Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A)
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
----------------------------------
SCHEDULE 14A
__________________________________
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant |
☒ |
|
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant |
☐ |
Check the appropriate box:
☐ |
Preliminary Proxy Statement |
|
☐ |
Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
|
☒ |
Definitive Proxy Statement |
|
☐ |
Definitive Additional Materials |
|
☐ |
Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12 |
(
----------------------------------------------------------------
(
Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):
☒ |
No fee required. |
|
☐ |
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
|
☐ |
Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
Dear Shareholders:
Please join us for the
Attached to this letter is a Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and a Proxy Statement, which describes the business to be conducted at the meeting. At this year's meeting, you will be asked to:
1. Elect eight members of the Board of Directors to serve until the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders;
2. Ratify the appointment of
3. Vote on an advisory resolution to approve the compensation of our named executive officers; and
4. Consider such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.
Your vote is important. Whether you own a few shares or many, and whether or not you plan to attend the in-person Annual Meeting, you are encouraged to vote by proxy in advance of the meeting. You may vote your shares by proxy on the Internet, by telephone, or by completing a paper proxy card and returning it by mail.
Thank you for your continued support of
Sincerely,
/s/ |
||
|
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
The Board of Directors (the "Board") of
Date and Time |
|
|||||
Place |
215 Broadway N |
|||||
Record Date |
You may vote at the 2025 Annual Meeting if you were a shareholder of record at the close of business on |
This notice of Annual Meeting (the "Notice") and the accompanying proxy statement (the "Proxy Statement") are being distributed or made available, as the case may be, on or about
Proposals |
Board Vote |
|||
1. |
Election of Eight Director Nominees Named in the Proxy Statement. |
FOReach director nominee |
||
2. |
Ratification of Appointment of |
FOR |
||
3. |
Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers. |
FOR |
Voting Methods
If you are a shareholder of record, to ensure your shares are voted, you may vote your shares by proxy on the Internet, by telephone, or by completing a paper proxy card and returning it by mail. Internet and telephone voting procedures are described in the "General Information About the Meeting" section of this Proxy Statement and on the proxy card.
Internet |
Visit www.investorvote.com/NODK(have your Notice or proxy card in hand when you access the website). |
|
Telephone |
Call toll-free 1-800-652-8683(have your Notice or proxy card in hand when you call). |
|
|
Vote by mail, if you received (or requested and received) a printed copy of the proxy materials, by returning the enclosed proxy card (signed and dated) in the envelope provided. |
|
In person |
You may attend the 2025 Annual Meeting in person. Proof of identification is required. |
If your shares are held in "street name," meaning that they are held for your account by a broker, bank, or other nominee, you will receive instructions from the holder of record that you must follow for your shares to be voted.
i
Copies of Proxy Materials
Copies of this Proxy Statement and the form of proxy card, and the Annual Report on Form 10-Kfor the year ended
Internet |
Visit www.investorvote.com/NODK. Click "Cast Your Vote or Request Materials." Follow the instructions to log in and order a copy of the current meeting materials and submit your preference for email or paper delivery of future meeting materials. |
|
Telephone |
Call us free of charge at 1-866-641-4276and follow the instructions to log in and order a paper copy of the materials by mail for the current meeting. You can also submit a preference to receive a paper copy for future meetings. |
|
|
Send an email to investorvote@computershare.com with " |
If you have previously elected to receive our proxy materials electronically, you will continue to receive access to those materials via e-mailunless you elect otherwise. To facilitate timely delivery, all requests for a paper copy of the proxy materials must be received by
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page |
||
i |
||
iii |
||
1 |
||
Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
5 |
|
7 |
||
Proposal 3: Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers |
9 |
|
10 |
||
10 |
||
11 |
||
11 |
||
11 |
||
11 |
||
11 |
||
12 |
||
12 |
||
12 |
||
12 |
||
12 |
||
16 |
||
16 |
||
17 |
||
17 |
||
17 |
||
17 |
||
18 |
||
19 |
||
20 |
||
22 |
||
23 |
||
23 |
||
24 |
||
25 |
||
26 |
||
27 |
||
32 |
||
35 |
||
36 |
||
36 |
||
38 |
||
39 |
||
40 |
||
41 |
||
42 |
||
43 |
||
44 |
||
45 |
||
45 |
iii
Page |
||
49 |
||
50 |
||
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT |
51 |
|
53 |
||
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS AND DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS FOR 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS |
60 |
|
61 |
||
61 |
iv
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
We have eight directors nominated for election to serve until the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "2026 Annual Meeting") or until their respective successors have been elected and qualified.
The following biographies summarize the director nominees' tenure on the NI Holdings Board, history with the Company, business experience, other board positions held, and the experience and skills that led the Board to conclude that they should serve as directors.
Prior to the conversion of the mutual insurance company to a stock company and the creation of the mutual holding company,
A graduate of
We believe that
Prior to joining
We believe that
1
Prior to the conversion of the mutual insurance company to a stock company and the creation of the mutual holding company,
We believe that
Prior to the conversion of the mutual insurance company to a stock company and the creation of the mutual holding company,
We believe that
2
We believe that
We believe that
We believe that
3
We believe that
Our Board recommends a voteFOReach of the director nominees listed herein.
Approval of Proposal 1 requires "FOR"votes from the holders of a plurality of the votes cast. If a choice is specified on the proxy card by a shareholder, the shares will be voted as specified. If no contrary indication is made, proxies are to be voted "FOR" all nominees, or, in the event that any such individual is not a candidate or is unable to serve as a director at the time of the election (which is not currently expected), for any nominee who is designated by our Board to fill the vacancy. Withhold votes and broker non-voteshave no legal effect on the outcome.
Pursuant to our Bylaws, any nominee for director in an uncontested election who receives a greater number of votes "withheld" or "against" from his or her election than votes "for" his or her election shall immediately offer to tender his or her resignation following certification of such shareholder vote.
4
Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Our Board recommends a voteFORthis proposal 2.
The Audit Committee has appointed
As a public company, the Company's consolidated financial statements are required to be audited by an independent public accounting firm that is registered with the
Rationale for Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms
In making its selection of
Communication.
Staffing and Depth of Talent.
Adequate Technical Resources. The accounting for the insurance industry is unique and
5
Independence. The independent registered public accountant is required to be independent within the standards of various regulatory authorities.
Familiarity. The familiarity of an independent registered public accountant with an audit client can provide for efficiencies for both the independent registered public accounting firm and the Company. In addition to having a favorable impact on the level of fees, this familiarity can help to alleviate the level of disruption to Company staff caused by the audit. The Company has recently experienced a changing organizational structure, has taken on several business initiatives that stretch Company resources while providing opportunities to enhance shareholder value, and has made executive changes at the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer positions. Changing independent registered public accounting firms would compound the disruption caused by these internal changes.
Quality Control Reviews. Independent registered public accounting firms that perform audits of public companies are subject to oversight and inspection by the PCAOB. Certain results of the PCAOB inspections are made public and the Company will review these results with the independent registered public accountant. The last inspection for
Fees. The Company has experienced reasonable levels of fee increases over the past several years, despite the pressures on the public accounting firms with respect to talent shortages and the related increase in starting salaries. Management and the Audit Committee feel comfortable that fees are reasonable.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms' Fees
The following table presents fees for professional services rendered by
Fee Category |
2024 |
2023 |
||
Audit Fees(1) |
1,080,999 |
1,017,165 |
||
Audit-Related Fees(2) |
54,180 |
26,500 |
||
Tax Fees(3) |
- |
- |
||
All Other Fees(4) |
- |
- |
||
Total Fees |
1,135,179 |
1,043,665 |
____________
(1) Audit Fees consist of fees and out-of-pocketexpenses for professional services performed by
(2) Audit-RelatedFees may consist of fees and out-of-pocketexpenses billed by an independent registered public accounting firm for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements. The 2024 amounts include work performed by
6
(3) Tax Fees may consist of fees for professional services, including tax consulting and compliance performed by an independent registered public accounting firm. There were no such fees incurred in 2024 or 2023.
(4) All Other Fees: There were no such fees incurred in 2024 or 2023.
The Audit Committee has considered the services listed above to be compatible with maintaining the independence of our independent registered public accounting firm.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
Consistent with the requirements of the
All of the services performed by
Our Board believes that it is in the best interests of our Company to approve the ratification of the appointment of
Approval of Proposal 2 requires "FOR"votes from the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares present at the 2025 Annual Meeting or represented by proxy thereat and entitled to vote on the proposal. Broker non-voteswill not be considered entitled to vote on this proposal, and therefore will not affect the outcome of Proposal 2, but abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The primary purpose of the Audit Committee is to oversee the Company's financial reporting processes on behalf of the Company's Board. The Company's management has the primary responsibility for the preparation of its consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for assessing the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. The Audit Committee's functions are more fully described in its charter, which is available on our website at www.niholdingsinc.com.
In the performance of its oversight function, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the Company's audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended
7
In reliance on the review and discussions referenced above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board, and the Board approved, that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-Kfor the year ended
Audit Committee: |
||||
|
|
|||
|
|
The foregoing report of the Audit Committee does not constitute soliciting material and will not be deemed filed, incorporated by reference into or a part of any other filing by the Company (including any future filings) under the Exchange Act, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates such report by reference therein.
8
Proposal 3: Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers
Our Board recommends a voteFORthis proposal 3.
Our philosophy is to maintain executive compensation policies and procedures consistent with our sound governance standards. The Compensation Committee evaluates our executive compensation program on a regular basis to ensure consistency with our short-termand long-termgoals, given the changing nature of our business and the market in which we compete for executive talent.
Our executive compensation program is intended to encourage and reward performance that is consistent with top-tierinsurance organizations. As such, the compensation program for Named Executive Officers ("NEOs") includes both short-term(defined as annual) and long-term(generally defined as three to five years) incentive programs that reward our NEOs for achievement of pre-establishedobjectives. The compensation program is also designed to foster retention of key executives and enhance the alignment of executives' interest with those of shareholders. Our compensation philosophy is to attract, retain, and motivate our NEOs and other senior leadership throughout the organization. The "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" section of this Proxy Statement provides an overview of our executive compensation philosophy, the overall objectives of our executive compensation program, and each component of the program.
In accordance with the rules and regulations of the
The say-on-payvote is advisory, and therefore not binding to us. The say-on-payvote will, however, provide information to us regarding shareholder sentiment about our executive compensation philosophy, policies, and practices, which the Compensation Committee will be able to consider when determining executive compensation for the remainder of the current year and beyond. Our Board believes that our executive compensation program is designed appropriately and is working to ensure management's interests are aligned with our shareholders' interests to support long-termvalue creation. Accordingly, our Board recommends a vote "FOR"the following advisory resolution:
"RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company's NEOs, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables, and narrative discussion is hereby APPROVED."
Approval of Proposal 3 requires "FOR"votes from the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares present at the 2025 Annual Meeting or represented by proxy thereat and entitled to vote on the proposal. Broker non-voteswill not be considered entitled to vote on this proposal and therefore will not affect the outcome of Proposal 3, but abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.
9
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Board of
Our Board has adopted and is responsible for overseeing compliance with the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that applies to all of our employees, officers, and directors, and our Board or an appropriate committee thereof must approve any waivers of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for employees, executive officers, or directors. The Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, any amendments, and any waivers of its requirements, are available on our website at www.niholdingsinc.com.
Board of Directors and its Committees
The current composition of the Board and its standing committees is presented below. All directors except for
|
Age at |
Director |
Audit |
Compensation |
Investment |
Nominating & |
Independent? |
|||||||
|
66 |
1997 |
Member |
Member |
- |
Member |
Yes |
|||||||
|
46 |
2024 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
No |
|||||||
|
77 |
2003 |
- |
Member |
Member |
Chair |
Yes |
|||||||
|
81 |
2003 |
Member |
- |
Chair |
- |
Yes |
|||||||
|
53 |
2019 |
Member, Financial Expert |
Chair |
- |
- |
Yes |
|||||||
|
69 |
2016 |
Chair, Financial Expert |
Member |
- |
- |
Yes |
|||||||
|
76 |
2023 |
- |
- |
Member |
Member |
Yes |
|||||||
|
54 |
2016 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
No |
|||||||
|
65 |
2025 |
Member, Financial Expert |
- |
- |
- |
Yes |
____________
(1) Indicates the year first elected or appointed as a director of
(2) In
While
10
Role of the Board and Management
The Company's business is conducted by its executive officers and other employees, under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer and the oversight of the Board, to enhance the long-termvalue of the Company for its shareholders. The members of the Board are elected by the shareholders to oversee management and to ensure that the long-terminterests of the Company and the shareholders are being served. Each director is expected to perform as a director in good faith, with the care an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances, and in a manner the director reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the Company. Both the Board and management recognize that the long-terminterests of the Company and its shareholders are advanced by responsibly addressing the concerns of other interested parties, including employees, prospective employees, customers, agents, vendors, government representatives, the communities in which the Company operates, and the public at large.
Director Independence
The Nasdaq Listing Rules require a majority of a listed company's Board of Directors to be comprised of independent directors. In addition, the Nasdaq Listing Rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company's Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and
In order to determine which of our directors are independent, we have elected to utilize the standards for independence established under the Nasdaq listing standards.
Under these criteria, all directors except
Board Leadership Structure
Under our current circumstances, our Board currently believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders to have a person other than our Chief Executive Officer serve as Chair of our Board. We believe that separating these roles currently provides the appropriate balance between strategy development, flow of information between management and the Board, and oversight of management. We also believe that this structure provides guidance for our Board, while also positioning our Chief Executive Officer as the leader of the Company in the eyes of our customers, employees, and other stakeholders. The Board has the discretion to modify this approach as circumstances change.
Executive Sessions of Non-Employee Directors
The quarterly Board meetings and committee meetings are attended by members of the Board and the respective committees, as well as selected officers and employees of the Company. To encourage and enhance communication among non-employeedirectors, and as required under applicable Nasdaq rules, our corporate governance guidelines provide that the non-employee, independent directors will meet in executive sessions without management directors or company management on a quarterly basis.
Board Access to Management
Non-employeedirectors have full and free access to any officer, manager, or employee of the Company in person, by email, or by telephone.
11
Shareholders seeking to communicate with our Board must submit their written comments to our Corporate Secretary,
Board Access to
The Board and its committees have the authority any time to retain outside accounting, financial, compensation, recruiting, legal, or other advisors, and the Company will provide appropriate funding, as determined by the Board or any committee, to compensate such independent outside advisors, as well as to cover the ordinary administrative expenses incurred by the Board and its committees in carrying out its duties.
Compensation of the Board
The Compensation Committee has the responsibility for reviewing and approving compensation and benefits for non-employeedirectors. In discharging this responsibility, the committee considers the performance of the Company, shareholder returns, alignment of director interests with long term shareholder interests, the amount of time and work required of directors, the compensation paid to directors at other comparable companies, and the maintenance of director independence as well as the appearance of director independence. The committee monitors the possibility of any indirect forms of compensation to directors, including significant charitable contributions to organizations with which a director might be affiliated or by which a director might be compensated.
Annual Evaluations
The Board annually considers conducting an evaluation to determine if it and its committees are functioning effectively. Likewise, each board committee annually considers conducting a self-evaluationto determine if it is functioning effectively.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Although we would qualify as a "controlled company" under the Nasdaq Listing Rules because
Our Board may establish other ad hoc committees to facilitate the management of our business. In 2024, our Board established a CEO Search Committee to coordinate the search for a new Chief Executive Officer following the departure of
12
Standing Committees
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing management's conduct over internal control and financial reporting, the engagement of independent accountants, and the Company's internal audit and risk management functions. In addition, the Audit Committee:
a) is responsible for the selection, retention, oversight, and termination of our independent registered public accounting firm;
b) approves the non-auditservices provided by our independent registered public accounting firm;
c) reviews the results and scope of the audit and other services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm;
d) approves the cost of the annual audits;
e) establishes procedures to facilitate the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received from third parties regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters;
f) establishes procedures to facilitate the receipt, retention, and treatment of confidential, anonymous submissions of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters by Company employees;
g) reviews and approves all related party transactions raising potential conflicts of interest;
h) reviews with management and our independent registered public accounting firm the quarterly and annual consolidated financial statements which are filed with the
i) reviews with management and our independent auditor the annual audits of our statutory-basisfinancial statements and benefit plans, which are subject to standards of the
j) reviews with management and our independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy of our system of internal control over financial reporting, including its effectiveness at achieving compliance with any applicable laws or regulations;
k) reviews with management and our independent registered public accounting firm the significant recommendations made by our independent registered public accounting firm with respect to changes in accounting procedures and internal control over financial reporting;
l) evaluates the need for an internal audit function within the Company;
m) reviews with management and our independent registered public accounting firm the Company's risk exposures, and assesses the policies and processes which management has implemented to monitor and control such exposures as part of the Enterprise Risk Management process; and
n) reports to the Board on the results of its reviews and makes such recommendations as it may deem appropriate.
The Audit Committee is currently chaired by
13
affiliated person of
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee is responsible for discharging the Board's responsibilities relating to compensation of the Company's directors and executive officers. In addition, the Compensation Committee:
a) establishes and reviews the overall compensation philosophy of the Company;
b) reviews and recommends corporate goals and objectives relevant to NEO compensation, including annual performance objectives;
c) reviews, evaluates, and recommends the compensation and benefit plans and policies
d) reviews, evaluates, and recommends the compensation for our directors;
e) recommends grants of stock options and restricted stock awards to employees, executive officers, and directors under our approved Stock and Incentive Plan; and
f) reports to the Board on the results of its reviews and makes such recommendations regarding these matters.
All of the directors on the Compensation Committee are independent under the criteria established under the Nasdaq listing standards. As noted below, during 2024 Ms. Launer served as Interim Chief Executive Officer. During such time,
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation - While
Investment Committee
The Investment Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in monitoring the Company's investments and reinsurance programs. In addition, the Investment Committee:
a) reviews with senior management the reinsurance structure of the Company;
b) reviews and approves the investment policy for the Company and approves quarterly and annual investment activity specifically for the holding company; and
c) with the assistance of senior management, hires and/or terminates investment advisors.
All of the directors on the Investment Committee are independent as defined under the Nasdaq listing standards.
14
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
a) develops and recommends a set of corporate governance principles applicable to the Company;
b) produces a Code of Ethics and submits it for Board approval, and periodically reviews the Code of Ethics for necessary revisions;
c) oversees the periodic evaluation of the Board and its committees;
d) identifies suitable candidates for Board membership, and in such capacity considers any nominees recommended by shareholders;
e) proposes to the Board a slate of directors for election by the shareholders at each annual meeting of shareholders; and
f) proposes candidates to fill vacancies on the Board based on qualifications it determines to be appropriate.
All of the directors on the
Ad Hoc Committees
CEO Search Committee
The Board established an ad hoc CEO Search Committee during 2024, whose purpose was to:
a) lead an executive search process for the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Company;
b) review and make recommendations to the
c) otherwise take such steps deemed appropriate to identify potential candidates to serve as Chief Executive Officer; and
d) exercise such other powers and authority as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by resolution by the Board.
This ad hoc committee was chaired by
Strategic Planning Committee
The Board established an ad hoc Strategic Planning Committee during 2024, whose purpose was to:
a) assist with planning and facilitating a formal long-termstrategic planning process in conjunction with the Company's Board, executive officers, and other third parties as deemed necessary; and
b) exercise such other powers and authority as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by resolution by the Board.
This ad hoc committee is chaired by
15
Board and Committee Meetings and Attendance
Our Board is responsible for the oversight of our Company's management and strategy and for establishing corporate policies. Our Board and its committees typically meet quarterly and also hold special meetings and act by written consent from time to time.
The Board typically meets quarterly, with additional meetings as necessary, to review and discuss the performance of the Company, the Company's plans and initiatives, and any immediate issues facing the Company. Directors are expected to attend all Board meetings and committee meetings to which they belong, with only occasional absences.
In addition to its general oversight of management, the Board also performs a number of specific functions, including:
a) selecting, evaluating, and compensating the Chief Executive Officer and overseeing succession planning for the Chief Executive Officer;
b) providing counsel and oversight on the selection, evaluation, development, and compensation of executive officers;
c) reviewing, monitoring, providing counsel, and, where appropriate, approving fundamental financial and business strategies and major corporate actions;
d) assessing major risks facing the Company and reviewing options for their mitigation; and
e) ensuring processes are in place for maintaining the integrity of the Company through (i) its financial statements, (ii) compliance with law and ethics, (iii) relationships with customers, vendors, and agents, and (iv) relationships with other interested parties.
During 2024, our Board met 19 times, the Audit Committee met ten times, the Compensation Committee met seven times, the Investment Committee met four times, the
Our Board has a policy of encouraging director attendance at our annual meeting of shareholders, but attendance is not mandatory. The 2024 Annual Meeting was attended by all eight directors serving at the time.
Risk Oversight
One of the key functions of our Board is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our Audit Committee has the primary responsibility to monitor and assess strategic risk exposures and oversee the Company's Enterprise Risk Management activities and provide regular reports to the Board. The Audit Committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including adopting guidelines and policies to govethe process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. Management provides quarterly updates on Enterprise Risk Management to the Audit Committee, including information on Information Technology security, audits, and cyber analytics. For further details on cybersecurity oversight, please see Item 1C. Cybersecurity in the Company's Form 10K for the fiscal year ended
Our
16
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our Board and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of our common stock, to file with the
|
Date of Earliest Transaction |
Date Filed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Insider Trading Policy
We are committed to promoting high standards of ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. As part of this commitment, we have adopted an Insider Trading Policy governing transactions in our securities by our directors, employees, contractors, consultants, and other personnel providing services to us, that we believe is reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and Nasdaq listing standards. While the Company has not adopted a formal policy governing insider trading restrictions on the Company itself, as a matter of practice the Company observes the same procedures and restrictions, including the potential existence of material non-publicinformation, with respect to transactions by the Company in its securities, including repurchases of common stock.
Environmental, Social, and Governance
We are committed to addressing the environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") issues facing today's society, and pursue various initiatives around these matters. These initiatives include evaluating investment recommendations using ESG considerations, promoting health and safety issues with our employees, adopting additional work-at-homeoptions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, upgrading our offices and business practices to reduce our environmental impacts, and continuing our commitments to community involvement and educational organizations through employee volunteerism and corporate sponsorships.
Nominations to the Board of Directors
Our
17
If any member of our Board does not wish to continue in service or if our Board decides not to re-nominatea member for re-election, the
We have not received director candidate recommendations from our shareholders. We do, however, have a formal policy regarding consideration of such recommendations. In making its selection of director nominees, the
Under our Bylaws, shareholders wishing to suggest a candidate for director must write to our Corporate Secretary. In order to give the
Director Qualifications
a) understand our business and relevant industries in general;
b) regularly attend meetings of our Board and of any committees on which the director serves;
c) review in a timely fashion and understand materials circulated to our Board regarding us or our industry;
d) participate in meetings and decision-makingprocesses in an objective and constructive manner; and
e) be reasonably available, upon request, to advise our officers and management.
18
In evaluating director nominees, the
a) the background and qualifications of the candidate, including information concerning the candidate required to be disclosed in our proxy statement under the rules of the
b) if the candidate satisfies certain minimum qualifications and other criteria that we have set for membership on our Board;
c) if the candidate possesses any of the specific qualities or skills that under the nominating and corporate governance policies must be possessed by one or more members of our Board;
d) the contributions that the candidate can be expected to make to the overall functioning of our Board;
e) the extent to which the membership of the candidate on our Board will promote diversity among the directors; and
f) other factors such as independence under applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules, and relationships with our shareholders, competitors, customers, suppliers, or other parties with a relationship to the Company.
Director Biographies
Biographical information for each nominee standing for re-electionis included in Proposal 1 - Election of Directors. As stated earlier,
19
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
Members of our Board who are not employees or officers of our Company receive compensation for their services. The Compensation Committee reviews the total compensation of our non-employeedirectors annually. At the direction of the Compensation Committee,
The following table sets forth cash and other compensation earned by the non-employeemembers of the
|
Fees Earned or |
Stock |
All Other |
Total |
||||
|
107,000 |
52,020 |
- |
159,020 |
||||
|
99,000 |
52,020 |
- |
151,020 |
||||
|
84,000 |
52,020 |
- |
136,020 |
||||
|
53,085 |
52,020 |
355,043 |
460,148 |
||||
|
88,000 |
52,020 |
- |
140,020 |
||||
|
84,000 |
52,020 |
- |
136,020 |
||||
|
60,000 |
52,020 |
- |
112,020 |
____________
(1) As of
(2)
Narrative to the Director Compensation Table
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash
The Company provides an annual retainer of
Additional amounts, similar in structure to the arrangements described above, were paid to directors serving on ad hoc committees (CEO
20
Restricted Stock Unit Awards
In addition to cash compensation, the Company provides that each non-employeedirector will receive an annual award of restricted stock units ("RSUs"), with a targeted dollar value of
The Company has adopted a Deferred Compensation Plan under which a select group of executives and non-employeedirectors may elect to defer receipt of shares payable for RSUs granted under the Company's long-termincentive program. An eligible person may make a deferral election under the Deferred Compensation Plan no later than the last day of the plan year prior to the plan year in which such awards are granted.
During 2024, each non-employeedirector listed in the Director Compensation Table received 3,400 RSUs with a grant-datefair value of
21
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Executive Biographies
The following is biographical information for our current executive officers as of the date of this Proxy Statement.
|
Age at |
Position(s) |
||
|
46 |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
||
|
38 |
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer |
Our Board chooses our executive officers, who then serve at our Board's discretion. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Before joining
22
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
The compensation provided to our NEOs for fiscal year 2024 is set forth in detail in the "Executive Compensation Tables" section of this Proxy Statement. The following discussion provides an overview of our executive compensation philosophy, the overall objectives of our executive compensation program, and each component of compensation that we provided to our NEOs and other senior leadership for 2024. The following are our NEOs for fiscal year 2024:
•
•
•
•
•
Effective
Effective
Compensation Philosophy
The compensation programs established by the
23
In order to achieve the above, the Compensation Committee is tasked with establishing a compensation program that will provide us with the best opportunity to achieve the objectives we have set forth above. The Compensation Committee uses a combination of base salary, short-termbonus, and long-termequity-basedincentives to achieve the objectives set forth in the compensation philosophy. The Compensation Committee also monitors the Company's benefits packages to ensure the competitiveness of these programs in the marketplace.
Our program has adopted the following practices, among others:
What We Do: |
What We Do Not Do: |
|
• Pay For Performance - We align the interests of our executives and shareholders through the use of performance-basedannual cash incentive compensation, and service and performance-basedlong-termequity incentive compensation. |
• No Guaranteed Salary Increases & Bonus Payments - We do not provide for automatic salary increases, nor do we provide for guaranteed bonus payments. |
|
• Double-TriggerChange in Control - A "change in control" by itself is not sufficient to trigger payments; it must also be accompanied by a qualifying termination. |
• No Excise Tax Gross Ups - We do not provide for excise tax gross-uppayments in the event of a change in control. |
|
• Annual Risk Assessment - We conduct an annual comprehensive risk analysis of our executive compensation program with our independent compensation consultant to ensure that our program does not encourage inappropriate risk-taking. We also annually review a calculation of the shareholder value transfer and "burate" resulting from equity grants to ensure they are not excessive. |
• Anti-Pledging & Anti-HedgingPolicies - We maintain robust anti-pledgingand anti-hedgingpolicies, as well as an insider trading policy, that prohibits any short sale activities by our executives and directors. |
|
• Compensation Benchmarking - We compare our executives' target total compensation to a peer group of similar insurance companies for market comparable data. We evaluate that peer group annually to ensure that it remains appropriate. |
• Executive Benefits / Perquisites - We do not maintain any defined benefit or supplemental retirement plan for our NEOs that are not available to all employees. We do not provide excessive perquisites, or tax gross-uppayments on perquisites for NEOs. |
|
• Independent Compensation Consultant - We engage an independent compensation consultant to review and provide recommendations regarding our executive compensation program. |
• No Repricing without Shareholder Approval - Our long-termequity incentive plan prohibits repricing or buyouts of underwater options or stock appreciation rights without shareholder approval. |
|
• Clawback Policy - We maintain a clawback policy with respect to performance-basedcompensation for our executives. |
Primary Elements of Compensation
The Compensation Committee annually approves a balanced program that provides base salary, short-termincentives, and long-termincentives and is generally competitive with that of other publicly-tradedinsurance companies of similar size. In performing its responsibilities, the Compensation Committee has engaged Meridian to provide benchmark data.
24
The following provides additional insights to each of the components of the compensation program:
Component |
Description |
Primary Objectives |
||
Base Salary |
Fixed cash compensation |
• Attract, motivate, retain, and reward high-performingexecutives • Provide competitive fixed compensation considering the job responsibilities, individual performance, experience, expertise, and qualifications |
||
Short-Term Incentive Plan ("STIP") |
Cash compensation tied mainly to achievement of pre-determinedquantitative financial performance goals |
• Promote short-termbusiness objectives and growth |
||
Stock-Based Incentive Plan |
Annual equity awards consisting of: • 50% time-basedrestricted stock units ("RSUs") that vest annually over a three-yearperiod • 50% performance-basedshare units ("PSUs") that vest at the conclusion of a three-yearperformance period based on adjusted retuon equity goals |
• Promote long-termvalue creation and growth strategies • Align executives' and shareholders' interests by encouraging maximization of shareholder value • Promote retention through a regular, periodic program of equity awards, which motivates performance and encourages long-termstock ownership |
With respect to the compensation of the NEOs, the Compensation Committee reviews a range of benchmark data including targeted compensation and establishes target pay opportunities for its NEOs based on a variety of factors including individual performance, experience, company performance, and market-competitivepay levels. We believe that the design of our compensation program for NEOs provides an appropriate balance of fixed compensation and at-riskcompensation. In this regard, the Company's target compensation for its Chief Executive Officer (other than the Interim Chief Executive Officer) is structured with an appropriate equal weighting of base salary, short-termbonus, and long-termincentives.
Compensation Process
The Compensation Committee, with analyses and advice from Meridian, considers current compensation levels and benchmarking data for executives in similar roles at peer companies, individual and Company performance, future leadership potential, and succession planning, among other factors, in determining appropriate target compensation levels for our NEOs. The Compensation Committee does not use a formula to weigh these factors, but instead uses these factors to provide context within which to assess the significance of comparative market data and to differentiate the level of target compensation among our NEOs.
Consistent with our executive compensation philosophy, the Compensation Committee, in consultation with Meridian, establishes a benchmarking peer group for compensation comparison purposes.
The Compensation Committee reviews, at least annually, the compensation peer group to confirm that it includes companies that are comparable to the Company on the basis of industry focus, scope of operations, size (based on revenues, assets, and/or market capitalization), and the competitive marketplace for talent. We use this data solely for informational purposes, and we do not make pay decisions based on the market data alone.
25
In
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
The Compensation Committee recognizes that certain companies in this group are larger than the Company, in some cases significantly so; nevertheless, they view this peer group as appropriate in light of the importance it ascribes to providing competitive compensation opportunities that are sufficient to attract and retain the talented executives needed to lead the Company.
Roles and Responsibilities in the Compensation Process
The Company's compensation philosophy drives our decision-makingprocess. Decisions about individual levels of each compensation element involve the participation of multiple parties, following a comprehensive, multi-stepprocess. The key parties and their roles in the process are described below.
Role of the Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee is appointed by our Board to assist it in fulfilling its oversight responsibility by overseeing all significant aspects of our compensation policies and programs, including:
• reviewing and approving the compensation and annual performance objectives and goals of our executive officers;
• reviewing, approving, and administering incentive-basedand equity-basedcompensation plans in which our executive officers participate;
• evaluating risks created by our compensation policies and practices and consider any reasonably likely effect of such risks; and
• reviewing and recommending to our Board new executive compensation programs.
Role of Management
During the first quarter of 2024,
Role of the Compensation Consultant
During 2024, the Compensation Committee engaged Meridian as its independent compensation consultant to advise them on executive compensation and related corporate governance matters. Meridian assisted the Compensation Committee in determining the compensation peer group, which is described in more detail above.
26
Meridian also advised the Compensation Committee on competitive compensation practices and comparative market data, which the Compensation Committee considered in addressing and determining the appropriate levels of compensation for each NEO relative to the marketplace. At the Compensation Committee's request, Meridian participated in person, or by teleconference or video conference at each meeting of the Compensation Committee. The services that Meridian provided to the Compensation Committee included:
• advising on the Company's compensation philosophy, strategy, and program;
• providing advice and counsel on best practices in compensation and corporate governance;
• providing and analyzing competitive market compensation data and making recommendations, as appropriate; and
• analyzing the appropriateness of the compensation peer group.
Independence of the Compensation Consultant
Meridian did not provide other consulting services to the Company in 2024. In selecting Meridian as its compensation consultant, the Compensation Committee considered the independence of Meridian in accordance with the standards of the Nasdaq that are applicable to the Company, any applicable rules and regulations of the
At the Compensation Committee's request, members of Meridian meet with the Compensation Committee. Meridian also communicates with the Chair of the Compensation Committee, as well as with management (upon the prior authorization of the Compensation Committee Chair) outside of Compensation Committee meetings regarding matters related to the Compensation Committee's responsibilities.
Compensation Elements
Base Salary
Base salary is the fixed element of an executive officer's annual cash compensation and is intended to attract and retain highly qualified executives and to compensate for expected day-to-dayperformance. The Compensation Committee reviews the base salary for each of our executive officers on an annual basis and considers the following factors in making its determinations:
• the executive officer's position;
• responsibilities associated with that position;
• experience, expertise, knowledge, and qualifications;
• market factors;
• the industry in which we operate and compete;
• recruitment and retention considerations;
• the executive officer's individual compensation history;
• internal equity among salary levels of the members of our executive team and similarly situated/comparable executives in our peer group; and
• our overall compensation philosophy.
27
For 2024, the Compensation Committee reviewed and made recommendations on base salaries of our NEOs, and the Board approved the Compensation Committee's recommendations in
Named Executive Officer |
2023 |
2024 |
% Change |
||||||
|
$ |
375,000 |
$ |
700,000 |
86.7 |
% |
|||
|
- |
$ |
1,200,000 |
- |
|||||
|
- |
$ |
320,000 |
- |
|||||
|
$ |
824,000 |
$ |
860,000 |
4.4 |
% |
|||
|
$ |
307,000 |
$ |
325,000 |
5.9 |
% |
____________
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Short-Term (Cash) Incentive Plan
Our executives are eligible for annual cash incentive compensation under our STIP. Annual incentives under the STIP are intended to motivate participating executive officers to achieve short-termcompany performance goals that will benefit our Company and shareholders and align those executive officers' interests with those of the shareholders. The annual cash incentives provide payout opportunities based on the achievement of pre-determinedcorporate performance objectives as well as individual performance objectives, with actual cash bonuses earned based on the achievement of such financial performance objectives each year.
Each year, the Compensation Committee determines the annual target bonus opportunity for each participating executive officer. Our annual cash incentive compensation is generally structured to deliver payouts when performance targets are achieved or exceeded. Threshold, target, and stretch goals are set annually for key statutory operating objectives which we believe align with shareholder value creation - combined ratio and premium growth. In
At the end of the performance period to which a particular incentive award relates, the Compensation Committee will review our performance relative to the applicable performance goals and recommend payouts based on that performance. The Compensation Committee generally retains the ability to recommend payouts that are above or below actual performance levels for the applicable performance period. For the purpose of determining the amount of a payout to recommend, it may also consider infrequent or non-recurringitems that are not reflective of ongoing operations.
The table below sets forth the goals established for each of the performance metrics in the STIP, and the Company's actual statutory results for 2024.
Financial Performance Metric(1) |
Weighting |
Threshold |
Target |
Stretch |
Actual |
Payout |
||||||
Combined ratio(2) |
40.0% |
99.9% |
96.0% |
92.0% |
89.4% |
Stretch |
||||||
Direct written premium growth(3) |
40.0% |
4.0% |
8.0% |
12.0% |
8.8% |
Above Target |
||||||
Individual/Departmental goals(4) |
20.0% |
Target |
____________
(1) The Company's STIP is on a statutory basis for its insurance operations and excludes the holding company.
28
(2) Combined ratio is defined on a statutory basis as losses and loss adjustment expenses divided by net earned premiums, plus underwriting expenses divided by net written premiums, of the insurance operations, excluding discontinued operations from the sale of
(3) Direct written premium growth is defined as the growth in top-linepremiums across all insurance subsidiary companies. All segments are included except multi-perilcrop insurance and discontinued operations from the sale of
(4) Individual discretionary performance-relatedgoals were determined for each NEO.
For fiscal year 2024, the Committee recommended, and the Board approved, an adjustment that was accretive to the combined ratio and direct written premium growth metrics. This adjustment resulted in a 2024 combined ratio of 89.4%, compared to an unadjusted result of 98.5%, and a 2024 directed written premium growth result of 8.8%, compared to an unadjusted result of 3.4%. This adjustment related to the exclusion of the non-standardauto segment due to extraordinary actions taken by the Company to improve the future results of this segment.
For fiscal year 2024, the Committee recommended, and the Board approved, a target payout for Messrs. Daggett and Maki as it relates to their individual goals. This recommendation was based on performance throughout 2024.
Under the STIP, participating executive officers can eaa target percentage of their base salary for each of the performance objectives. Messrs. Alexander and Duncan did not eaa payout under the 2024 STIP due to their termination from the Company without Cause.
Named Executive Officer |
Threshold |
Target |
Maximum |
Actual Total |
||||
|
50% |
100% |
150% |
n/a |
||||
|
30% |
60% |
120% |
96.5% |
||||
|
25% |
50% |
100% |
n/a |
||||
|
20% |
40% |
80% |
64.3% |
Stock-Based Incentive Plan
Long-termequity incentives are designed to motivate management to enable the Company to achieve sustained long-termperformance aligned with shareholder interests. The Company provides grants of long-termequity compensation annually, consistent with the objectives and philosophy of our compensation programs, under the governing
We generally grant long-termincentive awards to participating executive officers annually in the first quarter. In 2024, 50% of the long-termincentive opportunity was granted in RSUs and 50% granted in PSUs. The aggregate number of shares awarded to executive officers under the 2020 Plan was 159,600 shares in 2024 (with PSUs at target).
The RSU awards vest one-thirdannually on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date. Dividend equivalents on RSUs are accrued during the vesting period and paid in cash at the end of the vesting period but are subject to forfeiture until the underlying shares become vested. Participants do not have voting rights with respect to RSUs.
The PSU awards vest based on a three-yearaverage of adjusted retuon equity goals over the performance period (2024 to 2026). The awards will vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to a participant's continuous employment through the vesting date and the level of performance achieved. Dividend equivalents on PSUs are accrued and paid in cash at the end of the performance period in accordance with the level of performance achieved but are subject to forfeiture until the underlying shares become vested. Participants do not have voting rights with respect to PSUs.
29
The table below sets forth the adjusted retuon equity goals established for the PSUs awarded during 2024.
Performance Share Units(1) |
Threshold |
Target |
Stretch |
|||
2024 Actual adjusted retuon equity(2) |
4.0% |
7.0% |
10.0% |
|||
2025 Actual adjusted retuon equity(2) |
4.5% |
7.5% |
10.5% |
|||
2026 Actual adjusted retuon equity(2) |
5.0% |
8.0% |
11.0% |
____________
(1) The Company's performance share units under the long-termincentive plan vest based on achievement of a three-yearaverage of adjusted retuon equity goals.
(2) Adjusted retuon equity is defined as GAAP basis net income with adjustments for stock compensation expense, unrealized gains and losses from the equity investment portfolio, and non-recurringitems not directly related to the operating performance of the Company, divided by GAAP basis shareholders' equity with adjustments for the unrealized gain/loss balances related to the equity and fixed income investment portfolios.
The performance period for the 2022 PSU awards ended on
Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("ESOP")
We have established the
In connection with our initial public offering,
Each employee of
Perquisites and Other Generally Available Benefits and Compensation
We provide medical, dental, basic life insurance, short-termdisability coverage, and paid time off, all on the same basis as other employees. The Company provides a 401(k) profit-sharingplan and an ESOP for eligible employees. The value of matching 401(k) contributions, which can be as high as 3% depending on the amount contributed by the employee, as well as the value of the profit-sharingcontributions and ESOP allocations, is included in the Summary Compensation Table. We do not offer a pension or retirement plan for any employees. We provide executive wellness benefits, premiums paid for life insurance coverage, and country club dues to certain executives. We also provide a company car for our Chief Executive Officer. The value of these perquisites is also included in the Summary Compensation Table. The Compensation Committee considers these limited perquisites to be appropriate as part of a competitive overall compensation program.
Employment Agreements
Each of
30
The Compensation Committee enters into employment agreements with executive officers when it determines that such an agreement is desirable to obtain some measure of assurance as to the executive's continued employment in light of prevailing market competition for the position held by the executive officer, or where the Compensation Committee determines that an employment agreement is necessary and appropriate in light of the executive's prior experience or with our practices with respect to similarly situated employees.
Under the employment agreements with Messrs. Daggett and Maki, if such officer is terminated without "Cause" or terminates his employment for "Good Reason" (as such terms are defined in the employment agreement), he will be entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to (a) the sum of his annual base salary plus the target annual short-termincentive bonus for the year in which he terminates multiplied by (b) the quotient obtained by dividing the number of full calendar months remaining in his employment period by twelve. In addition, he will be entitled to continued benefit plan coverage for the remaining term of his employment agreement to the extent permitted by the plan or applicable law.
Prior to receiving any severance benefits, Messrs. Daggett and Maki must execute a release of claims.
Potential Payments upon Termination or Change-in-Control
Cash severance payments and the value of continuing benefits arise from employment agreements between the NEO and the Company. Messrs. Daggett and Maki are party to employment agreements with
The terms of the RSU and PSU agreements include provisions to accelerate the vesting of these equity awards. The terms of the RSU award agreement provide for the full acceleration of all outstanding awards in the event of disability or death. In the event of an employee's involuntary termination due to position elimination or reorganization, the vesting of the RSUs will accelerate on a pro rata basis, based on the employee's period of service during the total vesting period. In the event of a change in control, unless the RSU award is substituted, assumed, or replaced with similar rights, the RSU award will vest in full upon the change in control. If the RSU award is substituted, assumed, or replaced with similar rights in connection with a change in control, the RSU award will fully vest if the employee is involuntarily terminated other than for "Cause" or voluntarily terminates for "Good Reason" within twenty-four(24) months of the change in control. The terms also provide for the pro rata acceleration of all outstanding awards in the event of an involuntary termination without "Cause."
The terms of the PSU award agreement provide for the target number of PSUs to vest immediately in the event of death. In the event of disability, retirement, or an involuntary termination due to position elimination or reorganization, the employee will have a fully vested interest in the pro rata number of earned PSUs, based on the employee's period of service during the performance period, payable at the end of the performance period. In the case of a change in control, those PSUs are converted into time-basedRSUs. If such converted RSUs are assumed (or substituted or replaced with an award of equivalent value), then the converted RSUs shall become fully vested if the employee remains in continuous service with the Company or an affiliate until the end of the performance period or dies while in service or terminates on account of disability or involuntary termination due to position elimination or reorganization. If the employee resigns at or after "Retirement Age," the converted RSUs shall continue to vest and become payable as of end of the performance period. In addition, if the employee is involuntarily terminated without "Cause" or resigns for "Good Reason" within twenty-four(24) months following the change in control but prior to the end of the performance period, any converted RSUs (or replacement award) that remain unvested will vest in full and become non-forfeitableas of the date of such termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the employee's converted RSUs are neither assumed, substituted, nor replaced with similar rights (or cash equivalent value thereof), then any unvested converted RSUs will vest in full and become non-forfeitableupon the change in control. The terms also provide for a fully vested and non-forfeitableinterest in the pro rata number of earned PSUs at the end of the performance period in the event of disability or an involuntary termination without "Cause," with such pro rata number determined based on the number of full and partial calendar months of the employee's service during the relevant measurement period compared to the total measurement period.
31
For retirement-eligibleexecutives, the terms of the PSU award provide for a fully vested and non-forfeitableinterest in the pro rata number of earned PSUs at the end of the performance period upon termination due to retirement from the Company. None of the NEOs are currently retirement-eligible.
Refer to the "Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control" table in the Executive Compensation Tables section for additional information.
Governance
Stock Ownership Guidelines
The Company has adopted Stock Ownership Guidelines and holding requirements for its non-employeedirectors and certain senior executives. The current Stock Ownership Guidelines are as follows:
Position |
Minimum Stock Ownership Requirement |
|
Non-employee director |
Market value of 3 times annual base cash retainer |
|
Chief executive officer |
Market value of 3 times current base salary |
|
Other executive officers |
Market value of 2 times current base salary |
Individuals have five years from their permanent appointment to a specified position to acquire the required holdings. Absent extenuating circumstances, executives who have not yet met the guidelines at the end of their five-yearcompliance period are required to retain, until the guidelines are satisfied, 100% of the after-taxshares received from the vesting of RSUs and PSUs. Stock ownership guidelines are deemed to continue to be met by an individual who has achieved the required ownership level but then falls below solely due to a decline in stock price. The Compensation Committee tracks the ownership amounts of the non-employeedirectors and applicable executives on an annual basis.
Clawback Policy
The Company's employment agreements provide that all bonuses and incentive compensation are subject to recovery by the Company in the event that such bonuses or incentive compensation are based on materially inaccurate financial statements or other materially inaccurate performance metric criteria, provided that a determination as to the recovery of a bonus or incentive compensation shall be made within twenty-four(24) months following the date of payment.
The Company's PSU award agreement provides that the executive's rights in these awards are subject to recoupment or repayment if such action is required under applicable law or any Company recoupment or "clawback" policy.
Effective
Timing of Equity Grants
In 2024, we did not grant any stock options, stock appreciation rights, or similar awards under the 2020 Plan and we do not currently plan to grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, or other similar appreciation-basedawards as incentive compensation to any executive officer, non-employeedirector, or employee. Accordingly, we do not have a policy or practice in relation to the timing or the determination of the terms of a grant of options or other awards in relation to the disclosure of material non-publicinformation. The Company does not coordinate the timing of equity awards with the release of material non-publicinformation. Executive equity awards are generally granted on
32
Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging Transactions
Our senior leadership executives are subject to the Company's Insider Trading Policy, described above under the heading "Corporate Governance - Insider Trading Policy," which prohibits directors, executive officers, and certain additional employees from engaging in hedging or monetizing transactions with respect to Company securities they own as well as holding Company securities in a margin account or pledging Company securities as collateral for a loan.
Tax and Accounting Implications
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code disallows a tax deduction to publicly held companies for compensation paid to certain covered executives to the extent such compensation exceeds
The compensation that we pay to executive officers is reflected in our consolidated financial statements as required by GAAP. The Compensation Committee considers the financial impact, along with other factors, in determining the amount and form of compensation provided to executives. We account for stock-basedcompensation under the Company's 2020 Plan in accordance with the requirements of
Annual Compensation Risk Assessment
The Compensation Committee regularly monitors and annually reviews our executive compensation program to determine, in consultation with Meridian, whether the elements of the program are consistent with our executive compensation objectives and philosophy. As part of this, the Compensation Committee evaluates whether the Company's risk management objectives are being met with respect to the executive compensation program and our compensation programs as a whole. If the elements of the program are determined to be inconsistent with our objectives and principles, or if any incentives are determined to encourage risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company, the elements are adjusted as necessary.
Following the Compensation Committee's annual review in 2024, it was concluded that there are no risks arising from our compensation policies and practices that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. In reaching this conclusion, the Compensation Committee considered the following:
Program Attribute |
Risk-Mitigating Effect |
|
• The compensation mix between fixed and variable components and levels, and the balance between short-termand long-termvariable compensation. |
• Competitive levels of fixed compensation eliminate any day-to-daypersonal concerns, while variable compensation ensures our executives are appropriately motivated and rewarded both in the short-termand long-term. |
|
• The quality and reasonableness of incentive plan performance goals and payout formulas. |
• Threshold, target, and maximum performance and payout levels and funding formulas are not extreme, and goals are set within reach, thereby mitigating the likelihood of excessive risk-takingin order to achieve a compensation goal. |
33
Program Attribute |
Risk-Mitigating Effect |
|
• The nature and breadth of the performance metrics that goveincentive compensation throughout the Company. |
• Executives are encouraged to avoid sacrificing short-termperformance for long-termperformance, and vice versa. |
|
• The existence of a clawback policy. |
• Executives are subjected to a requirement to surrender any undue incentive compensation that was paid on the basis of financial results that were required to be restated (other than as a result of a change in the applicable accounting rules or interpretations) or when there is wrongful conduct. |
|
• The existence of anti-pledgingand anti-hedgingpolicies. |
• These policies ensure the alignment of interests generated by our executives' equity holdings is not undermined by hedging or similar transactions. |
|
• The existence of robust share ownership guidelines. |
• Share ownership guidelines provide a clear link between the economic interests of executives and shareholders over the long-term. |
|
• Use of independent compensation consultants that perform no other services for the Company. |
• Independence of compensation consultants help to ensure advice will not be influenced by conflicts of interest. |
34
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on such review and discussion, the Compensation Committee has recommended to our Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.
Respectfully submitted,
Compensation Committee: |
||||
|
|
|||
|
|
35
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES
Summary Compensation Table
The following Summary Compensation Table ("SCT") provides summary information concerning compensation paid or accrued by the Company to our NEOs for all services in all capacities during each of the three years in the period ended
|
Year |
Salary |
Bonus(1) |
Stock |
Non-Equity |
All Other |
Total |
|||||||
|
2024 |
528,500 |
- |
868,428 |
- |
3,973,224 |
5,370,152 |
|||||||
Former President and CEO |
2023 |
824,000 |
- |
840,695 |
526,673 |
206,521 |
2,397,889 |
|||||||
2022 |
824,000 |
- |
827,170 |
412,000 |
205,285 |
2,268,455 |
||||||||
|
2024 |
432,083 |
100,000 |
555,004 |
416,874 |
122,067 |
1,626,028 |
|||||||
President and CEO |
2023 |
358,750 |
- |
252,070 |
125,413 |
100,597 |
836,830 |
|||||||
2022 |
303,750 |
- |
228,060 |
101,240 |
100,013 |
733,063 |
||||||||
|
2024 |
283,938 |
- |
144,738 |
- |
907,187 |
1,335,863 |
|||||||
Former Senior Vice President, Operations |
2023 |
304,000 |
- |
135,730 |
106,273 |
77,530 |
623,533 |
|||||||
2022 |
292,500 |
- |
128,510 |
97,490 |
67,625 |
586,125 |
||||||||
|
2024 |
355,730 |
- |
- |
- |
105,105 |
460,148 |
|||||||
Former Interim President and CEO |
||||||||||||||
|
2024 |
321,466 |
- |
134,190 |
206,767 |
75,194 |
737,617 |
|||||||
Chief Financial Officer |
____________
(1) The amount reported in the "Bonus" column for
(2) The amounts reported in the "Stock Awards" column represent awards of RSUs and PSUs. These amounts are based on the probable outcome of the performance conditions and are consistent with the grant date fair values of each award computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 using the closing price of our common stock on the grant date. Estimated forfeitures are included in the determination of compensation costs.
The value of the awards in the "Stock Awards" column granted in 2024 (representing both RSUs and PSUs), assuming achievement of the maximum performance level of 200%, would have been:
(3) The amounts reported in the "Non-EquityIncentive Plan Compensation" column reflect payouts under the Company's STIP. The Compensation Discussion & Analysis includes additional information regarding these incentive awards.
(4) Unvested awards for Messrs. Alexander and Duncan were forfeited upon their termination from the Company without Cause.
(5)
36
(6) The table below details the amounts reported in the "All Other Compensation" column, which includes Company contributions to defined contribution plans and certain other amounts during 2024:
|
Defined |
Employee |
Non-Qualified |
Severance(d) |
Director |
Perquisites |
Total All |
|||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
3,892,076 |
- |
81,148 |
3,973,224 |
|||||||
|
44,850 |
11,618 |
49,514 |
- |
- |
16,085 |
122,067 |
|||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
873,259 |
- |
33,928 |
907,187 |
|||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
105,105 |
- |
105,105 |
|||||||
|
44,850 |
11,618 |
18,240 |
- |
- |
486 |
75,194 |
____________
(a) The amounts reported in the "Defined Contribution Plans" column include Company contributions to the
(b) The amounts reported in the "Employee Stock Ownership Plan" column represent the market value of ESOP shares allocated to participants as of
(c) The amounts reported in the "Non-QualifiedDeferred Compensation" column represent additional company contributions to a non-qualifieddeferred compensation plan to restore amounts that would have been contributed to the 401(k) Plan absent
(d) The amounts reported in the "Severance" column are in accordance with the employment agreements for Messrs. Alexander and Duncan.
(e) The amount reported in the "Director Fees" column represents
(f) The amounts reported in the "Perquisites and Other Amounts" column include executive wellness benefits, premiums paid for excess life insurance coverage, and country club dues. The amount for
Narrative to the Summary Compensation Table
NEOs are entitled to participate in insurance, paid time off, and other fringe benefit programs that the Company maintains for its other employees. The Company provides a 401(k) profit-sharingplan, an ESOP, group medical insurance, group dental insurance, and group term life insurance to its eligible employees. The Company pays the country club membership dues of Messrs. Alexander, Daggett, and Duncan.
Messrs. Daggett and Maki are each party to an employment agreement with
Messrs. Alexander and Duncan were each a party to employment agreements with
The Compensation Committee enters into employment agreements with executive officers when it determines that such an agreement is desirable to obtain some measure of assurance as to the executive's continued employment in light of prevailing market competition for the position held by the executive officer, or where the Compensation Committee determines that an employment agreement is necessary and appropriate in light of the executive's prior experience or with our practices with respect to similarly situated employees.
Under the employment agreement with Messrs. Daggett and Maki, if the officer is terminated without "Cause" or terminates his employment for "Good Reason" (as such terms are defined in the employment agreement), the officer will be entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to (a) the sum of his annual base salary plus the target annual short-termincentive bonus for the year in which he terminates multiplied by (b) the quotient obtained by
37
dividing the number of full calendar months remaining in such officer's employment period by twelve. In addition, the officer will be entitled to continued benefit plan coverage for the remaining term of his employment agreement to the extent permitted by the plan or applicable law.
Prior to receiving any severance benefits, the officer must execute a release of claims.
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2024
The following table provides information on stock awards in 2024 to each of our NEOs.
|
Grant |
Estimated Future Payouts Under |
Estimated Future Payouts Under |
All Other |
Grant Date |
|||||||||||||
Threshold |
Target |
Maximum |
Threshold |
Target |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||
|
- |
425,500 |
851,000 |
1,702,000 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
15,300 |
30,600 |
61,200 |
- |
434,214 |
||||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
30,600 |
434,214 |
||||||||||
|
- |
129,625 |
259,250 |
518,500 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
5,550 |
11,100 |
22,200 |
- |
157,509 |
||||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
11,100 |
157,509 |
||||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
14,869 |
239,986 |
||||||||||
|
- |
80,125 |
160,250 |
320,500 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
2,550 |
5,100 |
10,200 |
- |
72,369 |
||||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
5,100 |
72,369 |
||||||||||
|
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3,400 |
52,020 |
|||||||||
|
- |
62,293 |
124,586 |
249,173 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
2,100 |
4,200 |
8,400 |
- |
59,598 |
||||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4,200 |
59,598 |
||||||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
929 |
14,994 |
____________
(1) Represents the Company's Short-TermIncentive Plan, as described in the "Cash Incentive Bonus Plan" section. The values in the "Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-EquityIncentive Plan Awards" columns represent threshold, target, and maximum award opportunities, based upon the achievement of the targets listed within the Compensation Discussion and Analysis. Payouts can range from no payment to the maximum amounts based on actual Company performance. The actual incentive award earned by each participating NEO for 2024 performance is reported in the "Non-EquityIncentive Plan Compensation" column in the Summary Compensation Table. This incentive is paid in cash to the NEO.
(2) The values in the "Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards" columns represent potential payouts for performance share units, as described in the "Stock-BasedIncentive Plan" section. Payouts can range from no payment to 200% maximum payout based on actual adjusted retuon equity compared to goals.
(3) The values in the "All Other Stock Awards" column represent RSUs.
(4) The fair value of stock awards is based on the closing price of our common stock on the grant date. The grant date fair value of each RSU award was computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 using the closing price of our common stock on the grant date. The grant date fair value of each PSU award was computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 using the closing price of our common stock on the grant date and based on achievement of target performance.
(5)
(6) Messrs. Alexander and Duncan left the Company prior to the end of the 2024 fiscal year. Any unvested awards were forfeited upon their termination without Cause. For additional details regarding payments made to Messrs. Alexander and Duncan in connection with the termination of their employments, see the discussion under the heading "Executive Compensation - NEO Terminations During the Year."
38
Stock Vested in 2024
The following table provides information regarding the values realized by our NEOs upon the vesting of stock awards in 2024.
|
Type of Stock |
Number of |
Value Realized |
|||
|
RSU(2)(3) |
20,020 |
286,922 |
|||
PSU(4) |
- |
- |
||||
Total |
20,020 |
286,922 |
||||
|
RSU(2) |
3,720 |
52,787 |
|||
PSU(4) |
- |
- |
||||
Total |
3,720 |
52,787 |
||||
|
RSU(2)(3) |
3,200 |
45,408 |
|||
PSU(4) |
- |
- |
||||
Total |
3,200 |
45,408 |
||||
|
RSU(2)(3)(5) |
3,800 |
58,140 |
|||
|
RSU(2) |
1,380 |
19,582 |
|||
PSU(4) |
- |
- |
||||
Total |
1,380 |
19,582 |
____________
(1) The value realized on vesting was determined using the closing price of our common stock on the vesting date (or prior trading day if the vesting date fell on a weekend or holiday).
(2) These amounts represent the value of RSU awards granted during 2019 through 2023 that, in accordance with the terms of the applicable award agreements, either fully vested or partially vested in 2024.
(3) Participants of certain RSUs granted in 2019 through 2023 elected to defer the receipt of shares rather than receiving them as of the vesting date.
(4) These amounts represent the value of PSU awards granted in 2022 that, in accordance with the terms of the applicable award agreement, became fully vested at the end of the performance period on
(5) This award for
39
Outstanding Equity Awards at
The following table provides information with respect to outstanding equity awards held by our NEOs as of
Stock Awards(1) |
||||||||||
|
Stock Award |
Number |
Market Value |
Equity Incentive |
Equity Incentive |
|||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||
|
3/1/2020(6) |
520 |
8,164 |
- |
- |
|||||
3/1/2021(7) |
1,480 |
23,236 |
- |
- |
||||||
3/1/2022(8) |
3,000 |
47,100 |
- |
- |
||||||
3/1/2023(9) |
5,840 |
91,688 |
- |
- |
||||||
3/1/2023(10) |
- |
- |
10,900 |
- |
||||||
3/1/2024(11) |
11,100 |
174,270 |
- |
- |
||||||
3/1/2024(12) |
- |
- |
11,100 |
111,360 |
||||||
12/1/2024(13) |
14,869 |
233,443 |
- |
- |
||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||
|
5/22/2024(14) |
3,400 |
53,380 |
- |
- |
|||||
|
3/1/2021(7) |
640 |
10,048 |
- |
- |
|||||
3/1/2022(8) |
1,320 |
20,724 |
- |
- |
||||||
3/1/2023(9) |
2,480 |
38,936 |
- |
- |
||||||
3/1/2023(10) |
- |
- |
4,600 |
- |
||||||
3/1/2024(11) |
4,200 |
65,940 |
- |
- |
||||||
3/1/2024(12) |
- |
- |
4,200 |
42,139 |
||||||
12/1/2024(13) |
929 |
14,585 |
- |
- |
____________
(1) These columns represent awards under the
(2) Value was determined using the
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6) This RSU award was granted on
(7) This RSU award was granted on
(8) This RSU award was granted on
(9) This RSU award was granted on
(10) This PSU award was granted on
40
(11) This RSU award was granted on
(12) This PSU award was granted on
(13) This RSU award was granted on
(14) This RSU award was granted on
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation for 2024
The Nodak Insurance Company Non-QualifiedDeferred Compensation Plan assists executives designated by the Compensation Committee as participants in maximizing their ability to save additional amounts for their retirement on a tax-deferredbasis. In addition to allowing participants to make elective deferrals, the plan permits
The following table provides information regarding contributions, earnings, and balances for our NEOs on a basis that is not tax-qualified. Under the plan, no Company "match" is currently made on amounts deferred, amounts are fully vested after five years of service, and the Company does not provide any opportunity for above-marketor preferential earnings, nor does it provide a minimum internal rate of return.
|
Plan |
Executive |
Company |
Aggregate |
Aggregate |
Aggregate |
||||||
|
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan |
52,759 |
- |
309,935 |
273,687 |
2,239,407 |
||||||
|
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan |
- |
49,514 |
6,461 |
- |
100,245 |
||||||
|
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan |
29,773 |
- |
58,970 |
139,961 |
313,623 |
||||||
|
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
||||||
|
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan |
- |
18,240 |
1,216 |
- |
27,784 |
____________
(1) Company contributions are reported as 2024 compensation in the "All Other Compensation" column of the Summary Compensation Table.
(2) Aggregate earnings represent the notional capital gains or losses on deemed investments in publicly available mutual funds and notional interest and dividends held in the plans during 2024. The Company does not provide any preferential or above-marketearnings or contributions. These earnings are not reported in any column of the Summary Compensation Table.
(3)
41
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
Each of our NEOs (other than Messrs. Alexander and Duncan and
The following table describes the potential payments and benefits under the Company's compensation and benefit plans and contractual agreements to which the other NEOs (other than
|
Cash |
Value of |
Non-Qualified |
Acceleration |
Total |
|||||
|
||||||||||
Involuntary Termination Without "Cause", or Involuntary Termination Due to Position Elimination or Reorganization |
2,240,000 |
60,624 |
- |
385,165 |
2,685,789 |
|||||
Voluntary Termination for "Good Reason" |
2,240,000 |
60,624 |
- |
- |
2,300,624 |
|||||
Involuntary Termination Without "Cause" or Voluntary Termination for "Good Reason", Following a Change in Control |
2,240,000 |
60,624 |
- |
923,301 |
3,223,925 |
|||||
Voluntary Termination, Retirement-Eligible(4) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||
Disability |
- |
- |
- |
751,124 |
751,124 |
|||||
Death |
- |
- |
- |
923,301 |
923,301 |
|||||
|
||||||||||
Involuntary Termination Without "Cause", or Involuntary Termination Due to Position Elimination or Reorganization |
- |
- |
5,557 |
149,296 |
154,853 |
|||||
Voluntary Termination for "Good Reason" |
- |
- |
5,557 |
- |
5,557 |
|||||
Involuntary Termination Without "Cause" or Voluntary Termination for "Good Reason", Following a Change in Control |
- |
- |
5,557 |
288,393 |
293,950 |
|||||
Voluntary Termination, Retirement-Eligible(4) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||
Disability |
- |
- |
- |
218,266 |
218,266 |
|||||
Death |
- |
- |
- |
288,393 |
288,393 |
____________
(1) Cash Severance Payments and the Value of Continuing Benefits arise from employment agreements between the NEO and the Company, as applicable.
42
The Cash Severance Payment is calculated for
(2) The Company's Non-QualifiedDeferred Compensation Plan provides for the immediate vesting of all amounts in the event of an involuntary separation from service (other than for "Cause") or a change in control.
(3) Acceleration of Equity Awards is presented as the sum of the values as of the last business day of 2024, based on the closing price on
The terms of the RSU award agreement provide for the full acceleration of all outstanding awards in the event of disability or death. In the event of an employee's "Involuntary Termination Due to Position Elimination or Reorganization," vesting of the RSUs will accelerate on a pro rata basis, based on the employee's period of service during the total vesting period. In the event of a change in control, unless the RSU award is substituted, assumed, or replaced with similar rights, the RSU award will vest in full upon the change in control. If the RSU award is substituted, assumed, or replaced with similar rights in connection with a change in control, the RSU award will fully vest if the employee is involuntarily terminated other than for "Cause" or voluntarily terminates for "Good Reason" within 24 months of the change in control. The terms also provide for the pro rata acceleration of all outstanding awards in the event of an involuntary termination without "Cause."
The terms of the PSU award agreement provide for the target number of PSUs to vest immediately in the event of death. In the event of disability, retirement, or an "Involuntary Termination Due to Position Elimination or Reorganization," the employee will have a fully vested interest in the pro rata number of earned PSUs, based on the employee's period of service during the performance period, payable at the end of the performance period. In the case of a change in control, those PSUs are converted into time-basedRSUs. If such converted RSUs are assumed (or substituted or replaced with an award of equivalent value), then the converted RSUs shall become fully vested if the employee remains in continuous service with the Company or an affiliate until the end of the performance period or dies while in service or terminates on account of "Disability" or "Involuntary Termination Due to Position Elimination or Reorganization." If the employee resigns at or after "Retirement Age," the converted RSUs shall continue to vest and become payable as of the end of the performance period. In addition, if the employee is involuntarily terminated without "Cause" or resigns for "Good Reason" within twenty-four(24) months following the change in control but prior to the end of the performance period, any converted RSUs (or replacement award) that remains vested will vest in full and become non-forfeitableas of the date of such termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the employee's converted RSUs are neither assumed, substituted, nor replaced with similar rights (or cash equivalent value thereof), then any unvested converted RSUs will vest in full and become non-forfeitableupon the change in control. The terms also provide for a fully vested and non-forfeitableinterest in the pro rata number of earned PSUs at the end of the performance period in the event of disability or an involuntary termination without "Cause," with such pro rata number determined based on the number of full and partial calendar months of the employee's service during the relevant measurement period compared to the total measurement period.
(4) For retirement-eligibleexecutives, the terms of the PSU award provide for a fully vested and non-forfeitableinterest in the pro rata number of earned PSUs at the end of the performance period upon voluntary termination from the Company. None of the NEOs are currently retirement-eligible.
(5) An employment agreement for
NEO Terminations During the Year
Under the employment agreement with
43
subject to the terms thereof, including the Company's receipt of an effective release of claims against the Company by
Under the employment agreement with
CEO Pay Ratio
In accordance with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, promulgated under the Dodd-FrankWall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, we are providing (i) the ratio of the annual total compensation of our President and Chief Executive Officer,
The median
We believe this ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-Kunder the Exchange Act.
We selected
The
44
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table shows aggregate information, as of
Plan Category |
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
|||
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Security Holders |
187,398 |
- |
550,926 |
|||
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders |
- |
- |
- |
|||
Total |
187,398 |
- |
550,926 |
____________
(1) This amount reflects securities to be issued under outstanding awards of RSUs and PSUs. The performance-basedawards are reported as the number of shares that become eligible for vesting or exercisable if performance is at target level. The number of shares that are ultimately issued pursuant to the performance-basedawards could vary from the amounts reported based on the degree to which the performance goals are achieved. PSUs granted in 2022 with a performance period of 2022-2024vested as of
(2) RSUs and PSUs are exercised for no consideration.
(3) This amount is comprised of securities available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.
Pay versus Performance
As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-FrankWall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information between executive compensation actually paid and the Company's financial performance. Compensation Actually Paid ("CAP") is calculated in accordance with Item 402(v) and does not represent compensation actually earned, paid, or realized by the NEOs during a covered year. The following table shows the relationship between CAP to our NEOs and certain performance measures for the last four years. The Company's performance measures included in this table are cumulative total shareholder retu("TSR"), net income, and adjusted book value per share.
Year |
SCT Total |
Compensation |
SCT Total |
Compensation |
SCT Total |
Compensation |
Average SCT |
Average |
Value of Initial |
Net |
Adjusted |
||||||||||||||
Cumulative |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
2024 |
1,626,028 |
1,482,345 |
460,148 |
470,286 |
5,370,152 |
3,509,131 |
1,036,740 |
856,046 |
91.28 |
214.39 |
(6,060 |
) |
12.80 |
||||||||||||
2023 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2,397,889 |
2,164,336 |
730,182 |
678,341 |
75.52 |
160.50 |
(5,476 |
) |
13.25 |
||||||||||||
2022 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2,268,455 |
254,540 |
605,128 |
287,707 |
77.15 |
144.67 |
(53,096 |
) |
13.06 |
||||||||||||
2021 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2,270,551 |
2,892,067 |
546,238 |
536,225 |
109.94 |
126.01 |
8,416 |
14.98 |
|||||||||||||
2020 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2,696,218 |
2,822,186 |
827,460 |
862,616 |
95.47 |
105.39 |
40,389 |
14.54 |
____________
(1)
45
(2) The Other NEOs included for 2024 are Messrs. Duncan and Maki. The Other NEOs included for 2023 are Messrs. Daggett and Duncan. The Other NEOs included for 2022 are Messrs. Daggett, Duncan, and Milius. The Other NEOs included for 2021 are Messrs. Daggett, Doom, and Duncan. The Other NEOs included for 2020 are Messrs. Doom and Duncan.
(3) The amounts reflected in the "Compensation Actually Paid" column are calculated by making certain adjustments to the total compensation reported in the "SCT Total Compensation" columns. These adjustments include changes in the fair value of equity awards of each year, arising from both fluctuations in the market value of the Company's common stock and changes to the expected performance of PSUs. The Company does not offer any pension plans to its NEOs.
|
2024 |
2024 |
2024 |
2024 |
||||||||
CEO: |
||||||||||||
Total Compensation as reported in SCT |
1,626,028 |
460,148 |
5,370,152 |
1,036,740 |
||||||||
Less: Fair value of equity awards granted during fiscal year |
(555,004 |
) |
(52,020 |
) |
(868,428 |
) |
(139,464 |
) |
||||
Add: Grant-date fair value of equity compensation granted in current year - value at year - end |
519,072 |
53,380 |
- |
61,330 |
||||||||
Add/Subtract: Dividends or other earnings paid on stock or option awards in the covered fiscal year prior to the vesting date that are not otherwise included in the total compensation for the covered fiscal year |
- |
- |
- |
- |
||||||||
Add/Subtract: Change in fair value from end of prior fiscal year to end of current fiscal year for awards made in prior fiscal years that were unvested at end of current fiscal year |
(112,215 |
) |
- |
- |
(23,861 |
) |
||||||
Add/Subtract: Change in fair value from end of prior fiscal year to vesting date for awards made in prior fiscal years that vested during current fiscal year |
4,464 |
8,778 |
24,264 |
2,748 |
||||||||
Less: Fair value of awards forfeited in current fiscal year determined at end of prior fiscal year |
- |
- |
(1,016,857 |
) |
(81,447 |
) |
||||||
Compensation Actually Paid to NEO |
1,482,345 |
470,286 |
3,509,131 |
856,046 |
(4) Total Shareholder Retuis measured based on an assumed investment of
(5) The "Net Income" column reflects audited GAAP Net Income Attributable to
(6) The Company has elected to report "Adjusted Book Value Per Share" as its company-selectedperformance measure. Adjusted book value is determined by subtracting the impact of unrealized gains and losses on investments as well as the non-controllinginterest from the Company's total shareholders' equity. The adjusted book value is divided by the outstanding shares of common stock at the end of the fiscal year to calculate the per share value.
The amounts reported as compensation actually paid to executives are dependent upon the fair value of the Company's common stock as of
The Company utilizes a three-yearperformance period for adjusted book value per share for PSUs granted in 2018 through 2023. For PSUs granted in 2024, the Company utilizes a three-yearperformance period for adjusted retuon equity. At each balance sheet date, management makes a determination how each set of PSU awards will compare at the end of the performance period to the pre-determinedgoals. The following table shows the estimated accrual for each set of PSU awards at the different reporting dates:
Reporting Date |
2018 PSUs |
2019 PSUs |
2020 PSUs |
2021 PSUs |
2022 PSUs |
2023 PSUs |
2024 PSUs |
|||||||
Performance Period |
2018 - 2020 |
2019 - 2021 |
2020 - 2022 |
2021 - 2023 |
2022 - 2024 |
2023 - 2025 |
2024 - 2026 |
|||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
Paid at zero |
Zero |
Above Threshold |
|||||||
|
- |
- |
- |
Paid at zero |
Zero |
Target |
- |
|||||||
|
- |
- |
Paid at zero |
Zero |
Threshold |
- |
- |
|||||||
|
- |
Paid at maximum |
Maximum |
Target |
- |
- |
- |
|||||||
|
Paid at maximum |
Maximum |
Target |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||||||
|
Maximum |
Target |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
46
Compensation Actually Paid and Adjusted Book Value Per Share
The following graphs depict the relationship between adjusted book value per share and compensation actually paid to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and other NEOs, respectively.
Compensation Actually Paid and Net Income
The following graphs depict the relationship between net income and compensation actually paid to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and other NEOs, respectively.
47
Compensation Actually Paid and Relative TSR
The following graphs depict the relationship between total shareholder retuand compensation actually paid to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and other NEOs, respectively. A comparison of the Company's TSR and Peer Group TSR is also provided. TSR is displayed assuming an investment of
Financial Performance Measures
The five performance measures listed below represent an unranked list of the "most important" performance measures that the Company used to align compensation actually paid to the NEOs for 2024 and company performance. These measures are discussed in detail in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis above as part of the Short-TermIncentive Bonus Plan and the Stock-BasedIncentive Plan:
Performance Measures |
GAAP-basedadjusted book value per share |
GAAP-basedadjusted retuon equity |
Insurance business premium growth |
Statutory-basiscombined ratio of the Company's insurance operations |
48
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Except for the transactions described above, since
We maintain a written policy which discourages our officers and directors from having a financial interest in any transaction between
Directors with an interest in such a transaction are expected to disqualify themselves from any vote by the Board regarding the transaction.
When considering whether we should engage in a transaction in which our officers, directors, or employees, their immediate family members, or affiliates of these parties, may have a financial interest, our Board considers the following factors:
• whether the transaction is fair and reasonable to us;
• the business reasons for the transaction;
• whether the transaction would impair the independence of a director;
• whether the transaction presents a conflict of interest, taking into account the size of the transaction, the financial position of the officer, director, or employee, the nature of their interest in the transaction and the ongoing nature of the transaction; and
• whether the transaction is material, taking into account the significance of the transaction in light of all the circumstances.
49
PARENT COMPANY RELATIONSHIP
50
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF
CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock outstanding as of the Record Date by:
• each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our shares of common stock;
• each of our directors and director nominees;
• each of our NEOs; and
• all of our current directors and executive officers as a group.
The percentage ownership information is based on 20,698,574 shares of common stock outstanding as of the Record Date. Information with respect to beneficial ownership has been furnished by each director, officer, or beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the
Except as otherwise noted below, the address for each person or entity listed in the table is c/o
|
Number of |
Percentage of |
|||
5% or greater shareholders: |
|||||
|
12,650,000 |
61.12 |
% |
||
|
1,336,330 |
6.46 |
% |
||
Directors, Nominees, and Named Executive Officers: |
|||||
|
120,240 |
* |
|||
|
13,574 |
* |
|||
|
22,903 |
* |
|||
|
8,329 |
* |
|||
|
23,514 |
* |
|||
|
26,300 |
* |
|||
|
21,700 |
* |
|||
|
- |
- |
|||
|
25,300 |
* |
|||
|
3,800 |
* |
|||
|
22,300 |
* |
|||
|
- |
* |
|||
All executive officers and directors as a group (10 persons) |
144,817 |
* |
____________
(1) For additional information about
51
(2) The information regarding the number of shares beneficially owned or deemed to be beneficially owned by
(3) The number of shares beneficially owned for each director includes 3,400 RSUs to vest on
(4) The number of shares beneficially owned for each director excludes 3,400 RSUs which vest on
(5) Based on shares owned at 12/31/2024, plus (8,278) previously deferred shares that were released after 12/31/2024.
(6) Based on shares owned at 12/31/2024.
* Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent (1%) of the outstanding shares of our common stock.
52
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING
The following questions and answers present important information pertaining to the 2025 Annual Meeting:
Why am I receiving these materials?
The Board is soliciting proxies for the 2025 Annual Meeting. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials was mailed on or about
Why are we holding the 2025 Annual Meeting?
As a matter of good corporate practice, and in compliance with applicable corporate law and the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we hold a meeting of shareholders annually. This year's meeting will be held on
Where and when is the 2025 Annual Meeting?
We will hold the 2025 Annual Meeting on
From the East on I-94: Take EXIT 1A toward
From the North on I-29: Take EXIT 65 toward US-10E /
From the South on I-29: Take EXIT 65 toward US-10E /
From the West on I-94: Take EXIT 351 toward
Directions to our 2025 Annual Meeting may also be obtained by calling the
Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?
In accordance with rules adopted by the
53
What am I being asked to vote on at the 2025 Annual Meeting?
We are asking our shareholders to consider the following proposals:
• The election of eight directors, to serve until our annual meeting to be held in 2026 or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified;
• The ratification of the appointment of
• The approval of an advisory resolution to approve the compensation of our named executive officers; and
• Any other business properly introduced at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
How does the Board recommend I vote on these proposals?
The Board recommends a vote:
• "FOR" the election of all director nominees, to serve until our annual meeting to be held in 2026 or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified;
• "FOR" the ratification of the appointment of
• "FOR" the approval of an advisory resolution to approve the compensation of our named executive officers.
How many votes do I have?
You have and may cast one vote for each share of common stock of the Company that you owned at the close of business on the Record Date.
These shares include:
• Shares registered directly in your name with
• Shares held for you as the beneficial owner through a broker, bank, or other nominee.
As of the close of business on the Record Date, the Company had 20,698,574 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, and entitled to vote upon each matter considered at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Beginning two days after notice of our 2025 Annual Meeting is given, a list of shareholders eligible to vote at the 2025 Annual Meeting will be available for inspection at our principal office at any time up to the 2025 Annual Meeting. If you would like to inspect the list, please call our Corporate Secretary at (701) 298-4200to arrange a visit to our office.
What is the difference between holding shares as a "shareholder of record" and as a "beneficial owner"?
If your shares are registered directly in your name with
If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the "beneficial owner" of the shares held in street name. Your broker, bank, or other nominee who is considered the shareholder of record with respect to those shares has forwarded proxy materials for the 2025 Annual Meeting to you. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker or nominee on how to vote your shares. Beneficial owners are also invited to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting. However, since a beneficial owner is not the
54
shareholder of record, you may not vote your shares of common stock yourself at the 2025 Annual Meeting unless you follow your broker's procedures for obtaining a legal proxy. If you request a printed copy of our proxy materials by mail, your broker or nominee will provide a voting instruction card for you to use. Throughout this Proxy Statement, we refer to shareholders who hold their shares through a broker, bank, or other nominee as "street name shareholders" or "Beneficial Holders."
What is a proxy?
A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the shares of common stock you own. That other person is called your proxy. If you designate someone as your proxy in a written document, that document is also called a proxy or a proxy card. We have designated two of our officers as proxies for the 2025 Annual Meeting to cast your vote. These officers are
How can I attend the 2025 Annual Meeting with the ability to ask a question and/or vote?
The 2025 Annual Meeting will be in person. You are entitled to participate in the 2025 Annual Meeting only if you were a Registered Holder as of the close of business on the Record Date, or if you hold a valid legal proxy for the 2025 Annual Meeting if you are a Beneficial Holder.
How do I vote?
General
You can vote by proxy or in person. For specific methods of voting available to you, see below.
If you submit your proxy using any of the methods below,
If any other matter is presented, your proxy will authorize
Voting Methods for Shareholders of Record
If you are a shareholder of record, you may vote by one of the following methods:
• By Internet: you may vote over the Internet at www.investorvote.com/NODKby following the instructions on the proxy card. Internet voting facilities will be available 24 hours a day.
• By Telephone: you may vote by touch-tonetelephone by calling 1-800-652-8683. Telephone voting facilities will be available 24 hours a day.
• By Mail: you may authorize your proxy by completing, signing, and dating your proxy card and returning it in the reply envelope included with the paper proxy materials.
• In Person: you may attend the 2025 Annual Meeting and vote in person by completing a ballot; however, attending the 2025 Annual Meeting without completing a ballot will not count as a vote. If you choose to vote in person, you must bring proof of identification and your proxy card to the 2025 Annual Meeting.
55
Voting Methods for Beneficial Holders
If you are a Beneficial Holder, you will receive voting instructions from your broker, bank, or other nominee. You must follow the voting instructions provided by your broker, bank, or other nominee in order to instruct your broker, bank, or other nominee on how to vote your shares. Beneficial Holders should generally be able to vote by returning an instruction card, by telephone, or via the Internet. However, the availability of telephone and Internet voting will depend on the voting process of your broker, bank, or other nominee.
As discussed above, if you are a Beneficial Holder, you may not vote your shares yourself at the 2025 Annual Meeting unless you obtain a legal proxy from your broker, bank, or other nominee.
Can I change my vote or revoke my proxy?
Yes. If you are a shareholder of record, you can change your vote or revoke your proxy any time before the 2025 Annual Meeting by:
• entering a new vote by Internet or by telephone;
• returning a later-datedproxy card;
• notifying the Corporate Secretary of the Company, in writing, at
• completing a written ballot at the 2025 Annual Meeting in person.
If you are a Beneficial Holder, your broker, bank, or other nominee can provide you with instructions on how to change your vote.
What is a quorum?
A quorum of shareholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. The presence in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-naturalperson, by its duly authorized representative, of the shareholders holding in aggregate not less than a simple majority of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote constitutes a quorum.
Your shares of common stock will be counted towards the quorum only if you submit a valid proxy (or one is submitted on your behalf by your broker, bank, or other nominee) or if you vote at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-voteswill be counted towards the quorum requirement. If there is no quorum present within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place or to such other day, time, and place as the Board may determine.
Will my shares be voted if I do not retumy proxy?
If your shares are registered in your name, your shares will not be voted if you do not vote over the Internet, by telephone, by returning your proxy card by mail or by ballot at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
If your shares are held in "street name", your brokerage firm may under certain circumstances vote your shares if you do not timely retuyour voting instructions. Brokers can vote their customers' unvoted shares on discretionary matters but cannot vote such shares on non-discretionarymatters. If you do not timely retuvoting instructions to your brokerage firm to vote your shares, your brokerage firm may, on discretionary matters, either vote your shares or leave your shares unvoted.
Proposals 1 and 3 are considered non-discretionarymatters. If you do not instruct your brokerage firm how to vote with respect to such proposals, your brokerage firm may not vote with respect to such proposals and those shares that would have otherwise been entitled to be voted will be treated as "broker non-votes". Broker non-votesare shares that are held in "street name" by a bank or brokerage firm that indicates on its proxy that it does not have or did not exercise discretionary authority to vote on a particular matter. With respect to proposals 1 and 3, broker non-votes, because they are not voted affirmatively or negatively, will not be counted for purposes of determining whether this proposal has been approved and will not have the effect of negative votes.
56
Proposal 2, ratification of the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm, is considered a discretionary matter, and your brokerage firm will be able to vote on this proposal even if it does not timely receive instructions from you, so long as it holds your shares in its name. We encourage you to timely provide voting instructions to your brokerage firm or other nominee. This ensures that your shares will be voted at the 2025 Annual Meeting according to your instructions. You should receive directions from your brokerage firm or other nominee about how to submit your voting instructions to them. Because Proposal 2 is a discretionary matter, there will not be any broker non-votes.
How may my brokerage firm or other intermediary vote my shares if I fail to provide timely directions?
Brokerage firms and other intermediaries holding our shares of common stock in street name for customers are generally required to vote such shares in the manner directed by their customers. In the absence of timely directions, your broker will have discretion to vote your shares on our sole "routine" matter: the proposal to ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm. Your broker will not have discretion to vote on the election of directors, which is a "non-routine" matter, absent direction from you.
How are shares held in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan voted?
If you own shares through the
What vote is required to approve each proposal?
Proposal 1
Subject to the paragraph below, our directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast, which means the eight nominees receiving the highest number of affirmative votes will be elected. As a result, any shares not voted "for" a particular nominee (whether as a result of shareholder withhold vote or a broker non-vote) will not be counted in such nominee's favor and will have no effect on the outcome of the election.
Pursuant to our Bylaws, any nominee for director in an uncontested election who receives a greater number of votes "withheld" or "against" from his or her election than votes "for" his or her election shall immediately offer to tender his or her resignation following certification of such shareholder vote.
Proposal 2
The ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of shares present at the meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal.
A properly executed proxy marked "abstain" with respect to the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm will not be voted, although it will be counted for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum for the 2025 Annual Meeting. Since abstentions will not be votes cast "FOR" the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm, they will have the same effect as negative votes or votes against this matter. Because Proposal 2 is a discretionary matter, we do not expect there to be any broker non-voteswith Proposal 2.
Although shareholder approval of our Audit Committee's selection of
57
Proposal 3
The approval of an advisory resolution to approve the compensation of our NEOs requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of shares present at the meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal. Because this proposal is advisory, the outcome of the vote will not be binding on our Board or the Company. However, the Board will review the voting results and take them into consideration when making future decisions regarding our executive compensation program. Broker non-voteswill not be considered entitled to vote on this proposal and therefore will not affect the outcome of Proposal 3, but abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.
Who will count the vote?
Our inspector of elections,
Do the directors and officers of the Company have an interest in the outcome of the matters to be voted on?
Our directors and officers will not receive any special benefit as a result of the outcome of the matters to be voted on, except that our non-employeedirectors will receive compensation for their service as described in this Proxy Statement under the heading "Director Compensation."
How many shares do the directors and officers of the Company beneficially own, and how do they plan to vote their shares?
Directors and executive officers, who individually, as of the Record Date, had beneficial ownership (or had the right to acquire beneficial ownership within sixty days following the Record Date) of less than 1% of our outstanding common stock, are expected to vote, or direct the voting of their shares, for each director nominee identified in Proposal 1, and in favor of each of Proposal 2 and 3.
Where can I find the voting results?
The Company will announce preliminary voting results at the 2025 Annual Meeting and publish preliminary results, or final results if available, in a Current Report on Form 8-Kfiled with the
Who pays for proxy solicitation?
We will reimburse brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocketexpenses for forwarding proxy and other materials to our shareholders. We do not anticipate hiring an agency to solicit votes from shareholders at this time; however, if we determine that such action would be appropriate or necessary, we would pay the cost of such service. Our officers and other employees may solicit proxies in person or by telephone but will receive no special compensation for doing so.
Who can attend the 2025 Annual Meeting?
All shareholders as of the Record Date are invited to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting.
Who is your independent registered public accounting firm, and will they be represented at the 2025 Annual Meeting?
58
How do I obtain a copy of the 2024 Annual Report?
If you would like a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-Kfor the fiscal year ended
Attn: Investor Relations
All of our
59
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS AND DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS FOR 2026
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Shareholders may present proposals for action at a future meeting if they comply with
Pursuant to Rule 14a-8under the Exchange Act, some shareholder proposals may be eligible for inclusion in the proxy statement for our 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In accordance with Rule 14a-8(b)(2), shareholder proposals, along with proof of ownership, must be received by us not later than
Our Bylaws provide that nominations for election to the Board may be made by any shareholder of any outstanding class of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote for the election of directors. Shareholder nominations must be made in writing and must be delivered or mailed by first class
Our Bylaws also provide that matters to be placed on the agenda for consideration at annual meetings of shareholders may be proposed by the Board or by any shareholder entitled to vote for the election of directors. Matters proposed for the annual meeting agenda by shareholders entitled to vote for election of directors shall be made by notice in writing, delivered or mailed by first class
We expect the regular annual meeting of shareholders for the election of directors and the transaction of whatever other business may properly come before the meeting, to be held at 10:00 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of May each year, or another date as determined by the Board. For 2026, this will be Tuesday, May 19. To be eligible for inclusion in the proxy statement for the 2026 Annual Meeting, shareholder nominations must be delivered to the chairperson no earlier than January 19, 2026, and no later than February 18, 2026. Business matters to be placed on the agenda must be delivered to the chairperson no earlier than December 20, 2025, and no later than February 18, 2026.
Any proposals we do not receive in accordance with the above standards will not be voted on at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders are advised to review our Bylaws which also specify requirements as to the form and content of a shareholder's notice.
Any proposals, notices, or information about proposed director candidates should be sent to:
1101 First Avenue North
Attention: Corporate Secretary
60
ANNUAL REPORT
This Proxy Statement is accompanied by our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-Kfor the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. The 2024 Annual Report includes our audited consolidated financial statements. We have filed the 2024 Annual Report with the
OTHER BUSINESS
We do not know of any business that will be presented for consideration or action by the shareholders at the 2025 Annual Meeting other than that described in this Proxy Statement. If, however, any other business is properly brought before the meeting, shares represented by proxies will be voted in accordance with the best judgment of the persons named in the proxies or their substitutes. All shareholders are urged to complete, sign, and retuthe proxy card.
61
Your vote matters - here's how to vote! You may vote online or by phone instead of mailing this card. Online Go to www.investorvote.com/NODK or scan the QR code - login details are located in the shaded bar below. Phone Call toll free 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the
2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF NI HOLDINGS, INC. SHAREHOLDERS WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025 AT 10:00 A.M. CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, THE JASPER HOTEL, 215 BROADWAY N,
Attachments
Disclaimer
Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A)
Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A)
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News