Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Based on that evaluation, the CEO and the CFO have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that material information that is required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure as of December 31, 2023.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting was designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation and fair presentation of the Company’s financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect all misstatements or omissions. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management conducted its assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on that assessment and discussion with the Company's Audit Committee, management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective.
Audit Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young, has issued an audit report on management’s internal control over financial reporting which appears below.
Changes in Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information
None
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Orion S.A.
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited Orion S.A.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Orion S.A. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the 2023 consolidated financial statements of the Company and our report dated February 14, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Houston, TX
February 14, 2024
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The Directors and certain Governance information required by this item will be included in our Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“Proxy Statement”) and is herein incorporated by reference.
Executive Officers
The following table sets forth certain information concerning our executive officers:
Name
Age
Title
Corning F. Painter 61 Chief Executive Officer
Jeffrey Glajch 61 Chief Financial Officer
Sandra Niewiem 46 Senior Vice President, Global Specialty Carbon Black and EMEA Region
Pedro Riveros 53 Senior Vice President, Global Rubber Carbon Black and Americas Region
Carlos J. Quinones
59 Senior Vice President, Global Operations
Corning F. Painter —Mr. Painter was named Chief Executive Officer of the Group in September 2018 and joined the Board of Directors in October 2018. Mr. Painter began his career at Air Products in 1984 as part of the company’s career development program. He rose through the ranks, progressing through a variety of commercial and operations positions in the U.S. and overseas, and was rapidly promoted several times over the last several years, holding leadership positions in operations, supply chain, corporate strategy and technology. He held the position of Executive Vice President, Industrial Gases until he left Air Products at the end of June, 2018 to become Orion Engineered Carbons group’s new Chief Executive Officer starting from September 2018. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering degree from Carnegie-Mellon University and is a Certified Professional Engineer.
Jeffrey Glajch — Mr. Glajch joined the company in 2022. He has over 30 years of experience leading corporate finance and accounting control functions for both public and private companies, including business development, investor relations, risk management, legal, information technology and human resources. Prior to joining Orion, he served as CFO for 13 years for Graham Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of vacuum and heat transfer equipment for energy markets and process industries. He holds an MBA from Purdue University, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Carnegie-Mellon University.
Sandra Niewiem —Dr. Niewiem was appointed Senior Vice President Global Specialty Carbon Black and EMEA Region in September 2019. Dr. Niewiem joined Orion in December 2013 and previously held the position of Vice President Global Product Management and Business Development Specialty Carbon Black. She has over two decades of experience in process industries, engineering and industrial goods, thereof more than thirteen years in management consulting at a global consulting firm. Dr. Niewiem holds an economics doctorate from European Business School and a master's in business administration from James Madison University, Virginia.
Pedro Riveros —Mr. Riveros was appointed Senior Vice President Global Rubber Carbon Black and Americas Region in September 2019. Immediately prior to Orion, he served in multiple business leadership roles at Air Products from 1994 to 2019 where his key areas of expertise included Business Strategy, Margin Enhancement, Productivity and Supply Chain Management. He has 25 years of experience in different general management and business management roles in the industrial gas and chemicals area both in North and South America. Mr. Riveros held several business leadership roles at Air Products, prior to joining Orion, where his key areas of expertise included Business Strategy, Margin Enhancement, Productivity and Supply Chain Management. Mr. Riveros holds B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Carlos Quinones —Mr. Quinones joined Orion Engineered Carbons with the responsibility for Global Operations in June 2019. He has over 25 years of operations experience in various international chemical, petrochemical and industrial gases companies. Immediately prior to joining Orion, he held multiple Operations leadership positions at Air Products from 2015 to 2019. Mr. Quinones holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Texas A&M University.
Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics
Orion has adopted a Code of Conduct that applies to all Company employees and directors, including the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, senior management and other senior financial officers. The Code of Conduct is posted on our website, www.orioncarbons.com (under “Legal” then “Compliance Policies” section). In addition, the Company has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer. The Code of Ethics is posted on our website, www.orioncarbons.com (under “Investors” then “Governance” section). We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement regarding any amendment to, or waiver of, a provision of the Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics applicable to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, senior management or other senior financial officers by posting such information on our website.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
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The information required by this item will be included in our proxy statement for the Company’s 2024 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2024 Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information relating to security ownership of certain beneficial owners of our common stock and information relating to the security ownership of our management required by this item will be included in our 2024 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this item will be included in our 2024 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The information required by this item will be included in our 2024 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
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PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
(a) Financial Statements.
See Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
(b) Schedules.
The Schedules have been omitted since the required information is not applicable or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this Form 10-K.
(c) Exhibits. (Certain exhibits not included in copies of the Form 10-K sent to stockholders.)
The exhibit numbers in the Exhibit Index correspond to the numbers assigned to such exhibits in the Exhibit Table of Item 601 of Regulation S-K. Orion will furnish to any stockholder, upon written request, any exhibit listed in the Exhibit Index, upon payment by such stockholder of the Company’s reasonable expenses in furnishing such exhibit.
Item 16. 10-K Summary
None applicable.
Exhibit
Number
Description
3.1 Articles of Association of Orion S.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2023 (File No. 001-36563))
4.1 Form of Specimen of Common Share Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 filed on July 14, 2014 (File No. 333-196593))
4.2 Description of Orion S.A.’s Common Shares (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(b) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
10.1 Credit Agreement, dated as of July 25, 2014, among the Company, Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons Bondco GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the revolving borrowers named therein, the guarantors named on the signature page thereto, the lenders named therein, and Goldman Sachs Bank USA as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Current Report on Form 6-K furnished on July 31, 2014 (File No. 001-36563)
10.2 First Amendment, dated as of August 7, 2014, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
10.3 Second Amendment, dated as of September 29, 2016, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as Assuming Lender with respect to the Initial Dollar Term Loans and Initial Euro Term Loans (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
10.4 Third Amendment, dated as of May 5, 2017, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as Assuming Lender with respect to the Initial Dollar Term Loans and Initial Euro Term Loans (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
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10.5 Fourth Amendment, dated as of May 31, 2017, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders, and UniCredit Bank AG, as arranger with respect to the Amendment (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Current Report on Form 6-K furnished on July 25, 2017 (File No. 001-36563))
10.6 Fifth Amendment, dated as of November 2, 2017, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent for the Lenders. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
10.7 Sixth Amendment, dated as of May 3, 2018, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent for the Lenders. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
10.8 Seventh Amendment, dated as of October 29, 2018, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent for the Lenders. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
10.9 Eighth Amendment, dated as of April 2, 2019, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent for the Lenders. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020 (File No. 001-36563))
10.10 Ninth Amendment, dated as of September 30, 2021, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, a limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) organized under the laws of Germany, the other Loan Parties party thereto, the New Term Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders, Goldman Sachs Bank USA as sole book runner and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., ING Bank, a branch of ING-DiBa AG and UniCredit Bank AG in their capacities as exclusive mandated lead arrangers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 5, 2021).(File No. 001-36563))
10.11 Tenth Amendment, dated as of May 26, 2022, by and among Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, a limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) organized under the laws of Germany, the other Loan Parties party hereto, each Lender party hereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders and UniCredit Bank AG in its capacity as exclusive coordinator, bookrunner and mandated lead arranger (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 4, 2022). (File No. 001-36563))
10.12 Eleventh Amendment, dated as of May 11, 2023, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion S.A. (f/k/a Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.), Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent for the Lenders. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2023 (File No. 001-36563))
10.13 Twelfth Amendment, dated as of August 16, 2023, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion S.A. (f/k/a Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.), Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent for the Lenders. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 2, 2023 (File No. 001-36563))
10.14 Thirteenth Amendment, dated as of October 6, 2023, to the Credit Agreement, by and among Orion S.A. (f/k/a Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.), Orion Engineered Carbons Holdings GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons BondCo GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH, OEC Finance US LLC, the Revolving Borrowers named therein, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent for the Lenders. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 2, 2023 (File No. 001-36563))
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10.15+ Fixed Asset Loan Agreement, dated March 16, 2022, by and between Orion Engineered Carbons (Huaibei) Co., Ltd. and Bank of China Limited Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone Sub-Branch (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 23, 2023 (File No. 001-36563))
10.16† Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. 2023 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2023 (File No. 001-36563)
10.17† Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. 2023 Non-Employee Director Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2023 (File No. 001-36563)
10.18† Employment Agreement, dated as of September 2, 2018, by and between Corning Painter and Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 7, 2020). (File No. 001-36563))
10.19† Restrictive Covenants Agreement, dated as of September 2, 2018, by and between Corning Painter and Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 7, 2020). (File No. 001-36563))
10.20† Restricted Stock Unit Award (sign-on grant), dated as of November 4, 2019, by and between Corning Painter and Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 7, 2020). (File No. 001-36563))
10.21† Form of PSU Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 7, 2020). (File No. 001-36563))
10.22† Form of RSU Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 7, 2020). (File No. 001-36563))
10.23† Form of Director Restricted Share Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 7, 2020). (File No. 001-36563))
21.1 Subsidiaries of the Registrant
23.1 Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
31.1 Certification by Corning F. Painter pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
31.2 Certification by Jeffrey Glajch pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
32.1 Certification by Corning F. Painter pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2 Certification by Jeffrey Glajch pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
97 Clawback Policy
101 XBRL
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
+ Certain confidential information — identified by bracketed asterisks “[****]” — has been omitted from this exhibit pursuant to Item 601 (b)(10) of Regulation S-K because it is both (i) not material and (ii) the type that the registrant treats as private or confidential
† Management compensatory arrangement
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
ORION S.A.
February 14, 2024
By /s/ Corning F. Painter
Name: Corning F. Painter
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature Title Date
/s/ Corning F. Painter Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
Corning F. Painter February 14, 2024
/s/ Jeffrey Glajch Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
Jeffrey Glajch February 14, 2024
/s/ Kerry A. Galvin Director
Kerry A. Galvin February 14, 2024
/s/ Paul Huck Director
Paul Huck February 14, 2024
/s/ Mary Lindsey Director
Mary Lindsey February 14, 2024
/s/ Didier Miraton Director
Didier Miraton February 14, 2024
/s/ Yi Hyon Paik Director
Yi Hyon Paik February 14, 2024
/s/ Dan F. Smith Director
Dan F. Smith February 14, 2024
/s/ Hans Dietrich Winkhaus Director
Hans Dietrich Winkhaus February 14, 2024
/s/ Michel Wurth Director
Michel Wurth February 14, 2024
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