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

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.           )

 

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2014 Proxy Statement and
Notice of 2015 Annual Meeting
of Stockholders

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This proxy statement is dated April 23, 2015 and is first being distributed to stockholders on or about April 23, 2015.

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​ KAR AUCTION SERVICES 2015 PROXY STATEMENT

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13085 Hamilton Crossing Boulevard
Carmel, Indiana 46032

 

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Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting

The proxy statement for the annual meeting and the annual report to stockholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, each of which is being provided to stockholders prior to or concurrently with this notice, are also available to you electronically via the Internet. We encourage you to review all of the important information contained in the proxy materials before voting. To view the proxy statement and annual report to stockholders on the Internet, visit the "Investor Relations" section of our website, under the "Proxy Statement" link at www.karauctionservices.com.

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​ KAR AUCTION SERVICES 2015 PROXY STATEMENT

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This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire proxy statement before voting. For more complete information regarding the Company's 2014 performance, please review the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

 

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Business Highlights

For the year ended December 31, 2014, KAR delivered solid growth in volume of total vehicles sold, revenues and Adjusted EBITDA. Specific highlights for fiscal 2014 included:

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Corporate Governance

We are committed to high standards of ethical and business conduct and strong corporate governance practices. This commitment is highlighted by the practices described below as well as the information contained on our website at www.karauctionservices.com on the "Investor Relations" page under the link "Corporate Governance":

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Executive Compensation

We maintain a compensation program structured to achieve a close connection between executive pay and company performance. We believe that this strong pay-for-performance orientation has served us well in recent years, particularly as we've moved forward following the sale by our former equity sponsors of all of their holdings of our common stock in late 2013. For more information regarding our named executive officer compensation, see "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" and the compensation tables that follow such section.

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13085 Hamilton Crossing Boulevard
Carmel, Indiana 46032

PROXY STATEMENT

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Our Board of Directors has nominated the ten individuals named below to stand for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting. Mr. Birtwell, who currently serves on our Board of Directors, is not standing for re-election at the annual meeting. KAR Auction Services' directors are elected each year by the stockholders at the annual meeting. We do not have a staggered or classified board. Each director's term will last until the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders and until such director's successor is duly elected and qualified, or such director's earlier death, resignation or removal. Each director nominee must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast in the election of directors at the annual meeting to be elected (i.e., the number of shares voted "FOR" a director nominee must exceed the number of votes cast "AGAINST" such nominee).

The Board of Directors is responsible for determining the independence of our directors. Under the NYSE listing standards, a director qualifies as independent if the Board of Directors affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with us. While the focus of the inquiry is independence from management, the Board is required to broadly consider all relevant facts and circumstances in making an independence determination. Based upon its evaluation, our Board has affirmatively determined that the following directors and director nominees meet the standards of "independence" established by the NYSE: Ryan M. Birtwell, Todd F. Bourell, Donna R. Ecton, Peter R. Formanek, Mark E. Hill, J. Mark Howell, Lynn Jolliffe, Michael T. Kestner, John P. Larson and Stephen E. Smith. James P. Hallett, our CEO and Chairman of the Board, is not an independent director.

The Board of Directors is responsible for nominating members for election to the Board of Directors and for filling vacancies on the Board of Directors that may occur between the annual meetings of stockholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying, screening and recommending candidates to the Board of Directors for board membership. When formulating its Board of Directors membership recommendations, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may also consider advice and recommendations from others, including stockholders, as it deems appropriate.

Board candidates also are selected based upon various criteria including experience, skills, expertise, diversity, personal and professional integrity, character, business judgment, time availability in light of other commitments, dedication, conflicts of interest and such other relevant factors that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers appropriate in the context of the needs of the Board of Directors. Board members are expected to prepare for, attend and participate in all Board of Directors and applicable committee meetings and the Company's annual meetings of stockholders.

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In accordance with its charter, the Board of Directors also considers candidates for election as a director of the Company recommended by any stockholder, provided that the recommending stockholder follows the procedures set forth in Section 5 of the Company's Second Amended and Restated By-Laws for nominations by stockholders of persons to serve as directors, including the requirements of timely notice and certain information to be included in such notice. The Board of Directors generally evaluates such candidates in the same manner by which it evaluates other director candidates considered by the Board of Directors.

An employment agreement entered into on February 27, 2012, between the Company and James P. Hallett, the Company's CEO and Chairman of the Board, provides that Mr. Hallett shall be entitled to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for so long as the employment agreement is in effect.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board of Directors believe that diversity along multiple dimensions, including opinions, skills, perspectives, personal and professional experiences and other differentiating characteristics, is an important element of its nomination recommendations. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has not identified any specific minimum qualifications which must be met for a person to be considered as a candidate for director. However, Board candidates are selected based upon various criteria including experience, skills, expertise, diversity, personal and professional integrity, character, business judgment, time availability in light of other commitments, dedication, conflicts of interest and such other relevant factors that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers appropriate in the context of the needs of the Board of Directors. Although the Board of Directors does not have a formal diversity policy, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board of Directors review these factors, including diversity, in considering candidates for board membership.

The following information is furnished with respect to each nominee for election as a director. Nine of the nominees are currently directors. Each of the nominees has consented to being named in this proxy statement and to serve as a director if elected. If a nominee is unavailable to serve as a director, your proxies will have the authority and discretion to vote for another nominee proposed by the Board of Directors, or the Board of Directors may reduce the number of directors to be elected at the annual meeting. The ages of the nominees are as of the date of the annual meeting, June 3, 2015.

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Todd F. Bourell

Skills and Qualifications

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Extensive experience in finance, mergers and acquisitions and investment management, including experience in evaluating companies' strategies, operations and financial performance.

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Background provides perspective on institutional investors' approach to company performance, capital allocation and corporate governance.

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Extensive knowledge of IAA's business as a former owner (through ValueAct Capital) and board member on IAA's board of directors.

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Public company board experience.

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Donna R. Ecton

Skills and Qualifications

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More than 40 years of operational and management experience, including as a CEO, with established companies allows Ms. Ecton to provide to our Board of Directors insight into operations, marketing, finance, human resources and strategic planning.

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Experience in running multiple location businesses not only in the U.S., but also in Canada, the U.K. and Australia.

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Significant strategy and risk assessment experience developed in her roles as a management consultant and as a senior executive of multiple companies.

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Substantial financial experience gained in her roles as CEO, COO and other senior executive positions.

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Current and prior service on the board of directors of public companies, including several committee chair roles, provides additional perspective to our Board of Directors.

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Peter R. Formanek

Skills and Qualifications

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Significant entrepreneurial and operational experience as co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Autozone, Inc., one of the largest retailers and distributors of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States.

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Brings insight on operating a business founded and based on excellent customer service which is fundamental to the Company's brand and strategy.

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Substantial financial experience gained in roles at Autozone, Inc. and Malone & Hyde.

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Significant knowledge of Company's business and industry; only independent director nominee who was on our Board of Directors when the Company went public in 2009 which provides historical context.

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Public company board experience.

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James P. Hallett

Skills and Qualifications

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Committed and deeply engaged leader with over 20 years of experience in key leadership roles throughout the Company and over 35 years of experience in the industry.

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As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Hallett has a thorough and in-depth understanding of the Company's business and industry, including its employees, business units, customers and investors, which provides an additional perspective to our Board of Directors.

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Utilizes strong communication skills to guide Board discussions and keep our Board of Directors apprised of significant developments in our business and industry; including our risk management practices, strategic planning and development.

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Mark E. Hill

Skills and Qualifications

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Significant executive leadership and management experience leading and owning a software and technology-based business provides our Board of Directors with expertise in technology, innovation, and strategic investments.

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Extensive experience as an investor and mentor to numerous early stage software and technology companies provides entrepreneurial perspective to the Board.

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Key leadership experience in numerous business and community service organizations, including Techpoint, the Central Indiana Community Foundation, the Orr Fellowship and the local Teach for America board.

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Public company board experience, including serving as a lead independent director.

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J. Mark Howell

Skills and Qualifications

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Extensive senior leadership experience at Internet-based and technology-driven companies provides valuable insight as an increasing amount of the Company's consigned vehicles are sold online.

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Provides unique, in-depth knowledge of ADESA and its industry as a former employee of ADESA.

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Substantial financial experience.

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Certified Public Accountant with experience in public accounting.

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Lynn Jolliffe

Skills and Qualifications

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Extensive functional and leadership experience in finance, human resources, general management.

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Deep understanding of business drivers from the financial, operational and people perspective gained from experience in multiple industries across three continents.

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Diversity in viewpoint and international business experience as she has lived and worked both in U.S., Canada and abroad.

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Significant experience with executive compensation decisions and strategies and policies for the acquisition and development of employee talent.

