UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities

Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

DESTINATION XL GROUP, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DESTINATION XL GROUP, INC.

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

to be held on August 8, 2019

Notice is hereby given that the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Destination XL Group, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held at the corporate offices of the Company, 555 Turnpike Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021 at 9:30 A.M., local time, on Thursday, August 8, 2019 for the following purposes:

These proposals are more fully described in the Proxy Statement following this Notice.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote (i) FOR the election of all nine nominees to serve as directors of the Company, (ii) FOR the approval, on an advisory basis, of named executive officer compensation, (iii) FOR the approval of amendments to our 2016 Incentive Compensation Plan to increase the total number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the plan, and (iv) FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending February 1, 2020.

Along with the attached Proxy Statement, we are sending you a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019.

The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on June 17, 2019 as the record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.  Accordingly, only stockholders of record at the close of business on that date will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.  A list of the stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 17, 2019 will be available for inspection by any of our stockholders for any purpose germane to the Annual Meeting during normal business hours at our principal executive offices, 555 Turnpike Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021, beginning on July 29, 2019 and at the Annual Meeting.

Stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting in person.  Regardless of whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please mark, date, sign and return the enclosed proxy to ensure that your shares are represented at the Annual Meeting.

By order of the Board of Directors,

/s/ ROBERT S. MOLLOY

ROBERT S. MOLLOY

Secretary

Canton, Massachusetts

July 2, 2019

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be Held on August 8, 2019:

The Proxy Statement and 2019 Annual Report to Stockholders are available at:

https://investor.dxl.com/financial-information/annual-reports

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

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DESTINATION XL GROUP, INC.

555 Turnpike Street

Canton, Massachusetts 02021

(781) 828-9300

Proxy Statement

Annual Meeting of Stockholders

August 8, 2019

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

Purpose and Distribution of Proxy Materials

This Proxy Statement and the enclosed form of proxy are being mailed to our stockholders on or about July 2, 2019, in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Destination XL Group, Inc. (the “Company”) of proxies to be used at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held at the Company’s corporate headquarters located at 555 Turnpike Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021 at 9:30 A.M., local time, on Thursday, August 8, 2019 and at any and all adjournments thereof (the “Annual Meeting”). This Proxy Statement describes the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting and contains other required information.

Stockholders Entitled to Vote

Only holders of record of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share, at the close of business on June 17, 2019, the record date for the Annual Meeting, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.  On that date, there were 49,875,955 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.  Each share is entitled to one vote at the Annual Meeting.

How to Vote

Stockholders of record may vote by mail or in person at the meeting.  If you choose to vote by mail, please complete and mail the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed postage prepaid envelope.  If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank, you must follow the voting procedures of your broker or bank.

Voting Instructions

When a proxy is returned properly executed, the shares represented will be voted in accordance with the stockholder’s instructions.

Stockholders are encouraged to vote on the matters to be considered. However, if no instructions have been specified by a stockholder, the shares covered by an executed proxy will be voted (i) FOR the election of all nine nominees to serve as directors of the Company, (ii) FOR the approval, on an advisory basis, of named executive officer compensation, (iii) FOR the approval of amendments to our 2016 Incentive Compensation Plan to increase the total number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the plan by 2,800,000 shares, (iv) FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, for the fiscal year ending February 1, 2020 and (v) in the discretion of the proxies named in the proxy card with respect to any other matters properly brought before the Annual Meeting. We are not aware of any other matter that may be properly presented at the Annual Meeting.

If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank, you must follow the voting procedures of your broker or bank.  If you do not give voting instructions to your broker or bank, your broker or bank does not have discretion to vote your shares on the proposals in this Proxy Statement, except for Proposal 4 to ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm, which is considered a “routine” proposal. A broker “non-vote” occurs when the a broker or bank who is the record holder of the shares does not vote on a particular proposal, either because it does not have discretionary voting power to vote the shares or has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner.

As a result, if you are not the record holder of your shares, it is critical that you provide instructions to your broker or bank if you want your vote to count.

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Revoking Your Proxy or Changing Your Vote

You may revoke your proxy at any time before it has been exercised as follows:

If you are not a record holder and your shares are held by your broker or bank, you must contact your broker or bank to change your vote or obtain a legal proxy to vote your shares if you wish to cast your vote in person at the Annual Meeting.

Quorum Requirements

In order to carry on the business of the Annual Meeting, we must have a quorum. This means at least a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock eligible to vote must be represented at the Annual Meeting, either by proxy or in person. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted as present or represented at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum.

Approval of a Proposal

A majority of the votes properly cast is required for approval of all matters.  However, as described in more detail in Proposal 2 below, Proposal 2 is an advisory vote and non-binding. Votes cast means the votes actually cast “for” or “against” a particular proposal, whether in person or by proxy.  With respect to all matters presented at the Annual Meeting, abstentions and non-votes will not be deemed to be votes “cast” with respect to such matters and will not count as votes “for” or “against” such matter. Votes will be tabulated by our transfer agent subject to the supervision of persons designated by the Board of Directors as inspectors.

 

 

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PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors, in accordance with our Fourth Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”), has set the number of members of our Board of Directors at nine directors.

At the Annual Meeting, nine nominees will be elected to serve on the Board until the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified.  Accordingly, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has recommended, and our Board has nominated, John E. Kyees, Harvey S. Kanter, Jack Boyle, Lionel F. Conacher, Seymour Holtzman, Willem Mesdag, Ward K. Mooney, Mitchell S. Presser and Ivy Ross as nominees, all of whom currently serve as members of our Board.  Each of the nominees has agreed to stand for re-election and to serve if elected.

Unless a proxy shall specify that it is not to be voted for a nominee, it is intended that the shares represented by each duly executed and returned proxy will be voted in favor of the election as directors of John E. Kyees, Harvey S. Kanter, Jack Boyle, Lionel F. Conacher, Seymour Holtzman, Willem Mesdag, Ward K. Mooney, Mitchell S. Presser and Ivy Ross.  Although management expects all nominees to serve if elected, proxies will be voted for a substitute if a nominee is unable or unwilling to accept nomination or election.  Cumulative voting is not permitted.

Vote Needed for Approval

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock properly cast at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, is required for the election of each of the nominees.

Recommendation

Our Board recommends that you vote “FOR”

the election of the nine individuals named above as directors of our Company.

Set forth below is certain information regarding our current directors, each of whom has been nominated for election at the Annual Meeting, and includes information furnished by them as to their principal occupations and business experience for the past five years, certain directorships held by each director within the past five years, their respective ages as of June 17, 2019 and the year in which each became a director of our Company:

 

C= current member and committee chairperson

X= current member of the committee

 

 

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John E. Kyees has been a director since May 2010 and was appointed Chairman of the Board in January 2019.  From February 2017 through January 2019, Mr. Kyees served as the Company's Lead Independent Director.  From February 2014 until May 2014, Mr. Kyees served as Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company.  In 2010, Mr. Kyees retired as the chief investor relations officer from Urban Outfitters, Inc., a retail chain, after serving as chief financial officer from 2003 to 2010. Mr. Kyees serves as lead independent director and chairman of the audit committee of Vera Bradley, Inc., a publicly-traded company. Mr. Kyees is also a director and chairman of the audit committee of Arhaus Furniture, a privately-held retailer. Mr. Kyees served as Interim Chief Financial Officer for Arhaus Furniture from November 2015 to March 2016.  Mr. Kyees previously served as a director and member of the audit committee of Rackwise, Inc., a publicly-traded company.  Mr. Kyees brings to the Board extensive executive-level retail experience having served as chief financial officer for several prominent retailers.  His insight with respect to merchandising, operational activities and finance is an asset to our Board.  

Harvey S. Kanter is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company.  Mr. Kanter joined the Company in February 2019 in a transition role as Advisor to the Acting CEO and assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company in April 2019. Mr. Kanter has over 30 years of business experience, with an extensive background in the retail industry having served from March 2012 until June 2017 as the president and chief executive officer of Blue Nile, Inc., a leading online retailer of high-quality diamonds and fine jewelry. Since March 2012, Mr. Kanter has also served as a member of the board of directors of Blue Nile, Inc. and, since January 2014, he has served as its chairman.  From January 2009 to March 2012, Mr. Kanter was the chief executive officer and president of Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel, Inc., a leading multi-channel retailer of premium outdoor apparel and gear.  From April 2003 to June 2008, Mr. Kanter served in various executive positions at Michaels Stores, Inc. Mr. Kanter served as a director and a member of the compensation committee of Potbelly Corporation, a publicly-traded company, from August 2015 until May 2019. He is also a brand ambassador for the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Institute, and is an advisory board member to the Seattle University Executive MBA Program. Mr. Kanter brings an extensive knowledge of omni-channel retailing, with strong strategic and operational expertise.

Jack Boyle has been a director since August 2017.  Since February 2019, Mr. Boyle has been the co-president of direct to consumer/omni channel for Fanatics, Inc., a market leader for officially licensed sports merchandise. Prior to that, from December 2017 to February 2019, Mr. Boyle was the co-president of North America direct to consumer/omni channel.  He originally joined the company as president of merchandising in June 2012. From February 2005 to June 2012, Mr. Boyle was the executive vice president, general merchandising manager of women’s apparel, intimate, cosmetics and accessories for Kohl’s Corporation. From October 2003 to February 2005, he served as senior vice president, divisional merchandise manager of women’s apparel for Kohl’s Corporation, vice president of junior sportswear from July 2000 to October 2003 and vice president of planning/allocation for women's apparel from December 1999 to July 2000.  From June 1990 to December 1999, Mr. Boyle held various merchandise positions, including divisional merchandise manager of women’s at May Company.  Mr. Boyle brings to the board extensive experience in merchandising, brand management and omni-channel leadership.

Lionel F. Conacher has been a director since June 2018. From January 2011 to June 2018, Mr. Conacher was a senior advisor for Altamont Capital Partners LLC (“ACP”), a private equity firm.  Mr. Conacher left ACP on June 30, 2018 to pursue the development of a new venture capital fund, Next Ventures, GP.  Mr. Conacher became managing partner of Next Ventures, GP in August 2018. Prior to joining ACP, from April 2008 until July 2010, Mr. Conacher was the president and chief operating officer of Thomas Weisel Partners, an investment bank. Additionally, Mr. Conacher served as the chairman of Wunderlich Securities, an investee company of ACP, from December 2013 until July 2017.  He currently is a member of the board of directors of Dakine, a designer and manufacturer of sportswear and sports equipment for the snowboard, ski, surf, skate, bike, kite, and wind communities, and Mervin Manufacturing, a leading designer and manufacturer of snow boards and other board sports equipment.  Mr. Conacher brings extensive financial and operational experience to the Board.

Seymour Holtzman has been a director since April 2000.  From August 2014 to January 2019, Mr. Holtzman served as our Executive Chairman of the Board and from April 2000 to August 2014 as Chairman of the Board.  Mr. Holtzman has been involved in the retail business for over 40 years. For many years, he has been the president and chief executive officer of Jewelcor, Incorporated, a former New York Stock Exchange listed company that operated a chain of retail stores. From 1986 to 1988, Mr. Holtzman was chairman of the board and also chief executive officer of Gruen Marketing Corporation, an American Stock Exchange listed company involved in the nationwide distribution of watches. For at least the last five years Mr. Holtzman has served as chairman and chief executive officer of Jewelcor Management, Inc., a company primarily involved in investment and management services.  Mr. Holtzman is the chief executive officer and an indirect owner of C.D. Peacock, Inc., a Chicago, Illinois retail jewelry establishment, and is the managing member of Luxury Swiss, LLC, a retail Rolex watch establishment. Mr. Holtzman was formerly an officer of Homeclick LLC, which is currently the subject of an assignment for the benefit of creditors insolvency proceeding. Mr. Holtzman is a successful entrepreneur with extensive experience working with public companies and provides valuable insight to the Board with respect to strategic planning.

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Willem Mesdag has been a director since January 2014.  Since January 2005, Mr. Mesdag has been the managing partner of Red Mountain Capital Partners LLC, an investment management firm. Prior to founding Red Mountain in 2005, Mr. Mesdag was a partner and managing director of Goldman Sachs & Co., which he joined in 1981. Prior to Goldman Sachs, he was a securities lawyer at Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll, which he joined in 1978. He also serves on the board of Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., a publicly-traded company.  He previously served on the boards of 3i Group plc, Encore Capital Group, Inc., Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. and Yuma Energy, Inc., all of which are publicly-traded companies. Having had an extensive career in international investment banking and finance and having served on domestic and international public-company boards, Mr. Mesdag brings to the Board significant knowledge and experience related to business and financial issues and corporate governance.

Ward K. Mooney has been a director since July 2006. Mr. Mooney was a co-founder of Crystal Financial LLC, formerly Crystal Capital, and served as its CEO from April 2010 until his retirement in December 2017.  From April 2006 to April 2010, Mr. Mooney was the Senior Managing Partner of Crystal Capital.  Prior to April 2006, Mr. Mooney was the president of Bank of America Retail Finance Group and managing partner of Back Bay Capital, which Mr. Mooney co-founded and both of which were formerly Bank of Boston businesses.  Mr. Mooney provides the Board with valuable insight with respect to his extensive experience as a lender in the retail industry.  

Mitchell S. Presser has been a director since May 2007.  Since July 2014, Mr. Presser has been a partner and the head of U.S. Global Transactions at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.  From January 2014 until July 2014, Mr. Presser was a senior advisor to Paine Schwartz Partners (formerly Paine & Partners, LLC), a private equity firm.  From November 2006 to December 2013, Mr. Presser was a founding partner of Paine & Partners, LLC.  Prior to that, Mr. Presser was a partner with the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, specializing in mergers & acquisitions.  Mr. Presser has served as a director on the boards of several privately-held companies.  Mr. Presser’s extensive experience in private equity and strategic planning provides valuable insight to the Board.

