Item 8.01 Other Events
On January 4, 2025, the Compensation Committee (“Committee”) of the Board of Directors (“Board”) of Hyzon Motors Inc. (“Company”), following consultation with the Board’s compensation and legal advisors, approved retention incentives (interchangeably, each a “Retention Incentive” or “Incentive”) for certain of the Company’s executive officers and other key employees (each, a “Participant”). In connection with the Retention Incentive, the Company entered into a Retention Incentive Agreement with certain of its key employees and executive officers, including each of John Zavoli, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer; John Waldron, Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer; and Dr. Christian Mohrdieck, Chief Technology Officer, dated as of January 1, 2025, January 3, 2025, and December 23, 2024, respectively (each, a "Retention Incentive Agreement" and collectively, the "Retention Incentive Agreements"). The Retention Incentives are designed to enable the Company to retain and motivate the Participants through the Company’s anticipated restructuring efforts following the Company’s planned special shareholder meeting, scheduled for February 13, 2025, at which the Company is seeking shareholder approval of (i) the transfer of all or substantially all of the Company's assets through an assignment for the benefit of creditors and (ii) the liquidation and dissolution of the Company as described in the Company's definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 30, 2024.
The amount of the Retention Incentive is equal to two months’ salary based on each Participant’s annual base salary, with 25% payable upon the first payroll date immediately following the effective date of the agreement, and the remaining 75% paid upon completion of the retention period. In exchange for the Retention Incentives, each Participant agreed to waive, discharge, and release the Company from certain claims that the Participant may have against the Company.
The aggregate amount of Retention Incentives paid or to be paid to certain of the Company’s executive officers is approximately $0.2 million as set forth in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Name | | Title | | Retention Incentive |
John Zavoli | | General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer | | $60,000 |
John Waldron | | Senior Vice President, Finance & Chief Accounting Officer | | $58,333 |
Dr. Christian Mohrdieck | | Chief Technology Officer | | $69,343 (€66,667) (*) |
(*) Dr. Mohrdieck is employed by the Company’s subsidiary, Hyzon Motors GmbH, and is compensated in Euros. U.S. dollar denominated Retention Incentive amount converted from Euros.
The above summary of the Retention Incentives and the Retention Incentive Agreements is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete terms and conditions as set forth in the Retention Incentive Agreements of Mr. Zavoli, Mr. Waldron, and Dr. Mohrdieck, which are attached hereto and filed herewith as Exhibit 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference into this Item 8.01.
Forward-Looking Statements.
This Current Report includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained herein that do not describe historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the expected net proceeds of the Offering, the anticipated use of proceeds of the Offering, and the timing of the closing of the Offering, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that the Company’s actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. All of these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may change at any time. Factors that could cause the Company’s actual expectations to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the Company’s ability improve its capital structure; Hyzon’s liquidity needs to operate its business and execute its strategy, and related use of cash; its ability to raise capital through equity issuances, asset sales or the incurrence of debt; the possibility that Hyzon may need to seek bankruptcy protection; Hyzon’s ability to fully execute actions and steps that would be probable of mitigating the existence of substantial doubt regarding its ability to continue as a going concern; our ability to enter into any desired strategic alternative on a timely basis, on acceptable terms; our ability to maintain the listing of our Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market; retail and credit market conditions; higher cost of capital and borrowing costs; impairments; changes in general economic conditions; and the other factors under the heading “Risk Factors” set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Such filings are available on our website or at www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent developments, events, or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.