Interim Investment Management Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2020, between THL Credit, Inc. and First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC
Exhibit 10.1
INTERIM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
This Interim Investment Management Agreement (the Agreement), dated as of January 31, 2020, is between THL Credit, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Corporation), and First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC, formerly known as THL Credit Advisors LLC (the Advisor), a Delaware limited liability company.
WHEREAS, the Advisor has agreed to furnish investment advisory services to the Corporation, which has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act);
WHEREAS, the Advisor entered into that certain Amended and Restated Investment Management Agreement dated June 14, 2019 with the Corporation (the Existing Agreement);
WHEREAS, effective as of the date of this Agreement, the Advisor became a subsidiary of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC (the Transaction), and the Transaction resulted in a change of control of the Advisor, causing an assignment and the automatic termination of the Existing Agreement under the 1940 Act;
WHEREAS, the new Investment Management Agreement (the New Agreement) between the Advisor and the Corporation, will be submitted to the Corporations stockholders for their approval but such approval has not yet been obtained as of the date of this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement has been approved in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, and the Advisor is willing to furnish such services upon the terms and conditions herein set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual premises and covenants herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, it is agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:
1. In General. The Advisor agrees, all as more fully set forth herein, to act as investment advisor to the Corporation with respect to the investment of the Corporations assets and to supervise and arrange for the day-to-day operations of the Corporation and the purchase of assets for and the sale of assets held in the investment portfolio of the Corporation.
2. Duties and Obligations of the Advisor with Respect to Investment of Assets of the Corporation.
(a) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this paragraph and subject to the direction and control of the Corporations board of directors (the Board of Directors), the Advisor shall (i) act as investment advisor for and supervise and manage the investment and reinvestment of the Corporations assets and in connection therewith have complete discretion in purchasing and selling securities and other assets for the Corporation and in voting, exercising consents and exercising all other rights appertaining to such securities and other assets on behalf of the Corporation; (ii) supervise continuously the investment program of the Corporation and the composition of its investment portfolio; and (iii) arrange, subject to the provisions of Section 2(e) hereof, for the purchase and sale of securities and other assets held in the investment portfolio of the Corporation. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to restrict the Corporations right to hire its own employees or to contract for administrative services to be performed by third parties, including but not limited to, the calculation of the net asset value of the Corporations shares.
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(b) In the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Advisor shall at all times use all reasonable efforts to conform to, and act in accordance with, any requirements imposed by (i) the provisions of the 1940 Act, and of any rules or regulations in force thereunder, subject to the terms of any exemptive order applicable to the Corporation; (ii) any other applicable provision of law; (iii) the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and the By-Laws of the Corporation, as such documents are amended from time to time; (iv) the investment objectives, policies and restrictions applicable to the Corporation as set forth in the Corporations effective Registration Statement on Form N-2 (the Registration Statement), as they may be amended from time to time by the Board of Directors or stockholders of the Corporation; and (v) any policies and determinations of the Board of Directors of the Corporation and provided in writing to the Advisor.
(c) The Advisor will seek to provide qualified personnel to fulfill its duties hereunder and, except as set forth in the following sentence, will bear all costs and expenses incurred in connection with its investment advisory duties thereunder. The Corporation shall reimburse the Advisor for all direct and indirect costs and expenses incurred by the Advisor for office space rental, office equipment, utilities and other non-compensation related overhead allocable to performance of investment advisory services hereunder by the Advisor, including the costs and expenses of due diligence of potential investments, monitoring performance of the Corporations investments, serving as directors and officers of portfolio companies, providing managerial assistance to portfolio companies, enforcing the Corporations rights in respect of its investments and disposing of investments. All allocations made pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be made pursuant to allocation guidelines approved from time to time by the Board of Directors. The Corporation shall also be responsible for the payment of all the Corporations other expenses, including payment of the fees payable to the Advisor under Section 6 hereof; organizational and offering expenses; expenses incurred in valuing the Corporations assets and computing its net asset value per share (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); expenses incurred by the Advisor or payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors and travel expense, in monitoring financial and legal affairs for the Corporation and in monitoring the Corporations investments and enforcing the Corporations rights in respect of such investments; performing due diligence on the Corporations prospective portfolio companies; interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance the Corporations investments; distributions on shares; offerings of the Corporations common stock and other securities; investment advisory and management fees payable under this Agreement; administration fees; transfer agent and custody fees and expenses; the allocated costs of providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that require it; fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making and disposing of investments; brokerage fees and commissions; the Corporations dues, fees and charges of any trade association of which the Corporation is a member; transfer agent and custodial fees; federal and state registration fees; all costs of registration and listing the Corporations shares on any securities exchange; federal, state and local taxes; independent directors fees and expenses; costs of preparing and filing reports, registration statements, prospectuses or other documents required by the SEC, including printing and mailing costs; costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; the expenses of holding stockholder meetings; the Corporations allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; direct costs and expenses of administration and operation, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; litigation and indemnification and other extraordinary or non recurring expenses; and all other non-investment advisory expenses of the Corporation.
(d) The Advisor shall give the Corporation the benefit of its professional judgment and effort in rendering services hereunder, but neither the Advisor nor any of its officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons shall be liable for any act or omission or for any loss sustained by the Corporation in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, provided, that the foregoing exculpation
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shall not apply to a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement; provided further, however, that the foregoing shall not constitute a waiver of any rights which the Corporation may have which may not be waived under applicable law.
(e) The Advisor will place orders either directly with the issuer or with any broker or dealer. Subject to the other provisions of this paragraph, in placing orders with brokers and dealers, the Advisor will attempt to obtain the best price and the most favorable execution of its orders. In placing orders, the Advisor will consider the experience and skill of the firms securities traders as well as the firms financial responsibility and administrative efficiency. Consistent with this obligation, the Advisor may select brokers on the basis of the research, statistical and pricing services they provide to the Corporation and other clients of the Advisor. Information and research received from such brokers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by the Advisor hereunder. A commission paid to such brokers may be higher than that which another qualified broker would have charged for effecting the same transaction, provided that the Advisor determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in terms either of the transaction or the overall responsibility of the Advisor to the Corporation and its other clients and that the total commissions paid by the Corporation will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to the Corporation over the long term, subject to review by the Board of Directors of the Corporation from time to time with respect to the extent and continuation of such practice to determine whether the Corporation benefits, directly or indirectly, from such practice. In addition, the Advisor is authorized to take into account the sale of shares of the Corporation in allocating purchase and sale orders for portfolio securities to brokers or dealers (including brokers and dealers that are affiliated with the Advisor), provided that the Advisor believes that the quality of the transaction and the commission are comparable to what they would be with other qualified firms.
3. Services Not Exclusive. Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the Advisor or any officer, employee or other affiliate thereof from acting as investment advisor for any other person, firm or corporation, or from engaging in any other lawful activity, and shall not in any way limit or restrict the Advisor or any of its officers, employees or agents from buying, selling or trading any securities for its or their own accounts or for the accounts of others for whom it or they may be acting; provided, however, that the Advisor will not undertake, and will cause its employees not to undertake, activities which, in its judgment, will adversely affect the performance of the Advisors obligations under this Agreement.
4. Agency Cross Transactions. From time to time, the Advisor or brokers or dealers affiliated with it may find themselves in a position to buy for certain of their brokerage clients (each an Account) securities which the Advisors investment advisory clients wish to sell, and to sell for certain of their brokerage clients securities which advisory clients wish to buy. Where one of the parties is an advisory client, the Advisor or the affiliated broker or dealer cannot participate in this type of transaction (known as a cross transaction) on behalf of an advisory client and retain commissions from one or both parties to the transaction without the advisory clients consent. This is because in a situation where the Advisor is making the investment decision (as opposed to a brokerage client who makes his own investment decisions), and the Advisor or an affiliate is receiving commissions from both sides of the transaction, there is a potential conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities on the Advisors part regarding the advisory client. The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted a rule under the Advisors Act which permits the Advisor or its affiliates to participate on behalf of an Account in agency cross transactions if the advisory client has given written consent in advance. By execution of this Agreement, the Corporation authorizes the Advisor or its affiliates to participate in agency cross transactions involving an Account. The Corporation may revoke its consent at any time by written notice to the Advisor.
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5. Expenses. During the term of this Agreement, the Advisor will bear all compensation expense (including health insurance, pension benefits, payroll taxes and other compensation related matters) of its employees and shall bear the costs of any salaries or Directors fees of any officers or Directors of the Corporation who are affiliated persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Advisor.
6. Compensation of the Advisor.
(a) The compensation paid under this Agreement will be held in an interest-bearing escrow account. If a majority of the Corporations outstanding voting securities approve the New Agreement prior to the Termination Date (defined below), the amount in the escrow account (including the interest earned) will be paid to the Advisor. If a majority of the Corporations outstanding voting securities do not approve the New Agreement prior to the Termination Date, the Advisor will be paid, out of the escrow account, the lesser of (1) any costs incurred in performing under this Agreement (plus interest earned on that amount while in escrow); or (2) the total amount in the escrow account (plus interest earned).
(b) The Advisor, for its services to the Corporation, will be entitled to receive a management fee (the Base Management Fee) from the Corporation determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Base Management Fee will be calculated at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Corporations gross assets and payable quarterly in arrears on a calendar quarter basis. For purposes of calculating the Base Management Fee, the term gross assets is determined without deduction for any liabilities. The Base Management Fee will be calculated based on the value of the Corporations gross assets at the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter prior to the quarter for which such fees are being calculated, and appropriately adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the calendar quarter for which such fees are being calculated. Base Management Fees for any partial quarter will be appropriately pro-rated.
(c) For purposes of this Agreement, the gross assets and net assets of the Corporation shall be calculated pursuant to the procedures adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation for calculating the value of the Corporations assets.
(d) The Incentive Fee will consist of two parts, as follows:
(i) The ordinary income component is calculated, and payable, quarterly in arrears at the end of each calendar quarter by reference to our aggregate Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income (as described below), as adjusted as described below, from the calendar quarter then ending and the eleven preceding calendar quarters (or if shorter, the number of quarters that have occurred since January 1, 2018) (such period hereinafter referred to as the Trailing Twelve Quarter Period). Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence, managerial assistance and consulting fees or other fees that the Corporation receives from portfolio companies) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus the Corporations operating expenses for the quarter (including the Base Management Fee, expenses payable under the Corporations administration agreement (the Administration Agreement), interest expense and any dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the Incentive Fee and any offering expenses and other expenses not charged to operations and excluding reversals of the Incentive Fee solely to the extent such reversals have the effect of reducing previously accrued Incentive Fees under the proviso to the following sentence). Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income not yet received in cash; provided, however,
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that the portion of the Incentive Fee attributable to deferred interest features shall be paid, together with interest thereon from the date of deferral to the date of payment at the prime rate published from time to time by the Wall Street Journal or, in the absence thereof, a bank chosen by the board of directors, only if and to the extent received in cash, and any accrual thereof shall be reversed if and to the extent such interest is reversed in connection with any write off or similar permanent impairment of the investment giving rise to any deferred interest accrual, applied in each case in the order such interest was accrued. Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income is expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Companys net assets (as determined in accordance with GAAP) calculated, and payable, quarterly in arrears at the end of the calendar quarter comprising the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during such quarter. The hurdle amount for Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income is based on ordinary income is determined on quarterly basis and is equal to 2.0% (which is 8.0% annualized) multiplied by the net asset value attributable to our common stock at the beginning of each applicable calendar quarter comprising the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period (also referred to as hurdle rate). The hurdle amount is calculated after making appropriate adjustments for subscriptions (which includes all issuances by us of shares of our common stock, including issuances pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan) and distributions that occurred during the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period. The Corporation will pay the Advisor an Incentive Fee with respect to the Corporations Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period in each calendar quarter as follows:
(1) | no Incentive Fee for any calendar quarter in which the Corporations Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate; |
(2) | 100% of the Corporations Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for any Trailing Twelve Quarter Period with respect to that portion of the Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for such period, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 2.50% (10.0% annualized); and |
(3) | 17.5% of the amount of the Corporations Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for the Trailing Twelve Quarter Period with respect to that portion of the Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for such quarter, if any, that exceeds 2.5% (10.0% annualized); |
The amount of the Incentive Fee on Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income that will be paid for a particular quarter will equal the excess of the incentive fee so calculated minus the aggregate incentive fees on ordinary income that were paid in respect of the eleven preceding calendar quarters (or if shorter, the appropriate number of preceding quarters incentive fees paid that have occurred since January 1, 2018) included in the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period but not in excess of the total return requirement (as described below).
The foregoing Incentive Fee will be subject to an Incentive Fee Cap (as defined below). The Incentive Fee Cap for any quarter is an amount equal to (a) 20% of the Cumulative Net Return (as defined below) during the calendar quarter the Trailing Twelve Quarter Period, minus (b) the aggregate incentive fees based on income that were paid in respect of the first eleven calendar quarters (or the portion thereof) included in the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period.
Cumulative Net Return means (x) Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in respect of the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period minus (y) any Net Capital Loss, if any, in respect of the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarter Period. If, in any quarter, the Incentive Fee Cap is zero or a negative value, we will pay no incentive fee based on income to the Advisor for such quarter. If, in any quarter, the Incentive Fee Cap for such quarter is a positive value but is less than the incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income that is payable to the Advisor for such quarter (before giving effect to the
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Incentive Fee Cap) calculated as described above, the Corporation will pay an Incentive Fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income to the Advisor equal to the Incentive Fee Cap for such quarter. If, in any quarter, the Incentive Fee Cap for such quarter is equal to or greater than the incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income that is payable to the Advisor for such quarter (before giving effect to the Incentive Fee Cap) calculated as described above, the Corporation shall pay an Incentive Fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income to the Advisor equal to the Incentive Fee calculated as described above for such quarter without regard to the Incentive Fee Cap.
Net Capital Loss in respect of a particular period means the difference, if positive, between (i) aggregate capital losses, whether realized or unrealized, in such period and (ii) aggregate capital gains, whether realized or unrealized, in such period.
(ii) The second part of the Incentive Fee (the Capital Gains Fee) will be determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of this Agreement as set forth below), commencing with the calendar year ending on December 31, 2020, and is calculated at the end of each applicable year by subtracting (1) the sum of the Corporations cumulative aggregate realized capital losses and aggregate unrealized capital depreciation from (2) the Corporations cumulative aggregate realized capital gains, in each case calculated from the Commencement Date. If the amount so calculated is positive, then the Capital Gains Fee for such year is equal to 17.5% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of Capital Gains Fees paid in all prior years. If such amount is negative, then no Capital Gains Fee will be payable for such year. If this Agreement is terminated as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date shall be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying a Capital Gains Fee.
7. Indemnification. (a) The Corporation shall indemnify the Advisor, and each of the Advisors directors, officers, employees, agents, associates and controlling persons and the directors, partners, members, officers, employees and agents thereof (including any individual who serves at the Advisors request as a director, officer, partner, member or the like of another entity) (each such person being an Indemnitee) against any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense, including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel fees reasonably incurred by such Indemnitee in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding or investigation, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or investigative body in which such Indemnitee may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such Indemnitee may be or may have been threatened, while acting in any capacity set forth herein or thereafter by reason of such Indemnitees having acted in any such capacity, except with respect to any matter as to which such Indemnitee shall have been adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Indemnitees action was in the best interest of the Corporation and furthermore, in the case of any criminal proceeding, so long as such Indemnitee had no reasonable cause to believe that the conduct was unlawful; provided, however, that (i) no Indemnitee shall be indemnified hereunder against any liability to the Corporation or its stockholders or any expense of such Indemnitee arising by reason of (A) willful misfeasance, (B) bad faith, (C) gross negligence or (D) reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Indemnitees position (the conduct referred to in such clauses (A) through (D) being sometimes referred to herein as disabling conduct); (ii) as to any matter disposed of by settlement or a compromise payment by such Indemnitee, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise, no indemnification either for said payment or for any other expenses shall be provided unless there has been a determination that such settlement or compromise is in the best interests of the Corporation and that such Indemnitee appears to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Indemnitees action was in the best interest of the Corporation and did not involve disabling conduct by such Indemnitee; and (iii) with respect to any action, suit or other proceeding voluntarily prosecuted by any Indemnitee as plaintiff, indemnification shall be mandatory only if the prosecution of such action, suit or other proceeding by such Indemnitee was authorized by a majority of the full Board of Directors of the Corporation.
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(b) The Corporation may make advance payments in connection with the expenses of defending any action with respect to which indemnification might be sought hereunder if the Corporation receives a written affirmation of the Indemnitees good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification has been met and a written undertaking to reimburse the Corporation unless it is subsequently determined that such Indemnitee is entitled to such indemnification and if the Directors of the Corporation determine that the facts then known to them would not preclude indemnification. In addition, at least one of the following conditions must be met: (i) the Indemnitee shall provide security for such undertaking; (ii) the Corporation shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any unlawful advance; or (iii) a majority of a quorum consisting of Directors of the Corporation who are neither interested persons of the Corporation (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) nor parties to the proceeding (Disinterested Non-Party Directors) or an independent legal counsel in a writing, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Indemnitee ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
(c) All determinations with respect to the standards for indemnification hereunder shall be made (i) by a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that such Indemnitee is not liable or is not liable by reason of disabling conduct; or (ii) in the absence of such a decision, by (A) a majority vote of a quorum of the Disinterested Non-Party Directors of the Corporation or (B) if such a quorum is not obtainable or, even if obtainable, if a majority vote of such quorum so directs, independent legal counsel in a writing. All determinations that advance payments in connection with the expense of defending any proceeding shall be authorized and shall be made in accordance with the immediately preceding clause (ii) above.
The rights accruing to any Indemnitee under these provisions shall not exclude any other right to which such Indemnitee may be lawfully entitled.
8. Duration and Termination. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of 150 days from the date hereof (the Termination Date). This Agreement shall be deemed to have terminated upon the earlier of the Termination Date or stockholder approval of the New Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement is terminable with respect to the Corporation without penalty by the Board of Directors or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation, in each case on not more than 10 calendar days written notice to the Advisor, or by the Advisor upon not less than 60 days written notice to the Corporation. This Agreement will also immediately terminate in the event of its assignment. (As used in this Agreement, the terms majority of the outstanding voting securities, interested person and assignment shall have the same meanings of such terms in the 1940 Act and the regulations thereunder.)
9. Notices. Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing to the other party at such address as the other party may designate from time to time for the receipt of such notice and shall be deemed to be received on the earlier of the date actually received or on the fourth day after the postmark if such notice is mailed first class postage prepaid.
10. Amendment of this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or termination is sought. Any amendment of this Agreement shall be subject to the 1940 Act.
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11. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for contracts to be performed entirely therein without reference to choice of law principles thereof and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
12. Miscellaneous. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding on, and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.
13. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts by the parties hereto, each of which shall constitute an original counterpart, and all of which, together, shall constitute one Agreement.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused the foregoing instrument to be executed by their duly authorized officers, all as of the day and the year first above written.
THL CREDIT, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Terrence W. Olson | |
Name: | Terrence W. Olson | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
FIRST EAGLE ALTERNATIVE CREDIT, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Christopher J. Flynn | |
Name: | Christopher J. Flynn | |
Title: | President |