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CHORUS LIMITED — AGM Information 2023
Oct 3, 2023
64680_rns_2023-10-03_731b876e-643a-4cba-aa38-04af71ffc447.pdf
AGM Information
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Chorus Limited Level 10, 1 Willis Street P O Box 632 Wellington New Zealand
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Email: [email protected]
STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT
4 October 2023
Notice of annual meeting, proxy/voting form and virtual meeting guide
Chorus’ notice of meeting, proxy/voting form and virtual meeting guide to be sent to shareholders are attached. The notice of meeting, proxy/voting form and virtual meeting guide will also be available on Chorus’ website at:
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- https://company.chorus.co.nz/investors/services/your shareholding/annual meetings
Chorus Limited’s 2023 annual meeting of shareholders will be held as a hybrid meeting (in-person at Chorus’ Wellington offices, and online through Computershare’s meeting platform https://meetnow.global/nz) on Wednesday 8 November at 2pm (New Zealand time).
All shareholders will be able to participate in the meeting, vote and ask questions. For further information regarding how to attend the Annual Meeting, please refer to the attached Notice of Meeting and Virtual Meeting Guide.
Authorised by:
Elaine Campbell Chief Corporate Officer & General Counsel
ENDS
For further information:
Brett Jackson Investor Relations Manager Mobile: +64 (27) 488 7808 Email: [email protected]
Steve Pettigrew Head of External Communications Mobile +64 (27) 258 6257 Email: [email protected]
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notice of
annual meeting
2023
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Chorus Limited’s 2023 annual meeting of shareholders will be held as a hybrid meeting (in-person and online).
Where
In-person: Chorus’ Wellington office Aon Centre Level 10, 1 Willis Street Wellington
Online: via Computershare’s online meeting platform:
When
Wednesday 8 November 2023 commencing at 2.00pm (New Zealand time)
Important dates
All times are given in New Zealand time unless otherwise specified.
6 November 2023, 2.00pm
Latest time for receipt of Proxy Forms
6 November 2023, 5.00pm
Record date for voting entitlements for the Annual Meeting
https://meetnow.global/nz
You are encouraged to read this Notice (including the Explanatory Notes and Procedural Notes) and the instructions on the Proxy/ Voting Form carefully.
8 November 2023, 2.00pm
Annual Meeting
Business
Shareholders will be asked to consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass the following ordinary resolutions:
Election and re-election of Directors
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That Ms Kate Jorgensen be re-elected as a Chorus director.
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That Mr Jack Matthews be re-elected as a Chorus director.
See Explanatory Note 1.
By order of the Board
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Elaine Campbell Chief Corporate Officer & General Counsel 4 October 2023
Auditor Fees and Expenses
- That the Board be authorised to fix the fees and expenses of KPMG as auditor.
See Explanatory Note 2.
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Notice of Annual Meeting 2023
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Kate Jorgensen MTF, BBus, CA
Director since 1 July 2020 Independent
Kate brings a wealth of experience in strategic, financial, and audit matters, with several senior leadership positions held in NZ’s telecommunications, infrastructure, and construction industries. Her focus on governance, risk management and sustainability has earned her the respect of stakeholders.
Kate also serves on the boards of Suncorp NZ and Kiwibank. She has held senior positions as CFO of Vodafone NZ, KiwiRail, and Fletcher Building’s infrastructure division. Kate is an impact coach with the Springboard Trust and was a member of the Sustainable Business Council Advisory Board.
She holds a Masters in Technological Futures and a Bachelor of Business, is a Chartered Accountant of Australia and New Zealand, and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.
Kate is chair of our Audit and Risk Management Committee.
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Jack Matthews
BA Philosophy, College of William and Mary
Director since 1 July 2017 Independent
Jack is an experienced director who has held a number of senior leadership positions within the media, telecommunications and technology industries in Australia and New Zealand.
Jack has extensive telecommunications industry experience having been CEO of TelstraSaturn during the period they deployed their HFC network in New Zealand, as well as a former director of Crown Fibre Holdings, the Crown agency overseeing the rollout of New Zealand’s fibre infrastructure network.
Formerly, Jack was CEO of Fairfax Media’s Metro Division, CEO of Fairfax Digital and Chief Operating Officer of Jupiter TV (Japan).
Jack is currently the chair of Lodestone Energy, and a former director of New Zealand Golf Network Limited, Plexure Group, The Network for Learning, APN Outdoor Group, and Trilogy International.
Jack is a member of our Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Explanatory Notes
Explanatory Note 1: Election and re-election of Directors
The NZX Listing Rules provide that a director of an issuer must not hold office (without re-election) past the third annual meeting following the director’s appointment or 3 years, whichever is longer.
Accordingly, Kate Jorgensen and Jack Matthews, who were last elected at the 2020 Annual Meeting, are retiring from office at this year’s Annual Meeting and offer themselves for re-election.
Ms Jorgensen and Mr Matthews are standing with the full support of the Board. The Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote in favour of their re-election. The Board has determined that each of Ms Jorgensen and Mr Matthews is an independent director.
A biographical background of each director standing for re-election is set out above.
Explanatory Note 2: Auditor fees and expenses
KPMG are currently Chorus’ auditors and will be automatically reappointed under the Companies Act 1993. Under the Companies Act, auditor fees and expenses must be fixed in the manner determined at the Annual Meeting. Shareholder approval is, therefore, sought to authorise the Board to fix the fees and expenses of KPMG as auditor.
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Notice of Annual Meeting 2023
Attending the Annual Meeting - instructions
Shareholders can attend the meeting either in person at Chorus’ Wellington offices, or virtually through the Computershare meeting platform https://meetnow.global/nz.
To access the meeting virtually, click ‘Go’ under the Chorus meeting and then click ‘JOIN MEETING NOW’. By using the meeting platform, you will be able to watch the meeting, vote and ask questions online using your smartphone, tablet or desktop device. Please refer to the Virtual Meeting Guide for more information. You will need the latest version of Chrome, Safari or Edge to access the meeting. Please ensure your browser is compatible.
If you have any questions, or need assistance with the online process, please contact Computershare on +64 9 488 8777 between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
Audio will stream through the selected device, so shareholders will need to ensure that they have the volume control on their headphones or device turned up.
Shareholders attending virtually will be able to view the presentations, vote on the resolutions to be put to shareholders and ask questions, by using their own computers or mobile devices. Shareholders will still be able to appoint a proxy to vote for them or send a postal vote, as they otherwise would, by following the instructions on the proxy form and this Notice of Annual Meeting.
Details of how to participate ‘virtually’ are provided in the accompanying Virtual Meeting Guide, with instructions for accessing the virtual meeting. Shareholders are encouraged to review this guide prior to the Annual Meeting.
Shareholders will require their CSN/Securityholder Number, which can be found on their proxy and postal voting form, for verification purposes.
Procedural Notes
Voting entitlements
The persons who will be entitled to vote on the resolutions at the Annual Meeting are those persons who are Chorus shareholders at 5:00pm on Monday, 6 November 2023.
Casting your vote
You may cast your vote using one of the following options:
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Before the Annual Meeting: If you wish, you can vote prior to the Annual Meeting (up until 2.00pm on Monday, 6 November 2023) on the website of Chorus’ share registry, Computershare Investor Services Limited at: www.investorvote.co.nz
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At the Annual Meeting:
If you wish, you can vote at the Annual Meeting either;
In-person: If you wish you can attend the Annual Meeting and vote. Voting will be by way of poll. You must bring the Proxy/ Voting form with you to vote.
Online at: https://meetnow.global/nz
For more information about voting at the Annual Meeting, please refer to the Virtual Meeting Guide that accompanies this Notice of Meeting.
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Appoint a proxy to vote: You may appoint a proxy or corporate representative (if the shareholder is a body corporate) to attend the Annual Meeting, to act generally at the meeting and to vote on your behalf. Your proxy does not need to be a Chorus shareholder. To do this, you should complete the Proxy/Voting Form. It must be returned to the share registrar by 2.00pm on Monday 6 November 2023. You may return your Proxy/Voting Form by:
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Completing the Proxy/Voting Form and either posting it or faxing it to the share registrar; or
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Completing the Proxy/Voting Form online at www.investorvote.co.nz
Proxy/voting forms
The Proxy/Voting Form allows you to vote either for or against, or abstain from, the resolutions notified in the Notice of Meeting.
If you appoint a Chorus director as your proxy to vote on your behalf, then any undirected proxies granted to the director will be voted in favour of the relevant resolutions.
If, in appointing a proxy, you have inadvertently not named someone to be your proxy, or your named proxy does not attend the Annual Meeting, the Chair of the meeting will be your proxy and will vote in accordance with your express direction.
Chorus directors are not able to speak at the Annual Meeting on behalf of a shareholder who appoints them as their proxy. If you wish to be heard at the meeting you should either participate online or appoint a proxy other than a Chorus director.
To assist shareholders wishing to exercise their voting rights at the Annual Meeting (whether online or by proxy), the Proxy/Voting Form accompanying this Notice of Meeting has been personalised with individual shareholder details. The Proxy/Voting Form shows your current shareholding. If, at 5:00pm on 6 November 2023, your shareholding is different from that shown on the Proxy/Voting Form, it will be updated by Chorus’ share registry, Computershare Investor Services Limited.
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Notice of Annual Meeting 2023
The addresses for the share registrar are:
Method of voting
Voting on all resolutions put before the Annual Meeting will be by poll. Results of the voting will be available after the conclusion of the meeting, and will be notified on the NZX and ASX.
Voting Thresholds
Items of business 1 to 3 are ordinary resolutions and required to be passed by a simple majority of the votes of those shareholders entitled to vote and voting on the resolutions.
Questions for the Annual Meeting
If you wish to submit written questions to be considered at the Annual Meeting, please email or post them to Elaine Campbell, Chief Corporate Officer & General Counsel , at the following addresses:
Elaine Campbell
Chief Corporate Officer & General Counsel Chorus Limited PO Box 632 Wellington 6140
Email: [email protected]
Share Registrar
Chorus’ share registrar in New Zealand and Australia is Computershare.
You can manage your shareholding online via the Computershare investor centre. To change your address, update your payment instructions and to view your investment portfolio including transactions, please visit www.investorcentre.com/nz.
New Zealand
Computershare Investor Services Limited Private Bag 92119 Victoria Street West Auckland 1142 New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 488 8777 Fax: +64 9 488 8787 Email: [email protected] www.investorcentre.com/nz
Australia
Computershare Investor Services Pty Limited GPO Box 3329 Melbourne 3001 Australia
Freephone: 1 800 501 366 Fax: +61 3 9473 2500 Email: [email protected] www.investorcentre.com/nz
Presentations
A copy of the presentations from the Annual Meeting will be available for viewing on Chorus’ website after the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.
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ARBN 152 485 848
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Lodge your proxy
Online
www.investorvote.co.nz
By Mail Computershare Investor Services Limited Private Bag 92119 Auckland 1142 New Zealand
For all enquiries contact
+64 9 488 8777
Chorus Limited (Chorus) Annual Meeting Proxy/Voting Form
www.investorvote.co.nz
Lodge your proxy online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
Smartphone?
Scan the QR code to vote now.
Your secure access information
Control Number: CSN/Shareholder Number: PLEASE NOTE: You will need your CSN/Shareholder Number and New Zealand Postcode/Country of Residence to appoint a proxy online.
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For your proxy to be effective it must be received by 2.00 pm (New Zealand time) Monday, 06 November 2023.
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HYBRID MEETING
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All shareholders will have the opportunity to attend and participate in the 2023 Annual Meeting either in person at Chorus’ Wellington offices (Aon Centre, Level 10, 1 Willis Street, Wellington) or online via an internet connection (using a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone). The virtual meeting will be accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. Please refer to the Virtual Meeting Guide 2023 that accompanies this Proxy/Voting Form.
How to Vote on Items of Business
For any assistance with the process, please contact Computershare on +64 9 488 8777 between 8.30am-5.00pm Monday to Friday.
All your shares will be voted in accordance with your directions.
Appointment of Proxy
Signing Instructions for Postal Proxies
Individual
If you do not plan to attend the meeting, you may appoint a proxy. To do this, enter the name of your proxy in the space allocated in ‘Step 1’ of this form. You must name a proxy for your appointment to be valid.
Direct your proxy how to vote by marking one of the boxes opposite each item of business. If you do not mark a box your proxy may vote as they choose. If you appoint a Chorus director as your proxy to vote on your behalf, then any undirected proxies granted to the director will be voted in favour of the relevant resolutions (unless specifically prohibited from voting on a particular resolution). If you mark more than one box on an item of business your vote will be invalid on that item.
Appointing the Chair or any other director as your proxy
The Chair of the meeting, or any other Chorus director, is willing to act as proxy for any shareholder who wishes to appoint her or him to vote on their behalf. To appoint the Chair of the meeting or a director as your proxy enter ‘the Chair’ or the name of the director you wish to appoint in the space allocated in ‘Step 1’ of this form.
If, in appointing a proxy, you have inadvertently not named someone to be your proxy, or your named proxy does not attend the meeting, the Chair of the meeting will be your proxy and will vote in accordance with your express direction.
Where the holding is in one name, the shareholder must sign this form.
Joint Holding
At least one joint shareholder should sign this form (on behalf of all joint shareholders). If different joint shareholders purport to appoint different proxies, the vote of the proxy appointed by the first named joint shareholder will prevail.
Power of Attorney
If this Proxy Form has been signed under a power of attorney, a certified copy of the power of attorney and a signed certificate of non-revocation of the power of attorney must accompany this Proxy Form.
Companies
This Proxy Form must be signed by a duly authorised officer or attorney. Persons who sign on behalf of a company must be acting with the company’s express or implied authority.
Comments & Questions
If you have any comments or questions for Chorus, please write them on a separate sheet of paper and return them with this form, or email [email protected].
Attending the Meeting Virtually
If you propose to attend the meeting online, please read the enclosed Virtual Meeting Guide prior to the meeting. You can participate in the meeting virtually through the web platform https://meetnow.global/nz and entering the meeting. You will be able to view presentations, ask questions and cast your vote from your own computer, mobile or similar device.
Go online or turn over to complete the form
ARBN 152 485 848
Proxy/Corporate Representative Form
STEP 1 Appoint a Proxy to Vote on Your Behalf
I/We being a shareholder/s of Chorus Limited
appoint
of
or failing him/her
of
as my/our proxy to act generally at the meeting on my/our behalf and to vote in accordance with the following directions at Chorus’ Annual Meeting of shareholders to be held in person at Chorus’ Wellington office and online at https://meetnow.global/nz on Wednesday, 08 November 2023 at 2:00 pm (New Zealand time) and at any adjournment of that meeting.
STEP 2 Items of Business - Voting Instructions
Please note: If you do not mark a box your proxy may vote as they choose. If you appoint a Chorus director as your proxy to vote on your behalf, then any undirected proxies granted to the director will be voted in favour of the relevant resolutions (unless specifically prohibited from voting on a particular resolution).
Resolutions
| Item 1 | That Kate Jorgensen be re-elected as a Chorus director. |
|---|---|
| Item 2 | That Jack Matthews be re-elected as a Chorus director. |
| Auditor Fees and Expenses | |
| Item 3 | That the Board of Chorus Limited be authorised to fix the fees and expenses of KPMG as auditor. |
| Proxy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| For | Against | Abstain | Discretion |
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If your proxy is not the Chairman of the Meeting or any other director of the Company, please ensure that you provide their contact details (phone and email address). If this information is not provided, we cannot guarantee remote admission to the virtual meeting for your proxy. Proxy contact Details (Phone): and (Email):
SIGN Signature of Shareholder(s) This section must be completed. Shareholder 1 Shareholder 2 (if applicable) Shareholder 3 (if applicable) Individual/Authorised officer or attorney Individual/Authorised officer or attorney Individual/Authorised officer or attorney Contact Name Contact Daytime Telephone Date ATTENDANCE SLIP Annual Meeting of shareholders to be held in person at Chorus’ Wellington office and online at https://meetnow.global/nz on Wednesday, 08 November 2023 at 2:00 pm (New Zealand time).
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN VIRTUAL/HYBRID MEETINGS
Attending the meeting online
Our online meeting provides you the opportunity to participate online using your smartphone, tablet or computer.
If you choose to attend online you will be able to view a live webcast of the meeting, ask questions and submit your votes in real time.
You will need the latest version of Chrome, Safari or Edge. Please ensure your browser is compatible.
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Visit https://meetnow.global/nz
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Access
Access the online meeting at
https://meetnow.global/nz, and select the required meeting. Click 'JOIN MEETING NOW'.
If you are a shareholder:
Select 'Shareholder' on the login screen and enter your CSN/Holder Number and Post Code. If you are outside New Zealand, simply select your country from the drop down box instead of the post code. Accept the Terms and Conditions and click Continue.
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Navigation
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When successfully authenticated, the home screen will be displayed. You can watch the webcast, vote, ask questions, and view meeting materials in the documents folder. The image highlighted blue indicates the page you have active.
The webcast will appear and begin automatically once the meeting has started.
If you are a guest :
Select Guest on the login screen. As a guest, you will be prompted to complete all the relevant fields including title, first name, last name and email address.
Please note, guests will not be able to ask questions or vote at the meeting.
If you are a proxy holder:
You will receive an email invitation the day before the meeting to access the online meeting. Click on the link in the invitation to access the meeting.
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Voting
Resolutions will be put forward once voting is declared open by the Chair. Once the voting has opened, the resolution and voting options will appear.
To vote, simply select your voting direction from the options shown on screen. You can vote for all resolutions at once or by each resolution.
Your vote has been cast when the green tick appears. To change your vote, select ‘Change Your Vote’.
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Contact
If you have any issues accessing the website please call +64 9 488 8700.
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Q&A
Any eligible shareholder/proxy attending the meeting remotely is eligible to ask a question.
Select the Q&A tab and type your question into the box at the bottom of the screen and press 'Send'.