Filed by the Registrant ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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

 

 

Please see the General Information section of this proxy statement for additional information on voting procedures and other important information about these proxy materials and the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders.

We are committed to sound executive compensation practices and the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors reviews executive compensation practices at least annually in furtherance of this commitment. Our performance-based incentive compensation program directly links executive compensation to specified performance criteria for short-term incentive compensation and long-term equity incentive compensation. Practices include the following:

 

 

Please refer to Item 1 in this proxy statement for additional information about our Board of Directors, a Board Diversity and Skills Matrix, and the two Class 3 directors nominated to be elected at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders.

Old Republic’s Mission is to provide quality insurance security and related services to businesses, individuals, and public institutions, and to be a dependable long-term steward of the trust that policyholders, shareholders, and other important stakeholders place in us.

Our Lodestar recognizes each of these important stakeholder groups.

 

We pursue our Mission using the long-standing principles and practices of: (1) our governance, (2) our service culture, (3) our value system, (4) the institutional memory that connects successive generations of managers, and (5) appreciation of our people and the intellectual capital they bring to managing our wide-ranging business. We are focused on achieving two interrelated outcomes:

In assessing the above, we seek to achieve consecutive 10-year annual compound total returns per share that exceed comparable returns of the S&P 500^® (Standard & Poor’s 500) Index and the S&P P&C Insurance Index.

Our Long-Term Strategy is aligned with our Mission and governing principles. The linchpin of this strategy is the conservative, long-term management of Old Republic’s balance sheet. The maintenance of a strong financial position supports our operating companies’ risk-taking and obligations to policyholders, and underlies our stewardship for all stakeholders. We accomplish this through enterprise risk management and with insurance underwriting discipline. This discipline rests on key operating tenets of our business:

Achieving positive underwriting results is complemented by investment income, which we derive from investments of underwriting cash flows, shareholders’ capital, and funds provided by debt holders. Through the years, the combination of underwriting and investment income has led to: (1) increased earnings over business cycles, (2) balance sheet strength, and (3) increasing regular dividends to shareholders. This strategy is evaluated each year by the Board of Directors when it reviews and approves management’s annual operating and capital allocation budgets. The evaluation includes, among other things, these major considerations:

Old Republic’s capital management strategy is underpinned by:

Old Republic’s consistent dividend policy has produced these results:

Old Republic’s long-established policies of corporate governance emanate from our charter and by-laws. The structure and policies of this governance have emphasized the stability, continuity, and sustainability of the enterprise for achieving long-term value for all stakeholders.

The following table shows the total shareholder return, assuming reinvested dividends on a pre-tax basis, of Old Republic’s Common Stock in comparison with the selected benchmark and a peer group of companies.

 

The Board is committed to corporate governance principles and practices with a long-term orientation. Further, the Board periodically reviews these principles and practices to ensure they are properly aligned with the interests of all stakeholders. Included in these principles and practices is a consideration of environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) matters. The Board is committed to creating and maintaining board oversight, with input from committee members, shareholders, and other stakeholders on matters related to sustainability, human capital, ethics, information security, and other ESG topics.

The Board and management recognize that shareholder engagement and transparency are essential to sound governance. Management maintains an ongoing dialogue with shareholders and other stakeholders, conducted through individual and group meetings and attendance at investor and industry conferences, to discuss long-term strategy and financial and operating performance.

In addition, we engage annually with shareholders to solicit feedback on a diverse set of ESG topics. In 2025, we reached out to the Company’s largest shareholders, representing over 50% of institutional shares outstanding, and spoke with all shareholders that responded. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chair of the Executive Committee, Craig R. Smiddy, led all such meetings and provided a summary of the discussions to the Board of Directors. We believe that these discussions provide a valuable feedback mechanism to understand issues that are important to our shareholders, to inform our decision making, and to enhance our disclosure practices. Some of the actions we have taken that are informed by shareholder feedback over the last several years are set forth in the table below.

The Company’s leadership structure and its risk management processes are overseen and monitored by the Board of Directors. The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines state that the Board of Directors shall annually elect one of its members to be Chairman of the Board and that the Chairman may be, but need not be, the CEO or another officer or employee of the Company. Further, the Corporate Governance Guidelines state that at any time that the Chairman is not an independent director, and at any other time that the Board of Directors determines it in the best interests of the Company, the Board of Directors shall annually elect one of its independent members to serve as the Lead Independent Director.

