Letter to our shareholders

Notice of 2024 Annual Meeting

of Shareholders

		When:				Virtual Meeting Access:
		May 13, 2024 8:00 a.m. CDT*				To attend, register at www.proxydocs.com/bakerhughes

 

Agenda
Proposal 1		The election of directors
Proposal 2		An advisory vote related to the Company’s executive compensation program
Proposal 3		The ratification of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2024
Proposal 4		Amendment and Restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation to limit the liability of certain officers of the Company
Proposal 5		Amendment and Restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation to add a federal forum selection provision
Proposal 6		Amendment and Restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation to clarify and modernize the Certificate of Incorporation
Such other business as may properly come before the meeting and any reconvened meeting after an adjournment thereof.

Record date

The Board of Directors of Baker Hughes Company (the “Company,” “Baker Hughes,” “we,” “us” or “our”) has fixed March 22, 2024 as the record date for determining the shareholders of the Company entitled to notice of, and to vote at the meeting and any reconvened meeting after an adjournment thereof, and only holders of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock of the Company (collectively, the “Common Stock”) of record at the close of business on that date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at the meeting and any reconvened meeting after an adjournment.

Proxy voting

You are invited to attend the meeting via live webcast. Whether or not you plan to attend the live webcast, we urge you to promptly vote your shares by telephone, by the Internet, or if this proxy statement (“Proxy Statement”) was mailed to you, by completing, signing, dating, and returning it as soon as possible in the enclosed postage prepaid envelope in order that your vote may be cast at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”). You may revoke your proxy any time prior to its exercise, and you may vote at the live webcast, even if you have previously returned your proxy.

By order of the Board of Directors,

 

 

Fernando Contreras

Vice President - Legal Governance & Corporate Secretary

Houston, Texas, April 2, 2024

* It is possible that an adjournment or postponement may be necessary due to a national emergency that makes us unable to hold the meeting on the date as planned.

Table of contents

Proxy statement summary

This Proxy statement summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement, which is first being made available to shareholders on or about April 2, 2024. We plan to begin mailing a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access the proxy materials, how to vote online, and how to obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials, on or about April 2, 2024. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider, and you should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting.

2024 Annual Meeting information

		When:				Virtual Meeting Access:
		Monday, May 13, 2024 8:00 a.m. CDT*				To attend, register at www.proxydocs.com/bakerhughes

Virtual Meeting

The Board has determined that the 2024 Annual Meeting will be a completely virtual meeting. The Annual Meeting will be conducted only via live webcast. You will have the same rights and opportunities to participate as you would have at a physical meeting. You may attend the meeting, vote your shares, and submit questions electronically during the live webcast by visiting www.proxydocs.com/bakerhughes.

To participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need to register prior to the start of the meeting. Upon completing your registration, you will receive further instructions via email one hour prior to the start of the Annual Meeting, including your unique link that will allow you access to the Annual Meeting. You will have the ability to submit questions during the registration process and fifteen minutes prior to and during the Annual Meeting. We look forward to answering your questions during the meeting. All questions must comply with the rules of conduct, which will be posted on the virtual meeting website.

Technical assistance will be available one hour prior to and during the Annual Meeting. Information related to technical assistance will be provided in the email with the sign-in instructions.

Matters to be voted upon

How to vote in advance

No.

Proposal

Board Recommendation

Page Reference (For More Detail)

Even if you plan to attend the meeting via live webcast, we urge you to vote in advance using one of these voting methods

1

The election of directors

FOR EACH NOMINEE

9

Registered holders 1-855-658-0965   Beneficial holders Follow instructions provided by your broker, bank, or other nominee

2

An advisory vote related to the Company’s executive compensation program

FOR

73

Registered holders www.proxypush.com/bakerhughes   Beneficial holders Follow instructions provided by your broker, bank, or other nominee

3

The ratification of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2024

FOR

76

Mail your signed proxy card or voting instructions to the address listed on the envelope

4

Amendment and Restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation to limit the liability of certain officers of the Company

FOR

77

5

Amendment and Restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation to add a federal forum selection

FOR

78

6

Amendment and Restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation to clarify and modernize the Certificate of Incorporation

FOR

79

Such other business as may properly come before the meeting and any reconvened meeting after an adjournment thereof.

* It is possible that an adjournment or postponement may be necessary due to a national emergency that makes us unable to hold the meeting on the date as planned.

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Proxy statement summary

Changes from Prior Year

We continually review our approach to sustainability, corporate governance, human capital management, and executive compensation to ensure that we are in a position to consistently deliver on our strategy and the long-term interests of our shareholders.

2023 operational highlights

2023 proved to be a pivotal year for Baker Hughes as we continue our journey to reshape the company. We successfully removed $150 million of costs, realigned our Industrial & Energy Technology (“IET”) business, and recently launched actions to further streamline our Oilfield Services & Equipment (“OFSE”) business. Our strategy to transform the way we operate is working.

Baker Hughes is focused on building a differentiated energy technology company. With our integrated portfolio of energy solutions plus new technology and digital offerings, we believe we are uniquely positioned to help enable the energy transition. In 2023, we accelerated our strategy and began simplifying our structure to better position Baker Hughes, this included the realignment of IET into five product lines effective at the beginning of the fourth quarter. This work to streamline our organization and drive our transformation was a continuation of the initial steps taken in 2022, with the re-segmentation of the Company into two business segments, OFSE and IET. Baker Hughes was successful in 2023, with key commercial successes and solid margin improvements in OFSE. Commercially in IET, order performance in LNG and new energy hit new highs. In 2023, we had a record year for LNG equipment orders, and achieved significant growth in new energy orders compared to 2022.

Proxy Statement Summary

Purpose: We take energy forward - making it safer, cleaner, and more efficient for people and the planet.

Our commitment to people, planet, and principles is embedded at every level within the Company, and oversight rests with the Board of Directors (the “Board”). We view sustainability as a key part of our business strategy. We believe that operating Baker Hughes responsibly and providing products and services that help our customers achieve their sustainability goals afford us opportunities to grow our business; increase customer collaboration; attract, retain, and motivate employees; and differentiate us from our competitors.

Our strategy - first launched in 2020 - is built on three key pillars: transform the core, invest for growth, and position for new energy frontiers. This strategy is driving our execution over three time horizons that look out to 2030 and beyond, culminating in a Baker Hughes which has an elevated margin and returns profile, differentiated shareholder returns, and strong exposure across the industrial and energy growth vectors. We believe our transformation over these three horizons will deliver significant long-term value to our shareholders and achieve our purpose of taking energy forward.

Our unique portfolio of assets, technologies, and long-term strategy has allowed us to maintain a strong balance sheet and invest in differentiated solutions while we transform our operations to better deliver for energy and industrial customers and enhance shareholder value.

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Proxy Statement Summary

Our responsibility

We organize our sustainability efforts into the areas of people, planet, and principles, and we work hard to make measurable progress each year. We strive to improve the transparency of our reporting and challenge ourselves to perform at the level of the most responsible companies in the world, not just in our own industry. We strive to embed sustainability throughout our global operations by implementation of our sustainability strategic goals.

Proxy Statement Summary

People

At Baker Hughes, our people are central contributors to our purpose of taking energy forward. As an energy technology company with operations around the world, we believe that a diverse workforce is critical to our success, and we aim to attract the best and most diverse talent to support the energy transition. We strive to be an inclusive and safe workplace, with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by learning and development opportunities, competitive compensation, benefits and health and wellness programs, and programs that build connections between our employees and their communities.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”): We believe unique ideas and perspectives fuel innovation and our differences make us stronger. We value difference in gender, race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, cultural background, religion, veteran status, experience, thought and more across the globe. We recognize the importance of diverse teams, an equitable workplace and an inclusive culture in driving innovation and competitiveness as both are critical to our business success and our mission of taking energy forward for our customers and the industry. We believe that our DEI strategic framework and our commitment to DEI will enable us to continue to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, promote an inclusive culture, expand our supplier diversity, and be a stronger partner to our customers and our community.

As we continue to prioritize DEI, we are focused on progressing diversity, equity and inclusion across our organization, with a particular emphasis on supporting gender representation. In 2023, the percentage of people who identify as women in our workforce, senior leadership positions, and on the Board, was 19%, 18%, and 33%, respectively. Specific to the U.S., 38% of our employees identify as people of color.

We work to ensure we have access to and support diverse pipelines of talent across the globe while prioritizing development and retention. We hold leadership accountable for integrating DEI principles into their respective parts of the business. Our enterprise-wide strategy allows us to measure the outcomes and progress of our DEI efforts, assign goals, develop accountability, and ensure transparency. And our corporate memberships with respected nonprofits, such as Ally Energy, Catalyst, Disability:IN, and the Women’s Energy Network, provide partnership and guidance to support our goals. Our talent acquisition efforts as well as our eight global employee resource groups support the engagement, development and retention of diverse talent.

Talent Acquisition: We have enacted a number of initiatives to support our global goals related to DEI. We have conducted training on unconscious bias and launched pilot projects on blind resumes and debiasing job descriptions, interview templates, and assessments as well as expanded our talent acquisition focus to include executive search services and initiatives with universities to expand our new talent pipeline.

Employee Resource Groups (“ERGs”): ERGs consist of employees who have joined together based on shared interests, characteristics, or life experiences. These groups can have a powerful influence on driving change by elevating the conversation and awareness around key issues and engaging with the communities where we operate while also providing opportunities for employee development, education, and professional growth. In 2023, we continued our support of the ERGs in several ways, including the opportunity for ERGs to nominate charitable organizations to receive grants from the Baker Hughes Foundation. We also formalized and enhanced support and impact for our five communities of interest groups, which bring together employees based on shared interests and enable employees to share information and ideas, find opportunities to participate in philanthropy and volunteerism, and learn best practices by engaging with colleagues on a specific topic or area of interest. These efforts have helped our DEI focus and have fostered closer connections between employees in communities around the world.

Inclusive Culture: We have several programs and initiatives that cultivate an inclusive culture. The Baker Hughes Culture & Inclusion Council, comprised of executives across the organization, supports the success of our DEI mission and workplace culture ambitions and meets regularly to review progress and discuss ways in which to continue to advance our efforts. The DEI Community of Practice facilitates sharing best practices across the enterprise. Our DEI Knowledge Center, located on the Baker Hughes intranet, enables us to provide our workforce with tools, resources, and learning opportunities that raise awareness, foster inclusive behaviors, and build cross-cultural competences.

Charitable Work: Baker Hughes seeks to make a positive impact in the communities where we operate around the world through stakeholder engagement, community service, and charitable contributions. Consistent with our purpose and values, we work to advance environmental quality, educational opportunities, and health and wellness. We benefit our communities through financial contributions, in-kind donations of goods and services, and volunteer projects. The Baker Hughes Foundation makes strategic philanthropic contributions, matches Baker Hughes employee charitable contributions, and awards volunteer recognition grants for outstanding employee community service. In 2023, the Baker Hughes Foundation globally provided $1 million in grants for educational opportunity, $955,000 in grants benefiting the environment, and an additional $418,000 in grants for health, safety and wellness and disaster recovery. The Baker Hughes Foundation supported disaster relief fundraising efforts in Alberta, Hawaii, Italy, Libya and Turkey, and global reforestation efforts that resulted in one million trees being planted across 17 countries. In addition, the Baker Hughes Foundation provided $855,000 in employee contribution matching, and Baker Hughes employees provided approximately 39,000 volunteer hours.

Planet

Getting to Net-Zero: It is a priority for us to innovate and to offer lower carbon products and services, improve our operational efficiency, and reduce our emissions. We are actively engaged in helping our customers meet their carbon and methane emissions reduction goals. We advocate for policies and technology that we believe will advance the energy transition such as carbon capture, utilization and storage (“CCUS”), hydrogen, carbon pricing, and methane emissions reduction.

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Proxy Statement Summary

In 2019, we announced our commitment to reduce Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from our operations by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon dioxide equivalent net-zero emissions by 2050. This goal encompasses emissions from our operations (“Scope 1 and 2 emissions”) in alignment with the Paris Accord and the specific recommendations of the United Nations (“UN”) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5^oC. In 2020, we reset our carbon emissions reduction base year for this goal from 2012 to 2019 to account for corporate changes, new acquisitions, divestitures, and to reflect changes in methodology in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas (“GHG”) Protocol.

Our net-zero roadmap is based on nine key building blocks necessary to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2050. This includes defining and operationalizing our efforts for the enterprise transformation, implementing a comprehensive sustainable supply-chain framework, and continuing to innovate and advance our research and development of low-carbon technology.

Our reporting frameworks are informed by the standards most frequently referenced by our stakeholders, including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (“TCFD”) standards, the GHG Protocol, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”) Oil & Gas Services Industry Standard, Extractives and Mineral Processing Sector, as well as other relevant sector standards.

Principles

Protecting people and the environment: At Baker Hughes, the health and safety of our employees is a top priority. We value the health and safety of our people and are dedicated to doing what’s right to safeguard our employees, customers, communities, and the environment. We implement proactive programs designed to ensure safe and sustainable operations, meeting or exceeding global regulatory requirements.

Culture of Compliance: Integrity and compliance are foundational elements of our culture and business and serve to mitigate risk, foster a positive workplace culture and support long-term commercial success. We are committed to complying with all laws, regulations and ethical standards in letter and spirit. Integrity is a core value of Baker Hughes that is embodied throughout our global operations that creates an environment where doing the right thing is second nature. Our Code of Conduct sets high expectations for ethical behavior, and our global ethics and compliance program is designed to prevent and detect potential violations of law, our Code of Conduct, and other Company policies and procedures.

Privacy and Cybersecurity: We take cybersecurity and data privacy very seriously, and we are committed to individuals’ rights to data protection and privacy. We protect our digital systems and data through a comprehensive cybersecurity management program, and we operate a comprehensive Cyber Fusion Center to coordinate resources, reduce incident response time, and shift toward a proactive cyber-defense model. We leverage the National Institute of Standards and Technology security framework to drive strategic direction and maturity improvement and engage third party security experts for risk assessments and program enhancements. Our Global Data Privacy Program is designed to ensure that personal data will be protected and handled in accordance with applicable law and applicable contractual obligations.

Sustainable Supply Chains: We are part of a broad global supply chain, and we source materials from many countries around the world. In addition to managing our own corporate sustainability performance, we also have a desire to ensure that the suppliers we work with adhere to high standards. Our Supplier Integrity Guide governs our relationships with suppliers, contractors, consortium partners, and consultants. Our Supplier Social Responsibility Program is intended to set standards and monitor compliance with high standards of HSE performance, ethics, compliance, and respect for human rights.

Additional information on our People, Planet and Principles can be found in our Corporate Sustainability Report located on our website. Information contained on or connected to our website, including our Corporate Sustainability Report, is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement and should not be considered part of this Proxy Statement or any filing we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Proxy Statement Summary

Director nominee highlights

The nine director nominees, if elected, will serve a one-year term expiring at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Our priority is to bring together areas of expertise for the benefit of the Company and long-term shareholder value. We strive to maintain a Board that reflects diversity, varied knowledge and experiences, and relevant skills and personal qualities. Our candidates possess leadership skills, global business experience, and expertise in finance and the energy industry. More information about our director nominees may be found under “Proposal No. 1—Election of Directors.”

Compensation highlights

Our executive compensation program is designed to attract, motivate, and retain our executives, including our named executive officers (each an “NEO”), who are critical to our long-term success. The program is designed to align with three core principles:

Our executive compensation program emphasizes performance-based compensation tied to increases in Baker Hughes’ stock price and drives strategic imperatives. Approximately 90% of Mr. Simonelli’s target total compensation is performance-based and at risk, while the other NEOs have an average of 78% performance-based and at-risk compensation.

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Proxy Statement Summary

Key compensation decisions in 2023

The Company continued to reinforce market-aligned and pay-for-performance elements of its compensation programs.

2023 Compensation decisions

Proposal 1

Election of directors

				9

Proposal 1 Election of Directors

Board nominees for director

The following table sets forth each nominee director’s name, principal occupation and prior work experience, age, and year in which the nominee first became a director of the Company. Each nominee director has agreed to serve if elected.

Director nominees

Proposal 1 Election of Directors

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Proposal 1 Election of Directors

Proposal 1 Election of Directors

				13

Proposal 1 Election of Directors

Proposal 1 Election of Directors

Director skills and experience matrix

				15

Proposal 1 Election of Directors

Election and resignation policy

Size and term of Board

Under the provisions of the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, dated October 17, 2019 (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), and the Sixth Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, dated February 1, 2024 (the “Bylaws”), the total number of directors constituting the Board may be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board. The total number of directors as determined by the Board is presently ten. In connection with the election of directors at the 2024 Annual Meeting, the authorized number of directors is being reduced to nine.

Each director will serve for a term of one year, ending on the date of the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders following the date of such director’s election or appointment; provided that the term of each director will continue until the election and qualification of his or her successor, subject to his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification, or removal.

Resignation and removal

Any director may resign by delivering a resignation in writing or by electronic transmission to the Company at its principal office or to the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or the Vice President and Corporate Secretary. Such resignation will be effective upon delivery unless it is specified to be effective at some later time or upon the happening of some later event. Our Governance Principles provide that each incumbent director being nominated for further service on the Board submit an irrevocable resignation letter that becomes effective if (1) the director does not receive a majority of the votes cast “FOR” with respect to that nominee’s election in an election that is not a contested election; and, (2) thereafter the Board accepts that resignation. The Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee will have the right to fill any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, or removal from office or other cause for any director.

Proposal 1 Election of Directors

Process for identifying and adding new directors

The Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee identifies, screens, and recommends director candidates for nomination to the Board. Candidates are evaluated in light of the then-existing composition of the Board and the background and areas of expertise of existing directors and potential nominees.

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Proposal 1 Election of Directors

Director education

Our director education program assists Board members in fulfilling their responsibilities. In addition to the onboarding program, directors are provided ongoing education through in-depth presentations on topics such as strategy, operations, the energy transition, cybersecurity, ESG related issues, enterprise risk management, DEI, and legal and regulatory matters. These presentations can be from management or with outside experts as needed. The Board periodically holds board meetings at facilities or other sites important to the business where directors engage with employees in a more informal setting. Directors are also encouraged to attend third-party educational programs and training.

Board evaluation

Board and Committee evaluations play a critical role in ensuring the effective functioning of our Board. It is important to review Board, Committee, and director performance and to solicit and act upon feedback received from each member of our Board. Our Lead Independent Director manages and has oversight over the Board evaluation process.

Corporate governance

The Company’s Board believes the purpose of corporate governance is to maximize shareholder value in a manner consistent with legal requirements and the highest standards of integrity. The Board has adopted and adheres to corporate governance practices, which the Board and management believe promote this purpose, are sound, and represent best practices. The Board periodically reviews these governance practices, Delaware law (the state in which the Company is incorporated), the rules and listing standards of Nasdaq and SEC regulations, as well as best practices suggested by recognized governance authorities. The Governance Principles are posted under the “Investors-Company Information-Corporate Governance” section of the Company’s website at www.bakerhughes.com and are also available upon request to the Company’s Corporate Secretary. Neither these documents nor the website are incorporated by reference to this Proxy Statement.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS

BOARD STRUCTURE AND INDEPENDENCE				Board diversity relative to personal characteristics and experiences
				Range of tenures ensures balance between historical experience and fresh perspectives
				Skills and background aligned to our strategic direction
				Director nominees are approximately 90% independent
				Lead Independent Director, with expanded responsibilities, including formal responsibilities relative to Board evaluation processes
				Lead Independent Director empowered to call special Board meetings at any time for any reason
STRONG CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES				Annual election of directors
				All members of all committees are independent directors
				Annual Board assessment to enable adequate Board refreshment and appropriate evolution of Board skills, experience, and perspectives; results shared and discussed in executive session
				Mandatory director retirement age of 75 and 15-year term limits
				Active board engagement in managing talent and long-term succession planning for executives and directors
				Robust shareholder engagement with independent director participation
				No pledging or hedging of Company stock by executive officers and directors
				Significant stock ownership requirements for executive officers and directors
				Comprehensive director on-boarding program

Ownership structure

The Company was formed in July 2017 as the result of a combination between Baker Hughes Incorporated (“BHI”) and the oil and gas business (“GE O&G”) of General Electric Company (“GE”) (the “Transactions”). As a result of the Transactions, substantially all of the business of GE O&G and BHI was transferred to a subsidiary of the Company, Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (“BHH LLC”). GE previously held its voting interest through our Class B Common Stock and its economic interest through a corresponding number of units of BHH LLC. In December 2022, GE exchanged all of its Class B Common Stock and equity interests representing its economic interests in BHH LLC for shares of our Class A Common Stock. There were no shares of our Class B Common Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2022. Following the exchange and GE’s exit from its ownership position in the Company, the Stockholders Agreement (the “Stockholders Agreement”) between GE and the Company was terminated and in March 2023, the Board updated the Company’s governance documents, policies, and procedures to eliminate requirements relevant to the period when the Company was affiliated with GE, including those related to approval of related party transactions as discussed below.

Board attendance

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Board held 6 meetings. Each director attended more than 93% of the total number of meetings of the Company’s Board and of the respective Committees on which he or she served. It is the Company’s policy to request and encourage all of the Company’s directors and nominees for election as directors to attend the Annual Meeting. Each director attended the 2023 Annual Meeting.

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Corporate Governance

Director independence

The Board has adopted Governance Principles and charters for the Audit Committee, Human Capital and Compensation Committee and the Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee that include independence requirements for directors to assist it in determining director independence. These requirements conform to the independence requirements set forth in Nasdaq listing standards and SEC rules. In addition to applying these requirements, the Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances in making an independence determination. The Board has determined that all the nominees for election at this Annual Meeting other than Mr. Simonelli meet these independence requirements and that all members of these committees meet the relevant committee independence requirements.

When considering the independence of Mohsen Sohi, the Board recognized that Dr. Sohi serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Freudenberg and Co. (“Freudenberg”), a company that enters into purchase and sale transactions with us from time to time that may exceed $120,000 in the aggregate annually. The Board also considered that such transactions have historically been made in the ordinary course by each of the Company and Freudenberg with terms in line with those offered to other third parties. Additionally, our Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee has determined that Dr. Sohi has no direct or indirect material interest in these transactions.

When considering the independence of Cynthia B. Carroll, the Board noted that Ms. Carroll’s son is employed by us. He is not one of our executive officers, and his 2023 compensation did not require disclosure as a related person transaction. He is emancipated and does not share Ms. Carroll’s household and our Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee has determined that Ms. Carroll does not have a direct or indirect material interest in his compensation.

The Board’s leadership structure

Our Governance Principles require the election of a Lead Independent Director who leads meetings of the independent directors and regularly meets with the Chairman/CEO for a discussion of matters arising from these meetings.

Corporate Governance

Committees of the board

The Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, a Human Capital and Compensation Committee, a Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee, and a Finance Committee. The charter for each committee has been posted and is available for public viewing under the “Investors-Company Information-Corporate Governance” section of the Company’s website at www.bakerhughes.com and is also available upon request to the Company’s Corporate Secretary. Neither the charters nor the website are incorporated by reference to this Proxy Statement.

		Audit Committee  Number of Meetings in 2023: 10
		John G. Rice Chairperson

The responsibilities of the Audit Committee include:

		Finance Committee   Number of Meetings in 2023: 2
		Gregory D. Brenneman Chairperson

The responsibilities of the Finance Committee include:

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Corporate Governance

		Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee  Number of Meetings in 2023: 4
		Lynn L. Elsenhans Chairperson

The responsibilities of the Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee include:

		Human Capital and Compensation Committee  Number of Meetings in 2023: 4
		Cynthia B. Carroll Chairperson

The responsibilities of the Human Capital and Compensation Committee include:

Corporate Governance

Risk oversight

We face a myriad of risks including operational, financial, strategic, and reputational risks that affect every segment of our business. The Board is actively involved in the oversight and monitoring of these risks in several ways. Each committee of the Board is responsible for the oversight of certain areas of risk that pertain to that committee’s area of focus and receives regular updates at committee meetings throughout the year from management on each risk.

We have an enterprise risk management program that includes the identification of a broad range of risks that affect the Company, their probabilities and severity, and incorporates a review of the Company’s approach to managing and prioritizing those risks based on input from the officers responsible for the management of those risks. Enterprise Risk Management is a continuous exercise at Baker Hughes. Annually, we seek input from each business segment to refresh existing risks and identify new or emerging risks (including sustainability and climate-related risks) that have enterprise-wide impact. This process spans from identifying, categorizing, and rating the risks based on reputational, operational, regulatory impact, financial impact, likelihood, and existing controls for risk mitigation. Proposed mitigation action plans are then created based on identified gaps and assigned to executive leadership for accountability and execution. These actions and key risk indicators are regularly reviewed by the executive leadership team. A selection of the top risks is also reviewed with our Board at each regularly scheduled meeting.

The Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

The Board oversees all operational, financial, strategic, and reputational risks with oversight of specific risks undertaken with the committee structure including:

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Corporate Governance

Board and committee oversight of environmental, social, and governance matters

Our Board recognizes that striving to operate responsibly – minimizing the environmental impact of our operations, fostering employee engagement, and respecting human rights by creating an environment of respect, integrity, and fairness for our employees and customers wherever we do business – is fundamental to the long-term success of our Company. The Board and committees oversee significant ESG topics as follows:

Sustainability Oversight

As noted in the table above, the Board has charged the Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee with oversight responsibility of the Company’s environmental matters as well as assessing its sustainability strategy and initiatives, including the publication of our Corporate Sustainability Report. The Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee receives regular reports from management on the Company’s environmental and sustainability priorities and risks, including progress on our emission reduction goals and execution, our ESG reporting frameworks, ESG ratings, and execution of our sustainability strategy.

Cybersecurity Oversight

Cybersecurity risk management processes are an integral part of risk management at Baker Hughes. The Board appreciates the rapidly evolving nature of threats presented by cybersecurity incidents and is committed to the prevention, timely detection, and mitigation of the effects of any such incidents on the Company and our stakeholders. Our Board is actively engaged in the oversight of our cybersecurity program.

We leverage the National Institute of Standards and Technology security framework to drive strategic direction and maturity improvement and engage third party security experts for risk assessments and program enhancements. We also maintain information security risk insurance coverage. The Company has not experienced a material cybersecurity breach.

We also include multi-domain cybersecurity training as part of our required annual training program. In addition, training and awareness is integrated and continues throughout the year, utilizing various delivery methods such as phishing campaigns, live training sessions, and informational articles.

Corporate Governance

Human Capital Management Oversight

Attracting, developing, retaining, and inspiring the best people globally is crucial to all aspects of our business, and the Board believes that the Company’s strong ethical leadership grounded in the values expressed in Our Code of Conduct is central to the Company’s long-term success. To that end, the Board and its committees are actively engaged in overseeing the Company’s human capital management strategy. The Human Capital and Compensation Committee assists the Board in discharging its oversight responsibility for the Company’s human capital management matters, including its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, talent development, and corporate culture, among other programs. Management provides regular updates to the Human Capital and Compensation Committee on human capital management strategy and programs, and the Board is kept apprised of any developments in these areas.

The Human Capital and Compensation Committee considers the impact of our executive compensation program and the incentives created by compensation awards on Baker Hughes’ overall risk profile. It also oversees management’s annual assessment of compensation risk arising from our compensation policies and practices.

CEO and senior management succession planning

Our Human Capital and Compensation Committee monitors and reviews and our Board oversees management succession planning and talent development. At each committee meeting during the year, the Human Capital and Compensation Committee is engaged on the topics related to leadership and talent development, with one meeting dedicated to an in-depth review of succession planning for key executive officer roles, including the CEO. The succession plans are reviewed with the full Board at least annually. The Board also reviews succession planning in the context of our overall business strategy. Potential leaders are visible to Board members through formal presentations and informal events to allow directors to personally assess candidates.

Our Board also establishes steps to address emergency CEO succession planning in extraordinary circumstances. Our emergency CEO succession planning is intended to enable our Company to respond to unexpected emergencies and minimize potential disruption or loss of continuity to our Company’s business and operations.

Shareholder engagement

Our directors and management recognize the benefits that come from robust dialogue with shareholders and other relevant stakeholders. We maintain an ongoing, proactive communication effort with our shareholders through our Investor Relations team as well as an integrated outreach program that includes our Chief Sustainability Officer, Corporate Secretary’s office, and Executive Compensation and Investor Relations teams. This group engages with our shareholders, and, in consultation with our Board, thoughtfully adopts and applies developing practices in a manner that best supports our business and our culture.

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Corporate Governance

Shareholder communications with the Board of Directors

To provide the Company’s shareholders and other interested parties with a direct and open line of communication to the Company’s Board of Directors, shareholders may communicate with any member of the Board, including the Company’s Lead Independent Director, the Chair of any committee, or with the non-employee directors of the Company as a group, by sending such written communication to the Company’s Corporate Secretary, c/o Baker Hughes Company, 575 N. Dairy Ashford Road, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77079. The Corporate Secretary will forward any communications to the Board or any member of the Board.

Code of conduct

The Company’s Board has adopted a code of conduct, “Our Way” (the “Code of Conduct”), which applies to all officers, directors, and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. It sets forth the Company’s policies on several topics, including conflicts of interest, health, safety, and environment, compliance with laws (including insider trading laws), corporate branding, sustainability and business ethics. The Code of Conduct also prohibits individuals from engaging in, or giving the appearance of engaging in any activity involving a conflict, or potential conflict, between personal interests and those of the Company. The Audit Committee oversees the administration of the Code of Conduct and responsibility for the corporate compliance effort with the Company. On an annual basis, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Accounting Officer, and all other persons performing similar functions within the meaning of the securities laws and regulations certify compliance with the Company’s Code of Conduct and the applicable Nasdaq and SOX provisions. The Company’s Code of Conduct and Code of Ethical Conduct Certifications are not incorporated herein by reference, but are posted under the “Investors-Company Information-Corporate Governance” section of the Company’s website at www.bakerhughes.com and are also available upon request to the Company’s Corporate Secretary.

We encourage our employees, customers, suppliers, and shareholders to speak up about any compliance concerns by reaching out via a variety of channels.

Director compensation

In 2023, Frederick W. Cook & Co., Inc. (“FW Cook”), the compensation consultant hired by the Human Capital and Compensation Committee, conducted a competitive review of our non-employee director compensation program, including a review of the director compensation programs of companies within our peer group. Based on the analysis provided by FW Cook, the Human Capital and Compensation Committee made no changes to our non-employee director compensation. Mr. Simonelli, our President and CEO and Chairman of the Board, does not receive additional compensation for his service as a director and his compensation and equity awards for service as President and CEO are reflected in the Summary Compensation Table and accompanying tables below in the Executive Compensation section of this proxy and are not reflected in the tables immediately below.

The following sets forth the current compensation structure for our non-employee directors:

Director deferral plan

Under the Baker Hughes Non-Employee Director Deferral Plan (the “Deferral Plan”), non-employee directors may elect to receive their annual retainers and committee fees in shares of Common Stock, with the shares delivered either in the year in which the retainers otherwise would have been paid or in a future year. If directors defer the receipt of these shares of Common Stock, they will instead receive Deferred Stock Units (“DSUs”) which represent the right to receive the equivalent number of shares of Common Stock when the deferral period ends. The number of shares of Common Stock received in lieu of the fees is determined by dividing the amount of the retainer earned for that year by the average closing price of a share on each date on which the retainer for that year otherwise would have been paid. Directors may also elect to defer receipt of the shares covered by their RSU awards, which otherwise are delivered when the awards vest.

Directors receive dividend equivalents on their DSUs. These dividend equivalents are paid in cash currently with the payment of the dividend to other shareholders.

Director stock ownership requirements

Under the Governance Principles, each non-employee director is expected to own at least five times his or her annual retainer in Class A Common Stock while serving as a director of the Company. The retainer included in the calculation is the base retainer (currently $120,000) and does not include retainers for committee or other positions held on the Board. Such ownership level should be obtained within five years from the date elected or appointed to the Board. The Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee reviews director stock ownership on an annual basis. All directors are in compliance with such requirements or are on track to be in compliance within the 5-year period.

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Director Compensation

2023 Director compensation

The following table discloses the cash, equity awards and other compensation earned, paid or awarded, as the case may be, to each of the Company’s non-employee directors during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Abdulaziz M. Al Gudaimi was elected to the Board effective January 1, 2024 and therefore is not included in the table.

Stock ownership

Stock ownership of certain beneficial owners

The following table sets forth information about the holders of our Common Stock known to the Company on March 22, 2024 that own beneficially 5% or more of each class of Common Stock, based on filings by the holders with the SEC. For purposes of this Proxy Statement, beneficial ownership of securities is defined in accordance with the rules of the SEC to mean generally the power to vote or dispose of securities regardless of any economic interest therein.

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Stock Ownership

Stock ownership of directors and executive officers

Set forth below is certain information with respect to beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of March 22, 2024 by each current director, the persons named in the Summary Compensation Table, and the current directors and current executive officers as a group. The table includes transactions effected prior to the close of business on March 22, 2024.

Shares beneficially owned

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) requires executive officers, directors, and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of the Common Stock to file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership with the SEC. Based solely on a review of the copies of those forms filed electronically with the SEC and written representations from the executive officers and directors, the Company believes that, its executive officers and directors complied with all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, except for the following: Mr. Geoffrey Beattie filed a Form 4 on December 19, 2023 that included the late reporting of an open market purchase of 4,000 shares on September 11, 2019.

Prohibition of pledging and hedging under the insider trading policy

The Company’s Insider Trading Policy and Governance Principles prohibit our directors and executive officers from entering into any derivative transaction in Company stock (including short sales, forwards, equity swaps, options or collars, or other instruments that are based on the Company’s stock price). In addition, directors and executive officers are prohibited from pledging shares of Company stock as collateral or security for indebtedness.

Certain relationships and related party transactions

The Board expects its directors, as well as officers and employees, to act ethically at all times and to acknowledge their adherence to the policies comprising the Company’s Code of Conduct. The Company will not make any personal loans or extensions of credit to directors or executive officers. No independent director may provide personal services for compensation to the Company, other than in connection with serving as a director.

If an actual or potential conflict of interest arises for a director, the director will promptly inform the Chairman/CEO, the Lead Independent Director, and the Chair of the Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee. The Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee will resolve any such conflicts, subject to the specific rules governing related person transactions.

The Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee will review and approve or ratify, in accordance with the Company’s Governance Principles and Related Person Transactions Policy, any transaction between the Company and a related person which is required to be disclosed under the rules of the SEC. For purposes of this requirement, the terms “transaction” and “related person” were based on the terms of Item 404 of Regulation S-K. If a significant conflict exists and cannot be resolved, the director should resign. All directors will recuse themselves from any discussion or decision affecting their personal, business, or professional interests. The Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee will resolve conflict of interest issues involving the CEO or an executive officer reporting directly to the CEO, and the CEO will resolve conflict of interest issues involving any other officer of the Company.

Prior to GE’s exit from its ownership position in the Company in the first quarter of 2023, all transactions between the Company and GE were subject to additional considerations set forth in the Stockholders Agreement between the Company and GE, including the requirement that any transactions with GE be at arms-length and in the best interests of the Company and be approved by the Conflicts Committee in accordance therewith. The Stockholders Agreement has been terminated and the Conflicts Committee has been disbanded in connection with GE’s exit from its ownership position in the Company.

Related party transactions

Elisa de Castro Barbosa, an immediate family member of one of our executive officers, is employed by us as a Senior HR Manager. In 2023, Ms. Barbosa received total compensation, consisting of base salary, bonus, and other compensation, of approximately $242,000.

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Executive compensation

Aligning strategy and rewards to drive us forward in 2023