-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, TjN4kTxLy8FhFfDr7quGJ6tT89npKec1kbYAzySC3qV6w3Q8ss6KWTHIxKRidxh8 sc3MCJmiq2EiLf9M8C1vRQ== 0000004285-07-000009.txt : 20070427 0000004285-07-000009.hdr.sgml : 20070427 20070427144427 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000004285-07-000009 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 3 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20070427 ITEM INFORMATION: Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20070427 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20070427 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ALCAN INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000004285 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: PRIMARY SMELTING & REFINING OF NONFERROUS METALS [3330] IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: A6 FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-03677 FILM NUMBER: 07795188 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1188 SHERBROOKE ST WEST CITY: MONTREAL QUEBEC CANA STATE: A8 ZIP: 00000 BUSINESS PHONE: 5148488000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1188 SHERBROOKE STREET WEST CITY: MONTREAL QUEBEC CANA STATE: A8 ZIP: 00000 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ALCAN ALUMINIUM LTD /NEW DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19930519 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ALUMINUM CO OF CANADA LTD DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19870728 8-K 1 form8k.htm FORM 8-K SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSI

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 27, 2007

Alcan Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Canada
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

1-3677

 

Inapplicable

Commission File Number

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

 

1188 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 3G2
(Address of principal executive offices, including postal code)

 

 

(514) 848-8000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[   ]      Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[   ]      Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[   ]      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[   ]      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

Item 5.02       DEPARTURE OF DIRECTORS OR CERTAIN OFFICERS; ELECTION OF DIRECTORS; APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN OFFICERS; COMPENSATORY ARRANGEMENTS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS.  

Paragraph (b): As stated in the Proxy Circular of Alcan Inc. ("Alcan" or the "Company") filed as Exhibit 99.1 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, Messrs. Saint-Pierre and Morgan did not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting held on April 26, 2007. In accordance with Board practices, Mr. Saint-Pierre was not a nominee having reached retirement age. In addition, Mr. Morgan was not a nominee for personal reasons.  Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum was elected as a new Director at the Annual Meeting.

Paragraph (e):  

Amendments to the Alcan Executive Share Option Plan  

On April 26, 2007, Shareholders of Alcan approved amendments to the Alcan Executive Share Option Plan ("AESOP"). The amendments to the AESOP included a new amendment provision and an extension of the option expiry dates that fall within a trading blackout. 

The new amendment provision lists specifically all the changes to the AESOP that will be subject to Shareholder approval and the changes that may made with the Board of Directors' approval. 

The AESOP was also modified to extend the option period for insiders when it would terminate while a trading blackout is in effect. Insiders are not allowed to exercise their options when a trading blackout is in effect. The amendment added a new definition of "Blackout Period" and "Business Day" as well as a section whereby, if the date on which an option expires is during a "Blackout Period" or within ten business days after the last day of a "Blackout Period", the date of expiry of such option will be the last day of such ten business day period. 

Amendments to the Alcan Stock Price Appreciation Unit Plan  

On April 26, 2007, the Board of Directors of Alcan approved an amendment to the Stock Price Appreciation Unit ("SPAU"). The amendment also related to the extension of the unit expiry dates that fall within a trading blackout. 

The SPAU was modified to extend the unit period for insiders when it would terminate while a trading blackout is in effect. Insiders are not allowed to exercise their units when a trading blackout is in effect. The amendment added a new definition of "Blackout Period" and "Business Day" as well as a section whereby, if the date on which a unit expires is during a "Blackout Period" or within ten business days after the last day of a "Blackout Period", the date of expiry of such option will be the last day of such ten business day period. 

 

Item 9.01               FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

     (c)           Exhibits  

        10.1        Alcan Executive Share Option Plan, dated April 30, 1990, as amended. (Filed herewith.)

                                            10.2        Alcan Stock Price Appreciation Unit Plan, dated September 27, 2001, as amended. (Filed herewith.)

 

 


 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

ALCAN INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BY:

/s/ Roy Millington

 

 

Roy Millington

 

Corporate Secretary

Date: April 27, 2007


 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX  

Exhibit

Number                                                                    Description 

 

 

10.1            Alcan Executive Share Option Plan, dated April 30, 1990, as amended. (Filed herewith.)

 

10.2            Alcan Stock Price Appreciation Unit Plan, dated September 27, 2001, as amended. (Filed herewith.)

 

 

EX-10 2 ex101.htm ALCAN EXECUTIVE SHARE OPTION PLAN, DATED APRIL 30, 1990, AS AMENDED. Exhibit 10

Exhibit 10.1    Alcan Executive Share Option Plan, dated April 30, 1990, as amended.

 

Amended as of April 26, 2007

THE PLAN  

1.         General Information 

The Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors and Shareholders effective July 24, 1987 and was amended on April 26, 1990, April 22, 1993, April 28, 2005, December 8, 2005 and April 26, 2007. Its predecessor plan was originally adopted on February 5, 1981, effective March 26, 1981, by the former parent of the Company.  

The purposes of the Plan are to provide a means for encouraging key employees to obtain an increased proprietary interest in the enterprise and an additional incentive to further its growth and development and to assist the Company in retaining and attracting executives with experience and ability. 

The Plan provides for the granting to key employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries of Options to purchase Common Shares and, where applicable, SARs. The Committee which administers the Plan may determine in its sole discretion which employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries are eligible to be granted Options. 

The Plan is not subject to any of the provisions of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 nor is it a qualified plan under Section 401(a) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

2.         Definitions 

"Alcan Group" means the Company together with its consolidated subsidiaries and other companies in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, less than 50% of the voting stock but has significant influence over management; 

"Blackout Period" means any period during which a policy of the Company prevents an Optionee from exercising an Option; 

"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the Company;  

"Business Day" means a day of the week other than a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday recognized as such either in Canada or in the country of residence of the Optionee; 

"Change of Control Event" means any of the following: 

1.   the acquisition of direct or indirect beneficial ownership of 50% or more of the Shares of the Company by any person or group of associated persons acting together or jointly and in concert;

2.   any amalgamation, merger, arrangement, reorganization or consolidation (or substantially similar transactions or series of transactions) in respect of the Company, other than where (a) the Shares of the Company after the transaction would continue to represent two-thirds or more of the combined voting securities of the resulting entity, without a concurrent substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors, or (b) it is effected for the purpose of implementing a recapitalization of the Company, without there also occurring an acquisition of direct or indirect beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the Shares of the Company by any person or group of associated persons acting together or jointly and in concert;


 

 

3.   the approval by the Company's Shareholders of a plan for the complete or effective dissolution of the Company;

4.   the issuance by the Company of Shares in connection with an exchange offer acquisition if such issuance results in the Shareholders holding less than two-thirds of the combined voting securities of the resulting entity and there is a concurrent substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors;

5.   the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, other than (a) to an owner or owners of at least two-thirds of the Company's Shares, or (b) in a manner so that the acquirer is thereafter controlled as to at least two-thirds of its voting securities by the owner or owners of at least two-thirds of the Company's Shares, provided in each case that there is no concurrent substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors;

6.   the completion of the corporate approvals necessary on the part of the Company to give effect to any amalgamation, merger, arrangement, reorganization, continuance or consolidation (or substantially similar transactions or series of transactions) in respect of the Company pursuant to which the Company will not survive as a stand-alone publicly-traded corporation – without limitation the Company shall be deemed not to have survived as a stand-alone publicly-traded corporation if (a) there is no longer a liquid market for the Shares on the Toronto or New York stock exchanges, (b) more that 50% of the Shares become held by any person or group of associated persons acting together or jointly and in concert, or (c) the Company becomes a subsidiary of another corporation; or

7.   any occurrence pursuant to which individuals who were the incumbent Directors on 1 November 2005 cease for any reason to constitute at least two-thirds of the Company's Board, provided that any individual who became a Director subsequently whose election or appointment was approved by at least two-thirds of the incumbent Directors shall also be considered to be an incumbent Director, but further provided that no individual elected or appointed initially as a result of an actual or threatened proxy contest or solicitation of proxies or in connection with amalgamation, merger, arrangement, reorganization, consolidation or share exchange acquisition transaction (or substantially similar transactions or series of transactions) shall be deemed to be an incumbent Director. 

      For the purposes hereof a substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors shall be any change involving the departure of at least three Directors or any other change pursuant to which the Directors in office prior thereto cease to constitute at least two-thirds of the members of the Board.  In addition, any "change of control event" which occurs for the purposes of a change of control agreement in force between the Company and an employee of the Company or one of its subsidiaries as of the date hereof shall be deemed to be a Change of Control Event hereunder in relation to that employee. 

The Chairman of the Committee may, in order to protect the interests of the Optionees if in his reasonable judgement a Change of Control Event has become imminent but has not yet occurred, declare that a Change of Control Event has occurred in relation to the Plan to enable the Optionees to exercise their Options.  

"Committee" means the Human Resources Committee of the Board of Directors; 

"Common Share" or "Share" means a Common Share of the Company;  

"Company" means Alcan Inc.;

 



 

"Director" means a Director of the Company;  

"Effective Date" means the date on which an Option is granted; 

"Holding Period" has the meaning set out in paragraph 12 below;  

"Market Value" means the average of the high and low prices of Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange on the relevant day, or if two or more sales of Shares shall not have been reported for that day, on the next preceding day for which there have been two or more reported sales; 

"Option" means an option to purchase Common Shares granted under the Plan; 

"Optionee" means a person who has been or is to be granted an Option; 

"Option Period" has the meaning set out in paragraph 9 below;  

"Plan" means the Alcan Executive Share Option Plan adopted by the Company on July 24, 1987, as amended from time to time; 

"Retirement" means (unless otherwise determined by the Committee):  

(i)        retirement in accordance with the provisions of those employee benefit plans of the Company or any Subsidiary covering the Optionee, or 

(ii)       if the Optionee is not covered by any such plan, as determined by the Committee, or 

(iii)       the placing of a terminated Optionee on the Company's non-active payroll in order to permit such Optionee to attain early retirement age; 

"Shareholder" means a holder of Common Share(s);  

"Shareholder Approval" means the approval of the holders of a majority of the Shares present and voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of the Shareholders; 

"Stock Appreciation Right" or "SAR" means a right, if granted by the Committee, to receive from the Company, in return for the surrender to the Company of the unexercised right to subscribe for a Share pursuant to an Option, cash in an amount equal to the excess of the Market Value of such Share on the date such right is exercised over the subscription price provided in that Option; 

"Subsidiary" means any company in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the voting stock; 

"Waiting Period" means a period of at least three months commencing on the Effective Date and such additional period, if any, as may be established by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Option, such additional period to be subject to such terms and conditions, including conditions for the earlier termination of such additional period, as the Committee may determine. 

"Yearly Allotment" means, in respect of a calendar year, 0.75% of the Shares outstanding as at the end of the previous calendar year. 


 

 

3.         Administration 

The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have full and complete authority to interpret the Plan and to prescribe such rules and regulations and make such other determinations as it deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. 

The Committee shall determine the grant of Options as set out in paragraph 6 below.

 

4.         Shares Subject to Grant of Options 

Subject to applicable laws and stock exchange rules and regulations, the Committee may grant during any calendar year Options in respect of a maximum number of Shares which is the aggregate of: 

(i)    the Yearly Allotment, and  

(ii)    those portions of all previous Yearly Allotments in respect of which Options have not been granted, 

provided that the aggregate number of Shares which may be issued after  March 11, 2005 (in respect of Options already granted up to that date and Options to be granted thereafter) shall not exceed 24,844,630 Shares, subject to adjustment in accordance with paragraph 14, below.

 

5.         Eligibility 

In order to be eligible for the grant of Options by the Committee as provided herein, a person must be an employee of the Company or one of its Subsidiaries.

 

6.         Grant of Options 

The Committee shall from time to time designate the Optionees as well as the number of Shares to be covered by each Option and shall fix the Effective Date of the Option. Any Optionee may hold more than one Option.

 

7.         Subscription Price 

The subscription price for each Share covered by an Option shall be established by the Committee at not less than 100% of the Market Value of a Share on the Effective Date.

 

8.         Exercise of Option 

An Option may be exercised in the manner prescribed by the Committee in whole at any time or in part from time to time during the Option Period or in such amounts and at such times during the Option Period as the Committee may determine. The subscription price of Shares shall be paid in full in cash at the time of exercise of the Option.

 



 

9.         Option Period 

Each Option shall be exercisable by the Optionee during a period ("Option Period") established by the Committee at the time the Option is granted which shall commence after the Waiting Period and shall terminate not later than ten years after the Effective Date, except that: 

9.1   in the case of certain Optionees who are, or may be deemed to be, insiders of the Company in accordance with any applicable law, the Waiting Period shall not be shorter than the period prescribed by such law; 

9.2   subject to the Option Period stated above, the Option Period shall terminate not later than five years after the earlier of: 

(a)     the death of the Optionee, and  

(b)     the Retirement of the Optionee; and  

9.3   the Option Period shall (unless otherwise determined by the Committee) terminate immediately upon the resignation of the Optionee or other termination (except if paragraph 9.2 applies) of employment of the Optionee by the Company. 

In the case of death, the Optionee's estate shall have the right to exercise the Options at any time with respect to all or from time to time with respect to any portion of the Options which the Optionee had not previously exercised. 

All rights under an Option unexercised in whole or in part at the termination of the Option Period shall be forfeited.

 

10.       Blackout Periods  

If the date on which an Option expires occurs during a Blackout Period or within ten Business Days after the last day of a Blackout Period, the Option Period for such Option shall be extended to the end of the tenth Business Day following the last day of the Blackout Period.

 

11.       Stock Appreciation Rights 

Each Option granted under the Plan may, at the discretion of the Committee, have connected therewith SARs in respect of one-half of the Shares covered by the Option.

Each SAR shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as the related Option and shall be exercisable during the Option Period of the related Option except that, in the case of certain Optionees who are, or may be deemed to be, insiders of the Company in accordance with any applicable law, SARs may be exercised only during the periods permitted by such law. 

Each exercise of a SAR shall reduce by one the number of Shares covered by the related Option. However, the exercise of an Option will not reduce the number of SARs connected with such Option until one-half of the Shares originally subject to such Option shall have been purchased; thereafter, each exercise of an Option shall reduce the number of SARs connected therewith by the equivalent of the number of Shares subscribed to by reason of such exercise. Unexercised SARs shall terminate on termination of the Option Period, together with the related Option.

 


12.       Disposal of Shares Acquired 

Shares issued pursuant to the exercise of an Option may not be disposed of by the Optionee until the expiry of such period ("Holding Period"), if any, as may be prescribed by the Committee at the time of grant of the Option, except that, if such Holding Period has been prescribed: 

12.1    in the event of the exercise of an Option by the estate of a deceased Optionee, the estate may dispose of the related Shares immediately; 

12.2    in the event of the exercise of an Option after the Retirement of the Optionee, the Optionee may dispose of the related Shares immediately; 

12.3    the Committee may, in the light of special circumstances affecting an Optionee and at its discretion, waive any Holding Period which has been prescribed in respect of such Option; and 

12.4    notwithstanding the above, in the case of certain Optionees who are, or may be deemed to be, insiders of the Company in accordance with any applicable law, the Holding Period shall not be shorter than the period, if any, prescribed by such law.

 

13.       Non-assignable 

No Option or any interest therein shall be assignable by the Optionee otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. During the life of the Optionee, an Option shall be exercisable only by the Optionee or the Optionee's legal representative.

 

14.       Effects of Certain Transactions 

In the event of any change in the outstanding Shares by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, combination or exchange of Shares or other similar corporate change, an equitable adjustment shall be made in the number or kind of Shares issuable under the Plan or subject to outstanding Options or SARs and/or in the subscription price of such Shares and/or in the formula for determining cash payable upon the exercise of SARs. Such adjustment shall be made by the Committee and shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes of the Plan.

 

15.       Amendment and Termination 

15.1     The Board of Directors may at any time and from time to time amend, suspend or terminate the Plan in whole or in part, provided however that no such amendment, suspension or termination may adversely affect the rights of any Optionee to whom Options have been granted without the consent of the Optionee. 

