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May 5, 2016
Dear Shareholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of OFS Capital Corporation (the Company, OFS Capital, we, us, or ours) to be held on Friday, June 3, 2016 at 10:00 A.M., Central time, at 10 South Wacker Drive, 12th Floor, Conference Center Madison Room, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
The notice of annual meeting and proxy statement accompanying this letter provide an outline of the business to be conducted at the meeting. At the meeting, you will be asked: (i) to elect one director of the Company; and (ii) to ratify the selection of BDO USA, LLP as the Companys independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. We will also report on the progress of the Company during the past year and respond to shareholders questions.
It is important that your shares be represented at the annual meeting. If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, we urge you to complete, date and sign the enclosed proxy card and promptly return it in the envelope provided. Your vote and participation in the governance of the Company is very important to us.
Sincerely yours,
Bilal Rashid
Chairman of the Board of Directors and
Chief Executive Officer
To the Shareholders of OFS Capital Corporation:
The 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of OFS Capital Corporation (the Company, OFS Capital, we, us, or ours) will be held at 10 South Wacker Drive, 12th Floor, Conference Center Madison Room, Chicago, Illinois 60606 on Friday, June 3, 2016 at 10:00 A.M., Central time, for the following purposes:
1. | To elect one director of the Company, who will each serve for a term of three years, or until her respective successor is duly elected and qualified; and |
2. | To ratify the selection of BDO USA, LLP to serve as the Companys independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. |
3. | To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting of Shareholders and any adjournments or postponements thereof. |
You have the right to receive notice of and to vote at the meeting if you were a shareholder of record at the close of business on April 27, 2016. If you are unable to attend, please sign the enclosed proxy card and return it promptly in the self-addressed envelope provided. Please refer to the voting instructions provided on your proxy card. In the event there are not sufficient votes for a quorum or to approve the proposals at the time of the annual meeting, the annual meeting may be adjourned in order to permit further solicitation of proxies by the Company.
The Company has enclosed a copy of the proxy statement, the proxy card and the Companys annual report to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2015 (the Annual Report). The proxy statement, the proxy card and the Annual Report are also available on the Companys website at www.ofscapital.com.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Linda S. VanDenburgh,
Corporate Secretary
Chicago, Illinois
May 5, 2016
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of OFS Capital Corporation (Board or Directors), a Delaware corporation (the Company, OFS Capital, we, us, or ours), for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held at 10:00 A.M., Central time on Friday, June 3, 2016, at 10 South Wacker Drive, 12th Floor, Conference Center Madison Room, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and any adjournments thereof (the Annual Meeting). This Proxy Statement and the accompanying materials are being mailed to shareholders of record described below on or about May 5, 2016 and are available at www.ofscapital.com.
All properly executed proxies representing shares of stock (Shares) received prior to the Annual Meeting will be voted in accordance with the instructions marked thereon. If no specification is made, the Shares will be voted FOR the proposal to elect a director and FOR the proposal to ratify the selection of BDO USA, LLP as the Companys independent registered public accountant. Any shareholder who has given a proxy has the right to revoke it at any time prior to its exercise. Shareholders who execute proxies may revoke them with respect to a proposal by attending the Annual Meeting and voting his or her Shares in person, or by submitting a letter of revocation or a later-dated proxy to the Company at the above address prior to the date of the Annual Meeting.
A quorum must be present at the Annual Meeting for any business to be conducted. The presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding on the Record Date will constitute a quorum. Abstentions will be treated as shares present for quorum purposes. Shares for which brokers have not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares and do not have discretionary authority to vote the shares on certain proposals (which are considered broker non-votes with respect to such proposals) will be treated as shares present for quorum purposes.
If a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting, the shareholders who are represented may adjourn the Annual Meeting until a quorum is present. The persons named as proxies will vote those proxies for such adjournment, unless marked to be voted against any proposal for which an adjournment is sought, to permit the further solicitation of proxies.
You may vote your shares at the Annual Meeting only if you were a shareholder of record at the close of business on the record date. The Board has fixed the close of business on April 27, 2016 as the record date (the Record Date) for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and all adjournments thereof. There were 9,692,324 shares of the Companys common stock outstanding on the Record Date.
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Proposal | Vote Required | Broker Discretionary Voting Allowed? |
Effect of Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes |
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Proposal 1 To elect one director of the Company, who will serve for a term of three years, or until her successor is duly elected and qualified. | Affirmative vote by a plurality of holders of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal. | No | Abstentions, or votes withheld, and broker non-votes will have no effect on the result of the vote. | |||
Proposal 2 To ratify the selection of BDO USA, LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. | The affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal. | Yes | Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the result of the vote. |
When mailing your proxy card, you are requested to:
| indicate your instructions on the proxy card; |
| date and sign the proxy card; |
| mail the proxy card promptly in the envelope provided, which requires no postage if mailed in the United States; and |
| allow sufficient time for the proxy card to be received on or before 10:00 A.M., Central time on June 3, 2016. |
If you hold shares of common stock through a broker, bank or other nominee, you must follow the voting instructions you receive from your broker, bank or nominee. If you hold shares of common stock through a broker, bank or other nominee and you want to vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you must obtain a legal proxy from the record holder of your shares and present it at the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held by a broker on your behalf and you do not instruct the broker as to how to vote these shares on Proposal 1, the broker may not exercise discretion to vote for or against Proposal 1. These shares will not be counted as having been voted on the applicable proposal. Please instruct your bank or broker so your vote can be counted.
If you are a record holder of shares of common stock, you may authorize a proxy to vote on your behalf by mail, as described on the enclosed proxy card. Authorizing your proxy will not limit your right to vote in person at the Annual Meeting. A properly completed and submitted proxy will be voted in accordance with your instructions, unless you subsequently revoke your instructions. If you authorize a proxy without indicating your voting instructions, the proxyholder will vote your shares according to the Boards recommendations. Shareholders of record may also vote via the Internet or by telephone. Specific instructions to be followed by shareholders of record interested in voting via the Internet or telephone are shown on the enclosed proxy card.
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If you are a shareholder of record, you can revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised by (1) delivering a written revocation notice prior to the Annual Meeting to our Corporate Secretary, Linda S. VanDenburgh, at OFS Capital Corporation, 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Attention: Corporate Secretary; (2) submitting a later-dated proxy that we receive no later than the conclusion of voting at the Annual Meeting; or (3) voting in person at the Annual Meeting. If you hold shares of common stock through a broker, bank or other nominee, you must follow the instructions you receive from your nominee in order to revoke your voting instructions. Attending the Annual Meeting does not revoke your proxy unless you also vote in person at the Annual Meeting.
Internet and telephone procedures for voting and for revoking or changing a vote are designed to authenticate shareholders identities, to allow shareholders to give their voting instructions and to confirm that shareholders instructions have been properly recorded. A shareholder that votes through the Internet should understand that there may be costs associated with electronic access, such as usage charges from Internet access providers and telephone companies, which will be borne by the shareholder.
The Companys most recent annual report on Form 10-K (the Annual Report) will be available on the Companys website at www.ofscapital.com and the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SECs) website at www.sec.gov or by e-mailing investorrelations@ofscapital.com. The Company will also furnish a copy of the Annual Report upon request without charge by writing the Company at OFS Capital Corporation, c/o Linda S. VanDenburgh, 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
The Company will bear the expense of the solicitation of proxies for the Annual Meeting, including the cost of preparing, printing, and mailing this proxy statement, the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of shareholders, and the proxy card. The Company has requested that brokers, nominees, fiduciaries, and other persons holding shares in their names, or in the name of their nominees, which are beneficially owned by others, forward the proxy materials to, and obtain proxies from, such beneficial owners. The Company will reimburse such persons for their reasonable expenses in so doing.
In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, proxies may be solicited in person and by telephone, facsimile transmission, or telegram by directors, officers, or regular employees of the Company (without special compensation therefor). Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by notice from the person giving the proxy at any time before it is exercised. Any such notice of revocation should be provided in writing and signed by the shareholder in the same manner as the proxy being revoked and delivered to the Companys proxy tabulator.
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The following table sets forth, as of April 22, 2016, the beneficial ownership of the nominee for director, the Companys executive officers, each person known to us to beneficially own 5% or more of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and the executive officers and directors as a group. Percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 9,692,324 shares of common stock outstanding as of April 22, 2016.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. Ownership information for those persons who beneficially own 5% or more of our shares of common stock is based upon information furnished by the Companys transfer agent and other information obtained from such persons, if available.
Unless otherwise indicated, the Company believes that each beneficial owner set forth in the table has sole voting and investment power and has the same address as the Company. The Companys directors are divided into two groups interested directors and independent directors. Interested directors are interested persons of OFS Capital Corporation as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all executive officers and directors is c/o OFS Capital Corporation, 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Number of Shares Owned Beneficially |
Percentage of Class |
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Other |
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Orchard First Source Asset Management, LLC (OFSAM)(1) | 2,946,474 | 30.4 | % | |||||
Advisors Asset Management, Inc.(2) | 486,199 | 5.0 | % | |||||
Interested Directors |
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Jeffrey A. Cerny | None | None | ||||||
Bilal Rashid | None | None | ||||||
Independent Directors |
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Marc Abrams | 2,000 | * | ||||||
Robert J. Cresci | None | None | ||||||
Elaine E. Healy | None | None | ||||||
Officers Who Are Not Directors |
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Jeffery S. Owen | None | None | ||||||
Eric P. Rubenfeld | None | None | ||||||
Linda S. VanDenburgh | None | None | ||||||
Officers and Directors as a group (8 persons) | 2,000 | * |
* | Less than 1.0%. |
(1) | OFSAM is owned by Bilal Rashid, Jeffrey A. Cerny and other officers of OFS Capital Management, LLC (OFS Advisor), the Companys investment adviser, and its affiliates. OFSAM votes its shares of the Companys stock as determined by OFSAMs Executive Committee, which is comprised of Richard Ressler and Mark Hauser, as well as Messrs. Rashid and Cerny. Neither of Messrs. Rashid or Cerny is a beneficial owner of the Companys shares held by OFSAM for purposes of Section 13(d). |
(2) | Based on information included in the Schedule 13G filed by Advisors Asset Management, Inc. on February 10, 2016. As of December 31, 2015, Advisors Asset Management, Inc. had beneficial ownership and sole voting and dispositive power over 486,199 shares of the Companys common stock. The address for Advisors Asset Management, Inc. included in its Schedule 13G is 18925 Base Camp Road, Monument, Colorado 80132. |
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Set forth in the table below is the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each director as of April 22, 2016, based on a per share price of $13.01 as of April 22, 2016.
Name of Director | Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Company(1),(2) |
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Independent Directors |
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Marc Abrams | $10,001 $50,000 | |||
Robert J. Cresci | None | |||
Elaine E. Healy | None | |||
Interested Directors |
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Jeffrey A. Cerny | None | |||
Bilal Rashid | None |
(1) | The dollar ranges are as follows: none, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000 or over $100,000. |
(2) | Beneficial ownership determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). |
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. Pursuant to the Companys bylaws, the Board may modify, by amendment to our bylaws, the number of members of the board of directors provided that the number of directors will not be fewer than four or greater than eight. The Board currently consists of five members, of whom three are not interested persons of the Company, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Rule 5605(b)(1) of The NASDAQ Global Select Market rules requires that the Company maintain a majority of independent directors on the Board and further provides that a director of a business development company (BDC) shall be considered to be independent if he or she is not an interested person of the Company, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
Ms. Healy has been nominated for re-election to a three year term expiring in 2019. Ms. Healy has indicated a willingness to serve if elected and has consented to be named as a nominee. No person being nominated as a director is being proposed for election pursuant to any agreement or understanding between any such person and the Company.
