AGM Information • Feb 23, 2012
AGM Information
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If you have sold or otherwise transferred all your ordinary shares in RM plc, please send this document and the accompanying form of proxy, 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 transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
New Mill House, 183 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4SE
23 February 2012
Dear Shareholder,
Set out in this letter, on pages 4 to 8, is a formal notice of the annual general meeting of RM plc to be held on Monday 26 March 2012 at 9.00 am at 140 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RS. The purpose of this letter is to explain the resolutions numbered 3 to 10 which are proposed in the notice of annual general meeting as ordinary business, as well as resolutions 11 to 16 which are proposed in such notice as special business. Resolution 1 (consideration of Report and Accounts) and Resolution 2 (declaration of dividend) are routine business.
The Board has decided that all of the Directors of the company will stand for election or re-election in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code published by the Financial Reporting Council in June 2010 ("UK Corporate Governance Code 2010"). Therefore three Directors, Jo Connell, Iain McIntosh and Sir Mike Tomlinson, are retiring and offering themselves for re-election. The Articles of Association and the UK Corporate Governance Code 2010 also require that newly appointed Directors offer themselves for election at the next AGM following their appointment. Martyn Ratcliffe, Deena Mattar and Lord Andrew Adonis, were appointed during the year and will therefore offer themselves for election. Biographical details for each Director are contained in the Annual Report and Accounts. Sir Bryan Carsberg has completed over nine years as a Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee and, accordingly, has advised the Board that he does not intend to seek re-election at the next Annual General Meeting.
Jo Connell was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 20 December 2007. She was last re-elected by shareholders in January 2011. Her appointment is governed by a fixed-term letter of appointment. Sir Mike Tomlinson was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 2 February 2004 and was last re-elected by shareholders in January 2011. His appointment is governed by a fixed term letter of appointment. Lord Andrew Adonis was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 1 October 2011. His appointment is governed by a fixed-term letter of appointment. Deena Mattar was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 1 June 2011. Her appointment is governed by a fixed-term letter of appointment. The Board believes that the contribution and commitment of Lord Andrew Adonis, Jo Connell, Deena Mattar and Sir Mike Tomlinson as Non-Executive Directors are beneficial to the Group. As Chairman, I confirm that, their performances continue to be effective and to demonstrate their commitment to their roles.
Martyn Ratcliffe was appointed as Chairman on 1 June 2011 and then Executive Chairman on 24 October 2011.
Iain McIntosh is an Executive Director and was appointed Chief Financial Officer on 1 April 2010.
As part of a value for money review of the Group's professional advisors in respect of their services, the Company issued a tender for audit services in early December 2010. The outcome of this tender was that the Company appointed KPMG Audit Plc as its new auditor, replacing Deloitte LLP. The Board are now requesting shareholder approval to the appointment of KPMG Audit Plc.
The Board is requesting authorisation from shareholders to fix the remuneration of the auditor.
In accordance with Section 439 of the Companies Act 2006 (the "2006 Act") your Board is asking for your approval of the Board Report on Remuneration, as set out in the Company's Report and Accounts for the 14 months ended 30 November 2011.
In recognition of Martyn Ratcliffe's new role as Executive Chairman, and noting that Mr. Ratcliffe had waived all remuneration since his appointment on 1 June 2011 until 30 November 2011, on 26 October 2011 the Board awarded Mr. Ratcliffe share options over one million ordinary shares subject to a precondition to vesting that for each two share options Mr. Ratcliffe must have purchased five RM shares prior to 30 November 2012. The share options are also subject to a performance condition such that the closing mid-market share price must exceed 100 pence per share, on 20 consecutive trading days, prior to 30 November 2015. The award was made under the rules of the RM plc 2004 Unapproved Share Option Plan using the closing mid-market price of 51.125 pence per ordinary share on 25 October 2011.
Due to the nature of this share option grant and the share purchase matching conditions and, as previously advised, the Board is now requesting shareholder approval to exclude this share option grant from the ABI guidelines. Any future share option grants to Mr. Ratcliffe will be subject to specific shareholder approval.
The notice includes an ordinary resolution renewing the Directors' authority to allot shares, a special resolution dis-applying shareholders' pre-emption rights to a limited extent and a special resolution authorising the Company to make market purchases of its shares.
Resolution 13 renews the authority granted to the Directors to allot new shares in accordance with section 551 of the 2006 Act up to a nominal amount of £623,119, being one-third of the issued ordinary share capital as at 31 January 2012 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this circular).
Resolution 14 renews the Directors' authority in accordance with section 561 of the 2006 Act to allot further shares for cash without first being required to offer such shares to existing shareholders. If approved, the resolution will authorise the Directors to issue shares in connection with a rights issue and otherwise to issue shares for cash, including the sale on a non pre-emptive basis of treasury shares for cash, up to a maximum nominal amount of £93,468, being equal to 5 per cent of the nominal value of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 31 January 2012. The Directors do not intend to issue more than 7.5 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company for cash on a non pre-emptive basis in any rolling three year period without prior consultation with the shareholders and Investment Committees of the Association of British Insurers and the National Association of Pension Funds.
Both these authorities will expire on the date of the next annual general meeting or on 31 May 2013 whichever is the earlier.
Resolution 15 renews the Directors' authority to make market purchases of up to 10 per cent of the Company's issued ordinary shares as at 31 January 2012 (i.e. 9,346,780 ordinary shares). This authority will expire on the date of the next annual general meeting or on 31 May 2013 whichever is the earlier. The share repurchases made to date under the authorities granted by shareholders have enhanced pre-exceptional earnings per share to the benefit of all shareholders. The Board believes that it would be appropriate to have the option to use a proportion of the Company's cash resources to make further market repurchases of ordinary shares. The minimum price which may be paid for each share is the nominal value and the maximum price which may be paid for a share is an amount equal to the higher of 5 per cent above the average of the middle market quotations of the Company's ordinary shares as derived from the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for the 5 business days immediately preceding the day on which such share is contracted to be purchased and that stipulated by Article 5(1) of the Buy-back and Stabilisation Regulation 2003.
The Company will only exercise the authority granted by the proposed resolution where the Board reasonably believes that repurchasing its shares will increase earnings per share of the ordinary shares in issue after the purchase and, accordingly, is in the best interests of shareholders generally. Any shares purchased by the Company pursuant to the authority conferred by Resolution 15 will either be cancelled and the number of shares reduced accordingly or, if the Directors think fit, they may be held as treasury shares.
As at 31 January 2012, options were outstanding to subscribe for 4,291,417 ordinary shares, representing 4.59 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company. In addition, 270,596 share options were granted under the Performance Share Plan representing 0.29 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company. The proportion of issued share capital represented by all such share options would increase to 5.24 per cent if the full authority to purchase shares (existing and sought) is utilised by the Directors. There are no warrants outstanding and no treasury shares in issue.
Resolution 16 seeks approval, subject to the Company's Articles of Association, for the Company to call general meetings (other than annual general meetings) on 14 clear days' notice. The notice period required by the 2006 Act for general meetings of the Company is 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot however be less than 14 clear days (annual general meetings will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice.) Resolution 16 seeks the approval required by the 2006 Act, which will be effective until the Company's next annual general meeting, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed. In order to be able to call a general meeting on less than 21 clear days' notice, the Company must make a means of electronic voting available to all shareholders for that meeting. The flexibility offered by Resolution 16 will be used when, taking into account the circumstances, the Directors consider this appropriate in relation to the business of the meeting and in the interests of the Company and the shareholders as a whole.
Please note that we have asked you to complete and return any proxies to our Registrars, Capita Registrars, and not directly to the Company. If you prefer, you may return the proxy form to the Registrar in an envelope addressed to FREEPOST RSBH-UXKS-LRBC, PXS, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU. You may also appoint a proxy and give voting instructions online, via the Shareholder Portal, at www.capitashareportal.com. If you have not already done so, you will have to register to use this facility; you will need your Investor code which can be found on your Form of Proxy. CREST members who wish to appoint a proxy or proxies by utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service should refer to note 3 of the Notice of annual general meeting set out on page 7 of this document. Please note that the deadline for the receipt of proxy appointments by our Registrars is 9:00 am on 24 March 2012.
The Directors believe that the adoption of all the resolutions to be put to the Meeting are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders and are most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of shareholders as a whole. The Directors unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of all the Resolutions to be proposed at the annual general meeting, as they themselves intend to do in respect of their own beneficial shareholdings which in aggregate amount to a total of 2,879,184 ordinary shares, representing approximately 3.1 per cent of the existing issued ordinary share capital of the Company.
Yours sincerely
Martyn Ratcliffe Executive Chairman
Notice is hereby given that the annual general meeting of RM plc will be held at 140 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RS at 9.00 am on 26 March 2012 to consider and, if thought fit, pass resolutions 1-13, which will be proposed as ordinary resolutions of the Company, and resolutions 14-16, which will be proposed as special resolutions of the Company:
in either case as if section 561 of the 2006 Act did not apply to the allotment but this power shall be limited:
and so that the Directors may make such exclusions or other arrangements as they consider expedient in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, shares represented by depositary receipts, legal or practical problems under the laws in any territory or the requirements of any relevant regulatory body or stock exchange or any other matter; and
(d) this authority shall expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company after the passing of this resolution, or at close of business on 31 May 2013, whichever is earlier unless such authority is renewed prior to such time;
(e) the Company may make a contract or contracts to purchase Ordinary Shares under this authority before its expiry which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiry of this authority and may make a purchase of Ordinary Shares in pursuance of such contract; and
By order of the Board
Secretary 23 February 2011
New Mill House 183 Milton Park Abingdon Oxon OX14 4SE
and in each case must be received by the Company's registrars not less than 48 hours before the time of the meeting.
In order for a proxy appointment 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 & Ireland Limited's specifications and must contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the CREST Manual available via www. euroclear.com/CREST. The message (regardless of whether it relates to the appointment of a proxy or to an amendment to the instruction given to a previously appointed proxy) must, in order to be valid, be transmitted so as to be received by the issuer's agent (ID"RA10") by the latest time(s) for receipt of proxy appointments specified in, or in a note to, the notice of meeting. For this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to be the time (as determined by the timestamp applied to the message by the CREST Applications Host) from which the issuer's agent is able to retrieve the message by enquiry to CREST in the manner prescribed by CREST.
CREST members (and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers) should note that Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited does not make available special procedures in CREST for any particular messages. Normal system timings and limitations will therefore apply in relation to the input of CREST Proxy Instructions. 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, to procure that his CREST sponsor or voting service provider takes) 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.
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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