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

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):May 22, 2024

Heartland Financial USA, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware001-1539342-1405748
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)    (Commission File Number)(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

1800 Larimer StreetSuite 1800Denver,Colorado80202
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip code)

(303) 285-9200
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):

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

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

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

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
Title of each classTrading SymbolName of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $1.00 per shareHTLFNasdaq Stock Market
Depositary Shares (each representing 1/400th interest in a share of 7.00% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E)HTLFPNasdaq Stock Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2). Emerging growth company

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



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

As further discussed below, on May 22, 2024, Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (the “Company”) held its 2024 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) virtually via the internet. At the Annual Meeting, among other things, the stockholders of the Company approved our 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to which we may grant equity incentive compensation to our directors, executive officers and other eligible participants. A total of 1,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $1.00 per share (“common stock”) are reserved for grant under the Plan. A brief description of the Plan is included as part of the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting (the “Proxy Statement”), which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 9, 2024. The descriptions of the Plan contained herein and in the Proxy Statement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Plan, a copy of which is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 10.1.

Following the Annual Meeting on May 22, 2024, the Company approved forms of Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award (the “Employee Award”) and Director Restricted Stock Unit Award (the “Director Award”) pursuant to the authority set forth in the Plan. Pursuant to the Employee Award and Director Award forms, the Compensation and Human Capital Committee may grant restricted stock units under the Plan, subject to vesting conditions. Those awards are further described below, with capitalized terms defined in the Plan or the corresponding Employee Award or Director Award forms, as applicable.

Employee Award

The Employee Award automatically fully vests in the event of death, Disability, or a Qualifying Retirement. In addition, if a Termination of Service occurs within 24 months following a Change in Control (other than for Cause) or by the Participant for Good Reason, the Employee Award shall vest in full. Except as provided above, any unvested Employee Award will be forfeited upon a Termination of Service.

Director Award

Pursuant to the Director Award, if a Termination of Service occurs prior to the earlier of (i) the next annual meeting following the Grant Date at which the board is elected or appointed or (ii) the Vesting Date, the Director Award shall be forfeited; provided that shares automatically vest in the event of a Change in Control occurring prior to a Termination of Service or in the event that a Termination of Service occurs by reason of death or Disability. Except as provided above, any unvested Director Award will be forfeited upon a Termination of Service.

The summaries of the Employee Award and Director Award do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the form of Employee Award and the form of Director Award, copies of which are attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 10.2 and 10.3, respectively.

Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

As set forth above, on May 22, 2024, the Company held its Annual Meeting. As of March 27, 2024, the record date for the Annual Meeting, there were 42,783,670 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. At the Annual Meeting, 36,791,867 shares of common stock were represented in person or by proxy and, therefore, a quorum was present. For more information regarding the following proposals, see the Proxy Statement.

The number of votes cast for, against, and abstentions/withhold votes and broker non-votes with respect to each matter voted upon are set forth below:




 1. Elect twelve individuals to serve as Directors for a one-year term
NOMINEEFORWITHHOLDBROKER NON-VOTES
Robert B. Engel30,550,320526,5995,714,948
Brad J. Henderson30,657,320419,5995,714,948
Jennifer K. Hopkins30,474,271602,6485,714,948
Christopher S. Hylen30,335,917741,0025,714,948
Margaret Lazo30,619,423457,4965,714,948
Bruce K. Lee30,203,709873,2105,714,948
Susan G Murphy30,616,035460,8845,714,948
Opal G. Perry30,534,468542,4515,714,948
John K. Schmidt29,436,4101,640,5095,714,948
Paul W. Taylor30,688,027388,8925,714,948
Kathryn Graves Unger30,329,808747,1115,714,948
Duane E. White29,356,3261,720,5935,714,948

2. Approval of the Heartland Financial 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan.
FOR AGAINSTABSTAINBROKER NON-VOTES
28,575,2982,352,510149,1115,714,948

3. Non-binding, advisory vote on executive compensation.
FORAGAINSTABSTAINBROKER NON-VOTES
27,951,2292,889,236236,4545,714,948

4. Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
 FORAGAINSTABSTAIN
35,383,8481,396,30711,712


Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No. Description

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




SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: May 28, 2024HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC.
By:/s/ Kevin L. Thompson
Kevin L. Thompson
Executive Vice President
Chief Financial Officer



HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. 2024 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN TIME-BASED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT The Participant specified below is hereby granted a restricted stock unit award by HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. (the “Company”), under the HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. 2024 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN (as it may be amended and restated from time to time, the “Plan”). The restricted stock units awarded by this Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) shall be subject to the terms of the Plan and the terms set forth in this Agreement. All capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined have the meaning assigned to them in the Plan. Section 1. Award. The Company hereby grants to the Participant an award of restricted stock units (each such unit, an “RSU”), where each RSU represents the right of the Participant to receive one share of Company stock (“Share”) in the future, subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan. For purposes of this Agreement: The “Participant” is: %%FIRST_NAME_MIDDLE_NAME_LAST_NAME%-% The “Grant Date” is: %%OPTION_DATE%-% The number of RSUs is: %%TOTAL_SHARES_GRANTED,'999,999,999'%-% Section 2. Vesting of RSUs. (a) The RSUs shall vest with respect to one-third (1/3) of the RSUs (rounded down to the nearest whole number and with all RSUs fully vested on the third Vesting Date (as defined below)) on [●] of each of the three years following the year of the grant (each date on which the RSU shall vest pursuant to this Section 2 being hereafter referred to as the “Vesting Date”); provided that the Participant’s Termination of Service has not occurred prior to such Vesting Date. A “Termination of Service” shall mean the Participant’s cessation of employment with the Company or a Subsidiary. The price at which the RSUs shall vest is the fair market value of Company stock at closing on the business day prior to the Vesting Date. (b) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2, the RSUs shall become fully vested immediately upon (i) the Participant’s Disability or (ii) the Participant’s death. (c) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2, if the Participant’s Termination of Service occurs due to a Qualifying Retirement, all RSUs shall become vested as of the date of such Termination of Service due to a Qualifying Retirement. For such purposes, a “Qualifying Retirement” means a voluntary Termination of Services by the Participant on or after the date the Participant reaches the age of 62, and provided that (A) the Participant has provided at least five (5) years of full-time equivalent services to the Company or a Subsidiary through the date of such Termination of Services; (B) the Participant executes a general release and waiver of claims against the Company and its affiliates at the time of such Termination of Services; and (C) the Participant executes a Confidentiality, Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation Agreement & General Waiver and Release. Consistent with Section 5.2 of the Plan, any question regarding whether a voluntary Termination of Service constitutes a Qualifying Retirement shall be determined by the Committee and the decision of the Committee shall be final and binding upon the Participant.


