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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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Crexendo, Inc.
1615 South 52nd
Street
Tempe, Arizona 85281
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To be held on December 18, 2017
The
annual meeting of shareholders of Crexendo, Inc. will be held at
our corporate headquarters located at 1615 South 52nd Street, Tempe, AZ,
85281 on December 18, 2017 at 2:00 p.m., local time.
The
purpose of the meeting is to consider, discuss and vote upon the
following proposals:
●
To
consider and vote upon a proposal to adopt a policy that
independent directors shall have no time limitation regarding
service on the Board of Directors;
●
To
consider and vote upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of
Urish Popeck & Co., LLC as our independent registered public
accounting firm for our year ending December 31, 2017;
●
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the
meeting, or any adjournment or postponement of the
meeting.
The two
proposals described above are more fully described in the proxy
statement accompanying this notice. Only shareholders of record at
the close of business on October 27, 2017 may vote at the meeting
or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.
Your
vote is important. Please complete, sign, date and return your
proxy card in the enclosed envelope promptly.
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By
order of our Board of Directors,
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By:
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/s/
Jeffrey
G. Korn
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Jeffrey G. Korn,
Secretary
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November
3, 2017
Crexendo, Inc.
1615 South 52nd
Street
Tempe, Arizona 85281
_____________________
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To be held December 18, 2017
_____________________
SOLICITATION AND REVOCABILITY OF PROXY
General
We are
furnishing you this proxy statement in connection with the
solicitation by our Board of Directors of proxies from holders of
outstanding shares of our common stock, to be voted at our annual
meeting of shareholders to be held on December 18, 2017 at 1615
South 52nd
Street, Tempe, AZ, 85281, at 2:00 p.m. local time, and at any and
all postponements or adjournments thereof. This proxy statement and
the enclosed form of proxy card are being first mailed or made
available to our shareholders on or about November 3,
2017.
The
purpose of the meeting is to consider, discuss and vote on the
following proposals:
●
To
consider and vote upon a proposal adopt a policy that independent
directors shall have no time limitation regarding service on the
Board of Directors;
●
To consider and vote upon a proposal to ratify the
appointment of Urish Popeck & Co., LLC as our independent
registered public accounting firm for our year ending December 31,
2017;
●
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the
meeting, or any adjournment or postponement of the
meeting.
We
use several abbreviations in this proxy statement. We may refer to
our company as “us,” “we,”
“Crexendo” or the “company.” The term
“meeting” generally refers to our 2017 Annual Meeting
of Shareholders and references to our “Board” refer to
our Board of Directors.
The
enclosed annual report to shareholders is not to be regarded as
proxy soliciting material. If you would like an additional copy of
the enclosed annual report, please contact us at 1615 South
52nd
Street, Tempe, AZ, 85281, Attn: Investor Relations, telephone:
(602) 714-8500.
Record Date and Voting Securities
Our
Board has fixed the close of business on October 27, 2017 as the
record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to
receive notice of and to vote at the meeting and any adjournment or
postponement of the meeting. Only holders of record of our common
stock on October 27, 2017 (the “Record Date”) are
entitled to vote at the meeting. If your shares are owned of record
in the name of a broker or other nominee, you should follow the
voting instructions provided by your nominee. Each holder of record
of our common stock at the close of business on the Record Date is
entitled to one vote per share on each matter to be voted upon by
our shareholders at the meeting. As of the Record Date there were
14,275,555 shares of common stock issued and
outstanding.
Voting and Revocability of Proxies
Our
Board is soliciting the accompanying proxy for use at the meeting.
Shareholders of record as of the Record Date can vote their proxy
via one of three ways. It is not necessary to mail your proxy card
if you are voting by internet or fax. If you have questions in
regards to your proxy, or need assistance in voting, please contact
our independent proxy tabulator, Issuer Direct Corp. at
866.752.8683, proxy@iproxydirect.com.
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VOTE BY MAIL: Please mark, sign, date, and return this Proxy
Card promptly using the enclosed envelope.
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VOTE BY FAX: Please mark, sign and date this proxy card
promptly and fax to 202-521-3464.
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VOTE BY INTERNET: www.iproxydirect.com
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If you
submit a proxy using one of the methods described above, your proxy
may be revoked at any time prior to its use by: (1) delivering to
our secretary a signed notice of revocation or a later dated proxy,
(2) attending the meeting and voting in person, or (3) giving
notice of revocation of the proxy at the meeting. Attendance at the
meeting will not in itself constitute the revocation of a proxy.
Prior to the meeting, any written notice of revocation should be
sent to Crexendo, Inc., 1615 South 52nd Street, Tempe, AZ,
85281 Attention: Corporate Secretary. Any notice of revocation that
is delivered at the meeting should be hand delivered to our
corporate secretary before the vote is taken. A stockholder may be
requested to present identification documents for the purpose of
establishing such stockholder’s identity. The last valid vote
you submit chronologically will supersede your prior
vote(s).
Shares
of our common stock, represented by properly executed proxies, will
be voted in accordance with the instructions indicated on such
proxies. If no specific instructions are given, the shares will be
voted FOR the proposal to adopt a policy that independent directors
shall have no time limitation regarding service on the Board of
Directors set forth herein and FOR ratification of the appointment
of Urish Popeck & Co., LLC to serve as our independent
registered public accounting firm for our year ending December 31,
2017. In addition, if other matters come before the meeting, the
persons named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote in
accordance with their best judgment with respect to such matters.
