AGM Information • Feb 28, 2023
AGM Information
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To the shareholders of Gjensidige Forsikring ASA
at 17.00 on 23 March 2023
The meeting will be held as a hybrid meeting with the possibility of attending in person or remotely. Login and registration from 16.00. https://web.lumiagm.com/154763677
The parent company's profit before other components of income and expense is NOK 7,318.3 million.
The Board proposes that a dividend of NOK 8.25 per share be distributed for the 2022 financial year on the basis of the profit for the year after tax expense. The allocation of profit includes a dividend distribution of NOK 4,125 million. Dividend will be distributed to shareholders who own shares on 23 March 2023, the ex-dividend date is 24 March 2023, the record date will be 27 March 2023 and the dividend will be disbursed on 31 March 2023.
The annual report and directors' report for 2022 are available at www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/reports The Board's corporate governance statement is available at www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/corporategovernance
The General Meeting approves the submitted consolidated financial statements as the Gjensidige Forsikring Group's accounts for 2022.
The General Meeting approves the submitted accounts as Gjensidige Forsikring ASA's annual accounts for 2022.
It is proposed that the parent company's profit before other components of income and expense of NOK 7,318.3 million be allocated as follows:
| NOK million: | |
|---|---|
| Proposed dividend: | 4,125.0 |
| Transferred to/(from) undistributable reserves: | 269.3 |
| Transferred to/(from) other retained earnings: | 2,924.0 |
| Allocated: | 7,318.3 |
Other components of income and expense as presented in the income statement are not included in the allocation of profit.
The General Meeting approves the submitted integrated annual report for Gjensidige Forsikring, which meets the requirements of the directors' report.
The General Meeting approves the Board's corporate governance statement.
Under Section 6-16 b of the Public Limited Liability Companies Act, the Board of Gjensidige Forsikring ASA is required to draw up an annual report that provides a complete overview of pay and remuneration disbursed and due to executive personnel covered by the guidelines defined in Section 6-16 a. The report meets the requirements set out in the regulations on guidelines for and reporting of remuneration of executive personnel ('Forskrift om retningslinjer og rapport om godtgjørelse for ledende personer'). The report also meets requirements of notes to the annual accounts pursuant to Sections 7-31b and 7-32 of the Accounting Act.
The object of the report is to ensure transparency in Gjensidige's pay policy and the actual remuneration of executive personnel in Gjensidige, to confirm compliance with the guidelines on remuneration of executive personnel and to help ensure that the remuneration system is in accordance with Gjensidige's results and goals.
The remuneration of executive personnel differs from Gjensidige's general remuneration policy, mainly in that it provides for the opportunity to earn variable remuneration. This is based on the responsibility assigned to executive personnel, and the complexity of the individual role. The remuneration report for executive personnel for 2022 is available at www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/corporate-governance
The General Meeting takes note of the remuneration report for executive personnel for 2022.
Guidelines for stipulating the remuneration of executive personnel have been drawn up in accordance with Section 6-16 a of the Public Limited Liability Companies Act and the regulations on guidelines for and reporting of remuneration of executive personnel. The Board shall present the guidelines to the General Meeting for decision.
The guidelines make reference to different types of remuneration and describe fixed salary, variable pay, pension and payment in kind for executive personnel. The guidelines are available at www.gjensidige.no/group/investorrelations/corporate-governance
The General Meeting approves the Board's proposal for the guidelines for stipulating the remuneration of executive personnel.
The General Meeting can authorise the Board to distribute dividend. Such authorisation requires that the Company has dividend capacity pursuant to the last approved annual accounts.
Authorising the Board to distribute dividend will give the Company flexibility and will mean that the Company, based on its dividend capacity pursuant to the last approved annual accounts, can distribute additional dividends without having to call an extraordinary general meeting. Dividend relating to the operating profit for the financial year shall still be decided by the General Meeting in connection with the approval of the annual accounts for each year.
Within the limits that follow from the authorisation and the Public Limited Liability Companies Act, the Board will decide whether to make use of the authorisation, whether to use it once or several times, the size of the individual dividend payment etc.
The Board is hereby authorised to make decisions about the distribution of dividend on the basis of the Company's annual accounts for 2022, cf. the Public Limited Liability Companies Act Section 8-2(2), in line with the adopted capital strategy and dividend policy.
The authorisation is valid until the general meeting in 2024, no longer, however, than until 30 June 2024.
The Company may only acquire own shares if the General Meeting, by the same majority as is required for amendments to the Articles of Association, has authorised the Board to carry out such acquisitions.
The purpose of the authorisation is to promote a good business culture and loyalty through employees becoming part-owners in the Company. All employees are invited to take part in a share savings programme, whereby those who choose to participate will save up for discounted shares through monthly deductions from salary.
In accordance with the Financial Institutions Regulations, a promise has been made that half of the variable remuneration in 2023 for persons defined in the Regulations will be paid in the form of Gjensidige shares, one-third of which will be allocated in each of the next three years. The shares will be purchased in the market before each year's allocation following publication of the accounts for the fourth quarter.
As a consequence of this, the Board requests the General Meeting's authorisation to buy back up to 1,000,000 own shares, corresponding to 0.2% of the Company's share capital.
The Board is hereby authorised to acquire Gjensidige shares in the market on behalf of the Company, cf. the Public Limited Liability Companies Act Section 9.4. The authorisation can be used to purchase own shares with a total nominal value of up to NOK 2,000,000, corresponding to 1,000,000 shares with a nominal value of NOK 2.
The minimum and maximum amounts that can be paid per share are NOK 20 and NOK 375, respectively. Within these limits, the Board decides at what price and at what times such acquisition shall take place.
The acquisition of shares in accordance with the authorisation can only be used for sale and transfer to employees of the Gjensidige Group as part of the Group's share savings programme or to executive personnel in accordance with the remuneration regulations.
The Board is free to acquire and sell shares in the manner that the Board finds expedient, such, however, that general principles concerning equal treatment of shareholders are adhered to.
The authorisation is valid until 30 June 2024.
The Company may only acquire own shares if the General Meeting, by the same majority as is required for amendments to the Articles of Association, has authorised the Board to carry out such acquisitions. Such authorisation enables the Board to exploit the mechanisms provided for by the Public Limited Liability Companies Act and can be a means of ensuring an optimal capital structure.
Shares acquired in accordance with the authorisation may, among other things, be used as consideration shares in connection with the acquisition of businesses, mergers and demergers, or for subsequent sale or cancellation.
As a consequence of this, the Board requests the General Meeting's authorisation to buy back up to 50,000,000 own shares, corresponding to 10% of the Company's share capital.
It is a precondition for the purchase of own shares that the Gjensidige Foundation's percentage ownership interest in the Company is not changed as a result of the repurchase.
The Board is hereby authorised to acquire Gjensidige shares in the market on behalf of the Company, cf. the Public Limited Liability Companies Act Section 9.4. The authorisation can be used to purchase own shares with a total nominal value of up to NOK 100,000,000, corresponding to 50,000,000 shares with a nominal value of NOK 2.
The minimum and maximum amounts that can be paid per share are NOK 20 and NOK 375, respectively. Within these limits, the Board decides at what price and at what times such acquisition shall take place.
Shares acquired in accordance with the authorisation may, among other things, be used as consideration shares in connection with the acquisition of businesses, mergers and demergers, or for subsequent sale or cancellation.
The Board is free to acquire and sell shares in the manner that the Board finds expedient, such, however, that general principles concerning equal treatment of shareholders are adhered to.
The authorisation is valid until 30 June 2024.
The General Meeting may, by the same majority as is required for amendments to the Articles of Association, authorise the Board to increase the share capital through subscription for new shares.
Such authorisation enables the Board to exploit the mechanisms provided for by the Public Limited Liability Companies Act. The purpose can, among other things, be to increase the Company's financial flexibility in connection with the acquisition of businesses, and to ensure an optimal capital structure.
As a consequence of this, the Board requests the General Meeting's authorisation to increase the Company's share capital by a total nominal amount of up to NOK 100,000,000, corresponding to 10% of the Company's share capital.
It is a precondition for the share capital increase that the Gjensidige Foundation's ownership interest in the Company does not fall below the lowest ownership interest stipulated in the Articles of Association.
The Board is hereby authorised to increase the Company's share capital by a total nominal amount of up to NOK 100,000,000, corresponding to 50,000,000 shares with a nominal value of NOK 2, cf. the Public Limited Liability Companies Act Section 10-14. The subscription price and other terms and conditions for subscription are stipulated by the Board. A capital increase within these limits can take place through one or more capital increases, as decided by the Board.
The Board may decide that the shareholders' pre-emption right to the new shares can be waived.
The Board may decide that the share capital contribution can be made in the form of assets other than cash.
The Board is hereby authorised to implement the amendments of the Articles of Association that the share capital increase necessitates.
The authorisation does not apply to decisions on mergers pursuant to Section 13-5 of the Public Limited Liability Companies Act.
New shares are entitled to dividend from the time they are registered in the Register of Business Enterprises.
The authorisation is valid until the general meeting in 2024, but no longer than until 30 June 2024.
According to the Company's Articles of Association, the General Meeting may, by the same majority as is required for amendments to the Articles of Association, authorise the Board to make decisions to raise subordinated loan capital and other external financing, and specify more detailed terms in that connection.
The issuing and any buy-back of own securities that form part of the Company's solvency capital are regulated by the Financial Supervisory Authority. Market conditions may mean that the price of the Company's own funds does not adequately reflect the Company's financial situation. In order to be prepared to act quickly within the limits set by the Financial Supervisory Authority, the Board deems it expedient that the authorisation shall also apply to trading in the bonds issued at all times under the Company's subordinated bond issue. The limits set by the authorisation take account of the possibility of refinancing existing loans.
As a consequence of this, the Board requests such authorisation, limited upwards to NOK 3.5 billion.
The Board is hereby authorised to raise subordinated loans and other external financing limited upwards to NOK 3.5 billion, and to trade in the bonds issued at all times under the Company's subordinated bond issue and on the conditions stipulated by the Board.
The authorisation is valid until the general meeting in 2024, no longer, however, than until 30 June 2024.
The Nomination Committee proposes the following persons as members of the Board:
| Gisele Marchand | Chair | Re-election |
|---|---|---|
| Vibeke Krag | Member | Re-election |
| Terje Seljeseth | Member | Re-election |
| Hilde Merete Nafstad | Member | Re-election |
| Eivind Elnan | Member | Re-election |
| Tor Magne Lønnum | Member | Re-election |
| Gunnar Robert Sellæg | Member | Re-election |
The Nomination Committee proposes the following persons as members of the Nomination Committee:
| Chair | Re-election |
|---|---|
| Member | Re-election |
| Member | Re-election |
| Member | Re-election |
| Member | New |
The Nomination Committee recommends, in consultation with the Audit Committee, that Deloitte AS be re-elected as the Company's external auditor.
a) The proposed Board is elected by the General Meeting.
For more information about the candidates and the Nomination Committee's grounds, reference is made to the Nomination Committee's complete recommendation, which is available at www.gjensidige.no/group/investorrelations/corporate-governance
The Nomination Committee proposes the following remuneration and fees in NOK (last year's amounts in brackets):
| Office | Fixed fee | Additional fee |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | 747,000 (698,000) | 10,900* (10,100) |
| Member | 375,000 (350,000) | 9,500* (8,900) |
* Per meeting in excess of 11 meetings
| Office | Fixed fee | Additional fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | 205,000 (192,000) | - | |
| Member | 136,000 (127,000) | - |
| Office | Fixed fee | Additional fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | 145,000 (135,000) | - | |
| Member | 96,000 (90,000) | - |
| Office | Fixed fee | Additional fee |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | 36,000 (34,000) | 10,900* (10,100) |
| Member | 27,000 (25,000) | 9,500* (8,900) |
* Per meeting in excess of 4 meetings
| Office | Fixed fee | Additional fee |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | 63,000 (58,500) | 10,900* (10,100) |
| Member | 39,000 (36,500) | 9,500* (8,900) |
*Per meeting in excess of 4 meetings
The Nomination Committee recommends that the Company's auditor receive a fee of NOK 5,000,000 (incl. VAT) for the statutory audit of Gjensidige Forsikring ASA in 2022 (on submission of invoice).
Reference is made to the Nomination Committee's complete recommendation, which is available at www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/corporate-governance
The Nomination Committee's recommendations for remuneration and fees are adopted by the General Meeting.
The annual general meeting is opened by the Chair of the Board or a person appointed by the Board. The General Meeting elects the chair of the meeting. Notice of the annual general meeting with forms for authorisation and advance voting will be distributed to all shareholders registered in the Norwegian Central Securities Depository as of 28 February 2023.
Gjensidige Forsikring ASA will conduct the general meeting at 17.00 on 23 March 2023 as a hybrid meeting, where shareholders will be given an opportunity to attend the meeting in person or remotely via their PC, phone or tablet computer. Those who attend in person must bring a smartphone to be able to cast their vote.
Please also note that shareholders, rather than attending the meeting in person or remotely, may exercise their shareholder rights by way of proxy or advance voting.
The technical solution is administered by DNB Bank Verdipapirservice, using licensed software from Lumi Ltd. User instructions for attending hybrid meetings are enclosed with the notice of the meeting.
Remote attendance means that the shareholders will access a direct webcast of the meeting, and that they will be given an opportunity to ask written questions about and vote on each of the items on the agenda. Shareholders will verify their identity by using the unique reference number and PIN code assigned to each shareholder and proxy by the Norwegian Securities Depository for the annual general meeting.
Shareholders who wish to attend the electronic meeting do not need to register, but the shareholder or proxy must be logged in before the meeting starts in order to attend. Shareholders who are unable to locate their reference number and PIN code or who have other technical questions can contact DNB Bank Verdipapirservice on tel. (+47) 23 26 80 20 (8.00–15.30), or send an email to [email protected]. On the day of the meeting, assistance is available until the meeting starts.
Shareholders who wish to cast an advance vote must notify the Company's registrar at DNB Bank ASA, Verdipapirservice, P.O. Box 1600 Sentrum, NO-0021 Oslo or by email [email protected] by 16.00 on 22 March 2023. Please use the enclosed proxy and advance voting forms, which contain further guidance. The forms can also be completed electronically on the Company's website or via VPS Investorservice.
The date of the change of ownership of voting shares is 22 March 2023.
If shares are registered to a share manager in the Norwegian Central Securities Depository (VPS), cf. Section 4-10 of the Public Limited Liability Companies Act, and the beneficial owner wishes to vote for his/her shares, the beneficial owner must transfer the shares to a separate VPS account in his/her name before the general meeting is held.
If the owner can substantiate in this manner that he/she has a real shareholder interest in the Company, he/she can request voting rights. Decisions on voting rights for shareholders and proxies are made by the person opening the meeting.
Gjensidige Forsikring ASA is a listed Norwegian public limited company subject to Norwegian legislation, including the Public Limited Liability Companies Act, the Financial Institutions Act and the Securities Trading Act. As of the date of this notice, the Company has issued 500,000,000 shares. The shares carry equal rights. As of the date of this notice, the Company holds 35,896 own shares that do not carry voting rights. The number of voting shares is thus 499,964,104.
The shares will be traded on Oslo Børs ex-dividend from and including 24 March 2023.
In accordance with the Public Limited Liability Companies Act, a list of attendees at the annual general meeting will be published on the Company's website within 15 days of the date of the meeting. The list will show which shareholders attend, either in person or by proxy, and how many shares and votes they represent.
The notice of the annual general meeting and pertaining case documents are posted on the Company's website at www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/corporate-governance. Shareholders can request a paper copy of the documents by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling (+47) 915 03 100 (ask for the Investor Relations Contact).
Shareholders who receive the paper version of this notice are encouraged to make a 'green choice' by accepting electronic communication in future in Euronext VPS Investor Portal.
Oslo, 28 February 2023
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Gjensidige Forsikring ASA
Gisele Marchand
Chair
| Appendix 1: | Form for proxy and advance voting at the annual general meeting (distributed to the shareholders) |
|---|---|
| Appendix 2: | Integrated annual report, including annual accounts and directors' report for 2022 |
| www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/reports | |
| Appendix 3: | Board corporate governance statement www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/corporate |
| governance | |
| Appendix 4: | Remuneration report for executive personnel for 2022 www.gjensidige.no/group/investor |
| relations/corporate-governance | |
| Appendix 5: | Guidelines for stipulating the remuneration of executive personnel |
| www.gjensidige.no/group/investor-relations/corporate-governance | |
| Appendix 6: | The Nomination Committee's complete recommendations www.gjensidige.no/group/investor |
| relations/corporate-governance | |
Appendix 7: User instructions for attending electronic general meeting
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