United States
Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, DC 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
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Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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AUTOLIV, INC. | ||||
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March 24, 201726, 2018
Dear Stockholder,
It is my pleasure to invite you to the 20172018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Autoliv, Inc. to be held on Tuesday, May 9, 20178, 2018 at The Peninsula Chicago, 108 East Superior Street,Langham Hotel, 330 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, commencing at 9:00 a.m. local time.
Information regarding the matters to be voted upon at this year’s Annual Meeting is describedincluded in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the Proxy Statement.
It is important that your shares are represented at the Annual Meeting. Therefore, please provide your proxy by following the instructions provided in the Proxy Statement and in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. This way, your shares will be voted as you direct even if you cannot attend the Annual Meeting.
A public news release announcing voting results will be published after the Annual Meeting.
The Autoliv, Inc. Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162017 is being made available to stockholders with this Proxy Statement. These documents are available at www.autoliv.com.
On behalf of the entire board of directors, we look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting.
Sincerely, |
Jan Carlson |
Chairman of the Board of Directors, |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
AUTOLIV, INC.
Box 70381SE-107 24
Stockholm, Sweden
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MAY 9, 20178, 2018
TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF AUTOLIV, INC.,
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 20172018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Autoliv, Inc. (“Autoliv” or the “Company”) will be held on Tuesday, May 9, 20178, 2018 commencing at 9:00 a.m. local time at The Peninsula Chicago, 108 East Superior Street,Langham Hotel, 330 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, to consider and vote upon:
1. | Election of |
2. | An advisory resolution to approve the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers (see page |
3. |
Ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young AB as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, |
Any other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any continuation, postponement or adjournment thereof. |
The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on March 13, 201712, 2018 as the record date for the Annual Meeting. All stockholders of record as of the close of business on that date are entitled to notice of, and to be present and vote at, the Annual Meeting and at any continuation thereof.
Attendance at the Annual Meeting will be limited to stockholders of record as of the record date, beneficial owners having evidence of ownership as of the record date, a maximum of one authorized representative of an absent stockholder, and invited guests of management. Any person claiming to be an authorized representative of a stockholder must, upon request, produce written evidence of such authorization.
The meeting will be conducted pursuant to the Company’s Third RestatedBy-Laws and rules of order prescribed by the Chairman of the Annual Meeting.
By order of the Board of Directors of Autoliv, Inc.: |
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Lars Sjöbring Group Vice President Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary |
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ITEM 2 - ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | ||||
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20172018 PROXY STATEMENT AT A GLANCE
The following executive summary is intended to provide a broad overview of the items that you will find elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. As this is only a summary, we encourage you to read the entire Proxy Statement for more information about these topics prior to voting at the Annual Meeting.
Annual Meeting of Stockholders |
Time and Date: | Tuesday, May | |
Location: | The | |
Record Date: | Stockholders as of the close of business on March | |
Admission: | Please see the instructions on page 1 of this Proxy Statement. |
Meeting Agenda and Voting Matters | ||||
Proposal | Board’s Voting Recommendation | Page Reference | ||
1. Election of Directors | FOR EACH NOMINEE | 4 | ||
2. Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation | FOR |
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3. |
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FOR | 53 |
– PROPOSAL 1 –
Director Nominees for Election | Director Nominees for Election | Director Nominees for Election | ||||||||||||||||||
Name | Age | Director Since | Independent | Committees | Other Current Public Co. Boards | Age | Director Since | Independent | Committees | Other Current Public Co. Boards | ||||||||||
Robert W. Alspaugh | 70 | 2006 | Yes | AC (Chairman), CPC | 3 | 71 | 2006 | Yes | AC (Chairman), RCC | 3 | ||||||||||
Jan Carlson | 56 | 2007 | No | - | 2 | 57 | 2007 | No | - | 2 | ||||||||||
Aicha Evans | 48 | 2015 | Yes | AC, CC | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Hasse Johansson | 68 | 2018 | Yes | - | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Leif Johansson | 65 | 2016 | Yes | CC, NCG | 3 | 66 | 2016 | Yes | LDCC, NCG (Chairman) | 3 | ||||||||||
David E. Kepler | 64 | 2015 | Yes | AC, CPC | 2 | 65 | 2015 | Yes | AC, RCC (Chairman) | 2 | ||||||||||
Franz-Josef Kortüm | 66 | 2014 | Yes | NCG | 1 | 67 | 2014 | Yes | NCG | 1 | ||||||||||
Xiaozhi Liu | 61 | 2011 | Yes | CC, NCG | 1 | 62 | 2011 | Yes | LDCC, NCG | 1 | ||||||||||
James M. Ringler | 71 | 2002 | Yes | CC (Chairman), NCG | 4 | 72 | 2002 | Yes | LDCC (Chairman), NCG | 4 | ||||||||||
Kazuhiko Sakamoto | 71 | 2007 | Yes | CPC (Chairman) | 0 | 72 | 2007 | Yes | RCC | 0 | ||||||||||
Ted Senko | 62 | 2018 | Yes | - | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Wolfgang Ziebart | 67 | 2015 | Yes | AC, CPC | 2 | 68 | 2015 | Yes | AC, RCC | 2 |
AC: Audit Committee | ||
NCG: Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | ||
The Company amended its Restated Certificate of Incorporation in May 2014 to declassify the Board and provide for the annual election of directors. The amendmentsphase-in the declassification and beginning with this 2017 annual meeting of stockholders all directors will be elected forone-year terms.
Attendance: | Each | |
Governance Highlights: | • • Independent Lead Director of the Board • • Diverse • Annual Board and Committee Self-Evaluations • Non-management directors meet in executive session at least • Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance and Leadership Development and Compensation Committees are composed entirely of independent directors • Stock Ownership Guidelines for Directors and Executive Officers • Risk oversight by full Board and Committees • Company policy against hedging, short-selling and pledging by Executive Officers |
– PROPOSAL 2 –
Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation |
We are requesting that our stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement. This proposal was supported by approximately 81.8%, 78.2%81.8% and 86.6%78.2% of the votes cast in each of 2017, 2016 2015 and 2014,2015, respectively. Please see the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, Summary Compensation Table and other tables and disclosures beginning on page 2223 of this Proxy Statement for a full discussion of our executive compensation program. The table below highlights the 20162017 total direct compensation for each Named Executive Officer:Officer.(1)
Named Executive Officer | Salary ($)(2) | Annual Bonus ($)(2) | Stock Awards ($) | Salary ($)(1) | Annual Bonus ($)(1) | Stock Awards ($) | ||||||
Jan Carlson | 1,376,766 | 1,474,427 | 938,247 | 1,710,065 | 1,103,743 | 991,155 | ||||||
Mats Backman | 381,074 | 265,799 | 234,871 | 656,933 | 295,620 | 371,392 | ||||||
Mikael Bratt | 439,701 | 306,691 | 234,871 | 757,999 | 303,579 | 371,392 | ||||||
Steven Fredin | 578,240 | 403,322 | 351,545 | |||||||||
Steve Fredin | 598,478 | 269,315 | 371,392 | |||||||||
Lars Sjöbring | 655,000 | 355,338 | 351,545 | 681,200 | 238,420 | 371,392 |
(1) |
For currency exchange rates used, see footnote 1 to the Summary Compensation Table on page |
Compensation Governance Highlights
• | The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee is composed |
• | We have stock ownership guidelines for our executive officers, including the named executive officers, and our independent directors. |
• | The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee reviews total compensation calculations in connection with making compensation decisions. |
• | Our equity plan prohibits the repricing of stock options without stockholder approval. |
• | The change in control definition contained in our equity plan is not a “liberal” definition that would be activated on only stockholder approval of a transaction. |
• | We have a compensation recoupment policy that |
• | The exercise price of options historically granted under our equity plan is never less than the fair market value (as defined in our equity plan) of our stock on the date of grant. |
• | If and when they are offered,change-in-control severance agreements (for executives hired in 2011 and after) will include double-triggerchange-in-control severance benefits, rather than modified single-trigger arrangements. |
• | The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee approved a new long-term equity incentive program implemented in 2016, pursuant to which it granted performance shares that will vest based on the Company’s achievement of specified targets over a three-year performance period for the Company’s compound annual growth rate for sales and the Company’s compound annual growth rate for earnings per share relative to compound annual growth rate for Global Light Vehicle Production reported by IHS. |
• | We do not provide U.S. tax code Section 280G excise tax “gross ups.” |
– PROPOSAL 3 –
We are requesting that our stockholders express their preference on the frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. Stockholders may indicate whether we should hold future advisory votes on executive compensation every one year, two years or three years. The Board’s recommendation is that this vote be held every one year.
– PROPOSAL 4 –
Ratification of Appointment of Independent Auditors |
We are requesting that our stockholders ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young AB as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017.2018. Fees paid to our independent auditors over the past two years were as follows:
Type of Fees (Dollars in millions) | 2016 | 2015 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
Audit Fees | $ | 9.849 | $ | 7.288 | $ | 10.570 | $ | 9.849 | ||||||||
Audit-Related Fees | $ | 0.358 | $ | 0.182 | $ | 1.013 | $ | 0.358 | ||||||||
Tax Fees | $ | 0.082 | $ | 0.030 | $ | 0.128 | $ | 0.082 | ||||||||
All Other Fees | — | — | $ | 0.052 | — | |||||||||||
Total | $ | 10.289 | $ | 7.500 | $ | 11.763 | $ | 10.289 |
AUTOLIV, INC.
Box 70381SE-107 24
Stockholm, Sweden
PROXY STATEMENT
INFORMATION CONCERNING VOTING AND SOLICITATION
Availability of Proxy Materials on the Internet
Our Board of Directors (the “Board”) made this Proxy Statement and the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162017 available to you on the Internet or, upon your request, has delivered printed versions of these materials to you by mail, in connection with the Board’s solicitation of proxies for use at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held on Tuesday, May 9, 20178, 2018 commencing at 9:00 a.m. local time at The Peninsula Chicago, 108 East Superior Street,Langham Hotel, 330 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, and at any adjournment thereof (the “2017“2018 Annual Meeting” or the “Annual Meeting”).
