UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule 14a-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED
IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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þ
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Check the appropriate box:
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þ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
o | Definitive Additional Materials |
o | Soliciting Material Pursuant to ss.240.14a-12 |
AMPAL-AMERICAN ISRAEL CORPORATION |
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter) |
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) |
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): | ||
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AMPAL-AMERICAN
ISRAEL CORPORATION
111 ARLOZOROV STREET
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL 62098
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
Dear
Shareholder:
You
are cordially invited to attend the annual meeting (the Annual Meeting) of
the shareholders of Ampal-American Israel Corporation (the Company or Ampal)
which will be held at the offices of Bryan Cave LLP, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 35th
floor, New York, NY 10104, on September 28, 2005, at 10:00 a.m., local time, to consider
and act upon the following matters:
1. |
To
elect seven (7) directors to the Board of Directors of the Company to hold office for
one year terms and until their respective successors shall be elected and qualified; |
2. |
To
ratify the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman, a member firm of
PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, as the independent registered public
accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005; and |
3. |
To
transact such other business as may properly come before said meeting or any
adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof. |
Information
regarding the matters to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting is contained in the
accompanying Proxy Statement.
The
Board of Directors of the Company has fixed the close of business on September 6, 2005
as the record date for determining the shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof.
Please
vote, date, sign and mail the enclosed Proxy in the return envelope. You will not need
postage if you mail it from within the United States. A prompt response will be
helpful and appreciated.
By Order of the Board of Directors, | ||
JACK BIGIO | ||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Tel Aviv,
Israel
September 12, 2005
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE VOTE, DATE, SIGN AND MAIL PROMPTLY THE ENCLOSED PROXY, FOR WHICH A RETURN ENVELOPE IS PROVIDED, EVEN IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING. NO POSTAGE IS REQUIRED IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. |
AMPAL-AMERICAN ISRAEL CORPORATION
PROXY
STATEMENT
for
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
This
Proxy Statement is being furnished to the holders of Class A Stock, par value $1.00 per
share (the Class A Stock), of Ampal-American Israel Corporation (the Company or
Ampal) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of
Directors (the Board or Board of Directors) for use at the
annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held on September 28, 2005, and
at any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof (the Annual Meeting). The
mailing address of our principal executive office is 111 Arlozorov Street, Tel Aviv,
Israel 62098. This Proxy Statement and enclosed proxy card are first being mailed to
the shareholders of the Company entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting on or about
September 12, 2005. In an effort to present the information contained in this Proxy
Statement in a clear manner, the Company has decided to use a question and answer format.
Q: | What
am I voting on? |
Election
of Ampals seven directors for one-year terms, and ratification of the appointment
of Kesselman & Kesselman, a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International
Limited (Kesselman & Kesselman), as the independent registered public
accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005.
Q: | Who
is entitled to vote? |
Holders
of the Class A Stock as of the close of business on September 6, 2005 (the Record
Date) are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. As of such
date, the Company had 19,986,191 shares of Class A Stock outstanding (excluding treasury
shares). Each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each share of Class A Stock held
on the Record Date. The Class A Stock does not have cumulative voting rights.
Q: | How
can I get a copy of Ampals annual report on Form 10-K? |
Upon
request, the Company will provide, without charge to any shareholder entitled to vote at
the Annual Meeting, a copy of Ampals annual report on Form 10-K to the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the SEC) for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2004. Such request should be made to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown
on the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Companys
annual report on Form 10-K, as well as its other filings with the SEC, are available via
the Internet at the Company's website at http://www.ampal.com and at the SECs
website at http://www.sec.gov.
Q: | How
can I review Ampals financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2004? |
A
copy of Ampals 2004 annual report on Form 10-K containing the Companys
audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 has been mailed
with this Proxy Statement to all holders of Class A Stock entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting on or about September 12, 2005.
Q: | Who
are the principal shareholders of Ampal and how will they vote? |
As
of the Record Date, Y.M. Noy Investments Ltd. (Noy) was the holder of
approximately 58.79% of the outstanding Class A Stock. Noy is the only holder of more
than 5% of the Class A Stock known to the Company. (See page 16 for more details
regarding the principal shareholders.) Noy has advised the Company that it will vote
in favor of the Boards slate of nominees for directors and in favor of the
ratification of the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman as the independent
registered public accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending December
31, 2005.
Q: |
Who
is bearing the cost of preparing this Proxy Statement? |
The
cost of preparing, assembling and mailing the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders,
this Proxy Statement and the proxy card is being borne by the Company. The Company will
also reimburse brokers who are holders of record of shares of the Company for their
expenses in forwarding proxies and proxy soliciting material to the beneficial owners
of the shares held by them.
Q. |
Besides
shareholders, who else will attend the Annual Meeting? |
Some
of the directors of Ampal, senior management of Ampal and representatives of Mellon
Investor Services, the Companys transfer agent, will be present at the Annual
Meeting. Additionally, representatives of Kesselman & Kesselman, whom the Board has
nominated to be its independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2005, are expected to be present, will have an opportunity to make a
statement if they desire to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate
questions from shareholders.
Q: |
What
constitutes a quorum? |
The
holders of record of one-third of the outstanding Class A Stock entitled to vote at any
meeting of shareholders shall constitute a quorum for the Annual Meeting. Since as of
the Record Date 19,986,191 shares of Class A Stock were outstanding (excluding treasury
shares), a quorum equals 6,662,064 shares of Class A Stock. All votes will be
tabulated by the inspector of elections appointed for the meeting. The inspector of
elections will also determine whether or not a quorum is present.
Q: |
How
do I vote using the proxy? |
Sign
your name exactly as it appears in the proxy, and return it in the enclosed prepaid
envelope. IF YOU SIGN YOUR PROXY BUT DO NOT INDICATE YOUR VOTING PREFERENCES, YOUR
VOTE WILL BE COUNTED FOR ALL OF THE BOARDS NOMINEES FOR DIRECTORS AND THE
RATIFICATION OF THE COMPANYS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM. THE
PROXIES, IN THEIR DISCRETION, ARE AUTHORIZED TO VOTE UPON ANY OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY
PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE ANNUAL MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT(S) OR POSTPONEMENT(S) THEREOF.
Q: |
May
I revoke my proxy? |
A
proxy may be revoked at any time before it is exercised at the Annual Meeting by
notifying the Companys Secretary in writing or by returning a later-dated proxy.
You may also revoke your proxy by voting in person at the meeting (although your
attendance at the Annual Meeting will not in and of itself constitute revocation of a
proxy).
2
Q: |
How
many votes are needed for the election of a director? |
The
election of a nominee director requires a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of
shares entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Proxies cannot be voted for a greater
number of persons than the number of nominees listed in the Proxy Statement. The Board
of Directors of Ampal unanimously recommends the election of the following persons to
the Board of Directors: Yosef A. Maiman, Jack Bigio, Leo Malamud, Dr. Joseph
Yerushalmi, Yehuda Karni, Eitan Haber and Menahem Morag. Set forth below is information
about each nominee, including biographical data for at least the last five years.
Q: |
How
many votes are needed for the ratification of the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman
as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2005? |
The
ratification of the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman as the independent
registered public accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31,
2005 requires a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of shares entitled to vote at
the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors of Ampal unanimously recommends the
ratification of the appointment of Kesselman & Kesselman as the Companys
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31,
2005.
Q: |
Can
I abstain? |
Yes,
however, abstentions and broker non-votes (i.e., shares held by a broker or
nominee which are represented at the meeting, but with respect to which the broker or
nominee is not empowered to vote on a particular matter) will be counted for purposes
of determining a quorum but will not have any effect on the election of directors or the
ratification of the appointment of the Companys independent registered public
accounting firm. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast for
or against any other matter which may properly come before and be voted upon at the
meeting.
Q: |
Will
any other matters be brought before the Annual Meeting? |
Management
does not presently know of any other matters which will be brought before the Annual
Meeting. If, however, other matters requiring the vote of the shareholders, not now
known or contemplated, do properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or
postponement thereof, it is the intention of the persons named in the proxy to vote the
proxies held by them in accordance with their judgment in such matters.
THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RELATE TO THE NOMINEES FOR
ELECTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Q: |
How
many directors does Ampal have? |
The
Companys By-Laws provide that the entire Board shall be constituted of not less
than three and not more than 29 persons, with the actual number serving set by the
Board. In connection with the nomination of the persons listed below to the Board of
Directors, the Board set the number of directors at 7. The Board recommends that the
shareholders elect the seven persons nominated by the Board.
3
Q: |
Who
recommended the Companys slate of nominees? |
All
of the nominees for directors were nominated by the Board and recommended by management.
Q: |
Who
are the Boards nominees for directors? |
The
following is a description of each of the nominees for director setting forth their
ages, their principal occupations and employment during the past five years and their
tenure on the Board.
Name | Age | ||
Yosef A. Maiman | 59 | Chairman of the Board
and Director |
|
Jack Bigio | 39 | President, Chief Executive
Officer and Director |
|
Leo Malamud | 53 | Director | |
Dr. Joseph Yerushalmi | 67 | Director | |
Yehuda Karni | 76 | Director | |
Eitan Haber | 65 | Director | |
Menahem Morag | 54 | Director |
YOSEF
A. MAIMAN has been the Chairman of the Board of Ampal since April 25, 2002. Mr. Maiman
has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Merhav M.N.F. Ltd. (Merhav),
one of the largest international project development companies based in Israel, since
its founding in 1975. Mr. Maiman is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of
Channel Ten, a commercial television station in Israel, the Chairman of the Board of
Eltek Ltd. (Eltek), a developer and manufacturer of printed circuit boards,
a member of the Board of Directors of the Middle East Task Force of the New York
Council on Foreign Relations, Honorary Consul to Israel of Peru and Special Ambassador
for the Government of Turkmenistan. Mr. Maiman is also member of the Board of Trustees
of Tel Aviv University, Chairman of the Israeli Board of the Jaffee Center for Strategic
Studies at Tel Aviv University, a member of the Board of Governors of Ben Gurion
University, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Policy
Institute for Counter Terrorism.
JACK
BIGIO, has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ampal since April 25, 2002,
and a director of Ampal since March 2002. From 1998 until April 2002, Mr. Bigio held
various officer positions at Merhav, most recently as the Senior Vice President -
Operations and Finance. Mr. Bigio is also a director of Eltek.
LEO
MALAMUD has been a director of Ampal since March 2002. Since 1996, Mr. Malamud has
served as the Senior Vice President of Merhav. Mr. Malamud is also a director of Eltek.
Dr.
JOSEPH YERUSHALMI has been Senior Vice President - Head of Energy and Infrastructure
Projects of Merhav since 1995. He has been a director of Ampal since August 16, 2002.
4
YEHUDA
KARNI was a senior partner in the law firm of Firon Karni Sarov & Firon, from 1961
until his retirement in 2000. He has been a director of Ampal since August 16, 2002.
EITAN
HABER was the Head of Bureau for the former Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin,
from July 1993 until November 1995. Since 1996, Mr. Haber has been the President and
Chief Executive Officer of Geopol Ltd., which represents the Korean conglomerate Samsung
in Israel and the Middle East; Kavim Ltd., a production and project development
company; and Adar Real Estate Ltd., a real estate company. Mr. Haber is also a member of
various non-profit organizations. He has been a director of Ampal since August 16,
2002.
MENAHEM
MORAG has been a director of Ampal since January 27, 2004. From 1996 to 1999,
Mr. Morag was the Head of Finance and Budget at the Israeli Prime Minister's office
in Tel Aviv. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Morag was the Controller and Ombudsman at the
Israeli Prime Minister's office in Tel Aviv. From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Morag was
the Head of the Human Resources Department at the Israeli Prime Minister's office
in Tel Aviv. Since 2003, Mr. Morag has been the Head of the Council of the
Pensioners Association of the Israeli Prime Minister's office in Tel Aviv.
Q: |
What
happens if a nominee becomes unavailable for election? |
In
case any nominee should become unavailable for election to the Board for any reason,
which is presently neither known nor contemplated, the persons named in the proxy will
have discretionary authority in that instance to vote the proxies for a substitute.
Q: |
How
long will each director serve? |
Each
director will serve for a term of one year and until his successor shall be elected and
qualified.
Q: |
What
type of compensation do directors receive? |
Directors
of Ampal (other than Mr. Bigio) receive $1,500 per meeting of the Board attended. The
Chairman of the Board receives $2,000 per meeting of the Board attended. Such persons
also receive the same amount for attendance at meetings of committees of the Board,
provided that such committee meetings are on separate days and on a day other than the
day of a regularly scheduled Board meeting. The compensation of the members of the
Special Committee of the Board is set forth below on page 10.
On
August 16, 2002, each of Yehuda Karni and Eitan Haber, each of whom is a non-employee
director of the Company, were issued 15,000 options under the 2000 Plan (as hereinafter
defined) to purchase shares of Class A Stock of the Company at an exercise price of
$3.12 per share, the closing price of the Class A Stock as reported on the Nasdaq
National Market (Nasdaq) on the date of issuance. On August 16, 2002, Dr.
Joseph Yerushalmi and Leo Malamud, each of whom is a non-employee director of the
Company, were issued 100,000 and 150,000 options, respectively, under the 2000 Plan to
purchase shares of Class A Stock of the Company at an exercise price of $3.12 per share,
the closing price of the Class A Stock as reported on Nasdaq on the date of issuance.
On March 24, 2004, Menahem Morag, who is a non-employee director of the Company, was
issued 15,000 options under the 2000 Plan to purchase shares of Class A Stock of the
Company at an exercise price of $3.13 per share, the closing price of the Class A Stock
as reported on Nasdaq on the date of issuance.
5
Q: |
Does
the Board of Directors have any committees? |
Yes.
The Board of Directors has the following standing committees: Audit Committee, Executive
Committee and Stock Option and Compensation Committee. The Board will elect new
members to the committees following the Annual Meeting. On October 31, 2004, Michael
Arnon passed away. Prior to his death, Mr. Arnon served as a member of the Board, the
Audit Committee, the Stock Option and Compensation Committee and the Special Committee
of the Board. The current members, activities and functions of the various committees
are set forth below.
Because
Noy owns more than 50% of the voting power of the Company, the Company is deemed to be a
controlled company under the rules of Nasdaq. As a result, the Company is
exempt from the Nasdaq rules that require listed companies to have (i) a majority of
independent directors on the Board, (ii) a compensation committee and nominating
committee composed solely of independent directors, (iii) the compensation of executive
officers determined by a majority of independent directors or a compensation committee
composed solely of independent directors and (iv) a majority of the independent
directors or a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors elect or
recommend director nominees for selection by the Board.
Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics
The
Company has adopted a (i) Code of Ethics for the Company's Senior Financial
Officers and (ii) Code of Conduct applicable to all of the Company's employees and
directors. These codes are designed to both insure that the Company's business is
conducted in a consistently legal and ethical manner, and address specific areas of
professional conduct, including conflicts of interest, fair dealing and the strict
adherence to all laws and regulations applicable to the conduct of the Company's
business. Copies of the Companys Code of Ethics for Senior
Financial Officers and Code of Conduct are available on the Companys website at
www.ampal.com.
Communications
Between Shareholders and the Board of Directors
Shareholders
and other interested persons seeking to communicate with the Board should submit any
communications in writing to the Company's Secretary at the following address:
Ampal-American Israel Corporation, 111 Arlozorov Street, Tel Aviv, Israel 62098. Any
such communication must state the number of shares beneficially owned by the
shareholder making the communication. The Company's Secretary will forward such
communication to the Board or to any individual director or directors to whom the
communication is directed.
Policy
Governing Director Nominations
As
stated above, because Noy own more than 50% of the voting power in the Company, the
Company is deemed to be a "controlled company" under the Nasdaq rules.
Because the Company is a "controlled company", the Board has decided not to
establish a separate nominating committee or implement formal rules that would govern
director nominations from shareholders and each member of the Board participates in the
consideration of director nominees. In the event of any vacancy on the Board, or in the
event that the Board is to be expanded, the Board will determine at such time the
appropriate procedures for filling the vacancy or additional position. The Board may
decide at such time to authorize a committee of the Board of Directors to conduct the
search for a director and to recommend nominations to the full Board of Directors.
6
Minimum
Qualifications. The Company does not set specific criteria for directors except to the
extent required to meet applicable legal, regulatory and stock exchange requirements,
including, but not limited to, the independence requirements of Nasdaq and the SEC, as
applicable. Nominees for director will be selected on the basis of outstanding
achievement in such persons career; board experience; wisdom; integrity; ability
to make independent, analytical inquiries; understanding of the business environment;
and willingness to devote adequate time to the Board duties. While the selection of
qualified directors is a complex and subjective process that requires consideration of
many intangible factors, the Board believes that each director should have a basic
understanding of (i) principal operational and financial objectives as well as plans
and strategies of the Company, (ii) results of operations and financial condition of the
Company and of any significant subsidiaries and investee companies, and (iii) the
relative standing of the Company, its business segments and investee companies in
relation to it competitors.
The Board also
may consider (i) whether a candidate would be deemed to be "independent" under
the applicable laws, rules and regulations of Nasdaq and the SEC, as applicable, (ii)
whether the candidate's existing business commitments would interfere with the
candidate's ability to devote sufficient time to discharge his or her duties as a
director and (ii) the input of Noy, the Company's majority shareholder.
