to elect one independent director to serve as Lead Director. The Lead Director is responsible for, among other duties, assisting the Chairman in providing Board leadership and presiding over the regular executive sessions of the Board at which non-management Directors meet without management participation.

Mr. Philip A. Martens was elected by the Board to serve as Chairman on May 25, 2016 and has served as Chairman since that time. The Board believes that having an independent Board member serve as Chairman currently is appropriate. The Board believes that separating the roles of the Chairman and CEO is beneficial in part because it provides additional resources for managing the Board’s functions, as well as experienced, independent oversight of management. In general, our Chairman of the Board will work with our CEO and other Board members to determine the Board’s strategic priorities, while the CEO will be responsible for communicating the Board’s guidance to management and implementing the Company’s key strategic initiatives.

Q.        Did any of the Company’s Directors attend fewer than 75% of the meetings of the Board and their assigned committees?

A.        All of the Company’s Directors attended 100% of the meetings of the Board and their assigned committees during 2022.

Q.        What is the Company’s policy on Director attendance at annual meetings of stockholders?

A.        Directors are expected to attend each annual meeting of stockholders but are not required to do so. All of the Company’s Directors attended the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders.

Q.        Do the non-management Directors meet during the year in executive session?

A.        Yes, the non-management Directors met separately at regularly scheduled executive sessions during 2022 without any member of management being present. Mr. Martens, as Chairman, acted as the presiding Director at each executive session held by the Board.

Page  4

Corporate Governance Matters

Q.        What does the Audit Committee do?

A.        The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in overseeing the financial matters of the Company, such as the Company’s financial statements, internal and independent auditors and audits, and other areas such as legal and regulatory compliance that directly impact the Company’s financial and risk profile. The Committee is responsible for, among other things, assisting the Board in its oversight of:

The Audit Committee is also responsible for preparing the Report of the Audit Committee in conformity with the rules of the SEC to be included in the proxy statement for the annual meeting of stockholders.

Q.        What does the Compensation and Management Development Committee do?

A.        The purpose of the Compensation and Management Development Committee is to ensure that the Company’s compensation, integrated talent management and diversity, equity and inclusion programs support the growth and success of the Company without creating incentives that encourage unnecessary risk-taking. Specifically, the Compensation and Management Development Committee does the following:

Q.        Did the Compensation and Management Development Committee engage a compensation consultant to assist it in making recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the amount or form of compensation paid to executive officers?

A.        Yes, the Compensation and Management Development Committee engaged Willis Towers Watson US LLC (“WTW”) to serve as an independent compensation advisor to the Compensation and Management Development Committee. Representatives from WTW attended Compensation and Management Development Committee meetings and advised the Compensation and Management Development Committee on compensation trends, best practices and

				Page  5

Corporate Governance Matters

regulatory compliance issues, in addition to providing executive compensation benchmarking analysis. While representatives from WTW work with members of management to collect information and prepare materials for the Compensation and Management Development Committee and assisted the Company in its compliance with the new Pay versus Performance rules and calculations, such representatives report directly to the Compensation and Management Development Committee and the decision to retain WTW is made solely by the Compensation and Management Development Committee.

Q.        Did WTW provide any services other than executive compensation advisory services in 2021?

A.        WTW was hired primarily to assist the Compensation and Management Development Committee in its review of executive compensation practices, including regulatory compliance issues. During 2022, WTW also provided information and support to the Committee and the Company with respect to calculation of the Total Stockholder Return (“TSR”) metric applicable to Performance-Based RSUs, the Pay versus Performance rules and calculations, market data and analysis for senior management positions other than the NEOs, market data and analysis for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regarding compensation for non-employee directors, and access to ongoing education on a wide range of compensation and benefits topics.

Q.        Does the Company have compensation policies and practices that create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company?

A.        No, the Company does not believe its compensation policies and practices for its employees create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company uses performance measures in its short-term and long-term incentive programs that encourage employees to focus on achieving Company-wide profitability and strategic goals. In addition, the design and payout of the Company’s incentive programs are reviewed annually by the Company’s compensation consultant for provisions or practices that might encourage unnecessary or excessive risk-taking and are subject to the review and approval of the Compensation and Management Development Committee and, with respect to the compensation of the President and CEO, the full Board of Directors.

Q.        Does the Compensation and Management Development Committee have any interlocks with other compensation committees?

A.        Ms. Brlas and Ms. Wentworth, as well as Messrs. Aghili, Campbell, Hagemann, Scarborough and Venturelli served as members of the Compensation and Management Development Committee during 2022. None of these members is or has ever been an officer or employee of the Company. No member had any relationship requiring disclosure as a compensation committee interlock during 2022.

Q.        What does the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee do?

A.        The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things, identifying qualified individuals for nomination to the Board, recommending new members to the Board, providing orientation and training for new directors, developing and recommending a set of corporate governance principles to the Board, and overseeing the annual evaluations of the Board and its committees and management. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing the Company’s policies and practices for consistency with its responsibility for ESG matters and oversees the Company’s ESG programs and publications.

Q.        What steps does the Board take to exercise its oversight responsibility for the Company’s strategic direction and progress toward achieving its Vision 2025 financial and sustainability goals?

A.        The Board reviews the Company’s strategic direction and initiatives each year when it reviews and approves the Company’s long-range plan. The Board reviews and evaluates the Company’s progress toward achieving its Vision 2025 goals each year when it reviews and approves the annual operating plan. In addition, each of the standing committees of the Board reviews and evaluates specific financial, operational and reputational risks that could affect the Company’s ability to meet its financial and sustainability goals set forth in its Vision 2025 as further described below.

Page  6

Corporate Governance Matters

BOARD AND COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT OF RISK MANAGEMENT

				Page  7

Corporate Governance Matters

OVERSIGHT OF ESG MATTERS

ESG matters inform our decisions about how we operate and grow our business, protect our environment and support our employees. In recognition of the importance of ESG matters to the Company, we believe that a two-tiered level of oversight provides the best structure to integrate consideration of ESG risks and opportunities into our overall business strategy and help us meet the changing demands of all our stakeholders – stockholders, customers, employees and communities. Our Board of Directors is responsible for the oversight of our sustainability strategy, governance standards, goals and performance and has assigned principal oversight of our sustainability policy and practices to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers current and emerging social and environmental trends, as well as major legislative and regulatory developments and other public policy issues that may impact our business operations or stakeholders. The Committee also reviews the Company’s policy and practices for consistency with its ESG commitments, including goals, performance metrics, and public reporting and makes recommendations to the Board and management. In addition, oversight of governance matters such as enterprise risk management and cybersecurity risk are assigned to the Audit Committee, while oversight of a range of human capital and social matters related to the effective recruitment, development and retention of the diverse talent necessary to support the long-term success of the Company is the responsibility of the Compensation and Management Development Committee.

