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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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. )
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Triumph Group, Inc.
899 Cassatt Road
Suite 210
Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312
(610) 251-1000
Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
To Be Held on July 18, 2014
To the holders of shares of our common stock:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of stockholders of Triumph Group, Inc. ("Triumph" or the "Company") will be held at 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312, on Friday, July 18, 2014, beginning at 9:00 a.m., local time, for the following purposes:
Management currently knows of no other business to be presented at the meeting. If any other matters come before the meeting, the persons named in the accompanying proxy will vote with their judgment on those matters.
On June 6, 2014, we began mailing to certain stockholders a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") to be held on July 18, 2014 (the "Notice") containing instructions on how to access this proxy statement and our annual report and how to vote online. By furnishing the Notice instead of a printed copy of the proxy materials, we are lowering printing and mailing costs and reducing the environmental impact of the Annual Meeting. If you received the Notice, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials unless you request it by following the instructions for requesting such materials contained in the Notice.
Only stockholders of record at the close of business on May 22, 2014 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof. All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting in person. Any stockholder of record at the close of business on May 22, 2014 attending the Annual Meeting may vote in person even if such stockholder previously signed and returned a proxy. If you do attend the Annual Meeting, you may then withdraw your proxy and vote your shares in person. In any event, you may revoke your proxy prior to its exercise.
By order of the Board of Directors, | ||
John B. Wright, II Secretary |
June 6,
2014
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to read this proxy statement and submit your proxy or voting instructions as soon as possible. You may vote in person at the Annual Meeting, by telephone or Internet (instructions are on your proxy card, voter instruction form or the Notice, as applicable) or, if you received your materials by mail, by completing, signing and mailing the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed envelope.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE 2014
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JULY 18, 2014.
Triumph Group, Inc.'s proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 and the 2014 Annual Report to Stockholders are available via the Internet at www.proxyvote.com.
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Triumph Group, Inc.
899 Cassatt Road
Suite 210
Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312
(610) 251-1000
Proxy Statement
for Annual Meeting of Stockholders
To be held on July 18, 2014
Triumph Group, Inc. ("Triumph" or the "Company") first made these materials available to stockholders on or about June 6, 2014 on the Internet or, upon your request, has delivered printed proxy materials to you, in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of the Company for use at our annual meeting of stockholders on Friday, July 18, 2014 (the "Annual Meeting"), to be held at 9:00 a.m., local time, at 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof, for the purposes set forth herein and in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting.
In accordance with rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), we may furnish proxy materials, including this proxy statement and our 2014 Annual Report to Stockholders, to our stockholders by providing access to such documents on the Internet instead of mailing printed copies. Most stockholders will not receive printed copies of the proxy materials unless they request them. Instead, the Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the 2014 Annual Meeting (the "Notice"), which was mailed to most of our stockholders, will instruct you as to how you may access and review all of the proxy materials on the Internet. The Notice also instructs you as to how you may submit your proxy on the Internet. If you would like to receive a paper or email copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials in the Notice. You may request printed copies up until one year after the date of the Annual Meeting.
The Notice provides you with instructions on how to view our proxy materials for the Annual Meeting on the Internet. The website on which you will be able to view our proxy materials will also allow you to choose to receive future proxy materials electronically, which will save the Company the cost of printing and mailing documents to you. If you choose to receive future proxy materials electronically, you will receive an email next year with instructions containing a link to the proxy voting site. Your election to receive proxy materials electronically will remain in effect until you terminate it.
Sending a signed proxy will not affect your right to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person because the proxy is revocable. You have the power to revoke your proxy by, among other methods, giving written notice to the Secretary of the Company at any time before your proxy is exercised or by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. Directions to the Annual Meeting can be found on our website at http://triumphgroup.com/contact-us/solutions.
In the absence of contrary instructions, your shares included on the Notice or the proxy card, as the case may be, will be voted:
"FOR" the nominees for director stated thereon;
"FOR" the approval, by advisory vote, of the compensation paid to our named executive officers; and
"FOR" the ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015.
We will pay for this proxy solicitation. Our officers and other regular employees may solicit proxies by mail, in person or by telephone or electronic communication. These officers and other regular employees will not receive additional compensation. We are required to pay, upon request, the reasonable expenses incurred by record holders of common stock who are brokers, dealers, banks, voting trustees or other nominees for mailing proxy materials and annual stockholder reports to any beneficial owners of common stock they hold of record.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE 2014 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JULY 18, 2014.
Triumph Group Inc.'s proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, and the 2014 Annual Report to Stockholders are available via the Internet at www.proxyvote.com.
Holders of record of our common stock as of the close of business on May 22, 2014, the record date, will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and at any adjournments. Holders of shares of common stock are entitled to vote on all matters brought before the Annual Meeting.
As of the record date, there were 52,151,782 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote on the election of directors and all other matters. Holders of common stock will vote on all matters as a class. Each outstanding share of common stock entitles the holder to one vote.
The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common stock entitled to vote is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting.
In an uncontested election, which is the case for the election of directors at the Annual Meeting, directors will be elected by a majority of the votes cast by holders of common stock. A majority of the votes cast means that the number of votes cast "for" a director nominee must exceed the number of votes cast "against" that nominee. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast on this proposal and, therefore, will have no effect on the results of the vote on this proposal. Our Amended and Restated By-Laws contain detailed procedures to be followed in the event that one or more directors do not receive a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting.
Approval, by Advisory Vote, of Compensation Paid to our Named Executive Officers
Approval, by advisory vote, of the compensation paid to our named executive officers will require the favorable vote of a majority of the stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy. Abstentions are counted toward the tabulation of votes on this proposal and will have the same effect as a negative vote. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the results of the vote on this proposal. The vote on this proposal is advisory in nature and therefore not binding on the Company. However, our Board will consider the outcome of this vote in its future deliberations regarding executive compensation.
Ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2015
Ratification of the audit committee's selection of our independent registered public accounting firm will require the favorable vote of a majority of the stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy. Abstentions are counted toward the tabulation of votes on this proposal and will have the same effect as a negative vote. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the results of the vote on this proposal.
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Proposal No. 1Election of Directors
The Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board" or the "Board of Directors") currently consists of ten directors: Paul Bourgon, John G. Drosdick, Ralph E. Eberhart, Jeffry D. Frisby, Richard C. Gozon, Richard C. Ill, William L. Mansfield, Adam J. Palmer, Joseph M. Silvestri and George Simpson. At the Annual Meeting, the ten directors are submitted as nominees for election by the stockholders for a term ending at the next annual meeting of stockholders and when each such director's successor is duly elected and qualified. Directors will be elected by a majority of the votes cast by holders of common stock.
The table below lists the name of each person nominated by the Board to serve as a director for the coming year. All of the nominees are currently members of our Board with terms expiring at the Annual Meeting. Each nominee has consented to be named as a nominee and, to our knowledge, is willing to serve as a director, if elected. Should any of the nominees not remain a nominee at the end of the Annual Meeting (a situation which is not anticipated), solicited proxies will be voted in favor of those who remain as nominees and may be voted for substitute nominees. Unless contrary instructions are given on the proxy, the shares represented by a properly executed proxy will be voted "FOR" the election of Paul Bourgon, John G. Drosdick, Ralph E. Eberhart, Jeffry D. Frisby, Richard C. Gozon, Richard C. Ill, William L. Mansfield, Adam J. Palmer, Joseph M. Silvestri and George Simpson.
Nominees
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Age | Year First Elected a Director |
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Paul Bourgon |
57 | 2008 | |||||
John G. Drosdick |
70 | 2012 | |||||
Ralph E. Eberhart |
67 | 2010 | |||||
Jeffry D. Frisby |
58 | 2012 | |||||
Richard C. Gozon |
75 | 1993 | |||||
Richard C. Ill |
71 | 1993 | |||||
William L. Mansfield |
66 | 2012 | |||||
Adam J. Palmer |
41 | 2010 | |||||
Joseph M. Silvestri |
52 | 2008 | |||||
George Simpson |
71 | 2002 |
The principal occupations of each nominee and the experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led to the conclusion that such nominee should serve as a director for the coming year are as follows:
Paul Bourgon has been a Director of Triumph since October 2008. Mr. Bourgon has served as President of the Aeroengine division of SKF Aeroengine since 2006. SKF Group supplies products, solutions and services within rolling bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication systems and SKF Aeroengine, a division of SKF Group, focuses on providing services in bearing repair and overhaul. Prior to joining SKF Aeroengine, Mr. Bourgon served as Vice PresidentMarketing of Heroux-Devtex Inc., a company which then supplied the commercial and military sectors with landing gear, airframe structural components, including kits, and aircraft engine components. Mr. Bourgon also serves on the board of directors of Venture Aerobearing LLC. Mr. Bourgon's current experience as a president of a significant aerospace business and his past experience within the aerospace industry enables him to serve as an additional point of reference on trends and developments affecting Triumph's business and its customers, suppliers and competitors. In addition, his background as a Chartered Accountant, member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1983, articling with Coopers & Lybrand in Montreal in the Auditing and Taxes departments, as well as his ongoing responsibility for the financial statements of the business he manages, enables him to lend additional financial expertise to the deliberations of the Board and as Chair of the Audit Committee.
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John G. Drosdick has been a Director of Triumph since 2012. Mr. Drosdick served as Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer of Sunoco, Inc. from June 2000 through August 2008, and as the Chairman of Sunoco Partners, LLC, a subsidiary of Sunoco, Inc. and the general partner of Sunoco Logistics Partners, L.P., a publicly traded master limited partnership, from February 2002 through December 2008. Mr. Drosdick also serves as a director of United States Steel Corporation and PNC Funds. Mr. Drosdick's long experience as the chief executive officer of a major public company with multiple operations provides the Board with a source of significant expertise in managing complex business operations, and his service on other boards provides the Board with another source of information on best practices in corporate governance.
