UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE
ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
For the month of March,
2015
Commission File Number: 001-34152
WESTPORT INNOVATIONS INC.
(Translation of registrant's name into
English)
1750 West 75th
Avenue, Suite 101, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6P 6G2
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether
the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
☐ Form
20-F ☒
Form 40-F
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): o
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): o
Indicate by check mark whether
by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission
pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes ☐ No ☒
If
"Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit |
|
Description |
99.1 |
|
MANAGEMENT PROXY MATERIALS |
99.2 |
|
FORM OF PROXY |
99.3 |
|
NOTICE & ACCESS |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized.
|
Westport Innovations Inc. |
|
|
(Registrant) |
|
|
|
|
|
Date: March 27, 2015 |
By: |
/s/ Ashoka Achuthan |
|
|
|
Ashoka Achuthan
Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
Exhibit 99.1
Westport Innovations Inc.
Information for Shareholders |
Annual and Special Meeting
of Shareholders: |
|
|
April 30, 2015 |
|
Management Information
Circular |
|
Dated March 11, 2015 |
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOTICE OF ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS |
ii |
|
|
|
SECTION 1: VOTING |
1 |
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES |
2 |
COMMUNICATION PROCESS FOR PROXY-RELATED MATERIALS |
3 |
VOTING OF COMMON SHARES |
3 |
MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON |
6 |
1. |
Receipt of 2014 Financial Statements |
6 |
2. |
Election of Directors |
6 |
3. |
Appointment of Auditors |
6 |
|
|
|
SECTION 2: BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
10 |
NOMINEES FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD |
11 |
MANDATE AND CHARTER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
18 |
STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD & ELECTION OF DIRECTORS |
18 |
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION |
21 |
ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE RELATING TO THE DIRECTORS |
25 |
|
|
|
SECTION 3: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE |
27 |
STATEMENT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES |
28 |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEES |
28 |
ADVISORY BOARD |
31 |
CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS |
31 |
DISCLOSURE POLICY |
32 |
|
|
SECTION 4: COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS |
34 |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
35 |
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION FIGURES AND TABLES |
46 |
PERFORMANCE GRAPHS |
53 |
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION |
56 |
|
|
SECTION 5: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
67 |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
68 |
|
|
SECTION 6: SCHEDULES AND ATTACHMENTS |
69 |
|
|
SCHEDULE "A" BOARD OF DIRECTORS' CHARTER |
A-1 |
Board Leadership |
A-3 |
NOTICE OF ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE OF ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015
TO SHAREHOLDERS OF WESTPORT INNOVATIONS INC.
Notice is hereby given that the annual and special
meeting (the "Meeting") of the holders ("Shareholders") of common shares ("Common Shares")
of Westport Innovations Inc. ("Westport") will be held at 1750 West 75th Avenue, Suite 101, Vancouver,
British Columbia on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific time). The purpose of the Meeting is to consider,
and to take action with respect to, the following matters:
| 1. | the receipt of the audited consolidated financial statements of Westport for the year ended December
31, 2014, together with the auditors' report on those statements; |
| 2. | the election of directors of Westport for the next year; |
| 3. | the appointment of auditors for Westport for the next year and the authorization of the directors
to fix their remuneration; |
| 4. | the approval of certain amendments to Westport's Omnibus Incentive Plan; and |
| 5. | the transaction of such other business as may properly be brought before the Meeting or any adjournment
or adjournments of the Meeting. |
Shareholders are referred to the accompanying management
information circular dated March 11, 2015 (the "Circular") for more detailed information with respect to the matters
to be considered at the Meeting.
Individuals, corporations or other persons directly
registered as Shareholders on the share register maintained by Computershare Trust Company of Canada ("Computershare")
as Shareholders of Westport on March 11, 2015 ("Registered Owners") may attend the Meeting in person and vote.
Shareholders owning Common Shares through a brokerage firm or in any other manner who are not directly registered with Computershare
on March 11, 2015 ("Beneficial Owners") who wish to attend the Meeting and vote should enter their own names in
the blank space on the instrument of proxy provided to them by their broker (or the broker's agent) and return that proxy to their
broker (or the broker's agent) in accordance with the instructions provided by their broker (or agent), well in advance of the
Meeting. Registered and Beneficial Owners who do not wish to attend the Meeting or to vote their Common Shares in person may be
represented by proxy. A person appointed as proxyholder does not need to be a shareholder of Westport. Shareholders who are unable
to attend the Meeting in person are requested to date, sign and return the accompanying instrument of proxy (the "Proxy"),
or other appropriate form of proxy, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Circular. For Registered Owners, the
Proxy, or form of proxy, will not be valid unless it is deposited at the offices of Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Proxy
Department, 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1, (fax numbers: 1-866-249-7775 toll free North America, or
1-416-263-9524 international) not less than forty-eight (48) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) before the Meeting,
or any adjournment thereof. Registered owners may also vote by telephone or over the internet as described in the accompanying
Proxy. For Beneficial Owners, the instrument of proxy provided by your broker (or the broker's agent) can be mailed to Broadridge
Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge") at the address set forth on such instrument of proxy or, alternatively, a Beneficial
Owner can either call Broadridge's toll-free telephone line to vote, or access Broadridge's dedicated voting website at www.proxyvote.com.
Only persons registered as holders of Common Shares
on the records of Westport as of the close of business on March 11, 2015, are entitled to receive notice of the Meeting.
Dated as of the 11th day of March, 2015.
|
By the order of the Board of Directors |
|
|
|
(Signed) Ashoka Achuthan |
|
|
|
Ashoka Achuthan
Chief Financial Officer |
SECTION 1:
VOTING
SOLICITATION
OF PROXIES
This management information circular (the "Circular")
is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the management of Westport Innovations Inc. ("Westport" or
the "Corporation") of proxies to be used at the annual and special meeting (the "Meeting") of
the holders ("Shareholders") of common shares ("Common Shares") of Westport. This Meeting is
to be held at 1750 West 75th Avenue, Suite 101, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 2:00
p.m. (Pacific time) for the purposes set forth in the accompanying notice of Meeting (the "Notice"). Solicitation
of proxies will be primarily by mail but may also be by way of telephone, facsimile or oral communication by the directors, officers,
or regular employees of Westport, at no additional compensation to them. The costs of the solicitation of proxies will be borne
by Westport.
Appointment of Proxyholders and Revocation of Proxies
An instrument of proxy (the "Proxy")
accompanies this Circular. The persons named in the Proxy are an officer of Westport and Westport's external legal counsel, who
is expected to act as secretary for purposes of the Meeting. A Shareholder, however, has the right to appoint another person
(who does not need to be a Shareholder) to represent him or her at the Meeting. To exercise this right, a Shareholder should
strike out the names on the Proxy and insert the name of his or her appointee in the blank space provided. Alternatively, a Shareholder
may complete a Proxy in an appropriate written form of his or her own choosing ("Alternative Form of Proxy").
The Proxy or an Alternative Form of Proxy will not be valid unless it is deposited at the offices of Computershare Trust Company
of Canada ("Computershare"), Proxy Department, 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1 (fax
numbers: 1-866-249-7775 toll free North America, or 1-416-263-9524 international) not less than forty-eight (48) hours (excluding
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) before the time of the Meeting or any adjournment of the Meeting.
A Shareholder who has submitted a Proxy or Alternative
Form of Proxy may revoke it by means of a written document signed by the Shareholder or by his or her duly authorized attorney,
or if the Shareholder is a corporation, by a duly authorized officer or officers or attorney of such corporation. The document
must be deposited either: (i) at the registered office of Westport (being Suite 4500, 855 2nd Street S.W., Calgary,
Alberta, T2P 4K7) at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting, or any adjournment of
the Meeting at which the Proxy or Alternative Form of Proxy is to be used; or (ii) with the Chairman of the Meeting on the day
of, but prior to, the Meeting or any adjournment of the Meeting. In addition, a Proxy or Alternative Form of Proxy may be revoked:
(i) by the Shareholder personally attending at the Meeting and voting the securities represented by the Proxy, or, if the Shareholder
is a corporation, by a duly authorized officer or officers or attorney of such corporation attending at the Meeting and voting
the securities; or (ii) in any other manner permitted by law.
Exercise of Discretion by Proxyholders
The persons named in the Proxy will vote or withhold
from voting the Common Shares in respect of which they are appointed, on any ballot that may be called for, in accordance with
the direction of the Shareholder appointing them. In the absence of such specification, the Proxyholder shall be deemed to have
been granted the authority to vote the relevant Common Shares FOR: (i) the election of the directors, as set forth in this Circular;
(ii) the appointment of auditors, as set forth in this Circular, at such remuneration as may be determined by the board of directors
of Westport (the "Board of Directors" or the "Board"); and (iii) the amendments to Westport's Omnibus Incentive
Plan (the "Omnibus Plan"), as set forth in this Circular. The Proxy also confers discretionary authority upon the persons
named in the Proxy with respect to amendments to, or variations of, the matters identified in the Notice and with respect to other
matters that may properly be brought before the Meeting. As of the date of this Circular, the management of Westport knows
of no such amendment, variation or other matter to come before the Meeting other than the matters referred to in the Notice.
Signing of Proxy
A Proxy signed by a person acting as an attorney or
in some other representative capacity (including a representative of a corporate Shareholder) should indicate his or her capacity
(following his or her signature) and should provide the appropriate documentation confirming qualification and authority to act
(unless such documentation has previously been filed with Westport or Computershare).
COMMUNICATION PROCESS FOR PROXY-RELATED MATERIALS
Westport uses the notice-and-access process as its
method of communication with beneficial shareholders for shareholder voting and proxy-related materials.
Notwithstanding the notice-and-access process, the
Business Corporations Act (Alberta) ("ABCA") requires Westport to deliver a written copy of the annual
financial statements to registered shareholders unless such registered shareholders provide Westport with written consent to electronic
delivery.
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge")
is the approved intermediary for mailing proxy-related materials to beneficial owners (both objecting and non-objecting). Computershare,
Westport`s transfer agent, is the approved intermediary for mailing proxy related materials to registered shareholders.
The notice-and-access method is consistent with Westport's
sustainability objectives to reduce environmental impact and allows Westport to significantly reduce costs associated with printing
and mail delivery.
VOTING
OF COMMON SHARES
Voting of Common Shares - General
As at March 11, 2015, there were 63,917,009 Common
Shares issued and outstanding, each of which carries the right to one vote at meetings of Shareholders. Only persons registered
as Shareholders on the share register maintained by Computershare ("Registered Shareholders") as of the close of business
on March 11, 2015 (the "Record Date") are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting. Shareholders who
do not hold Common Shares in their own name on the share register maintained by Computershare are not entitled to receive notice
of the Meeting or to vote in respect of such Common Shares at the Meeting and should refer to the section entitled "Advice
to Beneficial Holders of Common Shares" immediately below for details regarding how they may exercise voting rights. Any
person who acquires Common Shares from a Shareholder after the Record Date may vote those Common Shares if, not later than 10 days
prior to the Meeting, that person makes a request in a satisfactory written form to Computershare to have his or her name included
as a Registered Shareholder on the list of Shareholders for the Meeting and establishes that he or she owns such Common Shares.
Advice to Beneficial Holders of Common Shares
The information set forth in this section is of
significant importance as most Shareholders do not hold Common Shares in their own name. Shareholders who do not hold Common
Shares in their own name ("Beneficial Shareholders") should note that only proxies deposited by Shareholders whose
names appear on the share register maintained by Computershare as the registered holders of Common Shares can be recognized and
acted upon at the Meeting. If the Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to a Shareholder by a broker, then
in almost all cases those Common Shares will not be registered in the Shareholder's own name on the share register maintained by
Computershare. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered in the name of the Shareholder's broker or an agent of that broker.
In Canada, the vast majority of these Common Shares are registered in the name of CDS & Co. (the registration name for CDS
Clearing and Depository Services Inc., which acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms). Common Shares held by brokers
or their agents or nominees can only be voted (for or against resolutions) upon the instructions of the Beneficial Shareholder.
Without specific instructions, brokers and their agents and nominees are prohibited from voting Common Shares for the broker's
clients. Therefore, Beneficial Shareholders cannot be recognized at the Meeting for purposes of voting their Common Shares in
person or by way of proxy unless their brokers or agents are given specific instructions. If you are a Beneficial Shareholder and
wish to vote in person at the Meeting, please contact your broker or agent well in advance of the Meeting to determine how you
can do so.
Applicable regulatory policy requires brokers to seek
voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of Shareholders' meetings. Every brokerage has its own mailing procedures
and provides its own return instructions to its clients, which should be carefully followed by Beneficial Shareholders if they
wish to ensure their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting. In certain cases, the form of proxy supplied to a Beneficial Shareholder
by his or her broker (or the agent of the broker) is identical to the Proxy provided to Registered Shareholders. However, its purpose
is limited to instructing the Registered Shareholder (i.e., the broker or agent of the broker) how to vote on behalf of the Beneficial
Shareholder. The majority of Canadian brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge.
Broadridge typically prepares a machine-readable voting instruction form, mails that form to Beneficial Shareholders and asks them
to return the instruction forms to Broadridge. Alternatively, Beneficial Shareholders can either call Broadridge's toll-free telephone
line or access Broadridge's dedicated voting website at www.proxyvote.com to deliver their voting instructions. Broadridge then
tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares to be represented
at the Meeting. A Beneficial Shareholder receiving a voting instruction form from Broadridge cannot use that form to vote Common
Shares directly at the Meeting – voting instructions must be provided to Broadridge (in accordance with the instructions
set forth on the Broadridge form) well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted.
Although a Beneficial Shareholder may not be recognized
directly at the Meeting for the purposes of voting Common Shares registered in the name of his or her broker (or agent of the broker),
a Beneficial Shareholder may attend at the Meeting as proxyholder for the Registered Shareholder and vote the Common Shares in
that capacity. Beneficial Shareholders who wish to attend the Meeting and indirectly vote their Common Shares as Proxyholder
for the Registered Shareholder should enter their own names in the blank space on the Proxy and return the Proxy to their broker
(or the broker's agent) in accordance with the instructions provided by such broker (or agent) well in advance of the Meeting.
Beneficial Shareholders fall into two categories –
those who object to their identity being made known to the issuers of securities which they own ("Objecting Beneficial
Owners" or "OBOs") and those who do not object to their identity being made known to the issuers of the
securities they own ("Non-Objecting Beneficial Owners" or "NOBOs"). Subject to the provisions
of National Instrument 54-101 – Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer ("NI
54-101") issuers may request and obtain a list of their NOBOs from intermediaries via their transfer agents. Pursuant
to NI 54-101, issuers may obtain and use the NOBO list for distribution of proxy-related materials directly (not via Broadridge)
to such NOBOs.
These proxy-related materials are being sent to registered
and, through use of the notice-and-access process, non-registered owners of Common Shares. Non-registered owners of Common Shares
will receive these proxy-related materials through the use of the notice-and-access process (see "Communication Process for
Proxy-Related Materials").
Westport's OBOs can expect to receive their materials
related to the meeting through use of the notice-and-access process with a notice describing how to access such materials being
delivered from Broadridge or their brokers or their broker's agents as set out above.
Principal Holders of Common
Shares
As at March 11, 2015, Mr. Kevin Douglas, through and
on behalf of K&M Douglas Trust, Douglas Family Trust, James E. Douglas III and Douglas Irrevocable Descendents Trust maintains
direct or indirect control or direction over 9,848,559 common shares, representing approximately 15.4% of the
issued and outstanding Common Shares.
To the knowledge of the directors and executive officers
of Westport, as of the effective date of this Circular, there are no other persons who beneficially own, or control or direct,
directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the outstanding Common Shares.
MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
| 1. | Receipt of 2014 Financial Statements |
Westport's financial statements for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2014 will be forwarded to Registered Shareholders. No formal action will be taken at the Meeting to approve
the financial statements, with the requirements of the ABCA being met with the advance circulation of such financial statements.
If any Shareholders have questions respecting such financial statements, the questions may be brought forward at the Meeting.
In 2014, Westport elected nine directors. The Board
of Directors has fixed the number of directors to be nominated at the Meeting for 2015 at 10. Each director will be elected individually
and not as a slate. All of the current nominees, with the exception of Mr. Caron and Mr. Pearce, were elected as directors by the
Shareholders at last year's annual and special meeting of Shareholders. Mr. Caron joined the Westport Board of Directors effective
August 14, 2014. All of the proposed nominees, with the exception of Mr. Pearce, are currently directors of the Corporation and
have agreed to serve as directors if elected. Each director elected will hold office until the next annual meeting of Shareholders
or until his successor is duly elected, unless his office is vacated earlier in accordance with the by-laws of Westport or applicable
law.
Unless otherwise directed, the persons named in the
Proxy intend to vote in favor of the election, as directors of Westport, of the nominees whose names are set forth in this Circular
in Section 2 – Board of Directors.
Majority Voting Policy
The Board of Directors has adopted a majority voting
policy that requires that any nominee for director who receives a greater number of votes "withheld" than votes "for"
his or her election as a director shall submit his or her resignation to the Chairman of the Board of Directors who will provide
notice of such resignation to the Nominating and Corporate Governance ("NCG") Committee of the Board of Directors
for consideration promptly following the Meeting. This policy applies only to uncontested elections, meaning elections where the
number of nominees for directors is equal to the number of directors to be elected. The NCG Committee shall consider the resignation
and shall provide a recommendation with respect to such resignation to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will consider
the recommendation of the NCG Committee and determine whether to accept the resignation within 90 days of the applicable meeting
and a news release will be issued by Westport announcing the Board of Director's determination. A director who tenders his or her
resignation will not participate in any meetings to consider whether the resignation shall be accepted.
Shareholders should note that, as a result of the majority
voting policy, a "withhold" vote is effectively the same as a vote against a director nominee in an uncontested election.
| 3. | Appointment of Auditors |
The firm of KPMG LLP served as independent auditor
for Westport for the period January 1, 2014 to April 24, 2014. The firm of Deloitte LLP was nominated and subsequently elected
and appointed as the auditor of the Corporation effective April 24, 2014.
Upon the unanimous recommendation of the Audit Committee,
the Board of Directors has proposed that Deloitte LLP be nominated for appointment as independent auditor for the current fiscal
year.
Unless otherwise instructed, the proxies given pursuant
to this solicitation will be voted for the appointment of Deloitte LLP, Chartered Accountants, of 1055 Dunsmuir Street, British
Columbia, as the auditor of the Corporation to hold office for the ensuing year at remuneration to be fixed by the Board of Directors.
| 4. | Amendment to the Omnibus Plan |
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to approve
an ordinary resolution authorizing an annual extension to the authorized Common Shares reserved for issuance under the Omnibus
Plan. For further detail on this issue and Westport’s compensation programs, see Section 4 starting on page 34. Typically,
the majority of senior executive compensation is tied to Westport long-term shareholder value through equity-based awards that
vest over time, and include performance share units ("PSUs") that are based on pre-determined performance metrics
aligned with shareholder value. Equity-based grants, in general, are used deep into the organization to align and incentivize key
employees with the interests of shareholders.
The shareholder-approved Omnibus Plan is not a so-called
"evergreen" plan. For further clarity, when share options ("Options"), share units (restricted share
units ("RSUs") and PSUs together, "Units") and related equity-based incentives are issued, vested
and eventually exercised they are not automatically replenished in the pool (the "Omnibus Pool"). Faced with the
challenge of retaining and incentivizing employees and the Corporation’s goal of reducing cash used in operations, regular
extensions to the Omnibus Pool are required to allow the Board to continue to use equity-based long term incentives. The outcome
is an incentive plan with a stronger alignment with shareholder interests in ultimate share price performance which helps preserve
the necessary capital throughout this period of uncertainty with both current volatile energy prices and macroeconomic impacts
and which aids in the retention and fair compensation of key employees in the process.
Since 2010, as indicated in the table below, historically
Westport has been well below the 25th percentile of share dilution from compensation plan usage amongst its peers. These
amounts include PSUs that may in fact never vest unless the underlying performance metrics are achieved.
|
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
Peer
75th Percentile |
4.10% |
4.44% |
4.49% |
3.93% |
4.34% |
Peer
50th Percentile |
2.90% |
2.72% |
3.42% |
2.77% |
3.01% |
Peer
25th Percentile |
2.10% |
1.76% |
2.38% |
2.18% |
2.17% |
Westport
Share Usage |
2.7%* |
1.29% |
1.77% |
0.56% |
1.00% |
* 2014
share dilution refers to the sum of typical January long term incentive grant of 1.22% plus the October top-up grant of
1.5% approved by the Board. This amount excludes the one-time salary adjustment and 2015 pull-ahead grant approved in
October. See below for discussion.
Peer data for
2010 to 2014 provided by Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. |
In late 2014, due to the reduction in energy prices,
the related industry impact and the desire to preserve cash, the Corporation took action to eliminate programs, reduce staff and
institute tight expense controls. Executives accepted reduced salaries, and waived cash bonuses for 2014 and 2015 in return for
Common Shares to be issued over three years. The Board also pulled ahead the normal course of business January 2015 long-term equity
grant as a retention incentive.
This, combined with the significant drop in Westport's
share price, resulted in a grant in October 2014 that was significantly higher than usual at 2.7% plus an extraordinary 2015 pull-ahead
and special one-time salary adjustment grant that totaled 4.3%. 62% of these grants for named executive officers ("Named
Executive Officers" or "NEOs") were in the form of PSUs. The 2.7% is still well within the average and
only reaches the 50th percentile from previous years’ peer group results. The Board expects that equity-based
compensation will continue to be an important motivation and retention tool as we adjust the business plan to reflect the new market
conditions, but there are no current plans to repeat the special and extraordinary grants of 2014. We expect Omnibus Plan utilization
to move toward the median, or about 3% per year on average, due to the need to continue to offer competitive retention and performance
awards and to continue to attract and retain the global industry leaders we need to execute our strategic plan.
The proposed amendments to the Omnibus Plan are intended
to: (i) provide Westport with flexibility in issuing awards to its employees, officers, contractors and directors as Westport's
business expands; (ii) provide more flexibility to award recipients with respect to the date for settlement of vested RSUs and
PSUs; and (iii) to address certain housekeeping changes. We are seeking approval by Shareholders to increase the number of Common
Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to awards available for grant pursuant to awards under the Omnibus Plan by 1,900,000, being
an amount that will allow the Board to grant equity awards at roughly the 3.0% annual rate (1,900,000 shares for 2014) as seen
in our peer group between 2010 and 2013.
Additionally, prior to amendment the Omnibus Plan provided
that, unless otherwise determined by the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board (the "HRC" Committee),
all RSUs and PSUs were to be settled in exchange for shares or cash, as applicable, as soon as practicable following vesting. The
proposed amendments to the Omnibus Plan would amend such provision to require instead that all vested RSUs and PSUs be settled
for shares or cash, as applicable, as soon as practicable following receipt by Westport of notice of exercise of such award, provided
that settlement and payment in respect of RSUs and PSUs be made: (i) to participants who are U.S. taxpayers by the date that is
2 ½ months after the end of Westport's first taxable year in which the RSU and/or PSU is no longer subject to substantial
risk of forfeiture; and (ii) to Canadian participants by the date that is no later than December 15 of the third calendar year
following the calendar year in which the participant rendered the employment services in respect of which the award is made.
Additional amendments to the Omnibus Plan proposed
for approval include certain housekeeping changes. More information on the amendment to the Omnibus Plan can be found on page 44.
The Board of Directors has approved the proposed amendment
to the Omnibus Plan, subject to receipt of applicable regulatory and shareholder approvals. At the Meeting, shareholders will be
asked to consider and, if thought fit, approve the following resolution:
"BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
| 1. | Westport Innovations Inc.'s (the "Corporation's") Omnibus Incentive Plan (the
"Plan") shall be amended: (a) to allow the Corporation to issue up to an additional 1,900,000 equity-based incentive
awards; (b) to allow Restricted Share Units and Performance Share Units to be settled as soon as practicable following receipt
by the Corporation of a notice of exercise of such awards, subject to the maximum limits described in the Corporation's management
information circular dated March 11, 2015 (the "Circular"); and (c) to provide for certain other housekeeping
changes, all as further described in the Circular. |
| 2. | Any director or officer of the Corporation is hereby authorized and directed, for and on behalf
of the Corporation, to execute and deliver all such documents and instruments and to do all such acts and things as in the opinion
of such director or officer may be necessary or desirable to give effect to the foregoing resolution." |
Approval Requirements
In order to be effective, the foregoing resolution
must be approved by a majority of the votes cast by shareholders, present in person or by proxy, at the Meeting.
Unless otherwise instructed, the persons named in the
form of proxy enclosed with this management proxy circular intend to vote FOR the resolution approving the proposed amendment to
the Omnibus Plan.
Interest of Certain Persons or Companies in Matters to be Acted Upon
Except as otherwise set forth herein, management of
Westport is not aware of any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of Common Shares or otherwise
of any director or proposed nominee for election as director, or executive officer or anyone who has held office as such since
January 1, 2014, or of any associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting other than
the election of directors.
Currency and Nomenclature in this Management Information
Circular
Unless otherwise specified, all currency amounts are
stated in United States dollars. All references to “dollars”, “$” or “US$” are United States
dollars, and all references to “C$” or “CDN$” are Canadian Dollars.
Unless otherwise stated, references to "we",
"us", "our", "Westport" or the "Corporation" are to Westport Innovations Inc. and all of
its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries and consolidated joint ventures.
SECTION 2:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NOMINEES
FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD
Westport has not established strict term limits for
members of its Board of Directors however Westport is, and has historically been, committed to renewing, on a measured basis,
the Board of Directors. A review and assessment of Westport's Board of Directors is conducted annually and Westport periodically
reviews and rotates both Chair and Committee Chair succession in an effort to ensure a diversity of views. The NCG Committee regularly
reviews and discusses Board succession and Westport has historically utilized its Advisory Board as a means of assessing and integrating
new members into the Board of Directors. By means of example, each of Brenda Eprile and Joseph Caron were members of Westport's
Advisory Board prior to becoming Westport Board members. The nominees proposed for election as directors below further reflects
Westport's commitment to Board renewal and succession.
The following table and accompanying notes set forth
the names and municipalities of residence of all persons proposed to be nominated for election as directors, the positions with
Westport now held by them, their principal occupations or employment for the preceding five years, the dates on which they became
directors of Westport, and the number of securities of Westport owned by them or over which they exercised control or direction
as at the Record Date.
Dr. Warren J. Baker (76), a US citizen,
of Avila Beach, California, USA, joined the Board of Directors in September of 2002. He is currently Chair of the
Innovation Committee. Helping drive Westport's innovation and technology path, Dr. Baker has led a distinguished career
in science and technology including the US National Science Board under President Reagan. More recently, Dr. Baker retired
as President Emeritus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, having served
as President from 1979 until August 1, 2010. Dr. Baker is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers,
a Fellow in the Engineering Society of Detroit, a former member of the board of directors of the California Council for
Science and Technology, and a former member of the US Business-Higher Education Forum. Dr. Baker has served
as a member of the US National Science Board appointed by President Reagan serving two terms from 1985 to 1994. He has
served as Chair of the board of directors of the ASCE Civil Engineering Research Foundation. From 1994 to September
2012, Dr. Baker was a member of the board of directors of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. of Hoboken, New Jersey, a New York
Stock Exchange listed global publisher of print and electronic products, specializing in scientific, technical, and medical
books and journals, where he also served terms as Chair of the Audit Committee, the Governance Committee, and Human Resources
and Compensation Committee. Dr. Baker also served on the board of directors of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers'
Education Foundation, and is currently Chair of the Board of Governors, US – Mexico Foundation for Science. |
Chair of the Innovation Committee
Member of the Human Resources and Compensation
Committee
Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee
41,027 Common Shares(2)
17,889 Units(2)
8,570 Options(2)
|
M.A.
(Jill) Bodkin (71), a Canadian citizen, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, became Chairman of the Board on August
1, 2014 Helping Westport invest and grow has been a passion for Ms. Bodkin since she joined the board in July of
2008. Ms. Bodkin brings a significant amount of public company and venture capital markets expertise and a distinguished background
with the BC Securities Commission and Ernst & Young LLP. She has been Corporate Director and Chair and Chief Executive
Officer of Golden Heron Enterprises since 1996. A director of public and private companies, Ms. Bodkin is also
the President of Yaletown Venture Partners VCC, Vancouver, and on boards of Valemount Glacier Destinations, Exro Technologies,
Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and Vancouver Opera. From 2004 to 2011, Ms. Bodkin
was Director for Canada for KCTS 9 Television, the Seattle based Pacific Northwest PBS station. She is a Governor and former
Chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade, as well as a former Director of the Laurentian Bank of Canada and President of the
Board of Pacific Coast Public Television. She has served on the Audit Oversight Council for the Canadian Institute of Chartered
Accountants, advisory boards on investment and trade to Canadian and British Columbia Cabinet Ministers, and as a Trustee
of policy think tanks, including the Thailand Development Research Institute, the Institute for Research in Public Policy
in Canada, and the Canada West Foundation. After her early career in trade and finance in Canada's capital, Ms. Bodkin was
appointed, in 1981, British Columbia's first woman Deputy Minister, responsible for financial institutions, then served as
founding Chair of the BC Securities Commission. From 1987 to 1996, she was a Corporate Finance Partner with Ernst & Young
LLP, advising on financing technology companies and capital projects in North America and Asia. Her mid-career graduate studies
were in public finance at the Maxwell School, and she has been an Executive in Residence at UBC's Faculty of Business. |
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Member of the Audit Committee(1)
Member of the Human Resources and Compensation
Committee
Member of the Innovation Committee
Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee
Member of the Strategy Committee
11,218 Common Shares(2)
20,168 Units(2) |
Joseph
P. Caron (67), a Canadian citizen, of West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, joined the Board of Directors in August,
2014. Mr. Caron provides an international business and government perspective with a career as Canadian Ambassador
to the People's Republic of China and for the Canadian Embassy as Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of Chancery in Japan.
With operations on five continents and 10 countries, Mr. Caron's experience is a great addition. Mr. Caron began his international
relations career in 1972 as a member of the Trade Commissioner Service. His knowledge of the Japanese language led to assignments
in Japan for over 17 years in government and business, including the Canadian Embassy as Minister Plenipotentiary and Head
of Chancery. He also subsequently held several positions related to Asian and international economic affairs for the Canadian
Government, including serving the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat of the Privy Council Office. From 2001 to 2005, he
served as Canadian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China with concurrent accreditation in the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (North Korea) and Mongolia. In 2005, he was named Canadian Ambassador to Japan and, in 2008, he served as High Commissioner
to the Republic of India. Mr. Caron has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo and has also
been named a Distinguished Fellow of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as well as a Honorary Fellow of the Institute of
Asian Research of the University of British Columbia. Mr. Caron is a Board member of Manulife Financial Corporation and Vancouver
International Airport. He is also Vice-Chair of the Board of the Canada China Business Council, B.C. Branch. Mr. Caron
was also a Strategic Advisor, Asia Pacific at Heenan Blaikie LLP. Mr. Caron obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree
with Honours from the University of Ottawa in 1970. |
Member of the Human Resources and Compensation
Committee
10,211 Common Shares(2)
11,899 Units(2) |
David
R. Demers (59), a Canadian citizen, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a founder of Westport and has been Chief
Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors since the Corporation was formed in March of 1995. Mr. Demers brings
an entrepreneurial spirit and an unmatched drive to make Westport's technology and company a global success. Mr. Demers holds
a Bachelor of Science (Physics) degree and a Juris Doctor (Law), both from the University of Saskatchewan. Mr.
Demers started his career at IBM Canada and has been involved in the formation and growth of several successful technology
companies. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Primero Mining Corp. (NYSE:PPP) and ECRI, a private software
company, as well as several Westport subsidiaries and ventures in which Westport has an equity interest. |
Chief Executive Officer
Member of the Innovation Committee
Member of the Strategy Committee
127,257 Common Shares(2)
423,172 Units(2)(3)
|
Brenda
J. Eprile (60), a Canadian citizen of North York, Ontario, Canada was appointed to Westport's Board of Directors in October
of 2013 and brings extensive financial experience and acumen. Ms. Eprile is Chair of the Human Resources and Compensation
Committee. Ms. Eprile's familiarity with Westport as a former Advisory Board member and her deep understanding
of public companies is valuable to Westport as it continues to grow and business evolves. Ms. Eprile is the owner and principal
at Eprile & Company Inc., a boutique consulting firm serving a wide variety of clients on a range of regulatory and compliance
issues. Prior to this, Ms. Eprile was the Managing Director of Sanford Eprile and Company from 2012 until June
2014. From 2000 to 2012, Ms. Eprile was a Senior Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and led the Risk Advisory Services
practice. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. Eprile was a Partner at Deloitte LLP and created a regulatory advisory practice for the Canadian
member firm of Deloitte LLP focusing on public companies and financial services firms. From 1985 to 1997, Ms. Eprile had a
distinguished career as a securities regulator in Canada, having held the positions of both Executive Director and Chief Accountant
at the Ontario Securities Commission. From 1982 to 1985, Ms. Eprile was an audit and accounting staff member at Coopers and
Lybrand serving a variety of industry sectors including financial services and industrial products. Ms. Eprile is a Fellow
Certified Professional Accountant (FCPA), and received an ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors in 2013. She has
an Honours Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Schulich
School of Business, York University. She is the past Chair of the Board of Canada's National Ballet School. |
Chair of the Human Resources and Compensation
Committee
Member of the Audit Committee(1)
9,200 Common Shares(2)
17,379 Units(2)
|
Philip
B. Hodge (49), a Canadian citizen, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada has been a member of the Board of Directors since June
of 2012 and is Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Hodge has returned to Westport as
a director after working at Westport as Vice-President and General Counsel from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Hodge demonstrated strong
leadership at Westport through developing and managing strategic partnerships with various industry partners, and acted in
a key role in the Cummins Westport and Weichai Westport joint venture formation. Mr. Hodge's diverse background in finance
and law, combined with his experience in the oil and natural gas industry is an asset to Westport's Board of Directors and
its committees. Mr. Hodge is the President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Pine Cliff Energy Ltd., a Canadian junior
oil and natural gas company listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange since January 2012. Mr. Hodge most recently
held the positions of Vice President, Business Development and Vice President Acquisitions and Divestments at Penn West Exploration,
one of the largest conventional oil and natural gas producers in North America. Prior to that, Mr. Hodge was a
Managing Director at Mackie Research Capital Corporation and J.F. Mackie & Co., Calgary based investment banks. From
2000 to 2006, Mr. Hodge was Vice-President and General Counsel of Westport where he was responsible for legal, corporate governance,
strategic partnership and corporate development functions, as well as the formation and growth of the company's business in
China. Prior to 2000, Mr. Hodge was a partner at Bennett Jones LLP, a Canadian national law firm, practicing in
that firm's securities and mergers and acquisitions teams in its Calgary office. Mr. Hodge has a Bachelor of Commerce
and Bachelor of Law from the University of Alberta. |
Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee
Member of the Strategy Committee
20,594 Common Shares(2)
17,379 Units(2)
|
Dr.
Dezsö J. Horváth (72), a Canadian citizen, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has been a member of the Board of
Directors since September of 2001 and is Chair of the Strategy Committee. Dr. Horváth's rich history in
strategy and academia brings the necessary process and attention to detail that helps turn the board and management's vision
into a reality. Dr. Horváth is an internationally renowned strategist and educator with recognition as a Member of
the Order of Canada and the recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his achievements and significant
contributions to Canada. He is currently Chair of the Strategy Committee. He is the Dean and holds the Tanna H. Schulich
Chair in Strategic Management at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, Ontario, where he has taught
since 1977. He is an Electrical Engineer and holds several degrees in management (MBA, Licentiate, PhD) from Swedish
universities. After an early R&D career with the Swedish multinational ASEA (now ABB) in the electrical industry,
he accepted senior academic appointments at Swedish and then Canadian universities. In addition to publishing books
and articles on strategic management and international business, Dr. Horváth has been engaged by major corporations
and governments as a consultant in these fields. In addition to his membership on corporate boards in the past,
Dr. Horváth is currently a director of Inscape Corporation (since 2003), Samuel, Son & Co. Limited (since 2007)
and UBS Bank (Canada) (2009). He is also a director of The Toronto Leadership Centre (since 1998) and the Canada-India
Business Council (C-IBC) (since 2009). As well, he is on the International Advisory Council of the St. Petersburg
University School of Management, Russia (since 1996), Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, China (since 2007),
Fundaçäo Dom Cabral (FDC), Brazil (since 2009). Dr. Horváth is a member of the Strategic
Management Society (SMS), the Academy of Management (AOM) and the Academy of International Business (AIB). In 2004,
he was named AIB International Dean of the Year. Dr. Horváth was chosen as a Member of the Order of Canada
in July 2008 for his academic leadership and sustained commitment to business education in Canada. In 2012, he
received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his achievements and significant contributions to Canada. |
Chair of the Strategy Committee
Member of the Audit Committee(1)
63,843 Common Shares(2)
8,570 Options(2)
17,889 Units(2) |
Douglas
R. King (72) a US citizen, of Hillsborough, California, USA, has been a member of the Board of Directors since January
of 2012. Mr. King's appointment highlights the Corporation's commitment to strong corporate governance and financial
oversight. Mr. King's extensive experience in finance, accounting and public company audits, combined with his experience
in the technology and alternative fuel industries, is an asset to Westport's Board of Directors and its committees. Mr. King
is a Certified Public Accountant with significant experience in the accounting industry, including over 30 years of auditing
experience at Ernst & Young LLP where he served in various capacities in multiple offices. Mr. King served
as the Managing Partner at the San Francisco office of Ernst & Young LLP from 1998 to 2002. Currently, Mr.
King is a member of the board of directors, Chairman of the audit committee, and member of the nominating and corporate governance
committee at Silicon Graphics International Corp. ; member of the board of directors, Chairman of the audit committee, member
of the nominating and corporate governance and finance committees at SJW Corp.; and a member of the board of directors, Chairman
of the audit committee and member of the executive compensation committee of the private company Adaptive Spectrum and Signal
Alignment, Inc. Previously, Mr. King was a member of the board of directors, Chairman of the audit committee, and
member of the nominating and corporate governance committee at Fuel Systems Solutions from April 2006 until July 2010 and
a member of the board of directors, Chairman of the audit committee and member of executive compensation and special
committees of Marvell Technology Group from April 2004 until October 2007. Mr. King has a Bachelor of Science degree
from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Arkansas. |
Chair of the Audit Committee(1)
Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee
11,738 Common Shares(2)
17,889 Units(2)
|
Gottfried
(Guff) Muench (63), a Canadian citizen, of West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
joined the Board of Directors in July of 2010. Mr. Muench has a strong history in the natural gas transport industry
serving as the first President of Cummins Westport from 2001 to 2002. His career experience and success at Cummins as one
of the leading Cummins distributors is of great assistance to Westport and the Board of Directors as the Corporation focuses
its efforts on product commercialization. Mr. Muench obtained a Masters of Business Administration degree (1981) from the
University of Western Ontario, and from 1981 to 2010, Mr. Muench held various senior positions within Cummins Inc., including
Canadian General Sales Manager–Parts in Oakville, Ontario, and Vice-President, Distribution & Customer Support for
Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana. In 1986, Mr. Muench became the owner and principal of Cummins British Columbia,
now Cummins Western Canada, the Cummins distributor for western Canada that now serves customers in eight different provinces
and territories. |
Member of the Innovation Committee
Member of the Strategy Committee
25,563 Common Shares(2)
16,231 Units(2)
|
Douglas
G. Pearce (62), a Canadian citizen of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada has over 35 years of experience in financial management
and capital markets. Mr. Pearce was the founding Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer of the British
Columbia Investment Management Corporation ("bcIMC") from 1999 until his retirement in 2014 and also led
bcIMC’s predecessor as Director of Investments from 1988. bcIMC manages a globally diversified portfolio
on behalf of more than 500,000 pension plan beneficiaries and clients: public sector pension plans, public trusts, and insurance
funds. Mr. Pearce was responsible for the safety of these assets under management that demanded his sound investment
judgment and a socially responsible perspective while growing the portfolio from C$9.4 billion in 1988 to C$114 billion by
2014. Over this time, Mr. Pearce introduced new asset types and international markets to the portfolio including
infrastructure projects in Chile, real estate in China, and private equity in India, and has shown his tenacity at being able
to actively respond to market changes while continuing to build for the future. Mr. Pearce brings proven leadership
skills in strategy development, risk management, and strong governance practices. Mr. Pearce was the Director of
the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance from 2006 to 2008 and then Chair from 2008 to 20012, and promotes standards that
are fair, transparent, and informed. Doug has also served as a Director at Bentall Kennedy LLP since 2013 (previously
on the board of Bentall Corporation), as an Advisory Board Member at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School
of Business since 2006, and became an Advisory Board Member at the Pacific Pension Institute in 2014 where he also served
as past Chairman from 2000 to 2005. The Pacific Pension Institute is a nonprofit educational organization that
assists investment funds worldwide with carrying out their fiduciary responsibilities, especially with respect to Asia and
the Pacific region. Mr. Pearce has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, has completed executive
education programs at Harvard Business School and the London School of Business, and holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute
of Corporate Directors in Canada. |
0 Common Shares(2)
0 Units(2)
|
Notes:
| (1) | For further information on the Audit Committee's composition, mandate and other matters please
refer to the section entitled "Audit Committee Matters" in Westport's Annual Information Form. |
| | |
| (2) | The number of Common Shares, Options, and Units beneficially owned or controlled are provided as
at March 11, 2015. The information as to this number, not being within the knowledge of Westport, has been furnished by the respective
nominees. The number of Common Shares held by directors vary in shareholding positions primarily due to purchase price or grant
amounts at varying times and share prices. |
| | |
| (3) | Certain of such Units are subject to a performance factor and may result in the issuance of more
(up to two times) or less Common Shares then represented by the number of Units. |
Westport has a compensation policy for its non-management
directors of primarily compensating such directors with an annual retainer payment and equity-based compensation. See information
in this Circular under the heading "Director Compensation".
Nomination of Directors
To identify new candidates for nomination to the Board
of Directors, the Board of Directors has appointed an NCG Committee whose responsibilities are described below under the heading
"Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee".
Any new appointees or nominees to the Board of Directors
must have a favorable track record in general business management, special expertise in areas of strategic interest to Westport,
and the ability to devote the time required and a willingness to serve as a director.
MANDATE
AND CHARTER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In general terms, the Board of Directors is responsible
for the overall stewardship of Westport and is charged with overseeing the management of the business and affairs of Westport pursuant
to its bylaws and applicable law, and together with executive management, pursuing the creation of long term shareholder value.
Each director and officer of Westport, in exercising
his or her powers and discharging his or her duties, is required by law to: (i) act honestly and in good faith with a view to the
best interests of Westport; and (ii) exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in
comparable circumstances.
The Board of Directors conducts its business under
the guidance of the Westport Board of Directors Charter (the "Charter"), which is attached as Schedule "A"
to this document. The Charter is reviewed every year and is updated in accordance with new regulation and new governance practices.
The Charter also works in conjunction with the various charters of the committees of the Board of Directors (the "Committees")
and with the various position descriptions of the Board and executive management. All of these documents can be found on our website
at http://www.westport.com/investors/corporate-governance.
As can be seen from the Charter, the Board of Directors
has a number of core responsibilities, including developing and fostering appropriate corporate culture, executive leadership and
oversight, corporate communications, corporate governance, overseeing long-term strategic planning, approving an annual operating
plan and budget, reviewing material financing activities, reviewing and approving material transactions including acquisitions
or divestitures, and establishing and overseeing Westport's risk assessment and internal controls processes.
STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD & ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The NCG Committee has the responsibility of recommending
the size of the Board of Directors. Currently the Board of Directors consists of ten directors. The NCG Committee also has the
responsibility to determine the optimum mix of business skills, experience, and diversity of the members of the Board of Directors
in order to effectively fulfill its mission. To that end the NCG Committee annually reviews the composition of the Board of Directors
and individual director contributions, as well as potential candidates for election as Westport directors, and recommends directors
for election by Shareholders.
Directors are individually nominated and elected annually
at Westport's Shareholder meetings. There are no term limits for directors since the directors are subject to an election by shareholders
each year. If a nominated director fails to achieve a majority of votes for their appointment in an uncontested election, that
nominated director will immediately submit his or her resignation to the Chair of the Board of Directors (the "Board Chair")
in accordance with Westport’s Majority Voting Policy.
Duties of Directors
The fundamental responsibility of the directors is
to promote the long term best interests of Westport, rather than the interests of any individual shareholders, employees, creditors,
or other stakeholders except in exceptional circumstances and with full transparency and disclosure.
All directors have both fiduciary and statutory duties
and responsibilities defined by law and by good governance practices.
Board Leadership
The Board Chair sits at the intersection between the
Board of Directors and executive management and although the Board Chair is also a director and shares all of the duties and responsibilities
of any director, the Board Chair has several unique duties and responsibilities:
| · | He or she will preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and at meetings of Shareholders,
or delegate a substitute chair if necessary. |
| · | He or she will represent the Board of Directors in discussions with third parties, including Westport
shareholders and other stakeholders as well as business partners, suppliers, regulators and professional advisors of all kinds. |
| · | The Board Chair will appoint all Committee chairs annually. |
| · | In conjunction with the NCG Committee Chair, he or she is responsible for assessing the overall
effectiveness of the Board of Directors and each of the committees of the Board (the "Committees") and taking
appropriate action to improve Board of Directors performance. |
| · | He or she will often lead special projects or take on special assignments from the Board of Directors. |
| · | He or she is responsible for ensuring that the Board of Directors in fact operates independently
from management and, for example, will ensure executive sessions of independent directors will be held at each meeting of the Board
of Directors. |
The Board Chair is elected annually by the independent
directors immediately after the annual shareholder meeting.
Board Independence and Effectiveness
Westport believes an effective Board of Directors necessarily
has a high degree of independence from management and, although a working culture of trust and collaboration must exist with executive
management in order for Westport to succeed, the Board of Directors must exercise its duties and responsibilities in accordance
with its own best judgment and its own views of the long-term interests of Westport and its Shareholders. To that end, the Board
of Directors has adopted several organizational principles:
| · | The Board of Directors must have a majority of independent directors. Today, all directors except
Mr. Demers, who is the CEO, are considered to be independent within the meaning of National Policy 58-201 – Corporate
Governance Guidelines and the listing rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market (the "NASDAQ"). |
| · | The Board of Directors has formed three standing Committees and delegated specific responsibilities
to each Committee. Each Committee will operate under a charter, and has a Chair responsible for leadership and overall operation
of the Committee. The Standing Committees are: the Audit Committee, the HRC Committee, and the NCG Committee. |
| · | The Board in 2014 also had two other operating Committees, the Strategy Committee and the Innovation
Committee. These operating Committees work closely with the CEO and management to develop engagement and understanding of key strategic
challenges and projects within the Corporation during the year. |
| · | The Audit Chair, the NCG Chair and the HRC Chair will only be held by independent directors and
all members of these Committees will be independent directors. |
| · | At every Board and standing Committee meeting, time is set aside for discussion among the independent
directors after management has been dismissed. |
| · | The Board of Directors has also formed an advisory board (the "Advisory Board")
to provide incremental specialist knowledge and insight from highly qualified individuals who will be available throughout the
year to advise the directors. |
Certain functions shall be the exclusive responsibility
of independent directors, consulting closely with the CEO and Board Chair, who will then bring recommendations to the full Board
of Directors for approval. These functions include:
| (a) | revising the Charter from time to time; |
| (b) | developing a position description for the Board Chair (and Lead Director, if the Board Chair is
not an independent director) and the Chairs of each Committee; and |
| (c) | developing a position description for the CEO, as well as indicators to measure the CEO's performance. |
Position Description for the Board Chair and Committee Chairs
The Board of Directors has established written descriptions
of the positions of the Board Chair, and a general position description for the chair of the Committees. A copy is posted and
available on the Westport website at http://www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
Position Description for Chief Executive Officer
The Board of Directors has adopted a written position
description for the CEO a copy of which is posted and available on the Westport website at http://www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
Orientation and Continuing Education
Westport's orientation program includes meetings with
the Board Chair to better understand the role of the Board of Directors, its Committees and its directors and with executive officers
to understand the nature and operations of Westport's business. New members of the Board of Directors are also provided with copies
of the Charter and charters of the Committees, the most recent strategic plan and other pertinent information. Additionally, the
Board of Directors periodically receives advice from outside legal counsel and its auditors regarding changes in the regulations
applicable to Westport. Westport encourages its directors to undertake additional continuing education and budgets an amount equal
to $2,000 per director, per year, for such continuing education.
Meetings of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors meets as necessary during the
year. Quorum for Board of Directors meetings requires a majority of the Board of Directors members to be in attendance, including
at least 25% resident Canadian directors.
The Board of Directors had seven meetings in Westport's
last fiscal year, four times in person, and five times by telephone conference call. At every meeting time is set aside for independent
directors to meet without management present to discuss any procedural or substantive issues.
The Audit Committee meets at least four times per calendar
year in conjunction with the review and approval of annual and quarterly financial statements, management's discussion and analysis
("MD&A"), and related filings. The HRC Committee meets at least twice annually.
The following table reflects the attendance of each
of the directors for the year ended December 31, 2014 for meetings of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee.
Name |
Board
Meetings In
Person |
Board Meetings
Telephonic(1) |
Audit
Committee(2) |
In Person Board and Audit
Committee Meetings
(if a member)
Individual Attendance Rate |
Dr. Warren J. Baker |
4 of 4 = 100% |
3 of 5 = 60% |
— |
100% |
John A. Beaulieu |
4 of 4 = 100% |
5 of 5 = 100% |
5 of 6 = 83% |
100% |
M.A. (Jill) Bodkin |
4 of 4 = 100% |
5 of 5= 100% |
12 of 12= 100% |
100% |
Joseph P. Caron |
1 of 1 = 100% |
2 of 2 = 100% |
— |
100% |
David R. Demers |
4 of 4 = 100% |
5 of 5 = 100% |
— |
100% |
Brenda J. Eprile |
4 of 4 = 100% |
4 of 5 = 80% |
8 of 8 = 100% |
100% |
Philip B. Hodge |
4 of 4 = 100% |
5 of 5 = 100% |
6 of 6 = 100% |
100% |
Dr. Dezsö J. Horváth |
4 of 4 = 100% |
4 of 5 = 80% |
11 of 12 = 92% |
100% |
Douglas R. King |
4 of 4 = 100% |
5 of 5 = 100% |
12 of 12 = 100% |
100% |
Gottfried (Guff) Muench |
4 of 4 = 100% |
4 of 5 = 80% |
— |
100% |
Notes:
| (1) | Board telephonic meetings are typically for informational updates or for decisions that require
immediate action, so advance scheduling may not allow every director to participate in all meetings. Directors are expected to
attend scheduled in-person meetings. |
| | |
| (2) | Board meetings were held as necessary to approve the financial statements immediately after the
Audit Committee meetings. |
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
The Board of Directors annually reviews and approves
director compensation that recognizes the directors' time commitments and compensation to ensure compensation is in line with other
directors of comparable companies.
In 2014, non-management directors were paid a base
retainer of $55,000, with the Board Chair receiving a retainer of $110,000. Directors receive a fixed annual retainer for
services rather than a fee per meeting. Members of the NCG Committee also receive an additional retainer of $7,500; the Chair of
the NCG Committee receives $15,000. Members of the HRC Committee or the Audit Committee receive an additional retainer of $8,500;
the Chair of the HRC Committee receives $15,000 and the Chair of the Audit Committee receives $20,000. Members also receive $7,500
for participating in the Operating Committees.
In 2014, each non-management director who was not a
Committee Chair or the Board Chair received an amount equal to $150,000 in Units. The Committee Chairs each received an amount
equal to $170,000 in Units and the Board Chair received an amount equal to $190,000 in Units.
Directors are also reimbursed for travel and other
reasonable expenses incurred in connection with Board or Committee meetings.
In October 2014, Directors voluntarily agreed to waive
15% of their cash retainer for 2015 and accept RSUs valued at C$6.65 per RSU for the balance. A special grant of RSUs was made
as a result, which vested 50% on the date of grant and 50% one year from the date of grant. In addition, consistent with the decision
to pull ahead the 2015 long-term incentive (“LTI”) grants to senior executives as described further on page
43, Directors were also granted awards for the planned 2015 share-based award, which vested 50% on the date of grant and 50% one
year from the date of grant. These amounts are shown in the 2014 Director Compensation Summary Table below, under the heading "2014
Special and Extraordinary Share Based Awards".
2014 Director Compensation Summary Table
The following table sets forth all compensation (excluding
expense reimbursement) paid, payable, awarded, granted, given, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by Westport to the
following individuals who were directors of Westport during the 2014 fiscal year, excluding Mr. Demers who was an NEO as defined
in Form 51-102F6 – Statement of Executive Compensation ("Form 51-102F6") and receives no compensation
for his service as a director.
No Options are granted to directors and there is no
other non-equity incentive program.
Name |
Fees
earned
(US$) |
2014
Ordinary
Share-based
awards
(US$)(1) |
2014
Special and
Extraordinary
Share-based
awards
(US$)(2) |
All other
compensation
(US$)(3) |
Total
(US$) |
John A. Beaulieu |
101,771 |
191,326 |
140,355 |
$ 45,000 |
331,726 |
Dr. Warren J. Baker |
83,937 |
171,194 |
159,924 |
N/A |
331,118 |
M.A. (Jill) Bodkin |
104,375 |
171,194 |
186,807 |
N/A |
358,001 |
Joseph P. Caron(4) |
16,937 |
50,051 |
140,355 |
N/A |
190,406 |
Brenda J. Eprile |
67,812 |
176,038 |
159,924 |
N/A |
335,962 |
Philip B. Hodge |
73,812 |
151,042 |
159,924 |
N/A |
310,966 |
Dr. Dezsö J. Horváth |
76,437 |
171,194 |
159,924 |
N/A |
331,118 |
Douglas R. King |
80,437 |
171,193 |
159,924 |
N/A |
331,118 |
Name |
Fees
earned
(US$) |
2014
Ordinary
Share-based
awards
(US$)(1) |
2014
Special and
Extraordinary
Share-based
awards
(US$)(2) |
All other
compensation
(US$)(3) |
Total
(US$) |
Gottfried (Guff) Muench |
68,187 |
171,194 |
140,355 |
N/A |
311,549 |
Notes:
| (1) | This represents the total deemed value of the Units granted to each director representing the ordinary
retainer equity component as described above. This amount represents the accounting fair value determined at the time of grant,
not the value of share units that vested during the year or the value actually received by the Director. Equity grants typically
vest over multiple years and actual value received depends on the share price upon vesting. |
| | |
| (2) | This represents the total deemed value of the extraordinary pull-ahead Units granted to each director
in October 2014 to provide continuity through the 2015 calendar year, and the special grants in lieu of the 15% reduction in cash
retainer agreed to by all directors. These special and extraordinary grants vest 50% immediately and 50% on the first anniversary.
The amount reported is based on the grant date fair market value of the award. |
| | |
| (3) | John Beaulieu retired as Chairman of the Board on July 31, 2014 after many years as a director
and Board Chair. Westport awarded Mr. Beaulieu a 2012 Ford F250 truck equipped with the Westport WiNG™ Power System, previously
used as a sales demonstration unit, as a retirement gift and in recognition of his efforts to establish compressed natural gas
refueling infrastructure in his home state of Oregon. The value shown is the depreciated value of the truck grossed up for tax
paid on Mr. Beaulieu’s behalf. |
| | |
| (4) | Joseph Caron was appointed to the Board of Directors effective August 14, 2014. Mr. Caron was previously
a member of Westport’s Advisory Board. |
Incentive Plan Awards
The following table and notes thereto set out information
concerning all option-based and share-based awards outstanding at December 31, 2014 for the following individuals who were directors
of Westport during the year ended December 31, 2014, excluding Mr. Demers who was also a NEO and receives no compensation for his
service as a director.
|
Option-based Awards |
Share-based Awards |
Name |
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
Options
(#) |
Option
exercise
price
(US$) |
Option
Expiration
Date |
Value of
unexercised
in-the-money
Options
(US$)(1) |
Number of
Common
Shares or
Units of
Common
Shares that
have not
vested
(#)(2) |
Market or
payout
value
of share-
based
awards that
have not
vested
(US$)(3) |
John A. Beaulieu |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
16,740 |
62,609 |
Dr. Warren J. Baker |
4,285
4,285 |
9.03
12.81 |
19-Jul-15
6-Aug-16 |
0
0 |
17,889 |
66,909 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M.A. (Jill) Bodkin |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
20,168 |
75,432 |
Joseph P. Caron(4) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
11,899 |
44,500 |
Brenda J. Eprile |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
17,379 |
65,001 |
|
Option-based Awards |
Share-based Awards |
Name |
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
Options
(#) |
Option
exercise
price
(US$) |
Option
Expiration
Date |
Value of
unexercised
in-the-money
Options
(US$)(1) |
Number of
Common
Shares or
Units of
Common
Shares that
have not
vested
(#)(2) |
Market or
payout
value
of share-
based
awards that
have not
vested
(US$)(3) |
Philip B. Hodge |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
17,379 |
65,001 |
Dr. Dezsö J. Horváth |
4,285
4,285 |
9.03
12.81 |
19-Jul-15
6-Aug-16 |
0
0 |
17,889 |
66,909 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Douglas R. King |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
17,889 |
66,909 |
Gottfried (Guff) Muench |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
16,231 |
60,704 |
Notes:
| (1) | This amount is based on the difference between the closing price of the Common Shares underlying
the Options on the NASDAQ as at December 31, 2014 ($3.74) and the exercise price of the Option. Where the difference is a negative
number, the value is deemed zero or nil. |
| | |
| (2) | Represents the numbers of Units or Common Share awards that vest based on time. |
| | |
| (3) | This is a notional amount that is calculated by multiplying the number of Units that have not vested
by the closing price of the Common Shares underlying the Units on the NASDAQ as at December 31, 2014 ($3.74). Such amounts may
not represent the actual value of the Units that ultimately vest as the value of the Common Shares underlying the Units may be
of greater or lesser value on vesting. Westport has used the market value at the end of the most recently completed financial year
for the purpose of calculating the amount disclosed. |
| | |
| (4) | Joseph Caron was appointed to the Board of Directors effective August 14, 2014. Mr. Caron was previously
a member of Westport's Advisory Board. |
The following table and notes thereto set out information
concerning the value vested or earned on all option-based awards, share-based awards and non-equity incentive plan compensation
during the 2014 fiscal year for the following individuals who were directors of Westport, excluding Mr. Demers who was also a NEO.
Name |
Option-based awards –
Value vested during the
year(1)
(US$) |
Share-based awards –
Value vested during the
year(2)
(US$) |
Non-equity incentive
plan compensation –
Value earned during the
year(3)
(US$) |
John A. Beaulieu |
Nil |
163,532 |
N/A |
Dr. Warren J. Baker |
Nil |
163,372 |
N/A |
M.A. (Jill) Bodkin |
Nil |
176,439 |
N/A |
Joseph Caron |
Nil |
112,889 |
N/A |
Brenda J. Eprile |
Nil |
177,567 |
N/A |
Name |
Option-based awards –
Value vested during the
year(1)
(US$) |
Share-based awards –
Value vested during the
year(2)
(US$) |
Non-equity incentive
plan compensation –
Value earned during the
year(3)
(US$) |
Philip B. Hodge |
Nil |
153,591 |
N/A |
Dr. Dezsö J. Horváth |
Nil |
163,101 |
N/A |
Douglas R. King |
Nil |
163,495 |
N/A |
Gottfried (Guff) Muench |
Nil |
157,219 |
N/A |
Notes:
| (1) | No option-based awards were granted to directors during the year. |
| | |
| (2) | Value of share-based awards vested was determined based on the sale price of the underlying Common
Shares on the TSX on the date of settlement exchanged into US dollars. |
| | |
| (3) | There is no non-equity incentive plan for Directors. |
ADDITIONAL
DISCLOSURE RELATING TO THE DIRECTORS
No proposed director or personal holding corporation
of a proposed director:
| (a) | is, as at the date of this Circular, or has been, within 10 years of the date of this Circular,
a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any corporation (including Westport) that, |
| (i) | was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied
the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive
days (collectively, an "Order") that was issued while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director,
chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or |
| (ii) | was subject to an Order that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, chief
executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the
capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; |
| (b) | is, as at the date of this Circular, or has been within 10 years of the date of this Circular,
a director or executive officer of any company (including Westport) that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within
a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy
or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver
manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; |
| (c) | has, within the 10 years before the date of this Circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under
any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise
with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the proposed director; |
| (d) | has entered into, at any time, a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or |
| (e) | has been subject to, at any time, any penalties or sanctions imposed by |
| (i) | a court relating to securities legislation or a securities regulatory authority, or |
| (ii) | a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable security holder
in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director. |
Other Directorships
A number of members of the Board of Directors are presently
also directors of other reporting issuers (or the equivalent). Such other directorships are disclosed in the table under the heading
"Nominees for Election to the Board".
Indebtedness of Directors and
Executive Officers
None of the directors, proposed directors, executive
officers or employees of the Corporation, persons who were directors, executive officers or employees of the Corporation at any
time during the Corporation's last completed financial year, or any of the associates of such persons are or have been indebted
to the Corporation or any subsidiary at any time since the beginning of the Corporation's last completed financial year. Furthermore,
none of such persons were indebted to a third party during such period where their indebtedness was the subject of a guarantee,
support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Corporation or any subsidiary.
Interest of Informed Persons
in Material Transactions
Other than as described below or elsewhere disclosed
in this Circular, no insider of Westport, nor any person nominated for election as a director of Westport, nor any associate or
affiliate of such persons, has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction of Westport's since the commencement
of Westport's last financial year, nor in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect Westport
or any of its subsidiaries.
SECTION 3:
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
STATEMENT
OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES
Westport's Commitment to Effective Corporate Governance:
Effective corporate governance plays an important role in protecting shareholder rights, helping to maximize shareholder value
over time and assisting the creation of a vibrant, dynamic and successful corporation. Corporate governance includes our commitment
to a culture of integrity and ethical and sustainable business practices.
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEES
Committee Composition
The Committees and their current members are set forth
below:
|
Standing Committees |
Operating Committees |
Audit |
HRC |
NCG |
Innovation |
Strategy |
Warren J. Baker |
|
¨ |
¨ |
Chair |
|
John A. Beaulieu |
|
|
|
¨ |
¨ |
M.A. (Jill) Bodkin |
¨ |
¨ |
¨ |
¨ |
¨ |
Joseph P. Caron |
|
¨ |
|
|
|
David R. Demers |
|
|
|
¨ |
¨ |
Brenda J. Eprile |
¨ |
Chair |
|
|
|
Philip B. Hodge |
|
|
Chair |
|
¨ |
Dezsö J. Horváth |
¨ |
|
|
|
Chair |
Douglas R. King |
Chair |
|
¨ |
|
|
Gottfried (Guff) Muench |
|
|
|
¨ |
¨ |
Members of Westport's management are frequently invited
to participate in meetings of the Committees in order to provide management insight and information for the benefit of Committee
deliberations. Regular meetings of the Committees are held throughout the year as required. As a matter of practice, the Committees
may, at their discretion, conduct any portion or all of their meetings without management representation to facilitate their independence
of management. All members of the Board of Directors are invited to participate in Committee meetings regardless of whether they
are members of the Committee in question, but directors do not receive remuneration for such attendance unless they are members
of that Committee. In addition, from time to time the Board of Directors establishes ad hoc committees with specific purposes.
The number of meetings held by the standing Committees where only independent directors were in attendance was 21: Audit (12 meetings),
HRC (5 meetings) and NCG (4 meetings). Quorum for standing Committee meetings requires a majority of the Committee members to be
in attendance, including at least 25% resident Canadian directors.
The number of times each Committee met during 2014
is set forth below:
|
In Person |
By Conference Call |
Total |
Audit |
5 |
7 |
12 |
HRC |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Innovation |
2 |
0 |
2 |
NCG |
3 |
1 |
4 |
Strategy |
2 |
1 |
3 |
Changes to Composition of Standing
Committees
The Board of Directors gives consideration to the periodic
rotation of the membership of each Committee and, from time to time as the Board of Directors sees fit, rotation of chairmanship
of the Committees.
Ms. Eprile became a member of the Audit Committee effective
February 21, 2014. Mr. Hodge served on the Audit Committee until March 31, 2014. Mr. Beaulieu served on the Audit Committee until
April 24, 2014.
Mr. Muench served on the HRC Committee until March
31, 2014. Ms. Eprile joined the HRC Committee effective April 24, 2014. Mr. Caron became a member of the HRC Committee effective
August 14, 2014. Ms. Bodkin served as chair of the HRC Committee from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Subsequently, on January
1, 2015, Ms. Eprile became the chair of the HRC Committee.
Mr. Hodge became a member of the NCG Committee effective
April 24, 2014. Mr. Hodge also replaced Mr. Beaulieu as Chair of the NCG Committee effective April 24, 2014. Mr. Beaulieu served
as a member of the NCG Committee until April 24, 2014. Ms. Bodkin joined the NCG Committee effective August 1, 2014.
Much of the Board's business is conducted by the five
Committees of the Board of Directors. A summary of the purpose and responsibilities of each Committee is as follows:
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee consists of entirely independent
directors and is led by a director with strong financial expertise. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the design
and implementation of an effective system of internal control over financial reporting by Westport's management, including the
internal audit function, and reviewing the work and performance of Westport's external auditors. The Audit Committee is required
to recommend to the Board of Directors the approval of the final annual financial statements and related MD&A. As part of its
risk management oversight responsibility, the Audit Committee reviews the effectiveness of the overall process for identifying,
monitoring, and managing principal business risks.
It is not the duty of the Audit Committee to plan or
conduct audits or to determine that Westport's financial statements are complete, accurate and in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. The external auditor is responsible for planning and conducting audits. The external auditor is ultimately
accountable to the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee as representatives of Westport.
Each member of the Audit Committee is required to possess
a basic level of "financial literacy" (defined as the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that
present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the
issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the issuer's financial statements) and at least one member should qualify
as a "financial expert" (as defined by Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "Exchange Act")) and be financially sophisticated as described in Section 5605(c)(2)(A) of the NASDAQ
Manual. All members of the Audit Committee are independent and financially literate. Mr. Douglas R. King is the Audit Committee's
financial expert.
Additional information with respect to the Audit Committee,
including information relating to its composition, the education and experience of its members, and the text of Westport's Audit
Committee Charter is contained in Westport's Annual Information Form. This charter is available on the Corporation's website at
www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee
The NCG Committee is comprised entirely of independent
directors and has the primary responsibilities of establishing and monitoring Westport's corporate governance practices, assessing
the effectiveness of the Board of Directors and the Committees, and evaluating and recommending the appointment of directors.
The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter
for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, a copy of which is available on the Corporation's website at www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
Human Resources and Compensation Committee
Consistent with recommended governance practice the
HRC Committee, made up of Independent Board members, establishes compensation for the CEO. The HRC Committee is also responsible
for evaluating the CEO succession planning process, working with the Board on setting the authority and accountability of the CEO
and for establishing metrics to measure CEO performance. For the relevant skills and experience that enable the committee to make
decisions on the suitability of the Corporation's compensation policies and practices, please refer to the biographies of those
directors that are members of the HRC Committee.
For information relating to the executive compensation,
see "Executive Compensation Discussion and Analysis" in Section 4 below.
The HRC Committee operates under a Board-approved
charter that spells out the HRC Committee's major duties and responsibilities. This charter is available on the Corporation's
website at www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
Strategy Committee
The Strategy Committee oversees the development of
Westport's long-term business plan and helps the Board of Directors set priorities for investment and deployment of the Corporation's
resources in accordance with the risk/reward mix contemplated by the Board of Directors.
Additional details regarding the Strategy Committee
and its responsibilities are contained in the Strategy Committee charter which is available on the Corporation's website at www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
Innovation Committee
The Innovation Committee supports the Board with oversight
of Westport’s innovation processes relating to technology development, advanced engineering and intellectual property. The
Committee confirms that processes are functioning efficiently and that they are aligned with overall corporate strategies and identifying
and capturing strategic intellectual property. The Innovation Committee also ensures that Westport’s innovation strategy
takes a balanced approach to short-term and long-term objectives guided by business needs, competitive intelligence, and customer
needs, and that innovation strategy is designed to provide technology solutions that add value to the customer and deliver a return
on investment to increase shareholder value.
Additional details regarding the Innovation Committee
and its responsibilities are contained in the Innovation Committee charter which is available on the Corporation's website at
www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
ADVISORY
BOARD
Westport's Advisory Board supports the Corporation
by providing general guidance, information, and recommendations to management and the Board of Directors on a variety of issues,
and/or by providing subject matter expertise in functional areas or for specific initiatives and activities. Such activities can
include but are not limited to facilitating government relations or new business partnerships in foreign countries, advising on
operational issues, supporting enterprise risk management practices, providing oversight on financial and fiduciary topics, and
advising on business strategy. The Advisory Board brings skills and knowledge that complement the Board of Directors but it does
not have formal authority to vote on corporate matters or to govern the Corporation.
CODE
OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS
As part of its responsibility for the stewardship of
Westport, the Board of Directors seeks to foster a culture of ethical conduct by requiring Westport to carry out its business in
line with high business and moral standards and applicable legal and financial requirements. In that regard, the Board of Directors:
| · | Has established the NCG Committee as described herein. |
| · | Has adopted a Code of Conduct (the "Code") setting out the guidelines for the
conduct expected from directors, officers, employees, contractors, agents and consultants who act on behalf of Westport in any
business dealings, including guidelines applicable to trading in Westport's securities. A copy of the Code has been filed on SEDAR
(see "Additional Information" at the end of this Circular) and is available on Westport's website at www.westport.com.
All directors, officers and employees must sign off annually on compliance with the Code. Since the beginning of Westport's last
financial year, Westport has not filed a Material Change Report relating to any conduct of a director or executive officer that
constitutes a departure from the Code. |
| · | Has established a written Whistleblower Policy (the "Whistleblower Policy") which
details complaint procedures for financial concerns. The Whistleblower Policy establishes procedures for the confidential and anonymous
submission by employees of complaints and concerns regarding the Corporation's accounting, auditing and financial reporting procedures
and obligations, without fear of retaliation of any kind. Concerns relating to financial reporting, unethical or illegal conduct
can be reported directly to Westport's internal audit department, or through Westport's ethics hotline via www.westport.ethicspoint.com,
via email to the ethics hotline alert email address, or anonymously through the Corporation's intranet. Alternatively, concerns
may be directed to the Board Chair. |
| · | Has established a disclosure committee (the "Disclosure Committee") of management,
investor relations staff and external and internal legal counsel and adopted a disclosure policy (the "Policy")
that requires fair, accurate and timely disclosure of material information regarding Westport and its business as further described
below under "Westport's Disclosure Policy". |
| · | Encourages management to consult with legal and financial advisors to confirm Westport is meeting
those requirements and standards. |
| · | Is cognizant of Westport's timely disclosure obligations and reviews all "core" disclosure
documents such as financial statements, MD&A and certain press releases (principally those relating to financial results, MD&A,
Annual Information Forms and other core disclosure documents) prior to distribution. |
| · | Relies on its Audit Committee to annually review the systems of internal financial control and
discuss such matters with Westport's external auditor. |
| · | Actively monitors Westport's compliance with the Board's directives and requires that all material
transactions are thoroughly reviewed and authorized by the Board before being undertaken by management. |
| · | In addition, the Board must comply with the conflict of interest provisions of its governing corporate
legislation and relevant securities regulatory instruments and stock exchange policies (which require that interested directors
excuse themselves from the consideration of, and voting on, matters in which they have a material interest), and takes the action
necessary so that its directors exercise independent judgment in considering transactions and agreements in respect of which a
director or executive officer has a material interest. |
GENDER DIVERSITY
Westport has not adopted a specific
policy for the identification and nomination of women directors and executive officers or implemented any specific targets in this
regard. Notwithstanding the lack of such a formal policy however Westport is committed to gender diversity at both the Board and
executive management levels and views it as a significant asset. Women have been and will continue to be considered by Westport,
the Board, the HRC Committee, and the NCG Committee in the making of executive officer appointments and director nominations and
the existing number of women on the Board and in executive management roles is a factor considered in assessing potential new director
and executive officer candidates. Westport is proud of the influence of women members of the Board and in executive management
roles. Currently two out of 10 Board members (being 20%) and one out of five members of executive management (being 20%) are women.
Westport actively seeks women candidates at all levels, particularly among the now growing pool of experienced women engineers.
A woman chairs the Board, and a woman is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Westport.
DISCLOSURE
POLICY
The Board of Directors approved the adoption of the
Policy on June 28, 2001, which was last updated on March 6, 2015. The Policy details Westport's policies related to disclosure,
external communications, and crisis management communication. It is reviewed periodically as part of Westport's investor relations
planning process, and is revised as required. In addition, the Policy will be reviewed and updated if it becomes apparent that
changes are required at any other time.
Westport is committed to providing timely, orderly,
consistent, and credible information to the public, in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, to develop and maintain
realistic investor expectations. It is imperative that this continue to be accomplished consistently for both positive and negative
information, and that all parties in the investment community have fair access to this information. The Policy's goals include:
| · | compliance with securities legislation in Canada and the United States regarding material information
about public companies (also known in Canadian jurisdictions as "reporting issuers"); and |
| · | management of realistic investor expectations by making all required disclosures on a broadly disseminated
basis with a balanced view of the prospects for Westport and its business. |
The Policy extends to all employees of Westport, its
board of directors, and those authorized to speak on its behalf. The policy covers disclosures in documents filed with the securities
regulators and written statements made in Westport's annual and quarterly reports, news releases, letters to shareholders, presentations
(both of a business or technical nature), marketing materials, advertisements, and information contained on Westport's website
and other electronic communications. It also extends to oral statements made in meetings and telephone conversations with analysts
and investors, interviews with the media as well as speeches, press conferences, and conference calls.
The Disclosure Committee is responsible for determining
the materiality of any information and must react quickly to material developments, meeting and providing recommendations to the
CEO and the senior management team as required. The Disclosure Committee consists of the Corporation's CEO, Chief Financial Officer,
the Vice President, Capital Markets & Communications, and related investor relations staff and Vice President, Legal Affairs.
The Vice President, Capital Markets & Communications serves as secretary to the Disclosure Committee and records minutes of
all meetings of the Disclosure Committee. The Disclosure Committee meets as conditions dictate and a quorum consists of at least
two members of the Disclosure Committee. The Disclosure Committee or its members will ensure that spokespersons have been briefed
and informed of all material events.
The Disclosure Committee will set benchmarks for a
preliminary assessment of materiality, and will determine when developments justify public disclosure. It is essential that the
Disclosure Committee be kept fully apprised of all pending material developments involving Westport in order to evaluate and discuss
those events, and to determine the appropriateness and timing for public release of information. If it is deemed that the information
should temporarily remain confidential, the Committee will determine the process upon which such confidential information will
be controlled and shall implement trading blackouts in accordance with the trading policy of the Corporation. The Corporation maintains
a disclosure control checklist to ensure the completeness and accuracy of information disseminated through press releases, conference
calls and related communication tools.
The complete Policy can be viewed on Westport's website
at www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance.
SECTION 4:
COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
COMPENSATION
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Westport is a pioneer in establishing the market for
natural gas engines and vehicles and is committed to carrying out our long-term strategic plan in what we believe will be a once
in a generation shift in transportation from oil to natural gas. From inception as a technology spin-off from the University of
British Columbia, Westport has diligently worked over the past twenty years to engineer the world's most advanced natural gas engines
and vehicles.
We take our responsibilities seriously, and shareholders
have been in lock-step with us since the formation of our company facing the many challenges and headwinds that go along with creating
technology and an entire industry. We believe that our vision and strategy will put Westport at the leading edge of a transformational
shift to natural gas and to accomplish our goals, we must continue to attract, retain and motivate our people to carry out our
vision which includes granting a sufficient amount of Westport equity through long term incentive plans to senior executives.
Westport is in a unique and developing industry, and
the people we need to attract must be innovative thinkers, entrepreneurial and yet carry the right industry experience. This rare
combination of skills and talent typically requires Westport to recruit from many global leaders and locations, and from many different
industries. Over the past eighteen months we have, through our compensation program including steps taken in the fall of 2014 as
outlined in more detail below, attracted and retained many seasoned automotive and related industry executives.
As at December 31, 2014, our NEOs were as follows:
| · | Ashoka Achuthan, Chief Financial Officer; |
| · | Nancy Gougarty, President and Chief Operating Officer; |
| · | Mehran Rahbar, Executive Vice President, Applied Technology Unit; and |
| · | James (Jim) Arthurs, Executive Vice President, Heavy Duty Engine Systems. |
Compensation Process
The HRC Committee is responsible for, among other things,
administering Westport's executive compensation program and long-term incentive plans and reviewing employee incentive and certain
benefit programs. The HRC Committee is additionally responsible for determining the CEO's compensation. The HRC Committee's recommendations
are reached primarily by comparison of the remuneration paid by Westport with the remuneration paid by other public companies that
the HRC Committee feels are similarly placed within the same business of Westport.
Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. (the "Compensation
Consultant") provides the HRC Committee with executive and director compensation consulting services. The Compensation
Consultant is retained by and reports to the HRC Committee and participates in certain HRC Committee meetings. The Compensation
Consultant has been the HRC Committee's consultant for a number of years and is considered one of the premier independent compensation
consulting firms in North America. As part of its engagement, the Compensation Consultant:
| · | reviews market data and participates in the design of executive compensation programs to help the
HRC Committee evaluate the linkage between pay and performance, including selection of peer group companies; |
| · | informs the HRC Committee on market trends, as well as regulatory issues and developments and how
they may impact the Corporation's executive compensation programs; and |
| · | reviews and advises the HRC Committee regarding director compensation. |
Executive Compensation Related Fees
In the 2014 fiscal year, the Corporation engaged the
Compensation Consultant to advise on compensation for the Corporation's executive officers and Board of Directors. The Compensation
Consultant was engaged for this purpose on July 24, 2014 and provided services in Fiscal 2014 in the amount of $128,600 and was
paid $134,800 in the previous fiscal year for services relating to recommendation of executive and director compensation during
that period. The HRC Committee Chair approves all services provided by the Compensation Consultant.
All Other Fees
Services provided by the Compensation Consultant were
related to executive and director compensation. No other services were performed by the Compensation Consultant and no other fees
were paid.
Compensation Philosophy
Westport is a global technology company that develops
and supplies technology solutions for engines that operate on natural gas. As a technology intensive growth company, Westport faces
the unique challenge of designing its compensation programs in a manner that allows it to compete for talent with other similar
high growth technology companies while setting compensation levels to account for its industry categorization as a manufacturer
of machinery and trucks.
Despite the Corporation's rapid growth in a challenging
business environment, the HRC Committee, which is responsible for Westport's executive compensation program as well as the program's
underlying philosophy and related policies, believes that maintaining a robust, pay-for-performance oriented compensation program
is vital to the long-term success of the Corporation. The Corporation's compensation programs allow Westport to properly focus
its executives on key metrics that drive long-term financial success of the Corporation, while simultaneously allowing it to attract
and retain highly qualified individuals to lead Westport's ambitious growth strategy. The resulting compensation program promotes
high performance and achievement of results and rewards performance that builds a foundation for long-term strength and performance
of the Corporation. Westport has been able to attract automotive industry veterans such as our President and Chief Operating Officer,
our Chief Financial Officer as well as our Executive Vice President, Global Engineering, and Executive Vice President, ATG &
On Road, each of whom is representative of the talent Westport needs to execute on its long-term and strategic objectives.
Over the past few years, the HRC Committee, with advice
from its independent Compensation Consultant, has proactively modified its compensation programs to support the Corporation's evolving
business strategy and to embrace current global best practices and trends. These modifications include:
| · | Added revenue growth as a financial metric to the existing total shareholder return metric to Westport's
long-term performance shares, reflecting the Corporation's transformation from a development company. |
| · | Shifted from time-vesting Options to PSUs and time-vesting RSUs in order to account for best practice
trends of awarding the majority of long-term incentive compensation in the form of performance-based equity. |
The Corporation has adopted the following governance
practices in the past several years, further reinforcing the soundness of its compensation programs:
| · | The HRC Committee retains an independent compensation consultant who works exclusively for the
HRC Committee and does not perform any other work for the Corporation. |
| · | Directors, NEOs, and other officers have stock ownership and holding requirements until termination
of service. |
| · | Westport
adopted an anti-hedging policy in February, 2014 (the "Anti-Hedging Policy").
The objective of the Anti-Hedging Policy is to prohibit officers, directors, and employees
from engaging in hedging against future declines in the market value of any securities
of the Corporation through the purchase of financial instruments designed to offset such
risk. The complete Anti-Hedging Policy can be viewed on Westport's website at http://www.westport.com/company/investors/corporate-governance. |
| · | Westport adopted a clawback policy (the "Clawback Policy") in February, 2014 in
order to ensure that incentive compensation is paid based on accurate financial data. Executives may be required to forfeit or
pay back any excess bonus amounts or equity-based compensation when the Corporation's financial statements are required to be restated
as a result of material non-compliance with any financial reporting requirements under federal securities laws (other than a restatement
due to a change in financial accounting rules). |
Compensation Principles
Westport is committed to building long-term shareholder
value, delivering compensation using a balanced performance measurement framework aligned with the Corporation's key performance
metrics while simultaneously adhering to general governance best practices. The HRC Committee engages in an ongoing review of Westport's
executive compensation and benefits programs to ensure that they serve the interests of our shareholders and to consider any risks
associated with our compensation policies and practices.
The Corporation's compensation program is driven by
its corporate strategy through: (i) a corporate metric consisting of revenue growth and a measure of earnings; (ii) annual bonus
payouts measured based on a blend of corporate metric achievement and/or individual strategic goals; and (iii) corporate performance
and compensation benchmarked annually against a carefully defined group of peer companies of similar size, growth, industry, complexity
of business, and international scope.
Westport's compensation program is aligned with shareholder
interest as its bonus and long-term equity payouts are dependent upon corporate performance. Also, PSUs only vest based upon the
attainment of pre-established performance targets.
The ultimate test of any compensation program’s
success is demonstrated through day-to-day recruitment and retention of qualified people. The HRC Committee notes that three of
our five NEOs have been recruited to Westport within the past two years. Compensation is in line with our industry and is sufficient
to attract and retain senior executives with global experience in some of the leading companies in our industry. We are confident
our program gives us the right elements to motivate and retain our leadership team.
Elements of Our Executive Compensation
Program
Westport's executive compensation plan includes the
following main elements:
Base Salary
Base salary guidelines and salary
adjustments for our executive officers are designed to recognize market compensation trends, acknowledge competencies and skills
of individuals, and reward individual contribution as well as match the expected market value of senior executives based on executive
experience and qualifications to Comparator Group (as defined herein) levels. We typically target median base salary levels with
flexibility to push toward the 75th percentile with appropriate expertise and experience.
Short-Term Cash Incentives
Annual cash incentives are paid to
reward achievement of critical operating, financial and strategic goals during the annual operating cycle. A portion of the short-term
incentive ("STI") bonus is reserved to key milestone achievements in our strategic plan but typically 70%-80%
of this element is tied to operating milestones including revenue growth, earnings, and individual objectives. STI also delivers
some variable performance link to competitive cash compensation and rewards over-achievement of short-term goals. Typically, our
STI bonuses are set to pay out between 0% and 200% of target compensation depending on performance against pre-defined targets.
Corporate performance metrics are approved by the HRC
Committee at the beginning of the annual fiscal period. Payouts are made only after the HRC Committee reviews and approves the
calculations of performance against the goals for the year. The annual incentive plan, both in design and structure, reflects our
pay for performance philosophy and directly ties short-term incentives to short-term business performance.
At the commencement of the 2014 fiscal year, each NEO
had typical STI bonus targets based on a mix of corporate and individual metrics. As a result of the major market turbulence experienced
in 2014, the senior management team voluntarily waived all STI bonuses and the 2015 STI bonus in order to preserve cash. The Board
granted long-term equity vesting over three years in October as a retention and compensation alternative. We expect to restore
an annual cash bonus program in 2016 as market conditions stabilize.
Long-Term Incentives
The purpose of the long-term incentives
is to provide a competitive element of total direct compensation, support retention, facilitate executive stock ownership and reward
for multi-year shareholder value creation.
The HRC Committee believes that long-term equity incentives
should comprise the majority of compensation for senior management. In deciding upon the design and magnitude of long-term incentives,
the HRC Committee is guided by several factors: the design must be aligned with shareholder value; the design must be supportive
of the Corporation's business goals and strategic plan; and the design must be retentive. In applying these criteria, the HRC Committee
takes into account market data, information and recommendations from its Compensation Consultant, and information provided by management,
including recommendations by the CEO with respect to the magnitude of equity incentives for executive officers (other than himself).
Based on its review of the foregoing, the HRC Committee approves the grants of LTI awards for the NEOs, other executives, and other
key employees.
In 2010 we brought forward for approval to the Shareholders
our Omnibus Plan, which superseded the previous Share Unit Plan and Stock Option Plans. This Plan gave us the ability to attract
and retain the best talent globally as we embarked upon what was to be a high growth period of our business. The Omnibus Plan is
designed to allow flexibility to the Board of Directors to issue equity-based incentives to align compensation with shareholder
interests over the long-term. Although the Omnibus Plan allows for the use of stock options, virtually all grants made over the
life of the Omnibus Plan have taken the form of Units, where the recipient will ultimately convert the Units into Common Shares
of the Corporation.
Our LTIs consist of a combination
of: (i) RSUs that vest typically over three years; and (ii) PSUs that are linked to corporate strategy. RSUs convert one for one
and each RSU delivers one Common Share when vested. We typically use RSUs as retention awards. A typical grant of RSUs will vest
over a defined time period, for example one-third vest on each anniversary of the grant date for three years. The value of an RSU
grant is only finally determined when the Units are converted to Common Shares. PSU grants are designed to have a variable number
of Common Shares issued on conversion, typically from zero to two Common Shares per PSU, depending on pre-defined performance criteria.
We use PSUs to reward senior executives for exceptional long-term performance against strategic milestones. Typically, PSU grants
also have an overriding control factor, such as absolute share price, relative shareholder return, or another metric, which can
limit the PSU conversion to shares. PSUs are therefore subject to a performance based payout scale and are fully at-risk, with
the potential for zero payout. This was the case with the 2012 PSUs that were measured against performance in 2012 and 2013, and
the 2013 PSUs that were measured over the January 2013- December 2014 period. PSUs vest after the end of the prescribed measurement
period only if the pre-determined performance measurement criteria are met. For senior executives, we have typically allocated
the majority of LTI incentives to PSUs. As noted, the PSUs that were granted in 2012 and 2013 did not vest because they did not
meet the required thresholds. Westport's NEO's did not receive any value for these awards as they were forfeited and terminated.
The HRC Committee believes that the mix of RSUs and
PSUs is appropriate because the two forms of awards together represented a balanced reflection of shareholder returns, financial
performance, and the importance of retention through multi-year vesting provisions. Grant levels are assessed on an annual basis
and previous grants of share or option based awards are taken into account when considering new grants.
The HRC Committee believes that using a three-year
vesting schedule for the RSUs is an appropriate length of time to support retention, motivate executive performance to align with
the interests of shareholders, and is consistent with common market practice and taxation principles.
Other Benefits
In addition to the executive compensation program described
above, the Corporation's executives participate in the Corporation-wide employee benefit programs such as short-term disability
income benefit, health and dental care including dependent coverage, employee life insurance, dependent life insurance, accidental
death and dismemberment insurance and the Corporation's matching of a long-term savings plan. These programs are offered to all
employees. Westport offers an additional executive health and wellness benefit to its executives. The Corporation does not offer
a defined benefit pension plan to its executives. In addition, Westport offers only limited benefit and perquisites and current
offerings to our NEOs are consistent with market practice.
Payments Upon Termination
Certain of Westport's NEOs, in the event of termination
of an executive's employment by Westport without cause, such as may be the case in the event of a change of control, are entitled
to an amount of compensation as outlined in the "Employment Agreements – Termination and Change of Control" section
of this Circular.
Share Ownership Requirements
Westport requires its directors and executive officers
to hold equity in the Corporation to align their interests with those of shareholders:
| · | Westport non-employee directors are required to hold a minimum of three times their annual cash
retainer in Common Shares or Units, to be acquired over a five-year period; |
| · | each of Westport's executive officers, with the exception of the CEO, is required to hold a minimum
of one times his or her annual base salary in Common Shares or Units, to be acquired over a five-year period; and |
| · | the CEO is required to hold a minimum of three times his annual base salary in Common Shares, Units,
or Options to be acquired over a five-year period. |
Determination of Compensation
In the 2014 fiscal year, the HRC Committee utilized
findings by its independent Compensation Consultant to determine that the Corporation's executive compensation program continued
to be both reasonable in relation to competitive pay levels and appropriate in supporting business objectives and a positive performance-based
culture. Consistent with prior years, during 2014 the HRC Committee met with its compensation consultant to review and approve
the peer group companies that satisfy our selection criteria (the "Comparator Group").
The Comparator Group is comprised of publicly listed
companies of comparable size, complexity, and market capitalization. The Comparator Group for 2014 consisted of the following 20
companies:
· Acorda
Therapeutics Inc. |
· IPG
Photonics Corp |
· Aruba
Networks Inc. |
· Ixia |
· Cavium
Inc. |
· Microsemi
Corp |
· Cirrus
Logic Inc. |
· Pegasystems
Inc. |
· Clean
Energy Fuels Corp. |
· Power
Integrations Inc. |
· CommVault
Systems Inc. |
· Qlik
Technologies Inc. |
· ExlService
Holdings Inc. |
· Riverbed
Technology Inc. |
· Gentex
Corp |
· Rovi
Corp |
· Gentherm
Inc. |
· Tesla
Motors Inc. |
· Interactive
Intelligence Group Inc. |
· United
Therapeutics Corp |
In addition, the HRC Committee reviewed third party
compensation survey data covering approximately 150 general technology companies with annual revenues between $50 million to $200
million. Survey data relies upon responses from participating companies to survey questions, which are compiled and sorted by the
surveyor based on various factors, such as the period covered, the location of the company, and the positions under review. Survey
data provides insight into positions that may not generally be reported in proxy statements and information about the compensation
of executives of non-public companies.
As part of the review process to determine compensation
for the 2014 fiscal year, the HRC Committee reviewed data with respect to the position of the compensation program for its CEO
and NEOs against the Comparator Group and survey data. The HRC Committee's evaluation also took into account the aggregate equity
holdings of each NEO. This review indicated that the CEO's and the other NEOs total direct compensation was within the ranges offered
by industry peers and was commensurate with the Corporation's relative scope and complexity versus the peer group.
Furthermore, performance-based short- and long-term
awards and time-based RSUs continue to represent the majority of the CEO's and NEOs total direct compensation, with 89% of the
CEO's total compensation for 2014 as variable or "at-risk", or restricted, and 82% of the NEOs' total compensation for
2014 as variable or "at-risk", or restricted.
2014 LTI Usage
In 2013 and 2014 we recruited several key executives
from the automotive industry in order to strengthen our ability to deliver on our strategic plan. In order to attract these key
individuals it was necessary to provide competitive total compensation packages, consisting of base salary, benefits, bonus program
and long term equity in the form of RSUs and PSUs. Those grants typically aligned with a specific term, and may vest 100% on the
third anniversary of employment or annually over a three year period.
The 2014 January PSU payout scale was set to be consistent
with our stated long-term strategic goal of 25% revenue compound growth for Westport products, excluding unconsolidated joint venture
revenue. Payouts are interpolated between levels and any payouts of the PSUs granted in January above 100% are also subject to
achieving TSR equal to or greater than a comparative index.
January 2014 PSU Payout Curve
2-Yr Revenue
Growth (%) |
|
≥50.0% |
|
43.75% |
|
37.5% |
|
25.0% |
|
18.75% |
|
6.25% |
|
<6.25% |
Payout % |
|
200% |
|
175% |
|
150% |
|
100% |
|
75% |
|
25% |
|
0% |
The HRC Committee recognized at the time that
the 2-year growth goal would be very challenging given the decision to stop selling the HD15 system in North America, which represented
more than 25% of revenue in 2013. New products and/or new markets would be needed to replace this revenue, let alone exceed it.
At current revenue guidance for 2015 these PSUs would fall below the minimum performance thresholds and no pay out would be achieved.
The HRC Committee, as part of the 2014 October
extraordinary grant described further on page 43, set performance criteria for a second tranche of senior executive equity PSU
grants tied to achieving positive adjusted EBITDA ("AEBITDA") at the consolidated corporate level by the end of
2016.
October 2014 PSU Payout Curve
Target
of Positive AEBITDA for a Quarter |
Payout |
If positive AEBITDA by end of Q4 2015 |
125% |
If positive AEBITDA by end of Q2 2016 |
100% |
If positive AEBITDA by end of Q4 2016 |
75% |
If positive AEBITDA after Q4 2016 |
0% |
As with RSUs, the ultimate value of a PSU depends
on the value of the underlying Common Shares if and when the Units are converted to Common Shares or cancelled with no Common Shares
being issued. Both the 2012 and 2013 PSU grants ultimately did not convert into any shares for the executive team due to the significant
market headwinds for the natural gas vehicle space in this period. Therefore, both RSUs and PSUs have strong alignment to Shareholder
interests, as the actual value of such awards rise and fall with the market, and in exceptional circumstances, lose their entire
value.
Since the inception of the Omnibus Plan, relative
to its comparator peer group, Westport’s share usage for its annual grants has historically been below the peer 25th percentile.
|
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
Peer
75th Percentile |
4.10% |
4.44% |
4.49% |
3.93% |
4.34% |
Peer
50th Percentile |
2.90% |
2.72% |
3.42% |
2.77% |
3.01% |
Peer
25th Percentile |
2.10% |
1.76% |
2.38% |
2.18% |
2.17% |
Westport
Share Usage |
2.7%* |
1.29% |
1.77% |
0.56% |
1.00% |
* 2014
share dilution refers to the sum of typical January long term incentive grant of 1.22% plus the October top-up grant of
1.5% approved by the Board. This amount excludes the one-time salary adjustment and 2015 pull-ahead grant approved in
October. See below for discussion.
Peer data for
2010 to 2014 provided by Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. |
Westport's gross share usage and shareholder
value transfer cost for 2010-2013 have also been below the 25th percentile of the Comparator Group, as shown in the
charts above. Westport's aggregate Corporation-wide long-term incentive share usage levels have increased in recent years but remain
well below historical median levels of the Comparator Group. Total potential dilution from outstanding equity awards have
increased over time, but remain low relative to the Comparator Group.
As can be seen from the table above, the Comparator
Group's equity grant programs typically consumed approximately 3% of the outstanding shares annually from 2010-2013, with considerable
variability depending on performance. Westport’s pool has been more modest and our peak grant year, prior to 2014, represented
1.77% dilution.
Westport has faced a challenging business environment
this year due to several factors outside our control, including: i) volatile currency values, in particular the declining Euro
and Canadian dollar, against the US dollar (our reporting currency); (ii) Russian economic collapse and sanctions affecting our
operations based in Italy; (iii) the dramatic and significant decrease in global oil prices; (iv) the volatile spread between natural
gas prices and petroleum based fuel prices; and (v) economic headwinds in many of our core markets, including Europe and Asia.
These continuing challenges have had a significant impact on Westport’s 2014 business and the market’s perception of
our long-term prospects, and consequently have led to a sharp decrease in Westport’s Common Share price. We are not alone
– all of the companies in the Comparator Group that are in the natural gas vehicle space have seen dramatically lower share
prices compared to long-term valuation metrics. In light of these challenging business conditions Westport took immediate measures
to reduce expense, including making staff reductions across our global company.
In January 2014, the Board approved an annual
LTI program grant of 416,756 RSUs and 352,879 PSUs, issued at the then current share price of approximately $20.50. This represented
1.2% dilution, which was in line with prior year’s practice and, as shown above, is considerably below the Comparator Group.
By October 2014 the severity of the economic challenges was apparent and prompt management action was required to react to the
rapidly changing market conditions. Our Common Share price fell from about $19.62 at the start of 2014 to close out December at
$3.74. We made significant staff reductions; requested voluntary salary reductions from executives; consolidated facilities; and
reduced both capital and research and development investment spending to prudently prepare for the coming market challenges and
position the company for success going forward. 100% of the executive team participated in the voluntary salary reduction program.
In recognition of voluntary salary reductions,
and voluntary relinquishment of both 2014 and 2015 cash bonuses, in October of 2014 we awarded 932,765 RSUs to senior executives
(Vice President level and above) with vesting dates between 2015 and 2017 as a special grant. As a result, the Corporation has
conserved cash at a critical juncture and at the same time the management team demonstrated their strong commitment to the strategic
plan and their expectation for the eventual recognition of shareholder value through a rise in the Common Share price.
Westport's compensation plans have high linkage
to Common Share value, and management and key employees with equity compensation have seen drastically reduced earnings potential
as a result of the decline in share price in 2013 and 2014. In order to preserve cash resources in a time of uncertainty, our primary
tool for retention and motivation has been equity grants. Based on the need to retain and motivate our post-reduction employee
base and to encourage the retention of critical individuals, the Board also undertook an extraordinary equity program grant in
October 2014.
The Board felt it was prudent to reassure employees
and reinforce key employee retention by pulling forward the 2015 LTI grant schedule, which would normally have been decided and
communicated in January 2015. Pursuant to the 2015 LTI grants, 2,773,165 RSUs were granted to key employees. This LTI grant represents
4.37% dilution, a significant increase compared to prior years due to the major decline in our stock price, but at comparable unit
valuations (assuming each unit is valued at the common share price the day before grant, this grant would be valued at $10,371,637
vs. the 2014 January grant of $8,435,141. The lower share price has meant Westport is required to issue more Units to deliver total
compensation values that are market competitive.
The extraordinary October 2014 grant which
covers the normal 2015 grant went to several hundred key employees. We also note that even with this level of dilution the total
equity granted from 2012 through 2014 remains below the average median equity dilution for the Comparator Group.
|
Shares
Outstanding |
Share
Awards |
Granted as
% of
Outstanding |
Comments |
October 2014 |
63,480,722 |
2,773,165 |
4.3% |
Extraordinary grant pull-ahead of January 2015 executive and director grant, granted at C$6.65 cents. |
October 2014(1) |
63,480,722 |
932,765 |
1.5% |
2014 special retention grant in recognition of forfeiture of cash bonus, granted at C$6.65. |
Mid-year 2014 |
63,480,722 |
993,503 |
1.6% |
100% 2014 performance based PSU for employees, 0% attained and awards cancelled. |
January 2014 |
63,480,722 |
769,635 |
1.2% |
Granted at C$20.50 per unit. Includes 352,879 PSUs. |
December 2013 |
62,733,762 |
742,110 |
1.2% |
- |
December 2012 |
55,294,091 |
970,025 |
1.8% |
- |
Notes:
| (1) | Special retention grant with three elements: in recognition of voluntary salary reductions, and
voluntary relinquishment of both 2014 and 2015 cash bonuses to save the Company cash for future development efforts and operations. |
Proposed Amendment
to the Omnibus Plan
Equity incentives are a powerful tool linked
to long-term company value creation and equity plans such as our Omnibus Plan are relatively common. Some companies have adopted
“evergreen” plans which cap, outstanding equity grants at levels generally not exceeding 10% of the issued and outstanding
common shares of the company. As equity grants vest and are converted to shares, these plans allow Boards to issue new grants to
continue to incent and retain key employees. Other companies, such as Westport, do not have an evergreen provision. Instead, Westport
seeks Shareholder approval on a regular basis to authorize the share pool as granting room is utilized. Without evergreen capability,
a 10% program (at ~3.3% per year) will last approximately three years.
We have not exhausted the authorized equity
pool, and unvested PSUs issued from the pool may or may not vest and be converted into Common Shares. Therefore, creating additional
granting room, the Board believes it prudent to amend the 2010 Omnibus Plan to support a shift in compensation focus to equity-based
awards to conserve cash for future development efforts and operations. We believe that the adoption of an amendment to the Omnibus
Plan is prudent and provides the Board with flexibility to continue to issue equity awards, including PSUs, to attract, retain
and motivate key employees, and to further align the interests of our employees with those of Westport’s shareholders.
Therefore we are seeking approval by Shareholders
to change the number of Common Shares available for grant pursuant to awards under the Omnibus Plan by an amount that will allow
the Board to grant equity awards equal to roughly a 3.0% annual rate seen in the Comparator Group between 2010 and 2013 (being
an additional 1,900,000 Common Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to grants of awards under the Omnibus Plan). This would result
in 9,900,000 Common Shares, being the maximum number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to awards granted under the Omnibus Plan,
representing approximately 15.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares as at March 11, 2015. We are aware of a heightened
retention risk at a time when we can least afford loss of key individuals. We will monitor our situation closely and believe we
can manage the risk through carefully targeted incentives.
Additionally, prior to amendment the Omnibus
Plan provided that, unless otherwise determined by the HRC Committee, all RSUs and PSUs were to be settled in exchange for shares
or cash, as applicable, as soon as practicable following vesting. The proposed amendments to the Omnibus Plan would amend such
provision to require instead that all vested RSUs and PSUs be settled for shares or cash, as applicable, as soon as practicable
following receipt by Westport of notice of exercise of such award provided that settlement and payment in respect of RSUs and PSUs
be made: (i) to participants who are U.S. taxpayers by the date that is 2 ½ months after the end of Westport's first taxable
year in which the RSU and/or PSU is no longer subject to substantial risk of forfeiture; and (ii) to Canadian participants by the
date that is no later than December 15 of the third calendar year following the calendar year in which the participant rendered
the employment services in respect of which the award is made.
Additional amendments to the Omnibus Plan proposed
for approval include certain other housekeeping changes.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION FIGURES AND TABLES
Fiscal 2014 Summary
Compensation Table
The following table and notes thereto set out
information concerning the compensation paid, payable, awarded, granted, given, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly,
to our NEOs in fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The Corporation does not have a pension plan;
therefore, the pension contribution for the NEOs is nil.
Attained
Pay versus Reported Nominal Pay
Given that a significant portion of the compensation
of our NEOs is performance-based and "at risk," we are providing the following supplemental table to illustrate the difference
between the compensation granted to our NEOs, compared to the compensation actually attained by such executive officers for the
2012 to 2014 fiscal years. The manner for reporting equity compensation as attained compensation differs from required disclosure
rules relating to the reporting of compensation in the Summary Compensation Table. However, we believe that this table is a useful
supplement to demonstrate the potential variances inherent in a performance-based program.
Name |
Fiscal Year |
Reported
Compensation(1)
(US$) |
Actual Attained
Compensation(2)
(US$) |
Actual Attained
as a % of
Reported |
David Demers |
2014 |
$ 5,795,156 |
$ 732,574 |
13% |
|
2013 |
$ 4,289,966 |
$ 1,560,910 |
36% |
|
2012 |
$ 3,170,313 |
$ 1,928,587 |
61% |
|
|
|
|
|
Ashoka Achuthan |
2014 |
$ 1,591,001 |
$ 472,080 |
30% |
|
2013 |
$ 597,061 |
$ 66,889 |
11% |
|
2012 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Nancy Gougarty |
2014 |
$ 2,199,808 |
$ 676,083 |
31% |
|
2013 |
$ 3,542,803 |
$ 563,482 |
16% |
|
2012 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Mehran Rahbar |
2014 |
$ 1,021,811 |
$ 309,796 |
30% |
|
2013 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
2012 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
James (Jim) Arthurs |
2014 |
$ 1,534,036 |
$ 343,779 |
22% |
|
2013 |
$ 1,068,888 |
$ 529,762 |
57% |
|
2012 |
$ 424,727 |
$ 392,290 |
92% |
Notes:
| (1) | As reported in the Summary Compensation Table. |
| (2) | Amounts reported in the calculation of actual attained compensation include (a) base salary, (b) actual
payments under the Corporation's non-equity incentive plan, (c) the value realized from the exercise of Options, (d) the value
of RSUs or PSUs that have vested, (e) the value of PSUs where the performance metrics have been met but vesting has not yet occurred,
and (f) amounts reported in the All Other Compensation column in the Summary Compensation Table for the respective years. |
NEO SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and
Principal
Position |
Year |
Salary(1) |
Share-based
awards(2) |
Option
-based
awards(3) |
Non-equity
incentive plan
compensation(4) |
All Other
Compensation(5) |
Total
Compensation(6) |
|
|
(US$) |
(US$) |
(US$) |
(US$) |
(US$) |
(US$) |
David |
RSU |
- |
3,662,340 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Demers |
PSU |
- |
1,493,626 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
CEO(7) |
2014 |
633,576 |
5,155,966 |
- |
|
5,614 |
5,795,156 |
|
RSU |
- |
989,791 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
1,979,582 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2013 |
679,575 |
2,969,372 |
- |
629,457 |
11,562 |
4,289,966 |
|
RSU |
- |
561,950 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
548,997 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 |
649,594 |
1,110,947 |
423,903 |
974,391 |
11,478 |
3,170,313 |
Ashoka |
RSU |
- |
836,449 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Achuthan |
PSU |
- |
337,836 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
CFO(8) |
2014 |
368,542 |
1,174,285 |
- |
- |
48,174 |
1,591,001 |
|
RSU |
- |
177,382 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
354,742 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2013 |
45,087 |
532,124 |
- |
19,416 |
434 |
597,061 |
|
RSU |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Nancy |
RSU |
|
1,162,659 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Gougarty |
PSU |
|
506,754 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
President |
2014 |
497,810 |
1,669,413 |
- |
- |
32,585 |
2,199,808 |
and Chief |
RSU |
- |
1,018,739 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Operating |
PSU |
- |
2,037,009 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Officer(9) |
2013 |
228,641 |
3,055,748 |
- |
194,164 |
64,250 |
3,542,803 |
|
RSU |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Mehran |
RSU |
- |
521,729 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Rahbar |
PSU |
- |
219,683 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Executive |
2014 |
129,703 |
741,412 |
|
- |
150,696 |
1,021,811 |
VP(10) |
RSU |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2013 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
RSU |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
James (Jim) |
RSU |
- |
844,507 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Arthurs |
PSU |
- |
381,426 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Executive |
2014 |
294,160 |
1,225,934 |
- |
- |
13,942 |
1,534,036 |
VP |
RSU |
- |
197,962 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
395,924 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2013 |
315,517 |
593,886 |
|
145,623 |
13,862 |
1,068,888 |
|
RSU |
- |
38,150 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
PSU |
- |
29,907 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 |
256,507 |
68,057 |
|
86,580 |
13,583 |
424,727 |
Notes:
| (1) | Annual base salaries for the NEOs in 2014 were C$700,000, C$425,000, C$550,000 US$425,000 and C$325,000
for Mr. Demers, Mr. Achuthan, Ms. Gougarty, Mr. Rahbar, and Mr. Arthurs, respectively. The table above translates the Canadian
dollar salaries into US dollars at the average exchange rate during the year. Mr. Rahbar is compensated in US Dollars. Effective
January 1, 2015 annual base salaries for the NEOs were reduced to C$595,000, C$382,500, C$467,500, US$382,500 and C$292,500 for
Mr. Demers, Mr. Achuthan, Ms. Gougarty, Mr. Rahbar and Mr. Arthurs, respectively. |
| (2) | Share based awards include both RSUs and PSUs, and are disclosed separately in the table above
to provide additional information. Values of RSU awards are determined based on the fair market value of the underlying Common
Share on the date of grant (in other words, the number of RSU's are multiplied by the TSX closing price of the Common Shares),
converted to US dollars using the average conversion rate for 2014. RSUs typically vest over a three year period so the actual
value received by the individual depends on the share price on the day such RSUs are settled for Common Shares, not the date of
grant. PSU awards, on the other hand, do not have a certain number of Common Shares that will issue over time - it depends on future
performance and the other conditions tied to the payout of the PSU. Values of PSU awards are determined based on the fair market
value of the underlying Common Shares on the date of the grant (and generally assuming the issuance of one Common Share to be issued
per PSU), calculated as the number of Common Shares issuable on settlement of the PSUs multiplied by a fair value as determined
based on a valuation model according to United States generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"), or in certain
cases on an alternative basis determined to be more accurately representative of the value of such awards on the date of grant.
A January 2014 PSU grant was made to Mr. Demers and Mr. Arthurs. The January 2014 PSU grant has been valued in the table above
using a 25% probability of achieving the revenue growth criteria established as the performance criteria for such PSU grant as
such performance criteria were aggressive and the risk of achieving such targets is not properly represented by assuming a value
of one Common Share for each such PSU. Had the fair value for accounting purposes of the January 2014 PSU grant been utilized and
recorded in the table above, the share-based awards and the total compensation would have increased by $1,442,893 for Mr. Demers
and $384,783 for Mr. Arthurs. We believe that the reported value in the above table for the January 2014 PSU grant is more representative
of the value of the grant than the accounting value. Similarly, the October 2014 PSU grant was awarded to all NEOs and was valued
in the table above using an assumption that there was a 75% probability of achieving the profitability criteria established. Had
the fair value for accounting purposes of the October 2014 PSU grant been utilized and recorded in the table above, the share-based
awards and the total compensation would have increased by $337,554, $112,612, $168,918, $73,228 and $84,339 for Mr. Demers, Mr.
Achuthan, Ms. Gougarty, Mr. Rahbar and Mr. Arthurs, respectively. Although the assessed values at the time of grant are shown for
the 2012 and 2013 PSUs in the table above, both the 2012 and 2013 PSUs ultimately resulted in a zero payout score and have been
cancelled. |
| (3) | The amounts shown in this column represent the total of the fair market value of the options (the
"Options") to purchase Common Shares granted to each NEO during the year. This amount is based on the grant date
fair market value of the award determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model according to United States generally accepted
accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"). No options were granted in 2014 or 2013. |
| (4) | This represents Westport's STI awards. No cash bonuses were accrued for Fiscal 2014. Fiscal 2013
annual bonus amounts were accrued in fiscal 2013 but were paid to the NEOs during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. The
Corporation does not have any non-equity LTI plans. |
| (5) | The column entitled "All Other Compensation" includes Westport's contributions to each
NEO's long-term savings plan. These are voluntary participation programs where the employer matches employee contributions up to
a maximum of 5% of base salary per pay period. Perquisites and employee program benefits (medical, life and disability insurance)
received in 2014 did not exceed the lesser of $50,000 and 10% of the total annual salary and bonuses for any of the NEOs in any
of those years and are therefore not reported in the table. |
| (6) | The total accessible compensation (salary and bonus) earned for Fiscal 2014 is C$700,000, C$425,000,
C$550,000, US$425,000 and C$325,000 for Mr. Demers, Mr. Achuthan, Ms. Gougarty, Mr. Rahbar, and Mr. Arthurs, respectively. Total
compensation values include the deemed value (based on fair market value determined in accordance with Accounting Standards Update
No. 2010-13 Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718)) of all share unit and option awards granted during the year, only
a portion of which vested during the year. The actual value of share unit and option grants cannot be determined until the
Units or Options are converted to Common Shares and sold. Future value of these awards could be materially higher or lower than
the figures stated here, which represents a notional value presuming the units were converted and sold on the date of grant. |
| (7) | Mr. Demers was also a director during 2012, 2013 and 2014 but received no compensation for his
service as a director. |
| (8) | “All Other Compensation” for Mr. Achuthan during the year ended December 31, 2014,
includes a $48,174 housing allowance. |
| (9) | "All Other Compensation" for Ms. Gougarty during the year ended December 31, 2014 includes
a $21,314 car allowance. In 2013, it included $32,437 in compensation for her services as a director, $24,863 for a relocation
plan and $8,881 taxable benefit premium. |
| (10) | "All Other Compensation" for Mr. Rahbar during the year ended December 31, 2014 includes
$150,696 in compensation for his services as a consultant. |
Following the formula specified in Form 51-102F6
disclosure requirements, the aggregate cash compensation (salary and bonus) earned by the NEOs during the financial year ended
December 31, 2014 was $1,923,791. The total compensation including the date of grant value for all equity awards and all other
compensation earned by the NEOs during the financial year ended December 31, 2014 was $12,141,812.
Incentive Plan Awards
| | Outstanding Share-Based Awards as of December 31, 2014 |
|
|
Share-Based Awards |
Name |
|
Number of
Common Shares
or Units that have
not vested
(#)(1) |
|
Market or payout value
of share-based awards
that have not vested
(US$)(2) |
|
Market or payout
value of vested share-
based awards not
paid out or
distributed
(US$) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David Demers
CEO |
|
853,069 |
|
3,190,478 |
|
240,398 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ashoka Achuthan CFO |
|
225,973 |
|
845,139 |
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nancy Gougarty
President and Chief Operating Officer |
|
417,093 |
|
1,559,928 |
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mehran Rahbar Executive VP
|
|
136,000 |
|
508,640 |
|
- |
James (Jim) Arthurs
Executive VP |
|
199,976 |
|
747,911 |
|
- |
Notes:
| (1) | Represents the numbers of Units or Common Share awards that either vest based on time or market
criteria. For PSUs where the measurement date and criteria has been determined, the actual conversion ratio has been used. |
| (2) | This is a notional amount that is
calculated by multiplying the number of Units that have not vested by the closing price
of the Common Shares underlying the Units on the NASDAQ as at December 31, 2014 ($3.74).
Such amounts may not represent the actual value of the Units that ultimately vest as
the value of the Common Shares underlying the Units may be of greater or lesser value
on vesting. Westport has used the market value at the end of the most recently completed
financial year for the purpose of calculating the amount disclosed. For unvested PSUs,
a conversion ratio of one PSU to one Common Share of the Corporation has been used where
the measurement date and criteria has not been determined. The actual conversion ratio
varies from nil to two based on the performance measurement criteria related to the respective
LTI Program grant. The PSUs granted for the fiscal 2013 and 2012 LTI programs have realized
actual conversion ratio of nil. The PSUs granted for the fiscal 2014 LTI program vest
in full at the end of the third anniversary of the date of grant. |
During the year ended December 31, 2014, employees
of the Corporation were granted (including grants made to NEOs) 5,792,162 Units. The
value of PSU awards was calculated using a valuation model according to U.S. GAAP while the value of RSUs is based on the fair
market value on the date of the grant. The fair value of Unit awards granted during the year ended December 31, 2014 ranged from
$3.81 - $20.97.
Incentive Plan Awards
– Value Vested or Earned During 2014
NEO |
|
Share-based awards –
Value vested during the year (1) |
|
Non-equity incentive plan
compensation – Value earned during
the year |
|
(US$) |
|
(US$) |
David Demers |
|
$ 884,760 |
|
- |
Ashoka Achuthan |
|
$ 10,499 |
|
- |
Nancy Gougarty |
|
$ 101,378 |
|
- |
Mehran Rahbar |
|
- |
|
- |
James (Jim) Arthurs |
|
$ 80,924 |
|
- |
Notes:
| (1) | This value was determined by multiplying the sale price of the underlying Common Shares on the
transaction date by the number of vested Units, including the conversion ratio used for PSUs that have vested. No PSUs vested during
the year. |
Employment Agreements
- Termination and Change of Control
Pursuant to the terms of each employment agreement,
each executive officer is entitled to an annual base salary, annual incentive bonus, and long-term incentives through the granting
from time to time of Options and Units pursuant to Westport's equity based compensation plans. Agreements for Mr. Demers, Ms. Gougarty,
Mr. Achuthan, Mr. Rahbar and Mr. Arthurs include standard industry terms and conditions, such as intellectual property and confidentiality
provisions. Pursuant to the terms of the above-described employment agreements, in the event of termination of employment by Westport
without cause, each of the NEOs is entitled to an amount ranging from twelve to twenty-four months of salary and benefits, may
be entitled to annual bonus, and may be entitled to immediate vesting of all unvested Options and Units previously granted to the
NEO, as further described below.
Mr. Demers is entitled to an amount equal to
the sum of twenty-four months of salary, benefits and two times the targeted annual or incentive bonuses in the year of termination,
and is additionally entitled to the immediate vesting of all unvested Options, Units and other awards under the Omnibus Plan or
similar previous equity compensation plans (each, an "Award") previously granted to him in the event of such termination.
Mr. Achuthan is entitled to an amount equal
to the sum of twelve months base salary plus the cost of benefits for twelve months in the event of such termination.
Ms. Gougarty does not have a specific termination
payment provided for within her agreement, except that, pursuant to the terms of her employment, her employment may be terminated
(i) for cause (ii) upon mutual agreement between herself and the Corporation, or (iii) upon sixty (60) days written notice by Ms.
Gougarty.
Mr. Rahbar is entitled to an amount equal to
the sum of three months base salary plus any unpaid bonus in respect of any completed fiscal year that has ended prior to the date
of termination.
Mr. Arthurs does not have a termination provision
in his agreement.
Westport also has a Change in Control Policy
intended to provide eligible executives of the Corporation with reasonable continuing financial security in their employment and
position with the Corporation, without distraction from uncertainties or risks regarding their employment created by the possibility
of a change in control of the Corporation. The Change in Control Policy applies to all permanent full time officers, executive
vice presidents and vice presidents of the Corporation and certain affiliated entities and entitles such participants to certain
payments and benefits in the event the participant's employment is terminated as a result of a "Qualifying Termination".
"Qualifying Termination" for this purpose is defined in the policy to mean either: (a) receipt by a participant of notice
of termination of the participant's employment without cause (regardless of the effective date of such termination); or (b) the
resignation of the participant's employment as a result of constructive dismissal; in each case during the period commencing six
(6) months prior to the change in control and ending on the date which is eighteen (18) months after the change in control.
The Change in Control Policy generally provides that in the event of a Qualifying Termination the executive will be entitled to
a cash payment in an amount equal to the aggregate sum of: (a) that executive's annual base salary plus the executive's target
annual bonus amount; and (b) an amount equal to the annualized cost of the Corporation-sponsored medical, dental, vision insurance
and executive medical and healthcare benefits in effect for the executive as at the termination date, together with any accrued
but unpaid salary as at the termination date. Pursuant to the policy all unvested equity awards held by the terminated
executive will also be deemed to be vested as at the date of the Qualifying Termination, with any such awards that are subject
to any performance targets being treated as satisfied at a level of 100% of granted value. To the extent that an executive
is entitled to benefits under both the Change in Control Policy and the terms of their existing employment agreement such
executive may elect to receive payments and/or benefits under such employment agreement in lieu of the payments or benefits so
provided by the Change in Control Policy.
Mr. Demers has a change of control provision
in his employment agreement that provides that if he is terminated following a change of control, or should he resign following
a change of control, he is entitled to an amount equal to not less than two years of salary, benefits and targeted annual bonus,
and to the immediate vesting of all unvested Options, Units and Awards previously granted to him.
For the purpose of the above with respect to
Mr. Demers a change of control is defined to have occurred upon the happening of any of the following: (i) the acquisition, by
whatever means, by an entity of ownership or control of more than 30% of the Common Shares; (ii) the amalgamation, consolidation,
or merger with any other company resulting in Westport's former shareholders owning less than a majority of the outstanding Common
Shares after such reorganization; (iii) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of Westport; (iv) approval by the Shareholders
of the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of Westport; or (v) the majority of the members of the Board of Directors elected
at a meeting of Shareholders not being management nominees.
The above described termination and change
of control payments as they relate to the employment of Mr. Demers is conditional upon the prior execution by the executive of
a release and indemnity in favor of Westport on terms reasonably acceptable to Westport.
Mr. Achuthan, Ms. Gougarty, Mr. Rahbar and
Mr. Arthurs do not have specific change of control provisions in their agreements.
In February of 2013, the HRC Committee passed
a resolution providing that in the event of termination of any eligible recipient's employment with Westport without cause, all
PSUs granted under the Omnibus Plan for which the measurement period had been completed would immediately vest and the awards would
have the period set out in the award grant, and pursuant to the terms of the Omnibus Plan, in which to exercise any such vested
but unexercised Units.
The following tables sets forth, for each NEO,
the amount such person would have been contractually entitled to receive on the termination of their employment without cause on
December 31, 2014, and the amount such person would have been contractually entitled to receive if a change of control triggered
the termination event, as per such person's employment agreement on December 31, 2014.
Termination
of Employment Without Cause |
|
Severance
(US$) |
Bonus
(US$) |
Value
of Unvested
Equity Awards(1)
(US$) |
Total(2)
(US$) |
David Demers |
1,267,153 |
1,810,189 |
3,389,609 |
6,466,951 |
Ashoka Achuthan |
384,671 |
- |
- |
384,671 |
Nancy Gougarty |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Mehran Rahbar(3) |
96,168 |
- |
- |
96,168 |
James (Jim) Arthurs |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination
of Employment Following Change of Control |
|
Severance
(US$) |
Bonus
(US$) |
Value
of Unvested
Equity Awards(1)
(US$) |
Total(2)
(US$) |
David Demers |
1,267,153 |
1,810,189 |
3,389,609 |
6,466,951 |
Ashoka Achuthan |
384,671 |
183,174 |
897,887 |
1,465,732 |
Nancy Gougarty |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Mehran Rahbar(3) |
384,671 |
146,539 |
540,386 |
1,071,597 |
James (Jim) Arthurs |
294,160 |
140,074 |
794,592 |
1,228,826 |
Notes:
| (1) | The value of unvested equity awards is calculated using the number of all unvested Options and
Units valued at the price of the Common Shares underlying the Options and Units on the NASDAQ as at December 31, 2014 ($3.74).
For unvested PSUs, a conversion ratio of one PSU to one Common Share of the Corporation has been used where the measurement date
and criteria has not been determined. |
| (2) | Total compensation due upon termination of employment without cause or in the event of a change
of control does not include the sum of benefits. Based on Westport's benefit programs only coverage of British Columbia medical
service plan and extended health benefits would be compensated for the period. |
| (3) | Mr. Rahbar is paid in US dollars and termination payments for salary and bonus would be made in
US dollars. All other NEOs are paid in Canadian dollars and termination payments for salary and bonus would be made in Canadian
dollars. |
PERFORMANCE
GRAPHS
The Common Shares have been listed and posted
for trading on the TSX under the trading symbol "WPT" since June 30, 1999 and the NASDAQ under the trading symbol "WPRT"
since August 18, 2008. Prior to June 30, 1999, the Common Shares were traded on The Alberta Stock Exchange. The following graph
and table is a reporting requirement under Canadian securities laws and compares the change in the cumulative total Shareholder
return on the Common Shares over the period from December 31, 2009 to December 31, 2014 (assuming a $100 investment was made on
December 31, 2009 at the closing price of the Common Shares on that date), with the cumulative total return of the S&P/TSX
Composite Total Return Index over the same period, assuming reinvestment of dividends. For more than 4 years, Westport’s
cumulative stock performance over the five-year period outperformed the S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index.
Cumulative Total Return on $100
Invested in Common Shares on December 31, 2009
|
December 31, 2009 |
December 31, 2010 |
December 31, 2011 |
December 31, 2012 |
December 31, 2013 |
December 31, 2014 |
S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index |
100.00 |
117.61 |
107.36 |
115.08 |
130.03 |
143.75 |
Westport Innovations Inc. common stock |
100.00 |
150.04 |
276.12 |
215.21 |
169.99 |
35.90 |
The Corporation's market prices for its shares
are impacted by a number of external factors including the overall market sentiment and confidence in the future of the alternative
energy technology sector, which ebbs and flows.
The following chart shows the price of Westport's
stock on the NASDAQ as well as the price spread between West Texas Intermediate Sweet Crude Oil and Henry Hub Natural Gas on the
New York Mercantile Exchange ("NYMEX") between the period December 30, 2005, and December 30, 2014.
Source: ThomsonOne
For years, Westport's Common Share price appears
to have been strongly correlative to the spread between natural gas and oil. The inextricable link may have been based on trading
activity by investors relying on the spread to help value the Corporation and their investment in the absence of a strong conviction
over Westport's fundamentals or relative technology leadership. Westport believes that the strong linkage between the spread between
the price of these two commodities and Westport's Common Share price may be broken by a number of Westport actions including but
not limited to: increasing revenues, reducing the Corporations' cash burn rate on an annual basis, launching new products into
new markets and focusing Westport's operational efforts on reaching a positive Adjusted EBITDA financial milestone.
The following chart shows Westport's stock
performance on the NASDAQ and the stock performance of a number of companies participating either directly or indirectly in the
natural gas vehicle industry, including: Landi Renzo S.p.a (LR), Fuel Systems Solutions Inc. (FSYS), Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE),
and Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. (QTWW). Of this group of companies, within the five-year period Westport reached
the highest cumulative value and its value remained higher than the original investment for the longest period of time. The chart
indicates the volatility and fluctuations that can occur as stock prices move through cycles of either increasing or decreasing
prices. In 2014, the stock performance of Westport and each of the companies in this group declined, as did the price of oil which
is not shown on this chart. By the end of 2014, the stock performance of Westport and this group of companies conglomerated to
a similar range of return for the five-year period.
Source: ThomsonOne
EQUITY
COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
Securities Authorized
For Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table sets forth, as at December
31, 2014, information in respect of the equity compensation plans of Westport (being the Omnibus Plan, Westport's prior stock option
plan (the "Stock Option Plan") and the unit plan described below under the heading "Share Unit Plan"
(the "Share Unit Plan"), under which Common Shares are authorized for issuance as well as the percent of the issued
and outstanding Common Shares represented by that number of Common Shares:
|
Number of securities to
be issued upon exercise
of outstanding awards
(a) |
Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding
awards(2) |
Number
of securities remaining
available for future issuance under
equity compensation plans (excluding
securities reflected in column(a)) |
Omnibus Plan |
5,639,993(1) |
- |
1,001,868 |
Share Unit Plan |
228,903 |
- |
- |
Stock Option Plan |
32,223 |
$15.17 |
- |
Total |
6,056,887 |
|
1,001,868 |
Notes:
(1) Includes 143,028
phantom awards which, when vested, are exercisable in exchange for a cash payment and do not result in the issuance of Common Shares.
In addition, this figure currently includes 546,120 shares that are reserved for conversion at ratios of 125% or 200% in respect
of previously granted PSUs based on the assumption that all performance criteria will be achieved.
(2) The awards
in the Omnibus Plan and Share Unit Plan are RSUs and PSUs and don’t require the holder to pay a strike price. Stock options
are exercisable at a weighted-average exercise price of $15.17.
Westport currently has in place one active
equity based compensation plan, the Omnibus Plan, which is described in more detail below. There are also two inactive equity based
compensation plans, the Stock Option Plan and the Share Unit Plan (amended in 2009), both of which are described in more detail
below. There are no equity compensation plans which have not been approved by Shareholders.
Westport Omnibus Plan
On April 23, 2010, the Board of Directors approved
and Shareholders subsequently ratified the Omnibus Plan. The Omnibus Plan expires on July 15, 2020. The Omnibus Plan was
further amended and approved by Shareholders at Westport's annual and special meeting held on April 11, 2013 to increase the number
of Common Shares available for grant pursuant to Awards by 4,973,355 Common Shares.
The Omnibus Plan contains the following general
terms:
| · | The Omnibus Plan allows for grants of Options (including incentive stock options for U.S. tax purposes),
share appreciation rights ("SARs"), deferred share units, phantom stock, bonus stock, PSUs and/or time-based RSUs,
and other stock or performance-based awards. SARs may be granted on a stand-alone basis or in tandem with Options. |
| o | Upon the exercise of a vested SAR (and in the case of a tandem SAR, the related option), a participant
will be entitled to payment equal to the excess of the market value of a Westport share on the date of exercise over the subscription
or base price under the SAR. The award may specify whether settlement will be in cash, in shares, or a combination of cash or shares. |
| o | Each RSU or PSU granted under the Omnibus Plan generally represents one Common Share. Unless otherwise
determined by the HRC Committee, vested Units will generally be settled as soon as practicable following vesting by delivery of
a Common Share for each vested Unit or payment of a cash amount equal to the market value of a Common Share at the time of settlement,
as specified in the Award. The Award may provide for the accrual of dividend equivalent amounts in respect of awards of RSUs or
PSUs before settlement. |
| o | PSUs and other awards intended to qualify as "performance-based compensation" under Section
162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Internal Revenue Code") generally will require the amount payable (or
Common Shares issuable) be conditional upon the achievement of performance goals. |
| · | The Stock Option Plan and Share Unit Plan provide for grants to be approved by the Board of Directors.
The Omnibus Plan generally follows that approach. However, in certain instances, determinations by a committee comprised of independent
directors will be crucial. Thus, the Omnibus Plan provides that, in addition to circumstances where the Board of Directors elects
to delegate authority to the HRC Committee: |
| o | the HRC Committee will have the power to evaluate the CEO's awards and performance relating thereto
and to determine Awards under the Omnibus Plan for grant to the CEO. As to other executive officers the HRC Committee shall make
recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to Awards; and |
| o | the HRC Committee will determine performance goals for Awards intended to be "performance-based
compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code to the CEO and the three highest paid officers, other
than the CEO and Chief Financial Officer. |
| · | Awards cannot be granted at less than market value which is defined for Awards stated in Canadian
dollars as the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX on the last trading day prior to the relevant date and for Awards
stated in U.S. dollars as the closing price of the Common Shares on the NASDAQ on the last trading day prior to the relevant date. |
| · | The Omnibus Plan grants broad powers to the Board of Directors (or HRC Committee, as applicable)
to set terms of Awards, including as to vesting (e.g. vesting may be set on any schedule and on any criteria, including performance).
Specifically, vesting may be conditional upon passage of time, continued employment, satisfaction of performance criteria, or any
combination of the foregoing, provided that: |
| o | performance conditions to vesting of any portion of an Award, other than RSUs granted to Canadian
residents, will be measured over a period of not less than one year; and |
| o | with respect to any Award that is intended to satisfy the requirements for "performance-based
compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, and whether denominated or payable in, valued in whole or
in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to shares or cash, the applicable performance criteria shall be a measure
based on one or more of the performance criteria described below under the heading "Performance Vesting Conditions for Awards
Intended to Qualify as Performance-Based Compensation" determined by the HRC Committee or the Board of Directors (subject
to the terms of the Omnibus Plan) on or prior to the effective date of such award or as of any later time permitted under Section
162(m). |
| · | Awards may be tailored to meet the applicable tax and securities rules of Canada and the United
States, and so for certain purposes distinguishes between Canadian Awards and U.S. Awards. |
| · | The Omnibus Plan maintains the limitations with respect to the issuance of Awards to any one person
or to insiders described in "Plan Limitations" below. |
| · | The Omnibus Plan provides that either the Board of Directors or the HRC Committee, as applicable,
may decide to accelerate Awards (and the expiration dates) upon change of control. With respect to Awards made under the Omnibus
Plan, a "change of control" is defined generally to include acquisitions by persons or groups of beneficial ownership
representing more than 50% of either the then outstanding Common Shares or voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
of the Corporation (with certain exclusions); members of the Corporation's then "incumbent board" ceasing to be a majority
of the board of the Corporation; a merger, reorganization, statutory or mandatory share exchange, business combination, consolidation
or similar transaction involving the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, a sale or other disposition of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries (considered on a consolidated basis), or the acquisition of assets or
stock of another entity by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, unless the holders of the Common Shares and voting securities
own more than 50% of the "resulting entity" from the transaction (in substantially the same proportions), the members
"incumbent board" of the Corporation continue to hold a majority of the board seats of the "resulting entity"
and no other person owns more than 50% of Common Shares or voting power (unless such ownership existed before the combination);
or the shareholders approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation. |
| · | The Omnibus Plan explicitly specifies the consequences of termination of employment (including
upon death or disability). |
| · | The Omnibus Plan allows Awards other than Options to have up to 10 year terms and Options to have
5 year terms, provided that if the term of any Award is to expire during a trading "blackout" established by Westport
or pursuant to any lock-up agreement or similar trading restriction or within 10 business days thereafter, the expiry date of such
award shall be extended to 10 business days following the end of the applicable blackout period. |
Deferred Share Units
The Omnibus Plan permits non-employee directors
to receive all or a portion of such non-employee director's annual retainer, if eligible, through the grant of deferred share units.
Such deferred share units will generally be fully vested at the time of their issuance and are settled on the third business day
following the retirement or death of the applicable director or at the time the applicable director otherwise ceases to hold office
or their engagement is terminated, subject to payment or other satisfaction of all related withholding obligations in accordance
with the provisions of the Omnibus Plan.
Termination of Employment
or Service
Unless otherwise determined by the Board of
Directors (or the HRC Committee), or otherwise set forth in the terms of an individual Award, the following general rules will
apply with respect to Awards:
| · | if employment or service is terminated for any reason whatsoever other than death, disability,
retirement or for cause (in the opinion of Westport's legal counsel) (or if service of a consultant is terminated for any reason
whatsoever other than death), non-vested Awards will terminate and the participant will be able to exercise his or her rights with
respect to the vested portion of any Option or SAR until the earlier of the date specified in the Award, if any, or the 90th day
after termination; |
| · | if the employment or service is terminated by retirement the participant will be able to exercise
his or her rights with respect to the vested portion of any Option or SAR until the date specified in the Award and any vested
phantom share awards, RSUs, PSUs, and deferred share units shall be settled in accordance with the provisions of the Omnibus Plan; |
| · | if employment or service is terminated by death or disability of an employee or director (or death
of a consultant), non-vested Awards will terminate and the participant (or his or her estate) will be able to exercise his or her
rights with respect to the vested portion of any Option or SAR until the earlier of the date specified in the Award or during the
one year period following death or disability (and special provisions are made with respect to death or disability after retirement
and while the retiree has the power to exercise an award as provided above) and any vested phantom share awards, RSUs, PSUs and
deferred share units shall be settled in accordance with the provisions of the Omnibus Plan; and |
| · | if employment or service is terminated for cause, in the opinion of Westport's legal counsel, any
unvested Award granted pursuant to the Omnibus Plan shall be cancelled and all rights thereunder terminated. |
The Omnibus Plan allows the Board of Directors
(or the HRC Committee, as applicable) to set other terms relating to termination of employment or service and relating to leaves
of absence, including allowing or providing for acceleration of vesting and continuation of awards (or exercise periods) beyond
the period generally provided above (subject to applicable stock exchange rules).
Plan Limitations
With respect to the current Omnibus Plan, the
number of Common Shares that have been authorized for issuance in connection with Awards since the adoption of the Plan is 8,000,000
(approximately 12.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares). As at March 11, 2015, an aggregate of 5,639,993 Awards were
outstanding under the Omnibus Plan (representing 8.8% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares), leaving 1,001,868 Awards
available for future grants (representing 1.6% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares). This figure is proposed to be
increased to 9,900,000 Common Shares (approximately 15.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares), subject to approval by
Shareholders at the Meeting.
For the purposes of calculating the Award limits
specified above:
| · | Common Shares subject to an Award granted under the Stock Option Plan or Share Unit Plan that were
outstanding on July 15, 2010 but that have expired or are forfeited, surrendered or cancelled or otherwise settled shall not be
counted against such limitation; |
| · | Awards that use the price of Common Shares to determine the amount of the Award or its settlement
but that provide for settlement in cash (and not by the issuance of shares) shall be treated as covering the applicable number
of Common Shares solely for the purposes of computing the above limit and only while the Award is not settled or terminated. Upon
settlement in cash or termination of such Award the Common Shares used as a reference for determining the amount of the Award or
its settlement shall not be counted against the above limitation; |
| · | all Options that lapse unexercised will be treated as not having been issued for the purposes of
computing the foregoing limitation, but any issuance of Common Shares pursuant to the terms of an Option will reduce the number
of Common Shares available for issuance pursuant to Options; |
| · | any Common Shares withheld or tendered for payment of taxes or any exercise or purchase price in
respect of Awards shall not be counted against the above limitation; |
| · | any Common Shares not ultimately issued in settlement of SARs shall not be counted against the
above limitation; and |
| · | any Common Shares issued in assumption, substitution or exchange for previously granted Awards
of an entity acquired by Westport shall not be counted against the above limitation. |
Awards are also subject to the following limitations:
| · | The aggregate number of Common Shares subject to: |
| (i) | Option or SAR awards granted under the Omnibus Plan;
or |
| (ii) | issued pursuant to performance awards, |
during any consecutive thirty-six (36)
month period to any one participant under the plan shall not exceed, in respect of each of such Awards, 500,000
Common Shares (subject to adjustment, but only to the extent that such adjustment will not affect the status of any
award intended to qualify as "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code).
| · | the maximum dollar amount of cash paid pursuant to performance awards during any calendar year
to any one participant under the Omnibus Plan shall not exceed US$3,000,000. |
For as long as the Common Shares are listed
for trading on the TSX, the rules of the TSX with respect to security holder approval, and security based compensation arrangements
apply to the Corporation:
| · | the number of Common Shares issued to "insiders" (including associates if legally required)
within any one year period and issuable to the insiders at any time, under the Omnibus Plan and all other security-based compensation
arrangements (as determined under the rules of the TSX) cannot exceed 10% of the total issued and outstanding Common Shares, respectively; |
| · | the number of Common Shares issued, or reserved for issuance with respect to Awards, to any one
"insider" (including associates if legally required) within any one year period under the Omnibus Plan and all other
security-based compensation arrangements cannot exceed 5% of the total issued and outstanding Common Shares; and |
| · | the number of Common Shares issued to directors (non-employee) under the Omnibus Plan shall not
exceed 250,000 and the annual equity award value of Common Shares granted to directors (non-employee) shall not exceed $1,000,000
per such director in the aggregate over the life of the Omnibus Plan. |
For these purposes, "insider" generally
means a director or officer, a director or officer of an insider or of one of Westport's subsidiaries, a person (or group)
holding greater than 10% beneficial ownership of voting securities. Share limitations will generally be subject to adjustment based
on corporate recapitalizations, stock splits, and other similar events.
Limitations on Repricings
or Extension of Term of Insider Awards; Transferability
The exercise price for Options issued to insiders
(please refer to "Plan Limitations" above) and related SARs and the base price under stand-alone SARS after issuance
may be reduced only with prior Shareholder approval. Awards to other non-insider employees may also be limited.
If the rules of a stock exchange on which the
Common Shares are being traded require Shareholder approval with respect to extension of Awards issued to insiders, such extensions
will not be effective until such approval is obtained.
Unless an Award otherwise provides, an Award
is not transferable, other than by testamentary disposition by the participant or the laws of intestate succession. The Board of
Directors (or the HRC Committee) may allow transfers to family members or related entities. No transfer of incentive Options may
be made unless permitted by Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Eligibility
All non-employee directors, executive officers,
employees and consultants may become eligible for Awards under the Omnibus Plan.
Amendments and Termination
The Omnibus Plan provides that the Board of
Directors may amend, suspend or terminate the Omnibus Plan, subject to applicable legal or stock exchange requirements. The Omnibus
Plan specifically provides that, to the extent required by applicable law or by stock exchange requirements, Shareholder approval
will be required for the following types of amendments:
| · | any amendments which would result in the exercise price for any Award granted under the Omnibus
Plan being lower than the market value of the shares underlying the Award at the time the Award is granted, except for purposes
of maintaining an Awards value in connection with a conversion, change, reclassification, redivision, redesignation, subdivision
or consolidation of shares or a reorganization, amalgamation, consolidation, merger, take-over bid or similar transaction; |
| · | any amendment which reduces the exercise price or purchase price of an Award, except for purposes
of maintaining an Awards value in connection with a conversion, change, reclassification, redivision, redesignation, subdivision
or consolidation of shares or a reorganization, amalgamation, consolidation, merger, take-over bid or similar transaction; |
| · | any amendment that would result in the cancellation of an Option or SAR in exchange for an Option
or SAR with a lower exercise price from that of the original Option or SAR or another Award or cash payment; |
| · | any amendment extending the term of an Award beyond its original expiry date except as otherwise
permitted by the Omnibus Plan; |
| · | any amendment extending eligibility to participate in the Omnibus Plan to persons other than officers,
employees, non-employee directors or consultants or increasing the annual limit on Awards to non-employee directors; |
| · | any amendment permitting the transfer of Awards, other than for normal estate settlement purposes
or to a trust governed by a RRSP, registered retirement income fund, tax free savings account, registered education savings plan
or similar plan; |
| · | any amendment increasing the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be subject to issuance
at any given time in connection with Awards granted under the Omnibus Plan; |
| · | any amendment to the amendment provisions; |
| · | the adoption of any Option exchange involving Awards; and |
| · | any other amendment required to be approved by Shareholders under applicable law or rules of a
stock exchange. |
Shareholder approval for amendments to the
Omnibus Plan are, by contrast, not required in connection with the following types of amendments, which may be made by the Board
of Directors alone, unless and to the extent prohibited by applicable law or by stock exchange requirements:
| · | amendments of a technical, clerical or "housekeeping" nature including, without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, any amendments for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, error or omission in the Omnibus Plan
or to correct or supplement any provision of the Omnibus Plan that is inconsistent with any other provision of the Omnibus Plan; |
| · | amendments necessary to comply with the provisions of applicable law and the rules of any applicable
stock exchange; |
| · | amendments necessary in order for Awards to qualify for favorable treatment under Section 162(m),
409A or 422 of the Internal Revenue Code, or any successor provisions or under the Income Tax Act (Canada); |
| · | amendments respecting administration of the Omnibus Plan including, without limitation, the method
or manner of exercise of any Award; |
| · | any amendments to the vesting provisions of the Omnibus Plan or any Award; |
| · | any amendments to the early termination provisions of the Omnibus Plan or any Award, whether or
not such Award is held by an insider, provided such amendment does not entail an extension of an Award beyond the original expiry
date; |
| · | any amendments in the termination provisions of the Omnibus Plan or any Award, other than an Award
held by an insider in the case of an amendment extending the term of an Award, provided any such amendment does not entail an extension
of the expiry date of such Award beyond its original expiry date; |
| · | the addition of any form of financial assistance by Westport for the acquisition by all or certain
categories of participants of shares under the Omnibus Plan, and the subsequent amendment of any such provision; |
| · | the addition or modification of a cashless exercise feature, payable in cash or shares, which provides
for a full deduction of the number of underlying shares from the Omnibus Plan reserve; |
| · | adjustments to outstanding Awards in the event of a change of control or similar transaction entered
into by Westport; |
| · | amendments necessary to suspend or terminate the Omnibus Plan; and |
| · | any other amendment, whether fundamental or otherwise, not requiring Shareholder approval under
applicable law or the rules of the stock exchanges. |
Performance Vesting
Conditions for Awards Intended to Qualify as Performance-Based Compensation pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue
Code
Awards granted under the Omnibus Plan may qualify
as "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code in order to preserve U.S. federal
income tax deductions by Westport with respect to annual compensation required to be taken into account under Section 162(m). Such
Awards would be subject to the attainment of pre-established performance goals. Such goals may include, without limitation, elements
that reference the performance by Westport or its subsidiaries, divisions, or its business or geographical units or functions and/or
elements that reflect individual performance. The performance goals for such awards shall be designed to be objective and otherwise
meet the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code and the related regulations. Performance goals may differ
among awards designed to be "performance-based compensation" and among different participants.
A performance goal need not be based upon an
increase or positive result under a business criterion and could include, for example, maintaining the status quo or limiting economic
losses (measured, in each case, by reference to a specific business criterion). To the fullest extent allowed by law, the Omnibus
Plan allows performance goals to be established based on individual goals and performance in addition to or in substitution for
criteria described above, as long as such goals are pre-established and objective and not based on mere continued employment. The
HRC Committee will determine whether the applicable qualifying performance criteria have been achieved.
Unless an adjustment would affect the status
of an award as "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Board of Directors
(or HRC Committee) may appropriately adjust any evaluation of performance under a performance goal to exclude any of the following
events that occurs during a performance period: asset write-downs, litigation or claim judgments or settlements, the effect of
changes in or provisions under tax law, accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results, accruals
for reorganization and restructuring programs and any extraordinary non-recurring items as described in applicable accounting literature
or Westport's management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Corporation's
periodic reports under the Exchange Act for the applicable period.
Term
The Omnibus Plan is effective with respect
to grants of Awards issued before July 15, 2020. The Board of Directors has the power, at any time, to amend, suspend or terminate
the Omnibus Plan, subject to the above-detailed restrictions.
Stock Option Plan
With the adoption of the Omnibus Plan on
July 15, 2010, Westport no longer grants any Options under the Stock Option Plan but Options outstanding under the Stock Option
Plan remain outstanding and unaffected. This discussion is provided for historical reference. Any Options originally granted
under the Stock Option Plan that are cancelled, terminated or expire will not be available for re-grant under the Stock Option
Plan but will not count against the plan limits described above under the Omnibus Plan.
As at December 31, 2014, an aggregate of 32,223
Options were outstanding under the Stock Option Plan, representing approximately 0.05% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares.
The current terms of the Stock Option Plan provide for a rolling maximum percentage of 5.0% of outstanding Common Shares. As at
March 11, 2015, an aggregate of 32,223 Options were outstanding under the Stock Option Plan, representing approximately 0.05% of
the then issued and outstanding Common Shares.
The Stock Option Plan authorizes the Board
of Directors to issue Options to directors, officers, employees, and providers of services to Westport or Westport's subsidiaries.
The number of Common Shares reserved for issuance to Westport insiders cannot exceed 10% of the outstanding Common Shares, and
Common Shares issued to any one insider and such insider's associates (as that term is defined by the Securities Act (Ontario))
within a one-year period cannot exceed 5% of the outstanding Common Shares. Additionally, the number of Common Shares reserved
for issuance to insiders under the Stock Option Plan and any other share compensation arrangement of Westport shall not exceed
10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares. Options issued pursuant to the Stock Option Plan must have an
exercise price not less than the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX on the day prior to the day of grant. The period
during which an Option may be exercised shall be determined by the Board of Directors at the time the Option is granted, subject
to any vesting limitations which may be imposed by the Board of Directors at the time such Option is granted, provided that no
Option granted prior to July 16, 2009 shall be exercisable for a period exceeding eight years from the date the Option is granted
and no Option granted after July 16, 2009 shall be exercisable for a period exceeding five years.
The Options granted under the Stock Option
Plan expire on the earlier of the date of the expiration of the set Option period and 90 days after the date a holder ceases to
hold the position or positions of director, officer, employee, or service provider of Westport or its subsidiaries, as the case
may be (provided that such Option holder has ceased to be a director, officer, employee, or provider of services for a reason other
than cause, death, permanent disability, or normal retirement). In the event of the death or permanent disability of a holder,
any Option previously granted to him or her shall be exercisable until the end of the Option period noted above, or until the expiration
of 12 months after the date of death or permanent disability of such Option holder, whichever is earlier. In the event an optionholder
ceases to be a director, officer, employee, or service provider for cause, any Option previously granted to him or her shall immediately
expire and terminate. If an Option expires during a blackout period imposed by Westport, the expiry date of the Option is extended
for ten business days after the end of the last day of the blackout period. Also, if the Option expires within 10 business days
after the end of the blackout period, the expiry date will be extended to allow for a total of 10 business days after the end of
the last day of the blackout period. For example, if the Option expires four business days after the end of the blackout period,
the expiry date for that Option is extended by an additional six business days. In the event of a sale by Westport of all or substantially
all of its assets or in the event of a change in control of Westport, each holder shall be entitled to exercise, in whole or in
part, the Options granted to such holder, either during the term of the Option or within 90 days after the date of the sale or
change of control, whichever first occurs. Options are non-assignable, although they contain provisions permitting the legal personal
representative of an optionee, for a period of 12 months, to exercise the Option in the event of the death of the optionee. The
Board of Directors may amend or revise the terms of the Stock Option Plan, subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory and Shareholder
approvals.
Shareholder approval is not required for amendments
to the Stock Option Plan, except for any amendment or modification that:
| · | increases the number of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the Stock Option Plan; |
| · | reduces the exercise price of an Option, except for the purpose of maintaining Option value in
connection with a conversion, change, reclassification, redivision, redesignation, subdivision or consolidation of shares or a
reorganization, amalgamation, consolidation, merger, takeover bid or similar transaction involving Westport (for this purpose,
cancellation or termination of an Option prior to its expiry date for the purpose of reissuing Options to the same Option-holder
with a lower exercise price will be considered an amendment to reduce the exercise price of an Option); |
| · | extends the term of an Option beyond the maximum expiry date set out in the Stock Option Plan (except
where an expiry date would have fallen within a blackout period established under Westport's Disclosure Policy); |
| · | extends eligibility to participate in the Stock Option Plan to persons other than officers, directors,
and employees of Westport (or any affiliate) and its consultants (or any affiliates); |
| · | extends the total value of shares which may be granted to a non-executive director under the Stock
Option Plan or any other share compensation arrangement of the Corporation; |
| · | permits Options to be transferred, other than for normal estate settlement purposes or to an RRSP
or similar plan; |
| · | permits awards other than Options to be made under the Stock Option Plan; or |
| · | amends the amendment provisions contained in the Stock Option Plan. |
With the exception of the foregoing amendments,
the Stock Option Plan, as amended, provides that all other amendments to the Stock Option Plan may be made by the Board of Directors
without Shareholder approval. The Stock Option Plan additionally provides that if any eligible participant under the Stock Option
Plan is subject to a requirement that he or she not benefit personally from a grant of Options, the Board of Directors may grant
any Options to which such person would otherwise be entitled to such person's employer or other entity designated by them that
directly or indirectly imposes that requirement on the individual.
Share Unit Plans
As of March 11, 2015, no Common Shares remain
available for issuance in connection with new Share Unit grants under the Share Unit Plan. This discussion is provided for
historical reference. No further equity compensation grants are expected under the Share Unit Plan and all future equity compensation
grants are expected to be issued under the Omnibus Plan, as described above.
As at December 31, 2014, an aggregate of 228,903
Units were outstanding under the Share Unit Plan, representing 0.36% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares. As at March
11, 2015, an aggregate of 228,903 Units were outstanding under the Share Unit Plan, representing 0.36% of the then issued and outstanding
Common Shares.
A Unit granted pursuant to the Share Unit Plan
entitles the holder, subject to the terms and conditions of the plan and the holder's unit agreement, to receive one fully paid
Common Share. The fixed maximum number of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the Share Unit Plan is 2,142,856.
The current terms of the Share Unit Plan provide
that: (i) Units may not be granted to satisfy retainers payable to directors of Westport or in lieu of cash payments; (ii) Units
may not be granted for selected consulting or contract services; and (iii) the number of Common Shares reserved for issuance to
insiders under the Share Unit Plan and all other share compensation arrangements may not exceed 10% of the outstanding Common Shares
and that the number of Common Shares issued to insiders under the Share Unit Plan or any other share compensation arrangement shall
not exceed 10% of the outstanding Common Shares within any one-year period.
The Board of Directors has the discretion to
select the participants to participate in the Share Unit Plan, grant the Units and impose such restrictions, vesting periods and
provisions, and other conditions on the Units as it determines. The Share Unit Plan also stipulates that: (i) the number of Common
Shares issued to any one insider and such insider's associates (as that term is defined by the Securities Act (British Columbia))
under the Share Unit Plan or any other Westport share compensation arrangement, within a one year period, shall not exceed 5% of
the outstanding Common Shares; and (ii) the number of Common Shares that may be issued under the Share Unit Plan to the directors
of Westport (other than directors who are also officers) will not exceed 200,000 Common Shares in the aggregate. The Board of Directors
may amend or revise the terms of the Share Unit Plan, subject to receipt of all necessary approvals, provided that no such amendment
or revision shall materially adversely affect the rights of any participant under the plan.
The Units under the Share Unit Plan expire
on the date of the expiration of the set expiration period as set by the Board of Directors, provided that no Unit shall be exercisable
for a period exceeding ten years from the grant date. If a Unit expires during a blackout period imposed by Westport, the expiry
date of the Unit is extended for ten business days after the end of the last day of the blackout period. Also, if the Unit expires
within 10 business days after the end of the blackout period, the expiry date will be extended to allow for a total of 10 business
days after the end of the last day of the blackout period. For example, if the Unit expires four business days after the end of
the blackout period, the expiry date for that Unit is extended by an additional six business days. Units or any rights or interest
of a holder under the Share Unit Plan may be assigned, encumbered or transferred to the extent that certain rights may pass to
a beneficiary or legal representative upon the death of the holder by will or by the laws of succession and distribution. Units
or any rights or interest of a holder under the Share Unit Plan may also be assigned to the extent permitted by law or the rules
of any applicable stock exchange or regulatory authority.
SECTION 5:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Except as otherwise specified herein, the information
set forth in this Circular is provided as of March 11, 2015.
Additional information relating to Westport
is available through the Internet at www.westport.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The information relating
to Westport at www.westport.com should not be considered incorporated herein by reference. Financial information of Westport
is provided in the comparative financial statements and MD&A of Westport for the most recently completed financial year. Copies
of the financial statements and MD&A of Westport may be obtained from the Vice President, Capital Markets & Communications,
of Westport at 101-1750 West 75th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 6G2 or by facsimile at (604) 718-2001.
DATED effective the 11th day of
March, 2015.
SECTION 6:
SCHEDULES AND ATTACHMENTS
SCHEDULE
"A"
BOARD OF DIRECTORS' CHARTER
The
Charter of the Board of Directors Of Westport Innovations Inc.
Purpose of the Charter
This Charter has been adopted by the Board
of Directors (the “Board”) of Westport Innovations Inc. (“Westport”) to assist the Board
in the exercise of its duties and responsibilities. This Charter, together with the Charters of the Board's committees, the position
descriptions for the CEO, Board Chair, Lead Director, and Committee Chairs, Westport’s By-Laws and Articles, and the various
policies, codes and guidelines adopted by the Board collectively comprise Westport's overall corporate governance framework.
Definitions
Where used in this Charter, the following terms
have the following meanings:
"Executive Management" means
all appointed officers, executive level vice presidents, and select other key vice presidents of Westport.
"Independent Auditor" means
the independent auditor nominated for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work or performing other audit,
review or attest services for Westport.
"Independent Director" means
a Director who meets the independence standards specified under applicable law and the regulations of the relevant stock exchanges
where Westport shares are listed. In 2014, this means Section 1.4 of National Instrument 52-110 of the Canadian Securities Administrators,
Section 311 footnote of the TSX Company Manual, and Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ Stock Market Listing Rules.
Composition of the Board
The Board will consist of a minimum of five
and a maximum of ten members (each, a "Director"), with the actual number decided by the Board from time to time
consistent with the needs of Westport in order to effectively perform the duties of the Board. Directors are elected at
the annual meeting of shareholders and serve a one year term.
The Independent Directors will elect the Board
Chair annually at the first meeting of the Directors after the annual meeting of shareholders. If the Independent Directors select
a Director as Board Chair who is not an Independent Director (which may be for reasons promoting Board effectiveness or to facilitate
Board development or transitions) the Independent Directors in such case will also appoint an Independent Director as the Board's
Lead Director. If so appointed, the Lead Director shall have the powers, duties and responsibilities set forth in Westport’s
position description for the Lead Director, a copy of which is available on Westport’s website.
The Board may manage the
responsibilities, obligations, and procedures set out in this Charter either directly or through committees of the Board. As at
the date hereof, the Board has formed four committees and delegated specific responsibilities to each committee. Those committees
are: Audit, Human Resources and Compensation (HRC), Nominating and Corporate Governance (NCG), and Strategy. Each committee operates
under its own Charter (a copy of which is available on Westport’s website), and has a chairperson responsible for leadership
and overall operation of their respective committee.
Nomination and Election of Directors
Recruiting an appropriate group of people to
act as Directors of a public company is a challenging task. Westport's Board Chair and the NCG Committee work together to determine
the optimum size of the Board and the appropriate mix of business skills, experience, and diversity of the members of the Board
in order to effectively fulfill its mission.
Prospective Directors must have personal and
professional integrity, skills that are relevant to Westport’s business and/or its risk management, significant achievement
in their respective fields of endeavor, sound business judgment, the ability to effectively collaborate and communicate with other
Directors and with management, and be committed to devoting the time and effort needed to perform their duties effectively. To
that end the NCG Committee will annually review Board composition and requirements, individual Director contributions and potential
candidates for election as Westport Directors, and recommend a slate of Directors for election by shareholders.
If a nominated Director fails to achieve a
majority of votes for their appointment in an uncontested election, that nominated Director will immediately submit his or her
resignation to the Board Chair in accordance with Westport’s Majority Voting Policy (a copy of which is available on Westport’s
website). Following receipt of a resignation tendered pursuant to Westport's Majority Voting Policy, the Board Chair shall promptly
advise the NCG Committee and the Board thereof and the NCG Committee shall consider whether or not to accept the offer of resignation
in accordance with the Majority Voting Policy.
Board Independence and
Effectiveness
Westport believes an effective Board means
a Board that maintains a clear distinction between Board oversight functions and the responsibilities and duties of Executive Management.
Although a working culture of trust and collaboration must exist between the Board and Executive Management in order for Westport
to succeed, the Board must exercise its duties and responsibilities in accordance with its own best judgment and its own views
of the long-term interests of Westport and its shareholders. This means that individual Directors must be technically independent
as defined by applicable law and the regulations of the relevant stock exchanges where Westport shares are listed (except for any
non-Independent Directors) but also independent in practice.
To that end, the Board has adopted several
organizational principles:
| · | The Audit Committee Chair, the NCG Committee Chair and the
HRC Committee Chair will only be held by Independent Directors and all members of these committees will be Independent Directors.
|
| · | Executive sessions of Independent Directors excluding management will be held at each meeting
of the Board. These sessions will be led by the Board Chair (or by the Lead Director, if the Chair is not an Independent Director).
|
| · | The Board has also formed an Advisory Board to provide incremental
specialist knowledge and insight from highly qualified individuals who will be available throughout the year to advise the Directors
and management. Advisory Board members will always be independent from management. Advisory Board members are independent consultants
to the Board and not Directors. |
Certain functions shall be the exclusive responsibility
of Independent Directors, consulting closely with the CEO and Board Chair, who will then bring recommendations to the full Board
for approval. These functions include:
| (a) | Revising the Charter of the Board from time to time; |
| (b) | Developing a position description for the Chair of the Board and for the Lead Director (if the
Board Chair is not an Independent Director); and |
| (c) | Developing a position description for the CEO, as well as indicators to measure the CEO’s
performance. |
Board
Leadership
The Board Chair sits at the intersection between
the Board and Executive Management and although the Board Chair is also a Director and shares all of the duties and responsibilities
of any Director, the Board Chair has several unique duties and responsibilities:
| · | He or she will establish an annual calendar with the Board and committee meetings scheduled at
least 12 months in advance. Other meetings will be scheduled by the Board Chair with reasonable notice to all Directors. |
| · | He or she will ensure that preliminary agenda and meeting materials are distributed to all Directors
in advance of each meeting. |
| · | He or she will preside at all meetings of the Board and at meetings of shareholders, or delegate
a substitute Chair if necessary. |
| · | He or she will represent Westport in discussions with third parties, including Westport shareholders
and other stakeholders as well as business partners, suppliers, regulators and professional advisors of all kinds. |
| · | In conjunction with the NCG Chair, he or she is responsible for assessing the overall effectiveness
of the Board and each of its committees and taking appropriate action to improve Board performance. |
| · | The Board Chair will appoint all committee chairs annually. |
If the Board Chair is not an Independent Director,
then there shall be an Independent Director serving as Lead Director who will perform the duties and responsibilities set out in
the Lead Director’s position description. In such a case certain of the above duties and responsibilities will be performed
instead by the Lead Director as indicated in the Lead Director's position description.
Role and Responsibility
of the Board
In general terms, the Board is responsible
for the overall stewardship of Westport and is charged with overseeing the management of the business and affairs of Westport pursuant
to its Bylaws and applicable law and, together with Executive Management, pursuing the creation of long-term shareholder value.
The Board has responsibility for the following
matters:
| (a) | Executive Leadership and Oversight: the Board (excluding the CEO) has the authority to select,
appoint, and, if necessary, terminate the CEO. Implicit in this responsibility is the duty to regularly assess CEO performance
and without interfering in operational matters belonging properly to Executive Management, to take whatever actions required and
appropriate to ensure that Westport is being led by people of integrity, honesty, acumen and good judgment, who are in turn fostering
a culture of ethical business conduct throughout Westport. The Independent Directors have responsibility for producing an annual
CEO performance assessment and this is delivered by the Chair of the HRC Committee to the CEO. The Board also shall be consulted
and provide advice with respect to the appointment by the CEO of other members of Executive Management. The Board is responsible
for CEO succession planning, and for providing oversight with respect to the Executive Management team’s succession plan. |
| (b) | Corporate Communications: the Board has specific responsibilities under applicable laws,
rules and regulations to review and approve Westport's annual financial statements, the related Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Results of Operations (the MD&A), and other public disclosure documents containing material financial information.
The Board will also review and approve annual management information circulars/proxy statements, annual information forms (AIF)/(40-F)
and other material press releases. |
| (c) | Risk Assessment and Internal Controls: the Board needs to regularly satisfy itself that
Executive Management have identified and disclosed to the Board the principal business risks faced by Westport and that there are
appropriate management systems in place to manage those risks. The Board must also satisfy itself that effective management systems
are in place to monitor the integrity of Westport's internal controls and critical information systems. The Audit Committee has
primary responsibility to review and monitor the effectiveness of such systems and to make any recommendations to the Board. |
| (d) | Corporate Governance: effective corporate governance plays an important role in protecting
shareholder rights, helping to maximize shareholder value over time and assisting the creation of a vibrant, dynamic and successful
corporation. The Board is responsible for the overall corporate governance of Westport and for setting its principles and processes
in this regard, and has delegated primary responsibility for this to Westport’s NCG Committee. |
| (e) | Strategic Plan: Westport operates in a fast changing industry with new market opportunities
arising constantly, and the Board needs to be continuously aware of Executive Management's views on the various possible scenarios
for future shareholder value creation. The Board has formed the Strategy Committee, including both members of the Board and Executive
Management, to oversee the strategic planning process and to produce, no less than once a year, an updated and revised Strategic
Plan for Westport. Typically, the updated plan will be reviewed by the Strategy Committee at the July meeting and, after input
and comments, presented to the Board in October for approval. |
| (f) | Annual Operating Plan and Budget: the Board will approve annual capital and operating budgets
consistent with the Strategic Plan, and the CEO will report performance against those operating plans on a quarterly basis. |
| (g) | Financing Activities: the Board will review and approve all material financing activities
whether by way of equity or debt and will satisfy itself that the proposed terms are fair, reasonable in the context of the market
for similar offerings and that the transaction is in the long term best interests of Westport shareholders. |
| (h) | Major Acquisitions and Divestitures: the Board will review and approve all material transactions
to ensure they are consistent with the Strategic Plan, that sufficient independent information is available to assess transaction
value, that sufficient due diligence has been conducted to fairly assess and mitigate the risks, and that the transaction is overall
in the long term best interests of Westport shareholders. |
| (i) | Oversight of Corporate Culture: the Board has a duty to foster and nurture the unique Westport
culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, integrity and discipline that has been the foundation of our long term success. The Board
has delegated primary responsibility for this issue to the HRC Committee. |
| (j) | Executive Compensation: the Board is responsible for establishing and overseeing the operation
of an executive compensation program that aligns Executive Management incentives with the Strategic Plan and the long term interests
of shareholders, and that meets the objectives of attracting, retaining, and motivating skilled and experienced executive leadership.
The Board has delegated to the HRC Committee the primary responsibility for developing and overseeing the operation of the executive
compensation program and in particular to set CEO compensation and make recommendations on Executive Management compensation programs
to the Board. |
Duties of Directors
The fundamental responsibility of Directors
is to promote the long term best interests of Westport and its shareholders generally, and to explicitly not have a duty to individual
shareholders, employees, creditors, or other stakeholders except in exceptional circumstances and with full transparency and disclosure.
All Directors have both fiduciary and statutory
duties and responsibilities defined by law and by good governance practices. Each Director of Westport, in exercising his or her
powers and discharging his or her duties, is required by law to: (i) act honestly and in good faith with a view to the long term
best interests of Westport; and (ii) exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in
comparable circumstances. This document is by no means an exhaustive list of such duties and responsibilities.
Fiduciary duties are those that arise from
the trust and confidence invested in them by shareholders of Westport. The term "fiduciary" implies integrity and undivided
loyalty. For example, Directors must avoid conflicts of interest and even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Directors must
maintain strict confidentiality about all Westport matters. Decisions must be made in good faith and with the long term interests
of Westport and its shareholders in mind.
In order to effectively fulfill their duties,
all Directors need to satisfy themselves that they have sufficient information to enable them to make knowledgeable decisions on
all matters coming before the Board. It is the responsibility of each Director to ask such questions as may be necessary to reach
an informed decision. Directors should be familiar at all times with the complex business and affairs of Westport and have a solid
understanding of the strategic plan and the financial condition of Westport.
Directors are entitled to rely in good faith
on the financial statements of Westport which are represented to them by an officer of Westport or in a written report of the Independent
Auditor of Westport as fairly reflecting the financial condition of Westport, and on opinions or reports of independent professional
advisors.
In order to fulfill their fiduciary duties
to Westport and its shareholders, each Director should: (i) prepare for and attend no less than 80% of the meetings of the Board;
(ii) be sufficiently informed about the current and proposed activities of Westport; (iii) review the minutes of any meeting not
attended as well as any resolutions passed or actions taken; (iv) review the minutes of the previous meeting of the Board to determine
that they accurately represent the discussions that took place and the resolutions that were passed; and (v) be especially attentive
to specific aspects of Westport’s activities according to their own experience and occupation.
Conflicts of Interest
A Director who is a party to a material contract
or proposed material contract with Westport, or who is a Director or officer of or has a material interest in any person who is
a party to a material contract or proposed material contract with Westport, must disclose this interest in writing to the Board
Chair at or before any meeting of the Board where this issue is considered by the other Directors. The nature and intent of this
conflicting interest will be noted in the minutes of the meeting.
If the Director acquires an interest after
a contract is made, he or she must disclose their interest at the first meeting of the Board after they became so interested. If
a person who has an interest in a contract later becomes a Director of Westport, they must disclose their interest at the first
meeting of the Board after they became a Director.
Where a proposed contract is addressed by a
written resolution signed by all Directors in lieu of a meeting of the Board, the disclosure must be made immediately upon receipt
of the resolution or, if the Director had no interest at the time of receipt of the resolution, at the first meeting of the Board
after he or she acquired the interest.
A Director who discloses a conflict of interest
must refrain from taking part in any discussions or voting on any resolution to approve the contract, unless the contract is:
| (a) | An arrangement by way of security for money loaned to or obligations
undertaken by that Director, or by a body corporate in which that Director has an interest, for the benefit of Westport or an affiliate;
|
| (b) | A contract relating primarily to a Director’s remuneration
as a Director, officer, employee or agent of Westport or an affiliate; |
| (c) | A contract for indemnity or insurance with respect to a Director
or officer of Westport, a former Director or officer of Westport or a person who acts or acted at Westport’s request as a
Director or officer of a body corporate of which Westport is or was a shareholder or creditor; |
| (d) | A contract with an affiliate of Westport, provided, however, that
Directors who serve on Boards of affiliated corporations are not prohibited from voting on contracts between the two corporations. |
Any profits or gains realized by a Director
as a result of their privileged position on the Board must be reimbursed to Westport, except in the case of gains resulting from
contracts with respect to which that Director has complied with the obligation to disclose his or her interest and refrained from
voting.
Corporate opportunity
Directors are precluded from obtaining for
themselves or diverting to another person or corporation with whom or with which they are associated, without the approval of the
Board, any property or business advantage either belonging to Westport or for which it has been negotiating.
Each Director is also precluded from so acting
even after their resignation where the resignation may fairly be said to have been prompted or influenced by a wish to acquire
for themselves the opportunity sought by Westport, or where it was their position with Westport that led to the opportunity.
A Director may not use his or her position
as a Director to make a profit on any transaction even if it was not open to Westport to participate in the transaction.
Duty of Independence
A Director must act strictly in the best interests
of Westport and its shareholders generally and not in the interest of any one shareholder or group of shareholders. In determining
whether a particular transaction or course of action is in the best interests of Westport, a Director, if he or she is elected
or appointed by holders of a class or series of shares, may give special, but not exclusive, consideration to the interests of
those who elected or appointed them subject to compliance with their general fiduciary duties.
Duty of Confidentiality
Directors of Westport have an obligation to
maintain the confidentiality of all matters discussed at meetings of the Board unless:
| (a) | It was clearly understood at the Board meeting that the information was not required to be kept
in confidence; |
| (b) | The Director was required or authorized by law to disclose the information; |
| (c) | The Director was authorized expressly or implicitly by the Board to make disclosure of the information;
or |
| (d) | The information was previously disclosed publicly. |
Duty not to Misuse
Information or Position
Directors must not misuse their position or
make improper use of information acquired by virtue of their position to gain, directly or indirectly, an advantage for themselves
or any other person or to cause detriment to Westport. Directors are insiders of Westport and, as such, must not use any information
to trade in securities or to assist others to trade in securities before the information is available to the public.
Securities Trading
and Insider reporting
Directors are required to comply with Westport's
Trading Policy (including the blackout periods instituted under that policy) and all applicable laws, and to report to the appropriate
regulatory authorities, and to Westport’s Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications, any changes in their direct
or indirect beneficial ownership of or control or direction over securities of Westport within five days of the change.
Access to Management
Directors will gain regular exposure to members
of Executive Management at both formal Board meetings and in more informal settings such as Board dinners and strategic retreats.
Any Director may, should they desire, consult with any member of management on an as-needed basis if they deem such a meeting or
conversation necessary in carrying out their responsibilities and duties as Directors. Without restricting this right in any way,
Directors will ensure that they will not interfere with or usurp management responsibility and authority. If a Director feels a
decision or action taken by management is incorrect, the appropriate channel for discussion and debate is through the Board Chair,
or Lead Director, and the CEO.
An Effective Corporate Secretary
A Corporate Secretary who has a position description
approved by the Board, or a designated secretary of Board meetings performing substantively the same functions, shall support the
Board in its work. The Corporate Secretary shall report to the Chair of the Board. The Chair shall approve the appointment of the
Corporate Secretary and evaluate his or her performance.
Retaining of Professional
Advisors
The Board Chair or Lead Director
may, in his or her discretion, retain professional advisors to provide services to the Board or a committee, at the expense of
Westport, for the purpose of advising the Board or a committee in the execution of its responsibilities and duties.
Financial Statements
The Board has a duty to approve the annual
financial statements of Westport and to submit the financial statements of Westport, and the Independent Auditors’ report
thereon, for the preceding year to the shareholders at the annual general meeting of the shareholders of Westport.
The Audit Committee has primary responsibility
with respect to the review of Westport’s quarterly and annual financial statements, including the responsibility for ensuring
that all financial disclosures are in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, provided that the Board as a whole shall
in all cases approve the annual financial statements of Westport.
A Director is required to forthwith notify
both the Audit Committee and Westport’s Independent Auditors of any error or misstatement of which he or she became aware
in the audited financial statements of Westport. The Board has a duty to cause the preparation and issuance of corrected financial
statements on being informed of an error or misstatement by an auditor or former auditor and the duty to file these statements
with or inform the appropriate regulatory authorities.
On demand from Westport’s Independent
Auditors, each present and former Director of Westport has a duty to furnish to Westport’s Independent Auditors any information
and explanations and allow access to any books, records, documents, accounts or vouchers of Westport or its subsidiaries that he
or she is reasonably able to furnish and which Westport’s Independent Auditors consider necessary to enable them to report
on the annual financial statements.
Shareholder Meetings
The Board is required to call the annual general
meeting of the shareholders within the periods required by applicable law and the applicable rules of the TSX and NASDAQ stock
exchanges and may, at any time, call a special meeting of shareholders. The Board has a duty to call a special meeting of the shareholders
to approve any matter that requires the approval of shareholders by special resolution.
Director Compensation
The HRC Committee shall recommend for discussion
and Board approval levels and forms of compensation for Directors, and shall work to ensure that such compensation realistically
reflects the responsibilities and risk in being an effective Westport Director. In establishing such compensation the HRC Committee
will consider the following objectives:
| · | Directors should be competitively compensated in relation to Directors of companies of similar
size, complexity, geographic scope and other relevant measures |
| · | Director compensation should align the interests of Independent Directors with those of Westport
shareholders by including a long term equity component, noting that the Board has adopted a compensation policy that excludes stock
options for Directors |
| · | Compensation should recognize the extra work and responsibility taken on by Committee Chairs and
members of committees |
| · | Compensation should recognize the significant workload and responsibility of the Board Chair |
Notwithstanding any of the above, Directors
who are also members of management or who are otherwise compensated by Westport will not receive additional compensation for serving
on the Board in any capacity.
Westport will reimburse Directors for all reasonable
expenses incurred in attending meetings or otherwise acting on Westport business, pursuant to Westport's Expense Reimbursement
Policy.
Directors’ Shareholdings
In an effort to better align the interests
of the Director with the common shareholders of Westport, each non-employee Director is required to hold a minimum of three times
their cash annual retainer in Westport common shares or share units, to be acquired within a five year period, such period commencing
on the date that the Director was initially elected to the Board.
Loans and Other Financial Transactions With
Directors and Executive Management
Westport shall be prohibited from making any
loans to any of its Directors or officers. For clarity, this prohibition is not meant to cover incidental instances where a Director
or officer may be in a position requiring repayment of expenses or taxes in the normal course of business.
Westport has adopted an Anti-Hedging Policy
that prohibits Executive Management and Directors from personally trading in Westport derivatives including hedging and monetization
schemes involving Westport shares. Directors shall comply at all times with Westport's Anti-Hedging Policy.
Other Board Memberships
Unless approved by the NCG Chair:
| · | the CEO is prohibited from accepting directorships of another public company; |
| · | Directors will not sit on the Boards of more than four public companies; |
| · | three or more Westport Directors are prohibited from sitting on another public company’s
board of directors together; and |
| · | No member of Executive Management may accept a directorship of another public company. |
The CEO will also not accept a position on
the board of a company whose CEO is a Westport Director.
Annual Review of Charter
The Board shall annually review this Charter
to ensure it is up to date, sufficient for assisting the Board in the exercise of its responsibilities, and consistent with the
latest and best corporate governance practices.
Exhibit 99.2
Exhibit 99.3
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