UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.     )

Filed by the Registrant  ☒                             Filed by a Party Other Than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

2 Wells Avenue

Newton, Massachusetts 02459

April 29, 2021

Dear Shareholder:

We cordially invite you to attend our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). Due to the continued impact of COVID-19, we will host a virtual shareholder meeting conducted via live audio webcast. The virtual meeting format provides for an opportunity for participation from any location that is safe and convenient to an attendee, and we are committed to ensuring that our attendees have substantially the same opportunities to participate in a virtual setting as they would at an in-person meeting. You may attend the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders by logging in at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/BFAM2021. For further information on how to participate in the meeting, please see “Information Regarding the Virtual Annual Meeting” in the Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Proxy Statement”).

Pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow companies to furnish proxy materials to shareholders over the Internet, we are posting our proxy materials on the Internet and delivering a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”). This delivery process allows us to provide shareholders with the information they need, while at the same time conserving natural resources and lowering the cost of delivery. On or about April 29, 2021, we will begin mailing to our shareholders the Notice containing instructions on how to access the Proxy Statement and the 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as how to request a paper copy of these proxy materials by mail. The Notice also provides instructions on how to vote online. If you prefer, you can vote by mail or telephone by requesting a proxy card and following the instructions.

The Notice and the Proxy Statement accompanying this letter describe the business we will consider at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Your vote is important regardless of the number of shares you own. Whether or not you plan to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders virtually, we encourage you to consider the matters presented in the Proxy Statement and vote as soon as possible.

We hope that you will be able to join us on June 24th.

Sincerely,

Stephen H. Kramer

Chief Executive Officer and President

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

June 24, 2021

The 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (the “Company” or “Bright Horizons”) will be held on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). Due to the continued impact of COVID-19, this year’s Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting and there will be no physical location for shareholders to attend. Shareholders may attend the Annual Meeting via live webcast by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/BFAM2021. For further information on how to participate in the meeting, please see “Information Regarding the Virtual Annual Meeting” in the Proxy Statement.

The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes as further described in the Proxy Statement accompanying this notice:

Shareholders of record at the close of business on April 26, 2021 are entitled to notice of, and entitled to vote at, the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.

To attend the Annual Meeting, you must demonstrate that you were a Bright Horizons shareholder as of the close of business on the record date of April 26, 2021, or hold a valid proxy for the Annual Meeting from such a shareholder. To be admitted to the virtual Annual Meeting, visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/BFAM2021 and enter your 16-digit control number included on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, proxy card or voting instruction form. We encourage you to log-on prior to the start time for the meeting. You will have the opportunity to vote your shares and ask questions at the Annual Meeting by following the instructions available on www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/BFAM2021.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

John G. Casagrande

Secretary

Newton, Massachusetts

April 29, 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS INC.

PROXY STATEMENT

2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

June 24, 2021

8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time)

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (the “Company” or “Bright Horizons”) is soliciting your proxy for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) and at any reconvened meeting after postponement or adjournment of the Annual Meeting.

This Proxy Statement, the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”), the proxy card and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 (“2020 Annual Report”) are being first mailed or released to shareholders on or about April 29, 2021. Our address is 2 Wells Avenue, Newton, Massachusetts 02459.

Your vote is important. You may vote in person in one of four ways: (1) on the Internet, (2) by using a toll-free telephone number, (3) by completing a proxy card or voting instruction form and mailing it in the envelope provided, or (4) online at the Annual Meeting.

Both Internet and telephone voting provide easy-to-follow instructions and have procedures designed to authenticate your identity and permit you to confirm that your voting instructions are accurately reflected. If your shares are held through a broker, bank, trust or other holder of record, you may vote by Internet or telephone if your bank or broker makes those methods available, in which case the banks or brokers will enclose the instructions with this Proxy Statement. Alternatively, you may vote by signing and returning the proxy card. The Internet and telephone voting for shareholders of record will close at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. If your shares are held through a broker, bank, trust or other holder of record (i.e., in “street name”) and Internet or telephone voting is made available to you, these may close sooner than voting for shareholders of record. If you are a participant in the 401(k) Plan, your vote will serve as the voting instruction to the trustee of the plan for all shares you own through the 401(k) Plan. Shares of our common stock held in our 401(k) Plan must be voted on or before 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Monday, June 21, 2021. The trustee of our 401(k) Plan will vote shares for which timely instructions are not received in the same proportion as shares for which voting instructions were received under the 401(k) Plan.

The method by which you vote will not limit your right to vote at the Annual Meeting if you later decide to attend. You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted by voting later by telephone or Internet, returning a later-dated proxy card or voting instruction form, delivering a written revocation to the Corporate Secretary of Bright Horizons at the address above or by voting online at the Annual Meeting.

If you vote your shares by mail, telephone or Internet, your shares will be voted in accordance with your instructions. If you do not indicate specific choices when you vote by mail, telephone or Internet, your shares will be voted “FOR” the proposals as the Board recommends.

Shareholders of record at the close of business on April 26, 2021 are entitled to vote at the meeting. As of April 26, 2021, there were 61,029,075 shares of common stock outstanding and each share is entitled to one vote. Common stock is the only class of securities eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting. There are no cumulative voting rights.

A list of shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available 10 days prior to the meeting. Due to COVID-19, you may contact Investor Relations under “Resources” in the Investor Relations section of our website, www.brighthorizons.com, and we will arrange for you to inspect the list. The list of shareholders will also be available during the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/BFAM2021.

Quorum

The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote for the election of directors is necessary to constitute a quorum for all purposes.

