AGM Information • Mar 17, 2017
AGM Information
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Serco Group plc Notice of Annual General Meeting 2017
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.
17 March 2017
Dear Shareholder
I am pleased to invite you to attend Serco Group plc's 2017 Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") to be held at 11.00am on Thursday 11 May 2017 at the offices of Clifford Chance, 10 Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JJ.
The formal notice of AGM is set out on pages 3 to 6 of this document and explanatory notes on the business to be considered appear on pages 7 to 9. In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, all members of the Board of Directors will be subject to election or re-election at the AGM.
Your Board of Directors believe that the proposals described in this document are in the best interests of Serco Group plc and its shareholders as a whole and recommend that you vote in favour of all of the resolutions. The Directors intend to do so in respect of their own holdings.
The Board of Directors welcomes the opportunity the AGM provides to engage directly with our shareholders and I very much hope that you will be able to attend. However, if you cannot attend the meeting but would like to vote on the resolutions, please complete 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 Tuesday 9 May 2017. As in previous years and in accordance with best practice, all resolutions proposed at the meeting will be voted by means of a poll, rather than on a show of hands.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your continued support for the Company and look forward to meeting you at the AGM.
Yours sincerely
Sir Roy Gardner Chairman
Serco Group plc
Serco House, 16 Bartley Wood Business Park, Bartley Way, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9UY United Kingdom T: +44 (0)1256 745 900 | F: +44 (0)1256 744 112 | www.serco.com
Serco Group Plc, 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 2017 Annual General Meeting of Serco Group plc ('Serco' or the 'Company') will be held at the offices of Clifford Chance, 10 Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JJ on Thursday 11 May 2017 at 11.00am to consider and, if thought fit, pass the resolutions detailed below. Resolutions 1 to 14, 16 and 19 are proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 15, 17, 18 and 20 as special resolutions:
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such authorities to apply after this resolution is passed in substitution for all existing authorities pursuant to Section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 and to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next Annual General Meeting or close of business on 30 June 2018, whichever is the earlier unless previously renewed varied or revoked by the Company in a general meeting but, in each case, so that the Company may make offers and enter into agreements before the authority expires which would, or might, require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares to be granted after the authority expires and the Directors may allot shares or grant such rights under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
For the purposes of this resolution, 'rights issue' means an offer to:
to subscribe for 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 8.
and so that the directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter; and
(b) to the allotment of equity securities pursuant to the authority granted by paragraph (i) of resolution 16 and/ or sale of treasury shares for cash (in each case otherwise than in the circumstances set out in paragraph (a) of this resolution 17) up to a nominal amount of £1,098,564 calculated, in the case of equity securities which are rights to subscribe for, or to convert securities into, ordinary shares by reference to the aggregate nominal amount of relevant shares which may be allotted pursuant to such rights,
such power to apply until the end of the Company's next AGM after this resolution is passed (or, if earlier, until the close of business on 30 June 2018) but, in each case, so that the Company may make offers and enter into agreements before the power expires which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (or treasury shares to be sold) after the power expires and the directors may allot equity securities and/or sell treasury shares under any such offer or agreement as if the power had not expired.
For the purpose of this resolution 17, "rights issue" has the same meaning as in resolution 16 above.
such power to apply until the end of the Company's next AGM (or, if earlier, until the close of business on 30 June 2018) but, in each case, so that the Company may make offers and enter into agreements before the power expires which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares to be granted (or treasury shares to be sold) after the power expires and the directors of the Company may allot equity securities or grant such rights (or sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired.
provided that the total aggregate amount of political donations and political expenditure pursuant to this authority shall not exceed £100,000 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 9.
See note on page 9.
By order of the Board
David Eveleigh Company Secretary 17 March 2017
Serco Group plc Serco House 16 Bartley Wood Business Park Bartley Way Hook Hampshire RG27 9UY
Registered in England and Wales
Company number 02048608
The Board of Directors will present the Annual Report and Accounts and the reports of the Directors and Auditors thereon for the financial year ended 31 December 2016 (the "Annual Report and Accounts").
Serco Group plc (the "Company") is required to seek shareholder approval for its policy on Directors' remuneration (the "Remuneration Policy") at least once every three years. This is a binding vote and, if approved, the revised Remuneration Policy will take effect from the end of this Annual General Meeting (the "AGM"). Once the Remuneration Policy has been approved, the Company may not make a remuneration payment or payment for loss of office to a director or former director of the Company unless that payment is consistent with the approved Remuneration Policy, or has otherwise been approved by a shareholder resolution. Subject to approval at the AGM the Remuneration Policy will take effect from 11 May 2017.
The requirement to obtain shareholder approval for the Remuneration Policy comes at a time when the business is at a critical stage of its turnaround, with the Transformation stage just over half-way through. As a result the Company is asking shareholders to approve the renewal of the current Policy for a single year. The Remuneration Committee will undertake a complete review of the Policy during 2017, and will put a new three-year Policy to shareholders at the AGM in 2018.
The Remuneration Policy is included on pages 101 to 110 in the Annual Report and Accounts.
The Annual Report on Remuneration (the 'Remuneration Report') is included on pages 96 to 125 in the Annual Report and Accounts and gives details of the Directors' remuneration for the year ended 31 December 2016. Shareholders will be asked to approve the Remuneration Report (save for the Remuneration Policy which is dealt with under Resolution 2 above), which complies with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 for a report on the remuneration of all Directors, both Executive and Non-Executive. This is an advisory vote and the Directors' entitlement to remuneration is not conditional on it.
The Company's external auditor, KPMG LLP has audited those parts of the Annual Report on remuneration that are required to be audited and their report can be found on pages 134 to 138 of the Annual Report and Accounts.
The Report has been approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by the Company Secretary.
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 at each AGM of the Company.
Biographical details of all Directors can be found on pages 74 and 75 of the Company's Annual Report and Accounts and on the Company's website (www.serco.com).
Following a formal performance evaluation conducted during the year and having considered the performance of and contribution made by each of the Directors, the Board believes that all Directors continue to be effective and 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 of Directors.
John Rishton was appointed to the Board as Non-Executive Director on 13 September 2016 is standing for election. John Rishton has extensive executive and non-executive experience and the Board is already feeling the benefit of his considerable knowledge and track record in a range of industries. The Board fully supports his election.
As noted in the Chairman's letter accompanying the Notice of the 2016 AGM, in line with best practice the role of External Auditor was put out to formal competitive tender in 2016. New legislation implemented in June 2016, which requires companies to change auditor at least every 20 years meant that Deloitte LLP, the incumbent, did not participate in the tender process. On 27 May 2016, on the Audit Committee's recommendation, the Board approved the appointment of KPMG LLP as External Auditor and Deloitte LLP resigned from office. KPMG LLP have carried out the audit of the accounts of Serco Group plc for the 2016 financial year and their appointment for the coming year is subject to shareholder approval at the AGM in 2017.
The Audit Committee (for and on behalf of the Directors) are also seeking authority to set the auditor's remuneration.
Authority is sought to purchase up to 109,856,423 shares which is equivalent to approximately 10% of the ordinary issued share capital of the Company as at 14 March 2017, until the earlier of the conclusion of the AGM in 2018 or close of business on 30 June 2018, continuing the authority granted by the shareholders at previous AGMs.
Resolution 15, proposed as a special resolution, 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 the Company'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, and the Directors have no present intention of exercising the authority to make market purchases, the Board believes that the authority will provide the Company with additional flexibility in the management of its capital base, enabling it to resell treasury shares in the future or use them to satisfy awards under the Company's various share and incentive schemes.
For information, as of 14 March 2017, the latest practicable date prior to posting of this document, there were options outstanding to subscribe for 31,188,895 ordinary shares, representing approximately 2.84% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 14 March 2017. If the existing authority given on 12 May 2016 and the authority being sought under Resolution 15 were to be fully used, that percentage would increase to approximately 3.15% of the Company's ordinary issued share capital (excluding treasury shares). The Company has no warrants in issue in relation to its shares.
Resolution 16 seeks shareholder approval to renew the directors' authority to allot shares.
The Investment Association share capital management guidelines on directors' authority to allot shares state that its members will permit, and treat as routine, resolutions seeking authority to allot shares representing up to two thirds of the Company's issued share capital. The guidelines provide that the extra routine authority (that is, the authority to allot shares representing the additional one third of the Company's issued share capital) should only be used to allot shares pursuant to a fully pre emptive rights issue.
In accordance with these guidelines, the board seeks the shareholders' authority to allot shares in the capital of the Company up to a maximum nominal amount of £14,647,523, representing approximately two thirds of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 14 March 2017 (the latest practicable date prior to publication of this notice). Of this amount, £7,323,761 (representing approximately one third of the Company's issued ordinary share capital) can only be allotted pursuant to a rights issue.
It is the Company's policy to seek renewal of these authorities annually and the authorities sought under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this resolution will expire at the end of the Company's next AGM or, if earlier, close of business on 30 June 2018.
The directors have no present intention to exercise this authority. However, the directors consider it appropriate to maintain the flexibility that this authority provides to respond to market developments and to enable allotments to take place to finance business opportunities as they arise.
If the directors wish to allot new shares and other equity securities, or sell treasury shares, for cash (other than in connection with an employee share scheme), company law requires that these shares are offered first to the shareholders, in proportion to their existing holdings.
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 to respond to market developments and to enable allotments to take place to finance business opportunities without making a pre-emptive offer to existing shareholders. This cannot be done under the Companies Act 2006 unless the shareholders have first waived their pre-emption rights. The purpose of resolutions 17 and 18, which are each proposed as special resolutions, is to enable shareholders to waive their pre-emption rights.
Resolution 17 authorises directors to allot new shares, pursuant to the authority given by resolution 16, or to sell treasury shares for cash:
in each case without the shares first being offered to shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings.
Resolution 18 additionally authorises the directors to allot new shares (or sell treasury shares) for cash, without the shares first being offered to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings, in connection with the financing (or refinancing, if the authority is to be used within six months after the original transaction) of an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the allotment or which has taken place in the preceding six month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the allotment. The authority under resolution 18 is limited to a nominal value of £1,098,564, equivalent to approximately 5% of the nominal value of the ordinary share capital of the Company in issue on 14 March 2017.
The directors intend to adhere to the provisions in the Pre Emption Group's Statement of Principles, as updated in March 2015, and not to allot shares for cash on a non pre-emptive basis pursuant to the authority in resolution 17 either in excess of an amount equal to 5% of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company (excluding treasury shares) or in excess of an amount equal to 7.5% of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company (excluding treasury shares) within a rolling three year period, without prior consultation with shareholders. Adherence to the Pre Emption Group's Statement of Principles would not preclude issuances under the authority sought under resolution 18.
Resolutions 17 and 18 comply with the Investment Association's share capital management guidelines and follow the resolution templates issued by the Pre Emption Group in May 2016.
If the resolutions are passed, the authorities will expire at the end of the Company's next AGM or, if earlier, close of business on 30 June 2018.
The Company's policy of not giving any cash contributions to, or incurring any expenditure on behalf of, 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 Company and any company which is or becomes its subsidiary during the period in which this resolution has effect to incur expenditure of up to a maximum aggregate amount of £100,000, for the Group as a whole, in respect of each of the headings 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. This resolution does not purport to authorise any particular donation or expenditure but is expressed in general terms as required by the Companies Act 2006 and is intended to authorise normal donations and expenditure. The authority sought will, if granted, last until the conclusion of the 2018 AGM of the Company (or, if earlier close of business on 30 June 2018) when the Directors currently intend to seek renewal of this authority.
This resolution, proposed as a special resolution, seeks shareholder approval to call general meetings (other than AGMs) on 14 clear days' notice and it is equivalent to the authority granted to the Directors at last year's AGM. The minimum notice period permitted by the Companies Act 2006 for general meetings (other than AGMs) is 21 clear days' notice. However, the Companies Act 2006 allows companies to approve a shorter notice period of at least 14 clear days (other than for AGMs). AGMs will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice. Shareholders approved this resolution at last year's AGM and in order to preserve this ability, Resolution 20 seeks such approval again. The approval will again be effective until the Company's next AGM, 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 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.
In order to be able to call a general meeting on less than 21 clear days notice, the Company must make a means of electronic voting available to all shareholders for that meeting.
The same documents will also be available for inspection at the Annual General Meeting venue, 15 minutes before the commencement of the Annual General Meeting on 11 May 2017 and until the closure of the meeting.
The Annual General Meeting of Serco Group plc will be held at Clifford Chance, 10 Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JJ.
The venue is fully accessible by public transport:
The nearest underground station is Canary Wharf which is a short walk away
Your choice of bus services: D3 Bethnal Green to Canary Wharf D7 Mile End to Canary Wharf D8 Stratford to Canary Wharf 135 Moorfields to Canary Wharf 277 Highbury and Islington to Canary Wharf N550 Trafalgar Square to Canary Wharf (Night Bus)
The venue is located within walking distance of the public car park, Jubilee Place Car Park: Entrance on Bank Street (use E14 5NY for sat nav).
The building is wheelchair accessible directly from Upper Bank Street. There is a drop-off/pick-up point directly outside the building where cars can stop temporarily to ease access. A lift is available from security to the main reception area; should you require any assistance, please ask security upon arrival. Accessible/disabled toilets are located on the ground floor, behind reception and in both meeting room areas; if you need assistance, please let reception know.
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.
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