Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Jul 3, 2025
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your AO World PLC ordinary shares, and have received a hard copy of this document, please send it, together with any accompanying documents, as soon as possible to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected, for delivery to the purchaser or transferee.
This document is available at ao-world.com.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of AO World PLC to be held at 9am on 15 September 2025 at the Company's registered office at 5A The Parklands, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4SD.
You will not receive a hard copy form of proxy for the 2025 AGM in the post. Instead, you will be able to vote electronically using the link https://www.aoshareportal.com. You will need to log into your Signal Shares account, or register if you have not previously done so. To register you will need your Investor Code. This is detailed on your share certificate or available from our Registrar, MUFG Corporate Markets. Alternatively, you can vote via the VOTE+ app.
In the case of CREST members, you can vote by utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service in accordance with the procedures described in the CREST Manual. In order for a proxy appointment or instruction made by means of CREST to be valid, the appropriate CREST message (a 'CREST Proxy Instruction') must be properly authenticated in accordance with Euroclear UK & International Limited's specifications and must contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the CREST Manual. The message must be transmitted so as to be received by the issuer's agent (ID RA10) by 9am on 11 September 2025. If you are an institutional investor you may also be able to appoint a proxy electronically via the Proxymity platform, a process which has been agreed by the Company and approved by the Registrar. For further information regarding Proxymity, please go to www. proxymity.io.
Voting by proxy prior to the AGM does not affect your right to attend the AGM and vote in person should you so wish. Proxy votes must be received no later than 48 hours before the time of the AGM (excluding non-working days).
You may request a hard copy form of proxy directly from our Registrar, MUFG Corporate Markets, on Tel: 0371 664 0300. Calls are charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider. Calls outside the United Kingdom will be charged at the applicable international rate. Lines are open 9.00am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays in England and Wales.
Alternatively, you can request a hard copy proxy card by emailing [email protected].
(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 05525751)
Registered Office:
Directors: Geoff Cooper John Roberts Mark Higgins Chris Hopkinson Shaun McCabe Peter Pritchard Sarah Venning
3 July 2025
To the holders of AO World PLC ordinary shares
Dear Shareholder
I am pleased to be writing to you with details of our Annual General Meeting ("AGM") which we are holding at 9am on 15 September 2025 at the Company's registered office at 5A The Parklands, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4SD.
If you wish to attend the AGM in your capacity as a shareholder, please bring proof of identification and/or proof of your shareholding, and on arrival hand it to our Registrar, MUFG Corporate Markets, and this will facilitate entry to the meeting. Those shareholders who do not wish to attend the meeting in person are strongly encouraged to vote by taking advantage of our registrar's secure online voting service at https://www.aoshareportal.com. Further details are set out on the cover of this document.
Shareholders can also submit questions on the AGM resolutions electronically before the meeting and such questions, limited to matters relating to the business of the AGM itself, should be sent to [email protected] and these will be responded to on an individual basis. Our normal channels of shareholder engagement are open and shareholders can contact the investor relations team at [email protected] or any member of the Board through our company secretary at [email protected].
The formal notice of meeting and the resolutions to be proposed are set out on pages 03 and 05 of this document. Resolutions 1 to 13 (inclusive) and 17 are proposed as ordinary resolutions, while Resolutions 14 to 16 (inclusive) and 18 will be proposed as special resolutions. The ordinary resolutions will be passed if more than 50% of the votes cast are in favour and the special resolutions will be passed if at least 75% of the votes cast are in favour. Explanatory notes on all the proposed resolutions can be found on pages 06 and 08 of this document. This Notice of AGM is also available on our website, www.ao-world.com, in the Investor Relations section of the website under Reports and Presentations.
The Board considers the Resolutions are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and are therefore likely to promote the success of the Company. The Directors unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of the Resolutions as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings (excluding connected persons) which amount in aggregate to shares representing approximately 20.29% of the existing issued share capital of the Company (as at 2 July 2025, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document).
Thank you for your continuing support of AO World PLC.
Yours sincerely
Chairman
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the Company's registered office at 5A The Parklands, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4SD on Monday 15 September 2025 at 9am to consider and, if thought fit, to pass Resolutions 1 to 13 (inclusive) and 17 as ordinary resolutions and Resolutions 14 to 16 (inclusive) and 18 as special resolutions
to the respective numbers of ordinary shares held by them on any such record date, subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements or legal or practical problems arising under the laws of any overseas territory or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange or by virtue of shares being represented by depositary receipts or any other matter, provided that this authority shall expire at the end of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or, if earlier, 15 months after the passing of the Resolution, save that the Company shall be entitled to make offers or agreements before the expiry of such authority which would or might require shares to be allotted or such rights to be granted after such expiry and the Directors shall be entitled to allot shares and grant rights pursuant to any such offer or agreement as if this authority had not expired; and all unexercised authorities previously granted to the Directors to allot shares and grant rights be and are hereby revoked.
and shall expire upon the expiry of the general authority conferred by Resolution 13 above, save that the Company shall still be entitled to make offers or agreements before the expiry of such power which would or might require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after such expiry and the Directors shall be entitled to allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) pursuant to any such offer or agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired.
Julie Finnemore, Company Secretary 3 July 2025
Ordinary resolutions require more than half of the votes cast to be in favour of the resolution in order for the resolution to be passed. To pass special resolutions, three quarters or more of the votes cast must be in favour.
The Chairman will present the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (the "Annual Report") to the AGM. The Annual Report accompanies this document.
The Directors' Remuneration Report is set out in the Annual Report on pages 71 to 95. Resolution 2 is the ordinary resolution to approve the Directors' Remuneration Report other than the part containing the Directors' remuneration policy. Resolution 2 is an advisory resolution and does not affect the future remuneration paid to any Director. The report gives details of the Directors' remuneration for the year ended 31 March 2025. The report also includes details of the Remuneration Committee's representations and activities. The Company's Auditors KPMG LLP have audited those parts of the Remuneration Report which are required to be audited and their report is issued in the Annual Report. Resolution 3 is the ordinary resolution to approve the Directors' remuneration policy which is set out in the Directors' Remuneration Report in the Annual Report on pages 76 to 84. This remuneration policy reflects the executive remuneration framework developed by the Company's Remuneration Committee to ensure the policy continues to support the delivery of our strategy, sustainable growth and shareholder returns whilst properly rewarding and incentivising our executives but at the same time conforming to investor expectations and best practice. Once the Directors' remuneration policy has been approved, all payments by the Company to the Directors and any former Directors must be made in accordance with the policy (unless a payment has been separately approved by a shareholder resolution). If the Directors' remuneration policy is approved and remains unchanged, it will be valid for up to three financial years without a new shareholder approval. If the Company wishes to change the Directors' remuneration policy, it will need to put the revised policy to a vote again before it can implement the new policy. If the Directors' remuneration policy is not approved for any reason, the Company will, if and to the extent permitted by the Companies Act 2006, continue to make payments to Directors in accordance with the previously approved policy.
Resolutions 4 to 10 inclusive are to approve the re-election of the Directors. In accordance with the requirements of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018 (the "Code") all of the Directors are subject to annual re-election by the shareholders at this year's AGM.
The Board has confirmed, following a performance review, that all Directors standing for re-election continue to perform effectively and demonstrate commitment to their roles. The Board has considered whether each of the independent Non-Executive Directors is free from any relationship that could materially interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgment and has determined that each continues to be considered independent. Chris Hopkinson, whilst not independent for the purposes of the Code, is considered to provide a significant contribution to the Board.
Biographical details of each of the Directors standing for re-election are set out in Appendix 1 on pages 11 and 12 of this document.
Resolution 11 is to reappoint KPMG LLP as the Company's Auditors, to hold office until the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company.
Resolution 12 authorises the Audit Committee of the Board to set the Auditors' remuneration.
Resolution 13 deals with the Directors' authority to allot ordinary shares in the capital of the Company without the prior consent of shareholders for a period expiring at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company.
At the last AGM of the Company held on 18 September 2024, the Directors were given authority to allot ordinary shares in the capital of the Company up to a maximum nominal amount of £482,142.04 equal to one-third of the Company's then issued ordinary issued share capital and up to a maximum aggregate nominal value of £964,284.08 equal to two-thirds of the issued share capital of the Company where an offer is made in connection with a fully pre-emptive rights issue. This authority expires at the end of this year's AGM. Resolution 13 will, if passed, renew this authority to allot, on the same terms save that it reflects the increase in the Company's issued share capital during the year.
The Investment Association ("IA") guidelines on directors' authority to allot shares state that IA members will regard as routine, resolutions seeking authority to allot shares representing up to two-thirds of the Company's issued share capital, provided that any amount in excess of onethird of the Company's issued share capital is only used to allot shares pursuant to a fully pre-emptive rights issue.
In light of these guidelines, the Board considers it appropriate that Directors be granted authority to allot ordinary shares in the capital of the Company up to a maximum nominal amount of £967,172.45 representing two-thirds of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 2 July 2025 (the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document). Of this amount a nominal amount of £483,586.22 (representing approximately onethird of the Company's issued ordinary share capital) can only be allotted pursuant to a rights issue. The power will last until the end of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, 15 months after the passing of the Resolution.
The Directors have no present intention of allotting new ordinary shares other than in relation to the Company's employee share schemes. However, the Directors consider it appropriate to maintain the flexibility that this authority provides. As at 2 July 2025 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document) the Company does not hold any shares in the capital of the Company in treasury.
Resolutions 14 and 15 will give the Directors authority to allot ordinary shares in the capital of the Company pursuant to the authority granted under Resolution 13 above for cash without complying with the preemption rights in the Companies Act 2006 in certain circumstances.
Resolution 14 will permit the Directors to allot:
Resolution 15 will permit the Directors to allot additional equity securities up to a maximum nominal value of £145,075.86 representing approximately a further 10% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 2 July 2025 (the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document), otherwise than in connection with a pre-emptive offer to existing shareholders for the purposes of financing or refinancing a transaction as contemplated by the Pre-emption Principles described below, with a further authority for no more than 2% to be used only for the purposes of making a follow-on offer of a kind contemplated by the Preemption Principles (as set out below). The Directors believe that it is appropriate to seek this additional authority in Resolution 15 to give the Company the flexibility that this resolution affords.
This disapplication authority is in line with institutional shareholder guidance, and in particular with the Preemption Group's Statement of Principles (the "Preemption Principles"). The Pre-emption Principles were revised in 2022 to allow the authority for an issue of shares for cash otherwise than in connection with a pre-emptive offer to include: (i) an authority over 10% of a company's issued ordinary share capital; and (ii) an additional authority over a further 10% of a company's issued share capital for use in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment 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, with a further authority for no more than 2% to be used only for the purposes of making a follow-on offer of a kind contemplated by in those Principles.
As noted in relation to Resolution 13 above, the Directors have no current intention of issuing ordinary shares other than in relation to the Company's employee share schemes.
The authority contained in Resolutions 14 and 15 will expire upon the expiry of the authority to allot shares conferred in Resolution 13 (that is at the end of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, 15 months after the passing of the Resolution).
Resolution 16 gives the Company authority to buy back its own ordinary shares in the market as permitted by the Companies Act 2006. The authority limits the number of shares that could be purchased to a maximum of 58,030,347 shares (representing approximately 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 2 July 2025 (the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document)) and sets minimum and maximum prices. This authority will expire at the end of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, 15 months after the passing of the Resolution.
The Directors have no present intention of exercising the authority to purchase the Company's ordinary shares but will keep the matter under review, taking into account the financial resources of the Company, the Company's share price and future funding opportunities. The authority will be exercised only if the Directors believe that to do so would result in an increase in earnings per share and would be in the interests of shareholders generally. Any purchases of ordinary shares would be by means of market purchases through the London Stock Exchange.
Listed companies purchasing their own shares are allowed to hold them in treasury as an alternative to cancelling them. No dividends are paid on shares while they are held in treasury and no voting rights attach to treasury shares.
If Resolution 16 is passed at the AGM, it is the Company's current intention to hold shares in treasury to meet the requirements of the Company's employee share schemes. However, in order to respond properly to the Company's capital requirements and prevailing market conditions, the Directors will need to reassess at the time of any and each actual purchase whether to hold the shares in treasury or cancel them, provided it is permitted to do so. As at 30 June 2025 there were 22,973,871 options outstanding to subscribe for ordinary shares in the capital of the the Company and, as at that date, the Company's Employee Benefit Trust holds 11,086,923 shares to partially satisfy these awards. Therefore a total of 11,886,948 new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company will need to be issued (or purchased in the market), representing 2.05% of the Company's current issued share capital (excluding treasury shares). If the authority to purchase the Company's ordinary shares being sought in Resolution 16 were to be exercised in full, the number of new shares that would need to be issued to satisfy the above options would represent 2.3 % of the Company's issued share capital (excluding treasury shares).
Resolution 17 deals with political donations. Under the Companies Act 2006, political donations to any political parties, independent election candidates or political organisations or the incurring of political expenditure are prohibited unless authorised by shareholders in advance. What constitutes a political donation, a political party, a political organisation or political expenditure is not easy to decide, as the legislation is capable of wide interpretation. Sponsorship, subscriptions, payment of expenses, and support for bodies representing the business community in policy review or reform, may fall within this.
Therefore, notwithstanding that the Company has not made a political donation in the past, and has no intention either now or in the future of making any political donation or incurring any political expenditure in respect of any political party, political organisation or independent election candidate, the Board has decided to put forward Resolution 17 to renew the authority granted by shareholders at the last AGM. This will allow the Company to continue to support the community and put forward its views to wider business and Government entities without running the risk of being in inadvertent breach of the Companies Act 2006.
The authority is subject to a maximum amount of £50,000 for each type of payment and will cover the period from the date Resolution 17 is passed until the end of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, 15 months after the passing of the Resolution.
As permitted under the 2006 Act, Resolution 17 also covers any political donations made, or political expenditure incurred, by any subsidiaries of the Company.
Resolution 18 is a resolution to allow the Company to hold general meetings (other than AGMs) on 14 days' notice.
The minimum notice period for general meetings of listed companies is 21 days, but companies may reduce this period to 14 days (other than for AGMs) provided that two conditions are met. The first condition is that the Company offers a facility for shareholders to vote by electronic means. This condition is met if the Company offers a facility, accessible to all shareholders, to appoint a proxy by means of a website. The second condition is that there is an annual resolution of shareholders approving the reduction of the minimum notice period from 21 days to 14 days.
The Board is therefore proposing Resolution 18 as a special resolution to approve 14 days as the minimum period of notice for all general meetings of the Company other than AGMs.
The approval will be effective until the end of the next AGM of the Company, when it is intended that the approval be renewed. The Board will consider on a case by case basis whether the use of the flexibility offered by the shorter notice period is merited, 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.
2025 in order to be considered valid or, if the meeting is adjourned, by the time which is 48 hours before the time of the adjourned meeting. Before you can appoint a proxy via this process you will need to have agreed to Proxymity's associated terms and conditions. It is important that you read these carefully as you will be bound by them and they will govern the electronic appointment of your proxy. An electronic proxy appointment via the Proxymity platform may be revoked completely by sending an authenticated message via the platform instructing the removal of your proxy vote.
• VOTE+ is a free app for smartphone and tablet provided by MUFG Corporate Markets (the Company's registrar). It offers shareholders the option to submit a proxy appointment quickly and easily online, as well as real-time access to their shareholding records. The app is available to download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, or by scanning the relevant QR code below.
and in each case the appointment of proxy must be received by the Company not less than 48 hours before the time of the AGM (excluding non-working days).
The deadline for receipt of proxy appointments (see note 4) also applies in relation to amended instructions. Where two or more valid separate appointments of proxy are received in respect of the same share in respect of the same meeting, the one which is last sent shall be treated as replacing and revoking the other or others.
The rights to appoint a proxy cannot be exercised by a Nominated Person: they can only be exercised by the member. However, a Nominated Person may have a right under an agreement between him and the member by whom he was nominated to be appointed as a proxy for the AGM or to have someone else so appointed. If a Nominated Person does not have such a right or does not wish to exercise it, he may have a right under such an agreement to give instructions to the member as to the exercise of voting rights.
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 limitations of the CREST system and timings.
Shareholders have the opportunity to submit questions on the AGM resolutions electronically before the meeting and such questions, limited to matters relating to the business of the AGM itself, should be sent to Cosec@ ao.com and these will be responded to on an individual basis.
Members satisfying the thresholds in section 527 of the Companies Act 2006 can require the Company to publish a statement on its website setting out any matter relating to (a) the audit of the Company's accounts (including the Auditor's Report and the conduct of the audit) that are to be laid before the AGM; or (b) any circumstances connected with an Auditor of the Company ceasing to hold office since the last Annual General Meeting, that the members propose to raise at the AGM. The Company cannot require the members requesting the publication to pay its expenses. Any statement placed on the website must also be sent to the Company's Auditors no later than the time it makes its statement available on the website. The business which may be dealt with at the AGM includes any such statement that the Company has been required to publish on its website.
As at 2 July 2025 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document), the Company's issued share capital consists of 580,303,475 ordinary shares, carrying one vote each. The Company holds no ordinary shares in treasury. Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company are 580,303,475 .
You may not use any electronic address provided in this document to communicate with the Company for any purposes other than those expressly stated.
This document is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific advice should be sought on your specific circumstances before taking any action (or deciding not to take any action) in reliance on the contents of this document.
1 July 2016
Geoff chairs the Nomination Committee and is also a member of the Remuneration Committee.
2 August 2005 (AO Retail Limited 19 April 2000)
John attends the Remuneration, Audit and Nomination Committees by invitation.
1 August 2015
Mark attends the Remuneration, Audit and Nomination Committees by invitation.
Non-Executive Director
Executive Director at Clifton Trade Bathrooms Ltd.
Chris is a member of the Nomination Committee and the designated NED People Champion.
No, due to length of tenure only.
24 July 2018
Chief Financial Officer at Tide
Shaun is chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.
Yes.
1 October 2022
CEO (interim) at Fressnapf Holdings SE, Non-Executive Director at Motability Operations Group PLC, Non-Executive Director Nutriment (formerly Voff) and Chair at Agrifarma S.p.A (Arca Planet Italy)
Peter is chair of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees
Yes.
1 November 2022
Sarah is a member of the Remuneration, Audit and Nomination Committees
Yes.
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