NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

PROXY SUMMARY

References in this Proxy Statement to “Gap Inc.,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to The Gap, Inc.

These proxy materials are being delivered in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of The Gap, Inc. for use at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 17, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., San Francisco Time, at Gap Inc. Headquarters, Two Folsom Street, San Francisco, California 94105 and at any adjournment or postponement thereof (the “Annual Meeting”).

On or about April 5, 2016, we commenced distribution of this Proxy Statement and the form of proxy to our shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Agenda

Voting Shares

The holders of common stock at the close of business on March 21, 2016 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to one vote per share on each matter voted upon at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. As of the Record Date, there were 397,873,269 shares of common stock outstanding.

You may vote your shares by:

If you vote by Internet or by phone, you do not need to return a proxy card or voting instruction card, but you will need to have it, or the Notice of Internet Availability, in hand when you access the voting website or call to vote by phone. Specific voting instructions are found on the proxy card, voting instruction card, or the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROPOSALS REQUIRING YOUR VOTE

PROPOSAL NO. 1 — Election of Directors

NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS DIRECTORS

Election Process

Directors will be elected at the Annual Meeting to serve until the next Annual Meeting and until their successors are elected. The Governance and Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors has nominated the persons whose names are set forth below, all of whom are current directors.

Director Nominations

The Board of Directors has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable to serve. However, if any nominee should for any reason be unavailable to serve, the Board of Directors may reduce the number of directors fixed in accordance with our Bylaws, or the proxies may be voted for the election of such other person to the office of director as the Board of Directors may recommend in place of the nominee. Set forth below is certain information concerning the nominees, including age, experience, qualifications and principal occupation during at least the last five years, based on data furnished by each nominee.

Robert J. Fisher and William S. Fisher are brothers. Information concerning our executive officers who are not also directors is set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016.

Director Independence

The Board of Directors has determined that the following directors are independent under the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) rules and have no direct or indirect material relationships with the Company:

In particular, the Board has determined that none of these directors has relationships that would cause them not to be independent under the specific criteria of Section 303A.02 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. In making this determination with respect to Robert and William Fisher, the Board considered the following factors: (i) with the exception of Robert Fisher’s brief period of service during 2007 as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company during a CEO transition, neither Robert nor William Fisher has served as an officer of the Company in over 15 years; (ii) Donald Fisher (a founder of the Company and their father) ceased being an executive officer of the Company prior to his passing in September 2009; (iii) NYSE guidance indicates that ownership of even a significant amount of stock does not preclude a finding of independence; and (iv) the lease agreements with Doris Fisher (a founder of the Company and their mother) for the display of her personal art collection (further described on page 7) provided benefits to the Company, and no financial benefit to Robert or William Fisher. After consideration of these factors, the Board concluded that there is no material relationship between the Company and Robert and William Fisher that would impact their independence under NYSE rules.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Corporate Governance Guidelines

We have adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that outline, among other matters, the role and functions of the Board, the responsibilities of the various Board committees, and the procedures for

reporting concerns to the Board. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines are available at www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors, Governance, Guidelines links).

Additional Corporate Governance Information

If you would like further information regarding our corporate governance practices, please visit the

Governance and Corporate Compliance sections of www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors link). Those sections include:

Hotline (866) GAP-CODE or online at speakup.gapinc.com. Callers from outside North America must dial their country’s AT&T Direct Access Code which can be found at

speakup.gapinc.com. Code Hotline calls are answered by a live operator from an outside company, and are free, confidential and may be made anonymously. Accounting, auditing, and other significant concerns are referred by the Global Integrity department to the Audit and Finance Committee.

Risk Oversight

Board Oversight of Risk

The Board has an active role in overseeing the management of the Company’s risks. Annually, the Company’s Internal Audit department performs a comprehensive enterprise risk assessment encompassing a number of significant areas of risk, including strategic, operational, compliance, financial, and reputational risks. The assessment process is designed to gather data regarding the most important risks that could impact the Company’s ability to achieve its objectives and execute its strategies. Primary assessment methods include interviews with key executives and Board members, review of critical Company strategies and initiatives, and monitoring of emerging industry trends and issues. The assessment is reviewed by the Company’s CEO, Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), and Chief Compliance Officer and presented to the Board to facilitate discussion of high risk areas. It provides the foundation for the annual Internal Audit plan, management’s monitoring and risk mitigation efforts, and ongoing Board oversight. In addition, on a regular basis, management communicates with the Board, both formally and informally, about key initiatives, strategies and industry developments, in part to assess and manage the potential risks.

While the Board of Directors has the ultimate oversight responsibility for the risk management process, various committees of the Board also have responsibility for risk management. In particular, the Audit and Finance Committee focuses on financial and compliance risks, and the Compensation and Management Development Committee sets employee incentives with the goal of encouraging an appropriate level of risk-taking, consistent with the Company’s business strategies.

Compensation Risk Assessment

On an annual basis, management conducts a comprehensive overall review of each of the Company’s compensation policies and practices for the purpose of determining whether any risks arising from those policies and practices are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. As a part of this review, each of the Company’s compensation policies and practices were compared to a number of specific factors that could potentially increase risk, including the specific factors that the SEC has identified as potentially triggering disclosure. The Company balanced these factors against a variety of mitigating factors. Examples of some of the mitigating factors are (i) compensation policies and practices are structured similarly across business units; (ii) the risk of declines in performance in our largest business units is well understood and managed; (iii) incentive compensation expense is not a significant percentage of any significant unit’s revenues; (iv) for executives, a significant portion of variable pay is delivered through long-term incentives which carry vesting schedules over multiple years; (v) a mix of compensation vehicles and performance measures is used; (vi) stock ownership requirements for executives are in place; (vii) significant incentive plans are capped at all levels; (viii) threshold levels of performance must be achieved for the bulk of variable pay opportunities; and (ix) a clawback policy with respect to financial restatements is in place. Management’s assessment was also presented to the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer and the Chair of the Board’s Compensation and Management Development Committee. As a result of management’s review, the Company determined that any risks arising from its compensation policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Communication with Directors

Interested parties can send direct communications to our Board of Directors (through our Chairman and Corporate Secretary) by email to: board@gap.com.

