2024 Notice of Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement
May 22, 2024 | Houston, TX
April 5, 2024
Dear Stockholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of DNOW Inc., which will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., local time, at the Company's corporate headquarters located at 7402 N. Eldridge Parkway, Houston, Texas 77041.
The accompanying notice of meeting and proxy statement contain information regarding the matters to be voted on at the meeting in the formal Notice of Meeting and Proxy Statement, which are included on the following pages of this booklet.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, it is important that your shares be represented and voted at the meeting, so please submit your proxy as soon as possible. You may vote by mailing a completed proxy card, by telephone, or over the Internet. If you so desire, you may withdraw your proxy and vote in person at the meeting.
Also included in this booklet as Appendix B is DNOW Inc.'s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10K, which we are distributing to the Company's stockholders in lieu of a separate annual report.
Thank you for your continued support of and interest in DNOW Inc.
Sincerely,
David Cherechinsky
President and Chief Executive Officer
Table of Contents | |
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS…………………………………………………………….1 | |
PROXY STATEMENT | |
Proposal No. 1 - Election of Directors | 9 |
Committees and Meetings of the Board | 13 |
Board of Directors | 16 |
Audit Committee Report | 20 |
Proposal No. 2 - Approval of 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan | 23 |
Proposal No. 3 - Ratification of Independent Auditors | 31 |
Proposal No. 4 - Approval of the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers | 32 |
Corporate Governance | 35 |
Executive Officers | 45 |
Stock Ownership | 47 |
Compensation Discussion and Analysis | 49 |
Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation | 72 |
Executive Compensation | 76 |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions | 83 |
Pay Ratio | 84 |
2023 Pay vs Performance | 85 |
Director Compensation | 88 |
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance | 90 |
Stockholder Proposals for the 2025 Annual Meeting | 90 |
Annual Report and Other Matters | 90 |
APPENDIX A | |
DNOW INC. 2024 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN | |
APPENDIX B | |
ANNUAL REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS | |
Business | B-2 |
Risk Factors | B-9 |
Cybersecurity | B-22 |
Properties | B-24 |
Legal Proceedings | B-24 |
Mine Safety Disclosures | B-24 |
Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of | |
Equity Securities | B-25 |
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | B-27 |
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk | B-38 |
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | B-39 |
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure | B-39 |
Controls and Procedures | B-39 |
Other Information | B-39 |
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance | B-40 |
Executive Compensation | B-40 |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder | |
Matters | B-40 |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence | B-40 |
Principal Accounting Fees and Services | B-40 |
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules | B-41 |
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
OF STOCKHOLDERS
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
10:00 a.m. (Central Standard Time)
DNOW Inc.
7402 N. Eldridge Parkway
Houston, Texas 77041
The 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of DNOW Inc. ("Annual Meeting") will be held at the Company's corporate headquarters located at 7402 N. Eldridge Parkway, Houston, Texas 77041 on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. local time, for the following purposes:
- To elect eight directors to hold office for one-year terms (Proposal 1);
- To consider and act upon a proposal to approve the 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Proposal 2);
- To consider and act upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as independent auditors of the Company for 2024 (Proposal 3);
- To consider and act upon an advisory proposal to approve the compensation of our named executive officers (Proposal 4); and
- To consider and act upon any other matters that may properly come before the annual meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof.
The Board of Directors recommends that you vote "FOR" these four proposals.
The Board of Directors has set March 25, 2024 as the record date for the Annual Meeting. If you were a stockholder of record at the close of business on March 25, 2024, you are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. A complete list of these stockholders will be available for examination during ordinary business hours at our corporate headquarters for a period of ten days prior to the Annual Meeting.
On or about April 5, 2024, a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access our 2024 Proxy Statement and 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K and how to vote online will be made available. The Notice also provides instruction on how you can request a paper copy of these documents if you desire. If you received your 2024 annual meeting materials via e-mail, the e-mail contains voting instructions and links to the Proxy Statement and Form 10-K online.
You are cordially invited to join us at the Annual Meeting. However, to ensure your representation, we request that you return your signed proxy card or complete voting online at your earliest convenience, regardless of whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. You may revoke your proxy at any time if you wish to attend and vote in person.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Raymond Chang
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Houston, Texas
April 5, 2024
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Proxy Summary
This summary highlights information throughout our Proxy Statement. Please read this entire Proxy Statement carefully as this summary does not contain all information you should consider before voting.
Date: May 22, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m. Central Time
Meeting Agenda:
The meeting will cover the four proposals listed in the Voting Matters and Vote Recommendations herein as well as any other business that may properly come before the meeting.
Annual Shareholders Meeting
Place: DNOW Inc.
7402 N. Eldridge Parkway
Houston, TX 77041
Record Date: March 25, 2024
Notice Date:
This Proxy Statement was first mailed to shareholders on or about April 5, 2024.
Voting:
Shareholders as of the record date are entitled to vote. Each share of common stock of DNOW Inc. ("Company") is entitled to one vote for each director nominee and one vote for each proposal.
Despite a softer market with less momentum than originally expected in 2023, the Company had a very strong year. The Company continued to be debt-free and produced results that fueled an accumulation growth strategy by driving significant free cash flow while producing solid revenue growth. The Company's commitment to growing through accretive organic growth and acquisitions remained a key priority, while also having the ability to repurchase shares opportunistically and a broadened capital allocation framework to generate attractive shareholder returns without deviating from a disciplined approach to balance sheet management. In the energy evolution landscape, the Company is helping its customers decarbonize by reducing or eliminating routine flaring as well as assisting in providing products geared towards the elimination of methane used. The Company's focus is about finding where the solutions and the strengths it cultivates intersect with where its customers find value.
2023 External Recognitions
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Voting Matters and Vote Recommendations
MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS
Election of Eight Directors (Proposal 1)
To Consider and Act Upon a Proposal to Approve the 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Proposal 2)
Ratification of the Selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our Independent Auditor for Fiscal Year 2024 (Proposal 3)
Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation ("Say-on-Pay Vote") (Proposal 4)
Board
Recommends
FOR
FOR
FOR
FOR M
Our Director Nominees
Name | Director | Other Public | ||||||||
Occupation | Age | Since | Independent | Boards | AC CC | ESGN | ||||
Richard Alario | 69 | 2014 | Yes | 1 | C | M | ||||
Former CEO, Key Energy Services, Inc. | ||||||||||
Terry Bonno | ||||||||||
Former Senior Vice President of Industry and Community | 66 | 2014 | Yes | 1 | M | M | ||||
Relations, Transocean Ltd. | ||||||||||
David Cherechinsky | 60 | 2020 | No | 0 | ||||||
CEO, DNOW Inc. | ||||||||||
Galen Cobb | 70 | 2014 | Yes | 0 | M | |||||
Former Vice President Industry Relations, Halliburton | ||||||||||
Paul Coppinger | 63 | 2017 | Yes | 0 | M | C | ||||
Former President of SPM Oil & Gas, a Caterpillar Company | ||||||||||
Karen David-Green | ||||||||||
Former Chief Communications, Stakeholder, and | 55 | 2023 | Yes | 1 | M | |||||
Sustainability Officer, Expro Group | ||||||||||
Rodney Eads | ||||||||||
Former Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, | 73 | 2014 | Yes | 0 | C | |||||
Pride International Inc. | ||||||||||
Sonya Reed | ||||||||||
Former Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources | 50 | 2021 | Yes | 0 | M | |||||
Officer, Phillips 66 | ||||||||||
AC: Audit Committee | C: Chair | |||||||||
CC: Compensation Committee |
ESGN: Environmental, Social, Governance and Nominating Committee | M: Member |
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Governance and Board Best Practices
We are commifted to and recognize the importance of good corporate governance and high ethical standards. Our Board believes that having a diverse mix of directors with complementary qualificafions, experfise, and
aftributes is essenfial to meefing its oversight responsibilifies.
Effecfive and Independent Board Oversight | |
Independent Chairman of the Board serving as lead director | 7 of 8 director nominees are independent |
All commiftee chairs and members are independent | Declassified where all directors are elected annually |
Core Industry Experience (in years) | Director Tenure(in years)* | Age* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
<30 | 30-40 | 40+ | 0-6 | 44-65 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7-10 | 66-75 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Average Tenure: 6.2 years | * As of April 2024 | Average Age: 63.25 years | * As of April 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Director | Director | Director Racial | ESG | Other Corporate Governance Highlights: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Independence | Gender | Diversity | Experience | 1. | Majority vofing to elect board members | |||||||||||||||||||
Diversity | 2. | Annual say on pay vofing | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 8 | 3. | Clawback policy to recover execufive compensafion | |||||||||||||||||||||
4. | Stock ownership guidelines for officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||
5. | Board engagement with CEO over Management Succession Planning | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FEMALE | 6. | Execufive sessions provided for all Board and commiftee meefings | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DIRECTORS | DIRECTOR | 7. | Annual Board and commiftee evaluafions using a third -party facilitator | |||||||||||||||||||||
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DNOW INC.
7402 N. Eldridge Parkway
Houston, Texas 77041
PROXY STATEMENT
Except as otherwise specifically noted in this Proxy Statement, "DNOW", the "Company," "we," "our," "us," and similar words in this Proxy Statement refer to DNOW Inc.
ANNUAL MEETING: | Date: | Wednesday, May 22, 2024 |
Time: | 10:00 a.m. (Central Standard Time) | |
Place: | DNOW Corporate Headquarters | |
7402 N. Eldridge Parkway | ||
Houston, Texas 77041 | ||
AGENDA: | Proposal 1: | To elect eight nominees as directors of the Company |
for one-year terms. | ||
Proposal 2: | To consider and act upon a proposal to approve the 2024 | |
Long-Term Incentive Plan. | ||
Proposal 3: | To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as | |
independent auditors of the Company for 2024. | ||
Proposal 4: | To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of | |
our named executive officers. | ||
The Board of Directors recommends that you vote "FOR" the election | ||
of the eight nominees for director (Proposal 1), "FOR" the proposal to | ||
approve the 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Proposal 2), "FOR" the | ||
proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as | ||
independent auditors of the Company for 2024 (Proposal 3), and | ||
"FOR" the approval of the compensation of our named executive | ||
officers (Proposal 4). | ||
RECORD DATE/ | All stockholders of record at the close of business on March 25, 2024 | |
WHO CAN VOTE: | are entitled to vote. The only class of securities entitled to vote at the | |
Annual Meeting is DNOW common stock. Holders of DNOW common | ||
stock are entitled to one vote per share at the Annual Meeting. | ||
PROXY NOTICE: | Proxy Materials will be available to stockholders on or about April 5, | |
2024. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, including financial statements, | ||
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, accompanies this Proxy | ||
Statement. The Annual Report on Form 10-K shall not be considered as | ||
a part of the proxy solicitation materials or as having been incorporated | ||
by reference. | ||
PROXIES SOLICITED: | Your vote and proxy is being solicited by the Board of Directors for use | |
at the Annual Meeting. This Proxy Statement and enclosed proxy card | ||
is being sent on behalf of the Board of Directors to all stockholders | ||
beginning on | or about April 5, 2024. By completing, signing and | |
5 |
returning your proxy card, you will authorize the persons named on the | |
proxy card to vote your shares according to your instructions. | |
PROXIES: | If your proxy does not indicate how you wish to vote your common |
stock, the persons named on the proxy card will vote FOR election of | |
the eight nominees for director (Proposal 1), FOR the proposal to | |
approve the 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Proposal 2), FOR the | |
ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as independent | |
auditors (Proposal 3), and FOR the approval of the compensation of | |
our named executive officers (Proposal 4). | |
REVOKING YOUR | You can revoke your proxy at any time prior to when the vote is taken |
PROXY: | at the meeting by: (i) filing a written notice revoking your proxy; (ii) |
filing another proxy bearing a later date; or (iii) casting your vote in | |
person at the Annual Meeting. Your last vote will be the vote that is | |
counted. | |
QUORUM: | As of March 25, 2024, there were 108,894,127 shares of DNOW |
common stock issued and outstanding. The holders of these shares have | |
the right to cast one vote for each share held by them. Shareholders, in | |
person or by proxy, casting at least 54,447,064 votes constitutes a | |
quorum for adopting the proposals at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions | |
will be included in determining the number of shares present at the | |
meeting for the purpose of determining a quorum, as will broker non- | |
votes. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker is not permitted to vote | |
on a matter without instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares | |
and no instruction is given. If you have properly signed and returned | |
your proxy card, you will be considered part of the quorum, and the | |
persons named on the proxy card will vote your shares as instructed. | |
VOTE REQUIRED FOR | For the proposal to elect the eight director nominees (Proposal 1), our |
APPROVAL: | bylaws require that each director nominee be elected by the majority of |
votes cast with respect to such nominee (i.e. the number of shares voted | |
FOR a director nominee must exceed the number of shares voted | |
AGAINST that nominee). For additional information regarding our | |
majority voting policy, see page 9 of the proxy statement. You cannot | |
abstain in the election of directors and broker non-votes are not counted. | |
Brokers are not permitted to vote your shares on the election of | |
directors in the absence of your specific instructions as to how to | |
vote. Please provide your broker with voting instructions so that | |
your vote can be counted. | |
Approval of the proposal to approve the 2024 Long-Term Incentive | |
Plan (Proposal 2), the proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & | |
Young LLP as independent auditors (Proposal 3) and the proposal to | |
approve the compensation of our named executive officers (Proposal | |
4) will require the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of our | |
common stock entitled to vote in person or by proxy. An abstention will | |
have the same effect as a vote AGAINST for each such proposal. With | |
respect to Proposals 2 and 4, brokers are not permitted to vote your | |
shares in the absence of your specific instructions as to how to vote. | |
Please provide your broker with voting instructions so that your vote | |
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Disclaimer
DNOW Inc. published this content on 01 April 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 05 April 2024 14:59:04 UTC.