8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 15, 2024

STEPAN COMPANY

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware	1-4462	36-1823834
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
1101 Skokie Boulevard Suite 500
Northbrook, Illinois		60062
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: 847 446-7500

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $1 par value	SCL	The New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(d) On February 15, 2024, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Stepan Company (the “Company”) increased the size of the Board by one to a total of eight Directors and elected Susan M. Lewis as a Director. Ms. Lewis was elected to Class II of the Board. The next election of Class II Directors will be at the 2024 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders. The Board also appointed Ms. Lewis as a member of the Board’s Audit Committee, Compliance Committee, Human Capital and Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

As a Director, Ms. Lewis will participate in the Company’s standard non-employee Director compensation arrangements described on pages 52-53 of the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2023.

A copy of the press release announcing the election of Ms. Lewis to the Board is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No. Description

99.1 Press Release of Stepan Company dated February 15, 2024

104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL Document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

			STEPAN COMPANY
Date:	February 15, 2024	By:	/s/ David G. Kabbes
			David G. Kabbes Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Stepan Company Announces Appointment of New Director

February 15, 2024

NORTHBROOK, Ill., February 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stepan Company (NYSE: SCL) announced today the appointment of Susan M. Lewis as a Director of Stepan, effective on February 15, 2024.

Ms. Lewis spent over 30 years at Dow Inc., a materials science company, and was part of the management team of Corteva, Inc., a global agriculture company, following its spinoff from DowDuPont Inc. Ms. Lewis served as Senior Vice President, Global Operations of Corteva from 2018 until her retirement in 2021, after which she worked as a business and executive consultant through 2023. Ms. Lewis held senior management roles with operations, sustainability and risk management responsibilities and led organizational redesign, mergers and acquisitions and transformation projects.

“Susan brings to our Board of Directors extensive supply chain experience in the chemical manufacturing industry and an understanding of the agricultural industry, a key market for Stepan,” said F. Quinn Stepan, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Stepan. “We are pleased to add Susan’s expertise to the Board and we look forward to her contributions to our Company.”

Corporate Profile

Stepan Company is a major manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries. Stepan is a leading merchant producer of surfactants, which are the key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning and disinfection products and in agricultural and oilfield solutions. The Company is also a leading supplier of polyurethane polyols used in the expanding thermal insulation market, and CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, and Elastomers) industries.

Headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, Stepan utilizes a network of modern production facilities located in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

The Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol SCL. For more information about Stepan Company please visit the Company online at www.stepan.com.

More information about Stepan's sustainability program can be found on the Sustainability page at www.stepan.com.

Contact: Luis E. Rojo 847-446-7500

XML

Document And Entity Information	Feb. 15, 2024
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Feb. 15, 2024
Entity Registrant Name	STEPAN COMPANY
Entity Central Index Key	0000094049
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity File Number	1-4462
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	36-1823834
Entity Address, Address Line One	1101 Skokie Boulevard
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 500
Entity Address, City or Town	Northbrook
Entity Address, State or Province	IL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	60062
City Area Code	847
Local Phone Number	446-7500
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $1 par value
Trading Symbol	SCL
Security Exchange Name	NYSE