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Howmet Aerospace Inc. 8-K/A Report, Shareholder Vote Results (Jun 23, 2017)

Filed June 23, 2017For Securities:HWM

Summary

This 8-K/A filing from Arconic Inc. (formerly Howmet Aerospace Inc.) provides the final voting results from its May 25, 2017, Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Key outcomes include the election of five director nominees and the ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent auditor. Notably, all proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements (related to fair price protection, director elections, removal of directors, and board classification) failed to receive the necessary 80% approval from outstanding shares. However, an advisory vote on executive compensation was approved, and shareholders favored an annual frequency for such votes. The filing also clarifies that due to the outcome of the director election, Arconic will not be delivering a notice of change in control to the trustee of its grantor trust. Finally, it updates the advance notice deadline for shareholder proposals intended to be presented directly at the 2018 annual meeting.

Key Highlights

  • 1Final voting results for the May 25, 2017, Annual Meeting of Shareholders are disclosed.
  • 2Five director nominees were elected to the Board of Directors for three-year terms.
  • 3PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was ratified as the independent registered public accounting firm for 2017.
  • 4All four proposals seeking to eliminate supermajority voting requirements (Articles SEVENTH and EIGHTH) failed to achieve the required 80% approval from outstanding shares.
  • 5Shareholders approved, on an advisory basis, executive compensation.
  • 6Shareholders voted for an annual frequency for advisory votes on executive compensation.
  • 7The company will not issue a change in control notice to the grantor trust trustee due to the director election results.

Frequently Asked Questions

The key outcomes include the election of five directors, ratification of the independent auditor, approval of executive compensation on an advisory basis, and a preference for annual advisory votes on executive compensation. Importantly, proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements failed to pass.

These proposals required the favorable vote of 80% of the shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. The final voting results show that while there was significant support, these proposals did not meet that high threshold for approval.

This indicates that the outcome of the director election did not meet the criteria for a 'change in control' as defined in the trust agreement. This prevents certain actions or payouts related to nonqualified deferred compensation and retirement plans that might have been triggered by a change in control.

For any proposal not submitted for inclusion in the 2018 proxy statement but intended to be presented directly at the 2018 annual meeting, notice must be received by February 24, 2018.