Ivy Ross has been a director since January 2013.  In May 2014, Ms. Ross joined Google as head of Glass and is currently a vice president, design for hardware products at Google.  From July 2011 until April 2014, Ms. Ross was the chief marketing officer of Art.com from where she oversaw the company's marketing, branding, merchandising and user-experience functions. Prior to Art.com, from June 2008 to June 2011, Ms. Ross was EVP of marketing for the Gap brand, and also acted as the creative catalyst for all brands within Gap, Inc. Ms. Ross also has held senior creative and product design positions at Disney Stores North America, Mattel, Calvin Klein, Coach, Liz Claiborne, Swatch Watch and Avon. She also has served on Proctor and Gamble’s design board since its inception.  With her industry insight and marketing expertise, Ms. Ross provides a valuable perspective to the Board as we continue to build our DXL brand.

All directors hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

Current Non-Director Executive Officers

Peter H. Stratton, Jr., 47, has been our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since November 2017.  Prior to that, Mr. Stratton served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from June 2014 to November 2017.  From August 2009 to June 2014, Mr. Stratton was our Senior Vice President of Finance, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer.  Mr. Stratton joined the Company in June 2009 as Vice President of Finance. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Stratton served as the senior director of corporate accounting at BearingPoint, Inc. from May 2007 to June 2009.  Prior to May 2007, Mr. Stratton held various finance and accounting leadership positions at Legal Sea Foods, Inc., Shaw’s Supermarkets, Inc. and Cintas Corporation.

Brian S. Reaves, 58, has been our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since October 2018.  From November 2017 to October 2018, Mr. Reaves served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.  Prior to that, Mr. Reaves served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer since November 2014.  From May 2010 until November 2014, Mr. Reaves was our Senior Vice President of Store Sales and Operations.  Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Reaves was the vice president – outreach and group sales for David’s Bridal from 2007 to 2009.  Before that, Mr. Reaves was the senior vice president of sales for The Bridal Group from 2004 to 2007.

James S. Davey, 54, has been our Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer since March 2018. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Davey was vice-president of global marketing for Timberland, a VF Corporation brand.  From August 2009 to March 2012, Mr. Davey oversaw global brand marketing, communications, digital marketing, and creative services for Timberland’s footwear and apparel businesses and from March 2012 to March 2018, was additionally responsible for all Timberland’s North American wholesale, retail, and e-commerce marketing. Prior to joining Timberland, Mr. Davey was senior vice-president of marketing and retail development for Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products and served as their vice-president of hard lines from 2001 to 2009.   Prior to 2001, he held senior marketing positions with Polaroid and LEGO Systems, Inc.  Mr. Davey has over 25 years of experience building lifestyle brands in categories from toys to entertainment to footwear and apparel.  

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Francis C. Chane, 56, has been our Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Customer Fulfillment since June 2011.  Mr. Chane joined the Company in June 2008 as our Vice President of Distribution & Logistics. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Chane was the vice president operations & facilities for Redcats USA, a division of the French multi-national company PPR, from 1999 to June 2008.  Prior to that, Mr. Chane held various leadership positions with WearGuard Corporation, a division of Aramark Corporation.

John F. Cooney, 36, has been our Vice President of Finance and Managing Director, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since May 2018 and was our Vice President of Finance, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since May 2015 and our Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller since June 2014.  From November 2010 until June 2014, Mr. Cooney was our Director of Financial Accounting and Reporting.  Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Cooney was an audit manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which he joined in August 2004.

Anthony J. Gaeta, 50, has been our Senior Vice President of Store Sales and Operations since November 2017. Mr. Gaeta joined the Company in April 2010 as a Zone Vice President and was promoted to Vice President of Store Operations and Training in November 2013 before being named to his current position. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Gaeta was a regional manager for Men’s Wearhouse from September 2007 until April 2011 and, prior to that, a regional vice president for After Hours Formalwear from March 2006 until September 2007. 

Robert S. Molloy, 59, has been our Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary since May 2018, having previously served as the Company’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel since April 2010 and Secretary of the Company since May 2014.  From February 2008 until April 2010, Mr. Molloy was our Vice President and General Counsel. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Molloy served as the vice president, assistant general counsel at Staples, Inc. from May 1999 to February 2008.  Prior to May 1999, Mr. Molloy was a trial attorney.

Allison Surette, 38, has been our Senior Vice President General Merchandise Manager since May 2018.  Prior to that, Ms. Surette was Vice President Merchandise Manager of Private Label, Active, Young Men’s and Outerwear since September 2016.  Ms. Surette joined the Company in May 2006 as an Associate Planner and in June 2008, she transitioned into Merchandising as an Associate Buyer for Branded Collections.  From October 2010 to January 2014, she served as a Buyer of Traditional Branded Collections and Buyer of Private Label Sportshirts and Outerwear. From January 2014 to September 2016, she was the Senior Buyer of Private Label Sportshirts and Outerwear. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Surette was a planner for TJX from June 2003 until May 2006.

Former CEO

David A. Levin, 68, served as our President, Chief Executive Officer and a director from April 2000 until December 2018. From January 2019 to March 2019, Mr. Levin served in a transition role as Acting CEO.  Prior to joining the Company, from 1999 to 2000, he served as the executive vice president of eOutlet.com and served as president of Camp Coleman, a division of The Coleman Company, from 1998 to 1999.  Prior to that, Mr. Levin was president of Parade of Shoes, a division of J. Baker, Inc., from 1995 to 1997. Mr. Levin was also president of Prestige Fragrance & Cosmetics, a division of Revlon, Inc., from 1991 to 1995.  In May 2017, Mr. Levin joined the board of directors of Lumber Liquidators, a publicly-traded company. Mr. Levin previously served on the board of directors of Christopher & Banks Corporation, a publicly-traded company.

There are no family relationships between any of our directors and executive officers.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board of Directors

Our Board is currently comprised of nine members and there are no vacancies.  

Our Board met 14 times during our fiscal year ended February 2, 2019 (“fiscal 2018”).  All directors attended at least 75% of the Board meetings and meetings of the committees of the Board on which each director served. We believe that it is important for the members of the Board to attend our annual stockholder meetings. All members of the Board then in office attended our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Corporate Governance Highlights

We comply with the corporate governance requirements imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC and Nasdaq. To assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities, we have adopted certain Corporate Governance Guidelines (the "Governance Guidelines"). Many features of our corporate governance principles are discussed in other sections of this proxy statement, but some of the highlights are:

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Independent Directors

A majority of the members of the Board are “independent” under the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”).  The Board has determined that the following directors are independent: Messrs. Kyees, Boyle, Conacher, Mesdag, Mooney, Presser and Ross.  

Committees of the Board

Our Board has four standing committees: the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee.  The Marketing Strategy Committee, which was formed in August 3, 2017, was dissolved on February 7, 2019.  Each committee is comprised of directors who are “independent” under the rules of Nasdaq.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Nominating Committee”) has a written charter, which can be found under “Corporate Governance– Charters & Policies” on the Investor Relations page of our website at https://investor.dxl.com. The Nominating Committee was established to perform functions related to governance of our Company, including, but not limited to, planning for the succession of our CEO and such other officers as the Nominating Committee shall determine from time to time, recommending to the Board individuals to stand for election as directors, overseeing and recommending the selection and composition of committees of the Board, and developing and recommending to the Board a set of corporate governance principles applicable to our Company. The Nominating Committee has the authority to retain independent advisors, with all fees and expenses to be paid by the Company.  The current members of the Nominating Committee are Messrs. Presser and Boyle and Ms. Ross, each of whom is “independent” under the rules of Nasdaq.  The Nominating Committee met formally nine times during fiscal 2018.  

