Dear Shareholders,
In 2023, the Helios Technologies ("Helios") team continued to execute on the business transformation into an integrated operating company that we laid out nearly four years ago. I am proud of how our team persevered while addressing the impacts of several macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical events in 2023. For further details on our fiscal 2023 performance and the progress we are making please see my Letter to Shareholders in our 2023 Annual Report and 10-K.
We continued to advance on our ESG journey. Highlights included:
- Governance: Our Board always seeks investor input and actively evaluates its governance policies and structure provided in shareholder feedback. As part of our active engagement with our shareholders, we reached out to holders of approximately 83% of our shares outstanding. This year's topics included: executive compensation, board structure, ESG metrics and trends, capital allocation, and our business transformation. While we believe we have a strong board refreshment process as over half of our board has been refreshed within the past four years, our board has started to actively discuss the timing of proposing the declassification of our board along with a potential transition from plurality to majority voting structure. While a classified board structure has a number of advantages including the promotion of continuity, stability and encouragement for a board to plan for long-term goals, we recognize that a declassified board can better enable stockholders to express a view on each director's performance by means of an annual vote and further provide stockholders a more active role in shaping and implementing corporate governance policies and holding management accountable for implementing those policies.
- Environmental Sustainability: We made capital investments in our manufacturing and operating strategy to create Centers of Excellence with increased automation and efficiency in operations while supporting our "in the region, for the region" manufacturing strategy. As we have added and acquired additional capacity, we have maintained our disciplined approach to methodically achieving ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification on our manufacturing sites. ISO is an independent, non-governmental organization that develops standards to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of products, services, and systems. These standards help our business improve efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction. It also provides a framework as we look for continuous improvements and incremental steps toward achieving our long-term commitment of net zero greenhouse gas emission (GHG) by 2050 for our operated assets.
- Social Responsibility: Critical to our evolution is the development of our talent and engagement of our employees. In alignment with our strategy, it is critical that we continue to cultivate, accelerate, and elevate our talent across the organization. In 2023, we launched our global talent management system through Cornerstone that encompasses Helios' performance management, learning management, and career development. As a part of our new regional structure alignment in Hydraulics, several of our colleagues were given the opportunity to move between operating companies and take on larger roles. We also welcomed a new Chief Financial Officer, Sean Bagan, who brings over 20 years of international business, strategic financial operations, and leadership experience, along with a proven track record of building, growing, and transforming businesses in the U.S. and internationally.
You are cordially invited to attend the Helios Annual Meeting of Shareholders on June 6, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), in Boston, MA at The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114. All Helios shareholders of record at the close of business on April 9, 2024 are welcome to attend the Annual Meeting, but it is important that your shares are represented at the Annual Meeting even if you do not plan to attend. To ensure you will be represented, as soon as possible please vote by telephone, mail, or online.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and our leadership team, I would like to express our appreciation for your continued interest in and support of Helios Technologies.
Sincerely,
Josef Matosevic
President & CEO
Helios Technologies, Inc.
HELIOS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Helios Technologies, Inc., a Florida corporation, will be held in person on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) at The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114 for the following purposes:
- To elect one Director to serve until the Annual Meeting in 2027, whom shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified or until an earlier resignation, removal from office or death.
- To ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 28, 2024.
- To conduct an advisory vote to approve Named Executive Officer compensation.
- To transact such other business as properly may come before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
Shareholders of record at the close of business on April 9, 2024 (referred to herein as the "record date"), are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting and any adjournment thereof.
We sent a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about April 25, 2024 and provided access to our proxy materials over the Internet beginning April 25, 2024, for the holders of record and beneficial owners of our common stock as of the close of business on the record date. If you received a Notice of Internet Availability by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials in the mail. Instead, the Notice of Internet Availability instructs you on how to access and review this proxy statement and our annual report and authorize a proxy online to vote your shares. If you received a Notice of Internet Availability by mail and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials included in the Notice of Internet Availability.
If your shares are held in street name by a brokerage, your broker will supply the Notice of Internet Availability instructions on how to access and review this proxy statement and our annual report and authorize a proxy online to vote your shares. If you receive paper copies of the materials from your broker by mail, please mark, sign, date and return your proxy card to the brokerage. It is important that you return your proxy to the brokerage as quickly as possible so that the brokerage may vote your shares. You may not vote your shares in person at the Meeting unless you obtain a power of attorney or legal proxy from your broker authorizing you to vote the shares, and you present this power of attorney or proxy at the Meeting.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Marc A. Greenberg
General Counsel & Secretary
Sarasota, Florida
April 25, 2024
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS
FOR THE SHAREHOLDERS MEETING TO BE HELD ON JUNE 6, 2024
This Proxy Statement and our Annual Report to Shareholders are available at: www.viewproxy.com/HeliosTechnologies/2024 and https://ir.heliostechnologies.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS | ||
Page | ||
Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders | ||
Proxy Statement | 1 | |
Proposal 1 - Election of Directors | 3 | |
Governance of the Company | 4 | |
Directors and Executive Officers | 4 | |
Board Leadership Structure and the Board's Role in Risk Oversight | 9 | |
Independence and Committees of the Board of Directors | 10 | |
Shareholder Recommendations for Nomination as a Director | 11 | |
Director Participation and Relationships | 11 | |
Board Diversity and Tenure | 12 | |
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance | 12 | |
Communications with the Board of Directors | 12 | |
Independence and Committees of the Board of Directors | 13 | |
Our Purpose, Mission and Shared Values Shape our Culture | 15 | |
Aligning our Company's Goals with our Culture | 17 | |
2023 Product Highlights | 21 | |
How we Approach Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG): | 22 | |
Holding Ourselves Accountable through Strong ESG Governance | 23 | |
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Matters | 23 | |
Audit Committee Report | 32 | |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions | 33 | |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters | 34 | |
Executive Compensation | 36 | |
Compensation Discussion and Analysis | 36 | |
Executive Summary | 36 | |
Compensation Philosophy and Objectives | 38 | |
Shareholder Engagement and Say on Pay | 38 | |
Compensation Policies and Practices | 40 | |
Compensation Process and Approach | 41 | |
Components of Executive Compensation | 42 | |
Risks Arising from Compensation Policies and Practices | 47 | |
Employment Agreements and Change-in-Control Provisions | 49 | |
Compensation Committee Report | 51 | |
Summary Compensation Table | 52 | |
Grants of Plan-Based Awards | 54 | |
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End | 55 | |
Option Exercises and Stock Vested | 56 | |
Pension Benefits | 56 | |
2024 Proxy Statement | | i | |
Table of Contents
Page | |
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation | 56 |
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control | 56 |
CEO to Median Employee Pay Ratio | 58 |
Pay vs. Performance | 59 |
Director Compensation | 62 |
Equity Compensation Plan Information | 63 |
Proposal 2 - Ratification of the Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 64 |
Proposal 3 - Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation | 65 |
Other Business | 66 |
Requirements, Including Deadlines, for Submission of Proxy Proposals and Nomination of Directors by | |
Shareholders for the 2025 Proxy Statement and Presentation at the 2025 Annual Meeting | 67 |
ii | 2024 Proxy Statement
HELIOS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
7456 16th Street East
Sarasota, Florida 34243
PROXY STATEMENT
This proxy overview is a summary of information that you will find throughout this proxy statement. As this is only an overview, we encourage you to read the entire proxy statement, which was first distributed to our shareholders on or about April 25, 2024.
2024 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Time and Date: | Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time |
Place: | The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114 |
Record Date: | April 9, 2024 |
Voting: | Shareholders as of April 9, 2024 (the "record date") may vote by mail, over the internet or by telephone |
on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 5, 2024 for shares held directly and by | |
11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 30, 2024 for shares held in a Plan through one of the | |
following options: |
By completing, signing and dating the voting instructions in the envelope provided
By the internet at
www.fcrvote.com/HLIO
By telephone at 1-866-402-3905
In person by completing, signing and dating a ballot at the annual meeting
Any proxy delivered pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked, at the option of the person executing the proxy, at any time before it is exercised by delivering a signed revocation to the Company, by submitting a later-dated proxy or by attending the meeting in person and casting a ballot. If proxies are signed and returned without voting instructions, the shares represented by the proxies will be voted as recommended by the Board of Directors (the "Board"). If you are a shareholder of record, you may vote by granting a proxy. Specifically, you may vote:
- By Internet-If you have Internet access, you may submit your proxy by going to www.fcrvote.com/HLIO and by following the instructions on how to complete an electronic proxy card. You will need the 16-digit number included on your Notice or your proxy card in order to vote by Internet.
- By Telephone-If you have access to a touch-tone telephone, you may submit your proxy by dialing 1-866-402-3905 and by following the recorded instructions. You will need the 16-digit number included on your Notice or your proxy card in order to vote by telephone.
- By Mail-You may vote by mail by returning the card in the envelope that will be provided to you. You should sign your name exactly as it appears on the proxy card. If you are signing in a representative capacity (for example, as guardian, executor, trustee, custodian, attorney or officer of a corporation), indicate your name and title or capacity.
- In Person-You may vote by attending the Meeting in person and casting a ballot.
The cost of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Company. In addition to the use of the mail, proxies may be solicited personally, by internet or by telephone by regular employees of the Company. The Company does not expect to pay any compensation for the solicitation of proxies, but may reimburse brokers and other persons holding stock in their names, or in the names of nominees, for their expense in sending proxy materials to their principals and obtaining their proxies. The approximate date on which this Proxy Statement and enclosed form of proxy first has been mailed or made available over the Internet to shareholders is as of April 25, 2024.
2024 Proxy Statement | 1
PROXY STATEMENT
The close of business on April 9, 2024, has been designated as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting. As of April 9, 2024, 33,159,682 shares of the Company's Common Stock, par value $.001 per share, were issued and outstanding. Each shareholder will be entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock registered in his or her name on the books of the Company on the close of business on April 9, 2024, on all matters that come before the Meeting. Abstentions will be counted as shares that are present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present. Shares held by nominees for beneficial owners will also be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present if the nominee has the discretion to vote on at least one of the matters presented, even though the nominee may not exercise discretionary voting power with respect to other matters and even though voting instructions have not been received from the beneficial owner (a "broker non-vote"). Brokers have the discretionary voting power with respect to the ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent public accounting firm.
Vote Required
Directors are elected by a plurality of votes cast (meaning that the one Director nominee who receives the highest number of shares voted "for" the election are elected). "Withhold" votes and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose and will have no effect on the election of the nominee.
The ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is approved if the votes cast favoring the action exceed the votes cast opposing the action. Abstentions are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose and will have no effect on the vote for this proposal. This proposal is considered a routine matter on which a broker will have discretionary authority to vote on the proposal should a beneficial holder not provide voting instructions. For that reason, if you are a beneficial holder and you wish to vote "for," "against" or "abstain" from this proposal, you will have to provide your broker with such an instruction. Otherwise, your broker will vote in its discretion.
The advisory vote on Named Executive Officer compensation is approved if the votes cast favoring the action exceed the votes cast opposing the action. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose and will have no effect on the vote for this proposal.
2023 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS*
SALES | Net Income | Adjusted Net | Adjusted EBITDA |
Income |
$836 | $38 | $77 | $161 |
MILLION | MILLION | MILLION | MILLION |
ADJUSTED Free | Diluted EPS | Net debt/pro forma | |
Cash Flow | Adjusted EBITDA | ||
$52 | $1.14 | 3.0x | |
MILLION | PER SHARE |
- See Appendix A for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to our results as reported under generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States.
2 | 2024 Proxy Statement
PROPOSAL - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
1
The Board of Directors recommends a vote "FOR" the nominee.
The Board of Directors recommends that you vote "FOR" Mr. Matosevic to serve until the Company's annual meeting in 2027, or until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified.
The Board of the Company currently consists of seven members. The Board is divided into three classes of Directors serving staggered three-year terms. Directors hold their positions until the annual meeting of shareholders in the year in which their terms expire, until their respective successors are elected and qualified, or until their earlier resignation, removal from office or death.
The term of office of one of the Company's current seven Directors - Josef Matosevic, will expire at the Meeting. The Nominating Committee to the Board of Directors has selected Mr. Matosevic as nominee to stand for reelection to the Board at the Meeting, to serve until the Company's annual meeting of shareholders in 2027.
In making its nomination of Mr. Matosevic, the Nominating Committee reviewed the background of Mr. Matosevic and believes he has valuable individual skills and experiences that, taken together, provide the Company with the diversity and depth of knowledge, judgment and vision necessary to provide effective oversight.
Biographical information for the nominee is set forth below under "Directors and Executive Officers."
Shareholders may vote for up to one nominee for the class of Directors who will serve until the Company's annual meeting in 2027. If a quorum is present at the meeting, Directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast. Shareholders may not vote cumulatively in the election of Directors. In the event that the nominee would be unable to serve, which is not anticipated, the Proxy Committee, which consists of Diana Sacchi and Philippe Lemaitre, will vote for such other person or persons for the office of Director as the Board may recommend.
2024 Proxy Statement | 3
GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY
Directors and Executive Officers
The following tables set forth the names and ages of the Company's current Directors and current Executive Officers and the positions they hold with the Company. Executive Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board.
Name/Age/Independence/Tenure
Committee Membership
(C: Chair)
Biographies | Audit Comp. Nom. ESG |
Philippe Lemaitre, 74
Independent Director and
Chairman of the Board
Chairman Since:
June 2013
Director Since:
June 2007
Former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Woodhead Industries, Inc., a publicly held automation and electrical products manufacturer. Prior to joining Woodhead in 1999, served as Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of AMP, Inc. and had responsibility for AMP Computer and Telecom Business Group Worldwide. Prior to joining AMP, served as Executive Vice President of TRW, Inc. and also General Manager of TRW Automotive Electronics Group Worldwide. He previously held various management and research engineering positions with TRW, Inc., International TechneGroup, Inc., General Electric Company and Engineering Systems International. Mr. Lemaitre also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Multi-Fineline Electronix, Inc. from March 2011 until the sale of the company in July 2016. Has over 35 years of experience in the development of technology and with technology-driven businesses, his track record of successfully managing global business functions including sales, engineering, research and manufacturing operations, and his role as Chairman of another public company provide a wealth of experience in key areas of the Company's business and governance. Mr. Lemaitre holds a Master of Civil Engineering degree from Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics, Paris, France, and a Master of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley, California.
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Douglas M. Britt, 59
Independent Director
Director Since:
December 2016
President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Corporation, a multinational leader in engineered materials and thermal management solutions, with a workforce of over 6,000 employees, since May 2020. Previously, he served as President of the Integrated Solutions division of Flex Agility (NASDAQ: FLEX), a leading sketch-to-scale solutions company that provides innovative design, engineering, manufacturing, real-time supply chain insight, and logistics services to companies of all sizes in various industries and end-markets. Responsible for a $19B business within Flex Agility, which operates in over 30 countries with a workforce of over 200,000 employees. From May 2009 to November 2012, Mr. Britt served as Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Americas for Future Electronics, and from November 2007 to May 2009, was Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Marketing, and Operations for Silicon Graphics. From January 2000 to October 2007, Mr. Britt held positions of increasing responsibility at Solectron Corporation, culminating his career there as Executive Vice President, and responsible for Solectron's customer business segments including sales, marketing and account and program management functions. As an executive at multinational companies,
Mr. Britt has extensive global mergers and acquisition experience, global manufacturing and supply chain expertise and a deep understanding of customer relationships and leading a global business. Mr. Britt holds a Bachelor's degree in business administration from California State University, Chico, and attended executive education programs throughout Europe, including the University of London.
C
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- | 2024 Proxy Statement
Name/Age/Independence/Tenure
Governance of the Company
Committee Membership
(C: Chair)
Biographies | Audit Comp. Nom. ESG |
Laura Dempsey Brown, 60
Independent Director
Director Since:
April 2020
Previously the Senior Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations for
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Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), a leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products, reporting directly to Grainger's CEO and Chairman, until her retirement in 2018 after 19 years, including serving as Vice President of Marketing, as well as leading the strategy development and operational execution of Grainger's multi-year market expansion initiative focused on the top 25 U.S. metro markets. Ms. Dempsey Brown also served as the Vice President of Finance for Grainger's field sales, operations, marketing and e-business functions. Prior to joining Grainger, Ms. Dempsey Brown was a Vice President at Alliant Foodservice and at Dietary Products at Baxter. She began her career at Baxter in 1985 focusing primarily on financial roles in the distribution and manufacturing businesses.
Ms. Dempsey Brown has over 18 years in finance or accounting leadership roles and has extensive knowledge in strategy, M&A, corporate governance, crisis management and general overall business acumen. Ms. Dempsey Brown holds a Bachelor's degree in accounting from Indiana University and obtained designation as a Certified Public Accountant in 1985.
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C
Cariappa (Cary) M. Chenanda, 56
Independent Director
Director Since:
April 2020
Vice President and Officer at Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI), a global power provider, whose products range from diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains as well as powertrain-related components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, batteries, electrified power systems, hydrogen generation and fuel cell products. Mr. Chenanda has been with Cummins Inc. for 26 years and currently leads their global Emission Solutions business. Previously established and led Cummins Electronics in 2012 and in 2017, and oversaw the unification of the Cummins Electronics and Cummins Fuel System Businesses into one combined business. From 2009 to 2012, served as Executive Director for Global OE Sales and was responsible for new product development at Cummins Filtration in Nashville, TN. From 2007 to 2009, served as the General Manager for the Cummins-Scania Fuel Systems Joint Venture and managed the Fuel Systems startup in Wuhan, China. Between 1998 and 2007, had roles with increasing responsibility in engineering, marketing and purchasing within the Engine Business. Mr. Chenanda has also worked for Ecolab and Robert Bosch GmbH. He is a Certified Purchasing Manager, a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and holds 7 United States patents. Mr. Chenanda currently serves on the Industry Advisory Council for Texas A&M's Mechanical Engineering and is a board member of the Columbus Regional Hospital Foundation in Indiana. Mr. Chenanda holds an MBA from Indiana University's Kelly School of Business, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Mysore, India.
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2024 Proxy Statement | 5
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Helios Technologies Inc. published this content on 25 April 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 25 April 2024 20:42:28 UTC.