 
2 (d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2, immediately upon a Change in Control, if the obligations under this Agreement are not assumed by the Company or its successor in such Change in Control, all RSUs that have not been previously forfeited shall become vested. Otherwise, if the obligations under this Agreement are assumed by the Company or its successor in such Change in Control, and if the Participant’s Termination of Service occurs due to the Participant’s Disability, death or Qualifying Retirement, by the Company, a Subsidiary, or successor of the Company or a Subsidiary other than for Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, in each case within the period beginning upon a Change in Control and ending 24 months after a Change in Control, all RSUs then held by the Participant shall become vested upon such Termination of Service. The foregoing provisions are subject to any forfeiture and expiration provisions otherwise applicable to the RSUs. For such purposes, “Good Reason” means (a) if the Participant is party to an existing agreement with the Company, a Subsidiary, or successor of the Company or a Subsidiary that defines “Good Reason,” the definition set forth therein, or (b) if the Participant is not party to an existing agreement with the Company, a Subsidiary, or successor of the Company or a Subsidiary that includes a definition of “Good Reason,” the occurrence of one of the following in the absence of the Participant’s prior written consent: (i) any reduction in the Participant’s base salary, or (ii) a relocation of the Participant’s principal place of work outside a 35-mile radius of the Participant’s then-current principal work location, except for required travel on business to an extent substantially consistent with the Participant’s then-present business travel obligations; provided that, in each case, the Participant provides the Company, a Subsidiary, or successor of the Company or a Subsidiary with written notice of the Participant’s intent to resign for Good Reason and the circumstances alleged to constitute Good Reason not later than 90 days following the initial occurrence of the circumstances alleged to constitute Good Reason, the Company, a Subsidiary, or successor of the Company or a Subsidiary has not remedied in all material respects the circumstances allegedly constituting Good Reason within a 30-day period following the receipt of such written notice, and the Participant terminates employment within 30 days following the end of such 30-day cure period. (e) Except as set forth in Section 2(b), Section 2(c) and Section 2(d) above, upon the Participant’s Termination of Service, Participant shall forfeit all RSUs that have not vested as of such Termination of Service and Participant shall have no further rights under this Agreement. Section 3. Precondition of Award. (a) No Award of RSUs to the Participant will be effective unless the Participant executes the Non-Solicitation Agreement attached as Exhibit A. (b) By accepting this Award of RSUs, the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant’s outstanding HTLF Equity Awards (as defined in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among the Company, UMB Financial Corporation and Blue Sky Merger Sub Inc., dated as of April 28, 2024 (the “Merger Agreement”)) will be treated as set forth in the Merger Agreement and that (a) if the Participant experiences a Termination of Service due to the Participant’s Disability, death or Qualifying Retirement (as defined in the award agreement applicable to the corresponding HTLF Equity Award), by the Company, a Subsidiary, or successor of the Company or a Subsidiary other than for Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason (each, a “Qualified Termination”), all of the Participant’s Assumed Equity Awards (as defined in the Merger Agreement) will accelerate and vest in full on the date of such Termination of Service and, in the case of Assumed RSU Awards and Assumed PSU Awards (each as defined in the Merger Agreement), be settled within 30 days after such Termination of Service (or at the earliest time permitted under the Company’s 2020 Long-Term Incentive Plan and applicable award agreement that will not trigger a tax or penalty under Code Section 409A with respect to any Assumed RSU Award or Assumed PSU Award subject to Code Section 409A), and (b) if the Participant experiences a Termination of Service by the Company, a Subsidiary, or successor of the Company or a Subsidiary for Cause or due to voluntary resignation not for Good Reason or Qualifying Retirement, all of the Participant’s Assumed Equity Awards will be forfeited.


 
3 Section 4. Settlement of RSUs. Delivery of Shares or other amounts under this Agreement and the Plan shall be subject to the following: (a) Delivery of Shares. The Company shall deliver to the Participant one Share free and clear of any restrictions in settlement of each of the vested and unrestricted RSUs within 30 days after such RSU becomes vested. Only whole Shares shall be issued, with any fractional RSUs rounded down to the nearest whole Share. (b) Compliance with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding any other term of this Agreement or the Plan, the Company shall have no obligation to deliver any Shares or make any other distribution of benefits under this Agreement or the Plan unless such delivery or distribution complies with all applicable laws and the applicable rules of any securities exchange or similar entity. (c) Certificates Not Required. To the extent that this Agreement and the Plan provide for the issuance of Shares, such issuance may be effected on a non-certificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the applicable rules of any securities exchange or similar entity. Section 5. Withholding. All deliveries of Shares pursuant to this Award shall be subject to withholding of all applicable taxes. The Company shall have the right to require the Participant (or if applicable, permitted assigns, heirs and Designated Beneficiaries) to remit to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy any tax requirements prior to the delivery date of any Shares in connection with this Agreement. Except as may be provided otherwise by the Committee, such withholding obligations may be satisfied at the election of the Participant (a) through debit of a deposit account held by the Participant at a Company-affiliated bank, or (b) through the surrender of Shares to which the Participant is otherwise entitled under the Plan; provided, however, that except as otherwise specifically provided by the Committee, such Shares under clause (b) may not be used to satisfy more than the Company’s minimum statutory withholding obligation. Section 6. Non-Transferability of RSUs. No RSU granted pursuant to this Agreement is transferable except as designated by the Participant by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a domestic relations order. Except as provided in the immediately preceding sentence, this Agreement shall not be assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of by the Participant in any way whether by operation of law or otherwise, and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of this Agreement contrary to the provisions hereof, or the levy of any attachment or similar process upon this Agreement or the RSUs it represents, shall be null and void and without effect. Section 7. Stockholder Rights. Any dividends or other distributions declared payable on the Company’s Shares on or after the Grant Date of the RSUs until the RSUs vest or forfeit shall be credited notionally to the Participant in an amount equal to such declared dividends or other distributions on an equivalent number of the Shares of the Company (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend Equivalents so credited shall be paid if, and only to the extent that, the RSUs to which they relate vest, as provided under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement. Dividend Equivalents credited in respect to RSUs that are forfeited under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement are correspondingly forfeited. No interest or other earnings shall be credited on Dividend Equivalents. Vested Dividend Equivalents shall be paid in cash at the same time as the RSUs to which they relate vest and are converted into Shares. Other than as explicitly set forth above, the Participant shall not have any other rights of a Stockholder with respect to the RSUs, including but not limited to, voting rights, prior to the settlement of the RSUs pursuant to Section 4(a) above and issuance of Shares as provided herein. Section 8. Heirs and Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the Company and its successors and assigns, and upon any person acquiring all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or business. If any rights of the Participant or benefits distributable to the Participant under this Agreement