In October 2022, the Company published its 2021 ESG Report, which is available on the Company’s website at www.graphicpkg.com under Sustainability. In addition, the Company was recognized for the third year in a row by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies, received a gold rating by EcoVadis, and is a participant to the UN Global Compact.

We encourage you to visit our website at https://www.graphicpkg.com/sustainability/ and review our recent ESG report to learn more about our progress in advancing our sustainability goals.

2025 SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

		Focus Area		Goals
		Greenhouse Gas Emissions		Reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 15% (metric tonnes Co2e/$1,000 sales)
		Non-renewable Energy		Reduce non-renewable energy intensity by 15% (MMBTU/$1,000 sales)
		Water Conservation		Reduce mill water effluent intensity by 15% (1,000 gal/saleable ton)
		Recyclability		100% of revenues from products that are recyclable
		Reducing LDPE Usage		Reduce LDPE use by 40%
		Forest and Fiber Certification		All global Graphic Packaging facilities compliant with a fiber certification standard
		Social Responsibility		All global converting plants in compliance with Social Compliance, a social responsibility audit
		Waste Diversion		Drive out waste in all our operations
		Safety		Continue to progress toward aspirational goal of zero incidents

Page  8

Corporate Governance Matters

OVERSIGHT OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS

The Company’s greatest asset is its workforce, and solving ongoing business challenges requires attracting, developing and retaining talented individuals with different skills, ideas and experiences. The Board is one of the driving forces behind creating a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2020, the Compensation and Management Development Committee was charged by the Board to annually review the Company’s processes and practices related to workforce diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives to drive equitable treatment of employees and a culture of inclusion. The Company has accelerated the development of a multi-year diversity and inclusion strategy with an emphasis on thoughtful, sustainable change and an evolution to a growth culture. This strategy has included establishing roles and accountability for the CEO and the executive officers and also creating a GPI Inclusion Council. The Company is refining hiring, promotion, performance and other human resource practices to support the Company’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals. We have also increased our transparency regarding critical diversity and inclusion metrics in our 2021 ESG Report. In 2022, the Company expanded its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with the hiring of a new Vice President with responsibility for Talent, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Our employees play a crucial role in achieving our vision and we look to them for their insights and feedback on how they perceive our culture and potential areas for improvement. To leverage this resource, in September 2021, the Company conducted global engagement and culture survey. Results of this survey were shared with our entire employee population and also with our Board, which takes a strong interest in understanding employee feedback and helping to guide strategy to meet the needs of our employee base. The Company is accountable to both the Board and its employees to articulate strategies to address any perceived deficiencies reflected by the surveys.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Board recognizes that Related Party Transactions (as defined below) can present potential or actual conflicts of interest and create the appearance that Company decisions are based on considerations other than the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. In March 2007, the Board of Graphic Packaging Corporation (the publicly-traded predecessor to the Company, “GPC”) delegated authority to the Audit Committee to review and approve Related Party Transactions, and the Audit Committee has adopted a Policy Regarding Related Party Transactions.

The Policy Regarding Related Party Transactions defines a “Related Party Transaction” as any transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) in which (a) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any fiscal year, (b) the Company is a participant, and (c) any Related Party (as defined below) has or will have a direct or indirect interest, other than an interest that arises solely as a result of being a director or beneficial owner of less than 10% of another entity. The policy defines a “Related Party” as any (a) person who is or was since the beginning of the last fiscal year an executive officer, director or nominee for election as a director of the Company, (b) any beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s common stock, (c) an immediate family member of any of the foregoing, or (d) any firm, corporation or other entity in which any of the foregoing is employed, is a principal or serves in a similar position, or has a beneficial ownership of more than 5%.

The Policy Regarding Related Party Transactions provides that the Audit Committee shall review all of the material facts and circumstances of all Related Party Transactions and either approve, ratify or disapprove of the entry into the Related Party Transaction. In determining whether to approve a Related Party Transaction, the Audit Committee will take into account, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether the Related Party Transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third-party under the same or similar circumstances, the benefits to the Company, the extent of the Related Party’s interest in the transaction, and if the Related Party is a director or a nominee for director, the impact on such director’s independence. The policy provides that certain Related Party Transactions, including certain charitable contributions, transactions involving competitive bids and transactions in which all stockholders receive proportional benefits, are pre-approved and do not require an individual review by the Audit Committee. You may find a copy of the Policy Regarding Related Party Transactions on the Company’s website at www.graphicpkg.com in the Investors section under Corporate Governance.

GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS

The Company will provide printed copies of the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation and Management Development Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, as well as the Policy Regarding Related Party Transactions, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the Corporate Governance Guidelines to any person without charge upon request.

				Page  9

Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

The Company’s Board of Directors currently has ten members divided into three classes, with one class being elected each year for a three-year term. The three nominees standing for election as Class I Directors are: Messrs. Doss, Scarborough and Venturelli.

If elected, each Class III nominee will serve three consecutive years with the term expiring in 2026 and until a successor is elected and qualified. The election of the Director nominees is by plurality vote, which means that the three nominees receiving the highest number of affirmative votes will be elected. Under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, any nominee who receives a greater number of votes “withheld” than “for” votes in an uncontested election is expected to tender to the Board his or her resignation as a Director promptly following certification of the election results. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will then consider such resignation and recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject it and the Board will act on such resignation within 90 days following the certification of election results.

If at the time of the Annual Meeting, any of the nominees identified below is unable or unwilling to serve as a Director for any reason, which is not expected to occur, the persons named as proxies will vote for such substitute nominee or nominees, if any, as shall be designated by the Board.

Set forth below is certain information regarding the Director nominees and each of the incumbent Directors whose term will continue after the Annual Meeting, including the particular experience, qualifications and skills that led the Board to conclude that the Director nominee or incumbent Director is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company. There are no family relationships among any Directors or executive officers of the Company.

INFORMATION CONCERNING THE NOMINEES

CLASS I DIRECTORS — TERMS TO EXPIRE IN 2023

Michael P. Doss   President and Chief Executive Officer, Graphic Packaging Holding Company		Biographical Information: Michael P. Doss, 56, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. He was elected to the Board of Directors on May 20, 2015. Prior to January 1, 2016, Mr. Doss held the position of President and Chief Operating Officer from May 20, 2015 through December 31, 2015 and Chief Operating Officer from January 1, 2014 until May 19, 2015. Prior to these positions, he served as the Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations of the Company. Prior to this, Mr. Doss held the position of Senior Vice President, Consumer Packaging Division. Prior to March 2008, he served as Senior Vice President, Consumer Products Packaging of Graphic Packaging Corporation since September 2006. From July 2000 until September 2006, he was the Vice President of Operations, Universal Packaging Division. Mr. Doss was Director of Web Systems for the Universal Packaging Division prior to his promotion to Vice President of Operations. Since joining Graphic Packaging International Corporation in 1990, Mr. Doss has held positions of increasing management responsibility, including Plant Manager at the Gordonsville, TN and Wausau, WI plants. Mr. Doss serves on the Board of Directors for the American Forest & Paper Association, the Sustainable Forest Initiative, the Paper Recycling Coalition, the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Woodruff Arts Center, the American Bird Conservancy, and Regal Rexnord Corporation (RRX).   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Mr. Doss is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because of his detailed knowledge of the Company and its business, having served in various senior management and operational roles with the Company or its predecessors since 1990. Mr. Doss also has significant financial management training, as he received a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Western Michigan University and has had supervisory responsibility for the Chief Financial Officer since becoming the President and Chief Executive Officer of Graphic Packaging Holding Company in January 2016.

