22 May 2017
Tern Plc
(AIM: TERN)
New Employee Share Option Plan and Grant of Options
Tern PLC (LSE:TERN), ("Tern" or the "Company"), the investing company focused on the Internet of Things (IoT), announces that upon the recommendation of the Company's Remuneration Committee, a new employee share option plan was adopted on 19 May 2017 (the "Share Option Plan"). This option plan replaces all previous share option schemes and all existing executive directors share options are replaced by the new scheme.
The implementation of this Share Option Plan is intended to align the interests of the Company's executive directors and eligible employees with shareholders, and to help attract talent in the future.
The key terms of the Share Option Plan are summarised below:
Normal Vesting Date | Percentage increase in Share price relative to the Exercise Price | Percentage of Shares to Vest |
36 months after the Date of Grant | 0% | 0% |
36 months after the Date of Grant | 100% | 100% |
Following the implementation of the Share Option Plan, the Remuneration Committee has approved the grant of options over 10,000,000 Ordinary Shares to its executive directors representing 6.6% of Tern's Ordinary Shares and total voting rights on a fully diluted basis. The exercise price for these options is 8.5 pence being the closing middle market share price on 18 May 2017. The options will remain capable of exercise within the remaining period of up to ten years from the date of grant.
The amount of options granted to Directors are summarised in the following table:
Director | Options Granted |
Angus Forrest | 2,500,000 |
Bruce Leith | 2,500,000 |
Sarah Payne | 2,500,000 |
Al Sisto | 2,500,000 |
Following this grant of options, the total number of share options outstanding will be 11,600,000 representing 7.7% of Tern's Ordinary Shares and total voting rights on a fully diluted basis.
Messrs Forrest, Leith and Sisto currently have the following interests in Ordinary Shares:
Director | Number of Ordinary Shares | % of issued share capital at 19 May 2017 |
Angus Forrest | 7,899,602 | 6.6 |
Bruce Leith | 5,957,233 | 5.0 |
Al Sisto | 6,263,333 | 5.2 |
Mrs Payne owns no shares in the Company.
Following the grant of options, Mr Forrest, Mr Leith, Mrs Payne and Mr Sisto will have the following share options in the Company:
Director | Number of options | Exercise Price | Expiry Date |
Angus Forrest | 2,500,000 | 8.5 p | 18.05.2027 |
Bruce Leith | 2,500,000 | 8.5p | 18.05.2027 |
Sarah Payne | 2,500,000 | 8.5p | 18.05.2027 |
Al Sisto | 2,500,000 | 8.5p | 18.05.2027 |
The implementation of the Share Option Plan constitutes a related party transaction pursuant to AIM Rule 13. The Company's non-executive director, who is not party to the Share Option Plan and is therefore independent for this purpose, having consulted with the Company's Nominated Adviser, considers the terms of the Share Option Plan to be fair and reasonable insofar as Tern's shareholders are concerned.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014.
Enquiries
Tern Plc Al Sisto/Sarah Payne | via Redleaf |
WH Ireland (NOMAD and joint broker) Mike Coe/Ed Allsopp | Tel: 0117 945 3470 |
Whitman Howard (Joint broker) Nick Lovering/Francis North | Tel: 020 7659 1234 |
Redleaf Communications Rebecca Sanders-Hewett/David Ison | Tel: 020 7382 4730 |