Codes and corporate governance regulations
The structure of the Executive Board of Sligro Food Group, its supervision and accountability are in accordance with the Dutch corporate governance code. In pursuance of the “comply or explain” principle, we are fully compliant with the code. The “explain” principles are set out below and were discussed by the General Meeting of Shareholders of 30 March 2005.
Dutch law and the Corporate Governance Code seek to balance the interests of all the company’s stakeholders, and this has always been an important part of our policy. Sligro Food Group supports the principle of one share/one vote and has no anti-takeover or other control measures in place.
Main points of the Corporate Governance structure
Sligro Food Group is a dual-board company, with an Executive Board and an independent Supervisory Board (‘two-tier management structure’). The main aspects of the current structure are set out below.
Executive Board
The Executive Board is responsible for managing the company, for its strategy and for its use of human and other resources. The Executive Board keeps the Supervisory Board informed of progress, consults the Supervisory Board on all significant matters and submits important decisions to the Supervisory Board and/or the general meeting of shareholders for approval. The Supervisory Board notifies the general meeting of proposed appointments to the Executive Board. The Supervisory Board may suspend or dismiss an Executive Board member at any time. The remuneration and other terms and conditions of appointment of each Executive Board member are set by the Supervisory Board, based on the policy adopted by the general meeting. Decisions on material matters are always made jointly and all members have shared responsibility.
Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board supervises the policy of the Executive Board and the general affairs of the company. It supports the Executive Board with advice. In discharging their role, the supervisory directors are guided by the company’s interests. The Executive Board promptly provides the Supervisory Board with the information it needs to perform its duties.
The supervisory directors are appointed by the general meeting on a proposal by the Supervisory Board. Supervisory directors retire at the close of the first general meeting following the day four years after their most recent appointment and may be reappointed once.
The remuneration of each member of the Supervisory Board is set by the general meeting. The Supervisory Board appoints a chairman and a deputy chairman from its members. It also appoints a secretary who may, but need not be one of its members.
As the Supervisory Board in principle consists of four people, the Board as a whole performs the duties of the three key committees (the audit, the remuneration and the selection and appointments committees).
Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
The annual general meeting is held within four months of the end of each financial year. Extraordinary general meetings may be called as necessary by the Supervisory Board, the Executive Board or one or more shareholders jointly representing at least 10% of the issued share capital.
The agenda of the annual general meeting contains the items stipulated by the Articles of Association and other proposals by the Supervisory Board, the Executive Board or shareholders jointly representing at least 1% of the issued share capital.
The principal powers of the general meeting are the rights:
- To appoint supervisory directors.
- To adopt the financial statements and ratify the actions of the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board during the previous year.
- To resolve to amend the company’s Articles of Association and dissolve or liquidate the company.
- To issue shares and to restrict or exclude shareholders’ pre-emptive rights (the Executive Board has been granted powers until 12 September 2009 to issue shares as yet unissued).
- To repurchase and withdraw shares (the Executive Board has been granted powers until 12 September 2009 to purchase fully-paid shares either on the stock exchange or privately up to a maximum of 10% of the issued share capital, as stipulated in the Articles of Association, for a price no more than 10% above the market price at the time of the transaction).
- To approve decisions by the Executive Board on any substantial change in the identity or character of the company or the business.