Harvia Plc: Notice to the General Meeting of Harvia Plc
STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE
2 April 2023 at 06.35 p.m. EEST
Notice to the General Meeting of Harvia Plc
The shareholders of Harvia Plc are invited to
the Annual General Meeting to be held on 26 April 2024 at 10.00
a.m. EEST in Musiikkitalo’s Paavo-auditorium at Mannerheimintie 13
A, FI-00100 Helsinki. The reception of persons who have registered
for the meeting and the distribution of the voting tickets will
commence at 9.00 a.m. EEST.
Shareholders can also exercise their voting
rights by voting in advance. Instructions for advance voting are
set out in Part C of this notice to the General Meeting.
It is possible to follow the General Meeting via
webcast. Instructions on how to follow the webcast are available on
the company’s website www.harviagroup.com. It is not possible to
ask questions, make counterproposals, make other interventions, or
vote via webcast. Following the meeting via webcast shall not be
considered as participation in the General Meeting or as the
exercise of shareholders' rights.
A. Matters on the Agenda of the General
Meeting
The General Meeting will discuss the following
matters:
1. Opening of the meeting
2. Calling the meeting to order
3. Election of persons to scrutinise the minutes and to
supervise the counting of votes
4. Recording the legality of the meeting
5. Recording attendance at the meeting and adoption of
the list of votes
6. Presentation of the financial statements, the report
of the Board of Directors and the auditor’s report for
2023
- Presentation of the CEO’s review.
As of 5 April 2024, at the latest, the financial
statements, the report of the Board of Directors and the auditor’s
report are available on the company’s website at
www.harviagroup.com.
7. Adoption of the financial statements, including the
adoption of the consolidated financial statements
8. Resolution on the use of the profit shown on the
balance sheet and the distribution of dividend
The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual
General Meeting that, based on the adopted balance sheet for the
financial year 2023, EUR 0.68 per share be paid as dividend and
that the remainder of the distributable funds be transferred to
shareholders’ equity.
The Board of Directors proposes that the
dividend is paid in two instalments. The first instalment, EUR 0.34
per share, will be paid to shareholders who are registered in the
shareholders’ register maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the
record date of the dividend of 30 April 2024. The Board of
Directors proposes that the dividend be paid on 8 May 2024.
The second instalment, EUR 0.34 per share, shall
be paid in October 2024. The second instalment will be paid to
shareholders who are registered in the shareholders’ register
maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the record date of the
dividend, which, together with the dividend payment date, shall be
decided by the Board of Directors in its meeting scheduled for 17
October 2024. The record date of the dividend date would then be 21
October 2024 and the dividend payment date 28 October 2024.
9. Resolution on the discharge of the members of the
Board of Directors and the CEO from liability
10. Handling of the remuneration report for governing
bodies
The remuneration report for 2023 prepared in
accordance with the remuneration policy adopted on 2 April 2020 by
the company’s Annual General Meeting is available on the company’s
website at www.harviagroup.com.
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual
General Meeting adopts the remuneration report for the governing
bodies. The resolution is an advisory resolution.
11. Adoption of the remuneration policy
for governing bodies
The Board of Directors proposes that the amended
Remuneration Policy be adopted. The Remuneration Policy was last
time presented to the Annual General Meeting on 2 April 2020. The
resolution is advisory in accordance with the Finnish Limited
Liability Companies Act.
The remuneration policy is attached to this
notice (Annex 1) as well as available on the company’s website at
www.harviagroup.com on 5 April 2024 at the latest.
12. Resolution on the remuneration of the members of the
Board of Directors
Presentation of the proposal of the
Shareholders’ Nomination Board of Harvia Plc by the Chairman of the
Shareholders’ Nomination Board, Juho Lipsanen.
The Shareholders’ Nomination Board of Harvia Plc
proposes that the remuneration be paid to the Board members as
follows: the Chair of the Board of Directors is paid a monthly
remuneration of EUR 5,000 (in 2023: EUR 4,500), Deputy Chair of the
Board is paid a monthly remuneration of EUR 3,500 (provided a
Deputy Chair is elected) and other members of Board of Directors
each are paid a monthly remuneration of EUR 3,000 (in 2023: EUR
2,500).
In addition, the Nomination Board proposes as a
new element that the remuneration of the Board committee members be
paid as meeting fees instead of a monthly fee as follows: EUR 1,000
per meeting for the chair of the committee and EUR 600 per meeting
for the other members.
Further, the Nomination Board proposes that the
monthly remuneration of the Board members be paid in company shares
and in cash in such a way that 40% of the total monthly
remuneration will be paid in company shares purchased at a price
determined in public trading on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd and 60% will be
paid in cash. All the remuneration shares will be acquired within
two weeks from the day following the publication of the company’s
interim report for the period 1 January–31 March 2024. The company
acquires the shares to the account of the members of the Board of
Directors and will pay any trading costs and transfer tax related
to the purchase of the shares. In case the remuneration cannot be
paid in the company’s shares due to legal or other regulatory
restrictions or due to other reasons related to the company or a
member of the Board of Directors or if the payment of the
remuneration in shares would prove to be unreasonably difficult in
practice, the remuneration will be paid in cash.
A member of the Board of Directors may not
assign the shares received as remuneration for Board membership in
2024 until two years have passed since the date of the receipt of
the shares.
It is proposed that the remuneration for the
Board committee work be paid fully in cash.
In addition, it is proposed that the members of
the Board of Directors who live outside Finland be paid EUR 900 for
each meeting if the member travels to Finland only for that
meeting. It is proposed that the fee be paid in cash. When the
member of the Board of Directors attends the meeting by telephone
or other electronic means, no such separate fee will be paid for
that meeting. No fee is paid for decisions made without convening a
meeting.
It is also proposed that the travel expenses of
the members of the Board of Directors are compensated in accordance
with the company’s travel policy.
13. Resolution on the number of members
on the Board of Directors
The Shareholders’ Nomination Board of Harvia Plc
proposes that the number of members of the Board of Directors shall
be six.
14. Election of members of the Board of
Directors
The Shareholders’ Nomination Board proposes that
Olli Liitola, Anders Holmén, Hille Korhonen, Heiner Olbrich, Markus
Lengauer and Catharina Stackelberg-Hammarén be reappointed to the
Board of Directors.
All proposed persons have given their consent to
the appointment. They are independent of the company and of the
major shareholders of the company.
Olli Liitola has announced that he will renounce
his position as Chair of the Board of Directors, but that he is
available for the appointment as a member of the Board of
Directors.
The Nomination Board recommends that the Board
of Directors would elect Heiner Olbrich as its Chair.
With regard to the selection procedure for the
members of the Board of Directors, the Shareholders' Nomination
Board recommends that shareholders take a position on the proposal
as a whole at the General Meeting. The Shareholders’ Nomination
Board is responsible for ensuring that the proposed Board of
Directors as a whole has sufficient expertise, knowledge and
competence and that the composition of the Board of Directors takes
into account the independence requirements set out in the Finnish
Corporate Governance Code for listed companies and the stock
exchange rules that apply to the company.
The presentation and shareholdings of the
persons nominated for the Board of Directors is available at Harvia
Plc’s website: www.harviagroup.com.
All the above individuals have stated as their
intention, should they be elected, to establish a Compensation and
Human Resources Committee with members to be appointed among the
Board members.
15. Resolution on the remuneration of
the Auditor
The Board of Directors proposes that the Auditor
to be appointed will receive remuneration in accordance with a
reasonable invoice approved by the company.
16. Election of the Auditor
The Board of Directors proposes that Authorised
Public Accounting firm Deloitte Oy be elected as the Auditor of the
company for the following term of office. Deloitte Oy has stated
that Authorised Public Accountant Johan Groop will act as the
Responsible Auditor should Deloitte Oy be elected as the Auditor of
the company.
The company must prepare its first statutory
sustainability report for the financial year 2024. If Deloitte Oy
is elected as the company's auditor, it will also act as a
certification authority for the company's sustainability reporting
in financial year 2024 in accordance with the transitional
provision of the Act amending the Companies Act (1252/2023), and a
fee will be paid for this position on the basis of a reasonable
invoice.
17. Authorising the Board of Directors to decide on the
repurchase of the company’s own shares
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual
General Meeting authorise the Board of Directors to resolve on the
repurchase of a maximum of 934,711 shares in the company in one or
several tranches.
The maximum number of shares that can be
repurchased corresponds to approximately 5 per cent of all the
shares in the company on the date of this notice. However, a
decision to acquire own shares shall not be made so that the
treasury shares in the possession of the company and its
subsidiaries would exceed one tenth of all shares. Only the
unrestricted equity of the company can be used to repurchase own
shares on the basis of the authorisation. The shares can be
repurchased otherwise than in proportion to the shareholdings of
the shareholders in public trading arranged by Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
for the market price formed at the moment of purchase or otherwise
at a price formed on the market.
The authorisation is proposed to be used e.g.,
for the purposes of the company’s share-based incentive systems,
for the purposes of board compensation or for other purposes
decided by the Board of Directors.
Shares purchased by the company may be held by
it, cancelled or transferred. The Board of Directors decides on
other matters related to the repurchasing of own shares.
The Board of Directors proposes that the
authorisation replaces the authorisation of the Board of Directors
to resolve on the repurchase of own shares granted by the
shareholders of the company on 20 April 2023.
It is proposed that the authorisation remain
valid until the closing of the next Annual General Meeting, but no
longer than until 30 June 2025.
18. Authorising the Board of Directors to decide on the
issue of shares, options and other special rights entitling to
shares
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual
General Meeting authorise the Board of Directors to resolve on the
issuance of shares and the issuance of special rights entitling to
shares as referred to in Chapter 10 Section 1 of the Finnish
Limited Liability Companies Act in one or several parts, either
against payment or without payment.
The aggregate number of shares to be issued,
including the shares to be received based on special rights, must
not exceed 1,869,423 shares. The Board of the Directors may resolve
to issue new shares or to transfer own shares possibly held by the
company.
The Board of Directors is authorised to decide
on all other matters related to the issuance of shares and special
rights entitling to shares, including the right to deviate from the
pre-emptive right of shareholders to subscribe to shares to be
issued. The authorisation is proposed to be used for the purposes
of strengthening the balance sheet and financing position of the
company, for the purposes of board compensation or for other
purposes decided by the Board of Directors.
It is proposed that the authorisation remain
valid until the closing of the next Annual General Meeting, but no
longer than until 30 June 2025. The authorisation replaces and
revokes all previous unused authorisations of the Board of
Directors to resolve on the issuance of shares, share options and
other special rights entitling to shares.
19. Closing of the meeting
B. Documents of the Annual General Meeting
The above-mentioned proposals for resolutions on
the agenda of the General Meeting and this notice are available on
Harvia Plc’s website at www.harviagroup.com. Harvia Plc’s financial
statements, report of the Board of Directors, auditor’s report and
remuneration policy and remuneration report will be available on
said website by 5 April 2024 at the latest. The proposed
resolutions and other documents mentioned above will also be
available for inspection at the General Meeting.
The minutes of the General Meeting will be
available on the above-mentioned website from 10 May 2024 onwards
at the latest.
C. Instructions for the participants in the
Annual General Meeting
1. Shareholders registered in the shareholders’
register
Shareholders who are registered in the
shareholders’ register of Euroclear Finland Oy on the record date
of the General Meeting 16 April 2024 are entitled to participate in
the General Meeting. A shareholder whose shares in the company are
registered in his/her personal Finnish book-entry account is
automatically included in the company’s shareholders’ register.
Changes in the shareholding after the record date of the General
Meeting do not affect the right to participate in the General
Meeting or the shareholder's voting rights.
Registration for the General Meeting commences
on 3 April 2024 at 10:00 a.m. EEST. A shareholder entered in the
company’s shareholders’ register who wishes to participate in the
General Meeting must register for the Meeting no later than 19
April 2024 at 4.00 p.m. EEST, by which time the registration must
be received. A shareholder can register for the General
Meeting:
a) via the company’s website at
www.harviagroup.com. Electronic registration requires strong
identification of the shareholder or their legal representative or
proxy with a Finnish, Swedish or Danish bank ID or mobile
certificate.
b) By e-mail. Shareholders registering by e-mail
shall submit the registration form and advance voting form
available on the company's website www.harviagroup.com or
equivalent information to agm@innovatics.fi.
c) By mail. Shareholders registering by mail
shall submit the registration form and advance voting form
available on the company's website www.harviagroup.com or
equivalent information to Innovatics Oy, General Meeting / Harvia
Plc, Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, FI-00520 Helsinki.
When registering, please provide the necessary
information, such as the shareholder’s name, date of birth or
business ID, contact details, the name of any assistant or proxy
representative and the proxy’s date of birth. The personal data
provided by shareholders to Harvia Plc will only be used in
connection with the General Meeting and the processing of the
necessary registrations related thereto.
The shareholder, his/her representative or proxy
must be able to prove his/her identity and/or right of
representation at the meeting if necessary.
Further information on registration and advance
voting is available by telephone during the registration period of
the General Meeting by calling Innovatics Oy at +358 10 2818 909 on
weekdays from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. and from 13.00 p.m. to 16.00
p.m.
2. Holders of nominee-registered shares
A holder of nominee-registered shares is
entitled to participate in the General Meeting on the basis of the
shares which would entitle them to be entered in the shareholders’
register kept by Euroclear Finland Oy on the record date for the
General Meeting 16 April 2024. Participation also requires that the
shareholder is temporarily registered in the shareholders’ register
held by Euroclear Finland Oy by 23 April 2024 by 10.00 a.m. EEST at
the latest. In the case of nominee-registered shares, this is
considered as registration for the General Meeting. Changes in the
shareholding after the record date of the General Meeting do not
affect the right to participate in the General Meeting or the
shareholder’s voting rights.
The holder of nominee-registered shares is
advised to request well in advance the necessary instructions from
his/her custodian bank regarding temporary registration in the
register of shareholders, the issuing of proxy documents and voting
instructions, registration, and attendance at the General Meeting
and advance voting. The account manager of the custodian bank shall
register the holder of nominee-registered shares attending the
Annual General Meeting temporarily in the register of shareholders
of the company by the aforementioned date and time at the latest
and, if necessary, arrange for advance voting on behalf of the
holder of nominee-registered shares before the end of the
registration period for holders of nominee-registered shares.
Further information is also available on the company’s website at
www.harviagroup.com.
3. Proxy representatives and powers of
attorney
A shareholder may attend the General Meeting and
exercise his/her rights there through a proxy representative. A
shareholder’s proxy may also elect to vote in advance as described
in this notice if he/she so wishes. The proxy representative must
authenticate to the electronic registration service and advance
voting personally with strong authentication, after which they will
be able to register and vote in advance on behalf of the
shareholder that they represent. The shareholder’s proxy must
present dated proxy documents, or otherwise in a reliable manner
prove that he/she is entitled to represent the shareholder at the
General Meeting. You can prove your right to representation by
using the suomi.fi e-Authorizations service available in the
electronic registration service.
Model proxy documents and voting instructions
are available on the company’s website www.harviagroup.com. If a
shareholder participates in the General Meeting through several
proxies representing the shareholder with shares held in different
securities accounts, the shares on the basis of which each proxy
represents the shareholder shall be identified in connection with
the registration.
Any proxy documents are requested to be
submitted preferably as an attachment with the electronic
registration or alternatively by mail to Innovatics Oy, General
Meeting / Harvia Plc, Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, FI-00520 Helsinki or
by e-mail to agm@innovatics.fi before the end of the registration
period. In addition to submitting the proxy documents, the
shareholder or their proxy shall register for the General Meeting
in the manner described above in this notice.
4. Following the meeting via
webcast
A shareholder who is entitled to attend the
General Meeting and whose shares are registered in their personal
Finnish book-entry account may also follow the meeting
remotely.
It is not possible to ask questions, make
counterproposals, make other interventions, or vote via webcast.
Following the meeting via webcast shall not be considered as
participation in the General Meeting or as the exercise of
shareholders' rights.
Remote access to the General Meeting will be
provided through Inderes Plc's virtual general meeting service on
the Videosync platform, which includes video and audio access to
the General Meeting. Remote access does not require any paid
software or downloads. In addition to an internet connection,
participation requires a computer, smartphone or tablet with
speakers or headphones for sound. One of the following browsers is
recommended for participation: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, or
Opera. It is advisable to log in to the meeting system well in
advance of the meeting.
The participation link and password for remote
participation will be sent by e-mail and/or SMS to the e-mail
address and/or mobile phone number provided at the time of
registration to all those who have registered for the General
Meeting no later than the day before the General Meeting.
For more information on the general meeting
service, additional instructions for proxies representing more than
one shareholder, contact details of the service provider and
instructions in case of possible disruptions can be found here:
https://vagm.fi/support. A link to test the compatibility of your
computer, smartphone or tablet with the network connection can be
found here:
https://demo.videosync.fi/agm-compatibility?language=en. It is
recommended that you read the detailed participation instructions
before the meeting.
5. Advance voting
A shareholder whose shares in the company are
registered in his/her personal Finnish book-entry account may vote
in advance between 3 April 2024 at 10:00 a.m. EEST and 19 April
2024 at 16:00 p.m. EEST on certain items on the agenda of the
General Meeting.
a) via the company’s website at
www.harviagroup.com. Login to the service is done in the same way
as for registration in section C.1 of this notice.
b) by mail by submitting the advance voting form
available on the company’s website or equivalent information to
Innovatics Oy at Innovatics Oy, General Meeting / Harvia Plc,
Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, FI-00520 Helsinki, Finland.
c) Or by e-mail by submitting the advance voting
form available on the company’s website or equivalent information
to agm@innovatics.fi.
Advance votes must be received by the time the
advance voting ends. The submission of votes by mail or e-mail
before the end of the registration and advance voting period shall
be considered as registration for the General Meeting, provided
that it contains the above information required for
registration.
A shareholder who has voted in advance cannot
exercise the right to ask questions or demand a vote under the
Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act unless he/she attends the
General Meeting in person or by proxy at the meeting venue.
With respect to nominee registered shareholders,
the advance voting is carried out by the account manager. The
account manager may vote in advance on behalf of the holders of
nominee-registered shares whom he/she represents in accordance with
the voting instructions given by them during the registration
period set for the nominee-registered shareholders.
Proposals for resolution that are subject to
advance voting are deemed to have been made at the General Meeting
without any changes.
6. Other instructions and information
The meeting language is Finnish.
Shareholders present at the General Meeting have
the right to ask questions about the matters discussed at the
meeting in accordance with Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Finnish
Limited Liability Companies Act.
On the date of the notice to the meeting, Harvia
Plc has a total of 18,694,236 shares representing the same number
of votes. The company holds on 2 April 2024 a total of 5,072 of its
own shares which are not entitled to vote at the Annual General
Meeting.
Muurame, 2 April 2024
HARVIA PLC
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Harvia-Plc’s-remuneration-policy-2024
Grafico Azioni Harvia (TG:G1U)
Storico
Da Nov 2024 a Dic 2024
Grafico Azioni Harvia (TG:G1U)
Storico
Da Dic 2023 a Dic 2024