UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

FORM 8-K 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): September 10, 2015

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

8000 Bent Branch Drive

Irving, Texas   75063

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (972) 409-1300

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

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

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

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

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

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

On September 10, 2015,  the board of directors (the “Board”) of The Michaels Companies, Inc. (the “Company”) voted to increase the size of the Board from ten directors to eleven directors and appointed Monte E. Ford to the Board to fill the resulting vacancy.    Mr. Ford’s Board service will commence on September 29, 2015 and he will additionally serve on the Board’s Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”). 

Mr. Ford, age 55, is currently the Principal Partner at the CIO Strategy Exchange, an organization of the top 50 sitting Chief Information Officers in business and a Network Partner to Brightwood Capital Advisors, which provides growth capital to growing middle-market businesses.  From February 2012 until September 2013, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Aptean Software Corporation, a provider of enterprise application software.  Prior to joining Aptean, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of American Airlines, Inc. from  December 2000 through December 2011.  Mr. Ford is a member of the board of directors of Akamai Technologies, Inc., a leading internet network and security company, where he serves on the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees.  

Mr. Ford will participate in the Company’s standard independent director compensation program. Pursuant to this program, Mr. Ford will receive the following compensation in connection with his service on the Board:

                  annual retainer of $50,000 for service as a Board member

                  annual retainer of $10,000 for service as an Audit Committee member

                  an additional $1,500 for in person attendance, or $750 for telephonic attendance, for any Company Board or Committee meetings in excess of ten aggregate meetings in a fiscal year

                  a restricted stock grant,  to be valued at $100,000 on the date of grant, to be fully vested on the one year anniversary of the date of grant, for shares of the Company’s common stock

Since the beginning of the Company’s last fiscal year through the present, there have been no transactions with the Company, and there are currently no proposed transactions with the Company, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and in which Mr. Ford had or will have a direct or indirect material interest within the meaning of Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.  No arrangement or understanding exists between Mr. Ford and any other person pursuant to which Mr.  Ford was selected as a director of the Company.

In addition, Mr. Ford and the Company will enter into the Company’s standard indemnification agreement, the terms of which are described in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-193000) (the “Registration Statement”) and a form of such agreement was filed as Exhibit 10.29 to the Registration Statement.

 SIGNATURE

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

Date: September 15, 2015