The date of this Proxy Statement is March 24, 2017,26, 2018, the approximate date on which this Proxy Statement and proxy card are first being mailed and made available on the Internet to stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. The Company’s Annual Report on Form10-Kfor the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162017 was first made available to stockholderspublicly filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 23, 2017.22, 2018.
You are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting if you were a stockholder of record of our common stock as of the close of business on March 13, 201712, 2018 (the “Record Date”). Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of our common stock held on the Record Date. Our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights.
At the close of business on the Record Date, 88,324,62187,090,349 shares of our common stock were outstanding and entitled to vote and no shares of our preferred stock were outstanding. A majority of the shares of our common stock outstanding on the Record Date, present in person or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting.
If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote by proxy on the Internet or by telephone by following the instructions provided in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials sent to you. If you requested printed copies of the proxy materials by mail, or have a printed proxy card, you may also vote by filling out the proxy card and returning it in the envelope provided. You may also vote in person at the Annual Meeting.
If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in “street name,” please refer to the instructions provided by your bank, broker or other nominee for voting your shares. If you wish to vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you must obtain a valid proxy from the organization that holds your shares and have proof of ownership of shares of our common stock as of the Record Date.
If you properly complete your proxy card and send it to the Company prior to the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting, or submit your proxy electronically by Internet or by telephone before voting closes, your proxy
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(one of the individuals named in the proxy card) will vote your shares as you have directed. If you sign the proxy card but do not make specific choices, your proxy will vote your shares as recommended by the Board: (i) to elect the director nominees listed in “Election of Directors,” (ii) to approve the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, (iii) to hold future advisory votes on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers every one year, and (iv)(iii) for the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young AB as the Company’s independent auditors for the 20172018 fiscal year.
Voting on Matters Not in Proxy Statement
The deadlines have passed for stockholders to (i) nominate directors for election to the Board and (ii) for other stockholder proposals to be brought before the Annual Meeting. Thus, only the Company may (i) substitute director nominees or (ii) bring other business before the Annual Meeting. The Company does not plan to substitute any director nominee, and the Company does not intend to raise any matter other than those described in this Proxy Statement at the Annual Meeting.
However, administrative and similar matters can arise at any Annual Meeting. To address such unforeseen matters, your proxy may exercise his or her discretion and authority to vote on such matters incident to the conduct of the Annual Meeting only. Note that this authority is limited by applicable law, the proxy rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”),SEC, and the listing rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”).
Revoking Proxies or Changing Your Vote
You may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting. Prior to the applicable cutoff time, you may change your vote on a later date via the Internet or by telephone (in which case only your latest Internet or telephone proxy submitted prior to the Annual Meeting will be counted), by signing and returning a new proxy card with a later date, or by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. However, your attendance at the Annual Meeting will not automatically revoke your proxy unless you properly vote at the Annual Meeting or specifically request that your prior proxy be revoked by delivering a written notice of revocation to Autoliv at its mailing address prior to the Annual Meeting.
Voting Rights of Holders of SDRs
Holders of Autoliv’s Swedish Depository Receipts (“SDRs”) are entitled to vote the shares of common stock of the Company underlying their SDRs at the 20172018 Annual Meeting as if they directly held the common stock of the Company. Therefore, each holder of SDRs is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock underlying each SDR held on the Record Date. To have their votes counted at the 20172018 Annual Meeting, SDR holders must give instructions as to the exercise of their voting rights by proxy or attend and represent their shares of common stock of the Company underlying the SDRs at the Annual Meeting in person.
Non-Voting Shares, Abstentions and Broker“Non-Votes”
Shares held by persons attending the Annual Meeting but not voting, shares represented by proxies that reflect abstentions as to a particular proposal and broker“non-votes” will be counted as present for purposes of determining a quorum. A broker“non-vote” occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner and does not have discretionary authority to vote the shares. Brokers do not have discretionary authority to vote on Items 1 2 and 32 set forth below. Brokers generally have discretionary authority to vote on Item 43 set forth below.
Vote Required to Approve Each Proposal at the Annual Meeting
The following summary describes the vote required to approve each of the proposals at the Annual Meeting.
Item 1: | Directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote thereat. However, pursuant to the Autoliv, Inc. Corporate |
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Governance Guidelines, if a director nominee in an uncontested election fails to receive the approval of a majority of the votes cast on his or her election by the stockholders, the nominee shall promptly offer |
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his or her resignation to the Board for consideration. A committee consisting of the Board’s independent directors (which will |
Item 2: | Thenon-binding resolution to approve the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote thereat. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal. Brokernon-votes will have no effect in determining the outcome of the proposal. |
Item 3: |
The ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young AB as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, |
Any other proposal brought before the Annual Meeting (if any) will be decided by a majority of the shares present or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the matter. Consequently, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the matter and brokernon-votes will have no effect on determining the outcome of the matter.
The Company’s mailing address is Box 70381,SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden, and its principal executive offices are located at Klarabergsviadukten 70, Section B, 7th floor, Stockholm, SwedenSE-111 64. The Company’s telephone number is +46 8 587 20 600.
The Company, on behalf of the Board, is soliciting the proxies and will bear the cost of the solicitation of proxies. In addition to solicitation over the Internet and by mail, the Company will reimburse banks, brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for reasonable expenses incurred in forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners of our stock and obtaining their proxies. Certain directors, officers and other employees of the Company, not specifically employed for this purpose, may solicit proxies, without additional remuneration, by personal interview, mail, telephone, facsimile or electronic mail. In addition, the Company has retained Georgeson LLC to assist in the solicitation of proxies for a fee of $14,500 plus expenses and Euroclear SwedenComputershare AB for a fee of SEK 160,000,105,000, or approximately $17,800,$12,800, plus expenses.
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ITEM 1 - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The Company’s Third RestatedBy-Laws (the“By-Laws”) provide that the size of the Board shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board. The Board has currently fixed the size of the Board at eleven. Beginning with the 2017 Annual Meeting, the entire Board will be elected annually by stockholders. In previous years, the Board had been divided into classes, with directors in each class elected for three-year terms on a rotating basis at the annual meeting of stockholders at which the term for their class expired. However, at the 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, stockholders approved amendments to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation to declassify the Board and provide for the annual election of all directors. These amendmentsphased-in the declassification of the Board over a three-year period.
Robert W. Alspaugh, Jan Carlson, Aicha Evans,Hasse Johansson, Leif Johansson, David E. Kepler, Franz-Josef Kortüm, Xiaozhi Liu, James M. Ringler, Kazuhiko Sakamoto, Ted Senko and Wolfgang Ziebart, whose present terms will expire at the time of the Annual Meeting, are nominees for election at the 20172018 Annual Meeting. If elected, all of the above nominees would serve until the 20182019 annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier retirement, resignation, disqualification, removal or death. Mr. George Lorch, a current director, has reached the mandatory retirement age set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and is not eligible to stand forre-election to the Board at the 2017 Annual Meeting. Mr. Lorch’s service as a director will end at the 2017 Annual Meeting. Effective immediately following the closing of the polls for the election of directors at the 2017 Annual Meeting, the Board will reduce its size to ten members. If any director nominee should become unavailable for election prior to the Annual Meeting, an event that currently is not anticipated by the Board, either the proxies will be voted in favor of the election of a substitute nominee or nominees proposed by the Board or the number of directors may be reduced accordingly. Each nominee has agreed to serve if elected, and the Board has no reason to believe that any nominee will be unable to serve.
Nominees for Directors at the 20172018 Annual Meeting
Below is a summary presentation of each director nominated for election at the 20172018 Annual Meeting.
Robert W. Alspaugh, age 70,71, has been a director of Autoliv since June 2006 and is the Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Risk and Compliance Committee. Prior to becoming a director of Autoliv, Mr. Alspaugh had a36-year career with KPMG, including serving as the senior partner for a diverse array of companies across a broad range of industries. He has worked with global companies in Europe and Japan, in addition to those headquartered in the U.S. Between 2002 and 2005, when he served as Chief Executive Officer of KPMG International, he was responsible for implementing the strategy of this global organization, which includes member firms in nearly 150 countries with more than 100,000 employees. Prior to this position, he served as Deputy Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of KPMG’s U.S. practice. Mr. Alspaugh also serves on the Boards of Directors of Ball Corporation, Verifone Systems, Inc., and Triton International Ltd, which are all public companies, and DSGI Technologies, Inc., a private company. He graduated summa cum laude from Baylor University in Texas in 1970.
The Board believes Mr. Alspaugh’s technical skills and record of achievement gained through his many years of experience working within the global business community support hisre-election to the Board.
Jan Carlson, age 56,57, was appointed a director of Autoliv in May 2007 after becoming President and Chief Executive Officer of Autoliv on April 1, 2007, and has been Chairman of the Board since May 2014. Mr. Carlson joined Autoliv in 1999 as President of Autoliv Electronics and held that position until April 2005, when he became Vice President of Engineering of Autoliv and a member of the Company’s Executive Committee. Since July 2010, Mr. Carlson has served on the board of directors and compensation committee of BorgWarner Inc., a product leader in highly engineered components and systems for vehicle powertrain applications worldwide. Since 2010, Mr. Carlson has also served on the board of Teknikföretagen (the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries) and Svenskt Näringsliv (the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise). In addition, Mr. Carlson was elected to the board of Trelleborg AB in April 2013. Mr. Carlson will not stand forre-election to the boardboards of directorsTeknikföretagen or Svenskt Näringsliv in 2018. Mr. Carlson was elected to the Board of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson in February 2017, and serves on its Technology and Science Committee. In addition, Mr. Carlson served on the board of Trelleborg AB in 2017. At the end of Februaryfrom 2013 through 2017, Mr. Carlson was nominated for election toand has served on the board of directors of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson at its annual meeting of shareholders to be held on March 29,Zenuity AB, a private joint venture half owned by Autoliv and Volvo Car Corporation, since April 2017. Prior to joining Autoliv, Mr. Carlson was President of Saab Combitech, a division within the Saab aircraft group specializing in commercializing military technologies. Mr. Carlson has a Master of Science degree in Physics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Linköping in Sweden.
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The Board believes that through his many years of experience with Autoliv, including his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Carlson brings extensive knowledge of the Company, its operations, business and industry to the Board, which support hisre-election to the Board.
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Aicha EvansHasse Johansson,, age 48, has been68, was appointed a director of Autoliv since February 2015,in March 2018. Since 2010, Mr. Johansson has been managing director of Johansson Teknik & Form AB, a technology consulting company which he founded. From 2001 to 2009, Mr. Johansson was the Executive Vice President of Research & Development at Scania, a major automotive industry manufacturer of heavy trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles. Prior to his time at Scania, Mr. Johansson worked for nearly 20 years at Mecel AB, an automotive software and systems development company he founded. Mr. Johansson currently serves as a member of the boards of directors of Electrolux AB and DevPort AB, which are both Swedish public companies. Additionally, Mr. Johansson is a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee. Ms. Evans is currently senior vice president and general managerBusiness Executives Council of the CommunicationsRoyal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Mr. Johansson holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden and Devices Group at Intel Corporation. In this role, she is responsible for driving wireless engineering for multi-comm productsholds more than 20 patents in combustion engine control and Intel platforms, including modems, RF,Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, FM, LTE, WLAN/WWAN as well as emerging wireless technologies. Previously, she was the general manager of the Intel Mobile Wireless Platform Research and Development Group, where she managed the engineering, software, hardware, strategic planning, and product test teams responsible for providing wireless connectivity ingredients and solutions for all Intel platforms. Prior to Intel, Ms. Evans spent 10 years in various engineering management positions at Rockwell Semiconductors, Conexant and Skyworks. Ms. Evans received a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from The George Washington University.automotive electronics.
The Board believes that Ms. Evans bringsMr. Johansson’s prolific technical background in automotive and other industries, combined with his extensive board experience, support his election to the Board valuable experience gained through service in senior management positions in a number of technology and software companies and extensive knowledge of the technology industry. Her skills and knowledge from within this industry support herre-election to the Board.
Leif Johansson, age 65,66, has been a director of Autoliv since February 2016, and is a member of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. From 1997 to 2011, Mr. Johansson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Volvo Group. Before joining Volvo, Mr. Johansson held various positions at AB Electrolux, and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from 1994 to 1997. Mr. Johansson has served as Chairman of the Board of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson since 2011 and Chairman of the Board of Astra Zeneca PLC since 2012. Mr. Johansson’s service as Chairman of the Board at Ericsson is expected to conclude at its 2018 annual meeting of stockholders. In addition to his service on public company boards, Mr. Johansson is a board member of Ecolean AB, the Chairman of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science, a board member of the European Round Table of Industrialists, a board member of The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, a Delegate of the China Development Forum, a member of the Board of the Boao Forum for Asia and a member of the Advisory Boards of the Mayor of Beijing and of the Governor of Jiangsu. Mr. Johansson holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Board believes that Mr. Johansson’s extensive executive and directorial experience on several international companies in the automotive, manufacturing and technology industries, combined with the knowledge gained through his service on various industry, economic and advocacy organizations, support hisre-election to the Board.
David E. Kepler, age 64,65, has been a director of Autoliv since February 2015 and is a member of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Risk and Compliance Committee. Mr. Kepler was an Executive Vice President of the Dow Chemical Company, a multinational specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics company, from March 2008 through January 2015, and in this position held the role of Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Information Officer. Mr. Kepler joined Dow in 1975, and was appointed its Vice President and CIO in 1998, Corporate Vice President in 2001, assumed responsibility for Business Services in 2004, and was appointed Senior Vice President in 2006. He has also been a member of the boards of directors of TD Bank Group since December 2013 and Teradata Corporation since November 2007. Mr. Kepler graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, and serves as a trustee of the University.
The Board believes that Mr. Kepler’s executive experience as the chief information officer of a global company with additional expertise in corporate sustainability initiatives and risk management, and stature as a recognized leader in the area of cyber-security are all qualities that support hisre-election to the Board.
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Franz-Josef Kortüm, age 66,67, has been a director of Autoliv since March 2014 and is a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Prior to joining Autoliv, Mr. Kortüm was Chief Executive Officer of Webasto SE, a producer of automobile roof systems and climate control systems for automobiles, boats and other vehicles, from 1998 to 2012, after joining the company in 1994. Mr. Kortüm was Chief Executive Officer of Audi AG from 1993 to 1994 and, prior to joining Audi, had a 16 year career with what is today Daimler AG in a variety of positions. In addition to his extensive management experience, Mr. Kortüm has served as Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Webasto since 2013, as a Member of the Advisory Board of Brose
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Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG since 2005 and as its Chairman since 2013, as a Member of the Supervisory Board of Wacker Chemie since 2003, and as a Member of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG from 2010 to March 2014. From 2004 to 2012, Mr. Kortüm was a Member of the Managing Board of the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry). Mr. Kortüm has anMBA-equivalent degree in Business Administration from the University of Regensburg in Germany.
The Board believes that Mr. Kortüm brings a breadth of knowledge and skills related to the automotive industry to the Board. In addition, his corporate governance experience gained through his service on other boards support hisre-election to the Board.
Xiaozhi Liu, age 61,62, has been a director of Autoliv since November 2011 and is a member of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Dr. Liu began her career in the automotive industry in General Motor’s (“GM”) Delphi operations and has since worked in various executive positions in Germany, China and the U.S., where she rose to the position of Director of Electronics, Controls & Software for GM in Detroit, Chief Engineer and Chief Technology Officer of GM in China and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GM Taiwan. Between 2005 and 2006, she was the Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., a public company listed in Shanghai, and was elected as an independent director of Fuyao Glass Industry Group in October 2013. In 2007, she became the President and Chief Executive Officer of NeoTek China, a supplier of automotive chassis and transmission parts, and served as Chairman of the company’s board of directors from 2008 through 2011. In 2009, she founded, and is the Chief Executive Officer of, her own company, ASL Automobile Science & Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., which introduces and implements globally advanced technologies to Chinese companies. She has a Ph.D. and master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremburg, Germany and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Jiaotong University in Xian, China.
The Board believes that Dr. Liu brings a unique and valuable set of skills to the Board, based on a combination of her global experience in engineering and technology in Asia, North America and Europe with her extensive management experience in the automotive industry. Dr. Liu’s knowledge and experience supports herre-election to the Board.
James M. Ringler, age 71,72, has been a director of Autoliv since January 2002 and is the Chairman of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Ringler has also been the Lead Independent Director since May 2017. He was, prior to his retirement, Vice Chairman of Illinois Tool Works Inc. between 1999 and 2004. Prior to joining Illinois Tool Works, Mr. Ringler was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Premark International, Inc., which merged with Illinois Tool Works in 1999. Mr. Ringler joined Premark in 1990 and served as its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer prior to becoming the Chief Executive Officer in 1996. He serves on the Boards of Directors of Dow Chemical Company,DowDuPont Inc., TechnipFMC plc and JBT Corporation, and he is the Chairman of the Board of Teradata Corporation. Mr. Ringler holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and an M.B.A. degree in Finance from the State University of New York.
The Board believes that Mr. Ringler’s business and management experience in multiple executive positions at Premark International, Inc. and Illinois Tool Works and his deep knowledge of corporate governance gained through his extensive service on the boards of directors of public companies in a wide variety of industries support Mr. Ringler’sre-election to the Board.
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Kazuhiko Sakamoto, age 71, has been a director of Autoliv since August 2007 and is the Chairmana member of the Risk and Compliance Committee. During 2016, Mr. Sakamoto was appointed to as an outside auditor of Zenitaka Corporation, amid-sized construction company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Since 2012, Mr. Sakamoto has been an advisor at Pasona Inc., a leading human resources provider in Japan. Mr. Sakamoto was previously a Counselor of Marubeni Construction Material Lease Co. Ltd., a company affiliated with Marubeni Corporation, which is one of Japan’s leading general trading houses, operating import, export, offshore trading and investment activities in various business fields. He was Senior Executive Vice President of Marubeni Corporation from 2006 through 2008. During his nearly40-year career with Marubeni Corporation, Mr. Sakamoto has held several key positions such as President and Chief Executive Officer of Marubeni America Cooperation. Mr. Sakamoto
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previously served on the Boards of Directors of Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc. and Helena Chemical Company. He graduated from the Keio University in 1968 and attended the Harvard University Research Institute for International Affairs in 1991-1992.
The Board believes that Mr. Sakamoto’s extensive business experience in both Asia and North America brings a unique perspective and valuable set of skills that support Mr. Sakamoto’sre-election to the Board.
Thaddeus J. “Ted” Senko, age 62, was appointed a director of Autoliv in March 2018. Prior to becoming a director of Autoliv, Mr. Senko had an extensive career at KPMG LLP from 1978 to 2017, providing enterprise risk management, compliance and audit services to various public companies. At KPMG, he served as Audit Partner and SEC Reviewing Partner for eight years, Chief Audit Executive for four years, Global and National Partner in Charge of Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance Services for eight years and Global Engagement Partner and Client Services Partner for seven years. Mr. Senko served on the Board of Duquesne University, a private university with approximately 10,000 students, from 2007 to 2016, chairing the Audit and Finance Committee and serving on the Executive and University Advancement Committee. Mr. Senko continues to serve on the university’s Business Advisory Council. Mr. Senko received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Duquesne University.
The Board believes Mr. Senko’s financial, regulatory and risk expertise, experience in various auditing leadership roles and exposure to a wide variety of large audit clients within the global business community support his election to the Board.
Wolfgang Ziebart, age 67, has been a director of Autoliv since December 2015, and is a member of the Audit Committee and the Risk and Compliance Committee. Dr. Ziebart was previously a director of Autoliv from December 2008 through August 2013, at which time he resigned in order to focus on a new position as Director Group Engineering with Jaguar Land Rover, a multinational automotive company, a role he held until March 2015. Dr. Ziebart had a distinguished career within BMW beginning in 1977 which took him to the Board of Management, where he was responsible for R&D and Purchasing. In 2000, he became a Member of the Management Board of Continental AG, a major automotive supplier listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Between 2004 and 2008, he was President and CEO of Infineon Technologies AG, a global semiconductor and system solutions provider listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Dr. Ziebart is presently employed by Jaguar Land Rover in a consulting role related to vehicle development. Dr. Ziebart also serves on the Supervisory Board of ASML and is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Nordex SE. Dr. Ziebart holds a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Munich in Germany.
Dr. Ziebart’s extensive knowledge of the automotive industry gained through his years of experience, including his particular experience and skills with engineering and development, supports hisre-election to the Board.
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Stockholder Engagement Efforts
The Company engages with the Company’s stockholders throughout the year to ensure that management and the Board understand and consider the issues that matter most to them, to solicit their views and feedback on various matters and to provide perspective on the Company’s policies and practices. During 2016,2017, members of the Company’s management met with certain of the Company’s stockholders to listen to stockholderstheir questions and concerns and discuss a variety of topics, including corporate governance, compensation, performance, strategy and other matters.
The Board currently consists of eleven members. The Board has determined that all of the director nominees, except Mr. Carlson, are independent directors under the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. In making its independence determinations, the Board reviewed (i) information regarding relevant relationships, arrangements or transactions between the Company and each director or parties affiliated with such director, (ii) Company records and (iii) publicly available information. In this regard, the Board considered the following relationships:
• | Jaguar Land Rover, a multinational automotive company where Dr. Ziebart serves as a technical design director, purchases products from the Company in the ordinary course of |
|
In both of these cases, the amountsThe amount received from Jaguar Land Rover and the amounts paid to Intel Corporation did not exceed the greater of $1 million or 2% of such company’sJaguar Land Rover’s consolidated gross revenues. Based on the foregoing, the Board concluded that neither Dr. Ziebart nor Ms. Evansdoes not directly or indirectly hashave a material interest in the respective transactionstransaction with Jaguar Land Rover or Intel Corporation, respectively.Rover. The Board has also determined that none of the independent directors has a relationship with the Company other than as a director and/or a stockholder of the Company.
Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
Board Leadership
The Board is responsible for selecting the Company’s Chairman of the Board (the “Chairman”) and Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”). TheBy-Laws and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines do not require the separation of the positions of the Chairman and the CEO. The Corporate Governance Guidelines permit the Board to determine the most appropriate leadership structure for the Company at any given time and give the Board the ability to choose a Chairman that it deems best for the Company.
The Board periodically evaluates the Company’s leadership structure and determines whether combining or separating the roles of CEO and Chairman is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders based on circumstances existing at the time. For several years, the Company had separated the positions of CEO and Chairman and had an independent Chairman, although the Board has utilized different structures in the past, including having one person serve as the CEO and the Chairman or having anon-independent Chairman with a lead director.
In May 2014, the Board appointed Jan Carlson to serve as the Chairman, in addition to his role as CEO. The Board believes the combined role of CEO and Chairman under Mr. Carlson is the appropriate leadership structure for the Company at this time. Combining the CEO and Chairman roles under Mr. Carlson provides efficient and effective decision-making and unified leadership for the Company, with a single person setting the tone for management of the Company. Mr. Carlson is well-suited to serve in the Chairman role because his familiarity with the Company’s business enables him to effectively lead the Board in its discussion, consideration
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and execution of the Company’s strategy. The Board believes that combining the CEO and Chairman roles under Mr. Carlson facilitates the flow of information between the Board and the Company’s management and better enables the Board to fulfill its oversight role.
In considering its leadership structure, the Board believes that the combined roles of Chairman and CEO are appropriately balanced by the designation of a Lead Independent Director. In May 2014,2017, the Board appointed George A. Lorch
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James M. Ringler as the Lead Independent Director to serve as the principal liaison between the Chairman and the other independent directors and to provide independent leadership of the Board’s affairs on behalf of the Company’s stockholders. Mr. Lorch wasre-appointed to this position in May 2016. Mr. LorchRingler presides over the executive sessions of the independent directors. Upon the ending of Mr. Lorch’s service as a director at the 2017 Annual Meeting, the Board will appoint a new Lead Independent Director. The duties of the Lead Independent Director include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
• | Presides at all meetings of the Board at which the Chairman is not present, including chairing executive sessions of thenon-management directors; |
• | Serves as liaison between thenon-management directors and the Chairman; |
• | Has the authority to call meetings of thenon-management directors; |
• | Approves meeting agendas of the full Board after they are prepared by the Chairman, assures that there is sufficient time for discussion of all agenda items, and facilitates approval of the number and frequency of Board meetings; |
• | Is regularly apprised of inquiries from stockholders and involved in correspondence responding to these inquiries when appropriate, and if requested by stockholders, ensures that he or she is available, when appropriate, for consultation and direct communication; |
• | Assists the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in its annual evaluation of the CEO’s effectiveness as Chairman and CEO, including an annual evaluation of his or her interactions with the directors and ability to provide leadership and direction to the full Board; and |
• | Approves information sent to the Board, including the quality and timeliness of such information. |
Risk Oversight
The Board is responsible for the oversight of risk management of the Company with various aspects of risk oversight delegated to its committees. The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring financial risk and discussing risk oversight and management as part of its obligations under the NYSE’s listing standards. The Audit Committee also receives enterprise risk management reports from management on a regular basis. TheRisk and Compliance Committee is responsible for monitoring legal and regulatory risks as well as ethical and other compliance risks.risks, including those related to ethics practices and information technology and security. The Risk and Compliance Committee periodically receives reports from and reviews with management the Company’s risk management program. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee oversees the Company’s succession planning programs and policies related to recruiting, retaining and developing management. The Risk and Compliance Committee is responsible for coordinating with the Audit Committee and the Compliance Committee regularly coordinate oversight of risks identified in the enterpriseother Board committees to discuss matters pertaining to risk management reports.oversight. In its meetings, the Board receives reports from various Board committees and management, including the CEO and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) regarding the main strategic, operational and financial risks the Company is facing and the steps that management is taking to address and mitigate such risks. Additionally, the Board will receive periodic risk-related updates from other members of management as necessary.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has reviewed with management the design and operation of our incentive compensation arrangements for senior management, including executive officers, for the purpose of determining whether such programs might encourage inappropriate risk-taking that could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee considered, among other things, the features of the Company’s compensation program that are designed to mitigate compensation-related risk, such as the performance objectives and target levels for incentive awards (which are based on overall Company performance), and the Company’s compensation recoupment policy. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee concluded that any risks arising from the Company’s compensation plans, policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
For additional information regarding compensation risk, see page 32 of this Proxy Statement- 9 -
The Board met fiveseven times during the year ended December 31, 2016.2017. All directors serving during 20162017 participated in at least 80% of the total number of meetings of the Board and committees on which they served. Following each of the meetings of the full Board, the independent directors met in executive session without management participating, for a total of fiveseven times in 2016.2017.
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Directors who are employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries do not receive separate compensation for service on the Board or its committees.Non-employee directors receive an annual board retainer, which is higher for anon-employee Chairman of the Board, and committee chairs and the Lead Independent Director receive compensation in addition to the retainer for their commitments.
Effective for 2016, the Board amended the Director Compensation Policy to (i) increase the annual base retainer, lead director annual supplemental retainer, and the Audit Committee chair annual supplemental retainer to $240,000, $40,000 and $30,000, respectively, and (ii) provide thatone-half of the annual retainer for ournon-employee directors will be paid in fully-vested shares of our common stock at the beginning of the year following the year of service. The Board also revised thenon-employee director stock ownership policy to require eachnon-employee director to acquire and hold shares of our common stock in an amount equivalent to three times the director’s annual base retainer. Directors have six years to reach the new ownership requirements. Any newly-appointed or electednon-employee director will have until January 1 of the seventh year after the date suchnon-employee director is appointed or elected, as applicable, to reach the minimum ownership requirements. The following table summarizes the 2016 director compensation structure, as compared to 2015:
Annual Base Retainer | 2015 | 2016 | ||||||
AllNon-Employee Directors other than Chairman | $ | 220,000 | $ | 240,000 | ||||
Non-employee Chairman | $ | 390,000 | $ | 390,000 | ||||
Lead Independent Director Annual Supplemental Retainer | $ | 30,000 | $ | 40,000 | ||||
Committee Chair Annual Supplemental Retainers | ||||||||
Audit Committee | $ | 20,000 | $ | 30,000 | ||||
Compensation Committee | $ | 20,000 | $ | 20,000 | ||||
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | $ | 20,000 | $ | 20,000 | ||||
Compliance Committee | $ | 20,000 | $ | 20,000 |
Non-employee directors can elect to defer payment of apre-determined percentage of their compensation under the Autoliv, Inc. 2004Non-Employee Director Stock-Related Compensation Plan. In 2016, none of the directors elected to defer any of their compensation.
Effective for 2017 service, the Board has amended the Director Compensation Policy primarily to (i) provide for payments in advance, rather than in arrears, for a service year that runs from annual meeting to annual meeting, and (ii) provide thatone-half of the annual retainer will be paid in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs), rather than fully-vested shares of stock, which RSUs will be granted on the date of the annual meeting and will vest on the earlier of (a) date of the next annual meeting, or (b) theone-year anniversary of the grant date. In addition, the Board revised thenon-employee director stock ownership policy to require eachnon-employee director to acquire and hold shares of the Company’s common stock in an amount equivalent to five times the cash component of the annual Board retainer (as opposed to three times the annual base retainer as a whole), with five years for the existing directors to reach the new ownership requirements.
Compensation levels for 2017 service remain unchanged from 2016 levels, as described above.
Annual Base Retainer | ||||
AllNon-Employee Directors other than Chairman | $ | 240,000 | ||
Non-employee Chairman | $ | 390,000 | ||
Lead Independent Director Annual Supplemental Retainer | $ | 40,000 | ||
Committee Chair Annual Supplemental Retainers | ||||
Audit Committee | $ | 30,000 | ||
Compensation Committee | $ | 20,000 | ||
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | $ | 20,000 | ||
Compliance Committee | $ | 20,000 |
- 10 -Non-employee directors can elect to defer payment of apre-determined percentage of their compensation under the Autoliv, Inc. 2004Non-Employee Director Stock-Related Compensation Plan. In 2017, none of the directors elected to defer any of their compensation.
The following table sets forth the compensation that ournon-employee directors earned or were paid during the year ended December 31, 20162017 for services rendered as members of the Board:Board during 2017:
Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)(1) | Stock Awards ($)(2) | All Other Compensation ($)(2) | Total ($)(1)(2) | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)(1) | Stock Awards ($)(2) | Total ($)(1)(2) | |||||||
Robert W. Alspaugh | 150,000 | - | 120,000 | 270,000 | 190,000 | 120,000 | 310,000 | |||||||
Aicha Evans | 120,000 | - | 120,000 | 240,000 | 80,000 | - | 80,000 | |||||||
Leif Johansson | 100,000 | - | 100,000 | 200,000 | 173,333 | 120,000 | 293,333 | |||||||
David Kepler | 120,000 | - | 120,000 | 240,000 | 173,333 | 120,000 | 293,333 | |||||||
Franz-Josef Kortüm | 120,000 | - | 120,000 | 240,000 | 160,000 | 120,000 | 280,000 | |||||||
Xiaozhi Liu | 120,000 | - | 120,000 | 240,000 | 160,000 | 120,000 | 280,000 | |||||||
George A. Lorch | 180,000 | - | 120,000 | 300,000 | 100,000 | - | 100,000 | |||||||
James M. Ringler | 140,000 | - | 120,000 | 260,000 | 206,667 | 120,000 | 326,667 | |||||||
Kazuhiko Sakamoto | 140,000 | - | 120,000 | 260,000 | 166,667 | 120,000 | 326,667 | |||||||
Wolfgang Ziebart | 120,000 | - | 120,000 | 240,000 | 160,000 | 120,000 | 280,000 |
(1) | The cash portion of director compensation is set in USD and converted to director’s local currency, as applicable, at the then-current exchange rate on the date of payment. Reflects fees paid for services that were rendered during 2017, as |
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follows: (i) aone-time cash payment on the third business day following the 2017 Annual Meeting in satisfaction of both the cash and stock portion of the annual base retainer and the Lead Independent Director and committee chair annual supplemental retainers for service during the period commencing on January 1, 2017 and ending April 30, 2017 (prorated based on the number of full months of service as anon-employee director during such period, if applicable), whichone-time payment was made in order to transition to the new service year and payment schedule described above; and (ii) payments for each of the remaining quarterly service periods in 2017 (May – July, August – October and November – January (in the case of the last quarterly service period, prorated for the2-month period falling in 2017). |
(2) |
(3) | This amount reflects prorated payments to Ms. Evans and Mr. Lorch prior to their departure from the Board in May 2017. All fees were paid in cash. |
Corporate Governance Guidelines and Codes of Conduct and Ethics
The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines to guide the Board in the exercise of its responsibilities. The Board has also adopted a Code of Conduct and Ethics for Directors to assist the individual directors in fulfilling their duties as members of the Board. Since 1998, the Company has also had Standards of Business Conduct and Ethics that apply to all employees of the Company and a Code of Conduct and Ethics for Senior Officers (the Code of Conduct and Ethics for Directors, Code of Conduct and Ethics for Senior Officers and Standards of Business Conduct and Ethics are collectively referred to herein as the “Codes”).
The Company has also adopted a written policy regarding related person transactions (the “Related Person Transactions Policy”), which is part of the Standards of Business Conduct and Ethics. The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Codes and the Related Person Transactions Policy, and any amendments or waivers related thereto, are posted on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About Us – Governance – Ethics and Policies, and can also be obtained from the Company in print by request using the contact information below.
Policy on Attending the Annual Meeting
Under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Company’s policy is for all directors to attend the Annual Meeting. All current directors participated in the 20162017 annual meeting of stockholders.
As a general matter, the Company prefers to avoid related person transactions (as defined below). The Company recognizes, however, that certain related person transactions may not be inconsistent with the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Company’s policy is that all related person transactions must be reviewed and approved or ratified by the Audit Committee or, in certain circumstances, its Chairman. As provided in the Related Person Transactions Policy, a “Related Person Transaction” is a transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the Company
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(including (including any of its subsidiaries) was, is or will be a participant and in which any “Related Person” (as defined in the Related Person Transactions Policy) had, has or will have a direct or indirect interest. In determining whether to approve a related person transaction, the Audit Committee considers all of the known relevant facts and circumstances, including the benefit of the transaction to the Company, the terms of the agreement with the Related Person, the possible impact on a director’s independence, the availability of other sources for goods or services comparable to those provided by the Related Person, and any other information regarding the transaction or the Related Person that may be material.
Since the beginning of 2016,2017, no transactions took place or are currently proposed that the Company determined to require disclosure under Section 404(a) of RegulationS-K.
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Any stockholder or other interested party who desires to communicate with the Board, the lead independent director or the independent directors regarding the Company can do so by writing to such person(s) at the following address:
Board/Independent Directors
c/o Group Vice President Legal Affairs
Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 587 20600
Fax: +46 8 587 20633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
Communications with the Board or the independent directors may be sent anonymously and are not screened. Such communications will be distributed to the specific director(s) requested by the stockholder or interested party, to the Board or to sessions of independent directors as a group.
There are three standing committees of the Board: the Audit Committee, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board has also formed a special Risk and Compliance Committee. Until May 2017, the “Leadership Development and Compensation Committee” had been known as the “Compensation Committee,” and the “Risk and Compliance Committee” had been known as the “Compliance Committee”. The Board has determined that all members of the Audit, the Leadership Development and Compensation, the Nominating and Corporate Governance and the Risk and Compliance Committees qualify as independent directors under the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. While no formal policy exists regarding the attendance of the CEO and the Chairman at committee meetings, the practice of the Board is to invite the CEO and the Chairman to attend each committee meeting and excuse them when matters relating to them are discussed. The Lead Independent Director is also invited to attend all committee meetings. The following table shows the composition of the committees of the Board:
Board Committee Composition | ||||||
January 1 – May | May | |||||
Audit Committee | Robert W. Alspaugh (C)
David E. Kepler Wolfgang Ziebart | Robert W. Alspaugh (C)
David E. Kepler Wolfgang Ziebart | ||||
Leadership Development and Compensation Committee | James M. Ringler (C) Aicha Evans Leif Johansson Xiaozhi Liu George A. Lorch | James M. Ringler (C)
|
Leif Johansson Xiaozhi Liu
| |||
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | George A. Lorch (C) Leif Johansson Franz-Josef Kortüm Xiaozhi Liu James M. Ringler
|
Leif Johansson (C) Franz-Josef Kortüm Xiaozhi Liu James M. Ringler | ||||
Risk and Compliance Committee | Kazuhiko Sakamoto (C) Robert W. Alspaugh David E. Kepler Wolfgang Ziebart |
Robert W. Alspaugh
Wolfgang Ziebart |
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TheTheAudit Committee appoints, subject to stockholder ratification, the Company’s independent auditors and is responsible for the compensation, retention and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and for any special assignments given to such auditors. The Audit Committee also (i) reviews the annual audit and its scope, including the independent auditors’ letter of comments and management’s responses thereto; (ii) approves
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anynon-audit services provided to the Company by its independent auditors; (iii) reviews possible violations of the Company’s business ethics and conflicts of interest policies; (iv) reviews any major accounting changes made or contemplated; (v) reviews the effectiveness and efficiency of the Company’s internal audit staff; and (vi) monitors financial risk and discusses risk oversight and management as part of its obligations under the NYSE’s listing standards, including receiving enterprise risk management reports from management on a regular basis.standards. In addition, the Audit Committee confirms that no restrictions have been imposed by Company personnel on the scope of the independent auditors’ examinations. The Audit Committee is also responsible for the review and approval of related person transactions. Members of this committee are Messrs. Alspaugh (Chairman), Kepler and Ziebart and Ms. Evans.Ziebart. The Audit Committee met nineeight times in 2016.2017.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee advises the Board with respect to the compensation to be paid to the directors and executive officers of the Company and is responsible for both advising the Board with respect to the terms of contracts to be entered into with the senior executives of the Company and approving such contracts. The committee also administers the Company’s cash and stock incentive plans and reviews and discusses with management the Company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) included in this Proxy Statement. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee also assists the Board in developing principles and policies related to management succession and the recruiting, retention and ongoing development of senior management. Members of this committee are Messrs. Ringler (Chairman), and L. Johansson and Lorch, Ms. Evans and Dr. Liu. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee met five times in 2016.2017.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies and recommends individuals qualified to serve as members of the Board and assists the Board by reviewing the composition of the Board and its committees, monitoring a process to assess Board effectiveness, and developing and implementing the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider stockholder nominees for election to the Board if timely advance written notice of such nominees is received by the Secretary of the Company at its principal executive offices in accordance with theBy-Laws, a copy of which may be obtained by written request to the Company’s Secretary or on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About Us – Governance – Certificate and Bylaws. Members of this committee are Messrs. LorchL. Johansson (Chairman), Johansson, Kortüm and Ringler and Dr. Liu. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met four times in 2016.2017.
The Risk and Compliance Committee was formed as a special committee of the Board in June 2011 to assist the Board in overseeing the Company’s compliance program with respect to (i) compliance with the laws and regulations applicable to the Company’s business and (ii) compliance with the Company’s Standards of Business Conduct and Ethics and related policies by employees, officers, directors and other agents and associates of the Company that are designed to support lawful and ethical business conduct by the Company and its employees and promote a culture of compliance. The Risk and Compliance committee reviews with and receives reports from management on the Company’s risk framework. The Risk and Compliance Committee also oversees the investigation of any alleged noncompliance with law or the Company’s compliance programs policies or procedures that is reported to the Risk and Compliance Committee (except any relating to financial compliance, which are overseen by the Audit Committee). Members of this committee are Messrs. SakamotoKepler (Chairman), Alspaugh, KeplerSakamoto and Ziebart. The Risk and Compliance Committee works closely with the other committees of the Board and has three members that also serve on the Audit Committee, one of which serves as the Chairman. The Risk and Compliance Committee met four times in 2016.2017.
The Audit Committee of the Board is responsible for providing independent, objective oversight of the Company’s accounting functions and internal controls.
The Audit Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. The committee’s current charter is posted on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About Us – Governance – Board of Directors – Committees, and can also be obtained free of charge in print by request from the Company using the contact information below. Each member of the Audit Committee is “independent” as defined in, and is qualified to serve on the committee pursuant to, the rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Each member is financially literate and possesses accounting or related financial management expertise, and Mr. Alspaugh has been determined by the Board to qualify as an “audit committee
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financial expert” as defined by the SEC. Pursuant to the charter of the Audit Committee, no member of the Audit Committee may serve on the audit committee of more than two other public companies unless the Board determines that such simultaneous service would not impair the ability of such Audit Committee member to effectively serve on the Audit Committee. The Board has discussed this simultaneous service with Mr. Alspaugh, including the demands and time commitment attendant to such simultaneous service, and determined that such service would not impair his ability to effectively serve on the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee reviews the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements contained in the Annual Report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162017 with the Company’s management and independent auditors. The Company’s management is responsible for the financial statements and the reporting process, including the system of internal controls. The independent auditors are responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S.
The Audit Committee discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by the Statement on AS No. 16, “Communication with Audit Committees,” as amended,as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T. In addition, the Company’s independent auditors provided to the Audit Committee the written disclosures required by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s applicable requirements regarding the independent auditors’ communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors the independent auditors’ independence. The Audit Committee reviews and oversees the independence of the independent auditors and has concluded that the independent auditors’ provision ofnon-audit services to the Company is compatible with the independent auditors’ independence. In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board (and the Board approved) that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016,2017, for filing with the SEC.
The Audit Committee can be contacted regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters as follows:
The Audit Committee
c/o Group Vice President Legal Affairs
Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 587 20 600
Fax: +46 8 587 20 633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
Communications with the committee are not screened and can be made anonymously. The Chairman of the committee will receive all such communications after it has been determined that the contents represent a message to the committee.
Robert W. Alspaugh, Chairman
Aicha Evans
David E. Kepler
Wolfgang Ziebart
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Report
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board is responsible for identifying and recommending to the Board individuals who are qualified to serve as directors of the Company and on committees of the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee further advises the Board on composition and procedures of committees and is responsible for maintaining the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and overseeing the evaluation of the Board and its committees and members of the Company’s management.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. A copy of the committee’s charter is available on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About Us – Governance – Board of Directors – Committees, and can also be obtained free of charge in print by request from the Company using
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the contact information below. Each of the members of the committee is “independent” as defined in, and is qualified to serve on the committee pursuant to, the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.
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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considered and recommended that Mr. Robert W. Alspaugh, Mr. Jan Carlson, Ms. Aicha Evans,Mr. Hasse Johansson, Mr. Leif Johansson, Mr. David E. Kepler, Mr. Franz-Josef Kortüm, Dr. Xiaozhi Liu, Mr. James M. Ringler, Mr. Kazuhiko Sakamoto, Mr. Ted Senko and Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart be nominated for election by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. Ms. Evans, Dr. Liu, Dr. Ziebart and Messrs. Alspaugh, H. Johansson, L. Johansson, Kepler, Kortüm, Ringler, Sakamoto and SakamotoSenko are each “independent” as defined in the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider a director candidate nominated by a stockholder provided such nomination is submitted to the committee within the time period set forth in Article II, Section 6 of theBy-Laws. In considering candidates submitted by stockholders, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will take into consideration the needs of the Board and the qualifications of the candidate. In considering possible candidates for election as a director, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the qualifications and backgrounds of the candidates, including the following: candidate has (i) attained a position of leadership in the candidate’s area of expertise, (ii) business and financial experience relevant to the Company, (iii) demonstrated sound business judgment, (iv) expertise relevant to the Company’s lines of business, (v) independence from management, (vi) the ability to serve on standing committees and (vii) the ability to serve the interests of all stockholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee routinely considers board candidates with a broad range of educational and professional experiences from a variety of countries. While the Board has no separate formal policy, the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the backgrounds and experiences of the director nominees shall reflect the global operations of the Company. The current Board consists of directors who are citizens of or reside in multiple countries including the U.S., Sweden, Japan, China and Germany and directors with a wide range of management, operating, finance and engineering skills. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board and the Company place a high priority on diversity, with a particular emphasis on seeking out individuals with a wide variety of management, operating, engineering, technology and finance experiences and skills that are critical to managing the Company as well as individuals from the Company’s different operating regions. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee continues to look for opportunities to further progress its diversity initiatives.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies potential director nominees by asking current directors and executive officers to notify the committee if they become aware of persons meeting the criteria described above. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also, from time to time, engages firms that specialize in identifying director candidates. As described above, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will also consider candidates recommended by stockholders. Once a person has been identified by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee as a potential candidate, the committee collects and reviews publicly available information regarding the person to determine whether further consideration should be given to the person’s candidacy. If the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines that the candidate warrants further consideration, the chairman of the committee or another member of the committee will contact such person. Generally, if the person expresses a willingness to be considered to serve on the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will request information from the candidate, review the candidate’s accomplishments and qualifications in light of the qualifications of any individuals the committee might be considering, and conduct one or more interviews with the candidate. In certain instances, committee members may contact one or more references provided by the candidate or may contact other members of the business community or other persons that may have first-hand knowledge of the candidate’s accomplishments. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s evaluation process does not vary based on whetherwhen a candidate is recommended by a stockholder.
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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee can be contacted as follows:
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
c/o Group Vice President Legal Affairs
Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 587 20 600
Fax: +46 8 587 20 633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
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Communications with the committee are not screened and can be made anonymously. The Chairman of the committee receives all such communications after it has been determined that the content represents a message to the committee.
George A. Lorch, Chairman
Leif Johansson, Chairman
Franz-Josef Kortüm
Xiaozhi Liu
James M. Ringler
Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Duties, Procedures and Policies
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. The charter is posted on the Company’s website at www.autoliv.com – About Us – Governance – Board of Directors – Committees, and can also be obtained free of charge in print by request from the Company using the contact information below. Each member of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has been determined by the Board to be “independent” as defined in, and is qualified to serve on the committee pursuant to, the rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee is responsible for (i) reviewing annually the Company’s executive compensation plans in light of the Company’s goals and objectives of such plans; (ii) evaluating annually the performance of the Chief Executive Officer in light of the goals and objectives of the Company’s executive compensation plans and, together with the other independent directors, determining and approving the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation level based on this evaluation; (iii) evaluating annually the performance of the other executive officers of the Company in light of the goals and objectives of the Company’s executive compensation plans, and setting the compensation of such other executive officers based on this evaluation; (iv) evaluating annually the appropriate level of compensation for Board and committee service bynon-employee directors; (v) reviewing and approving any severance or termination arrangements to be made with any executive officer of the Company; (vi) reviewing perquisites or other personal benefits to the Company’s executive officers and directors and recommending any changes to the Board; (vii) developing the Company’s plans for management succession and recruiting, retaining and developing management; (viii) reviewing and discussing with management the CD&A, beginning on page 2223 of this Proxy Statement, and based on that review and discussion, recommending to the Board that the CD&A be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement or annual report on Form10-K; (viii)(ix) preparing the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Report for inclusion in the annual proxy statement or annual report on Form10-K; and (ix)(x) reviewing the description of the Compensation Committee’s process and procedures for the consideration and determination of executive officer and director compensation to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement or annual report onForm10-K.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee from time to time uses independent compensation consultants to provide advice and ongoing recommendations regarding executive compensation. In June 2015,2017, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee engaged Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. (“FW Cook”) as its new independent advisor. FW Cook reported directly to the Compensation Committee with respect to executive compensation matters. In 2016,2017, the Company also engaged Willis Towers Watson (“Towers Watson”) as a compensation consultant. For additional information regarding the role of each of these compensation consultants and the scope of their engagement, see page 31 of this Proxy Statement.
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The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee considered the independence of Towers Watson and FW Cook in light of the SEC rules and NYSE listing standards. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee also received a letter from each of Towers Watson and FW Cook addressing their independence. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee considered the following factors in determining the independence of the compensation consultants: (i) other services provided to the Company by each of Towers Watson and FW Cook; (ii) fees paid by the Company as a percentage of each consultant’s total revenue; (iii) policies or procedures maintained by Towers Watson and FW Cook that are designed to prevent a conflict of interest; (iv) any business or personal relationships between the individual consultants involved in the engagement and any member of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee; (v) any Company stock owned by the individual consultants involved in the engagement; and (vi) any business or personal relationships between the Company’s executive officers and Towers Watson or FW Cook or the individual consultants involved in the engagement. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee discussed these independence factors and concluded that the work of Towers Watson and FW Cook did not raise any conflicts of interest.
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The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee may form subcommittees for any purpose it deems appropriate and may delegate to any subcommittee such power and authority as it deems appropriate provided that no subcommittee shall consist of fewer than two members and that the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee shall not delegate any power or authority required by any law, regulation or listing standard to be exercised by the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee as a whole. Under the Company’s 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the “1997 Plan”), the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee may, to the extent that any such action will not prevent the 1997 Plan from complying with applicable rules and regulations, delegate any of its authority thereunder to such persons as it deems appropriate. In addition, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has delegated the authority to determine certain grants under the Company’s long-term incentive plan to the CEO, subject to established grant limits. The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee reviews the compensation levels set by the CEO under the long-term incentive program.
The Group Vice President for Human Resources of the Company generally acts as Secretary of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee.
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee can be contacted as follows:
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee
c/o Group Vice President Legal Affairs
Autoliv, Inc., Box 70381
SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 587 20 600
Fax: +46 8 587 20 633
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv.com
Communications with the committee are not screened and can be made anonymously. The Chairman of the committee receives all such communications after it has been determined that the content represents a message to the committee.
Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee is comprised exclusively of directors who have never been employed by the Company and who are “independent” as defined in the applicable rules of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. No executive officer of the Company served as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on the Company’s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee. No executive officer of the Company served as a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers either served on the compensation committee of such entity or served as a director of the Company.
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Leadership Development and Compensation Committee Report1
The Leadership Development and Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis and, based on such review and discussions, has recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement and incorporated by reference into the Company’s 20162017 Annual Report on Form10-K.
James M. Ringler, Chairman
Aicha Evans
Leif Johansson
Xiaozhi Liu
George A. Lorch
The Swedish Corporate Governance Code
Swedish companies with shares admitted to trading on a regulated market in Sweden, including the NASDAQNasdaq Stockholm, are subject to the Swedish Corporate Governance Code (the “Swedish Code”). This is a codification of best practices for Swedish listed companies based on Swedish practices and circumstances. The Swedish Code follows a “comply or disclose” approach; its recommendations are not binding on companies but if
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its recommendations are not complied with, the deviation must be explained. Anon-Swedish company listed in Sweden can elect to either apply the Swedish Code or the corresponding local rules and codes where the company’s shares have their primary listing or where the company is headquartered. As a Delaware corporation with its primary listing on the NYSE, the Company has elected to apply U.S. corporate governance rules and standards. These U.S. rules and standards are described in the “Corporate Governance” section beginning on page 888 of the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.this Proxy Statement. In addition, this Proxy Statement provides detailed information on various subjects covered by the Swedish Code.
This Proxy Statement contains statements that are not historical facts but rather forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include those that address activities, events or developments that the Company or its management believes or anticipates may occur in the future. All forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regardingrelated to the Company’s expected spin-off and the terms and timing of the consummation of the joint venture with Volvo Cars,such transaction, management’s examination of historical operating trends and data as well as estimates of future sales, operating margin, cash flow, effective tax rate or other future operating performance or financial results, are based upon our current expectations, various assumptions and/or data available from third parties. Our expectations and assumptions are expressed in good faith and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize or prove to be correct as forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual future results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “may,” “likely,” “might,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words.
Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the outcome could differ materially from those set out in the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including without limitation: statements related to the Company’s expected spin-off and the terms and timing of the consummation of such transaction; changes in light vehicle production; fluctuation in vehicle production schedules for which the Company is a supplier; changes in general industry and market conditions or regional growth or decline; changes in and the successful execution of our capacity alignment, restructuring and cost reduction initiatives and the market reaction thereto; changes in general industry and market conditions or regional growth or decline; loss of business from increased competition; higher raw material, fuel and energy costs; changes in consumer and customer preferences for end products; customer losses; changes in regulatory conditions; customer bankruptcies; consolidations or restructuring or divestiture of customer brands; unfavorable fluctuations
1 | The material in this report is not soliciting material, is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, whether made on, before, or after the date of this Proxy Statement and irrespective of any general incorporation language in such filing. |
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in currencies or interest rates among the various jurisdictions in which we operate; component shortages; market acceptance of our new products; costs or difficulties related to the integration of any new or acquired businesses and technologies; continued uncertainty in pricing negotiations with customers; successful integration of acquisitions and operations of joint ventures; successful implementation of strategic partnerships and collaborations; our ability to be awarded new business; product liability, warranty and recall claims and investigations and other litigation and customer reactions thereto; higher expenses for our pension and other postretirement benefits including higher funding requirements for our pension plans; work stoppages or other labor issues; possible adverse results of pending or future litigation or infringement claims; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; negative impacts of antitrust investigations or other governmental investigations and associated litigation relating to the conduct of our business; tax assessments by governmental authorities and changes in our effective tax rate; dependence on key personnel; legislative or regulatory changes impacting or limiting our business; political conditions; dependence on and relationships with customers and suppliers; and other risks and uncertainties identified in Item 1A “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form10-Kfor the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162017 and in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.2017.
For any forward-looking statements contained in this or any other document, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we assume no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except as required by law.
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY
Set forth below is information regarding the current executive officers of the Company who are not also directors (information about Mr. Jan Carlson, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, can be found on page 4 of this Proxy Statement):
Mats Backman, age 49,50, Chief Financial Officer and Group Vice President, Finance since May 2016. From 2013 until his appointment to his current position, Mr. Backman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sandvik AB (“Sandvik”), a maker of high-tech tools, tooling systems and steel and alloy products. Mr. Backman has been with Sandvik since 2007, and also served as its Acting President and Chief Executive Officer from August 2015 through October 2015, its Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Tooling from 2012 to 2013, and its Chief Financial Officer, IT & Business Development, Sandvik Machining Solutions from 2009 to 2012. Mr. Backman has been nominated for election to the board of directors of Gränges AB, a Swedish public company that is a global supplier of rolled aluminum products for heat exchanger applications, at its May 3, 2018 annual general meeting. Mr. Backman has a BSc in Business Administration & Economics from the University of Stockholm in Sweden.
Mikael Bratt, age 50,51, President, Passive Safety since May 2016. Prior to joining Autoliv, Mr. Bratt spent almost 30 years with the Volvo Group, including most recently as EVP Group Trucks Operations, part of the group executive management team since 2008, in which role he managed a team of 35,000 people, 50 factories, 60 distribution centers and an annual turnover of approximately $18 billion. Prior to this, he served as Chief Financial Officer of the Volvo Group. Mr. Bratt studied business administration at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Karin Eliasson, age 55,56, Group Vice President Human Resources since August 2014.2014, and in an expanded role as Group Vice President Human Resources and Sustainability since March 2017. Prior to joining Autoliv Ms. Eliasson was Senior Vice President and Head of Group Human Resources at TeliaSonera AB, a leading Nordic and Baltic telecommunications company, since 2008. Prior to joining TeliaSonera, Ms. Eliasson was Senior Vice President Human Resources at Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, SCA. She was previously the CEO of Novare Human Capital AB and Vice President Organizational Development at Stora Enso AB. Ms. Eliasson is a board member of PRI Pensionsgaranti and Vice Chairman of assembly of representatives, Skandia. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources from Mid Sweden University, Sweden.
Steven Fredin, age 55,56, Chief Technology Officer and Group Vice President Business Development since October 2016, after being Group Vice President Sales & Engineering since September 2014 and President Autoliv Americas since March 2011 and Vice President Engineering previous to that. Mr. Fredin has worked for Autoliv since 1988 and has been a key technical leader in virtually all of Autoliv’s product areas. Mr. Fredin has also served as Director Global System Development of the Company and Vice President of Seatbelt Development for Autoliv North America. Mr. Fredin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Thomas Jönsson, age 50,51, Group Vice President of Corporate Communications since May 2013. Prior to joining Autoliv on January 21, 2013, Mr. Jönsson was Vice President of Brand and External Communications for TeliaSonera, a leading Nordic and Baltic telecommunications company, a position he held from June 2010 to December 2012. Before joining TeliaSonera, Mr. Jönsson had an international career in communications working for Nokia, a global telecommunications company, which he joined in 1999. During his 11 years with Nokia, he held various positions in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Finland, and China. Mr. Jönsson started his career in communications with Intel Corporation in 1996. He studied Business Administration at the University of Stockholm.
Johan Löfvenholm,age 47,48, President, Electronics since October 2016, after being Group Vice President Products & Process Development since September 2014, Chief Technology Officer since March 2014 and Vice President Engineering since November 2011. Mr. Löfvenholm has worked for Autoliv since 1995 when he started his career as a trainee. Since then he has held several positions within the Company, such as Product Development Manager of Autoliv Sweden and Tech Center Director of Autoliv Sweden. In December 2004, Mr. Löfvenholm took on a regional responsibility when he was appointed Director of Technical & Marketing for Autoliv Asia Pacific. In this role he was also a member of the Asia Pacific Management Team as well as a member of the Autoliv Research & Development Board. In January 2008, Mr. Löfvenholm was appointed President of Autoliv India and was responsible for all Autoliv operations in India and in parallel also engaged in his previous
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engineering role. In July 2010, Mr. Löfvenholm took on the position of Vice President Electronics Europe, with responsibility for all passive electronic operations in Europe as well as membership on the Autoliv Europe and Electronics Management Board teams. Mr. Löfvenholm holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Svante Mogefors, age 62,63, Group Vice President Quality, since April 2005, after having been Director Corporate Quality of Autoliv AB since 2003. In March 2009, Mr. Mogefors took the additional role of Vice President Manufacturing. Mr. Mogefors initially joined Autoliv in 1985 and has experience in several roles within the Company, including in the areas of product development, process implementations and quality control. Between 1990 and 1996, Mr. Mogefors was for a period President of Lesjöfors Herrljunga AB and for another period President of MoelvenE-Modul AB. Mr. Mogefors holds a Master of Science degree from the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Lars Sjöbring, age 49,50, Group Vice President Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary since November 2015. Mr. Sjöbring most recently served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Transocean Ltd., a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services, from March 2014 through November 2015. Prior to his time with Transocean, Mr. Sjöbring served as Autoliv’s Vice President Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary from September 2007 until February 2014. Mr. Sjöbring has also held various positions with Telia AB, the predecessor to TeliaSonera AB; Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP; and at Nokia Corporation. Mr. Sjöbring holds Master of Law degrees from the University of Lund in Sweden and Amsterdam School of International Relations (ASIR) in the Netherlands; and a Master of Corporate Law degree from Fordham University School of Law in New York. Mr. Sjöbring is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.
Expected Changes in Management Related to the Spin-Off
On December 12, 2017, the Company announced its intention to spin off its Electronics business into an independent, publicly traded company called Veoneer, Inc. (“Veoneer”). In connection with the spin-off, certain current executive officers of the Company are expected to be appointed as officers of Veoneer. Jan Carlson, the current Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will be the Chief Executive Officer of Veoneer. He will assume this role as of the effective date of Autoliv’s internal reorganization of its corporate legal structure to align with its two business segments (the “Reorganization”), while continuing to serve in his current role at the Company until the spin-off is completed. After completion of the spin-off, Mikael Bratt, the current President of the Company’s Passive Safety business, will be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Following completion of the spin-off, Johan Löfvenholm, the current President of the Electronics business of the Company, will be the Chief Operating Officer of Veoneer and Lars Sjöbring, the current General Counsel, Group Vice President, Legal Affairs of the Company, will become General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs of Veoneer. Thomas Jönsson, the current Group Vice President, Corporate Communications of the Company, will be Veoneer’s Executive Vice President, Communication following completion of the spin-off. Additionally, as of the effective date of the Reorganization, Steve Fredin will no longer serve as the Chief Technology Officer of the Company and has entered into a separation agreement with the Company pursuant to which he will cease providing services to the Company on January 1, 2019. Karin Eliasson has also entered a separation agreement with the Company pursuant to which she will transition out of her role with the Company in 2018 and cease providing services to the Company in 2019.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of December 31, 20162017 for each person known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock, except where otherwise noted, and as of February 28, 2017March 15, 2018 for (i) each of our directors and nominees; (ii) our named executive officers (as defined on page 2223 of this Proxy Statement); and (iii) all of our directors, named executive officers and executive officers as a group.
Common Stock Beneficially Owned(1)(2) | Common Stock Beneficially Owned(1)(2) | |||||||||||||||
Name of Beneficial Owner | Number of Shares | Percent of Total | Number of Shares | Percent of Total | ||||||||||||
5% Stockholders | ||||||||||||||||
Alecta pensionsförsäkring, ömsesidigt(3) | 8,362,500 | 9.5 | % | 8,262,500 | 9.49% | |||||||||||
Regeringsgatan 107,SE-103 73 | ||||||||||||||||
Stockholm, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||
AMF Pensionsförsäkring AB(4) | 5,788,026 | 6.6 | % | |||||||||||||
Cevian Capital II GP Limited(4) | 6,530,530 | 7.5%(4) | ||||||||||||||
11-15 Seaton Place | ||||||||||||||||
St. Helier, Jersey JE4 0QH, Channel Islands | ||||||||||||||||
AMF Pensionsförsäkring AB(5) | 5,529,279 | 6.35% | ||||||||||||||
Klara Södra Kyrkogata 18 | ||||||||||||||||
SE-113 88, Stockholm, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||
Swedbank Robur Fonder AB(5) SE-105 34, Stockholm, Sweden | 5,361,043 | 6.1 | % | |||||||||||||
Directors and Named Executive Officers | ||||||||||||||||
Robert W. Alspaugh | 3,800 | * | 3,800 | * | ||||||||||||
Mats Backman(6) | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Mikael Bratt(7) | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Mats Backman | 331 | * | ||||||||||||||
Mikael Bratt | 331 | * | ||||||||||||||
Jan Carlson | 116,909 | * | 122,730 | * | ||||||||||||
Aicha Evans | 584 | * | ||||||||||||||
Steven Fredin | 14,599 | * | 16,140 | * | ||||||||||||
Hasse Johansson(6) | 0 | * | ||||||||||||||
Leif Johansson | 12,000 | * | 12,906 | * | ||||||||||||
David Kepler | 584 | * | 1,740 | * | ||||||||||||
Franz-Josef Kortüm | 1,030 | * | 2,047 | * | ||||||||||||
Xiaozhi Liu | 2,569 | * | 3,586 | * | ||||||||||||
George A. Lorch | 3,066 | * | ||||||||||||||
Frank Melzer(8) | 2,729 | |||||||||||||||
Jonas Nilsson(9) | - | |||||||||||||||
James M. Ringler | 3,727 | * | 4,883 | * | ||||||||||||
Kazuhiko Sakamoto | 2,527 | * | 3,544 | * | ||||||||||||
Ted Senko(6) | 0 | * | ||||||||||||||
Lars Sjöbring | 383 | * | 791 | * | ||||||||||||
Mats Wallin(10) | 1,783 | * | ||||||||||||||
Wolfgang Ziebart | 819 | * | 1,906 | * | ||||||||||||
All directors, named executive officers and executive officers as a group | 217,133 | * | ||||||||||||||
All directors, named executive officers and executive officers as a group | 216,439 | * |
* Less than 1%
(1) | Based on |
(2) | Includes restricted stock units that vested on February 15, |
(3) | The number of shares owned was provided by Alecta pensionsförsäkring, ömsesidigt pursuant to Amendment No. 7 to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on |
(4) | The number of shares owned was provided by Cevian Capital II GP Limited (“Cevian”) pursuant to Amendment No. 1 to its Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on March 13, 2018, indicating beneficial ownership as of March 12, 2018. Cevian reported sole power to vote and dispose of all such shares. The ownership percentage for Cevian used in its Schedule 13D/A is calculated based upon 87,087,509 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of February 28, 2018. |
(5) | The number of shares owned was provided by AMF Pensionsfö |
(6) | Mr. |
(7) |
Includes |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) describes the material elements of compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to each of the Company’s “named executive officers” during the last completed fiscal year, and discusses the principles and decisions underlying our executive compensation policies and the most important factors relevant to an analysis of these decisions and policies.
Our Named Executive Officers in 20162017
In accordance with the relevant rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, our “named executive officers” are the CEO, currentthe CFO and three other current executive officers who had the highest total compensation during 2016. In addition, our named executive officers for 2016 include one former CFO who continued working actively during parts of 2016 and two former executives who signed mutual separation agreements with the Company during 2016. 2017.
These individuals are as follows:
• | Jan Carlson (President and CEO), |
• | Mats Backman |
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Steven Fredin |
• | Lars Sjöbring (Group Vice President Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary) |
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The following provides a brief overview of our fiscal year 20162017 compensation program for our named executive officers:
• | Total compensation for our named executive officers in |
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The compensation of our named executive officers is significantly affected by our financial results. |
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The Company believes that to achieve its strategic and financial objectives, it is necessary to attract, motivate and retain exceptional management talent. In addition, total compensation offered to our executive management should ideally be based on local markets yet provide a shared responsibility for overall Company results which is aligned with the interests of the Company’s stockholders. Our compensation strategy is therefore based on principles of performance, competitiveness and fairness. In furtherance of these objectives, the Company sought a balanced distribution of fixed and variable incentive compensation elements over time by using several components of compensation. The Company believes that such a balanced compensation structure focuses our executive officers on increasing long-term stockholder value while providing fewer incentives for undue risk in the short-term.
We also consider the competitive environment where our significant operations and markets are located in order to provide a compensation package that optimizes value to the participant and cost to the Company. The Compensation Committee and management believe that it is their responsibility to use discretion and make
• | As a result of its compensation risk assessment during 2017, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) concluded that our compensation programs do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Autoliv. |
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Our Compensation Philosophy(1) for our executive management is set forth below.
Dimension | Description | |
Main Principles | The Company believes that to achieve its strategic and financial objectives, it is necessary to attract, motivate and retain exceptional management talent. In addition, total compensation offered to our executive management should provide a shared responsibility for overall Company results which is aligned with the interests of the Company’s stockholders. Our compensation strategy is therefore based on principles of performance, competitiveness and fairness. | |
Compensation Objectives | To meet our compensation philosophy, the compensation programs we provide have the following objectives: Objective A: Offer total compensation and benefits sufficient to attract, motivate and retain the management talent necessary to ensure the Company’s continued success. Objective B: Align the interests of the executives and the stockholders. Objective C: Reward performance in a given year and over a sustained period using straightforward programs to communicate our performance expectations. Objective D: Encourage company-wide cooperation among members of the executive, regional and business unit management teams and throughout the Company. | |
Compensation Mix | The Company seeks a balanced distribution of fixed and variable incentive compensation elements over time by using several components of compensation. Total compensation for our named executive officers consists of base salary, annualnon-equity incentives, long-term equity incentives, retirement/pension and other benefits. The Company believes that a balanced compensation structure focuses our executive officers on increasing long-term stockholder value while providing fewer incentives for undue risk in the short-term. | |
Component 1 Base Salary | Supporting Objective A Purpose: Provides a set level of pay that sustained individual performance warrants. A competitive base salary is important to attract and retain an appropriate caliber of talent for the position. The Compensation Committee also intends for base salary to comprise, on average over time, 40% of total direct compensation for the CEO and 50% for other named executive officers. | |
Component 2 Short-Term Incentive | Supporting Objective A, B, C & D Purpose: Recognizes short-term performance against established annual financial performance goals and creates focus and engagement in delivering results. Annualnon-equity incentive awards are always capped and directly tied to the Company’s and/or its respective business segments’ performance. | |
Component 3 Stock Incentive | Supporting Objective A, B,C & D Purpose: Provides our executive officers with incentives to build longer-term value for our stockholders while promoting retention of critical executives. |
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