Audit
Committee
The
Audit Committee currently consists of Messrs. Karni, Haber and Morag, each of whom is an
independent director as defined under the rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers and the rules promulgated by the SEC. The Board has determined
that Mr. Morag is an audit committee financial expert for purposes of the
rules promulgated by the SEC. The Audit Committee held seven meetings and did not act
by written consent during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
The
Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee managements
conduct of the Companys financial reporting process, including the review of the
financial reports and other financial information provided by the Company to any
governmental or regulatory body, the public or other users thereof, the Companys
systems of internal accounting and financial controls, and the annual independent audit
of the Companys financial statements. The Audit Committee also has the duty and
responsibility of approving all transactions between the Company, on the one hand, and
any officer, director, or affiliate thereof, on the other hand, or any transaction in
which any officer, director or affiliate has a material interest. A full description of
the Audit Committee's primary responsibilities is contained in the Audit Committee's
written charter, a copy of which was filed as Appendix A to the Companys proxy
statement for its annual meeting of shareholders in 2005 and is also available on the
Companys website at http://www.ampal.com.
7
Report of the Audit Committee
To the Board of Directors of Ampal-American Israel Corporation:
We
have reviewed and discussed with management the Companys audited financial
statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2004. |
We
have discussed with Kesselman & Kesselman the matters required to be discussed by
Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, Communication with Audit Committees, as amended. |
We
have received the written disclosures and the letter from Kesselman & Kesselman
required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, Independence Discussions with
Audit Committees, as amended, and have discussed with them their independence from the
Company and management. |
Based
on the reviews and discussions referred to above, we recommended to the Board of
Directors that the audited financial statements referred to above be included in the
Companys annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. |
AUDIT COMMITTEE | |
Yehuda Karni, Chairman | |
Eitan Haber | |
Menahem Morag |
Audit
Fees: The fees of Kesselman & Kesselman for professional services rendered for the
audit of the Companys annual financial statements for the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003 and reviewing the financial statements included
in the Companys quarterly reports on Form 10-Q were $267,000 and $223,000,
respectively.
Tax
Fees: Kesselman & Kesselmans tax fees for the fiscal years ended December 31,
2004 and December 31, 2003, were $100,000 and $103,600, respectively.
All
Other Fees: Kesselman & Kesselmans fees for other services for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, were $42,800 and $49,200,
respectively.
All
of the services provided by our principal accounting firm described above under the
captions Audit Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees were
approved by our Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has determined that the rendering
of professional services described above by Kesselman & Kesselman is compatible with
maintaining the independent registered public accounting firms independence.
Audit
Committee Pre-Approval Policies
The
Companys Audit Committee Charter provides that the Audit Committee shall approve
in advance all audit services and all non-audit services provided by the independent
registered public accounting firm based on policies and procedures developed by the
Audit Committee from time to time. The Audit Committee will not approve any non-audit
services prohibited by applicable SEC regulations or any services in connection with a
transaction initially recommended by the independent registered
8
public
accounting firm, the purpose of which may be tax avoidance and the tax treatment of
which may not be supported by the Internal Revenue Code and related regulations.
Our
Audit Committee requires that our independent registered public accounting firm, in
conjunction with our Chief Financial Officer, be responsible for seeking pre-approval
for providing services to us and that any request for pre-approval must inform the Audit
Committee about each service to be provided and must provide detail as to the
particular service to be provided.
Executive
Committee
The
Executive Committee meets as necessary between regularly scheduled meetings of the Board
and, consistent with certain statutory limitations, exercises all authority of the
Board. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the Executive Committee of the
Board was composed of the following individuals: Jack Bigio, Leo Malamud, Dr. Joseph
Yerushalmi and Yehuda Karni.
The
Executive Committee held one meeting and did not act by written consent during the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
Stock Option
and Compensation Committee
The
Stock Option and Compensation Committee administers the Companys stock option
plans and other option grants and determines the Companys policies regarding
executive compensation. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 the members of
the Stock Option and Compensation Committee were Yehuda Karni, Eitan Haber and Menahem
Morag. The Stock Option and Compensation Committee held one meeting and did not act by
written consent during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
9
Report of the Stock Option and Compensation Committee
The
Stock Option and Compensation Committee's executive compensation policy strives to
provide compensation rewards based upon both corporate and individual performance while
maintaining a relatively simple compensation program in order to avoid the
administrative costs which the Stock Option and Compensation Committee believes are
inherent in multiple complex compensation plans and agreements. |
The
determination of compensation ranges for executive officers reflect a review of
salaries and bonuses for executive officers holding similar positions in companies of
relatively comparable size and orientation. However, in making compensation decisions,
the Stock Option and Compensation Committee remains cognizant of the Board of
Directors' responsibility to enhance shareholder value. The Stock Option and
Compensation Committee utilizes cash bonuses, when it feels a bonus is merited, based
on factors such as an executive's individual performance. The Company has available a
long-term incentive for executives to both remain in the employ of the Company and to
strive to maximize shareholder value through the 1998 Plan (as hereinafter defined) and
2000 Plan, which aligns the interests of executives with those of shareholders. |
Determination
of Jack Bigios compensation as the Company's Chief Executive Officer for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 reflects a comparison with chief executive officer
compensation of companies of relatively comparable size and orientation, but also
reflects recognition of Mr. Bigios ongoing contribution to the growth, success and
profitability of the Company. On August 16, 2002, Mr. Bigio was granted 150,000 options
pursuant to the 2000 Plan to purchase shares of Class A Stock of the Company at an
exercise price of $3.12 per share, the closing price of the Class A Stock as reported
on Nasdaq on the date of issuance. These options vest in equal installments of 9,375
shares beginning on November 16, 2002 and each three month anniversary thereafter,
except that a portion of the options may vest on an accelerated basis upon the
achievement of certain performance criteria. On October 28, 2004, Mr. Bigio was granted
280,000 options pursuant to the 2000 Plan to purchase shares of Class A Stock of the
Company at an exercise price of $3.50 per share, the closing price of the Class A Stock
as reported on Nasdaq on the date of issuance. These options vest in equal installments
of 17,500 shares beginning on January 28, 2005 and each three month anniversary
thereafter. In negotiating the number of shares subject to the option grant, the Stock
Option and Compensation Committee took into account the past option grants made to other
executive officers, Mr. Bigio's rank and responsibilities and Mr. Bigio's expected
contributions to the Company. In addition, the Stock Option and Compensation Committee
sought to provide a significant incentive for Mr. Bigio to enhance stockholder value. |
STOCK OPTION AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE | ||
Yehuda Karni, Chairman | ||
Eitan Haber | ||
Menahem Morag |
10
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
The
current members of the Stock Option and Compensation Committee are Mr. Yehuda Karni, Mr.
