Resolutions made at Axfood AB's Annual General Meeting on 13 March 2013
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) adopted the parent company and consolidated balance sheets and income statements for the 2012 financial year and resolved, in accordance with the Board's recommendation, to declare a dividend of SEK 12 per share. The record date for payment of the dividend was set at 18 March 2013. Dividends are expected to be paid out on 21 March 2013.
The AGM granted the board members and CEO discharge from liability for the 2012 financial year.
The Nominating Committee's proposal that payment of directors' fees remain unchanged at a total of SEK 2,400,000 was approved by the AGM (SEK 525,000 for the Chairman, SEK 375,000 for the Vice Chairman, and SEK 300,000 for each of the other board members).
The AGM also resolved, in accordance with the Nominating Committee's recommendation, that the Company's board of directors shall consist of seven AGM-elected directors. The AGM resolved to re-elect Antonia Ax:son Johnson, Peggy Bruzelius, Fredrik Persson, Odd Reitan, Marcus Storch and Annika Åhnberg. The AGM elected Lars Olofsson as a new director on the Board.
Lars Olofsson (born 1951) has a degree in economics from Lund University. He was active in the food retail sector from 1976 to 2008, including service with Nestlé, where he held executive positions in various Nestlé group companies for more than 30 years, serving as Executive Vice President from 2001 to 2008. Most recently, from 2009 until mid-2012, he served as CEO and Chairman of Carrefour S.A., Europe's largest, and the world's second-largest, retail company. Lars Olofsson's very extensive international experience in the food and food retail sectors will bring valuable knowledge to the Company for its business and development.
Fredrik Persson was elected as Chairman of the Board.
The guidelines for the Nominating Committee's composition were adopted in accordance with the Nominating Committee's recommendation.
Guidelines for compensation of senior executives were adopted in accordance with the Board's recommendation.
Finally, the AGM resolved, in accordance with the Board's recommendation, that employees of the Axfood Group shall be given the opportunity to purchase shares in store companies in Hemköpskedjan. The employees who shall have the right to purchase shares are store managers (presidents) of store companies that are run and/or established within Hemköpskedjan. The proposal covers a maximum of ten Hemköp stores and applies for the period until Axfood's next AGM.
The Board constituted itself after the AGM and elected Marcus Storch as Vice Chairman.
For further information, please contact:
Fredrik Persson, Chairman of the Board, Axfood AB, tel. +46-8-701 61 00
Anders Strålman, President and CEO, Axfood AB, tel. +46-70-293 16 93
The information in this press release was submitted for publication at 6.30 p.m. on 13 March 2013.
Axfood AB conducts food retail and wholesale business in Sweden. Retail business is conducted through the wholly owned store chains Willys, Hemköp and PrisXtra, comprising 246 stores in all. In addition, Axfood collaborates with a number of proprietor-run stores that are tied to Axfood through agreements. These include stores within the Hemköp and Willys chains as well as stores run under the Handlar’n and Tempo profiles. In all, Axfood collaborates with approximately 820 proprietor-run stores. Wholesaling is conducted through Dagab and Axfood Närlivs. Axfood is listed on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm AB's Large Cap list. Axel Johnson AB is the principal owner, with 50,1% of the shares.