Item 5.02.Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Principal Officers.
Effective as of January 11, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company has
appointed James Claussen as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
of Ryerson Holding Corporation (the "Company").
Mr. Claussen, age 47, has over 18 years' experience with the Company in multiple
positions. Since July 2018, Mr. Claussen has served as President of Central
Steel & Wire Company, a subsidiary of the Company ("CS&W"). From November 2007
to July 2018, Mr. Claussen served as Chief Financial Officer, North/West Region,
of Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company ("JT
Ryerson"). Mr. Claussen earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Minnesota
State University, Mankato, and a master's degree in business administration from
the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. There are no family
relationships between Mr. Claussen and any of the Company's directors or
executive officers, and there is no arrangement or understanding between Mr.
Claussen or any other person and the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant
to which he was appointed as an officer of the Company. There are no
transactions between Mr. Claussen or any of his immediate family members and the
Company or any of its subsidiaries that would be required to be reported under
Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
In connection with his appointment as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial
Officer, the Company, JT Ryerson and Mr. Claussen entered into an amendment to
Mr. Claussen's employment agreement (the "Amended Employment Agreement").
Pursuant to the terms of the Amended Employment Agreement, Mr. Claussen will be
entitled to an annual base salary of $425,000.00 per year and will have a target
annual bonus opportunity equal to 75% of his base salary, subject to the
achievements of performance targets established by the Company from time to
time. The Amended Employment Agreement contemplates that, subject to the
approval of the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board"), Mr. Claussen will
receive a grant in 2021 under the Company's 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as
amended and restated, consisting of RSUs and PSUs representing the right to
receive up to 35,000 shares of common stock of the Company in the aggregate,
which will be subject to such vesting terms and performance criteria, as
applicable, as will be determined by the Board.
Pursuant to the Amended Employment Agreement, the Company will compensate
Mr. Claussen for temporary living expenses in Chicago, including rent, utilities
and upkeep of an apartment in Chicago, through June 30, 2023.
Mr. Claussen's employment agreement also provides that upon any termination of
Mr. Claussen's employment by the Company other than for "cause" or as a result
of a termination of employment for "good reason" (each as defined in his
employment agreement), subject to his continued compliance with the restrictive
covenant provisions in his employment agreement, Mr. Claussen would be entitled
to severance equal to (i) continued payment of his base salary, payable in equal
installments over a twelve month period (or, if earlier until such time that he
becomes eligible for long-term disability benefits); (ii) continued access to
medical and dental benefits available to him as of the termination date at the
active employee rates for a period of twelve months (unless he is eligible for
retiree medical benefits, in which case only dental coverage will be offered at
the active employee rates); (iii) an amount equal to Mr. Claussen's average
annual bonus from the preceding three years, payable in the first quarter of the
year following the year in which the termination occurs; and (iv) a pro-rata
bonus for the year in which such termination occurs, determined based on actual
performance and payable in the first quarter of the year following the year in
which the termination occurs. If Mr. Claussen is also eligible to receive any
payments or benefits under the Ryerson Severance Plan, such amounts will be
offset by the severance payments and benefits, if any, due to him under his
employment agreement. Mr. Claussen's employment agreement subjects him to an
indefinite confidentiality provision, an inventions assignment provision and
non-compete and non-solicit covenants that apply during the period of his
employment and for 12 months thereafter.
Mr. Claussen will remain in his position as President of CS&W in addition to his
role as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer until his successor
is named.
As a result of Mr. Claussen's appointment as Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer of the Company, effective January 11, 2021, Molly Kannan's
temporary appointment as interim principal financial officer of the Company
ended. Ms. Kannan will continue to serve as the Company's Corporate Controller
and Chief Accounting Officer.
A copy of the Company's press release announcing Mr. Claussen's appointment is
attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.
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Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
d) Exhibits
Exhibit
No. Exhibit Title or Description
99.1 Press Release of the Ryerson Holding Corporation, dated January 8, 2021.
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
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