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VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY, INC.

63 LANCASTER AVENUE

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA 19355

April 1, 2016

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., to be held at 9:30 a.m., local time, on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. World Headquarters, 63 Lancaster Ave., Malvern, PA 19355. The Board of Directors looks forward to greeting you personally at the annual meeting.

During the annual meeting, we will discuss each item of business described in the attached Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and proxy statement and provide a report on Vishay's business operations.  We will provide time for questions.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our appreciation for your continued interest in the affairs of Vishay.  We hope you will be able to attend the annual meeting.  Whether or not you expect to attend the annual meeting, and regardless of the number of shares you own, it is important that your shares are represented and voted at the annual meeting.  Therefore, you are encouraged to sign, date, and return the enclosed proxy card in the return envelope provided so that your shares will be represented and voted at the annual meeting.

Sincerely,

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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the

Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be Held May 24, 2016.

The following materials, also included with this Notice, are available for viewing on

the Internet:

Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

2015 Annual Report to Stockholders

To view these materials, visit ir.vishay.com.

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VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY, INC.

63 LANCASTER AVENUE

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA 19355

NOTICE OF 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016

The 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. will be held at Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. World Headquarters, 63 Lancaster Ave., Malvern, PA 19355, on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 9:30 a.m., local time.  The meeting will be held to consider and act upon:

1.	the election of four directors to hold office until 2019;

2.	the ratification of our independent registered public accounting firm; and

3.	such other business as may be brought properly before the meeting.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote "FOR ALL" nominees and "FOR" proposal two.

The stockholders of record at the close of business on March 28, 2016 will be entitled to vote at the annual meeting or at any adjournment thereof.  Whether or not you expect to attend the meeting in person, please complete, date, and sign the enclosed proxy card and return it without delay in the enclosed envelope which requires no additional postage if mailed in the United States.

If you are enrolled in our electronic proxy materials delivery service and received these proxy materials via the Internet, you will need to follow the procedures for online voting to vote your shares.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Malvern, Pennsylvania

April 1, 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY, INC.

63 LANCASTER AVENUE

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA 19355

SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire proxy statement carefully before voting.

Meeting Information

 

Meeting Agenda

The meeting will be held to consider and act upon:

•	The election of four directors to hold office until 2019;

•	The ratification of Ernst & Young as our independent registered public accounting firm; and

•	Such other business as may be brought properly before the meeting.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote:

•	FOR the election of four directors to hold office until 2019 (see Proposal One); and

•	FOR the ratification of Ernst & Young as our independent registered public accounting firm (see Proposal Two).

Nominees for Directors

The total number of shares of our common stock and Class B common stock outstanding was 135,564,729 and 12,129,227, respectively, at March 28, 2016. Ruta Zandman controls, solely or on a shared basis with Marc Zandman and Ziv Shoshani, approximately 42.3% of the total voting power of our capital stock; Marc Zandman controls, solely or on a shared basis with Ruta Zandman and Ziv Shoshani, approximately 33.6% of the total voting power of our capital stock; and Ziv Shoshani controls, solely or on a shared basis with Ruta Zandman and Marc Zandman, approximately 33.6% of the total voting power of our capital stock.  While holders of our common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on most matters, including the election of directors, all of our current directors received a majority of the votes cast by holders of common stock who are unaffiliated with the current Class B stockholders when they last stood for election at an annual meeting of stockholders.

 

The nominees for election as Class I Directors for terms of three years, expiring at the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, are summarized as follows:

 

Name	Age	Director since
Dr. Gerald Paul Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director	67	1993
Frank Dieter Maier Former Managing Director of TEMIC GmbH	78	2010
Timothy V. Talbert Senior Vice President of Credit and Originations Lease Corporation of America ("LCA") President of LCA Bank Corporation	69	2013
Thomas C. Wertheimer Former senior audit partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP	75	2004

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the election of four directors to hold office until 2019 (see Proposal One).

Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has determined to reappoint the public accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP as independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2016, as well as to audit the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.  Although stockholder approval for the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP is not required, we are continuing our practice of submitting the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm to stockholders for their ratification.  The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the ratification of Ernst & Young as our independent registered public accounting firm (see Proposal Two).

________________

PROXY STATEMENT

________________

The accompanying proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. for use at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Vishay to be held at Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. World Headquarters, 63 Lancaster Ave., Malvern, PA 19355 on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 9:30 a.m., local time, or any adjournments thereof.

We are first sending the proxy materials to stockholders on or about April 1, 2016.

ABOUT THE MEETING

Why did I receive these materials?

We hold a meeting of stockholders annually.  This year's meeting will be held on May 24, 2016.  There will be several items of business that must be voted on by our stockholders at the meeting, and our Board of Directors (which throughout this proxy statement we refer to as the "Board") is seeking your proxy to vote on these items.  This proxy statement contains important information about Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. and the matters that will be voted on at the meeting.  Please read these materials carefully so that you have the information you need to make informed decisions.  Throughout this proxy statement, we will refer to ourselves as "Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.," "Vishay," "we," "our," or the "Company."

What is a proxy?

A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the shares of stock that you own. The person you designate to vote your shares is also called a proxy.  When you submit a proxy, the people named on the proxy card are required to vote your shares at the annual meeting in the manner you have instructed.

What is the record date and why is it important?

The record date is the date used by our Board of Directors to determine which stockholders are entitled to receive notice of, and vote on the items presented at, the annual meeting. Our Board established March 28, 2016 as the record date for the 2016 annual meeting.

What is the difference between "Stockholders of Record" and "Beneficial Owners"?

If your shares are registered directly in your name with Vishay's transfer agent, you are considered, with respect to those shares, the "Stockholder of Record." The proxy statement, annual report and proxy card have been sent directly to you by Vishay.

If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the "Beneficial Owner" of shares held in street name. This proxy statement and annual report have been forwarded to you by your broker, bank, or nominee who is considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank, or nominee how to vote your shares by using the voting instruction card included in the mailing or by following their instructions for voting.

Who can attend the meeting?

All stockholders as of the record date, or their duly appointed proxies, are invited to attend the meeting.

What proposals will I be voting on and how does the Board of Directors recommend I vote?

The Board of Directors' recommendations are set forth together with the description of each proposal in this proxy statement.  In summary, the Board of Directors recommends a vote:

•	FOR the election of four directors to hold office for terms of three years (see Proposal One); and

•	FOR the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Vishay's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2016 (see Proposal Two).

Does Vishay have more than one class of stock outstanding?

We have two classes of stock outstanding, common stock and Class B common stock.  On the record date, there were 135,564,729 shares of common stock and 12,129,227 shares of Class B common stock outstanding and entitled to vote.

 

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What are the voting rights of each class of stock?

Each share of common stock will be entitled to one vote and each share of Class B common stock will be entitled to 10 votes with respect to each matter to be voted on at the annual meeting.

A list of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting will be available for examination by Vishay's stockholders during ordinary business hours for a period of ten days prior to the annual meeting at the Company's headquarters, 63 Lancaster Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355. A stockholder list will also be available for examination at the annual meeting.

What constitutes a quorum?

A quorum is the minimum number of votes required to be present at the annual meeting to conduct business.  As set forth in Vishay's by-laws, the holders of a majority of the votes represented by the outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class, present in person or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the annual meeting.

How are abstentions and broker non-votes considered?

Shares represented by proxies that are properly marked "ABSTAIN" will be counted for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at the annual meeting.  Abstentions are not regarded as voted shares and will have no effect on the election of directors under Proposal One or on the vote with respect to Proposal Two.

Brokers holding shares for beneficial owners in street name must vote those shares according to specific instructions they receive from the beneficial owners.  If instructions are not received, brokers may only vote the shares, in their discretion, on matters for which they are not precluded from exercising their discretion by the rules of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE").  Under the NYSE rules, a broker is permitted to vote shares on routine matters, which include ratifying the appointment of independent auditors but do not include the election of directors.  Accordingly, brokers may vote in their discretion only on Proposal Two.

A broker "non-vote" occurs when a broker holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the broker does not have discretionary voting power with respect to that item and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner.  Broker non-votes will be counted in determining whether there is a quorum at the annual meeting but will not be regarded as voted shares.   Because the Company has a plurality voting standard for the election of directors, and because the other proposal will be determined by a majority of votes cast, broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on any of the proposals.

What vote is required to approve each proposal?

Assuming a quorum is present, the vote required and method of calculation for the proposals to be considered at the annual meeting are as follows:

•

Proposal One.  The election of four directors to hold office for terms of three years or until their successors are duly elected and qualified requires a plurality of the votes of the shares of common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class, present in person or represented by proxy and voted on the election of directors.

•

Proposal Two. The ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Vishay's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2016 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes of the shares of common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class, present in person or represented by proxy and voted on the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

Who paid to send me the proxy materials?

The cost of solicitation of proxies will be borne by Vishay.  The Board of Directors may use the services of Vishay's directors, officers and other regular employees to solicit proxies personally or by telephone. Arrangements will be made with brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to forward solicitation material to the beneficial owners of the shares held of record by such fiduciaries, and Vishay will reimburse them for the reasonable expenses incurred by them in so doing.

Vishay is required to make these materials available to you.  SEC rules require that we mail a notice to our stockholders advising that our proxy statement, annual report to stockholders, electronic proxy card, and related materials are available for viewing, free of charge, on the Internet. Stockholders may then access these materials and vote over the Internet or request delivery of a full set of materials by mail or email. We have elected to utilize this process for the 2016 annual meeting. We intend to begin mailing the required notice, called Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, to stockholders on or about April 1, 2016. The proxy materials will be posted on the Internet, at ir.Vishay.com, no later than the day we begin mailing the Notice.

These rules give us the opportunity to serve you more efficiently by making the proxy materials available quickly online and reducing costs associated with printing and postage.  If you receive a Notice, you will not receive a paper or electronic copy of the proxy materials unless you request one, using the procedure described in the Notice and on Vishay's investor relations website. You may also elect to receive the Notice for future meetings electronically, which will save Vishay printing and mailing costs, by registering for this program at www.icsdelivery.com/vsh or by contacting your broker.

How do I vote my shares? Can I vote electronically?

If you are a holder of record of our common stock as of the record date, there are four ways to vote:

•	If you elected to receive hardcopy proxy materials, please complete, date, and sign the proxy card included in the materials sent to you and return it without delay in the provided envelope, which requires no additional postage if mailed in the United States.

•	If you are enrolled in our electronic proxy materials delivery service and received these proxy materials via the Internet, you will need to follow the procedures for online voting in order to vote your shares.

•	You can vote using a touch-tone telephone by calling 1-800-690-6903, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and following the instructions on your proxy card.

•	You may also vote by written ballot at the annual meeting.

The shares represented by your proxy will be voted as directed with respect to each of the proposals set forth in the proxy statement, OR, if no direction is indicated, at the recommendations of the Board of Directors.

 

You may either vote "FOR ALL" or "WITHHOLD" your vote for the election of the nominees as directors under Proposal One, or you may vote for only some of the nominees. You may vote "FOR," "AGAINST" or "ABSTAIN" on Proposal Two.

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, we strongly encourage you to vote by proxy prior to the meeting.

If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you must follow the instructions provided by your broker, bank, or nominee on how to vote your proxy.

Can I change my vote after I return my proxy card?

Yes.  You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted at the annual meeting. In order to revoke your proxy, you may either:

•

sign and timely return another proxy card bearing a later date;

•

provide written notice of the revocation to Vishay's Corporate Secretary; or

If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you must follow the instructions provided by your broker, bank, or nominee on how to revoke your proxy.

 

What will happen if I provide my proxy but do not vote on a proposal?

You should provide voting instructions for all proposals appearing on the proxy card. The persons named as proxies on the proxy card will vote your shares according to your instructions. However, if you fail to provide instructions on how you want your shares to be voted, properly signed and dated proxies will be voted in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Directors.

What will happen if I do not provide my proxy?

If you are a stockholder of record, your shares will not be voted.

If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in street name, your broker, bank, or other holder of record might be authorized to vote your shares on certain routine matters. The NYSE considers the ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm to be a routine matter.  On routine matters, your broker or nominee can vote your street name shares even though you have not provided voting instructions, or chose not to vote your shares on those matters.

Who will verify the election results?

Vishay will appoint an inspector who will ascertain the number of shares outstanding and the voting powers of each, determine the shares represented at the annual meeting and the validity of the proxies and ballots, count all votes and ballots, determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determinations by such inspector, and certify a determination of the number of shares represented at the annual meeting and his count of all votes and ballots.

Are there any stockholders who own more than 5% of Vishay's shares or voting power?

Ruta Zandman controls, solely or on a shared basis with Marc Zandman and Ziv Shoshani, approximately 42.3% of the total voting power of our capital stock; Marc Zandman controls, solely or on a shared basis with Ruta Zandman and Ziv Shoshani, approximately 33.6% of the total voting power of our capital stock; and Ziv Shoshani controls, solely or on a shared basis with Ruta Zandman and Marc Zandman, approximately 33.6% of the total voting power of our capital stock.  They intend to vote FOR ALL nominees and FOR Proposal Two.

 

According to filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), BlackRock, Inc.; The Vanguard Group; Dimensional Fund Advisors LP; Royce & Associates, LLC; LSV Asset Management; AllianceBernstein L.P.; and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC each own greater than 5% of Vishay's outstanding common stock.  Additionally, Deborah Larkin, a private stockholder, owns greater than 5% of our Class B common stock.  See "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" for more information.  BlackRock, Inc.; The Vanguard Group; Dimensional Fund Advisors LP; Royce & Associates, LLC; LSV Asset Management; AllianceBernstein L.P.; Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC; and Ms. Larkin have not indicated their intentions to Vishay regarding matters to be voted on at the annual meeting.

 

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GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

What is corporate governance?

Corporate governance is the process by which companies govern themselves.

At Vishay, day-to-day business activities are carried out by our employees under the direction and supervision of our Chief Executive Officer ("CEO").  The Board of Directors oversees these activities. In doing so, each director is required to use his or her business judgment in the best interests of Vishay and its stockholders. The Board's primary responsibilities include:

•	Review of Vishay's performance, strategies, and major decisions;

•	Oversight of Vishay's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the integrity of its financial statements;

•	Oversight of management, including review of the CEO's performance and succession planning for key management roles;

•	Oversight of risk management; and

•	Oversight of compensation for the CEO, key executives and the Board, as well as oversight of compensation policies and programs for all employees.

Additional description of the Board's responsibilities is included in our Corporate Governance Principles, which is available to stockholders on our website and in print upon request, as described below.

Where can I find more information about the corporate governance practices of Vishay?

Various corporate governance related documents are available on our website.  These include:

•	Corporate Governance Principles

•	Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

•	Code of Ethics Applicable to the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer or Controller and Financial Managers

•	Audit Committee Charter

•	Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter

•	Compensation Committee Charter

•	Policy on Director Attendance at Annual Meetings

•	Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Policy Regarding Qualification of Directors

•	Procedures for Securityholders' Submissions of Nominating Recommendations

•	Securityholder Communications with Directors and Interested Party Communication with Independent Directors

•	Whistleblower and Ethics Hotline Procedures

•	Related Party Transaction Policy

To view these documents, access ir.Vishay.com and click on "Corporate Governance."  Any of these documents can be obtained in print by any stockholder upon written request to Vishay's investor relations department.

We intend to post any amendments to or any waivers from, a provision of our Code of Ethics Applicable to the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer or Controller and Financial Managers on our website.

 

What is the composition of our Board of Directors?

Vishay has a staggered Board of Directors divided into three classes.  The number of directors is fixed by the Board of Directors, subject to a minimum of three and a maximum of fifteen directors as provided in the Company's charter documents.  Upon the passing of Wayne Rogers in December 2015, the Board evaluated the size of the Board.  Following the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board determined to reduce the size of the Board to nine members.  As described in Proposal One, four directors are nominated for election as Class I directors for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2019.  Biographical information on each of the current and nominated directors is included in Proposal One.

How does the Board determine which directors are considered independent?

The Board has adopted a formal set of director qualification standards used to determine director independence which meet the independence requirements of the NYSE corporate governance listing standards.   The Board has determined that, to be considered independent, a director may not have a direct or indirect material relationship with the Company other than as a director.  A material relationship is one which impairs or inhibits, or has the potential to impair or inhibit, a director's exercise of critical and disinterested judgment on behalf of the Company and its stockholders.  The materiality standard applied by the Board includes, but is not limited to, the disqualifying relationships set forth in the governance listing standards of the NYSE.  The standards specify the criteria for determining director independence, including strict guidelines for directors and their immediate families regarding employment or affiliation with us or our independent registered public accounting firm.  The standards also prohibit the Audit Committee members from having any direct or indirect financial relationship with us.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, with the help of counsel, has reviewed the applicable legal standards for Board and committee member independence, the Company's standards of independence and applied the criteria to determine "audit committee financial expert status". The Committee has also reviewed a summary of the answers to annual questionnaires completed by each director.  On the basis of this review the Committee has communicated its findings to the full Board and the Board has affirmatively concluded that Frank Dieter Maier, Dr. Abraham Ludomirski, Ronald Ruzic, Timothy Talbert, and Thomas Wertheimer qualify as independent directors.  Each of the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and the Compensation Committee of the Board is composed entirely of independent directors.

 

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How often did the Board meet during 2015?

The Board of Directors met five times during the year ended December 31, 2015.  Regularly scheduled executive sessions of the Board's independent directors were also held.  In 2015, each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board of Directors and any Committee on which such director served.  Vishay's policy on director attendance at annual meetings of stockholders may be found on our website at ir.Vishay.com.  All of our directors attended the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders.  Mr. Zandman attended telephonically.

What is the role of the Board's Committees and what is their composition?

The Board of Directors maintains an Executive Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, an Audit Committee, and a Compensation Committee.  Each committee is described below.  Copies of all Committee charters are available on our website and in print upon request.

Executive Committee - The Executive Committee is authorized to exercise all functions of the Board of Directors in the intervals between meetings of the Board to the extent delegated by the Board and as permitted by Delaware law.  The current chairman of the Committee is Mr. Zandman.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee - The functions of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include identifying individuals qualified to become members of the Board; selecting or recommending that the Board of Directors select the director nominees for the next annual meeting of stockholders; developing and recommending to the Board a set of corporate governance principles for Vishay; overseeing the evaluation of the Board and the management of Vishay; administering Vishay's Related Party Transactions Policy; and performing other related functions specified in the Committee's charter.  The current chairman of the Committee is Dr. Abraham Ludomirski.

Audit Committee - The functions of the Audit Committee include overseeing Vishay's accounting and financial reporting processes; overseeing the audits of our consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting; assisting the Board in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independence and qualifications of our independent registered public accounting firm, and the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; and performing other related functions specified in the Committee's charter. The Audit Committee consists of three non-management directors, each of whom satisfies the independence requirements of the rules of the SEC and the governance listing requirements of the NYSE.  All of the members of the Committee also satisfy the financial literacy requirements of the NYSE and Mr. Thomas Wertheimer, the chairman of the Committee, qualifies as an Audit Committee financial expert under the rules of the SEC.

Compensation Committee - The functions of the Compensation Committee include evaluating the performance of the Chief Executive Officer; establishing and approving all compensation for our Named Executive Officers; making recommendations to the Board with respect to compensation of non-management directors; making recommendations to the Board with respect to, and administering, our incentive compensation plans and equity based compensation plans; and performing other related functions specified in the Committee's charter.  The Compensation Committee is authorized, within the limits of the 2007 Program of Vishay, to determine the individuals who are to receive grants, including stock, stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units ("RSUs"), and the vesting requirements with respect to those grants, and to administer and interpret the plan.  Mr. Wayne Rogers served as the chairman of this Committee prior to his death on December 31, 2015.  Mr. Timothy Talbert, an independent director of our Board, was appointed to replace Mr. Rogers on the Committee and as chairman, effective February 16, 2016.  Also see "Executive Compensation."

 

The chairman of the Compensation Committee presides at the executive sessions of the Board's independent directors.

 

The following table summarizes the composition of these Committees as of March 28, 2016 (C-Chairman, M-Member):

 

(1)	The Executive Committee meets informally throughout the year to discuss various business issues. Informal meetings are not included in the number of meetings disclosed above.

(2)	Mr. Rogers served as chairman of the Compensation Committee prior to his passing on December 31, 2015.  Mr. Talbert became chairman effective February 16, 2016.

What is the Board's role in risk oversight?

Management continually monitors the material risks facing the Company, including financial risk, strategic risk, operational risk, and legal and compliance risk. The Board of Directors is responsible for exercising oversight of management's identification and management of, and planning for, those risks. Although the Board is ultimately responsible for risk oversight at the Company, the Board has delegated to certain Committees oversight responsibility for those risks that are directly related to their area of focus.

•	The Audit Committee reviews our policies and guidelines with respect to risk assessment and risk management, including our major financial risk exposures, and oversees the steps management has taken to monitor and control those exposures.

•	The Compensation Committee considers risk issues when establishing and administering our compensation programs for executive officers and other key personnel.

•	The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees corporate governance risks, including matters relating to the composition and organization of the Board and recommends to the Board how its effectiveness can be improved by changes in its composition and organization.

Each of these Committees routinely reports to the Board on the management of these specific risk areas. To permit the Board and its Committees to perform their respective risk oversight roles, individual members of management who supervise the Company's risk management report directly to the Board or the relevant Committee of the Board responsible for overseeing the management of specific risks, as applicable.

The Board believes that full and open communication between management and the Board is essential for effective risk management and oversight. Members of the Company's senior management regularly attend Board and Committee meetings and are available to address any questions or concerns raised on matters related to risk management. The Board and its Committees exercise their risk oversight function by carefully evaluating the reports they receive from management and by making inquiries of management with respect to areas of particular interest to the Board.

How does the Board select nominees for the Board?

In selecting candidates for nomination at the annual meeting of our stockholders, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee begins by determining whether the incumbent directors whose terms expire at the meeting desire and are qualified to continue their service on the Board. We are of the view that the repeated service of qualified incumbents promotes stability and continuity in the boardroom, giving us the benefit of the familiarity and insight into our affairs that our directors have accumulated during their tenure and contributing to the Board's ability to work as a collective body.  Accordingly, it is the policy of the Committee, absent special circumstances, to nominate qualified incumbent directors who continue to satisfy the Committee's criteria for membership on the Board, who the Committee believes will continue to make important contributions to the Board, and who consent to stand for re-election and, if re-elected, to continue their service on the Board.  If there are Board positions for which the Committee will not be re-nominating a qualified incumbent, the Committee will solicit recommendations for nominees from persons who the Committee believes are likely to be familiar with qualified candidates, including members of the Board and senior management.

The Committee may also engage an independent search firm to assist in identifying qualified candidates.  Where such a search firm is engaged, the Committee will set the fees and scope of engagement.  The Committee will review and evaluate each candidate who it believes merits serious consideration, taking into account all available information concerning the candidate, the qualifications for Board membership established by the Committee, the existing composition and mix of talent and expertise on the Board and other factors that it deems relevant.  In conducting its review and evaluation, the Committee may solicit the views of management and other members of the Board and may, if deemed helpful, conduct interviews of proposed candidates.  The Committee will evaluate candidates recommended by stockholders in the same manner as candidates recommended by other persons, except that the Committee may consider, as one of the factors in its evaluation of stockholder recommended candidates, the size and duration of the interest of the recommending stockholder or stockholder group in the equity of Vishay and whether the stockholders or stockholder group intend to continue holding its interest through the annual meeting date.

What qualifications must a director have?

Candidates for nomination to our Board are selected by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in accordance with the Committee's charter, our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, our Bylaws and our Corporate Governance Principles.  Under a policy formulated by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, we require that all candidates for director (including the continued service of existing members) be persons of integrity and sound ethical character; be able to represent all stockholders fairly; have no interests that materially conflict with those of Vishay and its stockholders; have demonstrated professional achievement; have meaningful management, advisory or policy making experience; have a general appreciation of the major business issues facing the Company; and have adequate time to devote to serve on the Board of Directors. When considering nominees, the Committee may also consider whether the candidate possesses the qualifications, experience and skills it considers appropriate in the context of the Board's overall composition and needs.  A limited exception to some of these requirements, other than the requirements of integrity and ethics and the absence of material conflict, may be made for a holder of substantial voting power.  Additionally, directors may not stand for re-election after the age of 75 unless the Board makes an affirmative determination that, because of the importance and value of the continued service of a director, the retirement policy should be waived, and in no event may a director stand for re-election after the age of 85.  This policy does not apply to any person who controls more than 20% of the voting power of the Company. We also require that a majority of directors be independent; at least three of the directors have the financial literacy necessary for service on the Audit Committee and at least one of these directors qualifies as an Audit Committee financial expert; at least some of the independent directors have served as senior executives of public or substantial private companies; and at least some of the independent directors have general familiarity with the industries in which we operate.  Additionally, while the Company does not have a formal policy with respect to the consideration of diversity in identifying director candidates, the benefits of board diversity are considered in the nominations process, including diversity of background and experience. A detailed description of the qualifications required of candidates for director, as well as the specific qualities or skills we believe should be possessed by one or more directors, can be found on our website under our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Policy Regarding Qualifications of Directors.