We are not aware of any other matters to be submitted to a vote of
shareholders at the meeting.
One or
more inspectors of election, duly appointed for that purpose, will
count and tabulate the votes cast and report the results of the
votes at the meeting to our management. Your vote at the meeting
will not be disclosed except as needed to permit the inspector to
tabulate and certify the votes, or as is required by
law.
Quorum, Voting Requirements and Effect of Abstentions and Broker
Non-Votes
At the
meeting, the inspector of election will determine the presence of a
quorum and tabulate the results of the voting by shareholders. The
holders of a majority of the total number of outstanding shares of
our common stock that are entitled to vote at the meeting (at least
7,137,778 shares) must be present in person or by proxy in order to
have the quorum that is necessary for the transaction of business
at the meeting. Shares of our common stock represented in person or
by proxy (including shares that abstain or do not vote with respect
to one or more of the matters to be voted upon) will be counted for
purposes of determining whether a quorum exists. If a quorum is not
present, the meeting will be adjourned until a quorum is
obtained.
Approval of the
proposal to adopt a policy that independent directors shall have no
time limitation regarding service on the Board of Directors
requires that the votes cast in favor of the proposal must exceed
the votes cast against the proposal. Approval of the proposal to
ratify the appointment of Urish Popeck & Co., LLC to serve as
our independent registered public accounting firm for the year
ending December 31, 2017 requires that the votes cast in favor of
the proposal must exceed the votes cast against the proposal.
Abstentions and broker “non-votes” will not affect the
outcome of the vote on those two proposals. A broker
‘‘non-vote’’ is not counted for purposes of
approving a proposal. Stockholders have no dissenters’ or
appraisal rights in connection with the proposals to be presented
at the meeting.
Expense of Solicitation of Proxies
We will
pay the cost of soliciting proxies for the meeting. In addition to
solicitation by mail, our directors, officers and employees,
without additional pay, may solicit proxies by telephone, telecopy,
e-mail or in person. Arrangements will be made with brokerage
houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to send
proxies and proxy material to their principals, and we will
reimburse them for their expenses in so doing.
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SHARES
The following table sets forth, as of October 27,
2017, the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned
by each of the following persons and groups and the percentage of
the outstanding shares owned by each person and group including:
(i) each person who is known by us to be the owner of record or
beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our
common stock; (ii) each director and nominee; (iii) each of our
NEO’s; and (iv) all of our current directors and executive
officers as a group.
With respect to certain of the individuals listed
below, we have relied upon information set forth in statements
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to
Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Except as otherwise noted below, the address of each person
identified in the following table is c/o Crexendo, Inc.,
1615 South 52nd Street, Tempe, Arizona,
85281.
Name of Beneficial Owner
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Number of Outstanding Warrants and Options (1)
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Total Beneficial Ownership (2)
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Percent of Class Beneficially Owned
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Steven
G. Mihaylo
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10,078,905
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684,001
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10,738,006
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71.8%
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Todd
Goergen
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360,000
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115,000
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475,000
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3.3%
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Jeffrey
Bash
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135,000
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75,000
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210,000
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1.5%
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David
Williams
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20,000
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115,000
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135,000
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*
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Anil
Puri
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3,501
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135,000
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138,501
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1.0%
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Doug
Gaylor
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3,500
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458,334
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461,834
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3.1%
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Ron
Vincent
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-
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298,334
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298,334
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2.0%
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All
current directors and executive officers as a group (8
persons)
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10,600,906
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1,880,669
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12,481,575
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77.3%
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(1)
Reflects warrants
or options that will be exercisable or vested, as the case may be,
as of October 27, 2017, or within 60 days
thereafter.
(2)
Beneficial
ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, based upon 14,275,555 shares of
common stock outstanding on October 27, 2017. In computing the
number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage
ownership of that person, shares of common stock subject to options
held by that person that are currently exercisable or become
exercisable within 60 days following October 27, 2017 are
deemed outstanding. These shares, however, are not deemed
outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership
of any other person. The persons and entities named in the table
have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to the
shares set forth opposite such stockholder’s
name.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance
Section 16(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our directors and
executive officers, and persons who own more than ten percent of a
registered class of our equity securities, to file with the SEC
initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of
our common stock and other equity securities. Officers, directors
and greater than ten percent shareholders are required by SEC
regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a)
forms they file. Based on a review of reports and representations
submitted to us, all reports regarding beneficial ownership of our
securities required to be filed under Section 16(a) for the year
ended December 31, 2016 were timely filed, except for the
following:
1.
Mr. Steven G.
Mihaylo’s August 5, 2016 stock purchase Form 4 was not filed
until September 12, 2016 due to clerical error.
2.
Mr. Steven G.
Mihaylo’s September 8, 2016 stock purchase Form 4 was not
filed until September 13, 2016 due to clerical error.
___________
PROPOSAL I
ADOPT A POLICY THAT INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS SHALL HAVE NO TIME
LIMITATION REGARDING SERVICE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
___________
At the
meeting we will present to the stockholders a proposal that
Independent Directors shall not be limited by a restriction that
they serve no longer than ten (10) years on the Board of Directors
of Crexendo.
In 2008
the Company presented a resolution to the Stockholders of Crexendo
that Independent member of the Board of Directors be limited to a
ten-year term. The proposal was required as a consequence of a
settlement of Derivative Law Suit against the Board of Directors.
The suit was based on the prior business model of the
Company.
The
Company believes that the limitation is not in the best interest of
the Shareholders or the Company. The Company has relying on the
insights of the Independent Board of Directors in its operations of
providing UCaaS cloud telecom services, broadband internet
services, and other cloud business services. The Company believes
the insight and knowledge of incumbent Board Members has assisted
the Company as it works toward being cash flow positive and
profitable.
The
Company believes that a well constituted board of directors, with a
good balance of skills, expertise and independence, provides the
foundations for a well governed company. The Company believes that
it has such a Board and that it would be to the determent of
Shareholders and the Company to limit the terms of qualified
directors. The Company further believes that the
election/reelection of directors should be determined on a case by
case basis after considering the benefits of the individual
director and should not be subject to a blanked
limitation.
According to the
Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial
Regulation (2016) Term limits are in place at only three percent of
S&P 500 companies decrease from five percent in 2010. During
the 2016 proxy season, there were no shareholder proposals
regarding director term limits, and during the 2015 proxy season,
there were only two. The small number of boards that have mandatory
term limits indicates that the vast majority of directors
determine, as a practical matter, that director tenure is best
evaluated on a case-by-case basis, both at the company level and at
the level of individual directors. The Company fully believes that
it the appropriate way to determine the qualifications of directors
and have the subject to an arbitrary term limitation.
Long-serving
outside directors have added important experience and
organizational knowledge. The Company believes that this knowledge
and perspective are particularly important for the Company’s
efforts in achieving positive results.
The
Company believes that this current policy of arbitrary limitation
on director tenure is unnecessary and counterproductive to the
Board’s ability to nominate for shareholder approval the best
candidates to lead the Company.
Approval of the
proposal to adopt a policy that independent directors shall have no
time limitation regarding service on the Board of Directors
requires that the votes cast in favor of the proposal at the
meeting must exceed the votes cast against the
proposal.
The Board of Directors
recommends a vote FOR a policy that Independent Directors
shall have no time limitation regarding service on the Board of
Directors
Information Concerning Directors
Set forth in the table below are the names, ages
and positions of each Director on our Board. None of our directors
or executive officers has any family relationship to any other
director or executive officer.
Name
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Age
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Position
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Steven G. Mihaylo
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74
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Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer
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Jeffrey P. Bash
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75
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Director
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Anil Puri
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68
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Director
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David Williams
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62
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Director
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Todd Goergen
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45
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Director
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Set
forth below is a brief description of the business experience for
at least the previous five years of our director:
Steven G. Mihaylo
Mr.
Mihaylo was appointed our Chief Executive Officer in 2008 and
Chairman of the Board in November 2010. Mr. Mihaylo is the former
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Inter-Tel, Incorporated
(“Inter-Tel”), which he founded in 1969 and where he
continued to serve until 2007. Mr. Mihaylo led the development of
Inter-Tel from providing business telephone systems to offering
complete managed services and software that helped businesses
facilitate communication and increase customer service and
productivity. Before selling Inter-Tel to Francisco Partners, a
private equity firm, for approximately $740 million in 2007, Mr.
Mihaylo grew the business to nearly $500 million in annual sales.
The Board nominated Mr. Mihaylo to the Board in part because he is
the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and has more than 40
years of experience in the industry.
Mr.
Mihaylo was awarded an honorary PhD from California State
University - Fullerton and received a bachelor of arts in business
administration in accounting & finance from California State
University, Fullerton in 1969. The College of Business and
Economics at California State University, Fullerton was renamed the
Steven G. Mihaylo College of Business and Economics in 2008. Mr.
Mihaylo has served on boards of numerous community organizations
including the Arizona Heart Foundation, Junior Achievement of
Arizona, Arizona Museum of Science and Technology and the Arizona
State University College of Business Dean’s Council of 100.
Committed to education, Mr. Mihaylo is involved with the Karl Eller
College of Management at the University of Arizona and has served
on the advisory board of Junior Achievement of Central Arizona for
over 25 years, as a member of the board of directors of the Big
Bear High School Education Foundation, and on the Dean’s
Advisory Board of California State University,
Fullerton.
David Williams
Mr.
Williams has been a director of the company since May 2008.
Since 2008, Mr. Williams has served as the Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer at Equity Capital Management Corp, which provides
asset management, tax consulting and financing for real estate
investors. From 1996 to 2008, Mr. Williams acted as an
independent consultant in taxation, real estate transactions and
venture capital. Mr. Williams served as Chief Financial Officer and
tax counsel at Wilshire Equities Corp., from 1987 to 1990 and as
President from 1990 to 1996. From 1980 to 1987, Mr. Williams rose
from a junior staff member to director position at Arthur Young
& Co., a public accounting firm. The Board
recognizes Mr. Williams' business, finance and tax experience and
values his contributions to Board discussions and to the
Company. Mr. Williams is a certified public accountant in
California, Nevada and Washington, and holds a juris doctorate
degree in law and taxation from the McGeorge Law School at
University of the Pacific. Mr. Williams graduated from Stanford
University with a Masters of Science degree in engineering finance
and a Bachelor of science degree in biological science with
honors.
Todd Goergen
Mr.
Goergen has been a director of the company since November 2006 and
served as Chairman of the Board from August 2007 to November 2010.
Mr. Goergen has served as Managing Member of Ropart Asset
Management, LLC (“RAM”) since 2001. RAM makes direct
investments in small to mid-size companies. In addition, Mr.
Goergen is a Managing Member of Ropart Investments, LLC, a private
investment partnership. Between 1999 and 2000, Mr. Goergen was the
Director of Acquisitions and Corporate Development at Blyth, Inc.,
a designer and direct marketer of home decorative and fragrance
products. From 1994 to 1999, Mr. Goergen was an Associate/Analyst
in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of Donaldson, Lufkin &
Jenrette, an investment banking firm. The Board recognizes the
breadth and depth of Mr. Goergen’s considerable business and
investment experience. The Board values Mr. Goergen’s prior
contributions as Chairman of the Board and the insights and skills
he brings to Board discussions. Mr. Goergen received his degree in
economics and political science in 1994 from Wake Forest
University. Mr. Goergen is the Chairman of Digital Traffic Systems,
Inc., a business consulting firm, and Chairman of the Board of
Visalus Holdings, LLC, a producer and marketer of weight management
and nutritional supplements.
Jeffrey P. Bash
Mr.
Bash has been a long time investor in Crexendo and has extensive
investing and corporate finance experience. From 2008 to the present Bash has
also worked as a consultant to the private equity firm, General
Pacific Partners LLC of Newport Beach, CA, providing strategic
planning, corporate finance, structure, analysis, research and
report writing services; including advisory services, where
needed, to Good
Works Recovery, LLC, a private
provider of sober living housing and programs, and similar entities. Since 2006, Bash has been a private
investor and advocate for stockholder interests with both
managements and Boards. Prior to 2006, Bash was a Corporate
Vice President & Actuary for New York Life Insurance Company,
becoming a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) from 1970 until
his retirement in 1995. He has
also been a Vice President of private, family-owned Richmont
Corporation of Dallas, TX, providing corporate finance
services. Mr. Bash received his Bachelor of Arts
degree in mathematics from Oberlin College.
Anil Puri
Dr.
Puri is the Dean of the College of Business and Economics at
California State University, Fullerton and director of the Woods
Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting. Prior to becoming
Dean in 1998, Dr. Puri was department chair and professor of
economics at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Puri is a
noted economist and scholar who has served as the Executive Vice
President of the Western Economic Association International, the
second largest professional association of economists in the United
States and is a member of the American Economic Association, and
the National Association of Business Economists. Dr. Puri brings to
the Board extensive business and financial experience. Dr. Puri has
previously served and counseled public boards and he is a panel
member of the National Association of Business Economists' Survey
of Economic Conditions.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board Meetings
During
the year ended December 31, 2016, our Board met five times. Each
director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number
of meetings of our Board and the total number of all meetings held
by committees on which he served during the year ended December 31,
2016. All of our directors are invited, but not required, to attend
the annual meeting. One director attended the 2016 annual
meeting.
Information about Committees of our Board of Directors
Our
Board of Directors has established three committees, the Audit
Committee, comprised of Messrs. Williams (chairman), Goergen and
Dr. Puri, the Compensation Committee comprised of Messrs. Goergen
(chairman) and Bash, and the Nominating Committee, comprised of
Messrs. Bash (chairman), Goergen, and Williams. Our Board of
Directors has determined that each of these persons is
“independent” under the rules of the OTCQX Marketplace
and applicable regulatory requirements.
Audit Committee
Mr.
Williams serves as Chairman of our Audit Committee. Our Audit
Committee held five meetings during the year ended December 31,
2016 and operates under a charter adopted by our Board on March 23,
2004 and amended and restated on August 9, 2006. The charter is
available on our website at www.crexendo.com.
Our Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and discussing our
audited financial statements with management, discussing
information with our auditors relating to the auditors' judgments
about the quality of our accounting policies and procedures,
recommending to our Board that the audited financials be included
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and overseeing compliance with
the Securities and Exchange Commission requirements for disclosure
of auditors' services and activities.
Our
Board of Directors has determined that David Williams, Chairman of
our Audit Committee, is an audit committee financial expert as
defined in Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. No Audit Committee member serves
on more than three publicly-traded companies.
Compensation Committee
Mr.
Goergen serves as Chairman of our Compensation Committee. The
Compensation Committee held two meetings during the year ended
December 31, 2016 and evaluates the performance of executives,
pursuant to the Compensation Committee Charter, a copy of which is
posted on our website at www.crexendo.com.
The Compensation
Committee has decision-making authority with respect to the
compensation of our named executive officers, including our
Chief Executive Officer. The Committee also administers our
long-term incentive plans and has decision-making authority with
respect to stock option grants to employees.
In
carrying out its responsibilities, the Compensation Committee may
engage outside consultants as it determines to be appropriate.
The Compensation
Committee did not retain a compensation consultant during the years
ended December 31, 2016.
Nominating Committee
Mr.
Bash serves as the Chairman of our Nominating Committee. Our
Nominating Committee, which held one meeting since our last annual
meeting, reviews and suggests candidates for election or
appointment to our Board, and operates pursuant to our Nominating
Committee Charter, a current copy of which is posted on our website
at www.crexendo.com.
Our Nominating Committee may attempt to recruit persons who possess
the appropriate skills and characteristics required of members of
our Board. Our Nominating Committee may use any reasonable means
for recruitment of potential members including their own expertise
or the use of one or more third-party search firms to assist with
this purpose.
In the
course of reviewing potential director candidates, the Nominating
Committee considers nominees recommended by our shareholders. When
considering a potential candidate for service as a director, the
Nominating Committee may consider, in addition to the minimum
qualifications and other criteria approved by our Board, all facts
and circumstances that the Nominating Committee deems appropriate
or advisable, including, among other things, the skills of the
proposed director candidate, his or her availability, depth and
breadth of business experience or other background characteristics,
his or her independence and the needs of our Board. At a minimum,
each nominee, whether proposed by a stockholder or any other party,
is expected to have the highest personal and professional
integrity, demonstrate sound judgment and possesses the ability to
effectively interact with other members of our Board to serve the
long-term interests of our company and shareholders. In addition,
the Nominating Committee may consider whether the nominee has
direct experience in our industry or in the markets in which we
operate and whether the nominee, if elected, assists in achieving a
mix of Board members that represent a diversity of background and
experience. The procedures to be followed by shareholders in
submitting such recommendations are described below in the section
entitled “Submission of Securities Holder Recommendations for
Director Candidates.”
Independence of our Board of Directors
Under
the OTCQX Marketplace listing standards, a majority of the members
of a listed company’s board of directors must qualify as
“independent,” as affirmatively determined by its board
of directors. Our Board consults with our legal counsel to ensure
that our Board’s determinations are consistent with relevant
securities and other laws and regulations regarding the definition
of “independent,” including those set forth in
pertinent listing standards of the OTCQX Marketplace, as in effect
from time to time.
Consistent with
these considerations, after review of all relevant transactions or
relationships between each director, or any of his or her family
members, and our company, our senior management and our independent
auditors, our Board has affirmatively determined that the following
four directors are independent directors within the meaning of the
applicable rules of the OTCQX Marketplace: Mr. Goergen,
Mr. Bash, Dr. Puri, and Mr. Williams. In making this
determination, our Board found that none of the directors had a
material or other disqualifying relationship with the
Company.
Leadership Structure
Our
Chief Executive Officer serves as the Chairman of the Board. We
believe that this leadership
structure is appropriate due to the nature of our
business. Mr. Mihaylo’s experience in leadership
positions throughout our company during his tenure, as well as his
role in developing and executing the strategic plan, is critical to
our future results. Mr. Mihaylo was able to utilize his in-depth
knowledge and perspective gained in running our company to
effectively and efficiently guide the full Board by recommending
Board and committee meeting agendas, leading Board discussions on
critical issues and creating a vital link among the Board,
management and shareholders. Our Board believes this structure
serves our shareholders by ensuring the development and
implementation of our company’s strategies.
Risk Oversight
Our
primary risk consists of managing our operations within the current
environment of being a start-up hosted telecom service provider.
Our Telecommunication Services segment products and services are
sold nationwide and our success is dependent on that being managed
effectively. In general, our Board, as a whole and also at the
committee level, oversees our risk management activities. Our Board
annually reviews management’s long-term strategic plan and
the annual budget that results from that strategic planning
process. Using that information, our Compensation Committee
establishes both the short-term and long-term compensation programs
that include all our executives (including the named executive
officers). These compensation programs are ratified by our Board,
as a whole. The compensation programs are designed to focus
management on the performance metrics underlying the operations of
the Company, while limiting risk exposure to our company. Our Board
receives periodic updates from management on the status of our
operations and performance (including updates outside of the normal
Board meetings). Finally, as noted below, our Board is assisted by
our Audit Committee in fulfilling its responsibility for oversight
of the quality and integrity of our accounting, auditing and
financial reporting practices. Thus, in performing its risk
oversight our Board establishes the performance metrics, monitors
on a timely basis the achievement of those performance metrics, and
oversees the mechanisms that report those performance
metrics.
Code of Business Conduct
We have
adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our
directors, officers and employees. A copy of this code is posted on
our website at www.crexendo.com. In the event that we amend or
waive any of the provisions of the Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics applicable to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial
Officer, we intend to satisfy our disclosure obligations under Item
5.05 of Form 8-K by posting such information on our
website.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
Our
Audit Committee is responsible for review and, as it determines
appropriate, approval or ratification of “related-party
transactions” between our company and related persons or
entities, other than executive compensation decisions which are
addressed by our Compensation Committee. We have adopted policies
and procedures that apply to any transaction or series of
transactions in which our company or a subsidiary is a participant,
the amount involved exceeds $10,000, and a related person or entity
has a direct or indirect material interest. Our Audit Committee has
determined that, barring additional facts or circumstances, a
related person or entity does not have a direct or indirect
material interest in any of the following categories of
transactions:
●
any transaction
with another company for which a related person’s only
relationship is as an employee (other than an executive officer),
director, or beneficial owner of less than 10% of that
company’s shares, if the amount involved does not exceed
$10,000;
●
any charitable
contribution, grant, or endowment by the company to a charitable
organization, foundation, or university for which a related
person’s only relationship is as an employee (other than an
executive officer) or a director, if the amount involved does not
exceed $10,000;
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compensation to
directors, for service as directors, determined by our
Board;
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transactions in
which all securities holders receive proportional benefits;
or
●
banking-related
services involving a bank depository of funds, transfer agent,
registrar, trustee under a trust indenture, or similar
service.
Transactions
involving related persons or entities that are not included in one
of the above categories are reviewed by our Audit Committee. Our
Audit Committee determines whether the related person or entity has
a material interest in a transaction and may approve, not approve
or take other action with respect to the transaction in its
discretion.
Stockholder Communications
Shareholders and
other interested parties who wish to communicate with
non-management directors of the Company should send their
correspondences to: Crexendo Non-Management Directors, Crexendo,
Inc., 1615 South 52nd Street, Tempe,
Arizona 85281, or by email to nonmanagementdirectors@crexendo.com.
All communications are forwarded directly to the appropriate
non-management director.
Submission of Security Holder Recommendations for Director
Candidates
All
security holder recommendations for director candidates must be
submitted in writing to the Secretary of our Company, Jeffrey G.
Korn, at 1615 South 52nd Street, Tempe,
Arizona 85281, who will forward all recommendations to the
Nominating Committee. All security holder recommendations for
director candidates must be submitted to our company not less than
120 calendar days prior to the date on which the company’s
Proxy Statement was released to shareholders in connection with the
previous year’s annual meeting of shareholders. All security
holder recommendations for director candidates must include
(1) the name and address of record of the security holder,
(2) a representation that the security holder is a record
holder of our security, or if the security holder is not a record
holder, evidence of ownership in accordance with
Rule 14a-8(b), (2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
(3) the name, age, business and residential address,
educational background, public company directorships, current
principal occupation or employment, and principal occupation or
employment for the preceding five full fiscal years of the proposed
director candidate, (4) a description of the qualifications
and background of the proposed director candidate which addresses
the minimum qualifications and other criteria for directors
approved by our Board from time to time, (5) a description of
all arrangements or understandings between the security holder and
the proposed director candidate, (6) the consent of the
proposed director candidate to be named in the proxy statement, to
have all required information regarding such director candidate
included in the applicable proxy statement, and to serve as a
director if elected, and (7) any other information regarding
the proposed director candidate that is required to be included in
a proxy statement filed pursuant to the rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
Director Compensation
The
annual pay package for non-employee directors is designed to
attract and retain highly qualified professionals to represent our
shareholders. We also reimburse our directors for travel, lodging
and related expenses they incur on company-related business,
including Board and committee meetings. In setting director
compensation, we consider the amount of time that directors spend
in fulfilling their duties to the Company as well as the skill
level required by our directors. Directors who are also employees
receive no additional compensation for serving on our Board.
Disclosures related to non-employee Director compensation for the
years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, are included in our Form
10-K filed with the SEC on March 7, 2017, under Item 10, and is
incorporated herein by reference.
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PROPOSAL II
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM
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At the
meeting we will ask our stockholders to ratify the appointment of
Urish Popeck & Co., LLC (“Urish Popeck”) as our
independent registered public accounting firm to audit our
consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ending
December 31, 2017. A representative of Urish Popeck may be present
at the meeting, and will have the opportunity to make a statement
if he or she desires to do so and to respond to appropriate
questions.
Stockholder
ratification of the selection of Urish Popeck as our independent
registered public accounting firm is not required by our bylaws or
other applicable legal requirements. However, our Board is
submitting the selection of Urish Popeck to the stockholders for
ratification as a matter of good corporate governance. If the
stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will
reconsider whether to retain Urish Popeck as our independent
registered public accounting firm. Even if the selection is
ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion may 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 our best interests and in the best interests of
our stockholders.
Approval of the
proposal to ratify the appointment of Urish Popeck to serve as our
independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending
December 31, 2017 requires that the votes cast in favor of the
proposal at the meeting must exceed the votes cast against the
proposal.
The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the proposal to
ratify the appointment of Urish Popeck as our independent
registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31,
2016.
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
In
accordance with the Audit Committee Charter adopted by our Board on
March 23, 2004 and amended and restated on August 9, 2006, the
Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and discussing our
audited financial statements with management, discussing
information with our independent registered public accounting firm
relating to such firm’s judgments about the quality of our
accounting policies and practices, recommending to our Board that
the audited financials be included in our Annual Report on Form
10-K and overseeing compliance with the Securities and Exchange
Commission requirements for disclosure of such firm’s
services and activities. Currently the Audit Committee is comprised
of Goergen, Puri and Williams. Our Board has determined that each
of these persons is independent. The Audit Committee Charter is in
compliance with all regulatory requirements, and is published on
our website.
Our
management has the primary responsibility for our financial
statements as well as our financial reporting process, policies and
internal controls. Our independent registered public accounting
firm is responsible for performing an audit of our financial
statements and expressing an opinion as to the fair presentation of
such financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles. Our Audit Committee is responsible
for, among other things, reviewing the results of the audit
engagement with our independent registered public accounting firm;
reviewing the adequacy, scope and results of the internal
accounting controls and procedures; reviewing the degree of
independence of our independent registered public accounting firm;
reviewing the fees of such firm; and recommending the engagement of
our independent registered public accounting firm to the full
Board.
In this
context, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed our audited
financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016
with management and our independent registered public accounting
firm. The Audit Committee discussed with our independent registered
public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by
Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 (Communication with Audit
Committees), as amended. In addition, the Audit Committee received
written confirmation, in accordance with standards of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board, and discussed with our
independent registered public accounting firm their independence
from our company. The Audit Committee has also considered whether
such firm’s provision of non-audit services to us is
compatible with maintaining such firm’s
independence.
The
members of the Audit Committee are not engaged in the accounting or
auditing profession. In the performance of their oversight
function, the members of the Audit Committee necessarily relied
upon the information, opinions, reports and statements presented to
them by our management of and by our independent registered public
accounting firm. As a result, the Audit Committee's oversight and
the review and discussions referred to above do not assure that
management has maintained adequate financial reporting processes,
policies and internal controls, that our financial statements are
accurate, that the audit of such financial statements has been
conducted in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board or that our independent registered
public accounting firm meets the standards for auditor
independence.
Based on the review and discussions
above, the Audit Committee recommended that the audited financial
statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2016. The Audit Committee also
selected Urish Popeck as Crexendo’s independent registered
public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31,
2017. The Board of Directors is recommending that the stockholders
ratify this selection at the Annual Meeting.
Members
of the Audit Committee
David
Williams, Chairman
Todd
Goergen
Anil
Puri
The above report of the Audit Committee will not be deemed to be
incorporated by reference to any filing by us under the Securities
Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the
extent that we specifically incorporate the same by
reference.
Fees of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We have
set forth below the aggregate fees billed for professional services
rendered to us by both Urish Popeck and Deloitte for the year ended
December 31, 2016 and Deloitte for the year ended December 31,
2015. All of the services described in the following fee table were
approved in conformity with the Audit Committee’s
pre-approval process.
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Year Ended December 31, 2016
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Year Ended December 31, 2015
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Audit Fees (1)
(audit of our annual financial
statements, review of our quarterly financial statements, review of
our SEC filings and correspondence with the
SEC)
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$164,187
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$199,859
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Tax Fees
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38,700
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(1)
Audit Fees: Fees
billed by our audit firm for professional services rendered for the
audit and reviews of our financial statements filed with the SEC on
Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and reviews of our correspondence with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The
Audit Committee has adopted a policy and procedures for the
pre-approval of audit and non-audit services rendered by our
independent registered public accounting firm. The policy generally
provides for the pre-approval of the scope of and fees for services
in the defined categories of audit services, audit-related
services, and tax services. Pre-approval is usually provided by the
Audit Committee on a project-by-project basis before the
independent registered public accounting firm is engaged to provide
that service, and for de minimus projects only, pre-approval is
provided with a not-to-exceed fee level determined for a group of
such de minimus projects. The pre-approval of services may be
delegated to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, but the decision
must be reported to and ratified by the full Audit Committee at its
next meeting.
Change in Principal Audit Firm
On
October 4, 2016, the Audit Committee approved the engagement of
Urish Popeck & Co., LLC (“UPCO”) as the
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for
the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, effective
immediately, and dismissed Deloitte & Touche LLP
(“Deloitte”) as the Company's independent registered
public accounting firm.
Deloitte’s
audit reports on the Company’s consolidated financial
statements as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015
and 2014 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of
opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit
scope or accounting principles.
During
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, and 2014, and the
subsequent interim periods through October 4, 2016, there were (i)
no disagreements (as described in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation
S-K and the related instructions) between the Company and Deloitte
on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial
statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not
resolved to Deloitte’s satisfaction, would have caused
Deloitte to make reference thereto in their reports on the
financial statements for such years, and (ii) no “reportable
events” within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation
SK.
During
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, and 2014, and the
subsequent interim periods through October 4, 2016, neither the
Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has consulted with UPCO
regarding (i) the application of accounting principles to a
specific transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of
audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s
financial statements or the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting, and neither a written report or oral advice
was provided to the Company that UPCO concluded was an important
factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any
accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issue, (ii) any matter
that was the subject of a disagreement within the meaning of Item
304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K, or (iii) any reportable event
within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation
S-K.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Annual Report
Our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 is
enclosed herewith. Additional copies of such report are available,
without charge, upon request. For additional copies please write to
1615 South 52nd Street, Tempe, AZ,
85281, Attn: Investor Relations, telephone: (602)
714-8500.
Additional Materials
A copy
of this proxy statement has been filed with the SEC. You may read
and copy this proxy statement at the SEC’s Public Reference
Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also
obtain copies of this proxy statement by mail from the Public
Reference Section of the SEC at prescribed rates. To obtain
information on the operation of the Public Reference Room, you can
call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet
website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and
other information regarding issuers, including the company, that
file electronically with the SEC. The address of the SEC’s
Internet website is www.sec.gov.
Delivery of Documents to Shareholders Sharing an
Address
If you
are the beneficial owner, but not the record holder, of shares of
our common stock, your broker, bank or other nominee may only
deliver one copy of this proxy statement and our 2016 annual report
to multiple shareholders who share an address unless that nominee
has received contrary instructions from one or more of the
shareholders. We will deliver promptly, upon written or oral
request, a separate copy of this proxy statement and our 2016
annual report to a stockholder at a shared address to which a
single copy of the documents was delivered. A stockholder who
wishes to receive a separate copy of this proxy statement and
annual report, now or in the future, should submit this request by
writing to Crexendo, Inc., 1615 South 52nd Street, Tempe, AZ,
85281, Attn: Investor Relations. Beneficial owners sharing an
address who are receiving multiple copies of proxy materials and
annual reports and who wish to receive a single copy of such
materials in the future will need to contact their broker, bank or
other nominee to request that only a single copy of each document
be mailed to all shareholders at the shared address in the
future.
Electronic Access to Proxy Statement and Annual Report
This
proxy statement and our 2016 annual report may be viewed online at
www.crexendo.com
under the Investors tab, SEC Filings. If you are a stockholder of
record, you can elect to access future annual reports and proxy
statements electronically by marking the appropriate box on your
proxy form or by following the instructions provided if you vote by
Internet or by telephone. If you choose this option, you will
receive a proxy form listing the website locations and your choice
will remain in effect until you notify us by mail that you wish to
resume mail delivery of these documents. If you hold your common
stock through a bank, broker or another holder of record, refer to
the information provided by that entity for instructions on how to
elect this option.
Stockholder Proposals for Action at Our Next Annual
Meeting
Any
stockholder who wishes to present any proposal for stockholder
action at the 2018 annual meeting of shareholders must send the
proposal to our Secretary. The proposal must be received by our
Secretary, at our offices, no later than August 29, 2018 in order
to be included in our proxy statement. Such proposals should be
addressed to the Corporate Secretary, Crexendo, Inc., 1615 South
52nd
Street, Tempe, AZ, 85281. If a stockholder proposal is introduced
at the 2017 annual meeting of shareholders without any discussion
of the proposal in our proxy statement, and the stockholder does
not notify us on or before 45 days before the date the proxy is
mailed or sent, as required by SEC Rule 14a-4(c)(1), of the intent
to raise such proposal at the annual meeting of shareholders, then
proxies received by us for that annual meeting will be voted by the
persons named in such proxies in their discretion with respect to
such proposal. Notice of such proposal is to be sent to the above
address.
Other Matters
As of
the date of this statement, our Board does not intend to present
and has not been informed that any other person intends to present
a matter for action at the meeting other than as set forth herein
and in the Notice of Meeting. If any other matter properly comes
before the meeting, the holders of proxies will vote the shares
represented by them in accordance with their best
judgment.
* *
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By
Order of the Directors
/s/
Jeffrey G. Korn
Jeffrey
G. Korn, Secretary
Dated:
November 3, 2017
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CREXENDO, INC.
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS - DECEMBER 18, 2017 AT 2 PM LOCAL
TIME
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CONTROL ID:
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REQUEST ID:
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The undersigned, being a stockholder of Crexendo, Inc., hereby
authorizes Jeffrey G. Korn, with the full power of substitution, to
represent the undersigned at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders
(the “Meeting”) of Crexendo to be held at Crexendo,
Inc., 1615 South 52nd
Street, Tempe, AZ, 85281 on December
18, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., local time, and at any adjournment or
postponement thereof, with respect to all votes that the
undersigned would be entitled to cast, if then personally present,
as appears on the reverse side of this proxy.
In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote with
respect to matters incident to the conduct of the Meeting and upon
such other matters as may properly come before the Meeting. This
proxy may be revoked at any time before it is
exercised.
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(CONTINUED AND TO BE SIGNED ON REVERSE SIDE.)
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VOTING INSTRUCTIONS
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If you vote by phone, fax or internet, please DO NOT mail your
proxy card.
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MAIL:
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Please mark, sign, date, and return this Proxy Card promptly using
the enclosed envelope.
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FAX:
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Complete the reverse portion of this Proxy Card and Fax to
202-521-3464.
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INTERNET:
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https://www.iproxydirect.com/CXDO
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PHONE:
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1-866-752-VOTE(8683)
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ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OFCREXENDO, INC.
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PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE. PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN
HERE: ☒
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PROXY
SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Proposal 1
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FOR
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AGAINST
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ABSTAIN
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To adopt a policy that independent directors shall have no time
limitation regarding service on the Board of
Directors.
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☐
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☐
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☐
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CONTROL ID:
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REQUEST ID:
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Proposal 2
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FOR
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AGAINST
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ABSTAIN
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To consider and vote upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of
Urish Popeck & CO., LLC as our independent registered public
accounting firm for our year ending December 31, 2017.
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☐
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☐
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☐
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Proposal 3
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To transact such other business as may properly come before the
meeting, or any adjournment or postponement of the
meeting.
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MARK “X” HERE IF YOU PLAN
TO ATTEND THE MEETING: ☐
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The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” proposal
1 and 2.
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MARK HERE FOR ADDRESS CHANGE ☐ New Address (if applicable):
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
IMPORTANT: Please sign exactly
as your name or names appear on this Proxy. When shares are held
jointly, each holder should sign. When signing as executor,
administrator, attorney, trustee or guardian, please give full
title as such. If the signer is a corporation, please sign full
corporate name by duly authorized officer, giving full title as
such. If signer is a partnership, please sign in partnership name
by authorized person.
Dated: ________________________, 2017
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(Print Name of Stockholder and/or Joint Tenant)
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(Signature of Stockholder)
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(Second Signature if held jointly)
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