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Michael T. Kestner

Skills and Qualifications

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Over 20 years as a CFO provides valuable experience and perspective as Chair of the Audit Committee.

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Brings experience as the CFO of a large, United States-based company which includes experience with complex capital structures and related issues.

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Extensive experience in financial analysis and financial statement preparation.

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Management experience in the automotive industry provides him with additional insight to financial and business matters that are important to the Company.

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Certified Public Accountant with experience in public accounting.

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John P. Larson

Skills and Qualifications

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Extensive business, management and operational experience as CEO in the automotive aftermarket and as a senior executive at one of the world's largest automakers, General Motors Company, provides him with perspective into the Company's challenges, operations, and strategic opportunities.

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Extensive experience in automotive remarketing, captive finance (GMAC), rental car program design and automotive dealer activities, as well as an in-depth understanding of the overall automotive business provide him a broad perspective on our industry and key customers.

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Extensive experience as a senior leader in corporate finance has provided him with key skills, including financial reporting, accounting and control, business planning and analysis and risk management, that are valuable to the oversight of our business.

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Strong communication and leadership skills allow Mr. Larson to be an effective Lead Independent Director and liaison to the other independent directors.

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Stephen E. Smith

Skills and Qualifications

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Over 25 years of extensive operational and management experience in the automotive industry with particular insight into the financing and leasing of vehicles.

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Significant expertise in building and developing consumer and commercial financial services business, utilizing strategy development, market analysis, problem solving and performance improvement.

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Considerable financial skill and expertise.

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The Board oversees the Company's Chief Executive Officer and other senior management in the competent and ethical operation of the Company and assures that the long-term interests of the stockholders are being served. The Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines are available at karauctionservices.com/investor-relations/corporate-governance/guidelines.

Neither the Company's Second Amended and Restated By-Laws nor the Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines requires that the Company separate the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Directors does not have a policy on whether the same person should serve as both the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, or if the roles must remain separate. The Board of Directors believes that it should have the flexibility to make these determinations from time to time in the way that it believes best to provide appropriate leadership for the Company under then-existing circumstances.

At present, the Board of Directors has chosen to combine the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board and to appoint a Lead Independent Director. Our Board of Directors believes that having the same person serve in the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer is appropriate for the Company at this time, as it fosters clear accountability, effective decision making and alignment on corporate strategy. Meanwhile, the appointment of a Lead Independent Director ensures that the Company benefits from effective oversight by its independent directors.

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In connection with the appointment of a Lead Independent Director, the Board of Directors adopted a Lead Independent Director Charter, which sets forth a clear mandate and significant authority and responsibilities, including:

The Board of Directors held seven meetings during 2014. All of the incumbent directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board of Directors and Board committees on which they served during 2014. As stated in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, each director is expected to attend all annual meetings of stockholders. All of our current directors attended last year's annual meeting of stockholders, in person.

In 2014, the Board of Directors maintained three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of our committees operates pursuant to a written charter. Copies of the committee charters are available on KAR Auction Services' website at www.karauctionservices.com on the "Investor Relations" page under the link "Corporate Governance." The information on our website is not part of this proxy statement and is not deemed incorporated by reference into this proxy statement or any other public filing made with the SEC. A description of each Board committee is set forth below.

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Audit Committee

Additional Committee Members:    J. Mark Howell, Lynn Jolliffe, John P. Larson and Stephen E. Smith

Other Committee Members in 2014:    Robert M. Finlayson served as Chairman for the first half of 2014. Peter R. Formanek and Jonathan P. Ward also served on the Audit Committee for a portion of 2014. Messrs. Finlayson and Ward completed their directorships as of the date of last year's annual meeting.

Committee Composition Following the Annual Meeting:    We expect that the Audit Committee will be comprised of Donna R. Ecton, Lynn Jolliffe, Michael T. Kestner and Stephen E. Smith, with Mr. Kestner serving as the Chairman.

Meetings Held in 2014:    5

Primary Responsibilities:    Our Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, our independent registered public accounting firm's qualifications and independence and the performance of our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee reviews the audit plans and findings of our independent registered public accounting firm and our internal audit team and tracks management's corrective action plans where necessary; reviews our financial statements, including any significant financial items and changes in accounting policies or practices, with our senior management and independent registered public accounting firm; reviews our financial risk and control procedures, compliance programs and significant tax, legal and regulatory matters; and has the sole discretion to appoint annually our independent registered public accounting firm, evaluate its independence and performance and set clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm.

Independence:    Each of Messrs. Kestner, Howell, Larson and Smith and Ms. Jolliffe is "financially literate" under the rules of the NYSE, and each of Messrs. Kestner, Howell and Larson has been designated as an "audit committee financial expert" as that term is defined by the SEC. In addition, the Board of Directors has determined that each of the current and former members of the Audit Committee meets, or met during their tenure on the committee, the standards of "independence" established by the NYSE and is "independent" under the independence standards for audit committee members adopted by the SEC.

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Compensation Committee

Additional Committee Members:    Lynn Jolliffe and John P. Larson

Other Committee Members in 2014:    Church M. Moore served as Chairman for the first half of 2014. Mr. Moore completed his directorship as of the date of last year's annual meeting. Peter Formanek served on the Compensation Committee throughout 2014 and as Chairman for the second half of 2014 through March 12, 2015.

Committee Composition Following the Annual Meeting:    Following the annual meeting, we expect that the Compensation Committee will be comprised of Donna R. Ecton, J. Mark Howell, Lynn Jolliffe and John P. Larson, with Ms. Ecton serving as the Chairman.

Meetings Held in 2014:    11

Primary Responsibilities:    The Compensation Committee reviews and recommends policies relating to compensation and benefits of our officers and employees. The Compensation Committee reviews and approves corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers, evaluates the performance of these officers in light of those goals and objectives, and approves the compensation of these officers based on such evaluations. The Compensation Committee also administers the issuance of equity and other awards under our equity plans.

Independence:    All of the current and former members of the Compensation Committee are, or were during their tenure on the committee, independent under the NYSE rules (including the enhanced independence requirements for Compensation Committee members).

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Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Additional Committee Members:    Peter R. Formanek, Mark E. Hill and Stephen E. Smith

Other Committee Members in 2014:    Michael B. Goldberg, Church M. Moore and Jonathan P. Ward served on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee during a portion of 2014. Messrs. Goldberg, Moore and Ward completed their directorships as of the date of last year's annual meeting.

Committee Composition Following the Annual Meeting:    Following the annual meeting, we expect that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will be comprised of Todd F. Bourell, Peter R. Formanek, Mark E. Hill and Stephen E. Smith, with Mr. Hill serving as the Chairman.

Meetings Held in 2014:    3

Primary Responsibilities:    The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding candidates for directorships and the size and composition of the Board of Directors. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for overseeing our Corporate Governance Guidelines and reporting and making recommendations to the Board of Directors concerning governance matters.

Independence:    All of the current and former members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are, or were during their tenure on the committee, independent under the NYSE rules.

Board of Directors' Oversight of Risk

Our management is responsible for the management and assessment of risk at the Company, including communication of the most material risks to the Board of Directors and its committees. The Board of Directors provides oversight with respect to risk practices implemented by management, except for the oversight of risks that have been specifically delegated to a committee of the Board of Directors. Even when the oversight of a specific area of risk has been delegated to a committee, the Board of Directors may maintain oversight over such risks through the receipt of reports from the committee chairpersons to the Board of Directors at each regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting. The Board of Directors and committee reviews occur principally through the receipt of regular reports from management to the Board of Directors on these areas of risk, and discussions with management regarding risk assessment and risk management.

At its regularly scheduled meetings, the Board of Directors generally receives a number of reports which include information relating to risks faced by the Company. The Company's Chief Financial Officer provides a report on the Company's results of operations, its liquidity position, including an analysis of prospective sources and uses of funds, and the implications to the Company's debt

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covenants and credit rating, if any. The Chief Executive Officer of each primary business unit provides an operational report, which includes information relating to strategic, operational and competitive risks. Finally, the Company's General Counsel provides a privileged report which provides information regarding the status of the Company's material litigation and related matters, including environmental updates and the Company's continuing compliance with applicable laws and regulations. At each regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting, the Board of Directors also receives reports from committee chairpersons, which may include a discussion of risks initially overseen by the committees for discussion and input from the Board of Directors. As noted above, in addition to these regular reports, the Board of Directors receives reports on specific areas of risk from time to time, such as regulatory, cyclical or other risks that are not covered in the regular reports given to the Board of Directors and described above.

The Board of Directors' leadership structure, through its committees, also supports its role in risk oversight. The Audit Committee maintains initial oversight over risks related to the integrity of the Company's financial statements; internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures (including the performance of the Company's internal audit function); the performance of the independent registered public accounting firm; and oversees the Company's responses to ethics issues arising from the Company's whistleblower hotline. The Company's Compensation Committee maintains oversight over risks related to the Company's compensation practices. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee monitors potential risks relating to the effectiveness of the Board of Directors, notably director succession, composition of the Board of Directors and the principal policies that guide the Company's governance.

The Board of Directors has adopted the following corporate governance documents:

We expect that any amendments to the codes of ethics, or any waivers of their requirements for executive officers and directors, will be disclosed on the Company's website. The foregoing documents are available at www.karauctionservices.com under the "Investor Relations" link on the "Corporate Governance" page and in print to any stockholder who requests them. Requests should be made to KAR Auction Services, Inc., Investor Relations, 13085 Hamilton Crossing Boulevard, Carmel, Indiana 46032. The information on our website is not part of this proxy statement and is not

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deemed incorporated by reference into this proxy statement or any other public filing made with the SEC.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, Messrs. Formanek, Larson and Moore and Mmes. Ecton and Jolliffe served as members of the Compensation Committee. None of our executive officers serve as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our Board of Directors or our Compensation Committee. None of the individuals serving as members of the Compensation Committee during 2014 are now or were previously an officer or employee of the Company.

Any interested parties desiring to communicate with the Chairman of the Board of Directors or any of the independent directors regarding the Company may directly contact such directors by delivering such correspondence to the Company's General Counsel at KAR Auction Services, Inc., 13085 Hamilton Crossing Boulevard, Carmel, Indiana 46032.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has established procedures for employees, stockholders and others to submit confidential and anonymous reports regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing or any other matters.

The independent directors of the Company meet in executive session at regularly scheduled Board of Directors meetings, if needed. The Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines state that the Chairman of the Board of Directors, if an independent director, or the Lead Independent Director shall preside at such executive sessions, or in such director's absence, another independent director designated by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Lead Independent Director, as applicable, shall preside at such executive sessions. Currently, Mr. Larson, our Lead Independent Director, presides at the executive sessions of our independent directors.

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We use a combination of cash and stock-based incentive compensation to attract and retain independent, qualified candidates to serve on the Board of Directors. In setting director compensation, we consider the significant amount of time that directors expend in fulfilling their duties as well as the skill level we require of members of our Board of Directors. As discussed below, we revised our director compensation program for 2014 in connection with the ongoing transition of our Board of Directors upon KAR LLC losing its director nomination rights pursuant to its divestiture of its holdings of our Company stock in late 2013.

Cash.    Members of the Board of Directors who are not our employees were entitled to receive an annual cash retainer of $75,000 during 2014. Such directors may elect to receive their annual cash retainer in common stock. In addition, the Chairperson of the Audit Committee received an additional cash retainer of $20,000, the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee received an additional cash retainer of $15,000 and the Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee received an additional cash retainer of $10,000. In connection with the appointment of Mr. Larson as Lead Independent Director on December 31, 2014, the Board approved an annual cash retainer for the Lead Independent Director of $30,000. One-fourth of the annual cash retainer is paid at the end of each quarter, provided that the director served as a director in such fiscal quarter. All of our directors are reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attending Board of Directors meetings and committee meetings.

Stock.    In addition to the annual cash compensation, directors who are not employed by us received an annual stock retainer of $100,000 of our common stock in the form of restricted stock during 2014. Pursuant to our Policy on Granting Equity Awards, unless specifically provided otherwise by the Compensation Committee or the Board of Directors, annual grants for directors are effective on the date of the annual meeting at which the director was elected or re-elected. One-fourth of the annual restricted stock grant vests quarterly following the date of the grant. The number of shares of our common stock received is based on the value of the shares on the date of the restricted stock grant. Directors who are not employed by us and who joined the Board of Directors during the year but not at the annual meeting were eligible to receive a prorated restricted stock award.

Our Board of Directors adopted the KAR Auction Services, Inc. Directors Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Director Deferred Compensation Plan") in December 2009. Pursuant to the terms of the Director Deferred Compensation Plan, each director who is not employed by us may elect to defer the receipt of his or her cash director fees into a pre-tax interest-bearing deferred compensation account, which account accrues interest as described in the Director Deferred Compensation Plan. Amounts under the Director Deferred Compensation Plan may also be invested in the same investment choices as are available under our 401(k) plan. Directors also may choose to receive all or a portion of their annual stock retainer in the form of a deferred share account. The plan provides that the amount of cash in a director's deferred cash account, plus a number of shares of common stock equal to the number of shares in the director's deferred share account, will be delivered to a

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director in installments over a specified period or within 60 days following the date of the director's departure from the Board of Directors, with cash being paid in lieu of any fractional shares.

The Company's non-employee directors are subject to the Company's director stock ownership and holding guidelines. The stock holding guideline requires each non-employee director to hold any shares of the Company's common stock granted after January 1, 2014 for at least four years, subject to certain exceptions approved by the Compensation Committee. The stock ownership guideline, which was adopted in 2015, requires each non-employee director to own a minimum of three times his or her annual cash retainer amount in shares of Company stock.

The following table provides information regarding the compensation paid to our directors.

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Mr. Hallett and Tom O'Brien were not entitled to receive any fees or other compensation for serving as a member of our Board of Directors because they were employed by the Company. In addition, Dave Ament, Church Moore and Michael Goldberg served as directors for part of 2014 but did not receive any compensation from the Company in connection with their directorships because they were employed by one of the Company's former equity sponsors and therefore are excluded from the table above.

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The following table sets forth information regarding the number of unvested shares of our common stock held by each director who was not employed by the Company as of December 31, 2014:

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The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of April 13, 2015 of: (1) each person or entity who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of any class of KAR Auction Services' voting securities of which 141,800,443 shares were outstanding as of April 13, 2015; (2) each of our directors, director nominees and named executive officers; and (3) all of our directors, director nominees and executive officers as a group. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC. To our knowledge, each stockholder will have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares indicated as beneficially owned, unless otherwise indicated in a footnote to the following table. The percentage calculations below are based on 141,800,443 shares of common stock outstanding as of April 13, 2015 rather than the percentages set forth in any stockholders' Schedule 13D and Schedule 13G filings. Unless otherwise indicated in a footnote, the business address of each person is our corporate address, c/o KAR Auction Services, Inc. 13085 Hamilton Crossing Boulevard, Carmel, Indiana 46032.

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Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires KAR Auction Services' directors and executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company's common stock to file reports of initial ownership of common stock and other equity securities and subsequent changes in that ownership with the SEC and the NYSE. Based solely on a review of such reports and written representations from the directors and executive officers, the Company believes that all such filing requirements were met during 2014, except that a Form 3 for John Hammer was untimely filed on April 8, 2014, a Form 4 for ValueAct Holdings L.P. reporting three sale transactions was untimely filed on August 18, 2014, and a Form 4 for Peter Kelly reporting a grant of stock options, three option exercises and three subsequent sale transactions was untimely filed on January 30, 2015.

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The Audit Committee has appointed KPMG to serve as KAR Auction Services' independent registered public accounting firm for its fiscal year ending December 31, 2015. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors seek to have the stockholders ratify the Audit Committee's appointment of KPMG, which has served as KAR Auction Services' independent registered public accounting firm since 2006. Although KAR Auction Services is not required to seek stockholder approval of this appointment, the Board of Directors believes it to be sound corporate governance to do so. If the appointment of KPMG is not ratified by the stockholders, the Audit Committee may appoint another independent registered public accounting firm or may decide to maintain its appointment of KPMG. Ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm requires the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the annual meeting and entitled to vote.

Representatives of KPMG will be present at the annual meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement, if they desire to do so, and to respond to appropriate questions.

   

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The Audit Committee reviews the Company's financial reporting process on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee consists of directors who have been determined by the Board of Directors to be independent of the Company as prescribed by the NYSE and other regulators. The Company's management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements and for the reporting process, including the establishment and maintenance of the system of internal control over financial reporting. The Company's independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the consolidated financial statements prepared by management, expressing an opinion on the conformity of those consolidated audited financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles, and auditing the Company's internal control over financial reporting and expressing an opinion thereon. In this context, the Audit Committee has met and held discussions with management and KPMG, the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, regarding the fair and complete presentation of the Company's consolidated financial statements and the assessment of the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

The Audit Committee has discussed with KPMG matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 16, as issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the "PCAOB"), and has reviewed and discussed KPMG's independence from the Company and its management. As part of that review, the Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding KPMG's communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and the Audit Committee has discussed KPMG's independence from the Company. The Audit Committee also has considered whether KPMG's provision of non-audit services to the Company is compatible with the auditor's independence. The Audit Committee has concluded that KPMG is independent from the Company and its management.

The Audit Committee meets with the Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President of Internal Audit and representatives of KPMG, in regular and executive sessions, to discuss the consolidated audited financial statements, the evaluations of the Company's internal controls and the overall quality of the Company's financial reporting and compliance programs.

In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee has recommended to the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors has approved, that the consolidated audited financial statements be included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, for filing with the SEC.

The Audit Committee

Michael T. Kestner (Chairman)
J. Mark Howell
Lynn Jolliffe
John P. Larson
Stephen E. Smith

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The following table sets forth the aggregate fees charged to KAR Auction Services by KPMG for audit services rendered in connection with the audit of our consolidated financial statements and reports for 2014 and 2013 and for other services rendered during 2014 and 2013 to KAR Auction Services and its subsidiaries, as well as all out-of-pocket costs incurred in connection with these services:

KAR Auction Services' independent registered public accounting firm fee pre-approval policy provides for an annual process through which the Audit Committee evaluates the nature and scope of the audit prior to the commencement of the audit. The Audit Committee also evaluates audit-related, tax and other services that are proposed, along with the anticipated cost of such services. The Audit Committee reviews schedules of specific services to be provided. If other services are provided outside of this annual process, under the policy they may be (i) pre-approved by the Audit Committee at a regularly scheduled meeting; or (ii) by the Chairman of the Audit Committee, acting between meetings and reporting back to the Audit Committee at the next scheduled meeting. All audit, audit-related, tax services and all other fees described above were approved by the Audit Committee before such services were rendered.

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The following discussion and analysis of our compensation program for named executive officers should be read in conjunction with the tables and text elsewhere in this proxy statement that describe the compensation awarded and paid to the named executive officers.

Named Executive Officers

Our named executive officers for the last completed fiscal year were (i) our chief executive officer; (ii) our chief financial officer; and (iii) each of the three other most highly compensated executive officers who were serving as executive officers at the end of the last completed fiscal year. Our named executive officers are:

This CD&A is organized into the following six sections:

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For the year ended December 31, 2014, KAR delivered solid growth in volume of total vehicles sold, revenues and Adjusted EBITDA. Specific highlights for fiscal 2014 included:

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We maintain a compensation program structured to achieve a close connection between executive pay and company performance. We believe that this strong pay-for-performance orientation has served us well in recent years, particularly as we've moved forward following the sale by our former equity sponsors of all of their holdings of our common stock in late 2013.

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We design and administer our executive pay programs to help ensure the compensation of our named executive officers is (i) closely aligned with our performance on both a short-term and long-term basis; (ii) linked to specific, measurable results intended to create value for stockholders; and (iii) competitive in attracting and retaining key executive talent in the vehicle remarketing and auto finance industry. Each of the compensation programs that we have developed and implemented is intended to satisfy one or more of the following specific objectives:

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align the interests of our executive officers with the interests of our stockholders so that they manage from the perspective of owners with an equity stake in the Company;

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•

motivate and focus our executive officers through incentive compensation programs directly tied to our financial results;



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support a one-company culture and encourage synergies among all business units by aligning rewards with long-term overall Company performance and stockholder value;



•

provide a significant percentage of total compensation through variable pay based on pre-established goals and objectives;



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provide competitive upside opportunity without encouraging excessive risk-taking;



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enhance our ability to attract and retain skilled and experienced executive officers; and



•

provide rewards commensurate with performance and with competitive market practices.

Composition of the Compensation Committee.    The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors is comprised of Mmes. Ecton (Chairman) and Jolliffe and Mr. Larson.

Role of the Compensation Committee.    The Compensation Committee has primary responsibility for all compensation decisions relating to our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee reviews the aggregate level of our executive compensation, as well as the mix of elements used to compensate our named executive officers on an annual basis.

No Public Company Comparable Peers.    In light of the unique mix of businesses that comprise KAR Auction Services and the lack of directly comparable public companies, the Compensation Committee has not adopted a specific peer group of companies for the purpose of formally benchmarking compensation. The Compensation Committee understands that most companies consider pay levels at comparably-sized, peer companies when setting named executive officer compensation levels. Knowing this practice, the Compensation Committee attempted to develop a meaningful peer group for KAR in 2014, with help from its independent compensation consultant; however, the Committee stopped short of a formal peer group at this time, in part due to the unique combination of our three separate business segments. In order to confirm competitiveness of compensation, the Compensation Committee reviews survey data and proxy compensation data of other comparably-sized companies. To date, the Compensation Committee has not set compensation levels by reference to competitive market data using any specific target percentiles within such data.

Role of the Independent Compensation Consultant.    The Compensation Committee used ClearBridge as its independent compensation consultant in 2013 and early in 2014. Later in 2014, the Compensation Committee retained Semler Brossy as its independent compensation consultant. Clearbridge and Semler Brossy provided advice to the Compensation Committee. During 2014:

•

ClearBridge provided (i) advice to the Compensation Committee with respect to the assessment of the Company's executive compensation practices; (ii) advice regarding the evaluation of long-term incentive compensation practices; (iii) advice and guidance regarding the design of new long-term equity awards; and (iv) advice regarding related compensation matters; and

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•

Semler Brossy provided (i) advice to the Compensation Committee with respect to annual and long-term incentive plan design; (ii) guidance on the competitiveness of the executive officers' total compensation; and (iii) guidance regarding the development of a potential peer group as described above.

The Compensation Committee has reviewed the independence of ClearBridge and Semler Brossy in light of SEC rules and NYSE listing standards regarding compensation consultants and has concluded that (i) the work of ClearBridge for the Compensation Committee did not raise any conflict of interest; and (ii) the work of Semler Brossy for the Compensation Committee does not raise any conflict of interest. All work performed by ClearBridge and Semler Brossy is subject to review and approval of the Compensation Committee.

Role of the Executive Officers.    Mr. Hallett regularly participates in meetings of the Compensation Committee at which compensation actions involving our named executive officers are discussed. Mr. Hallett assists the Compensation Committee by making recommendations regarding compensation actions relating to the executive officers other than himself. Mr. Hallett recuses himself and does not participate in any portion of any meeting of the Compensation Committee at which his compensation is discussed.

Elements of 2014 Executive Compensation Program Design

The following table lists the elements of compensation for our 2014 executive compensation program. The program uses a mix of fixed and variable compensation elements and provides alignment with both short- and long-term business goals through annual and long-term incentives. Our incentives are designed to drive overall corporate performance and business unit strategies that correlate to stockholder value and align with our strategic vision. In order to confirm competitiveness of compensation, the Compensation Committee reviews survey data and proxy compensation data of other companies.

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Compensation Structure and Goal Setting

Our executive compensation program is designed to deliver compensation in accordance with corporate and business unit performance with a large percentage of compensation at risk through long-term equity awards and annual cash incentive awards. These awards are linked to actual performance, consistent with our belief that a significant amount of executive compensation should be in the form of equity and that a greater percentage of compensation should be tied to performance for executives who bear higher levels of responsibility for our performance. The mix of target direct compensation for 2014 for our CEO and the average of our other named executives is shown in the charts below. Approximately 79% of our CEO's total compensation, and approximately 67% of the average total compensation of our other named executive officers, is at-risk, consisting of stock options and other performance-based incentives. As we move away from historical incentive programs developed in large part by our former equity sponsors, the Compensation Committee continues to refine the elements, mix of awards and performance goals in our incentive compensation program, while ensuring that a large portion of our named executive officers' compensation is performance-based.

CEO

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Other NEO Average Compensation

Base Salary

General.    Annual salary levels for our named executive officers are based upon various factors including the amount and relative percentage of total compensation that is derived from base salary when setting the compensation of our executive officers, individual performance, experience, job scope and tenure. In view of the wide variety of factors considered by the Compensation Committee in connection with determining the base salary of each of our named executive officers, the Compensation Committee has not attempted to rank or otherwise assign relative weights to the factors that it considers. A description of how these factors were applied in 2014 is described below.

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Base Salaries for 2014.    In late 2013 and the first quarter of 2014, the Compensation Committee reviewed the base salaries of each of our named executive officers for 2014. After considering multiple factors, the Compensation Committee approved the following base salaries:

Base Salaries for 2015.    In late 2014, the Compensation Committee reviewed the base salaries of each of our named executive officers for 2015. After considering multiple factors, including, without limitation, the performance of the Company and the contribution of each named executive officer, the Compensation Committee approved the following base salaries effective January 1, 2015:

The Compensation Committee did not approve base salary adjustments for Messrs. Hallett, St-Hilaire or Gottwald because the Compensation Committee determined that their base salaries were already set at competitive levels. In order to confirm competitiveness of compensation, the Compensation Committee reviews survey data and proxy compensation data of other companies.

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Annual Cash Incentive Programs

General.    Generally, named executive officers with greater job responsibilities have a significant proportion of their annual cash compensation tied to Company performance through their annual incentive opportunity.

The KAR Auction Services, Inc. Annual Incentive Program.    Under the KAR Auction Services, Inc. Annual Incentive Program (the "Annual Incentive Program"), which is part of the Omnibus Plan, the grant of cash-based awards to eligible participants is contingent upon the achievement of certain corporate performance goals as determined by the Compensation Committee.

Use of 2014 Adjusted EBITDA and 2014 Adjusted Pre-Tax Net Income

In 2014, the Compensation Committee used "2014 Adjusted EBITDA" for KAR Auction Services, ADESA and AFC, depending upon the named executive officer, and "2014 Adjusted Pre-Tax Net Income" as the measures of the Annual Incentive Program.

•

"2014 Adjusted EBITDA" is equal to EBITDA (earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) adjusted to exclude unbudgeted capital transactions. 2014 Adjusted EBITDA with respect to ADESA and AFC is determined in a similar manner, however, each excludes "holding company" expenses as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.



•

"2014 Adjusted Pre-Tax Net Income" is equal to income before income taxes adjusted to exclude unbudgeted capital transactions.

Using these measures, the Compensation Committee establishes, on an annual basis, specific targets that determine the size of payouts under the incentive plan. In 2014, the annual incentive opportunity for each named executive officer was as follows:

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The amount to be earned by our named executive officers under the Annual Incentive Program is determined by multiplying each officer's target opportunity by the Business Performance Factor as shown below:

Performance Targets for the Annual Incentive Program

The Compensation Committee analyzes financial measures and determines the level of performance required to receive threshold, target and superior annual incentive payouts. The Compensation Committee established the performance objectives in amounts which it believes would increase stockholder value and which it believed would be achievable given a sustained effort on the part of the named executive officers and which would require increasingly greater effort to achieve the target and superior objectives. The Compensation Committee may increase or decrease the performance targets and the potential payouts at each performance target if, in the discretion of the Compensation Committee, the circumstances warrant such an adjustment. In 2014, the Compensation Committee did not increase or decrease the performance targets or the payouts of any 2014 annual incentive program payout.

2014 Performance Targets.    The chart which follows provides the 2014 Adjusted EBITDA performance targets established by the Compensation Committee for 2014 as well as the actual level of performance achieved (dollars in millions):

The chart which follows provides the 2014 Adjusted Pre-Tax Net Income performance targets established by the Compensation Committee for 2014 as well as the actual level of performance achieved (dollars in millions):

2014 Annual Incentive Opportunities.    Under the Annual Incentive Program, threshold performance objectives must be met in order for any payout to occur. Payouts can range from 50% of target awards for performance at threshold up to a maximum of 150% of target awards for

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superior performance or no payout if performance is below threshold. The following table shows the annual incentive opportunities for our named executive officers for 2014:

Because KAR Auction Services, ADESA and AFC each achieved at least the threshold level of performance, each of our named executive officers was eligible to receive an award under the Annual Incentive Program for 2014, which are set forth in the Summary Compensation Table (page 61). Based on the Company's performance during 2014, and the accompanying payout percentages for the different performance goals set forth above, our named executive officers earned the following percentages of their target annual incentive awards:

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2015 Annual Incentive Opportunities.    The following table shows the annual incentive opportunities for our named executive officers for 2015:

Long-Term Incentive Opportunities

The Company provides long-term incentive compensation opportunities in the form of performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSUs"), service-based restricted stock units, performance-based stock options and service-based stock options, as described below.

2014 Long-Term Incentive Awards.    On February 27, 2014, the Compensation Committee approved the grant of PRSUs and stock options under its long-term incentive program to certain of the Company's named executive officers, as disclosed in the table below.

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2014 Performance-Based RSU Awards

Fifty percent of the PRSUs will vest on the third anniversary of the grant date if and to the extent that the Company's total stockholder return relative to that of companies within the S&P 500 Index exceeds certain levels over the three-year period beginning on the grant date. A summary of the relative total stockholder return levels and corresponding payouts is provided in the following table:

The remaining 50% of the PRSUs will vest if and to the extent that the Company's "Cumulative Adjusted Net Income Per Share" exceeds certain levels over the three-year period beginning on January 1, 2014. "Cumulative Adjusted Net Income Per Share" means the sum of the Company's Adjusted Net Income Per Share for the three fiscal years in the Measurement Period. "Adjusted Net Income Per Share" for a fiscal year is calculated by dividing Adjusted Net Income by the weighted average diluted common shares outstanding per year. "Adjusted Net Income" for a fiscal year is equal to the Company's net income as reported in the Form 10-K filed by the Company with respect to such fiscal year, recalculated utilizing the effective tax rate that was used to determine the cumulative adjusted net income per share target approved by the Compensation Committee, and adjusted to (i) exclude gains/losses from certain non-recurring and unbudgeted capital transactions, including debt prepayment, debt refinancing and similar items; (ii) exclude depreciation and amortization expenses resulting from the revaluation of certain assets at the time of the 2007 merger consistent with the Company's calculation of its reported adjusted net income; (iii) exclude certain expenses incurred in connection with stock-based compensation related to the 2007 merger consistent with the Company's calculation of its reported adjusted net income; (iv) exclude acquisition contingent consideration; (v) exclude the impact of significant acts of God or other events outside of the Company's control that may affect the overall economic environment; and (vi) exclude significant asset impairments.

With respect to all PRSUs, the amount of the target PRSUs earned and paid (on a 1-for-1 basis) in shares of common stock in a lump sum following the performance period will be: 0% for below threshold performance, 50% for threshold performance, 100% for target performance and up to 200% for achieving the maximum performance level. Linear interpolation will be used to calculate the percentage of target PRSUs earned and paid (on a 1-for-1 basis) if performance falls between the threshold and maximum levels.

2014 Stock Option Awards

The stock options have an exercise price of $30.89 per share and will vest in equal 25% increments on the first four anniversaries of the grant date, subject to the executive's continued employment with the Company through such dates.

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2013 Performance-Based RSU Awards.    As previously disclosed, on December 13, 2013, the Compensation Committee approved the grant of PRSUs to certain of the Company's named executive officers which remain outstanding, as disclosed in the table below.

The PRSUs vest on the third anniversary of the grant date if and to the extent that the Company's total stockholder return relative to that of companies within the S&P 500 Index exceeds certain levels (identified below) over the three-year period beginning on the grant date.

New Long-Term Incentive Design in 2015.    On February 10, 2015, the Compensation Committee approved the 2015 long-term incentive awards for the Company's named executive officers which were granted on February 20, 2015, as disclosed in the table below.

The aggregate target award value for each named executive officer is allocated such that 75% of the value is in the form of PRSUs and 25% of the value is in the form of time-vested restricted stock units ("RSUs"). The PRSUs may be earned (from 0% to 200% of the target award value) based on the Company's cumulative adjusted net income per share performance during the three-year period ending December 31, 2017 and are on substantially the same terms utilized by the Company for a portion of its PRSUs awards in 2014. The RSUs vest and convert into shares of common stock of the Company on a 1-for-1 basis on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date during the named executive officer's continued employment with the Company.

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Legacy Long-Term Incentive Awards.    Certain service options and performance-based exit options were granted to our named executive officers under the KAR Auction Services, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan ("Stock Incentive Plan"), which was in effect prior to our initial public offering, and later under the Omnibus Plan, which was initially adopted on December 10, 2009.

Grants under the Stock Incentive Plan and the March 1, 2010 grant under the Omnibus Plan were structured as follows:

•

one-fourth of the total amount of each option grant to our named executive officers were service options, which vested in four equal annual installments on each of the first four anniversaries of the grant date and continue to function as an employee retention tool after vesting by rewarding continued service; and



•

the remaining three-fourths of the amount of each option grant were performance-based exit options, which reward employees' efforts toward increasing the value of the Company and also serve as a retention tool because grantees generally are required to remain employed to benefit from the increase in the value of the Company. Grants after March 1, 2010 and prior to our former equity owners' exit were 100% service options and were granted under the Omnibus Plan.

Together, these awards aligned the interests of our named executive officers and other employees with the interests of our stockholders, who benefited from both the retention of a skilled management team and an increase in the value of the Company.

Performance-Based Option Vesting

The performance-based exit options vested and became exercisable in four tranches contingent upon the closing price of the shares of common stock of the Company exceeding the threshold levels of $20.00, $25.00, $30.00 or $35.00 for 20 consecutive trading days. The exit options included in the first tranche (the exit options associated with the $20.00 threshold level) became fully vested in March 2013, the exit options included in the second tranche (the exit options associated with the $25.00 threshold level) became fully vested in August 2013, the exit options included in the third tranche (the exit options associated with the $30.00 threshold level) became fully vested in March 2014 and the exit options included in the fourth tranche (the exit options associated with the $35.00 threshold level) became fully vested in March 2015, upon achieving the applicable vesting criteria.

Plans under which Long-Term Incentive Awards are Granted.    The Company currently grants long-term incentive awards under the Omnibus Plan and formerly under the Stock Incentive Plan.

Omnibus Plan

Our Board of Directors initially adopted the Omnibus Plan on December 10, 2009, as amended. Under the Omnibus Plan, participants are eligible to receive options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, SARs, other stock-based awards or cash-based awards as determined by the Compensation Committee.

Stock Incentive Plan

The Stock Incentive Plan was in effect prior to our initial public offering and was subsequently frozen as of December 10, 2009. No further awards have been issued under this plan.

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Retirement, Health and Welfare Benefits

We offer a variety of health and welfare and retirement programs to all eligible employees, including our named executive officers. As with all Company employees, our named executive officers are eligible to receive 401(k) employer matching contributions equal to 100% of the first 4% of compensation contributed by the named executive officer or, in the case of Mr. St-Hilaire, deferred profit sharing employer matching contributions of up to $2,500 (employer matches 100% of first $1,500 contributed by the named executive officer and 50% of the next $2,000 contributed by the named executive officer, subject to a cap equal to 6% of compensation) under the Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan ("GRRSP"). The health and welfare programs are intended to protect employees against catastrophic loss and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Our health and welfare programs include medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, life insurance, disability and accidental death and disability. We also provide travel insurance to all employees who travel for business purposes.

Perquisites

In general, the Compensation Committee believes that the provision of a certain level of perquisites and other personal benefits to the named executive officers is reasonable and consistent with the objective of facilitating and allowing us to attract and retain highly qualified executive officers. The perquisites which are currently available to certain of our named executive officers include an automobile allowance or use of a Company-owned automobile, an allowance for executive physicals and Company-paid group term life insurance premiums. Please see footnote 4 to the Summary Compensation Table for more information regarding perquisites.

Employment and Severance Agreements

The Compensation Committee recognizes that, from time to time, it is appropriate to enter into agreements with our executive officers to ensure that we continue to retain their services and to promote stability and continuity within the Company. All of our named executive officers have an employment agreement with KAR Auction Services or one of its subsidiaries. A description of these agreements can be found in the section titled "Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers."

Tax and Accounting Considerations

Employment Agreements.    Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code ("Section 280G") and related provisions impose substantial excise taxes under Section 4999 of the Code on so-called "excess parachute payments" payable to certain named executive officers upon a change in control and results in the loss of the compensation deduction for such payments by the Company.

Mr. Hallett's employment agreement, which became effective as of February 27, 2012, provides for a potential "gross-up payment" in the event that such excise taxes result from any excess parachute payments. Mr. Hallett's employment agreement provides that in the event that any payment or benefit under such agreement, in connection with Mr. Hallett's employment or termination of employment is or becomes subject to an excise tax under Code Section 4999, then KAR Auction Services will make a cash payment to Mr. Hallett, which, after the imposition of all income, employment, excise and other taxes thereon as well as any penalty and interest assessments associated therewith, will be sufficient to place Mr. Hallett in the same after-tax position as he would

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have been in had such excise tax not been applied. However, in the event that a reduction of the total payments to Mr. Hallett would avoid the application of the excise tax, then the total payments will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the excise tax, but in no event by more than 10% of the original amount of the total payments.

None of the employment agreements entered into with Messrs. Loughmiller, Gottwald and St-Hilaire and Ms. Polak contain excise tax gross-up provisions.

Omnibus Plan.    Certain awards under the Omnibus Plan are designed so that they may comply with the performance-based compensation exception to the $1,000,000 per person annual deductibility limit under Section 162(m) applicable to Covered Employees. Though tax deductibility is one of many factors considered by the Compensation Committee when determining executive compensation, the Compensation Committee retains the discretion to award compensation that exceeds or does not qualify for the Section 162(m) deductibility limit. For example, in seeking to tie executive pay to company performance in a meaningful way, the Compensation Committee may make decisions in designing and approving pay programs that are not driven by tax consequences to the Company.

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.    We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with the requirements of ASC 718.

Clawback Policy for Financial Restatements.    In 2014, the Company adopted a policy providing for the recovery of incentive compensation in the event the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to any current or former executive officer's intentional misconduct. In such an event, the executive officer would be required to repay to the Company the excess amount of incentive compensation received under the inaccurate financial statement. The Company intends to revise this policy as needed to comply with the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act when such requirements become effective.

Insider Trading Policy

Our insider trading policy expressly prohibits:

•

ownership of margin securities;



•

trading in options, warrants, puts and calls or similar instruments on the Company's securities; or



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selling the Company's securities "short."

We also prohibit officers, directors and employees from:

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pledging the Company's securities as collateral for loans; and



•

purchasing or selling the Company's securities while in possession of material, non-public information, or otherwise using such information for their personal benefit.

Our executives and directors are permitted to enter into trading plans that are intended to comply with the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 so that they can prudently diversify their asset portfolios and exercise their stock options before their scheduled expiration dates.

Anti-Hedging Policy

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directors from engaging in certain forms of hedging or monetization transactions with respect to the Company's stock, such as prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds.

Stock Ownership and Stock Holding Guidelines

In 2015, we adopted the following stock ownership guidelines which are applicable to our named executive officers.

The named executive officers must hold 100% of net shares of Company stock received under awards granted on or after January 1, 2015 until the applicable ownership guideline is met. In addition, our named executive officers are required to hold 100% of net shares of Company stock received under awards granted on or after January 1, 2015 for at least 12 months after vesting, regardless of whether the stock ownership guideline has been met.

The Company's non-employee directors are subject to the Company's director stock ownership and holding guidelines. The stock holding guideline requires each non-employee director to hold any shares of the Company's common stock granted after January 1, 2014 for at least four years, subject to certain exceptions approved by the Compensation Committee. The stock ownership guideline, which was adopted in 2015, requires each non-employee director to own a minimum of three times his or her annual cash retainer amount in shares of Company stock.

At the Company's 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, the Company held a non-binding stockholder vote on executive compensation (commonly referred to as "Say on Pay"). At the meeting, excluding broker non-votes, over 95% of the votes on the matter were cast to approve the Company's executive compensation programs, less than 4% of the votes were cast against, and less than 1% abstained from voting.

The Compensation Committee has considered the results of the vote, including the appropriateness of the compensation philosophy and objectives, the role of the Compensation Committee and executive officers in setting compensation, the elements used to achieve the compensation philosophy and objectives and the levels of compensation provided to the named executive officers. Following its review, the Compensation Committee decided to retain the Company's general approach to executive compensation, in part due to the significant majority of stockholders that voted to approve the Company's executive compensation programs at the 2014 annual meeting of stockholders.

Previously, at the Company's 2011 annual meeting of stockholders, the Company held a non-binding stockholder vote at the meeting on whether to hold a Say on Pay vote every one, two or three years. Approximately 12% of the votes on the matter were cast in favor of holding a vote every year, less than one-tenth of 1% were cast in favor of holding a vote every two years, approximately 86% were cast in favor of holding a vote every three years and approximately 2% abstained or constituted a broker non-vote. In line with the results of the vote, the Company will present a Say on

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Pay vote every three years, the next of which will occur at the Company's 2017 annual meeting of stockholders.

The Compensation Committee, which was chaired by Church M. Moore from December 2009 to June 2014, Peter R. Formanek from June 2014 to March 2015 and Donna R. Ecton from March 2015 to present, has reviewed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis for executive compensation for 2014 and discussed that analysis with management. Based on its review and discussions with management, the Compensation Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement. This report is submitted by Donna R. Ecton, Lynn Jolliffe and John P. Larson, being all current members of the Compensation Committee, and Peter R. Formanek, who was the Chairman of the Compensation Committee for a portion of 2014 as noted above.

Compensation Committee
Donna R. Ecton (Chairman)
Peter R. Formanek
Lynn Jolliffe
John P. Larson

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The Compensation Committee considers the potential risks in our business when designing and administering the Company's pay program, and the Compensation Committee believes its balanced approach to performance measurement and pay delivery works to avoid misaligned incentives for individuals to undertake excessive or inappropriate risk. Further, program administration is subject to considerable internal controls, and when determining the principal outcomes—performance assessments and pay decisions—the Compensation Committee relies on principles of sound governance and good business judgment. As part of its responsibilities to annually review all incentive compensation and equity-based plans, and evaluate whether the compensation arrangements of the Company's employees incentivize unnecessary and excessive risk-taking, the Compensation Committee evaluated the risk profile of all of the Company's compensation policies and practices for 2014.

In its evaluation, the Compensation Committee reviewed the Company's employee compensation structures and noted numerous design elements that manage and mitigate risk without diminishing the incentive nature of the compensation. There is a balanced mix between cash and equity and annual and longer-term incentives. In addition, annual incentive awards and long-term incentive awards granted to executives are tied to corporate performance goals, including Adjusted EBITDA, Pre-Tax Net Income, TSR and Cumulative Adjusted Net Income Per Share. These metrics encourage performance that supports the business as a whole. The executive annual incentive awards include a maximum payout opportunity equal to 150% of target. Our executives are also expected to meet share ownership guidelines in order to align the executives' interests with those of our stockholders. Also, the Company's clawback policy permits the Company to recover incentive compensation paid to an executive officer if the compensation resulted from any financial result or metric impacted by the executive officer's misconduct or fraud. This policy helps to discourage inappropriate risks, as executives will be held accountable for misconduct which is harmful to the Company's financial and reputational health.

The Committee also reviewed the Company's compensation programs for certain design features that may have the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking, including: over-weighting towards annual incentives, highly leveraged payout curves, unreasonable thresholds and steep payout cliffs at certain performance levels that may encourage short-term business decisions to meet payout thresholds. The Compensation Committee concluded that the Company's compensation programs do not include such elements or have implemented features, steps and controls that are designed to limit risks of our compensation arrangements. In light of these analyses, the Committee concluded that the Company has a balanced pay and performance program that does not encourage excessive risk-taking that is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

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The table below contains information concerning the compensation of our (i) chief executive officer; (ii) chief financial officer; and (iii) each of the three other most highly compensated executive officers who were serving as executive officers as of December 31, 2014.

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The following table summarizes the payouts which our named executive officers could have received upon the achievement of certain performance objectives under the Annual Incentive Program.

Additional information concerning our cash and equity incentive plans may be found in the sections titled "Elements Used to Achieve Compensation Philosophy and Objectives—Annual Cash Incentive Programs" and "Long-Term Incentive Opportunities," respectively.

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The following is a discussion of the treatment of equity-based awards held by our named executive officers and annual cash incentive awards due to our named executive officers upon certain types of employment terminations or the occurrence of a change in control of the Company. For a discussion of our named executive officers' severance payments and the treatment of their annual cash incentive awards that may become due upon certain types of employment terminations pursuant to their employment agreements, see "Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers" above.

To the extent a named executive officer's employment agreement does not provide otherwise, the Stock Incentive Plan and the Omnibus Plan (and the related award agreements thereunder) provide for the following treatment of stock options and other equity awards issued pursuant to the plans upon the termination of employment scenarios or a change in control, as set forth below. As a result of the Stock Incentive Plan being frozen by the Company on December 10, 2009, no additional stock options will be granted under this plan. Since December 10, 2009, all grants of stock options and other equity awards have been and will be made pursuant to the terms of the Omnibus Plan.

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Unless specified otherwise in a named executive officer's employment agreement, the termination of a named executive officer's employment with the Company or any subsidiary shall be deemed to be for "cause" under the Omnibus Plan and the Stock Incentive Plan upon any of the following events: (i) the refusal or neglect of the named executive officer to perform substantially his employment-related duties; (ii) the named executive officer's personal dishonesty, incompetence, willful misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty; (iii) the named executive officer's indictment for, conviction of, or entering a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a crime constituting a felony or his willful violation of any applicable law; (iv) the named executive officer's failure to reasonably cooperate, following a request to do so by the Company or any subsidiary, in any internal or governmental investigation; or (v) the named executive officer's material breach of any written covenant or agreement not to disclose any information pertaining to the Company or any subsidiary or not to compete or interfere with the Company or any subsidiary.

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Unless specified otherwise in a named executive officer's employment agreement, the termination of a named executive officer's employment with the Company or any subsidiary shall be deemed to be for "good reason" under the Stock Incentive Plan if such named executive officer voluntarily terminates his or her employment with the Company or any subsidiary as a result of (i) the Company or any subsidiary significantly reducing the named executive officer's current salary without the named executive officer's prior written consent; or (ii) the Company or any subsidiary taking any action that would substantially diminish the aggregate value of the benefits provided to the named executive officer under the Company's or such subsidiary's accident, disability, life insurance, or any other employee benefit plans in which the named executive officer participates. The Omnibus Plan does not provide a default "good reason" definition in the event such term is not specified in a named executive officer's employment agreement.

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The amounts in the tables below assume that the termination and/or change in control, as applicable, was effective as of December 31, 2014, the last business day of the prior fiscal year, and that the respective named executive officers exercised all options and/or received cash in exchange for PRSUs at such time. The tables are merely illustrative examples of the impact of a hypothetical termination of employment or change in control. The amounts that would actually be paid upon a termination of employment can only be determined at the time of such termination, based on the facts and circumstances then prevailing.

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Each of our named executive officers has an employment agreement with the Company. A summary of each of the agreements is provided below.

CEO

Mr. Hallett's employment agreement, which became effective as of February 27, 2012, provides for the following severance and change of control payments:

Termination Due to Mr. Hallett's Death or Disability.    If Mr. Hallett's employment is terminated as a result of his death or disability, we will pay Mr. Hallett, or in the case of his death, Mr. Hallett's estate or beneficiaries, an amount equal to the sum of (i) any accrued but unpaid base salary and accrued but unused vacation days; (ii) any earned and vested benefits and payments pursuant to the terms of any benefit plan (collectively, the amounts described in (i) and (ii) above are, the "Accrued Obligations"); and (iii) subject to Mr. Hallett executing a general release of any claims that he may have against the Company (the "Release"), any annual bonus for a prior completed calendar year that has not yet been calculated or paid to Mr. Hallett (the "Earned but Unpaid Bonus").

In addition, if Mr. Hallett is participating in the health plans of the Company at the time of his termination, we will pay him, or in the case of his death, his estate or beneficiaries, his or their premiums attributable to maintaining insurance coverage under COBRA for the shorter of (i) 18 months; or (ii) until Mr. Hallett becomes eligible for comparable coverage under the health plans of another employer (the "Continued Benefits"). Subject to receipt and effectiveness of the Release, we also will pay Mr. Hallett, or his estate or beneficiaries, a prorated bonus based upon the portion of the year during which Mr. Hallett was employed by us (the "Prorated Bonus").

For purposes of Mr. Hallett's employment agreement, "disability" means a "Total Disability" (or equivalent) as defined in the Company's long term disability plan in effect at the time of the disability.

Termination by the Company for Cause.    Following a majority vote of the Board of Directors (excluding Mr. Hallett or any other employee of the Company), we may terminate Mr. Hallett's employment at any time for "Cause." In such event, our only obligation to Mr. Hallett would be the payment, in a lump sum, of Mr. Hallett's Accrued Obligations.

"Cause" is defined in the employment agreement to mean (i) Mr. Hallett's willful, continued and uncured failure to perform substantially his duties under the employment agreement for a period of 14 days following notice to Mr. Hallett of such failure; (ii) Mr. Hallett engaging in illegal conduct or gross misconduct that is demonstrably likely to lead to material injury to the Company; (iii) Mr. Hallett's indictment or conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a crime constituting a felony or any other crime involving moral turpitude; or (iv) Mr. Hallett's failure to comply with the provisions of the employment agreement relating to confidential information, intellectual property, non-competition and non-solicitation which is not cured within the 14 day period following written notice to Mr. Hallett of such failure.

Termination by the Company Without Cause.    Mr. Hallett's employment may be terminated without Cause at any time upon 30 days' prior written notice. In the event of a termination without Cause, the Company will pay Mr. Hallett the following "Severance Benefits": (i) two times the sum of Mr. Hallett's (a) annual base salary and (b) target bonus for the year in which termination occurs which, for this purpose, shall not equal less than 100% of Mr. Hallett's base salary; (ii) a Prorated

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Bonus in a lump sum; and (iii) the Continued Benefits. In addition to the Severance Benefits described above, we will also pay Mr. Hallett the Accrued Obligations and any Earned but Unpaid Bonus.

Termination by Mr. Hallett for Good Reason.    Mr. Hallett may terminate his employment for "Good Reason" within 90 days following the occurrence of an event constituting "Good Reason," if such event remains uncured for a period of 30 days following notice of the event by Mr. Hallett to the Company. Upon such termination, the Company will pay Mr. Hallett the sum of the Severance Benefits, the Accrued Obligations, and any Earned but Unpaid Bonus.

"Good Reason" is defined in the employment agreement to mean the occurrence of any of the following:

(i)

A material reduction of Mr. Hallett's authority, duties and responsibilities, or the assignment to Mr. Hallett of duties materially inconsistent with Mr. Hallett's position as Chief Executive Officer;



(ii)

A requirement by the Company that Mr. Hallett relocate his principal business location to a location more than 50 miles from the Company's executive offices as of the effective date of the employment agreement;



(iii)

Any material failure by the Company to comply with any of the terms and conditions of the employment agreement;



(iv)

Any failure to timely pay or provide Mr. Hallett's base salary, or any reduction in Mr. Hallett's base salary below Eight Hundred Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($816,000), other than in connection with across-the-board salary reductions;



(v)

Any material reduction in Mr. Hallett's base salary or annual bonus opportunity; or



(vi)

A "Change of Control," as defined in the Omnibus Plan, occurs and, if applicable, the Company fails to cause its successor to assume or reaffirm the Company's obligations under the employment agreement without change.

Termination by Mr. Hallett without Good Reason.    Mr. Hallett may terminate his employment under the employment agreement at any time without Good Reason upon 30 days' prior written notice. In such event, we will pay Mr. Hallett a lump sum amount equal to the Accrued Obligations.

Termination by Mr. Hallett upon Retirement.    Mr. Hallett may voluntarily terminate his employment under the employment agreement due to retirement at any time on or after the third anniversary of the effective date of the employment agreement by announcing his retirement at least 12 months prior to such termination. In the event of such a termination, we will pay Mr. Hallett a lump sum amount equal to the Accrued Obligations and a Prorated Bonus.

Excise Tax Gross-Up.    As described above in "—Tax and Accounting Considerations—Employment Agreements," Mr. Hallett's employment agreement provides that in the event that any payment or benefit in connection with his employment is or becomes subject to an excise tax under Code Section 4999, the Company will make a cash payment to Mr. Hallett, which after the imposition of all income, employment, excise and other taxes thereon as well as any penalty and interest assessments associated therewith, will be sufficient to place Mr. Hallett in the same after-tax position as he would have been in had such excise tax not applied. However, in the event that a reduction of the total payments due to Mr. Hallett would avoid the application of the excise tax, then the total payments will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the excise tax, but in no event by more than 10% of the original amount of the total payments due.

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Requirements With Respect to Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation.    Upon a termination of employment for any reason, Mr. Hallett is subject to the following two year post-termination restrictive covenants (except in the case of retirement): (i) non-competition restrictions; and (ii) non-solicitation of Company employees and customers.

Other Named Executive Officers

The Company has entered into substantially similar employment agreements with Messrs. Loughmiller, Gottwald and St-Hilaire and Ms. Polak, providing for their at-will employment and the following severance and change of control payments.

Termination Due to Death or Disability.    If Messrs. Loughmiller, Gottwald or St-Hilaire or Ms. Polak terminate their employment due to death or disability, the Company will be obligated to pay to the executive (or his/her legal representatives) an amount equal to the sum of (i) any earned but unpaid base salary; (ii) accrued but unpaid vacation earned through the date of termination; (iii) unreimbursed business expenses; and (iv) any vested employee benefits. The aggregate of the foregoing is referred to as the "Accrued Obligations." In addition, the executive or his/her estate/beneficiaries would be entitled to receive (i) COBRA premium payments for 12 months or until the executive becomes eligible for coverage under another employer's health plan, if the executive is participating in the Company's health plans on the date of such termination of employment, (the "Continued Benefits"); (ii) the prorated portion of his/her annual bonus for the calendar year in which such termination of employment occurred, calculated based on the executive's actual performance and based on the number of days the executive was employed by the Company during such calendar year; and (iii) a payment equal to the amount of any annual bonus which has been earned in a prior year but which has not yet been paid to the executive (the "Earned but Unpaid Bonus").

For purposes of their employment agreements, "disability" means a "Total Disability" (or equivalent) as defined in the Company's long term disability plan in effect at the time of the disability.

Voluntary Termination or Termination for Cause.    If Messrs. Loughmiller, Gottwald or St-Hilaire or Ms. Polak voluntarily terminates their employment or if the Company terminates their employment for Cause, the Company's sole obligation will be to pay them the Accrued Obligations. For purposes of their employment agreements, "Cause" means (i) executive's willful, continued and uncured failure to perform substantially their duties under the agreement (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to medically documented illness or injury) for a period of 14 days following written notice by the Company to the executive of such failure; (ii) executive engaging in illegal conduct or gross misconduct that is demonstrably likely to lead to material injury to the Company, monetarily or otherwise; (iii) executive's indictment or conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a crime constituting a felony or any other crime involving moral turpitude; or (iv) executive's violation of the restrictive covenants under the agreement or any other covenants owed to the Company by executive.

Termination Without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason.    In the event Messrs. Loughmiller, Gottwald or St-Hilaire or Ms. Polak are terminated by the Company without Cause or such executive resigns for Good Reason, the executive would be entitled to receive, subject to execution and non-revocation of a release of claims, (i) a lump sum cash payment equal to the sum of his/her annual base salary plus target annual bonus for the year in which such termination of employment occurs; (ii) the Continued Benefits; and (iii) the Earned but Unpaid Bonus. For purposes of their employment agreements, "Good Reason" means (i) any material reduction of the executive's authority, duties and responsibilities; (ii) any material failure by the Company to comply with any of the terms and conditions of the agreement; (iii) any failure to timely pay or provide the executive's base salary, or any reduction in the executive's base salary, excluding any base salary reduction

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made in connection with across the board salary reductions; (iv) the requirement by the Company that the executive relocate his/her principal business location to a location more than 50 miles from the executive's principal base of operation as of the effective date of the agreement; or (v) a Change of Control occurs and, if applicable, the Company fails to cause its successor (whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to assume or reaffirm the Company's obligations under the agreement without change. For purposes of the foregoing, "Change of Control" has the same meaning as under the Omnibus Plan.

Requirements With Respect to Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation.    Upon a termination of employment for any reason, Messrs. Loughmiller, Gottwald and St-Hilaire and Ms. Polak are subject to the following one year post-termination restrictive covenants: (i) non-competition restrictions; and (ii) non-solicitation of Company employees and customers.

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Pursuant to our written related party transaction policy, the Company reviews relationships and transactions in which the Company, or one of its business units, and our directors and executive officers or their immediate family members are participants to determine whether such persons have a direct or indirect material interest.

In the course of the review and approval of a related party transaction, the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee may consider the following factors:

•

the nature of the related person's interest in the transaction;



•

the material terms of the transaction, including, without limitation, the amount and type of transaction;



•

the importance of the transaction to the related person;



•

the importance of the transaction to the Company;



•

whether the transaction would impair the judgment of a director or executive officer to act in our best interest; and



•

any other matters that we deem appropriate.

Transactions in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 in which the Company, or one of its business units, was a participant and a related person had a direct or indirect material interest are required to be disclosed in this proxy statement. There were not any such related party transactions identified for 2014.

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In order to submit stockholder proposals for the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders for inclusion in the Company's proxy statement pursuant to SEC Rule 14a-8, materials must be received by the Secretary at the Company's principal office in Carmel, Indiana, no later than December 25, 2015.

The proposals must comply with all of the requirements of SEC Rule 14a-8. Proposals should be addressed to: Rebecca C. Polak, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, KAR Auction Services, Inc., 13085 Hamilton Crossing Boulevard, Carmel, Indiana 46032. As the rules of the SEC make clear, simply submitting a proposal does not guarantee its inclusion.

The Company's By-Laws also establish an advance notice procedure with regard to director nominations and stockholder proposals that are not submitted for inclusion in the proxy statement, but that a stockholder instead wishes to present directly at an annual meeting. To be properly brought before the 2016 annual meeting, a notice of the nomination or the matter the stockholder wishes to present at the meeting must be delivered to the Secretary at the Company's principal office in Carmel, Indiana (see above), not less than 90 or more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of this year's annual meeting. As a result, any notice given by or on behalf of a stockholder pursuant to these provisions of the Company's By-Laws (and not pursuant to SEC Rule 14a-8) must be received no earlier than February 4, 2016, and no later than March 5, 2016. All director nominations and stockholder proposals must comply with the requirements of the Company's By-Laws, a copy of which may be obtained at no cost from the Secretary of the Company.

Other than the proposals described in this proxy statement, KAR Auction Services does not expect any matters to be presented for a vote at the annual meeting. If you grant a proxy, the persons named as proxy holders on the proxy card will have the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the annual meeting. If for any unforeseen reason, any one or more of KAR Auction Services' nominees is not available as a candidate for director, the persons named as proxy holders will vote your proxy for such other candidate or candidates as may be nominated by the Board of Directors.

The chairman of the meeting may refuse to allow the transaction of any business not presented beforehand, or to acknowledge the nomination of any person not made in compliance with the foregoing procedures.

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