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

SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

300 Sixth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

April 11, 2019

Dear Stockholder,

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of GNC Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) to be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time at the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219.

The agenda for the Annual Meeting includes:

Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR Proposals 1, 2, and 3.

Your interest in the Company and your vote are very important to us. The enclosed proxy materials contain detailed information regarding the business that will be considered at the Annual Meeting. We encourage you to read the proxy materials and vote your shares as soon as possible. You may vote your proxy via the Internet or telephone or, if you received a paper copy of the proxy materials, by mail by completing and returning the proxy card.

On behalf of GNC, I would like to express our appreciation for your ongoing investment in the Company.

	Live Well,
	Kenneth A. Martindale
	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

GNC HOLDINGS, INC.
NOTICE OF
2019 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON MAY 21, 2019

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be Held on May 21, 2019: As permitted by rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, rather than mailing a full paper set of these proxy materials, we are mailing to many of our stockholders only a notice of Internet availability of proxy materials containing instructions on how to access these proxy materials and submit their respective proxy votes online. This proxy statement, our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the proxy card are available at www.proxyvote.com. You will need your notice of Internet availability or proxy card to access these proxy materials.

April 11, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

300 Sixth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

PROXY STATEMENT
2019 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
May 21, 2019

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of GNC Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), has prepared this document to solicit your proxy to vote upon certain matters at our 2019 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”).

These proxy materials contain information regarding the Annual Meeting, to be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, beginning at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time at the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof. As permitted by the rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), rather than mailing a full paper set of these proxy materials, we are mailing to many of our stockholders only a notice of Internet availability of proxy materials (the “Notice”) containing instructions on how to access and review these proxy materials and submit their respective proxy votes online. If you receive the Notice and would like to receive a paper copy of these proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials located at www.proxyvote.com.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND THESE PROXY MATERIALS

It is anticipated that we will begin mailing this proxy statement, the proxy card, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 (the “Annual Report”) and the Notice, and that these proxy materials will first be made available online to our stockholders, on or about April 11, 2019. The information regarding stock ownership and other matters in this proxy statement is as of March 25, 2019 (the “Record Date”), unless otherwise indicated.

What may I vote on?

You may vote on the following proposals:

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE (1) FOR THE ELECTION OF EACH OF OUR NOMINEES FOR DIRECTORS (PROPOSAL 1), (2) FOR THE APPROVAL, BY NON-BINDING VOTE ON AN ADVISORY BASIS, OF THE COMPENSATION PAID TO OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS FOR 2018 (“SAY-ON-PAY”) (PROPOSAL 2), AND (3) FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PWC AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM (PROPOSAL 3).

Who may vote?

Stockholders of record, at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to receive the Notice and these proxy materials and to vote their respective shares at the Annual Meeting. Each share of our Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) is entitled to one vote on each matter that is properly brought before the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, there were 83,966,049 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding.

Each share of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Preferred Stock”) is entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of shares of Common Stock that such Preferred Stock may convert into as of the

Record Date, calculated by dividing (i) the applicable liquidation preference, which as of the Record Date is $1,000.00 per share, by $5.35 per share, and disregarding any fractional shares into which such aggregate number is convertible. As of the Record Date, there were 299,950 shares of Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, entitling the holder thereof to cast 56,065,420 votes.

Holders of our Common Stock and Preferred Stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to the stockholders for their vote or approval, except as may otherwise be required by Delaware Law or the terms of our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and restated. Under the terms of the Stockholders Agreement, entered into November 8, 2018 (the “Stockholders Agreement”) between the Company and Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (“Harbin”), the current holder of our Preferred Stock, Harbin has agreed for so long as it holds at least fifteen percent (15%) of the Company’s common stock (on an as-converted basis) to vote either in accordance with the recommendations of the Board or in accordance with the relative percentage votes of the Common Stock.

How do I vote?

We encourage you to vote your shares via the Internet. How you vote will depend on how you hold your shares of Common Stock.

Stockholders of Record

If your Common Stock is registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, American Stock, Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, you are considered a stockholder of record with respect to those shares, and a full paper set of these proxy materials is being sent directly to you. As a stockholder of record, you have the right to vote by proxy.

You may vote by proxy in any of the following three ways:

Internet. Go to www.proxyvote.com to use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the website.

Phone. Call 1-800-690-6903 using any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions. Have your proxy card in hand when you call.

Mail. Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided, or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717.

Voting by any of these methods will not affect your right to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person. However, for those who will not be voting in person at the Annual Meeting, your final voting instructions must be received by no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 20, 2019.

Beneficial Owners

Most of our stockholders hold their shares through a stockbroker, bank or other nominee, rather than directly in their own names. If you hold your shares in one of these ways, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in street name, and the Notice is being 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 on how to vote. Your broker, bank or nominee has enclosed a voting instruction form for you to use in directing the broker, bank or nominee on how to vote your shares. If you hold your shares through a New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) member brokerage firm, that member brokerage firm has the discretion to vote shares it holds on your behalf with respect to Proposal 3 (the ratification of PwC as our independent registered accounting firm for our 2019 fiscal year), but not with respect to Proposal 1 (the election of directors) or Proposal 2 (the “say-on-pay” proposal) as more fully described under “What is a broker ‘non-vote’?” below.

Can I change my vote?

Yes. If you are the stockholder of record, you may revoke your proxy before it is exercised by doing any of the following:

Beneficial owners should contact their broker, bank or nominee for instructions on changing their votes.

How many votes must be present to hold the Annual Meeting?

A “quorum” is necessary to hold the Annual Meeting. A quorum is a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. They may be present at the Annual Meeting or represented by proxy. Abstentions and broker “non-votes” are counted as present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining a quorum.

How many votes are needed to approve the proposals?

At the Annual Meeting, a “FOR” vote by a majority of votes cast is required for each of the proposals described in this proxy statement: Proposal 1 (the election of directors), Proposal 2 (the “say-on-pay” proposal), and Proposal 3 (the ratification of PwC as independent registered accounting firm for our 2019 fiscal year).

For Proposals 1, 2 and 3, a “FOR” vote by a “majority of votes cast” means that the number of shares voted “FOR” exceeds the number of shares voted “AGAINST.”

What is an abstention?

An abstention is a properly signed proxy card that is marked “ABSTAIN.” In the case of Proposals 1, 2 and 3, abstentions do not constitute votes “FOR” or votes “AGAINST” and, therefore, will have no effect on the outcome of any of those proposals.

What is a broker “non-vote?”

A broker “non-vote” occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the nominee does not have discretionary voting power for that particular item and has not received timely instructions from the beneficial owner. Under current applicable rules, Proposal 3 (the ratification of PwC as independent registered accounting firm for our 2019 fiscal year) is a “discretionary” item upon which NYSE member brokerage firms that hold shares as nominee may vote on behalf of the beneficial owners if such beneficial owners have not furnished voting instructions by the tenth day before the Annual Meeting.

However, NYSE member brokerage firms that hold shares as a nominee may not vote on behalf of the beneficial owners on Proposal 1 (the election of directors) or Proposal 2 (the “say-on-pay” proposal) unless you provide voting instructions. Therefore, if a NYSE member brokerage firm holds your Common Stock as a nominee, please instruct your broker how to vote your Common Stock on each of these proposals. This will ensure that your shares are counted with respect to each of these proposals. Broker “non-votes” do not constitute votes “FOR” or votes “AGAINST” and therefore will have no effect on the outcome of any of the proposals.

Will any other matters be acted on at the Annual Meeting?

If any other matters are properly presented at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the persons named in the proxy will have discretion to vote on those matters. As of December 11, 2018, the date by which any proposal for consideration at the Annual Meeting submitted by a stockholder must have been received by us to be presented at the Annual Meeting, and as of the date of these proxy materials, we did not know of any other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting.

Who pays for this proxy solicitation?

We will pay the expenses of soliciting proxies. In addition to solicitation by mail, proxies may be solicited in person or by telephone or other means by our directors or associates for no additional compensation. We will reimburse brokerage firms and other nominees, custodians and fiduciaries for costs incurred by them in mailing these proxy materials to the beneficial owners of Common Stock held of record by such persons.

Whom should I call with other questions?

If you have additional questions about these proxy materials or the Annual Meeting, please contact: GNC Holdings, Inc., 300 Sixth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222, Attention: Secretary; Telephone: (412) 288-4600.

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
(PROPOSAL 1)

The Board proposes that each of the nine (9) director nominees described below (the “Nominees”), who currently are members of our Board, be re-elected for a one-year term expiring at our 2020 Annual Meeting and to serve until the due election and qualification of his or her successor, or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.

In November of 2018, the Board adopted resolutions to increase the size of the Board to ten (10) members. In addition to the eight (8) then existing directors, upon designation by Harbin and based on the recommendation of the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board appointed Hsing Chow and Yong Kai Wong to the Board, effective January 22, 2019, in accordance with the terms of the Stockholders Agreement. Messrs. Chow and Wong are included in the nominees for re-election below. In February 2019 the Board size was further increased to eleven (11) members, and in April 2019, upon designation by Harbin and based on the recommendation of the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board appointed Michele S. Meyer to the Board, effective immediately, in accordance with the terms of the Stockholders Agreement. Ms. Meyer is included in the nominees for re-election below. Harbin has additional contractual rights to nominate up to two (2) additional directors to the Board, provided that each such additional nominee satisfies the requirements set forth in the Stockholders Agreement. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, Harbin has not yet exercised this optional right with respect to the final two positions.

Two of the Company’s current directors, Jeffrey Berger and Richard Wallace, have notified the Company of their intention to retire from the Board as of the date of the Annual Meeting, and as such are not included in this proxy statement as Nominees for re-election. The Company thanks them for their service. The Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is working collaboratively with Harbin to fill the remaining board seats as soon as qualified candidates, as outlined in the Company’s governance documents and the Stockholders Agreement, are found.

All of the Nominees have indicated their willingness to serve if elected. If, at the time of the meeting, any Nominee is unable or unwilling to serve, shares represented by properly executed proxies will be voted at the discretion of the persons named therein for such other nominee as the Board (or Harbin pursuant to its existing designation rights) may designate, or the Board may elect to decrease the size of the Board.

Set forth below is information concerning each Nominee, and the key experience, qualifications and skills he or she brings to the Board.

Recommendation

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES AS DIRECTORS.

The Nominees

Kenneth A. Martindale, 59, became our Chief Executive Officer and a director on September 11, 2017. He was subsequently elected as Chairman of the Board in August, 2018. Mr. Martindale was previously CEO of Rite Aid Stores, a position held since August 3, 2015, and President of Rite Aid Corporation, a position held since June 2013. He previously served as Rite Aid’s Chief Operating Officer since June 2010. From December 2008 until June 2010, he served as Rite Aid’s Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising, Marketing and Logistics Officer. He served as co-President and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer for Pathmark Stores, Inc. from January 2006 until its acquisition by the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company in December 2007. Mr. Martindale serves as a director of Fairway Group Holdings Corporation. Mr. Martindale’s years of executive leadership experience in retail operations led to the conclusion that he should serve as a director on the Board.

Robert F. Moran, 68, became one of our directors in June 2013 and served as our Interim Chief Executive Officer from July 2016 through September 10, 2017. He served as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board from September 2017 through August 2018, after which time he was elected as Lead Independent Director. Mr. Moran most recently served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PetSmart, Inc., a leading specialty provider of pet products, services and solutions (“PetSmart”), from February 2009 to June 2013. Prior to being appointed Chairman, Mr. Moran was PetSmart’s President and Chief Executive Officer from June 2009 to January 2012

and its President and Chief Operating Officer from December 2001 to June 2009. Before joining PetSmart in 1999, Mr. Moran was President of Toys “R” Us Canada. Mr. Moran served on the boards of directors of Collective Brands, Inc. from March 2005 to October 2012 and of PetSmart from September 2009 to June 2013. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Hanesbrands, Inc., for which he chairs the audit committee, and the USA Track & Field Foundation. Mr. Moran’s more than 40 years of executive leadership experience, both domestically and internationally, and extensive retail experience and expertise led to the conclusion that he should serve as a director on the Board.

Hsing Chow, 52, became one of our directors in January 2019, pursuant to the terms of the Stockholders Agreement with Harbin. Since 2015, Mr. Chow has served as Group Vice President of Harbin. Prior to his service at Harbin, Mr. Chow served as Regional General Manager at Flextronics Global OPS, a leading electronics manufacturing services provider focused on delivering complete design, engineering and manufacturing services to automotive, computing, consumer, industrial, infrastructure, medical and mobile OEMs. Mr. Chow holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology. Mr. Chow’s designation by Harbin pursuant to the terms of our Stockholders Agreement, along with his business and international experience, led to the conclusion that he should serve as a director on the Board.

Alan D. Feldman, 67, became one of our directors in June 2013. Mr. Feldman most recently served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Midas, Inc., a provider of retail automotive services, from May 2006 until its merger with TBC Corporation in May 2012 and as its President and Chief Executive Officer from January 2003 until May 2006. From 1994 through 2002, Mr. Feldman held senior management posts at McDonald’s Corporation and, prior to that, with the Pizza Hut and Frito-Lay units of PepsiCo, Inc. Mr. Feldman also currently serves on the board of directors of Foot Locker, Inc., for which he chairs the compensation and management resources committee and serves as a member of the executive committee and the finance and strategic planning committee, and of John Bean Technologies Corporation, for which he chairs the audit committee and serves as a member of the nominating and governance committee. Mr. Feldman also serves as Chair of the University of Illinois Foundation. Mr. Feldman’s recognized leadership skills and years of broad-based experience in independent, franchised retail operations, brand management and customer relations led to the conclusion that he should serve as a director on the Board.

Michael F. Hines, 63, became one of our directors in November 2009. He served as Chairman of our Board from August 2014 to September 2017, and prior to that, served as our Lead Independent Director since July 2012. Mr. Hines was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., a sporting goods retailer, from 1995 to March 2007. From 1990 to 1995, he held management positions with Staples, Inc., most recently as Vice President, Finance. Earlier, he spent 12 years in public accounting, the last eight years with the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Boston. Mr. Hines serves on the board of directors of The TJX Companies, Inc., a retailer of apparel and home fashions (“TJX”), and is the chair of its audit committee and a member of its finance committee. He also serves on the board of directors of Dunkin Brands Group, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, for which he chairs the audit committee and is a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Mr. Hines’s experience as a financial executive and certified public accountant, coupled with his extensive knowledge of financial reporting rules and regulations, evaluating financial results and generally overseeing the financial reporting process of large retailers, led to the conclusion that he should serve as a director on the Board.

Amy B. Lane, 66, became one of our directors in June 2011. Ms. Lane was a Managing Director and Group Leader of the Global Retailing Investment Banking Group at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., an investment bank, from 1997 until her retirement in 2002. Ms. Lane previously served as a Managing Director at Salomon Brothers, Inc., an investment bank, where she founded and led the retail industry investment banking unit. Ms. Lane serves on the board of directors of TJX, and is the chair of its finance committee and a member of its audit and executive committees. Additionally, she serves on the board of directors of Nextera Energy, Inc., an electric utility holding company, as the chair of its finance committee and a member of the compensation committee, and on the board of directors of Urban Edge Properties, a REIT spun off from Vornado Realty Trust. Ms. Lane’s experience as the leader of two investment banking practices covering the global retailing industry has given her substantial experience with financial services, capital markets, finance and accounting, capital structure, acquisitions and divestitures in the retail industry as well as management, leadership and strategy, which led to the conclusion that she should serve as a director on the Board.

Philip E. Mallott, 61, became one of our directors in July 2012. Mr. Mallott retired as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Intimate Brands, an intimate apparel and personal care retailer and former subsidiary of Limited Brands, Inc. Mr. Mallott formerly served as a director of Big Lots, Inc., including non-executive chair for four years until May 2017, and as chair of the audit committee for fifteen years. In addition to his Board service at Big Lots, Mr. Mallott also serves on multiple board committees for Defiance College and United Church Homes, Inc. Mr. Mallott previously served as a director of Tween Brands, Inc. from 2000 to 2009. Mr. Mallott’s experience as a certified public accountant, his service on the boards of other public companies and charitable organizations, and his experience in leadership roles with other retailers led to the conclusion that he should serve as a director on the Board.

Michele S. Meyer, 54, became one of our directors in April 2019, pursuant to the terms of the Stockholders Agreement with Harbin. Ms. Meyer currently serves as President and Senior Vice President of the snacks operating unit, a $2 billion enterprise within General Mills, a Minneapolis, Minnesota based Fortune 500 global foods company. Ms. Meyer joined General Mills in 1988, and has held key leadership roles during her 30 years of service, including as President and Senior Vice President, and as Business Unit Director, Vice President, of other units within General Mills. In her current role, Ms. Meyer has driven sales growth, and has grown market share within her unit in key categories. Ms. Meyer possesses significant international experience, and is well versed in corporate restructuring and has acquisition integration experience, which combined with her business acumen and leadership skills, has led to the conclusion that she should serve as a director on the Board.

Yong Kai Wong, 42, became one of our directors in January 2019, pursuant to the terms of the Stockholders Agreement with Harbin. Mr. Wong has served as Managing Director of CITIC Capital Holdings Limited, an affiliate of Harbin, since 2012. Mr. Wong holds a CSREP degree from Harvard University, a Masters of Business Administration from University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Cambridge. Mr. Wong’s designation by Harbin pursuant to the terms of our Stockholders Agreement, along with his business and international experience, led to the conclusion that he should serve as a director on the Board.

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes cast by our stockholders in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required to approve this Proposal 1. Any Director who receives less than a majority of affirmative votes cast by our stockholders for re-election must offer to resign from the Board if he or she is not re-elected at the Annual Meeting.

OTHER BOARD INFORMATION

Board Composition

The Board is currently composed of Kenneth A. Martindale, Jeffrey P. Berger, Hsing Chow, Alan D. Feldman, Michael F. Hines, Amy B. Lane, Philip E. Mallott, Michele S. Meyer, Robert F. Moran, Richard J. Wallace and Yong Kai Wong. The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are available on the Corporate Governance page of the Investor Relations section of our website located at www.gnc.com and will be provided to any stockholder free of charge upon request. The Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that in the event the Chairperson of the Board is not an independent director, the Lead Independent Director of the Board is to serve as the chairperson of any meetings of the Board in executive session. Mr. Moran, an independent director, currently serves as Lead Independent Director of the Board.

In addition to the biographical information provided above for those Directors who are Nominees, set forth below is information concerning Messrs. Berger and Wallace, who currently serve on our Board, until their impending retirement at the Annual Meeting.

Jeffrey P. Berger, 69, became one of our directors in March 2011. Mr. Berger currently is a private investor. From 2008 until April 2013, Mr. Berger served as a consultant to H. J. Heinz Company, a leading producer and marketer of healthy and convenient foods (“Heinz”). From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Berger was the Chairman of Global Foodservice of Heinz. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Berger was the Executive Vice President, President and Chief Executive Officer of Heinz Foodservice. From 1994 to 2005, Mr. Berger was President and Chief Executive Officer of Heinz North America Foodservice. Mr. Berger currently serves on the board of directors of Big Lots, Inc., a discount retailer.

Richard J. Wallace, 67, became one of our directors in July 2010. Mr. Wallace served as a Senior Vice President for Research and Development at GlaxoSmithKline, a global pharmaceutical company (“GSK”), from 2004 until his retirement in 2008. Prior to that, he served in various executive capacities for GSK and its predecessor companies and their subsidiaries from 1992 to 2004. Mr. Wallace is also a director of ImmunoGen, Inc., for which he serves as a member of the audit and nominating and governance committees.

Board Meetings in 2018

The Board held fifteen (15) meetings during our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

Director Attendance

During our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, each of our incumbent directors attended at least 75% of all meetings of the Board and committees of which he or she was then a member. We encourage, but do not require, our directors to attend our annual meetings of stockholders. All of our current directors who were serving on the Board at the time of our 2018 Annual Meeting attended the meeting.

Director Independence

Our Common Stock is listed for trading on the NYSE under the symbol “GNC”. The Board, upon the findings of the Nominating Committee, has determined as part of its annual review, that each of Ms. Lane, Ms. Meyer, and Messrs. Moran, Feldman, Hines and Mallott is “independent” within the meaning of Rule 303A.02 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, and no family relationships exist among such Nominees and any of our executive officers. During this review, the Board considered transactions and relationships between each nominee for director with the Company (either directly or as a partner, stockholder or officer of any organization that has a relationship with the Company), including any potential related party transactions, as discussed below under “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,” to determine whether any such relationships or transactions were inconsistent with a determination that the nominee for director is independent in accordance with independence requirements under our Corporate Governance Guidelines and as implemented by the NYSE.

Leadership Structure

The Board has adopted guidelines that provide the Board with the discretion and flexibility to decide if the roles of the Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board are to be separate or combined. Currently, the roles are combined, with Mr. Martindale serving as both Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of the Board. The Board has determined that this is currently the appropriate leadership structure due to the fact that Mr. Martindale possesses detailed insight of the issues, opportunities and challenges facing the Company and its business and thus is best positioned to develop agendas that ensure the Board’s time and attention are focused on the most critical matters. His combined role enables decisive leadership, ensures clear accountability and enhances the Company’s ability to develop a long-term strategy that best serves the interest of its stakeholders. Each director, other than Messrs. Martindale, Chow and Wong, is independent, and the Board believes that the independent directors provide effective oversight of management. To further strengthen our governance structure, the Company also maintains a presiding non-employee director, which position is currently held by Mr. Moran.

Our Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

The Board and its Committees play an active role in overseeing the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks that are material to the Company. In fulfilling this responsibility, the Board and its Committees, regularly consult with management to evaluate and, when appropriate, modify our risk management strategies. While certain categories of risk are allocated to a particular Board committee for oversight based on the committee’s respective areas of expertise, the entire Board is regularly informed about such risks through committee reports.

The Board regularly reviews information regarding our primary areas of risk assessment- strategic, executional, competitive, economic, operational, financial (credit, liquidity, tax), legal, compliance, regulatory and reputational, as well as the risks associated with each. The Audit Committee has responsibilities related to the oversight and management of cybersecurity and financial risks, including compliance matters, tax strategies, information security measures and the internal audit function. The Compensation and Organizational Development Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation policies, philosophies, practices and arrangements.

The Finance Committee oversees risks related to financial planning and strategies, including capital structure, investments, liquidity and cash management, insurance programs, hedging policies, and our stock ownership profile. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board (the “Nominating Committee”) is responsible for managing risks relating to our director compensation policies and arrangements, the independence of the Board, director candidates, board and committee composition, and other corporate governance matters. The risk oversight function does not impact the structure of the Board.

Company management is charged with adequately identifying material risks that the Company faces in a timely manner; implementing strategies that are responsive to the Company’s risk profile and specific material risk exposures; evaluating risk and risk management with respect to business decision-making throughout the Company; and efficiently and promptly transmitting relevant risk-related information to the Board or appropriate committee, so as to enable them to conduct appropriate risk management oversight. For example, the Audit Committee receives quarterly reports from the Internal Audit department on key risk indicators and the Compliance function on legal and regulatory compliance. The Legal Department provides a litigation report to the Board at least annually. The Chief Information Officer, with participation from the Chief Information Security Officer, reports quarterly to the Audit Committee on information security and compliance, including program maturity, data access control, security tests and training, key investments and security incident response.

Board Committees

Each of the below Committees is a standing committee of the Board. The Board has adopted written charters for each of these committees, each of which is available on the Corporate Governance page of the Investor Relations section of our website located at www.gnc.com and will be provided to any stockholder free of charge upon request. Further, each member of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Finance Committee and the Nominating Committee has been determined by the Board to be independent under the NYSE’s current listed company standards.

X = Member

Chair = Chairperson

* = Financial Expert

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee, which is established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act, consists entirely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the listing standards of the NYSE and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Further, the Board has determined that each of Messrs. Berger, Hines and Mallott qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K and has the attributes set forth in such section, and they each have accounting and financial management expertise within the meaning of the listing standards of the NYSE.

The principal duties and responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to:

The Audit Committee has the power to investigate any matter brought to its attention within the scope of its duties. It also has the authority to retain counsel and advisors to fulfill its responsibilities and duties.

Compensation Committee

The Board has determined that each of Amy B. Lane, Philip E. Mallott, and Richard J. Wallace qualify as independent under the current NYSE Corporate Governance Standards.

The principal duties and responsibilities of the Compensation Committee are to:

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation. For our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, (i) no member of the Compensation Committee (a) served as one of our officers or employees during or preceding their tenure on the Compensation Committee or (b) had any relationship requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K, and (ii) none of our executive officers served as a director or member of the compensation committee of another entity whose executive officers served on the Board or the Compensation Committee. During our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, our Compensation Committee included Amy B. Lane, Philip E. Mallott, and Richard J. Wallace.

Finance Committee

The principal duties and responsibilities of the Finance Committee are to:

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The Board has determined that each of Jeffrey P. Berger, Richard J. Wallace and Alan D. Feldman qualify as independent under the current NYSE Corporate Governance Standards.

The principal duties and responsibilities of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Nominating Committee”) are as follows:

Director Qualifications; Nominating Committee Process. The Nominating Committee’s policy is to identify potential director nominees from any properly submitted nominations, including any properly submitted nominations from our stockholders, and subsequently evaluate each potential nominee. Stockholders may nominate director candidates for consideration by the Nominating Committee as set forth below.

In accordance with the Company’s amended and restated by-laws, to be timely for consideration by the Nominating Committee, notice of a proposed nomination must be delivered to or mailed and received at the Company’s principal executive offices not earlier than the opening of business on the 120^th day nor later than the close of business on the 90^th day prior to the one year anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting of its stockholders; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days prior to or delayed by more than 70 days after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, the nomination must be received not earlier than the opening of business on the 120^th day prior to the date of such annual meeting nor later than the later of the close of business on the (i) 90^th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or (ii) 10^th day following the day on which public announcement of such meeting date is first made.

In addition to information regarding the nominating stockholder as set forth in the Company’s amended and restated by-laws, in accordance with the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, such stockholder’s notice must set forth as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director:

Any such submission must be accompanied by the written consent of the individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected.

The Nominating Committee may, but is not required to, consider nominations not properly submitted in accordance with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, and the Committee may request further information and documentation from any proposed nominee or from any stockholder proposing a nominee. All nominees properly submitted to the Company (or which the Nominating Committee otherwise elects to consider) will be evaluated and considered by members of the Nominating Committee using the same criteria as nominees identified by the Nominating Committee itself.

In addition to the above, under the terms of the Company’s current Stockholders Agreement entered into with Harbin, and pursuant to the terms of the current Sixth Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, so long as Harbin continues to hold at least fifteen percent (15%) of the Company’s Common Stock (calculated on an as-converted basis), Harbin has the right, but not the obligation, to designate up to two additional directors (each an “Investor Designee”) to the Board, in addition to the initial Investor Designees Messrs. Chow and Wong, and the third Investor Designee, Ms. Meyer.

In evaluating the suitability of individual candidates (both new candidates and current Board members), in recommending candidates for election, and in approving (and, in the case of vacancies, appointing) such candidates, the Nominating Committee considers, in addition to such other factors as it shall deem relevant, the desirability of selecting directors who:

In addition to the considerations set forth above, the Nominating Committee considers a candidate’s background and accomplishments and candidates are reviewed in the context of the current composition of the Board and the evolving needs of our businesses. The Nominating Committee conducts the appropriate and necessary inquiries (as determined by the Nominating Committee) with respect to the backgrounds and qualifications of any potential nominees, without regard to whether a potential nominee has been recommended by our stockholders, and, upon consideration of all relevant factors and circumstances, recommends to the Board for its approval the slate of director nominees to be nominated for election at our annual meeting of stockholders. Although the

Nominating Committee has not adopted a formal policy with respect to diversity, it does look for diversity of background (including, but not limited to, race, origin, age and gender) and experience in different substantive areas such as retail operations, marketing, technology, distribution and finance, as relevant factors in evaluating candidates.

2018 Director Compensation

The following table presents information regarding the compensation of our non-employee directors with respect to our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and should be read in conjunction with “Narrative to the Director Compensation Table” below. Employees of the Company do not receive any additional compensation for 2018 Board service. No information has been provided for Messrs. Chow or Wong or Ms. Meyer, as they did not join the Board of Directors until January and April 2019, respectively.

Narrative to the Director Compensation Table. Our current director compensation policy (the “Director Compensation Policy”), adopted in 2013, provides that each non-employee director is entitled to receive an annual cash retainer for Board service, additional cash retainers service as a Committee member and/or Chairperson and an annual equity award. The Board believes that payments of retainer fees provide an appropriate balance of incentives for active participation and ease of administration, while the grant of annual equity awards aligns the long-term financial interests of our directors and our stockholders.

Specifically for 2018, our non-employee directors received (i) an $80,000 annual cash retainer for Board service, (ii) as applicable, an incremental annual cash retainer of $17,500, $15,000, $12,500 or $12,500 for service as Chairperson of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Finance Committee or Nominating Committee, respectively, (iii) as applicable, an incremental annual cash retainer of $12,500 or $10,000 for service on the Audit Committee or another standing Committee, respectively, and (iv) annual equity award, in the form of restricted stock with one year cliff vesting, valued at $110,000 at the time of grant. For information regarding Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation, see “Other Board Information” above. In addition to the compensation noted above, the Chairman of the Board is entitled to receive an annual, incremental cash retainer, which in 2018 was $110,000. Additionally, in August, 2018 the annual cash retainer for the Lead Independent Director was established at $50,000. The annual cash retainers paid to our non-employee directors under the Director Compensation Policy are generally paid in four equal quarterly installments every March, June, September and December, and the annual equity award is typically granted in May.

We also maintain a deferred compensation plan under which our non-employee directors may elect to defer all or a portion of their compensation until the earliest of separation from the Board, death, a specified future date or a change in control of the Company. Annual equity retainers are deferred in the form of RSUs with identical vesting schedules to the shares of restricted stock. Ms. Lane elected to defer her 2018 annual restricted stock award and will not be issued shares from the award until separation from service.

Director Stock Ownership Guidelines. We believe that to align the interests of our non-employee directors with our stockholders, our directors should have a financial stake in the Company. The Board adopted a policy in December 2011 requiring each of our non-employee directors to own stock in the Company equal to a minimum of five times such director’s annual cash retainer for service on the Board (the “Director Stock Ownership Guidelines”). Any newly elected directors have five years from the date of their election to comply with the Director Stock Ownership Guidelines, and should retain at least 50% of all after-tax shares owned by or underlying equity awards granted to them (other than those granted on or prior to December 11, 2012) until the ownership thresholds are met. The Nominating Committee evaluates potential hardship exceptions for directors due to financial considerations or other appropriate reasons, including changes in value resulting from volatility in our share price. For the purposes of the Director Stock Ownership Guidelines, stock includes (i) directly held shares of our Common Stock, (ii) shares of unvested restricted stock and unvested RSUs (other than unvested shares of performance-vested restricted stock or unvested performance-vested restricted stock units) and (iii) vested shares of Common Stock allocated to the account of a non-employee director who was formerly an employee of the Company under any plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our Chief Executive Officer and senior financial officers and a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that is applicable to all employees. Each document is available on the Corporate Governance page of the Investor Relations section of our website located at www.gnc.com, and will be provided to any stockholder free of charge upon request. Any amendments to or waivers from our Code of Ethics with respect to our Chief Executive Officer and senior financial officers will also be disclosed on our website. Employees generally receive annual training with respect to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and are required to acknowledge that they understand their responsibilities and will comply with all aspects of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

We recognize that transactions between the Company and related persons present a potential for actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Our general policies with respect to such transactions are included in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. All employees are required to follow the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics,

and the Audit Committee of the Board, along with Corporate Compliance staff led by our Chief Legal Officer, oversee our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which provides that any actual or potential conflict of interest is to be disclosed.

Although we have not adopted formal written procedures for the review, approval or ratification of transactions with related persons, the Board reviews potential transactions with those parties we have identified as related parties prior to the consummation of the transaction, and we adhere to the general policy that such transactions should only be entered into if they are approved by the Board, in accordance with applicable law, and on terms that, on the whole, are no more or less favorable than those available from unaffiliated third parties. In 2018, we did not participate in any transactions involving an amount in excess of $120,000 in which any related person (as defined in Instruction 1 to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K) has or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

Communications from Stockholders and Other Interested Parties

The Board welcomes communications from our stockholders and other interested parties. Stockholders and other interested parties wishing to communicate with the Board, our non-management directors or any particular director may send such communications to the following address: GNC Holdings, Inc., 300 Sixth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222, Attention: Secretary. Such communications should indicate clearly the director or directors to whom the communication is being sent so that each communication may be forwarded directly to the appropriate director(s).

Board Tenure and Evaluations

As noted in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, it is the general policy of the Company that no director may stand for election to the Board after his or her 72nd birthday and that no director may serve on the Board for more than fifteen years. However, it is not the intent of the Company that a director reaching retirement age or period of service limitations would prevent the director from continuing to serve the Company in a different capacity, such as Director Emeritus or as a consultant.

Both the full Board, as well as each Board Committee discussed within this proxy statement, completes an annual self-assessment, which is a structured, confidential questionnaire prepared by the legal department. The results of the questionnaires are reviewed and discussed, as applicable, within executive session, and further used to develop action plans in response to comments provided in said questionnaires.

Policy on Hedging and Pledging of Company Stock

The Company currently has a policy in place that is applicable to all employees and non-employee directors, which prohibits such persons from (i) within six months after purchasing any Company securities, selling any Company securities of the same class, (ii) selling the Company’s securities short, (iii) buying or selling puts or calls or other derivative securities on the Company’s securities, (iv) holding Company securities in a margin account or pledging Company securities as collateral for a loan or (v) entering into hedging or monetization transactions or similar arrangements with respect to Company securities.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Set forth below is information concerning our current executive officers.

The biography for Mr. Martindale is set forth above under “Election of Directors (Proposal 1).”

Tricia K. Tolivar became our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in March 2015. She served as our Interim Chief Marketing Officer in June 2017 through April 2018. In October 2018, Ms. Tolivar assumed responsibility and oversight of the Company’s real estate function. Previously, Ms. Tolivar served in leadership positions with Ernst & Young, LLP from October 2007 to February 2015, including most recently as Americas Director of Finance, Advisory, with responsibility for the leadership of finance, accounting and operations of a $3 billion client service organization in North and South America. Ms. Tolivar previously served as Chief Financial Officer of the Greater Memphis Arts Council from January 2006 to December 2008 and in a series of executive leadership positions with AutoZone, Inc. from 1996 to 2005. She is a graduate of Emory University.

Guru Ramanathan, Ph.D. joined our Company in 1998 and became our Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer in December 2009 having previously served as Senior Vice President of Product and Package Innovation since February 2008 and Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs since April 2007. He served as Vice President of Scientific Affairs from December 2003 to April 2007. Prior to joining the Company, Dr. Ramanathan worked as Medical Director and Secretary for the Efamol subsidiary of Scotia Pharmaceuticals in Boston and, in his capacity as a pediatric dentist and dental surgeon, held various industry consulting and management roles, as well as clinical, research and teaching appointments in Madras, India, and Tufts University and New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Ramanathan earned his Ph.D. in Innovation Management from Tufts University and his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Kevin G. Nowe became our Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary in March 2018. Previously he served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer from April 2017 to October 2017 and as our Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer from October 2017 to March 2018. Mr. Nowe previously served in leadership positions at Kennametal, Inc., most recently as Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel from 2009 to 2016, with responsibility for management of the company’s legal and general corporate governance matters, and as Assistant Secretary and Assistant General Counsel from 1992 to 2009. Mr. Nowe is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the Case Western University School of Law.

Steven Piano became our Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in January 2018. Mr. Piano previously served in leadership positions with MoneyGram International, Inc. from 2009 to 2017, most recently as Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Real Estate and Communications with responsibility for MoneyGram International’s global human resources and facilities management. Mr. Piano previously served in a variety of human resources leadership positions for National Grid USA, First Data Corporation and Lehman Brothers, Inc. Mr. Piano is a graduate of Hofstra University.

Susan M. Canning became our Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in September 2018. Ms. Canning previously served as Senior Corporate Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Kellogg Company from 2017 to 2018, General Counsel - Europe of Kellogg Company from 2014 to 2017 and other legal roles since 2008. Ms. Canning previously served in a variety of legal positions for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. from 1991 to 2008. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and the University of Detroit School of Law.

In addition to our current executive officers, below is biographical information for each of Joseph C. Gorman, age 48, and Gene Eddie Burt II, age 53, who served as executive officers until their resignations in March 2019, and are included as Named Executive Officers in this proxy statement for 2018.

Joseph C. Gorman served as Executive Vice President, Operations, from March 2017 through March 2019. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Gorman served as Senior Vice President, Store Operations from January to March 2017 and Vice President, Western Division, from December 2015 to January 2017. Prior to joining the Company in 2015, Mr. Gorman was President of Anomaly Republic, a clothing retailer headquartered in Southern California from 2014 to 2015, with responsibility for the executive management and operational leadership of the company’s business. Prior to that, Mr. Gorman spent approximately six years at GameStop, an omni-channel video game and electronics retailer, where he held various field leadership positions from 2009 to 2014, and approximately sixteen years before that at The Home Depot, a home improvement retailer, where he held various operational roles in the field and headquarters.

Gene Eddie Burt II served as Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer from January 2018 through March 2019. He previously served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer from January 2017 to January 2018. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain for Tuesday Morning Corporation from February through September 2016, with responsibility for the oversight of the company’s product distribution network, and prior to that in a variety of executive roles with PetSmart, Inc. from 2007 to 2015, most recently as Senior Vice President, Real Estate and Development with responsibility for the company’s facilities and development initiatives. Mr. Burt is a graduate of Morehouse College.

ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
(PROPOSAL 2)

In accordance with Section 14A of the Exchange Act, we are providing our stockholders the opportunity to cast a non-binding advisory vote to approve the 2018 compensation of our Named Executive Officers (defined below) as described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement, the compensation tables that follow and narrative discussions set forth in these proxy materials. This proposal, commonly known as a “say-on-pay” proposal, gives our stockholders the opportunity to express their views on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. Our Board recommended, and the stockholders approved at our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, that such advisory vote would be conducted on an annual basis.

As described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement, the primary objectives of our executive compensation program are to (i) align cash and stock-based rewards with Company performance that creates long-term stockholder value, (ii) attract and retain high performing, results oriented employees, (iii) build an ownership and long-term growth mentality and interest among our key employees and (iv) provide cost effective cash and stock-based rewards that are competitive with other organizations, reinforce our pay for performance culture, and equitable to our stockholders and employees. The foregoing objectives are applicable to the compensation of our Named Executive Officers.

We believe that our executive compensation program achieves these objectives by emphasizing long-term stock-based incentive awards and performance-based compensation, is appropriate in light of our overall compensation philosophy and objectives, and will play an essential role in our current business environment and future success.

Therefore, the Board recommends a vote in favor of the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers for fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED.”

As an advisory vote, this proposal is not binding upon us. Notwithstanding the advisory nature of this vote, the Compensation Committee values the opinions expressed by stockholders in their vote on this proposal, and will consider the outcome of the vote when making future compensation decisions for our Named Executive Officers. Currently, we expect to hold an advisory vote on the compensation paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers each year and expect that the next such vote will occur at our 2020 Annual Meeting.

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes cast by our stockholders in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote is required to approve this Proposal 2.

Recommendation

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL, ON AN ADVISORY BASIS, OF THE COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS FOR THE COMPANY’S FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018, AS DISCLOSED IN THESE PROXY MATERIALS.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This section discusses the material elements of compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to our principal executive officer, our principal financial officer, and our three other most highly compensated executive officers who were serving as such on December 31, 2018. These individuals are referred to collectively as the “Named Executive Officers.”

For 2018, the Named Executive Officers were:

The Company had a change in its Named Executive Officers from 2017 to 2018. Mr. Mantel, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, resigned from employment with the Company as of February 9, 2018. Mr. Piano joined the Company as Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer on January 22, 2018. Messrs. Gorman and Burt resigned from employment with the Company March 15, 2019.

Executive Summary

Our goal is to create a consistent and satisfying experience for all of our customers, whether they find us in a retail store, online, or on a mobile device, and we are investing in omni-channel capabilities to further enhance our in-store experience. Our store base is a competitive advantage over online-only competitors especially as we continue to develop our associates to deliver thoughtful assistance and advice.

In addition to addressing traffic trends in our retail stores, our management team is seeking other substantial opportunities to reposition the Company and drive profitable growth, including expansion of our business internationally, increased brand penetration, loyalty memberships, leveraging our strength in product innovation, and delivering a compelling omnichannel experience. As our key efforts take time to produce results, the Company’s operational results in 2018 were challenged, impacting our year-over-year share price, down from approximately $3.50 per share at the beginning of 2018 to less than $3.00 per share by the end of the year.

On February 13, 2018, the Company announced it had reached an agreement regarding a strategic partnership and China joint venture agreement with Harbin Pharmaceutical Group (“Harbin”). Under the terms of the agreement, Harbin invested approximately $300 million in GNC. In conjunction with the final investment, the formation of the Hong Kong-based China e-commerce joint venture with Harbin was completed in February 2019. The Hong Kong-based China e-commerce joint venture includes the operations of the existing profitable, growing cross border China e-commerce business. We anticipate completing the formation of the second, retail-focused joint venture located in China in the second or third quarter of 2019 following the completion of certain routine regulatory and legal requirements.

In February 2019, we announced the formation of a strategic partnership with International Vitamin Corporation (“IVC”). Under the joint venture agreement, GNC quality and R&D teams will continue to support product development and innovation, while IVC will manage manufacturing and integrate with GNC's supply chain. Under the terms of the agreement, GNC will receive $176 million over the next four years from IVC as their ownership of the joint venture increases to 100%. This partnership will allow GNC to further focus on innovation while IVC drives increased efficiencies in manufacturing.

In light of this transforming and challenging business environment, the Compensation Committee made the following pay determinations in 2018 for our Named Executive Officers:

Our executive compensation program has been structured to generate and reward superior company performance by establishing compensation packages under which variable, or incentive, compensation is weighted more heavily than base salary. We have established compensation programs to motivate our executives to focus on both our short-term and long-term performance by providing a mix of short-term and long-term incentive compensation in the form of annual cash incentive compensation and long-term equity-based incentive compensation. We believe that our approach appropriately allocates compensation toward non-cash equity compensation on average, and aligns the incentives of our executives with the interests of our stockholders.

Annual Cash Incentive Compensation. For 2018, we approved an annual cash incentive compensation program for our executives based 100% on achievement of pre-established adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”) performance metric. We believed that this criteria would incentivize our Named Executive Officers to focus on stabilizing the Company’s EBITDA; driving growth to our top line, while creating operational efficiencies to benefit the bottom line.

Additionally, considering the challenging business environment and then-pending Harbin deal, the Company moved from an annual to quarterly Adjusted EBITDA goals (which aligned with the budget) in order to provide a responsive and viable plan for participants during the year. Any quarterly incentives earned based on achievement of quarterly Adjusted EBITDA goals are not paid until after the close of the fiscal year, so as to support our retention and stabilization efforts with leadership. The Company’s performance for 2018 resulted in partial payment of bonuses to the Named Executive Officers under the annual cash incentive compensation program or, in the case of Mr. Martindale, under his employment agreement. This is the first organization wide annual incentive payment since the 2015 plan year.

Long-term Incentive Compensation. We maintain a long-term incentive program that principally utilizes “full-value” awards, such as restricted stock awards (“RSAs”), Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) and Performance Share Units (“PSUs”), in combination with stock options. Our program aligns with the market trend in favor of grants of PSUs and RSUs and a reduced reliance on stock options. We believe that our long-term incentive program cultivates a long-term growth mentality among our executives that serves to focus management on achieving our strategic and financial objectives, thereby more closely aligning the interests of our executives with the long-term interests of our stockholders.

In February 2018, our executives, including all Named Executive Officers, received long-term incentive grants for 2018. The long-term incentive award grants in February 2018 to these Named Executive Officers were received in the form of PSUs and Restricted Cash. The awards granted were delivered 50% in PSUs, with a performance metric aligned with the stabilization of the Company’s EBITDA, and 50% in Restricted Cash, creating a long-term retention vehicle for the leadership team.

Other 2018 Compensation Highlights

Compensation Policies and Objectives

The primary objectives of our executive compensation program, and the accordant Committee responsibilities, are to:

To facilitate the objectives, the Company provides base salary and related benefit plans, annual cash incentive compensation and long-term incentive compensation. The objectives apply to the compensation of the Named Executive Officers and to the elements of their respective executive compensation packages as follows:

Base Salary. The objective in determining base salaries for the Named Executive Officers is to set base salaries at levels that are (i) sufficient to attract and retain high performing, qualified employees and (ii) considered fair to our stockholders and employees. The Compensation Committee seeks to set base salaries at levels that are competitive with a peer group of companies and benchmarks salaries at the median of the peer group. In addition, base salaries are influenced by the complexity, scope and level of the applicable position, as well as, the background, skills, and experience of the incumbent.

Our Named Executive Officers received market competitive salary increases in 2018, in order to align with external benchmark peers and reflecting individual contributions.

Annual Cash Incentive Compensation. We use annual cash incentive compensation to incentivize the Named Executive Officers to contribute to our growth and financial performance and to provide rewards based on achievement of predetermined goals that are intended to drive increases in stockholder value. As additional cash compensation that is contingent on our financial performance, annual cash incentive compensation augments the base salary component while being tied to our financial performance.

The Company’s performance in 2018 resulted in partial payment of the annual cash incentive to the Named Executive Officers aligned with performance against established financial metrics.

Long-term Incentive Compensation. We believe that long-term and stock-based awards are important in building a long-term growth mentality among our executives and aligning the long-term financial interests of our executives with those of our stockholders. Time- and performance-vested awards provide incentives to drive company performance, and have long-term horizons because value to our executives is dependent on continued employment, the achievement of pre-established performance goals (in the case of PSUs) and, ultimately, increases in the market value of our common stock.

Our 2018 equity awards consisted of PSUs and restricted cash, as noted above, which we believe focuses attention on building long-term stockholder value and creates stability in our executive leadership through retention.

Benefits and Perquisites. The Named Executive Officers are entitled to participate in, and to receive benefits under, the benefit plans, arrangements and policies available to our employees or executives generally. The Company does not have a practice of providing perquisites or make payment of perquisite allowances to any of its executives, other than certain run-out relocation benefits provided to Messrs. Burt and Gorman related to their 2017 relocations, and certain relocation benefits provided to Mr. Piano related to his 2018 relocation, and certain other minimal perquisite amounts each as identified in the Summary Compensation Table.

Executive Compensation Process

Role of the Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee oversees the development and implementation of our executive compensation policies and objectives, determines the structure of our executive compensation packages generally, determines the actual compensation paid to each of our senior executives and evaluates the performance of our Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Compensation Committee has the authority to (i) review our incentive compensation plans, recommend changes to such plans to the Board and exercise all the authority of the Board with respect to the administration of such plans, and (ii) retain, terminate and set the terms of our and the Compensation Committee’s relationship with any consultants and other outside advisors who assist the Compensation Committee in carrying out its duties.

Role of Management

The Compensation Committee considers the recommendations of management, principally our Chief Executive Officer when determining the structure of our executive compensation packages generally and the actual compensation paid to each of our senior executives. The Compensation Committee does not delegate any of its functions to others in setting compensation, no Named Executive Officer is a member of the Compensation Committee and our Chief Executive Officer does not provide recommendations with respect to his own compensation.

Role of Outside Advisors

The Compensation Committee has retained Korn Ferry Hay Group (US) (“Korn Ferry”) as an independent consultant to provide information, advice and recommendations regarding our executive compensation policies and design. In 2018, Korn Ferry was engaged to review and provide information, advice and recommendations regarding our executive compensation program generally, as well as the individual compensation packages of each of our senior executives, including the Named Executive Officers. Korn Ferry was directed to benchmark executive salaries and other short-term and long-term compensation, including the mix of performance-based compensation. As discussed below under “—Use of Peer Group Data,” at the direction of the Compensation Committee, Korn Ferry worked with our Chief Executive Officer and our Human Resources personnel to compare our executive compensation packages to those of a group of comparable companies.

Korn Ferry provides advice and recommendations to the Compensation Committee and reports to the Compensation Committee. Prior to its original engagement in 2011, Korn Ferry, except for executive search services performed by Korn Ferry prior to its acquisition of Hay Group and as set forth below, had not previously worked with the Company in any capacity, nor has it served us in any capacity, other than as a consultant to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee has reviewed and considered information provided to it by Korn Ferry, the Compensation Committee members and our executive officers, and based on its review and the factors described in the NYSE listing standards and such other factors as it deemed

relevant, the Compensation Committee has concluded that Korn Ferry is independent, that the advice it receives from Korn Ferry is objective and that Korn Ferry’s work has not raised any conflict of interest. In December 2015, Korn Ferry acquired Hay Group, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Korn Ferry. The Company has engaged Korn Ferry to provide executive search services in the past and may do so from time to time in the future.

Use of Peer Group Data

The Compensation Committee seeks to determine how our compensation programs compare to other publicly traded companies similar to us. The Compensation Committee seeks to set compensation for the Named Executive Officers at levels that are competitive with similar companies in our industry but consistent with our growth strategy and with an emphasis on variable compensation, rather than fixed compensation.

With the assistance of Korn Ferry, the Compensation Committee reviewed its peer group in September 2018 in order to appropriately reflect companies with revenue sizes, sectors and business models similar to our own, as well as those with which we compete for talent. Other than the removal of certain companies due to delisting resulting from an acquisition or going private, there were no adjustments to the peer group. The peer group (the “2018 Peer Group”), which was used for comparative purposes in setting the levels of the 2018 long-term equity awards and cash compensation levels for our Named Executive Officers (other than Mr. Martindale, whose 2018 compensation levels were determined in connection with his appointments and employment agreement), was comprised of the following fourteen companies:

After consultation with Korn Ferry in July 2017, the Compensation Committee updated the peer group by removing Cabela’s, Inc., Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., Lululemon Athletica, Inc., and Panera Bread Co. from the 2017 Peer Group, and adding Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. and Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (the updated peer group, the “2018 Peer Group”).

In February 2019, we used the 2018 Peer Group for comparative purposes in setting our most recent long-term equity awards and 2019 cash compensation levels for our executives, including the Named Executive Officers, other than Mr. Martindale, for whom 2019 compensation levels, including long-term equity awards, were determined under his employment agreement.

Elements of Compensation

Base Salary

With respect to 2018, the Compensation Committee established the annual base salaries of the Named Executive Officers as follows:

Annual Cash Incentive Compensation

Annual cash incentive compensation is documented in an annual plan that is adopted by the Compensation Committee under the Company’s stock and incentive plan prior to or during the first quarter of the applicable year. The annual performance bonus for each Named Executive Officer has a threshold, target and maximum bonus amount expressed as a percentage of his or her annual base salary eligible earnings, which percentage is determined by the respective position and level of responsibility of such Named Executive Officer.

For 2018, the Company revised the design of the annual cash incentive plan to focus on strengthening the business foundation by providing a clear line of sight to financial performance metrics through individual and team efforts. The plan provided a flexible platform in goal setting to be responsive to actual financial and operational performance against plan during the year. Annual cash incentive payouts were measured and earned quarterly against Company Adjusted EBITDA goals, but payment was deferred until after the close of the fiscal year, ensuring the target remained a relevant and motivating metric throughout the year and providing a retentive element to the plan.

Quarterly Adjusted EBITDA threshold (90% of target), target, and maximum (110% of target) performance goals were reviewed and approved by the Committee prior to the beginning of each quarter. The Company’s quarterly Adjusted EBITDA incentive targets aligned with budget. Recipient’s annual cash incentive potential payout at target is split evenly over each quarter and earned payouts are determined based on achievement against quarterly metrics between threshold and maximum. Performance at threshold results in a payout of 33.3% of target, performance at target results in a payout of 100% of target, and performance at or above maximum results in a payout of 200% of target. Performance and related payments are interpolated between the various performance goals. Calculations prorate during each quarter based on changes in base salary eligible earnings, bonus target, and performance between threshold, target, and maximum performance goals. Quarterly earned payout amounts are deferred until Q1 of the following fiscal year and recipients must be actively employed on the date of payout to receive payment.

The annual cash incentive plan for 2018 performance (the “2018 Incentive Plan”) was adopted by the Compensation Committee in February 2018 and provided the following threshold, target and maximum bonus amounts for our Named Executive Officers, expressed as a percentage of annual base salary eligible earnings:

Mr. Martindale’s annual cash incentive compensation was not established under the 2018 Incentive Plan, but in connection with his appointment and employment agreement, the threshold, target, and maximum payout amounts were set at 50%, 150% and 300%, respectively. Mr. Martindale was eligible to receive an annual bonus opportunity which could be earned based on the Compensation Committee’s evaluation of performance objectives established for the applicable year, which were the same incentives established under the 2018 Incentive Plan for all other Named Executive Officers.

The following thresholds and related goals were established for all Named Executive Officers under the 2018 Incentive Plan:

Results of the 2018 Incentive Plan. The Company’s performance for 2018 resulted in partial awards of bonuses during the fiscal year to the Named Executive Officers for whom threshold, target and maximum levels were established under the terms of the 2018 Incentive Plan or, in the case of Mr. Martindale, his appointment and employment agreement. Specifically, our results achieved for purposes of the 2018 Incentive Plan and the bonus eligibility under Mr. Martindale’s employment agreement were as follows:

Based on these results, under the terms of the 2018 Incentive Plan (or Mr. Martindale’s employment agreement, as applicable), our Named Executive Officers received partial cash incentive compensation payments for 2018 totaling roughly 48.82% of their annual target potential under the plan.

Long-term Incentive Compensation

Annual Long-Term Incentive Awards. In 2007, we adopted the GNC Acquisition Holdings Inc. 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2007 Stock Plan”), in 2011, we adopted the GNC Holdings, Inc. 2011 Stock and Incentive Plan (the “2011 Stock Plan”), in 2015, we adopted the GNC Holdings, Inc. 2015 Stock and Incentive Plan (the “2015 Stock Plan”), and in 2018 we adopted the GNC Holdings, Inc. 2018 Stock and Incentive Plan (the “2018 Stock Plan”), under which plans awards are outstanding. Substantially all of our employees, and the employees of our direct and indirect subsidiaries and other affiliates, including the Named Executive Officers, are eligible for consideration of awards of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs (including PSUs) and other stock-based awards under the terms of the 2018 Stock Plan, which was adopted in 2018. The Compensation Committee is

responsible for administering, selecting the individuals who are eligible to participate in and determining the types and amounts of stock-based awards granted under the 2018 Stock Plan and at the recommendation of management. Additionally, the Compensation Committee ultimately determines the size of stock-based awards for each Named Executive Officer in accordance with the Named Executive Officer’s position versus the market benchmark, performance and level of position. The Compensation Committee has discretion to delegate all or a portion of its authority under the 2018 Stock Plan, but has not done so. Following the adoption of the 2018 Stock Plan, we have not granted and will not grant any additional awards under the 2007 Stock Plan, the 2011 Stock Plan, nor the 2015 Stock Plan.

Stock options granted under the various plans generally are subject to vesting in annual installments and have terms of seven to ten years. Options and other stock-based awards under the 2011 Stock Plan, the 2015 Stock Plan, and 2018 Stock Plan are subject to clawback by the Company if the participant engages in any “detrimental activity” during the participant’s service or for one year after the participant’s service ends, which is generally defined to include disclosing confidential information about the Company, engaging in activities that result (or would result if known) in the termination of the participant’s service for cause, soliciting the Company’s employees on behalf of a competing employer, or materially breaching any agreement between the participant and the Company.

The Compensation Committee generally considers grants of long-term incentive compensation awards on an annual basis, except for certain new hires and promotions which are granted on an as-desired basis. We do not have any program, plan or practice to time annual or ad hoc grants of equity-based awards in coordination with the release of material non-public information or otherwise. For 2018, the Company revised the design of the long-term incentive plan to focus on strengthening the business foundation and long-term strategy by providing a clear line of sight to performance metrics through individual and team efforts, as well as, provide award vehicles that support retention efforts. The plan provided a suitable platform in goal setting to be responsive to actual financial and operational performance against plan during the performance period, allowing for consideration of the challenging environment during this period of transition. The Company did not make any adjustments to the annual long-term incentive performance target.

The plan utilized two vehicles to deliver the total long-term incentives: 50% in Performance Share Units (PSUs) and 50% in Restricted Cash (RC).

In February 2018, the Company granted long-term incentive awards to certain Named Executive Officers, including Mr. Martindale, outlined below, under the 2015 Stock Plan (the 2018 Stock Plan was not adopted until March 2018) in the form of 50% PSUs and 50% RC. Base award values for these long-term incentive grants were determined based in part on the results of Korn Ferry’s analysis of the compensation packages of top executives at companies in the 2018 Peer Group, and were intended to be competitive compared to long-term incentive awards granted to executives with comparable titles and responsibilities within the 2018 Peer Group.

For the February 2018 awards, the 50% value attributable to the PSUs were determined by dividing the total grant value of the PSUs award by $4.20, which was the closing price per share of our common stock on February 21, 2018, the date of grant. The performance metric for the first tranche of the PSUs is based 100% on achievement of pre-determined Company Adjusted EBITDA. The portion of the first tranche of PSUs that will be earned by a grantee is based upon the Company’s achieved Adjusted EBITDA relative to the target Adjusted

EBITDA which aligns with the budget. Annual Adjusted EBITDA threshold (85% of target), target, and maximum (115% of target) performance goals were reviewed and approved by the Committee during Q1 of 2018. Recipient’s annual long-term incentive potential vesting at target is split evenly over each performance year and earned shares are determined based on achievement against annual metrics between threshold and maximum. At the threshold level of performance, 50% of the PSUs are earned; at the target level, 100% of the PSUs are earned; and at or above the maximum level, 150% of the PSUs are earned, provided, in each case, that the executive has remained employed until the end of the three year period and vesting date. At the conclusion of the each performance year, the Compensation Committee will determine whether and the extent to which the performance criteria have been achieved for the purpose of determining the percentage of the target amount of PSUs that have earned for the performance year. Any PSUs that have not been earned as of the end of the performance year, based upon the Compensation Committee’s determination, will be forfeited. The earned shares will be treated as time-based restricted stock fort the balance of the three year period. The Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, reduce the amount to less than the amount that is determined to be vested in accordance with the agreements providing for the PSUs.

Grant to Ms. Tolivar. Ms. Tolivar was granted a special recognition award of 29,762 PSUs, with a total award value of $125,000, and $125,000 in RC in February 2018. The PSUs and RC follow the same vesting schedule and terms as all other awards issued in February 2018. For more information, see “—Elements of Compensation —Long-Term Incentive Compensation” below. The additional award was issued in recognition of Ms. Tolivar’s efforts, oversight, and successful negotiation of the Company’s long-term debt refinancing and as a retention vehicle.

Summary of 2018 Named Executive Officer Awards. The total award values for the 2018 awards for our Named Executive Officers, together with the corresponding number of (a) target PSUs and (b) RC awarded to each of our Named Executive Officers, is set forth below:

Results of the 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan: As described earlier, the performance metric for the first tranche of the PSU component of these long-term incentive awards is Adjusted EBITDA. The Compensation Committee established threshold, target and maximum levels of achievement with respect to Adjusted EBITDA. Performance is measured as of the end of the performance year on December 31, 2018. Performance and related payments are interpolated between the various performance goals.

The threshold, target and maximum levels of Adjusted EBITDA performance for the first tranche of the February 2018 PSU grants are as follows:

Based on these results, under the terms of the 2018 Incentive Plan (or Mr. Martindale’s employment agreement, as applicable), our Named Executive Officers will earn partial PSUs for 2018 totaling 67.8% of their target potential for the first tranche under the plan.

Additionally, as part of the 2018 long-term incentive plan, our Named Executive Officers received one-third of their 2018 RC award after the award’s anniversary date (February 21, 2019).

Benefits and Perquisites

The Company does not have a practice of providing perquisites or make payment of perquisite allowances to any of its executives, other than certain run-out relocation benefits provided to Messrs. Burt and Gorman related to their 2017 relocations, and certain relocation benefits provided to Mr. Piano related to his 2018 relocation, and certain other minimal perquisite amounts each as identified in the Summary Compensation Table.

Non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan

We maintain the GNC Live Well^® Later Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan for the benefit of a select group of our highly compensated employees. Under this plan, certain eligible employees may elect to defer a portion of their future compensation under the deferred compensation plan by electing such deferral prior to the beginning of the calendar year during which the deferral amount would be earned. Mr. Martindale and Mr. Gorman made contributions to the deferred compensation plan in 2018. For 2018, a dollar-for-dollar match with respect to the first three percent of a participant’s compensation deferred under the non-qualified deferred compensation plan was provided. For more information regarding the deferred compensation plan, please see “2018 Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Table” below.

Retention Agreements

In connection with the China joint venture partnership, the Company entered into retention agreements with certain key leaders and executives, including the Named Executive Officers. It is important for the Company to maintain leadership stability, focus, and execution at all times, but specifically in connection with the efforts required over the foreseeable future related to the transition and the successful implementation of the partnership. The agreements provide for four ratable payments to the participants over the course of two years from the announcement date (February, 2018), for which the recipients have to remain actively employed to receive the payment. The agreements also include confidentiality, non-competition, non-recruitment and non-solicitation provisions in exchange for the consideration provided. For more information regarding the retention payments, please see “Summary Compensation” table below.

Executive Severance Pay Policy

The Company maintains an Executive Severance Pay Policy (the “Executive Severance Policy”) for executive officers who are involuntarily terminated from employment and otherwise meet the requirements for benefits. Upon an involuntary termination other than for Cause, as defined in the Executive Severance Policy, eligible executives are entitled to receive:

Payments and benefits under the Executive Severance Policy are contingent upon the executive’s execution and non-revocation of a release of claims against the Company and compliance with covenants set forth in the Executive Severance Policy, which include confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation of the Company’s employees. In addition, if such executive obtains subsequent employment that is considered comparable to his or her previous employment with the Company, then the amount remaining to be paid to such executive, under the Executive Severance Policy, is offset by the annual gross base salary payable to such executive pursuant to such subsequent employment.

Mr. Martindale Employment Agreement

In connection with his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, we entered into a three-year employment agreement with Mr. Martindale in September 2017. Under the terms of the employment agreement, we agreed to provide Mr. Martindale with an annual salary of $975,000, an annual bonus opportunity of at least 150% of base salary and certain cash and equity payments as relocation/make-whole awards, which were detailed in our 2018 proxy statement. Under the Employment Agreement, Mr. Martindale will also receive cash severance in the event his employment is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined therein) or by Mr. Martindale resigning voluntarily for Good Reason. The employment agreement also provides that any incentive compensation payable to Mr. Martindale will be subject to the clawback policies adopted or implemented by us, including in respect of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and any rules promulgated thereunder. Please see “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” below for more information regarding such employment agreement and termination and payments made in connection with a change in control.

Mr. Martindale also agreed to the Company’s standard senior executive restrictive covenants including confidentiality of indefinite duration; nonsolicitation of customers; and noncompetition and nonsolicitation/no-hire of employees during his employment and for 24 months following his termination of employment for any reason. No other Named Executive Officer has or had employment agreements with the Company.

Impact of Accounting and Tax Considerations

As a general matter, the Compensation Committee reviews and considers the various tax and accounting implications of the compensation vehicles we utilize.

Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally disallowed public companies a tax deduction for compensation in excess of $1,000,000 paid to their chief executive officer and their three other most highly compensated executive officers (excluding the chief financial officer) unless certain performance and other requirements are met. As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the exemption from the deduction limitation for performance-based compensation provided by Section 162(m) has been repealed. This change will be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. As a result, compensation paid to certain executive officers which exceeds $1,000,000 will not be deductible unless it qualifies for transition relief applicable to certain arrangements in place as of November 2, 2017.

For 2018, the Compensation Committee factored in the potential loss of deductibility during the pay setting approval process. Our intent generally is to design and administer executive compensation programs in a manner that will preserve deductibility of compensation paid to our executives, and, prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we believed that a substantial portion of our current executive compensation program (including the annual incentive program and the long-term incentive awards that may be granted under the 2015 Stock Plan) would satisfy the requirements for exemption from the $1,000,000 deduction limitation. However, certain awards, such as the inducement awards granted to our Chief Executive Officer in connection with his appointment were not granted under a stockholder-approved plan as required for a deduction under Section 162(m). Also, because of ambiguities and uncertainties as to the application and interpretation of Section 162(m) and the regulations issued thereunder, including the uncertain scope of the transition relief for the exemption from the deduction limitation for performance based compensation provided by Section 162(m), there can be no assurance that any amounts paid under such compensation programs, even prior to the effectiveness of the legislative changes, will be deductible under Section 162(m), including, without limitation, in special circumstances related to other hirings and separations.

Additionally, we reserve the right to design programs and to structure other compensation arrangements that recognize a full range of performance criteria important to our success or that contain different terms, even where the compensation paid under such programs may not be deductible. The Compensation Committee will, in the exercise of its business judgment, continue to monitor our executive compensation program as part of its primary objective of ensuring that compensation paid to our executives is reasonable, performance-based and consistent with our goals and the goals of our stockholders.

Executive Stock Ownership Guidelines

We believe that, to align the long-term financial interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders, our executives should hold a financial stake in the Company. The Board adopted a policy in December 2011 (revised most recently in February 2015) requiring our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers to own stock in the Company (our “Executive Stock Ownership Guidelines”). Specifically, our Executive Stock Ownership Guidelines are outlined below:

The Executive Stock Ownership Guidelines provide that our newly appointed executive officers have five years from the date of their appointment to comply with the Executive Stock Ownership Guidelines, and should retain at least 50% of all after-tax shares owned by or underlying equity awards granted to them after December 11, 2012 until the ownership thresholds are met. The Compensation Committee will evaluate whether exceptions should be made for any executive officer on whom this requirement would impose a financial hardship or for other appropriate reasons as determined by the Compensation Committee, and will work actively with officers or directors who are not in compliance as a result of stock price volatility. For the purposes of the Executive Stock Ownership Guidelines, Company stock includes (i) directly held shares of our common stock, (ii) shares of unvested restricted stock or RSUs (other than unvested shares of performance-vested restricted stock or unvested PSUs) and (iii) vested shares of our common stock held in any plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Policy on Hedging and Pledging of Company Stock

We have a policy applicable to our directors and all of our employees, including our Named Executive Officers, that prohibits such persons from (i) within six months after purchasing any Company securities, selling any Company securities of the same class, (ii) selling the Company’s securities short, (iii) buying or selling puts or calls or other derivative securities on the Company’s securities, (iv) holding Company securities in a margin account or pledging Company securities as collateral for a loan or (v) entering into hedging or monetization transactions or similar arrangements with respect to Company securities.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The following Compensation Committee Report does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other Company filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this Report by reference therein.

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis contained in these proxy materials. Based on the Compensation Committee’s review of and the discussions with management with respect to the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in these proxy materials and incorporated by reference in the Annual Report for filing with the SEC.

The foregoing report is provided by the following directors, who constitute the Compensation Committee:

NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table – 2018, 2017 and 2016

The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation we paid to the Named Executive Officers for services rendered in all capacities as employees to us during our last three fiscal years. In accordance with SEC rules, the compensation described in this table does not include the value of medical or group life insurance received by the Named Executive Officers that is available generally to all of our salaried employees. Only 2017 and 2018 compensation is presented for Mr. Martindale, because 2017 was his first year as an employee of the Company. Only 2018 compensation is presented for Mr. Piano, because 2018 was his first year as an employee of the Company. A “Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” column is not presented because none of our Named Executive Officers participate in a pension plan or receive above-market or preferential earnings on nonqualified deferred compensation.

2018 Grants of Plan Based Awards Table

The following table sets forth information concerning awards under the 2015 Stock Plan and the 2018 Incentive Plan granted to each of the Named Executive Officers during our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Assumptions used in the calculation of certain dollar amounts are included in Note 16 “Stock-Based Compensation,” to our audited consolidated financial statements included in the 2019 Annual Report.

Outstanding Equity Awards as of December 31, 2018

The following table sets forth information regarding outstanding equity awards held by the Named Executive Officers under the 2007 Stock Plan, the 2011 Stock Plan and the 2015 Stock Plan as of December 31, 2018 and, for Mr. Martindale, equity awards granted in September 2017 as make-whole and inducement awards in connection with the commencement of his employment which were not issued under any stockholder approved plan.

2018 Option Exercises and Stock Vested Table

The following table sets forth information regarding the vesting of RSUs and restricted stock and exercise of options by the Named Executive Officers during our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

2018 Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Table

We maintain the GNC Live Well^® Later Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan for the benefit of a select group of our highly compensated executives. Under this plan, certain eligible employees may elect to defer a portion of their future salary and bonus compensation up to a maximum of 80% of salary and 100% of bonus, or such other specified limit established by the Company, until a specified future year, or until retirement. We may in our discretion elect to make a matching contribution to the plan for a calendar year, based on amounts deferred by participants for that year. Participants may select the investment fund or funds in which such deferred amounts are deemed to be invested for the purpose of crediting deferrals with earnings, and investment gains and losses. The Company’s contributions to the Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan become fully vested after three years from the start of the year of deferral. Participants receive vested distributions on elected scheduled withdrawal dates or upon separation from service.

Mr. Martindale, and Mr. Gorman each elected to make contributions to the deferred compensation plan in 2018. The following table identifies, for each Named Executive Officer, his or her contributions, our contributions, the aggregate earnings and withdrawals in 2018 and the aggregate balance as of December 31, 2018:

Potential Payments Upon Termination or a Change in Control

The termination and change in control arrangements for the Named Executive Officers are generally governed by Company policy, other than Mr. Martindale whose terms are governed by his employment agreement with the Company. As such, these arrangements generally are uniform and not highly negotiated. The Compensation Committee does not generally consider the amounts payable in connection with termination and change in control events when establishing compensation of the Named Executive Officers. The Compensation Committee, together with the Board, established the termination and change of control arrangements described herein to address the following considerations:

Such policies and arrangements are evidenced by the Company’s Executive Severance Policy, as described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement. Under the Executive Severance Policy, a “Change in Control” occurs when: (i) any person or entity becomes the beneficial owner of securities representing thirty percent (30%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities; (ii) the majority of the Board is no longer made up of continuing directors as described in the Executive Severance Policy;

(iii) the consummation of certain mergers or consolidations of the Company; or (iv) stockholder approval of certain plans of complete liquidation or dissolution or the consummation of agreements for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

The following is a summary of the termination and change of control provisions in the employment agreements for Mr. Martindale and the policies and arrangements otherwise applicable to the Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2018.

Mr. Martindale

Mr. Martindale’s employment agreement provides for certain benefits upon termination of employment. Upon Mr. Martindale’s death or disability, he (or his estate) is entitled to:

Also, in such cases, Mr. Martindale’s time-vesting equity awards would immediately vest; and any performance-vesting awards would become vested at a prorated actual amount, based on the actual period of employment and assuming “target’ level of achievement of the performance objectives.

Upon termination of employment by us without cause, including a non-renewal of the employment term, or voluntarily by Mr. Martindale for good reason, subject to the execution of a written release, he is also entitled to:

Also, in such cases, Mr. Martindale’s “sign-on” equity awards would immediately vest (to the extent any remained unvested); any time-vesting equity awards (other than sign-on awards) to the extent that that would have become vested within 24 months following the date of termination shall immediately vest (with respect to said amount); and any performance-vesting awards shall become vested at a prorated actual amount, based on the actual period of employment and calculated based on the actual level of achievement of the performance objectives, such that payment would be received following the end of the relevant performance period. The total amount payable may be subject to reduction to the extent Mr. Martindale would be subject to an excise tax as an excess parachute amount.

For purposes of Mr. Martindale’s employment agreement, “cause” generally means his:

For purposes of Mr. Martindale’s employment agreement, “good reason” generally means, without Mr. Martindale’s prior written consent and unless we timely cure the good reason:

For purposes of Mr. Martindale’s employment agreement, “change in control” is as defined in the Company’s 2015 Stock and Incentive Plan, which is generally the same as the definition provided in the Executive Severance Policy.

Tabular Presentation. The following table quantifies the estimated payments and benefits that the Named Executive Officers would have received if their employment had terminated on December 31, 2018 under the circumstances shown or if we had undergone a change in control on such date. The tables exclude (i) compensation amounts accrued through December 31, 2018 that would be paid in the normal course of continued employment, such as accrued but unpaid salary and bonus, and (ii) vested account balances under our 401(k) plan that are generally available to all of our salaried employees.

Where applicable, the information in the table uses a fair market value per share of $2.37 for our Common Stock, which is equal to the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2018.