In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the Shareholders’ Agreement entered into by us and the Principal Shareholders on May 13, 2019 provide that, notwithstanding anything provided in the provisions relating to the Five Director Nominees: (a) at any time when Highworld Investments Limited’s ownership percentage is equal to or greater than 7%, Highworld Investments Limited will always have the right to nominate, appoint, remove and substitute one director, who will be the chairman of the board, and (b) at any time when ELQ Investors VIII Limited’s ownership percentage is equal to or greater than 7%, ELQ Investors VIII Limited will always have the right to nominate, appoint, remove and substitute one director.
Each of Highworld Investments Limited and ELQ Investors VIII Limited has a right to appoint up to two board observers. Observers have the express right to receive all information provided to the board and to share it with the relevant appointing shareholder, subject to duties of confidentiality. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, each of Highworld Investments Limited and ELQ Investors VIII Limited’s right to appoint an observer will terminate upon its ownership falling below 7%.
The continuing directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy, but, if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as the necessary quorum for a board meeting, the continuing directors may act for the purpose of increasing the number of directors to that number, or of summoning a general meeting but for no other purpose.
Our board of directors shall have power at any time to appoint any person to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing directors, but the total number of directors shall not at any time exceed the number fixed in accordance with the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Any director so appointed shall hold office only until the next following annual general meeting, and shall then be eligible forre-election.
So long as Highworld Investments Limited’s shareholding remaining above 7%, Highworld Investments Limited will have a right to elect the chairman of the board of directors, who will not have atie-breaking vote.
Removal of Directors
Under Cyprus law, notwithstanding any provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, a director may be removed by an ordinary resolution of the general shareholders’ meeting, which must be convened with at least 28 days’ notice. Subject to special rights granted to the Principal Shareholders to appoint directors, the Company may, by ordinary resolution, of which special notice has been given in accordance with section 136 of the Cyprus Companies Law, remove any director before the expiration of his period of office notwithstanding anything in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or in any agreement between the Company and such director. Such removal shall be without prejudice to any claim such director may have for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company. The office of any of the directors shall be vacated or shall be precluded from being elected if the relevant person becomes, among other things, (a) bankrupt or makes any arrangements or composition with his or her creditors generally, or (b) permanently incapable or performing his or her duties due to mental or physical illness or due to his or her death.
Highworld Investments Limited and ELQ Investors VIII Limited have a right to remove and replace their respective nominated directors at any time.
Powers of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors has been granted authority to manage our business affairs and may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not, by law or by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, required to be exercised by the Company in a general meeting.
Proceedings of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors may meet, adjourn, and otherwise regulate its meetings as it thinks fit, and questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority of votes present at the meeting. Any director may, and the secretary at the request of a director shall, at any time, summon a meeting of the board. It shall be necessary to give at least a 96 hour notice of a meeting of the board to each director. A meeting may be held by telephone or other means whereby all persons present may at the same time hear and be heard by everybody else present, and persons who participate in this way shall be considered present at the meeting. In such case, the meeting shall be deemed to be held where the secretary of the meeting is located.