15/06/2021 | 17:40 CEST | Group Announcements
Stäfa (Switzerland), June 15, 2021 – At the 36th Annual General Meeting of Sonova Holding AG in Stäfa, all of the proposals submitted by the Board of Directors were approved.
As a result of the continued exceptional circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was once again not possible for shareholders to attend the Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting in person. Instead, the shareholders could cast their vote exclusively through the independent proxy.
The shareholders approved the Annual Report, the Annual Consolidated Financial Statements of the Group and the Annual Financial Statements of Sonova Holding AG for the 2020/21 financial year and authorized the proposed appropriation of retained earnings and a gross dividend of CHF 3.20 per share. This amounts to a payout of approximately CHF 201.7 million corresponding to an adjusted payout ratio of 42%. The distribution will be made with the anticipated value date of June 21, 2021.
The shareholders formally approved the actions of the members of the Board of Directors for their activities during the 2020/21 financial year. All members of the Board of Directors standing for re-election for a further term of office were re-elected individually. During the course of these elections, the current Chairman of the Board of Directors Robert F. Spoerry was also confirmed in office. Furthermore, Gregory Behar (born in 1969, Swiss citizen) and Roland Diggelmann (born 1967, Swiss citizen) were newly elected to the Board of Directors individually. Stacy Enxing Seng was re-elected to the Nomination & Compensation Committee . In addition the shareholders newly elected Lukas Braunschweiler and Roland Diggelmann to the Nomination & Compensation Committee.
The compensation report for the 2020/21 financial year was accepted by shareholders in a non-binding advisory vote. Shareholders also approved in two separate binding votes the maximum aggregate amount of compensation of the Board of Directors covering the period from the AGM 2021 to the AGM 2022 and the maximum aggregate amount of compensation of the Management Board for the 2022/23 financial year. Furthermore the capital reduction through cancellation of shares was accepted by the shareholders.
Ernst & Young AG, Zurich, was re-elected as auditors for a period of one year. The Law Office Keller Partnership, Zurich, was re-elected as the Independent Proxy.
The next AGM will be convened on June 15, 2022.
The minutes (in German) of the AGM 2021 will soon be available on our website at:
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Media Relations
Patrick Lehn
Phone +41 58 928 33 23
Mobile +41 79 410 82 84
Email patrick.lehn@sonova.com
Investor Relations
Thomas Bernhardsgrütter
Phone +41 58 928 33 44
Mobile +41 79 618 28 07
E-mail thomas.bernhardsgruetter@sonova.com