Note 12 — Executive Nonqualified Defined Benefit Plan

On August 8, 2008 the Company established The Executive Nonqualified Defined Benefit Plan of Gentherm Incorporated (the “Plan”), an unfunded executive pension plan, with an effective date of April 1, 2008. Daniel Coker, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, is expected to be the only participant in the Plan which will, if fully vested, provide for fifteen annual retirement benefit payments of $300,000 each beginning January 1, 2018. Mr. Coker will become entitled to receive such retirement benefit payments, or a portion thereof, through his continuous service to the Company as follows: Mr. Coker will become proportionally vested in the benefit over a six year period starting on April 1, 2011.

The Company records a projected benefit obligation representing the present value of future plan benefits when earned by the participant. The following table sets forth the benefit obligation, amounts recognized in the Company’s financial statements and the principal assumptions used:

	2013			2012
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	1,633		$	1,142
Service cost		355			317
Interest cost		53			45
Actuarial loss		(193	)		129
Net periodic benefit cost		215			491
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	1,848		$	1,633

The benefit obligation is included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as a non-current liability. Service and interest cost is included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of income and actuarial losses are included the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as part of accumulated other comprehensive income within shareholders’ equity. Actuarial losses are amortized to selling, general and administrative expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of income based on the average future service life of the Plan. A discount rate assumption of 4.25%, 3.25% and 4.0% was used to determine the benefit obligation and the net periodic service cost for years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Note 12 — Executive Nonqualified Defined Benefit Plan (Continued)

Although the Plan is not funded, the Company has established a separate trust having the sole purpose of paying benefits under the Plan. The only asset of the trust is a corporate-owned life insurance policy (“COLI”) on the life of Oscar Marx III, the Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors. The COLI is valued at fair value using quoted prices listed in active markets (Level 1 input based on the U.S. GAAP fair value hierarchy). The policy value of the COLI was $1,962 and $1,466 as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and was included in other non-current assets.

W.E.T. has an established defined benefit plan for retired and current members of its executive management team.

W.E.T. records a projected benefit obligation representing the present value of future plan benefits when earned by the participant. The following table sets forth the benefit obligation and amounts recognized in the Company’s financial statements:

	2013			2012
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	5,392		$	4,250
Service cost		—			199
Interest cost		180			195
Paid pension distributions		(291	)		(277	)
Actuarial (gains)/losses		43			912
Past service cost		445			—
Exchange rate impact		250			113
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	6,019		$	5,392

The following table sets forth the fair value of the plan assets for the periods ending December 31, 2013 and 2012:

	2013			2012
Change in plan assets:
Plan assets at beginning of year	$	1,548		$	1,098
Actual return on plan assets		59			41
Net contributions		664			386
Actuarial loss		(24	)		(11	)
Exchange rate impact		93			34
Plan assets at end of year	$	2,340		$	1,548

The W.E.T. defined benefit plan is underfunded by $3,679 and $3,844 as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The portion of the net benefit obligation payable within the next 12 months is included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet within accrued liabilities. The long-term portion of the net benefit obligation is included in pension benefit obligation. The net periodic benefit cost is included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of income. The following table describes the actuarial assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and the net periodic service cost:

	2013
Discount rate		3.46	%
Expected long term rate of return on plan assets		3.80	%

Plan assets are comprised of W.E.T’s. pension insurance policies and are pledged to the beneficiaries of the plan. Fair value of the pension insurance policies is determined on the basis of the calculation of the underlying insurance charge. Due to the basis of the calculation, pension plan assets are determined to be Level 2 investments. The expected return on plan assets assumption used to calculate WET’s pension benefit obligation was determined using actual returns realized on plan assets in the prior year.

Note 12 — Executive Nonqualified Defined Benefit Plan (Continued)

The schedule of expected pension payments made to W.E.T. defined benefit plan participants over the next 10 years is as follows:

Year
2014	$	302
2015		303
2016		302
2017		302
2018		300
2019 - 2023		1,473
Total	$	2,982

Gentherm has adopted a 401(k) plan to provide all eligible employees a means to accumulate retirement savings on a tax-advantaged basis, and eligible executive officers can participate in this plan on the same basis as other participants. Participants may defer specified portions of their compensation and (1) we match 50% percent of employee contributions up to a contribution equal to 2% percent of the employee’s compensation and (2) we may, but are not required to, make additional discretionary contributions. The Compensation Committee has not made any discretionary contribution to the 401(k) Plan since its inception. Gentherm made $191, $161 and $136 in matching contributions to the 401(k) plan in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.