8-K
0001674862false00016748622023-01-272023-01-27

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 27, 2023

 

 

ASHLAND INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

Delaware

333-211719

81-2587835

(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

 

 

 

 

8145 Blazer Drive

 

Wilmington, Delaware

 

19808

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: 302 995-3000

 

 

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:


Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 


Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $.01 per share

 

ASH

 

The New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

 

 


Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

 

At the annual meeting (“Annual Meeting”) of stockholders of Ashland Inc. (“Ashland”) held on January 24, 2023, a total of 49,396,209 shares of Common Stock, representing 91.03% of the shares outstanding and eligible to vote and constituting a quorum, were represented in person or by valid proxies. The final results for each of the matters submitted to a vote of stockholders at the Annual Meeting are described below.

 

Proposal 1: All of the nominees for director were elected to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their respective successors are elected and qualified, by the votes set forth in the table below:

Nominee

 

For

Against

Abstain

Broker Non-Votes

 

Steven D. Bishop

46,108,846

 141,535

61,222

3,084,606

 

Brendan M. Cummins

45,990,826

 257,219

63,558

3,048,606

 

Suzan F. Harrison

46,164,658

83,563

63,381

3,048,606

 

Jay V. Ihlenfeld

46,091,569

 178,075

41,958

3,048,606

 

Joseph Wetteny

46,180,303

 67,434

63,866

3,084,606

 

Susan L. Main

43,066,920

 203,762

40,920

3,084,606

 

Guillermo Novo

45,403,112

843,160

65,330

3,084,606

 

Jerome A. Peribere

45,947,823

 321,493

42,287

3,084,606

 

Janice J. Teal

46,017,708

 250,897

42,997

3,084,606

 

 

Proposal 2: The appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Ashland’s independent registered public accountants for fiscal 2023 was ratified by the stockholders by the votes set forth in the table below:

 

For

Against

Abstain

Broker Non-Votes

49,185,141

184,884

26,183

 0

 

Proposal 3: The non-binding advisory resolution approving the compensation paid to Ashland’s named executive officers, as disclosed in Ashland’s Proxy Statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussion, was approved by the stockholders by the votes set forth in the table below:

 

For

Against

Abstain

Broker Non-Votes

42,298,244

909,742

103,616

3,084,606

 

Proposal 4: The shareholder recommended, on an advisory basis, that the frequency of the stockholder vote to approve the compensation of the named executive officers as required by Section 14(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, occur every year by the votes set forth in the table below:

 

1 Year

2 Years

3 Years

Abstain

Broker Non-Votes

42,384,766

36,670

3,803,370

86,795

3,084,606

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

 (d)

 

Exhibits

 

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded with the Inline XBRL document)

 

 


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

ASHLAND INC.

 

 

 

 

Date:

January 27, 2023

By:

/s/ Yvonne Winkler von Mohrenfels

 

 

 

Yvonne Winkler von Mohrenfels
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
and Secretary