The Board's current policy with regard to the consideration of director candidates recommended by stockholders is that the Nominating Committee will review and consider any director candidates who have been recommended by stockholders in compliance with the procedures established from time to time by the Nominating Committee, and conduct inquiries it deems appropriate.  The Nominating Committee will consider for nomination any such proposed director candidate who is deemed qualified by the Nominating Committee in light of the minimum qualifications and other criteria for Board membership approved by the Nominating Committee from time to time.

While the Nominating Committee does not have a formal diversity policy for Board membership and identifies qualified candidates without regard to race, color, disability, gender, national origin, religion or creed, it does seek to ensure the fair representation of all stockholder interests on the Board.  In that regard, in considering candidates for the Board, the Nominating Committee considers, among other factors, diversity with respect to viewpoint, skills and experience.  The Board believes that the use of these general criteria, along with the minimum qualifications listed below, will result in nominees who represent a mix of backgrounds and experiences that will enhance the quality of the Board.

At a minimum, the Nominating Committee must be satisfied that each nominee, both those recommended by the Nominating Committee and those recommended by stockholders, meets the following minimum qualifications:

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The current procedures to be followed by stockholders in submitting recommendations for director candidates can be found in Section 4.15 of our By-Laws.

Except where we are legally required by contract or otherwise to provide third parties with the ability to nominate directors, the Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and evaluating individuals, including nominees recommended by stockholders, believed to be qualified to become Board members and recommending to the Board the persons to be nominated by the Board for election as directors at any annual or special meeting of stockholders and the persons to be elected by the Board to fill any vacancies on the Board. The Nominating Committee may solicit recommendations from any or all of the following sources: non-management directors, the CEO, other executive officers, third-party search firms or any other source it deems appropriate.  The Nominating Committee will review and evaluate the qualifications of any such proposed director candidate, and conduct inquiries it deems appropriate.  The Nominating Committee will evaluate all such proposed director candidates in the same manner, with no regard to the source of the initial recommendation of such proposed director candidate.  Accordingly, there are no differences in the manner in which the Nominating Committee evaluates director nominees recommended by stockholders.  In identifying and evaluating candidates for membership on the Board, the Nominating Committee will take into account all factors it considers appropriate, which may include strength of character, mature judgment, career specialization, relevant technical skills, diversity, and the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on the Board.

Audit Committee

We have a separately-designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act.  The Audit Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Mooney, Conacher, Kyees and Mesdag.  Each of the members of the Audit Committee is independent, as independence for Audit Committee members is defined under the rules of Nasdaq.  Messrs. Mooney, Conacher, Kyees and Mesdag each qualifies as an audit committee financial expert under the rules of the SEC.  

The Audit Committee operates under a written charter, which can be found under “Corporate Governance- Charters & Policies” on the Investor Relations page of our website at https://investor.dxl.com.

The purpose of the Audit Committee is to (i) assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities to the shareholders, potential shareholders and the investment community; (ii) oversee the audits of our financial statements and our relationship with our independent registered public accounting firm; (iii) promote and further the integrity of our financial statements and oversee the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm (including being solely responsible for appointing, determining the scope of, evaluating and, when necessary, terminating the relationship with the independent registered public accounting firm); and (iv) provide the Board and the independent registered public accounting firm, unfiltered access to each other on a regular basis. The Audit Committee has the authority to retain independent advisors, with all fees and expenses to be paid by the Company.  The Audit Committee meets at least quarterly and as often as it deems necessary in order to perform its responsibilities. During fiscal 2018, the Audit Committee met 10 times.

For additional information regarding the Audit Committee, see the “Report of the Audit Committee” included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

Compensation Committee

The primary purpose of the Compensation Committee is to discharge the Board’s responsibilities relating to executive compensation.  The Compensation Committee also reviews and independently approves, or makes recommendations to the full Board, all stock-based compensation awards to our executive officers under our equity incentive plans.  The Compensation Committee has the authority to retain independent advisors, with all fees and expenses to be paid by the Company.  The Compensation Committee met 11 times during fiscal 2018.  The current members of the Compensation Committee are Messrs. Mesdag, Conacher, Mooney and Presser, each of whom is “independent” under the rules of the Nasdaq.

The Compensation Committee operates under a written charter, which can be found under “Corporate Governance – Charters & Policies” on the Investor Relations page of our website at https://investor.dxl.com.

The Compensation Discussion and Analysis recommended by the Compensation Committee to be included in the Proxy Statement is included in this Proxy Statement.  Among other things, the Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes in greater detail the Compensation Committee’s role in the executive compensation process.

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Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee

On January 28, 2016, upon the recommendation of the Nominating Committee, the Board of Directors approved the formation of the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee (the “Cybersecurity Committee”) to oversee the monitoring and management of cyber risk and data privacy in the Company.  The Cybersecurity Committee has the authority to retain independent advisors, with all fees and expenses to be paid by the Company.   The current members of the Cybersecurity Committee are Messrs. Kyees and Boyle and Ms. Ross. Mr. Boyle was appointed to the committee on May 8, 2019. The Cybersecurity Committee met three times during fiscal 2018.  

The Cybersecurity Committee operates under a written charter, which can be found under “Corporate Governance –Charters & Policies” on the Investor Relations page of our website at https://investor.dxl.com.

Marketing Strategy Committee

On August 3, 2017, the Board of Directors approved the formation of the Marketing Strategy Committee to assist the Board in its oversight of the strategic goals and objectives of the Company’s marketing and brand development programs, including digital and social media initiatives and the alignment of those initiatives with the Company’s strategic goals.  The Marketing Strategy Committee met four times during fiscal 2018 and was dissolved on February 7, 2019.  

Board Leadership Structure

The Board believes that the Company and its stockholders are best served by maintaining flexibility to have any director serve as Chairman of the Board.  Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, if the Chairman is not independent, the Board appoints an independent Lead Director.

In January 2019, the Board voted to implement an independent Chairman and elected Mr. Kyees, who had previously served as independent Lead Director, and replaced Mr. Holtzman, who served as our Executive Chairman from August 2014 and as our Chairman since August 2002.  

Our Board delegates substantial responsibility to its committees, including as described below. We believe that the independent committees of our Board and their chairpersons are an important aspect of the leadership structure of our Board.

Risk Oversight

Our Board, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. With the oversight of our full Board, our executive officers are responsible for the day-to-day management of the material risks we face. The involvement of the full Board in setting our business strategy is a key part of its oversight of risk management and in determining what constitutes an appropriate level of risk for us. The full Board receives updates from our executive officers and outside advisors regarding certain risks our Company faces, including various operating risks and corporate governance best practices. At least annually, our senior management team meets to review our identified risks and compensating controls as well as any potential new risks and, when appropriate, presents to the full Board.

In addition, our Board committees each oversee certain aspects of risk management. Our Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks associated with the Company’s financial reporting, accounting and auditing matters; our Compensation Committee oversees risks associated with our compensation policies and programs; our Cybersecurity Committee oversees the management of risks associated with cyber risk and data privacy issues; and our Nominating Committee oversees the management of risks associated with director independence, conflicts of interest, composition and organization of our Board, and director succession planning. Our Board committees report their findings to the full Board.