Code of Business Conduct

Our Code of Business Conduct is designed to promote a responsible and ethical work environment for all Gap Inc. employees and directors. The Code contains guidelines on conflicts of interest, legal compliance, Company information and assets, and political contributions and activities. Our Code of

Business Conduct is available at www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors, Corporate Compliance, Code of Business Conduct links).

Policies and Procedures with Respect to Related Party Transactions

The Board is committed to upholding the highest legal and ethical conduct in fulfilling its responsibilities and recognizes that related party transactions can present a heightened risk of potential or actual conflicts of interest. The Compensation and Management Development Committee’s charter requires that the members of that Committee, all of whom are independent directors, approve all of the Company’s executive compensation policies and programs and all compensation awarded to executive officers. The Audit and Finance Committee’s charter requires that the members of the Audit and Finance Committee, all of whom are independent directors, review and approve transactions with the Company involving management and/or members of the Board of Directors that are not otherwise subject to the

approval of the Compensation and Management Development Committee and would require disclosure under SEC rules. In the event a transaction involves a committee member, that member will recuse him or herself from the approval of the transaction.

In addition, the Audit and Finance Committee oversees the Company’s Corporate Compliance Program, which includes procedures for the (i) receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and (ii) confidential, anonymous submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters and other matters under the Company’s Code of Business Conduct.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

Pursuant to the approval of the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board, Doris F. Fisher leased approximately 26,000 square feet of space in our One Harrison and Two Folsom, San Francisco headquarters locations under agreements, the last of which expired on January 31, 2016, primarily to display portions of her personal art collection. Mrs. Fisher is a co-founder of the Company, an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Board of Directors, and the mother of Robert J. Fisher and William S. Fisher. The lease agreements provided for base rent ranging from $30.00 to $42.35 per square foot per year over a 15-year term. Based on the Company’s headquarters space needs and Mrs. Fisher’s space needs, the Audit and Finance Committee reviewed and approved the terms of agreements to terminate the lease for a portion of the space in 2014. The remaining portion of the space (approximately 9,300 square feet) continued to be leased by Mrs. Fisher at a base rent of $42.35 per square foot on the same terms as originally agreed, expiring January 31, 2016. Rental income from this leased space for fiscal 2015 was approximately $420,000. We believe that these rental rates were at least competitive when the agreements were entered into. The agreements also provided us and our employees significant benefits, including use of the space on a regular basis for corporate functions at no charge.

During 2015, prior to the effective date of her appointment to the Company's Board of Directors, Ms. Gardner provided consulting services to the Company. The Company paid Ms. Gardner approximately $600,000 during 2015 for these services. The Company and Ms. Gardner terminated this consulting services arrangement as of November 1, 2015.

Board Leadership Structure and Succession

Our Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that our Chairman of the Board shall not be an officer or employee of the Company. Robert Fisher, an independent director, has served as our Chairman of the Board since February 2015.

We believe in the importance of independent oversight. We ensure that this oversight is truly independent and effective through a variety of means, including:

In fiscal 2015, Mr. De Sole turned 72 years old. While our Corporate Governance Guidelines would normally provide that he not stand for re-election at the next annual meeting, the Board exercised its discretion to nominate Mr. De Sole to serve, once elected, on the Board for one year for the following reasons: our CEO and Chairman of the Board assumed their roles in fiscal year 2015; other recent management succession changes; Mr. De Sole’s deep experience in the retail apparel and fashion industries; and Ms. Warrior is not standing for re-election at the next annual meeting given her additional responsibilities in her new position as a chief executive officer.

The Board of Directors has three standing committees: the Governance and Sustainability Committee, the Audit and Finance Committee, and the Compensation and Management Development Committee, each described below.

Governance and Sustainability Committee

The Board’s Governance and Sustainability Committee is composed solely of independent directors, as defined under NYSE rules.

This Committee assists the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the Company’s corporate governance matters, including the development of corporate governance guidelines, periodic evaluation of the Board, its committees and individual directors, identification and selection of director nominees, oversight of the Company’s programs, policies and practices relating to social and environmental issues, impacts and strategies, and such other duties as directed by the Board of Directors.

The Committee’s charter is available at www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors, Governance, Board of Directors, Board Committees links).

Nomination of Directors

The Governance and Sustainability Committee has the responsibility to identify, evaluate, and recommend qualified candidates to the Board. The Chairman, CEO, and at least two independent directors interview any qualified candidates prior to nomination. Other directors and members of management interview each candidate as requested by the Chairman, CEO, or chair of the Committee.

The Committee may also engage third-party independent consultants to identify potential director nominees based on identified criteria and a needs assessment. These consultants have also assisted the Committee in identifying a diverse pool of qualified candidates and in evaluating and pursuing individual candidates at the direction of the Committee.

The Committee will also consider director nominees recommended by shareholders. Our Bylaws provide that in order for a shareholder to propose director nominations at the meeting of shareholders in 2017, the shareholder must give written notice to our Corporate Secretary by no later than the close of business (San Francisco Time) on February 16, 2017, and no earlier than January 17, 2017 (i.e., not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of our 2016 Annual Meeting). The notice must contain information required by our Bylaws about the identity and background of each

nominee and the shareholder making the nomination, including interests in derivative securities or arrangements with persons holding derivative securities, relationships or arrangements between the nominee and the shareholder making the nomination, and information that would enable the Board to determine a nominee’s eligibility to serve as an independent director. The notice also must contain other information that must be disclosed in proxy solicitations for election of directors under the proxy rules of the SEC (including information regarding the director nominee’s experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills), the nominee’s consent to the nomination and to serve if elected, and certain other information required by our Bylaws. If a shareholder fails to submit the notice by February 16, 2017, then the proposed nominee(s) of the shareholder will not be considered at our Annual Meeting in 2017 in accordance with our Bylaws. Notifications must be addressed to our Corporate Secretary at Gap Inc., Two Folsom Street, San Francisco, California 94105. A copy of the full text of the Bylaw provisions relating to our advance notice

procedure may be obtained at www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors, Governance links) or to any shareholder on request by writing to our Corporate Secretary at the above address.

