Roundtable Discussion; The Future of Mineral Sands. Watch the video here.

Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksJust Group Regulatory News (JUST)

Share Price Information for Just Group (JUST)

London Stock Exchange
Share Price is delayed by 15 minutes
Get Live Data
Share Price: 104.80
Bid: 104.60
Ask: 104.80
Change: 1.40 (1.35%)
Spread: 0.20 (0.191%)
Open: 103.00
High: 105.00
Low: 103.00
Prev. Close: 103.40
JUST Live PriceLast checked at -

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

Update statement on results of AGM

4 Dec 2019 14:01

RNS Number : 6937V
Just Group PLC
04 December 2019
 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

www.justgroupplc.co.uk

4 December 2019

 

Update on 2019 Annual General Meeting ("AGM") resolution votes

In its 2019 AGM results announcement on 13 June 2019, the Just Group plc (the "Company" or the "Group") announced that all resolutions were passed. However, the total votes in favour of the following resolutions were below 80%:

·; Resolution 3: to re-elect Chris Gibson-Smith as a Director of the Company. Total votes received in favour were 72.34%.

·; Resolution 14: to renew the authority to allot shares. Total votes received in favour were 78.91%.

·; Resolution 16: to renew the authority to grant additional power to dis-apply pre-emption rights. Total votes received in favour were 76.34%.

Following the AGM, the Company proactively engaged with a significant number of shareholders, in accordance with provision 4 of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code. This included a series of meetings and calls with the Company's Senior Independent Director which were specifically targeted at those who voted against these resolutions to understand better the reasons behind their votes. Additional discussion on governance issues took place in meetings between shareholders and the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Taking each of the resolutions in turn:

Resolution 3

From the views expressed by shareholders, the level of votes against the Company's Chairman, Chris Gibson-Smith, was influenced by his role as chairman of the Group's Nomination Committee ("Nomination Committee") and the lack of appointment of female Non-Executive Directors ("NEDs") to improve the gender diversity of the Company's board of directors (the "Board").

The Board, including the Nomination Committee, acknowledges that it should be more diverse, and has prioritised improving its gender balance. During 2018, the Nomination Committee worked closely with a leading search firm to improve the diversity of the Board and identified three potential female candidates with a view to appointment to the Group and Life Company Boards. However, due to the uncertainty caused by the publication of the Prudential Regulation Authority's ("PRA") Consultation Paper 13/18, candidates withdrew from the process. As a result, the Group was regrettably not able to show progress in 2018 against the Hampton-Alexander Review's recommendations for FTSE 350 companies to improve the representation of women in leadership positions by 2020.

The Board and Nomination Committee remain committed to improving the diversity of the Board and have continued to engage actively in identifying potential female NEDs. The publication by the PRA of Policy Statement 31/18 on 10 December 2018 has allowed the Company to reengage in its search process in a context of reduced uncertainty. The Company notes that it has recently appointed Mary Kerrigan to the regulated boards of directors of Just Retirement Limited and Partnership Life Assurance Company Limited. The Board remains committed to achieving the Hampton-Alexander targets and has also set its own internal target that 33% of senior leadership roles should be held by women by 2023.

 

Resolutions 14 and 16

 

The Board understands that the primary reason why the Company received over 20% of votes against these resolutions was the use of a "cash-box" placing structure to raise equity capital earlier this year.

 

Having taken the advice of its financial advisors, the Board concluded that it was necessary and in the best interests of shareholders to raise equity and restricted tier 1 debt concurrently in order to manage the impact of Policy Statement 31/18. Given the need for simultaneous equity and debt issuance, the Board was advised and concluded that that equity could not be raised on a timely basis using a fully pre-emptive structure such as a rights issue, which would also have been more costly. The Group consulted a number of its largest shareholders on the proposed structure of the capital raising ahead of its announcement, and prioritised its existing shareholders when allocating shares.

 

The Board has a clear strategy in place to achieve capital self-sufficiency by 2022 and to de-risk the balance sheet. Although it has renewed its authorities for equity issuance, the Company has no intention of raising new equity capital over this period and acknowledges shareholder concerns in this area.

 

The Company will continue to engage with shareholders and will provide a further update, as appropriate, on this engagement in the Annual Report.

 

Enquiries

 

Investors / Analysts

 

James Pearce, Director of Group Finance

 

Telephone: +44 (0) 7715 085 099

james.pearce@wearejust.co.uk

 

Paul Kelly, Investor Relations Manager

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7444 8127

paul.kelly@wearejust.co.uk

 

 

 

Media

 

Stephen Lowe, Group Communications Director

 

Telephone: +44 (0) 1737 827 301

press.office@wearejust.co.uk

 

Temple Bar Advisory

Alex Child-Villiers

William Barker

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7002 1080

 

A copy of this announcement will be available on the Group's website www.justgroupplc.co.uk

 

JUST GROUP PLC

GROUP COMMUNICATIONS

Vale House, Roebuck Close

Bancroft Road, Reigate

Surrey RH2 7RU

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
 
END
 
 
AGMUGGRAPUPBGWC
Date   Source Headline
1st Apr 202110:26 amRNSTotal Voting Rights
1st Apr 202110:00 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
29th Mar 20213:49 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
29th Mar 20213:44 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
26th Mar 202111:32 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
19th Mar 202110:03 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
16th Mar 20217:00 amRNSResults for the year ended 31 December 2020
10th Mar 20213:04 pmRNSBlock listing Interim Review
3rd Mar 20214:20 pmRNSREVISED DATE FOR RESULTS PUBLICATION
1st Mar 20219:00 amRNSJust Group plc Directorate Change
21st Jan 20211:09 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
14th Jan 20217:00 amRNSBUSINESS UPDATE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DEC 2020
24th Nov 20202:30 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
20th Oct 20201:15 pmRNSStabilisation Notice
15th Oct 20204:22 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
15th Oct 20201:03 pmRNSCompletion of £250m Green Tier 2 Capital Issue
14th Oct 20201:14 pmRNSResult of Tender Offer
14th Oct 202011:26 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
12th Oct 20204:41 pmRNSSecond Price Monitoring Extn
12th Oct 20204:35 pmRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
8th Oct 202011:58 amRNSFurther re Just Group PLC - JUST - Tender Offer
8th Oct 20208:55 amRNSStabilisation Notice
6th Oct 20209:55 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
6th Oct 20208:50 amRNSTender Offer
22nd Sep 20203:02 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
17th Aug 202010:34 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
13th Aug 20207:00 amRNSINTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30/6/20
12th Aug 20207:00 amRNSDirectorate Change
10th Jul 202010:58 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
1st Jul 202010:52 amRNSTotal Voting Rights
23rd Jun 202011:06 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
18th Jun 202010:30 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
15th Jun 202011:45 amRNSAdditional Listing
4th Jun 202012:52 pmRNSBlock listing Interim Review
21st May 202011:01 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
19th May 20204:46 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
15th May 202012:00 pmRNSRemuneration Committee Membership
14th May 202012:07 pmRNSResult of AGM
14th May 20207:00 amRNSAGM statement and trading update
24th Apr 202012:30 pmRNSPublication: Solvency & Financial Condition Report
22nd Apr 20203:29 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
9th Apr 20202:09 pmRNSNotice of AGM
7th Apr 20204:04 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
3rd Apr 202010:16 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
1st Apr 20202:33 pmRNSPublication of 2019 Annual Report and Accounts
1st Apr 20201:43 pmRNSTotal Voting Rights
25th Mar 202010:15 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
19th Mar 202012:36 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
17th Mar 20205:15 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
12th Mar 20207:01 amRNSJust Group Chair Succession

Due to London Stock Exchange licensing terms, we stipulate that you must be a private investor. We apologise for the inconvenience.

To access our Live RNS you must confirm you are a private investor by using the button below.

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.

Quickpicks are a member only feature

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.