At present, the roles of the CEO and the Chairman of the Board of Directors are separate, and there is a Lead Independent Director. Craig R. Smiddy is Old Republic’s President and CEO, Spencer LeRoy III, an independent director, is Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Steven R. Walker is the Lead Independent Director.

Old Republic’s Board holds management accountable for protecting and enhancing the value of the Company and its businesses and holds its CEO responsible for setting the proper tone in shaping and nurturing the Company’s culture and values for the benefit of shareholders and other stakeholders. These other stakeholders include: the policyholders to whom long-term promises of financial indemnity and stability are made by the Company’s operating companies, the employees who provide the intellectual capital and business relationships necessary for the conduct and success of the Company, the debt holders who extend a portion of the capital at risk, and the regulators who protect the public interest vested in the Company’s insurance businesses. To meet these responsibilities and objectives, the Board expects the CEO to be a knowledgeable and well-rounded leader who, as chief enterprise risk manager, is dedicated to Old Republic’s overall Mission and is best qualified to address and balance the interests of all stakeholders.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors (1) presides at, and sets the rules and regulations for, the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders; (2) presides at each meeting of the Board; (3) in coordination with the CEO, sets the schedule for the meetings of the Board and the agenda for each meeting; and (4) has the authority to engage independent legal, accounting or other counsel at the expense of the Company for such services as the Chairman, the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, deem appropriate. In the absence of the Chairman, the CEO shall preside at the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders and the Lead Independent Director shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors. In the absence of the Chairman and a Lead Independent Director, the CEO shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors.

At all times that the Board of Directors has elected a Lead Independent Director, the Lead Independent Director (1) serves as the chair of meetings of the independent directors, who meet as a group, without members of management or non-independent directors present, at least once each year; (2) acts as the liaison between the independent directors and both the Chairman and the CEO, as well as committees of the Board; (3) presides at executive sessions of the independent directors; (4) provides input and guidance in setting meeting agendas for the Board of Directors; (5) has the authority to engage independent legal, accounting or other counsel at the expense of the Company for such services as the Lead Independent Director, the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, deem appropriate; (6) addresses concerns directed to the independent directors that do not relate to the Company’s accounts or financial statements; (7) reviews with the independent directors annually the duties and responsibilities of the independent directors and the Lead Independent Director; and (8) exercises such additional powers as may be conferred from time to time upon the office of the Lead Independent Director by the Board of Directors or the Governance and Nominating Committee. At times when the Board of Directors has not elected a Lead Independent Director, the independent Chairman of the Board shall exercise the foregoing responsibilities. In the absence of the independent Chairman or Lead Independent Director, as the case may be, the most senior independent director willing to serve shall temporarily assume the duties of the Lead Independent Director.

The Board of Directors believes that the current structure and division of responsibilities is in the best interests of the Company at this time, but the Board continues to review this structure at least annually to ensure that its leadership structure continues to serve the best interests of the Company and its stakeholders.

Old Republic’s business is managed through a relatively flat, non-bureaucratic organizational structure. The CEO is primarily responsible for managing enterprise-wide risks. The CEO and the Company use long-established control processes and a variety of long-established methods to coordinate system-wide risk taking and risk management. These processes and methods are based on the following major functions: operating company responsibility, enterprise functions, and internal audit and peer reviews.

The managers of the operating companies are responsible for identifying, monitoring, quantifying, and mitigating insurance underwriting risks falling within their areas of responsibility. These managers use reports covering annual, quarterly, or monthly time frames to identify the status and content of risk, including pricing or underwriting changes. These management reports ensure the continuity and timeliness of appropriate risk management monitoring and enterprise-wide oversight of existing or emerging issues.

The enterprise functions incorporate system-wide risk management, including asset/liability matching that aligns underwriting exposure, regulatory and public interest compliance, finance, actuarial, and legal functions. These functions are coordinated on an enterprise-wide basis by the CEO and other executive officers.

The internal audit processes provide independent assessments of management’s performance and internal control systems. Internal audit activities are intended to give reasonable assurance that resources are adequately protected and that significant financial, managerial and operating information is materially complete, accurate and reliable. This process is also intended to promote employees acting in compliance with corporate policies, standards, procedures, internal control guidelines, and applicable laws and regulations.

