Exhibit 10.4
Beamr Imaging Ltd.
(hereinafter: “the Company”)
COMPENSATION POLICY
FOR OFFICE HOLDERS
Date of approval of General Meeting: January 5, 2023
Contents
| Item | Subject | Page | ||
| 1 | Definitions | 1 | ||
| 2 | Object of the compensation policy and its implementation | 1 | ||
| 3 | Guiding principles for examining and determining the tenure and employment of Officers | 2 | ||
| 4 | Structure of the compensation package | 4 | ||
| 5 | Fixed compensation | 6 | ||
| 6 | Benefits and related conditions in fixed compensation | 7 | ||
| 7 | Performance dependent compensation (bonus) | 8 | ||
| 8 | Capital compensation | 10 | ||
| 9 | Signing bonus | 12 | ||
| 10 | Conditions for terminating employment | 12 | ||
| 11 | Exemption, indemnity and insurance | 12 |
| 1. | Definitions |
| “The Stock Exchange” | NASDAQ Stock Exchange Ltd.;
| |
| “The Companies Law” | The Companies Law, 5759 – 1999;
| |
| “Officer” | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, everyone fulfilling such a position in the Company even with a different title, and a Director or Manager reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer;
| |
| “Amendment 20” | The Companies Law (Amendment No. 20), 5773-2012;
| |
| “Tenure and Employment” | Tenure and employment of an Officer, including giving exemption, insurance, indemnity undertaking or indemnity according to an indemnity permit, retirement grant, and every benefit, other payment or undertaking for such a payment, given due to such service or employment;
| |
| “Compensation Regulations” | The Companies Regulations (Rules Regarding Compensation and Expenses to an External Director), 5760-2000; |
| 2. | Object of the Compensation Policy and its implementation |
| 2.1 | Pursuant to the provisions of Amendment 20, the Company is required to determine a compensation policy for its present and future serving Officers (hereinafter: “the Policy” or “the Compensation Policy”). The Company’s board of directors (the: “Board”) approved the Policy on meeting dated on March 14, 2021. |
| 2.2 | This document is intended to define and detail the Company’s Policy relating to the compensation of present and future serving Officers. Determining the Policy, its publication and presentation for approval of the General Meeting, in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Law, is intended to increase the level of transparency regarding everything connected with the compensation of the Company’s Officers and improve the ability of the Company’s shareholders to express their opinions and influence the Compensation Policy of Officers serving the Company or any of its subsidiaries. |
-1-
| 2.3 | In addition, the Policy has been adapted to the Company’s targets and its long-term work plan and is intended to assist with the following goals: |
| 2.3.1 | The Company’s ability to retain and recruit senior executives and able people to lead the Company to significant achievements and to cope with the challenges facing it; |
| 2.3.2 | The creation of a work environment with incentives which will encourage, among its Officers, motivation to realize the Company’s targets in both the short and long terms, all in accordance with the Company’s business plan, and all this while taking reasonable risks according to the risks policy decided, from time to time, by the Company’s Board of Directors; |
| 2.3.3 | Creating a suitable balance between the various compensation components when determining the tenure and employment of Officers in the Company. |
| 2.3.4 | Maintaining and strengthening the trust of shareholders and potential investors in the Company. |
| 2.4 | Implementation of the Policy is as from the date of its approval by the General Meeting of the Company’s shareholders, with the required majority in accordance with the Provisions of Section 267a(b) of the Companies Law, until the end of (3) three years from the said date of approval by the General Meeting. The aforesaid does not derogate from the obligation of the Compensation Committee and Board to examine the need to update the Compensation Policy from time to time, in accordance with the Company’s needs. |
| 2.5 | The Compensation Policy will apply to Officers presently serving in the Company and Officers who will serve the Company or any if its subsidiaries in the future. |
| 3. | Guiding principles for examining and determining the terms of tenure and employment of Officers |
| 3.1 | When examining the terms tenure and employment of Officers in the Company, the Compensation Committee and Board will examine their education, abilities, expertise, professional experience and achievements of the Officer or the candidate to be an Officer in the Company, whichever relevant. In addition, the Compensation Committee and Board will examine the knowledge and understanding of the Officer (or the candidate to serve as an Officer in the Company) with the Company and his knowledge and understanding of the market and environment in which it operates. |
| 3.2 | Without derogating from the aforesaid, the following parameters will be examined: |
| 3.2.1 | The position he serves in the Company or the position that he will serve in the Company, the fields of responsibility and extent of his position; |
-2-
| 3.2.2 | The expected contribution of the Officer to promote the Company’s targets and business in the long-term; |
| 3.2.3 | Previous payroll agreements signed with the Officer; |
| 3.2.4 | The mix of compensation taking into account considerations of managing risks in the Company and the Company’s long-term targets; |
| 3.2.5 | The Company’s financial position and results of its operations; |
| 3.2.6 | The relationship between the Officer’s compensation and the average salary and median salaries of the other employees in the Company (including contractor employees employed by the Company, should there be any, as defined in Section 3 of Part A of the First Addendum A of the Companies Law). In order to maintain good working relationships within the Company it is important to maintain reasonable and fair salary differences between the Company’s management level (from the level of Vice President and above) and the other employees in it. However, it is important to compensate and encourage the Company’s management in order to increase the Company’s profits, its success and achieve its business targets. As required by law, the Board examined that the ratio between the service and employment conditions of each one of the officers and the mean and median cost of employing the rest of the Company’s employees. At the time of formulating this policy and its approval, taking into consideration the Company size and staff of employees, the ratio between the employment cost of Officers and the average and median compensation cost in the Company is: at the VP level 1.2 times the average salary cost in the Company; and at the Company’s CEO level 1.4 times the average salary in the Company. |
| 3.3 | The comparison to the average market salary – if necessary, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, a comparison will be made to the average salary in the relevant market for similar roles in similar companies when determining the officers’ compensation, as applicable. For the purpose of the comparison, if made, companies will be selected based on whether it is possible to collect reliable and complete information regarding the officers’ salary, and which meet the maximum possible number of the following criteria: |
| 3.3.1 | Companies which are engaged in the Company’s fields of operations or in fields as similar as possible; |
| 3.3.2 | Companies traded on the Stock Exchange which have a similar market value to that of the Company; |
| 3.3.3 | Companies traded in the same index on the Stock Exchange in which the Company is traded on the date of making the comparison; |
-3-
| 3.3.4 | Companies with similar financial data to the Company’s financial data, such as annual profit/loss, annual gross profits, shareholders’ equity, the level of research and development expenses; |
| 3.3.5 | Companies which employ a similar number of employees to those of the Company. |
Regarding this clause: “Similar” a deviation of 50%, above or below, in all the comparative criteria for the relevant data of the Company will also be taken into account.
| 3.4 | Pursuant to legal easements, an immaterial change in the terms of an officer’s tenure in the Company who is not serving as a director or CEO will be approved by the Company CEO and will not require the Compensation Committee’s approval. For the purposes of this paragraph, “material” means over 5% of the fixed components of the compensation per annum in terms of the employer’s cost. |
| 3.4 | Pursuant to legal easements, an immaterial change in the terms of the CEO will be approved by the Compensation Committee and the Board and will not require the General Meeting. For the purposes of this paragraph, “material” means over 5% of the fixed components of the compensation per annum in terms of the employer’s cost. |
| 3.5 | An officer in the Company can be employed as an employee or alternatively provide the Company with services via a company they own, provided that the total expenses of the Company for the said employment or service provision do not exceed the sum approved by the Company’s Compensation Committee and Board of Directors. |
| 4. | Structure of the compensation package |
| 4.1 | The terms of tenure and employment of an Officer include the following: |
| 4.1.1 | Fixed compensation; | |
| 4.1.2 | Benefits and conditions related to the fixed compensation; | |
| 4.1.3 | Performance dependent compensation (bonus); | |
| 4.1.4 | Capital compensation (compensation through options or other securities of the Company); | |
| 4.15 | Terms of retirement; | |
| 4.16 | Exemption, insurance and indemnity. |
-4-
| 4.2 | The compensation package will be determined and adjusted to the Officer according to the function that he fulfills / will fulfill and will include the following components: |
Position/Group |
Fixed compensation |
Benefits and related terms |
Bonus |
Capital compensation |
Retirement conditions | Exemption, insurance and indemnity |
| Active Chairman of the Board of Directors |
+ |
- |
+ |
+ |
- |
+ |
| Member of the Board of Directors |
+ |
- |
- |
+ |
- |
+ |
| CEO | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| VP or anyone reporting directly to the CEO |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
| 4.3 | To ensure congruence between all the compensation components, the maximum ratio range between the total compensation package components for a given year for Company officers is presented in the following table: |
Grade |
Basic Salary |
Social Benefits and Related Terms1 | Variable Compensation |
Variable Compensation Equity1 |
| Active Chairman of the Board of Directors | 100% | 50% | 35% | 150% |
| Member of the Board of Directors | 100% | 0% | 25% | 150% |
| CEO | 100% | 50% | 50% | 150% |
| VP** | 100% | 50% | 45% | 150% |
| 1 | The rates are in relation to the basic salary. |
-5-
| 5. | Fixed compensation |
| 5.1 | Fixed compensation summary table for officers |
Grade | Maximum Gross Fixed Compensation |
| Active Chairman of the Board * | Up to a maximum of US$ 15,000 per month |
| Member of the Board | Up to the maximum, the maximum fixed amounts are stipulated in the Companies Regulations (Rules Regarding Compensation and Expenses for an External Director), 2000. |
| CEO** | Up to a maximum of US$ 30,000 per month |
| VP** | Up to a maximum of US$ 25,000 per month |
| * | An Active Chairman is the chairman of the Board whose FTE is no less than 20% of a full-time position (100%). The maximum fixed compensation for an active chairman as stated in the table shall not be subject to his actual FTE in the Company. |
| ** | The amounts stipulated are for a full-time position (100%). |
| 5.2 | Active Chairman of the Board of Directors |
An Active Chairman of the Board will be entitled to fixed compensation as specified in paragraph 5.1 above. If necessary, at the Compensation Committee’s discretion, a comparison will be made to the average salary in the relevant market for a similar role in similar companies when determining the compensation for the Chairman of the Board of Directors, as applicable. It should be clarified, however, that the Chairman of the Board will be entitled to different fixed compensation from other Board of Director members serving in the Company only when he is serving as an ‘Active Chairman of the Board of Directors’, i.e. where his areas of responsibility and role are also in ongoing work in the Company, such as meetings with investors, active involvement in the daily life of the Company etc. and all in accordance with an employment / services agreement that the Company signed/will sign therewith.
| 5.3 | Members of the Board of Directors |
| 5.3.1 | Members of the Board will be entitled to fixed compensation in accordance with that set forth in the Compensation Regulations and in accordance with the level of shareholders’ equity of the Company, as defined in the Compensation Regulations (as will be in force from time to time). To avoid doubt, the Company will be entitled to pay higher compensation to an expert director (as defined in the Compensation Regulations). |
| 5.3.2 | It should be mentioned that should a Director in the Company also be an employee in it, or provide services to it, in any position whatsoever, whatever his title, he will not be entitled to compensation for participating in meetings of the Company’s Board of Directors. For the purposes of this paragraph, a director for whom there is doubt regarding whether he is a service provider for the Company or not, he will declare before the Compensation Committee members, as per their request, that he is not a service provider in a personal capacity and also does not provide services via a company that he controls or holds more than 25% of the issued capital. For the purposes of this paragraph “service provider” shall be defined as a provider of services in a personal capacity or via a company (or other corporation) in which the director holds more than 25% of the controlling interest or is a part of the controlling core in that company (or other corporation). |
| 5.3.3 | The Directors who are related or connected to a controlling shareholder in the Company will not be entitled to any compensation whatsoever for serving as directors in the Company. |
| 5.4 | The CEO, VP or anyone reporting directly to the CEO |
| 5.4.1 | For the purpose of this clause “CEO”, “VP” or “a manager reporting directly to the CEO”, jointly will hereinafter be called: “Manager” or “Managers”, whichever relevant. |
| 5.4.2 | The amount of fixed compensation of Managers will be determined, inter alia, in accordance with the provisions of clauses 3.1 and 3.2 above, and it shall not exceed the sum specified in the table in paragraph 5.1 above. |
| 5.4.3 | In addition, if required, at the Compensation Committee’s discretion, a comparison will be made to the average salary, as specified in paragraph 3.2.6 above. |
-6-
| 6. | Benefits and related terms to fixed compensation |
All the benefits and related terms detailed below are the maximum benefits and terms.
Benefit / related terms |
CEO | VP or a manager reporting |
Mobile telephone
| Yes | Yes |
Grossing up the value of mobile telephone
| Yes | Yes |
Vacation days
| 22 | 22 |
Accumulating vacation days
| Yes, for 2 years | Yes, for 2 years |
Vacation allowance days
| As per the law | |
Further study fund (employer 7.5% provision); employee 2.5%)
| Yes | |
| Pensionary insurance in accordance with the law | Yes | |
| Reimbursement of expenses in the role | Yes, against receipts
| Yes, against receipts |
Other (newspapers, internet at home, etc.)
| Internet + newspaper | Internet + newspaper |
| Period of non-competition | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months |
-7-
| 7. | Performance dependent compensation (bonus) |
Granting bonuses to officers and an Active Chairman of the Board is intended to provide officers and the Active Chairman of the Board with incentives to achieve targets and objects which contribute in the long-term to achieve the Company’s business targets and strategic plans, as determined from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors. The Company’s success creates an identity of interests with the officers serving in it, as its success is also their success.
The Company’s Board of Directors, after receiving recommendations from the Compensation Committee may determine, every year, a bonus plan for the Company’s officers and Active Chairman of the Board of directors, which will be based on the annual budget approved by the Board and all as set forth below:
| 7.1 | Every payment to be paid to an officer in accordance with the bonus plan will not be considered as part of the fixed compensation and will not be a basis for calculating entitlement or accumulation of any right/ rights. |
| 7.2 | The bonus plan will be approved specifically for every officer or Active Chairman of the Board of directors, and the Company’s management may decide not include this or that officer or the Active Chairman of the Board in the bonus plan. |
| 7.3 | An officer/ Active Chairman of the Board will be entitled to a bonus provided that he worked in the Company (or for an Active Chairman of the Board that he has served in his role) for a minimum period of 12 months prior to the date of granting the bonus. |
| 7.4 | The maximum bonus for meeting all the targets set forth below will be calculated according to the salary of December of the year for which the bonus is given, when: |
| 7.4.1 | CEO – up to 3 monthly salaries; |
| 7.4.2 | An Active Chairman of the Board– up to 3 monthly salaries; |
| 7.4.3 | Vice President – up to 3 monthly salaries. |
| 7.5 | The bonus plan for officers (excluding CEO and the active chairman of the board of directors) will based on targets which will be determined by the Compensation Committee and Board in advance each year, as detailed below: |
| 7.5.1 | All-inclusive Company target: The bonus is based on an index, i.e.: meeting the Company’s expenses target, raising capital, meeting the development plan, business development, achieving regulatory milestones, launching new products. The all-inclusive Company financial target will include at least one and not more than three of the criteria detailed above. |
The weight given to the all-inclusive Company target will be between 30% - 50% of the total bonus.
-8-
| 7.5.2 | Personal measured targets: These targets will be determined for each officer personally by the CEO (for officers at the level of vice president) and will be based on measurable parameters in the field of the professional responsibility of every officer in the Company. The personal measurable targets will include up to three personal targets. |
The weight given to the all-inclusive Company target will be between 30% - 50% of the total bonus.
| 7.5.3 | Discretion of the Manager: The evaluation of the performance of officers at the level of vice president will be done by the Company’s CEO. The evaluation of performance of every officer, will relate to his contribution to the Company during the year for which the bonus is paid, separately from the financial bonuses and the personal bonuses. |
The weight given to the discretion of the manager will not exceed 20% of the total bonus.
Notwithstanding paragraph 7.5 above, the Compensation Committee and the Company Board may authorize the granting of a grant that shall not exceed the maximum grant as specified in paragraph 7.4.3 above to an officer who is subordinate to the CEO, according to criteria which are not measurable pursuant to the provisions of the First Appendix A of the Companies Law.
| 7.6 | The grants plan for the CEO shall be target-based, to be determined by the Compensation Committee and Board every year, as outlined below: |
| 7.6.1 | All-inclusive company target as specified in paragraph 7.5.1 above. The weight given to the all-inclusive company target will be between 0% - 100% of the grant amount. |
| 7.6.2 | Manager discretion (according to unmeasurable criteria): CEO performance evaluation will be done by the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors. The weight given to manager discretion shall not exceed 3 monthly salaries. |
| 7.7 | The grants plan for an Active Chairman of the Board shall be based on personal targets and measurable company targets, which will be determined by the Compensation Committee and Board in advance every year, and will depend on compliance with the aforementioned targets. The grant will be presented for the approval by a regular majority in a meeting. |
| 7.8 | The Company’s Compensation Committee and Board will determine the weight of each of the criteria in the total Company target and the personal measurable targets (as applicable), at their discretion, and will be entitled to set a minimum threshold for meeting the targets in order to receive the grant. |
| 7.9 | The Company’s Compensation Committee and Board have the full authority to reduce payment of the bonus, or not to pay it at all, if they found that the financial position of the Company will be significantly harmed or it is not able to make such a payment. |
-9-
| 7.10 | One-time bonus |
The Company’s Board of Directors, with the recommendation of the Compensation Committee will be entitled to grant a one-time bonus to an officer for a significant event or events in the Company which are not included in the targets as specified in paragraph 7.5 above. The amount of the one-time bonus will not exceed (3) times the amount of the fixed compensation (monthly). In the event of a change in control in the Company, directors in the Company will be entitled to receive a one-time bonus up to the fixed annual compensation amount of the directors.
| 7.11 | Should it become clear that after payment of the annual bonus or the one-time bonus, whichever relevant, that the calculation of the bonus is carried out based on data in which it became clear were incorrect as a result of an error in good faith and were restated in the Company’s financial statements during a period of three periodic consecutive financial statements after the date of payment of the grant, the officers will reimburse the Company the part of the bonus paid to them, which was based, as mentioned, on incorrect data, and this within six (6) months from the date of publication of the restated financial statements. The amount to be repaid by the officers will be linked to the consumer price index as from the date of publication of the restated statements until the date of actual repayment. |
| 7.12 | The Board may, after approval is received from the Compensation Committee, convert the annual bonus to which an officer is entitled into shares or options, provided that their financial value is the same as the value of the annual bonus. |
| 8. | Capital compensation |
As part of the terms of tenure and employment of officers in the Company, the Company may combine in its compensation package a capital compensation component. A component of this type is an incentive for the officers, by their participation in the profits and economic success of the Company. In addition, this compensation contributes to increasing the officer’s identification with the Company, so that the officer will remain in it and see it as his future. The capital compensation creates a certain inspiration among the officers, who aspire to be part of the Company’s success and receive part of its profits. The capital compensation component also enables the Company to employ skilled people while spreading the salary burden so that it limits the cash flow burden on the Company. The capital compensation component, while reducing the burden of expenses, enables the Company to free investments and take risks, which are defined by the Company’s Board by entering into additional and new projects.
From recognizing the advantages of the capital compensation component as part of the total salary package to officers in the Company, the Company may combine in the compensation package of officers in it with a capital compensation component, all in accordance with the following:
| 8.1 | The options allotted to officers will be allotted in accordance with the Company’s current options plan, or according to an option plan which will be approved by the Company’s Board from time to time, in accordance with, as far as possible the provisions of Section 102 of the Income Tax Ordinance (New Version) 5721-1961, and will not be listed for trading on the Stock Exchange. |
-10-
| 8.2 | The value of the options, on their issue date, according to the Black & Scholes formula or according to the binomial model will not exceed 75% of the total fixed annual compensation of an officer (at the level of VP or CEO). Regarding directors, the value of the options, according to the Black & Scholes formula or according to the binomial model, will not exceed 2 average salaries of officers in the Company, who are not directors. |
| 8.3 | The exercise price of the options will be determined in accordance with the average price of the Company’s share during the period between three (3) to thirty (30) days of trading prior to the date of approval of granting the options by the Board of Directors or such respective average price plus up to 50%, as decided by the Board of Directors. |
| 8.4 | The vesting periods of the options to be granted to the officers will not be less than three years, where the vesting will be a quarterly vesting so that at the end of every quarter, and in the event as stated of a three year vesting period 1/12 of the options allotted to the officers will vest. It is hereby clarified that the vesting period will apply as long as the officer works for the Company. The options’ vesting period will be identical for all officers. |
| 8.5 | In the event that the employee/employer relations will end or the engagement between the officer and Company has ended, the date of expiry of the options that vested will not exceed a period between three months and six months from the date of the end of the employee/employer relations or the end of the engagement, whichever relevant. The Company’s Board of Directors, after receiving the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, will have the discretion whether to extend this period, provided that this extended period will not exceed one year. |
| 8.6 | The Company’s Board will have the discretion whether to accelerate the vesting of the options allotted to officers in the Company, on the occurrence of the following events: |
| 8.6.1 | Acquisition of control in the Company by a third party; |
| 8.6.2 | The merger of the Company, within the meaning of this term in the Companies Law. |
| 8.6.3 | Sale or providing an exclusive license on most of the Company’s intellectual property. |
-11-
| 9. | Signing Bonus |
| 9.1 | The Company may, in circumstances to be approved by the Compensation Committee and the Company Board as exceptional circumstances, offer a signing bonus to a new officer in the Company. |
| 9.2 | The total signing bonus shall not exceed a sum of 3 monthly salaries gross as to be determined for the relevant officer. The Company may determine that the officer will be required to repay all or part of the signing bonus allotted thereto to the Company if the officer does not complete the minimum term of service in the Company. |
| 10. | Conditions for terminating employment |
In the event of dismissal of an officer by the Company (not due to “grounds” as defined in the employment/services agreement signed / which will be signed with the officer) or in the event of resignation of the officer in the Company in circumstances which require severance pay in accordance with the Law, in addition to the severance pay that the Company is obligated to pay to the officer by Law, the Company may, with the approval of the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors, also pay the officer the following payments:
| 10.1 | Prior notice |
| 10.1.1 | The period of prior notice for every officer will be determined by the Compensation Committee and the Company’s Board of Directors, prior to signing the employment agreement with the officer. |
| 10.1.2 | During the prior notice period the officer will be required to continue to fulfill his function unless the Company’s Board decides to release him from that obligation. In such a case the officer will be entitled to continue to receive all the terms of tenure and employment without any change. |
| 10.1.3 | Payment for the prior notice period will not exceed the following: |
| CEO | Up to 3 salaries | |
| Vice President | Up to 3 salaries |
| 10.1.4 | The salary to be paid during the period of prior notice will be calculated according to the last salary (and according to the fixed compensation only, i.e., not including bonuses paid to the officer) but including related social benefits paid to the officer prior to the date of dismissal / resignation, in such a situation that entitles payment of severance pay. |
| 10.3 | The Board may, after receiving confirmation from the Compensation Committee, convert the grants as specified in paragraphs 10.2 and 10.3 into Company shares, provided their financial value is equal to the value of the converted grants. |
| 11. | Exemption, indemnity and insurance |
| 11.1 | Directors and Office Holders will be covered by a directors and officers liability insurance policy that will be maintained by the Company according to applicable law. The terms of such policy shall provide for coverage of up to US$ 5,000,000 (per claim and in the aggregate), provided that the annual premium shall not exceed the higher of US$1,000,000 or 1% of the maximum coverage amount. Such insurance coverage may include Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance with respect to specific events, such as public offerings, or with respect to periods to time following which the then existing insurance coverage ceases to apply, such as, by way of example only, “run-off” coverage following a termination of service or employment or in other circumstances. |
| 11.2 | The Company may provide release and indemnification letters to the directors and Office Holders according to the version approved from time to time by the authorized bodies of the Company. |
-12-