Eitan Haber and Mr. Menahem Morag, none of whom is an officer or employee or former
officer or employee of the Company or any subsidiaries. During 2004, no executive
officer of the Company served on the Stock Option and Compensation Committee, or the
Board of Directors of another entity whose executive officer(s) served on the Companys
Stock Option and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
Special
Committee of the Board
On
October 28, 2004, the Board formed a Special Committee of the Board composed
of Mr. Yehuda Karni, Mr. Eitan Haber, Mr. Menahem Morag and Mr. Michael Arnon
(prior to his death), each of whom is an independent director.
The
Board appointed the Special Committee of independent directors to consider
alternatives available to the Company to maximize shareholder value. The Special
Committee was formed in response to a suggestion from Mr. Yosef A. Maiman,
Chairman of the Board and controlling stockholder, that he is reviewing his
alternatives with regard to his investment in the Company.
In
connection with the formation of this Special Committee, the Company entered into an
Indemnification and Compensation Agreement with each of Messrs. Karni, Haber and Morag.
In consideration for serving as a member of the Special Committee, each of Messrs.
Karni, Haber and Morag shall receive from the Company a fee of $35,000 payable in seven
equal monthly installments beginning on October 28, 2004. Each of Messrs. Karni, Haber
and Morag shall also be entitled to receive from the Company a fee of $1,500 per each
meeting of the Special Committee he attends. In addition, the Company has agreed to
indemnify and hold harmless each of Messrs. Karni, Haber and Morag with respect to his
service on, and any matter or transaction considered by, the Special Committee to the
fullest extent authorized or permitted by law.
Q: |
Did
all directors attend all of the Board and Committee meetings in 2004? |
All
directors attended more than 75% of the aggregate of (1) the total number of meetings of
the Board held during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 for which such individual
was a director and (2) the total number of meetings held by all committees of the Board
on which such individual served in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 (during the
period of such service). In total, the Board held three regularly scheduled meetings
during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 and acted six times by written consent
during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
Although
the Company has no formal policy requiring director attendance at the Companys
Annual Meeting, the Chief Executive Officer, who is currently a member of the Board of
Directors, and the Chairman of the Board, are both encouraged to attend the Annual
Meeting. The other members of the Board of Directors are welcome to attend the Annual
Meeting. Last year, one director attended the Companys 2004 annual meeting of
shareholders.
Q: |
Who
are the Companys executive officers? |
Executive
officers are elected annually by the Board of Directors. The persons appointed by the
Board of Directors to serve as executive officers are described below. The descriptions
of Mr. Maiman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ampal, and Mr. Bigio, Chief
Executive Officer and President of Ampal, can be found above with the descriptions of
the nominees for the Board. The following is a
11
description of
the executive officers, other than Messrs. Maiman and Bigio, their ages, their positions
and offices with Ampal or its subsidiaries and their principal occupations and
employment during the past five years.
IRIT
ELUZ, 38, has been the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President - Finance and
Treasurer since October 2004. From May 2002 through October 2004 Ms. Eluz was
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Finance and Treasurer. From
January 2000 through April 2002, Ms. Eluz was the Associate Chief Financial
Officer of Merhav. From June 1995 through December 1999, Ms. Eluz was the Chief
Financial Officer of Kamor Group.
SHLOMO
SHALEV, 43, has been Senior Vice President - Investments since May 2002. From
August 1997 through April 2002, Mr. Shalev was Vice President in Ampal
Industries (Israel) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. From August
1994 through July 1997, Mr. Shalev was the Israeli Consul for Economic Affairs
in the northwest region of the United States.
YORAM
FIRON, 36, has been Secretary and Vice President - Investments and Corporate
Affairs since May 2002. During the preceding five years, Mr. Firon was a Vice
President of Merhav and a partner in the law firm of Firon Karni Sarov & Firon.
AMIT
MANTSUR, 35, has been Vice President Investments since March 2003. From
September 2000 through December 2002, Mr. Mantsur served at Alrov Group as Strategy
& Business Development Manager. From February 1997 through September 2000,
Mr. Mantsur was a projects manager at the Financial Advisory Services of KPMG Somekh
Chaikin.
GIORA
BAR-NIR, 48, has been Vice-President Accounting and Controller since October
2004. From March 2002 through October 2004, Mr. Bar Nir served as the Controller
of the Company. During the preceding five years, Mr. Bar-Nir was the Controller of
the Israeli subsidiaries of Ampal.
12
Q: |
How
are the Companys executives compensated? |
The
table below presents information regarding remuneration paid for services to Ampal
and its subsidiaries by the executive officers named below during the three
fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002.
Annual Compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||
Name
and Principal Position |
Year | Salaries
$ |
Bonus $ |
Other Annual Compensation(9) $ |
Long-Term Compensation Number of Securities Underlying Options(10) |
All Other Compensation(11) $ |
||||||||||||||
Yosef A. Maiman(1)(12) | 2004 | 606,409 | 364,604 | 6,091 | | 2,143 | ||||||||||||||
Chairman of the Board | 2003 | 506,849 | 155,953 | 25,570 | | 2,002 | ||||||||||||||
2002 | 324,376 | | 15,765 | 250,000 | 410 | |||||||||||||||
Jack Bigio(2)(12) | 2004 | 420,064 | 252,564 | 54,943 | 280,000 | 102,131 | ||||||||||||||
President and CEO | 2003 | 257,547 | 106,189 | 71,777 | | 88,389 | ||||||||||||||
2002 | 280,130 | 43,498 | 150,000 | 40,740 | ||||||||||||||||
Irit Eluz(3)(12) | 2004 | 219,980 | 132,332 | 32,732 | 280,000 | 49,349 | ||||||||||||||
CFO SVP Finance | 2003 | 183,959 | 55,698 | 39,631 | | 42,000 | ||||||||||||||
& Treasurer | 2002 | 100,993 | 21,959 | 78,500 | 21,735 | |||||||||||||||
Shlomo Shalev(6) | 2004 | 188,105 | 61,145 | 24,617 | 30,000 | 46,803 | ||||||||||||||
Senior Vice President | 2003 | 167,093 | 34,254 | 33,048 | | 41,712 | ||||||||||||||
-Investment | 2002 | 149,225 | 63,240 | 27,815 | 90,000 | 37,279 | ||||||||||||||
Yoram Firon(8)(12) | 2004 | 159,500 | 48,674 | 26,491 | 190,000 | 35,086 | ||||||||||||||
Secretary, Vice President | 2003 | 133,138 | 14,063 | 30,261 | 29,756 | |||||||||||||||
& Corporate Affairs | 2002 | 85,524 | 21,444 | 68,500 | 17,339 | |||||||||||||||
Dafna Sharir(4) | 2004 | 224,770 | 152,184 | 49,007 | | 600,156 | (5) | |||||||||||||
Senior Vice President | 2003 | 211,557 | 64,052 | 45,031 | | 48,041 | ||||||||||||||
Investments | 2002 | 116,192 | 25,726 | 90,000 | (7) | 25,069 |
(1) |
Mr.
