Unassociated Document
    UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

Schedule 14A

Proxy Statement pursuant to Section 14(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant  x
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ¨

Check the appropriate box:

¨ Preliminary Proxy Statement
o
Confidential for use of the Commission only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
x Definitive Proxy Statement
 
 
¨ Definitive Additional Materials
   
¨ Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-11(c) of §240.14a-12

CUI Global, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)
Not applicable

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

x
No Fee Required

¨
Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

(1)   Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:



(2)   Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:



(3)   Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11: (set forth the amount in which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined).


 
(4)   Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:


 
(5)   Total fee paid:


 
 
 

 
 
¨   Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

¨   Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously.  Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

(1)   Amount Previously Paid:


 
(2)   Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:


 
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(4)   Date Filed:


 
CUI Global, Inc.
20050 SW 112th Avenue
Tualatin, Oregon 97062
Phone (503) 612-2300.

October 4, 2011

Dear Stockholders:

We are pleased to invite you to attend our 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on December 15, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. PST in our corporate offices located at 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062.  The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on October 26, 2011 as the record date for the determination of Stockholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the 2011 Annual Meeting.  For your convenience, we are also pleased to offer a live webcast of our 2011 Annual Meeting to allow you to view the meeting on the Investor Relations section of our web site at www.cuiglobal.com.

Details of the business to be conducted are described in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) you received in the mail and in this proxy statement.  We have also made available a copy of our 2010 Annual Report to Stockholders with this proxy statement.  We encourage you to read our Annual Report.  It includes our audited financial statements and provides information about our business and products.

In addition to the proxy statement and 2010 Annual Report, you might also review our recent press releases, which confirm our plans to up-list to the Nasdaq Capital Market.  In conjunction with that up-listing, the company has:
 
 
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·
Sought and obtained overwhelming Shareholder approval for a proposed reverse split of our common stock;
 
·
Retained the services of the Merriman Group to provide us with investment banking services; and
 
·
Applied for conditional approval of the listing to the Nasdaq Capital Market.

We have elected to provide access to our proxy materials over the internet under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “notice and access” rules.  Our management is constantly focused on improving the ways people connect with information and believes that providing our proxy materials over the internet increases the ability of our stockholders to connect with the information they need, while reducing the environmental impact of our 2011 Annual Meeting.  If you want more information about the 2011 Annual Meeting, please see the Questions and Answers section of the proxy statement under the heading General Information or visit the Stockholders Meeting section of our Investor Relations website.

Your vote is important.  Whether or not you plan to attend the 2011 Annual Meeting, we hope you will vote as soon as possible.  You may vote over the internet, as well as by telephone or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, by mailing a proxy card or voting instructions.  Please review the instructions on each of your voting options described in this proxy statement as well as in the Notice you received in the mail.

Thank you for your ongoing support of CUI Global.  We look forward to seeing you at our 2011 Annual Meeting.

 
Sincerely,
   
 
/s/ William J. Clough
 
 
William J. Clough
 
President/Chief Executive Officer
 
 
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CUI Global, Inc.

Annual Meeting of Stockholders

An Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be held on Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. PT in our corporate offices located at 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062.

To: The Stockholders of CUI Global, Inc.

We will hold our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. PT in our corporate offices located at 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062 (the “Annual Meeting”) for the following purposes:
 
1.
The election of three directors to hold office for two years or until the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified;
 
2.
Ratification of the appointment of Webb & Company, P.A. as the Company’s Independent Auditor for the year ending December 31, 2012;
 
3.
To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

These items of business are more fully described in the proxy statement accompanying this notice.  The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on October 26, 2011 as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  For a period of at least ten days prior to the Annual Meeting, a complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be open to examination by any stockholder during ordinary business hours at the offices of the Company, 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062.

Your vote is very important.  All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting.  Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to read this proxy statement and submit your proxy or voting instructions as soon as possible.  For specific instructions on how to vote your shares, please refer to the instructions on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) you received in the mail, the section entitled General Information about the Annual Meeting beginning on page 3 of the proxy statement or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, your enclosed proxy card.

To assure your representation at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, we ask that you vote as promptly as possible.  Your stock will be voted in accordance with the instructions you give in your proxy.  You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted by signing and returning a proxy bearing a later date for the same shares, by filing with the Secretary of the Company a written revocation bearing a later date or by attending and voting in person at the Annual Meeting.

 
By Order of the Board of Directors
   
 
/s/ Matthew M. McKenzie
 
 
Corporate Secretary

Tualatin, Oregon
October 4, 2011
 
 
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WE URGE YOU TO VOTE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, EVEN IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY INTENDING TO ATTEND THE MEETING.  THIS WILL NOT PREVENT YOU FROM VOTING IN PERSON, BUT WILL ASSURE THAT YOUR VOTE IS COUNTED IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING.  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES ARE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING IN PERSON OR BY PROXY; IF YOU DO NOT EXPECT TO ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD (WHICH WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU SEPARATELY) OR PROVIDE VOTING INSTRUCTIONS BY TELEPHONE OR VIA THE INTERNET.
 
 
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CUI GLOBAL, INC.

Proxy Statement

Introduction

This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of CUI Global, Inc. (the “Company") for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. PT in our corporate offices located at 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062 and for any postponements or adjournments thereof.  Please vote your shares of CUI Global, Inc. common stock and preferred stock.  Your vote at the Annual Meeting is important to us.  Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to read this proxy statement and submit your proxy or voting instructions as soon as possible.  For specific instructions on how to vote your shares, please refer to the instructions on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) you received in the mail, the section entitled General Information about the Annual Meeting beginning below in this proxy statement or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, your enclosed proxy card.  The Proxy Statement and the accompanying materials are being made available to the stockholders on or about October 31, 2011.

General Information about the Annual Meeting

Q: Why am I receiving these materials?
A: Our Board of Directors has made these materials available to you on the internet or, upon your request, delivered printed proxy materials to you, in connection with the solicitation of proxies for use at the CUI Global Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will take place on Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. PT in our corporate offices located at 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062.  As a stockholder, you are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and you are requested to vote on the item(s) of business described in this proxy statement.

Q: What information is contained in this proxy statement?
A: The information in this proxy statement relates to the proposal(s) to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, the voting process, the compensation award process of our directors and most highly paid executive officers, corporate governance and information on our Board of Directors and certain other required information.

Q: Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the internet availability of proxy materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?
A: In accordance with rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we may furnish proxy materials, including this proxy statement and our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K, to our stockholders by providing access to such documents on the internet instead of mailing printed copies.  Most stockholders will not receive printed copies of the proxy materials unless they request them.  Instead, the Notice, which was mailed to most of our stockholders, will instruct you as to how you may access and review all of the proxy materials on the internet.  The Notice also instructs you as to how you may submit your proxy on the internet.  If you would like to receive a paper or email copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions in the Notice for requesting such materials.

 
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Q: I share an address with another stockholder and we received only one paper copy of the proxy materials.  How may I obtain an additional copy of the proxy materials?
A: We have adopted a procedure called “householding” which the SEC has approved.  Under this procedure, we deliver a single copy of the Notice and, if applicable, the proxy materials and the 2010 Annual Report to Stockholders to multiple stockholders who share the same address unless we received contrary instructions from one or more of the stockholders.  This procedure reduces environmental impact as well as our printing costs, mailing costs and fees.  Stockholders who participate in householding will continue to be able to access and receive separate proxy cards.  Upon written request, we will deliver promptly a separate copy of the Notice and, if applicable, the proxy materials and the Annual Report to Stockholders to any stockholder at a shared address to which we delivered a single copy of any of these documents.  To receive a separate copy of the Notice and, if applicable, these proxy materials or the Annual Report to Stockholders, stockholders may telephone, write or email us as follows: (503) 612-2300; 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062; investors@CUIGlobal.com.

Stockholders who hold shares in street name (as described below) may contact their brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization to request information about householding.

Q: How do I get electronic access to the proxy materials?
A: The Notice will provide you with instructions regarding how to:
 
·
View our proxy materials for the Annual Meeting on our internet website, www.CUIGlobal.com and
 
·
Instruct us to send our future proxy materials to you electronically by email.

Choosing to receive your future proxy materials by email will save us the cost of printing and mailing documents to you and will reduce the impact on the environment of printing and mailing these materials.  If you choose to receive future proxy materials by email, you will receive an email next year with instructions containing a link to those materials and a link to the proxy voting site.  Your election to receive proxy materials by email will remain in effect until you terminate it.

Q: Is the Annual Meeting going to be webcast?
A: For your convenience, we are pleased to offer a live webcast of our Annual Meeting on the Investor Relations section of our web site at www.CUIGlobal.com.

Q: Can I participate in the question-and-answer portion of the Annual Meeting without attending the Annual Meeting?
A:  No.  The live webcast will be only visual and audio; there will be no opportunity to participate in the question-and-answer portion of the Annual Meeting unless you are present at the meeting.

Q: What items of business will be voted on at the 2011 Annual Meeting?
A: The items of business scheduled to be voted on at the Annual Meeting are:
 
·
The election of three directors to hold office for two years or until the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified;
 
·
Ratification of the appointment of Webb & Company, P.A. as the Company’s Independent Auditor for the year ending December 31, 2012:

We will also consider any other business that properly comes before the 2011 Annual Meeting.
 
 
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Q: How can I vote my shares in person at the Annual Meeting?
A: Shares held in your name as the stockholder of record may be voted by you in person at the Annual Meeting.  Shares held beneficially in street name may be voted by you in person at the Annual Meeting only if you obtain a legal proxy from the broker, bank, trustee or nominee that holds your shares giving you the right to vote the shares.  Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we recommend that you also submit your proxy or voting instructions as described herein so that your vote will be counted if you later decide not to attend the meeting.

Q: How shall I sign my name on the proxy card?
A: The following general rules for signing proxy cards may be of assistance to you and avoid the time and expense to CUI Global in validating your vote if you fail to sign your proxy card properly.
 
·
Individual Accounts: Sign your name exactly as it appears in the registration on the proxy card.
 
·
Joint Accounts: Either party may sign, but the name of the party signing should conform exactly to a name shown in the registration on the proxy card.
 
·
All Other Accounts: The capacity of the individual signing the proxy card should be indicated unless it is reflected in the form of registration.

Q: How can I vote my shares without attending the Annual Meeting?
A: Whether you hold shares directly as the stockholder of record or beneficially in street name, you may direct how your shares are voted without attending the Annual Meeting.  If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote by proxy.  You can vote by proxy over the internet by following the instructions provided in the Notice or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, you can also vote by mail or telephone pursuant to instructions provided on the proxy card.  If you hold shares beneficially in street name, you may also vote by proxy over the internet by following the instructions provided in the Notice or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, you can also vote by telephone or mail by following the voting instruction card provided to you by your broker, bank, trustee or nominee.

Q: May I change my vote?
A: You may change your vote at any time prior to the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting.  If you are the stockholder of record, you may change your vote by: (1) granting a new proxy bearing a later date (which automatically revokes the earlier proxy) using any of the methods described above (and until the applicable deadline for each method), (2) providing a written notice of revocation to CUI Global’s Corporate Secretary at CUI Global Inc., 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062 prior to your shares being voted or (3) attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.  Attendance at the meeting will not cause your previously granted proxy to be revoked unless you specifically so request.  For shares you hold beneficially in street name, you may change your vote by submitting new voting instructions to your broker, bank, trustee or nominee following the instructions they provided or, if you have obtained a legal proxy from your broker, bank, trustee or nominee giving you the right to vote your shares, by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.

Q: Is my vote confidential?
A: Proxy instructions, ballots and voting tabulations that identify individual stockholders are handled in a manner that protects your voting privacy.  Your vote will not be disclosed either within CUI Global or to third parties, except: (1) as necessary to meet applicable legal requirements, (2) to allow for the tabulation of votes and certification of the vote and (3) to facilitate a successful proxy solicitation.  Occasionally, stockholders provide on their proxy card written comments, which are then forwarded to CUI Global management.

 
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Q: How many shares must be present or represented to conduct business at the Annual Meeting?
A:  The presence at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of one third of the aggregate voting power of the Common and Preferred Stock outstanding on the record date will constitute a quorum.  Each share of common stock and each share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is entitled to one vote.  As of the date of this Proxy Statement, 219,282,472 shares of common stock and 50,543 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock were outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.  No shares of Series B and Series C shares were outstanding at the Record Date.  Both abstentions and broker non-votes (described below) are counted for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum.  Unless otherwise indicated, all references herein to percentages of outstanding shares of stock are based on such numbers of shares outstanding.  Shares entitled to vote are referred to hereafter as “Voting Shares”.

Q: What shares can I vote?
A: Each share of CUI Global common stock and Class A preferred stock issued and outstanding as of the close of business on the Record Date for the Annual Meeting is entitled to be voted on all items being voted on at the Annual Meeting.  You may vote all shares owned by you as of the Record Date, including: (1) shares held directly in your name as the stockholder of record and (2) shares held for you as the beneficial owner in street name through a broker, bank, trustee or other nominee.  As of the date of this Proxy Statement, we had 219,282,472 shares of common stock and 50,543 shares of Class A preferred stock issued and outstanding.

Q: How many votes am I entitled to per share?
A: Each holder of shares of common stock and Class A preferred stock is entitled to one vote for each share held as of the Record Date.

Q: How may I vote?
A: Regarding the election of directors, you may vote “FOR” all or some of the nominees or your vote may be “WITHHELD” with respect to one or more of the nominees.

Regarding the ratification of the appointment of Webb & Company, P.A. as the Company’s Independent Auditor for the year ending December 31, 2012, you may vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN” from voting on this proposal.

Q:  What vote is required to approve each item?
A: Election of Directors
The affirmative vote (FOR) of a simple majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting is required for the election of each director and ratification of the Webb & Company appointment.  A properly executed proxy marked "Withhold" with respect to the election of one or more directors will not be voted with respect to the director or directors indicated, although it will be counted for purposes of  determining whether there is a quorum.  Voting Shares represented by properly executed proxies for which no instruction is given will be voted “FOR” election of the nominee for director and Webb & Company appointment.

Q: Is cumulative voting permitted for the election of directors?
A: No.  You may not cumulate your votes for the election of directors.

 
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Q: What is cumulative voting?
A: A system of voting in which each voter is given as many votes as there are positions to be filled and allowed to cast those votes for one candidate or distribute them in any way among the candidates.

Q: What happens if additional matters are presented at the Annual Meeting?
A: Other than the proposed election of three directors and the appointment of Webb & Company, P.A. as the Company’s Independent Auditor for the year ending December 31, 2012 as described in this proxy statement, we are not aware of any other business to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting.  If you grant a proxy, the persons named as proxy will have the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the meeting.

Q: What is the difference between holding shares as a stockholder of record and as a beneficial owner?
A: Many CUI Global stockholders hold their shares as a beneficial owner through a broker or other nominee rather than directly in their own name.  As summarized below, there are some distinctions between shares held of record and those owned beneficially.

Stockholder of Record
If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., you are considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record, and the Notice was sent directly to you by CUI Global.  As the stockholder of record, you have the right to grant your voting proxy directly to CUI Global or to vote in person at the Special Meeting.  If you requested to receive printed proxy materials, CUI Global has enclosed or sent a proxy card for you to use.  You may also vote on the internet or by telephone, as described in the Notice and below under the heading “How can I vote my shares without attending the Special Meeting?”

Beneficial Owner
If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer, trust or other similar organization, like the majority of our stockholders, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in street name, and the Notice was forwarded to you by that organization.  As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank, trustee or nominee how to vote your shares and you are also invited to attend the Special Meeting.

Since a beneficial owner is not the stockholder of record, you may not vote your shares in person at the Special Meeting unless you obtain a “legal proxy” from the broker, bank, trustee or nominee that holds your shares giving you the right to vote the shares at the meeting.  If you do not wish to vote in person or you will not be attending the Special Meeting, you may vote by proxy.  You may vote by proxy over the internet or by telephone, as described in the Notice and below under the heading “How can I vote my shares without attending the Special Meeting?”

If you hold your shares in "street name” through a broker or other nominee, your broker or nominee may not be permitted to exercise voting discretion with respect to some of the matters to be acted upon.  Thus, if you do not give your broker or nominee specific instructions, your shares may not be voted on those matters and will not be counted in determining the number of shares necessary for approval.  Shares represented by such "broker non-votes" will, however, be counted in determining whether there is a quorum.

 
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Q: Who will bear the cost of soliciting votes for the Special Meeting?
A: CUI Global will pay the entire cost of preparing, assembling, printing, mailing and distributing these proxy materials and soliciting votes.  If you choose to access the proxy materials and/or vote over the internet, you are responsible for internet access charges you may incur.  If you choose to vote by telephone, you are responsible for telephone charges you may incur.  In addition to the mailing of these proxy materials, the solicitation of proxies or votes may be made in person, by telephone or by electronic communication by our directors, officers and employees, who will not receive any additional compensation for such solicitation activities.

Q: Where can I find the voting results of the Special Meeting?
A: We intend to announce preliminary voting results at the Special Meeting and publish final results in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2011.  We also plan to disclose the vote results on our website at www.CUIGlobal.com as soon as possible after the Special Meeting.

 
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OUR CURRENT DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

The Company's Bylaws provide that the number of directors shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors, but in no instance shall there be less than one director.  All directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of shareholders to serve two-year terms and shall hold office until his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified.  Currently our Board of Directors authorized eight directors of which six directors currently hold office, three of whom have been nominated for election this year and have agreed to serve if elected.  The Board of Directors set the directors’ two year terms staggered in order to maintain continuity on the Board of Directors.  In order to implement this staggered term strategy, the eight board seats are numbered consecutively, 1 through 8.  Odd numbered seats (seats 1, 3, 5 and 7) will be elected at the annual shareholder meetings held on even numbered years; even numbered seats (seats 2, 4, 6 and 8) will be elected at the annual shareholder meetings held on odd numbered years.  The following are Company directors, the director seats and terms for which they were elected or appointed and the current nominees for their respective seats:

 
·
Director Seat #1, William J. Clough, age 60.  Mr. Clough was elected for a two year term at the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. Clough was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of CUI Global, Inc. September 13, 2007 at which time Mr. Clough stepped down as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development.  Effective May 16, 2008, Mr. Clough was appointed Chief Executive Officer of CUI, Inc.

 
·
Director Seat #2, Thomas A. Price, age 67.  Mr. Price was elected to a one year term at the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and was elected to a two year term at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. Price is an “independent director” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.  Mr. Price serves as Deputy Chairman of the Audit Committee.  Thomas A. Price is nominated for election to a two year term at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

 
·
Director Seat #3, Matthew M. McKenzie, age 31.  Mr. McKenzie was elected to a two year term at the 2008 and 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. McKenzie serves as President of CUI, Inc. and Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary of CUI Global, Inc.

 
·
Director Seat #4, Sean P. Rooney, age 40.  Mr. Rooney was elected to a one year term at the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and was elected to a two year term at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. Rooney is an “independent director” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.  Mr. Rooney serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee.  Sean P. Rooney is nominated for election to a two year term at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

 
·
Director Seat #5, vacant.

 
·
Director Seat #6, Corey Lambrecht, age 42.  Mr. Lambrecht was elected to a two year term at the 2007 and 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. Lambrecht is an “independent director” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.  Mr. Lambrecht serves as Chairman of the Compensation Committee.  Corey Lambrecht is nominated for election to a two year term at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
 
 
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·
Director Seat #7, Colton R. Melby, age 53.  Mr. Melby was elected to a two year term at the 2008 and 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. Melby is an “independent director” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.  Mr. Melby is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and serves on the Compensation and Audit Committees.

 
·
Director Seat #8, Vacant.

 
·
Chief Financial Officer, Daniel N. Ford, effective May 15, 2008, the Company appointed Daniel N. Ford as Chief Financial Officer of CUI Global, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, CUI, Inc.
 
 
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PROPOSALS TO BE CONSIDERED

Proposal I

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Issued and outstanding shares of our Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to one vote per share for each Director.  Cumulative voting is not permitted.

Unless stated to be voted otherwise, each proxy will be voted for the election of the nominees named.  The nominees have consented to serve as director if elected.  If any nominee becomes unavailable for election before the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Board of Directors may name a substitute nominee and proxies will be voted for such substitute nominee unless an instruction to the contrary is written on the proxy card.

INFORMATION ABOUT DIRECTOR NOMINEES

Board of Directors Independence
The board of directors has determined that each of the director nominees standing for election has no relationship that, in the opinion of the board of directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and is an “independent director” as defined in the Rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”).  In determining the independence of our directors, the board of directors has adopted independence standards that mirror exactly the criteria specified by applicable laws and regulations of the SEC and the Rules of Nasdaq Stock Market.  In determining the independence of our directors, the board of directors considered all transactions in which CUI Global and any director had any interest, including those discussed below under “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions”.

Thomas A. Price, Director
Effective December 10, 2007, Thomas A. Price was appointed to the Company Board of Directors and was elected to a one year term at the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and was elected to a two year term at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. Price is a business veteran with more than 30 years of business and operational management experience.  He is the founder of Tom Price Dealership Group, a leading auto dealership that he grew to 11 franchises at six locations across California.  Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Price has been involved in investor and manufacturer relations and orchestrated the successful acquisition of his company, FirstAmerica Automotive, by Sonic Automotive, one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers.  Mr. Price has been credited for the successful completion of Serramonte Auto Plaza, an advanced, large-scale campus with innovative, industry-leading design features.  Mr. Price also developed the multi-brand San Francisco Auto Repair Center and a conference facility in Larkspur, California.

Currently, Mr. Price is the owner of nine car dealerships in Northern California.  He has received numerous awards for dealership excellence from manufacturers and has served on the National Dealer Advisory Boards of several major automobile manufacturers.  He was Chairman of the Lexus National Dealer Advisory Board and charter member of the J.D. Power Dealer Roundtable.  Mr. Price is also an active philanthropist.  The Price Family Dealerships are very active in the community and are major sponsors of Special Olympics of Marin, A Dedication to Special Education, CASA/Advocates for Children, Marin Breast Cancer Council and the Golden Gate Shootout and raised over $75,000 for Katrina relief in 2005.

 
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Mr. Price is an “independent director” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market and, through his trust, owns a beneficial interest to 1,901,000 shares of common stock including vested options to purchase 201,000 common shares.
 
Mr. Thomas A. Price is nominated for election to a two year term at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Sean P. Rooney, Director
Mr. Rooney was elected to a one year term at the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and was elected to a two year term at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  Mr. Rooney brings to the CUI Global board nearly 15 years of financial management experience.  Mr. Rooney currently serves as Senior Vice President of Investments for Maxim Group LLC, a leading full service investment banking, securities and wealth management firm.  Prior to joining Maxim Group, he served in a similar capacity at Investec Ernst & Company, an international specialist bank headquartered in South Africa and the U.K.  Through his many years of experience, Mr. Rooney has built a vast network of industry resources and contacts.

Mr. Rooney graduated from C. W. Post University in 1993 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Business Administration.  In addition to his Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Law) and Series 24 (General Securities Principal) licenses, Sean has also been designated as an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65) of Maxim Group LLC, a SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm.  Mr. Rooney has also been designated as Senior Vice President-Investments for Oppenheimer & Co, Inc.

Mr. Rooney currently manages a clientele of high net worth investors, institutions and foundations.  His command of the ever-expanding universe of financial instruments enhances his ability to provide unbiased advice in each of his three core disciplines, money management, financial planning and estate planning.
 
Mr. Rooney is an “independent director” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market and owns 374,202 shares of common stock including vested options to purchase 201,000 common shares.

Mr. Sean P. Rooney is nominated for election to a two year term at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Corey Lambrecht, Director
Corey Lambrecht was appointed to fill a newly created board seat vacancy on July 11, 2007 and elected to a two year term at the 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and was elected to a two year term at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Corey Lambrecht is a 10+ year public company executive with broad experience in strategic acquisitions, new business development, pioneering consumer products, corporate licensing and interactive technology services.  Mr. Lambrecht most recently served as Director of Sales for Leveraged Marketing Associates, the worldwide leader in licensed brand extension strategies.  While Executive Vice President for Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation he was responsible for Smith & Wesson Licensing, Advanced Technologies and Interactive Marketing divisions.  He was the former President of A For Effort, an interactive database marketing company specializing in online content (advergaming) for clients such as the National Hockey League.  Mr. Lambrecht’s prior experience also includes Pre-IPO founder for Premium Cigars International and VP Sales/Marketing for ProductExpress.com.  Mr. Lambrecht also has prior operational experience for a Scottsdale, Arizona residential and commercial development company.

 
15

 
 
Mr. Lambrecht is an “independent director” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market and owns vested options to purchase 201,000 common shares.

Mr. Corey Lambrecht is nominated for election to a two years term at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” election of the nominees for director named above.

 
16

 

PROPOSAL NUMBER II

Ratification of the Appointment of Webb & Company, P.A. as the Company’s
Independent Auditor for the Year Ending December 31, 2012

At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to ratify the appointment of Webb & Company, P.A. as the Company’s Independent Auditor for the year ending December 31, 2012.  Webb & Company, P. A. has been our auditor since 2007

Other Business

Management does not presently know of any matter that may be presented for action at this Special Meeting other than as set forth herein.  However, if any other matters properly come before this Special Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the proxies solicited by management to exercise their discretionary authority to vote the shares represented by all effective proxies on such matters in accordance with their best judgment
 
 
17

 
 
Corporate Governance and Board of Directors Matters

We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of business conduct and corporate governance, which we believe are essential to running our business efficiently, serving our stockholders well and maintaining our integrity in the marketplace.  We have adopted a Corporate Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, a code of business conduct and ethics for employees, directors and officers (including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer).  We have also adopted the following governance guides: Charter of the Audit Committee, Charter of the Compensation Committee, Compensation Discussion and Analysis, policy for Director Independence, reference for Shareholder Communications and Nominating Committee guide all of which, in conjunction with our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, form the framework for our corporate governance.  These corporate governance documents are available on the internet and our website at www.CUIGlobal.com.

Our Corporate Governance Practices
We have always believed in strong and effective corporate governance procedures and practices.  In that spirit, we have summarized several of our corporate governance practices below.

Adopting Governance Guidelines
Our Board of Directors has adopted a set of corporate governance guidelines to establish a framework within which it will conduct its business and to guide management in its running of your Company.  The governance guidelines can be found on our website at www.CUIGlobal.com and are summarized below.

Monitoring Board Effectiveness
It is important that our Board of Directors and its committees are performing effectively and in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders.  The Board of Directors and each committee are responsible for annually assessing their effectiveness in fulfilling their obligations.

Conducting Formal Independent Director Sessions
On a regular basis, at the conclusion of regularly scheduled board meeting, the independent directors are encouraged to meet privately, without our management or any non-independent directors.

Hiring Outside Advisors
The board and each of its committees may retain outside advisors and consultants of their choosing at our expense, without management's consent.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
We expect our directors, executives and employees to conduct themselves with the highest degree of integrity, ethics and honesty.  Our credibility and reputation depend upon the good judgment, ethical standards and personal integrity of each director, executive and employee.  In order to provide assurances to the Company and its stockholders, we have implemented standards of business conduct which provide clear conflict of interest guidelines to its employees and directors, as well as an explanation of reporting and investigatory procedures.

Providing Transparency
We believe that it is important that stockholders understand our governance practices.  In order to help ensure transparency of our practices, we have posted information regarding our corporate governance procedures on our website at www.CUIGlobal.com.
 
 
18

 
 
Communications with the Board of Directors
Stockholders may communicate with the Board of Directors by writing to the Company at CUI Global, Inc., 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062, phone (503) 612-2300.  Stockholders who would like their submission directed to a member of the board may so specify and the communication will be forwarded as appropriate.

Standards of Business Conduct
The Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for all of our employees and directors, including the Company's principal executive and senior financial officers.  You can obtain a copy of these documents on our website at www.CUIGlobal.com or by making a written request to the Company at CUI Global, Inc., 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062, phone (503) 612-2300.  We will disclose any amendments to the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct or waiver of a provision therefrom on our website at www.CUIGlobal.com.

Ensuring Auditor Independence
We have taken a number of steps to ensure the continued independence of our independent registered public accounting firm.  That firm reports directly to the Audit Committee, which also has the ability to pre-approve or reject any non-audit services proposed to be conducted by our independent registered public accounting firm.

Committees of the Board and Meetings

Presently, our Board of Directors consists of six directors.  Four of our six directors are “independent” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.  Our Board of Directors has the following standing committees: Audit Committee, Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee.  Each of the committees operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors.  All of the committee charters are available on our website at www.CUIGlobal.com.

Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is established pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 for the purposes of overseeing the company’s accounts and financial reporting processes and audits of its financial statements.  The Audit Committee reviews the financial information that will be provided to the Stockholders and others, the systems of internal controls established by management and the board and the independence and performance of the Company’s audit process.  The Audit Committee is directly responsible for, among other things, the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of our independent Registered Public Accounting firm, review of financial reporting, internal company processes of business/financial risk and applicable legal, ethical and regulatory requirements.

The Audit Committee is currently comprised of Sean P. Rooney, Chairman, and Thomas A. Price, Deputy Chairman and Colton Melby, committee member.  Messers Rooney, Price and Melby are independent in accordance with Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Audit Committee Report
THE FOLLOWING REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE SOLICITING MATERIAL AND SHOULD NOT BE DEEMED FILED OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO ANY OTHER COMPANY FILING UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THE COMPANY SPECIFICALLY INCORPORATES THIS REPORT BY REFERENCE THEREIN.

 
19

 
 
Audit Committee Report
The Audit Committee reviews the financial information that will be provided to the stockholders and others, the systems of internal controls established by management and the board and the independence and performance of the Company’s audit process.

The Audit Committee has:
 
1.
Reviewed and discussed with management the audited financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q;
 
2.
Discussed with Webb & Company, P.A., the Company’s independent auditors, the matters required to be discussed by statement of Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1, AU Section 380) as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T;
 
3.
Received the written disclosures and letter from Webb & Company, P.A. as required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 and
 
4.
Discussed with Webb & Company, P.A. its independence.

Based on these reviews and discussions, the Audit Committee has recommended that the audited financial statements are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.  The Audit Committee has also considered whether the amount and nature of non-audit services provided by Webb & Company, P.A. is compatible with the auditor’s independence.

Submitted by:      Sean P. Rooney
Thomas A. Price
Colton Melby,
Audit Committee

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The financial statements of the Company, which are furnished herewith as of December 31, 2010, have been audited by Webb & Company, P. A., Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters of the current fiscal year have been reviewed by Webb & Company, P. A.  Representatives of Webb & Company, P. A. will be present via teleconference at the Special Stockholder Meeting.  They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Compensation of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The financial statements of the Company, for the years December 31, 2010 and 2009, appearing in this registration statement have been audited by Webb & Company, P. A., Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.  Webb & Company, P. A. billed the Company an aggregate of $99,585 in fees and expenses for professional services rendered in connection with the audit of the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 and the reviews of the financial statements included in each of the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.  Webb & Company, P. A. billed the Company an aggregate of $77,799 in fees and expenses for professional services rendered in connection with the audit of the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 and the reviews of the financial statements included in each of the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.  Webb & Company, P.A. did not bill any audit related fees, tax fees, or other fees during the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009.

 
20

 
 
In accordance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the Audit Committee has adopted an informal approval policy that it believes will result in an effective and efficient procedure to pre-approve services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm.

Nominating Committee
The nominating committee consists of all of the members of the Board of Directors who are "independent directors" within the meaning of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.  The nominating committee is responsible for the evaluation of nominees for election as director, the nomination of director candidates for election by the stockholders and evaluation of sitting directors.  The board has developed a formal policy for the identification and evaluation of nominees, Charter of the Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors which can be seen on our website at www.CUIGlobal.com.  In general, when the board determines that expansion of the board or replacement of a director is necessary or appropriate, the nominating committee will review, through candidate interviews with members of the board and management, consultation with the candidate's associates and through other means, a candidate's honesty, integrity, reputation in and commitment to the community, judgment, personality and thinking style, willingness to invest in the Company, residence, willingness to devote the necessary time, potential conflicts of interest, independence, understanding of financial statements and issues, and the willingness and ability to engage in meaningful and constructive discussion regarding Company issues. The committee reviews any special expertise, for example, that qualifies a person as an audit committee financial expert, membership or influence in a particular geographic or business target market, or other relevant business experience.  To date the Company has not paid any fee to any third party to identify or evaluate, or to assist it in identifying or evaluating, potential director candidates.

The nominating committee considers director candidates nominated by stockholders during such times as the Company is actively considering obtaining new directors.  Candidates recommended by stockholders will be evaluated based on the same criteria described above.  Stockholders desiring to suggest a candidate for consideration should send a letter to the Company's secretary and include: (a) a statement that the writer is a shareholder (providing evidence if the person's shares are held in street name) and is proposing a candidate for consideration; (b) the name and contact information for the candidate; (c) a statement of the candidate's business and educational experience; (d) information regarding the candidate's qualifications to be director, including but not limited to an evaluation of the factors discussed above which the board would consider in evaluating a candidate; (e) information regarding any relationship or understanding between the proposing shareholder and the candidate; (f) information regarding potential conflicts of interest and (g) a statement that the candidate is willing to be considered and willing to serve as director if nominated and elected.  Because of the small size of the Company and the limited need to seek additional directors, there is no assurance that all shareholder proposed candidates will be fully considered, that all candidates will be considered equally or that the proponent of any candidate or the proposed candidate will be contacted by the Company or the board and no undertaking to do so is implied by the willingness to consider candidates proposed by stockholders.

 
21

 
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee discharges the board’s responsibilities relating to general compensation policies and practices and compensation of our executives.  In discharging its responsibilities, the Compensation Committee establishes principles and procedures in order to ensure to the board and the stockholders that the compensation practices of the Company are appropriately designed and implemented to attract, retain and reward high quality executives, and are in accordance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.  The Board of Directors adopted a charter, Charter of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors that defines the Company’s compensation policy and procedure.  This charter may be seen at the company’s website, www.CUIGlobal.com.  In this context, the Compensation Committee’s authority, duties and responsibilities are:
 
·
To annually review the Company’s philosophy regarding executive compensation.
 
·
To periodically review market and industry data to assess the Company’s competitive position, and to retain any compensation consultant to be used to assist in the evaluation of directors’ and executive officers’ compensation.
 
·
To establish and approve the Company goals and objectives, and associated measurement metrics relevant to compensation of the Company’s executive officers.
 
·
To establish and approve incentive levels and targets relevant to compensation of the executive officers.
 
·
To annually review and make recommendations to the board to approve, for all principal executives and officers, the base and incentive compensation, taking into consideration the judgment and recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer for the compensation of the principal executives and officers.
 
·
To separately review, determine and approve the Chief Executive Officer’s applicable compensation levels based on the Committee’s evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of the Company’s and the individual goals and objectives.
 
·
To periodically review and make recommendations to the board with respect to the compensation of directors, including board and committee retainers, meeting fees, equity-based compensation and such other forms of compensation as the Compensation Committee may consider appropriate.
 
·
To administer and annually review the Company’s incentive compensation plans and equity-based plans.
 
·
To review and make recommendations to the board regarding any executive employment agreements, any proposed severance arrangements or change in control and similar agreements/provisions, and any amendments, supplements or waivers to the foregoing agreements, and any perquisites, special or supplemental benefits.
 
·
To review and discuss with management, the Compensation Disclosure and Analysis (CD&A), and determine the Committee’s recommendation for the CD&A’s inclusion in the Company’s annual report filed on Form 10-K with the SEC.

Compensation Committee Members
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is appointed by the Board of Directors to discharge the board's responsibilities with respect to all forms of compensation of the Company's executive officers, to administer the Company's equity incentive plans, and to produce an annual report on executive compensation for use in the Company's 10-K.  The Compensation Committee, currently and during the preceding fiscal year, consists of two independent board members, Colton Melby and Chairman, Corey Lambrecht.  During fiscal years 2009 and 2010, both members were non-employee directors within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and an "outside director" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The board has determined that during fiscal year 2010, both members were "independent" within the meaning of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market.

 
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Committee Meetings
Our Compensation Committee meets as often as necessary to perform its duties and responsibilities.  The Compensation Committee held four informal meetings during fiscal 2010.  On an as requested basis, our Compensation Committee receives and reviews materials prepared by management, consultants, or committee members, in advance of each meeting.  Depending on the agenda for the particular meeting, these materials may include:
 
·
Minutes and materials from the previous meeting(s);
 
·
Reports on year-to-date Company financial performance versus budget;
 
·
Reports on progress and levels of performance of individual and Company performance objectives;
 
·
Reports on the Company’s financial and stock performance versus a peer group of companies;
 
·
Reports from the Committee’s compensation consultant regarding market and industry data relevant to executive officer compensation;
 
·
Reports and executive compensation summary worksheets, which sets forth for each executive officer: current total compensation and incentive compensation target percentages, current equity ownership holdings and general partner ownership interest, and current and projected value of each and all such compensation elements, including distributions and dividends there from, over a five year period.

Compensation Philosophy
General Philosophy
Our compensation philosophy is based on the premise of attracting, retaining and motivating exceptional leaders, setting high goals, working toward the common objectives of meeting the expectations of customers and stockholders, and rewarding outstanding performance.  Following this philosophy, in determining executive compensation, we consider all relevant factors, such as the competition for talent, our desire to link pay with performance, the use of equity to align executive interests with those of our stockholders, individual contributions, teamwork and performance, each executive’s total compensation package and internal pay equity.  We strive to accomplish these objectives by compensating all employees with total compensation packages consisting of a combination of competitive base salary and incentive compensation. 

Pay for Performance
At the core of our compensation philosophy is our strong belief that pay should be directly linked to performance.  We believe in a pay for performance culture that places a significant portion of executive officer total compensation as contingent upon, or variable with, individual performance, Company performance and achievement of strategic goals including increasing shareholder value.

The performance based compensation for our executives may be in the form of (i) annual cash incentives to promote achievement of, and accountability for, shorter term performance plans and strategic goals and (ii) equity grants, designed to align the long-term interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders, by creating a strong and direct link between executive compensation and shareholder return over a multiple year performance cycle.  Long term incentive equity awards are granted in restricted stock.  These shares/units generally vest over a two-year to four-year period.  This opportunity for share ownership was provided in order to provide incentive and retain key employees and align their interests with our long term strategic goals.

 
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Base Compensation to be Competitive within Industry
A key component of an executive’s total compensation base salary is designed to compensate executives commensurate with their respective level of experience, scope of responsibilities, sustained individual performance and future potential.  The goal has been to provide for base salaries that are sufficiently competitive with other similar-sized companies, both regionally and nationally, in order to attract and retain talented leaders.

Compensation Setting Process
Management’s Role in the Compensation Setting Process.
Management plays a significant role in the compensation-setting process.  The most significant aspects of management’s role are:
 
·
Assisting in establishing business performance goals and objectives;
 
·
Evaluating employee and company performance;
 
·
CEO recommending compensation levels and awards for executive officers;
 
·
Implementing the board approved compensation plans; and
 
·
Assistance in preparing agenda and materials for the committee meetings.

The Chief Executive Officer generally attends the Committee meetings; however, the Committee also regularly meets in executive session.  The Chief Executive Officer makes recommendations with respect to financial and corporate goals and objectives and makes non CEO executive compensation recommendations to the Compensation Committee based on company performance, individual performance and the peer group compensation market analysis.  The Compensation Committee considers and deliberates on this information and in turn makes recommendations to the Board of Directors, for the board’s determination and approval of the executives’ and other members of senior management’s compensation, including base compensation, short-term cash incentives and long-term equity incentives.  The Chief Executive Officer’s performance and compensation is reviewed, evaluated and established separately by the Compensation Committee and ratified and approved by the Board of Directors.

