The Board of Directors believes that a good interaction between Management and the shareholders is crucial to Hartmann and that an appropriate framework encourages dialogue.
The Board of Directors considers the company’s general meeting to be main forum of dialogue between shareholders and between shareholders and Management. Company announcements, financial reports and Hartmann’s website constitute the hub of ongoing communication between the company and its shareholders. The content of Hartmann’s website includes an archive of all company announcements in both Danish and English language versions as well as financial presentations. The company’s notices to convene general meetings are not only sent by ordinary mail; they are also posted on the company’s website. Shareholders can order admission cards, appoint proxies and register their attendance on the website.
Pursuant to article 8a of the company’s Articles of Association, when deemed appropriate and technically justifiable, the Board of Directors may offer shareholders to use electronic means to attend general meetings that are otherwise arranged as meetings with physical attendance (partially electronic general meeting). This enables shareholders to use electronic means to attend, speak and vote at general meetings. If the Board of Directors resolves to offer partially electronic general meetings, additional information will be provided on Hartmann’s website, and shareholders registered by name will be notified in writing.
Furthermore, all shareholders may at any time contact Hartmann’s investor relations manager and the group’s Executive Board. Contact details are available e.g. on the group’s website.
Hartmann regularly assesses the company’s capital and share structure and provides an account of these assessments in its annual report.
Following the completion of a rights issue in June 2008, the three previous share classes of the company were merged. Accordingly, Hartmann now has only one share class, and one share carries one vote.
General meetings are convened at approximately three weeks’ notice and never less than eight days or more than four weeks before the meeting. The date of the general meeting appears from Hartmann’s financial calendar, which is published as a company announcement in connection with the company’s interim report for the third quarter of the preceding financial year. The financial calendar is available on the company’s website.
In the event that the agenda includes special items of business, the notice to convene the meeting is drawn up in such way that the shareholders are provided with adequate information on the business to be transacted and the resolutions to be considered.
Proxies given to the Board of Directors only apply to one general meeting specified in advance. Proxies are drawn up so as to allow the shareholders the possibility of taking a position on each individual item on the agenda.
The Board of Directors is aware of its obligations in the event that a public takeover bid is made for the company’s shares. The Board of Directors attaches great importance to safeguarding the interests of shareholders and maintaining a high level of information.