Specifically, your shares will be voted FOR the election of all director nominees, FOR the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers in 2022, FOR the approval, on an advisory basis, for TWO YEARS on the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation and FOR the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the 2023 fiscal year, and as in the discretion of the persons named as proxies on all other matters that may properly come before the Annual Meeting.
Are voting procedures different if I hold my shares in the name of a broker, bank or other nominee?
If you are a shareholder whose shares are held in “street name” (i.e., in the name of a broker, bank or other record holder), you must either direct the record holder of your shares how to vote your shares or obtain a Proxy, executed in your favor, from the record holder to be able to register using the registration instructions provided above, attend, and vote at the Annual Meeting.
We encourage shareholders who hold shares of Class B Common Stock in street name to provide instructions to that record holder on how to vote those shares. Providing voting instructions ensures that your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting. If shares are held through a brokerage account, the brokerage firm, under certain circumstances, may vote the shares without instructions from you. On certain “routine” matters, such as the ratification of the appointment of auditors, brokerage firms have authority under NYSE rules to vote their beneficial holders’ shares if the beneficial holders do not provide voting instructions. If a brokerage firm votes a beneficial holder’s shares on a routine matter without receiving voting instructions, these shares are counted both for establishing a quorum to conduct business at the Annual Meeting and in determining the number of shares voted for or against the routine matter. At the Annual Meeting, the proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the 2023 fiscal year is considered a routine matter.
On “non-routine” matters, if a brokerage firm has not received voting instructions from a beneficial holder, the brokerage firm cannot vote the shares on that proposal, which is considered a “broker non-vote.” Broker non-votes are counted for purposes of establishing a quorum to conduct business at the Annual Meeting, but not for determining the number of shares voted for or against the non-routine matter. At the Annual Meeting, the proposals relating to i) the election of directors ii) the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers in 2022 and iii) the approval, on advisory basis, on the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation are considered non-routine matters.
How can I obtain a copy of the 2022 Annual Report?
Our Annual Report (Form 10-K), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) is available free of charge upon written request to the Corporate Secretary, Legal Department, Crawford & Company, 5335 Triangle Parkway, Peachtree Corners, Georgia 30092 and on the Company’s website, www.crawco.com under the “Financials” link located under the “Investors” page.
Who is paying the expenses of this solicitation?
The cost of solicitation of proxies will be borne by the Company. To have as large a representation at the Annual Meeting as possible, special solicitation of proxies may, in certain instances, be made personally, or by telephone, electronic mail or by mail by one or more of our directors, officers or directors. We will also reimburse brokers, banks, nominees, or other fiduciaries for the reasonable clerical expenses of forwarding the proxy material to the beneficial owners of the Company’s Class B Common Stock.
What do I need to attend the Annual Meeting?
Attendance is limited to shareholders of record as of March 17, 2023. You should be prepared to present photo identification for admittance. Please note that cameras, sound or video recording equipment, cellular telephones, or similar electronic devices, large bags, briefcases or packages will not be allowed in the meeting room.
If you are a shareholder of record, your name is subject to verification against the list of shareholders of record on the record date prior to being admitted to the meeting. If you are a beneficial owner and your