Setting Compensation Levels
To evaluate our total compensation is competitive and provides appropriate rewards to attract and retain talented leaders, as discussed above, we may rely on analyses of peer companies performed by independent compensation consultants and on other industry and occupation specific survey data available to us.  Our general benchmark is to establish both base salary and total compensation for the executive officers not in excess of the 50th percentile of the peer group data, recognizing that a significant portion of executive officer total compensation should be contingent upon, or consistent with, achievement of individual and Company performance objectives and strategic goals, as well as being consistent with stockholder value.  Further, while the objective for base salary is up to the 50th percentile of the peer group data, executives’ base salaries are designed to reward core competencies and contributions to the Company and may be increased above this general benchmark based on (i) the individual’s increased contribution over the preceding year; (ii) the individual’s increased responsibilities over the preceding year and (iii) any increase in median competitive pay levels.

 
24

 

Setting Performance Objectives
The Company’s business plans and strategic objectives are generally presented by management at the Company’s annual board meeting.  The board engages in an active discussion concerning the financial targets, the appropriateness of the strategic objectives and the difficulty in achieving same.  In establishing the compensation plan, our Compensation Committee then utilizes the primary financial objectives from the adopted business plan, operating cash flow, as the primary targets for determining the executive officers’ short-term cash incentives and long term equity incentive compensation.  The Committee also establishes additional non-financial performance goals and objectives, the achievement of which is required for funding of a significant portion, twenty five percent, of the executive officers’ incentive compensation.  In 2009, these non financial performance goals and objectives included achieving accurate financial reporting and timely SEC filings; demonstrating full compliance and superior performance in the Company’s environmental, health and safety practices; performing appropriate SOX/404 remediation activities and achieving successful testing of and compliance with SOX requirements; and general and administrative expense management.

Special Evaluation
The Chief Executive Officer recommends the actual incentive award amounts for all other executives based on actual company performance relative to the targets as well as on individual performance and recommends the executives’ base salaries levels for the coming year.  The Compensation Committee considers these recommendations generally at the end of each fiscal year in determining its recommendations to the Board of Directors for the final short-term cash incentive and long-term equity award amounts for each executive and for the executive’s base salary levels.  The actual incentive amounts awarded to each executive are ultimately subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors.

Additional equity-based awards may be also granted to executives, as well as other employees, upon commencement of employment, for promotions or special performance recognition, or for retention purposes, based on the recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer.  In determining whether to recommend additional grants to an executive, the Chief Executive Officer typically considers the individual’s performance and any planned change in functional responsibility.

Elements of Executive Compensation
Total Compensation
Total compensation for our executives consists of three elements: (i) base salary; (ii) incentive cash award based on achieving specific performance targets as measured by cash flow and other objectives and (iii) equity incentive award, which is also performance based and paid out over a future period in the form of restricted stock or options.  Base salaries are the value upon which both the incentive compensation percentage targets are measured against.  For evaluation and comparison of overall compensation of the executives, and to assist it in making its compensation decisions, the Compensation Committee reviews an executive compensation summary, which sets forth for each executive: current compensation and current equity ownership holdings as well as the projected value of each and all such compensation elements, including distributions and dividends therefrom.

Base Salaries
Base salaries are designed to compensate executives commensurate with their respective level of experience, scope of responsibilities, and to reward sustained individual performance and future potential.  The goal has been to provide for base salaries that are sufficiently competitive with other similar-sized companies, both regionally and nationally, in order to attract and retain talented leaders.

 
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Incentive Compensation
Incentive compensation is intended to align compensation with business objectives and performance and enable the company to attract, retain and reward high quality executive officers whose contributions are critical to short and long-term success of the Company.  The executives’ incentive awards are based upon three key performance metrics: 1) the Company’s operating cash flow; 2) achievement of agreed-upon strategic and corporate performance goals and 3) each executive’s departmental and individual goals and performance.  The actual incentive amounts awarded to each executive are ultimately subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors

Incentive Plan Compensation
Incentive awards are paid out in cash, restricted common stock or option awards.  The incentive award targets for the executives are established at the beginning of the year generally as a percentage of their base salary and the actual awards are determined at the following year’s Annual Board of Directors meetings based on actual company performance relative to established goals and objectives, as well as on evaluation of the executive’s relevant departmental and individual performance during the past year.  The award of restricted common stock generally vests over a two to four year term in equal three to six months tranches.  The award of restricted common stock purchased through options generally vests immediately upon issuance of the option which generally has a validity of three to ten years and a per share purchase price of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant.  The awards are intended to serve as a means of incentive compensation for performance.

Retirement Plans
The Company has no retirement plan for our employees or executives.  Our wholly owned subsidiary, CUI, Inc., maintains a 401(k) plan.

Change in Control Agreements
Our executives are awarded protection upon a change in control.

Perquisites
The Company does not provide for any perquisites or any other benefits for its senior executives that are not generally available to all employees.

2009 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive)
On January 5, 2009 the Company Board of Directors received and approved a written report and recommendations of the Compensation Committee which included a detailed executive equity compensation report and market analysis and recommendations of Compensia, Inc., a management consulting firm that provides executive compensation advisory services to compensation committees and senior management of knowledge-based companies.  The Compensation Committee used the report and analysis as a basis for its formal written recommendation to the board.  Pursuant to January 8, 2009 and October 11, 2010 board resolutions, the 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive), a Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, was created and funded with 4,200,000 shares and 3,060,382 shares, respectively, of $0.001 par value common stock.  The Compensation Committee was appointed as the Plan Administrator to manage the plan.

The 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive) provides for the issuance of Incentive Non Statutory Options to attract, retain and motivate executive and management employees and directors and to encourage these individuals to acquire an equity interest in the Company, to make monetary payments to certain management employees and directors based upon the value of the Company’s stock and to provide these individuals with an incentive to maximize the success of the Company and further the interest of the shareholders.  The Administrator of the plan is authorized to determine the exercise price per share at the time the option is granted, but under the terms of the 2009 Plan, the exercise price shall not be less than the fair market value on the date the option is granted.  Stock options granted under the 2009 Plan have a maximum duration of 10 years.

 
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Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the compensation paid and accrued to be paid by the Company for the fiscal years 2010 and 2009 to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and two most highly compensated executive officers of the Company.

Summary Compensation Table

Name and Principal Position
 
Year
 
Salary
($)
   
Bonus ($)
   
Stock
Awards
($)
   
Option
Awards
($)
   
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
   
Change in
Pension Value
and
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings ($)
   
All Other
Compensation
($)
   
Total ($)
 
William J. Clough, CEO /
President / Counsel / Director (1)
 
2010
    282,500       90,000 (2)     -       -       -       -       5,687       378,187  
 
2009
    240,000       -       -       -       -       -       23,948       263,948  
Daniel N. Ford, CFO (3)
 
2010
    157,500       90,000 (4)     -       -       -       -       25,943       273,443  
 
2009
    120,000       -       -       -       -       -       24,249       144,249  
Matthew M. McKenzie, COO,
Director, President of CUI (5)
 
2010
    162,500       90,000 (6)     -       -       -       -       21,848       274,348  
 
2009
    120,000       -       -       -       -       -       17,298       137,298  

1
Mr. Clough joined the Company on September 1, 2005.  Effective September 13, 2007, Mr. Clough was appointed CEO/President of CUI Global and Chief Executive Officer of CUI, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
2
Mr. Clough is employed under a three year employment contract with the company, which was recently extended to run to and through May 15, 2014.  Said contract provides, in relevant part, for an annual salary of $325,000 and bonus provisions for each calendar year, beginning with 2010, in which the CUI Global year end Statement of Operations shows the Gross Revenue equal to or in excess of fifteen percent (15%), but less than thirty percent (30%) of the immediate preceding calendar year, Mr. Clough shall be entitled to receive a cash bonus in an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of his prior year base salary in addition to any other compensation to which he may be entitled; provided, however, that he shall be entitled to the bonus only if he has been employed during that entire calendar year.  In substitution of the bonus percentages described in the prior sentence, he shall be entitled to receive, in any year in which annual Gross Revenue exceeds by 30% of the prior calendar year gross revenue, a sum equal to one hundred percent (100%) of his prior year base salary.  Bonuses are approved quarterly based on the above factors and an evaluation of current performance.  All such bonus payments shall be paid to Mr. Clough in equal monthly installments following the quarter in which the bonus is earned and shall be paid on the 15th day of each month.  At December 31, 2010, there was an accrual of $30,000 for compensation owed to Mr. Clough.
3
Mr. Ford joined the Company May 15, 2008 as Chief Financial Officer of CUI Global and CUI, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

 
27

 

4
Mr. Ford is employed under a three year employment contract with the company, which was recently extended to May 15, 2014 and provides, in relevant part, for an annual salary of $195,000 and bonus provisions for each calendar year, beginning with 2010, in which the CUI Global yearend Statement of Operations shows a Net Profit and the Gross Revenue equal to or that exceeds fifteen percent (15%), but less than thirty percent (30%), of the immediate preceding calendar year, he shall be entitled to receive a cash bonus in an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of his prior year base salary in addition to any other compensation to which he may be entitled; provided, however, that he shall be entitled to the bonus only if he has been employed by the Company during that entire calendar year.  In substitution of the bonus percentages described above, he shall be entitled to receive, in any year in which annual Gross Revenue exceeds by 30% of the prior calendar year gross revenue, a sum equal to 100% of his prior year base salary.  Bonuses are approved quarterly based on the above factors and an evaluation of current performance.  All such bonus payments shall be paid to Mr. Ford in equal monthly installments following the quarter in which the bonus is earned and shall be paid on the 15th day of each month.  At December 31, 2010 there was an accrual of $67,500 for compensation owed to Mr. Ford.
5
Mr. McKenzie joined the Company May 15, 2008 as Chief Operating Officer of CUI Global and President and Chief Operating Officer of CUI, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
6
Mr. McKenzie is employed under a three year employment contract with the company, which was recently extended to May 15, 2014 and provides, in relevant part, for an annual salary of $205,000 and bonus provisions for each calendar year, beginning with 2008, in which the CUI Global yearend Statement of Operations shows a Net Profit and the Gross Revenue equal to or that exceeds fifteen percent (15%), but less than thirty percent (30%), of the immediate preceding calendar year, he shall be entitled to receive a cash bonus in an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of his prior year base salary in addition to any other compensation to which he may be entitled; provided, however, that he shall be entitled to the bonus only if he has been employed by the Company during that entire calendar year.  In substitution of the bonus percentages described above, he shall be entitled to receive, in any year in which annual Gross Revenue exceeds by 30% of the prior calendar year gross revenue, a sum equal to 100% of his prior year base salary.  Bonuses are approved quarterly based on the above factors and an evaluation of current performance.  All such bonus payments shall be paid to Mr. McKenzie in equal monthly installments following the quarter in which the bonus is earned and shall be paid on the 15th day of each month.  At December 31, 2010 there was an accrual of $30,000 for compensation owed to Mr. McKenzie.

 
28

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-end
The following table sets forth the outstanding equity awards at December 31, 2010 to each of the named executive officers:
 
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2010 Fiscal Year-End
 
Name
 
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Exercisable (#)
   
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable
(#)
   
Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards: 
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
   
Option
Exercise
Price ($)
 
Option
Expiration
Date
 
Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock
That Have
Not
Vested
(#)
   
Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock
That Have
Not
Vested
($)
   
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards: 
Number of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
Other
Rights That
Have Not
Vested (#)
   
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards: 
Market or
Payout
Value of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
Other
Rights That
Have Not
Vested (1)
($)
 
William J. Clough (2)
    -       -       1,115,303       0.25  
01/01/19
    -       -       -       -  
Matthew M. McKenzie (3)
    -       -       453,009       0.25  
01/01/19
    -       -       -       -  
Daniel N. Ford (4)
    -       -       377,949       0.25  
01/01/19
    -       -       -       -  
William J. Clough (5)
    -       -       1,115,303       0.30  
10/11/20
    -       -       1,115,303       -  
Matthew M. McKenzie (6)
    -       -       453,009       0.30  
10/11/20
    -       -       453,009       -  
Daniel N. Ford (7)
    -       -       377,949       0.30  
10/11/20
    -       -       377,949       -  

Footnotes:
 
1
Calculated using the closing market price ($0.25) as of December 31, 2010.
 
2
Effective January 1, 2009, Mr. Clough received a fully vested bonus option to purchase 1,115,303 common shares, within ten years from date of issuance, at a price of $0.25 per share.
 
3
Effective January 1, 2009, Mr. McKenzie received a fully vested bonus option to purchase 453,009 common shares, within ten years from date of issuance, at a price of $0.25 per share.
 
4
Effective January 1, 2009, Mr. Ford received a fully vested bonus option to purchase 377,949 common shares, within ten years from date of issuance, at a price of $0.25 per share.
 
5
Effective October 11, 2010, Mr. Clough received a bonus option to purchase 1,115,303 common shares, within ten years from date of issuance, at a price of $0.30 per share that vests over 4 years: 25% at year one and thereafter in equal monthly installments.
 
6
Effective October 11, 2010, Mr. McKenzie received a bonus option to purchase 453,009 common shares, within ten years from date of issuance, at a price of $0.30 per share that vests over 4 years: 25% at year one and thereafter in equal monthly installments.
 
7
Effective October 11, 2010, Mr. Ford received a bonus option to purchase 377,949 common shares, within ten years from date of issuance, at a price of $0.30 per share that vests over 4 years: 25% at year one and thereafter in equal monthly installments.
 
 
29

 

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The written report and recommendations of Compensia, Inc., as noted above in the section, 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive), upon which the Compensation Committee relied, also included a detailed director and committee compensation report and market analysis.  The 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive) provides for the issuance of stock options to attract, retain and motivate directors as well as other management personnel.

The Compensation Committee concluded that, after giving consideration to the directors’ obligation in representation of the shareholders, the high standard of ethics and talent required, increasing workloads, greater exposure, more stringent director independence standards and the SEC's disclosure rules, directors and committee members should be compensated fairly for time and value delivered and the compensation should be sufficient to attract and retain qualified competent individuals to serve on our board.  The Compensation Committee adopted the recommendations of Compensia and approved a director and committee compensation plan.

The Compensation Committee concluded that the appropriate compensation for calendar year 2009 should be in the form of options granted in an amount equal to the 50th percentile for similar companies, but discounted by a factor of 10% at an option strike price of $0.25 per share.  This price reflected the true value of the directors’ work, provides adequate incentive to each director and does not unfairly penalize the directors for current market conditions.  Moreover, the $0.25 strike price reflects the price at which much of the underlying funding and CUI transaction was originally priced.

In keeping with this original compensation structure, the Compensation Committee concluded that the appropriate compensation for calendar year 2010 should continue to be in the form of options granted in an amount equal to the 50th percentile for similar companies, but discounted by a factor of 10% at an option strike price of $0.30 per share.  In furtherance of this compensation plan, October 11, 2010, the Board of Directors authorized an additional 3,060,382 options under the 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive) of which 99,000 options were granted to each director of the Company with an exercise price of $0.30 per share and that vest one year after the October 11, 2010 date of grant.  The $0.30 option price reflects a stock price fair to both the director and the Company.

Effective July 1, 2011 the director compensation plan, in summary, provides:

Board of Directors Members
 
·
Cash Retainer - $23,750 annually for board members and $33,750 for the Chairman.
 
·
Initial, one time only, option to purchase 144,000 (pre-reverse split) common shares at an exercise price that is not less than the fair market value per share.  The option vests over four years, 25% after the first year, thereafter equally each month for the balance of the four year term.
 
·
Annual Option to purchase 99,000 (pre-reverse split) common shares at an exercise price that is not less than the fair market value per share.  The option vests in full after one year.
 
·
Meeting fee: none.
 
 
30

 

Director Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the compensation of the directors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010.
 
Director Compensation – Equity Incentive Plan

Director
 
Total
Underlying
Common
Shares (1)
   
Exercise
Price per
Share
 
Option
Term
from
Grant
Date
Vesting
 
Total
Underlying
Common
Vested at
01/1/2011
   
Total
Underlying
Common
Vesting at
01/01/2012
   
Total
Underlying
Common
Vesting at
01/01/2013
   
Total
Underlying
Common
Vesting at
01/01/2014
   
2010
Fees
Earned
or Paid in
Cash (4)
   
2009
Fees
Earned
or Paid in
Cash (4)
 
Colton Melby, Chmn.
    99,000     $ 0.30  
10 years
1 year (3)
    -       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ 32,000     $ -  
Colton Melby, Chmn.
    144,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
4 years (2)
    72,000       108,000       144,000       144,000     $ -     $ -  
Colton Melby, Chmn.
    99,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
1 year (3)
    99,000       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ 32,000  
William J. Clough
    99,000     $ 0.30  
10 years
1 year (3)
    -       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ -  
William J. Clough
    144,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
4 years (2)
    72,000       108,000       144,000       144,000     $ -     $ -  
William J. Clough
    99,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
1 year (3)
    99,000       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ -  
Matthew M. McKenzie
    99,000     $ 0.30  
10 years
1 year (3)
    -       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ -  
Matthew M. McKenzie
    144,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
4 years (2)
    72,000       108,000       144,000       144,000     $ -     $ -  
Matthew M. McKenzie
    99,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
1 year (3)
    99,000       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ -  
Thomas A. Price
    99,000     $ 0.30  
10 years
1 year (3)
    -       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ 23,000     $ -  
Thomas A. Price
    144,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
4 years (2)
    72,000       108,000       144,000       144,000     $ -     $ -  
Thomas A. Price
    99,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
1 year (3)
    99,000       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ 23,000  
Sean P. Rooney
    99,000     $ 0.30  
10 years
1 year (3)
    -       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ 25,500     $ -  
Sean P. Rooney
    144,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
4 years (2)
    72,000       108,000       144,000       144,000     $ -     $ -  
Sean P. Rooney
    99,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
1 year (3)
    99,000       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ 25,500  
Corey Lambrecht
    99,000     $ 0.30  
10 years
1 year (3)
    -       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ 24,500     $ -  
Corey Lambrecht
    144,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
4 years (2)
    72,000       108,000       144,000       144,000     $ -     $ -  
Corey Lambrecht
    99,000     $ 0.25  
10 years
1 year (3)
    99,000       99,000       99,000       99,000     $ -     $ 24,500  

Footnotes:
 
(1)
Effective January 1, 2009, each director received an option to purchase 144,000 common shares within ten years from date of issuance that vests over four years, 25% after the first year and in equal monthly installments over the balance of the four year term.  Also, effective January 1, 2009, each director received an option to purchase 99,000 common shares at a price of $0.25 per share that vests one year after issuance.  Additionally, effective October 11, 2010, each director received an option to purchase 99,000 common shares at a price of $0.30 per share that vests one year after issuance.  Directors are to receive a grant of 99,000 options annually.  Options fully vest after one year.
 
(2)
Vests over four years, 25% after the first year and in equal monthly installments over the balance of the four year term.
 
(3)
Options fully vest after one year.
 
(4)
During 2009 and 2010, each director received an annual cash retainer of $20,000, no meeting fee, Board Chair receives additional $10,000 annually; Audit Committee members received $3,000 annually, Audit Committee Chair received $5,500 annually, Compensation Committee members received $2,000 annually, Compensation Committee Chair received $4,500 annually.

Employment Agreements
During fiscal year 2010, three executive officers and two key employees were employed under employment agreements.

Those executive officers are:
 
·
Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel
 
·
President/Chief Operating Officer of CUI, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CUI Global, Inc. and Chief Operating Officer of CUI Global, Inc.

 
31

 

 
·
Chief Financial Officer of CUI Global, Inc. and CUI, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CUI Global, Inc.

To see the material terms of each named executive officer’s employment agreement, please see the footnotes to the Summary Compensation Table.

Those key employees are:
 
·
Chief Technical Officer
 
·
Senior Vice President

Compensation Committee Report
We have reviewed and discussed the foregoing Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management.  Based on our review and discussion with management, we have recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Submitted by: 
Compensation Committee
                            Colton R. Melby, Chairman
                            Corey Lambrecht

 
32

 
 
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

Except as set forth herein, none of the Company’s directors or officers nor any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to its outstanding shares, nor any relative or spouse of any of the foregoing persons, since the beginning of fiscal year 2010, has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction or in any presently proposed transaction where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 which has or will materially affect the Company.

At December 31, 2007, twenty-four month secured promissory notes totaling $1,100,000 were outstanding.  $1,000,000 of these promissory notes were from an entity controlled by a related party.  During calendar year 2009 the related party portion in the amount of $125,000 was extinguished.  The Company paid the related party $100,000 and recognized additional paid in capital contribution on the extinguishment of $25,542 related to the remaining principal and accrued interest forgiven.  During calendar year 2009 the Company paid $250,000 in principal.  During 2010 the Company paid $43,674 in principal and converted $100,000 to 666,666 shares of common stock.  At December 31, 2010 there is $481,326 remaining outstanding.  Interest accrues at 12% per annum, payable monthly.  The Company obtained an extension of the term date to January 1, 2012 for this note payable.

Effective May 16, 2008 the Company formed a wholly owned subsidiary into which CUI, Inc., an Oregon corporation, merged all of its assets.  The funding for this acquisition was provided by a bank note, a seller’s note and a convertible seller’s note.  Matthew McKenzie, COO and Daniel Ford, CFO each were partial owners in CUI, Inc. prior to the acquisition.  The consideration paid by the Company is summarized as follows:
 
$6,000,000 cash loan from Commerce Bank of Oregon, term of 3 years, interest only, prime rate less 0.50%, secured by Letters of Credit.  This note was paid in 2010.
 
$14,000,000 promissory note to International Electronic Devices, Inc. (IED), the former CUI shareholders, payable monthly over three years at $30,000 per month including 1.7% annual simple interest with a balloon payment at the thirty sixth monthly payment, no prepayment penalty, annual success fee of 2.3% payable within three years, right of first refusal to the note payees relating to any private capital raising transactions of CUI Global during the term of the note.  Effective September 1, 2010, the Company and the holder of the $14,000,000 promissory note agreed to reduce the note principal by $1,588,063 and accrued interest by $724,729 and to restructure the interest rate and payment terms.  The forgiveness of debt and accrued interest of $2,312,792 as recognized as a contribution of additional paid in capital.  With this amendment, the Company agreed to pay $1,200,000 of the principal balance during the fourth quarter of 2010 and an additional $487,208 of the principal balance during the first quarter of 2011.  The new terms set the interest rate at 6% per annum with monthly interest payments of $51,545 payment and a May 15, 2018 balloon payment.

 
33

 

 
$17,500,000 convertible promissory note to IED plus 1.7% annual simple interest and 2.3% annual success fee, permitting payees to convert any unpaid principal, interest and success fee to CUI Global common stock at a per share price of $0.25 and at the end of the three year term giving to CUI Global the singular, discretionary right to convert any unpaid principal, interest and success fee to CUI Global common stock at a per share price of $0.25.  This note also provided a right of first refusal to the note payees relating to any private capital raising transactions of CUI Global during the term of the note.  In May 2009, CUI Global and the debt holder of the $17,500,000 convertible promissory note, IED, Inc., agreed to amend the convertible promissory note related to the acquisition of CUI, Inc. by reducing the conversion rate from $0.25 to $0.07 per share to reflect the stock price for the ten day trailing average preceding April 24, 2009, the date of the agreement.  The agreement specifically retained the total maximum convertible shares at 70,000,000 as stated in the original Note.  This amendment effectively reduced the Note principal from $17,500,000 to $4,900,000.  The Company recognized additional paid in capital contribution related to this 2009 extinguishment of debt of $11,808,513.  On April 1, 2010, the Company settled the $4,900,000 convertible promissory note and $850,500 in accrued interest on this note for a one-time payment of $50,000 and the conversion of $70,000 of the principal into 1,000,000 shares of the company’s common stock at the stated conversion rate of $0.07 per share.  The Company recognized additional paid in capital contribution from the 2010 extinguishment of debt of $5,630,500.
 
Appointment by note payees of three members to Board of Directors for so long as there remains an unpaid balance was terminated upon release of the convertible seller’s note by payees and described more thoroughly herein.

During 2010 and 2009, $1,616,180 and $450,000, respectively, in principal and interest payments were made in relation to the promissory notes issued to IED.  Also during 2010, $70,000 of principal was converted to 1,000,000 shares of CUI Global common stock at $0.07 per share in accordance with the convertible note terms and $200,000 of principal was converted to 1,000,000 shares of CUI Global common stock at $0.20 per share in accordance with a settlement agreement.

During 2009, 416,667 shares of common stock were sold pursuant to a stock purchase agreement with proceeds of $4,167 by an entity controlled by Colton Melby who is Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The $6,000,000 bank note as noted above was secured by personal guarantees in the form of Letters of Credit in favor of the Commerce Bank of Oregon.  In consideration for posting the Letters of Credit, the Company issued to each individual who supplied a Letter of Credit, warrants to purchase, within 3 years at a per share price of $0.01, one CUI Global common share for each dollar of the Letter of Credit.  The warrants became fully vested at the second anniversary date.  A former officer of the Company received a 300,000 share warrant which was exercised August 17, 2010, a former director, received a 300,000 share warrant which was exercised December 16, 2010, a director received a 400,000 share warrant which was exercised August 18, 2010, a director received a 700,000 share warrant, an owner of 10% of the voting rights attached to outstanding shares received a 4,000,000 share warrant and a 300,000 share warrant was issued to an individual investor.

In May 2010 two corporate officers, one of whom is also a director, as shareholders in IED, an entity that owns Company promissory notes, received 30,303 shares of common stock in a negotiated satisfaction of a promissory note and in December 2010 these two individuals also received 30,612 shares of common stock at $0.20 per share as their portion of the conversion of an additional $200,000 of Company debt owed to IED.

In May 2010 an owner of 10% of the voting rights attached to outstanding shares received 11,220,947 shares of common stock at a per share price of $0.1056 through conversion of a $1,000,000 promissory note plus accrued interest of $184,932.

 
34

 

In August 2010, the Company received $2,000,000 in equity investment for which the Company issued 18,939,394 shares of common stock at $0.1056 per share.  The $2,000,000 received was used to pay down the $6,000,000 bank loan with Commerce Bank, bringing the net loan balance to $4,000,000.  The 18,939,394 shares of common stock were issued as follows: 8,522,727 to an investor, 3,787,879 to a director, 3,787,879 to a director and 2,840,909 to a former officer.

In October 2010, a limited liability company promissory note owner converted $100,000 of the note to 666,666 shares of common stock at $0.15 per share.  A former company officer received 111,111 shares in this transaction.

In October 2010, 1,000,000 shares of common stock were issued to a director at $0.20 per share in consideration for a cash payment of $200,000.

In December 2010, 425,000 shares of common stock were issued to a limited liability company at $0.20 per share in consideration for a cash payment of $85,000.  A former officer of the Company is a part owner in the limited liability company.

In February 2011, two former employees completed cashless exercises of their options for which 8,076 shares of common stock were issued.  The Company did not receive funds from these options exercises as they were cashless.

In April 2011, a member of the Board of Directors exercised 700,000 warrants which he previously received in exchange for a personal guarantee of a bank note provided on behalf of the Company in May 2008.  The Company received $7,000 from the exercise of these warrants.

In May 2011, a beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding common stock, exercised 300,000 warrants which he previously received in exchange for a personal guarantee of a bank note provided on behalf of the Company in May 2008.  The Company received $3,000 from the exercise of these warrants.

In May 2011, a beneficial owner of more than 10% of the outstanding common stock, exercised 4,000,000 warrants which he previously received in exchange for a personal guarantee of a bank note provided on behalf of the Company in May 2008.  The Company received $40,000 from the exercise of these warrants.

In July 2011, a CUI Global officer provided a short term convertible loan of $35,000 to the Company which accrues interest at 6% per annum, convertible at $0.17 per common share.

As a part of the CUI asset acquisition, the CUI Global, Inc. corporate offices were relocated to the CUI location at 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062.  CUI and CUI Global occupy the 61,380 square feet of offices and warehouse premises under a ten year non-cancelable lease agreement beginning September 1, 2006 with Barakel, LLC at a base monthly rent subject to periodic base payment increases plus real property taxes, utilities, insurance and common area maintenance charges.  During the period January 1 through December 31, 2010, the monthly base rent was $40,000.  Barakel, LLC is controlled by James McKenzie, majority owner of CUI, Inc. prior to acquisition, majority owner of IED, Inc. and Matt McKenzie, COO and Director of the Company.

 
35

 

Security Ownership of Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table sets forth certain information regarding beneficial ownership of our Voting Shares as of the date of this Proxy Statement by: (i) each shareholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of 5% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares, (ii) each of our directors and executives and (iii) all directors and executive officers as a group.  Except as otherwise indicated, we believe that the beneficial owners of the Voting Shares listed below, based on information furnished by such owners, have sole investment and voting power with respect to such shares, subject to community property laws where applicable.  Shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options and warrants that are currently exercisable or that will become exercisable within 60 days of filing this document have been included in the table.

Of the 10,000,000 preferred shares authorized by the Company, 5,000,000 shares have been designated as Series A Convertible Preferred, 30,000 shares have been designated as Series B Convertible Preferred and 10,000 shares have been designated as Series C Convertible Preferred.  As of September 30, 2011, no shares of Series B and Series C Convertible Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding.
 
BENEFICIAL INTEREST TABLE
 
    
Common Stock
   
Preferred Stock
       
         
Series A Convertible
   
Series B Convertible
   
Series C Convertible
       
Name and Address of
Beneficial Owner (1)
 
Number
   
Percent of
Class (2)
   
Number
   
Percent of
Class (3)
   
Number
   
Percent
of Class
   
Number
   
Percent
of Class
   
Percent of
All Voting
Securities
(4)
 
Colton Melby (5)
    12,690,623       5.78 %     -       *       -       *       -       *       5.78 %
William J. Clough (6)
    2,017,803       *       -       *       -       *       -       *       *  
Thomas A. Price (7)
    1,901,000       *       -       *       -       *       -       *       *  
Sean P. Rooney (8)
    374,202       *       -       *       -       *       -       *       *  
Corey Lambrecht (9)
    201,000       *       -       *       -       *       -       *       *  
Matthew M. McKenzie (10)
    758,205       *       -       *       -       *       -       *       *  
Daniel N. Ford (11)
    418,559       *       -       *       -       *       -       *       *  
Kjell Qvale (12)
    25,223,082       11.49 %     -       *       -       *       -       *       11.48 %
Mitchell Saltz (13)
    11,985,865       5.47 %     -       *       -       *       -       *       5.46 %
Jerry Ostrin
    -       *       45,000       89.03 %     -       *       -       *       *  
Barry Lezak
    -       *       3,043       6.02 %     -       *       -       *       *  
Officers, Directors, Executives as Group
    18,361,392       8.25 %     -       *                                       8.25 %
 
* Less than 1 percent
 
(1)
Except as otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o CUI Global, Inc., 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062.
(2)
Calculated on the basis of 219,282,472 shares of common stock issued and outstanding at September 30, 2011 except that shares of common stock underlying options and warrants exercisable within 60 days of the date hereof are deemed to be outstanding for purposes of calculating the beneficial ownership of securities of such holder of options or warrants.  This calculation excludes shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of Series A Preferred Stock.
(3)
Calculated on the basis of 50,543 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at September 30, 2011.
(4)
Calculated on the basis of an aggregate of 219,282,472 shares of common stock with one vote per share including 50,543 shares of Series A Preferred Stock with one vote per share issued and outstanding at September 30, 2011; shares of common stock underlying options and warrants exercisable within 60 days of the date hereof are deemed to be outstanding for purposes of calculating the beneficial ownership of securities of such holder of options or warrants; shares of common stock underlying convertible debt, options and warrants do not have voting privileges and are not included herein.

 
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(5)
Colton Melby controls the investment decisions of a limited liability company that owns the securities.  The limited liability company is owned by a limited partnership in which Mr. Melby owns an indirect interest.  Mr. Melby's common stock includes vested options to purchase 201,000 common shares.  Mr. Melby is Chairman of the Board of Directors.
(6)
Mr. Clough's common stock includes vested options to purchase 1,316,303 common shares.  Mr. Clough is a Director and Chief Executive Officer/President of CUI Global, Inc.
(7)
Mr. Price's shares included vested options to purchase 201,000 common shares.  Mr. Price is a Director.
(8)
Mr. Rooney's shares include vested options to purchase 201,000 common shares.  Mr. Rooney is a Director.
(9)
Mr. Lambrecht's shares include vested options to purchase 201,000 common shares.  Mr. Lambrecht is a Director.
(10)
Mr. McKenzie's shares include vested options to purchase 737,900 common shares.  Mr. McKenzie is a Director, Chief Operating Officer of CUI Global, Inc.  Mr. McKenzie's securities include an option to purchase 83,891 shares owned by his spouse.
(11)
Mr. Ford's shares include vested options to purchase 377,949 common shares.  Mr. Ford is the Chief Financial Officer of CUI Global, Inc.
(12)
Mr. Qvale's common stock includes 302,135 shares underlying two fully vested warrants.  All securities are owned by a trust controlled by Mr. Qvale.
(13)
A portion of Mr. Saltz's securities is owned by a limited liability company controlled by Mr. Saltz.

We relied upon Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 as the basis for an exemption from registration for the issuance of the above securities.

Section 16(A) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our executive officers, directors and persons owning more than 10% of our common stock to file reports of ownership and reports of changes of ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  These reporting persons are required to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms that they file.  Based solely upon a review of copies of these filings received, we believe that all filing requirements were complied with during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 and as noted in the Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 31, 2011.  We have made all officers and directors aware of their reporting obligations and have appointed an employee to oversee Section 16 compliance for future filings

Legal Proceedings

The Company is not involved in any legal proceedings.  No director, officer or affiliate of the Company, any owner of record or beneficially of more than five percent of any class of voting securities of the Company, or any associate of any such director, officer, affiliate of the Company, or security holder is a party adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or has a material interest adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 
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Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth an estimate of the various expenses, which will be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of this proxy statement:

Printing and Distribution Expenses
  $ 1,000  
Legal Fees and Expenses
  $ 5,000  
Accounting Fees and Expenses
  $ 1,000  
Miscellaneous expenses
  $ 1,000  
TOTAL
  $ 10,000  

Where You Can Find Additional Information

The Company will provide to each person to whom a proxy statement is delivered
 
·
a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in the proxy statement, but not delivered with the proxy statement;
 
·
we will provide this information upon written or oral request;
 
·
we will provide this information at no cost to the requester.

Contact us at: CUI Global, Inc., 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062; phone us at (503) 612-2300; email us at investors@CUIGlobal.com or view copies online at www.CUIGlobal.com.

You may read and copy all or any portion of the proxy statement or any other information, which we filed at the SEC's public reference rooms in Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago, Illinois.  The address for the SEC's public reference room in Washington, D.C. is U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 "F" Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549.  You may request copies of these documents, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC.  Please call the Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference rooms.  Our SEC filings are also available to you free of charge at the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov and our Company website at www.CUIGlobal.com.

Shareholder Proposals for the 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Under the Security and Exchange Commission’s proxy rules, shareholder proposals that meet certain conditions may be included in our proxy statement and form of proxy for a particular annual meeting.  Stockholders may present proper proposals for inclusion in our proxy statement and for consideration at the next annual meeting of stockholders by submitting their proposals in writing to CUI Global’s Corporate Secretary in a timely manner.  For a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in our proxy statement for our 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Corporate Secretary of CUI Global must receive the written proposal at our principal executive offices no later than July 1, 2012; provided, however, that in the event that we hold our 2011 Annual Meeting of stockholders more than 30 days before or after the one-year anniversary date of the Annual Meeting, we will disclose the new deadline by which stockholders proposals must be received under Item 5 of our earliest possible Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or, if impracticable, by any means reasonably calculated to inform stockholders. In addition, stockholder proposals must otherwise comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in company-sponsored proxy materials.  Proposals should be addressed to:

 
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CUI Global, Inc.
Attn: Corporate Secretary
20050 SW 112th Avenue
Tualatin, Oregon 97062

Our receipt of any such proposal from a qualified shareholder in a timely manner will not guarantee its inclusion in our proxy materials or its presentation at the 2012 Annual Meeting because there are other requirements in the proxy rules.

Annual Report

A COPY OF OUR ANNUAL REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS WHICH INCLUDES OUR ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K AND QUARTERLY FORM 10-Q AND THIS PROXY STATEMENT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU ON THE INTERNET OR, UPON YOUR REQUEST, WILL BE PROMPTLY MAILED TO EACH STOCKHOLDER ENTITLED TO VOTE AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.  THE NOTICE, WHICH WAS MAILED TO YOU, INSTRUCTS YOU AS TO HOW YOU MAY ACCESS AND REVIEW ALL OF THE PROXY MATERIALS ON THE INTERNET.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A PAPER OR EMAIL COPY OF OUR PROXY MATERIALS, YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING SUCH MATERIALS IN THE NOTICE.

By Order of the Board of Directors
Matthew M. McKenzie,
Corporate Secretary

Documents Incorporated by Reference

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this proxy statement the information that we file with the SEC in other documents.  This means that we may disclose important information to you by referring to other documents that contain that information.  The information may include documents filed after the date of this prospectus which update and supersede the information you read in this prospectus.  We incorporate by reference the following documents listed below, except to the extent information in those documents is different from the information contained in this proxy statement, and all future documents filed with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  The Company filed with the Commission:
 
(a)
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the Commission March 30, 2011.
 
(b)
A quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2011 filed with the Commission August 9, 2011.

 
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Proxy Solicited on Behalf of the
Board of Directors
for the Annual Shareholder Meeting of the
CUI Global, Inc. Stockholders

The undersigned, revoking all previous proxies, appoints Matthew M. McKenzie, Corporate Secretary, attorney and proxy of the undersigned, with power of substitution, to represent the undersigned at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of CUI Global, Inc. to be held Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. PT in our corporate offices located at 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062 and for any adjournments thereof and to vote all shares of Voting Stock of the Company which the undersigned is entitled to vote on all matters coming before said meeting.

x           Please mark your votes with an “X” as in this example.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the following proposals:

PROPOSAL I

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the following Directors:

Nominee: Board of Directors, Seat #2, Thomas A. Price, (2 year term)
¨ FOR
  
¨ WITHHOLD

Nominee: Board of Directors, Seat #4, Sean P. Rooney, (2 year term)
¨ FOR
  
¨ WITHHOLD

Nominee: Board of Directors, Seat #6, Corey Lambrecht, (2 year term)
¨ FOR
  
¨ WITHHOLD

PROPOSAL II

Ratification of the Appointment of
Webb & Company, P.A. as the Company’s Independent Auditor for the
Year Ending December 31, 2012

¨  FOR
  
¨  AGAINST
  
¨  ABSTAIN

PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD USING THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.  THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED SHAREHOLDER.  IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED "FOR" THE PROPOSALS TO ELECT THE THREE NOMINEE DIRECTORS AND RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF WEBB & COMPANY, P.A. AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT AUDITOR FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2012.
 
 
Date
2011
     
   
 
Signature
   
 
Signature of joint holder, if any

Please sign exactly as your name appears on your stock certificate or account.  Executors, administrators, trustees, etc. should give full title as such.  If the signer is a corporation, please sign full corporate name by a duly authorized officer.  If a partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized person.

 
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