STOCKHOLM, March 21,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The shareholders of Boliden
AB (publ) (company registration number 556051-4142) are summoned to
the Annual General Meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 1 p.m. (CEST). The Annual General Meeting will be
held at Boliden in Garpenberg, Sweden. The meeting facilities will be open
for registration and exhibition from 10 a.m.
(CEST). Lunch is served from 12 p.m.
(CEST).
The Board of Directors has decided that the shareholders will be
able to exercise their voting rights at the Annual General Meeting
also in advance (postal voting) in accordance with the provisions
of the Articles of Association, see below under "Advance Voting
(Postal Voting)" for further information.
Participation
A) Shareholders who wish to participate in the Annual General
Meeting in person or by proxy
must
|
be recorded as a
shareholder in the share register prepared by Euroclear Sweden
relating to the circumstances on Monday, April 17, 2023 (see below
regarding re-registration of nominee registered shares),
and
|
must
|
give notice of
participation to the company on the company's website,
www.boliden.com, by telephone +46 8 32 94
29 or by mail to Boliden AB, c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, P.O. Box 191,
SE-101 23 Stockholm, Sweden. When giving notice of participation,
shareholders shall state their name, identification or registration
number, address and telephone number as well as the number of
attending assistants (maximum of two). Notice of participation must
be received by the company no later than Wednesday, April 19,
2023.
|
B) Shareholders who wish to participate in the Annual General
Meeting by postal voting
must
|
be recorded as a
shareholder in the share register prepared by Euroclear Sweden
relating to the circumstances on Monday, April 17, 2023 (see below
regarding re-registration of nominee registered shares),
and
|
must
|
give notice of
participation to the company by casting their postal vote so that
the postal voting form is received by the company no later than
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 (see below under "Advance Voting (Postal
Voting)" for further information).
|
The information provided in the notice of participation will be
processed and used only for the purpose of the Annual General
Meeting.
Shareholders who wish to participate at the Annual General
Meeting in person or by proxy must provide a notification of
attendance in accordance with item A) under "Participation" above.
A notification by postal voting only is not sufficient for
shareholders wishing to attend the Annual General Meeting at the
meeting facilities.
Nominee Shares
For shareholders who have their shares registered through a bank
or other nominee, the following applies in order to be entitled to
participate in the Annual General Meeting (at the meeting
facilities or through postal voting). Such shareholder must
register its shares in its own name so that the shareholder is
recorded in the share register prepared by Euroclear Sweden AB as
of the record date Monday, April 17,
2023. Such re-registration may be temporary (so-called
voting rights registration) and the request for such registration
shall be made to the nominee, in accordance with the nominee's
routines, at such a time in advance as decided by the nominee.
Voting rights registrations that have been completed by the nominee
no later than April 19, 2023 will be
taken into account in the preparation of the share register.
Proxy
Shareholders that are represented, or submit their postal vote,
by proxy must issue a power of attorney. A form for power of
attorney is available on the company's website www.boliden.com. A
power of attorney is valid for one year from its issue date or such
longer time period as set out in the power of attorney, however not
longer than a maximum of five years. A power of attorney issued by
a legal person must be accompanied by a certified copy of the legal
person's certificate of registration. The certificate of
registration shall evidence the circumstances on the date of the
Annual General Meeting and should not be older than one year at the
time of the Annual General Meeting. Power of attorney, certificate
of registration and other documents of authority are submitted by
email to GeneralMeetingService@euroclear.com or by mail to
Boliden AB, "AGM", c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, P.O. Box 191, SE-101
23, Stockholm, Sweden, well in
advance of the day of the Annual General Meeting.
Advance Voting (Postal Voting)
A special form must be used for the postal votes. The form is
available on the company's website www.boliden.com. Completed forms
must be received by Boliden no later than Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
The completed postal voting form can be sent by e-mail to
GeneralMeetingService@euroclear.com or by mail to Boliden AB,
"AGM", c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, P.O. Box 191, SE-101 23
Stockholm, Sweden. Shareholders
may also cast their votes electronically through verification with
BankID via the Euroclear Sweden AB's website
https://anmalan.vpc.se/EuroclearProxy. Such electronic votes must
be submitted no later than Wednesday, April
19, 2023. If the shareholder submits its postal vote by
proxy, a power of attorney for the proxy must be attached to the
postal voting form according to instructions under "Proxy" above.
If the shareholder is a legal person, a copy of a certificate of
registration or a corresponding document must be attached to the
postal voting form.
The shareholders may not provide special instructions or
conditions to the postal vote. If so, the entire postal vote is
invalid. Further instructions and conditions can be found in the
postal voting form. In order to receive the form for postal voting
by mail, please contact Euroclear Sweden at telephone +46 8 32
94 29, Monday to Friday between 09.00
a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Proposed Agenda
- Opening of the Annual General Meeting
- Election of the Chairman of the Meeting
- Preparation and approval of the voting list
- Approval of the agenda
- Election of two persons to verify the minutes together with the
Chairman
- Determination whether the Meeting has been duly convened
- Presentation of the annual report and auditor's report as well
as the consolidated financial statements and auditor's report for
the Group (including the auditor's statement regarding the
guidelines for remuneration to the Group Management in effect since
the previous Annual General Meeting)
- Report on the work of the Board of Directors, its Remuneration
Committee and its Audit Committee
- The President's address
- Report on the audit work during 2022
- Resolutions on adoption of the income statement and balance
sheet as well as the consolidated income statement and consolidated
balance sheet
- Resolution on appropriation of the company's profit in
accordance with the adopted balance sheet and determination of the
record date for the right to receive dividend
- Resolution on discharge from liability of the members of the
Board of Directors and the President
- Resolution on the number of Board members and auditors to be
appointed by the Annual General Meeting
- Resolution on fees for the Board of Directors
- Election of the Members and Chairman of the Board of
Directors
- Resolution on fees for the auditor
- Election of auditor
- Resolution on approval of remuneration report
- Election of members of the Nomination Committee
- Resolution regarding automatic share redemption procedure
including
- share split 2:1
- reduction of the share capital through redemption of
shares
- increase of the share capital through a bonus issue
- Resolution on the implementation of a long-term share savings
programme 2023/2026 (LTIP 2023/2026)
- Implementation of the Programme
- Hedging arrangements in respect of the Programme
- Decisions on acquisitions and transfers of treasury shares
- Equity swap agreement with a third party
- Resolution regarding guidelines for remuneration for the Group
Management
- Closing of the Annual General Meeting
Nomination Committee
The Nomination Committee of Boliden has consisted of
Lennart Francke (Swedbank Robur
Fonder), Chairman, Karin Eliasson
(Handelsbanken Fonder), and Patrik Jönsson (SEB fonder). The
chairman of the Board, Karl-Henrik Sundström has been an adjunct to
the Nomination Committee.
Election of Chairman (item 2)
The Nomination Committee proposes that Karl-Henrik Sundström be
elected Chairman of the meeting.
Preparation and approval of the voting list (item 3)
The voting list proposed for approval is the voting list drawn
up by Euroclear Sweden AB on behalf of the company, based on the
Annual General Meeting's register of shareholders, shareholders
having given notice of participation and being present at the
meeting venue, and postal votes received.
Resolution on the appropriation of the profit according to
the adopted balance sheet and determination of the record date for
the dividend (item 12)
The Board of Directors proposes a dividend to the shareholders
of SEK 15.00 (10.50) per share and
that Thursday, April 27, 2023 shall
be the record date for the right to receive dividends. Provided the
Annual General Meeting resolves in accordance with this proposal,
the dividend is expected to be distributed through Euroclear Sweden
AB on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Further
distribution of funds to the shareholders of SEK 11.50 per share through an automatic
redemption procedure is proposed in accordance with item 21
below.
Resolution on the number of Board members and auditors
appointed by the Annual General Meeting (item 14)
The Nomination Committee proposes the appointment of seven Board
members and one registered accounting firm as auditor.
Resolution on fees for the Board of Directors (item
15)
The Nomination Committee proposes that the Chairman of the Board
shall be remunerated with a fee of SEK 1,965,000 (1,920,000)
and that each of the other Directors not employed by the company
shall be remunerated with a fee of SEK 655,000 (640,000); that
the Chairman of the Audit Committee shall be remunerated with a fee
of SEK 275,000 (250,000); that each of the Audit Committee
members shall be remunerated with a fee of SEK 150,000
(150,000); and that both the Chairman and the other member of the
Remuneration Committee shall be remunerated with a fee of
SEK 75,000 (75,000) each.
Election of the Members and Chairman of the Board of
Directors (item 16)
The Nomination Committee proposes re-election of Helene Biström,
Tomas Eliasson, Per Lindberg, Perttu Louhiluoto, Elisabeth Nilsson, Pia Rudengren and Karl-Henrik
Sundström.
The Nomination Committee also proposes re-election of
Karl-Henrik Sundström as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Resolution on fees for the auditor (item 17)
The Nomination Committee proposes that the auditor's fees shall
be paid in accordance with approved invoices.
Election of auditor (item 18)
The Nomination Committee proposes, in accordance with the
recommendation by the Audit Committee, election of the accounting
firm Deloitte AB as auditor for the period until the end of the
next Annual General Meeting.
Election of members of the Nomination Committee (item
20)
The Nomination Committee proposes that Lennart Francke (Swedbank Robur Fonder),
Karin Eliasson (Handelsbanken
Fonder) and Patrik Jönsson (SEB fonder) are appointed as Nomination
Committee members.
Resolution regarding automatic share redemption procedure
including a) share split 2:1, b) reduction of the share capital
through redemption of shares and c) increase of the share capital
through a bonus issue (item 21)
Background
Boliden has generated substantial cash flows over the past year
and the financial position is strong. At the end of the year, the
net debt/equity ratio was zero (0) per cent, which means that the
balance sheet is stronger than Boliden's target of about 20 per
cent at economic peaks. The Board proposes that the Annual General
Meeting resolves on an automatic share redemption, which will not
jeopardise the ability to handle any deterioration in market terms
nor the ability to finance additional growth. Through this, each
existing share is split into two shares (share split 2:1), whereof
one of those shares will automatically be redeemed at SEK 11.50. In addition to the proposed ordinary
dividend of approximately SEK 4,103
million, approximately SEK 3,145
million will be distributed to the shareholders through
this procedure. The dividend and the redemption amount to a total
of approximately SEK 7,248 million,
or SEK 26.50 per share. To achieve a
quick and efficient redemption procedure the Board further proposes
that the company's share capital is restored to its current amount
by means of a bonus issue. In view hereof, the Board proposes that
the meeting resolves in accordance with the following proposal.
21 i) share split 2:1
The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves on a
share split 2:1, meaning that each existing share is divided into
two shares, of which one is to be referred to as redemption share
in the Euroclear system and be redeemed in the manner described
under item b) below. The suggested record date at Euroclear for the
share split is May 10, 2023. The last
trading day for the company's shares including the right to receive
redemption shares will therefore be May 8,
2023 and the first trading day for the company's shares
excluding the right to receive redemption shares will be
May 9, 2023. After the share split,
the number of shares in the company will increase from 273,511,169
to 547,022,338, each share with a quota value of approximately
SEK 1.06.
21 ii) reduction of the share capital through redemption of
shares
The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves that
the company's share capital shall be reduced by
SEK 289,457,169 (the reduction amount) for repayment to the
shareholders. The reduction of the share capital will be made by
means of redemption of 273,511,169 shares.
The shares to be redeemed shall be those shares that, after the
share split in accordance with item a) above, are referred to as
redemption shares in the Euroclear system, whereby the record date
for the right to receive redemption shares according to item a)
above is May 10, 2023. Trading in the
redemption shares is estimated to take place as from May 11, 2023 up to June 1,
2023.
For each redeemed share a redemption amount of SEK 11.50
will be paid in cash, of which approximately SEK 10.44 exceeds
the quota value of the share. The total redemption amount is
estimated to SEK 3,145,378,443.50. In addition to the
reduction amount of SEK 289,457,169,
an estimated amount of SEK 2,855,921,274.50 will be
distributed, by use of the company's non-restricted equity. The
record date for the right to receive the redemption amount is
proposed to be June 5, 2023. Payment
of the redemption amount is estimated to be made by Euroclear on
June 9, 2023.
Following the reduction, the company's share capital will amount
to SEK 289,457,169, allocated on in
total 273,511,169 shares, each share with a quota value of
approximately SEK 1.06. Apart from
the reduction of the share capital, the company's restricted equity
will not be affected.
21 iii) increase of the share capital through a bonus issue
Further, to achieve a quick and efficient redemption procedure
without the requirement of obtaining the Swedish Companies
Registration Office's or a general court's permission, the Board
proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves on a bonus issue
to increase the company's share capital by SEK 289,457,169, to
SEK 578,914,338, through a transfer
of SEK 289,457,169 from the company's
non-restricted equity. No new shares are to be issued in connection
with the bonus issue.
The number of shares in the company will, after implementation
of the increase of the share capital, be 273,511,169, each share
with a quota value of approximately SEK
2.12.
The resolutions by the Annual General Meeting in accordance with
items a) – c) above are conditional upon each other and shall
therefore be adopted as one resolution. In order for the resolution
by the Annual General Meeting to be valid, the resolution must be
approved by shareholders representing at least two thirds of the
votes cast as well as the shares represented at the Annual General
Meeting.
Finally, the Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting
authorises the company's President to make the minor adjustments to
the resolutions in this item 21 that may be required in connection
with the registration of the resolutions with the Swedish Companies
Registration Office or Euroclear.
The Board's statement pursuant to Chapter 20, Section 8 and
Chapter 20, Section 13 of the Swedish Companies Act as well as the
Auditor's statements pursuant to Chapter 20, Section 8 and Section
14 of the Swedish Companies Act are provided separately.
A separate information brochure regarding the proposed automatic
share redemption procedure in accordance with this item will be
provided before the Annual General Meeting.
Resolution on the implementation of a long-term share savings
programme 2023/2026 (item 22a) and hedging arrangements related
thereto (item 22b)
Background
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting
resolves on a long-term share savings programme (the
"Programme" or "LTIP 2023/2026"). The Programme is
aimed at the CEO, members of the Group Management, General Managers
and certain other key employees in the Boliden Group and shall be
implemented after Boliden's Annual General Meeting in 2023.
The overall purpose of the Programme is to maintain a close
community of interest between employees and shareholders by
incentivising employees to increase the value of the company. The
Programme is intended to attract and retain key employees. The
programme should be achievable, easy to understand, cost-effective
to administer and easy to communicate.
22 i) Implementation of the Programme
The Board of Directors proposes to implement the Programme on
the main terms set out below.
a. The Programme is proposed to be directed to 17
permanent employees within the Boliden Group, which are divided
into the following four categories: the CEO of Boliden
("Group 1"), members of the Group Management (currently
four persons) ("Group 2"), General Managers (currently ten
persons) ("Group 3") and two other pre-identified key
persons in the Boliden Group ("Group 4"). The participants
in Groups 1-4 are together referred to as the
"Participants".
b. In order to participate in the Programme, the employees
are required to personally invest in shares in Boliden, and that
these shares are allocated to the Programme, or that shares already
held in Boliden are allocated to the Programme1, which
shall take place no later than 31 December
2023, unless the Board of Directors decides to postpone the
date ("Investment Shares"). The Investment Shares shall be
retained throughout the Vesting Period (as defined below). For each
Investment Share, the Participants have the possibility to, free of
charge, either by Boliden, by another company in the Boliden Group
or by a designated third party, be allotted a maximum of three (3)
shares in Boliden conditional upon continued employment and
uninterrupted holding of Investment Shares and fulfilment of
certain performance conditions (as further described in section (d)
below) ("Performance Shares").
c. The Performance Shares will be granted after the expiry
of a vesting period, which runs from and including 1 June 2023 up to and including 31 May 2026 (the "Vesting Period").
d. The allotment of Performance Shares shall be dependent
on the extent to which the performance conditions for the Programme
have been fulfilled. The performance conditions shall consist of a
financial target specific to the Programme related to the total
shareholder return ("TSR") for Boliden's share (the "TSR
Condition") and a sustainability target (the "Sustainability
Condition"), as further described below. The TSR Condition will
be weighted with 80 per cent and the Sustainability Condition with
20 per cent when determining the allotment of Performance Shares.
After the end of the Vesting Period, the Board of Directors will
publish the extent to which the TSR Condition and the
Sustainability Conditions have been fulfilled.
The TSR Condition shall be related to the TSR of Boliden's share
during a period of 20 trading days after Boliden's publication of
the year-end report for the financial year 2022 compared to 20
trading days after Boliden's publication of the year-end report for
the financial year 2025 (the "Measurement Period") in
relation to the TSR of a peer group of other
companies.2
A condition for allotment of Performance Shares under the TSR
Condition is that the TSR for Boliden's share exceeds the weighted
TSR outcome for the peer group during the Measurement Period (the
"TSR Minimum Level"). If the TSR Minimum Level is not
achieved, no allotment of Performance Shares related to the TSR
Condition will be made. For maximum allotment (100 per cent), the
TSR for Boliden's share must exceed the weighted TSR outcome for
the peer group by at least 12.5 percentage points during the
Measurement Period (the "TSR Maximum Level"). If the TSR for
Boliden's share amounts to between the TSR Minimum Level and the
TSR Maximum Level during the Measurement Period, a linear
allocation is made.
The Sustainability Condition shall be related to the reduction
of Boliden's carbon dioxide emissions in absolute terms. A
condition for allotment of Performance Shares under the
Sustainability Condition is that Boliden's carbon dioxide emissions
in absolute terms (Scope 1 and Scope 2 according to the Green-house
Gas Protocol) during the financial year 2025 have been reduced by
at least 12 per cent compared to Boliden's carbon dioxide emissions
in absolute terms during the financial year 2021.3
e. Participants in Group 1-2 may invest in Investment
Shares at a value corresponding to a maximum of 15 per cent of the
Participant's annual gross fixed base salary for 2023. Participants
in Group 3-4 may invest in Investment Shares at a value
corresponding to a maximum of 10 per cent of the Participant's
annual gross fixed base salary for 2023. The number of Investment
Shares that Participants may acquire is determined on the basis of
the volume-weighted average share price of the Boliden share during
a period of 20 trading days after Boliden's publication of the
year-end report for the financial year 2022.
f. Performance Shares may normally only be allotted after
the end of the Vesting Period. The total value of Performance
Shares allotted to Participants may not exceed 150 per cent of the
Participant's annual individual gross fixed base salary for 2026
(the "Cap"). The value of the Performance Shares for
calculation of the Cap is determined based on the volume weighted
average share price of the Boliden share during a period of 20
trading days prior to the end of the Vesting Period.
g. For a Participant to be allotted Performance Shares, it
shall normally have been a permanent employee within the Boliden
Group during the entire Vesting Period, and have retained the
Investment Shares until the end of the Vesting Period. Investment
Shares disposed of before the end of the Vesting Period shall not
be included in the calculation for determining the allotment of
Performance Shares.
h. If there are significant changes in the Boliden Group
or in the market which, in the opinion of the Board of Directors,
would mean that the conditions for allotment of Performance Shares
under the Programme are no longer reasonable, the Board of
Directors shall be entitled to make adjustments to the Programme,
including, inter alia, a right to resolve on a reduced allotment of
Performance Shares, or that no allotment of Performance Shares
shall take place at all.
i. The Board of Directors shall be entitled to decide on
the detailed terms and conditions of the Programme. In this
respect, the Board of Directors shall be entitled to make necessary
adjustments to these terms and conditions in order to fulfil
specific rules or market conditions outside Sweden.
j. Participation in the Programme is contingent upon such
participation being legal in the relevant jurisdictions. Where, in
the Board's opinion, Participants outside Sweden cannot be allotted Performance Shares
at a reasonable cost or with reasonable administrative efforts, it
shall be entitled to decide on a cash settlement for such
Participants.
k. The Programme shall comprise a maximum of 40,000
Performance Shares in Boliden.
l. The number of Performance Shares shall be subject to
recalculation to take into account any intervening bonus issues,
splits, rights issues, dividend exceeding 15 per cent of the
Group's equity for a given financial year and/or other similar
corporate events.
Costs of the Programme, etc.
The costs for the Programme, which are recognised in the income
statement, are calculated in accordance with the accounting
standard IFRS 2 and are accrued over the Vesting Period. The
calculation has been carried out based on the quoted closing price
for shares in Boliden as of 15 February
2023, i.e. SEK 437.4 per
share, and with the following assumptions: (i) an annual dividend
yield of approximately 5 per cent, (ii) an annual employee turnover
of approximately 7 per cent, (iii) fulfilment of the TSR Condition
of 100 per cent and fulfilment of the Sustainability Condition,
(iv) all 17 Participants invest the maximum amount in the
Programme, (v) all remaining Participants are entitled to allotment
of the maximum number of Performance Shares in the Programme, (vi)
a tax rate for social security contributions of 28 per cent, and
(vii) a total maximum of 40,000 Performance Shares available for
allotment.
Based on the above assumptions, the total costs for the
Programme under IFRS 2 are estimated to amount to approximately
SEK 9 million, excluding social
security contributions. Assuming an annual share price increase of
15 per cent during the term of the Programme, the costs for social
security contributions are estimated to amount to approximately
SEK 7 million. Assuming instead an
annual share price increase of 30 per cent during the duration of
the Programme, the costs for social security contributions are
estimated to amount to approximately SEK 10
million.
Based on the above assumptions (and an annual share price
increase of 15 per cent for calculation of the social security
contributions), the yearly costs are estimated to amount to
approximately SEK 5.3 million,
including social security contributions. This corresponds to
approximately 0.1 per cent of the Boliden Group's total personnel
costs for the financial year 2022.
Dilution
The allotment of repurchased shares to fulfil the obligations under
the Programme would result in the following dilution effects (under
the assumptions stated below). At the maximum allotment of
Performance Shares, the number of shares to be allotted free of
charge in the Programme amounts to 40,000 shares in Boliden, which
corresponds to approximately 0.01 per cent of the shares and votes
(calculated based on the number of outstanding shares in Boliden as
of 15 February 2023). The effects on
key ratios and earnings per share are thus marginal.
Hedging arrangements
In order to be able to implement the Programme in a cost-efficient
and flexible manner, the Board of Directors has considered
different methods for delivery of Performance Shares. The Board of
Directors has thereby found the most cost-efficient alternative to
be, and therefore proposes that the Annual General Meeting as a
main alternative resolves on, repurchase and transfer of treasury
shares. The Company currently holds no treasury shares. The
detailed terms and conditions for the Board of Directors' main
alternative are set out in section 22.b.i below.
Should the required majority for item 22.b.i below not be
reached, the Board of Directors proposes that Boliden shall be able
to enter into equity swap agreements with third parties in
accordance with item 22.b.ii below.
Preparation of the proposal
The proposed Programme has, according to guidelines issued by
Boliden's Board of Directors, been prepared by Boliden's
Remuneration Committee, with the assistance of external advisors.
The Remuneration Committee has presented the work to the Board of
Directors, after which the Board of Directors has decided to
propose that the Programme is adopted at the Annual General Meeting
2023.
22 ii) Hedging arrangements in respect of the Programme
a. Decisions on acquisitions and transfers of treasury
shares
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting
(a) authorise the Board of Directors to resolve on acquisitions of
treasury shares on Nasdaq Stockholm and (b) resolve that treasury
shares may be transferred to the Participants in the Programme.
a) The acquisition of treasury shares is
subject to the following terms:
i. Purchases of treasury shares may
only be made on Nasdaq Stockholm.
ii. A maximum of 40,000 shares may
be acquired to ensure delivery of shares to Participants.
iii. Acquisitions of shares in
Boliden on Nasdaq Stockholm may only be made at a price within the
price interval applicable from time to time on Nasdaq Stockholm,
i.e. the interval between the highest buying price and the lowest
selling price on Nasdaq Stockholm from time to time.
iv. The authorisation may be
exercised on one or more occasions until the Annual General Meeting
in 2024.
b) The transfer of Boliden's treasury
shares to the Participants may take place under the following
terms:
i. A maximum of 40,000 shares in
Boliden may be transferred free of charge to the Participants.
ii. The right to acquire shares in
Boliden free of charge shall, with deviation from the shareholders'
preferential rights, be granted to the Participants, with a right
for each Participant to acquire a maximum number of shares in
accordance with the terms of the Programme. Furthermore, with
deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights, subsidiaries
of Boliden shall be entitled to acquire shares in Boliden free of
charge, whereby such company shall be obliged to, according to the
terms of the Programme, immediately transfer the shares to the
Participants.
iii. Transfers of shares in Boliden
shall be made free of charge at the time and on the other terms and
conditions that the Participants are entitled to be allocated
shares.
iv. The number of shares in Boliden
that may be transferred under the Programme shall be subject to
recalculation to take into account any intervening bonus issues,
splits, rights issues, dividend exceeding 15 per cent of the
Group's equity for a given financial year and/or other similar
corporate events.
The transfer of own shares is part of the proposed Programme and
the Board of Directors considers it to be beneficial to Boliden and
the shareholders that Participants in the Programme are offered the
opportunity to become shareholders under the terms of the
Programme.
b. Equity swap agreement with a third party
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting,
in the event that the required majority for item 22.b.i above
cannot be reached, resolve to hedge the financial exposure that the
Programme is expected to entail by enabling Boliden to enter into
an equity swap agreement with a third party on terms in accordance
with market practice, whereby the third party undertakes, in its
own name and in exchange for a fee, to acquire and transfer shares
in Boliden to the Participants in accordance with the terms of the
Programme.
Majority requirements, etc.
The Annual General Meeting's resolution to implement the
Programme in accordance with item 22.a. above is conditional upon
the Annual General Meeting resolving either in accordance with the
proposal under item 22.b.i or the proposal under item 22.b.ii.
The Annual General Meeting's resolution under item 22.a above
requires a simple majority of the votes cast. A valid resolution
under item 22.b.i above requires that shareholders representing not
less than nine-tenths of the votes cast as well as of the shares
represented at the Annual General Meeting approve the resolution. A
valid resolution under item 22.b.ii above requires a simple
majority of the votes cast.
Resolution regarding guidelines for remuneration to Group
Management (item 23)
The Board of Directors proposes the following guidelines for
remuneration to the company's Group Management. While the Board of
Directors proposes some adjustments, the proposal is essentially in
accordance with the guidelines adopted by the Annual General
Meeting in previous years.
These guidelines apply to the President and other members of
Group Management. The guidelines set out the principles applied by
the company with regard to their remuneration.
The guidelines' promotion of the company's strategy,
long-term interests and sustainability
Information regarding the company's strategy can be found in the
annual report. In order to successfully implement the strategy and
safeguard the company's long-term interests, including its
sustainability, the company must be able to recruit and retain
qualified employees. To do so, the company must be able to offer
competitive remuneration. These guidelines enable a competitive
remuneration package to be offered to Group Management.
Forms of remuneration, etc.
The total remuneration shall be on market terms and shall
comprise fixed salary, variable cash compensation, pension benefits
and other benefits.
In addition, members of the Group Management may be offered
long-term share-related incentive programmes. Any such programme is
decided by the general meeting and is therefore not covered by
these guidelines. The Board of Directors evaluates annually whether
a share-related incentive programme should be proposed to the
General Meeting. Any long-term share-related incentive programme
shall have a clear link to the business strategy and be designed
with the aim of aligning the interests of the shareholders and the
participants for long-term value creation.
(i) Fixed salary
The fixed salary shall be determined on the basis of factors
including competence, responsibilities, experience and performance.
The Group uses an internationally recognised evaluation system to
determine the scope and level of responsibility of executive
positions. Comparisons are made with similar companies. Such
evaluation is performed annually by the Remuneration Committee and
forms the basis for its decisions and the proposed fixed salary for
the President that the Committee submits to the Board of Directors
for approval.
(ii) Variable cash compensation
The variable cash compensation shall not exceed 60 per cent of
the fixed salary and shall be linked to predefined, measurable
criteria, which may be financial or non-financial. Some of the
criteria may consist of quantitative or qualitative goals that are
specific to the individual. The criteria shall be designed in such
a way as to promote the company's strategy and long-term interests.
The Board of Directors shall have the possibility, subject to the
limitations that may result from by law or agreement, to demand
repayment of variable cash compensation paid on erroneous grounds
(claw back).
Once the annual accounts have been approved by the Board of
Directors, an assessment is made of the extent to which the
criteria have been met. The Board of Directors is responsible,
following the preparatory work of the Remuneration Committee, for
such assessment in respect of variable cash compensation to the
President. The President is responsible for the assessment in
respect of other executives.
(iii) Pension benefits
The pension benefits for the President and other members of the
Group Management shall be defined contribution. The variable cash
compensation shall not be included in the basis for calculation of
pension. Pension contributions shall not exceed 35 per cent of the
fixed annual cash salary. For other members of the Group
Management, the defined contribution solution does not include
costs for ITP's base plan (Sw. ITPS bottenplatta), ITPK,
part-time pension and supplementary health insurance.
(iv) Other benefits
Other benefits may include health insurance and company car
benefit. Premiums and other costs related to such benefits may not
in total exceed 15 per cent of the fixed annual cash salary.
Mandatory legal and collective agreement provisions
Nothing in these guidelines shall restrict mandatory legislation
or collective agreement provisions, where these are applicable.
Termination of employment
A notice period of six months applies to termination of
employment by a member of Group Management. On termination of
employment by the company, the total remuneration during the notice
period and severance compensation, if any, shall not exceed 18
months' fixed salary.
Salary and terms of employment for employees
In the preparation of the Board's proposal for these
remuneration guidelines, the salary and terms of employment of the
company's employees shall be taken into account by information
concerning the total remuneration of employees, the components of
the remuneration and the increase and rate of increase in
remuneration over time having been part of the decision-making
basis for the Remuneration Committee and the Board of Directors in
evaluating the reasonableness of the guidelines and the limitations
arising from them.
The decision-making process for establishing, evaluating and
implementing the guidelines
The Board of Directors has established a Remuneration Committee.
The Committee's tasks include preparing the Board's resolution on
the proposed guidelines for remuneration to Group Management. The
Board of Directors shall draw up proposals for new guidelines at
least every four years and submit these proposals for resolution at
the Annual General Meeting. The guidelines shall apply until new
guidelines are adopted by the General Meeting.
The Remuneration Committee submits proposals to the Board of
Directors regarding remuneration, etc. to the President.
Furthermore, the Remuneration Committee prepares principles for
remuneration to the Group Management and approves, on proposal from
the President, remuneration, etc. to the Group Management.
The Remuneration Committee shall also monitor and evaluate
variable compensation schemes for Group Management, the application
of remuneration guidelines for Group Management and current
remuneration structures and levels of remuneration within the
company.
The President and other members of Group Management shall not be
in attendance during the Board of Directors' consideration and
decisions on matters relating to their remuneration.
Departure from the guidelines
The Board of Directors may decide to depart temporarily from the
guidelines, in whole or in part, where there are particular reasons
for doing so in an individual case and where such departure is
necessary in order to safeguard the long-term interests of the
company, including its sustainability, or to ensure the company's
financial viability.
Significant changes to the guidelines and how shareholders'
views have been taken into account
The Board of Director's proposal to the Annual General Meeting
2023 does not entail any significant changes in relation to the
guidelines adopted in 2020. However, some adjustments have been
made in order to reflect that member of the Group Management can be
offered long-term share-related incentive programmes decided by the
General Meeting. The design of variable cash remuneration from 2023
is no longer linked to the individual investing in additional
shares in the company for part of the variable cash
remuneration.
At the 2022 Annual General Meeting, no comments were made by
shareholders regarding the guidelines. The company has thus not had
to consider any comments during the year.
Shares and Votes
The company's share capital amounts to SEK 578,914,338 distributed among 273,511,169
shares and votes. The company holds no own shares.
Further Information
Information regarding all the proposed Board members of Boliden
AB and the Nomination Committee's motivated statement are available
on the company's website www.boliden.com.
The annual report and the auditor's report, the auditor's
statement on compliance with the guidelines for remuneration, etc.
for the Group Management, the auditor's statements in accordance
with Chapter 20, Section 8 and Chapter 20, Section 14 of the
Swedish Companies Act, the Board's motivated statements in
accordance with Chapter 18, Section 4 and Chapter 20, Section 8,
Chapter 19, Section 22 and Chapter 20, Section 13 of the Swedish
Companies Act, and the Board's remuneration report, are available
on www.boliden.com and at the company's head office,
Klarabergsviadukten 90 in Stockholm,
Sweden, as of Tuesday, April 4,
2023. The documents may also be ordered from the
company.
Shareholders' right to information
The Board of Directors and the President shall, if requested by
a shareholder and if the Board deems that it can be done without
material harm to the company, provide information regarding
circumstances that may influence the assessment of either an item
on the agenda, or the company's or a subsidiary's financial
situation or the company's relation to another group company. Those
who wish to pose questions in advance may submit these to Boliden
AB, c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, P.O. Box 191, SE-101 23 Stockholm, Sweden or via e-mail to:
arsstamma@boliden.com.
Processing of personal data
For information on how personal data is processed in connection
with the Annual General Meeting, see
https://www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-notice-bolagsstammor-engelska.pdf.
For further information please contact:
Klas Nilsson, Director Group
Communications, tel: +46 (0)70-453 65 88,
klas.nilsson@boliden.com
1 Shares that the Participants have acquired
within the framework of Boliden's remuneration programme for
short-term cash variable remuneration and that have been held for
less than three years cannot be allocated as Investment Shares in
the Programme.
2 The calculation of the TSR is made as follows.
Volume-weighted average share prices during a period of 20 trading
days after Boliden's publication of the year-end report for the
financial year 2022 are compared with volume-weighted average share
prices during a period of 20 trading days after Boliden's
publication of the year-end report for the financial year 2025,
with the addition of dividends and other returns. Upon
implementation of the Programme, the peer group consists of the
following companies: Antofagasta,
Aurubis, Lundin Mining, First Quantum, Fresnillo, KGHM, Korea Zinc
and TECK. The peer group may be adjusted as decided by the Board of
Directors if the Board of Directors finds it appropriate.
3 Boliden aims to have 40 per cent lower
absolute carbon dioxide emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2 according to
the Green-house Gas Protocol) in 2030 compared to the base year
2021. The emission target for 2030 is expected to be validated by
the Science Based Target Initiative ("SBTi") during the
second half of 2023. The validation process may lead to the
Sustainability Condition being adjusted. However, any such
adjustment must be approved by the Board of Directors and will be
communicated by Boliden.
Boliden is a metals company with a focus on sustainable
development. Our roots are Nordic, our market global. Our core
competence lies within the fields of exploration, mining, smelting
and metal recycling. Boliden has around 6,000 employees and annual
sales of approximately SEK 85
billion. The share is listed in the Large Cap segment on
NASDAQ OMX Stockholm.
The following files are available for download:
https://mb.cision.com/Main/997/3737766/1930550.pdf
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SOURCE Boliden