Ralph E. Eberhart has been a Director of Triumph since June 2010. General Eberhart served as Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command from October 2002 to January 2005. Since January 2005, he has also been the Chairman and President of the Armed Forces Benefit Association. General Eberhart's active military career spanned 36 years. He is also a member of the board of directors of Rockwell Collins, Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. and VSE Corporation and is a director of several private companies. General Eberhart joined the Board as part of an arrangement in connection with the acquisition (the "Vought Acquisition") of Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. ("Vought"). Given the significant share of Triumph's business focused on serving the militaries of the United States and other countries, General Eberhart provides the Board with valuable insight into military operations that enables the Company to better serve its military customers. The Company also benefits from his experience as a director of other aerospace and defense companies. Moreover, his senior leadership experience enables him to provide management with valuable advice on management issues.
Jeffry D. Frisby has been President of Triumph since 2009 and became Chief Executive Officer and a Director in July 2012. Prior to becoming our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Frisby served as Chief Operating Officer of Triumph from 2009 to 2012. He joined the company in 1998 as President of Frisby Aerospace, Inc. upon its acquisition by Triumph. In 2000, he was named Group President of the Triumph Control Systems Group and was later named Group President of the Triumph Aerospace Systems Group upon its formation in April 2003. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Triumph in July 2009. In July 2012, Mr. Frisby assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Triumph. Mr. Frisby currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Quaker Chemical Corporation. Mr. Frisby provides the Board with detailed knowledge of Triumph's businesses and its industry, challenges and opportunities, having spent his business career in the aerospace industry. He also communicates management's perspective on important matters before the Board.
Richard C. Gozon has been a Director of Triumph since 1993. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Thomas Jefferson University and previously served as Interim President of Thomas Jefferson University from July 2012 to September 2013. Prior to retiring in 2002, Mr. Gozon served as Executive Vice President of Weyerhaeuser Company ("Weyerhaeuser"), a position which he held for more than five years. Weyerhaeuser is an international forest products company. He was responsible for Weyerhaeuser's Pulp, Paper, Containerboard Packaging, Newsprint, Recycling and Ocean Transportation businesses. He also served as Chairman of Norpac, a joint venture between Weyerhaeuser and Nippon Paper Industries. Mr. Gozon is Chairman and director of AmerisourceBergen Corporation. Mr. Gozon's service on Triumph's Board since the Company's inception as a separate company provides him with a deep familiarity with the Company's business and industry. His own extensive experience as a senior executive in public companies has included broad management responsibility, including supervisory responsibility for the preparation of complex public company financial statements. These management experiences enable Mr. Gozon to contribute substantially to the oversight of all aspects of Triumph's operations, including service as the Company's lead independent director. The Company also benefits from Mr. Gozon's insights drawn from his long experience as a director of several other public companies.
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Richard C. Ill served as Triumph's Chief Executive Officer from its founding in 1993 until his resignation from that position in July 2012 and served as President from 1993 until 2009. He has been a Director of Triumph since 1993 and has served as Chairman since 2009. Mr. Ill is a director of P.H. Glatfelter Company, Mohawk Industries, Airgas, Inc. and Baker Industries and is a trustee of the Eisenhower Fellowships. Mr. Ill led the management buyout pursuant to which Triumph was founded in 1993 and led the Company as its Chief Executive Officer and a Director since that time until his resignation as Chief Executive Officer in July 2012. As Chairman, he serves a key leadership role on the Board, including as Chair of the Finance Committee and the Executive Committee, provides the Board with detailed knowledge of each of Triumph's businesses and its industry, challenges and opportunities, and communicates management's perspective on important matters to the Board. His experience in serving on the boards of other public companies provides additional insights that are valuable in the management and oversight of Triumph's business.
William L. Mansfield has been a Director of Triumph since 2012. Mr. Mansfield served as the Chairman of the Board of The Valspar Corporation from August 2007 through June 2012 and served as that company's Chief Executive Officer from February 2005 to June 2011 and as its President from February 2005 through February 2008. Mr. Mansfield also serves as a director of Bemis Company, Inc. and Axiall Corporation. Mr. Mansfield brings to the Board deep management experience as a former chief executive officer of a significant, publicly-traded manufacturing business with diverse operations spread across the globe as well as a track record of enhancing growth through acquisition. Likewise, his continuing service as a director of other public companies is a source of additional insight into developments in corporate management and governance.
Adam J. Palmer has been a Director of Triumph since June 2010. Mr. Palmer is currently a Managing Director and Head of the Global Aerospace, Defense and Services Group at The Carlyle Group ("Carlyle"), a global alternative asset management firm. Prior to joining Carlyle in 1996, Mr. Palmer was with Lehman Brothers focusing on mergers, acquisitions and financings for aerospace, defense and information services companies. Mr. Palmer also currently serves on the boards of directors of Sequa Corporation, Wesco Aircraft Holdings, Inc., RPK Capital Partners, Dynamic Precision Group, Inc. and Landmark U.S. Holdings, LLC. Mr. Palmer served a member of Vought's board of directors from 2000 until the Vought Acquisition and led the negotiations on behalf of Carlyle that culminated in Triumph's acquisition of Vought from equity funds affiliated with Carlyle. Mr. Palmer joined the Board as part of an arrangement in connection with the Vought Acquisition. The Board benefits from Mr. Palmer's deep familiarity with Vought's business acquired through his years of involvement in developing its business as a Carlyle investment. The Board also benefits from Mr. Palmer's knowledge and understanding of the aerospace and defense industry, acquired through his years of active involvement as an investor, as well as his understanding of management issues derived from his participation on corporate boards.
Joseph M. Silvestri has been a Director of Triumph since October 2008 and previously served as a Director of Triumph from 1995 to 2005. Mr. Silvestri is currently a Managing Partner of Court Square Capital Partners, an independent private equity firm, and has been employed by Court Square Capital Partners and its predecessors since 1990. Mr. Silvestri also serves on the board of directors of numerous private companies. Through his two periods of service on the Board, Mr. Silvestri has acquired a deep understanding of Triumph's background and development. He also lends to the Board's deliberations the benefit of his own knowledge and understanding of the operation of the capital markets, financial matters and mergers and acquisitions generally gained through his years of participation in private equity investments. In addition, as an experienced private equity investor, he is able to share with the Board insights on corporate management and best practices derived from his experience with the many portfolio companies with which he has been associated.
George Simpson has been a Director of Triumph since 2002. Prior to his retirement in 2001, Mr. Simpson served as Chief Executive Officer of Marconi Corporation plc, formerly GEC plc, a
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position which he held since September 1996. Marconi Corporation plc was a communications and information technology company. In addition, Mr. Simpson has also served on the boards of directors of Nestlé SA and Alstom SA. Mr. Simpson's long and successful career leading or serving on the boards of directors of manufacturing enterprises doing business internationally provides Triumph with advice and insight on a wide range of management issues, including issues of operational and financial discipline, resource allocation and executive and senior management compensation. As a citizen of the United Kingdom resident in Europe, Mr. Simpson also brings an international perspective and the benefits of international business contacts to the Board's deliberations and his service as Chair of the Compensation and Management Development Committee.
The Board recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" each of the nominees. The nominees receiving a majority of the votes cast in favor of their election will be elected as directors.
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Proposal No. 2Advisory Vote on Compensation Paid to Named Executive Officers
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") added Section 14A to the Exchange Act, which requires that we provide our stockholders with the opportunity to vote to approve, on a nonbinding, advisory basis, the compensation paid to our named executive officers, as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC.
We seek to closely align the interests of our named executive officers with the interests of our stockholders. Our executive compensation programs are intended to achieve several business objectives, including: (i) recruiting and retaining our executives with the talent required to successfully manage our business; (ii) motivating our executives to achieve our business objectives; (iii) instilling in our executives a long-term commitment to the Company's success by providing elements of compensation that align the executives' interests with those of our stockholders; (iv) providing compensation that recognizes individual contributions as well as overall business results; and (v) avoiding or minimizing the risks of incentivizing management behavior that is inconsistent with the interests of our stockholders. Our Compensation Discussion and Analysis, which begins on page 19 of this proxy statement, describes in detail the components of our executive compensation program, the process by which our Board of Directors makes executive compensation decisions, and the compensation paid to our named executive officers for fiscal 2014. Highlights of our executive compensation program include the following:
The vote on this proposal is advisory, which means that the approval of the compensation paid to our named executive officers is not binding on the Company, our Board of Directors or the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors. The vote on this resolution is not intended to address any specific element of compensation, but rather relates to the overall compensation of our named executive officers for fiscal 2014, as described in this proxy statement in accordance with the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC. To the extent there is a significant vote against the compensation paid to our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement, the Compensation and Management Development Committee will evaluate whether any actions are necessary to address our stockholders' concerns.
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The favorable vote of a majority of the stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting is required to approve this proposal. Accordingly, we ask our stockholders to vote on the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:
RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company's named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables, and narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED, on a non-binding, advisory basis.
The Board recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the approval of the compensation paid to our named executive officers, as disclosed in this proxy statement.
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Proposal No. 3Ratification of Selection of Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Audit Committee has selected Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015, and the stockholders are being asked to ratify this selection. Ernst & Young LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since 1993. All audit and non-audit services provided by Ernst & Young LLP are approved by the audit committee. Ernst & Young LLP has advised us that it has no direct or material indirect interest in us or our affiliates. Representatives of Ernst & Young LLP are expected to attend the Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions. The favorable vote of a majority of the stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy is required to approve the ratification of the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm.
Fees to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2013
Audit Fees
Ernst & Young LLP's fees associated with the annual audit of financial statements, the audit of internal control of financial reporting, the reviews of Triumph's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, statutory audits, assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC, issuance of consents, issuance of comfort letters, and accounting consultations for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013 were $2.8 million and $3.4 million, respectively.
Audit-Related Fees
Ernst & Young LLP's fees for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013 for assurance and related services that were reasonably related to the performance of the audits of our financial statements were $0.4 million and $0.6 million, respectively. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013, respectively, these audit-related services were primarily related to due diligence services and the defined benefit plan audits.
Tax Fees
Ernst & Young LLP's fees for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013 for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning were $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. These services consisted primarily of review of the Company's U.S. Federal income tax return Form 1120 and consultation regarding transfer pricing.
