2024 Annual General Meeting
- All proposals by the Board of Directors approved
- 23rd consecutive dividend increase representing a 1.5% increase year-on-year
- Re-election of all seven Board members, including the re-election of Calvin Grieder as Chairman
The Annual General Meeting of Givaudan SA took place on 21 March 2024. It was attended by 308 shareholders or proxies, representing 5,087,405 shares (55.10% of a total of 9,233,586 registered shares).
“The external environment remained challenging in 2023, with ongoing geopolitical instabilities and a macro economic environment of inflationary pressures and rising interest rates. Our industry has also gone through a period of significant change. In this dynamic market environment, we have remained focused on our core strategy of growing with our customers through customised, high value-added solutions. I am very proud of how our teams around the world have responded to the challenges and continued to deliver fantastic products that meet our customers’ needs.”
Calvin Grieder, Chairman of the Board of the Directors
The Annual General Meeting approved the 2023 Management Report, the annual financial statements and the consolidated financial statement with 98.69% of votes and approved the 2023 Report on non-financial matters with 98.08% of votes. With 97.35% of votes it also discharged the members of the Board of Directors.
With 90.71% of votes, it also approved the Company’s compensation report on a consultative basis.
The Annual General Meeting approved a distribution to the shareholders of a cash dividend of CHF 68.00 gross per share. This is the 23rd consecutive dividend increase following Givaudan’s listing at the Swiss stock exchange in 2000. The amount will be paid as an ordinary dividend, taxable in Switzerland, on 27 March 2024.
The seven current members of the Board of Directors were re-elected, each for a term of one year until the next Annual General Meeting in 2025, in accordance with the legal requirements and Givaudan’s Articles of Incorporation.
- Mr Victor Balli*
- Ms Ingrid Deltenre*
- Mr Olivier Filliol*
- Ms Sophie Gasperment
- Mr Calvin Grieder (also re-elected as Chairman)
- Mr Roberto Guidetti
- Mr Tom Knutzen
* Also re-elected to the Compensation Committee for a term of one year until the next Annual General Meeting in 2025.
Mr Manuel Isler, attorney-at-law, was re-elected as independent shareholder representative until the next Annual General Meeting in 2025 and KPMG AG was re-elected as statutory auditors for the financial year 2024.
Finally, the Annual General Meeting approved the remuneration for the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. In particular, it approved:
- maximum aggregate amount of compensation of the Board of Directors for the term until the Annual General Meeting 2025 of CHF 3,000,000, by 97.20% of the votes,
- aggregate amount of short term variable compensation of the Executive Committee for the fiscal year 2023 of CHF 4,361,584, by 96.16% of the votes and
- maximum aggregate amount of fixed and long term variable compensation of the Executive Committee for the fiscal year 2024 of CHF 15,600,000, by 91.27% of the votes.
About Givaudan
Givaudan is a global leader in Fragrance & Beauty and Taste & Wellbeing. We celebrate the beauty of human experience by creating for happier, healthier lives with love for nature. Together with our customers we deliver food experiences, craft inspired fragrances and develop beauty and wellbeing solutions that make people look and feel good. In 2023, Givaudan employed 16,260 people worldwide and achieved CHF 6.9 billion in sales with a free cash flow of 13.3%. With a heritage that stretches back over 250 years, we are committed to driving long-term, purpose-led growth by improving people’s health and happiness and increasing our positive impact on nature. This is Givaudan. Human by nature. Discover more at www.givaudan.com.
For further information please contact
Claudia Pedretti, Head of Investor and Media Relations
T +41 52 354 0132
E claudia.pedretti@givaudan.com