Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Jun 23, 2015
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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This document is important and requires your immediate attention Please read it straightaway. If you have any doubts about what action you should take, contact your independent financial adviser immediately.
If you have sold or transferred all of your shares in SABMiller plc you should pass this document, and the associated voting form, to the person through whom you made the sale or transfer, for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
SABMiller plc Incorporated in England and Wales
(Registered Number 3528416) Head Office: One Stanhope Gate, London W1K 1AF Registered Office: SABMiller House, Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HS, England
Telephone: +44 1483 264000
Dear Shareholder
I have great pleasure in inviting you to the seventeenth annual general meeting of SABMiller plc to be held at the InterContinental London Park Lane, One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, London W1J 7QY, England at 11.00am on Thursday, 23 July 2015.
You will find with this letter:
Shareholders who have elected to receive information from the Company in hard copy will have received the 2015 Annual Report together with this notice. Shareholders who have not elected to receive hard copy documents can view or download the Annual Report from our website (www.sabmiller.com).
At the meeting, all resolutions and substantive decisions will be put to a vote on a poll, rather than being decided by a show of hands. We believe that this results in a more accurate reflection of the views of our shareholders.
To support full poll voting for those shareholders attending the annual general meeting, an interactive electronic voting system will provide immediate results and will enable us to publish these results on our website within a very short time after the conclusion of the meeting. This interactive electronic voting system will reflect proxy votes submitted prior to the meeting, votes submitted via the online portal and the votes cast by those shareholders present at the meeting.
If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, you should complete, sign and return the applicable voting form in good time before the meeting or vote electronically. Notes 2 to 10 on pages 6 and 7 give details of how to submit your voting instructions.
The directors and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our meeting and we thank you for your continued support. Travel information can be found on page 12. Shareholders who are not able to come to the annual general meeting will be able to view a recording of the meeting from Friday 24 July 2015 at www.sabmiller.com/agm2015. A full transcript of the meeting will also be available at this address.
Finally, for those shareholders who are interested in knowing more about our sustainable development programme, our Sustainable Development Report 2015 is now available at our website at www.sabmiller.com/sdreports.
John Manser Chairman
2 June 2015
The directors give notice that the 2015 Annual General Meeting of SABMiller plc (the 'Company') will be held at the InterContinental London Park Lane, One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, London W1J 7QY, England at 11.00am on Thursday 23 July 2015 to transact the following business:
Resolutions 1 to 20 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions. Resolutions 21 to 23 will be proposed as special resolutions. Voting on all resolutions will be by way of a poll.
(which shall be the Section 551 Amount for the purposes of Article 11(a)(ii) for that Section 551 Period).
Group Company Secretary
2 June 2015
Registered Office: SABMiller House, Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HS, England
The directors must present to shareholders at the annual general meeting the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2015 together with the reports of the directors and auditors. These are contained within the Annual Report 2015.
The board seeks shareholders' approval of the Directors' Remuneration Report 2015, other than the Directors' Remuneration Policy, which is included on pages 74 to 96 in the Annual Report 2015.
At the 2014 annual general meeting shareholders approved the Directors' Remuneration Policy. The remuneration policy is not required to be approved at this year's annual general meeting. It will be put to shareholders again no later than the Company's annual general meeting in 2017.
The Company's articles of association require the directors to submit themselves for election at the first opportunity after their appointment and from then on for re-election every three years. However, the UK Corporate Governance Code recommends that all directors of FTSE 350 companies should be subject to annual reelection. The board has decided that all directors, aside from Mr Manser, Mr Manzoni and Mr Willard who are not seeking re-election to the board, should submit themselves for re-election at this annual general meeting. Mr du Plessis and Mr Manuel who have been appointed to the board since the last annual general meeting are proposed for election to the board as independent non-executive directors. Mr Ferrán is proposed for election to the board with effect from the conclusion of the annual general meeting as an independent non-executive director. Mr Beran is also proposed for election to the board as a non-executive director nominated by Altria. Biographical details of all of the directors are set out in Appendix 1 to this Notice.
The nomination committee has confirmed in its recommendations to the board that, following formal performance evaluation of the directors, the performance of each of the directors standing for reelection continues to be effective and to demonstrate commitment to the role, including time for board and committee meetings and any other duties.
In relation to those directors offering themselves for election for the first time and who were not included in the formal evaluation process which was completed before they joined the board, Mr Ferrán and Mr Beran, the board and nomination committee believe that they will bring considerable strategic, financial and international experience to the board. Accordingly, the board recommends the election or reelection of each director in resolutions 3-16.
Further details are set out in the corporate governance report on pages 56 to 69 in the Annual Report 2015.
A final dividend can only be paid after it has been approved by the shareholders. A final dividend of 87 US cents per share in respect of the year ended 31 March 2015 is recommended by the directors for payment to shareholders who are on the register of members at the close of business on 7 August 2015 in South Africa and in the United Kingdom. If approved, the date of payment of the final dividend will be 14 August 2015. From the commencement of trading on 23 July 2015 until the close of business on 7 August 2015, no transfers between the United Kingdom and South African Registers will be permitted and from 3 August 2015 until 7 August 2015, both days inclusive, no shares may be dematerialised or rematerialised.
Dividends paid to shareholders registered on the South African register will, unless a shareholder qualifies for an exemption, be subject to a dividend withholding tax at a rate of 15%. The dividend withholding tax is only of direct application to shareholders registered on the South African register, who should direct any questions about the application of the dividend withholding tax to Computershare Investor Services (Pty) Limited, Tel: +27 11 373-0004.
The auditors of a company must be reappointed at each general meeting at which accounts are presented.
Resolution 18, on the audit committee's recommendation, proposes the reappointment of the Company's existing auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, until the next general meeting at which accounts are presented. Resolution 19 is a separate resolution which gives authority to the directors to determine the auditors' remuneration.
The board currently has in place the following authorities:
The existing Allotment Authority and the Disapplication Authority are due to expire on 23 July 2015. The board proposes that both of these authorities are renewed for a further period of one year. The Allotment Authority proposed in Resolution 20 as an ordinary resolution will therefore expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting or on 23 October 2016, if earlier (unless previously renewed, varied or revoked by the Company in general meeting) and will give authority to the directors to allot shares up to an aggregate nominal amount of US\$8,083,500 which represents approximately 5 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 1 June 2015 (excluding treasury shares). Therefore, on any occasion that the board believes it necessary to allot a number of shares for any purpose with an aggregate nominal value which is in excess of that authority, the directors will seek additional and specific shareholder approval for that allotment. Although the directors have no present intention of exercising the authority which is currently being sought (other than on the exercise of share options), it provides the directors with what they believe is an appropriate level of authority for continuing purposes.
In addition to the general authority to allot shares referred to above, the directors also have authority to allot, for the purposes of the
Company's broad-based black economic empowerment transaction in South Africa (the 'BBBEE Transaction'), ordinary shares up to an aggregate nominal value of US\$16,519,600.20.
Similarly, the Disapplication Authority proposed in Resolution 21 as a special resolution will expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting or 23 October 2016, if earlier, or (only in relation to an allotment other than a sale of treasury shares) on any earlier expiry of the Allotment Authority. Resolution 21 contains a general disapplication of the statutory pre-emption rights that exist for shareholders under Section 561(1) of the Act in respect of issues of shares or other equity securities (including a sale of treasury shares) for cash. The general disapplication would allow directors to allot shares or sell treasury shares for cash having a maximum nominal amount of US\$8,083,500, which represents approximately 5 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 1 June 2015 (excluding treasury shares). Whilst the directors have no present intention of exercising this authority, they consider it desirable that they should have the flexibility to act in the best interests of shareholders when appropriate, although it would not be the directors' intention to use this authority to issue shares representing more than 7.5% of the Company's issued share capital in any rolling three year period.
The Company's articles of association contain a provision allowing the Company to purchase its own shares subject to the prior authority of the members having been obtained. In accordance with the board's previous practice, Resolution 22 will therefore be proposed as a special resolution for the purpose of seeking general authority to effect such purchases within the limits set out.
The directors are of the opinion that it would be advantageous for the Company to be in a position to purchase its own shares through the London Stock Exchange, should market conditions and price justify such action. The proposed authority would enable the Company to purchase up to a maximum of 161,674,000 ordinary shares of US\$0.10 each in the capital of the Company (representing approximately 10 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 1 June 2015 (excluding treasury shares)) with a stated upper limit on the price payable which reflects the requirements of the Listing Rules.
The total number of ordinary shares that may be issued on the exercise of outstanding options as at 1 June 2015 is 30,309,907 which represents approximately 1.87 per cent. of the issued share capital at that date (excluding treasury shares). If the Company were to purchase shares up to the maximum permitted by this resolution, the number of ordinary shares subject to outstanding options would represent approximately 2.08 per cent. of the issued share capital as at 1 June 2015 (excluding treasury shares).
Purchases pursuant to the proposed authority would only be made after the most careful consideration, where the directors believed purchases were in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The directors consider that it is prudent to obtain the proposed authority, although the board has no present intention of exercising this authority.
The Act permits companies to hold in treasury any shares acquired by way of market purchases, rather than having to cancel them. Treasury shares continue to exist as shares, but are owned by the company itself, and can be sold by the company for cash as an alternative to issuing new shares. Section 727 of the Act permits a
company at any time to sell shares from treasury for cash (subject to statutory pre-emption provisions), to transfer shares from treasury for the purposes of an employee share scheme, or to cancel them. If the Company were to purchase any of its own shares pursuant to the authority conferred by Resolution 22, the Company would consider at that time whether to hold those shares as treasury shares or to cancel them. However, the Company would be likely to hold them as treasury shares unless there were some exceptional and unforeseen reasons at the time of purchase which meant that it would not be in the interests of the Company to do so. This would give the Company the ability to sell treasury shares quickly, with the proceeds of the sale (up to the amount which was initially paid for them by the Company) being credited back to the Company's distributable reserves, and would provide the Company with additional flexibility in the management of its capital base. Where considered appropriate, treasury shares may be issued or transferred for the purposes of the Company's employee share plans rather than through issuing new shares or purchasing shares on the open market.
No dividends will be paid on shares whilst held in treasury and no voting rights will be exercised in respect of treasury shares.
As at 1 June 2015, the Company owned 59,292,830 shares as treasury shares within the meaning of Section 724(5) of the Act. The Company may also come to hold further treasury shares and it may exercise its authorities to deal with treasury shares by selling some or all of them for cash or by transferring some or all of the shares for the purposes of the Company's employee share plans.
The notice period for general meetings of the Company is required by law to be 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot be less than 14 clear days (this does not apply to annual general meetings which must always be held on at least 21 clear days' notice). Approval for a shorter notice period must be given at the immediately preceding annual general meeting or at a general meeting held since that annual general meeting. The requisite approval was given at last year's annual general meeting and the Company would like to preserve this ability to convene general meetings (other than an annual general meeting) on 14 clear days' notice. Resolution 23 seeks such approval.
The approval will be effective until the Company's next annual general meeting, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed. The shorter notice period will not be used as a matter of routine. Rather the board will consider whether the use of the flexibility offered by the shorter notice period is merited in any particular case, taking into account the circumstances, including whether the business of the meeting is time-sensitive, and whether it is thought to be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole.
● Electronically Shareholders registered in the UK section of the register may register their proxy appointment or voting directions through the UK registrar's website at www.sharevote.co.uk and to do this you will need to use the Voting ID, Task ID and Shareholder Reference Number which are given on the proxy form. Certificated shareholders on the South African section of the register with an e-mail address on record may use the link to an online voting form and security pin that will be e-mailed to them by Computershare.
to the input of CREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the CREST member concerned to take (or, if the CREST member is a CREST personal member or sponsored member or has appointed a VSP, to procure that his CREST sponsor or VSP takes) such action as shall be necessary to ensure that a message is transmitted by means of the CREST system by any particular time. In this connection, CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsor or VSP are referred, in particular, to those sections of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitations of the CREST system and timings.
Biographies of the directors in office as at the date of the annual report, together with details of the board committees, determinations of independence and attendance records, can be found on pages 52, 53 and 60 of the Annual Report 2015.
Short biographies of directors proposed for election and re-election
It is proposed that Mr Beran will join the board as a nominee of Altria. He replaces Howard Willard who is stepping down at the
Mr Beran has considerable global business experience and an extensive knowledge of the fast moving consumer goods industry.
He serves on the board of directors for the Richmond Ballet.
USA; and Executive Vice President of Finance, Planning &
He was, until his retirement in March 2015, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Altria and was responsible for overseeing Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, John Middleton, Nu Mark, Altria Group Distribution Company and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. He joined the Altria family of companies in 1976. His previous positions at the company include Vice Chairman for Altria Group; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Altria; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Philip Morris
conclusion of the 2015 annual general meeting.
Skills and experience:
Current appointments:
Previous appointments:
Dave Beran Non-Executive Director
Javier Ferrán Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Ferrán has in-depth knowledge of consumer brands on an international basis and of international financing. He brings extensive experience of the global alcohol beverage industry and experience of operating in both mature and emerging markets.
He is a non-executive director of Associated British Foods plc, and a member of its audit, nomination and remuneration committees. He is a partner in Lion Capital LLP, a consumer focused private equity firm, where he is a member of its investment committee.
He completed a 20 year career with the Bacardi Group in 2004, serving in a variety of key executive positions, including President and Chief Executive Officer. After leaving Bacardi he was appointed director and subsequently vice chairman of William Grant & Sons, a position he held until April 2014.
Information for Philip Morris USA.
Jan du Plessis
Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman Designate
Mr du Plessis will become Chairman, replacing John Manser who is stepping down at the conclusion of the 2015 annual general meeting.
Mr du Plessis has an excellent record as a chairman of major international groups with developing market footprints, and a wealth of experience of international consumer businesses.
He is chairman of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited.
In his earlier career he was Group Finance Director of Compagnie Financière Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group. He has also served as a non-executive director and subsequently chairman of British American Tobacco plc, as a non-executive director and chairman of the audit committee of Lloyds Banking Group plc and as a non-executive director and senior independent director of Marks and Spencer Group plc.
Nomination committee
Trevor Manuel Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Manuel is a former minister in the South African Government. He brings a wealth of experience in advising multilateral organisations on emerging market development and sustainability.
He is Deputy Chairman of Rothschild South Africa, serves on the International Advisory Board of the Rothschild Group and is a director of Swiss Re AG.
He was a minister in the South African Government for more than 20 years, 13 of which he served as Finance Minister. During his ministerial career, he assumed a number of ex officio positions at international bodies, including the United Nations Commission for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the G20, the African Development Bank and the Southern African Development Community.
Mark Armour Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Armour brings strategic and financial expertise to the board and has significant experience of managing an international group.
He is a non-executive director of Tesco plc, and a director of the Financial Reporting Council, the UK's independent regulator responsible for promoting high quality corporate governance.
He was previously Chief Financial Officer of Reed Elsevier (now RELX). Prior to joining Reed Elsevier in 1995 he was a partner of Price Waterhouse in London.
Audit committee (Chairman) Remuneration committee
Geoffrey Bible Non-Executive Director
Mr Bible has held senior roles in a number of multinational companies and has a wealth of experience of global consumer products businesses.
He is a nominee of Altria, and was appointed to the board following completion of the Miller Brewing Company transaction. He is also a member of the advisory board of Metalmark Capital LLC.
He is the former chairman and CEO of the Philip Morris group of companies, the former chairman of Altria and Kraft Foods Inc. and a past non-executive director of News Corporation Ltd.
Nomination committee Corporate accountability and risk assurance committee
Alan Clark Chief Executive
Mr Clark has an extensive knowledge of the global beverage industry, having held a number of management roles with the group, both in beer and soft drinks. He became Managing Director, SABMiller Europe, in 2003 and was appointed as an executive director and Chief Operating Officer of SABMiller plc in 2012, before becoming Chief Executive in April 2013.
He does not have any external appointments.
Corporate accountability and risk assurance committee Executive committee
Dinyar Devitre Non-Executive Director
Mr Devitre brings both financial expertise and strategic counsel to the group. He has extensive experience of managing global fastmoving consumer goods corporations.
A nominee of Altria, he is a member of the board of Altria and a special adviser at General Atlantic LLC, and a director and chairman of the audit committee of Markit Group Ltd. He is also the Executive Chairman of Pratham USA, serves as a trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and is a trustee emeritus of the Asia Society.
His career with the Altria group of companies spans a 35 year period in which he served in a variety of senior positions. Before his retirement in 2008, he served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Altria. He was also a director and chairman of the Corporate Governance and Public Policy Committee at Western Union Company.
Audit committee
Guy Elliott Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director
Mr Elliott has extensive experience of operating in both developed and developing markets, having previously held a variety of finance, marketing, strategy and general management positions throughout his career.
He is a non-executive director of Royal Dutch Shell plc and chairman of its audit committee. He is a member of the UK Takeover Panel and chairman of the Panel's Code Committee.
He was the Chief Financial Officer of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited and the senior independent director of Cadbury plc.
Audit committee Remuneration committee Nomination committee
Lesley Knox Independent Non-Executive Director
Ms Knox brings a wealth of strategic and financial experience across a range of businesses and is an experienced remuneration committee chairman. She qualified as a solicitor in the UK and as an attorney in the USA.
She is a non-executive director of Centrica plc where she chairs the remuneration committee and is a trustee of the Grosvenor Estates and chairman of Grosvenor Group Limited. She is involved with a number of arts and charitable organisations.
She was previously with British Linen Bank, becoming governor in 1999 and was subsequently a founder director of British Linen Advisers. She was chairman of Alliance Trust plc, senior nonexecutive director of Hays Plc and also spent 15 years with Kleinwort Benson, first in corporate finance and then as chief executive of the institutional asset management business.
Audit committee Remuneration committee (Chairman)
Dambisa Moyo Independent Non-Executive Director
Dr Moyo is an global economist and commentator on the macroeconomy and global affairs. She has wide-ranging expertise in economic and business trends on the African continent, with a particular focus on socially responsible business.
She is a non-executive director of Barclays PLC and Barrick Gold Corporation.
She was an economist at Goldman Sachs, where she worked for nearly a decade, and was a consultant to the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
Corporate accountability and risk assurance committee (Chairman)
Carlos Pérez Dávila Non-Executive Director
Mr Pérez has extensive experience of the global beverage industry and of operating in the Latin America region.
He is a nominee of the Santo Domingo Group and was appointed to the board following completion of the Bavaria transaction. He is Managing Director at Quadrant Capital Advisors, Inc., chairman of the board of Caracol TV S.A. and serves on the board and executive committee of Valorem S.A. He is also a director of Comunican S.A., Cine Colombia S.A. and the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute.
He began his career in investment banking at Goldman, Sachs & Company, subsequently working for S.G. Warburg & Co., where he served as the Director of Overseas Advisory Division and Violy, Byorum & Partners, where he was Senior Managing Director.
Alejandro Santo Domingo Dávila Non-Executive Director
Mr Santo Domingo has a deep knowledge of the global beverage industry and of the Latin America region.
He is a nominee of the Santo Domingo Group, appointed to the board following completion of the Bavaria transaction. He is Managing Director at Quadrant Capital Advisors, Inc., and serves on the boards of Valorem S.A., Comunican S.A. Caracol Television S.A., Millicom International Cellular S.A. and D.E. Master Blenders B.V. He is the treasurer of Aid for AIDS charity, a member of the board of trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and is also a member of the board of the US-based DKMS Americas Foundation, WNET (Channel Thirteen) and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
He was employed at Violy, Byorum & Partners, Investment Bankers where he was focused on mergers and acquisitions in telecommunications, media and consumer goods.
Nomination committee
Unsolicited investment advice – warning to shareholders Many companies have become aware that their shareholders have received unsolicited phone calls or correspondence concerning investment matters. These are typically from overseas-based 'brokers' who target UK shareholders offering to sell them what often turn out to be worthless or high-risk shares in US or UK investments.
They can be very persistent and extremely persuasive. A 2006 survey by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), now the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), reported that the average amount lost by investors was around £20,000. It is not just the novice investor that has been duped in this way; many of the victims had been successfully investing for several years. Shareholders are advised to be very wary of any unsolicited advice, offers to buy shares at a discount or offers of free reports into the Company.
If you receive any unsolicited investment advice:
Helen Weir Independent Non-Executive Director
Ms Weir has extensive financial and retail expertise, with senior management experience in a number of UK and international companies.
She is the Chief Finance Officer of Marks and Spencer Group plc, a trustee of Marie Curie and an independent non-executive director of the Rugby Football Union, the national body for rugby in England.
She was Group Finance Director of the John Lewis Partnership and has previously held a number of senior positions at the Lloyds Banking Group and Kingfisher plc. She is also a former member of the Accounting Standards Board. She spent her early career at Unilever and McKinsey & Co.
Audit committee Nomination committee Corporate accountability and risk assurance committee
South African shareholders may report such approaches to the Financial Services Board (FSB) on: Toll Free: 0800 110443 or 0800 202087
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.fsb.co.za
The annual general meeting will start promptly at 11.00am. Shareholders wishing to attend are advised to be in the venue no later than 10.45am. The reception area will be open from 10.15am, from which time refreshments will be served.
Shareholders are asked to register at the registration desk in the reception area at the venue. Shareholders and proxies may be required to provide proof of identity. Shareholders who hold their shares in nominee shareholdings should request a letter of representation if they wish to use an electronic handset to register their vote at the meeting. The admission process could take longer without identification.
The annual general meeting is a meeting of shareholders and their representatives. However, at the discretion of the Company and subject to sufficient seating capacity, a shareholder may enter with one guest, provided the shareholder and guest register to enter the meeting at the same time. Proxies and corporate representatives, as they represent other shareholders, may not bring guests to the meeting.
There will be a security check in the reception area at the venue. Please try not to bring any large bags or suitcases with you to the meeting, as they will delay admission.
We ask you also not to bring cameras, laptop computers or tape recorders. Mobile phones should be switched off from admission for the duration of proceedings.
The InterContinental Park Lane has full wheelchair access. If you are hard of hearing and would like access to supportive facilities, or if you have a query about any other disability, please let us know in advance (telephone numbers for queries are given below) so that we can make the appropriate arrangements.
Shareholders who intend to ask a question related to the business of the annual general meeting are asked to register their name, address and question with the Company's Registrars. Personnel will be on hand to provide any advice and assistance required.
The Company intends to record the annual general meeting for publication on its website at www.sabmiller.com. By attending the annual general meeting, you acknowledge that you are aware that the meeting may be photographed and/or recorded and you grant irrevocable permission for your likeness, mannerisms and voice to be included in the recording of the annual general meeting.
If you have any questions about the annual general meeting, please telephone (+44) (0)1483 754477 in Woking or (+27) (0)11 370 5000 in Johannesburg. Alternatively please e-mail questions to [email protected].
We wish you a pleasant journey and look forward to welcoming you to the InterContinental Park Lane
The nearest tube stations are Hyde Park Corner and Green Park.
There is car parking at the hotel, available for a charge of £50 for 24 hours. Other public car parks are located nearby.
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