All Other Fees
Ernst & Young LLP did not perform any material professional services other than those described above in the fiscal years ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy
The audit committee pre-approved the engagement of Ernst & Young LLP to render all of the audit and the permitted non-audit services described above. Our audit committee has determined that Ernst & Young LLP's rendering of all other non-audit services is compatible with maintaining auditor independence. The Audit Committee has delegated to its chair or, if he is unavailable, any other member of the Audit Committee, the right to pre-approve all audit services, between regularly scheduled meetings, subject to presentation to the full Audit Committee at its next meeting.
The Board recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015.
The Board knows of no matter, other than as referred to in this proxy statement, that will be presented at the Annual Meeting. However, if other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, or any of its adjournments, the person or persons voting the proxies will vote them with their judgment in those matters.
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Pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law and our By-Laws, our business is managed under the direction of our Board. Members of the Board are kept informed of our business through discussions with our Chairman, our President and Chief Executive Officer and other officers, through a yearly meeting with our executive officers and senior management from our operating locations, by reviewing materials provided to them and by participating in meetings of the Board and its committees. In addition, to promote open discussion among our non-management directors, those directors meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions without management participation. These sessions are presided over by our lead director, who is one of our independent directors.
Corporate Governance Guidelines
We have adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines which are posted on our website at www.triumphgroup.com and are available in print to any stockholder upon request.
Our Board adopted a Code of Business Conduct in February 2004, which applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including, but not limited to, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller (principal accounting officer). The Code of Business Conduct is reviewed at least annually by the Board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and amended as the Board deems appropriate upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. A copy of the Code of Business Conduct is posted on our website at www.triumphgroup.com and is available in print to any stockholder upon request.
We believe that issuance of incentive and compensatory equity awards to our officers and directors, including non-employee directors, along with our stock ownership guidelines, help to align the interests of such officers and directors with our stockholders. As part of our insider trading policy, we prohibit any officers and directors from engaging in hedging activities with respect to any owned shares or outstanding equity awards. Such policy also discourages pledges of any Company stock by officers and directors, and requires Company notice and approval. None of our officers and directors pledged any shares of Company stock during fiscal 2014.
The Board currently consists of ten directors: Paul Bourgon, John G. Drosdick, Ralph E. Eberhart, Jeffry D. Frisby, Richard C. Gozon, Richard C. Ill, William L. Mansfield, Adam J. Palmer, Joseph M. Silvestri and George Simpson, each of whom has been nominated by the Board for election as a director for the coming year.
Director Independence
The Board has determined that Messrs. Bourgon, Drosdick, Eberhart, Gozon, Mansfield, Palmer, Silvestri and Simpson are all independent, as independence is defined in the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange and in our Independence Standards for Directors, which are posted on our website at www.triumphgroup.com under Investor RelationsCorporate Governance.
Meetings and Committees of the Board of Directors
The Board held five meetings during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 and also acted by unanimous consent in writing. Each of our directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the
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Board and committees of the Board of which he was a member during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014. We encourage all of our directors to attend our annual meeting of stockholders. For the Annual Meeting, we expect all of our directors standing for reelection to attend. Last year, all of the directors attended the annual meeting of stockholders.
The Board has determined that the appropriate leadership structure for the Board at this time is for Mr. Ill, former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, to serve as Chairman and chair the meetings of the Board, while also selecting a lead directorcurrently Mr. Gozonto provide leadership of the independent directors. Our lead director is elected annually by the Board upon a recommendation from the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our lead director presides over executive sessions of the independent directors held at every Board meeting (which sessions are not attended by management) and advises the Chairman, in consultation with the other independent directors, as to Board schedules and agendas. The independent directors believe that Mr. Ill's deep understanding of each of Triumph's businesses, his long experience as the Chief Executive Officer of Triumph and his experience as a director of Triumph and other public companies, make him the most qualified director to serve as Chairman. The Board may subsequently decide, however, to change that leadership structure, and we do not have a formal policy to require that the Chief Executive Officer or any other member of management serve as Chairman of the Board.
The standing committees of the Board are the Audit Committee, the Compensation and Management Development Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Finance Committee and the Executive Committee. All members of the Audit Committee, the Compensation and Management Development Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent, as independence for such committee members is defined in the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange and in our Independence Standards for Directors, which are posted on our website at www.triumphgroup.com under Investor RelationsCorporate Governance.
Our Board has adopted a charter for each of the standing committees, each of which is reviewed at least annually by the relevant committee. A copy of the charter of each standing Board committee is posted on our website at www.triumphgroup.com and is available in print to any stockholder upon request.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee, consisting of Messrs. Bourgon (Chair), Drosdick, Gozon, Mansfield, Palmer and Silvestri, met eight times during the last fiscal year. The Audit Committee assists the Board in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, the operations and effectiveness of our internal controls, our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent registered public accounting firm's qualifications and independence, and the performance of our internal audit function and the independent registered public accounting firm.
Compensation and Management Development Committee
The Compensation and Management Development Committee, consisting of Messrs. Drosdick, Eberhart, Gozon, Palmer and Simpson (Chair), met four times during the last fiscal year. The Compensation and Management Development Committee periodically reviews and evaluates the compensation of our officers and senior management, administers the 1996 Stock Option Plan, the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, and the Executive Incentive Plan, establishes guidelines for compensation of other personnel and oversees our management development and succession plans.
The Compensation and Management Development Committee determines the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation and Management Development Committee also reviews and approves the compensation proposed by the Chief Executive Officer to be awarded to
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Triumph's other executive officers, as well as the presidents and certain key senior officers of each of Triumph's operating companies and divisions. The Chief Executive Officer generally attends Compensation and Management Development Committee meetings, but does not attend executive sessions or any discussion of his own compensation. The Compensation and Management Development Committee may form subcommittees and delegate authority to them, as it deems appropriate, provided that such subcommittees are composed entirely of independent directors.
Neither Triumph nor the Compensation and Management Development Committee has any contractual arrangement with any compensation consultant who has a role in determining or recommending the amount or form of senior executive or director compensation. Periodically, however, the committee has engaged a compensation consultant, whose selection and fees or charges are recommended and approved by the Compensation and Management Development Committee, to assist the Compensation and Management Development Committee and the Chief Executive Officer in assessing and modifying elements of our management compensation programs. In such instances, the Compensation and Management Development Committee receives comprehensive data and analyses comparing Triumph's compensation program against industry and peer group norms. We last engaged a compensation consultant to review the total compensation levels of our executive officers in 2012.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board was composed of Messrs. Drosdick, Eberhart, Gozon, Palmer and Simpson (Chair). None of the members of the Compensation and Management Development Committee is an officer or employee of us or any of our subsidiaries, nor has any of them ever been an officer or employee of the Company or any of our subsidiaries during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014. None of our executive officers served as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, one of whose executive officers served as one of our directors.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, consisting of Messrs. Bourgon, Eberhart (Chair), Mansfield, Silvestri and Simpson, met five times during the last fiscal year. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee assists the Board in identifying individuals qualified to become Board members, recommending the nominees for directors, reviewing and evaluating the compensation of non-employee directors, developing and recommending our Corporate Governance Guidelines and overseeing the evaluation of the Board and management.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee, consisting of Messrs. Frisby, Gozon, Ill (Chair) and Silvestri, met three times during the last fiscal year. The Finance Committee reviews our capital structure and policies, financial forecasts, operations and capital budgets, pension fund investments and employee savings plans and corporate insurance coverage, as well as other financial matters deemed appropriate by the Board.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee, consisting of Messrs. Ill (Chair), Frisby and Gozon, exercises the powers and duties of our Board of Directors between Board meetings and while our Board is not in session. The Executive Committee has the authority to exercise all powers and authority of our Board, except for certain matters such as the review and approval or disapproval of related party transactions, matters which cannot be delegated by the Board of Directors to a committee of the Board pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange,
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our Certificate of Incorporation or our By-Laws and matters that are reserved for another committee of the Board. The Executive Committee did not meet during the last fiscal year.
Risk Oversight Generally
Our Board of Directors is responsible for consideration and oversight of risks facing Triumph. Acting as a whole and through its standing committees, the Board is responsible for ensuring that material risks are identified and managed appropriately. The Board and its committees regularly review material strategic, operational, financial, compensation and compliance risks with senior management. In addition to such ongoing supervision, the Board has followed a practice of annually assessing the Company's strategic risks and opportunities as part of an extended Board meeting. The Audit Committee performs a central oversight role with respect to financial and compliance risks, and meets independently, outside the presence and without the participation of senior management, with our Director of Internal Audit and our independent accountants in conjunction with each regularly scheduled Board meeting. The Compensation and Management Development Committee considers the risks of the Company's compensation programs in connection with the design of our compensation programs for senior corporate and company management. In addition, the Finance Committee is responsible for assessing risks related to our capital structure, significant financial exposures, our risk management and major insurance programs and our employee retirement plan policies and performance and regularly evaluates financial risks associated with such programs.
Director Nominations
As previously discussed, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee assists the Board in identifying individuals qualified to become Board members and recommends the director nominees for the next annual meeting of stockholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider nominees for director recommended by stockholders in accordance with the following procedures. As a stockholder, you may recommend any person as a nominee for director for consideration by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee by submitting the name, completed and signed questionnaire and written representation and agreement, supplemented and updated if necessary, for each named person in writing to John B. Wright, II, Secretary, Triumph Group, Inc., 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312. Recommendations should be received by no earlier than March 20, 2015 and no later than April 20, 2015 for the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders and should be accompanied by:
As set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee charter, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has not
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established any specific minimum eligibility requirements for nominees, other than personal and professional integrity, dedication, commitment and, with respect to a majority of the Board, independence, or identified any specific qualities or skills necessary for directors to possess. However, when assessing a candidate's qualifications, the committee considers the candidate's experience, diversity, expertise, education, insight, judgment, skills, character, conflicts of interest and background. Within the limitations of the maximum number of the Board members deemed to be effective for the management of the Company, the committee seeks to ensure diversity among all of these criteria to provide the Board with the greatest practicable breadth of input. The committee seeks to implement these principles through consideration, on at least an annual basis, of the Board's composition and discussion with the Board of any identified criteria that the committee believes should be sought in considering candidates for membership. A consideration of the adequacy of the Board's composition is formally included in the Board's annual self-evaluation, and the adequacy of the process for identifying and recommending Board candidates is examined as part of the annual self-evaluation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The committee does not have any specific process for identifying and evaluating nominees. The committee considers candidates proposed by directors, executive officers and stockholders, as well as those identified by third party search firms.
Communications with Directors
Our Board of Directors provides a process for stockholders and interested parties to send communications to the Board. Stockholders and interested parties may communicate with any of our directors, any committee chair, the non-management directors as a group or the entire Board of Directors by writing to the director, committee chair, non-management directors or the Board in care of Triumph Group, Inc., Attention: Secretary, 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312. Communications received by the Secretary for any director or group of directors are forwarded directly to the director or group of directors. If the communication is addressed to the Board and no particular director is named, the communication will be forwarded, depending on the subject matter, to the appropriate committee chair, all non-management directors or all directors.
Director Compensation
Non-employee directors receive a total annual retainer of $60,000 for their service as a Board member. Additional annual cash compensation is provided for committee Chair responsibilities and service as lead independent director. The Chairs of Board committees other than the Audit Committee and the Compensation and Management Development Committee receive an additional $3,000 per year. The Chair of the Audit Committee, currently Mr. Bourgon, receives an additional $5,000 per year. The Chair of the Compensation and Management Development Committee, currently Mr. Simpson, receives an additional $4,000 per year. The lead independent director, currently Mr. Gozon, receives an additional $5,000 per year. The directors do not receive an additional fee for meeting attendance. As an employee director and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Ill does not receive separate compensation for his Board service.
Non-employee directors receive an annual equity award in the form of deferred stock units with a grant date value of approximately $70,000. In their first year of service, new non-employee directors may receive an additional grant of a maximum of 5,000 shares. Each deferred stock unit represents the contingent right to receive one share of the Company's common stock. The deferred stock units vest over a three or four-year period and the shares of common stock underlying vested deferred stock units generally will be delivered on January 1 of the year following the year in which the non-employee director terminates service as a director of the Company.
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The following table summarizes compensation we paid to non-employee directors for their service during fiscal 2014.
Name
|
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) |
Stock Awards ($)(1) |
Option Awards ($)(2) |
Total ($) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paul Bourgon |
65,000 | 69,825 | | 134,825 | |||||||||
Elmer L. Doty(3) |
60,000 | 69,825 | | 129,825 | |||||||||
John G. Drosdick |
60,000 | 69,825 | | 129,825 | |||||||||
Ralph E. Eberhart |
63,000 | 69,825 | | 132,825 | |||||||||
Richard C. Gozon |
65,000 | 69,825 | | 134,825 | |||||||||
William L. Mansfield |
60,000 | 69,825 | | 129,825 | |||||||||
Adam J. Palmer |
60,000 | 69,825 | | 129,825 | |||||||||
Joseph M. Silvestri |
60,000 | 69,825 | | 129,825 | |||||||||
George Simpson |
64,000 | 69,825 | | 133,825 |
Name
|
Deferred Stock Units | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Paul Bourgon |
12,125 | |||
Elmer L. Doty(3) |
2,825 | |||
John G. Drosdick |
6,975 | |||
Ralph E. Eberhart |
8,925 | |||
Richard C. Gozon |
8,525 | |||
William L. Mansfield |
6,975 | |||
Adam J. Palmer |
1,975 | |||
Joseph M. Silvestri |
12,125 | |||
George Simpson |
8,525 |
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The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors consists of six independent directors and operates under a written charter adopted by the Board and reviewed annually by the committee and the Board. The members of the Audit Committee are not professionally engaged in the practice of auditing or accounting nor are they experts in the fields of auditing or accounting, including in respect of auditor independence. However, all committee members are financially literate. In addition, the Board has determined that each of Messrs. Bourgon, Drosdick, Gozon. Mansfield and Palmer is an "audit committee financial expert," as defined under the rules of the SEC and that each member of the Audit Committee is independent as independence for audit committee members is defined in the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange.
Management is responsible for Triumph's internal controls and the financial reporting process, including the presentation and integrity of our financial statements. Triumph's independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for, among other things, performing an independent audit of Triumph's financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the "PCAOB") and issuing a report thereon. Triumph's independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the effectiveness of Triumph's internal controls over financial reporting and management's assessment thereof in accordance with standards of the PCAOB, and issuing a report thereon. The Audit Committee's responsibility is to monitor and oversee these processes on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee also selects and approves the compensation of our independent registered public accounting firm.
In fiscal 2014, the Audit Committee met and held private discussions with management, the independent registered public accounting firm and Triumph's internal auditors. In addition, the members of the Audit Committee reviewed (independently or collectively) Triumph's financial statements before such statements were filed with the SEC in Triumph's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K and all press releases containing earnings reports. Management represented to the Audit Committee that Triumph's financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, and the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee also discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by Statements on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended, as adopted by the PCAOB in Rule 3200T and by Auditing Standard No. 16.
The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the Company's independent auditor required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent auditor's communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has had discussions with Ernst & Young LLP about its independence. The Audit Committee also considered whether the provision of non-audit services by Ernst & Young LLP is compatible with maintaining the independence of such independent auditor. Based on these discussions and disclosures, the Audit Committee concluded that Ernst & Young LLP is independent from Triumph and its management.
Based on the Audit Committee's discussion with management and the independent registered public accounting firm and its review of the representations of management and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm to the Audit Committee, the Audit Committee
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recommended that the Board include the audited financial statements in Triumph's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2014, filed with the SEC.
Audit Committee |
||
Paul Bourgon (Chairman) John G. Drosdick Richard C. Gozon William L. Mansfield Adam J. Palmer Joseph M. Silvestri |
This report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by reference this proxy statement into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), except to the extent that Triumph specifically incorporates this information by reference, shall not otherwise be deemed filed under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and shall not be deemed soliciting material.
Compensation and Management Development Committee Report
The Compensation and Management Development Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, the Compensation and Management Development Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.
Compensation and Management Development Committee |
||
George Simpson (Chairman) John G. Drosdick Ralph E. Eberhart Richard C. Gozon Adam J. Palmer |
This report of the Compensation and Management Development Committee shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by reference this proxy statement into any filing under the Securities Act or under the Exchange Act, except to the extent that Triumph specifically incorporates this information by reference, shall not otherwise be deemed filed under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and shall not be deemed soliciting material.
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Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
Review and Approval of Transactions with Related Persons
Our policy for the Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons (the "Policy"), which is in writing, requires approval or ratification by our Board of Directors for any transaction in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000, Triumph or one of its subsidiaries is a participant and any related person has a direct or indirect material interest. The Policy and Triumph's Code of Business Conduct establish procedures for reporting of potential related party transactions under the Policy and potential conflicts of interest. Triumph's legal department determines whether reported transactions constitute a related party transaction requiring pre-approval.
The Policy provides that the Board may delegate review of a related party transaction to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (or another standing or ad hoc committee). In addition, if it is impractical to wait until the next Board or committee meeting to obtain approval of a related party transaction, the chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may approve the transaction, provided that the chair reports such approval at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. If the transaction at issue relates to a member of the Board, that member may not participate in the review of such transaction.
If Triumph becomes aware of a related party transaction that was not pre-approved under the Policy, then the Board will review the matter and evaluate its options (including ratification, revision and termination of the transaction at issue).
Related Person Transactions
Triumph is not aware of any transaction since April 1, 2013, or any currently proposed transaction, in which Triumph or one of its subsidiaries was or is to be a participant and the amount involved exceeds $120,000, and in which any related party has or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
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Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Introduction
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (the "CD&A") provides detailed information about the compensation program for the Company's current named executive officers (the "NEOs"):
Richard C. Ill, Chairman (former CEO)
Jeffry D. Frisby, President and Chief Executive Officer
M. David Kornblatt(1), Director of Corporate Development
Jeffrey L. McRae(2), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
John B. Wright, II, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Thomas A. Quigley, III, Vice President and Controller
Company Performance Overview
Financial highlights for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 ("fiscal 2014") include:
Additionally, in fiscal 2014, we successfully completed the closure of our Jefferson Street facility and the move to our Red Oak facility. We believe this move improves our cost structure and competitive position going forward.
2014 Acquisitions
Effective October 4, 2013, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of General Donlee Canada, Inc. ("General Donlee"). General Donlee is based in Toronto, Canada and is a leading manufacturer of precision machined products for the aerospace, nuclear and oil and gas industries. The acquired business now operates as Triumph Gear SystemsToronto and its results are included in the Aerospace Systems Group.
Effective May 6, 2013, the Company acquired four related entities collectively comprising the Primus Composites business ("Primus") from Precision Castparts Corp. The acquired business, which includes two manufacturing facilities in Farnborough, England and Rayong, Thailand, operates as Triumph StructuresFarnborough and Triumph StructuresThailand and is included in the Aerostructures segment from the date of acquisition. Together, Triumph StructuresFarnborough and Triumph StructuresThailand constitute a global supplier of composite and metallic propulsion and structural composites and assemblies. In addition to its composite operations, the Thailand operation also machines and processes metal components.
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In addition, during fiscal 2014, the Company integrated the operations of the assets acquired on March 18, 2013 from Goodrich Pump & Engine Control Systems, Inc., a leading independent aerospace fuel system supplier for the commercial, military, helicopter and business jet markets. The assets acquired (in a wholly owned subsidiary named Triumph Engine Control Systems, LLC) provide new capabilities in a market where we did not previously participate and further diversify our customer base in electronic engine controls, fuel metering units and main fuel pumps for both OEM and aftermarket/spares end markets. The results for Triumph Engine Control Systems, LLC are included in the Aerospace Systems Group segment from the date of acquisition.
Executive Compensation Overview
Objectives of Executive Compensation Program
Our executive compensation programs are intended to achieve several business objectives:
Program Overview
In structuring each element of compensation and the executive compensation package as a whole, the Compensation and Management Development Committee (the "Compensation Committee") strives to create incentives for management to act in accordance with the interests of our stockholders. The Compensation Committee also considers the risk that executive compensation may inadvertently provide incentives for management to make decisions that are not in the interests of the stockholders. In addition, in determining actual payouts approved based on the achievement of the pre-established performance metrics, the Compensation Committee assesses whether the proposed payments achieved the desired objectives or demonstrated the influence of inappropriate compensation incentives. The Compensation Committee has sought the advice of compensation consultants in the past to assist in the development of appropriate incentives while minimizing the risk of creating or encouraging incentives that are inconsistent with the interests of stockholders. In November 2013, the Compensation Committee approved the retention of Semler Brossy Consulting Group, LLC ("Semler Brossy") to conduct an assessment of the Company's executive pay programs as contrasted with current best practices for comparable companies. The retention of Semler Brossy did not impact the compensation decisions for fiscal 2014 that is the subject of this CD&A.
The Compensation Committee reviewed the results of the July 2013 annual meeting stockholder say-on-pay advisory vote, which was approved by approximately 91% of votes present at the meeting, and determined that no changes to the Company's compensation practices were needed as a result of such advisory vote.
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Determining Executive Compensation
Our compensation strategy is to place the major portion of total executive compensation at risk in the form of annual incentives and long-term, stock-based compensation programs. The components of our current executive compensation program are:
Each of these components is described separately below. While the elements of compensation described below are considered separately, the Compensation Committee takes into account the full compensation package we provide each executive officer, including matching contributions under our 401(k) plan, insurance and other benefits generally available to all Triumph employees, as well as the program components described below, in making compensation decisions for all executive officers, including the named executive officers.
For the 2012 fiscal year, management, with the authorization of the Compensation Committee, retained Towers Watson to compile a compensation survey and also compiled data from a survey purchased from ERI Economic Research Institute, Inc. Such data was also used for the 2013 fiscal year. Such data was used in such prior fiscal years in connection with the Company's activities to harmonize and integrate the compensation programs of Triumph and Vought and to assist in an assessment of the Company's executive compensation as contrasted with similarly situated companies. For fiscal 2014, no such data was procured or used by management or the Compensation Committee in the determination of fiscal 2014 compensation.
For fiscal 2014, the Compensation Committee determined CEO compensation, and the CEO developed executive compensation recommendations for the other NEOs. The Compensation Committee determined fiscal 2014 CEO compensation and considered the recommendations of Mr. Frisby with respect to adjustments in the fiscal 2014 salaries of our NEOs other than himself, based on the compensation factors described more fully below.
Base Salaries
We initially set base salary for an NEO by evaluating the responsibilities of the position and the experience of the individual. In doing so, we consider the competitive marketplace for executive talent. We determine annual salary adjustments by evaluating the performance of Triumph and of each named executive officer, taking into account changes in responsibilities.
Mr. Frisby became our CEO in July 2012. The factors considered in setting his base salary for fiscal 2014 (his first full year as CEO) included:
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Based on such evaluation, Mr. Frisby's base salary was set at an annual rate of $750,000, a 7.1% increase over fiscal 2013. Fiscal 2014 NEO base salaries were as follows:
Named Executive Officer(1)
|
Fiscal 2014 Salary |
Fiscal 2013 Salary |
Percent Change |
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jeffry D. Frisby |
$ | 750,000 | $ | 700,000 | 7 | % | ||||
M. David Kornblatt |
$ | 525,000 | $ | 500,000 | 5 | % | ||||
Jeffrey L. McRae |
$ | 277,160 | $ | 267,800 | 3 | % | ||||
John B. Wright, II |
$ | 304,200 | $ | 291,000 | 5 | % | ||||
Thomas A. Quigley, III |
$ | 173,000 | $ | 147,600 | 17 | % |
With respect to our other named executive officers, in April 2013, Mr. Frisby made his recommendations based upon considerations similar to those outlined above, as they apply to each NEO (other than Mr. Ill), his individual performance and the impact of the other factors described. The Compensation Committee approved salary increases for the remaining NEOs for fiscal 2014 following and based on its review of Mr. Frisby's recommendations. The fiscal 2014 salaries, as approved, are set forth in the Summary Compensation Table on page 27 of this proxy statement.
Annual Cash Bonus Compensation
We provide significant incentive opportunities for our NEOs. The incentive opportunities are established at levels to provide our executives with the potential for significant bonus opportunity only if our performance objectives are met at target levels or exceeded. Nevertheless, significant variations are possible depending upon the performance of Triumph and the executive's individual performance.
Our annual cash bonus plan for NEOs is tied to our annual business plan. The business plan for a given fiscal year is developed at the business unit, group and corporate levels in a formal process taking place over several months beginning generally in the third fiscal quarter of the prior fiscal year. The business plan is then reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors in the first month of the fiscal year. Our business plan for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 was developed beginning in the late fall of 2012 and approved by the Board of Directors in April 2013.
The annual cash bonus plan was approved by our stockholders for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") at the 2013 annual meeting of stockholders.
The annual cash bonus payouts awarded to our NEOs are tied to our business plan by initially measuring actual company performance against the target for earnings per share set in the business plan. While no financial performance measure or measures can perfectly reflect Company performance, we believe earnings per share is a fair measure of performance that also focuses our executives on the measure of perhaps greatest significance to our stockholders, thus aligning our executives' interests with those of our stockholders. Where appropriate, individual non-financial performance measures are also considered in determining annual cash bonus compensation. In accordance with section 162(m) of the Code, the Compensation Committee establishes target incentive awards and an earnings per share performance goal under the annual cash bonus plan.
The annual cash bonus award target percentages were established by the Compensation Committee for Mr. Frisby and Mr. Kornblatt and for the other named executive officers by the Chief Executive Officer, with the approval of the Compensation Committee, according to the executive's job function and level within Triumph. These target bonus amounts are established based upon a consideration of each executive's compensation level to provide a balance between fixed compensation and
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compensation at risk that is appropriate, in our judgment, taking into consideration the significance of the position and the executive's record of performance against company objectives. For example, an executive with an established record of successful performance is likely to receive an increase in target and maximum annual cash bonus opportunities rather than a significant increase in base salary. No one executive officer can receive a payout under the annual cash bonus compensation plan in any fiscal year in excess of $3.0 million. For fiscal 2014, the target annual cash bonus awards were equal to 80% of fiscal 2014 base salary for Mr. Frisby and 70% of fiscal 2014 base salary for Mr. Kornblatt.
The Compensation Committee determines the amount of the annual cash bonus award of the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer determines the amount of the annual cash bonus award to each other named executive officers, subject to the review and approval of the Compensation Committee.
For fiscal 2014, the financial performance goal established for the year by the Compensation Committee, was the achievement by the Company of earnings per share of at least $5.73. For fiscal 2014, we reported fully diluted earnings per share of $3.91. Because the target earnings per share goal under the annual cash bonus plan was not achieved, the Compensation Committee determined that no cash bonuses would be paid to the named executive officers for fiscal 2014 under the annual cash bonus plan.
Despite not achieving the external performance goals established for the fiscal year, the Compensation Committee reviewed the fiscal 2014 activities, including the fiscal 2014 acquisitions described under "2014 Acquisitions" in the CD&A, the successful integration of the Triumph Engine Control Systems business into the Aerospace Systems Group and the successful closure of our Jefferson Street facility and the move to our Red Oak facility, and its evaluation of other aspects of the performance of Mr. Frisby and the other named executive officers, the Compensation Committee approved the following modest discretionary cash bonuses for the NEOs for fiscal 2014. Such bonuses were determined without reference to the target base salary percentages used for the annual cash bonus plan:
Name
|
Bonus ($) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Jeffry D. Frisby |
100,000 | |||
M. David Kornblatt |
60,000 | |||
Jeffrey L. McRae |
80,000 | |||
John B. Wright, II |
50,000 | |||
Thomas A. Quigley, III |
50,000 |
Long-Term Equity Compensation
We award stock options and restricted stock to executive officers and other management employees to align management's interest with that of stockholders. Under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, the Compensation Committee can grant stock options and restricted stock awards to our executive officers as well as to other employees. The Compensation Committee sets guidelines for the size of stock option awards and restricted stock awards based on factors such as the amount of potential compensation opportunity that it wants to award upon achievement of specific performance criteria and other factors. The Compensation Committee determines the size of any grant made to the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee also approves the amounts of the grants made to the other named executive officers based upon the recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer. In the event of poor corporate performance in the prior fiscal year, the Compensation Committee may elect not to make equity awards.
On September 28, 2010, our Board of Directors adopted the Executive Incentive Plan, which is designed to promote the achievement of the Company's business objectives by those senior executives
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(including the NEOs) who are most responsible for Company strategy, achievement of synergies from the acquisition of Vought, improvement of operations, and future acquisitions, with an enhanced focus on the longer term and using performance metrics related to the performance objectives on which they are evaluated, but different from those upon which the annual cash bonus compensation is based. Participation in the Executive Incentive Plan is limited to senior executives of the Company who are designated as eligible, and eligibility is determined by the Compensation Committee within 90 days after the beginning of each plan year.
Award periods under the Executive Incentive Plan are three-year periods, which include a one-year performance period as the first year of such period. In accordance with section 162(m) of the Code, the Compensation Committee establishes target incentive award and performance goals under the Executive Incentive Plan. At the end of each one-year performance period, the Compensation Committee determines each participant's earned incentive award, if any, based on the attainment of the performance goals during the performance period.
Earned incentive awards may be made at a target level (the established performance goals are met at the 100% level), threshold level (the established performance goals are met such that 50% of the target incentive award is earned) and overachievement level (the established performance goals are exceeded such that 200% of the target incentive award is earned). Performance between the threshold, target and overachievement performance levels will result in awards adjusted in amount so as to be in linear proportion to the difference between the achieved performance level and the established performance levels. No award will be earned under the Executive Incentive Plan if the threshold is not met for the first year of the performance period, and no award shall be earned that exceeds 200% of the target incentive award.
The value of earned incentive awards is divided between:
Earned awards consist of a stock award made under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, which will be subject to forfeiture and transfer restrictions through the end of the three-year performance period, and the earned cash award will not be paid until the end of the three-year performance period. Consistent with the objective of incentivizing performance over a longer term, one-third of each earned incentive award (both cash and stock components) is subject to forfeiture if the threshold performance is not maintained, on average, over the entire three-year performance period.
We generally make awards of long-term equity compensation at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Compensation Committee held in April of each year. We have never made equity compensation awards other than at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee.
For the fiscal 2014 awards under the Executive Incentive Plan approved in April 2013, the Compensation Committee employed a performance measure based on the concept of return on net assets, adjusted for certain items that, upon consideration, the Compensation Committee believed to be inapplicable when compared to the Executive Incentive Plan's objectives ("RONA"). The Compensation Committee established a target performance goal of RONA of 24.6%, a threshold performance goal of 22.1%, and an overachievement performance goal of 27.1%. In April 2014, the Compensation Committee determined that, subject to the full Board's approval of our financial results for fiscal 2014, Triumph had achieved RONA of 15.3% using the performance measure established by the Compensation Committee; thus no restricted stock or restricted cash awards were earned for fiscal 2014.
24
Pension Benefits
We have a split dollar life insurance program and supplemental executive retirement plan under which certain of our executive officers participate. Benefits are payable upon normal retirement, which is age 65. Early retirement benefits are available with an actuarial reduction for early commencement. The pension benefits, which are described in more detail beginning on page 31 of this proxy statement, are intended to provide competitive retirement benefits to our executives when considered in conjunction with the other retirement benefits we offer.
Deferred Compensation
We offer all of our executives the opportunity to defer all or any part of their bonus for any year, to be paid out over the following two years. Further information about the deferred compensation plan is set forth on page 32 of this proxy statement. We believe that the deferred compensation is consistent with competitive practices in our industry.
Perquisites
We provide certain of our NEOs with other benefits, reflected in the "All Other Compensation" column in the Summary Compensation Table on page 27 of this proxy statement. We believe the additional benefits are reasonable, competitive and consistent with Triumph's overall executive compensation program. We believe that these benefits generally allow our executives to work more efficiently and in the case of the tax preparation and counseling services, help them to optimize the value received from the compensation and benefit programs offered. The costs of these benefits constitute only a small percentage of each executive's total compensation. Included among the benefits are personal use of the company plane (valued based on the incremental cost to Triumph for fuel, landing fees and other variable costs of operating the airplane, but not including fixed costs that do not change based on usage, such as pilots' salaries, depreciation of the purchase cost of the aircraft and the cost of general maintenance), payment of club dues for Messrs. Ill, Frisby and Kornblatt, tax preparation for Messrs. Ill, Frisby and Kornblatt and relocation expenses for Mr. McRae. Set forth below is the aggregate value of perquisites received by each of our named executive officers during fiscal 2014. See "All Other Compensation" in the Summary Compensation Table on page 27 of this proxy statement for a description of the value of the perquisites paid to the NEOs in fiscal 2014.
Employment Agreements
In June 2007, the Compensation Committee determined that it would be appropriate to provide employment agreements to the executive officers effective only upon the occurrence of a change in control of Triumph and a loss of employment, i.e., a "double trigger." The prospect of a change in control, such as a possible acquisition by another company, causes executives two problems: (i) the executives may be distracted by the need to obtain employment elsewhere and (ii) their personal interest may be at cross purposes with the stockholders' interest in realizing maximum share value. The executives should have a reasonable level of incentive to consummate the deal. A reasonable level of incentive means they have the security to know that there will be sufficient compensation to cover an extended period of seeking comparable jobs in the event that the acquiror terminates their employment. At the time, we believed that the change in control employment agreements afford the executive a reasonable level of incentive to consummate the deal, and Triumph accordingly entered into the agreements with Messrs. Ill, Frisby, Kornblatt and Wright on March 7, 2008. Further information about the agreements and the benefits offered by Triumph upon consummation of a change in control can be found beginning on page 32 of this proxy statement. Although Triumph continues to believe in the value of change in control employment agreements, it elected not to enter into a change in control employment agreement with Mr. McRae upon his election as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in February 2014 or with Mr. Quigley upon his election as Vice President and Controller in November 2012.
25
Since the change in control employment agreements do not become effective until a change in control takes place, the executives with change in control employment agreements continue to serve at the will of the Board. This allows Triumph to terminate their employment with discretion as to the terms of any severance arrangement except upon the occurrence of a change in control. We believe these agreements recognize the executives' legitimate concern that a transaction in Triumph's long-term interest may necessitate their loss of employment while preserving for Triumph the flexibility to retain senior management in the absence of such a transaction.
Stock Ownership Guidelines
In July 2013, the Board of Directors amended the stock ownership guidelines, originally adopted in July 2007, for non-employee directors. Non-employee directors are expected to hold shares of Triumph common stock, including shares covered by deferred stock units granted under the Directors' Equity Incentive Plan, with a value equal to three times the amount of the annual retainer paid to non-employee directors. Non-employee directors are required to achieve the guideline within three years of joining the Board. All of the directors, other than Mr. Palmer, are in compliance with the stock ownership guidelines. When Mr. Palmer joined the Board, as part of an arrangement in connection with the Vought Acquisition, the shares of the Company's common stock owned by The Carlyle Group were included as part of his stock ownership. Mr. Palmer first began receiving awards of deferred stock units in 2013 and it is anticipated that he will be in compliance with the director stock ownership guidelines within the three year timeframe from such first grant.
In July 2012, the Board of Directors amended the stock ownership guidelines, initially adopted in June 2007, prescribing minimum levels of Triumph stock ownership our senior executives are expected to meet. The ownership target is expressed as a multiple of base salary. As amended, there are three tiers within senior management covered by the guidelines. For the Chief Executive Officer, the multiple is five. For each of a Chairman who is not the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, the multiple is three. For other executive officers and members of senior management, the multiple is one. An executive is required to achieve the guideline within five years of assuming a position subject to the guidelines or assuming a new position subject to a higher level of ownership. All of the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table meet the guidelines, except for Mr. Frisby, whose stock ownership holding guidelines increased to five times base salary in fiscal 2013 upon his promotion to CEO, Mr. Quigley, who was appointed Vice President and Controller during fiscal 2013 and Mr. McRae, who became an executive officer in February 2014.
26
Summary Compensation Table
The following table summarizes the total compensation we paid to Jeffry D. Frisby, our Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey L. McRae, our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and M. David Kornblatt, former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and to each of the three most highly compensated executive officers of Triumph, other than the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, for each of the three fiscal years ended March 31, 2014. We refer to these individuals as the named executive officers, or NEOs, in this proxy statement. There is further information about the NEOs in the 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K enclosed with this proxy statement, and we incorporate that information into this proxy statement by reference.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year |
|
Salary ($) |
|
Bonus ($)(4) |
|
Stock Awards ($)(5) |
|
Non-equity Incentive Plan Compensation $(6) |
|
Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)(7) |
|
All Other Compensation ($)(8) |
|
Total ($) |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Richard C. Ill |
2014 2013 2012 |
400,000 560,000 880,000 |
|
630,000 1,848,000 |
352,000 1,408,000 |
(76,715 15,226 44,493 |
) |
840,555 881,069 162,690 |
1,163,840 2,438,295 4,343,183 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Jeffry D. Frisby |
2014 2013 2012 |
750,000 700,000 480,000 |
100,000 |
1,176,000 672,000 |
1,120,000 576,000 |
(28,104 75,253 155,884 |
) |
321,509 338,984 135,713 |
1,143,405 3,402,237 2,019,597 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
M. David Kornblatt |
2014 2013 2012 |
508,215 500,000 470,000 |
60,000 |
700,000 658,000 |
700,000 564,000 |
|
311,020 342,465 99,733 |
879,235 2,242,465 1,791,733 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Jeffrey L. McRae |
2014 |
297,633 |
80,000 |
|
|
|
107,384 |
482,317 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
John B. Wright, II |
2014 2013 2012 |
304,200 291,000 280,000 |
50,000 |
244,440 235,000 |
275,000 265,000 |
|
119,285 136,058 45,717 |
473,485 946,498 825,717 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thomas A. Quigley, III |
2014 2013 |
173,000 147,600 |
50,000 |
|
84,000 |
|
9,594 6,798 |
232,594 238,398 |
27
value of the Executive Incentive Plan award earned. Such restricted cash award is subject to the same forfeiture restrictions as the restricted stock awards.
Named Executive Officer
|
Fiscal Year | Settled Restricted Cash Award Paid |
Grant Years for which Awards Were Settled(a) |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richard C. Ill |
2014 | $ | 792,000 | 2011 | ||||
|
2013 | $ | 828,750 | 2009 and 2010 | ||||
|
2012 | $ | 108,750 | 2008 | ||||
Jeffry D. Frisby |
2014 | $ | 288,000 | 2011 | ||||
|
2013 | $ | 304,800 | 2009 and 2010 | ||||
|
2012 | $ | 49,800 | 2008 | ||||
M. David Kornblatt(b) |
2014 | $ | 282,000 | 2011 | ||||
|
2013 | $ | 315,150 | 2009 and 2010 | ||||
|
2012 | $ | 60,150 | 2008 | ||||
Jeffrey L. McRae(c) |
2014 | $ | 93,600 | 2011 | ||||
|
2013 | $ | 83,379 | 2009 and 2010 | ||||
|
2012 | | 2008 | |||||
John B. Wright, II |
2014 | $ | 108,000 | 2011 | ||||
|
2013 | $ | 125,100 | 2009 and 2010 | ||||
|
2012 | $ | 35,100 | 2008 | ||||
Thomas A. Quigley, III(d) |
2014 | | | |||||
|
2013 | | | |||||
|
2012 | | |
28
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
The following table lists, for each of the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table, information about plan-based awards granted during fiscal 2014.
|
|
Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards ($)(1)(2) |
|
|
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name
|
Grant Date | Target | All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units (#) |
Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($) |
|||||||||
Richard C. Ill |
4/24/2013 | | | | |||||||||
Jeffry D. Frisby |
4/24/2013 | | | | |||||||||
M. David Kornblatt |
4/24/2013 | | | | |||||||||
Jeffrey L. McRae |
4/24/2013 | | | | |||||||||
John B. Wright, II |
4/24/2013 | | | |
29
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table sets forth information concerning outstanding equity awards at March 31, 2014.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Name |
|
Option Awards |
|
Stock Awards |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable |
|
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable |
|
Option Exercise Price ($) |
|
Option Grant Date(1) |
|
Option Expiration Date |
|
Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)(2)(3) |
|
Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($) |
|
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#) |
|
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights Not Vested ($) |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Richard C. Ill | | | | | | 29,817 | 1,923,582 | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 5,789 | 373,854 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 2,105 | 135,941 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Jeffry D. Frisby |
3,963 | | 15.37 | 4/22/2005 | 4/22/2015 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 10,843 | 700,241 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 14,737 | 951,715 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
M. David Kornblatt(4) |
| | | | | 10,617 | 685,646 | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 8,772 | 566,496 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Jeffrey L. McRae(5) |
| | | | | 3,524 | 227,580 | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 2,819 | 182,051 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
John B. Wright, II |
20,000 | | 16.25 | 7/12/2004 | 7/12/2014 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
8,000 | | 15.37 | 4/22/2005 | 4/22/2015 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 3,795 | 245,081 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | 3,063 | 197,809 | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thomas A. Quigley, III(6) |
| | | | | | | | |
30
Option Exercises and Stock Vested
The following table sets forth information concerning option exercises and stock vested.
|
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name
|
Number of Shares Acquired on Exercise (#) |
Value Realized on Exercise ($) |
Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#) |
Value Realized on Vesting ($) |
|||||||||
Richard C. Ill |
| | 32,646 | 3,661,610 | |||||||||
Jeffry D. Frisby |
6,090 | 429,467 | 13,295 | 1,351,706 | |||||||||
M. David Kornblatt(1) |
| | 16,995 | 1,875,586 | |||||||||
Jeffrey L. McRae(2) |
| | 4,073 | 363,017 | |||||||||
John B. Wright, II |
| | 5,671 | 562,152 |
Pension Benefits
The following table sets forth information concerning pension benefits of the executive officers for fiscal 2014.
Name
|
Plan Name | Number of Years of Credited Service (#) |
Present Value of Accumulated Benefit(1) ($) |
Payments During Last Fiscal Year ($) |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richard C. Ill |
SERP | 21.0 | 3,233,371 | | ||||||||
|
Split Dollar | 21.0 | 1,508,286 | | ||||||||
Jeffry D. Frisby |
SERP | 18.0 | 494,096 | | ||||||||
|
Split Dollar | 18.0 | 42,983 | |
31
The total benefits expected to be provided by the Split Dollar Program and SERPs are as follows:
|
Total Death Benefit |
Annual Payment from Split Dollar |
Annual Payment from a SERP |
Total Annual Payment |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richard C. Ill |
$ | 3,605,150 | $ | 139,097 | $ | 221,418 | $ | 360,515 | |||||
Jeffry D. Frisby |
$ | 445,900 | $ | 4,401 | $ | 40,189 | $ | 44,590 |
During 2011, the Split Dollar benefits for Mr. Frisby were restructured. One of his policies was reassigned back to the Company, with the other policy being frozen with no further premium payments, reducing his Split Dollar benefit to $4,401. In addition, an unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan was adopted for Mr. Frisby to provide for the benefits lost due to the restructuring of the Split Dollar benefits. The unfunded supplemental retirement plan provides for a lump sum distribution upon severance from service with the payment made in five equal installments plus interest. The lump sum payment is based on the 10 year Treasury bond rate if due to severance from employment after age 62, disability, death or change of control; otherwise, the lump sum is calculated using the mortality and interest rates for minimum lump sums under IRC 417(e).
For Richard C. Ill, the SERP and the Split Dollar Program allows for early retirement at age 62 provided that the employee makes an irrevocable election at least 12 months prior to termination of employment. Benefits are reduced by 8% for each year early between ages 62 and 65. In addition, the SERP allows for a lump sum distribution based on the 10 year Treasury bond rate as of the date of retirement, provided that an irrevocable election was made at least 12 months prior to termination. Mr. Ill is currently eligible for normal retirement under both programs. Mr. Ill has also made an election that, upon retirement, he will receive his SERP benefit in the form of a lump sum. If Mr. Ill were to have retired on March 31, 2014, he would have received an annual benefit of $139,097 under the Split Dollar Program and a lump sum payment of $3,233,371 under the SERP.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
We offer all of our executives the opportunity to defer all or any part of their bonus for any year. During the deferral period, the deferred amounts are credited interest at the 10 year U.S. Treasury rate plus 2%. During fiscal 2014, this interest rate was 3.66%. The amount is payable at the executive's option, at any time in the future prior to 6 years post retirement in one to five year annual increments, except that, if the executive dies, the aggregate balance deferred at the time of his death is payable to his beneficiaries.
Of our NEOs, only Jeffrey L. McRae had nonqualified deferred compensation in 2014. The following table sets forth the information concerning his nonqualified deferred compensation.
Name
|
Executive Contributions in Last FY ($) |
Registrant Contributions in Last FY ($) |
Aggregate Earnings in Last FY ($) |
Aggregate Withdrawals/ Distributions ($) |
Aggregate Balance at Last FYE ($) |
|||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jeffrey L. McRae(1) |
267,800 | | 9,801 | | 277,601 |
Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control
As of March 31, 2014, our executive officers did not have employment agreements with Triumph. The information below describes and quantifies compensation that would become payable under existing arrangements in the event of termination of such executive officer's employment under several different circumstances. The amounts shown assume that such termination was effective as of March 31, 2014, and thus include amounts earned through such time and are estimates of the amounts that would be paid to the executive officers upon their termination. The actual amounts to be paid can only be determined at the time of such executive officer's separation from Triumph.
32
Severance. In addition to the items described below, payments and benefits provided on a non-discriminatory basis to salaried employees generally and in the event of a change of control as discussed below, the Compensation Committee or the independent directors of the Board may authorize additional severance benefits, although they are not obligated to do so.
Pension Benefits. A description of the Split Dollar Life Insurance Program in which Messrs. Ill and Frisby participate and the SERP in which Mr. Ill participates, including each of their vested benefits under the programs, is included on pages 31 and 32 of this proxy statement. Messrs. Kornblatt, McRae, Wright and Quigley do not participate in either the SERP or the Split Dollar Program. A separate unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan was adopted for Mr. Frisby. Neither the SERPs nor the Split Dollar Program are available on a non-discriminatory basis to salaried employees generally.
Stock Options. Messrs. Frisby and Wright hold stock options issued under our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. With regard to the outstanding stock options held by Messrs. Frisby and Wright, if the executive officer's employment terminates for any reason, then all options issued under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan held by the executive officer will terminate ninety days after the executive officer's termination, except as follows:
In the event of a change of control (as defined in the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan), the executive officers' stock options do not automatically accelerate. Acceleration of vesting upon a change of control is at the discretion of the Compensation Committee.
Mr. Wright holds a stock option issued under the 1996 Stock Option Plan, which is fully vested. With regard to the outstanding stock option held by Mr. Wright, if an executive officer's employment terminates for any reason, then all options issued under the 1996 Stock Option Plan held by the executive officer will terminate thirty days after the executive officer' termination, except as follows:
33
The table below sets forth the value each executive officer would have realized upon the exercise of his outstanding options under several different termination and change of control scenarios. Amounts in the table are based on a $64.58 closing price per share of our common stock on March 31, 2014 (the last trading day of fiscal 2014) and assume the executive officer immediately exercised and sold all of their vested stock options.
Name |
Voluntary termination; involuntary termination; death; disability; retirement |
Termination as part of a voluntary severance program; change of control of Triumph with accelerated vesting; termination as part of divestiture or workforce restructuring program with accelerated vesting |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John B. Wright, II |
$ | 1,360,380 | $ | 1,360,380 | |||
Jeffry D. Frisby |
$ | 195,019 | $ | 195,019 |
Restricted Stock. Mr. Ill holds restricted stock issued under our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. The restricted stock awards are made based upon whether Triumph achieves an established performance objective for a particular fiscal year and the market price of Triumph's common stock when it is determined that the performance objective for the fiscal year has been achieved. If Triumph fails to achieve the target performance objective for the fiscal year, the grant would be eliminated altogether. If Triumph achieves the target performance objective for the fiscal year and the grant recipient remains with Triumph for an additional three years following such achievement, the recipient will receive the shares of stock free of restrictions. With regard to the restricted stock held by Mr. Ill, if the executive officer's employment terminates for any reason, then all unvested shares of restricted stock held by the executive officer under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan will be forfeited, except as follows:
In the event of a change of control (as defined in the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan), the restrictions on the executive officers' restricted stock do not automatically terminate. Termination of restrictions upon a change of control is at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. The aggregate value of each executive officer's outstanding restricted stock awards is included in the "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End" table on page 30 of this proxy statement.
Executive Incentive Plan. As discussed on page 24 above, the Board of Directors adopted the Executive Incentive Plan on September 28, 2010. If a participating executive terminates his or her employment with the Company prior to the payment date for an incentive award, other than in the event of death, disability, or retirement, or if a participating executive's employment is terminated by the Company for any reason during the three-year award period, then the incentive award for such award period will be forfeited. In addition, if employment is terminated by the Company for "cause" (as defined in the Executive Incentive Plan) after the end of an award period but before the incentive award is paid, such award will also be forfeited. An executive whose employment terminates because of
34
death, disability, or retirement after the end of the one-year performance period but before the end of the three-year award period will be entitled to payment of an incentive award at the same time, on the same terms, and subject to the same conditions, as if he or she had remained employed by the Company through the end of the award period. In the event of a change in control (as defined in the Executive Incentive Plan), payment of incentive awards will be accelerated to the date of the change in control.
Change of Control Employment Agreements. As discussed on pages 25 and 26 above, we entered into change of control employment agreements with each of Messrs. Ill, Frisby, Kornblatt and Wright on March 7, 2008. Under the agreements, each of these executives will become entitled to additional payments and benefits if his employment is terminated under certain conditions within two years (three years in the case of Messrs. Ill and Kornblatt) following a change of control of Triumph. For the purposes of the agreements, a change of control means one of the following events:
The principal provisions of the change of control employment agreements will only become effective upon the occurrence of a change of control or if the executive's employment is terminated in connection with or in anticipation of a change of control. Under the agreements, each executive's employment with Triumph will continue for two years (three years in the case of Messrs. Ill and Kornblatt) from the date of the change of control (the "Employment Period"). During the Employment Period, the executive will continue in the position he held prior to the change of control and receive generally a monthly base salary at least equal to the highest monthly base salary paid to the executive by Triumph during the year prior to the change of control, an annual bonus in cash at least equal to the highest annual bonus paid to the executive for any of the three fiscal years prior to the change of control (the "Recent Annual Bonus") and incentive, savings, welfare benefit, fringe benefit and retirement plan participation at least equal to those provided to him prior to the change of control.
