Notice of Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of H. Lundbeck A/S to be held on:
Thursday, 29 March 2012 at 10 am
The General Meeting will be held at the Company's address:
H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby
In accordance with Article 8.1 of the Articles of Association, the agenda of the meeting is as follows:
- Report of the Board of Directors on the Company's activities during the past year.
- Presentation and adoption of the annual report.
- Approval of remuneration for the Board of Directors for the current financial year.
- Resolution on the appropriation of profit or loss as recorded in the adopted annual report.
- Election of members to the Board of Directors.
- Election of one or two state-authorised public accountants.
- Any proposal by shareholders or the Board of Directors.
- Any other business.
Re agenda item 1:
The Board of Directors recommends that the report should be adopted.
Re agenda item 2:
It is proposed that the annual report including remuneration for the Board of Directors for 2011 should be adopted. For information on remuneration for the Board of Directors, please see the annual report p. 49.
Re agenda item 3:
It is proposed that the remuneration for the Board of Directors for the current financial year should be the same as in 2011.
Re agenda item 4:
It is proposed that a dividend of 30 % of the net profit for the year, corresponding to DKK 3.49 per share, or a total dividend of DKK 685m, should be distributed for the financial year 2011.
Re agenda item 5:
The Board of Directors of H. Lundbeck A/S should consist of persons who together possess the financial, pharmaceutical and international qualifications required for safeguarding the Company's and thus the shareholders' interests in the best manner possible having regard to the Company's other stakeholders. The Board of Director's most important duties are to determine Lundbeck's overall strategy, set specific objectives for the Company's Executive Management, and to supervise the Group Executive Management's decision-making and transactions.
For a more detailed description of the qualifications required for members of the Board of Directors, please see the Company's website: www.lundbeck.com à About Us à Corporate Governance.
Members of the Board of Directors elected by the General Meeting are elected or re-elected every year, and therefore the term of office of the current members expires in connection with this Annual General Meeting. The Board of Directors proposes that the following members elected by the General Meeting should be re-elected: Thorleif Krarup, Mats Pettersson, Jes Østergaard, Christian Dyvig and Håkan Björklund. Furthermore, the Board of Directors proposes that Melanie G. Lee is elected. Peter Kürstein does not wish to stand for re-election.
The Board of Directors assesses that the candidates together possess the professional and international experience required for maintaining the Company's position as a leading global pharmaceutical company focusing on research and development in the field of brain disorders. The Board of Directors also considers the size of the Board appropriate taking into account the Company's needs and the aim of ensuring constructive debate and effective decision-making. Regard has been given to diversity in the selection of board candidates.
The Recommendations on Corporate Governance (2010) recommend that at least half of a company's board members elected by the General Meeting should be independent of the company. Mats Petterson, Håkan Björklund and Melanie G. Lee meet the criteria for independence. Thorleif Krarup, Jes Østergaard and Christian Dyvig are considered non-independent members of the Board of Directors by reason of their activities in the Lundbeck Foundation. If the proposed candidates are elected to the Board of Directors, the Board will meet the recommendation for independence as defined by the Recommendations on Corporate Governance.
The proposed board candidates have the following backgrounds:
Mats Pettersson
Mats Pettersson, B.Sc. (Economics and Business Administration), was born on 7 November 1945 and is a Swedish citizen. He was elected to Lundbeck's Board of Directors in 2003 and in 2011 he was elected chairman. He is also member of Lundbeck's Remuneration Committee and Audit Committee.
Mats Pettersson has many years' experience from international research-based pharmaceutical companies. He has held various positions in Business Development and has served as CFO, CEO and as member of various management committees.
Mats Pettersson's special qualifications for serving on Lundbeck's Board of Directors include his experience with senior management, research and development processes, and Business Development combined with substantial international experience.
Mats Pettersson is board chairman of NsGene AS and Moberg Derma AB, and board member of Ablynx NV, to-BBB NV, Aquapharm Biodiscovery Ltd and Photocure AS.
Thorleif Krarup
Thorleif Krarup, B.Sc. (Economics) and Bachelor of Commerce (Business Finance and Management Accounting), was born on 28 August 1952 and is a Danish citizen. He was elected to Lundbeck's Board of Directors in 2004 and elected as Deputy Chairman in 2005. He is also a member of Lundbeck's Audit Committee.
Thorleif Krarup has many years' experience from the financial sector as Group Chief Executive of Nykredit (1987 to 1992) and Group CEO of Unibank (1992 to 2002) and Nordea (2000 to 2002). Since 2002, he has been board chairman/board member of several listed/international companies and senior adviser in international institutions.
Thorleif Krarup's special qualifications for serving on Lundbeck's Board of Directors include management experience from international organisations, knowledge of the Lundbeck Group's business and practice, and qualifications within global management control, particularly accounting, financing, and the capital market.
Thorleif Krarup is board chairman of Alk-Abelló A/S, Exiqon A/S and Sport One Danmark A/S, deputy board chairman of LFI A/S and Falck A/S, and board member of the Lundbeck Foundation.
Jes Østergaard
Jes Østergaard, M.Sc. (Chemical Engineering), was born on 5 March 1948 and is a Danish citizen. He was elected to Lundbeck's Board of Directors in 2003. He is also member of Lundbeck's Scientific Committee and Remuneration Committee.
Until 1 February 2008, Jes Østergaard was Chief Executive Officer of ilochip A/S. He was previously Chief Executive Officer of Dako A/S and Managing Director of Medicon Valley Academy. He has also been Corporate Vice President of Novo Nordisk A/S.
Jes Østergaard's special qualifications for serving on Lundbeck's Board of Directors include management experience from international research-based companies, knowledge of the Lundbeck Group's business and practice, human resource experience, and experience with group development, including acquisition and sale of businesses.
Jes Østergaard is board member of ALK-Abelló A/S, the Lundbeck Foundation, LFI A/S and Scion-DTU A/S and HEED Diagnostics.
Christian Dyvig
Christian Dyvig, LL.M, MBA, born 11 October 1964, Danish citizen, nominated for election to Lundbeck's Board of Directors at the 2011 Annual General Meeting. He is a member of Lundbeck's Scientific Committee.
Christian Dyvig brings with him years of experience from the financial sector, focusing especially on the transfer of undertakings, and substantial ownership experience from a range of enterprises. He served as CEO of Morgan Stanley in 2000-2003, partner in Nordic Capital 2003-2009, and chairman of the board/director in a number of businesses in which he also has personal ownership (among them Falck A/S, Kompan A/S and FIH Erhvervsbank A/S) in 2009-2011. As of 1 June 2011, he became the new managing director of the Lundbeck Foundation
As far as his work on Lundbeck's Board of Directors is concerned, Christian Dyvig's special competencies lie in his financial knowledge, his experience within the transfer of undertakings, and his experience as an active owner representative.
Christian Dyvig is a director of FIH Erhvervsbank A/S.
Håkan Björklund
Håkan Björklund, Ph.D (neuroscience), born 14 April 1956, Swedish citizen, nominated for election to Lundbeck's Board of Directors at the 2011 Annual General Meeting. He is a member of Lundbeck's Remuneration Committee and Scientific Committee.
Håkan Björklund is Healthcare Operating Executive of Avista Capital Partners. He has years of international experience from the pharmaceutical industry. Having been in charge of the research activities of Astra AB for a number of years, he was later responsible for the company's sales and marketing in the Nordic region, certain countries in Europe and South Africa. From 1999 to 2011, he was CEO of Nycomed GmbH.
Håkan Björklund's special qualifications for serving on Lundbeck's Board of Directors are his knowledge of pharmaceutical research and development and his knowledge of the industry.
Håkan Björklund serves on the boards of Atos Medical AB and Coloplast A/S.
Melanie G. Lee
Melanie G. Lee, Ph.D., CBE, FMedSci. D.Sc (Hons), born 29 July 1958, English citizen, nominated for election to Lundbeck's Board of Directors at the 2012 Annual General Meeting.
Melanie G. Lee has a broad academic background and many years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry. She has held several executive positions, most recently as Research and Development Director and member of the management board of Celltech plc. and as Executive Vice President for R&D of UCB where she was also a member of the management board. In 2010 she became Chief Executive Officer of Syntaxin and in 2011 she became board member of BTG plc.
Melanie G. Lee’s special qualifications for serving on Lundbeck's Board of Directors include her top management experience and her knowledge of research and development in the pharmaceutical industry.
Re agenda item 6:
The Board of Directors proposes that Deloitte Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab should be re-elected.
Re agenda item 7:
The Board of Directors has presented the following proposals:
- Adoption of amendment to the remuneration guidelines for the Board of Directors and the Executive Management of H. Lundbeck A/S.
In 2011 the Annual General Meeting adopted remuneration guidelines for the Board of Directors and the Executive Management. In addition to a number of – primarily linguistic – adjustments, the Board of Directors proposes the following amendments to the remuneration guidelines:
- It is stated that Lundbeck will pay potential mandatory contributions to social security or similar taxes or duties that are imposed on Lundbeck due to the board members’ membership of the Lundbeck Board of Directors.
- The adjustment of the right to grant employee bonds is abolished, which can be attributed to the abolishment of section 7A of the Danish Tax Assessment Act.
- It has previously been stated in the remuneration guidelines that the remuneration policy is to pay the Executive Management members a base salary, which must be a bit lower than the average salary within the group of comparable companies, in exchange for establishing short-term and long-term incentive programmes with the possibility of a significant upside for achieving exceptional results. It is proposed that this is changed so that the base salary is fixed at market level.
- In the long-term incentive programme (LTI), the Executive Management has previously vested shares and share-based instruments after a 3-year period depending on results achieved in respect of total shareholder return (TSR). It is proposed that the concept of TSR is deleted from future programmes. Instead, it is proposed that the Executive Management vests shares and share-based instruments after the 3-year period if the financial targets are reached. These targets will be further defined by the Board of Directors and may include both financial and strategic targets.
- Possibility of granting the Executive Management access to participate in a one-off incentive programme in the form of a matching warrant programme. In the matching warrant programme, the CEO is offered to invest DKK 10 million in Lundbeck shares at the current market value while the non-CEO members are offered to invest DKK 4 million on the same terms. For each share acquired at market value, the Executive Management member receives 4 warrants free of charge. Part of the relevant warrants are vested after of period of 3, 4 and 5 years respectively, provided that employment for bad leavers with the Lundbeck group is not under notice or cancelled during this period.
- As part of the forward-looking changes to the structure of the LTI programmes, the Board of Directors is authorised to terminate the 2010 and 2011 LTI programme for the Executive Management and transfer cash or shares to the members corresponding to a value of 6 months' salary to each participant for each programme.
The complete wording of the updated "Remuneration guidelines for the Board of Directors and the Executive Management of H. Lundbeck A/S" will be made available on the Company's website on or before 7 March 2012.
- It is proposed that a new article 4.5 is inserted in the Articles of Association with the following wording:
"In addition to the authorisations granted in Articles 4.1-4.4, the Board of Directors is authorised, for the period until 29 March 2017, to issue, in one or more rounds and without pre-emption rights to the existing shareholders, warrants granting the right to subscribe for shares in the Company of a nominal value up to of DKK 25,000,000 in connection with the issue of new shares to the Board of Management, executive officers, and other employees of the Company and/or its subsidiaries as determined by the Board of Directors. The warrants shall give the right to subscribe for shares in the Company at a price fixed by the Board of Directors, which may be lower than the market price. The Board of Directors shall stipulate the terms governing the warrants issued under this authority. According to the rules in force at any time, the Board of Directors may reuse or re-issue any lapsed non-exercised warrants provided that such reuse or re-issue takes place on the terms and within the time limits that appear from this authorisation. Reuse means the right of the Board of Directors to allow another contracting party to enter into a pre-existing agreement on warrants. Reissue means the right of the Board of Directors within the same authorisation to reissue new warrants in the event of lapse of warrants that have already been issued."
The following article numbers are corrected as a result of the new article.
In article 4.6 (previously 4.5) the following is corrected in the first line: "For newly subscribed shares according to 4.1-4.4..." to "For newly subscribed shares according to 4.1 - 4.5..."
- It is proposed that the e-mail address in article 16.3 of the Articles of Association is changed so that the current article 16.3 is deleted and replaced in its entirety by the following:
"The Company shall request registered shareholders to provide an electronic address to which notices etc. may be sent. Each shareholder shall be responsible for ensuring that the Company has the correct e-mail address. All communications from shareholders to the Company may be sent electronically by e-mail to information@lundbeck.com."
- It is proposed that until the next Annual General Meeting the Board of Directors is authorised to allow the Company to acquire own shares at a total nominal value of up to 10 % of the share capital in accordance with the applicable legislation on this subject. The purchase price for the relevant shares may not deviate by more than 10 per cent from the price quoted on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen A/S at the time of the acquisition.
- The Board of Directors proposes that the chairman of the General Meeting is authorised to make such amendments and additions to the resolutions passed by the General Meeting and the application for registration with the Danish Business Authority that may be required by the Danish Business Authority in connection with the registration of the adopted amendments.
The adoption of agenda items 7, 2) and 7, 3) requires the affirmative votes of no less than 2/3 of the votes cast as well as of the voting stock represented at the General Meeting, cf. Article 9.2 of the Articles of Association. The other proposals may be adopted by simple majority of votes.
H. Lundbeck A/S welcomes all shareholders who have obtained an admission card for themselves and for any adviser accompanying them at the General Meeting. Please note that admission cards must be obtained prior to the General Meeting in order to attend. Ballot papers will be provided together with admission cards. Access to the General Meeting is via the reception on Otilliavej 9, 2500 Valby. There is limited parking space available on Ottiliavej and Krumtappen. Coffee and tea will be served after the General Meeting.
In accordance with Article 10.1 of the Articles of Association, admission cards will be provided to shareholders entitled to vote at the General Meeting. Anyone who is registered as a shareholder in the register of shareholders on the date of registration, 22 March 2012, or has made a request to such effect, including evidence of title to shares, that has reached the Company on that date, is entitled to vote at the General Meeting (Article 10.4 of the Articles of Association).
Admission cards and ballot papers for the General Meeting can be obtained up to and including 23 March 2012 via the Company's website www.lundbeck.com, from Computershare A/S Kongevejen 418, DK-2840 Holte, tel. +45 4546 0999, or by returning the order form to Computershare A/S. Admission cards and ballot papers will be sent from 22 March 2012.
The Company's nominal share capital is DKK 980,679,590, divided into shares of DKK 5 nominal value. Each share of DKK 5 carries one vote as provided by Article 10.6 of the Articles of Association.
If a resolution is passed by the General Meeting to distribute dividend to the shareholders, the dividend, less any dividend tax, will be paid into the accounts designated by the shareholders in accordance with the applicable rules of VP SECURITIES A/S
The following information and documents will be made available on the Company's website, www.lundbeck.com, on or before 7 March 2012: 1) The notice convening the General Meeting; 2) the total number of shares and voting rights at the date of the notice; 3) all documents to be submitted to the General Meeting, including the audited annual report; 4) the agenda and the full text of all proposals to be submitted to the General Meeting; and 5) postal and proxy voting forms.
All shareholders may ask questions in writing about the agenda and the documents to be used for the General Meeting. Questions may be sent by post or by e-mail to information@lundbeck.com. Questions will be answered in writing or orally at the General Meeting, unless prior to the Meeting the answer is available via a questions/answers function on the Company's website, www.lundbeck.com.
If you are prevented from attending the General Meeting, the Board of Directors would be pleased to act as proxy to cast the votes attaching to your shares, in which case the enclosed proxy form, duly completed, dated and signed, must reach Computershare A/S, Kongevejen 418, DK-2840 Holte, by 23 March 2012. If you wish to appoint proxies other than the Board of Directors, the form for appointing a third party as proxy can be used. The proxy forms are available on the Company's website, www.lundbeck.com. Proxies may also be appointed electronically on www.lundbeck.com on or before 23 March 2012 (please use custody account number and access code).
You may also vote by post. The enclosed postal voting form, completed and signed, must reach Computershare A/S, Kongevejen 418, DK-2840 Holte, by 28 March 2012 before 12 noon. A postal voting form is available on the Company's website, www.lundbeck.com, where votes may also be cast electronically.
Also this year, Lundbeck offers simultaneous interpretation from Danish into English in the Auditorium. The General Meeting will also be webcast live in Danish and English (can be replayed after the meeting). See the Company's website, www.lundbeck.com.
If you have a disability that makes passage from the entrance to the Auditorium difficult you may request assistance from the staff at arrival at the reception.
Valby, 1 March 2012
Board of Directors
H. Lundbeck A/S
Lundbeck contacts
Investors: | Media: |
Palle Holm Olesen | Mads Kronborg |
Chief Specialist, Head of Investor Relations | Media Relations Manager |
palo@lundbeck.com | mavk@lundbeck.com |
+45 36 43 24 26 | +45 36 43 28 51 |
Magnus Thorstholm Jensen | Simon Mehl Augustesen |
Investor Relations Officer | International Media Specialist |
matj@lundbeck.com | smeh@lundbeck.com |
+45 36 43 38 16 | +45 36 43 49 80 |
Jacob Tolstrup | |
Vice President | |
jtl@lundbeck.com | |
+1 847 282 5713 |
About Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN.CO, LUN DC, HLUKY) is an international pharmaceutical company highly committed to improving the quality of life for people suffering from brain disorders. For this purpose, Lundbeck is engaged in the research, development, production, marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals across the world. The company’s products are targeted at disorders such as depression and anxiety, psychotic disorders, epilepsy and Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Lundbeck was founded in 1915 by Hans Lundbeck in Copenhagen, Denmark. Today Lundbeck employs approximately 6,000 people worldwide. Lundbeck is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies working with brain disorders. In 2011, the company's revenue was DKK 16.0 billion (approximately EUR 2.2 billion or USD 3.0 billion). For more information, please visit www.lundbeck.com.