The Board of Directors plays an important role in managing business risk. The Executive Committee is responsible for overseeing and conducting regular reviews of the Company’s system-wide enterprise risk management practices. The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of ORI’s systems of internal controls over financial reporting, the integrity of the Company’s systems of internal controls over financial reporting, the integrity of the consolidated financial statements, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee also oversees the Company’s internal audit team with the Company’s senior internal auditing executive reporting directly to the Committee. The Audit Committee also has oversight authority to review (1) the Company’s data protection and cybersecurity risk exposure and the steps management has taken to assess and respond to the overall threat landscape, including the strategy management implemented to mitigate the Company’s cybersecurity risk exposure, and (2) the Company’s practices and protocols for the use of artificial intelligence systems. The Compensation Committee is responsible for oversight of policies and strategies pertaining to human capital management, including initiatives and programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for the Company’s Governance Guidelines, as well as policies and strategies on ESG matters, including the Company’s impact on the environment and the risks to the Company associated with climate change.

Further, the corporate culture, the actions of our employees, and continuity of employment are critical to the Company’s risk management processes. Old Republic’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics provides a framework for all employees to conduct themselves with integrity in the delivery of the Company’s services to its customers and in connection with all Company relationships and activities.

Old Republic recognizes the importance of talent development and succession planning. The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors regularly reviews management development plans to provide for available and qualified successors, and to provide for the temporary replacement of the Chairman and/or CEO in the event of death or incapacity. The Board of Directors actively engages at least quarterly with employees at both the corporate and operating company levels who are identified as potential candidates for future leadership roles. Our Sustainability Report provides additional detail regarding our employee engagement and retention strategies and ways that Old Republic invests in its human capital at all levels throughout the organization.

Old Republic believes that good corporate governance begins with a Board of Directors that appreciates the Company’s special place as a holding company for state-regulated operating companies that are vested with a public trust.

The Board of Directors’ main responsibility is to oversee the Company’s operations, directly and through several committees operating in a coordinated and collegial manner. In exercising this responsibility, each director is expected to utilize his or her business judgment in the best interests of the Company, its shareholders and all other stakeholders. Directly and through its committees operating cohesively, the Board’s oversight duties include:

As part of its governance duties, the Board reviews the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders vote concerning election of directors. In January 2024, the Company adopted majority voting in uncontested elections of directors and plurality voting in contested elections. At any shareholder meeting at which directors are subject to an uncontested election, any director nominee who receives a greater number of votes “against” his or her election than votes “for” such election must submit to the Board, promptly following the final certification of the election results, a letter of resignation for consideration by the Governance and Nominating Committee. The Governance and Nominating Committee shall make a recommendation to the Board as to whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The Board shall act on the tendered resignation, taking into account the Governance and Nominating Committee’s recommendation, and publicly disclose (by a press release, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), or other broadly disseminated means of communication) its decision regarding the tendered resignation and the rationale behind the decision within ninety (90) days from the date of the certification of the election results. The Governance and Nominating Committee in making its recommendation, and the Board in making its decision, may each consider such

factors or other information as it considers appropriate and relevant. The director who tenders his or her resignation shall not participate in the recommendation of the Governance and Nominating Committee or the decision of the Board with respect to his or her resignation. If the Board decides to accept the director’s tendered resignation, the Governance and Nominating Committee will recommend to the Board whether to fill the resulting vacancy or to reduce the size of the Board. If the Board decides not to accept the director’s tendered resignation, such director shall continue to serve until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. By adopting this majority voting standard in uncontested elections, with a corresponding director resignation policy, the Company intends to strengthen the already meaningful role our shareholders play in the election of the Company’s Board of Directors.

Twelve of the Company’s directors have been affirmatively determined to qualify as “independent” directors in accordance with Section 303A.02 of the Listed Company Standards of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and Item 407(a) of Regulation S-K of the SEC. Neither they nor any members of their immediate families have had any of the types of disqualifying relationships with the Company or any of its operating companies in the last three years, as set forth in subsection (b) of Section 303A.02 of the NYSE’s Listed Company Standards. Additionally, each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the heightened independence standards for audit committee membership set forth in Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and each member of the Compensation Committee satisfies the additional independence criteria for compensation committee membership set forth in Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act.

Consistent with the Company’s expectation as set forth in the Corporate Governance Guidelines that the commitment of a substantial expenditure of time for meetings, preparation therefor, and related travel is essential to the performance of a director’s responsibilities, directors are not permitted to serve on the boards of more than two other public companies.

The entire Board conducts an annual self-evaluation, overseen by the Governance and Nominating Committee, to determine whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively. To facilitate this annual self-evaluation process, each director completes an anonymous questionnaire on the Board’s performance, and the responses are then aggregated and provided to the full Board of Directors at the next scheduled Board meeting. Similarly, as part of this annual self-evaluation process, each non-chair member serving on any of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, or the Governance and Nominating Committee completes an anonymous questionnaire on each respective committee’s performance, and the responses are then aggregated and provided to the chair of the respective committee, who in turn reviews the responses with respective committee members at their next scheduled meeting. During 2025, the independent directors held at least one meeting in executive session without management or employee directors in accordance with NYSE Listed Company Standards. Mr. Walker was the Lead Independent Director in 2025.

Directors receive a broad array of public and internal proprietary information upon becoming members of the Board. This enables them to become familiar with the Company’s business, strategic plans, significant financial, accounting and management matters, compliance programs, conflict of interest policies, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines, principal officers, and the independent registered public accounting firm. While information appearing on our website is not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement, the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Corporate Governance Guidelines may be viewed in the Governance section at www.oldrepublic.com. Further, the Company supports directors taking advantage of, and attending, director education programs whenever convenient and appropriate. Even with such assistance and in part as the result of the specialized nature of the Company’s businesses and the regulatory framework in which it operates, it is the Company’s view that some time is typically required for a new director to develop knowledge of the Company’s business. Reflecting this necessary personal development, each director is expected to serve two or more three-year terms on the Company’s classified Board, on several of its significant regulated operating companies’ boards, and on one or more Board Committees. Owing to the risk-taking nature of much of the Company’s business, a demonstrated long-term orientation in a Board member’s business dealings and thought processes is considered very important.

In 2025, the Board of Directors met four times, once each quarter. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the meetings of the Board and committees on which each served. The Company does not require its Board of Directors, other than the Chairman and the CEO, to attend the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders, as such meeting is conducted by the Chairman and the CEO, who are designated to represent the entire Board of Directors for the meeting.

Membership on the Company's Audit, Compensation, and Governance and Nominating Committees consists exclusively of independent directors. The members, chairs and vice-chairs (if any) of these Committees are recommended each year to the Board by the Governance and Nominating Committee in consultation with the Executive Committee. Each of these Committees has the authority and funding to retain independent advisors or counsel as necessary and appropriate in the fulfillment of its duties. Each chair sets the agenda of their respective Committee's meetings, consulting as necessary and appropriate with the Chairman of the Board. All directors have full and free access to the Company's senior management during scheduled meetings of the Board and its Committees.

The following table shows the membership of the Board of Directors and its Committees as of the date of this proxy statement. The total number of meetings include both virtual and telephonic meetings.

The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a written charter approved by the Board of Directors, performs an annual self-evaluation, and like all Board committees reports through its chair in making recommendations to the full Board. While information appearing on the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, the Committee’s charter may be viewed in the Governance section at www.oldrepublic.com. Printed copies are available to shareholders upon request.

The Audit Committee is organized to assist the Board in monitoring: (1) the integrity of the Company’s financial statements and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting, (2) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) the qualifications, performance, and independence of the registered public accounting firm, (4) the qualifications and performance of the Company’s internal audit function, (5) the Company’s data protection and cybersecurity risk exposure and the steps management has taken to assess the overall threat landscape and respond appropriately, including the strategy management implemented to mitigate the Company’s cybersecurity risk exposure, and (6) the Company’s practices and protocols for the use of artificial intelligence systems. Further, it is charged with preparing the annual report required by SEC rules to be included in the Company’s proxy statement, and serving as the audit committee of several of the Company’s significant regulated operating companies to the extent required by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Model Audit Rule. The Audit Committee has the sole authority to appoint, retain, compensate, evaluate, and terminate the Company’s independent auditors.

The Audit Committee held seven meetings during 2025 with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and management, including prior to the Company’s filing of each of its quarterly reports on SEC Form 10-Q and its annual report on SEC Form 10-K.

Each Audit Committee member has been affirmatively determined by the Board of Directors to qualify as “independent” in accordance with the NYSE’s Listed Company Standards and Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Exchange Act. Four members of the Committee are deemed to qualify as audit committee financial experts as that term is defined in SEC Regulation S-K. No member served on the audit committees of more than two other publicly held companies.

