UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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3151 Briarpark Drive
Suite 700
Houston, Texas 77042
Notice of 2021
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
And Proxy Statement
3151 Briarpark Drive
Suite 700
Houston, Texas 77042
June 21, 2021
Dear Fellow Stockholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Meeting”) of Bristow Group Inc. (the “Company”), which will be held exclusively via a live audio webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. (Central Daylight Time). All holders of record of the Company’s outstanding common stock at the close of business on June 7, 2021, will be entitled to vote at the Meeting.
At the Meeting, we will ask you (i) to elect nine directors to serve until the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders; (ii) to approve, on an advisory basis, named executive officer compensation; (iii) to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan; and (iv) to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022.
Regardless of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock that you own, you are encouraged to read the accompanying Proxy Statement and our Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report carefully. Please review the proxy card for instructions on how you can vote your shares of common stock over the Internet, by telephone, by mail or by attending the Meeting online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 using your 16-digit control number and voting your shares electronically on August 3, 2021. It is important that all holders of our common stock participate in the affairs of the Company. The prompt return of proxy cards will ensure the presence of a quorum.
We look forward to your participation in the Meeting.
Sincerely,
Christopher S. Bradshaw
President and Chief Executive Officer
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| | 3151 Briarpark Drive | Suite 700 | Houston, Texas 77042 | |
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Notice of 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
DATE AUGUST 3, 2021
TIME 9:00 A.M. CDT
VIA WEBCAST WWW.VIRTUALSHAREHOLDER MEETING.COM/VTOL2021 | | TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS | |
| June 21, 2021 | |
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| The 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Meeting”) of Bristow Group Inc. (the “Company”) will be held exclusively via a live audio webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. (Central Daylight Time) for the following purposes: |
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| 1. | To elect nine directors named in the accompanying Proxy Statement to serve until the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until his or her successor is duly qualified and elected; | |
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| 2. | To hold an advisory vote to approve named executive officer compensation; | |
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| 3. | To consider and vote upon a proposal to approve the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan; | |
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| 4. | To ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022; and | |
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| 5. | To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. | |
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| | Only holders of record of the Company’s common stock at the close of business on June 7, 2021 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting. See the “Solicitation of Proxies, Voting and Revocation” section of the accompanying Proxy Statement for the place where the list of stockholders may be examined. We are furnishing proxy materials to our stockholders using the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rule that allows companies to furnish their proxy materials over the Internet. As a result, on June 21, 2021, we are mailing to many of our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (“Notice”) instead of a paper copy of the accompanying Proxy Statement and our Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report. The Notice contains instructions on how to access the accompanying Proxy |
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FOR SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS Please refer to the section entitled “Questions and Answers About Voting Your Shares” beginning on page 1 | | Statement and our Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report over the Internet. The Notice also provides instructions on how you can request a paper copy of our proxy materials, including the accompanying Proxy Statement, our Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report and a form of our proxy card. We believe that posting these materials on the Internet enables us to provide stockholders with the information that they need more quickly, while lowering our costs of printing and delivery and reducing the environmental impact of the Meeting. All stockholders who do not receive a Notice, including the stockholders who have previously requested to receive paper copies of our proxy materials, will receive a paper copy of our proxy materials by mail unless these stockholders have previously requested delivery of our proxy materials electronically. If you received our proxy materials via e-mail in accordance with your previous request, the e-mail contains voting instructions and links to the accompanying Proxy Statement and our Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report on the Internet. Only stockholders of record and beneficial owners will be able to virtually attend and vote their shares of the Company’s common stock electronically at the Meeting. Submitting a vote before the Meeting will not preclude you from voting your shares electronically at the Meeting should you decide to virtually attend. For specific instructions on how to participate in and vote your shares at the Meeting, please refer to the section entitled “Questions and Answers About Voting Your Shares” beginning on page 1 of the accompanying Proxy Statement. By order of our Board of Directors Crystal L. Gordon Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary |
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| | | YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT! WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE VOTE BY PROXY OVER THE INTERNET, OR, IF YOU RECEIVED PAPER COPIES OF OUR PROXY MATERIALS BY MAIL, YOU CAN VOTE BY MAIL, TELEPHONE OR INTERNET BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROXY CARD, WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO VIRTUALLY ATTEND THE MEETING, SO THAT YOUR SHARES OF THE COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK MAY BE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO VIRTUALLY ATTEND AND VOTE ELECTRONICALLY. | |
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PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY
This summary highlights certain information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you may wish to consider prior to voting. Please review the entire Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report”) for more detailed information.
2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Meeting”)
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| Meeting Details DATE August 3, 2021 TIME 9:00 a.m. CDT VIA WEBCAST www.virtualshareholder meeting.com/VTOL2021 | | | VOTING ELIGIBILITY Only stockholders as of the close of business on June 7, 2021 (the “Record Date”) are eligible to vote at the Meeting or by proxy and each such stockholder shall have one vote for each share of common stock held on the Record Date. |
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| | | VOTING METHODS |
| | | BEFORE THE MEETING |
| | | | BY INTERNET Go to www.proxyvote.com for voting instructions or scan the QR code on your Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials or proxy card with your smartphone, then cast your vote electronically by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on August 2, 2021. |
| | | | BY TELEPHONE You may call 1-800-690-6903 on a touch-tone telephone and follow the instructions provided by the recorded message to vote your shares by telephone by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on August 2, 2021. |
| | | | BY MAIL You may promptly mail your completed and executed proxy card in the postage-paid envelope, which must be received by the Company on or prior to August 2, 2021. |
| | | DURING THE MEETING |
| | | | VIRTUAL MEETING Go to www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 and follow the posted instructions. You will need the 16-digit control number included on your Notice of Internet Availability, your proxy card or the voting instructions that accompany your proxy materials. |
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Business of the Meeting
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Proposals | Board Vote Recommendation | See Page Number for more information |
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1 | Election of Directors | FOR each nominee | 20 |
2 | Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation | FOR | 66 |
3 | Approval of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan | FOR | 67 |
4 | Ratification of the Company’s Independent Auditors | FOR | 75 |
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Bristow Group Inc. | i | 2021 Proxy Statement |
Our Director Nominees
You are being asked to vote on the election of these nine directors. Additional information about each director’s background, skills and experience can be found on pages 21 to 25 of this Proxy Statement.
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Name | Age | Director Since | Independent | Committee Membership and Chairpersons |
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G. Mark Mickelson | 55 | 2020 | ü | Chairman of the Board of Directors |
Christopher S. Bradshaw | 44 | 2015 | | |
Lorin L. Brass | 67 | 2020 | ü | Compensation Nominating and Corporate Governance |
Charles Fabrikant | 76 | 2011 | ü | Audit |
Wesley E. Kern | 54 | 2020 | ü | Compensation (Chair) Audit |
Robert J. Manzo | 63 | 2020 | ü | Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair) |
General Maryanne Miller, Ret. | 62 | 2021 | ü | |
Christopher Pucillo | 53 | 2020 | ü | Compensation Nominating and Corporate Governance |
Brian D. Truelove | 62 | 2020 | ü | Audit (Chair) Nominating and Corporate Governance |
Advisory Approval of Named Executive Officer Compensation
On June 11, 2020, we closed the merger (the “Merger”) involving Bristow Group Inc. and Era Group Inc. (“Era”), forming a larger, more diverse and financially stronger global leader in vertical flight solutions. As a result of the Merger, the newly appointed members of the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors (our “Board”) had the opportunity to evaluate and develop a new compensation philosophy and design for the combined company. The new compensation philosophy and design described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” of this Proxy Statement (the “CD&A”) is an outcome of the evaluation process undertaken by the Compensation Committee following the Merger.
In designing the new executive compensation program for the combined company, the following enhancements were made to better align with pay for performance and stockholder interests:
•Modified the long-term incentive program for our Named Executive Officers to introduce performance-based stock units and, for fiscal year 2021, stock options.
•Aligned the fiscal year 2021 long-term incentive program for our Named Executive Officers (as defined in the CD&A) with the interests of stockholders through the award of stock options and performance-based stock units tied to stock appreciation over a 3-year performance period. The Compensation Committee does not intend for stock appreciation to be the exclusive performance metric for the long-term incentive compensation program; however, given the timing of the Merger, the Compensation Committee believed this was the most appropriate performance metric to align with stockholders at that time. Beginning in fiscal year 2022, the long-term incentive
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Bristow Group Inc. | ii | 2021 Proxy Statement |
program will include 50% time-based restricted stock units and 50% performance-based stock units tied to achievement of both an absolute financial metric and relative total stockholder return.
•Increased the weighting of the financial performance metric in the short-term annual incentive program for fiscal year 2021 (the “FY21 STIP”) from 40% at Era to 50%.
•Established a minimum Adjusted EBITDA performance level for the financial performance metric that must be achieved prior to the payment of any amounts under the individual strategic goals portion of the FY21 STIP. Payment of any amounts for the individual strategic goals portion of the FY21 STIP were funded only if the Company achieved 92% of the Threshold performance level for Adjusted EBITDA. See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of the financial performance metric.
Set forth below are other executive compensation best practices that guide the design of our executive compensation program.
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ü WHAT WE DO | ü | Regularly engage with large stockholders to discuss matters of interest. |
ü | Pay for performance. Place a heavy emphasis on variable pay with approximately 83% of our Chief Executive Officer’s target direct compensation contingent upon financial and operational performance and growth in long-term stockholder value. |
ü | Use performance-based long-term incentive awards compensation through performance-based stock units and stock options for which value is contingent upon stock price performance relative to grant date. |
ü | Annual review of target compensation levels relative to an appropriate set of peers. |
ü | Reinforce the alignment of stockholders and our executives and directors by requiring significant levels of stock ownership. |
ü | Ensure accountability and manage risk through a robust financial restatement clawback policy applicable to our executive officers, limits on maximum annual cash incentive award opportunities and ongoing risk assessments of our program. |
ü | Use relative and absolute performance metrics to determine the payment of future performance awards under the Company’s long-term incentive awards. |
ü | The Compensation Committee is comprised of independent directors and has the ability to engage the services of an independent compensation consultant and outside counsel. |
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X WHAT WE DON’T DO | X | No employment agreements with any of our executive officers. |
X | No pledging (unless our General Counsel consents to the pledge) or hedging of our company stock, and no repricing stock options. |
X | No excise tax gross-ups. |
X | No significant perquisites. |
X | No guarantee of bonuses. |
2021 Equity Incentive Plan
On June 1, 2021, our Board approved the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”), subject to approval by stockholders at the Meeting. The LTIP is intended to replace the Era Group Inc. 2012 Share Incentive Plan (the “2012 Incentive Plan”), under which the authorization to grant awards is set to expire in 2022. The LTIP will also replace the Bristow Group Inc. 2019 Management Incentive Plan (the “2019 Incentive Plan”), which we assumed in connection with the Merger.
If approved by our stockholders, the LTIP would reserve a maximum of 1,640,000 shares for new equity awards, and the authorization for grants of new equity awards under our current equity plans would cease. The terms of the LTIP also provide that if we grant equity awards under our current equity plans between June 1, 2021 and the date of the Meeting,
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Bristow Group Inc. | iii | 2021 Proxy Statement |
the number of shares reserved under the LTIP will be reduced share-for-share by the number of shares subject to such awards.
If our stockholders should fail to approve the LTIP, it will not become effective and our current equity plans will continue in force and effect, and certain equity awards granted by our Board on June 1, 2021 that are contingent on stockholder approval of the LTIP will be cancelled.
Our Independent Auditors
The Audit Committee of our Board has determined that the accounting firm of KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) is independent from the Company and appointed KPMG as the Company’s independent auditors for fiscal year 2022. Our Board recommends a vote for the ratification of the appointment of KPMG, which conducted the examination of the Company’s financial statements for each of the past nineteen fiscal years. KPMG’s total fees for fiscal years 2021 and 2020 were $6.7 million and $8.3 million, respectively, which included approximately $0.3 million (or 4.5%) and $0.8 million (or 9.6%) of non-audit services in fiscal year 2021 and 2020, respectively, that were authorized by the Audit Committee in compliance with our pre-approval policies and procedures.
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Bristow Group Inc. | iv | 2021 Proxy Statement |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION | | |
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION
Information About this Proxy Statement and the Meeting
This Proxy Statement and the enclosed proxy card are being furnished to holders of record of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”), of Bristow Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “we”, “us” or “our”), in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) for use at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Meeting”) to be held on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, and at any adjournment or postponements thereof. When the Company asks for your proxy, we must provide you with a proxy statement that contains certain information specified by law. This Proxy Statement and the enclosed proxy card were made available to our stockholders on or about June 21, 2021. All proxies in the form provided by the Company that are properly executed and returned to us prior to the Meeting will be voted at the Meeting, and any adjournments or postponements thereof, as specified by the stockholders in the proxy or, if not specified, as set forth in this Proxy Statement.
On January 23, 2020, Era Group Inc. (“Era”), Ruby Redux Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Era (“Merger Sub”) and Bristow Group Inc. (“Old Bristow”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, as amended on April 22, 2020 (the “Merger Agreement”). On June 11, 2020, the merger (the “Merger”) contemplated by the Merger Agreement was consummated and Merger Sub merged with and into Old Bristow, with Old Bristow continuing as the surviving corporation. Following the Merger, Era changed its name to Bristow Group Inc., and Old Bristow changed its name to Bristow Holdings U.S. Inc. Unless the context otherwise indicates, in this Proxy Statement, references to:
•the “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the Delaware corporation currently known as Bristow Group Inc. and formerly known as Era Group Inc.;
•“Old Bristow” refers to the Delaware corporation formerly known as Bristow Group Inc. and now known as Bristow Holdings U.S. Inc., together with its subsidiaries prior to the consummation of the Merger; and
•“Era” refers to Era Group Inc. (the Delaware corporation currently known as Bristow Group Inc.) prior to consummation of the Merger.
Questions and Answers About Voting Your Shares
Why am I receiving these materials?
The Board is providing these materials to you in connection with the Board’s solicitation of proxies from our stockholders for the Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. The Meeting will be online and will be a completely virtual meeting of stockholders. You may attend, vote and submit questions during the Meeting via live audio webcast on the Internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021, on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. (Central Daylight Time). On or about June 21, 2021, we made available to our stockholders proxy materials or an Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials (which we refer to as a “Notice”), containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials, including this Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report”), and how to vote your shares.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 1 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION | | |
What is the purpose of the Meeting?
At the Meeting, you and our other stockholders entitled to vote at the Meeting will be asked to consider and vote on the following proposals:
1To elect nine directors named in this Proxy Statement to serve until the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until his or her successor is duly qualified and elected or until his or her earlier resignation or removal;
2To approve, on an advisory basis, named executive officer compensation;
3To approve the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”);
4To ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022; and
5To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.
Will there be any other items of business on the agenda?
We do not expect that any other items of business will be considered because the deadlines for stockholder proposals and nominations have already passed. Nonetheless, in case there is an unforeseen need, the accompanying proxy gives discretionary authority to the persons named on the proxy with respect to any other matters that might be brought before the Meeting. Those persons intend to vote that proxy in accordance with their best judgment.
Who can attend the Meeting?
Only stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 7, 2021 (the “Record Date”) or the holders of their properly submitted valid proxies may attend the Meeting virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021. A list of the Company’s stockholders entitled to vote at the Meeting will be available for review during ordinary business hours for ten days prior to the Meeting, and information on how to remotely access a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Meeting in secure electronic format will be available online on the day of the Meeting.
How do I attend the Meeting?
The Meeting will be held solely by means of remote communication in a virtual meeting format only. If you are a stockholder of record as of the close of business on the Record Date, you will be able to virtually attend the Meeting, vote your shares and submit your questions online during the Meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 and following the login instructions below. If you hold your shares in “street name” (a term that means the shares are held in the name of another party on behalf of its customer, the beneficial owner), you may gain access to the Meeting by following the instructions in the voting instruction card provided by your broker, bank or other nominee holder.
How do I access the audio webcast of the Meeting?
The online meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. (Central Daylight Time). The Company encourages you to access the Meeting prior to the start time. Online access to the audio webcast will open approximately thirty minutes prior to the start of the Meeting to allow time for you to log in and test your computer audio system, and you should allow ample time for the check-in procedures. To virtually attend the Meeting, log in at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021. It is important that you retain a copy of your unique 16-digit control number, which appears on your Notice, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials, as such number will be required to gain access to and vote during the Meeting. In the event that you do not have a control number, please contact your broker, bank or other nominee holder as soon as possible so that you can be provided with the control number and gain access to the Meeting. If, for any reason, you are unable to locate your control number, you will still be able to virtually attend the Meeting as a guest by accessing www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 and following the guest login instructions; you will not, however, be able to vote or ask questions.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 2 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION | | |
How do I submit a question at the Meeting?
As part of the Meeting, we will hold a live question and answer session, during which time we intend to answer questions submitted during the Meeting in accordance with the rules of conduct for the Meeting that are pertinent to the Company and meeting matters, as time permits. Questions and answers will be grouped by topic and substantially similar questions will be grouped and answered once. The rules of conduct for the Meeting will be posted on www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 before and during the Meeting. Only stockholders who log in using their unique 16-digit control number, which appears on your Notice, on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials, will be able to ask questions at the Meeting.
Why are you holding a virtual meeting instead of a physical meeting?
The Meeting will be a completely virtual meeting of stockholders conducted exclusively by a live audio webcast due to the ongoing public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision was made in light of the protocols that federal, state, and local governments have imposed or may impose and taking into account the health and safety of our stockholders. In addition, a completely virtual meeting provides expanded access, improved communication and cost savings for stockholders and the Company. We believe that hosting a virtual meeting will enable more stockholders to attend and participate in the Meeting as stockholders can participate from any location around the world with Internet access.
What constitutes a quorum?
The presence at the Meeting virtually or by proxy of the holders of a majority in voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote at the Meeting is required to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Abstentions and broker non-votes (i.e., shares with respect to which a broker indicates that it does not have discretionary authority to vote on a matter) will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the Meeting.
Who is entitled to vote at the Meeting?
Subject to the limitations on voting by non-U.S. citizens described below, only holders of record of Common Stock at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Meeting. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held. Shares of Common Stock represented virtually or by a properly submitted proxy will be voted at the Meeting. On the Record Date, 29,612,597 shares of Common Stock were outstanding and entitled to vote.
The Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws (our “Bylaws”) provide that persons or entities that are not “citizens of the U.S.” ( as defined in 49 U.S.C. § 40102(a)(1), as in effect on the date in question, or any successor statute or regulation, as interpreted by the U.S. Department of Transportation and any successor agency thereto in applicable precedent, including any agent, trustee or representative thereof) shall not collectively own or control more than 24.9% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock (the “Permitted Foreign Ownership Percentage”) and that, if at any time persons that are not citizens of the U.S. nevertheless collectively own or control more than the Permitted Foreign Ownership Percentage, the voting rights of shares owned by stockholders who are not citizens of the U.S. shall automatically be reduced by such amount such that the total number of votes such holder shall be entitled to vote does not exceed the Permitted Foreign Ownership Percentage. Shares held by persons who are not citizens of the U.S. may lose their associated voting rights and be redeemed as a result of these provisions.
Will other stockholders see my vote?
As a matter of policy, proxy cards, ballots and voting tabulations that identify individual stockholders are kept confidential by the Company. Such documents are made available only to the inspector of election and personnel associated with processing proxies and tabulating votes at the Meeting. The votes of individual stockholders will not be disclosed except as may be required by applicable law.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 3 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION | | |
What is the difference between a stockholder of record and a “street name” holder?
If your shares are registered directly in your name with the Company’s transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, then you are a stockholder of record with respect to those shares.
If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank, or other nominee holder, then the broker, bank or other nominee holder is the stockholder of record with respect to those shares. However, you still are the beneficial owner of those shares, and your shares are said to be held in “street name.” Street name holders generally cannot vote their shares directly and must instead instruct the broker, bank, or other nominee holder how to vote their shares. Street name holders are also invited to virtually attend the Meeting. You may not vote your shares electronically at the Meeting unless you receive a valid proxy from your brokerage firm, bank, broker dealer or other nominee holder. Please refer to the voter instruction cards used by your bank, broker or other nominee holder for specific instructions on methods of voting, including using the Internet or by telephone.
How many votes are required for the approval of each proposal?
Election of Directors: Directors are elected by a plurality of the shares of Common Stock present virtually or represented by proxy at the Meeting and voting on the matter. However, each nominee who is a current director of the Company is required to submit an irrevocable resignation as a director, which resignation would become effective upon (1) that person not receiving a majority of the votes cast in favor of his or her election in an uncontested election (i.e., the number of votes “for” such director’s election constitutes less than the number of votes “withheld” with respect to such director’s election) and (2) acceptance by the Board of that resignation in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted by the Board for such purpose. The Company’s stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights for the election of directors.
Votes Required to Adopt Other Proposals: The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of Common Stock present virtually or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting and voting on the subject matter is required for approval of all other proposals being submitted to stockholders for consideration.
How are abstentions and “broker non-votes” counted?
Abstentions will not affect the outcome of the election of directors. For matters other than the election of directors, stockholders may vote in favor of or against the proposal, or may abstain from voting, and the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of Common Stock present virtually or by proxy and voting on the subject matter is required for approval of those matters. Abstentions will have no effect on any of the proposals, except that abstentions will have the same effect as votes against the proposal to approve the LTIP.
“Broker non-votes” will have no effect on any of the proposals. A “broker non-vote” occurs when a bank, broker or other holder of record holding shares in “street name” for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because it does not have discretionary voting power for that particular item and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner. “Broker non-votes” may only be voted for routine matters. The only routine matters to be brought before the stockholders at the Meeting are (i) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 and (ii) the adjournment or postponement of the Meeting. If your shares are held in “street name” by a broker and you wish to vote on any non-routine business that may properly come before the Meeting, you should provide instructions to your broker. Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), if you do not provide your broker with instructions, your broker generally will have the authority to vote on routine matters. Broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the Meeting, but they are not counted for purposes of calculating the votes cast on particular matters at the Meeting.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 4 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION | | |
How does the Board recommend that I vote?
The Board recommends that you vote:
•FOR the election of each nominee for director contained in this Proxy Statement (Proposal 1);
•FOR approval of the Company’s named executive officer compensation (Proposal 2);
•FOR approval of the LTIP (Proposal 3); and
•FOR ratification of the appointment of KPMG as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 (Proposal 4).
Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding Internet availability of the proxy materials instead of a paper copy of the proxy materials?
We are pleased to be distributing our proxy materials again to certain stockholders via the Internet under the “notice and access” approach permitted by the rules of the SEC. As a result, we are mailing to many of our stockholders a Notice about the Internet availability of the proxy materials instead of a full paper copy of the proxy materials. This approach conserves natural resources and reduces our costs of printing and distributing the proxy materials, while providing a convenient method of accessing the materials and voting. All stockholders receiving the Notice will have the ability to access the proxy materials over the Internet and may request to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a paper copy may be found in the Notice. In addition, the Notice contains instructions on how you may request to access proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically on an ongoing basis.
How do I vote?
You may vote virtually at the Meeting online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 by using the 16-digit control number included with these proxy materials, or you may give us your proxy. We recommend that you vote by proxy even if you plan to virtually attend the Meeting. As described below, you can revoke your proxy or change your vote at the Meeting. You can vote by proxy over the telephone by calling a toll-free number, electronically by using the Internet or through the mail as described below. If you would like to vote by telephone or by using the Internet, please refer to the specific instructions set forth on the Notice, proxy card or voting instruction card. Stockholders are requested to vote in one of the following ways:
•by telephone by calling 1-800-690-6903 from any touch-tone phone and following the instructions (have your proxy card in hand when you call);
•by Internet before the Meeting by accessing www.proxyvote.com and following the on-screen instructions or scanning the QR code with your smartphone (you will need the 16-digit control number included with these proxy materials);
•during the Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VTOL2021 (please see above under “How can I attend the Meeting?”); or
•by completing, dating, signing, and promptly returning the accompanying proxy card, in the enclosed postage-paid, pre-addressed envelope provided for such purpose. No postage is necessary if the proxy card is mailed in the United States.
If you hold your shares through a bank, broker or other nominee holder, such entity/person will give you separate instructions for voting your shares.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 5 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION | | |
What does it mean if I receive more than one proxy card?
If you receive more than one proxy card, it means that you hold shares registered in more than one name or in different accounts. To ensure that all of your shares are voted, please vote by proxy by following instructions provided in each proxy card. If some of your shares are held in “street name”, you should have received voting instruction with these materials from your broker, bank or other nominee holder. Please follow the voting instruction provided to ensure that your vote is counted.
Can I change my vote after I return my proxy card?
Yes. A stockholder who so desires may revoke his, her, or its proxy at any time before it is exercised at the Meeting by: (i) providing written notice to the Corporate Secretary of the Company; (ii) duly executing a proxy card bearing a date subsequent to that of a previously furnished proxy card; (iii) entering new instructions by Internet or telephone; or (iv) virtually attending the Meeting and voting. Virtual attendance at the Meeting will not in itself constitute a revocation of a previously furnished proxy, and stockholders who attend the Meeting virtually need not revoke their proxy (if previously furnished) to vote electronically. We encourage stockholders that plan to virtually attend the Meeting to vote by telephone or Internet or to submit a valid proxy card and vote their shares prior to the Meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name” and want to revoke your proxy, you will need to provide instructions to your broker.
What happens if I do not make specific voting choices?
If you are a stockholder of record and you submit your proxy without specifying how you want to vote your shares, then the proxy holder will vote your shares in the manner recommended by the Board on all proposals. If you hold your shares in “street name” and you do not give instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee holder to vote your shares, under the rules that govern brokers, banks, and other nominee holders who are the stockholders of record of the shares held in “street name”, it generally has the discretion to vote uninstructed shares on routine matters but has no discretion to vote them on non-routine matters. The only “routine” matters expected to be brought before the stockholders at the Meeting are (i) the appointment of KPMG as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 and (ii) the adjournment or postponement of the Meeting. See “How are abstentions and broker non-votes counted?” beginning on page 4.
Where can I find the voting results of the Meeting?
The Company plans to announce preliminary voting results at the Meeting and to publish the final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K promptly following the Meeting.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Meeting
Your Notice about the Internet availability of the proxy materials or proxy card will contain instructions on how to:
•View our proxy materials for the Meeting on the Internet; and
•Instruct us to send our future proxy materials to you electronically by e-mail.
Our proxy materials and our Annual Report are also available on our website at www.bristowgroup.com. In addition, you may find information on how to obtain directions to virtually attend the Meeting and vote electronically by submitting a query via e-mail to InvestorRelations@bristowgroup.com.
Your Notice or proxy card will contain instructions on how you may request to access proxy materials electronically on an ongoing basis. Choosing to access your future proxy materials electronically will reduce the costs of printing and distributing our proxy materials. If you choose to access future proxy materials electronically, you will receive an e-mail with instructions containing a link to the website where our proxy materials are available and a link to the proxy voting website. Your election to access proxy materials by e-mail will remain in effect until terminated by you.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 6 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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SOLICITATION OF PROXIES, VOTING AND REVOCATION | | |
Solicitation and Solicitation Expenses
The Company will bear the costs of solicitation of proxies for the Meeting. In addition to solicitation by mail, directors, officers and regular employees of the Company may solicit proxies from stockholders by telephone, electronic or facsimile transmission, personal interview or other means.
The Company has requested brokers, banks and other nominee holders of voting Common Stock of the Company to forward proxy solicitation materials to their customers, and such brokers, banks and nominee holders will be reimbursed for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
The Company has retained D.F. King & Co., Inc. to aid in the solicitation of proxies. The fees of D.F. King & Co., Inc. are $8,500 plus reimbursement of its reasonable out-of-pocket costs. If you have questions about the Meeting or need additional copies of this Proxy Statement or additional proxy cards, please contact the Company’s proxy solicitation agent as follows:
D.F. King & Co., Inc.
48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
Banks/Brokers: (212) 269-5550
Toll-free: (800) 755-7250
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Bristow Group Inc. | 7 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”)
The Company is committed to leading responsibly and sustainably. The Merger in June 2020 has deepened this resolve, recognizing our role as the global leader in innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions. We understand the role we play in a more sustainable future as we elevate people to achieve a safer more productive world.
Safety
a.In fiscal year 2021, our continued commitment to our Target Zero safety culture resulted in zero air accidents, a 75% reduction in severe injury events, and a 57% year-over-year reduction in lost work days. These safety results were achieved while completing approximately 115,000 operating flight hours in fiscal year 2021.
b.In the face of a global pandemic, our teams implemented robust protocols and screening processes to secure the safe transport of our passengers and employees in over 11 countries with 40 operating bases.
c.We are one of the three founding members of HeliOffshore, an organization dedicated to collaboration across the offshore helicopter industry to improve safety around the world.
Social
a.We understand that diversity, equity and inclusion (“DE&I”) will touch every aspect of our future, and it will take bold action from all of us to get there. In 2021, approximately 20% of our workforce are women, with 36% serving in management level roles, and women representing half of our executive management team. In addition, approximately 18% of our U.S. employees identifies as a race or ethnicity other than Caucasian.
b.We are focused on creating career pathways for those who serve in the military, with 24% of our U.S. employees as of March 31, 2021 having previously served in the military.
c.We provide opportunities for all employees to improve their skills and advance their careers and our culture, including DE&I training and learning resources, professional development resources, and wellness resources to support teams, employees and their families.
Environment
a.We were one of the first vertical lift operators in the U.K. to obtain International Organization for Standards (ISO) 14001 certification. This certification confirms our U.K. operations have certified environmental management systems in place to monitor, manage, and deliver continuous improvement at our bases of operations. We are working on obtaining ISO 14001 certification for other operating bases throughout our global footprint beginning in fiscal year 2022.
b.We are undertaking proactive measures to reduce aircraft emissions and reduce the environmental impact of our operations using a modern fleet with the latest technologies to ensure aircraft engines perform efficiently and are regularly maintained by an experienced engineering team.
c.We use flight planning software for payload management and minimizing time on ground runs. Our pilots are also trained to fly at a lower torque, which burns less fuel, cuts emissions, and increases component life. The Company also uses the latest technology fuel bowsers with enhanced safety features such as automatic shut off systems, which are regularly upgraded to eliminate spillage.
d.We seek to avoid adverse noise impacts to our communities, including by establishing hush houses for engine runs, installing noise walls around our bases, limiting engine runs and establishing aircraft operations “quiet hours” in the evening.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 8 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
e.We are transitioning to electric support vehicles at our Norway operations and considering opportunities to expand this initiative at other bases.
Governance
a.In May 2021, we welcomed our new director, General Maryanne Miller, Ret., making meaningful progress toward increasing the diversity of our Board.
b.Following the Merger in June 2020, our combined board of directors is led by our independent Non-Executive Chairman.
c.Our full Board and relevant committees are engaged in oversight and guidance regarding ESG matters.
d.Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the annual self-evaluation process of the Board.
We are committed to publishing our inaugural sustainability report in 2022 and have engaged external advisors to assist in its preparation.
Board of Directors and Director Independence
The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the direction of the Board. Currently, the Company’s Board is comprised of nine directors. Our Bylaws provide that the Board will consist of not less than three and not more than fifteen directors. In connection with the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board has nominated all of the current directors for re-election at the Meeting.
Effective May 23, 2021, following review of General Maryanne Miller, Ret.’s background, skills, expertise, and qualifications for membership on the Board, the Board determined that General Miller, Ret. was qualified to serve on the Board, and appointed General Miller, Ret. to serve as a director.
During fiscal year 2021, the Board held 12 meetings. Except for General Miller, Ret., who was appointed as a member of the Board effective May 23, 2021, each of the directors attended at least 75% of the combined total meetings of the full Board and each of the committees on which he or she served, in each case, during the portion of fiscal year 2021 in which he or she served as a member of the Board. Although the Company does not have a formal policy requiring Board members to attend each Annual Meeting of Stockholders, it is encouraged and both of the Board members then serving attended the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. We facilitate director attendance at each Annual Meeting of Stockholders by scheduling such meetings in conjunction with regular Board and committee meetings.
A majority of the Company’s current directors are independent, non-employee directors, and this will continue to be the case should all the director nominees be elected at the Meeting. The Board has made the affirmative determination that each of General Miller, Ret. and Messrs. Brass, Fabrikant, Kern, Manzo, Mickelson, Pucillo and Truelove are independent as such term is defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the NYSE. Additionally, each of these directors meets the categorical standards for independence established by the Board (the “Bristow Categorical Standards”). A copy of the Bristow Categorical Standards is available on the Company’s website at www.bristowgroup.com by clicking “Investors,” then “Governance” and then “Governance Documents” (entitled Director Independence Standards). The Company’s website and the information contained therein or connected thereto shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this Proxy Statement.
The schedule of Board meetings is made available to directors in advance along with the agenda for each meeting so that they may review and request changes. Directors also have unrestricted access to management at all times and regularly communicate informally with management on an assortment of topics.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 9 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
Majority Voting
Our Bylaws provide that a director who fails to receive a majority of votes cast at an annual meeting of the stockholders must tender his or her resignation (assuming that the election is uncontested). Under our Bylaws, each nominee who is a current director is required to submit an irrevocable resignation, which resignation would become effective only upon (1) that person not receiving a majority of the votes cast in an uncontested election and (2) acceptance by the Board of that resignation in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted by the Board for such purpose. The Board, acting on the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, is required to determine whether or not to accept the resignation not later than 90 days following certification of the stockholder vote, and the Board is required to accept the resignation absent a determination that a compelling reason exists for concluding that it is in the best interests of the Company for the person in question to remain as a director.
Board Leadership Structure
The Board believes that there is no single organizational model that would be most effective in all circumstances and that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders for the Board to retain the authority to modify its leadership structure to best address the Company’s circumstances from time to time. The Board believes that the most effective leadership structure for the Company at the present time is to separate the positions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Separating these positions allows the Chief Executive Officer to focus on the full-time job of running the Company’s business, while allowing the Non-Executive Chairman to lead the Board in its fundamental role of providing advice to, and maintaining independent oversight of, management. The Board believes this structure recognizes the time, effort and energy that the Chief Executive Officer is required to devote to his position in the current business environment, as well as the commitment required to serve as the Company’s Non-Executive Chairman, particularly as the Board’s oversight responsibilities continue to grow and demand more time and attention.
In addition to the role that the Non-Executive Chairman has with regard to the Board, the chair of each of the three wholly independent key committees of the Board (Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee) and each individual director is responsible for helping to ensure that meeting agendas are appropriate and that sufficient time and information are available to address issues the directors believe are significant and warrant their attention. Each director has the opportunity and ability to request agenda items, information and additional meetings of the Board or of the independent directors.
The Board has adopted significant processes designed to support the Board’s capacity for objective judgment, including executive sessions of the independent directors at Board meetings, independent evaluation of, and communication with, members of senior management, and annual self-evaluation of the Board, its committees, and its leadership. These and other critical governance processes are reflected in the Corporate Governance Guidelines and the various Committee Charters that are available on the Company’s website at www.bristowgroup.com. The Board has also provided mechanisms for stockholders to communicate in writing with the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, with the non-employee and/or independent directors, and with the full Board on matters of significance. These processes are also outlined in the Section of this Proxy Statement entitled “Communication with the Board or Independent Directors.”
Executive Sessions
The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Company’s non-management directors shall meet periodically in executive session without any management participation. In addition, if any of the non-management directors are not independent under the applicable rules of the NYSE, then the independent directors will meet separately at least once per year without the presence of the non-independent director, and at other times as necessary. Committees of the Board may also meet in executive session without the presence of any non-independent director as deemed appropriate.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 10 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
Committees of the Board of Directors
The Board has established three standing committees: Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance. Each of the committees operates under a written charter that has been posted on the Company’s website at www.bristowgroup.com by clicking “Investors,” then “Governance” and then “Governance Documents”. The website and the information contained therein or connected thereto shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this Proxy Statement. The charter of each committee is also available free of charge on request to our Corporate Secretary at 3151 Briarpark Drive, Suite 700, Houston, Texas 77042. The members and chairperson for each committee set forth below were the same at the end of fiscal year 2021, except that General Miller, Ret. was appointed as a member of the Board effective May 23, 2021.
Board Committees
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Independent Directors | Audit | Compensation | Nominating and Corporate Governance |
| | | |
Lorin L. Brass | | l | l |
Charles Fabrikant | l | | |
Wesley E. Kern | l | p | |
Robert J. Manzo | | | p |
G. Mark Mickelson |
| |
|
General Maryanne Miller, Ret. | | | |
Christopher Pucillo | | l | l |
Brian D. Truelove | p« | | l |
| | | | | |
p | Committee Chair |
l | Committee Member |
« | Audit Committee Financial Expert |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 11 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee met three times during fiscal year 2021 and is currently comprised of Messrs. Fabrikant, Kern and Truelove. Mr. Truelove is the Chair of the Audit Committee. The Board has determined that Mr. Truelove is an “audit committee financial expert” for purposes of the rules of the SEC and that each other member of the committee is financially literate as required under the NYSE standards. In addition, the Board determined that each member of the Audit Committee is independent, as defined by the rules of the NYSE, Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and in accordance with the Bristow Categorical Standards. The Audit Committee is expected to meet at least quarterly.
Committee Function. The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee, among other things:
•the conduct and integrity of management’s execution of the Company’s financial reporting to any governmental or regulatory body, the public or other users thereof;
•the qualifications, engagement, compensation, independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditors, its conduct of the annual audit and its engagement for any other services;
•the Company’s systems of internal accounting and financial and disclosure controls, the annual independent audit of the Company’s financial statements and the integrated audit of internal controls over financial reporting;
•risk management and controls, which includes assisting management with identifying and monitoring risks or exposures, assessing the steps management has taken to minimize such risks and overseeing the Company’s underlying guidelines and policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management;
•the processes for handling complaints relating to accounting, internal accounting controls and auditing matters;
•the Company’s legal and regulatory compliance;
•any code of business conduct and ethics applicable to directors and senior officers, including any waivers under such code; and
•the preparation of the audit committee report required by SEC rules to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement.
The Audit Committee’s role is one of oversight. Management is responsible for preparing the Company’s financial statements, and the independent auditors are responsible for auditing those financial statements. Management and the independent auditors have more time, knowledge and detailed information about the Company than Audit Committee members. Consequently, in carrying out its oversight responsibilities, the Audit Committee will not provide any expert or special assurance as to the Company’s financial statements or any professional certification as to the independent auditors’ work.
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Brass, Kern and Pucillo. Mr. Kern is the Chair of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee met four times during fiscal year 2021 and, in addition, the Chair of the Compensation Committee maintained frequent communication with the other members of the Compensation Committee as well as the Company’s Non-Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer regarding compensation matters. The Board has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent, as defined by the rules of the NYSE and in accordance with the Bristow Categorical Standards. In addition, the members of the Compensation Committee qualify as “non-employee directors” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 12 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
Committee Function. The Compensation Committee, among other things:
•reviews and makes recommendations to the Board for approval of corporate goals and annual performance objectives relevant to executive compensation;
•reviews, together with the Company’s independent directors, and makes recommendations to the Board for approval of compensation for the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers;
•evaluates officer and director compensation plans, policies and programs;
•reviews and approves, together with the Company’s independent directors, benefit plans;
•approves, together with the Company’s independent directors, all grants of equity awards and administers the Company’s incentive plans;
•previews and discusses with management the Company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis and prepares a report on executive compensation to be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and proxy statement;
•determines stock ownership guidelines for the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers and monitors compliance with such guidelines;
•annually evaluates the independence of any advisors retained by the Compensation Committee; and
•reviews and recommends to the Board for approval the frequency with which the Company will conduct an advisory stockholder vote on executive compensation required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act.
The Chair of the Compensation Committee sets the agenda for meetings of the Compensation Committee. The meetings are attended by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Administrative Officer and the General Counsel, if requested. The Compensation Committee meets at least annually with the Chief Executive Officer to discuss and review the performance criteria and compensation levels of key executives. At each meeting, the Compensation Committee has the opportunity to meet in executive session. The Chair of the Compensation Committee reports the Compensation Committee’s recommendations regarding compensation of executive officers to the full Board. The Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain, obtain the advice of and terminate any compensation consultants, independent legal counsel or other advisors to assist the Compensation Committee in its discharge of its duties and responsibilities, including the evaluation of director or executive officer compensation.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation. During fiscal year 2021, no member of the Compensation Committee was, and no member of the Compensation Committee currently is, an officer or employee of the Company. During fiscal year 2021, none of the Company’s executive officers served as a director or member of the compensation committee of any other entity whose executive officers serve on the Board or the Compensation Committee. During fiscal year 2021, no member of the Compensation Committee had a relationship that must be described under the SEC rules relating to disclosure of related person transactions.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met four times during fiscal year 2021. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Brass, Manzo, Pucillo and Truelove. Mr. Manzo is the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board has determined that each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is independent, as defined by the rules of the NYSE and in accordance with the Bristow Categorical Standards.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 13 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
Committee Function. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee assists the Board with, among other things:
•identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors and recommending to the Board candidates for election at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders and to fill vacancies on the Board;
•developing, recommending to the Board, and overseeing implementation of modifications, as appropriate, to the Company’s policies and procedures for identifying and reviewing candidates for the Board, including policies and procedures relating to candidates for the Board submitted for consideration by stockholders;
•reviewing the composition of the Board as a whole, including whether the Board reflects the appropriate balance of independence, sound judgment, business specialization, technical skills, diversity and other desired qualities;
•reviewing periodically the size of the Board and recommending any appropriate changes;
•overseeing the annual self-evaluation process of the Board; and
•reviewing on a regular basis, the overall corporate governance of the Company and recommending to the Board improvements when necessary.
Selection of Nominees for the Board of Directors. To fulfill its responsibility to recruit and recommend to the full Board nominees for election as directors, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the composition of the full Board to determine the qualifications and areas of expertise needed to further enhance the composition of the Board and works with management in attracting candidates with those qualifications. In identifying new director candidates, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks advice and names of candidates from members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, other members of the Board, members of management and other public and private sources. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, in formulating its recommendation of nominees for election as directors, considers each individual’s personal qualifications and how such personal qualifications effectively address the perceived then-current needs of the Board. Appropriate personal qualifications and criteria for membership on the Board include the following:
•experience investing in and/or guiding complex businesses as an executive leader or as an investment professional within an industry or area of importance to the Company;
•proven judgment and competence, substantial accomplishments, and prior or current association with institutions noted for their excellence;
•diversity as to business experiences, educational and professional backgrounds and gender, race and ethnicity;
•complementary professional skills and experience addressing the complex issues facing a multifaceted international organization; and
•an understanding of the Company’s businesses and the environment in which it operates.
After the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee completes its evaluation, it presents its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has the power to retain outside counsel, director search and recruitment consultants or other experts and will receive appropriate funding from the Company to engage such advisors. Having evaluated the Board candidates set forth below under Proposal 1 pursuant to these processes and criteria, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recommended, and the Board determined to nominate, each of the incumbent directors named below for re-election.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 14 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
Key Skills and Experience
| | | | | |
Senior Leadership | |
Aviation or Logistics Management | |
Oil and Gas Industry | |
International Business | |
Finance, Accounting, or Legal | |
Technology/Cybersecurity | |
Government Affairs/Contracting | |
Public Company Governance | |
Strategic Planning | |
Mergers and Acquisitions | |
Risk Management | |

Age and Tenure
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| 59.6 years | Average Age | | 2.4 years | Average Tenure | |
| | | | | | |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 15 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
Director and Executive Officer Succession. Pursuant to its charter, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for overseeing the succession plan process for each of the Company’s senior executive officers, the Board and the Chairman of the Board. Furthermore, the Corporate Governance Guidelines mandate that the Board or the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall, not less often than annually and on a more frequent basis as may be desired, review the qualities and characteristics necessary for the position of the Company’s chief executive officer. The Board or the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall, not less often than annually and on a more frequent basis as may be desired, review the development and progression of potential internal candidates against those standards.
Stockholder Recommendations. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider director candidates suggested by the Company’s stockholders provided that the recommendations are made in accordance with the same procedures required under our Bylaws for nomination of directors by stockholders. For instance, stockholder nominations must comply with the notice provisions described under “Stockholder Proposals for 2021 Annual Meeting” below. Stockholder nominations that comply with these procedures and that meet the criteria outlined therein will receive the same consideration that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s nominees receive. The Company will report any material change to this procedure in an appropriate filing with the SEC and will make any such changes available promptly on the SEC Filings section of the Company’s website at www.bristowgroup.com. There have been no material changes to these procedures since the Company last provided this disclosure.
Citizenship Requirements. Our Bylaws provide that at least two-thirds of our Board must be citizens of the United States within the meaning of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended. Our Bylaws provide that a person who is not a citizen of the United States is not eligible for nomination or election as a director if such person’s election, together with the election of any incumbent directors that are not U.S. citizens and are candidates for election as Directors at the same time, would cause less than two-thirds of the Company’s directors to be citizens of the United States. Of the nine director nominees proposed by our Board for election at the Meeting, all (or more than two-thirds) are citizens of the United States within the meaning of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended.
Communications with the Board or Independent Directors
Our Board welcomes the opportunity to hear from our stockholders and proactively engages with our stockholders on matters of interest such as executive compensation, environmental, social and corporate governance matters and Company strategy. The independent directors have established procedures for handling communications from stockholders of the Company and directed the Corporate Secretary to act as their agent in processing any communications received. All communications should be delivered in writing addressed to our Corporate Secretary at 3151 Briarpark Drive, Suite 700, Houston, Texas 77042. The correspondence should be addressed to the appropriate party, namely: (i) Bristow Group Inc. - Board, (ii) Bristow Group Inc. - Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, (iii) Bristow Group Inc. - Audit Committee, (iv) Bristow Group Inc. - Compensation Committee or (v) the individual director designated by full name or position as it appears in the Company’s most recent proxy statement. All communications that relate to matters that are within the scope of the responsibilities of the Board and its committees will be forwarded to the Non-Executive Chairman and independent directors. Communications that relate to matters that are within the responsibility of one of the Board committees will be forwarded to the chairperson of the appropriate committee. Communications that relate to ordinary business matters that are not within the scope of the Board’s responsibilities will be sent to the appropriate executive.
The Audit Committee has established procedures for (i) the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints, reports and concerns regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters and (ii) the confidential, anonymous submission of complaints, reports and concerns by employees regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. Information related to these procedures is included in our Code of Business Integrity, which is available on the Company’s website at www.bristowgroup.com by clicking “Investors,” then “Governance” and then “Governance Documents”. Such complaints, reports or concerns may be communicated anonymously and confidentially to the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel or the Chair of the Audit Committee through NAVEX Global, the Company’s third-party
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Bristow Group Inc. | 16 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
hotline provider. Those wishing to report concerns may do so by phone (888) 840-4147) or online (https://BristowGroup.TNWReports.com). Complaints received are logged and tracked by the Chief Compliance Officer and the General Counsel or his or her designee, investigated, and communicated to the Chair of the Audit Committee. Both our Code of Business Integrity and the Reporting Concerns and Nonretaliation Policy reflect Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), which prohibits the Company from retaliating against any person who, in good faith, submits an accounting or auditing complaint, report or concern or provides assistance in the investigation or resolution of such matters.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee proposes nominees for director and acts pursuant to its charter, which is posted on our website, www.bristowgroup.com, under the “Governance” caption. It is the policy of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to consider director candidates recommended by our employees, directors, stockholders, and others, including search firms. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has sole authority to retain and terminate any search firm used to identify candidates for director and has sole authority to approve the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.
A stockholder who wishes to recommend a director for nomination must follow the procedures set forth below for nominations to be made directly by a stockholder. In addition, the stockholder should provide such other information as such stockholder may deem relevant to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s evaluation. All recommendations, regardless of the source of identification, are evaluated on the same basis as candidates recommended by our directors, chief executive officer, other executive officers, third-party search firms or other sources.
Our Bylaws permit stockholders to nominate directors for election at an Annual Meeting of Stockholders regardless of whether such nominee is submitted to and evaluated by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. To nominate a director using this process, the stockholder must follow procedures set forth in our Bylaws. Those procedures require a stockholder wishing to nominate a candidate for director at next year’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders to give us written notice not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding Annual Meeting of Stockholders and not later than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding Annual Meeting of Stockholders. However, if the date of the Annual Meeting of Stockholders is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, notice is required not earlier than 120 days prior to the Annual Meeting of Stockholders and not later than the later of 90 days prior to the Annual Meeting of Stockholders or the 10th day after we publicly disclose the meeting date. The notice to our Corporate Secretary must include the following:
•The nominee’s name, age and business and residence addresses;
•The nominee’s principal occupation or employment;
•The class and number of our shares, if any, owned by the nominee;
•The name and address of the stockholder as they appear on our books;
•The class and number of our shares owned by the stockholder as of the record date for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (if this date has been announced) and as of the date of the notice;
•A representation that the stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to nominate the candidate specified in the notice;
•A description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and the nominee; and
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Bristow Group Inc. | 17 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
•Any other information regarding the nominee or stockholder that would be required to be included in a proxy statement relating to the election of directors, including the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the stockholder to believe that the person should serve as a director.
In addition, our Bylaws require that a nominee for election or re-election must deliver to our Corporate Secretary an irrevocable letter of resignation pursuant to our majority vote policy described in more detail above as well as a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made and make certain representations and agreements.
Our Bylaws provide that at least two-thirds of our Board must be citizens of the United States within the meaning of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended. Our Bylaws provide that a person who is not a citizen of the United States is not eligible for nomination or election as a director if such person’s election, together with the election of any incumbent directors that are not U.S. citizens and are candidates for election as Directors at the same time, would cause less than two-thirds of the Company’s directors to be citizens of the United States. Of the nine director nominees proposed by our Board for election at the Meeting, all (or more than two-thirds) are citizens of the United States within the meaning of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended.
Risk Oversight
The Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows can be adversely affected by risk. The management of risk is central to the success of the Company and requires the involvement of the Board, officers and employees, all of whom are entrusted to develop a balanced and prudent approach to risk.
The Company has developed and implemented operational controls designed to identify and mitigate risk associated with its financial decisions, operations, legal, compliance, business development, information technology systems, cybersecurity, data privacy and security controls, changing business conditions and initiation of new business lines. The Chief Executive Officer, with the assistance of the other members of the executive management team, is responsible for, among other risk management measures:
•implementing measures designed to ensure the highest standard of safety for personnel, information technology systems and data security, the environment and property in performing the Company’s operations;
•obtaining appropriate insurance coverage; and
•evaluating and identifying risk related to the Company’s capital structure in light of a rigorous assessment of its business activities.
The Board has reviewed and evaluated, and expects to routinely review and evaluate, its risk profile to ensure that the measures implemented by management are adequate to execute and implement the Company’s strategic objectives. Issues related to risk are regularly discussed by the Chief Executive Officer and the rest of the executive management team with members of the Board both through informal communications, such as email and in-person meetings, and during formal Board meetings. Executive leadership makes a formal presentation to the Board regarding risk management issues at least once per year. Several Board members are familiar with the risks associated with the types of assets managed and owned by the Company and routinely engage in a dialogue with the Chief Executive Officer and appropriate members of executive leadership regarding such risks.
The Audit Committee, together with executive leadership, works to respond to recommendations from internal and external auditors and supervisory authorities regarding the Company’s compliance with internal controls and procedures and other factors that could interfere with the successful implementation of the Company’s strategic plan. The Audit Committee also reviews the adequacy of the Company’s risk management policies and procedures and meets with the General Counsel and
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Bristow Group Inc. | 18 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | | |
the Chief Compliance Officer to consider recommendations regarding policies related to risk management. In addition, executive leadership works closely with the General Counsel and the Chief Compliance Officer to facilitate compliance with foreign and domestic laws and regulations.
The Company has established an Enterprise Risk Committee and a Compliance Committee to oversee risk management and compliance activities as a means of bringing issues to the attention of senior management. Responsibilities for risk management and compliance are distributed throughout various functional areas of the business. Both the Enterprise Risk Committee and the Compliance Committee assist with the preparation of a report to the Audit Committee at least twice a year regarding the Company’s cybersecurity and data privacy risks and the technologies, policies, processes, controls and practices for managing and mitigating such risks, including the quality and effectiveness of the Company’s information technology systems and processes.
The Board believes that executive leadership’s procedures, combined with Board, Audit Committee, Compliance Committee, and the Enterprise Risk Management Committee oversight, enable the Company to properly and comprehensively assess risk from both an enterprise-wide and departmental perspective, thereby managing and observing the most substantive risks at each level within the Company.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Our Board has adopted a set of Corporate Governance Guidelines, a Code of Business Integrity for directors and employees and a Supplemental Code of Ethics (collectively, our “Code”). A copy of each of these documents, along with the charters of each of the committees described above, is available on the Company’s website at www.bristowgroup.com by clicking “Investors,” then “Governance” and then “Governance Documents” and is also available to stockholders in print without charge upon written request to our Corporate Secretary at 3151 Briarpark Drive, Suite 700, Houston, Texas 77042.
Our Code applies to all directors and employees, including the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and all senior financial officers. Our Code covers topics including, but not limited to, conflicts of interest, insider trading, competition and fair dealing, discrimination and harassment, international trade regulations, confidentiality, compliance procedures and employee complaint procedures. Our Board periodically reviews and revises our Code, as it deems appropriate.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 19 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Our Board currently consists of nine directors. The term of office of all of our present directors will expire no later than the day of the Meeting upon the election of their successors. The directors elected at the Meeting will serve until their respective successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.
Unless authority to do so is withheld by the stockholder, each proxy executed and returned by a stockholder will be voted for the election of the nominees hereinafter named. Directors having beneficial ownership derived from presently existing voting power of approximately 1.1% of our Common Stock as of the Record Date have indicated that they intend to vote for the election of each of the nominees named below. If any nominee withdraws or for any reason is unable to serve as a director, the persons named in the accompanying proxy either will vote for such other person as our Board may nominate or, if our Board does not so nominate such other person, will not vote for anyone to replace the nominee. Except as described below, our management knows of no reason that would cause any nominee hereinafter named to be unable to serve as a director or to refuse to accept nomination or election.
Vote Required
Directors will be elected by a plurality of the shares of Common Stock represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting and voting on the matter. However, all nominees have submitted an irrevocable letter of resignation conditional on (i) such nominee’s failure to receive a majority of votes cast and (ii) acceptance of such resignation by the Board. If you do not wish your shares to be voted for any particular nominee, please identify any nominee for whom you “withhold authority” to vote on the enclosed proxy card or when voting by Internet or telephone. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.
Recommendation
Our Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote FOR the election to our Board of each of the nominees named below.
Information Concerning Nominees
Our present Board proposes for election the following nine nominees for director. Each of the nominees named below is currently a director of the Company. All nominees for director are nominated to serve one-year terms until the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until his or her successor is elected and qualified, unless ended earlier due to his or her death, resignation, disqualification or removal from office.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 20 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
Director Nominees
We have provided information below about our nominees, including their age, citizenship and business experience for at least the past five years, including service on other boards of directors. We have also included information about each nominee’s specific attributes, experience or skills that led our Board to conclude that he or she should serve as a director on our Board in light of our business and structure. Unless we specifically note below, no corporation or organization referred to below is a subsidiary or other affiliate of Bristow Group Inc.
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Christopher S. Bradshaw Age: 44 Nationality: American Board: since 2015 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | BRISTOW GROUP INC. President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2020 ERA GROUP INC. President and Chief Executive Officer November 2014 – June 2020 Chief Financial Officer October 2012 – September 2015 Acting Chief Executive Officer August 2014 – November 2014 | U.S. CAPITAL ADVISORS LLC (independent financial advisory firm co-founded by Mr. Bradshaw) Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer 2009 – 2012 UBS SECURITIES LLC Energy investment banker MORGAN STANLEY & CO. Energy investment banker PAINEWEBBER INCORPORATED Energy investment banker |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | OTHER LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE | | | |
| | | Dress for Success Houston since 2012 Chairman of the Board HeliOffshore since 2014 | Small Steps Nurturing Center since 2018 Strategic Locations Committee Nominating Committee The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) since 2021 |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Senior Leadership | | Aviation or Logistics Management | | Finance, Accounting or Legal |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 21 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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Lorin L. Brass INDEPENDENT
Age: 67 Nationality: American Board: since 2020 Compensation: since 2020 Nominating: since 2020 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | ROYAL DUTCH SHELL | SHELL OIL COMPANY |
| | | Senior Advisor of Business Development Director of Global Business Development, Shell International Exploration & Production | Production Superintendent, Gulf of Mexico Coastal Division Engineering Manager, West Coast Division |
| | | Directorships |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | PRIVATE COMPANIES | | | |
| | | Rausch Companies Inc. Chairman, since March 2015 | | | |
| | | OTHER LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE | | | |
| | | Abbey of the Hills Finance Committee Chairman of the Governance Committee since 2018 Brass Family Foundation Chairman, since 2004 Lennox Area Community Foundation since 2020 Lincoln Conservation District since 2008 | MHCH Foundation since 2006 South Dakota Mines Alumni Association since 2018 South Dakota Mines Foundation 2007 – 2019 Chairman, 2010 – 2017 South Dakota Investment Council 2014 – 2019 |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Oil and Gas Industry | | International Business | | Technology/Cybersecurity |
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Charles Fabrikant INDEPENDENT
Age: 76 Nationality: American Board: since 2011 (former Chairman from 2011 to June 2020) Audit: since 2020 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | FABRIKANT INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION President | SEACOR HOLDINGS INC. (transportation and logistics services company co-founded by Mr. Fabrikant) Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 1989 – April 2021 |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | PUBLIC COMPANIES | | | |
| | | SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. Non-Executive Chairman 2017 – June 2021 SEACOR Holdings Inc. Executive Chairman 1989 – April 2021 | Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. Audit Committee 2004 – 2019 |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Aviation or Logistics Management | | International Business | | Risk Management |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 22 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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Wesley E. Kern INDEPENDENT
Age: 54 Nationality: American Board: since 2020 Audit: since 2020 Compensation: since 2020 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | IMPROVE ONE, LLC Director since 2019 LOBO LEASING LIMITED Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 2014 – 2018 | US POWER GENERATING COMPANY Senior Vice President, Finance Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions) 2006 – 2013 PACIFIC NATURAL ENERGY, LLC Chief Financial Officer |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | PRIVATE COMPANIES Mile High Labs International, Inc. since August 2020 | FORMER DIRECTORSHIPS All in Behavioral Health Meridian Solar, Inc. |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Aviation or Logistics Management | | Finance, Accounting or Legal | | Offshore Wind/Renewables |
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Robert J. Manzo INDEPENDENT
Age: 63 Nationality: American Board: since 2020 Nominating: since 2020 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | RJM I, LLC Founder and Managing Member since 2005 FTI Consulting, Inc. Senior Managing Director 2000 – 2005 | POLICANO & MANZO, LLC (financial consulting firm co-founded by Mr. Manzo that was sold to FTI Consulting, Inc. in 2020) |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | PUBLIC COMPANIES ADVANZ PHARMA Corp. since 2018 Visteon Corporation since 2012 | PRIVATE COMPANIES Star Struck LLC since 2010 Ocean Reef Club Chairman, 2019 – April 2021 |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Finance, Accounting or Legal | | Public Company Governance | | Mergers and Acquisitions |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 23 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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G. Mark Mickelson INDEPENDENT
Age: 55 Nationality: American Board: since 2020 Chairman: since 2020 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | MICKELSON & COMPANY, LLC (financial consulting firm founded by Mr. Mickelson) President since 2005 | SOUTH DAKOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Speaker, 2017 – 2018 Speaker pro Tempore, 2015 – 2016 Member, 2012 – 2016 |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | PRIVATE COMPANIES ISG Audit Committee since January 2020 PUBLIC COMPANIES Meta Financial Group, Inc. Audit Committee; Board Loan Committee 1997 – 2006 | OTHER LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE South Dakota Community Foundation USD Foundation Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Board Sioux Falls Development Foundation South Dakota Board of Economic Development |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Finance, Accounting or Legal | | Government Affairs/ Contracting | | Public Company Governance |
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General Maryanne Miller, Ret. INDEPENDENT
Age: 62 Nationality: American Board: since 2021 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | U.S. AIR FORCE Four-Star General, Retired Commander of Air Mobility Command Commander of the Air Force Reserve Air Component for U.S. Transportation Command Command pilot (more than 4,800 flying hours in numerous aircraft) | NEW VISTA ACQUISITION CORP. Advisor |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | OTHER LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE Board of Trustees for Manhattan College Member The Leaven Honorary Board Member | |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Aviation or Logistics Management | | Government Affairs/ Contracting | | Advanced Air Mobility |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 24 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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Christopher Pucillo INDEPENDENT
Age: 53 Nationality: American Board: since 2020 Compensation: since 2020 Nominating: since 2020 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | SOLUS ALTERNATIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LP (asset management firm founded by Mr. Pucillo) Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer / Chief Investment Officer since 2007 | STANFIELD CAPITAL PARTNERS Head of Trading 2000 – 2007 MORGAN STANLEY Head of High Yield Loan Trading 1996 – 2000 |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | OTHER LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child Chairman of the Investment Committee Finance Committee Telluride Foundation Western Golf Association |
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| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Finance, Accounting or Legal | | Strategic Planning | | Mergers and Acquisitions |
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Brian D. Truelove INDEPENDENT
Age: 62 Nationality: American Board: since 2020 Audit: since 2020 Nominating: since 2020 | | | Principal Occupations |
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| | | HESS CORPORATION Senior Vice President, Global Services Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Head of Supply Chain / Logistics 2011 – 2018 Senior Vice President, Global Offshore Business Senior Vice President, Global Drilling and Completions | ROYAL DUTCH SHELL Senior Vice President for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company/NDC on secondment from Shell Head of Global Deepwater Drilling and Completions 1980 – 2010 |
| | | Directorships |
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| | | PRIVATE COMPANIES Expro Group Audit Committee since 2018 | |
| | | Key Skills and Experience |
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| | | | Oil and Gas | | Risk Management | | Technology/Cybersecurity |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 25 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT | | |
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
Under our Bylaws, our Board elects our executive officers annually. Each executive officer remains in office until that officer ceases to be an officer or his or her successor is elected. There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers. As of the close of business on June 7, 2021, our executive officers were as follows:
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Name | Age | Position Held with Registrant |
| | |
Christopher S. Bradshaw | 44 | President and Chief Executive Officer |
David F. Stepanek | 55 | Executive Vice President, Sales and Chief Transformation Officer |
Alan Corbett | 63 | Senior Vice President, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia and Search and Rescue |
Crystal L. Gordon | 42 | Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary |
Jennifer D. Whalen | 47 | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer |
Christopher S. Bradshaw has served as a Director and our President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2020. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Era from November 2014 to June 2020 and Chief Financial Officer of Era from October 2012 to September 2015. Mr. Bradshaw was appointed a director of Era in February 2015. He served as Era’s Acting Chief Executive Officer from August 2014 to November 2014. From 2009 until 2012, Mr. Bradshaw served as Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Capital Advisors LLC, an independent financial advisory firm that he co-founded. Prior to co-founding U.S. Capital Advisors LLC, Mr. Bradshaw was an energy investment banker at UBS Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co., and PaineWebber Incorporated. He received a degree in Economics and Government from Dartmouth College.
David F. Stepanek has served as our Executive Vice President, Sales and Chief Transformation Officer since April 2021. In this role, Mr. Stepanek has responsibility for all sales, marketing and commercial functions of the Company’s business, focusing on both the Company’s existing end markets and the transformation of the Company’s business mix through strategic diversification into new markets. Mr. Stepanek served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer from June 2020 until April 2021. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Business Development of Era when he joined Era in January 2020. From 2010 through 2019, Mr. Stepanek held positions within PHI, Inc., most recently having served as President, PHI Americas, responsible for the overall performance and direction of PHI’s U.S. and international operations in the Western Hemisphere. Before becoming President PHI Americas, he served as PHI, Inc. Chief Commercial Officer and led the company’s growth in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and international expansion including the acquisition of HNZ Group’s offshore helicopter business. Before joining PHI in 2010, Mr. Stepanek held a variety of leadership positions at Era. After four years’ service in the U.S. Marine Corps as a heavy lift helicopter avionics technician, Mr. Stepanek moved to Sikorsky as an avionics technician and field service representative; he was subsequently promoted and contributed to the sales and product development of the S-76 and S-92 aircraft, amongst many other roles.
Alan Corbett has served as our Senior Vice President for Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia and Search and Rescue since June 2020. Mr. Corbett is responsible for the Company’s operations in Australia, Nigeria, Norway and the U.K. Mr. Corbett is also responsible for the Company’s SAR operations. Mr. Corbett served in a similar role at Old Bristow from June 2018 to June 2020. He previously served as Old Bristow’s Vice President, EAMEA from June 2017 to June 2018. Before that, he served as Old Bristow’s Region Director of the Europe Caspian Region from April 2015 to June 2017 and Region Director of the Europe Business Unit (EBU) from August 2014 to March 2015, in which capacities he had
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Bristow Group Inc. | 26 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT | | |
commercial and operational oversight of the region, including the successful transition to a fully Bristow-operated U.K. SAR service. Old Bristow filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2019 in order to reorganize. Old Bristow successfully emerged from bankruptcy in October 2019. Prior to joining Old Bristow in August 2014, Mr. Corbett worked since 1985 in a number of management positions with Baker Hughes Incorporated, including vice president positions in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa, most recently serving as Vice President, Sub Sahara Africa from 2011 to 2014.
Crystal L. Gordon has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary since June 2020. In this role, Ms. Gordon is responsible for legal, compliance, collective bargaining agreements, government relations and contract review and management. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer of Era when she joined in January 2019. From 2011 through 2018, Ms. Gordon served as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Air Methods Corporation, an emergency air medical company operating over 400 aircraft throughout the U.S. Prior to her appointment at Air Methods Corporation, Ms. Gordon worked in private practice as a corporate and securities lawyer with Davis, Graham and Stubbs LLP, in Denver, Colorado. Ms. Gordon served in several compliance roles in the financial services industry prior to attending law school. She attended the University of Denver for law school and received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Santa Clara University.
Jennifer D. Whalen has served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since June 2020. In this role, Ms. Whalen is responsible for company accounting, financial reporting, investor relations, strategy and M&A, tax, information technology (IT) and other financial aspects of the Company. Previously, she served as the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Era since February 2018. Ms. Whalen served as Era’s Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer from August 2013 until her appointment as Vice President, Acting Chief Financial Officer in June 2017. Ms. Whalen joined Era as Controller in April 2012. From August 2007 to March 2012, she served in several capacities at nLIGHT Photonics Corporation, a supplier of high-performance lasers, including as Director of Accounting. Prior to these roles, she served as the Manager of Accounting at InFocus Corporation for over two years. After serving in the U.S. military, Ms. Whalen started her career in public accounting in the assurance practice group at PricewaterhouseCoopers for approximately five years. She received a B.S. in Accounting from Alabama A&M University and a master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 27 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
SECURITIES OWNERSHIP
Holdings of Certain Beneficial Owners
The following table shows certain information with respect to beneficial ownership of our Common Stock held by any person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of any class of our voting securities:
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Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Amount Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class(1) | |
| | | |
South Dakota Investment Council 4009 West 49th Street, Suite 300 Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57106 | 6,674,073(2) | 22.5 | % | |
Solus Alternative Asset Management LP 25 Maple Street, 2nd Floor Summit, New Jersey 07901 | 4,483,657(3) | 15.1 | % | |
BlackRock, Inc. 55 East 52nd Street New York, New York 10055 | 2,975,197(4) | 10.0 | % | |
Empyrean Capital Overseas Master Fund, Ltd. 10250 Constellation Boulevard, Suite 2950 Los Angeles, California 90067 | 1,977,944(5) | 6.7 | % | |
The Vanguard Group, Inc. 100 Vanguard Blvd. Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 | 1,566,255(6) | 5.3 | % | |
(1)Percentage of the 29,694,071 shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding as of March 31, 2021.
(2)According to a Schedule 13D filed June 22, 2020 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, South Dakota Investment Council has shared voting and dispositive power with respect to all of such shares. Reflects shares of Common Stock directly held by South Dakota Retirement System (“SDRS”), for which South Dakota Investment Council is the investment manager. Matthew L. Clark, in his position as the State Investment Officer, has voting and investment power over the SDRS assets and has voting and investment power over the shares.
(3)According to Amendment 2 to its Schedule 13D filed November 17, 2020 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as modified by Form 4 filed on November 20, 2020, Solus Alternative Asset Management LP (“Solus”), Solus GP LLC (“Solus GP”), in its capacity as general partner of Solus, and Christopher Pucillo, in his capacity as managing member of Solus GP, may be deemed to have shared voting and dispositive power with respect to all of such shares. However, these reporting persons expressly disclaim beneficial ownership and membership in a group in these securities and did so in such filings.
(4)According to a Schedule 13G filed on April 12, 2021 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, BlackRock, Inc. has sole voting power with respect to 2,957,505 of such shares and sole dispositive power with respect to all of such shares. The Schedule 13G states that iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, such shares of Common Stock, and such person’s interest in such shares of Common Stock is more than 5% of the total outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company.
(5)According to Amendment 1 to its Schedule 13G filed on February 11, 2021 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Empyrean Capital Overseas Master Fund, Ltd. (“ECOMF”), Empyrean Capital Partners, LP (“ECP”), in its capacity as investment manager of ECOMF, and Mr. Amos Meron, in his capacity as the managing member of Empyrean Capital, LLC, the general partner of ECP, each have shared voting and dispositive power with respect to all of such shares.
(6)According to Amendment 2 to its Schedule 13G filed on February 10, 2021 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Amended Schedule 13G”), The Vanguard Group, Inc. (“Vanguard”) has shared voting power with respect to 7,106 of such shares, sole dispositive power with respect to 1,546,364 of such shares and shared dispositive power with respect to 19,891 of such shares. The Amended Schedule 13G indicates that Vanguard Asset Management, Limited, Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company, Vanguard Global Advisors, LLC, Vanguard Group (Ireland) Limited, Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd, Vanguard Investments Canada Inc., Vanguard Investments Hong Kong Limited and Vanguard Investments UK, Limited, each a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vanguard, are the beneficial owners of the securities and that no such entity beneficially owns more than 5% of the Common Stock.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 28 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
Holdings of Directors, Nominees and Executive Officers
The following table shows how many shares (i) each of our directors, (ii) each of our Named Executive Officers included in the Summary Compensation Table on page 55 of this Proxy Statement and (iii) all of our directors and executive officers as a group beneficially owned as of the close of business on June 7, 2021:
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Name(1) | Shares Directly and Indirectly Owned as of June 7, 2021(2) | Options Exercisable on or prior to August 6, 2021 | Total Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class(3) |
| | | | |
Christopher S. Bradshaw | 168,490 | | 33,333 | | 201,823 | | * |
Lorin L. Brass | 2,679 | | 1,626 | | 4,305 | | * |
Alan Corbett | 10,001 | | 6,667 | | 16,668 | | * |
Charles Fabrikant(4) | 226,103 | | — | | 226,103 | | * |
Crystal L. Gordon | 33,364 | | — | | 33,364 | | * |
Wesley E. Kern | 2,679 | | 1,626 | | 4,305 | | * |
Robert J. Manzo | 2,679 | | 1,626 | | 4,305 | | * |
G. Mark Mickelson | 26,502 | | 4,555 | | 31,057 | | * |
General Maryanne Miller, Ret. | — | | — | | — | | * |
Christopher Pucillo(5) | — | | — | | 4,483,657 | | 15.1% |
David F. Stepanek | 19,200 | | — | | 19,200 | | * |
Brian D. Truelove | 2,679 | | 1,626 | | 4,305 | | * |
Jennifer D. Whalen | 43,010 | | — | | 43,010 | | * |
Paul T. White(6) | 30,401 | | 5,000 | | 35,401 | | * |
All directors and executive officers as a group (13 persons)(7) | 567,787 | | 56,059 | | 5,107,503 | | 17.2% |
*Represents less than 1%.
(1)The business address of each director and executive officer is 3151 Briarpark Drive, Suite 700, Houston, Texas 77042.
(2)Excludes unvested restricted stock over which the holders do not have voting or dispositive powers.
(3)Percentages of our Common Stock outstanding as of June 7, 2021, adjusted for each Named Executive Officer, executive officer and director to include such Named Executive Officer’s, executive officer’s and director’s total shares beneficially owned as of such date.
(4)Includes: (i) 81,119 shares of our Common Stock owned directly; (ii) 107,843 shares of our Common Stock owned by Fabrikant International Corporation, of which Mr. Fabrikant is President; (iii) 20,000 shares of our Common Stock held by the Charles Fabrikant 2012 GST Exempt Trust, of which Mrs. Fabrikant is a trustee; (iv) 12,607 shares of our Common Stock held by the Charles Fabrikant 2009 Family Trust, of which Mr. Fabrikant is a trustee; (v) 4,000 shares of our Common Stock owned by the Sara Fabrikant 2012 GST Exempt Trust, of which Mr. Fabrikant is a trustee; (vi) 267 shares of our Common Stock owned by the Harlan Saroken 2009 Family Trust, of which Mrs. Fabrikant is a trustee; and (vii) 267 shares of our Common Stock owned by the Eric Fabrikant 2009 Family Trust, of which Mrs. Fabrikant is a trustee. Mr. Fabrikant disclaims beneficial ownership of 132,377 of his indirect shares, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.
(5)Because of his position as the managing member of Solus GP LLC, the general partner of Solus Alternative Asset Management LP (“Solus”), Mr. Pucillo may be deemed indirect beneficial owner of the 4,483,657 shares of Common Stock held directly or indirectly by certain funds and accounts managed by Solus and/or affiliates thereof (see “Securities Ownership — Holdings of Certain Beneficial Owners”), except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. Pursuant to applicable reporting requirements, Mr. Pucillo is reporting indirect beneficial ownership of the entire amount of our shares of Common Stock managed by Solus but he disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares.
(6)Beneficial ownership information for the Company’s former executive officer, Mr. White, is as of June 11, 2020, the most recent date for which information is available. Mr. White departed the Company on June 11, 2020.
(7)Includes Messrs. Bradshaw, Brass, Corbett, Fabrikant, Kern, Manzo, Mickelson, Pucillo, Stepanek and Truelove, General Miller, Ret. and Mses. Gordon and Whalen.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 29 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION
AND ANALYSIS
Table of Contents
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) describes our fiscal year 2021 executive compensation program for the following executive officers who served in the positions set forth below during fiscal year 2021 (collectively, the “Named Executive Officers” or “NEOs”):
Our Named Executive Officers
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Name | Title |
| |
Christopher S. Bradshaw | President and Chief Executive Officer |
David F. Stepanek | Executive Vice President, Sales and Chief Transformation Officer |
Alan Corbett | Senior Vice President, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia and Search and Rescue |
Crystal L. Gordon | Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary |
Jennifer D. Whalen | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer |
Paul T. White | Former Senior Vice President, Commercial |
You should read this section of the Proxy Statement in conjunction with the advisory vote that we are conducting on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers (see “Proposal 2 – Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation” on page 66 of this Proxy Statement), as it contains information that is relevant to your voting decision.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 30 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Executive Overview
On June 11, 2020, we closed the Merger, forming a larger, more diverse and financially stronger global leader in vertical flight solutions. As a result of the Merger, the newly appointed members of the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) and the Board had the opportunity to evaluate and develop a new compensation philosophy and design for the combined company. The new compensation philosophy and design described in the CD&A is an outcome of the evaluation process undertaken by the Committee following the Merger.
The Committee believes that there must be a meaningful link between the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers and our goal of long-term value creation for our stockholders. This core philosophy is embedded in the following principles that guide all aspects of our executive compensation program:
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Emphasis on Pay for Performance | A substantial portion of compensation should be variable, contingent and directly linked to Company and individual performance. |
Attract, Retain and Motivate Talented and Experienced Executives | Total direct compensation should be competitive to attract the best talent to the Company, motivate executives to perform at their highest levels, reward individual contributions that improve the Company’s ability to deliver outstanding performance, and retain those executives with the leadership abilities and skills necessary for building long-term stockholder value. |
Balance and Responsibility | The program should balance incentives for delivering outstanding long-term sustainable performance against the potential to encourage inappropriate risk-taking. Compensation should consider each executive’s responsibility to act at all times in accordance with our Code of Business Integrity and Supplemental Code of Ethics. |
Stockholder Alignment | The financial interests of executives should be aligned with the long-term interests of our stockholders through stock-based compensation and performance metrics that correlate with long-term stockholder value. |
Enhancements to the Executive Compensation Program
In designing the new executive compensation program for the combined company, the following enhancements were made to better align with pay for performance and stockholder interests:
•Modification of the long-term incentive program to introduce performance-based stock units and, for fiscal year 2021, stock options. The long-term incentives awarded under the Era executive compensation program historically consisted of only time-based restricted stock units;
•The fiscal year 2021 long-term incentive program for the Named Executive Officers was focused on alignment with stockholders through the award of stock options and performance-based stock units tied to stock appreciation over a 3-year performance period. The Committee does not intend for stock appreciation to be the exclusive performance metric for the long-term incentive compensation program; however, given the timing of the Merger and the desire to recognize improved financial performance, the Committee believed this was the most appropriate performance metric to align with stockholders at that time. Beginning in fiscal year 2022, the long-term incentive program will include 50% time-based restricted stock units and 50% performance-based stock units tied to achievement of both an absolute financial metric and relative total stockholder return;
•Increased the weighting of the financial metric in the short-term annual incentive program for fiscal year 2021 (“FY21 STIP”) from 40% at Era to 50%; and
•Established a minimum financial metric Threshold that must be achieved prior to the payment of any amounts under the individual strategic goals portion of the FY21 STIP. Payment of any amounts for the individual strategic
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Bristow Group Inc. | 31 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
goals portion of the FY21 STIP were funded only if the Company achieved 92% of the Threshold performance level for Adjusted EBITDA.
Recent Business Accomplishments
Several of our noteworthy accomplishments during fiscal year 2021 were as follows:
•In a challenging environment, we closed the Merger on June 11, 2020, forming a larger, more diverse and financially stronger global leader in vertical flight solutions.
•Our continued commitment to our Target Zero safety culture resulted in zero air accidents, a 75% reduction in severe injury events, and a 57% year-over-year reduction in lost work days.
•We realized meaningful value enhancement from achievement of cost synergies, identifying at least $50 million of annualized cost savings, with projects representing $30 million of annualized run-rate synergies completed as of March 31, 2021.
•We successfully closed a $400 million private offering of senior secured notes on February 25, 2021, strengthening our balance sheet and enhancing our strategic and operational flexibility.
•We generated substantial Adjusted Free Cash Flow of $185 million following the Merger. See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for reconciliation of Adjusted Free Cash Flow.
•In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we protected our employees, customers, and communities through a number of actions, including the implementation of flexible work schedules, incremental paid time off for employees experiencing symptoms and augmenting safety operational procedures to prevent workplace and passenger exposure.
•We also engaged in a number of key projects to support our strategic priorities, as discussed in more detail under “Individual Compensation Decisions”.
Managing through the COVID-19 Pandemic
In fiscal year 2021, we demonstrated resilience in an extremely challenging environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse in oil and gas prices and ensuing market volatility. As a result of the timing of the Merger closing and the change to our fiscal year end from December 31 to March 31, the Committee and the Board had good visibility on how COVID-19 was impacting our operations. In an effort to ensure that executive pay remained aligned with the experience of our stockholders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee and the Board implemented the following actions when developing the fiscal year 2021 executive compensation program:
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ü | Set a minimum share price target in connection with fiscal year 2021 equity awards to avoid excessive dilution given market volatility; |
ü | Eliminated a stretch performance level for the financial metric (i.e., Adjusted EBITDA) included in the FY21 STIP, given that the financial targets were established based upon a revised financial forecast that incorporated the impact of COVID-19 on the business; and |
ü | Established a minimum Adjusted EBITDA Threshold that must be achieved prior to the payment of any amounts earned for individual strategic goals in fiscal year 2021. Payment of any amounts for the individual strategic goals portion of the FY21 STIP were funded only if the Company achieved 92% of the Threshold performance level for Adjusted EBITDA. |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 32 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Selected Financial Performance Results
Below are several key financial highlights for fiscal year 2021(1).
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| Available Liquidity(2) | | Net Debt(2) | | Adjusted Free Cash Flow for the 9-month Period Following the Merger(3) | | Pro Forma LTM Adjusted EBITDA(4) | |
| $284 million | | $346 million | | $185 million | | $181 million | |
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| Realization of Synergies in Connection with the Merger | |
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| G&A Savings | + | Fleet Cost Savings | + | Other OpEx Savings | = | +$50 Million Annual Run-Rate Savings | |
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| Returning Value to Stockholders - Opportunistic repurchases of 448,252 shares of Common Stock during fiscal year 2021 for gross consideration of $10 million. | |
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(1)Amounts shown as of March 31, 2021.
(2)Comprised of $228.0 million in unrestricted cash balances and $56.1 million of remaining availability under ABL Facility (see Appendix A for reconciliation).
(3)See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for reconciliation of Adjusted Free Cash Flow.
(4)See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for reconciliation of Pro Forma LTM Adjusted EBITDA.
Elements of Target Total Direct Compensation for Fiscal Year 2021
We have three primary elements of compensation: base salary, annual short-term incentives and long-term incentives.
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Base Salary | Annual Short-Term Incentive (STI) Cash Award | Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Performance-based Stock Units and Non-Qualified Stock Options |
Provides a competitive level of fixed compensation, which is based upon individual factors such as scope of responsibility, experience, and strategic impact | Variable cash compensation component aligned with near-term objectives, while also supporting our long-term strategic plan | •Variable equity-based compensation component emphasizing long-term Company performance •Aligns executive officer interests with our stockholders’
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Benefits and Perquisites NEOs are generally not eligible for any additional benefits or perquisites beyond what is provided to the general employee population |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 33 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
A substantial portion of compensation for our CEO and other Named Executive Officers is dependent upon performance. Set forth below is the target direct compensation mix which is comprised of base salary, target annual cash incentive award opportunity, and the grant date fair value of long-term incentive awards.

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Base Salary ($) | Annual STI ($) | LTI ($) | Total ($) |
720,000 | 1,080,000 | 2,520,000 | 4,320,000 | |
X | X | X | X |
400,000 | 320,000 | 800,000 | 1,520,000 | |
X | X | X | X |
413,542 | 310,157 | 620,314 | 1,344,013 | |
X | X | X | X |
380,000 | 380,000 | 570,000 | 1,330,000 | |
X | X | X | X |
380,000 | 285,000 | 570,000 | 1,235,000 | |
X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X |
How We Align Pay with Performance
As shown above, a substantial portion of the compensation for the Named Executive Officers is variable or at risk, with 83% of our Chief Executive Officer’s target compensation at risk and an average of 71% of the other Named Executive Officer’s target direct compensation at risk.
In fiscal year 2021, the Committee relied on the following performance metrics: (i) stock price performance, (ii) Adjusted EBITDA (50% weighting in the FY21 STIP), (iii) safety (25% weighting in the FY21 STIP), and (iv) individual strategic goals (25% weighting in the FY21 STIP).
Commencing in fiscal year 2022, the Committee will utilize relative total stockholder return (“RTSR”) and cash return on invested capital (“Cash ROIC”) as performance metrics in the long-term incentive portion of the executive compensation program. Each metric will have a 25% weighting and be settled in shares at the end of the three-year period. The other 50% of the long-term incentive program for fiscal year 2022 will be comprised of time-based restricted stock units vesting equally over a three-year period.
How Fiscal Year 2021 Performance Affected Incentive Payouts
Given industry conditions, the impact of the global pandemic and the pending Merger which was expected to occur by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, the Committee opted to measure all performance levels for our executive compensation program for the nine-month period beginning on July 1, 2020 and ending March 31, 2021 (the “FY21 Performance Period”). As outlined in more detail in the CD&A, the Company did not achieve the Threshold Adjusted EBITDA performance level established under the FY21 STIP for the applicable performance measurement period.
As a result, our fiscal year 2021 compensation reflects the failure to achieve the Threshold Adjusted EBITDA performance level, while recognizing an exemplary year in global safety and the efforts undertaken by the Named Executive Officers in connection with the closing of the Merger and the integration efforts accomplished thereafter.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 34 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
The table below shows the Company’s performance measured against the pre-established performance goals for the FY21 STIP and the fiscal year 2021 performance-based stock units (“FY21 PSUs”).
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Performance Metric | Actual Result for Applicable Performance Period(1) | Threshold | Target (100%) | Stretch (200%) | Payout (as a % of Target) |
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FY21 STIP |
Adjusted EBITDA (50%) | $115.7 million | $125 million | $145 million | Eliminated for FY21 STIP | 0% |
Safety (25%) | | | | | |
ICAO Air Accident(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 200 | % |
Lost Time Incident Severity Rate (“LTISR”) | 5.33 | 10.47 | 8.38 | 6.29 |
Individual Strategic Goals (25%) | 100%(3) | Forfeited if 92% of the Threshold performance level for the Adjusted EBITDA performance metric is not achieved. | 100 | % |
FY21 Long-Term Incentive Program |
FY21 PSUs(4) | $27.28 | N/A | $25.50 | N/A | 100% |
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(1)The performance period for the FY21 STIP was July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The FY21 PSUs are subject to a three-year performance period ending on June 12, 2023, where one-third (1/3) of the shares underlying the FY21 PSUs may be earned subject to the achievement of a target volume weighted average price per share of our Common Stock over the 120-day period immediately preceding each of June 12, 2021, June 12, 2022, and June 12, 2023.
(2)Any fatality would have resulted in elimination of the complete safety incentive for the fiscal year.
(3)Average performance level of our NEOs with respect to the applicable Individual Strategic Goals.
(4)One-third (1/3) available to be earned each year subject to achievement of a target volume weighted average price per share of Common Stock over the 120-day period immediately preceding a scheduled earn date. All earned FY21 PSUs will vest on June 12, 2023, subject to the grantee’s continued employment as of such date.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 35 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Total Stockholder Return Since the Merger of Era and Old Bristow
*Source: FactSet Market Data as of March 31, 2021.
Executive Compensation Program Best Practices
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ü WHAT WE DO | ü | Regularly engage with large stockholders to discuss matters of interest. |
ü | Pay for performance. Place a heavy emphasis on variable pay with approximately 83% of our Chief Executive Officer’s target direct compensation contingent upon financial and operational performance and growth in long-term stockholder value. |
ü | Use performance-based long-term incentive awards compensation through performance-based stock units and stock options for which value is contingent upon stock price performance relative to grant date. |
ü | Annual review of target compensation levels relative to an appropriate set of peers. |
ü | Reinforce the alignment of stockholders and our executives and directors by requiring significant levels of stock ownership. |
ü | Ensure accountability and manage risk through a robust financial restatement clawback policy applicable to our executive officers, limits on maximum annual cash incentive award opportunities and ongoing risk assessments of our program. |
ü | Use relative and absolute performance metrics to determine the payment of future performance awards under the Company’s long-term incentive awards. |
ü | The Compensation Committee is comprised of independent directors and has the ability to engage the services of an independent compensation consultant and outside counsel. |
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X WHAT WE DON’T DO | X | No employment agreements with any of our executive officers. |
X | No pledging (unless our General Counsel consents to the pledge) or hedging of our company stock, and no repricing stock options. |
X | No excise tax gross-ups. |
X | No significant perquisites. |
X | No guarantee of bonuses. |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 36 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Factors Considered in Determining Executive Compensation
Compensation Consultant and Management
The Committee sets compensation levels based on the skills, experience and achievements of each Named Executive Officer after taking into account market analysis, input by its independent compensation consultant and the compensation recommendations of our Chief Executive Officer, except with respect to his own compensation. The Committee believes that input from both its independent compensation consultant and our Chief Executive Officer provides useful information and points of views to assist the Committee in determining appropriate compensation.
We are always competing for the best talent with our direct industry peers and with the broader market. Consequently, the Committee, together with its independent compensation consultant, regularly reviews the market data, pay practices and ranges of specific peer companies to ensure that we continue to offer relevant and competitive executive pay packages each year. The Committee generally targets compensation to the market median for executive compensation program.
The Committee retained Mercer LLC (“Mercer”) to serve as its executive compensation consultant for fiscal year 2021. Prior to engaging Mercer, the Committee evaluated Mercer’s independence from management, taking into consideration all relevant factors, including the six independence factors specified in the NYSE listing rules and applicable SEC requirements. The Committee reviewed the independence of Mercer and concluded that it is independent and that its work for the Committee will not raise any conflicts of interest. The Committee has the sole authority to modify or approve Mercer’s compensation, determine the nature and scope of its services, evaluate its performance, terminate the engagement, and hire a replacement or additional consultant at any time. No other consulting firm made recommendations to the Committee or management on the peer group composition or on the form, amount or design of executive compensation in fiscal year 2021.
Executive Compensation Peer Group
Our peer group was developed primarily based on industry and size, focusing on companies in the oil and gas equipment and services and air transportation sectors. The Committee reviews the peer group on an annual basis.
Our peer group for fiscal year 2021 included each of the 17 companies listed below in decreasing order of global revenues for the most recently ended fiscal year for each such company.
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Company | Revenue (in millions) | | | Company | Revenue (in millions) | |
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Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings | $3,211 | | | | Noble Corp | $964 | | |
Transocean Ltd. | $3,152 | | | | Superior Energy Services | $851 | | |
Kirby Corporation | $2,171 | | | | SEACOR Holdings | $754 | | |
SkyWest | $2,127 | | | | Helix Energy Solutions Group | $734 | | |
Oceaneering International | $1,828 | | | | Oil States International | $638 | | |
Spirit Airlines | $1,810 | | | | Forum Energy Technologies | $512 | | |
Air Transport Services Group | $1,571 | | | | Newpark Resources | $493 | | |
Valaris | $1,427 | | | | Core Laboratories N.V. | $487 | | |
Allegiant Travel Company | $990 | | | | | | |
Bristow FY 2021 Global Revenues | $1,178 | | |
Proxy Peer Group Median | $990 | | |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 37 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Analysis of Executive Officer Compensation
Overview of the Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Compensation Program
The compensation of our Named Executive Officers consists of the following three key components that are described in more detail below: (1) base salary; (2) annual short-term incentive awards; and (3) long-term equity incentive awards.
Base Salary
To attract and retain talented and qualified executives, we provide competitive base salaries, which the Committee generally targets at the market median for executives with similar responsibilities. The Committee considers the competitive market data noted in the section entitled “Factors Considered in Determining Executive Compensation” when setting base salary. Salary adjustments have been typically made in June of each year and are based on the individual’s experience and background, the general movement of salaries in the marketplace, the Company’s financial performance and a qualitative assessment of the individual’s performance by his or her immediate supervisor, or in the case of the Chief Executive Officer, by the Board.
Fiscal Year 2021 and Fiscal Year 2022 Base Salaries
Upon consummation of the Merger, the Committee approved the base salaries set forth below for fiscal year 2021. The Committee did not approve any base salary adjustments for fiscal year 2022 other than: (i) a 5% increase for Ms. Whalen in connection with the recent corporate management reorganization announced on April 1, 2021 where Ms. Whalen took on additional responsibilities, including oversight of the information technology department; and (ii) a 5% increase for Ms. Gordon effective as of June 1, 2021, based on the Committee’s review of market data for executives with similar responsibilities.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 38 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
The following table summarizes these changes:
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Named Executive Officers | Base Salary Prior to June 11, 2020 | Base Salary Effective June 11, 2020 | Base Salary Effective June 1, 2021 | |
| | | | |
Christopher S. Bradshaw | $695,000 | | $720,000 | | $720,000 | | |
David F. Stepanek | $320,000 | | $400,000 | | $400,000 | | |
Alan Corbett(*) | N/A | $413,542 | | $413,542 | | |
Crystal L. Gordon | $375,000 | | $380,000 | | $400,000 | | |
Jennifer D. Whalen | $310,000 | | $310,000 | | $400,000 | | |
(*)Mr. Corbett joined the Company on June 11, 2020 in connection with the Merger. Mr. Corbett’s base salary in GBP is £301,886. The USD amounts of his cash compensation are based on an exchange rate of 1 GBP to 1.369863014 USD, being the foreign exchange rate as of March 31, 2021.
Short-Term Annual Incentive Program
The Company maintains a short-term annual incentive program (the “STIP”) to reward selected executive officers and other employees for their contributions to the performance of the Company by achieving specific safety and financial metrics and individual strategic goals intended to support the Company’s strategic priorities.
The Committee sets the annual target value of each Named Executive Officer’s short-term incentive award opportunity as a percentage of the executive’s base salary. Generally, the award opportunities for each metric evaluated under the STIP are established at Threshold, Target and Stretch levels. The Stretch level for each metric is capped at 200% of target, and as a result, the overall potential amount that could be earned is capped at 200% of Target.
Given industry conditions, the impact of the global pandemic and the pending merger which was expected to occur by the end of the first quarter in fiscal year 2021, the Committee opted to measure all performance levels for our STIP for the nine-month period beginning on July 1, 2020 and ending March 31, 2021 (the “FY21 Performance Period”). Employees of Old Bristow received an annual STIP payout for 12 months of service based on actual performance for the FY21 Performance Period. Employees of Era received an annual STIP payout for the nine months of service based on actual performance for the FY21 Performance Period. In addition and as further described herein, given the change in fiscal year and six months of service lapsed with Era, employees of Era also received a STIP payout based on actual performance at Era from January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020.
Following the Merger, the Committee designed the STIP for fiscal year 2021 (the “FY21 STIP”). The FY21 STIP included three performance metrics: safety, financial (i.e., Adjusted EBITDA) and individual strategic goals aligned with the operational and strategic objectives of the Company’s business. The relative weightings of each performance metric are set forth below. Attainment of 92% of the Threshold performance level for Adjusted EBITDA was required in order for any Named Executive Officer to receive any payment for achievement of the individual strategic goals.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 39 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Overview of Safety Performance (25%)
Safety is our number one core value and highest operational priority. Our safety performance metrics under the FY21 STIP included (i) consolidated air accidents (“AA”), which is a measure of aircraft accidents that accounts for the severity of any damage or injuries sustained during such events, for the fiscal year compared to a preset target; and (ii) personal injury events as measured by a lost time incident severity rate reflecting the number of lost work days experienced expressed as a rate per 100 full-time employees (“LTISR”). AA and LTISR each account for 12.5% (together accounting for 25%) of the weighting for the FY21 STIP. Both of these safety performance metrics are measured at the consolidated corporate level.
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| The Company’s continued commitment to our Target Zero safety culture resulted in zero air accidents, a 75% reduction in severe injury events, and a 57% year-over-year reduction in lost work days. |
Financial Performance/Adjusted EBITDA (50%)
Our financial performance metric for the FY21 STIP was measured by Adjusted EBITDA. The performance threshold for Adjusted EBITDA was not met, resulting in no payment for the financial performance metric under the FY21 STIP.
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| Threshold level of performance for Adjusted EBITDA was not met, resulting in no earned amounts for this performance metric. |
Individual Strategic Goals (25%)
Under the FY21 STIP, the Committee, together with the Chief Executive Officer (other than for himself) approved individual objectives for each Named Executive Officer aligned with the Company’s strategic priorities and achievement of the synergies associated with the Merger. The individual strategic goals of the FY21 STIP link compensation directly to the performance of the executive.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 40 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
The Committee carefully evaluated Company and individual performance. On average, the Named Executive Officers achieved 100% of the individual strategic goals agreed upon by the Committee for fiscal year 2021. Please see below for the Committee’s considerations with respect to each Named Executive Officer’s individual performance.
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| Achieved 92% of Threshold performance level for Adjusted EBITDA, which was required to fund the payment of any amounts earned for individual strategic goals in fiscal year 2021. |
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Christopher S. Bradshaw President and Chief Executive Officer
| | Selected Fiscal Year 2021 Performance Highlights •Oversaw an exemplary year of safety during a year filled with many distractions from the closing of the Merger and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company’s continued focus and commitment to its Target Zero safety culture resulted in zero air accidents, a 75% reduction in severe injury events, and a 57% year-over-year reduction in lost work days; •Drove timely implementation of efficient short-term crisis responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe hurricane season that impacted the Company’s operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico during fiscal year 2021; •Led the closing of the Merger and the realization of $30 million of run-rate cost synergies as of March 31, 2021; •Delivered financial flexibility and balance sheet strength to the Company through significant generation of Adjusted Free Cash Flow (excluding Net Capex) after the closing of the Merger ($185 million) and the successful closing of the Company’s private offering of $400 million of senior secured notes; and •Oversaw the integration and development of a new executive leadership team after the Merger, including reorganizations among key roles to support the Company’s vision to be the global leader in innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions. COMPENSATION DECISIONS In June 2020 following the Merger, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, the following compensation actions with respect to Mr. Bradshaw: •A 3.6% base salary increase to $720,000 to compensate Mr. Bradshaw for his increased global responsibilities following the Merger; •The issuance of an annual equity award with an aggregate grant date value of approximately $1.6 million, which was split equally between FY21 PSUs and stock options; and •Increased the percentage target for long-term incentive compensation that is variable, at risk, and aligned with stockholder interests from 200% to 350%. In May 2021, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, a FY21 STIP payout for Mr. Bradshaw in the amount of $608,055, which represented 75% of his target opportunity under the FY21 STIP. |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 41 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
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David F. Stepanek Executive Vice President, Sales and Chief Transformation Officer
| | Selected Fiscal Year 2021 Performance Highlights •Led the project management team that oversaw the integration of Old Bristow and Era following the Merger, resulting in the realization of $30 million of run-rate cost synergies as of March 31, 2021 and identification of additional synergy opportunities increasing the initial target of $35 million to $50 million; •Led the crisis response planning for our operations and employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe hurricane season in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico; and •Led the consolidation of our facilities and operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. COMPENSATION DECISIONS In June 2020 following the Merger, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, the following compensation actions with respect to Mr. Stepanek: •A 25% base salary increase to $400,000 to compensate Mr. Stepanek for his new role as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer following the Merger and subsequent transition to our Executive Vice President, Sales and Chief Transformation Officer; •The issuance of an annual equity award with an aggregate grant date value of approximately $312,006, which was split equally between FY21 PSUs and stock options; and •Increased the percentage target for long-term incentive compensation that is variable, at risk, and aligned with stockholder interests from 105% to 200%. In May 2021, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, a FY21 STIP payout for Mr. Stepanek in the amount of $174,159, which represented 73% of his target opportunity under the FY21 STIP. |
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Alan Corbett Senior Vice President, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia and Search and Rescue
| | Selected Fiscal Year 2021 Performance Highlights •Led a focused effort to decrease the number of lost work days, resulting in a 57% global year-over-year decrease; •Led multiple projects to right size the operational footprint of certain regions in response to customer demand for our services; and •Supported efforts of the supply chain function in EAMEA to reduce inventory, which resulted in a 62% year-over-year decrease in owned inventory in EAMEA. COMPENSATION DECISIONS In June 2020 following the Merger, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, the following compensation actions with respect to Mr. Corbett: •Mr. Corbett’s base salary was unchanged for fiscal year 2021; •The issuance of an annual equity award with an aggregate grant date value of approximately $78,006, which was split equally between FY21 PSUs and stock options; •Received a retention bonus previously negotiated with Old Bristow in the amount of $300,000; and •Set the percentage target for long-term incentive compensation that is variable, at risk, and aligned with stockholder interests at 150%. In May 2021, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, a FY21 STIP payout for Mr. Corbett in the amount of $213,975, which represented 75% of his target opportunity under the FY21 STIP. |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 42 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
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Crystal L. Gordon Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary
| | Selected Fiscal Year 2021 Performance Highlights •Supported the closing of the Merger between Era and Old Bristow, including securing the necessary regulatory approvals to consummate the transaction; •Supported and led several key integration efforts, including the combination of the U.S. pilot and mechanic workforce, identification of significant savings within the legal department, and consolidation of aviation operations in the U.S Gulf of Mexico; and •Supported the Company’s private offering of $400 million senior secured notes and the subsequent collateralization of aircraft pledged in connection with the transaction. COMPENSATION DECISIONS In June 2020 following the Merger, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, the following compensation actions with respect to Ms. Gordon: •A 1.3% base salary increase to $380,000 following the Merger; •The issuance of an annual equity award with an aggregate grant date value of approximately $218,406, which was split equally between FY21 PSUs and stock options; and •Increased the percentage target for long-term incentive compensation that is variable, at risk, and aligned with stockholder interests from 125% to 150%. In May 2021, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, a FY21 STIP payout for Ms. Gordon in the amount of $219,651, which represented 77% of her target opportunity under the FY21 STIP. |
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Jennifer D. Whalen Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
| | Selected Fiscal Year 2021 Performance Highlights •Led cross-functional project to standardize global operational and financial reporting metrics; •Analyzed and led efforts to reduce foreign currency exposure, including the implementation of a new hedging program for the Company’s exposure to GBP; and •Supported efforts to analyze the sustainability of the Company’s business portfolio, resulting in the planned exit of the Company’s operations in Colombia and rotor-wing business in Australia. COMPENSATION DECISIONS In September 2020 in connection with her appointment as Chief Financial Officer of the combined company, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, the following compensation actions with respect to Ms. Whalen: •A 22.6% base salary increase to $380,000; •The issuance of an annual equity award with an aggregate grant date value of approximately $456,180, which was split equally between FY21 PSUs and stock options; and •Increased the percentage target for long-term incentive compensation that is variable, at risk, and aligned with stockholder interests from 105% to 150%. In May 2021, the Committee recommended, and the independent members of the Board approved, a FY21 STIP payout for Ms. Whalen in the amount of $153,771, which represented 75% of her target opportunity under the FY21 STIP. |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 43 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
FY21 Performance Results
In May 2021, the Committee, together with the Audit Committee, certified the Company’s performance with respect to the Adjusted EBITDA and safety performance metrics of the FY21 STIP and each Named Executive Officer’s achievement of individual strategic goals. The table below sets forth Threshold, Target, Stretch (only in the case of the safety performance metric) and actual for the financial and safety performance metrics.
FY21 STIP
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Performance Metric | Actual Result for Applicable Performance Period | Threshold | Target (100%) | Stretch (200%) | Payout (as a % of Target) |
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Adjusted EBITDA (50%) | $115.7 million | $125 million | $145 million | Eliminated for FY21 STIP | 0% |
Safety (25%) | | | | | |
ICAO Air Accident(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 200 | % |
Lost Time Incident Severity Rate (“LTISR”) | 5.33 | 10.47 | 8.38 | 6.29 |
Individual Strategic Goals (25%) | 100%(2) | Forfeited if 92% of the Threshold performance level for the Adjusted EBITDA performance metric is not achieved. | 100 | % |
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(1)Any fatality would have resulted in elimination of the complete safety incentive for the fiscal year.
(2)Average performance level of our Named Executive Officers with respect to the applicable Individual Strategic Goals.
Era Group Inc. 2020 Bonus Plan Termination and Payments
Following the closing of the Merger in June 2020, the Committee determined that the performance metrics (safety (25%), financial (i.e., Adjusted EBITDA) (40%), and individual strategic goals (35%)) adopted under the Era short-term incentive plan (the “Era 2020 STIP”) in February 2020 were no longer applicable for the combined company’s compensation program going forward. Further, it would have been difficult to calculate achievement of the performance metrics given the combined company switched from a December 31 fiscal year end to a March 31 fiscal year end.
Consequently, following the close of the Merger, the Committee approved prorated payouts under the Era 2020 STIP to the former executive officers of Era that were continuing with the combined company, based upon achievement of the performance metrics for the period beginning January 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2020.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 44 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
The actual results for the Era 2020 STIP were as follows:
ERA 2020 STIP (January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020)
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Performance Metric | Actual Result for Applicable Performance Period | Threshold | Expected (100%) | Target (200%) | Payout (as a % of Target)(4) | |
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Adjusted EBITDA (40%) | < $34 million | $34 million | $40 million | $48 million | 0% | |
Safety (25%) | | | | | | |
Air Accident Rate (“AAR”) (17%)(1) | 0 | 2.5 | 2 | 0 | 100 | % | |
Total Recordable Incident Rate (“TRIR”)(8%)(2) | 0 | 0.74 | 0.37 | 0 | |
Individual Strategic Goals (35%) | 60.3%(3) | | Capped at 100% | |
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(1)AAR was determined by aggregating the total number of accidents involving helicopters operated by Era Group Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries in accordance with the industry standard defined by the Federal Aviation Administration, divided by the aggregated flight hours of Era Group Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, multiplied by 100,000.
(2)TRIR was determined by aggregating the total number of illnesses and injuries as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of employees of Era Helicopters, LLC, multiplied by 200,000, divided by the total number of hours worked by such employees.
(3)Average performance level with respect to the applicable Individual Strategic Goals of the Era Group Inc. executives continuing with the combined company.
(4)All performance targets were prorated to reflect a 6-month measurement period.
The performance results under the Era 2020 STIP resulted in prorated payouts to the continuing executives of the combined company as follows:
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Named Executive Officers | Base Salary Prior to June 11, 2020 | Total Half Year Bonus (January – June) | |
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Christopher S. Bradshaw | $695,000 | | $443,063 | | |
David F. Stepanek | $320,000 | | $102,000 | | |
Crystal L. Gordon | $375,000 | | $159,375 | | |
Jennifer D. Whalen | $310,000 | | $98,813 | | |
Long-Term Incentive Program
Fiscal Year 2021 Equity Awards
In fiscal year 2021, the Committee approved equity awards to the newly appointed executive officers to incentivize the new leadership team following the Merger, comprised of performance-based stock units (“FY21 PSUs”) (50%) and stock options (50%).
The FY21 PSUs are subject to a three-year performance period ending on June 12, 2023, where one-third (1/3) of the shares underlying the FY21 PSUs may be earned subject to the achievement of a target volume weighted average price per share of our Common Stock over the 120-day period immediately preceding each of June 12, 2021, June 12, 2022, and June 12, 2023. All FY21 PSUs vest on June 12, 2023, to the extent earned. The stock options cliff-vest on the date that is three years from the date of grant, June 12, 2020.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 45 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
The aggregate grant date fair values of the annual equity awards described above for each current Named Executive Officer were as follows:
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Named Executive Officer | FY21 PSUs | Stock Options |
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Christopher S. Bradshaw | $644,164 | | $915,830 | |
David F. Stepanek | $128,836 | | $183,170 | |
Alan Corbett | $32,211 | | $45,795 | |
Crystal L. Gordon | $90,186 | | $128,220 | |
Jennifer D. Whalen | $286,308 | | $169,872 | |
Fiscal Year 2022 Compensation Design Changes
Beginning in fiscal year 2022, the Committee, in consultation with Mercer, designed a new long-term incentive program for the Named Executive Officers. The long-term incentive awards are intended to motivate and incentivize executives to achieve results (including stock price performance) that are consistent with the Company’s strategic business objectives. Further, the Committee believes that long-term compensation should represent the largest portion of each Named Executive Officer’s total compensation package and that the levels of payout ultimately achieved should reflect the Company’s performance, both relative to peer company performance and on an absolute basis.
In furtherance of the Committee’s compensation philosophy outlined above, the long-term incentive plan equity awards for fiscal year 2022 will be broken out as follows: 50% of the target value in the form of time-based restricted stock units, and the remaining grant value split evenly between PSUs that may be earned based on the following metrics: relative total stockholder return (“RTSR”) and absolute cash on return on invested capital (“Cash ROIC”).
The design of the STIP is generally unchanged relative to fiscal year 2021.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 46 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
The Committee believes the following metrics listed below are indicators of the long-term financial health of our Company and, therefore, serve the fundamental objective of our executive compensation program:
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Short-Term Performance Metrics | Long-Term Performance Metrics (3-year performance periods) |
Adjusted EBITDA (50%)(1) | Stock Appreciation |
Measures operating performance from period to period by excluding certain items that management believes are not representative of the Company’s core operating results. | Reinforces the importance of price appreciation and is consistent with our compensation philosophy to align with the long-term interests of our stockholders. |
Safety (25%) | Relative Total Stockholder Return (“RTSR”) |
Safety is our number one core value and highest operational priority. The safety metric is comprised of two key metrics: (i) air accidents as classified under the industry standard known as International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which includes Class A and Class D air accidents; and (ii) personal injury events as measured by a lost time incident severity rate (“LTISR”). | Measures financial and operational results through our share price, which reflects our current and expected future performance, and directly links a significant portion of executive officer compensation to stockholder value creation. |
Strategic (25%) | Cash Return on Invested Capital (“Cash ROIC”)(2) |
Measures individual performance for achievement of strategic and operational goals established to support the achievement of the Company’s strategic priorities. In fiscal year 2022, the strategic individual goals include certain ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics related to the Company’s commitment to sustainability. | Measures the efficiency with which we allocate capital resources, taking into account not just the quantity of earnings, but also the quality of earnings and investments that drive long-term value creation. |
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(1)See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
(2)See Appendix A to this Proxy Statement for the calculation.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 47 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
RTSR PSUs
The RTSR PSUs for fiscal year 2022 cliff vest at the conclusion of the three-year performance period ending on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the Named Executive Officer’s continued service through the vesting date, and are based on the RTSR attained during the performance period. RTSR PSU achievement can range from 0% to 200% of target based on relative performance against companies in the PHLX Oil Service Index (the “OSX Index”). Payouts are generally determined by multiplying the target number of RTSR PSUs by an adjustment percentage based on the RTSR percentile performance of the Company, as set forth in the following table. No payout will be made if performance is below the 25th percentile.
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Performance Level | Percentile Rank Relative to Peers | Payout % of Target(1)(2) |
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Maximum | ≥ 90th | 200% |
Target | 50th | 100% |
Threshold | 25th | 50% |
Below Threshold | < 25th | 0% |
(1)Payout would be interpolated on a linear basis for performance between levels of achievement
(2)Payouts would be capped at target in the event of negative TSR, regardless of percentile ranking relative to the peers
Cash ROIC PSUs
The Cash ROIC metric will be measured in increments over a three-year period and is designed to focus Named Executive Officers on the efficient use of capital by promoting discipline in capital allocation decisions. See Appendix A for a calculation of Cash ROIC, which is a supplemental measure not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP).
The Cash ROIC is denominated in PSUs, each of which is equivalent to one share of Common Stock. The percentage of such number of PSUs that become payable at the end of the applicable performance period depends on the Company’s absolute Cash ROIC during the relevant performance period.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 48 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Fiscal Year 2022 Long-Term Incentive Awards
The long-term incentive awards issued for fiscal year 2022 included the following grants to the Named Executive Officers:
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Named Executive Officer | FY22 RSUs | FY22 RTSR PSUs(1) | FY22 Cash ROIC PSUs(1) |
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Christopher S. Bradshaw(2) | $1,259,987 | | $629,979 | | $630,008 | |
David F. Stepanek(3) | $399,998 | | $199,999 | | $199,999 | |
Alan Corbett(4) | $315,241 | | $157,606 | | $157,607 | |
Crystal L. Gordon(5) | $300,013 | | $149,992 | | $149,993 | |
Jennifer D. Whalen(6) | $300,013 | | $149,992 | | $149,993 | |
(1)The PSUs were granted to our NEOs expressly subject to and contingent upon stockholder approval of the LTIP at the Meeting.
(2)The target value of Mr. Bradshaw’s long-term incentive awards for fiscal year 2022 are equal to 350% of his base salary, half of which is comprised of time-based RSUs and the other half of which is comprised of performance-based stock units.
(3)The target value of Mr. Stepanek’s long-term incentive awards for fiscal year 2022 are equal to 200% of his base salary, half of which is comprised of time-based RSUs and the other half of which is comprised of performance-based stock units.
(4)The target value of Mr. Corbett’s long-term incentive awards for fiscal year 2022 are equal to 152% of his base salary, half of which is comprised of time-based RSUs and the other half of which is comprised of performance-based stock units.
(5)The target value of Ms. Gordon’s long-term incentive awards for fiscal year 2022 are equal to 150% of her base salary, half of which is comprised of time-based RSUs and the other half of which is comprised of performance-based stock units.
(6)The target value of Ms. Whalen’s long-term incentive awards for fiscal year 2022 are equal to 150% of her base salary, half of which is comprised of time-based RSUs and the other half of which is comprised of performance-based stock units.
Other Compensation Components
Perquisites
Historically, the Company has not provided perquisites to the Named Executive Officers that are different from the perquisites available to all the Company’s employees generally.
For additional information regarding perquisites, see “Director and Executive Officer Compensation – Summary Compensation Table.”
Employment Agreements and Change in Control Arrangements
The Committee does not believe fixed-term executive employment contracts that guarantee minimum levels of compensation over multiple years enhance stockholder value. Accordingly, our U.S.-based executives generally do not have employment contracts. However, in certain limited circumstances related to mergers and acquisitions, it may be necessary to enter into employment agreements.
We also have agreements with executives based outside the United States where local regulations and practices require employment contracts.
Change in Control Agreements
The Committee believes that it is important to provide the Named Executive Officers with certain severance payment(s) in connection with a change in control in order to establish a sense of stability in the event of transactions that may create uncertainty regarding future employment. Such payments maximize stockholder value by encouraging the Named Executive Officers to objectively review any proposed transaction to determine whether such proposal is in the best interest of our stockholders, irrespective of whether or not the NEO will continue to be employed post-transaction.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 49 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Era Group Inc. Severance Plan
Following the Merger, the Committee elected to terminate the Era Group Inc. Senior Executive Severance Plan (“Era Severance Plan”). However, the protections described below will remain in place until June 2022 for all of the Named Executive Officers other than Mr. Corbett who is still subject to the severance protections outlined below for Old Bristow.
The Era Severance Plan provides severance benefits to eligible employees, including the NEOs, designated by the Committee, whose employment is terminated by the Company without “cause” or by the participant for “good reason”, in either case, in connection with a “change in control” (as such terms are defined in the Era Severance Plan) (in either case, a “Qualifying Termination”).
Upon a Qualifying Termination, a NEO will be eligible to receive the following benefits: (a) a lump sum cash payment equal to either (i) three times the sum of annual base salary and target annual bonus for the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer or (ii) in the case of the other NEOs (other than Mr. Corbett), two times the sum of annual base salary and target annual bonus; (b) pro-rata target bonus for the year of termination; (c) a lump sum cash payment equal to COBRA premiums for 18 months; and (d) outplacement services not to exceed $25,000. In order to receive severance payments, the NEO must execute a general release of claims in favor of the Company. As a condition to participation in the Era Severance Plan, all participants are subject to confidentiality obligations, as well as non-solicitation and noncompetition restrictions during their employment with the Company and for 18 months thereafter (two years for the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer).
In the event that any payment or benefit due to a NEO would be subject to the excise tax under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code, based on such payments being classified as “excess parachute payments” under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, then the amounts payable to such NEO will be reduced to the maximum amount that does not trigger the excise tax, unless the applicable employee would be better off (on an after-tax basis) receiving all such payments and benefits and paying all applicable income and excise tax thereon.
Old Bristow
Effective as of October 31, 2019, Old Bristow adopted the Amended and Restated 2019 Management Severance Benefits Plan for U.S. Employees (the “Old Bristow Severance Plan”), which provides severance benefits to certain key employees, which are categorized into five “tiers”, including Mr. Corbett, who is a Tier 2 participant. Each of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 participants were required to enter into a separate participation agreement to the Old Bristow Severance Plan (an “Old Bristow Participation Agreement”), which provides for certain enhanced benefits and imposes additional requirements in addition to the terms of the Old Bristow Severance Plan.
The Old Bristow Severance Plan provides participants with severance benefits in the event of a termination by the Company without Cause (as defined therein) or, in the case of Tier 2 and Tier 3 participants, by the participant for Good Reason (as defined therein) (each, an “Old Bristow Qualifying Termination”), with such severance benefits consisting of the following for Mr. Corbett: (i) cash severance in the form of continued base salary payments for 12 months post‑termination; (ii) subsidized COBRA coverage for 18 months post-termination; (iii) outplacement services for 12 months post‑termination; and (iv) a pro-rata annual bonus for the fiscal year of termination based on actual performance.
For Tier 2 participants, the Old Bristow Severance Plan and Old Bristow Participation Agreements provide for enhanced severance benefits in the event that the Old Bristow Qualifying Termination occurs within the two-year period following a Change in Control (as defined therein), with such enhanced severance benefits consisting of the same severance benefits as described in the preceding paragraph, subject to the following enhancements: (i) the cash severance consists of an amount equal to 1.5x (Tier 2 participants) the sum of the participant’s (x) base salary and (y) target bonus (initially 65% of base salary (Tier 2 participants)), payable in installments over the 18-month (Tier 2 participants) post‑termination period; and (ii) the pro-rata annual bonus is based on target (as opposed to actual) performance. Because the Old Bristow Qualifying Termination would occur after the date that the Committee determined annual compensation for fiscal year 2021, the amount in clause (i)(y) above will equal to the greatest of (x) Mr. Corbett’s initial target bonus amount described
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
above, (y) 100% of his target bonus for the fiscal year in which the Old Bristow Qualifying Termination occurs and (z) 100% of his target bonus for the prior fiscal year (excluding fiscal year 2020 and all prior years).
The Old Bristow Participation Agreements also subject Tier 2 and Tier 3 participants, including Mr. Corbett, to restrictive covenants as a condition of participating therein, with such covenants consisting of the following: (i) 12-month (or, if longer, the length of the base salary continuation period) post-termination non-compete; (ii) 24-month post-termination non-solicitation/non-hire; (iii) assignment of inventions; and (iv) perpetual confidentiality and non-disparagement. The Old Bristow Participation Agreements also provide that the Old Bristow Severance Plan may not be amended in an adverse manner to the Tier 2 and Tier 3 participants during the three-year period following October 31, 2019.
Other Benefits
Executive officers are eligible to participate, with other employees, in various employee benefit plans, including paid time off, medical, dental and disability insurance plans and a 401(k) plan. The Committee exercises no discretion over this participation.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 51 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Executive Compensation Program Governance
Risk Management
The Committee carefully considers the relationship between risk and our overall compensation policies, programs and practices for Named Executive Officers and other employees. The Committee continually monitors the Company’s general compensation practices, specifically the design, administration and assessment of our incentive plans, to identify any components, measurement factors or potential outcomes that might create an incentive for excessive risk-taking detrimental to the Company. The Committee has determined that the Company’s compensation plans and policies do not encourage excessive risk-taking.
Stock Ownership Guidelines and Ongoing Holding Requirements for Officers
Our Board has adopted Stock Ownership Guidelines for officers at the Vice President level or higher. Each officer subject to the Stock Ownership Guidelines is expected to hold or have held Company stock, including unvested restricted stock or unvested restricted stock units, with a value equal to a multiple of their base salary as follows:
Officer Share Ownership Guidelines
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Officers | Holding Requirement |
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CEO | 5x annual base salary |
Executive Vice President | 3x annual base salary |
Senior Vice President | 2x annual base salary |
Vice President | 1x annual base salary |
An officer who does not meet the minimum holding requirements may not sell any shares of our Common Stock until he or she meets the holding requirement and would continue to meet the holding requirement following any such sale. Unvested performance-based stock awards and performance-based stock units do not count toward satisfaction of the Stock Ownership Guidelines. Officers subject to the guidelines are expected to comply within five years from the later of the effective date of the guidelines (June 1, 2021) or the date the individual is named to a participating position.
The Stock Ownership Guidelines effectively require that our officers subject to the guidelines in the coming years hold as a group approximately $10.1 million of Company stock, including unvested restricted stock or unvested restricted stock units.
Stock Vesting Periods
The proposed 2021 Equity Incentive Plan includes minimum vesting periods for awards. Historically, restricted stock units granted under our long-term incentive plans have either cliff vested three years from the date of grant or vested ratably in equal portions on the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant.
Clawback Policies
In August 2020, the Committee adopted a new policy of recoupment of compensation in certain circumstances that applies to each of executive officers for the combined company. The policy provides that in the event the Company issues a restatement of its financial statements due to its material noncompliance with financial reporting requirements under U.S. securities laws, the Company will, to the extent permitted by governing law, require reimbursement from current and former executive officers for excess incentive compensation received at any time during the three-year period preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare the accounting restatement if a lower payment would have occurred based on the restated results, regardless of whether the executive officer engaged in misconduct or otherwise caused or contributed to the requirement for the restatement.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 52 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | | |
Hedging and Pledging Policies
Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, directors and executive officers are specifically prohibited from holding any Company stock in a margin account or engaging in any transaction that would have the effect of hedging the economic risk of ownership of their Company stock. Furthermore, directors and executive officers may not pledge Company stock as collateral for a loan or for any other purpose without the prior express written consent of the General Counsel of the Company. Finally, any pledging of or trading in Company stock by directors and executive officers is subject to the additional restrictions set forth in our Insider Trading Policy.
Tax Consideration for Pay
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally limits the tax deductibility of compensation paid to the Chief Executive Officer and other covered officers to $1 million in any taxable year. Thus, while an exception exists for certain arrangements in place as of November 2, 2017, we generally will not be able to take a deduction for any compensation paid to our NEOs in excess of $1 million. While the Committee considers this limitation on tax deductibility, its decisions regarding executive compensation are determined based on the philosophy and factors described above.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 53 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION | | |
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the above Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and incorporated by reference into the Form 10-K ended March 31, 2021.
Respectfully submitted,
The Compensation Committee
Wesley E. Kern, Chair
Lorin L. Brass
Christopher A. Pucillo
The foregoing report shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement or reference to this Proxy Statement into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or under the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates this information by reference therein, and shall not otherwise be deemed filed under those Acts.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 54 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | | |
DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following table provides information about the compensation of each of our Named Executive Officers for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, the stub period for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (indicated as “SP”), and the calendar years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018:
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Name & Principal Position | Fiscal Year | Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock Awards(1) ($) | Option Awards(1) ($) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation(2) ($) | Change in Pension Value & Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings(3) ($) | All Other Compensation(4) ($) | Total ($) | |
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Christopher S. Bradshaw President and Chief Executive Officer | 2021 | 720,000 | — | | 644,164 | 915,830 | 829,586 | — | | 20,244 | 3,129,824 | |
SP | 695,000 | — | | 845,796 | — | | 221,532 | — | | 17,100 | 1,779,428 | |
2019 | 695,000 | — | | 1,216,250 | — | | 1,838,970 | — | | 16,800 | 3,767,020 | |
2018 | 625,000 | — | | 937,503 | — | | 1,421,250 | — | | 16,500 | 3,000,253 | |
David F. Stepanek(5) Executive VP, Sales and Chief Transformation Officer | 2021 | 400,000 | 260,000 | 128,836 | 183,170 | 225,159 | — | | 57,232 | 1,254,397 | |
SP | 320,000 | 144,000 | 487,645 | — | | 51,000 | — | | 3,200 | 1,005,845 | |
Alan Corbett(6) Sr. VP, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia and Search and Rescue | 2021 | 413,542 | 300,000 | 32,211 | 45,795 | 213,975 | — | | 43,000 | 1,048,523 | |
Crystal L. Gordon(7) Sr. VP, General Counsel, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary | 2021 | 380,000 | — | | 90,186 | 128,220 | 299,338 | — | | 37,788 | 935,532 | |
SP | 375,000 | — | | 325,978 | — | | 79,688 | — | | 9,488 | 790,154 | |
2019 | 375,000 | 200,000 | 692,756 | — | | 664,125 | — | | 66,519 | 1,998,400 | |
Jennifer D. Whalen Sr. VP, Chief Financial Officer | 2021 | 380,000 | — | | 286,308 | 169,872 | 203,177 | — | | 12,508 | 1,051,865 | |
SP | 310,000 | — | | 226,349 | — | | 49,407 | — | | 17,100 | 602,856 | |
2019 | 310,000 | — | | 325,500 | — | | 415,013 | — | | 16,800 | 1,067,313 | |
2018 | 262,500 | — | | 441,781 | — | | 296,395 | — | | 15,239 | 1,015,915 | |
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Bristow Group Inc. | 55 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | | |
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Name & Principal Position | Fiscal Year | Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock Awards(1) ($) | Option Awards(1) ($) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation(2) ($) | Change in Pension Value & Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings(3) ($) | All Other Compensation(4) ($) | Total ($) | |
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Paul T. White(8) Former Sr. VP, Commercial | 2021 | 275,000 | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | 1,126,455 | 1,401,455 | |
SP | 275,000 | — | | 200,791 | — | | — | | — | | 9,238 | 485,029 | |
2019 | 275,000 | — | | 288,750 | — | | 356,606 | | — | | 11,461 | 931,817 | |
2018 | 262,500 | — | | 275,629 | — | | 290,194 | — | | 11,094 | 839,417 | |
(1)The amount shown is the aggregate grant date fair value computed in accordance with the applicable guidance. A discussion of the policies used in the calculation of grant date fair values is set forth in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on May 27, 2021. The amounts shown may not correspond to the actual value that will be recognized by the NEO. In the case of Mr. White, his unvested restricted stock unit grants awarded in March 2018, March 2019 and March 2020 fully vested on June 11, 2020, in accordance with the Era Severance Policy.
(2)For fiscal year 2021, represents amounts paid by the Company under the FY21 STIP and the Era 2020 STIP, based on the achievement of certain Company performance measures during the fiscal year. For additional information, please see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis — Short-Term Annual Incentive Program” above. Mr. White received $91,854, which represents the prorated bonus amount that he was entitled to receive under the Era Severance Plan.
(3)Our NEOs do not participate in any defined benefit or pension plan through the Company and did not receive any above-market or preferential earnings on nonqualified deferred compensation during fiscal years 2019, 2020 and 2021.
(4)Includes for fiscal year 2021:
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| Mr. Bradshaw | Mr. Stepanek | Mr. Corbett | Ms. Gordon | Ms. Whalen | Mr. White |
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Company 401(k) Contribution | $17,400 | | $23,928 | | — | | $21,648 | | $10,401 | | $5,729 | |
Company Paid Life and Disability Insurance | $2,844 | | $2,150 | | $1,359 | | $2,107 | | $2,107 | | $207 | |
Housing/Travel Costs | — | | $31,155 | | — | | $14,034 | | — | | — | |
U.K. Defined Contribution Scheme(a) | — | | — | | $41,641 | | — | | — | | — | |
Severance(b) | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | $1,120,519 | |
Total | $20,244 | | $57,232 | | $43,000 | | $37,788 | | $12,508 | | $1,126,455 | |
a.Mr. Corbett participates in a defined contribution scheme in which the Company made contributions in the amount of £30,398 during fiscal year 2021. The USD amount of such contributions is based on an exchange ratio of 1 GBP to 1.369863014 USD, being the foreign exchange rate as of March 31, 2021
b.Mr. White’s severance was valued based on the terms of the Era Severance Policy at the time of his departure from the Company on June 11, 2020. The “Compensation Discussion and Analysis — Change in Control Agreements” on page 49 of this Proxy Statement contains additional information about the severance amounts provided by the Company to its NEOs. The severance amount for Mr. White includes two years annual base salary as follows: $550,000; two years annual target bonus as follows: $412,500; fiscal year 2020 prorated target bonus as follows: $91,854; unused paid time off as follows: $7,272; transitional support services as follows: $25,000; and a lump sum of $33,893 which represents the cost of COBRA coverage under the Company’s medical plan(s) as of the separation date for 18 months.
(5)Mr. Stepanek was not an NEO prior to fiscal year 2021 and, therefore, his compensation is not disclosed for any prior fiscal years.
(6)Mr. Corbett was not an NEO prior to fiscal year 2021 and, therefore, his compensation is not disclosed for any prior fiscal years.
(7)Ms. Gordon was not an NEO prior to 2019 and, therefore, her compensation is not disclosed for 2018.
(8)Mr. White departed the Company on June 11, 2020.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 56 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | | |
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
The following table sets forth information concerning grants of awards to each of our Named Executive Officers under the long-term incentive program during fiscal year 2021:
Grants of Plan-Based Awards for Fiscal Year 2021
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Name | Grant Date | Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards | Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards | Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards ($/Sh) | Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards(1) ($) | |
Threshold ($) | Target ($) | Maximum ($) | Threshold (#) | Target (#) | Maximum (#) | |
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Mr. Bradshaw | 6/17/2020(2) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 83,333 | | 83,333 | | — | | 644,164 | | |
| 6/17/2020(3) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 83,333 | | 83,333 | | 15.76 | | 915,830 | | |
| 8/4/20204) | 253,356 | | 810,740 | | 1,216,110 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
Mr. Stepanek | 6/17/2020(2) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 16,667 | | 16,667 | | — | | 128,836 | | |
| 6/17/2020(3) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 16,667 | | 16,667 | | 15.76 | | 183,170 | | |
| 8/4/2020(4) | 75,068 | | 240,219 | | 360,329 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
Mr. Corbett | 6/17/2020(2) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 4,167 | | 4,167 | | — | | 32,211 | | |
| 6/17/2020(3) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 4,167 | | 4,167 | | 15.76 | | 45,795 | | |
| 8/4/2020(4) | 89,156 | | 285,300 | | 427,949 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
Ms. Gordon | 6/17/2020(2) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 11,667 | | 11,667 | | — | | 90,186 | | |
| 6/17/2020(3) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 11,667 | | 11,667 | | 15.76 | | 128,220 | | |
| 8/4/2020(4) | 89,144 | | 285,260 | | 427,890 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
Ms. Whalen | 9/16/2020(2) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 11,667 | | 11,667 | | — | | 286,308 | | |
| 9/16/2020(3) | — | | — | | — | | — | | 11,667 | | 11,667 | | 24.54 | | 169,872 | | |
| 8/4/2020(4) | 64,071 | | 205,027 | | 307,541 | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
Mr. White | 6/17/2020(2) | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
| 6/17/2020(3) | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
| 8/4/2020(4) | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | — | | |
(1)These amounts represent the grant date fair value of stock options and FY21 PSUs granted to each NEO during fiscal year 2021 as computed in accordance with the applicable guidance. A discussion of the policies used in the calculation of grant date fair values is set forth in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on May 27, 2021.
(2)The FY21 PSUs are subject to a three-year performance period ending on June 12, 2023, where one-third (1/3) of the shares underlying the FY21 PSUs may be earned subject to the achievement of a target volume weighted average price per share of our Common Stock over the 120-day period immediately
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Bristow Group Inc. | 57 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | | |
preceding each of June 12, 2021, June 12, 2022, and June 12, 2023. All earned FY21 PSUs will vest on June 12, 2023, subject to the grantee’s continued employment.
(3)Options that cliff vest and become exercisable on June 12, 2023.
(4)Represents the amounts of annual cash incentive that may have become payable to each NEO (other than Mr. White) for performance under the FY21 STIP at Threshold, Target and Stretch performance levels after taking into account the FY21 Performance Period. Mr. White received $91,854, which represents the prorated bonus amount that he was entitled to receive under the Era Severance Plan.
Employment and Severance Agreements
The Committee does not believe fixed-term executive employment contracts that guarantee minimum levels of compensation over multiple years enhance stockholder value. None of our Named Executive Officers has an employment agreement.
Mr. White departed the Company as Senior Vice President, Commercial of the Company on June 11, 2020. Mr. White and Era entered into a Separation Agreement dated June 11, 2020 (the “Separation Agreement”), to specify the terms of his departure from Era, pursuant to which Mr. White received benefits generally consistent with the termination without cause terms set forth in the Era Severance Policy in effect at the time of his departure. The Separation Agreement contains certain restrictive covenants and confidentiality provisions, including non-compete, non-solicitation and non-disparagement obligations continuing for 18 months after June 11, 2020.
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Bristow Group Inc. | 58 | 2021 Proxy Statement |
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DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | | |
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End