AGM Information • Apr 3, 2024
AGM Information
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THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt about the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial advice from a stockbroker, bank manager, auditor, accountant, solicitor or other independent financial advisor duly authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your ordinary shares in RM plc, please send this document, 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.

(Incorporated and registered in England and Wales under the Companies Act 1948 with company number 01749877)
142B Park Drive Milton Park Milton Abingdon Oxfordshire, OX14 4SE
3 April 2024
Dear Shareholder,
I am very pleased to be writing to you with details of the Annual General meeting (the "AGM") of RM plc ("RM" or the "Company") which we are holding on 9 May 2024 at 10:30am at 142B Park Drive, Milton Park, Milton, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4SE. The formal notice of AGM is set out in Part 2 of this document.
In order to assist any shareholders who do not wish to attend in person, you may:
We will make any further updates with regard to the AGM on the Company's website at https://www.rmplc.com/announcements. Please ensure that you regularly check this page for updates. The purpose of this letter is to explain the resolutions which are proposed in the notice of the AGM (the "Notice").
The Directors of the Company will present the Company's audited accounts and related reports for the year ended 30 November 2023 (the "Annual Report and Accounts"), as required by the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act"). Accordingly, Resolution 1 asks shareholders to receive the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 November 2023.
All the directors of the Company (the "Directors") will stand for re-election or election in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018 (the "Code"). As such, three Directors (Helen Stevenson, Mark Cook and Richard Smothers) are offering themselves for re-election. Simon Goodwin, Christopher Humphrey, Carolyn Dawson and Jamie Murray Wells were appointed during the past year and will therefore offer themselves for election. Each Director's appointment is governed by a fixed-term letter of appointment.
Biographical details of all of the Directors seeking election or re-election and the reasons why their contribution is, and continues to be, important to the Company's long-term sustainable success can be found on pages 5 and 6 below.
The Board believes that the contribution and commitment of each of Helen Stevenson, Richard Smothers, Christopher Humphrey, Carolyn Dawson and Jamie Murray Wells as Non-Executive Directors is beneficial to the Company. As Chair, I confirm that all Directors are performing effectively and demonstrating their commitment to their roles, and that the balance of skill, experience and knowledge on the Board is sufficient to enable the Directors to properly discharge their respective duties and responsibilities. All the Non-Executive Directors are deemed to be independent in accordance with the criteria set out in the Code.
On the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, the Board has proposed the re-appointment of Deloitte LLP as the auditor of the Company for the financial year commencing 1 December 2023.
Resolution 10 will authorise the Audit and Risk Committee, on behalf of the Board, to determine the auditor's remuneration for 2024.
Resolution 11 is to approve the Directors' Remuneration Report (other than the part containing the extracts from the Directors' Remuneration Policy) contained in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 November 2023. The report is set out on pages 109 to 118 of the Annual Report and Accounts. The resolution is advisory in nature and no individual Director's remuneration is dependent upon it.
Resolution 12 is an ordinary resolution to approve the Directors' Remuneration Policy which is set out in the Annual Report on pages 99 to 108. Under the Act, the Directors' Remuneration Policy is subject to shareholder approval at least every three years. The policy was last approved by shareholders at the 2021 AGM. Once the new Directors' Remuneration Policy has been approved, all payments by the Company to the Directors and any former Directors must be made in accordance with the new policy (unless a payment has been separately approved by a shareholder resolution). If the new Directors' Remuneration Policy is approved and remains unchanged, it will be valid for up to three financial years without a new shareholder approval. If the Company wishes to change the Directors' Remuneration Policy, it will need to put the revised policy to a vote again before it can implement the new policy.
Resolution 13 seeks shareholder approval for an amendment to the rules of the RM plc Performance Share Plan 2019 (the "PSP"), which was approved by shareholders at the 2019 AGM on 27 March 2019. The Company would like to be able to grant meaningful long term incentive awards under the PSP to its newly formed executive team, currently consisting of eight people, and to other key persons but is restricted in doing so by the current dilution limits in place, which has been partly used up by awards to previous management.
The Company, therefore, is seeking shareholder approval to amend the rules of the PSP so that it operates within a new 12.5% in 10 years share plans dilution limit. The new limit will replace the current dilution limits in RM's share plans (a 10% in 10 years limit for all employees' share plans and a 5% in 10 years limit for selective share plans, including the PSP). This change will enable the Company to make meaningful awards that will be retentive and incentivising. If the amendment to the PSP is approved by shareholders, the Company will review the extended 12.5% dilution limit ahead of AGM 2027 to see if RM can revert to a more standard 10% dilution limit.
The full text of the PSP rules marked-up to show the proposed amendment will be available for inspection at the place of the AGM for at least 15 minutes before and during the meeting and on the national storage mechanism from the date of this Notice.
The Notice includes an ordinary resolution renewing the Directors' authority to allot shares, two special resolutions 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 14 renews the authority granted to the Directors to allot new ordinary shares in accordance with section 551 of the Act. Paragraph a)(i) of this resolution 14 would give the directors the authority to allot ordinary shares of the Company up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to £639,047 representing approximately one third of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 20 March 2024 (being the latest practicable date before the publication of this document).
Paragraph a)(ii) of this resolution would give the directors authority to allot ordinary shares in connection with a preemptive offer in favour of ordinary shareholders up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to £1,278,094, as reduced by the nominal amount of any shares issued under paragraph a)(i) of this resolution. This amount (before any reduction) represents approximately two thirds of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 20 March 2024 (being the latest practicable date before the publication of this document).
Resolution 15 renews the Directors' authority in accordance with sections 570 and 573 of the Act to allot ordinary shares for cash without first being required to offer such shares to existing shareholders. If approved, the resolution will authorise the Directors to issue ordinary shares for cash in connection with a rights issue or open offer and otherwise (in line with the approach recommended by the Pre–Emption Group's 2022 Statement of Principles) to issue ordinary shares for cash, including the sale on a non pre-emptive basis of treasury shares for cash, up to a maximum nominal amount of £191,714, being equal to 10 per cent of the nominal value of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 20 March 2024 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document). Under paragraph c) of the resolution, the directors are further authorised to allot shares and/or sell treasury shares for cash up to an additional aggregate amount equal to 20% of any allotment under paragraph b) of the resolution, for the purposes of making a follow-on offer to existing shareholders as described in the 2022 Statement of Principles. The maximum additional nominal amount that could be issued under paragraph c) of the resolution (based on the authority under paragraph b) being used in full) is £38,343 (representing approximately 2% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 20 March 2024 (being the latest practicable date before the publication of this document)).
Resolution 16 renews the Directors' authority to allot further ordinary shares, in addition to the authority granted under resolution 15, for cash in connection with acquisitions or other specified capital investments which are announced contemporaneously with the allotment, or which have taken place in the preceding twelve-month period and are disclosed in the announcement of the allotment. In line with the approach recommended by the Pre–Emption Group's 2022 Statement of Principles, this authority is limited to a maximum nominal amount of £191,714, being equal to 10 per cent of the nominal value of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 20 March 2024 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document).
Under paragraph b) of the resolution, the directors are further authorised to allot shares and/or sell treasury shares for cash up to an additional aggregate amount equal to 20% of any allotment under paragraph a) of the resolution, for the purposes of making a follow-on offer to existing shareholders as described in the 2022 Statement of Principles. The maximum additional nominal amount that could be issued under paragraph b) of the resolution (based on the authority under paragraph a) being used in full) is £38,343 (representing approximately 2% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 20 March 2024 (being the latest practicable date before the publication of this document)).
Resolution 17 renews the Directors' authority to make market purchases of up to 10 per cent of the Company's issued ordinary shares. The Board believes that it would be appropriate to have the option to use a proportion of the Company's cash resources to make market repurchases of ordinary shares. The resolution also sets minimum and maximum prices in accordance with the UK Listing Rules. The Directors have no present intention of exercising this authority but consider it prudent to maintain the flexibility that this authority provides. The Company will only exercise the authority granted by the proposed resolution 17 where the Board reasonably believes that repurchasing its ordinary shares will increase earnings per share of the ordinary shares in issue after the purchase and, accordingly, is in the best interests of shareholders as a whole. Any ordinary shares purchased by the Company pursuant to the authority conferred by resolution 17 will either be cancelled and the number of shares reduced accordingly or, if the Directors consider it appropriate, they may be held as treasury shares.
Each of these authorities will expire on the date of the next annual general meeting of the Company or on 8 August 2025, whichever is the earlier.
As at 20 March 2024 (being the latest date prior to the publication of this document), there are no treasury shares in issue.
You will not receive a hard copy form of proxy for the 2024 AGM in the post. Instead, you will be able to vote electronically using the link www.signalshares.com. You will need to log into your Signal Shares account, or register if you have not previously done so. To register you will need your Investor Code, which is detailed on your share certificate or available from the Company's Registrar, Link Group.
Voting by proxy prior to the AGM does not affect your right to attend the AGM and vote in person should you so wish. Proxy votes must be received no later than 10:30am on 7 May 2024. You may request a hard copy form of proxy directly from the Company's Registrar, Link Group (telephone: 0371 664 0391). Calls are charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider. Calls outside the United Kingdom will be charged at the applicable international rate. Lines are open between 09:00 – 17:30, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays in England and Wales), or by email at [email protected].
The Directors believe that the adoption of all the resolutions to be put to the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. The Directors unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of all the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM, as they themselves intend to do in respect of their own beneficial shareholdings which in aggregate, as at 20 March 2024 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document), amount to a total of 290,236 ordinary shares, representing approximately 0.35 per cent of the existing issued ordinary share capital of the Company.
All resolutions for consideration at the AGM 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 AGM, but who have appointed a proxy for the Meeting.
Yours faithfully
Helen Stevenson Chair
Helen Stevenson was appointed as Non-Executive Chair of RM plc on 16 February 2022. She is also the Chair of the Nomination Committee. Helen is a Non-Executive Director and Remco Chair of IG Group Holdings plc, a FTSE 250 fintech company providing derivatives trading. Until recently, she was also Senior Independent Director of Reach plc, a Non-Executive Director of Skipton Building Society and Senior Independent Director of Kin + Carta plc. Helen was the Chief Marketing Officer UK at Yell Group plc from 2006 to 2012, including responsibility for digital product development and, prior to this, served as Lloyds TSB Group Marketing Director. She started her career with Mars Inc where she spent 19 years, working across senior supply side and demand side roles, culminating in European Marketing Director. Helen is a Governor at Wellington College where she is also Chair of the Wellington College Educational Enterprises Board and is a member of the Henley Business School Strategy Board.
Contributions and reasons for re-election: Helen has a 30-year executive career spanning senior supply and demand side roles across large Consumer Goods, Retail Financial Services and Digital Media organisations and 11 years' PLC non-executive director experience across a range of sectors.
Mark Cook joined the Board as Chief Executive Officer of RM in January 2023. After qualifying as an accountant and working in several finance roles, Mark moved into consulting, joining Xansa plc where he led transformation and systems implementation programmes for clients including the BBC and Boots. In 2010 Mark joined Getronics Group under Aurelius Investments where he refocused the portfolio and created a global technology digital services business. In 2019 Mark joined Capita plc as CEO for the People Solutions Division and latterly the Technology Solutions Division. Mark is currently non-executive Chairman of Searchlight Consulting.
Contributions and reasons for re-election: With a background in operations and technology, Mark brings extensive experience in business transformation and creating shareholder value, with a proven track record as a CEO and in leading organisations.
Richard Smothers joined the Board on 3 January 2023 as a Non-Executive Director and became Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee on 31 March 2023. He is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Greene King Limited, a role he has held since 2017 and has both strategic, financial and operational responsibilities. Prior to this he was Chief Financial Officer at Mothercare plc and held a number of senior roles at Rexam plc, Tesco plc and Cargill Inc.
Contributions and reasons for re-election: Richard is a Chartered Management Accountant and provides the Board and the Audit and Risk Committee with both recent and relevant financial experience, gained through an established career in senior finance roles.
Simon Goodwin joined the Board as Group Financial Officer on 29 August 2023. Prior to joining the Board of RM plc, Simon was the Group CFO at MTI Technology from December 2017 until July 2023, where he was responsible for the finance and administrative functions across their operations in the UK, France and Germany. Simon has also held senior finance roles in Getronics, the Dutch ICT business, and Sopra Steria, the digital services and software development consultancy. After qualifying as an accountant, Simon worked in a number of finance and commercial roles for Xansa plc, Warner Bros and Marks and Spencer plc.
Contributions and reasons for election: Simon is a Chartered Management Accountant with 15 years of experience in finance leadership roles in the technology sector. He brings to the Board, broad financial expertise and a history in business transformation.
Christopher Humphrey joined the Board on 7 July 2023 as a Non-Executive Director and was appointed Chair of the Remuneration Committee on 10 October 2023. On 1 January 2024 Christopher was appointed Senior Independent Director. Christopher has extensive international, financial and general management experience gained across a range of sectors and in a variety of international markets (UK, USA, Europe and Far East) both in growth and turnaround situations. He is currently Chair of AIM-listed Eckoh plc, a customer engagement and contact solutions provider, a position he has held since 2017, and Non-Executive Chairman of Heywood Pension Technologies – a pensions solutions provider. He also served as Senior Independent Director and Audit Chair at Aveva Group plc, Senior Independent Director and Audit Chair at Vivendum plc, and Non-Executive Director at SDL plc, a language translation software provider. Christopher has had a number of leadership roles during his career, including the position of Group Chief Executive Officer of Anite plc from 2008 to 2015.
Contributions and reasons for election: Christopher has extensive international, financial and general management experience gained across a range of sectors and in a variety of international markets (UK, USA, Europe and Far East) both in growth and turnaround situations. Christopher also has extensive listed company experience which includes other non-executive director roles along with prior senior leadership positions at PLCs.
Carolyn Dawson joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director on 1 November 2023. She is currently CEO of the Founders Forum Group, the business services group for entrepreneurs, and is leading the relaunch of Tech Nation. Prior to this role she spent over 20 years at Informa Group plc, working on a range of leadership roles, including founding London Tech Week and most recently as President, Verticals and ESG, Informa Tech. Carolyn is also a Trustee for Centre for Entrepreneurs. She has co-founded Miroma Founders Network, which provides growing businesses with media opportunities. Carolyn also serves on the board of 01 Founders, a free-to-access coding school; Founders Makers, a creative partner to scaleups and major brands, and Grip, an AI-powered networking solution.
Contributions and reasons for election: Carolyn brings significant and current executive experience in the technology and education sectors, which is of great relevance to RM's business.
Jamie Murray Wells joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director and was appointed Chairman of the ESG Committee on 1 November 2023. Jamie brings leading digital product and strategy expertise to the Board, having worked since 2013 for Google, where he has held roles defining new platforms and ecosystems, including as Head of Digital Platform Experiences and Head of Extended Reality (XR) Platform Enablement. Prior to joining Google, Jamie founded and led Glasses Direct, a digital-led retail business. Before taking it through a private equity transaction with Cipio Partners. He recently served as a non-executive director of DD Group, the wholesale supplier to the dental sector. Jamie is also a director of Trotters (Childrenswear & Accessories) Ltd, the timeless British childrenswear, footwear and hairdressing brand and The Cheese Geek Ltd, a business modernising cheese wholesale and retail online.
Contributions and reasons for election: Jamie brings leading digital product and strategy expertise to the Board with experience in building consumer-facing digital products. This current and relevant experience brings very useful insight to the Board.
Committee membership as at the date of this report:
Notice is hereby given that the annual general meeting of RM plc (the "Company") will be held at 142B Park Drive, Milton Park, Milton, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4SE on 9 May 2024 at 10:30am (or at any adjournment thereof) to consider and, if thought fit, pass resolutions 1 to 14, which will be proposed as ordinary resolutions of the Company, and resolutions 15 to 17, which will be proposed as special resolutions of the Company:
but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in or under the laws of any territory or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange.
regulatory body or stock exchange.
c) the allotment of equity securities or sale of treasury shares (otherwise than under sub-paragraph a) or sub-paragraph b) above) up to a nominal amount equal to 20% of any allotment of equity securities or sale of treasury shares from time to time under paragraph b) above, such authority to be used only for the purposes of making a follow-on offer which the Board of the Company determines to be of a kind contemplated by paragraph 3 of Section 2B of the Statement of Principles on Disapplying Pre-Emption Rights most recently published by the
Pre-Emption Group prior to the date of this notice, such authority to expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company after the passing of this resolution or, if earlier, at the close of business on 8 August 2025 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.
Pre-Emption Group prior to the date of this notice, such authority to expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company after the passing of this resolution or, if earlier, at the close of business on 8 August 2025 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.
By order of the Board
Company Secretary 3 April 2024
Registered Office: 142B Park Drive Milton Park Milton Abingdon Oxfordshire, OX14 4SE
The following notes explain your general rights as a shareholder and your right to attend and vote at the AGM or to appoint someone else to vote on your behalf.
In order for a proxy appointment to be valid, a form of proxy must be completed. In each case the form of proxy must be received by Link Group at PXS 1, Link Group, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL on 7 May 2024 by 10:30am or by utilising the Crest or Proxymity electronic proxy appointment services.
The Chair intends to vote any undirected proxies given to her in favour of all the resolutions set out in this Notice and will vote such undirected proxies as she thinks fit on any matters or motions before the meeting. You will need to state clearly on each form of proxy the number of ordinary Shares in relation to which the proxy is appointed. A failure to specify the number of ordinary Shares each proxy appointment relates to or specifying a number of ordinary Shares in excess of those held by the member will result in the proxy appointment being invalid. If you return more than one proxy appointment, either by paper or electronic communication, for the same share for use at the same AGM the appointment received last by the Registrar (regardless of its date or date of signature) before the latest time for the receipt of proxies will take precedence. You are advised to read the terms and conditions of use carefully. Electronic communication facilities are open to all shareholders and those who use them will not be disadvantaged.
take(s)) 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 system 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.
A copy of this Notice, and other information required by section 311A of the Act, can be found on the Company's website at www.rmplc.com.
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