Exhibit 10.6
SERVICE AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made on this 24 th day of January 2006.
BETWEEN :
MONTPELIER REINSURANCE LTD
., whose registered office is
situate at Crown House, 4 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton Bermuda (the
“Company”); and
William Pollett
“The Palms”
4 Overock Hill
Pembroke, HM 05
Bermuda
WHEREAS the parties desire to record the terms
and conditions upon which the Employee is employed by the
Company.
NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the mutual
covenants and promises herein contained
IT IS HEREBY AGREED as follows:
1.
Interpretation
1.1
In this Agreement unless the context
otherwise requires the following words and expressions shall have
the following meanings:
this
“Agreement” means this service agreement and includes all
schedules hereto;
the
“Board” means
the board of directors of the Company;
the “Companies
Act” means the
Companies Act 1981;
“Group
Company” means and
includes any company which is from time to time a holding company
(as defined by Section 86 of the Companies Act, but
irrespective of whether it is a Bermuda company or an overseas
company) of the Company, a subsidiary company (as so defined) of
the Company, a subsidiary company (as so defined) of a holding
company (as so defined) of the Company or in which the Company owns
at least 50% of the issued share capital;
the
“Parties” means the parties to this Agreement;
1.2
In this Agreement unless the context
otherwise requires:
1.2.1
references to statutory provisions
shall be construed as references to those provisions as amended or
re-enacted or as their application is modified by other provisions
from time to time and shall include references to any provisions of
which they are re-enactments (whether with or without
modification); and
1.2.2
references to clauses and schedules
are references to clauses hereof and schedules hereto; references
to sub-clauses or paragraphs are, unless otherwise stated,
references to sub-clauses of the clause or paragraphs of the
schedule in which the reference appears;
1.2.3
references to the singular shall
include the plural and vice versa and references to the masculine
shall include the feminine and/or neuter and vice versa;
and
1.2.4
references to persons shall include
companies, partnerships, associations and bodies of persons,
whether incorporated or unincorporated.
2.
Appointment
Subject to, and conditional upon,
initial and continued permission being granted to work and reside
in Bermuda by the Bermuda Department of Immigration of the Ministry
of Home Affairs, the Company hereby appoints the Employee and the
Employee hereby agrees to serve the Company as Treasurer at the
level of Senior Vice President subject to the terms and conditions
hereinafter contained.
3.
Term
The appointment of the Employee
hereunder began on February 1st 2006 and shall continue unless
and until terminated in accordance with the provisions hereinafter
contained.
4.
Duties and
Responsibilities
During the continuance of his
employment hereunder:
4.1
The Employee shall perform such
duties and exercise such powers in relation to the business of the
Company or of any Group Company as may from time to time reasonably
be assigned to or vested in him by the Board and shall give to the
Board such information regarding the affairs of the Company and any
Group Company as it shall require and at all times and in all
respects conform to and comply with the reasonable directions and
regulations made by the Board. The Employee shall perform such
services for any Group Company (without further remuneration except
as otherwise agreed) and shall accept such offices in any such
Group Companies as the Board may reasonably require.
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4.2
The Employee shall well and
faithfully serve the Company and the Group Companies and use his
best endeavours to promote develop and extend their businesses and
interests giving at all times the full benefit of his knowledge,
expertise, technical skill and ingenuity.
4.3
The Employee shall not without the
consent of the Board directly or indirectly engage in any other
business or be concerned or interested in any other business of a
similar nature to or which would or might compete with the business
for the time being carried on by the Company or any Group Company
save that he may (but without prejudice to clause 4.2) be
interested as a holder or beneficial owner of not more than 5% of
any class of stock, shares or debentures in any company (other than
the Company, in which case, such limit shall not apply) whose
stock, shares or debentures are listed or dealt in on an appointed
stock exchange (as defined in the Companies Act).
5.
Remuneration and
Reimbursement
5.1
The Company shall pay to the
Employee by way of remuneration for his services hereunder a salary
at the rate (subject as hereinafter provided) of US$ 250,000 per
annum. Such salary shall be inclusive of any director’s fees
payable to the Employee by the Company or any Group Company and
accordingly either the Employee shall pay over or procure to be
paid over to the Company all such fees received or receivable by
him or his remuneration hereunder shall be reduced pro tanto.
The said salary shall be payable by equal monthly instalments in
arrears on the day appointed by the Board for the payment of
employees’ salaries or pro rata where the Employee is only
employed hereunder during part of the month. The Compensation
Committee of the Company’s Board, subject to ratification by
the Board, may increase or reduce the Employee’s salary on
each anniversary of the date of this Agreement, but not below the
amount of the Employee’s starting salary.
5.2
The Company shall also pay to the
Employee all reasonable travelling hotel and other out-of-pocket
expenses which are properly incurred by him in or about the
performance of his duties hereunder and for which vouchers (if so
required) are provided to the reasonable satisfaction of the
Board.
5.3
The Company will pay for two
business-class round-trip flights to the United Kingdom per annum
for the Employee and his family.
5.4
The Employee shall be entitled to
participate in:
(i)
the Company’s Medical, Dental
and Vision Plans and other insurance plans from time to time
subject to the provisions of the Company’s insurance plans in
effect at the time;
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(ii)
a suitable pension arrangement in
accordance with Bermuda law (“Pension Plan”) from time
to time subject to the provisions of such pension plan in effect at
the time, provided, however, that in the event the Executive should
leave the Company of his own accord within 12 months of the date of
this Agreement first written above he will forfeit all
contributions to the Pension Plan made by the Company on his
behalf;
(iii)
the Company’s Annual Bonus
Plan and Long Term Incentive Plan subject to the provisions of such
plan in effect at the time;
(iv)
subsidized parking and gym
membership;
(v)
Reasonable tax advisory services at
the Company’s cost; and
(vi)
Any other employment benefit plans
generally available to Employees in the Company of the
Employee’s stature, to the extent not duplicative of benefits
otherwise provided by the Company.
The details of these benefits, plans
and schemes are set out in separate documents, copies of which will
be provided on request. The benefits, plans and schemes may
be changed at the Company’s discretion.
5.5
During the Employee’s
appointment under this Agreement, he shall receive a housing
allowance in Band A.
5.6
The Employee agrees that the Company
may deduct from his pay any sums which the Employee may owe the
Company including, without limitation, any overpayments or loans
made to him by the Company or losses suffered by the Company as a
result of the Employee’s breach of this Agreement.
6.
Normal Hours and
Holidays
The Employee shall conform to such
hours of work as may from time to time reasonably be required of
him and shall not be entitled to receive any additional
remuneration for work outside his normal hours. In addition
to the usual public holidays the Employee shall, subject as
mentioned in the Schedule, be entitled to 25 days holiday in each
year to be taken at such time or times as may be approved by the
Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Five days’
holiday entitlement may be carried forward to the next succeeding
year with the consent of the Chief Financial Officer. Any
remaining, unused holiday entitlement is forfeited. The
entitlement to holiday (and on termination of employment holiday
pay in lieu of holiday) accrues pro rata throughout each year,
provided that fractions of days shall be disregarded in calculating
entitlement to holiday or payment in lieu of holiday.
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7.
Confidentiality
7.1
The Employee shall not either during
the continuance of his employment hereunder (otherwise than in the
proper performance of his duties hereunder) or at any time after
the determination thereof divulge to any person whomsoever and
shall use his reasonable endeavours to prevent the publication or
disclosure of any trade secret or other confidential information
concerning the business, finances, accounts, dealings, transactions
or affairs of the Company or any Group Company or of any of their
respective clients entrusted to him or arising or coming to his
knowledge during the course of his employment hereunder or
otherwise.
7.2
The Employee shall upon the
termination of his employment hereunder immediately deliver up to
the Company all fee schedules, lists of clients, correspondence and
other documents, papers and property belonging to the Company or
any Group Company or related to any of the matters referred to in
clause 7.1 which may have been prepared by him or have come into
his possession in the course of his employment hereunder and shall
not retain any copies thereof.
8.
Change of Status
8.1
If, before the expiration or
determination of this Agreement, the employment of the Employee
hereunder shall be terminated by reason of the liquidation of the
Company or for the purpose of reconstruction or amalgamation, and
he shall be offered employment with any concern or undertaking
resulting from such reconstruction or amalgamation on terms and
conditions not less favourable (financially and in personal status)
than the terms of this Agreement, then he shall have no claim
against the Company in respect of the termination of his employment
hereunder save in respect of accrued benefits.
8.2
Unless this agreement has been
terminated under clause 9, if for any reason the Employee shall
either:
8.2.1
at the Company’s request
resign as a director of the Company or any Group Company;
or
8.2.2
be removed from office as a director
of the Company or any Group Company;
then, notwithstanding his so ceasing
to be a director, this Agreement shall not automatically terminate
and thereupon (and without any claim against the Company in respect
of such loss of office) the Employee’s employment hereunder
shall continue for the remaining period of this Agreement and all
the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall with the necessary
variations apply to the Employee’s employment but in any
event, the Employee’s basic annual salary will not at any
time be less than the Employee’s starting salary under this
agreement.
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9.
Termination
9.1
Without prejudice to clauses 9.3 or
9.5 the Employee or the Company may