ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
A. Directors and Senior Management
Board of Directors
ArcelorMittal places a strong emphasis on corporate governance. ArcelorMittal has eight independent directors on its 11-member Board of Directors. The Board’s Audit Committee and Appointments, Remuneration and Corporate Governance Committee (“ARCG Committee”) are each comprised exclusively of independent directors. In addition, half of the Risk Management Committee is comprised of independent directors.
The annual general meeting of shareholders on May 8, 2013 acknowledged the expiration of the terms of office of Ms. Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, Ms. Suzanne P. Nimocks and Mr. Jeannot Krecké. At the same meeting, the shareholders re-elected Ms. Bhatia, Ms. Nimocks and Mr. Krecké for a new term of three years each.
The Board of Directors is composed of 11 directors, of which 10 are non-executive directors and eight are independent directors. The Board of Directors comprises only one executive director, Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal.
Mr. Lewis B. Kaden is the Lead Independent Director. Mr. Kaden’s principal duties and responsibilities as Lead Independent Director are as follows: coordination of activities of the other Independent Directors; liaison between the Chairman and the other Independent Directors; calling meetings of the Independent Directors when necessary and appropriate; leading the Board of Directors’ self-evaluation process and such other duties as are assigned from time to time by the Board of Directors.
No member of the Board of Directors, including the executive Director, has entered into any service contract with ArcelorMittal or any of its subsidiaries providing for benefits upon the end of his or her service on the Board. In December 2013, all non-executive Directors of the Company signed the Company’s Appointment Letter, which confirms the conditions of their appointment including compliance with a non-compete provision, the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the Company’s Code of Business Conduct.
The members of the Board of Directors are set out below:
| Name |
| Age5 |
| Date of joining the Board6 |
| End of Term |
| Position within ArcelorMittal |
| Lakshmi N. Mittal |
| 63 |
| May 1997 |
| May 2014 |
| Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer |
| Lewis B. Kaden 2 4 |
| 71 |
| April 2005 |
| May 2014 |
| Lead Independent Director |
| Vanisha Mittal Bhatia |
| 33 |
| December 2004 |
| May 2016 |
| Director |
| Narayanan Vaghul1 2 4 |
| 77 |
| July 1997 |
| May 2015 |
| Director |
| Wilbur L. Ross1 4 |
| 76 |
| April 2005 |
| May 2015 |
| Director |
| Jeannot Krecké3 |
| 63 |
| January 2010 |
| May 2016 |
| Director |
| Antoine Spillmann1 3 4 |
| 50 |
| October 2006 |
| May 2014 |
| Director |
| HRH Prince Guillaume de Luxembourg2 4 |
| 50 |
| October 2006 |
| May 2014 |
| Director |
| Suzanne P. Nimocks2 3 4 |
| 54 |
| January 2011 |
| May 2016 |
| Director |
| Bruno Lafont1 4 |
| 57 |
| May 2011 |
| May 2014 |
| Director |
| Tye Burt3 4 |
| 56 |
| May 2012 |
| May 2015 |
| Director |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 | Member of the Audit Committee. | ||||||||
2 | Member of the Appointments, Remuneration and Corporate Governance Committee. | ||||||||
3 | Member of the Risk Management Committee. | ||||||||
4 | Non-executive and independent director. | ||||||||
5 | Age as of December 31, 2013. | ||||||||
6 | Date of joining the Board of ArcelorMittal or, if prior to 2006, its predecessor Mittal Steel Company NV. | ||||||||
7 | Henk Scheffer is the Company Secretary and, accordingly, acts as secretary of the Board of Directors. |
The business address of each of the members of the Board of Directors is ArcelorMittal’s registered office at 19, avenue de la Liberté, L-2930 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Lakshmi N Mittal, 63, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal. Mr. Mittal started his career in steel in 1976 by founding Ispat Indo, a company that is still held privately by the Mittal family. He founded Mittal Steel Company (formerly the LNM Group) in 1989 and guided its strategic development, culminating in the merger in 2006 with Arcelor, to form the world’s largest steelmaker. He is widely recognized for the leading role he has played in restructuring the steel industry towards a more consolidated and globalized model. Mr. Mittal is an active philanthropist and a member of various boards and trusts, including chairman of the board of Aperam and the boards of Goldman Sachs and European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company (EADS) N.V. He is a member of the Indian Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council, the Foreign Investment Council in Kazakhstan, the Ukrainian President’s Domestic and Foreign Investors Advisory Council, the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council, the Worldsteel’s Executive Committee and the Presidential International Advisory Board of Mozambique. He also sits on the Advisory Board of the Kellogg School of Management and on the Board of Trustees of Cleveland Clinic in the United States. Mr. Mittal began his career working in his family’s steelmaking business in India, and has over 35 years of experience working in steel and related industries. In addition to spearheading the steel industry’s consolidation, he championed the development of integrated mini-mills and the use of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) as a scrap substitute for steelmaking. Following the merger of Ispat International and LNM Holdings to form Mittal Steel in December 2004, with the simultaneous acquisition of International Steel Group, he led the formation of the world’s then-leading steel producer. In 2006, he merged Mittal Steel and Arcelor to form ArcelorMittal. Mr. Mittal then led a successful integration of two large entities to firmly establish ArcelorMittal as one of the foremost industrial companies in the world. The company continues to be the largest and most global steel manufacturer. More recently, Mr. Mittal has been leading ArcelorMittal’s expansion of its mining business through significant brownfield and greenfield growth. In 1996, Mr. Mittal was awarded ‘Steelmaker of the Year’ by New Steel in the United States and in 1998 the ‘Willy Korf Steel Vision Award’ by World Steel Dynamics for outstanding vision, entrepreneurship, leadership and success in global steel development. He was named Fortune magazine’s ‘European Businessman of the Year 2004’. Mr. Mittal was awarded ‘Business Person of 2006’ by the Sunday Times, ‘International Newsmaker of the Year 2006’ by Time Magazine and ‘Person of the Year 2006’ by the Financial Times for his outstanding business achievements. In January 2007, Mr. Mittal was presented with a Fellowship from King’s College London, the college’s highest award. He also received in 2007 the Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Leadership Award, the Grand Cross of Civil Merit from Spain and was named AIST Steelmaker of the year. In January 2008, Mr. Mittal was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honor, by the President of India. In September 2008, Mr. Mittal was chosen for the third ‘Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award’, which honors heroes of entrepreneurial capitalism and free enterprise. In October 2010, he was awarded Worldsteel’s medal in recognition of his services to the Association as its Chairman and also for his contribution to the sustainable development of the global steel industry. In January 2013, Mr. Mittal was awarded with a Doctor Honoris Causa by the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. Mr. Mittal was born in Sadulpur in Rajasthan, India on June 15, 1950. He graduated from St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata, India where he received a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Mr. Mittal is married to Usha Mittal. They have a son, Aditya Mittal, and a daughter, Vanisha Mittal Bhatia. Mr. Mittal is a citizen of India.
Lewis B. Kaden, 71, is the Lead Independent Director of ArcelorMittal. He has approximately 40 years of experience in corporate governance, financial services, dispute resolution and economic policy. He was Vice Chairman of Citigroup between 2005 and 2013. Prior to that, he was a partner of the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, and served as Counsel to the Governor of New Jersey, as a Professor of Law at Columbia University and as director of Columbia University’s Center for Law and Economic Studies. He has served as a director of Bethlehem Steel Corporation for ten years and is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Markle Foundation and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Asia Society. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has been a moderator of the Business-Labor Dialogue. Mr. Kaden is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College and of Harvard Law School. He was the John Harvard Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University. Mr. Kaden is a citizen of the United States of America.
Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, 33, was appointed as a member of the LNM Holdings Board of Directors in June 2004. Ms. Vanisha Mittal Bhatia was appointed to Mittal Steel’s Board of Directors in December 2004. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the European Business School and has worked at Mittal Shipping Ltd, Mittal Steel Hamburg GmbH, an Internet-based venture capital fund, within the procurement department of Mittal Steel, in charge of a cost-cutting project, and is currently Head of Strategy for Aperam. She is also the daughter of Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal. Ms. Bhatia is a citizen of India.
Narayanan Vaghul, 77, has over 50 years of experience in the financial sector and was the Chairman of ICICI Bank Limited between 2002 and April 2009. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, a long-term credit development bank for 17 years and, prior to that, served as Chairman of the Bank of India and Executive Director of the Central Bank of India. He also served for brief periods as Consultant to the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation and the Asian Development Bank. Mr. Vaghul was also a visiting Professor at the Stern Business School at New York University. Mr. Vaghul is Chairman of the Indian Institute of Finance Management & Research and is also a Board member of Wipro, Mahindra & Mahindra, Piramal Healthcare Limited and Apollo Hospitals. He was chosen as a Businessman of the Year in 1992 by Business India. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Economic Times. In 2009, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honor. Mr. Vaghul is a citizen of India.
Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., 76, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WL Ross & Co. LLC, a merchant banking firm, a position that he has held since April 2000. WL Ross & Co is part of Invesco Private Capital, a listed company, of which Mr. Ross is Chairman. As such, Mr. Ross is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of several unlisted Invesco portfolio companies. Mr. Ross is the Chairman of International Textile Group and Diamond S Shipping, which are unlisted companies, and of the
Japan Society and the Economics Studies Council of the Brookings Institution, which are non-profit entities. Mr. Ross is a director of International Automotive Components and Compagnie Européenne de Wagons SARL (Luxembourg), both non-listed companies. Mr. Ross is also a director of the Yale School of Management and the Harvard Business School Dean’s Advisory Board. He is on the Boards of Assured Guaranty, Bank United and EXCO Resources, all NYSE-listed, and PLASCAR, which is listed in Brazil. He is also Director of Navigator Holdings which now is listed on the NYSE. Mr. Ross was an Executive Managing Director at Rothschild, the investment banking firm, from October 1974 to March 2000, and the Chairman of the Smithsonian Institution National Board. Mr. Ross was also the Chairman of the International Steel Group since its inception until April 2005, when it merged into Mittal Steel Company NV. Mr. Ross is a citizen of the United States of America.
Jeannot Krecké, 63, started his university studies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium in 1969, from where he obtained a degree in physical and sports education. He decided in 1983 to change professional direction. His interests led him to retrain in economics, accounting and taxation. He enrolled various courses, in particular in the United States. Following the legislative elections of June 13, 2004, Mr. Krecké was appointed Minister of the Economy and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg on July 13, 2004. Upon the return of the coalition government formed by the Christian Social Party (CSV) and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) as a result of the legislative elections of June 7, 2009, Mr. Krecké retained the portfolio of Minister of the Economy and Foreign Trade on July 23, 2009. As of July 2004, Mr. Krecké represented the Luxembourg government at the Council of Ministers of the EU in the Internal Market and Industry sections of its Competitiveness configuration as well as in the Economic and Financial Affairs Council and in the Energy section of its Transport, Telecommunications and Energy configuration. He was also a member of the Eurogroup from July 2004 to June 2009. On February 1, 2012, Mr. Krecké retired from government and decided to end his active political career in order to pursue a range of different projects. Mr. Krecké is currently the CEO of Key International Strategy Services and a Strategic adviser to GENII-Capital. He is a member of the boards of JSFC Sistema, of East West United Bank, of China Construction Bank Europe, of Calzedonia Finanziara S.A. and Novenergia Holding Company S.A. Mr. Krecké is a citizen of Luxembourg.
Antoine Spillmann, 50, is CEO and executive partner at the firm Bruellan Wealth Management; one of Switzerland leading independent asset management companies based in Geneva, Switzerland. He spends most of his time defending the rights of shareholders and investors in quoted companies in Switzerland. He served for 5 years as vice president of the Swiss association of asset manager. Mr. Spillmann is also a non-independent board member of Bondpartners SA (“BPL”), Lechanche SA and Sibelco Switzerland AG. BPL is a Swiss financial services company founded in 1972, authorized under the law to trade securities and controlled by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). BPL is also a member of the Swiss Bankers Association, member of the International Capital Market Association and associated member of the Swiss Stock Exchange and is quoted on the SIX Stock Exchange. Leclanché is a 100 years old Swiss company that develops and produces energy storage systems using large-format lithium-ion-cells. The firm is also quoted on the SIX Stock Exchange. Prior to this, he worked for leading investment banks in London from 1986 to 2000. Mr. Spillmann studied in Switzerland and London, receiving diplomas from the London Business School in Investment Management and Corporate Finance. Mr. Spillmann is a citizen of Switzerland.
H.R.H. Prince Guillaume de Luxembourg, 50, worked for five years at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C., and spent two years working for the Commission of European Communities in Brussels. Prince Guillaume headed a governmental development agency, Lux-Development, for 12 years; after that, he was appointed Honorary President of the board of directors of Lux-Development. He studied at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., from which he graduated in 1987. HRH Prince Guillaume de Luxembourg is a citizen of Luxembourg.
Suzanne P. Nimocks, 54, was previously a director (senior partner) with McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, from June 1999 to March 2010 and was with the firm in various other capacities beginning in 1989, including as a leader in the firm’s Global Petroleum Practice, Electric Power & Natural Gas Practice, Organization Practice, and Risk Management Practice. Ms. Nimocks chaired the Environmental Committee of the Greater Houston Partnership, the primary advocate of Houston’s business community, until December 31, 2010. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Tufts University and a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. Ms. Nimocks is currently a Board Member for Encana Corporation, Rowan Companies Plc, and Owens Corning, all listed companies, and Valerus, a private company. Encana is a major natural gas exploration and production company, Rowan Companies provides drilling services for the oil and gas industry, Owens Corning is a manufacturer of building products, and Valerus provides services for oil and gas production. In the non-profit sector, she chairs the board of directors of the Houston Zoo and serves as a Trustee of the Texas Children’s Hospital. Ms. Nimocks is a citizen of the United States of America.
Bruno Lafont, 57, began his career at Lafarge in 1983 and has held numerous positions in finance and international operations with the same company. In 1995, Mr. Lafont was appointed Group Executive Vice President, Finance, and thereafter Executive Vice President of the Gypsum Division in 1998. Mr. Lafont joined Lafarge’s General Management as Chief Operating Officer between May 2003 and December 2005. Chief Executive Officer since January 2006, Bruno Lafont was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in May 2007. Mr. Lafont presently chairs the Energy & Climate Change Working Group of the European Roundtable of Industrialists, is a Special Adviser to the Mayor of Chongqing (China) and a Board Member of EDF. Born in 1956, Mr. Lafont is a graduate from the Hautes Etudes Commerciales business school (HEC 1977, Paris) and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA 1982, Paris). Mr. Lafont is a citizen of France.
Tye Burt, 56, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Kinross Gold Corporation in March 2005. He held this position until August 1, 2012. Kinross is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mr. Burt was also a member of the board of directors of Kinross. Mr. Burt has broad experience in the global mining industry, specializing in corporate finance, business strategy and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Kinross, he held the position of Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Corporate Development at Barrick Gold Corporation. He was President of the Cartesian Capital Group from 2000 to 2002; Chairman of Deutsche Bank Canada and Deutsche Bank Securities Canada; Global Managing Director of Global Metals and Mining for Deutsche Bank AG from 1997 to 2000; and Managing Director and Co-Head of the Global Mining Group at BMO Nesbitt Burns from 1995 to 1997, holding various other positions at BMO Nesbitt Burns from 1986 to 1995. Mr. Burt is a board member of Dacha Strategic Metals Inc., a small rare earths trading company based in Canada. He is the Life Sciences Research Campaign Chair of the University of Guelph's Better Planet Project. He is a member of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Charter for Business Board of Governors. Mr. Burt is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph. Mr. Burt is a citizen of Canada.
Senior Management
ArcelorMittal’s senior executive management is comprised of the members of the Group Management Board (“GMB”). In 2013, the GMB comprised the following members:
| Name |
| Age1 |
| Position |
| Lakshmi N. Mittal |
| 63 |
| Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
| Davinder Chugh |
| 57 |
| Responsible for Shared Services and member of the Investment Allocation Committee |
| Peter Kukielski2 |
| 57 |
| Head of Mining |
| Sudhir Maheshwari |
| 50 |
| Responsible for Corporate Finance, M&A, Risk Management and India and China activities |
| Aditya Mittal |
| 37 |
| Chief Financial Officer, with additional responsibility for Flat Carbon Europe, Investor Relations and Communications |
| Lou Schorsch |
| 64 |
| Responsible for Flat Carbon Americas, Group Strategy, CTO, Research and Development, Global Automotive and member of the Investment Allocation Committee |
| Gonzalo Urquijo |
| 52 |
| Responsible for AACIS (excluding China and India), Distribution Solutions, Tubular Products, Corporate Responsibility, Investment Allocation Committee (“IAC”) Chairman |
| Michel Wurth |
| 59 |
| Long Carbon Worldwide |
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|
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1 | Age as of December 31, 2013. | ||||
2 | Resigned on August 3, 2013. |
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On December 11, 2013 ArcelorMittal announced that, following an internal review aimed at simplifying its organizational structure, the Company’s business will be managed according to region, while product specializations will be maintained within each region. This will enable the businesses to continue to have their own dedicated strategy and focus, while capturing all the synergies within the region. These changes took effect as from January 1, 2014.
Additionally, in December 2013, Michel Wurth notified the Company of his intention to retire from the Company in April 2014 and, accordingly, will no longer be a member of the GMB following his retirement. He will, however, remain chairman of ArcelorMittal Luxembourg and, subject to approval at the ArcelorMittal annual general shareholders’ meeting, serve as a member of the ArcelorMittal Board of Directors.
As a result of these changes, which involve modifications to the responsibilities of the members of the GMB, the GMB has, since January 2014, comprised of the following members:
| Name |
| Age1 |
| Position |
| Lakshmi N. Mittal |
| 63 |
| Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal with additional responsibility for Mining |
| Davinder Chugh |
| 57 |
| Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Africa and CIS, responsible for Algeria, Kazakhstan, South Africa and Ukraine |
| Sudhir Maheshwari |
| 50 |
| Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal India and China with additional responsibility for Corporate Finance, M&A, Risk Management |
| Aditya Mittal |
| 37 |
| Chief Financial Officer of ArcelorMittal, Investor Relations, and Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Europe |
| Lou Schorsch |
| 64 |
| Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Americas, with additional responsibility for corporate activities (Strategy, Technology, R&D, Global Automotive and Commercial co-ordination) |
| Gonzalo Urquijo |
| 52 |
| Responsible for Tubular Products and Head of Health and Safety and Corporate Affairs (Government Affairs, Corporate Responsibility and Communication) |
| Michel Wurth |
| 592 |
| Chairman of ArcelorMittal Luxembourg |
|
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1 | Age as of December 31, 2013. | ||||
2 | Member of GMB until retirement in April 2014. |
The GMB has responsibility for, and its remuneration is tied to, the day-to-day management of the business of ArcelorMittal on a global basis. In 2012, the ARCG Committee of the Board of Directors decided to further improve the remuneration disclosure published by the Company by focusing on those executive officers whose remuneration is tied to the performance of the entire ArcelorMittal group. Consequently, information regarding the Management Committee, which is an advisory body to the GMB, is no longer included. The GMB is defined, going forward, as ArcelorMittal’s senior management.
Lakshmi N. Mittal (See “–Board of Directors”).
Davinder Chugh, 57, Mr. Chugh has over three decades of experience in the steel industry in general management, materials purchasing, marketing, logistics, warehousing and shipping. Mr. Chugh was previously a Senior Executive Vice President of ArcelorMittal responsible for Shared Services until 2007. Before becoming a Senior Executive Vice President of ArcelorMittal, he served as the CEO of Mittal Steel South Africa until 2006. Mr. Chugh worked in South Africa from 2002 following the acquisition of Mittal Steel South Africa (ISCOR) and was involved in the turnaround and consolidation of the South African operations of ArcelorMittal. He also served as Director of Commercial and Marketing at Mittal Steel South Africa. Mr. Chugh was Vice President of Purchasing in Mittal Steel Europe until 2002, where he consolidated procurement and logistics across plants in Europe. Between 1995, when he joined Mittal Steel and 1999, he worked as general manager (purchasing) of Hamburg Steel Works and as general manager (purchasing) of Mittal Steel Germany. Prior to joining Mittal Steel, he held senior positions at the Steel Authority India Limited in New Delhi, India. He holds bachelor’s degrees of B.Sc. (Physics Honors), an LLB and an MBA. Mr. Chugh is a citizen of India and as of November 2013 Mr. Chugh became a citizen of United Kingdom.
Sudhir Maheshwari, 50, Mr. Maheshwari is also Alternate Chairman of the Corporate Finance and Tax Committee and Chairman of the Risk Management Committee. Mr. Maheshwari was previously a Member of the Management Committee of ArcelorMittal, Responsible for Finance and M&A. Prior to this, he was Managing Director, Business Development and Treasury at Mittal Steel from January 2005 until its merger with Arcelor in 2006 and Chief Financial Officer of LNM Holdings N.V. from January 2002 until its merger with Ispat International in December 2004. Mr. Maheshwari has over 25 years’ experience in the steel and related industries. He has played an integral and leading role in all acquisitions in recent years including the ArcelorMittal merger, and turnaround and integration activities thereof. He also plays a key leading role in various corporate finance, funding and capital market transactions. This includes the award-winning refinancing of the company’s debt in 2009 as well as the initial public offering in 1997. Over a 24-year career with ArcelorMittal, he also held the positions of Chief Financial Officer at Mittal Steel Europe S.A., Mittal Steel Germany and Mittal Steel Point Lisas, and Director of Finance and M&A at Mittal Steel. Mr. Maheshwari also serves on the Board of Directors of various subsidiaries of ArcelorMittal. Mr. Maheshwari is an Honours Graduate in Accounting and Commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta and a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants and The Institute of Company Secretaries in India. Mr. Maheshwari is a citizen of India.
Aditya Mittal, 37, Prior to the merger to create ArcelorMittal, Mr. Aditya Mittal held the position of President and Chief Financial Officer of Mittal Steel Company from October 2004 to 2006. He joined Mittal Steel in January 1997 and has held various finance and management roles within the company. In 1999, he was appointed Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for Mittal Steel. In this role, he led the company’s acquisition strategy, resulting in Mittal Steel’s expansion into Central Europe, Africa and the United States. Besides M&A responsibilities, Aditya Mittal was involved in post-integration, turnaround and improvement strategies. As Chief Financial Officer of Mittal Steel, he also initiated and led Mittal Steel’s offer for Arcelor to create the first 100 million tonnes plus steel company. In 2008, Mr. Aditya Mittal was awarded ‘European Business Leader of the Future’ by CNBC Europe. In 2011, he was also ranked 4th in the ‘40 under 40’ list of Fortune magazine. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Forum, the Young President’s Organization and a Board member at the Wharton School. Aditya Mittal holds a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Economics with concentrations in Strategic Management and Corporate Finance from the Wharton School in Pennsylvania, United States. Mr. Aditya Mittal is the son of Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal. Mr. Aditya Mittal is a citizen of India.
Lou Schorsch, 64, Dr. Schorsch was elected to the GMB in May 2011. Prior to this appointment he had been President and Chief Executive Officer of Flat Carbon Americas, a position established with the 2006 merger of Arcelor and Mittal Steel, as well as a member of the ArcelorMittal Management Committee. He had previously led the American operations of the Mittal Group, Mittal Steel USA (2005-2006) and Ispat Inland (2003-2005). Prior to joining Ispat Inland, Dr. Schorsch had spent most of his career as a partner in McKinsey & Co and was co-leader of that firm’s Metals Practice. He joined McKinsey’s Brussels Office in 1985 and also worked in that firm’s Pittsburgh and Chicago offices. While at McKinsey his work focused on the steel sector and involved client service with leading steel firms in the Americas, Europe and Asia. He left McKinsey in 2000 to become CEO of GSX, an internet steel exchange founded by Cargill, Samsung, Duferco, and Arbed. He is the author of numerous articles related to the steel sector, was the co-author of the 1983 book “Steel: Upheaval in a Basic Industry”, and has appeared as a steel expert on NBC and PBS television channels in the United States. Prior to joining McKinsey Dr. Schorsch was an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office in Washington, D.C. and a millwright at the USS South Chicago Works in the late 1970s, when he develop his initial interest in the steel sector. He holds a doctorate in Economics from American University and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, both in Washington, D.C. Mr. Schorsch is a citizen of the United States of America.
Gonzalo Urquijo, 52, Mr. Urquijo previously Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Arcelor, has held the following responsibilities: Finance, Purchasing, IT, Legal Affairs, Investor Relations, Arcelor Steel Solutions and Services, and other activities. Mr. Urquijo also held several other positions within Arcelor, including Deputy Senior Executive Vice President and Head of the functional directorates of distribution. Until the creation of Arcelor in 2002, when he became Executive Vice President of the Operational Unit South of the Flat Carbon Steel sector, Mr. Urquijo was CFO of Aceralia. Between 1984 and 1992, he held a variety of positions at Citibank and Crédit Agricole before joining Aristrain in 1992 as CFO and later co-CEO. Mr. Urquijo is a director of Aperam. He is a graduate in Economics and Political Science of Yale University and holds an MBA from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. Mr. Urquijo is a citizen of Spain.
Michel Wurth, 59, Before becoming a member of the GMB responsible for Long Carbon Worldwide, Mr. Wurth was between 2006 and June 2011 in charge of Flat Carbon Europe and Global R&D and between 2009 and June 2011 as well in charge of Distribution Solutions. He was previously Vice President of the Group Management Board of Arcelor and Deputy CEO, with responsibility for Flat Carbon Steel including Auto, Coordination Brazil, R&D and NSC Alliance. The merger of Aceralia, Arbed and Usinor leading to the creation of Arcelor in 2002 led to Mr. Wurth’s appointment as Senior Executive Vice President and CFO of Arcelor, with responsibility over Finance and Management by Objectives. Mr. Wurth joined Arbed in 1979 and held a variety of functions including Secretary of the Board of Directors, and Corporate Secretary, before joining the Arbed Group Management Board and becoming its Chief Financial Officer in 1996. He was named Executive Vice President in 1998. Mr. Wurth holds a law degree from the University of Grenoble, France, a degree in Political Science from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Grenoble and a Master of Economics degree from the London School of Economics, all with distinction. Mr. Wurth is a citizen of Luxembourg.
B. Compensation
Board of Directors
Directors’ fees
The ARCG Committee of the Board of Directors prepares proposals on the remuneration to be paid annually to the members of the Board of Directors.
At the May 8, 2013 annual general meeting of shareholders, the shareholders approved the annual remuneration for non-executive Directors for the 2012 financial year at $1,981,469, based on the following annual fees:
· Basic director’s remuneration: €134,000 ($176,800);
· Lead Independent Director’s remuneration: €189,000 ($249,367);
· Additional remuneration for the Chair of the Audit Committee: €26,000 ($34,304);
· Additional remuneration for the other Audit Committee members: €16,000 ($21,110);
· Additional remuneration for the Chairs of the other committees: €15,000 ($19,791); and
· Additional remuneration for the members of the other committees: €10,000 ($13,194).
The total annual remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors paid in 2012 and 2013 was as follows:
|
| Year ended December 31, | ||
| (Amounts in $ thousands except share information) | 2012 |
| 2013 |
| Base salary1 | $1,770 |
| $1,760 |
| Director fees | $1,930 |
| $2,119 |
| Short-term performance-related bonus1 | $1,941 |
| $530 |
| Long-term incentives 1 2 | 7,500 |
| 150,576 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer only. | |||
2 | PSUs were granted in 2012 and 2013; see “—Remuneration Framework—Long-Term Incentives: Equity Based Incentives (Share Unit Plans)”. |
The annual remuneration paid for 2012 and 2013 to the current and former members of the Board of Directors for services in all capacities was as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012 |
| 2013 |
| 2012 |
| 2013 |
| (Amounts in $ thousands except share information) |
| 20121 |
| 20131 |
| Short-term Performance Related |
| Short-term Performance Related |
| Long-term Number of PSUs |
| Long-term Number of PSUs |
| Lakshmi N. Mittal |
| $1,770 |
| $1,760 |
| $1,941 |
| $530 |
| 7,500 |
| 150,576 |
| Vanisha Mittal Bhatia |
| 172 |
| 184 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Narayanan Vaghul |
| 218 |
| 233 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Suzanne P. Nimocks |
| 198 |
| 206 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. |
| 193 |
| 206 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Lewis B. Kaden |
| 262 |
| 280 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Bruno Lafont |
| 193 |
| 206 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Tye Burt2 |
| 112 |
| 184 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Antoine Spillmann |
| 212 |
| 226 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| HRH Prince Guillaume de Luxembourg |
| 185 |
| 197 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Jeannot Krecké |
| 185 |
| 197 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| Total |
| $3,700 |
| $3,879 |
| $1,941 |
| $530 |
| 7,500 |
| 150,576 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 | Remuneration for non-executive Directors with respect to 2012 (paid after shareholder approval at the annual general meeting held on May 8, 2013) is included in the 2012 column. Remuneration for non-executive Directors with respect to 2013 (subject to shareholder approval at the annual general meeting to be held on May 8, 2014) will be paid in 2014 and is included in the 2013 column. Slight differences between the amounts previously disclosed and the final approved amounts are possible, due to foreign currency effect. | ||||||||||||
2 | Mr. Burt was elected to ArcelorMittal’s Board of Directors effective May 8, 2012. |
As of December 31, 2012 and 2013, ArcelorMittal did not have any loans or advances outstanding to members of its Board of Directors and, as of December 31, 2013, ArcelorMittal had not given any guarantees in favor of any member of its Board of Directors.
None of the members of the Board of Directors, including the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, benefit from an ArcelorMittal pension plan.
The policy of the Company is not to grant any share-based remuneration to members of the Board of Directors who are not executives of the Company.
The following tables provide a summary of the options and the exercise price of options, Restricted Share Units (“RSUs”) and Performance Share Units (“PSUs”) granted to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who is the sole executive director on the Board of Directors, as of December 31, 2013.
|
|
| Options granted in 2005 |
| Options granted in 2006 |
| Options granted in 2007 |
| Options granted in 2008 |
| Options granted in 2009 |
| Options granted in 2010 |
| Options Total |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price of Options |
|
| Lakshmi N. Mittal |
| 100,000 |
| 100,000 |
| 60,000 |
| 60,000 |
| 60,000 |
| 56,500 |
| 436,500 |
| $41.75 |
|
| Total |
| 100,000 |
| 100,000 |
| 60,000 |
| 60,000 |
| 60,000 |
| 56,500 |
| 436,500 |
| — |
|
| Exercise price1 |
| $27.31 |
| $32.07 |
| $61.09 |
| $78.44 |
| $36.38 |
| $30.66 |
| — |
| $41.75 |
|
| Term (in years) |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| — |
| — |
|
| Expiration date |
| Aug. 23, 2015 |
| Sep. 1, 2016 |
| Aug. 2, 2017 |
| Aug. 5, 2018 |
| Aug. 4, 2019 |
| Aug. 3, 2020 |
| — |
| — |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 | Due to the spin-off of Aperam on January 25, 2011, the strike price of outstanding options was reduced by 5% in line with the spin-off ratio. The table above reflects this adjustment. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| RSUs granted in 2011 |
| PSUs granted in 2012 |
| PSUs granted in 2013 |
|
| Lakshmi N. Mittal |
|
|
|
|
| 12,500 |
| 7,500 |
| 150,576 |
|
| Total |
|
|
|
|
| 12,500 |
| 7,500 |
| 150,576 |
|
| Term (in years) |
|
|
|
|
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
|
| Vesting date1 |
|
|
|
|
| Sep. 29, 2014 |
| Mar. 30, 2015 |
| June 28, 2016 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 | See “—Remuneration Framework—Long-Term Incentives: Equity Based Incentives (Share Unit Plans)”, for vesting conditions. |
|
|
|
Remuneration of Senior Management
The total remuneration paid in 2013 to members of ArcelorMittal’s senior management listed in “Item 6.A—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Directors and Senior Management” (including Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer) was $9.8 million in base salary and other benefits paid in cash (such as health insurance, lunch allowances, financial services, gasoline and car allowance) and $5.9 million in short-term performance-related variable remuneration consisting of a bonus linked to the Company’s 2012 results.
During 2013, approximately $800,000 was accrued by ArcelorMittal to provide pension benefits to senior management (other than Mr. Mittal).
No loans or advances to ArcelorMittal’s senior management were made during 2013, and no such loans or advances were outstanding as of December 31, 2013.
The following table shows the remuneration received by the Chief Executive Officer and the GMB members as determined by the ARCG Committee in relation to 2013 and 2012, including all remuneration components.
|
| Chief Executive Officer |
| Other GMB Members | |||||
| (Amounts in $ thousands except for Long-term incentives) | 2012 |
| 2013 |
| 2012 |
| 20135 | |
| Base salary1 | 1,770 |
| 1,760 |
| 7,682 |
| 7,824 | |
| Retirement benefits | - |
| - |
| 778 |
| 780 | |
| Other benefits2 | 30 |
| 38 |
| 153 |
| 165 | |
| Short-term incentives3 | 1,941 |
| 530 |
| 8,522 |
| 5,328 | |
| Long-term incentives | - fair value in $ thousands4 | 127 |
| 2,500 |
| 709 |
| 7,976 |
|
| - number of share units | 7,500 |
| 150,576 |
| 42,000 |
| 480,501 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
1 | No increase in base salary in 2013 for the Chief Executive Office. The increase in base salary for the other GMB members in 2013 was 5% on average (effective April 2013), as compared to 2012. | ||||||||
2 | Other benefits comprise benefits paid in cash such as health insurance and other insurances, lunch allowances, financial services, gasoline and car allowances. Benefits in kind such as company car ($105,000 in 2013) and tax returns not included. | ||||||||
3 | Short-term incentives are entirely performance-based and are fully paid in cash. The short-term incentive for a given year relates to the Company’s results in the previous year. | ||||||||
4 | Fair value determined at the grant date is recorded as an expense using the straight line method over the vesting period and adjusted for the effect of non-market based vesting conditions. The remuneration expenses recognized for the RSUs/PSUs granted to the Chief Executive Officer and other GMB members was $0.6 million and $2.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013, respectively. | ||||||||
5 | Mr. Peter Kukielski is included until his resignation on August 3, 2013. |
The Company allocated 2013 remuneration according to the following timeline:
SOX 304 and Clawback Policy
Under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the SEC may seek to recover remuneration from the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company in the event that it is required to restate accounting information due to any material misstatement thereof or as a result of misconduct in respect of a financial reporting requirement under the U.S. securities laws (the “SOX Clawback”).
Under the SOX Clawback, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer may have to reimburse ArcelorMittal for any bonus or other incentive- or equity-based remuneration received during the 12-month period following the first public issuance or filing with the SEC (whichever occurs first) of the relevant filing, and any profits realized from the sale of ArcelorMittal securities during that 12-month period.
The Board of Directors, through its ARCG Committee, decided in 2012 to adopt its own clawback policy (the “Clawback Policy”) that applies to the members of the GMB and to the Executive Vice President of Finance, of ArcelorMittal.
The Clawback Policy comprises cash bonuses and any other incentive-based or equity-based remuneration, as well as profits from the sale of the Company’s securities received during the 12-month period following the first public issuance or filing with the SEC (whichever first occurs) of the filing that contained the material misstatement of accounting information.
For purposes of determining whether the Clawback Policy should be applied, the Board of Directors will evaluate the circumstances giving rise to the restatement (in particular, whether there was any fraud or misconduct), determine when any such misconduct occurred and determine the amount of remuneration that should be recovered by the Company. In the event that the Board of Directors determines that remuneration should be recovered, it may take appropriate action on behalf of the Company, including, but not limited to, demanding repayment or cancellation of cash bonuses, incentive-based or equity-based remuneration or any gains realized as the result of options being exercised or awarded or long-term incentives vesting. The Board may also choose to reduce future remuneration as a means of recovery.
Remuneration Policy
Board Oversight
The Board is responsible for ensuring that the Group’s remuneration arrangements are equitable and aligned with the long-term interests of the Company and its shareholders. It is therefore critical that the Board remain independent of management when making decisions affecting remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer and his direct reports.
To this end, the Board has established the ARCG Committee to assist it in making decisions affecting employee remuneration. All members of the ARCG Committee are required to be independent under the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, the NYSE standards and the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
The members are appointed by the Board of Directors each year after the annual general meeting of shareholders. The members have relevant expertise or experience relating to the purposes of the committee. The ARCG Committee makes decisions by a simple majority with no member having a casting vote.
The ARCG Committee is chaired by Mr. Lewis Kaden, Lead Independent Director.
Appointments, Remuneration and Corporate Governance Committee
The primary function of the ARCG Committee is to assist the Board of Directors, among others with respect to the following:
· review and approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to the GMB and other members of executive management as deemed appropriate by the committee regarding their remuneration, and assess performance against goals and objectives;
· make recommendations to the Board with respect to incentive remuneration plans and equity-based plans;
· identify candidates qualified to serve as members of the Board and the GMB;
· recommend candidates to the Board for appointment by the general meeting of shareholders or for appointment by the Board to fulfill interim Board vacancies;
· develop, monitor and review corporate governance principles applicable to the Company;
· facilitate the evaluation of the Board;
· review the succession planning and the executive development of GMB members;
· submit proposals to the Board on the remuneration of GMB members, and on the appointment of new directors and GMB members;
· make recommendations to the Board in respect of the Company’s framework of remuneration for the members of the GMB and such other members of the executive management as designated by the committee. In making such recommendations, the committee may take into account factors that it deems necessary. This may include a member’s total cost of employment (factoring in equity/stock options), any perquisites and benefits in kind and pension contributions.
The ARCG Committee met seven times in 2013. Its members comprise Mr. Lewis Kaden (Chairman), HRH Prince Guillaume de Luxembourg, Mr. Narayanan Vaghul and Ms. Suzanne Nimocks. Regular invitees include Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal (Chief Executive Officer and Chairman) and Mr. Henri Blaffart (Head of Group Human Resources). Mr. Henk Scheffer (Company Secretary) acts as secretary. The relevant persons are not present when their remuneration is discussed by the ARGC Committee. The ARCG Committee Chairman presents its decisions and findings to the Board of Directors after each Committee meeting.
Remuneration Strategy
Scope
ArcelorMittal’s remuneration philosophy and framework apply to the following group of senior management:
· the Chief Executive Officer; and
· the six other members of the GMB (seven until the resignation of Mr Peter Kukielski in August 2013)
The remuneration philosophy and governing principles also apply, with certain limitations, to a wider group of employees including Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, General Managers and Managers.
Remuneration Philosophy
ArcelorMittal’s remuneration philosophy for its senior managers is based on the following principles:
· provide total remuneration competitive with executive remuneration levels of a peer group composed of a selection of industrial companies of a similar size and scope;
· encourage and reward performance that will lead to long-term enhancement of shareholder value;
· promote internal pay equity and provide “market” median (determined by reference to its identified peer group) base pay levels for ArcelorMittal’s senior managers with the possibility to move up to the third quartile of the market base pay levels, depending on performance over time; and
· promote internal pay equity and target total direct remuneration (base pay, bonus, and long term incentives) levels for senior managers at the 75th percentile of the market.
Remuneration Framework
The ARCG Committee develops proposals on senior management remuneration annually for consideration by the Board of Directors. Such proposals include the following components:
· fixed annual salary;
· short-term incentives (i.e., performance-based bonuses); and
· long-term incentives (i.e., stock options (prior to May 2011), RSUs (after May 2011) and PSUs (after May 2011).
A decision was taken by the Board of Directors not to allocate any RSUs and PSUs to the members of GMB between May 2012 and May 2013.
A grant of PSUs to members of the GMB pursuant to the GMB Performance Share Unit Plan (“GMB PSU Plan”) approved in the Annual General Meeting held on May 8, 2013 was made in June 2013.
The Company does not have any deferred compensation plans for senior management.
Fixed Annual Salary
Base salary levels are reviewed annually and compared to the market to ensure that ArcelorMittal remains competitive with market median base pay levels.
Short-Term Incentives
Annual Performance Bonus Plan
ArcelorMittal has a short-term incentive plan consisting of a performance-based bonus plan. Bonus calculations for each employee reflect the performance of the ArcelorMittal group as a whole and /or the performance of the relevant business units, the achievement of objectives specific to the department and the individual employee’s overall performance and potential.
The calculation of ArcelorMittal’s 2013 performance bonus is aligned with its strategic objectives of improving health and safety performance and overall competitiveness and the following principles:
· no performance bonus will be triggered if the achievement level of the performance measures is less than the threshold of 80%;
· achievement of 100% of the performance measure yields 100% of the performance bonus pay-out; and
· achievement of more than 100% and up to 120% of the performance measure generates a higher performance bonus pay-out, except as explained below.
The performance bonus for each individual is expressed as a percentage of his or her annual base salary. Performance bonus pay-outs may range from 50% of the target bonus for achievement of performance measures at the threshold (80%), to up to 150% for an achievement at or in excess of the ceiling of 120%. Between the 80% threshold and the 120% ceiling, the performance bonus is calculated on a proportional, straight-line basis.
For the Chief Executive Officer and the other members of the GMB, the 2013 bonus formula is based on:
· Operating income plus depreciation, impairment expenses and exceptional items (“EBITDA”) at the Group level: 60% (this acts as “circuit breaker” with respect to group-level financial performance measures as explained below);
· Free cash flow (“FCF”) at the Group level: 20%; and
· Health and safety performance at the Group level: 20%.
EBITDA operating as a “circuit breaker” for financial measures means that the 80% threshold described above must be met for EBITDA in order to trigger any bonus payment with respect to the EBITDA and FCF performance measures.
For the Chief Executive Officer, the performance bonus at 100% achievement of performance targets linked to the business plan is equal to 100% of his base salary. For the members of the GMB, the performance bonus at 100% achievement of performance targets linked to the business plan is equal to 80% of the relevant base salary.
The different performance measures are combined through a cumulative system: each measure is calculated separately and is added up for the performance bonus calculation.
Performance below threshold will result in zero performance bonus payout.
The achievement level of performance for performance bonus is summarized as follow:
Functional level |
| Target achievement threshold @ 80% |
| Target achievement @ 100% |
| Target achievement ≥ ceiling @ 120% |
Chief Executive Officer |
| 50% of base pay |
| 100% of base pay |
| 150% of base pay |
Other GMB members |
| 40% of base pay |
| 80% of base pay |
| 120%of base pay |
Individual performance and potential assessment ratings define the individual bonus multiplier that will be applied to the performance bonus calculated based on actual performance against the performance measures. Those individuals who consistently perform at expected levels will have an individual multiplier of 1. For outstanding performers, an individual multiplier of up to 1.5 may cause the performance bonus pay-out to be higher than 150% of the target bonus, up to 225% of target bonus being the absolute maximum for the Chief Executive Officer. Similarly, a reduction factor will be applied for those at the lower end.
The principles of the performance bonus plan, with different weights for performance measures and different levels of target bonuses, are applicable to approximately 2,000 employees worldwide.
In exceptional cases, there are some entitlements to a retention bonus or a business specific bonus.
At the end of the financial year, achievement against the measures is assessed by the ARCG Committee and the Board and the short-term incentive award is determined. The achievement of the 2012 Performance Bonus Plan with respect to senior management and paid out in April 2013 was as follows:
2012 Measures |
| % Weighting for Chief Executive Officer and GMB members |
| Assessment |
EBITDA |
| 60% |
| No incentive attributable to this metric |
FCF |
| 20% |
| No incentive attributable to this metric |
Health and Safety |
| 20% |
| Incentive attributable to this metric as the assessment was at target |
Other Benefits
In addition to the remuneration described above, other benefits may be provided to members of the GMB and, in certain cases, other employees. These other benefits can include insurance, housing (in cases of international transfers), car allowances and tax assistance.
Long-Term Incentives: Equity-Based Incentives (Share Unit Plans)
On May 10, 2011, the annual general meeting of shareholders approved the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan, a new equity-based incentive plan that replaced the Global Stock Option Plan. The ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan is intended to align the interests of the Company’s shareholders and eligible employees by allowing them to participate in the success of the Company. The ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan provides for the grant of RSUs and PSUs to eligible Company employees and is designed to incentivize employees, improve the Company’s long-term performance and retain key employees. On May 8, 2013, the annual general meeting of shareholders approved the GMB PSU Plan, which provides for the grant of PSUs to GMB members. Until the introduction of the GMB PSU Plan in 2013, GMB members were eligible to receive RSUs and PSUs under the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan.
The maximum number of RSUs and PSUs available for grant during any given year is subject to the prior approval of the Company’s shareholders at the annual general meeting. The annual shareholders’ meeting on May 8, 2013 approved the maximum to be granted until the next annual shareholders’ meeting. For the period from the May 2013 annual general shareholders’ meeting to the May 2014 annual general shareholders’ meeting, a maximum of 3,500,000 RSUs and PSUs may be allocated to eligible employees under the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan and the GMB PSU Plan combined.
ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan
RSUs. RSUs granted under the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan are designed to provide a retention incentive to eligible employees. RSUs are subject to “cliff vesting” after three years, with 100% of the grant vesting on the third anniversary of the grant contingent upon the continued active employment of the eligible employee within the Group. RSUs are an integral part of the Company’s remuneration framework. Between 500 and 700 of the Group’s most senior managers are eligible for RSUs.
In September 2011, the Company made a grant of 1,303,515 RSUs to a total of 772 eligible employees; in March 2013, the Company made a grant of 1,071,190 RSUs to a total of 681 eligible employees; and in September 2013, the Company made a grant of 1,065,415 RSUs to a total of 682 eligible employees.
PSUs. The grant of PSUs under the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan aims to serve as an effective performance-enhancing scheme based on the employee’s contribution to the eligible achievement of the Company’s strategy. Awards in connection with PSUs are subject to the fulfillment of cumulative performance criteria over a three-year period from the date of the PSU grant. The employees eligible to receive PSUs are a sub-set of the group of employees eligible to receive RSUs. The target group for PSU grants initially included the Chief Executive Officer and the other GMB members. However, from 2013 onwards, the Chief Executive Officer and other GMB members receive PSU grants under the GMB PSU Plan instead of the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan (see “—GMB PSU Plan”).
In March 2012, the Company made a grant of 267,165 PSUs to a total of 118 eligible employees; in March 2013, the Company made a grant of 182,970 PSUs to a total of 94 eligible employees; and in September 2013, the Company made a grant of 504,075 PSUs to a total of 384 eligible employees.
PSUs vest three years after their date of grant subject to the eligible employee’s continued employment with the Company and the fulfillment of targets related to the following performance measures: return on capital employed (ROCE) and total cost of employment (in U.S. dollars per tonne) for the steel business (TCOE) and the mining volume plan and ROCE for the Mining segment. Each performance measure has a weighting of 50%. In case the level of achievement of both performance targets together is below 80%, there is no vesting, and the rights are automatically forfeited.
GMB PSU Plan
The GMB PSU Plan is designed to enhance the long-term performance of the Company and align the members of the GMB to the Company’s objectives. The GMB PSU Plan complements ArcelorMittal’s existing program of annual performance-related bonuses which is the Company’s reward system for short-term performance and achievements. The main objective of the GMB PSU Plan is to be an effective performance-enhancing scheme for GMB members based on the achievement of ArcelorMittal’s strategy aimed at creating a measurable long-term shareholder value.
The members of the GMB including the Chief Executive Officer are eligible for PSU grants. The GMB PSU Plan provides for cliff vesting on the third year anniversary of the grant date, under the condition that the relevant GMB member continues to be actively employed by the Group on that date. If the GMB member is retired on that date or in case of an early retirement by mutual consent, the relevant GMB member will not automatically forfeit PSUs and pro rata vesting will be considered at the end of the vesting period at the sole discretion of the Company, represented by the ARCG Committee of the Board of Directors. Awards under the GMB PSU Plan are subject to the fulfillment of cumulative performance criteria over a three-year period from the date of the PSU grant. The value of the grant at grant date will equal one year of base salary for the Chief Executive Officer and 80% of base salary for the other GMB members. Each PSU may give right to up to two shares of the Company.
In June 2013, the Company made a grant of 631,077 PSUs under the GMB PSU Plan to a total of seven eligible GMB members.
Two sets of performance criteria must be met for vesting of the PSUs. 50% of the criteria is based on the Total Shareholder Return (TSR) defined as the share price at the end of period minus the share price at start of period plus any dividend paid divided by the share price at the start of the period. “Start of period” and “end of period” will be defined by the ARCG Committee of the Board of Directors. This will then be compared with a peer group of companies and the S&P 500 index, each counting for half of the weighting. No vesting will take place for performance below 80% of the median compared to the peer group or below 80% of the S&P 500 index measured over three years.
• For 25% of PSUs, performance is compared to the peer group. The percentage of PSUs vesting will be 50% for achieving 80% of the median TSR, 100% for achieving the median TSR, 150% for achieving 120% of the median TSR, and up to a maximum of 200% for an achievement above the upper quartile.
• For 25% of PSUs, performance is compared to the S&P 500 index. The percentage of PSUs vesting will be 50% for achieving performance equal to 80% of the index, 100% for achieving a performance equal to the index, 150% for achieving a performance equal to index plus an outperformance of 2%, and up to a maximum of 200% for achieving a performance equal to index plus an outperformance of 5%.
The other 50% of the criteria to be met to trigger vesting of the PSUs is based on the development of Earnings per Share (EPS), defined as the amount of earnings per share outstanding compared to a peer group of companies. The percentage of PSUs vesting will be 50% for achievement of 80% of the median EPS, 100% for achieving the median EPS, 150% for achieving 120% of the median EPS, and up to a maximum of 200% for an achievement above the upper quartile.
The allocation of PSUs to eligible GMB members is reviewed by the ARCG Committee of the Board of Directors, which is comprised of four independent directors, and which makes a proposal and recommendation to the full Board of Directors. The vesting criteria of the PSUs are also monitored by the ARCG Committee. The Company will report in its annual reports on the progress of meeting the vesting criteria on each grant anniversary date as well as on the applicable peer group.
The table below lists the applicable peer group of companies for the GMB PSU Plan. The peer group consists of 12 steel manufacturers, 5 iron ore miners/producers and 8 other miners/producers. The peer group have been selected by the Board of Directors based on industry classification, size (limited to companies not smaller than approximately one quarter of ArcelorMittal’s market capitalization – except US Steel which has a market capitalization of below 25% of ArcelorMittal’s market capitalization) and on correlation of TSR performance over three years in order to identify whether this peer group of companies is appropriate from a statistical viewpoint.
Share unit plan activity is summarized below as of and for each year ended December 31, 2012 and 2013:
| Restricted share unit (RSU) |
| Performance share unit (PSU) | ||||
| Number of shares |
| Fair value per share |
| Number of shares |
| Fair value per share |
Outstanding, December 31, 2011 | 1,303,515 |
| $14.45 |
| – |
| – |
Granted | – |
| – |
| 267,165 |
| $16.87 |
Exited | (787) |
| 14.45 |
| – |
| – |
Forfeited | (59,975) |
| 14.45 |
| (4,500) |
| 16.87 |
Outstanding, December 31, 2012 | 1,242,753 |
| 14.45 |
| 262,665 |
| 16.87 |
Granted | 2,136,605 |
| 12.77 |
| 1,318,122 |
| 14.70 |
Exited | (14,788) |
| 14.35 |
| – |
| – |
Forfeited | (120,904) |
| 13.92 |
| (53,640) |
| 15.85 |
Outstanding, December 31, 2013 | 3,243,666 |
| 13.36 |
| 1,527,147 |
| 15.03 |
The following table summarizes information about total share unit plan of the Company outstanding as of December 31, 2013:
Shares units outstanding | ||||||
Fair value per share |
| Number of shares |
| Shares exercised |
| Maturity |
$16.87 |
| 221,220 |
| - |
| March 30, 2015 |
16.60 |
| 631,077 |
| - |
| June 28, 2016 |
14.45 |
| 1,138,577 |
| 22,449 |
| September 29, 2014 |
13.17 |
| 504,075 |
| - |
| September 27, 2016 |
13.17 |
| 1,065,415 |
| - |
| September 27, 2016 |
12.37 |
| 1,039,674 |
| 1,122 |
| March 29, 2016 |
12.37 |
| 170,775 |
| - |
| March 29, 2016 |
$16.87 – 12.37 |
| 4,770,813 |
| 23,571 |
|
|
For RSUs and PSUs, the fair value determined at the grant date is recorded as an expense using the straight line method over the vesting period and adjusted for the effect of non-market based vesting conditions.
The remuneration expense recognized for the RSUs granted under the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan was $6 million and $10 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013, respectively. The remuneration expense recognized for the PSUs granted under the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan and GMB PSU Plan was $1 million and $4 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Global Stock Option Plan
Prior to the adoption in 2011 of the ArcelorMittal Equity Incentive Plan described above, ArcelorMittal’s equity-based incentive plan took the form of a stock option plan known as the Global Stock Option Plan.
Under the terms of the ArcelorMittal Global Stock Option Plan 2009-2018 (which replaced the ArcelorMittalShares plan that expired in 2009), ArcelorMittal may grant options to purchase ordinary shares to senior management of ArcelorMittal and its associates for up to 100,000,000 ordinary shares. The exercise price of each option equals not less than the fair market value of ArcelorMittal shares on the grant date, with a maximum term of ten years. Options are granted at the discretion of ArcelorMittal’s ARCG Committee, or its delegate. The options vest either ratably upon each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date, or, in total upon the death, disability or retirement of the participant.
With respect to the spin-off of Aperam, the ArcelorMittal Global Stock Option Plan 2009-2018 was amended to reduce by 5% the exercise prices of existing stock options. This change is reflected in the information given below.
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Year of Grant |
| Initial Exercise Prices (per option) |
| New Exercise Prices (per option) |
August 2008 |
| $82.57 |
| $78.44 |
December 2007 |
| 74.54 |
| 70.81 |
August 2007 |
| 64.30 |
| 61.09 |
August 2009 |
| 38.30 |
| 36.38 |
September 2006 |
| 33.76 |
| 32.07 |
August 2010 |
| 32.27 |
| 30.66 |
August 2005 |
| 28.75 |
| 27.31 |
December 2008 |
| 23.75 |
| 22.56 |
November 2008 |
| 22.25 |
| 21.14 |
No options have been granted since 2010, although RSUs and PSUs were granted (see “—Long-Term Incentives: Equity Based Incentives (Share Unit Plans)”).
The fair values for options and other share-based remuneration are recorded as expenses in the consolidated statements of operations over the relevant vesting or service periods, adjusted to reflect actual and expected levels of vesting. The fair value of each option grant to purchase ArcelorMittal common shares is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model.
The expected life of the options is estimated by observing general option holder behavior and actual historical lives of ArcelorMittal stock option plans. In addition, the expected annualized volatility has been set by reference to the implied volatility of options available on ArcelorMittal shares in the open market, as well as, historical patterns of volatility.
The remuneration expense recognized for stock option plans was $73 million, $25 million and $5 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. At the date of the spin-off of Aperam, the fair value of the stock options outstanding were recalculated with the modified inputs of the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model, including the weighted average share price, exercise price, expected volatility, expected life, expected dividends, the risk-free interest rate and an additional expense of $11 million was recognized in the year ended December 31, 2011.
Option activity with respect to ArcelorMittalShares and ArcelorMittal Global Stock Option Plan 2009-2018 is summarized below as of and for each of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2012 and 2013:
| Number of Options |
| Range of Exercise Prices (per option) |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price (per option) |
Outstanding, December 31, 2010 | 28,672,974 |
| 2.26 – 82.57 |
| $50.95 |
Exercised | (226,005) |
| 2.15 – 32.07 |
| 27.57 |
Forfeited | (114,510) |
| 27.31 – 78.44 |
| 40.26 |
Expired | (662,237) |
| 15.75 – 78.44 |
| 57.07 |
Outstanding, December 31, 2011 | 27,670,222 |
| 2.15 – 78.44 |
| 48.35 |
Exercised | (154,495) |
| 2.15 |
| 2.15 |
Forfeited | (195,473) |
| 30.66 – 61.09 |
| 33.13 |
Expired | (2,369,935) |
| 2.15 – 78.44 |
| 58.23 |
Outstanding, December 31, 2012 | 24,950,319 |
| 21.14 – 78.44 |
| 47.85 |
Forfeited | (139,993) |
| 30.66 – 78.44 |
| 40.54 |
Expired | (3,246,700) |
| 21.14 – 78.44 |
| 45.80 |
Outstanding, December 31, 2013 | 21,563,626 |
| 21.14 – 78.44 |
| 48.31 |
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Exercisable, December 31, 2011 | 21,946,104 |
| 2.15 – 78.44 |
| 52.47 |
Exercisable, December 31, 2012 | 23,212,008 |
| 21.14 – 78.44 |
| 49.14 |
Exercisable, December 31, 2013 | 21,563,626 |
| 21.14 – 78.44 |
| 48.31 |
The following table summarizes certain information regarding total stock options of the Company outstanding as of December 31, 2013:
Options Outstanding | ||||||||
Exercise Prices (per option) |
| Number of options |
| Weighted average contractual life (in years) |
| Options exercisable (number of options) |
| Maturity |
$78.44 |
| 5,059,350 |
| 4.60 |
| 5,059,350 |
| August 5, 2018 |
70.81 |
| 13,000 |
| 3.95 |
| 13,000 |
| December 11, 2017 |
61.09 |
| 3,665,003 |
| 3.59 |
| 3,665,003 |
| August 2, 2017 |
36.38 |
| 4,893,900 |
| 5.60 |
| 4,893,900 |
| August 4, 2019 |
32.07 |
| 1,786,103 |
| 2.67 |
| 1,786,103 |
| September 1, 2016 |
30.66 |
| 5,047,000 |
| 6.60 |
| 5,047,000 |
| August 3, 2020 |
27.31 |
| 1,096,685 |
| 1.65 |
| 1,096,685 |
| August 23, 2015 |
21.14 |
| 2,585 |
| 4.87 |
| 2,585 |
| November 10, 2018 |
$21.14 – 78.44 |
| 21,563,626 |
| 4.81 |
| 21,563,626 |
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Performance Consideration
Remuneration Mix
The target total remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer and the GMB is structured to attract and retain executives; the amount of the remuneration actually received is dependent on the achievement of superior business and individual performance and on generating sustained shareholder value from relative performance.
The following remuneration charts, which illustrate the various elements of compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and the GMB, are applicable for 2013. For each of the charts below, the columns on the left, middle and on the right, respectively, reflect the breakdown of compensation if targets are not met, met and exceeded.
C. Board Practices/Corporate Governance
This section describes the corporate governance practices of ArcelorMittal.
Board of Directors and Group Management Board
ArcelorMittal is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by a GMB. The GMB is assisted by a Management Committee.
A number of corporate governance provisions in the Articles of Association of ArcelorMittal reflect provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 25, 2006 (prior to Mittal Steel’s merger with Arcelor), amended in April 2008 and which mostly expired on August 1, 2009. For more information about the Memorandum of Understanding, see “Item 10.C—Additional Information—Material Contracts—Memorandum of Understanding”.
ArcelorMittal fully complies with the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. This is explained in more detail in “—Other Corporate Governance practices” below. ArcelorMittal also complies with the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual as applicable to foreign private issuers.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is in charge of the overall governance and direction of ArcelorMittal. It is responsible for the performance of all acts of administration necessary or useful in furtherance of the corporate purpose of ArcelorMittal, except for matters reserved by Luxembourg law or the Articles of Association to the general meeting of shareholders. The Articles of Association provide that the Board of Directors is composed of a minimum of three and a maximum of 18 members, all of whom, except the Chief Executive Officer, must be non-executive directors. None of the members of the Board of Directors, except for the Chief Executive Officer, may hold an executive position or executive mandate within ArcelorMittal or any entity controlled by ArcelorMittal.
The Articles of Association provide that Directors are elected and removed by the general meeting of shareholders by a simple majority of votes cast. Other than as set out in the Company’s Articles of Association, no shareholder has any specific right to nominate, elect or remove Directors. Directors are elected by the general meeting of shareholders for three-year terms. In the event that a vacancy arises on the Board of Directors for any reason, the remaining members of the Board of Directors may by a simple majority elect a new Director to temporarily fulfill the duties attaching to the vacant post until the next general meeting of the shareholders.
The Board of Directors has proposed Michel Wurth to serve as a member of the ArcelorMittal Board of Directors, subject to approval at the ArcelorMittal annual general shareholders’ meeting to be held on May 8, 2014 (see “Item 4.A – Information on the Company – History and Development of the Company – Key Transactions and Events in 2013”).
The Board of Directors is comprised of 11 members, of which 10 are non-executive Directors and one is an executive Director. The Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal is the sole executive Director.
Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors on May 13, 2008. Mr. Mittal is also ArcelorMittal’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Mittal was re-elected to the Board of Directors for a three-year term by the annual general meeting of shareholders on May 10, 2011.
Eight of the 11 members of the Board of Directors are independent. The non-independent Directors are the executive Director, Ms. Vanisha Mittal Bhatia and Mr. Jeannot Krecké. A Director is considered “independent” if:
(a) he or she is independent within the meaning of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, as applicable to foreign private issuers,
(b) he or she is unaffiliated with any shareholder owning or controlling more than two percent of the total issued share capital of ArcelorMittal, and
(c) the Board of Directors makes an affirmative determination to this effect.
For these purposes, a person is deemed affiliated to a shareholder if he or she is an executive officer, a director who also is an employee, a general partner, a managing member or a controlling shareholder of such shareholder. The 10 Principles of Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, which constitute ArcelorMittal's domestic corporate governance code, require ArcelorMittal to define the independence criteria that apply to its Directors.
Specific characteristics of the Director role
The Company’s Articles of Association do not require directors to be shareholders of the Company. The Board of Directors nevertheless adopted a share ownership policy on October 30, 2012, considering that it is in the best interests of all shareholders for all
non-executive directors to acquire and hold a minimum number of ArcelorMittal ordinary shares in order to better align their long-term interests with those of ArcelorMittal’s shareholders. The Board of Directors believes that this share ownership policy will result in a meaningful holding of ArcelorMittal shares by each non-executive Director, while at the same time taking into account the fact that the share ownership requirement should not be excessive in order not to unnecessarily limit the pool of available candidates for appointment to the Board. Directly or indirectly, and as sole or joint beneficiary owner (e.g., with a spouse or minor children), within five years of the earlier of October 30, 2012 or the relevant person’s election to the Board of Directors, the Lead Independent Director should own a minimum of 15,000 ordinary shares and each other non-executive director should own a minimum of 10,000 ordinary shares. Each director will hold the shares acquired on the basis of this policy for so long as he or she serves on the Board of Directors. Directors purchasing shares in compliance with this policy must comply with the ArcelorMittal Insider Dealing Regulations and, in particular, and refrain from trading during any restricted period, including any such period that may apply immediately after the Director’s departure from the Board of Directors for any reason.
On October 30, 2012, the Board of Directors also adopted a policy that places limitations on the terms of independent Directors as well as the number of directorships Directors may hold in order to align the Company’s corporate governance practices with best practices in this area. The policy provides that an independent Director may not serve on the Board of Directors for more than 12 consecutive years, although the Board of Directors may, by way of exception to this rule, make an affirmative determination, on a case-by-case basis, that he or she may continue to serve beyond 12 years in consideration of his or her exceptional contribution to the Board. A Director will no longer be considered “independent” as defined in the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual as applicable to foreign private issuers after he or she has completed 12 years of service on the Board.
As membership of the Board of Directors represents a significant time commitment, the policy requires both executive and non-executive Directors to devote sufficient time to the discharge of their duties as a Director of ArcelorMittal. Directors are therefore required to consult with the Chairman and the Lead Independent Director before accepting any additional commitment that could conflict with or impact the time they can devote to their role as a Director of ArcelorMittal. Furthermore, a non-executive Director may not serve on the boards of directors of more than four publicly listed companies in addition to the ArcelorMittal Board of Directors. However, a non-executive Director’s service on the board of directors of any subsidiary or affiliate of ArcelorMittal or of any non-publically listed company shall not be taken into account for purposes of complying with the foregoing limitation. Directors have a time period of three years from October 30, 2012 to reach the limit of five directorships of public companies.
Although non-executive Directors of ArcelorMittal who change their principal occupation or business association are not necessarily required to leave the Board of Directors, the policy requires each non-executive Director, in such circumstances, promptly to inform the Board of Directors of the action he or she is contemplating. Should the Board of Directors determine that the contemplated action would generate a conflict of interests, such non-executive Director would be asked to tender his or her resignation to the chairman of the Board of Directors, who would decide to accept the resignation or not.
None of the members of the Board of Directors, including the executive director, have entered into service contracts with ArcelorMittal or any of its subsidiaries that provide for any form of remuneration or for benefits upon the termination of their term. In December 2013, all non-executive Directors of the Company signed the Company’s Appointment Letter, which confirms the conditions of their appointment including compliance with certain non-compete provisions, the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the Company’s Code of Business Conduct.
All members of the Board of Directors are required to sign the Company’s Code of Business Conduct upon first joining the Board and confirm their adherence thereto on an annual basis thereafter.
The remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors is determined on a yearly basis by the annual general meeting of shareholders.
Share Transactions by Management
In compliance with laws prohibiting insider dealing, the Board of Directors of ArcelorMittal has adopted insider dealing regulations, which apply throughout the ArcelorMittal group. These regulations are designed to ensure that insider information is treated appropriately within the Company and avoid insider dealing and market manipulation. Any breach of the rules set out in this procedure may lead to criminal or civil charges against the individuals involved, as well as disciplinary action by the Company.
Shareholding Requirement for Non-Executive Directors
In consideration of corporate governance trends indicating that a reasonable amount of share ownership helps better align the interests of the directors with those of all shareholders, the Board of Directors adopted on October 30, 2012 share ownership guidelines for non-executive Directors. The Directors are required to own 10,000 shares and the Lead Independent Director is required to own 15,000 shares, both within five years of October 30, 2012, or if the Director is appointed after October 30, 2012, within five years of his or her appointment.
Operation
The Board of Directors and the Board committees may engage the services of external experts or advisers as well as take all actions necessary or useful to implement the Company’s corporate purpose. The Board of Directors (including its three committees) has its own budget, which covers functioning costs such as external consultants, continuing education activities for Directors and travel expenses.
Meetings
The Board of Directors meets when convened by the Chairman of the Board or any two members of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors holds physical meetings at least on a quarterly basis as five regular meetings are scheduled per year. The Board of Directors holds additional meetings if and when circumstances require, in person or by teleconference and can take decisions by written circulation, provided that all members of the Board of Directors agree.
The Board of Directors held eight meetings in 2013. The average attendance rate of the directors at the Board of Directors’ meetings was 94.95%.
In order for a meeting of the Board of Directors to be validly held, a majority of the Directors must be present or represented, including at least a majority of the independent Directors. In the absence of the Chairman, the Board of Directors will appoint by majority vote a chairman for the meeting in question. The Chairman may decide not to participate in a Board of Directors’ meeting, provided he has given a proxy to one of the Directors who will be present at the meeting. For any meeting of the Board of Directors, a Director may designate another Director to represent him or her and vote in his or her name, provided that the director so designated may not represent more than one of his or her colleagues at any time.
Each Director has one vote and none of the Directors, including the Chairman, has a casting vote. Decisions of the Board of Directors are made by a majority of the directors present and represented at a validly constituted meeting.
Lead Independent Director
In April 2008, the Board of Directors created the role of Lead Independent Director. His or her function is to:
· coordinate the activities of the independent Directors,
· liaise between the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the independent Directors,
· lead the Board of Directors’ self-evaluation process,
· call meetings of the independent Directors when he or she considers it necessary or appropriate, and
· perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Mr. Lewis B. Kaden was elected by the Board of Directors as ArcelorMittal’s first Lead Independent Director in April 2008 and remains Lead Independent Director, having been re-elected as a Director for a three-year term on May 10, 2011.
The agenda of each meeting of the Board of Directors is decided jointly by the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Lead Independent Director.
Separate Meetings of Independent Directors
The independent members of the Board of Directors may schedule meetings outside the presence of non-independent Directors. Four meetings of the independent Directors outside the presence of management and non-independent Directors were held in 2013.
The Board of Directors decided in 2008 to start conducting an annual self-evaluation of its functioning in order to identify potential areas for improvement. The first self-evaluation process was carried out in early 2009. The self-evaluation process includes structured interviews between the Lead Independent Director and each Director and covers the overall performance of the Board of
Directors, its relations with senior management, the performance of individual Directors, and the performance of the committees. The process is supported by the Company Secretary under the supervision of the Chairman and the Lead Independent Director. The findings of the self-evaluation process are examined by the ARCG Committee and presented with recommendations from the ARCG Committee to the Board of Directors for adoption and implementation. Suggestions for improvement of the Board of Directors’ process based on the prior year’s performance and functioning are implemented during the following year.
The 2013 Board of Directors’ self-evaluation was completed by the Board on February 6, 2014. Directors believe that the quality of discussions within the Board of Directors continued to progress in 2013. Directors also continue to support the governance structure and think it is working well. The previous year’s recommendation regarding the balance of the time spent by the Board of Directors on strategic and other specific issues as compared to time spent on the review of financial and operational results and performance was successfully implemented. The Board has also set new priorities for discussion and review and identified a number of topics that it wishes to spend additional time on in 2014.
The Board of Directors believes that its members have the appropriate range of skills, knowledge and experience, as well as the degree of diversity, necessary to enable it to effectively govern the business. Board composition is reviewed on a regular basis and additional skills and experience are actively searched for in line with the expected development of ArcelorMittal’s business as and when appropriate.
Required Skills, Experience and Other Personal Characteristics
Diverse skills, backgrounds, knowledge, experience, geographic location, nationalities and gender are required in order to effectively govern a global business the size of the Company’s operations. The Board and its committees are therefore required to ensure that the Board has the right balance of skills, experience, independence and knowledge necessary to perform its role in accordance with the highest standards of governance.
The Company’s directors must demonstrate unquestioned honesty and integrity, preparedness to question, challenge and critique constructively, and a willingness to understand and commit to the highest standards of governance. They must be committed to the collective decision-making process of the Board and must be able to debate issues openly and constructively, and question or challenge the opinions of others. Directors must also commit themselves to remain actively involved in Board decisions and apply strategic thought to matters at issue. They must be clear communicators and good listeners who actively contribute to the Board in a collegial manner. Each Director must also ensure that no decision or action is taken that places his or her interests in front of the interests of the business. Each Director has an obligation to protect and advance the interests of the Company and must refrain from any conduct that would harm it.
In order to govern effectively, non-executive Directors must have a clear understanding of the Company’s strategy, and a thorough knowledge of the ArcelorMittal group and the industries in which it operates. Non-executive Directors must be sufficiently familiar with the Company’s core business to effectively contribute to the development of strategy and monitor performance.
With specific regard to the non-executive Directors of the Company, the composition of the group of non-executive Directors should be such that the combination of experience, knowledge and independence of its members allows the Board to fulfill its obligations towards the Company and other stakeholders in the best possible manner.
The ARCG Committee ensures that the Board is comprised of high-caliber individuals whose background, skills, experience and personal characteristics enhance the overall profile of the Board and meets its needs and diversity aspirations by nominating high quality candidates for election to the Board by the general meeting of shareholders.
The key skills and experience of the Directors, and the extent to which they are represented on the Board and its committees, are set out below. In summary, the non-executive Directors contribute:
· international and operational experience;
· understanding of the industry sectors in which we operate;
· knowledge of world capital markets and being a company listed in several jurisdictions; and
· an understanding of the health, safety, environmental, political and community challenges that we face.
Each Director is required to adhere to the values set out in, and sign, the ArcelorMittal Code of Business Conduct.
The Board plans for its own succession, with the assistance of the ARCG Committee. In doing this, the Board:
· considers the skills, backgrounds, knowledge, experience and diversity of geographic location, nationality and gender necessary to allow it to meet the corporate purpose;
· assesses the skills, backgrounds, knowledge, experience and diversity currently represented;
· identifies any inadequate representation of those attributes and agrees the process necessary to ensure a candidate is selected who brings them to the Board; and
· reviews how Board performance might be enhanced, both at an individual Director level and for the Board as a whole.
The Board believes that orderly succession and renewal is achieved through careful planning and by continuously reviewing the composition of the Board.
When considering new appointments to the Board, the ARCG Committee oversees the preparation of a position specification that is provided to an independent recruitment firm retained to conduct a global search, taking into account, among other factors, geographic location, nationality and gender. In addition to the specific skills, knowledge and experience required of the candidate, the specification contains the criteria set out in the ArcelorMittal Board profile.
In line with the worldwide effort to increase gender diversity on the boards of directors of listed and unlisted companies, the Board has set an aspirational goal of increasing the number of women on the Board to at least three by the end of 2015 based upon a Board of Directors size of 11 members. The ArcelorMittal Board’s diversity not only relates to gender, but also to the region, background and industry of its members.
Director Induction, Training and Development
The Board considers that the development of the directors’ knowledge of the Company, the steel-making and mining industries, and the markets in which the Company operates is an ongoing process. To further bolster the skills and knowledge of Directors, the Company set up a continuous development program in 2009.
Upon his or her election, each new non-executive director undertakes an induction program specifically tailored to his or her needs and includes ArcelorMittal’s long-term vision centered on the concept of “Safe Sustainable Steel”.
The Board’s development activities include the provision of regular updates to directors on each of the Company’s products and markets. Non-executive directors may also participate in training programs designed to maximize the effectiveness of the Directors throughout their tenure and link in with their individual performance evaluations. The training and development program may cover not only matters of a business nature, but also matters falling into the environmental, social and governance area.
Structured opportunities are provided to build knowledge through initiatives such as visits to plants and mine sites and business briefings provided at Board meetings. Non-executive directors also build their Company and industry knowledge through the involvement of the GMB and other senior employees in Board meetings. Business briefings, site visits and development sessions underpin and support the Board’s work in monitoring and overseeing progress towards the corporate purpose of creating long-term shareholder value through the development of our business in steel and mining. We therefore continuously build Directors’ knowledge to ensure that the Board remains up-to-date with developments within our segments, as well as developments in the markets in which we operate.
During the year, non-executive directors participated in the following activities:
· comprehensive business briefings intended to provide each Director with a deeper understanding of the Company’s activities, environment, key issues and strategy of our segments. These briefings are provided to the Board by senior executives, including GMB members. The briefings provided during the course of 2013 covered health and safety processes, internal assurance, legal, marketing, steel-making, strategy, mining and R&D. Certain business briefings were combined with site visits and thus took place on-site and, in other cases, they took place at Board meetings;
· site visits to plants and R&D centers; and
· development sessions on specific topics of relevance, such as climate change, commodity markets, the world economy, changes in corporate governance standards, directors’ duties and shareholder feedback.
The ARCG Committee oversees Director training and development. This approach allows induction and learning opportunities to be tailored to the Directors’ committee memberships, as well as the Board’s specific areas of focus. In addition, this approach ensures a coordinated process in relation to succession planning, Board renewal, training, development and committee composition, all of which are relevant to the ARCG Committee’s role in securing the supply of talent to the Board.
Board of Directors Committees
The Board of Directors has three committees:
· the Appointments, Remuneration and Corporate Governance Committee, and
· the Risk Management Committee.
The Audit Committee must be composed solely of independent members of the Board of Directors. The members are appointed by the Board of Directors each year after the annual general meeting of shareholders. All of the Audit Committee members must be independent as defined in the Rule 10A-3 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Audit Committee makes decisions by a simple majority with no member having a casting vote.
The primary function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities by reviewing:
· the financial reports and other financial information provided by ArcelorMittal to any governmental body or the public;
· ArcelorMittal’s system of internal control regarding finance, accounting, legal compliance and ethics that the Board of Directors and senior management have established; and
· ArcelorMittal’s auditing, accounting and financial reporting processes generally.
The Audit Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are to:
· be an independent and objective party to monitor ArcelorMittal’s financial reporting process and internal controls system;
· review and appraise the audit efforts of ArcelorMittal’s independent auditors and internal auditing department;
· provide an open avenue of communication among the independent auditors, senior management, the internal audit department and the Board of Directors;
· review major legal and compliance matters and their follow up;
· approve the appointment and fees of the independent auditors; and
· monitor the independence of the independent auditors.
Since May 10, 2011, the Audit Committee consists of four members: Mr. Narayanan Vaghul (Chairman), Mr. Wilbur L. Ross, Mr. Antoine Spillmann, and Mr. Bruno Lafont, each of whom is an independent director according to the NYSE standards and the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The Chairman of the Audit Committee is Mr. Vaghul.
According to its charter, the Audit Committee is required to meet at least four times a year. During 2013, the Audit Committee met six times. The average attendance rate of the directors at the Audit Committee meetings was 71%.
The Audit Committee performs its own annual self-evaluation, and completed its 2013 self-evaluation on February 6, 2014.
The charter of the Audit Committee is available from ArcelorMittal upon request.
Appointments, Remuneration and Corporate Governance Committee
The ARCG Committee has been comprised since May 10, 2011 of four directors, each of whom is independent under the New York Stock Exchange standards and the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
The members are appointed by the Board of Directors each year after the annual general meeting of shareholders. The ARCG Committee makes decisions by a simple majority with no member having a casting vote.
The Board of Directors has established the ARCG Committee to:
· determine, on its behalf and on behalf of the shareholders within agreed terms of reference, ArcelorMittal’s compensation framework, including short and long term incentives for the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the members of the GMB and the members of the Management Committee;
· review and approve succession and contingency plans for key managerial positions at the level of the GMB and the Management Committee;
· consider any candidate for appointment or reappointment to the Board of Directors at the request of the Board of Directors and provide advice and recommendations to it regarding the same;
· evaluate the functioning of the Board of Directors and monitor the Board of Directors’ self-evaluation process; and
· develop, monitor and review corporate governance principles and corporate responsibility policies applicable to ArcelorMittal, as well as their application in practice.
The ARCG Committee’s principal criteria in determining the compensation of executives is to encourage and reward performance that will lead to long-term enhancement of shareholder value. The ARCG Committee may seek the advice of outside experts.
The four members of the ARCG Committee are Mr. Lewis B. Kaden, HRH Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, Mr. Narayanan Vaghul, and Ms. Suzanne P. Nimocks, each of whom is independent in accordance with the NYSE standards and the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The Chairman of the ARCG Committee is Mr. Kaden.
The ARCG Committee is required to meet at least twice a year. During 2013, this committee met seven times. The average attendance rate was 96%.
The ARCG Committee performs an annual self-evaluation and completed its 2013 self-evaluation on February 6, 2014.
The charter of the ARCG Committee is available from ArcelorMittal upon request.
Risk Management Committee
In June 2009, the Board of Directors created a Risk Management Committee to assist it with risk management, in line with recent developments in corporate governance best practices and in parallel with the creation of a Group Risk Management Committee at the executive level.
The members are appointed by the Board of Directors each year after the annual general meeting of shareholders. The Risk Management Committee must be comprised of at least two members. At least half of the members of the Risk Management Committee must be independent under the New York Stock Exchange standards and the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The Risk Management Committee consists of four members: Mr. Jeannot Krecké, Mr. Antoine Spillmann, Ms. Suzanne P. Nimocks and Mr. Tye Burt. Mr. Sudhir Maheshwari, a member of the GMB who chairs the Group Risk Management Committee, is invited permanently to the meetings of the Risk Management Committee.
The members of the Risk Management Committee may decide to appoint a Chairman by majority vote. Mr. Spillmann currently acts as Chairman.
Decisions and recommendations of the Risk Management Committee are adopted by a simple majority. The Chairman or, in the absence of the Chairman, any other member of the Risk Management Committee, will report to the Board of Directors at each of the
latter’s quarterly meetings or more frequently if circumstances so require. The Risk Management Committee conducts an annual self-evaluation of its own performance and completed its 2013 self-evaluation on February 6, 2014.
The purpose of the Risk Management Committee is to support the Board of Directors in fulfilling its corporate governance and oversight responsibilities by assisting with the monitoring and review of the risk management framework and process of ArcelorMittal. Its main responsibilities and duties are to assist the Board of Directors by making recommendations regarding the following matters:
· The oversight, development and implementation of a risk identification and management process and the review and reporting on the same in a consistent manner throughout the ArcelorMittal group;
· The review of the effectiveness of the Group-wide risk management framework, policies and process at Corporate, Segment and Business Unit levels, and the proposing of improvements, with the aim of ensuring that the Group’s management is supported by an effective risk management system;
· The promotion of constructive and open exchanges on risk identification and management among senior management (through the Group Risk Management Committee), the Board of Directors, the Internal Assurance department, the Legal Department and other relevant departments within the ArcelorMittal group;
· The review of proposals for assessing, defining and reviewing the risk appetite/tolerance level of the group and ensuring that appropriate risk limits/tolerance levels are in place, with the aim of helping to define the Group’s risk management strategy;
· The review of the Group’s internal and external audit plans to ensure that they include a review of the major risks facing the ArcelorMittal group; and
· Making recommendations within the scope of its charter to ArcelorMittal’s senior management and to the Board of Directors about senior management’s proposals concerning risk management.
To further develop the Company’s maturity model with respect to risk management, the Risk Management Committee has taken initiatives to benchmark its current risk oversight activities with best practices implemented in comparable companies. These initiatives should result in the creation of a peer group, bringing together insights of leading practitioners in risk management governance and oversight at the Board of Directors level and will contribute to the further development of our current standards.
The Risk Management Committee held a total of five meetings in 2013. According to its charter, it is required to meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis or more frequently if circumstances so require. The attendance rate in 2013 was 100%.
The charter of the Risk Management Committee is available from ArcelorMittal upon request.
Group Management Board
The GMB is entrusted with the day-to-day management of the Company and the implementation of its strategy. Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal, the Chief Executive Officer, chairs the GMB. The members of the GMB are appointed and dismissed by the Board of Directors. As the GMB is not a corporate body created by Luxembourg law or ArcelorMittal’s Articles of Association, it exercises only the authority granted to it by the Board of Directors.
On December 11, 2013 ArcelorMittal announced its decision to manage the business according to region, while also maintaining the product specialization within those regions. This will enable the businesses to continue to have their own dedicated strategy and focus, while capturing all the synergies within the region. As a result, there was a change on the responsibilities of the members of the GMB, applicable as of January 1, 2014.
In implementing ArcelorMittal’s strategic direction and corporate policies, the Chief Executive Officer is supported by the members of the GMB who have substantial experience in the steel and mining industries worldwide.
The GMB is assisted by a Management Committee comprised of 30 members. The Management Committee discusses and prepares decisions to be made by the GMB on matters of Group-wide importance, integrates the geographical dimension of the ArcelorMittal group, ensures in-depth discussions with ArcelorMittal’s operational and resources leaders and shares information about the situation of the Group and its markets.
Succession management at ArcelorMittal is a systematic and deliberate process for identifying and preparing employees with potential to fill key organizational positions should the current incumbent’s term expire. This process applies to all ArcelorMittal executives up to and including the GMB. Succession management aims to ensure the continued effective performance of the
organization by providing for the availability of experienced and capable employees who are prepared to assume these roles as they become available. For each position, candidates are identified based on performance, potential and an assessment of leadership capabilities and their “years to readiness”. Development needs linked to the succession plans are discussed, after which “Personal Development Plans” are put in place, to accelerate development and prepare candidates. Regular reviews of succession plans are conducted to ensure that they are accurate and up to date. Succession management is a necessary process to reduce risk, create a pipeline of future leaders, ensure smooth business continuity and improve employee motivation. Although ArcelorMittal’s predecessor companies each had certain succession planning processes in place, the process has been reinforced, widened and made more systematic since 2006. The responsibility to review and approve succession plans and contingency plans at the highest level rests with the Board’s ARCG Committee.
Other Corporate Governance Practices
ArcelorMittal is committed to adhere to best practices in terms of corporate governance in its dealings with shareholders and aims to ensure good corporate governance by applying rules on transparency, quality of reporting and the balance of powers. ArcelorMittal continually monitors U.S., EU and Luxembourg legal requirements and best practices in order to make adjustments to its corporate governance controls and procedures when necessary, as evidenced by the new policies adopted by the Board of Directors in 2012.
ArcelorMittal complies with the 10 Principles of Corporate Governance of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange in all respects. However, in respect of Recommendation 1.3 under the Principles, which advocates separating the roles of chairman of the board and the head of the executive management body, the Company has made a different choice. This is permitted, however, as, unlike the 10 Principles themselves with which ArcelorMittal must comply, the Recommendations are subject to a more flexible “comply or explain” standard.
The nomination of the same person to both positions was approved by the shareholders (with the Significant Shareholder abstaining) of Mittal Steel, which was at that time the parent company of the combined ArcelorMittal group. Since that date, the rationale for combining the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors has become even more compelling. The Board of Directors is of the opinion that Mr. Mittal’s strategic vision for the steel industry in general and for ArcelorMittal in particular in his role as CEO is a key asset to the Company, while the fact that he is fully aligned with the interests of the Company’s shareholders means that he is uniquely positioned to lead the Board of Directors in his role as Chairman. The combination of these roles was revisited at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company held in May 2011, when Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal was reelected to the Board of Directors for another three year term by a strong majority.
Ethics and Conflicts of Interest
Ethics and conflicts of interest are governed by ArcelorMittal’s Code of Business Conduct, which establishes the standards for ethical behavior that are to be followed by all employees and directors of ArcelorMittal in the exercise of their duties. Each employee of ArcelorMittal is required to sign and acknowledge the Code of Conduct upon joining the Company. This also applies to the members of the Board of Directors of ArcelorMittal, who in December 2013 signed the Company’s Appointment Letter in which they acknowledged their duties and obligations.
Employees must always act in the best interests of ArcelorMittal and must avoid any situation in which their personal interests conflict, or could conflict, with their obligations to ArcelorMittal. Employees are prohibited from acquiring any financial or other interest in any business or participate in any activity that could deprive ArcelorMittal of the time or the attention needed to devote to the performance of their duties. Any behavior that deviates from the Code of Business Conduct is to be reported to the employee’s supervisor, a member of the management, the head of the legal department or the head of the internal assurance department.
Code of Business Conduct training is offered throughout ArcelorMittal on a regular basis in the form of face-to-face trainings, webinars and online trainings. Employees are periodically trained about the Code of Business Conduct in each location where ArcelorMittal has operations. The Code of Business Conduct is available in the “Corporate Governance—Code of Business Conduct” section of ArcelorMittal’s website at www.arcelormittal.com.
In addition to the Code of Business Conduct, ArcelorMittal has developed a Human Rights Policy and a number of other compliance policies in more specific areas, such as anti-trust, anti-corruption, economic sanctions and insider dealing. In all these areas, specifically targeted groups of employees are required to undergo specialized compliance training. Furthermore, ArcelorMittal’s compliance program also includes a quarterly compliance certification process covering all business segments and entailing reporting to the Audit Committee.
Process for Handling Complaints on Accounting Matters
As part of the procedures of the Board of Directors for handling complaints or concerns about accounting, internal controls and auditing issues, ArcelorMittal’s Anti-Fraud Policy and Code of Business Conduct encourage all employees to bring such issues to the Audit Committee’s attention on a confidential basis. In accordance with ArcelorMittal’s Anti-Fraud and Whistleblower Policy, concerns with regard to possible fraud or irregularities in accounting, auditing or banking matters or bribery within ArcelorMittal or any of its subsidiaries or other controlled entities may also be communicated through the “Corporate Governance—Whistleblower”
section of the ArcelorMittal website at www.arcelormittal.com, where ArcelorMittal’s Anti-Fraud Policy and Code of Business Conduct are also available in each of the main working languages used within the Group. In recent years ArcelorMittal has implemented local whistleblowing facilities, as needed.
During 2013, there were 103 complaints received relating to alleged fraud, which were referred to and duly reviewed by the Company’s Internal Assurance Department. Following review by the Audit Committee, none of these complaints was found to be significant.
Internal Assurance
ArcelorMittal has an Internal Assurance function that, through its Head of Internal Assurance, reports to the Audit Committee. The function is staffed by full-time professional staff located within each of the principal operating subsidiaries and at the corporate level. Recommendations and matters relating to internal control and processes are made by the Internal Assurance function and their implementation is regularly reviewed by the Audit Committee.
Independent Auditors
The appointment and determination of fees of the independent auditors is the direct responsibility of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is further responsible for obtaining, at least once each year, a written statement from the independent auditors that their independence has not been impaired. The Audit Committee has also obtained a confirmation from ArcelorMittal’s principal independent auditors to the effect that none of its former employees are in a position within ArcelorMittal that may impair the principal auditors’ independence.
Measures to Prevent Insider Dealing and Market Manipulation
The Board of Directors of ArcelorMittal has adopted Insider Dealing Regulations (“IDR”), which are updated when necessary and in relation to which training is conducted throughout the group. The IDR’s most recent version is available on ArcelorMittal’s website, www.arcelormittal.com.
The IDR apply to the worldwide operations of ArcelorMittal. The Company Secretary of ArcelorMittal is the IDR compliance officer and answers questions that members of senior management, the Board of Directors, or employees may have about the IDR’s interpretation. The IDR compliance officer maintains a list of insiders as required by the Luxembourg market manipulation (abus de marché) law of May 9, 2006, as amended. The IDR compliance officer may assist senior executives and directors with the filing of notices required by Luxembourg law to be filed with the Luxembourg financial regulator, the CSSF (Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier). Furthermore, the IDR compliance officer has the power to conduct investigations in connection with the application and enforcement of the IDR, in which any employee or member of senior management or of the Board of Directors is required to cooperate.
Selected new employees of ArcelorMittal are required to participate in a training course about the IDR upon joining ArcelorMittal and every three years thereafter. The individuals who must participate in the IDR training include the members of senior management, employees who work in finance, legal, sales, mergers and acquisitions and other areas that the Company may determine from time to time. In addition, ArcelorMittal’s Code of Business Conduct contains a section on “Trading in the Securities of the Company” that emphasizes the prohibition to trade on the basis of inside information. An online interactive training tool based on the IDR was developed in 2010 and deployed across the group in different languages in 2011 through ArcelorMittal’s intranet, with the aim to enhance the staff’s awareness of the risks of sanctions applicable to insider dealing. The importance of the IDR was again underscored in the Group Policies and Procedures Manual in 2013.
D. Employees
ArcelorMittal had approximately 232,000 employees as of December 31, 2013.
The table below sets forth the total number of employees by segment for the past three years.
Segment |
| 2011 |
| 2012 |
| 2013 |
NAFTA |
| 32,391 |
| 31,386 |
| 31,100 |
Brazil |
| 22,044 |
| 20,181 |
| 20,521 |
Europe |
| 109,099 |
| 101,042 |
| 91,571 |
ACIS |
| 58,555 |
| 54,439 |
| 50,774 |
Mining |
| 37,808 |
| 37,374 |
| 36,775 |
Other activities |
| 1,807 |
| 1,697 |
| 1,612 |
Total |
| 261,704 |
| 246,119 |
| 232,353 |
ArcelorMittal employees in various parts of the world are represented by trade unions, and ArcelorMittal is a party to collective bargaining agreements with employee organizations in certain locations. The following description summarizes the status of certain of these agreements and relationships.
The Joint Global Health and Safety Agreement signed between the Company and the IndustriAll union at the European and international level (formerly European and International Metalworkers Federations, respectively) and United Steelworkers Union remained in effect in 2013. This agreement, which is the first of its kind in the steel industry, recognizes the vital role played by trade unions in improving health and safety. It sets out minimum standards for every site the Company operates in order to achieve world-class performance. These standards include the commitment to form joint management/union health and safety committees, as well as training and education programs at the facility level in order to make a meaningful impact on health and safety across the Company. Also included in the agreement is the creation of a joint global health and safety committee consisting of representatives of management and the unions that will target ArcelorMittal steel and mining activities in order to help them to further improve their health and safety performance. In addition a “Courageous Leadership” program is being rolled out that will support the “Journey to Zero”, a scheme aiming to reach the goal of zero accidents and injuries.
Collective labor agreements (“CLAs”) entered into or renewed in 2013 principally include Canada, the United Sates, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, Liberia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Ukraine, Romania, Czech Republic, France, Spain, Germany and Poland. In Mexico, the Company’s close collaboration with the local union led to its entry into a CLA focusing on competitiveness issues, which the Company believes will improve its competitive position in Mexico. The CLA for Liberia that was entered into in 2013, which determined terms and conditions of employment, represents the first such agreement to be concluded and implemented in Liberia since the end of the civil war.
ArcelorMittal USA and the United Steelworkers (the “USW”) agreed to a three-year labor contract with the Company’s unionized employees in the United States, which became effective on September 1, 2012. The Company and the USW will continue their dialogue concerning the competitiveness and sustainability of the Company’s U.S. operations. ArcelorMittal Mines Canada’s six-year CLA concluded during the second quarter of 2011 remains in force. In addition to setting salaries and conditions of employment for the duration of the agreement, provisions relating to health and safety, productivity improvement and flexibility were included. Management expects this agreement to contribute to labor stability during the expansion of ArcelorMittal Mines Canada’s capacity during the coming years.
In 2013, Mining maintained productive relationships with its trade unions through regular dialogue. ArcelorMittal Prijedor in Bosnia and ArcelorMittal Mines Canada received “employer of choice” recognition for consistently maintaining good HR practices. Mining has commenced the roll out of its “Talent Management” strategy, which includes recognition of young talent, people development initiatives, young mining engineer programs and leadership development.
In Ukraine, CLA re-negotiations that commenced in March 2012 advanced substantially, but did not result in an agreement. It is expected that the CLA negotiation process will be re-initiated by ArcelorMittal Kriyviy Rih’s management in 2014 after it concludes new general and branch agreements. In late 2013, certain provisions of the existing CLA were rendered more flexible with regard to changes in the Company’s organizational structure.
South Africa has been experiencing industrial action in most sectors, including in the steel manufacturing industry. ArcelorMittal South Africa's CLA expired in March 2013 and negotiations for its renewal began shortly thereafter. A CLA with a duration of one year was entered into in July 2013 without any industrial action, and negotiations in respect of a new CLA are expected to commence at the end of the first quarter of 2014.
At ArcelorMittal Termirtau, the CLA expired on October 12, 2013. ArcelorMittal Termirtau is currently negotiating its renewal and, specifically, the terms of a system of yearly salary increases. The Company expects to conclude negotiations in February 2014.
In response to weak market conditions in Europe since 2011, ArcelorMittal has announced the temporary idling of some of its installations in several countries in Europe, including Spain, Luxembourg, France and Belgium.
On October 1, 2012, ArcelorMittal Atlantique and Lorraine announced the intention to launch a project to close the liquid phase of the Florange plant in France, and concentrate efforts and investment on the high-quality finishing operation in Florange. At the end of 2013, the Florange plant employed approximately 2,500 people. Since the announcement of the closure of the liquid phase of Florange, and, as agreed by ArcelorMittal in the agreement it reached with the French government on November 30, 2012 (the “2012 Agreement”), there have been no compulsory redundancies. Solutions have been found on a voluntary basis for most of the employees affected by the closure of the liquid phase, mainly through retirement measures, internal mobility and new position integration. As further agreed by ArcelorMittal in the 2012 Agreement, ArcelorMittal has reconfirmed its pledge to invest €180 million in the Florange site in order to provide it with a sustainable future. French President Francois Hollande visited the site on September 26, 2013, heard how ArcelorMittal has met its commitments, and witnessed the hard work carried out by ArcelorMittal to transform Florange into a center of excellence dedicated to the production of high-end steel. The President was also informed that ArcelorMittal
France had hired 300 people in France since the beginning of 2013 and that recruitment was expected to continue in the coming months. As part of his visit to the site, the President was shown Florange’s unique capabilities including the only production line in the world capable of producing extra-wide Usibor® steel for the automotive industry. This unique production line, launched in February 2013, represents a competitive advantage for the site and allows ArcelorMittal to be a market leader in the growing market of lighter, high strength steels for the automotive industry. ArcelorMittal’s objective is to double the Florange site’s output of Usibor® over the next three years. Florange’s proximity to its clients is a key asset to further developing the business. ArcelorMittal considers Florange to be a very good example of how social dialogue can contribute to site transformation.
On October 14, 2011, ArcelorMittal Belgium announced its intention to close the liquid phase of its Liege facilities in Belgium to respond to a structural overcapacity in Flat Products in the Northern European market. Information and consultation procedures were initiated at both the local and European level. In October 2012, the Company confirmed its final decision to close two blast furnaces, a sinter plant, steel shop and continuous casters in Liege, Belgium following the information and consultation process. Nevertheless, due to further weakening of the European economy and the resulting low demand for its products, on January 24, 2013, ArcelorMittal Liege informed its local works council of its intention to permanently close a number of additional assets. Specifically, ArcelorMittal Liege proposed to close (i) the hot strip mill in Chertal, (ii) one of the two cold rolling flows in Tilleur, (iii) galvanization lines 4 and 5 in Flemalle and (iv) electrogalvanizing lines HP3 and 4 in Marchin. The Company also proposed to permanently close the ArcelorMittal Liege coke plant, which is no longer viable due to the excess supply of coke in Europe. ArcelorMittal Liege discussed with trade union representatives all possible means of reducing the impact on employees, including possible reallocation to other sites within ArcelorMittal. On September 30, 2013, an agreement was reached on the industrial plan in respect of the Liege facilities with the Walloon government and employee representative bodies and concluded the so-called “phase 1” of the legal process. The negotiation process was successfully concluded with trade union representatives on December 7, 2013, closing “phase 2” of the Renault law. All the Liege transformative measures proposed by the Company can now be implemented with the full support of the Company’s stakeholders.
The economic situation in southern Europe remains difficult. Economic difficulties continued in the second half of 2013 in both Spain and Italy leading to low demand for steel. As a result, CLA negotiations had to take into account competitiveness measures. All of the Company’s Spanish units were mobilized to improve competitiveness in the domestic and the export markets. ArcelorMittal’s policy in Spain has been always to promote social dialogue. Accordingly, management and unions have consistently worked together to find a solution to regain competitiveness. A competitiveness agreement was signed at the national level on December 17, 2012 by the UGT (Union General de Trabajadores), CCOO (Comisiones Obreras) and USO (Union Sindical Obrera) unions. After the agreement was signed at the national level, negotiations were conducted at the local level to reach formal legal agreement and adapt specific points to local goals and contexts pursuant to the key principles of the national agreement. In addition to the foregoing, the Temporary Layoff Plan (Expediente de Regulación de Empleo Temporal) in force since June 2009 and designed to adapt the available human resources to the levels of activity in the facilities, was extended in December 2013 until the end of 2014. However, there have been some signs of recovery in the Spanish automotive industry.
In Romania, the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) launched on March 25, 2013 and available to employees led to 418 individual applications being approved. A similar program was launched in 2012, which led to 394 departures.
In Luxembourg, after ArcelorMittal’s management unilaterally denounced the CLA for white collar and blue collar workers in 2012, negotiations between ArcelorMittal and the unions to modify the terms of the CLA commenced on January 8, 2013. Due to major disagreements, in late June 2013, the unions called for a conciliation process to be started in August 2013. As a result of this process, ArcelorMittal’s management and the unions reached an agreement on January 16, 2014 renewing the CLA for a period of three years on modified terms. The new agreement includes, among other measures, a freeze of salaries for three years, a review of entrance salaries for future new recruits, a review of the career evolution system, updating of catalogue of bonuses for heavy/dirty work, a monthly productivity bonus based on technical key performance indicators per installation, gradual suppression of some extra rest days to align employees with executives and annual bonus criteria for employees aligned with that of executives.
Given that the EU steel sector has been one of the sectors hardest hit by the economic crisis, EU Commissioners convened a “High-level Roundtable” on the future of the European steel industry with the aim of offering a platform for dialogue between industry, the trade unions and the EU Commission in 2012. The main objective was to identify the factors affecting the competitiveness of the EU steel industry, such as international competition, raw materials access, EU climate policy, energy costs, skills shortages, capacity adaptation, R&D and measures to stimulate recovery in key industry sectors. European Member States where ArcelorMittal is present have all been included in the list of countries participating in the process. ArcelorMittal, as a contributor to the steel action plan, was closely involved, with Company leaders present at the roundtable. Mr. Mittal took the opportunity to meet with EU Commissioner Antonio Tajani to discuss their respective visions of the steel industry. On June 11, 2013 Commissioner Tajani published the steel action plan for Europe based on six key measures, namely: (1) ensuring the right regulatory framework, (2) easing restructuring and addressing skill needs, (3) boosting demand for steel, (4) supporting demand by improving access to foreign markets and ensuring a level playing field at international level, (5) boosting competitiveness with the right energy, climate, resource and energy efficiency policies, and (6) promoting innovation. As part of the process, in which ArcelorMittal is involved, in June 2014 a review will be held to assess how the implementation of the steel action plan has had an impact on the competitiveness of the steel industry.
ArcelorMittal remains committed to strong continuous social dialogue in the face of challenging economic times. The Company has implemented a continuous information process through its European Works Council (“EWC”) for temporary idling initiatives and has continued consultation processes when appropriate in case of structural projects. A permanent and high level social dialogue, and a reactive process based on exchanges of views and discussion in full transparency, underlie ArcelorMittal’s fundamental principles to anticipate and manage change within the Company. In 2013, the EWC continued to demonstrate its ability to tackle the projects, implementation of social measures and time constraints. During the year, each EWC meeting represented an opportunity to review ArcelorMittal’s activities in Europe and to identify and highlight the Company’s key challenges. The Company regularly presented and commented on safety, finance results, market outlooks, quality, industrial, HR topics, recent developments or projects maintaining the proximity with the high management level and employee representative bodies. As an operational, concrete and respected institution, EWC has implemented a high level of social dialogue based on this permanent and continuous information process. Extraordinary meetings were dedicated to the Liège restructuring project in order to conduct the information and consultation process in a timely manner so as, on the one hand, to guarantee the collective expression of employees’ transnational interests in the decision-making process, and on the other hand to guarantee the effective functioning of the Group. In 2013, six EWC Select Committee meetings were held, of which two were extraordinary meetings on the subject of the Liege restructuring project. Additionally, in December 2013 the EWC Statutory Plenary Assembly meeting was convened involving GMB members. In November 2013, 70 EWC members attended an interactive training session sharing the experience of social dialogue practices of one of ArcelorMittal’s worldwide automotive customers, Renault Group. It provided an opportunity to reflect upon the Company’s continuous improvement opportunities.
E. Share Ownership
As of December 31, 2013, the aggregate beneficial share ownership of ArcelorMittal directors and senior management (16 individuals) totaled 1,901,064 ArcelorMittal shares (excluding shares owned by ArcelorMittal’s Significant Shareholder and including options to acquire 1,240,506 ArcelorMittal ordinary shares that are exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2013), representing 0.11% of the total issued share capital of ArcelorMittal. Excluding options to acquire ArcelorMittal ordinary shares, these 16 individuals beneficially own 660,558 ArcelorMittal ordinary shares. Other than the Significant Shareholder, each director and member of senior management beneficially owns less than 1% of ArcelorMittal’s shares. For purposes of this Item 6.E, ordinary shares held directly by Mr. Lakshmi Mittal and his wife, Mrs. Usha Mittal, and options held directly by Mr. Lakshmi Mittal are aggregated with those ordinary shares beneficially owned by the Significant Shareholder.
In 2011, the number of ArcelorMittal RSUs granted to senior management (including the Significant Shareholder) was 82,500; upon vesting of the RSUs, the corresponding treasury shares or new shares will be transferred to the beneficiaries on September 29, 2014. In 2012, the number of ArcelorMittal PSUs granted to directors and senior management (including the Significant Shareholder) was 49,500; upon vesting of the PSUs subject to performance conditions, the corresponding treasury shares or new shares will be transferred to the beneficiaries on March 30, 2015. In 2013, the number of PSUs granted to directors and senior management (including the Significant Shareholder) was 631,077; upon vesting of the PSUs, subject to performance conditions, the corresponding treasury shares or new shares will be transferred to the beneficiaries on June 28, 2016. Neither RSUs nor PSUs were granted to members of the Board of Directors other than to the Chairman in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer.
In accordance with the Luxembourg Stock Exchange’s 10 Principles of Corporate Governance, independent non-executive members of ArcelorMittal’s Board of Directors do not receive share options, RSUs or PSUs.
See “Item 6.B—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Compensation” for a description of options, RSUs and PSUs held by members of ArcelorMittal’s senior management.
The following table summarizes outstanding share options, as of December 31, 2013, granted to the members of the GMB of ArcelorMittal (or its predecessor company Mittal Steel, depending on the year):
|
|
| Options granted in 2005 |
| Options granted in 2006 |
| Options granted in 2007 |
| Options granted in 2008 |
| Options granted in 2009 |
| Options granted in 2010 |
| Options Total |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price of Options |
|
| GMB (Including Chief Executive Officer) |
| 198,504 |
| 222,002 |
| 296,000 |
| 326,000 |
| 328,000 |
| 306,500 |
| 1,677,006 |
|
|
|
| Total |
| 198,504 |
| 222,002 |
| 296,000 |
| 326,000 |
| 328,000 |
| 306,500 |
| 1,677,006 |
| — |
|
| Exercise price1 |
| $27.31 |
| $32.07 |
| $61.09 |
| $78.44 |
| $36.38 |
| $30.66 |
| — |
| $46.23 |
|
| Term (in years) |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 10 |
| — |
| — |
|
| Expiration date |
| Aug. 23, 2015 |
| Sep. 1, 2016 |
| Aug. 2, 2017 |
| Aug. 5, 2018 |
| Aug. 4, 2019 |
| Aug. 3, 2020 |
| — |
| — |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 | Due to the spin-off of Aperam on January 25, 2011, the strike price of outstanding options was reduced by 5% in line with the spin-off ratio. The table above reflects this adjustment. |
|
The following table summarizes outstanding RSUs and PSUs granted to the members of the GMB of ArcelorMittal in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| RSUs granted in 2011 |
| PSUs granted in 2012 |
| PSUs granted in 2013 |
| GMB (Including Chief Executive Officer) |
|
| 72,500 |
| 43,500 |
| 631,077 | |||
| Total |
|
|
|
|
| 72,500 |
| 43,500 |
| 631,077 |
| Term (in years) |
|
|
|
|
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Vesting date1 |
|
|
|
|
| Sep. 29, 2014 |
| Mar. 30, 2015 |
| June 28, 2016 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 | See “Item 6.B—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Compensation –Remuneration Framework—Long-Term Incentives: Equity Based Incentives”, for vesting conditions. |
|
|
In accordance with the Luxembourg Stock Exchange’s 10 Principles of Corporate Governance, independent non-executive members of ArcelorMittal’s Board of Directors do not receive share options, RSUs or PSUs.
Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)
The annual general shareholders’ meeting held on May 11, 2010 adopted an Employee Share Purchase Plan (the “ESPP 2010”) as part of a global employee engagement and participation policy. As with the previous Employee Share Purchase Plans implemented in 2008 and 2009, the ESPP 2010’s goal was to strengthen the link between the Group and its employees and to align the interests of ArcelorMittal employees and shareholders. The main features of the plan, which was implemented in November 2010, were the following:
The ESPP 2010 was offered to 183,560 employees in 21 jurisdictions. ArcelorMittal offered a maximum total number of 2,500,000 shares (0.16% of the current issued shares on a fully diluted basis). A total of 164,171 shares were subscribed, 1,500 of which were subscribed by members of the GMB and the Management Committee of the Company. The subscription price was $34.62 before discounts.
Pursuant to the ESPP 2010, eligible employees could apply to purchase a number of shares not exceeding that number of whole shares equal to the lower of 200 shares and the number of whole shares that may be purchased for $15,000, rounded down to the nearest whole number of shares.
The purchase price was equal to the average of the opening and the closing prices of the ArcelorMittal shares trading on the NYSE on the exchange day immediately preceding the opening of the subscription period, which is referred to as the “reference price”, less a discount equal to:
(a) 15% of the reference price for a purchase order not exceeding the lower of 100 shares and the number of shares (rounded down to the nearest whole number) corresponding to an investment of $7,500 (the first cap); and thereafter,
(b) 10% of the reference price for any additional acquisition of shares up to a number of shares (including those in the first cap) not exceeding the lower of 200 shares and the number of shares (rounded down to the nearest whole number) corresponding to an investment of $15,000 (the second cap).
All shares purchased under the ESPP 2008, 2009 and 2010 are held in custody for the benefit of the employees in global accounts with BNP Paribas Securities Services, except for shares purchased by Canadian and U.S. employees, which are held in custody in one global account with Computershare.
Shares purchased under the plan are subject to a three-year lock-up period as from the settlement date, except for the following early exit events: permanent disability of the employee, termination of the employee’s employment or death of the employee. At the end of this lock-up period, the employees will have a choice either to sell their shares (subject to compliance with ArcelorMittal’s insider dealing regulations) or keep their shares and have them delivered to their personal securities account, or make no election, in which case shares will be automatically sold. Shares may be sold or released within the lock-up period in the case of early exit events. During this period, and subject to the early exit events, dividends paid on shares are held for the employee’s account and accrue interest. Employee shareholders are entitled to any dividends paid by ArcelorMittal after the settlement date and they are entitled to vote their shares.
With respect to the spin-off of ArcelorMittal’s stainless and specialty steels business, an addendum to the charter of the 2008, 2009 and 2010 ESPPs was adopted providing, among other measures, that:
· the spin-off shall be deemed an early exit event for the participants who will be employees of one of the entities that will be exclusively controlled by Aperam, except in certain jurisdictions where termination of employment is not an early exit event; and
· the Aperam shares to be received by ESPP participants will be blocked in line with the lock-up period applicable to the ArcelorMittal shares in relation to which the Aperam shares are allocated based on a ratio of one Aperam share for 20 ArcelorMittal shares.
In connection with ESPP 2010, employees subscribed for a total of 164,171 ArcelorMittal shares (with a ceiling of up to 200 shares per employee) out of a total of 2,500,000 shares available for subscription. The shares subscribed by employees under the ESPP 2010 program were treasury shares. Due to the low participation level in previous years and the complexity and high cost of setting up an ESPP, management decided not to implement another ESPP in 2011, 2012 and 2013.