PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT — SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED MARCH 29, 2018

[●], 2018

Dear Fellow Stockholder,

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of stockholders of iRobot Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), to be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 8:30 a.m., local time, at the Company’s headquarters located at 8 Crosby Drive, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730.

At this annual meeting, you will be asked to (1) elect two (2) Class I directors, each to serve for a three-year term; (2) ratify the appointment of the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants for the current fiscal year; (3) approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate supermajority voting requirements; (4) approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to declassify the board of directors; (5) approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate the prohibition on stockholders’ ability to call a special meeting; (6) approve the iRobot Corporation 2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “2018 Stock Plan”); and (7) approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers.

The board of directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR election of the director nominees, FOR ratification of appointment of our independent registered public accountants, FOR approval of amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate supermajority voting requirements, FOR approval of amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to declassify the board of directors, FOR approval of amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate the prohibition on stockholders’ ability to call a special meeting, FOR approval of the 2018 Stock Plan, and FOR approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers. Details regarding the matters to be acted upon at this annual meeting appear in the accompanying proxy statement. Please give the accompanying materials your careful attention. Whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, we urge you to sign and return the enclosed proxy so that your shares will be represented at the annual meeting. If you attend the annual meeting, you may vote in person even if you have previously returned your proxy card. Your prompt cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

Because approval of Proposals 3, 4 and 5 requires the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding shares, your vote will be especially important at this year’s annual meeting.

Thank you for your continued support, interest and investment in iRobot.

Sincerely,

Colin M. Angle

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

SUMMARY OF RECENT AND PROPOSED CHANGES TO CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

In our continuing efforts to improve corporate governance and better align executive compensation with Company performance, the following highlights elements of our corporate governance and executive compensation programs and proposed changes that are described in more detail in the proxy statement.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

Corporate Governance

As described in the summary table above, since 2015 our board of directors has recommended that stockholders approve various corporate governance initiatives, including the elimination of supermajority voting requirements, declassification of our board of directors and elimination of the prohibition on stockholders’ ability to call a special meeting. However, in each case, the minimum required stockholder approvals were not attained. The board of directors has determined to re-submit each of these proposals to the Company’s stockholders at the 2018 annual meeting, and has again hired a proxy solicitor to solicit approval for these proposals.

Executive Compensation

In response to investor feedback in 2016, we modified the long-term incentive component of our executive compensation plan effective in fiscal year 2017. The revised plan moves to a mix of 50% performance share units (“PSUs”) and 50% time-based restricted stock units. The PSUs have metrics based on our cumulative financial performance measured at the end of a three-year performance period. We also added the ability to achieve an above target payout for PSUs starting in 2017 for achievement of the performance metrics above target levels.

Board of Directors

Over the past four years we have added four independent directors with extensive experience in global branding, strategic software development, cloud infrastructure, data analytics and finance, all of which are critical to the Company’s strategy. We continually evaluate our board member skills for alignment with iRobot’s strategic goals. The following matrix summarizes our directors’ skills that are critical to our company’s success:

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

The following summarizes key information about the board of directors:

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

iROBOT CORPORATION

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on May 23, 2018

To the Stockholders of iRobot Corporation:

The annual meeting of stockholders of iRobot Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), will be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 8:30 a.m., local time, at the Company’s headquarters located at 8 Crosby Drive, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, for the following purposes:

1. To elect two (2) Class I directors, nominated by the board of directors, each to serve for a three-year term and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal;

2. To ratify the appointment of the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants for the current fiscal year;

3. To approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate supermajority voting requirements;

4. To approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to declassify the board of directors;

5. To approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate the prohibition on stockholders’ ability to call a special meeting;

6. To approve the iRobot Corporation 2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan;

7. To hold an advisory vote on the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers; and

8. To transact such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Proposal 1 relates solely to the election of two (2) Class I directors nominated by the board of directors and does not include any other matters relating to the election of directors. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 4, 2018 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof.

All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the annual meeting in person. In accordance with our security procedures, all persons attending the annual meeting will be required to present a form of government-issued picture identification. If you hold your shares in “street name”, you must also provide proof of ownership (such as a recent brokerage statement). If you are a holder of record and attend the annual meeting, you may vote by ballot in person even if you have previously returned your proxy card. If you hold your shares in “street name” and wish to vote in person, you must provide a “legal proxy” from your bank or broker. However, to assure your representation at the annual meeting, we urge you, whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, to sign and return the enclosed proxy so that your shares will be represented at the annual meeting. If you attend the annual meeting, you may vote in person even if you have previously returned your proxy card. Directions to iRobot Corporation headquarters can be found at the Company’s website, http://www.irobot.com.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

Please note that, even if you plan to attend the annual meeting, we recommend that you vote using the enclosed proxy card TODAY, to ensure that your shares will be represented.

WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, PLEASE VOTE BY TELEPHONE, OVER THE INTERNET OR BY SIGNING, DATING AND RETURNING THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE PROVIDED IN ORDER TO ASSURE REPRESENTATION OF YOUR SHARES.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

iROBOT CORPORATION

PROXY STATEMENT

For the Annual Meeting of Stockholders

To Be Held on May 23, 2018

[●], 2018

This proxy statement and proxy card are furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the board of directors of iRobot Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “iRobot”), for use at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 8:30 a.m., local time, at the Company’s headquarters located at 8 Crosby Drive, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, and any adjournments or postponements thereof. An annual report to stockholders, containing financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017, is being mailed together with this proxy statement to all stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting. This proxy statement and the accompanying proxy card are expected to be first mailed to stockholders on or about [●], 2018.

The purposes of the annual meeting are to elect two (2) Class I directors, each for a three-year term, to ratify the appointment of the Company’s independent registered public accountants, to approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate supermajority voting requirements, to approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to declassify the board of directors, and to approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate the prohibition on stockholders’ ability to call a special meeting (such amendments, together, the “Certificate Amendments”), to approve the iRobot Corporation 2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “2018 Stock Plan”), and to hold an advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 4, 2018 will be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the annual meeting. As of March 31, 2018, [●] shares of common stock, $.01 par value per share, of the Company were issued and outstanding. The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on any proposal presented at the annual meeting.

Stockholders may vote in person or by proxy. If you attend the annual meeting, you may vote in person even if you have previously returned your proxy card. Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it at any time before it is voted. Proxies may be revoked by (i) filing a written notice of revocation bearing a later date than the proxy with the Secretary of the Company, (ii) duly completing a later-dated proxy relating to the same shares, or (iii) attending the annual meeting and voting in person (although attendance at the annual meeting will not in and of itself constitute a revocation of a proxy). Any written notice of revocation or subsequent proxy should be sent so as to be delivered to iRobot Corporation, 8 Crosby Drive, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, Attention: Secretary, before the taking of the vote at the annual meeting.

The representation in person or by proxy of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote at the annual meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Votes withheld from any nominee, abstentions and broker “non-votes” are counted as present or represented for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for the annual meeting. A broker “non-vote” occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner votes on one proposal but does not vote on another proposal because, with respect to such other proposal, the nominee does not have discretionary voting power and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner. Broker “non-votes” are not considered voted for the particular matter. If you hold your shares in “street-name” through a broker or other nominee, if the nominee does not have discretionary voting power and absent voting instructions from you, your shares will not be counted as voting and will have no effect on Proposals 6 and 7, and will have the same effect as if you voted against Proposals 3, 4 and 5. On the other hand, Proposal 2 to ratify the appointment of our independent

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

registered public accountants is a “routine” matter for which your broker does not need your voting instruction in order to vote your shares.

For Proposal 1, our by-laws require that each director be elected by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the votes cast by holders of shares present, in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as voting with respect to the election of the directors and, therefore, will not have an effect on the election of the Class I directors.

For Proposal 2, the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants for the current fiscal year, Proposal 6, approval of the 2018 Stock Plan, and Proposal 7, the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, an affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the votes cast by holders of shares present, in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote on each such matter is required for approval. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for Proposals 2, 6, and 7 and, therefore, will not have any effect on the outcome of such Proposals.

For Proposals 3, 4 and 5, votes on the Certificate Amendments, an affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote as of the record date is required for approval of each such Proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have the same effect as if you voted against Proposals 3, 4 and 5.

All properly executed proxies returned in time to be counted at the annual meeting will be voted by the named proxies at the annual meeting. Where a choice has been specified on the proxy with respect to the foregoing matters, the shares represented by the proxy will be voted in accordance with the specifications. If you return a validly executed proxy card without indicating how your shares should be voted on a matter, your proxies will be voted FOR election of the director nominees, FOR ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accountants, FOR each of the Certificate Amendments, FOR approval of the 2018 Stock Plan and FOR the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers.

Aside from the election of directors, the ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accountants, the approval of the Certificate Amendments, the approval of the 2018 Stock Plan and the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, the board of directors knows of no other matters to be presented at the annual meeting. If any other matter should be presented at the annual meeting upon which a vote properly may be taken, shares represented by all proxy cards received by the board of directors will be voted with respect thereto at the discretion of the persons named as proxies.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE STOCKHOLDER MEETING TO BE HELD ON MAY 23, 2018. THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANNUAL REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS ARE AVAILABLE AT https://materials.proxyvote.com/462726.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Nominees

Our board of directors currently consists of eight members. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation currently divides the board of directors into three classes. One class is elected each year for a term of three years. The board of directors, upon the recommendation of the nominating and corporate governance committee, has nominated Colin M. Angle and Deborah G. Ellinger, and recommended that each be elected to the board of directors as a Class I director, each to hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in the year 2021 or until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. Mr. Angle, Dr. Chwang and Ms. Ellinger are currently Class I directors whose terms are set to expire at this annual meeting. Dr. Chwang is retiring from the board following the expiration of his term at the 2018 annual meeting. Each of Mr. Angle and Ms. Ellinger has consented to being named in this proxy statement and has agreed to serve if elected. The board of directors is also composed of (i) two Class II directors (Mohamad Ali and Michael Bell) whose terms are currently set to expire upon the election and qualification of directors at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2019, and (ii) three Class III directors (Andrew Miller, Elisha Finney and Michelle V. Stacy) whose terms are currently set to expire upon the election and qualification of directors at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2020. If Proposal 4 is approved by the stockholders, each of Mr. Angle and Ms. Ellinger, along with all other directors, will stand for election at the 2019 annual meeting.

The board of directors knows of no reason why any of the nominees named in this proxy statement would be unable or for good cause will not serve, but if any nominee should for any reason be unable to serve or for good cause will not serve, the board of directors reserves the right to nominate substitute nominees for election prior to the annual meeting, in which case the Company will file an amendment to this proxy statement disclosing the identity of such substitute nominees and related information and the proxies will be voted for such substitute nominees. Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them for the nominees named below.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

Recommendation of the Board

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS

THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES LISTED BELOW.

The following table sets forth our nominees to be elected at the annual meeting and continuing directors, the positions with us currently held by each nominee and director, the year each nominee’s or director’s current term is currently set to expire and each nominee’s and director’s current class:

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table sets forth the director nominees to be elected at the annual meeting, the directors and the executive officers of the Company, their ages immediately prior to the annual meeting, and the positions currently held by each such person with the Company:

Colin M. Angle, a co-founder of iRobot, has served as chairman of the board since October 2008, as chief executive officer since June 1997, and prior to that, as our president since November 1992. He has served as a director since October 1992. As a co-founder and chief executive officer, Mr. Angle provides a critical contribution to the board of directors with his detailed knowledge of the Company, our employees, our client base, our prospects, the strategic marketplace and our competitors. Mr. Angle previously worked at the National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he participated in the design of the behavior controlled rovers that led to Sojourner exploring Mars in 1997. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Computer Science, both from MIT.

Deborah G. Ellinger has served as a director since November 2011. She brings extensive experience in international retail and consumer products from her experience as a former president and chief executive officer of several consumer goods and retail companies. She was the president and CEO of Ideal Image, a chain of 130 medical spas providing non-surgical cosmetic procedures across the US and Canada, from 2016 until her retirement in March 2018; chairman and chief executive officer of The Princeton Review, a company which assists students globally in test preparation and tutoring, from 2012 to 2014; president of Restoration Hardware, a luxury home furnishings retailer, from 2008 to 2009; and chief executive officer of Wellness Pet Food, a natural pet-food company, from 2004 to 2008. Ms. Ellinger led each of those companies while they were owned by two private equity firms, and three of the four transitioned to new ownership, yielding three to seven times return on capital to investors. Previously, she served as an executive vice president at CVS Pharmacy, a senior vice president at Staples and a partner at The Boston Consulting Group, and began her career with Mellon Financial Corporation. Ms. Ellinger also serves on the board of The Commonwealth Institute, a nonprofit, and is a former director of board of Interpublic Group, The Princeton Review, Sealy Corporation, National Life Group, and several private companies. Her assignments have taken her all over the world. She has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and America. Ms. Ellinger is qualified as a Barrister-at-Law in London, as a member of the Inner Temple. She holds an M.A. and B.A. in Law and Mathematics from the University of Cambridge, England.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

Mohamad Ali has served as a director since August 2015 and brings extensive experience with capital allocation in technology companies, as well as strategic software development, including cloud infrastructure and data analytics. He has served as the president, chief executive officer and director of Carbonite, Inc. from 2014 to present. Mr. Ali has successfully led Carbonite’s continued growth, serving the ever-evolving technology needs of small and mid-size businesses and consumers. Boston-based Carbonite provides cloud and hybrid backup and recovery solutions for home and business. Previously, Mr. Ali served as chief strategy officer at Hewlett-Packard, a manufacturer of computers and enterprise products, from 2012 to 2014 and president of Avaya Global Services, an enterprise communications company. He also served in senior leadership roles at IBM Corporation, a multinational technology and consulting company, where he acquired numerous companies to build IBM’s analytics and big data business. In addition to serving on the board of directors of Carbonite, Mr. Ali is also a director of Oxfam America and Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council and previously served on the Board of Directors of City National Corporation and City National Bank. He was named to Boston Business Journal’s 2008 “40 Under 40” list, and recognized by Massachusetts High Tech magazine as a 2011 All-Star. Mr. Ali holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering, both from Stanford University.

Michael Bell has served as a director since March 2016 and brings significant expertise in the Internet of Things from his work at Silver Spring Networks, Inc., Intel Corporation, Apple, Inc., and Palm, Inc. He was the chief executive officer and president of Silver Spring Networks, a leading networking platform and solutions provider for smart energy networks, from September 2015 until his retirement in January 2018. Previously, from 2010 to 2015 he held various roles at Intel Corporation, a multinational technology corporation specializing in the production of semiconductor chips, including Corporate Vice President New Devices Group, Corporate VP Mobile and Communications Group and Corporate Vice President Ultra Mobility Group. He was head of Product Development at Palm, Inc. from 2007 to 2010. He worked at Apple, Inc. from 1991 to 2007 and played significant roles in development of Apple iPhone and Apple TV products, serving as Vice President, CPU Software from 2002 to 2007. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ronald Chwang, Ph.D. has served as a director since November 1998 and brings extensive experience in technology, manufacturing, supply chain, business development and Asian operations. Since January 2005, he has been the chairman and president of iD Ventures America, LLC (formerly known as Acer Technology Ventures, LLC) part of the iD SoftCapital Group, a venture investment and management consulting service group. He was the chief executive officer of Acer America from 1992 until 1997, growing it to over $1 Billion in revenues, and then became chairman and president of Acer Technology Ventures until 2004, managing high-tech venture investment activities in North America. Previously, he was president of two Acer business groups in Taiwan, from 1986 to 1991. Dr. Chwang holds a B.Eng. (with honors) in Electrical Engineering from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Dr. Chwang will retire from the board following the expiration of his term at the 2018 annual meeting after nearly twenty years of service on our board.

Andrew Miller has served as a director since September 2016 and brings critical financial leadership as well as software, cloud infrastructure and Internet of Things (IoT) experience to iRobot as the company continues to grow its consumer business globally and focus on the connected home. Mr. Miller has served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of PTC, a provider of software technology platforms and solutions, since early 2015. At PTC, he is responsible for global finance, tax and treasury, investor relations, information technology, pricing, corporate real estate, and customer administration. From 2008 to 2015, Mr. Miller served as chief financial officer of Cepheid, a high-growth molecular diagnostics company. While at Cepheid, he built world- class finance and information technology teams and a nationally recognized investor relations program. Mr. Miller has also served in financial leadership roles at Autodesk, MarketFirst Software, Cadence Design Systems, and Silicon Graphics. He is a former director of United Online. Mr. Miller holds a B.S. in Commerce with an emphasis in Accounting from Santa Clara University and was a CPA.

Elisha Finney has served as a director since January 2017. Ms. Finney brings more than 25 years of financial and technology-related expertise to iRobot as the company focuses on expanding internationally,

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

scaling its connected product line and maximizing value for its shareholders. Until her retirement in May 2017, Ms. Finney served as executive vice president and CFO of Varian Medical Systems, a leading developer of radiation oncology treatments and software, where she served in various management roles since 1999. Her management responsibilities at Varian Medical Systems included corporate accounting; corporate communications and investor relations; internal financial and compliance audit; risk management; tax and treasury, and information technology. She also serves on the board of directors at Cutera, ICU Medical, Mettler-Toledo, and NanoString. She previously served as a board member at Altera Corporation, Thoratec and Laserscope. She holds a B.A. in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia and an M.B.A. in Finance from Golden Gate University where she received the 1992 “Outstanding Graduate of the Masters Programs in Finance” Award. Ms. Finney was the 2015 UGA Terry College of Business Distinguished Alumni of the Year and the recipient of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 2013 “Women of Influence” Award.

Michelle V. Stacy has served as a director since August 2014. As the former president of Keurig, Inc. and former vice president and general manager with Gillette/Procter & Gamble Co., Ms. Stacy brings to the board of directors a wealth of experience leading consumer businesses and building global brands. During her five-year tenure at Keurig Inc., a division of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., from 2008 to 2013, the company’s revenue grew from $493 million in 2008 to $4.3 billion for 2013. Ms. Stacy is a director of Coravin, Inc., Flex Pharma, Inc., a former director of Young Innovations Inc., Tervis Inc, and the French Cultural Center, a nonprofit. She is a professional speaker on leadership, innovation and growth. She holds a B.S. from Dartmouth College and an M.S. in Management from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management — Northwestern University, and is bilingual in French and English.

Executive Officers

Alison Dean has served as our executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer and principal accounting officer since April 2013. Ms. Dean previously served as our senior vice president, corporate finance from February 2010 until March 2013. From March 2007 until February 2010, Ms. Dean served as our vice president, financial controls & analysis. From August 2005 until March 2007, Ms. Dean served as our vice president, financial planning & analysis. From 1995 to August 2005, Ms. Dean served in a number of positions at 3Com Corporation, including vice president and corporate controller from 2004 to 2005 and vice president of finance — worldwide sales from 2003 to 2004. Ms. Dean holds a B.A. in Business Economics from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Boston University.

Christian Cerda has served as our chief operating officer since May 2016. Mr. Cerda previously served as executive vice president of our Home Robot Business Unit from February 2015 until May 2016, and its senior vice president and general manager since May 2013. He has direct responsibility over global sales, marketing and product management and leads Global Commercial and Supply Chain Operations, overseeing manufacturing and supply chain. Prior to iRobot, he was general manager and vice president of Sales and Marketing from April 2010 to March 2013 at Whirlpool Corporation, a multinational manufacturer of home appliances, where he was responsible for sales, marketing, brand communications, product development and operations. Previously, he served in senior positions at The Boston Consulting Group and Procter & Gamble Co. Mr. Cerda holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Universidad Simon Bolivar and an M.S. in Business Administration with distinction from the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Russell J. Campanello has served as our executive vice president, human resources and corporate communications since February 2014. Mr. Campanello previously served as our senior vice president, human resources and corporate communications from July 2013 until February 2014. From November 2010 until July 2013, Mr. Campanello served as our senior vice president, human resources. Prior to joining iRobot, Mr. Campanello served as senior vice president, human resources and administration at Phase Forward, Inc. from April 2008 until September 2010. Mr. Campanello previously served as senior vice president of human resources and marketing at Keane, Inc., a business process and information technology consulting firm, from September

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

2003 to October 2007. Prior to Keane, Mr. Campanello served as chief people officer at NerveWire, Inc. from August 2000 to February 2003. Prior to NerveWire, he served as senior vice president, human resources at Genzyme Corp. from November 1997 to July 2000. Earlier in his career, Mr. Campanello spent nine years as vice president of human resources at Lotus Development Corporation. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts.

Glen D. Weinstein has served as our executive vice president and chief legal officer since August 2012. Mr. Weinstein previously served as our general counsel from July 2000 to August 2012 and as senior vice president from January 2005 to August 2012. Since March 2004, he has also served as our secretary. Prior to joining iRobot, Mr. Weinstein was with Covington & Burling LLP, a law firm in Washington, D.C. Mr. Weinstein holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Our executive officers are elected by the board of directors on an annual basis and serve until their successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND BOARD MATTERS

Board Leadership Structure

Mr. Angle serves as our chief executive officer and chairman of the board. The board of directors believes that having our chief executive officer as chairman of the board facilitates the board of directors’ decision-making process because Mr. Angle has first-hand knowledge of our operations and the major issues facing us. This also enables Mr. Angle to act as the key link between the board of directors and other members of management. To assure effective independent oversight, our by-laws provide that the independent members of our board of directors will designate a lead independent director if the chairman of the board is not an independent director, as discussed further in “Executive Sessions of Independent Directors” below.

Independence of Members of the Board of Directors

The board of directors has determined that Dr. Chwang, Mses. Ellinger, Finney and Stacy, and Messrs. Ali, Bell, and Miller are independent within the meaning of the director independence standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) and the SEC. Furthermore, the board of directors has determined that each member of each of the committees of the board of directors is independent within the meaning of the director independence standards of NASDAQ and the SEC, save Mr. Angle who serves on the strategy and finance committee and is our chief executive officer.

Executive Sessions of Independent Directors

Executive sessions of the independent directors are held during each regularly scheduled in-person meeting of the board of directors. Executive sessions do not include any of our non-independent directors and are chaired by a lead independent director who is appointed annually by the board of directors from our independent directors. Ms. Ellinger currently serves as the lead independent director. In this role, Ms. Ellinger serves as chairperson of the independent director sessions. The independent directors of the board of directors met in executive session four (4) times in 2017.

Role of Lead Independent Director

The lead independent director works to ensure that “all voices are heard” within the boardroom and proactively spends considerable time with the chief executive officer, and other executive officers, to understand the Company’s vision and strategy and works to focus the board of directors on areas aligned with the Company’s vision and strategy. In addition to acting as the chairperson of the independent director sessions, the lead independent director assists the board in assuring effective corporate governance. The lead independent director’s specific duties include:

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and iRobot 2018 Proxy Statement

The Board of Directors’ Role in Risk Oversight

The board of directors oversees our risk management process. This oversight is primarily accomplished through the board of directors’ committees and management’s reporting processes, including receiving regular reports from members of senior management on areas of material risk to the Company, including operational, financial, legal and regulatory, and strategic and reputational risks. The audit committee focuses on risk related to accounting, internal controls, and financial and tax reporting. The audit committee also assesses economic and business risks and monitors compliance with ethical standards. The compensation and talent committee identifies and oversees risks associated with our executive compensation policies and practices, and the nominating and corporate governance committee identifies and oversees risks associated with director independence, related party transactions and the implementation of corporate governance policies. The strategy and finance committee oversees currency risk management policies and risks related to other treasury and tax policies.

Policies Governing Director Nominations

Director Qualifications

The nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors is responsible for reviewing with the board of directors from time to time the appropriate qualities, skills and characteristics desired of members of the board of directors in the context of the needs of the business and current make-up of the board of directors. This assessment includes consideration of the following minimum qualifications that the nominating and corporate governance committee believes must be met by all directors:

We do not have a formal board diversity policy. However, pursuant to the Policy Governing Director Qualifications and Nominations, as part of its evaluation of potential director candidates and in addition to other standards the nominating and corporate governance committee may deem appropriate from time to time for the overall structure and composition of the board of directors, the nominating and corporate governance committee may consider whether each candidate, if elected, assists in achieving a mix of board members that represent a diversity of background and experience. Accordingly, the board of directors seeks members from diverse professional backgrounds who combine a broad spectrum of relevant industry and strategic experience and expertise that, in concert, offer us and our stockholders diversity of opinion and insight in the areas most important to us and our corporate mission. In addition, nominees for director are selected to have complementary, rather than overlapping, skill sets. All candidates for director nominee must have time available to devote to the activities of the board of directors. The nominating and corporate governance committee also considers the independence of candidates for director nominee, including the appearance of any conflict in serving as a director. Candidates for director nominee who do not meet all of these criteria may still be considered for nomination to the board of directors, if the nominating and corporate governance committee believes that the candidate will make an exceptional contribution to us and our stockholders.

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Process for Identifying and Evaluating Director Nominees

The board of directors delegates the initial selection and nomination process to the nominating and corporate governance committee, with the expectation that other members of the board of directors, and of management, will be requested to take part in the process as appropriate.

Generally, the nominating and corporate governance committee identifies candidates for director nominee in consultation with management, through the use of search firms or other advisors, through the recommendations submitted by stockholders or through such other methods as the nominating and corporate governance committee deems to be helpful to identify candidates. Once candidates have been identified, the nominating and corporate governance committee confirms that the candidates meet all of the minimum qualifications for director nominees established by the nominating and corporate governance committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee may gather information about the candidates through interviews, detailed questionnaires, comprehensive background checks or any other means that the nominating and corporate governance committee deems to be helpful in the evaluation process. The nominating and corporate governance committee then meets as a group to discuss and evaluate the qualities and skills of each candidate, both on an individual basis and taking into account the overall composition and needs of the board of directors. Based on the results of the evaluation process, the nominating and corporate governance committee recommends candidates for the board of directors’ approval as director nominees for election to the board of directors. The nominating and corporate governance committee also recommends candidates to the board of directors for appointment to the committees of the board of directors. Once appropriate candidates have been identified, the entire board of directors votes on the candidates, as the selection of board nominees is a responsibility of the entire board of directors.

Procedures for Recommendation of Director Nominees by Stockholders

The nominating and corporate governance committee will consider director nominee candidates who are recommended by our stockholders. Stockholders, in submitting recommendations to the nominating and corporate governance committee for director nominee candidates, shall follow the following procedures:

The nominating and corporate governance committee must receive any such recommendation for nomination not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement delivered to stockholders in connection with the preceding year’s annual meeting.

All recommendations for nomination must be in writing and include the following:

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Nominations must be sent to the attention of our secretary by U.S. mail (including courier or expedited delivery service) to:

iRobot Corporation

8 Crosby Drive

Bedford, Massachusetts 01730

Attn: Secretary of iRobot Corporation

Our Secretary will promptly forward any such nominations to the nominating and corporate governance committee.

In addition, our by-laws permit eligible stockholders, or groups of stockholders, owning continuously for at least three years shares of the Company’s stock representing an aggregate of at least 3% of the Company’s outstanding shares, to nominate and include in the Company’s proxy materials director nominees constituting up to two or 25%, whichever is greater, of the board of directors, provided that the stockholders and nominees satisfy the requirements in our by-laws. Written notice of stockholder nominees to the board of directors must be received not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary the proceeding year’s annual meeting. For details on the Company’s proxy access procedures, please refer to our by-laws.

Policy Governing Security Holder Communications with the Board of Directors

The board of directors provides to every security holder the ability to communicate with the board of directors as a whole and with individual directors on the board of directors through an established process for security holder communications as follows:

For communications directed to the board of directors as a whole, security holders may send such communications to the attention of the chairman of the board of directors by U.S. mail (including courier or expedited delivery service) to:

iRobot Corporation

8 Crosby Drive

Bedford, Massachusetts 01730

Attn: Chairman of the Board, c/o Secretary

For security holder communications directed to an individual director in his or her capacity as a member of the board of directors, security holders may send such communications to the attention of the individual director by U.S. mail (including courier or expedited delivery service) to:

iRobot Corporation

8 Crosby Drive

Bedford, Massachusetts 01730

Attn: [Name of the director], c/o Secretary

We will forward any such security holder communication to the chairman of the board, as a representative of the board of directors, or to the director to whom the communication is addressed. We will forward such communications by certified U.S. mail to an address specified by each director and the chairman of the board for such purposes or by secure electronic transmission.

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Policy Governing Director Attendance at Annual Meetings of Stockholders

Our policy is to schedule a regular meeting of the board of directors on the same date as our annual meeting of stockholders and, accordingly, directors are encouraged to be present at our stockholder meetings. The ten board members who were directors at the time of the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2017, attended the meeting.

Board of Directors Evaluation Program

The board of directors performs annual self-evaluations of its composition and performance, including evaluations of its standing committees and individual evaluations for each director. In addition, each of the standing committees of the board of directors conducts its own self-evaluation, which is reported to the board of directors. The board of directors retains the authority to engage its own advisors and consultants.

For more corporate governance information, you are invited to access the Corporate Governance section of our website available at http://www.irobot.com.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a “code of ethics,” as defined by regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Exchange Act, that applies to all of our directors and employees worldwide, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller, or persons performing similar functions. A current copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available at the Corporate Governance section of our website at http://www.irobot.com. A copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics may also be obtained, free of charge, from us upon a request directed to: iRobot Corporation, 8 Crosby Drive, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, Attention: Investor Relations. We intend to disclose any amendment to or waiver of a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, by posting such information on its website available at http://www.irobot.com and/or in our public filings with the SEC.

Human Rights Policy

We have adopted a Human Rights Policy. Respect for human rights is an essential value for our company and for the communities in which we operate. We are committed to ensuring that our employees and individuals in the communities affected by our activities are treated with dignity and respect. We believe that following these principles helps our employees and our business thrive as we develop new and exciting technologies for the smart home.

For more corporate governance information, you are invited to access the Corporate Governance section of our website available at http://www.irobot.com.

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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES

Board of Directors

The board of directors met eleven (11) times during the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017, and took action by unanimous written consent two (2) times. Each of the directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number of meetings of the board of directors and the total number of meetings of all committees of the board of directors on which they served during fiscal 2017. The board of directors has the following standing committees: audit committee; compensation and talent committee; nominating and corporate governance committee; and strategy and finance committee, each of which operates pursuant to a separate charter that has been approved by the board of directors. A current copy of each charter is available at the Corporate Governance section of our website at http://www.irobot.com. Each committee reviews the appropriateness of its charter at least annually. Each committee retains the authority to engage its own advisors and consultants. The composition and responsibilities of each committee are summarized below.

Audit Committee

The audit committee of the board of directors currently consists of Messrs. Miller and Bell and Ms. Finney, each of whom is an independent director within the meaning of the director independence standards of NASDAQ and the SEC, including Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Exchange Act, as amended, or the Exchange Act. In addition, the board of directors has determined that each of Messrs. Miller and Bell and Ms. Finney, are financially literate and that Messrs. Miller and Bell and Ms. Finney each qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” under the rules of the SEC. Mr. Miller serves as the chairman of the audit committee.

The audit committee met eight (8) times during the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017. The audit committee operates under a written charter adopted by the board of directors, a current copy of which is available at the Corporate Governance section of our website at http://www.irobot.com.

As described more fully in its charter, the audit committee oversees the integrity of our financial statements, our accounting and financial reporting processes, our internal controls over financial reporting, our internal and external audit functions and the safeguarding of our assets. In fulfilling its role, the audit committee responsibilities include:

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For additional information concerning the audit committee, see the “Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.”

Compensation and Talent Committee

The compensation and talent committee of the board of directors currently consists of Messrs. Bell and Ali, and Mses. Finney and Stacy, each of whom is an independent director within the meaning of the director independence standards of NASDAQ, a non-employee director as defined in Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act, and an outside director pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Mr. Bell serves as the chairman of the compensation and talent committee. The compensation and talent committee’s responsibilities include:

The compensation and talent committee met five (5) times and took action by unanimous written consent four (4) times during the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017. The compensation and talent committee operates under a written charter adopted by the board of directors, a current copy of which is available at the Corporate Governance section of our website at http://www.irobot.com.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors currently consists of Ms. Ellinger, Mr. Miller, and Dr. Chwang, each of whom is an independent director within the meaning of the director independence standards of NASDAQ and applicable rules of the SEC. Ms. Ellinger serves as the chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee’s responsibilities include:

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The nominating and corporate governance committee met six (6) times during the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017. The nominating and corporate governance committee operates under a written charter adopted by the board of directors, a current copy of which is available at the Corporate Governance section of our website at http://www.irobot.com.

Strategy and Finance Committee

Messrs. Ali and Angle, Dr. Chwang and Ms. Stacy currently serve as members of our strategy and finance committee. Mr. Ali serves as the chairman of the strategy and finance committee. The responsibilities of the strategy and finance committee include:

The strategy and finance committee met four (4) times during the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017. The strategy and finance committee operates under a written charter adopted by the board of directors, a current copy of which is available at the Corporate Governance section of our website at http://www.irobot.com.

Compensation and Talent Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

During 2017, Mses. Finney and Stacy, and Messrs. Ali and Bell served as members of the compensation and talent committee. No member of the compensation and talent committee was an employee or former employee of us or any of our subsidiaries, or had any relationship with us requiring disclosure herein.

During the last year, no executive officer of the Company served as: (i) a member of the compensation and talent committee (or other committee of the board of directors performing equivalent functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board of directors) of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our compensation and talent committee; (ii) a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our compensation and talent committee; or (iii) a member of the compensation and talent committee (or other committee of the board of directors performing equivalent functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board of directors) of another entity, one of whose executive officers served as a director of the Company.

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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

No portion of this audit committee report shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), through any general statement incorporating by reference in its entirety the proxy statement in which this report appears, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates this report or a portion of it by reference. In addition, this report shall not be deemed filed under either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

This report is submitted by the audit committee of the board of directors. The audit committee currently consists of Andrew Miller, Michael Bell and Elisha Finney. None of the members of the audit committee is an officer or employee of the Company, and the board of directors has determined that each member of the audit committee meets the independence requirements promulgated by NASDAQ and the SEC, including Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Exchange Act. Each of Messrs. Miller and Bell and Ms. Finney is an “audit committee financial expert” as is currently defined under SEC rules. The audit committee operates under a written charter adopted by the board of directors.

The audit committee oversees the Company’s accounting and financial reporting processes on behalf of the board of directors. The meetings of the audit committee are designed to facilitate and encourage communication among the audit committee, Company management, the independent registered public accounting firm and the Company’s internal audit function. The Company’s management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for assessing the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the audit committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal quarters and full year ended December 30, 2017, including a discussion of, among other things, the quarterly and annual earnings press releases, the quality of the Company’s accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant estimates and judgments, and the clarity of disclosures in the Company’s financial statements.

The audit committee ensures that the Company establishes and appropriately resources a professional internal auditing function and that there are no unjustified restrictions or limitations imposed on that function. In addition to reviewing and approving the annual internal audit plan and overseeing other internal audit activities, the audit committee regularly reviews and discusses the results of internal audit reports.

The audit committee also reviewed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, the results of their audit and discussed matters required to be discussed by the Auditing Standard No. 1301, Communications with Audit Committees, as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, other standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, rules of the SEC and other applicable regulations. The audit committee has reviewed permitted services under rules of the SEC as currently in effect and discussed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP their independence from management and the Company, including the matters in the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and has considered and discussed the compatibility of non-audit services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with that firm’s independence. For each engagement, Company management provided the audit committee with information about the services and fees, sufficiently detailed to allow the audit committee to make an informed judgment about the nature and scope of the services and the potential for the services to impair the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm. After the end of each fiscal year, Company management provides the audit committee with a summary of actual fees incurred with the independent registered public accounting firm.

The audit committee meets with the independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examinations; their evaluations of the Company’s internal

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control, including internal control over financial reporting; and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting. Additionally, the audit committee meets in separate executive sessions with the Company’s chief financial officer and the head of internal audit.

In accordance with SEC rules and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP policies, lead and concurring audit partners are subject to rotation requirements that limit the number of consecutive years an individual partner may provide services to our Company to a maximum of five years. The selection of the lead audit partner pursuant to this rotation policy involves a meeting between the candidate for the role and the chair of the audit committee, as well as with the full audit committee and members of management.

The audit committee has also evaluated the performance of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, including, among other things, the length of time the firm has been engaged; its familiarity with our operations and businesses, accounting policies and practices, and our internal controls over financial reporting; and the appropriateness of fees paid to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for audit and non-audit services in 2017, on an absolute basis and as compared to the scope of prior year audits. Information about PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s fees for 2017 is discussed below in this proxy statement under “Proposal 2 - Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accountants.” Based on its evaluation, the audit committee has retained PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the 2018 fiscal year.

Based on its review of the financial statements and the aforementioned discussions, the audit committee concluded that it would be reasonable to recommend, and on that basis, did recommend, to the board of directors that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on February 16, 2018.

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REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION AND TALENT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

No portion of this compensation and talent committee report shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), through any general statement incorporating by reference in its entirety the proxy statement in which this report appears, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates this report or a portion of it by reference. In addition, this report shall not be deemed filed under either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

The compensation and talent committee of the board of directors, which is comprised solely of independent directors within the meaning of applicable rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc., outside directors within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and non-employee directors within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, is responsible for developing executive compensation policies and advising the board of directors with respect to such policies and administering the Company’s cash incentive and equity incentive plans. The compensation and talent committee sets performance goals and objectives for the chief executive officer and the other executive officers, evaluates their performance with respect to those goals and sets their compensation based upon the evaluation of their performance. In evaluating executive officer pay, the compensation and talent committee retains the services of a compensation consultant and considers recommendations from the chief executive officer with respect to goals and compensation of the other executive officers. The compensation and talent committee assesses the information it receives in accordance with its business judgment. The compensation and talent committee also periodically reviews director compensation. All decisions with respect to executive and director compensation are approved by the compensation and talent committee. All decisions regarding chief executive officer and director compensation are reviewed and ratified by the full board. Messrs. Bell and Ali, and Mses. Finney and Stacy, and are the current members of the compensation and talent committee.

The compensation and talent committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis (the “CD&A”) for the year ended December 30, 2017 with management. In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the compensation and talent committee recommended to the board of directors, and the board of directors has approved, that the CD&A be included in this proxy statement and incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on February 16, 2018.

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COMPENSATION AND OTHER INFORMATION

CONCERNING EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Overview

Our compensation philosophy is based on a desire to balance retention of executive talent with pay for performance incentive compensation which is designed to reward our named executive officers for our financial and operating performance. We believe the compensation of our named executive officers should align our executives’ interests with those of our stockholders and focus executive behavior on the achievement of both near-term corporate targets as well as long-term business objectives and strategies. It is the responsibility of the compensation and talent committee of our board of directors to administer our compensation practices to ensure they are competitive and include incentives designed to appropriately drive our performance through specific financial and strategic objectives. Our compensation and talent committee annually reviews and approves elements of executive compensation, including chief executive officers and executive officer base salaries, cash incentives and equity awards.

Our performance as a company in 2017 was very strong. In our first full year as a solely consumer-focused business, we delivered full year revenue of $883.9 million, which represented an increase of 34% from full year revenue in 2016, and earnings per share of $1.77 in 2017 compared with $1.48 for full year 2016.

Our compensation and talent committee, in conjunction with management, evaluates our overall executive compensation program each year. As a result of this ongoing review, we made a number of changes in our long-term incentive plan for 2017, which included increasing the percentage of PSUs and removing the use of stock options. We also adjusted the design of our PSU plan so performance of the entire plan is measured at the end of a three-year performance period, eliminating the interim one-year cumulative goals as well as the catch-up provision, and we added an opportunity to earn above and below target based on actual performance achievement at the end of the three-year performance period. For our 2018 long-term incentive plan, we shifted the payout metric from operating income as a percentage of revenue to three-year cumulative operating income in dollars. We believe our compensation philosophies and objectives, as described below, have aligned executive compensation with Company performance.

Objectives of Our Compensation Program

Our compensation programs for our executive officers are designed to achieve the following objectives:

We believe the compensation of our named executive officers should reflect their success as a management team, rather than as individuals, in attaining key operating objectives, such as Adjusted EBITDA, operating income as a percentage of revenue and revenue in dollars. We define Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, merger, acquisition and divestiture expenses, net intellectual property litigation expense, restructuring expense and non-cash stock compensation as shown in Exhibit A of this proxy.

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We also believe that the compensation of our named executive officers should not be based on the short-term performance of our stock, whether favorable or unfavorable, but rather that the price of our stock will, in the long-term, reflect our operating performance, and ultimately, the management of the Company.

Methodologies for Establishing Executive Compensation

The compensation and talent committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors, reviews the compensation packages for our named executive officers, including an analysis of all elements of compensation separately and in the aggregate. In determining the appropriate compensation levels for our chief executive officer, the compensation and talent committee meets with only itself and the executive vice president, human resources and corporate communications. With respect to the compensation levels of all other named executive officers, the compensation and talent committee meets with our chief executive officer and, as needed, our executive vice president, human resources and corporate communications. Our chief executive officer annually reviews the performance of each of the other named executive officers with the compensation and talent committee.

The compensation and talent committee has engaged Pearl Meyer & Partners, LLC (“Pearl Meyer”), as an independent compensation consultant to work with them in addition to our human resources department and the chief executive officer to assist them in developing the compensation program and recommendations regarding base salary levels, target incentive awards, performance goals for incentive compensation and equity awards for named executive officers. In conjunction with the annual performance review of each named executive officer the compensation and talent committee carefully considers the recommendations of the chief executive officer with respect to the other executive officers when setting base salary, bonus payments under the prior year’s incentive compensation plan, and target amounts and performance goals for the current year’s incentive compensation plan. In addition, the compensation and talent committee similarly determines the size and structure of equity incentive awards, if any, for each named executive officer.

Moreover, the compensation and talent committee considers the results of the advisory vote on named executive officer compensation, or the “say on pay” vote, that is currently held each year at our annual meeting of stockholders.

At the May 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, the Company held its annual say on pay vote. The results of the say on pay vote held in May 2017 were as follows:

The results of the say on pay vote are advisory and not binding on the Company, the board of directors or the compensation and talent committee. The board of directors and the compensation and talent committee, however, value the opinions of our stockholders and take the results of the say on pay vote into account when making decisions regarding the compensation of our named executive officers. Over the past few years, we have met directly with many of our largest stockholders and listened to their feedback related to our executive compensation programs.

As part of ongoing efforts to be responsive to the concerns of our investors regarding our executive compensation programs and to reward outstanding operational and financial performance, the compensation and talent committee will, in consultation with Pearl Meyer, continue to consider changes to our compensation programs as appropriate in response to input from stockholders and evolving factors such as the business environment and competition for talent. Additionally, the compensation and talent committee will continue to consider the outcome of our say on pay votes, regulatory changes and emerging best practices when making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers.

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Our compensation plans are developed, in part, by utilizing publicly available compensation data and subscription compensation survey data for national and regional companies in the technology and consumer technology industries. We believe that the practices of this group of companies provide us with appropriate compensation benchmarks, because these companies have similar business models and tend to compete with us to attract executives and other employees. For benchmarking executive compensation, we typically review the compensation data for companies with revenues, numbers of employees, market capitalizations and levels of research & development investment similar to our profile. Beginning with fiscal year 2017, we have removed defense oriented companies from our compensation survey data as a result of our divestment of our defense and security business unit and aligned with companies in comparable industries that focus on smart-tech and high-tech products and in the consumer technology industry.

Compensation Consultant

As the independent compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer provides the compensation and talent committee with advice on a broad range of executive compensation matters. The scope of its services includes the following:

The compensation and talent committee has assessed the independence of Pearl Meyer pursuant to SEC rules and concluded that no conflict of interest exists that would prevent Pearl Meyer from independently advising the compensation and talent committee. The Company did not engage Pearl Meyer for any other consulting work in fiscal 2017.

Compensation Comparisons

Developing a peer group for compensation comparison purposes is not an easy task for the Company. We do not have any “true” robotic comparator companies that are publicly-traded, stand-alone, U.S.-based and size-appropriate. We believe our mix of technology, smart technology/connected devices, and technology/consumer products peer group firms is appropriate for compensation and performance comparison purposes, but our peer group firms differ substantially from the peer groups used by some proxy advisory firms. These organizations tend to compare us to companies in the consumer durables industry such as home builders, retailers and furniture distributors/manufacturers (i.e., companies with little to no technology attributes to their respective products). These differences in peer group firms used to determine alignment of pay and performance result in substantial differences in Company performance and how compensation is valued and delivered to executives. Technology, smart technology/connected devices and technology/consumer products companies perform and pay differently from home builders, retailers and furniture distributors/manufacturers. Additionally, recruitment efforts at companies focused on technology, smart technology/connected devices and technology/consumer products are largely focused on robotics/technology experts/industry leaders and individuals with engineering backgrounds. The compensation and talent committee takes all of these unique dynamics into account annually when reviewing our peer group firms and compensation practices.

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The following selection criteria, developed in conjunction with the compensation and talent committee, which are thoroughly reviewed and adjusted (as needed), were used to develop the comparative peer group used in assessing the competitiveness of our executive compensation program and in helping to develop fiscal 2017 compensation actions:

Our peer group for 2017 consisted of the following 14 companies:

These 14 companies, at the time of the analysis, had median annual revenues of $645 million and a median market capitalization of $1,350 million.

The compensation and talent committee reviews all components of compensation for named executive officers. In accordance with its charter, the compensation and talent committee also, among other responsibilities, administers our incentive compensation plan, and reviews management’s recommendations on company-wide compensation programs and practices. In setting compensation levels for our executive officers in fiscal 2017, the compensation and talent committee considered many factors in addition to the benchmarking described above, including, but not limited to:

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The compensation and talent committee determines compensation for our chief executive officer using the same factors it uses for other executive officers, while placing greater emphasis on performance-based opportunities through long-term equity and short-term cash incentive compensation, which we believe better aligns our chief executive officer’s interests with our success and the interests of our stockholders. In assessing the compensation paid to our chief executive officer, the compensation and talent committee relies on both information from our selected benchmarks and its judgment with respect to the factors described above.

Elements of Compensation

Our executive compensation program in 2017 consisted of three primary elements: base salary, annual cash incentives, and long-term equity awards, in the form of time-based restricted stock units and PSUs. All of our executive officers also are eligible for certain benefits offered to employees generally, including life, health, disability and dental insurance, as well as participation in our 401(k) plan and employee stock purchase plan. We have also entered into executive agreements with our executive officers that provide for certain severance benefits upon termination of employment, including a termination in connection with a change in control of the Company.

Base Salary

In 2017, the compensation and talent committee believes our executive officers, including our chief executive officer, were paid salaries in line with their qualifications, experience and responsibilities. Salaries are structured so they are within the range of salaries paid by the peer companies reviewed by the compensation and talent committee in high-technology industries, including consumer electronics and smart technologies. We generally aim to set base salaries for each of our executives above the market median in the relevant industries and also take into consideration many additional factors (described below) that we believe enable us to attract, motivate and retain our leadership team in an extremely competitive environment. Salaries are reviewed on an annual basis.

The compensation and talent committee reviewed the base salaries for each of our executive officers, taking into account an assessment of the individual’s responsibilities, experience, individual performance and contribution to our performance, and also generally takes into account the competitive environment for attracting and retaining executives consistent with our business needs. With respect to each of our executive officers, our chief executive officer provided a detailed evaluation and recommendation related to base salary adjustments, if any (excluding for himself).

We believe that the base salaries of our named executive officers, which range from 12% to 25% as a percentage of total compensation, are set at an appropriate level to align our incentive compensation mix with our compensation philosophy.

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In February 2017, and as part of the annual review process while taking into account the considerations discussed above, the compensation and talent committee made no base salary adjustments other than for Mr. Cerda, who received a base salary increase as part of the annual review process, as noted in the table below. For 2018, base salaries of our named executives were reviewed by the compensation and talent committee and it was determined not to make any adjustments to our named executive officers’ base salaries other than for Mr. Angle and Ms. Dean, as noted in the table below.

Cash Incentive Compensation

The compensation and talent committee believes that short-term cash incentive compensation for executive officers should be contingent upon successful achievement of significant financial and business objectives and implementation of our business strategy. For our named executive officers, including our chief executive officer, the payment of cash incentive awards is based on an evaluation of achievement against predetermined Company financial and operational metrics in accordance with our Senior Executive Incentive Compensation Plan adopted by the compensation and talent committee. For each named executive officer, 100% of his or her target cash incentive compensation in 2017 was tied to key Company financial and operating performance measures. Cash incentive opportunities for named executive officers are generally targeted above the market median for performance at target and are scaled appropriately below and above target based on actual performance achievement similar to cash incentives provided to officers in our peer group of companies reviewed by the compensation and talent committee in the consumer technology industry and companies that focus on smart and high-tech products. The actual amount of the cash incentives paid to the named executive officers, however, is subject to the compensation and talent committee’s determination of our performance in general and the achievement of specific pre-established goals.

For fiscal 2017, the threshold, target and maximum bonus award opportunities under our Senior Executive Incentive Compensation Plan for each of our named executive officers, as a percentage of base salary are set forth in the table below. These target bonus amounts were set at levels the compensation and talent committee determined were appropriate to achieve our business plan, which involved growing the Company in a profitable, cost-effective way.

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The following tables summarize the 2017 performance measures, associated weightings and goals for each of the named executive officers under the Senior Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, including actual performance achievement. As discussed previously, the payout opportunity ranges from 12.5% of the target incentive opportunity for achieving threshold level of performance to 200% of the target incentive opportunity for achieving maximum level of performance.

The compensation and talent committee chose this mix of financial targets for cash incentive compensation because it believes that executive officers should be focused on a small set of critical, team-based financial and operating metrics that reinforce the executive’s role and impact and company business strategy. Also, the compensation and talent committee established a hurdle where the available total incentive compensation payout for the entire employee base - including the named executive officers - would be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis if Adjusted EBITDA, excluding cash incentive compensation expense, fell below $99.7 million (the threshold for Adjusted EBITDA shown in the table above).

Based on our achievement of the performance metrics set forth above, the following cash awards were made to the named executive officers for performance in fiscal 2017 pursuant to our Senior Executive Incentive Compensation Plan:

Long-Term Incentives

Overview

In 2017, executive officers were eligible to receive a mix of time-based restricted stock units and PSUs that are intended to promote success by aligning employee financial interests with long-term stockholder value. Long-term incentives are awarded based on various factors primarily relating to the responsibilities of the individual officer or employee, his or her past performance, anticipated future contributions, prior grants, the pool of available shares and Company performance. In general, our compensation and talent committee bases its decisions to grant long-term incentives on recommendations of our chief executive officer and the compensation and talent committee’s analysis of peer group and industry compensation information, with the intention of

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keeping the executives’ overall compensation at a competitive level with the comparator companies reviewed by the compensation and talent committee in consumer technology and smart and high-tech industries.

While historically we used a mix of 50% restricted stock units, 25% PSU’s, and 25% stock options. Starting in 2017, we adjusted our mix of equity awards to named-executive officers such that named executive officers receive 50% of their total equity awards in the form of time-based restricted stock units and 50% of their equity awards in the form of PSUs. We also adjusted the design of our PSU plan so performance is measured at the end of a three-year performance period, eliminating the interim one-year cumulative goals, and we added an opportunity to earn above and below target based on actual performance achievement at the end of the three-year performance period. These changes were implemented based on feedback from our investors.

The compensation and talent committee believes a mix in our long-term equity awards between restricted stock units and PSUs aligns the incentives of our executives with the interests of our stockholders and the long-term performance of the Company by directly tying a significant portion of the value that may be realized from our equity compensation to the performance of the Company.

Both time-based and performance-based restricted stock units are typically granted in March and vest in equal annual installments over four years. Annual awards are sized relative to Company and individual performance for the prior year. Granting our annual awards using the prior year’s performance to size our awards may result in a disconnect in our awards relative to our performance in the year of grant.

During fiscal 2017, our compensation and talent committee approved the time-based restricted stock unit and PSU awards set forth in the table below to each of our named executive officers. The payout opportunity on the PSUs ranges from 50% of the target opportunity for achieving threshold level of performance to 200% of the target opportunity for achieving maximum level of performance. The number of PSUs actually earned will be determined at the end of the three-year performance period by measuring the Company’s actual 2017 to 2019 cumulative financial performance against the target performance.

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The following chart depicts the mix of the components of our annual long-term incentive (“LTI”) program for 2017 & 2018:

Performance Share Units

The Company’s and the compensation and talent committee’s overall goals for selecting metrics for the PSU component of the long-term incentive program include:

The compensation and talent committee also determined that operating income as a percentage of revenue (with a threshold requirement for a minimum amount of revenue) continued to be the optimal initial metric for our PSU component. We believe operating income percent is an excellent measure of the underlying profitability of the enterprise and it has historical correlation with total stockholder return. Operating income as a percentage of revenue is also a regularly reported GAAP financial measure, is understood by our investor base, and can be reasonably forecasted over the relevant performance period. We believe operating income as a percentage of revenue in our long-term incentives coupled with the revenue component of our short-term incentives provides strong focus on, and balance between, important short- and long-term business drivers. Moreover, operating income as a percentage of revenue tends to reflect the performance of our executive team as opposed to macro-economic factors or industry-wide trends beyond the control of our team. All financial goals for each of the outstanding three-year PSU plans are established at the beginning of the three-year performance period.

PSUs granted in 2017 and 2018 will be earned and vest at the end of the three-year performance period based upon performance over the entire three-year period. In addition, our named executive officers will have the opportunity to earn below or above the target number of RSUs granted if performance is above a threshold level

Long-Term Equity Components Time-Based 50% RSU’s 50% PSU’s 50% Performance-Based 50% 2017 & 2018

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but below target or above target level. These changes made in 2017 are aligned with our peer group of companies reviewed by the compensation and talent committee in the technology and robotics industries.

For the PSUs granted in 2015 and 2016, the number of shares actually earned at the end of the three-year period could range from 0% to 100% of the target number of PSUs granted based on the Company’s performance against three-year operating income and revenue goals. In addition, while all vesting of earned PSUs occurs on the third anniversary of the date of grant, achievement of intermediate targets for the three-year period allows PSUs to be deemed earned but not yet vested for the intermediate periods. Achievement of the cumulative target will allow all shares subject to the PSUs to be earned regardless of the achievement of the intermediate annual targets. Unvested awards are not eligible to receive any dividends or voting rights until the point at which any shares are earned and vested. Under this plan, participants can only earn awards at 100% of target or at 0% of target (for performance below 100% of target) for each year as there is no scaled award opportunity above target under our long-term incentive plans issued in the years 2015 and 2016.

The following table outlines the revenue threshold and target operating income percent for the three-year performance goals for the PSU plan for the 2015 through 2017 cycle. No more than 100% of the PSUs granted can be earned.

For 2015, one-third of the awarded PSUs were deemed earned if the Company achieved a revenue threshold of $624 million and a minimum 9.0% operating income as a percentage of revenue. In 2015, the Company achieved $617 million in revenue and 9.8% in operating income as a percentage of revenue. Because the revenue threshold was not achieved, no portion of the PSUs awarded under the 2015 long-term incentive plan for the 2015 through 2017 plan cycle with respect to 2015 performance were earned. For 2016, one-third of the awarded PSUs were deemed earned if the Company achieved a revenue threshold of $635 million and a minimum 9.0% operating income as a percentage of revenue. In 2016, the Company achieved $661 million in revenue and 8.7% in operating income as a percentage of revenue. While the Company did achieve $661 million in revenue, it did not achieve the necessary operating income as a percentage of revenue in 2016. Accordingly, no portion of the PSUs awarded under the 2015 long-term incentive plan for the 2015 through 2017 plan cycle with respect to 2016 performance were earned. For 2017, one-third of the awarded PSUs were deemed earned if the Company achieved a revenue threshold of $724 million and a minimum 9.5% operating income as a percentage of revenue. For 2017, the company achieved $827 million in revenue, and 11.3% in operating income as a percentage of revenue. Accordingly, one-third of the total number of PSUs awarded were earned. In addition, the Company met the cumulative three-year targets for the three-year performance cycle; therefore, all of the PSUs under the 2015 long-term incentive plan were deemed earned and vested.

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Specifically, the named-executive officers earned the following PSUs with respect to the 2015 through 2017 long-term incentive plan cycle:

The following table outlines the threshold and target three-year performance goals for the PSU plan for the 2016 through 2018 cycle. No more than 100% of the PSUs granted can be earned.

For 2016, one-third of the awarded PSUs were deemed earned if the Company achieved a revenue threshold of $635 million and a minimum 8.0% operating income as a percentage of revenue. In 2016, the Company achieved $661 million in revenue and 8.7% in operating income as a percentage of revenue. Accordingly, one-third of the total number of PSUs awarded were earned, but have not yet vested. For 2017, one-third of the awarded PSUs were deemed earned if the Company achieved a revenue threshold of $724 million and a minimum 9.8% operating income as a percentage of revenue. In 2017, the Company achieved $827 million in revenue and 11.3% in operating income as a percentage of revenue. Accordingly, one-third of the total number of PSUs awarded were earned, but have not yet vested. Specifically, the named-executive officers earned the following PSUs with respect to the 2016 through 2018 long-term incentive plan cycle:

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For the PSUs granted in 2017, the number of shares earned at the end of the three-year period will range from 0% to 200% of the target number of PSUs granted based on the Company’s performance against three-year cumulative operating income and revenue goals. All financial goals for the three-year cumulative PSU plans were established at the beginning of the three-year performance period. The following table outlines the revenue threshold and target operating income percent for the three-year cumulative performance goals for the PSU plan for the 2017 through 2019 cycle. Actual performance achieved will exclude the impact of the 2017 acquisition of the Company’s distributor in Western Europe.

Under this plan, if the revenue threshold is attained, the below chart illustrates the payout range for operating income percent attainment. In order to earn shares a threshold performance level of 80% of operating income percent must be achieved. To earn 100% of shares operating income percent must achieve a target range between 95% to 105%. Achievement above 105% would earn more than 100% of shares up to a maximum of 200% of shares at 120% attainment.

LTI Changes for 2018

In addition to the changes we made in 2017, starting in 2018, we have removed revenue as a performance metric in the PSU plan design and changed the payout metric from three-year cumulative operating income as a percentage of annual revenue to three-year cumulative operating income in dollars.

Other Benefits and Perquisites

We also have various broad-based employee benefit plans. Our executive officers participate in these plans on the same terms as other eligible employees, subject to any legal limits on the amounts that may be contributed by or paid to executive officers under these plans. We offer a 401(k) plan, which allows our U.S. employees an opportunity to invest in a wide array of funds on a pre-tax basis. The Company matches up to 3% of eligible pay ($0.50 on each dollar an employee contributes up to a maximum of 6%). In 2017, we established an employee stock purchase plan for the benefit of all of our U.S., UK and Canadian based employees. We do not provide pension arrangements or post-retirement health coverage for our named executive officers or other employees. We also maintain insurance and other benefit plans for our employees. We offer no perquisites to our executive officers that are not otherwise available to all of our employees.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

We maintain equity ownership guidelines to further align the interests of our senior management and directors with those of our stockholders. Under the guidelines, executives are expected to hold common stock in

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an amount ranging from two times base salary for our senior executives to six times base salary for our chief executive officer. Our directors are also expected to hold common stock in an amount equal to six times their current board retainer fee.

For purposes of these guidelines, stock ownership includes shares for which the executive or director has direct or indirect ownership or control, including stock and in-the-money vested stock options, but does not include unvested restricted stock units or unvested stock options. Executives and directors are expected to meet their ownership guidelines within five years of becoming subject to the guidelines. All executives and directors are currently meeting or are working to achieve these guidelines within the five-year time period.

Hedging/Pledging Policy

Since 2005, we have had a written insider trading policy that prohibits holding Company securities as collateral in a margin account, any hedging transactions and prohibits pledging of Company securities as collateral for a loan unless the pledge has been approved by the compensation and talent committee of the board of directors. To date, no such approval has been requested or given.

Executive Agreements

We have entered into executive agreements with each of our named executive officers. The executive agreements provide for severance payments equal to 50% of such officer’s annual base salary at the highest annualized rate in effect during the one-year period immediately prior to termination, payable in six equal monthly installments, as well as monthly premium payments for continued health, dental and vision benefits for up to six months following termination, in the event that we terminate his or her employment other than for cause, as defined in the executive agreements. In addition, these executive agreements provide that if we experience a change in control, as defined in the executive agreements, and the employment of such officer is terminated by the Company without cause at any time within the period beginning on the date that is 45 days prior to the date of the public announcement of the execution of a definitive agreement for a change in control and ending on the first anniversary of the effective date of the change in control, or if such officer terminates his or her employment for good reason, as defined in the executive agreements, during the one-year period following the change in control, then all unvested equity held by such officer becomes fully-vested and immediately exercisable and such officer is entitled to severance payments equal to 200% of his or her annual base salary, at the highest annualized rate in effect during the period immediately prior to the effective date of the change in control and the date of termination of employment, and 200% of such officer’s highest target cash incentive with respect to the year prior to the year in which the change in control occurred and ending in the year in which the officer’s employment is terminated, each payable in 24 equal monthly installments, as well as monthly premium payments for continued health, dental and vision benefits for up to 24 months following termination. Receipt of the severance payments and benefits under the executive agreements is subject to the executive officer’s execution of a separation agreement, including a general release of claims, in a form and of a scope reasonably acceptable to the Company and compliance with any noncompetition, inventions and/or nondisclosure obligations owed to the Company. There are no tax gross-up payable under the executive agreements or otherwise.

Clawback Policy

In 2015, the Company adopted a clawback policy that provides the board of directors discretion to reduce the amount of future compensation (both cash and equity) payable to an executive of the Company for excess proceeds from incentive compensation received by such executive due to a material restatement of financial statements. The clawback period is the three-year period following the filing of any such restated financial statements with the SEC.

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Tax Deductibility of Executive Compensation

The new tax law signed into law December 22, 2017 made a number of significant changes to Section 162(m) of the Code. Section 162(m) of the Code generally places a $1 million limit on the amount of compensation a company can deduct in any one year for certain executive officers. While we consider tax deductibility as one factor in determining executive compensation, the compensation and talent committee also looks at other factors in making its decisions, as noted above, and retains the flexibility to award compensation that it determines to be consistent with the goals of our executive compensation program even if the awards are not deductible by us for tax purposes. The exemption from Section 162(m)’s deduction limit for performance-based compensation has been repealed, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, such that compensation paid to our named executive officers and certain other individuals in excess of $1 million will not be deductible unless it qualifies for the limited transition relief applicable to certain arrangements in place as of November 2, 2017.

Despite our efforts to structure certain performance-based awards in a manner intended to be exempt from Section 162(m) and therefore not subject to its deduction limits, because of ambiguities and uncertainties as to the application and interpretation of Section 162(m) and the regulations issued thereunder, including the uncertain scope of the transition relief under the legislation repealing the performance-based compensation exemption from the deduction limit, no assurance can be given that compensation intended to satisfy the requirements for exemption from Section 162(m) in fact will. Further, we reserve the right to modify compensation that was initially intended to be exempt from Section 162(m) if we determine that such modifications are consistent with our business needs. We believe that shareholder interests are best served if its discretion and flexibility in awarding compensation is not restricted, even though some compensation awards may result in non-deductible compensation expenses.

Risk Oversight of Compensation Programs

The compensation and talent committee annually reviews and determined that our compensation program for executive officers is not structured to be reasonably likely to present a material adverse risk to us based on the following factors:

Our stock ownership guidelines align the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders.

Compensation Consultant Independence

Pursuant to its charter, the compensation and talent committee has the sole authority to retain, terminate, obtain advice from, oversee and compensate its outside advisors, including its compensation consultant.

The compensation and talent committee retained Pearl Meyer as its independent executive compensation consultant for 2017. Pearl Meyer reports directly to the compensation and talent committee, and the

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compensation and talent committee may replace Pearl Meyer or hire additional consultants at any time. Pearl Meyer attends meetings of the compensation and talent committee, as requested, and communicates with the chairman of the compensation and talent committee between meetings; however, the committee makes all decisions regarding the compensation of the Company’s executive officers.

Pearl Meyer provides various executive compensation services to the compensation and talent committee with respect to our executive officers and other key employees at the compensation and talent committee’s request. The services Pearl Meyer provides include advising the compensation and talent committee on the principal aspects of the executive compensation program and evolving best practices, and providing market information and analysis regarding the competitiveness of our program design and awards in relationship to our performance.

The compensation and talent committee reviews the services provided by its outside consultants and believes Pearl Meyer is independent in providing executive compensation consulting services. The compensation and talent committee conducted a specific review of its relationship with Pearl Meyer, and determined Pearl Meyer’s work for the compensation and talent committee did not raise any conflicts of interest, consistent with the guidance provided under the Dodd-Frank Act and by the SEC and NASDAQ. In making this determination, the compensation and talent committee noted the following:

The compensation and talent committee continues to monitor the independence of its compensation consultant on a periodic basis.

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Executive Compensation Summary

The following table sets forth summary compensation information for our chief executive officer, chief financial officer and the three other most highly compensated executive officers:

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE — 2017

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2017 Pay Ratio

Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Company is required to disclose the median of the annual total compensation of our employees (excluding our chief executive officer), the annual total compensation of our principal executive officer, Chairman of the Board and chief executive officer, Colin M. Angle, and the ratio of these two amounts.

The Company selected December 30, 2017, the last day of our most recently-completed fiscal year, as the date upon which the median employee was identified. As of this date the Company employed 764 employees globally, excluding 77 individuals that became employees as a result of the April 2017 acquisition of Sales On Demand Corporation and 92 individuals that became employees as a result of the October 2017 acquisition of Robopolis. The Company included all of our other full-time employees, part-time employees and interns, excluding the chief executive officer, in our analysis to identify the median employee. The Company did not elect to make any other exclusions as permitted under the SEC de minimis rule.

A Consistently Applied Compensation Measure was used to identify the median employee based on the sum of base pay/regular wages, overtime, bonus, commissions and equity grant date fair value. The Company elected to include bonus payments and equity awards given the broad participation rates in these programs across the employee population. Annualized salary rates for full-time employees and hourly pay rates and actual hours worked were used as reasonable estimates of salary/wages.

Using the compiled data, the Company determined that the 2017 annual total compensation of our median employee as of December 30, 2017 was $134,822 And Mr. Angle’s annual total compensation for 2017 was $5,961,343, both of which were calculated in accordance with Item 402(c) of Regulation S-K. The ratio of these amounts was 44:1.

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Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2017

The following table sets forth, for each of the named executive officers, information about grants of plan-based awards during fiscal year 2017:

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS — 2017

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

The following table sets forth, for each of the named executive officers, information about unexercised option awards and other unvested equity awards that were held as of December 30, 2017.

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END — 2017