Notice of Annual General Meeting and Extraordin...
Time and place
The Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of Oriflame Cosmetics S.A. (the
"Company") in relation to items 1 to 13 of the agenda below will be
held at the offices of Wildgen, 69 Boulevard de la Pétrusse, L-2320
Luxembourg on 19 May 2008 at 11 a.m. The Extraordinary General
Meeting ("EGM") of the Company in relation to items 14 to 18 of the
agenda will be held at the same place immediately after the closing
of the AGM.
Agenda
1. Approval of the Nomination Committee's proposal that Pontus
Andreasson be chairman of the AGM and EGM;
2. Reading of the report of the Board of Directors relating to
conflicting interests of directors;
3. Approval of the reports of the Board of Directors and of the
independent auditor ("réviseur d'entreprises") relating to the
accounts of the Company as at 31 December 2007;
4. Approval of the balance sheet and of the profit and loss statement
of the Company as at 31 December 2007 and of the Consolidated
Accounts as at 31 December 2007;
5. Allocation of results for the financial year ending 31 December
2007 whereby the Board has proposed that the profit for the financial
year 2007 will be carried forward;
6. Approval of the Board of Director's resolution that a dividend
distribution of EUR 1.25 per share (or the Swedish Krona equivalent
per Swedish Depository Receipt) shall be paid in cash out of firstly
the Special Reserve and secondly out of the profits from the years up
to and including 2006 and that 22 May 2008 shall be the record date
in respect of such dividend. The payment of cash dividend is expected
to occur through VPC AB on 27 May 2008;
7. Presentation of the work of the Board and the Board committees;
8. Discharge to the directors and the independent auditor ("réviseur
d'entreprises") in respect of carrying out their duties during the
financial year ending 31 December 2007;
9. Statutory elections including election of the Chairman of the
Board.
9.1 The Nomination Committee (Carlos von Hardenberg (Templeton), Per
Hesselmark (Stichting af Jochnick Foundation), Robert af Jochnick,
Åsa Nisell (Swedbank Robur), Carl Rosén (2nd AP-Fund), together
representing more than 25 per cent of the number of votes and shares
in the Company) has proposed that all current directors be
re-elected, being: Robert af Jochnick, Lennart Björk, Magnus
Brännström, Marie Ehrling, Lilian Fossum, Alexander af Jochnick,
Jonas af Jochnick, Helle Kruse Nielsen and Christian Salamon;
9.2 The Nomination Committee further proposes that Robert af Jochnick
be re-elected Chairman of the Board;
9.3 Approval of the Nomination Committee's proposal to appoint KPMG
Audit S.Ã r.l., with registered offices at L-2520 Luxembourg, 31
allée Scheffer, registered with the Luxembourg Trade Register under
number B 103590 as independent auditor ("réviseur d'entreprises")
for a period ending at the next annual general meeting to be held in
order to approve the accounts of the Company for the year ending 31
December 2008;
10. Approval of the Board of Director's proposal that the Company
shall continue to have a nomination committee ("Committee") and
approval of the proposed procedure for appointment of the members of
the Committee whereby the Board proposes:
that there shall exist a Committee to prepare and make proposals to
the AGM regarding the election of the Chairman of the AGM, Chairman
of the Board of Directors, Directors and, if applicable, auditors, as
well as the Board of Directors' fees;
that the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall convene the five
largest shareholders of the Company, as it is known by the Company at
that time, at the end of the third quarter of the year. These
shareholders then have the right to appoint one member each to the
Committee. If any of the five largest shareholders declines its right
to appoint a member of the Committee, or if a member resigns from the
Committee and is not replaced by a new member appointed by the same
shareholder, the shareholder next in size shall be given the
opportunity to appoint a member of the Committee. If several of the
shareholders decline their right to appoint members of the Committee,
no more than the eight largest shareholders need to be contacted. The
Committee should be chaired by one of its members. No more than two
of the Committee's members should also be members of the Board of
Directors. If any of the shareholders having appointed a member to
the Committee sells a not insignificant part of its shares in the
Company and ceases to qualify as a large shareholder with rights to
appoint a member to the Committee, the respective member should
resign from the Committee, and a new member should be appointed by
the shareholder next in size. The chairman of the Board of Directors
shall, as part of the Committees' work, present any matters regarding
the Board of Directors' work that may be of importance for the
Committee's work, including an evaluation of the work of the Board of
Directors and the requirements and skills set to be represented by
the Directors, to the Committee;
that individual shareholders shall have the possibility to give
suggestions regarding members of the Board of Directors to the
Committee for further assessment within its scope of work;
that information regarding the composition of the Committee shall be
made public at least six months before the annual general meeting;
that the Committee shall have the right to charge the Company costs
for recruitment consultants, if it is deemed necessary to get an
adequate selection of candidates for members of the Board of
Directors;
11. Approval of Nomination Committee's proposal regarding directors'
and committee fees. The Nomination Committee has proposed that the
remuneration to the directors and committee members remain unchanged,
whereby directors and committee fees will be allocated as follows:
EUR 62,500 to the Chairman of the Board, EUR 25,000 to each
respective remaining non-executive director, EUR 10,000 to each
member of the Audit Committee and EUR 5,000 to each member of the
Remuneration Committee;
12. Approval of the Board of Director's proposal on principles of
remuneration to members of the Company's top management. The Board of
Directors proposal for principles of remuneration and other terms of
employment for members of the Company's top management entails in
essence that Oriflame shall offer competitive salaries according to
position and market in order to attract and retain the best
individuals for the positions and that remuneration shall consist of
the items listed in (i) through (iv):
(i) Fixed base salary: The members of the Company's management shall
be offered fixed salaries that are competitive and which are based on
the respective individual's responsibilities and performance;
(ii) Variable compensation: Oriflame allocates 6.5 per cent of any
increase to operating profit to profit sharing to be shared among the
Company's top management, however for each individual no more than an
equivalent of 12 months salary. The allocation is according to
position and flexed according to performance in the year. The 6.5 per
cent includes company cost for social charges. Moreover the Company
offers a Share Incentive Plan which covers the top approximately 150
Executives and Managers. Each year the individuals are invited to
invest in a number of shares at the current market price. In return
for this they will receive between 0 and 4 free shares in three years
time, depending on the increase of operating profit.
(iii) Pensions: Members of the Company's management are offered
pension benefits that are competitive in the country where the
individual is resident. Oriflame pays pensions into an independent
defined contribution scheme. In addition, Oriflame has defined
contribution schemes for some of the employees in compliance with
pension requirements in the countries in which the Company operates.
(iv) Non-monetary benefits: Members of the Company's top management
and certain other Executives are entitled to customary non-monetary
benefits such as company cars and company health care. Moreover,
certain individuals may be offered company housing and other benefits
including school fees.
The proposal deviates from the principles adopted at the 2007 AGM in
so far that the allocation of part of any increase to operating
profit for profit sharing has been restricted to a more limited
circle of the company's management and as a result the percentage of
the operating profit to be shared has been decreased from 16 to 6.5
per cent.
13. Ratification of the increase by EUR 10,000 of the total amount of
fees distributed by the Board of directors following last years AGM
due to an increase of the number of Audit Committee members;
14. After reading of the report of the Board of Directors relating to
exclusion of the pre-emption right, approval of proposal for
authorization to the Board of Directors to issue shares under a new
share incentive plan for key employees and a small number of other
key individuals of the Company (the "Participants") for the years
2008-2010, whereby the Board of Directors proposes that the EGM
authorizes the Board of Directors to at one or several occasions
increase the share capital of the Company within the authorized share
capital and exclude the pre-emption right by the issue of up to
2,100,000 shares to the Participants under such plan. Out of such
shares, shares corresponding to a fair market value of up to EUR
3,500,000 will annually be offered for purchase by the Participants
at fair market terms (the "Investment Shares") over the years
2008-2010, however subject to the additional requirement that the
number of Investment Shares to be offered under the plan shall be
determined by the Board of Directors so that the potential dilution
under the lifetime of the plan shall amount to less than 3 per cent
of the share capital of the Company. Up to a further amount of 4
times the shares issued as incentive shares will be available to be
awarded to the Participants as free shares (the "Achievement
Shares"). The allotment of Achievement Shares to each Participant
will be between 0 and 4 Achievement Shares for each Investment Share,
depending upon the development of the Operating Profit of the Company
in the 3 years following the Purchase of each Investment Share. The
levels of Operating Profit development required for each Achievement
Share level will be set by the Board of Directors to provide a fair
balance between performance and reward. Under IFRS 2 the cost of the
plan must be expensed through the Operating Statement over the life
of the plan. The maximum cost will amount to EUR 42 million to be
expensed over the period 2008-2013. In addition to this amount,
social charges costs will arise. However, as the social charges costs
will depend on the value of the Achievement Shares at the time of
issuance and furthermore on where the Participants are resident at
the time of allotment of the Achievement Shares, they cannot be
calculated at this stage. In the event that the subscription price
for any share issued pursuant to the share incentive plan is less
than the accounting par value of each share so issued, the Board of
Directors shall be authorised to take the balance in respect thereof
from the reserves of the Company. The reason for the deviation from
the shareholders' pre-emption rights according to the above proposal
is that a long-term ownership interest of the Participants is likely
to increase the interest in the business and the results of the
Oriflame group and that it will increase the motivation and mutual
interests of the Participants and the Company. The proposal is
therefore deemed to be beneficial for the Company and its
shareholders.
