Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Rapala VMC Corporation
RAPALA VMC CORPORATION, Notice to general meeting, March 20,
2024 at 05:00 p.m. EET
The shareholders of Rapala VMC Corporation (“Rapala
VMC” or the “Company”) are invited to the
Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Thursday
18 April 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (EET).
The meeting will be held as a remote meeting in accordance with
Chapter 5, Section 16, Subsection 3 of the Finnish Companies Act,
in which shareholders fully exercise their decision-making powers
by the use of telecommunications and technical means during the
meeting in real time. Instructions on participation are provided in
section C of this notice.
The shareholders may also exercise their voting rights by voting
in advance. Instructions on advance voting are provided in section
C. 6. of this notice.
A. MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OF THE GENERAL
MEETING
At the General Meeting, the following matters will be
considered:
1. Opening of the meeting
2. Calling the meeting to order
3. Election of persons to scrutinise the minutes and to
supervise the counting of votes
4. Recording the legality of the meeting
5. Recording the attendance at the meeting and adoption
of the list of votes
6. Presentation of the Financial Statements, the
Consolidated Financial Statements, the Report of the Board of
Directors and the Auditor’s Report for the year 2023
Presentation of the CEO’s review.
7. Adoption of the Financial Statements
8. Resolution on the use of the profit shown on the
balance sheet and the distribution of dividend
On 31 December 2023, the company’s distributable equity totalled
EUR 33,251,790 of which the net profit for the year 2023 was EUR
-7,313,078.
The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting
that no dividend be paid based on the balance sheet to be adopted
for the financial year which ended 31 December 2023 and
the loss be retained and carried further in the Company’s
unrestricted equity.
9. Resolution on the discharge of the members of the
Board of Directors and the CEO from liability for the financial
year 2023
10. Consideration of the Remuneration Report for
Governing Bodies
11. Consideration of the Remuneration Policy for
Governing Bodies
The remuneration policy for the governing bodies is attached to
this notice of the General Meeting as Appendix 1.
12. Resolution on the remuneration of the members of the
Board of Directors
Shareholders representing approximately 43.24 per cent
of the shares and votes in the Company propose to the Annual
General Meeting that the annual remuneration to the members of the
Board of Directors be as follows: EUR 70,000 for the Chairman
and EUR 25.000 for other members of the Board of Directors. It
is proposed that Board members be paid EUR 1,000 per meeting
for attendance at meetings of the Board and its committees. Board
members’ remuneration will not be paid to Board members who have an
employment or service contract with the Company.
13. Resolution on the number of members of the Board of
Directors
Shareholders representing approximately 43.24 per cent of
the shares and votes in the Company propose to the Annual General
Meeting that the number of members of the Board of Directors be six
(6).
14. Election of members of the Board of
Directors
Shareholders representing approximately 43.24 per cent of
the shares and votes in the Company propose to the Annual General
Meeting that the current board members Emmanuel Viellard, Julia
Aubertin, Vesa Luhtanen and Alexander Rosenlew be re-elected, and
that Pascal Lebard and Johan Berg be elected as new members for a
term that will continue until the end of the next Annual General
Meeting.
Louis d’Alançon and Jorma Kasslin have notified that they are
not available for re-election.
The composition of the board of directors will be considered as
a whole.
Further information on the proposed members and
their independence is available on the Company’s corporate website
at
https://investors.rapalavmc.com/investors/corporate_governance/annual_general_meeting_2024.
15. Resolution on the remuneration of the
auditor
The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting
that the remuneration of the auditor be paid according to the
invoice approved by the Company.
16. Election of the auditor
The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting
that Authorised Public Accountants Firm Deloitte Ltd, which has
informed the Company that Jenny Lindvall, APA, will serve as the
responsible auditor, be elected as the Company’s auditor for a term
that will continue until the end of the next Annual General
Meeting.
If Deloitte Ltd is elected as the auditor of the Company, it
will also carry out the assurance of the Company’s sustainability
reporting for the financial year 2024 in accordance with the
transitional provision of the act amending the Finnish Companies
Act (1252/2023) and will be imbursed for this task as per its
invoice approved by the Company.
17. Authorising the Board of Directors to resolve on the
issuance of shares as well as the issuance of options and other
special rights entitling to shares
The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting
that the Board be authorised to resolve on one or several share
issues and the issue of option rights and other special rights
entitling to shares as defined in Chapter 10, Section 1
of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act as follows:
The total maximum number of shares to be issued under the
authorisation shall be 3,900,000 shares corresponding to
10.00 per cent of all current shares in the Company as at
the date of this notice. The maximum number above concerns the
share issue and the issue of option rights and other special rights
entitling to shares. The authorisation can also be used for
incentive arrangements for the management and key personnel;
however, no more than 900,000 shares in total may be granted for
this purpose.
The share issue may either be made against payment or without
payment. The authorisation entitles the Board of Directors to issue
the shares or option rights and other special rights otherwise than
in proportion to the shareholdings of the shareholders (directed
share issue) if the Company has a weighty financial reason to do
so. The directed share issue may be without payment only if the
Company has an especially weighty financial reason to do so and the
interests of all the Company’s shareholders are taken into
consideration. The Board would be authorised to resolve on all
terms and conditions of share issues and option rights and the
issue of other special rights entitling to shares. The
authorisation covers both the issuance of new shares and the
transfer of the Company’s own shares.
The Board of Directors proposes that the authorisation be valid
until 30 June 2025. This authorisation will cancel the
authorisation to resolve on the issuance of shares and special
rights granted to the Board of Directors by the Annual General
Meeting of 29 March 2023.
18. Authorising the Board of Directors to resolve on the
repurchase of the Company’s own shares
The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting
that the Board of Directors be authorised to resolve, in one or
several instalments, on the repurchase of a maximum of 2,000,000 of
the Company’s own shares. The proposed maximum number of shares
corresponds to approximately 5.13 per cent of the
Company’s total number of shares as at the date of this notice
convening the Annual General Meeting.
The shares would be repurchased using the Company’s unrestricted
equity, and thus, the repurchases will reduce funds available for
distribution. The shares can be repurchased for developing the
Company’s capital structure, for financing or carrying out
corporate acquisitions or other business arrangements, to be used
as a part of the Company’s remuneration or incentive plan or to be
otherwise transferred further or cancelled, for example.
In accordance with the resolution of the Board of Directors, the
shares can also be repurchased otherwise than in proportion to the
existing shareholdings of the shareholders as directed repurchases
at the market price of the shares quoted on the trading venues
where the Company’s shares are subject to public trading or at the
price otherwise established on the market at the time of the
repurchase. The Board of Directors is authorised to resolve on all
other matters related to the repurchase of the Company’s own
shares, including how the shares will be repurchased. Among other
means, derivatives may be used in acquiring the shares.
The Board of Directors proposes that the authorisation be valid
until 30 June 2025. The authorisation will cancel the authorisation
to resolve on the repurchase of the Company’s own shares granted to
the Board of Directors by the Annual General Meeting of 29 March
2023.
19. Closing of the meeting
B. DOCUMENTS OF THE GENERAL MEETING
The proposed resolutions above that are on the
agenda of the Annual General Meeting as well as this notice are
available on Rapala VMC Corporation’s corporate website at
https://investors.rapalavmc.com/investors/corporate_governance/annual_general_meeting_2024.
The Financial Statements, the Consolidated
Financial Statement, the Report of the Board of Directors, the
Auditor’s Report, Remuneration Report for Governing Bodies for the
financial year 2023 as well as the Remuneration Policy for
Governing Bodies will be available on the above-mentioned website
no later than on 28 March 2024.
The minutes of the meeting will be available on the
above-mentioned website on 2 May 2024 at the latest.
C. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING
1. The right to participate
Each shareholder who is on 8 April 2024, the record date for the
Annual General Meeting, registered in the shareholders’ register of
the Company held by Euroclear Finland Oy has the right to
participate in the Annual General Meeting. A shareholder whose
shares are registered in his/her Finnish book-entry account is
registered in the Company’s shareholders’ register. If you do not
have a Finnish book-entry account, see section 3. “Holder of
nominee-registered shares”.
Changes in shareholding after the record date of the Annual
General Meeting do not affect the right to participate in the
Annual General Meeting or the shareholder’s number of votes.
2. Registration
Registration for the Annual General Meeting begins
on 27 March 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (EET). A
shareholder entered in the shareholders’ register of the Company
whose shares are registered in the shareholder’s Finnish book-entry
account and who wishes to participate in the Annual General Meeting
shall register for the Annual General Meeting by 15 April 2024 at
10:00 a.m. (EET), by which time the registration must be
received. The registration for the General Meeting can be made:
a) Through the Company’s corporate
website at
https://investors.rapalavmc.com/investors/corporate_governance/annual_general_meeting_2024.
Online registration
requires strong electronic identification from the shareholder or
the shareholder’s statutory representative or proxy representative
using online banking credentials or a mobile certificate.
b) By mail or email.
A shareholder who
registers by mail or email shall send the registration and advance
voting form available on the Company’s corporate website
at https://investors.rapalavmc.com/investors/corporate_governance/annual_general_meeting_2024 no
later than on 27 March 2024 or corresponding information to
Innovatics Ltd by mail to the address Innovatics Ltd, General
Meeting / Rapala VMC Corporation, Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, FI-00520
Helsinki, Finland, or by email to agm@innovatics.fi.
If the shareholder
registers for the General Meeting by mail or email to Innovatics
Ltd, the delivery of the registration and advance voting form or
the corresponding information before the end of the registration
period shall be deemed a registration for the General Meeting,
provided that the shareholder’s message includes the information
mentioned on the form required for registration.
The requested information, such as the shareholder’s name, date
of birth or possible business ID, telephone number and email
address as well as the name and date of birth of the shareholder’s
possible assistant and/or proxy representative must be provided in
connection with the registration. The personal data given to Rapala
VMC or Innovatics Ltd is used only in connection with the Annual
General Meeting and the processing of related registrations.
Additional information on the registration and advance voting is
available during the registration period by telephone from
Innovatics Ltd’s telephone number at +358 10 2818 909 on weekdays
from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon and from 1:00 p.m. until 4.00 p.m.
(EET).
3. Holder of nominee-registered shares
A holder of nominee-registered shares has the right to
participate in the Annual General Meeting by virtue of such shares,
based on which the shareholder on the record date of the Annual
General Meeting on 8 April 2024 would be entitled to be registered
in the shareholders’ register of the Company held by Euroclear
Finland Oy. In addition, the right to participate in the
Annual General Meeting requires that the shareholder on the basis
of such shares has been temporarily registered into the
shareholders’ register held by Euroclear Finland Oy at the
latest by 15 April 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (EET). As regards
nominee-registered shares, this constitutes due registration for
the Annual General Meeting. Changes in shareholding after the
record date do not affect the right to participate in the Annual
General Meeting or the shareholder’s number of votes.
A holder of nominee-registered shares is advised to contact
his/her custodian bank in good time to request the necessary
instructions regarding the temporary registration in the
shareholders’ register of the Company, the issuing of proxy
documents and voting instructions, registration for the Annual
General Meeting and advance voting from such shareholder’s
custodian bank. The account management organisation of the
custodian bank has to register a holder of nominee-registered
shares who wishes to participate in the Annual General Meeting
temporarily in the shareholders’ register of the Company by the
time stated above, and if necessary, arrange voting in advance on
behalf of the holder of nominee-registered shares within the
registration period applicable to the holders of nominee-registered
shares.
A holder of nominee-registered shares who has registered for the
General Meeting may also participate in the remote meeting by the
use of telecommunications and technical means in real time. In
addition to the temporary registration into the shareholders’
register, the real-time participation in the remote meeting
requires the delivery of the shareholder’s email address and
telephone number by email to agm@innovatics.fi or by mail to the
address Innovatics Ltd, General Meeting / Rapala VMC Corporation,
Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, FI-00520 Helsinki, Finland, before the end
of the registration period for the holders of nominee-registered
shares, so that the shareholders can be sent a participation link
and password to participate in the remote meeting.
If a holder of nominee-registered shares has authorised his/her
custodian bank to vote in advance on his/her behalf, the votes cast
in this way will be taken into account as advance votes of the
holder of nominee-registered shares at the General Meeting, unless
the holder of nominee-registered shares votes otherwise at the
General Meeting.
4. Proxy representative and powers of
attorney
A shareholder may participate in the Annual General Meeting and
exercise his/her rights in the meeting by way of proxy
representation. The proxy representative of the shareholder may
also vote in advance as instructed in section C. 6. of these
instructions.
The proxy representative shall provide a dated proxy document or
otherwise in a reliable manner demonstrate his/her right to
represent the shareholder. Should a shareholder participate in the
Annual General Meeting by means of several proxy representatives
representing the shareholder with shares in different book-entry
accounts, the shares by which each proxy representative represents
the shareholder shall be identified in connection with the
registration.
A proxy template is available on the Company’s
corporate website
at https://investors.rapalavmc.com/investors/corporate_governance/annual_general_meeting_2024 no
later than on 27 March 2024.
Any proxy documents are requested to be delivered primarily as
an attachment in connection with the electronic registration and
possible advance voting, or alternatively by mail to the address
Innovatics Ltd, General Meeting / Rapala VMC Corporation,
Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, FI-00520 Helsinki, Finland, or by e-mail to
agm@innovatics.fi before the end of the registration period. In
addition to submitting a proxy document, shareholders or their
proxy representatives shall ensure that they register for the
General Meeting in the manner described above in
section C. 2. of these instructions.
Delivery of a proxy document and the registration and advance
voting form mentioned in Section C. 2. b) to Innovatics Ltd before
the end of the registration period is deemed a registration for the
General Meeting, provided that they set forth the information
necessary for the registration.
If a proxy representative represents more than one shareholder
at the General Meeting, it is recommended to vote in advance. Even
if the proxy representative represents more than one shareholder at
the General Meeting, only one attendance link and password will be
provided to the proxy representative for all shareholders the proxy
representative represents. The proxy representative will therefore
not need to log into the service separately on behalf of each
shareholder but shall still ensure the exercise of shareholders’
rights by voting on behalf of each shareholder separately.
A shareholder may authorise a proxy representative by using the
Suomi.fi e-authorisation service as an alternative to a traditional
proxy document. The proxy representative is authorised via the
Suomi.fi service at www.suomi.fi/e-authorizations
(authorisation for ‘Representation at the General Meeting’). When
registering for the General Meeting service, the proxy
representative must identify themselves by using strong electronic
identification, after which the proxy representative can register
and vote in advance on behalf of the shareholder the proxy
representative represents. Strong electronic identification
requires a Finnish bank ID or mobile certificate. For more
information on e-authorisation, please see
www.suomi.fi/e-authorizations.
5. Participation instructions
Shareholders who have the right to participate in the General
Meeting may participate in the meeting and exercise their
shareholder rights during the meeting in full and in real time via
remote connection.
Shareholders may exercise their right to request information
during the meeting orally.
The remote connection to the General Meeting will be implemented
through Inderes Oyj’s virtual AGM service using the Videosync
platform, which includes video and audio access to the General
Meeting. Using the remote connection does not require software or
downloads subject to a charge. In addition to an internet
connection, participation requires a computer, smartphone or tablet
with speakers or headphones for audio playback as well as a
microphone for oral questions and comments. The following browsers
are recommended for remote participation: Chrome, Firefox, Edge,
Safari, and Opera. Shareholders are responsible for their internet
connections and devices during the meeting.
The participation link and password for remote participation
will be sent by email and/or SMS to the email address and/or mobile
phone number provided at the time of registration by the day before
the meeting, 17 April 2024, at 4:00 p.m. (EET) at the latest. It is
recommended to log into the meeting system before the meeting
starts.
Shareholders who have voted in advance can also participate in
the General Meeting via the remote connection. The votes cast in
advance will be taken into account in the resolution of the General
Meeting, regardless of whether such shareholders participate in the
General Meeting remotely or not. Shareholders participating in the
meeting remotely will be able to change their advance votes during
the meeting, should a vote take place.
For more information on the AGM service, additional instructions
for proxy holders representing more than one shareholder, contact
details of the service provider and instructions in case of
possible disruptions, please visit https://vagm.fi/support and
a link to test the compatibility of your computer, smartphone or
tablet with the internet connection can be found at
https://demo.videosync.fi/agm-compatibility?language=en. It is
recommended to consult the detailed attendance instructions before
the start of the General Meeting.
6. Advance voting
Shareholders with a Finnish book-entry account may vote in
advance on certain matters on the agenda of the General Meeting
between 27 March 2024 at 10:00 and 15 April 2024 at 10:00 (EET) in
the following ways:
a) Through the Company’s
corporate website at
https://investors.rapalavmc.com/investors/corporate_governance/annual_general_meeting_2024.
Shareholders can sign into the advance voting service the same way
as to the electronic registration service referred to above in
section C. 2. a) of these instructions.
b) By email or by mail sending the
advance voting form available on the Company’s corporate website
at https://investors.rapalavmc.com/investors/corporate_governance/annual_general_meeting_2024 no
later than on 27 March 2024 or corresponding information to
Innovatics Ltd, by mail to the address Innovatics Ltd, General
Meeting / Rapala VMC Corporation, Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, FI-00520
Helsinki, Finland or by email to the address agm@innovatics.fi.
Advance votes must be received before the advance voting period
expires.
If the shareholder votes in advance by mail or email to
Innovatics Ltd, the delivery of the registration and advance voting
form or the corresponding information before the end of the
registration period shall be deemed also a registration for the
General Meeting, provided that the shareholder's message includes
the required information mentioned in both the registration section
and the advance voting section of the form.
A proposed resolution that is subject to advance voting is
considered to be presented unchanged in the General Meeting, and
the advance votes are taken into account in a vote at the real-time
General Meeting also in circumstances where an alternative
resolution has been proposed concerning the matter. Taking the
votes into account requires that the shareholders who voted in
advance are registered in the Company’s shareholders’ register
maintained by Euroclear Finland Oy on the record date of the
General Meeting. Unless shareholders voting in advance are present
at the General Meeting in person or by way of proxy representation
via remote connection, they will not be able to make
counterproposals, vote for a possible counterproposal, or use their
rights under the Companies Act to request information or a
vote.
Holders of nominee-registered shares can vote in advance through
their account operators. Account operators can vote in advance on
behalf of the holders of nominee-registered shares they represent
in accordance with the shareholders’ voting instructions during the
registration period applicable to holders of nominee-registered
shares.
7. Other instructions and information
The language of the Annual General Meeting is Finnish.
Pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Finnish
Companies Act, a shareholder participating in the Annual General
Meeting via remote connection has the right to request information
with respect to the matters to be considered at the Annual General
Meeting.
On the date of this notice convening the Annual General Meeting
20 March 2024, the total number of shares and votes in
Rapala VMC Corporation is 39,000,000. On the date of this notice
convening the Annual General Meeting, the Company holds
123,891 treasury shares. Pursuant to the Finnish Companies
Act, shares held by the Company or its subsidiaries are not
entitled to participate in the Annual General Meeting.
Helsinki, 20 March 2024
RAPALA VMC CORPORATION
Board of Directors
Additional Information
For additional information, please contact: Tuomo Leino,
Investor Relations (tel. +358 9 7562 540)
About Rapala VMC Corporation
Rapala VMC group is the world’s leading fishing tackle company
and the global market leader in fishing lures, treble hooks and
fishing related knives and tools. The group also has a strong
global position in other fishing categories and Rapala VMC’s
distribution network is largest in the fishing industry. The main
manufacturing facilities are in Finland, France, Estonia, and the
UK. Rapala VMC group’s brand portfolio includes the leading brand
in the industry, Rapala, and other global brands like VMC, Sufix,
Storm, Blue Fox, Luhr Jensen, Williamson, Dynamite Baits, Mora Ice,
StrikeMaster, Marttiini, Peltonen and 13 Fishing as well as Okuma
in Europe. The group, with net sales of EUR 222 million in 2023,
employs some 1 400 people in approximately 40 countries. Rapala VMC
Corporation’s share is listed and traded on the Nasdaq Helsinki
stock exchange since 1998.
www.rapalavmc.com
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