 
4 have not been settled or distributed at the time of the Participant’s death and have not been designated to pass to a certain beneficiary, such rights shall be provided to the legal representative of the estate of the Participant. Section 9. Administration. The authority to manage and control the operation and administration of this Agreement and the Plan shall be vested in the Committee, and the Committee shall have all powers with respect to this Agreement as it has with respect to the Plan. Any interpretation of this Agreement or the Plan by the Committee and any decision made by the Committee with respect to this Agreement or the Plan shall be final and binding on all persons. Section 10. Plan Governs. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, a copy of which may be obtained by the Participant from the Human Resources Department of the Company. This Agreement shall be subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations promulgated by the Committee from time to time. Notwithstanding any term of this Agreement to the contrary, in the event of any discrepancy between the corporate records of the Company and this Agreement, the corporate records of the Company shall control. Section 11. Not an Employment Contract. Neither the RSUs granted under this Agreement nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any rights with respect to continuance of employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary, nor shall they interfere in any way with any right the Company or a Subsidiary may otherwise have to terminate or modify the terms of the Participant’s employment or other service at any time. Section 12. Amendment. Without limitation of Section 15 and Section 16 below, this Agreement may be amended in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, and may otherwise be amended in writing by the Participant and the Company without the consent of any other person. Section 13. Governing Law. This Agreement, the Plan and all actions taken in connection herewith and therewith shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to principles of conflict of laws, except as superseded by applicable federal law or as specifically stated in Exhibit A. Section 14. Validity. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be illegal or invalid for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts hereof, but this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal or invalid provision had never been included herein. Section 15. Section 409A Amendment. This Agreement is intended to comply with, or be exempt from, Code Section 409A and this Agreement shall be administered and interpreted in accordance with such intent. The Committee reserves the right (including the right to delegate such right) to unilaterally amend this Agreement without the consent of the Participant in order to maintain an exclusion from the application of, or to maintain compliance with, Code Section 409A; and the Participant hereby acknowledges and consents to such rights of the Committee. Section 16. Clawback. This Agreement, the RSUs and any Shares received under this Agreement, and any amount or benefit received under the Plan shall be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of any applicable Company or Subsidiary clawback policy (the “Policy”) or any applicable law, as may be in effect from time to time. The Participant hereby acknowledges and consents to the Company’s or a Subsidiary’s application, implementation and enforcement of (a) the Policy and any similar policy established by the Company or a Subsidiary that may apply to the Participant, whether adopted prior to or following the date of this Agreement, and (b) any provision of applicable law relating to cancellation, rescission, payback or recoupment of compensation, and agrees that the Company or a Subsidiary may take such actions as may be necessary to effectuate the Policy, any similar policy and applicable law, without further consideration or action.


 
5 * * * * *


 
6 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and on its behalf, and the Participant acknowledges understanding and acceptance of, and agrees to, the terms of this Agreement, all as of the Grant Date. This Agreement and any amendments or supplements hereto may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but taken together shall constitute a single contract. Signature may be in electronic format, including by electronic acknowledgement. EMPLOYEE By: %%FIRST_NAME_LAST_NAME%-% Via Electronic Acknowledgment HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. By: Bruce K. Lee President and CEO


 
EXHIBIT A NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT This NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), including the state-specific modifications in Appendix A,1 is entered into between Heartland Financial USA, Inc., and its Affiliates (as defined below), successors, and assigns (collectively the “Company”) and the undersigned Employee. WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in the business of providing banking, investment, and other financial products and services (collectively, the “Services”). WHEREAS, to maximize the quality of the Services it provides, the Company encourages its employees to develop and maintain a proper business and professional relationships with its existing and potential customers as well as other employees; WHEREAS, in furtherance of developing these relationships and services, the Company compensates its employees for their time, trains its employees, discloses to its employees certain Confidential and Proprietary Information (as that term is defined in the parties’ Employee Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement), and commits its resources to the development of these relationships and Confidential and Proprietary Information; WHEREAS, the Company’s customer and employee relationships represent a significant investment of the Company’s resources and are commercially important, and it is important that the Company protects its customers and employees from direct and indirect solicitation by competitors and former employees; and WHEREAS, Employee is receiving valuable consideration in the form of restricted stock grants (“RSUs”) issued contemporaneously with Employee’s execution of this Agreement. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the Employee’s employment, the Employee’s access to Confidential and Proprietary Information, the Company’s providing Employee specialized training related to the Company’s Services, the Company’s allowing Employee access to customers and the ability to use and develop goodwill with them, the award of RSUs, the Employee’s eligibility for discretionary compensation plans and programs in addition to any regular compensation, and the mutual covenants and promises set forth herein, the parties agree as follows: 1. Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure. Employee acknowledged and agreed to the Employee Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement, which is incorporated into 1 Employees in Alabama, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin are directed to the State-Specific Appendix for important limitations on the scope of this Agreement.


 
this Agreement. The Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement survives the termination of Employee’s employment in accordance with it terms. 2. Nonsolicitation a. Non-Solicitation of Employees. At all times while Employee is employed by the Company and for 12 months immediately following the voluntary or involuntary termination of Employee's employment with the Company, regardless of the reason for the termination; Employee agrees and covenants not to directly or indirectly: (i) solicit or recruit for their own benefit or the benefit of any other person or entity, any employee of the Company (A) who was employed by the Company on the last day of Employee’s employment or in the six month period immediately prior; and (B) whom the Employee gained knowledge of through Employee’s employment with the Company ("Covered Employee"), or (ii) encourage or induce any Covered Employee to terminate their employment with the Company. Under no circumstances will Section 2(a) apply in California post-termination of employment. b. Non-Solicitation of Customers. Employee understands and acknowledges that because of Employee's employment with the Company, Employee will have access to and learn about the Company's Customer Information. "Customer Information" includes, but is not limited to, names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, transaction history and preferences, chain of command, pricing information, and other information identifying facts and circumstances specific to the customer and its relationship with the Company, as well as any information the disclosure or use of which is subject to the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement. Employee further understands and acknowledges that the curtailment, diversion, or loss of any such customer relationship or goodwill will cause significant and irreparable harm to the Company. Based on the foregoing and Employee’s employment relationship with the Company, at all times while Employee is employed by the Company and for 12 months immediately following the voluntary or involuntary termination of Employee's employment with the Company, regardless of the reason for the termination; Employee agrees and covenants not to directly or indirectly (i) solicit or attempt to solicit, for the purposes of providing or performing services similar to or in competition with the Company’s Services, the Company's former, current, or prospective customers (1) with whom Employee had Material Business-Related Contact during the last two years of Employee’s employment with the Company (the “Look Back Period”), including any interaction occurring indirectly through individuals directly or indirectly supervised by Employee or with whom Employee engaged in cross-selling or other joint marketing efforts, or (2) about whom the Employee received Customer Information during the Look Back Period (collectively “Covered Customers”), or (ii) encourage or otherwise induce any Covered Customer to curtail, terminate or decline to renew such Covered Customer’s business relationship with the Company. Under no circumstances will Section 2(b) apply in California post-termination of employment.


 
c. For purposes of this Section 2, “soliciting” means to interact with someone in an effort to cause or encourage the person or entity to do something, regardless of which party first initiates contact. “Material Business-Related Contact” means a direct, substantive conference, meeting, correspondence, discussion, or other contact or communication (but not merely a mass mailing, “cold call” telephone solicitation, incidental meeting at trade shows or conventions, or other like incidental contacts), that is intended to result in, lead to, maintain, increase, facilitate, further, or otherwise aid the sale or other provision of product(s) or service(s) sold or provided by the Company. d. Territory. The non-solicitation covenants in Sections 2(a) and 2(b) are understood to be inherently and reasonably limited by geography to those locations and/or places of business where the Covered Customer or Covered Employee is located and available for solicitation. Where (and only where) a different form of geographic limitation is required by applicable law for enforcement, the covenants will be considered limited to Employee’s Territory. “Territory” means the United States (including state and state-equivalents and county and county-equivalents therein), as the Company and Employee agree that the Company’s business is conducted nationwide. If Employee is employed in a sales position, Employee acknowledges that the geographic scope is reasonable because many of the customers to whom Employee sells/sold products while employed by the Company are national accounts with locations throughout the country, and therefore, the scope of Confidential Information to which Employee had access and the goodwill Employee builds on behalf of the Company will not be limited to any particular county or state within the United States. If Employee is employed as an officer of the Company, Employee acknowledges that the geographic scope is reasonable because Employee is presumed to have participated in the Company’s business and/or had Confidential Information about the Company’s business throughout the United States (including state and state-equivalents and county and county- equivalents therein). Provided, however, if a nationwide Territory is unenforceable, “Territory” means the geographic territory(ies) assigned to Employee by the Company during the Look Back Period (by state, county, or other recognized geographic boundary used in the Company’s business); and, if Employee has no such specifically assigned geographic territory then: (i) those states and counties in which Employee participated in the Company’s business during the Look Back Period; and, (ii) the state(s) and county(ies) where Employee resided during the Look Back Period. e. Clarifications. The non-solicitation provisions in subsection 2(a) and (b) explicitly cover all forms of oral, written, or electronic communication, including, but not limited to, communications by email, regular mail, express mail, telephone, fax, instant message, and social media. The use of the term the “Company” in this Agreement refers collectively to Heartland Financial USA, Inc. and its Affiliates. “Affiliate” shall mean any bank, trust company, financial services


 
firm or other legal entity that directly or indirectly controls or is controlled by Heartland Financial USA, Inc., or is under common control with Heartland Financial USA, Inc. 3. Choice of Law; Remedies. This Agreement shall be interpreted according to the laws of the state in which the Employee last worked for the Company. The parties agree that, regardless of any choice of law provisions of any jurisdiction, the Agreement shall be enforceable in any Court of competent jurisdiction in that state, and the parties expressly consent to the jurisdiction therein. Employee agrees that the Company may be irreparably harmed if Employee violated the terms of this Agreement and that money damages may not provide adequate relief. Employee therefore agrees that if Employee violates or threatens to violate any term of this Agreement, the Company may be entitled to a temporary or permanent injunction to enforce this Agreement, as well as any other remedies at law or in equity. Should the Company need to commence legal action to enforce any provision of this Agreement or protect its rights under the Agreement, and the Company is deemed the prevailing party; the Company shall recover its attorneys’ fees incurred in such legal action, if permitted under applicable law. The Company shall be deemed the prevailing party if it is awarded any part of the legal or equitable relief it seeks, irrespective of whether some of the relief it seeks is denied or modified. However, if applicable law requires this provision regarding attorneys’ fees and costs be interpreted as reciprocal, it shall be modified such that all parties bear their own attorneys’ fees and costs. 4. Successors. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be enforceable by any successor or assignee of the Company. If the Company is sold, merged into another entity, or otherwise reorganized, this Agreement shall automatically be assigned to the successor entity, and Employee shall continue to owe the obligations set forth in this Agreement to the successor entity unless otherwise agreed in writing. In such a circumstance, Confidential Information shall include information of the successor entity as well as that of the Company. Furthermore, in the event of a corporate reorganization where Employee’s employer transfers to a different entity included within the definition of Company, Employee shall owe the obligations set forth in this Agreement to Employee’s new employing entity unless otherwise agreed in writing. In such a circumstance, Confidential Information shall include information of the new employing entity as well as that of the Company. This Agreement may be enforced by any of the Company’s successors, or assigns who have a legitimate business interest that would be protected by enforcement of this Agreement. Employee’s obligations under this Agreement are personal in nature and will not be assigned by Employee without the written consent of the Company. 5. Prior Agreements. This Agreement is intended as a clarification and amplification of any existing prior agreements between the parties (including the Employee Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement), which prior agreements relate to the subject matter of the Agreement. 6. Amendment. No changes in or additions to the terms of this Agreement shall be valid or binding unless reduced to writing and signed by both parties. Employee acknowledges that portions of this Agreement may be modified or overridden by the laws of the state in which Employee last worked for the Company, and that these modifications or overrides are set forth in the State-Specific Appendix below, which constitutes part of the Agreement and


