AGM Information • Mar 29, 2011
AGM Information
Open in ViewerOpens in native device viewer
Serco Group plc Serco House 16 Bartley Wood Business Park Bartley Way Hook Hampshire RG27 9UY United Kingdom
T +44 (0)1256 745900 F +44 (0)1256 744112
www.serco.com
29 March 2011
Dear Shareholder
Please find enclosed the Serco Group plc 2010 Annual Report and Accounts, 2010 Corporate Responsibility Review, and Notice of 2011 Annual General Meeting.
As you may have seen in the press, we have very recently secured the appointment of Angie Risley to our Board as a Non-Executive Director, about which I am delighted. Unfortunately, Angie's appointment was confirmed after the printing of the enclosed Notice of Meeting. Accordingly, set out overleaf is the formal resolution concerning her election as a Non-Executive Director, which is to be proposed at our AGM on 9 May 2011 as an Ordinary Resolution, along with Angie's biographical details. Further information relating to her election under Resolution 18 is also given below.
As with the other Resolutions being proposed at the 2011 Annual General Meeting, your Directors believe that Angie Risley's election under Resolution 18 is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend shareholders to vote in favour of the resolution as they themselves intend to do in respect of their own shareholdings in the Company. An appropriately structured, independently led process was followed prior to Angie's selection and the Board is confident she will be a valuable and effective addition to its number.
Yours sincerely
Alastair Lyons CBE Chairman
Resolution 18: To elect Angie Risley as a Non-Executive Director (Ordinary Resolution)
Angie Risley is Group Human Resources Director of Lloyds Banking Group plc; a member of the Lloyds Banking Group Executive Committee, Angie has responsibility for developing group-wide people practices for over 110,000 employees, chairs the Group's Corporate Responsibility Committee, and is also sponsor of the Group's Ethnic Minority programme. Previously, she was an executive director of Whitbread PLC until May 2007, having joined the Whitbread Group in 1989. She has also been a member of the Low Pay Commission, and a non-executive director of Biffa plc and Arriva plc.
If you are in any doubt about the action you should take, you should consult your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. If you have recently sold or transferred all of your shares in Serco Group plc, you should forward this document and the accompanying form of proxy to your bank, stockbroker or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
29 March 2011
Dear Shareholder
I am pleased to invite you to join us at Serco Group plc's Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held at 11.00am on Monday 9 May 2011 at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL. The formal Notice of Annual General Meeting is set out on page 4 of this document.
If you would like to vote on the resolutions but cannot attend the AGM, please fill in the proxy form sent to you with this notice and return it to our registrars as soon as possible. They must receive it by 11.00am on 7 May 2011. For those of you that can join us at the AGM, I would like to advise you that all resolutions proposed at the meeting will be voted by means of a poll, rather than on a show of hands. A poll reflects the number of voting rights exercisable by each member and so your Directors consider it a more democratic method of voting.
Explanatory notes on all the business to be considered at this year's AGM appear on pages 8 to 10 of this document. In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code's recommendation of annual re-elections for Directors of FTSE350 companies, all Directors are standing for reelection this year.
The AGM is an important occasion for us as we reflect on the Group's business performance in 2010 and the opportunities for the future and, as in previous years, Christopher Hyman, Chief Executive, will give a presentation on this at the meeting. There will be the chance for you to ask questions on either Chris' presentation or the items as set out in the Notice. To that end, as Chairman, I will try to keep discussions relevant and focused.
If you have any questions or issues which you wish to be addressed at the AGM, you may email these to me in advance at [email protected].
To ensure everyone's safety and security at the meeting, I draw your attention to the information on page 13 of this document.
Your Directors believe that all the proposals to be considered at the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend shareholders to vote in favour of the resolutions as they themselves intend to do in respect of their own shareholdings in the Company.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank you for your continued support.
Yours sincerely
Alastair Lyons CBE Chairman
Serco Group plc is a company registered in England and Wales No. 2048608 Registered Office: Serco House, 16 Bartley Wood Business Park, Bartley Way, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9UY, United Kingdom
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Serco Group plc ("Serco" or the "Company") will be held at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL on Monday 9 May 2011 at 11.00am for the following business:
1. To receive the Annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2010. See note on page 8
2. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 December 2010. See note on page 8
b) the minimum price which may be paid for an ordinary share purchased under this authority is 2p (exclusive of expenses, if any, payable by the Company);
c) the maximum price which may be paid for an ordinary share purchased under this authority is an amount equal to the higher of (a) 5% above the average of the middle market prices shown in the quotations for the ordinary shares in the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for the five business days immediately preceding the date on which the ordinary share is purchased and (b) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current bid as stipulated by Article 5(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) 22 December 2003 implementing the Market Abuse Directive as regards exemptions for buy-back programmes and stabilisation of financial instruments (No 2273/2003);
See note on pages 8 and 9
For the purposes of the authority in paragraph ii), "rights issue" means an offer to:
to subscribe further securities by means of the issue of a renounceable letter (or other negotiable document) which may be traded for a period before payment for the securities is due, but subject in both cases to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory.
See note on page 9
i) the power conferred on the Directors by paragraph 5.3 of Article 5 of the Company's Articles of Association be renewed for the period referred to in such Resolution and for such period the Section 561 Amount shall be £493,335.00; and
ii) the Directors be empowered to allot equity securities (as defined in Section 560(1) of the 2006 Act) wholly for cash pursuant to the authority given by paragraph ii) of Resolution 13 above in connection with a rights issue as if Section 561(1) of the 2006 Act did not apply to such allotment, such power to expire at the end of the next Annual General Meeting in 2012 or on 30 June 2012, whichever is the earlier but so that the Company may make offers and enter into agreements during this period which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted after the power ends.
For the purposes of this Resolution, "rights issue" has the same meaning as that set out in Resolution 13 above.
See note on page 9
provided that the total aggregate amount of political donations and political expenditure pursuant to this authority shall not exceed £130,000 for the Group as a whole, and the amount authorised under each of the paragraphs a) to c) shall be limited to such amount.
All existing authorisations and approvals relating to political donations or political expenditure under Part 14 of the Companies Act 2006 are hereby revoked without prejudice to any donation made or expenditure incurred prior to the date hereof pursuant to such authorisation or approval.
For the purposes of this resolution, the terms 'political donation', 'political parties', 'political organisation' and 'political expenditure' have the meanings given by sections 363 to 365 of the Companies Act 2006.
See note on page 10
See note on page 10
See note on page 10
Note:
Resolutions 1 to 11 inclusive and resolutions 13, 15 and 17 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions.
Resolutions 12, 14, and 16 will be proposed as special resolutions.
Joanne Roberts Company Secretary 29 March 2011
Serco Group plc Serco House 16 Bartley Wood Business Park Bartley Way Hook Hampshire RG27 9UY
The Board of Directors will present the Annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2010.
The Directors' Remuneration Report is included on pages 92 to 103 in the Annual report and accounts.
It complies with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 for a report on the remuneration of all Directors, both Executive and Non-Executive.
The Report has been approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by the Company Secretary.
Shareholders will be asked to declare a final dividend of 5.15 pence per ordinary share for the year ended 31 December 2010. If approved, the dividend will be paid on 17 May 2011 to shareholders on the register of members at the close of business on 11 March 2011.
The Company's Articles of Association require that all Directors retire at least every three years and that all newly appointed Directors retire at the first AGM following their appointment. However, in accordance with the recommendations of the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Directors have resolved that they will all retire and submit themselves for re-election by the shareholders.
Biographical details of all Directors can be found on pages 90 and 91 of the Company's Annual report and on the Company's website (www.serco.com/about/ataglance/profiles).
A rigorous evaluation of the performance of the Board has been undertaken which included a formal evaluation questionnaire and one-to-one meetings for all Directors held with the Chairman (with the exception of Mr Brooks, who had not joined the Board at that time). After considering this evaluation, the Board believes that all Directors continue to demonstrate a great deal of commitment to their roles and that their respective skills complement each other to enhance the overall operation of the Board.
With reference to Paul Brooks, who is standing for election as a Non-Executive Director following his appointment to the Board on 1 February 2011, having undergone a process of careful review and selection prior to his appointment, the Board considers that Mr Brooks will make an effective contribution to both the Board and the Company and fully supports his election.
The appointment of Deloitte LLP as auditors of the Company terminates at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting. They have advised of their willingness to stand for re-election as auditors of the Company until the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in 2012. The Directors recommend their reappointment and seek authority to set their remuneration.
Authority is sought to purchase up to 49,333,567, which is equivalent to approximately 10% of the ordinary issued share capital of the Company as at 11 March 2011, until the earlier of the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in 2012 or 30 June 2012, continuing the authority granted by the shareholders at previous Annual General Meetings.
Resolution 12 specifies the maximum number of shares that may be purchased and the minimum and maximum prices at which they may be bought. The Directors would use the share purchase authority with discretion and purchases would only be made from funds not required for other purposes and in light of the market conditions prevailing at the time. The Directors will exercise this authority only when they consider to do so would be in the best interests of shareholders generally.
Pursuant to the Companies Act 2006, a Company may hold any of their own shares that they have purchased as treasury shares with a view to possible resale at a future date, rather than cancelling them, or to use them for the purposes of their employee share schemes. The Directors would be entitled to hold those shares in treasury provided that the number of shares held in treasury at any one time does not exceed 10% of the nominal value of Serco's issued share capital. No dividends would be paid on, and no voting rights would be exercised in respect of, treasury shares.
While the Company does not currently hold any treasury shares, the Board believes that the authority will provide the Company with additional flexibility in the management of its capital base, enabling it to re-sell treasury shares in the future or use them to satisfy awards under the various Serco share and incentive schemes.
For information, as of 11 March 2011, the latest practicable date prior to posting of this document, there were options outstanding to subscribe for 16,759,857 ordinary shares, representing 3.40% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital. If the authority given by resolution 12 were to be fully used, that percentage would increase to 3.73% of the Company's ordinary issued share capital. The Company has no warrants in issue in relation to its shares.
At this Annual General Meeting, the Directors are seeking authority under paragraph i) of resolution 13 to allot new shares and grant rights to subscribe for, or convert other securities into, shares up to a maximum nominal of £3,288,904, which is equivalent to approximately 33% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 11 March 2011.
Further, the Directors are seeking an additional authority under paragraph ii) of resolution 13 to allot new shares and grant rights to subscribe for, or convert other securities into, shares only in connection with a rights issue up to a further nominal value of £3,288,904, which is equivalent to approximately 33% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital in accordance with the ABI Investment Committee's guidance.
The Directors are also seeking authority under paragraph i) of resolution 14 to allot new shares pursuant to the authority given by paragraph j) of resolution 13, or sell treasury shares, for cash I) in connection with a pre-emptive offer or rights issue or II) otherwise up to a nominal value of £493,335, equivalent to 5% of the Company's total issued equity share capital as at 11 March 2011, in each case without first being required to offer such shares to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings.
Further, the Directors are seeking an additional authority under paragraph ii) of resolution 14 to allot new shares pursuant to the authority given by paragraph ii) of resolution 13, or sell treasury shares, for cash in connection with a rights issue without the shares first being offered to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings. This is in line with corporate governance guidelines.
At 11 March 2011, the Company did not hold any shares in treasury.
Apart from issues of ordinary shares pursuant to the terms of the Company's employee share and incentive schemes, the Directors have no present intention of utilising these authorities to undertake a rights issue or to allot new shares. The Directors consider it desirable to have the maximum flexibility permitted by corporate governance guidelines and these limited authorities will enable the Directors to respond in the interests of the Company to any appropriate opportunities which may arise. If the resolutions are passed, the authorities will expire on the earlier of 30 June 2012 and at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in 2012.
Further, the Board intends to adhere to the provisions in the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles not to allot shares on a non pre-emptive basis (other than pursuant to a rights issue or pre-emptive offer) in excess of an amount equal to 7.5% of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company within a rolling 3-year period without prior consultation with shareholders.
The Company's policy of not giving any cash contributions to any political party will continue. However, the Directors consider that it is in the best interests of shareholders to participate in public debate and opinion-forming on matters which affect the business.
This resolution enables the Directors to incur expenditure of up to a maximum aggregate amount of £130,000, for the Group as a whole, in respect of each of the heads identified (including any such expenditure by a subsidiary company) without unintentionally breaching the provisions of the Companies Act 2006, which defines political organisations and political donations in a broad manner. The authority sought will, if granted, last until the conclusion of the 2012 Annual General Meeting of the Company when the Directors intend to seek renewal of this authority.
Under the Companies Act 2006 the notice period for general meetings of the Company is 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot, however, be less than 14 clear days. AGMs will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice. The approval will be effective until the Company's next annual general meeting. The shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine for such meetings, but only where the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole.
As permitted by Ordinary Resolution of the Company under Article 66.1 this resolution proposes to increase the aggregate annual limit on Directors' remuneration from £300,000 to £500,000. Although the present aggregate fees are materially below the current cap, in view of current trends in directors' fees, the increasing demands on directors and the likely recruitment of further non-executive directors over the next twelve months, in order to attract and retain non-executive directors of the appropriate calibre to ensure robust governance of the Company for the future, the Board considers it prudent to increase this fee limit to provide it the necessary recruitment flexibility.
The Annual General Meeting of Serco Group plc will be held at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL.
The IET is fully accessible by all major transport links in the capital.
The IET is situated less than 10 minutes walk from Embankment station on the Northern, Bakerloo, City and District lines, Charing Cross station on the Northern and Bakerloo lines and Temple Station on the City and District lines. It can also be accessed from Waterloo, Westminster and Covent Garden stations.
The main bus service for the Victoria Embankment (for the IET) is the 388, although there are many other available bus routes on The Strand and over Waterloo Bridge which will bring you within short walking distance of the IET.
The IET is within easy reach of principal arterial routes into London. There is limited parking outside the IET, behind the Embankment Gardens on metered bays. Alternatively, there is an NCP car park just two minutes drive from the venue in Drury Lane, Covent Garden.
The IET features a platform lift at the front entrance as well as removable ramp access to the side of the building and all rooms have disabled access. Limited parking is available on site subject to advance booking.
There are induction loops fitted in the Lecture Theatre (in which the AGM will be held).
Please remember to bring your Attendance Card with you. Please bring some form of identification with you to the Annual General Meeting in case we need to verify that your name appears on our register of shareholders or proxies.
We thank you in advance for your co-operation with our security staff.
We would advise you that we reserve the right to check bags or briefcases. We do not permit behaviour that may interfere with anyone's security, safety or the good order of the meeting.
We do not permit cameras (including mobile phone cameras) or recording equipment at the meeting and we would be grateful if you could ensure that you have switched off all electronic communication devices before entering the meeting.
Please let us know at Registration if you wish to ask a question during the meeting. Alternatively, you can email your question to [email protected] prior to the meeting.
Building tools?
Free accounts include 100 API calls/year for testing.
Have a question? We'll get back to you promptly.