Qualifications and Diversity of Board Members

All director nominees must possess certain core competencies, some of which may include experience in retail, consumer products, international business/markets, real estate, store operations, logistics, product design, merchandising, marketing, general operations, strategy, human resources, technology, media or public relations, finance or accounting, or experience as a CEO or CFO. In addition to having one or more of these core competencies, Board member nominees are identified and considered on the basis of knowledge, experience, integrity, leadership, reputation, background, qualifications, gender, race/ethnicity, personal characteristics, and ability to understand the Company’s business. The Board believes that this overall professional, personal, gender, and racial/ethnic diversity is important to the effectiveness of the Board’s oversight of the Company. Accordingly, diversity is a factor that is considered in the identification and recommendation of potential director candidates. In this regard, of the ten nominees for director, three are female and two are ethnically diverse. In addition, all director nominees are pre-screened to ensure that each candidate has qualifications that complement the overall core competencies of the Board. The screening process also includes conducting a background evaluation and an independence determination. The Board believes that its criteria for selecting board nominees are effective in promoting overall diversity.

Evaluation of Directors

The Governance and Sustainability Committee is responsible for overseeing a formal evaluation process to assess the composition and performance of the Board, each committee, and each individual director on an annual basis. The assessment is conducted to identify opportunities for improvement and skill set needs, as well as to ensure that the Board, committees, and individual members have the appropriate blend of diverse experiences and backgrounds, and are effective and productive. As part of the process, each member completes a survey that includes Board, committee, and individual assessments. In addition, members of senior management complete a similar survey to assess Board performance. While results are aggregated and summarized for discussion purposes, individual responses are not attributed to any individual and are kept confidential to ensure honest and candid feedback is received. The Committee discusses opportunities and makes recommendations for improvement as appropriate to the full Board, which implements agreed upon improvements. The Committee Chair also meets privately with individual Board members to provide feedback specific to each director received during the evaluation process. A director will not be nominated for reelection unless it is affirmatively determined that he or she is substantially contributing to the overall effectiveness of the Board.

Sustainability

The Governance and Sustainability Committee is also responsible for reviewing and evaluating Company programs, policies and practices relating to social and environmental issues, impacts and strategies to support the sustainable growth of the Company’s businesses. The Committee regularly discusses social and environmental issues at its meetings, and oversees the Company’s development of industry-leading programs and initiatives. For more information regarding our commitment to sustainability,

please see our website and most recent Sustainability Report available at www.gapinc.com (follow the Sustainability link).

Audit and Finance Committee

The Board’s Audit and Finance Committee is composed solely of independent directors, as defined under SEC and NYSE rules.

This Committee assists the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the integrity of our financial statements, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the registered public accounting firm’s qualifications, independence and performance, the performance of the Internal Audit function, the effectiveness of the corporate compliance program, finance matters, and such other duties as directed by the Board of Directors. In addition, the Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm.

The Committee’s charter is available at www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors, Governance, Board of Directors, Board Committees links).

Audit Committee Financial Expert

Our Board of Directors has determined that the Audit and Finance Committee has two members who are “audit committee financial experts” as determined under Regulation S-K Item 407(d)(5) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: Mr. Shattuck and Ms. Goren, both of whom are independent directors as determined under applicable NYSE listing standards.

Compensation and Management Development Committee

The Board’s Compensation and Management Development Committee is composed solely of independent directors, as defined under SEC and NYSE rules.

This Committee assists the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to executive officer and director compensation, succession planning for senior management, development and retention of senior management, and such other duties as directed by the Board of Directors. The

Committee’s charter is available at www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors, Governance, Board of Directors, Board Committees links).

The Committee approves all of the Company’s executive compensation policies and programs and all compensation awarded to executive officers. Our CEO evaluates each executive officer and discusses with the Committee his assessment and recommendations for compensation. The CEO is not present during the Committee’s deliberations about his own compensation. The Committee also oversees senior management development, retention, and succession plans. The Committee approves grants of stock units to employees at the Vice President or above level, and has delegated authority, within defined parameters, to the CEO or Committee Chair to approve grants of stock units to employees below the Vice President level (see “Long-Term Incentives” beginning on page 26 for more details). The Committee has also delegated authority, within defined parameters, to the Company’s Human Resources personnel to make certain non-material changes to the Company’s employee benefit plans.

The Committee has engaged Frederic W. Cook & Co. as its independent executive compensation consultant. The consultant provides advice to the Committee from time to time on the compensation program structure and specific individual compensation arrangements (see the “Role of the CEO and Compensation Consultant” section on page 32 for more details). In addition, under NYSE rules, the Committee can only retain a compensation advisor after considering six independence factors: (a) whether the advisor’s firm provides other services to the Company, (b) the fees received by the advisor’s firm from the Company as a percentage of the firm’s overall revenue, (c) the policies and procedures of the advisor’s firm designed to prevent conflicts of interest, (d) any business or personal relationship between the advisor and a member of the Committee, (e) any stock of the Company owned by the advisor, and (f) any business or personal relationship of the advisor or advisor’s firm with an executive officer of the Company. Based on a review of the Committee’s relationship with its compensation consultant and an assessment considering these six independence factors, the Committee has identified no conflicts of interest and confirmed the independence of Frederic W. Cook & Co.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

During fiscal 2015, Mr. De Sole, Mr. Martin, Ms. Tsang, and Ms. Warrior (who is not standing for reelection) served on the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors. During fiscal 2015, none of our executive officers served on the board of directors of any company where one of that company’s executive officers served as one of our directors.

Board Meetings

The Board met eight times during fiscal 2015. The following table lists the current members of each of the committees and the number of committee meetings held during fiscal 2015:

Each director nominee attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and committees on which he or she served. In addition, individual Board members often work together and with management outside of formal meetings.

The non-management directors are typically scheduled to meet without the presence of management during each regularly scheduled Board meeting. Our Chairman, Robert Fisher, is responsible for organizing, managing and presiding over the non-management and director sessions of the Board, and reporting on outcomes of the sessions to the CEO, as appropriate.

Attendance of Directors at Annual Meetings of Shareholders

Our policy regarding attendance by directors at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders states that our Chairman and committee chairs should attend and be available to answer questions at our Annual Meeting, if reasonably practicable. Our policy also encourages all other directors to attend. Nine directors attended our 2015 Annual Meeting in person.