 
which Employee has read and understands. The parties agree that, where permitted by law, a Court of competent jurisdiction shall have the power to reduce the period or scope contained in this Agreement to substitute the maximum period or scope deemed reasonable under such circumstances or enforce the restrictions to such lesser extent as allowed by law. 7. Severability. The Employee and the Company agree that the covenants contained in this Agreement, or any of its paragraphs, sentences, or clauses are severable and separate, and the enforceability of any specific covenant or restriction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other covenant or restriction set forth herein. Each such covenant on the part of the Employee shall be construed as an agreement independent of any other provision in this Agreement, and the existence of any claim or cause of action of the Employee against the Company or any Affiliate whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement of the Company of said covenants. 8. Waiver of Default. Any waiver by the Company of any default or violation under this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any other default or violation on a different occasion. 9. Consent. The Employee acknowledges that he/she has had sufficient time to read, has read, and understands this Agreement. The Employee acknowledges having received a copy of this Agreement. Employee is advised of the opportunity to review this Agreement with Employee’s legal counsel. 10. Disclosure to Future Employers. Employee agrees to provide a copy of this Agreement to any organization that Employee is employed by or otherwise provides services to at any time during the 12 month period following termination of Employee’s employment with the Company. The Employee acknowledges and agrees that the Company may send a copy of this Agreement to any such organization. 11. Counterparts; Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The Parties agree that any electronic signature included in this Agreement is intended to authenticate this writing and to have the same force and effect as an original signature by hand in ink. Employee may decline the use of an electronic signature and instead elect to sign a paper copy of this Agreement by hand in ink. The Company assents to and accepts this Agreement upon Employee providing Employee’s signature either electronically or by hand, and the Parties agree that this Agreement will be binding and enforceable without the Company’s signature. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereto executed this Agreement , effective as of the date executed electronically by the Employee (“Effective Date”).


 
EMPLOYEE By: %%FIRST_NAME_LAST_NAME%-% Via Electronic Acknowledgment HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. By: Bruce K. Lee President and CEO


 
13 APPENDIX A The following shall apply to modify provisions of the Agreement, where applicable, based upon the controlling law in the state where Employee primarily resided and worked when last employed by the Company: Alabama: If Alabama law applies, then: (a) Employee’s non-solicitation of employees obligations in Section 2(a) shall only apply to Covered Employees who are in a position uniquely essential to the management, organization, or service of the Company’s business (such as an employee involved in management or significant customer sales or servicing); and (b) Employee’s non-solicitation of customers obligations in Section 2(b) shall be modified to further limit the restriction on solicitation of clients to solicitation on behalf of a commercial entity that carries on a like business to the Company’s Services. California: If California law applies, then the non-solicitation of employees obligations in Section 2(a) and the non-solicitation of customers obligations in Section 2(b) shall not apply after Employee’s employment with the Company ends. However, any conduct relating to the solicitation of Company’s customers or employees that involves the misappropriation of the Company’s trade secret information, such as its protected customer information, will remain prohibited conduct at all times. Further, Employee acknowledges that signing this Agreement is Employee’s knowing and voluntary choice after having had a full and fair opportunity to consult with legal counsel (at the Employee’s cost). Colorado: If Colorado law applies, then: (a) The non-solicitation of customers obligations in Section 2(b) will not be enforceable against Employee unless Employee earns annualized cash compensation (including wages, bonuses, commissions, or other cash compensation) from the Company of at least 60% of the “highly compensated” annual threshold amount set by Colorado’s Division of Labor Standards and Statistics in the Department of Labor and Employment under 7 CCR 1103-14, R. 2.2.11 ($74,250 for 2024), both on the Effective Date and when the Agreement is enforced (“Colorado Non-Solicit Earnings Threshold”); (b) The non-solicitation of customers obligations in Section 2(b) shall be deemed to be modified to cover only those customers with respect to which Employee had access to trade secret information during the last two years of Employee’s employment with the Company; (c) Employee stipulates that non-solicitation of customers obligations in Section 2(b), as amended in this above, are no broader than reasonably necessary to protect the Company’s legitimate interest in protecting trade secrets within the meaning of § 8-2-113(2)(d) (the “Colorado Noncompete Act”);


 
14 (d) Nothing in this Agreement prohibits the disclosure of information arising from Employee’s general training, knowledge, skill, or experience, information readily ascertainable to the public, or information that Employee otherwise has a right to disclose as legally protected conduct ; and (e) if Employee was physically in Colorado when Employee signed this Agreement, Employee acknowledges that Employee received notice of and a copy of this Agreement either (i) before Employee accepted an offer of employment from the Company, if Employee is a new employee; or (ii) 14 days before the Effective Date of this Agreement, if Employee is a current employee. District of Columbia: If Employee spends more than 50% of their time working for the Company in the District of Columbia, or if Employee’s employment is based in the District of Columbia and Employee does not spend more than 50% of their time working in another jurisdiction, and the law of the District of Columbia controls, then Employee acknowledges that Employee received notice of and a copy of this Agreement either (i) before Employee accepted an offer of employment from the Company, if Employee is a new employee; or (ii) 14 days before the Effective Date of this Agreement, if Employee is a current employee. Georgia: If Georgia law applies, then: (a) The definition of Covered Customer in Section 2(b) shall include only current customers and actively sought prospective customer of the Company with whom Employee had material business-related interaction during the Look Back Period; (b) Nothing in the customer non-solicitation obligations in Section 2(b) shall restrict Employee from accepting business from a Covered Customer so long as Employee did not solicit, assist in soliciting, facilitate the solicitation of, provide, or offer to provide services to the Covered Customer (regardless of who first initiated contact) or use Confidential and Proprietary Information to encourage or induce the Covered Customer to withdraw, curtail, or cancel its business with the Company or in any other manner modify or fail to enter into any actual or potential business relationship with the Company; and (c) Employee understands that the employee non-solicitation covenant in Section 2(a) and the customer non-solicitation covenant in Section 2(b) are limited in geographic scope to the Territory. Illinois: If Illinois law applies, the Employee is advised to consult with an attorney before entering into this Agreement. If Employee signs this Agreement during Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee acknowledges that Employee had at least 14 calendar days to review this Agreement prior to signing it. Employee further understands that the non-solicitation of employees obligations in Section 2(a) and the non-solicitation of customers obligations in Section 2(b) shall not be enforceable against Employee unless Employee earns from the Company more than $45,000 per year. This threshold increases by $2,500 every five years (after 2022) until 2037 (“Illinois Earnings Threshold”). Employee further agrees (and has received notice from the Company through this Agreement) that if, at the time Employee signs this Agreement, Employee’s earnings do not meet the Earnings Threshold, then the non-solicitation of employees obligations


 
15 in Section 2(a) and the non-solicitation of customers obligations in Section 2(b) will automatically become enforceable against Employee if and when Employee’s earnings meet the Illinois Earnings Threshold. Indiana: If Indiana law applies, then the definition of Covered Employee in Section 2(a) shall be modified to further limit the restrictions on solicitation of employees to those who have access to or possess any Confidential and Proprietary Information that would give a competitor an unfair advantage. Louisiana: If Louisiana law applies, then: the definition of Territory shall be limited to the parishes and counties (or their equivalents) from the following list so long as the Company continues to carry on business therein: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, Desoto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson Davis. Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermillion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn; and, if counties (or their equivalents) that are located outside of Louisiana must also be specified by name, Employee acknowledges that the names at issue are those listed by the U. S. Census Bureau for the remainder of the United States found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_by_U.S._state (summarizing data from www.census.gov and incorporated herein by reference) and the same are all incorporated herein by reference. Employee agrees that the foregoing provides Employee with adequate notice of the geographic scope of the restrictions contained in the Agreement by name of specific parish or parishes (and equivalents), municipality or municipalities, and/or parts thereof. Minnesota: If Employee primarily resides or works in Minnesota during Employee’s employment with the Company, then for so long as Employee primarily resides or works in Minnesota, then, if entering into this Agreement in connection with the start of Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee acknowledges that Employee was provided with notice of this Agreement when offered employment and was aware that execution of an agreement with non-solicitation restrictions was a requirement of employment when Employee accepted the Company’s offer. If entering into this Agreement after the commencement of employment, Employee acknowledges Employee received independent consideration for the covenants in this Agreement and was aware that execution of an agreement with non-solicit restrictions was a requirement of employment before Employee accepted the additional consideration. Missouri: If Missouri law applies, then the non-solicitation of employees obligations in Section 2(a) shall be modified to exclude the solicitation or hiring of any employee who provides solely secretarial or clerical services.


 
16 Nebraska: If Nebraska law applies, then: (a) the definition of Covered Customer in Section 2(b) is modified so that it means any persons or entities with which Employee, alone or in combination with others, handled, serviced, or solicited at any time during the Look Back Period; and (b) the definition of Covered Employee in Section 2(a) is modified so that it means any persons or entities with which Employee, alone or in combination with others, handled, serviced, or solicited at any time during the Look Back Period. Nevada: If Nevada law applies, then the customer non-solicitation obligations in Section 2(b) do not preclude Employee from providing services to any former customer of the Company if: (i) Employee did not solicit the former customer; (ii) the customer voluntarily chose to leave and seek services from Employee; and (iii) Employee is otherwise complying with the limitations in this Agreement as to time and scope of activity to be restrained. New York: If New York law applies, then the customer non-solicitation obligations in Section 2(b) shall be further limited to exclude those customers who became a customer of the Company as a result of Employee’s independent contact and business development efforts with the customer prior to and independent from Employee’s employment with Company. New Hampshire: If New Hampshire law applies, then Employee acknowledges that Employee was given a copy of this Agreement prior to a change in job classification or the offer of employment. North Carolina: If North Carolina law applies, then the definition of Covered Customer shall include only the Company’s former, current, or prospective customers with whom Employee had material business- related interaction during the Look Back Period, including any interaction occurring indirectly through individuals directly or directly supervised by Employee or with whom Employee engaged in cross-selling or other joint marketing efforts. In addition, the Look Back Period shall be calculated looking back one (1) year from the date Employee’s employment with the Company ends or two years from the date of enforcement and not from the date the Employee’s employment with the Company ends, whichever provides the Company the greatest protection and is enforceable under applicable law. North Dakota: If North Dakota law applies, then the non-solicitation of customers covenant in Section 2(b) shall not apply after Employee’s employment with the Company ends. However, any conduct relating to the solicitation of the Company’s clients that involves the misappropriation of the Company’s trade secret information, such as its protected client information, will remain prohibited conduct at all times. Oklahoma: If Oklahoma law applies, then the non-solicitation of customers covenant in Section 2(b) shall be amended to provide that notwithstanding anything in it to the contrary, Employee shall be


 
17 permitted to engage in the same business as that conducted by the Company or in a similar business as long as Employee does not directly solicit the sale of goods, services, or a combination of goods and services from the established customers of the Company. Virginia: If Virginia law applies, then: (a) the parties agree that the non-solicitation obligations herein are reasonably limited in nature and do not prohibit employment with a competing business in a non- competitive position; and (b) if Employee resides in Virginia and Employee’s average weekly earnings calculated, as provided for under Code of Virginia § 40.1-28.7:7 (the “Virginia Act”), are less than the average weekly wage of the Commonwealth as determined pursuant to subsection B of §65.2-500 or Employee otherwise qualifies as a “low-wage employee” under the Virginia Act then nothing in the customer non-solicitation obligations in Section 2(b) shall restrict Employee from providing a service to a customer of the Company if Employee does not initiate contact with or solicit the customer. Employee shall not be considered a “low-wage employee” if Employee’s earnings are derived, in whole or in predominant part, from sales commissions, incentives, or bonuses paid to Employee by the Company. Washington: If Washington law applies, then: (a) Section 2(a) is amended as follows: a. Non-Solicitation of Employees. At all times while Employee is employed by the Company and for 12 months immediately following the voluntary or involuntary termination of Employee’s employment with the Company, regardless of the reason for the termination; Employee agrees and covenants not to, directly or indirectly, solicit for employment, or attempt to solicit for employment, for their own benefit or the benefit of any other person or entity, any employee of the Company (A) who was employed by the Company on the last day of Employee’s employment or in the six month period immediately prior; and (B) whom the Employee gained knowledge of through Employee’s employment with the Company ("Covered Employee"). (b) Section 2(b) is amended as follows: b. Non-Solicitation of Customers. Employee understands and acknowledges that because of Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee will have access to and learn about the Company's Customer Information. “Customer Information” includes, but is not limited to, names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, transaction history and preferences, chain of command, pricing information, and other information identifying facts and circumstances specific to the customer and its relationship with the Company, as well as any information the disclosure or use of which is subject to the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement. Employee further understands and acknowledges that the curtailment, diversion, or loss of any such customer relationship or


 
18 goodwill will cause significant and irreparable harm to the Company. Based on the foregoing and Employee’s employment relationship with the Company, at all times while Employee is employed by the Company and for 12 months immediately following the voluntary or involuntary termination of Employee's employment with the Company, regardless of the reason for the termination; Employee agrees and covenants not to directly or indirectly solicit or attempt to solicit, for the purposes of providing or performing services similar to or in competition with the Company’s Services, the Company’s customers (1) with whom Employee had Material Business-Related Conduct during the last two years of Employee’s employment with the Company (the “Look Back Period”), including any interaction occurring indirectly through individuals directly or directly supervised by Employee or with whom Employee engaged in cross- selling or other joint marketing efforts, or (2) about whom the Employee received Customer Information during the Look Back Period (collectively “Covered Customers”). Wisconsin: If Wisconsin law applies, then the non-solicitation of employees obligations in Section 2(a) are amended to provide that the Covered Employee must also be an employee who is either (i) entrusted with Confidential and Proprietary Information; or (ii) employed in a position essential to the management, organization, or service of the business (such as, but not limited to, maintaining the Company’s customer relationships).


 
1 Rev 5-21-2024 HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. 2024 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN DIRECTOR RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT The Participant specified below is hereby granted a restricted stock unit award by HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. (the “Company”), under the HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. 2024 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN (the “Plan”). The restricted stock units awarded by this Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) shall be subject to the terms of the Plan and the terms set forth in this Agreement. All capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined have the meaning assigned to them in the Plan. Section 1. Award. The Company hereby grants to the Participant an award of restricted stock units (each such unit, an “RSU”), where each RSU represents the right of the Participant to receive one Share of Company common stock in the future, subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Plan. For purposes of this Agreement: The “Participant” is: %%FIRST_NAME_LAST_NAME%-% The “Grant Date” is: %%OPTION_DATE%-% The number of RSUs is: %%TOTAL_SHARES_GRANTED,'999,999,999'%-% Section 2. Restricted Period. (a) The “Restricted Period” for the RSUs granted by this Agreement shall begin on the Grant Date and end on May 22nd of the year following the Grant Date. (such date, or such earlier date on which the RSU shall vest pursuant to this Agreement, being hereafter referred to as the “Vesting Date”); provided that the Participant has attended 75% of all meetings of the board to which Participant is elected or appointed held between the Grant Date and the earlier of the Vesting Date and the next annual meeting following the Grant Date at which the board is elected or appointed. The price at which the RSUs shall vest is the fair market value of Company common stock at closing on the business day prior to the Vesting Date, or the nearest prior trading day if the Vesting Date is not a trading day for the market on which Company common stock is traded. (b) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the Restricted Period shall lapse and the RSUs shall become fully vested immediately upon (i) the death of the Participant or (ii) a Change in Control that occurs on or before the Participant’s Termination of Service. (c) If the Participant’s Termination of Service occurs prior to the earlier of (i) the next annual meeting following the Grant Date at which the board is elected or appointed or (ii) the Vesting Date, the Participant shall forfeit all right, title and interest in and to the RSUs as of such Termination of Service. Section 3. Settlement of RSUs. Delivery of Shares or other amounts under this Agreement and the Plan shall be subject to the following:


