- The Incumbents desperately want your vote now, but you
should consider that they set up an entirely virtual meeting to
thwart verbal questions from shareholders and to avoid
accountability at the AGSM
- The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability are shareholders
– just like you! – and like you, want accountability and
results
- The Incumbents now want you to believe you only have two
options: (1) re-elect us OR ELSE (2) cause an event of default
under Voxtur's credit agreements and potentially expose the
shareholders to having to pay Gary
Yeoman an exorbitant sum under his employment agreement –the
shareholders should never have been put into this
situation
- We have serious concerns about the poor judgement, and
potential conflicts of interest and potential breaches of the duty
of care displayed by the Incumbents who negotiated these agreements
– they do not reflect putting the best interest of the shareholders
first
- The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability urge all
shareholders to vote for its highly qualified Board
nominees
PLYMOUTH, Minn., June 24,
2024 /CNW/ - A group of shareholders (the
"Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability", "we",
"us", or "our") of Voxtur Analytics Corp. (TSXV:
VXTR) (OTCQB: VXTRF) ("Voxtur" or the "Company"),
wishes to set the record straight for Voxtur shareholders regarding
the recent statements made by Voxtur's entrenched board of
directors and certain members of the management team (the
"Incumbents"), and reaffirm our support for our six highly
qualified nominees (the "Shareholder Nominees") to be
elected to the board of directors (the "Board") at Voxtur's
Annual General and Special Meeting (the "AGSM") scheduled to
be held virtually at https://virtualmeetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1654
(password: voxtur2024) on Friday, June 28,
2024 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern
Time).
Having now engaged Laurel Hill Advisory Group to support their
campaign against accountability – all at additional unnecessary and
undisclosed cost to be borne by Voxtur shareholders – the
Incumbents make numerous serious and false statements targeted at
the Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability and our objectives. We
feel it is necessary to provide a detailed response so that all
Voxtur shareholders can make an informed voting decision.
- Voxtur's Claim: The Shareholder Nominees' Interests are not
Aligned with Other Shareholders
TRUTH: The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability
are led by RPC Ventures Fund 1, LP ("RPC"), and have
received support from additional Voxtur shareholders, who together
with RPC hold in the aggregate approximately 19.3% of the
total issued and outstanding common shares of Voxtur (the
"Voxtur Shares").1 To be clear, this is not a
"take-over" as the Incumbents have alleged. Rather,
maximization of shareholder value is our sole objective and we have
no ulterior motives or any other purpose. We are not secured
creditors of the Company, or creditors of any sort, and we have no
practical ability or intention, or incentive to push Voxtur into
insolvency in order to acquire the assets of Voxtur at a
significant discount as the Incumbents have cynically claimed –
given that insolvency would mean, by definition, that our interest
and our supporters' interests would be worthless. Aside from
Voxtur's Chair and Interim CEO, Gary
Yeoman, no current member of Voxtur management nor any of
their proposed board nominees holds a meaningful number of Voxtur
Shares. Yet, the Incumbents hypocritically insist that
our interests are not aligned with the interests of
other shareholders. It is obvious that the
Incumbents' interests are not aligned with Voxtur
shareholders.
__________________
1
|
As at May 17, 20024
(the record date for the AGSM), Voxtur reports that it had
721,276,024 Voxtur Shares issued and outstanding.
|
- Voxtur's Claim: There are Concerns that the Shareholder
Nominees have Acted Improperly
TRUTH: The Incumbents have commented that the Shareholder
Nominees may be acting "jointly or in concert", without any
supporting facts or explanation. Instead of constructively engaging
with the Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability, the Incumbents are
now attempting to paint the Shareholder Nominees as "joint actors"
in what we believe is a bad faith effort to frustrate our ability
to exercise one of the most fundamental rights we hold as Voxtur
shareholders: the right to elect the directors of Voxtur. And, most
importantly, we do not believe management's slate of proposed
directors has the necessary experience or track record to
accomplish what is needed by Voxtur at this time.
To be clear, none of the Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability
nor any of the Shareholder Nominees have, in any way, used any
material non-public information or insider information regarding
the Company, nor have they acted jointly or in concert in any
manner contrary to securities laws. Accordingly, Voxtur's
allegations in this regard are nothing more than misplaced fear
mongering.
- Voxtur's Claim: The Election of the Shareholder Nominees May
Trigger an Event of Default
TRUTH: The Incumbents have made vague assertions that a
vote for the Shareholder Nominees risks triggering an event of
default under "certain covenants in the Company's credit
agreements". We welcome the opportunity to review and consider the
credit agreements. It goes without saying that the Shareholder
Nominees will work proactively with BMO with respect to credit
agreement matters. However, in an intolerable failure to comply
with good corporate governance practices and applicable Canadian
securities laws, Voxtur either refuses or in any case has failed to
publicly file such material agreements on SEDAR+. We have demanded
that Voxtur's management immediately publicly file the credit
agreements so that all Voxtur shareholders have an opportunity to
consider the Incumbents' alarmist comments and we reiterate that
demand in this press release.
We have serious concerns about the judgment of a board of
directors and management team that would agree to "change of
control" covenants in Voxtur's credit agreements that effectively
limit Voxtur shareholders to two options: (1) vote for the
Incumbents OR ELSE (2) trigger an event of default under
your Company's credit agreements. If, in fact, the Incumbents have
agreed to bind Voxtur to these draconian terms, we have profound
concerns that the Incumbents may have breached their duty of good
faith and loyalty and their duty of care they owe to the Company
and you, the Voxtur shareholders.
On the topic of events of default, Voxtur has disclosed that
Gary Yeoman's employment agreement
contains a change of control provision that, if triggered, requires
Voxtur to pay his annual base salary for the "balance of the
eight-year term of his contract" or such other amount as
the TSX Venture Exchange (or other applicable stock exchange) may
allow. You read that right: Voxtur's board of directors and
management were so uncertain that the TSX Venture Exchange (or
other applicable stock exchange) would allow such eye-watering
golden parachute payments, that they simply agreed that Voxtur
would pay Gary Yeoman the maximum
that the stock exchange would actually allow. As a reminder,
Gary Yeoman's annual base salary is
US$1,000,000. Moreover, if the
change of control occurs after January 29,
2027, the amount of Gary
Yeoman's golden parachute payments are double his annual
salary. This incentive structure certainly raises questions about
the Incumbents' motives in resisting the election of the
Shareholder Nominees.
- Voxtur's Claim: The Incumbents Have Made Meaningful Progress
in Voxtur's "Turnaround"
TRUTH: In their June 21,
2024 press release, the Incumbents claim to have executed on
a "comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing long-term shareholder
value" over the past fourteen months. Despite these claimed
efforts, the position of Voxtur shareholders during the past
fourteen months has deteriorated significantly, with trading prices
for Voxtur Shares declining by over 60% and trading volumes
declining by over 88%.2
In the June 21, 2024 press
release, the Incumbents also disclosed for the first time that in
January 2024 the Company had engaged
a financial advisor to conduct a strategic review. We think it is a
fair question to ask: how is it possible that under the Incumbents'
supervision, the strategic review has failed to locate a
value-unlocking transaction in the nearly seven months since its
commencement?
- Voxtur's Claim: The Shareholder Nominees Lack
Qualifications
TRUTH: The Incumbents have claimed that the Shareholder
Nominees lack experience to lead Voxtur. On the contrary, it is
obvious that the Incumbent's nominees for the Board are simply out
of their depths. As the Incumbents themselves have stated, Blue
Water Financial Technologies, LLC and Blue Water Financial
Technologies Services, LLC (collectively "Blue Water") is a
"prized asset" of Voxtur and key to Voxtur's future. The experience
gained by several of the Shareholder Nominees in the course of the
growth of Blue Water will be key to righting the ship for
Voxtur.
The Incumbents have also failed to consider the importance of
the Blue Water teams, including Alan P.
Qureshi, and the devastating loss to Voxtur in the event of
Mr. Qureshi's departure from Blue Water.
- Voxtur's Claim: Support the Incumbents to Support your
Investment
TRUTH: Voxtur's management chose to set up the AGSM in an
entirely virtual format. We understand that at the AGSM,
shareholders will not be permitted to ask verbal questions and all
motions and comments are required to be made by text. Make no
mistake – the Incumbents chose this entirely virtual format and we
think it is fair to ask: did they set up the AGSM in an entirely
virtual format to insulate themselves from constructive verbal
engagement with shareholders? If they did, why trust a
board/management team that deliberately puts up roadblocks for you
to exercise your rights as a shareholder?
__________________
2
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Voxtur Share price
source: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/quote/VXTR.V/.
|
- Voxtur's Claim: The Incumbents Have No Credible
Plan
TRUTH: The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability have
been transparent and forthright from the beginning. In our
June 19, 2024 press release we
outlined a six-point plan that just makes sense:
- Install a Board and management team with expertise in the
US residential mortgage market.
- Implement a long-term strategic plan for sustainable
shareholder performance.
- Conduct a strategic asset review to identify
opportunities for value creation.
- Enhance the transparency of financial
reporting.
- 5Optimize Voxtur's corporate
structure.
- Install transformational leadership change for
Voxtur.
The Incumbents would have you believe that they are diligently
executing on an effective strategy. This could not be further from
the truth. The fact is that: chaos reigns supreme at Voxtur.
Take these recent examples:
- Gary Yeoman stated that the
Voxtur's Real Property Tax Assessment software and tax business
(RPTA) could be bigger than Blue Water.3 Any material
uptake of RPTA would require a fair and public request for proposal
(RFP) process by a taxing authority. Yet, it has been years since
Voxtur shareholders have heard any meaningful updates on RPTA, let
alone any developments regarding Voxtur's participation in an
RFP.
- At one point, Voxtur stated that Voxtur AOL (attorney opinion
letter) would drive innovation and change.4 Despite the
potential we see in Voxtur AOL, we have yet to see any traction and
for some reason, the Incumbents have swept this offering under the
rug.
The Incumbents are grasping at straws and lack a coherent plan.
It is time for Voxtur to be proactive (not reactive) with respect
to Voxtur's business. The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability
have the required proactive plan.
YOUR VOTE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, PLEASE VOTE
NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. (EASTERN TIME) ON
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2024 (OR EARLIER IF REQUIRED BY YOUR
BROKER)
If you have misplaced your form of proxy or voting instruction
form, or if you have questions or need assistance in completing and
submitting your proxy or voting instruction form or changing your
vote, please contact Nicholas H.
Smith by email to: inquiries@riceparkcapital.com.
__________________
3
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Gary Yeoman interview
with YouTube user AlmostMongolian:
https://youtu.be/-E3tQIvTBQE?si=pIpU1r1mWDJUIea4&t=3890
|
4
|
https://financialpost.com/globe-newswire/voxtur-to-provide-attorney-opinion-letters-on-va-home-loans
|
Additional Information |
Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption
The following information is provided in accordance with
Canadian corporate and securities laws applicable to public
broadcast solicitations. The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability
are relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 and
section 112 (1.2) of the Ontario
Business Corporations Act to make this public broadcast
solicitation.
This solicitation is being made by the Voxtur Shareholders for
Accountability and not by or on behalf of the management of Voxtur.
The registered office address of Voxtur is located at 543 Ridout
Street N, London, Ontario, Canada,
N6A 2P8.
The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability have filed this press
release containing the information required by section 9.2(4)(c) of
NI 51-102 and have filed the Information Document containing the
information required by section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 and Form
51-102F5 - Information Circular in respect of the
Shareholder Nominees on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca.
The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability may solicit proxies
in reliance upon the public broadcast exemption to the solicitation
requirements under applicable Canadian corporate and securities
laws, conveyed by way of public broadcast, including through press
releases, speeches or publications, and by any other manner
permitted under applicable Canadian laws. All costs incurred for
the solicitation will be borne by the Voxtur Shareholders for
Accountability.
A registered holder of Voxtur Shares that gives a proxy may
revoke it: (a) by completing and signing a proxy bearing a later
date and depositing it in accordance with the instructions
contained in Voxtur's management information circular; (b) by
depositing an instrument in writing revoking the proxy executed by
the shareholder or by the shareholder's attorney authorized in
writing (i) at Voxtur's registered office at any time up to and
including the last business day preceding the day of the AGSM or
any adjournment thereof at which the proxy is to be used, or (ii)
with the Chair of the AGSM immediately prior to the AGSM being
called to order or any adjournment thereof; or (c) in any other
manner permitted by law.
A non-registered holder of Voxtur Shares will be entitled to
revoke a form of proxy or voting instruction form given to an
intermediary at any time by written notice to the intermediary in
accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder
by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies
or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several
days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such
revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline
given in the form of proxy or voting instruction form by the
intermediary or its service company to ensure it is effective.
As of the date of this press release, shareholders holding
approximately 139,277,306 Voxtur Shares have signed support letters
in favor of the Shareholder Nominees, representing approximately
19.3% of the total issued and outstanding Voxtur Shares as of the
record date for the AGSM.
Additional Information | Interest in Matters to be Acted Upon
at the AGSM
Mr. Qureshi's employment agreement with Blue Water Financial
Technologies, LLC (a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of the
Company) provides that the severance amount for termination without
cause, or resignation by Mr. Qureshi citing a "good reason" (as
defined in the employment agreement), within six (6) months prior
to or twelve (12) months after a "change in control" (which
includes the election of the Shareholder Nominees to the Board, in
addition to other events described in the employment agreement), be
equal to three times Mr. Qureshi's annual base salary then in
effect and his average annual incentive compensation during the
term of his employment.
With the exception of the foregoing, to the knowledge of Voxtur
Shareholders for Accountability, none of the Voxtur Shareholders
for Accountability or any of the Shareholder Nominees or any of
their respective associates or affiliates has any material
interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of
securities or otherwise, in any matter currently known to be acted
upon at the AGSM other than the election of directors. In addition,
none of the Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability or any of the
Shareholder Nominees or any of their respective associates or
affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any
transaction since the beginning of the Company's most recently
completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has
materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any
of its subsidiaries.
Disclaimer
The information contained or referenced herein is for
information purposes only in order to provide the views of the
Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability and the matters which the
Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability believe to be of concern to
shareholders described herein. The information is not tailored to
specific investment objections, the financial situations,
suitability, or particular need of any specific person(s) who may
receive the information, and should not be taken as advice in
considering the merits of any investment decision. The views
expressed herein represent the views and options of the Voxtur
Shareholders for Accountability, whose opinions may change at any
time and which are based on the analyses of the Voxtur Shareholders
for Accountability.
Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking information within
the meaning of applicable securities laws. In general,
forward-looking information refers to disclosure about future
conditions, courses of action, and events. Forward-looking
information in this press release may include, but is not limited
to, statements of Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability regarding:
(i) the AGSM, including the intention of the Voxtur Shareholders
for Accountability to solicit proxies in connection
therewith, (ii) the proposed reconstitution of the Board, (iii) the
future of the Company and (iv) matters relating to the Company,
including its business, operations, financial condition and
strategic plan. All statements contained in this press release that
are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on
future events are forward‐looking, and the use of any of the words
"anticipates", "believes", "expects", "intends", "plans", "will",
"would", and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current
expectations of the Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability and
currently available information. Forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and
uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon
assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate.
The Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability undertake no obligation
to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events, or
otherwise, except as required by applicable securities
legislation.
SOURCE Voxtur Shareholders for Accountability