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Corporate Governance Guidelines

The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines, which set forth our governance principles relating to, among other things, director independence, director qualifications and responsibilities, board structure and meetings, and management succession.

A copy of the Governance Guidelines can be found under “Corporate Governance –Charters & Policies” on the Investor Relations page of our corporate website, which is at https://investor.dxl.com.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Ethics for Directors, Officers and Financial Professionals (the “Code of Ethics”). The full text of the Code of Ethics can be found under “Corporate Governance –Charters & Policies” on the Investor Relations page of our corporate web site, which is at https://investor.dxl.com. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding any amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our Code of Ethics by posting such information on our website.  We also have a Code of Ethics for all of our associates.  Annually, our directors and associates, including our officers, certify that they have read and are in compliance with our Code of Ethics.  

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of the members of the Compensation Committee who served on the Compensation Committee during fiscal 2018 was at any time during fiscal 2018 or at any other time an officer or employee of our Company.  During fiscal 2018, none of our executive officers served as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any other entity that had one or more executive officers serving as a member of our Board or Compensation Committee.

Director Compensation

The Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to our Board of Directors with respect to the compensation paid to our non-employee directors.  During fiscal 2018, the Compensation Committee engaged Sibson Consulting to review the compensation paid to our non-employee directors.  As a result of that review, the Compensation Committee recommended, and the Board of Directors approved, the Fourth Amended and Restated Compensation Plan on December 21, 2018 (the “Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan”).  Under the amended plan, which became effective on December 31, 2018:

The amended plan eliminated per meeting fees and the grant of stock options upon a director’s initial appointment to the Board.  Directors will be required to hold equity until their termination from board service, unless an extenuating circumstance exists and the Board, in its sole discretion, approves the sale of such equity.  

In January 2010, the Company established a Non-Employee Director Stock Purchase Plan to provide a convenient method for its non-employee directors to acquire shares of the Company’s common stock at fair market value by voluntarily electing to receive shares of common stock in lieu of cash for service as a director.  The substance of this plan is now encompassed within the Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan. There are 500,000 shares authorized for issuance under this plan for the sole purpose of satisfying voluntary elections to receive shares of common stock in lieu of cash for service as a director, of which 225,010 shares remain available for future issuances at February 2, 2019.  The Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan is a stand-alone plan and is not a sub-plan under our 2016 Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2016 Plan”).  Accordingly, shares issued under this plan do not reduce the shares available for issuance under the 2016 Plan.

Each non-employee director is required to receive 50% of his or her annual retainer in equity, in the form of stock options, stock or deferred shares.  Because the Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan is not a shareholder-approved plan and the acquisition of equity must be voluntary under Nasdaq rules, we cannot utilize shares under this plan to satisfy this mandated election.  Therefore, in fiscal 2018 any grants of equity to satisfy this required election were issued from the 2016 Plan.  Shares issued as a result of a director’s voluntary election to receive shares in lieu of cash fees in excess of the 50% retainer requirement are issued from the Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan. All stock options and deferred shares are issued from the 2016 Plan.

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We believe that our Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan will support our ongoing efforts to attract and retain exceptional directors to provide strategic guidance to our Company.  We believe that the total compensation that our non-employee directors receive is in line with our current peer group.

Director Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the compensation paid to our directors during fiscal 2018.  For fiscal 2018, our Third Amended and Restated Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan was in effect until December 31, 2018, when the Company’s Fourth Amended and Restated Non-Employee Compensation Plan became effective.  Harvey S. Kanter did not become a director of the Company until April 1, 2019 and will not receive compensation for his services as a director, therefore, he is not included in the following table.  David A. Levin is not included in the following table as he is a Named Executive Officer and, accordingly, received no compensation for his services as a director during fiscal 2018.  Compensation earned by Mr. Levin is included below in the “Summary Compensation Table.”

2018 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION TABLE

 

 

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Former Executive Chairman Compensation

Since August 7, 2014, Mr. Holtzman has been compensated for his services pursuant to an Employment and Chairman Compensation Agreement (“Compensation Agreement”).  Pursuant to that agreement, Mr. Holtzman has served as both an employee of the Company, reporting to the Board of Directors, and as Executive Chairman, with the duties of the Chairman of the Board set forth in the Company’s Fourth Amended and Restated By-Laws.  The initial term of the agreement was for two years and was automatically extended for additional one-year terms.  

Pursuant to the agreement, initially Mr. Holtzman was entitled to receive an annual base salary of $24,000 for his employment services and an annual compensation of $372,750 for his services as Executive Chairman.  The agreement was amended on May 25, 2017 to reduce his Executive Chairman compensation to $200,000.  On August 9, 2018, the agreement was further amended to reduce his Executive Chairman compensation to $176,000 and to provide written notification to Mr. Holtzman that the Company would not be extending the term of the agreement and, as a result, the agreement will terminate on August 7, 2020.  

On January 24, 2019, the Board voted to adopt an independent Board chairman structure and elected John Kyees as the Company’s new independent, non-executive Chairman, replacing Mr. Holtzman. Mr. Holtzman continues to serve as a director of the Company and will continue to receive his annual compensation of $176,000 as a director and an annual base salary of $24,000 for his services as an employee of the Company through August 7, 2020.

 

If we engage Mr. Holtzman’s services to assist us in a specific and significant corporate transaction or event, the Compensation Committee, at its discretion, has the right to grant Mr. Holtzman a bonus for his additional services.  No such bonus was granted during fiscal 2018.  

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Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Executive Summary

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis provides a summary of our executive compensation philosophy and programs, and discusses the compensation paid to our former Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), our Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) and other executive officers for fiscal 2018 (collectively, our “Named Executive Officers”).  

Our Named Executive Officers for fiscal 2018 were:

 

 

CEO Transition

In March 2018, we announced Mr. Levin’s plan to retire as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of our Company. In connection with the announcement, we entered into a Transition Agreement with Mr. Levin, which modified and supplemented certain terms of Mr. Levin’s existing employment agreement.  See “Employment Agreements- David A. Levin, Former Chief Executive Officer and Former Acting CEO” below for a detailed discussion of the transition and Mr. Levin’s compensation. Effective January 1, 2019, Mr. Levin resigned as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company.  Because no successor CEO had been hired as of that date, pursuant to a Letter Agreement dated November 27, 2018, Mr. Levin assumed the role of Acting CEO, effective January 1, 2019.  

Subsequent to the end of fiscal 2018, Harvey S. Kanter was appointed President, CEO and a director of the Company, effective April 1, 2019.  Accordingly, Mr. Levin resigned as Acting CEO on April 1, 2019.  The terms of employment with Mr. Kanter are discussed below under “Employment Agreements – New Chief Executive Officer – Harvey S. Kanter.”

Fiscal 2018 Financial Highlights

Fiscal 2018 was a pivotal year for our Company as we addressed several foundational issues in the business and also launched a number of growth and development initiatives.  In an effort to accelerate our path to profitability, during fiscal 2018, we reduced our corporate headcount by 15%, which resulted in cost savings of approximately $6.0 million in fiscal 2018 and amended our $125.0 million revolving credit facility with Bank of America to extend the facility to May 2023 and to include a $15.0 million “first-in, last-out” (FILO) loan that enabled us to retire our existing long-term debt and reduce overall interest costs.  

From an operational perspective, we:

 

Many of these initiatives contributed to our financial improvement in fiscal 2018, with comparable sales growth of 3.0%.  Our net loss for fiscal 2018, was $(13.5) million, or $(0.28) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $(18.8) million, or $(0.39) per diluted share, in fiscal 2017.  Results for fiscal 2018 included $2.4 million of costs associated with the CEO transition, $1.9 million of corporate restructuring costs and asset impairment charges of $4.6 million. Excluding these items and assuming a normalized tax rate, the adjusted net loss for fiscal 2018 was $(3.5) million, or $(0.07) per diluted share, compared to an adjusted net loss of $(12.8) million, or $(0.26) per diluted share, in fiscal 2017.  Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2018, improved $10.3 million to $27.4 million from $17.1 million in fiscal 2018.  Adjusted net loss, adjusted net loss per diluted share and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures.  

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Please see “Appendix B -Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of adjusted net loss, adjusted net loss per diluted share and adjusted EBITDA to their GAAP measures.

Fiscal 2018 Executive Compensation Highlights

We believe that the compensation of our Named Executive Officers should be aligned with the performance of the Company.  The Company’s financial performance in fiscal 2018 improved from fiscal 2017 and the management team accomplished many key initiatives during the year to put the Company on the path to profitability. As a result, total compensation earned by our Named Executive Officers in fiscal 2018 increased from fiscal 2017, primarily due to an increase in performance-based compensation. The following table shows total compensation earned for each Named Executive Officer for fiscal 2018, compared to fiscal 2017.

    

Realizable Pay of CEO

The following chart shows the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA over the past five years in relation to Mr. Levin’s compensation on both a Total Direct Compensation (“TDC”) basis, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table, and also on a Realized Pay basis.  Realized Pay reflects base salary, cash-based annual incentive compensation paid and cash-based long-term incentive earned, plus the value realized upon the exercise of options and the vesting of any restricted stock or restricted stock units.  We believe that Mr. Levin’s TDC and Realized Pay correlate to the Company’s financial performance.

Executive Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

Our Compensation Committee is responsible for establishing, implementing and monitoring adherence to the Board’s compensation philosophy, which is to ensure that executive compensation is fair, reasonable, competitive and consistent with the interests of the Company’s stockholders.  

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The Compensation Committee believes that an effective executive compensation program will:

When reviewing compensation, the Compensation Committee emphasizes TDC.  TDC consists of total cash compensation (base salary and annual performance-based cash incentive awards) plus long-term incentive awards, which are primarily stock-based, and other compensation.  Every year, we assess the effectiveness of our compensation plans and are continually working to strengthen our overall compensation program by adjusting performance metrics to ensure that compensation is aligned with performance that drives stockholder value.  We also compare our performance metrics to those used by our peers, and take into consideration the recommendations of proxy advisory services.

Key Features of Our Executive Compensation Program

 

We believe that the Company’s executive compensation program includes key features that align the compensation for the Named Executive Officers with the interests of our stockholders.

 

Use of Compensation Consultants

The Compensation Committee has the authority to retain compensation consultants and other outside advisors to assist in carrying out its duties, including the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. The Compensation Committee may accept, reject or modify any recommendations by compensation consultants or other outside advisors.

The Compensation Committee periodically consults with Sibson Consulting (“Sibson”), an independent firm that specializes in benefits and compensation, with respect to the structure and competitiveness of the Company’s executive compensation program compared to its proxy peer group. The Compensation Committee has assessed Sibson’s independence, and has concluded that no conflict of interest exists with respect to the services that it performs.  In early fiscal 2018, the Compensation Committee engaged Sibson to evaluate the compensation of our CEO in comparison to the fiscal 2018 proxy peer group and in early 2019 to evaluate the compensation of our other NEOs in comparison to the same proxy peer group.

Fiscal 2018 Target Compensation

CEO Compensation.  The Compensation Committee is responsible for determining the target compensation of our CEO.  Working with Sibson, the Compensation Committee compared each element of the CEO’s compensation (base salary, annual and long-term incentive compensation (“Direct Compensation”)) to published survey data and data from its proxy peer groups.  Based on the review completed by Sibson in early 2018, using 2017 compensation data, Mr. Levin’s target Direct Compensation was below median, at 91% of the median of the Company’s 2018 proxy peer group.  Mr. Levin’s actual Direct Compensation was at 61% of the median target compensation of that peer group.

Other Named Executive Officers.  Our CEO is primarily responsible for determining the compensation paid to our other Named Executive Officers, subject to the review and approval of the Compensation Committee.  Our other Named Executive Officers are

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provided with a competitive base salary and an opportunity to earn performance awards each year, which are driven by our overall financial targets.  In early 2019, Sibson reviewed the compensation paid to our other Named Executive Officers, and concluded that it was within the median (or 50% percentile) of the 2018 proxy peer group. See “Compensation Components and Fiscal 2018 Compensation Decisions”

Our Peers

When determining peer companies for use in reviewing and establishing compensation for our Named Executive Officers, we focus primarily on public companies within the specialty retail apparel business with similar revenue and/or market capitalization.  The companies in the fiscal 2018 peer group were:

 

For fiscal 2019, we updated our peer group to remove Trans World Entertainment and add Duluth Holding, Inc.

In order to develop an appropriate peer group, we consider companies with a range of revenues and market capitalizations that may differ from those included by independent analysts such as Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).  We do so because we believe that companies doing business in specialty retail markets with omni-channel distribution models provide a better benchmark for total shareholder return.  An independent analyst may include a company that falls within the same Standard & Poor’s GICS code with similar revenue and market capitalization but with a different business model, business risks, geographic locations, customer base and industry traffic trends and which, consequently, may have nothing in common with our Company.  For example, a company that owns automotive dealerships is within the same GICS code as our Company, but clearly has a distinctively different business model and is not affected by the same trends that affect specialty retail apparel.  

Say-on-Pay

At our 2017 Annual Meeting, stockholders voted on a non-binding advisory proposal as to the frequency with which we should conduct an advisory vote on executive compensation (a "say-on-pay proposal").  At that meeting, and in accordance with the recommendation of our Board, 95.6% of votes cast voted for the “one-year” frequency for advisory votes on executive compensation.  We intend to hold such vote every year, until the next “say-on-pay” frequency vote, which will not be until our 2023 Annual Meeting.  

At our 2018 Annual Meeting, stockholders had an opportunity to cast a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation as disclosed in the 2018 Proxy Statement.  Of the votes cast on the say-on-pay proposal, 87.3% voted in favor of the proposal.  The Compensation Committee considered the results of the 2018 advisory vote and believes that it affirms support of our stockholders for our approach to executive compensation, namely to align short- and long-term incentives with the Company’s financial performance.  We will continue to consider the outcome of subsequent say-on-pay votes when making future compensation decisions for our executive officers.

Risk Assessment/Clawback

We believe that our compensation programs do not provide incentives for unnecessary risk taking by our employees. Our employment agreements with each of our Named Executive Officers include a “clawback” provision that permits us to demand full repayment of certain amounts paid to the executive in the event we learn, after the executive’s termination, that the executive could have been terminated for “justifiable cause.”  In addition, in August 2018, our Compensation Committee approved the Executive Incentive Pay Clawback Policy (“Clawback Policy”) that would allow the Company to recover all Excess Incentive-Based Compensation, as defined in the Clawback Policy, from each Executive who willfully committed an act of fraud, dishonesty, or recklessness that contributed to any error or noncompliance that results in a financial restatement. Incentive-Based Compensation includes all cash and equity awards.

