The next focusIR Investor Webinar takes places on 14th May with guest speakers from Blue Whale Growth Fund, Taseko Mines, Kavango Resources and CQS Natural Resources fund. Please register 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
12th Jun 20191:00 pmRNSDirectorate Change
12th Jun 20198:26 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
12th Jun 20198:16 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
10th Jun 201912:09 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
10th Jun 201911:54 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
7th Jun 20197:03 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
5th Jun 20194:25 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
4th Jun 20194:14 pmRNSBlock listing Interim Review
3rd Jun 201910:15 amRNSTotal Voting Rights
17th May 20194:46 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
17th May 20191:44 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
16th May 20197:00 amRNSBUSINESS UPDATE FOR 3 MONTHS ENDED 31 MARCH 2019
10th May 20197:00 amRNSAnnual Report and Accounts 2018 and Notice of AGM
1st May 20195:06 pmRNSTotal Voting Rights
30th Apr 20199:00 amRNSAGM DATE
30th Apr 20197:00 amRNSDirectorate Change
15th Apr 201911:20 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
5th Apr 201911:26 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
3rd Apr 201911:04 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
2nd Apr 201911:24 amRNSTotal Voting Rights
26th Mar 20193:23 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
25th Mar 201912:24 pmRNSPost Stabilisation Notice - Just Group plc
25th Mar 20198:00 amRNSCOMPLETION OF £375m CAPITAL RAISING
22nd Mar 20194:27 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding - replacement
22nd Mar 20192:50 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
20th Mar 20193:51 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
14th Mar 20194:46 pmRNSResult of Placing
14th Mar 201910:07 amRNSStabilisation Notice
14th Mar 20197:00 amRNSProposed placing 9.99% existing issued share cap
14th Mar 20197:00 amRNS2018 PRELIMINARY RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT
1st Mar 20192:04 pmRNSTotal Voting Rights
28th Feb 20194:56 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
21st Feb 201911:27 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
21st Feb 201911:27 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
14th Feb 20195:14 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
12th Feb 20194:55 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
6th Feb 20197:00 amRNSBUSINESS UPDATE FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018
1st Feb 20193:05 pmRNSTotal Voting Rights
29th Jan 20193:41 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
16th Jan 20195:30 pmRNSResult of GM
21st Dec 20188:00 amRNSNotice of GM
14th Dec 201810:31 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
10th Dec 20187:20 amRNSJust Group notes publication of PRA PS 31/18
3rd Dec 201812:00 pmRNSBlock listing Interim Review
3rd Dec 201812:00 pmRNSTotal Voting Rights
1st Nov 20183:45 pmRNSTotal Voting Rights
31st Oct 201812:00 pmRNSDirectorate Change
31st Oct 20187:00 amRNSBUSINESS UPDATE FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 SEP 2018
9th Oct 20185:40 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
3rd Oct 20184:08 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company

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.