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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.   )

Filed by the Registrant ☒

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o Preliminary Proxy Statements
o Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
Definitive Proxy Statement
o Definitive Additional Materials
o Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
Coeur Mining, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
 
 
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

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2018
PROXY STATEMENT
COEUR MINING, INC.



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104 South Michigan Avenue
Suite 900
Chicago, Illinois 60603

Dear Stockholder:

I am pleased to invite you to join our Board of Directors, executives, employees and your fellow stockholders at our 2018 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting. The meeting will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel, 57 East 57th Street, New York, New York, 10022, on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., local time. The attached notice and proxy statement provide information about the business to be conducted at the meeting.

A Year of Significant Achievements

2017 was a successful year for Coeur as we continued to see positive results from our multi-year strategy to transform into a lower-cost, high-quality, profitable precious metals producer. We worked together to uphold and achieve the fundamental principles underlying our purpose statement, “We Pursue a Higher Standard”.

     We PROTECT our People, Places and Planet – 2017 was another year of strong health, safety and environmental performance, evidenced by significant improvements in key health, safety and environmental performance metrics described in this proxy statement. We also delivered on our ongoing commitment to have a positive impact in the communities in which we work.

     We DEVELOP Quality Resources, Growth and Plans – We achieved major milestones on several key organic growth projects at our mines that are expected to increase margins, generate high returns, and lead to higher cash flow. For example, our strategy for our Palmarejo mine in Mexico led to a 63% year-over-year increase in silver equivalent production and a $150 million improvement in year-over-year free cash flow with lower costs for the fourth consecutive year. At the Rochester mine in Nevada, we completed a multi-year permitting and construction project to expand a leach pad which we expect will result in strong, sustainable cash flow going forward. Our higher level of investment in targeted near-mine exploration drove a 10% increase in Companywide year-end reserves and a 43% increase in mineralized material. In addition, we bolstered efforts to develop our people so they have the necessary capabilities and experiences to further advance our Company in the coming years.

     We DELIVER Impactful Results through Teamwork – Our team delivered record production in 2017 and further improved our costs, leading to higher cash flow. We also delivered high-quality growth from recent acquisitions such as the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota, which has generated nearly $130 million in free cash flow through year-end 2017 since we acquired it just three years ago for $99 million. In addition, we acquired the high-grade Silvertip mine in British Columbia late last year, which commenced production in the first quarter of 2018 and is expected to be a source of high-margin growth for the Company. We completed several initiatives to further strengthen our balance sheet last year, resulting in a significant year-over-year decrease in interest expense, and we further repositioned our portfolio with the sale of the San Bartolomé mine in Bolivia and several other non-core assets.

2018 will be Coeur’s 90th year in the mining business. We are proud of the progress we have made to reposition the Company and we look to build on the momentum we generated in 2017 to deliver another year of strong results.

We Pursue a Higher Standard of Alignment, Engagement and Communication

In 2017, our compensation programs reflected our operational and financial successes, as well as strong three-year total stockholder return. We continued our robust outreach efforts to maintain an open and transparent dialogue with our stockholders and other stakeholders and to appropriately respond to their feedback. Our proxy statement now clearly and concisely describes our corporate governance practices, strong commitment to corporate social responsibility, and executive compensation programs that are directly linked to our performance.

Your Vote is Important

Thank you for being a Coeur stockholder. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, we encourage you to promptly vote your shares by submitting your proxy on the Internet or by telephone, or by completing, signing, dating and returning your proxy card. Instructions on how to vote begin on page 8.

Respectfully,

Mitchell J. Krebs
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Chicago, Illinois
March 28, 2018

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NOTICE OF 2018
ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

Date:
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
   
Time:
10:30 a.m. local time
   
Place:
the Four Seasons Hotel,
57 East 57th Street
New York, New York 10022
   
Record Date:
March 13, 2018
Agenda:
   
1.   Elect the ten directors named in the Proxy Statement
   
2.   Approve the adoption of the Coeur Mining, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan and
      the reservation of 11,204,419 shares of common stock for issuance under the plan
   
3.   Ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018
   
4.   Approve an advisory resolution to approve executive compensation
   
5.   Transact such other business as properly may come before the Annual Meeting
   
Only stockholders of record at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournments thereof.
 
 
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
Please cast your vote as soon as possible by:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   
using the Internet at www.proxyvote.com
   

calling toll-free from the United States,
U.S. territories and Canada to
1 800-690-6903

   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

mailing your signed proxy or voting
instruction form

attending the Annual Meeting in person
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting to Be Held On May 8, 2018. Our Proxy Statement is attached. Financial and other information concerning Coeur Mining, Inc. is contained in our 2017 Annual Report to Stockholders. You may access this Proxy Statement and our 2017 Annual Report to Stockholders at www.proxyvote.com.

Beneficial (“Street Name”) Stockholders. If your shares are held in the name of a broker, bank or other holder of record, follow the voting instructions you receive from the holder of record to vote your shares.

By order of the Board of Directors,


CASEY M. NAULT,
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Coeur Mining, Inc.
104 S. Michigan Ave.
Suite 900
Chicago, Illinois 60603
March 28, 2018

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PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

This proxy statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of Coeur Mining, Inc. (“Coeur” or the “Company”) of proxies of stockholders for shares to be voted at our Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (the “Annual Meeting”) and any and all adjournments thereof. This proxy statement and the accompanying proxy are first being made available to our stockholders on or about March 28, 2018.

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This is only a summary, and we encourage you to read the entire proxy statement carefully before voting. For more complete information regarding our 2017 operating and financial performance, please also review our Annual Report to Stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2017 (our “Annual Report”).

Annual Meeting




   
Time and Date
10:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday May 8, 2018
Place
The Four Seasons Hotel, 57 East 57th Street, New York, New York 10022
Record Date
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Voting
Holders of common stock as of the Record Date are entitled to vote. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote for each director nominee and one vote for each of the proposals to be voted on.
Entry
You are entitled to attend the Annual Meeting only if you were a Coeur stockholder as of the close of business on the Record Date or hold a valid proxy for the Annual Meeting.
   
You should be prepared to present valid photo identification for admittance. If you do not provide photo identification, you will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting. Please let us know if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting by marking the appropriate box on the enclosed proxy card if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, or, if you vote by telephone or over the internet, by indicating your plans when prompted.

Voting Matters

Proposal
Coeur Board Voting
Recommendation
Page Reference
(for more detail)
1
Election of ten directors
FOR each nominee
2
Approve the adoption of the Coeur Mining, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan
FOR
3
Ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as Coeur’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2018
FOR
4
Vote on an advisory resolution to approve executive compensation
FOR

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   PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

2017 and Q1 2018 Performance Highlights

During 2017, we delivered on our commitment to Pursue a Higher Standard. Our efforts to operate safely and responsibly, invest in our existing assets and near-mine exploration, upgrade the quality of our portfolio and bolster the strength and flexibility of our balance sheet are showing positive results that we believe will provide long-term value for our stockholders.


PROTECT – Our People, Places, Planet

No environmental violation notices or monetary penalties
   
55% reduction in reportable spills compared to 2016 and nearly 67% reduction since 2013
   
Continued to perform concurrent reclamation activities at our mines, restoring the land as we mine other areas

50% reduction since 2012 in Total Reportable Injury Frequency Rate, a key safety metric in the mining industry
   
Increased contractor safety training, including for third-party contractors at our sites

Our Rochester mine was named the safest medium-size surface operation in Nevada by the Nevada Mining Association and the second safest open pit mine in the U.S. by the Mine Safety and Health Administration
   
Our Palmarejo mine in Mexico has consistently been awarded the Clean Industry Certificate (Certificado de Industria Limpia), and a recertification is pending in 2018. Palmarejo has also received the Corporate Social Responsbility (Empresa Socialmente Responsible) award for nine consecutive years

Through sustainable development and actions, Coeur continued to support initiatives that addressed community needs and maintained or proactively pursued key partnerships with strong and positive community relations

DEVELOP – Quality Resources, Growth, Plans

Our investment in expected high-return growth opportunities accelerated, with capital expenditures in 2017 increasing 45% compared to 2016
   
Repositioning and investment at the Palmarejo complex resulted in our long-term production milestone of 4,500 tons per day being reached one quarter ahead of schedule including through the successful ramp-up of a second underground mine, a 64% year-over-year increase in silver equivalent (“AgEq”)(1) production and $110 million in free cash flow(1)
   
Completed and commissioned the Stage IV leach pad on time at our Rochester mine after three years of permitting and ten months of construction, allowing for increased scale and efficiency
   
Developed and began to mine the high-grade Jualin deposit at the Kensington mine

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   PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

   

Bolstered Coeur’s North American-focused platform and successful acquisition track record:
   
  ►   Acquired the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine in British Columbia, Canada
   
  ►   More than recovered purchase price for Wharf mine in South Dakota         through free cash flow(1) in less than three years while adding reserves and         extending mine life

Increased investment in exploration by 66% compared to 2016 to $41.9 million, with particularly strong results at the Palmarejo complex and the Kensington mine
   
Year-over-year increases of 10% to our companywide(1) reserves, 42% to measured and indicated mineralized material

DELIVER – Impactful Results through Teamwork

Record production of 39.4 million AgEq(1) ounces (including 4.3 million ounces produced at the San Bartolomé Mine in Bolivia which was sold on February 28, 2018)(2)

Net income from continuing operations was $0.06 per share
   
Operating cash flow from continuing operations of $197.2 million, an increase of over 100% compared to 2016(2)
   
Positive free cash flow(1) of more than $60 million, an increase of over $85 million compared to 2016

All-in sustaining costs (“AISC”) per average spot AgEq ounce (“AgEqOz”)(1) were $13.82, slightly lower than 2016 despite higher diesel and consumables costs during 2017
   
Adjusted costs applicable to sales per average spot AgEqOz(1) at Palmarejo for 2017 were 34% lower year-over-year

Interest expense for 2017 was approximately 56% lower than for 2016 due to de-leveraging
   
Successfully refinanced our senior notes, extending maturity and reducing the interest rate by 200 basis points to 5.875%
   
Established new $200 million revolving credit facility to partially fund the Silvertip acquisition and provide balance sheet flexibility
   
Liquidity of $280 million(3) as of year-end 2017, a significant increase from $118 million as of year-end 2016

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   PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

   

Portfolio Optimization
   
Sold the San Bartolomé Mine and processing facility in Bolivia in the first quarter of 2018, and the Joaquin project in Argentina and the Company’s portfolio of royalty and stream assets including the Endeavor silver stream in Australia in 2017
   
Divestiture of nine non-core assets for aggregate consideration of $65.1 million since the beginning of 2016
   
Investment in early-stage exploration projects with a focus on properties with existing operations to leverage existing investment, facilities and workforce
(1) For purposes of silver equivalence, a 60:1 silver to gold ratio is used unless otherwise noted. Average spot prices included in “Appendix A - Certain Additional Information”. Free cash flow is calculated as Cash Provided by Operating Activities less Capital Expenditures and Gold Production Royalty Payments (see reconciliation tables in “Appendix A – Certain Additional Information”). AISC and adjusted costs applicable to sales per average spot AgEqOz are non-GAAP financial measures (see reconciliation tables in “Appendix A – Certain Additional Information”).
(2) On December 22, 2017, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its wholly-owned Bolivian subsidiary, which owned and operated the San Bartolomé mine. The transaction closed on February 28, 2018. As a result, the mine was presented in the Company’s Annual Report as a discontinued operation and excluded from consolidated operating statistics and financial results for all periods presented. In 2017, San Bartolomé produced 4.3 million ounces of silver.
(3) Includes $88.0 million available under Coeur’s revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2017.

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   PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

2017 Executive Compensation Highlights (p. 43)

In 2017, our executive compensation programs demonstrated strong alignment with stockholder returns. Coeur performed at the 80th percentile among peers in three-year relative total stockholder return (“TSR”), which was a key driver in the 150% payout on performance shares for the three-year period ended December 31, 2017. In addition, Coeur delivered strong performance against strategic goals designed to create long-term stockholder value, resulting in above-target Annual Incentive Plan (“AIP”) payouts for 2017.

At our 2017 Annual Meeting, our stockholders showed strong support for our executive compensation program with over 97% of the votes cast for the approval of the “say-on-pay” proposal.

In 2017, our Compensation Committee continued to place a large proportion of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers (“NEOs”) at risk in order to align pay with performance. The graphs below illustrate the proportion of target total direct compensation opportunity in 2017 (base salary, target AIP, and target Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) opportunity) that is variable and “at risk” for our CEO and our other NEOs (on an average basis). In 2017, as shown in the charts below, variable pay as a percentage of total direct compensation was 80% and 74% for our CEO and other NEOs (average), respectively, consistent with our peers, demonstrating that our pay-for-performance compensation philosophy aligns executive pay with creation of long-term value for our stockholders.


Peer group described in “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Peer Groups” on page 52. Data is from public filings for fiscal year 2016.

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   PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

Corporate Governance Highlights (p. 12)

Independent Board chairman
The Board and Board committees take an active role in the Company’s risk oversight and risk management processes
All directors independent other than CEO
Proactive ongoing outreach to large stockholders on governance, executive compensation and other matters
Board refreshment – two new directors elected to the Board in February 2018; 50% of the Board with tenure of approximately five years or less
All directors are elected annually for one-year terms
Annual evaluations promote Board and Board committee effectiveness
Majority voting in uncontested director elections with a resignation policy
Chairman’s one-on-one meetings with each director promote candor, effectiveness and accountability
Stockholders owning 20% or more of Coeur’s common stock have the right to call a special meeting of the stockholders
No related person transactions with directors or executive officers
Coeur does not have a poison pill or similar anti-takeover defenses in place

Board Refreshment & Director Nominees (p. 12)

The following tables provides summary information about each director nominee. In 2018, we demonstrated our commitment to Board refreshment and diversity by adding two new qualified directors, Jessica L. McDonald and Eduardo Luna, resulting in a reduction of average director tenure to less than nine years. You can read more about the qualifications of Ms. McDonald and Mr. Luna as well as the rest of our directors below and beginning on page 12. The Board recommends a vote “FOR” each of the directors.

Name
Age
Director Since
Committee Memberships(1)
Independent
Robert E. Mellor (Chairman)
74
1998
Comp, NCGC (C), Executive (C)
Yes
Linda L. Adamany
66
2013
Audit (C), EHSSR
Yes
Kevin S. Crutchfield
57
2013
Comp, EHSSR
Yes
Sebastian Edwards
64
2007
Comp, EHSSR
Yes
Randolph E. Gress
62
2013
Audit, NCGC
Yes
Mitchell J. Krebs
46
2011
Executive
No
Eduardo Luna
72
2018
EHSSR
Yes
Jessica L. McDonald
49
2018
Audit, EHSSR
Yes
John H. Robinson
67
1998
Audit, Comp (C), NCGC, Executive
Yes
J. Kenneth Thompson
66
1998
Audit, NCGC, EHSSR (C), Executive
Yes

(C) denotes the Chair of each committee

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   PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

Key Qualifications of our Directors (p. 12)

Our Board believes that it should possess a combination of skills, professional experience and diversity of viewpoints necessary to oversee our business. In addition, the Board believes that there are certain attributes that every director should possess, as reflected in the membership criteria summarized in “Director and Nominee Experience and Qualifications” beginning on page 12. The following table provides summary information about the skills and qualifications of our Board.


Stockholder Engagement (p. 25) & Corporate Social Responsibility (p. 26)

In 2017, Coeur continued to actively engage with all relevant stakeholders, including our stockholders. We reached out to stockholders representing 64% of our aggregate outstanding shares (as of June 30, 2017) to engage on issues including corporate governance and executive compensation. Coeur continued to support initiatives that addressed community needs and proactively engaged in key partnerships to foster strong positive community relations. Finally, we continued to invest in our health and safety programs, achieved industry-leading safety performance and received prestigious safety awards in 2017.

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COEUR MINING, INC.
PROXY STATEMENT

2018 ANNUAL MEETING
MAY 8, 2018

General Information

When and where is the Annual Meeting?

The Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., local time, at the Four Seasons Hotel, 57 East 57th Street, New York, New York 10022.

Who is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting? What is the Record Date?

All stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 13, 2018 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof upon the matters listed in the Notice of Annual Meeting. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share held of record on that date. As of the close of business on the Record Date, a total of 186,219,222 shares of our common stock were outstanding.

What is the difference between a stockholder of record and a stockholder who holds in street name?

If your shares of Coeur common stock are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., you are a stockholder of record, and these proxy materials are being sent directly to you from the Company.

If your shares of Coeur common stock are held in “street name”, meaning your shares of Coeur common stock are held in a brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are the beneficial owner of these shares, and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by your broker, banker or other nominee, who is considered the stockholder of record with respect to such shares. As the beneficial owner of Coeur common stock, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote, and you will receive instructions from your broker, bank or other nominee describing how to vote your shares of Coeur common stock.

How do I inspect the list of stockholders of record?

A list of the stockholders of record as of the Record Date entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available at the Annual Meeting.

Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the internet availability of proxy materials?

In accordance with the rules of the SEC, instead of mailing to stockholders a printed copy of our proxy statement, Annual Report and other materials (the “proxy materials”) relating to the Annual Meeting, Coeur may furnish proxy materials to stockholders on the internet by providing a notice of internet availability of proxy materials (the “Notice of Internet Availability”) to inform stockholders when the proxy materials are available on the internet. If you receive the Notice of Internet Availability by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials unless you specifically request one. Instead, the Notice of Internet Availability will instruct you on how you may access and review all of Coeur’s proxy materials, as well as how to submit your proxy, over the internet. The proxy materials are available at www.proxyvote.com.

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Will I get more than one copy of the notice or proxy materials if multiple stockholders share my address?

When multiple stockholders have the same address, the SEC permits companies and intermediaries, such as brokers, to deliver a single copy of certain proxy materials and the Notice of Internet Availability to them. This process is commonly referred to as “householding”. We do not participate in householding, but some brokers may for stockholders who do not take electronic delivery of proxy materials. If your shares are held in a brokerage account and you have received notice from your broker that it will send one copy of the Notice of Internet Availability or proxy materials to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or instruct your broker otherwise. If, at any time, you would prefer to receive a separate copy of the Notice of Internet Availability or proxy materials, or if you share an address with another stockholder and receive multiple copies but would prefer to receive a single copy, please notify your broker. We promptly will deliver to a stockholder who received one copy of the Notice of Internet Availability or proxy materials as the result of householding a separate copy upon the stockholder’s written or oral request directed to our investor relations department at (312) 489-5800, Coeur Mining, Inc., 104 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, Illinois 60603. Please note, however, that if you wish to receive a paper proxy card or other proxy materials for purposes of this year’s Annual Meeting, you should follow the instructions provided in the Notice of Internet Availability.

What does it mean to give a proxy?

The persons named on the proxy card (the “proxy holders”) have been designated by the Board to vote the shares represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting. The proxy holders are officers of Coeur. They will vote the shares represented by each properly executed and timely received proxy in accordance with the stockholder’s instructions, or if no instructions are specified, the shares represented by the proxy will be voted “FOR” each nominee in Proposal 1 and “FOR” Proposals 2, 3 and 4 in accordance with the recommendations of the Board as described in this proxy statement. If any other matter properly comes before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the proxy holders will vote on that matter in their discretion.

How do I vote?

If you are a holder of shares of Coeur common stock, you can vote by telephone or on the internet 24 hours a day through 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on the day before the Annual Meeting date. If you are located in the United States or Canada and are a stockholder of record, you can submit a proxy for your shares by calling toll-free 1-800-690-6903. Whether you are a stockholder of record or a beneficial owner, you can also submit a proxy for your shares by internet at www.proxyvote.com. Both the telephone and internet systems have easy to follow instructions on how you may submit a proxy for your shares and allow you to confirm that the system has properly recorded your proxy. If you are submitting a proxy for your shares by telephone or internet, you should have in hand when you call or access the website, as applicable, the Notice of Internet Availability or the proxy card or voting instruction card (for those holders who have received, by request, a hard copy of the proxy card or voting instruction card). If you submit a proxy by telephone or internet, you do not need to return your proxy card to the Company. A telephone or internet proxy must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on the day before the Annual Meeting date.

If you have received, by request, a hard copy of the proxy card or voting instruction card, and wish to submit your proxy by mail, you must complete, sign and date the proxy card or voting instruction card and return it in the envelope provided so that it is received prior to the Annual Meeting.

While the Company encourages holders of common stock to vote by proxy, you also have the option of voting your shares of common stock in person at the Annual Meeting. If you are a stockholder of record of common stock, you have the right to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person, subject to compliance with the procedures described below.

How can I revoke a proxy or change my vote?

If you are a stockholder of record of Coeur common stock, you may change your vote or revoke your proxy at any time prior to the voting at the Annual Meeting:

by providing written notice to our Corporate Secretary;
by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person (your attendance at the Annual Meeting will not by itself revoke your proxy);
by submitting a later-dated proxy card; or
if you submitted a proxy by telephone or Internet, by submitting a subsequent proxy by telephone or internet.

If you are a beneficial owner of Coeur common stock and have instructed a broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares, you may follow the directions received from your broker, bank or other nominee to change or revoke those instructions.

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How many shares must be represented in person or by proxy to hold the Annual Meeting?

A majority of the voting power of all issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, represented at the meeting in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.

What is a broker non-vote?

A broker non-vote occurs when a broker or other nominee that holds shares on behalf of a street name stockholder does not vote on a particular matter because it does not have discretionary authority to vote on that particular matter and has not received voting instructions from the street name stockholder.

Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, if you hold your shares in street name and do not provide voting instructions to the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares, the nominee has discretionary authority to vote on routine matters but not on non-routine matters. If you hold your shares in street name, it is critical that you cast your vote if you want it to count for non-routine matters as described in the table below. Broker non-votes and abstentions by stockholders from voting (including brokers holding their clients' shares of record who cause abstentions to be recorded) will be counted towards determining whether or not a quorum is present. However, because broker non-votes and abstentions are not considered “votes cast” under Delaware law, they will have no effect on the approval of non-routine matters.

Who will tabulate the vote?

Votes cast by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting will be tabulated by the inspectors of election appointed by us for the meeting.

Who bears the cost of this proxy solicitation?

We will bear the cost of soliciting proxies. Proxies may be solicited by directors, officers or regular employees in person or by telephone or electronic mail without special compensation. We have retained Morrow Sodali LLC, Stamford, Connecticut, to assist in the solicitation of proxies. Morrow Sodali LLC’s fee will be $8,000, plus out-of-pocket expenses.

Do stockholders have dissenters’ rights?

Pursuant to applicable Delaware law, there are no dissenters’ or appraisal rights relating to the matters to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting.

Important Notice Regarding the Internet Availability of Proxy Materials – Our Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com and on the Investor Relations page of Coeur's website at www.coeur.com/investors/.

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Votes Required to Approve the Proposals:

 
Proposal
Required Vote
Effect of
Abstention
Broker Voting
(1)
Election of directors
Majority of votes cast for the nominees
None
Broker may not vote shares
(2)
Approve the adoption of the 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan
Majority of votes cast for the action
None
Broker may not vote shares
(3)
Ratification of independent auditors for 2018
Majority of votes cast for the action
None
Broker may vote shares
(4)
Advisory vote on executive compensation
Majority of votes cast for the action
None
Broker may not vote shares
 
Please cast your vote as soon as possible by:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   
Using the Internet at www.proxyvote.com
   

Calling toll-free from the United States, U.S. territories and Canada to
1 800-690-6903

   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mailing your signed proxy or voting
instruction form

Attending the Annual Meeting in person
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

PROPOSAL NO. 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

What am I voting for?

The election of all ten of Coeur’s directors to hold office until the 2019 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting and until their successors have been elected and qualified. All nominees are currently Coeur directors who were elected by stockholders at the 2017 Annual Meeting, with the exception of Ms. McDonald and Mr. Luna, who were elected as directors by the Board in February 2018.
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR
each nominee listed below

Director and Nominee Experience and Qualifications

Coeur is a precious metals mining company that owns and operates mines in several jurisdictions. The management of our business requires the balancing of many considerations, including strategic and financial growth and building long-term value for our stockholders, the cyclicality of commodities prices, the health and safety of our employees and business partners, environmental stewardship, building positive relationships with the communities in which we operate, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations in a heavily-regulated industry, and maintaining leading corporate governance and disclosure practices. Our Board believes that it should possess a combination of skills, professional experience and diversity of viewpoints necessary to oversee our business, together with relevant technical skills or financial acumen that demonstrates an understanding of the financial and operational aspects and associated risks of a large, complex organization like Coeur. Accordingly, the Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (“NCGC”) consider the qualifications of directors and director candidates individually and in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition and our current and future needs.

As set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, membership criteria include items relating to ethics, integrity and values, sound business judgment, strength of character, mature judgment, professional experience, industry knowledge and diversity of viewpoints, all in the context of an assessment of the perceived needs of the Board at that point in time. The Board and the NCGC have not formulated any specific minimum qualifications, but rather consider the factors described above. For incumbent directors, past performance and term of service on the Board are also considered. Among other things, the Board has determined that it is important to have individuals with the following skills and experiences on the Board:

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Current or Former CEO
   
Directors with experience in significant leadership positions possess strong abilities to motivate and develop people and understand the complexities and challenges of managing a large organization

Project Development/Management
   
The mining business is project intensive. Coeur benefits by having directors who have experience through the entire lifecycle of acquiring, developing and managing large and complex projects

Geology/Natural Resources
   
Board experience identifying, proving and extracting resources enables the Board to understand our business and strategy better

Health, Safety and Environmental
   
Relevant because operating safely and protecting the environments in which we operate is our highest priority and critical to the success of our business

Gender Diversity
   
We value a Board that reflects the diversity of our workforce and communities

Capital Markets Experience
   
Facilitates analysis and understanding of proposed capital markets transactions, including risks and the impact to our existing capital structure

Legal
   
Facilitates assistance with the Board’s oversight of our legal and compliance matters

Mining/Extractive Industry
   
Relevant given the industry in which we operate

Economic Trends and Policies
   
An understanding and awareness of economic trends and policies is critical since we mine and sell commodities and strive to maintain a strong and flexible balance sheet, and therefore have significant exposure to macroeconomic trends and changes in the economic policies of central banks and governments

U.S. Public Company Board Service
   
As a U.S.-based and New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”)-listed company, Directors who have experience serving on other U.S. public company boards generally are well prepared to fulfill the Board’s responsibilities of overseeing and providing insight and guidance to management in the context of U.S. public company regulation and governance structures

Government/Regulatory Affairs
   
We operate in a heavily regulated industry that is directly affected by governmental actions at the local, state and federal levels in the United States, Mexico and Canada
 
 

Board Composition and Refreshment

The Board seeks to identify and retain directors with deep knowledge and experience in the mining and natural resources sectors while also including an appropriate number of directors with perspectives from other industries and experience. The mining sector, particularly precious metals mining, is cyclical, and stockholders and management benefit from the perspectives and experience of directors who have led firms through several full business cycles. For instance, six of our ten directors have executive experience in the mining/extractive sector or natural resources sectors while others bring significant business, risk management and financial experience, including our Chairman, who has extensive experience in the home building industry, which is a capital-intensive and cyclical business not unlike precious metals mining. Directors who have served on the Board for an extended period of time also provide important insight based on industry experience and a deep understanding of our long-term plans and strategic objectives.

For these reasons, the Board does not have a mandatory retirement age. The Board believes that directors should be evaluated on their unique perspective and experience and ability to contribute to the Board and is focused on maintaining a balance between longer-serving directors with significant Coeur institutional knowledge and newer directors with complementary skills and expertise allows for natural turnover and an appropriate pace of Board refreshment.

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As part of the Board’s ongoing efforts to seek this balance of skills, experience and tenure, in February 2018, the Board elected two new Directors, Jessica L. McDonald and Eduardo Luna, to our Board, and both are nominated for election at the Annual Meeting. Each is highly qualified, adds to the diversity of experience of our Board including valuable operating and government affairs experience in Mexico, where our largest mine is located, and British Columbia, Canada, where the newly-acquired high-grade Silvertip mine is located. You can read more about their qualifications starting on page 12 and about our nomination process on page 13.

If all of the nominees are elected to the Board, the average tenure of the directors will be less than nine years, a 12% reduction from the 2017 Annual Meeting.


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Director Nomination Process

The NCGC reviews and makes recommendations regarding the composition and size of the Board. In identifying director candidates from time to time, the NCGC may establish specific skills and experience that it believes we should seek in order to constitute a balanced and effective Board. The NCGC assesses new director candidates and incumbent directors against the key director qualifications identified by the Board as our needs evolve and change over time.
   
The Board considers candidates identified by search firms it retains or consults with periodically, recommended by current directors and stockholders, and through other methods.
   
In 2017, against the backdrop of the growing importance of the Palmarejo complex in Mexico within the Company’s portfolio of mines and the acquisition of the Silvertip mine in British Columbia, Canada, the Board determined that adding new directors with relevant experience in hard rock mining and Mexico and British Columbia government relations and regulatory matters would benefit the Board. After consulting several outside parties, Mr. Luna and Ms. McDonald were identified among a small group of candidates as individuals who possessed the specific criteria described above. Mr. Luna and Ms. McDonald also possessed many of the other key skills and experiences discussed on page 12 in “Director and Nominee Experience and Qualifications”. Over a period of several months, our Chairman and our CEO carefully assessed the candidacies of Mr. Luna and Ms. McDonald through a series of meetings and conversations with the candidates and with others who know the candidates and could provide valuable perspective on them. The candidates then met with the entire Board and senior management team in conjunction with a regular Board meeting in late 2017, and all directors had an opportunity to have follow-up conversations and meetings with the candidates in the following weeks. In addition, Coeur conducted a formal background check and discussed each candidate with references who were provided by the candidate and with other individuals who had experience working with or were otherwise familiar in a professional context with Mr. Luna or Ms. McDonald. After careful consideration by the NCGC and the Board, the candidacies of Mr. Luna and Ms. McDonald were recommended and approved, and the new directors were elected by the Board effective February 9, 2018.
   
The NCGC has adopted a policy pursuant to which significant long-term stockholders may recommend a director candidate. See page 25 for more details.

   

Evaluation Process for Current Directors
Before recommending an incumbent director for re-nomination, the committee considers each incumbent director’s experience, qualifications and past tenure and contributions to the Board. The committee’s annual review of existing directors includes the following considerations:
Key Attributes – Representing the interests of stockholders; assessing major risks facing the Company; ensuring processes are in place for maintaining the integrity of the Company, its financial statements, its compliance with law and ethics, its relationships with third parties, and its relationships with other stakeholders; and selecting, evaluating, retaining and compensating a well-qualified CEO and overseeing succession planning.
Independence – Considering whether the interests or affiliations of a director are not in compliance with applicable laws or stock exchange requirements or could compromise the independence and integrity of an independent director’s service on behalf of stockholders, including the director’s relationships with the Company that would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment.
Commitment and Performance – Willingness and ability to devote the time necessary to serve as an effective director.

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In addition, the Board and each of its committees conduct an annual self-evaluation process to evaluate its effectiveness in fulfilling its obligations. This process involves a discussion during an in-person meeting by the Board and each committee of directors’ observations arising from questions provided in advance of the meeting as well as one-on-one meetings between Mr. Mellor, Chairman of the Board, and each director, covering Board and committee composition, organization and effectiveness of meetings and communication, each director’s personal contribution to the Board and committees he or she serves, effectiveness of the Board and committees in executing their responsibilities, controls and ethics of the Board and its committees, and sufficiency of the level of internal and external support provided to the Board and its committees.

In 2017 the Board enhanced its self-evaluation process by bringing in a third party to facilitate the Board’s self-evaluation discussion. Key actions arising from the self-evaluation process included a focus on adding relevant skills and experience to the Board, which culminated in the election of Ms. McDonald and Mr. Luna, and allocation of more time to executive sessions during Board meetings.

Majority Vote Standard for the Election of Directors

According to our Bylaws, in an uncontested election, each director will be elected by a vote of the majority of the votes cast, which means the number of votes cast “for” a director’s election must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that director.

If a nominee for director does not receive the vote of at least a majority of votes cast at the Annual Meeting, it is the policy of the Board that the director must tender his or her resignation. The NCGC will then make a recommendation to the Board whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation, or whether other action should be taken, taking into account all of the relevant facts and circumstances. The director who has tendered his or her offer of resignation will not take part in the proceedings with respect to his or her resignation offer. For additional information, our Corporate Governance Guidelines are available on the Corporate Governance page of our website, currently www.coeur.com/company/corporate-governance/, and to any stockholder who requests them.

Nominees

The ten individuals named below have been nominated to be elected as directors at the Annual Meeting, each to serve for one year and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. All of the nominees were elected to the Board at the 2017 Annual Meeting, with the exception of Ms. McDonald and Mr. Luna, who were elected to the Board in February 2018. Proxies will be voted at the Annual Meeting FOR the election of each of the ten persons named below unless marked AGAINST or ABSTAIN. We do not contemplate that any of the persons named below will be unable, or will decline, to serve; however, if any such nominee is unable or declines to serve, the persons named in the accompanying proxy may vote for a substitute, or substitutes, in their discretion, or the Board may reduce its size.

Robert E. Mellor


Age: 74
   
Director Since: 1998
Experience:
 
Former Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Building Materials Holding Corporation (distribution, manufacturing and sales of building materials and component products) from 1997 to January 2010, director from 1991 to January 2010
 
Member of the board of directors of Monro Muffler/Brake, Inc. (auto service provider) since August 2010, as independent Chairman of the board of directors since June 2017 and as lead independent director from April 2011 to June 2017
 
Member of the board of directors of CalAtlantic Group, Inc. (national residential home builder) from October 2015 to February 2018, when CalAtlantic was acquired by Lennar Corporation; member of the board of directors of The Ryland Group (national home builder, merged with another builder to form CalAtlantic) from 1999-October 2015
 
Former member of the board of directors of Stock Building Supply Holdings, Inc. (lumber and building materials distributor) from March 2010 until December 2015 when it merged with another company
Education:
 
Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Westminster College (Missouri) and a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University School of Law
Expertise:
 
As the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Building Materials Holding Corporation, Mr. Mellor brings to the Board leadership, risk management, talent management, operations, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and strategic planning experience.
 
Mr. Mellor also brings to the Board public company board experience through his service on the board of Monro Muffler/Brake, Inc., and former service with CalAtlantic Group, Inc., The Ryland Group, Inc. and Stock Building Supply Holdings, Inc.

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Linda L. Adamany


Age: 66
   
Director Since: 2013
Experience:
 
Served at BP plc in several capacities from July 1980 until her retirement in August 2007, most recently from April 2005 to August 2007 as a member of the five-person Refining & Marketing Executive Committee responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and human resource management of BP plc's Refining & Marketing segment, a $45 billion business at the time
 
Member of the board of directors of Leucadia National Corporation, a diversified holding company engaged in a variety of businesses, since March 2014
 
Non-executive director of Wood plc, a company that provides project, engineering and technical services to energy and industrial markets, since October 2017; non-executive director of Amec Foster Wheeler plc, an engineering, project management and consultancy company, from October 2012 until October 2017, when Amec Foster Wheeler was acquired by Wood Group plc
 
Member of the board of directors of National Grid plc, an electricity and gas generation, transmission and distribution company from November 2006 to October 2012
 
Ms. Adamany is a Certified Public Accountant
Education:
 
Holds a degree in Accounting from John Carroll University (Magna Cum Laude)
 
Executive education studies at Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and Tsing Hua University (China)
Expertise:
 
Ms. Adamany brings to the Board leadership, financial and accounting expertise, strategic planning, experience in the extractive resources industry through her positions with BP plc and project management experience as director of Wood plc and Amec Foster Wheeler plc

  

Kevin S. Crutchfield


Age: 57
   
Director Since: 2013
Experience:
 
Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors of Contura Energy, Inc., a private Tennessee-based company with affiliate mining operations in multiple major coal basins. Before joining Contura at its inception in July 2016, Mr. Crutchfield was Chairman (from May 2012) and CEO (from July 2009) of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. He previously served as Executive Vice President, President and Director at Alpha, having been with the company since its formation in 2003. On August 3, 2015, Alpha Natural Resources filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy laws. On March 8, 2016, Alpha Natural Resources emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a privately held company and simultaneously sold certain core assets to the newly-formed Contura Energy, Inc.
 
Mr. Crutchfield is a 30-year veteran of the coal industry with technical, operating and executive management experience and recently served as the Chairman of the National Mining Association and Chairman of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
 
Prior roles include Vice President of El Paso Corp. and President of Coastal Coal Co., an affiliate of El Paso Corp., from 2001 to 2003, until they were acquired by Alpha
 
President and CEO of AMVEST Minerals Corp. and President of its parent company, AMVEST Corp
 
Held senior management positions at Pittston Coal Co. and Cyprus Amax Minerals Co., including a period in Australia as Chairman of Cyprus Australia Coal Corporation
Education:
 
Bachelor of Science degree in Mining and Minerals Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
 
The Executive Program, University of Virginia, Colgate Darden School of Business
Expertise:
 
As an experienced public company CEO in the extractive resources industry, Mr. Crutchfield brings leadership, industry, U.S. public company/governance, project development/management, health, safety and environmental, and government/regulatory affairs experience to the Board. His experience as a leader in the extractive resources industry gives him a valuable perspective, particularly with regards to the cyclical nature of the precious metals mining industry

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Sebastian Edwards


Age: 64
   
Director Since: 2007
Experience:
 
Henry Ford II Professor of International Business Economics at the Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1996 to present.
 
Co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research's Africa Project from 2009 to present
 
Chief Economist for Latin America at the World Bank Group from 1993-1996
 
Taught at IAE Universidad Austral in Argentina and at the Kiel Institute from 2000-2004
 
Member of the Board of Moneda Asset Management, an investment management firm in Chile
 
Member of the Board, Centro de Estudios Publicos, Chile
Education:
 
Earned an Ingeniero Comercial degree and became a Licenciado en Economia at the Universidad Católica de Chile
 
Earned an MA and PhD in economics from the University of Chicago
Expertise:
 
As a professor of International Business, as well as through various positions relating to Latin American economies, Mr. Edwards brings to the Board international, government, economic and financial experience, all of which are beneficial to the board, which operates in an industry that is subject to macro-economic trends and events

  

Randolph E. Gress


Age: 62
   
Director Since: 2013
Experience:
 
Retired Chairman (November 2006 until January 2016 and director from August 2004 until January 2016) and Chief Executive Officer (from 2004 until December 2015) of Innophos Holdings, Inc., a leading international producer of performance-critical and nutritional specialty ingredients for the food, beverage, dietary supplements, pharmaceutical and industrial end markets
 
Various positions with Rhodia SA from 1997 to 2004, including Global President of Specialty Phosphates and Vice President and General Manager of the North American Sulfuric Acid and Regeneration businesses
 
Various roles at FMC Corporation, from 1982 to 1997, including Corporate Strategy and various manufacturing, marketing and supply chain positions
Education:
 
Earned a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University
 
Earned an M.B.A. from Harvard University
Expertise:
 
Mr. Gress is a seasoned industrial executive with a wide range of international, mergers & acquisitions, capital markets, operations, strategic planning, financial/accounting, government/regulatory and legal experience as well as mining experience (phosphates).

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Mitchell J. Krebs


Age: 46
   
Director Since: 2011
Experience:
 
President and Chief Executive Officer of Coeur Mining, Inc., since 2011. Mr. Krebs joined Coeur in 1995 after spending several years in the investment banking industry in New York. Mr. Krebs held various positions in the corporate development department, including Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. In March 2008, Mr. Krebs was named Chief Financial Officer, a position he held until being appointed President and CEO
 
Member of the board of directors of Kansas City Southern Railway Company since May 2017
Education:
 
Holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
 
Holds an M.B.A. from Harvard University
Expertise:
 
Mr. Krebs brings leadership, industry, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, and strategic planning experience, as well as his in-depth knowledge of Coeur through the high-level management positions he has held with Coeur over the years

  

Eduardo Luna


Age: 72
   
Director Since: 2018
Experience:
 
Chairman of the board of directors of Rochester Resources Ltd., a junior natural resources company
 
Member of the board of directors of DynaResource, Inc. and special advisor to the president of its wholly owned Mexican subsidiary
 
Member of the board of directors of Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. since 2004, Chairman of the board of directors from 2004 to 2009, interim Chief Executive Officer from October 2004 to April 2006, and Executive Vice President from 2002 to 2005
 
Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Mines at the University of Guanajuato
 
Member of the board of directors of Primero Mining Corp., from 2008 to 2016, and several senior management roles during that period, including Executive Vice President and President (Mexico), and President and Chief Operating Officer
 
Executive Vice President of Goldcorp Inc. from March 2005 to September 2007
 
President of Luismin, S.A. de C.V. from 1991 to 2007
Education:
 
Bachelor in Science in Mining Engineering from Universidad de Guanajuato
 
M.B.A. from Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
 
Advanced Management Degree from Harvard University
Expertise:
 
Mr. Luna brings extensive mining industry, executive leadership, public company board and project development/management experience through his roles with Luisman, Goldcorp., Primero and Wheaton, among others, as well as experience with Mexican government relations and regulatory matters, which is particularly valuable given the significance to Coeur of the Palmarejo complex.

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Jessica L. McDonald


Age: 49
   
Director Since: 2018
Experience:
 
Chair of Board of Directors of Canada Post Corporation, the national postal service of Canada, since December 2017, and interim President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 2018, until a successor to the former CEO is named
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Trevali Mining Corporation, a Canadian zinc-focused base metals mining company, since October 2017
 
President and Chief Executive Officer from 2014 to 2017 of the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, a provincial Crown Corporation that operates generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to deliver electricity to four million customers in British Columbia, Canada, and which generated total revenues of $5.87 billion in 2017
 
Member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade since 2016
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Insurance Corporation of British Columbia from 2014 to 2016
 
Chair of the Board of Directors of Powertech Labs, one of the largest testing and research laboratories in North America, from 2014 to 2017
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Powerex Corp., a key participant in energy trading markets in North America from 2014 to 2017
 
Executive Vice President of Heenan Blaikie Management Ltd. from 2010-2013
 
Various positions in the British Columbia, Canada, government, including as Deputy Minister to the Premier, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the British Columbia Public Service from 2005 to 2009
Education:
 
Holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia
 
Holds an ICD.D Designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
 
Fellow at Stanford University, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, since 2017
Experience:
 
Ms. McDonald brings extensive leadership, project development/management, and health, safety and environmental experience, including as the President and CEO of British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority and various prominent roles with the British Columbia government and as a director of several companies. Ms. McDonald’s experience with British Columbia government relations and regulatory matters is particularly relevant in light of Coeur’s acquisition in 2017 of the Silvertip silver-lead-zinc mine in British Columbia

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John H. Robinson


Age: 67
   
Director Since: 1998
Experience:
 
Chairman of Hamilton Ventures LLC since founding the firm in 2006
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Alliance Resource Management GP, LLC (coal mining)
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (financial services)
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Olsson Associates (engineering consulting)
 
Chief Executive Officer of Nowa Technology, Inc. (development and marketing of environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment technology) from 2013 to 2014
 
Chairman of EPC Global, Ltd. (engineering staffing company) from 2003 to 2004
 
Executive Director of Amey plc (British business process outsourcing company) from 2000 to 2002
 
Vice Chairman of Black & Veatch Inc. (engineering and construction) from 1998 to 2000. Mr. Robinson began his career at Black & Veatch and was Managing Partner prior to becoming Vice Chairman
Education:
 
Holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Kansas
 
Graduate of the Owner-President-Management Program at the Harvard Business School
Expertise:
 
As a senior corporate executive in the engineering and consulting industries, and a director in the resource extraction and financial industries, Mr. Robinson brings to the Board leadership, project development/management, industry and capital markets experience. Mr. Robinson also brings to the Board U.S. public company board experience.

  

J. Kenneth Thompson


Age: 66
   
Director Since: 2002
Experience:
 
President and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Star Energy LLC (private energy investment firm in Alaska) from September 2000 to present, with a principal holding in Alaska Venture Capital Group LLC (private oil and gas exploration company) from December 2004 to present
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Alaska Air Group, Inc., the parent corporation of Alaska Airlines, Virgin America Airlines and Horizon Air
 
Member of the Board of Directors of Tetra Tech, Inc., (engineering consulting firm)
 
Lead Director of the Board of Pioneer Natural Resources Company (large independent oil and gas company)
 
Executive Vice President of ARCO’s Asia Pacific oil and gas operating companies in Alaska, California, Indonesia, China and Singapore from 1998 to 2000
 
President and Chief Executive Officer of ARCO Alaska, Inc., the oil and gas producing division of ARCO based in Anchorage from June 1994 to January 1998
 
Chief executive of ARCO’s Research & Technology Center, managing technology development in the fields of engineering, geosciences, information techology and health, safety and environmental protection
Education:
 
Holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and Honorary Professional Degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Missouri University of Science & Technology
Expertise:
 
Through Mr. Thompson’s various executive positions, including the role of Chief Executive Officer, he brings to the Board leadership, risk management, project development/management, engineering, strategic planning, natural resources/extractive industry and extensive health, safety and environmental experience. Mr. Thompson also has government and regulatory experience through his work in other highly-regulated industries such as the oil and gas, energy, and airline industries and possesses extensive U.S. public company board experience.

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Meeting Attendance

Our Board met nine times during 2017. Each incumbent director who served in 2017 attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and committees on which he or she served, other than Kevin Crutchfield who, due to a family medical emergency, missed a set of Board and committee meetings that occurred on two consecutive days. Notwithstanding Mr. Crutchfield’s inability to attend those meetings, before the meetings he and our CEO discussed the key agenda items at length with Mr. Crutchfield providing his thoughts and feedback.

We have a policy that encourages directors to attend each annual meeting of stockholders, absent extraordinary circumstances. All directors then in office attended the 2017 Annual Meeting.

Committees of the Board of Directors

The Board has established an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a NCGC and an Environmental, Health, Safety and Social Responsibility (“EHSSR”) Committee. Each committee functions under a written charter adopted by the Board, copies of which are available on the Corporate Governance page of our website, currently www.coeur.com/company/corporate-governance/, and to any stockholder who requests them. In addition, the Board has established an Executive Committee in accordance with our Bylaws, the relevant provisions of which are available on the Corporate Governance page of our website, currently www.coeur.com/company/corporate-governance/, and to any stockholder who requests them.

The current members, responsibilities and the number of meetings held in 2017 of each of these committees are shown below:

Audit Committee
   
Committee Members
   
Linda L. Adamany 
Randolph E. Gress
Jessica L. McDonald
John H. Robinson
J. Kenneth Thompson
   
Number of meetings in 2017: 8
Responsibilities
Reviewing and reporting to the Board with respect to the oversight of various auditing and accounting matters and related key risks, including:
The selection and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm;
The planned audit approach;
The nature of all audit and non-audit services to be performed;
Accounting practices and policies; and
The performance of the internal audit function.
Independence and Financial Literacy
The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is independent as defined by the NYSE listing standards and Coeur’s independence standards, which are included as part of Coeur’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, as well as additional, heightened independence criteria under the NYSE listing standards and SEC rules.
All members of the Audit Committee satisfy the NYSE’s financial literacy requirements.
The Board has determined that Ms. Adamany is an Audit Committee Financial Expert, as a result of her knowledge, abilities, education and experience.
 
 
 

Chair

Audit Committee Financial Expert

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Compensation Committee
   
Committee Members
   
John H. Robinson 

Kevin S. Crutchfield
Sebastian Edwards
Robert E. Mellor
   
Number of meetings in 2017: 6
Responsibilities
Approving, together with the other independent members of the Board, the annual compensation of our CEO.
Approving the annual compensation of the non-CEO executive officers.
Reviewing and making recommendations to the Board with respect to compensation of the directors, our equity incentive plans and other executive benefit plans.
Oversight of risk management of our compensation programs and executive succession planning.
Independence
The Board has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent as defined by the NYSE listing standards and Coeur’s independence standards, which are included as part of Coeur’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, as well as additional, heightened independence criteria under the NYSE listing standards, SEC rules and applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
 
 
 

  

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
   
Committee Members
   
Robert E. Mellor 

Randolph E. Gress
John H. Robinson
J. Kenneth Thompson
   
Number of meetings in 2017: 4
Responsibilities
Identifying and recommending to the Board nominees to serve on the Board.
Establishing and reviewing corporate governance guidelines.
Reviewing and making recommendations to the Board and oversight of risk management with respect to corporate governance matters.
Independence
The Board has determined that each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is independent as defined by the NYSE listing standards and Coeur’s independence standards, which are included as part of Coeur’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.
 
 
 

  

Environmental, Health, Safety and Social Responsibility Committee
   
Committee Members
   
J. Kenneth Thompson 

Linda L. Adamany
Kevin S. Crutchfield
Sebastian Edwards
Eduardo Luna
Jessica L. McDonald
   
Number of meetings in 2017: 4
Responsibilities
Reviewing and reporting to the Board with respect to our efforts, results and oversight of key risks in the areas of:
Environmental permitting, compliance and stewardship;
Employee and contractor safety and health; and
Corporate social responsibility and community relations.
Details of our Health and Safety, Environmental and Corporate Responsibility performance and programs can be found on the Responsibility page of our website, currently www.coeur.com/responsibility/responsibility-overview/.
Independence and Financial Literacy
The Board has determined that each member of the EHSSR Committee is independent as defined by the NYSE listing standards and Coeur’s independence standards, which are included as part of Coeur’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.
 
 

Chair

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Executive Committee
   
Committee Members
   
Robert E. Mellor 
Mitchell J. Krebs
John H. Robinson
J. Kenneth Thompson
   
Number of meetings in 2017: 0
Responsibilities
Acting in the place of the Board on limited matters that require action between Board meetings.
 
 
 

Chair

Board Leadership and Independent Chairman

The Board recognizes that one of its key responsibilities is to evaluate and determine its optimal leadership structure so as to provide independent oversight of management. The Board understands that there is no single, generally accepted approach to providing Board leadership, and that given the dynamic and competitive environment in which we operate, the right Board leadership structure may vary as circumstances warrant. An independent, non-executive Chairman has been determined by the Board to be optimal at the present time because that structure provides independent Board leadership and allows the CEO to concentrate on our business operations. Currently, Mr. Robert E. Mellor serves as independent Chairman of the Board. Mr. Mitchell J. Krebs serves as President, CEO and Director.

The Board and NCGC review the structure of Board and Company leadership as part of its annual review of the succession planning process. The Board believes that a separate Chairman and CEO, together with an Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, NCGC and EHSSR Committee, each consisting entirely of independent directors, is the most appropriate leadership structure for the Board at this time.

Director Independence

The Board has determined that each director other than Mr. Krebs, President and CEO, is independent within the meaning of applicable NYSE listing standards and rules and our independence standards, which are included as part of our Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Board has further determined that the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, NCGC and EHSSR Committee are composed solely of independent directors and members of the Audit and Compensation Committees satisfy additional, heightened independence criteria applicable to members of those committees under the NYSE listing standards and SEC rules. Consequently, independent directors directly oversee such important matters as our financial statements, executive compensation, the selection and evaluation of directors and the development and implementation of our corporate governance programs and our health and safety, environmental and community relations programs and compliance.

In determining the independence of directors, the Board (with the assistance of the General Counsel and based upon the recommendation of the NCGC) undertakes a rigorous annual review of the independence of all non-employee directors. Each non-employee director annually provides the Board with information regarding the director's business and other relationships with Coeur and its affiliates, and with senior management and their affiliates, to enable the Board to evaluate the director's independence. In the course of the annual determination of the independence of directors, the Board (with the assistance of the General Counsel and based upon the recommendation of the NCGC) evaluates all relevant information and materials, including any relationships between Coeur and any other company where one of our non-employee directors also serves as a director. In particular, the Board considered the potential impact of the longer tenures on the independence of Messrs. Mellor, Robinson and Thompson. Each director has significant experience serving Coeur in different economic environments and under multiple management teams, which provides them with experience and perspective that is highly valuable in providing strong leadership to a company in our industry. Accordingly, the Board has determined that each is independent because each satisfies all applicable legal and stock exchange criteria for independence and continues to be an effective director who fulfills his responsibilities with integrity and independence of thought.

Meetings of Non-Management Directors

Non-management members of the Board regularly hold executive sessions at Board meetings without members of management being present. Robert E. Mellor, the independent Chairman of the Board, presides over each such meeting.

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Director Education and Development

Continuing education is provided for all directors through board materials and presentations, discussions with management, visits to our sites and other sources. In 2017, directors were provided concentrated educational and development programs at Board meetings about mining exploration, cybersecurity, and Board fiduciary duties. Several of our directors also attended programs focused on topics that are relevant to their duties as a director, including corporate governance and succession planning.

Policy Regarding Director Nominating Process

The NCGC has adopted a policy pursuant to which a stockholder who has owned at least 1% of our outstanding shares of common stock for at least two years may recommend a director candidate that the committee will consider when there is a vacancy on the Board either as a result of a director resignation or an increase in the size of the Board. Such recommendation must be in writing addressed to the Chairman of the NCGC at our principal executive offices and must be received by the Chairman at least 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the release of the prior year’s proxy statement. Although the NCGC has not formulated any specific minimum qualifications that it believes must be met by a nominee that the NCGC recommends to the Board, the NCGC will take into account the factors discussed under “Director and Nominee Experience and Qualifications” on page 12. The NCGC would evaluate any stockholder nominee according to the same criteria as a nominee from any other source.

Management Succession Planning

The Board oversees the recruitment, development, and retention of our senior executives. Significant focus is placed on succession planning both for key executive roles and also deeper into the organization. In-depth discussions occur multiple times per year in meetings of the Board, Compensation Committee and NCGC, including in executive sessions to foster candid conversations. Directors have regular and direct exposure to senior leadership and high-potential employees during Board and committee meetings and through other informal meetings and events held during the year.

Outreach and Engagement

We view our relationship with our stockholders as a critical part of our corporate governance profile. Among other things, proactive engagement with our stockholders helps us to understand expectations for our performance, maintain transparency, and shape corporate governance and compensation policies. In 2017, we proactively reached out to stockholders representing approximately 64% of our aggregate outstanding shares (as of June 30, 2017) and engaged with all who responded to our invitation to discuss corporate governance and executive compensation matters. This led to focused discussions between senior executives and the stockholders who accepted our invitation, which gave us valuable feedback on key issues and specific elements of our programs. Stockholder feedback is reported to and discussed with our Board and relevant committees. In 2017 we received and acted upon feedback on topics such as Board gender diversity and refreshment, the importance of incorporating ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors into our long-term business strategy and incentive compensation programs, and the importance of maintaining a majority of our long-term equity incentive program in the form of performance-based awards.

Also in 2017, we conducted meetings and conference calls with investors and analysts, several of which were attended by our Chairman, participated in invitation-only investment conferences, and hosted the 2017 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting. In total in 2017, management conducted 14 presentations, held 145 one-on-one and group meetings with investors, and hosted 6 conference calls with investors and analysts allowing for questions and answers with management. In addition, the Company responded to questions from investors and analysts by telephone and email throughout the year.

We believe this combined approach has resulted in constructive feedback and input from stockholders and we intend to continue these efforts.

Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines and a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics in accordance with NYSE corporate governance standards. In July 2017, we were proud to publish an updated and refreshed Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”). We believe the updated Code aligns with our new purpose statement of “We Pursue a Higher Standard” by seeking and delivering a higher standard of honesty, ethics and integrity in every aspect of our business and throughout our organization. Copies of our Corporate Governance Guidelines and updated Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are available on the Corporate Governance page of our website, currently www.coeur.com/company/corporate-governance/, and to any stockholder who requests them. We have previously provided, and intend to provide in the future, amendment information to these documents and any waivers from our Code by posting to our website.

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Corporate Social Responsibility

At Coeur, the first component of our purpose statement, We Pursue a Higher Standard, is to protect our people, places and planet. Not only is social responsibility the right thing to do, it is critical to our success. In order to succeed and build long-term value for our stockholders, we must operate our mines safely, in compliance with environmental laws and regulations and in collaboration with local communities.

Our purpose statement is the foundation for our decision making, and health, safety, environmental and social responsibility considerations are interwoven with our strategic planning, from our day-to-day decision making and operations to strategic life of mine decisions in planning, designing, operating and closing our mines.

For health and safety, this means investing sufficient time and resources to establish industry-leading policies and practices. We continuously assess the risks our employees and contractors face at our sites, and we work to mitigate those risks through frequent training, work procedures and other preventative safety and health programs. Our goal is to have zero safety incidents. We believe that leading safety practices and performance will lead to better performance and production at our mines. We achieved a 50% reduction in total reportable injury frequency rate for 2017 as compared to 2012 and a 43% reduction in lost time injury frequency rate over the same period. In 2017, our Coeur Rochester mine was named safest medium-size surface operation in Nevada by the Nevada Mining Association. The Palmarejo complex has received the Clean Industry Certificate (Certificado de Industria Limpia) in 2013 and 2015, and Coeur expects to be recertified during 2018. The Clean Industry Certificate is awarded by the Procuraduria Federal de Proteccion Ambiental, the federal environmental protection enforcement branch of the Secretary of Environmental and Natural Resources in Mexico, and recognizes companies that have gone above and beyond the environmental requirements. Palmarejo has also received the Corporate Social Responsibility (Empresa Socialmente Responsible) award from the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (Centro Mexicano de Filantropia A.C.) for nine consecutive years.

Coeur is committed to environmental excellence for the benefit of our communities, our stockholders and our other stakeholders. We maintain compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations through policies, risk management and internal controls. Coeur recognizes that we operate in sensitive and biodiverse environments, and we utilize comprehensive environmental controls and management programs to promote safe and protective operations.

We seek to proactively establish and maintain strong and positive relationships with the communities where we operate. We build and maintain these relationships through tailored stakeholder engagement plans that include communication, career opportunities, volunteer opportunities for Coeur employees and donations to local civic, educational and charitable institutions.

We emphasize the importance of health, safety and environmental excellence to our employees by including health, safety and environmental goals in our annual incentive plans applicable to employees in the corporate office and every operating site.

Policy Regarding Stockholder Communications with Directors

Stockholders and other interested persons desiring to communicate with a director, the independent directors as a group or the full Board may address such communication to the attention of our Corporate Secretary, 104 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, Illinois 60603, and such communication will be forwarded to the intended recipient or recipients.

Compensation Consultant Disclosure

The Compensation Committee retained The POE Group Inc. (“The POE Group”) for the 2017 compensation year to provide information, analyses, and advice regarding executive and director compensation, as described below. The POE Group is a compensation consulting firm specializing in executive compensation consulting services, and reported directly to the Compensation Committee.

The POE Group provided the following services for the Compensation Committee during 2017 and early 2018:

evaluated our executive officers’ base salary, annual incentive and long-term incentive compensation, and total direct compensation relative to the competitive market;
advised the Compensation Committee on executive officer target award levels within the annual and long-term incentive program and, as needed, on actual compensation actions;
assessed the alignment of our executive compensation levels relative to our compensation philosophy;
briefed the Compensation Committee on executive compensation trends among our peers and the broader industry;
assessed the alignment of CEO pay to relative industry performance measures; and
evaluated our non-employee director compensation levels and program relative to the competitive market.

At the Compensation Committee’s direction, The POE Group provided the additional services for the Compensation Committee during 2017 and in early 2018:

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advised on the design of our annual and long-term incentive awards, described in “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”;
provided tally sheets detailing total compensation for 2017, equity and deferred compensation gains for 2017, and severance payouts for change in control; and
assisted with the preparation of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis for this proxy statement.

In the course of conducting its activities, The POE Group attended five of the six meetings of the Compensation Committee during 2017 and presented its findings and recommendations for discussion.

The decisions made by the Compensation Committee are its responsibility and may reflect factors and considerations other than the information and recommendations provided by The POE Group or any other advisor to the Compensation Committee.

The POE Group reported directly to the Compensation Committee and provided no services to Coeur other than executive and non-employee director compensation consulting services at the direction of the Compensation Committee. The POE Group has no other direct or indirect business or relationships with Coeur or any of its affiliates and no current business or personal relationships with members of the Compensation Committee or our executive officers. In addition, in its agreement with the Compensation Committee, The POE Group agreed to advise the Chair of the Compensation Committee if any potential conflicts of interest arise that could cause The POE Group’s independence to be questioned, and not to undertake projects for management except at the request or with the prior consent of the Compensation Committee Chair and as an agent for the Compensation Committee.

In March 2018, the Compensation Committee considered the following six factors with respect to The POE Group: (i) the provision of other services to Coeur by The POE Group; (ii) the amount of fees received from Coeur by The POE Group, as a percentage of the total revenue of The POE Group; (iii) the policies and procedures of The POE Group that are designed to prevent conflicts of interest; (iv) any business or personal relationship of The POE Group with a member of the Compensation Committee; (v) any Coeur stock owned by The POE Group; and (vi) any business or personal relationship of The POE Group with any of our executive officers. After considering the foregoing factors, the Compensation Committee determined that The POE Group was independent and that the work of The POE Group with the Compensation Committee for 2017 did not raise any conflict of interest.

During 2017, Coeur management engaged Semler Brossy Consulting Group LLC (“Semler Brossy”) to advise on certain aspects of Coeur’s executive compensation program. Coeur management relied on and incorporated some of Semler Brossy’s work in connection with analysis and recommendations it presented to the Compensation Committee.

Risk Oversight

The Board is responsible for overseeing management’s mitigation of the major risks facing Coeur, including but not limited to management succession planning, strategic asset portfolio optimization, major project execution, health, safety, environmental and social responsibility risks, cybersecurity, commodity price volatility, public policy and regulatory changes, balance sheet management and access to capital. In addition, the Board has delegated oversight of certain categories of risk to the Audit Committee, the EHSSR Committee, the Compensation Committee and the NCGC.

Committee
Oversight Role
Audit
Reviews with management and the independent auditor compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, with a focus on legal and regulatory matters related to internal controls, accounting, finance and financial reporting and contingent liabilities, and discusses policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management.
EHSSR
Reviews the effectiveness of our health, safety, environmental and social responsibility programs and performance, including but not limited to our compliance with environmental and safety laws, and oversees community relations risk management.
Compensation
Responsible for recommending compensation for executive officers that includes performance-based award opportunities that promote retention and support growth and innovation without encouraging or rewarding excessive risk. For a discussion of the Compensation Committee’s assessments of compensation-related risks, see “Compensation Committee Role in Risk” below. Oversees succession planning for the CEO in conjunction with the NCGC, and for other executives and key employees.
Nominating and Corporate Governance
Oversees risks related to our corporate governance, including Board and director performance, director and CEO succession, and the review of Coeur’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and other governance documents.

In performing their oversight responsibilities, each of these committees periodically discusses with management our policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management and reports to the Board regularly on matters relating to the specific areas of risk the committee oversees.

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Throughout the year, the Board and relevant committees each receive reports from management regarding major risks and exposures facing Coeur and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such risks and exposures. The Board also dedicates a portion of their meetings to reviewing and discussing specific risk topics in greater detail and providing input on risk mitigation and compliance enforcement.

Compensation Committee Role in Risk

The Compensation Committee has conducted an analysis of the current risk profile of our compensation programs. The risk assessment included a review of the primary design features of our compensation programs and the process for determining executive and employee compensation. The risk assessment identified numerous ways in which our compensation programs potentially mitigate risk, including:

the structure of our executive compensation programs, which consist of both fixed and variable compensation and reward both annual and long-term performance;
the balance between long and short-term incentive programs, with greater weight placed on long-term programs;
the use of caps or maximum amounts in our incentive programs;
the use of multiple performance metrics under our incentive plans;
a heavier weighting toward overall corporate performance for cash-based incentive plans;
time-based vesting for equity-based awards (including performance share awards) to promote retention; and
strict and effective internal controls.

In addition, Coeur has a clawback policy providing for the recovery of incentive payments to executive officers in certain circumstances, which further mitigates risk.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of the members of the Compensation Committee during 2017 or as of the date of this proxy statement is or has been an officer or employee of Coeur, and no executive officer of Coeur served on the compensation committee or board of any company that employed any member of the Compensation Committee or Board during that time.

Audit and Non-Audit Fees

Grant Thornton LLP served as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended 2017. The following table presents fees for professional services rendered by Grant Thornton for 2017 and 2016.

 
2017
2016
Audit Fees(1)
$
1,422,250
 
$
1,424,632
 
Audit-Related Fees
$
 
$
 
Tax Fees(2)
$
 
$
 
All-Other Fees
$
 
$
 
(1) Audit fees were primarily for professional services related to the audits of the consolidated financial statements and internal controls over financial reporting, review of our consolidated financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and comfort letters, consents, and other services related to SEC matters.
(2) Tax Fees were primarily for professional services related to general tax consultation, tax advisory, tax compliance and international tax matters.

None of the services described above were approved by the Audit Committee under the de minimis exception provided by Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) under Regulation S-X.

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Audit Committee Policies and Procedures for Pre-Approval of Independent Auditor Services

The Audit Committee has policies and procedures requiring pre-approval by the Audit Committee of the engagement of our independent auditor to perform audit services, as well as permissible non-audit services, for us. The nature of the policies and procedures depend upon the nature of the services involved, as follows:

Service
Description
Audit Services
The annual audit services engagement terms and fees are subject to the specific pre-approval of the Audit Committee. Audit services include the annual financial statement audit, required quarterly reviews, subsidiary audits and other procedures required to be performed by the auditor to form an opinion on our financial statements, and such other procedures including information systems and procedural reviews and testing performed in order to understand and place reliance on the systems of internal control. Other audit services may also include statutory audits or financial audits for subsidiaries and services associated with SEC registration statements, periodic reports and other documents filed with the SEC or used in connection with securities offerings.
Audit-Related Services
Audit-related services are assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements or that are traditionally performed by the independent auditor. Audit-related services are subject to the specific pre-approval of the Audit Committee. Audit-related services include, among others, due diligence services relating to potential business acquisitions/dispositions; accounting consultations relating to accounting, financial reporting or disclosure matters not classified as audit services; assistance with understanding and implementing new accounting and financial reporting guidance from rulemaking authorities; financial audits of employee benefit plans; agreed-upon or expanded audit procedures relating to accounting and/or billing records required to respond to or comply with financial, accounting or regulatory reporting matters; and assistance with internal control reporting requirements.
Tax Services
Tax services are subject to the specific pre-approval of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee will not approve the retention of the independent auditor in connection with a transaction the sole business purpose of which may be tax avoidance and the tax treatment of which may not be supported by the Internal Revenue Code and related regulations.
All Other Services
The Audit Committee may grant pre-approval of those permissible non-audit services that it believes are routine and recurring services, would not impair the independence of the auditor and are consistent with the SEC’s rules on auditor independence. Such other services must be specifically pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

Our Chief Financial Officer is responsible for tracking all independent auditor fees against the budget for such services and reports at least annually to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee Chair has been delegated pre-approval authority to address any approvals for services requested between Audit Committee meetings.

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PROPOSAL NO. 2: APPROVE THE ADOPTION OF THE COEUR MINING, INC. 2018 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN



What am I voting for?

Approve the adoption of the Coeur Mining, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the adoption
of the Coeur Mining, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan

On March 5, 2018, Coeur’s Board adopted the Coeur Mining, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2018 LTIP”) and recommended submitting the 2018 LTIP to stockholders for approval. As of December 31, 2017, there were 2,204,419 shares available for issue under our 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2015 LTIP”), and we anticipate that our equity-based compensation needs will soon exceed the remaining shares available. Adoption of the 2018 LTIP is necessary to increase the share pool available for equity-based compensation and allow us to be able to continue delivering a majority of total direct compensation to executives in the form of equity incentives directly aligned with stockholders. The adoption of the 2018 LTIP is contingent upon approval by stockholders at the Annual Meeting. The Board believes our interests are best advanced by providing equity-based incentives to certain individuals responsible for our long-term success by encouraging such persons to remain in the service of Coeur and to align the financial objectives of such individuals with those of our stockholders.

We currently administer our equity-based compensation programs under the 2015 LTIP. We also have equity awards outstanding under the Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation 2005 Non-employee Directors’ Equity Incentive Plan (the “Prior Plan” and together with the 2015 LTIP, the “Existing Plans”). No new awards may currently be granted under the Prior Plan.

The 2018 LTIP, if approved, will provide for the issuance of up to 11,204,419 shares pursuant to awards granted on or after December 31, 2017, which as of the record date represents approximately 6.0% of Coeur’s outstanding common stock and represents an increase of 9,000,000 shares from the number of shares available for issuance pursuant to new awards under the 2015 LTIP as of December 31, 2017.

Other Key Features of the 2018 LTIP

Fungible Share Counting Formula. Shares issued pursuant to stock options and stock appreciation rights will count against the number of shares available for issuance under the 2018 LTIP on a one-for-one basis, whereas each share issued pursuant to all other awards will count against the number of shares available for issuance under the 2018 LTIP as 1.5 shares.
Limitation on Share Recycling. Shares surrendered for the payment of the exercise price or withholding taxes under stock options or stock appreciation rights, shares subject to stock appreciation rights not issued upon net settlement of such awards, and shares repurchased in the open market with the proceeds of an option exercise, may not again be made available for issuance under the 2018 LTIP.
No Automatic Single-Trigger Vesting Acceleration. The 2018 LTIP does not provide for automatic acceleration of the vesting of outstanding awards upon the occurrence of a change in control or other corporate transactions so long as such awards are assumed and continued in connection with such transaction. The 2018 LTIP does provide for double-trigger vesting acceleration in the event of a termination of employment without cause within two years following the occurrence of a change in control.
No Discounted Stock Options or SARs. All stock option and stock appreciation rights (“SAR”) awards under the 2018 LTIP must have an exercise or base price that is not less than the fair market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant.
No Repricing. Other than in connection with a corporate transaction affecting Coeur, the 2018 LTIP prohibits any repricing of stock options or SARs without stockholder approval.
No Reload Stock Options. Stock options under the 2018 LTIP will not be granted in consideration for and will not be conditioned upon the delivery of shares to Coeur in payment of the exercise price or tax withholding obligation under any other stock option.
Independent Committee. The 2018 LTIP will be administered by our Compensation Committee, which is composed entirely of independent directors.

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Why You Should Vote for the 2018 LTIP

The Board recommends that our stockholders approve the 2018 LTIP because it believes appropriate equity incentives are important to attract and retain the best employees and non-employee directors, to link incentive reward to company performance, to encourage employee and director ownership in Coeur, and to align the interests of participants with those of our stockholders. The approval of the 2018 LTIP will enable us to continue to provide such incentives; without approval we may be faced with the challenge of attracting and retaining the best talent needed to achieve our future business objectives. If the plan is not approved, we may need to increase our use of cash compensation, which may negatively impact our liquidity and desired alignment with stockholder interests that the 2018 LTIP has been designed to achieve.

Company Considerations

When approving the 2018 LTIP, the Board and the Compensation Committee considered various factors:

Potential Dilution
Burn Rate
Overhang
Historical Grant Practices

The sections below explain these four considerations:

Potential Dilution.

Coeur measures annual dilution as the total number of shares subject to equity awards granted less cancelations and other shares returned to the reserve, divided by total common shares outstanding at the end of the year. Our total annual dilution under our existing equity incentive plans for 2017 was 2.8% and our three-year average annual dilution for the three most recently completed years was 2.7%.

Burn Rate.

We actively manage our long-term dilution by reviewing our burn rate at least annually. Burn rate is another measure of dilution that shows how rapidly a company is depleting its share reserve for equity compensation plans. Burn rate differs from annual dilution, because it does not take into account cancellations and other shares returned to the reserve. Please see the table below for our historic burn rate under the 2015 LTIP:

Time Period
Options
Granted
Full-Value
Shares
Granted
Total Granted
= Options +
Full-Value
Shares
Weighted
Average
Number of
CSO(a)
Burn Rate
2017
 
14,820
 
 
1,115,378
 
 
1,130,198
 
 
185,637,724
 
 
0.6
%
2016
 
183,251
 
 
3,205,823
 
 
3,389,074
 
 
180,933,287
 
 
1.9
%
2015
 
310,028
 
 
1,989,677
 
 
2,299,705
 
 
151,339,136
 
 
1.5
%
(a) “CSO” means “current shares outstanding”.