The change of control employment agreements provide that if, during the Employment Period, the executive's employment is terminated by Triumph or the company resulting from a business combination other than for cause, death or disability, or is terminated by the executive for good reason (each as defined in the agreements), he will receive, in a lump sum payment, his then current base salary through the date of termination (to the extent not paid), his bonus for the immediately preceding fiscal year if such bonus has been determined but not paid, his accrued but unpaid vacation pay, his unreimbursed business expenses and an amount representing certain severance benefits. The severance benefits under the agreements will consist of:
35
The executive will also receive health and other welfare benefits for two years (three years in the case of Messrs. Ill and Kornblatt) at equal levels of coverage.
The change of control employment agreements will also provide that if the executive's employment is terminated by Triumph for cause, death or disability, or is terminated by the executive without good reason, such executive will receive his then current base salary through the date of termination, together with all compensation and benefits to which he is entitled under Triumph's benefit plans for periods preceding the date of termination. In addition, if the executive's employment terminates as a result of death or disability, the executive (or his beneficiaries) will receive death or disability benefits, as applicable, a pro-rated bonus for the year in which the date of termination occurs based on the Highest Annual Bonus and his bonus for the immediately preceding fiscal year if such bonus has been determined but not paid, his accrued and unpaid vacation pay and his unreimbursed business expenses. If an executive voluntarily terminates his employment without good reason, he will also receive a pro-rated bonus for the year in which the date of termination occurs based on the Highest Annual Bonus and accrued and unpaid vacation pay and his unreimbursed business expenses.
Payments upon termination are subject to a six month delay if necessary to avoid additional tax under section 409A of the Code. If a payment is delayed due to section 409A, such payment will earn interest at the applicable federal rate.
The agreements further provide that if any payment or benefit to an executive, whether pursuant to the agreements or otherwise, is subject to the excise tax imposed by the Code on "excess parachute payments," then an additional payment will be made to such executive so that the amount he receives on a net basis will be the same amount that he would have received absent the applicability of the excise tax. However, to the extent the payment or benefit does not exceed 110% of the specified statutory threshold amount giving rise to excise tax, then no additional payment will be paid and the compensation under the change of control employment agreement will be reduced below such statutory threshold.
Pursuant to the change of control employment agreements, each executive has agreed to keep confidential all secret or confidential information of Triumph obtained by the executive over the course of his employment.
Assuming a change in control and termination of employment on March 31, 2014, estimated severance payments under the change in control agreements (including continued health and welfare benefits and outplacement services but excluding the value of equity awards) would be approximately: Mr. Ill$6.95 million; Mr. Frisby$4.97 million; Mr. Kornblatt$4.47 million; and Mr. Wright$1.52 million. None of the named executive officers would have received any excise tax gross-up benefits if a change in control had occurred on March 31, 2014.
Accrued Pay and Regular Retirement Benefits. In addition to the benefits described above, the executive officers are also entitled to certain payments and benefits upon termination of employment that are provided on a non-discriminatory basis to salaried employees generally upon termination of employment. These include:
Similarly, except as described above, upon termination of employment, an executive officer's options and restricted stock awards are subject to the terms applicable to all recipients of such awards under Triumph's applicable plans. We are not obligated to provide any special accelerated vesting of executive officers' options or restricted stock awards.
Other than items described above, payments and benefits provided on a non-discriminatory basis to salaried employees generally and the change of control context, discussed below, the Compensation Committee or the Board may authorize additional severance benefits, although they are not obligated to do so.
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EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table summarizes certain information with respect to our compensation plans and individual compensation arrangements under which our equity have been authorized for issuance as of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014.
Plan category
|
Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights |
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights |
Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) |
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
|||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders |
49,718 | 15.72 | 5,000,000 | |||||||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders |
| | | |||||||
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total |
49,718 | 15.72 | 5,000,000 | |||||||
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS AND MANAGEMENT
As of May 22, 2014, the following nominees for director, named executive officers, all directors and executive officers as a group, and 5% beneficial owners, were known to us to be beneficial owners (as defined in regulations issued by the SEC) of the outstanding common stock shown below.
A person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of securities that can be acquired by that person within 60 days from May 22, 2014 upon the exercise of options and warrants. Each beneficial owner's percentage ownership is determined by assuming that options and warrants that are held by that person (but not those held by any other person) and that are exercisable within 60 days from May 22, 2014 have been exercised.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each person identified is c/o 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312.
Unless otherwise noted, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them.
The percent of total shares outstanding is based upon 52,151,782 outstanding shares of common stock as of May 22, 2014.
Name
|
Number | Percent of Total Shares Outstanding |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richard C. Ill(1) |
426,034 | * | |||
Jeffry D. Frisby(2) |
87,061 | * | |||
M. David Kornblatt(3) |
28,772 | * | |||
Jeffrey L. McRae(4) |
10,327 | * | |||
John B. Wright, II(5) |
51,021 | * | |||
Thomas A. Quigley, III(6) |
13 | * | |||
Paul Bourgon(7) |
1,400 | * | |||
Ralph E. Eberhart(7) |
| * | |||
Richard C. Gozon(7)(8) |
154,190 | * | |||
Adam J. Palmer(7) |
| * | |||
Joseph M. Silvestri(7)(9) |
144,100 | * | |||
George Simpson(7) |
12,000 | * | |||
John G. Drosdick(7) |
15,000 | * | |||
William L. Mansfield(7) |
| * | |||
Atlantic Investment Management, Inc.(10) |
2,814,000 | 5.4% | |||
BlackRock, Inc.(11) |
4,169,335 | 8.0% | |||
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.(12) |
3,052,195 | 5.9% | |||
Harris Associates L.P.(13) |
3,036,396 | 5.8% | |||
The Vanguard Group, Inc.(14) |
3,027,052 | 5.8% | |||
Viking Global Investors LP(15) |
3,563,015 | 6.8% | |||
All executive officers and directors as a group (13 persons)(7) |
901,146 | 1.7% |
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SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, officers (including a person performing a principal policy-making function) and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our common stock and other equity securities. Directors, officers and greater than 10% holders are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all of the Section 16(a) reports they file. Based solely upon a review of the copies of the forms furnished to us and the representations made by the reporting persons to us, we believe that during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, our directors, officers and greater than 10% holders complied with all filing requirements under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS2015 ANNUAL MEETING
Proposals of stockholders intended to be presented at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2015 must be received by February 6, 2015 to be considered for inclusion in our proxy statement and form of proxy relating to that meeting. If any stockholder wishes to present a proposal at the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders that is not included in our proxy statement for that meeting, such stockholder must submit that proposal to the Secretary of Triumph no earlier than March 20, 2015 and no later than April 20, 2015. If the stockholder fails to do so, then we will be allowed to use our discretionary voting authority when the proposal is raised at the annual meeting, without any discussion of the matter in our proxy statement. Stockholder proposals should be directed to the Secretary of the Company, at our address set forth on the first page of this proxy statement.
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HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS
Certain stockholders who share the same address may receive only one copy of the Notice, this proxy statement and our 2014 Annual Report to Stockholders in accordance with a notice delivered earlier this year from such stockholders' bank, broker or other holder of record, unless the applicable bank, broker or other holder of record received contrary instructions. This practice, known as "householding," is designed to reduce printing and postage costs. Stockholders owning their shares through a bank, broker or other holder of record who wish to either discontinue or commence householding may request or discontinue householding, or may request a separate copy of the Notice and, if applicable, this proxy statement or the Annual Report, either by contacting their bank, broker or other holder of record at the telephone number or address provided in the above referenced notice, or by contacting us by telephone at (610) 251-1000 or in writing at 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210, Berwyn, PA 19312, Attention: Secretary. Stockholders who are requesting to commence or discontinue householding should provide their name, the name of their broker, bank or other record holder, and their account information.
We will promptly provide without charge to each person solicited by this proxy statement, on the written request of any such person, a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, including financial statements and the schedules thereto. Such written and any oral requests should be directed to Triumph Group, Inc. at 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210, Berwyn, PA 19312, Attention: Secretary, (610) 251-1000.
By order of the Board of Directors, John B. Wright, II Secretary |
June 6, 2014
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THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: Signature (Joint Owners) Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] Date Date 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000215780_1 R1.0.0.51160 TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. 899 Cassatt Road, Suite 210 Berwyn, PA 19312 VOTE BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY MATERIALS If you would like to reduce the costs incurred by our company in mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions above to vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access proxy materials electronically in future years. VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following: For Against Abstain 1. Election of Directors 01 Paul Bourgon 02 John G. Drosdick 03 Ralph E. Eberhart 04 Jeffry D. Frisby 05 Richard C. Gozon 06 Richard C. Ill 07 William L. Mansfield 08 Adam J. Palmer 09 Joseph M. Silvestri 10 George Simpson The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR proposals 2 and 3. For Against Abstain 2 To approve, by advisory vote, the compensation paid to our named executive officers. 3 To ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015. NOTE: At their discretion, the named proxies are authorized to consider and vote upon other business as may properly come before the meeting or any postponements or adjournments thereof. Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name, by authorized officer. |
0000215780_2 R1.0.0.51160 Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting: The Notice & Proxy Statement, Form 10-K, Annual Report is/are available at www.proxyvote.com . TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. Annual Meeting of Stockholders July 18, 2014, 9:00 AM EST This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors The undersigned hereby appoints Jeffry D. Frisby and Jeffrey L. McRae as proxies, each with the power to act without the other and with the power of substitution, and hereby authorizes them to represent and vote, as designated on the other side, all the shares of stock of Triumph Group, Inc. standing in the name of the undersigned with all powers which the undersigned would possess if present at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the company to be held on July 18, 2014, and at any and all postponements or adjournments thereof. If no direction is given with respect to proposals 1, 2 and 3, the proxies will vote FOR proposals 1, 2, and 3 and will vote in their discretion on such matters that may properly come before the meeting and at any postponement and adjournment of such meeting. Continued and to be signed on reverse side |