UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

Current Report

 

Pursuant To Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 15, 2016

 

GENIUS BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

(Name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Nevada

(State or other jurisdiction of

Incorporation or organization)

 

301 N. Canon Drive, Suite 305

Beverly Hills, CA

(Address of principal executive offices)

 000-54389 
(Commission File Number)

20-4118216

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

 

90210

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (310) 273-4222

 

_________________________________________

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

(b)          On April 18, 2016, Mr. Michael D. Handelman resigned from his position as Chief Financial Officer of Genius Brands International, Inc. (the “Company”), effective April 18, 2016.

 

(c), (e)

 

On April 15, 2016, Ms. Rebecca Hershinger was appointed to the position of Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective April 18, 2016.

 

Pursuant to an employment agreement, dated April 18, 2016 (the “Employment Agreement”), entered into between the Company and Ms. Hershinger, Ms. Hershinger will be entitled to be paid a salary at the annual rate of $175,000 per year, which salary will be increased to $190,000 per year not later than October 1, 2016. The term of the Employment Agreement is one year with a mutual option for an additional one year period. Ms. Hershinger will be reimbursed for certain moving and related expenses associated with her relocation from Park City, Utah to Los Angeles, California. In addition, Ms. Hershinger will be entitled to receive a grant of stock options commensurate with those given to the Company’s Executive Vice President and an annual discretionary bonus based on her performance.

 

Ms. Hershinger’s employment may be terminated either (i) upon the end of the term, (ii) at any time by the Company for Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement) or (iii) upon an event of retirement, death or disability. Upon the termination or expiration of Ms. Hershinger’s employment with the Company and for a period of three years thereafter, certain amounts paid to Ms. Hershinger, including any discretionary bonus and stock based compensation, but excluding her base salary, reimbursement of certain expenses, and paid time off days, will be subject to the Company’s clawback right upon the occurrence of certain events which are adverse to the Company.

 

Under the Employment Agreement, Ms. Hershinger is also subject to confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation provisions and has agreed not to compete with the Company during the term of her employment and for a period of twelve months following the termination of her employment.

 

There is no family relationship between Ms. Hershinger and any director, executive officer, or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer. In addition, there are no transactions between the Company and Ms. Hershinger, or any member of either Ms. Hershinger’s immediate family, of the type set forth in Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

 

Rebecca D. Hershinger, 42, has over 20 years of finance and accounting experience. She served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company from October 2014 through June 2015 and as a consultant to the Company beginning in March 2014. In 2012, she founded CFO Advisory Services Inc., an accounting and business advisory services firm, headquartered in Park City, UT. From 2008 through 2012, Ms. Hershinger was Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance & Corporate Development for SpectrumDNA, Inc., formerly a social media marketing and application development company that had been located in Park City, UT. Hershinger was an independent financial consultant in San Francisco between 2007 and 2008. Ms. Hershinger was employed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. in Los Angeles, California from 1999 to 2005, holding various positions ultimately rising to the level of Vice President, Finance & Corporate Development. Between 1995 and 1998, Ms. Hershinger worked as an analyst for JP Morgan Chase & Co in Los Angeles and New York. Ms. Hershinger received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business, in Washington, D.C. and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She also completed studies at the International Finance & Comparative Business Policy Program at Oxford University, Oxford England.

 

The foregoing description of the Employment Agreement is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the full text of the Employment Agreement with Ms. Hershinger, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No. Description
10.1 Employment Agreement, dated as of April 18, 2016, by and between Genius Brands International, Inc. and Rebecca Hershinger.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

  GENIUS BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
   
   
Date: April 20, 2016 By: /s/ Andy Heyward
  Andy Heyward
  Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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