Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Nov 5, 2025
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 02174990)
Solar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW, United Kingdom Monday 15 December 2025 at 11.30am (UK time)
If you are in any doubt as to any aspect of the proposals referred to in this document or as to the action you should take, you should seek your own advice from a stockbroker, solicitor/attorney, accountant, banker or other appropriate independent professional adviser immediately.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares, please pass this document together with the accompanying documents 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.
Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chairman of the Company which is set out on page 3 of this document and which recommends you vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting.
The notice of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at 11.30am (UK time) at Solar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW, United Kingdom, on Monday 15 December 2025 is set out in this document. You will be able to vote by proxy electronically by logging on to your Purple Trader account on www.purpletrader.com and following the instructions. If you have not done so previously, you will need to register on Purple Trader. To register, you will need your Investor Code, which is detailed on your share certificate or available from our Registrar, MUFG Corporate Markets. To be valid, your proxy votes must be received no later than 11.30am (UK time) on Thursday 11 December 2025. Appointing a proxy will not preclude ordinary shareholders from attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting, should they choose to do so.
Further instructions on appointing a proxy are set out in this document.
| Chairman's letter | 3 |
|---|---|
| Notice of Annual General Meeting | 5 |
| Explanatory notes to the resolutions | 8 |
| Biographies of Directors | 13 |
| Board evaluation | 14 |
| Additional notes | 16 |
| Additional information for shareholders in relation to the Annual General Meeting | 18 |
Solar House Fieldhouse Lane Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW
To the ordinary shareholders
Dear shareholder
I am pleased to write to you with the details of the 2025 Annual General Meeting (the 'Meeting') of Softcat plc ('Softcat' or the 'Company'). The Meeting will be held at our head office at Solar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW, United Kingdom, on Monday 15 December 2025 at 11.30am (UK time).
The formal notice convening the Meeting (the 'Notice') is set out on pages 5 to 7 of this document. Explanatory notes to each of the resolutions to be proposed at the Meeting can be found on pages 8 to 12.
There will be an opportunity for you to raise questions at the Meeting about the resolutions set out in the Notice and about the business of the Company.
In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code (the 'Code'), all of the Directors of the Company will stand for re-election. Biographies for all the Directors standing for re-election are provided on pages 13 and 14, and a summary of the Board effectiveness evaluation that took place during the year is on pages 14 and 15. The Board considers that the contribution and skills of each of the Directors are, and continue to be, important to the long-term sustainable success of the Group.
All resolutions for consideration at the Meeting will be voted on by way of a poll, rather than a show of hands. This means that ordinary shareholders will have one vote for each ordinary share held. The Company believes that this will result in a more accurate reflection of the views of ordinary shareholders by ensuring that every vote is recognised, including the votes of ordinary shareholders who are unable to attend the Meeting, but who have appointed a proxy for the Meeting.
If you are entitled but are unable to attend and vote at the Meeting, you may appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. Please read the section 'Additional notes' on pages 16 and 17 of this Notice for actions required by ordinary shareholders to appoint a proxy. Shareholders are encouraged to appoint their proxies online and/or to act promptly in response to this letter, in case of any postal delays in paper proxies being received by the Company. If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, please consult your stockbroker, solicitor/attorney, accountant, banker or other appropriate independent professional adviser, immediately.
In addition to the opportunity to raise questions at the Meeting, the Company will continue to welcome questions from shareholders on the business of the Meeting, or any other matters relating to the Company, by email. Questions should be submitted to the Company Secretary at [email protected] by 11.30am on Friday 12 December 2025 or by letter addressed to the Company Secretary at the Company's registered office. The email or letter should include: the shareholder's full name, number of shares held, email address and telephone contact details. Responses will be given either by telephone, email or letter, and a summary of questions asked, and responses given, will be included in the Investor section of the Group's website.
Further information relating to the Group and its financial information can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2025, which was circulated at the same time as this Notice and is also available on our Group website at www.softcat.com/investors/investor-centre/. The Group's website contains a variety of other information, including previous Annual Reports, Company announcements, investor presentations and share price data, as well as information regarding the Group's corporate governance practices.
Your Board believes that the resolutions contained in the Notice are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, 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 shareholdings.
The voting results on the resolutions will be announced via the UK Regulatory News Service and published on our website as soon as possible after the Meeting.
On behalf of the Board, I thank you for your continued support.
Yours faithfully
Graeme Watt
Non-Executive Chairman
21 October 2025
Notice is hereby given that the 2025 Annual General Meeting (the 'Meeting') of Softcat plc (the 'Company') will be held at Solar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW, United Kingdom, on Monday 15 December 2025 at 11.30am (UK time).
You will be asked to consider and, if thought fit, pass the resolutions below. Resolutions 1 to 16 inclusive will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 17 to 20 inclusive will be proposed as special resolutions.
Resolution 1: To receive the Group's annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 July 2025 together with the Directors' Report and the Auditor's Report on those accounts.
Resolution 2: To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report set out on pages 96 to 115 inclusive of the Group's Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year ended 31 July 2025.
Resolution 3: To approve the Directors' Remuneration Policy set out on pages 116 to 127 inclusive of the Group's Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year ended 31 July 2025.
Resolution 4: To declare a final dividend for the financial year ended 31 July 2025 of 20.4p per ordinary share payable to the Company's ordinary shareholders who are registered as such at the close of business on the record date of Friday 7 November 2025.
Resolution 5: To declare a special dividend of 16.1p per ordinary share payable to the Company's ordinary shareholders who are registered as such at the close of business on the record date of Friday 7 November 2025.
Resolution 6: To re-elect Graeme Watt as a Director of the Company.
Resolution 7: To re-elect Graham Charlton as a Director of the Company.
Resolution 8: To re-elect Katy Mecklenburgh as a Director of the Company.
Resolution 9: To re-elect Jacqui Ferguson as a Director of the Company.
Resolution 10: To re-elect Mayank Prakash as a Director of the Company.
Resolution 11: To re-elect Lynne Weedall as a Director of the Company.
Resolution 12: To re-elect Robyn Perriss as a Director of the Company.
Resolution 13: To authorise the Audit and Risk Committee of the Company to reappoint Ernst & Young LLP as auditor of the Company, to hold office from the conclusion of this Meeting until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company at which accounts are laid.
Resolution 14: To authorise the Audit and Risk Committee of the Company (for and on behalf of the Board) to determine the remuneration of the auditor of the Company.
Resolution 15: That, in accordance with Sections 366 and 367 of the Companies Act 2006 (the 'Act'), the Company, and all companies that are its subsidiaries at any time during the period for which this resolution has effect, are authorised to:
For the purpose of this resolution, 'political donation', 'political party', 'political organisation', 'independent election candidate' and 'political expenditure' are to be construed in accordance with Sections 363, 364 and 365 of the Act. This authority shall expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2026 or at close of business on 31 December 2026, whichever occurs first.
Resolution 16: That the Directors be generally and unconditionally authorised, in substitution for any existing authority, but without prejudice to the exercise of any such authority prior to the date of the passing of this resolution, pursuant to and in accordance with Section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 (the 'Act'), to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot shares in the Company or grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert any security into, shares:
Resolution 17: That, subject to the passing of resolution 16 above, but without prejudice to the exercise of any such power prior to the date of the passing of this resolution, the Directors be generally empowered pursuant to Sections 570 and 573 of the Companies Act 2006 (the 'Act') to allot equity securities (within the meaning of Section 560 of the Act) of the Company for cash pursuant to the authority conferred by such resolution 16 and to sell ordinary shares (as defined in Section 560(1) of the Act) held by the Company as treasury shares for cash, as if Section 561 of the Act did not apply to any such allotment or sale, provided that this power shall be limited to the allotment of equity securities for cash and sale of treasury shares:
Resolution 18: That, subject to the passing of resolution 16 above and in addition to the power granted under resolution 17 above, the Directors be generally empowered pursuant to Sections 570 and 573 of the Companies Act 2006 (the 'Act') to allot equity securities (within the meaning of Section 560 of the Act) of the Company for cash and to sell ordinary shares (as defined in Section 560(1) of the Act) held by the Company as treasury shares for cash, as if Section 561 of the Act did not apply to any such allotment or sale, provided that this power shall be:
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2026 or, if earlier, at the close of business on 31 December 2026 but, in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the authority expires and the Board may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
Resolution 19: To authorise the Company generally and unconditionally for the purposes of Section 701 of the Act to make market purchases (within the meaning of Section 693(4) of the Act) of any of its ordinary shares of £0.0005 each on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may from time to time determine, provided that:
Resolution 20: That a general meeting (other than an Annual General Meeting) of the Company may be called on not less than 14 clear days' notice.
By order of the Board.
Luke Thomas
Company Secretary Softcat plc
21 October 2025
Registered in England and Wales No. 02174990
Solar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW, United Kingdom
Under the Companies Act 2006, the Directors are required to present the annual accounts, Directors' Report and Auditor's Report to the Annual General Meeting ('AGM'). These are contained in the Group's 2025 Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2025 and are available on the Group's website at www.softcat.com/investors/investor-centre/.
This resolution deals with the remuneration paid to the Directors during the year under review. Ordinary shareholders are invited to vote on the Directors' Remuneration Report, which appears on pages 96 to 115 in the 2025 Annual Report and Accounts. The Directors' Remuneration Report includes an annual statement from the Chair of the Remuneration Committee. In accordance with the Companies Act 2006, this resolution is an advisory vote only and the Directors' entitlement to receive remuneration is not conditional on it. The resolution and vote are a means of providing shareholder feedback to the Board.
The Company is required to put its Directors' Remuneration Policy ('the 'Policy') to a binding shareholder vote at least every three years. Ordinary shareholders are invited to vote on the Policy, which appears on pages 116 to 127 in the 2025 Annual Report and Accounts. Key changes to the Policy since the previous version, which was passed by shareholders in 2022, can be found on page 117 of the Company's 2025 Annual Report. If approved by ordinary shareholders, the Policy takes effect immediately after the conclusion of the AGM.
The Board proposes a final dividend of 20.4p per ordinary share for the financial year ended 31 July 2025. If approved, the final dividend will be payable on 16 December 2025 to all ordinary shareholders who are registered as such at the close of business on the record date of 7 November 2025.
The Board proposes a special dividend of 16.1p per ordinary share. In light of the continued strong performance and cash generation and the robustness of the Company's balance sheet, the Directors consider it appropriate to propose a cash return to ordinary shareholders of approximately £32.2m (in addition to the final dividend proposed under resolution 4), which is structured as a special dividend of 16.1p per ordinary share. The approval of this resolution is not dependent on the approval of resolution 4, nor is the approval of resolution 4 dependent on the approval of this resolution. If approved, the special dividend will be payable on 16 December 2025 to all ordinary shareholders who are registered as such at the close of business on the record date of 7 November 2025.
In accordance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code and the Company's Articles of Association, all members of the Board are seeking re-election.
The biographical details of the Directors are set out on pages 13 and 14 of this Notice.
Following recommendation from the Nomination Committee, the Chairman is satisfied that each Director continues to be effective and demonstrates a commitment to the role and that each of the Directors dedicates sufficient time to their duties. The Directors believe that the Board has an appropriate balance of skills and experience and provides effective leadership for the Company. The Board has a variety of skills which include significant financial and commercial experience, extensive knowledge of the information technology industry and listed company experience. The Board therefore recommends the re-election of all Directors.
Resolutions 9 to 12 (inclusive) relate to the re-election of Directors that the Board has determined are Independent Non-Executive Directors for the purposes of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the 'Independent Non-Executive Directors').
Under the UK Listing Rules, Peter Kelly is a controlling shareholder of the Company. A controlling shareholder means any person who exercises or controls on their own or together with any person with whom they are acting in concert 30% or more of the votes able to be cast on all or substantially all matters at general meetings of the Company. The UK Listing Rules require that the election or re-election of any Independent Non-Executive Director by shareholders must be approved by a majority vote of not only all ordinary shareholders of the Company but also of the independent shareholders of the Company (that is, the ordinary shareholders of the Company entitled to vote on the election of Directors who are not controlling shareholders of the Company).
Resolutions 9 to 12 (inclusive) are being proposed as ordinary resolutions which all ordinary shareholders may vote on in the usual way. However, in addition, the Company will separately count the number of votes cast by independent shareholders in favour of each of the resolutions (as a proportion of the total votes cast by independent shareholders). The Company, when announcing the results of the AGM in respect of resolutions 9 to 12 (inclusive), will announce the results of both the vote of all ordinary shareholders of the Company and also the vote of the independent shareholders of the Company.
Under the UK Listing Rules, if a resolution to elect or re-elect an Independent Non-Executive Director is not approved by a majority vote of both the ordinary shareholders as a whole and the independent shareholders of the Company at the AGM, a further resolution may be put forward to be approved by the ordinary shareholders as a whole at a meeting which must be held more than 90 days after, but within 120 days of, the meeting when the first vote was held.
Accordingly, if any of resolutions 9 to 12 (inclusive) are not approved by a majority vote of the Company's independent shareholders at the AGM, the relevant Independent Non-Executive Director(s) will be treated as having been elected or re-elected only for the period from the date of the AGM until the earlier of: (i) the close of any general meeting of the Company, convened for a date more than 90 days after, but within 120 days of, the AGM, to propose a further resolution to re-elect him or her; (ii) the date which is 120 days after the AGM; and (iii) the date of any announcement by the Board that it does not intend to hold a second vote. In the event that the relevant Independent Non-Executive Director's re-election is then approved by a majority vote of all ordinary shareholders at such second general meeting, he or she will then be treated as re-elected until the next AGM of the Company.
The Board has assessed whether the Independent Non-Executive Directors remain independent in accordance with the criteria contained in the UK Corporate Governance Code and is content that each of the Independent Non-Executive Directors offering themselves for re-election is independent in character. None of the Independent Non-Executive Directors has or had any existing or previous relationship, transaction or arrangement with the Company, nor with any of its Directors, the controlling shareholder of the Company or any associate of a controlling shareholder of the Company within the meaning of Listing Rule 6.2.3R. All of the Independent Non-Executive Directors are experienced and have a broad knowledge of the sector and, as a result of their experience, the Board considers that each Independent Non-Executive Director provides a valuable contribution and an impartial perspective to the Board's discussions.
At each general meeting at which the Annual Report and Accounts are presented to ordinary shareholders, the shareholders are required to appoint an auditor to serve until the next such meeting. The Board, following a recommendation to that effect made by the Audit and Risk Committee, is proposing the reappointment of Ernst & Young LLP ('EY') as auditor of the Company. EY has agreed to continue in office as auditor of the Company and, accordingly, resolution 13 authorises the Audit and Risk Committee to reappoint EY as auditor of the Company.
The remuneration of the Company's auditor must be fixed by the Company in general meeting or in such manner as the shareholders may determine in general meeting. The Audit and Risk Committee of Softcat plc has responsibility for overseeing the relationship with the external auditor. This responsibility includes approving the external auditor's engagement letter and the audit fee. This resolution seeks shareholder approval to authorise the Audit and Risk Committee to determine the remuneration of the auditor of the Company.
The definition of donation or expenditure in this context is very wide and may extend to bodies concerned with policy review, law reform and the representation of the business community. Sponsorship, subscriptions, payment of expenses and paid leave for employees fulfilling public duties may also fall within the scope of this definition. It could also include special interest groups, such as those involved with the environment, which the Company might wish to support, even though these activities are not designed to support or influence support for a particular political party.
It is not the policy of the Company to make political donations or to incur other political expenditure as those expressions are normally understood and the Directors have no intention of changing that policy. However, the Directors consider that it is in the best interests of the shareholders for the Company to participate in public debate and opinion forming on matters which affect its business.
The existing authority for these payments expires at the end of the Company's 2025 AGM. To avoid inadvertently infringing the Companies Act through the Company's normal business activities, the Directors are seeking authority for the Company to make political donations and to incur political expenditure during the period from the date of the AGM in 2025 to the end of the AGM in 2026 or 31 December 2026, whichever occurs first.
The purpose of this resolution 16 is to give the Directors authority to allot shares in place of the existing authority approved at the AGM of the Company held on 9 December 2024, which expires at this year's AGM.
The authority in paragraph (a) of the resolution will allow the Directors to allot new shares and grant rights to subscribe for, or convert other securities into, shares up to an aggregate nominal value of £33,324 (representing approximately one-third of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 14 October 2025, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice).
The authority in paragraph (b) of the resolution will allow the Directors to allot new shares and grant rights to subscribe for, or convert other securities into, shares only in connection with a rights issue up to an aggregate nominal value of £66,648 (representing approximately two-thirds of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 14 October 2025, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice) (such amount to be reduced by the amount of any relevant securities issued under the authority conferred by paragraph (a) of resolution 16).
The Company does not currently hold any shares in treasury.
The Board has no present intention of exercising these authorities other than in relation to the Company's employee share schemes, but the Board believes it is in the best interests of the Company to have these authorities so that the Board can allot securities at short notice and without the need to hold a general meeting of the Company if the need arises. However, if they do exercise these authorities, the Directors intend to take note of relevant corporate governance guidelines on the use of such powers.
The authorities sought in paragraphs (a) and (b) of resolution 16 are without prejudice to previous allotments made under such existing authorities.
The authorities will only be valid until the conclusion of the AGM of the Company in 2026 or on 31 December 2026, whichever occurs first.
The purpose of this resolution 17 is to give the Directors the power to allot equity securities or sell treasury shares for cash otherwise than to existing shareholders pro rata to their holdings. The power granted at the AGM of the Company held on 9 December 2024 is due to expire at this year's AGM. Accordingly, this resolution will be proposed as a special resolution to grant such a power. The authority sought under this resolution is in line with the latest institutional shareholder guidelines, including the revised Statement of Principles published by the Pre-Emption Group in November 2022 (the '2022 Statement of Principles').
In respect of part (b) of this resolution, the power will be limited to the allotment of equity securities and sales of treasury shares for cash up to an aggregate nominal value of £9,997 (being no more than 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 14 October 2025, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice). Part (c) seeks additional authority for the purposes of making a follow-on offer to existing shareholders (under part (b) of the resolution) and as described in the 2022 Statement of Principles, up to an additional aggregate amount equal to 20% of any allotment under part (b) of the resolution. The maximum additional nominal amount that could be issued under part (c) of the resolution (based on the authority under part (b) being used in full) is £1,999 (representing no more than 2% of the issued share capital of the Company as at 14 October 2025). If given, this power will expire at the conclusion of the AGM of the Company to be held in 2026 or on 31 December 2026, whichever occurs first.
The Directors believe this resolution should be proposed as they consider it prudent to maintain the flexibility that it provides. The Directors do not currently intend to make use of the power and anticipate only making use of it where the specific circumstances of the Company require. The Board will have full regard to the 2022 Statement of Principles in relation to any exercise of this power.
The purpose of this resolution 18 is to seek further power from shareholders to allot equity securities or sell treasury shares for cash otherwise than to existing shareholders pro rata to their holdings to reflect the 2022 Statement of Principles.
Accordingly, resolution 18 will be proposed as a special resolution to grant such a power.
In respect of part (a) of this resolution, the power will be limited to the allotment of equity securities and sales of treasury shares for cash up to an aggregate nominal value of £9,997 (being no more than 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 14 October 2025, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice). The authority will be used only in connection with an acquisition or other capital investment of a kind contemplated by the 2022 Statement of Principles. Part (b) seeks additional authority for the purposes of making a follow-on offer to existing shareholders (under part (a) of the resolution) and as described in the 2022 Statement of Principles, up to an additional aggregate amount equal to 20% of any allotment under part (a) of the resolution. The maximum additional nominal amount that could be issued under part (b) of the resolution (based on the authority under part (a) being used in full) is £1,999 (representing no more than 2% of the issued share capital of the Company as at 14 October 2025). If given, this power will expire at the conclusion of the AGM of the Company to be held in 2026 or on 31 December 2026, whichever occurs first.
The Directors will have full regard to the 2022 Statement of Principles in relation to any exercise of this power and in particular they confirm that they intend to use this power only in connection with the financing (or refinancing, if the authority is to be used within twelve months after the original transaction) of an acquisition or a specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the issue, or which has taken place in the preceding twelve-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 Paragraph 3 of Section 2B of the Statement of Principles).
The Directors have no present intention of exercising these powers but believe that this resolution will assist them in taking advantage of business opportunities as they arise. It is the Directors' intention to seek to renew this authority annually in accordance with the latest investor guidelines.
Under Section 701 of the Act, the directors of a company may make market purchases of that company's shares if authorised to do so by its shareholders. The Directors of Softcat believe that granting such approval would be in the best interest of shareholders in allowing the flexibility to react promptly to circumstances requiring market purchases and resolution 19 seeks to grant that authority to the Directors.
Resolution 19 will, if passed, give the Directors authority to make one or more market purchases of the Company's ordinary shares up to a limit of 19,994,626 ordinary shares having a nominal value of £0.0005 each, which represents 10% of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 14 October 2025, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice. Since the Company listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2015, no ordinary shares of the Company have been repurchased.
Shares will only be purchased if the Directors consider such purchases to be in the best interests of shareholders generally and that they can be expected to result in an increase in earnings per share. The authority will only be used after careful consideration, taking into account prevailing market conditions, other investment opportunities, appropriate gearing levels, the overall benefit for shareholders and the overall financial position of the Company.
Companies purchasing their own shares are allowed to hold them in treasury as an alternative to cancelling them. Should this authority be exercised, the Directors would consider the treatment of any shares as and when purchased under this authority and, if they consider it appropriate to do so, the Company may hold in treasury any of its shares that it purchases as an alternative to cancelling them. The Directors may subsequently use any purchased treasury shares in connection with the Company's share plans. No dividends are paid on shares whilst held in treasury and no voting rights attach to treasury shares. Any purchases would be by means of market purchases through the London Stock Exchange.
The total number of options to subscribe for shares outstanding as at 14 October 2025, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice, was approximately 1.6m which, if exercised, would represent 0.58% of the ordinary issued share capital as at that date. In the event the Company were to buy back the maximum number of shares permitted pursuant to the authority granted in this resolution, the total number of options to subscribe for shares as at 14 October 2025 would represent 0.65% of the reduced ordinary issued share capital.
If given, this power will expire at the conclusion of the AGM of the Company to be held in 2026 or on 31 December 2026, whichever occurs first.
The Company is subject to the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the 'Takeover Code'). Under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code ('Rule 9') when:
then, in either case, that person is normally required to make a general offer in cash at not less than the highest price paid by them for any interest in shares of that company during the last twelve months, for all the remaining equity share capital of that company (whether voting or non-voting), and also to the holders of any class of transferable securities carrying voting rights issued by that company to acquire their shares or other securities (a 'Rule 9 offer').
Under Rule 37.1 of the Takeover Code ('Rule 37.1'), when a company redeems or purchases its own voting shares, any resulting increase in the percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which a person or group of persons acting in concert is interested will be treated as an acquisition for the purpose of Rule 9. However, note 1 of Rule 37.1 states that a person who comes to exceed the percentage limits set out in Rule 9.1 in consequence of a company's redemption or purchase of its own shares will not normally incur an obligation to make a mandatory offer unless that person is a director, or the relationship of the person with any one or more of the directors is such that the person is, or is presumed to be, acting in concert with any of the directors. The exception in note 1 of Rule 37.1 will not apply and an obligation to make a mandatory offer may therefore be imposed, if a person (or any relevant member of a group of persons acting in concert) has acquired an interest in shares at a time when he had reason to believe that such a redemption or purchase of its own shares by the company would take place.
Peter Kelly and his close relatives (together the 'Kelly Family') currently control voting rights over 64,976,058 ordinary shares representing approximately 32.5% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital.
If the Company were to repurchase from persons other than members of the Kelly Family all the ordinary shares for which it is seeking authority to make market purchases, the interest in ordinary shares of members of the Kelly Family would (assuming that the Company does not make any other allotments of ordinary shares, and members of the Kelly Family do not acquire any more ordinary shares) increase to approximately 36.1% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company by virtue of such a repurchase.
In addition, on 13 November 2015, the Company and Peter Kelly entered into a relationship agreement (the 'Relationship Agreement'). The principal purpose of the Relationship Agreement is to ensure that the Company will be capable of carrying out its business independently of Peter Kelly and certain persons deemed to be connected with him ('Connected Persons'). Pursuant to the Relationship Agreement, the Company and Peter Kelly have agreed that for so long as Peter Kelly (together with any of his Connected Persons) holds 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital, he shall be entitled to appoint one Non-Executive Director of the Company, although no such Director has been appointed as at the date of this Notice.
The Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the 'Panel') must be consulted in advance in any case where Rule 9 of the Takeover Code might be relevant. Pursuant to note 4 of Rule 37.1 of the Takeover Code, the Company has consulted with the Panel in relation to the proposed authority to make market purchases. The Panel has confirmed on an ex-parte basis to the Company that, provided that:
the Panel will not require members of the Kelly Family, nor any person acting in concert with them, to make a mandatory offer under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code on the grounds that its or their interests in the ordinary share capital of the Company have increased as a result of the redemption or purchase by the Company of its own shares pursuant to the authority conferred by resolution 19.
Under the Companies Act 2006, the notice period required for all general meetings of listed companies is 21 days; however, it is possible to reduce this period to 14 days (other than for AGMs), provided that the following two conditions are met: (i) that a company offers facilities for shareholders to submit proxy appointments by electronic means; and (ii) that there is an annual resolution of shareholders approving the reduction in the minimum notice period from 21 days to 14 days.
This resolution would, if passed, allow the Company flexibility to call general meetings, other than AGMs, on not less than 14 clear days' notice. This additional flexibility would not be used as a matter of routine for such meetings but would only be used where the Board considers it appropriate in the circumstances merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be in the interests of the Company and shareholders as a whole. The approval will be effective until the Company's next AGM, when it is intended to propose a similar resolution for approval.

Resolution 6 – Graeme Watt Role: Non-Executive Chairman
Appointment to the Board: 1 April 2018
Committee membership: Nomination Committee, Disclosure Committee, Sustainability Committee
Graeme joined Softcat in April 2018 as CEO, a role which he held until 31 July 2023. On 1 August 2023, he was appointed Non-Executive Chairman. Graeme is also the non-executive chairman of Infinigate Holding AG. He has built over 35 years of channel experience in the IT distribution industry. Before he joined Softcat, Graeme was senior vice president EMEA, advanced and specialist solutions at Tech Data Corporation ('Tech Data'), a position he held from March 2017. He was promoted to that role when Avnet's Technology Solutions business was acquired by Tech Data in early 2017. Prior to that, he was president for Avnet Technology Solutions EMEA for almost seven years and a member of Avnet's global executive committee. He previously spent six years at Bell Micro (as president of global distribution) and his earlier career included roles at Tech Data (president EMEA) and Computer 2000 (managing director UK & Ireland). Graeme is a chartered accountant and graduated from Edinburgh University having read Physiology.

Resolution 7 – Graham Charlton Role: Chief Executive Officer
Appointment to the Board: 19 March 2015
Committee membership: Disclosure Committee, Sustainability Committee
Graham was CFO of Softcat between March 2015 and 2023 and was appointed CEO in August 2023. Before Softcat, Graham spent four years as finance director at comparethemarket.com. Prior to that, Graham spent one year as finance director at See Tickets (the trading name of See Group Limited) and over five years in various roles, including group financial accountant, finance manager and finance director, decision analytics, at Experian Ltd. Graham is a chartered accountant and began his career with Andersen.

Resolution 8 – Katy Mecklenburgh
Role: Chief Financial Officer
Appointment to the Board: 19 June 2023
Committee membership: Disclosure Committee, Sustainability Committee
Katy joined Softcat in June 2023. Previously, she was interim chief finance officer at ASOS plc. Prior to that, she spent three years as group financial controller at Inchcape plc.
She has held various other positions across a range of industries and blue-chip firms. Katy was head of finance at Amazon and finance director at Serco and she spent over a decade at Procter and Gamble where she held a series of senior finance roles. Katy is a chartered management accountant. She earned a BSc in Pharmacology and a PhD in Respiratory Medicine, both from Edinburgh University.

Resolution 9 – Jacqui Ferguson
Role: Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment to the Board: 1 January 2024
Committee membership: Audit and Risk Committee, Nomination Committee, Remuneration Committee, Sustainability Committee
Jacqui joined Softcat in January 2024. She is currently the senior independent director and chair of the
remuneration committee of Croda International plc, a non-executive director of National Grid plc and deputy chair of Engineering UK. Previously, she was chair of Tesco Bank and a non-executive director at John Wood Group plc. She also held several significant executive roles at Hewlett Packard, including senior vice president and managing director, and she held executive roles at Electronic Data Systems, including director of EMEA strategic business planning.

Committee membership: Audit and Risk Committee, Nomination Committee, Remuneration Committee, Sustainability Committee
Mayank is the chief executive officer at Pivotal Growth and a non-executive director at Uber UK. Prior to this, he held senior executive positions including group chief operations officer of Evelyn Partners Group Limited, chief consumer digital and information officer of Centrica plc, managing director, global wealth & investment management technology of Morgan Stanley, chief digital & information officer of DWP and UK chief information officer of Sage Group plc.

Role: Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment to the Board: 3 May 2022
Committee membership: Audit and Risk Committee, Nomination Committee (Chair), Remuneration Committee (Chair), Sustainability Committee
Lynne is a non-executive director at Dr Martens plc, Greggs plc and also Stagecoach Group Limited. Previously, she held several senior executive positions, including group people & culture director of Selfridges Group and group human resources & strategy director of Carphone Warehouse. Previously, she held nonexecutive director roles at Treatt plc, William Hill plc and Greene King plc.

Role: Independent Non-Executive Director
Committee membership: Audit and Risk Committee (Chair), Nomination Committee, Remuneration Committee, Sustainability Committee
Robyn is a non-executive director at Dr Martens plc and Domino's Pizza Group plc. Previously, she was a non-executive director at Next 15 Communications and finance director at Rightmove plc, the UK's largest property portal. Prior to being finance director at Rightmove, Robyn also held senior roles as financial controller and company secretary. Before joining Rightmove, Robyn was group financial controller at the online media business Auto Trader. She qualified as a chartered accountant in South Africa with KPMG and worked in both audit and transaction services.
Each year, the performance of the Board is assessed through an evaluation exercise. In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, the process this year was conducted independently by an external company (the Board having last conducted an external evaluation in 2022). The Board appointed Sam Allen Associates ('SAA') to conduct the evaluation. SAA has no other connections with Softcat. The key stages of the process were:
The Company Secretary and Chairman reviewed a shortlist of potential firms to provide the effectiveness evaluation and the calibre of each shortlisted firm was high. SAA was selected in view of its experience and good cultural fit with Softcat. SAA proposed its approach and timing for the Board evaluation exercise which the Chairman approved on behalf of the Board.
SAA reviewed key documents to understand how the Board operates, including:
SAA observed the Board and Committee meetings in July 2025. This provided useful insight into the dynamics and culture of the Board and its Committees.
SAA sent an online questionnaire to each Director, asking them to assess and to comment on a number of important areas, including:
SAA interviewed each Director and the Company Secretary to gain further insights.
SAA prepared a comprehensive report from the questionnaire responses and interviews, with the individual responses anonymised. A draft of the report was discussed with the Chairman and distributed to the Board. SAA attended the September Board meeting to discuss with the Board its findings and recommendations.
An action plan was agreed to address points of recommended improvements. Progress will be tracked during the year.
The review found that the Board and its Committees operate effectively, address relevant issues and behave transparently. The Company's and Board's values and culture remain strongly aligned. Key review points included:
In addition to the Board evaluation exercise, the Senior Independent Director ('SID') led a review of the Chairman. This was conducted over interviews with each Board member and the Company Secretary. A summary paper was prepared by the SID and the outcomes were discussed at a meeting of the Non-Executive Directors led by the SID without the Chairman present. The review confirmed that the Chairman remains very effective and highly engaged.
The Board was pleased with the outcome of the Board evaluation, which reflects the Directors' commitment to the Board. SAA identified areas for further improvement, some of which the Board has reviewed and will address, including:
An update on the above will be provided in next year's Annual Report.
Good progress was made on the actions from the internal Board evaluation conducted in 2024, including:
The following notes explain your general rights as a shareholder and your right to attend and vote at this 2025 AGM or to appoint someone else to vote on your behalf.
In order for a proxy appointment to be valid, it must be received by MUFG Corporate Markets at PXS 1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL, by 11.30am (UK time) on Thursday 11 December 2025.
Monday 15 December 2025
The AGM will start promptly at 11.30am
Solar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW, United Kingdom


Softcat plc
Solar House Fieldhouse Lane Marlow Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW
Tel: 01628 403 403
www.softcat.com
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