Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Apr 6, 2016
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND NEEDS YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take with regard to this document, you are recommended to seek your own personal financial advice from your stockbroker, solicitor, accountant or other professional independent adviser who, if you are taking advice in the United Kingdom, is duly authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 or an appropriately authorised independent financial adviser if you are in a territory outside the United Kingdom. If you have sold or otherwise transferred all your shares in Morgan Advanced Materials plc, you should send this document to the purchaser or transferee or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom you made the sale or transfer for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
A letter from the Chairman of Morgan Advanced Materials plc is set out on page 1 of this document.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Morgan Advanced Materials plc to be held at The Lincoln Centre, 18 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3ED on Friday 6 May 2016 at 10.30am is set out on pages 2 and 3 of this document.
Whether or not you propose to attend the Annual General Meeting, please complete and submit a proxy form in accordance with the Notes to the Notice of the Annual General Meeting set out on pages 6 and 7. To be valid, the proxy form must be received at the address for delivery specified in the Notes by 10.30am on Wednesday 4 May 2016.
(Registered in England No. 286773)
Registered Office: Quadrant 55-57 High Street Windsor Berkshire SL4 1LP
6 April 2016
To holders of Ordinary shares of 25p each ('Ordinary shares') and for information only to holders of 5.5% Cumulative First Preference shares of £1 each ('First Preference shares') and 5.0% Cumulative Second Preference shares of £1 each ('Second Preference shares').
Dear Shareholder
I am pleased to be writing to you with details of our 2016 Annual General Meeting which we are holding at The Lincoln Centre, 18 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3ED at 10.30am on Friday 6 May 2016.
Our Chief Executive Officer, Pete Raby, will give a presentation on the Group's business and performance over the last 12 months, together with an overview of the Group's new strategy. Shareholders will then have the opportunity to ask questions before moving onto the formal business of the Annual General Meeting.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting can be found on pages 2 and 3 of this document and contains the resolutions dealing with the business of the meeting. The Explanatory notes for all business of the Annual General Meeting are given on pages 4 to 6 of this document.
Only holders of Ordinary shares or their proxies or duly authorised representatives may vote at the Annual General Meeting.
All your votes are important to us and, once again this year, you will be asked to vote on each of the resolutions on a poll, as permitted by the Articles of Association. This is in line with practice adopted by many UK public companies, primarily as a result of the complexities of the law around voting on a show of hands. It also means that the voting results will be a more representative reflection of the views of our shareholder base.
You are requested (whether or not you intend to be present at the meeting) to complete and submit a proxy form in accordance with the Notes to the Notice of the Annual General Meeting set out on pages 6 and 7. To be valid, the proxy form must be received at the address for delivery specified in the Notes by 10.30am on Wednesday 4 May 2016. Completion and return of a proxy form will not preclude a shareholder from attending and voting at the meeting.
Your Directors consider that all the resolutions to be put to the meeting will promote the success of and are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole, and accordingly, unanimously recommend you to vote in favour of them as they intend to do so in respect of their own beneficial shareholdings (other than in respect of resolutions in which they hold an interest).
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours faithfully
Andrew Shilston Chairman
(Registered in England No. 286773)
('the Company')
Notice is given that the eighty-second Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at The Lincoln Centre, 18 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3ED on Friday 6 May 2016 at 10.30am to transact the business set out below. Resolutions 1 to 14 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 15 and 16 will be proposed as special resolutions.
To receive the audited accounts and the Auditor's and Directors' Reports for the year ended 31 December 2015.
up to an aggregate total amount of £100,000, with the amount authorised for each of paragraphs (a) to (c) above being limited to the same total.
Any such amounts may comprise sums paid or incurred in one or more currencies. Any sum paid or incurred in a currency other than sterling shall be converted into sterling at such rate as the Board may decide is appropriate.
Terms used in this resolution have, where applicable, the meanings that they have in Part 14 of the Companies Act 2006 on 'Control of political donations and expenditure'.
but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or any legal or practical problems under the laws of any territory or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange, provided that (unless previously revoked, varied or renewed), this authority shall expire on 30 June 2017 or, if earlier, at the conclusion of the Company's next Annual General Meeting, save that the Company may make any offer or agreement before such expiry which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to be granted after such expiry. All authorities vested in the Directors on the date of the notice of this meeting to allot shares or to grant rights that remain unexercised at the commencement of this meeting are revoked.
and shall expire when the authority conferred on the Directors by resolution 14 in the notice of this meeting expires, save that, before the expiry of this power, the Company may make any offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry.
Registered office: 55-57 High Street Paul Boulton Windsor Company Secretary Berkshire SL4 1LP 6 April 2016
Quadrant By Order of the Board
The Companies Act 2006 requires the Directors of a public company to lay before the Company in general meeting copies of the Directors' Reports, the Independent Auditor's Report and the audited accounts of the Company in respect of each financial year. In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Company proposes a resolution on its 2015 Annual Report and Accounts.
Resolutions 2 and 3 deal with the statutory requirements under the Companies Act 2006 that apply to the Company for the financial year ended 31 December 2015 in relation to the content and approval of the Directors' Remuneration Report.
The Company will propose at the Annual General Meeting a resolution (resolution 3) to seek shareholder approval of the Directors' Remuneration Report for the financial year ended 31 December 2015 (other than the part containing the Directors' remuneration policy which will be covered by resolution 2). The Directors' Remuneration Report can be found on pages 66 to 88 of the 2015 Annual Report and Accounts. The vote on resolution 3 is advisory in nature and the Directors' entitlement to remuneration is not conditional on it being passed.
The Company will also propose at the Annual General Meeting a resolution (resolution 2) to seek shareholder approval of a revised Directors' remuneration policy, as set out on pages 67 to 75 of the Directors' Remuneration Report for the financial year ended 31 December 2015.
The Company reviewed its remuneration policies and practices during 2015 and accordingly the policy presented to shareholders captures the outputs of the review. The key changes to the existing policy are: removal of the Bonus Deferral Share Matching Plan; the implementation of malus and clawback in the Company's cash component of the annual bonus plan; an increase in the maximum bonus opportunity; the introduction of a mandatory deferral of a proportion of bonus into shares for three years; an increase in the award opportunity under the LTIP; and an increase in the minimum shareholding guideline for executive Directors. If approved by shareholders, the Directors' remuneration policy will take effect from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting and, unless changed, will be subject to a shareholder vote at least every three years. The vote on resolution 2 is binding and, if passed, any remuneration payments made to a current or future director or a payment for loss of office to a current or former director will be consistent with the Directors' remuneration policy in force unless approved by a separate shareholder resolution.
The Company is proposing amendments to its Directors' remuneration policy and shareholder approval for a revised policy is being sought at the Annual General Meeting (resolution 2). To reflect the revised Directors' remuneration policy, it is proposed that an amendment is made to the rules of the LTIP relating to the individual limit on participation. The sole amendment is to increase the maximum aggregate market value of shares at the time of grant over which awards may be granted to a participant in any financial year from 200% to 250% of salary. It is not presently proposed to grant awards up to the maximum level and the change is being made to reflect the revised Directors' remuneration policy.
The rules of the LTIP marked-up to show the proposed amendment will be available for inspection during normal business hours on Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) at the Company's registered office at Quadrant, 55-57 High Street, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1LP and at the offices of Addleshaw Goddard LLP, 60 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4AG from the date of this document until the close of the Annual General Meeting, and will also be available at the place of the Annual General Meeting for at least 15 minutes before and during the meeting.
The Directors are recommending the payment of a final dividend of 7.0 pence per share on the Ordinary shares in respect of the year ended 31 December 2015 which, if approved, will be payable on 27 May 2016 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 6 May 2016. The Company is not offering a scrip alternative to the cash dividend.
In accordance with the Company's Articles of Association and the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code, Pete Raby and Helen Bunch, who were appointed as Directors by the Board since the last Annual General Meeting, will retire from office at the 2016 Annual General Meeting and will seek election by shareholders for the first time.
In accordance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code and as permitted by the Company's Articles of Association, the Board has decided that all other Directors, with the exception of Kevin Dangerfield and Andrew Reynolds Smith whose departures from the Board have been announced, will retire from office at the 2016 Annual General Meeting and each of them will seek re-election by shareholders.
The Chairman confirms that, following a performance evaluation, each Director continues to be effective, demonstrating significant commitment to their roles. The Board believes that the considerable and wide-ranging experience of these Directors will continue to be invaluable to the Company, and recommends their election/re-election.
Biographies of all Directors, with the exception of Helen Bunch, are set out on pages 50 and 51 of the 2015 Annual Report and Accounts.
The biography of Helen Bunch is set out below.
Helen Bunch Non-executive Director (aged 50)
Appointed: February 2016
Career history: At the start of her career, Helen Bunch spent 17 years working in global businesses serving a wide variety of industries from automotive to household products, 11 years with ICI and the remainder with a successor company, Lucite International Ltd. In 2006, Helen joined Wates Group, the privately-owned construction and property services company, as Group Strategy Director and became Managing Director of Wates Retail in January 2011. Since 2015, Helen has been Managing Director of Wates Smartspace, the enlarged business following a merger with another Wates company and the acquisition of a facilities management business.
Additional appointments: Managing Director of Wates Smartspace, Governor of The Westminster Academy (Westbourne Green). Committees: Audit, Nomination and Remuneration.
At each meeting at which the Annual Report and Accounts are laid, the Company is required to appoint an auditor to serve until the next such meeting. KPMG LLP have indicated their willingness to continue as auditor to the Company. Resolution 11 is a resolution to reappoint them. Resolution 12 is a resolution giving the Audit Committee the discretion to determine the auditor's remuneration.
This renews a similar authority given at last year's Annual General Meeting, which is due to lapse at the 2016 Annual General Meeting. This ordinary resolution seeks approval from shareholders to enable the Company, and all companies which are, or which become, subsidiaries of the Company, to make donations or incur expenditure which it would otherwise be prohibited from making or incurring by the Companies Act 2006. The Company's policy is not to make donations to political parties and there is no intention to change that policy. However, the Companies Act 2006 defines political expenditure, political donations and political organisations very widely, such that normal business activities, which might not be thought to be political expenditure or a political donation to a political organisation in the usual sense, may be included. For example, sponsorship of industry forums, funding of seminars and other functions to which politicians are invited, matching employees' donations to certain charities, expenditure on organisations concerned with matters of public policy, law reform and representation of the business community and communicating with the Government and political parties at local, national and European level, may fall under the terms of the Companies Act 2006.
Accordingly, the Company, in common with many other companies, seeks an authority to incur a level of political donations to political parties, independent election candidates and political organisations as well as political expenditure, to cover these kinds of activities on a precautionary basis, in order to avoid possible inadvertent contravention of the Companies Act 2006. The authority does not purport to authorise any particular donation or expenditure but is expressed in general terms, as required by the Companies Act 2006. Furthermore, as permitted under that Act, the authority has been extended to cover any political donations made or political expenditure incurred by any subsidiaries of the Company. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, you will be asked to give the Company and each of its subsidiaries authority to make political donations to political parties or independent election candidates, to make political donations to political organisations (other than political parties) and to incur political expenditure. These authorities are limited to a maximum aggregate amount of £100,000.
If given, this authority will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next Annual General Meeting or on 30 June 2017 (whichever is earlier). It is the Directors' intention to renew this authority each year.
The Directors currently have an authority to allot shares in the Company and to grant rights to subscribe for or convert any securities into shares in the Company. This authority is due to lapse at the 2016 Annual General Meeting. The Board is seeking to renew that authority over Ordinary shares having an aggregate nominal amount of £23,780,832, representing one third of the issued Ordinary share capital of the Company as at 23 March 2016 and also to give the Directors authority to allot Ordinary shares having an aggregate nominal amount of £47,561,664, representing two thirds of the issued Ordinary share capital of the Company as at 23 March 2016 by way of a rights issue. For the avoidance of doubt, the authority sought pursuant to this resolution will give the Directors the ability to allot shares (or grant rights to shares) up to a maximum aggregate nominal amount of £47,561,664. The authority will lapse on 30 June 2017 or at the next Annual General Meeting, whichever shall first occur. The authority sought under this resolution is standard for most UK companies and is consistent with The Investment Association's 'Share Capital Management Guidelines'. The Directors have no present intention to issue any shares under the authority being sought. The Company held no treasury shares as at 23 March 2016.
This is a special resolution which renews a similar power given at last year's Annual General Meeting and, if approved, would enable the Board to allot Ordinary shares for cash other than to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings. Otherwise than in connection with a rights or similar issue or scrip dividend (where difficulties arise in offering shares to certain overseas shareholders and in relation to fractional entitlements), the power contained in this resolution will be limited to new Ordinary shares having an aggregate nominal amount of £7,134,249, representing just less than 10% of the Company's issued Ordinary share capital as at 23 March 2016.
This disapplication authority is in line with institutional shareholder guidance, and in particular with the Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles (the 'Pre-emption Principles'). The Pre-emption Principles were revised in 2015 to allow the authority for an issue of shares for cash otherwise than in connection with a pre-emptive offer to be increased from 5% to 10% of the company's issued Ordinary share capital, provided that the Company confirms that it intends to use the additional 5% authority only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment.
The Board confirms, in accordance with the Pre-emption Principles, that to the extent the authority in paragraph (b) of resolution 15 is used for an issue of Ordinary shares with a nominal value in excess of £3,567,124 (that is 5% of the Company's issued Ordinary share capital as at 23 March 2016), it intends that this will only be used in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the issue, or which has taken place in the preceding six month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the issue.
Further, in accordance with the Pre-Emption Principles, the Directors also confirm their intention that no more than 7.5% of the Company's issued Ordinary share capital will be issued for cash on a non pre-emptive basis during any three-year period, save as permitted in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment as described above, without appropriate consultation.
The Directors have no present intention to exercise this power.
The power will expire when the authority granted under resolution 14 expires, being on 30 June 2017 or at the next Annual General Meeting, whichever shall first occur.
This resolution renews an authority given at last year's Annual General Meeting and is required as a result of section 307A of the Companies Act 2006. The Company currently has power under its Articles of Association to call general meetings (other than an Annual General Meeting) on at least 14 clear days' notice and would like to preserve this ability. In order to be able to do so, shareholders must first approve the calling of meetings on at least 14 days' notice. This resolution 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 would not be used as a matter of routine for general meetings, but only where the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be to the advantage of the shareholders as a whole.
Alternatively, you may return the proxy form in an envelope to FREEPOST CAPITA PXS (this is the only address information required and no stamp is needed).
d) The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5)(a) of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001.
Quadrant, 55-57 High Street Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1LP Tel: +44 (0)1753 837000 Fax: +44 (0)1753 850872
www.morganadvancedmaterials.com
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