UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.    )

The Macerich Company

April 15, 2022

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Friday, May 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. local time at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90401. The accompanying Notice and Proxy Statement contain details concerning the matters to be considered during our Annual Meeting.

At our Annual Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on the following matters:

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote your shares:

“FOR” the election of the twelve directors named in the accompanying Proxy Statement;

“FOR” the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers as described in the accompanying Proxy Statement; and

“FOR” the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.

We are pleased to again take advantage of the Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow us to furnish proxy materials to our stockholders over the Internet. We believe that this e-proxy process expedites stockholders’ receipt of proxy materials, while also lowering the costs and reducing the environmental impact of our Annual Meeting. On or about April 15, 2022, we mailed to most of our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access our Proxy Statement and 2021 Annual Report to Stockholders and authorize their proxies online. All other stockholders will receive these materials by mail. If you only received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials by mail, the Notice contains instructions on how you can obtain a paper copy of the Proxy Statement and Annual Report.

We continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our stockholders may have and the protocols that federal, state, and local governments may impose. Again this year we must reserve the right to notify you in the future that our Annual Meeting will instead be held solely by remote communication (a virtual meeting).

Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend our Annual Meeting, we urge you to submit your Proxy to ensure your shares are represented and voted at our Annual Meeting. If you attend our Annual Meeting, you may continue to have your shares voted as instructed on your Proxy or you may withdraw your Proxy at the meeting and vote your shares in person by following the instructions for doing so in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting and thank you for your continued support.

THE MACERICH COMPANY

401 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD

SUITE 700

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA 90401

NOTICE OF THE 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON MAY 27, 2022

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), will be held on Friday, May 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. local time at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90401, to consider and vote upon:

Action may be taken on the foregoing matters at our Annual Meeting on the date specified above, or on any date or dates to which our Annual Meeting may be postponed or adjourned. Only stockholders of record of our common stock at the close of business on March 24, 2022 will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, our Annual Meeting.

We continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, and we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our stockholders may have and the protocols that federal, state and local governments may impose. As part of our precautions regarding COVID-19, we are planning for the possibility that we may hold a virtual annual meeting, in which participation would be solely by means of remote communication. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold our Annual Meeting in person, or at the current noted location, we will announce alternative arrangements, including how to participate, in a press release available at www.macerich.com as promptly as practicable before our Annual Meeting and file such information as additional proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Please monitor our website www.macerich.com for updated information. If you are planning to attend our Annual Meeting, please check the website ten days prior to the meeting date.

Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend our Annual Meeting, we urge you to submit your Proxy to ensure your shares are represented and voted at our Annual Meeting. If you attend our Annual Meeting, you may continue to have your shares voted as instructed on your Proxy or you may withdraw your Proxy at the meeting and vote your shares in person by following the instructions for doing so in our Proxy Statement.

Record stockholders may authorize their Proxies:

Beneficial stockholders: If your shares of common stock are held by a bank, broker or other nominee, please follow the instructions you receive from your bank, broker or other nominee on how to authorize voting of your shares of common stock at our Annual Meeting.

By Order of the Board of Directors

Ann C. Menard

Secretary

Santa Monica, California

April 15, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in our Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting or authorizing a proxy to vote your shares. Page references are supplied to help you find further information in our Proxy Statement.

Our Annual Meeting

		TIME AND DATE: 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, May 27, 2022				PLACE: The Fairmont Miramar Hotel 101 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica, California				RECORD DATE: Close of business on March 24, 2022

Voting

Each share of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), entitles the holder thereof to one vote for each director nominee and one vote on each of the other proposals to be voted upon at our Annual Meeting.

You may vote or authorize a proxy to vote by any of the following methods:

About Our Annual Meeting (page 1)

We provide answers to many questions about our Annual Meeting, including how to vote your shares, in our Q&A section beginning on page 1 of our Proxy Statement.

Proposals and Board Recommendations

2022 PROXY STATEMENT    i

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

Our Business Highlights (page 32)

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

Director Nominees (page 7)

2022 PROXY STATEMENT    iii

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

Say-on-Pay Vote (page 66)

We retain an open line of communication with our investors on our compensation programs as well as our governance practices. At our 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved our say-on-pay non-binding, advisory vote by over 89% of the votes cast.

Ratification of our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (page 67)

We are asking our stockholders to consider and vote upon the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022.

Executive Compensation Program Highlights (page 31)

Our executive compensation program is designed to align our executive compensation with long-term stockholder interests as described in our Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

WHAT WE DO

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

WHAT WE DON’T DO

Corporate Governance Highlights (page 14)

Our Board of Directors is committed to strong corporate governance. Our governance framework is designed to promote the long-term interests of our stockholders and strengthen Board and management accountability.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

WHAT WE DO

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

THE MACERICH COMPANY

401 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD

SUITE 700

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA 90401

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON MAY 27, 2022

We are sending you this Proxy Statement in connection with the solicitation of Proxies by our Board of Directors for exercise at our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and at any postponement or adjournment thereof. We are first providing this Proxy Statement and the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy to our stockholders on or about April 15, 2022. Our 2021 Annual Report to Stockholders (“2021 Annual Report”), including financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, is being provided to stockholders concurrently with this Proxy Statement. Our 2021 Annual Report, however, is not part of the proxy solicitation material. We sometimes refer to The Macerich Company as our “Company,” “Macerich,” “we” or “us” and to our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, including any postponement or adjournment thereof, as our “Annual Meeting.”

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting to be Held on May 27, 2022. The Notice of the 2022 Annual Meeting, this Proxy Statement and our 2021 Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com.

ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

When and where is our Annual Meeting?

Our Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, May 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. local time at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90401.

We continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, and we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our stockholders may have and the protocols that federal, state and local governments may impose. As part of our precautions regarding COVID-19, we are planning for the possibility that we may hold a virtual annual meeting, in which participation would be solely by means of remote communication. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold our Annual Meeting in person, or at the current noted location, we will announce alternative arrangements, including how to participate, in a press release available at www.macerich.com as promptly as practicable before our Annual Meeting and file such information as additional proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Please monitor our website www.macerich.com for updated information. If you are planning to attend our Annual Meeting, please check the website ten days prior to the meeting date.

What are the purposes of our Annual Meeting?

At our Annual Meeting, our stockholders will consider and vote on the following matters:

In addition, our stockholders will transact any other business that properly comes before our Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof. Management will also respond to appropriate questions from our stockholders.

ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

Who is entitled to vote?

Only holders of record of our Common Stock at the close of business on the record date, March 24, 2022, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, our Annual Meeting. Holders of Common Stock are entitled to cast one vote for each director nominee and one vote on each of the other proposals to be voted upon at our Annual Meeting. Our Common Stock is our only class of securities entitled to vote at our Annual Meeting. Under applicable law and our charter, stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors.

Who is entitled to attend our Annual Meeting?

All of our stockholders of record as of the close of business on the record date, or their duly appointed Proxy holders, may attend our Annual Meeting. If you are not a stockholder of record but hold shares through a broker, bank or other nominee and wish to attend the meeting, you should provide proof of beneficial ownership as of the record date, such as an account statement reflecting your stock ownership as of the record date, a copy of the voting instruction form provided by your broker, bank or other nominee, or other similar evidence of ownership. If you do not have proof of ownership, you may not be admitted to our Annual Meeting. Each stockholder and Proxy holder may be asked to present a valid government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, before being admitted. Cameras, recording devices and other electronic devices will not be permitted, and attendees may be subject to security inspections and other security precautions.

What constitutes a quorum?

The presence, in person or by Proxy, of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at our Annual Meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at our Annual Meeting. As of the record date, 214,616,505 shares of Common Stock were outstanding and entitled to be voted by the holders thereof. Abstentions and broker non-votes will count toward the presence of a quorum. A “broker non-vote” occurs when there are both routine and non-routine matters on the proxy card and the broker marks a vote on the routine matter (either as instructed by the client or, if not instructed, in the broker’s discretion) and does not vote on the non-routine matters because under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) the broker has no voting authority on such matters without the client’s instruction.

How do I vote?

Voting in Person at our Annual Meeting.    If you are a stockholder of record as of the close of business on the record date and attend our Annual Meeting, you may vote in person. If your shares of Common Stock are held in street name and you wish to vote in person at our Annual Meeting, you will need to obtain and present prior to voting at our Annual Meeting a “legal proxy” from the broker, bank or other nominee through which your shares of Common Stock are held of record. Obtaining a legal proxy usually takes several days.

Voting by Proxy for Shares Registered Directly in the Name of the Stockholder.    If you hold your shares of Common Stock in your own name as a holder of record with our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., you may instruct the Proxy holders how to vote your shares of Common Stock in one of the following ways:

Voting by Proxy for Shares Held in Street Name. If your shares of Common Stock are held in street name, you will receive instructions from your broker, bank or other nominee that you must follow in order to authorize voting of your shares of Common Stock at our Annual Meeting.

ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

What if I sign and return a Proxy by mail or authorize my Proxy by telephone or the Internet but do not specify how I wish to vote my shares?

If you sign and return a Proxy or authorize your Proxy by telephone or the Internet but do not specify how your shares will be voted on one or more matters listed in the Notice of our Annual Meeting, the shares will be voted with respect to such matters as follows:

FOR the election of each of the twelve nominees for director named in this Proxy Statement;

FOR the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers; and

FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022.

The holders of the Proxy will also have authority to vote in their discretion on any other matter that may be properly brought before our Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof.

What does it mean if I receive more than one Proxy?

If you own shares of our Common Stock in more than one account—for example, in a joint account with your spouse and in your individual brokerage account—you may have received more than one set of Proxy materials. To ensure that all of your shares are voted, please follow each of the separate Proxy voting instructions that you received for your shares of Common Stock held in each of your different accounts.

Will other matters be voted on at our Annual Meeting?

It is not anticipated that any matter, other than those set forth in this Proxy Statement, will be presented at our Annual Meeting. If other matters are properly presented, Proxies will be voted by the Proxy holders in their discretion. Stockholder votes will be tabulated by the person appointed to act as inspector of election for our Annual Meeting.

May I change my vote or revoke my Proxy after I return my Proxy?

If you are a stockholder of record as of the record date, you may change your vote or revoke your Proxy before it has been voted at our Annual Meeting by:

Any stockholder of record as of the record date attending our Annual Meeting may vote in person whether or not a Proxy has been previously given, but the presence (without further action) of a stockholder at our Annual Meeting will not constitute revocation of a previously submitted Proxy.

For shares of Common Stock you hold in street name, you may change your vote by submitting new voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee or, if you have obtained a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at our Annual Meeting, by appearing in person and voting at our Annual Meeting.

What are our Board of Directors’ recommendations?

Unless you give other instructions on your Proxy, the persons named as Proxy holders on the Proxy will vote a properly submitted Proxy in accordance with the recommendations of our Board of Directors. Our Board’s recommendations, together with the description of each matter, are set forth in this Proxy Statement. Our Board recommends that you vote your shares:

FOR the election of twelve directors, each to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies;

ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

FOR the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers; and

FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022.

With respect to any other matter that properly comes before our Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof, the Proxy holders will vote on such matter in their discretion.

What vote is required to approve each matter?

Assuming the presence of a quorum, the affirmative vote of a majority of all of the votes cast on the matter at our Annual Meeting in person or by Proxy is required by our charter and/or Bylaws for the election of each director nominee, for the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers and for the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm. For purposes of these proposals, abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will not be counted as votes cast and therefore will have no effect on the outcome of any of these proposals.

The proposal to approve the compensation of our named executive officers is advisory only and is not binding on our Company or our Board. Our Board values the opinion of our stockholders and our Board, or an appropriate committee of our Board, will consider the outcome of the vote on this proposal in considering what action, if any, should be taken in response to the advisory vote by stockholders.

The proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is considered a routine item under the rules of the NYSE. Accordingly, if your shares are held in street name and you do not submit voting instructions to your broker, your broker may exercise its discretion to vote your shares on this proposal. If your broker exercises this discretion, your shares will be voted in the manner directed by your broker on the proposal to ratify KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, but your shares will constitute broker non-votes on each of the other proposals at our Annual Meeting, because they are non-routine proposals on which brokers are not permitted to vote without direction from the beneficial owner.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Introduction: How Our Board Composition is Aligned with our Strategy

We have a long-term four-pronged business strategy that focuses on acquisition, leasing and management, redevelopment and development of regional town centers. We believe that our business requires specialized skills across a broad array of disciplines for effective and profitable operations. Our Board of Directors consists of a highly experienced group of business leaders who share our values, oversee and support our strategy and reflect our culture. Many of our directors have served as executive officers or on boards and board committees of major companies and have an extensive understanding of the principles of corporate governance. Our nominees have experience in the following fields that are relevant to our Company, business, industry and strategies:

Under our Bylaws, our Board of Directors determines the number of our directors, provided that the number shall never be less than the minimum required by the Maryland General Corporation Law, which is one, nor more than twelve. Our Board of Directors has approved to expand the Board of Directors to twelve members from and after the calling to order of the Annual Meeting in order to permit the stockholders to elect a slate of twelve directors for the upcoming term and nominated Mr. Enrique Hernandez, Jr. and Ms. Marianne Lowenthal for election as directors at our Annual Meeting. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee retained search firms to assist with identifying potential candidates. Mr. Hernandez was recommended by Thomas O’Hern and Ms. Lowenthal was recommended by Steve Soboroff. Each of our continuing director nominees was previously elected to serve on our Board by our stockholders. Our director nominees, if elected at our Annual Meeting, will serve until our annual meeting of stockholders in 2023 and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualify.

Our Board of Directors, based on the recommendations of its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, has nominated the following individuals to serve as directors of our Company:

Each of our director nominees has consented to be nominated and to serve if elected. However, if any nominee becomes unable or unwilling for good cause to serve as a director if elected, the Proxy holders may vote for another person nominated by our Board of Directors, or the Board may reduce the size of the Board and number of nominees.

Our Board of Directors will consider a nominee for election to our Board recommended by a stockholder of record if the stockholder submits a written notice regarding such recommendation to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee c/o our Secretary in the manner described under the heading “Our Board of Directors and its Committees—Director Selection Process.”

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Our charter and Bylaws provide that our directors are required to be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes cast on the matter in person or by Proxy at our Annual Meeting at which a quorum is present. Our Guidelines on Corporate Governance further provide that any incumbent director who fails to receive the required vote for re-election must offer to resign from our Board. In that case, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will make a recommendation to our Board on whether to accept or reject the offer to resign. Our Board will then act on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation and publicly disclose its decision within 90 days after the date of the certification of the election results. If the offer to resign is not accepted, the director will continue to serve until the next annual meeting and until the director’s successor is elected and qualifies. If the offer to resign is accepted, then our Board, in its sole discretion, may fill any resulting vacancy or may decrease the size of our Board pursuant to our charter and Bylaws. The director whose offer to resign is under consideration will not participate in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s or our Board’s decision regarding whether to accept or reject such director’s offer to resign.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF EACH OF OUR DIRECTOR NOMINEES. PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED “FOR” EACH OF OUR DIRECTOR NOMINEES UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

INFORMATION REGARDING DIRECTOR NOMINEES

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Board believe that considering diversity is consistent with the goal of creating a Board that best serves the needs of our Company and the interests of our stockholders. Our Board seeks a mix of backgrounds and experience among its members, including gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic diversity or other characteristics that may positively contribute to the diversity of the Board. Under our Guidelines on Corporate Governance, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall ensure to the greatest extent practicable that the pool of prospective director candidates that it considers to fill any vacancy or additional director position includes one or more female candidates, one or more LGBTQ+ candidates or one or more racially or ethnically diverse candidates if, at such time, the Board is lacking gender diversity, LGBTQ+ diversity or racial/ethnic diversity, respectively. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee uses its judgment to identify nominees whose viewpoints, backgrounds, experience and other demographics, taken as a whole, contribute to the high standards of service on our Board. The following matrix highlights the mix of key skills, qualities and experiences of the nominees that, among other factors, led our Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to recommend these nominees for election to our Board. The matrix is intended to depict notable areas of focus for each director, and not having a mark does not mean that a particular director does not possess that qualification or skill. Nominees have developed competencies in these skills through education, direct experience and oversight responsibilities. The demographic information presented below is based on voluntary self-identification by each nominee. More information on each director’s qualifications and background is included in the director biographies on the following pages. Each continuing director has served since first elected.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Peggy Alford

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2018

Age: 50

Board Committees: Audit (Chair)

Other Current Public Company Boards: Facebook, Inc.

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Ms. Alford has served as Executive Vice President, Global Sales at PayPal since March 2020. She rejoined PayPal as their Senior Vice President of Core Markets on March 1, 2019, leading commercial teams in the largest and most established markets, including North America, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Australia. Ms. Alford was elected to the board of Facebook, Inc. in May 2019. From September 2017 to February 2019, Ms. Alford was the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Operations for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization that brings together world-class engineering, grant-making, impact investing, policy and advocacy work, with oversight of finance, real estate, facilities and general operations. Prior to joining the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Ms. Alford held a variety of senior positions at PayPal from May 2011 to August 2017, including Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Americas, Global Customer and Global Credit, where she was responsible for all finance and analytics for PayPal’s Global Merchant and Global Consumer Business Units, its Global Credit business, and its North America and Latin America regions. She also served as PayPal’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, People Operations and Global Head of Cross Border Trade. From 2007 to 2011, Ms. Alford was President and General Manager of Rent.com (an eBay Inc. company), also serving as its Chief Financial Officer from October 2005 to March 2009. Ms. Alford earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Dayton and is a certified public accountant.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Ms. Alford’s wide-ranging financial and operational experience, technology and omnichannel knowledge and significant experience leading complex businesses are invaluable to our Board. Her fresh perspectives and contributions to our Company are also informed by Ms. Alford’s strong digital expertise and track record of driving growth and innovation through data analytics, areas which have become increasingly critical to our business. In addition to her strong managerial and operational background, Ms. Alford brings deep financial expertise to our Board, based on which she serves as our Audit Committee chairperson and has been determined by our Board to be an audit committee financial expert.

John H. Alschuler

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2015

Age: 74

Board Committees: Audit; Nominating and Corporate Governance

Other Current Public Company Boards: SL Green Realty Corporation; Xenia Hotels and Resorts, Inc.

Selected Directorships and Memberships: Board of Directors, Center for an Urban Future; Board of Directors, Friends of the High Line Inc.; Board of Directors, Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

John Alschuler has served as the Executive Chairman of Therme North America, a regional division of global wellbeing leader Therme Group that designs, builds and operates large scale wellbeing facilities, since January 1, 2022. From 2008 to 2021 Mr. Alschuler served as the Chairman of HR&A Advisors Inc., an economic development, real estate and public policy consulting organization. Mr. Alschuler also is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University, where he teaches real estate development at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Mr. Alschuler’s achievements in academia and business, as well as his extensive knowledge of commercial real estate and national and international markets for real estate, and his expertise in inter-governmental relations, allow him to assess the real estate market and our Company’s business from a knowledgeable and informed perspective. His experience on boards of other public and private companies further enhances his range of knowledge.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Eric K. Brandt

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2018

Age: 59

Board Committees: Capital Allocation (Chair); Compensation

Other Current Public Company Boards: Dentsply Sirona Inc.; Lam Research Corporation; NortonLifeLock Inc.

Former Public Company Directorships Within the Last Five Years: Chairman of the Board, Altaba Inc.

Selected Directorships and Memberships: Georgia Tech President’s Advisory Board

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Mr. Brandt served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Broadcom Corporation, a global supplier of semiconductor devices, from February 2010 to February 2016, and served as Broadcom’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from March 2007 to February 2010. From September 2005 until March 2007, Mr. Brandt served as President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Beginning in 1999, he held various positions at Allergan, Inc., a global specialty pharmaceutical company, including Executive Vice President of Finance and Technical Operations and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Allergan, Mr. Brandt spent ten years with The Boston Consulting Group, a privately held global business consulting firm.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Mr. Brandt’s experience as a chief executive and chief financial officer across the financial services, technology and healthcare industries gives him a broad understanding of the operational, financial and strategic matters facing our Company. His service on other public company boards, including as an audit committee member and chair, a compensation committee and governance committee member and chair, his cybersecurity expertise and his governance, financial, technology, marketing and brand management knowledge provides our Board with important insights.

Edward C. Coppola

Director Nominee

Director Since: 1994

Age: 67

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Mr. Coppola was elected our President in September 2008. In partnership with our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Coppola oversees the strategic direction of our Company. He has broad oversight over our Company’s financial and investment strategies, including our Company’s key lender and investor relationships. He also oversees our acquisitions and dispositions, department store relationships and development/redevelopment projects. Mr. Coppola was previously an Executive Vice President from our formation through September 2004 and was our Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer from October 2004 until his election as President. He has over 40 years of shopping center experience with The Macerich Group and our Company and is one of our founders. Mr. Coppola is also an attorney.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Mr. Coppola has deep relationships and experience in our industry and in the retail and shopping center landscape. As President, Mr. Coppola provides our Board with important information about the overall conduct of our Company’s business and valuable knowledge regarding our operations, plans and direction. Our Board appreciates his long history and experience in the shopping center industry as well as his expertise with respect to investment planning, finance, capital markets, acquisition, disposition and development matters.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Steven R. Hash

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2015

Age: 57

Board Committees: Executive (Chair) and ex-officio on other committees

Other Public Company Boards: Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.; Nuveen Global Cities REIT, Inc.

Former Public Company Directorships Within the Last Five Years: DiamondPeak Holdings Corp.

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Mr. Hash was the co-founder of Renaissance Macro Research, LLC, an equity research and trading firm focused on macro research in the investment strategy, economics and Washington policy sectors, and served as President and Chief Operating Officer from its inception in 2012 until his retirement in April 2020. Between 1993 and 2012, Mr. Hash held various leadership positions with Lehman Brothers (and its successor, Barclays Capital), including Global Head of Real Estate Investment Banking from 2006 to 2012, Chief Operating Officer of Global Investment Banking from 2008 to 2011, Director of Global Equity Research from 2003 to 2006, Director of U.S. Equity Research from 1999 to 2003, and Senior Equity Research Analyst from 1993 to 1999 covering the Real Estate Investment Trusts sector.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Mr. Hash serves as our Independent Chairman of the Board and brings extensive knowledge of real estate investment strategy and economic trends through years of real estate industry research and investment banking both domestically and internationally. In addition to important insights into the equity and capital markets and investor perspectives, he has valuable experience in accounting and financial reporting based upon his years as an auditor and senior equity research analyst. He also has important corporate governance and board leadership expertise, as well as human capital management and talent development knowledge through his positions at other publicly traded companies and at our Company.

Enrique Hernandez, Jr.

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: Nominee

Age: 66

Other Public Company Boards: Chevron Corporation; McDonald’s Corporation

Former Public Company Directorships Within the Last Five Years: Nordstrom, Inc.; Wells Fargo & Company

Selected Directorships and Memberships: Catalyst; Harvard College Visiting Committee; Harvard University Resources Committee; Ronald McDonald House Charities; John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Mr. Hernandez has served as Executive Chairman of Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc. (“Inter-Con”), a provider of security services to corporations, governments, diplomatic missions and non-profit organizations since 2021 and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1986 to 2021. He was President of Inter-Con from 1986 to 2018 and served as Executive Vice President and Assistant General Counsel from 1984 to 1986. Mr. Hernandez earned his bachelor’s degree in government and economics from Harvard University and received his law degree from The Harvard Law School.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Mr. Hernandez brings significant experience to our Board with more than three decades of business leadership in various industries. His tenure as lead director and non-executive chairman at Nordstrom, Inc., as well as his current board memberships, will provide our Board with valuable knowledge and perspective in corporate governance, leadership and human capital development, finance and brand management.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Daniel J. Hirsch

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2018

Age: 48

Board Committees: Compensation; Nominating and Corporate Governance

Other Public Company Boards: Broadmark Realty Capital Inc.

Former Public Company Directorships Within the Last Five Years: Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V.

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Mr. Hirsch is a principal of Cascade Acquisitions Holdings, LLC, the sponsor of a special purpose acquisition company, Cascade Acquisition Corp., formed in November 2020, and serves as its chief operating officer and chief financial officer. From 2003 to December 2016, Mr. Hirsch held several senior positions at Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. (“FCM”), an investment firm that manages capital on behalf of institutions and individuals, including Managing Member of the Real Estate Group from 2009 to December 2016, Managing Director from 2007 to 2008 and Legal Counsel from 2003 to 2006. He was a consultant to FCM from January 2017 through March 2020. Mr. Hirsch graduated from Yale Law School with a J.D., and summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought from Amherst College.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Mr. Hirsch’s knowledge of the capital markets and real estate sector, as well as his investment experience, makes him a valuable member of our Board. In addition, Mr. Hirsch’s substantive public company board experience, including his ten-year tenure on the board of directors of Playa and his current service as a member of the board of directors of Broadmark brings valuable knowledge and experience to our Board deliberations.

Diana M. Laing

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2003

Age: 67

Board Committees: Capital Allocation; Nominating and Corporate Governance

Other Public Company Boards: Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.; CareTrust REIT, Inc.

Selected Directorships and Memberships: Board of Trustees, Oklahoma State University Foundation

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Ms. Laing served as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., Hawaii’s leading owner and operator of grocery and drug store-anchored retail centers, from November 2018 to May 2019 and was elected to their board of directors in April 2019. From May 2014 to June 2018, Ms. Laing served as Chief Financial Officer of American Homes 4 Rent, a publicly traded REIT focused on the acquisition, renovation, leasing and operation of single-family homes as rental properties. From May 2004 until its merger with Parkway Properties of Orlando, Florida in December 2013, Ms. Laing was the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Thomas Properties Group, Inc., a publicly traded real estate operating company and institutional investment manager focused on the development, acquisition, operation and ownership of commercial properties throughout the United States. She was responsible for financial reporting, capital markets transactions and investor relations.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Our Board believes Ms. Laing’s over 35 years of real estate industry experience, with her particular expertise in finance, capital markets, strategic planning, budgeting and financial reporting, make her a valuable member of our Board. This financial and real estate experience is supplemented by her substantive public company and REIT experience, which enhances her understanding of the issues facing our Company and industry.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Marianne Lowenthal

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: Nominee

Age: 61

Selected Directorships and Memberships: Board of Directors, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention; Sustaining Board of Directors, UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management Ziman Center for Real Estate

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Ms. Lowenthal has served as the President and sole principal of Granadier Co., a real estate firm focused on development and redevelopment of multi-family and mixed-use properties in Southern California, since April 1, 2022. From January 2005 to March 2022, she served as Executive Vice President of Development for Combined Properties, Incorporated, leading the national acquisition and development team in mixed-use, retail, residential and hotel projects in highly valued infill markets, primarily in Southern California and the Washington DC area. Ms. Lowenthal was Executive Vice President of Development at the Bond Companies from 2000 to 2004, leading the design and development teams in mixed-use, residential and retail projects.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

As a real estate professional for over 30 years, Ms. Lowenthal will provide mixed-use, retail, hotel and multifamily development and redevelopment expertise, in addition to project management experience in the areas of design, entitlements, construction and leasing. As a new Board member, Ms. Lowenthal will add a fresh and valuable perspective on our Company’s opportunities and operations.

Thomas E. O’Hern

Director Nominee

Director Since: 2018

Age: 66

Board Committees: Capital Allocation; Executive

Other Public Company Boards: Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Selected Directorships and Memberships: Advisory Board of Governors, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts; Board of Leaders, The USC Marshall School of Business; Board of Trustees, Torrance Memorial Medical Center Foundation

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

On January 1, 2019, Mr. O’Hern became our Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of our Company. Mr. O’Hern became one of our Senior Executive Vice Presidents in September 2008 and was our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from July 1994 until his election as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. O’Hern was an Executive Vice President from December 1998 through September 2008 and served as a Senior Vice President from March 1993 to December 1998. From our formation to July 1994, he served as Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer and Secretary.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

As our Chief Executive Officer and long-time Chief Financial Officer, our Board values Mr. O’Hern’s many years of leadership, senior executive expertise, strategic direction and his deep relationships and experience in our industry and in the retail and shopping center industry generally. His knowledge of our Company and the REIT industry, tax matters and complex joint venture structuring, strategic planning, expertise in both debt and equity in the capital markets, the financial and operational elements of our Company’s business, as well as his extensive relationships with key stakeholders, including partners, lenders, stockholders and tenants, will continue to provide our Board with critical information to oversee and direct the management of our Company. In addition, his many years of experience on the board of Douglas Emmett, Inc. and his role as audit committee chairman will continue to serve him well on our Board.

