Kodak names emergence board

Antonio Perez will continue as Kodak's chief executive, at least for a period, when the company emerges from Chapter 11.

Yesterday the group filed a supplement to its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganisation that detailed its planned new executive line-up.

Perez remains as chief executive on a base salary of $1.1m (£723,000). He has agreed to take the role for one year from Kodak’s emergence from Chapter 11, or until the board elects his successor.

At such time he would continue to work for Kodak as a full-time advisor for the remainder of his contract term.

The court document stated that Perez "is subject to a two-year non-competition covenant following the termination of his services, in exchange for a $1m annual cash payment and up to a $2m contingent payment on the basis of achievement of performance metrics and service as a consultant during the noncompetition period".

In 2012 Perez's total package including bonus and options was $5.47m, down on the $6.98m he received in 2011. 

Doug Edwards continues as president of digital printing and enterprise, on a base salary of $450,000. Brad Krutchen will have a base salary of $465,000 in his role as president of graphics, entertainment and commercial films. This division includes Kodak’s prepress business.

The other executive officers are: Gustavo Oviedo, managing director Latin America region and managing director and chief customer officer for emerging geographies; Eric Samuels, controller; Patrick Sheller, chief administrative officer; Terry Taber, chief technical officer; and Laura Quatela, senior vice president, who will over see the sale and transition of Kodak’s Personalised Imaging business to the Kodak Pension Plan (KPP) in the UK.

A raft of share options and bonus targets under Kodak’s EXCEL annual incentive plan form part of the new executive packages, with a special transition deal for Quatela.

Three months ago Kodak announced it would sell two of its businesses to KPP in a move that helped to fund its emergence from Chapter 11 and solve its pension liability problem in the UK.

Earlier this week the Financial Times described Kodak’s UK pension fund as "scrambling to collect votes from members" in order to gain the clear majority required for the new pension arrangements to be rubber-stamped by the Pension Protection Fund.

The original deadline of July 12 has been extended, according to the newspaper.

The court deadline for objections to Kodak’s reorganisation plan is 9 August, with the vital ‘confirmation hearing’ currently set for 20 August.