15.2     The Board of Directors may make the following amendments to the Plan with Shareholder Approval: 

15.2.1    the reduction of the subscription price (except the adjustment to be made pursuant to paragraph 14 of the Plan) of outstanding Options including a cancellation of Options for the purpose of re-issuing new Options in replacement thereof; 

15.2.2    the increase in the number of Shares issuable pursuant to the Plan;

 



 

15.2.3    the extension of the Option Period beyond ten years after the Effective Date except where an Option Period would fall within a Blackout Period; 

15.2.4    an amendment to allow Options to become transferable or assignable other than under paragraph 13; 

15.2.5    the expansion of the eligibility requirements for participation in the Plan.  

15.3     The Board of Directors shall have the authority to make without Shareholder Approval, all other amendments to the Plan that are not contemplated in paragraph 15.2 including, without limitation, the following: 

15.3.1    modifying the Options Periods during which Options may be exercised, subject to, as the case may be, the Option Period terminating no later than the tenth anniversary of the date of the grant of the Option;  

15.3.2    changing the terms on which Options may be granted and exercised including, without limitation, the provisions relating to the vesting, expiry, Waiting Periods and the adjustments to be made pursuant to paragraph 14 of the Plan; 

15.3.3    making any addition to, deletion from or alteration of the provisions of the Plan that are necessary to comply with applicable law or the requirements of any applicable regulatory authority or stock exchange; 

15.3.4    correcting or rectifying any ambiguity, defective provision, error or omission in the Plan;  

15.3.5    changing the provisions relating to the administration of the Plan; and 

15.3.6    any other amendment that does not require Shareholder Approval under paragraph 15.2, applicable laws or relevant regulatory approval.

 

16.       Condition for Issuance of Shares 

The obligation of the Company to issue Shares pursuant to the exercise of Options shall be subject to the condition that such Shares shall have been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. and shall have been listed or authorized for listing upon the relevant stock exchanges.

 

17.       Change of Control 

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Event, all Options shall become immediately exercisable and all Waiting Periods and Holding Periods shall be waived, provided that Optionees who are, or may be deemed to be, insiders of the Company in accordance with any applicable law shall be subject to such law.

 



 

18.       Taxes 

The Company shall be entitled to withhold the amount of any tax attributable to any amounts payable or Shares deliverable under the Plan, after giving notice to the person entitled to receive such payment or delivery, and the Company may defer making payment or delivery as to any award, if any such tax is payable, until indemnified to its satisfaction. An Optionee may pay all or a portion of any required withholding taxes arising in connection with the exercise of an Option by electing to have the Company withhold Shares having a fair market value equal to the amount required to be withheld.

 

19.       Governing Law  

The Plan and any actions taken in connection herewith shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable therein.

EX-10 3 ex102.htm ALCAN STOCK PRICE APPRECIATION UNIT PLAN, DATED SEPTEMBER 27, 2001, AS AMENDED. Exhibit 10

Exhibit 10.2    Alcan Stock Price Appreciation Unit Plan, dated September 27, 2001, as amended.

 

Amended as of April 26, 2007

THE PLAN

1.         PURPOSE 

The purposes of the Plan are to provide a means for encouraging key employees to obtain an increased proprietary interest in the enterprise and an additional incentive to further its growth and development and to assist the Company in retaining and attracting executives with experience and ability. 

The Plan provides for the granting to key employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries of Stock Price Appreciation Unit ("SPAU") on terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Plan. The Committee which administers the Plan may determine in its sole discretion which employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries are eligible to be granted SPAUs. 

 

2.         Definitions 

"Alcan Group" means the Company together with its consolidated subsidiaries and other companies in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, less than 50% of the voting stock but has significant influence over management; 

"Blackout Period" means any period during which a policy of the Company prevents an Executive from exercising a SPAU; 

"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the Company;  

"Business Day" means a day of the week other than a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday recognized as such either in Canada or in the country of residence of the Executive;

"Change of Control Event" means any of the following: 

1.   the acquisition of direct or indirect beneficial ownership of 50% or more of the Shares of the Company by any person or group of associated persons acting together or jointly and in concert;

2.   any amalgamation, merger, arrangement, reorganization or consolidation (or substantially similar transactions or series of transactions) in respect of the Company, other than where (a) the Shares of the Company after the transaction would continue to represent two-thirds or more of the combined voting securities of the resulting entity, without a concurrent substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors, or (b) it is effected for the purpose of implementing a recapitalization of the Company, without there also occurring an acquisition of direct or indirect beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the Shares of the Company by any person or group of associated persons acting together or jointly and in concert;

3.   the approval by the Company's shareholders of a plan for the complete or effective dissolution of the Company;

4.   the issuance by the Company of Shares in connection with an exchange offer acquisition if such issuance results in the shareholders holding less than two-thirds of the combined voting securities of the resulting entity and there is a concurrent substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors;

 


 

5.   the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, other than (a) to an owner or owners of at least two-thirds of the Company's Shares, or (b) in a manner so that the acquirer is thereafter controlled as to at least two-thirds of its voting securities by the owner or owners of at least two-thirds of the Company's Shares, provided in each case that there is no concurrent substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors;

6.   the completion of the corporate approvals necessary on the part of the Company to give effect to any amalgamation, merger, arrangement, reorganization, continuance or consolidation (or substantially similar transactions or series of transactions) in respect of the Company pursuant to which the Company will not survive as a stand-alone publicly-traded corporation – without limitation the Company shall be deemed not to have survived as a stand-alone publicly-traded corporation if (a) there is no longer a liquid market for the Shares on the Toronto or New York stock exchanges, (b) more that 50% of the Shares become held by any person or group of associated persons acting together or jointly and in concert, or (c) the Company becomes a subsidiary of another corporation; or

7.   any occurrence pursuant to which individuals who were the incumbent Directors on 1 November 2005 cease for any reason to constitute at least two-thirds of the Company's Board, provided that any individual who became a Director subsequently whose election or appointment was approved by at least two-thirds of the incumbent Directors shall also be considered to be an incumbent Director, but further provided that no individual elected or appointed initially as a result of an actual or threatened proxy contest or solicitation of proxies or in connection with amalgamation, merger, arrangement, reorganization, consolidation or share exchange acquisition transaction (or substantially similar transactions or series of transactions) shall be deemed to be an incumbent Director. 

For the purposes hereof a substantial change in the composition of the Company's Board of Directors shall be any change involving the departure of at least three Directors or any other change pursuant to which the Directors in office prior thereto cease to constitute at least two-thirds of the members of the Board.  In addition, any "change of control event" which occurs for the purposes of a change of control agreement in force between the Company and an employee of the Company or one of its subsidiaries as of the date hereof shall be deemed to be a Change of Control Event hereunder in relation to that employee. 

The Chairman of the Committee may, in order to protect the interests of the Executives if in his reasonable judgement a Change of Control Event has become imminent but has not yet occurred, declare that a Change of Control Event has occurred in relation to the Plan to enable the Executives to exercise their SPAUs. 

"Committee" means those members of the Personnel Committee of the Board of Directors who are not employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary; 

"Common Share" or "Share" means a Common Share of the Company;  

"Company" means Alcan Inc;  

"Director" means a Director of the Company;  

"Effective Date" means the date on which a SPAU is granted or any subsequent date so designated by the Committee at the time the SPAU is granted; 

"Executive" means a person who has been or is to be granted a SPAU;

 



 

"Market Value" means the average of the high and low prices of Shares on The Toronto Stock Exchange on the relevant day, or if two or more sales of Shares shall not have been reported for that day, on the next preceding day for which there have been two or more reported sales; 

"Plan" means the Alcan Inc Stock Price Appreciation Unit Plan adopted by the Company on 27 of  September 2001, as amended from time to time; 

"Retirement" means (unless otherwise determined by the Committee):  

(i)    retirement in accordance with the provisions of those employee benefit plans of the Company or any Subsidiary covering the Executive, or 

(ii)   if the Executive is not covered by any such plan, as determined by the Committee, or 

(iii)  the placing of a terminated Executive on the Company's non-active payroll in order to permit such Executive to attain early retirement age. 

"SPAU" means a right to receive from the Company cash in an amount equal to the excess of the Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise of a SPAU over the Market Value of a Share as of the date of the grant of such SPAU; 

"SPAU Period" has the meaning set out in paragraph 7 below;  

"Subsidiary" means any company in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the voting stock;

"Waiting Period" means a period of at least three months commencing on the Effective Date and such additional period, if any, as may be established by the Committee at the time of the grant of the SPAU, such additional period to be subject to such terms and conditions, including conditions for the earlier termination of such additional period, as the Committee may determine. 

 

3.         Administration 

The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have full and complete authority to interpret the Plan and to prescribe such rules and regulations and make such other determinations as it deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. 

The Committee shall determine the grant of SPAU as set out in paragraph 5 below. 

 

4.         Eligibility 

In order to be eligible for the grant of SPAUs by the Committee as provided herein, a person must be an employee of the Company or one of its Subsidiaries. 

No member of the Committee shall be eligible to participate in the Plan nor shall have been eligible so to participate within the one-year period immediately prior to membership on the Committee. 

 


 

5.         Grant of SPAUs 

The Committee shall from time to time designate the Executives as well as the number of SPAUs to be covered by each grant and shall fix the Effective Date of the SPAU. Any Executive may hold more than one SPAU. 

 

6.         Exercise of a SPAU 

A SPAU may be exercised in the manner prescribed by the Committee in whole at any time or in part from time to time during the SPAU Period or in such amounts and at such times during the SPAU Period as the Committee may determine.  

 

7.         SPAU Period 

Each SPAU shall be exercisable by the Executive during a period ("SPAU Period") established by the Committee at the time the SPAU is granted which shall commence after the Waiting Period and shall terminate not later than ten years after the Effective Date, except that: 

7.1       in the case of certain Executives who are, or may be deemed to be, insiders of the Company in accordance with any applicable law, the Waiting Period shall not be shorter than the period prescribed by such law; 

7.2       subject to the SPAU Period stated above, the SPAU Period shall terminate not later than five years after the earlier of: 

(a)        the death of the Executive, and  

(b)        the Retirement of the Executive; and  

7.3       the SPAU Period shall (unless otherwise determined by the Committee) terminate immediately upon the resignation of the Executive or other termination (except if paragraph 7.2 applies) of employment of the Executive by the Company. 

In the case of death, the Executive's estate shall have the right to exercise the SPAUs at any time with respect to all or from time to time with respect to any portion of the SPAUs which the Executive had not previously exercised. 

All rights under a SPAU unexercised in whole or in part at the termination of the SPAU Period shall be forfeited. 

 

8.         Blackout Periods 

If the date on which a SPAU expires occurs during a Blackout Period or within ten Business Days after the last day of a Blackout Period, the SPAU Period for such SPAU shall be extended to the end of the tenth Business Day following the last day of the Blackout Period.

 

 



 

9.         Non-assignable 

No SPAU or any interest therein shall be assignable by the Executive otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. During the life of the Executive, a SPAU shall be exercisable only by the Executive or the Executive's legal representative. 

 

10.       Effects of Certain Transactions 

In the event of any change in the outstanding Shares by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, combination or exchange of Shares or other similar corporate change, an equitable adjustment shall be made in the formula for determining cash payable upon the exercise of SPAUs. Such adjustment shall be made by the Committee and shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes of the Plan.

 

11.       Amendment and Termination 

The Board of Directors may at any time and from time to time amend, suspend or terminate the Plan in whole or in part. No such amendment, suspension or termination may, without the consent of the Executive to whom SPAUs shall theretofore have been granted, adversely affect the rights of such Executive. 

 

12.       Change of Control 

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Event, all SPAUs shall become immediately exercisable and all Waiting Periods shall be waived, provided that Executives who are, or may be deemed to be, insiders of the Company in accordance with any applicable law shall be subject to such law. 

 

13.       Insiders 

Notwithstanding anything contained herein, if an Executive is, or becomes an insider of the Company for the purposes of any applicable law, the exercise of a SPAU is deemed, for the purposes of this Agreement and all aspects of the Executive's relationship with the Company, to be a disposal of a Share as if subject to trading restrictions under such law and corresponding Company's policies.

 

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