UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant ☒x
Filed by a Partyparty other than the Registrant ☐¨
Check the appropriate box:
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| Preliminary Proxy Statement | |
| Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | |
| Definitive Proxy Statement | |
| Definitive Additional Materials | |
| Soliciting Material |
Inotiv, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box)all boxes that apply):
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| Fee paid previously with preliminary materials | |
¨ | Fee computed on table | |
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February 7, 2022
January 30, 2023
Dear Fellow Shareholders,
Fiscal 20212022 was aanother transformational year for Inotiv, Inc, and we’ve accomplished so much in a compact timeframe. We further developed our infrastructureInc., as we entered the Research Model business and expanded our existing operationsDiscovery and Safety assessment business segment by approximately 85%. While the growth can be mainly attributed to acquisitions, Inotiv also experienced incremental organic growth across all the business of 31% during fiscal 2022. The incremental organic growth was a result of pricing and growth in services. During 2022, we have had the opportunity to analyze and learn more about the Research Model business, which led to the announcement of several initiatives to optimize the business model for that segment. To date, these initiatives include closing or intent to close 9 of the 24 sites, to optimize and consolidate the Research Model business in fewer sites. In 2022, we also announced several new initiatives to add capacity and services by starting up newto our Discovery and Safety Assessment business segment. We expect most of the site optimization benefits and added capacity and services growing existing operations, acquiring strategic assets,to be completed during fiscal 2023.
We have encountered some unforeseen challenges and raising capital, which gives us an extremely strong foundation for our future. I am proudthese mainly related to recent indictments and allegations against employees of our team, their commitmentNHP supplier, and government officials in Cambodia. As a result, we have taken time to improvement, their commitmentsfurther evaluate what changes we should make to each othermove forward importing and supplying NHPs to the Company, and our results.customers.
Our team now has experience with building a business, while starting up and acquiring new services and completing a transformative acquisition in November 2021, withIn 2023 we are focused on seizing the purchase of Envigo, a leading global provider of research models and services. The combined company provides excellent growth opportunities with a global footprint, and we plan to continue to make investments for organic growth while selectively pursuing strategic acquisitions as partbenefits of our strategic growth plans.
Looking forward, we see significant opportunity ahead of us to continue expanding our services, generating a favorable return on ourpreviously announced investments and driving value for shareholders. I believe we haveinitiatives, while also achieving synergies from recent growth and acquisitions completed over the momentum, capital and talent to make these things happen.last 14 months.
In addition, we have significant capital investment plans, and plans to invest and support
We are pleased with our existing talent base in fiscal 2022, and we look forward to supportingprogress over the many ideas and plans being developed inside our facilities which will continue to provide benefits in futurelast 5 years. We understand there have been and will continue to become a contemporary company while looking for opportunities that provide growth and scale by specifically listening to our shareholders, clients and our Inotiv community. We’ll make sure to keep you—our shareholders—informedbe challenges as we continuegrow and build our business. We are a company which has been in transition, growing and developing and always looking to execute on our growth strategy during fiscal 2022.
I’mimprove and get better each day. I remain grateful for the talent and hard work of our team, the support of our shareholders, and our customers’ commitment to working with Inotiv. None of this happens without a talented and dedicated team and believing and trusting in each other. We all have a shared purpose to help our clients discover and develop life-changing therapies as we strive to be the best in the industry. Thank you for joining us on our journey.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Leasure, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF INOTIV, INC.
DATE: March 17, 202216, 2023
TIME: 10:00 a.m. (ET)
PLACE: Courtyard Marriott Lafayette
150 Fairington Avenue
Lafayette, IN 47905
At
NOTICE HEREBY IS GIVEN that the meeting, our shareholders2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Inotiv, Inc. will be asked to:held on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time. The following matters will be considered and voted upon at the Annual Meeting:
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· | Elect two directors to serve until the |
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· | Ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young |
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The foregoing items of business are more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement. Shareholders will also act on other business properly presented at the Annual Meeting.
Holders of record of the Company’s common shares at the close of business on January 26, 202213, 2023 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. Given public health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), we urge
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Whether or not you to consider voting in advance of the meeting via one of the remote methods in lieu of attending the meeting in person. This year, we are also offering our shareholders the opportunity to listen to the Annual Meeting virtually by visiting https://www.inotivco.com/investors/investor-information/ and following the instructions on that webpage. Note that shareholders who listen to the Annual Meeting virtually will not be able to vote via that broadcast.
While we intend to hold the Annual Meeting in person, we are actively monitoring the coronavirus pandemic, and are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our shareholders may have and the protocols that federal, state, and local governments may impose. In the event that it is not advisable to hold the Annual Meeting in person or at the scheduled date, time, or location, we will announce alternative arrangements for the Annual Meeting via a press release as promptly as practicable, which may include holding the Annual Meeting solely by means of remote communication in a virtual meeting format.
Your vote is important to us. Please take the time to review our Proxy Statement and submit your votes. Even if you expectplan to attend the Annual Meeting, in person, pleasewe hope you will vote via Internet, telephone, or mail usingas soon as possible. You may vote prior to the instructions provided onAnnual Meeting by any of the proxy card.following methods:
Internet | Telephone | |||
Visit the Web site noted on your proxy card or Notice of Internet Availability to vote via the Internet | Use the toll-free telephone number on your proxy card to vote by telephone | Sign, date and return your proxy card in the enclosed envelope to vote by mail, if you have requested or received paper copies of the proxy materials |
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Mark Bibi
Fernanda Beraldi
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of StockholdersShareholders to be held on March 17, 2022:16, 2023: This Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and the Company’s Fiscal 20212022 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available in the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website at www.inotivco.comhttp://www.envisionreports.com/NOTV.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This proxy statement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, expressed, or implied by such forward-looking information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, as may be updated in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers of this proxy statement are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements, since there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
INOTIV, INC.
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 17, 202216, 2023
This proxy statement is furnished by Inotiv, Inc. (“Inotiv,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of the Company of proxies to be voted at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held at 10:00 a.m. (ET) on Thursday, March 17, 2022,16, 2023, and at any adjournment thereof. The meeting will be held at the Courtyard Marriott Lafayette, 150 Fairington Avenue, Lafayette, Indiana 47905. This year, we are also offering our shareholders the opportunity to listen to the Annual Meeting virtually by visiting https://www.inotivco.com/investors/investor-information/ and following the instructions on that webpage. Note that shareholders who view the Annual Meeting virtually will not be able to vote via that broadcast.
A shareholder signing and returning thewho properly submits a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is exercised by delivering written notice to the Secretary of the Company, by filingtimely submitting a properly executedlater-dated proxy bearing a later datevia the Internet, by telephone or by mail, or by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.person (simply attending the meeting will not, by itself, revoke your proxy). The signingsubmission of a proxy does not preclude a shareholder from attending the Annual Meeting in person.
All proxies returnedtimely properly submitted prior to the Annual Meeting, and not revoked, will be voted in accordance with the instructions contained therein. Any proxy not specifying to the contrary will be voted FOR the election of the nominees for the two director named below,nominees, FOR the ratification of Ernst & Young US LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2022, FOR the approval of the proposed amendment of our Amended and Restated 2018 Equity Incentive Plan as described in this proxy statement (the “Equity Plan Proposal”)2023, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Directors on any other matter that is properly brought before the meeting.
As of the close of business on January 26, 2022,13, 2023, the record date for the Annual Meeting, there were 24,779,83225,622,136 common shares of the Company outstanding. Each outstanding common share owned of record as of January 26, 202213, 2023 entitles its holder to one vote. The Company has no other voting securities outstanding. Shareholders do not have cumulative voting rights.
A copy
We intend to mail a notice regarding the internet availability of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, which includes audited financial statementsproxy materials (the “Notice”) and a description of operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, accompanies this proxy statement. The Annual Report andto make this proxy statement are also available, in the “Investors” section of our website at www.inotivco.com. The financial statements included in the Annual Report are not incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, but they do contain important information regarding Inotiv. Each shareholder will receive a copy ofor to mail the proxy statement aand proxy card, and the Annual Report whetheras applicable, commencing on or not sharing an address with another shareholder.
The solicitation of proxies is being made by the Company and allabout January 30, 2023. All expenses in connection with the solicitation of proxies will be borne by the Company. The Company expects to solicit proxies primarily by mail, but directors, officers and other employees of the Company may also solicit proxies in person or by telephone. The Company will pay any costs so incurred, but the directors, officers and other employees involved in such solicitations will not receive any additional compensation for such actions.
This
A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, which includes audited financial statements and a description of operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, accompanies this proxy statement. The Annual Report and this proxy statement andare also available in the accompanying form“Investors” section of our website at www.inotivco.com. The financial statements included in the Annual Report are not incorporated by reference in this proxy were first mailed to shareholders on or about February 7, 2022.statement, but they do contain important information regarding Inotiv.
Shareholders of Record
If you are a shareholder of record, you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting. We will give you a ballot when you arrive. If you do not wish to vote in person or you will not be attending the Annual Meeting, you may vote by proxy.
If you are pleaseda shareholder of record, you may give a proxy to offer you four options for voting your shares:be voted at the meeting either:
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We encourageBeneficial Owners
If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and you received a Notice by mail, you should have received the Notice from the organization that is the record owner of your shares rather than from us. Beneficial owners who received a Notice by mail from the record owner should follow the instructions included in the Notice to register your vote via the Internet, via telephone or by returningview the proxy card. If you attend the meeting in person, you may also submit yourstatement and transmit their voting instructions. Beneficial owners who wish to vote in person and any votes that you previously submitted — whether via the Internet, by phone, by mail or by hand delivery — will be superseded by the vote that you cast at the meeting. Whether your proxy is submitted by the Internet, by phone, by mail or by hand delivery, if it is properly submitted and if you do not revoke it prior to the meeting, your shares will be voted at the meeting in the manner you indicate. To vote at the meeting, beneficial owners who are not alsoAnnual Meeting must obtain a valid “legal proxy” from the record holder of their shares will need toowner. To request the requisite proxy form, follow the instructions provided by your broker or contact the broker, trustee or nominee that holds their shares to obtain a "legal proxy" to bring to the meeting.your broker.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why am I receiving this proxy statement?
This proxy statement describes the proposals on which you, as a shareholder of the Company, are being asked to vote. It also gives you information on the proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, as well as other information, so that you can make an informed decision. You are invited to attend the Annual Meeting to vote on the proposals, but you do not need to attend in person in order to vote.
Who can vote at the Annual Meeting?
Shareholders who owned common shares on January 26, 2022,13, 2023, the record date for the Annual Meeting, may attend and vote at the Annual Meeting. Each common share entitles its holder to one vote. There were 24,779,83225,622,136 common shares outstanding on the record date.
What am I voting on?
We are asking you to elect two Class III directors to the Board of Directors of the Company and to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young US LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2022 and to approve the Equity Plan Proposal.2023.
What if I change my mind after I give my proxy?
You may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the polls close at the meeting. You may do this by:
Sending a signed statement to the Company that the proxy is revoked (you may send such a statement to the Company’s Corporate Secretary at our corporate headquarters, 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana |
Voting in person at the meeting. |
Your proxy will not be revoked if you attend the meeting, but do not vote.
How many shares must be present to hold the meeting?
To hold the meeting and conduct business, a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting shares as of January 26, 202213, 2023 must be present in person or represented by proxies at the meeting.meeting; this is called a quorum. On January 26, 2022,13, 2023, a total of 24,779,83225,622,136 common shares were outstanding and entitled to vote. Shares representing at least a majority of these votes, or 12,389,91712,811,069 shares, must be present at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, to hold the meeting and conduct business. This is called a quorum. Shares are counted as present at the meeting if:
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Note that viewing the Annual Meeting virtually via the instructions on the webpage we have provided will not count as presence for purposes of establishing a quorum, but abstentions and broker non-votesAbstentions will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present.
Will my shares be voted if I do not attend the Annual Meeting in person, vote via remote means or sign and return my proxy card?
If your shares are registered in your name, they will not be voted unless you votetimely submit a proxy by the Internet, by telephone, or by submitting your proxy card, via mail or hand delivery, or by voting in person at the meeting.
How will my shares be voted if they are held in “street name”?
If your shares are held in “street name,” you should have received voting instructions with these materials from your broker or other nominee. We urge you to instruct your broker or other nominee how to vote your shares by following those instructions.
If you do not give your broker or nominee instructions as to how to vote your shares, they may not be voted, except on routine matters for which the broker or nominee may exercise discretionary authority under applicable rules. For purposes of the Annual Meeting, the proposal to ratify Ernst & Young US LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is the only routine matter to be considered. “Broker non-votes” will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present, but will generally have no effect on the proposals, because they are not considered votes cast.
How many votes must the nominee receive to be elected as a Class I director?
The Class I directors nominated for election will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast, meaning that the two persons receiving the highest number of “for” votes will be elected. Shares represented by your proxy will be voted “for” the election of the nominees recommended by the Company’s Board of Directors, unless you withhold authority for either nominee. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted for purposes of determining whether the nominees are elected.
How many votes are required to approve the proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting other than the election of directors?Meeting?
If a quorum is present, the proposal to ratify Emst & Young US LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm and the Equity Plan Proposal will be approved if the number of votes cast for approval
To approve each of the proposal exceedsproposals, the numberfollowing votes are required from the holders of votes cast against approval of the proposal at the Annual Meeting.common shares. Abstentions and broker non-votes arewill not counted for purposescount as votes cast on the proposals below and will not affect the outcome of determining whether these proposals have been approved.the votes.
Proposal | Vote Required | ||
1 | Election of two directors | The election of director nominees will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the shares entitled to vote in the election, which means that the director nominees receiving the most FOR votes will be elected up to two, the maximum number of directors to be elected at the Annual Meeting. | |
2 | Ratification of auditors | More votes are cast FOR than AGAINST |
Who will pay for this proxy solicitation?
We will bear the costs of soliciting proxies from our shareholders. These costs include preparing, assembling, printing, mailing and distributing the proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports. We will also reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy and solicitation materials to the beneficial owners of common shares.
Corporate Governance Policies and GuidelinesCORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Board of Directors has determined that each of Nigel Brown, Ph.D., Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D., R. Matthew Neff, Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D, Nigel Brown, Ph.D., David Landman and Scott CraggR. Matthew Neff has no relationship with the Company that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that such individuals meet the current independence requirements of the NASDAQNasdaq Marketplace Rules and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
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The roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer have been split into two positions. The Board of Directors believes that separating these roles aligns the Company with best practices for corporate governance of public companies and accountability to shareholders. The Board also believes that this separation provides a leadership model that clearly distinguishes the roles of the Board of Directors and management. The separation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer positions has historically allowed our Chief Executive Officer to direct his or her energy towards operational and strategic issues while the non-executive Chairman focuses on governance and shareholders. The Company generally believes that separating the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer positions enhances the independence of the Board of Directors, provides independent business counsel for our Chief Executive Officer, and facilitates improved communications between Company management and members of the Board of Directors.
It is management’s responsibility to manage our enterprise risks on a day-to-day basis. The Board of Directors is responsible for risk oversight by focusing on our overall risk management strategy and the steps management is taking to manage our risks. While the Board of Directors as a whole maintains ultimate oversight responsibility, the Board of Directors has delegated certain risk management oversight responsibilities to its various committees. The Audit Committee oversees management of market and operational risks that could have a financial impact, such as those relating to internal controls or liquidity. The Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeing risks related to our compensation programs, including structuring and reviewing our executive compensation programs, considering whether such programs are in line with our strategic objectives and incentivizing appropriate risk-taking. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee manages risks associated with governance issues, such as the independence of the Board of Directors and key executive succession.
In addition to its formal compliance programs, the Board of Directors encourages management to promote a corporate culture that understands risk management and incorporates it into the overall corporate strategy and day-to-day business operations of the Company. The Company’s risk management structure also includes an ongoing effort to assess and analyze the most likely areas of future risk for the Company and to address them in its long-term planning process.