Stock Ownership Guidelines for Directors

We have adopted minimum stock ownership guidelines for our directors. Each non-management director should, within three years of joining the Board of Directors, hold stock (which includes deferred stock units) of the Company worth at least five times the annual base retainer then in effect. Management directors are required to own stock of the Company in accordance with our stock ownership requirements for executives, described on page 30. Our insider trading policy, which is applicable to directors, prohibits speculation in the Company’s stock, including short sales, hedging or publicly-traded option transactions, and holding the Company’s stock in a margin account as collateral for a margin loan or otherwise pledging Company stock as collateral.

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

Retainer and Meeting Fees

The table below shows the annual retainer, attendance fees, and committee chair retainer we paid to our non-employee directors in fiscal 2015, as well as the amounts payable for fiscal 2016:

Employee directors are not eligible for the annual retainer or attendance fees, and are not eligible to serve on committees.

Equity Compensation

Non-employee directors receive the following under our 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan:

The annual stock units granted to continuing non-employee directors following the Company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, as well as the initial grant made to any non-employee director who is first elected to the Board at the Company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, are granted on June 30 of each year; provided, however, that if the Company’s annual shareholders’ meeting takes place after June 30, then the related stock unit grants will be granted on the first business day following that meeting. All initial stock units to new non-employee directors who are appointed other than at the annual shareholders’ meeting are granted on the date of appointment. The number of stock units is rounded down to the nearest whole share. These stock units are fully-vested but are subject to a three-year deferral period. During the deferral period, the stock units earn dividend equivalents which are reinvested in additional units annually. Following the deferral period, shares in an amount equal in value to the stock units, including units acquired through dividend equivalent reinvestment, will be issued to each non-employee director unless a further deferral election has been made; provided, however, that shares and accumulated dividend equivalents will be issued immediately upon ceasing to be a director of the Company.

Expense Reimbursement and Other Benefits

We also pay for or reimburse directors for approved educational seminars and for travel expenses related to attending Board, committee, and approved Company business meetings. Additionally, we provide non-employee directors access to office space and administrative support for Company business from time to time.

Directors and their spouses are eligible to receive discounts on our merchandise on terms similar to the Gap Inc. corporate employee merchandise discount policy.

We established The Gap, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (“DCP”) whereby highly compensated employees, including executive officers, and non-employee directors may elect to defer receipt of certain eligible income. The DCP allows eligible employees to defer a percentage of their salary and bonus on a pre-tax basis, and allows non-employee directors to defer their retainers and meeting fees. The deferred amounts are indexed to reflect the performance of the participant’s choice of approved investment funds. Non-employee director deferrals are not matched, and above-market or preferential interest rate options are not available on deferred compensation.

Directors are eligible to participate in our Gift Match Program available to all employees, under which we match contributions to eligible nonprofit organizations, up to certain annual limits. In fiscal 2015, Art Peck, our CEO, had an annual matching limit of $100,000. The annual limit for non-employee directors was $15,000 under the Gift Match Program.

Director Compensation Summary

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the compensation of our directors in fiscal 2015, which ended January 30, 2016.

PROPOSAL NO. 2 — Ratification of Selection of
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Audit and Finance Committee of the Board of Directors has selected Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2017. Deloitte & Touche LLP (or its predecessor firm) has been retained as our independent registered public accounting firm since 1976. If shareholders fail to ratify the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Audit and Finance Committee will reconsider the selection. If the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP is approved, the Audit and Finance Committee, in its discretion, may still direct the appointment of a different independent auditing firm at any time and without shareholder approval if the Audit and Finance Committee believes that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders.

Representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP are expected to be present, available to make statements, and available to respond to appropriate shareholder questions at the Annual Meeting.

Principal Accounting Firm Fees

The following table sets forth the aggregate fees paid and accrued by us for audit and other services for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2016 and January 31, 2015 provided by our principal accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, and their respective affiliates (collectively “Deloitte & Touche”).

The Audit and Finance Committee approves the terms, including compensation, of the engagement of our independent registered public accounting firm on an annual basis, and has a policy to pre-approve all services performed by the firm. This policy requires that all services performed by Deloitte & Touche, whether audit or non-audit services, must be pre-approved by the Audit and Finance Committee or a designated member of the Audit and Finance Committee, with any such services reported to the entire Audit and Finance Committee at the next scheduled meeting.

Rotation

The Audit and Finance Committee periodically reviews and evaluates the performance of Deloitte & Touche’s lead audit partner, oversees the required rotation of the lead audit partner responsible for our audit and, through the Committee’s Chair as representative of the Audit and Finance Committee, reviews and considers the selection of the lead audit partner. In addition, the Audit and Finance Committee periodically considers whether there should be a rotation of the independent registered public accounting firm. At this time, the Audit and Finance Committee and the Board believe that the continued retention of Deloitte & Touche to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm is in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders.

Report of the Audit and Finance Committee

The Audit and Finance Committee assists the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the integrity of our financial statements, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent registered public accounting firm qualifications, independence and performance, the performance of the Internal Audit function, the effectiveness of the corporate compliance program, finance matters, and such other duties as directed by the Board of Directors. The Committee

operates under a written charter (available at www.gapinc.com, follow the Investors, Governance, Board of Directors, Board Committees links) adopted by the Board of Directors. The Committee is composed exclusively of directors who are independent under New York Stock Exchange listing standards and Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

The Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016 with the Company’s management. In addition, the Committee has discussed with Deloitte & Touche, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, the matters required to be discussed by the applicable Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and Securities and Exchange Commission requirements.

The Committee also has received the communications, including written disclosures and the letter from Deloitte & Touche, required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Committee concerning independence, and the Committee has discussed the independence of Deloitte & Touche with that firm.

Based on the Committee’s review and discussions noted above, the Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Company’s audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mayo A. Shattuck III (Chair)
Isabella D. Goren
Jorge P. Montoya

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any of the Company’s previous or future filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that might incorporate this Proxy Statement or future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in whole or in part, this report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any such filing.

PROPOSAL NO. 3 — Advisory Vote on the Overall Compensation of
The Gap, Inc.’s Named Executive Officers

Pursuant to Section 951 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Company is providing shareholders with an advisory (non-binding) vote on the overall compensation of our named executive officers. Accordingly, the following resolution will be submitted for a shareholder vote at the 2016 Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the shareholders of The Gap, Inc. (the ”Company“) approve, on an advisory basis, the overall compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, the accompanying compensation tables, and the related narrative disclosure pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, set forth in the Proxy Statement for this Annual Meeting.”

The Board and the Compensation and Management Development Committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors, will consider the outcome of the shareholders’ non-binding advisory vote when making future executive compensation decisions to the extent they can determine the cause or causes of any significant positive or negative voting results.

As described in detail under the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” our executive compensation program is designed to provide the level of compensation necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced executives, and to motivate them to achieve short-term and long-term goals, thereby enhancing shareholder value and creating a successful company. We are committed to tie pay to performance. Reflecting this commitment, due to the fact that the Company did not meet its performance objectives in 2015, certain compensation components to our named executive officers paid out below established targets, as further described on page 20 of the following Compensation Discussion and Analysis. Overall, we believe our executive compensation program meets each of our compensation objectives.

We were pleased to have received over 99% of all votes cast in support of the overall compensation of our executives at our 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Compensation and Management Development Committee continued to apply the same philosophy and protocol it used in prior years to determine fiscal 2015 compensation. In addition, as described on page 22, we have several compensation governance programs in place to manage compensation risk and align the Company’s executive compensation with long-term shareholder interests.

Shareholders are encouraged to read the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement, the accompanying compensation tables, and the related narrative disclosures, which more thoroughly discuss how our compensation policies and procedures implement our compensation philosophy.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This Compensation Discussion & Analysis explains the key elements of our executive compensation program and compensation decisions for our named executive officers (“Executives”). The Compensation and Management Development Committee of our Board of Directors (the “Committee”) oversees these programs and determines compensation for our Executives.

Introduction

In this Compensation Discussion and Analysis, we discuss the following:

Executive Summary

Fiscal 2015 was a year of leadership transition. Fiscal 2015 at a glance:

Listening to Our Shareholders

Our experienced Committee is comprised solely of independent directors and has established effective means for communicating with shareholders, including the opportunity for shareholders to cast a non-binding advisory vote regarding executive compensation at our Annual Meeting.

The Committee is very interested in the ideas and concerns of our shareholders regarding executive compensation. An advisory vote regarding executive compensation was presented to our shareholders at last year’s Annual Meeting and approved by over 99% of shareholder votes, consistent with prior advisory votes by our shareholders regarding executive compensation.

CEO Compensation Summary

In connection with the appointment of Mr. Peck as our CEO, effective February 1, 2015, we established a compensation package that is structurally similar to that of our other Executives. The package is intended to reward him for sustained improvement of the Company’s financial performance and returns to shareholders while helping to promote alignment of interests across the executive team. The Committee used the same factors outlined under “Compensation Analysis Framework” below, as well as its judgment, to determine the structure and value of the package. Over 50% of the target long-term incentive compensation is in the form of performance shares and most of the total compensation opportunity requires achievement of performance goals or share price appreciation. Mr. Peck receives essentially the same

benefits and limited perquisites provided to our other Executives. The Committee received advice from its independent compensation consultant on the compensation structure, which is described more fully below:

The chart below shows the proportion of each component of our CEO’s fiscal 2015 compensation, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table on page 35, the majority of which is weighted toward incentive compensation tied to our financial performance and the long-term return realized by shareholders.

Compensation Objectives

Our compensation program is intended to align total compensation for executives with the short- and long-term performance of the Company and to enable us to attract and retain executive talent. Specifically, the program is designed to:

Our program rewards executives for the achievement of corporate and divisional financial and non-financial objectives, for their individual contributions to these results, and for optimizing long-term returns to shareholders. The majority of each executive’s total compensation opportunity is weighted toward incentive compensation tied to the financial performance of the Company and the long-term return realized by shareholders. When we do not achieve targeted performance levels and/or our stock price does not appreciate, compensation that can be realized by our executives is substantially reduced. When we exceed

targeted performance levels and/or our stock price appreciates, compensation that can be realized by our executives is substantially increased. We believe that this is the most effective means of aligning executive incentives with our shareholders’ interests.

Overall, we believe our executive compensation program met each of our compensation objectives and continues to demonstrate our strong commitment to pay for performance. The table below highlights key compensation practices – both the practices we believe support strong governance principles and the practices we have not implemented because we do not believe they would serve our shareholders’ long-term interests.

Compensation Governance

Elements of Compensation

The main components of our executive compensation program are:

We have chosen these elements because we believe each supports achievement of one or more of our compensation objectives, and that together they have been and will continue to be effective in this regard. We also provide our Executives with benefits and limited perquisites that are available to a broader group of employees or that are intended to maximize productivity.

The use and weight of each compensation element is based on the judgment of the Committee regarding the importance of each compensation objective in supporting our business and talent strategies, as well as the structure of these elements for executives at other companies. Base salary, benefits and perquisites represent less than half of each Executive’s potential compensation at target performance levels, to emphasize the importance of performance-based compensation.

Base Salary

Base salaries are set at a level that the Committee believes will effectively attract and retain top talent, considering the factors described below under “Compensation Analysis Framework.” In addition, the Committee considers the impact of base salary changes on other compensation components where applicable. The Committee reviews base salaries for Executives in the first fiscal quarter, and as needed in connection with promotions or other changes in responsibilities. The table below summarizes base salaries during fiscal 2015, and changes that occurred during the year.

Annual Incentive Bonus

Fiscal 2015 Annual Bonus

We have an annual cash incentive bonus program for Executives to motivate and reward achievement of financial and individual objectives and to provide a competitive total compensation opportunity. Mr. Peck’s annual incentive bonus was based exclusively on earnings and net sales performance (weighted 75% and 25%, respectively) given his role as CEO and direct accountability for operating results. For Executives other than Mr. Peck, the annual incentive bonus was based on two components:

In setting the fiscal 2015 annual bonus structure, the Committee considered our business priorities and the factors described below under “Compensation Analysis Framework.” The table below describes the target annual bonus and potential payout range for each Executive.

