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. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer, is the only participant in the Plan which will, if fully vested, provide for 15 annual retirement benefit payments of $300,000 each beginning January 1, 2018. The participant will become entitled to receive such retirement benefit payments, or a portion thereof, through his continuous service to the Company 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:

	2014		2013
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	1,848	$	1,633
Service cost		335		355
Interest cost		78		53
Actuarial loss(gain)		213		(193	)
Net periodic benefit cost		626		215
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	2,474	$	1,848

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 gains and 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 3.25%, 4.25% and 3.25% was used to determine the benefit obligation and the net periodic service cost for years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

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”). 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 $2,056 and $1,962 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and was included in other non-current assets.

Gentherm GmbH has an established defined benefit plan for retired and current members of its executive management team.

Gentherm GmbH 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:

	2014			2013
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	6,019		$	5,392
Service cost		304			—
Interest cost		181			180
Paid pension distributions		(278	)		(291	)
Actuarial (gains)/losses		1,385			43
Past service cost		1,271			445
Exchange rate impact		(762	)		250
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	8,120		$	6,019

Note 12 — Executive Nonqualified Defined Benefit Plan (Continued)

The following table sets forth the fair value of the plan assets for the periods ending December 31, 2014 and 2013:

	2014			2013
Change in plan assets:
Plan assets at beginning of year	$	2,340		$	1,548
Actual return on plan assets		89			59
Net contributions		958			664
Actuarial gains/(losses)		531			(24	)
Exchange rate impact		(303	)		93
Plan assets at end of year	$	3,615		$	2,340

The Gentherm GmbH defined benefit plan is underfunded by $4,505 and $3,679 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, 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:

	2014
Discount rate		1.95	%
Expected long term rate of return on plan assets		3.80	%

Plan assets are comprised of Gentherm GmbH’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 Gentherm GmbH’s pension benefit obligation was determined using actual returns realized on plan assets in the prior year.

The schedule of expected pension payments made to Gentherm GmbH defined benefit plan participants over the next 10 years is as follows:

Year
2015	$	276
2016		277
2017		276
2018		275
2019		274
2020 - 2024		1,360
Total	$	2,738

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. On a discretionary basis, the Company matches a portion of the of employee contributions. The Plan also allows for additional discretionary contributions. Gentherm made $543, $191 and $161 in matching contributions to the 401(k) plan in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.