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Our emphasis on performance-based annual and long-term incentive awards is also designed to align executives with preserving and enhancing shareholder value. Based on these considerations, among others, we do not believe that our compensation policies and practices create risks that are likely to have a material adverse effect on our Company.

Compensation Components and Fiscal 2018 Compensation Decisions

We believe that our executive compensation policies and practices appropriately align the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders and emphasize the shared responsibility of our executive officers for the Company’s financial performance. Accordingly, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers is heavily weighted toward “at-risk” performance-based compensation.

The primary components of compensation for our Named Executive Officers include base salary (“fixed compensation”), annual performance-based cash incentives and long-term incentives (“at-risk compensation”). The annual weight of each component leads to the following allocation of potential compensation that each executive can earn.

 

 

The components of executive compensation are as follows:

Base salary represents the fixed component of an executive’s annual compensation.  In order to attract and retain top executive talent, we believe that it is important that our base salary be competitive, generally at or near the median of our industry peers.

Base salaries are reviewed annually and adjustments are influenced by the Company’s performance in the previous fiscal year and the executive’s contribution to that performance. The executive’s performance is measured by various factors, including, but not limited to, achievement of specific individual and department goals.  Additionally, adjustments may consider an individual’s promotion that may have occurred during the fiscal year, and any modifications in the individual's level of responsibility.

The Compensation Committee expects the CEO’s base salary to be at or near the peer group median, and to be approximately one-third of his target Direct Compensation.  Our CEO determines the base salary of our other Named Executive Officers, subject to the review and approval of the Compensation Committee.  The target for such compensation is the median of the peer group and published industry compensation surveys.

For fiscal 2018, Mr. Levin’s base salary remained unchanged. During fiscal 2017, Mr. Stratton received a 6.8% increase in base salary, to $395,000, to bring him in line with external peers and in connection with his promotion to Executive Vice President. Mr. Reaves received an increase in base salary in November 2017 to $400,000, in connection with his promotion to Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer and in October 2018, he received an additional increase of 25% to $500,000, in connection with his promotion to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  In May 2018, Mr. Molloy received an 8.7% increase in base salary, to $375,000, in connection with his promotion to Chief Administrative Officer. 

  

 

The Compensation Committee believes that a substantial portion of each Named Executive Officer’s compensation should tie directly to our Company’s financial performance.  Our Annual Incentive Plan (“AIP”) provides for an annual performance-based cash incentive for all executives as well as certain non-executive employees.  

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For fiscal 2018, Mr. Levin’s target participation in the AIP was at 100% of his annual salary, whereas our Executive Vice Presidents were at 55% of their respective salaries and Senior Vice Presidents were at 40% of their respective salaries.

For fiscal 2018, the Compensation Committee modified the 2018 AIP performance metrics in keeping with the Board’s objective to drive profitability and free cash flow through revenue growth at acceptable margins. Our targets for the 2018 AIP, as compared to fiscal 2017, reflect the fact that fiscal 2018 was a 52-week period as compared to fiscal 2017, which was a 53-week year and therefore included an additional week of sales, earnings and cash flow. In addition to overall financial and operating performance metrics, there were specific departmental metrics for our marketing, digital, store operations and merchandising/planning & allocation business units, as well as a discretionary component based on individual performance targets.  As described in the table below, the overall financial and operating performance metrics represented 80% and individual performance represented 20% of the AIP for Messrs. Levin, Stratton, Reaves and Molloy.  For Mr. Davey, overall financial and operating performance metrics represented 60%, departmental metrics represented 20%, and individual performance represented 20% of the AIP.  We believe that these modifications better aligned the compensation of our employees with their contribution to our business results.  

The performance metrics approved by the Compensation Committee and actual results against these metrics were as follows:

2018 Annual Incentive Plan

**For purposes of the 2018 AIP, fiscal 2018 actual results were adjusted to exclude certain revenues, expenses and cash flows, which were not considered in the establishment of the Company’s 2018 targets, including its wholesale business.

 

*** The personal goals for Messrs. Reaves, Davey and Molloy consisted of a combination of subjective and quantifiable goals specific to their respective corporate function.  The personal goals for our CFO were quantifiable and were primarily tied to managing debt levels and the execution of the corporate restructuring.  Our CEO’s personal goals were primarily tied to the overall financial performance of the Company, the CEO transition and the launch of the wholesale business.  

The performance targets were derived from the Company’s operating plan for fiscal 2018, and the Compensation Committee believed that it was possible, with an approximate 50% probability, to meet or exceed each of the targets.  As a result of achieving the performance targets for fiscal 2018, as shown above, on March 19, 2019 the Compensation Committee approved cash bonus payouts ranging from 80.9% to 114.5%.  Messrs. Levin, Stratton, Reaves and Molloy each received a cash bonus payout of 106.9% and Mr. Davey received a cash bonus payout of 85.9%. The total cash award paid to 98 participants was approximately $3.9 million, with $1.7 million of that amount being paid to the Named Executive Officers.  

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2019 Annual Incentive Plan

 

On May 1, 2019, the Compensation Committee approved the Company’s Fourth Amended and Restated Annual Incentive Plan.  The AIP was amended, among other things, to:

 

On May 1, 2019, the Compensation Committee established the financial and operating performance metrics for the 2019 AIP.  Similar to fiscal 2018, the performance targets were expanded to include departmental targets for Store Operations, Marketing & Digital, and Merchandise/Planning and Allocation, as well as discretionary personal goals.  

 

The Company’s financial performance metrics for the 2019 AIP include Sales and Adjusted EBITDA and represent 80% of the AIP for Messrs. Kanter, Stratton, Reaves and Molloy and 40% of the AIP for Mr. Davey.  With the recent appointment of Mr. Kanter to President and CEO, the Compensation Committee felt it was necessary to decrease the number of financial targets for fiscal 2019 and focus on Sales and Adjusted EBITDA to allow Mr. Kanter the flexibility to implement or modify any business initiatives without making other targets under the 2019 AIP irrelevant.  Given that, these two financial targets support the Company’s primary business objective of driving top-line growth and improved profitability.  Mr. Davey’s performance metrics include specific marketing and digital targets, and represent 40% of his AIP.  Discretionary personal goals represent the remaining 20%.  These discretionary goals are pre-established and are an important component to the success of our strategic goals.  Pursuant to the terms of the Transition Agreement, Mr. Levin will receive a payout based on the actual performance achieved under the 2019 AIP, see “Employment Agreements - Estimated Potential Payments to Mr. Levin under the Transition Agreement.”

 

The 2019 AIP performance metrics approved by the Compensation Committee are as follows:

 

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The target levels for each performance metric are derived from the Company’s annual operating plan and budget for the fiscal year, and are intended to be achievable, with an approximate 50% probability.  The likelihood of achieving the 2019 targets reflects the challenges inherent in achieving the goals and objectives of an ambitious operating plan and budget.  

For fiscal 2019, Mr. Kanter, as President and CEO, will participate at 100% of his salary; Messrs. Stratton, Reaves and Davey, as Executive Vice Presidents, will participate at 55% of their respective salaries; and Mr. Molloy, as a Senior Vice President, will participate at 40% of his salary.  

 

 

The Company’s long-term incentive plans are designed to ensure that the interests of our executives are aligned with those of our stockholders to create sustainable shareholder value and to promote executive retention.  

 

In March 2016, the Compensation Committee approved the Destination XL Group, Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended (the “LTIP”). Under the outstanding LTIPs, each participant in the plan is entitled to receive an award based on that participant’s “Target Cash Value” which is defined as the participant’s annual base salary (on the participant’s effective date) multiplied by his or her LTIP percentage, which is 100% for the CEO and 70% for the other Named Executive Officers.  For each participant, 50% of the Target Cash Value is subject to time-based vesting and 50% is subject to performance-based vesting.  The LTIP is a dollar-denominated plan and, therefore, no awards for the performance-based compensation are granted unless the performance metrics are achieved.

 

Under the original LTIP, the performance period was two years.  However, the LTIP was amended in June 2018 by executing the Second Amended and Restated LTIP, as further amended in October 2018, which among other things, extended the performance period to three years, beginning with grants in fiscal 2018. The following is a summary of the two LTIPs in effect during fiscal 2018 with a separate discussion of each plan’s respective performance period below:

 

 

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2017-2018 Performance Period

On March 31, 2017, the Compensation Committee established two performance targets for the 2017-2018 Performance Period under the LTIP (the “2017-2018 LTIP”), each weighted 50%, and further approved that all awards would be issued in restricted stock units (“RSUs”).  The following is a summary of the performance targets under the 2017-2018 Performance Period and actual performance achieved:

* Total Comparable Sales is defined as two-year stack, which is the sum of total Company comparable sales for fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018, with an annual minimum comp requirement of 2.0% in fiscal 2018.

** Modified ROIC is defined as operating income divided by invested capital (defined as total debt plus stockholders’ equity and excludes any deduction of cash).

 

The minimum threshold for the Modified ROIC target was not achieved, but the Company did achieve, at threshold, its Total Comparable Sales target, resulting in a blended payout of performance-based compensation of 25.0% of target.  Accordingly, subsequent to the end of fiscal 2018, on March 19, 2019, the Compensation Committee approved the grant of RSU awards totaling $0.5 million, with a grant date of March 19, 2019, with $0.2 million of that amount being awarded to the Named Executive Officers.  The awards are subject to further vesting through August 31, 2019.

 

2018-2020 Performance Period

On October 24, 2018, the Compensation Committee established two performance targets under the 2018-2020 LTIP and further approved that all awards would be issued in RSUs. The performance targets for the 2018-2020 Performance Period are:

 

*For the Company and each of its 2018 disclosed proxy peers, the three-year relative total shareholder return will be calculated as the percentage change in the 30-day trailing volume-weighted average closing stock price at February 2, 2018 and January 29, 2021, adjusted for any dividends received.  

For the 2018-2020 Performance Period, the metrics reflect the Company’s primary objective of returning to profitability and driving shareholder return.  As with our 2018 AIP and 2017-2018 LTIP, we will disclose our targets under the 2018-2020 LTIP once the performance period has ended.

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The following table illustrates the components of the LTIP with the respective vesting dates, illustrating that the time-based portion of the LTIP acts as a retention tool:

 

 

In particular circumstances, we may utilize cash signing bonuses and equity-based awards when certain employees join the Company.  

With the exception of the grant of equity awards to Mr. Davey in connection with his hiring, there were no discretionary cash or equity awards granted to our Named Executive Officers in fiscal 2018.

In addition to our life insurance programs available to all of our employees, we also paid the insurance premium for an additional $2.0 million life insurance policy for Mr. Levin to the benefit of his designated beneficiaries.  

We offer our senior executives, including our Named Executive Officers, supplemental disability insurance and long-term care and pay a portion of the premiums, which we do not do for our other employees.

Our Named Executive Officers also receive benefits under certain group health, long-term disability and life insurance plans, which are generally available to all of our eligible employees.

After six months of service with us, all of our employees, including our Named Executive Officers, are eligible to participate in our 401(k) Plan, and after one year of employment are eligible for a Company match.  Historically, our employees have been eligible to receive a Company match, which matched 100% of the first 1% of deferred compensation and 50% of the next 5% (with a maximum contribution of 3.5% of eligible compensation).  In May 2018, in connection with our cost reduction initiatives, the Board of Directors ratified and approved the recommendation of our management team to suspend any further employer contributions to the 401(k) Plan, effective July 1, 2018, until the end of calendar year 2019 at the latest.  

We have employment agreements with our CEO and all of our other Named Executive Officers.  Upon termination of employment, each executive is entitled to receive severance payments under his or her employment agreement(s) and under the Company’s incentive programs in the event of a termination without justifiable cause.  These employment agreements and incentive programs, as they relate to terminations, are discussed in detail below in the section “Employment Agreements” following the “Summary Compensation Table.”  Our employment agreements do not contain any tax gross-ups pursuant to Section 280(g) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Prior to the passage of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”), Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, generally disallowed a tax deduction for compensation in excess of $1.0 million a year to certain officers, including the Chief Executive Officer, unless such excess compensation qualified as “performance-based compensation.” The Tax Act, among other things, repealed the performance-based compensation exemption with respect to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, subject to certain transition rules. In addition, the Tax Act expanded the group of officers whose compensation is subject to the Section 162(m) deduction limitations. Accordingly, other than with respect to certain grandfathered compensation, the $1.0 million deduction limitation now applies to (i) anyone serving as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer at any time during the taxable year, (ii) the top three other highest compensated executive officers of the Company serving at the end of the taxable year and (iii) any individual who had been a covered employee for any taxable year of the Company that started after December 31, 2016. We previously considered the effect of Section 162(m) when structuring our executive compensation and, when feasible, complied with exemptions in Section 162(m) so that the compensation remained tax deductible to us.

 

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COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

We, the Compensation Committee of the Company, have reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on this review and discussion, recommend to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.

 

 

 

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Summary Compensation Table.  The following Summary Compensation Table sets forth certain information regarding compensation paid or accrued by us with respect to our "Named Executive Officers" for fiscal 2018.

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The amount shown in the Option Award column for fiscal 2018 represents the fair value, as of grant date, of a sign-on grant of stock options to Mr. Davey.  See “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” for more information regarding equity awards granted in fiscal 2018.

The fair value associated with the performance-based component of the equity awards under the 2018-2020 LTIP was determined based on the probable outcome of the performance conditions as of the service-inception date.  Because the achievement of the performance targets under the 2018-2020 LTIP was not deemed probable as of the service-inception date, no value was attributed to the performance-based portion of these awards.  The following reflects the fair values of the performance-based portion of the 2018-2020 LTIP assuming the highest level of performance conditions will be achieved for each of the Named Executive Officers:

 

 

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The following table provides a breakdown of the amounts in 2018 in the “Stock Awards” column of the Summary Compensation Table above:

 

The following table provides a breakdown of the amounts for 2018 in the “All Other Compensation” of the Summary Compensation Table above: