Other Business
We do not expect any business to come before the Annual Meeting other than the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. If other business is properly raised, your proxy authorizes its holder to vote according to their best judgment.
Expenses of Solicitation
Officers and employees may solicit proxies in person by telephone or facsimile. Wabtec pays no costs for proxy solicitation to any third party. Wabtec will pay approximately $50,000 to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (exclusive of mailing fees) for sending the Notice, providing the Internet site for our proxy materials and providing proxy materials to any stockholder who requests them. We will also reimburse other nominees, custodians or fiduciaries who forward these materials to stockholders for their reasonable expenses in doing so.
How to Submit Stockholder Proposals and Nominations for Next Year?
To be included in the proxy for the 2025 annual meeting, stockholder proposals must be submitted by December 5, 2024. Only proposals submitted on time may be eligible for inclusion in our Proxy Statement.
Our amended and restated by-laws require that notice of business to be properly brought before the 2025 Annual Meeting of stockholders must be submitted to us between January 4, 2025 and February 3, 2025. Only matters for which we receive timely notice and in accordance with our amended and restated by-laws may be brought before the 2025 Annual Meeting.
The Governance Committee will consider director nominees recommended by stockholders. Stockholders wishing to recommend a director candidate for consideration by the Governance Committee can do so by writing the Secretary of Wabtec at 30 Isabella Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 and providing the information required under our amended and restated by-laws, including, but not limited to the candidate’s name, biographical data and qualifications. Any such recommendation should be accompanied by a written statement from the individual of their consent to be named as a candidate and, if nominated and elected, to serve as a director. No candidates for Board membership have been put forward by stockholders for election at the 2024 Annual Meeting of stockholders.
Our amended and restated by-laws require that for a stockholder to recommend a director nominee, notice in writing must be delivered to the Secretary of Wabtec no later than the 60th day and no earlier than the 90th day prior to the first anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting proxy statement. Our amended and restated by-laws also permit a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, that has owned at least three percent of our outstanding Common Stock continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in our proxy statement candidates for our Board, subject to certain requirements set forth in our amended and restated by-laws. Each stockholder, or group of stockholders, may nominate candidates for director, up to a limit of the greater of two or 20 percent of the number of directors on the Board. Any nominee must meet the qualification standards listed in our amended and restated by-laws.
An eligible stockholder, or eligible group of stockholders, that wants to nominate a candidate for election to the Board pursuant to the proxy access provisions of our amended and restated by-laws must follow the procedures stated in Article II, Section 10 of our amended and restated by-laws. These procedures include the requirement that your nomination must be delivered to Wabtec’s Secretary not later than the close of business on the 120th day or earlier than the close of business on the 150th day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting. If the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, your notice must be delivered not later than the 120th day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the 10th day following the day we publicly announce the date of the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.
In addition to satisfying the foregoing requirements under amended and restated by-laws, to comply with the universal proxy rules, stockholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than Wabtec’s nominees must provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act (including a statement that such stockholder intends to solicit the holders of shares representing at least 67% of the voting power of the Company’s shares entitled to vote on the election of directors in support of director nominees other than Wabtec’s nominees), which notice must be postmarked or transmitted electronically to Wabtec at its principal executive offices no later than 60 calendar days prior to the anniversary date of the 2024 Annual Meeting (for the 2025 Annual Meeting, no later than March 18, 2025). However, if the date of the 2025 Annual Meeting is changed by more than 30 calendar days from such anniversary date, then notice must be provided by the later of 60 calendar days prior to the date of the 2025 Annual Meeting or the 10th calendar day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the 2025 Annual Meeting is first made by Wabtec.
Stockholders are urged to review all applicable rules and consult legal counsel before submitting a nomination or proposal to Wabtec.