The Compensation Committee operates pursuant to a written charter approved by the Board of Directors, performs an annual self-evaluation and, like all Board committees, reports through its chair in making recommendations to the full Board. While information appearing on the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, the Committee’s charter may be viewed in the Governance section at www.oldrepublic.com. Printed copies are available to shareholders upon request.

The Compensation Committee is responsible for: (1) evaluating, at least annually, the CEO’s performance and setting the CEO’s compensation (“compensation” meaning annual salary, annual performance recognition awards, and equity-based awards), (2) annually reviewing and approving, with input from the CEO, the evaluation and compensation of the other executive officers and certain senior managers of the Company and its operating companies, (3) reviewing and advising on general levels of compensation of other

employees, (4) periodically reviewing the amount of compensation paid to the Company’s directors, including the components thereof, and making recommendations regarding director compensation to the Board, (5) periodically reviewing the stock ownership requirements applicable to directors and recommending any proposed changes to the Board, (6) reviewing the Company’s short-term and long-term incentive compensation plans, (7) serving as the Corporate Pension Committee as defined in the Old Republic International Employees Retirement Plan, the Administration Committee as defined in the ORI 401(k) Savings and Profit Sharing Plan (the “401(k) Plan”), and the Administrator of the Old Republic International Corporation Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan, (8) overseeing the Employee Benefit Management Advisory Group (the “EBMAG”), a management committee established by the Board to assist and advise the Compensation Committee pursuant to a charter delegating certain authority to the EBMAG with respect to the plans referred to in item (7) above, (9) preparing the annual report required by SEC rules to be included in the Company’s proxy statement, (10) retaining compensation consultants, independent legal counsel, or other advisers, (11) taking such other actions as may be necessary to perform its functions, and (12) reviewing Company policies and strategies pertaining to human capital management, including initiatives and programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Each Compensation Committee member has been affirmatively determined by the Board of Directors to qualify as “independent” in accordance with SEC rules and the NYSE’s Listed Company Standards. As required by the NYSE’s Listed Company Standards and Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act, the Compensation Committee considers factors relevant to independence and possible conflicts of interest when engaging consultants, counsels, or advisors. Inquiries into any possible conflicts of interest are made when such persons are retained and annually thereafter, if their services are continued.

As in recent prior years, in 2025, the Compensation Committee retained Fredrick W. Cook & Co., Inc. to review the Company's compensation programs and procedures applicable to the Company's executive officers and directors. The consultant was asked to provide a comparison of the compensation programs of companies similar in size, operation, and organization to the Company, including a review of a peer group of companies determined by the Compensation Committee to be appropriate for comparison. The consultant has not performed any other work for the Company or any of its operating companies. The consultant is considered independent according to Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”). All compensation recommendations are made solely by the Compensation Committee following consultation with the CEO regarding the Company’s executive officers (other than the CEO) and certain senior managers of the Company and its operating companies.

The Compensation Committee, at the direction of the Board, reviews the Company’s compensation policies and practices on at least an annual basis and has concluded that they do not encourage ORI’s executive officers or any other employees to take unnecessary or excessive risks to attain short-term results or that could adversely affect management of the Company for the long run.

The Executive Committee operates pursuant to a written charter approved by the Board of Directors and, like all Board committees, reports through its chair in making recommendations to the full Board. While not incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, the Committee’s charter may be viewed in the Governance section at www.oldrepublic.com. Printed copies are available to shareholders upon request.

Pursuant to its charter, the Executive Committee has the authority to address the matters and perform the functions listed below (and make the necessary recommendations to the entire Board or appropriate committee thereof): (1) acts as the Company’s finance

committee and reviews, approves, and recommends for approval by the full Board the Company’s investment policies, (2) reviews, approves, and recommends for approval by the full Board the Company’s dividend and capitalization policies, (3) monitors the Company’s enterprise risk management, (4) analyzes and approves and recommends for approval by the full Board potential acquisitions or divestitures by the Company or its operating companies, (5) annually reviews and evaluates management development and executive succession plans, (6) makes any necessary and appropriate recommendations to the Governance and Nominating Committee regarding Board and Committee membership, and (7) has established a subcommittee of independent directors to review and act upon any related party transaction as defined by the Listed Company Standards of the NYSE and SEC rules.

The Governance and Nominating Committee is organized to oversee the Company’s policies relative to the size, composition, and qualifications of the Board of Directors. The Committee operates pursuant to a written charter approved by the Board of Directors, performs an annual self-evaluation, and, like all Board committees, reports through its chair in making recommendations to the full Board. While not incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, the Committee’s charter may be viewed in the Governance section at www.oldrepublic.com. Printed copies are available to shareholders upon request.

The Governance and Nominating Committee is authorized to: (1) establish procedures and qualification criteria to identify and recommend qualified candidates for election to the Board, taking into consideration any recommendations from the Executive Committee, (2) review any director resignation letter tendered in accordance with the Company’s director resignation policy and evaluate and recommend to the Board whether such resignation should be accepted, (3) review annually the independence, qualifications, and requirements of the directors and the structure and performance of Board Committees, (4) develop, recommend, and annually reassess the Corporate Governance Guidelines applicable to the Company, (5) maintain and recommend changes to the Board-approved Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the Code of Ethics for the Principal Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officer, (6) serve in an advisory capacity to the Board and its Chairman on matters of the organizational and governance structure of the Company, and (7) review the Company’s policies and strategies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters that are critical to the Company’s long-term success, including the Company’s impact on the environment and the risk to the Company associated with climate change.

Each Governance and Nominating Committee member has been affirmatively determined by the Board of Directors to qualify as “independent” in accordance with SEC rules and the NYSE’s Listed Company Standards.

Director compensation is reviewed annually, and any changes are recommended by the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO and any independent consultant retained by the Compensation Committee for that purpose. The Compensation Committee’s recommendations are, in turn, voted upon by the full Board. In December 2024, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, the Board approved the following compensation structure for non-employee directors, effective January 1, 2025, and, in December 2025, the Board determined that the same structure would apply in 2026.

In August 2025, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that Directors should be eligible to participate in the Deferred Compensation Plan with respect to their cash compensation. The Board reviewed and approved the Compensation Committee’s recommendation, effective January 1, 2026. See the discussion under “Executive Compensation — Deferred Compensation Plan.”

Directors who are employees of the Company or its operating companies receive no compensation for their services as directors or committee members. Board members also serve as directors of several of the Company’s significant regulated operating companies, for which no additional compensation is paid. In addition, the Company and its operating companies either directly pay or reimburse directors for travel, lodging, and related expenses incurred in attending director or Committee meetings.

Independent directors may not receive any form of compensation from the Company other than compensation for services as a director in order to remain qualified as independent.

The following table lists the compensation paid to each director of the Company eligible to receive such fees in 2025. Mr. Smiddy, as CEO of the Company, has his compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table shown elsewhere in this proxy statement and does not receive compensation for his services as a director or committee member.

The following tables show with respect to (i) each person who is known to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Common Stock of the Company; (ii) the 401(k) Plan; (iii) each director of the Company (including nominees); (iv) the named executive officers listed in the Summary Compensation Table elsewhere in this proxy statement; and (v) all directors and executive officers, as a group: (a) the total number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned as of March 1, 2026, except as otherwise noted, and (b) the percent of the class of Common Stock so owned. Amounts shown are calculated in accordance with Rule 13d(3) of the Exchange Act. Unless otherwise described in the footnotes, the named entity or individual has sole voting and investment power over the shares reported in the table.

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Directors and executive officers are required to provide reasonable prior notice to the Company of any related party transaction, as defined by the Listed Company Standards of the NYSE and SEC rules. Such transactions or relationships shall be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Executive Committee composed of independent members: one from the Executive Committee, who serves as the Chair, and the chairs of the Audit, Compensation, and Governance and Nominating Committees. The current members of this subcommittee are Mr. LeRoy III (Chair), Mr. Bateman, Mr. McNitt, and Mr. Kennedy.

Under the procedures established by the subcommittee, a reasonable prior review of such related party transaction must be conducted to determine the appropriate action, if any, to take. If, based upon such prior reviews, the subcommittee concludes that such related party transaction is inconsistent with the interests of the Company and its shareholders, it shall prohibit it. Any director who is the subject of an existing or potential related party transaction will not participate in the decision-making process relating to such transaction. During 2025, there were no related party transactions.

Based on Company records and other information, the Company believes that all reports required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act were timely filed during the year ended December 31, 2025, except that a Form 4 for Mr. Dixon due January 31, 2025 relating to an equity grant made on January 29, 2025 was filed on February 11, 2025 due to an administrative matter relating to his EDGAR codes.

Shareholders of the Company and other interested parties may communicate with the Chairman, Lead Independent Director, the independent directors, the Board of Directors as a whole, or with any individual director. Such communications must be in writing and sent to Old Republic International Corporation, c/o Corporate Secretary, 307 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601. The Corporate Secretary will promptly forward such communications to the intended recipient.

Old Republic’s and several of its significant regulated operating companies’ Boards of Directors have been classified into three classes for many decades. This staggered board organization recognizes policyholders’ dependence on stability and reliability to meet obligations of financial indemnity over long periods of time. The Board currently has thirteen directors divided into Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. Two Class 3 directors are standing for re-election to hold office until the 2029 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders or until their successors duly elected and qualified.

Pursuant to its charter, the Governance and Nominating Committee evaluates and proposes to the Board of Directors new and continuing candidates for the Board and its Committees. The Committee identifies candidates through a variety of means, including professional search firms, recommendations from members of the board, suggestions from members of the Company’s management, and properly submitted nominations from shareholders (see “Director Candidate Recommendations” elsewhere in this proxy statement). The Committee has the sole authority to retain and terminate any search firm to be used to identify director candidates and approve the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.

Each of the two Class 3 directors up for election this year are current directors. These director nominees are:

Charles J. Kovaleski and Fredricka Taubitz are not slated for reelection at the end of their respective three-year terms expiring at this year’s Annual Meeting of the Shareholders. At that time, the size of the Board of Directors will be reduced from thirteen to eleven members, of whom ten are classified as independent. While the Company believes the current size of the Board is appropriate for the Company’s current needs, total membership may vary from time to time.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the Class 3 director nominees. Proxies solicited by the Board of Directors will be voted in favor of the election of these nominees unless shareholders specify to the contrary.

In considering the qualifications and independence of Board members and candidates, the Governance and Nominating Committee and full Board seek to identify individuals who, at a minimum:

In line with the governance features set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines (see Governance section at www.oldrepublic.com), Old Republic seeks to attract and has retained for many years Board members who possess certain critical personal characteristics, most importantly:

Old Republic places great value on Board members’ long-term, successful experience in businesses and professions that can add to its Mission and long-term strategy. A mix of short-, medium-, and long-tenured Board members balances fresh insights and perspectives with a knowledge-based, long-term perspective on the Company’s business that provides greater assurance of stability, continuity, and sustainability of the enterprise and its Mission.

The long-term orientation to board service notwithstanding, an individual will not be slated for election to the Board following his or her 75th birthday, unless such individual is subject to a review by the Governance and Nominating Committee. This review will consider an individual's willingness to serve and his or her ability to make an ongoing contribution to the Company's governance and operations. Pursuant to this policy, at its meeting to slate directors for 2026, the Governance and Nominating Committee evaluated the qualifications and long-term continuing contributions of Ms. Adachi as a director and recommended waiving the policy’s application to Ms. Adachi. The Board, with Ms. Adachi abstaining, unanimously approved the Governance and Nominating Committee’s recommendation and slated Ms. Adachi as an incumbent director for re-election at the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders.

In furtherance of the Board’s commitment to its oversight responsibilities related to cybersecurity risk and the Company’s practices and protocols for the use of artificial intelligence systems, the Board of Directors elected Therace M. Risch, a broadly experienced technology executive with domain expertise in technology transformation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence systems, as a director and member of the Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee, effective March 18, 2024. Further, Ms. Adachi and Mr. Kovaleski, both members of the Audit Committee, each completed the requirements for, and received, a CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute in January and August 2024, respectively.

While the Company does not have a formal policy governing diversity among directors or candidates, the Board recognizes the value of diversity of skills, experience, background, and perspective and endeavors to have a well-rounded Board, as reflected in the matrix below.

 

The nominees and continuing directors of the Company are listed below. Two Class 3 directors are to be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders for a term of three years and until their successors are elected and qualified. The nominees are current directors standing for re-election. It is intended that, in the absence of contrary specifications, votes will be cast pursuant to the enclosed proxies for the election of such nominees. Should any of the nominees become unable or unwilling to accept nomination or election, it is intended that, in the absence of contrary specifications, the proxies will be voted for the balance of those named and for a substitute nominee or nominees. However, the Company does not expect such an occurrence. All of the nominees have consented to be slated and to serve as directors if elected.

Given the reasons and background information cited next to each nominee’s and each continuing director’s name below, and as illustrated in the diversity and skills matrix above, the Board of Directors believes that each of the nominees and the other continuing directors are highly qualified to serve Old Republic’s shareholders and other stakeholders.