A shareholder can vote for, withhold the vote from the nominee or abstain from voting. Abstentions will not be included in determining the number of votes cast and, as a result, will have no effect on the election of directors. Shares represented by broker non-votes are not considered entitled to vote and thus are not counted for purposes of determining whether the nominee for election as a director has been elected. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, it is the intention of the persons named as proxies to vote such proxy FOR the election of the nominee named below. If a nominee should decline or be unable to serve as a director, it is intended that the proxy will be voted for the election of such person nominated as a replacement. The Board has no reason to believe that the person named will be unable or unwilling to serve.
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Certain information as of April 27, 2016, pertaining to the director nominee and executive officers of the Company, as well as each of the other directors who are not standing for re-election, is set forth below, including their names, ages, a brief description of their recent business experience, including present occupations and employment, certain directorships that each person held during the last five years, and the year in which each person became a director of the Company. The Board oversees the Companys business and investment activities and is responsible for protecting the interests of the Companys shareholders. The term executive officer means the president, any vice president in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function, or any other officer who performs a policy making function.
Name, Address(1), Age and Position(s) with Company |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) | Other Public Directorships Held by Director |
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Elaine E. Healy Director Age: 53 |
Since 2011 | Elaine E. Healy is the co-founder, president and chief operating officer of Accel Networks, a Sierra Wireless business, a fixed cellular wireless broadband service provider founded in November 2002. She is a senior executive with a broad investment background in operating companies ranging from start-ups to emerging growth to publicly traded entities. Ms. Healy has more than 10 years of experience operating in an entrepreneurial environment and as a director of companies in a wide range of industries. Throughout her career, she has participated in or been responsible for the periodic valuation of both debt and equity portfolios. Ms. Healy graduated from The Florida State University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. Ms. Healy brings to our board an invaluable perspective on the building blocks for a successful enterprise and extensive experience with a wide range of investment vehicles, including closed end funds, SBICs, business development companies and both limited and general partnerships. | N/A |
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Name, Address(1), Age and Position(s) with Company |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) | Other Public Directorships Held by Director |
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Robert J. Cresci Director Age: 72 |
Since 2011 | Robert J. Cresci has been a managing director of Pecks Management Partners Ltd., an investment management firm, since 1990. He currently serves on the boards of j2 Global, Inc., Luminex Corporation, CIM Commercial Trust Corporation, Presbia PLC, and Hancock Park Corporate Income, Inc., another BDC managed by OFS Advisor (Hancock Park). Mr. Cresci holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds a M.B.A. in Finance from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. By virtue of his time with Pecks Management Partners and the other business entities mentioned, Mr. Cresci brings to our Board his broad expertise and experience in investment strategies, accounting issues, and public company matters. | j2 Global, Inc.; Luminex Corporation; CIM Commercial Trust Corporation; Presbia PLC; Hancock Park Corporate Income, Inc. |
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Marc Abrams Director Age: 70 |
Since 2011 | Marc Abrams is the founder and leader (on a semi-retired status) of the public company business sector of SingerLewak LLP, a certified public accounting firm founded in 1995. He has over 40 years of public accounting experience. Mr. Abrams expertise includes audits of publicly held companies, initial public offerings, private offerings, corporate reorganizations and acquisitions, evaluating business plans and litigation support. Additionally, Mr. Abrams broad practice includes expertise in several industries including technology, life sciences, real estate, retail and franchise, hotels and casinos, and manufacturing. He currently serves on the board of Hancock Park and previously served on the board of UnifiedOnline, Inc. (f/k/a IceWEB, Inc.). Mr. Abrams graduated from American University in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Through 2011, he was an active member of AICPA, the California Society of CPAs and the Los Angeles Venture Association. Mr. Abrams brings to our Board extensive accounting experience and expertise, which is invaluable to our company. | Hancock Park Corporate Income, Inc. |
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Name, Address(1), Age and Position(s) with Company |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) | Other Public Directorships Held by Director |
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Bilal Rashid Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Age: 45 |
Since 2010 Since 2014 |
Bilal Rashid is the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer and President of OFS Capital and Hancock Park, President and a Senior Managing Director of Orchard First Source Capital, Inc. (OFSC) and OFS Advisor, Chief Executive Officer of OFSAM, and a member of OFSAMs investment and executive committees. Prior to joining OFSC in 2008, Mr. Rashid was a managing director in the global markets and investment banking division at Merrill Lynch. Mr. Rashid has more than 20 years of experience in investment banking, debt capital markets and investing as it relates to structured credit and corporate credit. Over the years, he has advised and arranged financing for investment management companies and commercial finance companies including business development companies. Before joining Merrill Lynch in 2005, he was a vice president at Natixis Capital Markets, which he joined as part of a large
team move from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). Prior to CIBC, he worked as an investment analyst in the project finance area at the International Finance Corporation, which is part of the World Bank. Prior to that, Mr. Rashid was a financial analyst at Lehman Brothers. Mr. Rashid has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Columbia University. Mr. Rashid brings to our Board invaluable experience in debt capital markets. |
Hancock Park Corporate Income, Inc. |
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Name, Address(1), Age and Position(s) with Company |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) | Other Public Directorships Held by Director |
|||
Jeffrey Cerny Director, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Age: 53 |
Since 2015 Since 2014 2011 to 2015 |
Jeffrey A. Cerny is the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of OFS Capital and Hancock Park. Mr. Cerny also serves as Treasurer and a Senior Managing Director of OFSC and OFS Advisor, as a Vice President of OFSAM, and as a member of OFSAMs investment and executive committees. Mr. Cerny oversees the finance and accounting functions of OFS Capital as well as underwriting, credit monitoring, CLO portfolio compliance and loan administration for OFS Advisors syndicated senior loan business. Prior to joining OFSC in 1999, Mr. Cerny held various positions at Sanwa Business Credit Corporation, American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago and Charter Bank Group, a multi-bank holding company. Mr. Cerny holds a B.S. in Finance from Northern Illinois University, a Masters of Management in Finance and Economics from Northwestern Universitys J.L. Kellogg School of Management, and a J.D. from DePaul Universitys School of Law. Mr. Cerny brings to our Board extensive accounting and financial experience and expertise, as well as investing experience, including lending, structuring and workouts. |
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Name, Address(1), Age and Position(s) with Company |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) | Other Public Directorships Held by Officer |
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Eric P. Rubenfeld Chief Compliance Officer Age: 45 |
Since 2010 | Eric P. Rubenfeld currently serves as the Chief Compliance Officer of OFS Capital and Hancock Park, and Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of OFSC and OFS Advisor, in which capacity he oversees the legal, compliance, risk management, and human resources functions of OFSC and OFS Advisor. Mr. Rubenfeld has over 20 years of experience advising investment advisers, insurance companies, investment banks and other financial institutions. Prior to joining OFSC, Mr. Rubenfeld was the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of GSC Group, an SEC registered investment adviser specializing in middle market corporate credit, and also served as Chief Compliance Officer of GSC Capital Corp, an externally managed, closed end, publicly listed BDC. From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Rubenfeld was Director and Counsel at Assured Guaranty Corp. From 1995 to 2004, Mr. Rubenfeld worked as an attorney in private practice in New York and Washington, D.C. Mr. Rubenfeld received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1995 and his B.A., magna cum laude, in Economics and History from UCLA in 1991. | N/A | |||
Jeffery S. Owen Chief Accounting Officer Age: 51 |
Since 2016 | Jeffery S. Owen currently serves as the Chief Accounting Officer of OFS Capital and Hancock Park. Mr. Owen also serves as the Chief Accounting Officer and Controller of OFSC and OFS Advisor. Mr. Owen has over 25 years of experience in public and private accounting. Prior to joining OFSC in November of 2015, Mr. Owen served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Accounting for Northern Trust Corporation. Before joining Northern Trust Corporation in 2010, he held various positions at Aon Corporation, Web Street, Inc., CNA Financial Corporation, and Ernst & Young LLP, a national public accounting firm. Mr. Owen holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Oklahoma and a Masters of Business Administration, cum laude, from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Mr. Owen is also a Certified Public Accountant and a CFA charterholder. | N/A | |||
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Name, Address(1), Age and Position(s) with Company |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) | Other Public Directorships Held by Officer |
|||
Linda S. VanDenburgh Corporate Secretary Age: 58 |
Since 2015 | Linda S. VanDenburgh currently serves as Corporate Secretary of OFS Capital and Hancock Park, and Corporate Secretary, Vice President, General Counsel and Deputy Compliance Officer of OFSC and OFS Advisor. Ms. VanDenburgh has over 30 years of experience advising investment advisers, banks, investment companies and other financial institutions. Prior to joining OFSC in 2013, Ms. VanDenburgh acted as a Senior Attorney at BMO Harris Bank N.A., a Chicago-based bank owned by the Bank of Montreal. Prior to joining BMO in 2010, Ms. VanDenburgh held various positions with Northern Trust Corporation, Stein Roe Investment Counsel, and Van Kampen Investments, and worked as an attorney in private practice in Chicago. Ms. VanDenburgh received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1983 and her B.A., magna cum laude, in Psychology from Brown University in 1979. | N/A |
(1) | The address for each officer and director is c/o OFS Capital Corporation, 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606. |
(2) | Each director serves for a term until the earliest of the next election of the class for which such director was chosen and the election and qualification of his or her successor, or their: (i) removal, (ii) resignation or (iii) death. |
(3) | Interested person of the Company as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Messrs. Rashid and Cerny are each an interested person because of their affiliation with OFS Advisor. |
11
Our Board monitors and performs an oversight role with respect to our business and affairs, including with respect to investment practices and performance, compliance with regulatory requirements and the services, expenses and performance of service providers to us. Among other things, our Board approves the appointment of our investment adviser and our officers, reviews and monitors the services and activities performed by our investment adviser and our executive officers, and approves the engagement, and reviews the performance of, our independent registered public accounting firm.
The Board currently combines the role of Chairman of the Board with the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), coupled with a Lead Independent Director position to further strengthen the governance structure. The Board believes this provides an efficient and effective leadership model for the Company. Combining the Chairman and CEO roles fosters clear accountability, effective decision-making, and alignment on corporate strategy.
No single leadership model is right for all companies at all times. The Board recognizes that, depending on the circumstances, other leadership models, such as a separate independent chairman of the board, might be appropriate. Accordingly, the Board periodically reviews its leadership structure.
Moreover, the Board believes that its governance practices provide adequate safeguards against any potential risks that might be associated with having a combined Chairman and CEO. Specifically:
| Three of the five current directors of the Company are independent directors; |
| All of the members of the Audit Committee, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Compensation Committee are independent directors; |
| The Board and its committees regularly conduct scheduled meetings in executive session, out of the presence of Mr. Rashid and other members of management; |
| The Board and its committees regularly conduct meetings that specifically include Mr. Rashid; and |
| The Board and its committees remain in close contact with, and receive reports on various aspects of the Companys management and enterprise risk directly from, the Companys senior management and independent auditors. |
The Board has instituted the Lead Independent Director position to provide an additional measure of balance, ensure the Boards independence, and enhance its ability to fulfill its management oversight responsibilities. Robert J. Cresci currently serves as the Lead Independent Director. The Lead Independent Director:
| Presides over all meetings of the directors at which the Chairman is not present, including executive sessions of the independent directors; |
| Frequently consults with the Chairman and CEO about strategic policies; |
| Provides the Chairman and CEO with input regarding Board meetings; |
| Serves as a liaison between the Chairman and CEO and the independent directors; and |
| Otherwise assumes such responsibilities as may be assigned to him by the independent directors. |
Having a combined Chairman and CEO, coupled with a substantial majority of independent, experienced directors who evaluate the Board and themselves at least annually, including a Lead Independent Director with specified responsibilities on behalf of the independent directors, provides the right leadership structure for the Company and is best for the Company and its shareholders at this time.
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Our Board performs its risk oversight function primarily through (i) its standing committees, which report to the entire Board and are comprised solely of independent directors, and (ii) active monitoring of our Chief Compliance Officer and our compliance policies and procedures. For example, management of cybersecurity risks is the responsibility of the full Board. Oversight of other risks is delegated to the committees.
Oversight of our investment activities extends to oversight of the risk management processes employed by OFS Advisor as part of its day-to-day management of our investment activities. The Board anticipates reviewing risk management processes at both regular and special board meetings throughout the year, consulting with appropriate representatives of OFS Advisor as necessary and periodically requesting the production of risk management reports or presentations. The goal of the Boards risk oversight function is to ensure that the risks associated with our investment activities are accurately identified, thoroughly investigated and responsibly addressed. Investors should note, however, that the Boards oversight function cannot eliminate all risks or ensure that particular events do not adversely affect the value of investments.
We believe that the role of our Board in risk oversight is effective and appropriate given the extensive regulation to which we are already subject as a BDC. As a BDC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements that control the levels of risk in our business and operations. For example, we are limited in our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates, including investing in any portfolio company in which one of our affiliates currently has an investment.
We have entered into agreements with OFS Advisor and its affiliates in which certain members of our senior management have ownership and financial interests. OFS Advisor and its affiliates manage other assets and funds and may manage other entities in the future, including other BDCs, and these other funds and entities may have similar or overlapping investment strategies. The members of our investment committees serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds or other investment vehicles managed by OFS Advisor or its affiliates. Similarly, OFS Advisor and/or its affiliates may have other clients with similar, different or competing investment objectives. In serving in these multiple capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of us or our shareholders. OFS Advisor will seek to allocate investment opportunities among eligible accounts in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and consistent with its allocation policy so that we are not disadvantaged in relation to any other client. An investment opportunity that is suitable for multiple clients of OFS Advisor and its affiliates may not be capable of being shared among some or all of such clients and affiliates due to the limited scale of the opportunity or other factors, including regulatory restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act (see discussion below). There can be no assurance that OFS Advisors or its affiliates efforts to allocate any particular investment opportunity fairly and equitably among all clients for whom such opportunity is appropriate will result in an allocation of all or part of such opportunity to us. Not all conflicts of interest can be expected to be resolved in our favor. As a result, we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles managed by OFS Advisor and its affiliates or by members of our investment committees.
Because we have elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act, we are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. Those transactions include purchases and sales, and so-called joint transactions, in which we and one or more of our affiliates are engaging together in certain types of profit-making activities. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act, and we are generally prohibited from engaging in purchases or sales of assets or joint transactions with such affiliates, absent the prior approval of our independent directors. Additionally, without the approval of the SEC, we are prohibited from engaging in purchases or sales of assets or joint transactions with the following affiliated persons: (a) our officers, directors, and employees; (b) OFS Advisor and its affiliates; and (c) OFSAM or its affiliates.
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We may, however, invest alongside OFSAM and its affiliates or their respective other clients in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with current law and SEC staff interpretations. For example, we may invest alongside such accounts consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff permitting us and such other accounts to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that OFS Advisor, acting on our behalf and on behalf of other clients, negotiates no term other than price. Co-investment with such other accounts is not permitted or appropriate under this guidance when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between our interests and those of other accounts. Moreover, except in certain circumstances, this guidance does not permit us to invest in any issuer in which OFSAM and its affiliates or a fund managed by OFSAM or its affiliates has previously invested.
With the exception of investments specifically permitted by current law or regulatory guidance, we will not be permitted to co-invest with other funds managed by OFSAM or its affiliates unless we receive exemptive relief from the SEC permitting us to do so.
On January 15, 2016, we filed an exemptive application with the SEC to permit us to co-invest with funds or entities managed by OFS Advisor in certain negotiated transactions where co-investing would otherwise be prohibited under the 1940 Act. Any such order, if granted by the SEC, will be subject to certain terms and conditions. There can be no assurance when or if such exemptive relief will be granted by the SEC. If such relief is granted, then we will be permitted to co-invest with our affiliates if a required majority (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) or our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching by us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies. There can be no assurance when or if such exemptive relief will be granted by the SEC.
Where we are or may in the future be permitted to invest alongside OFSAM and its affiliates or their respective other clients, OFS Advisor will, to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulatory guidance, or exemptive relief, allocate investment opportunities in accordance with its allocation policy. Under this allocation policy, if two or more investment vehicles with similar or overlapping investment strategies are in their investment periods, an available opportunity will be allocated based on the provisions governing allocations of such investment opportunities in the relevant organizational, offering or similar documents, if any, for such investment vehicles. In the absence of any such provisions, OFS Advisor will consider the following factors and the weight that should be given with respect to each of these factors:
| investment guidelines and/or restrictions, if any, set forth in the applicable organizational, offering or similar documents for the investment vehicles; |
| risk and return profile of the investment vehicles; |
| suitability/priority of a particular investment for the investment vehicles; |
| if applicable, the targeted position size of the investment for the investment vehicles; |
| level of available cash for investment with respect to the investment vehicles; |
| total amount of funds committed to the investment vehicles; and |
| the age of the investment vehicles and the remaining term of their respective investment periods, if any. |
In situations where co-investment with other accounts is not permitted or appropriate, OFS Advisor will need to decide which account will proceed with the investment. The decision by OFS Advisor to allocate an opportunity to another entity could cause us to forego an investment opportunity that we otherwise would have made. These restrictions, and similar restrictions that limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates, may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.
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Our senior management, members of OFS Advisors investment committee, members of OFS SBIC I, LPs investment committee and other investment professionals from OFSAM or its other affiliates may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, companies in which we invest or in which we are considering making an investment. Through these and other relationships with a company, these individuals may obtain material non-public information that might restrict our ability to buy or sell the securities of such company under the policies of the company or applicable law.
We have entered into an Investment Advisory and Management Agreement with OFS Advisor and will pay OFS Advisor a base management fee and incentive fee. The incentive fee will be computed and paid on income that we may not yet have received in cash. This fee structure may create an incentive for OFS Advisor to invest in certain types of securities. Additionally, we rely on investment professionals from OFS Advisor to assist our Board with the valuation of our portfolio investments. OFS Advisors base management fee and incentive fee are based on the value of our investments and there may be a conflict of interest when personnel of OFS Advisor are involved in the valuation process for our portfolio investments. In addition, the incentive fee payable by us to OFS Advisor may create an incentive for OFS Advisor to cause us to make more speculative investments or increase our debt outstanding more than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement.
We have entered into a license agreement with OFSAM under which OFSAM grants us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name OFS.
We have entered into an Administration Agreement, pursuant to which OFS Capital Services, LLC (OFS Services) furnishes us with office facilities, equipment, necessary software licenses and subscriptions and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities. Under our Administration Agreement, OFS Services performs, or oversees the performance of, our required administrative services, which include, among other things, being responsible for the financial records that we are required to maintain and preparing reports to our shareholders and all other reports and materials required to be filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority.
OFS Advisor is an affiliate of OFSC, with which it has entered into a Staffing and Corporate Services Agreement (the Staffing Agreement). Under this agreement, OFSC makes available to OFS Advisor experienced investment professionals and access to the senior investment personnel and other resources of OFSC and its affiliates. The Staffing Agreement provides OFS Advisor with access to deal flow generated by the professionals of OFSC and its affiliates and commits the members of OFS Advisors investment committee to serve in that capacity. OFS Advisor capitalizes on the significant deal origination and sourcing, credit underwriting, due diligence, investment structuring, execution, portfolio management and monitoring experience of OFSCs investment professionals.
OFSC also has entered into a Staffing and Corporate Services Agreement with OFS Services. Under this agreement, OFS Services makes available to OFSC the administrative resources of OFS Services.
The Audit Committee of our Board is required to review and approve any transactions with related persons (as such term is defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K).
Pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, the Companys directors and executive officers, and any persons holding more than 10% of its common stock, are required to report their beneficial ownership and any changes therein to the SEC and the Company. Specific due dates for those reports have been established, and the Company is required to report herein any failure to file such reports by those due dates. Based on the Companys review of Forms 3, 4 and 5 filed by such persons and information provided by the Companys directors and officers, the Company believes that during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to such persons were met in a timely manner.
We maintain a corporate governance webpage at the Governance Documents link under the Investor Relations link at www.ofscapital.com.
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Our Code of Business Conduct and Board Committee charters are available at our corporate governance webpage at www.ofscapital.com and are also available to any shareholder who requests them by writing to our Chief Compliance Officer, Eric P. Rubenfeld, at OFS Capital Corporation, 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Attention: Chief Compliance Officer.
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct that applies to, among others, our executive officers, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, as well as every officer, director and employee of the Company. Requests for copies should be sent in writing to our Chief Compliance Officer, Eric P. Rubenfeld, at OFS Capital Corporation, 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The Companys Code of Business Conduct is also available on our website at www.ofscapital.com.
If we make any substantive amendment to, or grant a waiver from, a provision of our Code of Business Conduct, we will promptly disclose the nature of the amendment or waiver on our website at www.ofscapital.com as well as file a Form 8-K with the SEC.
In accordance with rules of The NASDAQ Global Select Market, the Board annually determines the independence of each director. No director is considered independent unless the Board has determined that he or she has no material relationship with the Company. The Company monitors the status of its directors and officers through the activities of the Companys Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and through a questionnaire completed by each director no less frequently than annually, with updates periodically if information provided in the most recent questionnaire has changed.
In order to evaluate the materiality of any such relationship, the Board uses the definition of director independence set forth in The NASDAQ Global Select Market rules. The NASDAQ Global Select Market rules provides that a director of a BDC shall be considered to be independent if he or she is not an interested person of the Company, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act defines an interested person to include, among other things, any person who has, or within the last two years had, a material business or professional relationship with the Company.
The Board has determined that each of the following directors and director nominees are independent and have no relationship with the Company, except as director of the Company: Messrs. Abrams and Cresci and Ms. Healy.
Our directors perform an evaluation, at least annually, of the effectiveness of the Board and its committees. This evaluation includes an annual questionnaire and Board committee discussion.
Shareholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of the Board by mail. To communicate with the Board, any individual directors or any group or committee of directors, correspondence should be addressed to the Board or any such individual directors or group or committee of directors by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent to OFS Capital Corporation, 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Attention: Chief Compliance Officer. Any communication to report potential issues regarding accounting, internal controls and other auditing matters will be directed to the Audit Committee. Appropriate OFS Capital Corporation personnel will review and sort through communications before forwarding them to the addressee(s).
The Board has established a (i) standing audit committee, (ii) standing nominating and corporate governance committee and (iii) standing compensation committee. The Board met ten times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. Each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of: (i) all regular meetings of the Board held during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015; and (ii) all committees on which the director served that were held while the director was a member. The Boards standing committees are set
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forth below. We require each director to make a diligent effort to attend all Board and committee meetings, as well as each Annual Meeting of Shareholders. All directors attended the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
The Audit Committee is presently composed of three persons, Messrs. Abrams and Cresci and Ms. Healy, each of whom meets the independence standards established by the SEC and NASDAQ for audit committees and is independent for purposes of the 1940 Act. Mr. Abrams serves as chairman of the Audit Committee. Our Board has determined that each of Messrs. Abrams and Cresci and Ms. Healy is an audit committee financial expert as that term is defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act.
The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board. The charter sets forth the responsibilities of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is responsible for selecting, engaging and discharging our independent accountants, reviewing the plans, scope and results of the audit engagement with our independent accountants, approving professional services provided by our independent accountants (including compensation therefor), reviewing the independence of our independent accountants and reviewing the adequacy of our internal controls over financial reporting. The Audit Committee also establishes guidelines and makes recommendations to our Board regarding the valuation of our loans and other investments. The Audit Committee met ten times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
A charter of the Audit Committee is available in print to any shareholder who requests it and it is also available on the Companys website at www.ofscapital.com.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consists of three members, Messrs. Abrams and Cresci and Ms. Healy, each of whom meets the independence standards established by NASDAQ and is independent for purposes of the 1940 Act. Mr. Cresci serves as chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board. The charter sets forth the responsibilities of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for selecting, researching and nominating directors for election by our shareholders, selecting nominees to fill vacancies on the Board or a committee of the Board and overseeing the evaluation of the Board and our management.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider nominees to the Board recommended by a shareholder, if such shareholder complies with the advance notice provisions of our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a shareholder who wishes to nominate a person for election as a director at a meeting of shareholders must deliver written notice to our Corporate Secretary. This notice must contain, as to each nominee, all of the information relating to such person as would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement meeting the requirements of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, and certain other information set forth in the bylaws. In order to be eligible to be a nominee for election as a director by a shareholder, such potential nominee must deliver to our Corporate Secretary a written questionnaire providing the requested information about the background and qualifications of such person and a written representation and agreement that such person is not and will not become a party to any voting agreements, any agreement or understanding with any person with respect to any compensation or indemnification in connection with service on the Board, and would be in compliance with all of our publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met once during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
A charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is available in print to any shareholder who requests it, and it is also available on the Companys website at www.ofscapital.com.
The Compensation Committee consists of three members, Messrs. Abrams and Cresci and Ms. Healy, each of whom meets the independence standards established by the SEC and NASDAQ and is independent for purposes of the 1940 Act. Ms. Healy serves as chairman of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board. Currently none of the Companys executive
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officers are directly compensated by the Company. However, the Company reimburses its administrator for the allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the administrator in performing its obligations under an administration agreement, including an allocable share of the compensation of certain of the Companys executive officers with finance and compliance responsibilities. The Compensation Committee met once during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
A charter of the Compensation Committee is available in print to any shareholder who requests it, and it is also available on the Companys website at www.ofscapital.com.
None of our officers receives direct compensation from us. Mr. Rashid, our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Cerny, our Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Owen, our Chief Accounting Officer, and Mr. Rubenfeld, our Chief Compliance Officer, are paid by OFSC, subject to reimbursement by us, pursuant to the Administration Agreement, for an allocable portion of such compensation for services rendered by such persons to us. To the extent that OFS Services outsources any of its functions under the Administration Agreement to OFSC under the Staffing Agreement, we will pay the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis without profit to OFS Services.
The following table shows information regarding the compensation received by our independent directors for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
Name | Aggregate Compensation from OFS Capital Corporation |
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Our Expenses(1) |
Total Compensation from OFS Capital Corporation Paid to Director |
|||||||||
Independent Directors |
||||||||||||
Marc Abrams | $ | 100,000 | | $ | 100,000 | |||||||
Robert J. Cresci | $ | 100,000 | | $ | 100,000 | |||||||
Elaine E. Healy | $ | 100,000 | | $ | 100,000 | |||||||
Interested Directors |
||||||||||||
Jeffrey A. Cerny | | | | |||||||||
Bilal Rashid | | | |
(1) | We do not have a profit-sharing or retirement plan, and directors do not receive any pension or retirement benefits. |
The independent directors receive an annual fee of $90,000. In addition, the chairman of each committee receives an annual fee of $10,000 for his or her additional services in this capacity. We have obtained directors and officers liability insurance on behalf of our directors and officers. Independent directors have the option of having their directors fees paid in shares of our common stock issued at a price per share equal to the greater of net asset value or the market price at the time of payment. No compensation is paid to directors who are interested persons.
The director nominee shall be elected by a plurality of all the votes present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. Each share may be voted for each director nominee. Votes that are withheld will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on this proposal.
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The Audit Committee and the Board, including a majority of the independent directors, have appointed BDO USA, LLP (BDO) as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2016, and are submitting the selection of BDO to the shareholders for ratification.
If the shareholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee and the Board will reconsider whether or not to continue to retain BDO. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee and the Board may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year of they determine that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.
BDO has advised the Company that neither the firm nor any present member or associate of it has any financial interest, direct or indirect, in the Company or its affiliates.
It is expected that a representative of BDO will be present at the Annual Meeting, will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she so chooses, and will be available to answer questions.
The Company engaged BDO to act as its independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal years ended 2014 and 2015.
The following table presents fees incurred by the Company for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2015 for professional services rendered by the Companys principal accounting firm, BDO.
2014(1) | 2015 | |||||||
Audit Fees | $ | 372,300 | $ | 380,070 | ||||
Audit-Related Fees | 5,000 | | ||||||
Tax Fees | 32,305 | 40,860 | ||||||
All Other Fees | | | ||||||
Total Fees | $ | 409,605 | $ | 420,930 |
(1) | From April 11, 2014, which is the date the Company engaged BDO to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Companys consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014. |
Audit Fees. Audit fees consist of fees billed, including out-of-pocket expenses, for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by our independent registered public accounting firm in connection with statutory and regulatory filings.
Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related services consist of fees billed, including out-of-pocket expenses, for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under Audit Fees. These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.
Tax Fees. Tax fees consist of fees billed, including out-of-pocket expenses, for professional services for tax compliance. These services include assistance regarding federal, state, and local tax compliance.
All Other Fees. All other fees would include fees for products and services other than the services reported above.
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The Companys Audit Committee reviews, negotiates and approves in advance the scope of work, any related engagement letter and the fees to be charged by the independent auditors for audit services and permitted non-audit services for the Company and for permitted non-audit services for the Companys investment adviser and any affiliates thereof that provide services to the Company if such non-audit services have a direct impact on the operations or financial reporting of the Company. All of the audit and non-audit services described above for which BDO billed the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
As part of its oversight of the Companys financial statements, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with both management and the Companys independent registered public accounting firm all of the Companys financial statements filed with the SEC for each quarter during fiscal year 2015 and for the year ended December 31, 2015. Management advised the Audit Committee that all financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), and reviewed significant accounting issues with the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee also discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 16.
The Audit Committee of the Board has established a pre-approval policy that describes the permitted audit, audit-related, tax, and other services to be provided by the Companys independent registered public accounting firm. Pursuant to the policy, the Audit Committee pre-approves the audit and non-audit services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm in order to assure that the provision of such service does not impair the firms independence.
Any requests for audit, audit-related, tax, and other services that have not received general pre-approval must be submitted to the Audit Committee for specific pre-approval, irrespective of the amount, and cannot commence until such approval has been granted. Normally, pre-approval is provided at regularly scheduled meetings of the Audit Committee. However, the Audit Committee may delegate pre-approval authority to one or more of its members. The member or members to whom such authority is delegated shall report any pre-approval decisions to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. The Audit Committee does not delegate its responsibilities to pre-approve services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm to management.
The Audit Committee received and reviewed the written disclosures from the independent registered public accounting firm required by the applicable Public Company Accounting Oversight Board rule regarding the independent accountants communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the firm its independence. The Audit Committee has reviewed the audit fees paid by the Company to the independent registered public accounting firm. It has also reviewed non-audit services and fees to assure compliance with the Companys and the Audit Committees policies restricting the independent registered public accounting firm from performing services that might impair its independence.
Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015, be included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, for filing with the SEC. The Audit Committee also recommended the selection of BDO USA, LLP to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.
The Audit Committee
Marc Abrams, Chair
Robert J. Cresci
Elaine E. Healy
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*The material in this report is not soliciting material, is not deemed filed with the SEC, and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing.
The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting in person or by proxy is required to ratify the selection of BDO to serve as the Companys independent registered public accounting firm. Abstentions will not be included in determining the number of votes cast and, as a result, will have no effect on the result of the vote.
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The Companys bylaws require the Company to hold an annual shareholders meeting for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Company on a date and at a time set by the Board. Any shareholder proposals submitted pursuant to the SECs Rule 14a-8 for inclusion in the Companys proxy statement and form of proxy for the 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be received by the Company on or before January 5, 2017. Such proposals must also comply with the requirements as to form and substance established by the SEC if such proposals are to be included in the proxy statement and form of proxy. Any such proposal should be mailed to: Linda S. VanDenburgh at 10 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Shareholder proposals or director nominations to be presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, other than shareholder proposals submitted pursuant to the SECs Rule 14a-8, must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Company not less than ninety (90) days in advance of the one year anniversary of the previous years Annual Meeting of Shareholders. For the Companys 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Company must receive such proposals and nominations no later than March 5, 2017. If the date of the Annual Meeting has been changed by more than thirty (30) calendar days from the date contemplated at the time of the previous years proxy statement, shareholder proposals or director nominations must be so received not later than the tenth day following the day on which the date of the 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is first publicly announced or disclosed. Proposals must also comply with the other requirements contained in the Companys bylaws, including supporting documentation and other information. Proxies solicited by the Company will confer discretionary voting authority with respect to these proposals, subject to SEC rules governing the exercise of this authority. To date, the Company has not received any recommendations from shareholders requesting consideration of a candidate for inclusion among the committees slate of nominees in the Companys proxy statement.
Pursuant to the Companys bylaws, for a director nomination or other business to be considered for the next annual meeting of shareholders, notice must be provided in writing and delivered to the Corporate Secretary of the Company at the Companys principal executive office by March 5, 2017 but not before February 3, 2017. The timely submission of a proposal does not guarantee its inclusion.
The Board is not aware of any matters that will be presented for action at the Annual Meeting other than the matters set forth herein. Should any other matters requiring a vote of shareholders arise, it is intended that the proxies that do not contain specific instructions to the contrary will be voted in accordance with the judgment of the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy.
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