|
|
 | | | |
- close
- close
- close
- close
| |||||||||
This excerpt taken from the ATVI 10-K filed Jun 14, 2007. 5) Remediation of the Material Weakness.
During the quarter ended March 31, 2007, we made the following changes that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
New policies and procedures for our stock option grant practices were approved on November 21, 2006 by the Joint Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committee of our Board, and became effective January 1, 2007. Our new option granting policies and procedures are designed to ensure internal control surrounding the pricing and modification of option grants is adequate, and also provide the Compensation Committee with the full ability to review and approve all grants prior to pricing on a date set on or after the date of the Compensation Committee action. Some of the highlights of the new option granting process are:
• All proposed grants during the month are verified so as to comply with pre-approved grant guidelines and other financial and legal requirements by the seventh day of the following month. For these purposes, a team of legal, human resources and finance personnel (“Cross Functional Team”) has been established to review each proposed grant for compliance with documentation and procedures. No grant is issued until such compliance is established and the grant is approved by the Compensation Committee.
• The Compensation Committee meets at least quarterly, to review and approve all documented and verified proposed grants submitted by the Cross Functional Team. All grants approved by the Compensation Committee are effective, and priced based on the closing price of our stock, on a date set by the Compensation Committee that is on or after the date of Compensation Committee action. Details of the grant (including the exercise price) are communicated to the grantees promptly following approval and pricing.
• All new hire offer letters and employee renewal agreements provide that all grants and terms of grants are subject to approval by the Compensation Committee.
• Stock option data is entered into Equity Edge, our stock option tracking software, promptly (and only) after grant approval is received from the Compensation Committee.
70
In addition, we have realigned certain internal responsibilities related to the granting and reporting of stock options. In this regard, the employment contract of our former head of human resources, which expired on March 31, 2007, was not renewed; a new head of human resources is being recruited and, in the interim, responsibilities for stock option granting and reporting have been reassigned. To further enhance our corporate governance practices, we have established and filled a position of principal compliance officer, with a reporting line directly to the Nominating and Governance Committee, and are reviewing the configuration of the Compensation Committee of the Board.
In addition, consistent with the recommendations of the Special Subcommittee, we have disengaged from our prior outside corporate counsel and have engaged new outside corporate counsel.
Finally, Board meetings include more senior executives and human resources, finance and legal personnel have received additional training on options and compliance issues.
Management evaluated the design and operation of these new controls and concluded that these controls were in place, designed and operating effectively as of March 31, 2007. Management has concluded that the additional controls described above have remediated our previously disclosed material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting.
|
| |||||||
