COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Compensation
Philosophy
We believe it is important to align the interests of our directors
and management with those of our shareholders. In this regard, we
have determined that it generally is beneficial to us and to our
shareholders for our directors and management to have a stake in
our long-term performance. We expect that a meaningful component of
the compensation packages for our directors and management will
consist of equity interests in Ardmore in order to promote this
alignment of interests.
Equity Incentive
Plan
We currently have an equity incentive plan, the 2013 Equity
Incentive Plan (the “plan”), under which directors, officers, and
employees (including any prospective officer or employee) of us and
our subsidiaries and affiliates, and consultants and service
providers (including persons who are employed by or provide
services to any entity that is itself a consultant or service
provider) to us and our subsidiaries and affiliates, as well as
entities wholly-owned or generally exclusively controlled by such
persons, may be eligible to receive incentive stock options,
non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted
stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalent rights,
unrestricted stock and other equity-based or equity-related awards
that the plan administrator determines are consistent with the
purposes of the plan and our interests. Subject to adjustment for
changes in capitalization, the aggregate number of shares of our
common stock with respect to which awards may at any time be
granted under the plan will not exceed 8% of the issued and
outstanding shares of our common stock at the time of issuance of
the award. The plan is administered by the Compensation
Committee of the Board. For additional information about the plan
please see Item 6.B of our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year
ended December 31, 2021.
Director and Senior Management Compensation
We paid $1.9 million in aggregate cash compensation to our five
senior executive officers for 2021. This amount excludes
equity-based compensation.
Stock Appreciation Rights
(“SARs”)
As at December 31, 2021, we had granted 3,710,473 SARs (inclusive
of 5,779 forfeited SARs) to certain of our officers and directors
under the plan. Under an SAR award, the grantee is entitled to
receive the appreciation of a share of our common stock following
the grant of the award. Each SAR provides for a payment of an
amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of a
share of our common stock at the time of exercise of the SAR over
the per share exercise price of the SAR, multiplied by the number
of shares for which the SAR is then exercised. Payment under the
SAR will be made in the form of shares of our common stock, based
on the fair market value of a share of our common stock at the time
of exercise of the SAR.
On March 4, 2021 we granted 610,691 SARs to our officers.
The SARs vest in three equal annual tranches, have a contractual
term of seven years and provide for certain dividend equivalent
rights pursuant to which the holder will be entitled upon vesting
of the SARs to payment in the form of additional shares equal to
the value of any cash dividends declared and payable during the
applicable vesting period with respect to the shares underlying the
portion of the SARs that vest.
Restricted Stock Units
(“RSUs”)
On March 4, 2021, we granted 56,957 RSUs to certain of our
directors that will vest in 12 months from the date of grant. On
the same day, we granted 302,923 RSUs to certain of our officers
that will vest in three equal annual tranches. On June 7, 2021, we
granted 95,583 RSUs to certain of our directors that will vest in
twelve months from the date of grant.
Under an RSU award, the grantee is entitled to receive a share of
our common stock for each RSU at the end of the vesting period.
Payment under the RSU will be made in the form of shares of our
common stock. The RSU awards include dividend equivalent rights
equal in number to the number of shares underlying the award of
RSUs granted.