Remuneration Information • May 25, 2020
Remuneration Information
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The requirements of the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act make it appropriate to divide this point into three sub-points:
The board's statement on remuneration policy
Borregaard has established guidelines for the remuneration of executive personnel. The guidelines have been revised and refined in recent years, and are divided into guidelines for base salaries, pensions, annual bonuses and long term incentives (LTIs)/options. Comparable data from an external company are used in the assessment of remuneration levels. The allocation of options in 2014 and subsequent years was based on these regulations, with some adjustments the board was authorised to implement by the general meetings in those years.
The board and its remuneration committee have used the approved guidelines as the basis for the remuneration of executive personnel. The board has also ensured that the exercise of options and bonus allocations are in line with the guidelines and intentions of the schemes.
The board declares that the company's remuneration policy has been adhered to during 2019.
The board's proposal
The annual general meeting takes the board's statement on remuneration policy for information.
The company's general guidelines for policies on remuneration and associated conditions:
Base salary - The level should be close to the median for comparable companies and positions. Pension scheme - Should be based on the intention of the established defined contribution scheme to provide the same relative pension irrespective of salary level.
Annual bonus scheme - Pre-defined criteria that emphasise good performance and progress. The criteria include the return on capital employed (ROCE), improved results (EBITDA), safety and sick leave, as well as personal targets (including criteria relating to sustainability and growth/improvement). The maximum annual bonus is 50% of annual base salary. The standard defined as 'good performance' is about 30%. If it appears that errors have occurred in the basis for bonuses paid during the past three years, the company has the right to correct this in future bonus payments.
Long-term incentive scheme - Option or cash-based scheme linked to movements in the share price. (For more detailed guidelines, see point 3.3)
Annual general meeting, 15 June 2020 Item 3 - Guidelines for the remuneration of executive personnel
The annual general meeting recommends the presented guidelines for determining the remuneration of executive personnel for the 2020 financial year.
The general meeting must approve the guidelines for share-related remuneration, including the right of executive personnel to participate in the 'Shares for Employees' scheme, which provides an opportunity to buy a limited number of shares at a discount.
Borregaard's long-term incentive (LTI) scheme is a share option scheme related to the share price and forms part of an overall remuneration programme for executive personnel. The option scheme means that employees in the scheme can obtain share options that entitle them to purchase a defined number of shares at a given value after a fixed period of time. When the options are exercised, the sale of these shares will realise a gain. In order to adapt the scheme to its objectives, opportunities for gain are subject to a number of restrictions.
The board will consider on an annual basis whether to allocate options, and can provide recommendations for such allocation within the framework of these guidelines. The board can decide whether the options will be physical or synthetic. The board and its remuneration committee will ensure that the allocation of options and the administration of the scheme comply with the intentions. The strike price for all allocations since 2014 has been set at 10% above the price at the time of allocation.
There are two main reasons behind the scheme:
Members of the group executive management team are expected, including through the share option scheme, to build up and retain a holding of Borregaard shares corresponding to two annual base salaries for the CEO and one annual base salary for the other members of the group executive management team.
Options can be allocated to leading employees at certain position levels who have achieved good results and where the company recognises a particular need to ensure that they make a long-term attachment with:
Item 3 - Guidelines for the remuneration of executive personnel
The total annual allocation of new share options may be no more than 0.8% of the company's shares. The total number of outstanding options may be no more than 2.0% of the company's shares.
The options may not be exercised earlier than three years after their allocation, and must be exercised within two years of the first opportunity to exercise them.
Employees must use at least half of the gain (after tax) to purchase Borregaard shares, with a lock-in period of three years. This requirement will remain in place for the group executive management team until a shareholding equivalent to two annual base salaries for the CEO and one annual base salary for the other members is acquired.
In 2013, Borregaard established a scheme that allowed employees to buy a limited number of shares at a discount in relation to the market price. The scheme has largely been carried out annually, most recently in February 2020, when employees could purchase a maximum of NOK 59,000 of shares after a discount of 25%. The shares purchased via the scheme are subject to a lock-in period of one year.
The scheme is available to all Borregaard employees – including executive personnel – with the exception of a few countries where practical/legal circumstances make this difficult. Between 400 and 500 employees have participated in the scheme in recent years.
The board decides each year whether the scheme will be implemented. The scheme is also planned for the upcoming annual general meeting period.
The annual general meeting approves the guidelines for share-related remuneration.
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