Item 1. BUSINESS

INTRODUCTION

STERIS plc is a leading provider of infection prevention and other procedural products and services. Our MISSION IS TO HELP OUR CUSTOMERS CREATE A HEALTHIER AND SAFER WORLD by providing innovative healthcare and life science product and service solutions around the globe. We offer our Customers a unique mix of innovative capital equipment products, such as sterilizers and washers, surgical tables, lights and equipment management systems and connectivity solutions such as operating room integration; consumable products including detergents and gastrointestinal endoscopy accessories and other products and services, including equipment installation and maintenance, microbial reduction of medical devices, instrument and scope repair solutions, laboratory services and outsourced instrument reprocessing.

On March 28, 2019, STERIS plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales (“STERIS UK”), completed a redomiciliation from the United Kingdom to Ireland (the “Redomiciliation”). The Redomiciliation was achieved through the insertion of a new Irish public limited holding company (“STERIS Ireland”) on top of STERIS UK pursuant to a court-approved scheme of arrangement under English law (the “Scheme”). Following the Scheme effectiveness, STERIS UK was re-registered as a private limited company with the name STERIS Limited, and STERIS Emerald IE Limited, a company established in Ireland and a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of STERIS Ireland, was interposed as the direct parent company of STERIS UK.

STERIS plc's registered office is located in Dublin, Ireland. STERIS plc has approximately 13,000 employees worldwide. Through our field sales and service and a network of dealers and distributors, we serve Customers in more than 100 countries around the world.

We operate and report in four reportable business segments: Healthcare Products, Healthcare Specialty Services, Life Sciences, and Applied Sterilization Technologies. We disclose a measure of segment income that is consistent with the way management operates and views the business. The accounting policies for reportable segments are the same as those for the consolidated Company. In fiscal 2019, we ceased the allocation of certain corporate costs to our segments to align with internal management measures. The fiscal 2018 period operating income measures have been recast for comparability.

The bulk of our revenues are derived from healthcare provider, pharmaceutical and medical device Customers. Much of the growth in these industries is driven by the aging of the population throughout the world, as an increasing number of individuals are entering their prime healthcare consumption years, and are dependent upon advancement in healthcare delivery, acceptance of new technologies, government policies, and general economic conditions. The pharmaceutical industry has been impacted by increased regulatory scrutiny of cleaning and validation processes, mandating that manufacturers improve their processes. Within healthcare, there is concern regarding the level of hospital acquired infections around the world; increased demand for medical procedures, including preventive screenings such as endoscopies and colonoscopies; and a desire by our Customers to operate more efficiently, all of which are driving increased demand for many of our products and services. The COVID-19 pandemic is resulting in the deferral of certain elective medical procedures, which is negatively impacting the demand for some of our products and services.

INFORMATION RELATED TO BUSINESS SEGMENTS

Our chief operating decision maker is our President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”). The CEO is responsible for performance assessment and resource allocation. The CEO regularly receives discrete financial information about each reportable segment and uses this information to assess performance and allocate resources. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements titled, “Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” of this Annual Report.

HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS SEGMENT

Description of Business. Our Healthcare Products segment provides a broad portfolio of infection prevention, procedural and GI solutions including: consumable products, equipment maintenance and installation services, and capital equipment to acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and GI clinics. These solutions aid our Customers in improving the safety, quality, productivity, and utility consumption of their surgical, sterile processing, gastrointestinal, and emergency environments.

Products Offered. Our solutions include cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products, accessories for GI procedures, washers, sterilizers and other pieces of capital equipment essential to the operations of a sterile processing department ("SPD") and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, equipment management services, and connectivity solutions.

Services Offered. Our Healthcare Products segment service associates install, maintain, upgrade, repair, and troubleshoot capital equipment throughout the world. We offer various preventive maintenance programs and repair services to support the effective operation of capital equipment over its lifetime.

Customer Concentration. Our Healthcare Products segment sells consumables, services and capital equipment, to Customers in many countries throughout the world. For the year ended March 31, 2020, no Customer represented more than 10% of the Healthcare Product segment's total revenues.

Competition. We compete with a number of large companies that have significant product portfolios and global reach, as well as a number of small companies with very limited product offerings and operations in one or a limited number of countries. On a product basis, competitors include 3M, Belimed, Cantel Medical, Ecolab, Getinge, Hill-Rom, Fortive, Stryker and Skytron.

HEALTHCARE SPECIALTY SERVICES SEGMENT

Description of Business. Our Healthcare Specialty Services segment provides a range of solutions and managed services including: hospital sterilization services and instrument and scope repairs to acute care hospitals and other healthcare settings that aid our Customers in improving the safety, quality and productivity of their operations.

Services Offered. Our Healthcare Specialty Services segment provides comprehensive instrument and endoscope repair and maintenance solutions (on-site or at one of our dedicated facilities), custom process improvement consulting and outsourced instrument sterile processing (on-site at the hospital and in off-site reprocessing centers).

Customer Concentration. Our Healthcare Specialty Services segment offers an array of services to Customers in many countries throughout the world. For the year ended March 31, 2020, no Customer represented more than 10% of the Healthcare Specialty Services segment's total revenues.

Competition. We compete with a number of large companies that have significant product portfolios and global reach, as well as a number of small companies with very limited service offerings and operations in one or a limited number of countries. On a service line basis, competitors include BBraun, Berendsen plc, CleanLease (Clean Lease Fortex), Karl Storz, Mobile, Northfield, Olympus, Owens & Minor, Pentax, Rentex Awé and Rentex Floren and Sterilog Limited.

LIFE SCIENCES SEGMENT

Description of Business. Our Life Sciences segment designs, manufactures and sells consumable products, equipment maintenance, specialty services and capital equipment primarily to pharmaceutical manufacturers around the world.

Products Offered. These solutions include formulated cleaning chemistries, barrier products, sterility assurance products, steam and vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilizers and washer disinfectors.

Services Offered. Our Life Sciences segment service associates install, maintain, upgrade, repair, and troubleshoot equipment throughout the world. We offer various preventive maintenance programs and repair services to support the effective operation of capital equipment over its lifetime.

Customer Concentration. Our Life Sciences segment sells consumables, services and capital equipment, to Customers in many countries throughout the world. For the year ended March 31, 2020, no Customer represented more than 10% of the Life Sciences segment’s total revenues.

Competition. Our Life Sciences segment operates in highly regulated environments where the most intense competition results from technological innovations, product performance, convenience and ease of use, and overall cost-effectiveness. We compete for pharmaceutical Customers with a number of large companies that have significant product portfolios and global reach, as well as a number of small companies with very limited product offerings and operations in one or a limited number of countries. Competitors include Belimed, Ecolab, Fedegari, Getinge, MECO, Stilmas, and Techniplast.

APPLIED STERILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES SEGMENT

Description of Business. Our Applied Sterilization Technologies ("AST") segment provides contract sterilization and testing services for medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers. As a technology neutral service provider, we offer unbiased technology assessments dependent on the individual requirements of each product. Our Customers are primarily medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Services Offered. We offer a wide range of sterilization modalities as well as an array of testing services that complements the manufacturing of sterile products. Our locations are in major population centers and core distribution corridors throughout the

Americas, Europe and Asia. Our technical services group supports Customers in all phases of product development, materials testing, and process validation.

Customer Concentration. Our Applied Sterilization Technologies segment’s services are offered to Customers throughout the world. For the year ended March 31, 2020, no Customer represented more than 10% of the segment’s revenues.

Competition. Applied Sterilization Technologies operates in a highly regulated industry and competes with Sterigenics International, Inc., other smaller contract sterilization companies and manufacturers that sterilize products in-house.

INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO OUR BUSINESS IN GENERAL

Sources and Availability of Raw Materials. We purchase raw materials, sub-assemblies, components, and other supplies needed in our operations from numerous suppliers in the United States and internationally. The principal raw materials and supplies used in our operations include stainless and carbon steel, organic and inorganic chemicals, fuel, and plastic components. These raw materials and supplies are generally available from several suppliers and in sufficient quantities that we do not currently expect any significant sourcing problems in fiscal 2021. We have long-term supply contracts for certain materials for which there are few suppliers, or those that are single-sourced in certain regions of the world, such as EO and cobalt-60, which are necessary to our AST operations. In addition, we have developed a plan to expand our irradiation processing capacity with accelerator-based technologies, which may reduce the potential supply risk.

Intellectual Property. We protect our technology and products by, among other means, obtaining United States and foreign patents. There can be no assurance, however, that any patent will provide adequate protection for the technology, system, product, service, or process it covers. In addition, the process of obtaining and protecting patents can be long and expensive. We also rely upon trade secrets, technical know-how, and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position.

As of March 31, 2020, we held approximately 410 United States patents and approximately 1,640 in other jurisdictions and had approximately 145 United States patent applications and 360 patent applications pending in other jurisdictions. Patents for individual products extend for varying periods according to the date of filing or grant and legal term of patents in various countries where a patent is obtained. The actual protection a patent provides varies from country to country and depends in part upon the type of patent, the scope of its coverage, and the availability of legal remedies in each country.

Our products are sold around the world under various brand names and trademarks. We consider our brand names and trademarks to be valuable in the marketing of our products. As of March 31, 2020, we had a total of approximately 1,430 trademark registrations worldwide.

Quality Assurance. We manufacture, assemble, and package products in several countries. Each of our production facilities are dedicated to particular processes and products. Our success depends upon Customer confidence in the quality of our production process and the integrity of the data that supports our product safety and effectiveness. We have implemented quality assurance procedures to support the quality and integrity of scientific information and production processes.

Government Regulation. Our business is subject to various degrees of governmental regulation in the countries in which we operate. In the United States, the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”), and other governmental authorities regulate the development, manufacture, sale, and distribution of our products and services. Our international operations also are subject to a significant amount of government regulation, including country-specific rules and regulations and U.S. regulations applicable to our international operations. Government regulations include detailed inspection of, and controls over, research and development, clinical investigations, product approvals and manufacturing, marketing and promotion, sampling, distribution, record-keeping, storage, and disposal practices.

Compliance with applicable regulations is a significant expense for us. Past, current or future regulations, their interpretation, or their application could have a material adverse impact on our operations. Also, additional governmental regulation may be passed that could prevent, delay, revoke, or result in the rejection of regulatory clearance of our products. We cannot predict the effect on our operations resulting from current or future governmental regulation or the interpretation or application of these regulations.

If we fail to comply with any applicable regulatory requirements, sanctions could be imposed on us. For more information about the risks we face regarding regulatory requirements, see Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report titled, "Risk Factors". We are subject to extensive regulatory requirements and must receive and maintain regulatory clearance or approval for many products and operations. Failure to receive or maintain, or delays in receiving, clearance or approvals may hurt our revenues, profitability, financial condition, or value.

In the past, we have received warning letters, paid civil penalties, conducted product recalls and field corrections, and been subject to other regulatory sanctions. We believe that we are currently compliant in all material respects with applicable

regulatory requirements. However, there can be no assurance that future or current regulatory, governmental, or private action will not have a material adverse affect on us or on our performance, results, or financial condition.

Environmental Matters. We are subject to various laws and governmental regulations concerning environmental matters and employee safety and health in Ireland, the United States and other countries. We have made, and continue to make, significant investments to comply with these laws and regulations. We cannot predict the future capital expenditures or operating costs required to comply with environmental laws and regulations. We believe that we are currently compliant with applicable environmental, health, and safety requirements in all material respects. However, there can be no assurance that future or current regulatory, governmental, or private action will not have a material adverse affect on our performance, results, or financial condition. Please refer to Note 10 of our consolidated financial statements titled, "Commitments and Contingencies" for further information.

In the future, if a loss contingency related to environmental matters, employee safety, health or conditional asset retirement obligations is significantly greater than the current estimated amount, we would record a liability for the obligation and it may result in a material impact on net income for the annual or interim period during which the liability is recorded. The investigation and remediation of environmental obligations generally occur over an extended period of time, and therefore we do not know if these events would have a material adverse affect on our financial condition, liquidity, or cash flow, nor can there be any assurance that such liabilities would not have a material adverse affect on our performance, results, or financial condition.

Competition. The markets in which we operate are highly competitive and generally highly regulated. Competition is intense in all of our business segments and includes many large and small competitors. Brand, design, quality, safety, ease of use, serviceability, price, product features, warranty, delivery, service, and technical support are important competitive factors to us. We expect to face continued competition in the future as new infection prevention, sterile processing, contamination control, gastrointestinal and surgical support products and services enter the market. We believe many organizations are working with a variety of technologies and sterilizing agents. Also, a number of companies have developed disposable medical instruments and other devices designed to address the risk of contamination.

