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.   )

Filed by the Registrant x

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

Check the appropriate box:

o Preliminary Proxy Statement
o Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
x Definitive Proxy Statement
o Definitive Additional Materials
o Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.14a-12

AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

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

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

x No fee required.
o Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
(1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

(2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

(3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

(4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

(5) Total fee paid:

o Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
(1) Amount Previously Paid:

(2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

(3) Filing Party:

(4) Date Filed:


 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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2015

American Financial Group, Inc.
Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Meeting Notice
Proxy Statement


 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Notice of 2015 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders

Cincinnati, Ohio
March 27, 2015

Dear Shareholder:

We invite you to attend our Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, in Cincinnati, Ohio for the following purposes:

1. To elect 11 directors;
2. To ratify our independent registered public accounting firm;
3. To approve on an advisory basis our named executive officer compensation; and
4. To vote on a proposal to approve our 2015 Stock Incentive Plan.

Shareholders will also transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

We are pleased to continue to take advantage of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow companies to furnish their proxy materials over the Internet. As a result, we are mailing to most of our shareholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) instead of a paper copy of this proxy statement and our 2014 Annual Report. The Notice contains instructions on how to access and review those documents over the Internet. The Notice also instructs you on how to submit your proxy over the Internet. We believe that this process will allow us to provide our shareholders with the information they need in a more timely manner, while reducing the environmental impact and lowering the costs of printing and distributing our proxy materials. If you received a Notice by mail and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials included in the Notice.

We want your shares to be represented at the meeting and urge you to vote using our Internet or telephone voting systems or by promptly returning a properly completed proxy card.

[GRAPHIC MISSING] 

Karl J. Grafe
Vice President and Secretary


 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
Great American Insurance Group Tower
301 East Fourth Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

  
  
  
  

In connection with the Annual Meeting, we will report on our operations and you will have an opportunity to meet your Company’s directors and senior executives.

This booklet includes the formal notice of the Annual Meeting and the proxy statement. The proxy statement tells you more about the agenda and procedures for the Annual Meeting. It also describes how your Board of Directors operates and provides information about the director candidates.

The approximate availability date of the proxy statement and the proxy card is March 27, 2015. Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors urges you to vote via the Internet, by telephone or by returning a proxy card. If you vote via the Internet or by telephone, do not return your proxy card. You may revoke your proxy at any time before the vote is taken at the Annual Meeting provided that you comply with the procedures set forth in the proxy statement which accompanies this Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may either vote by proxy or vote in person.

A broker is not permitted to vote on the election of directors, the advisory resolution to approve named executive officer compensation or the proposal to approve the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan without instructions from the beneficial owner. Therefore, if your shares are held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee, unless you vote your shares, your shares will not be voted regarding these proposals.

We encourage you to read the proxy statement and vote your shares as soon as possible.


 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

2015 Proxy Statement — Summary

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

General Information

Meeting: Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Date: May 12, 2015

Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Location: Great American Insurance Group Tower,
18th Floor, 301 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio

Record Date: March 18, 2015

Common Stock Outstanding: 87,815,835 shares (excluding 14,940,627 held by our subsidiaries which are not entitled to vote)

Stock Symbol: AFG

Exchange: NYSE and Nasdaq

State of Incorporation: Ohio

Corporate Website: www.AFGinc.com

 
 
 
 

Corporate Governance

Director Term: One year

Director Election Standard: Majority vote

Board Meetings in 2014: 9

Board Committees (Meetings in 2014):

Audit (8), Compensation (4), Governance (4)

Corporate Governance Materials:
www.AFGinc.com — Company