CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL INC /DE false 0001046311 0001046311 2022-05-24 2022-05-24

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 24, 2022

 

 

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-13393   52-1209792
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

1 Choice Hotels Circle, Suite 400, Rockville, Maryland   20850
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (301) 592-5000

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 

Name of Each Exchange
on Which Registered

Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 per share   CHH   New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

 

 

 


Item 5.02.

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On May 24, 2022, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (the “Company”) and Patrick S. Pacious, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation & Severance Benefit Agreement between the Company and Mr. Pacious, which was executed September 18, 2017, and became effective September 12, 2017 (the “Amended Severance Benefit Agreement”). The Amended Severance Benefit Agreement amended that certain Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation & Severance Benefit Agreement between the Company and Mr. Pacious, dated May 5, 2011 (together with the Amended Severance Benefit Agreement, the “Severance Benefit Agreement”). Pursuant to the Amendment, the term of the Severance Benefit Agreement is extended until December 31, 2027. The Severance Benefit Agreement will be extended for additional five year periods unless prior written notice is provided by either Mr. Pacious or the Company in accordance with its terms prior to the end of the applicable term.

The Amendment also provides that in the event of a termination of employment by Mr. Pacious with Good Reason or a termination of employment by the Company for any reason other than Cause, Change in Control Termination, Disability or death, (such terms as defined in the Severance Benefit Agreement) and if Mr. Pacious is not eligible for health insurance coverage under another employer’s plans, Mr. Pacious shall be entitled to payments equal to the cost of health insurance coverage (net of premiums) provided to the Company’s employees until Mr. Pacious’s 65th birthday.

In addition, on May 24, 2022, the Company and Mr. Pacious entered into a letter agreement (the “Aircraft Usage Agreement”) whereby Mr. Pacious, during such time that he is serving as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, will be entitled to use of the Company’s corporate aircraft (if any) for personal use for up to 45 flight hours per calendar year. Mr. Pacious will not be entitled to any tax reimbursements for such use.

The foregoing descriptions of the Amendment and the Aircraft Usage Agreement are qualified in their entirety by reference to the copy of the Amendment, which is attached to this report as Exhibit 10.1, and the copy of the Aircraft Usage Agreement, which is attached to this report as Exhibit 10.2, both of which are incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 5.07.

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

At the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 25, 2022, three proposals were submitted to the Company’s shareholders. The final voting results of these proposals were as follows:

Proposal 1

The Company’s shareholders elected the following eleven directors to hold office for a term of one year ending at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until their respective successors are elected and qualified. The voting results are set forth below:

 

     Votes For      Votes
Against
     Votes
Abstained
     Broker
Non-Vote
 

Brian B. Bainum

     51,084,292        169,149        20,528        2,014,714  

Stewart W. Bainum, Jr.

     50,969,541        282,921        21,894        2,014,714  

William L. Jews

     50,851,534        402,625        20,197        2,014,714  

Monte J. M. Koch

     50,150,907        1,102,587        20,862        2,014,714  

Liza K. Landsman

     51,223,539        30,300        19,973        2,014,714  

Patrick S. Pacious

     51,089,409        164,675        20,272        2,014,714  

Ervin R. Shames

     49,886,773        1,367,136        20,447        2,014,714  

Gordon A. Smith

     51,233,631        19,227        21,498        2,014,714  

Maureen D. Sullivan

     50,241,195        1,014,185        18,976        2,014,714  

John P. Tague

     51,065,683        189,788        18,885        2,014,714  

Donna F. Vieira

     51,232,669        23,383        18,304        2,014,714  

Proposal 2

The Company’s shareholders approved an advisory vote on executive compensation of our named executive officers. The voting results are set forth below:

 

Votes For

 

Votes Against

 

Votes Abstained

 

Broker Non-Vote

50,852,304

 

351,175

 

70,877

 

2,014,714


Proposal 3

The Company’s shareholders ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. The voting results are set forth below:

 

Votes For

 

Votes Against

 

Votes Abstained

 

Broker Non-Vote

53,151,647

 

119,015

 

18,408

 

—  

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit 10.1    Amendment to the Amended and Restated Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation & Severance Benefit Agreement, dated May 24, 2022, between Choice Hotels International, Inc. and Patrick S. Pacious
Exhibit 10.2    Letter Agreement, dated May 24, 2022, between Choice Hotels International, Inc. and Patrick S. Pacious
Exhibit 104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: May 27, 2022      

/s/ Simone Wu

      Simone Wu
     

Senior Vice President, General Counsel,

Corporate Secretary & External Affairs

Exhibit 10.1

Amendment to

Amended and Restated Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation & Severance Benefit

Agreement

This Amendment (“Amendment”), dated May 24, 2022, amends that certain Amended and Restated Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation & Severance Benefit Agreement (“Agreement”), dated September 12, 2017 between Choice Hotels International, Inc. (“Choice”), a Delaware corporation with principal offices at 1 Choice Hotels Circle, Rockville, Maryland 20850, and Patrick Pacious (“Employee”).

WHEREAS, Choice and Employee desire to amend the Agreement as provided herein;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises contained in this Amendment, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree to the following terms:

1. Section 2 of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“2. Term. The initial term of this Agreement shall be for a period commencing on September 12, 2017 and will remain in effect until December 31, 2027. The term of this Agreement shall be automatically extended for a five year period on December 31, 2027 and each subsequent five year anniversary thereafter, unless and until Choice or the Employee provides written notice to the other party in accordance with Section 10 hereof not less than one hundred eighty (180) days before such date that such party is electing not to extend the term of this Agreement (“Non-Renewal”). Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if on the date of a Change in Control, the remaining term of this Agreement is less than twelve (12) months, the term of the Agreement shall be automatically extended to the end of the twelve month period following such Change in Control. References herein to the term of this Agreement shall include the initial term and any additional period for which this Agreement is extended.”

2. Section 6(e) of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“(e) If at any time during the period beginning on the Termination Date until the day preceding the Employee’s 65th birthday, Employee is not eligible for coverage under another employer’s medical, dental, and/or vision plan, Choice shall (only during such period(s) that Employee is not eligible for such coverage) provide Employee a monthly cash payment equivalent to the cost of insurance coverage reasonably equivalent to Choice’s then-current medical, dental, and/or vision plan for employee-only coverage less the premium amount paid by active employees of Choice for the same (or comparable) level of coverage under Choice’s medical, dental, and/or vision plan (the “Monthly Welfare Benefit Payment”). Employee shall have discretion in the use of the Monthly Welfare Benefit Payment and the Monthly Welfare Benefit Payment shall not be treated as a benefit under Choice’s medical, dental, and/or vision plan. In addition, to the circumstances described at the beginning of Section 6, Employee shall also be eligible for the Monthly Welfare Benefit Payment if Employee voluntarily terminates his employment for any reason other than death or Disability after December 31, 2027.”

3. Except as modified herein, all terms and conditions of the Agreement remain in full force and effect.


4. This Amendment shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, without effect of its conflict of laws principles.

5. The Agreement and this Amendment constitute the entire agreement of the parties concerning their subject matters. Each may only be modified by a written instrument signed by both parties.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment on the date first set forth above, intending to be legally bound.

 

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
By:   

/s/ Patrick Cimerola

  Patrick Cimerola, Chief Human Resources Officer
Employee:

/s/ Patrick Pacious

Patrick Pacious

 

- 2 -

Exhibit 10.2

 

LOGO

May 24, 2022

Dear Pat,

This letter memorializes the agreement by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (“Choice”) to provide you with the right to use, at Choice’s expense, Choice’s then-current corporate aircraft (if any) for personal use for up to forty-five (45) flight hours per calendar year during such time that you are serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice, subject to aircraft availability, and consistent with Choice’s Aircraft Use Policy. You will be solely responsible for any taxable income recognizable by you in connection with the personal use of corporate aircraft and will not be entitled to any tax gross up payments or other reimbursement from Choice in connection therewith.

You acknowledge and agree that Choice is under no obligation to continue its ownership of a corporate aircraft and if Choice no longer owns or leases a corporate aircraft, this letter will be terminated immediately with no further obligations hereunder. You further acknowledge and agree that if this benefit is discontinued, it will not give rise to your ability to terminate your employment for “Good Reason” under any agreement between you and Choice.

Please confirm your acceptance of the foregoing by providing your signature below and returning a fully executed copy of this letter.

 

Sincerely,
/s/ Patrick Cimerola
Patrick Cimerola
Chief Human Resources Officer
Acknowledged and Agreed

/s/ Patrick Pacious

Patrick Pacious