Abstentions and “broker non-votes” are counted as present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining a quorum. Brokers who have record ownership of shares that they hold in “street name” for their clients who are the beneficial owners of the shares normally have discretion to vote such shares on routine matters, such as the

ratification of an independent registered public accounting firm, but do not have such discretion to vote on non-routine matters. Broker non-votes generally occur when the beneficial owner of shares held by a broker does not give the broker voting instructions on a non-routine matter. Proposals 1, 2 and 3 are non-routine matters and brokers are not permitted to vote your shares without instruction. Brokers are permitted to vote your shares without voting instructions on Proposal 4 (Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm).

Required Vote – Election of Directors

To elect directors under Proposal 1, our Amended and Restated By-laws (the “By-laws”) require that a director nominee be elected by a majority of votes cast in all elections other than a contested election of directors (as defined in our By-laws). This means a nominee will be elected to the Board if the votes cast “for” exceed the votes cast “against” such nominee’s election. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose, and will have no effect on the election of the nominees.

Required Vote – Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by the shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required for approval with respect to the advisory vote on executive compensation. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose, and will have no effect on the results of this vote.

Required Vote – Advisory Vote on Frequency of Future Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation

The frequency which receives the highest number of votes cast by the shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be viewed as the advisory vote on the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose, and will have no effect on the results of this vote.

Required Vote – Ratification of Appointment of Independent Auditors

The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by the shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required to ratify the appointment of our independent auditors. Abstentions are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose, and will have no effect on the results of this vote. Because the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) considers the ratification of the independent auditors to be routine, a broker holding shares in street name may vote on this proposal in the absence of instructions from the beneficial owner.

The Board recommends a vote:

The Company uses the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rule permitting companies to furnish proxy materials to their shareholders via the Internet. In accordance with this rule, on or about April 29, 2021, we sent to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 26, 2021 a Notice, which includes instructions on how to access this Proxy Statement and our 2020 Annual Report, and how to vote online for the Annual Meeting. If you received a Notice and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, please follow the instructions for requesting such materials included in the Notice.

This Proxy Statement and our 2020 Annual Report are available on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.brighthorizons.com under “Annual Meeting Materials.” If you would like to help reduce the environmental impact of our annual meetings and our costs of printing and mailing future materials, you can agree to access these documents in the future over the Internet rather than receiving printed copies in the mail.

If you are a shareholder of record, to consent to electronic delivery and receive all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the Internet visit www.proxyvote.com and follow the instructions. When prompted, indicate that you agree to receive and access proxy materials electronically in future

years. Once you enroll, you will receive all future mailings via electronic delivery until you elect to cancel your enrollment by following the instructions provided on the website.

If you hold our common stock through a broker, bank, trust or other holder of record, please refer to the information provided by your broker, bank, trust or other holder of record regarding the availability of electronic delivery. If you hold our common stock through a broker, bank, trust or other holder of record and you have elected electronic access, you will receive information from your broker, bank, trust or other holder of record containing the Internet address for use in accessing this Proxy Statement and the 2020 Annual Report.

Once you sign up, you will continue to receive proxy materials electronically until you revoke this preference.

PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Bright Horizons has a classified Board currently consisting of four directors with terms expiring in 2021 (Class II), three directors with terms expiring in 2022 (Class III), and three directors with terms expiring in 2023 (Class I). At each annual meeting of shareholders, directors in one class are elected for a full term of three years to succeed those directors whose terms are expiring. For information on the recent retirement of our founders from the Board, please see “Board Refreshment in 2021” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

This year, four Class II director nominees will stand for election to a three-year term expiring at the 2024 annual meeting. The persons named as proxies will vote to elect Julie Atkinson, Jordan Hitch, Laurel J. Richie and Mary Ann Tocio as directors unless your proxy is marked otherwise. Each of these nominees has indicated his or her willingness to serve, if elected, and as of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Board is not aware that any nominee is unable or will decline to serve as a director. In the event any nominee is unable to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, the shares of common stock represented by proxies may be voted for a substitute nominee, if any, who may be designated by the Board to fill the vacancy.

We seek nominees with established strong professional reputations, business acumen and experience in multi-site operations and/or contracted business services in the child care, employee benefits and work/life solutions industry. We also seek nominees with experience in substantive areas that are important to our business such as international operations; accounting, finance and capital structure; strategic planning and leadership of complex organizations; human resources and development practices; marketing strategy; and innovation.

The below nominees have substantial leadership, management, and industry expertise. The diversity of experience of these nominees, as illustrated by the skills described in their biographies below, help drive our strategic priorities. Each nominee brings a unique perspective to our Board that we believe is invaluable.

The individuals listed below, Julie Atkinson, Jordan Hitch, Laurel J. Richie and Mary Ann Tocio, have been nominated and are standing for election at this year’s Annual Meeting. If elected, they will hold office until our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. All of these directors, with the exception of Ms. Richie, who joined the Board in 2019, were previously elected to the Board by shareholders.

This year’s nominees are all independent. Each nominee holds or has held senior executive positions in large, complex organizations or with businesses within our industry, and have a broad range of experience that spans different industries and sectors. Each nominee has experience serving on boards and committees of other public companies and all nominees possess an understanding of public company corporate governance practices and trends. All of our nominees have served the Board previously, which has provided them with significant exposure to both our business and the industry in which we compete. Our nominees bring to our Board a variety of skills, qualifications and viewpoints that both strengthen their ability to carry out their oversight role on behalf of our shareholders and bring richness to Board deliberations.

We believe that all our nominees possess the professional and personal qualifications necessary for board service, and we have highlighted particularly noteworthy attributes and qualifications for each director in the individual biographies below.

The Company has a majority voting requirement for the uncontested election of directors, which increases our Board’s accountability to our shareholders. A majority of the votes cast at the meeting will be required for the election of each of the Class II director nominees. A nominee for director will be elected to the Board if the votes cast “for” such nominee’s election exceed the votes cast “against” such nominee’s election. Broker non-votes and abstentions are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose, and will have no effect on the outcome of the election of the nominees.

Directors with Terms Expiring in 2022 (Class III Directors)

Directors with Terms Expiring in 2023 (Class I Directors)

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The Company’s director compensation program for non-employee directors, as further described below, is intended to be competitive in attracting and recruiting new Board candidates and to align our directors’ interests with those of our shareholders.

Our non-employee directors receive an annual retainer of $50,000 for their service on the Board and receive the following additional annual retainers for their service on Board committees:

(1)    Committee Chairs do not receive a committee member retainer.

If a non-employee director does not serve on the Board or a Board committee for the full year, the Board and any applicable committee retainers and equity grants, as described below, are generally pro-rated.

The current non-employee Chair of the Board, Mr. Lissy, receives a total annual retainer of $225,000 in recognition of the leadership, expertise, and industry experience that he brings to the role as well as his counsel and assistance on various strategic initiatives. Mr. Lissy also receives medical, dental and supplemental disability insurance.

Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s operations, including the temporary closure of Bright Horizons centers, members of the Board voluntarily agreed to reduce or forgo their annual cash retainers effective April 1, 2020. These changes to the directors’ cash retainers were to remain in place until the earlier of December 31, 2020 or such time as a majority of the Bright Horizons centers that temporarily closed as a result of COVID-19 reopened. On August 31, 2020, a majority of Bright Horizons centers had reopened and Board compensation was reinstated. Please refer to footnote (1) to the Director Compensation Table below for more information.

Each non-employee director receives an annual equity grant of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) valued at $100,000 and our Chair receives an annual equity grant of RSUs valued at $150,000, with the number of stock units determined by dividing the grant value by the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE on the date of grant. These RSUs are fully vested on the grant date and are settled on the earliest of (1) the director’s termination of service as a member of the Board, (2) the fifth anniversary of the grant date, or (3) a change of control of the Company.

The Company reimburses Board members for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Board and Board committee meetings.

The Board has adopted minimum stock ownership guidelines for non-employee directors. Non-employee directors are expected to own Company shares with a market value equal to five times (5x) the annual Board cash retainer and have five years from the later of (1) May 2016 (the date of adoption) or (2) the date of their appointment to the Board, to achieve this threshold.

As of December 31, 2020, all our non-employee directors met or exceeded this stock ownership requirement.

The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation earned by our non-employee directors during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 (“fiscal 2020”). Compensation for Mr. Kramer in fiscal 2020, as Chief Executive Officer, is included in the “Summary Compensation Table” and the supplemental tables under the heading “Executive Compensation” included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. Mr. Kramer did not receive any additional compensation for serving on the Board during fiscal 2020.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD

On December 15, 2020, Ms. Linda Mason, Ms. Marguerite Kondracke and Mr. Roger Brown, the founders of the Company, each informed the Board of their intent to retire from the Board effective March 31, 2021. Mses. Mason and Kondracke and Mr. Brown provided for a future retirement date in order to allow for a seamless transition for the Board. Following their retirement, the Board reduced its size to 10 members and reclassified the Board into three classes of nearly equal size to balance the membership among the classes of directors. To effect this change, Mr. Lissy was reclassified as a Class III director and will stand for reelection at the annual meeting of shareholders in 2022 making him eligible for reelection one year earlier than currently scheduled.

In connection with the founders’ retirements, Ms. Richie replaced Ms. Kondracke as Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

In recognition of their longstanding and distinguished service to the Company and the Board, the Board appointed Mses. Mason and Kondracke and Mr. Brown each as a Director Emeritus of the Company, effective as of March 31, 2021. Director Emeritus is an honorary designation and is not considered a director of the Company.

Our Board wishes to thank Mses. Mason and Kondracke and Mr. Brown for their long-standing service and many years of invaluable guidance to the Company.

We have an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, each with the composition and responsibilities described below. Each committee operates under a charter that has been approved by the Board. A copy of each charter can be found under “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents” in the Investor Relations section of our website, www.brighthorizons.com. The members of each committee are appointed by the Board and each member serves until his or her successor is elected and qualified, unless he or she is earlier removed or resigns.

The Board is composed of a majority of independent directors, and our standing committees, Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance, are composed entirely of independent directors as defined under applicable rules of the NYSE (the “NYSE Rules”) and the rules of the SEC. For information on our director independence, please see “Board Independence” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

The Board and its committees meet periodically throughout the year to oversee management of the Company’s business and affairs for the benefit of its shareholders. During 2020, the Board held six meetings and acted by written consent two times and also had periodic in-person and written updates with respect to the impact of COVID-19 on the Company. During 2020, each director attended at least 75% of the total Board and Committee meetings on which he or she served during the periods that he or she served. We encourage, but do not require, our directors to attend annual meetings of shareholders and, in 2020, nine of our directors attended.

Periodically, throughout the year, the independent directors meet in executive session without members of management present. These meetings allow independent directors to discuss issues of importance to the Company, including the business and affairs of the Company as well as matters concerning management, without any member of management present. In 2020, executive sessions of independent directors were presided over by Ms. Mason, an independent director and our former Chair and, beginning in 2021, executive sessions of independent directors are presided over by Mr. Hitch, an independent director.

The Board has three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. From time to time, special committees may be established under the direction of the Board when necessary to address specific issues. The Board has delegated various responsibilities and authorities to these committees, as described below and in the committee charters. The committees periodically report on their activities and actions to the Board.

The table below provides information about the current membership of these committees:

Director

Class

Current Term

Independent

Audit

Compensation

Nominating and Corporate Governance

Lawrence M. Alleva

III

2022

☑

☑

Julie Atkinson

II

2021

☑

☑

Joshua Bekenstein

III

2022

☑

☑

Jordan Hitch

II

2021

☑

☑

Stephen H. Kramer

I

2023

Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot

I

2023

☑

☑

David H. Lissy(1)

III

2022

Cathy E. Minehan

I

2023

☑

☑

Laurel J. Richie(2)

II

2021

☑

☑

Mary Ann Tocio

II

2021

☑

Number of meetings during fiscal 2020

9

4

3

Action by written consent during fiscal 2020

1

2

—

= Chair

The Audit Committee’s purpose, roles and responsibilities are set forth in a written Audit Committee charter adopted by the Board, which can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website at www.brighthorizons.com under “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents.” The Audit Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board in its oversight of (i) the integrity of the consolidated financial statements of the Company, (ii) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (iii) the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence, (iv) the performance of the Company’s internal audit function and independent auditor, and (v) the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Audit Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are to:

The Board has determined that all of the members are independent directors pursuant to Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and NYSE Rules. All of our members are financially literate and Mr. Alleva and Ms. Minehan are also each considered an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the applicable rules of the SEC. The Audit Committee’s Report is included on page 53 of this Proxy Statement.

The Compensation Committee’s purpose, roles and responsibilities are set forth in a written Compensation Committee charter adopted by the Board, which can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website at www.brighthorizons.com under “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents.” The Compensation Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are to:

The Board has determined that all of the members are independent directors pursuant to NYSE Rules. The Compensation Committee does not currently use a compensation consultant. Pursuant to its charter and the Company’s 2012 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, as Amended and Restated (the “Equity Plan”), the Compensation Committee has the authority to delegate to one or more Board members or subcommittees any of its duties and responsibilities, and to delegate to officers, the power to grant awards, when appropriate. The Compensation Committee, in its role as administrator under the Equity Plan, approved the delegation of authority to Mr. Kramer, a Board member and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, to grant equity awards, among other actions, under the Equity Plan within certain specified parameters.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s purpose, roles and responsibilities are set forth in a written charter adopted by the Board, which can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website at www.brighthorizons.com under “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents.” The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are to:

The Board has determined that all of the members are independent directors pursuant to NYSE Rules.

While the Board has no set policy with respect to the separation of the offices of Chair and Chief Executive Officer and may review these offices from time to time, the Board has a long-standing practice of separating the offices of the Chair and the Chief Executive Officer. Such a review was conducted during the succession-management process relating to the appointment in 2018 of Mr. Kramer as Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Lissy as Executive Chairman and again, in 2019, when the Board considered Mr. Lissy’s transition from Executive Chairman to non-employee Chair. As a result of these reviews, the Board has determined to continue to separate the roles of Chair (now held by a non-employee director) and Chief Executive Officer.

The Board believes that the separate roles are currently in the best interest of Bright Horizons and its shareholders. Mr. Lissy has wide-ranging, in-depth knowledge of our business arising from his many years of service to Bright Horizons and, as a result, provides effective leadership and stewardship for the Board. This structure permits Mr. Kramer to devote his attention to leading Bright Horizons and focusing on the Company’s strategic direction and day-to-day leadership and performance of our business and operations.

The Compensation Committee and the full Board periodically review succession planning for the Chief Executive Officer and other senior leadership positions. These reviews include consideration and assessment of the most promising leadership talent throughout the Company, and roles in which external candidates may need to be considered. The Board’s commitment to developing a strong succession plan for executive officer roles was evident in December 2019 when it appointed Maribeth Bearfield, Chief Human Resource Officer, and John G. Casagrande, General Counsel and Secretary, as executive officers in connection with the transition of David H. Lissy from Executive Chairman to non-employee Chair effective December 31, 2019 and other recent leadership changes.

It is management’s responsibility to manage risk and bring to the Board’s attention risks that are material to Bright Horizons. The Board has oversight responsibility for the systems established to report and monitor the most significant risks applicable to Bright Horizons. The Board administers its risk oversight role directly and through its committee structure and the committees’ periodic reports to the Board.

The Board reviews strategic, financial and execution risks and exposures associated with the annual and long-term plan, major litigation and other matters that may present material risks to the Company’s operations, plans, prospects, strategy or the Company’s reputation. The Board annually reviews the Company’s enterprise risk management program and receives regular updates on risk exposures including, most recently, regular updates from our management team on the impact of COVID-19 and related risks and uncertainties on our business, employees, clients and families we serve. The Board has continuously reviewed, overseen and continues to monitor COVID-19 risks and mitigation strategies related to the Company’s center operations, return-to-work procedures, business strategy, business continuity, and the Company’s financial planning.

The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s internal audit function and reviews risks associated with financial and accounting matters, including financial reporting, accounting, disclosure, internal controls over financial reporting, ethics and compliance programs, and regulatory compliance. The Audit Committee oversees and discusses with management the Company’s practices with respect to our enterprise risk management program and the implementation of the Company’s policies and controls for management of such risks as well as the risks associated with cybersecurity and data protection, which include key aspects of data privacy, system security and the security of our operations. As part of these efforts, the Audit Committee receives periodic in-person updates concerning management’s efforts to address cybersecurity and data privacy risks. This year, the Audit Committee has overseen risks to the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures and the independent audit as well as financial risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Compensation Committee reviews risks related to executive compensation and the design of compensation programs, plans and arrangements and oversees the development of executive succession plans, including compensation-related risks resulting from the short-term and long-term uncertainties to the Company’s financial plan as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees Board refreshment and the appropriate assignment of directors to the Board committees for risk oversight and other areas of responsibilities, monitors and reviews the Company’s ESG strategy, initiatives and policies, including receiving periodic reports regarding the Company’s ESG efforts and assists in the Board’s oversight of the Company’s human capital management policies, strategies and initiatives, including diversity, equity and inclusion.

Shareholders and other interested parties may communicate directly with the Board, the non-employee directors or the independent directors as a group, or specified individual directors, such as the presiding director, by writing to such individual or group c/o Corporate Secretary, Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc., 2 Wells Avenue, Newton, Massachusetts 02459. The Secretary will forward such communications to the relevant group or individual at or prior to the next meeting of the Board, excluding those items that are not directly related to Board duties and responsibilities, such as advertisements, solicitations, surveys, junk mail and mass mailings.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Bright Horizons demands integrity and is committed to upholding high ethical standards. Our strong corporate governance practices support this goal and provide a framework within which the Board and management can pursue the strategic objectives of the Company and ensure long-term growth for the benefit of our shareholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regularly reviews developments in, and matters related to, corporate governance. Highlights of our corporate governance practices are listed below and discussed elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

Key Corporate Governance Practices:

Key Corporate Governance Practices—(Continued):

Our Board and management team greatly value the opinions and feedback of our shareholders and are committed to engaging with, and listening to, our shareholders. In 2020, we undertook an off-season shareholder engagement program focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, the Company’s response to COVID-19 and covered other topics related to corporate governance and corporate responsibility/sustainability. This outreach was in addition to the ongoing dialogue among our shareholders and our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Investor Relations team regarding our financial and strategic performance. This off-season we contacted shareholders representing over 70% of shares owned resulting in telephonic meetings with shareholders representing more than 40% of shares owned.

Participants from Bright Horizons varied per call and included, the Chief Financial Officer, members of Investor Relations and Legal, and for certain calls, the Chief Executive Officer or a member of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Feedback was positive with many investors expressing appreciation for the opportunity for direct dialogue and engagement. Topics covered during our discussions with investors included:

The feedback from this engagement was presented to, and continues to be reviewed by, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in the context of our overall corporate governance policies.

The Board of Directors and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are committed to ensuring our Board represents a balance of longer-tenured members with in-depth knowledge of our business and newer members who bring valuable additional attributes, skills and experience. In addition to ensuring the Board reflects an appropriate mix of experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee focuses on director succession and tenure and regularly reviews a Board skill set matrix.

Over the last five years, the Board has undergone significant refreshment by bringing in new directors who lend fresh perspectives resulting in increased gender and racial diversity and broadened backgrounds and skill sets.

Board Refreshment

Under the leadership of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board has been notably refreshed over the last five years by adding four new directors, including three independent directors—all of whom are women—and rotating five directors off the Board. Since 2016, we have welcomed the following directors who have brought a mix of experience in digital strategy, marketing, communications, innovation, strategic and operational leadership, industry experience, financial expertise and risk management:

•   Cathy E. Minehan in 2016   •   Julie Atkinson in 2017   •   Stephen H. Kramer in 2018   •   Laurel J. Richie in 2019

In March 2021, Mses. Mason and Kondracke and Mr. Brown each retired from the Board and were named honorary Director Emeritus, which is discussed further under “Board Refreshment in 2021” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. At this time, the Board was reduced to 10 members and the average Board tenure decreased by 3.5 years.

Board Diversity

Our goal is to have a Board that represents diversity as to experience, gender and ethnicity/race and is committed to a diversified membership, in terms of both the individuals involved as well as their various experiences and areas of expertise. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include, and has any search firm that it engages include, women and minority candidates in the pool from which director candidates are selected and the Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee together provide oversight of all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Board Expertise

We seek a Board that reflects a range of talents, ages, skills, character and expertise— particularly in the areas of finance and accounting, management, domestic and international markets, leadership, corporate governance and the child care, education and related industries in which we operate—sufficient to provide sound and prudent guidance with respect to our operations and interests. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regularly reviews the skills, experience, and backgrounds that it believes are desirable to be represented on the Board. The following depicts certain of the Board members’ varied skills, experience, and backgrounds based on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s most recent skills review:

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Board shall consist of such number of directors who are independent as is required and determined in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and requirements of the NYSE. The Board evaluates relationships of each director and nominee with Bright Horizons and makes an affirmative determination whether or not such director or nominee is independent. Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, an “independent” director is one who meets the qualification requirements for being an independent director under applicable laws and the listing standards of the NYSE. The Board reviews transactions and relationships between each non-employee director and nominee or any member of his or her immediate family and Bright Horizons. The purpose of this review is to determine whether there are any such relationships or transactions and, if so, whether they are inconsistent with a determination that the director or nominee was independent.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Board is responsible for annually conducting a self-evaluation of the Board as a whole. In addition, the written charters of each of the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees provide that each committee shall evaluate its performance on an annual basis. During 2020, the Board and each committee conducted a self-evaluation pursuant to these requirements.

The Board conducts an individual director assessment and peer review annually to enhance director development, accountability and leadership planning. The Board views this annual individual self-assessment and peer review as an integral part of its commitment to continuous improvement and achieving high levels of Board and committee performance. Below is a synopsis of the Board’s self-evaluation and individual director self-assessment and peer review process:

Criteria and Process of Identifying and Evaluating Candidates for Consideration as a Director Nominee

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for recommending candidates to stand for election to the Board at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders and for recommending candidates to fill vacancies on the Board that may occur between annual meetings. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee receives suggestions for new directors from a number of sources, including other Board members and our Chief Executive Officer. It also may, in its discretion, employ a third-party search firm to assist in identifying candidates for director. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Board shall review the appropriate skills and characteristics required of Board members in the context of its current make-up. It is the policy of the Board that directors should possess the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and values. Board members are expected to become and remain informed about the Company, its business and its industry and rigorously prepare for, attend and participate in all Board and applicable committee meetings.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates each individual in the context of the skills, character, diversity and expertise of the Board as a whole, with the objective of recommending a group that can best continue the success of our business and represent shareholder interests through the exercise of sound judgment using its diversity of experience. The Board seeks the best director candidates based on the skills and characteristics required without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that our Board seeks to represent diversity as to experience, gender and ethnicity/race as well as be committed to a diversified membership, in terms of both the individuals involved as well as their various experiences and areas of expertise. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines also provide that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include, and has any search firm that it engages include, women and minority candidates in the pool from which director candidates are selected. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers, in light of our business, each director nominee’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that are identified in the biographical information contained under “Proposal 1—Election of Directors.”

Procedures for Recommendation of Director Nominees by Shareholders

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers properly submitted recommendations for candidates to the Board from shareholders in accordance with our By-laws. Any shareholder may submit in writing a candidate for consideration for each shareholder meeting at which directors are to be elected by no later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the anniversary date of the prior year’s annual meeting. Any shareholder recommendations for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee should include the candidate’s name, biographical information, and the information required by Section 1.2 of our By-laws. Recommendations should be sent to c/o Corporate Secretary, Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc., 2 Wells Avenue, Newton, MA 02459. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates candidates for the position of director recommended by shareholders or others in the same manner as candidates from other sources. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will determine whether to interview any candidates and may seek additional information about candidates from third-party sources.

The Company’s By-laws include a majority voting requirement for the election of directors at uncontested meetings of shareholders to increase our Board’s accountability to our shareholders. Under the Company’s majority voting standard, a nominee for director in an uncontested election will be elected to the Board if the votes cast “for” such nominee’s election exceed the votes cast “against” such nominee’s election (disregarding abstentions and broker non-votes). Directors are elected by plurality vote in a contested election of directors (as defined in our By-laws). Our By-laws provide that a proposed nominee must deliver an irrevocable letter of resignation as a director, effective upon such person’s failure to receive the required vote for reelection at the next meeting of shareholders at which such person faces reelection. To the extent that an irrevocable resignation has not been previously received by the Board from an incumbent director, in an election that is not a contested election, if any incumbent director nominated for reelection fails to receive a majority of the votes cast in an election, such director will promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board. An irrevocable resignation shall become effective on (1) that person not receiving a majority of the votes cast in an election that is not a contested election of directors, and (2) acceptance of that resignation by the Board in accordance with Section 2.2 of our By-laws. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall make a recommendation to the Board as to whether to accept or reject an incumbent director’s resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The Board shall act on the resignation, taking into account the committee’s recommendation, and publicly disclose its decision regarding the resignation and the rationale behind the decision within 90 days following certification of the election results. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in making its recommendation and the Board in making its decision each may consider any factors and other information that they consider appropriate and relevant. If the Board does not accept the resignation, the incumbent director will continue to serve until the next annual meeting and until his or her successor is duly elected, or earlier resignation or removal.

It is our policy that directors, who are also employees of the Company shall offer their resignation from the Board at the same time they retire from employment with the Company. In addition, it is our policy that directors who retire or otherwise change from the principal occupation or background association they held when they were originally invited to the Board should provide notice to the Board and offer to resign. The Board does not believe that such directors should necessarily leave the Board, but it is our policy that there should be an opportunity for the Board to review the continued appropriateness of such director’s membership under these circumstances.

We believe that no director should serve on more than four boards of public companies (including our Board), provided, however, that current directors serving on more than four boards of public companies at the time this provision was adopted may continue to serve on those boards until such time as they meet this requirement. We believe that our Chief Executive Officer should serve on no more than two boards of public companies (including our Board).

Pursuant to our Audit Committee charter and NYSE Rules, members may serve on no more than three separate public company audit committees simultaneously without prior review and determination by the Board that such simultaneous service would not impair the ability of such member to effectively serve on the Company’s Audit Committee. Mr. Alleva, a retired partner at PwC, currently serves on the audit committees of four public companies (including Bright Horizons). The Board, after due consideration of the facts and in light of Mr. Alleva’s dedication to, and stewardship of, the Company’s Audit Committee, has determined that Mr. Alleva’s service on the audit committees of four public companies would not impair his ability to effectively serve on the Company’s Audit Committee.

Our director orientation and continuing education program consists of visits to Bright Horizons centers, background material on the Company, education regarding our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and other policies and practices relevant to our business and operations, and meetings with and presentations by senior management. In addition, we provide updates on relevant topics of interest to the Board. We also encourage directors to attend director education programs sponsored by various educational institutions and all Board members receive a National Association of Corporate Directors membership.

Bright Horizons demands integrity and is committed to upholding high ethical standards. We have a written Code of Business Conduct and Ethics Applicable to all Directors, Officers and Employees and a written Code of Ethics for Senior Managers and Financial Management Team, which are designed to ensure that our business is conducted with integrity. These codes cover, among other things, professional conduct, conflicts of interest, accurate recordkeeping and reporting, public communications and the protection of confidential information, as well as adherence to laws and regulations applicable to the conduct of our business. Copies of these codes can be found under “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents” in the Investor Relations section of our website, www.brighthorizons.com. We intend to disclose any future amendments to, or waivers from, these codes of ethics for Bright Horizons executive officers within four business days of the waiver or amendment through a website posting or by filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC.

The current versions of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics Applicable to all Directors, Officers and Employees, Code of Ethics for Senior Managers and Financial Management Team and charters for our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are available under “Corporate Governance—Governance Documents” in the Investor Relations section of our website, www.brighthorizons.com. These materials are also available in print free of charge to shareholders upon written request to c/o Corporate Secretary, Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc., 2 Wells Avenue, Newton, Massachusetts 02459.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ESG

				To deliver results, we put our HEART in everything we do. Our HEART Principles—HONESTY, EXCELLENCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPECT, and TEAMWORK are the core tenets of our mission and our culture. Our corporate and social responsibility and philanthropic efforts are aligned with our mission and values, supporting initiatives that combine our knowledge, experience and compassion—both as an organization and as individuals. These efforts and principles are embedded throughout our operations, and our unique business model affords us the opportunity to not only build a sustainable long-term organization, but to also have a significant impact on the children, families and adult learners we work with and in the communities where we live.

Social Sustainability

Bright Horizons strives to be a positive influence in our communities by living up to the highest ethical standards, pursuing socially-minded business practices, providing rewarding career and employment opportunities, delivering high-quality child care and early education, and giving back to our communities in concert with our employees’ individual efforts. During 2020 and 2021, together, we:

Employee Sustainability and Development

Our business is about serving people. Our success depends on attracting, developing and retaining talented and highly qualified employees. We are continually investing in resources and creating programs to drive diversity, equity and inclusion, to provide fair and competitive pay and benefits to support our employees’ well-being, and to foster personal growth and career development opportunities. We endeavor to create an environment that rewards performance, enhances our culture and employee experience, and retains and engages our talent. A few notable programs and initiatives are summarized below:

For more information our benefits and total rewards, please see the Company’s 2020 Annual Report.

Our Response to COVID-19

In response to COVID-19, our primary focus and attention has been on the well-being and health and safety of the children and families we serve, the teachers and staff at our centers and all of our employees.

Governance and Ethical Sustainability

Ethical behavior is a core tenet of our Company’s values. The foundation of our culture is our HEART principles, through which we encourage Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork. We operate a robust ethics and compliance program, which includes regular employee training, and our Code of Business

Conduct and Code of Ethics are designed to promote ethical behavior and integrity throughout our business—across all locations and job functions. Additionally, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee monitors and reviews the Company’s ESG strategy and assists in overseeing the Company’s human capital management strategy and initiatives. Our other governance highlights are discussed elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Bright Horizons, diversity, equity and inclusion are core priorities that we believe are critical to our long-term success by improving the work we do, the services we provide and, ultimately, the value we create. We are an organization made up of employees, children and families from many cultures, backgrounds and experiences and are committed to a workplace where all employees feel welcome, comfortable and a sense of belonging. As an organization built around people, we believe diversity, equity and inclusion enhances all our offerings and service lines and the education we deliver daily to children and families.

Our Vision for Inclusion. Our Inclusion Vision in which we are committed to creating inclusive environments where everyone has a sense of belonging and has the opportunity to contribute and thrive in meaningful and impactful ways guides and defines our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. To bring this vision to life, we leverage the groups below to facilitate interactive activities, ignite/engage in bold conversations, and lead diversity awareness and inclusive leadership trainings, webinars and discussion groups—all with an aim to aid us in creating a culture where everyone’s unique differences are celebrated and valued:

Recent Initiatives. We are focused on taking action to make real change, not for a moment in time, but for the long-term and, in 2020, launched a number of initiatives, including:

Our Award Winning Culture. We are honored and proud to have a long track record of being named an employer of choice. Following are some of our most recent awards related to culture, diversity and inclusion that we believe are a product of the strong culture we have built at Bright Horizons:

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

In fiscal 2020, we did not enter into any reportable related person transaction, nor is any related person transaction currently proposed, in which any of our directors or executive officers has a direct or indirect material interest. As of December 31, 2020, we had more than 1,300 client relationships with employers across a diverse array of industries and, from time to time, we may provide service offerings to certain of our 5% or greater shareholders. Any contracts and transactions with such shareholders are consummated in the ordinary course of business on an arm’s-length basis.

The Board has adopted a written policy for the review and approval or ratification of transactions involving related persons. “Related Persons” consist of any person who is or was (since the beginning of the fiscal year) a director, nominee for director or executive officer, any greater than 5% shareholder and the immediate family members of any of those persons. The Audit Committee is responsible for administering this policy.

Transactions covered by the policy consist of any transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) or any series of similar transactions, arrangements, or relationships, or currently proposed transaction, in which (1) the aggregate amount exceeds $120,000 with respect to any fiscal year, (2) the Company is a participant, and (3) any Related Person has or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity (an “Interested Transaction”). Under the policy, the Audit Committee and the Board have reviewed and determined that certain categories of Interested Transactions are deemed to be pre-approved or ratified by the Board even if the amounts will exceed $120,000. These are: (a) the employment and compensation arrangements required to be reported in the proxy statement; (b) director compensation required to be reported in the proxy statement; (c) any transaction with another company if the aggregate amount involved does not exceed the greater of $1,000,000 or 2% of that company’s total revenues, or any transaction where the Company is indebted to another company if the total amount of indebtedness does not exceed 1% of that company’s total consolidated assets (in both cases, the pre-approval applies if the Related Person’s only relationship is as an employee (other than executive officer), director or beneficial owner of less than 10% of the other company’s shares); (d) competitively bid or regulated public utility services transactions; (e) transactions involving trustee-type services; and (f) transactions where the Related Person’s interest arises solely from the ownership of our common stock and all common shareholders received the same benefit on a pro rata basis.

The Audit Committee Chair has the authority to pre-approve or ratify any Interested Transaction with a Related Person in which the aggregate amount involved is expected to be less than $500,000. In determining whether to approve or ratify an Interested Transaction, the Audit Committee and the committee Chair, as applicable, may take into account such factors as they deem appropriate, which may include whether the Interested Transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction.

STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of April 26, 2021 by:

The percentage ownership information shown in the table below is based upon 61,029,075 shares of common stock outstanding as of April 26, 2021.

Information with respect to beneficial ownership has been furnished by each director, officer or beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. These rules generally attribute beneficial ownership of shares to persons who possess sole or shared voting or investment power with respect to such shares. The information does not necessarily indicate beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under these rules, the number of shares of common stock deemed outstanding includes shares issuable upon exercise of options or settlement of vested restricted stock units and securities held by the respective person or group which may be exercised or converted within 60 days after April 26, 2021 as well as shares of unvested restricted stock over which a respective person has voting power. Such shares are deemed to be outstanding and beneficially owned by the person holding those securities for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that person or entity, but they are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person or entity.

Unless otherwise indicated below, the address for each listed director, officer and shareholder is c/o Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc., 2 Wells Avenue, Newton, Massachusetts 02459. The inclusion in the following table of those shares, however, does not constitute an admission that the named shareholder is a direct or indirect beneficial owner. Unless otherwise indicated and subject to applicable community property laws, to our knowledge, each shareholder named in the following table possesses sole voting and investment power over the shares listed, except for those jointly owned with that person’s spouse.

DELINQUENT SECTION 16(a) REPORTS

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers and holders of more than 10% of our common stock to file reports of holdings and transactions in our common stock and reports of changes in beneficial ownership with the SEC. Specific due dates for these reports have been established and we are required to report any failure to file by such dates during fiscal year 2020. To our knowledge, based on our review of filings made with the SEC and representations made by our directors and executive officers, we believe that all of our directors and executive officers filed on a timely basis all reports under Section 16(a), with the exception of (i) one late Form 4 filing by Maribeth Bearfield with respect to a grant of restricted stock on February 24, 2020, which was subsequently filed with the SEC on March 4, 2020, and (ii) one late Form 4 filing by Mary Ann Tocio with respect to the exercise of stock options on January 11, 2021, which was subsequently filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

This discussion describes our compensation philosophy, principles and practices with respect to the compensation of the executive officers listed below (referred to as our named executive officers) for fiscal 2020:

Overview of Compensation Program

Our named executive officers’ compensation is determined by the Compensation Committee and is reviewed annually. Our executive compensation program is designed to attract and retain high-quality leadership and incentivize our executive officers and other key employees to achieve company performance goals and strong individual performance over the short- and long-term. Our pay-for-performance approach to executive compensation places a greater emphasis on long-term equity incentive grants than on other forms of compensation, reflecting our focus on long-term value creation and serving to align the interests of our executive officers with those of our shareholders. For example, our annual Equity Choice Plan awards (as defined below), which permit recipients to choose awards of stock options or purchased restricted stock, require an upfront, personal investment by mandating participants who elect purchased restricted stock to pay 50% of the fair market value on the grant date to receive the underlying award.

Fiscal 2020 Financial Performance, COVID-19 Response and Key Company Highlights

We are proud of our fiscal 2020 results and the work performed by the entire Bright Horizons team across the globe given an unprecedented year. We believe that the Company responded well to the challenges and disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly adapting to the changing needs of clients, families and children, while remaining focused on our strategic priorities to deliver high quality education and care services, connect across our service lines, extend our impact on new customers and clients, and preserve our strong culture. The challenges we faced highlighted the best of Bright Horizons as our employees rose to meet the moment, with an unwavering commitment to children, families and learners. Our collective response underscored our crisis management capabilities, our critical role in the business continuity plans of our client partners, our leadership in developing and implementing enhanced health and safety protocols, and the value that our unique service offering provides to the families and clients we serve. We remain confident that we have emerged as a stronger and more agile Company and are well positioned to capitalize on the growth opportunities ahead.

2020 Financial Performance: Despite the extensive global business disruption, the Company achieved positive financial results in fiscal 2020:

2020 Key Operational and Strategic Achievements: In March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, we acted quickly by successfully executing a number of operational and strategic actions to strengthen our client partnerships, strengthen our balance sheet and liquidity position and respond to changing market conditions. We believe that our named executive officers were instrumental in helping us achieve these results and manage through an uncertain global market. A number of key financial, operational and strategic actions are included below:

Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”): Despite a volatile year, the Company delivered strong TSR in fiscal 2020 and has outperformed the Russell 3000 Total Return Index and the Russell Midcap Growth Index on a three- and five-year basis as outlined below:

Recognition as an Employer of Choice and Leader in Diversity: We are honored and proud to have a long track record of being named an employer of choice. Following are some of our most recent awards related to culture, diversity and inclusion that we believe are a product of the strong culture we have built at Bright Horizons:

For additional information on the Company’s fiscal 2020 performance, please see our 2020 Annual Report as filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021.

Fiscal 2020 Compensation Impacts Resulting from COVID-19

The fiscal 2020 compensation program described in this Proxy Statement was established before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the Company. For instance, the 2020 Equity Choice Plan awards recognize performance in fiscal 2019 and were granted in February 2020. Additionally, fiscal 2020 salaries reflect a pre-COVID-19 economic environment. After the onset of the pandemic, the Compensation Committee together with the Company and its executive officers considered such impacts throughout the year and worked to align 2020 executive compensation with the current economic environment resulting in the following actions:

Compensation Decisions for Fiscal 2021

In light of the continued uncertainty resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and given that the duration and scope of the ongoing disruption on the Company’s business cannot be predicted and is affected by

many interdependent variables and decisions by government authorities and our client partners, as well as demand, economic trends, the adoption and effectiveness of a vaccine, and developments in the persistence and treatment of COVID-19, the Compensation Committee reviewed the overall fiscal 2021 compensation program and approved the following changes to reflect this continuously changing environment:

Compensation and Governance Best Practices

Our executive compensation program includes a number of compensation practices intended to promote good corporate governance and align the interests of management with those of our shareholders:

Compensation Philosophy, Objectives, and Process

Our compensation philosophy centers on: