to support generative AI-related consulting services and solutions. The Company believes this transition will help it remain competitive and take advantage of the significant shareholder value creation Gen AI can provide. The Company expects this transition will require retraining or recruiting to develop Gen AI aided software delivery capabilities especially given the magnitude and speed at which this technology transition is happening. The Company has articulated its strategy and has launched its AI XPLR platform as its initial entry into the category with favorable market reaction. The Company expects that this initial effort will require great innovation and agility and strategic acquisitions, such as its recently announced acquisition, are part of that overall effort.
The Stock Price Awards are designed to further align the interests of the Company’s key executives with those of its stockholders, by incentivizing the stock performance outcomes and exposing executives more directly to the market price of the Company’s common stock, increasing executive stock ownership over time and promoting retention given their potential value. Based on the closing stock price of $25.60 and 27,651,921 shares outstanding on September 13, 2024, achieving the $50 stock price hurdle represents an approximately $675 million increase in the Company’s market capitalization.
Ted A. Fernandez, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, received a Stock Price Award in the amount of 786,885 performance-based restricted stock units, representing a grant date fair value of $20,144,256. David N. Dungan, the Company’s Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, received a Stock Price Award in the amount of 413,115 performance-based restricted stock units, representing a grant date fair of $10,575,744. Robert A. Ramirez, the Company’s Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, received a Stock Price Award in the amount of 72,000 performance-based restricted stock units, representing a grant date fair value of $1,843,200. The number of performance-based restricted stock units described above represents achievement of 100% of the stock price hurdles and such performance-based restricted stock units will be forfeited if the stock price hurdles are not achieved. If at the end of the performance period, the volume weighted average price per share of the Company’s common stock over the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the end of the performance period falls between two stock price hurdles, a number of performance-based restricted stock units will vest based on interpolation between the applicable stock price hurdles. No extrapolation will occur above the third stock price hurdle.
If an executive’s employment is terminated due to: (i) death, (ii) “permanent and total disability” (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), (iii) termination without “Cause” (as defined in the Plan), (iv) termination without Cause within twelve (12) months following a Change of Control (as defined in the Plan) or (v) a termination by the executive for “Good Reason” (as defined in the executive’s employment agreement), the Stock Price Awards will vest based upon the actual achievement of the stock price hurdles through the date of the termination.
As a result of the potential value of the Stock Price Awards, the Compensation Committee determined that the annual equity incentive award opportunities for which the named executive officers will be eligible during 2025-2028 will be reduced by 50%.
In addition to Messrs. Fernandez, Dungan and Ramirez, up to 10 other Company employees, are eligible to participate in this program. Employees who elect to participate in this program will have their annual equity incentive award opportunity reduced by 50% during 2025-2028. If all eligible participants participate, 1,879,350 performance-based restricted stock units will be issued.
The foregoing description of the Stock Price Awards does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the full text of the form of the Stock Price Awards award agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1, and is incorporated herein by reference.