SEC Form DEF 14A filed by Virtus Investment Partners Inc.

2025 PROXY STATEMENT

One Financial Plaza, Hartford, Connecticut 06103

NOTICE OF 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Items of Business:

Shareholders Eligible to Vote:

The Company’s Board has fixed the close of business on March 21, 2025 as the record date (the “Record Date”) for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote on, all matters presented at the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Proxy Voting and Internet Availability of Proxy Materials:

We are primarily furnishing proxy materials to our shareholders on the Internet rather than mailing paper copies of the materials to each shareholder. As a result, certain of our shareholders will receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials contains instructions on how to access the Proxy Statement and our 2024 Annual Report over the Internet, instructions on how to vote your shares as well as instructions on how to request a paper copy of our proxy materials, if you so desire.

The Proxy Statement and the 2024 Annual Report and any amendments to the foregoing materials that are required to be furnished to shareholders are available for you to review online at www.proxyvote.com.

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It is important that your shares be represented and voted at the meeting.

You may vote your shares by voting on the Internet, by telephone,

in person at the meeting, or by completing and returning a proxy card.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

/s/ ANDRA C. PURKALITIS

ANDRA C. PURKALITIS

SECRETARY

APRIL 2, 2025

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

ABOUT THIS PROXY STATEMENT AND THE 2025 ANNUAL MEETING

Why am I receiving these proxy materials?

These proxy materials are being provided to the shareholders of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Virtus,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us”), in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board to be voted at our Annual Meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof, to be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 9:00 A.M. EDT at the Company’s offices, One Financial Plaza, 19^th Floor, Hartford, Connecticut, 06103. The Notice of Annual Meeting, Proxy Statement and voting instructions, together with our 2024 Annual Report, will be mailed and/or made available on the Internet to each shareholder entitled to vote starting on or about April 2, 2025.

Shareholders are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and are entitled and requested to vote on the matters set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting, as described in this Proxy Statement.

How will the Annual Meeting be conducted?

Pursuant to our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”), the Board has broad responsibility and legal authority to adopt rules and regulations for the Annual Meeting to ensure the meeting is conducted in an orderly and timely manner. This authority includes establishing rules for shareholders who wish to address the meeting. Only shareholders or their valid proxy holders may address the meeting. Copies of these rules will be available at the meeting. The Chairman of the Board (the “Chairman”) may also exercise discretion in recognizing shareholders’ comments or questions and in determining the extent of discussion on each item of business. Questions pertinent to meeting matters will be answered at the conclusion of the meeting, subject to time constraints. Questions regarding personal matters, including those related to employment, are not pertinent to meeting matters and therefore will not be answered. Dialogue can also be facilitated with interested parties outside the meeting as described below under “Shareholder and Interested Party Communications.” The Chairman may also rely on applicable law regarding disruptions or disorderly conduct to ensure that the meeting is conducted in a manner that is fair to all shareholders.

We are urging all shareholders to take advantage of voting in advance by mail, by telephone or through the Internet.

Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?

Under rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we are furnishing our proxy materials over the Internet instead of mailing a full set of printed proxy materials to certain of our shareholders. Accordingly, on or about April 2, 2025, we are mailing or delivering electronically to certain of our shareholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that provides instructions on how to access our proxy materials on the Internet and vote or, alternatively, how to request that a copy of the proxy materials be sent to them by mail.

Who is entitled to vote and how many votes are needed to approve the proposals?

Shareholders of record of our common stock (“Common Stock”) at the close of business on March 21, 2025 are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Each holder of record of our Common Stock as of the Record Date will be entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held. As of the Record Date, there were 6,930,663 shares of our Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote. A list of all shareholders of record entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for inspection by any shareholder for any purpose germane to the meeting at our offices at One Financial Plaza, Hartford, Connecticut for the

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10-day period immediately preceding the Annual Meeting. At the Annual Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider and vote upon the matters listed below and on any other matters that are properly brought before the Annual Meeting.

We are asking shareholders to vote upon the election of the directors named in our Proxy Statement and recommended for nomination by our Governance Committee and nominated by our Board, each to hold office for a one-year term expiring at the 2026 Annual Meeting or upon his or her successor being elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier resignation, retirement, death, disqualification or removal. Information concerning the director nominees is provided below under the heading “PROPOSALS REQUIRING YOUR VOTE – ITEM 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS.” A plurality of the affirmative votes cast by shareholders present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote is required for the election of each such director nominee. You may vote either FOR or WITHHOLD your vote from any one or more of the nominees. Votes that are withheld and broker non-votes will have no effect on the election of directors because only votes “FOR” a nominee will be counted. That said, in an uncontested election, any director nominee who receives a greater number of votes “withheld” than votes “for” such director nominee’s election is required to promptly tender his or her resignation, subject to acceptance by the Board, in accordance with our Bylaws. The Board’s decision, which will not involve the participation of any incumbent director who fails to receive a majority of the votes cast in an uncontested election of directors, will be promptly disclosed in a public announcement. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors.

Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2025 requires that a majority of the votes represented at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, be voted “FOR” the proposal. You may vote FOR, AGAINST or ABSTAIN on this matter. If you vote to “ABSTAIN” with respect to this proposal, your shares will be counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum, and the abstention will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the proposal. The ratification of the Audit Committee’s appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm is considered a routine matter for which a bank, broker or other holder of record will have discretionary authority to vote on behalf of the beneficial owners of shares held by the bank, broker or other holder, even in the absence of specific instructions from the beneficial owner.

An advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers is required pursuant to Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes represented at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, is required to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers, as described in this Proxy Statement. You may vote FOR, AGAINST or ABSTAIN on this matter. If you vote to “ABSTAIN” with respect to this proposal, your shares will be counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum, and the abstention will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the proposal. Broker non-votes will also have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the proposal. Although the advisory vote is non-binding, the Compensation Committee and the Board will review the results of this vote and will take it into consideration when making future decisions regarding executive compensation.

Who may attend the meeting?

All shareholders as of the Record Date may attend the Annual Meeting. If you are a registered holder, to gain admission, you will need valid picture identification or other proof that you are a shareholder of record of

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Common Stock as of the Record Date. If your Common Stock is held in a bank or brokerage account, a recent bank or brokerage statement showing that you owned Common Stock on the Record Date will be required for admission. To obtain directions to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person, please contact Investor Relations by sending an email to [email protected].

What are the voting recommendations of the Company’s Board?

The Board recommends that shareholders vote:

How many votes are required to conduct the Annual Meeting?

The presence at the meeting, in person or represented by proxy, of the shareholders of record of one-third of the shares entitled to vote on any matter at the meeting will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Your shares will be counted towards the quorum if you vote by mail, by telephone or through the Internet either before the Annual Meeting or in person during the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted for the purpose of establishing a quorum at the meeting. If a quorum is not present, we will adjourn the Annual Meeting until a quorum is obtained.

How are votes counted?

A representative from Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc., the Company’s transfer agent, will serve as the inspector of elections for the Annual Meeting and will tabulate the votes for each proposal.

How do I vote?

Whether you hold your shares directly as a shareholder of record, or beneficially in street name, you may vote your shares without attending the Annual Meeting.

If your shares are held in a brokerage account or by a bank or other holder of record, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name.” The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials has been forwarded to you by your broker, bank or other holder of record who is considered, with respect to those shares, the “shareholder of record.” As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other holder of record on how to vote your shares by submitting voting instructions to such person in accordance with the directions outlined in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.

If you hold shares in your name as a holder of record, you are considered the “shareholder of record” with respect to those shares. You can vote your shares:

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The deadline for voting by Internet or telephone prior to the meeting is 11:59 P.M., EDT, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

Holders of record may vote in person at the Annual Meeting, but beneficial owners must obtain a legal proxy from the broker, bank or other holder of record authorizing the beneficial holder to vote such shares at the meeting. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we recommend that you vote your shares in advance so that your vote will be counted if you later decide not to, or are otherwise unable to, attend the meeting.

What is a “proxy”?

A “proxy” allows someone else (the “proxy holder”) to vote your shares on your behalf. The Board is asking you to allow any of the persons named on the proxy form to act as your proxy holder and vote your shares at the Annual Meeting. The persons named as your proxy will vote your proxy in accordance with your specifications. Unless you specify otherwise, the persons named as your proxy on the Company’s proxy form will vote in accordance with the voting recommendations of the Board in connection with the matters listed on the proxy form and in their discretion on any other matters that properly come before the Annual Meeting.

Can I change or revoke my proxy?

Yes. You may change or revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted at the meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you may change or revoke your proxy after submitting your proxy, whether submitted by mail, the Internet or telephone, either by (i) submitting another proxy with a later date, as long as it is received prior to the time the earlier dated proxy is exercised; (ii) attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person; or (iii) notifying the Corporate Secretary in writing before the meeting that you have revoked your proxy. Your attendance at the meeting will not automatically revoke your proxy; you must vote at the meeting to revoke your proxy. If you are a beneficial owner of shares, please contact your bank, broker or other holder of record for specific instructions on how to change or revoke your vote. Your most current vote, whether cast in person, by telephone, Internet or proxy card, is the one that will be counted.

What are “broker non-votes” and “abstentions”?

A broker non-vote occurs when a bank, broker or other holder of record holds shares for a beneficial owner but is not empowered to vote on a particular proposal on behalf of such beneficial owner because such proposal is considered to be “non-routine” and the beneficial owner has not provided voting instructions or because your broker chooses not to vote on a routine matter for which it does have discretionary authority. This means that if a brokerage firm holds shares on your behalf, those shares will not be voted on any non-routine proposal presented at the Annual Meeting unless you expressly provide voting instructions to that firm.

The non-routine proposals that will be presented at the Annual Meeting are: (i) the election of directors; and (ii) the shareholder advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers. The ratification of the appointment of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2025 is considered a routine proposal for which a bank, broker or other holder of record may vote on behalf of the beneficial owner even in the absence of specific instructions from the beneficial owner. In order to ensure that any shares held on your behalf by a brokerage firm or other organization are voted in accordance with your wishes, we encourage you to provide voting instructions to that firm or organization.

An abstention is a properly signed proxy card (or valid instruction via the Internet or by telephone) that is marked “ABSTAIN” as to a particular matter in which the option to abstain is available.

Why did my household receive only one Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, or why did I receive more than one Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials?

The Company has adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called “householding.” Under this procedure, when multiple shareholders of record of Common Stock share the same address, we may deliver only one Notice of

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Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (or proxy materials in the case of shareholders who receive paper copies of proxy materials) to that address unless we have received contrary instructions from one or more of those shareholders. The same procedure applies to brokers and other nominees holding shares of our Common Stock in “street name” for more than one beneficial owner with the same address.

If a shareholder holds shares of Common Stock in multiple accounts (e.g., with our transfer agent and/or banks, brokers or other registered shareholders), we may be unable to use the householding procedures and, therefore, that shareholder may receive multiple copies of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (or proxy materials, as applicable). You should follow the instructions on each Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that you receive in order to vote the shares you hold in different accounts.

If you share an address with another shareholder and have received only one Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (or proxy materials, as applicable), you may write or call us as specified below to request a separate copy of such materials, and we will promptly send them to you at no cost to you. For future meetings, if you hold shares directly registered in your own name, you may request separate copies of these materials, or request that we send only one set of these materials to you if you are receiving multiple copies, by contacting our Investor Relations Department via telephone at 800-248-7971, Option 2, or by mail at Virtus Investment Partners, Inc., One Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name, please contact your bank, broker or other holder of record.

Who pays for the cost of this proxy solicitation?

All costs and expenses of this solicitation, including the cost of mailing the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (or proxy materials, as applicable) and preparing this Proxy Statement and posting it on the Internet, will be borne by the Company. We also reimburse brokerage firms and other persons representing beneficial owners of shares for their expenses in sending proxy materials to their customers who are beneficial owners. In addition to soliciting proxies by mail, our directors, executive officers and employees may solicit proxies on our behalf, without additional compensation, personally or by Internet or telephone. We do not currently intend to hire a proxy solicitor to help us solicit proxies from brokers, bank nominees or other institutions or shareholders, although we reserve the right to do so.

Where can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?

The preliminary voting results will be announced at the Annual Meeting, and we will publish preliminary, or final results if available, in a Current Report on Form 8-K (“Form 8-K”) within four business days of the Annual Meeting. If final results are unavailable at the time we file the Form 8-K, then we will file an amended Form 8-K to disclose the final voting results within four business days after the final voting results are known.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Corporate Governance Guidelines

Our Board is responsible for providing effective governance and oversight of our affairs. Our corporate governance practices are designed to align the interests of our Board and management with those of our shareholders and to promote honesty and integrity. Our Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that outline our corporate governance policies and procedures, including, among other topics, director responsibilities, Board committees, director access to the Company’s officers and employees, director compensation, management succession and performance evaluations of the Board. More information about our corporate governance including a copy of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, is available on our website at www.virtus.com, in the Investor Relations section, under the heading “Corporate Governance.”

Code of Conduct

We have adopted a written Code of Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. We are committed to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, and the Code of Conduct provides guidance on how to uphold these standards. The Code of Conduct is available on our website at www.virtus.com, in the Investor Relations section, under the heading “Corporate Governance.” We intend to post any substantive amendments to, or waivers of, the Code of Conduct applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, or directors on our website. You may request a printed copy of the Code of Conduct by contacting the Corporate Secretary as set forth below under the heading “Shareholder and Interested Party Communications.”

Director Independence

A majority of the directors of the Board must be affirmatively determined by the Board to be independent under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE Rules”). In making these determinations, the Board considers and broadly assesses all of the information provided by each director in response to detailed inquiries concerning his or her independence and any direct or indirect business, family, employment, transactional or other relationship or affiliation of such director with the Company, taking into account the applicable NYSE Rules and SEC rules and regulations as well as the manner in which any relationships may potentially have the appearance of impacting independence.

In February 2025, the Board considered the independence of our directors and determined that each of Dr. Fleming, Ms. Jones, and Messrs. Bain, Greig, Holt, Morris and Weisenseel meets the criteria for independence as established by NYSE Rules. The Board has also determined that each member of the Audit, Compensation and Governance Committees is independent under applicable NYSE Rules; each member of the Audit Committee is also independent under the independence criteria required by NYSE Rules and the SEC for audit committee members; and each member of the Compensation Committee is “independent” under the criteria established by NYSE Rules and qualifies as a “non-employee director” pursuant to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act.

Board and Committee Membership

Our Board has established the following three standing committees to assist it with its responsibilities:

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The table below provides the current membership for each of the Board committees:

During 2024, the Board held 11 meetings. Mr. Holt, our independent Chairman, presides over all Board meetings and our independent directors meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions. Directors are expected to attend all Board meetings, the annual meeting of shareholders, and meetings of committees on which they serve, and to spend the time needed and to meet as frequently as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities. Director attendance and meeting preparation is part of the annual evaluation process conducted by the Governance Committee. All of our current Directors except for Mr. Weisenseel, who joined the Board in December 2024, attended our 2024 Annual Meeting. Each of our then current directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and of the standing committees of which he or she was a member during 2024; Mr. Weisenseel attended each Board and Audit Committee meeting after joining the Board.

The Board has adopted written charters for each of the Audit, Compensation and Governance Committees that set forth the responsibilities, authority and specific duties of each such committee. Each committee reports out regularly to the full Board regarding its deliberations and actions. The charters for each of the committees of our Board are available on our website at www.virtus.com, in the Investor Relations section, under the heading “Corporate Governance.”

Board Leadership Structure and Evaluation

Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, to ensure Board independence, no less than a majority of our directors are required to be independent in accordance with NYSE Rules. Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Board determines the best board leadership structure for the Company and may choose its Chairman in the manner it deems in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Board does not have a formal policy that requires the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer to be separate.

At this time, the Board believes that it is advisable for one of our independent directors to serve as Chairman, and the Board has elected Timothy A. Holt as Chairman. The Board believes that its members provide a broad array of experience, expertise and perspective and that it is beneficial to have an independent director lead the Board as Chairman and for Mr. Aylward, who is our President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), and also a director, to lead the Company and its management as CEO. Mr. Holt and Mr. Aylward work closely together, and with the entire Board, in developing the strategies, agendas and direction of the Board and for the Company as a whole. We recognize that different board leadership structures may be appropriate for companies in different situations and at different times and may choose a different leadership structure in the future.

As part of our annual Board self-evaluation process, we evaluate how the Board and governance structure function to ensure that the Board continues to provide an optimal governance structure for the Company and our shareholders, with oversight by the Governance Committee. As part of this process, we engage a third party to facilitate a comprehensive self-evaluation of the Board and each standing Committee. In addition, the Governance Committee conducts an individual evaluation of each director considered for nomination for re-election to the Board based upon individual interviews with each director regarding each of the prospective nominees.

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Audit Committee

The Audit Committee currently consists of Messrs. Greig (Chair), Morris and Weisenseel and Dr. Fleming. The Board has determined that Messrs. Greig, Morris and Weisenseel each qualify as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined under SEC rules and that all members of the Audit Committee meet the criteria for service under applicable NYSE Rules.

During 2024, the Audit Committee held eight meetings. The primary purposes of the Audit Committee are (i) to exercise sole responsibility for the appointment, compensation, retention, oversight and, if applicable, termination of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, including a review of the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (ii) to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities by reviewing the quality and integrity of the Company’s financial statements and financial reporting process, the Company’s systems of internal accounting and financial controls, the annual independent audit of the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, the Company’s internal auditing and accounting processes, and the Company’s legal and regulatory compliance programs as established by management and the Board.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee currently consists of Ms. Jones (Chair) and Messrs. Bain and Holt. During 2024, the Compensation Committee held six meetings. The primary purposes of the Compensation Committee are (i) to provide assistance to the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to achieve the Company’s objective of maximizing the long-term return to shareholders by ensuring that officers, directors and employees are compensated in accordance with the Company’s compensation philosophy, objectives and policies, and (ii) to review and approve compensation policies and programs for the Company’s executive officers that support such compensation philosophy and objectives, and link compensation to financial performance and the attainment of strategic objectives, while providing competitive compensation opportunities at a reasonable cost.

The Compensation Committee is specifically charged with:

The Compensation Committee reviews and approves any changes to executive officer base salary and sets annual and long-term incentive compensation opportunity levels for our executive officers. In addition, the Compensation Committee reviews performance against pre-established performance goals and objectives for the incentive plans under which our executive officers, including our CEO, are compensated. The Compensation Committee recommends incentive compensation awards for our CEO to the independent members of the Board for approval and, with the assistance of our CEO, reviews and approves the incentive compensation awards for the Company’s executive officers. The Compensation Committee also reviews and approves the granting of equity-based compensation to our executive officers, other than our CEO, whose grants are approved by the independent members of the Board, and to other employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Compensation Committee has delegated to our CEO the authority to approve a limited number of restricted stock and stock option awards to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries who are not executive officers of the Company.

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The Compensation Committee has retained Mercer (US) LLC (“Mercer”) as its independent compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee has analyzed whether the work of Mercer as a compensation consultant has raised any conflict of interest, taking into consideration the following factors: (i) the provision of other services to the Company by Mercer; (ii) the amount of fees paid by the Company to Mercer as a percentage of Mercer’s total revenue; (iii) the policies and procedures of Mercer that are designed to prevent conflicts of interest; (iv) any business or personal relationship of Mercer or the individual compensation advisors employed by Mercer with an executive officer of the Company; (v) any business or personal relationship of the individual compensation advisors with any member of the Compensation Committee; and (vi) any stock of the Company owned by Mercer or the individual compensation advisors employed by Mercer. The Compensation Committee has determined, based on its analysis in light of the factors listed above, that the work of Mercer and the individual compensation advisors employed by Mercer as compensation consultants to the Compensation Committee has not created any conflict of interest.

For a further discussion of the processes and procedures of the Compensation Committee, including the roles of compensation consultants and executive officers in the determination or recommendation of executive and director compensation, see the disclosure under the headings “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and “Director Compensation” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

Risks Related to Compensation Policies and Practices

As part of its oversight of the Company’s executive compensation programs, the Compensation Committee, in conjunction with Company management, considers how current compensation policies and practices, including incentive opportunities, affect the Company’s risk profile. The Compensation Committee evaluates the Company’s compensation policies to determine whether they are designed to:

The Company reviews industry comparative compensation data to ensure that we are competitive in both attracting and retaining our executives. We believe our compensation structure is appropriately designed to retain high-caliber leadership.

Our compensation programs are designed to minimize excessive risk-taking. The base salary component of our compensation is aligned to market, which does not, we believe, create additional risk. Current incentive awards have the following risk-limiting characteristics:

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We believe our compensation policies and practices align compensation with the interests of our shareholders, encourage and reward sound business judgment and appropriate risk-taking over the long-term, foster key personnel retention and do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. See the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement for a more complete discussion of our compensation policies and practices.

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee consists of Dr. Fleming (Chair), Ms. Jones and Mr. Holt. During 2024, the Governance Committee held seven meetings. The primary purposes of the Governance Committee are (i) to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to matters relating to the interests of the shareholders of the Company; (ii) to identify individuals qualified to become Board members and to recommend to the Board qualified individuals for nomination for election or re-election at the next annual meeting of shareholders; (iii) to develop and recommend to the Board a set of governance principles applicable to the Company; and (iv) to annually assess and report to the Board regarding the performance of the Board and each of its committees. The Company’s Corporate Responsibility Statement is available on our website at www.virtus.com in the “Our Story” section, under the heading “Corporate Responsibility.”

Director Nomination Process

The Governance Committee is responsible for identifying and recommending to the Board potential director candidates for nomination and election to the Board at the annual meeting of shareholders. In connection with this responsibility, the Governance Committee has established Guidelines for Recruitment of Directors, (“Guidelines”) which have been adopted by the Board and are available on our website at www.virtus.com, in the Investor Relations section, under the heading “Corporate Governance.”

Under these Guidelines, in considering candidates for nomination to our Board, the Governance Committee and the Board will consider, among other factors, the candidates’ diversity of professional experience and personal attributes. The Governance Committee will seek individuals with strong intellectual ability, breadth of experience, demonstrated professional achievement, diverse backgrounds, and commitment to excellence and integrity that best serves the Company in the markets in which it operates. Prospective directors should also be able and willing to devote significant attention to our needs through regular attendance at meetings, preparation for meetings and availability for regular consultation between meetings. The Governance Committee may also consider particular areas of expertise with respect to a given vacancy, either because of needs arising from the retirement or resignation of a director or those arising out of changes in our business focus, our industry or the regulatory environment.

If a vacancy on our Board exists, or is anticipated, the Governance Committee may look to its members and to other directors for recommendations for nominees and may also retain a search firm to assist it in identifying qualified candidates and will consider individuals recommended by shareholders. Shareholders must submit their recommendations as outlined below under the heading “Shareholder and Interested Party Communications.” The Governance Committee will evaluate all proposed nominees in light of the standards above, as well as others deemed relevant and will utilize the same criteria for evaluating candidates regardless of the source of the referral. Following its evaluation of all proposed nominees and consultation with our CEO, the Governance Committee will make recommendations to our Board of the individual(s) to be nominated for election to our Board. The Board will make the final determination as to the individual(s) who will be nominated for election.

The Governance Committee and the Board recognize that individual candidates have unique strengths, and no one factor or qualification outweighs all others. The Governance Committee and the Board will consider how a candidate would contribute to the overall balance of experience, expertise and perspective of the Board.

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Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, a director is generally required to retire no later than the first annual meeting of shareholders following his or her 74th birthday. Under exigent circumstances, the Board may request that the director continue to serve; provided, however, that no director shall serve beyond the first annual meeting of shareholders following his or her 75th birthday.

Risk Management Oversight

Our Board is responsible for overseeing the Company’s risk management processes. The Board regularly reviews the Company’s long-term business strategy, including the Company’s short-term and long-term strategic objectives, and monitors progress on those objectives. The Board, along with management, considers the risks and opportunities that impact the long-term sustainability of the Company’s business model. Our Board regularly reviews the Company’s progress with respect to its strategic goals, the risks that could impact the long-term sustainability of our business and the related opportunities that could enhance the Company’s long-term sustainability. In addition, our Board periodically meets with Company management to review and discuss the Company’s major risk exposures and the steps taken by management to monitor and mitigate these exposures. Further, our Board also receives direct reports from management on risk topics of general interest to the full Board, and each of our Committees also receives periodic reports on topics relevant to the oversight of risk areas within the purview of such Committee and regularly reports to the full Board on these risk management matters.

Our Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing accounting, audit, financial reporting, internal control, internal audit, and disclosure control matters and reviews and discusses with management, our internal auditor, our outside independent registered public accounting firm and legal counsel financial risk associated with these functions and the manner, policies and systems pursuant to which management addresses these risks.

Both our Board and our Compensation Committee actively review and discuss with management our annual and long-term compensation incentive programs to identify and mitigate potential risks associated with incentive compensation. They assess both the appropriateness of the incentive performance goals, which are both financial and operational, as well as our financial and operating results upon which our incentive awards are based. In addition, our Compensation Committee oversees and advises management on succession planning risks related to our senior management team.

While our Board and its committees oversee risk management, management is primarily responsible for day-to-day risk management processes and for reports to the Board and Committees on risk management matters. We believe that this division of risk management responsibility is the most effective approach to address the Company’s risk management and that the division of responsibility within and among the Board and Committees allows the opportunity for regular review and discussion with our Board members as well as appropriate Board member input on, and consideration of, our risk management processes and systems.

Cybersecurity Governance

Our Board oversees our risks from cybersecurity threats. As part of its ongoing responsibilities, the Board receives recurring reports from management on the Company’s cybersecurity risk environment and regularly meets with management to review the risk landscape and discuss the steps taken by management to monitor and mitigate cyber exposures. In addition, from time to time, our Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer brief the Board on the cyber-threat landscape, our information security program and other related information technology topics.

The Company maintains an Enterprise Risk Committee (“ERC”), comprising the Company executives who lead day-to-day risk management, and whose efforts are supplemented by specific risk-related committees or teams. The ERC is a cross-functional committee that focuses on identifying and managing operational risk throughout the organization, including cybersecurity threats. The ERC has integrated cybersecurity into key elements of the Company’s enterprise risk management framework, including our business continuity and disaster recovery

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planning program and service provider management policy, and personnel from our information security, risk management, compliance and legal groups are a part of the assessment and response team for cybersecurity incidents and the evaluation of third-party cybersecurity risk. For further information related to our cybersecurity risk management, please refer to Item 1C. in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (the “2024 Form 10-K”).

Transactions with Related Parties

Policy Regarding Transactions with Related Parties

The Board has adopted a written policy for the review and approval or ratification of any related party transaction (the “Related Party Transaction Policy”), which applies to any potential related party transactions, as defined under the rules and regulations of the SEC. A “related party transaction” generally means a transaction in which the Company was, is or will be a participant, and the amount involved will or may exceed $120,000 in any fiscal year (determined without regard to the amount of profit or loss involved in the transaction), and in which the related party has or will have a direct or indirect material interest (as determined under SEC rules related to related party transactions). Under the Related Party Transaction Policy, a related party transaction requires the approval or ratification of the Audit Committee (or of the Chair of the Audit Committee in those situations in which the legal department, in consultation with the CEO or the Chief Financial Officer, determines that it is not practicable or desirable for the Company to wait until the next Audit Committee meeting for approval or ratification). Prior to approving or ratifying any related party transaction, the Audit Committee (or, if applicable, the Chair of the Audit Committee) must determine that the transaction is not inconsistent with the interests of the Company or its shareholders. No related party may participate in the review, consideration, or approval of any related party transaction in which he or she may have an interest.

Shareholder Proposals

Shareholders may submit proposals for consideration at our 2026 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2026 Annual Meeting”). To be included in the proxy statement, notice of meeting and proxy relating to the 2026 Annual Meeting, proposals must be received by our Corporate Secretary not later than December 3, 2025 and must comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act (including the minimum share ownership requirements under that rule).

Pursuant to our Bylaws, in order for any business not included in the proxy statement to be brought before the 2026 Annual Meeting by a shareholder, the shareholder must be entitled to vote at that meeting and must give timely written notice of that business to our Corporate Secretary. To be timely, such notice must be received by our Corporate Secretary at our office located at One Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103, no earlier than January 17, 2026 (75 days prior to April 2, 2026, the first anniversary of the date that we first mailed or made available our proxy materials for the 2025 Annual Meeting) and no later than February 16, 2026 (45 days prior to April 2, 2026). In the event that our 2026 Annual Meeting is held more than 30 days before or more than 30 days after the anniversary of this year’s Annual Meeting date, the notice must be received not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the 90th day before such annual meeting, or (ii) the 10th day following the date on which public announcement of such annual meeting is first made by the Company. The notice submitted by a shareholder must contain the information required by our Bylaws. Similarly, a shareholder wishing to submit a director nomination directly at the 2026 Annual Meeting must deliver written notice of such nomination within the time period described in this paragraph and must comply with the information requirements in our Bylaws relating to shareholder nominations. In addition to satisfying the foregoing requirements under our Bylaws, to comply with the SEC’s universal proxy rules, shareholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Company’s nominees must provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act no later than March 16, 2026.

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Shareholder and Interested Party Communications

Our Board is committed to ensuring that anyone desiring to communicate with the Board as a whole, with any committee of the Board, with our independent directors as a group, or with any specific director(s) has a convenient means of doing so. Anyone who wishes to communicate with the Board, a committee or a specific director may do so by sending correspondence via email to [email protected] indicating the body or person(s) with whom you wish to communicate, or in writing to:

Board of Directors (or Committee or Specific Director)

Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.

c/o Corporate Secretary

One Financial Plaza

Hartford, CT 06103

The Office of the Corporate Secretary will forward correspondence to its intended addressee promptly after receipt other than communications unrelated to the duties and responsibilities of our directors, including junk mail, mass mailings, resumes and other forms of job inquiries, surveys and business solicitations or advertisements. Where appropriate, correspondence will also be reviewed by the General Counsel.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP BY

CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following tables set forth, to the best of our knowledge, the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock, our only outstanding class of voting securities, as of March 31, 2025, by (i) such persons known to the Company to own beneficially more than five percent (5%) of the Company’s Common Stock; (ii) each of our current directors; (iii) the persons named in the Summary Compensation Table; and (iv) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. We deem shares of Common Stock that may be acquired by an individual within 60 days of March 31, 2025 pursuant to the exercise of options or the vesting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of such individual but are not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person shown in the tables. Except as indicated in the footnotes to the tables, we believe that each beneficial owner listed has sole voting and investment power with regard to the shares beneficially owned by such person. Percentage of ownership is based on 6,911,016 shares of Common Stock outstanding on March 31, 2025.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners

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Security Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers

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PROPOSALS REQUIRING YOUR VOTE

ITEM 1—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Our Board has eight members. The Directors standing for election for a one-year term at the Annual Meeting are Dr. Fleming, Ms. Jones, and Messrs. Bain, Holt, Morris, and Weisenseel. Mr. Holt and Dr. Fleming have been directors of the Company since it became an independent public company on January 1, 2009. Ms. Jones was appointed to the Board in October 2014. Messrs. Bain, Morris and Weisenseel were appointed to the Board effective October 2019, March 2021 and December 2024, respectively.

Our certificate of incorporation previously provided for a classified Board divided into three classes of Directors. Our certificate of incorporation was amended, with shareholder approval, to effectuate a phased-in declassification of the Board. Commencing with the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, directors or their successors whose terms then expire will be elected for one-year terms. Beginning with the 2026 Annual Meeting, the entire Board will be elected on an annual basis.

Board Nominees

In February 2025, members of our Governance Committee evaluated the contributions and performance of Dr. Fleming, Ms. Jones, and Messrs. Bain, Holt, and Morris as members of our Board. As part of its evaluation, each of our directors was interviewed regarding his or her views of the performance of each of Dr. Fleming, Ms. Jones, and Messrs. Bain, Holt, and Morris by a representative of the Governance Committee. Following completion of its individual evaluations, the Governance Committee recommended to the Board that each of Dr. Fleming, Ms. Jones, and Messrs. Bain, Holt, Morris, and Weisenseel be nominated to stand for re-election as a director at the Annual Meeting. Our Board, having considered the recommendations of the Governance Committee, approved Dr. Fleming, Ms. Jones, and Messrs. Bain, Holt, Morris, and Weisenseel as nominees for election to the Board by the shareholders. If elected by shareholders, Dr. Fleming, Ms. Jones, and Messrs. Bain, Holt, Morris, and Weisenseel will hold office for a one-year term expiring at the 2026 Annual Meeting and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified, or upon his or her earlier resignation, retirement, death, disqualification or removal. Each of the director nominees has indicated that he or she will serve if elected. We do not anticipate that any Board nominee will be unable or unwilling to stand for election but should any such nominee be unavailable for election by reason of death or other unexpected occurrence, your proxy, to the extent permitted by applicable law, may be voted by the proxies named therein, with discretionary authority in connection with the nomination by the Board and the election of any substitute nominee.

A plurality of the affirmative votes cast by shareholders present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote is required for the election of each such director nominee. That said, pursuant to our Bylaws, any director nominee who receives a greater number of votes “withheld” than votes “for” such director nominee’s election is required to promptly tender such director nominee’s resignation subject to acceptance by the Board. The Board’s decision, which will not involve the participation of any incumbent director who fails to receive a majority of the votes cast in an uncontested election of directors, will be promptly disclosed in a public announcement.

The Board recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” the election of its director nominees,

Peter L. Bain, Susan S. Fleming, Timothy A. Holt, Melody L. Jones, W. Howard Morris, and

John C. Weisenseel as directors of Virtus

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Listed below are the names of the Board’s nominees to the director seats and the incumbent directors who will be continuing in office following the Annual Meeting, together with certain biographical and business information regarding such persons and the experience and certain other factors considered in connection with the selection of such persons for membership on our Board.

Board Nominees

PETER L. BAIN (66), Director since 2019. Mr. Bain served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of OM Asset Management, a global multi-boutique asset management firm now known as Acadian Asset Management, Inc., from 2011 to 2017. From 2001 until 2009, he held various positions at Legg Mason, a global asset management firm, including Senior Executive Vice President from 2004 to 2009, head of affiliate management and corporate strategy from 2008 to 2009 and as chief administrative officer from 2003 to 2005. Prior to that time, he was with Berkshire Global Advisors from 1991 to 2000 where he served as Managing Director from 1995 to 2000, and earlier at Merrill Lynch & Co. in various roles from 1987 to 1990. Mr. Bain brings to our board demonstrated leadership experience in the asset management industry. Furthermore, Mr. Bain’s extensive experience with a wide array of corporate finance and operational matters positions him well to serve as a member of our Board and Compensation Committee.

SUSAN S. FLEMING (55), Director since 2009. Dr. Fleming is an entrepreneur in residence, angel investor and speaker for corporate clients focusing on issues of gender diversity and inclusion. She served as a senior lecturer of management and entrepreneurship at Cornell University from 2009 to 2018. Dr. Fleming worked at Capital Z Financial Services, a private equity firm, as a Principal from 1998 to 2001 and as Partner from 2001 to 2003. She was Vice President at Insurance Partners Advisors, LP, a private equity firm, from 1994 to 2003 and held various positions at Morgan Stanley and Company from 1992 to 1994. In August 2018, Dr. Fleming joined the board of RLI Corp., an American property and casualty insurance company where she serves as a Director and is a member of the Audit Committee and Chair of the Finance and Risk Committee. Her prior public company directorships include Endurance Specialty Holdings, Ltd., a global insurance provider, where she served from May 2011 to March 2017; Universal American Financial Corp., a family of specialty healthcare companies, from July 1999 to December 2003; PXRE Group, Ltd., a property reinsurer, from April 2002 to April 2005, Ceres Group, Inc., an insurance and annuity products provider, from February 2000 to August 2006; and Quanta Capital Holdings, Ltd., a specialty insurance and reinsurance holding company, from July 2006 to October 2008. With her years of experience in investment banking, private equity, education and entrepreneurship, Dr. Fleming brings to our Board demonstrated leadership and experience with a wide array of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and operational matters. Dr. Fleming’s experience in corporate finance and organizational leadership also positions her well to serve as a member of our Board and Audit Committee and Chair of our Governance Committee.

TIMOTHY A. HOLT (72), Director since 2009. Mr. Holt held various senior management positions with Aetna, Inc., a managed healthcare company, until his retirement in 2008. He was Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer from 1999 to 2008, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer from 1997 to 1999, Chief Enterprise Risk Officer from 2004 to 2007, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Aetna Retirement Services from 1996 to 1997, Vice President of Portfolio Management Group from 1992 to 1995, Vice President of Aetna Portfolio Management from 1991 to 1992, Vice President, Finance and Treasurer from 1989 to 1991, Vice President of Public Bonds from 1987 to 1989, Property/Casualty Portfolio Manager from 1983 to 1987, Investment Officer from 1981 to 1982 and Investment Officer/Analyst from 1977 to 1981. He was a member of Aetna’s Executive Committee from 2003 until his retirement in 2008. Mr. Holt served as a consultant to Aetna during 2008 and 2009. From 2012 through April 2025, Mr. Holt has served as a director of MGIC Investment Corporation, a provider of private mortgage insurance in the U.S. and has served as its Chairman of the Securities Investment Committee. From January 2014 to February 2017 served as a director of StanCorp Financial Group, which was a publicly traded insurance products company until it was acquired in March 2016. With his broad management, financial and investment experience at Aetna, Mr. Holt brings to our Board leadership and knowledge regarding the financial and investment industries, risk management, corporate

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governance and financial and corporate operational matters. Mr. Holt’s extensive management and investment experience positions him well to serve as the Chairman of our Board and as a member of our Compensation Committee and Governance Committee.

MELODY L. JONES (65), Director since 2014. Ms. Jones provides executive assessment and coaching services through 32-80 Advisors, LLC, which she founded in 2017. As of February 2025, Ms. Jones has served as the interim Chief Human Resources Officer of Heidrick and Struggles, an international executive search and management consulting company. From 2012 to 2017, Ms. Jones served as the Chief Administrative Officer (“CAO”) for CEB, a best practice insight and technology company. In her role as CAO, Ms. Jones had global responsibility for New Product Development, Information Technology, Legal and Compliance, Human Resources, Communications, Philanthropy and the Member Events department. She joined the firm in December 2005 and served as the Chief Human Resources Officer (“CHRO”) until February 2012. She managed CEB’s Professional Services practice from 2010 to 2012 and the firm’s product development function from 2013 to 2015. Prior to CEB, Ms. Jones served from 2002 to 2005 as the global head of Human Resources for T. Rowe Price, a global investment management firm. Prior to joining T. Rowe Price, Ms. Jones spent eight years at Aon Corporation, a global insurance brokerage and consulting company, serving from 1998 to 2002 as the CHRO. She joined Aon in 1994, as head of the Midwestern Regional Office of Aon Consulting. In 1996, she assumed responsibility for the HR Strategy and Technology consulting practice and managed this global practice until assuming her role as CHRO for the corporation. Ms. Jones also served as a senior consultant with Organizational Dynamics, Inc., an international management training and consulting company, and held several leadership positions across a six-year tenure with Citicorp Mortgage. Ms. Jones currently serves on the Boards of CEATI, a user-driven best practices network organization for the utilities industry; Fount Global, whose focus is technology and employee experience insights for global executives; and YPTC, which provides outsourced fractional accounting support to the non-profit sector. She also serves on the Advisory Boards of Pamlico Investment Partners, a mid-market private equity firm, and Exec Online, a global leadership development business. Ms. Jones brings to our Board management and leadership experience, which positions her well to serve as a member of our Board and Governance Committee and Chair of our Compensation Committee.

W. HOWARD MORRIS (65), Director since 2021. Mr. Morris has been President and Chief Investment Officer of The Prairie & Tireman Group, an investment partnership, since 1998. Prior to founding Prairie & Tireman, Mr. Morris was president and chief investment officer at WILMOCO Capital Management in Detroit, where he managed portfolios for institutions. He served from 2002 to 2005 as chief executive officer and emergency financial manager for the Inkster Public School District, where he had authority over the district’s financial and operational matters. He was appointed to that position by the governor of Michigan after serving as the chief financial officer of the Detroit Public School District. He was an assistant professor of accounting and investments at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan from 1991 to 1998. He is currently serving a second four-year term on the Michigan State Tax Commission. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. From 2007 through April 2025, Mr. Morris has served on the board of Owens Corning, an American company that develops and produces insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites and related materials and products. Mr. Morris brings to our Board expertise in investment management and financial matters, which positions him well to serve as a member of our Board and Audit Committee.

JOHN C. WEISENSEEL (65), Director since 2024. Mr. Weisenseel served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AllianceBernstein LP from 2012 to 2021, where he supervised global finance activities for the publicly traded asset management company. Prior to joining AllianceBernstein, he held financial leadership roles at McGraw Hill from 2004 to 2012, initially as senior vice president and corporate treasurer and later as senior vice president and chief financial officer of the firm’s Standard & Poor’s subsidiary. Earlier he was vice president and corporate treasurer for Barnes & Noble from 2000 to 2004 and from 1990 to 2000 held a variety of derivatives trading and financial positions at Citigroup. While at Citigroup he also served on a Toronto Stock Exchange Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel concerning the transition to the new S&P Canadian Market Index. Prior to Citigroup, he worked at other banks and began his career at KPMG Peat Marwick. Since 2021 he has been an Executive-in-Residence at Lipscomb University’s College of Business in Nashville and has served on the boards

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of several nonprofit organizations. Mr. Weisenseel brings to our Board exceptional executive leadership experience along with expertise in investment management and financial matters, which positions him well to serve as a member of our Board and Audit Committee.

Other Continuing Members of the Board

GEORGE R. AYLWARD (60), Director since 2008. Mr. Aylward has served as President of the Company since November 6, 2006 and has been our President and CEO since January 1, 2009, when the Company became an independent public company. He joined the predecessor to the Company, Phoenix Investment Partners, Inc. (“PXP”), which was the majority owned asset management subsidiary of The Phoenix Companies, Inc. (“PNX”), in 1996. At PNX, Mr. Aylward served as President, Asset Management, and Senior Executive Vice President from February 2007 to December 31, 2008; Executive Vice President, Asset Management, from November 6, 2006 to February 2007; Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Asset Management, from 2004 through 2006, and Chief of Staff to the Chairman, President and CEO from 2002 through 2004. He also served in several senior financial positions at PXP prior to 2002. Since 2006, Mr. Aylward has served as President and Trustee of the Virtus Mutual Funds, having been Executive Vice President from 2004 to 2006; President (since 2010) and Trustee (since 2012) of the Virtus Variable Insurance Trust; Trustee and President of the Virtus Alternative Solutions Trust since 2013; Director of the Virtus Global Funds, plc since 2013; and Chairman and Trustee of Virtus ETF Trust II since 2015. In addition, he serves as President, CEO and Director (or Trustee) of 12 closed-end funds managed by the Company’s affiliated registered investment advisers. Mr. Aylward brings to our Board demonstrated leadership, extensive knowledge of and experience in the asset management and financial services industries, and superior executive management and financial skills as our CEO.

PAUL G. GREIG (69), Director since 2019. Mr. Greig served as Chairman of the board of Opus Bank (“Opus”), a federally insured chartered commercial bank, from 2017 to 2019. While at Opus, he held the role of interim Chief Executive Officer and President during 2018 and 2019. At Opus, he served as chair of the Risk Committee and as a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee and Audit Committee. Prior to joining Opus, Mr. Greig served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of FirstMerit Corporation, a regional diversified financial services company, from 2006 to 2016. He has been a member of the Advisory Board of Omni Senior Living, senior residential communities located throughout Ohio, since 2016. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Banking Corporation—Illinois from 2005 to 2006 and was a director and member of the Audit Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland from 2011 to 2014. Mr. Greig brings to our Board exceptional leadership experience along with expertise in financial and accounting matters, which positions him well to serve as a member of our Board and Chair of our Audit Committee.

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ITEM 2—RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF

THE INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit Committee has appointed Deloitte as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. Deloitte audited our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and performed other services as described under “Fees Paid to the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” below.

We are submitting the selection of Deloitte to our shareholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate governance. If the appointment is not ratified by the shareholders of the Company, the Audit Committee may reconsider the selection of Deloitte as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time it determines that a change would be in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders.

Representatives of Deloitte are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, will have an opportunity to make a statement if they so desire, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2025 requires that a majority of the votes represented at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, be voted “FOR” the proposal.

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of

Deloitte & Touche LLP

as our independent registered public accounting firm

for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025

Fees Paid to the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm  

The following table provides detail about fees for professional services rendered by Deloitte for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The Audit Committee has established a policy concerning the pre-approval of all audit and permissible non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm to the Company. The policy requires that all services to be performed by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm,

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including audit services, audit-related services and permitted non-audit services, be pre-approved by the Audit Committee. Specific services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm are to be regularly reviewed in accordance with the pre-approval policy. At subsequent Audit Committee meetings, the Audit Committee receives updates on services being provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, and management may present additional services for approval. The authority to grant specific pre-approval between meetings, as necessary, has been delegated to the Chair of the Audit Committee, and any such approvals must be reported to the full Audit Committee at its next meeting. All services provided by Deloitte during 2024 and 2023 were pre-approved by the Company’s Audit Committee in accordance with this pre-approval policy.

Report of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee acts under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board, a copy of which may be found on the Company’s website at www.virtus.com, in the Investor Relations section, under the heading “Corporate Governance.” Each of the members of the Audit Committee is independent as defined under NYSE listing standards and applicable law.

The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board. Management has the primary responsibility for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Company’s financial statements and for its reporting process, including establishing and maintaining internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing our annual financial statements and performing quarterly reviews. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee relies, without independent verification, on the information provided by management, the Company’s internal audit function and the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 with management and with Deloitte, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

The Audit Committee has discussed with Deloitte those matters required to be discussed by applicable standards adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”). The Audit Committee also has received the written disclosures and the letter from Deloitte required by the applicable PCAOB requirements for independent accountant communications with audit committees concerning auditor independence, and has discussed the independence of Deloitte with that firm.

Based upon the Audit Committee’s review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the Company’s audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 for filing with the SEC.

Respectfully Submitted:

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Paul G. Greig, Chair

Susan S. Fleming

W. Howard Morris

John C. Weisenseel

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ITEM 3—TO APPROVE BY AN ADVISORY VOTE THE COMPENSATION

OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AS DISCLOSED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT

We are asking our shareholders to approve, by an advisory vote, the compensation of our named executive officers (“NEOs”), as disclosed in our Compensation Discussion and Analysis and in the tabular and accompanying narrative disclosure regarding named executive officer compensation contained in this Proxy Statement.

This proposal, commonly known as a “Say on Pay” proposal, gives our shareholders the opportunity to express their views on NEO compensation. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our NEOs and the philosophy, policies, and practices described in this Proxy Statement.

As discussed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement, our executive compensation program is tied to the achievement of our financial, operational, and strategic goals and designed to:

Our management team continued to execute on our long-term business plan during 2024, with an improvement in financial results from the prior year and significant progress on foundational strategic and operational activities, but with challenging sales and net flows that reflected industry trends. Key financial and operating results and accomplishments related to the Company’s strategic objectives during the year included:

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In considering your vote, we urge shareholders to review the information on the Company’s compensation policies and decision process regarding the NEOs, as presented in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, as well as the discussion regarding the Compensation Committee as set forth in this Proxy Statement.

For the reasons discussed above, the Board recommends that shareholders vote in favor of the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables, and the related materials disclosed in this Proxy Statement, is hereby APPROVED.”

Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding upon or overrule any decisions of the Compensation Committee or the Board, nor will it create any additional fiduciary duty on the part of the Compensation Committee or the Board. This advisory vote also does not seek to have the Board or Compensation Committee take any specific action. However, the Board and the Compensation Committee value the view expressed by our shareholders in their vote on this proposal and will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering executive compensation matters in the future. In considering the outcome of this advisory vote, the Board and the Compensation Committee will review and consider all shares voted in favor of the proposal and not in favor of the proposal. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes represented at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, is required to approve, on an advisory basis, this proposal.

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the approval of the compensation

of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Executive Officers

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the executive officers of the Company as of March 31, 2025:

As Mr. Aylward also serves as a director of the Company, his information is presented above in this Proxy Statement under the heading Item 1 – Election of Directors – Other Continuing Members of the Board.

Mr. Angerthal is Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and has held those positions since January 1, 2009 when the Company became an independent public company. He also serves as our principal accounting officer. Mr. Angerthal joined Phoenix Investment Partners, Inc. (“PXP”), the predecessor to the Company, as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer in 2008. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Angerthal had been the Chief Financial Officer of CBRE Realty Finance, a publicly traded commercial real estate specialty finance company, from 2005 to 2008. Previously, he held several positions with GE Corporation, a diversified technology, media and financial services company, including Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis of GE Real Estate from 2002 to 2005; Staff Analyst, Investor Relations of GE Capital Corp. from 1999 to 2002; and Director, Finance of NBC from 1996 to 1999. Prior to GE, he was a Manager of Business Assurance in the audit practice of Coopers & Lybrand in New York. Mr. Angerthal is a Certified Public Accountant and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from Pace University in New York.

Ms. Lieberman is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, a position she has held since joining the Company in May 2024. She is responsible for developing and guiding human resources strategy in the areas of recruiting, talent and performance management, training and development, diversity, and compensation and benefits. She also supports the Compensation Committee of the Board. Ms. Lieberman has led human resource organizations in the financial services sector throughout her career. Prior to joining the Company, she was head of human resources for the U.S. Capital Markets unit of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and a member of RBC’s U.S. Regional Operating Committee from 2016 to 2023. Earlier she was global head of human resources for the Royal Bank of Scotland’s capital markets business in London from 2010 to 2016 and from 2004 to 2007 was global head of human resources for the investment banking division of Lehman Brothers. She began her career in human resources with Deutsche Bank. Ms. Lieberman holds a B.A. in Psychology from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Mr. Mandinach is Executive Vice President and Head of Distribution. Mr. Mandinach has more than 30 years of experience in the investment management industry, primarily in retail product sales, marketing, and sales leadership. Prior to joining the Company in 2014, he was at UBS Global Asset Management (U.S.), a global investment services firm, for 12 years, most recently as Head of Wholesale Distribution and Chief Marketing Officer, as well as a board member of the PACE Select Funds. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Mandinach was the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at PXP. Prior to PXP, he was a partner and co-founder, with Martin Zweig and Eugene Glaser, of the Zweig Mutual Funds, which were acquired by PXP in 1999. He began his investment industry career in 1981 at Drexel Burnham Lambert, an investment banking firm, holding sales and product management roles over eight years. Mr. Mandinach earned a B.S. in political science from Emory University and a J.D. from the University of Miami.

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Ms. Purkalitis is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, a position she has held since she joined the Company in November 2023. She is responsible for developing and guiding the strategic direction of the legal, regulatory and compliance functions and also provides counsel to Virtus’ Board of Directors on all legal and regulatory matters. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Purkalitis was most recently Global Chief Compliance Officer and Regulatory Counsel at Affinius Capital, a private equity real estate management company, beginning in May 2021 and prior to joining Affinius, was Global Chief Compliance Officer and Regulatory Counsel at Russell Investments, a global investment management firm, from March 2019 to May 2021. She previously served as Regional Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer at Aviva Investors Americas from 2011 to 2015, and, earlier, as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at Old Mutual Capital, a division of Old Mutual Asset Management (now Acadian Asset Management Inc.) from 2005 to 2011. She also served as a Branch Chief and Enforcement Attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Denver between 1990 and 1997. Ms. Purkalitis earned a J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law, where she also served as an Adjunct Professor teaching courses in securities regulation and international business transactions. She earned a B.A. degree in political science from the University of Nebraska.

Mr. Smirl is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, a position he has held since joining the Company in May 2021, and also serves as Executive Vice President for numerous trusts and mutual funds sponsored by the Company. From July 2018 to April 2021, he was Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) at Russell Investments, where he oversaw the company’s information technology, fund services, legal, compliance, risk management, internal audit, investment performance analytics, and government and community relations functions. Prior to Russell Investments, he was the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, an independent agency responsible for managing assets of the state’s retirement system and other trust funds, from January to July 2018. Before that, he was Partner and COO at William Blair Investment Management, which he joined as Chief Legal Counsel in 2004 and where, as COO, he led operations, product development, fund services, finance, business analysis, risk management, and technology teams until 2018. From 2001 to 2004 he was Chief Legal Officer at Strong Capital Management. He began his career in 1992 at a Los Angeles-based law firm, where he specialized in securities law. Mr. Smirl holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California at Irvine and a J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Letter to our Shareholders

Dear Fellow Shareholders:

The Compensation Committee (for purposes of this Executive Compensation section, the “Committee”) of the Board is responsible for ensuring that the Company’s executive compensation program, including its compensation governance policies and executive pay decisions, aligns with our pay-for-performance philosophy. The Committee establishes, updates, and evaluates the framework and results of the Company’s executive compensation program. By soliciting feedback through shareholder engagement and requiring an annual “Say on Pay” advisory vote, we have aligned our compensation philosophy and objectives with our shareholders’ interests.

Pay-for-Performance Philosophy

We maintain a pay-for-performance alignment by linking the most significant portion of each executive’s pay to performance against specific financial and operational metrics, achievement of long-term strategic priorities, and creation of shareholder value. Annual incentive awards for our CEO and our other NEOs are determined through an evaluation of the Company’s performance against pre-established financial, operational, and strategic objectives, subject to a maximum funding level established at the beginning of the year, which for 2024 was 7% of operating income, as adjusted, prior to incentive compensation.

The Committee established annual incentive goals under the Financial, Operational, and Strategic categories that, with the exception of the operating margin, as adjusted, metric, required improvement over the prior year (for absolute measures) or results that exceeded industry median levels (for relative measures). Specifically:

Long-term incentives also reinforce pay-for-performance, while aligning the interests of executives with shareholders. Specifically, 100% of long-term incentives are stock based, with 50% subject to performance relative to industry peers.

To further enhance alignment with shareholders’ interests, and consistent with our compensation philosophy, we require variable incentives to be a substantial percentage of executive compensation opportunity. For 2024, the Committee maintained a 50%/50% target for the CEO’s long-term/short-term incentive pay mix, consistent with the 2023 target ratio. For 2024, 90.8% of our CEO’s target compensation was in the form of variable, or “at-risk,” pay.

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Shareholder Engagement

The Committee recognizes the importance of executive compensation decisions to our shareholders and, together with management, engages with shareholders throughout the year. This engagement allows us to solicit input and respond to questions about Company matters, including our executive compensation program. We carefully consider shareholder feedback, advice from our independent compensation consultant, and input from proxy advisory firms regarding compensation program design elements, prevailing industry best practices, the nature and type of metrics included in our performance-based incentive plans, and the linkage of executive pay to Company, functional, and individual performance when establishing our executive compensation plan each year. We believe this comprehensive approach has helped us maintain an executive compensation program that supports the long-term strategic goals of the Company. We are also pleased that 93% of the votes cast on the advisory “Say on Pay” proposal at the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders were voted in favor of our executive compensation program, comparable to the favorable vote at the 2023 annual meeting. Based on the strong support reflected in the results of the most recent Say on Pay vote, the Committee concluded that the Company’s executive compensation program is performing as intended and determined not to make changes to the core structure of the program for fiscal 2024.

Financial and Operational Results

The Company’s financial and operational results for 2024 reflected the volatile and at times very challenging economic conditions that continued from the prior year, including higher interest rates to fight persistent inflation, federal budget policy uncertainty, and growing geopolitical tensions. Financial and operating results were below target, although two operating metrics – the gross sales rate and the total net flow rate – improved from the prior year’s results. The 2024 results included:

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Net Income5 ($M)		Operating Margin		Earnings Per Share, Diluted

Total Assets Under Management ($B)		Total Sales ($B)		Asset Net Flows ($B)

Strategic Results

Despite the market-related challenges that the Company and its competitors in the asset management industry faced during the year, the Company’s executive leaders remained focused on executing on its five strategic priorities of Product Quality, Distribution Growth, Operating Optimization, Talent Engagement, and Financial Management. As discussed in further detail in the Summary of Key Accomplishments in the Strategic Objectives table, below, the Company notably:

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Compensation Outcomes and Decisions

In evaluating the Company’s 2024 performance to determine executive officer annual incentive payouts, the Committee considered the following key factors: (i) financial and operating results, including those described above and provided in the table, 2024 Annual Incentive Performance Metrics and Results, below; (ii) accomplishments against the Company’s strategic priorities, as described in the Summary of Key Accomplishments in the Strategic Objectives table below; and (iii) management’s continued focus on maintaining strategic investments in the business and its key resources.

Considering the quantitative and qualitative components of the annual incentive plan, the Committee assessed the Company’s overall annual results to be below target. The main drivers of this outcome were:

As a result, the Committee approved annual incentive awards for the executive officers that were, in aggregate, 26.8% of the maximum potential pool funding of 7% of operating income, as adjusted, before any variable incentive compensation. The Committee also approved the annual incentive payout for the CEO at a level approximately 6% below target.

For the 2022-2024 long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) three-year results, the Company was below threshold for both relative total shareholder return and relative net flow rate of assets under management. Accordingly, there was no payout for either component of these performance-adjusted awards, demonstrating our pay-for-performance alignment.

On behalf of management and the Board, the Committee appreciates your previous support for our “Say on Pay” proposal and asks you to carefully consider the Company’s achievements in 2024 as you assess our pay-for-performance decisions.

Respectfully,

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

Melody L. Jones, Chair

Peter L. Bain

Timothy A. Holt

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Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Named Executive Officers

We rely on a highly qualified and experienced management team that is focused on achieving profitable and sustainable financial results, delivering strong investment performance, and expanding our offerings of attractive products to create long-term value for shareholders. This Compensation Discussion and Analysis explains the compensation program for the following NEOs for 2024:

Compensation Philosophy, Objectives and Principles

Our executive compensation program is structured to promote our objectives consistent with our compensation philosophy.

Our executive compensation philosophy is based on established principles that support our business strategy.

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Compensation Policies and Practices

The Compensation Committee has adopted the following pay and governance policies and practices that align with our compensation philosophy and objectives and shareholders’ interests:

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“Say on Pay” and Shareholder Engagement

Our year-round shareholder engagement complements ongoing investor relations activities that include investor conferences and one-on-one meetings in addition to dialogues concerning quarterly earnings. Conversations with shareholders include executive compensation matters such as pay-for-performance alignment, peer group methodology, and the use of financial and operational metrics in determining compensation awards, among other topics.

Through this year-round engagement, as well as our annual “say on pay” vote on executive compensation, our shareholders provide input to the Company on our executive compensation program. Our outreach to shareholders prior to the 2024 Annual Meeting included offers for telephonic or in-person meetings among Ms. Jones, Chair of the Committee, Mardelle Peña, former Chief Human Resources Officer, and institutional investors representing approximately 65% of common shares outstanding⁶ to discuss executive compensation and other governance topics.

Ms. Jones and Ms. Lieberman continued this engagement after the 2024 Annual Meeting to give shareholders further opportunity to provide feedback about our executive compensation program. During the fourth quarter of 2024 and first quarter of 2025, we contacted shareholders representing approximately 58% of shares outstanding and held discussions with shareholders representing approximately 18% of shares outstanding.⁷ Shareholders who opted not to participate in calls noted that they had no material concerns.

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Peer Group Benchmarking

As the Company competes with other asset management companies for talent and must attract and retain critical executive talent with industry-specific skills and experience, the Committee believes that comparative data is useful and appropriate in establishing competitive compensation levels for executives.

Management obtains and uses third-party survey data from McLagan, a leading performance/reward consulting and benchmarking firm in the asset management industry. Our executive positions are compared against survey data based on positions with similar responsibilities and scope at firms with which we compete in our industry. In addition, compensation is reviewed against peer companies selected from traditional publicly traded asset managers that compete with the Company for talent and that are compared with the Company based on the following characteristics:

The Committee annually reviews the companies that comprise the executive compensation peer group for significant changes in the characteristics listed above. The Committee uses compensation data publicly disclosed by these peer companies as a market check and as only one of the factors for evaluating compensation levels. The peer group consists solely of asset managers because compensation programs within this industry are distinct from pay programs in the broader financial services sector, and asset managers are typically competing specifically with other asset managers for executive talent.

For 2024, the Committee selected the following nine public asset management companies for inclusion in the Executive Compensation Peer Group. These same companies were included in the Executive Compensation Peer Group used for 2023 along with GAMCO Investors and Pzena Investment Management, which were removed from the 2024 peer group as they are no longer public companies. The Company’s size, as measured by assets under management, approximated the median of the Executive Compensation Peer Group. The companies in the Executive Compensation Peer Group differ from companies that are included as peers for comparative financial results, including TSR, as shown on Appendix C.

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Compensation-Setting Process

The Role of the Compensation Committee

The Committee is responsible for reviewing and establishing executive officer compensation, including base salary and annual and long-term incentive compensation opportunities. The Committee recommends incentive compensation awards for our CEO, which must be approved by the independent members of the Board, and reviews and approves the incentive compensation awards for the other NEOs that are recommended by our CEO.

Compensation Determination Process

The Committee uses a rigorous process throughout the year in setting compensation opportunities and determining actual awards. Key steps include:

In determining final individual annual incentive awards, the Committee reviews the Board’s evaluation of the CEO’s performance and the CEO’s evaluations of the performance of the other NEOs.

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The Committee believes that evaluating Company and executive performance using this multi-faceted performance assessment process results in strong alignment between pay and performance outcomes. The following graphic shows the Committee’s decision-making process and timeline.

The Role of Management

Management, specifically our CEO and the executive vice president, chief human resources officer, attend Committee meetings and play a meaningful role in the compensation-setting process by assisting the Committee in establishing and maintaining compensation programs. Management’s role includes:

Our CEO evaluates each executive’s departmental results against pre-established objectives, individual accomplishments and contributions, and their core leadership competencies, and makes recommendations to the Committee regarding all elements of compensation. Our CEO does not participate in the Committee’s deliberations, or make a recommendation, regarding his own compensation.

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The Use of Compensation Consultant

The Committee has engaged Mercer, a leading human resource consulting firm, as its independent compensation consultant. Mercer participates in the Committee’s meetings and provides counsel and objective analysis on the Company’s executive compensation program and practices, and additional competitive data for the Committee’s consideration. In addition, Mercer assists in assessing the risk of the Company’s executive compensation program and provides ongoing reviews. Mercer believes that the Company’s executive incentive program has an appropriate balance between performance incentives and risk mitigation.

Mercer also assisted the Committee with the preparation of this Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

Mercer has implemented policies and procedures so that it and the Committee are confident that the advice the Committee receives from the individual executive compensation consultant is objective and not influenced by Mercer’s or its affiliates’ relationships with the Company, if any.

Compensation Elements

Our executive compensation program consists of base salary, annual incentives, and long-term incentives. The following summarizes the purpose and features of each pay element.

Pay Mix

We believe the majority of executive compensation should be at-risk and come from performance-based pay. The proportion of “at-risk” compensation, as well as the balance of incentive opportunity mix between annual and long-term incentive opportunity, is determined by each executive’s role and responsibilities compared to market data. The Committee set the target for the CEO’s short-term/long-term incentive variable pay mix at 50%/50% for 2024, consistent with the 2023 target ratio and in alignment with the pay mix for CEOs in the compensation peer group. The Committee also recognizes that the CEO, who owns approximately 3.8%⁹ of outstanding shares, is a significant shareholder of the Company and owns shares well in excess of the stock ownership guidelines.

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The chart below reflects the target pay mix for our CEO’s 2024 compensation, which consisted of base salary, annual incentives, and long-term incentives. As indicated below, 90.8% of the CEO’s 2024 target pay was at risk.

2024 CEO Target Pay Mix

Base Salary

Base salaries for our executives are reviewed annually, taking into consideration competitive market levels, mix of pay, and the performance of each executive. The Committee, in consultation with Mercer, recommends to the Board adjustments to the CEO’s base salary, if any. Adjustments, if any, for the other NEOs are recommended by the CEO and approved by the Committee. Following a review of competitive market levels, among other factors, the Committee determined to increase Mr. Aylward’s base salary from $600,000 to $650,000 and approved base salary increases for Mr. Angerthal from $400,000 to $430,000; for Mr. Mandinach from $415,000 to $445,000; and for Mr. Smirl from $425,000 to $450,000. The base salary adjustments were effective March 15, 2024 for each executive.

Annual Incentive Compensation

Annual Incentive Plan Design

Annual incentive awards for our executive officers are funded from an executive officer incentive pool that has a formulaic maximum funding set at 7% of operating income, as adjusted, before any variable incentive compensation. The allocation of the CEO’s award is based on the Committee’s assessment of actual results relative to pre-established absolute and relative performance goals for the Company. Measures used are linked to business strategy and organized into categories with collective weightings that include, as shown in the table below, three financial objectives (50%), three operational objectives (30%), and five categories of strategic objectives (20%). The allocation of awards to other NEOs also considers their respective department/unit and individual accomplishments.

At the beginning of the fiscal year, based on its ongoing evaluations, discussions with its independent compensation consultant, and feedback from shareholders, the Committee considers the performance metrics and strategic priorities that will be used for annual incentive purposes. The Committee evaluates whether: (i) the metrics are adequately linked to the Company’s annual strategic, operational, and financial plans; (ii) the metrics will drive appropriate behaviors; and (iii) any other metrics would be appropriate to add.

For 2024, the Committee approved the financial and operating metrics listed below, as well as the strategic objectives that follow the 2024 Annual Incentive Performance Metrics and Results. The financial and operating metrics for 2024 were set at a level that required improvement over the prior year (for absolute measures) or results that exceeded industry median levels (for relative measures). The strategic objectives were substantially similar to those used for 2023, as they continued to reflect current organizational priorities. The financial and operating metrics were:

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The Committee believes these financial and operational targets represent significant increases from the prior year’s results and, with the strategic objectives, represented an aggressive challenge for the Company and senior management.

At year-end, the Committee evaluates performance against these financial, operational, and strategic metrics, and the corresponding quantitative or qualitative targets for each metric that are established at the beginning of the year. Outcomes on individual metrics within each category (financial, operational, and strategic) are viewed collectively and do not have specified weightings. The Committee considers the relative weightings of each category of metrics and, based on its evaluation of each metric, determines its overall assessment of Company results. This assessment determines the final incentive pool funding, the award amount for the CEO, and other NEO awards. The Committee believes this structured approach facilitates a holistic assessment of performance and is the most effective way to measure the CEO’s leadership and the other NEOs’ performance within the context of a dynamic investment industry.

Annual Incentive Performance Metrics and Results

The performance results for the 2024 financial and operational metrics, the related targets and prior-year results, as well as key accomplishments on the Company’s strategic objectives, are summarized in the tables below.

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The Committee determined that the Company continued to execute on its long-term business plan, with strong financial results compared to the prior year that were modestly below the 2024 plan, significant progress on foundational strategic and operational activities, but with challenging sales and net flows that reflected industry trends. Results for the Financial and Operational Objectives were determined to be below target, and results for the Strategic Objectives were determined to be above expectations.

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In determining the funding level of the executive officer incentive awards, the Committee carefully assessed the Company’s performance against the above financial, operational, and strategic objectives, particularly noting that while the operating margin, diluted EPS, and relative investment performance metrics improved sequentially, the results were still below target, and sales and net flow rates remained challenged, consistent with industry trends. Based on these evaluations, the Committee determined that the Company’s overall performance was below target and that the annual incentive awards for the executive officers should be funded, in aggregate, at 26.8% of the maximum potential pool funding of 7% of operating income, as adjusted, before any variable incentive compensation.

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CEO Award Determination

George R. Aylward

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

For our CEO, the Committee established the annual incentive opportunity to position his target total compensation, which comprises base salary, annual incentive, and long-term incentive, competitively relative to amounts paid to peer group CEOs. For the 2024 performance year, the annual incentive target was $3.2 million, with a range of zero to a maximum of 200% of target.

The performance objectives of our CEO are directly aligned with the factors that are considered in determining the annual incentive pool funding, as reviewed in the 2024 Annual Incentive Performance Metrics and Results table, above. Additional information about the results included:

Financial Objectives (50%)

Operational Objectives (30%)

Strategic Objectives (20%)

The Company delivered on its strategic objectives, as set forth in the table above, through activities that included targeted product introductions for diversification into higher demand areas, repositioning of distribution

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resources and strategy to expand opportunities, and rationalization of functions and entities to facilitate future profitable growth. Specific accomplishments under Mr. Aylward’s leadership included:

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The Committee determined that for the overall performance assessment of the CEO for 2024, the quantitative results for the financial and operational objectives were below target, while overall results for strategic priorities were above expectations. Based on the results against these 2024 financial, operational, and strategic goals, the Committee assessed the CEO’s overall performance to be below target.

Given the above assessment, the Committee determined that the CEO’s performance would indicate an annual incentive payout of $3.0 million, or 6% below the target of $3.2 million and 7.1% above the prior year’s actual annual incentive payout.

The following table sets forth the CEO’s annual incentive award opportunities ranging from below threshold to maximum levels and his actual annual incentive payouts for 2024 and 2023.

NEO Award Determination

The CEO conducts an assessment of each NEO, other than himself, relative to individual and functional area contributions to the Company’s overall results for the year, market placement and prior-year incentive. The CEO provided the Committee with an award recommendation based on a consideration of the following factors:

Michael A. Angerthal

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

As Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Angerthal provides critical leadership in all areas of financial management for the Company, including treasury, accounting, tax, audit, financial planning, investor relations, financial controls, capital management, and certain corporate development activities. Significant results achieved in 2024 against the Strategic Priorities of Financial Management and Operating Optimization included:

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Barry M. Mandinach

Executive Vice President, Head of Distribution

In his role as Head of Distribution, Mr. Mandinach has overall responsibility for the Company’s sales and marketing activities. Significant results achieved in 2024 against the Strategic Priorities of Distribution Growth and Operating Optimization included:

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Richard W. Smirl

Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Smirl is responsible for oversight of investment strategies and products, including new product development, ongoing monitoring and competitive assessment of existing products, and interacting with the investment managers to ensure an environment that supports the continued delivery of strong investment performance. He is also responsible for oversight of the Company’s investment operations and information technology support areas. Significant results achieved in 2024 against the Strategic Priorities of Product Quality and Operating Optimization included:

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Andra C. Purkalitis

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

As Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Ms. Purkalitis is responsible for developing and guiding the strategic direction of the legal, regulatory and compliance functions and the provision of legal counsel across the Company. She also serves as counsel to the Board of Directors on all securities, litigation, regulatory and corporate governance matters. Significant results achieved in 2024 against the Strategic Priorities of Product Quality, Distribution Growth, and Operating Optimization included:

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2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan

In the first quarter of 2024, the Committee approved the 2024 long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”), which provided for 50% of the awards to be granted in PSUs and 50% in time-vested RSUs. The Committee believes the equal allocation between PSUs and RSUs provides an appropriate balance between performance recognition and retention for the NEOs as well as alignment with shareholders.

Both of the metrics for the PSU awards are measured over a three-year period. The two equally weighted relative performance metrics are:

Each of these performance measures is designed to ensure that our NEOs are aligned with the interests of shareholders and rewarded for the achievement of the Company’s longer-term business objectives, strategic priorities, and long-term shareholder value creation.

Potential payouts for the PSU awards are as follows:

Payout levels are interpolated on a linear basis for performance outcomes between the target and maximum levels and between the threshold and target levels. If the Company’s absolute TSR is negative, the maximum payout for that performance measure is capped at target.

The Committee believes that the use of relative performance metrics for long-term incentive awards provides a degree of rigor that may be otherwise lacking when evaluating absolute results against internally established performance metrics. The Committee also believes that determination of incentive awards based on two performance metrics diversifies the risk associated with any single indicator of performance.

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Long-Term Incentive Awards and Performance

2024 Long-Term Incentive Awards (a)

The results of the three-year metrics and the final value of these PSU awards will not be determined until the first quarter of 2027.

2022 Long-Term Incentive Plans

In February 2025, the Committee certified the results for both the three-year TSR and the three-year relative net flow rate of long-term AUM measures in the 2022 – 2024 performance period as being below threshold. Accordingly, there was no payout for either component of these performance-adjusted awards.

Benefits and Perquisites

Consistent with the Company’s compensation philosophy, the Company provides only limited personal benefits to the NEOs. Benefits and perquisites provided to our executive officers are comparable to those offered to other Company employees. The Company maintains a Non-Qualified Excess Investment Plan (the “Excess Plan”), described in further detail following the tables below, to provide eligible employees, including NEOs, with the opportunity to save for retirement and defer tax payments. No NEOs participated in the Excess Plan in 2024.

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