PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
(Paris:AI)
Air Liquide’s General Meeting of Shareholders, chaired by Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO, was held today at the Group's Campus Innovation Paris. In order to protect the health and safety of employees and shareholders in the context of the covid-19 epidemic, the General Meeting was held behind closed doors and broadcast live on the airliquide.com website. As the Meeting was not open to shareholders in person, all votes were cast by post. The 113,729 shareholders who voted, representing 271,316,445 shares, i.e. 57.49% of the voting rights, approved all the resolutions that were submitted. In addition, as in 2020, it has been decided to donate the amount of attendance fees usually paid to shareholders attending the General Meeting to the Air Liquide Foundation for covid-19-related research projects.
The theme of this year's General Meeting was "Acting in the interest of all and Inventing the future". Benoît Potier highlighted the extraordinary mobilization of employees in the health context, as well as the Group's growth opportunities in the energy transition markets, in particular with the development of hydrogen, health and technologies. He also mentioned the Group's performance, noting in particular the strength and resilience of its business model. Holding the Meeting at the Campus Innovation Paris also made it possible to emphasize the Group's capacity for innovation. More than 40 minutes were devoted to answering live questions that were submitted by shareholders on the Company's website as well as spontaneous incoming questions via a video system designed and developed especially for the event.
The proposed dividend, which will be ex-dividend on May 17, 2021 and payable on May 19, 2021, was approved: it will be 2.75 euros per share (and 3.02 euros for shares eligible for the loyalty bonus).
The General Meeting renewed, for a period of four years, the term of office of Mr. Xavier Huillard as Director. Mr. Pierre Breber, Mr. Aiman Ezzat and Mr. Bertrand Dumazy joined the Board as independent Directors. As Mr. Thierry Peugeot's term of office ended at the close of the General Meeting, the Board renewed its warm thanks to him for his contribution to the work of the Board of Directors, of which he had been a member since 2005, and to the work of the Audit and Accounts Committee, of which he had been a member since 2012. As a result, the Board of Directors is now composed of 15 members: 13 elected members, the vast majority of whom are independent (i.e. 92% independent Directors), including 6 women (i.e. 46%) and 7 members of foreign nationality, as well as 2 Directors representing the employees. The composition of the Board offers a complementary of experience, nationalities and cultures, and reflects the diversity policy set out by the Board of Directors.
Furthermore, the General Meeting voted in favour of the Chairman and CEO’s remuneration paid during or awarded in respect of 2020. The General Meeting also approved the information on the remuneration of corporate officers contained in the Report on Corporate Governance as well as the remuneration policy for corporate officers.
Finally, on the recommendation of the Appointments and Governance Committee, the Board met today and determined the composition of the Committees as follows:
● Audit and Accounts Committee: Ms. Siân Herbert-Jones (Chair), Ms. Sin Leng Low, Mr. Brian Gilvary;
● Appointments and Governance Committee: Mr. Jean-Paul Agon (Chair), Ms. Annette Winkler, Mr. Xavier Huillard;
● Remuneration Committee: Mr. Xavier Huillard (Chair), Mr. Jean-Paul Agon, Mr. Brian Gilvary;
● Environment and Society Committee: Ms. Annette Winkler (Chair), Ms. Geneviève Berger, Mr. Philippe Dubrulle.
The full broadcast of the General Meeting is available on www.airliquide.com
Air Liquide share ownership (as at December 31, 2020)
● 33% of the capital held by individual shareholders
● 51% of the capital held by non-French institutional investors
● 16% of the capital held by French institutional investors
UPCOMING DATES
Dividend ex-date:
Monday, May 17, 2021
Dividend payment date:
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 78 countries with approximately 64,500 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902.
Air Liquide’s ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability - with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy. The company’s customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders.
Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 20 billion euros in 2020. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes.
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