AGM Information • Apr 10, 2017
AGM Information
Open in ViewerOpens in native device viewer
To be held at 10.00 a.m. on 17 May 2017 at The Sefton Hotel, Harris Promenade, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RW.
Whether or not you propose to attend the Annual General Meeting, please complete and submit a form of proxy in accordance with the instructions printed on the enclosed form.
The form of proxy must be received by no later than 10.00 a.m. on 15 May 2017.
If you are in any doubt as to what action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial advice from your stockbroker or other independent adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or transferred all of your shares in Playtech plc, please forward this document, together with the accompanying documents, as soon as possible either to the purchaser or transferee or to the person who arranged the sale or transfer so they can pass these documents to the person who now holds the shares.
Playtech plc Incorporated in the Isle of Man under company number 008505V
Registered office: Ground Floor St George's Court Upper Church Street Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EE
| Letter from the Chairman | 01 |
|---|---|
| Appendix 1 – Biographies of Directors seeking re-election | 02 |
| Appendix 2 – Explanatory Notes | 03 |
| Notice of Annual General Meeting of the Company | 05 |
| Timetable of events | |
| Ex-dividend date for final dividend | 4 May 2017 |
| Record date for final dividend | 5 May 2017 |
| Last date for currency elections | 12 May 2017 |
|---|---|
| Final date for receipt of proxies by the registrars | 15 May 2017 at 10.00 a.m. |
| Time and date of the Annual General Meeting | 17 May 2017 at 10.00 a.m. |
| Dividend payment date for final dividend | 2 June 2017 |
Ground Floor St George's Court Upper Church Street Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EE
Playtech plc Incorporated in the Isle of Man under company number 008505V
10 April 2017
To all Shareholders Dear Shareholder,
I am pleased to be writing to you with details of the Annual General Meeting of Playtech plc ("Playtech" or the "Company") for 2017 (the "AGM") which we are holding at The Sefton Hotel, Harris Promenade, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RW on 17 May 2017 at 10.00 a.m. and which will be followed by a General Meeting where a revised remuneration policy (the "Remuneration Policy") will be put to the meeting for approval.
As the Company voluntarily follows the requirements of the UK legislation applicable to a premium main market listed company, so far as is practicable, the Remuneration Policy is subject to a binding shareholder vote this year. However at the time of publishing the Annual Report, the Company was still in consultation with shareholders on the terms of a revised Remuneration Policy. Therefore the existing Remuneration Policy does formally need to be put to the AGM and be made subject to a binding shareholder vote; however the new Remuneration Policy proposed to be adopted will then be put to a binding shareholder vote at the General Meeting following the AGM.
The formal notice of the AGM is set out on pages 5 and 6 of this document. The AGM is an important opportunity for all shareholders to express their views by raising questions and voting on the matters put to the AGM. Refreshments of tea and coffee will be available from 9.30 a.m. onwards and after the AGM for shareholders if they wish to meet with the Directors in a less formal environment.
If you would like to vote on the resolutions but cannot attend the AGM, please fill in the enclosed Form of Proxy and return it to our registrars as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can register your proxy to vote electronically by logging on to www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy. You will need to enter the Control Number, Shareholder Reference number and PIN as shown on your proxy form, or if you are a member of CREST, via Computershare Investor Services (ID3RA50). The registrars must receive your proxy appointment by 10.00 a.m. on 15 May 2017 at the latest.
The explanatory notes in Appendix 2 outline the business to be considered at the AGM.
Please check that you have received the following with this document:
Whether or not you propose to attend the AGM in person, you are strongly encouraged to register a proxy vote by either casting your proxy online as explained in the notes on pages 7 and 8 or by completing, signing and returning your form of proxy in accordance with the instructions printed thereon as soon as possible, but in any event so as to be received, by post at Computershare Investor Services (Jersey) Limited c/o, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZY or, during normal business hours only, by hand, at Computershare Investor Services (Jersey) Limited, c/o, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZY, by no later than 10.00 a.m. on 15 May 2017. Please note there is a separate envelope (showing the post code BS99 6ZZ) for the currency election form if you wish to use it.
The use of a proxy will enable your vote to be counted at the AGM in the event of your absence. The completion and return of the form of proxy will not prevent you from attending and voting at the AGM, or any adjournment thereof, in person should you wish to do so.
The Directors of the Company consider that all the proposals to be considered at the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and its members as a whole and are most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of its members as a whole. The Directors unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of all the proposed resolutions as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings which amount to 73,524 Ordinary Shares representing approximately 0.02% of the existing issued Ordinary Shares.
Yours sincerely
Alan Jackson Chairman
Alan has over 40 years' experience in the leisure industry. From 1973 to 1991, he occupied a number of positions at Whitbread, both in the UK and internationally, principally as Managing Director of Beefeater Steak Houses and also the Whitbread restaurant division where he was responsible for the creation and development of the Beefeater, Travel Inn and TGI Friday brands and was responsible for Whitbread's international restaurant development. In 1991, he founded Inn Business Group plc, which was acquired by Punch Taverns plc in 1999. He was Chairman of The Restaurant Group plc from 2001 until he retired from this position in 2016. He stepped down from his role as Deputy Chairman and Senior Non-executive Director at Redrow plc in September 2014.
Prior to being appointed CEO in 2007, Mor was the chief executive officer of one of the Group's subsidiaries, Techplay Marketing Limited, which required him to oversee the Group's licensee relationship management, product management for new licensees and the Group's marketing activities. Before joining Playtech, Mor worked for Oracle for over four years, initially as a development consultant and then as a product manager, which involved creating sales and consulting channels on behalf of Oracle Israel and Oracle Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Earlier in his career, he worked in a variety of roles, including as an auditor and financial consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and a system analyst for Tadiran Electronic Systems Limited, an Israeli company that designed electronic warfare systems.
Having qualified as a solicitor with Ashurst in 2001, Andrew moved into investment banking, first with ABN AMRO and then with Deutsche Bank, specialising in both the Technology and Leisure sectors. Andrew joined Playtech in 2015 as Head of Investor Relations. Andrew was appointed to the board in January 2017.
Andrew has enjoyed a career as an accountant and businessman, much of which has been within the leisure industry. Andrew is currently chairman of Randalls Limited, a family owned pub company in Jersey, where he lives. Andrew previously served as Chairman of The Greenalls Group PLC and as a non-executive director of a number of private and public companies. He is the founding partner of the Cheshire-based accounting firm, Moors Andrew Thomas & Co. LLP. Andrew is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and a member of the Institute of Taxation. Andrew was appointed to the Board in June 2012.
Paul is a qualified accountant, and his recent executive responsibilities included being the Deputy Group Chief Executive and the Chief Financial Officer of the Co-Operative Group from 2003 to 2007; and Finance and IT Director of RAC plc from 1999 to 2003. Since starting to build a portfolio of non-executive roles in 2007, Paul has helped many management teams adapt their business models to respond to, and anticipate, changes in their regulatory environments, including as Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Tesco Bank from 2012 to 2014. Paul was appointed to the Board in August 2015.
John is a qualified accountant and his previous roles include Group Chief Executive of Jamie Oliver Holdings Limited from 2007 to 2015 and Group Retail and Leisure Director of Virgin Group Limited from 1998 to 2007. He is currently Non-executive Chairman of Rick Stein Group, a senior independent director of Game Digital plc; and a Non-executive Director of Wilkinson's Hardware Stores Limited. John was appointed to the Board in January 2016.
Claire has a Master's Degree from the John Hopkins University, Baltimore, is a member of The Law Society of Scotland, is a Manx Advocate and a Writer to Her Majesty's Signet. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, the Licensing Executive Society and the Society for Computers and a General Member of the International Masters of Gaming Law and was Chair of the Isle of Man Gambling Commission between 2007-2012. She is currently a Partner and Team Leader within the Intellectual Property and Science & Technology team for Appleby in the Isle of Man. Claire was appointed to the Board in July 2016.
The Chairman will present to the AGM the accounts and the reports of the directors and the auditors for the year ended 31 December 2016 (the "Annual Report").
For UK incorporated companies, there are requirements in relation to the content and approval of the directors' remuneration report. Although, as an Isle of Man incorporated company Playtech is not subject to these requirements, the Board considers that shareholders would expect the Company to voluntarily mirror the requirements of the UK legislation applicable to a premium main market listed company so far as is practicable. The Board is happy to do so as the Directors consider that the requirements facilitate good corporate governance.
Accordingly, the directors' remuneration report set out in full on pages 70 to 85 in the Annual Report is in three sections and contains:
During 2016, the Committee reviewed the policy, taking close account of the business strategy, current and emerging market practice and the best practice expectations of institutional investors, to ensure it remained fit for purpose. However at the time of publishing the Annual Report, the Company was still in consultation with shareholders on the terms of a revised Remuneration Policy. Therefore the existing Remuneration Policy does formally need to be put to the AGM and be made subject to a binding shareholder vote; however the new Remuneration Policy proposed to be adopted will then be put to a further binding shareholder vote at the General Meeting immediately following the AGM.
Resolution 2b is an ordinary resolution to approve the directors' remuneration report (excluding the Policy), and is an advisory resolution that does not affect the future remuneration paid to any director.
Resolution 3 proposes the re-appointment of BDO LLP as the Company's auditors to hold office until the next AGM of the Company and, as is common practice, authorises the directors to set the auditors' remuneration.
The Directors are recommending a final dividend of 21.7 € cents per ordinary share of no par value ("Ordinary Share") for the year ended 31 December 2016. If shareholders approve this dividend, this will be paid on 2 June 2017 to all holders of Ordinary Shares who were on the register at the close of business on 5 May 2017. If shareholders wish to elect to receive their dividend in Pounds Sterling, they should complete the enclosed currency election form in accordance with its terms and return it by 12 May 2017 to the Company's registrars, Computershare Investor Services c/o The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZZ in the envelope provided for this purpose.
Under the articles of association of the Company (the "Articles"), any person who has been appointed as a director by the Board during the year is required to retire and be put up for re-election at the next annual general meeting of the Company. John Jackson was appointed to the Board in January 2016 and Claire Milne was appointed to the Board in July 2016 and are both being put up for re-election accordingly. Although the Articles do not require directors to retire and be put up for re-election at each annual general meeting of the Company, in accordance with the provisions of the Code, all of the other directors of the Company have resolved that they will retire and offer themselves for re-election by shareholders at the AGM.
The Board considers that the performance of each Board member continues to be effective, that each member of the Board demonstrates the commitment required to continue in their present roles, and accordingly supports each Director's re-election.
Biographical details the directors can be found in Appendix 1 and further details of their skills and experience, and representation on the Board committees on pages 56 and 57 of the Annual Report.
Further to the Articles the directors may only allot Ordinary Shares or grant rights over Ordinary Shares if authorised to do so by the holders of Ordinary Shares. At the last annual general meeting of the Company held on 18 May 2016, the directors were given authority to allot Ordinary Shares. The authority granted at the last annual general meeting is due to expire at the conclusion of this year's meeting.
The Association of British Insurers ("ABI") guidelines on authority to allot shares states that ABI members will permit, and treat as routine, resolutions seeking to allot shares representing approximately one-third of the number of Ordinary Shares in issue. In addition, ABI members will treat as routine a request for authority to allot shares representing approximately two-thirds of the number of Ordinary Shares in issue provided that it is only used to allot shares pursuant to a pre-emptive rights issue.
Accordingly, the authority in Resolution 12, paragraph (a) will allow your Directors to allot up to 105,781,534 Ordinary Shares in the Company
or grant rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares in the Company, representing approximately one-third of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as calculated as at 9 April 2017 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this notice). The authority in Resolution 12, paragraph (b) will allow your Directors to allot a further 105,781,534 Ordinary Shares representing approximately one-third of the Company's issued Ordinary Shares as calculated as at 9 April 2017 (being the last practicable date prior to publication of this notice) or grant rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares in the Company, only in connection with a pre-emptive rights issue.
The power conferred by this resolution will expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company or, if sooner, 15 months after the date of the passing of the resolution.
The Directors have no present intention of exercising this authority. However, it is considered prudent to maintain the flexibility that this authority provides. The Directors intend to renew this authority annually.
Resolutions 1 to 12 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and will require more than half of the votes cast at the AGM to be in favour of a resolution to be passed.
Under article 6 of the Articles, when new Ordinary Shares are proposed to be issued for cash, other than in connection with a Company share option plan, they must first be offered to existing shareholders pro-rata to their holdings. There may be occasions, however, when the Directors may need the flexibility to finance business opportunities by the issue of Ordinary Shares for cash without a fully pre-emptive offer to existing shareholders. It is therefore proposed to grant the Directors authority to allot Ordinary Shares for cash without such securities first being required to be offered to existing shareholders.
Resolution 13 is proposed as a special resolution and will, if passed, give the Directors authority to allot up to 31,734,460 Ordinary Shares pursuant to the authority granted in Resolution 12 for cash without complying with the pre-emption rights in the Articles, which represents approximately 10% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 9 April 2017 (being the last practicable date prior to the publication of this notice). This authority is in line with institutional shareholder guidance, and in particular with the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles. These principles 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 share capital, provided that the Company confirms that it intends to use the additional 5% authority only in connection with an acquisition or specified investments. The Board intends to adhere to 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 13:
in each case other than in connection with 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 power conferred by this resolution will expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company or, if sooner, 15 months after the date of the passing of the resolution.
This resolution seeks authority for the Company to make market purchases of its own Ordinary Shares and is proposed as a special resolution. If passed, the resolution gives authority for the Company to purchase up to 31,734,460 of its Ordinary Shares, representing just under 10% of the Company's issued Ordinary Share capital as at 9 April 2017 (being the last practicable date prior to the publication of this notice).
The resolution specifies the minimum and maximum prices which may be paid for any Ordinary Shares purchased under this authority. The power conferred by this resolution will expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company or, if sooner, 15 months after the date of the passing of the resolution.
The Directors do not currently have any intention of exercising the authority granted by this resolution. The Directors will only exercise the authority to purchase Ordinary Shares where they consider that such purchases will be in the best interests of shareholders generally.
The Company must cancel any shares it purchases under this authority, as the Articles do not allow for the Company to hold shares in treasury at this time. On 9 April 2017, (being the last practicable date prior to the publication of this notice) the total number of options to subscribe for Ordinary Shares in the Company amounted to 1,759,780. This represented 0.55% of the Company's issued Ordinary Shares on that date. If this authority to purchase shares was exercised in full these options would represent 0.62% of the issued Ordinary Shares as at 9 April 2017 (the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this notice). The Company does not have any outstanding share warrants.
Resolutions 13 and 14 will be proposed as special resolutions and require that 75 per cent or more of the votes cast must be in favour of a resolution for it to be passed.
Notice is given that the Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") of Playtech plc (the "Company") will be held at The Sefton Hotel, Harris Promenade, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RW on 17 May 2017 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes:
To consider and if thought fit, pass the following resolutions which will be proposed as ordinary resolutions:
To consider and, if thought fit, pass the following resolutions of which resolution numbered 12 will be proposed as an ordinary resolution and the remaining resolutions will be proposed as special resolutions:
provided that the authority conferred by this resolution shall expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company or, if shorter, 15 months after the date of the passing of this resolution but so that the Company may, before such expiry, make offers or agreements which would or might require Ordinary Shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or convert securities into shares to be granted after such expiry and the directors may allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert pursuant to any such offer or agreement as if this authority had not expired, where "rights issue" means an offer to:
(i) holders of Ordinary Shares in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the respective number of Ordinary Shares held by them; and (ii) holders of other equity securities if this is required by the rights of those securities or, if the directors consider it necessary, as permitted by the rights of those securities,
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 fractional entitlements, record dates or legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or by virtue of shares being represented by depositary receipts or any other matter.
provided that the authority conferred by this resolution shall expire at the earlier of the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company or, if shorter, 15 months after the date of the passing of this resolution save that the Company may, before such expiry, make offers or agreements which would or might require equity securities to be allotted and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of such offer or agreement notwithstanding that the authority conferred by this resolution has expired.
Voting on all resolutions will be by way of a poll.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
Brian Moore Company Secretary
Ground Floor St George's Court Upper Church Street Douglas Isle of Man
10 April 2017
Registered in Isle of Man number 008505V
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 voting service provider(s), to procure that his CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) 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 sponsors or voting service providers are referred, in particular, to those sections of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitation of the CREST systems and timings. The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation18(4)(a) of the Uncertificated Security Regulations 2006 (Isle of Man).
Building tools?
Free accounts include 100 API calls/year for testing.
Have a question? We'll get back to you promptly.