 

To assist it with its evaluation of the director nominees for election at the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee took into account all of the factors listed above.  Under the heading "Nominees for Election as Class I Directors – Terms Expiring 2019,"  we provide an overview of each nominee's principal occupation, together with the qualifications, key attributes and skills that the Committee and the Board believes will best serve the interests of the Board, the Company and our stockholders.

Can I recommend a nomination for director?

Yes. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider recommendations for director nominations submitted by stockholders entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. Submissions must be made in accordance with the Committee's procedures, as outlined below and set forth on our website.  For each annual meeting of our stockholders, the Committee will accept for consideration only one recommendation from any stockholder or affiliated group of stockholders. The Committee will only consider candidates who satisfy our minimum qualifications for director, as summarized in this proxy statement and as set forth on our website.  In considering a stockholder recommendation, the Committee will take into account, among other factors, the size and duration of the recommending stockholder's ownership interest in Vishay and whether the stockholder intends to continue holding that interest through the annual meeting date.  Stockholders should be aware, as discussed above, that it is our general policy to re-nominate qualified incumbent directors and that, absent special circumstances, the Committee will not consider other candidates when a qualified incumbent director consents to stand for re-election.

A stockholder wishing to recommend to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee a candidate for election as director must submit the recommendation in writing, addressed to the Committee, care of our Corporate Secretary, at Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., 63 Lancaster Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355.  Submissions must be made by mail, courier, or personal delivery.  E-mailed submissions will not be considered.  Submissions recommending candidates for election at an annual meeting of stockholders must generally be received no later than 120 calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the prior annual meeting of stockholders.  In the event that the date of an annual meeting of stockholders is more than 30 days following the first anniversary date of the annual meeting of stockholders for the prior year, the submission must be made a reasonable time in advance of the mailing of our proxy statement for the current year.   Each nominating recommendation must be accompanied by the information called for by our "Procedures for Securityholders' Submission of Nominating Recommendations," which is posted on our website.  This includes specified information concerning the stockholder or group of stockholders making the recommendation and the proposed nominee, any relationships between the recommending stockholder or stockholders and the proposed nominee and the qualifications of the proposed nominee to serve as director.  The recommendation must also be accompanied by the consent of the proposed nominee to serve if nominated and elected and the agreement of the nominee to be contacted by the Committee, if the Committee decides in its discretion to do so.

 

How do stockholders and others communicate with the Board?

Vishay stockholders may communicate with the Board of Directors, any Committee of the Board or any individual director, and any interested party may communicate with the independent directors of the Board as a group, by delivering such communications either in writing addressed to our Corporate Secretary at Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., 63 Lancaster Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355; or by e-mail to boardofdirectors@Vishay.com.  Communications should not exceed 1,000 words.

All communications must be accompanied by the following information: (i) if the person submitting the communication is a securityholder, a statement of the type and amount of the securities of Vishay that the person holds; (ii) if the person submitting the communication is not a securityholder and is submitting the communication to the independent directors as an interested party, the nature of the person's interest in Vishay; (iii) any special interest, meaning an interest not in the capacity as a securityholder of Vishay, of the person in the subject matter of the communication; and (iv) the address, telephone number and e-mail address, if any, of the person submitting the communication.  Communications addressed to directors may, at the direction of the directors, be shared with Vishay's management.

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Our non-employee directors are compensated as follows:

•	An annualized cash retainer of $55,000, paid in two semi-annual installments;

•	An additional $10,000 for service on each of the Compensation or Audit Committees;

•	An additional $5,000 for service on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee;

•	An additional $5,000 for each Committee chair; and

•	On the first stock trading day of each year, an annual grant of 10,000 RSUs, vesting in 3 years or ratably upon earlier cessation of service.

Board members do not receive a per-meeting fee.

Our employee directors are not separately compensated for services performed as directors.

The Board evaluates director compensation annually and has maintained this level of compensation since 2010.

The following table provides information with respect to the compensation paid or provided to the Company's non-employee directors during 2015:

 

Name		Fees Earned and Paid in Cash					Stock Awards (1)				Total
Dr. Abraham Ludomirski		$	75,000				$	133,900			$	208,900
Frank Dieter Maier		$	70,000				$	133,900			$	203,900
Wayne M. Rogers (3)		$	70,000				$	44,633			$	114,633
Ronald Ruzic		$	70,000				$	133,900			$	203,900
Ziv Shoshani		$	55,000				$	133,900			$	188,900
Timothy V. Talbert		$	55,000				$	133,900			$	188,900
Thomas C. Wertheimer		$	80,000				$	133,900			$	213,900
Ruta Zandman		$	205,000		(2)		$	133,900			$	338,900

 

(1)

Amounts represent the fair value of the RSUs granted, determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 in the year of grant and the assumptions set forth in Note 12 of our consolidated financial statements on Form 10-K filed on February 17, 2016. The grant-date fair value is recognized for accounting purposes over the respective vesting periods.

(2)

Effective January 1, 2012, Mrs. Ruta Zandman was appointed as the director responsible for preserving the memory of the late Dr. Felix Zandman and the Company's corporate history.  For her continued service on this project, Mrs. Zandman receives $150,000 per annum in addition to her Board of Directors cash retainer of $55,000.

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PROPOSAL ONE

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Our stockholders will be asked to consider four nominees for election to our Board to serve as Class I directors for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2019, and until their successors, if any, are elected or appointed, or their earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal.

The names of the four nominees for director, their current positions and offices, tenure as a Vishay director and their qualifications are set forth below. Each of their respective committee memberships are set forth under the question heading "What is the role of the Board's committees and what is their composition?"  All of the nominees are current Vishay directors.  The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviewed the qualifications of each of the nominees and recommended to our Board that each nominee be submitted to a vote of our stockholders at the annual meeting.  The Board approved the Committee's recommendation at its meeting on March 1, 2016.

Each of the nominees has agreed to be named and to serve if elected.  If any nominee for director becomes unavailable for election, the proxies will be voted for such substitute nominee(s) as the Board of Directors may propose.  If you voted for the unavailable nominee, your vote will be cast for his or her replacement.  We have no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable or unwilling to serve if elected.

While holders of our common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on most matters, including the election of directors, all of our current directors received a majority of the votes cast by holders of common stock who are unaffiliated with the current Class B stockholders when they last stood for election at an annual meeting of stockholders.

The following table summarizes the current directors:

 

Name		Age		Director Since		Term Expiring
Nominees for Election as Class I Directors:
Dr. Gerald Paul		67		1993		2019
Frank Dieter Maier		78		2010		2019
Timothy V. Talbert		69		2013		2019
Thomas C. Wertheimer		75		2004		2019
Class II Directors:
Dr. Abraham Ludomirski		63		2003		2017
Ronald Ruzic		77		2009		2017
Class III Directors:
Marc Zandman (1)(2)		54		2001		2018
Ruta Zandman (3)		78		2001		2018
Ziv Shoshani (3)		49		2001		2018

 

(1)	Executive Chairman of the Board.

(2)	Marc Zandman is the son of the late Dr. Felix Zandman.

(3)	Ruta Zandman is the wife of the late Dr. Felix Zandman.  Ziv Shoshani is her nephew.

Nominees for Election as Class I Directors – Terms Expiring 2019

 

Frank Dieter Maier was Managing Director of TEMIC GmbH where he was responsible for the development and concentration of electronic activities within Daimler, including the operations of 26 semiconductor and automotive electronics plants until 2002. He currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Montana Tech Components AG and Montana Tec Components (main shareholder of VARTA), member of the Supervisory Board of VARTA Holding AG, member of the Board of Directors of VARTA Microbattery GmbH and VARTA Micro AG, Chairman of the Board of Directors and member of the Advisory Council of BASIC AG, a director of ASTA Elektrodraht GmbH, a director of Multiplast AG and Multipet GmbH, and a member of the advisory board of Multiport GmbH; and was a member of the Advisory Council of BMK GmbH until 2010. Mr. Maier's prior business experience has given him in-depth knowledge of and experience in semiconductors and passive electronic components.

 

Timothy V. Talbert has served as Senior Vice President of Credit and Originations for Lease Corporation of America ("LCA"), a national equipment lessor, since July 2000, and President of the LCA Bank Corporation, a bank that augments LCA's funding capacity, since its founding in January 2006. Previously, Mr. Talbert was Senior Vice President and Director of Asset Based Lending and Equipment Leasing of Huntington National Bank from 1997 to 2000; and prior to that, served in a variety of positions with Comerica Bank for more than 25 years.  Mr. Talbert previously served on the board of directors and was a member of the audit committee of Siliconix incorporated, a NASDAQ-listed manufacturer of power semiconductors of which the Company owned an 80.4% interest, from 2001 until the Company acquired the noncontrolling interests in 2005.  Mr. Talbert has also served on the board of Vishay Precision Group since it was spun off from the Company in 2010.  Mr. Talbert's previous and current service as a director of publicly traded companies allows him to bring an important perspective to the Board. Additionally, Mr. Talbert's service as the president of a federally regulated institution gives him relevant understanding of compliance with complex regulations and current accounting rules which add invaluable expertise to our Board.

 

 

Under the Company's Corporate Governance Principles, directors may not stand for election or re-election after the age of 75, unless the Board makes an affirmative determination that, because of the importance and value of the continued service of a director, the retirement policy should be waived.  In no event may a director stand for re-election after the age of 85.  Prior to their nomination for re-election in 2016, the Board made such a determination with respect to Messrs. Maier and Wertheimer.  This policy does not apply to any person who controls more than 20% of the voting power of the Company.

 

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote "FOR ALL" the nominees for election as Class I directors.

 

Class II Directors – Terms Expiring 2017

Dr. Abraham Ludomirski is the founder and, for more than the past five years, managing director of Vitalife Fund, a venture capital company specializing in high-tech electronic medical devices.  He is also the Chairman of the Board of POCARED Diagnostics, Ltd., an Israeli high-tech company specializing in miniature electronics and optical and video systems, and serves on the board of directors of Recro Pharma, Inc., Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd., Trig Medical, ENDOSPAN Ltd., and DIR Technologies.  Dr. Ludomirski earned his M.D. at the Sackler Tel-Aviv University Medical School, specializing in OBGYN and completed his fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in maternal fetal medicine.  In addition to his general familiarity with corporate affairs and governance, Dr. Ludomirski's work in the high-tech venture capital and medical fields gives him a valuable perspective on investment in innovative technologies.

 

 

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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

Management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, for assessing the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, and for preparing our consolidated financial statements. Our independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for, among other things, performing an independent audit of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and issuing a report thereon.   Our independent registered public accounting firm is also responsible for auditing the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in accordance with standards of the PCAOB, and issuing a report thereon.  It is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to monitor and oversee these processes.

In fulfilling its oversight duties, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the following with management and our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP:  (a) the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015; (b) the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting; and (c) discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm matters required to be discussed under PCAOB standards.  These required communications addressed, among other topics, overall audit strategy, timing of the audit, and significant risks identified and any changes thereto; the independent registered public accounting firm's responsibility under the standards of the PCAOB; going concern; significant and critical accounting policies and practices; critical accounting estimates; significant unusual transactions; difficult or contentious matters subject to consultation outside of the audit team; new accounting pronouncements; material alternative accounting treatments; corrected misstatements; uncorrected misstatements considered by management to be immaterial; significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting; other information in documents containing audited financial statements; management's Section 302 disclosures about changes in internal control; additional information included in management's report on internal control; fraud and illegal acts; information relevant to the audit; fees and related SEC disclosures; significant issues discussed with management in connection with the auditor's retention; significant difficulties encountered in performing an audit; disagreements with management; management's consultations with other accountants; other material written communications with management; and AICPA ethics ruling regarding third-party service providers.  The Audit Committee received from the independent registered public accounting firm written disclosures regarding the firm's independence required by PCAOB Ethics and Independence Rule 3526, Communication with Audit Committees Concerning Independence, and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm, the firm's independence.  The Audit Committee also considered the compatibility of non-audit services provided to Vishay by Ernst & Young LLP, and the fees and costs billed or to be billed for these services, with the maintenance of the independent registered public accounting firm's independence. The Committee has concluded that the provision of the non-audit services by Ernst & Young LLP in 2015 did not impair the independent registered public accounting firm's independence. (The fees and costs billed by the independent registered public accounting firm for audit and non-audit services in 2015 and 2014 are shown under Proposal Two.) Under the Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy that was adopted by the Audit Committee in May 2003 (which was amended and restated in October 2010), the Audit Committee must pre-approve all audit and non-audit services provided to Vishay by the independent registered public accounting firm.  The policy sets forth the procedures and conditions for pre-approval of these services.  All of the audit and non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm since adoption of the Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy were pre-approved by the Committee in accordance with such policy.

Based upon the above review and discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that our audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Audit Committee has also appointed Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2016, but the Committee has determined in accordance with our historical practices to submit the appointment for ratification by stockholders (See Proposal Two).

Respectfully submitted,

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

Thomas C. Wertheimer, Chairman

Frank Dieter Maier

Ronald Ruzic

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in any of our previous or future filings under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act that might incorporate this proxy statement or future filings with the SEC, in whole or in part, the above report shall not be deemed to be "soliciting material" or "filed" with the SEC and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any such filing.

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PROPOSAL TWO

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm.  The Committee has determined to reappoint the public accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP as independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016, as well as to audit the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.  Although stockholder approval for the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm is not required, we are continuing our practice of submitting the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm to stockholders for their ratification.

Ernst & Young LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm continuously since 1968. The Audit Committee believes that the knowledge of the Company's business gained by Ernst & Young LLP through this period of service is valuable.  Pursuant to the SEC rules, the lead partner must be rotated after five years, which provides the Company the benefit of new thinking and approaches.

Representatives of the firm of Ernst & Young LLP are expected to be present at the annual meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.

Under the Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy that was adopted by the Audit Committee in May 2003 (which was amended and restated in October 2010), the Audit Committee must pre-approve all audit and non-audit services provided to Vishay by the independent registered public accounting firm.  The policy sets forth the procedures and conditions for pre-approval of these services.  The Audit Committee has pre-approved generally the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm for services relating to our filings with the SEC (including comfort letters and consents for securities offerings), acquisition or disposition related diligence activities, internal control review and compliance, interpretation and compliance with accounting and accounting-related disclosure rules and standards, certain attest services, domestic and international tax planning and compliance, and risk management.

The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed by Ernst & Young LLP for audit and non-audit services rendered to Vishay in 2015 and 2014.  These fees are categorized as audit fees, audit-related fees, tax fees, and all other fees.  The nature of the services provided in each category is described following the table.

 

		2015				2014
Audit fees		$	5,300,000			$	5,400,000
Audit-related fees			100,000				100,000
Tax fees			800,000				900,000
All other fees			100,000				100,000
Total fees		$	6,300,000			$	6,500,000

 

Audit fees.  These fees generally consist of professional services rendered for the audits of the consolidated financial statements of Vishay and its internal control over financial reporting, quarterly reviews, subsidiary or equity investment audits, issuance of comfort letters, consents, income tax provision procedures, and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC.

Audit-related fees.  These fees generally consist of assurance and other services related to the performance of the audit or review of Vishay's financial statements or that are traditionally performed by the independent registered public accounting firm, issuance of consents and letters to underwriters, due diligence related to acquisitions, internal control reviews, attest services that are not required by statute or regulation, consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards, and financial audits of employee benefit plans.

Tax fees.  These fees generally relate primarily to tax compliance, including review and preparation of corporate and expatriate tax returns, assistance with tax audits, review of the tax treatment for certain expenses, extra-territorial tax analysis, and tax due diligence relating to acquisitions.  They also include fees for state and local tax planning and consultations with respect to various domestic and international tax matters.

All other fees.  These fees generally consist of reviews for compliance with various government regulations, risk management and treasury reviews and assessments and audits of various contractual arrangements.

Vishay did not make use in 2015 of the rule that waives pre-approval requirements for non-audit services in certain cases if the fees for these services constitute less than 5% of the total fees paid to the independent registered public accounting firm during the year.

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On March 28, 2016, Vishay had outstanding 135,564,729 shares of common stock, each of which entitles the holder to one vote, and 12,129,227 shares of Class B common stock, each of which entitles the holder to ten votes. Class B shares are transferable only to certain permitted transferees while the common stock is freely transferable.  Class B shares are convertible on a one-for-one basis at any time into shares of common stock.  Transfers of Class B shares other than to permitted transferees result in the automatic conversion of the Class B shares into common stock.  Voting is not cumulative.  The percentage of total voting power below represents voting power with respect to all shares of common stock and Class B common stock, as a single class, calculated on the basis of ten votes per share of Class B common stock and one vote per share of common stock.

The following table shows the number of shares of Vishay common stock and Class B common stock beneficially owned by (a) each director and director nominee, (b) each "Named Executive Officer" identified under "Executive Compensation," (c) the directors, director nominees, and executive officers of Vishay as a group, and (d) any person owning more than 5% of Vishay common stock or the Class B common stock.  Unless otherwise noted, the information is stated as of March 28, 2016, and the beneficial owners exercise sole voting or dispositive power over their shares.

 

			Common Stock									Class B Common Stock
Name			Shares of Stock			Restricted Stock Units Scheduled to Vest within 60 days		Right to Acquire Ownership Under Options Exercisable within 60 days		Percent of Class		Shares of Stock		Percent of Class			Voting Power
Directors and Executive Officers
Marc Zandman			11,735			-		27,619		*		8,618,334	(2)	71.1%			33.6%
Lori Lipcaman			9,357			-		-		*		-		-			*
Dr. Abraham Ludomirski			66,047			-		-		*		-		-			*
Frank Dieter Maier			30,271			-		-		*		-		-			*
Dr. Gerald Paul			204,108			-		77,334		*		-		-			*
Ronald Ruzic			57,047			-		-		*		-		-			*
Ziv Shoshani			28,251			-		-		*		8,616,834	(3)	71.0%			33.6%
Timothy V. Talbert			8,000			-		-		*		-		-			*
David Valletta			3,333			-		-		*		-		-			*
Johan Vandoorn			5,984			-		-		*		-		-			*
Thomas C. Wertheimer			42,447			-		-		*		-		-			*
Dieter Wunderlich			4,940			-		-		*		-		-			*
Ruta Zandman			248,100	(4)		-		-		*		10,849,383	(1)	89.4%			42.3%
All Directors and Executive Officers as a group (13 Persons) (5)			719,620			-		104,953		*		10,850,883		89.5%			42.5%

 

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(1)

Includes 8,616,834 shares of Class B common stock held in a family trust, of which Mrs. Ruta Zandman, Mr. Marc Zandman and Mr. Ziv Shoshani are co-trustees, and have shared voting power; and 2,232,549 shares of Class B common stock that are subject to a voting agreement pursuant to which Mrs. Zandman, as Voting Representative, may direct the voting of such shares.

(2)

Includes the same 8,616,834 shares of Class B common stock held in a family trust, of which Mrs. Ruta Zandman, Mr. Marc Zandman and Mr. Ziv Shoshani are co-trustees, and have shared voting power; 750 shares of Class B common stock directly owned by Mr. Marc Zandman; and 750 shares of Class B common stock owned by one of Mr. Marc Zandman's children.

 

(3)	Includes the same 8,616,834 shares of Class B common stock held in a family trust, of which Mrs. Ruta Zandman, Mr. Marc Zandman and Mr. Ziv Shoshani are co-trustees, and have shared voting power.

 

(4)	Includes 200,683 shares of common stock directly owned by Mrs. Zandman; and 37,417 shares of common stock held by the estate of Dr. Felix Zandman, of which Mrs. Zandman is the executrix, and as such, exercises sole voting control.

(5)	The address for all directors and officers is: c/o Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., 63 Lancaster Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355.

(6)

Such shares are subject to a voting agreement pursuant to which Mrs. Ruta Zandman, as Voting Representative, may direct the voting of such shares, and are included in the 2,232,549 shares of Class B common stock reported as being beneficially owned by Mrs. Zandman in footnote 1.  Ms. Ames has dispositive power of such shares.  Ms. Ames is the record holder of 506,216 of these shares; the balance of the shares are held by trusts for the benefit of Ms. Ames's children and other family members.

(7)

Based on information provided in a Schedule 13G filed on February 10, 2016 by BlackRock, Inc.  According to the Schedule 13G, BlackRock, Inc. may be deemed to have sole power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 11,048,529 shares of common stock; and sole power to dispose or direct the disposition with respect to 11,364,031 shares.

(8)

Based on information provided in a Schedule 13G filed on February 9, 2016 by Dimensional Fund Advisors, LP.  According to the Schedule 13G, Dimensional Fund Advisors, LP may be deemed to have sole power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 11,334,576 shares of common stock; and sole power to dispose or direct the disposition with respect to 11,459,274 shares.

(9)

Based on information provided in a Schedule 13G filed on February 11, 2016 by The Vanguard Group, Inc.  According to the Schedule 13G, The Vanguard Group, Inc. may be deemed to have sole power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 171,018 shares of common stock; shared power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 8,500 shares of common stock; sole power to dispose or direct the disposition with respect to 9,025,913 shares; and shared power to dispose or direct the disposition with respect to 171,818 shares.

(10)	Based on information provided in a Schedule 13G filed on January 28, 2016 by Royce & Associates, LLC.

(11)

Based on information provided in a Schedule 13G filed on February 12, 2016 by LSV Asset Management.  According to the Schedule 13G, LSV Asset Management may be deemed to have sole power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 4,444,910 shares of common stock; and sole power to dispose or direct the disposition with respect to 7,028,583 shares.

 

(12)

Based on information provided in a Schedule 13G filed on February 16, 2016 by AllianceBernstein L.P.  According to the Schedule 13G, AllianceBernstein L.P. may be deemed to have sole power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 7,077,486 shares of common stock; and sole power to dispose or direct the disposition with respect to 8,162,467 shares.

 

(13)

Based on information provided in a Schedule 13G filed on February 2, 2016 by Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC.  According to the Schedule 13G, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC may be deemed to have sole power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 4,141,947 shares of common stock; shared power to vote or direct the vote with respect to 3,489,049 shares of common stock; and sole power to dispose or direct the disposition with respect to 7,630,996 shares.

 

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our directors and executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our common stock to report their ownership of and transactions in our stock in filings with the SEC.  Vishay believes, based solely on a review of our records and other publicly available information, that our directors and executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our common stock complied with all applicable Section 16(a) reporting requirements during the year ended December 31, 2015.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

No member of the Compensation Committee was at any time during 2015 an officer or employee of Vishay or any of the Company's subsidiaries nor was any such person a former officer of Vishay or any of the Company's subsidiaries.  In addition, no Compensation Committee member is an executive officer of another entity at which one of the Company's executive officers serves on the board of directors.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information Concerning Executive Officers

This Executive Compensation section describes the overall compensation practices at Vishay and specifically describes the total compensation for our principal executive officer, our principal financial officer and our four other most highly compensated executive officers, each of whom is set forth below, all of whom we collectively refer to herein as our Named Executive Officers.

The Named Executive Officers of Vishay along with their respective ages and positions with Vishay, as of March 28, 2016, are as follows:

Dieter Wunderlich was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective August 1, 2011. Mr. Wunderlich has held various positions of increasing responsibility since Vishay's acquisition of Draloric Electronic GmbH ("Draloric") in 1987, including Executive Vice President – Semiconductors (2009 – 2012). Mr. Wunderlich's experience with Vishay includes worldwide or regional operations leadership roles within each of Vishay's five business reporting segments. Mr. Wunderlich had been employed by Draloric since 1975.

Johan Vandoorn was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer effective August 1, 2011. Mr. Vandoorn is responsible for Vishay's technical development and internal growth programs. Mr. Vandoorn has held various positions of increasing responsibility since Vishay's acquisition of BCcomponents Holdings BV ("BCcomponents") in 2002, including Executive Vice President – Passive Components (2006 – 2012). Mr. Vandoorn had been Vice President – Global Operations of BCcomponents from 2000 until its acquisition by Vishay, and previously worked for Philips Components ("Philips") from 1980 until Philips sold the BCcomponents business to a private equity firm in 1998.

Officers serve, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, until the meeting of the Board of Directors next following each annual meeting of stockholders, subject to their rights under any contracts of employment described under "Compensation Discussion and Analysis."

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Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Overview

Historically, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors was responsible for establishing and approving the compensation of only the Chief Executive Officer, recommending to the Board of Directors the compensation of other Named Executive Officers, and administering Vishay's incentive compensation and equity-based compensation plans.  Since March 2014 when the Board determined to enhance the responsibilities of the Compensation Committee and amended the Compensation Committee charter, the Committee establishes and approves all compensation for all Named Executive Officers.  This section of the proxy statement explains how our executive compensation is designed with respect to our Named Executive Officers.

Compensation Philosophy Generally

 

The Compensation Committee, in consultation with Dr. Paul in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer, undertakes an annual review of the compensation arrangements of Vishay's other executive officers.

Performance Philosophy

The Company's compensation philosophy is intended to integrate with its philosophy of evaluating operating performance.  The Company utilizes several measures and metrics to evaluate its performance, as further described in "Performance Measures and Metrics" below, and in turn, the Compensation Committee utilizes similar measures in evaluating executive officer compensation.

The Compensation Committee has always believed that the elements of compensation for the Company's senior executives reward intrinsically sound management decisions and do not encourage risk taking to enhance short-term profitability at the expense of the long-term health and viability of the enterprise.  While the design of our executive compensation program is primarily performance-based, we do not believe that it encourages excessive risk-taking. The Committee believes that the Company's senior executives have taken a prudent approach to corporate risk management. In addition, the Company has in place a risk management program designed to identify, evaluate and control risks. Through this program, we take a company-wide view of risks and have a network of systems and oversight to insure that risks are not viewed in isolation and are appropriately controlled and reported, including a system of reporting to the full Board and its Committees. We believe that our compensation programs work within this system.

 

In designing executive compensation arrangements to avoid encouraging inappropriate risk-taking, the Compensation Committee considers various factors which are intended to provide an appropriate mix of compensation components, with no portion being too heavily weighted towards the achievement of short-term goals.  Historically, such consideration has largely been incorporated into the Committee's general deliberation of the overall structure and terms of executive compensation arrangements.  In response to current trends in executive compensation practices, as well as SEC rules encouraging more explicit focus on risks arising from compensation policies, Vishay has commenced a practice of more deliberately focusing on the risks, if any, arising from its executive compensation arrangements, and modifying such arrangements to the extent necessary to minimize any such risks.

The factors considered by the Compensation Committee in evaluating the risks arising from compensation arrangements, which have been incorporated into the terms and conditions of such compensation arrangements, include, in no particular weighting or order of prominence:

 

•	Minimum base salary levels are fixed in amount;
•	Annual cash bonuses for executive officers are capped; while annual cash bonuses focus on the achievement of short-term or annual goals and short-term goals may encourage risk-taking, the Committee considers the other compensation arrangements which appropriately balance risk and the desire to focus on short-term goals;
•	A meaningful portion of total compensation (for example, the annual contributions into the non-qualified deferred compensation plan for Mr. Zandman and Dr. Paul) is deferred until retirement or termination of employment;
•	A significant portion of our RSUs carry both service and performance conditions which are tied to operating results over a three-year period; and
•	Compensation of certain executives is, in part, in the form of phantom stock units for which the stock is only received upon retirement or termination of employment, thus providing an incentive for the creation of long-term stockholder value.  The value of these phantom stock units is at risk if our stock price declines.

 

Each of these factors is intended to encourage an appropriate long-term focus, and to align the long-term interests of senior management with those of stockholders.

The respective compensation agreements for Mr. Zandman and Dr. Paul are unique, as they are based upon their respective 2004 agreements, as amended, and feature certain compensation components which are not available to the other current Named Executive Officers.  In 2004, under the direction of its Compensation Committee, the Board engaged in a major review and overhaul of the compensation practices for its Named Executive Officers.  As a consequence of this review, Vishay entered into comprehensive employment agreements and other arrangements with each of Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman.  These agreements and arrangements, except for base salaries, remained unchanged and governed the compensation paid and awarded to the executive officers from 2004 and through the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

In 2010, the Compensation Committee hired compensation consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers ("PwC") to assist in respect of an evaluation of the compensation of Vishay's executive officers.  The Compensation Committee reviewed data provided by PwC on compensation practices of 10 public companies that were at the time of PwC's review similar to Vishay in terms of revenues, number of employees, market capitalization, geographic location and/or scope of international operations.  These peer group companies include several active in the semiconductor and electronic components industry.  This peer group consisted of:

 

 

The Compensation Committee reviewed average and median data for various types of cash and equity compensation within the group.  PwC made recommendations to the Compensation Committee concerning changes to the compensation packages of the then-named executive officers, particularly with respect to increasing performance-based equity-based compensation.  The PwC consultants that performed the consulting services reported directly to the Compensation Committee.

As a result of the compensation data provided and recommendations made by PwC, the Compensation Committee amended the employment agreements of its executives, including Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman, to provide increased base salaries and performance-based annual and long-term incentive opportunities commensurate with the compensation offered by the peer group.

The Compensation Committee designed the compensation packages for Vishay's executive officers with a view to the roles that each plays and is expected to play in Vishay's operations, development, and strategic planning.  Our succession plan provides for the transition of Mr. Zandman into the role of Chief Executive Officer upon the eventual retirement of Dr. Paul.  If Dr. Paul were unexpectedly unable to continue as Chief Executive Officer, it is anticipated that Mr. Zandman would serve in that position.  Mr. Zandman's responsibilities have increased since the passing of Dr. Felix Zandman, when he received appointments to the roles of Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Business Development Officer.

In light of his new positions, Mr. Zandman's employment agreement was amended in August 2011 at the recommendation of the Compensation Committee.  The Committee believes that the compensation arrangement with Mr. Zandman is commensurate with his responsibilities and roles as Executive Chairman and Chief Business Development Officer.

Dr. Paul has senior responsibilities for our overall business, and has been instrumental as well in promoting our strategic advances.  The compensation of Dr. Paul reflects his position and responsibilities at the most senior executive level.

In 2011, the Company engaged PwC to design appropriate employment arrangements for Ms. Lipcaman and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta. Based upon consultation with PwC and input from Dr. Paul as Chief Executive Officer, the Company entered into new agreements with Ms. Lipcaman, and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta.  These employment agreements are generally congruent, but feature certain variations based upon the respective positions and tenures with the Company of those Named Executive Officers.

 

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The compensation arrangements were embodied in agreements with each of the executives with the expectation that they would remain in place for a significant period of time.  The agreements do not have definitive termination dates, but rather provide for three year "evergreen" terms that renew automatically, absent termination by the parties.  Accordingly, these Named Executive Officers are entitled to receive three years' of salary continuation in the event of involuntary termination without cause.

The Compensation Committee reviews the total compensation level of our executive officers each year to determine whether an increase would be appropriate, considering individual performance, prior years' compensation level, recent operating results, operating results of competitors, projections for the future, other components of the executive pay packages, perceived salary trends in executive base salary among the peer group of Vishay and input on executive performance from the Chief Executive Officer. The determination is subjective and the Compensation Committee does not assign any quantitative weight to these factors.  After considering the salaries and compensation practices of executive officers of comparable public companies identified by PwC, the total compensation of the executive officers was based on a determination by the Compensation Committee that it was appropriate to establish a mix of cash and equity compensation that was reasonable when compared to, but not necessarily within, the market-competitive range of compensation offered to similarly situated executives of comparable public companies.

Performance Measures and Metrics

Like its peers in the electronics industry, the Company has historically gauged its overall performance in accordance with what it terms "adjusted net earnings."  The Company uses this term to mean net earnings determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") adjusted for various items that management believes are not indicative of the intrinsic operating performance of the Company's business, as detailed below.   Non-GAAP measures such as "adjusted net earnings" do not have uniform definitions and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.  Reconciling items to arrive at adjusted net earnings represent significant charges or credits that are important to understanding our intrinsic operations.  The bonuses for the most senior executive officers under the Company's cash bonus plans discussed below, including the Section 162(m) bonus plan, were based primarily on this performance metric.  Adjusted net earnings and/or adjusted earnings per share, for a multi-year period, are also used in connection with performance-based RSUs for all Named Executive Officers.

Adjusted net earnings for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 were as follows (in thousands, except per share):

 

		Years ended December 31,
		2015				2014				2013
GAAP net earnings attributable to Vishay stockholders		$	(108,514	)		$	117,629			$	122,980
Reconciling items affecting operating income:
Restructuring and severance costs		$	19,215			$	20,897			$	2,814
Goodwill and long-lived assets impairment charges			62,980				-				-
U.S. pension settlement charges			-				15,588				-
Executive compensation charges (credit)			-				-				(1,778	)
Reconciling items other income (expense):
Loss related to Tianjin explosion		$	5,350			$	-			$	-
Reconciling items affecting tax expense (benefit):
Tax effects of items above and other one-time tax expense (benefit)		$	129,969			$	(12,846	)		$	(4,552	)
Adjusted net earnings		$	109,000			$	141,268			$	119,464
Adjusted weighted average diluted shares outstanding			151,329				153,716				151,417
Adjusted earnings per diluted share *		$	0.72			$	0.92			$	0.79
* Includes add-back of interest on exchangeable notes in periods where the notes are dilutive.

 

The Company also measures its overall performance based on "free cash."  The Company uses this term to mean the cash flows generated from continuing operations less capital expenditures plus net proceeds from the sale of assets.   This metric is a component of the incentive compensation structures for Ms. Lipcaman and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta.  This same metric, for a multi-year period, is also used in connection with performance-based RSUs granted in 2014 and 2015 (and 2016) for all Named Executive Officers.  Although the term "free cash" is not defined in GAAP, each of the elements used to calculate "free cash" is presented as a line item on the face of our consolidated statement of cash flows prepared in accordance with GAAP as follows:

 

		Years ended December 31,
		2015				2014				2013
Net cash provided by continuing operating activities		$	245,331			$	297,037			$	292,070
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment			2,049				2,889				4,681
Less: Capital expenditures			(147,142	)			(156,974	)			(153,077	)
Free cash		$	100,238			$	142,952			$	143,674

 

 

The 2015 incentive compensation structures for Ms. Lipcaman and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta were tailored to their specific responsibilities.  The following measures and metrics were utilized in determining the incentive compensation payable to these Named Executive Officers for 2015:

 

•	adjusted net earnings;
•	third party net sales;
•	variable margin;
•	gross profit margin; and
•	free cash.

 

Third party net sales is an amount determined in accordance with GAAP which is reported in our consolidated financial statements, included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Variable margin is a cost accounting metric which represents third party net sales less manufacturing costs which vary in a direct relationship with volume (in other words, excluding fixed manufacturing costs such as depreciation and overhead).

Gross profit margin is computed as gross profit as a percentage of net revenues. Gross profit is generally net revenues less costs of products sold, but also deducts certain other period costs, particularly losses on purchase commitments and inventory write-downs. Gross profit margin is clearly a function of net revenues, but also reflects our cost management programs and our ability to contain fixed costs.

 

Role of the Compensation Consultant

During 2011, the Compensation Committee engaged PwC to assist in respect of an evaluation of the compensation of Vishay's executive officers.  PwC provided the Committee with data on compensation practices at companies comparable to the Company in terms of size, industry and other characteristics.  PwC also made recommendations to the Compensation Committee concerning changes to the compensation packages of the executive officers, particularly with respect to equity-based compensation.  The PwC consultants that performed the consulting services reported directly to the Compensation Committee.  In 2013, the Compensation Committee again engaged PwC to advise on compensation matters as the Committee considered 2014 compensation.

Each year the Compensation Committee reviews the need to engage an independent compensation consultant.  Based on a thorough review of the Company's existing executive compensation plans, practices and arrangements for the current year, the Company's historical practices, the stability of the Company's management team, and the Company's alignment with its identified peer group, the Compensation Committee decided not to engage the services of a compensation consultant during 2015.  No fees were incurred in 2015 for PwC executive compensation services.

Compensation Components

The discussion that follows in this section addresses the executive compensation packages in effect in 2015.

The compensation packages for Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman, as mentioned above, are based upon employment agreements entered into in 2004, which have since been amended.  As such, these agreements include compensation components other than base salary, annual performance-based bonuses, and equity-based compensation, which are not available to our other Named Executive Officers.  These other components include deferred compensation, certain additional severance benefits, annual grants of phantom stock units, and customary welfare and retirement benefits.

The employment agreements for Ms. Lipcaman and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta, are generally similar in form and substance, but feature certain variations based upon the respective positions and tenures with the Company.  The components of the compensation packages defined by those employment agreements include base salary, commensurate with the roles and responsibility of the executives discussed above, annual performance-based bonuses, and equity-based compensation.

 

Base salary

The minimum base salary levels for the Named Executive Officers are fixed in their respective employment agreements.  The Compensation Committee determined the minimum base salaries in consultation with PwC in 2011, based upon the executives' salary level, present responsibilities, expectations with respect to future responsibilities and a comparison to peer group executive salaries.  Increases of 3% were approved effective April 1, 2013, January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2015 for all Named Executive Officers.  The Compensation Committee selected the group of peer group companies on the advice of PwC.  Compensation practices in the peer group were only one of the factors considered by the Compensation Committee.  The base salaries of Dr. Paul, Ms. Lipcaman, and Messrs. Wunderlich and Vandoorn are denominated in euro, and the base salary of Mr. Zandman is denominated in Israeli shekels.  A portion of the change in the salaries for these Named Executive Officers expressed in terms of U.S. dollars reflects the significant fluctuations of the dollar against the currencies of the home jurisdiction of these executives.

Incentive compensation

For several years, Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman have received incentive compensation as part of the 162(m) Plan.  Beginning in 2014, Ms. Lipcaman, and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta also receive a portion of their incentive compensation as part of the 162(m) Plan.  The incentive compensation under the 162(m) Plan provides an annual cash bonus as a percentage of our "adjusted net earnings," as described below.

Over many years, we have viewed adjusted net earnings as the primary indicator of the performance of our executive management team.  As more specifically addressed below, adjusted net earnings refers to net earnings determined in accordance with GAAP, adjusted to eliminate the after tax effects of items, positive or negative, that do not relate to our intrinsic operations.  These items include, among others, goodwill and long-lived asset impairment charges, severance and restructuring costs, special tax items, and other items, such as unusual gains or losses that impact GAAP net earnings, not reflecting on-going operating activities.  The calculation of adjusted net earnings is set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K as well as under the heading "Performance Measures and Metrics" in this proxy statement.  We utilize this measure in part because it eliminates factors that mask the actual performance of on-going operations and because of its currency with other public companies in our industry.  Accordingly, the Compensation Committee determined that the incentive compensation of Dr. Paul, and beginning with his appointment to Executive Chairman of the Board, Mr. Zandman, should be primarily in the form of a percentage of adjusted net earnings, with a cap (three times salary) to avoid compensation that in fact or in appearance might be deemed excessive.  There is no minimum adjusted net earnings threshold, and accordingly, the bonuses for Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman begin to accrue with the first dollar of adjusted net earnings.

Dr. Paul's bonus, since 2012, is equal to 1.25% of adjusted net earnings.  Since January 1, 2012, Mr. Zandman's annual bonus is equal to 1.0% of adjusted net earnings.   Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to the 162(m) Plan, the maximum annual bonus either Dr. Paul or Mr. Zandman may receive is three times each executive's base salary.

Under their respective employment agreements, Ms. Lipcaman, and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta are each eligible to receive a performance bonus, based on the Company's overall and their individual performances.  Ms. Lipcaman, and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta each have a maximum annual bonus opportunity of 100% of their respective base salaries.  One element of the annual bonuses for Named Executive Officers other than Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman is a straight percentage of adjusted net earnings, and other elements of such bonuses are expressed as a percentage of base salary, measured against specific performance goals.  The portions of such bonuses that are a straight percentage of adjusted net earnings for these Named Executive Officers are included in the 162(m) plan.

This structure for Named Executive Officers other than Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman was created such that in an average year, the total bonuses for such Named Executive Officers would approximate the structure in place prior to 2014, but would provide incentives and allow for a significantly larger bonus in years of exceptionally strong performance.

 

The performance of the Named Executive Officers other than Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman is reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Compensation Committee following the end of the year, and each executive is assigned a performance score for several categories.  For a discussion of 2015 goals and achieved results, see "2015 Executive Compensation – Performance-based bonus."

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Equity-Based Compensation

The 2007 Program permits the grant of up to 6,500,000 shares of restricted stock, unrestricted stock, restricted stock units ("RSUs"), stock options, and phantom stock units to officers, employees, and non-employee directors.

The 2007 Program, as amended and restated, was approved at the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

The Compensation Committee believes that the grant of equity awards is the primary tool for aligning interests of the executive officers with the long-term interests of the Company's stockholders.  Accordingly, the Compensation Committee includes a long-term incentive (LTI) component in the form of equity-based compensation in each of the executives' employment agreements.

In establishing the amount of equity awards, the Compensation Committee utilized the market-competitive range of equity awards granted to similarly situated executive officers of the peer group companies.  The Compensation Committee concluded that a grant of equity awards within such market-competitive range was appropriate to reward and incentivize our executive officers.

The employment agreements of the Named Executive Officers provide for annual grants of equity based compensation in the form of RSUs.  Of the total RSUs granted, 25% are in the form of time-vested RSUs that carry only a service condition. The remaining 75% are in the form of performance-based RSUs ("PBRSUs"), which also include a service condition. The PBRSUs will vest at the conclusion of the three–year performance periods if certain defined performance criteria established by the Compensation Committee (based on adjusted net earnings, adjusted earnings per share, and/or free cash over a three year period) are realized.  Beginning with awards granted in March of 2013, 50% of the PBRSUs will vest if 80% of the applicable objective is met, and the proportion of PBRSUs subject to such criterion will increase by 2.5% for each additional 1% of the applicable objective (between 80% and 100%).  For 2015, the grants were sized based upon a percentage of base salary as follows:

  

The number of RSUs granted annually to each executive is determined by multiplying the executive's base salary for the applicable year by the respective percentage set forth above and dividing by the closing price of the common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the last trading day preceding January 1 of the applicable year.  The time-vested RSUs carry only a service condition and vest on January 1 of the third year following the grant.  The PBRSUs include performance conditions agreed to with the Compensation Committee in its role as administrator of the 2007 Program (based on adjusted net earnings, adjusted earnings per share, and/or free cash over a three year period).  The PBRSUs contain a three-year service period and are subject to the Compensation Committee certifying that all performance criteria have been satisfied.

 

In the event of voluntary termination by the executive (without "good reason") or termination for cause, the executive's outstanding RSUs (including PBRSUs) will be forfeited.  In the event of (i) the termination of the executive's employment without cause, by the executive for "good reason", or as a result of death or disability, the executive's outstanding RSUs shall immediately vest and the outstanding PBRSUs shall vest on their normal vesting date to the extent applicable performance criteria are realized; and (ii) a change of control of Vishay, all of such executive's outstanding RSUs and PBRSUs shall immediately vest.  For financial accounting purposes, the grant-date fair value is determined on the date that the Compensation Committee approves the number of RSUs to be granted under this provision.  Accordingly, the value of the grant on that date will be different than the LTI value described in the table above.

The Compensation Committee also considers the award of extra-contractual equity-based compensation, when appropriate.  However, no such additional equity awards were granted to any Named Executive Officers in 2015.

 

The PBRSU awards granted in 2013 did not vest as the performance obligations associated with those awards were not met.  The PBRSU awards granted in 2014 and 2015 are expected to vest as the performance obligations associated with those awards are expected to be met.

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Deferred compensation

Executives are eligible to participate in a non-qualified deferred compensation plan, which is available to all employees who meet certain criteria under the Internal Revenue Code.  Vishay annually contributes $100,000 for each of Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman, pursuant to their respective employment agreements.  Mr. Valletta is eligible for contributions pursuant to the deferred compensation plan, similar to all eligible plan participants who formerly participated in the frozen Vishay Non-qualified Retirement Plan.  The remaining Named Executive Officers do not participate in the deferred compensation plan.

Amounts contributed to these plans prior to January 1, 2005 were deemed deferred until retirement or termination of employment.  Effective January 1, 2005, all employees who participate in the plan were given the option to choose shorter deferral periods for all or a portion of their deferred compensation.  The senior executives have elected to defer all eligible amounts of compensation until retirement or termination of employment, at which time, the amounts would be paid in a lump sum.  To the extent required to avoid tax penalties, the deferred amounts are not paid until six months after the termination of employment.

As noted, Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman each have a long-standing relationship with the Company, and we expect that each will continue to serve Vishay for so long as their services are desired and they can make effective management contributions.  The Compensation Committee therefore considers this deferred compensation in the nature of a retirement benefit and an anticipatory reward for loyalty to Vishay over time.  The deferral is also intended to delay payment until such time as the compensation should be deductible under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.

While deferred, amounts are credited with "earnings" based on the performance of notional investment options available under the plan.  No portion of the earnings credited during 2015 was "above market" or "preferential."

Phantom stock units

A phantom stock unit is the right to receive a share of common stock upon termination of employment.  Pursuant to their employment agreements, Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman receive annual grants of 5,000 phantom stock units.  The grants are made under the 2007 Program.

Executives receive dividend equivalents in the form of additional phantom stock units each time the Company pays a dividend on its common stock.

Similar to the deferred cash compensation described above, the Compensation Committee considers the grant of phantom stock units in the nature of a retirement benefit and an inducement to loyalty to Vishay over time.

 

The number of units to be granted annually was determined based on the market price of Vishay common stock in 2004, at the time the deferred compensation program was adopted, of approximately $20 per share, so that the deferred cash and stock compensation would be of similar magnitude.  The cumulative increase in the number of phantom stock units held by the executives over time also is intended to strengthen the alignment of executive and stockholder interests in the long-term appreciation of Vishay's equity value.

No other Named Executive Officers currently receive phantom stock units.

Retirement benefits

The Compensation Committee believes that providing adequate postretirement benefits commensurate with position is essential to retaining qualified individuals for long-term employment.  Vishay maintains pension and retirement programs for most employees in the United States, Germany, and Belgium, including its executive officers.  All U.S. pension benefits were frozen as of January 1, 2009. To mitigate the loss in benefits of these employees, effective January 1, 2009, we increased the company match portion of our 401(k) defined contribution savings plan for employees impacted by the pension freeze.  The retirement benefits for executive officers are not materially preferential to those of other employees.

As part of the amendments to the employment agreements for Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman in 2010, the Compensation Committee determined to extend the termination benefits for these executives to also include termination through normal retirement at age 62.  This provision was added in light of the long-standing tenure of these executives and to ensure a smooth transition upon their retirement.

Perquisites

We provide executive officers with perquisites and other personal benefits that Vishay and the Compensation Committee believe are reasonable and consistent with our overall compensation program.  These perquisites are not intended, however, to constitute a material portion of the executive's compensation package.  In general, the perquisites, while not integral to the performance of an executive's duties, must bear some relationship to the executive's employment and be of perceived benefit to Vishay.  The Compensation Committee periodically reviews the levels of perquisites and other personal benefits provided to Named Executive Officers.

Severance

The Compensation Committee believes that severance payments in the event of an involuntary termination of employment are part of a standard compensation package for senior executives.  The terms of these severance provisions are discussed in "Potential Payments Upon Termination or a Change in Control."

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2015 Executive Compensation

The components of 2015 compensation for our Named Executive Officers were consistent with their employment agreements and consisted of:

•	base salary;

•	cash performance-based bonuses;

•	equity-based compensation;

•	retirement benefits; and

•	perquisites and other personal benefits.

The compensation for Dr. Paul, Mr. Zandman, and Mr. Valletta included contributions into the Company's deferred compensation plan.

The tables and accompanying footnotes that follow provide additional information regarding the compensation earned, held by, or paid to each of our Named Executive Officers in 2015.

Base salary

The approved base salaries for 2015 are set forth below:

(1)	Paid in new Israeli shekels (ILS).

(2)	Paid in euro.

Performance-based bonus

Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman are entitled to receive performance bonuses in accordance with the 162(m) Plan.  The performance bonuses are calculated as a percentage of adjusted net earnings.  There is no minimum adjusted net earnings threshold, and accordingly, the bonuses for Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman begin to accrue with the first dollar of adjusted net earnings.  The bonuses for Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman are limited to three times base salary.

Pursuant to their employment agreements, Ms. Lipcaman, and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta have maximum bonuses of 100% of their respective base salaries.  One element of such bonuses is a straight percentage of adjusted net earnings, and other elements are expressed as a percentage of base salary, measured against specific performance goals. Performance goals for purposes of the annual bonus award are recommended by the Chief Executive Officer and approved by the Compensation Committee and Board.

This structure was created such that in an average year, the total bonuses for Ms. Lipcaman and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta would approximate the structure in place prior to 2014, but would provide incentives and allow for a significantly larger bonus in years of exceptionally strong performance.

 

The following sections describe the incentive compensation structure and achievements for 2015 for Ms. Lipcaman, and Messrs. Wunderlich, Vandoorn, and Valletta (each element is expressed as a percentage of base salary at target and at maximum).

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For 2015, Ms. Lipcaman's incentive compensation was comprised of one element equal to 0.1% of adjusted net earnings and other elements expressed as a percentage of base salary, measured against performance goals.  These other elements were structured as follows:

•	Target (and maximum) of 12.5%, based on Company performance, measured based on the achievement of budgeted free cash;

•	Target (and maximum) of 7.5% based on the achievement of budgeted fixed costs in Ms. Lipcaman's areas of responsibility; and

•	Target (and maximum) of 10% for achievement of personal objectives.

With respect to the free cash performance metric, Ms. Lipcaman would be eligible to receive a bonus if actual performance were greater than or equal to the budget.  To the extent actual free cash was less than the budget, the determination of an appropriate partial bonus percentage would be made by the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO.  Ms. Lipcaman earned a bonus equal to 4.38% of her base salary related to this metric.

Ms. Lipcaman met the fixed costs budget for her areas of responsibility and accordingly earned a bonus equal to 7.5% of her base salary for achievement of this objective.

Ms. Lipcaman's individual performance goals for 2015 (with related bonus opportunity as a percentage of base salary in parentheses) included: serving as executive sponsor of a finance-related IT project (2.0%); developing tax strategies, including the repatriation of cash to the United States (4.0%); integrating Capella into the Vishay finance structure (1.0%); and achieving fixed cost targets (3.0%).  The achievement of these goals was evaluated and measured in the aggregate, and as a result of her achievement in relation to these goals, Ms. Lipcaman earned a bonus equal to 9.0% of her base salary.

In total, Ms. Lipcaman earned a bonus equal to 20.88% of her base salary for 2015 for these elements, plus $109,000 based on 0.1% of adjusted net earnings, for a total bonus of $191,227.

 

For 2015, Mr. Wunderlich's incentive compensation was comprised of one element equal to 0.135% of adjusted net earnings and other elements expressed as a percentage of base salary, measured against performance goals.  These other elements were structured as follows:

•	Target (and maximum) of 15%, based on Company performance, measured based on the achievement of budgeted free cash;

•	Target (and maximum) of 15% based on the achievement of budgeted variable margin percentage;

•	Target (and maximum) of 10% based on the achievement of budgeted fixed costs in Mr. Wunderlich's areas of responsibility; and

•	Target (and maximum) of 10% for achievement of personal objectives.

With respect to the free cash performance metric, Mr. Wunderlich would be eligible to receive a bonus if actual performance were greater than or equal to the budget.  To the extent actual free cash was less than the budget, the determination of an appropriate partial bonus percentage would be made by the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO.  Mr. Wunderlich earned a bonus equal to 5.25% of his base salary related to this metric.

With respect to the variable margin percentage performance metric, Mr. Wunderlich would be eligible to receive a bonus if actual performance were greater than or equal to the budget.  To the extent the actual variable margin percentage was less than the budget, the determination of an appropriate partial bonus percentage would be made by the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO. Mr. Wunderlich earned a bonus equal to 12.0% of his base salary related to this metric.

Mr. Wunderlich met the fixed costs budget for his areas of responsibility and accordingly earned a bonus equal to 10.0% of his base salary for achievement of this objective.

 

Mr. Wunderlich's individual performance goals for 2015 (with related bonus opportunity as a percentage of base salary in parentheses) included: strategic operations projects, including moving certain production (4.5%); integrating Capella operationally (1.0%); achieving quality targets (1.0%); completing specific production planning projects (1.0%); and improving manufacturing fixed costs (2.5%).  The achievement of these goals was evaluated and measured in the aggregate, and as a result of his achievement in relation to these goals, Mr. Wunderlich earned a bonus equal to 8.25% of his base salary.

In total, Mr. Wunderlich earned a bonus equal to 35.5% of his base salary for 2015 for these elements, plus $147,150 based on 0.135% of adjusted net earnings, for a total bonus of $308,461.

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For 2015, Mr. Vandoorn's incentive compensation was comprised of one element equal to 0.05% of adjusted net earnings and other elements expressed as a percentage of base salary, measured against performance goals.  These other elements were structured as follows:

•	Target (and maximum) of 15% based on the achievement of budgeted variable margin for defined projects with new products;

•	Target (and maximum) of 10% based on the achievement of budgeted third party net sales for defined projects with new products;

•	Target (and maximum) of 10%, based on Company performance, measured based on the achievement of budgeted free cash;

•	Target (and maximum) of 5% based on the achievement of budgeted fixed costs in Mr. Vandoorn's areas of responsibility; and

•	Target (and maximum) of 10% for achievement of personal objectives.

With respect to the variable margin for defined projects with new products performance metric, Mr. Vandoorn would be eligible to receive a bonus of 15% of his base salary if actual performance was 100% of budget.  If actual variable margin for defined projects with new products was greater than zero but less than 100% of budget, Mr. Vandoorn would be eligible to receive a bonus with respect to variable margin for defined projects with new products, increasing ratably from 0% to 15% of his base salary.  Mr. Vandoorn earned a bonus equal to 9.4% of his base salary for 63% achievement of this metric.

With respect to the third party net sales for defined projects with new products metric, Mr. Vandoorn would be eligible to receive a bonus of 10% of his base salary if actual performance was 100% of budget.  If actual third party net sales for defined projects with new products were greater than zero but less than 100% of budget, Mr. Vandoorn would be eligible to receive a bonus with respect to third party net sales, increasing ratably from 0% to 10% of his base salary.  Mr. Vandoorn earned a bonus equal to 6.1% of his base salary for 61% achievement of this objective.

With respect to the free cash performance metric, Mr. Vandoorn would be eligible to receive a bonus if actual performance were greater than or equal to the budget.  To the extent actual free cash was less than the budget, the determination of an appropriate partial bonus percentage would be made by the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO.  Mr. Vandoorn earned a bonus equal to 3.5% of his base salary related to this metric.

Mr. Vandoorn met the fixed costs budget for his areas of responsibility and accordingly earned a bonus equal to 5% of his base salary for achievement of this objective.

 

Mr. Vandoorn's individual performance goals for 2015 (with related bonus opportunity as a percentage of base salary in parentheses) included: meeting R&D milestones (2.0%); defining new innovation projects to achieve sales target (1.5%); fostering acquisition plans (1.5%); completing certain strategic projects (3.0%); and improving the efficiency of R&D activities (2.0%).  The achievement of these goals was evaluated and measured in the aggregate, and as a result of his achievement in relation to these goals, Mr. Vandoorn earned a bonus equal to 8.5% of his base salary.

In total, Mr. Vandoorn earned a bonus equal to 32.5% of his base salary for 2015 for these elements, plus $54,500 based on 0.05% of adjusted net earnings, for a total bonus of $198,241.

 

 

For 2015, Mr. Valletta's incentive compensation was comprised of one element equal to 0.05% of adjusted net earnings and other elements expressed as a percentage of base salary, measured against performance goals.  These other elements were structured as follows:

•	Target of 5%, up to a maximum of 15%, based on Company performance, measured based on achievement of budgeted third party net sales;

•	Target (and maximum) of 12.5%, based on Company performance, measured based on the standard variable margin on actual sales;

•	Target (and maximum) of 10%, based on Company performance, measured based on the achievement of budgeted free cash;

•	Target (and maximum) of 5% based on the achievement of budgeted fixed costs in Mr. Valletta's areas of responsibility; and

•	Target (and maximum) of 7.5% for achievement of personal objectives.

With respect to the third party net sales metric, Mr. Valletta would not be eligible to receive a bonus if actual performance were less than 90% of budget.  If actual third party net sales were between 90% and 100% of budget, Mr. Valletta would be eligible to receive a bonus with respect to third party net sales, increasing ratably from 0% to 5% of his base salary.  If actual third party net sales were between 100% and 120% of budget, he would be eligible to receive a bonus with respect to third party net sales, increasing ratably from 5% to 15% of his base salary.  Mr. Valletta earned a bonus equal to 1.65% of his base salary for 93.3% achievement of this metric.

With respect to the standard variable margin metric, Mr. Valletta would be eligible to receive a bonus if actual performance were greater than or equal to the budget.  To the extent this metric was less than the budget, the determination of an appropriate partial bonus percentage would be made by the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO. The use of standard variable margin based on actual sales (rather than actual variable margin) allows Mr. Valletta's profitability achievement to be measured independent of production efficiencies/inefficiencies over which he has no control.  Mr. Valletta earned a bonus equal to 6.91% of his base salary related to this metric.

With respect to the free cash performance metric, Mr. Valletta would be eligible to receive a bonus if actual performance were greater than or equal to the budget.  To the extent actual free cash was less than the budget, the determination of an appropriate partial bonus percentage would be made by the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO.  Mr. Valletta earned a bonus equal to 3.5% of his base salary for achievement of this metric.

Mr. Valletta met the fixed costs budget for his areas of responsibility and accordingly earned a bonus equal to 5.0% of his base salary for achievement of this objective.

 

Mr. Valletta's individual performance goals for 2015 (with related bonus opportunity as a percentage of base salary in parentheses) included: supporting the growth plan, particularly in Asia, including specific performance metrics (2.0%); improving efficiency of sales force (2.0%); ensuring customer requirements are met during the MOSFETs production transfer and qualification process (1.5%); achieving accounts receivable aging targets (1.0%); supporting certain new product introductions (0.5%); and maintaining consignment inventories at specific inventory turnover targets (0.5%). The achievement of these goals was evaluated and measured in the aggregate, and as a result of his achievement in relation to these goals, Mr. Valletta earned a bonus equal to 5.5% of his base salary.

In total, Mr. Valletta earned a bonus equal to 22.56% of his base salary for 2015 for these elements, plus $54,500 based on 0.05% of adjusted net earnings, for a total bonus of $159,275.

 

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Stock-based compensation

In 2015, the Compensation Committee awarded the following RSUs (including PBRSUs) to certain executive officers:

The time-vested RSUs carry only a service condition and vest over a three-year period.  The PBRSUs contain both a three-year service period and performance criteria tied to three year adjusted net earnings per share and free cash flow results.

Other Considerations Regarding Executive Compensation

Israeli benefits

Mr. Zandman is employed by Vishay Israel Ltd., an Israeli subsidiary of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., and is a resident of Israel.  As a result, he is entitled to certain benefits that are generally available to employees in Israel on a non-discriminatory basis, but are not afforded to the other Named Executive Officers, including:

·	advanced training fund, 7.5% of base salary

·	severance fund, 8.33% of base salary

·	disability insurance, 2.5% of base salary

·	pension fund, 5% of base salary

These benefits are required by Israeli law or employment practices generally, and were taken into account by the Compensation Committee in formulating the overall compensation package for our executive officers.

Foreign currency considerations

Dr. Paul is employed by Vishay Europe GmbH, a German subsidiary of Vishay, and is a German citizen.  Accordingly, our employment agreement with Dr. Paul provides for his base salary to be denominated (and paid) in euro.  Lori Lipcaman is also employed by Vishay Europe GmbH, and her employment agreement provides for her base salary to be denominated (and paid) in euro.  Dieter Wunderlich is employed by Vishay Electronic GmbH and is a German citizen.  Johan Vandoorn is employed by Vishay Capacitors Belgium NV and is a citizen of Belgium.  Their respective employment agreements provide for their base salaries to be denominated (and paid) in euro. Mr. Zandman, as a resident of Israel, has his base salary denominated (and paid) in new Israeli shekels.  The amounts reported in U.S. dollars as compensation for these executives fluctuate based on changes in exchange rates.

"Jubilee" Long-Service Awards

All employees of Vishay's German subsidiaries receive a special bonus upon achieving 25 years and 40 years of service.  During 2014, Ms. Lipcaman achieved her 25 years of service award, and Mr. Wunderlich achieved his 40 years of service award.  These awards are included in 2014 "All Other Compensation" on the accompanying summary compensation table.

 

Tax deductibility of executive compensation

 

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code limits to $1 million the annual tax deduction for compensation paid to each of the Chief Executive Officer and any of the three other highest paid executive officers, other than the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer.  However, compensation that qualifies as performance-based compensation is deductible even in excess of $1 million.  As part of its role, the Compensation Committee reviews and considers the deductibility of executive compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code.  Vishay believes that the compensation it pays to its executive officers generally is fully deductible for federal income tax purposes.  The annual bonuses under the 162(m) Plan are based on Vishay's earnings, and therefore qualify as performance-based compensation.  All stock options awarded by Vishay also qualify as performance-based compensation, as do most awards of restricted stock and RSUs, if vesting is subject to the Company's achievement of performance targets of a type contemplated by a plan approved by stockholders.

In certain situations, the Compensation Committee may approve compensation that will not satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m), in order to ensure competitive levels of total compensation for its executive officers.  The Compensation Committee may request that the Named Executive Officers defer certain compensation until the payment of the compensation would be deductible by Vishay for income tax purposes.

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Other compensation

 

As a result of a payroll tax audit in Germany in 2015, the Company received an assessment from the German taxing authority of approximately $602,000 on account of under-withholding of payroll taxes for Dr. Gerald Paul based on his presence in Germany for 2012.  The Company paid the assessment in 2015 as required by a pre-existing agreement with the German tax authority.  As disclosed in the Company's 2013 proxy statement, the Compensation Committee previously authorized treating any assessment for 2012 as additional compensation for Dr. Paul.  Accordingly, Dr. Paul's reported compensation for 2015 includes a one-time amount of $602,000, reported in the caption "All Other Compensation" in the accompanying Summary Compensation Table.

 

Certain covenants

Under the terms of their employment arrangements, the executives are subject to customary non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement and confidentiality covenants.  The non-competition and non-solicitation covenants for executives remain in force through the second anniversary of the date of termination of the executive's employment with the Company.  While the payments and benefits to the executives are made in consideration of the executives' compliance with these covenants, there are no specific forfeiture provisions in the employment contracts for a breach of the covenants.

Executive Compensation Advisory Vote and Its Frequency

At the Company's 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, a majority of the votes cast by stockholders voted, on an advisory basis, to hold an advisory vote on executive compensation triennially. In line with this recommendation by the Company's stockholders, the Company's Board of Directors has decided that it will include an advisory stockholder vote on executive compensation in its proxy materials triennially until the next stockholder vote on the frequency of an advisory vote on executive compensation, which will be no later than the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders in 2017.  The executive compensation was approved on an advisory basis at the 2014 Annual Meeting.

REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

To Our Stockholders:

We have reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.  Based on that review and discussion, we have recommended to the Board of Directors and the Board has approved, that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement and incorporated by reference into the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Respectfully submitted,

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors

Timothy V. Talbert, Chairman

Dr. Abraham Ludomirski

Thomas C. Wertheimer

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in any of our previous or future filings under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act that might incorporate this proxy statement or future filings with the SEC, in whole or in part, the above report shall not be deemed to be "soliciting material" or "filed" with the SEC and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any such filing.

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COMPENSATION TABLES

Summary Compensation Table

The following table summarizes information regarding compensation earned, held by, or paid to our Named Executive Officers during the years 2013 - 2015.  Standard columns which are zero for all periods presented are omitted.  The information included in the table should be read in conjunction with the footnotes which follow, the descriptions of the employment agreements with each Named Executive Officer described in "Compensation Discussion and Analysis," and the "Grants of Plan Based Awards," "Outstanding Equity Awards," "Option Exercises and Stock Vested," "Pension Benefits," and "Non-qualified Deferred Compensation" tables on the pages which follow:

 

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(1)

Column (c) reflects base salary earned during the respective years and, for Mr. Valletta, includes amounts deferred in accordance with the provisions of our 401(k) plan.  The employment agreements for Dr. Paul, Messrs. Wunderlich and Vandoorn, and Ms. Lipcaman specify that their salaries be denominated and paid in euro.  The employment agreement for Mr. Zandman provides for his salary to be denominated and paid in Israeli shekels.  The amounts presented have been converted into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rate for the year.

(2)

Column (e) represents the grant-date fair value of RSUs and PBRSUs granted in the respective years determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 in the year of grant and the assumptions set forth in Note 12 of our consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-K filed on February 17, 2016.  The grant-date fair value is recognized for accounting purposes over the vesting periods of the respective awards.  At the grant date, the Company expected all performance-based vesting criteria to be achieved.  Accordingly, Column (e) includes the grant-date fair value for the PBRSUs.   The common stock underlying these awards is not received until the awards are vested (in some cases, subject to satisfaction of performance conditions) and accordingly, there can be no assurance that the grant-date fair value of these awards will ever be realized.

(3)

The 2011 awards were amended by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2013.  Pursuant to their original terms, the performance-based RSUs would vest only if all of the associated performance criteria were met for the 3-year period ending December 31, 2013.  Pursuant to the amended terms, 75% of the performance-based RSUs vested effective December 5, 2013 in light of the Compensation Committee's assessment that the performance criteria would be achieved in substantial part by December 31, 2013.  The fair value of these modified awards as of the modification date is included in Column (e).

(4)	The performance-based criteria for the 2013 PBRSU awards were not met.

(5)

Column (e) also includes the grant-date fair value of 5,000 phantom stock units awarded annually to certain Named Executive Officers pursuant to the terms of their employment agreements.  The common stock underlying these awards is not received until termination of employment, and accordingly, there can be no assurance that the grant-date fair value of these awards will ever be realized.

(6)	Column (g) reflects non-equity incentive compensation earned by our executive officers during the respective years.

(7)

Column (h) reflects the change in the actuarial present value of the Named Executive Officer's pension and other post employment benefits under respective defined benefit retirement plans, from the plan measurement date used in preparing the prior year consolidated financial statements to the plan measurement date used in preparing the current year consolidated financial statements, determined using the same interest rate, mortality, and other actuarial assumptions used in our consolidated financial statements as set forth in Note 11 thereof.   No amounts are presented for 2015 for Mr. Zandman, Dr. Paul, Ms. Lipcaman, and Mr. Wunderlich because changes in actuarial assumptions and exchange rate impacts resulted in a decrease in the net present value of such benefits by $378,654, $1,599,625, $130,244, and $204,725,  respectively.  No amounts are presented for 2013 for Mr. Zandman and Mr. Valletta because changes in actuarial assumptions resulted in a decrease in the present value of such benefits by $54,154 and $42,272, respectively.  Mr. Vandoorn does not participate in any defined benefit retirement plans.

(8)	The Company includes in these pension and post employment benefits certain termination benefits for Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman which are payable at normal retirement if such executives are employed by the Company at age 62.  See "Pension and Retirement Benefits" beginning on page 37.

(9)

Dr. Paul and Mr. Zandman also receive annual contributions to our non-qualified deferred compensation plan under which amounts deferred are credited with earnings based on the performance of notional investment options available under the plan.  No portion of the earnings credited during 2015, 2014, or 2013 was "above market" or "preferential."  Consequently, no deferred compensation plan earnings are included in the amounts reported in column (h).  See the "Non-qualified Deferred Compensation" table for more information on the benefits payable under the non-qualified deferred compensation plan.

 

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(10)

All other compensation includes amounts deposited on behalf of each Named Executive Officer into Vishay's non-qualified deferred compensation plan pursuant to the employment agreements with each Named Executive Officer, personal use of company car, Company contributions to 401(k) plans or other similar defined contribution plans outside of the United States, benefits generally available to employees in Israel, medical benefits in excess of normal group or government health insurance in country of residence, additional units of phantom stock granted as a result of dividends declared by the Company, and other perquisites, as described below (asterisk denotes amounts paid in foreign currency and translated at average exchange rates for the year):

 

 

		2015				2014				2013
Marc Zandman		$	100,000			$	100,000			$	100,000		Company contribution to non-qualified deferred compensation plan
			41,177				29,981				30,861		Personal use of Company car*
			197,414				217,038				191,817		Israeli employment benefits*
			59,855				56,936				54,213		Medical and prescription drug insurance premiums (Blue Cross / Blue Shield)
			15,630				14,166				-		Phantom stock - dividend equivalents
		$	414,076			$	418,121			$	376,891		Total
Dr. Gerald Paul		$	100,000			$	100,000			$	100,000		Company contribution to non-qualified deferred compensation plan
			41,822				39,878				40,663		Personal use of Company car*
			28,158				30,726				15,098		Company-paid medical costs*
			15,630				14,166				-		Phantom stock - dividend equivalents
			602,000				-				-		Settlement of payroll tax audit*
		$	787,610			$	184,770			$	155,761		Total
Lori Lipcaman		$	7,036			$	12,952			$	12,929		Personal use of Company car*
			12,106				14,331				14,815		Company-paid medical costs*
			-				66,848				-		'Jubilee' service award
		$	19,142			$	94,131			$	27,744		Total
Dieter Wunderlich		$	12,579			$	6,646			$	9,500		Personal use of Company car*
			13,902				16,226				15,775		Company-paid medical costs*
			-				110,182				-		'Jubilee' service award
		$	26,481			$	133,054			$	25,275		Total
Johan Vandoorn		$	10,566			$	13,400			$	13,892		Personal use of Company car*
			111,801				123,944				119,544		Contribution to defined contribution retirement plan and related life insurance*
			179				214				312		Company-paid medical costs*
			3,992				4,785				4,777		Allowances*
		$	126,538			$	142,343			$	138,524		Total
David Valletta		$	10,600			$	10,400			$	10,166		Company contribution to non-qualified deferred compensation plan
			1,858				1,714				1,403		Personal use of Company car
			9,912				9,866				9,702		Company match to 401(k) plan
			4,138				1,242				1,242		Group Term Life imputed income
		$	26,508			$	23,222			$	22,513		Total

 

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2015 Grants of Plan Based Awards

The following table provides information with regard to plan based awards granted to each Named Executive Officer during 2015.  The information included in the table should be read in conjunction with the footnotes which follow and the description of Vishay's 2007 Program described in "Compensation Discussion and Analysis."

 

				Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards						Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units						All Other Stock Awards:  Number of Shares  of Stock or Units		Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards
				(1)						(2)						(3)		(4)
		Grant		Threshold		Target		Maximum		Threshold		Target		Maximum
Name		Date		($)		($)		($)		(#)		(#)		(#)		(#)		($)
Marc Zandman		1/1/2015		-		1,580,000		2,522,310		-		-		-		5,000			70,450
		3/3/2015		-		-		-		-		60,666		60,666		20,222			1,104,930
Dr. Gerald Paul		1/1/2015		-		1,975,000		3,013,557		-		-		-		5,000			70,450
		3/3/2015		-		-		-		-		95,735		95,735		31,912			1,743,658
Lori Lipcaman		1/1/2015		-		276,142		393,806		-		-		-		-			-
		3/3/2015		-		-		-		-		10,009		10,009		3,336			182,293
Dieter Wunderlich		1/1/2015		-		440,499		454,397		-		-		-		-			-
		3/3/2015		-		-		-		-		14,435		14,435		4,812			262,914
Johan Vandoorn		1/1/2015		-		300,140		442,279		-		-		-		-			-
		3/3/2015		-		-		-		-		11,240		11,240		3,747			204,722
David Valletta		1/1/2015		-		264,771		464,427		-		-		-		-			-
		3/3/2015		-		-		-		-		9,847		9,847		3,282			179,342