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Steven L. Soboroff

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2014

Age: 73

Board Committees: Audit; Compensation; Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair)

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Steve Soboroff is the managing partner of Soboroff Partners, a shopping center development and leasing company, and has served in such capacity since 1978. In August 2013, Mr. Soboroff was appointed to the Board of Police Commissioners by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and has been chosen as the Commission’s President by his fellow commissioners to serve in that role until his term expires in 2023. During 2001 to 2010, he served in the roles of Chairman and CEO as well as President of Playa Vista, one of the country’s most significant multi-use real estate projects. Mr. Soboroff also was President of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission from 1995 to 2001 and a member of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission. In addition, Mr. Soboroff is a board member of several non-profit philanthropic and academic organizations.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

Mr. Soboroff is a well-recognized business and government leader with a distinguished record of public and private accomplishments. Mr. Soboroff contributes to the mix of experience and qualifications of our Board through both his real estate and government experience and leadership. During his career in both the public and private sectors, Mr. Soboroff acquired significant financial, real estate, managerial, and public policy knowledge as well as substantial business and government relationships. Our Board values his extensive real estate knowledge and insight into retail operations, developments and strategy, and his wealth of government relations experience.

Andrea M. Stephen

Independent Director Nominee

Director Since: 2013

Age: 57

Board Committees: Capital Allocation; Compensation (Chair); Executive

Other Public Company Boards: First Capital Real Estate Investment Trust; Slate Grocery Real Estate Investment Trust

Former Public Company Directorships Within the Last Five Years: Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust

Selected Directorships and Memberships: Board of Directors, Enwave Energy Corporation

Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

Ms. Stephen served as Executive Vice President, Investments for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited (“Cadillac Fairview”), one of North America’s largest real estate companies, from October 2002 to December 2011 and as Senior Vice President, Investments for Cadillac Fairview from May 2000 to October 2002, where she was responsible for developing and executing Cadillac Fairview’s investment strategy. Prior to joining Cadillac Fairview, Ms. Stephen held the position of Director, Real Estate with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, the largest single profession pension plan in Canada, from December 1999 to May 2000, as well as various portfolio manager positions from September 1995 to December 1999.

Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

With over 25 years in the real estate industry and extensive transactional and management experience, Ms. Stephen has a broad understanding of the operational, financial and strategic issues facing real estate companies. She brings management expertise, leadership capabilities, financial knowledge and business acumen to our Board. Her significant international investment experience also provides a global perspective as well as international relationships. In addition, her service on various boards provides valuable insight and makes her an important contributor to our Board.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES

Board Committee Memberships

During 2021, our Board had standing Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance and Executive Committees. The current members of these committees, the principal functions of each committee and the number of meetings held in 2021 are described below. All members attended each meeting of their respective committees on which he or she served during 2021.

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In April 2020, our Board established a Capital Allocation Committee to assist our Board with reviewing and evaluating our short- and long-term capital needs in light of, among other things, the impacts of COVID-19 on our business. The Capital Allocation Committee is comprised of Eric K. Brandt, Steven R. Hash, Diana M. Laing, Thomas E. O’Hern and Andrea M. Stephen and is chaired by Eric K. Brandt. The Capital Allocation Committee met ten times during 2021 and all members attended each meeting. Our Board may from time to time establish other special or standing committees to facilitate the management of our Company or to discharge specific duties delegated by our full Board.

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Related Party Transaction Policies and Procedures

The Audit Committee administers our written Related Party Transaction Policies and Procedures. These policies are designed to assist with the proper identification, review and disclosure of related party transactions and apply generally to any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, in which our Company or an affiliate is a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related party has a direct or indirect material interest. A related party generally includes any person who is, or was in the last fiscal year, a director, director nominee, executive officer, stockholder of more than 5% of our Common Stock, an immediate family member of any of the foregoing, or an entity in which one of the foregoing serves as an executive officer, general partner, principal or has a 10% or greater beneficial interest to the extent such information is provided to our Company or is otherwise publicly available. Under the policies and procedures, transactions that fall within this definition will be reported to our Chief Legal Officer or Chief Financial Officer and referred to the Audit Committee for approval or other action. In determining whether to approve a transaction, the Audit Committee will consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances, including the related party’s interest, the amount involved in the transaction, and whether the transaction has terms no less favorable than those generally available from an unrelated third party. The Audit Committee will approve such transaction if it determines, in good faith, that under all of the circumstances the transaction is fair to our Company. In addition, any related party transaction previously approved by the Audit Committee or otherwise already existing that is ongoing in nature will be reviewed by the Audit Committee annually to ensure that such transaction has been conducted in accordance with the previous approval granted by the Audit Committee, if any, and remains appropriate. There were no related party transactions identified in 2021.

Risk Oversight

One of the principal functions of our Board of Directors is to provide oversight concerning our Company’s assessment and management of risk related to our business. Our Board of Directors is involved in risk oversight through direct decision-making authority with respect to fundamental financial and business strategies and major corporate activities, as well as through its oversight of management and the committees of our Board.

Management is responsible for identifying the material risks facing our Company, implementing appropriate risk management strategies and ensuring that information with respect to material risks is shared with our Board and/or the appropriate Board committee. In connection with this responsibility, members of management provide regular reports to our Board regarding business operations and strategic planning, financial planning and budgeting, and material litigation and regulations, including any material risk to our Company relating to such matters. Our Board of Directors believes that the processes it has established to administer our Board’s risk oversight function would be effective under a variety of leadership frameworks and therefore these processes do not have any material effect on our Company’s leadership structure described under the heading “Board Leadership Structure” below.

Our Board has delegated oversight for specific areas of risk exposure to our Board committees as follows:

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At each regular meeting of our Board of Directors, the chairperson of each committee reports to the full Board regarding the matters reported and discussed at any committee meetings, including any risk exposure and risk management policies with respect to such matters. In addition, the Audit Committee receives updates on the Company’s cybersecurity, including cybersecurity controls and procedures, at each quarterly meeting and the full Board receives an annual briefing from the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Our Company conducts mandatory cybersecurity training for employees and has an information security insurance policy in place. Our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Legal Officer and/or Chief Financial Officer regularly attend meetings of our committees when they are not in executive session. In addition, our directors are free to communicate directly with members of management and each committee charter provides that the committee may retain outside advisors at our Company’s expense.

Compensation Risk Assessment.     We believe that our compensation programs do not encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking that could have a material adverse effect on our Company. The Compensation Committee considers, in establishing and reviewing our executive compensation program, whether the program encourages unnecessary or excessive risk taking and has concluded that it does not. Base salaries are fixed in amount and we believe do not encourage risk taking. While our annual incentive compensation program focuses on short-term or annual performance, our executives’ annual bonuses are determined based on the Compensation Committee’s consideration of a variety of corporate and individual performance factors as described below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” Therefore, the Compensation Committee believes that the annual bonus program appropriately balances risk and the desire to focus executives on short-term goals important to our success and that it does not encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking.

A significant portion of the compensation provided to our named executive officers is in the form of equity awards that further align executives’ interests with those of our stockholders. The Compensation Committee believes that these awards do not encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking since the ultimate value of the awards is tied to our operational metrics and stock price and since a large percentage of our grants are subject to vesting schedules to help ensure that executives always have significant value tied to our long-term stock price performance. As described in our “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” an important component of our executive compensation program is the grant of performance-based LTIP Unit awards that vest based on our performance over the applicable performance period. The Compensation Committee believes these awards as well as our other LTIP Unit awards provide additional incentives for executives to create value for our stockholders and, together with the executives’ equity ownership in our Company pursuant to our Stock Ownership Policies as described below, help further link their interests with those of our stockholders.

Additional Compensation Committee Matters.     The Compensation Committee charter provides that the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of any compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser as it deems necessary to assist in the evaluation of director or executive officer compensation and is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser. The Compensation Committee periodically engages independent compensation consultants to assist in the development and review of our director and executive officer compensation programs, including evolving compensation trends and market survey data. The Compensation Committee retains Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. (“FW Cook”), a nationally recognized independent compensation consulting firm, to advise on the design and competitive positioning of our executive and non-employee director compensation programs and make recommendations for change, as appropriate. The Compensation Committee considered the independence of FW Cook and determined that its engagement of FW Cook does not raise any conflicts of interest with our Company or any of our directors or executive officers. FW Cook provides no other consulting services to our Company, our executive officers or directors.

Mr. O’Hern generally attended the Compensation Committee meetings in 2021 (excluding any executive sessions) and provided his analysis and recommendations with respect to our executive compensation program, including the compensation for our other executive officers. While Mr. O’Hern’s input is viewed by the Compensation Committee as an integral and vital part of the compensation process, the Compensation Committee is solely responsible for making the final decision regarding the form and amount of compensation for our executive officers. The Compensation Committee may also form and delegate authority to subcommittees, when appropriate, with each subcommittee to consist only of independent directors. No such subcommittee has been formed to date.

Director Selection Process

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee utilizes a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating nominees for director. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee periodically assesses the appropriate size of our Board of Directors, and whether any vacancies are expected due to retirement or otherwise. In the event that vacancies are anticipated, or otherwise arise, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers various potential candidates for director. Candidates may come to the

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee through current Board members, officers, professional search firms or other persons. These candidates are evaluated at regular or special meetings of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and may be considered at any point during the year. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also may review materials provided by professional search firms or other parties in connection with a nominee. In evaluating such nominations, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and capability on our Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will make the final recommendations of candidates to our Board for nomination.

Our Board of Directors has a policy that stockholders may recommend a director candidate for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for election at an annual meeting of stockholders by submitting the names and qualifications of such persons in writing to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o our Secretary, no later than the December 1 prior to the next annual meeting of stockholders, together with information about the stockholder and the candidate otherwise required for director nominations by a stockholder pursuant to Section 1.11 of our Bylaws, a copy of which will be made available upon request. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may request additional information concerning such director candidate as it deems reasonably required to determine the eligibility and qualification of the director candidate to serve as a member of our Board.

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Board of Directors will consider all persons properly recommended as a nominee for election to our Board in the same manner regardless of the source of the recommendation. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not apply any specific, minimum qualifications in considering a director candidate and does not impose additional qualifications on stockholder-recommended potential nominees. Instead, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the candidates taking into account the current Board membership, and considers a variety of factors, including the specific needs of our Company and our Board, the experience, skills, areas of expertise, independence, productivity, length of service, occupational and other responsibilities (including other public company board memberships and committee memberships) of the candidates, and such other factors as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may determine are appropriate for review. This process is described in our Guidelines on Corporate Governance, which is available at www.macerich.com under “Investors— Corporate Governance.” The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. Stockholders that wish to nominate a person for election as a director in connection with an annual meeting of stockholders (as opposed to making a recommendation to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee as described above) must deliver written notice to our Secretary in the manner described in Section 1.11 of our current Bylaws and within the time periods set forth herein under the heading “Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominees.”

Our Company’s stockholders also possess the right to nominate candidates for election to our Board through the “proxy access” provisions of our Company’s Bylaws, pursuant to which an eligible stockholder, or a qualifying group of up to 20 stockholders, owning at least 3% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock continuously for at least three years, may nominate up to the greater of two directors or the largest whole number that does not exceed 20% of the number of directors then serving on our Board, for inclusion in our proxy materials, subject to complying with the requirements contained in Section 1.13 of our Bylaws.

Diversity.     Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recognizes the benefits associated with a diverse Board and strives to create diversity in our Board as a whole when identifying and selecting nominees. Our Board seeks a mix of backgrounds and experience among its members, including gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic diversity or other characteristics that may positively contribute to the diversity of the Board. Under our Guidelines on Corporate Governance, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall ensure to the greatest extent practicable that the pool of prospective director candidates that it considers to fill any vacancy or additional director position includes one or more female candidates, one or more LGBTQ+ candidates or one or more racially or ethnically diverse candidates, if, at such time, the Board is lacking gender diversity, LGBTQ+ diversity or racial/ethnic diversity, respectively. Over thirty percent of our Board’s nominees at our Annual Meeting are female, one is Black/Multiracial, one is Hispanic/Latinx and one is LGBTQ+. Beyond gender diversity, LGBTQ+ diversity and racial/ethnic diversity, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee utilizes a broad conception of diversity, including diversity of professional experience, age, background, skills, areas of expertise and perspective. These factors, the additional factors described above under “Director Selection Process” and others that are considered useful by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are reviewed in assessing the perceived needs of our Board at any particular point in time. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee focuses on having a Board which collectively possesses a broad range of talent, skill, expertise and experience useful to the effective oversight of our Company’s business and affairs. On an annual basis, as part of our Board’s self-evaluation, our Board assesses whether the overall mix of our Board members is appropriate for our Company.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board Leadership Structure

Steven R. Hash, previously our Lead Independent Director, was appointed to serve as Independent Chairman of the Board in June 2018. Mr. Hash actively manages our Board by: working with the CEO, other directors and our management team to set the agenda for our Board meetings; presiding over all meetings of our Board and executive sessions of the independent directors; and other customary duties. The Independent Chairman serves as an information resource for the independent directors and acts as a liaison between directors, committee chairs and management. Our Board believes this structure continues to ensure strong, independent oversight and leadership. The independent directors meet in separate executive sessions after each regularly scheduled non-telephonic Board meeting. The independent directors met four times in 2021.

Our Guidelines on Corporate Governance provide that our Board is free to combine or separate the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO in any way that our Board considers is best for our Company. Our Board recognizes that no single leadership model is correct at all times and that, depending on the circumstances, another leadership model might be appropriate. Our Board, therefore, believes that it should have the flexibility to decide whether it is best for our Company at any point in time to combine or separate the roles of CEO and Chairman of the Board.

Annual Board, Committee and Director Evaluations

Pursuant to our Guidelines on Corporate Governance and the charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees an annual evaluation of the performance of our Board and its committees in order to assess the overall effectiveness of our Board and its committees. The results of the assessment are reported by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee directly to, and are discussed with, our Board following the end of each fiscal year. The evaluation process is designed to facilitate ongoing, systematic examination of our Board’s effectiveness and accountability, and to identify opportunities for improving its operations and procedures.

In 2021, in accordance with the requirements of the NYSE listing standards, our Board completed an evaluation process focusing on the effectiveness of the performance of our Board. Our Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees each conducted a separate evaluation of its own performance and of the adequacy of its charter and reported to our Board on the results of its evaluation. In addition to our formal annual Board and committee self-evaluations, our Independent Chairman meets with each director individually to provide an additional forum for feedback and reports any additional feedback from those discussions to our Board as necessary.

Succession Planning

Our Board is focused on ensuring that we have a high-performing management team. Our Board, acting through our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, reviews management development and succession planning at least annually to ensure continuity in our Company’s management, including policies and principles for executive officer selection. This plan, on which each executive officer reports his recommendations, addresses both emergency succession and succession in the ordinary course of business. In addition, high-potential leaders are given exposure and visibility to Board members through formal presentations at Board and committee meetings, as well as through informal events.

Attendance at Stockholders’ Meetings

Our Board does not require director attendance at our stockholders’ meetings because our stock is predominately held by institutional stockholders and in-person attendance is traditionally light. Two of our executive officers attended our 2021 annual stockholders’ meeting.

Codes of Ethics

Our Company expects that all of our directors, officers and employees maintain a high level of integrity in their dealings with and on behalf of our Company and will act in the best interests of our Company. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics provides principles of conduct and ethics for our directors, officers and employees. This Code complies with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

2002, applicable SEC rules and the NYSE listing standards. In addition, our Company adopted a Code of Ethics for our CEO and senior financial officers which supplements our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. To the extent required by applicable SEC rules and NYSE listing standards, we intend to promptly disclose future amendments to certain provisions of these Codes or waivers of such provisions granted to directors and executive officers, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or persons performing similar functions, on our website at www.macerich.com under “Investors—Corporate Governance—Corporate Governance Policies—Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.” Each of these Codes of Conduct is available on our website at www.macerich.com under “Investors—Corporate Governance.” The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

COMPENSATION OF NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS

Our non-employee directors are compensated for their services according to an arrangement approved by our Board of Directors upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee generally reviews director compensation annually. Any Board member who is also an employee of our Company or a subsidiary does not receive compensation for service as a director. Messrs. Coppola and O’Hern are currently the only directors who are also employees of our Company or a subsidiary and therefore do not receive any additional compensation for their service on our Board.

In 2021, FW Cook conducted a competitive review of our non-employee director compensation program, including the review of the director compensation programs of companies within our peer group. Findings from the review were that our non-employee director compensation levels were competitive and our program structure was aligned with best practices. As a result, no changes were made to our director compensation program during 2021.

NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR EQUITY AWARD PROGRAMS

In addition, our Director Phantom Stock Plan offers our non-employee directors the opportunity to defer cash compensation otherwise payable and to receive that compensation (to the extent that it is actually earned by service during that period) in cash or in shares of Common Stock as elected by the director, after termination of the director’s service or on a specified payment date. Such compensation includes the annual cash retainers payable to our non-employee directors. Several of our non-employee directors serving in 2021 elected to receive all or a portion of their 2021 cash retainers in Common Stock. Deferred amounts are generally credited as stock units at the beginning of the applicable deferral period based on the present value of such deferred compensation divided by the average fair market value of our Common Stock for the preceding 10 trading days. Stock unit balances are credited with additional stock units as dividend equivalents and are ultimately paid out in shares of our Common Stock on a one-for-one basis. A maximum of 500,000 shares of our Common Stock may be issued in total under our Director Phantom Stock Plan, subject to certain customary adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and similar events. The vesting of the stock units is accelerated in the event of the death or disability of a director

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or, upon the termination of service as a director at the time of or after a change of control event. Our Company has a deferral program for the equity compensation of our non-employee directors which allows them to defer the receipt of all or a portion of their restricted stock unit awards and receive the underlying shares of Common Stock after termination of service or on a specified payment date. Any dividends payable with respect to those deferred restricted stock units will also be deferred and will be paid in accordance with a non-employee director’s payment election. The deferred dividend equivalents may be paid in cash or converted into additional restricted stock units and ultimately paid in shares of our Common Stock on a one-to-one basis. The vesting of the deferred restricted stock units is accelerated in the event of the death or disability of a non-employee director or upon a change of control event.

2021 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The following table sets forth the compensation paid, awarded or earned with respect to each of our non-employee directors during 2021. We do not provide our non-employee directors with initial inducement awards upon joining our Board other than the regular annual equity award granted to our existing non-employee directors.

As of December 31, 2021, our non-employee directors held the following number of unvested restricted stock units:

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ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY: Properties with Purpose

At Macerich, we believe that we are not just a collection of buildings, tenants and employees — that we build properties that operate with a purpose, by advancing environmental goals, social good and sound corporate governance. Our sustainability strategy is focused on achieving carbon neutrality, supporting our tenants and other stakeholders as we transition to a net-zero economy, and creating positive experiences and long-lasting impacts.

2021 Sustainability Highlights

Macerich has implemented an ESG structure that supports focused leadership for the oversight, executive management and program implementation of its fully integrated sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts. Our Board, through the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, provides strategic oversight concerning social responsibility, environmental and sustainability matters. The executive leadership team provides management oversight, while the focused sustainability department and an ESG focused action committee are responsible for program implementation. Together, our cross-disciplined stakeholders execute strategic objectives focused on climate-related risk management, sustainability and social impacts.

Macerich is a proponent of establishing a globally-recognized standard by which companies can be measured. As the industry moves toward this standard, we are committed to accurately reporting on our environmental, social and governance performance based on the following standards and frameworks: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI); Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD); Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB); and United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). The Macerich Corporate Responsibility Report is available at www.macerich.com under “Investors — Corporate Responsibility.” We intend to update this report annually. The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

Importantly, in 2021, the Science Based Targets initiative validated our emissions reduction targets set across all relevant scopes, in line with 1.5°C emissions scenarios. Our net-zero energy pathway supports our long-standing goal for carbon neutrality by 2030.

In 2021, Macerich achieved the #1 GRESB Performance Score within Retail/Americas for the seventh consecutive year, as well as earned a spot on CDP’s Climate Change “A” List for the sixth year. We are also listed as one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership Top 30 On-Site Generation Companies.

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Macerich continues to implement and execute on processes and invest in capital projects to minimize the risks of the changing global climate. The four pillars of our fully integrated sustainability program are:

Carbon Neutrality

Macerich is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 by directly reducing our scope 1 and scope 2 emissions (directly-controlled emissions) and engaging our stakeholders to reduce our scope 3 emissions (indirectly-controlled emissions). On our journey to neutrality in 2030 we have also set science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets consistent with keeping global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.

Journey to Carbon Neutrality to Date:

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Zero Waste

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND CULTURE: People with Purpose

We recognize the value in strengthening our workforce with diverse thought, ideas and people, and maintain employment policies that comply with federal, state and local labor laws. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to diversity, recognition and inclusion and reward our employees based on merit and their contributions in accordance with the principles and requirements of federal, state and local laws, including the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and the principles and requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our Company’s policies set forth our commitment to provide equal employment opportunity and to recruit, hire and promote at all levels without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 58% of our employees are female, and 28% of our employees are racially and/or ethnically diverse.

Macerich is committed to providing a positive and engaging work environment for our employees and taking an active role in the betterment of the communities in which our employees live and work. We put great effort into cultivating an inclusive company culture that attracts top talent and creates an environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and belonging, while providing professional development opportunities and training.

Belonging

In 2021, the Company’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging steering committees focused on three areas: training and advocacy, communication, and education and programming. Capitalizing on a robust calendar of engagement events, employee-led discussions, education, and cultural awareness programming attended by hundreds of Macerich employees, the Company furthered our commitment to continued expansion of diversity awareness. This continued support was also reflected in our CEO’s signature on the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity & Inclusion to create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

In furtherance of strengthening our employee community through diversity of all kinds, Macerich was the largest employer of interns in ICSC Foundation Launch Academy’s inaugural program for racially diverse undergraduate students, providing underrepresented college students the opportunity for career exploration in retail real estate management, legal, marketing, and leasing. Through our summer internship programs, nine college-age students were provided the opportunity to explore careers in retail real estate across our portfolio and in our regional offices.

