As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 2018
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ALITHYA GROUP INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Québec, Canada | Not Applicable | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
Alithya Group inc.
700 De La Gauchetière Street West, Suite 2400
Montréal, Québec, Canada H3B 5M2
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)
Alithya Group inc. Long Term Incentive Plan
Alithya Group inc. Share Purchase Plan
(Full title of the plans)
Alithya USA, Inc.
200 Harvard Mill Square, Suite 210
Wakefield, MA 01880-3209
(781) 246-3343
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
Copy to:
Paul Raymond President and Chief Executive Officer Alithya Group inc. 700 De La Gauchetière Street West, Suite 2400 Montréal, QC, Canada H3B 5M2 (+1) (514) 315-2824 |
Jason Comerford Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP 620 Eighth Avenue, 36th Floor New York, New York 10018 (212) 991-2533 |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer |
☐ |
Accelerated filer |
☐ |
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Non-accelerated filer |
☒ |
Smaller reporting company |
☐ |
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Emerging growth company |
☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
||||||||
Title of Securities to be Registered |
Amount To Be Registered (1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share |
Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price |
Amount of
Registration Fee |
||||
Class A subordinate voting shares, no par value |
7,183,044 (2) | U.S.$3.72 (3) | U.S.$26,720,923.68 (3) | U.S.$3,238.58 | ||||
Class A subordinate voting shares, no par value |
1,874,239 (4) | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||
|
||||||||
|
(1) |
Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), this Registration Statement shall also be deemed to cover such indeterminate number of additional class A subordinate voting shares, no par value (Common Shares), of Alithya Group inc. (the Registrant), which may be offered and issued to prevent dilution resulting from adjustments as a result of share dividends, share splits, reverse share splits, recapitalizations, reclassifications, mergers, split-ups, reorganizations, consolidations and other capital adjustments. |
(2) |
Represents (i) 3,683,044 Common Shares available for issuance pursuant to the Alithya Group inc. Long Term Incentive Plan and (ii) 3,500,000 Common Shares that may be purchased by the plan administrator from the secondary market for the account of eligible participants under the Alithya Group inc. Share Purchase Plan (together, the Plans). |
(3) |
Pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum offering price, per share and in the aggregate, and the registration fee were calculated based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Common Shares as reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on November 19, 2018. |
(4) |
Represents the maximum number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of awards granted to certain executive officers, directors and employees under the Plans, which were issued in connection with the Registrants merger with Edgewater Technology, Inc. consummated on November 1, 2018 and were previously registered on the Registrants Form F-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 12, 2018, as amended by Amendment No. 1 on September 26, 2018. |
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
Item 1. |
Plan Information |
The documents containing information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to eligible employees of Alithya Group inc. (the Corporation, the Registrant, we or us) participating under the Alithya Group inc. Long Term Incentive Plan and the Alithya Group inc. Share Purchase Plan of Alithya Group inc. as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). Such documents are not required to be, and are not, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. Those documents and the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.
Item 2. |
Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information |
Upon written or oral request, any of the documents incorporated by reference into Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement and other documents required to be delivered to eligible participants pursuant to Rule 428(b) are available without charge. Requests should be directed to Alithya Group inc., 700 De La Gauchetière Street West, Suite 2400 Montréal, QC, Canada H3B 5M2, Attention: Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Telephone: (+1) 514.227.6434.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. |
Incorporation of Documents by Reference |
We incorporate by reference the following documents we filed under the Securities Act and the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) with the SEC:
1. |
our prospectus/proxy statement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) (Registration Statement No. 333-227310) with the SEC on September 26, 2018; |
2. |
supplement no. 1 to our prospectus/proxy statement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) (Registration Statement No. 333-227310) with the SEC on October 23, 2018; |
3. |
our Reports on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on November 2, 2018 and November 14, 2018 (Film No. 181180496); and |
4. |
the description of our Class A subordinate voting shares, no par value, included in our Registration Statement on Form F-4 (No. 333-227310) filed with the SEC on September 12, 2018, which description is incorporated by reference into our Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-38705) filed with the SEC on October 16, 2018 pursuant to the Exchange Act, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
All documents subsequently filed by the Corporation pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part thereof from the date of filing of such documents, except for information furnished to the SEC that is not deemed to be filed for purposes of the Exchange Act.
Item 4. |
Description of Securities |
Not applicable.
Item 5. |
Interests of Named Experts and Counsel |
Not applicable.
Item 6. |
Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
In accordance with the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (Québec), the by-laws of the Registrant provide that the Registrant may indemnify a director or officer, a former director or officer or a person who acts or acted at the Registrants request as a director or officer, or an individual acting in a similar capacity of another group (who is referred to in this document as an indemnifiable person) against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment, reasonably incurred by the indemnifiable person on the exercise of the persons functions or arising from any investigative or other proceeding in which the person is involved if: (i) the person acted honestly and loyaly in the interest of the Registrant or other group, and (ii) in the case of a proceeding enforceable by a monetary penalty, the person had reasonable grounds for believing the persons conduct was lawful. An indemnifiable person is also entitled to indemnity for reasonable defense costs and expenses if the person fulfills the above-mentioned requirements and was not judged to have committed any fault or omitted to do anything the person ought to have done. In the case of a derivative action, indemnity may be made only with court approval.
1
Item 7. |
Exemption From Registration Claimed |
Not applicable.
Item 8. |
Exhibits |
* |
filed herewith |
Item 9. |
Undertakings |
(a) |
The Registrant hereby undertakes: |
(1) |
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement: |
(i) |
To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; |
(ii) |
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of the securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in the effective Registration Statement; and |
(iii) |
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement; |
provided , however , that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(2) |
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(3) |
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
2
(b) |
The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrants annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(c) |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
3
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada, on the 20th day of November, 2018.
ALITHYA GROUP INC. (Registrant) |
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/s/ Paul Raymond |
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Name: | Paul Raymond | |
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Paul Raymond and Claude Thibault, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting alone, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities (unless revoked in writing), to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting to such attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting alone, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing appropriate or necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together shall constitute one instrument.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities on the dates indicated, on the 20th day of November, 2018.
Signature |
Title |
|
/s/ Paul Raymond |
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
|
Paul Raymond | ||
/s/ Claude Thibault |
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
|
Claude Thibault | ||
/s/ Pierre Turcotte |
Chairman and Director | |
Pierre Turcotte | ||
/s/ Robert Comeau |
Director | |
Robert Comeau | ||
/s/ François Côté |
Director | |
François Côté | ||
/s/ Ghyslain Rivard |
Director | |
Ghyslain Rivard | ||
/s/ Dana Ungar (Ades-Landy) |
Director | |
Dana Ungar (Ades-Landy) | ||
/s/ Frederick DiSanto |
Director | |
Frederick DiSanto | ||
/s/ Jeffrey Rutherford |
Director | |
Jeffrey Rutherford | ||
/s/ C. Lee Thomas |
Director | |
C. Lee Thomas |
4
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 6(a) of the Securities Act, the undersigned has signed this Registration Statement, solely in the capacity of the duly authorized representative of the Registrant in the United States, on the 20th day of November, 2018.
ALITHYA USA, INC. (Authorized U.S. Representative) |
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/s/ Russell Smith |
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Name: | Russell Smith | |
Title: | Authorized Signatory |
Exhibit 4.4
ALITHYA GROUP INC.
LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE 1 PURPOSE |
1 | |||||
1.1 |
Purpose |
1 | ||||
ARTICLE 2 INTERPRETATION |
1 | |||||
2.1 |
Definitions |
1 | ||||
2.2 |
Interpretation |
7 | ||||
ARTICLE 3 ADMINISTRATION |
8 | |||||
3.1 |
Administration |
8 | ||||
3.2 |
Delegation to Committee |
9 | ||||
3.3 |
Determinations Binding |
9 | ||||
3.4 |
Eligibility |
9 | ||||
3.5 |
Compliance with Securities Laws |
9 | ||||
3.6 |
Total Shares Subject to Awards |
9 | ||||
3.7 |
Limits on Grants of Awards |
10 | ||||
3.8 |
Award Agreements |
10 | ||||
3.9 |
Permitted Assigns |
10 | ||||
3.10 |
Non-transferability of Awards |
11 | ||||
ARTICLE 4 OPTIONS |
11 | |||||
4.1 |
Grant of Options |
11 | ||||
4.2 |
Exercise Price |
11 | ||||
4.3 |
Term of Options |
11 | ||||
4.4 |
Vesting and Exercisability |
11 | ||||
4.5 |
Payment of Exercise Price |
11 | ||||
ARTICLE 5 SHARE APPRECIATION RIGHTS |
12 | |||||
5.1 |
Grant of SARs |
12 | ||||
5.2 |
SAR Price |
12 | ||||
5.3 |
Tandem SARs |
12 | ||||
5.4 |
Term of SARs |
12 | ||||
5.5 |
Vesting and Exercisability |
13 | ||||
ARTICLE 6 RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS |
13 | |||||
6.1 |
Grant of RSUs |
13 | ||||
6.2 |
Vesting of RSU |
13 | ||||
6.3 |
Delivery of Shares |
13 | ||||
ARTICLE 7 PERFORMANCE SHARE UNITS |
13 | |||||
7.1 |
Grant of PSUs |
13 | ||||
7.2 |
Terms of PSUs |
14 | ||||
7.3 |
Performance Goals |
14 | ||||
7.4 |
Delivery of Shares |
14 | ||||
ARTICLE 8 RESTRICTED SHARES |
14 | |||||
8.1 |
Grant of Restricted Shares |
14 | ||||
8.2 |
Restrictions on Transfer |
14 | ||||
8.3 |
Effect of Termination of Employment or Director Mandate |
15 |
- i -
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE 9 DEFERRED SHARE UNITS |
15 | |||||
9.1 |
Grant of Deferred Share Units |
15 | ||||
9.2 |
Settlement of DSUs |
15 | ||||
ARTICLE 10 ADDITIONAL AWARD TERMS |
15 | |||||
10.1 |
Dividend Equivalents |
15 | ||||
10.2 |
Black-out Period |
16 | ||||
10.3 |
Withholding Taxes |
16 | ||||
10.4 |
Recoupment |
16 | ||||
ARTICLE 11 TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OR DIRECTOR MANDATE |
17 | |||||
11.1 |
Death or Disability |
17 | ||||
11.2 |
Termination of Employment or Director Mandate |
17 | ||||
11.3 |
Discretion to Permit Acceleration |
19 | ||||
11.4 |
Participants Entitlement |
19 | ||||
ARTICLE 12 EVENTS AFFECTING THE COMPANY |
19 | |||||
12.1 |
General |
19 | ||||
12.2 |
Change in Control |
19 | ||||
12.3 |
Reorganization of Companys Capital |
20 | ||||
12.4 |
Other Events Affecting the Company |
20 | ||||
12.5 |
Immediate Acceleration of Awards |
20 | ||||
12.6 |
Issue by Company of Additional Shares |
20 | ||||
12.7 |
Fractions |
21 | ||||
ARTICLE 13 U.S. TAXPAYERS |
21 | |||||
13.1 |
Section 409A of the Code |
21 | ||||
13.2 |
Requirement of Notification of Election Under Section 83(b) of the Code |
21 | ||||
ARTICLE 14 AMENDMENT, SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION OF THE PLAN |
22 | |||||
14.1 |
Amendment, Suspension, or Termination of the Plan |
22 | ||||
14.2 |
Shareholder Approval |
22 | ||||
14.3 |
Permitted Amendments |
23 | ||||
ARTICLE 15 MISCELLANEOUS |
23 | |||||
15.1 |
Legal Requirement |
23 | ||||
15.2 |
No Other Benefit |
23 | ||||
15.3 |
Rights of Participant |
24 | ||||
15.4 |
Corporate Action |
24 | ||||
15.5 |
Conflict |
24 | ||||
15.6 |
Participant Information |
24 | ||||
15.7 |
Participation in the Plan |
24 | ||||
15.8 |
International Participants |
25 | ||||
15.9 |
Successors and Assigns |
25 |
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ALITHYA GROUP INC.
Long Term Incentive Plan
ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE
1.1 |
Purpose |
The purpose of this Plan is to provide the Company with a share-related mechanism to attract, retain and motivate qualified Employees and Directors of the Company and its Designated Affiliates, to reward such of those Employees and Directors as may be granted Awards under this Plan by the Board from time to time for their contributions toward the long term goals and success of the Company and to enable and encourage such Employees and Directors to acquire Shares as long term investments and proprietary interests in the Company.
ARTICLE 2
INTERPRETATION
2.1 |
Definitions |
When used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms have the indicated meanings, respectively:
Affiliate means, with respect to any Person, any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person;
Award means any Option, Share Appreciation Right, Restricted Share Unit, Performance Share Unit, Deferred Share Unit or Restricted Share granted under this Plan;
Award Agreement means a signed, written agreement between a Participant and the Company, in a form approved by the Board, evidencing the terms and conditions on which an Award has been granted under this Plan and which need not be identical to any other such agreements;
Board means the board of directors of the Company;
Business Day means a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which the principal commercial banks in the City of Montréal are open for commercial business during normal banking hours;
Cause means, with respect to a particular Employee:
(a) |
cause as such term is defined in the employment or other written agreement between the Company or a Designated Affiliate and the Employee as described in Section 15.5(i); or |
(b) |
in the event there is no written or other applicable employment agreement between the Company or a Designated Affiliate as described in Section 15.5(i) or cause is not defined in such agreement, cause as such term is defined in the Award Agreement; or |
(c) |
in the event neither (a) nor (b) apply, then cause as such term is defined by applicable law or, if not so defined, such term shall refer to circumstances where an employer can terminate an individuals employment without notice or pay in lieu thereof; |
CEO means Chief Executive Officer;
Change in Control means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:
(a) |
any transaction at any time and by whatever means pursuant to which any Person or any group of two or more Persons acting jointly or in concert (other than the Company or a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company or Pierre Turcotte, Paul Raymond, Ghyslain Rivard or any entity(ies) under the Control of one or more of them) hereafter acquires the direct or indirect beneficial ownership (as defined in the Securities Act (Québec)) of, or acquires the right to exercise control or direction over, securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the then issued and outstanding voting securities of the Company, including, without limitation, as a result of a take-over bid, an exchange of securities, an amalgamation of the Company with any other entity, an arrangement, a capital reorganization or any other business combination or reorganization; |
(b) |
the sale, assignment or other transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to a Person other than a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company; |
(c) |
the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, other than in connection with the distribution of assets of the Company to one or more Persons which were wholly- owned subsidiaries of the Company prior to such event; |
(d) |
the occurrence of a transaction requiring approval of the Companys shareholders whereby the Company is acquired through consolidation, merger, exchange of securities, purchase of assets, amalgamation, statutory arrangement or otherwise by any other Person (other than a short form amalgamation or exchange of securities with a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company); or |
(e) |
the Board determines that a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred in such circumstances as the Board shall determine; |
provided that, notwithstanding clause (a), (b), (c) and (d) above, a Change in Control shall be deemed not to have occurred if immediately following the transaction set forth in clause (a), (b), (c) or (d) above: (A) the holders of securities of the Company that immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction represented more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors of the Company hold (x) securities of the entity resulting from such transaction (the Surviving Entity ) that represent more than 50% of the combined voting power of the
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then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors or trustees ( voting power ) of the Surviving Entity, or (y) if applicable, securities of the entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of 100% of the securities eligible to elect directors or trustees of the Surviving Entity (the Parent Entity ) that represent more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors or trustees of the Parent Entity, and (B) no Person or group of two or more Persons acting jointly or in concert (other than Pierre Turcotte, Paul Raymond, Ghyslain Rivard or any entity(ies) under the Control of one or more of them), is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the voting power of the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving Entity) (any such transaction which satisfies all of the criteria specified in clauses (A) and (B) above being referred to as a Non-Qualifying Transaction and, following the Non-Qualifying Transaction, references in this definition of Change in Control to the Company shall mean and refer to the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving Entity) and, if such entity is a company or a trust, references to the Board shall mean and refer to the board of directors or trustees, as applicable, of such entity).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of any Award that constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), the payment of which would be accelerated upon a Change in Control, a transaction will not be deemed a Change in Control for Awards granted to any Participant who is a U.S. Taxpayer unless the transaction qualifies as a change in control event within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.
Further and for the avoidance of doubt, a transaction will not constitute a Change in Control if: (x) its sole purpose is to change the state or jurisdiction of the Companys incorporation, or (y) its sole purpose is to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Companys securities immediately before such transaction;
Code means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time;
Committee has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2;
Company means Alithya Group Inc.;
Control means the relationship whereby a Person is considered to be controlled by a Person if:
(a) |
in the case of a Person, |
(i) |
voting securities of the first-mentioned Person carrying more than 50% of the votes for the election of directors are held, directly or indirectly, otherwise than by way of security only, by or for the benefit of the other Person; and |
(ii) |
the votes carried by the securities are entitled, if exercised, to elect a majority of the directors of the first-mentioned Person; |
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(iii) |
in the case of a partnership that does not have directors, other than a limited partnership, the second-mentioned Person holds more than 50% of the interests in the partnership; or |
(b) |
in the case of a limited partnership, the general partner is the second-mentioned Person. |
Date of Grant means, for any Award, the date specified by the Board at the time it grants the Award (which, for greater certainty, shall be no earlier than the date on which the Board approves the grant of such Award) or if no such date is specified, the date upon which the Award was approved;
Deferred Share Unit or DSU means a unit equivalent in value to a Share, credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Company in accordance with Article 9;
Designated Affiliate means each Affiliate of the Company as designated by the Board for purposes of the Plan from time to time;
Director means a director of the Company or a Designated Affiliate who is not an employee of the Company or a Designated Affiliate;
Disabled or Disability means the permanent and total incapacity of a Participant as determined in accordance with procedures established by the Board for purposes of this Plan;
Effective Date means the effective date of this Plan, being October 31, 2018;
Employee means an individual who is considered a permanent employee of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company for purposes of source deductions under applicable tax or social welfare legislation;
Exchange means the TSX or NASDAQ and any other exchange on which the Shares are or may be listed from time to time;
Exercise Notice means a notice in writing, signed by a Participant and stating the Participants intention to exercise a particular Option or SAR;
Exercise Price means the price at which a Share may be purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option;
Expiry Date means the expiry date specified in the Award Agreement (which shall not be later than the tenth (10 th ) anniversary of the Date of Grant) or, if not so specified, means the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of Grant;
Individual Participant means a Participant who is an individual;
Insider means an insider as defined by the TSX from time to time in its rules and regulations governing Security Based Compensation Arrangements and other related matter;
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Market Price at any date in respect of the Shares shall be the closing price of such Shares on the TSX (and if listed on more than one Exchange, and the closing price on another Exchange is higher, then the highest of such closing prices) on the Business Day immediately prior to the Date of Grant;
NASDAQ means the NASDAQ Global Market;
NI 45-106 means National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus and Registration Exemptions of the Canadian Securities Administrators, as amended from time to time;
Option means a right to purchase Shares under this Plan that is non-assignable and non- transferable unless otherwise approved by the Board;
Participant means an Employee or Director to whom an Award has been granted under this Plan and their Permitted Assigns;
Participants Employer means with respect to a Participant that is or was an Employee, the Company or such Affiliate of the Company as is or, if the Participant has ceased to be employed by the Company or such Affiliate of the Company, was the Participants Employer;
Performance Goals means performance goals expressed in terms of attaining a specified level of the particular criteria or the attainment of a percentage increase or decrease in the particular criteria, and may be applied to one or more of the Company, Affiliate of the Company, a division of the Company or Affiliate of the Company, or an individual, or may be applied to the performance of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company relative to a market index, a group of other companies or a combination thereof, or on any other basis, all as determined by the Board;
Performance Share Unit or PSU means any right granted under Section 7.1 of the Plan;
Permitted Assign has the meaning assigned to that term in NI 45-106;
Person includes an individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, unincorporated association, unincorporated syndicate, unincorporated organization, trust, body corporate, and a natural person in his or her capacity as trustee, executor, administrator or other legal representative;
Plan means this long term Incentive Plan, as may be amended or amended and restated from time to time;
Restricted Period means the period during which Restricted Shares are subject to restrictions as set out in the Award Agreement;
Restricted Share Unit or RSU means a right to receive a Share or a Restricted Share granted, as determined by the Board, under Section 6.1;
Restricted Shares means Shares granted to a Participant under Section 8.1 that are subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture;
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Retirement means termination of employment of a Participant from active employment with the Company and its Affiliates (other than for Cause) where the Participant:
(a) |
in the case of the CEO and the CEOs direct reports, the Employees retirement has been approved by the Board and the Employee complies with such conditions as the Board may require in connection with its approval; or in the case of all other Participants, the Participant (i) has (A) attained age sixty-five (65) or, (B) reached age fifty-five (55) with at least (ten) 10 years of service, or (ii) has achieved such lesser age and/or service thresholds as the Chairman of the Board, the CEO and the Vice President Human Capital may determine; |
(b) |
has given the Company or the Company Affiliate employing the Participant formal notice of their intention to retire at least six months in advance, or such lesser advance notice as the Board may approve in its discretion; |
(c) |
is paid no cash severance payment or retiring allowance or equivalent; and |
(d) |
has complied with such transitional activities as may be reasonably required by the Company or the Company Affiliate employing the Participant during the period from the date notice of the Participants intention to retire has been given until the date the Participant ceases active employment with the Company and its Affiliates. |
Securities Laws means securities legislation, securities regulation and securities rules, as amended, and the policies, notices, instruments and blanket orders in force from time to time that govern or are applicable to the Company or to which it is subject;
Security Based Compensation Arrangement has the meaning given to that term in the Company Manual of the TSX, as amended from time to time;
SAR Price means the floor price per Share at which a SAR may be exercised;
Share Appreciation Right or SAR mean a right of a Participant evidenced by a bookkeeping entry to receive an amount equal to the excess of the Market Price of a Share at the date of exercise of the SAR over the SAR Price as described in Section 5.1 of the Plan;
Share means one (1) class A subordinate voting share in the capital of the Company as constituted on the Effective Date or after an adjustment contemplated by Article 12, such other shares or securities to which the holder of an Award may be entitled as a result of such adjustment;
Termination Date means:
(a) |
in the case of an Employee whose employment with the Company or a Designated Affiliate terminates in the circumstances set out in Subsection 11.2(a) or Subsection 11.2(b), (i) the date designated by the Employee and the Company or a Designated Affiliate in a written employment agreement, or other written agreement between the Employee and Company or a Designated Affiliate, or (ii) if no written employment agreement exists, the date designated by the Company or a Designated |
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Affiliate, as the case may be, on which an Employee ceases to be an employee of the Company or the Designated Affiliate, as the case may be, provided that, in the case of termination of employment by voluntary resignation by the Participant, such date shall not be earlier than the date notice of resignation was given, and Termination Date specifically does not mean the date of termination of any period of reasonable notice that the Company or the Designated Affiliate (as the case may be) may be required by law to provide to the Participant; or |
(b) |
in the case of a Director whose directorship with the Company or a Designated Affiliate, as the case may be, terminates in the circumstances set out in Subsection 11.2(e) or Subsection 11.2(f), the date that is designated by the Company or the Designated Affiliate (as the case may be), as the date on which the Individual Participants directorship is terminated, provided that in the case of voluntary resignation by the Individual Participant, such date shall not be earlier than the date notice of voluntary resignation was given; |
TSX means the Toronto Stock Exchange;
U.S. means the United States of America; and
U.S. Taxpayer shall mean a Participant who, with respect to an Award, is subject to taxation under the applicable U.S. tax laws.
2.2 |
Interpretation |
(a) |
Whenever the Board, the Committee or the Board exercises discretion in the administration of this Plan, the term discretion means the sole and absolute discretion of the Board, Committee or Board, as the case may be. |
(b) |
As used herein, the terms Article, Section, Subsection and clause mean and refer to the specified Article, Section, Subsection and clause of this Plan, respectively. |
(c) |
Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa and words importing any gender include any other gender. |
(d) |
Unless otherwise specified, time periods within or following which any payment is to be made or act is to be done shall be calculated by excluding the day on which the period begins, including the day on which the period ends, and abridging the period to the immediately preceding Business Day in the event that the last day of the period is not a Business Day. In the event an action is required to be taken or a payment is required to be made on a day which is not a Business Day such action shall be taken or such payment shall be made by the immediately preceding Business Day. |
(e) |
Unless otherwise specified, all references to money amounts are to Canadian currency. |
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(f) |
The headings used herein are for convenience only and are not to affect the interpretation of this Plan. |
ARTICLE 3
ADMINISTRATION
3.1 |
Administration |
Subject to Section 3.2, this Plan will be administered by the Board who has sole and complete authority, in its discretion, to:
(a) |
determine the individuals to whom grants under the Plan may be made; |
(b) |
make grants of Awards under the Plan relating to the issuance of Shares (including any combination of Options, Restricted Share Units, Performance Share Units, Deferred Share Units or Restricted Shares) in such amounts, to such Persons and, subject to the provisions of this Plan, on such terms and conditions as it determines including without limitation: |
(i) |
the time or times at which Awards may be granted; |
(ii) |
the conditions under which: |
(A) |
Awards may be granted to Participants; or |
(B) |
Awards may be forfeited to the Company, |
including any conditions relating to the attainment of specified Performance Goals;
(iii) |
the number of Shares to be covered by any Award; |
(iv) |
the price, if any, to be paid by a Participant in connection with the purchase of Shares covered by any Awards; |
(v) |
whether restrictions or limitations are to be imposed on the Shares issuable pursuant to grants of any Award, and the nature of such restrictions or limitations, if any; and |
(vi) |
any acceleration of exercisability or vesting or Restricted Period, or waiver of termination regarding any Award, based on such factors as the Board may determine; |
(c) |
establish the form or forms of Award Agreements; |
(d) |
cancel, amend, adjust or otherwise change any Award under such circumstances as the Board may consider appropriate in accordance with the provisions of this Plan; |
(e) |
construe and interpret this Plan and all Award Agreements; |
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(f) |
adopt, amend, prescribe and rescind administrative guidelines and other rules and regulations relating to this Plan, including rules and regulations relating to sub-plans established for the purpose of satisfying applicable foreign laws or for qualifying for favorable tax treatment under applicable foreign laws; and |
(g) |
make all other determinations and take all other actions necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of this Plan. |
3.2 |
Delegation to Committee |
To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board may, from time to time, delegate to a committee of the Board (the Committee ) all or any of the powers conferred on the Board pursuant to this Plan, including the power to sub-delegate to any specified officer(s) of the Company or its Designated Affiliates all or any of the powers delegated by the Board. In such event, the Committee or any sub-delegate will exercise the powers delegated to it in the manner and on the terms authorized by the delegating party.
3.3 |
Determinations Binding |
Any decision made or action taken by the Board, the Committee or any officers or employees to whom authority has been delegated pursuant to Subsection 3.2 arising out of or in connection with the administration or interpretation of this Plan is final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the affected Participant(s), their legal and personal representatives and all other Persons.
3.4 |
Eligibility |
All Employees and Directors are eligible to participate in the Plan, subject to Subsections 11.1(d) and 11.2(g). Eligibility to participate does not confer upon any Employee or Director any right to receive any grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan.
3.5 |
Compliance with Securities Laws |
Any Award granted under this Plan shall be subject to the requirement that, if at any time the Company shall determine that the listing, registration or qualification of the Shares issuable pursuant to such Award upon any securities exchange or under any Securities Laws of any jurisdiction, or the consent or approval of the Exchange and any securities commissions or similar securities regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over the Company is necessary as a condition of, or in connection with, the grant or exercise of such Award or the issuance or purchase of Shares thereunder, such Award may not be accepted or exercised in whole or in part unless such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval shall have been effected or obtained on conditions acceptable to the Board. Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the Company to apply for or to obtain such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval. Participants shall, to the extent applicable, cooperate with the Company in complying with such legislation, rules, regulations and policies.
3.6 |
Total Shares Subject to Awards |
(a) |
Subject to adjustment as provided for in Article 12 and any subsequent amendment to the Plan, the aggregate number of Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan shall not exceed ten (10%) percent of the aggregate number of issued and outstanding Shares and class B multiple voting shares, from time to time. |
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(b) |
To the extent any Awards (or portion(s) thereof) under the Plan terminate or are cancelled for any reason prior to exercise or settlement in full, or are surrendered to the Company by the Participant, except surrenders relating to the payment of the purchase price of any such Award or the satisfaction of the tax withholding obligations related to any such Award, the Shares subject to such Awards (or portion(s) thereof) shall be added back to the number of Shares reserved for issuance under this Plan and will again become available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Awards granted under this Plan. |
(c) |
Any Shares issued by the Company through the assumption or substitution of outstanding stock options or other equity-based awards from an acquired company shall not reduce the number of Shares available for issuance pursuant to the exercise or settlement of Awards granted under this Plan. |
3.7 |
Limits on Grants of Awards |
Notwithstanding anything in this Plan:
(a) |
the aggregate number of Shares: |
(i) |
issuable to Insiders at any time, under all of the Companys Security Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed ten (10%) percent of the issued and outstanding Shares and class B multiple voting shares; and |
(ii) |
issued to Insiders within any one year period, under all of the Companys Security Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed ten (10%) percent of the issued and outstanding Shares and class B multiple voting shares, |
provided that the acquisition of Shares by the Company for cancellation shall not constitute non-compliance with this Section 3.7 for any Awards outstanding prior to such purchase of Shares for cancellation.
3.8 |
Award Agreements |
Each Award under this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Award Agreement will be subject to the applicable provisions of this Plan and will contain such provisions as are required by this Plan and any other provisions that the Board may direct.
3.9 |
Permitted Assigns |
Awards may be transferred by Employees and Directors to a Permitted Assign of an Employee or Director, as applicable, or as may otherwise be approved by the Board. In any such case, the provisions of Article 10 shall apply to the Award as if the Award was held by the Employee or Director rather than such persons Permitted Assign.
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3.10 |
Non-transferability of Awards |
Except as permitted under Section 3.9 or as otherwise permitted by the Board, no assignment or transfer of Awards, whether voluntary, involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise, vests any interest or right in such Awards whatsoever in any assignee or transferee and immediately upon any assignment or transfer, or any attempt to make the same, such Awards will terminate and be of no further force or effect.
ARTICLE 4
OPTIONS
4.1 |
Grant of Options |
The Board may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, grant Options to any Participant. The terms and conditions of each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
4.2 |
Exercise Price |
The Board will establish the Exercise Price at the time each Option is granted, which Exercise Price must in all cases be not less than the Market Price of a Share on the trading day immediately prior to the Date of Grant.
4.3 |
Term of Options |
Subject to any accelerated termination as set forth in this Plan, each Option expires on its Expiry Date.
4.4 |
Vesting and Exercisability |
(a) |
Each Option will vest and be exercisable in the manner set out in the applicable Award Agreement, subject to the Participant continuing to be an Employee, or Director, as applicable, or as otherwise agreed to by the Board. |
(b) |
Once an instalment becomes vested, it shall remain vested and shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, until expiration or termination of the Option, unless otherwise approved by the Board. The Board has the right to accelerate the date upon which any instalment of any Option becomes exercisable. |
(c) |
Subject to the provisions of this Plan and any Award Agreement, Options shall be exercised by means of a fully completed Exercise Notice delivered to the Company. |
(d) |
The Board may provide at the time of granting an Option that the exercise of that Option is subject to restrictions, in addition to those specified in Section 4.4, such as performance-based vesting conditions. |
4.5 |
Payment of Exercise Price |
Unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting an Option, the Exercise Notice must be accompanied by payment in full of the purchase price for the Shares to be purchased. The
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Exercise Price must be fully paid by certified cheque, bank draft or money order payable to the Company or by such other means as might be specified from time to time by the Board, which may include (i) through an arrangement with a broker approved by the Company (or through an arrangement directly with the Company) whereby payment of the exercise price is accomplished with the proceeds of the sale of Shares deliverable upon the exercise of the Option, or (ii) through any cashless exercise process as may be approved by the Board, or any combination of the foregoing methods of payment.
No Shares will be issued or transferred until full payment therefor has been received by the Company.
ARTICLE 5
SHARE APPRECIATION RIGHTS
5.1 |
Grant of SARs |
The Board may, from time to time, grant SARs in conjunction with the granting of Options, or on a stand-alone basis, to any Participant. A SAR shall entitle the Participant, upon exercise of the SAR, to receive Shares (rounded down to the nearest whole number) from the Company with an aggregate Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the product of (1) the number of SARs or portion thereof, exercised and (2) the amount by which Market Price of a Share on the date of exercise exceeds the SAR Price.
5.2 |
SAR Price |
The SAR Price will be as determined by the Board but in any event will be no less than the Market Price of a Share on the Date of Grant.
5.3 |
Tandem SARs |
(a) |
Where SARs are granted in conjunction with the granting of Options, the SAR Price shall be the same as the Exercise Price, the number of Shares in respect of which the SAR may be exercised shall be the same as the number of Shares issuable upon exercise of the related Option and the terms for the vesting of the tandem SARs shall be the same as the terms for the vesting of the Options to which they relate. |
(b) |
Upon the exercise of SARs or any portion thereof, any Options granted in conjunction with tandem SARs are terminated to the extent of such exercise. Upon the exercise of Options or any portion thereof, any tandem SARs granted in conjunction with such Options are terminated to the extent of such exercise. |
5.4 |
Term of SARs |
Subject to any accelerated termination as set forth in this Plan, each SAR expires on its Expiry Date.
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5.5 |
Vesting and Exercisability |
(a) |
Each SAR will vest and be exercisable in the manner set out in the applicable Award Agreement, subject to the Participant continuing to be an Employee or Director, as applicable, or as otherwise agreed to by the Board. |
(b) |
Once an instalment becomes vested, it shall remain vested and shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, until expiration or termination of the SAR, unless otherwise specified by the Board. The Board has the right to accelerate the date upon which any instalment of any SAR becomes exercisable. |
(c) |
Subject to the provisions of this Plan and any Award Agreement, SARs shall be exercised by means of a fully completed Exercise Notice delivered to the Company. |
(d) |
The Board may provide at the time of granting an SAR that the exercise of that SAR is subject to restrictions, in addition to those specified in Section 4.4, such as performance-based vesting conditions. |
ARTICLE 6
RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS
6.1 |
Grant of RSUs |
The Board may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, grant RSUs to any Participant. The terms and conditions of each RSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
6.2 |
Vesting of RSU |
The Board shall have the authority to determine at the time of grant, in its sole discretion, the duration of the vesting period and other vesting terms applicable to the grant of RSUs, except that if the Board has not made such determination, all RSUs will vest on the third (3rd) anniversary of the Date of Grant.
6.3 |
Delivery of Shares |
Unless otherwise specified in the Award Agreement, as soon as practicable following the expiry of the applicable vesting period, or at such later date as may be determined by the Board in its sole discretion at the time of grant, the Company shall issue fully paid and non-assessable Shares pursuant to the RSUs to the Participant or as the Participant may direct.
ARTICLE 7
PERFORMANCE SHARE UNITS
7.1 |
Grant of PSUs |
The Board may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, grant PSUs to any Participant. The terms and conditions of each PSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each PSU will consist of a right to receive a Share upon the achievement of such Performance Goals during such performance periods as the Board will establish.
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7.2 |
Terms of PSUs |
The Performance Goals to be achieved during any performance period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any PSU granted and the termination of a Participants employment will be determined by the Board and by the other terms and conditions of any PSU, all as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
7.3 |
Performance Goals |
The Board will establish Performance Goals prior to the Date of Grant to which such Performance Goals pertain. The Performance Goals may be based upon the achievement of corporate, divisional or individual goals, and may be applied relative to performance relative to an index or comparator group, or on any other basis determined by the Board.
7.4 |
Delivery of Shares |
Unless otherwise specified in the Award Agreement, as soon as practicable following the applicable vesting period, or at such later date as may be determined by the Board in its sole discretion at the time of grant, the Company shall issue fully paid and non-assessable Shares pursuant to the PSUs to the Participant or as the Participant may direct.
ARTICLE 8
RESTRICTED SHARES
8.1 |
Grant of Restricted Shares |
The Board may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, grant Restricted Shares to any Participant, which shall be held by the Company or its designee in escrow until such time as the Restricted Period lapses. The terms and conditions of each Restricted Shares grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
Subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 8.2, except as otherwise set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, the Participant shall generally have the rights and privileges of a shareholder as to such Restricted Shares, including the right to vote such Restricted Shares. Unless otherwise set forth in a Participants Award Agreement, cash dividends and stock dividends, if any, with respect to the Restricted Shares shall be withheld by the Company for the Participants account, and shall be subject to forfeiture until released, in each case, to be released at the same time and in the same proportion as the lapse of restrictions on the Restricted Shares to which such dividends relate. Except as otherwise determined by the Board, no interest will accrue or be paid on the amount of any dividends withheld.
8.2 |
Restrictions on Transfer |
In addition to any other restrictions set forth in a Participants Award Agreement, until such time that the Restricted Period for the Restricted Shares has lapsed pursuant to the terms of the Award Agreement, which Restricted Period the Board may in its sole discretion accelerate at any time, the Participant shall not be permitted to sell, transfer, pledge, or otherwise encumber the Restricted Shares. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Board shall have the
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authority to remove any or all of the restrictions on the Restricted Shares whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in applicable laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date of the Restricted Shares Award, such action is appropriate.
8.3 |
Effect of Termination of Employment or Director Mandate |
Except as may otherwise be provided in the applicable Award Agreement or by the Board, in the event of a Participants termination of employment or Director mandate with the Company and all Affiliates of the Company for any reason prior to the time that the Restricted Period for the Participants Restricted Shares has lapsed, as soon as practicable following such termination of employment or Director mandate, the Company shall repurchase from the Participant, and the Participant shall sell, all of such Participants Restricted Shares for which the Restricted Period has not lapsed at a purchase price equal to the cash amount, if any, paid by the Participant for the Restricted Shares, or if no cash amount was paid by the Participant for the Restricted Shares, such Restricted Shares shall be forfeited by the Participant to the Company for no consideration as of the date of such termination of employment or Director mandate.
ARTICLE 9
DEFERRED SHARE UNITS
9.1 |
Grant of Deferred Share Units |
The Board may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, grant DSUs to any Participant.
All DSUs received by a Participant shall be credited to an account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Company, as of the Date of Grant. The terms and conditions of each DSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
9.2 |
Settlement of DSUs |
DSUs shall be settled on the date established in the Award Agreement or as soon as practicable thereafter (the Settlement Date ); provided, however that in no event shall a DSU Award be settled prior to the applicable Participants Termination Date. If the Award Agreement does not establish a date for the settlement of the DSUs, then the Settlement Date shall be the 90th day following the Participants Termination Date, subject to the delay that may be required under Section 13.1 below. On the Settlement Date for any DSU, after satisfying any amounts required by the Company to be withheld in connection with such settlement as contemplated by Section 10.3, the Company shall issue fully paid and non-assessable Shares pursuant to the DSUs to the Participant or as the Participant may direct.
ARTICLE 10
ADDITIONAL AWARD TERMS
10.1 |
Dividend Equivalents |
(a) |
Unless otherwise determined by the Board and set forth in the particular Award Agreement, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, respectively, as of each dividend |
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payment date in respect of which normal cash dividends are paid on Shares. Such dividend equivalents shall be computed by dividing: (a) the amount obtained by multiplying the amount of the dividend declared and paid per Share by the number of RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, as applicable, held by the Participant on the record date for the payment of such dividend, by (b) the Market Price at the close of the first Business Day immediately following the dividend record date, with fractions computed to three decimal places. Dividend equivalents credited to a Participants accounts shall vest in proportion to the RSUs, PSUs and DSUs to which they relate. |
(b) |
The foregoing does not obligate the Company to declare or pay dividends on Shares and nothing in this Plan shall be interpreted as creating such an obligation. |
10.2 |
Black-out Period |
If an Award expires or is settled during, or within five Business Days after, a routine or special trading black-out period imposed by the Company to restrict trades in the Companys securities, then, notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, unless the delayed expiration would result in tax penalties, the Award shall expire ten Business Days after the trading black-out period is lifted by the Company.
10.3 |
Withholding Taxes |
The granting, vesting or lapse of the Restricted Period, settlement or exercise of each Award under this Plan is subject to the condition that if at any time the Board determines, in its discretion, that the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities is necessary or desirable in respect of such grant, vesting or lapse of the Restricted Period, settlement or exercise, such action is not effective unless such withholding has been effected to the satisfaction of the Board. In such circumstances, the Board may require that a Participant pay to the Company the minimum amount as the Company or an Affiliate of the Company is obliged to remit to the relevant taxing authority in respect of the granting, vesting or lapse of the Restricted Period, settlement or exercise of the Award. Any such additional payment is due no later than the date on which such amount with respect to the Award is required to be remitted to the relevant tax authority by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company, as the case may be. Alternatively, and subject to any requirements or limitations under applicable law, the Company may (a) withhold such amount from any remuneration or other amount payable by the Company or any Designated Affiliate to the Participant, (b) require the sale of a number of Shares issued upon exercise, vesting, or settlement of such Award and the remittance to the Company of the net proceeds from such sale sufficient to satisfy such amount or (c) enter into any other suitable arrangements for the receipt of such amount.
10.4 |
Recoupment |
Notwithstanding any other terms of this Plan, Awards may be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of any clawback, recoupment or similar policy adopted by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company and in effect at the Date of Grant of the Award, or as otherwise required by law or the rules of the Exchange. The Committee may at any time waive the application of this Section 10.4 to any Participant or category of Participants.
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ARTICLE 11
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OR DIRECTOR MANDATE
11.1 |
Death or Disability |
Unless otherwise determined by the Board and set forth in an Award Agreement, if a Participant dies or becomes Disabled while an Employee or Director:
(a) |
all Awards shall immediately vest (or cease to be restricted); |
(b) |
any Performance Goals assigned to any Awards shall be deemed to have been met at 100% of the specified target level of performance for such Performance Goals; |
(c) |
such Participants eligibility to receive further grants of Awards under the Plan ceases as of the date of Disability or death; and |
(d) |
each Option or SAR held by the Participant continues to be exercisable by the Participant until the date that is 90 days after the date of Disability or until the date that is 180 days after the date of death. |
11.2 |
Termination of Employment or Director Mandate |
Subject to Section 11.3, unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting an Award:
(a) |
where, in the case of an Employee, an Individual Participants employment is terminated by the Company or a Designated Affiliate without Cause (whether such termination occurs with or without any or adequate reasonable notice, or with or without any or adequate compensation in lieu of such reasonable notice), then each Option or SAR held by the Individual Participant that has vested as of the Termination Date continues to be exercisable by the Individual Participant until the earlier of: (i) its Expiry Date; and (ii) the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date and any Option, SAR or other Award held by the Individual Participant that has not vested (or for which the Restricted Period has not lapsed) as of the Termination Date is immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Termination Date and any Performance Goals assigned to any vested Awards shall be deemed to have been met at 100% of the specified target level of performance for such Performance Goals; |
(b) |
where, in the case of an Employee, an Individual Participants employment terminates by reason of voluntary resignation by the Individual Participant other than pursuant to Retirement, then each Option or SAR held by the Individual Participant that has vested as of the Termination Date continues to be exercisable by the Individual Participant until the earlier of: (i) its Expiry Date; and (ii) the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date and, any Option, SAR or other Award held by the Individual Participant that has not vested (or for which the Restricted Period has not lapsed) as of the Termination Date is immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Termination Date and any Performance Goals assigned to any vested Awards shall be deemed to have been met at 100% of the specified target level of performance for such Performance Goals; |
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(c) |
where, in the case of an Employee, an Individual Participants employment terminates by reason of Retirement, then all unvested Awards will continue to vest (or the Restricted Period will continue to elapse) and be settled or exercised in accordance with their terms except that each Option or SAR held will be exercisable by the Individual Participant until the date that is 90 days following the last vesting date of such Option or SAR and, if not exercised on or before such date will be forfeited and cancelled; provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, the Participant shall forfeit any Awards which have not been exercised or settled in the event the Participant shall commence employment with a direct competitor of the Company or breach any non-competition or non-solicitation obligation the Participant may have to the Company or any of its Affiliates; |
(d) |
where, in the case of an Employee, an Individual Participants employment terminates by reason of termination by the Company or a Designated Affiliate for Cause, then any Option, SAR or other Award held by the Individual Participant, whether or not it has vested (or the Restricted Period has lapsed) as of the Termination Date, is immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Termination Date; |
(e) |
where, in the case of a Director, an Individual Participants term of office is terminated by the Company for breach by the Director of his or her fiduciary duty to the Company (as determined by the Board in its sole discretion), then any Option, SAR or other Award held by the Director at the Termination Date (whether or not vested or subject to a Restricted Period) are immediately forfeited to the Company on the Termination Date; |
(f) |
where, in the case of a Director, an individual Participants term of office terminates for any reason other than death or Disability of the Individual Participant or a breach of the Individual Participants fiduciary duty to the Company (as determined by the Board in its sole discretion), the Board may, in its sole discretion, at any time prior to or following the Termination Date, provide for the exercise, vesting (or lapse of the Restricted Period) or settlement of any or all Awards held by the Individual Participant on the Termination Date; |
(g) |
a Participants eligibility to receive further grants of Awards under this Plan ceases as of the date that the Company or a Designated Affiliate, as the case may be, provides the Participant with written notification that the Participants employment or directorship, as the case may be, is terminated in the circumstances contemplated by this Section 11.2, notwithstanding that such date may be prior to the Termination Date; and |
(h) |
notwithstanding Subsections 11.2(a) and 11.2(f), unless the Board, in its discretion, otherwise determines, at any time and from time to time, Awards are not affected by a change of employment or directorship within or among the Company or a Designated Affiliate for so long as the Individual Participant continues to be an Employee or Director of the Company or a Designated Affiliate. |
Notwithstanding the subsections specified above, the Board may, in its discretion, at any time prior to, or following the events contemplated in the subsections above, or in an employment agreement
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or other written agreement between the Company or a Designated Affiliate and the Participant, extend the period that the continues to be exercisable by the Individual Participant for a period of no more than 24 months following the Termination Date for any or all Awards, all in the manner and on the terms as may be authorized by the Board.
11.3 |
Discretion to Permit Acceleration |
Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 11.1 and 11.2, the Board may, in its discretion, at any time prior to, or following the events contemplated in such Sections, or in an employment agreement or other written agreement between the Company or a Designated Affiliate and the Participant, permit the acceleration of vesting (or lapse of Restricted Period) of any or all Awards, all in the manner and on the terms as may be authorized by the Board.
11.4 |
Participants Entitlement |
Except as otherwise provided in this Plan, Awards previously granted under this Plan are not affected by any change in the relationship between, or ownership of, the Company and an Affiliate of the Company. For greater certainty, all grants of Awards remain outstanding and are not affected by reason only that, at any time, an Affiliate of the Company ceases to be an Affiliate of the Company.
ARTICLE 12
EVENTS AFFECTING THE COMPANY
12.1 |
General |
The existence of any Awards does not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its shareholders to make, authorize or determine any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or any other change in the Companys capital structure or its business, or any amalgamation, combination, arrangement, merger or consolidation involving the Company, to create or issue any bonds, debentures, Shares or other securities of the Company or to determine the rights and conditions attaching thereto, to effect the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or to effect any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise, whether or not any such action referred to in this Article 12 would have an adverse effect on this Plan or on any Award granted hereunder.
12.2 |
Change in Control |
Except as may be set forth in an employment agreement, or other written agreement between the Company or a Designated Affiliate and the Participant, and notwithstanding anything else in this Plan or any Award Agreement, the Board may, without the consent of any Participant, take such steps as it deems necessary or desirable, including to cause (i) the conversion or exchange of any outstanding Awards into or for, rights or other securities of substantially equivalent value, as determined by the Board in its discretion, in any entity participating in or resulting from a Change in Control; (ii) outstanding Awards to vest and become exercisable, realizable, or payable, or restrictions applicable to an Award to lapse, in whole or in part prior to or upon consummation of such Change in Control, and, to the extent the Board determines, terminate upon or immediately prior to the effectiveness of such Change in Control; (iii) the termination of an Award in exchange for an amount of cash and/or property, if any, equal in value to the amount that would have been
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attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participants rights as of the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control the Board determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participants rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment); (iv) the replacement of such Award with other rights or property selected by the Board in its sole discretion; or (v) any combination of the foregoing. In taking any of the actions permitted under this subparagraph (a), the Board will not be required to treat all Awards similarly.
12.3 |
Reorganization of Companys Capital |
Should the Company effect a subdivision or consolidation of Shares or any similar capital reorganization or a payment of a stock dividend (other than a stock dividend that is in lieu of a cash dividend), or should any other change be made in the capitalization of the Company that does not constitute a Change in Control and would warrant the amendment or replacement of any existing Awards in order to adjust the number of Shares that may be acquired on the vesting of outstanding Awards and/or the terms of any Award in order to preserve proportionately the rights and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards, the Board will, subject to the prior approval of the relevant Exchanges, authorize such steps to be taken as it may consider to be equitable and appropriate to that end.
12.4 |
Other Events Affecting the Company |
In the event of an amalgamation, combination, arrangement, merger or other transaction or reorganization involving the Company and occurring by exchange of Shares, by sale or lease of assets or otherwise, that does not constitute a Change in Control and that warrants the amendment or replacement of any existing Awards in order to adjust the number of Shares that may be acquired on the vesting of outstanding Awards and/or the terms of any Award in order to preserve proportionately the rights and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards, the Board will, subject to the prior approval of the TSX and/or NASDAQ (if then listed on the TSX and/or NASDAQ), authorize such steps to be taken as it may consider to be equitable and appropriate to that end.
12.5 |
Immediate Acceleration of Awards |
Where the Board determines that the steps provided in Sections 12.2 and 12.4 would not preserve proportionately the rights, value and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards in the circumstances or otherwise determines that it is appropriate, the Board may, but is not required, to permit the immediate vesting of any unvested Awards and immediate lapse of any Restricted Period.
12.6 |
Issue by Company of Additional Shares |
Except as expressly provided in this Article 12, neither the issue by the Company of shares of any class or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of any class, nor the conversion or exchange of such shares or securities, affects, and no adjustment by reason thereof is to be made with respect to the number of Shares that may be acquired as a result of a grant of Awards.
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12.7 |
Fractions |
No fractional Shares will be issued pursuant to an Award. Accordingly, if, as a result of any adjustment under this Article 12 or a dividend equivalent, a Participant would become entitled to a fractional Share, the Participant has the right to acquire only the adjusted number of full Shares and no payment or other adjustment will be made with respect to the fractional Shares, which shall be disregarded.
ARTICLE 13
U.S. TAXPAYERS
13.1 |
Section 409A of the Code |
This Plan will be construed and interpreted to be exempt from, or where not so exempt, to comply with Section 409A of the Code to the extent required to preserve the intended tax consequences of this Plan. To the extent that an Award or payment, or the settlement or deferral thereof, is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award will be granted, paid, settled or deferred in a manner that will meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, such that the grant, payment, settlement or deferral will not be subject to the additional tax or interest applicable under Section 409A of the Code. The Company reserves the right to amend this Plan to the extent it reasonably determines is necessary in order to preserve the intended tax consequences of this Plan in light of Section 409A of the Code and any regulations or guidance under that section. In no event will the Company be responsible if Awards under this Plan result in adverse tax consequences to a U.S. Taxpayer under Section 409A of the Code. Distributions of non-qualified deferred compensation to a U.S. Taxpayer made in connection with the U.S. Taxpayers Termination Date shall only be made in connection with such U.S. Taxpayers separation from service within the meaning set forth in Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, in the case of any specified employee within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code who is a U.S. Taxpayer, distributions of non-qualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code made in connection with a separation from service within the meaning set forth in Section 409A of the Code may not be made prior to the date which is 6 months after the date of separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of death of the U.S. Taxpayer or the date such amount would have been paid pursuant to a fixed schedule in the absence of the separation from service). Any amounts subject to a delay in payment pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid as soon practicable following such 6-month anniversary of such separation from service. Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, any Award that constitutes non-qualified deferred compensation granted to any U.S. Taxpayer may not be transferred or assigned to a Permitted Assign if such transfer or assignment would result in an impermissible acceleration of payment under Section 409A of the Code.
13.2 |
Requirement of Notification of Election Under Section 83(b) of the Code |
If a Participant, in connection with the acquisition of Restricted Shares under the Plan, is permitted under the terms of the Award Agreement to make the election permitted under Section 83(b) of the Code (i.e., an election to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Section 83(b) of the Code notwithstanding the continuing transfer restrictions) and the Participant makes such an election, the Participant shall notify the Company of such election within ten (10) days of filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Section 83(b) of the Code.
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ARTICLE 14
AMENDMENT, SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION OF THE PLAN
14.1 |
Amendment, Suspension, or Termination of the Plan |
The Board may from time to time, without notice and without approval of the holders of voting shares of the Company, amend, modify, change, suspend or terminate the Plan or any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan as it, in its discretion determines appropriate, provided, however, that:
(a) |
no such amendment, modification, change, suspension or termination of the Plan or any Awards granted hereunder may materially impair any rights of a Participant or materially increase any obligations of a Participant under the Plan without the consent of the Participant, unless the Board determines such adjustment is required or desirable in order to comply with any applicable Securities Laws or Exchange requirements; and |
(b) |
any amendment that would cause an Award held by a U.S. Taxpayer be subject to the additional tax penalty under Section 409A(1)(b)(i)(II) of the Code shall be null and void ab initio . |
14.2 |
Shareholder Approval |
Notwithstanding Section 14.1, approval of the holders of the voting shares of the Company shall be required for any amendment, modification or change that:
(a) |
increases the percentage of Shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, except pursuant to the provisions in the Plan which permit the Board to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Company or its capital; |
(b) |
increases or removes the 10% limits on Shares issuable or issued to insiders as set forth in Subsection 3.7(a); |
(c) |
reduces the exercise price of an Award (for this purpose, a cancellation or termination of an Award of a Participant prior to its Expiry Date for the purpose of reissuing an Award to the same Participant with a lower exercise price shall be treated as an amendment to reduce the exercise price of an Award) except pursuant to the provisions in the Plan which permit the Board to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Company or its capital; |
(d) |
extends the term of an Award beyond the original Expiry Date (except where an Expiry Date would have fallen within a blackout period applicable to the Participant or within 5 Business Days following the expiry of such a blackout period); |
(e) |
permits Awards to be transferred to a Person other than a Permitted Assign or for normal estate settlement purposes; or |
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(f) |
deletes or reduces the range of amendments which require approval of the holders of voting shares of the Company under this Section 14.2. |
14.3 |
Permitted Amendments |
Without limiting the generality of Section 14.1, but subject to Section 14.2, the Board may, without shareholder approval, at any time or from time to time, amend the Plan for the purposes of:
(a) |
making any amendments to the general vesting provisions or Restricted Period of each Award; |
(b) |
making any amendments to the provisions set out in Article 11; |
(c) |
making any amendments to add covenants of the Company for the protection of Participants, provided that the Board shall be of the good faith opinion that such additions will not be prejudicial to the rights or interests of the Participants; |
(d) |
making any amendments not inconsistent with the Plan as may be necessary or desirable with respect to matters or questions which, in the good faith opinion of the Board, having in mind the best interests of the Participants it may be expedient to make, including amendments that are desirable as a result of changes in law in any jurisdiction where a Participant resides, provided that the Board shall be of the opinion that such amendments and modifications will not be prejudicial to the interests of the Participants; or |
(e) |
making such changes or corrections which, on the advice of counsel to the Company, are required for the purpose of curing or correcting any ambiguity or defect or inconsistent provision or clerical omission or mistake or manifest error, provided that the Board shall be of the opinion that such changes or corrections will not be prejudicial to the rights and interests of the Participants. |
ARTICLE 15
MISCELLANEOUS
15.1 |
Legal Requirement |
The Company is not obligated to grant any Awards, issue any Shares or other securities, make any payments or take any other action if, in the opinion of the Board, in its sole discretion, such action would constitute a violation by a Participant or the Company of any provision of any applicable statutory or regulatory enactment of any government or government agency or the requirements of any Exchange upon which the Shares may then be listed.
15.2 |
No Other Benefit |
No amount will be paid to, or in respect of, a Participant under the Plan to compensate for a downward fluctuation in the price of a Share, nor will any other form of benefit be conferred upon, or in respect of, a Participant for such purpose. Except if and as required by applicable employment standards legislation, no Participant will be entitled to any damages or other compensation for any Award that does not vest due to termination of the Participants employment with the Company or any Affiliate of the Company for any reason.
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15.3 |
Rights of Participant |
No Participant has any claim or right to be granted an Award and the granting of any Award is not to be construed as giving a Participant a right to remain as an employee or director of the Company or an employee or director of an Affiliate of the Company. No Participant has any rights as a shareholder of the Company in respect of Shares issuable pursuant to any Award until the allotment and issuance to such Participant, or as such Participant may direct, of certificates representing such Shares.
15.4 |
Corporate Action |
Nothing contained in this Plan or in an Award shall be construed so as to prevent the Company from taking corporate action which is deemed by the Company to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such action would have an adverse effect on this Plan or any Award.
15.5 |
Conflict |
In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Plan and an Award Agreement, the provisions of this Plan shall govern. In the event of any conflict between or among the provisions of this Plan, an Award Agreement and (i) an employment agreement or other written agreement between the Company or a Designated Affiliate and a Participant which has been approved by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (or where the Participant is the Chief Executive Officer, approved by an independent member of the Board), the provisions of the employment agreement or other written agreement shall govern and (ii) any other employment agreement or other written agreement between the Company or a Designated Affiliate and a Participant, the provisions of this Plan shall govern.
15.6 |
Participant Information |
Each Participant shall provide the Company with all information (including personal information) required by the Company in order to administer to the Plan. Each Participant acknowledges that information required by the Company in order to administer the Plan may be disclosed to any custodian appointed in respect of the Plan and other third parties, and may be disclosed to such persons (including persons located in jurisdictions other than the Participants jurisdiction of residence), in connection with the administration of the Plan. Each Participant consents to such disclosure and authorizes the Company to make such disclosure on the Participants behalf.
15.7 |
Participation in the Plan |
The participation of any Participant in the Plan is entirely voluntary and not obligatory and does not confer upon such Participant any rights or privileges other than those rights and privileges expressly provided in the Plan and do not constitute an express or implied term nor in any manner form part of the Participants employment contract with the Company or a Designated Affiliate. In particular, participation in the Plan does not constitute a condition of employment or engagement nor a commitment on the part of the Company to ensure the continued employment or engagement of such Participant. The Plan does not provide any guarantee against any loss which may result from fluctuations in the market value of the Shares. The Company does not assume responsibility for the income or other tax consequences for the Participants and they are advised to consult with their own tax advisors.
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15.8 |
International Participants |
With respect to Participants who reside or work outside Canada and the United States, the Board may, in its sole discretion, amend, or otherwise modify, without shareholder approval, the terms of the Plan or Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the provisions of local law, and the Board may, where appropriate, establish one or more sub-plans to reflect such amended or otherwise modified provisions.
15.9 |
Successors and Assigns |
The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Company and its Designated Affiliates.
15.10 |
General Restrictions and Assignment |
Except as required by law or as otherwise provided in the Plan, the rights of a Participant under the Plan are not capable of being assigned, transferred, alienated, sold, encumbered, pledged, mortgaged or charged and are not capable of being subject to attachment or legal process for the payment of any debts or obligations of the Participant unless otherwise approved by the Board.
15.11 |
Severability |
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision and any invalid or unenforceable provision shall be severed from the Plan.
15.12 |
Notices |
All written notices to be given by the Participant to the Company shall be delivered personally, e- mail or mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
Alithya Group Inc.
700 De La Gauchetière
Street West, Suite 2400
Montréal, Québec, Canada
H3B 5M2
|
Attention: |
Corporate Secretary |
||
|
Facsimile: |
514-221-2204 |
||
E-mail: |
corporate.secretary@alithya.com |
All notices to the Participant will be addressed to the principal address of the Participant on file with the Company. Either the Company or the Participant may designate a different address by written notice to the other. Such notices are deemed to be received, if delivered personally or by e-mail, on the date of delivery, and if sent by mail, on the fifth Business Day following the date of mailing. Any notice given by either the Participant or the Company is not binding on the recipient thereof until received.
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15.13 |
Electronic Delivery |
The Company or the Board may from time to time establish procedures for (i) the electronic delivery of any documents that the Company may elect to deliver (including, but not limited to, plan documents, award notices and agreements, and all other forms of communications) in connection with any award made under the Plan, (ii) the receipt of electronic instructions from Participants and/or (iii) an electronic signature system for delivery and acceptance of any such documents. Compliance with such procedures shall satisfy any requirement to provide documents in writing and/or for a document to be signed or executed.
15.14 |
Effective Date |
This Plan becomes effective on a date to be determined by the Board, subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Company, if applicable.
15.15 |
Governing Law |
This Plan and all matters to which reference is made herein shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Québec and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
15.16 |
Submission to Jurisdiction |
The Company and each Participant irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Québec in respect of any action or proceeding relating in any way to the Plan, including with respect to the grant of Awards and any issuance of Shares made in accordance with the Plan.
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Exhibit 4.5
ALITHYA GROUP INC.
SHARE PURCHASE PLAN
ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
1.1 |
Purpose and Scope of the Plan |
The purpose of this Share Purchase Plan is to encourage and assist Eligible Employees of the Company and Designated Affiliates to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company by providing Eligible Employees with a convenient and regular method of acquiring Shares without payment of brokerage commissions or service charges. The Plan enables Participants to make regular personal investments in Shares by way of payroll deductions. The Plan also provides for matching employer contributions that are also invested in Shares.
ARTICLE 2
INTERPRETATION
2.1 |
Definitions |
For purposes of the Plan:
(a) |
Administrative Agent means AST Trust Company (Canada) or such other agent or other legally permitted company as may be appointed by the Company from time to time to administer the Plan and act as Administrative Agent under the Plan; |
(b) |
Blackout Period means a routine or special trading blackout period imposed by the Company to restrict trades in the Companys securities; |
(c) |
Board means the board of directors of the Company; |
(d) |
Committee means the Corporate Governance, Nominating and Compensation Committee of the Board or such other committee of the Board as may be appointed by the Board to administer the Plan in accordance with applicable law, provided, however, that if no Corporate Governance, Nominating and Compensation Committee is in existence at any particular time and the Board has not appointed another committee of the Board to administer the Plan, all references in the Plan to Committee shall at such time be in reference to the Board; |
(e) |
Company means Alithya Group Inc. and its successors and assigns; |
(f) |
Contributions means as of any date the aggregate amount of Participant Contributions and Employer Contributions with respect to any Participant; |
(g) |
Designated Affiliate means a Related Entity of the Company as designated by the Board for purposes of the Plan from time to time; |
(h) |
Eligible Employee means an employee entitled to participate in the Plan in accordance with Section 3.2; |
(i) |
Employer is defined in ARTICLE 7; |
(j) |
Employer Contribution means the amount contributed by a Participants Employer on behalf of the Participant in accordance with ARTICLE 7; |
(k) |
Enrolment Instructions means instructions with respect to enrolment in the Plan provided in the manner made available by the Company or the Administrative Agent; |
(l) |
Initial Enrolment Time means the earliest time Enrolment Instructions will be effective, as selected by the Company in its sole discretion; |
(m) |
Limits of Matching Contributions means the following: |
(i) |
1% of the annual gross salary for an Eligible Employee who holds a position other than that of senior consultant, manager, vice-president or senior vice president or president; |
(ii) |
1.5% of the annual gross salary for an Eligible Employee who holds the position of senior consultant; |
(iii) |
2% of the annual gross salary for an Eligible Employee who holds the position of manager; |
(iv) |
3% of the annual gross salary for an Eligible Employee who holds the position of vice president; and |
(v) |
3.5% of the annual gross salary for an Eligible Employee who holds the position of senior vice president and president of the Company; |
(n) |
Participant means an Eligible Employee who has elected to participate in the Plan in accordance with Section 3.3; |
(o) |
Participant Contribution is defined in Section 4.5; |
(p) |
Person means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, entity, unincorporated association, unincorporated syndicate, unincorporated organization, trust, body corporate, fund, organization or other group of organized persons, government, government regulatory authority, governmental department, agency, commission, board, tribunal, dispute settlement panel or body, bureau, court, and where the context requires any of the foregoing when they are acting as trustee, executor, administrator or other legal representative; |
(q) |
Plan means this Share Purchase Plan as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time; |
(r) |
Rate of Contribution means up to 10% of the Participants Salary, as elected by the Participant on the Participants filing of Enrolment Instructions; |
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(s) |
Related Entity means a Person that is Controlled by or Controls the Company or that is Controlled by the same Person that Controls the Company; |
(t) |
RRSP means a Registered Retirement Savings Plan established for the benefit of the Participant with the Administrative Agent or its designee under the Plan; |
(u) |
Salary means the regular gross annual salary (pre-tax or other withholdings) paid to an Eligible Employee by the Company or a Designated Affiliate, exclusive of any overtime pay or shift premiums, commissions, vacation pay, bonuses, reimbursements, disability payments, equity compensation income or similar income, special compensation, allowances or contributions of any kind whatsoever; |
(v) |
Share means a class A subordinate voting share of the Company; |
(w) |
Termination Notice is defined in Section 8.2; and |
(x) |
TFSA means a Tax Free Savings Account established with the Administrative Agent or its designee under the Plan. |
2.2 |
Certain Rules of Interpretation |
(a) |
Whenever the Board or, where applicable, the Committee or any sub-delegate of the Committee is to exercise discretion in the administration of the terms and conditions of this Plan, the term discretion means the sole and absolute discretion of the Board or the Committee or the sub-delegate of the Committee, as the case may be. |
(b) |
As used herein, the terms Article and Section mean and refer to the specified Article or Section of this Plan. |
(c) |
Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa and words importing any gender include any other gender. |
(d) |
Unless otherwise specified, all references to money amounts are to Canadian currency. |
(e) |
A Person (first Person) is considered to Control another Person (second Person) if the first Person, directly or indirectly, has the power to direct the management and policies of the second Person by virtue of: |
(i) |
ownership of or direction over voting securities in the second Person, |
(ii) |
a written agreement or indenture, |
(iii) |
being the general partner or Controlling the general partner of the second Person, or |
(iv) |
being a trustee of the second Person. |
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ARTICLE 3
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN
3.1 |
Administration of the Plan |
(a) |
Subject to Section 3.1(b) & (c), this Plan will be administered by the Board and the Board has sole and complete authority, in its discretion, to: |
(i) |
interpret the Plan and prescribe, modify and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan; |
(ii) |
exercise rights reserved to the Company under the Plan; |
(iii) |
prescribe forms for notices to be prescribed by the Company under the Plan; and |
(iv) |
make all other determinations and take all other actions as it considers necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of the Plan. |
The Boards determinations and actions under this Plan are final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Administrative Agent, the Participants and all other Persons.
(b) |
To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board may, from time to time, delegate to the Committee all or any of the powers of the Board under the Plan, including the power to sub-delegate, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to any specified officer of the Company all or any of the powers delegated to the Committee. In such event, the Committee or specified officer will exercise the powers delegated to it by the Board and, if applicable, the Committee in the manner and on the terms authorized by the Board and, if applicable, the Committee. Any decision made or action taken by the Committee or the specified officer arising out of or in connection with the administration or interpretation of this Plan in this context is final, binding and conclusive on the Company, the Administrative Agent, the Participants and all other Persons. |
(c) |
The Company has appointed the Administrative Agent to purchase and hold Shares on behalf of Participants and maintain records respecting Shares held by the Administrative Agent or its designee for a Participants RRSP or TFSA. |
(d) |
The Company may change the Administrative Agent and has sole discretion on the selection of the Administrative Agent. |
3.2 |
Eligibility |
All permanent employees of the Company or any Designated Affiliate are eligible to participate in the Plan (each, an Eligible Employee ) . The Company reserves the right to restrict eligibility or otherwise limit the number of employees eligible for participation in the Plan at any time.
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3.3 |
Election to Join the Plan |
An Eligible Employee may elect to participate in the Plan by delivering Enrolment Instructions in the manner prescribed by the Company (in its sole discretion) specifying the Rate of Contribution (expressed as a whole percentage) of the Participants Salary to be deducted by payroll deduction and applied towards the purchase of Shares under this Plan. Upon receipt of an Eligible Employees Enrolment Instructions by the Administrative Agent, the Eligible Employee shall be a Participant under the Plan and shall be bound by all the terms and conditions of the Plan. The Enrolment Instructions will include: (i) a payroll deduction authorization, (ii) a direction to the Company or the Designated Affiliate that employs the Participant, as applicable, to pay the Employer Contribution to the Administrative Agent to hold in the Participants account, (iii) a direction from the Participant specifying the portion of the Participant Contributions to be held for the Participant and, as applicable, for the Participants RRSP or TFSA, and (iv) an authorization to direct the Administrative Agent to establish and operate an account under the Plan in the name of the Participant. The Enrolment Instructions shall also contain a direction to the Administrative Agent to reinvest all dividends (net of applicable tax withholdings, if any) allocated to the Participants account and payable to the Participant (net of applicable tax withholdings, if any) in additional Shares in accordance with Section 5.2. By delivering Enrolment Instructions, the Participant agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of the Plan.
The enrolment of Eligible Employees who submit their duly completed Enrolment Instructions prior to the Initial Enrolment Time, and the commencement of payroll deductions in respect of such Eligible Employees, will begin effective with the start of the first payroll period following the Initial Enrolment Time. Thereafter, Eligible Employees who are not already Participants may enrol, and Participants who wish to change or suspend their Rate of Contribution may effect such change or suspension, effective as of the next payroll period that commences at least seven days after the date the Enrolment Instructions are received; provided that if Enrolment Instructions are submitted during a Blackout Period applicable to the Eligible Employee, they will not be effective until the later of (i) the commencement of the first payroll period following the expiry of the Blackout Period; and (ii) the first payroll period that commences at least seven days after the date the Enrolment Instructions are received.
An individual may deliver Enrolment Instructions prior to the date the individual qualifies as an Eligible Employee, but the individuals enrolment shall not become effective, and the individual shall not be a Participant, until after the individual qualifies as an Eligible Employee.
No request for enrolment received prior to the Initial Enrolment Time shall be effective until the Initial Enrolment Time.
3.4 |
Participant Account |
The Administrative Agent shall establish and maintain a separate account in the name of each Participant and shall record in each such account the amount of all Participant Contributions made by the Participant, all Employer Contributions made by the Participants employer, the number of Shares standing to the credit of the Participant and any cash balance standing to the credit of the Participant. Although the Administrative Agent holds Shares on behalf of Participants, Participant RRSPs and Participant TFSAs, the Participant or the Participants RRSP or TFSA, as applicable, is the actual and beneficial owner of the Shares.
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3.5 |
Participant RRSPs and Participant TFSAs |
A Participant may establish an RRSP or a TFSA for purposes of participation in the Plan by filing with the Administrative Agent or its designee a completed application for an RRSP or a TFSA in the form provided by the Administrative Agent or any other method approved by the Company. No direction respecting Participant Contributions to be held for a Participants RRSP or TFSA, and no direction to transfer Shares to a Participants RRSP or TFSA shall be effective unless and until the Participant has received notice that an RRSP or TFSA, as applicable, has been established with the Administrative Agent or its designee for such Participant. If a direction respecting Participant Contributions to be held for a Participants RRSP or TFSA is ineffective, the Participant Contributions shall instead be held for the Participant.
It is the responsibility of the Participant to ensure that any Participant Contribution or transfer of Shares to the Participants RRSP or TFSA does not exceed the Participants allowable personal contribution limits for such accounts pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) or other applicable laws.
A Participant may designate a person or persons to receive the benefits payable under the Participants RRSP or TFSA by notice in such form and executed in such manner as required by the Administrative Agent or its designee. If, at the death of a Participant, the person designated as the beneficiary for an RRSP or TFSA shall not be living, such amount as may be payable on or after the Participants death shall be paid to the estate of the Participant. The Administrative Agent or its designee may require a beneficiary for an RRSP or TFSA to execute and deliver such additional documents as the Administrative Agent or its designee may require in its sole discretion in order to be assured that the assets under the RRSP or TFSA are properly distributed in accordance with the terms hereof.
ARTICLE 4
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PLAN
4.1 |
Participant Contributions |
An amount equal to the Rate of Contribution specified on a Participants Enrolment Instructions shall be deducted from the Participants Salary on each payroll date.
The Rate of Contribution contained in the Enrolment Instructions filed by the Participant at the time of the Participants election to join the Plan shall remain in effect until changed by the Participant pursuant to Section 4.4 or until the Participants participation in the Plan is terminated.
4.2 |
Leave of Absence |
Participant Contributions will be automatically suspended during any period in which a Participant is in receipt of short-term disability or long-term disability benefits under a plan sponsored by the Company or the Employer or is on a leave of absence.
4.3 |
Right to Suspend or Limit Participation |
Notwithstanding Section 4.1, the Committee may suspend a Participants participation in the Plan or limit or reduce a Participants authorized contribution level to a percentage which is less than the Participants specified Rate of Contribution from time to time. Upon the adoption of any such limitation or reduction by the Committee, the Company shall give prompt notice to each affected Participant.
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4.4 |
Changes to and Suspension of a Participants Rate of Contribution by a Participant |
Without withdrawing from the Plan, a Participant may deliver new Enrolment Instructions in the manner prescribed by the Company (in its sole discretion) requesting a:
(a) |
reduction or increase in the Participants Rate of Contribution within the limits of the Plan; or |
(b) |
suspension of contributions to the purchase of Shares under the Plan. |
Any such new Enrolment Instructions will become effective as of the payroll period determined in accordance with Section 3.3. During any period of suspension, a Participant shall remain a Participant under the Plan and shall remain subject to its terms.
No Participant may suspend contributions to the Plan more than once within any twelve (12) month period. No Participant may increase or reduce his or her Rate of Contribution more than once within any six (6) month period.
4.5 |
Remittance of Participant Contributions |
At the end of each calendar month, the amount deducted from each Participant (the Participant Contribution ) shall be forwarded to the Administrative Agent, together with a list showing for each Participant the amount of the Participant Contribution. All Participant Contributions shall be invested by the Administrative Agent in Shares in accordance with Section 5.1.
4.6 |
Foreign Exchange |
Any Participant Contributions or Employer Contributions made in a currency other than the currency in which the Administrative Agent will be purchasing Shares (which currency shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Company) will be converted by the Company, or in such manner as the Company may determine in its sole discretion, at the applicable prevailing rate at the time of conversion.
4.7 |
RRSP and TFSA Transfers |
A Participant may request to transfer a specified value of Shares into their RRSP or TFSA by filing with the Administrative Agent a completed application for an RRSP or TFSA, as applicable, in the form provided by the Administrative Agent or any other method approved by the Company and therein authorizing the Administrative Agent or its designee to transfer Shares equivalent to the Participants specified value into such RRSP or TFSA. A Participant is allowed an unlimited number of transfers of Shares to their RRSP or TFSA.
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ARTICLE 5
INVESTMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS
5.1 |
Investment of Contributions |
(a) |
All accumulated Contributions with respect to a Participant as of the last day of each calendar month shall be invested by the Administrative Agent to purchase Shares as promptly as practical following receipt thereof. Following receipt of Contributions in respect of a particular calendar month, the Administrative Agent shall determine the aggregate amount of cash available for the purchase of Shares or for reinvestment net of applicable taxes, if any, and the Administrative Agent shall use such amount to purchase, as soon as practical, as agent for the Participants for whom the Administrative Agent holds Shares and not as principal, the largest number of whole Shares which may be purchased with such aggregate sum. Such Shares shall be purchased on the market in the name of the Administrative Agent or its nominee through a member firm of a stock exchange on which the Shares are listed at prevailing market prices. The Administrative Agent will allocate purchased Shares (including fractional Shares) to the accounts of the Participants, including any Participant RRSPs or TFSAs, promptly after all the Shares have been purchased. Any cash remaining in the Participants account following such Share purchase will be applied to the purchase of Shares on the Participants behalf at the next purchase date. |
(b) |
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.1(a), the Administrative Agent may advise its broker to, in its discretion, acting reasonably, limit the daily volume of purchases of Shares or cause such purchases to be made over several trading days to the extent that such action is deemed by it to be necessary to avoid disrupting the market price for the Shares or otherwise be in the best interests of the Company. |
(c) |
If the Administrative Agent is unable to purchase a sufficient number of Shares as of any date, the Administrative Agent shall purchase Shares as they become available and shall allocate the Shares so purchased to Participant accounts in order of the payroll period of which the Contributions were received by the Administrative Agent. |
(d) |
The Administrative Agent will allocate purchased Shares and any uninvested cash balance (until such cash balance becomes sufficient to purchase additional Shares) to Participants accounts to reflect Contributions invested on behalf of the Participants. No interest will be paid on any uninvested cash balance in a Participants account. |
(e) |
All Shares purchased for and allocated to a Participants account are immediately vested in the Participant. |
5.2 |
Net Dividends and Warrants, Options and Other Rights Respecting Shares |
Cash dividends net of applicable tax and other withholdings received by the Administrative Agent on Shares held on behalf of a Participant shall be invested by the Administrative Agent in Shares in accordance with Section 5.1 and credited to Participant accounts, including any Participant
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RRSPs or TFSAs. Share dividends received by the Administrative Agent on behalf of Participants will be credited to the Participants accounts, including any Participant RRSPs or TFSAs. The Company has no obligation to declare or pay dividends on Shares and nothing in this Plan shall be interpreted as creating such an obligation.
All warrants, options or rights received by the Administrative Agent on Shares held on behalf of Participants shall be sold by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Participants. The proceeds from the sale of any options, rights or warrants shall be used to purchase additional Shares which shall be invested by the Administrative Agent in Shares in accordance with Section 5.1 and credited to Participants accounts, including any Participant RRSPs or TFSAs.
5.3 |
Brokerage Costs for Acquisitions |
Subject to Sections 6.1(a) & (b) and 6.2, the Company shall pay all expenses incurred in connection with the administration of this Plan. The Company shall be responsible for the brokerage costs incurred by the Administrative Agent in acquiring Shares in accordance with Section 5.1.
5.4 |
Share Certificates |
Shares representing the aggregate holdings beneficially owned by all Participants participating in the Plan shall be registered in the name of the Administrative Agent or its nominee and shall be held by the Administrative Agent or its nominee on behalf of, and as agent for, each Participant, Participant RRSP and TFSA, as applicable, until withdrawn or sold in accordance with the terms of this Plan. Share certificates will not be issued to Participants except on withdrawal of Shares and the Participant shall be responsible for any costs of withdrawal including the cost of preparing a share certificate.
5.5 |
Voting of Shares |
The Administrative Agent shall deliver to Participants for whom it holds Shares all notices of meetings and proxy materials distributed by the Company to its shareholders together with a voting instruction form. The whole number of Shares in each Participants account will be voted in accordance with instructions given to the Administrative Agent by the Participant. Instructions by a Participant to the Administrative Agent shall be in such form and delivered pursuant to such regulations as the Administrative Agent may prescribe, and any such instructions to the Administrative Agent shall remain in the strict confidence of the Administrative Agent. If the Administrative Agent does not receive timely and proper instructions from a Participant regarding the voting of Shares in the Participants account, such Shares shall not be voted.
5.6 |
Deposit of Shares |
The Administrative Agent shall not tender or deposit Shares held on behalf of a Participant to any issuer bid, take-over bid or other transaction (other than pursuant to a compulsory exchange or acquisition) except in accordance with the instructions given to the Administrative Agent in writing by the Participant.
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ARTICLE 6
WITHDRAWAL OF SHARES
6.1 |
Withdrawal or Sale of Shares |
(a) |
At any time, a Participant may, in the manner prescribed by the Administrative Agent, direct the Administrative Agent to sell as agent for and on behalf of the Participant all Shares or any number of whole Shares in the Participants account or, subject to the terms and conditions of the Participants RRSP or TFSA, if applicable. The Administrative Agent shall forthwith sell the number of Shares specified by the Participant rounded down to the nearest whole number and the proceeds of disposition for such Shares (net of applicable taxes and other withholdings and transaction and brokerage costs) will be distributed to the Participant within fifteen business days after the applicable settlement date. |
(b) |
At any time, a Participant may, using a form prescribed by the Administrative Agent, make a request to withdraw all Shares or any number of whole Shares which are eligible for withdrawal in the Participants account. Following such request, the Administrative Agent shall effect an electronic transfer to a brokerage account in the name of the Participant, covering the number of withdrawn Shares specified by the Participant rounded down to the nearest whole number. |
(c) |
A direction to sell or request to withdraw Shares will only apply to Shares already credited to the Participants account at the time the request is made. For clarity, Participants may not provide standing instructions requesting that purchased Shares be sold or certificated or electronically transferred to a brokerage account, but must submit a new direction or request after Shares have been credited to the Participants account. |
(d) |
In the event that a Participant requests the sale or withdrawal of a fractional Share or all whole Shares in the Participants account have been withdrawn or sold, the Administrative Agent will issue to the Participant a cheque for the fair value, as reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent, of any fractional Share remaining in the Participants account. |
(e) |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Participant may not sell or withdraw Shares pursuant to Sections 6.1(a) or 6.1(b) until (i) in the case of Employer Contributions, the date that is six months following the date the Shares relating to the Employer Contribution were recorded to the account of the Participant; and (ii) in the case of Shares related to dividends from Shares purchased with Employer Contributions that have been credited to a Participants account in accordance with Section 5.2, the date that is six months following the date the underlying Shares to which the dividends relate were recorded to the Participants account. Any Participant who does not comply with this Section 6.1(e) will not be entitled to any Employer Contributions pursuant to ARTICLE 7 for the three months following any such non-compliance. |
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6.2 |
Brokerage Costs |
The Participant shall be responsible for the administration and brokerage costs incurred by the Administrative Agent in selling Shares on behalf of the Participant, as well as any costs associated with issuing share certificates or facilitating electronic broker transfers in accordance with Section 6.1(a) and (b) and any other costs, fees, expenses or taxes associated with the sale of any Shares on behalf of the Participant. The Participant authorizes the Administrative Agent to deduct from any amount distributed to the Participant pursuant to a sale of Shares the total of any and all brokerage or other costs associated with such sale.
ARTICLE 7
MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS
The Company or the Designated Affiliate employing a Participant (in either case, the Employer ) shall, at the end of each calendar month, contribute on behalf of the Participant (other than an individual whose participation in the Plan is terminated prior to the end of the applicable month, whether pursuant to Section 8.1 or 8.2) an amount equal to the Participants Participant Contribution for that calendar month (subject to the Limits of Matching Contributions, including the maximum Rate of Contribution). For clarity, any individual whose participation in the Plan is terminated prior to the end of a calendar month, whether pursuant to Section 8.1 or 8.2, will not be entitled to any Employer Contributions for that month. All Employer Contributions shall be forwarded to the Administrative Agent, together with a listing of Employer Contributions remitted for each Participant. Any Employer Contributions shall be regarded as additional compensation paid to the Participant and any taxes payable to any jurisdiction with respect thereto shall, where required, be withheld from the salary or other compensation payable to the Participant. Employer Contributions shall not be made to the Participants RRSP or TFSA. However, Shares held for the Participant in the Participants account, including Shares acquired with Employer Contributions, may be subsequently transferred to the Participants RRSP or TFSA, as applicable, pursuant to Section 4.7.
For purposes of this Plan, a Participant ceases to be employed on the date specified by the Employer acting reasonably, regardless of any period of reasonable notice or pay in lieu of notice that the Employer may be required by law to provide to the Participant.
ARTICLE 8
TERMINATION OF PARTICIPATION
8.1 |
Automatic Termination |
A Participants participation in the Plan shall be terminated immediately upon:
(a) |
the Participants death; |
(b) |
the Participants cessation of active employment with the Employer for any reason (including retirement or permanent disability), unless upon such cessation the Participant is employed with the Company or another Designated Affiliate and otherwise still satisfies the requirements to qualify as an Eligible Employee; |
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(c) |
any judgment, attachment, garnishment or other court order affecting the Participants compensation or the Participants account under the Plan is filed or levied upon the Company, a Related Entity, the Employer or the Administrative Agent or the Participant is legally adjudged incompetent or becomes bankrupt; or |
(d) |
the Employer ceasing to be a Designated Affiliate of the Company. |
8.2 |
Voluntary Termination by Participant and Election to Re-join the Plan |
(a) |
A Participant may terminate his or her participation in the Plan at any time by giving notice in the manner prescribed by the Company (in its sole discretion) (the Termination Notice ) . The Participants Participant Contributions will cease effective as of the first day of the next payroll period that is at least seven days after the date on which the Termination Notice is received; provided that if the Termination Notice is submitted during a Blackout Period applicable to the Eligible Employee, it will not be effective until the later of (i) the commencement of the first payroll period following the expiry of the Blackout Period; and (ii) the first payroll period that commences at least seven days after the date the Termination Notice is received. |
(b) |
Where a Participant has elected to voluntarily terminate his or her participation in the Plan in accordance with Section 8.2(a), he or she may elect to re-join the Plan by delivering Enrolment Instructions in the manner prescribed by the Company (in its sole discretion) and in accordance with Section 3.3 herein so long as he or she is an Eligible Employee at the time of such delivery. |
8.3 |
Withdrawal on Termination |
(a) |
Within thirty (30) days following the termination of a Participants participation in the Plan under Sections 8.1 or 8.2 herein, the Participant will be paid the full balance of his or her account (without interest) as follows: |
(i) |
a share certificate representing the whole number of Shares held in the Participants account; |
(ii) |
a cash payment for any fractional Shares held in the Participants account based on the average price at which Shares were purchased by the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 5.1 immediately following termination of the Participants participation in the Plan; and |
(iii) |
reimbursement of any uninvested cash held in the Participants account. |
(b) |
If a Participants participation in the Plan is terminated under Section 8.1 or 8.2 at least seven days prior to a date for the purchase of Shares pursuant to Section 5.1, any Participant Contribution which has not yet been applied towards the purchase of Shares, (i) in the case of Section 8.1, as of the date the Participants participation in the Plan has been terminated, and (ii) in the case of Section 8.2, as of the date the Termination Notice is received by the Company or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, shall be returned to the Participant as soon as practical. |
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(c) |
If a Participant holds any Shares in an RRSP or TFSA, the Participant may provide instructions in the manner prescribed by the Administrative Agent or its designee or the Company for the transfer of such Shares to another RRSP or TFSA within twenty (20) days following the termination of a Participants participation in the Plan under Sections 8.1 or 8.2 herein; provided that if such instructions are not received by the Administrative Agent within such twenty (20) day period, any Shares held by the Participant will be dealt with in accordance with Section 8.3(a). |
ARTICLE 9
GENERAL
9.1 |
Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan |
The Plan may be amended by the Board at any time in accordance with applicable securities laws or exchange rules, and without shareholder approval unless required by such laws or rules.
The Board may also suspend the Plan in whole or in part from time to time or terminate the Plan at any time. However, any amendment, suspension or termination shall not adversely affect the entitlement of the Participants to the full balance of their accounts, without their written consent. Written notice of any suspension or termination of the Plan will be sent to each Participant. If the Company terminates the Plan, the provisions of Section 8.3 herein will apply.
The Company may at any time terminate payroll deductions for all Participants. Notwithstanding such termination, Employer Contributions relating to Participant Contributions made prior to such termination and reinvestment of dividends and other amounts attributable to Shares in the Participants accounts shall continue until the Participants Shares have been withdrawn or sold.
This Plan shall automatically terminate following the day upon which all Shares purchased under the Plan have been withdrawn by Participants or sold for and on behalf of Participants and the net proceeds distributed to the Participants.
9.2 |
Compliance with Laws |
Participants shall cooperate with the Company in complying with any applicable legislation or the rules and regulations of any applicable stock exchange.
9.3 |
Participation is Voluntary; No Additional Rights |
The participation of any Participant in the Plan is entirely voluntary and not obligatory and shall not be interpreted as conferring upon a Participant any rights or privileges other than those rights and privileges expressly provided in the Plan and do not constitute an express or implied term or in any manner form part of the Participants employment contract with the Company or a Designated Affiliate. In particular, participation in the Plan does not constitute a condition of employment or service nor a commitment on the part of the Company, a Designated Affiliate or a Related Entity to ensure the continued employment or service of the Participant. Nothing in this Plan shall be construed to provide the Participant with any rights whatsoever to participate or to continue participation in this Plan, or to compensation or damages in lieu of participation, whether upon termination of the Participants employment or otherwise. The Company does not assume responsibility for the personal income tax or other tax consequences for the Participants and each Participant is advised to consult his or her personal tax advisors.
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No Participant has any rights as a shareholder of the Company in respect of any Shares to be purchased under the Plan until the Shares have been purchased and credited to the account of such Participant.
9.4 |
No Assignment |
The Plan shall enure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company, its successors and assigns. The interest of any Participant under the Plan shall not be transferable, assignable or alienable by him or her either by pledge, assignment or in any manner whatsoever.
9.5 |
Taxes |
The Participant shall be responsible for paying all income and other taxes applicable to Employer Contributions, and to dividends received on, and to transactions involving Shares held by the Administrative Agent on his or her behalf.
9.6 |
Market Fluctuations |
No amount will be paid to, or in respect of, a Participant under the Plan to compensate for a downward fluctuation in the price of the Shares, nor will any other form of benefit be conferred upon, or in respect of, a Participant for such purpose.
9.7 |
Participant Information |
Each Participant shall provide the Company with all information (including personal information) required by the Company in order to administer the Plan. The Company shall require that the Administrative Agent not use the personal information it receives in connection with this Plan except for purposes of the administration of this Plan and the performance of its obligations as Administrative Agent and to maintain procedures and security safeguards over such personal information with the same level of protection it affords to others for whom it performs employee compensation plan administrative services. Each Participant acknowledges that information required by the Company in order to administer the Plan may be disclosed to the Administrative Agent and other third parties, and may be disclosed to such Persons (including Persons located in jurisdictions other than the Participants jurisdiction of residence), in connection with the administration of the Plan. Each Participant consents to such disclosure and authorizes the Company to make such disclosure on the Participants behalf.
9.8 |
Indemnification |
Every director of the Company will at all times be indemnified and saved harmless by the Company from and against all costs, charges and expenses whatsoever including any income tax liability arising from any such indemnification, that such director may sustain or incur by reason of any action, suit or proceeding, taken or threatened against the director, otherwise than by the Company, for or in respect of any act done or omitted by the director in respect of this Plan, such costs, charges and expenses to include any amount paid to settle such action, suit or proceeding or in satisfaction of any judgement rendered therein.
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9.9 |
Withholdings |
If at any time the Company or the Employer determines, in its discretion, acting reasonably, that the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities is necessary in connection with any purchase, sale or withdrawal of Shares or any Employer Contribution, the Company or the Employer, as applicable, may:
(a) |
withhold the minimum amount required to be remitted from any remuneration or other amount payable by it or a Designated Affiliate to the Participant; |
(b) |
require that a Participant pay such amount to the Company or the Employer; |
(c) |
require the sale of a number of Shares in the Participants account and the remittance to the Company or the Employer of the net proceeds from such sale sufficient to satisfy such amount; or |
(d) |
enter into other suitable arrangements for the receipt of such amount. |
9.10 |
Power to Manage the Company |
The existence of this Plan does not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its shareholders to make, authorize or determine any change in the Companys capital structure or its business, or any amalgamation, combination, arrangement, merger or consolidation involving the Company, to create or issue any debt instruments, Shares or other securities of the Company or to determine the rights and conditions attaching thereto, to effect the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or to effect any other corporate act or proceeding, whether or not any action referred to in this subsection would have an adverse effect on this Plan or on any Share purchased hereunder.
9.11 |
Right to Terminate Employment |
Neither this Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall interfere with the right of the employer of any Participant to terminate such Participants employment at any time. Further, neither this Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as a guarantee of future employment.
9.12 |
Electronic Documents |
The Company and the Administrative Agent may from time to time establish procedures for (i) the electronic delivery of any documents that the Company may elect to deliver (including, but not limited to, plan documents, the Enrolment Instructions and all other forms of communications) in connection with participation in the Plan, (ii) the receipt of electronic or telephonic instructions from Participants and/or (iii) an electronic signature system for delivery and acceptance of any such documents. Compliance with such procedures shall satisfy any requirement to provide documents in writing and/or for a document to be signed or executed.
9.13 |
Effective Date of the Plan |
This Plan became effective on October 31, 2018.
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9.14 |
Governing Law |
This Plan and any Shares purchased hereunder shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Québec. The Company and each Participant irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Québec in respect of any action or proceeding relating in any way to the Plan.
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Exhibit 5.1
November 20, 2018
Alithya Group Inc.
700 De La Gauchetière Street West
Suite 2400
Montréal, Québec
Canada H3B 5M2
Dear Sirs/Mesdames:
Registration Statement on Form S-8
We have acted as Canadian counsel to Alithya Group Inc. (the Corporation ), a corporation governed by the Business Corporations Act (Quebec) , in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the Registration Statement ) filed by the Corporation on or about November 20, 2018 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the offering by the Corporation of up to 5,557,283 Class A subordinate voting shares of the Corporation (the Shares ) pursuant to the Alithya Group inc. Long Term Incentive Plan (the Plan ).
We have examined (a) the Registration Statement and (b) the Plan. We have also examined such public and corporate records, certificates and other documents and conducted such other examinations as we have considered necessary or relevant for the purposes of this opinion.
In giving this opinion, we have assumed the legal capacity of all individuals, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed, photostatic or facsimile copies.
In expressing this opinion, we have relied upon certified copies of the resolutions of the board of directors of the Corporation date November 1, 2018 and November 13, 2018.
On the basis of the foregoing, we are of the opinion that when the Shares shall have been issued as contemplated in the Plan, including the receipt by the Corporation of the consideration therefor, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
We express no opinion herein as to any laws or any matters governed by any laws other than the laws of the Province of Quebec and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
Yours very truly,
/s/ Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Exhibit 23.2
Consent of Independent Auditor
We have issued our report dated May 16, 2018, with respect to the balance sheet of 9374-8572 Québec Inc. contained in the final prospectus/proxy statement, filed on September 28, 2018, relating to the Registration Statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-227310), which is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8. We consent to the incorporation by reference of the aforementioned report in this Registration Statement on Form S-8.
/s/ Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP
Chartered Professional Accountants
Montréal, Québec
Canada
November 20, 2018
Exhibit 23.3
Consent of Independent Auditor
We have issued our report dated July 26, 2018, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Alithya Group Inc. contained in the final prospectus/proxy statement, filed on September 28, 2018, relating to the Registration Statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-227310), which is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8. We consent to the incorporation by reference of the aforementioned report(s) in this Registration Statement on Form S-8.
/s/ Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP
Chartered Professional Accountants
Montréal, Québec
Canada
November 20, 2018
Exhibit 23.4
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Alithya Group inc. of our report for Edgewater Technology, Inc. dated March 16, 2018 relating to the consolidated financial statements of Edgewater Technology, Inc., which appears in Edgewater Technology, Inc.s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
November 20, 2018