On December 14, 2023, Bloomberg reported that the Company was exploring the sale of its
D&A Business and had hired an advisor to help solicit interest from potential buyers. In the days that followed, other news outlets published similar reports, some including commentary speculating on the purchase price for the D&A Business
(which at least one equity research analyst stated could be up to $600-900 million).
On January 8, 2024, the Company reported that Mr.
Crager would step down as the Companys Chief Executive Officer, effective March 31, 2024, and that Jim Fox, Chairman of the Board, would serve as the Companys Interim Chief Executive Officer commencing on April 1, 2024.
On January 16, 2024, Mr. Fox, Mr. Crager and other representatives of the Company, met with representatives of Bain to discuss the Company and
the financial technology industry generally, including recent developments in the industry.
Following that meeting through to March 23,
2024, representatives of the Company and Bain had various, high-level discussions regarding the possibility of a strategic transaction involving the Company and Bain.
In February 2024, the Board directed the D&A Business Financial Advisor to commence a sale process for the D&A Business. In connection
with the D&A Business sale process, during the period from mid-February to early May 2024, the D&A Business Financial Advisor conducted broad outreach to potential strategic and financial counterparties (including to an affiliate of Bain) to
gauge their potential interest in acquiring the D&A Business. During this period, the Company entered into confidentiality agreements (with customary standstill provisions for the benefit of the Company) with interested parties, and provided
those counterparties with access to certain confidential information regarding the D&A Business.
On March 23, 2024, a representative
from Bain called Mr. Fox and communicated to him that Bain would submit a non-binding proposal for the Company later that day.
Later that
day, on March 23, 2024, Bain submitted a non-binding proposal letter to Mr. Fox to acquire the Company for a price in the range of $62.00 - $64.00 per share, in cash (the March Bain Proposal), which proposal represented a 9-13% premium
to the Companys closing share price of $56.67 on March 22, 2024, the day prior to the proposal. The March Bain Proposal noted the proposed transaction would be funded with a combination of equity from funds advised by Bain and third-party
co-investors, and debt financing from third-parties, stated that Bain was confident in its ability to provide financing commitments given its long-standing relationships and debt capital market expertise, identified the remaining open items required
by Bain to complete its due diligence and stated that Bain could sign definitive transaction documentation in five weeks. Mr. Fox promptly shared the March Bain Proposal with the Board.
On March 27, 2024, the Board held a meeting to discuss the March Bain Proposal. At this meeting, the Board reviewed and discussed, among other
things, the conversations between representatives of Bain and members of Company management preceding the March Bain Proposal, the terms of the March Bain Proposal and engaging a financial advisor to assist the Board in reviewing and responding to
the March Bain Proposal. The Board determined that (i) the Board would reconvene the following week so as to allow the members of the Board time to further consider the March Bain Proposal, (ii) Mr. Fox would communicate to representatives of Bain
that the Board was considering the March Bain Proposal (which he did on March 29, 2024) and (iii) before the Board met again, Mr. Fox would contact Morgan Stanley with whom the Company had a pre-existing and unrelated engagement to ask them to also
advise on the March Bain Proposal and the Boards review of other strategic alternatives (which he did on March 28, 2024), on the basis of, among other factors, Morgan Stanleys qualifications, extensive experience in advising companies
operating in the same industry as the Company in connection with potential strategic transactions, and its knowledge and understanding of the Companys business and industry.
On April 2, 2024, Morgan Stanley delivered its initial relationship disclosure letter to the Board describing its relationships with the
Company, Bain and its majority-owned affiliates.
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