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

SCHEDULE 14A
(RULE 14A-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT

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

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HERITAGE COMMERCE CORP

April 16, 2018

Dear Shareholder:

        You are cordially invited to attend the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be held at 1:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on Thursday, May 24, 2018, at Heritage Commerce Corp's offices, located at 150 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose, California, 95113.

        The accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting and proxy statement describe the business that will be conducted at the meeting and provide information about Heritage Commerce Corp. We have also enclosed our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

        Your continued support is appreciated and we hope you will attend the Annual Meeting. Whether or not you are personally present, it is very important that your shares be represented at the meeting. Accordingly, please sign, date, and promptly mail the enclosed proxy card. You may also vote electronically over the Internet or by telephone by following the instructions on the proxy card. If you attend the meeting and prefer to vote in person, you may do so.

Sincerely,
Jack W. Conner		Walter T. Kaczmarek
Chairman of the Board		President and Chief Executive Officer

150 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose, California 95113     ·    Telephone (408) 947-6900     ·    Fax (408) 947-6910

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HERITAGE COMMERCE CORP
150 Almaden Boulevard
San Jose, California 95113

Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders

		By Order of the Board of Directors,
		Deborah Reuter Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary

April 16, 2018
San Jose, California

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PROXY STATEMENT FOR HERITAGE COMMERCE CORP
2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

Why did you send me this proxy statement?

        We sent you this proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card because our Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. This proxy statement summarizes the information you need to know to cast an informed vote at the Annual Meeting. However, you do not need to attend the Annual Meeting to vote your shares. Instead, you may simply complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy card. You may also vote electronically by telephone or the Internet by following the instructions on the proxy card.

        Along with this proxy statement, we are also sending you the Heritage Commerce Corp 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which includes our consolidated financial statements. Heritage Commerce Corp is also referred to in this proxy statement as the "Company."

Who is entitled to vote?

        We will begin sending this proxy statement, the attached Notice of Annual Meeting and the enclosed proxy card on or about April 16, 2018, to all shareholders entitled to vote. Shareholders who were the record owners of the Company's common stock at the close of business on March 26, 2018, are entitled to vote. On this record date, there were 38,269,789 shares of common stock outstanding.

What constitutes a quorum?

        A majority of the outstanding shares of the common stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting must be present, in person or by proxy, in order to constitute a quorum. We can only conduct the business of the Annual Meeting if a quorum has been established. We will include proxies marked as abstentions and broker non-votes in determining the number of shares present at the Annual Meeting.

How many votes do I have?

        Each share of common stock entitles you to one vote in person or by proxy, for each share of common stock outstanding in your name on the books of the Company as of March 26, 2018, the record date for the Annual Meeting on any matter submitted to a vote of the shareholders, except that in connection with the election of directors (Proposal 1), you may cumulate your shares (see "What is cumulative voting and how do I cumulate my shares?" on page 3). The proxy card indicates the number of votes that you have as of the record date.

Is voting confidential?

        We have a confidential voting policy to protect the privacy of our shareholders' votes. Under this policy, ballots, proxy cards and voting instructions returned to banks, brokers and other nominees are kept confidential. Only the proxy tabulator and the Inspector of Election have access to the ballots, proxy cards and voting instructions.

How do I vote by proxy?

        You may vote by granting a proxy or, for shares held in street name, by submitting voting instructions to your broker or other nominee. If your shares are held by a broker or other nominee, you will receive instructions that you must follow to have your shares voted. If you hold your shares as a shareholder of record, you may vote by completing, signing and dating the enclosed proxy card and returning it promptly in the envelope provided. You may also vote electronically by telephone or over the Internet (see page 3). Returning the proxy card will not affect your right to attend the Annual Meeting and vote.

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        If you properly fill in your proxy card and send it to us in time to vote, your "proxy" (one of the individuals named on your proxy card) will vote your shares as you have directed. If you sign the proxy card but do not make specific choices, your proxy will vote your shares as recommended by the Board of Directors as follows:

•

"FOR" the election of all 9 nominees for director;



•

"FOR" the approval of the advisory proposal on the Company's executive compensation;



•

"FOR" the option of every three years as the preferred frequency for advisory votes on executive compensation; and



•

"FOR" the ratification of the selection of Crowe Horwath LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018.

        For the election of directors (Proposal 1), a shareholder may withhold authority for the proxy holders to vote for any one or more of the nominees by marking the enclosed proxy card in the manner instructed on the proxy card. Unless authority to vote for the nominees is withheld, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them for the election of the nominees listed on the proxy card as directors of the Company. Your proxy does not have an obligation to vote for nominees not identified on the preprinted proxy card (that is, write-in candidates). Should any shareholder attempt to "write in" a vote for a nominee not identified on the preprinted card (and described in these proxy materials), your proxy will NOT vote the shares represented by your proxy card for any such write-in candidate, but will instead vote the shares for any and all other indicated candidates. If any of the nominees should be unable or decline to serve, which is not now anticipated, your proxy will have discretionary authority to vote for a substitute who shall be designated by the present Board of Directors to fill the vacancy. In the event that additional persons are nominated for election as directors, your proxy intends to vote all of the proxies in such a manner, in accordance with the cumulative voting, as will assure the election of as many of the nominees identified on the proxy card as possible. In such event, the specific nominees to be voted for will be determined by the proxy holders, in their sole discretion.

What do I have to do to vote my shares if they are held in the name of my broker?

        If your shares are held by your broker, sometimes called "street name" shares, you must vote your shares through your broker. You should receive a form from your broker asking how you want to vote your shares. Follow the instructions on that form to give voting instructions to your broker. Under the rules that govern brokers who are voting with respect to shares held in street name, brokers have the discretion to vote such shares on routine, but not on non-routine matters. A "broker non-vote" occurs when your broker does not vote on a particular proposal because the broker does not receive instructions from the beneficial owner and does not have discretionary authority. Proposal 1 (election of directors), Proposal 2 (advisory proposal on the executive compensation), and Proposal 3 (advisory proposal on the frequency of votes on executive compensation) are non-routine items on which a broker may vote only if the beneficial owner has provided voting instructions. Proposal 4 (ratification of independent registered public accounting firm) is a routine item.

What are the procedures for attending the Annual Meeting?

        Only shareholders owning the Company's common stock at the close of business on March 26, 2018, or their legal proxy holders, are entitled to attend the Annual Meeting. You must present photo identification for admittance. If you are a shareholder of record, your name will be verified against the list of shareholders of record on the Record Date prior to your admission to the Annual Meeting. If you are not a shareholder of record but hold shares through a bank, broker or other nominee, you must provide proof of beneficial ownership on the Record Date, such as your most recent account statement prior to

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March 26, 2018, or other similar evidence of ownership. If you do not provide photo identification or comply with the other procedures outlined above, you will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

How do I vote in person?

        If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting and desire to vote in person, we will give you a ballot form when you arrive. However, if your shares are held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee, you must bring a power of attorney from your nominee in order to vote at the Annual Meeting.

May I vote electronically over the Internet or by telephone?

        Shareholders whose shares are registered in their own names may vote either over the Internet or by telephone. Special instructions for voting over the Internet or by telephone are set forth on the enclosed proxy card. The Internet and telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate the shareholder's identity and to allow shareholders to vote their shares and confirm that their voting instructions have been properly recorded.

        If your shares are registered in the name of a bank or brokerage firm, you may be eligible to vote your shares electronically by telephone or over the Internet. Most U.S. banks and brokerage firms are clients of Broadridge Financial Solutions ("Broadridge"). As such, shareholders who receive either a paper copy of their proxy statement or electronic delivery notification have the opportunity to vote by telephone or over the Internet. If your bank or brokerage firm is a Broadridge client, your proxy card or Voting Instruction Form ("VIF") will provide the instructions. If your proxy card or VIF does not provide instructions for Internet and telephone voting, please complete and return the proxy card in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope provided.

What is cumulative voting and how do I cumulate my shares?

        For the election of directors (Proposal 1), California law provides that a shareholder of a California corporation, or his/her proxy, may cumulate votes in the election of directors. That is, each shareholder may cast that number of votes equal to the number of shares owned by him/her, multiplied by the number of directors to be elected, and he/she may cumulate such votes for a single candidate or distribute such votes among as many candidates as he/she deems appropriate.

        Certain affirmative steps must be taken by you in order to be entitled to vote your shares cumulatively for the election of directors. At the shareholders' meeting at which directors are to be elected, no shareholder is entitled to cumulate votes (i.e., cast for any one or more candidates a number of votes greater than the number of the shareholder's shares) unless the candidates' names have been placed in nomination at the meeting and prior to the commencement of the voting and at least one shareholder has given notice at the meeting and prior to commencement of the voting of the shareholder's intention to cumulate votes. If any shareholder has given such notice, then every shareholder entitled to vote may cumulate votes for candidates in nomination and give one candidate a number of votes equal to the number of directors to be elected multiplied by the number of votes to which that shareholder's shares are entitled, or distribute the shareholder's votes on the same principle among any or all of the candidates, as the shareholder thinks appropriate. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes, up to the number of directors to be elected, will be elected.

        The proxies designated on your proxy card do not, at this time, intend to cumulate votes, to the extent they have the shareholder's discretionary authority to do so, pursuant to the proxies solicited in this proxy statement unless another shareholder gives notice to cumulate, in which case your proxy may cumulate votes in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors. Therefore, discretionary authority to cumulate votes in such an event is solicited in this proxy statement.

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May I change my vote after I return my proxy?

        If you fill out and return the enclosed proxy card, or vote by telephone or over the Internet, you may change your vote at any time before the vote is conducted at the Annual Meeting. You may change your vote in any one of four ways:

•

You may send to the Company's Corporate Secretary another completed proxy card with a later date.



•

You may notify the Company's Corporate Secretary in writing before the Annual Meeting that you have revoked your proxy.



•

You may attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person.



•

If you have voted your shares by telephone or over the Internet, you can revoke your prior telephone or Internet vote by recording a different vote, or by signing and returning a proxy card dated as of a date that is later than your last telephone or Internet vote.

What if I receive multiple proxy cards?

        If you receive multiple proxy cards, your shares are probably registered differently or are in more than one account. Vote all proxy cards received to ensure that all your shares are voted. Unless you need multiple accounts for specific purposes, we recommend that you consolidate as many of your accounts as possible under the same name and address. If the shares are registered in your name, contact our transfer agent, EQ Shareowner Services, 1-866-883-3382; otherwise, contact your bank, broker or other nominee.

What vote is required to approve each proposal?

        Approval of Proposal 1 (election of directors) requires a plurality of votes cast for each nominee. This means that the 9 nominees who receive the most votes will be elected. So, if you do not vote for a particular nominee, or you indicate "WITHHOLD AUTHORITY" to vote for a particular nominee on your proxy card, your vote will not count either "for" or "against" the nominee. Abstentions will not have any effect on the outcome of the vote. You may cumulate your votes in the election of directors as described under "What is cumulative voting and how do I cumulate my shares?" on page 3. Broker non-votes will not count as a vote on the proposal and will not affect the outcome of the vote.

        Shareholders' choices for Proposal 3 (advisory proposal on the frequency of votes on executive compensation) are limited to "one year," "two years," "three years" and "abstain." A plurality of the votes cast will determine the shareholders' preferred frequency for holding an advisory vote on executive compensation. This means that the alternative for holding an advisory vote every year, every two years, or every three years receiving the greatest number of "for" votes will be the preferred frequency of the stockholders. For purposes of Proposal 3, abstentions and broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of Proposal 4 because the advisory vote is based on the votes actually cast.

        Proposal 2 (advisory proposal on the executive compensation), and Proposal 4 (ratification of independent registered public accounting firm) each requires a vote that satisfies two criteria: (i) the affirmative vote for the proposal must constitute a majority of the common shares present or represented or by proxy and voting on the proposal at the Annual Meeting; and (ii) the affirmative vote for the proposal must constitute a majority of the common shares required to constitute the quorum. For purposes of Proposal 2 and 4, abstentions and broker non-votes will not affect the outcome under clause (i), which recognizes only actual votes cast. However, abstentions and broker non-votes will affect the outcome under clause (ii) if the number of affirmative votes, though a majority of the votes represented and cast, does not constitute a majority of the voting power required to constitute a quorum. The ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm for 2018 is a matter on which a broker

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or other nominee is generally empowered to vote and, therefore, no broker non-votes are expected to exist with respect to Proposal 4.

How will voting on any other business be conducted?

        Your proxy card confers discretionary authority to your proxy to vote your shares on the matters which may properly be presented for action at the Annual Meeting, and may include action with respect to procedural matters pertaining to the conduct of the Annual Meeting.

What are the costs of soliciting these proxies?

        We will pay all the costs of soliciting these proxies. In addition to mailing proxy soliciting material, our directors, officers and employees also may solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other electronic means of communication for which they will receive no compensation. We will ask banks, brokers and other institutions, nominees and fiduciaries to forward the proxy materials to their principals and to obtain authority to execute proxies. We will then reimburse them for their reasonable expenses. We have hired Advantage Proxy to seek the proxies of custodians, such as brokers, which hold shares which belong to other people. This service will cost the Company approximately $5,000 plus expenses.

How do I obtain an Annual Report on Form 10-K?

        A copy of our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K accompanies this proxy statement. If you would like another copy of this report, we will send you one without charge. The Annual Report on Form 10-K includes a list of exhibits filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), but does not include the exhibits. If you wish to receive copies of the exhibits, we will send them to you. Please write to:

Heritage Commerce Corp
150 Almaden Boulevard
San Jose, California 95113
Attention: Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary

        You can also find out more information about us at our website www.heritagecommercecorp.com. Our website is available for information purposes only and should not be relied upon for investment purposes, nor is it incorporated by reference into this proxy statement. On our website you can access electronically filed copies of our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Section 16 filings, and amendments to those reports and filings, free of charge. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding SEC registrants, including the Company.

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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK

        The following table sets forth information as of February 28, 2018, pertaining to beneficial ownership of the Company's common stock by persons known to the Company to own 5% or more of the Company's common stock, nominees to be elected to the Board of Directors, the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table presented in this proxy statement, and all directors and executive officers of the Company, as a group. This information has been obtained from the Company's records, or from information furnished directly by the individual or entity to the Company.

        For purposes of the following table, shares issuable pursuant to stock options which may be exercised within 60 days of February 28, 2018, are deemed to be issued and outstanding and have been treated as outstanding in determining the amount and nature of beneficial ownership and in calculating the percentage of ownership of those individuals possessing such interest, but not for any other individuals.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND BOARD MATTERS

        The Board of Directors is committed to good business practices, transparency in financial reporting and the highest level of corporate governance. To that end, the Board continually reviews its governance policies and practices, as well as the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market, to help ensure that such policies and practices are compliant and up to date.

Board of Directors

Board Independence

        In 2017 eight (8) out of nine (9) members of the Board of Directors were independent directors, as defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market, as follows:

Board and Committee Meeting Attendance

        During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, our Board of Directors held a total of 15 meetings. Each incumbent director who was a director during 2017 attended at least 75% of the aggregate of (a) the total number of such meetings and (b) the total number of meetings held by the standing committees of the Board on which such director served.

Director Attendance at Annual Meetings of Shareholders

        The Board believes it is important for all directors to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in order to show their support for the Company and to provide an opportunity for shareholders to communicate any concerns to them. The Company's policy is to encourage, but not require, attendance by each director at the Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders. All of the directors of the Company are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders and at the 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders eight of our directors were in attendance.

Communications with the Board

        Shareholders may communicate with the Board of Directors, including a committee of the Board or individual directors, by writing to the Corporate Secretary, Heritage Commerce Corp, 150 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose, California 95113. Each communication from a shareholder should include the following information in order to permit shareholder status to be confirmed and to provide an address to forward a response if deemed appropriate:

•

The name, mailing address and telephone number of the shareholder sending the communication; and



•

If the shareholder is not a record holder of our common stock, the name of the record holder of our common stock beneficially owned must be identified along with the shareholder.

        Our Corporate Secretary will forward all appropriate communications to the Board or individual members of the Board specified in the communication. Our Corporate Secretary may (but is not required

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to) review all correspondence addressed to the Board or any individual member of the Board, for any inappropriate correspondence more suitably directed to management. Communications may be deemed inappropriate for this purpose if it is reasonably apparent from the face of the correspondence that it relates principally to a customer dispute. Our policies regarding the handling of security holder communications were approved by a majority of our independent directors.

Nomination of Directors

        The Company has a Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The duties of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee include the recommendation of candidates for election to the Company's Board of Directors.

        The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee's minimum qualifications for a director are persons of high ethical character who have both personal and professional integrity, which is consistent with the image and values of the Company. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considers some or all of the following criteria in considering candidates to serve as directors:

•

commitment to ethical conduct and personal and professional integrity as evidenced through the person's business associations, diversity, service as a director or executive officer or other commitment to ethical conduct and personal and professional integrity as evidenced in organizations and/or education;



•

objective perspective and mature judgment developed through business experiences and/or educational endeavors;



•

the candidate's ability to work with other members of the Board of Directors and management to further our goals and increase shareholder value;



•

the ability and commitment to devote sufficient time to carry out the duties and responsibilities as a director;



•

demonstrated experience at policy making levels in various organizations and in areas that are relevant to our activities;



•

the skills and experience of the potential nominee in relation to the capabilities already present on the Board of Directors; and



•

such other attributes, including independence, relevant in constituting a board that also satisfies the requirements imposed by the SEC and the Nasdaq Stock Market.

        The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee does not have a separate policy for consideration of any director candidates recommended by shareholders. Instead, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considers any candidate meeting the requirements for nomination by a shareholder set forth in the Company's Bylaws (as well as applicable laws and regulations) in the same manner as any other director candidate. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee believes that requiring shareholder recommendations for director candidates to comply with the requirements for nominations in accordance with the Company's Bylaws ensures that the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee receives at least the minimum information necessary for it to begin an appropriate evaluation of any such director nominee.

        Section 5.14 of the Company's Bylaws provide that any shareholder must give advance written notice to the Company of an intention to nominate a director at a shareholder meeting. Notice of intention to make any nominations must be delivered to the Secretary of the Company at the principal executive offices of the Company not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year's annual meeting. If the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty

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(60) days after such anniversary date of the annual meeting, notice by the shareholder must be delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Company.

        To be in proper written form, a shareholder's notice to the Corporate Secretary must provide as to each person, whom the shareholder proposes to nominate for election as a director (each referred to as the "Nominee"): (1) all information relating to the Nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to and in accordance with Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"); (2) the Nominee's written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected; (3) the number of shares of capital stock of any bank, bank holding company, savings and loan association or other depository institution owned beneficially by the Nominee and the identities and locations of any such institutions; (4) whether the Nominee has ever been convicted of or pleaded nolo contender to any criminal offensive involving dishonestly or breach of trust, filed a petition in bankruptcy or been adjudged bankrupt; (5) a written statement executed by the Nominee acknowledging that as a director of the Company, the Nominee will owe a fiduciary duty exclusively to the Company and its shareholders; (6) a representation whether the Nominee satisfies the requirements of Section 2.2(b) of the Company's Bylaws (see below); (7) whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of the Nominee respect to any securities of the Company, and a description of any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares), the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, or to manage the risk or benefit of share price changes for, or to increase or decrease the voting power of the Nominee; and (8) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the shareholder and the Nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nomination is to be made by the shareholder.

        The notice must also set forth with respect to the shareholder submitting the nomination: (1) the name and address of the shareholder (and beneficial owner, if applicable), as it appears on the Company's books, (and of such beneficial owner, if applicable) and any other shareholders and beneficial owners known by such shareholder to be supporting the Nominee(s) for election; (2) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Company that are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such shareholder (and by such beneficial owner, if applicable); (3) any derivative positions with respect to shares of capital stock of the Company held or beneficially held by or on behalf of such shareholder (and by or on behalf of such beneficial owner), the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into with respect to the shares of capital stock of the Company by or on behalf of such shareholder (and by or on behalf of such beneficial owner), and the extent to which any other agreement, arrangement or understanding has been made, the effect or intent of which is to increase or decrease the voting power of such shareholder (and such beneficial owner) with respect to shares of capital stock of the Company; (4) a representation that the shareholder is a holder of record of stock of the Company entitled to vote at the meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose the Nominee; and (5) a representation whether the shareholder (or the beneficial owner, if any), intends or is part of a group that intends to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Company's outstanding capital stock required to elect the nominee or otherwise to solicit proxies from shareholders in support of such nomination (and a copy of such documents must be provided with the notice). The information required of clauses (3) and (4) must be supplemented not later than ten days following the record date to disclose the information contained in clauses (3) and (4) above as of the record date.

        The Company may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine: (1) the eligibility of the Nominee to serve as a director of the Company

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(including the information required to be set forth in the shareholder's notice of nomination of such person as a director as of a date subsequent to the date on which the notice of such person's nomination was given); and (2) whether the Nominee qualifies as an "independent director" or "audit committee financial expert" under applicable law, securities exchange rule or regulation, or any publicly-disclosed corporate governance guideline or committee charter of the Company.

        Nominees for the Board of Directors must also meet certain qualifications set forth in Section 2.2(b) of our Bylaws, which prohibit the election as a director of any person who is a director, executive officer, branch manager or trustee for any unaffiliated commercial bank, savings bank, trust company, savings and loan association, building and loan association, industrial bank or credit union that is engaged in business in: (1) any city, town or village in which the Company or any affiliate or subsidiary thereof has offices; or (2) any city, town or village adjacent to a city, town or village in which the Company or any affiliate or subsidiary thereof has offices.

Diversity of the Board of Directors

        In considering diversity of the Board (in all aspects of that term) as a criteria for selecting nominees in accordance with its charter, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee takes into account various factors and perspectives, including differences of viewpoint, high quality business and professional experience, education, skills and other individual qualities and attributes that contribute to Board heterogeneity, as well as race, gender and national origin. The Committee does not assign specific weights to particular criteria and no particular criterion is necessarily applicable to all prospective nominees. The Committee seeks persons with leadership experience in a variety of contexts and industries. The Committee believes that this expansive conceptualization of diversity is the most effective means to implement Board diversity. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will assess the effectiveness of this approach as part of its annual review of its charter.

Term of Office

        Directors serve for a one-year term or until their successors are elected. The Board does not have term limits, instead preferring to rely upon the evaluation procedures described herein as the primary methods of ensuring that each director continues to act in a manner consistent with the best interests of the shareholders and the Company.

Board Committees

        The Board may delegate portions of its responsibilities to committees of its members. These standing committees of the Board meet at regular intervals to attend to their particular areas of responsibility. Our Board has five standing committees: Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, Finance and Investment Committee, and Strategic Initiatives Committee. In addition, Heritage Bank of Commerce maintains a Loan Committee. An independent director, as defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market, chairs the Board and its other standing committees (including Heritage Bank of Commerce's Loan Committee). The Chair determines the agenda, the frequency and the length of the meetings and receives input from Board members.

Executive Sessions

        Independent directors meet in executive sessions throughout the year including meeting annually to consider and act upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee regarding the compensation and performance of the Chief Executive Officer.

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Evaluation of Board Performance

        A Board assessment and director self-evaluations are conducted annually in accordance with an established evaluation process and includes performance of committees. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee oversees this process and reviews the assessment and self-evaluation with the full Board.

Management Performance and Compensation

        The Compensation Committee reviews and approves the Chief Executive Officer's evaluation of the top management team on an annual basis. The Board (largely through the Compensation Committee) evaluates the compensation plans for senior management and other employees to ensure they are appropriate, competitive and properly reflect the Company's objectives and performance.

Director Stock Ownership Guidelines

        The Board has adopted a policy that each member of the Board is expected to hold, at a minimum, $200,000 market value shares of the Company's common stock. Any director not meeting the minimum level as of the effective date of their election to the Board has three years to bring his or her holdings up to this minimum level. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will review this policy on an annual basis.

Code of Ethics

        The Board expects all directors, as well as officers and employees, to display the highest standard of ethics, consistent with the principles that have guided the Company over the years.

        The Board has adopted an Executive and Principal Financial Officer's Code of Ethics that applies to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the senior financial officers of the Company to help ensure that the financial affairs of the Company are conducted honestly, ethically, accurately, objectively, consistent with generally accepted accounting principles and in compliance with all applicable governmental law, rules and regulations. We will disclose any amendment to, or a waiver from a provision of our Code of Ethics on our website. The Executive and Principal Financial Officer's Code of Ethics is available on our website at www.heritagecommercecorp.com.

Reporting of Complaints/Concerns Regarding Accounting or Auditing Matters

        The Company's Board of Directors has adopted procedures for receiving and responding to complaints or concerns regarding accounting and auditing matters. These procedures were designed to provide a channel of communication for employees and others who have complaints or concerns regarding accounting or auditing matters involving the Company.

        Employee concerns may be communicated in a confidential or anonymous manner to the Audit Committee of the Board. The Audit Committee Chairman will make a determination on the level of inquiry, investigation or disposal of the complaint. All complaints are discussed with the Company's senior management and monitored by the Audit Committee for handling, investigation and final disposition. The Chairman of the Audit Committee will report the status and disposition of all complaints to the Board of Directors.

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INFORMATION ABOUT DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The Board of Directors

        The Board of Directors oversees our business and monitors the performance of management. In accordance with corporate governance principles, the Board does not involve itself in day-to-day operations. The directors keep themselves informed through, among other things, discussions with the Chief Executive Officer, other key executives and our principal outside advisors (legal counsel, outside auditors, and other consultants), by reading reports and other materials that we send them and by participating in Board and committee meetings.

        The Company's Bylaws currently permit the number of Board members to range from 9 to 15, leaving the Board authority to fix the exact number of directors within that range. The Board has fixed the number of directors at 9.

Board Leadership Structure

        The Board of Directors is committed to maintaining an independent Board, and a majority of the Board has been comprised of independent directors. It has further been the practice for many years of the Company to separate the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board in recognition of the differences between the two roles. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Company and the day-to-day leadership and performance of the Company. The Chairman of the Board provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer, sets the agenda for Board meetings, presides over meetings of the full Board (including executive sessions), and facilitates communication among the independent directors and between the independent directors and the Chief Executive Officer. The Board further believes that the separation of the duties of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of the Board eliminates any inherent conflict of interest that may arise when the roles are combined, and that an independent director who has not served as an executive of the Company can best provide the necessary leadership and objectivity required as Chairman of the Board.

Board Authority for Risk Oversight

        The Board has active involvement and responsibility for overseeing risk management of the Company arising out of its operations and business strategy. The Board monitors, reviews and reacts to material enterprise risks identified by management. The Board receives specific oral and written reports from officers with oversight responsibility for particular risks within the Company. Reports cover executive management on financial, credit, liquidity, interest rate, capital, operational, legal and regulatory compliance and reputation risks and the Company's degree of exposure to those risks. The Board helps ensure that management is properly focused on risk by, among other things, reviewing and discussing the performance of senior management and business line leaders.

        Board committees also have the responsibility for risk oversight in specific areas. The Audit Committee oversees financial, accounting and internal control risk management policies. The Company's internal Risk Management Steering Committee reports directly to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring the Company's overall risk program. The Audit Committee receives quarterly reports from the Risk Management Steering Committee and the Company's internal audit department. The Audit Committee reports periodically to the Board on the effectiveness of risk management processes in place, risk trends, and the overall risk assessment of the Company's activities. The Compensation Committee assesses and monitors risks in the Company's compensation program. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee recommends director candidates with appropriate experience and skills who will set the proper tone for the Company's risk profile and provide competent oversight over our material risks.

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The Committees of the Board

        The Board may delegate portions of its responsibilities to committees of its members. These standing committees of the Board meet at regular intervals to attend to their particular areas of responsibility. Our Board has five standing committees: the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, Finance and Investment Committee, and Strategic Initiatives Committee. In addition, Heritage Bank of Commerce also maintains a Loan Committee.

        Audit Committee.    The Company has a separately designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Audit Committee charter adopted by the Board sets out the responsibilities, authority and specific duties of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee charter is available on the Company's website at www.heritagecommercecorp.com.

        The responsibilities of the Audit Committee include the following:

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oversight of our financial, accounting and reporting process, our system of internal accounting and financial controls, and our compliance with related legal and regulatory requirements;



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the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of our independent auditors, including conducting a review of their independence, reviewing and approving the planned scope of our annual audit, overseeing the independent auditors' work, and reviewing and pre-approving any audit and non-audit services that may be performed by them;



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review with management and our independent auditors the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting;



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approve the scope and engagement of external audit services and review significant accounting policies and adjustments recommended by the independent auditors and address any significant, unresolved disagreements between the independent auditors and management;



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review and discuss the annual audited financial statements with management and the independent auditors prior to publishing the annual report and filing the Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC;



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review and discuss with management and the independent auditors any significant changes, significant deficiencies and material weaknesses regarding internal controls over financial reporting required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and oversee the corrective action taken to mitigate any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses identified;



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review with management and the independent auditors the effect of significant regulatory and accounting initiatives, changes, and pronouncements as well as significant and unique transactions and financial relationships;



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review with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standards No. 61, and receive and discuss with the independent auditors disclosures regarding the auditors' independence;



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oversee the internal audit function and the audits directed under its auspices;



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establish policies to ensure all non-audit services provided by the independent auditors are approved prior to work being performed; and



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oversee and report to the full Board on the effectiveness of the Company's risk management processes and overall risk assessment of the Company's activities.

        Each member of the Audit Committee meets the independence criteria as defined by applicable rules and regulations of the SEC for audit committee membership and is independent and is "financially

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sophisticated" as defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The members of the Audit Committee are Julianne M. Biagini-Komas, Steven L. Hallgrimson (Committee Chair), and Laura Roden. The Audit Committee met 11 times during 2017.

        During 2017, the Board of Directors determined that Mr. Steven L. Hallgrimson has: (1) an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and financial statements; (2) an ability to assess the general application of such principles in connection with the accounting for estimates, accruals and reserves; (3) an experience preparing, auditing, analyzing or evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by our financial statements, or experience actively supervising one or more persons engaged in such activities; (4) an understanding of internal control over financial reporting; and (5) an understanding of audit committee functions.

        Therefore, in 2017 the Board determined that Mr. Hallgrimson meets the definition of "audit committee financial expert" under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and is "financially sophisticated" as defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The designation of a person as an audit committee financial expert does not result in the person being deemed an expert for any purpose, including under Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933. The designation does not impose on the person any duties, obligations or liability greater than those imposed on any other audit committee member or any other director and does not affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the Audit Committee or Board of Directors.

        The Audit Committee Report for 2017 appears on page 55 of this proxy statement.

        Compensation Committee.    The Company has a separately designated Compensation Committee, which consists entirely of independent directors as defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The Compensation Committee has adopted a charter, which is available on the Company's website at www.heritagecommercecorp.com. The Compensation Committee has the following responsibilities:

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review and approve our compensation philosophy;



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review industry compensation practices and our relative compensation positioning;



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review the incentive compensation programs by the Company to evaluate and ensure that none of them encourage excessive risk;



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retain compensation consultants to provide independent professional advice;



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approve compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers;



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review and approve the Compensation Discussion and Analysis appearing in our proxy statement;



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review director compensation programs, plans and awards;



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administer our short-term and long-term executive incentive plans and stock or stock-based plans; and



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review and approve general employee welfare benefit plans and other plans on an as needed basis.

        The members of the Compensation Committee are Julianne M. Biagini-Komas (Committee Chair), Frank G. Bisceglia, Robert T. Moles, and Ranson W. Webster. The Committee met 8 times during 2017.

        Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.    The Company has a separately designated Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, which consists of entirely independent directors as defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee have adopted a charter, which is available on the Company's website at www.heritagecommercecorp.com.

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        The purposes of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee include the following responsibilities:

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identifying individuals qualified to become Board members and making recommendations to the full Board of candidates for election to the Board;



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recommending to the Board corporate governance guidelines;



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leading the Board in an annual review of its performance; and



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recommending director appointments to Board committees.

        The members of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are J. Philip DiNapoli, Robert T. Moles, and Ranson W. Webster (Committee Chair). The Committee met 5 times during 2017.

        Finance and Investment Committee.    The Finance and Investment Committee is responsible for the development of policies and procedures related to liquidity, asset-liability management, and supervision of the Company's investments. The Committee also oversees and reviews internal financial reports including annual forecasts and budgets, and stress test analysis prepared by management. The members of the Finance and Investment Committee are Frank G. Bisceglia, Jack W. Conner (Committee Chair), Walter T. Kaczmarek, and Laura Roden. The Finance and Investment Committee met 8 times during 2017.

        Strategic Initiatives Committee.    The principal duties of the Strategic Initiatives Committee are to provide oversight and guidance to senior management regarding the strategic direction of the Company, including development of an overall strategic business plan. The members of the Strategic Initiatives Committee are Jack W. Conner, J. Philip DiNapoli, Walter T. Kaczmarek, Laura Roden (Committee Chair), and Ranson W. Webster. The Strategic Initiatives Committee met 6 times during 2017.

        Heritage Bank of Commerce Loan Committee.    The Heritage Bank of Commerce Loan Committee is responsible for the approval and supervision of loans and the development of the Company's loan policies and procedures. The members of the Loan Committee are Julianne M. Biagini-Komas, Frank G. Bisceglia (Committee Chair), Steven L. Hallgrimson, Walter T. Kaczmarek, Robert T. Moles, and J. Philip DiNapoli (alternate). The Loan Committee met 32 times during 2017.

Role of Compensation Consultant

        The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors retained McLagan, an Aon Hewitt Company ("McLagan") as its independent compensation consultant in the fourth quarter of 2016 and it delivered its report in the first quarter of 2017.

        The Compensation Committee has the authority to obtain assistance and advice from advisors to assist it with the evaluation of compensation matters without the approval or permission of management or the Board. The Compensation Committee uses advisors to obtain candid and direct advice independent of management, and takes steps to satisfy this objective. First, in evaluating firms to potentially provided advisory services to the Compensation Committee, the Compensation Committee considers if the firm provides any other services to the Company. In addition, while members of management may assist the Compensation Committee in the search for advisors, the Compensation Committee ultimately and in its sole discretion makes the decision to hire or engage a consultant and provides direction as to the scope of work to be conducted. The Chairman of the Compensation Committee has evaluated the relationship of the compensation consultant with both the Company and the Compensation Committee, including the nature and amount of work performed for the Compensation Committee during the year. The Compensation Committee retained McLagan, to:

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review existing compensation programs for executive officers;

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provide information based on third-party data and analysis of compensation programs at comparable financial institutions for the design and implementation of our executive compensation programs;



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assist the Compensation Committee in forming a peer group; and



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provide independent information as to the reasonableness and appropriateness of the compensation levels and compensation programs of the Company as compared to comparable financial services companies.

Executive Officers of the Company

        Set forth below is certain information with respect to the executive officers of the Company:

        Biographical information for Walter T. Kaczmarek is found under "Proposal 1—Election of Directors."

        Keith A. Wilton, age 60, was promoted to President of Heritage Bank of Commerce in April 2017. He also has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Heritage Commerce Corp since February 2014. Prior to joining Heritage Commerce Corp and Heritage Bank of Commerce, Mr. Wilton was an Executive Vice President with Pacific Capital Bancorp from 2010 through 2013. Mr. Wilton was a consultant from 2008 to 2010 for several private equity firms assisting with investment and acquisition opportunities in the financial industry. He was with Greater Bay Bancorp holding positions of Executive Vice President and President of the Specialty Finance Group from 2002 to 2007. Mr. Wilton has over 30 years' experience with bank and finance companies.

        Michael E. Benito, age 57, has served as Executive Vice President/Banking Division of Heritage Bank of Commerce since January 2012. Mr. Benito joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in 2003 as Senior Vice President/Director of Sales & Business Development. From 1998 through 2003, Mr. Benito served as a Managing Director for Greater Bay Bank and from December 1986 through 1998, he served as Regional Vice President with Imperial Bancorp. Mr. Benito began his banking career more than 32 years ago at Union Bank.

        Margo G. Butsch, age 54 was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Heritage Bank of Commerce, effective July 8, 2017. Ms. Butsch joined Heritage Bank of Commerce through Focus Business Bank which was acquired by Heritage Bank of Commerce in August, 2015. After the acquisition, Ms. Butsch joined Heritage Bank of Commerce as Senior Vice-President/Credit Administration. Since 1995 and prior to joining Heritage Bank of Commerce, Ms. Butsch held various

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Vice-President and Senior Vice President relationship management and loan administration positions with Focus Business Bank, The Independent Bankers Bank, Greater Bay Bank, and Imperial Bank.

        Lawrence D. McGovern, age 63, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Heritage Commerce Corp and Heritage Bank of Commerce since July, 1998.

Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

        Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Company's directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company's equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock and other equity securities. They are required by SEC rules and regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

        To the Company's knowledge, based solely on review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company and written representations that no other reports were required, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our executive officers and directors were complied with during the year ended December 31, 2017.

Transactions with Management

        Some of the Company's directors and executive officers, as well as other related persons (as defined under "Policies and Procedures for Approving Related Party Transactions" below), are customers of, and have banking transactions with, the Company's subsidiary, Heritage Bank of Commerce, in the ordinary course of business, and Heritage Bank of Commerce expects to have such ordinary banking transactions with these persons in the future. In the opinion of the management of the Company and Heritage Bank of Commerce, all loans and commitments to lend included in such transactions were made in the ordinary course of business, on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing for comparable transactions with other persons of similar creditworthiness, and do not involve more than the normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features. Loans to individual directors, officers and related persons must comply with Heritage Bank of Commerce's lending policies and statutory lending limits. In addition, prior approval of Heritage Bank of Commerce's Board of Directors is required for all loans advanced to directors and executive officers. These loans are exempt from the loan prohibitions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

        In 2013, Heritage Bank of Commerce entered into an arms-length 5-year lease for office space in Sunnyvale, California with Sunnyvale Village Associates, a California general partnership. One of the general partners at the time of lease was entered into is the father of director Julianne M. Biagini-Komas. Ms. Biagini-Komas's father is no longer the general partner as of December 31, 2017. Heritage Bank of Commerce entered into the lease prior to Ms. Biagini-Komas joining the Board of Directors in August 2015. Heritage Bank of Commerce paid $161,602 in rent to the partnership in 2017.

Policies and Procedures for Approving Related Party Transactions

        The Board of Directors has adopted a written Statement of Policy with Respect to Related Party Transactions. Under this policy, any "related party transaction" may be consummated or may continue only if the Audit Committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines in the policy and if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm's length dealings with an unrelated third party. For purposes of this policy, a "related person" means: (1) any person who is, or at any time since the beginning of the Company's last fiscal year was, a director or executive officer of the Company or a nominee to become a director of the Company; (2) any person who is known to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of the Company's voting securities; (3) any immediate family member of any of the foregoing persons, which means any child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law,

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brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of the director, executive officer, nominee or more than 5% beneficial owner, and any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the household of such director, executive officer, nominee or more than 5% beneficial owner; and (4) any firm, corporation or other entity in which any of the foregoing persons is employed or is a partner, principal or in a similar position, or in which such person has a 10% or greater beneficial ownership interest.

        A "related party transaction" is a transaction in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a participant and in which a related person had or will have a direct or indirect interest, other than transactions involving: (1) less than $5,000 when aggregated with all similar transactions; (2) customary bank deposits and accounts (including certificates of deposit); and (3) loans and commitments to lend included in such transactions that are made in the ordinary course of business on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing for comparable transactions with other persons of similar creditworthiness, and do not involve more than the normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features to the Company.

        A related party who has a position or relationship with a firm, corporation, or other entity that engaged in a transaction with the Company shall not be deemed to have an indirect material interest within the meaning of this policy where the interest in the transaction arises only: (1) from such related party's position as a director of another corporation or organization that is party to the transaction; (2) from the direct or indirect ownership by the related party of less than a 10% equity interest in another person (other than a partnership) which is a party to the transaction; or (3) from the related party's position as a limited partner in a partnership in which the related party has an interest of less than 10%, and the related party is not a general partner of and does not hold another position in the partnership.

        The Board of Directors has determined that the Audit Committee is best suited to review and approve related party transactions. The Committee considers all of the relevant facts and circumstances available to the Committee, including (if applicable) but not limited to: (1) the benefits to the Company; (2) the impact on a director's independence in the event the related person is a director, an immediate family member of a director or an entity in which a director is a partner, shareholder or executive officer; (3) the availability of other sources for comparable products or services; (4) the terms of the transaction; and (5) the terms available to unrelated third parties or to employees generally. No member of the Audit Committee may participate in any review, consideration or approval of any related person transaction with respect to which such member or any of his or her immediate family members is the related person. The Committee will approve only those related person transactions that are in, or are not inconsistent with, the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, as the Committee determines in good faith. The Audit Committee conveys its decision to the Chief Executive Officer, who conveys the decision to the appropriate persons within the Company.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

        This Compensation Discussion and Analysis identifies the Company's current compensation philosophy and objectives and describes the various methodologies, policies and practices for establishing and administering the compensation programs for our executives including the named executive officers. The strategies and policies of the Compensation Committee have been developed so that there is a direct correlation between executive compensation and the Company's overall performance and individual performance. The individuals who served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer during 2017, as well as, the other individuals included in the Summary Compensation Table, are referred to as the "named executive officers."

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Overview of Compensation Philosophy

        The Compensation Committee believes executive compensation packages provided by the Company to its executives, including the named executive officers, should include base salary, variable performance based cash awards and equity based compensation in order to achieve three primary goals.

        The Compensation Committee believes that the first goal of our compensation program is that a reasonable percentage of executive compensation program should be linked to the financial performance of the Company. The Compensation Committee believes that a properly structured compensation program will focus on performance to motivate and support individuals to achieve specific short-term and long-term objectives while taking into consideration potential risk implications. We achieve this goal by providing our named executive officers the opportunity to significantly increase their annual cash compensation through our variable performance based cash award incentive plan. The plan awards improvement in the Company's performance in key financial metrics on an annual basis. We also expect that as those improvements are maintained and built upon, they will be reflected in the Company's stock price.

        The second goal of our compensation program is to align the interests of our executive officers with the interests of our shareholders. We use equity awards (stock options and/or restricted stock) to reward the long-term efforts of management and to retain management. These equity awards serve to increase the ownership stake of our management in the Company, further aligning the interests of the executives with those of our shareholders.

        The third goal of our compensation program is to attract and retain highly competent executives. Our executives, and particularly our named executive officers, are talented managers and they are often presented with opportunities at other institutions, including opportunities at potentially higher compensation levels. We seek to attract and retain our executives by setting base compensation and incentives at competitive levels and awarding equity based awards. We also consider other forms of executive pay, including severance arrangements (including change of control provisions) as a means to attract and retain our executive officers including the named executive officers.

Compensation Program Objectives and Rewards

        The components of Company's compensation and benefits programs are driven by our business environment and are designed to enable us to achieve the goals of our compensation program within a framework that adheres to the Company's mission and values. The programs' objectives are to:

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Reflect our position as a leading community bank in our service areas;



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Attract, engage and retain the workforce that helps ensure our future success;



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Motivate and inspire employee behavior that fosters a high performance culture;



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Support a one company culture;



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Support overall business objectives;



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Provide shareholders with a superior rate of return over the long term; and



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Create shareholder value through the continuous provision of quality service to our customers.

        Consequently, the guiding principles of our programs are to:

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Promote and maintain a high performance banking organization;



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Remain competitive in our marketplace for talent;



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Balance our compensation costs with our desire to provide value to employees and shareholders; and



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Avoid encouraging excessive risk taking.

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        To this end, we will measure success of our programs by:

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Overall business performance and employee engagement;



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Ability to attract and retain key talent;



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Costs and business risks that are limited to levels that optimize risk and return; and



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Employee understanding and perceptions that ensure program value equals or exceeds program cost.

        All of our compensation and benefits for our named executive officers described below have as a primary purpose our need to attract, retain and motivate the highly talented individuals whose performance will enable us to succeed in creating shareholder value in a highly competitive marketplace. Beyond that, different elements have specific purposes designed to reward different performance and retention goals.

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Base salary and benefits are designed to:



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Reward core competence in the executive role relative to position, performance, experience and responsibility;



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Provide fixed cash compensation with merit increases competitive with the market place; and



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Control fixed expenses.



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Annual incentive variable cash awards are designed to:



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Focus employees on annual financial objectives derived from the business plan that lead to long-term success;



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Provide annual variable performance based cash awards to reward and motivate achievement of critical annual performance metrics selected by the Compensation Committee; and



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Foster a pay for performance culture that aligns our compensation programs with our overall business and strategic strategy.



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Equity based compensation awards are designed to:



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Link compensation rewards to the creation of shareholder wealth;



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Promote teamwork by tying compensation significantly to the value of our common stock;



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Attract the next generation of management by providing significant capital accumulation opportunities; and



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Retain executives by providing a long-term oriented program whose value could only be achieved by remaining with and performing for the Company.



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Change of control and separation benefits:



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Individual employment contracts with certain executives provide for change of control and separation benefits;



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Separation benefits provide benefits to ease an employee's transition due to an unexpected employment termination by the Company due to ongoing changes in the Company's employment needs; and



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Change in control benefits encourage key executives to remain focused on the Company's business in the event of rumored or actual fundamental corporate changes which will enhance shareholder value.

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•

Manage excessive risk-taking through plan design and oversight of incentive plans:



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Incentive awards are capped;



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Performance objectives are aligned with annual financial plan approval by the Board of Directors;



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Multiple financial metrics are used taking into account performance and risk;



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A "claw-back policy" is applied to performance based cash payments;



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Payouts are modified through the use of risk-based capital ratio metrics;



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Long-term incentive equity awards are deferred through vesting requirements; and



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The Compensation Committee has discretion to reduce cash bonus payments.

        The use of these compensation programs and benefits enables us to reinforce our pay-for-performance philosophy, align our executives' interests with shareholders, and strengthen our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified executives. We believe that this combination of programs provides an appropriate mix of fixed and variable pay, balances short-term operational performance with long-term shareholder value, and encourages executive recruitment and retention.

Consideration of Say-On-Pay Vote Results

        The Board of Directors believes that holding say-on-pay proposals every three years is in the best interest of shareholders. The Board believes that three years provides shareholders with sufficient time to evaluate the effectiveness of our overall compensation philosophy, policies and practices in the context of our long-term business results for the corresponding period, while avoiding over emphasis on short term variations in compensation and business results. The Compensation Committee has been mindful of the strong support our shareholders expressed for our compensation program when making executive compensation decisions, including base salary adjustments and long-term incentive awards. In making these executive compensation decisions, which are discussed more fully below, the Compensation Committee's main considerations included our shareholders' support for our executive compensation program, and the peer and market information provided by the Compensation Committee's compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee will continue to consider our shareholders' views when making executive compensation decisions in the future.

        The last time we held a non-binding shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation was at the 2015 Annual Meeting. At that meeting our shareholders approved our 2015 executive compensation (as they had in each prior year where we had a say-on-pay vote), with approximately 98% of voting shareholders casting their vote in favor of the say-on-pay resolution.

Role of Compensation Committee in Determining Compensation

        The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has strategic and oversight responsibility for the overall compensation and benefits programs for executives of the Company. These responsibilities include establishing, implementing, and continually monitoring the compensation structure, policies, and programs of the Company. The Compensation Committee also periodically reviews, assesses and monitors the performance, and regularly reviews the design and function, of the Company's incentive compensation arrangements to ensure that any risk-taking incentives are consistent with regulatory guidance and the safety and soundness of the organization. The Compensation Committee is responsible for assessing and approving the total compensation paid to the Chief Executive Officer and all executive officers. The Compensation Committee is responsible for determining whether the compensation paid to each of these executives is fair, reasonable and competitive, and whether the compensation program serves the interests of the Company's shareholders.

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        The Compensation Committee generally targets compensation in relation to the Company's Compensation Peer Group (discussed under "Market Positioning and Pay Benchmarking"). Base salary is targeted at the 60th percentile, total cash (salary and incentive cash awards) is targeted at the 70th percentile, and total direct compensation (total cash plus the three-year average value of equity awards) is targeted at the 75th percentile. We target above the median because of the competition in our market for talented executives and our desire to attract and, more importantly, retain and motivate talented individuals we believe are necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of our Board of Directors.

        The Compensation Committee is comprised of four independent directors who satisfy The Nasdaq Stock Market listing requirements and relevant Internal Revenue Service and SEC regulations on independence. The Compensation Committee's Chair regularly reports to the Board of Directors on the Compensation Committee actions and recommendations. To evaluate and administer the compensation practices of the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers, the Compensation Committee meets a minimum of four times a year. The Compensation Committee also holds special meetings and meets telephonically to discuss extraordinary items, such as the hiring or dismissal of executive officers.

Role of the Chief Executive Officer

        The Chief Executive Officer is not a member of the Compensation Committee, but is invited to attend meetings as necessary to provide input and recommendations on compensation for the other named executive officers. The Chief Executive Officer provides the Compensation Committee with his assessment of the performance of each named executive officer and his perspective on the factors described above in developing his recommendations for the executive's compensation, including salary adjustments, incentive bonuses, annual equity grants and equity grants awarded in conjunction with promotions. Because the Chief Executive Officer works closely with and supervises our executive team, the Compensation Committee believes that the Chief Executive Officer provides valuable insight in evaluating their performance. The Chief Executive Officer also provides the Compensation Committee with additional information regarding the effect, if any, of market competition and changes in business strategy or priorities. The Compensation Committee discusses the Chief Executive Officer's recommendations and then approves or modifies the recommendations in collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer.

Role of Compensation Consultants

        Generally, at least every two years the Compensation Committee retains the services of an independent executive compensation consultant to assess the competitiveness of our compensation programs, conduct other research as directed by the Compensation Committee, and support the Compensation Committee in the design and implementation of executive and Board of Director compensation. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Compensation Committee retained McLagan, an Aon Hemitt Company ("McLagan") to: (1) review existing compensation programs; (2) provide market benchmark information pertaining to both cash and noncash compensation for executives; (3) provide recommendations and guidance to the Compensation Committee to support its oversight over such compensation programs; and (4) provide other advice and consultation, including guidance relative to evolving compensation-related regulatory requirements and industry best practices. McLagan reported directly to the Compensation Committee and did not provide services to, or on behalf of, any other part of the Company's business. There are no known conflicts of interests between McLagan and the Company.

Market Positioning and Pay Benchmarking

        Many factors are taken into account in determining the actual positioning of each executive officer's compensation, including the executive's experience, responsibilities, management abilities and job performance, overall performance of the Company, current market conditions and competitive pay for similar positions at comparable companies. In addition, the Compensation Committee reviews the relationship of various positions between departments, the affordability of desired pay levels and the

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importance of each position within the Company. These factors are considered by the Compensation Committee in a subjective manner without any specific formula or weighting.

        In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Committee engaged McLagan to provide a report for the Committee's review and consideration and it delivered its report to the Compensation Committee in the first quarter of 2017 ("2017 Report"). The Compensation Committee undertook a review of the Company's compensation programs for executive officers. McLagan, in consultation with the Compensation Committee, selected a custom peer group of financial institutions to establish a "Compensation Peer Group" for the 2017 Report. The companies included in the Compensation Peer Group were selected from publicly traded banks in California, Oregon and Washington based on: (1) compatibility of the bank based on size as measured through total assets between $1.1 billion and $5.0 billion (median of $2.6 billion); (2) similarity of their product lines and business focus; and (3) comparable performance criteria relating to nonperforming assets (less than 4% of assets). In addition to the Compensation Peer Group, McLagan's primary data sources also included its proprietary regional and community banking database and published industry survey data for national and California banks. The American Bankers Association (ABA) Compensation and benefits survey was also reviewed by McLagan. Compensation Peer Group and proprietary survey data represented actual 2015 compensation information. The ABA data represented actual 2014 compensation information, adjusted to 2015 at an annual rate of 3%. McLagan adjusted national survey data upwards by 27.4% for regional salary differentials, and also to reflect higher costs of salaries in the Company's principal market.

        The Comparative Peer Group and the comparative survey data were used to benchmark executive compensation levels against banks that have executive positions with responsibilities similar in breadth and scope to ours and that compete with us for executive talent. The Compensation Committee reviewed and analyzed compensation for the Chief Executive Officer and the other named executive officers for the 2017 Compensation Program.

        The Compensation Peer Group component companies used in the evaluation of the Company's executive compensation programs in the 2017 Report for executive officers were as follows:

Chief Executive Officer Compensation

        The Compensation Committee meets with the other independent directors each year in an executive session without management present to evaluate the performance of the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee also confers with the Chief Executive Officer when setting his base salary. The Chief Executive Officer does not participate in any deliberations regarding his own compensation. The Compensation Committee annually reviews and approves goals and objectives relevant to the Chief Executive Officer and evaluates the Chief Executive's performance against those objectives. The Compensation Committee typically considers corporate financial performance, the Company's achievement of its short and long-term goals versus its strategic objectives and financial targets. With the

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assistance of the compensation consultant, the Compensation Committee also considers the compensation data related to the Compensation Peer Group for base pay, total cash compensation, and total direct compensation. The Compensation Committee approves the Chief Executive Officer's compensation level based on its evaluation. In its review the Committee believes that the CEO's performance has been exemplary and that his leadership and management have been critical to the continual improvement and success of the Company. The 2017 Report concluded that the CEO base salary in 2016 was 18% below the 60th percentile, his total cash compensation was 27% below the 70th percentile and his direct compensation was 51% below the 75th percentile. The Compensation Committee in its review of the 2017 Report approved an increase in the CEO base salary to $480,000 for 2017. This brought the CEO's base salary to approximately 10% below the 60th percentile based on the 2017 report.

Base Salary Decisions for the Other Named Executive Officers

        Generally the Compensation Committee believes that executive base salaries should be targeted so as not to be substantially below the 60th percentile of the Compensation Peer Group for executives in similar positions with similar responsibilities. Base salaries are reviewed annually and adjusted as necessary to realign them with market levels after taking into account the value of the position in the marketplace, career experience, and the contribution and performance of the individual. Although each of the named executive officers has an employment agreement with the Company, the initial base salary in each of the agreements may be increased (and has been in the past) in accordance with the Chief Executive Officer's evaluation of the executive's performance and the Compensation Committee's evaluation of the Company's overall compensation programs and policies.

        In 2017, the Compensation Committee considered the pay practices of the Compensation Peer Group and the analyses and recommendations provided by its independent consultant in the 2017 Report. In the evaluation of base salaries for 2017 for the named executive officers, the Compensation Committee reviewed the 60th percentile for the Compensation Peer Group, but also considered the minimum, mid-range and maximum salaries paid to similarly situated positions at companies in the Compensation Peer Group as well as the performance levels of the named executive officers. As a result of its review the Compensation Committee made the following changes to the base salary of the named executive officers effective April 1, 2017 which, except for Walter T. Kaczmarek, exceeded the 60th percentile:

        In July 2017, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Margo G. Butsch when she was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Heritage Bank of Commerce. The employment agreement provided an initial base salary of $235,000 and as with other executive officers is subject to annual increases.

        Base salary drives the formula used in the Management Incentive Plan as discussed below under "Management Incentive Plan." Base salary is the only element of compensation that is used in determining the amount of contributions permitted under the Company's 401(k) plan.

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Management Incentive Plan

        We believe that a portion of the annual incentive compensation for named executive officers should be based on performance against pre-defined financial metrics and performance objectives. The Company's Management Incentive Plan ("Incentive Plan") plays a key role in fulfilling the objective. In 2017, each of our named executive officers was eligible to receive a bonus under the Incentive Plan. Annual performance bonuses are designed to focus participants on, and reward them for, the achievement of specific annual financial, strategic and/or operational objectives of the Company. The incentive levels (as a percent of salary) are designed to provide for the achievement of threshold, target and maximum performance objectives. The financial metrics, performance objectives, and the formula for computing the performance bonus are established by the Compensation Committee in the first quarter of each fiscal year. The award opportunities under the Incentive Plan were derived in part from our Compensation Peer Group and other comparative data provided by our independent consultant, and in part by the Compensation Committee's judgment on internal equity of the positions, their relative value to the Company and the desire to maintain a consistent annual incentive target for the Chief Executive Officer and the other named executive officers.

        The payouts for executives under the Incentive Plan are targeted to provide aggregate cash compensation together with base salary at the 70th percentile of our Compensation Peer Group when we reach our target annual financial performance ("Target"). Smaller payouts can be awarded if we reach 90% to 95% of our target performance ("Threshold"). Larger payouts can be awarded if we achieve 105% to 110% of target performance ("Maximum"). Payouts generally are not calculated by mathematical interpolation (on a continuous scale), therefore an incentive level must be reached or exceeded for a cash award.

        The incentive levels assigned as a percentage of base salary for 2017 were as follows:

        Management recommends, and the Compensation Committee reviews and approves, the financial metrics for each plan year that must be met in order for awards to be paid. These financial metrics are weighted and are intended to motivate and reward eligible executives to strive for continued financial improvement of the Company, consistent with performance based compensation and increasing shareholder value. The Compensation Committee typically identifies from three to six financial metrics which may be revised from year to year to reflect the Company's business and strategic goals. The Compensation Committee determines the weighting of financial metrics each year based upon

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recommendations from the Chief Executive Officer. For 2017, the following financial metrics along with the relative weights of each financial metric were established by the Compensation Committee:

        The Compensation Committee believes pre-tax income is a valid measurement in assessing how the Company is performing from a financial standpoint. Pre-tax income is an accepted accounting measures that drives earnings per share and shareholder returns over the long term. Noninterest income and noninterest expense are important components of net income that senior management and the Board of Directors sought to improve upon in 2017. In addition, the Compensation Committee, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, concluded that management should continue its focus on credit quality and loan and deposit growth. Financial metrics for noninterest income and noninterest expense are financial metrics that drive overall net income. The Compensation Committee believes that nonperforming assets are an effective measure to monitor the Company's progress in improving its credit quality. Further, in view of the Company's plans to continue its focus on growth, the Compensation Committee sought to incentivize and measure growth by increases in outstanding loans and deposits.

        The Compensation Committee did not realign the weighting of the mix of the financial metrics in 2017 from 2016. Because the Compensation Committee believed that the Incentive Plan should also balance risk-taking with performance, the Compensation Committee maintained a risk-based capital element to the plan. If the total risk-based capital ratio was below 10% at year-end 2017, bonus payments would be reduced to zero.

        Performance objectives were generally identified through our annual financial planning and budgeting process. Senior management developed a financial plan for 2017, and the financial plan was reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee received recommendations from senior management for financial performance objective ranges. In setting the Threshold, Target and Maximum levels, the Compensation Committee considered specific circumstances anticipated to be encountered by the Company during the coming year and the level of improvement from year-to-year required to achieve the performance level. The Compensation Committee believed that the Threshold, Target and Maximum levels established for the Incentive Plan in 2017 were sufficiently challenging given the economic climate and the level of growth and improvement in the various financial metrics that would have to occur to meet the various performance objectives.

        For 2017, performance was assessed relative to performances for the year ended December 31, 2017, as shown below and compared to actual results:

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        During the first quarter of the following fiscal year, the Compensation Committee assesses the performance of the Company for each financial metric comparing the actual fiscal year results to the pre-determined performance objectives for each financial metric calculated with reference to the pre-determined weight accorded the financial metric, and an overall percentage amount for the award is calculated. In addition, the Compensation Committee has discretionary authority to include qualitative subjective measures which may increase or decrease an award by an additional 15% of base salary. The positive discretion may be utilized to address completion of special projects, department initiatives, or favorable achievements reflected in regulatory exam results. The Compensation Committee may also use its discretion in adjusting financial metrics and performance objectives for unexpected economic conditions or changes in the business of the Company.

        In 2017, the Company reached (i) the "Maximum" for Nonperforming Assets, and Deposits Outstanding, (ii) "Target" for Pre-Tax Income and Noninterest Expense, and (iii) "Threshold" for Noninterest Income. Loans Outstanding did not meet the "Threshold," "Target," or "Maximum" level. However, the Compensation Committee took into consideration a recent down grade to a classified risk grade large credit in early March 2018. The Committee determined that the Nonperforming Assets performance measure should be reduced to the "Target" level for 2017. The Committee also recognized that the Noninterest Expense included $671,000 of pre-merger related expenses in 2017 relating to the Company's announced proposed merger transactions with Tri-Valley Bank and United American Bank. As a result, the Committee increased the noninterest performance measure from "Target" to "Maximum" for 2017. After consideration of these performance levels for 2017, as adjusted, the Committee awarded the following bonuses which were paid in the first quarter of 2018:

Equity Based Compensation

        The Compensation Committee believes that equity based compensation should be a significant component of total executive compensation to align executive compensation with the long-term performance of the Company and to encourage executives to make value enhancing decisions for the benefit of our shareholders. Each of the named executive officers is eligible to receive equity compensation. The Compensation Committee is responsible for determining equity grants to all staff members, including named executive officers. The Compensation Committee may also grant equity-based awards to award performance, coincide with promotions and hirings, and for recruiting and retention purposes.

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        In considering whether to grant an equity award and the size of the grants to be awarded, the Compensation Committee considers, with respect to each executive officer, the salary level, the contributions expected toward the growth and profitability of the Company and, to the extent available, survey data indicating grants made to similarly situated officers at comparable financial institutions. The Compensation Committee decides whether to approve the grant of equity awards, and the terms of such grant, after deliberation in executive session with respect to grants to the Chief Executive Officer, and after discussion with the Chief Executive Officer, with respect to grants to other executive officers.

        The Company's Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Plan (the "2004 Plan") provided for the grant of non-qualified and incentive stock options, and restricted stock. In 2013, the Board of Directors and shareholders approved the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2013 Plan") and the 2004 Plan was terminated. Stock options and restricted stock awards issued under the 2004 Plan remain outstanding. The Compensation Committee approved all awards under the 2004 Plan and continues to do so under the 2013 Plan. The Compensation Committee is the administrator of the 2004 and 2013 Plans.

        Stock options provide for financial gain derived from the potential appreciation in stock price from the date that the option is granted until the date that the option is exercised. The exercise price of stock option grants is set at fair market value on the grant date. We do not grant stock options at a discount to fair market value or reduce the exercise price of outstanding stock options except in the case of a stock split or other similar event. We do not grant stock options with a so-called "reload" feature, nor do we loan funds to employees to enable them to exercise stock options. The Board has also never re-priced stock options. Stock options granted to date generally vest pro rata on a daily basis over four years and expire ten years from the grant date, and vesting accelerates on a change of control. Our long-term performance ultimately determines the value of stock options, because gains from stock option exercises are entirely dependent on the long-term appreciation of our stock price.

        In addition to stock options, both the 2004 and 2013 Plans authorize the issuance of restricted stock. An award of restricted stock involves the immediate transfer by the Company to a participant of ownership of a specific number of shares of common stock. The restricted stock is valued at its fair market value on the date of grant. Restricted stock is subject to a "substantial risk of forfeiture" within the meaning of Section 83 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. To date, the Compensation Committee has chosen to grant time-based restricted stock awards. Restricted stock awarded by the Compensation Committee have vesting periods that vary, and vesting accelerates on a change of control of the Company, or the holder's death or disability.

        The Compensation Committee has established a stock option and restricted stock policy which recognizes that stock options and restricted stock have an impact on the profits of the Company under current accounting rules and also have a dilutive effect on the Company's shareholders. Accordingly, they are recognized as a scarce resource and option grants and awards of restricted stock are given the same consideration as any other form of compensation. The Compensation Committee has established ranges for the amount of options that may be granted that depend on the individual's position with the Company and whether the option is awarded as an incentive to attract an individual, to retain an individual or to reward performance. The Compensation Committee approves primarily nonstatutory stock options instead of incentive stock options because of the tax advantages available to the Company for nonstatutory options and because employees generally do not take full advantage of the tax benefits available to them from incentive stock options.

        We do not backdate options or grant options or award restricted stock retroactively. In addition, we do not plan to coordinate grants of options or awards of restricted stock so that they are made before announcement of favorable information, or after announcement of unfavorable information. The Company's options and restricted stock are granted at fair market value on a fixed date or event (the first day of service for new hires and the date of Compensation Committee approval for existing employees), with all required approvals obtained in advance of or on the actual grant date. All grants to executive

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officers require the approval of the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors. Fair market value has been consistently determined as the closing price on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on the grant date. In order to ensure that an option exercise price or restricted stock date of grant valuation fairly reflects all material information, without regard to whether the information seems positive or negative, every grant of options and restricted stock is contingent upon an assurance by management and legal counsel that the Company is not in possession of material undisclosed information. If the Company is in a "black-out" period for trading under its trading policy or otherwise in possession of inside information, the date of grant is suspended until the second business day after public dissemination of the information.

        The Company's general practice has been to grant options and restricted stock only on the annual grant date at a Compensation Committee and Board of Directors' regular meeting held during the first quarter for the named executive officers as well as current staff, and at any other Compensation Committee meeting (whether a regular meeting or otherwise) held on the same date as a regularly scheduled Board meeting (which are held monthly) as required to attract new staff, retain staff or recognize key specific achievements.

        According to the 2017 Report, the Company's direct compensation for 2016 was on average 12% above the median but 14% below the targeted 75^th percentile. In response and in connection with its annual consideration of the grant of equity awards the Compensation Committee approved the following restricted stock awards for 2017 which were issued in the first quarter of 2017:

        In March 2018, the Compensation Committee approved the following restricted stock awards for 2018:

Retirement Plans

        Our Amended and Restated Supplemental Retirement Plan ("SERP") is an element of our compensation program that was offered to certain executive officers. These types of plans had been commonly offered in the community bank industry for some time. The SERP is a nonqualified defined benefit plan and is unsecured and unfunded and there are no plan assets. When the Company offered key employees participation in the SERP, including some but not all of the named executive officers, the supplemental retirement benefit awarded was based on the individual's position within the Company and a vesting schedule determined by the desirability of incenting the retention element of the program. The participant receives his or her vested benefit at retirement. A participant whose employment terminates

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after the normal retirement date will receive 100% of his or her supplemental retirement benefit, payable monthly, commencing on the first of the month following retirement (unless selected otherwise by the participant and except executive officers who will receive their benefit six months following retirement) and continuing until the death of the participant (unless the joint survivor option is selected). For information on the plan, see "Supplemental Retirement Plan for Executive Officers." The Company has reduced its use of the SERP as a program to attract and retain executives and key employees. It has been more than six years since the Company has offered SERP benefits to executives and key employees.

Prohibition on Speculation in Company Stock

        Our stock trading guidelines prohibit executives from speculating in our stock, which includes, but is not limited to, short selling (profiting if the market price of the securities decreases), buying or selling publicly traded options, including writing covered calls, and hedging or any other type of derivative arrangement that has a similar economic effect.

Termination of Employment and Change in Control Provisions

        The Compensation Committee believes that a change in control transaction, or potential change in control transaction, would create uncertainty regarding the continued employment of our executives. This is because many change in control transactions result in significant organizational changes, particularly at the senior executive level. In order to encourage our executives to remain employed with us during an important time when their continued employment in connection with or following a transaction is often uncertain and to help keep our executives focused on our business rather than on their personal financial security, we believe that providing certain of our executives with severance benefits upon certain terminations of employment is in the best interests of our Company and our shareholders.

        The Company does not have company-wide separate change of control agreements with its executive officers. Instead, the Chief Executive Officer and the other named executive officers have specific change of control and severance provisions in their respective employment agreements. The Compensation Committee considers the use of change of control provisions and severance provisions on a case by case basis depending on the individual's position with the Company and the need to attract and/or retain the individuals. The employment agreements for Mr. Kaczmarek, Mr. Benito, and Mr. McGovern contain excise tax gross-up provisions for purposes of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. It has been the policy of the Company since those agreements were entered into to exclude such provisions from its executive contracts.

        The severance benefits provided for our named executive officers were determined by the Compensation Committee based on its judgment of prevailing market practices at the time each agreement was entered into. At present, we have employment agreements with the Chief Executive Officer and the other named executive officers, which detail their eligibility for payments under various termination scenarios. In addition, certain equity grants made to the named executive officers provide for vesting of stock options and restricted stock upon a change of control. We have disclosed the severance and/or change in control payouts that would be payable to each named executive officer if the triggering event occurred on December 31, 2017, in the "Change in Control Arrangements and Termination of Employment" section in this proxy statement.

Tax Considerations

        Section 162(m) ("Section 162(m)") of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, limits the allowable deduction for compensation paid or accrued with respect to the Chief Executive Officer and each of the four other most highly compensated executive officers of a publicly held corporation to no more than $1 million per year.

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        In light of Section 162(m), it is the policy of the Compensation Committee to modify, where necessary, our executive compensation program to maximize the tax deductibility of compensation paid to our executive officers when and if the $1 million threshold becomes an issue. At the same time, the Compensation Committee also believes that the overall performance of our executives cannot in all cases be reduced to a fixed formula and that the prudent use of discretion in determining pay levels is in our best interests and those of our shareholders. Under some circumstances, the Compensation Committee's use of discretion in determining appropriate amounts of compensation may be essential. In those situations where discretion is or can be used by the Compensation Committee, compensation may not be fully deductible.

        Section 409A ("Section 409A") of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, among other things, limits flexibility with respect to the time and form of payment of deferred compensation. If a payment or award is subject to Section 409A, but does not meet the requirements that exempt such amounts from taxation under such section, the recipient is subject to: (1) income tax at the time the payment or award is not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture; (2) an additional 20% tax at that time; and (3) an additional tax equal to the amount of interest (at the underpayment rate under the Internal Revenue Code plus one percentage point) on the underpayment that would have occurred had the award been includable in the recipient's income when first deferred or, if later, when not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. We have made modifications to our plans and arrangements such that payments or awards under those arrangements either are intended to not constitute "deferred compensation" for Section 409A purposes (and will thereby be exempt from Section 409A's requirements) or, if they constitute "deferred compensation," are intended to comply with the Section 409A statutory provisions and final regulations.

Accounting Considerations

        Accounting considerations play an important role in the design of our executive compensation program. Accounting rules require us to expense the fair value of restricted stock awards and the estimated fair value of our stock option grants which reduces the amount of our reported profits. The Compensation Committee considers the amount of this expense in determining the amount of equity compensation awards.

Dodd-Frank and Regulating Considerations

        The Compensation Committee undertakes to review, consider and approve compensation decisions in accordance with proposed regulations and guidelines set forth under Dodd-Frank and bank regulators. Dodd-Frank requires the federal bank regulators and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines prohibiting incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities, including the Company and Heritage Bank of Commerce, having at least $1 billion in total assets that encourage inappropriate risks by providing an executive officer, employee, director or principal stockholder with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits or that could lead to material financial loss to the entity. The proposed regulations apply to incentive compensation paid to "covered persons" at covered financial institutions, including executive officers. The proposed regulations prohibit a covered financial institution from creating or maintaining an incentive-based compensation arrangement that encourages inappropriate risks by providing a covered person either: (1) with excessive compensation; or (2) with incentive-based compensation that could lead to material financial loss to the financial institution. A compensation arrangement would be considered able to lead to material financial loss unless: (1) it balances risk and financial reward; (2) is compatible with effective controls and risk management; and (3) is supported by strong corporate governance.

        The Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have also issued comprehensive final guidance on incentive compensation policies intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of banking organizations do not undermine the safety and soundness of such organizations by encouraging excessive risk-taking.

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Compensation Committee Report

        The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 401(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.

Compensation Committee of the Board

Julianne M. Biagini-Komas, Chairman
Frank G. Bisceglia
Robert T. Moles
Ranson W. Webster

Executive Compensation Tables

        The following table provides for the periods shown, information as to compensation for services of the Company's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and the three other executive officers of the Company who had the highest total compensation (as defined in accordance with applicable regulations) with respect to the year ended 2017 (collectively referred to as the "named executive officers"):

Summary Compensation Table

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CEO Pay Ratio

        Beginning with our 2018 proxy statement, we are required to disclose the pay ratio of our CEO to our median employee under the Dodd-Frank Act and SEC rules. The pay ratio disclosure below is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with SEC rules and guidance.

        We identified the median employee for 2017 by examining the 2017 total W-2 compensation from our payroll and employment records, including 401(k) deferrals and 401(k) matching of up to $2,000 per employee, for all individuals, excluding our CEO, who were employed by us on December 31, 2017. We included all employees, whether employed on a full-time, part-time, temporary or seasonal basis as of that payroll date. We did not make any assumptions, adjustments or estimates with respect to such total W-2 reported compensation except for the 401(k) matching as described above. We did not annualize the compensation for any full or part time employees that were not employed by us for all of 2017. We believe the use of total W-2 compensation, including 401(k) deferrals and 401(k) matching, for all employees is a consistently applied compensation measure.

        After identifying the median employee based upon the methodology described above, we calculated annual total compensation for such employee using the same methodology we used for our CEO and other

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named executive officers as set forth in the 2017 Summary Compensation Table in this proxy statement. The annual total compensation in 2017 for our median employee using this methodology was $76,211. The annual total compensation in 2017 for our CEO using this methodology is shown in the Summary Compensation Table and was $1,007,026. The ratio of the annual total compensation of our CEO to the annual total compensation of our median employee in 2017 was 13 to 1.

        This pay ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with SEC rules based on our payroll and employment records and the methodology described above. Because the SEC rules identifying the median compensated employee and calculating the pay ratio based on the employee's annual total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their compensation practices, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies may have different employment and compensation practices and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

Executive Contracts

        Walter T. Kaczmarek—On October 17, 2007, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with Walter T. Kaczmarek. The employment contract is for three years and is automatically renewed each month for three additional years. Under the agreement, Mr. Kaczmarek receives an annual salary of $500,000 with annual increases, if any (last increased in March 2018), as determined by the Board of Directors' annual review of executive salaries. In addition to his salary, he is eligible to participate in the Management Incentive Plan. Mr. Kaczmarek participates in the Company's 401(k) plan, under which he may receive matching contributions up to $2,000. He also participates in the Company's Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The Company provides Mr. Kaczmarek, at no cost to him, group life, health, accident and disability insurance coverage for himself and his dependents. Mr. Kaczmarek is provided with life insurance coverage in the amount of two times his then current salary but no more than $700,000. He is provided with long-term care insurance, with a lifetime benefit of up to $432,000. The Company reimburses Mr. Kaczmarek for up to $1,200 for tax consultation and tax return preparation. He is also reimbursed for expenses that exceed insurance coverage for an annual physical examination, monthly dues for one country club membership and one business club membership. He receives an automobile allowance in the amount of $1,000 per month, together with reimbursements for gasoline and maintenance expenditures.

        Under his employment agreement, Mr. Kaczmarek is entitled to certain severance benefits on termination of his employment, including a change of control. See "Change of Control Arrangements and Termination of Employment."

        Keith A. Wilton—On February 18, 2014, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Keith Wilton, when Mr. Wilton joined the Company as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Effective April 1, 2017, Mr. Wilton was also promoted to President of Heritage Bank of Commerce. The employment contract is for one year and is automatically renewed for one year terms. Under the agreement, Mr. Wilton receives an annual salary of $361,920 (last increased in March 2018) with annual increases, if any, as determined by the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors' Compensation Committee annual review of executive salaries. In addition to his salary, he is eligible to participate in the Management Incentive Plan. Mr. Wilton participates in the Company's 401(k) plan, under which he may receive matching contributions up to $2,000. He also participates in the Company's Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The Company provides to Mr. Wilton, at no cost to him, group life, health, accident and disability insurance coverage for himself and his dependents. He also receives an automobile allowance in the amount of $700 per month. Mr. Wilton is provided with life insurance coverage in the amount of two times his salary not to exceed $700,000. He is also provided with long-term care insurance, with a lifetime benefit of up to $72,000.

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        Under his employment agreement, Mr. Wilton is entitled to certain severance benefits on termination of his employment, including a change of control. See "Change of Control Arrangements and Termination of Employment."

        Michael E. Benito—On February 1, 2012, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Michael E. Benito when he was promoted to Executive Vice President/Banking Division. The employment contract is for one year and is automatically renewed for one year terms. Under the Agreement, Mr. Benito receives an annual salary of $282,067 with annual increases, if any (last increased in March 2018), as determined by the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors' Compensation Committee annual review of executive salaries. In addition to his salary, he is eligible to participate in the Management Incentive Plan. Mr. Benito participates in the Company's 401(k) plan, under which he may receive matching contributions up to $2,000. Mr. Benito also participates in the Company's Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The Company provides to Mr. Benito, at no cost to him, group life, health, accident and disability insurance coverage for himself and his dependents. Mr. Benito receives an automobile allowance in the amount of $700 per month, together with reimbursements for gasoline expenditures. Mr. Benito is provided with life insurance coverage in the amount of two times his salary not to exceed $700,000. He is also provided with long-term care insurance, with a lifetime benefit of up to $72,000.

        Under his employment agreement, Mr. Benito is entitled to certain severance benefits on termination of his employment, including a change of control. See "Change of Control Arrangements and Termination of Employment."

        Margo G. Butsch—On July 8, 2017, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Margo G. Butsch when she was promoted by the Company to Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Heritage Bank of Commerce. The employment contract is for one year and is automatically renewed for one year terms. Under the agreement, Ms. Butsch receives an annual salary of $255,000 with annual increases, if any (last increased in March 2018), as determined by the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors' Compensation Committee annual review of executive salaries. In addition to her salary, she is eligible to participate in the Management Incentive Plan. Ms. Butsch participates in the Company's 401(k) plan, under which she could receive matching contributions up to $2,000. Ms. Butsch also participates in the Company's Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The Company provides to Ms. Butsch, at no cost to her, group life, health, accident and disability insurance coverage for herself and her dependents. Ms. Butsch also receives an automobile allowance in the amount of $700 per month. Ms. Butsch is provided with life insurance coverage in the amount of two times her salary not to exceed $700,000. She is also provided with long-term care insurance, with a lifetime benefit of up to $72,000.

        Under her employment agreement, Ms. Butsch is entitled to certain severance benefits on termination of her employment, including a change of control. See "Change of Control Arrangements and Termination of Employment."

        Lawrence D. McGovern—On July 21, 2011, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Lawrence D. McGovern. The employment contract is for one year and is automatically renewed for one year terms. Under the agreement, Mr. McGovern receives an annual salary of $308,437 with annual increases, if any (last increased in March 2018), as determined by the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors' Compensation Committee annual review of executive salaries. In addition to his salary, he is eligible to participate in the Management Incentive Plan. Mr. McGovern participates in the Company's 401(k) plan, under which he may receive matching contributions up to $2,000. He also participates in the Company's Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The Company provides to Mr. McGovern, at no cost to him, group life, health, accident and disability insurance coverage for himself and his dependents. Mr. McGovern receives an automobile allowance in the amount of $500 per month, together with reimbursements for gasoline expenditures. Mr. McGovern is provided with life insurance coverage in the amount of two times his salary but not to exceed $700,000. He is also provided with long-term care insurance, with a lifetime benefit of up to $72,000.

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        Under his employment agreement, Mr. McGovern is entitled to certain severance benefits on termination of his employment, including a change of control. See "Change of Control Arrangements and Termination of Employment."

Plan Based Awards

        Equity Based Plans.    In 2004, the Board of Directors adopted the Heritage Commerce Corp 2004 Stock Option Plan (the "2004 Plan"), which was approved by the Company's shareholders at the 2004 Annual Meeting. The 2004 Plan authorized the Company to grant stock options to officers, employees and directors of the Company and its affiliates. In 2009, the 2004 Plan was amended and restated as the 2004 Equity Plan to authorize the issuance of restricted stock in addition to stock options. The 2004 Equity Plan was approved by the Company's shareholders at the 2009 Annual Meeting.

        In 2013, the Board of Directors approved the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan ("2013 Equity Plan") to replace the 2004 Equity Plan. The 2013 Equity Plan was approved by the Company's shareholders at the 2013 Annual Meeting. The purpose of the Equity Plan is to promote the long-term success of the Company and the creation of shareholder value. The Board of Directors believes that the availability of stock awards is a key factor in the ability of the Company to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors, officers and employees. Under the 2013 Equity Plan incentives are provided through the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance shares, and performance units (individually, an "Award"). The 2013 Equity Plan is also intended to permit the Company to grant Awards that qualify as performance based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, 1986, as amended.

        Management Incentive Plan.    The Company maintains a Management Incentive Plan adopted by the Board of Directors in 2005. Executive officers are eligible for target bonuses which are expressed as a percentage of their respective base salaries which increase as the level of performance of established goals increases. The bonuses are tied directly to the satisfaction of overall Company performance for the year. See "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" for information about the Management Incentive Plan.

        The following table provides information on the potential performance based awards available if defined performance objectives were achieved in 2017 for each of the Company's named executive officers

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under the Company's Management Incentive Plan, and stock options or other stock awards granted to the named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2017:

Grants of Plan-Based Awards