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YUNHONG GREEN CTI LTD

For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Mar 29, 2024.

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FY2023 · Filed Mar 29, 2024

YHGJ$3.35-7.2%Stored close · as of Nov 10, 2026

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Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant

Item No. 10 –Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance of the Registrant

The members of our Board of Directors (the “Board”), and our executive officers, together with their respective ages and certain biographical information are set forth below. Directors hold office until the next annual meeting of our shareholders and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. Our executive officers are elected by and serve at the designation and appointment of the Board.

The following is a brief account of the business experience of each of our directors and executive officers during the past five years or more.

NameAgePosition
Yubao Li42Chairman of the Board of Directors
Frank J. Cesario54Chief Executive Officer and Director; Acting Chief Financial Officer
Jana M. Schwan47Chief Operating Officer
Douglas Bosley57Director
Gerald (J.D.) Roberts, Jr.65Director
Philip Wong45Director

*Frank Cesario,age 54, Chief Executive Officer and Director; Corporate Secretary; Acting Chief Financial Officer.*Mr. Cesario first joined the Company in November 2017 as Chief Financial Officer. In December 2019 he was named President and Chief Executive Officer, and Director. He resigned as Chief Financial Officer in June 2020 and as President and Chief Executive Officer, and Director, in September 2020. During March 2021, he rejoined the Board as a Director. During January 2022 he was rehired by the Company as Chief Executive Officer and he retained his role as a Director. Upon the resignation of the Company’s then-Chief Financial Officer during January 2022, Mr. Cesario also became the Acting Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Cesario brings 20 years of CFO experience at manufacturing entities. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Cesario served in similar roles with Nanophase Technologies Corporation and ISCO International, Inc., then publicly traded global suppliers of advanced materials and telecommunications equipment, respectively, as well as Turf Ventures LLC, a privately held chemicals distributor. From September 2020 until January 2022, Mr. Cesario served as Chief Financial Officer of Radiac Abrasives, Inc., a privately held manufacturer. He began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick and then served in progressively responsible finance positions within Material Sciences Corporation and Outokumpu Copper, Inc. Mr. Cesario holds an MBA (Finance) from DePaul University and a B.S. (Accountancy) from the University of Illinois and is a registered CPA in the State of Illinois.

Yubao Li, age 42, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Li has served as a Director of the Company since January 13, 2020 and was elected as Chairman of the Board on June 1, 2020. Mr. Li served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer from September 2020 until January 2022. Mr. Li has been serving as the Chairman of Yunhong International since its inception in January 2019 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from January 2019 to September 2019. Mr. Li has been serving as the president of Hubei Academy of Science and Technology Service Station since July 2018. Since June 2018, Mr. Li has been serving as the Director of Photoproteins Research Centre at China’s Academy of Management Science, a research institute situated in Beijing where he supports innovation by defining the research focus of the group. Mr. Li also serves as a director and/or officer of several other entities, including as the Executive Director and General Manager of Hubei Teruiga Energy Co., Ltd, a new energy technology company, since November 2017, the Executive Director of Hubei Yuntong Energy Co., Ltd., a solar power and agriculture company, since April 2016, the Executive Director and General Manager of Hubei Yun Hong photovoltaic Co., Ltd., a solar power and agriculture company, since May 2016, the President of Hubei Yunhong Deren Tourism Co., Ltd., a tourism project developer, since May 2016 and the President of Yunhong Group Holdings Co., Ltd., a company engaged in the business of solar power construction and solar photovoltaic power generation, since 2013. In addition, in 2013, Mr. Li founded China Hubei Yunhong Energy Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese nutrition company operating in China and abroad, and he currently serves as the Chairman of its board of directors.

Douglas Bosley, age 57, Director. Mr. Bosley has served as a director of the Company since January 2022 and is a founding partner of Witan Law Group and a member of the firm’s Corporate Transactional and Securities practice. Mr. Bosley represents businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages of growth from inception to exit. Mr. Bosley’s practice focuses on three general areas of financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. Mr. Bosley’s financing experience includes representing venture capital firms and venture-backed companies, mezzanine debt transactions, and a wide range of other types of financing and securities transactions, as well as general corporate matters including formation and start-ups; equity compensation; contracts such as licensing, joint ventures, representative agreements, and development and service level agreements; and corporate governance matters. Before founding Witan Law, Mr. Bosley was a partner at Bosley Till Neue & Talerico (BTNT), a law firm, where he headed the transactional and securities practices. Prior to BTNT, Mr. Bosley operated Bosley Business Law, which he founded after more than a decade of sophisticated corporate and securities transactional experience at some of the world’s largest and most reputable corporate law firms. Mr. Bosley also served as general counsel of a Sacramento-based venture capital and professional services firm. He is a frequent speaker on legal issues related to start-ups, mergers and acquisitions and venture capital transactions. Mr. Bosley is a graduate of the Duke University School of Law, graduating with high honors and earning the Order of the Coif. He received his B.A. in Economics from California State University (Sacramento).

Gerald (J.D.) Roberts, Jr., age 65, Director. Mr. Roberts is Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at a Fortune 50 Corporation, having served in that capacity since 2018, and has served as a director of the Company since January 2022. In the previous 20 years, he held several senior roles at Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. and GenCorp/Aerojet. His career began in the aerospace and electronics industries in the United States and Australia, where he worked with companies including E-Systems, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop-Grumman, Gulfstream, Learjet and Hawker de Havilland. Mr. Roberts combined his credentials in engineering, finance and operations and his significant experience in strategic planning, organizational restructuring, and mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures to build value in international business opportunities. He received his MBA (Finance) from the University of California, Davis, and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Philip Wong, age 45, Director. Mr Wong has served as a director of the Company since January 2022 and is CEO of Shark AI Capital Corporation, an innovative business lending firm which he co-founded in 2020. Previously, he served as Chief Investment Officer of American Credit, Inc., as a Commercial Loan Officer at Applepie Capital, Inc., as Vice President / Senior Relationship Manager at Bank of the West / BNP Paribas, and as First Vice President / Senior Relationship Manager at Preferred Bank, among other roles in banking and business credit. Mr. Wong and has completed certifications in agile software development, software products management, healthcare analytics, and product management and marketing. He received his B.A. in Asian Studies from San Francisco State University.

Executive Officers Other Than Nominees

Jana Schwan. Ms. Schwan has been employed by the Company in progressively more responsible roles in operational, purchasing, and product development capacities since September 2002, and currently leads its Sales, Marketing and Business Development activities in addition to all Operations of the Company. Ms. Schwan was named Vice President of Operations in 2017 and Chief Operating Officer in 2020.

Jana Schwan is the daughter of John Schwan, who prior to his retirement from the Company served in several capacities, including as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Except as disclosed in this Item 10 or Item 13 (Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence), there are no arrangements or understandings with major shareholders, customers, suppliers or others pursuant to which any of our directors or members of senior management were selected as such. In addition, there are no family relationships among our executive officers and directors.

Our future success depends, in significant part, on the continued service of certain key execute officers, managers, and others in various aspects of our business. We may not be able to find an appropriate replacement for any of our key personnel. Any loss or interruption of our key personnel’s service to the Company could adversely affect our ability to implement our business plan.

Corporate Governance

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors in accordance with the Illinois Business Corporation Act and the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the Company, as amended. Members of the Board of Directors are kept informed of the Company’s business through discussions with the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President and other officers, by reviewing materials provided to them and by participating in meetings of the Board of Directors and its committees.

As of January 2022, the Board of Directors had five members. The Board has determined that each of Douglas Bosley, Gerald (J.D.) Roberts, Jr., and Philip Wong, presently directors of the Company, are independent based upon the application of the rules and standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market.

The Board of Directors met three times during 2023. No Director was absent for more than one meeting during 2023.

Board Leadership Structure

Yubao Li is Chairman of the Board of Directors, Frank Cesario is Chief Executive Officer and Jana Schwan is Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Cesario and Ms. Schwan are responsible for senior management functions. Mr. Cesario reports into the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors believes that this combination and allocation of roles provides the most efficient and effective leadership model for the Company, providing perspective and direction with regard to business strategies and plans to both the Board and management. The Company has no bylaw or policy in place that mandates that an officer serve as Chairman of the Board. The Board of Directors periodically evaluates its leadership structure.

Mr. Wong has been designated as the lead independent director. Mr. Wong is responsible for (i) communicating regularly with the Chief Executive Officer and other officers of the Company on behalf of the Board of Directors, and particularly the independent members of the Board of Directors, and (ii) calling separate meetings of the independent directors of the Company. At any such meetings, only independent directors are present and the independent directors are free to discuss any aspect of the Company’s business and risk management without the influence of interested directors or management.

All members of the Company’s Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees have been determined to be independent based on application of the rules and standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors plays an active role, as a whole and at the committee level, in overseeing management of the Company’s risks. The Board regularly reviews information regarding our credit, liquidity and operations, as well as the risks associated with each. The Audit Committee oversees management of financial risks through regular meetings with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Financial Officer. The Company’s Compensation Committee evaluates and addresses risks relating to executive compensation, our incentive compensation plans and other compensatory arrangements. The Nominating and Governance Committee manages risks associated with the independence of the Board of Directors and potential conflicts of interest. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of those risks, the entire Board of Directors is regularly informed through management and committee reports to the full Board about these and other operational risks.

Committees of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has standing Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees.

Audit Committee

Since 2000, the Company has had a standing Audit Committee, which is presently composed of Mr. Wong (Chairman), Mr. Bosley and Mr. Roberts. Each of the members of the Audit Committee is independent based on the application of the rules and standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market and Rule 10a-3(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Mr. Wong has been designated as, and is, the Company’s “Audit Committee Financial Expert” in accordance with Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K and meets the requirements for an audit committee expert as set forth in that item. The Audit Committee has primary responsibility meetings with management and independent auditors to discuss the Company’s financial statements. The Company’s Board of Directors has adopted a written charter, as amended, for the Company’s Audit Committee, a copy of which has been posted and can be viewed on the Company’s Internet website at http://www.ctiindustries.com under the section entitled “Investor Relations.” In addition, the Audit Committee has adopted a complaint monitoring procedure to enable confidential and anonymous reporting to the Audit Committee of concerns regarding, among other things, questionable accounting or auditing matters. The Audit Committee has primary responsibility for:

Appointing, compensating, and retaining our registered independent public accounting firm;

Overseeing the work performed by any outside accounting firm;

Assisting the Board of Directors in fulfilling its responsibility by reviewing the financial reports provided by us to the SEC, our shareholders, or to the general public, as well as the Company’s internal financial and accounting controls; and

Recommending, establishing, and monitoring procedures designed to improve the quality and reliability of the disclosure of our financial condition and results of operations.

The Audit Committee met once during 2023.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee is composed of Mr. Roberts (Chairman), Mr. Bosley and Mr. Wong. The Board has determined that each of the members of the Compensation Committee is independent as defined in the listing standards for the NASDAQ Stock Market. The Compensation Committee reviews and acts on the Company’s executive compensation and employee benefit and retirement plans, including their establishment, modification and administration. It also recommends to the Board of Directors the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and certain other executive officers. The Compensation Committee has a charter which has been posted and can be viewed on the Company’s Internet website at http://www.ctiindustries.com under the section entitled “Investor Relations.” The Compensation Committee met twice in 2023.

Nominating and Governance Committee

In 2005, the Company established a Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee consists of Mr. Bosley (Chairman), Mr. Roberts and Mr. Wong. The Nominating and Governance Committee does not have a charter. The Board of Directors has determined that each of the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee is independent as defined in the listing standards for the NASDAQ Stock Market.

The Nominating and Governance Committee has not adopted a formal policy with regard to consideration of director candidates recommended by security holders. The Company believes that continuing service of qualified incumbent members of the Board of Directors promotes stability and continuity at the Board level, contributes to the Board’s ability to work as a collective body and provides the benefit of familiarity and insight into the Company’s affairs. Accordingly, the process of the Nominating and Governance Committee for identifying nominees reflects the Company’s practice of re-nominating incumbent directors who continue to satisfy the criteria for membership on the Board. For vacancies that are anticipated on the Board of Directors, the Nominating and Governance Committee intends to seek out and evaluate potential candidates from a variety of sources that may include recommendations by security holders, members of management, the Board of Directors, consultants and others. The minimum qualifications for potential candidates for the Board of Directors include demonstrated business experience, decision-making abilities, personal integrity and a good reputation.

The Board’s statement regarding diversity is below. This has become a larger factor in the Nominating Committee’s evaluation of potential candidates. While there is no formal policy for considering diversity when nominating a potential director, it is a consideration that is evaluated along with other qualifications of potential candidates, and broadly a goal of the Company. In light of the foregoing, it is believed that a formal, written policy and procedure with regard to consideration of director candidates recommended by security holders is not necessary in order for the Nominating and Governance Committee to perform its duties.

The Nominating Committee did not meet in 2023. All of the independent directors of the Board of Directors participated in the nominating process and, in separate session, voted in favor of recommending to the Board of Directors the nomination of each of the nominees for election as directors.

Board Diversity

The current Board has five directors, all male, two of whom are of Asian background and three Caucasian. The Board recently had two female directors who retired from the Board during January 2022. With only five directors, the Company has limited opportunity to maintain the breadth of diversity it seeks. The Company has made diversity a goal, particularly as it moved from a 100% Caucasian, 100% male Board of Directors at the beginning of 2020 to three Asian directors, two of whom female, later that year. The Company plans to continue to strive for broad representation on its Board of Directors.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company’s officers and directors, and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission and with the NASDAQ Stock Market. Officers, directors and greater than ten-percent shareholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

Based solely on a review of such forms furnished to the Company, the Company believes that during calendar year 2023, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to the officers, directors and ten-percent beneficial shareholders were satisfied.

Code of Ethics

The Company has adopted a code of ethics that applies to its senior executive and financial officers. The Company’s Code of Ethics seeks to promote (i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships, (ii) full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure of information to the Commission, (iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, (iv) prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to predesignated persons, and (v) accountability for adherence to the Code. A copy of the Code of Ethics has been posted and may be viewed on the Company’s Internet website at http://www.ctiindustries.com under the heading “Investor Relations.” The Company will provide to any person without charge upon request a copy of the Code of Ethics. You may make such request by sending a written request to the Corporate Secretary at 22160 N. Pepper Road, Lake Barrington, Illinois 60010 and providing a return address.

Executive Compensation Recovery (“Clawback”) Policy

During 2023, the Company adopted an Executive Compensation Recovery (“Clawback”) Policy, wherein certain performance-based executive compensation may be recovered by the Company if subsequent restatement or other adjustment negatively impacts the awarding of such incentive compensation during a three year lookback period and under certain conditions as further defined in the policy.

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