Page  10

Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

Dean A. Scarborough   Former Chief Executive Officer, Avery Dennison Corporation		Biographical Information: Dean A. Scarborough, 67, joined the Company’s Board on July 27, 2018. In May 2016, Mr. Scarborough retired as Chief Executive Officer of Avery Dennison Corporation (“Avery”), a leader in packaging and labeling solutions with $6 billion in annual sales. Mr. Scarborough joined Avery in 1983 and served in a series of positions of increasing responsibility. In 1990, he was promoted to Vice President and General Manager of Label and Packaging Materials’ North American division. Five years later, he moved to the Netherlands and led Label and Packaging Materials Europe. Returning to the U.S. in 1997, he was appointed group Vice President, Label and Packaging Materials North America and Labels and Packaging Materials Europe. Two years later, he was promoted to group Vice President, Label and Packaging Materials Worldwide. In 2000, he was elected President and Chief Operating Officer. From 2005 until his retirement in 2016, Mr. Scarborough served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as Chairman of the Board from 2010 to 2016. He retired as Chairman of the Board of Avery in 2019. Additionally, Mr. Scarborough was on the Board of Directors of Cardinal Health, Inc. until November 7, 2022.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Mr. Scarborough is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because he recently completed more than 11 years of service as the Chief Executive Officer of Avery Dennison Corporation, a publicly-traded packaging and labeling solutions company with approximately $6 billion in annual sales, and also formerly served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of such Company. In addition, Mr. Scarborough served for over ten years on the Board of Directors of Mattel, Inc., the world’s largest toy brand. He brings extensive experience in building brand and stockholder value to the Company.
Larry M. Venturelli   Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Whirlpool Corporation		Biographical Information: Larry M. Venturelli, 62, joined the Company’s Board on May 25, 2016. Mr. Venturelli is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Whirlpool Corporation, the world’s leading global manufacturer of home appliances, and he served in this capacity from January 2012 to August 2016, retiring from the company in February 2017. He joined Whirlpool as Assistant Corporate Controller in 2002. He held a number of positions of increasing leadership accountability in the Investor Relations and Global Finance organizations, serving as Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller, Chief Accounting Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Whirlpool International. Prior to joining Whirlpool, Mr. Venturelli held various financial positions at Royal Caribbean Cruises, Campbell Soup Company and Quaker Oats.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Mr. Venturelli is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because he has over 30 years of corporate finance experience, including approximately five years of experience as the Chief Financial Officer and 4 years as the Corporate Controller of Whirlpool Corporation, a U.S. manufacturing company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. In addition, Mr. Venturelli has 16 years of experience working for U.S. food products companies and has served as the head of Investor Relations.

				Page  11

Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

INFORMATION REGARDING CONTINUING DIRECTORS

Class II Directors — Terms to Expire in 2024

Aziz Aghili   Executive Vice President and President, Heavy Vehicles Group, Dana		Biographical Information: Aziz Aghili, 64, joined the Company’s Board on March 1, 2022. Mr. Aghili serves as Executive Vice President and President, Heavy Vehicle Group of Dana Incorporated, a global leader in drivetrain and e-propulsion systems for commercial and industrial vehicles. Mr. Aghili joined Dana Incorporated in 2009 as President of Dana Europe, before being named President of Dana Asia-Pacific in 2010, President of Off Highway Driveline Technologies in 2011, Executive Vice President and President of Highway Driveline Technologies in 2012, and to his present position in 2021. During his time with Dana, Mr. Aghili has also led the company’s Global Aftermarket group. Prior to joining Dana Incorporated, Mr. Aghili spent more than 20 years at Meritor, where he most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of Body Systems, a $1.4 billion division with 24 global manufacturing facilities based in Europe. Additionally, he held strategic leadership positions around the world, including Vice President and General Manager of Asia Pacific and Vice President of Global Procurement, Commercial Marketing, and Business Development – Asia Pacific. Mr. Aghili also spent several years in the U.S., Malaysia, and Australia. Before joining Meritor, he worked for Nissan Motor Company and General Electric Plastics. Mr. Aghili is a member of the Board of Directors of Columbus McKinnon Corporation.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Mr. Aghili is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because he has over 30 years of experience managing manufacturing businesses and has extensive international business experience, particularly in Europe and Asia. In addition, Mr. Aghili has served on the Board of Directors of another public company, Columbus Mckinnon Corporation for over three years.
Paul D. Carrico   Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Axiall Corporation		Biographical Information: Paul D. Carrico, 72, joined the Company’s Board on September 18, 2014. In 2015, Mr. Carrico retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of Axiall Corporation (“Axiall”), a manufacturer and international marketer of chemicals and vinyl-based building products. Mr. Carrico joined a predecessor company of Axiall, Georgia Gulf Corporation, in 1999, and held a variety of positions before being named President and Chief Executive Officer of Georgia Gulf Corporation in 2008. Prior to joining Georgia Gulf Corporation, Mr. Carrico was employed by Condea Vista, Conoco Chemicals Company and American Air Filters in various management, manufacturing and engineering positions, respectively.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Mr. Carrico is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because of his experience as a director and the Chief Executive Officer of a global manufacturing company similar in size to Graphic Packaging Holding Company. In addition, he has significant financial restructuring and international marketing experience.

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Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

Philip R. Martens   Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Novelis Inc.		Biographical Information: Philip R. Martens, 62, was appointed Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors on May 25, 2016. He joined the Company’s Board on November 21, 2013. Mr. Martens is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Novelis Inc., a rolled aluminum manufacturing company, and he served in this capacity from 2009 to 2015. Prior to his employment with Novelis, Mr. Martens served as Senior Vice President of light vehicle systems for ArvinMeritor Inc., a distributor for engine and transmission parts, and President and Chief Executive Officer designate of Arvin Innovation, a leading global provider of dynamic motion and control automotive systems. Prior to that, Mr. Martens served as President and Chief Operations Officer of Plastech Engineered Products. From 1987 to 2005, he held various engineering and leadership positions at Ford Motor Company, most recently serving as group Vice President of product creation. Mr. Martens currently serves on the Board of Directors of Trinseo Corporation and International Automotive Components Group. He is an Advisory Partner for Venetia Partners.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Mr. Martens is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because he has over 25 years of senior management experience, including serving as Chief Executive Officer of two public manufacturing companies, including a company which is significantly larger than Graphic Packaging Holding Company. Mr. Martens also has extensive experience in international operations and business in Europe, South America and Asia where the Company currently has operations.
Lynn A. Wentworth   Former Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, BlueLinx Holdings Inc.		Biographical Information: Lynn A. Wentworth, 64, joined the Company’s Board on November 18, 2009. Ms. Wentworth is the former Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of BlueLinx Holdings, Inc., a building products distributor, where she served from January 2007 until February 2008. Prior to joining BlueLinx, she was, most recently, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for BellSouth Corporation’s Communications Group and held various other positions there from 1985 until 2007. She is a certified public accountant. Ms. Wentworth was elected to the Board of Directors of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. on June 25, 2021, and to the Board of Directors of Lineage Logistics, LLC, a privately held cold storage REIT on July 1, 2022. She currently serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee of Lineage Logistics, LLC, and is the former Chairman of the Board of Cincinnati Bell, Inc. and Cyrus One, Inc., where she also previously served as the Chair of the Audit and Finance Committees for both companies.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Ms. Wentworth is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because she has over 30 years of public accounting and corporate finance experience, including her service as the Chief Financial Officer of BlueLinx Holdings, Inc., a public company, and the Communications Group of BellSouth Corporation, as well as her extensive board and corporate governance experience.

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Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

Class III Directors — Terms to Expire in 2025

Laurie Brlas   Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Newmont Mining Corporation		Biographical Information: Laurie Brlas, 65, joined the Company’s Board on January 11, 2019. In December 2016, Ms. Brlas retired from Newmont Mining Corporation (“Newmont”), a mining industry leader in value creation and sustainability. Ms. Brlas joined Newmont in 2013 and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer until October 2016. From 2006 through 2013, Ms. Brlas held various positions of increasing responsibility with Cliffs Natural Resources, most recently she served as Chief Financial Officer and then as Executive Vice President and President, Global Operations. Prior to that, Ms. Brlas served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of STERIS Corporation from 2000 through 2006 and from 1995 through 2000, Ms. Brlas held various positions of increasing responsibility with Office Max, Inc. Most recently, Ms. Brlas served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller. Ms. Brlas currently serves on the Board of Directors of Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical company, Constellation Energy Corp., an energy company, and Autoliv, Inc., a global automotive safety supplier.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Ms. Brlas is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because of her previous executive leadership roles at several large public companies, including serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Newmont Mining Corporation, a $7.3 billion mining company, as well as her extensive board and corporate governance experience on a number of public boards of directors.
Robert A. Hagemann   Former Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated		Biographical Information: Robert A. Hagemann, 66, joined the Company’s Board on May 21, 2014. Mr. Hagemann, who is currently retired, was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (“Quest”) from May 2003 to July 2013. Prior to that, Mr. Hagemann served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Quest from August 1998. Mr. Hagemann joined a predecessor company, Corning Life Sciences, Inc. (“Corning”), a subsidiary of Quest’s former parent, Corning Incorporated, in 1992, and held a variety of senior financial positions before being named Vice President and Corporate Controller of Quest in 1996. Prior to joining Corning, Mr. Hagemann was employed by Prime Hospitality, Inc. and Crompton & Knowles, Inc. in senior financial positions. He was also previously employed by Arthur Young & Co., a predecessor company to Ernst & Young. Mr. Hagemann serves on the Board of Directors of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. and Ryder System, Inc.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Mr. Hagemann is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because of his 15 years of experience as the Chief Financial Officer of Quest Diagnostics, as well as his experience as a board member of both Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. and Ryder System, Inc. Mr. Hageman serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee for Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. In addition, Mr. Hagemann serves as a member of the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee for Ryder System, Inc. Mr. Hagemann also has extensive acquisition experience, having completed and integrated numerous acquisitions over the course of his career.

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Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

Mary K. Rhinehart   Chairman of the Board, Johns Manville		Biographical Information: Mary K. Rhinehart, 64, joined the Company’s Board on February 16, 2021. Ms. Rhinehart is the Chair of the Board of Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company and a global manufacturer of premium quality building and specialty products. Ms. Rhinehart has worked at Johns Manville for over four decades, serving in leadership roles in finance, global treasury, global supply chain, human resources and strategic business development, most recently serving as President and Chief Executive Officer and Chair from 2014 to 2020. Prior to that, Ms. Rhinehart served as Chief Financial Officer from 2004 to 2012. She has run several business units with full P&L responsibilities. Ms. Rhinehart currently serves as a non-executive director for CRH plc, a diversified building materials business, and Chair of Lubrizol’s Advisory Board, a global specialty chemical company, also a Berkshire Hathaway company.   Qualifications: The Board concluded that Ms. Rhinehart is qualified to serve as a Director of the Company because she has extensive finance and executive leadership experience, as well as over six years of experience as the Chairman of the Board of a global manufacturing company with revenues of over $3 billion.

CRITERIA FOR POTENTIAL DIRECTORS

The Company’s Board is responsible for selecting nominees for election as Directors by stockholders and for filling vacancies on the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying and recommending to the Board individuals for nomination as members of the Board and its committees and, in this regard, reviewing with the Board on an annual basis the current skills, background and expertise of the members of the Board, as well as the Company’s future and ongoing needs. This assessment is used to establish criteria for identifying and evaluating potential candidates for the Board. However, as a general matter, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks individuals with significant and relevant business experience who demonstrate:

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regularly assesses the skills, background and expertise of the members of the Board and identifies the Company’s needs. As part of this process, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee strives to select nominees with relevant business experience, the personal characteristics described above and a wide variety of skills and viewpoints, informed by diversity of race, ethnicity and gender. The table below highlights certain experiences, skills and knowledge held by each of our current Directors and Nominees that are relevant to the Company’s business. The table reflects information provided by each of our Directors in their responses to our annual Director’s Questionnaire. The table is a summary and is not intended to be a complete list of each Director’s or Nominee’s skills or contributions to the Board. No one experience, skill or attribute is dispositive in the Board’s decision to nominate or re-nominate an individual to our Board of Directors.

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Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

DIRECTORS’ SKILLS MATRIX

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Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also recognizes the importance of selecting directors from a range of backgrounds and professions to provide the Board a wealth of experiences and perspectives to inform its decisions and enhance its cognitive diversity. Consistent with this philosophy, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates the ability of a potential director to contribute to the Board by leveraging a broad range of experiences, as well as the potential director’s ethnic, gender, generational and racial diversity. Currently, the Board has three female directors and one ethnically diverse director.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers candidates recommended by its members and other Directors, as well as those identified by a third-party search firm retained to assist in identifying candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will also consider whether to nominate any person recommended by a stockholder pursuant to the provisions of the Company’s By-Laws relating to stockholder nominations as described in “Stockholder Proposals and Nominations” below. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee uses the same criteria to evaluate proposed nominees that are recommended by Directors or a search firm as it does for stockholder-recommended nominees.

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

Annually, WTW benchmarks the amount and type of compensation paid to the Company’s non-employee Directors against that paid by other companies in the Industry Specific Peer Group used for comparing executive officer compensation (as described in “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Peer Group and Market Data”), as well as against a large published survey of non-employee director compensation across a wide range of industries and company sizes. The goal is to set non-management Director compensation at roughly the mid-point of compensation paid by companies of similar size in similar industries. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the benchmarking materials and approves and recommends all non-management Director compensation changes for approval by the full Board of Directors.

The following table sets forth information regarding the compensation of the non-employee Directors of the Company who served in 2022.

Director Compensation

On May 26, 2021, the Board of Directors revised the compensation program for non-employee directors as shown below. No changes were made to the compensation program for non-employee directors during 2020 or 2022.

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Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

Compensation History

Cash retainers and fees are payable in quarterly installments. The annual equity grant is payable in May of each year in shares of the Company’s common stock with a value of approximately $140,000 on the date of grant. The Company does not pay Board or committee meeting fees, but does reimburse all Directors for reasonable and necessary expenses they incur in performing their duties as Directors.

In July 2020, the Board of Directors approved a non-qualified deferred compensation plan for Directors (the “Directors NQDCP”) that allows the Directors to defer receipt and taxation of their annual compensation commencing in 2021. The Directors NQDCP has the same investment fund choices as the Company’s non-qualified deferred compensation plan for senior employees, but also allows the Directors to defer their cash and equity compensation into a Company stock fund. Messrs. Aghili, Hagemann, Scarborough and Ms. Wentworth participated in the Directors NQDCP during 2022.

BOARD RECOMMENDATION

The Board believes that voting for each of the three nominees for Director selected by the Board is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Board recommends a vote “FOR” each of the three nominees for Director.

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Audit Matters

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

This report by the Audit Committee is required by the rules of the SEC. It is not to be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement that incorporates by reference this Proxy Statement into any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, and it is not to be otherwise deemed filed under either such Act.

The Audit Committee is currently comprised of six members, each of whom is an “independent director,” as defined by Section 303A of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. Each of the members of the Audit Committee is financially literate and qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” under federal securities laws. The Audit Committee’s purposes are to assist the Board in overseeing: (a) the quality and integrity of our financial statements; (b) the qualifications and independence of our independent auditors; and (c) the performance of our internal audit function and independent auditors.

In carrying out its responsibilities, the Audit Committee has:

Based on the review and discussions noted above and our independent auditors’ report to the Audit Committee, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that our audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

Larry M. Venturelli (Chair)

Aziz Aghili

Paul D. Carrico

Robert A. Hagemann

Mary K. Rhinehart

Dean A. Scarborough

AUDIT FEES

Aggregate fees billed to us for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP are as follows:

Audit Fees. This category includes the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, for the reviews of the financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q during 2022 and 2021, and for services that are normally provided by the independent auditors in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the relevant fiscal years.

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Audit Matters

Audit-Related Fees. This category includes the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the independent auditors that are reasonably related to the performance of the audits or reviews of the financial statements and are not reported above under “Audit Fees,” and generally consist of fees for accounting consultation and audits of employee benefit plans.

Tax Fees. This category includes the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the independent auditors for tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice.

All Other Fees. This category includes the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the independent auditors that are not reported above under “Audit Fees,” “Audit-Related Fees,” or “Tax Fees.”

The Audit Committee reviews and pre-approves audit and non-audit services performed by the Company’s independent auditors as well as the fees charged for such services. The Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of non-audit services by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was compatible with maintaining the firm’s independence. The Audit Committee may delegate pre-approval authority for such services to one or more members, whose decisions are then presented to the full Audit Committee at its scheduled meetings. In 2022 and 2021, all of the audit and non-audit services provided by our independent auditors were pre-approved by the Audit Committee in accordance with the Audit Committee Charter.

Proposal 2 — Ratification of the

Appointment of Independent Registered

Public Accounting Firm

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has evaluated the qualifications, performance and independence of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2023. Although the Company is not required to submit the appointment of its independent registered public accounting firm to the stockholders for ratification, the Board of Directors believes that it is important to do so as a matter of good corporate governance. This proposal asks you to ratify this selection. Representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so. In addition, they will be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.

Pursuant to its charter, the Audit Committee has sole and direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by the Company. The Audit Committee will consider the results of the stockholder vote on ratification, but will exercise its judgment, consistent with its responsibilities under its charter, with respect to the appointment and retention of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

BOARD RECOMMENDATION

The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

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Compensation Matters

COMPENSATION AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE REPORT

The members of GPHC’s Compensation and Management Development Committee listed below reviewed and discussed the following Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management of the Company. Based on such review and discussion, the Compensation and Management Development Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement and incorporated by reference into the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Compensation and Management Development

Committee

Lynn A. Wentworth, Chair

Aziz Aghili

Laurie Brlas

Mary K. Rhinehart

Dean A. Scarborough

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis section (“CD&A”) describes the Company’s compensation principles, policies and practices, as well as the specific factors considered by the Compensation and Management Development Committee (referred to in this CD&A as the “Committee”) in making compensation decisions. This CD&A focuses on the compensation of our named executive officers (referred to herein as our “Named Executive Officers,” our “NEOs” or our “Executives”), who are set forth in the first table below and included in the Summary Compensation Table and other tables in this Proxy Statement.

CD&A At-a-Glance

Named Executive Officers:

Compensation Philosophy:

Target Total Compensation for NEOs: Approximate Median of Peer Group Similar Officers

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Compensation Matters

Compensation Components:

President and CEO		Other Named Executive Officers

Performance Goals and Results

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Compensation Matters

Executive Summary

Our compensation programs reflect our commitment to pay for performance and align the interests of our key employees with those of our stockholders. Executive compensation plans are designed to support the Company’s annual financial goals and long-term strategic plan, as well as to promote stockholder value creation. A significant portion of the compensation packages of our Executives is at-risk pay for performance earned based on specific financial and operational achievements. During 2022, the Company:

Throughout 2022, our compensation program performed as designed, allowing the Company to attract new talent, retain important members of management and reward key members of management appropriately for performance. The Company improved a number of significant financial metrics, including Net Sales, Net Organic Sales, Net Income, Adjusted EBITDA and Net Leverage, indicating that the Company is continuing to capture new business supported by consumer preference for sustainable, fiber-based packaging solutions and performing well operationally. As a result, the Committee approved the payout under the MIP for all participants at 200% of target, subject to business unit and individual performance adjustments.

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Compensation Matters

As demonstrated below, the total compensation of our President and CEO and the aggregate total compensation of our other NEOs for each of the past five years (as set forth in the Summary Compensation Table but excluding changes in pension value) is generally aligned with the performance and value of the Company as reflected in the price of its common stock at year-end.

CEO and Other NEO Compensation v. Stock Price Performance

Compensation Design and Market Positioning

The Company’s compensation programs are designed to attract, retain, motivate and reward the Executives responsible for leading the business in a manner that directly aligns the Executives’ interests with those of the Company’s stockholders. To accomplish these objectives, the Committee sets each of the primary components of the Company’s executive compensation program (base salary, short-term cash incentive and long-term equity-based incentives) at a market-competitive rate, which is determined by reference to the approximate median of the relevant peer group (the Industry Specific Peer Group for the CEO and CFO, and the Survey Peer Group for the other NEOs, each as identified below), resulting in each Executive’s total compensation opportunity being set at approximately the median of the relevant peer group’s total pay for executives with similar positions and responsibilities. The Committee does not employ a mechanical process based on external compensation data, however, as other considerations such as time in position, role, individual performance and succession within the Company are considered. As data for the relevant peer group fluctuates or the peer group members are updated to reflect changes in the market, the Committee may make adjustments in one or more components of compensation to more closely align with market. The Committee and, with respect to the President and CEO, the Board of Directors, have full discretion to choose the elements of executive compensation that the Executives will be paid or will be eligible to earn each year and to adjust the proportion of total compensation opportunity that each element provides. Company performance, market data, individual performance, executive succession, hiring and retention needs and internal equity among our Executives’ compensation packages have been the primary factors considered in decisions to change compensation materially.

Peer Group and Market Data

Annually we obtain an analysis of compensation market data to assist in setting pay opportunities for our Executives for the following year. Compensation of the Executives is compared to the pay opportunities provided to executives holding comparable positions at companies with which we compete for business and for talent. The companies used for this comparison are recommended by the Company and the Committee’s compensation consultant and approved by the Committee. Both peer groups are reviewed annually and updated, if necessary, to ensure their appropriateness given any market changes.

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Compensation Matters

The companies used to develop 2022 executive compensation are listed below. Amcor plc, International Paper Company and Pactiv Evergreen Inc. were added to the Industry Specific Peer Group to replace Domtar Corporation (which was acquired) and AptarGroup, Inc. (which no longer met the size criteria for the peer group). AGCO Corporation, Parker-Hannifin Corporation and Trane Technologies plc were added to the Survey Peer Group to replace Armstrong World Industries, Inc., MillerKnoll, Inc. and Steelcase Inc., which no longer met the size criteria for the peer group.

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Compensation Matters

Pay and Performance

Although target compensation for each of our Executives is established at the beginning of each year with reference to the approximate median of the relevant peer group, each Executive’s actual compensation each year may be above or below the target level based on individual, business unit and overall Company performance, as well as changes in the price of the Company’s common stock. The Committee believes that the Company’s compensation program has been successful in aligning pay levels with the performance of the Company over time. The chart below illustrates the relationship between the total compensation of the CEO and the aggregate compensation of the other NEOs and the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is used by the Company as a performance measure for both the MIP and the long-term equity incentive program because it measures the operational effectiveness of the whole organization while adjusting out those charges or credits that are unrelated to core operations or that are intended to benefit the Company in the long term.

CEO and Other NEO Compensation v. Adjusted EBITDA Performance

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Compensation Matters

Key Compensation Practices

Below are certain of the Company’s executive compensation practices that we believe are instrumental in achieving the Company’s compensation goals while mitigating risk and maintaining sound compensation practices.

Role of our Stockholders

Our stockholders play an important advisory role in determining the appropriateness of the compensation paid to our Executives. At the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 24, 2022, 91% of the shares represented and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting were voted to approve the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers, as discussed and disclosed in the 2022 Proxy Statement. After considering the results of this advisory vote on executive compensation, as well as the advisory votes in 2021 and 2020 that were each approved by 95%, the Committee concluded that the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers and the Company’s overall pay practices enjoy strong stockholder support. Going forward, future advisory votes on executive compensation, including the vote on the executive compensation described in this Proxy Statement will serve as an additional tool to guide the Board and the Committee in evaluating the alignment of the Company’s executive compensation program with the interests of the Company and its stockholders.

Note that at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 24, 2017, our stockholders expressed a preference that advisory votes on executive compensation occur every year. Consistent with this preference, the Board has implemented an advisory vote on executive compensation once every year. Following the vote on the frequency of stockholder votes on executive compensation described herein, the next required vote on the frequency of stockholder votes on executive compensation will occur at the 2029 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Role of the Compensation and Management Development Committee

The Committee is responsible for establishing the Company’s general compensation philosophy and working with management to develop all compensation programs, including the equity compensation programs in which the executive officers participate. The Committee works to ensure that the Company’s practices, policies and programs, including its integrated talent management process and its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, link pay to performance, encourage an appropriate degree of risk-taking, are consistent with the Company’s objectives of attracting, retaining, rewarding and motivating key employees, and align the interests of key employees with those of stockholders. The Committee’s annual process for determining the compensation of each NEO is depicted below.

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Compensation Matters

Compensation Process

In addition to setting compensation levels, the Committee annually reviews the Company’s compensation programs and assesses whether any risks arising from such practices, policies and programs are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Committee also reviews, evaluates and approves the Company’s health and welfare plan offerings and the Company’s retirement and savings plans to ensure their alignment with the market, effectiveness in attracting and retaining talent and cost effectiveness. The Committee is also responsible for reviewing the Company’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs and integrated talent management processes to assess the success of these programs in facilitating the Company’s short- and long-term objectives. The Committee directs the annual succession planning process for executive officers and facilitates the Board’s review and approval of the President and CEO’s succession plan. The Committee also annually reviews compliance with executive shareholding requirements and monitors any application of the Company’s clawback policy.

Role of Compensation Consultants

The Committee retained Willis Towers Watson US LLC (“WTW”) to act as the Committee’s independent advisor on executive compensation and benefits throughout 2022. The mandate of the compensation consultant is to work for the Committee in its review of executive compensation practices and programs, including assessing the overall competitiveness

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Compensation Matters

of pay levels and program design, and providing updates on market trends and technical considerations. The Committee instructed the compensation consultant to compile and provide data on both total pay and individual elements of compensation among companies in the peer groups, as well as trends in compensation practices that they observed within the peer groups and generally among public companies. The Committee does not rely on the compensation consultant to recommend specific levels of total pay or any specific element of compensation to our Executives (other than the CEO for whom they make a recommendation); such recommendations are developed by management based on information provided by the compensation consultant and then presented to the Committee for consideration. Representatives of WTW attended each of the five Committee meetings in 2022 at the Committee’s request and were available to provide information to the Committee as questions and issues arose. The Committee completes an assessment of the compensation consultant annually. The Committee determined that the compensation consultant is independent after consideration of the SEC’s independence factors.

Role of Executive Officers

The President and CEO and Executive Vice President, Human Resources use the compensation consultant’s executive benchmarking data to make recommendations for base pay, MIP targets and LTIP targets for the Executives (other than the President and CEO). The Committee works with the compensation consultant to propose the compensation design and award amounts for the President and CEO to the Board of Directors.

Overview of Executive Compensation Components

The Committee evaluates the alignment between compensation philosophy, plan design and achievement of short and long-term results to determine the components of our Executives’ compensation program. We structure the majority of compensation to Executives as performance-based compensation. Our 2022 executive compensation program consisted of the compensation components set forth in the table below.

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Compensation Matters

Compensation Components

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Compensation Matters

Each of these elements is discussed further below, as well as the methodology used for setting the amount of each type of compensation.

Base Salary

The Committee generally reviews and makes any adjustments to base salaries in connection with changes in position and on a periodic basis that is generally twelve months after the most recent adjustment for the Executive. As shown in the table below, in 2022 the Committee approved base salary increases for the Executives ranging from 3% to 12%, with Mr. Doss receiving an increase of 12% in recognition of the significant growth of the Company due to the AR Packaging acquisition and the resulting change in the scope of his position. Other base salary increases were based upon each Executive’s performance, scope of responsibilities, market data for executives with similar positions and responsibilities, and internal equity considerations. Such increases became effective as of January 1, 2022.

Short-Term Cash Incentive

The Company’s short-term cash incentive opportunity under the MIP rewards the achievement of specified annual financial goals. For 2022, the financial measures used to set such financial goals were Adjusted EBITDA and Cash Flow Before Debt Reduction, each weighted 50% in the calculation. The Committee chose these financial metrics because they are well understood objective targets and have a direct link to the Company’s annual business plan. The degree to which MIP pays out varies both up and down based on business performance (up to a maximum of 200% of target), as reflected in the following chart.

2022 MIP Performance Goals

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Compensation Matters

Adjustments to MIP target levels are made periodically, taking into consideration the relevant peer group, the CEO’s recommendations (for Executives other than himself) and input from the compensation consultant. The annual incentive target (as a percentage of base salary) for each of the Executives for 2021 and 2022 is set forth below:

Short-Term Cash Incentive Payouts for 2022. Cash incentive payouts under the MIP for 2022 for the Executives are shown in the Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column of the Summary Compensation Table. The Company’s performance with respect to its Adjusted EBITDA performance goal was 113% of target and with respect to its Cash Flow Before Debt Reduction performance goals was 117% of target, resulting in a calculated MIP payout at 200% of target.

For more information on the 2022 annual incentive opportunities for the Executives, refer to the “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” table in this Proxy Statement. The column titled “Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards” provides the estimated payouts for the Executives at threshold, target and maximum performance levels for 2022.

Long-Term Equity Incentives

The Committee has designed the long-term equity incentive program to be consistent with its desire to tie a larger percentage of the Executives’ total compensation to Company performance. Accordingly, one-third of the total long-term incentive value is granted in Service RSUs and two-thirds is granted in Performance RSUs. Both Service RSU and Performance RSU grants are intended to retain Executives during a multi-year vesting period and promote equity ownership.

Service RSUs and Performance RSUs granted under the long-term incentive program generally vest in full on the third anniversary of the date of grant (assuming the Executive has continued in his or her employment by the Company through such date). Upon death, disability, retirement (as defined in the grant agreement) or involuntary termination without cause, a proportion of the RSUs vests. In the event of a change of control (as defined in the Graphic Packaging Holding Company 2014 Omnibus Stock and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2014 Plan”)), all Service RSUs and earned Performance RSUs vest in full. The number of Performance RSUs considered earned in the event of a change of control is determined based on assumed target performance for the performance period.

Payout of 2019 Grants. In January 2022, the Committee approved the payout of the Performance RSUs granted in 2019 at 139.6% of target, based on the achievement of the performance goals for the three-year performance period shown below, as adjusted by the relative total stockholder return modifier.

2019 Long-Term Incentive Program Performance Goals

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The Company achieved Adjusted EBITDA of $3,156 million (102.5% of target) resulting in a payout of this component at 124.7% and Return on Invested Capital of 11.19% (101.5% of target) resulting in a payout of this component at 115.5% and a combined payout at 121.0% of target prior to application of the total stockholder return modifier. The Company’s performance with respect to TSR was at the 69.2 percentile, which resulted in a 115.4% payout modifier. Applying the TSR modifier to the Company’s 121.0% performance under the performance measures, the payout was 139.6% of target.

2022 Grants. In February 2022, the Company granted both Service RSUs and Performance RSUs to each Executive, under the long-term equity incentive program. For Executives, the total number of RSUs granted was set based on a value delivered as a percentage-of-salary formula, with the percentage established based on a review of responsibilities, market data and internal equity considerations. The value determined by the percentage of salary was then converted to the total number of RSUs by dividing the value by the average stock price of the Company’s common stock during January 2022. One-third of the total number of RSUs was granted as Service RSUs and two-thirds was granted as Performance RSUs. The target value of RSUs granted under the long-term equity incentive program (as a percentage of salary) during 2021 and 2022 for each of our Executives is set forth below:

For the Performance RSUs granted in 2022, the performance goals consist of a preset aggregate Adjusted EBITDA amount, a Return on Invested Capital percentage and an Organic Revenue Growth percentage. The actual Adjusted EBITDA, Return on Invested Capital and Organic Revenue Growth performance goals are not disclosed here, as the Committee believes they constitute sensitive competitive information. The actual goals will be disclosed after payout. The Adjusted EBITDA goal is weighted in the calculation of the Company’s annual achievement at 40%, the Return on invested capital percentage goal is weighted in the calculation at 40% and the Organic Revenue Growth goal is weighted at 20%. Total payout is also subject to a relative total stockholder return (“TSR”) modifier, which can modify payouts earned up or down by up to 20% (subject to the 200% of target cap). This payout modifier measures the Company’s stock performance against other similar companies and helps to more closely align management and stockholders’ interests.

Health and Welfare Benefit Plans

The Committee believes that it is necessary to provide health and welfare benefits to promote the well-being of the Company’s employees and to remain competitive in the recruitment of new high-performing talent. The health and welfare benefit plans are similar to those provided by the Company’s peer group companies.

Perquisites

The Company generally does not provide significant perquisites to its Executives, other than Company-initiated international assignment and relocation benefits (and tax gross-ups with respect thereto) and executive physicals.

Retirement Benefits

Qualified and Non-Qualified Defined Benefit Plans. During 2019 and 2020, the Company settled its liabilities under the GPI U.S. Consolidated Pension Plan (the “Pension Plan”) through lump-sum payouts to participants and the purchase of a group annuity contract that transferred the Company’s remaining pension benefit obligations to an insurance company. Following completion of these actions, none of the Executives participate in the Company’s remaining qualified pension plans, although Messrs. Doss and Yost still have balances in the Company’s supplemental executive retirement plans.

Qualified and Non-Qualified Defined Contribution Plans. Executives and all other non-union employees who meet certain service requirements are eligible to participate in the 401(k) Plan, which is a qualified defined contribution plan under the rules of the IRS. Employees hired on or after January 1, 2008 or who are no longer able to participate in the Pension Plan are eligible for an annual supplemental contribution by the Company to their 401(k) Plan account equal to 3% of eligible earnings.

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Executives and other eligible senior employees are also eligible to participate in the NQDCP. This plan allows Executives and other senior executives to contribute to and receive contributions from the Company on a basis that would be commensurate with other employees as a percent of pay. The plan offers investment options that generally mirror those available under the Company’s 401(k) Plan. Annually, the Company makes a 401(k) restoration matching contribution on behalf of those participants who do not participate in or receive future service accruals under the Company’s Pension Plans equal to a percentage of their annual deferral amount divided by compensation over the annual IRS limit, up to a maximum of 5.5%. The Company also makes a supplemental contribution equal to 3% of eligible pay over the annual IRS limit for Executives and senior executives of the Company. The NQDCP also provides an employer contribution equal to 3% of total pay for eligible senior executives (including the Executives).

Employment Agreements, Severance Arrangements and Change of Control Provisions

Executive officers serving prior to January 2014 (Messrs. Doss, Scherger and Yost) have employment agreements with generally uniform provisions, including non-competition and non-solicitation covenants as well as claims releases and severance provisions. The employment agreements specify the initial position, base salary and aggregate annual bonus opportunity (as a percentage of base salary) for each Executive at the time the agreement was entered into, as well as severance arrangements under different circumstances. Executives may receive severance benefits if they are terminated involuntarily without cause or terminate voluntarily for Good Reason (as defined below) within 30 days of the Good Reason event. The Executive must deliver written notice of intention to terminate for Good Reason, specifying the applicable provision, and provide the Company a reasonable opportunity to cure. The Good Reason provision in the agreements was designed to equalize the treatment of voluntary terminations for Good Reason with involuntary terminations without cause. Doing so enables the contracts to fulfill their purpose of promoting retention during times of uncertainty and transition. “Good Reason” as defined in the agreements includes material reduction in position, responsibilities or duties, failure by the Company to obtain the assumption of the agreement by a successor company, reduction in base salary (unless the reduction does not exceed 10% and is applied uniformly to all similarly situated executives), breach of agreement or mandatory relocation (other than in connection with promotion) of more than 50 miles. For Mr. Doss, the severance benefit is an amount equal to one year’s base salary, his target bonus for the year in which termination occurs and his actual bonus based on the plan targets, prorated for the number of days Mr. Doss is employed during the year in which termination occurs. For Messrs. Scherger and Yost, the severance benefit is one times base salary. Executives also receive health and welfare benefits for one year after termination and a pro-rata bonus payout. Mr. Doss also vests in any unvested equity awards on the date of his termination as if he were retirement eligible (daily pro-rata vesting) without regard to his actual age or years of service on the date of termination. In addition, if an Executive is separated from service without cause or for Good Reason within one year of a change in control, the Executive receives (i) an additional one-half year of base salary (one year for Mr. Doss) and (ii) instead of the pro-rata bonus, a bonus equal to the Executive’s target level bonus for the year in which the separation occurs (assuming that all performance targets had been achieved) multiplied by 1.5 (multiplied by 2 for Mr. Doss). All benefit payments under the employment agreements are conditioned upon the Executive executing and returning a claims release to the Company.

Executives who do not have employment agreements are eligible to participate in the Graphic Packaging International, LLC Executive Severance Plan. Similar to the provisions in the employment agreements, the Executive Severance Plan provides severance benefits equal to one year’s base salary and a pro-rata bonus if the Executive is terminated involuntarily without cause or terminates his or her employment for Good Reason. If such a termination occurs within one year after a change in control, Executives receive an additional one-half year’s base salary and an amount equal to his or her bonus at target level as if he or she had been employed for the entire year multiplied by 1.5. Payments under the Executive Severance Plan are conditioned upon the participant executing a release that includes a general release of claims against the Company and an agreement to certain confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation of employee and customer provisions.

In addition to the change in control provisions in the employment agreements and the Executive Severance Plan, the award agreements for Service RSUs and Performance RSUs provide for accelerated vesting and payout in the event of a change in control. A “change in control” of the Company means any of the following events:

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The foregoing events were chosen to trigger the vesting and payout of RSUs (even without a subsequent termination of employment) because they constitute a fundamental change in the ownership or control of the Company, which materially alters the prospects and future of the Company and, therefore, the employment conditions and opportunities for the members of management, including the Executives, who receive RSUs.

Policies Applicable to Executive Officers

Clawback Provisions

The Company has clawback provisions in the MIP and long-term equity incentive program grant agreements that call for the recoupment of any short-term incentive compensation under the MIP or any equity-based award given to a current or former employee in the event of a restatement of the Company’s reported financial results. If the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to the material non-compliance of the Company, as a result of misconduct, with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws and the employee (i) is determined by the Committee to have knowingly or grossly negligently engaged in misconduct, or knowingly or grossly failed to prevent misconduct, or (ii) if the employee is one of the individuals subject to automatic forfeiture under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or any other regulation, the employee must reimburse the Company the amount of any payment in settlement of any award earned or accrued during the twelve-month period following the filing of the non-compliant financial document.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

The Company has adopted stock ownership guidelines that apply to the non-management members of our Board of Directors and our senior officers (including the Executives). The guidelines require such persons to maintain beneficial ownership of the Company’s common stock having a value equal or greater than:

Shares owned by a Director or executive officer and unvested Service RSUs count toward satisfaction of the stock ownership guidelines. Unvested Performance RSUs do not count toward satisfaction of the stock ownership guidelines. Directors and executive officers are expected to achieve their applicable ownership levels within five years of becoming subject to the guidelines. All of the Company’s non-management Directors and Executives are in compliance or on target to comply with the guidelines.

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Hedging and Pledging Policy

The Company’s Hedging and Pledging Policy is contained in its Policy on Trading in Securities of Graphic Packaging Holding Company. Such policy prohibits any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or its subsidiaries, including their immediate family members and others in their households (each a “Company Associate”) from entering into short sales, publicly-traded options and hedging transactions such as zero cost collars and forward sale contracts that allow the Company Associate to lock in much of the value of his or her securities holdings or continue securities ownership without the full risks and rewards of such ownership. In addition, Company Associates are prohibited from pledging our securities, including through holding our securities in margin accounts or pledging our securities as collateral for a loan.

Tax Issues

Favorable accounting and federal corporate income tax treatment of the various elements of our compensation program is a consideration in its design. However, because of the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards, which are expected to offset the Company’s federal income tax obligations for several years, and because the Committee’s policy is to maximize long-term stockholder value, it is not a primary consideration.

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COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table sets forth the compensation paid to or earned by the Company’s Principal Executive Officer (Mr. Doss), Principal Financial Officer (Mr. Scherger), and the Company’s three other most highly paid executive officers who were serving as executive officers on December 31, 2022 (collectively, the “Named Executive Officers”) for each of the three fiscal years ended December 31, 2022.

Summary Compensation Table