We believe that our long-term competitive position depends on our success in discovering, developing, and marketing innovative, cost-effective products and services. We devote significant resources to research and development efforts and we believe STERIS is positioned as a global competitor in the search for technological innovations. In addition to research and development, we invest in quality control, Customer programs, distribution systems, technical services, and other information services.

There can be no assurance that we will develop significant new products or services, or that the new products or services we provide or develop in the future will be more commercially successful than those provided or developed by our competitors. In addition, some of our existing or potential competitors may have greater resources than us. Therefore, a competitor may succeed in developing and commercializing products more rapidly than we do. Competition, as it relates to our business segments and product categories, is discussed in more detail in the section above titled, “Information Related to Business Segments.”

Employees. As of March 31, 2020, we had approximately 13,000 employees throughout the world including certain locations subject to collective bargaining agreements and works council representation. We believe we generally have good relations with our employees.

Methods of Distribution. Sales and service activities are supported by a staff of regionally based clinical specialists, system planners, corporate account managers, and in-house Customer service and field support departments. We also contract with distributors and dealers in select markets.

Customer training is important to our business. We provide a variety of courses at Customer locations, at our training and education centers, and over the internet. Our training programs help Customers understand the science, technology, and operation of our products and services. Many of our operator training programs are approved by professional certifying organizations and offer continuing education credits to eligible course participants.

Seasonality. Our financial results have been, from time to time, subject to seasonal patterns. We cannot assure you that these patterns will continue.

Backlog. We define backlog as the amount of unfilled capital equipment purchase orders at a point in time. At March 31, 2020, we had a backlog of $242.5 million. Of this amount, $170.1 million and $72.4 million related to our Healthcare Products and Life Sciences segments, respectively. At March 31, 2019, we had backlog orders of $215.2 million. Of this amount, $154.5 million and $60.7 million related to our Healthcare Products and Life Sciences segments, respectively.

Availability of Securities and Exchange Commission Filings. We make available free of charge on or through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to

these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). You may access these documents, as well as other SEC filings related to the Company, on the Investor Relations page of our website at http://www.steris-ir.com. You may also obtain copies of these documents by accessing the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The content on or accessible through any website referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K unless expressly noted.

We also make available free of charge on our website our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Director Code of Ethics, and our Code of Business Conduct, as well as the Charters of the Audit Committee, the Compensation and Organization Development Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee, and the Compliance Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table presents certain information regarding our executive officers at March 31, 2020. All executive officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

Name		Age		Position
Karen L. Burton		52		Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
Daniel A. Carestio		47		Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Cary L. Majors		45		Senior Vice President, North America Commercial Operations
Walter M Rosebrough, Jr.		66		President and Chief Executive Officer
Renato G. Tamaro		51		Vice President and Corporate Treasurer
Michael J. Tokich		51		Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
J. Adam Zangerle		53		Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary

The following discussion provides a summary of each executive officer's recent business experience through March 31, 2020:

Karen L. Burton serves as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. She assumed this role in January 2017. She served as Vice President, Corporate Controller from May 2008 to January 2017.

Daniel A. Carestio serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He assumed this role in August 2018. From February 2018 to August 2018 he served as Senior Vice President, Sterilization and Disinfection. From August 2015 to February 2018, he served as Senior Vice President, STERIS Applied Sterilization Technologies and Life Sciences. From 2011 to August 2015, he served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Isomedix Services and General Manager of Life Sciences.

Cary L. Majors serves as Senior Vice President, North America Commercial Operations. He assumed this role in August 2019. From April 2014 to August 2019 he served as Vice President, North America Commercial Operations.

Walter M Rosebrough, Jr. serves as President and Chief Executive Officer. He assumed this role when he joined STERIS in October 2007. Mr. Rosebrough is also a Director of STERIS plc and Varex Imaging Corporation.

Renato G. Tamaro serves as Vice President and Corporate Treasurer. He assumed this role in August 2017. From March 2006 to July 2017, he served as Assistant Treasurer.

Michael J. Tokich serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He assumed this role in August 2017. From February 2014 to July 2017, he served as the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

J. Adam Zangerle serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary. He assumed this role in July 2018. From July 2013 to July 2018 he served as Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary.