AGM Information • Dec 14, 2023
AGM Information
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(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 13141124)
The Annual General Meeting will be held at 2.00 p.m. on 30 January 2024 at the offices of Travers Smith LLP, 10 Snow Hill, London, EC1A 2AL.
THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
If you are in any doubt as to what action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial advice from your stockbroker, solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser or other independent adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in Auction Technology Group plc, please pass this document, together with the accompanying documents, as soon as possible to the purchaser or transferee, or to the person who arranged the sale or transfer so they can pass these documents to the person who now holds the shares.
This document should be read as a whole. Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chair of Auction Technology Group plc set out on page 3 of this document which contains the recommendation by the Directors of Auction Technology Group plc (the "Company") to shareholders to vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Auction Technology Group plc to be held at the offices of Travers Smith LLP, 10 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AL on Tuesday 30 January 2024 at 2.00 p.m. is set out at the end of this document. Shareholders will also find enclosed with this document a form of proxy for use in connection with the Annual General Meeting.
Whether or not you propose to attend the Annual General Meeting, shareholders are encouraged to complete and submit the form of proxy in accordance with the instructions printed on the enclosed form. The form of proxy must be received by our Registrar, Equiniti Limited, by no later than 2.00 p.m. on Friday 26 January 2024. Alternatively, a proxy may be appointed electronically at www. sharevote.co.uk using the Voting ID, Task ID and Shareholder Reference Number on the Form of Proxy or via your personal Shareview Portfolio or, if you hold shares in CREST, by using the CREST electronic proxy appointment service. If you are an institutional investor you may also appoint a proxy electronically via the Proxymity platform.
(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 13141124)
Breon Corcoran, Independent Non-Executive Chairman John-Paul Savant, Chief Executive Officer Tom Hargreaves, Chief Financial Officer Scott Forbes, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director Suzanne Baxter, Independent Non-Executive Director Pauline Reader, Independent Non-Executive Director Morgan Seigler, Non-Executive Director Tamsin Todd, Independent Non-Executive Director
The Harlequin Building 6th Floor 65 Southwark Street London SE1 0HR
I am pleased to invite you to the Company's third Annual General Meeting which will be held at the offices of Travers Smith LLP, 10 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AL on Tuesday 30 January 2024 at 2.00 p.m.
The notice of Annual General Meeting is set out on pages 4 to 5 of this document. A copy of the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2023 (the "2023 Annual Report") is enclosed, together with a form of proxy to enable you to exercise your voting rights.
The purpose of the Annual General Meeting is to seek shareholders' approval for the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting. It is also an opportunity for shareholders to express their views and to ask questions of the Directors of the Company (the "Board"). We, as your Board, are committed to open dialogue with our shareholders and our Annual General Meeting is an excellent means to engage with you directly. As we appreciate that some shareholders may prefer not to attend, or may be unable to attend, the Annual General Meeting, if you have any questions in respect of the business of the Annual General Meeting which you would prefer to raise by email in advance, please email them to [email protected] by 2.00 p.m. on Friday 26 January 2024. The Board will attempt to reply to any emails received as soon as reasonably practicable. Replies will either be made by return email or published on the investor relations section of our website www.auctiontechnologygroup.com/investors, as deemed appropriate by the Board.
Shareholders who would prefer not, or are unable, to attend the Annual General Meeting in person are invited to watch and listen to the Annual General Meeting online via a live webcast. Written questions may be submitted via the electronic platform at any time during the webcast of the Annual General Meeting, or by email in advance of the Annual General Meeting (as detailed above). Please note that shareholders joining the live webcast will not be able to vote on the day and must appoint a proxy in advance to ensure their vote is counted, which they should do by appointing the Chair of the Annual General Meeting as their proxy. To attend the webcast shareholders should send an email to [email protected], including their HURN number (shareholder reference number) and their full name and their address, by 6.00 p.m. on Friday 26 January 2024. A link to the webcast will be provided following verification of the shareholder's identity with our registrars.
You have the right to appoint a proxy to vote at the Annual General Meeting on your behalf. To appoint a proxy, please complete the enclosed form of proxy and send it to our registrar, Equiniti Limited. Alternatively, you can appoint a proxy online at www.sharevote.co.uk using the Voting ID, Task ID and Shareholder Reference Number on the Form of Proxy (if you have received your Form of Proxy in hard copy) or via your personal Shareview Portfolio or, if you hold shares in CREST, by using the CREST electronic appointment service. Shareholders are encouraged to appoint the Chair of the Annual General Meeting as their proxy to ensure that their vote is counted. If you are an institutional investor, you may also appoint a proxy electronically via the Proxymity platform.
Proxy appointments must be received by Equiniti Limited by no later than 2.00 p.m. on Friday 26 January 2024.
The Company actively encourages all shareholders to register for electronic communications to enable it to reduce the paper used when communicating with shareholders. For further details on how to register for electronic communications please see our website, https://www.auctiontechnologygroup.com/investors/share-price-information-and-shareholder-communications/electronic-communications/.
In the opinion of the Directors, each of the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting is in the best interests of the Company and shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, the Directors recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions at the Annual General Meeting, as the Directors intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings of ordinary shares, which amount to approximately 3.71 per cent. of the issued ordinary shares of the Company.
Yours faithfully
Breon Corcoran Chairman 14 December 2023
(Registered in England and Wales under no. 13141124)
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Auction Technology Group plc (the "Company") will be held at the offices of Travers Smith LLP, 10 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AL on Tuesday 30 January 2024 at 2.00 p.m. You will be asked to consider and vote on the resolutions below. Resolutions 15 to 18 will be proposed as special resolutions. All other resolutions will be proposed as ordinary resolutions.
For further information on all of the resolutions, please refer to the explanation of resolutions which can be found on pages 6 to 8.
provided that the aggregate amount of such political donations and political expenditure shall not exceed £50,000. For the purposes of this Resolution, the expressions "political
donations", "political party", "political organisation", "independent election candidate" and "political expenditure" have the meanings set out in Part 14 of the Act.
and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter.
The authorities conferred on the Directors to allot securities under paragraphs (a) and (b) will expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2025 or at the close of business on 30 April 2025, whichever is sooner (unless previously renewed, varied or revoked by the Company at a general meeting). The Company may before these authorities expire, make an offer or enter into an agreement which would or might require such securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot such securities in pursuance of that offer or agreement as if the power conferred by this resolution had not expired.
and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter;
such authorities to expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2025 or at the close of business on 30 April 2025, whichever is sooner (unless previously renewed, varied or revoked by the Company at a general meeting). The Company may before these authorities expire, make an offer or enter into an agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of that offer or agreement as if the power conferred by this resolution had not expired.
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2025 or at the close of business on 30 April 2025, whichever is sooner (unless previously renewed, varied or revoked by the Company at a general meeting). The Company may before this authority expires, make an offer or enter into an agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of that offer or agreement as if the power conferred by this resolution had not expired.
*Special resolution
By order of the Board
Jayne Meacham Company Secretary Date 14 December 2023
Registered Office: The Harlequin Building, 6th Floor, 65 Southwark Street, London SE1 0HR
Resolutions 1 – 14 (inclusive) are proposed as ordinary resolutions. For each of these to be passed, more than half of the votes cast must be in favour of the relevant resolution. Resolutions 15 to 18 are proposed as special resolutions. For each of these to be passed, at least three quarters of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution.
An explanation of each of the resolutions is set out below:
The Directors are required to present to the Annual General Meeting the audited accounts and the Directors' and Auditors' Reports for the financial year ended 30 September 2023.
In accordance with section 439 of the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act"), shareholders are requested to approve the Directors' Remuneration Report. The Directors' Remuneration Report is set out on pages 94 to 112 of the 2023 Annual Report. The vote is advisory and the Directors' entitlement to receive remuneration is not conditional on shareholder approval of this resolution.
Resolutions 3 to 10 are to approve the re-election of the Board. In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, all of the Directors are subject to annual re-election by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting. All Directors are standing for re-election by the shareholders at this year's Annual General Meeting.
The Directors believe that the Board offers an appropriate balance of knowledge and skills and that each of the independent Non-Executive Directors are independent in character and judgement. The Nomination Committee, which considers the balance of the Board and the mix of skills, knowledge and experience of its members, has considered and recommends to the Board the appointment of all of the Directors of the Company standing for re-election. The Chair confirms that the Non-Executive Directors standing for re-election continue to demonstrate effective performance and commitment to the role and have sufficient time to meet their responsibilities.
Full biographical details of all of the Directors appear on pages 79 to 81 of the 2023 Annual Report. The UK Corporate Governance Code recommends that companies set out the specific reasons why each individual Director's contribution is, and continues to be, important to the company's long-term sustainable success. This builds on section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 which is discussed in the 2023 Annual Report and the relevant details are set out below.
| Breon Corcoran | How Breon supports the Company's strategy |
|---|---|
| Chairman | and long-term success |
| Breon's knowledge and experience in strategic | |
| transformation are well respected by his Board | |
| colleagues and other stakeholders alike. He is | |
| recognised for his collaborative leadership | |
| and focus on creating a strong, diverse and | |
| effective Board. For part of FY23 Breon was | |
| the designated Non-Executive Director for | |
| workforce engagement, ensuring that the | |
| employee perspective was brought into | |
| the Boardroom. |
strategy and long-term success
Chief Executive
| Officer | John-Paul is passionate about the role ATG can play in accelerating the circular economy through digital transformation of the auction industry and in unlocking the incredible value present in the massive secondary goods market. His focus is building on ATG's leadership position through creative strategies to enhance the value ATG provides to the auction ecosystem as it undergoes the structural shift online, and on building focused, collaborative leadership teams with the ability to execute. He is committed to a shared success model and is excited by building capabilities and services that allow both the auction industry and ATG to grow profitably together. He leads and guides the ATG team with a clear vision to grow ATG into a true online global market leader, to pursue a strategy that steadily enhances ATG's competitive position, to invest against the six strategic growth drivers, and to build and develop the team capable of delivering the value. |
|---|---|
| Tom Hargreaves Chief Financial Officer |
How Tom supports the Company's strategy and long-term success Tom is passionate about driving both organic and strategic acquisitive growth, with extensive experience of both M&A and business funding. He is well regarded for his deep understanding of the business and its drivers. He leads a strong and well-respected finance team, creating alignment across different locations and ensuring a robust and resilient finance function. |
| Scott Forbes Senior Independent Non-Executive Director |
How Scott supports the Company's strategy and long-term success Scott is an experienced UK and US listed company director and chair with a sector focus principally on digital commerce and online marketplaces. Scott's independence and extensive experience as a non-executive director in listed environments has enabled him to successfully support the Board in its first couple of years as a listed company. Other Board members value Scott's patience and sound judgement, along with his experience in M&A, finance and business operating strategy. Scott is respected for his ability to constructively challenge and contribute to the Company's strategy, promoting an open and collaborative environment across the Board. |
| Morgan Seigler Non-Executive Director |
How Morgan supports the Company's strategy and long-term success Morgan has provided continuity during the transition of ATG to a listed business. Morgan actively assists the Board with the implementation of the Company's growth strategy, particularly given his knowledge of the business, transactional experience and network of contacts through TA Associates, which the Directors believe will assist ATG in sourcing acquisition opportunities. Morgan's role facilitates good shareholder engagement with TA Associates. |
|---|---|
| Pauline Reader Non-Executive Director |
How Pauline supports the Company's strategy and long-term success Pauline brings over 20 years of marketing and e-commerce experience through roles at a range of global consumer businesses and in investment banking. Pauline is highly regarded by the Board for her marketing, consumer and diversity insights. Her knowledge of the digital realm and of global consumer trends provides a platform for her to bring fresh thinking and perspectives to discussions about ATG's next stage of growth. |
| Suzanne Baxter Non-Executive Director |
How Suzanne supports the Company's strategy and long-term success Alongside her significant financial experience and qualifications, Suzanne's expertise in growing businesses and corporate governance is invaluable to the Board. Suzanne's prior board experience enabled her to successfully step into the role of Audit Committee Chair immediately upon appointment in 2022 and she continuously provides constructive challenge to the Executive Directors and support and guidance to the finance function. |
| Tamsin Todd Non-Executive Director |
How Tamsin supports the Company's strategy and long-term success Tamsin's digital transformation background, coupled with her questioning mindset and collaborative style, has proved a valuable asset to the Board. Tamsin brings broad international experience and a passion in excellence in customer service and the employee voice, as well as extensive knowledge and interest in the impact of diversity in the business and on the Board, where she provides insight and challenge. Tamsin took over as the designated Non-Executive Director for workforce engagement during FY23, a role that she fully embraces, providing an open channel of communication for employee issues to be considered by the Board. |
As was explained in the 2023 Annual Report, the Audit Committee undertook a competitive tender process for the Company's external audit services during 2023. Following that process, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that Ernst & Young LLP be appointed as the Company's Auditors with effect from the end of the Annual General Meeting, and Resolution 11 proposes this appointment. Deloitte LLP will accordingly retire as the Company's Auditors at the 2024 Annual General Meeting. As required by section 519 of the Act, the retiring Auditors have provided a statement of circumstances which the Company is required to distribute to members under section 520 of the Act and which is set out at Appendix 1 to this document.
It is normal practice for a company's directors to be authorised to agree how much the Auditor should be paid and Resolution 12 grants this authority to the Directors.
Resolution 13 is to approve the limit of financial political contributions that the Company can make. It is not the Company's policy to make donations to, or incur expenditure on behalf of, political parties, other political organisations or independent election candidates and the Directors have no intention of using the authority for that purpose. However, it is possible that certain routine activities undertaken by the Company and its subsidiaries might unintentionally fall within the wide definition of matters constituting political donations and expenditure in the Act. Shareholder approval is therefore being sought on a precautionary basis only, to ensure that neither the Company nor any company, which at any time during the period for which this resolution has effect, is a subsidiary of the Company, commits a technical breach of the Act when carrying out activities in furtherance of its legitimate business interests.
The Directors are therefore seeking authority to make political donations to political parties, other political organisations, and independent election candidates not exceeding £50,000 in total. In line with guidance published by the Investment Association, this resolution will be put to shareholders annually rather than every four years as required by the Act. This authority will expire at the conclusion of the Company's annual general meeting to be held in 2025 or at close of business on 30 April 2025, whichever is sooner.
Resolution 14 is proposed to renew the Directors' power to allot shares. Resolution 14(a) seeks to grant the Directors authority to allot, pursuant to section 551 of the Act, shares and grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares in the Company up to a maximum nominal amount of £4,054.71. This represents 40,547,137 ordinary shares of 0.01 pence each, which is approximately one third of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 5 December 2023, (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice).
In accordance with The Investment Association's Share Capital Management Guidelines (the "Guidelines"), Resolution 14(b) seeks to grant the Directors authority to allot ordinary shares in connection with a fully pre-emptive offer in favour of ordinary shareholders up to an aggregate nominal value of £4,054.71 (representing 40,547,137 ordinary shares of 0.01 pence each). This amount represents one third of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 5 December 2023, (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice).
The authorities sought under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this resolution will expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2025, or at close of business on 30 April 2025, whichever is sooner. The Directors have no present intention of exercising either of the authorities under this resolution, but the Board wishes to ensure that the Company has maximum flexibility in managing the financial resources of the Company.
Resolutions 15 and 16 are to approve the disapplication of pre-emption rights. The passing of these resolutions would allow the Directors to allot shares for cash under the authority given by Resolution 14 and/or sell treasury shares without first having to offer such shares to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings.
The authority under Resolution 15 would be limited to:
Resolution 16 would give the Directors authority to (i) allot a further 10 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 5 December 2023 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice) for the purposes of financing a transaction which the Directors determine to be an acquisition or other capital investment contemplated by the Statement of Principles on Disapplying Pre-Emption Rights most recently published by the Pre-Emption Group prior to the date of this Notice (the "Statement of Principles") and (ii) allot or sell shares (otherwise than under paragraph (i)) up to an aggregate nominal amount of £243.28, which represents approximately 2 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 5 December 2023 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice) to be used only for the purposes of making a follow-on offer to retail investors or existing investors not allocated shares in the offer.
The disapplication authorities under Resolutions 15 and 16 are in line with guidance set out in the Statement of Principles. The Statement of Principles allow a board to allot shares for cash otherwise than in connection with a pre-emptive offer (i) up to 10 per cent. of a company's issued share capital for use on an unrestricted basis, (ii) up to a further 10 per cent. of a company's issued share capital for use in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment announced either contemporaneously with the issue, or which has taken place in the preceding twelve-month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the issue and (iii) in the case of both (i) or (ii), up to an additional 2 per cent. in connection with a follow-on offer to retail investors or existing investors not allocated shares in the offer. The Directors confirm that, in considering the exercise of the authority under Resolutions 15 and 16, they intend to follow the shareholder protections in Part 2B of the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles to the extent reasonably practicable.
The authorities contained in Resolutions 15 and 16 will expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2025 or at close of business on 30 April 2025, whichever is sooner.
Resolution 17 is to approve the purchase by the Company of its own ordinary shares in the market. The authority limits the number of shares that could be purchased to a maximum of 12,164,141 ordinary shares (equivalent to 10 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 5 December 2023 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice)) and sets a minimum and maximum price. The authority will expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2025 or at the close of business on 30 April 2025, whichever is sooner.
The Directors have no present intention of exercising the authority to purchase the Company's ordinary shares but will keep the matter under review, taking into account the financial resources of the Company, the Company's share price and future funding opportunities. The Directors will exercise this authority only when to do so would be in the best interests of the Company and of its shareholders generally, and could be expected to result in an increase in earnings per share of the Company. Any purchases of ordinary shares would be by means of market purchase through the London Stock Exchange.
Any shares the Company buys under this authority may either be cancelled or held in treasury. Treasury shares can be re-sold for cash, cancelled or used for the purposes of employee share schemes. No dividends are paid on shares whilst held in treasury and no voting rights attach to treasury shares. The Directors believe that it is desirable for the Company to have this choice as holding the purchased shares as treasury shares would give the Company the ability to re-sell or transfer them in the future and so provide the Company with additional flexibility in the management of its capital base.
As at 5 December 2023 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice), the total number of options to subscribe for ordinary shares in the Company amounted to 2,964,940. This represented 2.44 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital on that date. If this authority to purchase shares is exercised in full, the options would represent 2.71 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital as at 5 December 2023.
Resolution 18 is to approve the calling of general meetings of the Company (other than an annual general meeting) on 14 clear days' notice. The notice period required by the Act for general meetings of the Company is 21 clear days unless (i) shareholders agree to a shorter notice period and (ii) the Company has met the requirements for electronic voting under the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009. Annual general meetings must always be held on at least 21 clear days' notice.
The Directors confirm that the shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine, but only where flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting, the proposals are time-sensitive and it is thought to be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole. An electronic voting facility will be made available to all shareholders for any meeting held on such notice. The approval will be effective until the Company's next annual general meeting, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed.
Deloitte LLP 1 New Street Square London EC4A 3HQ
Phone: +44 (0)20 7936 3000 Fax: +44 (0)20 7583 0112 www.deloitte.co.uk
7 December 2023
Auction Technology Group plc The Harlequin Building 65 Southwark Street London SE1 0HR
Dear Directors
This letter is formal notice that we will not be seeking reappointment as auditors of Auction Technology Group plc at the forthcoming accounts meeting. The directors are proposing that the members appoint another firm of auditors at the accounts meeting on 30 January 2024, and we will cease to hold office as auditors at the conclusion of that meeting.
Our statement of reasons is attached.
Yours faithfully
Statement of reasons relating to Deloitte LLP ceasing to act as auditors Auction Technology Group plc
The directors have proposed a resolution at the accounts meeting to appoint another firm and, accordingly, we will cease to hold office at the conclusion of the accounts meeting to be held on 30 January 2024. The reason for our ceasing to hold office is that Auction Technology Group plc held a competitive tender, in which we were unsuccessful in retaining the audit.
Unless you apply to the Court, this statement must be sent by you within 14 days to every person entitled under Section 423 of the Companies Act 2006 to be sent copies of the company's accounts. This is a requirement of Section 520(2) of that Act. Unless you inform us that you have applied to the court, we are required to file a copy of this statement at Companies House.
Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London, EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.
Deloitte LLP is the United Kingdom affiliate of Deloitte NSE LLP, a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"). DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL and Deloitte NSE LLP do not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.
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