Financial Performance Component

Bonus payments based on financial performance are generally made under the Executive Management Incentive Compensation Award Plan (“Executive MICAP”). The Committee approves threshold, target and maximum performance goals at the beginning of each performance period. Bonuses are paid under the financial performance component only if threshold goals are exceeded. Actual bonuses are generally paid in March of each year.

Bonuses for fiscal 2015 financial performance were based on earnings (weighted 75%) and net sales (weighted 25%) goals. Earnings and net sales were used to measure both Company and division performance, in both cases subject to potential adjustment for certain items such as extraordinary and non-recurring items. The earnings measure was selected for fiscal 2015 and weighted more heavily because the Committee believed that earnings should continue to be a focus of Executives and is a good measure of actual operating performance within their control and accountability. The net sales measure is intended to

drive top-line focus and to promote continued focus on growing market share. Measuring both earnings and net sales diversifies performance metrics, and we believe it provides an appropriate balance between cost management and top line performance.

The following table shows fiscal 2015 earnings and net sales goals expressed as a percentage of fiscal 2014 actual results. Goals for fiscal 2015 were set at levels that required improvement from 2014 results for Executives to earn target payouts given our expected performance at the time goals were established. Goals were also set at a level intended to provide a meaningful incentive to Executives to improve performance. Also shown are the actual weighted percentages achieved expressed as a percentage of fiscal 2014 actual results after adjustments to exclude charges related to strategic actions and the impact of west coast port delays. These adjustments did not impact bonus payouts. No other adjustments to the results were made other than neutralization of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Mr. Larsson, who left the Company in October 2015, was not eligible to receive a payout and has been excluded from the table below.

Individual Objectives Component

Executives other than the CEO were eligible to receive bonuses based on individual performance and organization objectives. At the beginning of the year, 26 objectives were established for Gap Inc. with shared accountability by Executives. These objectives consisted of initiatives centered on three key themes: (i) product, which included objectives on product design, production and distribution; (ii) customer experience, which included objectives for store digital enablement, mobile advancements and future store design; and (iii) talent, which included objectives on talent retention, leadership assessment and development, and recruiting.

For Executives other than Mr. Peck, the extent to which these objectives were met, partially met, or exceeded was assessed qualitatively by Mr. Peck after the end of the fiscal year. In this regard, while certain of the objectives had quantitative components, there was no formulaic link between the extent to which a particular objective was satisfied and the ultimate payout that an Executive received. The CEO also had the discretion to consider some goals more heavily than others. In addition, in judging each Executive’s individual performance, the CEO took into account any additional initiatives and challenges that the Executive faced over the course of the year, as well as earnings performance, in determining a recommended payout. Payout amounts were then recommended to the Committee for consideration and approval.

Actual Bonuses

For fiscal 2015, performance against target earnings and net sales goals applicable to each Executive was well below targeted levels. The following table describes the calculation of the actual bonus for fiscal 2015 for each eligible Executive. Mr. Larsson, who left the Company in October 2015, was not eligible to receive a payout and has been excluded from the table below.

Long-Term Incentives

Stock-based long-term incentives align executive compensation and shareholder returns by linking a significant portion of total compensation to the performance of our stock. Unlike some of the members of our peer group, we do not have a pension plan, and we rely on long-term incentives to provide a substantial percentage of each Executive’s potential retirement savings. Long-term incentives have typically consisted of stock options, stock units or performance shares. It has been our practice to grant long-term incentives to Executives on an annual basis usually in the first quarter of each fiscal year. This timing was selected because it follows the release of our annual financial results and completion of annual compensation reviews. We also grant long-term incentives on other dates to newly hired Executives and periodically in connection with promotions or for special recognition and retention. Grants are typically approved by the Committee at a meeting and are effective on the meeting date or, if approved by unanimous written consent, the date of the last signature on the consent. However, the effective date for new hires is no earlier than the first day of employment. Stock-based awards are granted under our 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”), which was approved by our shareholders. On February 23, 2016, the Plan was amended, restated, and renamed the 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), subject to shareholder approval at the Annual Meeting. A description of the Plan is located on page 49 of this Proxy Statement.

In determining the long-term incentive structure and award amounts, the Committee considered the factors described below under “Compensation Analysis Framework,” including a review of each individual’s accumulated vested and unvested awards, the current and potential realizable value over time using stock appreciation assumptions, vesting schedules, comparison of individual awards between Executives and in relation to other compensation elements, shareholder dilution and accounting expense.

Stock Options

We believe stock options focus Executives on managing the Company from the long-term perspective of an owner. Stock options provide value to the recipient only if the price of our stock increases. Because of this inherent linkage to increased shareholder returns, we believe stock options are an important component of executive long-term incentive compensation. However, we believe that this component as a percentage of total long-term incentive grant value should typically be weighted at less than 50% to balance performance focus and mitigate potential compensation-related risk, so that the majority of long-term incentive value at grant is placed on full-value awards including those subject to achievement of performance goals. Award amounts were differentiated based on the Executive’s role in the organization and competitive practice. All stock options granted to employees during fiscal 2015 had an exercise price equal to the closing price of our stock on the date of grant. The stock option grants received by our Executives are described in more detail in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards on page 39.

Stock options typically vest based on continued service at a rate of 25% annually beginning one year from the grant date, which we have determined helps meet our retention objectives. We have also used other vesting schedules to align with timing of compensation being forfeited at a prior employer for new hires or to align with critical retention periods. Stock options are typically granted for a maximum term of ten years and vested options are exercisable for three months following employment termination. Vesting is generally accelerated upon death or retirement if the stock options are held for at least one year.

Stock Units and Performance Shares

A portion of long-term incentives is delivered in units representing full-value shares of our stock to drive performance, promote retention and foster a long-term ownership perspective. Unlike stock options, full-value share awards, in combination with stock ownership requirements, subject Executives to the same downside risk experienced by shareholders but still encourage retention if our stock price does not appreciate, and help to focus Executives on sustaining the value of the Company. In general, we believe the grant or vesting of a significant percentage of full-value shares for Executives should be based on performance against annual or long-term objectives unless they are made to offset compensation from prior employment in the case of new hires. However, to balance our performance, retention, and ownership objectives, in the past we have granted stock units or other full-value shares that vest only for continued service with the Company, and we may do so in the future. The stock unit grants received by our Executives are described in more detail in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards on page 39.

Stock units that are granted to Executives other than the CEO have in most cases been scheduled to vest over three years, but the schedule may differ based on critical retention or performance periods, or the vesting of compensation being forfeited at a prior employer for new hires. Executives generally must be employed on the vesting date or awards are forfeited. Vesting is generally accelerated upon death or retirement if the awards are held for at least one year and any performance conditions have been previously satisfied. Additional circumstances under which vesting on long-term incentives may be accelerated is described on pages 45-47 of this Proxy Statement.

LGP (Long-Term Growth Program)

Executives are eligible to participate in the LGP, which is intended to promote sustained improvement in financial performance and long-term value creation for shareholders, while taking into account the inherent difficulty in setting long-term performance goals in the volatile retail industry. Mr. Kirwan and Ms. Owen were appointed as Global Presidents and each received their first LGP grant in fiscal 2015. Mr. Peck’s LGP target was increased to 450% of base salary in connection with his appointment as CEO, a level which in the Committee’s judgment positioned him appropriately internally and relative to the peer group. The key features of the program are described below:

The table below describes the potential payout range as a percentage of the target award for the fiscal 2015-2017 performance period. The target number of shares was determined using our closing stock price on the date of grant and a percentage of base salary. The performance share grants represent only an opportunity to earn actual shares of our stock based on achievement of performance goals over three years. The associated amount listed in the Summary Compensation Table under Stock Awards is the grant date fair value for accounting purposes, which is the required disclosure under SEC rules, not necessarily the compensation that will be actually realized by each Executive. The same threshold, target, and maximum earnings goals described above under “Fiscal 2015 Annual Bonus” applied to the 2015 performance year under the LGP. We use earnings for both annual cash awards and performance-based long-term incentives because we believe that it is the best metric to drive shareholder value. The use of annual goals over a three-year period maintains our ability to set realistic goals while creating focus on results over a longer time horizon and a strong linkage to overall long-term Company results. All payments are made in shares at vesting and dividends are not paid or accrued on unvested shares. Mr. Larsson, who left the Company in October 2015, is not eligible to receive a payout under any outstanding LGP awards.

The following table describes the actual achievement levels and actual shares for the LGP awards for the completed fiscal 2013-2015 performance period for each eligible Executive.

The table below describes, for each eligible Executive, the actual percentage achievement levels for the completed fiscal years under the LGP awards for the fiscal 2014-2016 and fiscal 2015-2017 performance periods. Final achievement and actual shares for the outstanding fiscal 2014-2016 and fiscal 2015-2017 performance periods are still subject to the remaining performance periods and the cumulative Company earnings goal over the same three-year performance period.

Benefits and Perquisites

Executives generally are eligible for the same health and welfare plans as other full-time Gap Inc. employees, including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, and retirement plans. Although not a significant part of total compensation, we also provide limited additional benefits and perquisites to our Executives, which we believe are reasonable and consistent with our overall compensation objectives. These perquisites and benefits include: financial planning services or an allowance, as Executives typically have more complex financial planning requirements; participation in a deferred compensation plan that is offered to all highly compensated employees, as a means to help meet retirement savings goals; and matching charitable donations, up to certain annual limits, which are available to all employees.

Various agreements, as described in more detail beginning on page 45, provide for severance benefits in the event of a termination of employment. These benefits were selected in light of competitive conditions and customary practices at the time of their implementation.

The value of the benefits and perquisites received by our Executives are described in more detail in the footnotes to the Summary Compensation Table on page 38.

Promotions and Retention

We granted promotion stock units of 75,000 to each of Mr. Kirwan and Ms. Owen in February 2015 in connection with their promotions to Global President.

The Committee also considered potential retention risk for other Executives created by the announced departure of our previous CEO, as well as an increasingly challenging business environment and highly competitive market for executive talent. In light of this, we granted retention stock units of 75,000 shares to each of Mr. Larsson, Ms. Simmons and Ms. Syngal in February 2015. These awards vest based on continued service, 50% two years following the grant date to create a retention incentive for a shorter time horizon and 50% three years following the grant date to promote longer-term retention. In addition, retention payments of $1,000,000 with repayment provisions were made to Mr. Larsson and Ms. Simmons to promote short-term retention. The payments are repayable in full to the Company in the case of a voluntary termination or termination for Cause within one year of the payment date, and half must be repaid should such a termination occur between one and two years from the payment date.

When Mr. Larsson left the Company, his retention payment was repaid in full and his retention stock unit grant was forfeited.

Stock Ownership Requirements for Executive Officers / Hedging and Pledging Prohibitions

We have minimum stock ownership requirements for certain executive positions to more closely link executive and shareholder interests, to balance potential rewards and risks, and to encourage a long-term perspective in managing the Company. Each executive has five years from the date of his or her appointment to reach the requirement.

As of January 30, 2016, all Executives had either met the shares requirement in the table below or had remaining time to do so.

Executives not meeting the requirement must retain 50% of their after-tax shares acquired through stock compensation programs until the requirement is reached.

For purposes of determining stock ownership levels, in addition to shares held directly, certain forms of equity interests in the Company count towards the stock ownership requirement, including non-performance-based stock units (vested or unvested) and shares held within our 401(k) Plan. A complete description of the requirements, including a complete list of accepted forms of ownership, is located at

www.gapinc.com (follow the Investors, Governance, Executive Stock Ownership links).

Our insider trading policy applicable to executives prohibits speculation in our stock, including short sales, hedging or publicly-traded option transactions. We also prohibit executives from pledging Company stock as collateral for a loan or for any other purpose.

Termination Payments

Various agreements, as described in more detail beginning on page 45, provide for severance benefits in the event of a termination of employment. These benefits were selected in light of competitive conditions and customary practices at the time of their implementation. We have no severance arrangements specific to a change-in-control.

Compensation Analysis Framework

The Committee reviews executive compensation at least annually. The Committee’s review includes base salary, annual incentives, long-term incentives and the value of benefits and perquisites. Each element is considered individually and in total using tally sheets, which are intended to summarize all of the elements of total actual and potential compensation and wealth accumulation. The tally sheets present the dollar value of each compensation component, including accumulated vested and unvested long-term incentive gains and potential gains using stock price assumptions, vesting schedules for long-term incentive awards, accumulated deferred compensation and potential severance benefits.

The Committee also uses a summary of compensation data covering other companies to support its analysis. The Committee selected a broad spectrum of retail and consumer products companies for purposes of comparing market compensation levels (the “peer group”) because we have both recruited from and lost executive talent to these industries in the past, and to ensure appropriate scope and complexity relative to the Company. Because the size of the peer group companies varies considerably, regression analysis is used where appropriate to adjust the compensation data for differences in Company revenues.

The peer group is reviewed by the Committee each year. The peer group used in 2015 was comprised of the companies listed below and reflects only one change from the prior year (replacement of Aeropostale with PVH Corporation) to better align with Gap Inc.’s global presence.

The majority of the peer group provides compensation data through surveys conducted by Towers Watson, an international consulting company. The surveys provide levels of base salary, annual incentives, and long-term incentive grant values in a summarized form, and we believe that this data provides a reasonable indicator of total compensation values for the peer group. This data is supplemented by information obtained through proxy statement disclosures and other public sources. The Committee uses

the peer group data along with the tally sheet data as a frame of reference to inform compensation decisions, but compensation is not set to meet specific benchmarks or percentiles.

In conducting its analysis and determining compensation, the Committee also takes into account the following factors where relevant:

As described below, the Committee also considers management’s recommendations and advice from the Committee’s independent compensation consultant when appropriate. The Committee periodically reviews the accounting and tax implications of each compensation element, and shareholder dilution in the case of equity awards.

Role of the CEO and Compensation Consultant

The CEO evaluates each Executive using relevant factors described above under “Compensation Analysis Framework” and makes recommendations to the Committee about the structure of the compensation program and individual arrangements. The CEO is generally present at Committee meetings when compensation, other than his own, is considered and approved. However, approval rests solely with the Committee.

The Committee has engaged Frederic W. Cook & Co. as its independent compensation consultant to advise the Committee periodically on the compensation program structure and individual compensation arrangements. The consultant was selected by the Committee and does not provide any other services to the Company. In addition, we have conducted a review of the Committee’s relationship with its compensation consultant, and have identified no conflicts of interest. From time to time, the consultant attends Committee meetings, presents briefings on general and retail-industry compensation trends and developments, and is also available to the Committee outside of meetings as necessary. The consultant reports directly to the Committee, although the consultant meets with management from time to time to obtain information necessary to advise the Committee.

Accounting and Tax Considerations

Accounting, tax and related financial implications to the Company and Executives are considered during the analysis of our compensation and benefits program and individual elements. Overall, the Committee seeks to balance attainment of our compensation objectives with the need to maximize current tax deductibility of compensation that may impact earnings and other measures of importance to shareholders. The Committee determined that the accounting and tax impacts described below were reasonable in light of our objectives.

In general, base salary, annual cash incentive bonus payments, and the costs related to benefits and perquisites are recognized as compensation expense at the time they are earned or provided. Share-based compensation expense is recognized in our consolidated statements of income for stock options, stock units, and performance shares.

Subject to the exceptions and limits below, we deduct for federal income tax purposes all payments of compensation and other benefits to Executives. We do not deduct deferred compensation until the year that the deferred compensation is paid to an Executive.

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally does not allow a tax deduction to public companies for compensation over $1,000,000 paid to the principal executive officer or any of the other three most highly compensated executive officers (other than the principal financial officer) unless the compensation is based on attainment of pre-established objective performance goals and certain other requirements are met. It is our preference to qualify executive compensation as deductible under Section 162(m) where we determine it is consistent with our interests and compensation objectives. However, to maintain maximum flexibility in achieving compensation objectives, the Committee, while considering company tax deductibility as one of its factors in determining compensation, will not limit compensation to those levels or types of compensation that are intended to be deductible. Our compensation plans have generally been designed to permit awards that qualify as deductible under Section 162(m). However, the individual objectives component of the annual incentive bonus is qualitative in nature and is subject to the deduction limits of Section 162(m). In addition, stock units, other than performance shares, that have vesting based only on continued service are also subject to the deduction limits of Section 162(m). Because of the fact-based nature of the performance-based compensation exception and the limited amount of guidance, there is no guarantee that compensation that is intended to comply with the performance-based compensation exception under Section 162(m) will in fact so qualify.

Section 4999 and Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code provide that executives could be subject to additional taxes if they receive payments or benefits that exceed certain limits in connection with a change in control of the Company and that the Company could lose an income tax deduction for such payments. We have not provided any Executive with tax gross-ups or other reimbursement for tax amounts the Executive might be required to pay under Section 4999.

Recovery and Adjustments to Awards

Subject to the approval of the Board, we will require reimbursement and/or cancellation of any bonus or other incentive compensation, including stock-based compensation, where all of the following factors are present: (i) the award was predicated upon the achievement of certain financial results that were subsequently the subject of a restatement, (ii) in the Board’s view, the Executive engaged in fraud or intentional misconduct that was a substantial contributing cause to the need for the restatement, and (iii) a lower award would have been made to the Executive based upon the restated financial results. In each such instance, we will seek to recover the individual Executive’s entire annual bonus or award for the relevant period, plus a reasonable rate of interest. The Board is monitoring this policy to ensure that it is consistent with applicable laws, including any requirements under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation and Management Development Committee (the “Committee”) has reviewed and discussed this Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on the review and discussions, the Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016 and the Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Bob L. Martin (Chair)
Domenico De Sole
Katherine Tsang
Padmasree Warrior

Summary Compensation Table

The following table shows compensation information for fiscal 2015, which ended January 30, 2016, for our CEO, CFO, the three other most highly compensated executive officers at fiscal year-end, and an officer who would have been one of the three other most highly compensated officers had he still been serving as an officer at fiscal year-end, as required under SEC rules (“named executive officers”). The table also shows compensation information for fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, which ended January 31, 2015 and February 1, 2014, respectively, for those named executive officers who also were named executive officers in either of those years.