Summary
This 8-K filing from Linde plc reports the outcomes of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on July 26, 2019. The primary focus of the meeting was the shareholder vote on various proposals, including the election of directors, ratification of the independent auditor, and executive compensation. A significant majority of outstanding shares were represented at the meeting, indicating strong shareholder engagement. All director nominees were elected with high approval rates, except for one nominee who received a lower percentage of votes in favor. Shareholders also overwhelmingly ratified the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the independent auditor and approved the determination of their remuneration. The company also received strong support for its treasury share allotment policy and advisory votes on executive compensation.
Key Highlights
- 1Shareholders elected all twelve director nominees, with most receiving over 98% of the votes cast in their favor.
- 2Professor Dr. Martin H. Richenhagen was elected as a director but received a significantly lower 'For' vote (68.79%) compared to other nominees.
- 3PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) was ratified as the independent auditor by an overwhelming majority (97.02% of votes cast).
- 4Shareholders approved the Audit Committee's authority to determine PWC's remuneration with 99.07% of votes cast in favor.
- 5The company's policy for re-allotting treasury shares was approved with 98.93% of votes cast in favor.
- 6An advisory vote on the compensation of Linde plc's Named Executive Officers received strong support (91.12% of votes cast).
- 7Shareholders recommended, and the Board agreed, to hold future advisory votes on Named Executive Officer compensation annually, with 98.9% of votes cast in favor of an annual vote.