 
2 Rev 5-21-2024 (a) Delivery of Shares. The Company shall deliver to the Participant one Share free and clear of any restrictions in settlement of each of the vested and unrestricted RSUs within 30 days following the end of the Vesting Date. (b) Compliance with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding any other term of this Agreement or the Plan, the Company shall have no obligation to deliver any Shares or make any other distribution of benefits under this Agreement or the Plan unless such delivery or distribution complies with all applicable laws and the applicable rules of any securities exchange or similar entity. (c) Certificates Not Required. To the extent that this Agreement and the Plan provide for the issuance of Shares, such issuance may be effected on a non-certificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the applicable rules of any securities exchange or similar entity. Section 4. Withholding. While awards to non-employee directors generally will not be subject to tax withholding requirements, the Company shall have the right to require the Participant (or if applicable, permitted assigns, heirs and Designated Beneficiaries) to remit to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy any applicable statutory tax withholding requirements, if any, prior to the delivery date of any Shares in connection with the Award. Section 5. Non-Transferability of Award. The Award, or any portion thereof, is not transferable except as designated by the Participant by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a domestic relations order. Except as provided in the immediately preceding sentence, the Award shall not be assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of by the Participant in any way whether by operation of law or otherwise, and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of the Award contrary to the provisions hereof, or the levy of any attachment or similar process upon the Award, shall be null and void and without effect. Section 6. Stockholder Rights. Any dividends or other distributions declared payable on the Company’s Shares on or after the grant date of the RSUs until the RSUs vest or forfeit shall be credited notionally to the Participant in an amount equal to such declared dividends or other distributions on an equivalent number of the Shares of the Company (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend Equivalents so credited shall be paid if, and only to the extent that, the RSUs to which they relate vest , as provided under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement. Dividend Equivalents credited in respect to RSUs that are forfeited under the terms of the Plan and this Agreement are correspondingly forfeited. No interest or other earnings shall be credited on Dividend Equivalents. Vested Dividend Equivalents shall be paid in cash at the same time as the RSUs to which they relate vest and are converted into Shares. Other than as explicitly set forth above, the Participant shall not have any other rights of a Stockholder with respect to the RSUs, including but not limited to, voting rights, prior to the settlement of the RSUs pursuant to (a) above and issuance of Shares as provided herein. Section 7. Heirs and Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the Company and its successors and assigns, and upon any person acquiring all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or business. If any rights of the Participant or benefits distributable to the Participant under this Agreement have not been settled or distributed at the time of the Participant’s death and have not been


 
3 Rev 5-21-2024 designated to pass to a certain beneficiary, such rights shall be provided to the legal representative of the estate of the Participant. Section 8. Administration. The authority to manage and control the operation and administration of this Agreement and the Plan shall be vested in the Committee, and the Committee shall have all powers with respect to this Agreement as it has with respect to the Plan. Any interpretation of this Agreement or the Plan by the Committee and any decision made by the Committee with respect to this Agreement or the Plan shall be final and binding on all persons. Section 9. Plan Governs. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, a copy of which may be obtained by the Participant from the office of the secretary of the Company. This Agreement shall be subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations promulgated by the Committee from time to time. Notwithstanding any term of this Agreement to the contrary, in the event of any discrepancy between the corporate records of the Company and this Agreement, the corporate records of the Company shall control. Section 10. Not an Employment Contract. Neither the Award nor this Agreement shall confer on the Participant any rights with respect to continuance of employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary, nor shall they interfere in any way with any right the Company or a Subsidiary may otherwise have to terminate or modify the terms of the Participant’s employment or other service at any time. Section 11. Amendment. Subject to Section 14 and Section 15 below, this Agreement may be amended in accordance with the provisions of the Plan and may otherwise be amended in writing by the Participant and the Company without the consent of any other person. Section 12. Governing Law. This Agreement, the Plan and all actions taken in connection herewith and therewith shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to principles of conflict of laws, except as superseded by applicable federal law. Section 13. Validity. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be illegal or invalid for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts hereof, but this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal or invalid provision had never been included herein. Section 14. Section 409A Amendment. The Award is intended to be exempt from Code Section 409A and this Agreement shall be administered and interpreted in accordance with such intent. The Committee reserves the right (including the right to delegate such right) to unilaterally amend this Agreement without the consent of the Participant in order to maintain an exclusion from the application of, or to maintain compliance with, Code Section 409A; and the Participant hereby acknowledges and consents to such rights of the Committee. As provided in the Plan, in the event that this Award constitutes deferred compensation, the term Termination of Service shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the term “separation from service” as defined under Code Section 409A. In addition, if the Participant is a “specified employee” at the time of such “separation from service,” delivery of Shares or other amounts payable on account of a “separation from service” shall be delayed six months to the extent required by Code Section 409A. Section 15. Clawback. The Award and any amount or benefit received under the Plan shall be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of the Company’s Clawback Provision Policy as amended from time to time or any other applicable Company clawback policy (the “Policy”) or any applicable law, as may be in effect from time to time. The Participant


 
4 Rev 5-21-2024 hereby acknowledges and consents to the Company’s or a Subsidiary’s application, implementation and enforcement of (a) the Policy and any similar policy established by the Company or a Subsidiary that may apply to the Participant and (b) any provision of applicable law relating to cancellation, rescission, payback or recoupment of compensation, and agrees that the Company or a Subsidiary may take such actions as may be necessary to effectuate the Policy, any similar policy and applicable law, without further consideration or action. * * * * * IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and on its behalf, and the Participant acknowledges understanding and acceptance of, and agrees to, the terms of this Agreement, all as of the Grant Date. This Agreement and any amendments or supplements hereto may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but taken together shall constitute a single contract. Signature may be in electronic format, including by electronic acknowledgement. HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC. Print Name: John K. Schmidt Print Title: Chairman PARTICIPANT By: Via Electronic Acknowledgment %%FIRST_NAME_LAST_NAME%-% Print Name: %%FIRST_NAME_LAST_NAME%-%


 
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Cover
May 22, 2024
Entity Information [Line Items]  
Document Type 8-K
Entity Registrant Name Heartland Financial USA, Inc.
Entity File Number 001-15393
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code DE
Entity Tax Identification Number 42-1405748
Entity Address, State or Province CO
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 80202
City Area Code (303)
Local Phone Number 285-9200
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Entity Emerging Growth Company false
Amendment Flag false
Entity Central Index Key 0000920112
Entity Address, Address Line Two Suite 1800
Entity Address, City or Town Denver,
Entity Address, Address Line One 1800 Larimer Street
Document Period End Date May 22, 2024
Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share  
Entity Information [Line Items]  
Title of 12(b) Security Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share
Trading Symbol HTLF
Security Exchange Name NASDAQ
Depositary Shares (each representing 1/400th interest in a share of 7.00% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E)  
Entity Information [Line Items]  
Title of 12(b) Security Depositary Shares (each representing 1/400th interest in a share of 7.00% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E)
Trading Symbol HTLFP
Security Exchange Name NASDAQ

Heartland Financial USA (NASDAQ:HTLFP)
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