Maiman has been employed by Ampal since April 25, 2002 as Chairman of the Board. |
(2) |
Mr.
Bigio has been employed by Ampal since April 25, 2002 as President and CEO. |
(3) |
Ms.
Eluz has been employed by Ampal since April 25, 2002. |
(4) |
Ms.
Sharir served as Senior Vice President Investments from April 25, 2002 until November
30, 2004. |
(5) |
On
November 30, 2004, the Company entered into an agreement with Ms. Sharir ,with
respect to the termination of her employment with the Company. Pursuant to the terms of
the agreement, Ms. Sharir's employment with the Company terminated as of November 30,
2004, and Ms. Sharir will receive from the Company all unpaid salary and a performance
bonus through the date of termination, as well as a lump sum amount equivalent to seven
months of her salary and other benefits. In addition, Ms. Sharir also agreed to
immediately terminate all of her options to purchase shares of Class A Stock of the
Company pursuant to an option cancellation agreement entered into by the Company and
Ms. Sharir. |
(6) |
Mr.
Shalev was appointed Senior Vice President of Investment on May 21, 2002. |
13
(7) |
On
November 30, 2004, Ms. Sharir agreed to immediately terminate all of her options to
purchase shares of Class A Stock of the Company pursuant to an option cancellation
agreement entered into by the Company and Ms. Sharir. |
(8) |
Mr.
Firon has been employed by Ampal since April 25, 2002. |
(9) |
Consists
of amounts reimbursed for the payment of taxes. |
(10) |
Represents
the number of shares of Class A Stock underlying options granted to the named executive
officers. |
(11) |
Comprised
of Ampal (Israels) contribution pursuant to: (1) Ampal (Israels) Pension
Plan, (ii) Ampal (Israels) education fund, (iii) use of car, (iv) use of mobile
and (v) final account settlement. |
(12) |
Eligible
to receive an additional payment of up to six months salary (i) in the event of a change
of control of the Company and (ii) such executive officer's employment is terminated
within six months from the date of the change of control of the Company. |
Q: |
How
many options do the executive officers own? |
Fiscal Year-End Option Values
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options at Fiscal Year End 2004 |
Unrealized Value of In-the-Money Options |
|||||||||||||
Exercisable | Unexercisable | Exercisable | Unexercisable | |||||||||||
Yosef A. Maiman | 140,625 | 109,375 | $ | 438,750 | $ | 341,250 | ||||||||
Jack Bigio | 84,375 | 345,625 | $ | 263,250 | $ | 1,184,750 | ||||||||
Irit Eluz | 44,156 | 314,344 | $ | 137,768 | $ | 1,087,153 | ||||||||
Shlomo Shalev | 50,625 | 69,375 | $ | 157,950 | $ | 227,850 | ||||||||
Yoram Firon | 38,531 | 219,969 | $ | 120,218 | $ | 758,503 |
Option Grants In Last Fiscal Year
The
following table sets forth certain information regarding stock options granted to
purchase our Class A Stock to our named executive officers during fiscal year 2004:
Name | Option Plan |
Number of Securities Underlying Option Granted |
% of
Total Options Granted to Employees in FiscalYear |
Exercise Price Per Share |
Expiration Date |
Potential Realizable Value
at Assumed Annual Rates of Stock Price Appreciation for Option Term |
||||||||||||||||||
5% | 10% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Jack Bigio | 2000 | 280,000 | 14 | % | $ | 3.50 | 10/27/2014 | $ | 616,317 | $ | 1,561,868 | |||||||||||||
Irit Eluz | 2000 | 280,000 | 14 | % | $ | 3.50 | 10/27/2014 | $ | 616,317 | $ | 1,561,868 | |||||||||||||
Shlomo Shalev | 2000 | 30,000 | 1 | % | $ | 3.50 | 10/27/2014 | $ | 66,034 | $ | 167,343 | |||||||||||||
Yoram Firon | 2000 | 190,000 | 9 | % | $ | 3.50 | 10/27/2014 | $ | 418,215 | $ | 1,059,839 |
14
Q: |
What
other benefits does the Company provide for its employees? |
Ampal
previously maintained a money purchase pension plan (Pension Plan) and
a savings plan ("Savings plan") for all full-time employees of Ampal
except non-resident aliens. In connection with the closing of Ampal's offices in New
York on March 31, 2004, the Pension Plan and the Savings Plan were terminated
effective December 31, 2004.
Q: |
Does
Ampal have an active stock option plan? |
In
March 1998, the Board approved a Long-Term Incentive Plan (''1998 Plan'') permitting
the granting of options to all employees, officers, directors and consultants of
the Company and its subsidiaries to purchase up to an aggregate of 400,000 shares
of Class A Stock. The 1998 Plan was approved by a majority of the Company's
shareholders at the June 19, 1998 annual meeting of shareholders. The plan
remains in effect for a period of ten years. As of December 31, 2004, 70,000 options
of the 1998 Plan are outstanding.