As a professional development opportunity available to all employees, the Company’s mentorship program – MAC Mentorship – provides enrichment, partnership and supports professional and personal growth for all participating employees. In 2021, the employee-developed program resulted in 83 pairings of team members, each representing diverse backgrounds and experiences, from over 90% of the Company’s departments. The Company also launched Macerich 101 (MAC 101) – a central place to learn more about our Company and many departments, shopping centers and the REIT industry, technology, and more – to support all employees’ further growth and development and to deepen the understanding of the contributions of our workforce.

Throughout the year we offered regular programming to harmonize engagement at home, on site and in regional offices, including health management, educational content, team building events, employee recognition and the establishment of new employee resource groups. Two new employee resource groups – P-MAC (Parents at Macerich) and MacVets (Veterans at Macerich) launched in 2021 and early 2022. In response to the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also carefully considered the balance of productivity and well-being management throughout our employee community; with this in mind we have offered employees the opportunity to take part in a hybrid or flexible work schedule.

Philanthropy

Our employees have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to make a difference in the communities where they live and work, by donating their time and financial resources. Through the Macerich Volunteer Program (MVP), we offer all full-time employees 24 hours of paid volunteer time each year. Employees can volunteer individually with nonprofits of their choice, or in a Macerich group at larger events. We believe this strengthens relationships within communities and fosters relationships among employees, as well as provides an opportunity for employees to serve the greater community.

In 2021, we launched another way for employees to contribute to causes they support: the MVP Portal, a donor-advised giving platform that encourages volunteerism and community giving. We also introduced the company’s first “employee match” program; the first campaign resulted in employees requesting matched donations for 155 501(c)(3) organizations across the country.

Our Macerich Dependent Scholarship Program assists children of non-management employees who plan to continue education after high school in college or vocational school. This program is administered by Scholarship America^®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Awards are granted without regard to race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or national origin. For the 2022-23 academic year, we increased our financial scholarships to $2,000 for two-year colleges or vocational-technical schools and $4,000 for four-year universities. Since the inception of the program in 2017, 60 scholarships totaling $147,000 have been awarded.

Feedback

We are always looking to encourage two-way engagement and productive feedback from our employees. Channels for engaging employees include: MacCentral (the company intranet), ongoing communication from the Company, performance reviews and informal conversations with managers, peer mentoring, training, educational and career development opportunities, community events, our ethics hotline and social media.

We believe the continued focus on ensuring that all people are welcome as employees at Macerich, giving back to the communities in which we operate and providing employees several ways in which to give us feedback helped retain key employee talent in a year beset by global labor challenges across all industries and wage categories.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Community Involvement

Our Regional Town Centers (the “Centers”) are woven into the fabric of each and every one of our communities as essential places for people to gather and connect with one another. We want each property to leave a lasting, positive effect on its community, and we empower our Centers to develop unique engagement programs, reflecting their community’s needs and interests. More than 1,800 events and activities were held at our properties to support, celebrate and engage with our communities.

We operate our properties with purpose as highlighted by:

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table sets forth, as of March 31, 2022, the names, ages and positions of our executive officers and the year each became an executive officer.

EQUITY OWNERSHIP

EQUITY OWNERSHIP OF DIRECTORS, NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock and OP Units exchangeable for shares of our Common Stock, as of March 24, 2022, unless otherwise noted, for (i) each of our current directors, (ii) each of our named executive officers who is not a director, (iii) our directors and executive officers as a group and (iv) each person known by our Company to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock. All information in the following table is based on Schedules 13D, 13G and/or any amendments thereto, filed with the SEC, and on information supplied to us by our directors and officers. Except as otherwise described in the notes below, the following beneficial owners have sole voting power and sole investment power with respect to all shares set forth opposite their respective names. As of March 24, 2022, there were 214,616,505 shares of our Common Stock outstanding.

EQUITY OWNERSHIP

EXECUTIVE OFFICER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

EXECUTIVE OFFICER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Biographical information concerning Messrs. Coppola and O’Hern is set forth above under the caption “Information Regarding our Director Nominees.”

Douglas J. Healey was appointed as our Senior Executive Vice President, Head of Leasing in March 2020 and previously served as our Executive Vice President of Leasing from March 2016 until March 2020. Mr. Healey joined our Company in May 2005 as a Senior Vice President of Leasing following our acquisition of the Wilmorite portfolio. Mr. Healey directs strategic leasing for our Company’s entire portfolio of regional shopping centers and has over 25 years of expertise in the retail industry, specializing in retail merchandising. Prior to joining our Company, he held various leasing positions with Wilmorite Properties from 1991 until 2005. Mr. Healey is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Scott W. Kingsmore became our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer on January 1, 2019 and was appointed a Senior Executive Vice President in March 2020. Mr. Kingsmore is responsible for accounting, financial and tax reporting, investor relations, raising capital through debt and equity markets and information technology systems. His tenure at our Company started in 1996 as Vice President and Controller, and since then he has served in key roles in finance for over 20 years, most recently as Senior Vice President of Finance from April 1, 2004 until December 31, 2018. Prior to joining our Company, he worked for Westfield America within its corporate accounting department. Mr. Kingsmore was also a certified public accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1991 to 1995, and he graduated from University of California at Los Angeles in 1991.

Ann C. Menard joined our Company on January 29, 2018 as an Executive Vice President and has been our Chief Legal Officer and Secretary since March 1, 2018. Ms. Menard became one of our Senior Executive Vice Presidents as of March 2020. Prior to joining our Company, Ms. Menard was U.S. General Counsel and Managing Director for Tishman Speyer, a global real estate owner, operator, developer and fund manager from October 2005 through December 2017, where she managed legal activities and risk in connection with operations in major U.S. markets, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Chicago and Atlanta. Prior to joining Tishman Speyer, Ms. Menard was a partner in the real estate and corporate finance departments at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP in their Los Angeles and Newport Beach offices. Ms. Menard is a member of the Corporate Governance Council, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and received her JD, magna cum laude, from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1991, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Kenneth L. Volk was appointed Executive Vice President of Business Development in January 2019 and directs common area retail, media and sponsorship, brand experiences and alternative revenue, as well as short-term inline leasing. Mr. Volk joined our Company in 2007 as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer overseeing business development and marketing. He has over 25 years of experience in the retail REIT industry, specializing in marketing and communications. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Volk served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communication for The Mills Corporation from September 2002 to March 2007, where he also oversaw strategic partnerships and the Mills TV digital media network. Mr. Volk also previously served as Senior Vice President of Shopping Center Marketing for Simon Property Group from May 1989 until August 2002.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

The following Report of the Compensation Committee shall not be deemed soliciting material or to be filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act, or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C or the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, except to the extent our Company specifically requests that this Report be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporates this Report by reference into a filing under either of such Acts.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation, has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis in this Proxy Statement with management. Based on such review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and this Proxy Statement for our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

The Compensation Committee

Andrea M. Stephen, Chair

Eric K. Brandt

Steven R. Hash, ex officio

Daniel J. Hirsch

Steven L. Soboroff

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

The Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) describes the material elements of our executive compensation program, how the program is designed to support the achievement of our key strategic and financial objectives, and the compensation decisions the Compensation Committee made under the program for our named executive officers, who for 2021 were:

For purposes of this CD&A, we refer to the Compensation Committee as the “Committee.”

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Compensation Elements.    The following chart summarizes, for each component of our ongoing executive compensation program, the objectives and key features and the compensation decisions made by the Committee for our named executive officers:

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS