9th May 2017 15:30
WILLIAM HILL PLC
Result of 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
9 May 2017
William Hill PLC (LSE:WMH) announces the results of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held today, Tuesday 9 May 2017 at 11.00 am at the Cavendish Conference Centre, 22 Duchess Mews, London W1G 9DT.
All resolutions as set out in the Notice of Meeting dated 14 March 2017 were voted on by way of a poll and the results of each resolution are shown below. All resolutions were duly approved by proxy votes received and the final proxy voting position by resolution is shown below.
Resolution | For |
% | Against | % |
Withheld | |
1 | To receive the annual report and accounts | 543,695,079 | 99.92 | 449,327 | 0.08 | 640,426 |
2 | To approve the directors' remuneration policy | 532,517,299 | 97.88 | 11,557,037 | 2.12 | 686,821 |
3 | To approve the annual report on remuneration | 531,064,434 | 98.28 | 9,318,924 | 1.72 | 4,377,799 |
4 | To declare a final dividend | 544,180,535 | 100.00 | 23,553 | 0.00 | 556,214 |
5 | To elect Mark Brooker | 540,370,556 | 99.32 | 3,716,952 | 0.68 | 673,650 |
6 | To elect John O'Reilly | 540,363,986 | 99.31 | 3,738,527 | 0.69 | 658,645 |
7 | To elect Robin Terrell | 540,358,949 | 99.31 | 3,732,517 | 0.69 | 668,878 |
8 | To re-elect Gareth Davis | 500,827,548 | 92.60 | 40,011,024 | 7.40 | 3,920,026 |
9 | To re-elect Philip Bowcock | 543,974,193 | 99.97 | 144,665 | 0.03 | 643,188 |
10 | To re-elect Sir Roy Gardner | 536,558,979 | 98.61 | 7,556,716 | 1.39 | 646,351 |
11 | To re-elect Georgina Harvey | 540,257,544 | 99.29 | 3,851,943 | 0.71 | 651,671 |
12 | To re-elect Ashley Highfield | 540,236,549 | 99.29 | 3,851,460 | 0.71 | 673,149 |
13 | To re-elect David Lowden | 539,522,379 | 99.16 | 4,593,778 | 0.84 | 645,000 |
14 | To re-elect Imelda Walsh | 540,280,871 | 99.30 | 3,833,845 | 0.70 | 646,442 |
15 | To re-appoint the Auditors | 491,924,499 | 90.40 | 52,223,531 | 9.60 | 612,127 |
16 | To authorise the Audit and Risk Management Committee to determine the auditors' remuneration | 503,517,806 | 92.53 | 40,668,875 | 7.47 | 574,477 |
17 | Authority to make or incur EU political donations and EU political expenditure | 528,420,156 | 97.61 | 12,953,213 | 2.39 | 3,383,001 |
18 | Authority to allot securities | 431,563,760 | 79.31 | 112,578,933 | 20.69 | 618,465 |
19 | Authority to dis-apply pre-emption rights for allotments up to a nominal amount of £4,288,725 | 543,789,209 | 99.94 | 312,546 | 0.06 | 657,937 |
20 | Authority to dis-apply pre-emption rights for allotments up to a nominal amount of £4,288,725 in connection with specified events | 422,542,743 | 77.66 | 121,523,786 | 22.34 | 694,628 |
21 | Authority to purchase own shares | 536,988,923 | 98.68 | 7,197,878 | 1.32 | 572,186 |
22 | Approval of the William Hill 2017 Executive Deferred Share Bonus Plan | 539,090,625 | 99.08 | 5,016,119 | 0.92 | 650,182 |
23 | Approval of amendments to the Performance Share Plan | 533,622,168 | 98.07 | 10,480,049 | 1.93 | 658,940 |
24 | Notice of General Meeting | 507,419,289 | 93.72 | 34,029,986 | 6.28 | 3,311,770 |
Any proxy votes which are at the discretion of the Chairman have been included in the "For" total. A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes for and against the resolution. The total issued share capital of the Company as at close of business on 8 May 2017 was 887,295,272, with total voting rights as at the same date of 857,789,229.
The Board notes the votes against resolution 18, which grants authority to the directors to allot securities generally, and resolution 20, which allows the directors to dis-apply pre-emption rights up to an additional five per cent of the Company's issued share capital in connection with the financing of a transaction or similar capital investment. Both proposals were presented to shareholders in accordance with current UK best practice guidance, including the relevant guidelines published by the Pre-Emption Group. The Board understands that the votes against are largely attributable to specific institutional investors acting in accordance with their voting guidelines, which are not currently supportive of prevailing UK share capital management guidance. The Board will keep under review best practice for resolutions and the views of our shareholders.
A copy of the resolutions passed at the meeting, other than ordinary business, is being uploaded today to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for viewing at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM.
The proxy figures for the resolutions will also be displayed on the corporate website www.williamhillplc.com.
Enquiries:
William Hill PLC
Luke Thomas, Company Secretary
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8 918 3723
Brunswick
Andrew Porter / Oliver Hughes
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7 404 5959
Related Shares:
WMH.L