UNILEVER PLC
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
ALL RESOLUTIONS APPROVED
Unilever PLC shareholders today approved all resolutions put to the 2015 Annual General Meeting in Leatherhead. Voting was by poll on each resolution and the results are set out below.
BOARD APPOINTMENTS
The following directors stood for re-election and were duly re-elected by the shareholders of Unilever PLC: Laura Cha, Louise Fresco, Ann Fudge, Mary Ma, Jean-Marc Huët, Hixonia Nyasulu, Paul Polman, John Rishton, Feike Sijbesma and Michael Treschow.
Nils Andersen and Judith Hartmann were proposed for election for the first time and were duly elected by the shareholders of Unilever PLC with effect from 30 April 2015. Vittorio Colao was proposed for election for the first time and was duly elected by the shareholders of Unilever PLC with effect from 1 July 2015.
Each proposed candidate for election or re-election was also proposed and all resolutions were passed approving his or her appointment as an Executive or Non-Executive Director at the Unilever N.V. AGM on 29 April 2015.
Byron Grote, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Kees Storm and Paul Walsh retired as Non-Executive Directors at the close of the Unilever PLC Annual General Meeting.
POLL RESULTS - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 30 APRIL 2015
|
TOTAL VOTES FOR |
% |
TOTAL VOTES AGAINST |
% |
TOTAL VOTES CAST |
% OF SHARE CAPITAL VALIDLY CAST VOTED FOR AND AGAINST |
VOTES WITHHELD |
1. To receive the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2014 |
894,163,102 |
99.03 |
8,800,768 |
0.97 |
902,963,870 |
70.35% |
1,178,486 |
2. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 December 2014 |
862,094,916 |
96.28 |
33,315,864 |
3.72 |
895,410,780 |
69.77% |
8,729,239 |
3. To re-elect Mr P G J M Polman as a Director |
901,865,284 |
99.91 |
817,833 |
0.09 |
902,683,117 |
70.33% |
1,460,481 |
4. To re-elect Mr R J-M S Huët as a Director |
892,545,569 |
98.88 |
10,110,034 |
1.12 |
902,655,603 |
70.33% |
1,486,142 |
5. To re-elect Mrs L M Cha as a Director |
901,931,599 |
99.92 |
697,914 |
0.08 |
902,629,513 |
70.33% |
1,516,369 |
6. To re-elect Professor L O Fresco as a Director |
901,937,342 |
99.92 |
677,562 |
0.08 |
902,614,904 |
70.33% |
1,525,741 |
7. To re-elect Ms A M Fudge as a Director |
901,659,850 |
99.91 |
820,397 |
0.09 |
902,480,247 |
70.32% |
1,659,894 |
8. To re-elect Ms M Ma as a Director |
900,575,835 |
99.77 |
2,060,030 |
0.23 |
902,635,865 |
70.33% |
1,508,255 |
9. To re-elect Ms H Nyasulu as a Director |
901,971,551 |
99.93 |
663,804 |
0.07 |
902,635,355 |
70.33% |
1,510,051 |
10. To re-elect Mr J Rishton as a Director |
901,915,835 |
99.92 |
701,872 |
0.08 |
902,617,707 |
70.33% |
1,519,937 |
11. To re-elect Mr F Sijbesma as a Director |
897,749,580 |
99.46 |
4,829,718 |
0.54 |
902,579,298 |
70.32% |
1,561,347 |
12. To re-elect Mr M Treschow as a Director |
897,837,839 |
99.47 |
4,745,254 |
0.53 |
902,583,093 |
70.32% |
1,560,223 |
13. To elect Mr N S Andersen as a Director |
899,746,170 |
99.69 |
2,818,939 |
0.31 |
902,565,109 |
70.32% |
1,575,673 |
14. To elect Mr V Colao as a Director |
901,644,212 |
99.90 |
906,864 |
0.10 |
902,551,076 |
70.32% |
1,588,576 |
15. To elect Dr J Hartmann as a Director |
901,617,997 |
99.90 |
939,225 |
0.10 |
902,557,222 |
70.32% |
1,587,020 |
16. To re-appoint KPMG LLP as Auditors of the Company |
901,749,167 |
99.88 |
1,043,418 |
0.12 |
902,792,585 |
70.34% |
1,350,631 |
17. To authorise the Directors to fix the remuneration of the Auditors |
900,149,268 |
99.95 |
474,972 |
0.05 |
900,624,240 |
70.17% |
3,519,214 |
18. To renew the authority to Directors to issue shares |
887,932,535 |
98.40 |
14,483,137 |
1.60 |
902,415,672 |
70.31% |
1,728,104 |
19. To renew the authority to Directors to disapply pre-emption rights |
875,513,461 |
97.06 |
26,508,124 |
2.94 |
902,021,585 |
70.28% |
2,120,655 |
20. To renew the authority to the Company to purchase its own shares |
901,901,652 |
99.92 |
683,550 |
0.08 |
902,585,202 |
70.32% |
1,550,392 |
21. To authorise Political Donations and Expenditure |
884,468,614 |
98.59 |
12,667,539 |
1.41 |
897,136,153 |
69.90% |
6,993,411 |
22. To shorten the Notice period for General Meetings |
791,916,019 |
87.76 |
110,474,000 |
12.24 |
902,390,019 |
70.31% |
1,751,897 |
NOTES:
- The 'For' vote includes votes given at the Chairman's discretion and details of proxy votes cast are included to in the table above.
- The total number of Unilever PLC Ordinary shares with voting rights in issue at 1.30pm on Thursday 30 April 2015 was 1,283,459,367. 26,696,994 Ordinary shares are held in treasury and do not have voting rights attached.
A 'Vote withheld' is not a vote in law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes 'for' and 'against' a resolution.
In accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.2 copies of all the resolutions passed, other than ordinary business, will be submitted to and available for inspection at the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at: www.Hemscott.com/nsm.do A copy of the resolutions can also be found in the Chairman's Letter and Notice of Meeting which is available on our website: www.unilever.com/AGM
30 April 2015
Safe Harbour:
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'will', 'aim', 'expects', 'anticipates', 'intends', 'looks', 'believes', 'vision', or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Unilever group (the "Group"). They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance.
Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Among other risks and uncertainties, the material or principal factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are: Unilever's global brands not meeting consumer preferences; Unilever's ability to innovate and remain competitive; Unilever's investment choices in its portfolio management; inability to find sustainable solutions to support long-term growth; customer relationships; the recruitment and retention of talented employees; disruptions in our supply chain; the cost of raw materials and commodities; the production of safe and high quality products; secure and reliable IT infrastructure; successful execution of acquisitions, divestitures and business transformation projects; economic and political risks and natural disasters; financial risks; failure to meet high ethical standards; and managing regulatory, tax and legal matters. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group's filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Group's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2014 and the Annual Report and Accounts 2014. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.