The three-year average burn rate (calculated from 2015 to 2017) is 1.3%.

Overhang.

An additional metric that we use to measure the cumulative impact of our equity program is overhang (number of shares subject to equity awards outstanding but not exercised or settled, plus number of shares available to be granted, divided by total common shares outstanding at the end of the year). Our overhang as of December 31, 2017 was 4.0%. If the 2018 LTIP is approved, our overhang as of that date would increase to 8.8%.

Historical Grant Practices.

In 2015, 2016 and 2017 Coeur made equity award grants under the Existing Plans totaling approximately 2,299,705 shares, 3,389,074 shares and 1,130,198 shares, respectively. We estimate, based on historical grant dates, that the availability of 11,204,419 shares under the 2018 LTIP for awards granted after December 31, 2017 would provide a sufficient number of shares to enable us to continue to make awards at historical average annual rates for three to four years. In approving the share pool under the 2018 LTIP, the Compensation Committee determined that reserving shares sufficient for three to four years of new awards at historical grant rates is in line with the practice of our peer public companies.

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The following are the factors that were material to the evaluation of the Board and Compensation Committee, in determining acceptable levels of dilution: competitive data from relevant peer companies, the current and future accounting expense associated with our equity award practices, and the influence of stockholder advisory firms like Institutional Stockholder Services (“ISS”). Our equity programs are revisited at least annually and assessed against these (and other) measures.

Key Data

The following table includes information regarding all of our outstanding equity awards and shares available for future awards under our equity plans and equity award agreements as of December 31, 2017:

Outstanding stock options
 
617,446
 
Outstanding restricted stock awards
 
2,155,845
 
Outstanding performance shares*
 
2,368,281
 
Total shares subject to outstanding awards as of December 31, 2017*
 
5,141,572
 
Proposed shares available for future awards under the 2018 LTIP
 
11,204,419
 
* Based on then-current projections for payout under performance shares for which the performance period had not ended prior to December 31, 2017.

Summary of the 2018 LTIP

The following is a description of the material features of the 2018 LTIP. The complete text of the 2018 LTIP is attached hereto as Appendix B to this proxy statement. The following discussion is qualified in all respects by reference to Appendix B.

Purpose

The purpose of the 2018 LTIP is to advance our interests by providing for the grant to participants of stock-based and other performance-based compensation.

Eligibility

The Compensation Committee selects participants from among employees and directors of Coeur, its subsidiaries and its affiliates. Eligibility for options intended to be incentive stock options (“ISOs”) is limited to employees of Coeur or certain affiliates. As of December 31, 2017, approximately eighty-two employees and seven non-employee directors (effective February 9, 2018, the Board increased its size to ten members and appointed two new non-employee directors to the Board to fill the vacancies created by such increase) would be eligible to participate in the 2018 LTIP.

Share Reserve

Subject to stockholder approval, the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards granted under the 2018 LTIP is 11,204,419, plus any shares of common stock subject to awards made under the Existing Plans as of the date of approval by stockholders that subsequently cease to be subject to such awards (other than by reason of exercise or settlement of the awards to the extent they are exercised for or settled in nonforfeitable shares of common stock), and reduced by any shares of common stock subject to awards granted under the 2015 LTIP granted after December 31, 2017. Any shares of common stock issued pursuant to options or stock appreciation rights under the 2018 LTIP (or under the 2015 LTIP after December 31, 2017) will be counted against this limit on a one-for-one basis and any shares of common stock issued pursuant to awards under the 2018 LTIP (or under the 2015 LTIP after December 31, 2017) other than options or stock appreciation rights will be counted against the above limit as 1.5 shares for every one share issued pursuant to such award. The share reserve is subject to adjustments to reflect stock dividends, stock splits or combination of shares, recapitalization or other changes in our capital structure and certain transactions as provided in the 2018 LTIP.

Shares of common stock issued under the 2018 LTIP may be authorized but unissued shares of common stock or previously issued common stock acquired by Coeur. Shares of common stock underlying awards which expire or otherwise terminate, or become unexercisable without having been exercised or which are forfeited to or repurchased by us due to failure to vest will again become available for grant under the 2018 LTIP. Additionally, shares that are withheld by Coeur in satisfaction of tax withholding with respect to an award other than stock options or SARs, and any shares of common stock underlying awards settled in cash will also become available for grant under the 2018 LTIP. Any shares of common stock that again become available for grant shall be added back as one share if such shares were subject to options or stock appreciation rights, and as 1.5 shares if such shares were subject to awards other than options or stock appreciation rights.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares of common stock subject to an award may not again become available for grant under the 2018 LTIP (and will not be added to the 2018 LTIP in respect of awards under the Existing Plans) if such shares are: (i) shares that were

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subject to a stock-settled stock appreciation right and were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of such stock appreciation right, (ii) shares delivered to or withheld by Coeur to pay the exercise price of an option, (iii) shares delivered to or withheld by Coeur to pay the withholding taxes related an option or stock appreciation right, or (iv) shares repurchased on the open market with the proceeds of an option exercise.

Administration

The 2018 LTIP is administered by the Compensation Committee, which has the authority to, among other things, interpret the 2018 LTIP, determine eligibility for, grant and determine the terms of awards under the 2018 LTIP, and to do all things necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the 2018 LTIP. The Compensation Committee’s determinations under the 2018 LTIP are conclusive and binding.

Individual Limits

The maximum number of shares for which awards may be granted under the 2018 LTIP to any person in any calendar year is 1,500,000 shares. The maximum cash amount payable pursuant to an incentive opportunity granted in any calendar year to any person under the 2018 LTIP is $10,000,000. If the 2018 LTIP is approved by stockholders, these new individual award limits will apply to both awards granted after such approval and to awards outstanding as of the date of such approval.

Under the 2018 LTIP, the aggregate number of shares that may be subject to awards granted during any calendar year to any one non-employee director (other than the Chairman of the Board or Lead Director) cannot exceed that number of shares having a fair market value on the date of grant equal to $200,000. Under the 2018 LTIP, the aggregate number of shares that may be subject to awards granted during any calendar year to the Chairman of the Board or Lead Director cannot exceed that number of shares having a fair market value on the date of grant equal to $400,000.

The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued in satisfaction of the exercise or surrender of ISOs granted under the 2018 LTIP after the date of stockholder approval is 11,204,419 shares.

Types of Awards

The 2018 LTIP provides for grants of options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, and incentive opportunities. Dividend equivalents may also be provided in connection with awards under the 2018 LTIP, except in the case of an award of options or SARs, for which dividend equivalents will not be provided. In no event will dividend equivalents become payable prior to the vesting of the underlying award to which such dividend equivalents relate.

Stock Options and SARs: The 2018 LTIP provides for the grant of ISOs, non-qualified stock options (“NSOs”), and SARs. The exercise price of an option, and the base price against which a SAR is to be measured, may not be less than the fair market value (or, in the case of an ISO granted to a ten percent stockholder, 110% of the fair market value) of a share of common stock on the date of grant. Our Compensation Committee determines when stock options or SARs become exercisable and the terms on which such awards remain exercisable. Stock options and SARs will generally have a maximum term of ten years.

Restricted Stock: A restricted stock award is an award of common stock subject to forfeiture restrictions.

Restricted Stock Units: A restricted stock unit award is denominated in shares of common stock and entitles the participant to receive stock or cash measured by the value of the shares in the future.

Performance Shares: A performance share is an award of restricted stock or restricted stock units that are subject during specified periods of time to such performance conditions and terms.

Incentive Opportunities: An incentive opportunity is an award denominated in cash pursuant to which the participant may become entitled to receive an amount based on satisfaction of such performance criteria established for a specified performance period.

Repricing Prohibited

The Compensation Committee may not authorize the amendment of any outstanding stock option or SAR to reduce the exercise or base price, and no outstanding stock option or SAR may be cancelled in exchange for other awards, or cancelled in exchange for stock options or SARs having a lower exercise or base price, or cancelled in exchange for cash, without the approval of our stockholders. However, this prohibition does not apply in connection with an adjustment involving a corporate transaction or event as provided in the 2018 LTIP.

Vesting

The vesting of any award granted under the 2018 LTIP will occur when and in such installments and/or pursuant to the achievement of such performance criteria, in each case, as the Compensation Committee, in its sole and absolute discretion, shall determine.

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Termination of Service

The Compensation Committee determines the effect of termination of employment or service on an award.

Qualifying Performance Criteria

The 2018 LTIP provides that grants of performance shares may be made based upon, and subject to achieving, “performance objectives” over a specified performance period, which may include the following performance criteria, or derivations of such criteria, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to either Coeur as a whole or to a business unit or subsidiary, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, and measured either annually or cumulatively over a period of years, on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to previous years’ results or to a designated comparison group, either based upon United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) or non-GAAP financial results, in each case as specified by the Compensation Committee: (i) earnings per share (actual or targeted growth); (ii) economic valued added ; (iii) net income after capital costs; (iv) net income (before or after taxes); (v) return measures (including return on average assets, return on capital, return on equity, or cash flow return measures); (vi) stock price (including growth measures and total stockholder return); (vii) expense targets; (viii) margins; (ix) production levels; (x) cost performance measures, including but not limited to cash and/or all-in sustaining costs of production, and/or costs applicable to sales (in each case on a per ounce, per ton, aggregate or other basis); (xi) earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization; (xii) capital budget targets; (xiii) budget target measures; (xiv) earnings before interest and taxes ; (xv) revenue; (xvi) cash flow (including operating cash flow); (xvii) reserve replacement; (xviii) resource levels, including but not limited to growth in reserves and resources either on an aggregate or per share basis; (xix) statistical health, safety and/or environmental performance; (xx) growth in gross investments ; (xxi) net asset value (or growth therein); and (xxii) such other criteria as the Compensation Committee shall approve.

Transferability

Awards under the 2018 LTIP may not be transferred except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, unless (for awards other than ISOs) otherwise provided by the Compensation Committee.

Change in Control

Unless otherwise expressly provided for in an award agreement or another contract, including an employment agreement, in the event of an involuntary termination without cause (as defined in the 2018 LTIP) within twenty-four months following a Change in Control (as defined in the 2018 LTIP), the following shall occur: (i) outstanding stock options and stock appreciation rights shall become fully vested and may be exercised for a period of twelve months following such termination; (ii) outstanding awards subject to qualifying performance criteria, as described above, shall be converted into the right to receive a payment based on performance through a date of the Change in Control, and (iii) outstanding restricted stock and/or restricted stock units (other than those described in clause (ii)) shall become fully vested. In the event of a Change in Control in which the acquiring or surviving company in the transaction does not assume or continue outstanding awards upon the Change in Control, immediately prior to the Change in Control, all awards that are not assumed or continued shall be treated as follows effective immediately prior to the Change in Control: (i) outstanding options or stock appreciation rights shall become fully vested and exercisable; (ii) outstanding awards subject to qualifying performance criteria, as described above, shall be converted into the right to receive a payment based on performance through a date of the Change in Control (as determined by the Compensation Committee); and (iii) outstanding restricted stock and/or restricted stock units (other than those described in clause (ii)) shall become fully vested.

Adjustment

In the event of certain corporate transactions (including, but not limited to, a stock dividend, stock split or combination of shares, recapitalization or other change in our capital structure), the Compensation Committee will make appropriate adjustments to the maximum number of shares that may be delivered under and the individual limits included in the 2018 LTIP, and will also make appropriate adjustments to the number and kind of shares of stock or securities subject to awards, the exercise prices of such awards or any other terms of awards affected by such change. The Compensation Committee may also make the types of adjustments described above to take into account distributions to stockholders and events other than those listed above if it determines that such adjustments are appropriate to avoid distortion in the operation of the 2018 LTIP.

Term

No awards will be made after the tenth anniversary of the 2018 LTIP’s approval by our stockholders at the Annual Meeting, but previously granted awards may continue beyond that date in accordance with their terms. However, grants of ISOs may not be granted after March 5, 2028.

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Amendment and Termination

The Compensation Committee may amend the 2018 LTIP or outstanding awards, or terminate the 2018 LTIP as to future grants of awards, except that the Compensation Committee will not be able alter the terms of an award if it would affect materially and adversely a participant’s rights under the award without the participant’s consent (unless expressly provided in the 2018 LTIP or reserved by the Compensation Committee at the time of grant). Stockholder approval will be required for any amendment to the extent such approval is required by law, including the Code or applicable stock exchange requirements.

U.S. Tax Consequences

The following is a brief description of the anticipated federal income tax treatment that generally will apply to awards granted under the 2018 LTIP, based on federal income tax laws in effect on the date of this proxy statement. The exact federal income tax treatment of awards will depend on the specific circumstances of the grantee. No information is provided herein with respect to estate, inheritance, gift, state, or local tax laws, although there may be certain tax consequences upon the receipt or exercise of an award or the disposition of any acquired shares under those laws. Grantees are advised to consult their personal tax advisors with regard to all consequences arising from the grant or exercise of awards, and the disposition of any acquired shares.

Incentive Stock Options

Pursuant to the 2018 LTIP, employees may be granted options which are intended to qualify as ISOs under the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Generally, the optionee is not taxed and we are not entitled to a deduction on the grant or the exercise of an ISO. If the optionee sells the shares acquired upon the exercise of an ISO (“ISO Shares”) at any time after the later of (a) one year after the date of transfer of shares to the optionee pursuant to the exercise of such ISO and (b) two years after the date of grant of such ISO (the “ISO holding period”), then the optionee will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the sales price and the exercise price paid for the ISO Shares, and we will not be entitled to any deduction. However, if the optionee disposes of the ISO Shares at any time during the ISO holding period, then (a) the optionee will recognize capital gain in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the sales price over the fair market value of the ISO Shares on the date of exercise, (b) the optionee will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the lesser of the sales price or the fair market value of the ISO Shares on the date of exercise, over the exercise price paid for the ISO Shares, (c) the optionee will recognize capital loss equal to the excess, if any, of the exercise price paid for the ISO Shares over the sales price of the ISO Shares, and (d) we will generally be entitled to a deduction in an amount equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the optionee.

Nonqualified Stock Options

The grant of a nonqualified stock option (“NSO”) is generally not a taxable event for the optionee. Upon exercise of the option, the optionee will generally recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the stock acquired upon exercise of the NSO (“NSO Shares”) over the exercise price of such option, and we will be entitled to a deduction equal to such amount. A subsequent sale of the NSO Shares generally will give rise to capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the sales price and the sum of the exercise price paid for such shares plus the ordinary income recognized with respect to such shares.

Stock Appreciation Rights

A grantee is not taxed on the grant of a stock appreciation right. On exercise, the grantee recognizes ordinary income equal to the cash or the fair market value of any shares received. We are entitled to an income tax deduction in the year of exercise in the amount recognized by the grantee as ordinary income.

Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares

Grantees of restricted stock, restricted stock units, and performance shares do not recognize income at the time of the grant. When the award vests or is paid, grantees generally recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of the stock or units at such time, and we will receive a corresponding deduction. However, no later than 30 days after a participant receives an award of restricted stock, the participant may elect to recognize taxable ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares at the time of receipt. Provided that the election is made in a timely manner, when the restrictions on the shares lapse, the participant will not recognize any additional income. If the participant forfeits the shares to us (e.g., upon the participant’s termination prior to vesting), the participant may not claim a deduction with respect to the income recognized as a result of the election. Dividends paid with respect to unvested shares of restricted shares generally will be taxable as ordinary income to the participant at the time the dividends are received.

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Section 409A

Section 409A imposes an additional 20% income tax, plus, in some cases, a further income tax in the nature of interest, on nonqualified deferred compensation that does not comply with deferral, payment-timing and other formal and operational requirements specified in Section 409A and related regulations and that is not exempt from those requirements. Stock options and SARs granted under the 2018 LTIP are intended to be exempt from Section 409A. The 2018 LTIP gives the Compensation Committee the flexibility to prescribe terms for other awards that are consistent with the requirements of, or an exemption from, Section 409A.

Certain Change of Control Payments

Under Section 280G of the Code, the vesting or accelerated exercisability of options or the vesting and payments of other awards in connection with a change of control of a corporation may be required to be valued and taken into account in determining whether participants have received compensatory payments, contingent on the change in control, in excess of certain limits. If these limits are exceeded, a substantial portion of amounts payable to the participant, including income recognized by reason of the grant, vesting or exercise of awards, may be subject to an additional 20% federal tax and may be non-deductible to Coeur.

Section 162(m)

Due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, there is no longer a performance-based exception to the $1,000,000 deduction limitation under Section 162(m) of the Code. As such, awards granted under the 2018 LTIP may not be exempt from the limits on deductibility under Section 162(m).

New Plan Benefits

Our executive officers and directors have an interest in approval of the 2018 LTIP because it relates to the issuance of equity awards for which executive officers and directors may be eligible. The benefits that will be awarded or paid under the 2018 LTIP to executive officers cannot currently be determined. Awards granted under the 2018 LTIP to executive officers are within the discretion of the Compensation Committee.

Effectiveness and Required Vote

Approval of the 2018 LTIP requires the vote of a majority of votes cast (i.e., the 2018 LTIP will be approved if the number of votes cast “for” the 2018 LTIP exceeds the number of votes cast “against” it). Under our Bylaws, abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted as votes cast and therefore will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on this proposal. However, for purposes of approval of the 2018 LTIP under NYSE rules, abstentions are treated as votes cast, and, therefore, will have the same effect as a vote “against” the proposal; broker non-votes are not considered votes cast, and, therefore, will not be included in the calculation of the vote under NYSE rules.

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PROPOSAL NO. 3: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM



What am I voting for?

Ratifying the selection of Grant Thornton LLP as the independent auditor of our consolidated financial statements and our internal control over financial reporting for 2018
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR
the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP

The Audit Committee, which consists entirely of independent directors, is recommending approval of its appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2018. Grant Thornton LLP served as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2017 and for the 2016 fiscal year after the Audit Committee selected them to replace our former auditor.

In 2016, following over ten years of continuous service by KPMG LLP, the Audit Committee conducted a competitive process to determine the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the Company’s year ending December 31, 2016. On March 8, 2016, the Audit Committee approved, effective as of that date, the engagement of Grant Thornton LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the Company’s year ending December 31, 2016 and the dismissal of KPMG LLP.

KPMG LLP’s audit reports on the Company’s financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principle. During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the subsequent interim period through March 8, 2016, there were (i) no disagreements (within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K) with KPMG LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to KPMG LLP’s satisfaction, would have caused KPMG LLP to make reference thereto in their reports on the financial statements for such years, and (ii) no “reportable events” within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

During the years ended December 31, 2015, and 2014, and the subsequent interim period through March 8, 2016, neither the Company nor anyone on its behalf had consulted with Grant Thornton LLP regarding (i) the application of accounting principles to a specific transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s financial statements, and neither a written report or oral advice was provided to the Company that Grant Thornton LLP concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issue, (ii) any matter that was the subject of a disagreement within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K, or (iii) any reportable event within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

As a matter of good corporate governance, a resolution will be presented at the Annual Meeting to ratify the appointment by the Audit Committee of Grant Thornton LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2018. Representatives of Grant Thornton LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement, if they desire to do so, and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.

The Board has put this proposal before the stockholders because the Board believes that seeking stockholder ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm is good corporate practice. If the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP is not ratified, the Audit Committee will evaluate the basis for the stockholders’ vote when determining whether to continue the firm’s engagement.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS



The following table sets forth certain information regarding our current executive officers.

Name
Age
Current Position with Coeur
Since
Joined Coeur
Mitchell J. Krebs
46
President, Chief Executive Officer & Director
2011
1995
Peter C. Mitchell
62
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
2013
2013
Frank L. Hanagarne, Jr
60
Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
2013
2011
Casey M. Nault
46
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
2015
2012
Hans J. Rasmussen
58
Senior Vice President, Exploration
2016
2013
Ken Watkinson
49
Vice President, Corporate Controller & Chief Accounting Officer
2018
2013

  

Mitchell J. Krebs, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director


Age: 46
Mitchell J. Krebs was appointed President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Coeur Mining, Inc. in July 2011. Prior to that, Mr. Krebs served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from March 2008 to July 2011; Treasurer from July 2008 to March 2010; Senior Vice President, Corporate Development from May 2006 to March 2008; Vice President, Corporate Development from February 2003 to May 2006. Mr. Krebs first joined Coeur in August 1995 as Manager of Acquisitions after spending two years as an investment banking analyst for PaineWebber Inc. Mr. Krebs holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. Mr. Krebs has also served as a member of the board of directors of Kansas City Southern Railway Company since May 2017.

  

Peter C. Mitchell, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer


Age: 62
Peter C. Mitchell was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in June 2013. Prior to joining Coeur, Mr. Mitchell served as Chief Financial Officer of Taseko Mines Limited, a Vancouver, B.C.-based mining company, starting in September 2008. In that capacity he led the financial operations of Taseko, including sourcing strategic capital to fund Taseko’s strategic growth plan. Previously, Mr. Mitchell was involved in leading and managing growth in private equity portfolio companies through acquisitions, integrations and greenfield initiatives. His roles included serving as President of Florida Career College, a for-profit college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from March 2008 to September 2008; President and Chief Executive Officer of Vatterott Educational Centers, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri, a for-profit educational company, from 2002 to 2007; Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Von Hoffmann Corporation in St. Louis, a commercial and educational printing company in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1997 to 2002; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Crown Packaging Ltd., an integrated paper packaging company in Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, B.C., from 1993 to 1997; and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Paperboard Industries Corporation, a packaging and container manufacturer in Toronto, from 1985 to 1993. None of these prior employers are affiliates of Coeur. Mr. Mitchell is a Chartered Professional Accountant of Canada (CPA-CA) with degrees in Economics (BA) from the University of Western Ontario and Business Administration (MBA) from the University of British Columbia.

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Frank L. Hanagarne, Jr., Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer


Age: 60
Frank L. Hanagarne, Jr. was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in February 2013. Mr. Hanagarne joined Coeur as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective October 2011. Prior to joining Coeur, Mr. Hanagarne served from September 2006 to December 2010 as Director of Corporate Development at Newmont Mining Corporation, a gold producer, and from January 2011 to September 2011 as Chief Operating Officer of Valcambi SA, a precious metal refiner in which Newmont has an equity interest. Valcambi and Newmont are not affiliates of Coeur. Over a 17-year career at Newmont, Mr. Hanagarne also served as Mill Project Superintendent from September 2004 to September 2006 and as Advisor in Corporate Health and Safety and Loss Prevention from July 2001 to September 2004. His years of service at Newmont included positions of increasing responsibility within key areas of Newmont’s operations and business functions as well as environmental, health and safety. Mr. Hanagarne has a total 30 years of industry experience in the finance, operations, and business development areas. Mr. Hanagarne holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering degree from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Mr. Hanagarne was nominated to join the board of directors of Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd. in March 2018.
Casey M. Nault, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary


Age: 46
Casey M. Nault was appointed Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in January 2015. Mr. Nault was appointed as Vice President and General Counsel upon joining Coeur in April 2012 and was appointed Secretary in May 2012. Mr. Nault has over 20 years of experience as a corporate and securities lawyer, including prior in-house positions with Starbucks Corporation and Washington Mutual, Inc. and law firm experience with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. His experience includes securities compliance and SEC reporting, corporate governance and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings and other strategic transactions, general regulatory compliance, cross-border issues, land use and environmental issues, and overseeing complex litigation. Mr. Nault has a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Washington and received his law degree from the University Southern California Law School.
Hans J. Rasmussen, Senior Vice President, Exploration


Age: 58
Hans J. Rasmussen was appointed Senior Vice President, Exploration in January 2016. Mr. Rasmussen was appointed Vice President, Exploration upon joining Coeur in September 2013. Mr. Rasmussen has many years of experience in the mining business, 16 years of which were with senior producers Newmont Mining and Kennecott/Rio Tinto, as well as serving as a consultant for senior producers such as BHP, Teck-Cominco and Quadra Mining. Since 2004, he has been an officer or served on the Board of Directors of several junior public exploration companies with gold and silver projects in Quebec, Nevada, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Mr. Rasmussen has a Master of Science in Geophysics from the University of Utah, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Geology and Physics from Southern Oregon University.
Ken Watkinson, Vice President, Corporate Controller & Chief Accounting Officer (1)


Age: 49
Ken Watkinson was appointed Chief Accounting Officer in February 2018. He was named Vice President, Corporate Controller in March 2017. He joined Coeur in September 2013 as Director of Financial Reporting. Mr. Watkinson came to Coeur from HSBC North America where he managed SEC reporting for HSBC USA, Inc. He previously served as Senior Manager of SEC Reporting for Baxter International Inc. and Manager of Consolidations and Reporting for Kraft Foods, Inc. Mr. Watkinson is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northeastern Illinois University.

(1) Mark A. Spurbeck was an executive officer and Coeur’s principal accounting officer during 2017. On January 25, 2018, as reported in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 26, 2018, Mr. Watkinson replaced Mr. Spurbeck as principal accounting officer.

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SHARE OWNERSHIP



The following table sets forth information, as of the close of business on February 16, 2018 (except as otherwise noted), concerning (i) the beneficial ownership of our common stock by each beneficial holder of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock, (ii) each of our current directors, (iii) each of the named executive officers listed in the 2017 Summary Compensation Table set forth on page 67, and (iv) by all of our current directors and executive officers as a group.

Stockholder
Shares Beneficially
Owned
Percent of
Outstanding
Van Eck Associates Corporation
 
18,975,182
(1) 
 
10.22
%
The Vanguard Group, Inc.
 
15,774,049
(2) 
 
8.50
%
GMT Capital Corp.
 
14,632,089
(3) 
 
7.88
%
BlackRock, Inc.
 
11,963,568
(4) 
 
6.44
%
Mitchell J. Krebs
 
724,456
(5) 
 
 
*
Peter C. Mitchell
 
276,907
(5) 
 
 
*
Frank L. Hanagarne, Jr.
 
261,721
(5) 
 
 
*
Casey M. Nault
 
258,570
(5) 
 
 
*
Hans J. Rasmussen
 
171,212
(5) 
 
 
*
Robert E. Mellor
 
129,995
 
 
 
*
John H. Robinson
 
108,329
 
 
 
*
Sebastian Edwards
 
99,550
 
 
 
*
J. Kenneth Thompson
 
97,929
 
 
 
*
Linda L. Adamany
 
92,909
 
 
 
*
Kevin S. Crutchfield
 
92,189
 
 
 
*
Randolph E. Gress
 
92,189
 
 
 
*
Eduardo Luna
 
10,648
 
 
 
*
Jessica L. McDonald
 
10,648
 
 
 
*
All current executive officers and directors as a group (15 persons)
 
2,451,669
(5) 
 
1.32
%
* Holding constitutes less than 1% of the outstanding shares on February 16, 2018 of 185,519,397.
(1) As of December 31, 2017, based on information contained in a Schedule 13G/A filed on February 9, 2018, Van Eck Associates Corporation had sole voting and dispositive power over 18,975,182 shares. The shares are held within mutual funds and other client accounts managed by Van Eck Associates Corporation, one of which individually own more than 5% of the outstanding shares. The address for Van Eck Associates Corporation is 666 Third Ave. – 9th Floor, New York, NY 10017.
(2) As of December 31, 2017, based on information contained in a Schedule 13G/A filed on February 8, 2018, The Vanguard Group, Inc. had sole voting power over 231,872 shares, shared voting power over 34,895 shares, sole dispositive power over 15,522,529 shares and shared dispositive power over 251,520 shares. The address for The Vanguard Group, Inc. is 100 Vanguard Blvd., Malvern, PA 19355.
(3) As of December 31, 2017, based on information contained in a Schedule 13G filing on February 14, 2018, GMT Capital Corp. (“GMT Capital”), as general partner or discretionary investment manager of certain limited partnerships and certain other accounts, had shared voting and dispositive power over 14,632,089 shares. Thomas E. Claugus is the President of GMT Capital and in that capacity directs the operations of each of GMT Capital and the limited partnerships and separate client accounts managed by GMT Capital.
(4) As of December 31, 2017, based on information contained in a Schedule 13G filed on January 29, 2018, Blackrock, Inc. had sole voting power over 11,531,951 shares and sole dispositive power over 11,963,568 shares. The address for Blackrock, Inc. is 55 E. 52nd St., New York, NY 10055.
(5) Holdings include the following shares which may be acquired upon the exercise of options outstanding under the 1989/2003/2015 Long-Term Incentive Plans and exercisable within 60 days of February 16, 2018: Mitchell J. Krebs — 88,056 shares; Frank L. Hanagarne, Jr. — 26,060 shares; Casey M. Nault — 18,207 shares; Hans J. Rasmussen – 5,598 shares and all current directors and executive officers as a group — 137,921 shares.

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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT



The Audit Committee, which consists of Linda L. Adamany (Chair), Randolph E. Gress, Jessica L. McDonald, John H. Robinson and J. Kenneth Thompson, is governed by its charter, a copy of which is available on the Corporate Governance page of our website, currently http://www.coeur.com/company/corporate-governance/. The Board has determined that Linda L. Adamany is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). All of the members of the Audit Committee are “independent” as defined in the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange.

The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities to stockholders with respect to our independent auditors, our internal audit function, our corporate accounting and reporting practices, and the quality and integrity of our financial statements and reports. The Audit Committee is responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of our independent auditors and internal audit function.

The Audit Committee discussed with our independent auditors the scope, extent and procedures for the 2017 audit. On a quarterly basis, the Audit Committee meets separately with the Company’s independent public accountants, Grant Thornton LLP, without management present, and the Company’s internal auditors, to discuss the results of their audits and reviews, the cooperation received by the auditors during the audit examination, their evaluations of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting, and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting. The committee also meets separately with the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel quarterly and with the Company’s CEO from time to time. Following these separate discussions, the committee meets in executive session.

Management is primarily responsible for our financial statements, reporting process and systems of internal controls. In ensuring that management fulfilled that responsibility, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with management the audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. Discussion topics included the quality and acceptability of the accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments, the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements, and an assessment of the work of the independent auditors.

The independent auditors are responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of the audited financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles. The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with the independent auditors their judgments as to the quality and acceptability of our accounting principles and such other matters as are required to be discussed under applicable standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (‘PCAOB”), including PCAOB accounting standard 1301. In addition, the Audit Committee received from the independent auditors the written disclosures and the letter as required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent auditors’ communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, discussed with the independent auditors their independence from us and our management, and considered the compatibility of non-audit services with the auditors’ independence.

Grant Thornton LLP reported to the Audit Committee that:

there were no disagreements with management;
it was not aware of any consultations about significant matters that management discussed with other auditors;
no major issues were discussed with management prior to Grant Thornton LLP’s retention;
it received full cooperation and complete access to our books and records;
it was not aware of any material fraud or likely illegal acts as a result of its audit procedures;
there were no material weaknesses identified in its testing of our internal control over financial reporting; and
there were no known material misstatements identified in its review of our interim reports.

Based on the reviews and discussions described above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board (and the Board subsequently approved) the inclusion of the audited financial statements in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 for filing with the SEC.

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In addition, the Audit Committee selected Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. The Board has recommended to our stockholders that they ratify and approve the selection of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

The Audit Committee is also responsible for establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints we receive regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, including the confidential, anonymous submission of complaints by our employees, received through established procedures, of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. Reference is made to the Audit Committee’s charter for additional information as to the responsibilities and activities of the Audit Committee.

Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

LINDA L. ADAMANY, Chair
RANDOLPH E. GRESS
JESSICA L. MCDONALD
JOHN H. ROBINSON
J. KENNETH THOMPSON 

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COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) describes our compensation program for our NEOs. The following individuals are our current NEOs and were NEOs in 2017:

Name
Title
Mitchell J. Krebs
President and Chief Executive Officer
Peter C. Mitchell
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Frank L. Hanagarne, Jr.
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Casey M. Nault
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Hans J. Rasmussen
Senior Vice President, Exploration

This CD&A describes the components of our executive compensation program, provides a discussion of our executive compensation philosophy, the program’s elements, policies and practices, and the impact of Company performance on compensation results. It also describes how and why the Compensation Committee of the Board arrived at specific 2017 executive compensation decisions and the factors the Compensation Committee considered in making those decisions.

This CD&A is divided into five sections:

CD&A Summary
2017 Executive Compensation– Realized and Realizable Pay
Executive Compensation Program Philosophy and Elements
2017 Executive Compensation Results
Other Compensation Arrangements and Policies

In this CD&A we use the following terms to describe our operations and results, some of which are non-GAAP financial measures. Please see “Appendix A – Certain Additional Information” for additional information and for any GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations.

Term
Definition
AISC
All-in sustaining costs. AISC is a non-GAAP financial measure.
Ag
Silver
AgEq
Silver equivalent. Silver equivalence assumes a 60:1 silver to gold ratio except where noted as the ratio of average spot prices. Please see “Appendix A - Certain Additional Information” for historical average spot prices.
AgEqOz
Silver equivalent ounces
EBITDA
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure.
FCF/free cash flow
Cash flow from operating activities, less capital expenditures and royalty payments. Please see reconciliation tables in “Appendix A - Certain Additional Information”.

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CD&A Summary

Who We Are
 
Coeur is a well-diversified, growing precious metals producer with five mines in North America. Coeur produces from its wholly-owned operations: the Palmarejo silver-gold complex in Mexico, the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine in British Columbia, the Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada, the Kensington gold mine in Alaska, and the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota. In addition, the Company has interests in several precious metals exploration projects throughout North America.
Coeur’s headquarters are located in Chicago, IL. Coeur employs approximately 2,000 people. We are proud of the jobs we provide, the people we employ and the communities we serve. Coeur identifies the importance of working together to tackle challenges head-on. Together, we welcome new ideas, and leaders who will own and deliver solutions. With 90 years of mining experience, Coeur understands the importance of innovation, responsible mining and collaboration. Coeur strives to integrate sustainable operations and development into our business decisions and strategic goals. We proactively conduct our business with a focus on positively impacting the environment, health and safety, and socioeconomics of the communities in which we do business.

2017 Executive Compensation Strongly Aligned with Performance

Company Performance

2017 was a year of significant accomplishments for Coeur. We completed several significant strategic transactions and important capital projects at our mines, continued environmental, health and safety performance improvements, and significantly strengthened the balance sheet to drive improved operating and financial performance:

Record Full-Year AgEq Production – 39.4 million AgEq ounces produced(1), representing a 9% year-over-year increase, driven, in part, by a successful ramp-up in production at the Palmarejo complex to 4,500 tons per day one quarter ahead of schedule following a multi-year development and ramp-up period.
Positive Free Cash Flow Driven by Multi-Year Portfolio Transformation – Generated revenue from continuing operations of $709.6 million in 2017, 24% higher than 2016, free cash flow from continuing operations of $60.4 million, an increase of $85.5 million compared to 2016, and EBITDA of $202.9 million, a 42% increase compared to 2016.

   

(1) Includes 4.3 million ounces produced at the San Bartolome Mine in Bolivia. On December 22, 2017, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its wholly-owned Bolivian subsidiary, which owned and operated the San Bartolomé mine. The transaction closed on February 28, 2018. As a result, the mine was presented in the Company’s Annual Report as a discontinued operation and excluded from consolidated operating statistics and financial results for all periods presented.

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Solid Execution of Key Capital Projects – Completed the Rochester mine’s Stage IV leach pad expansion on schedule and commenced mining the high-grade Jualin deposit at the Kensington mine following two years of underground development.
Increased Strength and Flexibility of Balance Sheet – Successfully refinanced the Company’s existing 7.875% senior notes due 2021 with 5.875% senior notes due 2024 and established a four-year $200 million revolving credit facility, under which the Company drew $100 million to partially fund the Silvertip mine acquisition. Full-year interest expense decreased 56% to $16.4 million from $36.9 million in 2016.
Continued Portfolio Enhancements – Acquired the Silvertip mine in British Columbia, which is expected to provide Coeur with high-margin, low-cost production, near-term cash flow, and long-term exploration potential in a low-risk, mining-friendly jurisdiction. In addition, the Company entered into an agreement in the fourth quarter of 2017 to sell the San Bartolomé Mine in Bolivia, its mine with the highest-costs, shortest-mine life and least favorable jurisdiction. The transaction closed during the first quarter of 2018. Finally, the Company completed the sale of the Endeavor silver stream and other non-core assets during the year for total consideration of approximately $40 million, including the sale of the Joaquin project for consideration of $27 million, representing a gain of $21 million.
Strong Results from Prior Acquisitions– Generated $127.2 million in cumulative free cash flow at Wharf through year-end 2017 since buying the mine in February 2015 for $99 million. Properties acquired as part of the Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. acquisition in 2015 contributed to record production and $110.0 million of free cash flow at Palmarejo during 2017.
Reserve and Mineralized Material Increases Driven by Enhanced Exploration Program. Total exploration investment increased 66% in 2017 to $41.9 million with a focus on near-mine drilling which resulted in the following year-over-year improvements:

36% increase in gold reserves at Wharf, which now has an estimated approximately seven-year mine life based solely on reserves;
15% increase to contained silver and gold reserves and 56% increase in measured and indicated mineralized material at Palmarejo, promising results from the La Bavisa and Zapata veins and discovery of several additional veins; and
71% increase in measured and indicated mineralized material at Rochester.

Alignment of 2017 Compensation

As highlighted below our 2017 executive compensation programs were aligned with our operational and financial performance and stockholder returns. One-year total stockholder return (“TSR”) in 2017 was negative, but given the 267% peer-leading one-year TSR in 2016, two-year TSR was still 70%, and three-year TSR was 21%, at the 80th percentile of our peer group.

CEO compensation declined year-over-year from 2016 to 2017, in line with the decline in one-year TSR in 2017;
three-year realized compensation for our CEO was 22% lower than pay reported in the Summary Compensation Table (“SCT”) due primarily to zero or minimal payouts on performance shares for the three-year periods ended December 31, 2015 and 2016 driven by a weaker metals price environment and the resulting impact on TSR and performance under internal performance share metrics;
three-year CEO realizable pay was 35% higher than SCT pay reflecting alignment with strengthening three-year TSR and the value of unvested equity awards at year-end 2017;
the 2015 performance share award paid out at 150% of overall target based on maximum performance on two of three measures:

three-year TSR relative to peers for the 2015-2017 performance period was very strong at the 80th percentile, resulting in a 200% of target payout of performance shares tied to relative TSR performance (representing 50% of performance share opportunity awarded in early 2015);
operating cash flow (“OCF”) per share increased by 121.5% over the 2015-2017 performance period resulting in a 200% of target payout of performance shares tied to OCF per share (representing 25% of performance share opportunity awarded in early 2015); and
the remaining 25% of 2015 performance shares were tied to growth in reserves and other measured and indicated mineralized material per share and resulted in zero payout based on achievement below threshold, due primarily to the issuance of shares over the three-year period as part of initatives to strengthen our balance sheet and as consideration for accretive acquisitions; and
strong Company performance against strategic annual objectives resulted in above-target 134% performance under the corporate component of the AIP and above-target payouts to NEOs; however, due to negative one-year TSR in 2017, in accordance with the Company’s compensation philosophy and policies, the individual components of NEO payouts were capped at 100% and paid out in the range of 90-95%.

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Our Executive Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

Our Compensation Committee continues to drive strong pay-for-performance alignment in our executive compensation program and ties a substantial portion of executive compensation to the achievement of annual and long-term strategic objectives. The objectives of our executive compensation program are to (i) drive performance against critical strategic goals designed to create long-term stockholder value and (ii) pay our executives at a level and in a manner that attracts, motivates and retains top executive talent. As described in “Stockholder Outreach”, we seek to continuously refine and improve our executive compensation program and practices to ensure consistency with this philosophy.

Our Executive Compensation Practices

Below is a summary of compensation practices we have adopted and practices we avoid because we believe they are not aligned with our executive compensation and corporate governance principles.

What We Do
What We Do Not Do
Pay for performance with strong alignment of realized pay to TSR
No excise tax gross-ups, tax gross-ups on perquisites or tax gross-ups applicable to change-in-control and severance payments
Proactive stockholder outreach with meaningful compensation program changes made based on feedback
No hedging Coeur stock
AIP metrics drive stockholder value, with rigorous goals tied to Board-approved budget and safety and environmental objectives
No pledging Coeur stock
Majority of equity compensation in the form of performance shares with three-year cliff vesting tied to relative TSR and rigorous value-driving internal performance metrics
No holding Coeur stock in margin accounts
Majority of compensation “at-risk”
No employment contracts for NEOs other than CEO
Independent compensation consultant
No re-pricing of stock options or SARs without stockholder approval
Modest perquisites
No guaranteed bonuses for NEOs
“Double trigger” equity acceleration upon a change-in-control
No “single trigger” cash severance based solely upon a change-in-control of the company
Stock ownership guidelines for our directors and executive officers, including 6x base salary for CEO
 
 
Clawback policy
 
 
Annual stockholder “say on pay” vote
 
 

Elements of Coeur’s Executive Compensation Program

In 2017, the mix of the components of our executive compensation program were as follows:

Direct Compensation Elements

Direct Compensation
Component
Performance
Based
Not-
Performance
Based
Value
Linked to
Stock Price
Value Not
Linked to
Stock Price
% of CEO
Pay
% of NEO
Pay
(Average)
Base Salary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20
%
 
26
%
Annual Incentive Plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20
%
 
18
%
Long-Term Restricted Stock
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24
%
 
22
%
Internal Metric-Based Performance Shares
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18
%
 
17
%
TSR-Based Performance Shares
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18
%
 
17
%

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A substantial majority of executive compensation is variable and “at risk”, demonstrating our strong pay-for-performance alignment.

CEO Variable and “At Risk”
Compensation
NEO Variable and “At Risk”
Compensation (excluding CEO)
Coeur
Peer Group
Average
Coeur
Average
Peer Group
Average
80%
 
80
%
 
74
%
 
73
%

The variable components of our 2017 executive compensation program are aligned with our strategic objectives and purpose statement.

PROTECT

Zero fatalities
TRIFR(1) % reduction
AIP 15%
No NOVs(2)
% reduction in reportable spills
DEVELOP

Three-Year Growth in Reserves
and Measured & Indicated Mineralized Material/Share
PSUs(3) 25%
DELIVER

All-in Sustaining Costs
Cash Flow
   
Three-Year Growth in Operating
Cash Flow (“OCF”)/Share
   
Relative Total Stockholder Return
AIP 60%
PSUs 75%
Production
AIP 25%
(1) “TRIFR” means Total Reportable Injury Frequency Rate.
(2) “NOV” means notice of violation of environmental regulations for actions by Coeur that caused or created the potential for environmental harm.
(3) “PSUs” means performance share units.

2017 Total Direct Compensation

In accordance with our pay-for-performance philosophy and executive compensation objectives, the Compensation Committee established the following target values for the elements of total direct compensation for our NEOs in 2017:

 
Variable Compensation
Fixed Compensation
Named Executive Officer
Long-Term Equity
Incentives
Annual
Incentives
Total
Variable