AGM Information • Jun 13, 2013
AGM Information
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Notice of annual General Meeting 2013
This document is important and requires your immediate attention If you are in any doubt as to what action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial advice from a stockbroker, solicitor, accountant or other independent professional adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in Burberry Group plc, please forward this document, together with the accompanying documents, as soon as possible to the person who arranged the sale or transfer so they can pass these documents to the person who now holds the shares.
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting ('AGM') of Burberry Group plc (the 'Company') will be held at the offices of Slaughter and May, One Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8YY on Friday, 12 July 2013 at 9.30am to transact the following business:
Shareholders are asked to consider and, if thought fit, pass resolutions 1 to 15 as Ordinary Resolutions and resolutions 16 to 18 as Special Resolutions.
To receive the audited accounts for the year ended 31 March 2013 together with the Directors' and Auditors' Reports.
To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 March 2013, set out on pages 93 to 104 of the Company's Annual Report and Accounts.
To declare a final dividend of 21.0p per Ordinary Share for the year ended 31 March 2013.
To re-elect Sir John Peace as a director of the Company.
To re-elect Angela Ahrendts as a director of the Company.
To re-elect Philip Bowman as a director of the Company.
To re-elect Ian Carter as a director of the Company.
To re-elect Stephanie George as a director of the Company.
To re-elect John Smith as a director of the Company.
To re-elect David Tyler as a director of the Company.
To elect Carol Fairweather as a director of the Company.
To reappoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Auditors of the Company, to hold office from the conclusion of this meeting until the conclusion of the next AGM at which accounts are laid before the Company.
To authorise the Audit Committee of the Company to determine the Auditors' remuneration for the year ended 31 March 2014.
That in accordance with sections 366 and 367 of the Companies Act 2006 (the 'Act') the Company is, and all companies that are, at any time during the period for which this resolution has effect, subsidiaries of the Company as defined in the Act are, authorised in aggregate to:
(as such terms are defined in sections 363 to 365 of the Act) in each case during the period beginning with the date of passing this resolution until the conclusion of the Company's AGM to be held in 2014 (or, if earlier, 12 October 2014). In any event, the aggregate amount of political donations and political expenditure made or incurred under this authority shall not exceed £25,000.
That the directors be hereby generally and unconditionally authorised to allot shares in the Company and to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares in the Company up to an aggregate nominal amount of £73,000 provided that this authority shall apply until the conclusion of the Company's AGM to be held in 2014 (or, if earlier, 12 October 2014), but in each case, so that the Company may make offers or enter into any agreements during the relevant period which would, or might, require relevant securities to be allotted after the authority expires and the directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of such offer or agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
That subject to the passing of Resolution 15, the directors be hereby empowered to allot equity securities (within the meaning of the Act) for cash under the authority given by that resolution and/or to sell ordinary shares of 0.05p each in the capital of the Company ('Ordinary Shares') 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 the power shall be limited to:
and so that the directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory, or any matter whatsoever; and
ii) the allotment (otherwise than under paragraph i) above) of equity securities or sale of treasury shares up to an aggregate nominal amount of £11,050.
Such power shall apply until the conclusion of the AGM to be held in 2014 (or, if earlier, 12 October 2014) but during this period 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 power ends and the directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the power had not ended.
That the Company be hereby generally and unconditionally authorised pursuant to section 701 of the Act to make market purchases (as defined in section 693(4) of the Act), of Ordinary Shares provided that:
ii) the minimum price (excluding stamp duty and expenses) which may be paid for each such share is 0.05p;
iii) the maximum price (excluding stamp duty and expenses) which may be paid for each such share is the higher of:
That the directors be hereby authorised to call general meetings (other than an AGM) on not less than 14 clear days' notice.
By order of the Board
Company Secretary 6 June 2013
Burberry Group plc Registered office: Horseferry House Horseferry Road London SW1P 2AW
Registered in England and Wales Registered number 03458224
The notes on the following pages give an explanation of the proposed resolutions. The directors consider that all of the proposed resolutions are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. The directors unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of each of the resolutions, as the directors intend to do in respect of their own shareholdings.
The directors of the Company are required to present the Accounts, the Directors' Report and the Auditors' Report to the meeting.
Shareholders are invited to vote on the Directors' Remuneration Report, which may be found on pages 93 to 104 of the Annual Report and Accounts. The vote is advisory only. The directors' entitlements are not conditional on this resolution being passed.
The Board recommends that shareholders approve a final dividend in respect of the year ended 31 March 2013 of 21.0p per Ordinary Share.
In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, all of the continuing directors will retire at the AGM and all are offering themselves for re-election.
The Company announced on 7 February 2013 that Stacey Cartwright would be stepping down from the Board at the close of the AGM and so would not be seeking re-election.
Biographical details of all the directors who are seeking re-election are set out on page 76 of the Annual Report and Accounts and are also available on the Company's website. The Board is satisfied that each of the directors standing for re-election continues to perform effectively and demonstrates commitment to his or her role, including commitment of time for Board and Committee meetings and any other duties.
The Board unanimously proposes and recommends to shareholders that Carol Fairweather be elected as a director of the Company. Her biographical details are set out below and will also be available on the Company's website.
Carol joined Burberry in 2006, and since 2008 has served as Senior Vice President, Finance leading the Group finance function, including financial reporting, planning
and analysis, global shared services, tax, treasury and financial governance. Prior to joining Burberry, Carol was Director of Finance at News International Limited from 1997 to 2005 and UK Regional Controller at Shandwick plc from 1991 to 1997. She began her career at Ernst & Young.
To authorise the reappointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors and to determine their remuneration At every general meeting at which accounts are presented to shareholders, the Company is required to appoint auditors to serve from the end of the meeting until the next such meeting. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ('PwC') have indicated that they are willing to continue as the Company's auditors for another year. The Audit Committee has reviewed PwC's effectiveness and recommends their reappointment. The resolutions authorise the Company to reappoint them and, following normal practice, to authorise the Audit Committee to determine their remuneration.
This Resolution seeks authority from shareholders for the Company and its subsidiaries to make donations to EU political parties, other political organisations or independent electoral candidates, or incur EU political expenditure. It is the Company's policy not to make donations to political parties and the Company has no intention of altering this policy. However, the definitions in the Act of 'political donation', 'political organisation' and 'political expenditure' are broadly drafted. In particular, they may extend to bodies such as those concerned with policy review, law reform, representation of the business community and special interest groups, which the Company and its subsidiaries may wish to support. Accordingly, the Company is seeking this authority to ensure that it does not inadvertently commit any breaches of the Act through the undertaking of routine activities which would not normally be considered to result in the making of political donations. The aggregate amount of expenditure permitted by this authority will be capped at £25,000.
Authorities to allot shares and disapply pre-emption rights Resolution 15 would give the directors the authority to allot Ordinary Shares (or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any securities into Ordinary Shares) up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to £73,000 (representing 146,000,000 Ordinary Shares). This amount represents approximately one-third of the issued Ordinary Share capital (excluding treasury shares) of the Company as at 20 May 2013, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
The directors have no current plans to issue shares other than in connection with employee share schemes.
The Company holds 30,027 of its Ordinary Shares as treasury shares, being just under 0.01 per cent of the issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) as at 20 May 2013, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
Resolution 16 would give the directors the authority to allot Ordinary Shares (including any Ordinary Shares which the Company elects to hold in treasury) for cash without first offering them to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings. This authority would be limited to allotments or sales in connection with rights issues or other pre-emptive offers, or otherwise up to an aggregate maximum nominal amount of £11,050 (representing 22,100,000 Ordinary Shares). This aggregate nominal amount represents approximately 5 per cent of the issued Ordinary Share capital of the Company as at 20 May 2013, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice. In respect of this aggregate nominal amount, the directors confirm their intention to follow the provisions of the Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles regarding cumulative usage of authorities within a rolling three-year period where the Principles provide that usage in excess of 7.5 per cent should not take place without prior consultation with shareholders.
The authority sought under this resolution is a standard authority taken by most listed companies each year. The directors consider that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders generally that they should have the flexibility conferred by the above authorities to make small issues of shares for cash (on a pre-emptive or, where appropriate, a non pre-emptive basis) as suitable opportunities arise, although they have no present intention of exercising any of these authorities.
The authorities sought under resolutions 15 and 16 will expire on the conclusion of the AGM to be held in 2014 (or, if earlier, 12 October 2014).
This Resolution seeks shareholder approval for the Company to make market purchases of up to 44,200,000 Ordinary Shares, being just under 10 per cent of the issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) as at 20 May 2013 and specifies the minimum and maximum prices at which the Ordinary Shares may be bought.
In certain circumstances it may be advantageous for the Company to purchase its own shares and the directors consider it to be desirable for the general authority to be available to provide flexibility in the management of the Company's capital resources. Purchases of the Company's own shares will be made if to do so would be in the best interests of the Company and of its shareholders generally, and would result in an increase in earnings per share.
The Company may either retain any of its own shares which it has purchased as treasury shares with a view to possible use at a future date or cancel them. Holding the shares as treasury shares gives the Company the ability to use them quickly and cost-effectively and would provide the Company with additional flexibility in the management of its capital base. No dividends will be paid on and no voting rights will be exercised in respect of treasury shares.
It is the Company's current intention that of any shares repurchased under this authority, sufficient shares will be held in treasury to meet the requirements, as they arise, of the Company's share incentive arrangements, with the remainder being cancelled.
The total number of awards and options to subscribe for Ordinary Shares outstanding as at 20 May 2013 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this notice), was 8,808,457 representing approximately 1.99 per cent of the issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) at that date. If the existing share purchase authority given on 12 July 2012 (to the extent not already utilised) and the authority being sought under this Resolution were utilised in full, the issued share capital would be reduced by an equivalent amount and the outstanding awards and options would represent approximately 2.49 per cent of the issued share capital as at 20 May 2013. No warrants over Ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company are in existence as at 20 May 2013.
This authority will expire on the conclusion of the AGM to be held in 2014 (or, if earlier, 12 October 2014).
This Resolution seeks to renew an authority granted at last year's AGM to allow the Company to call general meetings, other than an AGM, on 14 clear days' notice. Changes made to the Act by the Shareholders' Rights Regulations increase the notice period required for general meetings of the Company to 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot however be less than 14 clear days (AGMs will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice). Prior to the Shareholders' Rights Regulations coming into force, the Company was able to call general meetings, other than an AGM, on 14 clear days' notice without obtaining such shareholder approval.
The shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine for such meetings, but only where the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole.
The approval will be effective until the Company's next AGM to be held in 2014 (or, if earlier, 12 October 2014).
Members are entitled to appoint a proxy to exercise all or any of their rights to attend and to speak and vote on their behalf at the meeting. A shareholder may appoint more than one proxy in relation to the AGM provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different share or shares held by that shareholder. A proxy need not be a shareholder of the Company. A proxy form which may be used to make such appointment and give proxy instructions accompanies this Notice. If you do not have a proxy form and believe that you should have one, or if you require additional forms, please contact Equiniti on 0871 384 2839. Calls to this number are charged at 8 pence per minute plus network extras. Lines are open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. The Equiniti overseas helpline number is +44 (0) 121 415 7047.
The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5)(a) of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001.
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