2010 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders; Sustainable Entrepreneurship Report over 2009 released.
Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company focused on professionals, announced that the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) held in Amsterdam earlier today, has adopted the company’s 2009 financial statements and has approved the dividend increase to €0.66 per ordinary share. Furthermore, Mr. A. Baan and Mr. S.B. James have been re-appointed as members of the Supervisory Board. In advance of the AGM, the Wolters Kluwer Sustainable Entrepreneurship Report was released.
The shareholders of Wolters Kluwer were represented in person, by proxy voting, or by voting instruction, representing a total of 54.66% of the total issued share capital entitled to vote.
Dividend approval
The AGM adopted the 2009 financial statements and approved the proposal to distribute a dividend of €0.66 per ordinary share, a 2% increase over last year. The dividend of €0.66 corresponds with a dividend yield of 4.3% over the closing share price of December 31, 2009. In line with previous years and indicating a strong belief in the future of the company, shareholders can choose between a distribution in the form of cash or stock.
Appointments Supervisory Board
The shareholders of Wolters Kluwer reappointed Mr. A. Baan and Mr. S.B. James in relation to their retirement by rotation. Mr. Baan has been member of the Supervisory Board since 2002 and Chairman since 2006, Mr. James has been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2006. Their reappointment is for a term of four years, until 2014.
Strategic focus driving customer value
Nancy McKinstry, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, in her address to the AGM, shared the 2009 financial accomplishments and the achievements of the company’s strategy. Part of her presentation included the company’s 2010-2012 strategy for Maximizing Value for Customers, on how the company will drive profitable growth and increase customer satisfaction through providing end-to-end solutions. The ability to deliver value at the point-of-use is a key component of this growth strategy. High-quality proprietary information will remain at the core of how Wolters Kluwer adds value for customers, with tools and solutions being build that are designed to help customers by reducing complexity, enhancing the accuracy of critical decisions, and improving productivity.
Sustainability
Wolters Kluwer released its Sustainable Entrepreneurship Report over 2009, produced with the application of the GRI principles, prior to the AGM. The report outlines how Wolters Kluwer has extended its sustainable efforts by continuing to drive the portfolio towards more electronic solutions as well as launching several new products which provide customers with more sustainable choices. In addition, activities related to use of clean paper and production processes were expanded. Furthermore, the company was again listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and also won the SAM 2009 Bronze Class Award in recognition of its sustainability efforts. These efforts demonstrate Wolters Kluwer’s ongoing commitment to operate as a responsible partner in society, supported by its participation in the UN Global Compact. A complete overview of the company’s corporate social responsibility activities throughout 2009 and goals for 2010 are available online.