Committees and Meetings of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors has established Compensation, Audit and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees. Scheduled meetings are supplemented by frequent informal exchanges of information and actions taken by unanimous written consents without meetings.
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NoDuring fiscal 2022, no member of the Board of Directors attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate of the meetings of the Board of Directors and meetings of any committee of the Board of Directors of which he was a member. All of the members of the Board of Directors are encouraged, but not required, to attend the Company’s annual meetings of shareholders. All of our directors at the time attended the 2022 annual meeting of shareholders, in person or via the webcast.
The following chart shows the current members of, and the number of meetings ofheld in fiscal 2022 by, each of the committees of the Board of Directors and the number of meetings held in fiscal 2022 of the Board of Directors at which a quorum was present:Directors:
Committee | Members | Meetings in fiscal | ||
Compensation |
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Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. | ||||
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. |
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| R. Matthew Neff |
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| R. Matthew Neff (Chair) |
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| Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. |
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| Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. Nigel Brown, Ph.D. |
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Nominating/Corporate Governance |
| Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. (Chair) |
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| Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. Nigel Brown, Ph.D. |
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Board of Directors |
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The Compensation Committee is responsible for, among other matters, making recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to:matters:
reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to compensation |
· | overseeing the process for identifying and addressing any material risks relating to the Company’s compensation policies and practices for all employees; and |
· | overseeing and monitoring the Company’s human capital management programs, policies, initiatives and results, including with respect to: talent management; culture; employee recruitment, training, development, promotion and retention; diversity and inclusion, equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination; pay equity; and anti-harassment matters. |
The Audit Committee is responsible for, among other matters:
reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the quarterly and annual financial statements to be included in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K, respectively; |
· | reviewing and discussing management’s use of non-GAAP measures and metrics; |
· | overseeing risks related to the Company’s financial statements, the financial reporting process, and accounting |
· | reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor any major issues as to the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls; |
· | reviewing and discussing the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures; |
· | reviewing and administering the Company’s related persons transactions policy and all related party transactions; and |
The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other matters:
overseeing the search for qualified individuals to serve on the Board of |
recommending nominees for election to the Board of Directors |
evaluating the re-nomination and continuing service of incumbent directors; |
· | overseeing the administration of the Board of Directors, including, at least annually, reviewing and recommending the appointment of directors to committees; |
· | recommending to the Board of Directors the Chairperson or lead independent director, as appropriate; |
· | overseeing the self-evaluations of the Board of Directors and its committees; |
· | overseeing the Company’s programs, policies and practices relating to corporate responsibility and sustainability, including environmental, social and governance matters; |
· | reviewing or leading the review of |
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· | retaining and terminating any search firm to be used to identify director candidates and approving the search firm’s fees and other terms and conditions of the search firm’s retention. |
The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter for each of the Compensation Committee, the Audit Committee and the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, each of which can be found under the Investors/Corporate Governance tab on our website at www.inotivco.com. Compensation Committee, Audit Committee and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee members are not employees of the Company and, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, are “independent” (as defined by applicable NASDAQNasdaq and SEC rules and regulations, including those pertaining to committee members). The Board of Directors has determined that R. Matthew Neff is an “audit committee financial expert” (as defined by Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K) based upon, among other criteria, his professional experience, as described under “Business Experience of Remaining Members of the Board”.
In connection with the consummation of the acquisition of Envigo RMS Holding Corp. (the "Envigo Acquisition"), we entered into a Shareholders Agreement with certain stockholders of Envigo (the “Shareholders Agreement”), including Jermyn Street Associates LLC (“Jermyn Street”) and Savanna Holdings LLC ("Savanna Holdings and, together with Jermyn Street, the "Nominating Holders"). The Nominating Holders owned, in the aggregate, approximately 72.6% of the outstanding voting stock of Envigo. The Shareholders Agreement provides that, at the effective time of the Envigo Acquisition, (i) our Board of Directors will consist of our CEO, our Chief Strategy Officer, our three current independent directors, one person to be designated by Jermyn Street and one person to be designated by Savanna Holdings, and (ii) Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. will tender his resignation from the Board of Directors, to be effective automatically upon notice to Dr. Johnson from the Company that the Board of Directors is prepared to elect the Approved Director as provided in the Shareholders Agreement. The "Approved Director" is a person designated by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and approved by the Nominating Holders.
As required by the Shareholders Agreement, effective on November 5, 2021, the size of the Board of Directors was expanded to seven members, and Nigel Brown, Ph.D. and Scott Cragg were appointed to the Board of Directors. Dr. Brown, who was designated by Savanna Holdings, was elected as a Class II Directordirector of the Company for a term endingexpiring at the annual meeting of shareholders in 2023 Annual Meeting and Mr. Cragg, who was designated by Jermyn Street, was elected as a Class III Directordirector of the Company for a term endingexpiring at the annual meeting2024 Annual Meeting. As described further below, Dr. Brown has been nominated for reelection at the 2023 Annual Meeting to serve as a Class II director of shareholdersthe Company for a term expiring at the 2026 Annual Meeting. Further, as previously disclosed, Mr. Cragg resigned from the Board effective January 23, 2023. Pursuant to the Shareholders Agreement, Jermyn Street designated David Landman as its representative to replace Mr. Cragg, and the Board appointed Mr. Landman to the Board, effective January 24, 2023, to serve as a Class III director of the Company for a term expiring at the 2024 Annual Meeting.
In addition, the Shareholders Agreement provides that Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D., a Class II director of the Company whose term expires at the 2023 Annual Meeting, would tender his resignation from the Board of Directors, to be effective automatically upon notice to Dr. Johnson from the Company that the Board of Directors is prepared to elect the Approved Director as provided in 2024.the Shareholders Agreement. The "Approved Director" is a person designated by our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and approved by the Nominating Holders. As a result, Dr. Johnson has tendered his resignation from the Board of Directors, to be effective automatically upon notice to Dr. Johnson from the Company that the Board of Directors is prepared to elect the Approved Director as provided in the Shareholders Agreement. As of the date of this proxy statement, no Approved Director has been identified, and therefore Dr. Johnson continues to serve on the Board and has been nominated for reelection by the holders of the Company’s common shares to serve as a Class II director of the Company for a term expiring at the 2026 Annual Meeting.
After the consummation of the Envigo Acquisition and for so long as a Nominating Holder beneficially owns five percent or more of our outstanding voting shares, the Nominating Holder will have the right to designate one nominee for election to our Board of Directors upon the expiration of the term of the initial designee or any subsequent designee of that Nominating Holder and to approve our nominee for the board seat held by the Approved Director or any subsequent Approved Director upon expiration of the Approved Director’s term. Pursuant to the Shareholders Agreement, we agreed that we will include the nominees designated by the Nominating Holders and the Approved Director in management’s slate of directors for the applicable meeting, solicit proxies to approve the election of those persons to the Board of Directors and recommend to our shareholders that those persons be elected as directors. Board vacancies occurring due to the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office as a member of the Board of Directors of a director designated by a Nominating Holder are to be filled by a person designated by that Nominating Holder.
The Shareholders Agreement requires the shareholders who are parties thereto to cause all voting securities owned by them to be present at any annual or special meeting at which directors are to be elected, to vote such securities either as recommended by our Board of Directors, or in the same proportions as votes cast by other voting securities with respect to director nominees or other nominees and in favor of any director nominee of the Nominating Holders, and not to vote in favor of a change of control transaction pursuant to which the Nominating Holders would receive consideration that is different in amount or form from other shareholders, unless approved by our Board of Directors.
The Shareholders Agreement also includes certain restrictions on the ability of the shareholder parties to transfer their shares and certain registration rights in favor of those shareholders.
Recommended Candidates for Director Nominations
The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will consider candidates for nomination as directorsdirector persons recommended by shareholders entitled to vote on the election of directors. Such recommendations must be made to the Board of Directors
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in writing and delivered to Inotiv, Inc. (Inotiv), Attention: Corporate Secretary, 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906. There is no fixed process for identifying and evaluating potential candidates to be nominees for directors, and there is no fixed set of qualifications that must be satisfied before a candidate will be considered. Rather, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee has the flexibility to consider such factors as it deems appropriate. These factors may include education, diversity, experience with business and other organizations comparable with the Company, the interplay of the candidate’s experience with that of other members of the Board of Directors, and the extent to which the candidate would be a desirable addition to the Board of Directors and to any of the committees of the Board of Directors. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee does not have a formal policy regarding the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees, but the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee does consider, among other things, a director nominee’s potential contribution to the diversity of background and experience of our Board of Directors, including with respect to age, gender, international background, race and specialized experience. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will evaluate nominees for director submitted by shareholders in the same manner in which it evaluates other director nominees.
The Company’s Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended, provide that nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof) or (ii) by any
A shareholder of the Company (1) who is a shareholder of record on the date of the giving of the relevant notice and on the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at such meeting and (2) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in the Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended. For nominations to be made by a shareholder, the shareholder must deliver notice to Inotiv, Inc. not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the prior year’s annual shareholders meeting. Nominations must be received between November 17, 2022 and December 17, 2022 for consideration at the 2023 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Nominations must set forth, with respect to the person nominated, their name, age, business address and residence address, principal occupation or employment, class and number of shares of the Company which are owned beneficially or of record by the person, and any other information relating to the person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The shareholder making this proposal must state his, her or its name and record address, the class and number of shares of the Company which he, she or it owns beneficially or of record, a description of all arrangements or understandings between such shareholder and each proposed nominee and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by such shareholder, a representation that such shareholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meetingwishes to nominate an individual for director without the persons named in its notice, and any other information relating to such shareholder that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Such notice must be accompanied by a written consent of each proposed nominee to being named as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected. The Chairrecommendation of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee or his or her designee shall havemust comply with the authority to determine whether a nomination is properly made. No shareholder has properly nominated anyoneadvance notice and informational requirements set forth in our Bylaws, which are more fully explained later in this proxy statement under “Shareholder Proposals for election2024 Annual Meeting.”
The following chart summarizes certain self-identified characteristics of the directors of the Company, utilizing the categories and terms set forth in applicable Nasdaq rules and related guidance, as a director at theof August 1, 2022 Annual Meeting.and January 30, 2023:
Total Number of Directors | 7 | |
Male | Did Not Disclose Gender | |
Part I: Gender Identity | ||
Directors | 6 | 1 |
Part II: Demographic Background | ||
White | 6 | 1 |
There are no family relationships among the directors and executive officers of the Company.
Certain Relationships and Transactions
The BoardAudit Committee reviews and approves transactions with related parties, if any, including those required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K. On January 12, 2019, the Board of Directors elected
Robert Leasure Jr. as, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director, of the Company. Mr. Leasurealso serves as the managing partner and president of LS Associates LLC (“LS”), a management and consulting firm formed in 2002. The Company has a consulting agreement with LS by which we paid consulting fees of $86,000$363,000 and $64,000$86,000 in fiscal 20212022 and 2020,2021, respectively. The Company received consulting services from LS prior to Mr. Leasure being elected as CEO and continues to use services of the consulting firm on an as-needed basis.
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The Company formerly leased space from SWL Properties, LLC. SWL Properties is owned by Dr. John E. Sagartz, our Chief Strategy Officer and a member of our Board of Directors, Kimberly Sagartz, a current employee of the Company, and Joseph E. Flynn, our former Chief Commercial Officer. The lease commenced in July of 2018 with an initial term of seven years, and the possibility of extensions for two successive terms of seven years each. In May 2021, the Company exercised its option in the lease agreement to purchase the building from SWL for $4.7 million in cash. Prior to the purchase, the Company paid SWL rent payments of $260,000 and $390,000 during fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively.2021.
Communications with the Board of Directors
Any shareholder who desires to contact members of the Board of Directors, including the non-management members as a group, may do so by writing to:
Corporate Secretary
Inotiv, Inc. (Inotiv) Corporate Secretary
2701 Kent Avenue
West Lafayette, IN 47906
secretary@inotivco.com
The Corporate Secretary will collect all such appropriate communications and organize them by subject matter. Thereafter, each appropriate communication will be promptly forwarded to the relevant board committee chairperson according to the subject matter of the communication. Appropriate communications addressed to the non-management members as a group will be forwarded to each non-management member of the Board.
Communications with the Audit Committee
Any person who would like to contact the Company for the purpose of submitting a complaint or concern regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters may do so via email, by writing to:
Chairman of the Audit Committee,
R. Matthew Neff
auditcommittee@inotivco.com
Upon receipt of a complaint, the Chairman of the Audit Committee will follow a review process and actions dictatedprovided for in the Company’sAudit Committee’s procedures to review and address the complaint.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
The Company maintains a Global Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to review and address the complaint. The Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics appliesapplicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company’s directors, employees and officers.Company. The Company’sGlobal Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on the Company’s website at www.inotivco.com. We intend to disclose any changes in, or waivers from, our code of ethics applicable to any relevant officer on our website or by filing a Form 8-K with the SEC.
Non-Employee Director Compensation and Benefits
The Company’s compensation package for non-employee directors is generally comprised of annual cash retainers and historically has included stock option awards and/or restricted stockequity awards. The annual pay package is designed to attract and retain highly-qualified, independent professionals to represent the Company’s shareholders and reflect the Company’s position in the industry. Actual annual pay varies among directors based on Board committee memberships and committee chair responsibilities. The Company has not adopted guidelines with respect to non-employee director ownership of common shares. Directors who are employees receive no additional compensation for their service on the Board.
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TableIn December 2021, at the request of Contentsthe Compensation Committee, a competitive market assessment of director compensation was prepared by Meridian Compensation Partners LLC, the Committee’s independent compensation consultant. In January 2022, the Compensation Committee reviewed this market assessment and, following its review, recommended adjustments to director compensation levels consistent with the competitive market assessment data, which adjustments were effective on April 1, 2022, the beginning of our second quarter of fiscal 2022.
Cash Compensation
Cash compensation for non-employee directors during fiscal 20212022 consisted of the following:
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StockEquity Awards
The award disclosed under
In fiscal 2022, each non-employee director received a grant of 4,275 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) on April 1, 2022, with a value of approximately $110,000. These RSUs vest on the heading "Stock Awards" consistsfirst anniversary of the aggregate grant date, fair valueprovided that the individual continues to serve as a director of the restricted stock awards grantedCompany through the first anniversary of the grant date.
In addition, in fiscal 2022, each of Dr. Brown and Mr. Craig received a grant of 440 restricted shares (“RSAs”) on November 5, 2021 computedwhen they joined the Board of Directors in accordanceconnection with FASB ASC Topic 718. The grant date fair value of the stock awards may vary from the actual amount ultimately realized based on a number of factors. These factors include the Company’s actual operating performance, common share price fluctuations, the limited liquidity in the trading of the Company’s shares and the timing of applicable vesting.Envigo acquisition.
Business Expenses
The directors are reimbursed for their business expenses related to their attendance at the Company meetings, including room, meals, and transportation to and from Board and committee meetings. Directors are also encouraged to attend educational programs related to Board issues and corporate governance, which are reimbursed by the Company.
Non-Employee Directors’ Compensation Table
The following table shows information regarding the compensation of the Company’s non-employee directors for fiscal 2021.2022.
Stock | All Other | |||||||||||||||
Fees paid in | Awards (1) | Compensation | ||||||||||||||
Name | cash ($) | ($) | ($) | Total ($) | ||||||||||||
Nigel Brown, Ph.D. (2) | 35,000 | 132,872 | — | 167,872 | ||||||||||||
Scott Cragg (2) | 35,000 | 132,872 | — | 167,872 | ||||||||||||
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. | 105,000 | 109,964 | — | 214,964 | ||||||||||||
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. | 76,250 | 109,964 | — | 186,214 | ||||||||||||
R. Matthew Neff | 77,500 | 109,964 | — | 187,464 |
| | | | | | | | | | |
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION FOR FISCAL 2021 | ||||||||||
| | | | Stock | | Option | | All Other | | |
| | Fees paid in | | Awards (1) | | Awards (2) | | Compensation (3) | | |
Name |
| cash ($) |
| ($) |
| ($) |
| ($) |
| Total ($) |
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. |
| 78,750 |
| 53,325 |
| — |
| — |
| 132,075 |
R. Matthew Neff |
| 68,750 |
| 53,325 |
| — |
| 278 |
| 122,353 |
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. |
| 66,250 |
| 53,325 |
| — |
| 423 |
| 119,998 |
(1) | Represents the aggregate grant fair value of the |
(2) |
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PROPOSAL 1 - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Required Vote and Board of Directors’ Recommendation
Under the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended, the number of directors of the Company is to be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has set the number of directors at seven. In accordance with the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended, the Company’sThe Board of Directors is divided into three classes: Class I, Class II and Class III, each class having a staggered term of three years. Each year, the term of office of one class expires.expires at the annual meeting in that year. The terms of office of the Class III directors expire at the 20222023 Annual Meeting.
The
Based on the recommendation of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, the Board of Directors has nominated each of Robert W. Leasure, Jr.Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D and R. Matthew NeffNigel Brown, Ph.D (the "Nominated Directors") to be reelected by the holders of the Company’s common shares to serve as a Class I DirectorII director of the Company for a term expiring at the 20252026 Annual Meeting and until his successor is elected and qualified. Proxies cannot be voted for a greater number of persons than two, the number of nominees named in this proxy statement.
The nomination of the Nominated Directors was approved by the Company’s Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and ratified by the Company’s Board of Directors.
If elected, each Nominated Director has consented to serve as a director of the Company. As discussed above under “Corporate Governance – Shareholders Agreement,” Dr. Johnson has tendered his resignation from the Board of Directors, to be effective automatically upon notice to Dr. Johnson from the Company that the Board of Directors is prepared to elect the Approved Director as provided in the Shareholders Agreement, but to date no Approved Director has been identified.
The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote FOR the election of the Nominated Directors. Unless authority to vote for the Nominated Directors is withheld, the accompanying proxy will be voted FOR the election of the Nominated Directors; however, the persons designated as proxies reserve the right to cast votes for another person designated by the Board of Directors in the event either or both of the Nominated Directors becomes unable to serve or for any reason will not serve. Proxies will not be voted for more than one nominee. If a quorum is present, the nominees receiving a plurality of the votes cast will be elected to the Board of Directors.
Please find certain
Certain information about the Nominated Directors directlyis set forth below. The address for the Nominated Directors is in care of Inotiv, Inc., 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47906.
| | | | | | |
Name |
| Age |
| Position |
| Served as |
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. | | 62 | | President, Chief Executive | | 2019 |
R. Matthew Neff | | 66 | | Director | | 2017 |
Name | Age | Position | Served as Director Since | |||
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. | 77 | Director | 2012 | |||
Nigel Brown, Ph.D | 58 | Director | 2021 |
Business Experience of the Nominated Directors
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. joined the Company as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director on January 12, 2019. Mr. Leasure serves as the managing partner and president of LS Associates LLC (“LS”), a management and turnaround firm formed in 2002. From September 2016 until Mr. Leasure’s employment, the Company engaged LS as a financial consultant. Mr. Leasure’s experience working with management teams in areas including strategic planning and implementation, problem solving, operations, mergers and acquisitions and financial transactions, and in particular Mr. Leasure’s experience leading the Company’s turnaround and current growth, well situate him for his role as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director.
R. Matthew Neff was elected to the board on August 1, 2017. Mr. Neff is currently Executive Director and Board Member of Thompson Thrift Holding Company and is Senior Advisor to Evolution Capital Partners, a private equity firm. From July 2017 to May 2020, Mr. Neff was Of Counsel with Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP. From August 2013 through June 2016, Mr. Neff served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIT Laboratories, a national toxicology lab headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Neff joined AIT Laboratories after his tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of CHV Capital, Inc., the venture capital subsidiary of Indiana University Health, a role he had held since 2007.
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Mr. Neff started his career as a practicing lawyer and Partner at Baker & Daniels. He then served as the Deputy to the Chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board (now known as the Federal Housing Finance Agency) in the first Bush Administration. Thereafter, he became the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of two Indianapolis companies: Circle Investors, an insurance holding company then chaired by former Vice President of the United States, Dan Quayle, and Senex Financial Corp., a healthcare receivables finance company. Mr. Neff currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Community Fairbanks Recovery Center, and was a member of Riley Children’s Foundation’s Board of Directors from January 2000 to November 2012. Mr. Neff earned his bachelor’s degree and graduated a Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw University. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Indiana University. Mr. Neff’s legal expertise, financial acumen, knowledge of our industry and leadership background, including at AIT Laboratories, ideally situate him for service as a director.
Remaining Members of the Board
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Company’s other directors who will remain in office following the 2022 Annual Meeting. The address for each is in care of Inotiv, 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906.
Name |
| Age |
| Position |
| Director Since |
| | | | | | |
Class II Directors serving until the 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: | | | | | | |
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. | | 76 | | Director | | 2012 |
Nigel Brown, Ph.D. | | 57 | | Director | | 2021 |
| | | | | | |
Class III Director serving until the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: | | | | | | |
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. | | 68 | | Director | | 2017 |
John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP | | 57 | | Chief Strategy Officer and Director | | 2018 |
Scott Cragg | | 44 | | Director | | 2021 |
Business Experience of Remaining Members of the Board
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. was elected as a director of the Company on May 9, 2012. Dr. Johnson is currently an executive scientific consultant. From 1990 to 2008, he served as Founder and President of AvTech Laboratories. Prior to founding AvTech Laboratories, he served in various positions with The Upjohn Company, including Senior Research Scientist, Manager of Product Control, Manager of Quality Assurance Product Support and Director of Strategic Planning. Dr. Johnson received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from Michigan State University. Dr. Johnson brings to the Board of Directors knowledge and insight on scientific matters, stemming from his extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Johnson's current term on the Board expires at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Pursuant to the Shareholders Agreement described above, Dr. Johnson has tendered his resignation from the Board of Directors, to be effective automatically upon notice to Dr. Johnson from the Company that the Board of Directors is prepared to elect the Approved Director as provided in the Shareholders Agreement. See "Corporate Governance Policies and Guidelines – Shareholders Agreement".
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Nigel Brown, Ph.D. joined the Company’s Board as part of the Company’s acquisition of Envigo on November 5, 2021. Dr. Brown was initially elected to the Company’s Board in accordance with the terms of the Shareholders Agreement entered into as part of the acquisition of Envigo. Dr. Brown was designated for election to the Board by Savanna Holdings LLC, which is a party to the Shareholders Agreement as a Nominating Holder. Dr. Brown has been the Chief Executive Officer of Princeton Healthcare Advisory, LLC, a healthcare advisory firm, since 2015. Also, currently, Dr. Brown is a Partner at Trevi Health Capital, a healthcare-focused investment management firm. Dr. Brown has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and contract research sectors, with particular expertise in pharmaceutical R&D. Trained as an analytical chemist, Dr. Brown has worked for a number of major pharmaceutical companies to develop, among other things, analytical methods in support of clinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies; LC/MS/MS technology for quantitative drug bioanalysis; and drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, bioanalysis, genetic modeling, toxicology and manufacturing support. Ten years ago, Dr. Brown shifted his focus to deal-making in the pharmaceutical R&D sector, and has executed more than 20 deals spanning acquisition, divestiture, and strategic partnerships with combined transaction value in excess of $2.5 billion. He served as Corporate Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Covance, Inc. where he executed 19 transactions and the strategic sale of Covance to LabCorp for $6.2 Billion. He holds an MA and Ph.D. from the University of Oxford, UK, and an MBA from the Open University Business School, UK, and held the Nestlé post-doctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is extensively published in scientific and business literature and has advised governments and companies on policy formulation related to pharmaceutical R&D. Dr. Brown's current term on
Remaining Members of the Board expires at
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Company’s other directors who will remain in office following the 2023 Annual MeetingMeeting. The address for each is in care of Shareholders.Inotiv, 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906.
Name | Age | Position | Director Since | |||
Class III Directors serving until the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: | ||||||
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. | 69 | Director and Chairman of the Board | 2017 | |||
John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP | 57 | Chief Strategy Officer Director | 2018 | |||
David Landman | 67 | Director | 2023 | |||
Class I Directors serving until the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: | ||||||
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. | 63 | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | 2019 | |||
R. Matthew Neff | 67 | Director | 2017 |
Business Experience of Remaining Members of the Board
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. was elected to the board on June 14, 2017. Dr. Davis currently runs his own consulting firm, which he founded in 2012, assisting Biopharmaceutical companies with regulatory strategy and product development issues. In 2014, Dr. Davis joined Calibrium, LLC as Vice President of CMC, Regulatory, and Quality. Calibrium was developing novel biotherapeutics for the treatment of diabetes. The company was sold to Novo Nordisk in late 2015. From 1992 to 2012, Dr. Davis held various leadership positions at Eli Lilly in Biotechnology Product Development, Global Regulatory Affairs, Global Brand Teams, and Quality. Dr. Davis’ tenure at Eli Lilly included service as Chief Operating Officer of the Xigris Product Team. Xigris was the first biotechnology product ever approved for the treatment of severe sepsis. When Dr. Davis retired from Eli Lilly in December of 2012, he was Executive Director and Senior Principle Fellow in Global Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Davis has held numerous leadership positions within the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). He also served for five years as the PhRMA liaison to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) for Q5/Q6 Biotechnology topics. He coauthored several of the ICH’s pieces of guidance on registration standards for biotechnology products, which are still in use today. Dr. Davis received his bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University, studying under Dr. Peter Kissinger, the founder of the Company. As Chairman of the Board, Dr. Davis provides the Board of Directors with significant industry and leadership experience. Dr. Davis's current term on the Board expires at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, joined the Company as part of the Company’s acquisition of Seventh Wave Laboratories on July 2, 2018. Following the acquisition, Dr. Sagartz has served as the Company’s Chief Strategy Officer and joined Inotiv’s Board of Directors to help guide strategy in order to provide broader solutions and greater scientific expertise to the Company’s clients. Dr. Sagartz began his career as a toxicologic pathologist at Searle/Monsanto in 1996, and held positions of increasing responsibility as section head, director, preclinical development site head, and fellow, following Monsanto’s merger with Pharmacia. After Pfizer’s acquisition of Pharmacia in 2003, Dr. Sagartz founded Seventh Wave Laboratories where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer. Dr. Sagartz is an adjunct associate professor of Comparative Medicine at St. Louis University’s College of Medicine and serves on the Board of Directors of the Missouri Biotechnology Association. He received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from Kansas State University and, after completing residency training in anatomic pathology, earned his Doctor of Philosophy from The Ohio State University. Dr. Sagartz has the education and experience to provide strategic insight and industry knowledge to serve as Chief Strategy Officer for the Company and serve as a director. Dr. Sagartz’s current term on the Board expires at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Scott Cragg joined the Company’s Board as part of the Company’s acquisition of Envigo on November 5, 2021. Mr. CraggDavid Landman was electedappointed to the Company’s Board in accordance with the terms of the Shareholders Agreement entered into as part of the acquisition of Envigo.board on January 24, 2023, following Mr, Cragg’s resignation. Mr. CraggLandman was designated for election to the Board by Jermyn Street Associates LLC.as its representative to replace Mr. CraggCragg. Mr. Landman is a Senior Adviser at Perella Weinberg Partners, an independent international investment bank. Mr. Landman joined Perella Weinberg Partners as a Partner in 2007 and Portfolio Manager at Birch Grovehas served in London and New York as the Firm's Chief Operating Officer and Head of Capital an investment management firm. Mr. Cragg leads the
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Private Credit strategy across the firm. Previously, Mr. Cragg was a Managing Partner of Trevi Health Capital, a healthcare-focused investment management firm. Mr. CraggMarkets Advisory. He has over 17 years of investment and advisory experience in the healthcare sector. Mr. Cragg was previously an investment banker at Groton Partners, a merchant banking firm and, prior to that,been a member of the Healthcare & Life Sciences GroupFirm's Management Committee and Executive Committee. Since 2016, Mr. Landman has been a Senior Adviser focused on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions advice. From 1987 to 2006 Mr. Landman was a Managing Director at Wasserstein PerellaMorgan Stanley International, where he was Head of European Capital Markets Execution, Investment Banking Chief Operating Officer, and Prudential Vector Healthcare.a member of Morgan Stanley's Equity and Capital Commitment Committees, and European Executive Committee. During Mr. CraggLandman's 35-year career he has advised governments, boards, management teams and shareholders on over $100 billion of initial public offerings, equity capital new issues, and monetization. His sector expertise includes Health Care, Financials, Consumer, Telecommunications and Industrials. Prior to 1987, he was an Associate Attorney with White and Case. Mr. Landman received a B.A., magna cum laude,J.D./M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas.Chicago's Law School and Booth School of Business with a concentration in International Finance and an A.B. from Wesleyan University with high honors in Economics. Mr. Cragg’sLandman’s current term on the Board expires at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. joined the Company as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director on January 12, 2019. Mr. Leasure serves as the managing partner and president of LS Associates LLC (“LS”), a management and turnaround firm formed in 2002. From September 2016 until Mr. Leasure’s employment, the Company engaged LS as a financial consultant. Mr. Leasure’s experience working with management teams in areas including strategic planning and implementation, problem solving, operations, mergers and acquisitions and financial transactions, and in particular Mr. Leasure’s experience leading the Company’s turnaround and current growth, well situate him for his role as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director. Mr. Leasure’s current term on the Board expires at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
R. Matthew Neff was elected to the board on August 1, 2017. Mr. Neff is currently Executive Director and Board Member of Thompson Thrift Holding Company and is Senior Advisor to Evolution Capital Partners, a private equity firm. From July 2017 to May 2020, Mr. Neff was Of Counsel with Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP. From August 2013 through June 2016, Mr. Neff served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIT Laboratories, a national toxicology lab headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Neff joined AIT Laboratories after his tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of CHV Capital, Inc., the venture capital subsidiary of Indiana University Health, a role he had held since 2007. Mr. Neff started his career as a practicing lawyer and Partner at Baker & Daniels. He then served as the Deputy to the Chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board (now known as the Federal Housing Finance Agency) in the first Bush Administration. Thereafter, he became the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of two Indianapolis companies: Circle Investors, an insurance holding company then chaired by former Vice President of the United States, Dan Quayle, and Senex Financial Corp., a healthcare receivables finance company. Mr. Neff served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Community Fairbanks Recovery Center through December 2022, and was a member of Riley Children’s Foundation’s Board of Directors from January 2000 to November 2012. Mr. Neff earned his bachelor’s degree and graduated a Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw University. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Indiana University. Mr. Neff’s legal expertise, financial acumen, knowledge of our industry and leadership background, including at AIT Laboratories, ideally situate him for service as a director. Mr. Neff’s current term on the Board expires at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
PROPOSAL 2 - RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Selection ofChange in Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
RSM US LLP ("RSM") was the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. On November 2, 2021, the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company approved the dismissal of RSM as the Company's independent public accounting firm effective upon the completion of RSM’s audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year endingended September 30, 2021 (the “2021 Audit”).2021. This decision was made pursuant to the authority of the Audit Committee as specified in its Charter.
The Audit Committee of the Board appointed Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. At the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Company’s shareholders ratified the Audit Committee’s appointment of EY as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022.
Neither of the audit reports of RSM on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021, or the subsequent interim period through November 2, 2021, contained an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and neither such audit report was qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles, with the exception of the audit report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, which was modified to highlight the Company’s adoption of Accounting Standards Codification 842 Leases.
During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021, and the subsequent interim period through November 2, 2021, there were no disagreements between the Company and RSM on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to RSM’s satisfaction, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of such a disagreement in connection with its audit reports on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for such years. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021, and the subsequent interim period through November 2, 2021, there were no reportable events, as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation S-K (“Regulation S-K”).
The Audit Committee of the Board has appointed Ernst & Young US LLP (“EY”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. We are asking our shareholders to ratify EY as our independent registered public accounting firm. Although ratification is not required by our Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended, or otherwise, the Board is submitting the selection of EY to our shareholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice.
During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021, and the subsequent interim period through November 2, 2021, neither the Company nor anyone acting on the Company’s behalf consulted with EY on (i) any matters regarding the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered with respect to the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and no written report or oral advice was provided to the Company that EY concluded was an important factor considered in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue, or (ii) any matter that was the subject of any disagreement as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K or a reportable event as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The proposal to ratify the selection of EY as the Company's independent registered accounting firm for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 will be approved if a quorum is present and more shares represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on this item at the Annual Meeting are voted for approvalAudit Committee of the proposal than are voted against approval of the proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not count for purposes of determining whether this proposalBoard has been approved.
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The Board recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young US LLPappointed EY as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal 2022.year ending September 30, 2023. We are asking our shareholders to ratify EY as our independent registered public accounting firm. Although ratification is not required by our Bylaws or otherwise, the Board is submitting the selection of EY to our shareholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice.
In the event shareholders do not ratify the appointment, the appointment will be reconsidered by the Audit Committee and the Board.Committee. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may select a different registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders.
Representatives of RSM and EY are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. They will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and will be available to answer appropriate questions concerning the auditquestions.
The Board recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s financial statements.independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2023.
Fees of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The following table summarizes aggregate fees billed by EY for fiscal 2022 and by RSM for the last two fiscal years2021 for each of the following categories of services:
| | | | | | |
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| 2021 |
| 2020 | ||
Audit Fees – |
| |
|
| |
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Aggregate fees for annual audit, quarterly reviews | | $ | 372,000 | | $ | 415,000 |
| | | | | | |
Audit Related Fees - | |
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| |
|
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Aggregate fees for assurance and related services | | $ | 514,589 | | $ | 131,000 |
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Tax Fees - | |
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| |
|
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Income tax services related to compliance with tax laws | | $ | 43,405 | | $ | — |
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All Other Fees - | | $ | — | | $ | — |
Fiscal 2022 | Fiscal 2021 | |||||||
Audit Fees – | ||||||||
Aggregate fees for annual audit, quarterly reviews | $ | 1,595,500 | $ | 372,000 | ||||
Audit Related Fees - | ||||||||
Aggregate fees for assurance and related services | $ | 1,315,000 | $ | 514,589 | ||||
Tax Fees - | ||||||||
Income tax services related to compliance with tax laws | $ | — | $ | 43,405 | ||||
All Other Fees | $ | — | $ | — |
There were no fees for services other than the above paid to RSM or EY during the periods indicated.
The Company’s policies require that the scope and cost of all work to be performed for the Company by its independent registered public accounting firm must be approved by the Audit Committee. Prior to the commencement of any work by the independent registered public accountants on behalf of the Company, the independent registered public accountants provide an engagement letter describing the scope of the work to be performed and an estimate of the fees. The Audit Committee, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer must review and approve the engagement letter and the estimate before authorizing the engagement. All fees were reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer during fiscal 20212022 and 2020.2021. Where fees charged by the independent registered public accounting firm exceed the estimate, the Audit Committee must review and approve the excess fees prior to their payment.
The following Report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission nor shall this information be incorporated by reference into any existing or future filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into a filing.
The Audit Committee of the Board operates under a written charter, which is reviewed periodically and was most recently amendedupdated in January, 2017.July 2022. The Audit Committee is comprised of four non-employee directors, each of whom in the opinion of the Board of Directors meets the current independence requirements and financial literacy standards of the NASDAQNasdaq Marketplace Rules, as well as the independence requirements of the SEC. In the opinion of the Board of Directors, Mr. Neff meets the criteria for an “audit committee financial expert” as set forth in applicable SEC rules.
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The Company’s management is primarily responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Company’s financial statements. For fiscal 2021,2022, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, RSMEY (“independent auditors”), was responsible for performing an independent audit of the Company’s financial statements and expressing an opinion as to the conformity of the financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles.
The functionpurpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in its oversight responsibilities relating to the integrityaccounting and financial reporting processes of the Company’s accounting policies, internal controls and financial reporting.Company. The Audit Committee reviews the Company’s quarterly and annual financial statements prior to public earnings releases and submissions to the SEC; reviews and evaluates the performance of ourthe independent auditors; consults with the independent auditors regarding internal controls and the integrity of the Company’s financial statements; assesses the independence of the independent auditors; and is directly responsible for the selectionappointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of the independent auditors. In this context, the Audit Committee has met and held discussions with members of management and the independent auditors. Management has represented to the Audit Committee that the Company’s consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, and theauditor.
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the consolidatedaudited financial statements of the Company with management and the independent auditors. Management has also represented to the Audit Committee that the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting were effective as of the end of the Company’s most recently-completed fiscal year.
The Audit Committee alsohas discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the PCAOBPublic Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) and the Commission. The Audit Committee has also discussed with the Company’s independent auditors the overall scope and plans for the annual audit and reviewed the results of the audit with management and the independent auditors.SEC.
In addition, the Audit Committee has discussedreceived the independent auditors’ independence from the Company and its management, including the matters in the received written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight BoardPCAOB regarding the independent accountant’sauditor’s communications with the audit committee concerning independence. The Audit Committee concerning independence, and has also considered whetherdiscussed with the provision of any non-audit services (as discussed under “Fees of Independent Registered Public Accountants”) would impact the independence of the auditors.independent auditors their independence.
The members of the Audit Committee are not engaged in the practice of auditing or accounting. In performing its functions, the Audit Committee necessarily relies on the work and assurances of the Company’s management and independent auditors.
In reliance
Based on the reviewsreview and discussions referred to in this report, and in light of its role and responsibilities, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements of the Company be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, be filed2022, for filing with the SEC.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
R. Matthew Neff (Chairman)
Nigel Brown, Ph.D.
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D.
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D.
Nigel Brown, Ph.D.
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PROPOSAL 3 – AMENDMENT OF THE AMENDED AND RESTATED 2018 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
On January 25, 2022, the Board of Directors approved the amendment of the Company’s Amended and Restated 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Current Plan”) as reflected in the form of the Amended and Restated 2018 Equity Incentive Plan attached hereto as Annex A (the “Amended Plan”). Among the amendments made by the Board of Directors is the elimination of certain limitations on the number of stock options, stock appreciation rights, shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units that could be awarded to an employee participant in any fiscal year (the "Plan Amendment"). Because the Plan Amendment is considered a material amendment of the Current Plan under applicable stock exchange rules, the Board of Directors is submitting the Plan Amendment to the shareholders for approval at the Annual Meeting. If approved by the shareholders at the Annual Meeting, the Plan Amendment will become effective as of the date of the Board of Directors’ approval on January 25, 2022.
The Plan Amendment consists of the deletion of the following sentence from Section 4.3 of the Current Plan: "No Employee shall be granted Stock Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights with respect to more than 100,000 Common Shares in any fiscal year, and no Employee shall be granted Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units with respect to more than 50,000 Common Shares in any fiscal year, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.4." We believe that the removal of the award limitation for employees in the Current Plan is necessary in order to allow the Company to best utilize equity awards and performance awards to retain and attract the services of key individuals essential to the Company’s long-term growth and financial success and to further align their interests with those of the Company’s shareholders. The Company relies on equity awards to retain and attract key employees and non-employee Board members and the flexibility to grant equity incentive awards, including awards not currently provided for under the Current Plan, is necessary for the Company to remain competitive with regard to retaining and attracting highly qualified individuals upon whom, in large measure, the future growth and success of the Company depends.
In addition, the Board of Directors approved the Plan Amendment, in part, because it is necessary to allow for the full amount of the awards of restricted stock units made to Mr. Leasure, our President and Chief Executive Officer, to be effective. On January 25, 2022, the Board of Directors approved an annual incentive award to Mr. Leasure consisting of restricted stock units ("RSUs") under the Amended Plan to be granted and effective on the third trading day following the release of the Company's financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 with a grant date fair value of $3,500,000. The award will vest in three equal installments on the first three anniversaries of the grant date based on continued employment, subject to forfeiture or acceleration as provided in the Amended Plan and the CIC Plan. The RSUs are not transferable and can be settled only in common shares of the Company. Unvested RSUs will also be forfeited if Mr. Leasure engages in certain activity in competition with the Company, solicits employees or customers of the Company, improperly uses or discloses confidential information of the Company or engages in material misconduct in the performance of his duties, as determined by the Compensation Committee. In the event of a Change in Control, unvested RSUs will vest as and to the extent provided in the CIC Plan described below. See "Compensation of Executive Officers – Executive Change in Control Plan".
In addition to the annual incentive awards, on January 25, 2022, the Board of Directors approved retention awards for certain senior executives, including Mr. Leasure, Ms. Taylor and Dr, Sagartz, consisting of RSUs under the Amended Plan, to be granted and effective on the third trading day following the release of the Company's financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2022. The retention awards will vest in five equal installments on the first five anniversaries of the grant date based on continued employment, subject to forfeiture or acceleration as provided in the Amended Plan and the CIC Plan. Mr. Leasure was awarded 275,000 RSUs, Ms. Taylor was awarded 40,000 RSUs and Dr. Sagartz was awarded 30,000 RSUs. The RSUs are not transferable and can be settled only in common shares of the Company. Unvested RSUs will also be forfeited if the holder engages in certain activity in competition with the Company, solicits employees or customers of the Company, improperly uses or discloses confidential information of the Company or engages in material misconduct in the performance of his or her duties, as determined by the Compensation Committee. In the event of a Change in Control, unvested RSUs will vest as and to the extent provided in the CIC Plan described below. See "Compensation of Executive Officers – Executive Change in Control Plan".
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The number of RSUs in excess of 42,429 that compose Mr. Leasure's incentive award and the 275,000 RSUs granted to Mr. Leasure as his retention award were made subject to the approval of the Plan Amendment by the shareholders. Although the shareholders are not being asked to approve the awards to Mr. Leasure, the approval of the Plan Amendment is required for the full amount of these awards to be effective. If the shareholders do not approve the Plan Amendment, Mr. Leasure would retain 42,429 RSUs awarded as part of his incentive award, and the remainder of his incentive award and his retention award would not be effective.
The following factors, among others, were taken into account by the Board in approving the awards to Mr. Leasure and the Plan Amendment:
A summary of the key terms of the Amended Plan is set forth below. This summary, however, is qualified by and subject to the full text of the Amended Plan, which is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement. Capitalized terms used in this summary that are not otherwise defined have the meanings given such terms in the Amended Plan.
Plan Limits. The total number of Common Shares available for issuance under the Amended Plan is 3,400,000 shares (of which 1,579,067 have been issued and 866,550 are subject to issuance pursuant to outstanding stock options as of December 31, 2021). The Amended Plan designates 3,400,000 shares as the maximum number of shares as to which incentive options may be granted and 3,400,000 shares as the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be issued as Restricted Stock or pursuant to RSUs, in each case subject to adjustment as described in the Amended Plan. In addition, no non-employee director may be granted stock options and/or stock appreciation rights with respect to more than 25,000
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shares in any fiscal year, and no non-employee director may be granted restricted stock and/or RSUs with respect to more than 12,500 shares in any fiscal year, subject to adjustment as provided in the Amended Plan. Certain shares, including those subject to awards that are forfeited, amended, terminated, or settled in cash, and other shares, will be eligible for reissuance under the Amended Plan.
Eligibility. All employees, officers, consultants and directors of the Company and its subsidiaries are eligible to receive equity awards under the Amended Plan, except that incentive options may not be granted to non-employee directors or consultants. Currently, there are approximately 2,000 employees (including our executive officers) and 5 non-employee directors eligible to participate in the Amended Plan. The Committee is authorized to make awards to employees and consultants as selected in its discretion, and the Board has authority to make awards to non-employee directors of the Company.
Administration. The Committee has the authority and responsibility to administer the Amended Plan, except for awards to non-employee directors, which are administered by the Board. The Committee consists solely of not less than two members intended to be “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and “independent directors” under NASDAQ rules. The Committee may exercise broad discretionary authority in the administration of the Amended Plan, including the authority to determine the treatment of awards upon an employee’s retirement, disability, death, or during a leave of absence. In addition, the Committee is authorized to delegate some or all of its ministerial duties to one or more of its members or to one or more employees or agents of the Company.
Amendments and Termination. The Amended Plan will terminate on January 24, 2028. The Amended Plan may be terminated at any time prior to that date by the Board, in its sole discretion, and the Board may also amend the Amended Plan at any time, provided that shareholder approval is required for any amendment to the extent necessary to comply with applicable law and the rules, regulations, or requirements of NASDAQ or any other stock exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or traded. Currently, NASDAQ rules would require shareholder approval for a material revision of the Amended Plan, which would include (i) any material increase in the number of shares to be issued under the Amended Plan (other than to reflect a reorganization, stock split, merger, spinoff or similar transaction), (ii) any material increase in benefits to participants, including any material change to: (a) permit a repricing (or decrease in exercise price) of outstanding options, (b) reduce the price at which shares or options to purchase shares may be offered, or (c) extend the duration of the Amended Plan, (iii) any material expansion of the class of participants eligible to participate in the Amended Plan and (iv) any expansion in the types of options or awards provided under the Amended Plan.
Types of Awards. Four different types of equity awards may be granted under the Amended Plan, which awards may be free-standing or granted in tandem. They are as follows:
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Vesting and Forfeiture of Awards. The exercisability of stock options, and the vesting or forfeiture of all other equity awards under the Amended Plan, may be conditioned in any manner that the Committee chooses. The Amended Plan grants broad discretion to the Committee to determine the terms and conditions applicable to awards made under the Amended Plan. For example, time-based equity awards may be granted with the condition that they will become earned (vested) ratably over a period of years as long as the recipient remains employed. Performance-based equity awards may be granted with the condition that they will become earned (vested) or be forfeited in accordance with the attainment of specified financial or other performance objectives.
Treatment Upon a Separation from Service. Unless otherwise specifically provided by the Committee in the award agreement or any amendment thereto, awards terminate as provided below:
All unvested portions of awards held by the participant on the date of the participant’s Separation from Service for any reason other than death or Disability shall immediately be forfeited by such participant as of such date. All unvested portions of awards held by a participant on the date of the participant's death or Separation from Service due to the participant's Disability shall vest immediately as of such date. All vested portions of awards (other than vested portions of stock options) held by the participant on the date of the participant’s death or Separation from Service (for reasons other than Cause), as the case may be, shall be paid in accordance with the payout schedule applicable to vested awards; and all vested portions of stock options held by the participant on the date of the participant’s death or Separation from Service (for reasons other than Cause), as the case may be, shall remain exercisable for thirty (30) days following such Separation from Service (but not beyond the expiration of the term of the Stock Option) except as otherwise provided below:
Unless otherwise provided pursuant to any written agreement, if a participant incurs a Separation from Service for Cause, all awards held by a participant on the date of such Separation from Service for Cause, whether vested or unvested, shall immediately be forfeited by such participant as of such date.
Performance-Based Awards. The Committee has the right under the Amended Plan to grant awards that will become earned (vested) or be forfeited based on the level of achievement of relevant performance objectives.
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Transferability of Certain Awards. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under the Amended Plan will not be transferable by a participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and restricted stock and RSU awards may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, or otherwise encumbered during the Vesting Period (as defined in the Amended Plan).
Dividends and Voting. The Committee has discretion to either permit or deny the holder of an award of shares under the Amended Plan the right to dividends (or a cash equivalent for shares not actually issued), and the Committee may permit or deny voting rights to the holder of an award of restricted stock.
Change in Control. Unless an award is granted with contrary provisions or the participant has an agreement with the Company with contrary provisions, in the event of a “Change in Control” of the Company (as defined in the Amended Plan) (i) with respect to any outstanding Full Value Awards (any award other than a stock option or stock appreciation right), restrictions and vesting conditions applicable to the Full Value Award that are based upon one or more performance factors shall lapse with respect to a pro-rata portion (based on the number of days from the beginning of the applicable performance period to and including the date of the Change in Control) of the number of shares subject to such Full Value Award that would have been earned by the award holder (a) with respect to market-based goals, determined as the greater of the target goal or the transaction price with respect to the Company’s common shares on the effective date of the Change in Control, and (ii) with respect to performance-based goals, determined as the greater of the target goal or as determined by actual performance in accordance with the underlying plan formula as of the date of the Change in Control and (ii) the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the payment date of all RSU awards. In addition, upon a Change in Control the result of which is that the Company is not the surviving corporation (or survives as a wholly-owned subsidiary of another corporation), or upon a sale of substantially all the assets of the Company, the Board of Directors may, after considering any accounting impact to the Company, take such action as it in its discretion deems appropriate to (i) cash out outstanding vested stock options and/or other awards at or immediately prior to the date of such event that will not otherwise be assumed or substituted, (ii) provide for the assumption or substitution of outstanding stock options or other awards by surviving, successor or transferee entities, (iii) provide that in lieu of Common Shares of the Company, the award recipient shall be entitled to receive the consideration he or she would have received in such transaction in exchange for such Common Shares (or the Fair Market Value thereof in cash), and/or (iv) provide that stock options shall be exercisable for a period of at least ten business days from the date of receipt of a notice from the Company of such proposed event, following the expiration of which period any unexercised stock options shall terminate. Furthermore, for any change in corporate structure affecting the Common Shares subject to an outstanding award, the number and kind of Common Shares or other securities which are subject to the Amended Plan or subject to any awards theretofore granted, and the exercise prices, may be appropriately and equitably adjusted by the Board of Directors so as to maintain the proportionate number of shares or other securities without changing the aggregate exercise price, if any.
Waiver of Conditions. The authority of the Committee under the Amended Plan generally includes the right to waive the satisfaction of any or all conditions in an award as to the vesting of the shares awarded.
Awards under the Current Plan. Awards made under the Current Plan remain subject to the terms and conditions of the Current Plan except as otherwise specifically provided in the Amended Plan.
Federal Income Tax Consequences to Participants
The following discussion is limited to a summary of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the grant, exercise, and vesting of awards under the Amended Plan. The tax consequences of the grant, exercise, or vesting of awards may vary depending upon the particular circumstances, and it should be noted that income tax laws, regulations, and interpretations change frequently. Participants should rely upon their own tax advisors for advice concerning the specific tax consequences applicable to them, including the applicability and effect of state, local, and foreign tax laws.
Non-Qualified Stock Options. In general, (i) a participant will not recognize income at the time a non-qualified option is granted, (ii) a participant will recognize ordinary income at the time of exercise in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the option exercise price paid for the shares and (iii) at the time of sale of shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of the non-qualified option, appreciation (or depreciation) in value of
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the shares after the date of exercise will be treated as either short-term or long-term capital gain (or loss) depending on how long the shares have been held.
Incentive Stock Options. A participant will not recognize income at the time an incentive option is granted or exercised. However, the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the option exercise price paid may constitute a preference item for the alternative minimum tax. If shares are issued to the optionee pursuant to the exercise of an incentive option, and if no disqualifying disposition of such shares is made by such optionee within two years after the date of the grant or within one year after the issuance of such shares to the optionee, then upon sale of such shares, any amount realized in excess of the option price will be taxed to the optionee as a long-term capital gain and any loss sustained will be a long-term capital loss. If shares acquired upon the exercise of an incentive option are disposed of prior to the expiration of either holding period described above, the optionee generally will recognize ordinary income in the year of disposition in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the fair market value of such shares as of the time of exercise (or, if less, the amount realized on the disposition of such shares if a sale or exchange) over the option price paid for such shares. Any further gain (or loss) realized by the participant generally will be taxed as short-term or long-term capital gain (or loss) depending on the holding period.
Stock Appreciation Rights. A participant will not recognize income upon the grant of stock appreciation rights. The participant generally will recognize ordinary income when the stock appreciation rights are exercised in an amount equal to the cash and the fair market value of any unrestricted shares received on the exercise.
Restricted Stock. A participant will not be subject to tax until the shares of restricted stock are no longer subject to forfeiture or restrictions on transfer for purposes of Section 83 of the Code. At that time, the participant will be subject to tax at ordinary income rates on the fair market value of the restricted shares (reduced by any amount paid by the participant for such restricted shares). However, a participant who so elects under Section 83(b) of the Code within 30 days of the date of award of the shares will have taxable ordinary income on the date of award of the shares equal to the excess of the fair market value of such shares (determined without regard to the restrictions) over the purchase price, if any, of such restricted shares. Any appreciation (or depreciation) realized upon a later disposition of such shares will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain depending upon how long the shares have been held. If a Section 83(b) election has not been made, any dividends received with respect to restricted shares that are subject to forfeiture and transfer restrictions generally will be treated as compensation that is taxable as ordinary income to the participant.
RSUs. A participant will not recognize income upon the grant of an RSU award. Upon payment of the awards, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the cash and the fair market value of any unrestricted shares received.
Dividends or Dividend Equivalents. Any dividend or dividend equivalents awarded with respect to awards granted under the Amended Plan and paid in cash or unrestricted shares will be taxed to the participant at ordinary income rates when such cash or unrestricted shares are received by the participant.
Section 409A. The Amended Plan permits the grant of various types of awards that may or may not be exempt from Section 409A of the Code. If an award is subject to Section 409A, and if the requirements of Section 409A are not met, the award could be subject to tax at an earlier time than described above and could be subject to additional taxes and penalties. Awards granted under the Amended Plan generally will be designed either to be exempt from, or to comply with the requirements of, Section 409A.
Federal Income Tax Consequences to the Company. To the extent that a participant recognizes ordinary income in the circumstances described above, the Company will be entitled to a corresponding deduction provided that, among other things, the income meets the test of reasonableness, is an ordinary and necessary business expense, and is not an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code.
No benefits or amounts have been granted, awarded, or received under the Amended Plan. Future awards under the Amended Plan will be granted by the Committee, in its discretion, and the amounts payable to the Company’s employees and directors under the Amended Plan is not currently determinable. Such amounts will depend on the performance objectives selected by the Committee, the established targets, and the extent to which such targets are achieved.
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The Board recommends that the shareholders vote “FOR” approval of the amendment of the Amended and Restated 2018 Equity Incentive Plan.
COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
This following discussion and tables provide an overview of the compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to our named executive officers (“Named Executive Officers” or “NEOs”) for fiscal 2022, who were:
· | Robert W. Leasure, Jr., our President and Chief Executive Officer; |
· | Beth A. Taylor, our Chief Financial Officer; |
· | John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, our Chief Strategy Officer; |
· | Adrian Hardy, Ph.D, who has served as our Executive Vice President, Corporate Development since November 5, 2021; Dr. Hardy became a non-executive officer employee of the Company as of July 1, 2022; and |
· | James Harkness, who served as our Chief Operating Officer, Research Models & Services, from November 5, 2021 until his retirement on September 30, 2022; while he remained employed until September 30, 2022, Mr. Harkness was not considered an executive officer of the Company beginning July 1, 2022 until his retirement. |
Compensation Committee and Compensation Methodology
During fiscal 2021,2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors was responsible for administering the compensation and benefit programs for the Company’s team members, including its executive officers. The Compensation Committee annually reviews and evaluates cash compensation and stock option and other equity award recommendations from management along with the rationale for such recommendations, as well as summary information regarding the aggregate compensation provided to the Company’s executive officers. The Compensation Committee examines these recommendations in relation to the Company’s overall objectives and makes compensation recommendations to the Board for final approval. The Compensation Committee also sends to the Board for approval its recommendations on compensation for the President and Chief Executive Officer. No officer participates in the decisions of the Board as to his or her compensation package.
The Company’s executive compensation practices are affected by the highly competitive nature of the biotechnology industry. The Company has historically developed compensation packages for the Company’s executive officers that meet each of the following three criteria: (1) market compensation levels competitive with companies of similar size, geographic characteristics and performance to the Company; (2) performance-based "at risk" pay; and (3) shareholder-aligned incentives that are structured to create alignment between the shareholders and executives with respect to short-term and long-term objectives.
For fiscal year 2022, the Compensation Committee determined that due to the planned acquisition of Envigo and the business transformation that would result, it could not reasonably establish performance metrics and goals for fiscal 2022. As a result, the annual cash and equity bonus amounts approved by the Compensation Committee to the NEOs related to fiscal 2022 performance were discretionary and based on a review of Company and individual performance during fiscal 2022. With respect to Mr. Leasure, the Compensation Committee recognized the substantial contributions made by him in fiscal 2022, and particularly noted the significant accomplishments related to acquisition activities, balance sheet management, technology development, human capital development, capital investment and new business development and investments. The Company facilitates an Annual Incentive Bonus Plan (“AIBP”) for salariedCompensation Committee also considered that Mr. Leasure has had and hourly employees ofwill continue to have other employment opportunities in and outside the industries in which the Company includingoperates, and desires to provide a level of compensation with retentive value.
The Compensation Committee has retained Meridian Compensation Partners LLC (“Meridian”) as its independent compensation consultant and requested that Meridian provide competitive market assessments regarding executive officer compensation, which were used by the Compensation Committee in determining the appropriate executive compensation levels for 2022 and 2023, in line with the Company’s Named Executive Officers or “NEOs” whose annual incentive compensation opportunity is not otherwise set via employment agreement. For fiscal 2021, the Company's NEOs are Robert W. Leasure, Jr., John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph.D., DACVPplans, philosophies and Beth A. Taylor. The AIBP was established in order to align all participants with the annual goals and objectives of the Company and to create a direct link between compensation and the annual financial and operational performance of the Company. Under the terms of the AIBP, salaried and hourly employees, including the relevant NEOs, were eligible to receive performance-based incentive bonuses based on the Company’s achievement of specific EBITDA levels for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, as well as the individual’s accomplishment of specific performance goals. In fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, Dr. Sagartz and Ms. Taylor earned annual performance awards under the AIBP as specified in the Summary Compensation Table below, while the terms of Mr. Leasure’s awards were governed by his employment agreement then in effect. In fiscal 2021, Dr. Sagartz’s specific performance goals related to potential strategic and partnership opportunities, as well as expansion of scientific capabilities and services offerings. Ms. Taylor’s performance goals related to potential investment opportunities, management of mergers and acquisitions, and financial targets related to increasing company profits while reducing certain expenditures.
The Company has reviewed the elements of executive compensation to determine whether any portion of executive compensation encouraged excessive risk taking. It concluded that:
The combination of base salary and incentive compensation, including annual incentive compensation and long-term incentive compensation, reduces the significance of any one particular compensation element. |
Vesting periods for equity compensation awards, which historically have consisted of option grants and restricted stock awards, encourages long-term perspectives among award recipients. |
The Company's performance goals are appropriately set in order to avoid targets that, if not met, result in a large percentage loss of compensation. |
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Our system of internal control over financial reporting, among other controls, reduces the likelihood of manipulation of our financial performance to enhance payments under incentive compensation plans. |
Based on the foregoing, we have concluded that our compensation policies and practices do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Executive Change in Control Severance Plan
On January 25, 2022, the Board of Directors approved the Inotiv, Inc. Executive Change in Control Severance Plan for certain of its senior executives (the "CIC Plan"). The CIC Plan provides for certain payments and the vesting of certain equity awards upon a termination of a participant's employment by the Company without Cause or by the participant for Good Reason (each a "Qualifying Termination") within 24 months following a Change in Control of the Company. The definitions of "Cause" and "Change in Control" in the CIC Plan are the same as the definitions of those terms in the Company's Amended and Restated 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Equity Plan"). "Good Reason" is defined in the CIC Plan as the occurrence of any of the following without the consent of the affected participant, subject to certain notice and cure rights: (i) a diminution of the participant's title, duties and responsibilities, (ii) a reduction in base salary or target bonus opportunity, and (iii) the relocation of the principal place of business where the participant provides services to the Company by more than 50 miles. The Compensation Committee of the Board determines which executives of the Company become participants in the CIC Plan.
The CIC Plan provides for the following benefits upon a Qualifying Termination of a participant within 24 months following a Change in Control: (i) cash severance to be paid in a lump sum within 45 days of a Qualifying Termination in an amount equal to 1.0 to 3.0 times the participant's base salary and target bonus for the year of termination (depending upon the CIC plan tier to which the participant is assigned), plus a pro rata bonus for the year of termination; (ii) continuation of health and welfare benefits for 18 months following termination at the same cost to the participant as the participant paid prior to termination; (iii) up to $50,000 of outplacement services for 12 months following termination; and (iv) acceleration of vesting of all outstanding equity awards (with the amount payable in respect of any performance awards based on assumed target performance or actual performance through the date of termination, if determinable) upon a Qualifying Termination or if a successor in a Change in Control fails to assume or replace outstanding non-vested equity awards. With respect to the cash severance described in clause (i), the multipliers assigned to Tier I, Tier II and Tier III are 3.0 times, 2.0 times and 1.0 times, respectively. Receipt of severance benefits is conditioned on the delivery of a release from the participant and the participant's agreement to certain non-competition, employee and customer non-solicitation, confidentiality and non-disparagement restrictive covenants. The amount of severance benefits is subject to reduction in the event that the reduction would result in a greater after-tax benefit than the participant would receive if the participant received the full amount of the severance benefits and paid any excise tax required by Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Committee has designated Robert W. Leasure, Jr., the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, as a Tier I participant in the CIC Plan and has designated Beth A. Taylor, the Company's Chief Financial Officer and John Sagartz, the Company's Chief Strategy Officer, as Tier II participants in the CIC Plan.
During fiscal 2021, the Company had employment agreements with Mr. Leasure and Dr. Sagartz.
Employment Agreement with Mr. Leasure
On December 29, 2020 the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement (the “2021 Leasure Employment Agreement”) with Mr. Leasure. Pursuant to the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement, Mr. Leasure agreed to continue to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company for a term ending on December 31, 2022; provided that the term of the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement will be automatically extended for successive one year terms after the expiration of the initial term unless either party gives notice of termination of Mr. Leasure's employment at least 90 days prior to the end of the then-current term. Mr. Leasure will (i) be entitled to receive an annual base salary of $480,000, (ii) have an annual incentive opportunity of up to 50% of his base salary and (iii) be entitled to
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vacation in accordance with Company policy and reimbursement for ordinary and necessary business expenses. Mr. Leasure will also be entitled to participate in the Company’s benefit plans and programs provided to Company executives generally, subject to eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of those plans. Also under the terms of the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement and under the Plan, on the effective date of the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement, Mr. Leasure received 40,000 restricted stock units, subject to vesting and forfeiture, including in the event of Mr. Leasure’s termination by the Company for cause or Mr. Leasure’s resignation other than for good reason (each as defined in the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement).
The 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement provides for certain non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality undertakings. Should Mr. Leasure’s employment be terminated by reason of Mr. Leasure’s death, by the Company without cause or in the event of Mr. Leasure’s disability (as defined in the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement), or by Mr. Leasure for good reason, Mr. Leasure or his estate would be entitled to his base salary and a prorated portion of his annual incentive award for the year in which termination occurs, in each case through the effective date of the termination of his employment. If Mr. Leasure’s employment is terminated by the Company other than for cause, or by Mr. Leasure for good reason, in either case within 12 months after a change in control (as defined in the Plan) (i) the Company would pay to Mr. Leasure in a lump sum, as severance compensation, an amount equal to two times his base salary then in effect plus two times his annual incentive compensation paid for the Company’s last calendar year, (ii) all unvested outstanding options to purchase the Company’s common shares, unvested awards of restricted shares and unvested awards of restricted share units held by Mr. Leasure would vest immediately prior to the termination and, in the case of any such options, remain exercisable for a period of 30 days following the effective date of the termination, and (iii) Mr. Leasure would be entitled to receive, a pro-rata portion of the number of performance shares that would have been earned by Mr. Leasure if the performance conditions related thereto were satisfied at the target level for such awards and Mr. Leasure had been employed on the date required to earn such shares.
Under the terms of Mr. Leasure’s employment, Mr. Leasure earned the annual incentive compensation for fiscal 2021 specified in the summary compensation table based on performance with respect to goals, which included:
●Continuing to attract talent to build the management team
●Integration of acquisitions
●Completing rebranding initiatives
●Evaluation of internal and external growth opportunities
●Execution of strategic direction of the Company through investment and expansion
●Continuing to build banking relationships
●Continuing to build infrastructure to support growth initiatives
●Continuing to grow the Company’s sales and backlog
On January 27, 2022, the Company entered into a new employment agreement with Mr. Leasure (the "2022"Leasure Employment Agreement"). The 2022 Employment Agreement replaces the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement.
Pursuant to the 2022Leasure Employment Agreement, Mr. Leasure agrees to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company for a term ending on January 27, 2027; provided that the term of the 2022 Employment Agreement will be automatically extended for successive one-year terms after the expiration of the initial term, unless either party gives notice of termination of Mr. Leasure's employment at least 90 days prior to the end of the then-current term. Mr. Leasure will (i) be entitled to receive an annual base salary of $750,000, subject to discretionary increases, (ii) have an annual target incentive opportunity of at least 100% of his base salary, a maximum incentive opportunity of at least 200% of his target incentive opportunity and a threshold incentive opportunity of at least 50% of his target incentive opportunity and (iii) be entitled to vacation in accordance with Company policy and reimbursement for ordinary and necessary business expenses. Mr. Leasure willis also be entitled to participate in the Company’s benefit plans and programs provided to Company executives generally, subject to eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of those plans. In December 2022, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Leasure’s annual base salary to $800,000, effective January 1, 2023.
The 2022Leasure Employment Agreement provides for certain non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality undertakings that are the same as those in the 2021 Leasure Employment Agreement.undertakings. Should Mr. Leasure’s employment be terminated by reason of Mr. Leasure’s death, by the Company without cause or in the event of Mr. Leasure’s disability (as defined in the Leasure Employment Agreement), or by Mr. Leasure for good reason, Mr. Leasure or his estate would be entitled to his base
24
salary and a prorated portion of his annual incentive award for the year in which termination occurs, in each case through the effective date of the termination of his employment. If Mr. Leasure’s employment is terminated by the Company other than for cause, or by Mr. Leasure for good reason, in either case within 24 months after a change in control (as defined in the Equity Plan) Mr. Leasure will be entitled to severance benefits as provided in the CIC Plan described above.
Employment Agreement with Dr. Sagartz
Dr. Sagartz’s employment agreement with the Company (the “Sagartz Employment Agreement”) renews for successive one year terms ending July 1st unless otherwise terminated by either party with prior written notice. The Sagartz Employment Agreement specifies a $250,000 annual salary, which may be increased from time to time by the Company. For fiscal 2021, the Board set Dr. Sagartz’s salary at $350,000 effective August 28, 2021. For fiscal 2022, the Board set Dr. Sagartz’s salary at $365,000 effective December 6, 2021. For fiscal 2023, the Compensation Committee set Dr. Sagartz’s salary at 400,000 effective December 6, 2022. Dr. Sagartz is entitled to vacation in accordance with Company policy and reimbursement for ordinary and necessary business expenses and is also entitled to participate in the Company’s benefit plans and programs provided to Company executives generally, including as pertaining to incentive compensation, subject to eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of those plans.
The Sagartz Employment Agreement provides for certain non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality undertakings. If Dr. Sagartz is terminated by the Company without cause or Dr. Sagartz resigns for good reason (in each case, as defined in the Sagartz Employment Agreement) in addition to payment of earned or accrued compensation and benefits and reimbursement of accrued expense, he would be entitled to (i) reimbursement of an amount equal to his monthly COBRA premiums for a period of 12 months after his termination, provided such payments would cease upon his becoming entitled to other health insurance, (ii) payment of an amount equal to his annual salary for 12 months in equal bi-weekly installments over the 12 month period following the termination and (iii) a pro-rated portion of the annual bonus he was eligible for, if any, for the completed portion of any fiscal year in which the termination occurs based on the relevant portion of the bonus that would have been earned, if any, had he remained employed through the fiscal year and payable at the time payable were he to have remained employed.
Offer Letter with Ms. Taylor
The Company entered into an offer letter with Ms. Taylor, dated February 21, 2020 in connection with her employment as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The letter provided for a base salary of $240,000 per year with a discretionary annual incentive bonus opportunity, which is tied to company performance metrics and individualized achievements. For fiscal 2021, the Board set Ms. Taylor’s salary at $325,000 effective August 28, 2021. For fiscal 2022, the Board set Ms. Taylor’s salary at $375,000 effective December 6, 2021. For fiscal 2023, the Compensation Committee set Ms. Taylor’s salary at 410,000 effective December 6, 2022. Ms. Taylor is entitled to participate in the Company's benefits, including group health insurance, 401(k) plan and elective supplemental life and short-term disability insurance and receives 20 days of vacation per calendar year, as well as a total of 8 personal and sick days. Pursuant to the offer letter, Ms. Taylor was awarded 10,000 shares of restricted stock with a 24-month vesting period on the 90th day of her employment.
Fiscal 20212022 Summary Compensation Table
For fiscal 2021, our Named Executive Officers or “NEOs” were Mr. Leasure, Dr. Sagartz and Ms. Taylor. The following narrative, tables and footnotes describe the "total compensation" earned by the Company’s NEOs during fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020. Ms. Taylor was not a Named Executive Officer of the Company during fiscal 2020.
Individual components of the total compensation calculation reflected in the Summary Compensation Table are broken out below:
Salary. Base salary earned during fiscal 20212022 and 2020. The terms of Mr. Leasure and Dr. Sagartz’s employment agreements and Ms. Taylor's offer letter governed their base salaries.2021.
Bonus. The amounts presented under the Bonus column represent discretionary bonusesbonus amounts with respect to performance in the fiscal year shown, though are typically paid in connection with the acquisitions related to HistoTox Labs and Bolder BioPATH and the related financings.following fiscal year.
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NonequityNon-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation. The amounts presented under the NonequityNon-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column represent accrued bonuses (i) relatedbonus amounts under a program that provides for compensation intended to serve as incentive for performance to occur over a fiscal year, and the outcomes with respect to the Company’s AIBP for Dr. Sagartzrelevant performance targets are substantially uncertain at the time they are established by the Compensation Committee and Ms. Taylor, and (ii)communicated to participants. These amounts are also typically paid in the case of Mr. Leasure, related to his employment agreement.year following the performance year.
Equity Awards. The awards disclosed under the headings "Stock Awards" and "Option Awards" consist of the aggregate grant date fair value of the restricted stock orRSUs, RSAs and stock option awards, as applicable, granted in fiscal 20212022 and 20202021 computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The grant date fair value of the optionequity awards may vary from the actual amount ultimately realized by the NEO based on a number of factors. The factors include the Company's actual operating performance, common share price fluctuations, differences from the valuation assumptions used, the limited liquidity in the trading of the Company’s shares and the timing of exercise or applicable vesting. Assumptions used in the calculation of the grant date fair value are included in Note 9 in the Notes14 to Consolidated Financial Statements included in response to Item 8 in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
All Other Compensation. The amounts presented in the All Other Compensation Column consist of Company matching contributions made to the named executives account in the Company's 401(k) plan.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE | ||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | Nonequity Incentive | | Stock | | | | All Other | | |
| | | | | | Salary | | Bonus | | Plan Compensation | | Awards | | Options | | Compensation | | |
Name |
| Principal Position |
| Year |
| ($) |
| ($) | | ($) |
| ($) (1) |
| ($) (1) |
| ($) |
| Total ($) |
Robert W. Leasure, Jr | | President and Chief Executive Officer | | 2021 | | 450,751 | | 100,000 | | 240,000 | | 508,836 | (2) | — | | 6,646 | | 1,306,233 |
|
| |
| 2020 |
| 344,225 |
| — | | 185,000 | | 69,420 | (3) | 171,000 | (4) | — |
| 769,645 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
John E. Sagartz, DVM Ph.D., DACVP |
| Chief Strategy Officer |
| 2021 |
| 322,674 |
| 56,000 | | — | | 88,006 | (5) | — |
| 8,227 |
| 474,907 |
|
| |
| 2020 |
| 289,821 |
| — | | — | | 34,729 | (6) | — |
| — |
| 324,550 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Beth A. Taylor |
| Chief Financial Officer |
| 2021 |
| 273,635 |
| 56,000 | | — | | 63,753 | (7) | — |
| 8,198 |
| 401,586 |
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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table
In addition to restricted stock awards, the Company has awarded stock options to members of its senior management and other Company team members. The terms of these awards typically provide for vesting over a defined period of time; however, the Compensation Committee and the Board generally have the ability to alter, and occasionally do alter, the vesting schedule to meet specific objectives. The options expire if not exercised within ten years from the date of grant. The following table shows the equity awards granted to the Company's NEOs that were outstanding as of the end of the Company's 2021 fiscal year. Neither Dr. Sagartz nor Ms. Taylor had options outstanding at the end of fiscal 2021.
| | | | | | | | |
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL 2021 YEAR-END | ||||||||
OPTION AWARDS | ||||||||
| | Number of Securities Underlying | | | | | ||
| | Unexercised Options | | | | | ||
| | (#) | | (#) | | Option Exercise | | Option Expiration |
Name |
| Exercisable |
| Unexercisable |
| Price ($) |
| Date |
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. | | 18,000 | | 27,000 | (1) | 5.03 | | January 26, 2030 |
|
| 36,667 |
| 18,333 | (2) | 1.30 | | January 13, 2029 |
|
| 54,667 |
| 45,333 | | | | |
| | | | | |
RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS | |||||
| | Number of | | Market Value of | |
| | Shares | | Shares That | |
| | that Have Not | | Have | |
Name |
| Vested |
| Not Vested (1) | |
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. | | 56,667 | (2) | $ | 1,656,943 |
| | | | | |
John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph. D., DACVP | | 19,507 | (3) | $ | 570,385 |
| | | | | |
Beth A Taylor | | 16,875 | (3) | $ | 493,425 |
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The Company maintains the Amended and Restated Inotiv, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which amended and restated the Company’s 2008 Stock Option Plan. The following table gives information about equity awards under the Plan as of the end of fiscal 2021.
| | | | | | | |
|
| Number of |
| Weighted |
| | |
| | Securities to be | | Average | | Number of Securities | |
| | Issued upon | | Exercise | | Remaining Available | |
| | Exercise of | | Price of | | for Future Issuance | |
| | Outstanding | | Outstanding | | under the Equity | |
Plan Category | | Options | | Options | | Compensation Plan * | |
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders |
| 831,310 | | $ | 9.82 |
| 430,063 |
|
|
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For additional information regarding the Plan, please see Note 9 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.
With respect to the stock option awards disclosed under the heading “Option Awards” for Dr. Hardy and Mr. Harkness, such stock options represent Envigo stock options held by each of them that were converted into stock options to purchase Company common stock at the time of the closing of the Envigo acquisition on November 5, 2021.
All Other Compensation. The amounts presented in the All Other Compensation column consist principally of Company matching contributions made to the named executive officer’s account in the Company's 401(k) plan. For Dr. Hardy, the amount presented in this column represents cash payment amounts he received in connection with equity settlements related to the Envigo acquisition.
The table below summarizes the compensation paid to or earned by our NEOs for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and September 30, 2021:
Non-Equity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock | Option | Incentive Plan | All Other | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Salary | Bonus | Awards(1) | Awards(1) | Compensation | Compensation | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name | Principal Position | Year | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert W. | President and Chief | 2022 | 677,308 | 1,000,000 | 9,077,661 | — | — | 15,188 | 10,770,157 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leasure, Jr. | Executive Officer | 2021 | 450,751 | 100,000 | 508,836 | — | 240,000 | 6,646 | 1,306,233 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beth A. Taylor | Chief Financial Officer, | 2022 | 365,384 | 80,000 | 1,253,189 | — | — | 12,191 | 1,710,765 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
SVP - Finance | 2021 | 273,635 | 56,000 | 63,753 | — | — | 8,198 | 401,586 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John E. Sagartz | Chief Strategy | 2022 | 362,115 | 75,000 | 899,400 | — | — | 6,738 | 1,343,254 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Officer | 2021 | 322,674 | 56,000 | 88,006 | — | — | 8,227 | 474,907 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adrian Hardy(2) | Executive Vice President | 2022 | 454,152 | — | — | 8,209,885 | — | 2,240,222 | 10,904,259 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Harkness(2) | Former Chief Operating Officer | 2022 | 302,027 | — | — | 2,736,610 | — | 16,057 | 3,054,693 |
(1) | Represents the aggregate grant date fair value of the RSUs, RSAs and stock options granted in fiscal 2022 or 2021 in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. |
(2) | As permitted by SEC rules, because fiscal 2022 was each of Dr. Hardy’s and Mr. Harkness’ first year as an NEO, the compensation paid to him prior to fiscal 2022 is not included in this table. Each of such individuals no longer served as an executive officer of the Company on September 30, 2022, the last day of our fiscal 2022. |
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table
The following table provides details regarding outstanding stock-based awards for each of our NEOs as of September 30, 2022.
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
Grant Date | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options - Exercisable | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options - Unexercisable | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date | Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested(1) ($) | ||||||||||||||||
Robert W. Leasure | 01/14/2019 | 55,000 | — | 1.30 | 01/13/2029 | |||||||||||||||||
01/27/2020 | 31,500 | 13,500 | (2) | 5.03 | 01/26/2030 | |||||||||||||||||
12/29/2020 | 20,000 | (3) | 337,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
05/07/2021 | 3,667 | (4) | 61,789 | |||||||||||||||||||
10/22/2021 | 7,571 | (5) | 127,571 | |||||||||||||||||||
02/15/2022 | 42,429 | (6) | 714,929 | |||||||||||||||||||
03/17/2022 | 74,315 | (6) | 1,252,208 | |||||||||||||||||||
03/17/2022 | 275,000 | (7) | 4,633,750 | |||||||||||||||||||
Beth A. Taylor | 12/02/2020 | 5,995 | (8) | 101,016 | ||||||||||||||||||
05/07/2021 | 880 | (4) | 14,828 | |||||||||||||||||||
01/22/2021 | 1,332 | (5) | 22,444 | |||||||||||||||||||
12/17/2021 | 214 | (9) | 3,606 | |||||||||||||||||||
02/15/2022 | 40,000 | (7) | 674,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
John E. Sagartz | 12/02/2020 | 9,653 | (8) | 162,653 | ||||||||||||||||||
05/07/2021 | 880 | (4) | 14,828 | |||||||||||||||||||
02/15/2022 | 30,000 | (7) | 505,500 | |||||||||||||||||||
Adrian Hardy | 11/05/2021 | 355,780 | — | 9.93 | 06/05/2029 | |||||||||||||||||
James Harkness | 11/05/2021 | 118,593 | — | 9.93 | 06/05/2029 |
(1) | The market value of unvested stock awards is calculated using a value of $16.85 per share, which was the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on September 30, 2022. |
(2) | These options vested on January 27, 2023. |
(3) | RSAs that vested on December 29, 2022. |
(4) | RSAs that vest on May 7, 2023. |
(5) | RSAs that vest on October 22, 2023. |
(6) | RSUs that vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date. |
(7) | RSUs that vest in five equal annual installments, beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date. |
(8) | RSAs that vested on December 2, 2022. |
(9) | RSAs that vest on December 17, 2023. |
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table provides information about equity awards under the Equity Plan, which is the only equity-based compensation plan under which awards are outstanding or may be granted, as of September 30, 2022.
Number of | ||||||||||||||||
securities to be | Number of securities | |||||||||||||||
issued upon | Weighted-average | remaining available | ||||||||||||||
exercise of | exercise price of | for future issuance | ||||||||||||||
outstanding | outstanding options, | under equity | ||||||||||||||
Plan Category | options, warrants and rights | warrants and rights | compensation plans (1) | |||||||||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | 2,499,993 | (2) | $ | 12.54 | (3) | 928,388 |
(1) | Excluding securities reflected in the first column. |
(2) | Consists of 1,949,390 stock options and 550,603 RSUs. |
(3) | Represents the weighted average exercise price of outstanding stock options. Does not take into account the outstanding RSUs which, when settled, will be settled in shares of our common stock on a one-for-one basis at no additional cost. |
The Company’s insider trading policy prohibits executive officers, directors and certain accounting personnel and employees from purchasing securities or other financial instruments, or to otherwise engage in transactions, that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of equity securities granted as compensation, or held directly or indirectly by the employee or director.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table shows,sets forth ownership of our common stock by (i) each person known by the Company to own of record or beneficially 5% or more of our common stock, (ii) each of our current directors, (iii) each of the Named Executive Officers, and (iv) all current executive officers and directors of the Company as a group, in each case based upon information available as of September 30, 2022 (unless otherwise noted). Percentage ownership is based on 25,622,136 shares of our common stock outstanding as of January 26, 2022,13, 2023. Unless otherwise stated, the numberaddress of common shares owned by our directors, executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table above, our current directors and executive officers as a group, and beneficial owners known to us to hold more than 5% of our outstanding common shares. As of January 26, 2022, there were 24,779,832 common shares outstanding.each person is c/o Inotiv, Inc., 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47906.
Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned | ||||||||
Name | Number of Shares | Percent of Class | ||||||
5% Beneficial Owners | ||||||||
Jermyn Street Associates LLC (1) | 1,378,280 | 5.4 | % | |||||
Peter T. Kissinger, Ph.D. and Candice B. Kissinger (2) | 1,275,767 | 5.0 | % | |||||
IsZo Capital LP (3) | 1,275,379 | 5.0 | % | |||||
Directors and Named Executive Officers | ||||||||
Nigel Brown, Ph.D. | 440 | (4) | * | |||||
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. | 57,683 | (5) | * | |||||
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. | 77,683 | (6) | * | |||||
R. Mathew Neff | 78,113 | (7) | * | |||||
David Landman | — | — | ||||||
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. | 441,702 | (8) | 1.7 | % | ||||
John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP | 657,030 | (9) | 2.6 | % | ||||
Beth A. Taylor | 51,875 | (10) | * | |||||
Adrian P. Hardy | 355,780 | 1.4 | % | |||||
James Harkness | 157,561 | * | ||||||
Current Directors and Executive Officers as a Group (13 persons) | 1,496,097 | (11) | 5.8 | % |
| | | | | | | |
| | Shares Beneficially Owned | |||||
Name |
| Number of Shares |
| Percent of Class | |||
| | | | | | | |
5% Beneficial Owners | |
|
| |
| |
|
P2 Capital Partners, LLC (1) |
| | 2,946,961 |
| | 11.9 | % |
Jermyn Street Associates LLC (2) | | | 2,801,197 | | | 11.3 | % |
Peter T. Kissinger, Ph.D. (3) | | | 1,285,767 | | | 5.2 | % |
Candice B. Kissinger (3) | | | 1,285,767 | | | 5.2 | % |
| | | | | | | |
Directors and Named Executive Officers | | | | | | | |
Nigel Brown, Ph.D. | | | 440 | (4) | | * | |
Scott Cragg | | | 499,535 | (5) | | 2.0 | % |
Gregory C. Davis, Ph.D. | | | 52,683 | (6) | | * | |
Richard A. Johnson, Ph.D. | | | 77,683 | (7) | | * | |
Robert W. Leasure, Jr. | | | 329,287 | (8) | | 1.3 | % |
R. Mathew Neff | | | 81,113 | (9) | | * | |
John E. Sagartz, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP | | | 648,524 | (10) | | 2.6 | % |
Beth A. Taylor | | | 38,875 | (11) | | * | |
| | | | | | | |
Directors and Officers as a Group (15 persons) | | | 2,497,612 | (12) | | 9.8 | % |
* Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent (1%) of the outstanding common shares
(1) |
Based solely on information disclosed in a Schedule |
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be deemed to beneficially own the shares that are directly owned by |
Based solely on information disclosed in a Schedule |
(3) | Based solely on information disclosed in a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 14, 2022. In this filing, IsZo Capital LP (the “Fund”), IsZo Capital GP LLC (“IsZo GP”), IsZo Capital Management LP (“ICM”) and Brian L. Sheehy reported shared voting and dispositive power with respect to 1,275,379 shares. IsZo GP is the general partner of the Fund. ICM is the investment manager of the Fund. Mr. Sheehy is the managing member of IsZo GP and the President of the general partner of ICM. IsZo GP, ICM and Mr. Sheehy may each be deemed to have voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares of Common Stock (as defined below) held by the Fund. The address of each of the reporting persons is 590 Madison Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10022. |
(4) | Represents |
(5) |
Includes 20,000 shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days and |
Includes 10,000 shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days and |
Includes |
(8) | Includes 100,000 shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days and 31,238 restricted shares as to which Mr. Leasure has sole voting power, but no dispositive power, and 5,000 shares owned by an entity of which Mr. Leasure is the majority owner. Mr. Leasure has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares owned by this entity and disclaims beneficial ownership thereof, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. |
(9) |
Includes 10,533 restricted shares as to which Dr. Sagartz has sole voting power, but no dispositive power. |
Includes |
Includes |
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR 2023 ANNUAL MEETINGDELINQUENT SECTION 16(a) REPORTS
Shareholders desiring to submit proposals to be included in the Proxy Statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting pursuant to Rule 14a-8
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended (the "Exchange Act"), will be required to submit them toand the Company in writing on or before October 10, 2022 provided however, that if the date of the 2023 Annual Meeting has been changed byregulations promulgated thereunder require directors and certain officers and persons who own more than 30 days fromten percent of any class of our voting securities to file reports of their ownership of our common stock and changes in their ownership with the dateSEC. Based on a review of the previous year’s meeting, then the deadline isreports filed by these reporting persons and written representations by our directors and executive officers, we believe that all of our directors, executive officers and persons who own more than ten percent of any class of our voting securities complied with all filing requirements applicable to them during fiscal 2022, except that a reasonable time before we begingrant of RSUs to print and sendMs. Beraldi was filed late.
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR 2024 ANNUAL MEETING
Shareholder proposals to be included in our proxy materials. Any such shareholder proposal must also be in proper in form and substance, as determined in accordance withmaterials for the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Shareholders who intend to nominate individuals for election to the Board of Directors must comply with the advance notice provisions specified under the "Director Nominations" section above. The mailing address of the principal offices of Inotiv isbe received by our Secretary at 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906.47906, no later than October 2, 2023. Such proposals need to comply with SEC regulations regarding the inclusion of shareholder proposals in our sponsored proxy materials.
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TableThe Company’s Bylaws establish an advance notice procedure relating to director nominations and shareholder proposals that are not submitted for inclusion in the proxy statement, but that the shareholder instead wishes to present directly at the annual meeting. To be properly brought before the 2024 annual meeting of Contentsshareholders, the shareholder must give timely written notice of the nomination or proposal to our Secretary at 2701 Kent Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, along with the information required by our Bylaws. To be timely, a shareholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received by our Secretary at the address listed above not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting. For the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, such notice must be delivered no earlier than November 16, 2023, and no later than December 16, 2023. In the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days or delayed by more than 60 days from such anniversary date, notice by the shareholder must be delivered not earlier than the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The notice must contain specified information about each nominee or the proposed business and the shareholder making the nomination or proposal.
In addition to satisfying the foregoing requirements, in order to comply with the universal proxy rules, a shareholder who intends to solicit proxies in support of director nominees for election at the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, other than the Company’s nominees, must provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act no later than January 16, 2024.
As of the date of this proxy statement, the Board of Directors of the Company has no knowledge of any matters to be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting other than those referred to above. If (a) any matters not within the knowledge of the Board of Directors as of the date of this proxy statement should properly come before the meeting; (b) a person not named herein is nominated at the meeting for election as a director because a nominee named herein is unable to serve or for any reason will not serve; (c) any proposals properly omitted from this proxy statement and the form of proxy should come before the meeting; or (d) any matters should arise incident to the conduct of the meeting, then the proxies will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors of the Company.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Mark Bibi
Fernanda Beraldi
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
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Annex A
INOTIV, INC.
2018 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(As amended through January 25, 2022)
SECTION 1. Purpose and Types of Awards
1.1 The purposes of the Plan are to enable the Company to attract, retain and reward its employees, officers and directors, and strengthen the mutuality of interests between such persons and the Company’s shareholders by offering such persons an equity interest in the Company and thereby enabling them to participate in the long-term success and growth of the Company.
1.2 Awards under the Plan may be in the form of (a) Stock Options; (b) Stock Appreciation Rights; (c) Restricted Stock; and/or (d) Restricted Stock Units. Awards may be free-standing or granted in tandem. If two awards are granted in tandem, the award holder may exercise (or otherwise receive the benefit of) one award only to the extent he or she relinquishes the tandem award.
1.3 Notwithstanding any provisions herein to the contrary, awards made under the Original Plan remain subject to the terms and conditions of the Original Plan except as otherwise specifically provided herein.
SECTION 2. Definitions and Rules of Construction
2.1 When capitalized in this Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings specified below (or as elsewhere defined), unless the context otherwise requires:
“Beneficial Owner” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.
“Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Cause” shall have the meaning set forth in an employment or consulting agreement between a Participant and the applicable Employer, or, if no such agreement exists, or if such agreement does not define “Cause,” “Cause” shall mean (i) the refusal or neglect of the Participant to perform substantially his or her Services, (ii) the Participant’s personal dishonesty, incompetence, willful misconduct or breach of fiduciary duty, (iii) the Participant’s indictment for, conviction of or entering a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a crime constituting a felony or his or her willful violation of any applicable law (other than a traffic violation or other offense or violation outside of the course of the provision of Services which in no way adversely affects the Company and its Subsidiaries or their reputation or the ability of the Participant to perform Services or to represent the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in the performance of such Services), (iv) the Participant’s failure to reasonably cooperate, following a request to do so by the Company, in any internal or governmental investigation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (v) the Participant’s material breach of any written covenant or agreement with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries not to disclose any information pertaining to the Company or such Subsidiary or not to compete or interfere with the Company or such Subsidiary.
“Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any one of the following events:
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Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, to the extent an award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, an occurrence shall not constitute a Change in Control if it does not constitute a change in the ownership or effective control, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of, the Company or another allowable acceleration event under Section 409A of the Code and its interpretive regulations.
“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Committee” shall mean the committee of the Board designated by the Board to administer the Plan, or if no committee is designated, and in any case with respect to awards to Non-Employee Directors, the entire Board. The Committee shall be comprised solely of not less than two (2) members, each of whom shall qualify as:
“Common Shares” shall mean the Common Shares of the Company.
“Company” shall mean Inotiv, Inc. and its successors.
“Cutback Amount” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.8(a).
“Disability” shall mean that a Participant meets one of the following requirements: (i) the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (ii) the Participant is, by reason of medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than 3 months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Company.
“Effective Date” shall mean, as to the Original Plan, March 20, 2008 and, as to the Plan as amended and restated, January 24, 2018.
“Employee” shall mean an employee of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company as described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-1(h).
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“Employer” shall mean the Company or applicable Subsidiary for which the Participant performs Services.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Excise Tax” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.8(a).
“Fair Market Value” shall mean, with respect to a Common Share as of a particular date, the average of the high and the low sales prices of the Common Shares on the trading day immediately before such date, as reported by the principal exchange or market over which the Common Shares are then listed or regularly traded. If the Common Shares are not readily tradable on a national securities exchange or other market system any other value as otherwise determined in good faith by the Board through the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method within the meaning of Section 409A.
“Full Value Award” shall mean any award under the Plan other than a Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right.
“Incentive Option” shall mean a Stock Option granted under the Plan that both is designated as an Incentive Option and qualifies as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.
“Non-Employee Director” shall mean a director of the Company who is not employed as an Employee by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
“Non-Qualified Option” shall mean a Stock Option granted under the Plan that either is designated as a Non-Qualified Option or does not qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.
“Optionee” shall mean any person who has been granted a Stock Option under the Plan or who is otherwise entitled to exercise a Stock Option.
“Option Period” shall mean, with respect to any portion of a Stock Option, the period after such portion has become exercisable and before it has expired or terminated.
“Participant” shall mean any individual selected by the Committee to be granted an Award under the Plan.
“Payment” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.8(a).
“Plan” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“Relationship” shall mean the status of employee, officer or director of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.
“Restricted Stock” shall mean an award described in Section 8.
“Restricted Stock Units” or “RSUs” shall mean an award described in Section 9.
“Retirement” shall mean a Participant’s voluntary Separation from Service without Cause on or after the attainment of age sixty (60) and with the consent of the Committee.
“Rule 16b-3” shall mean Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and any future rule or regulation amending, supplementing, or superseding such rule.
“Section 409A” shall mean Section 409A of the Code and all regulatory and interpretative guidance issued thereunder, as amended from time to time, and any successor provisions or regulations.
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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“Services” shall mean the provision of personal services to an Employer, including, without limitation, in the capacity of a consultant, an Employee or a Nonemployee Director.
“Separation from Service” or “Separates from Service” shall mean a Participant’s Retirement, or other termination of employment or Relationship with the Employer; provided, however, that to the extent an award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, an event shall not constitute a Separation from Service unless it also constitutes a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A.
“Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean an award described in Section 7.
“Stock Option” shall mean a right to purchase Common Shares granted pursuant to the Plan, including Incentive Options and Non-Qualified Options.
“Subsidiary” shall mean any corporation, partnership, joint venture or other entity in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the ownership interests; provided, however, that for purposes of granting Incentive Options, the term “Subsidiary” shall mean any company (other than the Company) that is a “subsidiary corporation” within the meaning of Section 424 of the Code.
“Vesting Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(a).
“Unvested” means an award (or portion of an award) that has not yet vested.
2.2 The following rules shall govern in interpreting the Plan:
SECTION 3. Administration
3.1 The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, only the Board shall have authority to grant awards to Non-Employee Directors and to amend and interpret such awards.
3.2 The Committee shall have the authority and discretion with respect to awards under the Plan to take the following actions, if consistent with Section 15.7 of the Plan and subject to the conditions of Section 3.3 of the Plan: to grant and amend (provided, however, that no amendment shall impair the rights of the award holder without his or her written consent) awards to eligible persons under the Plan; to adopt, alter and repeal such administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the Plan as it shall deem advisable; to interpret the terms and provisions of the Plan and any award granted under the Plan; and to make all factual and other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. In particular, and without limiting its authority and powers, the Committee shall have the authority and discretion:
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3.3 Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, no “underwater” Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall be (a) directly repriced, (b) exchanged for the grant of a new or different type of award, or (c) repurchased (cashed out), without in any such case first obtaining the approval of the shareholders of the Company to the taking of such action. For purposes of this Plan, a Stock Option or a Stock Appreciation Right is “underwater” at any time when the then current Fair Market Value of a Common Share is less than the per share exercise price or grant price of the Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right.
3.4 All determinations and interpretations made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be final and binding on all persons, including the Company and award holders. Determinations by the Committee under the Plan relating to the form, amount and terms and conditions of awards need not be uniform, and may be made selectively among persons who receive or are eligible to receive awards under the Plan, whether or not such persons are similarly situated.
3.5 The Committee shall act by a majority of its members at a meeting (present in person or by conference telephone) or by written consent.
3.6 Each award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an award agreement that shall be signed by the Committee and the Participant; provided, however, that in the event of any conflict between a provision of the Plan and any provision of an award agreement, the provision of the Plan shall prevail.
3.7 No member of the Board or the Committee, nor any officer or Employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries acting on behalf of the Board or the Committee, shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation taken or made with respect to the Plan or any award hereunder. The Company shall indemnify all members of the Board and the Committee and all such officers and Employees acting on their behalf, to the extent permitted by law, from and
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against any and all liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by such persons as a result of any act, or omission to act, in connection with the performance of such persons’ duties, responsibilities and obligations under the Plan.
SECTION 4. Shares Subject to Plan
4.1 Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.4, the total number of Common Shares which may be issued under the Plan shall be 3,400,000, which includes 500,000 shares authorized under the Original Plan on its Effective Date, an additional 700,000 shares authorized in connection with the amendment and restatement of the Original Plan in the form of the Plan on its Effective Date, an additional 700,000 shares authorized via the amendment approved by the shareholders at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and an additional 1,500,000 shares authorized via the amendment approved by the shareholders at the Special Meeting of Shareholders held on November 4, 2021. Common Shares awarded under the Plan may consist of authorized but unissued shares or shares that have been issued and reacquired by the Company. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.4, after the Effective Date of the Plan the total number of shares which may be issued as Incentive Options shall be 3,400,000 and the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be issued as Restricted Stock or pursuant to Restricted Share Units is 3,400,000.
4.2 For the purposes hereof, the following Common Shares covered by previously-granted awards shall be deemed not to have been issued under the Plan and will remain available for awards under the Plan: (a) Shares covered by prior awards under the Plan that again became available for issuance pursuant to the provisions of the Plan before the shareholders’ approval of this amendment and restatement of the Plan; (b) Common Shares covered by the unexercised portion of any Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right or other award that terminates, expires, is canceled or is settled in cash; (c) Common Shares forfeited or repurchased under the Plan; and (d) Common Shares covered by awards that are forfeited, canceled, terminated or settled in cash. The following Common Shares may not again be made available for issuance as awards under the Plan: (i) Common Shares not issued or delivered as a result of the net settlement of an outstanding Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right or other award; (ii) Common Shares used to pay the exercise price or withholding taxes related to an outstanding Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right or other award; or (iii) Common Shares repurchased on the open market with the proceeds of the Stock Option exercise price. In addition, if Stock Appreciation Rights are settled in Common Shares upon exercise, the aggregate number of shares subject to the award (rather than the number of shares actually issued upon exercise) shall be counted and may not again be made available for issuance as awards under the Plan.
4.3 No Non-Employee Director shall be granted Stock Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights with respect to more than 25,000 Common Shares in any fiscal year, and no Non-Employee Director shall be granted Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units with respect to more than 12,500 Common Shares in any fiscal year, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.4.
4.4 In the event of any merger, reorganization, consolidation, sale of substantially all assets, recapitalization, stock dividend, extraordinary cash dividend, stock split, spin-off, split-up, split-off, distribution of assets or other change in corporate structure affecting the Common Shares such that an adjustment is determined by the Board in its discretion to be appropriate, after considering any accounting impact to the Company, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of benefits under the Plan, then the Board shall, in such a manner as it may in its discretion deem equitable, adjust any or all of (a) the aggregate number and kind of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, and (b) the number and kind of shares as to which awards may be granted to any individual in any fiscal year. In the event of any merger, reorganization, consolidation, sale of substantially all assets, recapitalization, stock dividend, extraordinary cash dividend, stock split, spin-off, split-up, split-off, distribution of assets or other change in corporate structure affecting the Common Shares subject to an outstanding award, the number and kind of Common Shares or other securities which are subject to this Plan or subject to any awards theretofore granted, and the exercise prices, shall be appropriately and equitably adjusted by the Board so as to maintain the proportionate number of shares or other securities without changing the aggregate exercise price, if any.
Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant or by amendment (with the award holder’s consent) of such grant or as otherwise provided under the terms of any applicable change in control agreement between the Company and an award recipient under the Plan, upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or upon any reorganization, merger or consolidation as a result of which the Company is not the surviving corporation (or survives as
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a wholly-owned subsidiary of another corporation), or upon a sale of substantially all the assets of the Company, the Board may, after considering any accounting impact to the Company, take such action as it in its discretion deems appropriate to (i) cash out outstanding vested Stock Options and/or other awards at or immediately prior to the date of such event that will not otherwise be assumed or substituted, (ii) provide for the assumption or substitution of outstanding Stock Options or other awards by surviving, successor or transferee entities, (iii) provide that in lieu of Common Shares of the Company, the award recipient shall be entitled to receive the consideration he would have received in such transaction in exchange for such Common Shares (or the Fair Market Value thereof in cash), and/or (iv) provide that Stock Options shall be exercisable for a period of at least ten business days from the date of receipt of a notice from the Company of such proposed event, following the expiration of which period any unexercised Stock Options shall terminate.
The Board shall exercise its discretion under this Section 4.4 only to the extent consistent with Section 15.7 of the Plan. The Board’s determination as to which adjustments shall be made under this Section 4.4 and the extent thereof shall be final, binding and conclusive.
4.5 No fractional shares shall be issued or delivered under the Plan. The Committee shall determine whether the value of fractional shares shall be paid in cash or other property, or whether such fractional shares and any rights thereto shall be cancelled without payment.
SECTION 5. Eligibility
5.1 The persons who are eligible for awards under Sections 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the Plan are Employees, officers, consultants and Non-Employee Directors of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company. In addition, awards under such Sections may be granted to prospective Employees, officers or directors, but such awards shall not become effective until the recipient’s commencement of employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary. Incentive Options may be granted only to Employees and prospective Employees, but Incentive Options granted to prospective Employees shall not become effective until the recipient’s commencement of employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary. Award recipients under the Plan shall be selected from time to time by the Committee, in its sole discretion, from among those eligible.
5.2 Subject to the limitations in Section 4.3, Non-Employee Directors shall be granted awards under Section 12 in addition to any awards which may be granted to them under other Sections of the Plan.
SECTION 6. Stock Options
6.1 The Stock Options awarded to eligible persons under the Plan may be of two types: (a) Incentive Options, and (b) Non-Qualified Options. To the extent that any Stock Option granted to an Employee does not qualify as an Incentive Option, it shall constitute a Non-Qualified Option. All Stock Options awarded to persons who are not Employees shall be Non-Qualified Options.
6.2 Subject to the following provisions, Stock Options awarded under the Plan shall be in such form and shall have such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine.
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6.3 Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6.2, Incentive Options shall be subject to the following additional restrictions:
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The Committee may, with the consent of the Optionee, amend an Incentive Option in a manner that would cause loss of Incentive Option status, provided the Stock Option as so amended satisfies the requirements of Section 6.2.
6.4 Substitute Options. In connection with a merger or consolidation of an entity with the Company or the acquisition by the Company of property or stock of an entity, the Committee may grant Stock Options in substitution for any options or other stock awards or stock-based awards granted by such entity or an affiliate thereof. Such substitute Stock Options may be granted on such terms, consistent with Section 15.7, as the Committee deems appropriate in the circumstances, notwithstanding any limitations on Stock Options contained in other provisions of this Section 6. If such substitute Stock Options are granted, the Committee, in its sole discretion and consistent with Code Section 424(a) and the requirements of Code Section 409A, may determine that such substitute Stock Options shall have an exercise price less than one hundred (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Shares to which the Stock Options relate determined as of the dates of grant.
SECTION 7. Stock Appreciation Rights
A Stock Appreciation Right shall entitle the holder thereof to receive, for each share as to which the award is granted, payment of an amount, in cash, Common Shares, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee, equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Shares on the date of exercise over the Fair Market Value of a Common Share on the day such Stock Appreciation Right was granted. Any such award shall be in such form and shall have such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the applicable award agreement, the term of each Stock Appreciation Right shall not exceed ten years. The applicable award agreement shall specify the number of Common Shares as to which the Stock Appreciation Right is granted, the Fair Market Value of the Common Shares on the day such Stock Appreciation Right was granted, the date or dates on which, or the conditions upon the satisfaction of which, the Stock Appreciation Right shall become exercisable, and such other terms and conditions as are determined by the Committee.
SECTION 8. Restricted Stock
Subject to the following provisions, all awards of Restricted Stock shall be in such form and shall have such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine:
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SECTION 9. Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Subject to the following provisions, all awards of Restricted Stock Units shall be in such form and shall have such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine:
SECTION 10. Separation from Service
Unless otherwise specifically provided by the Committee in the award agreement or any amendment thereto, awards will terminate as provided in this Section.
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SECTION 11. Election to Defer
To the extent permitted by Section 409A of the Code, the Committee may permit an award recipient to elect to defer payment of an award other than a Stock Option for a specified period or until a specified event, upon such terms as are determined by the Committee. An award holder may elect to defer the distribution date of a Restricted Stock Unit award, or, if applicable, a Restricted Stock award, provided that such election is made and delivered to the Company in compliance with Section 409A of the Code, when applicable.
SECTION 12. Non-Employee Director Awards
Subject to the limitations in Section 4.3, the Board shall have the discretion to determine the number and types of awards to be granted to Non-Employee Directors and the terms of such awards, including but not limited to exercisability, vesting, and the effect of such Non-Employee Director’s Separation from service.
SECTION 13. Tax Withholding
13.1 Each award holder who is an Employee shall, no later than the date as of which an amount with respect to an award first becomes includible in such person’s gross income for applicable tax purposes, pay to the Company, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee regarding payment of, any federal, state, local or other taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to the award. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be conditional on such payment or arrangements. The Company (and, where applicable, its Subsidiaries), shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct the minimum amount of any required tax withholdings from any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the award holder.
13.2 To the extent permitted by the Committee, and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may provide, an Employee may elect to have the minimum amount of any required tax withholdings with respect to any awards hereunder, satisfied by (a) having the Company withhold Common Shares otherwise deliverable to such person with respect to the award; (b) delivering to the Company unrestricted Common Shares already owned by the Employee; (c) broker-assisted “cashless exercise;” (d) any other manner permitted by law; or (e) any combination of the foregoing Alternatively, the Committee may require that a portion of the Common Shares otherwise deliverable be applied to satisfy the withholding tax obligations with respect to the award.
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SECTION 14. Change in Control
In the event of a Change in Control, unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of grant or by amendment (with the award holder’s consent) of such grant or as otherwise provided under the terms of any applicable agreement between the Company and an award recipient under the Plan or as otherwise determined by the Board pursuant to Section 4.4:
SECTION 15. General Provisions
15.1 Each award under the Plan shall be subject to the requirement that, if at any time the Committee shall determine that (a) the listing, registration or qualification of the Common Shares subject or related thereto upon any securities exchange or market or under any state or federal law, or (b) the consent or approval of any government regulatory body, or (c) an agreement by the recipient of an award with respect to the disposition of Common Shares, is necessary or desirable in order to satisfy any legal requirements, or (d) the issuance, sale or delivery of any Common Shares is or may in the circumstances be unlawful under the laws or regulations of any applicable jurisdiction, the right to exercise such Stock Option shall be suspended, such award shall not be granted and such shares will not be issued, sold or delivered, in whole or in part, unless such listing, registration, qualification, consent, approval or agreement shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Committee, and the Committee determines that the issuance, sale or delivery of the shares is lawful. The application of this Section shall not extend the term of any Stock Option or other award. The Company shall have no obligation to effect any registration or qualification of the Common Shares under federal or state laws or to compensate the award holder for any loss caused by the implementation of this Section 15.1.
15.2 The Committee may provide, at the time of grant or by amendment with the award holder’s consent, that an award and/or Common Shares acquired under the Plan shall be forfeited, including after exercise or vesting, if within a specified period of time the award holder engages in any of the following disqualifying conduct: (a) the award holder’s performance of service for a competitor of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, including service as an employee, director or consultant, or the establishing by the award holder of a business which competes with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries; (b) the award holder’s solicitation of employees or customers of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries; (c) the award holder’s improper use or disclosure of confidential information of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries; or (d) material misconduct by the award holder in the performance of such award holder’s duties for the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, as determined by the Committee.
15.3 Nothing set forth in this Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements.
15.4 Nothing in the Plan nor in any award hereunder shall confer upon any award holder any right to continuation of his or her employment by or other Relationship with the Company or its Subsidiaries, or interfere in any way with the rights of any such company to terminate such employment or other Relationship.
15.5 Neither the Plan nor any award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or Subsidiary and an award recipient, and no award recipient will, by
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participation in the Plan, acquire any right in any specific Company property, including any property the Company may set aside in connection with the Plan. To the extent that any award recipient acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to an award, such right shall not be greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company or its Subsidiaries.
15.6 Except to the extent preempted by United States federal law or as otherwise expressly provided herein, the Plan and all awards under the Plan shall be interpreted in accordance with and governed by the internal laws of the State of Indiana without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provisions, principles or rules.
15.7 The Plan and all awards under the Plan shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent with the applicable standards for nonqualified deferred compensation plans established by Code Section 409A and its interpretive regulations and other regulatory guidance. To the extent that any terms of the Plan or an award would subject an Employee to gross income inclusion, interest or additional tax pursuant to Code Section 409A, those terms are to that extent superseded by, and shall be adjusted to the minimum extent necessary to satisfy or to be exempt from, the Code Section 409A standards. If as of the date an Employee incurs a Separation from Service the Employee is a “key employee,” within the meaning of Code Section 416(i), without regard to paragraph 416(i)(5), and if the Company has stock that is publicly traded on an established securities market or otherwise, any payment of deferred compensation, within the meaning of Code Section 409A, otherwise payable because of employment termination will be suspended until, and will be paid to the Employee on, the first day of the seventh month following the month in which the Employee’s Separation from Service occurs.
15.8 Mitigation of Excise Taxes.
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SECTION 16. Compensation Recovery Policy
Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan or in any award agreement to the contrary, awards granted or paid under the Plan will be subject to recovery under any compensation recovery policy of the Company as may be in effect from time to time, including, without limitation, the provisions of any such policy required by Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any applicable rules or regulations issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange or national securities association on which the Common Shares may be traded.
SECTION 17. Amendments and Termination
17.1 The Plan shall terminate at the close of business on January 24, 2028. The Board may discontinue the Plan at any time prior to the date referenced in the prior sentence and may amend it from time to time. No amendment or discontinuation of the Plan shall adversely affect any award previously granted without the award holder’s written consent. Amendments may be made without shareholder approval, except as required to satisfy applicable laws or regulations or the requirements of any stock exchange or market on which the Common Shares are listed or traded.
17.2 The Committee may amend the terms of any award prospectively or retroactively; provided, however, that no amendment shall impair the rights of the award holder without his or her written consent.
SECTION 18. Effective Date of Plan
This Plan, as amended and restated, was approved and adopted by the Board on January 24, 2018, and is to be effective as of such date, contingent upon the approval thereof by the shareholders of the Company within (12) twelve months following the adoption by the Board.
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