On
February 15, 2000, the Stock Option Committee, a predecessor committee to the
Stock Option and Compensation Committee, approved a new Incentive Plan
("2000 Plan"), under which the Company has reserved 4 million shares of
Class A Stock, permitting the granting of options to all employees, officers and
directors. The 2000 Plan was approved by the Board of Directors at a meeting
held on March 27, 2000 and was approved by a majority of the Company's
shareholders at the June 29, 2000 annual meeting of shareholders. The plan remains
in effect for a period of ten years. As of December 31, 2004, 2,064,500 options of the
2000 Plan are outstanding.
The
options granted under the 1998 Plan and the 2000 Plan (collectively, the
"Plans") may be either incentive stock options, at an exercise price to
be determined by the Stock Option and Compensation Committee but not less than
100% of the fair market value of the underlying options on the date of grant, or
non-incentive stock options, at an exercise price to be determined by the Stock
Option and Compensation Committee. The Stock Option and Compensation Committee
may also grant, at its discretion, "restricted stock," "dividend
equivalent awards," which entitle the recipient to receive dividends in the
form of Class A Stock, cash or a combination of the aforementioned and
"stock appreciation rights," which permit the recipient to receive an
amount in the form of Class A Stock, cash or a combination of both, equal to
the number of shares of Class A Stock with respect to which the rights are
exercised multiplied by the excess of the fair market value of the Class A Stock
on the exercise date over the exercise price. The options granted under the Plans
were granted either at market value or above.
Under
each of the Plans, all granted but unvested options become immediately
exercisable upon the occurrence of a change in control of the Company. On
February 26, 2002, the controlling shareholder of the Company, Rebar Financial
Corp., agreed to sell all of its stock in the Company to Noy. Accordingly, all
options granted but unvested under the Plans were immediately exercisable.
15
THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RELATE TO THE COMPANYS
CLASS A STOCK
Q: |
How
has the Companys stock performed over the past five years? |
The
following graph compares the percentage change in cumulative total return (change in the
stock price plus reinvested dividends) of Ampal Class A Stock, the S&P 500 Stock
Index and a peer group index composed of Koor Industries (an Israeli holding company)
and First Israeli Fund (an American closed-end fund that acquires equity interests in
companies located in Israel) for the period December 31, 1999 through December 31, 2004.
The stock price performances shown on the graph are not intended to forecast or be
indicative of future price performance.
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
Q: |
Who
are Ampals principal shareholders? |
The
following table sets forth information as of September 6, 2005, as to the
holders known to Ampal who beneficially own more than 5% of the Class A Stock, the
only outstanding series of voting securities of Ampal. For purposes of
computation of the percentage ownership of Class A Stock set forth in the table,
conversion of any 4% Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the "4%
Preferred Stock")
16
and 6 1/2%
Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the "6 1/2% Preferred Stock")
owned by such beneficial owner has been assumed, without increasing the number
of shares of Class A Stock outstanding by amounts arising from possible conversions
of convertible securities held by shareholders other than such beneficial
owner. As of September 6, 2005, there were 19,986,191 (not including treasury
shares) shares of Class A Stock of Ampal outstanding. In addition, as of
September 6, 2005, there were 519,119 (not including treasury shares) non-voting
shares of 6 1/2% Preferred Stock outstanding (each convertible into 3 shares of
Class A Stock) outstanding and 112,502 (not including treasury shares) non-voting
shares of 4% Preferred Stock outstanding (each convertible into 5 shares of
Class A Stock).
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
Name
and Address of Beneficial Owner |
Title of Class | Amount
of Shares and Nature of Beneficial Ownership |
Percent of Outstanding Shares of Class A Stock |
||||||||
Y.M Noy Investments Ltd., of 33 | 11,750,132 shares | (1) | 58.79 | % | |||||||
Havazelet Hasharon st., | |||||||||||
Herzliya, Israel | |||||||||||
Yosef A. Maiman | 11,937,632 shares | (1)(2) | 59.17 | % | |||||||
Y.M Noy Investments Ltd., of 33 | |||||||||||
Havazelet Hasharon st., | |||||||||||
Herzliya, Israel | |||||||||||
Ohad Maiman | 11,750,132 shares | (1) | 58.79 | % | |||||||
Y.M Noy Investments Ltd., of 33 | |||||||||||
Havazelet Hasharon st., | |||||||||||
Herzliya, Israel | |||||||||||
Noa Maiman | 11,750,132 shares | (1) | 58.79 | % | |||||||
Y.M Noy Investments Ltd., of 33 | |||||||||||
Havazelet Hasharon st., | |||||||||||
Herzliya, Israel |
(1) |
Consists
of 11,750,132 shares of Class A Stock held directly by Noy. Yosef A. Maiman owns 100%
of the economic shares and one-third of the voting shares of Noy. In addition, Mr.
