DEF: MYR Group Sets 2026 Annual Meeting, Details Governance & Pay
Proxy Statement
MYR Group Inc. announces its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, outlining director elections, executive compensation, and corporate governance practices.
Summary
- The 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held virtually on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time.
- Shareholders will vote on the election of eight director nominees for one-year terms, advisory approval of named executive officer (NEO) compensation, and ratification of Crowe LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm.
- The Board is now fully declassified, meaning all directors will stand for election annually for one-year terms, effective from the 2026 Annual Meeting.
- Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, were $3.66 billion, an 8.8% increase over $3.36 billion in 2024.
- Net income for 2025 was $118.4 million, or $7.53 per diluted share, significantly up from $30.3 million, or $1.83 per diluted share, in 2024.
- Backlog as of December 31, 2025, increased to $2.82 billion, compared to $2.58 billion at the end of 2024.
- The 2025 Say-on-Pay proposal received strong shareholder support, with over 96% of votes cast in favor.
- Executive compensation is designed to link pay to performance, with 64% of the CEO's target total direct compensation and an average of 57% for other NEOs being at-risk and performance-based.
- Performance for 2023-2025 ROIC-based performance shares resulted in a 111.9% payout, which was above target but below maximum.
- TSR performance for 2023-2025 ranked at the 31st percentile, resulting in a 44.2% payout, which was above threshold but below target.
Sentiment
Score: 8
Explanation: StockSavvy.ai views this filing positively due to strong financial performance in 2025, significant growth in net income and backlog, and robust corporate governance practices, despite some compensation metrics being below maximum.
Positives
- Strong financial performance in 2025, with revenues increasing by 8.8% to $3.66 billion and net income rising significantly to $118.4 million from $30.3 million in 2024.
- Backlog grew to $2.82 billion as of December 31, 2025, indicating a healthy pipeline of future work.
- High shareholder approval (over 96%) for the 2025 Say-on-Pay proposal demonstrates strong support for the executive compensation program.
- Executive compensation is heavily weighted towards performance-based pay, with 64% of the CEO's and 57% of other NEOs' target total direct compensation being at-risk.
- The company exceeded its pre-tax financial performance goal and total case incident rate safety performance goal for annual cash incentives in 2025.
- ROIC performance for the three years ended December 31, 2025, resulted in an above-target payout of 111.9%.
- Robust corporate governance practices are in place, including separate Chair of the Board and CEO positions, an independent Board Chair, and 100% independent Audit, Compensation, and NESG Committees.
- The Board has a refreshment policy with a 15-year term limit and an expected retirement age of 72, promoting fresh perspectives.
- Four of the eight independent directors are female or racially/ethnically diverse, enhancing board diversity.
- A comprehensive insider trading policy prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock, aligning insider interests with long-term shareholder value.
- A clawback policy is maintained for incentive compensation in the event of an accounting restatement, enhancing accountability.
Negatives
- The lost time incident rate safety performance goal for 2025 was above threshold but below target, leading to below-target annual cash incentive payouts for this specific metric.
- TSR performance for the 2023-2025 period ranked at the 31st percentile, which was above threshold but below target, resulting in a 44.2% payout, indicating underperformance relative to the target for this metric.
- Non-employee director total cash compensation was below the 50th percentile of peer companies in 2025, as identified by Mercer's study, although annual equity compensation was near the 50th percentile.
Risks
- Risks arising from compensation policies and programs, which the Compensation Committee assesses to ensure they do not encourage excessive risk-taking.
- Financial reporting, internal controls (including information technology systems and security), compliance with public reporting requirements, and cyber security risks, overseen by the Audit Committee.
- Corporate governance, director succession, Board composition, climate, environmental, health, safety, social, and public policy trends, issues, and concerns (ESG) that could affect business activities, performance, and reputation, overseen by the NESG Committee.
- Potential reluctance of NEOs to pursue change in control transactions that may be in the company's best interest, which is mitigated by change in control provisions in employment agreements.
- Competitive harm from public disclosure of specific, forward-looking target levels of ROIC for outstanding performance share awards.
Future Outlook
The company aims to continue its long-term efforts to grow responsibly, maintain a strong focus on safety, and foster lasting relationships. Executive compensation programs are designed to attract, retain, and incentivize quality talent to drive future growth and shareholder value creation. The company will disclose specific, forward-looking target levels for ROIC for outstanding performance share awards after the conclusion of the applicable performance period to avoid competitive harm.
Management Comments
- "Hosting a virtual annual meeting enables greater shareholder attendance and participation from any location around the world while improving meeting efficiency and our ability to communicate effectively with our shareholders. It also reduces the cost and environmental impact of the 2026 Annual Meeting." Kenneth M. Hartwick, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Richard S. Swartz, President and Chief Executive Officer.
- "Our Board of Directors and Management look forward to your participation in the 2026 Annual Meeting and appreciate your continued support." Kenneth M. Hartwick, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Richard S. Swartz, President and Chief Executive Officer.
- "2025 saw the Company build on its long-term efforts to grow responsibly, maintain a strong focus on safety, and foster lasting relationships." Shirin O'Connor, Chair of the Compensation Committee.
- "Continuing that growth in the future requires attracting, retaining and incentivizing quality talent." Shirin O'Connor, Chair of the Compensation Committee.
- "We believe that the pay of our executive officers should be linked to our long-term performance." Shirin O'Connor, Chair of the Compensation Committee.
- "We also recognize the importance of attracting and retaining the very best employees, and we regularly review our compensation programs to confirm we are competitive with the market for quality talent." Shirin O'Connor, Chair of the Compensation Committee.
Industry Context
StockSavvy.ai notes that MYR Group operates in the electric utility infrastructure and commercial/industrial construction markets, which are experiencing growth driven by clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The company's focus on safety and long-term value creation through its compensation structure aligns with best practices in the competitive construction and engineering services industry. The use of ROIC, TSR, and ESG metrics in long-term incentives reflects a broader industry trend towards comprehensive performance evaluation beyond traditional financial measures, indicating a commitment to sustainable and stakeholder-inclusive growth strategies.
Comparison to Industry Standards
- MYR Group's 2025 target total direct compensation for its CEO ($5.928 million) was below the median peer group total ($6.108 million) based on Mercer's 2024 Executive Compensation Review.
- The average target total direct compensation for other NEOs ($1.808 million) was above the median peer group total ($1.321 million) in 2025.
- Non-employee director total cash compensation was below the 50th percentile of peer companies in 2025, while annual equity compensation was near the 50th percentile.
- The company's executive compensation peer group for 2025 includes companies such as ABM Industries Incorporated, Granite Construction Incorporated, IES Holdings, Inc., Primoris Services Corporation, and Tetra Tech, Inc., indicating a comparison against a diverse set of construction, engineering, and commercial services firms.
- The TSR and ESG peer groups for 2025 grants include major industry players like MasTec, Inc., Quanta Services, Inc., and EMCOR Group, Inc., reflecting a comparison against leading companies in the electrical construction and infrastructure sector.
Management Changes
| Role | Previous Person | New Person | Effective Date | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | William D. Patterson | NA | April 24, 2025 | Retirement from the Board. |
| Director | NA | Aurelie P. Richard | August 26, 2025 | New appointment, identified by a third-party search firm. |
Corporate Governance
| Change Type | Description | Effective Date | Impact Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Declassification | Shareholders approved amendments to phase out the classified Board, resulting in all directors standing for election each year for one-year terms starting from the 2026 Annual Meeting. | 2026 Annual Meeting | Enhances shareholder accountability and responsiveness of the Board by requiring annual re-election of all directors. |
| Board Leadership Structure | The company maintains separate Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer positions, with an independent Chair (Kenneth M. Hartwick). | Ongoing | Provides strong leadership and a clear separation of oversight and management responsibilities, promoting independent board function. |
| Director Independence | A majority of the Board (7 out of 8 nominees) qualify as independent directors under Nasdaq listing standards and other committee requirements. | Ongoing | Ensures objective decision-making and strong oversight, particularly within key committees like Audit, Compensation, and NESG. |
| Board Refreshment Policy | Corporate Governance Principles establish a general policy that directors will not typically be nominated for re-election after fifteen years of service or after reaching the age of 72, with Board discretion to waive. | Ongoing | Promotes fresh perspectives, planned succession, and prevents entrenchment, contributing to a dynamic and effective board. |
| Board Diversity | The Board believes diversity is critical and considers gender, race/ethnicity, national origin, career experience, and diversity of mind in director nominations. Four of eight independent directors are female or racially/ethnically diverse. | Ongoing | Strengthens Board performance and decision-making through varied perspectives, skills, and experiences, better positioning the Board to assess risks and opportunities. |
| Overboarding Policy | Directors should serve on the boards of directors of no more than three other public companies, unless the Board determines otherwise, and must advise the Chair before accepting new public board service. | Ongoing | Ensures directors have sufficient time and focus to dedicate to their responsibilities to the company. |
| Insider Trading Policy | The company has adopted an insider trading policy that prohibits directors, officers, and employees from hedging the economic risk of their stock ownership, holding shares in a margin account, pledging shares as collateral for a loan, or short-selling company securities. | Ongoing | Aligns the financial interests of insiders with long-term shareholder value and prevents conflicts of interest or speculative trading. |
| Clawback Policy | An executive officer clawback policy empowers the company to recover certain incentive compensation erroneously awarded to current or former Section 16 officers in the event of an accounting restatement. | Ongoing | Enhances accountability for financial reporting accuracy and discourages misconduct related to financial performance. |
Related Party Transactions
- Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc., a subsidiary, employs three individuals related to Don Egan, the company's Senior Vice President and COO C&I.
- Ron Egan, brother of Don Egan, serves as a Logistics and Manufacturing Manager with total annual cash and equity compensation of approximately $141,000 in 2025.
- Joshua Egan, son of Don Egan, serves as a General Foreman for Sturgeon with total annual cash and equity compensation of approximately $137,000 in 2025.
- Seth Egan, son of Don Egan, serves as a Foreman for Sturgeon with total annual cash and equity compensation of approximately $140,000 in 2025.
- All compensation for these related parties is generally consistent with that provided to other similarly-situated employees and was reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee in accordance with the Related Person Transaction Policy.
Stakeholder Impact
- Shareholders: Benefit from strong financial performance, increased backlog, robust corporate governance, and a compensation structure designed to align executive interests with long-term shareholder value. They also have the opportunity to participate in key governance decisions at the annual meeting.
- Employees: Benefit from incentive compensation programs, profit sharing, 401(k) matching contributions, and extensive training and professional development programs, fostering career growth and retention.
- Customers: Benefit from the company's continued focus on safety and operational excellence, which is integrated into executive performance metrics, ensuring high-quality service delivery.
- Management: Incentivized through a pay-for-performance model with a significant portion of compensation tied to financial, safety, and market-based metrics, promoting accountability and wealth creation aligned with company success.
- Environment/Society: The company's Code of Ethics and NESG Committee's oversight demonstrate a commitment to reducing environmental impact, promoting environmental awareness, and addressing broader ESG matters, contributing to corporate social responsibility.
Next Steps
- Shareholders are encouraged to vote on the election of directors, advisory approval of NEO compensation, and auditor ratification at the 2026 Annual Meeting on April 23, 2026.
- The Board and its committees will continue to conduct annual self-evaluations to assess their performance.
- The Compensation Committee will consider shareholder feedback from the Say-on-Pay votes when making future executive compensation decisions.
- The next advisory vote on executive compensation (Say-on-Pay) is scheduled for 2027.
- The next advisory vote on the frequency of Say-on-Pay will occur in 2029.
- Performance shares granted in 2024 are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2027.
- Performance shares granted in 2025 are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2028.
Key Dates
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020-12-31 | Base date for calculating total shareholder return (TSR) for performance graph. |
| 2023-03-23 | Grant date for 2023 performance share awards. |
| 2023-05-01 | Effective date of Don A. Egan's appointment as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer C&I. |
| 2023-08-01 | Jennifer E. Lowry's service on the board of directors of Electriq Power Holdings, Inc. began. |
| 2023-12-31 | Fiscal year end for financial data and end of performance period for certain 2023 ROIC calculations. |
| 2024-02-13 | The Vanguard Group's most recent Schedule 13G/A filing date. |
| 2024-03-01 | Effective date of Brian K. Stern's employment agreement as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer T&D. |
| 2024-04-24 | The 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) was amended and restated. |
| 2024-05-01 | Management Incentive Plan (MIP) amended and restated. |
| 2024-10-01 | Mercer performed and presented the 2024 Mercer Executive Compensation Review to the Compensation Committee. |
| 2024-11-01 | Jennifer E. Lowry's service on the board of directors of TPI Composites, Inc. began. |
| 2024-12-31 | Fiscal year end for financial data and end of performance period for certain 2023 ROIC calculations. |
| 2025-01-01 | Start of the three-year performance period for 2025 ROIC and ESG-based performance shares, ending December 31, 2027. |
| 2025-02-01 | Mercer performed and presented the 2025 Mercer Non-Employee Director Compensation Study to the Compensation Committee. |
| 2025-03-21 | Grant date for 2025 equity awards (Restricted Stock Units, ROIC, TSR, and ESG performance shares). |
| 2025-03-25 | Kenneth M. Hartwick appointed as a Director for Denison Mines Corp. |
| 2025-04-01 | Board approved changes to non-employee director compensation for 2025. |
| 2025-04-23 | Jennifer E. Lowry's service on the board of directors of Electriq Power Holdings, Inc. ended. |
| 2025-04-24 | William D. Patterson retired from the Board; Restricted Stock Units awarded to directors. |
| 2025-04-30 | BlackRock, Inc.'s most recent Schedule 13G/A filing date. |
| 2025-05-01 | Jennifer E. Lowry named to the board of directors of MGP Ingredients. |
| 2025-05-01 | Jennifer E. Lowry's service on the board of directors of TPI Composites, Inc. ended. |
| 2025-07-01 | Shirin S. O'Connor's service as Corporate Vice President Engineering, Procurement, and Construction at Microsoft Corporation ended. |
| 2025-08-01 | Kenneth M. Hartwick served on the Board for Elexicon Energy. |
| 2025-08-26 | Aurelie P. Richard's appointment to the Board became effective. |
| 2025-09-04 | Aurelie P. Richard awarded 758 Restricted Stock Units. |
| 2025-10-01 | Kenneth M. Hartwick appointed to the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Board of Directors. |
| 2025-10-01 | Kenneth M. Hartwick provided transition support to Ontario Power Generation Inc. through this month. |
| 2025-11-01 | Kenneth M. Hartwick appointed as a member and Chair of Canada's Independent Electricity System Operators (IESO) Board. |
| 2025-12-31 | Fiscal year end for financial data; end of performance period for 2023 performance shares; end of performance period for certain 2023 ROIC calculations. |
| 2026-02-10 | Wellington Management Company LLP's most recent Schedule 13G filing date. |
| 2026-02-18 | Date 2023 performance share results were certified by the Compensation Committee and shares were released. |
| 2026-02-19 | Date as of which the Board Diversity Matrix was prepared. |
| 2026-02-25 | Crowe LLP's written disclosures and letter to the Audit Committee date. |
| 2026-02-27 | Record date for the 2026 Annual Meeting; date for director and NEO share ownership reporting. |
| 2026-03-04 | Date proxy materials were first made available to shareholders; date of Letter to Shareholders and Notice of Meeting. |
| 2026-04-23 | Date of the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. |
| 2026-11-04 | Deadline for shareholder proposals for inclusion in the 2027 proxy statement under SEC Rule 14a-8. |
| 2026-12-24 | Earliest date for shareholder written notice of nomination or proposal for the 2027 Annual Meeting under By-Laws. |
| 2027-01-23 | Latest date for shareholder written notice of nomination or proposal for the 2027 Annual Meeting under By-Laws. |
| 2027-02-22 | Latest date for universal proxy rule notice for the 2027 Annual Meeting. |
| 2027-03-31 | Expected release of 2024 performance shares in the first quarter of 2027. |
| 2027-12-31 | End of the three-year performance period for 2025 ROIC, TSR, and ESG-based performance shares. |
| 2028-03-31 | Expected release of 2025 performance shares in the first quarter of 2028. |
| 2029-01-01 | Next advisory vote on the frequency of Say-on-Pay. |
Recommendation
holdThe filing indicates solid financial performance for 2025 with increased revenue and net income, and a growing backlog, suggesting operational strength. Corporate governance practices appear sound and are evolving with board declassification. However, the proxy statement is a routine disclosure for an annual meeting, and while positive, it does not present new, unexpected information that would warrant a 'buy' or 'strong buy' recommendation. The below-target performance in lost time incident rate and TSR, while not severe, suggests areas for continued improvement. Therefore, a 'hold' recommendation is appropriate for investors to maintain their position while monitoring future performance and strategic developments.
Keywords
MYR Group, MYRG, Proxy Statement, Corporate Governance, Executive Compensation, Director Election, Financial Performance, Revenue, Net Income, Backlog, ROIC, TSR, ESG, Construction Services, Electrical Utility, Commercial Industrial, Shareholder Meeting
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