UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. ___)
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April 25, 2023
Dear Fellow Stockholders:
Fiscal 2022 was an exciting year for Tripadvisor Group, marked by a robust recovery in the travel industry, a seamless transition in our leadership, and hard work by our teams to deliver strong financial results. While the macro environment was mixed, the traveler returned with determination to get out and experience the world, relying on our trusted advice, recommendations, and marketplaces to help make it happen. Our financial performance reflected the continued revenue recovery and a balanced approach to ongoing cost management and prudent investments in our growth opportunities, particularly around the high-growth experiences category. Total consolidated revenue in fiscal 2022 reached nearly $1.5 billion, reflecting year over year growth of 65%. GAAP net income was $20 million, adjusted EBITDA was $295 million, and free cash flow was $344 million.
On a personal note, I was excited to join Tripadvisor Group in 2022, which represents my return to the travel industry, my passion for innovation to serve the wants and needs of the traveler, and my enthusiasm and respect for the company’s history: its emphasis on trust and community, the scale it has assembled in content, reviews, and visitors to its platform, and a company culture built around a shared purpose. All of this has combined to create enduring assets that are hard to replicate, and together form the unique position the company holds, for both travelers and partners, in this large and growing travel industry.
In 2022, we began the work to establish a long-term strategy that builds on this heritage and locks into our common vision for the group as whole: to be the world’s most trusted source for travel and experiences and to connect people to experiences worth sharing through our Tripadvisor, Viator, TheFork, and other brands. We plan to support our vision by pursuing unique value creation strategies for each of our segments, balancing stages of growth, market opportunities, and competitive positioning, while reinforcing the group as a whole:
As we think about 2023 and beyond, we are excited about the opportunities we can drive for Tripadvisor Group. We believe that we are uniquely positioned with our large global audience, wealth of data, and trusted platforms to address large and growing opportunities in travel and experiences, digital advertising and emerging marketplaces, and across multiple categories.
Our talented and dedicated employees have been key to all that we do—not only in delivering a strong 2022 but also in establishing our plans for the future. We thank them for their contribution to the culture of this company, to the community we are building, and for their consistent engagement and hard work. Over 3,100 employees, in multiple locations across the globe, work tirelessly each day to drive Tripadvisor Group forward.
We also thank our shareholders, whose support along the journey has demonstrated recognition of the potential in this industry, our team, and our future opportunities. We believe that the best way to drive long-term value for the portfolio of assets is through the execution of our strategic priorities across our segments.
You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Tripadvisor, Inc. to be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. As in prior years, the annual meeting will be completely virtual. You may attend the meeting, submit questions and vote your shares electronically during the meeting via the Internet by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TRIP2023. To enter the annual meeting electronically, you will need the control number that is printed in the box marked by the arrow on your proxy card. We recommend logging in at least fifteen minutes before the meeting to ensure that you are logged in when the meeting starts. Online check-in will start shortly before the meeting on June 6, 2023.
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At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to vote on the matters described in the accompanying notice of annual meeting and proxy statement, as well as such other business that may properly come before the meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. Your vote is very important to us. Please review the instructions for each voting option described in the Notice and in this Proxy Statement. Your prompt cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
MATT GOLDBERG
President and Chief Executive Officer
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PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS – SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
400 1st Avenue
Needham, Massachusetts 02494
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held on June 6, 2023
The 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Tripadvisor, Inc., a Delaware corporation, will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Annual Meeting will be held via the Internet and will be a completely virtual meeting. You may attend the Annual Meeting, submit questions, and vote your shares electronically during the meeting via the Internet by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TRIP2023. To enter the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number that is printed in the box marked by the arrow on your proxy card. We recommend logging in at least fifteen minutes before the meeting to ensure that you are correctly logged in when the Annual Meeting begins. The online check-in will start shortly before the Annual Meeting on June 6, 2023. At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to consider the following:
Only holders of record of outstanding shares of Tripadvisor capital stock at the close of business on April 17, 2023 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof. We will furnish the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Proxy Statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 over the Internet. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to access and read the accompanying Proxy Statement. We will send to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about April 27, 2023, and provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet to our holders of record and beneficial owners of our capital stock as of the close of business on the record date. You may request paper copies by following the instructions on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
SETH J. KALVERT
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
April 25, 2023
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials
for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on June 6, 2023
This Proxy Statement and the 2022 Annual Report are available at:
http://ir.Tripadvisor.com/annual-proxy.cfm
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ANNUAL MEETING MATTERS
This Proxy Statement is being furnished to holders of common stock and Class B common stock of Tripadvisor, Inc., a Delaware corporation, in connection with the solicitation of proxies by Tripadvisor’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) for use at its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournment or postponement thereof (the “Annual Meeting”). All references to “Tripadvisor,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” in this Proxy Statement are to Tripadvisor, Inc. and its subsidiaries. An Annual Report to Stockholders, containing financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, and this Proxy Statement are being made available to all stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Tripadvisor’s principal executive offices are located at 400 1st Avenue, Needham, Massachusetts 02494. This Proxy Statement is being made available to Tripadvisor stockholders on or about April 27, 2023.
Date, Time and Place of Meeting
The Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Annual Meeting will be held via the Internet and will be a completely virtual meeting. You may attend the meeting, submit questions and vote your shares electronically during the meeting via the Internet by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TRIP2023. To enter the annual meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number that is printed in the box marked by the arrow on your proxy card. We recommend logging in at least fifteen minutes before the meeting to ensure that you are logged in when the meeting starts.
If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting during the check-in or meeting time, please call the technical support number that will be posted on the virtual meeting web portal. Technical support will be available during this time and will remain available until the Annual Meeting has ended. No recording of the Annual Meeting is allowed, including audio or video recording.
Record Date and Voting Rights
The Board established the close of business on April 17, 2023, as the record date for determining the holders of Tripadvisor common stock entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. On the record date, 129,310,431 shares of common stock and 12,799,999 shares of Class B common stock were outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Tripadvisor stockholders are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock and ten votes for each share of Class B common stock held as of the record date, voting together as a single voting group, on (i) the election of seven of the ten director nominees; (ii) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2023; (iii) the redomestication of Tripadvisor to the State of Nevada by conversion; and (iv) the Tripadvisor Inc. 2023 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan. Tripadvisor stockholders are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held as of the record date in the election of the three director nominees that the holders of Tripadvisor common stock are entitled to elect as a separate class pursuant to Tripadvisor’s restated certificate of incorporation. Stockholders have no right to cumulative voting as to any matter, including the election of directors.
On August 27, 2014, the entire beneficial ownership of our common stock and Class B common stock previously held by Liberty Interactive Corporation, which is currently known as Qurate Retail, Inc. (“Liberty”) was transferred to Liberty Tripadvisor Holdings, Inc. (“LTRIP”). Simultaneously, Liberty, LTRIP’s former parent company, distributed, by means of a dividend, to the holders of its Liberty Ventures common stock, Liberty’s entire equity interest in LTRIP. We refer to this transaction as the Liberty Spin-Off. As a result of the Liberty Spin-Off, effective August 27, 2014, LTRIP became a separate, publicly traded company and 100% of Liberty’s interest in Tripadvisor was held by LTRIP. Liberty also assigned to LTRIP its rights and obligations under the Governance Agreement between Tripadvisor and Liberty, dated December 20, 2011 (the “Governance Agreement”).
As of the record date, LTRIP beneficially owned 16,445,894 shares of our common stock and 12,799,999 shares of our Class B common stock, which shares constitute 12.7% of the outstanding shares of common stock and 100% of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock. Assuming the conversion of all of LTRIP’s shares of Class B common stock into common stock, as of the record date LTRIP would beneficially own 20.6% of the outstanding common stock. Because each share of Class B common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share, as of the record date LTRIP may be deemed to beneficially own equity securities representing 56.1% of our voting power. As a result, regardless of the vote of any other Tripadvisor stockholder, LTRIP has control over the vote relating to (i) the election of seven of the ten director nominees; (ii) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023; (iii) the approval of the redomestication of Tripadvisor to the State of Nevada by conversion; and (iv) the approval of the Tripadvisor, Inc. 2023 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan.
Quorum; Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes
Transaction of business at the Annual Meeting may occur if a quorum is present. If a quorum is not present, the Annual Meeting will be adjourned or postponed in order to permit additional time for soliciting and obtaining additional proxies or votes. At any
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subsequent reconvening of the Annual Meeting, all proxies will be voted in the same manner as such proxies would have been voted at the original convening of the Annual Meeting, except for any proxies that have been effectively revoked or withdrawn.
With respect to (i) the election of seven of the ten director nominees; (ii) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023; (iii) the approval of the redomestication of Tripadvisor to the State of Nevada by conversion; and (iv) the approval of the Tripadvisor, Inc. 2023 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan, the presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the total votes entitled to be cast constitutes a quorum. Virtual attendance at the Annual Meeting also constitutes presence in person for purposes of determining a quorum at the Annual Meeting. For the election of the three directors whom the holders of Tripadvisor common stock are entitled to elect as a separate class, the presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of shares of common stock constitutes a quorum.
If a share is represented for any purpose at the meeting, it is deemed to be present for quorum purposes and for all other matters as well. Shares of Tripadvisor capital stock represented by a properly executed proxy will be treated as present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining a quorum, without regard to whether the proxy is marked as casting a vote or abstaining.
Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining a quorum. A broker non-vote occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote the shares on a proposal because the nominee does not have discretionary voting power for a particular item and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner regarding voting. Brokers who hold shares for the accounts of their clients have discretionary authority to vote shares if specific instructions are not given with respect to the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm. Brokers do not have discretionary authority to vote on the election of our directors, so we encourage you to provide instructions to your broker regarding the voting of your shares.
Solicitation of Proxies
Tripadvisor will bear the cost of the solicitation of proxies from its stockholders. In addition to solicitation by mail, the directors, officers and employees of Tripadvisor, without additional compensation, may solicit proxies from stockholders by telephone, by letter, by facsimile, in person or otherwise. Following the original mailing of the proxies and other soliciting materials, Tripadvisor will ask brokers, trusts, banks or other nominees to forward copies of the proxy and other soliciting materials to persons for whom they hold shares of Tripadvisor capital stock and to request authority for the exercise of proxies. In such cases, Tripadvisor, upon the request of the brokers, trusts, banks and other stockholder nominees, will reimburse such holders for their reasonable expenses.
Voting of Proxies
The manner in which your shares may be voted depends on whether you are a:
Whether you hold shares directly as a registered stockholder or beneficially as a beneficial stockholder, you may direct how your shares are voted without attending the Annual Meeting. For directions on how to vote, please refer to the instructions below and those on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, proxy card or voting instruction form provided. To vote using the Internet or by telephone, you will be required to enter the control number included on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or other voting instruction form provided by your broker, trust, bank or other nominee.
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All proxies properly submitted and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions indicated thereon. If no instructions are provided, such proxies will be voted FOR proposals (1), (2), (3) and (4).
Tripadvisor is incorporated under Delaware law, which specifically permits electronically transmitted proxies, provided that each such proxy contains, or is submitted with, information from which the inspector of elections can determine that such proxy was authorized by the stockholder. The electronic voting procedures provided for the Annual Meeting are designed to authenticate each stockholder by use of a control number, to allow stockholders to vote their shares and to confirm that their instructions have been properly recorded.
Voting in Person at the Annual Meeting
Virtual attendance at the Annual Meeting constitutes presence in person for purposes of each required vote. Votes in person will replace any previous votes you have made by mail or telephone or via the Internet. Attendance at the Annual Meeting without voting or revoking a previous proxy in accordance with the voting procedures will not in and of itself revoke a proxy.
Holders of record may vote their shares electronically during the meeting via the Internet by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TRIP2023. To enter the annual meeting, holders will need the 16-digit control number that is printed in the box marked by the arrow on their proxy card. We recommend logging in at least fifteen minutes before the meeting to ensure that you are logged in when the meeting starts. Online check-in will start shortly before the meeting.
Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please take the time to vote via the Internet, by telephone or by returning your marked, signed and dated proxy card so that your shares will be represented at the Annual Meeting. |
Revocation of Proxies
Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it any time before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting.
If you are a beneficial stockholder, you may revoke your proxy or change your vote only by following the separate instructions provided by your broker, trust, bank or other nominee.
If you are a registered stockholder, you may revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised at the Annual Meeting by (i) delivering written notice, bearing a date later than the proxy, stating that the proxy is revoked, or (ii) submitting a later-dated proxy relating to the same shares by mail or telephone or via the Internet prior to the vote at the Annual Meeting. Registered holders may send any written notice or request for a new proxy card to Tripadvisor, Inc., c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717, or follow the instructions provided on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and proxy card to submit a new proxy by telephone or via the Internet. Registered holders may also request a new proxy card by calling 1-800-579-1639. Your attendance at the annual meeting will not, by itself, revoke a prior vote or proxy from you.
Other Business
The Board does not presently intend to bring any business before the Annual Meeting other than the proposals discussed in this Proxy Statement and specified in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Board has no knowledge of any other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting other than those described in this Proxy Statement. If any other matters should properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons designated in the proxy will vote on them according to their best judgment.
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PROPOSAL 1:
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Overview
Our Board currently consists of ten members. Pursuant to the terms of Tripadvisor’s bylaws, each director serves for a one-year term from the date of his or her election and until such director’s successor is elected or until such director’s earlier resignation or removal. The Board recommends that each of the ten nominees listed below be elected to serve a one-year term and until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier resignation or removal:
Gregory B. Maffei
Matt Goldberg
Jay C. Hoag
Betsy L. Morgan
M. Greg O’Hara
Jeremy Philips
Albert E. Rosenthaler
Trynka Shineman Blake
Jane Jie Sun
Robert S. Wiesenthal
Tripadvisor’s restated certificate of incorporation provides that the holders of Tripadvisor common stock, acting as a single class, are entitled to elect a number of directors equal to 25% of the total number of directors, rounded up to the next whole number, which will be three directors as of the date of the Annual Meeting. The Board has designated Ms. Shineman and Messrs. Philips and Wiesenthal as nominees for the positions on the Board to be elected by the holders of Tripadvisor common stock voting as a separate class.
Pursuant to the Governance Agreement, LTRIP has the right to nominate up to a number of directors equal to 20% of the total number of the directors (rounded up to the next whole number if the number of directors on the Board is not an even multiple of five) for election to the Board and has certain other rights regarding committee participation, so long as certain stock ownership requirements applicable to LTRIP are satisfied. LTRIP has designated Messrs. Maffei and O’Hara as its nominees to the Board.
Although management does not anticipate that any of the nominees named above will be unable or unwilling to stand for election, in the event of such an occurrence, proxies may be voted for a substitute nominee designated by the Board.
Information Regarding Director Nominees
The information provided below about each nominee is as of the date of this Proxy Statement. The information presented includes the names of each of the nominees, along with his or her age, any positions held with the Company, term of office as a director, principal occupations or employment for the past five years or more, involvement in certain legal proceedings, if applicable, and the names of all other publicly-held companies for which he or she currently serves as a director or has served as a director during the past five years. The information also includes a description of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of each nominee that led our Board to conclude that he or she should serve as a director of the Company for the ensuing term.
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The ten nominees to the Board possess the experience and qualifications that we believe will allow them to make substantial contributions to the Board. In selecting nominees to the Board, we seek to ensure that the Board collectively has a balance of diversity, experience, and expertise, including chief executive officer experience, chief financial officer experience, international expertise, corporate governance experience and experience in other functional areas that are relevant to our business. The following contains a more detailed discussion of the business experience and qualifications of each of the nominees to the Board.
Gregory B. Maffei
Age: 62 Director Since: 2013
Committee Memberships: • Compensation • Executive |
Mr. Maffei has served as a director as well as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Media Corporation (“LMC”) (including its predecessor) since May 2007, LTRIP since July 2013, Liberty Broadband Corporation (“LBC”) since June 2014 and GCI Liberty, Inc. since March 2018. He has served as Chairman of the board of directors of Qurate Retail, Inc. (“Qurate”) since March 2018 and as a director of Qurate (including its predecessor) since November 2005. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Qurate from February 2006 to March 2018 and CEO-Elect from November 2005 through February 2006. Prior to joining Qurate, Mr. Maffei served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Oracle Corporation, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of 360 networks Corporation and Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft Corporation. Mr. Maffei currently serves on the board of directors of the following public companies: Sirius XM Holdings Inc., Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., Charter Communications, Inc., and Zillow Group, Inc. Mr. Maffei is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Maffei previously served on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College, the board of directors of Starz, Electronic Arts, Inc., Barnes & Noble, Inc., Citrix Systems, Inc., DirecTV, Starbucks Corp., and Dorling Kindersley Limited. Mr. Maffei holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, and an A.B. from Dartmouth College.
Board Membership Qualifications: Mr. Maffei brings to our Board significant financial and operational experience based on his senior policy-making positions at LMC, Qurate, LBC and LTRIP, his previous executive positions at Oracle, 360networks and Microsoft and his other public company board experience. He provides our Board with an executive and leadership perspective on the operation and management of large public companies and risk management principles. |
Matt Goldberg
Age: 52 Director Since: 2022
Committee Memberships: • Executive |
Mr. Goldberg has served as President and CEO of Tripadvisor, Inc. since July 2022. From February 2020 through June 2022, Mr. Goldberg held positions of increasing responsibility at The Trade Desk, a global technology company, including Executive Vice President, North America and Global Operations, as well as founding director of Dataphilanthropy a private foundation. Mr. Goldberg served as Global Head of M&A and Strategic Alliances for News Corp from December 2016 through December 2019. Mr. Goldberg served as Senior Vice President, Global Market Development and Head of Corporate Development for Qurate, formerly known as QVC from October 2013 through November 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Goldberg was CEO of Lonely Planet, a travel guide publisher for nearly five years. Mr. Goldberg currently serves on the board of directors of Blue Ocean Acquisition Corp., and is active in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership, including The Burning Man Project and Lumina Foundation. Mr. Goldberg holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University, an M.A. in International Studies from The University of Melbourne, and a B.A. in English from Cornell University.
Board Membership Qualifications: Mr. Goldberg has extensive knowledge and significant experience in the online advertising sector of the global travel industry. Mr. Goldberg also possesses strategic and governance skills gained through his executive and director roles with several other companies.. |
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Jay C. Hoag
Age: 64 Director Since: 2018
Committee Memberships: Compensation Section 16 |
Mr. Hoag co-founded Technology Crossover Ventures, a private equity and venture capital firm, in 1995 and continues to serve as a founding General Partner. In addition to the board of directors of the Company, Mr. Hoag currently serves on the boards of directors of the following public companies: Netflix, Inc., Peloton Interactive, Inc. and Zillow Group, Inc. Mr. Hoag previously served on a number of other boards of directors of public and private companies. Mr. Hoag is also on the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University and Vanderbilt University, and the Investment Advisory Board of the University of Michigan. Mr. Hoag holds an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Northwestern University.
Board Membership Qualifications: As a venture capital investor, Mr. Hoag brings strategic insights and extensive financial experience to the Company’s Board. He has evaluated, invested in and served as a board and committee member of numerous companies, both public and private, and is familiar with a full range of corporate and board functions. His many years of experience helping companies shape and implement strategy provide the Company’s Board with unique perspectives on matters such as risk management, corporate governance, talent selection and leadership development. |
Betsy L. Morgan
Age: 54 Director Since: 2019
Committee Memberships: • Compensation—Chair • Section 16—Chair |
Ms. Morgan is currently the co-founder of Magnet Companies, a private equity-backed company focused on media and commerce, and an associate professor at Columbia Business School and Columbia College. From February 2016 to July 2018, Ms. Morgan served as an Executive in Residence of LionTree, an advisory and merchant bank firm specializing in technology and media. From January 2011 to July 2015, Ms. Morgan was the CEO of TheBlaze, an early multi-platform and direct-to-consumer news and entertainment company. Prior to TheBlaze, Ms. Morgan was the CEO of The Huffington Post. Ms. Morgan currently serves on the board of directors of the following privately-held companies: Trusted Media Brands, Chartbeat and TheSkimm. Ms. Morgan has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Colby College, where she served as a member of the Board of Trustees for eight years. She is also a contributor to Riptide, an oral history of journalism and digital innovation created by Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.
Board Membership Qualifications: Ms. Morgan has extensive experience leading digital media, subscription and original content businesses. This experience benefits Tripadvisor and its stockholders as we continue to execute on our strategy. Her financial background, investment knowledge and board experience also make her valuable to the Board, able to provide valuable insight and advice. |
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M. Greg O’Hara
Age: 57 Director Since: 2020
Committee Memberships: • None |
Mr. O’Hara is the Founder and a Senior Managing Director of Certares Management LLC (“Certares”). Prior to forming Certares, he served as Chief Investment Officer of JPMorgan Chase’s Special Investments Group (“JPM SIG”). Prior to JPM SIG, Mr. O’Hara was a Managing Director of One Equity Partners (“OEP”), the private equity arm of JPMorgan. Before joining OEP in 2005, he served as Executive Vice President of Worldspan and was a member of its board of directors. Mr. O’Hara is the Chairman of American Express Global Business Travel and serves on the World Travel & Tourism Council Governance Committee in addition to the boards of directors of Singer Vehicle Design, TripAdvisor, World Travel & Tourism Council, Certares Holdings, where he is the Head of the Investment Committee and is a member of the Management Committee of Certares, CK Opportunities Fund, where he is a member of the Investment Committee and the Management Committee, and Certares Real Estate Holdings, where he is a member of the Investment Committee and the Management Committee. Mr. O’Hara received his M.B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University.
Board Membership Qualifications: Mr. O’Hara’s extensive background in investment analysis and management and his particular expertise in the travel industry contribute to our Board’s evaluation of investment and financial opportunities and strategies and strengthen our Board’s collective qualifications, skills and attributes. |
Jeremy Philips
Age: 50 Director Since: 2011
Committee Memberships: • Audit |
Mr. Philips has been a general partner of Spark Capital since May 2014. From 2012 to 2014, Mr. Philips invested in private technology companies. From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Philips served as the Chief Executive Officer of Photon Group Limited, a holding company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. From 2004 to 2010, Mr. Philips held various roles of increasing responsibility with News Corporation, most recently as an Executive Vice President in the Office of the Chairman. Before joining News Corporation, he served in several roles, including co-founder and Vice-Chairman of ecorp, a publicly-traded Internet holding company, and as an analyst at McKinsey & Company. Mr. Philips is on the board of directors of Angi Inc. and several private Internet companies. He served on the board of directors of Affirm Holdings from 2015 to 2021. He holds a B.A. and LL.B. from the University of New South Wales and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Board Membership Qualifications: Mr. Philips has significant strategic and operational experience acquired through his service as chief executive officer and other executive-level positions. He also possesses a high level of financial literacy and expertise regarding mergers, acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions as well as an extensive background in the Internet industry. |
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Albert E. Rosenthaler
Age: 63 Director Since: 2016
Committee Memberships: • None
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Mr. Rosenthaler has served as Chief Corporate Development Officer of LMC, Qurate, LTRIP, and LBC since October 2016. He previously served as Chief Corporate Development Officer of GCI Liberty, Inc. from March 2018 to December 2020 and Liberty Expedia from October 2016 to July 2019, and Liberty Media Acquisition Corporation from November 2020 to December 2022. Mr. Rosenthaler has served as a director of LTRIP since August 2014. He is a graduate of Olivet College (B.A.) and University of Illinois (M.A.S.).
Board Membership Qualifications: Mr. Rosenthaler has significant executive and financial experience gained through his service as an executive officer of Qurate and LMC for many years and as a partner of a major national accounting firm for more than five years prior to joining Qurate and Liberty. Mr. Rosenthaler brings a unique perspective to our Board, focused in particular on the areas of tax management, mergers and acquisitions and financial structuring. Mr. Rosenthaler’s perspective and expertise assist the Board in developing strategies that take into consideration the application of tax laws and capital allocation. |
Trynka Shineman Blake
Age: 49 Director Since: 2019
Committee Memberships: • Audit |
Ms. Shineman serves on the board of directors of SEMRush, an online visibility and content marketing SaaS business that helps marketers do their job more effectively and serves as chair of its Nominations and Governance Committee. From March 2004 through February 2019, Ms. Shineman held positions of increasing responsibility with Cimpress N.V., and most recently was the Chief Executive Officer of its Vistaprint business. Ms. Shineman has an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University. Board Membership Qualifications: Ms. Shineman has many years of experience with customer-focused businesses and with digital transformations. She has extensive experience helping companies develop a deep understanding of customer needs and shaping the organization around those needs. She is able to provide the Board and management with important insight and counsel as Tripadvisor improves its platform to provide its users a better and more inspired travel planning experience.
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Jane Jie Sun
Age: 54 Director Since: 2020
Committee Memberships: • None |
Jane Jie Sun (
Board Membership Qualifications: Ms. Sun has significant financial and business experience operating and managing online travel businesses as well as mergers and acquisitions and financial reporting. She provides our board with leadership perspective on the operation and management of large companies operating in the travel space. As a female CEO in China’s high-tech industry, Ms. Sun has made it her mission to empower women to achieve balance and success in both their career and family lives and is a strong advocate for gender equality. |
Robert S. Wiesenthal
Age: 56 Director Since: 2011
Committee Memberships: • Audit–Chair |
Since July 2015, Mr. Wiesenthal has served as founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blade Air Mobility, Inc., a technology-powered, global air mobility platform committed to reducing travel friction by providing cost-effective air transportation alternatives to some of the most congested ground routes in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and India. Blade is largest arranger of helicopter flights in and out of city centers in the U.S. From January 2013 to July 2015, Mr. Wiesenthal served as Chief Operating Officer of Warner Music Group Corp., a leading global music conglomerate. From 2000 to 2012, Mr. Wiesenthal served in various senior executive capacities with Sony Corporation ("Sony"), most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Sony, from 1988 to 2000, Mr. Wiesenthal served in various capacities with Credit Suisse First Boston, most recently as Managing Director, Head of Digital Media and Entertainment. Mr. Wiesenthal previously served on the board of directors of Starz. Mr. Wiesenthal has a B.A. from the University of Rochester.
Board Membership Qualifications: Mr. Wiesenthal possesses extensive strategic, operational and financial experience, gained through his wide range of service in executive-level positions with a strong focus on networked consumer electronics, entertainment, and digital media. He also has a high degree of financial literacy and expertise regarding mergers, acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions. |
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All of our nominees also have extensive management experience in complex organizations. In addition to the information presented regarding each nominee’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led the Board to the conclusion that he or she should be nominated as a director, each nominee has proven business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as a commitment to Tripadvisor and its Board as demonstrated by each nominee’s past service. The Board considered the Nasdaq requirement that Tripadvisor’s Audit Committee be composed of at least three independent directors, as well as specific Nasdaq and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) requirements regarding financial literacy and expertise.
Required Vote
Election of Mmes. Morgan and Sun and Messrs. Maffei, Hoag, Goldberg, O’Hara and Rosenthaler as directors requires the affirmative vote of a plurality of the total number of votes cast by the holders of shares of Tripadvisor common stock and Class B common stock, present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a single class. Election of Ms. Shineman and Messrs. Philips and Wiesenthal as directors requires the affirmative vote of a plurality of the total number of votes cast by the holders of shares of Tripadvisor common stock, present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a separate class.
We ask our stockholders to vote in favor of each of the director nominees. Valid proxies received pursuant to this solicitation will be voted in the manner specified. With respect to the election of directors, you may vote “FOR” or “WITHHOLD”. Where no specification is made, it is intended that the proxies received from stockholders will be voted "FOR" the election of the director nominees identified. Votes withheld and broker non-votes will have no effect because approval by a certain percentage of voting stock present or outstanding is not required.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF EACH OF THE NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR NAMED ABOVE. |
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate Governance Highlights
We are a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules (the “Nasdaq Rules”). As such, we are exempt from certain requirements for public companies under the Nasdaq Rules; however, the Company’s Board endeavors to conduct itself and to manage the Company in a way that best serves all of the Company’s stockholders. We strive to maintain the highest governance standards in our business and our commitment to effective corporate governance is illustrated by the following practices:
In addition, please note the summary information below regarding our Board:
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Board Diversity Matrix
In compliance with Nasdaq Rules, the table below provide certain information about the composition of our directors and director nominees as of April 1, 2022 and April 1, 2023. Each of the categories listed in the below table has the meaning as it is used in Nasdaq Rule 5605(f).
Board Size: |
||||||||
Total Number of Directors |
10 |
|||||||
Gender: |
|
Male |
|
Female |
|
Non-Binary |
|
Gender |
Number of directors based on gender identity |
|
7 |
|
3 |
|
— |
|
— |
Number of directors who identify in any of the categories below: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
African American or Black |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Alaskan Native or American Indian |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Asian |
|
— |
|
1 |
|
— |
|
— |
Hispanic or Latinx |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
White |
|
7 |
|
2 |
|
— |
|
— |
Two or More Races or Ethnicities |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
LGBTQ+ |
— |
|||||||
Demographic Background Undisclosed |
0 |
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Board of Directors
Director Qualifications, Skills and Experiences
The Board believes that a complementary mix of diverse qualifications, skills, attributes and experiences will best serve our Company and our stockholders. Our Board, like the Company, is committed to a policy of inclusiveness and diversity. As a result, our Board is comprised of a diverse group of individuals whose previous experience, financial and business acumen, personal ethics and dedication to our Company benefit the Company and our stockholders. The specific experience and qualifications of each of our Board members are set forth above. Below is a summary of some of the qualifications, experience, and attributes of our director nominees:
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Director Diversity
In case of a Board vacancy or if the Board elects to increase its size, determinations regarding the eligibility of director candidates are made by the entire Board, which considers the candidate’s qualifications as to skills and experience in the context of the needs of the Board and our stockholders. When seeking new Board candidates, the Board is committed to including members of historically underrepresented groups (including individuals with a disability, individuals who identify as women and/or LGBTQ+ and members of historically underrepresented ethnic and racial groups) in the pool of candidates from which the Board nominees are chosen. Currently and as proposed, the Board of Directors consists of three women, including one woman who is a member of a historically underrepresented group.
Director Independence
Under the Nasdaq Rules, the Board has a responsibility to make an affirmative determination that those members of the Board who serve as independent directors do not have any relationships that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In connection with these independence determinations, the Board reviews information regarding transactions, relationships and arrangements relevant to independence, including those required by the Nasdaq Rules. This information is obtained from director responses to questionnaires circulated by management, as well as our records and publicly available information. Following this determination, management monitors those transactions, relationships and arrangements that were relevant to such determination, as well as solicits updated information potentially relevant to independence from internal personnel and directors, to determine whether there have been any developments that could potentially have an adverse impact on the Board’s prior independence determination.
Based on the information provided by each director concerning his or her background, employment and affiliations and upon review of this information, our Board previously determined that each of Mmes. Morgan, Shineman and Sun and Messrs. Hoag, Philips, O’Hara and Wiesenthal does not have a relationship that should interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors is an “independent director” as defined under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq. In making its independence determinations, the Board considered the applicable legal standards and any relevant transactions, relationships or arrangements. In addition to the satisfaction of the director independence requirements set forth in the Nasdaq Rules, members of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committees also satisfied separate independence requirements under the current standards imposed by the SEC and the Nasdaq Rules for audit committee members and by the SEC, Nasdaq Rules and the Internal Revenue Service for compensation committee members. At the first meeting of the Board following the Annual Meeting, the Board intends to conduct a review of director independence and to designate the members of the Board to serve on each of the committees and the Chair of each of the committees for the directors’ term.
Controlled Company Status
As of the record date, LTRIP beneficially owned 16,445,894 shares of our common stock and 12,799,999 shares of our Class B common stock, which shares constitute 12.7% of the outstanding shares of common stock and 100% of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock, respectively. Assuming the conversion of all of LTRIP’s shares of Class B common stock into common stock, LTRIP would beneficially own 20.6% of the outstanding common stock. Because each share of Class B common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share, LTRIP may be deemed to beneficially own equity securities representing 56.1% of our voting power. LTRIP has filed a Statement of Beneficial Ownership on Schedule 13D with respect to its Tripadvisor holdings and related voting arrangements with the SEC.
The Nasdaq Rules exempt “controlled companies,” or companies of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company, such as Tripadvisor, from certain governance requirements under the Nasdaq Rules. On this basis, Tripadvisor is relying on the exemption for controlled companies from certain requirements under the Nasdaq Rules, including, among others, the requirement that the Compensation Committees be composed solely of independent directors and certain requirements relating to the nomination of directors.
Board Leadership Structure
Mr. Maffei serves as the Chairman of the Board, and Mr. Goldberg serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tripadvisor. The roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board are currently separated in recognition of the differences between the two roles. This leadership structure provides us with the benefit of Mr. Maffei’s oversight of Tripadvisor’s strategic goals and vision, coupled with the benefit of a full-time Chief Executive Officer dedicated to focusing on the day-to-day management and continued growth of Tripadvisor and its operating businesses. We believe that it is in the best interests of our stockholders for the Board to make a determination regarding the separation or combination of these roles each time it elects a new Chairman or Chief Executive Officer based on the relevant facts and circumstances applicable at such time.
Independent members of the Board chair our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Section 16 Committee.
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Meeting Attendance
The Board met four times in 2022. During such period, each member of the Board attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and the Board committees on which they served. The independent directors meet in regularly scheduled sessions, typically before or after each Board meeting, without the presence of management. We do not have a lead independent director or any other formally appointed leader for these sessions. Directors are encouraged but not required to attend annual meetings of stockholders. All of the incumbent directors who were directors at the time have historically attended the annual meetings of stockholders.
Committees of the Board of Directors
The Board has the following standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Section 16 Committee and the Executive Committee. The Audit, Compensation and Section 16 Committees operate under written charters adopted by the Board. These charters are available in the “Corporate Governance” section of the Investor Relations page of Tripadvisor’s corporate website at ir.tripadvisor.com. At each regularly scheduled Board meeting, the Chairperson of each committee provides the full Board with an update of all significant matters discussed, reviewed, considered and/or approved by the relevant committee since the last regularly scheduled Board meeting. The membership of our Audit, Compensation and Section 16 Committees ensures that directors with no direct ties to Company management are charged with oversight for all financial reporting and executive compensation related decisions made by Company management.
The following table sets forth the current members of the Board and the members of each committee of the Board. At the first meeting of the Board following the Annual Meeting, the Board intends to conduct a review of director independence and to designate the members of the Board to serve on each of the committees and the Chair of each of the committees for the directors’ term.
|
|
Audit |
|
Compensation |
|
Section 16 |
|
Executive |
Gregory B. Maffei |
|
— |
|
X |
|
— |
|
X |
Matt Goldberg |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
X |
Jay C. Hoag |
|
— |
|
X |
|
X |
|
— |
Betsy L. Morgan |
|
— |
|
Chair |
|
Chair |
|
— |
M. Greg O’Hara |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Jeremy Philips |
|
X |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Albert E. Rosenthaler |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Trynka Shineman Blake |
|
X |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Jane Jie Sun |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Robert S. Wiesenthal |
|
Chair |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
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|
|
|
|
Audit Committee |
|
Members:
Robert S. Wiesenthal (Chair) Trynka Shineman Blake Jeremy Philips |
The Audit Committee of the Board currently consists of three directors: Ms. Shineman and Messrs. Philips and Wiesenthal. Mr. Wiesenthal is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. Each Audit Committee member satisfies the independence requirements under the current standards imposed by the rules of the SEC and Nasdaq. The Board has determined that each of Ms. Shineman and Messrs. Philips and Wiesenthal is an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in the regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
The Audit Committee is appointed by the Board to assist the Board with a variety of matters discussed in detail in the Audit Committee charter, including reviewing and discussing with management standards and/or metrics as recommended by regulators and The Nasdaq Stock Market, and monitoring:
• the integrity of our accounting, financial reporting and public disclosures process; • our relationship with our independent registered public accounting firm, including qualifications, performance and independence; • the performance of our internal audit department; • our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the Company’s compliance policies and programs; and • the extent to which various issues (including but not limited to ESG, cyber security risk, etc.) will impact the Company’s financial performance and the Company’s ability to create long-term value.
The Audit Committee met seven times in 2022. The formal report of the Audit Committee with respect to the year ended December 31, 2022, is set forth in the section below titled “Audit Committee Report.” A copy of the Audit Committee Charter is available on our website at https://ir.tripadvisor.com/corporate-governance. |
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation Committee |
|
|
Members:
Betsy L. Morgan (Chair) Jay C. Hoag Gregory B. Maffei |
The Compensation Committee currently consists of three directors: Messrs. Hoag and Maffei and Ms. Morgan, with Ms. Morgan serving as the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. Each member of the Compensation Committee is an “outside director” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Because we are a "controlled company" within the meaning of the Nasdaq Rules, our Compensation Committee is not required to be composed entirely of independent directors. With the exception of Mr. Maffei, each member is an “independent director” as defined by the Nasdaq Rules. No member of the Compensation Committee is an employee of Tripadvisor.
The Compensation Committee is responsible for:
• designing and overseeing compensation with respect to our executive officers, including salary matters, bonus plans and stock compensation plans; • administrating our stock plans, including approving grants of equity awards but excluding matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (which are handled by the Section 16 Committee described below); • periodically reviewing and approving compensation of the members of our Board; and • overseeing the Company’s strategy and policies, programs, initiatives and actions related to human capital management within the Company’s workforce, that include talent recruitment, development and retention, promoting diversity, inclusion, Company culture and employee engagement.
The Compensation Committee met five times in 2022 and acted by written consent two times. A description of our policies and practices for the consideration and determination of executive compensation is included in the section below titled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” A copy of the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee Charter is available on our website at https://ir.tripadvisor.com/corporate-governance. |
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|
|
|
|
|
Section 16 Committee |
|
|
Members:
Betsy L. Morgan (Chair) Jay C. Hoag |
The Section 16 Committee currently consists of two directors: Mr. Hoag and Ms. Morgan, with Ms. Morgan serving as the Chairperson of the Section 16 Committee. Each member is an “independent director” as defined by the Nasdaq Rules and satisfies the definition of “non-employee director” for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
The Section 16 Committee met five times in 2022 and acted by written consent four times. The Section 16 Committee is authorized to exercise all powers of the Board with respect to matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, including approving grants of equity awards to Tripadvisor’s executive officers. A copy of the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee Charter is available on our website at https://ir.tripadvisor.com/corporate-governance.
In this Proxy Statement, we refer to the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee collectively as the “Compensation Committees.” |
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Committee |
|
|
Members:
Matt Goldberg Gregory B. Maffei |
The Executive Committee currently consists of two directors: Messrs. Goldberg and Maffei. The Executive Committee has the powers and authority of the Board, except for those matters that are specifically reserved to the Board under Delaware law or our organizational documents. The Executive Committee primarily serves as a means to address issues that may arise and require Board approval between regularly scheduled Board meetings. The following are some examples of matters that could be handled by the Executive Committee:
• oversight and implementation of matters approved by the Board (including any share repurchase program); • administrative matters with respect to benefit plans, transfer agent matters, banking authority, formation of subsidiaries and other administrative items involving subsidiaries and determinations or findings under Tripadvisor’s financing arrangements; • in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency as a result of which a quorum of the Board cannot readily be convened for action, directing the management of the business and affairs of Tripadvisor during such emergency or natural disaster; • in connection with the maintenance of a robust governance structure, Board evaluations to identify any areas of risk and/or improvement; and • general oversight over the Company’s environmental, social and governance program.
The Executive Committee met informally throughout 2022. |
Risk Oversight
Assessing and managing the day-to-day risk of our business is the responsibility of Tripadvisor’s management. Our Board as a whole is responsible for oversight of our overall risk landscape and risk management efforts. Our Board is involved in risk oversight through direct decision-making authority with respect to significant matters and the oversight of management by the Board and its committees. The President and Chief Executive Officer; the Chief Financial Officer; the Chief Legal Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer attend Board meetings and discuss operational risks with the Board, including risks associated with the geographies in which we operate or are considering operating. Management also provides reports and presentations on strategic risks to the Board. Among other areas, the Board is involved, directly or through its committees, in overseeing risks related to our corporate strategy, business continuity, data privacy and cybersecurity and other technology risks, crisis preparedness, and competitive and reputational risks.
The Board has delegated primary responsibility for oversight over certain risks to the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committees. The committees of the Board execute their oversight responsibility for risk management as follows:
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Ultimately, management is responsible for the day-to-day risk management process, including identification of key risks and implementation of policies and procedures to manage, mitigate and monitor risks. In fulfilling these duties, management conducts annually an enterprise and internal audit risk assessment and uses the results of these assessments in its risk management efforts. In addition, management has designated a Chief Compliance Officer and formed a Compliance Committee in connection with the implementation, management and oversight of a corporate compliance program to promote operational excellence throughout the entire organization in adherence with all legal and regulatory requirements and with the highest ethical standards.
Director Nominations
Given the ownership structure of Tripadvisor and our status as a “controlled company,” the Board does not have a nominating committee or other committee performing similar functions or any formal policy on director nominations. The Board does not have specific requirements for eligibility to serve as a director of Tripadvisor; however, the Board does consider, among other things, diversity when considering nominees to serve on our Board. We broadly construe diversity to mean diversity of opinions, perspectives, and personal and professional experiences and backgrounds, such as gender, race and ethnicity, as well as other differentiating characteristics. In evaluating candidates, regardless of how recommended, the Board considers a number of factors, including whether the professional and personal ethics and values of the candidate are consistent with those of Tripadvisor; whether the candidate’s experience and expertise would be beneficial to the Board in rendering service to Tripadvisor, including in providing a mix of Board members that represent diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and opinions; whether the candidate is willing and able to devote the necessary time and energy to the work of the Board; and whether the candidate is prepared and qualified to represent the best interests of Tripadvisor’s stockholders.
Pursuant to a Governance Agreement, LTRIP has the right to nominate a number of directors equal to 20% of the total number of the directors on the Board (rounded up to the next whole number if the number of directors on the Board is not an even multiple of five) for election to the Board so long as certain stock ownership requirements are satisfied. LTRIP has nominated Messrs. Maffei and O’Hara as nominees for 2023. The other nominees to the Board were recommended by the Chairman and then were considered and recommended by the entire Board.
The Board does not have a formal policy regarding the consideration of director candidates recommended by stockholders, as historically Tripadvisor has not received such recommendations. However, the Board would consider such recommendations if made in the future. Stockholders who wish to make such a recommendation should send the recommendation to Tripadvisor, Inc., 400 1st Avenue, Needham, Massachusetts 02494, Attention: Secretary. The envelope must contain a clear notation that the enclosed letter is a “Director Nominee Recommendation.” The letter must identify the author as a stockholder, provide a brief summary of the candidate’s qualifications and history and be accompanied by evidence of the sender’s stock ownership, as well as consent by the candidate to serve as a director if elected. Any director candidate recommendations will be reviewed by the Secretary and, if deemed appropriate, forwarded to the Chairman for further review. If the Chairman believes that the candidate fits the profile of a director nominee as described above, the recommendation will be shared with the entire Board.
22
Environmental, Social and Governance
We believe there’s good out there and when we travel we are reminded that the world is a friendly place, that people are generous, and that we share more in common with our fellow travelers than not. We strive to use our platform to not only help people around the world plan, book and experience their perfect trip but also to be an ally for social good, including on environmental, social and governance issues. At Tripadvisor, we consider environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, in how we support our team, how we give back to the community, and how we can reduce our environmental impacts. Below are the three areas in which we engage in the most critical initiatives.
People Practices
We believe a critical driver of our company’s success is our people. The Company’s management oversees various initiatives for talent acquisition, retention, and development and provides regular reports to the Board. We are committed to identifying and developing talent to help our employees accelerate their growth and achieve their career goals. Our overall talent acquisition and retention strategy is designed to attract and retain diverse and qualified employees who will help us achieve our performance goals and ensure the success of the Company.
We recruit the best people for the job without regard to gender, ethnicity or other protected characteristics. As part of our diversity recruiting strategy, a recruiting scorecard was instituted to keep us accountable for our recruiting goals. We support and develop our employees through global training and development programs that build and strengthen employees’ leadership and professional skills. Leadership development includes programs for new leaders as well as programs designed to support more experienced leaders. We also partner with external training organizations to help provide our employees with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Our equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED+I) approach supports our philosophy of championing the diverse identities, abilities, experiences, and voices of our employees, travelers, candidates, business partners, and industry peers. Our goals include hiring, retaining, and advancing a workforce of diverse cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives. We have several initiatives and programs in place that help effectuate our goals.
We advance inclusion in our workplace by offering a variety of learning experiences focused on increasing awareness, reducing bias, upskilling managers, and fostering a work culture of belonging. These learning experiences are available to all levels of the
23
organization, from senior leadership to individual contributors. We work with many reputable partners to deliver on our learning experiences.
To support our workforce, we have a variety of global, employee-led, and driven Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs. These groups provide a space for employees to come together around shared identities and experiences. ERGs play an important role in supporting our ED+I strategy by shaping our organizational culture, offering learning and development experiences, promoting community, and encouraging allyship. Beyond their internal impact, ERGs also bring unique perspectives and insights that inform our markets, products, content, and employee experience.
From an accountability standpoint, we ask all managers to consider ED+I in the year-end performance review process and have considered ED+I as we have developed the Company's strategies. We also know the importance of having a firm understanding of the makeup of our workforce. Over the past two years, we have successfully launched two employee self-identification campaigns gathering self-reported intersectional data to inform our ED+I strategy. This year we launched our inaugural ED+I survey to employees to gather data that provided us with important insights into employee sentiment around leadership accountability, belonging, and equitable employee practices.
To better align with industry peers and build our ED+I network, we participate in many benchmarks, partnerships, and sponsorships, including Tripadvisor participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ inclusion (scoring 100% over the past five years), partnership with Disability:In, and sponsorship of the ADCOLOR and Afrotech conferences.
Corporate Responsibility
Our global corporate responsibility program is currently focused on supporting responsible business practices in our operations as well as strengthening our community impact through philanthropy and civic engagement. We believe in mobilizing our people, expertise, resources and community to tackle some of society’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. We recognize that by putting our purpose into action, we can have a positive impact on the communities we serve and help promote a world of understanding, empathy and care. For our users, we deliver innovative products and services to give them the confidence and freedom to create memorable experiences that will improve their own lives and the lives of those around them. For our employees, we emphasize a working environment where sustainability matters, and a company culture that embraces diverse talents and unique perspectives, where colleagues feel valued as both individuals and members of the team. For stockholders, we are focused on increasing the fundamental value of the Company and driving long-term stockholder value. For communities where we live and work, we are dedicated to improving individual well-being and strengthening families and communities.
In 2009, the Company established as a separate corporate entity and private foundation, The Tripadvisor Foundation (the "Foundation"), to demonstrate its commitment to the communities in which we operate. The Foundation has evolved since its creation and its focus is currently on harnessing connection and information to inspire civic engagement as well as supporting resilience in areas affected by crisis and displacement. Through its signature commitment to addressing the global displacement crisis, the Foundation has donated over $14 million to organizations supporting individuals and families fleeing crisis, primarily through its core NGO partners, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps and World Central Kitchen. This is inclusive of $4 million in 2021 to support thousands of Afghan newcomers and help rebuild resettlement efforts in the U.S. and globally. In early 2022, we partnered with World Central Kitchen to support and raise funds for their operations in response to the war in Ukraine and their other emergency food responses around the world. As of March 20, 2023, this initiative with World Central Kitchen had raised nearly $9 million, including $1.25 million in matching donations from the Foundation. Since 2010, the Foundation has invested more than $44 million in communities around the world.
Internally, our TripGives program aims to inspire and enable our employees to be active global citizens by supporting the causes they care about in communities around the world. Through our Give, Serve, Learn model, we unite employees around pressing local and global issues and encourage them to lead community projects where they live and work. Starting in 2021, Tripadvisor committed to dedicating funding and resources for our ERGs to launch community impact projects with nonprofits that serve and support these groups.
24
The Company is committed to respecting human rights. As a global leader in the travel industry, we believe we have an opportunity to use our platform to effect positive change in people’s lives, including the advancement of human rights through our business activities. In this regard, in 2021, Tripadvisor adopted a Global Human Rights Policy (the "GHR Policy") setting forth our commitment to establishing and maintaining best practices in respecting fundamental human rights and the ability to contribute to positive human rights impacts. The GHR Policy, and the commitments contained therein, formalize our long-standing commitment to uphold and respect human rights for all people. This GHR Policy consolidates our existing commitments and brings increased clarity on processes and procedures to assess and mitigate human rights risks, to avoid directly infringing on human rights and to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are or potentially may be linked to our business.
The COVID-19 global pandemic had a devastating impact on the travel and tourism sector. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched multiple initiatives to support our hospitality partners including, but not limited to, a COVID-19 webinar series providing insights and content from industry experts, our Travel Safe initiative allowing hotel properties to share their safety measures in response to the pandemic as well as on our platforms providing travelers with up to date travel information on global destinations. This response also included Foundation donations to World Central Kitchen and Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation and matching donations to support COVID-19 relief efforts, among many other efforts.
Environmental Impact
We recognize that climate change and adverse impacts on the natural world are among the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. Environmental sustainability and how we manage our environmental impacts have implications for the geographies and markets in which we operate, our employees, our business partners, our customers, our investors and other stakeholders. We believe that we all have a responsibility to preserve and protect our planet and communities for generations to come.
Internally, over the last few years, we have invested in energy reduction and waste management strategies across the globe. From an energy emission perspective, we have performed LED upgrades in our global headquarters in the U.S. as well as in our London office. We have also reviewed and matched the central HVAC operations of our spaces to our actual occupancy schedule to minimize the amount of wasted run time on the central plants. In our global headquarters, we have installed a cold aisle containment system to reduce the energy consumption related to cooling our internal data center. Prior to the pandemic, we eliminated single-use items like utensils, bowls, plates, etc., and replaced them with reusable options. We switched from a single-serving style program to a bulk snacking and drinking program which reduced the number of single-serving wrappers and bottles going into the waste stream. During the pandemic, we switched to compostable cups, bowls and silverware for health and safety reasons and are currently beginning to phase them out as our office operations resume. In addition, in our global headquarters we installed an anaerobic digester which continues to divert food waste from the waste stream and landfills and generates thousands of gallons of clean water that is pumped into the sewer system. We have a 460kW fuel cell that we anticipate will generate approximately 60% of our electrical consumption and 25% of our electrical demand annually. We anticipate that the fuel cell will also generate enough heat to offset our base building boiler usage by approximately 80%.
Externally, Tripadvisor is a founding member of the Travalyst coalition, a non-profit organization working to identify–and help bring about–the systemic changes needed in order for sustainable travel to be taken out of the niche and into the mainstream. We believe that tourism can, and must, play a key role in achieving a sustainable future for our world. We are committed to being a driving force that redefines what it means to travel, helping everyone explore our world in a way that protects both people and places, and secures a positive future for destinations and local communities for generations to come. In 2022, after an initial 3-year pilot investment, we committed in 2022 to continue in this coalition and collaborate with other Travalyst members to unify its framework for sustainability in our sector.
Communications with the Board
Stockholders who wish to communicate with the Board or a particular director may send such communication to Tripadvisor, Inc., 400 1st Avenue, Needham, Massachusetts 02494, Attention: Secretary. The mailing envelope must contain a clear notation indicating that the enclosed letter is a “Stockholder-Board Communication” or “Stockholder-Director Communication.” All such letters must identify the author as a stockholder, provide evidence of the sender’s stock ownership and clearly state whether the intended recipients are all members of the Board or certain specified directors. The Secretary will then review such correspondence and forward it to the Board, or to the specified director(s), if deemed appropriate. Communications that are primarily commercial in nature, that are not relevant to stockholders or other interested constituents, or that relate to improper or irrelevant topics will generally not be forwarded to the Board or to the specified director(s).
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PROPOSAL 2:
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Overview
The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the external accounting firm retained to audit the Company’s financial statements. The Audit Committee has retained KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) as Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
KPMG has served as Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm continuously since the audit of the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. In order to assure continuing auditor independence, the Audit Committee periodically considers whether there should be a regular rotation of the independent external audit firm. The members of the Audit Committee and the Board believe that the continued retention of KPMG to serve as the Company’s independent external auditor is in the best interest of the Company and its investors. A representative of KPMG is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, and will be given an opportunity to make a statement if he or she so chooses and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
If the stockholders fail to vote to ratify the appointment of KPMG, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether to retain KPMG and may retain that firm or another firm without resubmitting the matter to our stockholders. Even if stockholders vote on an advisory basis in favor of the appointment, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of Tripadvisor and our stockholders.
Required Vote
We ask our stockholders to ratify the appointment of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. This proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of our shares, present in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class. With respect to the ratification of KPMG, you may vote “FOR”, “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN”. Abstentions will be counted toward the tabulations of voting power present and entitled to vote on the ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm proposal and will have the same effect as votes against the proposal. Brokers have discretion to vote on the proposal for ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KPMG LLP AS TRIPADVISOR’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023. |
Fees Paid to Our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
KPMG was Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The following table sets forth aggregate fees for professional services rendered by KPMG for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
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|
2022 |
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2021 |
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Audit Fees (1) |
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$2,269,593 |
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$2,109,465 |
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Audit-Related Fees (2) |
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484,341 |
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1,885,000 |
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Tax Fees (3) |
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27,261 |
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156,111 |
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Other Fees (4) |
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2,730 |
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2,730 |
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Total Fees |
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$2,783,925 |
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$4,153,306 |
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Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy
The Audit Committee has responsibility for appointing, setting the compensation of, retaining and overseeing the work of the independent registered public accounting firm. In recognition of this responsibility, the Audit Committee has adopted a policy governing the pre-approval of all audit and permitted non-audit services performed by Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm to ensure that the provision of such services does not impair the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence from Tripadvisor and our management. Unless a type of service to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm has received general pre-approval from the Audit Committee, it requires specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee. The payment for any proposed non-audit services in excess of pre-approved cost levels requires specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee.
Pursuant to its pre-approval policy, the Audit Committee may delegate its authority to pre-approve services to one or more of its members, and it has currently delegated this authority to its Chairman, subject to a limit of $250,000 per approval. The decisions of the Chairman (or any other member(s) to whom such authority may be delegated) to grant pre-approvals must be presented to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. The Audit Committee may not delegate its responsibilities to pre-approve services to Company management.
All of the audit-related and all other services provided to us by KPMG in 2022 and 2021 were approved by the Audit Committee by means of specific pre-approvals or pursuant to the procedures contained in the Company’s pre-approval policy.
The Audit Committee has considered the non-audit services provided by KPMG in 2022 and 2021, as described above, and believes that they are compatible with maintaining KPMG’s independence in the conduct of their auditing functions.
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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
Management has primary responsibility for our financial statements, reporting process and system of internal control over financial reporting. Tripadvisor’s independent registered public accounting firm is engaged to audit and express opinions on the conformity of our financial statements to generally accepted accounting principles, and the effectiveness of Tripadvisor’s internal control over financial reporting.
The Audit Committee serves as a representative of the Board and assists the Board in monitoring (i) the integrity of our accounting, financial reporting and public disclosures process, (ii) our relationship with our independent registered public accounting firm, including qualifications, performance and independence, (iii) the performance of our internal audit department, and (iv) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. In this context, the Audit Committee met seven times in 2022 and, among other things, took the following actions:
Relying on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the Board approved such inclusion.
No portion of this Audit Committee Report shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act, through any general statement incorporating by reference in its entirety the Proxy Statement in which this report appears, except to the extent that Tripadvisor specifically incorporates this report or a portion of it by reference. In addition, this report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or “filed” under either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
Members of the Audit Committee: Robert S. Wiesenthal (Chairman)
Trynka Shineman Blake
Jeremy Philips
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PROPOSAL 3:
APPROVAL OF THE REDOMESTICATION IN NEVADA BY CONVERSION
Our Board has approved a proposal to redomesticate, by conversion, the Company from a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "Delaware Corporation") to a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Nevada (the "Nevada Corporation") (such conversion of the Delaware Corporation into the Nevada Corporation, the “Redomestication”). The Board recommends that our stockholders approve the Redomestication and adopt the resolution of the Board approving the Redomestication, which is included as Annex A to this Proxy Statement (the “Redomestication Resolution”). Upon the completion of the Redomestication, the Company will become a Nevada corporation and will continue to operate our business under the current name, "Tripadvisor, Inc."
Reasons for the Redomestication
Our Board believes that there are several reasons the Redomestication is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. In particular, the Board believes that the Redomestication will allow the Company to take advantage of certain provisions of the corporate and tax laws of Nevada.
The Redomestication will eliminate our obligation to pay the annual Delaware franchise tax, which we expect will result in substantial savings to us over the long term. For Fiscal 2022, we paid approximately $250,725 in Delaware franchise taxes. We anticipate that, if we remain a Delaware Corporation, for Fiscal 2023, our Delaware franchise taxes will be approximately the same as 2022 (based on our current capital structure and assets). If we redomesticate in Nevada, our current annual fees will consist of an annual business license fee of $500.00 and the fee for filing the Company's annual list of directors and officers based on the number of authorized shares and their par value, currently equal to $1,225.
In addition, the Redomestication will provide potentially greater protection from unmeritorious litigation for directors and officers of the Company. Delaware law permits a corporation to adopt provisions limiting or eliminating the liability of a director or an officer to a company and its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty, provided that the liability does not arise from certain proscribed conduct, including breach of the duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law. By contrast, Nevada law permits a broader exclusion of individual liability of both officers and directors to a company and its stockholders, providing for an exclusion of any damages as a result of any act or failure to act in his or her capacity as a director or officer unless the presumption that the director or officer acted in good faith, on an informed basis and with a view to the interests of the company, has been rebutted, and it is proven that the director’s or officer’s act or failure to act constituted a breach of his or her fiduciary duties as a director or officer, and such breach involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law. The Redomestication will result in the elimination of any liability of an officer or director for a breach of the duty of loyalty unless arising from intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law. There is currently no known pending claim or litigation against any of our directors or officers for breach of fiduciary duty related to their service as directors or officers of the Company. The directors and officers of the Company have an interest in the Redomestication to the extent that they will be entitled to such limitation of liability. The Board was aware of these interests and considered them, among other matters, in reaching its decision to approve the Redomestication and to recommend that our stockholders vote in favor of this proposal.
Also, by reducing the risk of lawsuits being filed against the Company and its directors and officers, the Redomestication may help us attract and retain qualified management. As previously discussed and for the reasons described below, we believe that, in general, Nevada law provides greater protection to our directors, officers, and the Company than Delaware law. The increasing frequency of claims and litigation directed towards directors and officers has greatly expanded the risks facing directors and officers of public companies in exercising their duties. The amount of time and money required to respond to these claims and to defend these types of litigation matters can be substantial. Delaware law provides that every person becoming a director or an officer of a Delaware corporation consents to the personal jurisdiction of the Delaware courts in connection with any action concerning the corporation. Accordingly, both directors and officers can be personally sued in Delaware, even though the director or officer has no other contacts with the state. Similarly, Nevada law provides that every person who accepts election or appointment, including reelection or reappointment, as a director or officer of a Nevada corporation consents to the personal jurisdiction of the Nevada courts in connection with all civil actions or proceedings brought in Nevada by, on behalf of or against the entity in which the director or officer is a necessary or proper party, or in any action or proceeding against the director or officer for a violation of a duty in such capacity, whether or not the person continues to serve as a director or officer at the time the action or proceeding is commenced. Though Delaware corporate law has recently been amended to, among other things, increase protections for officers of a corporation, we believe Nevada is more advantageous than Delaware because Nevada has pursued a statute-focused approach that does not depend upon judicial interpretation, supplementation and revision, and is intended to be stable, predictable and more efficient, whereas much of Delaware corporate law still consists of judicial decisions that migrate and develop over time.
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Further, the Redomestication is expected to provide corporate flexibility in connection with certain corporate transactions. However, note that the Redomestication is not being effected to prevent a change in control, nor is it in response to any present attempt known to our Board to acquire control of the Company or obtain representation on our Board. In connection with the Redomestication, the Nevada Corporation will opt out of certain Nevada statutes that may discourage unsolicited takeovers. Nevertheless, certain effects of the proposed Redomestication may be considered to have anti-takeover implications by virtue of being subject to Nevada law. See "Anti-Takeover Implications of the Redomestication" below for additional information.
Principal Terms of the Redomestication
The Redomestication would be effected through a conversion pursuant to Section 266 of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") as set forth in the Plan of Conversion, which is included as Annex B to this Proxy Statement. Approval of Proposal 3 will constitute approval of the Plan of Conversion. The Plan of Conversion provides that we will convert from a Delaware corporation into a Nevada corporation pursuant to Section 266 of the DGCL and Sections 92A.195 and 92A.205 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, as amended ("NRS").
The Plan of Conversion provides that, upon the Redomestication, (i) each outstanding share of common stock of the Delaware Corporation will be automatically converted into one outstanding share of common stock of the Nevada Corporation, and (ii) each outstanding share of Class B common stock of the Delaware Corporation will be automatically converted into one outstanding share of the Class B common stock of the Nevada Corporation. Securityholders will not have to exchange their existing stock certificates for new stock certificates. At the same time, upon the Redomestication, each outstanding restricted stock unit, option or right to acquire shares of common stock of the Delaware Corporation will automatically become a restricted stock unit, option or right to acquire an equal number of shares of common stock of the Nevada Corporation under the same terms and conditions. At the Effective Time (as defined herein) of the Redomestication, the common stock will continue to be traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "TRIP." There is not expected to be any interruption in the trading of the common stock as a result of the Redomestication.
The Board currently intends that the Redomestication will occur as soon as practicable following the Annual Meeting. If the Redomestication is approved by our stockholders, it is anticipated that the Redomestication will become effective at the date and time (the “Effective Time”) specified in each of (i) the Articles of Conversion to be executed and filed with the office of the Nevada Secretary of State in accordance with NRS 92A.205 and (ii) the Certificate of Conversion to be executed and filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of Delaware in accordance with Section 262 of the DGCL. However, the Redomestication may be delayed by our Board or the Plan of Conversion may be terminated and abandoned by action of our Board at any time prior to the Effective Time of the Redomestication, whether before or after the approval by the Company’s stockholders, if our Board determines for any reason that the consummation of the Redomestication should be delayed or would be inadvisable or not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, as the case may be.
Effects of the Redomestication
Following the Redomestication, we will be governed by the NRS instead of the DGCL, and we will be governed by the form of Nevada Articles of Incorporation (the “Nevada Charter”) and the form of Nevada Bylaws (the “Nevada Bylaws”), included as Annex C and Annex D, respectively, to this Proxy Statement. Approval of Proposal 3 will constitute approval of the Nevada Charter and Nevada Bylaws. Our current Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Delaware Charter”) and our current Amended and Restated Bylaws (as amended, the “Delaware Bylaws”) will no longer be applicable following completion of the Redomestication. Copies of the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws are available as Exhibits 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 of our 2022 Annual Report, available to the public over the Internet at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
Apart from being governed by the Nevada Charter, Nevada Bylaws and the NRS, following completion of the Redomestication, the Company will continue to exist in the form of a Nevada corporation. By virtue of the Redomestication, all of the rights, privileges, and powers of the Delaware Corporation, and all property, real, personal, and mixed, and all debts due to the Delaware Corporation, as well as all other things and causes of action belonging to the Delaware Corporation, will remain vested in the Nevada Corporation and will be the property of the Nevada Corporation. In addition, all debts, liabilities, and duties of the Delaware Corporation will remain attached to the Nevada Corporation and may be enforced against the Nevada Corporation.
There will be no change in our business, properties, assets, obligations, or management as a result of the Redomestication. Our directors and officers immediately prior to the Redomestication will serve as our directors and officers following the completion of the Redomestication. We will continue to maintain our headquarters in Massachusetts.
No Securities Act Consequences
The Company will continue to be a publicly held company following completion of the Redomestication, and its common stock will continue to be listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market and traded under the symbol "TRIP." The Company will continue to file
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required periodic reports and other documents with the SEC. There is not expected to be any interruption in the trading of the common stock as a result of the Redomestication. We and our stockholders will be in the same respective positions under the federal securities laws after the Redomestication as we and our stockholders were prior to the Redomestication.
Key Differences Between Delaware Charter and Bylaws and the Nevada Charter and Bylaws
Following completion of the Redomestication, the Company will be governed by the NRS instead of the DGCL as well as the Nevada Charter and Nevada Bylaws, forms of which are included as Annex C and Annex D, respectively, to this Proxy Statement. Approval of Proposal 3 will constitute approval of the Nevada Charter and Nevada Bylaws. Our current Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws will no longer be applicable following completion of the Redomestication. Copies of the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws are available as Exhibits 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 of our 2022 Annual Report, available to the public over the Internet at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
The Nevada Charter and Nevada Bylaws differ in a number of respects from the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws, respectively. Set forth below is a table summarizing certain material differences in the rights of our stockholders under Nevada and Delaware law under the respective charters and bylaws. This chart does not address each difference, but focuses on some of those differences which we believe are most relevant to our stockholders. This chart is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Nevada Charter, the Nevada Bylaws, the Delaware Charter and the Delaware Bylaws.
Provision
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Delaware
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Nevada
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Charter Regarding Limitation of Liability |
The Delaware Charter provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, a director of the Company shall not be liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except (a) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (c) for the payment of unlawful dividends, stock repurchases or redemptions; or (d) for any transaction in which the director received an improper personal benefit. |
The Nevada Charter provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by the NRS, the liability of directors and officers of the Company shall be eliminated or limited. Note that, under the NRS, this provision does not exclude exculpation for breaches of duty of loyalty and covers both directors and officers. |
Charter Regarding Indemnitee’s Right to Advanced Payment of Expenses
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The Delaware Charter does not specify whether an indemnitee’s right to advanced payment of expenses related to a proceeding is subject to the satisfaction of any standard of conduct nor is it conditioned upon any prior determination that the indemnitee is entitled to indemnification with respect to the related proceeding (or the absence of any prior determination to the contrary). |
The Nevada Charter specifically provides that an indemnitee’s right to advance payment of expenses related to a proceeding is not subject to the satisfaction of any standard of conduct and is not conditioned upon any prior determination that the indemnitee is entitled to indemnification with respect to the related proceeding or the absence of any prior determination to the contrary. |
Charter Regarding Forum Adjudication for Disputes |
The Delaware Charter does not specify the form for adjudication of disputes. |
Under the Nevada Charter, the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim against the Company arising pursuant to any provision of the NRS or the Nevada Charter or Nevada Bylaws, or (4) any action asserting a claim against the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine. |
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Provision
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Delaware
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Nevada
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Bylaws Regarding Proxies |
Under the DGCL, no proxy authorized by a stockholder shall be valid after three years from the date of its execution unless the proxy provides for a longer period. |
The Nevada Bylaws provide that no proxy shall be voted or acted upon after six months from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period, which may not exceed seven years. Under the NRS, proxies are valid for six months from the date of creation unless the proxy provides for a longer period of up to seven years. |
Bylaws Regarding Removal of Directors |
The Delaware Bylaws provide that any director or the entire Board of Directors may at any time be removed effective immediately, with or without cause, by the vote, either in person or represented by proxy, of a majority of the voting power of shares of stock issued and outstanding of the class or classes that elected such director and entitled to vote at a special meeting held for such purpose or by the written consent of a majority of the voting power of shares of stock issued and outstanding of the class or classes that elected such director. |
The Nevada Bylaws provide that any director or the entire Board may at any time be removed effective immediately, with or without cause, by the vote, either in person or represented by proxy, of not less than two-thirds of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of stock of the class or classes that elected such director and entitled to vote at a special meeting held for such purpose or by the written consent of not less than two-thirds of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of stock of the class or classes that elected such director, which is the lowest permitted voting threshold for director removal permitted under the NRS.
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Bylaws Regarding Advance Notice |
The DGCL does not have a statutory requirement with regard to advance notice procedures required of stockholders in order to properly bring business or director nominations before a meeting of stockholders, but a corporation is permitted to include such requirements in its bylaws; however, the Delaware Charter does not provide for any such advance notice requirements that stockholders must satisfy.
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The NRS does not have any statutory advance notice requirements but a Nevada corporation is permitted to set forth such requirements in its bylaws; the Nevada Bylaws establish advance notice procedures for stockholder proposals and the nomination, other than by or at the direction of the Board, of candidates for election as directors. These procedures generally provide that the notice of stockholder proposals and stockholder nominations for the election of directors at an annual meeting must be in writing and received by our secretary at least 90 days but not more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of our preceding year’s annual meeting. |
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Bylaws Regarding Annual Meetings of Stockholders
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The annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting shall be held at such time and date as shall be designated from time to time by the Board. |
The annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting shall be held at such time and date as shall be designated from time to time by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the Chairman of the Board and stated in the Company’s notice of the meeting. |
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Bylaws Regarding Quorum
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The Delaware Bylaws provide that a majority of the voting power of all issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. |
The Nevada Bylaws provide that a majority of the voting power of all issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. |
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Bylaws Regarding |
The meetings of the stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, or if he or she is not present, by the Chief Executive Officer, or if neither the Chairman of the Board, nor the Chief Executive Officer is present, by a chairman elected by a resolution adopted by the majority of the Board. The order of business at all meetings of stockholders shall be as determined by the chairman of the meeting. |
The meetings of the stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, or if he or she is not present, by the Chief Executive Officer, or if he or she is not present, by the President, or if none of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President is present, by a chairman elected by a resolution adopted by the majority of the Board. The Secretary will act as secretary of the meeting, but in the Secretary’s absence, and the absence of any Assistant Secretary, the chairman |
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Provision
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Delaware
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Nevada
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|
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of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
The Board may adopt by resolution guidelines and procedures as it may deem appropriate for the conduct of any meeting of stockholders, including guidelines on stockholder participation by remote communication.
The chairman of any meeting of stockholders shall have the authority to convene, recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. The chairman, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall determine whether a matter or business was not properly brought before the meeting. |
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Bylaws Regarding Officers |
The officers of the Company shall be chosen by the Board and shall consist of a Chairman of the Board, President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other officers and agents as may be deemed necessary by the Board. The Chairman shall appoint the Chief Executive Officer. |
The officers of the Company shall be chosen by the Board and shall include a President, a Chief Financial Officer, and a Secretary or their equivalents. The Board, in its discretion, may also appoint such additional officers as the Board may deem necessary or desirable, including a Treasurer, one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, and one or more Assistant Treasurers, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as the Board may from time to time determine. |
Comparison of Stockholder Rights under Delaware and Nevada Law
The rights of our stockholders are currently governed by the DGCL, the Delaware Charter and the Delaware Bylaws. Following completion of the Redomestication, the rights of our stockholders will be governed by the NRS, the Nevada Charter and the Nevada Bylaws.
The statutory corporate laws of Nevada, as governed by the NRS, are similar in many respects to those of Delaware, as governed by the DGCL. However, there are certain differences that may affect your rights as a stockholder, as well as the corporate governance of the Company. The following are brief summaries of material differences between the current rights of stockholders of the Company and the rights of stockholders of the Company following completion of the Redomestication. The following discussion does not provide a complete description of the differences that may affect you. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the NRS and DGCL as well as the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws and the Nevada Charter and Nevada Bylaws.
Increasing or Decreasing Authorized Capital Stock
The NRS allows the board of directors of a corporation, unless restricted by the articles of incorporation, to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares in a class or series of the corporation’s shares and correspondingly effect a forward or reverse split of any class or series of the corporation’s shares (and change the par value thereof) without a vote of the stockholders, so long as the action taken does not adversely change or alter any right or preference of the stockholders and does not include any provision or provisions pursuant to which only money will be paid or scrip issued to stockholders who hold 10% or more of the outstanding shares of the affected class and series, and who would otherwise be entitled to receive fractions of shares in exchange for the cancellation of all of their outstanding shares. Delaware law has no similar provision.
Classified Board of Directors
The DGCL permits any Delaware corporation to classify its board of directors into as many as three classes with staggered terms of office. If this is done, the stockholders elect only one class each year and each class would have a term of office of three years;
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however, neither the Delaware Charter nor Delaware Bylaws provide for a classified board of directors. The NRS also permits any Nevada corporation to classify its board of directors into any number of classes with staggered terms of office, so long as at least one-fourth of the total number of directors is elected annually; however neither the Nevada Charter nor Nevada Bylaws provide for a classified board of directors.
Cumulative Voting
Cumulative voting for directors entitles each stockholder to cast a number of votes that is equal to the number of voting shares held by such stockholder multiplied by the number of directors to be elected and to cast all such votes for one nominee or distribute such votes among up to as many candidates as there are positions to be filled. Cumulative voting may enable a minority stockholder or group of stockholders to elect at least one representative to the board of directors where such stockholders would not be able to elect any directors without cumulative voting.
Although the DGCL does not generally grant stockholders cumulative voting rights, a Delaware corporation may provide in its certificate of incorporation for cumulative voting in the election of directors. The NRS also permits any Nevada corporation to provide in its articles of incorporation the right to cumulative voting in the election of directors as long as certain procedures are followed.
The Delaware Charter does not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors. Similarly, the Nevada Charter does not provide for cumulative voting.
Vacancies
Under both the DGCL and the NRS, subject to the certificate or articles of incorporation and bylaws, vacancies on the board of directors, including those resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors, may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, even if less than a quorum. Any director so appointed will hold office for the remainder of the term of the director no longer on the board.
Removal of Directors
Under the DGCL, the holders of a majority of shares of each class entitled to vote at an election of directors may vote to remove any director or the entire board without cause unless (i) the board is a classified board, in which case directors may be removed only for cause, or (ii) the corporation has cumulative voting, in which case, if less than the entire board is to be removed, no director may be removed without cause if the votes cast against his or her removal would be sufficient to elect him or her. The NRS requires the vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares or class or series of shares of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote at an election of directors in order to remove a director or all of the directors. The articles of incorporation may provide for a voting threshold higher than two-thirds, but not lower. Furthermore, the NRS does not make a distinction between removals for cause and removals without cause.
Fiduciary Duties and Business Judgment
Nevada, like most jurisdictions, requires that directors and officers of Nevada corporations exercise their powers in good faith and with a view to the interests of the corporation but, unlike some other jurisdictions, fiduciary duties of directors and officers are codified in the NRS. As a matter of law, directors and officers are presumed to act in good faith, on an informed basis and with a view to the interests of the corporation in making business decisions. In performing such duties, directors and officers may exercise their business judgment through reliance on information, opinions, reports, financial statements and other financial data prepared or presented by corporate directors, officers or employees who are reasonably believed to be reliable and competent. Reliance may also be extended to legal counsel, public accountants, advisers, bankers or other persons reasonably believed to be competent, and to the work of a committee (on which the particular director or officer does not serve) if the committee was established and empowered by the corporation’s board of directors, and if the committee’s work was within its designated authority and was about matters on which the committee was reasonably believed to merit confidence. However, directors and officers may not rely on such information, opinions, reports, books of account or similar statements if they have knowledge concerning the matter in question that would make such reliance unwarranted.
Under Delaware law, members of the board of directors or any committee designated by the board of directors are similarly entitled to rely in good faith upon the records of the corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports and statements presented to the corporation by corporate officers, employees, committees of the board of directors or other persons as to matters such member reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence, provided that such other person has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the corporation. Such appropriate reliance on records and other information protects directors from liability related to decisions made based on such records and other information. Both Delaware and Nevada law extend the statutory protection for reliance on such persons to corporate officers.
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Flexibility for Decisions, including Takeovers
Nevada provides directors with more discretion than Delaware in making corporate decisions, including decisions made in takeover situations. Under Nevada law, director and officer actions taken in response to a change or potential change in control are granted the benefits of the business judgment rule. However, in the case of an action to resist a change or potential change in control that impedes the rights of stockholders to vote for or remove directors, directors will only be given the benefit of the presumption of the business judgment rule if the directors have reasonable grounds to believe a threat to corporate policy and effectiveness exists and the action taken that impedes the exercise of the stockholders’ rights is reasonable in relation to such threat.
In exercising their powers, including in response to a change or potential change of control, directors and officers of Nevada corporations may consider all relevant facts, circumstances, contingencies or constituencies, which may include, without limitation, the effect of the decision on several corporate constituencies in addition to the stockholders, including the corporation’s employees, suppliers, creditors and customers, the economy of the state and nation, the interests of the community and society in general, and the long-term as well as short-term interests of the corporation and its stockholders, including the possibility that these interests may be best served by the continued independence of the corporation. To underscore the discretion of directors and officers of Nevada corporations, the NRS specifically states that such directors and officers are not required to consider the effect of a proposed corporate action upon any constituent as a dominant factor. Further, a director may resist a change or potential change in control of the corporation if the board of directors determines that the change or potential change of control is opposed to or not in the best interest of the corporation upon consideration of any relevant facts, circumstances, contingencies or constituencies, including that there are reasonable grounds to believe that, within a reasonable time the corporation or any successor would be or become insolvent subjected to bankruptcy proceedings.
The DGCL does not provide a similar list of statutory factors that corporate directors and officers may consider in making decisions. In a number of cases and in certain situations, Delaware law has been interpreted to provide that fiduciary duties require directors to accept an offer from the highest bidder regardless of the effect of such sale on the corporate constituencies other than the stockholders. Thus, the flexibility granted to directors of Nevada corporations when making business decisions, including in the context of a hostile takeover, are greater than those granted to directors of Delaware corporations.
Limitation on Personal Liability of Directors and Officers
The NRS and the DGCL each, by way of statutory provisions or permitted provisions in corporate charter documents, eliminate or limit the personal liability of directors and officers to the corporation or their stockholders for monetary damages for breach of a director’s fiduciary duty, subject to the differences discussed below.
The DGCL precludes liability limitation for acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct and for paying dividends or repurchasing stock out of other than lawfully available funds. Under the NRS, in order for a director or officer to be individually liable to the corporation or its stockholders or creditors for damages as a result of any act or failure to act, the presumption of the business judgment rule must be rebutted and it must be proven that the director’s or officer’s act or failure to act constituted a breach of his or her fiduciary duties as a director or officer and that the breach of those duties involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law. Unlike the DGCL, however, the limitation on director and officer liability under the NRS does not distinguish the duty of loyalty or transaction from which a director derives an improper personal benefit, but does, pursuant to NRS 78.300, impose limited personal liability on directors for distributions made in violation of NRS 78.288. Further, the NRS permits a corporation to renounce in its articles of incorporation any interest or expectancy to participate in specific or specified classes or categories of business opportunities. Both the DGCL and the NRS permit limitation of liability which applies to both directors and officers, though the NRS expressly also applies this limitation to liabilities owed to creditors of the corporation. Furthermore, under the NRS, it is not necessary to adopt provisions in the articles of incorporation limiting personal liability of directors or officers as this limitation is provided by statute. However, under Delaware law, the exculpation of officers (namely, the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, chief legal officer, controller, treasurer and chief accounting officer, as well as any other persons identified as “named executive officers” in the Company’s most recent SEC filings) is authorized only in connection with direct claims brought by stockholders, including class actions; however, it does not eliminate monetary liability of officers for breach of fiduciary duty arising out of claims brought by the corporation itself or for derivative claims brought by stockholders in the name of the corporation.
As described above, the NRS provides broader protection from personal liability for directors and officers than the DGCL. Both the Delaware Charter and the Nevada Charter provide a limitation to director liability to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware and Nevada law, respectively.
Indemnification
The NRS and the DGCL each permit corporations to indemnify directors, officers, employees and agents in similar circumstances, subject to the differences discussed below.
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In suits that are not brought by or in the right of the corporation, both jurisdictions permit a corporation to indemnify current and former directors, officers, employees and agents for attorneys’ fees and other expenses, judgments and amounts paid in settlement that the person actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the action, suit or proceeding. The person seeking indemnity may recover as long as he or she acted in good faith and believed his or her actions were either in the best interests of or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation. Under the NRS, the person seeking indemnity may also be indemnified if he or she is not liable for breach of his or her fiduciary duties. Similarly, with respect to a criminal proceeding, the person seeking indemnification must not have had any reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
In derivative suits, a corporation in either jurisdiction may indemnify its directors, officers, employees or agents for expenses that the person actually and reasonably incurred. A corporation may not indemnify a person if the person was adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless a court otherwise orders.
No corporation may indemnify a party unless it decides that indemnification is proper. Under the DGCL, the corporation through its stockholders, directors or independent legal counsel will determine whether the conduct of the person seeking indemnity conformed with the statutory provisions governing indemnity. Under the NRS, the corporation through its stockholders, directors or independent counsel must determine that the indemnification is proper.
Under the NRS, the indemnification pursuant to the statutory mechanisms available under the NRS, as described above, does not exclude any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under the articles of incorporation or any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, but unless ordered by a court, indemnification may not be made to or on behalf of any director or officer finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction, after exhaustion of any appeals taken therefrom, to be liable for intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law, and such misconduct, fraud or violation was material to the cause of action.
Both the Delaware Charter and the Nevada Charter provide for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by the respective laws.
Advancement of Expenses
Although the DGCL and NRS have substantially similar provisions regarding indemnification by a corporation of its officers, directors, employees and agents, the NRS provides broader indemnification in connection with stockholder derivative lawsuits, in particular with respect to advancement of expenses incurred by an officer or director in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or other proceeding.
The DGCL provides that expenses incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation. A Delaware corporation has the discretion to decide whether or not to advance expenses, unless its certificate of incorporation or bylaws provide for mandatory advancement.
In contrast, under the NRS, unless otherwise restricted by the articles of incorporation, the bylaws or an agreement made by the corporation, the corporation may pay advancements of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation.
The Nevada Charter specifically provides that an indemnitee’s right to advanced payment of expenses related to a proceeding is not subject to the satisfaction of any standard of conduct and is not conditioned upon any prior determination that the indemnitee is entitled to indemnification with respect to the related proceeding or the absence of any prior determination to the contrary. The Delaware Charter does not include similar provision.
Director Compensation
The DGCL does not have a specific statute on the fairness of director compensation. In contrast, the NRS provides that, unless otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, the board of directors, without regard to personal interest, may establish the compensation of directors for services in any capacity. If the board of directors so establishes the compensation of directors, such compensation is be presumed to be fair to the corporation unless proven unfair by a preponderance of the evidence.
Action by Written Consent of Directors
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Both the DGCL and NRS provide that, unless the articles or certificate of incorporation or the bylaws provide otherwise, any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the directors or a committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the board or committee, as the case may be, consent to the action in writing.
Neither the Delaware Charter or Delaware Bylaws nor the Nevada Charter or Nevada Bylaws limit a Board action by written consent.
Actions by Written Consent of Stockholders
Both the DGCL and NRS provide that, unless the articles or certificate of incorporation provides otherwise, any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting if the holders of outstanding stock having at least the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of stockholders consent to the action in writing. In addition, the DGCL requires the corporation to give prompt notice of the taking of corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent to those stockholders who did not consent in writing. There is no equivalent requirement under the NRS.
The NRS also permits a corporation to prohibit stockholder action by written consent in lieu of a meeting of stockholders by including such prohibition in its articles of incorporation or bylaws.
Neither the Delaware Charter or Delaware Bylaws nor the Nevada Charter or Nevada Bylaws limit stockholder action by written consent.
Dividends and Distributions
Delaware law is more restrictive than Nevada law with respect to dividend payments. Unless further restricted in the certificate of incorporation, the DGCL permits a corporation to declare and pay dividends out of either (i) surplus, or (ii) if no surplus exists, out of net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year (provided that the amount of capital of the corporation is not less than the aggregate amount of the capital represented by the issued and outstanding stock of all classes having a preference upon the distribution of assets). The DGCL defines surplus as the excess, at any time, of the net assets of a corporation over its stated capital. In addition, the DGCL provides that a corporation may redeem or repurchase its shares only when the capital of the corporation is not impaired and only if such redemption or repurchase would not cause any impairment of the capital of the corporation.
The NRS provides that no distribution (including dividends on, or redemption or purchases of, shares of capital stock or distributions of indebtedness) may be made if, after giving effect to such distribution, (i) the corporation would not be able to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course of business, or, (ii) except as otherwise specifically permitted by the articles of incorporation, the corporation’s total assets would be less than the sum of its total liabilities plus the amount that would be needed at the time of a dissolution to satisfy the preferential rights of preferred stockholders (the condition in this clause (ii), the “Balance Sheet Test”). Directors may consider financial statements prepared on the basis of accounting practices that are reasonable in the circumstances, a fair valuation, including but not limited to unrealized appreciation and depreciation, and any other method that is reasonable in the circumstances.
Restrictions on Business Combinations
Both Delaware and Nevada law provide certain protections to stockholders in connection with certain business combinations. These protections can be found in NRS 78.411 to 78.444, inclusive, and Section 203 of the DGCL.
Under Section 203 of the DGCL, certain “business combinations” with “interested stockholders” of the Company are subject to a three-year moratorium unless specified conditions are met. For purposes of Section 203, the term “business combination” is defined broadly to include (i) mergers with or caused by the interested stockholder; (ii) sales or other dispositions to the interested stockholder (except proportionately with the corporation’s other stockholders) of assets of the corporation or a subsidiary equal to 10% or more of the aggregate market value of either the corporation’s consolidated assets or its outstanding stock; (iii) the issuance or transfer by the corporation or a subsidiary of stock of the corporation or such subsidiary to the interested stockholder (except for transfers in a conversion or exchange or a pro rata distribution or certain other transactions, none of which increase the interested stockholder’s proportionate ownership of any class or series of the corporation’s or such subsidiary’s stock); or (iv) receipt by the interested stockholder (except proportionately as a stockholder), directly or indirectly, of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation or a subsidiary.
The three-year moratorium imposed on business combinations by Section 203 of the DGCL does not apply if: (i) prior to the time on which such stockholder becomes an interested stockholder the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested stockholder; (ii) the interested stockholder owns 85% of the
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corporation’s voting stock upon consummation of the transaction that made him or her an interested stockholder (excluding from the 85% calculation shares owned by directors who are also officers of the target corporation and shares held by employee stock plans that do not permit employees to decide confidentially whether to accept a tender or exchange offer); or (iii) at or after the time on which such stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, the board approves the business combination and it is also approved at a stockholder meeting by at least two-thirds (66-2/3%) of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder.
In contrast, the NRS imposes a maximum moratorium of two years versus Delaware’s three-year moratorium on business combinations. However, NRS 78.411 to 78.444, inclusive, regulate combinations more stringently. First, an interested stockholder is defined as a beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power. Second, the two-year moratorium can be lifted only by advance approval of the combination or the transaction by which such person first becomes an interested stockholder by a corporation’s board of directors or unless the combination is approved by the board and 60% of the corporation’s voting power not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder, its affiliates and associates, as opposed to Delaware’s provision that allows interested stockholder combinations with stockholder approval at the time of such combination. Finally, after the two-year period, a combination remains prohibited unless (i) it is approved by the board of directors, the disinterested stockholders or a majority of the outstanding voting power not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder and its affiliates and associates or (ii) the interested stockholders satisfy certain fair value requirements. But note that these statutes do not apply to any combination of a corporation and an interested stockholder after the expiration of four years after the person first became an interested stockholder. The combinations statutes in Nevada apply only to Nevada corporations with 200 or more stockholders of record.
Companies are entitled to opt out of the business combination provisions of the DGCL and NRS. The Company has not opted out of the business combination provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL, nor does the Company plan to opt out of the business combination provisions of NRS 78.411 to 78.444, inclusive, under the Nevada Charter. Any opt-out of the business combinations provisions of the NRS must be contained in an amendment to the Nevada Charter approved by a majority of the outstanding voting power not then owned by interested stockholders, but the amendment would not be effective until 18 months after the vote of the stockholders to approve the amendment, and would not apply to any combination with a person who first became an interested stockholder on or before the effective date of the amendment.
Acquisition of Controlling Interests
In addition to the restrictions on business combinations with interested stockholders, Nevada law also protects the corporation and its stockholders from persons acquiring a “controlling interest” in a corporation. The provisions can be found in NRS 78.378 to 78.3793, inclusive. Delaware law does not have similar provisions.
Pursuant to NRS 78.379, any person who acquires a controlling interest in a corporation may not exercise voting rights on any control shares unless such voting rights are conferred by a majority vote of the disinterested stockholders of the issuing corporation at a special meeting of such stockholders held upon the request and at the expense of the acquiring person. NRS 78.3785 provides that a “controlling interest” means the ownership of outstanding voting shares of an issuing corporation sufficient to enable the acquiring person, individually or in association with others, directly or indirectly, to exercise (i) one fifth or more but less than one third, (ii) one third or more but less than a majority or (iii) a majority or more of the voting power of the issuing corporation in the election of directors, and once an acquirer crosses one of these thresholds, shares which it acquired in the transaction taking it over the threshold and within the 90 days immediately preceding the date when the acquiring person acquired or offered to acquire a controlling interest become “control shares” to which the voting restrictions described above apply. In the event that the control shares are accorded full voting rights and the acquiring person acquires control shares with a majority or more of all the voting power, any stockholder, other than the acquiring person, who does not vote in favor of authorizing voting rights for the control shares is entitled to demand payment for the fair value of such person’s shares, and the corporation must comply with the demand.
NRS 78.378(1) provides that the control share statutes of the NRS do not apply to any acquisition of a controlling interest in an issuing corporation if the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the corporation in effect on the 10th day following the acquisition of a controlling interest by the acquiring person provide that the provisions of those sections do not apply to the corporation or to an acquisition of a controlling interest specifically by types of existing or future stockholders, whether or not identified. In addition, NRS 78.3788 provides that the controlling interest statutes apply as of a particular date only to a corporation that has 200 or more stockholders of record, at least 100 of whom have addresses in Nevada appearing on the corporation’s stock ledger at all times during the 90 days immediately preceding that date, and which does business directly or indirectly in Nevada. NRS 78.378(2) provides that the corporation may impose stricter requirements if it so desires.
Corporations are entitled to opt out of the above controlling interest provisions of the NRS. In the Nevada Charter, the Company opts out of these provisions.
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Stockholder Vote for Mergers and Other Corporate Reorganizations
Under the DGCL, unless the certificate of incorporation specifies a higher percentage, the stockholders of a corporation that is being acquired in a merger or selling substantially all of its assets must authorize such merger or sale of assets by vote of an absolute majority of outstanding shares entitled to vote. The corporation’s board of directors must also approve such transaction. Similarly, under the NRS, a merger or sale of all assets requires authorization by stockholders of the corporation being acquired or selling its assets by at least a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, as well as approval of such corporation’s board of directors. Although a substantial body of case law has been developed in Delaware as to what constitutes the “sale of substantially all of the assets” of a corporation, it is difficult to determine the point at which a sale of virtually all, but less than all, of a corporation’s assets would be considered a “sale of all of the assets” of the corporation for purposes of Nevada law. It is possible that many sales of less than all of the assets of a corporation requiring stockholder authorization under Delaware law would not require stockholder authorization under Nevada law.
The DGCL and NRS have substantially similar provisions with respect to approval by stockholders of a surviving corporation in a merger. The DGCL does not require a stockholder vote of a constituent corporation in a merger (unless the corporation provides otherwise in its certificate of incorporation) if (i) the plan of merger does not amend the existing certificate of incorporation, (ii) each share of stock of such constituent corporation outstanding immediately before the effective date of the merger is an identical outstanding share after the effective date of merger and (iii) either no shares of the common stock of the surviving corporation and no shares, securities or obligations convertible into such stock are to be issued or delivered under the plan of merger, or the authorized unissued shares or treasury shares of the common stock of the surviving corporation to be issued or delivered under the plan of merger plus those initially issuable upon conversion of any other shares, securities or obligations to be issued or delivered under such plan do not exceed 20% of the shares of common stock of such constituent corporation outstanding immediately prior to the effective date of the merger. The NRS does not require a stockholder vote of the surviving corporation in a merger under substantially similar circumstances.
The Delaware Charter does not require a higher percentage to vote to approve certain corporate transactions. The Nevada Charter also does not specify a higher percentage.
Appraisal or Dissenter’s Rights
In both jurisdictions, dissenting stockholders of a corporation engaged in certain major corporate transactions are entitled to appraisal rights. Appraisal or dissenter’s rights permit a stockholder to receive cash generally equal to the fair value of the stockholder’s shares (as determined by agreement of the parties or by a court) in lieu of the consideration such stockholder would otherwise receive in any such transaction.
Under Section 262 of the DGCL, appraisal rights are generally available for the shares of any class or series of stock of a Delaware corporation in a merger, consolidation or conversion, provided that no appraisal rights are available with respect to shares of any class or series of stock if, at the record date for the meeting held to approve such transaction, such shares of stock, or depositary receipts in respect thereof, are either (i) listed on a national securities exchange or (ii) held of record by more than 2,000 holders, unless the stockholders receive in exchange for their shares anything other than shares of stock of the surviving or resulting corporation (or depositary receipts in respect thereof), or of any other corporation that is listed on a national securities exchange or held by more than 2,000 holders of record, cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional depositary receipts described above or any combination of the foregoing.
In addition, Section 262 of the DGCL allows beneficial owners of shares to file a petition for appraisal without the need to name a nominee holding such shares on behalf of such owner as a nominal plaintiff and makes it easier than under Nevada law to withdraw from the appraisal process and accept the terms offered in the merger, consolidation or conversion. Under the DGCL, no appraisal rights are available to stockholders of the surviving or resulting corporation if the merger did not require their approval. The Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws do not provide for appraisal rights in addition to those provided by the DGCL.
Under the NRS, a stockholder is entitled to dissent from, and obtain payment for, the fair value of the stockholder’s shares in the event of (i) certain acquisitions of a controlling interest in the corporation, (ii) consummation of a plan of merger, if approval by the stockholders is required for the merger, regardless of whether the stockholder is entitled to vote on the merger or if the domestic corporation is a subsidiary and is merged with its parent, or if the domestic corporation is a constituent entity in a merger pursuant to NRS 92A.133, (iii) consummation of a plan of conversion to which the corporation is a party, (iv) consummation of a plan of exchange in which the corporation is a party, (iv) any corporate action taken pursuant to a vote of the stockholders, if the articles of incorporation, bylaws or a resolution of the board of directors provides that voting or nonvoting stockholders are entitled to dissent and obtain payment for their shares, or (v) any corporate action to which the stockholder would be obligated, as a result of the corporate action, to accept money or scrip rather than receive a fraction of a share in exchange for the cancellation of all the stockholder’s outstanding shares, except where the stockholder would not be entitled to receive such payment pursuant to NRS 78.205, 78.2055 or 78.207.
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Holders of covered securities (generally those that are listed on a national securities exchange), any shares traded in an organized market and held by at least 2,000 stockholders of record with a market value of at least $20,000,000, and any shares issued by an open end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and which may be redeemed at the option of the holder at net asset value are generally not entitled to dissenter’s rights. However, this exception is not available if (i) the articles of incorporation of the corporation issuing the shares provide that such exception is not available, (ii) the resolution of the board of directors approving the plan of merger, conversion or exchange expressly provides otherwise or (iii) the holders of the class or series of stock are required by the terms of the corporate action to accept for the shares anything except cash, shares of stock or other securities as described in NRS 92A.390(3) or any combination thereof. The NRS prohibits a dissenting stockholder from voting his or her shares or receiving certain dividends or distributions after his or her dissent. The Nevada Charter and Nevada Bylaws do not provide for dissenter’s rights in addition to those provided by the NRS.
The mechanics and timing procedures vary somewhat between Delaware and Nevada, but both require technical compliance with specific notice and payment protocols.
Special Meetings of the Stockholders
The DGCL permits special meetings of stockholders to be called by the board of directors or by any other person authorized in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws to call a special stockholder meeting. In contrast, the NRS permits special meetings of stockholders to be called by the entire board of directors, any two directors or the President, unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide otherwise.
Under the Delaware Bylaws, a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the Chairman of the Board or a majority of the Board. The Nevada Bylaws contain a substantially similar provision.
Special Meetings Pursuant to Petition of Stockholders
The DGCL provides that a director or a stockholder of a corporation may apply to the Court of Chancery of Delaware if the corporation fails to hold an annual meeting for the election of directors or there is no written consent to elect directors in lieu of an annual meeting for a period of 30 days after the date designated for the special meeting or, if there is no date designated, within 13 months after the last annual meeting.
Under the NRS, stockholders having not less than 15% of the voting interest may petition the district court to order a meeting for the election of directors if a corporation fails to call a meeting for that purpose within 18 months after the last meeting at which directors were elected.
Adjournment of Stockholder Special Meetings
Under the DGCL, if a meeting of stockholders is adjourned due to lack of a quorum and the adjournment is for more than 30 days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting must be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. At the adjourned meeting the corporation may transact any business that might have been transacted at the original meeting.
In contrast, under the NRS, a corporation is not required to give any notice of an adjourned meeting or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting, other than by announcement at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless the board of directors of the corporation fixes a new record date for the adjourned meeting or the meeting date is adjourned to a date more than 60 days later than the date set for the original meeting, in which case a new record date must be fixed and notice given.
Duration of Proxies
Under the DGCL, a proxy executed by a stockholder will remain valid for a period of three years, unless the proxy provides for a longer period.
Under the NRS, a proxy is effective only for a period of six months, unless it is coupled with an interest or unless otherwise provided in the proxy, which duration may not exceed seven years. The NRS also provides for irrevocable proxies, without limitation on duration, in limited circumstances.
Quorum and Voting
The DGCL provides that the certificate of incorporation and bylaws may establish quorum and voting requirements, but in no event shall quorum consist of less than one-third of the shares entitled to vote. If the certificate of incorporation and bylaws are silent as
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to specific quorum and voting requirements: (a) a majority of the shares entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of stockholders; (b) in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders; (c) directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors; and (d) where a separate vote by a class or series is required, a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or series shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter and, in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares of such class or series present at the meeting shall be the act of such class or series or classes or series. A bylaw amendment adopted by stockholders which specifies the votes that shall be necessary for the election of directors shall not be further amended or repealed by the board. The Delaware Bylaws provide that the holders of shares representing a majority of the voting power of the Company entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business, provided, however, that where a separate vote by a class or series or classes or series is required, a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or series or classes or series shall constitute a quorum with respect to such vote.
The NRS provides that, unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide otherwise, a majority of the voting power of the corporation, present in person or by proxy at a meeting of stockholders (regardless of whether the proxy has authority to vote on any matter), constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. Under the NRS, unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide for different proportions, action by the stockholders on a matter other than the election of directors is approved if the number of votes cast in favor of the action exceeds the number of votes cast in opposition to the action. Unless provided otherwise in the corporation’s articles of incorporation or bylaws, directors are elected at the annual meeting of stockholders by plurality vote. The Nevada Bylaws provide that unless otherwise required by law or the articles of incorporation of the Company, the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote thereat shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business. The Nevada Bylaws provide that, except as otherwise provided by law, in the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the corporation, that action by the stockholders on a matter other than the election of directors is approved if a majority of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the matter approve the action.
Stockholder Inspection Rights
The DGCL grants any stockholder or beneficial owner of shares the right, upon written demand under oath stating the proper purpose thereof, either in person or by attorney or other agent, to inspect and make copies and extracts from a corporation’s stock ledger, list of stockholders and its other books and records for any proper purpose. A proper purpose is one reasonably related to such person’s interest as a stockholder.
Inspection rights under Nevada law are more limited. The NRS grants any person who has been a stockholder of record of a corporation for at least six months immediately preceding the demand, or any person holding, or thereunto authorized in writing by the holders of, at least 5% of all of its outstanding shares, upon at least five days’ written demand the right to inspect in person or by agent or attorney, during usual business hours (i) the articles of incorporation and all amendments thereto, (ii) the bylaws and all amendments thereto and (iii) a stock ledger or a duplicate stock ledger, revised annually, containing the names, alphabetically arranged, of all persons who are stockholders of the corporation, showing their places of residence, if known, and the number of shares held by them respectively. A Nevada corporation may require a stockholder to furnish the corporation with an affidavit that such inspection is for a proper purpose related to his or her interest as a stockholder of the corporation.
In addition, the NRS grants certain stockholders the right to inspect the books of account and records of a corporation for any proper purpose. The right to inspect the books of account and all financial records of a corporation, to make copies of records and to conduct an audit of such records is granted only to a stockholder who owns at least 15% of the issued and outstanding shares of a Nevada corporation, or who has been authorized in writing by the holders of at least 15% of such shares. However, these requirements do not apply to any corporation that furnishes to its stockholders a detailed annual financial statement or any corporation that has filed during the preceding 12 months all reports required to be filed pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
Business Opportunities
Under Delaware law, the corporate opportunity doctrine holds that a corporate officer or director may not generally and unilaterally take a business opportunity for his or her own if: (i) the corporation is financially able to exploit the opportunity; (ii) the opportunity is within the corporation's line of business; (iii) the corporation has an interest or expectancy in the opportunity; and (iv) by taking the opportunity for his or her own, the corporate fiduciary will thereby be placed in a position inimical to his duties to the corporation. The DGCL permits a Delaware corporation to renounce, in its certificate of incorporation or by action of the board of directors, any interest or expectancy of the corporation in, or being offered an opportunity to participate in, specified business opportunities or specified classes or categories of business opportunities that are presented to the corporation or one or more of its officers, directors or stockholders.
Similar to the DGCL, the NRS permits a Nevada corporation to renounce, in its articles of incorporation or by action of the board of directors, any interest or expectancy to participate in specified business opportunities or specified classes or categories of business
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opportunities that are presented to the corporation or one or more of its officers, directors or stockholders. The Nevada Charter provides that the Company renounces any interest or expectancy in certain corporate opportunities, the general effect of which will be that no officer or director of the Company who is also an officer or director of LTRIP will be liable to the Company or its stockholders for breach of any fiduciary duty by reason of the fact that any such individual directs a corporate opportunity to LTRIP instead of to the Company, or does not communicate information to the Company regarding a corporate opportunity that the officer or director has directed to LTRIP.
Potential Risks and Disadvantages of the Redomestication
Because of Delaware’s prominence as a state of incorporation for many large corporations, the Delaware courts have developed considerable expertise in dealing with corporate issues and a substantial body of case law has developed construing Delaware law and establishing public policies with respect to Delaware corporations. While Nevada also has encouraged incorporation in that state and has adopted comprehensive, modern and flexible statutes that it periodically updates and revises to meet changing business needs, Nevada case law concerning the effects of its statutes and regulations is more limited. As a result, the Company and its stockholders may experience less predictability with respect to the legality of certain corporate affairs and transactions and stockholders’ rights to challenge them, to the extent Nevada’s statutes do not provide a clear answer and a Nevada court must make a determination.
Also, underwriters and other members of the financial services industry may be less willing and able to assist the Company with capital-raising programs because they might perceive Nevada’s laws as being less flexible or developed than those of Delaware. Certain investment funds, sophisticated investors and brokerage firms may likewise be less comfortable and less willing to invest in a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction other than Delaware whose corporate laws may be less understood or perceived to be unresponsive to stockholder rights.
The Company will also incur certain non-recurring costs in connection with the Redomestication, including legal and other transaction costs. A majority of these costs have already been incurred or will be incurred regardless of whether the Redomestication is ultimately completed. Many of the expenses that will be incurred are difficult to accurately estimate at the present time, and additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in connection with the Redomestication.
Regulatory Matters
The consummation of the Redomestication requires the filing of the Articles of Conversion and the Nevada Charter with the office of the Nevada Secretary of State and the Certificate of Conversion with the Office of the Secretary of State in Delaware. No other regulatory or governmental approvals or consents will be required in connection with the Redomestication.
No Appraisal Rights
Under the DGCL, holders of our common stock are not entitled to appraisal rights with respect to the Redomestication described in this Proposal. Under the DGCL, holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to appraisal rights in connection with the Redomestication but LTRIP, the sole holder of our Class B common stock, has waived such rights.
No Exchange of Stock Certificates Required
Stockholders will not have to exchange their existing stock certificates for new stock certificates.
No Material Accounting Implications
Effecting the Redomestication will not have any material accounting implications.
Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Redomestication to holders of the shares of the common stock and Class B common stock of the Delaware Corporation (together, the “Delaware Common Stock”), each of which shares is converted into one outstanding share of common stock or Class B common stock of the Nevada Corporation (together, the “Nevada Common Stock”), respectively, in connection with the Redomestication.
This discussion is based on the Code, applicable Treasury regulations promulgated or proposed thereunder (collectively, the “Treasury Regulations”), judicial authority, and administrative rulings and practice, all as in effect as of the date of this proxy statement, and all of which are subject to change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect. This discussion is limited to holders of the Delaware Common Stock that are U.S. holders (as defined below) and that hold their shares of common stock as capital assets, within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code. Further, this discussion does not discuss all tax considerations that may be relevant to holders of the
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Delaware Common Stock in light of their particular circumstances (including the Medicare tax imposed on net investment income and the alternative minimum tax), nor does it address any tax consequences to holders subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal income tax laws, such as tax-exempt entities, partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and investors therein), holders that acquired their shares of common stock pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation, financial institutions, insurance companies, dealers or traders in securities, holders that have a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar, and holders that hold their shares of common stock as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion, constructive sale, synthetic security, integrated investment, or other risk-reduction transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This discussion does not address any U.S. federal estate, gift, or other non-income tax consequences or any state, local, or foreign tax consequences.
Holders of the Delaware Common Stock are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the particular tax consequences to them of the Redomestication, including any applicable U.S. federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences.
For purposes of this section, a U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of the Delaware Common Stock that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (i) an individual that is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized under the laws of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof; (iii) an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (a) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary jurisdiction over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions, or (b) it has a valid election in place under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
If a partnership (including any entity or arrangement treated as partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of the Delaware Common Stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partner in a partnership holding shares of the Delaware Common Stock should consult its tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the Redomestication.
Treatment of the Redomestication
Subject to the caveats and qualifications noted above, we intend the Redomestication, under U.S. federal income tax law, to qualify as a tax-free “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code. Assuming the Redomestication qualifies as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code, then, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
Stockholders that have acquired different blocks of the Delaware Common Stock at different times or at different prices, and whose blocks of such common stock are converted into shares of Nevada Common Stock in connection with the Redomestication, should consult their tax advisors regarding the allocation of their aggregate tax basis among, and the holding period of, such shares of the Nevada Common Stock.
Information Reporting
A U.S. holder of the Delaware Common Stock that owns at least 5% of the outstanding stock of the Company (by vote or value) immediately before the Redomestication will generally be required to attach to such holder’s U.S. federal income tax return for the year in which the Redomestication occurs a statement setting forth certain information relating to the Redomestication, including the aggregate fair market value and tax basis of the stock of such holder converted in connection with the Redomestication. Holders of the Delaware Common Stock should consult their tax advisors to determine whether they are required to provide the foregoing statement.
Anti-Takeover Implications of the Redomestication
The Redomestication is not being effected to prevent a change in control, nor is it in response to any present attempt known to our Board to acquire control of the Company or obtain representation on our Board. Nevertheless, certain effects of the Redomestication may be considered to have anti-takeover implications by virtue of being subject to Nevada law.
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Delaware law and the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of deterring hostile takeover attempts. A hostile takeover attempt may have a positive or negative effect on the Company and its stockholders, depending on the circumstances surrounding a particular takeover attempt. Takeover attempts that have not been negotiated or approved by the Board can be opportunistically timed to take advantage of an artificially depressed stock price. Takeover attempts can also be coercively structured, can disrupt the business and management of a corporation and can generally present a risk of terms that may be less favorable than would be available in a board-approved transaction. In contrast, Board-approved transactions may be carefully planned and undertaken at an opportune time in order to obtain maximum value for the corporation and all of its stockholders by determining and pursuing the best strategic alternative, obtaining negotiating leverage to achieve the best terms available, and giving due consideration to matters such as tax planning, the management and business of the acquiring corporation and the most effective deployment of corporate assets.
The Board recognizes that hostile takeover attempts do not always have the unfavorable consequences or effects described above and may be beneficial to stockholders, providing them with considerable value for their shares. However, the Board believes that the potential disadvantages of unapproved takeover attempts are sufficiently great that prudent measures are needed to give the Board the time and flexibility to determine and pursue potentially superior strategic alternatives and take other appropriate action in an effort to maximize stockholder value. Accordingly, the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws include certain provisions that are intended to accomplish these objectives, but which may have the effect of discouraging or deterring hostile takeover attempts.
Nevada law includes some features that may deter hostile takeover attempts. The Nevada Charter contains certain anti-takeover provisions similar to those set forth in the Delaware Charter; both the Delaware Charter and Nevada Charter allow the Board alone to fill any directorship vacancies. Notwithstanding these similarities, there are a number of differences between Nevada and Delaware law and between the governing documents of the Delaware Corporation and the Nevada Corporation which could have a bearing on unapproved takeover attempts. For example, the Delaware Charter allows the stockholders to remove the directors with or without cause by the vote of a majority of the voting power of shares of stock issued and outstanding of the class that elected such director while the Nevada Charter allows the stockholders to remove a director only by the vote of not less than two-thirds of the voting power of the shares of the class that elected such director.
The Board may in the future propose other measures designed to address hostile takeovers apart from those discussed in this proxy statement, if warranted from time to time in the judgment of the Board.
Legal Proceedings
On April 21, 2023, a putative stockholder class and derivative action was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery, captioned Palkon, et al. v. Maffei, et al., C.A. No. 2023-0449-JTL (Del. Ch.). The complaint generally alleges that the proposal to redomesticate the Company to Nevada by conversion is a self-interested transaction that confers non-ratable benefits on the Company’s directors and its majority stockholder and asserts claims for breach of fiduciary duty against Mr. Maffei, in his capacity as an alleged controlling stockholder of the Company, as well as against the Company’s directors. The complaint seeks, among other things, to enjoin the conversion. The Company and defendants believe that the claims are without merit and intend to defend themselves vigorously.
Required Vote
We ask our stockholders to approve the Redomestication and the adoption of the Redomestication Resolution. This proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of Tripadvisor capital stock, present in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.
With respect to approval of the Redomestication and the adoption of the Redomestication Resolution, you may vote “FOR”, “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN”. Abstentions will only be counted toward the tabulations of voting power present and entitled to vote on the Redomestication proposal and will have the same effect as votes against the proposal. Brokers do not have discretion to vote on the proposal to approve the Redomestication and broker non-votes will have the same effect as votes against the proposal.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE REDOMESTICATION AND THE ADOPTION OF THE REDOMESTICATION RESOLUTION. |
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PROPOSAL 4:
APPROVAL OF THE TRIPADVISOR INC. 2023 STOCK AND ANNUAL INCENTIVE PLAN
Proposal
The Board believes that stock options, restricted stock units, performance awards and other stock-based or incentive awards can play an important role in the success of Tripadvisor by encouraging and enabling our employees, officers, non-employee directors, and consultants, upon whose judgment, initiative, and efforts we largely depend for the success of our business, to acquire a proprietary interest in Tripadvisor. The Board anticipates that providing such persons with a direct stake in the Company will assure a closer identification of the interests of such individuals with those of Tripadvisor and its stockholders, thereby stimulating their efforts on Tripadvisor’s behalf and strengthening their desire to remain with Tripadvisor.
On April 19, 2023, the Board approved the Tripadvisor, Inc. 2023 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan (the "2023 Plan"), subject to approval by the stockholders, primarily for the purpose of providing sufficient reserves of shares of our common stock to ensure our ability to continue to provide new hires, employees, management and other participants with equity incentives. If approved, the number of shares reserved and available for issuance under the 2023 Plan would be 12,000,000 shares plus the number of shares available for issuance (and not subject to outstanding awards) under the Tripadvisor, Inc. 2018 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”), as of the effective date of the 2023 Plan. The 2023 Plan is attached hereto as Annex E.
Historical Burn Rate and Expected Duration
We are committed to managing the use of our equity incentives prudently to balance the benefits that equity compensation brings to our equity compensation programs against the dilution it causes our stockholders. As a result, as part of our analysis when considering the number of shares to be reserved under the 2023 Plan, we reviewed key metrics that are typically used to evaluate such proposed increases. One such metric considered was our “burn rate” calculation in order to quantify how quickly we use our stockholder capital. Tripadvisor’s 2022 year-to-date share usage rate of 6.0% is slightly below the 2022 peer 75th percentile (7.8%). The Company’s 3-year average share usage rate of 5.0% is between the 3-year average peer median (3.2%) and 75th percentile (6.5%) due to special equity grants made in 2020 as well as executive hires made in 2022.
As a result, we currently expect that the proposed share reserve under the 2023 Plan will be sufficient for anticipated awards through 2025. Expectations regarding future share usage could be impacted by a number of factors including but not limited to, hiring and promotion activity; the rate at which shares are returned to the 2023 Plan reserve upon the expiration, forfeiture, and net share settlement of awards; the future performance of our stock price; and the terms of any potential future acquisitions. While we believe that the assumptions we used are reasonable, future share usage may differ from current expectations.
Summary of Material Features of the 2023 Plan
Some of the material features of the 2023 Plan are as follows:
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Summary of the 2023 Plan
The following description of certain features of the 2023 Plan is intended to be a summary only. The summary is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the 2023 that is attached hereto as Annex E.
Plan Administration. The 2023 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committees. The Compensation Committees have full power to select, from among the individuals eligible for awards, the individuals to whom awards will be granted, to make any combination of awards to participants, and to determine the specific terms and conditions of each award, subject to the provisions of the 2023 Plan. The Compensation Committees may delegate to an officer of Tripadvisor the authority to grant awards to employees who are not subject to the reporting and other provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, subject to certain limitations and guidelines.
Eligibility. Persons eligible to participate in the 2023 Plan are the directors, officers, employees, and consultants of Tripadvisor and its subsidiaries or affiliates as selected from time to time by the Compensation Committees in their discretion. As of March 13, 2023, approximately 3,164 individuals are currently eligible to participate in the 2023 Plan, which includes three executive officers, 3,161 employees who are not officers, and nine non-employee directors.
Plan and Individual Limits. No more than 7,000,000 shares in the aggregate may be issued in the form of incentive stock options. The 2023 Plan provides that the value of awards under the 2023 Plan and all other compensation paid by the Company to any non-employee director in any calendar year shall not exceed $1,000,000.
Types of Awards. The 2023 Plan allows for the grant of different types of awards including, but not limited to, restricted stock, restricted stock units, options, stock appreciation rights, other stock-based awards and bonus awards.
Options may be exercisable in installments and the exercisability of options may be accelerated by the Compensation Committees. Upon exercise of options, the option exercise price must be paid in full by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Compensation Committees or, if authorized at the time the option is granted, by delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of common stock that are beneficially owned by the optionee. In addition, the Compensation Committees may permit options to be exercised using a net exercise feature which reduces the number of shares issued to the optionee by the number of shares with a fair market value equal to the exercise price.
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Change in Control Provisions. The 2023 Plan provides that, unless otherwise specified in the applicable award agreement, upon a participant’s termination of employment within three months prior or 12 months following a change in control of the Company, by the Company other than for “cause” or “disability,” or by the participant for “good reason” (as all such terms are defined in the 2023 Plan), for participants serving in the position of Vice President or above, any and all restricted stock and restricted stock units held by such participant will automatically vest (with any performance-based awards being deemed met at target) and the restrictions and conditions on all other awards will automatically be deemed waived and any and all stock options and stock appreciation rights held by such participant will automatically become fully exercisable and will remain exercisable until the later of (i) the last day on which such option or stock appreciation right is exercisable as specified in the applicable award agreement or (ii) the earlier of the first anniversary of the change in control and the expiration of the term of the option or stock appreciation right. For the remaining participants, under such circumstances, only 50% of such participant’s equity awards shall accelerate and vest (with any performance-based awards being deemed met at target).
Termination of Employment or Service. The 2023 Plan provides that upon a participant’s death any and all restricted stock and restricted stock units held by such participant will automatically vest and any and all stock options and stock appreciation held by such participant will automatically become fully exercisable and will remain exercisable until the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the date of such death and (ii) the expiration of the term of such award.
Adjustments for Stock Dividends, Stock Splits, Etc. The 2023 Plan requires the Compensation Committees to make appropriate adjustments to the number of shares of common stock that are subject to the 2023 Plan, to certain limits in the 2023 Plan, and to any outstanding awards to reflect stock dividends, stock splits, extraordinary cash dividends and similar events.
Tax Withholding. Participants in the 2023 Plan are responsible for the payment of any federal, state or local taxes that Tripadvisor is required by law to withhold upon the exercise of options or stock appreciation rights or vesting of other awards. Subject to approval by the Compensation Committees, participants may elect to have the minimum tax withholding obligations satisfied by authorizing Tripadvisor to withhold shares of common stock to be issued pursuant to the exercise or vesting or by an arrangement whereby a certain number of shares of stock issued pursuant to an award are immediately sold and proceeds from such sale are remitted to Tripadvisor in an amount that would satisfy the withholding amount due. The Compensation Committees may also require awards to be subject to mandatory share withholding up to the required withholding amount.
Amendments and Termination. The Board may at any time amend, alter or discontinue the 2023 Plan and the Compensation Committees may unilaterally amend the terms of any award, prospectively or retroactively. However, no such action may materially impair rights of a participant with respect to a previously granted award without the participant’s consent, except for such an amendment made to comply with applicable law (including without limitation Section 409A of the Code), stock exchange rules or accounting rules. In addition, no such amendment shall be made without stockholder approval to the extent such approval is required by applicable law or the listing standards of Nasdaq.
Clawback Policy. All awards, amounts, or benefits received or outstanding under the 2023 Plan will be subject to clawback, cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback, reduction, or other similar action in accordance with any Company clawback or similar policy or any applicable law related to such actions.
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New Plan Benefits
No awards have been made under the 2023 Plan which is subject to stockholder approval of this proposal. Because the grant of awards under the 2023 Plan is within the discretion of the Compensation Committees, the Company cannot determine the dollar value or number of shares of common stock that will in the future be received by or allocated to any participant pursuant to the 2023 Plan.
Tax Aspects Under the Code
The following is a summary of the principal federal income tax consequences of certain transactions under the 2023 Plan. It does not describe all federal tax consequences under the 2023 Plan, nor does it describe state or local tax consequences.
Incentive Stock Options. No taxable income is generally realized by the optionee upon the grant or exercise of an incentive stock option, except for purposes of potential alternative minimum tax. If shares of common stock issued to an optionee pursuant to the exercise of an incentive stock option are sold or transferred after two years from the date of grant and after one year from the date of exercise, then (i) upon sale of such shares, any amount realized in excess of the option price (the amount paid for the shares) will be taxed to the optionee as a long-term capital gain, and any loss sustained will be a long-term capital loss, and (ii) the Company will not be entitled to any deduction for federal income tax purposes. The exercise of an incentive stock option will give rise to an item of tax preference that may result in alternative minimum tax liability for the optionee.
If shares of common stock acquired upon the exercise of an incentive stock option are disposed of prior to the expiration of the two-year and one-year holding periods described above (a “disqualifying disposition”), generally (i) the optionee will realize ordinary income in the year of disposition in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the fair market value of the shares of common stock at exercise (or, if less, the amount realized on a sale of such shares of common stock) over the option price thereof, and (ii) we will be entitled to deduct such amount. Special rules will apply where all or a portion of the exercise price of the incentive option is paid by tendering shares of common stock.
If an incentive stock option is exercised at a time when it no longer qualifies for the tax treatment described above, the option is treated as a non-qualified option. Generally, an incentive option will not be eligible for the tax treatment described above if it is exercised more than three months following termination of employment (or one year in the case of termination of employment by reason of disability). In the case of termination of employment by reason of death, the three-month rule does not apply.
Non-Qualified Stock Options. No income is realized by the optionee at the time the non-qualified stock option is granted. Generally (i) at exercise, ordinary income is realized by the optionee in an amount equal to the difference between the non-qualified stock option exercise price and the fair market value of the shares of common stock on the date of exercise, and we receive a tax deduction for the same amount; and (ii) at disposition, appreciation or depreciation after the date of exercise is treated as either short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending on how long the shares of common stock have been held. Special rules will apply where all or a portion of the exercise price of the non-qualified option is paid by tendering shares of common stock. Upon exercise, the optionee will also be subject to Social Security taxes on the excess of the fair market value over the exercise price of the option.
Other Awards. The Company generally will be entitled to a tax deduction in connection with an award under the 2023 Plan in an amount equal to the ordinary income realized by the participant at the time the participant recognizes such income. Participants typically are subject to income tax and recognize such tax at the time that an award is exercised, vests or becomes non-forfeitable, unless the award provides for a further deferral. Participants will not have taxable income at the time of grant of a restricted stock unit, but rather, will generally recognize ordinary compensation income at the time the participant receives cash or a share of common stock in settlement of the restricted stock unit, as applicable, in an amount equal to the cash or the fair market value of the common stock received. The current federal income tax consequences of other awards authorized under the 2023 Plan generally follow certain basic patterns: nontransferable restricted stock subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture results in income recognition equal to the excess of the fair market value over the price paid, if any, only at the time the restrictions lapse (unless the recipient elects to accelerate recognition as of the date of grant through a Section 83(b) election); and dividend equivalents and other stock or cash based awards are generally subject to tax at the time of payment.
Parachute Payments. The vesting of any portion of an option or other award that is accelerated due to the occurrence of a change in control may cause a portion of the payments with respect to such accelerated awards to be treated as “parachute payments” as defined in the Code. Any such parachute payments may be non-deductible to the Company, in whole or in part, and may subject the recipient to a non-deductible 20% federal excise tax on all or a portion of such payment (in addition to other taxes ordinarily payable).
Limitation on Deductions. Under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Company’s deduction for awards under the 2023 Plan may be limited to the extent that any “covered employee” (as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code) receives compensation in excess of $1 million a year.
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Required Vote
We ask our stockholders to approve the Tripadvisor, Inc. 2023 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan. This proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of Tripadvisor capital stock, present in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.
With respect to approval of the 2023 Plan, you may vote “FOR”, “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN”. Abstentions will only be counted toward the tabulations of voting power present and entitled to vote on the 2023 Plan proposal and will have the same effect as votes against the proposal. Brokers do not have discretion to vote on the proposal to approve the 2023 Plan and broker non-votes will have no effect on the proposal.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL OF THE TRIPADVISOR, INC. 2023 STOCK AND ANNUAL INCENTIVE PLAN. |
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Set forth below is certain background information, as of April 24, 2023, regarding Tripadvisor’s executive officers. There are no family relationships among directors or executive officers of Tripadvisor.
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
Matt Goldberg |
|
52 |
|
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
Mike Noonan |
|
54 |
|
Chief Financial Officer; |
Seth J. Kalvert |
|
53 |
|
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary |
Refer to “Proposal 1: Election of Directors” above for information about our President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Goldberg.
Mike Noonan has served as Chief Financial Officer of Tripadvisor since October 31, 2022. Prior to Tripadvisor, from October 2020 to October 2022, Mr. Noonan was the Chief Financial Officer of Noom, Inc., a consumer-focused digital health company. Prior to Noom, from January 2016 to October 2020, Mr. Noonan served as Senior Vice President of Finance for Booking Holdings, Inc., where he led numerous corporate finance activities such as financial planning and capital budgeting, as well as investor relations. Mr. Noonan’s experience also includes several capital markets roles at RBC Capital Markets, NYSE Euronex, J.P. Morgan, and Bear Stearns & Co. Mr. Noonan holds an MBA from Duke University and a B.A. from Davidson College.
Seth J. Kalvert has served as Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Tripadvisor since August 2011. Prior to joining Tripadvisor, from March 2005 to August 2011, Mr. Kalvert held positions at Expedia, most recently as Vice President and Associate General Counsel. Prior to that, Mr. Kalvert worked at IAC/InterActiveCorp. Mr. Kalvert began his career as an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP, a New York law firm. Mr. Kalvert serves on the board of directors of Citizen Schools, a national nonprofit that helps all students to thrive in school and beyond through hands-on learning and career mentors, and also serves as Secretary and a director of The Tripadvisor Foundation, a private charitable foundation. Mr. Kalvert holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School and an A.B. from Brown University.
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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
2022 Business Highlights
The Board has a Compensation Committee and a Section 16 Committee that together have primary responsibility for establishing the compensation of our named executive officers. We have a pay for performance philosophy that guides all aspects of our compensation decisions. For example:
In 2022, we saw robust activity in the travel industry, especially in light of macro uncertainty throughout much of the year. Our teams executed well, exceeding expectations we set out at the start of the year. More specifically, the Company was able to achieve the following:
*Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to our 2022 Annual Report for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Executive Summary
During Fiscal 2022, the following transitions occurred with respect to our named executive officers:
The named executive officers referred to herein encompasses: (i) each individual who served as our principal executive officer at any time during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 ("Fiscal 2022"); (ii) each individual who served as our principal financial officer at any time during Fiscal 2022; (iii) the next three most highly-compensated executive officers (other than any individual who served as our principal executive officer or principal financial officer) who were serving in such capacity as of the last day of Fiscal
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2022; and (iv) as applicable, up to two additional individuals for whom disclosure would have been provided pursuant to the foregoing clause (iii) but for the fact that the individual was not serving as an executive officer at the end of 2022.
Compensation Program Objectives
Our compensation program is designed to achieve the following objectives:
To that end, management and the Compensation Committees believe the executive compensation packages provided by Tripadvisor to our named executive officers should include both cash and equity-based compensation.
The table below sets forth information regarding the primary elements of our executive compensation program in 2022, although the Compensation Committees retain discretion to adjust, as appropriate, in light of exigent circumstances:
Compensation Element |
Compensation Objective |
Performance |
Characteristics |
Time Horizon |
|
|
|
|
|
Base Salary |
• Attract and retain qualified executives |
• None |
• Market-competitive, fixed level of compensation
|
• Annual |
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Bonus |
• Attract and retain qualified executives • Motivate performance to achieve specific short-term financial and strategic objectives
|
• Relative Revenue (as defined below)
• Revenue
• Adjuested EBITDA
|
• At target, annual incentive provides market-competitive total cash opportunity • At-risk compensation
|
• Annual |
|
|
|
|
|
Equity Awards - Time-Based RSUs |
• Align NEOs’ and stockholders’ interests • Attract and retain qualified executives
|
• N/A |
• Generally vest over three to four years enhance retention • At-risk compensation
|
• Three to Four years |
Equity Awards - Performance-Based RSUs |
• Motivate performance to achieve specific and financial and strategic objectives |
• Share price |
• At-risk compensation
|
• Three years |
Roles and Responsibilities
Role of the Compensation and Section 16 Committees
The Compensation Committee is appointed by the Board and consists entirely of directors who are “outside directors” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Compensation Committee currently consists of Messrs. Maffei and Hoag and Ms. Morgan, with Ms. Morgan acting as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee is responsible for (i) designing and overseeing our compensation with respect to our executive officers, including salary matters, bonus plans and stock compensation plans; and (ii) approving all grants of equity awards, but excluding matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (for which the Section 16 Committee has responsibility as described below). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Compensation Committee has delegated to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company authority to grant certain types of equity awards, subject to certain limitations, to employees other than executive officers.
The Section 16 Committee is also appointed by the Board and consists entirely of directors who are “non-employee directors” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. The Section 16 Committee currently consists of Mr. Hoag and Ms. Morgan. The Section 16 Committee is responsible for administering and overseeing matters governed by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act,
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including approving grants of equity awards to our named executive officers. Ms. Morgan is also the Chairman of the Section 16 Committee.
Role of Executive Officers
Management participates in reviewing and refining our executive compensation program. Our President and Chief Executive Officer, annually reviews the performance of Tripadvisor and each named executive officer other than himself with the Compensation Committees and makes recommendations with respect to the appropriate base salary, annual bonus and grants of equity awards for each named executive officer, other than in connection with compensation for himself. Based in part on these recommendations and the other factors discussed below, the Compensation Committees review and approve the annual compensation package of each named executive officer.
Role of Compensation Consultant
Pursuant to the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee Charter, the Compensation Committees may retain compensation consultants for the purpose of assisting the Compensation Committees in their evaluation of the compensation for our named executive officers. In July 2021, the Compensation Committees retained FW Cook, a premier provider of independent executive and non-employee director compensation consulting services to compensation committees and senior management. FW Cook has provided objective, independent and expert advice to the Compensation Committees and senior management on matters related to executive pay and performance. More specifically, FW Cook provided the following services to the Compensation Committees:
While the Compensation Committees meet regularly with the compensation consultant, the Compensation Committees consider input from the compensation consultant as one factor in making decisions with respect to compensation matters, along with information and analysis they receive from management and their own judgment and experience.
Based on consideration of the factors set forth in the rules of the SEC and Nasdaq, the Compensation Committees have determined that their relationships with FW Cook and the work performed by FW Cook on behalf of the Compensation Committees have not raised any conflict of interest. In addition, in compliance with the Compensation Committee and Section 16 Committee Charter, the Compensation Committees approved the fees paid to FW Cook for work performed in 2022. FW Cook did not provide additional services to the Company or its affiliates in an amount in excess of $120,000 during the last completed fiscal year.
Role of Stockholders
Tripadvisor provides its stockholders with the opportunity to cast an advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers every three years. In evaluating our 2022 executive compensation program, the Compensation Committees considered the result of the stockholder advisory vote on our executive compensation (the “say-on-pay vote”) held at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 8, 2021, which was approved by approximately 97% of the votes cast.
Both in 2018 and 2021, our stockholders expressed strong support for our executive compensation program in the last say-on-pay vote, which included modifications by the Compensation Committee to our executive compensation program specifically to address concerns raised by our stockholders, the recommendations of major proxy advisory firms, the practices of companies in our peer group and the views of our compensation consultant. Specifically, adopted features and policies that we believe ensure promotion of stockholders’ interests and strong corporate governance, include, but are not limited to, the following:
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We will continue to evaluate ways to ensure that our executive compensation programs compensate our NEOs for performance that furthers our business strategy and initiatives, competitive performance, sound corporate governance principles and stockholder value and return. We will continue to seek to align our NEOs’ incentive compensation opportunities to the achievement of short-term and long-term performance objectives that are directly aligned with the interest of our stockholders.
The Compensation Committees will continue to consider the outcome of the say-on-pay vote when making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers.
We have historically held a say-on-pay vote every three years and our next say-on-pay vote will occur at our 2024 Annual Meeting. At our 2018 Annual Meeting, stockholders considered and voted upon the frequency of future say-on-pay votes and voted in favor of a say-on-pay vote every three years. Although such vote is advisory and non-binding on Tripadvisor and our Board, the Board will take into account the outcome of this vote in making a determination on the frequency of future say-on-pay votes.
Compensation Program Elements
General
The primary elements of our executive compensation program are base salary, annual cash bonus and long-term incentive compensation in the form of equity awards. The program is designed to closely align executive compensation with performance by allocating a majority of target compensation to performance-based equity awards that directly link the value of executive compensation to our stock price performance and tying annual bonuses to performance.
Our pay-for-performance philosophy is reflected in the charts below showing the key design and structure aspects of our program. All elements of annual compensation are considered to be performance-based, variable or “at-risk”, with the exception of base salary.
One of the primary objectives of our compensation philosophy is to design pay opportunities that align with our performance and result in strong long-term value creation for our stockholders. The significant weighting of long-term incentive compensation ensures that our named executive officers’ primary focus is sustained long-term performance, while our short-term incentive compensation motivates consistent annual achievement.
Following recommendations from management or based on other considerations, the Compensation Committees may also adjust compensation for specific individuals at other times during the year when there are significant changes in responsibilities or under other circumstances that the Compensation Committees consider appropriate.
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Base Salary
Base salary represents the fixed portion of a named executive officer’s compensation and is intended to provide compensation for expected day-to-day performance. A named executive officer’s base salary is initially determined upon hire or promotion based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, his or her responsibilities, prior experience, and salary levels of other executives within Tripadvisor. Providing a competitive base salary to our executives is essential to achieving our objectives of attracting and retaining talent. Base salary is typically reviewed annually, at which time management makes recommendations to the Compensation Committees based on consideration of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the following:
After careful consideration of the factors discussed above with respect to each of the named executive officers, the Compensation Committees approved base salary changes for our named executive officers. The table below describes, for each NEO, the 2021 base salary, the base salary increase and the 2022 base salary.
Name |
|
2021(1) |
|
Annual Salary |
|
2022(2) |
|
Matt Goldberg (3) |
|
N/A |
|
N/A |
|
$800,000 |
|
Mike Noonan (3) |
|
N/A |
|
N/A |
|
$525,000 |
|
Seth Kalvert |
|
$495,000 |
|
$20,000 |
|
$515,000 |
|
Stephen Kaufer |
|
$850,000 |
|
N/A |
|
$850,000 |
|
Ernst Teunissen |
|
$526,000 |
|
$26,000 |
|
$552,000 |
|
Kanika Soni |
|
$510,000 |