EX-97.1 19 aeriestech_ex97-1.htm EXHIBIT 97.1

Exhibit 97.1

EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE COMPENSATION RECOUPMENT POLICY

This Executive Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy (as may be amended or restated from time to time, this “Policy”) was first adopted by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Aeries Technology, Inc. (the “Company”) on November 6, 2023.

| 1. | Purpose

This Policy has been adopted to describe the circumstances in which Executive Officers will be required to repay or return Erroneously Awarded Compensation to members of the Company Group. Each Executive Officer shall be required to sign and return to the Company the Acknowledgement and Certification attached hereto as Exhibit A pursuant to which such Executive Officer will agree to be bound by the terms and comply with this Policy. This Policy shall be administered by the Committee. Any determinations made by the Committee shall be final and binding on all affected individuals.

| 2. | Defined Terms

The following capitalized terms used in this Policy have the meanings set forth below:

“Accounting Restatement” shall mean an accounting restatement (i) due to the material noncompliance of the Company with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, including any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial restatements that is material to the previously issued financial statements (a “Big R” restatement), or (ii) that corrects an error that is not material to previously issued financial statements, but would result in a material misstatement if the error were not corrected the current period or left uncorrected in the current period (a “little r” restatement).

“Clawback Eligible Incentive Compensation” shall mean, in connection with an Accounting Restatement and with respect to each individual who served as an Executive Officer at any time during the applicable performance period for any Incentive-based Compensation (whether or not such Executive Officer is serving at the time the Erroneously Awarded Compensation is required to be repaid to the Company Group), all Incentive-based Compensation Received by such Executive Officer (i) on or after the Effective Date, (ii) after beginning service as an Executive Officer, (iii) while the Company has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or a national securities association, and (iv) during the applicable Clawback Period.

“Clawback Period” shall mean, with respect to any Accounting Restatement, the three (3) completed fiscal years of the Company immediately preceding the Restatement Date and any transition period (that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year; provided that, a transition period between the last day of the Company’s previous fiscal year end and the first day of its new fiscal year that comprises a period of nine (9) to twelve (12) months would be deemed a completed fiscal year) of less than nine (9) months within or immediately following those three (3) completed fiscal years.

“Company Group” shall mean the Company, together with each of its direct and indirect subsidiaries.

“Effective Date” shall mean November 6, 2023. The Policy shall apply to Incentive-based Compensation that is approved, awarded or granted to Executive Officers on or after the Effective Date.

“Erroneously Awarded Compensation” shall mean, with respect to each Executive Officer in connection with an Accounting Restatement, the amount of Clawback Eligible Incentive Compensation that exceeds the amount of Incentive-based Compensation that otherwise would have been Received had it been determined based on the restated amounts, computed without regard to any taxes paid.

“Executive Officer” shall mean each individual who is or was designated as an “officer” of the Company in accordance with 17 C.F.R. 240.16a-1(f) (Section 16 officers) and such other senior executives/employees who may from time to time be deemed subject to the Policy by the Board. Identification of an executive officer for purposes of this Policy would include at a minimum executive officers identified pursuant to 17 C.F.R. 229.401(b).

“Financial Reporting Measures” shall mean measures that are determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and all other measures that are derived wholly or in part from such measures. Stock price and total shareholder return (and any measures that are derived wholly or in part from stock price or total shareholder return) shall for purposes of this Policy be considered Financial Reporting Measures. For the avoidance of doubt, a Financial Reporting Measure need not be presented in the Company’s financial statements or included in a filing with the SEC.

“Incentive-based Compensation” shall mean any compensation that is granted, earned or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure.

“Nasdaq” shall mean The Nasdaq Stock Market.

“Received” shall, with respect to any Incentive-based Compensation, mean actual or deemed receipt, and Incentive-based Compensation shall be deemed received in the Company’s fiscal period during which the Financial Reporting Measure specified in the Incentive-based Compensation award is attained, even if payment or grant of the Incentive-based Compensation occurs after the end of that period.

“Restatement Date” shall mean the earlier to occur of (i) the date the Board, a committee of the Board or the officers of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes, or reasonably should have concluded, that the issuer is required to prepare an Accounting Restatement, or (ii) the date of court, regulator or other legally authorized body directs the issuer to prepare an Accounting Restatement.

“SEC” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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| 3. | Recoupment of Erroneously Awarded Compensation

(a) In the event of an Accounting Restatement, the Committee shall promptly (and in all events within ninety (90) days after the Restatement Date) determine the amount of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation for each Executive Officer in connection with such Accounting Restatement and shall promptly thereafter provide each Executive Officer with a written notice containing the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation and a demand for repayment or return, as applicable. The Company’s obligation to recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation is not dependent on if or when the Accounting Restatements are filed. For Incentive-based Compensation based on (or derived from) stock price or total shareholder return where the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in the applicable Accounting Restatement, the amount shall be determined by the Committee based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Accounting Restatement on the stock price or total shareholder return upon which the Incentive-based Compensation was Received (in which case, the Company shall maintain documentation of such determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to Nasdaq;

(b) The Committee shall have broad discretion to determine the appropriate means of recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation based on all applicable facts and circumstances and taking into account the time value of money and the cost to shareholders of delaying recovery. To the extent that the Committee determines that any method of recovery (other than repayment by the Executive Officer in a lump sum in cash or property) is appropriate, the Company shall offer to enter into a repayment agreement (in a form reasonable acceptable to the Committee) with the Executive Officer. If the Executive Officer accepts such offer and signs the repayment agreement within thirty (30) days after such offer is extended, the Company shall countersign such repayment agreement. If the Executive Officer fails to sign the repayment agreement within thirty (30) days after such offer is extended, the Executive Officer will be required to repay the Erroneously Awarded Compensation in a lump sum in cash (or such property as the Committee agrees to accept with a value equal to such Erroneously Awarded Compensation) on or prior to the date that is one hundred twenty (120) days following the Restatement Date. For the avoidance of doubt, except as set forth in Section 4(d) below, in no event may the Company Group accept an amount that is less than the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation in satisfaction of an Executive Officer’s obligations hereunder;

(c) To the extent that an Executive Officer fails to repay all Erroneously Awarded Compensation to the Company Group when due (as determined in accordance with Section 3(b) above), the Company shall, or shall cause one or more other members of the Company Group to, take all actions reasonable and appropriate to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation from the applicable Executive Officer. The applicable Executive Officer shall be required to reimburse the Company Group for any and all expenses reasonably incurred (including legal fees) by the Company Group in recovering such Erroneously Awarded Compensation in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence;

(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to take the actions contemplated by Section 4(b) above if the following conditions are met and the Committee determines that recovery would be impracticable:

| i. | The direct expenses paid to a third party to assist in enforcing the Policy against an Executive Officer would exceed the amount to be recovered, after the Company has made a reasonable attempt to recover the applicable Erroneously Awarded Compensation, documented such attempts and provided such documentation to Nasdaq;

| ii. | Recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company Group, to fail to meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(13) or 26 U.S.C. 411(a)and regulations thereunder.

| 4. | Reporting and Disclosure

The Company shall file all disclosures with respect to this Policy in accordance with the requirement of the federal securities laws, including the disclosure required by the applicable SEC filings.

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| 5. | Indemnification Prohibition

No member of the Company Group shall be permitted to indemnify any Executive Officer against (i) the loss of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation that is repaid, returned or recovered pursuant to the terms of this Policy, or (ii) any claims relating to the Company Group’s enforcement of its rights under this Policy. Further, no member of the Company Group shall enter into any agreement that exempts any Incentive-based Compensation from the application of this Policy or that waives the Company Group’s right to recovery of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation and this Policy shall supersede any such agreement (whether entered into before, on or after the Effective Date).

| 6. | Interpretation

The Committee is authorized to interpret and construe this Policy and to make all determinations necessary, appropriate, or advisable for the administration of this Policy. It is intended that this Policy be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any applicable rules or standards adopted by the SEC or any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed.

| 7. | Effective Date

This Policy shall be effective as of the Effective Date.

| 8. | Amendment; Termination.

The Committee may amend this Policy from time to time in its discretion and shall amend this Policy as it deems necessary, including as and when it determines that it is legally required by any federal securities laws, SEC rule or the rules of any national securities exchange or national securities association on which the Company’s securities are listed. The Committee may terminate this Policy at any time. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 8 to the contrary, no amendment or termination of this Policy shall be effective if such amendment or termination would (after taking into account any actions taken by the Company contemporaneously with such amendment or termination) cause the Company to violate any federal securities laws, SEC rule or the rules of any national securities exchange or national securities association on which the Company’s securities are listed.

| 9. | Other Recoupment Rights; No Additional Payments

The Committee intends that this Policy will be applied to the fullest extent of the law. The Committee may require that any employment agreement, equity award agreement, or any other agreement entered into on or after the Effective Date shall, as a condition to the grant of any benefit thereunder, require an Executive Officer to agree to abide by the terms of this Policy. Any right of recoupment under this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies or rights of recoupment that may be available to the Company Group under applicable law, regulation or rule or pursuant to the terms of any similar policy in any employment agreement, equity award agreement, or similar agreement and any other legal remedies available to the Company Group.

| 10. | Successors

This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Executive Officers and their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.

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