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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o   Preliminary Proxy Statement

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☒   Definitive Proxy Statement

o   Definitive Additional Materials

o   Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

UNION PACIFIC CORPORATION
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

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Union Pacific Corporation 1400 Douglas Street, 19th Floor Omaha, NE 68179

April 5, 2019

NOTICE OF
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Only shareholders of record at the close of business on March 22, 2019, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

For your convenience, you may attend the Annual Meeting in person or listen via a live audio-only webcast. You may listen to the live audio-only webcast of the Annual Meeting via the Internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UNP2019 when you enter your 16-digit control number included on your notice of Internet availability of proxy materials, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. Instructions on how to listen to the Annual Meeting via live audio-only webcast are posted at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UNP2019.

Your vote is very important. New York Stock Exchange rules provide that if your shares are held by a broker, your broker will NOT be able to vote your shares on most matters presented at the Annual Meeting, including the election of directors, unless you provide voting instructions to your broker. We strongly encourage you to submit your proxy card to your broker or utilize your broker’s telephone or internet voting services (if available) and exercise your right to vote as a shareholder.

Rhonda S. Ferguson
Executive Vice President,
Chief Legal Officer and
Corporate Secretary

UNION PACIFIC CORPORATION
PROXY STATEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider. You should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting.

This Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy card are being distributed and made available to shareholders on or about April 5, 2019.

Even if you plan to attend the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in person, we encourage you to vote in advance of the meeting. You may vote using one the following voting methods. Make sure to have your proxy card or voting instruction form in hand and follow the instructions. Participants in Union Pacific’s thrift and retirement plans who hold Company stock through such plans will receive separate voting instructions. You can vote in one of three ways:

Record Holders			Beneficial Owners
	Vote via the Internet		Follow the instructions set forth on the voting instruction form provided by your broker with these proxy materials.
	•	Go to www.proxyvote.com
	Vote by telephone
	•	Call toll free 1-800-690-6903 within the USA, US territories & Canada
	Vote by mail
	•	Complete, sign, date and return your proxy card in the envelope provided

In 2018, the Company produced record financial results and finished the year with significant improvements in service reliability and efficiency, overcoming network congestion and excess operating costs incurred earlier in the year. We also embarked on a fundamental shift in our operating philosophy by adopting precision scheduled railroading (PSR) principles by launching Unified Plan 2020. Highlights of the Company’s 2018 operational and financial performance include:

* See Item 7 of Union Pacific’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, for reconciliations to U.S. GAAP

The Company’s commitment to strong corporate governance, effective risk management and strong independent oversight of management by the Board is reflected in our sound governance practices and policies. Governance Highlights include:

We were encouraged with the results of our say-on-pay vote at our 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders as we received shareholder support of 94% for our executive compensation program. The concerted efforts of our management team and Compensation and Benefits Committee to increase engagement with our shareholders and to thoughtfully consider and incorporate shareholder feedback into our executive compensation program in 2018 were reflected in this vote.

We believe that the changes we made to our executive compensation program in 2018 – providing for a formula-based annual incentive bonus and eliminating the ability to earn performance share units based on annual performance – together with the revisions we made in prior years benefit shareholders and continue to align with our strategy and pay-for-performance philosophy.

In 2018, as part of our regular shareholder engagement, management participated in 13 investor conferences, numerous in-person investor meetings, and hosted more than 250 conference calls with analysts and investors.

UNION PACIFIC CORPORATION
1400 Douglas Street, 19th Floor
Omaha, NE 68179
   
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MAY 16, 2019

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING, VOTING AND PROXIES

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy
Materials for the Shareholder Meeting to Be Held on May 16, 2019

This Proxy Statement and our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at www.up.com under the
“Investors” caption link by selecting “Annual Reports/Form 10-Ks and Proxy Statements”
www.up.com/investors/annuals/index/shtml.

This Proxy Statement is being furnished to shareholders of Union Pacific Corporation (the Company) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of the Company (the Board) for use in voting at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders or any adjournment or postponement thereof (the Annual Meeting). The Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at 8:00 A.M., Central Daylight Time, at the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District, 222 North 10th Street, Omaha, Nebraska. This Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy card are being distributed and made available to shareholders of the Company on or about April 5, 2019.

Only holders of record of the Company’s common stock at the close of business on March 22, 2019 (the Record Date), will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. On the Record Date, we had 1,112,068,547 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. If a majority of the shares outstanding on the Record Date are present and entitled to vote on any matter at the Annual Meeting, we will have a quorum at the Annual Meeting. Any shares represented by proxies that are marked for, against or to abstain from voting on a proposal will be counted as present for the purpose of determining whether there is a quorum.

Again this year, we are using the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule that allows companies to furnish their proxy materials over the Internet. As a result, we are mailing a notice of Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a paper copy of the proxy materials. All shareholders receiving the notice will have the ability to access the proxy materials over the Internet and may request to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a paper copy may be found in the notice of Internet availability of proxy materials. In addition, the notice contains information on how you may request access to proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically on an ongoing basis.

Your notice of Internet availability of proxy materials, proxy card or voting instruction card will contain instructions on how to:

Our proxy materials will be available during the voting period at www.proxyvote.com. From this website, you also will be able to vote prior to the Annual Meeting. To access this website, you will need your 16-digit control number included on your notice of Internet availability of proxy materials, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

Your notice of Internet availability, proxy card or voting instruction card will contain instructions on how you may request proxy materials electronically on an ongoing basis. Choosing to access your future proxy materials electronically will help us conserve natural resources and reduce the costs of distributing our proxy materials.

Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each full share held as of the Record Date.

Under Proposal Number 1, directors will be elected by a majority of the votes cast by the shares of common stock present at the Annual Meeting (either in person or by proxy) and entitled to vote on the election of directors, which means that a nominee will be elected if he or she receives more “for” votes than “against” votes. Pursuant to Section 9 of Article I of the Company’s By-Laws and applicable laws of the State of Utah, a nominee who does not receive more “for” votes than “against” votes will be elected to a shortened term expiring on the earlier of: (i) 90 days after the day on which the Company certifies the voting results; or (ii) the day on which a person is selected by the Board to fill the office held by the director.

Approval of Proposal Number 2 (ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm), Proposal Number 3 (advisory vote to approve executive compensation) and Proposal Number 4 (shareholder proposal regarding independent chairman) requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the proposal (either in person or by proxy).

If your shares are held in street name (that is, through a broker, bank, trustee, nominee or other holder of record), you are considered a beneficial owner of those shares. As the beneficial owner of those shares, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or nominee how to vote. If you do not provide voting instructions to your broker in advance of the Annual Meeting, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) rules grant your broker discretionary authority to vote on the ratification of the independent registered accounting firm in Proposal Number 2. If you do not provide voting instructions, your broker will not have discretion to vote your shares on Proposal Numbers 1, 3 and 4 resulting in what is referred to as broker non-votes on those matters.

The Board recommends that you vote FOR each of the nominees in Proposal Number 1, FOR Proposal Numbers 2 and 3 and AGAINST Proposal Number 4.

In accordance with Utah law, abstentions and broker non-votes are not treated as votes cast and, therefore, are not counted in determining which directors are elected under Proposal Number 1 and which matters are approved under Proposal Numbers 2, 3 and 4.

Whether you hold shares directly as a shareholder of record or in street name (that is, through a broker, bank, trustee, nominee or other holder of record), you may direct how your shares are voted without participating in the Annual Meeting. There are three ways to vote by proxy:

If you sign and return your proxy card but do not give any voting instructions, your shares will be voted “for” the election of each of the director nominees listed in Proposal Number 1 below, “for” Proposal Number 2, “for” Proposal Number 3, and “against” Proposal Number 4. To our knowledge, no other matters will be presented at the Annual Meeting. However, if any other matters of business are properly presented, the proxy holders named on the proxy card are authorized to vote the shares represented by proxies according to their judgment.

The Board maintains a confidential voting policy pursuant to which Broadridge Financial Services, Inc. (Broadridge) receives shareholder proxies or voting instructions, and representatives of Broadridge, serving as independent inspectors of election, certify the vote. Proxies, as well as telephone and Internet voting instructions, will be kept confidential from management (except in certain cases where it may be necessary to meet legal requirements, including a contested proxy solicitation or where a shareholder writes comments on the proxy card). Reports concerning the vote may be made available to the Company, provided such reports do not reveal the vote of any particular shareholder.

After you submit your proxy you may revoke it at any time before voting takes place at the Annual Meeting. You can revoke your proxy in two ways: (i) deliver to the Secretary of the Company a written notice, dated later than the proxy you want to revoke, stating that the proxy is revoked or (ii) submit new telephone or Internet instructions or deliver a validly executed later-dated proxy. For this purpose, communications to the Secretary of the Company should be addressed to 1400 Douglas Street, 19th Floor, Omaha, Nebraska 68179 and must be received before the time that the proxy you wish to revoke is voted at the Annual Meeting. Please note that if your shares are held in street name (that is, a broker, bank, trustee or other nominee holds your shares on your behalf) and you wish to revoke a previously granted proxy, you must contact that entity and submit new voting instructions to your broker, bank, trustee or nominee.

The Company will pay the entire cost of preparing, printing, mailing and distributing the notices and proxy materials and soliciting votes. In addition to the mailing of the notices and proxy materials, proxies may be solicited by personal interview, telephone and electronic communication by the directors, officers and employees of the Company acting without special compensation. We also make arrangements with brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for the forwarding of solicitation material to the street name holders of shares held of record by such individuals, and the Company will reimburse such custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with such solicitation. In addition, the Company engaged Morrow Sodali, LLC, 470 West Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902, to solicit proxies on its behalf. The anticipated fees of Morrow Sodali LLC are $17,500, plus certain other customary fees and expenses.

Only shareholders as of the Record Date are entitled to attend the Annual Meeting. The Company reserves the right to require proof of stock ownership as of the Record Date and a government-issued photo identification of any person wishing to attend the Annual Meeting. You may obtain directions to the Annual Meeting by contacting the Secretary of the Company at the address set forth on the notice page of this Proxy Statement. Please note that the use of cameras (including via cell phone with photographic capabilities), recording devices and other electronic devices is strictly prohibited at the Annual Meeting.

For your convenience, you may also listen to the Annual Meeting via a live audio-only webcast. You may listen to the live audio-only webcast of the Annual Meeting via the Internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UNP2019 when you enter your 16-digit control number included on your notice of Internet availability of proxy materials, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. Instructions on how to listen to the Annual Meeting via live audio-only webcast are posted at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UNP2019.

References to the Company’s website included in this Proxy Statement and in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K are provided as a convenience and do not constitute, and should not be deemed, an incorporation by reference of the information contained in, or available through, the website.

PROPOSAL NUMBER 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Board currently consists of eleven members. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board proposed, and the Board recommended, that the eleven individuals currently serving as directors each be nominated for re-election to the Board at the Annual Meeting. Each of the nominees has consented to being named as a nominee and to serve if elected. If any nominee(s) for director for any reason should become unavailable for election, it is intended that discretionary authority will be exercised by the persons named in the enclosed proxy in respect of the election of such other person(s) as the Board shall nominate.

Directors will be elected by a majority of the votes cast by the shares present at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors, which means that a nominee will be elected if he or she receives more “for” votes than “against” votes. Pursuant to Section 9 of Article I of the Company’s By-Laws and applicable laws of the State of Utah, if a nominee does not receive more “for” votes than “against” votes, he or she will be elected to a shortened term that terminates on the earlier of: (i) 90 days after the day on which the Company certifies the voting results; or (ii) the day on which a person is selected by the Board to fill the office held by the director.

The Board recommends a vote FOR the election of each of the nominated directors.

The following identifies the Company’s nominees for election to the Board. Each of the nominees currently serves as a director. Each nominee, if elected, will serve for a term of one year or until his or her successor is elected and qualified.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considered the character, experience, qualifications and skills of each director nominee when determining whether he or she should serve as a director of the Company. Consistent with the stated criteria for director nominees described on pages 17 and 19 below and included in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Policies, the Committee determined that each director nominee exhibits a high degree of integrity, has significant professional accomplishments, and has proven leadership experience. Each director nominee is or has been a leader in his or her respective field and brings diverse talents and perspectives to the Board. The Committee also considered the experience and qualifications that each director nominee brings to the Board outlined above in each director’s biographical information, as well as service on boards of other public companies.

The Committee utilizes the following list of skills, attributes and qualities that are particularly relevant to the Company when evaluating director nominees.

Below we identify the balance of skills and qualifications each director nominee brings to the Board. The fact that a particular skill or qualification is not designated does not mean the director nominee does not possess that particular attribute. Rather, the skills and qualifications noted below are those reviewed by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board in making nomination decisions and as part of the Board succession planning process. We believe the combination of the skills and qualifications shown below demonstrates how the Board is well-positioned to provide strategic oversight and guidance to management.

Union Pacific Director Skills and Qualifications Matrix

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for developing and periodically reviewing and recommending to the Board the appropriate skills and characteristics required of Board members in the context of the current composition of the Board. Such criteria, as described in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Policies, include: business and management experience; familiarity with the business, customers and suppliers of the Company; varying and complementary talents, backgrounds and perspectives; diversity (inclusive of gender, race, ethnicity and national origin); and relevant legal, regulatory and stock exchange requirements applicable to the Board and certain of its Committees.

All potential new Board candidates should exhibit a high degree of integrity and ethics consistent with the values of the Company and the Board. In all our director nominee searches, the Committee is committed to actively seeking out highly qualified women (Ms. Lute and Ms. Hopkins) and other diverse candidates (Messrs. Davis, Patel and Villarreal), for consideration as nominees to the Board. The Committee ultimately seeks to identify and nominate candidates with diverse talents, backgrounds and perspectives who will enhance and complement the skills and expertise of the Board and satisfy the Board membership criteria included in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Policies. In determining the independence of a candidate, the Committee relies upon the independence standards adopted by the Board. In addition, the Committee requires that all candidates:

The Committee also values familiarity with the rail transportation industry and considers the number of other public boards on which candidates serve when determining whether the individual circumstances of each candidate will allow the candidate sufficient time to effectively serve on the Board and contribute to its function and activities.

The Committee meets at the first Board meeting of each year to consider the inclusion of nominees in the Company’s proxy statement. During this meeting, the Committee considers each nominee by:

As part of the Committee’s oversight of the Board’s self-evaluation process, the Committee assesses the effectiveness of the criteria listed above when evaluating all new director candidates and when assessing the composition of the Board. The Committee will consider candidates recommended by shareholders under the same standards after concluding that any such recommendations comply with the requirements outlined below. During 2018, the Company retained the services of Heidrick & Struggles to help identify and evaluate suitable candidates for consideration to replace retiring directors. Mr. DeLaney was first identified by Russell Reynolds as a director candidate.

We believe that Board tenure diversity is important and directors with many years of service provide the Board with a deep knowledge of our Company, while newer directors lend fresh perspectives. The chart below reflects the Board tenure of our current directors. The average tenure of all directors currently serving on our Board and nominated for re-election is seven years.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for overseeing the annual self-evaluation process of the Board and its committees, which is used by the Board and each committee to assess their effectiveness and performance and opportunities for improvement. In addition, each committee reviews its Charter annually and reports to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board on its self-evaluation and review of its Charter.

During 2018, an independent third party interviewed each member of the Board, as well as two recently retired directors, as part of the annual self-evaluation process of the Board and its committees. In November 2018, the independent third party presented the results to the Board. The presentation contained a summary of recommendations and items for discussion regarding Board and committee effectiveness based on these interviews. The recommendations provided will assist the Board’s efforts to improve its key functions of overseeing the Company’s overall governance and the enterprise risk profile of the Company, reviewing the Company’s strategic plan, monitoring strategy implementation and generally overseeing management’s operations of the business.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will provide oversight for each committee and the Board as the directors continue discussing the results of this evaluation and work to address the recommendations.

The Company’s By-Laws provide for “proxy access” for certain director candidates nominated by shareholders. Under the By-Laws, a shareholder or group of shareholders who have continuously held for three years a number of shares of Company common stock equal to three percent of the outstanding shares of Company common stock may request that the Company include in the Company’s proxy materials director nominees representing up to the greater of two directors or 20% of the current number of directors. Eligible shareholders wishing to have such candidates included in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders should provide the information specified in the By-Laws to the Secretary of the Company in writing during the period beginning on November 7, 2019 and ending on December 7, 2019, and should include the information and representations required by the proxy access provisions set forth in the Company’s By-Laws.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will consider and evaluate individuals for service on the Board suggested by directors and other interested parties. Shareholders desiring to recommend candidates for consideration at the 2020 Annual Meeting should advise the Secretary of the Company in writing during the period beginning on January 17, 2020 and ending on February 16, 2020, and should include the following information required by the nomination procedures set forth in the Company’s By-Laws, as well as any other information that would assist the Committee in evaluating the recommended candidates: (i) the name, age, and business and residence addresses of the candidate, (ii) the principal occupation of the candidate, and (iii) the number of shares of Company common stock beneficially owned by the candidate. A shareholder should also provide (i) his or her name and address, (ii) the number of shares of Company common stock beneficially owned by such shareholder, (iii) a description of all arrangements between himself or herself and the candidate and any other person pursuant to which the recommendation for nomination is being made, and (iv) the candidate’s written consent agreeing to any resulting nomination and to serve as a director if elected. The By-Laws are available on the Company’s website at www.up.com/investors/governance, and shareholders may obtain a printed copy by contacting the Secretary of the Company at the address set forth on the notice page of this Proxy Statement.

Board Corporate Governance Matters

We are committed to implementing and following high standards of corporate governance, which we believe are important to the success of our business and create shareholder value.

The Board has adopted the guidelines and policies set forth below, and, with ongoing input from the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, will continue to assess the appropriateness of these guidelines and policies and implement such changes and adopt such additions as may be necessary or desirable to promote the effective governance of the Company. We post these guidelines and policies on our website at www.up.com/investors/governance.

Director Independence. All members of the Board are independent except for Mr. Fritz. All members of the Audit, Compensation and Benefits and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees are independent. An “independent” director is a director who, as determined by the Board in its business judgment, meets the NYSE definition of “independence” as well as the Director Independence Standards adopted by the Board and set forth in the section titled “Director Independence Standards.” In addition, directors who serve on the Audit Committee and on the Compensation and Benefits Committee must meet additional independence criteria applicable to audit committee members and compensation committee members, respectively, under NYSE listing standards, as described in the section titled “Audit Committee and Compensation and Benefits Committee Independence Criteria.” Independence is determined annually by the Board based on the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

Board Membership Criteria. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for developing and periodically reviewing the appropriate skills and characteristics required of Board members in the context of the current make-up of the Board. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee develops and recommends membership criteria to the Board. Such criteria include: business and management experience; familiarity with the business, customers and suppliers of the Company; varying and complementary talents, backgrounds and perspectives; diversity (inclusive of gender, race, ethnicity and national origin); and relevant regulatory and stock exchange membership requirements for the Board and its committees. All potential new Board candidates should exhibit a high degree of integrity and ethics consistent with the values of the Company and the Board. When searching for new directors, the Committee actively seeks highly qualified diverse candidates for consideration as nominees to the Board as part of the Committee’s regular process.

Selection of Director Nominee Candidates. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for recommending to the Board the selection of director nominee candidates.

Board Size. The Board’s guideline is to maintain a Board size of 10 to 14 members with no more than two management directors. The Board currently comprises 11 members with one management director.

Election of Directors-Majority Voting. In uncontested director elections, directors are elected by majority vote, pursuant to the Company’s By-Laws, and under Utah corporate law, any director who is not re-elected ceases to serve on the Board no later than 90 days after the voting results are certified.

Retirement Age for Non-management Directors. Non-management directors who are 75 years of age will not be eligible to stand for election to the Board at the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Non-management directors who turn 75 during their term are eligible to finish out that term. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee may consider a director’s nomination beyond the age of 75 if it believes that the nomination is in the best interest of the shareholders.

Director Orientation and Continuing Education. Upon election to the Board, new members are provided with a comprehensive set of materials on the operations, finances, governance and business plan of the Company, visit at least two major facilities during the first year of service and meet informally with as many members of senior management as practical. The Board encourages directors to periodically attend appropriate continuing education programs and sessions and obtain and review appropriate materials to assist them in

performing their Board responsibilities. The Company recommends continuing education programs and sessions to directors and pays any fees and expenses associated with attendance at continuing education programs and sessions. Directors are expected to participate in continuing education at least once every other year.

Change in Principal Occupation. Upon a director’s retirement, resignation or other significant change in professional duties and responsibilities, the director shall submit his or her resignation from the Board to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee for its consideration and recommendation as to acceptance.

Service on Outside Boards. When the CEO or another senior officer of the Company is invited to serve on outside boards of directors, the CEO will present the issue to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee for review and approval. Directors must notify the Board prior to accepting a position on the board of another company. No member of the Audit Committee may serve on the audit committees of more than three public companies.

Board Leadership. The Board annually elects a Chairman of the Board, who may or may not be the CEO of the Company. If the individual elected as Chairman of the Board is not an independent director, the independent directors also elect a lead independent director. The lead independent director serves for a period of at least one year. The lead independent director’s responsibilities include: (1) presiding at meetings of the Board at which the Chairman and CEO is not present, including executive sessions of the independent directors; (2) approving the flow of information sent to the Board, and approving the agenda, schedule and what materials are sent for Board meetings; (3) serving as the liaison or facilitating working relationships between the independent directors and the Chairman and CEO; (4) being available for consultation and communication with major shareholders as appropriate; (5) in conjunction with the Compensation and Benefits Committee, overseeing the process of evaluating and compensating the Chairman and CEO; (6) assuring that a succession plan is in place for the Chairman and CEO, as well as the lead independent director; (7) authorizing or recommending the retention of consultants who report directly to the full Board; and (8) assisting the Board and Company officers in compliance with, and implementation of, the Company’s governance guidelines and policies. The lead independent director also has the authority to call executive sessions of the independent directors. The lead independent director will often act as Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, fulfilling the designated duties and responsibilities set forth in the Committee’s Charter.

Board Committees. The current standing committees are the Audit Committee, Finance Committee, Compensation and Benefits Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The Board has the authority to create additional committees. The Board periodically reviews committee service and assignments, along with the respective committee chair positions, and, if appropriate, recommends rotation of members.

Board Meeting Agendas. The directors and management of the Company may originate action items relating to the business and affairs of the Company for the Board agenda and the scheduling of reports on aspects of parent or subsidiary operations.

Board Committee Meeting Agendas. The departments of the Company that administer the area of responsibility charged to each committee may submit items for inclusion on committee agendas, and committee members may suggest topics for inclusion or request additional information with respect to any program previously reviewed by the committee.

Distribution of Board Materials. Information and materials for Board consideration are generally distributed to directors at least five days in advance of the meeting, with additional time provided when the complexity of an issue demands, unless an issue for Board consideration arises without sufficient time to complete distribution of materials within this time frame. Additionally in some cases, due to the timing or the sensitive nature of an issue, materials may be presented only at the Board meeting.

Board Presentations. The Board encourages broad management participation in Board presentations and the involvement of those managers who are directly responsible for the recommendations or other matters before the Board.

Strategic Planning Review. Management presents an annual strategic plan to the Board for its review and the Board makes such recommendations to management regarding the strategic plan as it deems necessary.

Reporting to the Board of Directors. The Board receives reporting on at least an annual basis by (1) the Chief Compliance Officer with respect to the Company’s compliance program; (2) the Chief Safety Officer with respect to the safety performance of the Company’s railroad operations, including applicable safety metrics and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulatory developments and compliance; and (3) the General Counsel with respect to updates on relevant legal and regulatory matters.

Safety of Railroad Operations. Management presents an annual strategic safety plan to the Board for its review and assessment, and the Board makes such recommendations to management regarding the strategic plan as it deems necessary.

Director Access to Management and Outside Advisors. The Company provides each director with access to the management of the Company. The Board and committees, as set forth in the applicable committee charter, have the right to consult and retain outside counsel and other advisors at the expense of the Company.

Director Attendance at Board Meetings. Directors are expected to attend in person all regularly scheduled Board and committee meetings and the Company’s Annual Meeting and to participate telephonically when they are unable to attend in person.

Executive Sessions of Independent Directors. Regularly scheduled sessions of independent directors are held at every meeting of the Board. The lead independent director presides at these sessions and has the authority to call additional executive sessions as appropriate.

Board Member Compensation. Non-management Board members generally are paid an annual retainer valued between the median and seventy-fifth percentile of compensation at comparable companies, and the retainer is reviewed periodically by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. A substantial portion of the annual retainer is paid in Common Stock equivalents, which are not payable until after termination of service from the Board.

Board Member Equity Ownership. Board members must own equity in the Company equal to at least five times the cash portion of the annual retainer, with such ownership goal to be reached within five years of joining the Board, unless special circumstances of a member as determined by the Board delay the achievement of the ownership goal. Board members who have met their applicable ownership goal may sell shares of Company common stock that exceed their ownership goal pursuant to a written trading plan designed to comply with Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b5-1 and in compliance with the Company’s trading policy for Board members.

Evaluation of the Chairman and the CEO. The performance of the Chairman and the CEO is evaluated annually by the independent directors during an executive session led by the Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The evaluation includes an assessment of individual elements of performance in major categories such as leadership, strategic planning, financial performance, operations, human resources, external relations and communications, and Board relations. The Compensation and Benefits Committee then meets following the executive session to determine the appropriate level of compensation to be awarded to the Chairman and the CEO and senior management of the Company. The lead independent director and the Chair of the Compensation and Benefits Committee then review with the Chairman and the CEO their respective performance and any recommended areas for improvement.

Succession Planning. The Board is responsible for overseeing the succession planning process for the CEO and other senior executive positions. The CEO periodically reports to an executive session of the Board on succession planning, including an assessment of senior managers and their potential to succeed him or her. The CEO also makes available to the Board, on a continuing basis, the CEO’s recommendation concerning who should assume the CEO’s role in the event the CEO becomes unable or unwilling to perform his or her duties. This process enables the Board to maintain its oversight of the program for effective senior management development and succession as well as emergency succession plans.

Evaluation of Board and Committee Performance. The Board and its committees, to the extent required by their respective charters, conduct self-evaluations annually to assess their performance. The Board and

committee evaluation process in 2018 involved an independent third party that facilitated interviews and comments from the directors related to the effectiveness of the Board and its committees. The summary report for the Board and each of the committees will be used for discussion of Board and committee performance and any recommended improvements.

Evaluation of Director Performance. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee assesses the contributions and independence of current directors in connection with considering their renomination to stand for election to the Board.

Director Attendance at Annual Shareholder Meetings. It is the policy of this Company that all directors shall attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Future Severance Agreements. The Company shall not enter into a future severance agreement with a senior executive that provides for benefits in an amount generally exceeding 2.99 times salary plus bonus unless such agreement is approved by a vote of the Company’s shareholders. The full text of the policy may be found on the Company’s website at www.up.com/investors/governance/severance.pdf.

Confidential Voting. It is the Board’s policy that all shareholder proxies, consents, ballots and voting materials that identify the votes of specific shareholders be kept confidential from the Company with access to proxies, consents, ballots and other shareholder voting records to be limited to inspectors of election who are not employees of the Company, except as may be required by law or to assist in the pursuit or defense of claims or judicial actions or in the event of a contested proxy solicitation.

Amendments. The Board may amend, waive, suspend or repeal any of these guidelines and policies at any time, with or without public notice, as it determines necessary or appropriate, in the exercise of the Board’s judgment or fiduciary duties.

To assist it in making determinations of a director’s independence, the Board has adopted the independence standards set forth below. The Board affirmatively determined that former directors Messrs. McConnell and Rogel, and, except for Mr. Fritz, all remaining current directors, who are also director nominees, Ms. Hopkins and Ms. Lute and Messrs. Card, Davis, DeLaney, Dillon, McCarthy, McLarty, Patel, and Villarreal, have no material relationship with the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries, including Union Pacific Railroad Company (the Railroad), (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the Company) and is independent within the meaning of the applicable listing standards of the NYSE and the Director Independence Standards adopted by the Board. Additionally, the Board determined that all Board Committees are comprised entirely of independent directors and that all members of the Audit Committee, Compensation and Benefits Committee and Finance Committee meet the additional independence standards applicable to such committee members as set forth below.

The Board’s independence determination included a review of the payments over the last three years between the Railroad and LyondellBasell Industries, N.V. (LyondellBasell). Mr. Patel is the Chief Executive Officer of LyondellBasell. LyondellBasell paid the Railroad approximately $115 million, $112 million and $105 million for transportation services in 2018, 2017 and 2016 respectively. These amounts were significantly less than 2% of LyondellBasell’s consolidated gross revenues for any of the past three years (0.3% for 2018, 0.3% for 2017 and 0.3% for 2016).

Director Independence Standards

An “independent” director is a director whom the Board has affirmatively determined has no material relationship with the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the Company. Accordingly, a director is also not independent if:

For purposes of these standards, an “immediate family” member includes a director’s spouse, parents, children, siblings, mother and father-in-law, sons and daughters-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law, and anyone (other than a domestic employee) who shares the director’s home.

Audit Committee and Compensation and Benefits Committee Independence Criteria

In addition to the Board’s Director Independence Standards above, a director is not considered independent for purposes of serving on the Audit Committee or the Compensation and Benefits Committee, and may not serve on such committees, if the director: (a) accepts, directly or indirectly, from the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee, other than Board and committee fees and fixed amounts of compensation under a retirement plan (including deferred compensation) for prior service with the Company; or (b) is an “affiliated person” of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; each as determined in accordance with NYSE and SEC rules and regulations.

The Board annually reviews related party transactions involving directors and director nominees in conjunction with making director independence determinations and preparing the annual Proxy Statement. We require that executive officers report any transactions with the Company under the written Business Conduct Policy that covers all Company employees. Under the Business Conduct Policy, the Audit Committee reviews any transaction reported by executive officers and refers any reported transactions to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee for evaluation pursuant to the Company’s Related Party Transaction Policies and Procedures (the Related Party Policy) described below.

Under the Company’s Related Party Policy, transactions with related parties are subject to approval or ratification by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Transactions subject to Committee review and approval include any transaction in which (i) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any calendar year, (ii) the Company is a participant, and (iii) any related party will have a direct or indirect interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity).

“Related party” is defined under the policy as any (i) person who is or was during the last fiscal year an executive officer or director of the Company or nominee for election as a director, (ii) greater than 5% beneficial owner of the Company’s common stock, or (iii) immediate family member of any of the foregoing. “Immediate family” member includes a person’s spouse, parents, stepparents, children, stepchildren, siblings, mothers and fathers-in-law, sons and daughters-in-law, and brothers and sisters-in-law and anyone residing in such person’s home (other than a tenant or employee).

If advance Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee approval of a transaction is not feasible, then the transaction will be considered and, if the Committee determines it to be appropriate, ratified at the Committee’s next regularly scheduled meeting. In determining whether to approve or ratify a transaction, the Committee will consider, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction.

Under the Related Party Policy, the Committee may pre-approve certain transactions, even if the aggregate amount involved exceeds $120,000. Such transactions include (i) any transaction with another company at which a related party’s only relationship is as an employee (other than an executive officer), direct or beneficial owner of less than 10% of that company’s shares, if the aggregate amount involved does not exceed the greater of $1 million or 2% of that company’s total annual revenues; and (ii) any charitable contribution, grant or endowment by the Company to a charitable organization, foundation, or university at which a related party’s only relationship is as an employee (other than an executive officer) or a director, if the aggregate amount involved does not exceed the lesser of $1 million or 2% of the charitable organization’s total annual receipts. Additionally, the Board has delegated to the Chair of the Committee the authority to pre-approve or ratify, as applicable, any transaction with any related party in which the aggregate amount involved is expected to be less than $1 million. At each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee, a summary of each new transaction deemed pre-approved will be provided to the Committee for its review.

Related Party Transactions in 2018

Since 1994, the Railroad has historically and routinely done business with Omaha Track, Inc. and its related companies (Omaha Track). Kelvin Whited, who became the Chief Financial Officer of Omaha Track in July 2015, is the spouse of Elizabeth F. Whited, who became the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in August 2018. Ms. Whited served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer until August 15, 2018, when she was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

In 2018, the Railroad paid Omaha Track or its affiliates approximately $15.1 million for tie disposal services, on-track scrap metal removal and railcar repairs. All of these transactions are managed by the Railroad’s Supply Department and Ms. Whited has no involvement in these matters.

Omaha Track has been a transload provider to customers of the Railroad for transload shipments of various materials. The Railroad paid Omaha Track approximately $351,150 in 2018 in connection with these transload services. Ms. Whited is not involved in any commercial or rate discussions involving Omaha Track.

The Railroad provides transportation services to LyondellBasell. Mr. Patel is the Chief Executive Officer and a director of LyondellBasell and a director of the Company. Payments to the Railroad over the last three years from LyondellBasell are detailed on page 23 of this Proxy Statement.

These transactions were ratified by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee under the Company’s Related Party Policy.

The Board believes it is in the best interest of the Company for the Board to periodically evaluate the leadership structure of the Company and make a determination regarding whether to separate or combine the roles of Chairman and CEO based on circumstances at the time of its evaluation. By retaining flexibility to adjust the Company’s leadership structure, the Board is best able to provide for appropriate management and leadership of the Company and address any circumstances the Company may face. Per the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Policies set forth on page 20 of this Proxy Statement, the Board annually will elect a Chairman of the Board, who may or may not be the CEO of the Company. Additionally, the Guidelines provide that if the individual elected as Chairman of the Board is not an independent director, the independent directors also will elect a lead independent director. The Board determined that having a combined Chairman and CEO at this time best allows the Board and management to focus on the oversight and implementation of the Company’s strategic initiatives and business plan to efficiently and effectively protect and enhance the Company’s long-term success and shareholder value.

In addition, the independent directors of the Board elected Mr. McCarthy as the lead independent director with the following responsibilities:

The independent directors conducted executive sessions at all Board meetings in 2018. Mr. McCarthy also has the authority to call executive sessions of the independent directors. The Board has adopted a number of strong corporate governance practices that provide effective, independent oversight of management, including:

The Board believes that the current leadership structure and succession planning coupled with an active lead independent director provides effective oversight of management and responsiveness to shareholders, while also continuing the solid leadership of the Company and the Board necessary to effect execution of the Company’s strategic plans.

The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the assessment and management of the critical enterprise risks affecting the Company. The Board delegates to the Audit Committee primary responsibility for oversight of managing risks related to financial reporting, environmental matters and compliance.

Management identifies and prioritizes enterprise risks (included in the risk factors disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K) and regularly presents them to the Board for its review and consideration. The senior executives responsible for implementation of appropriate mitigation strategies for each of the Company’s enterprise risks, along with the chief compliance officer, provide reports directly to the Board during the year. The Audit Committee also receives reports throughout the year from the chief compliance officer and the senior executives responsible for financial reporting, cybersecurity and environmental matters.

In addition, the Audit Committee oversees the Company’s internal audit of enterprise risks selected for review and evaluation based upon the Company’s annual risk assessment model with the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of mitigating controls and activities of Company personnel. The Company’s internal auditors present to the Audit Committee findings regarding the mitigating controls and processes for the enterprise risks selected for review. The Audit Committee, in turn, reports those findings to the entire Board. The Company’s enterprise risk management process is dynamic and continually monitored so that the Company can timely identify and address any potential risks that arise in the ever-changing economic, political, legal and technology threat environment in which the Company operates.

In accordance with applicable provisions of Utah law and the By-Laws of the Company, the business and affairs of the Company are managed under the direction of the Board. The Board has established standing Committees and adopted guidelines and policies to assist it in fulfilling its responsibilities as described below.

During 2018, the Board met seven times. None of the directors attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and the Committees on which he or she served. The average attendance of all directors at Board and Committee meetings was 99%. The Corporate Governance Guidelines and Policies included in this Proxy Statement beginning on page 20 reflect our policy that all directors should attend the Annual Meeting. In accordance with this policy, all directors then serving attended last year’s Annual Meeting.

The Board currently maintains four standing committees − the Audit Committee, Finance Committee, Compensation and Benefits Committee, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Each of the committees operates under a written charter adopted by the Board, copies of which are available on the Company’s website at www.up.com/investors/governance, and shareholders may obtain copies by contacting the Secretary of the Company at the address set forth on the notice page of this Proxy Statement. Each committee has the ability to retain outside advisors to assist it in the performance of its duties and responsibilities. All Board Committees are composed entirely of independent directors, satisfying both the independence standards of the NYSE and the Director Independence Standards set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Policies. Audit Committee members and Compensation and Benefits Committee members also satisfy the additional independence criteria applicable to Audit Committee and Compensation and Benefits Committee members under the listing standards of the NYSE.

C = Chair

During 2018, the following independent directors served on the Compensation and Benefits Committee: Andrew H. Card, Jr., Erroll B. Davis, Jr., William J. DeLaney, David B. Dillon, Bhavesh V. Patel and Jose H. Villarreal.

The Compensation and Benefits Committee has no interlocks or insider participation.

The Board has adopted the Union Pacific Corporation Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers, the Statement of Policy on Ethics and Business Conduct for employees (the Business Conduct Policy) and the Union Pacific Corporation Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Members of the Board of Directors. We post these codes of conduct on our website at www.up.com/investors/governance, and printed copies are available to any shareholder upon request to the Secretary of the Company at the address set forth on the notice page of this Proxy Statement. To the extent permitted by SEC rules and the NYSE listing standards, we intend to disclose any future amendments to, or waivers from, certain provisions of these codes of conduct on our website.

Interested parties wishing to communicate with the Board may do so by U.S. mail c/o the Corporate Secretary, Union Pacific Corporation, 1400 Douglas Street, 19th Floor, Omaha, NE 68179. Communications intended for a specific director or directors (e.g., the lead independent director, a committee chairperson or all of the non-management directors) should be addressed to their attention and sent, by U.S. mail, to the address above. The Board has appointed and authorized the Corporate Secretary of the Company to process these communications and forward them to the appropriate directors. We forward communications from shareholders directly to the appropriate Board member(s). If a communication is illegal, unduly hostile or threatening, or similarly inappropriate, the Corporate Secretary of the Company has the authority to disregard or take appropriate action regarding any such communication.

Director Compensation in Fiscal Year 2018

Non-Management Directors’ Fees and Compensation

In 2018, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee conducted a comprehensive review of our director compensation program to assess whether adjustments to the program were appropriate. The Company’s non-management director compensation was last adjusted in 2010. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considered the input and recommendations of the Compensation and Benefits Committee as well as the work conducted by FW Cook, the independent consultant for the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee reviewed the competitiveness of the Company’s director compensation levels and the structure of the director compensation program in light of public company practices and current corporate governance best practices. After thorough review and discussion, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee recommended the following changes to the Company’s director compensation, which were approved by the Board and made effective August 1, 2018:

Members of the Audit Committee continue to receive additional annual retainers of $10,000 each. Directors who are employees do not receive retainers or any other Board-related compensation.

Stock Unit Grant and Deferred Compensation Plan for the Board of Directors

Under our Stock Unit Grant and Deferred Compensation Plan for non-management directors, a director may, by December 31 of any year, elect to defer all or a portion of any compensation (in addition to the amount mentioned above that is required to be invested in their Stock Unit Account) for service as a director in the ensuing year or years, excluding reimbursements for expenses. Such deferred amounts may be invested, at the option of the director, in (i) a Fixed Rate Fund administered by the Company, (ii) a Stock Unit Account administered by the Company, or (iii) various notional accounts administered by The Vanguard Group. These accounts are unfunded, unsecured obligations of the Company. The Company Fixed Rate Fund bears interest equal to 120% of the applicable federal long-term rate compounded annually. The Stock Unit Account fluctuates in value based on changes in the price of our common stock, and equivalents to cash dividends paid on the common stock are deemed to be reinvested in the Stock Unit Account. The Vanguard Accounts are subject to earnings and value fluctuations from the investment performance of the notional accounts at Vanguard. Payment of all deferred amounts begins in January of the year following separation from service as a director. Deferred amounts may be paid, at the election of the director, in either a lump-sum or in up to 15 equal, annual installments.

2000 Directors Stock Plan

Under the 2000 Directors Stock Plan (the 2000 Plan) adopted by the shareholders on April 21, 2000, the Company may grant options to purchase shares of our common stock to non-management directors. Upon recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee in September 2007, the Board eliminated the annual grant of options for 2008 and future years. The Company did not award any options to non-management directors in 2018.

The 2000 Plan provided that each non-management director, upon election to the Board of Directors, would receive a grant of 4,000 restricted shares of our common stock or restricted share units that represent the right to receive our common stock in the future (which number has been adjusted to reflect the Company’s two-for-one stock splits on May 28, 2008 and June 6, 2014). The restricted shares or share units vest on the date a director ceases to be a director by reason of death, disability or retirement, as defined in the 2000 Plan. During the restricted period, the director has the right to vote such restricted shares and receive dividends or

dividend equivalents, but may not transfer or encumber such shares or units. The director would forfeit such shares or units upon ceasing to be a director for any reason other than death, disability or retirement. Effective August 1, 2018, the Board approved the elimination of this initial equity grant for newly elected directors.

Non-Management Director Compensation in Fiscal Year 2018

The following table provides a summary of the compensation of our non-management directors for 2018.

PROPOSAL NUMBER 2 − Ratification of Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Year Ending December 31, 2019

The Audit Committee has appointed Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the books and accounts of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the year 2019 and submits this selection for ratification by a vote of shareholders as a matter of good corporate governance. In the event that the Audit Committee’s selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP does not receive an affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast, the Audit Committee will review its future selection of an independent registered public accounting firm.

The Audit Committee believes that the continued retention of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is in the best interests of our shareholders as there are several benefits to the Company of having a long-tenured auditor.

The Company expects that a representative of Deloitte & Touche LLP will be present at the Annual Meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if such representative desires to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate questions by shareholders.

Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2019 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on this proposal at the Annual Meeting.

The Board recommends a vote FOR ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2019.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Fees and Services

Aggregate fees billed to the Company for services rendered by our independent registered public accounting firm for each of the past two years are set forth below:

Audit Fees. Audit services included the integrated audit of financial statements and internal control, quarterly reviews, comfort letters provided in conjunction with the issuance of debt, and agreed-upon procedures performed on the Annual Report R-1 filed by Union Pacific Railroad Company with the Surface Transportation Board.

Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related services included consultation on accounting standards and transactions, audits of employee benefit plans, and audits of subsidiary companies.

Tax Fees. Tax fees included fees for corporate tax planning and consultation services and work performed for international tax compliance.

All Other Fees. No other services were provided to the Company by Deloitte & Touche LLP during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Audit Committee Report

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Committee has discussed with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, the matters required to be discussed with the Audit Committee under applicable Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) standards and SEC Rule 2-07 of Regulation S-X. The Committee also has received the written disclosure and correspondence from Deloitte & Touche LLP required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding Deloitte & Touche LLP communications with the Committee concerning independence and has discussed their independence with them. Based on the foregoing reviews and discussions, the Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements referred to above be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, for filing with the SEC.

PROPOSAL NUMBER 3 − Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation

The Board of Directors asks shareholders to support a non-binding, advisory resolution approving the Company’s executive compensation as reported in this Proxy Statement.

We design our executive compensation programs to support the Company’s long-term success. As described below in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement, the Compensation and Benefits Committee has structured the Company’s executive compensation programs to achieve key Company goals and objectives. We believe our compensation philosophy allows us to link realized pay to a variety of performance measures and reward management skills that produce consistent, long-term performance accompanied with effective risk management and execution of the Company’s strategy.

In 2018, the Company produced record financial results and finished the year with significant improvements in service reliability and efficiency. The Company also embarked on a fundamental shift in our operating philosophy by adopting precision scheduled railroading (PSR) principles by launching Unified Plan 2020. Highlights of the Company’s performance* include:

The Board urges shareholders to read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, beginning on page 45 of this Proxy Statement, which describes in more detail how our executive compensation policies and procedures, including many best practices, operate and are designed to align compensation with our Company strategy, goals and objectives. Shareholders should also review the Summary Compensation Table and related compensation tables and narrative, appearing on pages 63 through 79, which provide detailed information regarding the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. The Compensation and Benefits Committee and the Board of Directors believe that the policies and procedures articulated in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis create effective incentives for achieving Company goals, including returns to shareholders, and that the compensation of our Named Executive Officers reported in this Proxy Statement has supported and directly contributed to the Company’s performance and success.

In accordance with Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as a matter of good corporate governance, the Board asks shareholders to approve the following advisory resolution at the Annual Meeting:

RESOLVED, that the shareholders of Union Pacific Corporation (the Company) approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Summary Compensation Table and the related compensation tables and narrative in the Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

This advisory resolution, commonly referred to as a “say on pay” resolution, is non-binding on the Board of Directors. Although non-binding, the Board and the Compensation and Benefits Committee will review and consider the voting results when evaluating the Company’s executive compensation programs.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the advisory resolution to approve executive compensation.

*See Item 7 of Union Pacific’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, for reconciliations to U.S. GAAP

A LETTER FROM OUR COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS COMMITTEE

Dear Fellow Union Pacific Shareholder:

We thank you for your continued support of Union Pacific and wish to share with you how the Committee continues to evolve our executive compensation program to support the Company’s long-term strategic goals and drive shareholder value.

2018 Results and Unified Plan 2020

The Company’s full year financial results are a reflection of the executive team’s commitment to making significant improvements in service reliability and efficiency with the ongoing implementation of the Company’s Unified Plan 2020. Unified Plan 2020 implements Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) principles and is an important part of the Company’s objective of operating a safe, reliable and efficient railroad. As a result of the momentum gained in the fourth quarter, 2018 saw the Company deliver strong financial performance, including:

Union Pacific returned $10.5 billion to its shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases and total shareholder return was 5.3% in 2018 compared with a negative 4.4% shareholder return for the S&P 500.

Our Fiscal 2018 Compensation Program

As the Company continues to implement Unified Plan 2020, we remain focused on a compensation program that supports the Company’s strategic goals and reflects our commitment to alignment of pay with performance. For fiscal year 2018, we changed from a discretionary annual bonus program to a formula-based incentive cash program where eighty percent (80%) of the target annual incentive cash bonus is based on two key performance metrics: operating income (40%) and operating ratio (40%). The remaining 20% of an executive’s target incentive cash bonus is based on the Committee’s evaluation of the Company’s performance against pre-established business objectives and individual executive performance in the key areas identified in the Company’s overall six-track Value Strategy (World Class Safety, Excellent Customer Experience, Innovation, Resource Productivity, Maximized Franchise and Engaged Team). We believe the resulting incentive bonuses for the NEOs are an accurate reflection of Company and individual performance during 2018.

Long-term equity incentives remain an integral part of our compensation program, as we believe they support alignment of our executives’ interests with the interests of our shareholders. During 2018, we again modified the mix of equity awards so that beginning with 2019 equity grants, performance stock units (PSUs) will constitute 60% (up from 50%) of each executive’s long-term grants, including the NEO’s, and stock options will constitute the remaining 40% of award values, eliminating the use of retention stock units from our compensation program for executives.

Further detail on our compensation program is included in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis that follows.

Ongoing Commitment to Shareholder Engagement

The Committee values the perspectives of the Company’s shareholders and the importance of shareholder feedback, as demonstrated by the continued evolution of our compensation program. We appreciate the strong support from shareholders on our 2018 say-on-pay vote on executive compensation. As the Company moves forward with Unified Plan 2020, we are committed to maintaining a compensation structure that aligns pay with performance, drives long-term value creation and reflects the perspectives of our shareholders.

Thank you for your continued support and investment in Union Pacific.

*See Item 7 of Union Pacific’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, for reconciliations to U.S. GAAP

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes the material elements of our executive compensation program and provides an overview of our executive compensation philosophy, policies and practices, and the corresponding pay decisions for our Named Executive Officers (NEOs) for and during fiscal year 2018.

For fiscal year ending December 31, 2018, our Named Executive Officers (NEOs) included our principal executive officer, our principal financial officer, and the three next most highly compensated executive officers. Pursuant to SEC rules, an additional NEO is also included for 2018.

Ms. Whited was elected Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer effective August 15, 2018. Ms. Whited previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Mr. Scott served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer until August 15, 2018, and remained at the Company as Vice President until his retirement on February 28, 2019. Mr. Tennison retired from the Company on March 31, 2019.

We were encouraged with the results of our say-on-pay vote at our 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders as we received shareholder support of 94% for our executive compensation program. The concerted efforts of our management team and the Compensation and Benefits Committee to increase engagement with our shareholders and to thoughtfully consider and incorporate shareholder feedback into our executive compensation program in 2018 were reflected in this vote.

In 2018, our Compensation Committee changed the annual cash bonus program for our executives from a discretionary annual bonus program to a formula-based incentive cash program. Under this new formula-based annual incentive plan, eighty percent (80%) of the target annual incentive cash bonuses paid to our executives, including the NEOs, were based on the attainment of pre-established objective Company financial performance goals, and the remaining twenty percent (20%) was based on the Committee’s evaluation of the Company’s execution of overall strategy and the achievement of pre-established business objectives, as well as individual executive performance in key areas such as safety, customer service, resource productivity, maximized franchise, innovation and employee engagement. In addition, for PSUs granted in 2018, the Committee decided to remove the ability to earn stock units annually. PSUs will only be earned after the full three-year performance period. As described above, during 2018, th