Maiman holds an option to acquire the remaining two-thirds of the voting shares of Noy
(which are currently owned by Ohad Maiman and Noa Maiman, the son and daughter,
respectively, of Mr. Maiman). |
(2) |
Includes
187,500 shares of Class A Stock underlying options which are presently exercisable as
of September 6, 2005 or exercisable within 60 days of such date by Mr. Maiman. |
Q: |
What
percentage of Class A Stock do the directors and officers own? |
The
following table sets forth information as of September 6, 2005 as to each class
of equity securities of Ampal or any of its subsidiaries beneficially owned by
each director and named executive officer of Ampal listed in the Summary
Compensation Table and by all directors and named executive officers of Ampal
as a group. All ownership is direct unless
17
otherwise
noted. The table does not include directors or named executive officers who do
not own any such shares:
Name | Amount
of Shares and Nature of Beneficial Ownership of Class A Stock |
Percent
of Outstanding Shares of Class A Stock |
||||||
Yosef Maiman | 11,937,632 | (1) | 59.17 | % | ||||
Jack Bigio | 182,500 | (2) | * | |||||
Shlomo Shalev | 75,000 | (2) | * | |||||
Irit Eluz | 128,875 | (2) | * | |||||
Yoram Firon | 98,875 | (2) | * | |||||
Leo Malamud | 112,500 | (2) | * | |||||
Dr. Josef Yerushalmi | 75,000 | (2) | * | |||||
Eitan Haber | 11,250 | (2) | * | |||||
Yehuda Karni | 11,250 | (2) | * | |||||
Menahem Morag | 5,625 | (2) | * | |||||
All Directors and Executive Officers | ||||||||
as a Group | 12,638,507 | 60.54 | % |
* |
Represents
less than 1% of the class of securities. |
(1) | Attributable
to
11,750,132 shares of Class A Stock held directly by Noy. See "Security Ownership
of Certain Beneficial Owners." In addition, this represents 187,500 shares
underlying options for Yosef Maiman which are presently exercisable as of September 6,
2005 or exercisable within 60 days of such date by Mr. Maiman. |
(2) | Represents
shares
underlying options which are presently exercisable as of September 6, 2005 or
exercisable within 60 days of such date. |
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Q: |
Have
the Companys officers, directors and shareholders filed all appropriate beneficial
ownership reports with the SEC? |
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires Ampal's executive
officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of
Ampal's equity securities, to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission initial
statements of beneficial ownership (Form 3), and statements of changes in beneficial
ownership (Forms 4 and 5), of Class A Stock of Ampal. To the Company's knowledge, based
solely on its review of the copies of such forms received by it, or written
representations from certain reporting persons that no additional forms were required,
all filing requirements applicable to its executive officers, directors, and greater
than 10% shareholders have been met.
18
Q: |
Does
the Company enter into transactions with affiliated parties? |
The
Audit Committee of Ampal has the duty and responsibility of approving all
transactions between Ampal, on the one hand, and any officer, director, or
affiliate thereof, on the other hand, or in which any officer, director or
affiliate has a material interest. The Audit Committee reviews and passes upon
the fairness of any business dealings and arrangements between Ampal and any
such affiliated party. The Audit Committee shall review and approve all transactions
or courses of dealing with parties related to the Company.
Q: |
Does
the Company have directors and officer liability insurance? |
Effective
January 29, 2005, the Company purchased directors and officers liability policies in the
aggregate amount of $25,000,000 issued by XL Specialty Insurance Company. The cost of
the policies, which expire January 29, 2006, was $160,000.
Q: |
When
are shareholder proposals for the 2005 meeting due? |
Any
holder of Class A Stock who wishes to submit a proposal to be presented at the next
annual meeting of shareholders must forward such proposal to the Secretary of the
Company at the address in the Notice of Annual Meeting so that it is received by the
Company no later than May 15, 2006. Such a proposal must comply with such rules as may
be prescribed from time to time by the SEC regarding proposals of security holders.
By Order of the Board of Directors, | ||
JACK BIGIO | ||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
September 12,
2005
19
Please Mark Here for Address Change or Comments |
o | ||
SEE REVERSE SIDE |
Please
mark your votes as indicated in this example |
|X| | FOR
all nominees listed to the left (except as marked to the contrary) |
WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY to vote for all nominees listed to the left |
2. | RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KESSELMAN & KESSELMAN, A MEMBER FIRM OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, AS THE INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM OF THE COMPANY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2005. | |||||
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR PROPOSALS 1 and 2. | ||||||||||
1. | ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | o | o | FOR | AGAINST | ABSTAIN | ||||
Nominees: | 01
Y. Maiman 03 L. Malamud 05 Y. Karni 07 M.Morag |
02
J. Bigio 04 J. Yerushalmi 06 E. Haber |
o | o | o | |||||
WITHHELD FOR: (INSTRUCTION: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), print the name of such nominee(s) below.) | 3. | IN THEIR DISCRETION, UPON ANY OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE ANNUAL MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT(S) OR POSTPONEMENT(S) THEREOF. | ||||||||
Dated:__________________________________, 2005 | ||||||||||
_____________________________________________ |
||||||||||
Signature | ||||||||||
_____________________________________________ |
||||||||||
Signature | ||||||||||
Please
sign
exactly
as
name
appears.
In
the
case
of
joint
tenancies,
coexecutors
or
co-trustees,
both
should
sign.
If
acting
as
attorney,
executor,
administrator,
trustee,
officer
of
a
corporation,
or
in
other
representative
capacity,
please
give
full
title
under
signature. |
|
Ù FOLD AND DETACH HERE Ù |
PROXY
AMPAL-AMERICAN ISRAEL CORPORATION
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
undersigned hereby appoints Jack Bigio and Yoram Firon, and each of them, as proxy
for the undersigned, with full power of substitution, to vote and otherwise
represent all of the shares of Class A Stock of Ampal-American Israel
Corporation held of record by the undersigned on September 6, 2005, at the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders to be held on September 28, 2005, and any adjournment(s)
or postponement(s) thereof, with the same effect as if the undersigned were
present and voting such shares, on all matters as further described in the
accompanying Proxy Statement. By executing this Proxy, the undersigned hereby
revokes any proxy previously given with respect to such shares. The undersigned
acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the
accompanying Proxy Statement and Annual Report.
THE SHARES
REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS
MADE. IF THIS PROXY IS EXECUTED BUT NO SPECIFICATION IS MADE, THE SHARES
REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR EACH OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS NOMINEES AND FOR PROPOSAL 2. THE PROXIES, IN THEIR
DISCRETION, ARE AUTHORIZED TO VOTE UPON ANY OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY PROPERLY COME
BEFORE THE ANNUAL MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT(S) OR POSTPONEMENT(S) THEREOF.
(Continued, and to be signed and dated on reverse side.)
Address Change/Comments (Mark the corresponding box on the reverse side) |
|
Ù FOLD AND DETACH HERE Ù |
You can now access your Ampal-American Israel Corporation account online. | |||
Access
your Ampal-American Israel Corporation shareholder account online via Investor
ServiceDirect® (ISD). Mellon Investor Services LLC, Transfer Agent for Ampal-American Israel Corporation, now makes it easy and convenient to get current information on your shareholder account. |
|||
|
|
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