UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A

 

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.   )

 

Filed by the Registrant ☒

 

Filed by a party other than the Registrant ☐

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

☒	Preliminary Proxy Statement
☐	Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
☐	Definitive Proxy Statement
☐	Definitive Additional Materials
☐	Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

 

GBS Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

☒	No fee required.
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☐	Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
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	(2)	Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
	(3)	Filing Party:
	(4)	Date Filed:

 

 

 

GBS INC.

420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300

New York, NY 10170

 

To the Stockholders of GBS Inc.

 

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of GBS Inc. (the “Company”). The Annual Meeting will be held virtually at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on June 16, 2022, or at such other time or such other date to which the meeting may be adjourned. In the interest of public health, and due to the continuing public health impact of the coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”), we have determined that the Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only, via the Internet, with no physical in-person meeting. Information regarding each of the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting is contained in the attached Proxy Statement and Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. We urge you to read the proxy statement carefully.

 

If you are a shareholder of record, you can participate and vote your shares in the Annual Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022 and entering the 12-digit control number included on your Proxy Card. If you are a shareholder of record, you can also vote your shares prior to the Annual Meeting by visiting www.cstproxyvote.com and entering the 12-digit control number included on your Proxy Card. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name, you can participate and vote at the meeting by obtaining a legal proxy from your nominee and emailing a copy to proxy@continentalstock.com no later than 72 hours prior to the Annual Meeting. Continental Stock Transfer and Trust will then issue you a valid control number to join the meeting.

 

Your vote is very important, regardless of the number of shares of our voting securities that you own. Whether or not you expect to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, please vote as promptly as possible to ensure your representation and the presence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting. Only shareholders who held shares at the close of business on the record date, April 27, 2022, may vote at the Annual Meeting. As an alternative to voting online during the Annual Meeting, you may vote in advance of the Annual Meeting, via the Internet or by signing, dating and returning the proxy card. If your shares are held in the name of a broker, trust, bank or other nominee, and you receive these materials through your broker or through another intermediary, please complete and return the materials in accordance with the instructions provided to you by such broker or other intermediary or contact your broker directly in order to obtain a proxy issued to you by your nominee holder to attend the meeting and vote in person. Failure to do so may result in your shares not being eligible to be voted by proxy at the Annual Meeting.

 

We look forward to seeing you virtually on June 16, 2022.

 

	Very truly yours,
	GBS Inc.
	By:
		Steven Boyages
		Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials
for the Shareholder Meeting to be Held on June 16, 2022.

 

Electronic copies of the Notice of Annual Stockholder Meeting, our Proxy Statement, our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 (the “Annual Report”) are available online at https://www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022.

 

 

GBS INC.

420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300 New York, NY 10170

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held On June 16, 2022

 

To the Stockholders of GBS INC.:

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 (the “Annual Meeting”) of GBS Inc. (the “Company”) will be held on June 16, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Due to the continuing public health impact of the coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”), we have determined that the Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format via the Internet. The Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting to be held via a webcast available at https://www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022. There will not be a physical meeting location.

 

At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to:

 

	●	Elect six directors of the Company nominated by the Board of Directors;
	●	Ratify appointment of BDO Audit Pty Ltd. as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022;
	●	Approve an amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio not less than 1-for-2 and not greater than 1-for-10, with the exact ratio to be set within that range at the discretion of our Board of Directors without further approval or authorization of our stockholders (the “Reverse Stock Split Proposal”);
	●	Approve an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company’s 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”) by 900,000 shares;
	●	Authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes in favor of Proposal 3 and/or Proposal 4; and
	●	Transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting.

 

Only stockholders of record of the Company at the close of business on April 27, 2022, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. A complete list of these stockholders will be open for the examination of any stockholder of record at the Company’s principal executive offices located at 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300, New York, NY 10170 for a period of ten days prior to the Annual Meeting. The list will also be available for the examination of any stockholder of record present at the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting may be adjourned or postponed from time to time without notice other than by announcement at the meeting.

 

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Please read the proxy statement and the instructions on the proxy card and then, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, and no matter how many shares you own, please submit your proxy promptly by telephone or via the Internet, or by completing, dating and returning your proxy card in the envelope provided. This will not prevent you from voting at the Annual Meeting. It will, however, help to assure a quorum and to avoid added proxy solicitation costs. You may revoke your proxy at any time before the vote is taken.

 

We appreciate your continued confidence in our Company and look forward to having you join us at 4:00 p.m. on June 16, 2022.

 

	By Order of the Board of Directors,
	GBS Inc.
New York, New York	Steven Boyages
May [__], 2022	Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Table of Contents

 

	Page
Information About the Annual Meeting and Voting	6
Why Did You Send Me This Proxy Statement?	6
What Proposals will be Addressed at the Annual Meeting?	6
Who May Vote on These Proposals?	6
Who May Attend the Annual Meeting?	7
How Do I Access the Virtual Annual Meeting?	7
Will I Be Able to Ask Questions and Have These Questions Answered During the Virtual Annual Meeting?	7
What Happens if There are Technical Difficulties During the Annual Meeting?	8
How Many Votes Do I Have and How do I Vote?	8
Why Would the Annual Meeting be Postponed?	8
How Does the Board Recommend I Vote on the Proposals and How do I Vote by Proxy?	8
May I Revoke my Proxy?	9
What Vote is Required to Approve Each Proposal?	9
Are There Any Rights of Appraisal?	10
Who Bears the Cost of Soliciting Proxies?	10
Where are GBSs’ Principal Executive Offices?	10
How Can I Obtain Additional Information About GBS?	10
Information About Directors and Executive Officers	11
Corporate Governance	13
Compensation of Executive Officers and Directors	19
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management	22
Related Party Transactions	23
Proposal 1: Election of Directors	25
Audit Committee Report	26
Proposal 2: Ratification of the Appointment of BDO Audit Pty Ltd. as the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	27
Proposal 3: Approval of an Amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to Effect a Reverse Stock Split	28
Proposal 4: Approval of an Increase in the Number of Shares of Common Stock Authorized For Issuance Under the 2019 Plan	36
Proposal 5: Authorization to Adjourn the Annual Meeting	41
Availability of Annual Report on Form 10-K	42
Other Proposed Action	42
Householding of Proxy Materials	42
Stockholder Proposals and Submissions	43
Appendix A - Certificate of Amendment	A-1
Appendix B - 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan, As Amended	B-1

 

 

GBS INC.

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

TO BE HELD ON JUNE 16, 2022

 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

 

WHY DID YOU SEND ME THIS PROXY STATEMENT?

 

This proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card are furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of GBS Inc., a Delaware corporation (“GBS,” the “Company,” “we,” or “our”), for use at the Annual Meeting of the Company’s stockholders to be held on June 16, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and at any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. You will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. You can virtually attend the Annual Meeting at www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022, where you will be able to vote electronically and submit questions during the Annual Meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you can also vote your shares prior to the Annual Meeting by visiting www.cstproxyvote.com and entering the 12-digit control number included on your Proxy Card.

 

This proxy statement summarizes the information you need to make an informed vote on the proposals to be considered at the Annual Meeting. We recommend that you submit your proxy even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. If you vote by proxy, you may change your vote by submitting a later dated proxy before the deadline or by voting electronically at the Annual Meeting.

 

WHAT PROPOSALS WILL BE ADDRESSED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING?

 

We will address the following proposals at the Annual Meeting:

 

	●	To elect six directors of the Company nominated by the Board of Directors;
	●	To ratify the appointment of BDO Audit Pty Ltd. as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022;
	●	To approve an amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio not less than 1-for-2 and not greater than 1-for-10, with the exact ratio to be set within that range at the discretion of our Board of Directors without further approval or authorization of our stockholders (the “Reverse Stock Split Proposal”);
	●	To approve an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company’s 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”) by 900,000 shares;
	●	To authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes in favor of Proposal 3 and/or Proposal 4; and
	●	Transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting.

 

WHO MAY VOTE ON THESE PROPOSALS?

 

Stockholders who owned shares of our common stock at the close of business on the Record Date (April 27, 2022) are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting on all matters properly brought before the Annual Meeting. On the Record Date, we had 14,882,522 shares of issued and outstanding common stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

 

If on the Record Date your common shares were registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company (“Continental”), then you are a shareholder of record.

 

 

If on the Record Date your shares were held, not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, dealer or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and the Notice is being forwarded to you by that organization. The organization holding your account is considered to be the shareholder of record for purposes of voting at the Annual Meeting. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent regarding how to vote the shares in your account. You are also invited to attend the Annual Meeting. However, since you are not the shareholder of record, you may not vote your shares at the Annual Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid legal proxy from your broker or other agent and submit it to Continental Stock transfer no later than 72 hours prior to the meeting. Your legal proxy should be sent to proxy@continentalstock.com. Continental will then issue you a valid control number to join the meeting.

 

Under the rules of Nasdaq, brokers who hold shares in “street name” for a beneficial owner of those shares typically have the authority to vote in their discretion on “routine” proposals when they have not received instructions from beneficial owners. However, brokers are not permitted to exercise their voting discretion (i.e., are not entitled to vote) with respect to the approval of matters that Nasdaq determines to be “non-routine” without specific instructions from the beneficial owner. Broker non-votes occur when a broker or nominee is not instructed by the beneficial owner of shares to vote on a particular proposal for which the broker does not have discretionary voting power.

 

WHO MAY ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING?

 

Our Board has fixed the close of business on the Record Date (April 27, 2022) as the date for a determination of stockholders of Company common stock entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Record holders. Set forth below is a summary of the information you need to attend the virtual Annual Meeting:

 

HOW DO I ACCESS THE VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING?

 

The live audio webcast of the Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Online access to the audio webcast will open 15 minutes prior to the start of the Annual Meeting to allow time for you to log-in and test your device’s audio system. The virtual Annual Meeting is running the most updated version of the applicable software and plugins. You should ensure you have a strong Internet connection wherever you intend to participate in the Annual Meeting. You should also allow plenty of time to log in and ensure that you can hear streaming audio prior to the start of the Annual Meeting.

 

To be admitted to the virtual Annual Meeting, you will need to log-in at www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022 using the 12-digit control number found on the proxy card or voting instruction card previously mailed or made available to shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. You will be able to vote electronically and submit questions during the Annual Meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you can also vote your shares prior to the Annual Meeting by visiting www.cstproxyvote.com and entering the 12-digit control number included on your Proxy Card.

 

WILL I BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND HAVE THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED DURING THE VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING?

 

Shareholders may submit questions for the Annual Meeting after logging in. If you wish to submit a question, you may do so by logging into the virtual meeting platform at www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022, typing your question into the “Ask a Question” field, and clicking “Submit.” Please submit any questions before the start time of the meeting.

 

Appropriate questions related to the business of the Annual Meeting (the proposals being voted on) will be answered during the Annual Meeting, subject to time constraints. Any such questions that cannot be answered during the Annual Meeting due to time constraints will be answered directly with the shareholder as soon as possible after the Annual Meeting has completed. Additional information regarding the ability of shareholders to ask questions during the Annual Meeting, related to rules of conduct and other materials for the Annual Meeting will be available on the virtual meeting platform available at the web address above.

 

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE ARE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES DURING THE ANNUAL MEETING?

 

Beginning 15 minutes prior to, and during, the Annual Meeting, we will have technicians ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the virtual Annual Meeting, voting at the Annual Meeting or submitting questions at the Annual Meeting. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual Annual Meeting during the check-in or meeting time, please call (917) 262-2373.

 

HOW MANY VOTES DO I HAVE AND HOW DO I VOTE?

 

Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote on each matter presented at the Annual Meeting. Cumulative voting is not permitted.

 

You will be able to vote electronically while attending the Annual Meeting by visiting www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022 and entering the 12-digit control number included on your Proxy Card. You will also be able vote your shares prior to the Annual Meeting by visiting www.cstproxyvote.com and entering the 12-digit control number included on your Proxy Card.

 

WHY WOULD THE ANNUAL MEETING BE POSTPONED?

 

The Annual Meeting will be postponed if a quorum is not present at the meeting on June 16, 2022. The presence in person or by proxy of at least a majority of our common stock outstanding as of the Record Date will constitute a quorum and is required to transact business at the Annual Meeting. If a quorum is not present, the Annual Meeting may be adjourned until a quorum is obtained.

 

Abstentions and broker non-votes are treated as shares present or represented at the meeting, but are not counted as votes cast. Shares held by brokers who do not have discretionary authority to vote on a particular matter and who have not received voting instructions from their customers are not counted or deemed to be present or represented for the purpose of determining whether stockholders have approved that matter, but they are counted as present for the purposes of determining the existence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting.

 

HOW DOES THE BOARD RECOMMEND I VOTE ON THE PROPOSALS AND HOW DO I VOTE BY PROXY?

 

Whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting or not, we urge you to submit your proxy even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. If you vote by proxy, you may change your vote by submitting a later dated proxy before the deadline or by voting electronically at the Annual Meeting.

 

If you properly fill in your proxy card and send it to us in time to vote, your proxy (one of the individuals named on your proxy card) will vote your shares as you have directed. If you sign the proxy card but do not make specific choices, your proxy will vote your shares as recommended by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) as follows:

 

	1.	“FOR” election of the Board’s six nominees to our Board of Directors.
	2.	“FOR” ratification of the appointment of BDO Audit Pty Ltd. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending June 30, 2022.
	3.	“FOR” approval of an amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio not less than 1-for-2 and not greater than 1-for-10, with the exact ratio to be set within that range at the discretion of our Board of Directors without further approval or authorization of our stockholders.
	4.	“FOR” approval of an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2019 Plan by 900,000 shares.

 

 

	5.	“FOR” authorization of an adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes in favor of Proposal 3 and/or Proposal 4.
	6.	In their discretion, upon such other matters as may property come before the meeting.

 

If any other matters are presented, your proxy will vote in accordance with his or her best judgment. At the time this proxy statement was printed, we knew of no matters that needed to be acted on at the Annual Meeting other than those discussed in this proxy statement.

 

MAY I REVOKE MY PROXY?

 

If you give a proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is exercised. You may revoke your proxy in three ways:

 

	1.	You may send in another proxy with a later date.
	2.	You may notify us in writing (or if the stockholder is a corporation, under its corporate seal, by an officer or attorney of the corporation) at our principal executive offices before the Annual Meeting that you are revoking your proxy.
	3.	You may vote in person (which would include presence at the virtual meeting) at the Annual Meeting.

 

WHAT VOTE IS REQUIRED TO APPROVE EACH PROPOSAL?

 

Proposal 1: Election of Directors.

 

A plurality of the eligible votes cast is required to elect director nominees, and as such, the six nominees who receive the greatest number of “FOR” votes cast by stockholders, entitled to vote at the meeting, will be elected. A nominee who receives a plurality means he or she has received more “FOR” votes than any other nominee for the same director’s seat. Broker non-votes and abstentions will have no effect on this proposal.

 

Proposal 2: Ratification of the Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

 

The approval of Proposal 2 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Broker non-votes, if any, will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the proposal, and abstentions will be counted as votes against the proposal.

 

Proposal 3: Approval of the Reverse Stock Split Proposal.

 

To approve an amendment to our Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio not less than 1-for-2 and not greater than 1-for-10, with the exact ratio to be set within that range at the discretion of our Board of Directors without further approval or authorization of our stockholders, requires the favorable vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote. Broker non-votes and abstentions will have the same effect as voting against this proposal.

 

Proposal 4: Approval of an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2019 Plan.

 

The approval of Proposal 4 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Broker non-votes will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the proposal, and abstentions will be counted as votes against the proposal.

 

 

Proposal 5: Authorization of an adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes in favor of Proposal 3 and/or Proposal 4.

 

The approval of Proposal 5 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Broker non-votes will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the proposal, and abstentions will be counted as votes against the proposal.

 

Other Business That Is Properly Brought Before the Annual Meeting

 

If you do not give instructions to your bank or brokerage firm, it will nevertheless be entitled to vote your shares in its discretion on routine matters. However, absent your instructions, the record holder will not be permitted to vote your shares on a non-routine matter, which are referred to as “broker non-votes”, properly brought before the meeting. Broker non-votes (shares held by brokers that do not have discretionary authority to vote on the matter and have not received voting instructions from their clients) are not counted or deemed to be present or represented for the purpose of determining whether stockholders have approved that proposal, but will be counted in determining whether there is a quorum present.

 

ARE THERE ANY RIGHTS OF APPRAISAL?

 

The Board of Directors is not proposing any action for which the laws of the State of Delaware, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws provide a right of a stockholder to obtain appraisal of or payment for such stockholder’s shares.

 

WHO BEARS THE COST OF SOLICITING PROXIES?

 

We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies. In addition to solicitation by mail, our Directors, our executive officers and certain of our employees may, without additional compensation, solicit proxies by mail, in person, by telephone or other electronic means or by means of press release or other public statements.

 

We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other agents for the cost of forwarding our proxy materials to beneficial owners

 

WHERE ARE GBS’ PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES?

 

The principal executive offices of the Company are located at 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300 New York, NY 10170 and our telephone number is (646) 828-8258.

 

HOW CAN I OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT GBS?

 

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which requires that we file reports, proxy statements and other information with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding companies, including GBS, that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website address is www.sec.gov. In addition, our filings may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities of the SEC located at 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20549.

 

 

INFORMATION ABOUT DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

 

Board of Directors

 

The current number of directors on our Board of Directors is six. Under our bylaws, the number of directors on our Board will not be less than one, nor more than ten, and is fixed, and may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

 

Our business is managed under the direction of our Board, which currently consists of the individuals listed below:

 

Director		Age+		Position(s) with the Company		Director Since
Stephen Boyages		64		Interim CEO and Chairman of the Board		July 2020
Lawrence Fisher*		83		Director		August 2020
Jonathan Hurd*		51		Director		April 2018
Leon Kempler*		69		Director		October 2019
George Margelis*		61		Director		June 2019
Christopher Towers*		36		Director		August 2020

 

⁺ As of April 27, 2022

* Independent

 

Steven Boyages MB BS PhD

 

Dr. Steven Boyages is a practicing clinician in endocrinology with more than 30 years’ experience in medicine, including multiple executive positions. Dr. Boyages previously held the position of Chief Executive of the Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) from February 2002 to May 2011, which is now known as Western Sydney Local Health District. Covering a population of approximately 1.2 million people, SWAHS employed more than 15,000 staff and had a gross operating budget of $2 billion, managing $1.6 billion worth of assets. Dr. Boyages has also served as Medical Director for eHealth New South Wales and was the founding Chief Executive of the Clinical Education and Training Institute (CETI) New South Wales, Australia, set up to ensure the development and the delivery of clinical education and training across the NSW public health system. Previous to this, Dr. Boyages was the Director of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Westmead Hospital, from February 1990 to December 1999. During this time, Dr. Boyages’ major achievements were to define the pathophysiology of thyroid hormone deficiency on brain development secondary to iodine deficiency; to develop prevention strategies in iodine deficient communities in China, India, Indonesia and Northern Italy; to define the impact of Growth Hormone excess and deficiency in adults and to develop innovative population health models of care for people with diabetes. Dr. Boyages continues an active research career in a range of fields, but mostly in the pursuit of better models of chronic disease prevention and management. Following this position, Dr. Boyages was the founding director of the Centre for Research and Clinical Policy in NSW Health in 1999, during which he established the Priority Health Programs (receiving $15 million in funding per annum), doubled the Research Infrastructure Grants Program, established the Quality Branch of NSW Health and was appointed as Clinical Advisor to the Director General to implement the Government Action Plan for Health Reform. Additionally, Dr. Boyages was instrumental in establishing and securing funding for the NSW biotechnology strategy, BioFirst, a $150 million investment. We believe that Dr. Boyages is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his medical expertise and research and development experience.

 

Lawrence Fisher

 

Lawrence Fisher, 82, has been a member of our Board since August 2020. Mr. Fisher has practiced as a securities lawyer in New York City for more than 40 years and retired in 2002 He is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia University Law School, and a Research Fellow of the London School of Economics. Lawrence has extensive experience representing public companies and investment banking firms in connection with Initial Public Offerings. During his career, he was a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe law firm for 11 years and at Kelley, Drye & Warren law firm for 10 years, and Parker, Chapin & Flattau, serving on all firms’ Executive Committees. Furthermore, he is experienced in various board positions, including Audit Committee of Viking Energy Group since August 2018, a member of the Board and Audit Committee of National Bank of New York City for more than 20 years to December 2018, and Financial Federal Corporation (NYSE listed) for over five years until February 2010. We believe that Mr. Fisher is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his extensive experience as a lawyer in the field of capital markets and will assist with understanding the legal and compliance issues pertaining to publicly listed companies.

 

 

Jonathan S. Hurd

 

Mr. Hurd, 51, has been a member of our Board of Directors since April 2018 and chairs the Company’s Nominating Committee. He previously served as our Chairman of the Board from August 2018 to November 2019. Mr. Hurd has expertise in broker-dealer and investment advisory regulations and is well versed in FINRA and SEC rules and regulations. Mr. Hurd has served as Founder and CEO at Asgard Regulatory Group (“Asgard”) since founding the firm in 2008. Asgard provides broker-dealer and investment adviser compliance consulting services to clients both domestically and abroad. Prior to starting Asgard, Mr. Hurd was the Chief Compliance Officer for several financial institutions. His experience involved full-service broker-dealers, investment advisory firms, bank-broker-dealers and mortgage-backed securities. Mr. Hurd also served on the Board of Directors for many of these companies. Prior to working at these financial institutions, Mr. Hurd was a Supervisor of Examiners at FINRA, previously NASD, in the New York District Office. While with FINRA, he supervised routine examinations of FINRA member firms, and conducted large-scale enforcement cases jointly with the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigations. Mr. Hurd also assisted the District Office with its ongoing training of new examiners. In addition, from 2005 to 2011, Mr. Hurd was a Senior Adjunct Professor in the Townsend School of Business at Dowling College, where he instructed MBA students in matters relating to the United States securities markets and financial institutions. He was responsible for introducing students to the subjects of financial derivatives, foreign stock exchange, hedge transactions and risk management. Mr. Hurd is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and holds the Series 7, 24, 27, 53, 57, 63, 66, 79 and 99 licenses as well as his NYS Life and Health Insurance licenses. We believe Mr. Hurd is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his substantial experience in corporate finance, his expertise in the regulation and functioning of securities markets and his widespread relationships in the financial industry.

 

Leon Kempler, AM

 

Mr. Kempler has been a member of our Board of Directors since October 2019. His business career involved large scale projects in the IT, communication and software industry involving large tier one companies in Australia. For more than five years, he has owned and managed a portfolio of investment companies that invest in property and the stock market. He also holds several honorary roles, including: Chairman of the advisory council of the National Science and Technology Centre – Questacon since 2003; National Chairman of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce since 1987; and Director of Wonderment Walk Victoria, International, and Chairman and Director of ADSone Group Pty Ltd. In 1998, Mr. Kempler received a Medal of the Order of Australia from the Governor General of his tireless efforts and contribution for furthering Australia-Israel bi-lateral trade and relations. In 2018, Mr. Kempler was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia, or “AM,” from the Governor General for his significant services to the community through contributions to national cultural institutions, charitable, education and children’s medical foundations. Mr. Kempler holds an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Deakin University and fellowships from Monash University, Technion Institute of Science and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We believe that Mr. Kempler is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his extensive experience as a business leader and his reputation in the Asia Pacific business community.

 

George Margelis, MB BS, M.Optom.

 

Dr. Margelis has been a member of our Board of Directors since June 2019 and chairs the Company’s Compensation Committee. He is a medical practitioner who has been deeply involved in technology for the last 30 years. In 2019, he was appointed independent chair of the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council in Australia. Since November 2013, he also has been a board member and the medical advisor of Multicultural Care, an aged care provider in Sydney. In June 2013, he was appointed an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Western Sydney with the TeleHealth Research & Innovation Laboratory. From July 2013 to August 2018, he served as a member of Ignition Labs, a start-up incubator in the health space, where he acted as a mentor and adviser to selected start-ups, assisting them in developing their initial products and taking a small initial investment. From 2005 to 2011, he was Health Industry Lead ANZ at Intel, and then General Manager Asia-Pacific at Intel-GE Innovations as it spun off in 2011. In 2014, he returned to Intel serving as its Health & Life Sciences Lead until 2016. During this time he also acted as senior adviser to HIMSS, the international peak body for health technology, and as Asia Pacific chair of the Continua Alliance, an industry consortium for developing interoperability standards for health technology products that was later renamed the Personal Connected Health Alliance. From 2002 to 2005, he was Chief Information Officer of Macquarie Health Corporation, a private hospital group, and also managed an innovative software development team at Macquarie that produced a number of online health applications. In 2014 he was appointed to the IT in Aged Care Hall of Fame for his work in the use of technology in aged care. Dr. Margelis originally trained as an optometrist with a Master’s degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia and later graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. We believe that Dr. Margelis is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his medical expertise and his extensive experience with information technology systems in the healthcare sector.

 

 

Christopher Towers BSc CPA

 

Christopher Towers, 35, has been a member of our Board of Directors since August 2020 and chairs the Company’s Audit Committee. Mr. Towers is a Certified Public Accountant with 13 years’ experience in auditing, accounting, and financial reporting. Mr. Towers is Chief Accounting Officer of Katapult Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: KPLT) since February 2021 and was previously EVP, Chief Accounting Officer and Principal Financial Officer of Newtek Business Services Corp. (NASDAQ: NEWT) from September 2014 to February 2021. Prior to Newtek Mr. Towers held previous roles with Pall Corporation from January 2013 to February 2021 and PwC from April 2012 to January 2013. His expertise includes auditing, SEC reporting, US GAAP, experience in leading equity & debt raisings, due diligence on business mergers & acquisitions, SOX compliance, FP&A, treasury, and tax. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Hofstra University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. We believe that Mr. Towers is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his extensive experience and expertise in financial reporting to capital markets and an understanding of compliance and the audit process.

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

Overview

 

We set high standards for the Company’s employees, officers and directors. Implicit in this philosophy is the importance of sound corporate governance. We regularly monitor developments in the area of corporate governance and review our processes, policies and procedures in light of such developments. Key information regarding our corporate governance initiatives can be found on the Governance section of our website, www.gbs.inc, including our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code of Ethics”) and the charters for our Audit, Compensation and Nominating Committees. We believe that our corporate governance policies and practices, including the substantial percentage of independent directors on our Board, empower our independent directors to effectively oversee our management—including the performance of our Interim Chief Executive Officer and provide an effective and appropriately balanced board governance structure. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference in, or considered part of, this Proxy Statement.

 

Independence of the Board of Directors

 

Our Board of Directors has determined that each of our director nominees standing for election, other than Mr. Boyages, is an independent director (as currently defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ listing rules). Tom Parmakellis, resigned as a member of the Board on March 19, 2022; and Prof. Johnathan Sessler, who resigned as a member of the Board on February 22, 2022, were each be considered an “independent director” under the Nasdaq listing rules. Mr. Simeonidis who resigned from the Board and as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company on October 29, 2021 was not considered an “independent director”. Mr. Simeonidis currently serves as President Asia Pacific, Sales and Marketing.

 

In determining the independence of our directors, the Board considered all transactions in which the Company and any director had any interest, including those discussed under “Related Party Transactions” below.

 

Our independent directors together constitute a majority of our full Board. The independent directors meet as often as necessary to fulfil their responsibilities, and will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

 

 

Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight

 

Our Board of Directors recognizes that one of its key responsibilities is to evaluate and determine its optimal leadership structure so as to provide effective oversight of management. Our Bylaws provide our Board with flexibility to combine or separate the positions of chairperson of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.

 

The Board believes that our optimal leadership framework at this time is to have Steven Boyages serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, and to have the remainder of the Board composed of independent directors. As a company in the highly regulated medical device and product industries, we and our shareholders benefit from a combined chairman / chief executive officer with deep experience and leadership in, and knowledge of, the medical device industry, research and clinical science, endocrinology who can effectively engage with our shareholders, regulators and our other stakeholders. In his role of the Chairman, Mr. Boyages will set the agenda for, and preside over, Board meetings. As Interim Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Boyages will be responsible for handling the day-to-day management direction of the Company, serving as a leader to the management team, and formulating corporate strategy.

 

Although management is responsible for the day to day management of the risks we face, our Board of Directors and its committees will take an active role in overseeing management of our risks and have the ultimate responsibility for the oversight of risk management. The Board of Directors will regularly review information regarding our operational, financial, legal and strategic risks. Specifically, senior management will attend periodic meetings of the Board of Directors, provides presentations on operations including significant risks, and will be available to address any questions or concerns raised by our Board of Directors.

 

In addition, we expect that committees will assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities regarding risk. The Audit Committee will coordinate the Board of Directors’ oversight of our internal control over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, related party transactions and code of conduct and corporate governance guidelines and management will regularly report to the Audit Committee on these areas. The Compensation Committee will assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to the management of risks arising from our compensation policies and programs. When any of the committees receives a report related to material risk oversight, the chairperson of the relevant committee will report on the discussion to the full Board of Directors.

 

Annual Meeting Attendance

 

The Board does not have a formal policy with respect to Board member attendance at annual meetings of stockholders, but all members of the Board are encouraged to attend. As a private company, we did not hold an annual meeting of stockholders during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021.

 

Board Meetings and Information Regarding Committees of the Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors met 11 times during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. Each Board member attended 75% or more of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and of the committees on which he or she served, held during the portion of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 for which he or she was a director or committee member.

 

Our Board of Directors has established an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, and a Nominating Committee. The following table provides the current membership information for each of the Board committees and the number of committee meetings held during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021.

 

Name		Audit Committee		Compensation Committee		Nominating Committee
Dr. George Margelis		X		X (Chairperson)		X
Jonathan S. Hurd				X		X (Chairperson)
Leon Kempler
Christopher Towers		X (Chairperson)		X
Lawrence Fisher		X				X
Total meetings in fiscal year ended June 30, 2021		7		*		*

 

 

* The Company did not have a standing Compensation Committee or Nominating and Corporate Governance prior to its initial public offering that closed December 28, 2020 (the “December 2020 IPO”).

Below is a description of each committee of the Board of Directors. The Board has adopted written charters for each of the committees, which are available in the Investors Relations section of our website at https://investors.gbs.inc/corporate-governance/corporate-governance.

 

Board Diversity

 

We believe it is important that our Board of Directors is composed of individuals reflecting the diversity represented by our employees, our customers, and our communities. We provide below disclosure regarding the diversity of our Board of Directors as required by the listing standards of the NASDAQ Global Market.

 

Board Diversity Matrix (as of April 27, 2022)

 

Total Number of Directors: 6

 

		Female		Male		Non-Binary		Did Not Disclose Gender
Part I: Gender Identity
Directors		-		6		-		-
Part II: Demographic Background
African American or Black		-		-		-		-
Alaskan Native or Native American		-		-		-		-
Asian		-		-		-		-
Hispanic or Latinx		-		-		-		-
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander		-		-		-		-
White		-		6		-		-
Two or More Races or Ethnicities		-		-		-		-
LGBTQ+		-		-		-		-
Did Not Disclose Demographic Background		-		-		-		-

 

Audit Committee

 

We have established an Audit Committee of the Board of Directors in accordance with Section 3(a)58(A) of the Exchange Act, which consists of Mr. Fisher, Mr. Towers and Dr. Margelis, each of whom is an independent director under the Nasdaq listing standards applicable to audit committees. Christopher Towers qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the rules and regulations established by the SEC. Our Audit Committee oversees our corporate accounting, financial reporting practices and the audits of financial statements. The Audit Committee’s duties, which are specified in the Audit Committee Charter, include, but not be limited to:

 

	●	reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the Board of Directors whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K;
	●	discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;
	●	discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies;
	●	monitoring the independence of the independent auditor;
	●	verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law;

 

 

	●	reviewing and approving all related-party transactions;
	●	inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
	●	pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
	●	appointing or replacing the independent auditor;
	●	determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; and
	●	establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies.

 

Compensation Committee

 

We have established a Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors that consists of Mr. Hurd, Dr. Margelis, and Mr. Towers, each of whom is an independent director under the NASDAQ Stock Market listing standards applicable to compensation committees. The Compensation Committee’s duties, which are specified in our Compensation Committee charter, include, but are not limited to:
 

	●	reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our principal executive officer’s compensation, evaluating our principal executive officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our principal executive officer based on such evaluation;
	●	reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers;
	●	reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;
	●	implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
	●	assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
	●	approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees;
	●	if required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
	●	reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

 

The Compensation Committee Charter also provides that the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the Compensation Committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the NASDAQ Stock Market and the SEC. The Compensation Committee may delegate any or all of its responsibilities to a subcommittee of the Compensation Committee, but only to the extent consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws and other applicable law and NASDAQ Stock Market rules.

 

 

Nominating Committee

 

We have established a Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors that consists of Mr. Hurd, Dr. Margelis and Mr. Fisher, each of whom is an independent director under the NASDAQ Stock Market listing standards applicable to nominating committees. The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to become members of the Company’s Board of Directors and accordingly recommends director nominees for the annual meeting of stockholders. The Nominating Committee also recommends and implements policies and procedures intended to assist the Board operations and all obligations to the Company and its stockholders.

 

Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees:

 

The guidelines for selecting nominees, generally provide that persons to be nominated:

 

	●	should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service;
	●	should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the Board of Directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and
	●	should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the stockholders.

 

The Nominating Committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for membership on the Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. Though the nominating committee does not have specific guidelines on diversity, it is one of many criteria considered by the nominating committee when evaluating candidates. The Nominating Committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by stockholders and other persons.

 

The Nominating Committee will consider nominees for the Board recommended by stockholders in accordance with the Company’s Bylaws (the “Bylaws”). Stockholders wishing to propose Director candidates for consideration by the Nominating Committee may do so by writing, by deadlines specified in the Bylaws, to the Secretary of the Company and providing information concerning the nominee and his or her proponent(s) required by the Bylaws. The Bylaws set forth further requirements for stockholders wishing to nominate Director candidates for consideration by stockholders including, among other things, that a stockholder must give timely written notice of an intent to make such a nomination to the Secretary of the Company.

 

Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors

 

Our Board of Directors believes that stockholders should have an opportunity to communicate with the Board of Directors, and efforts have been made to ensure that the views of stockholders are heard by the Board of Directors or individual directors, as applicable, and that appropriate responses are provided to stockholders in a timely manner. Stockholders wishing to communicate with the Board or an individual director may send a written communication to the Board of Directors or such director c/o GBS Inc., 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300, New York, NY 10170. The Secretary will review each communication. The Secretary will forward such communication to the Board of Directors or to any individual director to whom the communication is addressed, unless the Secretary decides the communication is more suitably directed to Company management, in which case the communication will be forwarded to Company management, or if the communication contains advertisements, solicitations or is otherwise inappropriate, in which case the Secretary shall discard the communication.

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

The Company has adopted a written Code Ethics that applies to all officers, directors, and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. The Code Ethics is available in the Investor Relations section of our website at www.gbs.inc. If the Company makes any substantive amendments to the Code Ethics or grants any waiver from a provision of the Code Ethics to any executive officer or director, the Company will promptly disclose the nature of the amendment or waiver on its website.

 

 

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock and other equity securities of the Company. Officers, directors and greater than ten percent shareholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

 

To the Company’s knowledge, based on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company and written representations, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to its officers, directors and greater than ten percent beneficial owners were complied with other than the inadvertent late filing by LSBD (a former ten percent beneficial owner) of two reports reporting two transactions and by Mr. Parmakellis (a former director) reporting one transaction.

 

Anti-Hedging Policy

 

Our policies prohibit directors, officers and other employees from purchasing financial instruments (including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds), or otherwise engaging in transactions, that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of our equity securities without our prior approval.

 

Information Regarding Executive Officers

 

The names of our executive officers, their ages, their positions with the Company, and other biographical information as of April 27, 2022, are set forth below.

 

Name		Age		Positions		Officer Since
Dr Steven Boyages		64		Interim Chief Executive Officer Chairman		October 2021 – Present July 2020 - October 2021
Spiro Sakiris		59		Chief Financial Officer		April 2019 - Present

 

Dr. Steven Boyages

 

Dr. Boyages’ biographical information is provided above in the section entitled “Information About Directors And Executive Officers - Board Of Directors”.

 

Spiro Sakiris

 

Mr Spiro Sakiris has served as our Chief Financial Officer since April 2019. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Australia & New Zealand. He also has served as the Special Projects Lead at The iQ Group Global from January 2018 until December 2020, and as a registered Series 28 principal with IQ Capital (USA) LLC, a registered broker-dealer with FINRA, from November 2016 until September 2021. From 2013 to December 2017, Mr. Sakiris served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for listed entities at The iQ Group Global. He worked at Economos Chartered Accountants from 1986 to 2013, which included 23 years as a partner where he was instrumental in the development of the firm’s practice. During his 32 years of experience, Mr. Sakiris has been involved in advising businesses in the areas of accounting and taxation, business advisory, initial public offerings and capital raising, business risks identification and management and business systems designs across many industries, including the application of IFRS and U.S. GAAP for the life science industry. Mr. Sakiris is also well versed in dealings with companies based in overseas jurisdictions such as Asia, Europe and the United States. He is also a registered company auditor experienced in United States reporting under Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in the United States and a registered tax agent in Australia.

 

 

COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

 

Executive Officer Compensation

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

The following table provides information regarding the compensation earned during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 by (i) individuals serving as our principal executive officer during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, (ii) our two other most highly compensated executive officers (other than our principal executive officer) who were serving as executive officers as of June 30, 2021, and (iii) up to two additional individuals for whom disclosure would have been provided pursuant to the preceding clause (ii) but for the fact that the individual was not serving as an executive officer of the Company at the end of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 (the “Named Executive Officers”).

 

Name and principal position		Year		Salary ($)				All other compensation ($)				Total ($)
Harry Simeonidis Former Chief Executive Officer and President(1)		2021			240,466				62,133	(2) (3) (4)			302,599
		2020			157,489				49,296				206,785
Spiro Sakiris Chief Financial Officer		2021			233,204				32,380	(2) (5)			265,584
		2020			194,706				31,925				226,631

 

	1)	Mr. Simeonidis resigned as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company on October 29, 2021, and was subsequently appointed President Asia Pacific, Sales and Marketing that same day. Mr. Boyages was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer effective October 29, 2021.
	2)	Includes the contributions that are mandatory in Australia to a retirement fund know in Australia as a superannuation fund for each of Mr. Simeonidis and Mr. Sakiris, at the applicable rate of 9.5% subject to contribution cap of $ 16,200
	3)	Includes the directors’ fees paid to Mr. Simeonidis of $28,010. From January 2021, the annual director fess is $30,000.
	4)	Includes an annual automobile allowance of $17,922.
	5)	Includes an annual automobile allowance of $15,036.

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

 

Our Named Executive Officers did not hold any outstanding equity awards as of June 30, 2021

 

Employment and Related Agreements

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019, we, through our 99% owned subsidiary, GBS (APAC) Pty Ltd (“GBS APAC.”), entered into an employment agreement with each of Messrs. Simeonidis and Sakiris. Mr. Simeonidis’ and Mr. Sakiris’ employment agreements provide for them to serve as President and Chief Financial Officer, respectively, of our majority-owned subsidiary, and in accordance with their respective agreements, we require them to serve as our President and Chief Financial Officer, respectively, without any additional compensation.

 

 

Messrs. Simeonidis and Sakiris

 

In accordance with their respective employment agreement, Mr. Sakiris receives an annual salary of $218,022, and since Mr. Simeonidis’ appointment as full time Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company effective January 1^st, 2020, Mr. Simeonidis currently receives an annual salary of $272,090.

 

In addition, each of Mr. Simeonidis and Mr. Sakiris is eligible to receive an annual bonus of up to 20% of his gross base salary, of which 50% will be based on meeting company objectives and the remainder will be based on meeting mutually agreed employee objections or as otherwise determined by the Company. We also make certain contributions that are mandatory in Australia to a retirement fund for each of Mr. Simeonidis and Mr. Sakiris, known in Australia as a superannuation fund, currently at the rate of 10% of salary and wages subject to contribution cap of $17,600 per annum. We will provide an annual automobile allowance to Mr. Sakiris of $15,036 and an annual car allowance to Mr. Simeonidis of $18,043.

 

Mr. Simeonidis’ employment agreement is terminable on three months’ notice and Mr. Sakiris’ employment agreement – on one month’s notice either by our subsidiary or by the executive upon one months’ notice. However, we may terminate either executive without notice if he engages in serious or wilful misconduct, is seriously negligent in the performance of his duties, commits a serious or persistent breach of his employment agreement, brings our company into disrepute or is convicted of a criminal offense.

 

Each employment agreement contains provisions protecting our confidential information and intellectual property. Each employment agreement also contains provisions restricting each executive’s ability to compete with us during his employment and for a period of up to six months thereafter in a specified geographic region. The non-compete provisions will generally impose restrictions on inducing our employees to leave our employment or soliciting clients of our company.

 

Superannuation Fund

 

As required by Australian law, we contribute to standard defined contribution superannuation funds on behalf of all our Australian employees at an amount required by law, currently 10% of each such employee’s salary subject to a contribution cap of $17,600 per annum. Superannuation is a compulsory savings program whereby employers are required to pay a portion of an employee’s remuneration to an approved superannuation fund that the employee is typically not able to access until they are retired. We permit employees to choose an approved and registered superannuation fund into which the contributions are paid.

 

2019 Long Term Incentive Plan (“2019 Plan”)

 

The 2019 Plan was adopted by the Board and approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 18, 2019. The purpose of the 2019 Plan is to enable us to offer our employees, officers, directors and consultants whose past, present and/or potential future contributions to us have been, are, or will be important to our success, an opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in us. The various types of incentive awards that may be provided under the 2019 Plan are intended to enable us to respond to changes in compensation practices, tax laws, accounting regulations and the size and diversity of our business. The 2019 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee. Subject to the provisions of the plan, the Compensation Committee determines, among other things, the persons to whom from time to time awards may be granted, the specific type of awards to be granted, the number of shares subject to each award, share prices, any restrictions or limitations on the awards, and any vesting, exchange, surrender, cancellation, acceleration, termination, exercise or forfeiture provisions related to the awards. The 2019 Plan currently provides for 500,000 shares of our common stock being available for issuance under the 2019 Plan. If Proposal 4 in this Proxy Statement is approved, 1,400,000 shares will be available for issuance under the 2019 Plan. Shares of stock subject to other awards that are forfeited or terminated will be available for future award grants under the 2019 Plan.

 

In the event of a change in the number of shares of our common stock as a result of a dividend on shares of common stock payable in shares of common stock, common stock forward split or reverse split or other extraordinary or unusual event that results in a change in the shares of common stock as a whole, the committee will determine whether such change equitably requires an adjustment in the terms of any award in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits available under the plan or the aggregate number of shares reserved for issuance under the plan.

 

 

The 2019 Plan provides both for “incentive” stock options as defined in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the “Code,” and for options not qualifying as incentive options, both of which may be granted with any other stock based award under the plan. The 2019 Plan provides for Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units, and other Stock-Based Awards.

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

		Equity Compensation Plan Information As of June 30, 2021
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 shares reflected in column (a)) (c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders			-				-				500,000	(1)
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders			-				-				-
Total			-				-				500,000

 

(1) Securities remaining available for issuance under the 2019 Plan.

 

Director Compensation

 

The table below sets forth the compensation earned by our non-employee directors for service on our Board of Directors during the year ended June 30, 2021. Compensation paid to Harry Simeonidis, our former President and Chief Executive Officer (resigned October 2021), is set forth in Summary Compensation Table for Named Executive Officers.

 

Name		Fees earned or paid in cash ($)				All other compensation ($)				Total ($)
Steven Boyages			20,507				-				20,507
Lawrence Fisher			15,729				-				15,729
Jonathan Hurd			15,729				-				15,729
Leon Kempler			15,380				-				15,380
George Margelis			15,380				-				15,380
Tom Parmakellis(1)			15,380				-				15,380
Jonathan Sessler(2)			15,729				-				15,729
Christopher Towers			20,972				-				20,972

 

(1) Tom Parmakellis resigned as a member of the Board on March 19, 2022.

 

(2) Prof. Johnathan Sessler resigned as a member of the Board on February 22, 2022.

 

Non-Employee Director Compensation Arrangements

 

Prior to the December 2020 IPO, none of our non-employee directors received compensation for serving on our Board of Directors. From the date of the December 2020 IPO, our non-employee directors are entitled to cash fees of $30,000 (plus $10,000 each for the Chairman of the Board and Financial Expert/Chair of the Audit Committee) per year of service on our Board of Directors. Service rendered on any of the committees of the Board do not entitle our non-employee directors to any additional compensation.

 

 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the ownership of our common stock as of April 27, 2022 by: (i) each director and nominee for director; (ii) each of the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table; (iii) all executive officers and directors of the Company as a group; and (iv) all those known by us to be beneficial owners of more than five percent of our common stock. Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, and generally means that person has beneficial ownership of a security if he or she possesses sole or shared voting or investment power of that security and includes options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the date of determination.

 

This table is based upon information supplied by officers and directors as well as Schedules 13D or 13G filed with the SEC by beneficial owners of more than five percent of our common stock. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes to this table and subject to community property laws, where applicable, we believe that each of the stockholders named in this table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares indicated as beneficially owned.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each person listed below is 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300, New York, NY 10170

 

Name of Beneficial Owner		Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned				Percent of Common Stock Beneficially Owned+
Executive officers and directors:
Dr. Steven Boyages			0				0	%
Lawrence Fisher			0				*
Jonathan S. Hurd			0				*
Leon Kempler(1)			7,350				0	%
Dr. George Margelis			0				0	%
Spiro Sakiris(2)			30,737				*	%
Harry Simeonidis(3)			600				0	%
Christopher Towers(4)			800				0	%
All Executive Officers and Directors as a group (8 persons)			39,487				*

 

+	Based on 14,882,522 shares of common stock outstanding on April 27, 2022.
*	Less than 1%.
(1)	Consists of 4,900 common stock and currently exercisable Series A Warrants to purchase 2,450 shares of the common stock.
(2)	Consists of 29,258 shares of common stock and currently exercisable Series A Warrants to purchase 1,479 shares of the common stock. Does not include 3,000 of common stock that will be issuable upon exercise of the pre-IPO warrants held by Mr. Sakiris during the one-year period commencing on the second anniversary of the consummation of December 2020 IPO.
(3)	Consists of 600 shares of common stock.
(4)	Consists of 800 shares of common stock.

 

 

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Our Code of Ethics will require that we avoid, wherever possible, all related party transactions that could result in actual or potential conflicts of interests, except under guidelines approved by the Board of Directors. Related party transactions are defined under SEC rules as transactions in which (1) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed the lesser of  $120,000 or one percent of the average of our total assets for the last two completed fiscal years, (2) we or any of our subsidiaries is a participant, and (3) any (a) executive officer, director or nominee for election as a director, (b) greater than 5% beneficial owner of our shares of common stock, or (c) immediate family member, of the persons referred to in clauses (a) and (b), has or will have a direct or indirect material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity). A conflict of interest situation can arise when a person takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise if a person, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.

 

All future and ongoing related party transactions (as defined under SEC rules) will require prior review and approval by the Audit Committee, which will have access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction without the approval of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee will consider all relevant factors when determining whether to approve a related party transaction, including whether the related party transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third-party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction.

 

No director may participate in the approval of any transaction in which he is a related party, but that director is required to provide the other members of the board with all material information concerning the transaction. Additionally, we require each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.

 

These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.

Certain Related-Person Transactions

 

The following is a summary of certain relationships and transactions, including transactions since July 1, 2020 and any currently proposed transactions to which we were or are to be a participant. We believe the terms obtained or consideration that we paid or received, as applicable, in connection with the transactions described below were, unless otherwise noted below, comparable to terms available or the amounts that we would pay or received, as applicable, in arm’s-length transactions.

 

	●	LSBD, which is also referred to herein as “Licensor”, held 42.6% of our outstanding common stock (by voting rights) as of June 30, 2021, and held less than 7.5% of our outstanding common stock as of February 17, 2022. From time to time, we have entered into transactions with the LSBD that have not been negotiated, arranged or otherwise implemented on an arms-length basis. These transactions include (i) entry into that certain License Agreement, dated June 23, 2020, by and between Licensor and the Company (the “License Agreement”) pursuant to which Licensor granted to the Company a license to the Licensor’s proprietary rights to the biosensor technology used in certain licensed products and (ii) the employee sharing arrangements whereby we have not engaged its own exclusive employees.
	●	Under the terms of the License Agreement, we license the SGT (the software app that interfaces the Company’s Saliva Glucose Biosensor (SGB) with the Company’s digital information system for the Asia Pacific Region (APAC Region). The License Agreement requires, among other material provisions, that commencing after the receipt of regulatory approval in a jurisdiction, we will pay the Licensor a minimum royalty with respect to such jurisdiction for each year, in four equal quarterly instalments. The minimum royalty will be 13% of the projected net sales in such jurisdiction for each such year. The projected net sales will be an amount mutually agreed between us and the Licensor for the first such year. For each ensuing year after the first year, the projected net sales will be the number of certain licensed products sold in the prior year, as adjusted for the expected market growth and, for each year through the tenth year, as increased by up to an additional 7%. At the end of each quarter, if the quarterly instalment of the minimum royalty is less than the actual royalty (13% of the actual net sales of the licensed products for such quarter) in such jurisdiction, we will pay Licensor the difference between the quarterly instalment of the minimum royalty and the actual royalty. The royalty fee rate will be reduced from 13% to 3% upon the expiration of the patent portfolio covered by the License Agreement.

 

 

	●	Under the employee sharing arrangements, which have not been pursuant to any written agreement, the Licensor has allocated a portion of its general office expenses, rent and wages to us based on our percentage usage of the Licensor’s office and personnel resources. We have relied upon these arrangements as it has been more cost-effective than acquiring dedicated office space and personnel that would not have been fully utilized. From August 5, 2016 to December 31, 2020, we incurred to the Licensor a total of $8,537,629 (inclusive of “deemed dividend” referred to below) under a prior license agreement for this technology in relation to development of the technology, $3,478,570 in relation to overhead and general administration expenses and $6,324,806 in relation to research and development and regulatory approval in relation to the development and approval process for the Glucose Biosensor Technology. During the quarter ended September 30, 2020, the Company expanded its geographic coverage of its license to include the Asia Pacific Region (APAC), the Company allotted 147,029 Convertible Preference Shares to external shareholders who had a prior interest in this region. Accordingly, as part of this transaction the Company was required to classify $976,308 of expenditure incurred by Life Science Biosensor Diagnostics Pty Ltd (the Licensor) as a “deemed divided” under FASB ASC 805.
	●	On June 30, 2020, we issued 120,000 shares of common stock in exchange for the cancellation of $900,000 in debt held by the Licensor, resulting in 8,630,000 outstanding shares of common stock as of such date. Share and per share amounts set forth herein (except in any historical financial information) give effect to the issue, unless indicated otherwise.
	●	On December 14, 2020, the Company and LSBD agreed to cancel the previously agreed share repurchase transaction dated as of December 7, 2020, under which LSBD was to exchange a total of 3,800,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for a 3-year non-transferrable warrant to purchase 1,900,000 shares of the Company’s shares of common stock. Effective as of the same date, the Company agreed to issue to LSBD, in consideration of LSBD’s contribution towards the research and development of applications other than glucose and COVID-19 applications to a maximum of $2 million over a 5-year period, a 5-year non-transferable warrant to purchase 3,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at the exercise price equal to the IPO per unit price.
	●	On December 18, 2020, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement (the “EA”) with LSBD to exchange 3,000,000 shares of its common stock held by LSBD for 3,000,000 shares of the Company’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. In addition, the parties to the Exchange Agreement entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “RRA”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to prepare and file within 30 days following the closing of the December 2020 IPO with the SEC a registration statement to register for resale the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock.
	●	On December 18, 2020, LSBD entered into a certain Purchase and Assignment Agreement (the “PAA”) with an institutional accredited investor (the “Purchaser”) pursuant to which LSBD sold and assigned to the Purchaser 3,000,000 shares of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and assigned to the Purchaser its rights under the EA and the RRA with respect to the such preferred shares for a total purchase price of $2,000,000. The investor’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible into 3,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, subject to beneficial ownership limitation. The price per share of the 3,000,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the investor’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock is $0.67. In connection with the Company’s obligations under the RRA, the Company filed the Registration Statement on Form S-1 for the March Offering, which was declared effective by the SEC on March 31, 2021.
	●	During the quarter ended March 31, 2021, the Company contributed a total of $2,600,000 towards budgeted development and commercialization costs to be incurred by BiosensX (North America) Inc. in which the Company has a 50% interest. This represents the Company’s contribution towards budgeted development and commercialization costs included in total costs budgeted in the Form S-1. This funding relates to the development and preparation for submission of the Saliva Glucose Biosensor connected with regulatory approval for the U.S market by the U.S Food & Drug Administration. This amount is recognized as a prepayment and will be expensed as incurred over an estimated 18 month period in which the costs are expected to be incurred.
	●	On March 31, 2021, GBS entered into an agreement with LSBD to provide GBS an option to acquire an exclusive license to use LSBD’s intellectual property in the Saliva Glucose Biosensor in North America (the “Option Agreement”). The Option Agreement has a term of two years and the exercise price for the option is $5 million. The fee of $0.5 million incurred for the option has been recognized as an expense and included within ‘Development and regulatory approval expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
	●	Since the end of the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2021 to the date of this filing, GBS has incurred a total of $145,733 to LSBD in connection with rent, other occupancy costs and shared labor recharges

 

 

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

Our Board of Directors currently consists of six members. The Nominating Committee nominated and the Board approved and recommended all of the current members of our Board for re-election. All nominees have consented to being named herein and have indicated their intention to serve as our directors, if elected. The Board has no reason to believe that any nominee would be unable or unwilling to serve if elected. Unless authority to do so is withheld, the persons named as proxies will vote the shares represented by such proxies for the election of the named director nominees. In case any of the nominees becomes unavailable for election to the Board the persons named as proxies will have full discretion and authority to vote or refrain from voting for any other nominees in accordance with their judgment. The Board nominees, if elected, will serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders, or until each successor is duly elected and qualified.

 

Biographical information for our directors is provided above in the section entitled “Information About Directors and Executive Officers.”

 

Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors

 

A plurality of the eligible votes cast is required to elect director nominees, and as such, the six nominees who receive the greatest number of votes cast by stockholders, entitled to vote at the meeting, will be elected. A nominee who receives a plurality means he or she has received more votes than any other nominee for the same director’s seat. Broker non-votes and abstentions will have no effect on this proposal.

 

The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” each of the six nominees for election to our Board of Directors.

 

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

 

The following is the report of the Audit Committee with respect to GBS’ audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2021.

 

The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in its general oversight of GBS’ financial reporting and audit functions. The Audit Committee does not itself prepare financial statements or perform audits, and its members are not auditors or certifiers of the Company’s financial statements. In fulfilling its oversight responsibility of appointing and reviewing the services performed by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, the Audit Committee carefully reviews the policies and procedures for the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm, including the scope of the audit, audit fees, auditor independence matters and the extent to which the independent registered public accounting firm may be retained to perform non-audit related services.

 

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 with management of the Company. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm, BDO Audit Pty Ltd., the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) and the SEC. The Audit Committee has also received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the accounting firm’s independence.

 

Based upon these discussions and review, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in GBS’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 for filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

	Members of the Audit Committee:
	Mr Christopher Towers (Chairperson)
	Mr Lawrence Fisher
	Dr George Margelis

 

 

PROPOSAL 2 - RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF BDO AUDIT PTY LTD.

AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Our Audit Committee has selected BDO Audit Pty Ltd as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. Our stockholders are being asked to ratify this appointment. In the event that ratification of this selection of auditors is not approved by the stockholders, we will reassess our selection of auditors. Representatives of BDO Audit Pty Ltd are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, will be available to respond to appropriate questions, and will have the opportunity to make a statement at the Annual Meeting.

 

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

 

The following table represents aggregate fees billed to the Company for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2021, by BDO Audit Pty Ltd, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

 

Description of Fees		Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2021				Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2020
Audit Fees (1)		$	398,292			$	167,119
Audit-Related Fees (2)
Tax Fees (3)		$	22,410			$	18,990
All Other Fees (4)
Total Fees		$	420,702			$	186,109

 

	(1)	Audit fees relate to professional services rendered in connection with the audit of annual financial statements, quarterly review of financial statements, and audit services provided in connection with other statutory and regulatory filings.”
	(2)	Audit-related fees relate to professional services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements.
	(3)	Tax fees relate to professional services rendered in connection with tax compliance and preparation relating to tax returns and tax audits, as well as for tax consulting and planning services
	(4)	All other fees relate to professional services not included in the categories above, including services related to other regulatory reporting requirements

 

The Audit Committee has determined that the rendering of services other than audit services by BDO Audit Pty Ltd is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

 

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures.

 

The Audit Committee has procedures in place for the pre-approval of audit and non-audit services rendered by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, BDO Audit Pty Ltd. The Audit Committee generally pre-approves specified services in the defined categories of audit services, audit-related services, and tax services. Pre-approval may also be given as part of the Audit Committee’s approval of the scope of the engagement of the independent auditor or on an individual, explicit, case-by-case basis before the independent auditor is engaged to provide each service. The pre-approval of services may be delegated to one or more of the Audit Committee’s members, but the decision must be reported to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.

 

Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors

 

The approval of Proposal 2 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Broker non-votes, if any, will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the proposal, and abstentions will be counted as votes against the proposal.

 

The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of BDO Audit Pty Ltd as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.

 

 

PROPOSAL 3: APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO EFFECT A REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

 

General

 

On April 25, 2022, our Board of Directors unanimously approved, subject to stockholder approval, an amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of our outstanding common stock by combining outstanding shares of common stock into a lesser number of outstanding shares of common stock by a ratio of not less than 1-for-2 and not more than 1-for-10 at any time within 12 months following the date of stockholder approval of this Proposal 3, with the exact ratio to be set within this range by our Board of Directors at its sole discretion without further approval or authorization of our stockholders (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The Board of Directors may alternatively elect to abandon such proposed amendment and not effect the Reverse Stock Split authorized by stockholders, in its sole discretion.

 

Upon the effectiveness of the amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation effecting the Reverse Stock Split, the outstanding shares of our common stock will be reclassified and combined into a lesser number of shares such that one share of our common stock will be issued for a specified number of shares in accordance with the ratio for the Reverse Stock Split selected by our Board of Directors.

 

If this Reverse Stock Split Proposal is approved by our stockholders as proposed, our Board of Directors would have the sole discretion to effect the amendment and Reverse Stock Split at any time within 12 months following the date of such stockholder approval, and to fix the specific ratio for the Reverse Stock Split, provided that the ratio would be not less than 1-for-2 and not more than 1-for-10. Although this Reverse Stock Split Proposal gives the Board of Directors 12 months following stockholder approval to implement the Reverse Stock Split, if we implement the Reverse Stock Split to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement by the September 13, 2022 deadline, as described below under the heading “Reasons for the Reverse Stock Split,” we must complete the Reverse Split no later than ten business days prior to such deadline. We believe that enabling our Board of Directors to fix the specific ratio of the Reverse Stock Split within the stated range will provide us with the flexibility to implement the Reverse Stock Split in a manner designed to maximize the anticipated benefits for our stockholders. The determination of the ratio of the Reverse Stock Split will be based on a number of factors described below under the heading “Criteria to Be Used for Decision to Apply the Reverse Stock Split.”

 

The Reverse Stock Split, if approved by our stockholders, would become effective at the time and date set forth in a Certificate of Amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The form of the proposed Certificate of Amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split is attached as Appendix A to this proxy statement. Any amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split will include the Reverse Stock Split ratio fixed by our Board of Directors, within the range approved by our stockholders. The Board has declared the amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split, as contemplated by the Certificate of Amendment, advisable and recommends that the stockholders of the Company approve such amendment.

 

The exact timing of the amendment will be determined by our Board of Directors based on its evaluation as to when such action will be the most advantageous to us and our stockholders, but the amendment will not occur after 12 months following the date our stockholders approve the Reverse Stock Split. In addition, our Board of Directors reserves the right, notwithstanding stockholder approval and without further action by our stockholders, to abandon the amendment and the Reverse Stock Split if, at any time prior to the effectiveness of the filing of the Certificate of Amendment with the Secretary of State effecting the Reverse Stock Split, our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, determines that it is no longer in our best interest and the best interests of our stockholders to proceed with the Reverse Stock Split.

 

The primary purpose for effecting the Reverse Stock Split is to increase the per share trading price of our common stock so as to:

 

	●	maintain the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq Global Market and avoid a delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq Global Market;
	●	broaden the pool of investors that may be interested in investing in the Company by attracting new investors who would prefer not to invest in shares that trade at lower share prices; and
	●	make our common stock a more attractive investment to institutional investors.

 

 

In evaluating the Reverse Stock Split, our Board of Directors has taken, and will take, into consideration negative factors associated with reverse stock splits. These factors include the negative perception of reverse stock splits held by many investors, analysts and other stock market participants, as well as the fact that the stock price of some companies that have effected reverse stock splits has subsequently declined back to pre-reverse stock split levels. In approving the amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split, our Board of Directors determined that these potential negative factors were outweighed by the potential benefits of the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Criteria to Be Used for Decision to Apply the Reverse Stock Split

 

If our stockholders approve the Reverse Stock Split, our Board of Directors will be authorized to proceed with the Reverse Stock Split. The exact ratio of the Reverse Stock Split, within the 1-for-2 to 1-for-10 range, would be determined by our Board of Directors and publicly announced by us prior to the effective time of the Reverse Stock Split. In determining whether to proceed with the reverse split and setting the appropriate ratio for the Reverse Stock Split, our Board of Directors will consider, among other things, factors such as:

 

	●	Nasdaq’s minimum price per share requirements;
	●	the historical trading prices and trading volume of our common stock;
	●	the number of shares of our common stock outstanding;
	●	the then-prevailing and expected trading prices and trading volume of our common stock and the anticipated impact of the Reverse Stock Split on the trading market for our common stock;
	●	the anticipated impact of a particular ratio on our ability to reduce administrative and transactional costs;
	●	business developments affecting us; and
	●	prevailing general market and economic conditions.

 

Reasons for the Reverse Stock Split

 

Our Board of Directors authorized the Reverse Stock Split with the primary intent of increasing the price of our common stock in order to meet the price criteria for continued listing on Nasdaq Global Market, as explained below. Our common stock is publicly traded and listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “GBS.” Our Board of Directors believes that, in addition to increasing the price of our common stock to meet the price criteria for continued listing on Nasdaq Global Market, the Reverse Stock Split would also make our common stock more attractive to a broader range of institutional and other investors. Accordingly, for these and other reasons discussed below, we believe that effecting the Reverse Stock Split is in our and our stockholders’ best interests.

 

On March 17, 2022, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Notice”) notifying us that the minimum closing bid price per share for our common stock was below $1.00 for 30 consecutive business days preceding the date of the Notice, and that we did not meet the $1.00 per share minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) (“Minimum Bid Price Requirement”).

 

Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we have been given a compliance period of 180 calendar days, or until September 13, 2022 (the “Compliance Period”), to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement. If at any time during the Compliance Period, the closing bid price per share of our common stock is at least $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide us with a written confirmation of compliance and the matter will be closed.

 

 

In the event we do not regain compliance by September 13, 2022, we may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day period to regain compliance. To qualify, we will be required to submit, no later than the expiration date, a transfer application and applicable fees, and meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards, with the exception of the bid price requirement, and will need to provide written notice of our intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split if necessary. As part of its review process, Nasdaq will make a determination of whether it believes we will be able to cure the deficiency. If Nasdaq concludes that we will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if we determine not to submit a transfer application or make the required representation, Nasdaq will provide notice that our common stock will be subject to delisting. If we chooses to implement a reverse stock split, we must complete the split no later than ten business days prior to the expiration of the second compliance period.

 

If we are not able to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or do not transfer (or are unable to transfer) to the Nasdaq Capital Market, our common stock could be traded on an electronic bulletin board established for unlisted securities such as the Pink Sheets or the OTC Bulletin Board. In such event it would become more difficult to dispose of, or obtain accurate price quotations for, our common stock, and there would likely be a reduction in our coverage by security analysts and the news media, which could cause the price of our common stock to decline further. Additionally, the sale or purchase of our common stock would likely be made more difficult and the trading volume and liquidity of our common stock would likely decline. A delisting from the Nasdaq would also result in negative publicity and would negatively impact our ability to raise capital in the future.

 

In addition, our Board of Directors believes that an increased stock price could encourage investor interest and improve the marketability of our common stock to a broader range of investors, and thus enhance our liquidity. Because of the trading volatility often associated with low-priced stocks, many brokerage firms and institutional investors have internal policies and practices that either prohibit them from investing in low-priced stocks or tend to discourage individual brokers from recommending low-priced stocks to their customers. Additionally, because brokers’ commissions on low-priced stocks generally represent a higher percentage of the stock price than commissions on higher-priced stock, the current share price of our common stock may result in an investor paying transaction costs that represent a higher percentage of total share value than would be the case if our share price were higher.

 

Although we expect that the Reverse Stock Split will result in an increase in the market price of our common stock, the Reverse Stock Split may not result in a permanent increase in the market price of our common stock, which would be dependent on many factors, including general economic, market and industry conditions and other factors detailed from time to time in the reports we file with the SEC.

 

Certain Risks Associated with the Reverse Stock Split

 

There can be no assurance that the total market capitalization of our common stock after the implementation of the Reverse Stock Split will be equal to or greater than the total market capitalization before the Reverse Stock Split or that the per share market price of our common stock following the Reverse Stock Split will increase in proportion to the reduction in the number of shares of our common stock outstanding in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Also, we cannot assure you that the Reverse Stock Split would lead to a sustained increase in the trading price of our common stock. The trading price of our common stock may change due to a variety of other factors, including our ability to successfully accomplish our business goals, market conditions and the market perception of our business. You should also keep in mind that the implementation of a reverse stock split does not have an effect on the actual or intrinsic value of our business or a stockholder’s proportional ownership in the Company. However, should the overall value of our common stock decline after the proposed Reverse Stock Split, then the actual or intrinsic value of the shares of our common stock held by you will also proportionately decrease as a result of the overall decline in value.

 

Further, the liquidity of our common stock may be harmed by the proposed Reverse Stock Split given the reduced number of shares that would be outstanding after the Reverse Stock Split, particularly if the expected increase in stock price as a result of the Reverse Stock Split is not sustained. In addition, the proposed Reverse Stock Split may increase the number of stockholders who own odd lots (less than 100 shares) of our common stock, creating the potential for such stockholders to experience an increase in the cost of selling their shares and greater difficulty effecting sales. If we effect the Reverse Stock Split, the resulting per-share stock price may nevertheless fail to attract institutional investors and may not satisfy the investing guidelines of such investors and, consequently, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not improve.

 

 

While our Board of Directors has proposed the Reverse Stock Split to bring the price of our common stock back above $1.00 per share in order to meet the requirements for the continued listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, there is no guarantee that the price of our common stock will not decrease in the future, or that our common stock will remain in compliance with Nasdaq listing standards. There can be no guarantee that the closing bid price of our common stock will remain at or above $1.00 for 10 consecutive business days, whether following the Reverse Stock Split or otherwise, which is required to cure our current Nasdaq listing standard deficiency.

 

The Reverse Stock Split may result in or contribute towards an ownership change under Section 382 of the Code. If the Company were to undergo an ownership change under Section 382 of the Code, the Company’s ability to use its net operating loss carryovers incurred prior to the ownership change against income arising after the ownership change will be significantly limited. In general, an “ownership change” under Section 382 of the Code occurs with respect to the Company if, over a rolling three-year period, the Company’s “5-percent shareholders” increase their aggregate stock ownership by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest stock ownership during the rolling three-year period. Although we do not expect the Reverse Stock Split to result in an ownership change with respect to the Company, because we do not know the number of Company shareholders that may become “5-percent shareholders” as a result of the Reverse Stock Split, it is uncertain at this time whether the Reverse Stock Split will result in an ownership change or the extent to which the Reverse Stock Split may contribute towards an ownership change over the rolling three year period following the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Effect of the Reverse Stock Split

 

If the Reverse Stock Split Proposal is approved and our Board of Directors elects to effect the Reverse Stock Split, the number of outstanding shares of common stock will be reduced in proportion to the ratio of the split chosen by our Board of Directors. As of the effective time of the Reverse Stock Split, we would also adjust and proportionately decrease the number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of, and adjust and proportionately increase the exercise price of, all options and warrants and other rights to acquire our common stock. In addition, as of the effective time of the Reverse Stock Split, we would adjust and proportionately decrease the total number of shares of our common stock that may be the subject of the future grants under our equity plans, as described further below under the heading “Effects of the Reverse Stock Split on Outstanding Equity Awards.”

 

The Reverse Stock Split would be effected simultaneously for all outstanding shares of our common stock. The Reverse Stock Split would affect all of our stockholders uniformly and would not change any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in the Company, except for minor adjustment due to the additional net share fraction that will be issued as a result of the treatment of fractional shares. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Instead, the Company will issue one full share of the post-Reverse Stock Split Common Stock to any stockholder who would have been entitled to receive a fractional share as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. The Reverse Stock Split would not change the terms of our common stock. The Reverse Stock Split is not intended as, and would not have the effect of, a “going private transaction” covered by Rule 13e-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Following the Reverse Stock Split, we would continue to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

Assuming Reverse Stock Split ratios of 1-for-2 and 1-for-10, which reflect the low end and high end of the range that our stockholders are being asked to approve, the following table sets forth (a) the number of shares of our common stock that would be issued and outstanding, (b) the number of shares of our common stock that would be reserved to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights, (c) the number of shares of our common stock that would be reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans (excluding shares reflected in the preceding clause (b)) and (d) the number of shares of common stock authorized under the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, each giving effect to the Reverse Stock Split and based on securities outstanding, reserved, or authorized (as applicable) as of April 27, 2022.

 

 

				Before Reverse Stock Split				Reverse Stock Split Ratio of 1-for-2*				Reverse Stock Split Ratio of 1-for-10*
(a)		Number of Shares of common stock issued and outstanding.			14,882,522				7,441,261				1,488,252
(b)		Number of securities reserved to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights.+			7,761,363				3,880,682				776,136
(c)		Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding shares reflected in row (b)).			500,000				250,000				50,000
(d)		Number of shares of common stock authorized under the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.			100,000,000				100,000,000				100,000,000
If proposal 4 is approved to increase the number of shares available under the 2019 Plan:
(e)		Number of securities reserved to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights.			8,661,363				4,330,682				866,136
(f)		Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding shares reflected in row (e)).			1,400,000				700,000				140,000

 

* Does not include adjustments for fractional shares.

+ Consists of Series A Warrants, Series B Warrants, Warrants issued to underwriters in the IPO, pre IPO

warrants, Warrants held by LSBD and shares available under the 2019 Plan.

 

If our Board of Directors does not implement the Reverse Stock Split within 12 months following the date of stockholder approval of this Proposal 3, the authority granted in this proposal to implement the Reverse Stock Split would terminate.

 

Our directors and executive officers have no substantial interests, directly or indirectly, in the matters set forth in the Reverse Split Proposal, except to the extent of their ownership in shares of our common stock and securities convertible or exercisable for our common stock, which shares and securities would be subject to the same proportionate adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Reverse Stock Split as all other outstanding shares of our common stock and securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock.

 

Maintenance of Ownership Percentage. If the Reverse Stock Split is approved and effected, each stockholder will own a reduced number of shares of common stock. This would affect all of our stockholders uniformly and would not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership in the Company, except to the extent that the Reverse Stock Split results in a stockholder owning a fractional share, as described below. The number of stockholders of record would not be affected by the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Voting Rights. Proportionate voting rights and other rights of the holders of our common stock would not be affected by the Reverse Stock Split, subject to the limitations and qualifications set forth in this discussion and to the note below regarding the receipt of an additional fraction of a share. For example, a holder of 1% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split would continue to hold 1% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of common stock after the Reverse Stock Split, regardless of the exchange ratio chosen by the Board of Directors.

 

Effects of the Reverse Stock Split on Outstanding Equity Awards. If the Reverse Stock Split is effected, the terms of equity awards under the Company’s incentive plans, including the per share exercise price of options and the number of shares issuable under outstanding awards, will be converted on the Effective Date of the Reverse Stock Split in proportion to the reverse split ratio of the Reverse Stock Split (subject to adjustment for fractional interests). The Compensation Committee must approve such adjustments, and its determination as to what adjustments shall be made and the extent thereof shall be final, binding and conclusive on all participants of the Company’s incentive plans. In addition, the total number of shares of common stock that may be the subject of future grants under the Company’s incentive plans will be adjusted and proportionately decreased as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. For purposes of illustration, if the Reverse Stock Split is effected at a ratio of 1-for-10, the number of remaining shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company’s incentive plans after the Reverse Stock Split would be approximately 50,000. If proposal 4 is approved to increase the number of shares available under the 2019 Plan to 1,400,000 shares on a pre-split basis, the number of remaining shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company’s incentive plans after the Reverse Stock Split would be approximately 140,000. Additionally, a pre-Reverse Stock Split of unvested restricted stock unit representing the right to receive 1,000 shares of common stock upon vesting would be converted into a post-Reverse Stock Split restricted stock unit representing the right to receive 100 shares of common stock upon vesting. As of the Record Date, the Company had 500,000 remaining shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Company’s equity incentive plans.

 

 

Effects of the Reverse Stock Split on our Authorized Common Stock. We are currently authorized under our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to issue up to a total of 110,000,000 shares of capital stock, comprised of 100,000,000 shares of common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value of $0.01 per share (the “preferred stock”). The Reverse Stock Split will not reduce the number of authorized shares of common stock or preferred stock.

 

Procedure for Effecting the Reverse Stock Split

 

If our stockholders approve the Reverse Stock Split, and if our Board of Directors still believes that a Reverse Stock Split is in the best interests of us and our stockholders, our Board of Directors will determine the ratio of the Reverse Stock Split to be implemented and we will publicly announce the ratio selected by our Board of Directors and file the Certificate of Amendment effecting the Reverse Stock Split with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The form of the proposed Certificate of Amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split is attached as Appendix A to this proxy statement. Any amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split will include the Reverse Stock Split ratio fixed by our Board of Directors, within the range approved by our stockholders.

 

The combination of, and reduction in, the number of shares of our outstanding common stock as a result of the Reverse Stock Split will occur automatically and without any action on the part of our stockholders at the date and time set forth in the amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split following filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Effective Time”).

 

Shares Represented by Stock Certificates. As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as our “exchange agent” for purposes of implementing the exchange of stock certificates, will mail each stockholder of record holding a stock certificate a transmittal form accompanied by instructions specifying other details of the exchange. Upon receipt of the transmittal form, each stockholder should surrender the certificates representing our common stock prior to the Reverse Stock Split in accordance with the applicable instructions. Each holder who surrenders certificates will receive new certificates representing the whole number of shares of our common stock that he or she holds as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. New certificates will not be issued to a stockholder until the stockholder has surrendered his or her outstanding certificate(s) and submitted with the properly completed and executed transmittal form to the exchange agent. If your shares are held in street name at a brokerage firm or financial institution, we intend to treat you in the same manner as registered stockholders whose shares are registered in their names. Banks, brokers or other nominees will be instructed to implement the exchange of shares required by the combination resulting from the Reverse Stock Split for their beneficial holders holding common stock in street name. However, these banks, brokers or other nominees may have different procedures than registered stockholders for processing substitution of certificates, or book entries, representing the former number shares of common stock for certificates, or book entries, representing the reduced number of shares resulting from the combination. If you hold your shares with a bank, broker or other nominee and if you have any questions in this regard, we encourage you to contact your bank, broker or nominee.

 

Any stockholder whose stock certificate has been lost, destroyed or stolen will be entitled to a new stock certificate only after complying with the requirements that we and our transfer agent customarily apply in connection with replacing lost, stolen or destroyed stock certificates.

 

No service charges, brokerage commissions or transfer taxes shall be payable by any holder of any old certificate, except that if any new certificate is to be issued in a name other than that in which the old stock certificate(s) are registered, it will be a condition of such issuance that (i) the person requesting such issuance must pay to us any applicable transfer taxes or establish to our satisfaction that such taxes have been paid or are not payable, (ii) the transfer complies with all applicable federal and state securities laws and (iii) the surrendered stock certificate is properly endorsed and otherwise in proper form for transfer.

 

 

STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD NOT DESTROY ANY STOCK CERTIFICATES AND SHOULD NOT SUBMIT THEIR STOCK CERTIFICATES UNTIL THEY RECEIVE A TRANSMITTAL FORM FROM OUR TRANSFER AGENT.

 

Shares Held In Book-Entry Form. Some of our registered holders of common stock may hold some or all of their shares electronically in book-entry form with our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. These stockholders do not have stock certificates evidencing their ownership of common stock. They are, however, provided with a statement reflecting the number of shares registered in their accounts. If a stockholder holds registered shares in book-entry form with our transfer agent, no action needs to be taken to receive post-reverse stock split shares or fractional shares, if applicable. If a stockholder is entitled to post-reverse stock split shares, future account statements sent to the stockholder’s address of record will indicate the number of shares (including fractional shares) of Common Stock held following the reverse stock split.

 

Fractional Shares

 

No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Instead, the Company will issue one full share of the post-Reverse Stock Split common stock to any stockholder who would have been entitled to receive a fractional share of common stock as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. Each holder of common stock will hold the same percentage of the outstanding common stock immediately following the Reverse Stock Split as that stockholder did immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split, except for minor adjustment due to the additional net share fraction that will need to be issued as a result of the treatment of fractional shares.

 

No Appraisal Rights

 

No action is proposed herein for which the laws of the State of Delaware, or our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or bylaws, provide a right to our stockholders to dissent and obtain appraisal of, or payment for, such stockholders’ capital stock.

 

Accounting Matters

 

The Reverse Stock Split would not affect the par value of our common stock per share, which would remain $0.01 par value per share, while the number of outstanding shares of common stock would decrease in accordance with the Reverse Stock Split ratio selected by our Board of Directors. As a result, as of the effective time of the Reverse Stock Split, the stated capital attributable to common stock on our balance sheet would decrease and the additional paid-in capital account on our balance sheet would increase by an offsetting amount. Following the Reverse Stock Split, reported per share net income or loss would be higher because there would be fewer shares of common stock outstanding and we would adjust historical per share amounts set forth in our future financial statements. The common stock held in treasury will be reduced in proportion to the Reverse Stock Split ratio selected by our Board of Directors.

 

Federal Income Tax Consequences

 

The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split to us and to U.S. Holders (as defined below) that hold shares of our common stock as capital assets (i.e., for investment) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This discussion is based upon current U.S. tax law, which is subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect, and differing interpretations. Any such change may cause the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split to vary substantially from the consequences summarized below. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regarding the matters discussed below and there can be no assurance the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position to that discussed below regarding the tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split.

 

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our common stock that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or any other entity or arrangement treated as a corporation) created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust if (1) its administration is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and all of its substantial decisions are subject to the control of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code” )), or (2) it has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

 

 

This summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to U.S. Holders in light of their particular circumstances or to stockholders who may be subject to special tax treatment under the Code, including, without limitation, dealers in securities, commodities or foreign currency, persons who are treated as non-U.S. persons for U.S. federal income tax purposes, certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States, insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, banks, financial institutions, small business investment companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, retirement plans, persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, traders that mark-to-market their securities or persons who hold their shares of our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle, conversion or other risk reduction transaction. If a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our common stock, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership) and a partner in the partnership will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of such partnership. Accordingly, partnerships (and other entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holding our common stock and the partners in such entities should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split to them.

 

The state and local tax consequences, alternative minimum tax consequences, non-U.S. tax consequences and U.S. estate and gift tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split are not discussed herein and may vary as to each U.S. Holder. Furthermore, the following discussion does not address any tax consequences of transactions effectuated before, after or at the same time as the Reverse Stock Split, whether or not they are in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. This discussion should not be considered as tax or investment advice, and the tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split may not be the same for all stockholders. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors to understand their individual federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences.

 

Tax Consequences to the Company. We believe that the Reverse Stock Split should constitute a reorganization under Section 368(a)(1)(E) of the Code. Accordingly, we should not recognize taxable income, gain or loss in connection with the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders. Subject to the discussion below regarding the receipt of a fractional share, a U.S. Holder generally should not recognize gain or loss as a result of the Reverse Stock Split for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. Holder’s aggregate adjusted tax basis in the shares of our common stock received pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split should equal the aggregate adjusted tax basis of the shares of our common stock exchanged therefor (increased by the amount of gain or income recognized, if any, attributable to the rounding up of a fractional share, as discussed below). The U.S. Holder’s holding period in the shares of our common stock received pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split should include the holding period in the shares of our common stock exchanged therefor (except with respect to any fractional share of our common stock received, as discussed below). U.S. Treasury Regulations provide detailed rules for allocating the tax basis and holding period of shares of common stock surrendered in a recapitalization to shares received in such recapitalization. A U.S. Holder that acquired shares of our common stock on different dates and at different prices should consult their tax advisors regarding the allocation of the tax basis and holding period from shares of common stock surrendered in the Reverse Stock Split to shares received in the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Each fractional share issued pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split that is attributable to the rounding up of fractional shares to the nearest whole number of shares may be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disproportionate distribution. If so treated, a U.S. Holder that receives a fractional share of our common stock attributable to the rounding up of a fractional share to the nearest whole number of shares should recognize dividend income in an amount equal to the fair market value of such fractional share to the extent of the Company’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, and to the extent that any portion of the distribution exceeds such current or accumulated earnings and profits, such portion will be treated as a return of tax basis and thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of property. A U.S. Holder’s holding period in any such fractional share commences on the effective date of the Reverse Stock Split.

 

The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above does not discuss all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to a particular stockholder in light of such stockholder’s circumstances and income tax situation. Accordingly, we urge you to consult with your own tax advisor with respect to all of the potential U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to you of the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors

 

The approval of this Proposal 3 requires the favorable vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote. Broker non-votes and abstentions will have the same effect as voting against this proposal.

 

The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” approval of an amendment to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio not less than 1-for-2 and not greater than 1-for-10, with the exact ratio to be set within that range at the discretion of our Board of Directors.

 

 

PROPOSAL 4: APPROVAL OF AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER THE 2019 PLAN

 

The 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”) was adopted by the Board and approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 18, 2019. The purpose of the 2019 Plan is to enable us to offer our employees, officers, directors and consultants whose past, present and/or potential future contributions to us have been, are, or will be important to our success, an opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in us. The various types of incentive awards that may be provided under the 2019 Plan are intended to enable us to respond to changes in compensation practices, tax laws, accounting regulations and the size and diversity of our business.

 

The 2019 Plan as originally approved, provides for the issuance of a maximum of 500,000 shares of common stock in connection with the grant of options and/or other stock-based or stock-denominated awards. The Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, has approved an amendment to the Plan to increase the aggregate number of shares authorized for issuance by 900,000 shares.

 

As of April 27, 2022, we had 500,000 shares available for issuance under the 2019 Plan. Our Board of Directors believes that attracting, retaining and rewarding directors, officers, other employees and persons who provide services to the Company and enabling such persons to acquire or increase a proprietary interest in the Company has been and will continue to be essential to our growth and success. The 2019 Plan enables us to continue to maintain a compensation program with different types of incentives for motivating such individuals and encouraging them to give us long-term, excellent service. Accordingly, our Board of Directors believes that it is in the best interests of the Company to increase the total number of shares authorized for issuance under the 2019 Plan by 900,000 shares (the “Plan Amendment”), which would give us greater flexibility to provide equity compensation to eligible recipients.

 

Accordingly, on April 25, 2022, subject to stockholder approval, our Board of Directors approved increasing the total number of shares authorized for issuance under the 2019 Plan by 900,000 shares, and our Board of Directors is now submitting the proposed amendment, as reflected in the amended 2019 Plan attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix B (as so amended, the “Amended 2019 Plan”) for stockholder approval. As proposed for approval, the Amendment, as set forth in the Amended 2019 Plan, will increase the number of shares of our common stock subject to the 2019 Plan from 500,000 shares to 1,400,000 shares.

 

The closing sale price of our common stock quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market on May [__], 2022, was $[___] per share.

 

Description of Plan Amendment.

 

The 2019 Plan will be amended by deleting the number “500,000” from the first sentence of Section 3.1 thereof and replacing it with the number “1,400,000”.

 

In addition, the 2019 Plan, which was adopted under the Company’s former name, Glucose Biosensor Systems (Greater China) Holdings, Inc., will be updated to reflect the Company’s current name, GBS Inc.

 

Description of 2019 Plan, as amended.

 

Administration

 

The 2019 Plan is administered by the Board of Directors or by a committee of the Board. In this summary, references to the “committee” are to the committee administering the plan or, if no such committee is designated, the Board of Directors. The committee will be comprised solely of “non-employee” directors, as defined in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, as amended. The 2019 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee. Subject to the provisions of the plan, the committee determines, among other things, the persons to whom from time to time awards may be granted, the specific type of awards to be granted, the number of shares subject to each award, share prices, any restrictions or limitations on the awards, and any vesting, exchange, surrender, cancellation, acceleration, termination, exercise or forfeiture provisions related to the awards.

 

 

Stock Subject to the 2019 Plan

 

As amended, 1,400,000 shares of our common stock will be available for issuance under the 2019 Plan. Shares of stock subject to other awards that are forfeited or terminated will be available for future award grants under the 2019 Plan. If a holder pays the exercise price of a stock option by surrendering any previously owned shares of common stock or arranges to have the appropriate number of shares otherwise issuable upon exercise withheld to cover the exercise price or tax withholding liability associated with the stock option exercise, the shares surrendered by the holder or withheld by us will not be available for future award grants under the plan.

 

Under the 2019 Plan, in the event of a change in the number of shares of our common stock as a result of a dividend on shares of common stock payable in shares of common stock, common stock forward split or reverse split or other extraordinary or unusual event that results in a change in the shares of common stock as a whole, the committee shall determine whether such change equitably requires an adjustment in the terms of any award in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits available under the plan or the aggregate number of shares reserved for issuance under the plan.

 

Eligibility

 

We may grant awards under the 2019 Plan to employees, officers, directors, and consultants of GBS and our subsidiaries and affiliates who are deemed to have rendered, or to be able to render, significant services to us or our subsidiaries or affiliates and who are deemed to have contributed, or to have the potential to contribute, to our success. An incentive stock option may be granted under the plan only to a person who, at the time of the grant, is an employee of ours or our subsidiaries. Based on the current number of employees and consultants to the Company and on the current size of our Board of Directors, we estimate that approximately 16 individuals are eligible for awards under the 2019 Plan.

 

Types of Awards

 

Options. The 2019 Plan provides both for “incentive” stock options as defined in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the “Code,” and for options not qualifying as incentive options, both of which may be granted with any other stock based award under the plan. The committee determines the exercise price per share of common stock purchasable under an incentive or non-qualified stock option, which may not be less than 100% of the fair market value on the day of the grant or, if greater, the par value of a share of common stock. However, the exercise price of an incentive stock option granted to a person possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock may not be less than 110% of the fair market value on the date of grant. The aggregate fair market value of all shares of common stock with respect to which incentive stock options are exercisable by a participant for the first time during any calendar year (under all of our plans), measured at the date of the grant, may not exceed $100,000.

 

An incentive stock option may only be granted within 10 years from the effective date of the 2019 Plan. An incentive stock option may only be exercised within ten years from the date of the grant, or within five years in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a person who, at the time of the grant, owns common stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock.

 

Subject to any limitations or conditions the committee may impose, stock options may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any time during the term of the stock option by giving written notice of exercise to us specifying the number of shares of common stock to be purchased. The notice must be accompanied by payment in full of the purchase price, either in cash or, if provided in the agreement, in our securities or in a combination of the two.

 

Generally, stock options granted under the plan may not be transferred other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and all stock options are exercisable, during the holder’s lifetime, only by the holder, or in the event of legal incapacity or incompetency, the holder’s guardian or legal representative. However, a holder, with the approval of the committee, may transfer a non-qualified stock option by gift to a family member of the holder or by domestic relations order to a family member of the holder or may transfer a non-qualified stock option to an entity in which more than 50% of the voting interests are owned by family members of the holder or the holder.

 

 

Generally, if the holder is an employee, no stock options granted under the plan may be exercised by the holder unless he or she is employed by us or one of our subsidiaries or affiliates at the time of the exercise and has been so employed continuously from the time the stock options were granted. However, in the event the holder’s employment is terminated due to disability or normal retirement, the holder may still exercise his or her vested stock options for a period of 12 months, or such other greater or lesser period as the committee may determine, from the date of termination or until the expiration of the stated term of the stock option, whichever period is shorter. Similarly, should a holder die while employed by us or one of our subsidiaries or affiliates, his or her legal representative or legatee under his or her will may exercise the decedent holder’s vested stock options for a period of 12 months from the date of his or her death, or such other greater or lesser period as the Board or committee may determine, or until the expiration of the stated term of the stock option, whichever period is shorter. If the holder’s employment is terminated for any reason other than death, disability or normal retirement, the stock option will automatically terminate, except that if the holder’s employment is terminated by us without cause, then the portion of any stock option that is vested on the date of termination may be exercised for the lesser of three months after termination of employment, or such other greater or lesser period as the committee may determine but not beyond the balance of the stock option’s term.

 

Stock Appreciation Rights. Under the 2019 Plan, we may grant stock appreciation rights to participants who have been, or are being, granted stock options under the plan as a means of allowing the participants to exercise their stock options without the need to pay the exercise price in cash, or we may grant them alone and unrelated to an option. In conjunction with non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights may be granted either at or after the time of the grant of the non-qualified stock options. In conjunction with incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights may be granted only at the time of the grant of the incentive stock options. A stock appreciation right entitles the holder to receive a number of shares of common stock having a fair market value equal to the excess fair market value of one share of common stock over the exercise price of the related stock option, multiplied by the number of shares subject to the stock appreciation rights. The granting of a stock appreciation right in tandem with a stock option will not affect the number of shares of common stock available for awards under the plan. In such event, the number of shares available for awards under the plan will, however, be reduced by the number of shares of common stock acquirable upon exercise of the stock option to which the stock appreciation right relates.

 

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. Under the 2019 Plan, we may award shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units. Restricted stock units are the right to receive at a future date shares of common stock, or an amount in cash or other consideration determined by the committee to be of equal value as of such settlement date, in accordance with the terms of such grant. The committee determines the persons to whom grants of restricted stock or restricted stock units are made, the number of shares to be awarded, the price (if any) to be paid for the restricted stock or restricted stock units by the person receiving the stock from us, the time or times within which awards of restricted stock or restricted stock units may be subject to forfeiture, the vesting schedule and rights to acceleration thereof, and all other terms and conditions of the awards. Restrictions or conditions could also include, but are not limited to, the attainment of performance goals.

 

The 2019 Plan requires that all shares of restricted stock awarded to the holder remain in our physical custody until the restrictions have terminated and all vesting requirements with respect to the restricted stock have been fulfilled. We will retain custody of all dividends and distributions made or declared with respect to the restricted stock during the restriction period. A breach of any restriction regarding the restricted stock will cause a forfeiture of the restricted stock and any retained dividends and distributions. Except for the foregoing restrictions, the holder will, even during the restriction period, have all of the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the shares.

 

A holder of restricted stock units will have no rights of a stockholder with respect to shares subject to any restricted stock unit award unless and until the shares are delivered in settlement of the award, except to the extent the committee provides for the right to receive dividend equivalents.

 

Other Stock-Based Awards. Under the 2019 Plan, we may grant other stock-based awards, subject to limitations under applicable law that are denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, shares of common stock, as deemed consistent with the purposes of the plan. These other stock-based awards may be in the form of purchase rights, shares of common stock awarded that are not subject to any restrictions or conditions, convertible or exchangeable debentures or other rights convertible into shares of common stock and awards valued by reference to the value of securities of, or the performance of, one of us or one of our subsidiaries. These other stock-based awards may include performance shares or options, whose award is tied to specific performance criteria. These other stock-based awards may be awarded either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with any other awards under the 2019 Plan or any of our other plans.

 

 

Accelerated Vesting and Exercisability

 

If any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires the ownership of our stock that, together with the stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or combined voting power of our stock, and the Board of Directors does not authorize or otherwise approve such acquisition, then the vesting periods of any and all stock options and other awards granted and outstanding under the 2019 Plan shall be accelerated and all such stock options and awards will immediately and entirely vest, and the respective holders thereof will have the immediate right to purchase and/or receive any and all common stock subject to such stock options and awards on the terms set forth in the plan and the respective agreements respecting such stock options and awards, and all performance goals will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels. An increase in the percentage of stock owned by any one person, or persons acting as a group, as a result of a transaction in which we acquire our stock in exchange for property is not treated as an acquisition of stock.

 

In the event of an acquisition by any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, together with acquisitions during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons, of assets from us that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 50% of the total gross fair market value of all of our assets immediately before such acquisition or acquisitions, or if any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires the ownership of our stock that, together with the stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or combined voting power of our stock, which has been approved by the Board of Directors, the committee may (i) accelerate the vesting of any and all stock options and other awards granted and outstanding under the 2019 Plan, (ii) require a holder of any award granted under the plan to relinquish such award to us upon the tender by us to the holder of cash in an amount equal to the repurchase value of such award, and/or (iii) terminate all incomplete performance periods in respect of awards in effect on the date the acquisition occurs, determine the extent to which performance goals have been met based upon such information then available as it deems relevant and cause to be paid all or the applicable portion of the award based upon the committee’s determination. For this purpose, gross fair market value means the value of our assets, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets.

 

Notwithstanding any provisions of the 2019 Plan or any award granted thereunder to the contrary, no acceleration shall occur with respect to any award to the extent such acceleration would cause the plan or an award granted thereunder to fail to comply with Section 409A of the Code.

 

Other Limitations

 

The committee may not modify or amend any outstanding option or stock appreciation right to reduce the exercise price of such option or stock appreciation right, as applicable, below the exercise price as of the date of grant of such option or stock appreciation right. In addition, no option or stock appreciation right with a lower exercise price may be granted in exchange for, or in connection with, the cancellation or surrender of an option or stock appreciation right or other award with a higher exercise price. Non-employee directors may not be granted any awards covering more than 20,000 shares of common stock in any calendar year.

 

Withholding Taxes

 

When an award is first included in the gross income of the holder for federal income tax purposes, the holder will be required to make arrangements regarding the payment of all federal, state and local withholding tax requirements, including by settlement of such amount in shares of our common stock. Our obligations under the 2019 Plan are contingent on such arrangements being made.

 

Term and Amendments

 

Unless terminated by the Board, the 2019 Plan will continue to remain effective until no further awards may be granted and all awards granted under the plan are no longer outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, grants of incentive stock options may be made only until ten years from the initial effective date of the plan. The Board may at any time, and from time to time, amend the plan or any award agreement, but no amendment will be made that would impair the rights of a holder under any agreement entered into pursuant to the plan without the holder’s consent.

 

New Plan Benefits

 

It is not possible to determine specific amounts that may be awarded in the future under the 2019 Plan because grants of awards under the 2019 Plan are at the discretion of the Compensation Committee.

 

 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

See “Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans” described in the “Executive Compensation” section of this Proxy Statement.

 

Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors

 

This Proposal 4 to approve an increase in the number of shares authorized for issuance under the Company’s 2019 Plan from 500,000 shares to 1,400,000 shares requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of the Company’s common stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Broker non-votes will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the proposal, and abstentions will be counted as votes against the proposal.

 

The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” approval of an increase in the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2019 Plan by 900,000 shares.

 

 

PROPOSAL 5: AUTHORIZATION TO ADJOURN THE ANNUAL MEETING

 

If the Annual Meeting is convened and a quorum is present, but there are not sufficient votes to approve Proposal 3 and/or Proposal 4, one or more of our proxy holders may move to adjourn the Annual Meeting at that time in order to enable our Board to solicit additional proxies.

 

In this proposal, we are asking our stockholders to authorize one or more of our proxy holders to adjourn the Annual Meeting to another time and place, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in the event that there are not sufficient votes to approve Proposal 3 and/or Proposal 4. If our stockholders approve this proposal, one or more of our proxy holders can adjourn the Annual Meeting and any adjourned session of the Annual Meeting to allow for additional time to solicit additional proxies, including the solicitation of proxies from our stockholders that have previously voted. Among other things, approval of this proposal could mean that, even if we had received proxies representing a sufficient number of votes to defeat Proposal 3 or Proposal 4, we could adjourn the Annual Meeting without a vote on such proposals and seek to convince our stockholders to change their votes in favor of such proposals.

 

If it is necessary to adjourn the Annual Meeting, no notice of the adjourned meeting is required to be given to our stockholders, other than an announcement at the Annual Meeting of the time and place to which the Annual Meeting is adjourned, so long as the meeting is adjourned for 30 days or less and no new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting. At the adjourned meeting, we may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.

 

Vote Required and Recommendation of the Board of Directors

 

The approval of this Proposal 5 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Broker non-votes will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the proposal, and abstentions will be counted as votes against the proposal.

 

The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the approval to authorize the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes in favor of Proposal 3 and/or Proposal 4.

 

 

AVAILABILITY OF ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

 

Notice of Annual Stockholder Meeting, our proxy statement and our annual report on Form 10-K and Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 (the Annual Report) are available online at www.cstproxy.com/gbs/2022.

 

A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K (without exhibits) has been mailed concurrently with this proxy statement to stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. We will provide copies of these exhibits without cost upon request by eligible stockholders. Requests for copies of such exhibits should be mailed to GBS Inc., 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300 New York, NY, Attention: Corporate Secretary.

 

OTHER PROPOSED ACTION

 

Our Board of Directors does not intend to bring any other matters before the Annual Meeting, nor does it know of any matters which other persons intend to bring before the Annual Meeting. If, however, other matters not mentioned in this proxy statement properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote thereon in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Directors.

 

HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS

 

The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy materials with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies.

 

This year, a number of brokers with account holders who are the Company’s stockholders may be “householding” our proxy materials. A single copy of the proxy materials may be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected stockholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that they will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate copy of the proxy materials, please (1) notify your broker, or (2) direct your written request to GBS Inc., 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300 New York, NY, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the proxy materials or Notices of Internet Availability at their address and would like to request householding of their communications should contact their brokers. In addition, upon written request to the address set forth above, we will promptly deliver a separate copy of the proxy materials to any stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the documents was delivered.

 

 

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS AND SUBMISSIONS

 

Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act (“Rule 14a-8”), a stockholder who intends to present a proposal at our next annual meeting of stockholders and who wishes the proposal to be included in the proxy statement and form of proxy for that meeting must submit the proposal in writing no later than ________, 2023, after which date such stockholder proposal will be considered untimely. Such proposal must be submitted on or before the close of business to our executive offices located at 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 300 New York, NY 10170, Attn: Secretary.

 

For any proposal that is not submitted for inclusion in the proxy statement for our next annual meeting (as described in the preceding paragraph) but is instead sought to be presented directly at our next annual meeting, the rules of the SEC permit management to vote proxies in its discretion if we do not receive notice of the proposal on or before the deadline for advance notice set forth in our Bylaws as described below.

 

Our Bylaws provide that in order for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting of stockholders by a stockholder (outside of Rule 14a-8), notice thereof must be must be delivered to or mailed and received by Corporate Secretary at the above address not less than sixty (60) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the meeting; provided, however, that in the event that less than seventy (70) days notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is given or made to stockholders, notice by a stockholder, to be timely, must be received no later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such notice of the date of the annual meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever first occurs.

 

Proposals and notices must comply with the applicable content requirements set forth in our Amended and Restated Bylaws.

 

Whether or not you expect to be present at the Annual Meeting, please sign and return the enclosed proxy promptly. Your vote is important. If you are a stockholder of record and attend the Annual Meeting and wish to vote in person, you may withdraw your proxy at any time prior to the vote.

 

	By Order of the Board of Directors GBS Inc.
	Steven Boyages
	Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer and President

 

New York, New York

 

May ___, 2022

 

 

Appendix A

 

PROPOSED FORM OF AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO IMPLEMENT THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

 

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

 

OF THE

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

OF GBS INC.

 

GBS Inc., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”) for the purpose of amending its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, does hereby make and execute this Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and does hereby certify that:

 

FIRST: That resolutions were duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation setting forth this proposed Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation and declaring said Amendment to be advisable and recommended for approval by the stockholders of the Corporation.

 

SECOND: This Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation amends Article FOURTH to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation by adding the following new paragraph immediately after the first paragraph of Article FOURTH:

 

“Upon this Certificate of Amendment becoming effective pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Effective Time”), every [YY]¹ shares of the Corporation’s Common Stock issued and outstanding or held by the Corporation in treasury stock shall, automatically and without any action on the part of the respective holders thereof, be combined and converted into one share of Common Stock without increasing or decreasing the par value of each share of Common Stock (the “Reverse Split”); provided, however, no fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued in connection with the Reverse Split, and instead, the Corporation shall issue one full share of post-Reverse Split Common Stock to any stockholder who would have been entitled to receive a fractional share of Common Stock as a result of the Reverse Split. Each certificate that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented shares of Common Stock (“Old Certificates”), shall thereafter represent that number of shares of post-Reverse Split Common Stock into which the shares of Common Stock represented by the Old Certificate shall have been combined, subject to the elimination of fractional shares as described above. The Reverse Split shall occur whether or not the certificates representing such shares of Common Stock are surrendered to the Corporation or its transfer agent.”

 

FOURTH: The foregoing amendment shall be effective as of _______ p.m. Eastern Time on __________, 20__.

 

FIFTH: That, pursuant to resolution of its Board of Directors, an annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation was duly called and held, upon notice in accordance with Section 222 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, at which meeting the necessary number of shares as required by applicable law was voted in favor of the Amendment.

 

SIXTH: That said Amendment was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

¹ References to “YY” is to a number no less than 2 and no greater than 10 as selected by the Board of Directors.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be executed on this _____ day of ______, 20__.

 

	GBS INC.
	By:
	Name:	[__________________]
	Title:	President & Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Appendix B

 

GBS INC.

 

2019 Long Term Incentive Plan

 

Section 1. Purpose; Definitions.

 

1.1. Purpose. The purpose of the Plan is to enable the Company to offer to employees, officers and directors of and consultants to the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates whose past, present and/or potential future contributions to the Company and its Subsidiaries have been, are or will be important to the success of the Company, an opportunity to share monetarily in the success of and/or acquire a proprietary interest in the Company. The various types of long-term incentive awards that may be provided under the Plan will enable the Company to respond to changes in compensation practices, tax laws, accounting regulations and the size and diversity of its businesses.

 

1.2. Definitions. For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below:

 

(a) “Affiliate” means a corporation, limited liability company or other entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company and designated by the Committee from time to time as such.

 

(b) “Agreement” means the agreement between the Company and the Holder, or such other document as may be determined by the Committee, setting forth the terms and conditions of an award under the Plan.

 

(c) “Asset Sale” means an acquisition by any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, together with acquisitions during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons, of assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 50% of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately before such acquisition or acquisitions. For this purpose, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the Company, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets.

 

(d) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(e) “Change of Control” means a transaction in which any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires the ownership of stock of the Company that, together with the stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or combined voting power of the stock of the Company. A Change in Control caused by an increase in the percentage of stock owned by any one person, or persons acting as a group, as a result of a transaction in which the Company acquires its stock in exchange for property is not treated as a Change of Control for purposes of the Plan.

 

(f) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

 

(g) “Committee” means the committee of the Board designated to administer the Plan as provided in Section 2.1. If no Committee is so designated, then all references in this Plan to “Committee” shall mean the Board.

 

(h) “Common Stock” means the Common Stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share.

 

(i) “Company” means GBS Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

(j) “Disability” means physical or mental impairment as determined under procedures established by the Committee for purposes of the Plan.

 

(k) “Effective Date” means the date determined pursuant to Section 12.1.

 

(l) “Fair Market Value,” unless otherwise required by any applicable provision of the Code or any regulations issued thereunder, means, as of any given date: (i) if the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange or is traded over-the-counter and last sale information is available, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the last sale price of the Common Stock in the principal trading market for the Common Stock on such date, as reported by the exchange or by such source that the Committee deems reliable, as the case may be; or (ii) if the fair market value of the Common Stock cannot be determined pursuant to clause (i), such price as the Committee shall determine, in good faith.

 

(m) “Holder” means a person who has received an award under the Plan.

 

(n) “Incentive Stock Option” means any Stock Option intended to be and designated as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

(o) “Non-qualified Stock Option” means any Stock Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(p) “Normal Retirement” means retirement from active employment with the Company or any Subsidiary on or after such age which may be designated by the Committee as “retirement age” for any particular Holder. If no age is designated, it shall be 65.

 

(q) “Other Stock-Based Award” means an award under Section 8 that is valued in whole or in part by reference to, or is otherwise based upon, Common Stock.

 

(r) “Parent” means any present or future “parent corporation” of the Company, as such term is defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

 

(s) “Plan” means the Company’s 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan, as hereinafter amended from time to time.

 

 

(t) “Repurchase Value” shall mean the Fair Market Value if the award to be settled under Section 2.2(e) or repurchased under Section 5.2(l) is comprised of shares of Common Stock and the difference between Fair Market Value and the exercise price (if lower than Fair Market Value) if the award is a Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right; in each case, multiplied by the number of shares subject to the award. “Repurchase Value” if the award to be repurchased under Section 9.2 is comprised of shares of Common Stock shall mean the greater of the Fair Market Value or the value of such award based upon the price per share of Common Stock received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event. “Repurchase Value” if the award to be repurchased under Section 9.2 is comprised of Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall mean the difference between the greater of (1) the Fair Market Value or the value of such award based upon the price per share of Common Stock received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event and (2) the exercise price (if lower), multiplied by the number of shares subject to the award.

 

(u) “Restriction Period” means the time or times within which awards may be subject to forfeiture, including upon termination of employment or failure of performance conditions.

 

(v) “Restricted Stock” means Common Stock received under an award made pursuant to Section 7 that is subject to restrictions under Section 7.

 

(w) “Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded, unsecured right to receive, on the applicable settlement date, one share or an amount in cash or other consideration determined by the Committee to be of equal value as of such settlement date, subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

 

(x) “SAR Value” means the excess of the Fair Market Value (on the exercise date) over (a) the exercise price that the participant would have otherwise had to pay to exercise the related Stock Option or (b) if a Stock Appreciation Right is granted unrelated to a Stock Option, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant of the Stock Appreciation Right, in either case, multiplied by the number of shares for which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised.

 

(y) “Stock Appreciation Right” means the right to receive from the Company, without a cash payment to the Company, either a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the SAR Value divided by the Fair Market Value (on the exercise date) or, at the Company’s election, cash in the amount of the SAR Value.

 

(z) “Stock Option” or “Option” means any option to purchase shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

(aa) “Subsidiary” means any present or future “subsidiary corporation” of the Company, as such term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.

 

(bb) “Vest” means to become exercisable or to otherwise obtain ownership rights in an award.

 

 

Section 2. Administration.

 

2.1. Committee Membership. The Plan shall be administered by the Board or a Committee. If administered by a Committee, such Committee shall be composed of at least two directors, all of whom are “non-employee” directors within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Committee members shall serve for such term as the Board may in each case determine and shall be subject to removal at any time by the Board.

 

2.2. Powers of Committee. The Committee shall have full authority to award, pursuant to the terms of the Plan: (i) Stock Options, (ii) Stock Appreciation Rights, (iii) Restricted Stock, (iv) Restricted Stock Units, and/or (v) Other Stock-Based Awards. For purposes of illustration and not of limitation, the Committee shall have the authority (subject to the express provisions of this Plan):

 

(a) to select the officers, employees, directors and consultants of the Company or any Subsidiary to whom Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and/or Other Stock-Based Awards may from time to time be awarded hereunder;

 

(b) to determine the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any award granted hereunder (including, but not limited to, number of shares, share exercise price or types of consideration paid upon exercise of such options, such as other securities of the Company or other property, any restrictions or limitations, and any vesting, exchange, surrender, cancellation, acceleration, termination, exercise or forfeiture provisions, as the Committee shall determine);

 

(c) to determine any specified performance goals or such other factors or criteria which need to be attained for the vesting of an award granted hereunder;

 

(d) to determine the terms and conditions under which awards granted hereunder are to operate on a tandem basis and/or in conjunction with or apart from other awards under this Plan and cash and non-cash awards made by the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate outside of this Plan; and

 

(e) to make payments and distributions with respect to awards (i.e., to “settle” awards) through cash payments in an amount equal to the Repurchase Value.

 

The Committee may not modify or amend any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right to reduce the exercise price of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, below the exercise price as of the date of grant of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right. In addition, no payment of cash or other property having a value greater than the Repurchase Value may be made, and no Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a lower exercise price may be granted, in exchange for, or in connection with, the cancellation or surrender of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Committee shall not grant to any non-employee directors awards covering more than 20,000 shares of Common Stock in any year.

 

2.3. Interpretation of Plan. Subject to Section 10, the Committee shall have the authority to adopt, alter and repeal such administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the Plan as it shall from time to time deem advisable, to interpret the terms and provisions of the Plan and any award issued under the Plan (and to determine the form and substance of all Agreements relating thereto), and to otherwise supervise the administration of the Plan. Subject to Section 11, all decisions made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be made in the Committee’s sole discretion and shall be final and binding upon all persons, including the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates and the Holders.

 

 

Section 3. Stock Subject to Plan.

 

3.1. Number of Shares. The total number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for issuance under the Plan shall be up to 1,400,000 shares. Shares of Common Stock under the Plan (“Shares”) may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares. If any shares of Common Stock that have been granted pursuant to a Stock Option cease to be subject to a Stock Option, or if any shares of Common Stock that are subject to any Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock award, Restricted Stock Units or Other Stock-Based Award granted hereunder are forfeited, or any such award otherwise terminates without a payment being made to the Holder in the form of Common Stock, such shares shall again be available for distribution in connection with future grants and awards under the Plan. Shares of Common Stock that are surrendered by a Holder or withheld by the Company as full or partial payment in connection with any award under the Plan, as well as any shares of Common Stock surrendered by a Holder or withheld by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to any award under the Plan, shall not be available for subsequent awards under the Plan.

 

3.2. Adjustment Upon Changes in Capitalization, Etc. In the event of any common stock dividend payable on shares of Common Stock, Common Stock split or reverse split, combination or exchange of shares of Common Stock, or other extraordinary or unusual event which results in a change in the shares of Common Stock of the Company as a whole, the Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion, whether such change equitably requires an adjustment in the terms of any award in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits available under the Plan (including number of shares subject to the award and the exercise price) or the aggregate number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan. Any such adjustments will be made by the Committee, whose determination will be final, binding and conclusive.

 

3.3. Administrative Stand Still. In the event of any changes in capitalization described above in Section 3.2, or any other extraordinary transaction or change affecting the shares or the share price of Common Stock, including any equity restructuring or any securities offering or other similar transaction, for administrative convenience, the Committee may refuse to permit the exercise of any award for up to sixty days before and/or after such transaction; provided, however, that the Committee may not refuse to permit the exercise of any award during the last five trading days prior to the expiration of such award.

 

3.4. Substitute Awards. In connection with an entity’s merger or consolidation with the Company or any Subsidiary or the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s acquisition of an entity’s property or stock, the Committee may grant awards in substitution for any options or other stock or stock-based awards granted before such merger or consolidation by such entity or its affiliate. Substitute awards may be granted on such terms as the Committee deems appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on awards in the Plan. Substitute awards will not count against the plan limit, except that shares acquired by exercise of substitute Incentive Stock Options will count against the maximum number of shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan.

 

 

Section 4. Eligibility.

 

Awards may be made or granted to employees, officers, directors and consultants of the Company or its Subsidiaries who are deemed to have rendered or to be able to render significant services to the Company or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates and who are deemed to have contributed or to have the potential to contribute to the success of the Company and which recipients are qualified to receive options under the regulations governing Form S-8 registration statements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”). No Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any person who is not an employee of the Company or its Parent or one of its Subsidiaries (including any non-employee directors) at the time of grant or so qualified as set forth in the immediately preceding sentence. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, an award may also be made or granted to a person in connection with his hiring or retention, or at any time on or after the date he reaches an agreement (oral or written) with the Company or its Subsidiaries or Parent with respect to such hiring or retention, even though it may be prior to the date the person first performs services for the Company or its Subsidiaries; provided, however, that no portion of any such award shall vest prior to the date the person first performs such services and the date of grant shall be deemed to be the date hiring or retention commences.

 

Section 5. Stock Options.

 

5.1. Grant and Exercise. Stock Options granted under the Plan may be of two types: (i) Incentive Stock Options and (ii) Non-qualified Stock Options. Any Stock Option granted under the Plan shall contain such terms, not inconsistent with this Plan, or with respect to Incentive Stock Options, not inconsistent with the Plan and the Code, as the Committee may from time to time approve. The Committee shall have the authority to grant Incentive Stock Options or Non-qualified Stock Options, or both types of Stock Options which may be granted alone or in addition to other awards granted under the Plan.

 

5.2. Terms and Conditions. Stock Options granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a) Option Term. The term of each Stock Option shall be fixed by the Committee; provided, however, that no Stock Option may be exercisable after the expiration of ten years from the date of grant; provided, further, that no Incentive Stock Option granted to a person who, at the time of grant, owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of voting stock of the Company (“10% Shareholder”) may be exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date of grant.

 

(b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock purchasable under a Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that the exercise price of a Stock Option may not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant or, if greater, the par value of a share of Common Stock; provided, further, that the exercise price of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a 10% Shareholder may not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant.

 

 

(c) Exercisability. Stock Options shall be exercisable at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee intends generally to provide that Stock Options be exercisable only in installments, i.e., that they vest over time, typically over a three-year period. The Committee may waive such installment exercise provisions at any time at or after the time of grant in whole or in part, based upon such factors as the Committee determines.

 

(d) Method of Exercise. Subject to whatever installment, exercise and waiting period provisions are applicable in a particular case, Stock Options may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the term of the Option by giving written notice of exercise to the Company specifying the number of shares of Common Stock to be purchased. Such notice shall be accompanied by payment in full of the purchase price, which shall be in cash or, if provided in the Agreement, either in shares of Common Stock (including Restricted Stock and other contingent awards under this Plan) or partly in cash and partly in such Common Stock, or such other means which the Committee determines are consistent with the Plan’s purpose and applicable law. Cash payments shall be made by wire transfer, certified or bank check or personal check, in each case payable to the order of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to deliver certificates for shares of Common Stock with respect to which an Option is exercised until the Company has confirmed the receipt of good and available funds in payment of the purchase price thereof (except that, in the case of an exercise arrangement approved by the Committee and described in the next sentence of this section, payment may be made as soon as practicable after the exercise). The Committee may permit a Holder to elect to pay the exercise price upon the exercise of a Stock Option by irrevocably authorizing a third party to sell shares of Common Stock (or a sufficient portion of the shares) acquired upon exercise of the Stock Option and remit to the Company a sufficient portion of the sale proceeds to pay the entire exercise price and any tax withholding resulting from such exercise. The Committee may also authorize other means for paying the exercise price of a Stock Option, including using the value of the Stock Option (as determined by the difference in the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock and the exercise price of the Stock Option or other means determined by the Committee).

 

(e) Stock Payments. Payments in the form of Common Stock shall be valued at the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise. Such payments shall be made by delivery of stock certificates in negotiable form that are effective to transfer good and valid title thereto to the Company, free of any liens or encumbrances.

 

(f) Transferability. Except as may be set forth in the next sentence of this Section or in the Agreement, no Stock Option shall be transferable by the Holder other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and all Stock Options shall be exercisable, during the Holder’s lifetime, only by the Holder (or, to the extent of legal incapacity or incompetency, the Holder’s guardian or legal representative). Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Holder, with the approval of the Committee, may transfer a Non-Qualified Stock Option (i) (A) by gift, for no consideration, or (B) pursuant to a domestic relations order, in either case, to or for the benefit of the Holder’s “Immediate Family” (as defined below), or (ii) to an entity in which the Holder and/or members of Holder’s Immediate Family own more than fifty percent of the voting interest, subject to such limits as the Committee may establish and the execution of such documents as the Committee may require, and the transferee shall remain subject to all the terms and conditions applicable to the Non-Qualified Stock Option prior to such transfer. The term “Immediate Family” shall mean any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, any person sharing the Holder’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons have more than fifty percent beneficial interest, and a foundation in which these persons (or the Holder) control the management of the assets. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit transfer of an Incentive Stock Option in a manner consistent with applicable tax and securities law upon the Holder’s request.

 

 

(g) Termination by Reason of Death. If a Holder’s employment by, or association with, the Company or its Subsidiary or Affiliate terminates by reason of death, any Stock Option held by such Holder, unless otherwise determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement, shall thereupon automatically terminate, except that the portion of such Stock Option that has vested on the date of death may thereafter be exercised by the legal representative of the estate or by the legatee of the Holder under the will of the Holder, for a period of one year (or such other greater or lesser period as the Committee may specify in the Agreement) from the date of such death or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is shorter.

 

(h) Termination by Reason of Disability. If a Holder’s employment by, or association with, the Company or its Subsidiary or Affiliate terminates by reason of Disability, any Stock Option held by such Holder, unless otherwise determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement, shall thereupon automatically terminate, except that the portion of such Stock Option that has vested on the date of termination may thereafter be exercised by the Holder for a period of one year (or such other greater or lesser period as the Committee may specify in the Agreement) from the date of such termination or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is shorter.

 

(i) Termination by Reason of Normal Retirement. Subject to the provisions of Section 12.3, if such Holder’s employment by, or association with, the Company or its Subsidiary or Affiliate terminates due to Normal Retirement, any Stock Option held by such Holder, unless otherwise determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement, shall thereupon automatically terminate, except that the portion of such Stock Option that has vested on the date of termination may thereafter be exercised by the Holder for a period of one year in the case of a Non-Qualified Stock Option or three months in the case of an Incentive Stock Option (or such other greater or lesser period as the Committee may specify in the Agreement) from the date of such termination or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is shorter.

 

(j) Other Termination. Subject to the provisions of Section 12.3, if such Holder’s employment by, or association with, the Company or its Subsidiary or Affiliate terminates for any reason other than death, Disability or Normal Retirement, any Stock Option held by such Holder, unless otherwise determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement, shall thereupon automatically terminate, except that, if the Holder’s employment is terminated by the Company or its Subsidiary or Affiliate without cause, the portion of such Stock Option that has vested on the date of termination may thereafter be exercised by the Holder for a period of three months (or such other greater or lesser period as the Committee may specify in the Agreement) from the date of such termination or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is shorter.

 

 

(k) Incentive Stock Options. The aggregate Fair Market Value (on the date of grant of the Stock Option) of shares of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options become exercisable for the first time by a Holder during any calendar year (under all such plans of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates) shall not exceed $100,000. To the extent that any Stock Option intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option does not so qualify, including by reason of the immediately preceding sentence, it shall constitute a separate Non-qualified Stock Option. The Company shall have no liability to any Holder or any other person if a Stock Option designated as an Incentive Stock Option fails to qualify as such at any time or if a Stock Option is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the terms of such Stock Option do not satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

 

(l) Buyout and Settlement Provisions. The Committee may at any time, in its sole discretion, offer to repurchase a Stock Option previously granted, at a purchase price not to exceed the Repurchase Value, based upon such terms and conditions as the Committee shall establish and communicate to the Holder at the time that such offer is made.

 

(m) Rights as Shareholder. A Holder shall have none of the rights of a Shareholder with respect to the shares subject to the Option until such shares shall be transferred to the Holder upon the exercise of the Option.

 

Section 6. Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

6.1. Grant and Exercise. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights in tandem with an Option or alone and unrelated to an Option. The Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights to participants who have been or are being granted Stock Options under the Plan as a means of allowing such participants to exercise their Stock Options without the need to pay the exercise price in cash. In the case of a Non-qualified Stock Option, a Stock Appreciation Right may be granted either at or after the time of the grant of such Non-qualified Stock Option. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, a Stock Appreciation Right may be granted only at the time of the grant of such Incentive Stock Option.

 

6.2. Terms and Conditions. Stock Appreciation Rights shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a) Exercisability. Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable as shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement, subject, for Stock Appreciation Rights granted in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option, to the limitations, if any, imposed by the Code with respect to related Incentive Stock Options.

 

(b) Termination. All or a portion of a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with a Stock Option shall terminate and shall no longer be exercisable upon the termination or after the exercise of the applicable portion of the related Stock Option.

 

 

(c) Method of Exercise. Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable upon such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement and, for Stock Appreciation Rights granted in tandem with a Stock Option, by surrendering the applicable portion of the related Stock Option. Upon exercise of all or a portion of a Stock Appreciation Right and, if applicable, surrender of the applicable portion of the related Stock Option, the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the SAR Value divided by the Fair Market Value on the date the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised or, at the Company’s election, cash for the value so calculated.

 

(d) Shares Available Under Plan. The granting of a Stock Appreciation Right in tandem with a Stock Option shall not affect the number of shares of Common Stock available for awards under the Plan. The number of shares available for awards under the Plan will, however, be reduced by the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon exercise of the Stock Option to which such Stock Appreciation Right relates.

 

Section 7. Restricted Stock; Restricted Stock Units.

 

7.1. Grant. The Committee may award shares of Restricted Stock. In addition, the Committee may award Restricted Stock Units. The Committee shall determine the eligible persons to whom, and the time or times at which, grants of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units will be awarded, the number of shares to be awarded, the price (if any) to be paid by the Holder, any Restriction Period, the vesting schedule and rights to acceleration thereof, and all other terms and conditions of the awards.

 

7.2. Restricted Stock Terms and Conditions. Each Restricted Stock award shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a) Certificates. Restricted Stock, when issued, will be represented by a stock certificate or certificates registered in the name of the Holder to whom such Restricted Stock shall have been awarded. During the Restriction Period, certificates representing the Restricted Stock and any securities constituting Retained Distributions (as defined below) shall bear a legend to the effect that ownership of the Restricted Stock (and such Retained Distributions) and the enjoyment of all rights appurtenant thereto are subject to the restrictions, terms and conditions provided in the Plan and the Agreement. Such certificates shall be deposited by the Holder with the Company, together with stock powers or other instruments of assignment, each endorsed in blank, which will permit transfer to the Company of all or any portion of the Restricted Stock and any securities constituting Retained Distributions that shall be forfeited or that shall not become vested in accordance with the Plan and the Agreement.

 

 

(b) Rights of Holder. Restricted Stock shall constitute issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock for all corporate purposes. The Holder will have the right to vote such Restricted Stock and to exercise all other rights, powers and privileges of a holder of Common Stock with respect to such Restricted Stock, with the exceptions that (i) the Holder will not be entitled to delivery of the stock certificate or certificates representing such Restricted Stock until the Restriction Period shall have expired and unless all other vesting requirements with respect thereto shall have been fulfilled; (ii) the Company will retain custody of the stock certificate or certificates representing the Restricted Stock during the Restriction Period; (iii) the Company will retain custody of all dividends and distributions (“Retained Distributions”) made, paid or declared with respect to the Restricted Stock (and such Retained Distributions will be subject to the same restrictions, terms and conditions as are applicable to the Restricted Stock) until such time, if ever, as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Retained Distributions shall have been made, paid or declared shall have become vested and with respect to which the Restriction Period shall have expired; and (iv) a breach by the Holder of any of the restrictions, terms or conditions contained in this Plan or the Agreement or otherwise established by the Committee with respect to any Restricted Stock or Retained Distributions will cause a forfeiture of such Restricted Stock and any Retained Distributions with respect thereto.

 

(c) Vesting; Forfeiture. Upon the expiration of the Restriction Period with respect to each award of Restricted Stock and the satisfaction of any other applicable restrictions, terms and conditions, (i) all or part of such Restricted Stock shall become vested in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, and (ii) any Retained Distributions with respect to such Restricted Stock shall become vested to the extent that the Restricted Stock related thereto shall have become vested. Any such Restricted Stock and Retained Distributions that do not vest shall be forfeited to the Company and the Holder shall not thereafter have any rights with respect to such Restricted Stock and Retained Distributions that shall have been so forfeited.

 

7.3. Restricted Stock Units Terms and Conditions. Each Restricted Stock Units award shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a) Settlement. The Committee may provide that settlement of Restricted Stock Units will occur upon or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Restriction Period with respect to the award of the Restricted Stock Units and the satisfaction of any other applicable restrictions, terms and conditions, or will instead be deferred, on a mandatory basis or at the Holder’s election, in a manner intended to comply with Section 409A.

 

(b) Stockholder Rights. A Holder will have no rights of a holder of Common Stock with respect to shares subject to any Restricted Stock Unit unless and until the shares are delivered in settlement of the Restricted Stock Unit.

 

(c) Dividend Equivalents. If the Committee provides, a grant of Restricted Stock Units may provide a Holder with the right to receive dividend equivalents. Dividend equivalents may be paid currently or credited to an account for the Holder, settled in cash or shares and subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the Restricted Stock Units with respect to which the dividend equivalents are granted and subject to other terms and conditions as set forth in the Agreement.

 

Section 8. Other Stock-Based Awards.

 

Other Stock-Based Awards may be awarded, subject to limitations under applicable law, that are denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, shares of Common Stock, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan, including, without limitation, purchase rights, shares of Common Stock awarded which are not subject to any restrictions or conditions, convertible or exchangeable debentures, or other rights convertible into shares of Common Stock and awards valued by reference to the value of securities of or the performance of specified Subsidiaries. These Other Stock-Based Awards may include performance shares or options, whose award is tied to specific performance goals. Other Stock-Based Awards may be awarded either alone or in addition to or in tandem with any other awards under this Plan or any other plan of the Company. Each Other Stock-Based Award shall be subject to such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee.

 

 

Section 9. Accelerated Vesting and Exercisability.

 

9.1. Non-Approved Transactions. If there is a Change of Control that has not been approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, then the vesting periods of any and all Stock Options and other awards granted and outstanding under the Plan shall be accelerated and all such Stock Options and awards will immediately and entirely vest, and the respective holders thereof will have the immediate right to purchase and/or receive any and all Common Stock subject to such Stock Options and awards on the terms set forth in this Plan and the respective Agreements respecting such Stock Options and awards, and all performance goals will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and all other terms and conditions will be deemed met.

 

9.2. Approved Transactions. In the event of an Asset Sale, or if there is a Change of Control that has been approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, then the Committee may (i) accelerate the vesting of any and all Stock Options and other awards granted and outstanding under the Plan; (ii) require a Holder of any Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock award or Other Stock-Based Award granted under this Plan to relinquish such award to the Company upon the tender by the Company to Holder of cash, stock or other property, or any combination thereof, in an amount equal to the Repurchase Value of such award; provided, however, that the obligation to tender the Repurchase Value to such Holders may be subject to any terms and conditions to which the tender of consideration to the Company’s stockholders in connection with the acquisition is subject, including any terms and conditions of the acquisition providing for an adjustment to or escrow of such consideration; and provided, further, that in the case of any Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right with an exercise price that equals or exceeds the price paid for a share of Common Stock in connection with the acquisition, the Committee may cancel the Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right without the payment of consideration therefor; and/or (iii) terminate all incomplete performance periods in respect of awards in effect on the date the acquisition occurs, determine the extent to which performance goals have been met based upon such information then available as it deems relevant and cause to be paid to the Holder the all or the applicable portion of the award based upon the Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment of performance goals, or on such other basis determined by the Committee.

 

9.3. Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan or any award granted hereunder to the contrary, no acceleration shall occur with respect to any award to the extent such acceleration would cause the Plan or an award granted hereunder to fail to comply with Code Section 409A.

 

 

Section 10. Amendment and Termination.

 

The Board may at any time, and from time to time, amend alter, suspend or discontinue any of the provisions of the Plan or any Agreement, but no amendment, alteration, suspension or discontinuance shall be made that would impair the rights of a Holder under any Agreement theretofore entered into hereunder, without the Holder’s consent, except as set forth in this Plan or the Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no amendment to the provisions of the Plan shall be effective unless approved by the shareholders of the Company to the extent shareholder approval is necessary to satisfy any provision of the Code or other applicable law or the listing requirements of any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed.

 

Section 11. Term of Plan.

 

11.1. Effective Date. The Effective Date of the Plan shall be the day immediately prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering pursuant to a registration statement declared effective by the SEC. The Plan has been approved by the Company’s stockholders, consistent with applicable laws, simultaneously with the adoption of the Plan by the Company’s Board.

 

11.2. Termination Date. Unless terminated by the Board, this Plan shall continue to remain effective until such time as no further awards may be granted and all awards granted under the Plan are no longer outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, grants of Incentive Stock Options may be made only during the ten-year period beginning on the Effective Date.

 

Section 12. General Provisions.

 

12.1. Written Agreements. Each award granted under the Plan shall be confirmed by, and shall be subject to the terms of, the Agreement executed by the Company and the Holder, or such other document as may be determined by the Committee. The Committee may terminate any award made under the Plan if the Agreement relating thereto is not executed and returned to the Company within 10 days after the Agreement has been delivered to the Holder for his or her execution.

 

12.2. Unfunded Status of Plan. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Holder by the Company, nothing contained herein shall give any such Holder any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company.

 

 

12.3. Employees.

 

(a) Engaging in Competition with the Company; Solicitation of Customers and Employees; Disclosure of Confidential Information. If a Holder’s employment with the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate is terminated for any reason whatsoever, and within 12 months after the date thereof such Holder either (i) accepts employment with any competitor of, or otherwise engages in competition with, the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate, (ii) solicits any customers or employees of the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate to do business with or render services to the Holder or any business with which the Holder becomes affiliated or to which the Holder renders services or (iii) uses or discloses to anyone outside the Company any confidential information of the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate in violation of the Company’s policies or any agreement between the Holder and the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may require such Holder to return to the Company the economic value of any award that was realized or obtained by such Holder at any time during the period beginning on the date that is six months prior to the date such Holder’s employment with the Company or its Subsidiary or Affiliate is terminated; provided, however, that if the Holder is a resident of the State of California, such right must be exercised by the Company for cash within six months after the date of termination of the Holder’s service to the Company or within six months after exercise of the applicable Stock Option, whichever is later. In such event, Holder agrees to (1) remit to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of the shares on the date of termination (or the sales price of such shares if the shares were sold during such six month period) and the price the Holder paid the Company for such shares, or (2) in the case of SARs, return to the Company the full amount paid to the Holder in connection therewith.

 

(b) Termination for Cause. If a Holder’s employment with the Company or its Subsidiary or Affiliate is terminated for cause, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, require such Holder to return to the Company the economic value of any award that was realized or obtained by such Holder at any time during the period beginning on that date that is six months prior to the date such Holder’s employment with the Company is terminated. In such event, Holder agrees to (1) remit to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of termination (or the sales price of such Shares if the Shares were sold during such six month period) and the price the Holder paid the Company for such shares, (2) with the consent of the Company, which may be withheld for any reason or no reason, surrender to the Company shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the Fair Market Value on the date they were acquired upon exercise of the Option, or (3) in the case of SARs, return to the Company the full amount paid to the Holder in connection therewith.

 

(c) No Right of Employment. Nothing contained in the Plan or in any award hereunder shall be deemed to confer upon any Holder who is an employee of the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate any right to continued employment with the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate, nor shall it interfere in any way with the right of the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate to terminate the employment of any Holder who is an employee at any time.

 

12.4. No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan. The Committee shall determine whether cash, additional awards or other securities or property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock or whether any fractional shares should be rounded, forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

12.5. Provisions for Foreign Participants. The Committee may modify awards granted to Holders who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States or establish subplans or procedures under the Plan to address differences in laws, rules, regulations or customs of such foreign jurisdictions with respect to tax, securities, currency, employee benefit or other matters.

 

 

12.6. Limitations on Liability.

 

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as a director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate will be liable to any Holder, former Holder, spouse, beneficiary, or any other person for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan or any award, and such individual will not be personally liable with respect to the Plan because of any contract or other instrument executed in his or her capacity as member of the Committee, director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each director, officer, other employee and agent of the Company, a Subsidiary, Parent or Affiliate that has been or will be granted or delegated any duty or power relating to the Plan’s administration or interpretation, against any cost or expense (including attorneys’ fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the Committee’s approval) arising from any act or omission concerning this Plan unless arising from such person’s own fraud or bad faith.

 

(b) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary or Affiliate shall be liable to a Holder or any other person as to: (i) the non-issuance or sale of shares as to which the Company has been unable to obtain from any regulatory body having jurisdiction the authority deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any shares hereunder; and (ii) any tax consequence expected, but not realized, by any Holder or other person due to the receipt, exercise or settlement of any Award granted hereunder.

 

12.7. Lock-Up Period. The Company may, at the request of any underwriter or placement agent, in connection with the registered offering of any Company securities under the Securities Act or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, prohibit Holders from, directly or indirectly, selling or otherwise transferring any shares or other Company securities acquired under this Plan during a period of up to one hundred eighty days following either the effective date of a Company registration statement filed under the Securities Act, in the case of a registered offering, or the closing date of the sale of the Company securities, in the case of an offering exempt from registration, or for such longer period as determined by the underwriter or placement agent.

 

12.8. Data Privacy. As a condition for receiving any award, each Holder explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described in this paragraph by and among the Company and any Parent, Subsidiaries and Affiliates exclusively for implementing, administering and managing the Holder’s participation in the Plan. The Company and any Parent, Subsidiaries and Affiliates may hold certain personal information about a Holder, including the Holder’s name, address and telephone number; birthdate; social security, insurance number or other identification number; salary; nationality; job title(s); any shares held in the Company or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate; and award details, to implement, manage and administer the Plan and awards (the “Data”). The Company and any Parent, Subsidiaries and Affiliates may transfer the Data amongst themselves as necessary to implement, administer and manage a Holder’s participation in the Plan, and the Company and any Parent, Subsidiaries and Affiliates may transfer the Data to third parties assisting the Company with Plan implementation, administration and management. These recipients may be located in the Holder’s country, or elsewhere, and the Holder’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections than the recipients’ country. By accepting an award, each Holder authorizes such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, to implement, administer and manage the Holder’s participation in the Plan, including any required Data transfer to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or the Holder may elect to deposit any shares. The Data related to a Holder will be held only as long as necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Holder’s participation in the Plan. A Holder may, at any time, view the Data that the Company holds regarding such Holder, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data regarding such Holder, recommend any necessary corrections to the Data regarding the Holder or refuse or withdraw the consents in this Section 12.8 in writing, without cost, by contacting the local human resources representative. The Company may cancel Holder’s ability to participate in the Plan and, in the Committee’s discretion, the Holder may forfeit any outstanding awards if the Holder refuses or withdraws the consents in this Section 12.8. For more information on the consequences of refusing or withdrawing consent, Holders may contact their local human resources representative.

 

 

12.9. Successor. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to all or substantially all of the assets and business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

12.10. Investment Representations; Company Policy. The Committee may require each person acquiring shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Stock Option or other award under the Plan to represent to and agree with the Company in writing that the Holder is acquiring the shares for investment without a view to distribution thereof. Each person acquiring shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Stock Option or other award under the Plan shall be required to abide by all policies of the Company in effect at the time of such acquisition and thereafter with respect to the ownership and trading of the Company’s securities.

 

12.11. Additional Incentive Arrangements. Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting such other or additional incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, but not limited to, the granting of Stock Options and the awarding of Common Stock and cash otherwise than under the Plan; and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.

 

12.12. Withholding Taxes. Not later than the date as of which an amount must first be included in the gross income of the Holder for Federal income tax purposes with respect to any Stock Option or other award under the Plan, the Holder shall pay to the Company, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee regarding the payment of, any Federal, state and local taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld or paid with respect to such amount. If permitted by the Committee, tax withholding or payment obligations may be settled with Common Stock, including Common Stock that is part of the award that gives rise to the withholding requirement. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be conditioned upon such payment or arrangements and the Company or the Holder’s employer (if not the Company) shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Holder from the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

12.13. Clawback. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, any award which is subject to recovery under any law, government regulation or listing requirement of any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed, will be subject to such deductions and clawback as may be required to be made pursuant to such law, government regulation or listing requirement (or any policy adopted by the Company pursuant to any such law, government regulation or listing requirement).

 

 

12.14. Governing Law. The Plan and all awards made and actions taken thereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of Delaware (without regard to choice of law provisions).

 

12.15. Other Benefit Plans. Any award granted under the Plan shall not be deemed compensation for purposes of computing benefits under any retirement plan of the Company or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate and shall not affect any benefits under any other benefit plan now or subsequently in effect under which the availability or amount of benefits is related to the level of compensation (unless required by specific reference in any such other plan to awards under this Plan).

 

12.16. Non-Transferability. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or the Agreement, no right or benefit under the Plan may be alienated, sold, assigned, hypothecated, pledged, exchanged, transferred, encumbranced or charged, and any attempt to alienate, sell, assign, hypothecate, pledge, exchange, transfer, encumber or charge the same shall be void.

 

12.17. Applicable Laws. The obligations of the Company with respect to all Stock Options and other awards under the Plan shall be subject to (i) all applicable laws, rules and regulations and such approvals by any governmental agencies as may be required, including, without limitation, the Securities Act, and (ii) the rules and regulations of any securities exchange on which the Common Stock may be listed. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan and all awards will be administered only in conformance with such applicable laws. To the extent such applicable laws permit, the Plan and all Agreements will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable laws.

 

12.18. Conflicts. If any of the terms or provisions of the Plan or an Agreement conflict with the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, then such terms or provisions shall be deemed inoperative to the extent they so conflict with such requirements. Additionally, if this Plan or any Agreement does not contain any provision required to be included herein under Section 422 of the Code, such provision shall be deemed to be incorporated herein and therein with the same force and effect as if such provision had been set out at length herein and therein. If any of the terms or provisions of any Agreement conflict with any terms or provisions of the Plan, then such terms or provisions shall be deemed inoperative to the extent they so conflict with the requirements of the Plan. Additionally, if any Agreement does not contain any provision required to be included therein under the Plan, such provision shall be deemed to be incorporated therein with the same force and effect as if such provision had been set out at length therein.

 

12.19. Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. The Company intends that any awards be structured in compliance with, or to satisfy an exemption from, Section 409A of the Code, such that there are no adverse tax consequences, interest, or penalties pursuant to Section 409A of the Code as a result of the awards. Notwithstanding the Company’s intention, in the event any award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Committee may, in its sole discretion and without a participant’s prior consent, amend this Plan and/or outstanding Agreements, adopt policies and procedures, or take any other actions (including amendments, policies, procedures and actions with retroactive effect) as are necessary or appropriate to (i) exempt this Plan and/or any award from the application of Section 409A of the Code, (ii) preserve the intended tax treatment of any such award, or (iii) comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, including without limitation any such regulations guidance, compliance programs and other interpretive authority that may be issued after the date of grant of an award. This Plan shall be interpreted at all times in such a manner that the terms and provisions of the Plan and the awards are exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code.

 

12.20. Sub-Plans. The Committee may from time to time establish sub-plans under the Plan for purposes of satisfying blue sky, securities, tax or other laws of various jurisdictions in which the Company intends to grant awards. Any sub-plans shall contain such limitations and other terms and conditions as the Committee determines are necessary or desirable. All sub-plans shall be deemed a part of the Plan, but each sub-plan shall apply only to the participants in the jurisdiction for which the sub-plan was designed.

 

12.21. Non-Registered Stock. The shares of Common Stock to be distributed under this Plan have not been, as of the Effective Date, registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state or foreign securities laws and the Company has no obligation to any Holder to register the Common Stock or to assist the Holder in obtaining an exemption from the various registration requirements, or to list the Common Stock on a national securities exchange or any other trading or quotation system.

 

12.22. Non-Uniform Treatment. The Committee’s determinations under the Plan need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among persons who are eligible to receive, or actually receive, awards. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall be entitled to make non-uniform and selective determinations, amendments and adjustments, and to enter into non-uniform and selective Agreements.