15. Deletion of Article 5 of the Articles of Association and
replacing it with the following:
"Article 5
SHARE CAPITAL
The share capital of the Company is fixed at sixty nine million six
hundred and seventy seven thousand one hundred and forty two EURO and
fifty Cents (EUR 69,677,142.50), represented by fifty five million
seven hundred and forty one thousand seven hundred and fourteen
(55,741,714) shares of no nominal value.
The authorised capital of the Company is fixed at one hundred and two
million four hundred thousand EURO (EUR 102,400,000.00). The board
of directors of the Company shall have power to issue shares and
increase the share capital of the Company within the limits of its
authorised capital for a period ending five years after 19 May 2005
to persons exercising their rights under the 2005 share incentive
plan and to exclude the pre-emption rights of existing shareholders
by the issue of up to 2,250,000 shares under such plan and, for a
period ending five years after 19 May 2008 to persons exercising
their rights under the 2008 share incentive plan and to exclude the
pre-emption rights of existing shareholders by the issue of up to
2,100,000 shares under such plan. In the event that the subscription
price for any share issued pursuant to either the 2005 share
incentive plan or the 2008 share incentive plan is less than the
accounting par value of each share so issued the board shall be
authorised to take the balance in respect thereof from the reserves
of the Company.
Such authorisation may be renewed by decision of a general meeting of
the shareholders.
The realisation of the authorised capital will take place by the
creation and the issue of new shares of no nominal value and which
will benefit from the same rights as shares previously issued."
16. Information relating to the cost calculation of the Oriflame 2005
Share Incentive Plan allocations, as well as information relating to
the cost calculation of the proposed allocations of Investment Shares
in 2008 under the proposed 2008 Share Incentive Plan.
17. Reduction of the share premium account from its current amount of
EUR 3,360,895 to EUR 1,760,895 and subsequent allocation of the
amount of EUR 1,600,000 to a reserve account in order to allow the
Board of Directors to over the years 2008 - 2010 finance the issuance
of the Achievement Shares relating to the 2005 Investment Shares
within the limits of the authorized share capital.
18. Miscellaneous
Notice to shareholders
Shareholders who wish to attend the AGM and EGM must:
i. be registered as shareholders in the share register of the Company
on 9 May 2008
ii. notify the Company of their intention to attend the AGM
and EGM no later than 5 p.m. on 13 May 2008
Shareholders who are able to prove that they are registered
shareholders of the Company as at 9 May 2008 may attend the AGM and
EGM.
Shareholders who wish to attend the AGM and EGM must give notice of
intention to attend by sending attendance cards (available on
www.oriflame.com under the heading "Attendance Cards for
Shareholders") to the registered address of the Company as stated
above of this Convening Notice or by fax (+352 26 20 32 34). They
may also send the attendance card by email to the Company at
corporate.governance@oriflame.com. All attendance cards must be
received by the Company no later than 5 p.m. on 13 May 2008. The
attendance card must be completed in full and signed.
Holders of bearer shares wishing to attend and vote at the AGM and
EGM in person or by proxy must deposit their bearer shares at the
Company's registered offices no later than 5 p.m. on 12 May 2008 and
shall obtain a receipt from the Company confirming such deposit.
Neither a holder of bearer shares nor his or her proxy shall be
permitted to attend or vote at the AGM and EGM except upon delivery
at the meeting of the receipt confirming such deposit.
Shareholders may vote by proxy. Proxy cards (available on
www.oriflame.com under the heading "Proxy Cards for Shareholders")
must be used. In order to be included in the votes, fully completed
and signed proxy cards must be received by the Company by fax (+352
26 20 32 34) or at the registered address of the Company as stated
above of this Convening Notice no later than 5 p.m. on 13 May 2008.
Please observe that conversion from shares into SDRs and vice versa
is not allowed during the period between 9 May 2008 and 19 May 2008.
The AGM can be validly held without any specific quorum and
resolutions shall be validly adopted at the AGM if approved by a
majority of the shares present or represented and authorized to vote.
The EGM is only validly held if at least 50% of the shares authorized
to vote are present or represented at the EGM. Resolutions shall be
validly adopted at the EGM if approved by a qualified majority of at
least 2/3 of the shares present or represented and authorized to
vote.
Notice to SDR holders
Holders of Swedish Depository Receipts of the Company ("SDRs") who
wish to attend the AGM and EGM must:
i. be registered in the register kept by VPC AB on 9 May 2008
ii. notify Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) ("SEB") their
intention to attend the AGM and EGM no later than 5 p.m. on 13 May
2008
SDRs are only registered in the name of the holder in the register
kept by VPC AB ("VPC"). SDR holders registered in the name of a
nominee (which may be a broker or a bank) must have their SDRs
registered in their own names in the VPC register to be entitled to
give instructions to SEB to vote at the AGM and EGM. SDR holders who
hold through a nominee should therefore request their nominee to
request a temporary owner registration (so-called voting-right
registration) well ahead of 9 May 2008 if they wish to vote.
SDR holders who are directly registered in the VPC register or who
have a voting-right registration by 9 May 2008 may attend the AGM and
EGM. SDR holders must be able to prove that they are SDR holders as
at 9 May 2008 if they wish to attend.
SDR holders who are directly registered in the VPC register or who
have a voting-right registration by 9 May 2008 who wish to attend the
AGM and EGM must give notice of their intention to attend by sending
attendance cards (available on www.oriflame.com under the heading
"Attendance Cards for SDR Holders") to Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken
AB (publ), SEB Group Operations, Securities Operations, Issue
Department, RB6, 106 40 Stockholm, Sweden. ). They may also send the
attendance card by email to SEB Merchant Bankning at
tsoissuedepartment@seb.se. All attendance cards must be received by
SEB no later than 5 p.m. on 13 May 2008. The attendance card must be
completed in full and signed.
SDR holders who are directly registered in the VPC register or who
have a voting-right registration by 9 May 2008 may vote by proxy.
Voting is not carried out by attending the AGM or EGM in person.
Proxy cards (available on www.oriflame.com under the heading "Proxy
Cards for SDR Holders") must be used. Fully completed and signed
proxy cards must, in order to be included in the votes, be received
by Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), SEB Group Operations,
Securities Operations, Issue Department, RB6, 106 40 Stockholm,
Sweden no later than 5 p.m. on 13 May 2008.
SDR holders that have not given SEB instruction as to the exercise of
the voting rights pertaining to the shares represented by their
respective SDRs at the AGM and EGM by sending/delivering SEB a
completed and signed proxy card, shall be deemed to have instructed
SEB to give a proxy to a person designated by the Company to vote for
the shares in the same proportion as all other shares in the Company
represented by SDRs that are being voted for at the AGM and EGM.
However, no such instruction from the SDR holders to SEB shall be
deemed given with respect to any matter where giving such
instructions and/or discretionary proxy would not be permitted by
applicable law.
Please observe that conversion from SDRs into shares and vice versa
is not allowed during the period between 9 May 2008 and 19 May 2008.
The AGM can be validly held without any specific quorum and
resolutions shall be validly adopted at the AGM if approved by a
majority of the shares present or represented and authorized to vote.
The EGM is only validly held if at least 50% of the shares authorized
to vote are present or represented at the EGM. Resolutions shall be
validly adopted at the EGM if approved by a qualified majority of at
least 2/3 of the shares present or represented and authorized to
vote.
Shareholders' Day
Shareholders and SDR holders are invited to an information session
together with certain members of the Executive Committee and certain
Board members at 6 p.m. on 24 April 2008 at Nalen (Regeringsgatan 74)
in Stockholm. The purpose of the Shareholders' Day is to enable
shareholders and SDR holders who will have difficulties to attend the
AGM/EGM in Luxembourg to ask questions in relation to AGM/EGM items
proposed by the Board. Magnus Brännström, CEO of the Company, will
give a short presentation of the business. Robert af Jochnick,
co-founder and chairman of the Board, will give information on
AGM/EGM items proposed by the Board. The latter will be followed by a
Q&A session. Notice to attend the Shareholders' Day shall be sent by
email to oriflame@vero.se or to the Company by fax (+352 26 20 32 34)
no later than 21 April 2008.
__________
Luxembourg in April 2008
Oriflame Cosmetics S.A.
The Board of Directors
The press release can also be downloaded from the following link: