Corporate Governance

Election of Directors and Terms of Office

Our Board of Directors currently consists of seven members, including our non-executive Chairman. Other than our two external directors, our new directors are elected by an ordinary resolution at the annual general meeting of our shareholders. The nomination of our directors is proposed by a nomination committee of our Board of Directors, whose proposal is then approved by the board. The current members of the nomination committee are David Bassa, Ossi Hillel Fain and Oded Nagar. Our board, following receipt of a proposal of the nomination committee, has the authority to add additional directors up to the maximum number of 12 directors allowed under our Articles. Such directors appointed by the board serve until the next annual general meeting of the shareholders. Unless they resign before the end of their term or are removed in accordance with our Articles, all of our directors, other than our external directors, will serve as directors until our next annual general meeting of shareholders.

Ossi Hillel Fain and Oded Nagar were elected to serve as external directors of our company at the annual general meeting that took place in March 2015. After the initial three-year term, their term of service may be renewed for an additional three-year term (pursuant to the provisions of the Israeli Companies Law as more fully described below).

None of our directors or officers have any family relationship with any other director or officer. None of our directors are entitled to receive any severance or similar benefits upon termination of his or her service.

Our Articles permit us to maintain directors and officers’ liability insurance and to indemnify our directors and officers for actions performed on behalf of us, subject to specified limitations. We maintain a directors and officers insurance policy which covers the liability of our directors and officers as allowed under Israeli Companies Law.

Nomination_Committee_Charter pdf (105 KB)
External and Independent Directors

The Israeli Companies Law requires Israeli companies with shares that have been offered to the public either in or outside of Israel to appoint two external directors. No person may be appointed as an external director if that person or that person’s relative, partner, employer or any entity under the person’s control, has or had, on or within the two years preceding the date of that person’s appointment to serve as an external director, any affiliation with the company or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the company. The term affiliation includes:

  • an employment relationship;
  • a business or professional relationship maintained on a regular basis;
  • control; and
  • service as an office holder, other than service as an officer for a period of not more than three months, during which the company first offered shares to the public.

No person may serve as an external director if that person’s position or business activities create, or may create, a conflict of interest with that person’s responsibilities as an external director or may otherwise interfere with his/her ability to serve as an external director. If, at the time external directors are to be appointed, all current members of the Board of Directors are of the same gender, then at least one external director must be of the other gender. A director in one company shall not be appointed as an external director in another company if at that time a director of the other company serves as an external director in the first company. In addition, no person may be appointed as an external director if he/she is a member or employee of the Israeli Securities Authority, and also not if he/she is a member of the Board of Directors or an employee of a stock exchange in Israel.

External directors are to be elected by a majority vote at a shareholders’ meeting, provided that either:

  • the majority of shares voted at the meeting, including at least one-third of the shares held by non-controlling shareholders voted at the meeting, vote in favor of election of the director, with abstaining votes not being counted in this vote; or
  • the total number of shares held by non-controlling shareholders voted against the election of the director does not exceed one percent of the aggregate voting rights in the company.

The initial term of an external director is three years and may be extended for an additional three-year term. An external director may be removed only by the same percentage of shareholders as is required for their election, or by a court, and then only if such external director ceases to meet the statutory qualifications for their appointment or violates his or her duty of loyalty to the company. At least one external director must serve on every committee that is empowered to exercise one of the functions of the Board of Directors.

An external director is entitled to compensation as provided in regulations adopted under the Israeli Companies Law and is otherwise prohibited from receiving any other compensation, directly or indirectly, in connection with service provided as an external director.

Subject to certain exceptions, issuers that list on NASDAQ must have boards of directors including a majority of independent directors, as such term is defined by NASDAQ. We are in compliance with the independence requirements of both the SEC and NASDAQ.

Audit Committee

The Israeli Companies Law requires public companies to appoint an audit committee. The responsibilities of the audit committee include identifying irregularities in the management of the company’s business and approving related party transactions as required by law. An audit committee must consist of at least three directors, including all of the company’s external directors. The chairman of the Board of Directors, any director employed by or otherwise providing services to the company, and a controlling shareholder or any relative of a controlling shareholder, may not be a member of the audit committee. An audit committee may not approve an action or a transaction with a controlling shareholder, or with an office holder, unless at the time of approval two external directors are serving as members of the audit committee and at least one of the external directors was present at the meeting in which an approval was granted.

Our audit committee is currently comprised of three independent non-executive directors. The audit committee is chaired by Ossi Hillel Fain, with Oded Nagar Fain and Doron Turgeman, who serves as the audit committee financial expert, as members. The audit committee meets at least twice a year and monitors the adequacy of our internal controls, accounting policies and financial reporting. It regularly reviews the results of the ongoing risk self-assessment process, which we undertake, and our interim and annual reports prior to their submission for approval by the full Board of Directors. The audit committee oversees the activities of the internal auditor, sets its annual tasks and goals and reviews its reports. The audit committee reviews the objectivity and independence of the external auditors and also considers the scope of their work and fees. In accordance with the NASDAQ requirements, our audit committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of our independent auditors.

We have adopted a written charter for our audit committee, setting forth its responsibilities as outlined by NASDAQ rules and the regulations of the SEC. In addition, our audit committee has adopted procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints we may receive regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters and the submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. In addition, both SEC and NASDAQ rules mandate that the audit committee of a listed issuer consist of at least three members, all of whom must be independent, as such term is defined by rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. We are in compliance with the independence requirements of both the SEC and NASDAQ.

Audit Committee Charter pdf (252 KB)
Approval of Compensation to Our Officers

The Israeli Companies Law prescribes that compensation to officers must be approved by a company’s Board of Directors. NASDAQ corporate governance rules require that compensation of the chief executive officer and other executive officers be determined, or recommended to the Board of Directors, by a majority of the independent directors or by a compensation committee comprised solely of independent directors. We have established a compensation committee in compliance with the Israeli Companies Law and NASDAQ rules.

Our compensation committee consists of three independent directors: Doron Turgeman, Ossi Hillel Fain and Oded Nagar. The responsibilities of the compensation committee are to set our overall policy on executive remuneration and to decide the specific remuneration, benefits and terms of employment for each senior manager, including the Chief Executive Officer.

The objectives of the compensation committee’s policies are that senior managers should receive compensation which is appropriate given their performance, level of responsibility and experience. Compensation packages should also allow us to attract and retain executives of the necessary caliber while, at the same time, motivating them to achieve the highest level of corporate performance in line with the best interests of shareholders. In order to determine the elements and level of remuneration appropriate to each executive director, the compensation committee reviews surveys on executive pay, obtains external professional advice and considers individual performance.

Compensation_Committee_Charter pdf (171 KB)


Internal Auditor

Under the Israeli Companies Law, the board of directors must appoint an internal auditor, nominated by the audit committee. The role of the internal auditor is to examine, among other matters, whether the company’s actions comply with the law and orderly business procedure. Under the Israeli Companies Law, the internal auditor cannot be an office holder, an interested party or a relative of an office holder or interested party, and he or she may not be the company’s independent accountant or its representative. We comply with the requirement of the Israeli Companies Law relating to internal auditors. Our internal auditors examine whether our various activities comply with the law and orderly business procedure.