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PROXY STATEMENT
FOR

The Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (the “Company”) will be held on May 7, 2019 at 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time). On or about March 27, 2019, in connection with the solicitation by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) of proxies for the Meeting, we anticipate that we will begin mailing to each shareholder entitled to vote at the meeting either (1) a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or (2) this Proxy Statement, Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders and the form of proxy.

We are providing proxy materials to our shareholders primarily via a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instead of mailing printed copies of these materials to each shareholder. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials contains instructions about how to access our proxy materials and vote online, by telephone or by mail. If you would like to receive a paper copy of our proxy materials, please follow the instructions included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and this Proxy Statement.

You are invited to attend the Meeting at the above stated time and location. If you plan to attend and your shares are held in “street name” —  in an account with a bank, broker, or other nominee — you should follow the procedures in the materials and request voting instructions provided by or on behalf of such broker, bank or other nominee and arrange to be appointed as a proxy holder.

You can vote your shares by internet, telephone or mail, or if you hold your shares in “street name”, by following the instructions set forth in the voting instruction form provided by or on behalf of your broker, bank or other nominee.

Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this Proxy Statement to “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated. Dollar amounts are presented in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified. Except as otherwise stated, the information herein is given as of March 15, 2019.

If you need directions to attend the meeting and vote in person, please contact our Corporate Secretary at 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 0C6, Canada or by calling us at 778-331-5500.

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Proxy Summary

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider. For more complete information about these topics, please review our Annual Report on Form 10-K and the entire Proxy Statement.

Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders

Voting Matters and Board Recommendations

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Questions and Answers About the Meeting, Proxy Materials and Voting

Why am I receiving this Proxy Statement?

The Company is providing the Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders and this Proxy Statement directly to shareholders who are shareholders of record at the close of business on March 13, 2019 and therefore are entitled to vote at the Meeting. This Proxy Statement describes issues on which the Company would like you, as a shareholder, to vote. It provides information on these issues so that you can make an informed decision. You do not need to attend the Meeting to vote your shares.

When you vote by internet, telephone or mail, you appoint the proxy holders nominated by management, Beverley A. Briscoe, Board Chair, or Ravi K. Saligram, Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”) of the Company, with full power of substitution, to be your representatives at the Meeting. A shareholder has the right to appoint a person other than the nominees of management named in the instrument of proxy to represent the shareholder at the Meeting. To exercise this right, a shareholder should insert the name of its nominee in the blank space provided. A person appointed as a proxy holder need not be a shareholder of the Company. As your representative(s), your proxy holder(s) will vote or withhold from voting the shares represented by the proxy at the Meeting (or any adjournments or postponements) in accordance with your instructions on any ballot that may be called. If you specify a choice in the proxy as to how your shares are to be voted with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the shares will be voted accordingly. With proxy voting, your shares will be voted whether or not you attend the Meeting. Even if you plan to attend the Meeting, we recommend that you vote by internet, telephone or mail as soon as possible to ensure your vote is recorded in advance of the Meeting.

When you vote by internet, telephone or mail, you will confer discretionary authority upon a proxy holder named in the instrument of proxy to vote your shares on any amendments or variations to matters identified in the accompanying Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders and any other matter which may properly come before the meeting in respect of which such proxy has been granted, subject to any limitations imposed by law.

Why does my name not appear as a shareholder of record?

Many, if not most, investors own their shares through a broker dealer or other nominee. Broker dealers frequently clear their transactions through other broker dealers, and may hold the actual certificates for shares in the name of securities depositories, such as Cede & Co. (operated by the Depository Trust Company) in the United States or CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. in Canada. In such a case, only the ultimate certificate holder appears on our records as a shareholder, even though that nominee may not have any economic interest in the shares that you actually own through your broker dealer. You should contact your broker dealer for more information about this process.

If your shares are held in an account with a brokerage firm, bank, dealer, or other similar organization, then you are the non-registered/beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by or on behalf of that organization. The registered holder of the shares is considered the shareholder of record for purposes of voting at the Meeting. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote the shares in your account by following the instructions on the voting instruction form that is provided by or on behalf of the intermediary. You are also invited to attend the Meeting. However, since you are not the shareholder of record, you may not attend the Meeting and vote your shares in person at the Meeting unless you arrange with your broker, bank, or other nominee to be appointed as proxy holder.

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Who is making this solicitation and who will pay the related costs?

This solicitation is made on behalf of the management of the Company. No director has given management notice that he or she intends to oppose any action intended to be taken by management at the Meeting. The Company will bear the cost of soliciting proxies. In an effort to have as large a representation at the Meeting as possible, the Company’s directors, officers and employees may solicit proxies by telephone or in person in certain circumstances. These individuals will receive no additional compensation for their services other than their regular salaries. Upon request, the Company will reimburse brokers, dealers, banks, voting trustees and their nominees who are holders of record of the Company’s common shares on the record date for the reasonable expenses incurred for mailing copies of the proxy materials to the beneficial owners of such shares.

When is the record date?

The Board has fixed March 13, 2019, as the record date for the Meeting. Only holders of our common shares as of the close of business on that date will be entitled to vote at the Meeting.

How many shares are outstanding and how many votes can be cast by all shareholders?

A total of 108,951,243 common shares were outstanding as of March 13, 2019. Votes may be cast on each matter presented, consisting of one vote for each common share of the Company outstanding as of the record date.

Are there any shareholders that hold more than 10% of the shares that may be voted?

To the knowledge of the Company’s directors and executive officers, based on filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), no person beneficially owns, or controls or directs, directly or indirectly, common shares of the Company carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all voting shares of the Company other than Baillie Gifford & Co., which reported beneficial ownership of 11,089,983 common shares as of December 31, 2018, representing 10.2% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as of March 13, 2019.

What items of business will be voted on at the Meeting and how does the Board recommend I vote?

Shareholders will be being asked to vote on the following:

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The Board recommends a vote FOR each nominee for director and FOR each of the proposals.

What are my voting rights if I hold common shares?

Each common share is entitled to one vote. No cumulative rights are authorized, and dissenters’ rights are not applicable to any of the matters being voted upon.

How do I vote if I am a registered shareholder?

If you are a registered shareholder, you may vote your shares by internet at www.investorvote.com, by telephone at 1-866-732-8683, by mail or by attending the Meeting in person and voting. To vote by internet, you will need your voting control number, which can be found on your proxy card or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. To vote by mail, you should promptly complete, sign and return your proxy card, or if you have received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, request a proxy card by internet at www.investorvote.com, calling 1-866-962-0498 or emailing service@computershare.com. Joint owners wishing to complete a proxy form must each sign the proxy card.

How do I vote if I am a non-registered/beneficial holder?

If you are a non-registered/beneficial holder, you should receive a voting instruction form from a broker dealer or other nominee that you may use to instruct such persons how to vote your shares. If you receive a voting instruction form, you may exercise voting rights in respect of those shares in accordance with the procedures provided by the broker dealer or other nominee, which may include voting by mail, telephonically by calling the telephone number shown on the voting form or via the internet at the website shown on the voting instruction form. If you are a non-registered/beneficial holder, you are not considered to be a shareholder of record, and you will not be permitted to vote your shares in person at the Meeting unless you have obtained a proxy for those shares from the person or entity of record holding your shares. Should you require additional information regarding the Meeting, please contact our Corporate Secretary at 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 0C6, Canada or by calling us at 778-331-5500.

Can shareholders vote in person at the Meeting?

If you prefer, you may vote at the Meeting. If you hold your shares through a brokerage account but do not have a physical share certificate, or the shares are registered in someone else’s name, you need to arrange with your stockbroker or the registered owner to be appointed as proxy holder entitling you to vote at the Meeting.

What does it mean if I receive more than one proxy card?

If you receive more than one proxy card, it likely means that you have multiple accounts with the Company’s transfer agent and/or with stockbrokers. Please vote or arrange for voting of all of the shares.

What if I share an address with another shareholder and we received only one copy of the proxy materials or what if I receive multiple copies?

SEC rules permit companies and intermediaries such as brokers to send one envelope with individual copies of our Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or proxy materials to multiple shareholders who share the same address, unless we receive contrary instructions from a shareholder. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding”, provides cost savings for companies. Some brokers household proxy materials, delivering a single proxy statement or notice to multiple shareholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected shareholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that they will be householding materials to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statement or notice, or if you are receiving duplicate copies

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of these materials and wish to have householding apply, please notify your broker. You may also call (800) 542-1061 or write to: Broadridge, Householding Department, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717, and include your name, the name of your broker or other nominee, and your account number(s). You can also request prompt delivery of a copy of this proxy statement and the annual report by written request to our Corporate Secretary at 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 0C6, Canada or by calling us at 778-331-5500.

May I revoke my proxy or change my vote?

Yes. If you are a registered shareholder, you may revoke your proxy by:

In addition, if you are a registered shareholder and have voted using the internet following the instructions as described in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, you may change your vote by following the procedures described in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to submit a vote with a later date.

If you are not a registered shareholder and wish to change your proxy nominee or your vote, you should consult your broker or nominee with respect to submitting new voting instructions. Intermediaries may set deadlines for the receipt of revocation notices that are farther in advance of the Meeting than those set out above and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect at the Meeting.

How are abstentions and broker non-votes counted?

Shares held or represented by proxy by persons present at the Meeting in respect of which the holder or proxy holder does not vote, or abstains from voting, with respect to any proposal are counted for purposes of establishing a quorum. If a quorum is present, abstentions will not be included in vote totals and will not affect the outcome of the vote of any proposal contained in this year’s Proxy Statement. “Broker non-vote” shares are those shares held in “street name” by brokers or nominees, who do not have discretionary authority to vote such shares as to a particular matter, which are held or represented by proxy by a person present at the meeting will be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum. If a quorum is present, broker non-votes will not be counted as votes in favor of such matter or, in the case of election of directors, as votes “withheld” with respect to such election, and also will not be counted as shares voting on such matter. Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the voting on a matter that requires the affirmative vote of a certain percentage of the shares voting on the matter.

Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), brokers or nominees are entitled to vote shares held for a beneficial owner on “routine” matters, such as the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent auditors, without instructions from the beneficial owner of those shares. However, absent instructions from the beneficial owner of such shares, a nominee is not entitled to vote shares held for a beneficial owner on certain “non-routine” matters. The election of our directors, the advisory vote on executive compensation and the approval of the Amendment to the Amended

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and Restated Stock Option Plan, the Amendment to the Executive PSU Plan, the Amendment to Employee PSU Plan, the Amendment to the Executive RSU Plan, the Amendment to Employee RSU Plan and the Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan are considered non-routine matters. Accordingly, if you hold your shares in street name, it is critical that you arrange to exercise your voting right if you want it to count on all matters to be decided at the Meeting.

How many votes are needed to hold the meeting and approve the proposals and how does the Board recommend that I vote?

To conduct the Meeting, the Company must have a quorum, which means that two persons must be present in person, and each entitled to vote and holding or representing by proxy not less than 33% of the votes entitled to be cast at the Meeting. The table below shows the votes needed to approve each of the proposals, as further described in each of the proposals and the Board’s recommendation for voting on each proposal.

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Will my shares be voted if I do not vote by internet, telephone or sign and return my Proxy Card or Voting Instruction Form?

If your shares are registered in your name and you do not vote by internet, telephone or sign and return your proxy card, or attend and vote in person, your shares will not be voted at the Meeting. If your shares are held through an account with a brokerage firm, bank, dealer or other nominee, your brokerage firm or other nominee, under certain circumstances, may vote your shares.

How are votes counted?

If your instructions as to voting in any instrument of proxy or voting instruction form are certain, your shares will be voted or withheld from voting in accordance with your instructions. If you do not specify a choice in the proxy card or voting instruction form as to any of the following matters, and one of the proxy holders recommended by management is appointed as proxy holder, your shares will be voted “FOR” each of the proposals as recommended by the Board as further described in each of the proposals.

Voting results will be tabulated and certified by a representative of Computershare Investor Services Inc., scrutineer of the Meeting.

What happens if additional matters are presented at the Meeting?

Management of the Company is not aware of any amendments to or variations of any of the matters identified in the enclosed Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders nor of any other business which may be brought before the Meeting. When you vote by internet, telephone or mail, you will confer discretionary authority upon a proxy holder named in the instrument of proxy to vote your shares on any amendments or variations tothe matters identified in the accompanying Notice of Annual and Special Meeting and on any other matter that may properly be brought before the Meeting in respect of which such proxy has been granted, subject to any limitations imposed by law.

Where can I find the voting results of the Meeting?

The Company will publish the voting results of the Meeting in a Current Report on Form 8-K, which are required to be filed with the SEC at www.sec.gov within four business days after the date of the Meeting and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

How can I obtain additional information, including a copy of the Proxy Statement and the 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K?

The Company will mail, without charge to any registered holder or beneficial owner of common shares, upon written request, a copy of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, including the consolidated financial statements, management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, schedules and list of exhibits, and any particular exhibit specifically requested, any interim financial statements of the Company and the relevant management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations that have been filed with securities regulators for any period after the end of the Company’s most recently completed financial year and the Company’s proxy statement in respect of its most recent annual and special meeting of shareholders. Requests should be sent to our Corporate Secretary at 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 0C6, Canada. The Company may require payment of a reasonable charge for reproduction if a person that is not a registered shareholder or beneficial owner of common shares makes the request. This Proxy Statement, the Annual Report on Form 10-K and additional information relating to the Company are also available at www.rbauction.com/investors, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Financial information is provided in the Company’s comparative financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2018 as contained in the Company’s Form 10-K.

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Proposal One: Election of Directors

Questions and Answers about the Election of Directors

What is the current composition of the Board?

The Company’s Articles of Amalgamation require the Board to have at least three and no more than ten directors and provide that the Board is authorized to determine the actual number of directors within that range. The current Board is composed of the following nine directors: Ravichandra (Ravi) K. Saligram, Beverley Briscoe, Robert G. Elton, J. Kim Fennell, Amy Guggenheim Shenkan, Erik Olsson, Edward B. Pitoniak, Sarah Raiss and Christopher Zimmerman.

Is the Board divided into classes? How long is the term?

No, the Board is not divided into classes. All directors are elected for one-year terms to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders unless he or she sooner ceases to hold office.

Who can nominate individuals for election as directors?

Shareholders may nominate director candidates pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of the Company’s by-laws, which includes advance notice provisions for nominations of directors by shareholders, and of the Canada Business Corporations Act (the “CBCA”). The advance notice provisions require advance notice to the Company of nominations for persons for election to the Board in circumstances where nominations are made other than pursuant to a shareholder proposal made in accordance with the provisions of the CBCA or a requisition of shareholders made in accordance with the CBCA. Shareholders should note that nominations for directors must be made in compliance with the procedures in the Company’s by-laws, which include requirements to notify the Company in writing in advance of an intention to nominate directors for election to the Board prior to any annual or special meeting of shareholders and sets forth the information that a shareholder must include in such notice. Please see the information under “Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations” on page 135.

The Company has not received any director nominations in connection with the Meeting.

Who is standing for election this year?

The following eight current Board members are being nominated by or at the direction of the Board, based on the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee:

Each of the nominees, except Mr. Saligram, qualifies as independent under applicable NYSE listings standards and Canadian securities laws and regulations and the rules of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”). See “Corporate Governance — Independence of the Directors” on page 24 for a summary of how “independence” is determined. Additional information concerning the above nominees, including their ages, positions and offices held with the Company, and terms of office as directors, is set forth below under “Information Concerning the Nominees to the Board of Directors” on page 12.

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What if a nominee is unable or unwilling to serve?

If any one or more of the nominees named in this Proxy Statement is unable to serve or for good cause will not serve, then the persons voting the accompanying proxy may in their discretion vote for a substitute. The persons named in the enclosed form of proxy intend to vote for the election of any such substitute nominee. Each of the nominees has agreed to serve, if elected, and the Board is not presently aware of any reason that would prevent any nominee from serving as a director if elected.

How are nominees elected?

In the election of directors, you may vote “FOR” each or any of the nominees, or you may “WITHOLD” from voting for each or any of the nominees. The eight nominees receiving the highest number of votes “FOR” cast in person or by proxy at the Meeting will be elected as directors.

Might directors elected be required to resign?

Yes. The Board has adopted a majority voting policy that will apply to any uncontested election of directors. Pursuant to this policy, any nominee for director who receives a greater number of votes marked “WITHHOLD” than votes “FOR” such election will promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board Chair following the Meeting. The Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the offer of resignation and make a recommendation to the Board whether to accept it.

In making its recommendation with respect to a director’s resignation, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider, in the best interests of the Company, the action to be taken with respect to such offered resignation. The recommended action may include (i) accepting the resignation; (ii) recommending that the director continue on the Board but addressing what the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes to be the underlying reasons why shareholders “withheld” votes for election from such director; or (iii) rejecting the resignation.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee would be expected to recommend that the Board accept the resignation except in extenuating circumstances. The Board will consider the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation within 90 days following the Company’s annual meeting, and in considering such recommendation, the Board will consider the factors taken into account by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and such additional information and factors that the Board considers to be relevant. The Board will promptly disclose its decision by a press release, such press release to include the reasons for rejecting the resignation, if applicable. A director who tenders his or her resignation pursuant to the majority voting policy will not be permitted to participate in any meeting of the Board or the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee at which the resignation is considered. If the resignation is accepted, subject to applicable law, the Board may leave the resultant vacancy unfilled until the next annual general meeting, fill the vacancy through the appointment of a new director whom the Board considers to merit the confidence of the shareholders, or call a special meeting of shareholders at which there will be presented one or more nominees to fill any vacancy or vacancies.

May additional directors be appointed by the Board between annual general meetings?

The Articles of Amalgamation of the Company provide that the Board has the power to increase the number of directors at any time between annual meetings of shareholders and appoint one or more additional directors, provided that the total number of directors so appointed shall not exceed one-third of the number of directors elected at the previous annual meeting.

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Information Concerning the Nominees to the Board of Directors

The following section provides information with respect to the nominees to our Board. Directors are to be elected for a one-year term expiring at our next annual meeting unless he or she sooner ceases to hold office (if the director dies or resigns, is removed by resolution of the shareholders or becomes disqualified from being a director under the CBCA).

The Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believe that each director nominee brings a strong set of attributes and qualifications and that together these director nominees would create an effective and well-functioning Board that will continue to serve the Company and our shareholders well. Included in each director nominee’s biography below is a summary describing the key attributes and qualifications of the nominees upon which the decisions to nominate were made. Information below regarding shares owned, controlled or directed, Deferred Share Units (“DSUs”) issued under the Company’s Non-Executive Director Deferred Share Unit Plan, restricted share units (“RSUs”) granted under the Company’s RSU Plans and performance share units (“PSUs”) under the Company’s PSU Plans is given as of March 13, 2019.

		BEVERLEY ANNE BRISCOE
		Residence: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
		Age: 64
		Independent
		Director since: October 29, 2004

Ms. Briscoe has strong financial and leadership skills, having been in the industrial and transportation sector for over 15 years and in a number of financial roles prior thereto. Ms. Briscoe’s service on various boards enables her to bring to the Board experience and knowledge of governance and financial matters from a number of perspectives.

Ms. Briscoe was appointed Board Chair effective June 30, 2014 and has been a director of the Company since 2004. Ms. Briscoe’s previous employment includes: from 2004 to present she worked as a management consultant and corporate director; from 1997 to 2004 she was President and owner of Hiway Refrigeration Limited, a British Columbia-based company specializing in selling and servicing transportation refrigeration equipment used in the trucking and shipping industries; from 1994 to 1997 she was Vice President and General Manager of Wajax

Industries Limited, a heavy equipment dealer; from 1989 to 1994 she was Chief Financial Officer for the Rivtow Group of Companies, a marine transportation and industrial equipment conglomerate; from 1983 to 1989 she held CFO positions with several operating divisions of The Jim Pattison Group, a diversified holding company; and from 1977 to 1983 she worked as an auditor with a predecessor firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is the past Chair of the Industry Training Authority for British Columbia, past Chair of the BC Forest Safety Council and past Chair of the Audit Committee for the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. She currently is Lead Director and Audit Committee Chair of Goldcorp Inc. Ms. Briscoe is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, and is also a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

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		RAVICHANDRA K. SALIGRAM
		Residence: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
		Age: 62
		Not Independent
		Director since: July 7, 2014

Mr. Saligram’s tenure as CEO, President and a member of the board of directors for OfficeMax Incorporated provides valuable business, leadership and management experience, including expertise in the omnichannel provision of products, services and solutions. Mr. Saligram’s past and current experience as a director on other public boards provides a broad perspective on matters facing public companies and governance matters.

Mr. Saligram was appointed CEO and a director in July 2014. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Saligram was CEO, President and a member of the board of directors of OfficeMax Incorporated (2010 — 2013), an omnichannel provider of workplace products, services and solutions. From 2003 through November 2010, Mr. Saligram served in executive management positions with ARAMARK Corporation, a global food services company, including President of ARAMARK International and Chief Globalization

Officer and Executive Vice President of ARAMARK Corporation. From 1994 through 2002, Mr. Saligram served in various capacities for the InterContinental Hotels Group, a global hospitality company, including President of Brands and Franchise for North America; Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Director, Global Strategy; President, International; and President, Asia Pacific. Earlier in his career, Mr. Saligram held various general and brand management roles at S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. in the United States and overseas. Mr. Saligram earned an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and an electrical engineering degree from Bangalore University, India.

Other directorships

Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE: “CHD” — a public consumer products company) — Director and member of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

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		ROBERT GEORGE ELTON
		Residence: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
		Age: 67
		Independent
		Director since: April 30, 2012

Mr. Elton’s experience in senior executive positions during the course of the past 15 years brings strong leadership and management skills to the Company. Mr. Elton’s tenure in academia, currently as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, enables him to bring to the Board knowledge of business from a current and alternative perspective.

Mr. Elton held executive roles at Vancouver City Savings Credit Union from 2013 to 2017, including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer. Mr. Elton has also served as a corporate director at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. Mr. Elton was President and Chief Executive Officer of BC Hydro, a government-owned electric utility, from 2003 to 2009. Prior to this he was Executive Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer of BC Hydro (2002 — 2003),

Powerex (2001 — 2002), a subsidiary of BC Hydro, and Eldorado Gold Corporation (1996 — 2001) (TSX: “ELD”; NYSE “EGO”; ASX: “EAU”). Mr. Elton spent over 20 years with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and predecessor firms, becoming partner in 1987 before leaving the firm in 1996. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in British Columbia and has a Master of Arts degree from Cambridge University, U.K.

Other directorships

Corix Utilities (a private utility infrastructure company) — Director, Chair of the Audit Committee

Past directorships

bcIMC (a private investment management company) — Director

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		J. KIM FENNELL
		Residence: Los Gatos, CA USA
		Age: 62
		Independent
		Director since: July 1, 2017

Mr. Fennell is a Silicon Valley veteran with over 30 years’ management experience in the high-tech industry across a variety of market sectors. He has proven leadership managing organizations from 40-person startups to 3,000-person corporate business units and broad experience with early stage “disruption” technology solutions and business models. Mr. Fennell is currently Head of Global Technology Partnerships and US/Canada Business Development at Uber Technologies, Inc., the leading mobile application-based car hailing and food & freight delivery network that connects customers with independent drivers. Prior to July of 2017, Mr. Fennell served as Head of Location-Based Services Partnerships at Uber. Mr. Fennell had been President and CEO of deCarta, Inc., a location-based services platform company from 2004 until its acquisition by Uber in 2015. Prior to deCarta, he held CEO positions at Pinnacle Systems (NASDAQ:PCLE) and StorageWay Inc. and other senior positions in the technology sector. He was an early executive at Octel Communications, a global leader of voice technologies, opening and managing

subsidiaries in Canada, Europe and then Asia before running Octel shortly after its acquisition by Lucent in 1997. Mr. Fennell holds a B.A. (Honours) from Queen’s University. He is a Charter Member of the C100 association, a group that mentors Canadian-based entrepreneurs and start-ups, and is on the board of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation.

Other directorships

Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation — Director

Where is My Transport (private UK-based startup) — Director

Past directorships

deCarta, Inc. — Director

Pinnacle Systems (NASDAQ:PCLE) — Director

StorageWay Inc. — Director

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		AMY GUGGENHEIM SHENKAN
		Residence: San Francisco, CA USA
		Age: 54
		Independent
		Director since: July 1, 2017

Amy Guggenheim Shenkan was appointed to the Ritchie Bros. Board in 2017. She currently serves on the Company’s Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Shenkan has also served on the boards of E.L.F. Cosmetics (formerly a Texas Pacific Group company), and vRide (acquired by Enterprise Holdings). Ms. Shenkan has a 30-year track record of leadership within innovative, high growth technology and consumer facing companies. She is known for her deep digital and business transformation expertise, leading major post-merger integrations, setting strategy, leveraging content as a strategic asset, and testing and evolving new business models for large enterprises undergoing disruption. Ms. Shenkan was President and Chief Operating Officer of Common Sense Media, a technology-based media company dedicated to helping kids, families and educators successfully navigate the media and technology world, from 2011 through 2017. Ms. Shenkan grew Common Sense into the most significant, entrepreneurial, rapidly growing organization of its kind in the United States. Prior to joining Common Sense Media

in 2011, Ms. Shenkan was a digital transformational expert with McKinsey & Company, Inc., advising global businesses across many industries about the use of the internet to drive digital transformations. Ms. Shenkan also held leadership roles at Travelocity (formerly Preview Travel) and Wells Fargo as these companies grew their businesses through innovation. Ms. Shenkan holds a B.A. in Economics and Psychology and graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan and earned an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.

Past directorships

E.L.F. Cosmetics (cosmetic company and formerly a Texas Pacific Group company) — Director

vRide (ride sharing platform acquired by Enterprise Holdings) — Director

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		ERIK OLSSON
		Residence: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
		Age: 56
		Independent
		Director since: June 1, 2013

Mr. Olsson’s experience in senior leadership positions, as well as his knowledge of the equipment industry in general, provides important insight to our Board on the Company’s strategic planning and operations. Further, his experience as a member of another public company board provides him with an enhanced perspective on issues applicable to public companies.

Mr. Olsson has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Mobile Mini, Inc., the world’s leading provider of portable storage solutions, since 2013. Mr. Olsson had previously been President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of RSC Holdings, Inc., a premier provider of rental equipment in North America, from 2006 until its acquisition by United Rentals, Inc. in April 2012. Prior to that

he served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of RSC Holdings, Inc. In addition, he held various senior positions in the United States, Brazil, and Sweden in his 13 years with industrial group Atlas Copco AB, a mining equipment maker. Mr. Olsson holds a degree in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Gothenburg.

Other directorships

Mobile Mini, Inc. (NASDAQ:GS: “MINI” — portable storage company) — Director

Dometic Group AB, a global industrial provider of solutions for mobile living — Director

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		SARAH RAISS
		Residence: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
		Age: 61
		Independent
		Director since: July 1, 2016

Ms. Raiss brings almost 40 years of experience encompassing various board positions and executive and management positions in engineering, operations, strategy, merger and acquisition integration, government relations and community investment, governance, human resources, information technology, marketing and other administrative functions. She has business experience in Canada, the United States and abroad.

Ms. Raiss retired in August 2011 as Executive Vice-President of Corporate Services, TransCanada Corporation, one of North America’s leading energy infrastructure companies with operations in natural gas, oil and power industries

Since her retirement, Ms. Raiss’s principal occupation has been serving as a corporate director, and she has served on a number of other corporate boards noted below. Ms. Raiss was named a 2015 National Association of Corporate Directors Directorship 100, recognizing the most influential people in governance, 50 of which are corporate directors.

Ms. Raiss has a BS in Applied Mathematics and an MBA, both from the University of Michigan.

Other directorships

The Loblaw Companies, Ltd. (TSX: “L” — a public food retailer) — Director and member of the Corporate Governance Committee and Chair of the Pension Committee

The Commercial Metals Company (NYSE: “CMC” — a public metal manufacturer and recycler) — Director, past Chair of the Compensation Committee and Chair of the Nominations and Governance Committee; former member of the Audit Committee

Past directorships

The Vermilion Energy, Inc. (TSX: “VET”; NYSE: “VET”; — a public oil and gas producer) — Director and Chair of the Governance and Human Resource Committee and member of the Health, Safety and Environment Committee

Canadian Oil Sands, Ltd. (TSX: “COS” — a public oil investment company) — (2012 — 2016) Director and Chair of the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees and member of the Audit Committee

Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation (TSX: “SC” — a provider of pharmacy products and services) — (2009 — 2014) Director and member of the HR and Compensation Committee

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		CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN
		Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA, USA
		Age: 59
		Independent
		Director since: April 11, 2008

Mr. Zimmerman brings over 30 years of business, operating and leadership experience to the Board. The Company benefits from Mr. Zimmerman’s strong operational and international expertise from his experience as a chief executive officer of several organizations throughout the course of the past 15 years.

Mr. Zimmerman has served as President and CEO of business operations for the St. Louis Blues, a professional hockey team, since 2014. Prior to this, he was President of Easton Sports, a designer, developer and marketer of sports equipment and accessories from 2010 to 2013. Prior to joining Easton Sports, Mr. Zimmerman was President and Chief Executive Officer of

Canucks Sports and Entertainment, a sports entertainment company in Vancouver, B.C, from 2006 until 2009. Before joining Canucks Sports and Entertainment, Mr. Zimmerman was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Nike Bauer Inc., a hockey equipment company. Prior to this appointment in March 2003, Mr. Zimmerman was General Manager of Nike Golf USA. He joined Nike Golf in 1998 after spending 16 years in a variety of senior advertising positions, including USA Advertising Director for the Nike Brand and Senior Vice President at Saatchi and Saatchi Advertising in New York. Mr. Zimmerman has an MBA from Babson College.

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Information Concerning Our Executive Officers

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to our current executive officers, other than Mr. Saligram, whose information may be found under “Proposal One: Election of Directors — Information Concerning the Nominees to the Board of Directors” on page 12.

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Corporate Governance

Overview

The Board and the Company believe that excellent corporate practices are essential for the effective and prudent operation of the Company and for enhancing shareholder value. The Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing and, if deemed necessary, recommending changes to the Company’s corporate governance practices.

Structure and Members of the Board

The Company’s Articles of Amalgamation require the Board to have at least three and no more than ten directors and provide that the Board is authorized to determine the actual number of directors within that range. The current Board is comprised of the following nine directors:

Independence of the Directors

The Board is comprised of a majority of independent directors as defined under the applicable rules of the NYSE and National Instruments 58-101 (“NI 58-101”) and 52-110 (“NI 52-110”) adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators. The NYSE listing standards provide that no director qualifies as “independent” unless the Board affirmatively determines that such director has no material relationship with the Company and NI 58-101 and NI 52-110 provide, in effect, that an independent director is a person that has no direct or indirect “material relationship” with the Company (defined to mean a relationship which could in the view of the Board, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of the director’s independent judgment). The NYSE listing standards and NI 52-110 set forth specific categories of relationships that disqualify a director from being independent.

The Board has reviewed the independence of each director and considered whether any director has a material relationship with the Company. As a result of this review, the Board affirmatively determined that Beverley Briscoe, Robert G. Elton, Erik Olsson, J. Kim Fennell, Amy Guggenheim Shenkan, Edward B. Pitoniak, Sarah Raiss and Christopher Zimmerman, representing eight of the nine directors, are independent within the meaning of the applicable rules of the NYSE and NI 58-101 and NI 52-110. Mr. Saligram is not independent given his employment as CEO of the Company. The Board’s independence determination was based on information provided by the directors. The Board also determined that Eric Patel, who did not stand for re-election at the 2018 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders and, therefore, ceased to be a director of the Company on May 8, 2018, was independent during the portion of fiscal 2018 during which he served on the Board.

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Meetings of the Board and Board Member Attendance at Annual Meeting

In the year ended December 31, 2018, the Board held seven meetings, comprised of regularly scheduled quarterly meetings as well as a number of supplemental meetings. Agenda and materials in relation to Board and Board committee meetings are generally circulated to directors for their review in advance of meetings. The following table presents information about attendance by directors at Board and committee meetings for the year ended December 31, 2018. Each of our incumbent directors attended 100% of the meetings of the Board of Directors. All directors are invited to attend Audit committee meetings, regardless of whether they are members.

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Independent Chair

Beverley Briscoe is the Board Chair and is an independent director. Under the description of the position adopted by the Board, Ms. Briscoe is responsible for overseeing the management, development and effective performance of the Board, and taking all reasonable measures to ensure that the Board fully executes its mandate and that directors clearly understand and respect the boundaries between the Board’s and management’s responsibilities. See also “— Board Leadership Structure” on page 37.

Board Mandate

The mandate of the Board is to supervise management of the Company and to act in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Board acts in accordance with its formal mandate and:

The Board or its designated committees approve significant decisions that affect the Company and its subsidiaries before they are implemented. The Board or a designated committee oversees the implementation of such decisions and reviews the results.

The Board meets with the CEO and other executive officers of the Company from time to time to discuss and review internal measures and systems adopted by the management to ensure a culture of integrity throughout the organization.

The Board is involved in the Company’s strategic planning process. The Board is responsible for reviewing and approving strategic initiatives, taking into account the risks and opportunities of the business. Management updates the Board on the Company’s performance in relation to strategic initiatives at least quarterly. Management undertakes an annual strategic planning process, with regular Board involvement in the process and review and approval of the resulting strategic plan. During fiscal 2018, there were seven meetings of the Board. The frequency of meetings and the nature of agenda items change depending upon the state of the Company’s affairs.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the identification of the principal risks of the Company and ensuring that risk management systems are implemented. The principal risks of the Company include those related to the Company’s underwritten business, ability to sustain and manage growth, its reputation and industry. The Board ensures that the Company adopts appropriate risk management practices, including a comprehensive enterprise risk management program, and the Board regularly reviews and provides input on the same. See also the discussion under “— Board’s Role in Risk Oversight” on page 37

The Board is responsible for the selection and performance of the CEO, and the appointment of other executive officers. The Compensation Committee is responsible for developing guidelines and procedures for selection and long-range succession planning for the CEO. See the discussions under “— Executive & Chief Executive Officer Succession Planning” on page 30.

The Board reviews all the Company’s financial communications, including annual and quarterly reports. The Company communicates with its stakeholders through a number of channels including its website. The Board oversees the Company’s disclosure policy, which requires, among other things, the accurate and timely communication of all material information as required by applicable law.

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The Audit Committee meets regularly to review reports from management of the Company and discuss specific risk areas with management and the external auditors. The Board, through the Audit Committee, oversees the effectiveness and integrity of the Company’s internal control processes and management information systems. The Audit Committee also directly oversees the activities of the Company’s external auditors. The Company’s Disclosure Committee reports to the Audit Committee on a quarterly basis on the quality of the Company’s internal control processes.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing the governance principles of the Company, recommending any changes to these principles, and monitoring their disclosure. This committee is responsible for the report on corporate governance included in the Company’s Proxy Statement. Through industry forums and access to professional advisors, the committee keeps abreast of best practices to ensure the Company continues to carry out high standards of corporate governance. The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are available on our website at www.rbauction.com/investors.

As provided in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board, with the assistance of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, determines from time to time the number of directors on the Board, within a range specified in the Company’s charter documents. The Board believes that given the size and scope of the Company, the Board should include at least eight directors. The Board believes that the current membership of the Board reflects appropriate experience and an appropriate number of unrelated and independent directors, and permits the Board to operate in an efficient manner. As described below, in February 2015 the Board adopted a diversity policy, including a target for the number of women on the Board.

Position Descriptions

The entire Board is responsible for the overall governance of the Company. Any responsibility that is not delegated to senior management or a Board committee remains with the entire Board. The Board has adopted position descriptions for the CEO and the Board Chair. The charters of the committees of the Board are considered to be position descriptions for the chairs of the committees. The CEO position description was reviewed and revised in connection with the process of hiring Mr. Saligram. The CEO has overall responsibility for all Company operations, subject to Board oversight.

The Board reviews and approves the corporate objectives for which the CEO is responsible and such corporate objectives form a key reference point for the review and assessment of the CEO’s performance.

The Board has defined the limits to management’s authority. The Board expects management, among other things, to:

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Orientation and Continuing Education

All new directors receive a comprehensive information package, which includes a record of historical public information about the Company, a copy of the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, the mandate of the Board and the charters of the Board committees, and other relevant corporate and business information and securities filings. In addition, the Company’s orientation for directors involves meeting with the Board Chair, CEO and senior management of the Company for an interactive introductory discussion about the Company, its strategy and operations, providing the directors with an opportunity to ask questions. New directors are also expected to attend a Company auction shortly after their appointment and to attend as an observer at least one meeting of each Board committee during their first year. All directors are also encouraged to meet with management informally, visit auction sites and attend auctions and “town hall” meetings on a periodic basis.

Senior management makes regular presentations to the Board on the main areas of the Company’s business and updates the Board quarterly on the Company’s financial and operating performance. External subject matter experts are also invited to make presentations to the Board on emerging topics of interest on a periodic basis. Periodically, directors tour the Company’s various facilities and attend Company auctions.

Directors are encouraged to take relevant professional development courses at the Company’s expense, and at times, the Company also recommends appropriate courses and conferences and encourages directors to attend. The Company maintains, at its expense, individual memberships for all directors with the National Association of Corporate Directors (“NACD”) and the Institute of Corporate Directors (“ICD”) and a number of directors have attended training courses offered to members of these institutions. The Company also canvases the directors on an annual basis to determine what courses or training each of them has attended during the past year.

Current Directors’ Continuing Education during 2018

Significant training events for 2018 included:

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Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, applicable to all directors, officers and employees, the full text of which can be found on our website at www.rbauction.com/investors. Any shareholder may request a paper copy, free of charge, of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics by making such request in writing to Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated, Attention: Corporate Secretary, 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5J 0C6, Canada.

The Board and management review and discuss from time to time the effectiveness of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and any areas or systems that may be further improved. The Company performs a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics compliance review on an annual basis, and seeks annual confirmation of understanding of and adherence to the Code from all employees throughout the Company and from directors. The Company, through directors’ and officers’ questionnaires and other systems, gathers and monitors relevant information in relation to potential conflicts of interest that a director or officer may have.

No material change report has been filed that pertains to any conduct of a director or executive officer that constitutes a departure from the Code.

The Company complies with the relevant provisions under the CBCA that deal with conflict of interest in the approval of agreements or transactions, and the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics sets out additional guidelines in relation to conflict of interest situations. Specifically, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics includes provisions requiring disclosure and avoidance of conflicts of interest where personal interests interfere, or appear to interfere, with the Company’s business responsibilities, including doing business with family members, accepting outside employment, using corporate opportunities for personal benefit, holding interests in outside organizations that impact the Company and regarding the Company not providing corporate loans or extending credit guarantees to or for the personal benefit of directors or officers.

The Company was founded on, and the business continues to be successful largely as a result of, a commitment to ethical conduct and doing what is right. Employees are regularly reminded about their obligations in this regard and senior management demonstrates a culture of integrity and monitors employees by being in attendance at most of the Company’s industrial auctions.

The Company has implemented procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters or reports of wrongdoing or violations of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

Exemptions or waivers from our Code of Conduct and Business Ethics may only be granted by formal approval of senior management and/or the Audit Committee. The Company will publish any waivers of the Code of Code of Conduct and Business Ethics for an executive officer or director on our website. The Company had no such waivers in 2018. Further, during 2018, the Company had no transactions where the policies and procedures summarized above required review, approval, or ratification, or where such policies and procedures were not followed.

Shareholder and Other Interested Party Communications to the Board

In 2015, in furtherance of its commitment to engaging in constructive and meaningful communication with shareholders, the Company adopted a formal Shareholder Engagement Policy in order to promote open and sustained dialogue with shareholders and other interested parties in a manner consistent with the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures. Shareholders and other interested parties may initiate communications with the Board by directing their questions or concerns to the independent directors through the Board Chair c/o the Corporate Secretary, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated, 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, B.C. V5J 0C6 or email to chairman_of_the_board@rbauction.com.

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All relevant correspondence, with the exception of solicitations for the purchase or sale of products and services and other similar types of correspondence, will be forwarded to the Chair. Purely for administrative purposes, correspondence to the Chair may be opened or viewed by the Company’s Corporate Secretary. A copy of the Company’s Shareholder Engagement Policy is available on the Company’s website at www.rbauction.com/investors.

Executive and Chief Executive Officer Succession Planning

The Board is responsible for ensuring that the Company has an appropriate organizational structure in place, including a CEO and other key executives who have the skills and expertise to ensure the effective management of the Company. The Board is supported in this function by the Compensation Committee which is responsible for ensuring that management has a robust process in place for CEO and senior executive succession planning.

Under the oversight of the Compensation Committee, Mr. Saligram and the Chief Human Resources Officer have implemented a talent review process building on the Company’s annual performance management process. This process, in addition to identifying the high-potential and high-performing talent, assists Mr. Saligram and the Chief Human Resources Officer to review succession plans at key levels and establish development plans for key talent. This process is the basis for enterprise succession planning and will continue to evolve in the coming years with the aim of ensuring that the Company has the appropriate level of executive bench strength necessary to drive growth and ensure long-term profitability. The CEO formally reviews the succession plan for his role as well as other key executive roles with the full Board once a year in addition to having periodic discussions of talent progression throughout the year. In addition to ordinary course CEO succession planning, the Company’s Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee has, in consultation with the CEO, also implemented a succession plan to address unanticipated emergency situations. The emergency succession plan is reviewed annually.

Following his appointment as CEO in 2014, Mr. Saligram, in consultation and with the approval of the Board, implemented a new organizational structure for the Company. This structure was subsequently augmented by the addition of further key executives with complimentary skill sets, primarily as part of the acquisition and integration of IronPlanet in 2017. These initiatives and developments have significantly strengthened the succession pool of the Company. At the same time, the Company has engaged external consultants to assist with pre-hire assessments as well as integration plans to support the successful integration of these new executives into the Company.

Further to the above, the Board encourages senior management to participate in professional and personal development activities, courses and programs, and supports management’s commitment to training and developing its employees with a special focus on areas of strategic importance.

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Board Committees

Audit Committee and Audit Committee Financial Expert

The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s corporate accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of its financial statements. The members of our Audit Committee are Robert G. Elton, Erik Olsson and Amy Guggenheim Shenkan. Mr. Elton is Chair of the Audit Committee. All committee members qualify as independent directors for audit committee purposes under the applicable NYSE listing standards, SEC rules and NI 52-110, including Mr. Patel, who was a member of the Audit Committee until the 2018 Annual and Special Meeting of the Shareholders, at which he did not stand for re-election and Mr. Pitoniak, who was a member of the Audit Committee until the 2018 Annual and Special Meeting of the Shareholders. The Board has determined that all current members of the Audit Committee are “financially literate” as interpreted by the Board in its business judgment. The Board has further determined that Mr. Elton qualifies as an audit committee “financial expert,” as defined in the applicable rules of the SEC. The Audit Committee held five meetings during 2018. Each of our incumbent directors on the Audit Committee attended all meetings of the committee that occurred following the time of their appointment to the committee.

Information regarding the relevant education and experience of the members of the Audit Committee, as required under NI 52-110, is disclosed, under “Proposal One: Election of Directors — Information Concerning the Nominees to the Board of Directors”.

The Audit Committee Charter establishes the Audit Committee and sets out its duties and responsibilities. The Audit Committee reviews and reassesses the adequacy of the Audit Committee Charter on an annual basis and, if appropriate, proposes changes to the Board. The Audit Committee Charter was most recently updated in February 2017. The Audit Committee Charter is available on our website at www.rbauction.com/investors. For further information on our Audit Committee and related matters, including the Report on Audited Financial Statements, see “Proposal Two: Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP” on page 44.

The Audit Committee meets periodically with our independent accountants and management to review the scope and results of the annual audit and to review and discuss our financial statements and related reporting matters prior to the submission of the financial statements to the Board. In addition, the committee meets with the independent auditors on at least a quarterly basis to review and discuss the annual audit or quarterly review of our financial statements.

Compensation Committee

The Board has established a Compensation Committee, the current members of which are Robert G. Elton, Erik Olsson, J. Kim Fennell and Sarah Raiss. Ms. Raiss is Chair of the Compensation Committee. The Board has determined that the current committee members, as well as Mr. Patel, who was the Chair of the Compensation Committee until the 2018 Annual and Special Meeting of the Shareholders, at which he did not stand for re-election, qualify as independent directors for compensation committee purposes under the applicable NYSE standards, SEC rules and NI 58-101 and a non-employee director under the SEC rules. The Compensation Committee held eight meetings during 2018.

The Compensation Committee reviews and assesses its charter at least annually and, if appropriate, proposes changes to the Board. The charter was most recently updated in August 2017. A copy of the charter is available on our website at www.rbauction.com/investors.

The Compensation Committee, acting pursuant to its charter is responsible for, among other matters:

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The Compensation Committee’s charter allows the committee to form and delegate authority to subcommittees and to delegate authority to one or more designated members of the Board or Company officers, provided that any such delegation complies with all applicable laws, regulations and stock exchange rules. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” on page 47 for additional discussion regarding the process and procedures of the Compensation Committee with respect to compensation.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The Board has established a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the current members of which are Edward B. Pitoniak, Beverley A. Briscoe, Amy Guggenheim Shenkan and Christopher Zimmerman. Mr. Pitoniak is Chair of the committee. The Board has determined that the current committee members each qualify as an independent director for nominating and corporate governance committee purposes under the applicable NYSE standards and NI 58-101. The committee held four meetings during 2018.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews and assesses its charter at least annually and, if appropriate, proposes changes to the Board. The charter was most recently updated in November 2017. The charter is available on our website at www.rbauction.com/investors.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, acting pursuant to its charter, serves the following purposes:

Annually, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee follows a process designed to consider the election of directors, in accordance with the guidelines articulated in its charter and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, including, if applicable, to seek individuals qualified to

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become new Board members for recommendation to the Board to fill any vacancies. In assessing the qualification of a candidate, the committee adheres to the director selection guidelines set forth in the committee’s charter, which include, among other things:

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes that having directors with, among other things, relevant professional experience, industry knowledge, functional skills and expertise, geographic experience and exposure, leadership qualities and public company board and committee experience is beneficial to the Board as a whole. Directors with such backgrounds can provide a useful perspective on significant risks and competitive advantages and an understanding of the challenges the Company faces. The committee monitors the mix of skills and experience of directors and committee members to assess whether the Board has the appropriate tools to perform its oversight function effectively. With respect to nominating existing directors, the committee reviews relevant information available to it and assesses their continued ability and willingness to devote the required time and effort to serve as a director, taking into consideration any other engagements they may have, including any other public boards on which they serve. The committee also assesses each person’s contribution in light of the mix of skills and experience the committee deems appropriate for the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee takes into account the diversity objectives set forth in the Diversity Policy and Directors Selection Guidelines discussed below in addition to the relevant skills and experience required by the Board, in selecting candidates for filling Board vacancies and charging its composition.

With respect to considering nominations of new directors, including nominations by shareholders, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies candidates based upon the criteria set forth above and in its charter. The committee reviews selected candidates and makes a recommendation to the Board. The committee may also seek input from other directors or from senior management when identifying candidates.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has the responsibility for establishing corporate governance guidelines and overseeing the evaluation and effectiveness of the Board as a whole, as well as the committees of the Board and the contribution of individual directors. The committee maintains and updates from time to time an inventory of the competencies, capabilities and skills of current non-executive Board members. The following matrix is used as a reference tool for the ongoing assessment of Board composition, to ensure that desired skills and attributes are considered as new Board members are being assessed and to identify any gaps in the competencies that are required to successfully advance the overall strategy of the Company.

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reviews with them, along with any other ideas for improvement. The Board may, at its discretion, engage an independent corporate governance expert to gather, organize and/or summarize the individual assessments for discussion with the Board and the committees. The results of each annual assessment are shared with all directors.

Director Term Limits and Board Renewal

The Company has determined not to adopt any formal term limit for the members of the Board (other than a mandatory retirement age of 72 as set out in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines), but generally views a term of 10 – 15 years as an appropriate guideline to allow for the development of sufficient continuity and experience on the Board, while also ensuring adequate Board renewal. This guideline is set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the composition of the Board on a regular basis in relation to approved director criteria and skill requirements and recommends changes as appropriate to renew the Board.

Representation of Women on the Board and in the Director Identification and Selection Process

The Company has adopted a Diversity Policy and amended the Director Selection Guidelines forming part of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter (the “Director Selection Guidelines”) to implement the provisions of such Diversity Policy. The Company values diversity and recognizes the organizational strength, deeper problem-solving ability and opportunity for innovation that diversity brings to the Board. The Company believes diversity is an important element of corporate governance and is good for the business.

Diversity contributes to the achievement of the Company’s corporate objectives. It enables the Company to attract people with the best skills and attributes, and to develop a workforce whose diversity reflects that of the communities in which it operates.

The Company’s Diversity Policy and Director Selection Guidelines established, as a measurable objective for improving gender diversity, that by 2016 at least 25% of the Board be comprised of women. In addition to a candidate’s independence, industry knowledge, skills, experience, leadership qualities and other factors, the Nominating and Corporate Governance committee takes into account the diversity objectives set forth in the Diversity Policy and Director Selection Guidelines in selecting candidates for filling nomination and appointment to the Board.

The Company has achieved this target and currently has three female directors on the Board, including the Board Chair, representing 33.3% of the Board, which had 9 directors on December 31, 2018.

Representation of Women in Executive Officer Appointments

The Company is committed to improving the level of diversity, including the representation of women in executive officer appointments. The Company currently has two female executive officers: Sharon Driscoll, our Chief Financial Officer, and Marianne Marck, our Chief Information Technology Officer, representing 22% of the Company’s executive officers, up from 14.2% in 2016 and up from 0% since the appointment of Mr. Saligram as CEO in July of 2014.

The Company has not adopted any specific target regarding women in executive positions. The Company believes that it has a balanced approach in its executive selection process and has given emphasis to gender representation in its executive search program. Pursuant to the Company’s Diversity Policy, the Company’s management is responsible for implementing the Diversity Policy, achieving the diversity initiatives established by the Company and reporting to the Board on progress toward and achievement of diversity initiatives. In addition, management has embarked on a process to assess and improve diversity within the organization and will continue to focus on the development of a diversity and inclusion strategy during 2019. Since 2011, the Company has sponsored various leadership development initiatives including the Women’s Go Networking and Mentoring program and

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the Company’s Women in Leadership program open to all female employees aspiring to leadership roles. In addition, we have sponsored high-potential women to attend external leadership training and the annual Art of Leadership for Women conference.

Further, as noted above, since the appointment of Mr. Saligram as the Company’s CEO in July of 2014, female representation at the executive officer level has increased from 0% to 22%. Mr. Saligram also recognizes that it is equally important to increase female representation at the mid-management level as these positions are the Company’s pipeline for future executive officer roles. As such, the Company has continued to focus on recognizing high-potential women in our organization and, as a result, female representation at the Company’s mid-management level and above has increased. In order to implement this initiative, the Company has:

The Company’s management believes these initiatives and efforts will ensure a pipeline of diverse candidates and improve representation of women to be considered when making leadership and executive officer appointments. The Company is committed to providing an environment in which all employees are treated with fairness and respect, and have equal access to opportunities for advancement based on skills and aptitude.

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Corporate Governance Guidelines

The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines addressing, among other things, Board and management roles, Board functions and responsibilities, director qualifications, director independence, Board structure and performance evaluations. The guidelines are available on our website at www.rbauction.com/investors

Board Leadership Structure

The Board does not have a formal written policy regarding the separation of the roles of CEO and Board Chair; however, the Board believes that separating the Board Chair and CEO positions is the most effective leadership structure for the Company. This structure allows the Board Chair to focus on the effectiveness of the Board while the CEO focuses on executing the Company’s strategy and managing the Company’s operations and performance.

As required under the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board holds at least four scheduled meetings each year of the non-executive directors without management present. Additional executive sessions may be held from time to time as required. Ms. Briscoe, as independent Board Chair, presides at executive sessions. The non-executive directors met either immediately before or following each meeting of the Board, holding five meetings and several information sessions in 2018 without management present.

Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

The Board oversees the Company’s enterprise risk management program, which focuses on the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks associated with achievement of the Company’s strategic objectives. Principal risks are identified and evaluated relative to their potential impact and likelihood of occurrence, including consideration of mitigating activities. The Company’s annual risk assessment process is linked to the annual strategic planning process, with periodic updates conducted to identify potential emerging risks, such as those associated with major business decisions, key initiatives and external factors. The Company’s enterprise risk management program is overseen at the senior executive level in conjunction with the Company’s risk management and internal audit group. Reports on principal risks and mitigation strategies are reviewed by the Company’s executive officers, the Audit Committee and the Board.

Oversight of the Company’s management of principal risks forms part of the mandate of the Board and its committees. The Board has primary responsibility for oversight of the enterprise risk management program. Each of the Company’s principal risks is the responsibility of either a specific committee or the entire Board, as appropriate. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Company’s activities with respect to the identification, assessment and mitigation of cybersecurity and technology risks. The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing, including with management and the Company’s independent auditor, if appropriate, the guidelines and policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management, specifically the Company’s major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures. The Compensation Committee is responsible for compensation risk and accordingly, has considered the implications of the risks associated with the Company’s compensation policies and practices to ensure they do not encourage inappropriate risk taking by the Company’s executive officers.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

There were no compensation committee or board interlocks among the directors during 2018.

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Other Matters

Legal Proceedings

We do not currently know of any legal proceedings against us involving our directors, executive officers, affiliates of record or beneficial owners of more than 5% of our common shares or any of their affiliates, or in which any of these persons has a material interest adverse to us.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors, certain officers and persons who own 10% or more of our common shares, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership on Forms 3, 4 and 5 with the SEC. Such persons are required to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely upon the Company’s review of copies of such forms furnished to the Company and written representations from such persons, the Company is not aware of any failure by any of our executive officers, directors and greater than 10% holders to timely file any report required to be filed under Section 16(a) with respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

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Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions

No executive officer, director, or employee or former executive officer, director or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor any proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate of any director, executive officer or proposed nominee, is, or at any time since January 1, 2018 has been, indebted to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or indebted to another entity where the indebtedness is subject to a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries either for a purchase of securities or otherwise, other than “routine indebtedness” as defined in Form 51-102F5 adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Other than as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, since January 1, 2018, none of our directors, executive officers, nominees for director or beneficial owners of more than 5% of our common shares or any of their immediate family members was indebted to the Company or had a material interest in a transaction with the Company where the amount involved exceeded $120,000, nor are any such transactions currently proposed.

Other than as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, none of the directors or officers of the Company, no director or officer of a body corporate that is itself an insider or a subsidiary of the Company, no person or company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the Company or who exercised control or direction over voting securities of the Company or a combination of both carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to any class of outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote in connection with any matters being proposed for consideration at the Meeting, no proposed director or nominee for election as a director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing has or had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction or proposed transaction since January 1, 2018 that has materially affected or would or could materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

In accordance with its charter, our Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing all related person transactions, including current or proposed transactions in which the Company was or is to be a participant, the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. The Audit Committee does not currently have a written related party transaction policy but its practice is to consider relevant facts and circumstances in determining whether or not to approve or ratify such a transaction, such as: (i) the nature of the related person’s interest in the transaction; (ii) the terms of the transaction; (iii) the relative importance (of lack thereof) of the transaction to the Company; (iv) the materiality and character of the related person’s interest, including any actual or perceived conflicts of interest; and (v) any other matters the Audit Committee deems appropriate. Based on its consideration of all of the relevant facts and circumstances, the Audit Committee decides whether or not to approve such transactions and approves only those transactions that are deemed to be in the overall best interests of the Company.

In addition, pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, if any actual or potential conflict of interest arises for a director, the director is expected to promptly inform the Board Chair and the CEO. If a significant conflict exists and cannot be resolved, the director is expected to resign. All directors are expected to recuse themselves from any discussion or decision affecting their personal business or interests.

Other than as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, none of the directors or officers of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, none of the persons who have been directors or officers of the Company at any time since January 1, 2018 and no associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting.

There are no family relationships (by blood, marriage, or adoption, not more remote than first cousin) between any director, executive officer, or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer.

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Non-Executive Director Compensation

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee periodically reviews the Company’s director compensation practices and recommends to the Board the form and amount of compensation and benefits for directors. For 2018, the annual retainer paid to non-executive directors, other than the Board Chair, was $200,000. The annual retainer paid to the Board Chair was $345,000. The Chairs of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee received an additional fee of $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000, respectively.

Non-executive directors filing tax returns in jurisdictions outside of Canada are further entitled to reimbursement by the Company for expenses related to obtaining tax advice in connection with their engagement as a director of the Company, up to a maximum of $5,000 per calendar year.

Effective January 1, 2018, 50% of the annual Board retainer paid to non-executive directors, including the annual fee paid to the Board Chair (but excluding fees for chairmanship of Board committees) is paid in the form of DSUs. Executive directors receive no additional compensation for service on the Board. For a discussion of DSUs, see “Non-Executive Director Deferred Share Unit Plan” on page 42.

Non-Executive Director Compensation Table

The table below sets out the compensation of the Company’s non-executive directors for the year ended December 31, 2018.

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The following table sets out the applicable equity ownership guideline and equity ownership for each current non-executive director.

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The annual Board retainer which is payable in the form of DSUs as contemplated in the plan is payable, calculated and credited quarterly in arrears as follows:

Although DSUs vest immediately upon being granted under the DSU Plan, no amount is payable to the non-executive director holding the DSUs until the director ceases to be a director, following which the director will be entitled to receive a lump sum cash payment, net of any applicable withholdings, equal to the number of DSUs held multiplied by the fair market value of one common share (determined as described above) as of the 24^th business day after the first publication of the Company’s interim or annual financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis for the fiscal quarter of the Company next ending following the director ceasing to hold office. Additional DSUs are credited under the DSU Plan corresponding to dividends declared on the common shares. DSUs are considered equivalent to common shares for purposes of determining whether a director is complying with or satisfying share ownership guidelines.

Non-Executive Directors Long-term Incentive Plan

The Company adopted the long-term incentive plan for non-executive directors (the “Non-Executive Director LTIP”) in 2009. Under the Non-Executive Director LTIP, part of the annual retainer of non-executive directors was used prior to 2012 to purchase common shares. Such shares were purchased by the administrator of the Non-Executive Director LTIP through open market purchases and held by the plan administrator on behalf of the participants.

In connection with the adoption of the DSU Plan, the Non-Executive Director LTIP was amended to provide that the Company would cease to pay contributions for participants under such plan to the plan administrator in respect of annual fees earned after January 1, 2012. Participants are not permitted to withdraw any common shares held in the Non-Executive Director LTIP unless a certain event occurs or certain conditions are satisfied (e.g. the termination, retirement or resignation of the participant as a director of the Company).

Effective August 8, 2018, the Non-Executive Director LTIP was discontinued. The shares were distributed and continue to be held directly by those Non-Executive Directors who were participating in the Non-Executive Director LTIP.

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Proposal Two: Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP

Overview

We are asking our shareholders to appoint Ernst & Young LLP as our auditor for the year ending December 31, 2018 and that the Audit Committee be authorized to fix their remuneration. Ernst & Young LLP has been our auditor since April 25, 2013. The Audit Committee is satisfied that Ernst & Young LLP meets the relevant independence requirements and is free from conflicts of interest that could impair their objectivity in conducting an audit of the Company.

To the Company’s knowledge, a representative from Ernst & Young LLP will be present at the Meeting to take questions, and the firm will be permitted to make a statement if it so desires.

Fees Billed by Independent Auditors

The fees billed to us by Ernst & Young LLP, our independent auditor, in each of the last two fiscal years are set forth in the following table. All services and fees, including tax service fees, were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

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The Audit Committee’s pre-approval policy outlines the procedures and the conditions pursuant to which permissible services proposed to be performed by the auditors are pre-approved, provides a general pre-approval for certain permissible services and outlines a list of prohibited services. For 2017 and 2018, all of the services related to amounts billed by the Company’s external accountants were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

Recommendation of the Board

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019 and the authorization of the Audit Committee to fix the auditor’s remuneration.

Report of the Audit Committee

To the Shareholders of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated:

The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with management and the Company’s independent auditors the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent registered public accountants matters required to be discussed by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, Independence Discussions with Audit Committees, and considered the compatibility of non-audit services with the auditors’ independence. In addition, the Audit Committee discussed the matters required to be discussed by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) Auditing Standard No. 1301. The Audit Committee also has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent accountant required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has also discussed with the independent accountant the accountant’s independence. Based on the review and discussions, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 for filing with the SEC.

Audit Committee of the Board
Robert G. Elton, Chair
Amy Guggenheim Shenkan
Erik Olsson

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Proposal Three: Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

Overview

The Board of Directors believes that the Company’s operating success and shareholder value depend to a large extent on the ability of the Company’s leadership. Accordingly, our executive compensation program is designed to provide a competitive level of compensation necessary to:

In accordance with Section 14A of the Exchange Act and Section 951 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the following resolution, commonly known as a “Say on Pay” proposal, gives our shareholders the opportunity to vote to approve or not approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers (“NEOs”). This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our NEOs and our compensation philosophy, policies and practices, as disclosed in this “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” beginning on page 47. Shareholders will be given an opportunity to cast an advisory vote on this topic annually.

While the final vote is advisory in nature and therefore not binding on us, or our Directors, we value the opinions of all our shareholders and will carefully consider the outcome of this vote when making future compensation decisions for our NEOs.

We encourage our shareholders to read this “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, which explains specifically how, what and why we pay our executives, and will equip shareholders to cast an informed vote.

Our Board believes that our current compensation program appropriately links executive pay to achievement of corporate goals, properly aligns management and shareholder interests, and is fair, reasonable and competitive relative to market practice. We therefore recommend that shareholders vote in favor of the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Named Executive Officers, as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Executive Compensation Tables and the accompanying narrative discussion in the proxy statement of the Company, dated March 27, 2019, is hereby approved.”

Recommendation of the Board

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the adoption of the above resolution indicating approval of the compensation of the Company’s NEOs.

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Compensation Discussion and Analysis

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Letter from our Compensation Committee Chair

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Executive Compensation Program Philosophy

The philosophy underlying our executive compensation program is to provide attractive, flexible and market-based total compensation that is tied to performance and aligned with the interests of our shareholders.

Our executive compensation program is structured to align our executive officers’ interests with those of our stockholders by linking compensation to business objectives and performance and to attract and retain talented executives. In general, our executive officers, including Ravi Saligram, our Chief Executive Officer, and our other named executive officers, are eligible for, and participate in, our compensation and benefits programs on the same terms as those available to all of our employees. Our executive compensation program is administered by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors, which is composed solely of independent directors. The key elements of our executive compensation program are base salary, annual cash bonuses pursuant to our Short-Term Incentive Plan (“STI”) and long-term equity awards under our Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTI”).

The Compensation Committee is responsible for determining the level of compensation awarded to our named executive officers (“NEOs”) and our other executive officers. The Compensation Committee targets compensation levels that take into account current market practices and believes that offering market-comparable pay opportunities allows our Company to maintain a successful and stable executive team.

Our compensation practices communicate both our goals and our standards of conduct, and they motivate and reward employees based on their performance. Within this framework, we follow these principles:

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These principles are the foundation for a compensation framework that focuses management’s best efforts on achieving the Company’s goals and generating sustainable shareholder value. To this end, our principles lead us to take certain actions:

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Executive Compensation Principles and Framework

Our compensation principles and practices are summarized below.

Attract, Motivate and Retain Top-caliber Talent

Our compensation principles and framework are designed to attract and retain the superior leadership we need to lead and grow the business.

To ensure our compensation practices remain competitive, we benchmark NEOs’ compensation against the compensation offered by companies in our Peer Group. We engage an independent compensation consultant to assess the appropriateness of the Peer Group and to advise on compensation structure and levels.

With the acquisition of IronPlanet in 2017 we engaged Meridian Compensation Partners (“Meridian”) to evaluate our Peer Group given the multichannel evolution and enhanced digital capabilities of our new combined company. See the detailed discussion of our Peer Group on pages 78 – 81.

Pay for Performance

Our compensation policy supports the Company’s strategy and business goals. We pay for performance.

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Reward Long-Term Growth and Profitability

Shareholder-Oriented Long-Term Incentives

Long-term incentives make up a significant portion of total direct compensation (58% for our CEO and between 38% and 46% for our other NEOs), and, like short-term variable pay, are contingent on performance.

RSUs are not included in our regular long-term incentive award mix. We occasionally award RSUs on a very targeted basis, primarily to new hires to compensate for equity awards forfeited at a former employer, or to provide retention for business-critical employees where there is a real retention risk.

The Compensation Committee and the Board believe that the use of equity-based compensation, combined with share ownership guidelines, aligns the interests of executives with those of shareholders, and rewards the creation of sustainable, long-term shareholder value.

Our heavy weighting toward long-term incentives ensures that pay outcomes are fully aligned with shareholders over the longer term while keeping our compensation program competitive with our peers.

Our emphasis on equity compensation and the significant share ownership required to be maintained by our executives create a direct link between share price performance and the potential value that our executives can realize from our equity programs.

Align Compensation with Shareholder Interests

Our compensation policy promotes alignment of interests between management and shareholders through equity ownership requirements, at-risk pay elements, and long-term incentive compensation. As well, we actively seek our shareholders’ opinions on our executive compensation program and carefully consider their feedback when making compensation decisions.

Equity Ownership Requirements and Hold Until Met

Our CEO, Mr. Saligram, is subject to market leading ownership requirements. He is required to hold 100% of the after-tax value from any exercise of options or redemption of share units under the LTI plan and from his sign-on grant until the share ownership guidelines are satisfied. Thereafter, 50% of the after-tax value of each exercise/redemption is to be held for a period of at least two years following the payout date. In addition, Mr. Saligram is required to hold common shares with a value equal to the sum of his annual base salary and short-term incentive bonus for a period of at least one year following the end of his employment.

Our share ownership guidelines require all NEOs, as well as all other executives, to hold meaningful levels of equity in the Company. Executives must hold equity with a minimum value equal to a multiple of their base salary, with the multiple increasing in proportion to the executive’s responsibility and ability to affect the company’s strategic results. Ownership levels for NEOs are shown on the table below.

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Shareholder Feedback

The Company solicits shareholders’ views on a number of topics. We hold non-binding advisory shareholder votes on the compensation program for our NEOs, commonly referred to as a “say on pay” vote.

We received 97% of votes in favor of our say on pay proposal at the 2018 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders. Our Compensation Committee has considered and will continue to consider the outcome of our say on pay votes and our shareholders’ views when making compensation decisions for our NEOs, including the outcome of “Proposal Three: Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation” at this Annual and Special Meeting.

Promote Accountability; Discourage Excessive Risk-Taking

Our compensation program discourages excessive risk-taking. The Company enforces this principle through the share-ownership requirements described above, as well as hedging and trading restrictions and a clawback policy described below. Moreover, each year the Compensation Committee reviews compensation policies and practices to ensure they do not encourage executive officers to take excessive or inappropriate risks.

Hedging and Trading Restrictions

The Company prohibits hedging or monetization transactions that could limit an employee’s economic risk exposure to our share price with respect to their ownership of common shares or awards of stock options or other equity-based compensation. Prohibited transactions include the purchase of financial instruments, including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, puts, calls or other derivative securities that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of the Company’s equity securities.

Clawback Policy

The Company has an Incentive Compensation Clawback Policy, which permits recovery of both short and long-term equity incentive compensation from all executive officers (the “Clawback Policy”) if:

In this circumstance, the Board may seek to recover for the benefit of the Company the excess performance-based compensation, both short- and long-term, paid or awarded during the three years preceding such restatement.

Compensation Risk and Governance Review

Oversight of the Company’s management of principal risks forms part of the mandate of the Board and its committees. Each of the Company’s principal risks is the responsibility of either a specific committee or the entire Board, as appropriate. The Compensation Committee is responsible for compensation risk and, accordingly, has considered the implications of the risks associated with the Company’s compensation policies and practices to ensure they do not encourage inappropriate risk-taking by the Company’s executive officers.

The Compensation Committee has implemented a formal decision-making process that involves management, the Committee and the Board. The Committee uses a multi-step review process for all compensation matters, first adopting goals and metrics of performance, reviewing how performance compares to the pre-established metrics and then seeking Board input as to the reasonableness of the results. The Committee uses independent external compensation consultants to provide advice in connection with executive pay benchmarking, incentive plan design, compensation governance and pay for performance. The Committee believes that the current executive compensation program

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strikes an appropriate balance between short-term and long-term incentives, adopting multiple distinct metrics for each component that are aligned with the Company’s overall strategic objectives. The program ensures that executives are compensated fairly and in a way that does not encourage executives to take inappropriate risks.

All of the members of the Compensation Committee are independent, and one member is also the chair of the Audit Committee, ensuring that the Compensation Committee has an in-depth knowledge of the Company’s financial position when making compensation decisions.

In 2018, the Compensation Committee considered a risk review of the Company’s compensation plans and programs prepared by Meridian, our independent compensation consultants, and concluded that our compensation programs are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company, its business or its value. This review helps the Compensation Committee to structure executive compensation programs that avoid exposing the Company to unwarranted risk.

The Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee is comprised of Robert G. Elton, Erik Olsson, J. Kim Fennell and Sarah Raiss, each of whom is an independent director, with Ms. Raiss serving as the Chair. Details of the Compensation Committee’s duties are summarized under “Corporate Governance — Board Committees — Compensation Committee” on page 31 and are fully set out in the Compensation Committee’s charter, which can be found on our website at www.rbauction.com/investors. The Compensation Committee held eight meetings during 2018.

Advisors to the Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee retains independent consultants to provide advice regarding executive compensation matters. However, the Compensation Committee is ultimately responsible for its decisions and, in making its decisions or recommendations to the Board, exercises its business judgment and considers information in addition to the recommendations provided by consultants.

During 2018, the Compensation Committee retained Meridian to review and provide oversight and advice related to executive compensation programs. Meridian is fully independent and provides no advice or services to the Company’s management.

The aggregate fees billed to the Company for consultation over the past two years are set out below.

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Compensation Framework

The compensation paid to each of our NEOs in 2018 primarily consisted of the three elements shown below. The Company believes that the mix of base salary, performance-based short-term incentive, and long-term incentive plans creates a balanced approach to executive compensation consistent with generally accepted compensation principles and good governance practices. The Compensation Committee annually reviews the relative emphasis of each of these elements to ensure the overall compensation structure remains consistent with the compensation principles. In addition, the Compensation Committee annually assesses the competitiveness of the Company’s compensation program relative to programs among selected peer companies. (see Peer Group Comparisons, page 78.)

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2018 Business Performance

Our executive compensation program is designed to link the pay of our NEOs to the performance achieved in the year and over a sustained period of time. In 2018, this performance resulted in short-term incentive performance factors for NEOs ranging from 114% (for our CEO) and between 99% and 116% (for our other NEOs) of target. The 2016 PSU awards vested at 142.6% of target.

2018 Strategic Achievements

Our company delivered good financial and operational results in 2018, growing GTV, growing revenue and growing earnings. These results reflect the efforts of our global workforce, led by Mr. Saligram and our other executive officers, including our named executive officers. During 2018, many initiatives and corporate development actions were accomplished:

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The Company’s management team has actively been executing the Company’s “Grow, Drive, Optimize” strategy.

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2018 Key Financial Highlights

Net income attributable to stockholders of $121.5 million, 62% higher than 2017. Diluted EPS attributable to stockholders increased 61% to $1.11, and diluted adjusted EPS attributable to stockholders (non-GAAP measure) increased 33% to $1.08 year over year. Other 2018 key highlights included:

Long-Term Financial Performance

The results for 2018 should be viewed in the context of the Company’s longer term financial performance. Since December 31, 2013, the Company has delivered a 59.3%⁽¹⁾ return to shareholders when taking stock price appreciation plus reinvested dividends into account and 45.8% when taking into account stock price appreciation without dividend reinvestment.

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2018 Compensation for Named Executive Officers

In this section, we describe the material components of our executive compensation program for our Named Executive Officers, or “NEOs,” whose compensation is set forth in the Summary Compensation Table and other compensation tables contained in this Proxy Statement.

The Compensation Committee determines compensation for our NEOs using a pay-for-performance framework that links compensation with overall business and individual performance. In setting compensation levels, the Compensation Committee aims to provide appropriate reward for annual performance as well as incentive for future achievement.

Our NEOs for 2018 are:

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CEO Compensation Summary

Ravi Saligram, Chief Executive Officer

In the chart below, we have compared our CEO's target total direct compensation to his realizable pay over the last three fiscal years. As demonstrated in the chart below, the value of our CEO's realizable pay for 2016, 2017 and 2018, as measured using our closing stock price on December 31, 2018, displays the strong alignment between our executive compensation program and Company performance. We believe this chart demonstrates that our CEO's compensation is, as intended, largely at risk and closely and appropriately linked to performance, including the performance of our stock price.

The alignment shown in the above graph demonstrates the effectiveness of our philosophy of tying a significant portion of total direct compensation to the attainment of performance objectives and value creation.

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The table below provides a breakdown of elements used to calculate total compensation for our CEO in terms of target pay and realizable pay for 2016, 2017 and 2018:

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CEO Realizable Pay Analysis

In furtherance of our pay for performance principle, the Compensation Committee assessed our CEO’s compensation and Company’s performance relative to our Peer Group. Specifically, the Compensation Committee analyzed the relationship between the realizable pay (as defined above) of Mr. Saligram and our Company’s TSR compared with our Peer Group over the three-year period ended December 31, 2017 — the most recent fiscal year-end in which peer company compensation data is available.

The following chart illustrates the degree of alignment between Mr. Saligram’s total realizable pay (as defined above but including “All Other Compensation” as reported in the Summary Compensation Table) and our Company's performance relative to our Peer Group over the three-year period from 2015 to 2017 — the most recent fiscal year for which peer company compensation data is available. Peer companies are represented by the diamonds in the chart. Companies that fall within the shaded diagonal area (i.e., “zone of alignment”) are generally considered to be aligned from a pay and performance perspective. As demonstrated in the chart, Mr. Saligram's realizable pay is well aligned with the Company’s performance.

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Pay-for-Performance Design

The Company’s objective in setting compensation is to create shareholder value over the long-term, represented by the Company’s earnings performance. To align executive pay with both the Company’s financial performance and the creation of sustainable shareholder value, a significant portion of compensation paid to our NEOs is provided as performance-based, short-term and long-term incentive compensation. This structure makes the majority of executive pay at-risk and dependent on the Company’s performance over the short and long-term. The portion of total compensation “at risk” increases in line with the expansion of our executive officers’ responsibilities and their ability to affect the Company’s financial results.

Each year, the Compensation Committee identifies and considers a range of measures for Company performance and, as appropriate, measures tied to individual performance. The Compensation Committee then selects the measures it believes most closely align with the Company’s Strategic Roadmap and defines specific performance goals for short-term and long-term incentive compensation based on those metrics.

These financial performance measures may include, among other measures, revenue, revenue growth, operating profit, net income, GTV, safety metrics, synergies and TSR, as well as the following non-GAAP financial measures:

For a description of these non-GAAP measures, refer to “Annex: Selected Definitions of Operational and Financial Performance” in this Proxy Statement.

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Elements of Executive Compensation

The 2018 compensation awards for each of our NEOs generally consisted of the four elements described in the Compensation Framework section on page 57: base salary; a short-term cash incentive bonus; PSUs that vest at the end of a three-year performance period, subject to performance targets; and stock options with a ten-year term. Following is a summary of the compensation of the NEOs and their at-target incentive values.

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Short-term Performance-Based Non-Equity Incentive Compensation

Short-term incentive bonuses are paid to NEOs based on successful achievement of corporate performance targets. For those executives who lead a business unit, a portion of the short-term cash incentive award is tied to the business unit’s performance, as shown in the table below. Some executives also have individual goals.

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In determining actual 2018 corporate performance against the above-mentioned targets, and the resulting STI payouts, the Compensation Committee made certain adjustments to the Company’s operating results to eliminate the impact of certain non-recurring and extraordinary items as follows:

Giving effect to the above-described adjustments for the purposes of determining STI performance: (i) agency proceeds decreased from $729.1 million to $719.2 million; (ii) diluted adjusted EPS attributable to stockholders increased from $1.08 to $1.17; and (iii) OFCF increased from $111.9 million to $130.0 million, resulting in a total corporate performance factor of 114% for our CEO.

Based on the performance shown above, the following cash incentive awards were approved for 2018:

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Long-term Equity-Based Incentive Compensation

The Company grants two types of long-term equity-based awards to NEOs: PSUs and stock options. Our equity-based incentive plan is market competitive, 100% performance linked, and aligned with shareholder interests.

We have eliminated RSUs from our annual long-term incentive award mix to better align the compensation of our executives with the outcomes for our shareholders. We occasionally award RSUs to executives on a very targeted basis, primarily to new hires, to provide compensation for equity awards forfeited at a former employer or to provide retention for business-critical employees where there is a real retention risk.

Grants of PSUs under our long-term incentive plans are based on corporate performance goals and set as target percentages of participants’ base salaries. Grants of stock options are set as target percentages of the participants’ base salaries. For 2018 NEOs grants range from 100% to 280% of annual base salary.

As long-term incentives represented approximately 58% of the CEO’s direct compensation and between 38% and 46% of NEOs’ direct compensation mix in 2018, the value derived from these incentives strongly impacts the pay for performance relationship.

Target Equity Grant Values

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We also discontinued the use of TSR as a modifier, beginning with the 2019 PSU awards, as we do not have enough true business competitors to properly measure industry out-performance or under-performance, which is the primary role of a relative TSR metric. Even without a relative TSR measure, the payout value of our long-term incentive awards is significantly affected by our share price performance, as value of the award is based on share price at the end of a three year period. The Compensation Committee will retain discretion to modify payouts based on relative and absolute performance.

2018 PSU Awards

The 2018 PSU awards, granted in March 2018, vest based on performance factors related to ROIC and Earnings CAGR, as well as a TSR market factor modifier, over the three-year period ending December 31, 2020. The 2018 PSU awards vest in March 2021.

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The TSR comparison group comprises the companies listed below: