Blueprint
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment
No. __)
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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 Rule 14a-12
Isramco, Inc.
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(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
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(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
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Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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ISRAMCO, INC.
1001 West Loop South, Suite 750
Houston, Texas 77027
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2018 annual
meeting (the “Annual
Meeting”) of the
shareholders of Isramco, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held at the Company's offices at
1001 West Loop South, Suite 750, Houston Texas 77027, on June 22,
2018 at 9:00 A.M., local time, for the following
purposes:
(i)
to
elect six directors of the Company to hold office until the next
annual meeting of the shareholders and until their respective
successors shall have been duly elected and qualified;
(ii)
to ratify the appointment of Malone Bailey, LLP as the
Company's independent public accounting firm for the year ending
December 31, 2018; and
(iii)
to transact
such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting
and any adjournment thereof.
The Board of Directors has fixed the close of
business on May 1, 2018, as the record date for the determination
of shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual
Meeting or any adjournment thereof. A complete list of shareholders
entitled to vote at the meeting will be available for examination
at the offices of the Company for ten (10) days prior to the
meeting. Only shareholders of record at the close of business on
May 1, 2018 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to vote at the
meeting.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Haim Tsuff
Chairman of the Board
Chief Executive Officer
President
April 30, 2018
PLEASE COMPLETE, SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND PROMPTLY
RETURN IT IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED. NO POSTAGE IS NECESSARY IF
MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES.
ISRAMCO, INC.
1001 West Loop South Suite 750
Houston Texas 77027
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON JUNE 22, 2018
INTRODUCTION
This Proxy Statement (the “Proxy
Statement”) is furnished in connection with the solicitation
of proxies by the Board of Directors (the
“Board
of Directors” or the
“Board”) of Isramco, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the “Company”) for use at the 2018 annual meeting (the
“Annual
Meeting”) of the
Company's shareholders (the “Shareholders”) to be held at the Company's offices at
1001 West Loop South, Suite 750, Houston, Texas 77027, on Monday,
June 22, 2018, at 9:00 A.M.,
local time, and any adjournment(s) thereof.
In addition to mailing the proxy materials to each
of our shareholders, our Board of Directors has made these proxy
materials available to you on the Internet on or about May 5, 2018,
at its transfer agent, American Stock Transfer,
at www.astproxyportal.com/ast/03348
as described in the Notice of Internet
Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”), mailed to Shareholders of record and
beneficial holders. Printed versions of these proxy materials have
been delivered to you by mail, in connection with the Board of
Directors’ solicitation of proxies for use at our 2018 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders. Our Shareholders are invited to attend the
annual meeting and are requested to vote on the proposals described
in this proxy statement. These proxy materials include: our proxy
statement for (and notice of) the Annual Meeting; and our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which
includes our annual audited financial statements for fiscal
2017. If you requested printed versions of these proxy
materials by mail, these proxy materials also include our
2018 annual meeting proxy card or a
voting information card for submitting your vote in writing to us
or your broker, as the case may be.
Purposes of the 2018 Annual Meeting
At
the Annual Meeting, the Shareholders will be asked:
(i)
to
elect six directors of the Company to hold office until the next
annual meeting of the shareholders and until their respective
successors shall have been duly elected and qualified;
(ii)
to ratify the appointment of Malone Bailey, LLP as
the Company's independent public accounting firm for the year
ending December 31, 2018;
and
(iii)
to transact
such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting
and any adjournment thereof.
Voting Rights
To have a valid meeting of the Shareholders, a
quorum of the Company's Shareholders is necessary. A quorum
consists of Shareholders holding a majority of the shares of the
common stock of the Company (the “Common Stock”) issued and outstanding and entitled to
vote on the Record Date present in person or by proxy at the Annual
Meeting. Shareholders who execute proxies retain the right to
revoke them at any time by notice in writing to the Secretary of
the Company, by revocation in person at the meeting or by
presenting a later-dated proxy. Unless so revoked, the shares
represented by proxies will be voted at the meeting. The shares
represented by the proxies solicited by the Board of Directors of
the Company will be voted in accordance with the directions given
therein, but if no direction is given, such shares will be voted in
accordance with the Board’s
recommendations.
All voting rights are vested exclusively in the
holders of Common Stock. Only holders of Common Stock at the close
of business on May 1, 2018, (the “Record Date”) are entitled to receive notice of and to
vote at the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, there will be a
total of approximately 2,717,648 shares of Common Stock
outstanding. Each holder of Common Stock entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting is entitled to one vote for each share
held.
Shareholders
representing a majority of the Common Stock issued and outstanding
as of the Record Date, present in person or by proxy at the Annual
Meeting, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business
at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof. Abstentions
and shares held of record by a broker for which the broker has
discretionary authority or instructions to vote the shares are
counted as shares that are present at the Annual Meeting for
purposes of determining a quorum.
Abstentions occur when Shareholders are present at
the Annual Meeting but fail to vote or voluntarily withhold their
vote for any of the matters upon which the Shareholders are voting.
There are also non-discretionary matters for which brokers and
other nominees do not have discretionary authority to vote unless
they receive timely instructions from you. For Proposal 1
(Election
of Directors), to be voted on
at the Annual Meeting, you must provide timely instructions on how
the broker or other nominee should vote your shares. When a broker
or other nominee does not have discretion to vote on a particular
matter, you have not given timely instructions on how the broker or
other nominee should vote your shares and the broker or other
nominee indicates it does not have authority to vote such shares on
its proxy, a “broker
non-vote” results.
Although any broker non-vote will be counted as present at the
meeting for purposes of determining a quorum, it would be treated
as not entitled to vote with respect to non-discretionary
matters.
Assuming
a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting, the following is a
summary of the vote required to approve each proposal, as well as
the effect of broker non-votes and abstentions.
☐
Proposal 1 (Election of
Directors): To be
elected, each nominee for election as a director must receive the
affirmative vote of a majority of the votes of the Company’s
Common Stock, present in person or by proxy at the meeting and
entitled to vote on the proposal. Abstentions may not be
specified as to the election of directors, but you may withhold
your vote as to any nominee. Votes that are withheld
from a director’s election will be counted toward a quorum,
but will not affect the outcome of the vote on the election of a
director. Broker non-votes will be counted toward a
quorum, but will not be taken into account in determining the
outcome of the election.
☐
Proposal 2 (Ratify Appointment of Outside
Auditors): To ratify the appointment of Malone Bailey, LLP as
the company’s independent Public accounting firm for the year
ending December 31, 2018. To be ratified, Malone Bailey, LLP must
receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes of the
Company’s Common Stock, present in person or by proxy at the
meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal. Broker non-votes will
not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the
election.
How Can I Vote Without Attending the Annual Meeting?
There
are three methods for registered shareholders to direct their vote
by proxy without attending the Annual Meeting:
●
Vote by Internet. You can vote via the Internet.
The website address for Internet voting is provided on your Notice
or proxy card. You will need to use the control number appearing on
your Notice or proxy card to vote via the Internet. You can use the
Internet to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M.
Eastern Time on Thursday, June 21, 2018. Internet voting is available 24 hours a day.
If you vote via the Internet you do NOT need to vote by telephone
or return a proxy card.
●
Vote by Telephone. You can also vote by telephone
by calling the toll-free telephone number provided on the Internet
link on your Notice or on your proxy card. You will need to use the
control number appearing on your Notice or proxy card to vote by
telephone. You may transmit your voting instructions from any
touch-tone telephone up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on Thursday,
June 21, 2018. Telephone voting
is available 24 hours a day. If you vote by telephone you do NOT
need to vote over the Internet or return a proxy
card.
●
Vote
by Mail. If you received a printed copy of the proxy card, you can
vote by marking, dating and signing it, and returning it in the
postage-paid envelope provided. Please promptly mail your proxy
card to ensure that it is received prior to the closing of the
polls at the Annual Meeting.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT AND CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
OWNERS
The following table sets forth certain
information, as of the Record Date, concerning the ownership of the
Company’s Common Stock by (a) each of the Company's
directors, (b) the Company’s Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, Co-Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, General Counsel
& Corporate Secretary, and former Legal Counsel and Corporate
Secretary (the “Named Executive
Officers”), (c) all
current directors, executive officers of the Company as a group;
and (d) each person who beneficially owns more than five percent of
the Company’s Common Stock.
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Amount and Nature of
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Name and Address of Beneficial Owner (1)
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Beneficial Ownership (2)
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Percent of Class (2)
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Haim
Tsuff, Chairman, Co-Chief
Executive Officer and President
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1,984,196
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(3) (4) (5)
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73.01
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%
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United Kingsway Ltd.
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1,922,517
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(4)(5)
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70.74
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%
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YHK Investment L.P.
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1,922,517
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(4)(5)
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70.74
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%
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Equital Ltd.
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1,922,517
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(4)(5)
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70.74
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%
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J.O.E.L. Jerusalem Oil Exploration Ltd.
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1,922,517
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(4)(5)
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70.74
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%
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Naphtha Israel Petroleum Corporation, Ltd.
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1,922,517
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(4)(5)
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70.74
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%
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Naphtha Holding Ltd.
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1,592,841
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(4)
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58.61
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%
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I.O.C.- Israel Oil Company, Ltd
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329,676
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(5)
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12.13
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%
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Naphtha Exploration LP (6)
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--
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--
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Joseph From, Director
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--
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--
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Max Pridgeon, Director
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--
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--
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Frans Sluiter, Director
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--
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--
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Asaf Yarkoni, Director
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--
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--
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Nir Hasson, Director (8)
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--
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--
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Edy Francis, Chief Financial Officer
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--
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--
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Zeev
Koltovskoy, Co-Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Accounting
Officer
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--
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--
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Anthony James, General Counsel & Secretary
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--
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--
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All directors and executive officers as a group
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1,984,196
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(1-7)
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73.30
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%
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(1)
Unless otherwise specified, the address of such person is c/o
Isramco, Inc., 1001 West Loop South, Suite 750, Houston, Texas
77027.
(2) Beneficial ownership is determined in
accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "SEC") and generally includes voting or investment
power with respect to securities. In accordance with SEC
rules, shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options
or warrants which are currently exercisable or which become
exercisable within 60 days of the Record Date are deemed to be
beneficially owned by, and outstanding with respect to, the holder
of such option or warrant. Except as indicated by
footnote, and subject to community property laws where applicable,
to the knowledge of the Company, each person listed is believed to
have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of
Common Stock owned by such person.
(3) Haim Tsuff, the Company’s Chairman of
the Board, Co-Chief Executive
Officer and President, holds directly 61,679 shares of the
Company. Also, as described in Note 4 and 5 below, he
may be deemed to control an additional 1,922,517 shares of Common
Stock.
(4) Naphtha Israel Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
(“Naphtha
Petroleum”), an Israeli
public company whose shares are listed on the Tel Aviv Exchange,
holds all of the outstanding voting shares of Naphtha Holding Ltd.
(“Naphtha
Holding”), a private
Israeli company. Haim Tsuff, the Company’s
Chairman of the Board, Co-Chief
Executive Officer and President, may be deemed to beneficially own
any shares held by Naphtha Holding within the meaning of
Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act, by virtue of the control that
he exercises over Naphtha Petroleum. The nature of Mr.
Tsuff’s control over Naphtha Petroleum is described in the
succeeding paragraphs. The address of Naphtha Petroleum and Naphtha
Holding is 8 Granit Street, P. O. Box 10188, Petach Tikva, 49002
Israel.
Mr. Tsuff holds all of the outstanding voting
shares of United Kingsway Limited (“United
Kingsway”), a Bahamian
private company. He also serves as the sole director of
United Kingsway. United Kingsway holds 74% of the
outstanding membership interests in each of YHK Investment L.P.
(“YHK
LP”), an Israeli limited
partnership and YHK General Manager Ltd.
(“YHK
Manager”), a private
Israeli company that serves as the general partner of YHP
LP. YHK LP holds 65.8% of the outstanding voting
securities of Equital Ltd. (“Equital”), an Israeli public company listed on the
Tel Aviv Exchange. The address of United Kingsway is Spaarneweg 14,
Cruquius 2142 EN, The Netherlands. The address of YHK LP and YHK
Manager is 8 Granit Street, P. O. Box 10188, Petach Tikva, 49002
Israel. The address of Equital is 8 Granit Street, P. O. Box 10188,
Petach Tikva, 49002 Israel.
Equital holds 37% of the outstanding voting
securities of Jerusalem Oil Exploration Ltd.
(“J.O.E.L.”), an Israeli public
company.
J.O.E.L. holds 65% of the outstanding voting
securities Naphtha Petroleum which, as noted above, holds all of
the outstanding voting securities of Naphtha Holding and also
controls Israel Oil Company Ltd., an Israeli private company
(“I.O.C.”). The address of J.O.E.L. is 8 Granit
Street, P. O. Box 10188, Petach Tikva, 49002
Israel.
The
1,592,841 shares of Common Stock noted in the table above are held
in the name of Naphtha Holding and 329,676 shares are held in the
name of I.O.C. None of United Kingsway, YHP LP, YHK
Manager, Equital or J.O.E.L. holds, directly, any shares of the
Company’s Common Stock. However, due to the controlling
ownership structure described above, each of these entities may be
deemed to beneficially own such shares.
(5) Haim Tsuff, the Company’s
Chairman of the Board, Co-Chief
Executive Officer and President, may be deemed to control the
329,676 shares of the Company’s Common Stock held directly by
I.O.C.- Israel Oil Company Ltd., an Israeli private company
(“I.O.C.”) through control of J.O.E.L. and Naphtha
Petroleum, which in turn control I.O.C. The address of I.O.C. is 8
Granit Street, P. O. Box 10188, Petach Tikva, 49002
Israel. Mr. Tsuff’s control of J.O.E.L. and
Naphtha Petroleum is more particularly described in footnote (4)
above.
(6) Haim Tsuff, the Company’s
Chairman of the Board, Co-Chief
Executive Officer and President, may be deemed to control Naphtha
Exploration LP., an Israeli limited partnership listed on the Tel
Aviv Exchange, through control of its general partner, Naphtha
Partnerships Management Ltd. In December 2016, Naphtha Exploration
LP sold 7,804 shares of the Company’s Common Stock that it
held directly, and after such sale transaction Naphtha Exploration
does not hold any shares of the Company’s Common Stock
directly. The address of Naphtha Exploration LP is 8 Granit Street,
P. O. Box 10188, Petach Tikva, 49002 Israel. Naphtha Exploration LP merged with and into
Isramco Negev 2, limited partnership, a company affiliated by
common ownership, on June 4, 2017.
(7) Mr. Hasson was appointed to the
Board of Directors in 2014.
Performance Graph
The following graph compares the cumulative return on a $100
investment in our common stock from December 31, 2012, through
December 31, 2017, to that of the cumulative return on a $100
investment in the Standard & Poor’s 500
(“S&P 500”) index and the Dow Jones U.S. Select
Exploration & Production index for the same period. In
calculating the cumulative return, reinvestment of dividends, if
any, is assumed. This graph is not “soliciting
material,” is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not to be
incorporated by reference in any of our filings under the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after
the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation
language in any such filing. This graph is included in accordance
with the SEC’s disclosure rules. This historic stock
performance is not indicative of future stock
performance.
COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
Among Isramco, Inc., the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones U.S.
Select Exploration &
Production Index
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S&P
500
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$100.00
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$129.60
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$144.36
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$143.31
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$156.98
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$187.47
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ISRL
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$100.00
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$122.18
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$132.71
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$85.88
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$119.53
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$100.63
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Dow
Jones U.S. Exploration & Production
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$100.00
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$129.57
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$112.43
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$83.35
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$103.23
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$102.42
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
This
Compensation Discussion and Analysis is intended to provide you
with a detailed description of the Company’s executive
compensation philosophy and objectives, the compensation decisions
that the Company’s Compensation Committee has made pursuant
to those objectives and the factors considered in making those
decisions. The Company’s compensation program for senior
executives is governed by the Compensation Committee, which
determines the compensation of all of the Company’s executive
officers. We note that the Compensation Committee does
not tie compensation to any performance metric targets of the
Company and, accordingly, sets compensation through a discretionary
approach based on factors that are discussed herein below. This
discussion and analysis focuses on the Company’s named
executive officers – the Company’s (i) Chairman,
Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, (ii) Co-Chief Executive
Officer (formerly Senior Vice President) and Chief Financial
Officer, (iii) Chief Accounting Officer, and (iv) General Counsel
and Secretary.
Compensation Philosophy and Objectives
The primary objectives of our market based
compensation program for Haim Tsuff, Chairman of the Board,
Co-Chief Executive Officer and President; Edy Francis, Co-Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer; Zeev Koltovskoy,
Chief Accounting Officer; and Anthony James, General Counsel and
Secretary (collectively the “Named Executive
Officers”) were and are
to attract and retain qualified and experienced executive talent,
provide appropriate incentives for the Named Executive Officers to
apply their efforts in such a way that supports our financial
performance objectives and business strategy, and to align their
incentives with enhancement of shareholder value. In particular,
our compensation program for Named Executive Officers is designed
to reward superior job performance and individual initiative to
help increase the Company's oil and gas reserves, production rates,
earnings per share and to manage operating
costs. Approximately 97% of the shares of Common Stock
present at the Company’s 2017 annual meeting of Shareholders
voted in favor of the Company’s executive compensation. The
Company believes that its compensation philosophy and objectives
align with the latest shareholder advisory vote on compensation by
incorporating the sentiment of the shareholder advisory vote into
decision making regarding the objectives and goals of the
Company’s compensation program. This consideration of the
shareholder sentiment was utilized in determining discretionary
cash bonuses and setting salaries for Named Executive
Officers.
The
Compensation Committee is developing metrics by which executive
cash incentives and stock-related incentives will be awarded
through the Company's incentive plans. In that effort, the
Compensation Committee seeks to compensate the Company's Named
Executive Officers so that their aggregate cash and equity
compensation is adequate to attract and retain qualified and
experienced executive talent, provide appropriate incentives for
the Named Executive Officers to apply their efforts in such a way
that supports our financial performance objectives and business
strategy, and to align their incentives with enhancement of
shareholder value. To date, the Company has not issued any
stock-related incentives to its Named Executive Officers, and
instead relies solely upon cash compensation with respect to its
Named Executive Officers.
Role of the Compensation Committee, its Consultants and
Management
The Company’s Board has entrusted the
Compensation Committee to carry out the Board's overall
responsibility relating to the compensation of our Named Executive
Officers. Our Co-Chief
Executive Officer and President also play an important role in the executive
compensation process, in overseeing the performance and dynamics of
the executive team and generally keeping the Compensation Committee
informed of business objectives and the performance of the Named
Executive Officers other than the Co-Chief Executive Officer and President. All
final approvals regarding the Named Executive Officers'
compensation remain with the Compensation Committee. Finally, the
Company or the Compensation Committee may retain an independent
consulting firm and/or legal counsel experienced in executive and
overall compensation practices and policies to assist the
Compensation Committee in calibrating the form and amount of
executive compensation. No such consulting firms or
legal counsel were engaged by the Company or the Compensation
Committee in 2017.
The Compensation Committee, together with the
assistance and recommendation of our Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, and other advisors deemed
appropriate by the Compensation Committee, typically reviews and
discusses each particular executive compensation component
presented and approves the compensation of the other Named
Executive Officers. In the case of our Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, the Compensation Committee,
together with the full Board and the Lead Independent Director (Max
Pridgeon), reviews and discusses each compensation component
(together with compensation consultants and any counsel, other
advisors or members of management deemed appropriate by the
Compensation Committee). Following this review, the Compensation
Committee sets the salary and other compensation of our
Co-Chief Executive Officer
and President.
Market Analysis
When
making compensation decisions, the Compensation Committee considers
comparative compensation information of select peer and industry
companies as a reference in its review and approval of compensation
for the Named Executive Officers. This review is done with respect
to both the structure of our executive compensation program as well
as the targeted amount of compensation. The Company has selected
the following companies as peers for such review:
VANGUARD NATURAL RESOURCESSTONE ENERGY CORP
MEMORIAL PRODUCTION PARTNERS LP
EXCO RESOURCES INC.
CALLON PETROLEUM COMPANY
APPROACH RESOURCES
CONTANGO OIL & GAS COMPANY
PETROQUEST ENERGY INC.
GASTAR EXPLORATION LIMITED (USA)
MID-CON ENERGY PARTNERS LP
TRANSGLOBE ENERGY CORP.PRIMEENERGY CORPORATION
SANCHEZ PRODUCTION PARTNERS LLC
ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORP
Because
the comparative compensation information is just one of the several
analytic tools that are used in setting executive compensation, the
Compensation Committee has discretion in determining the nature and
extent of its use of any or all of the compensation information of
the comparative companies. When exercising its discretion, the
Compensation Committee may consider factors such as the nature of
officer's duties and responsibilities as compared to the
corresponding position in the peer companies, the experience and
value the officer brings to the role, the officer's performance
results, demonstrated success in meeting key financial and other
business objectives and the amount of the officer's pay relative to
the pay of his or her peers within our company.
Elements of Executive Compensation
Setting Executive Compensation in 2017
Base Salary. The base salary of each Named Executive Officer
is reviewed annually by the Compensation Committee. The
Company’s Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President
recommends salary increases for the other Named Executive Officers
(but does not provide any recommendation with respect to his own
compensation), which are reviewed and approved by the Compensation
Committee.
For
2017, the primary factor in determining the amount of increase in
base salary was the Compensation Committee's subjective assessment
of individual performance of each of our Named Executive Officers.
The Compensation Committee also reviewed the comparative
compensation data discussed above to assess the reasonableness of
the base salary amounts in light of the officer's duties and
responsibilities as compared to similarly situated officers in the
peer group. The following table reflects annualized base salary
amounts for the Named Executive Officers for 2017, 2016 and
2015:
Name
|
|
|
|
Haim Tsuff
|
$360,000
|
$360,000
|
$360,000
|
Edy Francis
|
110,000
|
110,000
|
110,000
|
Zeev Koltovskoy
|
80,000
|
80,000
|
80,000
|
Anthony James
|
175,000
|
175,000
|
175,000
|
Annual Cash Incentive Compensation.
In
connection with its review of the performance of each of the Named
Executive Officers, the Compensation Committee specifically
considered each executive's leadership in the performance of his
duties and within the Company as a whole. While no
specific performance goals or metrics were set out for any Named
Executive Officer with regard to annual cash incentive
compensation, the Compensation Committee also considered the
difficulty of each Named Executive Officer’s duties in light
of the challenging and competitive nature the Company’s
operations and the overall economy. The following is a discussion
of the material factors the Compensation Committee considered in
assessing each Named Executive Officer's contribution and
achievement in the performance of his or her individual
duties:
●
Haim Tsuff: In assessing Mr. Tsuff’s
performance, the Compensation Committee, together with the Lead
Independent Director, considered the leadership and strategic
vision that Mr. Tsuff provides for the continued growth of the
Company as Co-Chief Executive
Officer and President. As a result of his significant ownership
position in the Company, the Company believes that Mr.
Tsuff’s objectives are closely aligned with those of our
shareholders.
●
Edy Francis: In assessing Mr. Francis’
performance, the Compensation Committee, together with the Lead Independent Director,
considered his role as Co-Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, including his
management of financial restructuring and accounting management
that impacted the Company's business.
●
Zeev
Koltovskoy: In assessing Mr. Koltovskoy’ performance, the
Compensation Committee considered his role as Chief Accounting
Officer, including his familiarity with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
procedures and accounting management that impacted the Company's
business.
●
Anthony
James: In assessing Mr. James’s performance, the
Compensation Committee considered his role as in-house counsel, and
his roles in Land and Human Resources, including his management of
issues that impacted the Company’s business.
The
following chart presents information about the awards earned by
each of the Named Executive Officers as a result of the
Compensation Committee’s review of the performance of each of
the Named Executive Officers:
Named Executive Officer
|
2017 Incentive Payout as a
% of Base Salary
|
|
Haim Tsuff
|
0%
|
0
|
Edy Francis
|
150%
|
165,000
|
Zeev Koltovskoy
|
53%
|
42,500
|
Anthony James
|
29%
|
50,000
|
For
more information on total compensation paid to our Named Executive
Officers, see “Executive Compensation and Related
Information— 2017 Summary Compensation
Table.”
Compensation Policies
Adjustment or Recovery of
Awards upon Restatement of Company Performance. The Company does have a formal policy requiring
its Named Executive Officers to return cash and equity incentive
awards if the relevant metrics upon which the awards are based are
ever restated or otherwise adjusted in a manner that would reduce
the size of an award or payment. The Company also has a
provision in its employment contracts with Named Executive Officers
allowing the company to force the return of any cash and equity
incentive awards if the relevant metrics upon which the awards are
based are ever restated or otherwise adjusted in a manner that
would reduce the size of an award or payment.
Stock Ownership
Guidelines. The Company has no
stock ownership guidelines for its Named Executive Officers or for
its Directors.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
The
Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis included in this Proxy Statement with
management. Based on the Compensation Committee's review of and
discussions with management with respect to the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis, the Compensation Committee has recommended
to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be
included in this Proxy Statement.
Submitted by the Compensation Committee.
Frans Sluiter – Chairman
Nir Hasson
Asaf Yarkoni
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER
PARTICIPATION
Frans
Sluiter, Nir Hasson and Joseph From served on the Compensation
Committee in 2017. No member of the Compensation Committee has
served as one of our officers or employees at any
time. No member of the Compensation Committee had any
relationship requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K.
None of our executive officers served, or in the past fiscal year
has served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation
committee of any entity that has one or more of its executive
officers serving on our Board of Directors or Compensation
Committee.
The
following table sets forth information for the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2015, December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2017, and
concerning compensation of the Company’s Named Executive
Officers:
Summary Compensation Table
Name and Principal Position
|
|
Year
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)
|
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)
|
All Other Compensation ($) (1)
|
|
Haim
Tsuff
|
|
2017
|
$360,000
|
$-
|
$-
|
$-
|
$-
|
$-
|
$-
|
$360,000
|
Chairman, Co-Chief Executive
Officer,
|
|
2016
|
360,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
360,000
|
President
|
|
2015
|
360,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
360,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edy Francis
(2)
|
|
2017
|
110,000
|
165,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
55,231
|
330,231
|
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Financial
|
|
2016
|
110,000
|
125,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
55,597
|
290,597
|
Officer (formerly Senior Vice
President)
|
|
2015
|
110,000
|
125,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
51,229
|
286,229
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zeev
Koltovskoy (3)
|
|
2017
|
80,000
|
42,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
33,808
|
156,308
|
Chief
Accounting Officer
|
|
2016
|
80,000
|
40,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
33,877
|
153,877
|
|
|
2015
|
80,000
|
40,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
33,680
|
153,680
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anthony
James (4)
|
|
2017
|
175,000
|
50,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
10,538
|
235,538
|
General
Counsel & Secretary
|
|
2016
|
175,000
|
47,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9,265
|
231,675
|
|
|
2015
|
175,000
|
45,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9,269
|
229,269
|
(1)
“All
Other Compensation” is mainly composed of contributions to
the Company’s 401(K) plan and contributions to employee
benefit plans, such as medical, dental, vision, short term
disability, long term disability, voluntary life, and dependent
life. In addition, certain specific allowances (e.g., cellular
phones, plane tickets) specifically identified in an
Executive’s employment agreement with the Company are also
included in this category.
(2)
Mr. Francis was elevated to the position of
Co-Chief Executive Officer in
November 2017 and continues to serve as the Company’s
Chief Financial Officer, a
position he has held since 2007. Upon elevation to Co-Chief
Executive Officer, Mr. Francis resigned his title of Senior Vice
President. In the category of “All Other Compensation,”
in 2017, Mr. Francis received $22,495 in medical insurance
benefits; $20,400 as housing allowance; $3,736 as car allowance;
$5,500 in employer contributions to the Company’s 401(K)
plan; $1,200 as cellular phone service allowance; and de minimis
Company contributions toward dental, vision and life insurance
benefits. In 2016, Mr. Francis received the following: $21,986 in
medical insurance benefits; $18,602 as housing allowance; $3,736 as
car allowance; $5,500 in employer contributions to the
Company’s 401(K) plan; $1,200 as cellular phone service
allowance; and de minimis Company contributions toward dental,
vision and life insurance benefits. In 2015, Mr. Francis received the following: $18,908 in
medical insurance benefits; $20,165 as housing allowance; $3,736 as
car allowance; $5,500 in employer contributions to the
Company’s 401(K) plan; $1,200 as cellular phone service
allowance; and de minimis Company contributions toward dental,
vision and life insurance benefits.
(4)
In the category of “All Other
Compensation,” Mr. Koltovskoy received the following in 2017:
$6,622 in medical insurance benefits; $14,052 as housing allowance;
$7,800 as car and fuel allowance; $4,000 in employer contributions
to the Company’s 401(K) plan; $1,200 as cellular phone
service allowance; and de minimis Company contributions toward
dental, vision and life insurance benefits. In 2016, Mr. Koltovskoy
received $6,454 in medical insurance benefits; $14,052 as housing
allowance; $7,800 as car and fuel allowance; $4,000 in employer
contributions to the Company’s 401(K) plan; $1,200 as
cellular phone service allowance; and de minimis Company
contributions toward dental, vision and life insurance
benefits. In 2015, Mr.
Koltovskoy received the following: $6,348 in medical insurance
benefits. 2015: $6,167 in medical insurance benefits; $14,052 as
housing allowance; $7,800 as car and fuel allowance; $4,800 in
employer contributions to the Company’s 401(K) plan; $1,200
as cellular phone service allowance; and de minimis Company
contributions toward dental, vision and life insurance
benefits.
(5)
In
the category of “All Other Compensation,” all benefits
reflected for Mr. James in 2017 are $1,200 as cellular phone
service allowance, employer contributions to the Company’s
401(K) plan, and de minimis Company contributions life and
disability insurance benefits. For previous years, “All Other
Compensation,” reflects employer contributions to the
Company’s 401(K) plan, and de minimis Company contributions
life and disability insurance benefits.
EMPLOYMENT/CONSULTING AGREEMENTS
The base salary received by the Company’s
Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer, and President through May 31,
2020 is governed the Consulting Agreement between the Company and
Goodrich Global Ltd. (“Goodrich”), a company owned and controlled by Mr.
Haim Tsuff, the Company's Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and
President. The Company and Goodrich entered into a
Consulting Agreement dated effective June 1, 2014 (the
“Consulting
Agreement”), which
replaced a previous agreement between the parties. The Consulting
Agreement provides payments pay to Goodrich of $360,000 per annum
in installments of $30,000 per month, in addition to reimbursing
Goodrich for all reasonable business expenses, including automobile
expenses, incurred by Mr. Tsuff in connection with services
rendered on behalf of the Company, in exchange for management
services performed by Mr. Tsuff as the Company’s Chairman,
Co-Chief Executive Officer, and President. The Consulting
Agreement had an initial term through May 31, 2017, and was
automatically extended by its terms for an additional three-year
period through 2017. The
Consulting Agreement automatically extends by its terms for a
successive three-year period after the expiration of each prior
three-year period, unless the Company or Goodrich
has elected otherwise prior to
the expiration of such
period. No such notice was given
by either party in 2017, and
the Consulting Agreement is extended through May 31, 2020. The
Consulting Agreement also contains certain customary
confidentiality and non-compete
provisions.
On November 3, 2017, the Company entered into an
employment agreement (the “Employment Agreement”) with
Edy Francis after Mr. Francis
was appointed to serve as the Company’s Co-Chief Executive
Officer while remaining the Company’s Chief Financial
Officer. Mr. Francis resigned
his position as Senior Vice President. The Employment Agreement
replaces the former employment agreement between the Company and
Mr. Francis that expired on May 31, 2017. The Employment Agreement
provides for a term of three (3) years and the following
compensation and benefits: (i) an annual base salary of no less
than $110,000 per year, subject to periodic review and adjustment
by the Compensation Committee of the Board; (ii) eligibility for an
additional bonus and to participate in any profit sharing, option
or other similar plan to the extent and on the same basis as may be
awarded other officers of the Company; and (iii) reimbursement of
certain reasonable business expenses, together with automobile,
cell phone, housing, and travel allowances. The Company may
terminate the term of employment of Mr. Francis under the
Employment Agreement for any reason, or for Cause, Permanent
Disability (each as defined in the Employment Agreement) or death,
upon 120 days prior written notice to Mr. Francis (the
“Required Notice Period”). Mr. Francis may terminate
his term of employment only for Good Reason (as defined in the
Employment Agreement) upon 120 days prior written notice to the
Company. If the Company terminates the term of employment of Mr.
Francis for Cause, Permanent Disability or death, Mr. Francis is
entitled to receive his base salary on a pro rata basis and all
unreimbursed expenses through the effective time of the
termination. If the Company terminates the term of employment of
Mr. Francis without Cause, or due to Permanent Disability or death,
or Mr. Francis terminates his term of employment for Good Reason,
Mr. Francis is entitled to receive a lump severance payment (the
“Severance Payment”), in addition to his base salary on
a pro rata basis and all unreimbursed expenses through the
effective time of the termination. Further, in the event that the
Company terminates Mr. Francis prior to the Required Notice Period,
Mr. Francis is entitled to receive his base salary on a pro rata
basis plus the value of all other benefits that he would have
received during the Required Notice Period, less the actual notice
given by the Company. If the Company determines not to renew Mr.
Francis’s term of employment after November 2, 2020, on at
least the same terms as set forth in the Employment Agreement, Mr.
Francis is also entitled to receive the aforementioned Severance
Payment. The Employment Agreement also includes certain customary
representations, warranties, and covenants, including
non-disclosure covenants.
POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR
CHANGE-IN-CONTROL
Except
as described under the agreements listed above, there are no
payments or other obligations of the Company to the Named Executive
Officers in the event of termination or
change-in-control.
CEO PAY RATIO
As
required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and
Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and
applicable SEC rules, we are providing the following information
about the relationship of the annual total compensation of our
employees and the annual total compensation of our Co-Chief
Executive Officers.
For
fiscal year 2017, the median of the annual total compensation of
all of our employees (other than our Co-Chief Executive Officers)
was $57,000. The 2017 annual total compensation of Haim Tsuff, the
Company’s Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President,
as reported in the Summary Compensation Table, was $360,000. The
2017 annual total compensation of Edy Francis, the Company’s
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as reported
in the Summary Compensation Table, was $330,231. Based on this information, each of
our Co-Chief Executive Officer’s 2017 annual total
compensation was approximately 6 times that of the median of the
2017 annual total compensation of all of our employees (other than
our Co-Chief Executive Officers).
We
selected December 31, 2017 as the date used to identify our
“median employee” whose annual total compensation was
the median of the annual total compensation of all our employees
(other than our Co-Chief Executive Officers) for 2017.
[To
identify our median employee, we compared the total wage
compensation for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal
employees, excluding our Co-Chief Executive Officers, as reflected
in our payroll records as reported to the Internal Revenue Service
on Form W-2 as of December 31, 2017. Wages and
salaries were then annualized for full-time employees that were not
employed by us for the entire fiscal year. Other than the
foregoing, we did not make any assumptions, adjustments, or
estimates with respect to our employees’ total wage, and used
this consistently applied compensation measure to identify our
median employee.
We believe that the
foregoing pay
ratio is a reasonable
estimate calculated in a manner consistent with the
SEC’s pay
ratio disclosure rules.
The SEC’s pay ratio disclosure rules
permit the use of estimates, assumptions, and adjustments, and the
SEC has acknowledged that pay ratio disclosures may
involve a degree of imprecision. The SEC rules do not specify a
single methodology for identification of the median employee or
calculation of the CEO pay ratio, and other companies may use
assumptions and methodologies that are different from those used by
us in calculating their CEO pay ratio. Accordingly, the
CEO pay ratio disclosed by other companies may not be
comparable to our CEO pay ratio as disclosed
above.
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION:
The
following table sets forth information concerning the compensation
of our non-employee directors for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2017:
Name (a)
|
Fees Earned or Paid in
Cash (b)
|
|
|
Non-Equity Incentive Plan
Compensation ($) (e)
|
Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation Earnings (f)
|
All Other Compensation
($) (g)
|
|
Joseph From
|
$3,500
|
$-
|
$-
|
$-
|
$-
|
$-
|
$3,500
|
Max Pridgeon
|
13,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
13,500
|
Asaf Yarkoni
|
12,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
12,000
|
Frans Sluiter
|
8,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8,500
|
Nir Hasson
|
10,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
10,000
|
For
2017, non-employee director annual compensation remained at the
levels established in previous years. Compensation for all
non-employee directors consists of (i) $1,500.00 per meeting
attended by a non-employee director and (ii) $500.00 per special
action taken by unanimous written consent by the Board or by a
Committee on which the non-employee director is a
member. The Company does not pay its employee directors
for Board service in addition to such employee’s regular
compensation.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS:
On
May 18, 2015, Tamar Royalties LLC (“Tamar Royalties”),
a newly formed, wholly-owned, special purpose subsidiary of the
Company, entered into a term loan credit agreement (the “DB
Facility”) with Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas
(“Deutsche Bank”), as facility agent for the lenders
and as collateral agent for the secured parties, and with the
lenders party thereto. The DB Facility provides for borrowings in
the amount of $120,000,000 on a committed basis and is secured by,
among other things, an overriding royalty interest in the Tamar
Field, a natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, equal to
1.5375%, but is subject to increase to 2.7375% upon the Tamar
project payout (the “Royalty Interest”). In connection
with the DB Facility, and pursuant to a royalties sale and
contribution agreement, the Company contributed the Royalty
Interest to Tamar Royalties in exchange for all of the ownership
units of Tamar Royalties. Pursuant to the terms of its governing
documents, Tamar Royalties will be managed by N.M.A. Energy
Resources Ltd., a related party of the Company, and an independent
manager, Donald J. Puglisi. As consideration for its
management of Tamar Royalties LLC, the Company pays twenty thousand
dollars ($20,000) per month to N.M.A. Energy Resources Ltd. As
noted herein, the Company owns all of the ownership interests in
Tamar Royalties, subject to its management by the aforementioned
parties. All overriding royalty payments received in Tamar
Royalties LLC are paid by Isramco Negev 2, Limited Partnership, a
company affiliated by common ownership.
On
June 27, 2015, the Company used a portion of the proceeds secured
from the DB Facility to repay the then-outstanding principal and
interest balances of the related party debt discussed below. The
final payment totaled $101,022,000, which included loan principal
payments totaling $93,395,000, and interest payments totaling
$7,267,000. The remaining portion of the payment equal to $360,000
repaid related party payables. As result, all such related party
debt was repaid.
As noted in the Company’s
10-K filed on March 12, 2018,
with regard to the payout of the Tamar Field, a disagreement
between Tamar Royalties and Isramco Negev 2 Limited Partnership has
emerged as to whether certain items may be included in the
calculation of payout. The disagreement largely stems from the fact
that the agreements governing the creation of the Tamar Royalty
were formulated in the 1980s and do not have a clear and
unequivocal definition as to what costs should be included in the
payout calculation. The Company currently believes that the total
scope of the disagreement is approximately forty five million
dollars ($45,000,000). Under the terms of the agreements creating
the Tamar Royalty, the dispute is subject to arbitration in Israel.
The Company expects that the matter will be resolved through this
arbitration process. However, the Company cannot be assured of a
favorable result resulting from this arbitration process.
Accordingly, the Company continues to receive royalty payments at
the lower rates as if the Investment Repayment Date has not
occurred.
Therefore,
as a result of the dispute with Isramco Negev 2, Tamar Royalties
will have a shortfall in its Royalties Receivables for the period
(or part of the period) between 1st April 2018 and 1st April 2019,
by which time, even if the Isramco Negev 2’s claims regarding
the Investment Repayment Date are accepted, the Investment
Repayment Date is expected to occur.
As a result, the Company believes Tamar
Royalties required an additional
$15,600,000 to cover payments under the amortization schedule of
the DB Facility (the “Shortfall”), and the Company
believes that curing the Shortfall was in the best interest of both
the Company and Tamar Royalties. Therefore, the Company contributed
the expected amount of the Shortfall, being $15,600,000, to Tamar
Royalties as an additional capital contribution and such
contribution was made pursuant to the terms and conditions of that
certain Consent and Agreement dated February 27, 2018, between and
among Tamar Royalties, as Borrower, Deutsche Bank Trust Company
Americas, as Facility Agent and Collateral Agent, and the Lenders
party thereto. As a result of the aforementioned contribution,
together with the terms and conditions of the aforementioned
consent and assignment, Tamar Royalties remains in compliance with
all covenants of the DB Facility.
I.O.C. - Israel Oil Company, Ltd. (“IOC”)
On
February 27, 2007, the Company obtained a loan in the principal
amount of $12,000,000 from IOC, repayable at the end of five years.
Interest accrues at a per annum rate of LIBOR plus 6%. Principal is
due and payable in four equal annual installments, commencing on
the second anniversary of the loan. Accrued interest is payable in
equal annual installments. At any time the Company can make
prepayments without premium or penalty. The loan is not
secured.
In
July 2009, the Company entered into a loan transaction with IOC, a
related party, pursuant to which the Company borrowed $6
million (the “IOC Loan”). Amounts outstanding under the
IOC Loan bear interest at LIBOR plus 6.0%. The IOC Loan matures in
five years, with accrued interest payable annually on each
anniversary date of the loan. The IOC Loan may be prepaid at any
time without penalty.
Effective
February 1, 2009, the loan from IOC was amended and restated to
extend the payment deadlines arising on and after February 2009, by
two years.
On
March 3, 2011, the Company entered into a Loan Agreement with IOC
pursuant to which it borrowed the sum of $11,000,000. The loan
bears interest at a rate of 10% per annum and is payable in
quarterly payments of interest only until March 3, 2013, when all
accrued interest and principal is due and payable. The loan may be
prepaid at any time without penalty. The loan is unsecured. During
September 2011, the Company paid $4,544,000 of principal pursuant
to this Loan agreement with IOC leaving outstanding principle of
$6,456,000.
Subsequently,
in October 2011 the agreement with IOC, pertaining to the above
mentioned loan in the outstanding principal amount of $6,456,000
was renegotiated. The payoff of principal amount was extended by 6
month to September 9, 2013. Interest accrued per annum was
determined on LIBOR+5.5% from initial 10%.
On
March 29, 2012, the Company entered into a Loan Agreement with IOC
pursuant to which it borrowed $3,500,000. The loan bears interest
at a rate of Libor + 5.5% per annum and matures on March 29, 2013,
when all accrued interest and principal is due and
payable. The loan may be prepaid at any time without penalty
or premium. The loan was unsecured.
On
April 29, 2012, the Company entered into another Loan Agreement
with IOC, pursuant to which it borrowed $10,000,000. The loan bears
interest of Libor+5.5% per annum and matures on April 30, 2013,
when all accrued interest and principal is due and payable. The
loan may be prepaid at any time without penalty or premium. The
loan was funded by IOC in three monthly installments starting April
2012. The loan is unsecured. The purpose of the loan was to
provide funds to the Company for the payment of amounts that were
due to the Lenders under the Senior Credit Facility that was paid
in full June 29, 2012.
On
February 13, 2013, the Company entered into another Loan Agreement
with IOC, pursuant to which it borrowed $1,500,000. The loan bears
interest of Libor+6% per annum and matures on February 13, 2018,
when all accrued interest and principal is due and payable. The
loan may be prepaid at any time without penalty or premium. The
loan is unsecured. The purpose of the loan was to provide
funds to back up a Letter of Credit.
On
March 1, 2013, all of the above-mentioned Loan agreements and notes
with IOC except for the $1,500,000 loan agreement entered on
February 13, 2013, were amended. The terms of all these loans and
notes between the Company and IOC were amended extending the
maturity to December 31, 2018. In addition the payment schedule was
changed on the all of the loans and notes to require accrued
interest only payments December 31, 2014, December 31, 2015,
December 31, 2016, December 31, 2017 and final interest payment
December 31, 2018 with outstanding principal paid in four equal
installments with the first payment December 31, 2015 and a similar
payment made December 31 in each of the following three years until
the final payment on December 31, 2018. The other terms of the loan
agreements and notes remained unchanged. In accordance with the
amendment, as of December 31, 2013 the loans are classified as
long-term on our consolidated balance sheets.
As
noted above, on June 27, 2015, the Company used a portion of the
proceeds secured from the DB Facility to repay the then-outstanding
principal and interest balances of the related party debt.
Accordingly, the IOC debts have been paid in full.
Mr. Haim Tsuff, the Company's Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman and is a
controlling shareholder of IOC.
Naphtha Israel Petroleum Corp. Ltd.,
(“Naphtha”)
In
connection with the Company’s purchase of certain oil and gas
interests mainly in New Mexico and Texas in February 2007, the
Company obtained loan from Naphtha, a related party, with terms and
conditions as below:
On
February 27, 2007, the Company obtained a loan, in the principal
amount of $11,500,000 from Naphtha, repayable at the end of seven
years. Interest accrues at a per annum rate of LIBOR plus 6%.
Principal is due and payable in four equal installments, commencing
on the fourth anniversary of the date of the loan. Interest is
payable annually upon each anniversary date of this loan. At any
time the Company can make prepayments without premium or penalty.
The loan is not secured. Interest is payable at the end of each
loan year. Principal plus any accrued and unpaid interest are due
and payable on February 27, 2014. Interest after the maturity date
accrues at the per annum rate of LIBOR plus 12% until paid in full.
At any time, the Company is entitled to prepay the outstanding
amount of the loan without penalty or prepayment. To secure its
obligations that may be incurred under the Loan Agreement, Jay
Petroleum, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, agreed to
guarantee the indebtedness. Naphtha can accelerate the loan and
exercise its rights under the collateral upon the occurrence any
one or more of the following events of default: (i) the Company's
failure to pay any amount that may become due in connection with
the loan within five (5) days of the due date (whether by
extension, renewal, acceleration, maturity or otherwise) or fail to
make any payment due under any hedge agreement entered into in
connection with the transaction, (ii) the Company's material breach
of any of the representations or warranties made in the loan
agreement or security instruments or any writing furnished pursuant
thereto, (iii) the Company's failure to observe any undertaking
contained in transaction documents if such failure continues for 30
calendar days after notice, (iv) the Company's insolvency or
liquidation or a bankruptcy event or (v) the Company's criminal
indictment or conviction under any law pursuant to which such
indictment or conviction can lead to a forfeiture by the Company of
any of the properties securing the loan.
Effective
February 1, 2009, the loan from Naphtha to the Company was amended
and restated to extend all payment deadlines arising on and after
February 2009, by two years.
On
March 1, 2013, the terms of the existing loan and note between the
Company and Naphtha was amended extending the maturity to December
31, 2018. The payment schedule was changed on the Naphtha loan and
note to require interest only payments December 31, 2013, December
31, 2014, December 31, 2015, December 31, 2016, December 31, 2017
and the final interest payment December 31, 2018 with principal
outstanding paid in four equal installments with the first payment
December 31, 2015 and a similar payment made December 31 in each of
the following three years until the final payment on December 31,
2018. The other terms of the loan agreement and note remained
unchanged. In accordance with the amendment, as of December 31,
2013 the loan is classified as long-term on our balance
sheet.
As
noted above, on June 27, 2015 the Company used a portion of the
proceeds secured from the DB Facility to repay the then-outstanding
principal and interest balances of the related party debt.
Accordingly, the Naphtha debts have been paid in full.
Mr. Haim Tsuff, the Company's Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and
President and is a controlling
shareholder of Naphtha.
J.O.E.L. Jerusalem Oil Exploration Ltd ("JOEL")
In
February and March 2008, the Company obtained loans from Jerusalem
Oil Exploration, Ltd. (“JOEL”) in the aggregate
principal amount of $48.9 million, repayable at the end of 4 months
at an interest rate of LIBOR plus 1.25% per annum. Pursuant to a
loan agreement signed in June 2009, the maturity date of this loan
was extended for an additional period of seven years. Interest
accrues at a per annum rate of LIBOR plus 6%. Principal and
interest are due and payable in four equal annual installments,
commencing on June 30, 2013. At any time, we can make prepayments
without premium or penalty.
On
June 30, 2013, the terms of an Amended and Restated Loan Agreement
dated May 25, 2008, and note between the Company and JOEL were
amended to extend the maturity date to June 30, 2017. The
payment schedule of the loan agreement and note was amended to
require principal and accrued interest to be paid in three (3)
installments in the amounts reflected in Promissory Note due on
June 30th of each year commencing June 30, 2015. The
other terms of the loan agreement and note remained unchanged. In
accordance with the amendment, as of December 31, 2013, the loans
are classified as long-term on our consolidated balance
sheets.
Mr. Haim Tsuff, the Company's Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and
President, is a controlling
shareholder of JOEL.
As
noted above, on June 27, 2015 the Company used a portion of the
proceeds secured from the DB Facility to repay the then-outstanding
principal and interest balances of the related party debt.
Accordingly, the JOEL debts have been paid in full.
Mr. Haim Tsuff, the Company’s
Chairman, Co-Chief Executive
Officer and President may be deemed to have an interest in the
entire amount of all of the loans set forth above due to his
controlling interest in the lenders described
above.
Reimbursements Related to Litigation Involving Officers, Directors
and Affiliates
On or about September 21, 2011, the
Company’s former Vice President and General Counsel, Dennis
Holifield resigned. Mr. Holifield had been hired in March 2011. On
or about October 12, 2011, Mr. Holifield submitted a “Summary
Report” to the SEC (the “Summary Report”), in
which Mr. Holifield made
numerous factual allegations regarding Haim Tsuff, the
Company’s Chairman,
Co-Chief Executive Officer, and President; Edy Francis, the
Company’s Chief Financial Officer; Amir Sanker, the
Company’s Asset Manager; and other Company personnel. In the
Summary Report, Mr. Holifield characterized the alleged conduct as
illegal or criminal. On November 3, 2011, the Company’s Board
of Directors constituted a committee of independent directors
consisting of Max Pridgeon and Asaf Yarkoni, referred to as the
Special Investigative Committee of the Board of Directors
(“SIC”) which was directed to investigate all of the
Holifield allegations and report back to the full board and make
any recommendations, if any, for corrective action. On January 7,
2013, SIC made their final report to the Board of Directors of the
conclusions and results of the fourteen-month investigation into
the allegations made by Mr. Holifield. The SIC determined that Mr.
Holifield’s allegations were not supported by any available
documentary evidence or by any statements made by former or current
Isramco, Inc., directors, management, or employees interviewed by
the SIC or its counsel. The SIC also determined that the Company
had not engaged in wrongdoing of any sort including any unlawful or
unethical business practices, any lapses in financial controls, or
any governance issues that require redress or
reform.
On September 10, 2013, the Company filed suit
against Mr. Holifield in Cause No. 201352927 of the 270th Judicial
District Court of Harris County, Texas, to collect damages
estimated in the amount of $1,000,000.00 owing to the Company by
virtue of Mr. Holifield’s actions, which are alleged in the
suit to include, but are not limited to, negligence, negligence per
se, gross negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty owed to the
Company. In response, in December 2013, Mr. Holifield filed a pro
se answer which included counterclaims and a summary judgment
motion. In his counterclaims. Mr. Holifield sought to recover from the Company the following
damages, inter alia: (i) over $2,000,000 for loss of income and
failure to secure gainful employment arising from his constructive
discharge or termination by the Company; (ii) over $2,000,000 for
loss of earnings due to his alleged inability to obtain gainful
employment by virtue of the damage caused to his professional
reputation by alleged willful and deliberate acts of Haim Tsuff,
Edy Francis, and Amir Sanker, (iii) over $2,000,000 due to the
intentional infliction of emotional distress to Mr. Holifield; (iv)
an amount estimated at $5,000,000 arising from Mr.
Holifield’s claim that the Company violated the Racketeer
Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, by engaging in racketeering
and conspiracy; (v) over $5,000,000 arising from the
Company’s alleged fraudulent misrepresentation regarding the
Company’s purpose in hiring Mr. Holifield and (vi) other
relief. The Company believes Mr. Holifield’s counter claims
have no merit.
Pursuant
to a settlement between the Company and Mr. Holifield, the parties
agreed to release and dismiss all claims against the other in the
above litigation, and to file a Joint Notice of Nonsuit with
Prejudice with the Court (the “Joint Notice”). On
October 30, 2017, in response to the Joint Notice, the Court
entered an order dismissing all claims between the parties with
prejudice. Accordingly, the lawsuit between the Company and its
former general counsel, Dennis Holifield, has settled. After Mr.
Holifield reviewed the evidence, he came to the conclusion that
there is no basis for his accusations against the Company, its
directors, its officers, and its employees. Mr. Holifield regrets
any harm caused to the Company, Haim Tsuff, Edy Francis, and Amir
Sanker.
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
On December 30, 2011, the Company’s
shareholders approved the 2011 Stock Incentive Plan the
(“2011
Plan”). The
aggregate number of shares of Common Stock which may be issued or
used for reference purposes under the 2011 Plan (or with respect to
which awards may be granted) is 200,000 shares.
Independent
members of our board of directors, as well as employees of, and
consultants to, us or any of our subsidiaries and affiliates, are
eligible to receive awards under the 2011 Plan. The selection of
participants is within the sole discretion of the Compensation
Committee.
Our
Compensation Committee may grant nonqualified stock options to
purchase shares of our Common Stock to any eligible participant and
incentive stock options to purchase shares of our Common Stock only
to eligible employees. The Compensation Committee determines the
number of shares of our Common Stock subject to each option, the
term of each option, which may not exceed ten years, or five years
in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a 10.0%
shareholder, the exercise price, the vesting schedule, if any, and
the other material terms of each option. The
Compensation Committee may also award shares of restricted stock
and subject to limitations under applicable law, make a grant of
such other stock-based awards, including, without limitation,
performance units, dividend equivalent units, stock equivalent
units, restricted stock units, and deferred stock units under the
2011 Plan that are payable in cash or denominated or payable in or
valued by shares of our common stock or factors that influence the
value of such shares.
The
Company has not issued any awards under its 2011 Plan.
The
following table sets forth information as of December 31, 2017 with
respect to the Company's equity compensation plan that has been
approved by its shareholders.
Plan Category
|
Number of Securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding
options, warrants and rights
(a)
|
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants
and rights(b)
|
Number of Securities remaining available for future issuance under
equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column
(a)-(c)
|
Equity compensation plan approved by security holders
|
--
|
--
|
200,000
|
Equity compensation plans not approved by security
holders
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
Total
|
--
|
--
|
200,000
|
SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING
COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the
Company's executive officers, directors, and persons who
beneficially own more than 10% of the Company’s Common Stock
(collectively, the "Reporting
Persons") to file certain
reports regarding ownership of, and transactions in, the Company's
Common Stock with the SEC. These officers, directors and
shareholders are also required by SEC rules to furnish the Company
with copies of all Section 16(a) reports that they file with the
SEC.
Based
solely on review of the copies of such forms received by the
Company with respect to 2016, the Company believes that all of the
filing obligations of officers, directors and 10% shareholders
under Section 16(a) during 2016 have been fulfilled.
PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The
Board of Directors of the Company currently consists of six (6)
members. The six persons named below, who are each currently
serving as directors, have been nominated by the Board of Directors
for election to hold office until the next annual meeting and until
their successors are elected and have been qualified.
It
is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying proxy to
vote FOR the election of the persons named below as directors of
the Company, unless authority to do so is withheld. Proxies cannot
be voted for a greater number of persons than the nominees named.
If events not now known or anticipated make any of the nominees
unwilling or unable to serve, the proxies will be voted (in the
discretion of the holders of such proxies) for other nominees not
named herein in lieu of those unwilling or unable to serve. The
Board of Directors is not aware of any circumstances likely to
cause any nominee to become unavailable for election.
NAME
|
|
AGE
|
|
POSITION
|
Haim Tsuff
|
|
60
|
|
Chairman of the Board, Co-Chief Executive
Officer, President, and Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joseph From
|
|
64
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Max Pridgeon
|
|
50
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nir Hasson
|
|
41
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frans Sluiter
|
|
51
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
Asaf Yarkoni
|
|
42
|
|
Director
|
The
following describes at least the last five years of business
experience of the directors standing for re-election. The
descriptions include any other directorships at public companies
held during the past five years by these
directors.
Haim Tsuff has been a director of the Company since January
1996 and the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive
Officer and President since May
1996 (Co-Chief Executive
Officer since November 2017). Mr. Tsuff was also appointed
President in 2012. Mr. Tsuff is the sole director and owner of
United Kingsway Ltd. and Chairman of YHK General Manager Ltd.
(which entity effectively controls Equital, J.O.E.L., Naphtha
Petroleum, and Naphtha Holdings) and may be deemed to control the
Company. Mr. Tsuff brings to our Board significant experience in
international business, including the energy industry and finance.
Joseph From was appointed to the Company’s Board of
Directors in June 2010. Mr. From is employed as a drilling
manager at Star Energy, a UK based energy company with a primary
focus on gas storage development and the UK’s second largest
onshore oil producer, a position that he has held since June 2007.
Prior to joining Star Energy, from August 1998 to April 2007, Mr.
From served as General Manager at Equital, an affiliate of the
Company, where he was in charge of oil and gas activities and
operations, including drilling and production and economic
evaluation of oil and gas projects. From 1997 through 1998, he
served as Chief Engineer (Oil and Gas division) at the Company
where he oversaw drilling on onshore wells in Israel. Mr.
From’s petroleum industry background and experience provides
the Board with the experience and breadth needed to consider the
options that are available in determining drilling/exploration
issues.
Max Pridgeon
has been a director of the Company
since April 2001. Since January of 2016, Mr. Pridgeon operates a
business focused on the international trading of antiques. From
December 2002 to January 2016, Mr. Pridgeon served as a director
and executive officer of Griffin Decorations, a business which he
founded. From March 1995 through December 2002, he served as
director of MAXIM Wholesale and Marketing Co., a company which he
founded. Concurrently, from February 1999, Mr. Pridgeon has also
served as a manager of sales for Europe and the Middle East for
Blenfin XI, Netherlands, a company that engages in the distribution
of wooden picture frames. From April 1996 through January 1999, Mr.
Pridgeon served as a property acquisitions consultant to M.A.
Realistic Estate, Netherlands, a company engaged in the ownership
and management of hotels in the Netherlands. From September 1989
through March 1995, Mr. Pridgeon served as account manager and then
export manager at VERNO Holland, a company engaged in the marketing
and distribution of oil paintings. Mr. Pridgeon’s experience
in managing and overseeing a diversified business practice equip
him with the skill set needed by our Board.
Nir Hasson was appointed to the board in August 2014. Mr.
Hasson has more than 12 years of leadership and business experience
mainly in the technology sector. Mr. Hasson is assuming a business
development position at Akamai since 2015. Prior to Akamai, Mr.
Hasson served as Director of Enterprise Sales at TrapX Security, a
cyber security startup that provides protection against advanced
threats. Before that, Mr. Hasson was employed by Jungo LTD, a
company that was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2013, and Jungo
Connectivity LTD, a spinoff coming from Jungo LTD’s
acquisition, in the positions of Director of Business Development
from 2013 to 2014 and World Wide Sales Manager from 2010 to 2013.
Prior to joining Jungo LTD, Mr. Hasson was employed by Check Point
Software Technologies LTD, in the positions of Project Manager from
2007 to 2008, Team Leader from 2006 to 2007 and VoIP Security
Engineer from 2005 to 2006. Mr. Hasson was also employed by Intel
Corp as a Software Engineer between 2002 and 2004. Mr.
Hasson’s experience in business development,
entrepreneurship, and cyber security provide the Board with the
experience and skill set needed by our Board.
Frans Sluiter
was elected to the board in 2011. Mr.
Sluiter is a Managing Partner with Gartner where he focuses on
Energy clients, helping them shape solutions and bringing expertise
to solve critical business issues. Prior to joining Gartner, Mr.
Sluiter served as technology account lead for some of
Accenture’s largest Oil and Gas clients, focused on
increasing operational productivity through business transformation
and solution integration. From 2003 to 2006, he served at
Intelligroup, from 2004 onwards as Senior Vice President
responsible for business development and project delivery for
onsite and offshore SAP services. Throughout his career, Mr.
Sluiter has acquired extensive experience working with clients in a
variety of industries, including Oil and Gas. His broad corporate
experience and connections in the industry add to the value he
brings to our Board.
Asaf Yarkoni
was appointed to the Company’s
Board of Directors in December 2011. Mr. Yarkoni is
employed as the Chief Executive Officer of Direct Capital
investments, a company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and
as the Chief Financial Officer of StorOne, a start-up company
involved in Storage solutions. Mr. Yarkoni is a certified public
accountant with over four years of experience with a “Big
Four” accounting firm and, prior to his employment at StorOne
he served as the Integration and Business Development Manager at
IBM and was the Chief Financial Officer of Storwize, a start-up
company involved in the provision of data compression services that
was acquired by IBM in 2010. Mr. Yarkoni has experience in public
accounting and is familiar with the reporting requirements
applicable to public companies, both in Israel and in the United
States. Mr. Yarkoni brings significant financial and accounting
knowledge and expertise to the Corporation and qualifies to serve
as an “audit committee financial expert” under the
rules of the SEC. Mr. Yarkoni’s experience as a certified
public accountant was instrumental in his appointment to stand for
election to our Board and is expected to provide our Board with a
critical accounting perspective.
INFORMATION RELATING TO EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The
following individuals are not directors or director nominees, but
served as executive officers of the Company or its subsidiaries
during 2017.
NAME
|
|
AGE
|
|
POSITION
|
Edy Francis
|
|
41
|
|
Co-Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zeev Koltovskoy
|
|
42
|
|
Chief Accounting Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anthony James
|
|
40
|
|
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
|
The
following describes at least the last five years of business
experience of the above named executive
officers.
Edy
Francis was appointed Co-Chief Executive Officer in November 2017
and has served as Chief Financial Officer since August 2007. From
December 2003 through August 2007, Mr. Francis was affiliated with
the Tel Aviv based office of Brightman Almagor & Co., Certified
Public Accountants and a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
where his areas of practice included auditing publicly traded
companies, auditing internal controls, and preparing tax
assessments.
Zeev
Koltovskoy was appointed Chief Accounting Officer in December 2012
after serving as the Company’s Director of
Finance. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Koltovskoy
served as Director of Finance for Israel Oil Company Ltd., an
Israeli based affiliate, from June 2010 through August
2012. Prior to this, Mr. Koltovskoy worked for Allot
Communications Ltd. as Assistant Controller and Compliance Manager
from July 2009 through June 2010. From November 2005
through July 2009, Mr. Koltovskoy was employed at Deloitte
Brightman Almagor & Company, certified public accountants,
where he served in several positions including Audit Manager
(August 2008 – July 2009).
Anthony
James joined the Company in May 2013 and was appointed Secretary of
the Company in August 2013. Prior to joining the
Company, Mr. James was employed at the law firm of Streit,
Peterson, Hall & Keeney LLP in Houston, Texas as a partner
(2013) and a participating associate (2010 to
2013). Prior to this, Mr. James was a solo practitioner
from 2007 to 2010 where his practice focused on oil and gas related
matters. Mr. James is board certified in Oil, Gas &
Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal
Specialization.
All
officers serve at the pleasure of the Board, subject to certain
employment and consulting agreements as described more fully above
in “Employment/Consulting Agreements”. There are no
family relationships between any of the above directors or
officers, and there is no arrangement or understanding between any
of the above directors and any other person pursuant to which he
was selected as a director or officer.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INDEPENDENCE AND MEETINGS
During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2017, the Board met or acted by
unanimous written consent on two occasions. The Board does not have a formal policy with
respect to Board members’ attendance at annual shareholder
meetings, though it encourages directors to attend such
meetings. No director attended the Company’s 2017
Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
The
Board of Directors reviewed the independence of each of the
Company's directors on the basis of the standards adopted by NASDAQ
During this review, the Board considered transactions and
relationships between the Company, on the one hand, and each
director, members of his or her immediate family, and other
entities with which he or she is affiliated, on the other hand. The
purpose of this review was to determine which of such transactions
or relationships were inconsistent with a determination that the
director is independent under the NASDAQ rules. As a result of this
review, the Board of Directors affirmatively determined that each
of the Company's directors, other than Haim Tsuff, are
“independent directors” within the meaning of the
NASDAQ rules.
BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE
Mr. Tsuff has served as Chairman,
Co-Chief Executive Officer, and
President of the Company since 1996. The Board of
Directors believes that its current leadership structure, in which
the positions of Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer are held by
Mr. Tsuff, is appropriate at this time and provides the most
efficient and effective leadership for
Isramco. Combining the Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer roles fosters clear
accountability, effective decision-making and alignment on
corporate strategy. The Company believes that any risks
inherent in that structure are balanced by the oversight of our
Board of Directors, a majority of which is comprised by independent
directors, including the Company’s Lead Independent Director,
Max Pridgeon. Given Mr. Tsuff’s past
performance in the roles of Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, at this time the Board
believes that combining these positions will continue to provide
the appropriate and most effective leadership structure for the
Company and does not impair the Board’s ability to continue
to practice good corporate governance.
As noted above, the Board has appointed Max
Pridgeon as its Lead Independent Director. The Lead Independent
Director chairs the executive sessions of the Board and is the
principle liaison between the independent directors and
Co-Chief Executive Officers. The Lead Independent Director
is also responsible for and required to participate in timing and
agenda for Board and Committee meetings, requesting for and
providing information to the independent directors, receiving
reports from the Nominating and Governance Committee, and
evaluating, along with the Compensation Committee and the Board,
the performance of the Co-Chief
Executive Officers.
As
a result, the Company believes that the Lead Independent Director,
along with the other independent directors of the Board, provides
significant and appropriate oversight to all activities of the
Company and the Board. Further, the Board believes that Mr.
Tsuff’s significant holdings in the Company is sufficient
motivation to minimize excessive risk taking and aligns his
interest in the best interest of the shareholders. Additionally,
the Conflict Committee, which is comprised solely of independent
directors, was specifically created to review all transactions
among the Company and all related parties, including any affiliates
of Mr. Tsuff.
The
Board recognizes that no single leadership model is right for all
companies and at all times and that, depending on the
circumstances, other leadership models, such as a separate
independent chairperson of the board, might be appropriate. As a
result, the Board reviews the Company’s Board leadership
structure annually.
GOVERNANCE, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND BOARD COMMITTEE
CHANGES
In
2017, the Board of Directors had four standing committees: the
Audit Committee; the Compensation Committee; the Conflict
Committee; and the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
Board of Directors has established guidelines requiring a majority
of directors to be independent, as determined in accordance with
the bylaws of the Company and applicable rules of the
NASDAQ. Under such standards, the Board has determined
that five of the six directors of the Company (Messrs. From,
Pridgeon, Hasson, Sluiter and Yarkoni) are independent
directors. Each of these five directors has also
certified their belief that they meet such independence standards
and all of the Company’s directors have certified that that
they will annually attend at least one Board meeting in person
unless specifically excused by the Company’s Chairman.
Directors may only serve on a maximum of two other boards of
directors of public companies.
THE LEAD INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
In 2012, the Board first elected a “Lead
Independent Director,” as such term is defined in the
Company’s bylaws and Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee Charter. In 2017, Max Pridgeon was elected to
this position. The Lead Independent Director chairs the
executive sessions of the Board and is the principle liaison
between the independent directors and Co-Chief Executive Officers. The Lead Independent Director
also is responsible for or required to participate in timing and
agenda for Board and Committee meetings, requesting for and
providing information to the independent directors, receiving
reports from the Nominating and Governance Committee and
evaluating, along with the Compensation Committee and the Board,
the performance of the Co-Chief
Executive Officers.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
The
members of the Audit Committee are Max Pridgeon, Frans Sluiter,
Asaf Yarkoni, and Nir Hasson, all being independent directors of
the Company. The Board of Directors has determined that
Mr. Pridgeon, Mr. Sluiter, Mr. Hasson and Mr. Yarkoni met the
independence criteria set out in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ
Marketplace Rules. The Board determined that Mr. Yarkoni
qualifies as an independent director and an audit committee
financial expert. The Audit Committee met five times in 2017. The
Audit Committee has a charter.
Mr.
Yarkoni serves as the Company’s “audit committee
financial expert” under the rules of the SEC. The Board has
determined that Mr. Yarkoni is an independent director as defined
in the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules.
In 2012, the Board adopted a new charter governing
the duties and responsibilities of the Audit Committee, a copy of
which is available at our corporate governance webpage at
http://www.isramcousa.com/corporate. The
Audit Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are
to:
●
Monitor
and review the accuracy and fairness of the Corporation’s
financial reports and monitor and ensure the adequacy of the
Corporation’s systems of internal controls regarding finance,
accounting, and legal compliance.
●
Monitor
the independence and performance of the Corporation’s
independent auditors.
●
Provide
an avenue of communication between the independent auditors,
management, accountants, and the Board of Directors.
The
Audit Committee has the authority to conduct or authorize
investigations into any matter within the scope of its
responsibilities and has direct access to the independent auditors
as well as the Company’s employees. The Audit
Committee also has the ability to retain, at the Company’s
expense, special legal, accounting, or other consultants or
advisors it deems necessary in the performance of its duties or to
assist in the conduct of any investigation.
THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
The current members of the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are Max Pridgeon,
Joseph From, and Haim Tsuff. Asaf Yarkoni resigned his
position on the Compensation Committee in November 2017 when he
became a member of the Compensation Committee. The Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee met twice in
2017. The Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee has a charter, a copy of which is available at our
corporate governance webpage at http://www.isramcousa.com/corporate. By
reason of Mr. Tsuff’s service on the Nominating Committee,
all of the members of the Nominating Committee were not independent
directors within the meaning of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules.
However, Rule 5615 of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules allows a
“Controlled Company” to have a nominating committee
that does not consist solely of independent directors. The Company
believes that it was a “Controlled Company” in 2017 and
continues to be a “Controlled Company” within the
meaning of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules, since, at all times during
2017, a majority of the Company’s shares are controlled by
Haim Tsuff, the Company’s Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and
President. As a result, the Company maintains its Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee, which does not consist solely of
independent directors, in reliance upon NASDAQ Marketplace Rule
5615.
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers many
factors when evaluating candidates for the nomination to the Board,
with the goal of fostering a Board of Directors comprised of
directors with a variety of experience and backgrounds. Important
factors considered as part of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee's evaluation include (without limitation): (i)
roles and contributions valuable to the business community, (ii)
personal qualities of leadership, character and judgment, and
whether the candidate possesses and maintains a reputation in the
community at large of integrity, trust, respect, competence, and
adherence to high ethical standards, (iii) relevant knowledge and
diversity of Board members’ background and experience, (iv)
whether the candidate has the time required for preparation,
participation, and attendance at meetings and (v) requirements
relating to Board and Board committee composition under applicable
law and NASDAQ listing standards. Depending upon the Company's
then-current needs, certain factors may be weighed more or less
heavily than others. In considering candidates for the Board, the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the
entirety of each candidate's credentials, and does not have any
specific minimum qualifications that must be met. However, the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does believe that all
members of the Board should have the highest character and
integrity and sufficient time to devote to Company
matters.
In
addition to considering candidates proposed by officers or other
directors of the Company as candidates for nomination as a
director, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
considers persons recommended by shareholders. In
evaluating candidates proposed by shareholders, the Nominating
Committee uses the same selection criteria as it uses to evaluate
other potential nominees. Recommendations should be submitted by
shareholders to the Secretary of the Company. Each recommendation
should include a personal biography of the suggested candidate, an
indication of the background or experience that qualifies such
person for consideration, and a statement that such person has
agreed to serve if nominated and elected. shareholders who wish to
nominate a person for election to the Board themselves, rather than
recommending a candidate to the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee for potential nomination by the Board of Directors, must
comply with applicable law. For additional information, see
“Shareholder Proposals” below.
While
the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have a
formal policy with respect to diversity, the Board and the
Nominating and Corporate Governance believe that it is essential
that Board members represent diverse business backgrounds and
experience. A background in or experience with the oil & gas
industry is desirable, but not a precondition to
nomination. In considering candidates for the Board, the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers the
entirety of each candidate’s credentials in the context of
these standards. We believe that the backgrounds and
qualifications of our directors, considered as a group, should and
do provide a composite mix of experience, knowledge and abilities
that will allow the Board to fulfill its
responsibilities.
In
addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee reviews the
advisability of a director’s continued service on the Board
when the director’s principal occupation or business
association changes, or when circumstances arise which may raise
questions about the director’s continuing qualifications in
relation to the Board membership criteria referred to above. In
addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee: (i)
reviews the resignation of any director, (ii) reviews the
Board’s committee structure and recommends to the Board the
appointment of committee members and chairs, (iii) defines and
articulates the Company’s overall corporate governance
structures, including the development and recommendation to the
Board of the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, (iv)
reviews the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines
periodically, and recommends changes as necessary to reflect sound
governance practices, and (v) reviews the Company’s positions
and practices on significant issues of corporate public
responsibility, such as protection of the environment and
philanthropic contributions.
CONFLICT COMMITTEE
The
Conflict Committee consists of Asaf Yarkoni and Max Pridgeon, two
independent directors. Although the Conflict Committee
does not have a written charter, its duties are identified and
reflected in Company’s bylaws. Before any
transaction between the Company and any officer or director of the
Company, or between the Company and any entity controlled by or
affiliated with an officer or director, may be approved and entered
into by the Company, such transaction must first be submitted for
approval by the Conflict Committee. The Conflict
Committee has, except as may be otherwise specified by the Board by
unanimous written consent, all the power and authority of the Board
of Directors in connection with approving and authorizing proposed
transactions between the Company and any officer or director or
entity controlled by or affiliated with any officer or
director. In that role, the Conflict Committee has
reviewed and approved sales of Company Common Stock to related
parties, as well as all affiliated financing arrangements (see
“Related Party Transactions” above) with related
parties. The Conflict Committee met or acted by unanimous once in
2017, and there have been no related party transactions in 2017
which were not reviewed by the Conflict Committee.
The
Company has written guidelines through which the Conflict Committee
reviews related party transactions. Under our guidelines, a related
person is a director, executive officer, director nominee, or
beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s Common
Stock or any immediate family member of one of the foregoing
persons. A related party transaction is any financial transaction,
arrangement, or relationship (including any indebtedness or
guarantee of indebtedness) or any series of similar transactions,
arrangements, or relationships in which the Company (and/or any of
its subsidiaries) is a party and in which the related person has or
will have a direct or indirect material interest. In determining
whether a direct or indirect interest is material, the significance
of the information to the Company and its investors in light of all
circumstances is considered. The importance of the interest to the
person having the interest, the relationship of the parties to the
transaction with each other, and the amount involved are among the
factors considered in determining the significance of the
information to investors
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
The current members of the
Compensation Committee are Frans Sluiter, Nir Hasson, and Asaf
Yarkoni, all of whom are independent
directors. Joseph From resigned his position on the
Compensation Committee in November 2017 when he became a member of
the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Compensation
Committee is responsible for reviewing the compensation
arrangements in effect for the Company's executive officers,
including the Company’s Named Executed
Officers. The Compensation Committee met once in 2017.
The Compensation Committee has a charter, a copy of which is
available at our corporate governance webpage at
http://www.isramcousa.com/corporate.
The
Compensation Committee sets compensation policy and administers the
Company’s compensation programs for the purpose of attracting
and retaining skilled executives who will promote the
Company’s business goals and build shareholder value. The
Compensation Committee is also responsible for reviewing and making
recommendations to the Board regarding all forms of compensation to
be provided to the Company’s Named Executive Officers,
including stock compensation and bonuses.
The Compensation Committee also reviews and
recommends to the Board for approval compensation arrangements for
the Company’s other executive officers, key employees and
non-employee directors. The Compensation Committee recommends
all compensation awards (including incentive compensation awards),
which are then subject to Board review and
approval. The Co-Chief Executive Officer and President recommends to the Compensation
Committee the goals, objectives and compensation for all executive
officers (including the Named Executive Officers) and key
employees, except himself, and responds to requests for information
from the Compensation Committee. Our Co-Chief Executive Officers have no role in approving
their own compensation. The
Compensation Committee periodically reviews and recommends the
compensation of non-employee directors. The Compensation Committee
does not delegate its authority and has the sole responsibility of
retaining outside counsel or other consultants for the purpose of
executing its mandate.
TRADING COMPLIANCE CONTROL COMMITTEE
The Board of Directors has a committee consisting
of Edy Francis, the Company’s Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, and Anthony James, the Company’s General Counsel and
Secretary, both of whom are Named Executive Officers, as
responsible for ensuring compliance with the Company’s stock
trading and market communication policy. The Trading
Compliance Control Committee is not a committee of the Board, but
instead provides a monitoring and reporting function to the
Board.
CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT
The Company has adopted a Code of Business Ethics
and Conduct (the “Code of
Conduct”) that applies to
all of its employees. A copy of the Code of Conduct was filed as an
exhibit to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2005. If the Company makes any substantive
amendment to the Code of Conduct or grants any waiver from a
provision of the Code of Conduct to any executive officer or
director, the Company will promptly disclose the nature of the
amendment or waiver.
SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board does not have a formal process for
shareholders or interested parties to send communications to the
Board. Due to the infrequency of shareholder or interested party
communications to the Board, the Board does not believe that a
formal process is necessary. However, shareholders of
the Company are encouraged to communicate directly with the members
of the Board. Shareholders interested in communicating their
concerns or issues to the independent directors may address
correspondence to a particular director, or to the independent
directors generally in care of the Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer, and President of the
Company, Mr. Haim Tsuff. Mr. Tsuff will forward all
communications received to the appropriate director and/or
Committee Chairman. If no particular director is named,
letters will be forwarded, depending on the subject matter, to the
Chairman of the Audit Committee. Company personnel will not screen
or edit such communications and will forward them directly to the
intended member of the Board.
BOARD’S ROLE IN RISK OVERSIGHT
Management
is responsible for the day-to-day management of risks the Company
faces, while the Board, as a whole and through its committees, has
the ultimate responsibility for the oversight of risk
management. Senior officers attend meetings of the
Board, provide presentations on operations, and are available to
address any questions or concerns raised by the Board, its
committees, or any individual director. Additionally,
our Board committees are charged with assisting the Board in
fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in certain areas of
risk. The Audit Committee coordinates the Board’s
oversight function of the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting, disclosure controls, and procedures and Code
of Conduct. Management regularly reports to the Audit
Committee on these areas.
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The
following report of the Audit Committee does not constitute
soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated
by reference into any other of the Company's filings under the
Securities Act of 1933 or under the Exchange Act, except to the
extent the Company specifically incorporate this report by
reference.
The
following is the report of the Audit Committee with respect to the
Company's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017. These financial statements include
the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31,
2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of
operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the
three years in the period ended December 31, 2016 and the notes
thereto.
REVIEW
WITH MANAGEMENT. The Audit Committee has reviewed and
discussed the Company's audited financial statements with
management.
REVIEW
AND DISCUSSIONS WITH INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. The Audit
Committee has discussed with Malone Bailey, LLP, the Company's
independent accountants, the matters required to be discussed by
SAS 61 (Codification of Statements on Accounting Standards), as
amended, that includes, among other items, matters related to the
conduct of the audit of the Company's financial
statements. The Audit Committee has also received
disclosures and the letter from Malone Bailey, LLP required by
Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 (that relates to the
accountant's independence from the Company and its related
entities) and has discussed with M&B its independence from the
Company.
CONCLUSION. Based
on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit
Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Company's
audited financial statements be included in the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2017.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
MAX PRIDGEON
ASAF YARKONI
NIR HASSON
FRANS SLUITER
BOARD RECOMMENDATION
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE
ELECTION OF ALL OF THE NOMINEES TO THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS.
PROPOSAL 2
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF MALONE BAILEY, LLP
AS THE COMPANY'S INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2018
The Audit Committee has selected Malone Bailey,
LLP (“M&B”) as the Company's independent public
accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2018. The Board
has directed that such appointment be submitted for ratification by
the shareholders at the Annual Meeting.
It
is anticipated that a member of M&B will be available at the
Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if
they desire to do so and will be available to respond to
appropriate questions.
If
the shareholders do not ratify the selection of M&B as the
Company's independent public accounting firm for the year ending
December 31, 2018, the Audit Committee will reconsider the
appointment. However, even if the shareholders do ratify the
selection, the Audit Committee may still appoint a new independent
public accounting firm at any time during the year if it believes
that such a change would be in the best interests of Company and
its shareholders.
AUDIT FEES
The
following table presents fees for professional audit services
rendered by M&B for the audit of the Company's annual financial
statements for fiscal years 2017 and 2016 and fees billed for other
services rendered during 2016 and 2015.
|
|
|
Type of Service/Fee
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit Fees (1)
|
$--
|
$242,250
|
|
|
|
Audit Related Fees (2)
|
$--
|
$--
|
|
|
|
Tax Fees (3)
|
$--
|
$--
|
|
|
|
All Other Fees
|
$--
|
$--
|
(1)
Audit
Fees consist of fees for professional services rendered for the
audit of the Company's consolidated financial statements included
in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, the review of the interim
financial statements included in its Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q, and for the services that are normally provided in connection
with regulatory filings or engagements.
(2)
Includes
fees associated with assurance and related services that are
reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the
Company's financial statements. This category includes
fees related to consultation regarding generally accepted
accounting principles.
(3)
Tax
Fees consist of fees for tax compliance, tax advice and tax
planning. The fee includes the preparation of the
Company’s income tax returns, franchise tax reports, and
other tax filings.
The Audit Committee reviewed the non-audit
services rendered for fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2016 as set
forth in the above table and concluded that such services were
compatible with maintaining the public accounting firm's
independence. The Audit Committee's policy is to
pre-approve all audit services and all non-audit services that
Company's independent public accounting firm is permitted to
perform for Company under applicable federal securities
regulations. As permitted by the applicable regulations,
the Audit Committee's policy utilizes a combination of specific
pre-approval on a case-by-case basis of individual engagements of
the independent public accounting firm and general pre-approval of
certain categories of engagements up to predetermined dollar
thresholds that are reviewed annually by the Audit
Committee. Specific pre-approval is mandatory for the
annual financial statement audit engagement, among
others. None of the fees paid to the independent public
accounting firm under the categories Audit-Related Fees, Tax, and
All Other Fees described above were approved by the Audit Committee
after services were rendered, pursuant to the de minimis exception established by the
SEC.
BOARD RECOMMENDATION
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS
RATIFY THE APPOINTMENT OF MALONE BAILEY, LLP AS THE COMPANY'S
INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31,
2017.
OTHER MATTERS
Management
does not intend to present to the meeting any matters other than
matters referred to herein, and as of this date Management does not
know of any matter that will be presented by other persons named in
the attached proxy to vote thereon in accordance with their best
judgment on such matters.
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
Under the rules of the SEC, for a shareholder
proposal to be included in the Company’s proxy statement for
its 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, including with respect to
a proposal to nominate a director, it must be received by the
Company at its principal executive offices for inclusion in the
Company's proxy statement for such meeting by December
29, 2018. 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. The Board will review any shareholder
proposals that are filed as required and will determine whether
such proposals meet applicable criteria for inclusion in its 2019
Proxy Statement.
Shareholder proposals not to be included in the
Company’s Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2018 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders must be made in accordance with the bylaws
of the Company, and received by the Company at its principal
executive offices between December 29, 2018 and January 28, 2019.
The
Company has not received any shareholder proposals for director or
any other matter for inclusion in this Proxy Statement for the 2018
Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
The
Company will pay the cost of the solicitation of proxies.
Solicitation of proxies may be made in person or by mail,
telephone, or telecopy by directors, officers, and employees of the
Company. The Company may also engage the services of others to
solicit proxies in person or by telephone or telecopy. In addition,
the Company may also request banking institutions, brokerage firms,
custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries to forward solicitation
material to the beneficial owners of Common Stock held of record by
such persons, and the Company will reimburse such persons for the
costs related to such services.
It
is important that your shares be represented at the Annual Meeting.
If you are unable to be present in person, you are respectfully
requested to sign the enclosed proxy and return it in the enclosed
stamped and addressed envelope as promptly as
possible.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Haim Tsuff
Chairman of the Board
Chief Executive Officer
President