
2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan
PERFORMANCE Stock UNIT Award Agreement
THIS PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of [DATE] (the “Date of Grant”), is made by and between National Bank Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“NBHC”), and [PARTICIPANT NAME] (“Participant”). Capitalized terms used herein without definition have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the National Bank Holdings Corporation 2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as amended, restated or modified, the “Plan”).
WHEREAS, NBHC has adopted the Plan to provide officers, employees, directors, and consultants of NBHC and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates (collectively, the “Company”) an opportunity to participate in the Company’s future performance and align the interests of such officers, employees, directors, and consultants with those of the shareholders of the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it would be in the best interests of NBHC and its shareholders to grant Participant a number of performance vesting Restricted Stock Units on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants of the parties contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, for themselves, their successors and assigns, hereby agree as follows:
| (b) | Determination of Earned PSUs and Vesting and Settlement in Connection with a Change in Control. |
| (iii) | Replacement Award. If, in connection with a Change in Control, Participant is provided with a Replacement Award, such Replacement Award shall vest on the Vesting Date and be settled at the time provided in Section 2(a), subject to Participant having not incurred a Termination of Employment prior to the Vesting Date; provided that, if, within two years following such Change in Control, Participant incurs a Termination of Employment without Cause, due to Participant’s resignation with Good Reason (as defined in Section 7(b)), or due to Participant’s death or Disability, then the Replacement Award shall become fully vested effective as of the date Termination of Employment, and NBHC shall issue one Share to Participant for each Replacement Award as soon as reasonably |
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| practicable, and in no event more than 10 days, following the date of Termination of Employment. |
| 7. | Certain Definitions and Administration. |
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| (a) | Termination with Cause. Unless otherwise provided under the termination with “cause” provisions of an Individual Agreement, to invoke a termination with Cause, the Company must provide written notice to Participant of the existence of such grounds within 30 days following the Company’s knowledge of the existence of such grounds, specifying in reasonable detail the grounds constituting Cause, and, with respect to the grounds enumerated in clauses (A), (C), (D), and (E) in the definition of Cause in the Plan, Participant shall have 30 days following receipt of such written notice during which he or she may remedy the ground if such ground is reasonably subject to cure as determined by the Company. |
| (i) | a material diminution in Participant’s annual base salary from that in effect immediately prior to a Change in Control; or |
| (ii) | the assignment to Participant of any duties materially inconsistent with Participant’s positions (including status, offices, titles, and reporting requirements), authority, duties, or responsibilities, or any other action by the Company that results in a material diminution in such positions, authority, duties, or responsibilities, in each case, from those in effect immediately prior to a Change in Control; |
provided that, in each case, (A) Participant provides written notice to the Company of the existence of one or more of the conditions described in clauses (i) through (ii) within 30 days following Participant’s knowledge of the initial existence of such condition or conditions, specifying in reasonable detail the conditions constituting Good Reason; (B) the Company fails to cure such event or condition within 30 days following the receipt of such notice; and (C) Participant incurs a Termination of Employment within 30 days following the expiration of such cure period.
| (a) | If the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance of the Company as a result of Participant’s misconduct in connection with any financial reporting requirement under the federal securities laws, the Committee may require Participant to forfeit unvested the PSUs, and/or to reimburse the Company for all amounts received under this Agreement from the Company during the 12-month period following the first public issuance or filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (whichever first occurs) of the financial document embodying such financial reporting requirement, and any amounts received with respect to, or amounts realized upon the settlement of the PSUs or the subsequent sale of the Shares |
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| that were issued upon settlement of the PSUs or the cancellation of the PSUs during that 12-month period; |
| (b) | If the Committee shall determine that Participant has engaged in a serious breach of conduct, the Committee may require Participant to forfeit unvested PSUs, may terminate this Agreement and/or require Participant to repay any amounts realized upon the settlement of the PSUs or on the subsequent sale of the Shares that were issued upon settlement of the PSUs or the cancellation of the PSUs; and |
| (c) | If Participant is found guilty of misconduct by any judicial or administrative authority in connection with any (i) formal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission or (ii) other federal or state regulatory investigation, then the Committee may require Participant to forfeit unvested PSUs and/or may require the repayment of any amounts realized upon the settlement of the PSUs or on the subsequent sale of the Shares that were issued upon settlement of the PSUs or the cancellation of the PSUs without regard to the timing of the determination of misconduct in relation to the timing of the settlement or sale of the award. |
The foregoing provisions of this Section 8 shall cease to apply following a Change in Control, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
| (a) | Confidentiality of this Agreement. Participant agrees to keep confidential the terms of this Agreement, unless and until such terms have been disclosed publicly other than through a breach by Participant of this covenant. This provision does not prohibit Participant from providing this information on a confidential and privileged basis to Participant’s attorneys or accountants for purposes of obtaining legal or tax advice or as otherwise required by law. |
| (b) | Restrictive Covenants. To protect the Company’s Trade Secret Information (as defined in Annex B), the grant, vesting, and settlement of the PSUs pursuant to this Agreement shall be in partial consideration for, and subject to Participant’s continued compliance with, (i) any restrictive covenants set forth in an Individual Agreement or (ii) if there are no confidentiality and/or non-solicitation provisions in an Individual Agreement, the restrictive covenants as set forth in Annex B hereto. For the avoidance of doubt, if there are confidentiality and/or non-solicitation provisions in an Individual Agreement, the restrictive covenants in the Individual Agreement shall govern. |
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| (c) | Section 409A of the Code. It is intended that the Awards granted pursuant to this Agreement and the provisions of this Agreement be exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code, and all provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with Section 11(e) of the Plan and the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code. |
| (d) | Waiver and Amendment. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend any terms of, this Agreement and the PSUs granted hereunder; provided that any such waiver or amendment that would impair the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any PSUs heretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of Participant. No waiver of any right hereunder by any party shall operate as a waiver of any other right, or as a waiver of the same right with respect to any subsequent occasion for its exercise, or as a waiver of any right to damages. No waiver by any party of any breach of this Agreement shall be held to constitute a waiver of any other breach or a waiver of the continuation of the same breach. |
| (e) | Notices. All notices, demands and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing and shall be by registered or certified first-class mail, return receipt requested, facsimile, courier service or personal delivery: |
if to the Company to:
National Bank Holdings Corporation
7800 East Orchard Road, Suite 300
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Facsimile: (855)576-3479
Attention: General Counsel
if to Participant: at the address last on the records of the Company.
All such notices, demands and other communications shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) when delivered by hand, if personally delivered; (ii) when delivered by courier, if delivered by commercial courier service; (iii) five business days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; and (iv) when receipt is mechanically acknowledged, if by facsimile.
| (f) | Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, and each other provision of this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law. |
| (g) | No Rights to Service. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Participant any right to be retained, in any position, as an employee, consultant, or director of the Company or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the right of the Company, which is hereby expressly reserved, to remove, terminate, or discharge Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever. |
| (h) | Beneficiary. Participant may file with NBHC a written designation of a beneficiary on such form as may be prescribed by the Committee and may, from time to time, change |
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| or revoke such designation by filing a new designation with NBHC. The last such designation received by NBHC shall be controlling; provided, however, that no designation, or change or revocation thereof, shall be effective unless received by NBHC prior to Participant’s death, and in no event shall it be effective as of a date prior to such receipt. If no beneficiary designation is filed by Participant, the beneficiary shall be deemed to be his or her spouse or, if Participant is unmarried at the time of death, his or her estate. |
| (i) | Successors. The terms of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, its successors and assigns, and of Participant and the beneficiaries, executors, administrators, heirs and successors of Participant. |
| (j) | Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter contained herein and supersede all prior communications, representations and negotiations with respect thereto. |
| (k) | Bound by the Plan. By signing this Agreement, Participant acknowledges that he or she has received a copy of the Plan and has had an opportunity to review the Plan and agrees to be bound by all the terms and provisions of the Plan. |
| (l) | Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Colorado without regard to principles of conflicts of law thereof, or principles of conflicts of laws of any other jurisdiction that could cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Colorado. |
| (m) | Headings. The headings of the Sections of this Agreement are provided for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction, and shall not constitute a part, of this Agreement. |
| (n) | Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. |
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
NATIONAL BANK HOLDINGS CORPORATION

By: ____________________________________
Name: Angela Petrucci
Title: Chief Administrative Officer

By: ____________________________________
Name: Emily Gooden
Title: Chief Accounting Officer
PARTICIPANT
[[SIGNATURE]]
_______________________________________
[[FIRSTNAME]] [[MIDDLENAME]] [[LASTNAME]]
[Signature Page to PSU Award Agreement]
Annex A
Performance Metrics
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings ascribed thereto below:
“Adjusted Relative ROTA Factor” shall mean (a) if NBHC’s ROTA for any calendar year during the Measurement Period is less than zero, then the lesser of (i) the Relative ROTA Factor and (ii) 1.000; and (b) if NBHC’s ROTA for each calendar year during the Measurement Period is equal to or greater than zero, then the Relative ROTA Factor.
“Adjusted Relative TSR Factor” shall mean (a) if NBHC’s TSR for the Measurement Period is less than zero, then the lesser of (i) the Relative TSR Factor and (ii) 1.000; and (b) if NBHC’s TSR for the Measurement Period is equal to or greater than zero, then the Relative TSR Factor.
“Cumulative Adjusted EPS” shall mean NBHC’s cumulative earnings per share for each of the fiscal years during the Performance Period, as reported in NBHC’s audited financial statements in NBHC’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”), as adjusted to eliminate the effects of the following: (a) changes in law or accounting principles, (b) one-time effects of mergers and acquisitions, (c) gains or losses on the extinguishment of debt or the sale of investment securities, (d) restructuring charges, and (e) other extraordinary items that the Committee deems appropriate.
“EPS Earned PSUs” shall mean the product of (a) the EPS Target Number multiplied by (b) the EPS Factor (such product shall be rounded to the nearest whole number).
“EPS Factor” shall mean the factor determined and certified by the Committee based on Cumulative EPS for the Measurement Period as follows:
Cumulative EPS for the Measurement Period | EPS Factor |
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Linear interpolation shall be used between the applicable Cumulative EPS targets set forth above. In no event will the EPS Factor exceed [ ].
“GAAP” shall mean the generally accepted accounting principles in effect from time to time in the United States, applied on a consistent basis.
“Measurement Period” shall mean the period commencing on [DATE] and ending on [DATE].
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“Relative ROTA” shall mean the percentile ranking of NBHC’s ROTA among the ROTAs for the companies included in the S&P 600 Regional Bank Group for each respective calendar year of the Measurement Period, calculated by determining the quotient of (a) the sum of each of NBHC’s ROTA percentile rankings at the end of each calendar year during the Measurement Period divided by (b) three (3). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change of Control prior to the final determination of Relative ROTA for the Measurement Period, the determination of Relative ROTA will be made by the Committee as contemplated by Section 2(b)(i) based on information that is publicly available with respect to the portion of the Measurement Period completed (including calendar quarters, if practicable) prior to the Change in Control and as of the date of the Committee’s determination, and the Measurement Period shall end.
“Relative ROTA Factor” shall mean the factor determined and certified by the Committee based on Relative ROTA for the Measurement Period as follows:
Relative ROTA for the Measurement Period (%ile) | Relative ROTA Factor |
Less than [ ] percentile……………………………………………………………. | |
Equal to [ ] percentile……………………………………………………………. | |
Equal to [ ] percentile……………………………………………………………. | |
Greater than [ ] percentile……………………………………………………………. | |
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Linear interpolation shall be used between the applicable Relative ROTA targets set forth above. In no event will the Relative ROTA Factor exceed [ ].
“Relative TSR” shall mean the percentile ranking of NBHC’s TSR among the TSRs for the companies included in the S&P 600 Regional Bank Group as of the first day of the Measurement Period; provided that any company that is not continuously included in the S&P 600 Regional Bank Group during the Measurement Period shall be excluded from the determination of Relative TSR. The only exception shall be if a company included in the S&P 600 Regional Bank Group as of the first day of the Measurement Period files for bankruptcy or is placed into receivership, they shall remain included in the determination of Relative TSR, with a TSR of
-100%.
“Relative TSR Factor” shall mean the factor determined and certified by the Committee based on Relative TSR for the Measurement Period as follows:
Relative TSR for the Measurement Period (%ile) | Relative TSR Payment Factor |
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Linear interpolation shall be used between the applicable Relative TSR targets set forth above. In no event will the Relative TSR Factor exceed [ ].
“ROTA” shall mean a company’s return on tangible assets and shall mean, as of any date, a company’s ratio of (i) consolidated net income plus intangible amortization expense (net of taxes using the marginal federal tax rate in effect at the time of calculation) for the four completed calendar quarters for the relevant calendar year (including the calendar quarter ending December 31 of such year) to (ii) the average assets of the company, excluding all assets that would be classified as intangible assets (such as goodwill) on the company’s consolidated balance sheet, averaged for the four completed calendar quarters for the relevant calendar year (including the calendar quarter ending December 31 of such year). ROTA shall be calculated utilizing the data (including the applicable tax rate) provided through the SNL Financial Database (or its qualified successor) for all companies in the S&P 600 Regional Bank Group for the applicable calendar year of the Measurement Period (the “Peer Group”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee shall have the discretion to adjust net income for one-time expenses such as (a) changes in law or accounting principles (b) one-time effects of mergers and acquisitions, (d) restructuring charges, and (e) other extraordinary items that the Committee deems appropriate and each as reported in the public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and each as compared to the companies in the relevant Peer Group, as applicable.
“TSR” shall mean, with respect to a particular company, total shareholder return for such company over the Measurement Period, calculated using the average closing stock price for the 20 trading days prior to and including [DATE] and the average closing stock price for the 20 trading days prior to and including [DATE], assuming dividends are reinvested in such company’s common stock on the ex-dividend date.
“TSR Earned PSUs” shall mean the product of (a) the TSR Target Number multiplied by (b) the Adjusted Relative TSR Factor (such product shall be rounded to the nearest whole number).
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Annex B
Restrictive Covenants
Notwithstanding the above confidentiality provisions, nothing in this Agreement, in any other agreement, or in the Company’s policies should be interpreted as prohibiting Participant from disclosing any alleged discriminatory or unfair employment practice, or (1) reporting possible violations of federal law or regulations, including any securities laws violations, to any governmental agency or entity, including but not limited to the Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, the U.S. Congress, or any agency Inspector General; (2) making any other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulations; or (3) otherwise fully participating in any federal whistleblower programs.
Please refer to the Associate Handbook applicable to Participant, a copy of which is available upon request, regarding Participant’s rights related to the disclosure of the Company’s trade secrets.
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EXHIBIT A
THREE-YEAR PERFORMANCE AWARD
PSUs SUBJECT TO EPS AND TSR METRIC
The three-year performance award is an award of performance-stock units (PSUs), a portion of which vests upon the attainment of a three-year cumulative earnings per share (EPS) factor, a portion of which vests upon the attainment of a three-year return on tangible assets (ROTA) factor, and a portion of which vests upon the attainment of a three-year relative total shareholder return (TSR) factor, as further detailed in the Performance Stock Unit Master Award Agreement dated April 1, 2024 (the “Agreement”). The PSUs for the EPS Factor, ROTA Factor, and TSR Factor are recognized as three separate grant amounts that are subject to the same Agreement. By signing and accepting both the Agreement and this Exhibit A, you are acknowledging your acceptance of the terms of the Agreement and the PSUs associated with the EPS, ROTA, TSR Factor.
Target Number of PSUs (EPS Factor) received:[______]
Target Number of PSUs (ROTA Factor) received:[______]
Target Number of PSUs (TSR Factor) received:[______]
Accepted and Acknowledged:
PARTICIPANT
_________________________________________
[Participant Name]