The FINANCIAL — Roche announced on March 1 that its shareholders approved all of the Board of Directors’ proposals and amendments to the Articles of Incorporation at its ordinary Annual General Meeting (AGM). The 797 attending shareholders, representing 86.9% of the total of 160,000,000 shares, approved the Annual Report, the Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements for 2015.
Christoph Franz was confirmed as Chairman of the Board of Directors with 99.51% of the votes represented. Julie Brown and Claudia Süssmuth Dyckerhoff were elected as new members of the Board of Directors, with 99.98% and 100% of the votes represented respectively, according to Roche.
“Since its foundation 120 years ago, Roche’s success has been based on its clear focus on innovation. By following the science, we will continue to find new ways to constantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases,” said Christoph Franz, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “With the election of Julie Brown and Claudia Süssmuth Dyckerhoff, the Board of Directors has gained two leaders whose extensive experience will contribute to Roche’s continued success. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank long-serving members Dame DeAnne Julius and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, who did not stand for re-election, for their outstanding contributions.”
Shareholders also authorised the ratification of the Board of Directors’ actions and approved an increase in the gross dividend for the past financial year to 8.10 Swiss francs per share and non-voting equity security. This is the 29th consecutive dividend increase.
Shareholders endorsed the total amount of bonuses paid to the Corporate Executive Committee for 2015 with 99.12% of the votes represented as well as the bonus paid to the Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2015 which was approved by 98.83% of the votes represented. They also approved the maximum total amount of future remuneration of the Board of Directors which was confirmed by 99.14% of the votes represented, and the maximum total amount of future remuneration for the Corporate Executive Committee until the 2017 ordinary Annual General Meeting by 99.16% of the votes represented.
In addition to Christoph Franz, all other Board members who stood for re-election were confirmed for a term of one year:
André Hoffmann
Professor Pius Baschera
Professor Sir John Bell
Paul Bulcke
Professor Richard P. Lifton
Dr Andreas Oeri
Bernard Poussot
Dr Severin Schwan
Peter R. Voser
The following Board members were elected to the Remuneration Committee:
Dr Christoph Franz
André Hoffmann
Professor Richard P. Lifton
Bernard Poussot
Peter R. Voser
KPMG AG was elected as external auditor for the financial year 2016 and BDO AG was elected as independent voting proxy until the conclusion of the next regular AGM in 2017.
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