Roche Annual General Meeting 2023

Rhea-AI Summary

On March 14, 2023, Roche (OTCQX: RHHBY) held its Annual General Meeting, where all proposals by the Board of Directors were approved, including the election of Severin Schwan as the new Chairman. Thomas Schinecker was appointed as the new CEO. Shareholders approved a dividend increase to CHF 9.50 per share, marking the 36th consecutive rise. The meeting also ratified the actions of the Board and authorized future remuneration for its members. KPMG AG was appointed as the external auditor for 2023. The company continues to focus on enhancing healthcare outcomes through innovative diagnostics and pharmaceuticals.

Positive

• Appointment of Severin Schwan as new Chairman of the Board of Directors, enhancing leadership stability.
• Appointment of Thomas Schinecker as new CEO, indicating a leadership transition with ongoing company vision.
• 36th consecutive dividend increase to CHF 9.50 per share, reflecting consistent financial performance.

Negative

• None.

• All proposals of the Board of Directors approved
• Severin Schwan elected as new Chairman of the Board of Directors; all other members of the Board of Directors standing for election were elected
• Thomas Schinecker new Roche Group CEO as of today
• 36th dividend increase in succession to CHF 9.50 per share and non-voting equity security

Basel, 14 March 2023 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that the ordinary Annual General Meeting has elected Severin Schwan as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors with 98.32% of the votes and has approved all of the Board's proposals. The 574 shareholders present, who represented 75.94% of the total of 106,691,000 shares, approved the Management Report, the Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements for 2022, the Remuneration Report and the revision of the Articles of Incorporation.

The newly elected Chairman of the Board of Directors, Severin Schwan, addressed the shareholders in a speech: "Overall, we achieved good results last year; the base business of the Diagnostics Division and our newer medicines continued their strong growth. I would like to thank our outgoing Chairman Christoph Franz for his long and trusting cooperation. Today, Thomas Schinecker will assume my role as CEO of the Roche Group. I look forward to our future cooperation."

The shareholders also approved an increase in the dividend for the past financial year to 9.50 Swiss francs (gross) per share and non-voting equity security. This is the 36th consecutive dividend increase. They also authorised ratification of the actions of the members of the Board of Directors and the Corporate Executive Committee.

Christoph Franz, the departing Chairman of Roche's Board of Directors, expressed his gratitude for the trust shown by the shareholders and said: "It was an exceptional honour and pleasure for me to have been able to work for this unique company for many years. The owner family's long-term orientation motivates the Board of Directors and the Corporate Executive Committee to invest consistently in top-level research so that the company can continue making major contributions to people’s health. I would like to thank the founding families for their strong support."

Shareholders approved total bonuses for the 2022 financial year of 98.82% for the Corporate Executive Committee and of 97.02% for the Chairman of the Board of Directors. They also approved a maximum total future remuneration of 99.04% for the Board of Directors and of 98.95% for the Corporate Executive Committee until the 2023 Annual General Meeting.

In addition to Severin Schwan, the following directors standing for election were re-elected to the Board of Directors for a term of office of one year:

• André Hoffmann
• Dr Jörg Duschmalé
• Dr Patrick Frost
• Anita Hauser
• Professor Dr Richard P. Lifton
• Bernard Poussot
• Dr Claudia Süssmuth Dyckerhoff
• Dr Jemilah Mahmood

The following persons standing for election were elected to the Board of Directors for a term of office of one year for the first time:

• Professor Dr Akiko Iwasaki
• Dr Mark Schneider

The following members of the Board of Directors were elected as members of the Remuneration Committee for a term of office of one year:

• André Hoffmann
• Professor Dr Richard P. Lifton
• Bernard Poussot
• Dr Jörg Duschmalé
• Anita Hauser

The Meeting appointed KPMG AG as external auditor for the 2023 financial year and Testaris AG as independent proxy until the conclusion of the 2024 ordinary Annual General Meeting.

As of today, Thomas Schinecker will take over from Severin Schwan as CEO of the Roche Group. He too addressed the shareholders in a speech: "With its combination of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and digitalisation, Roche has an unsurpassed position in terms of helping people to diagnose their illnesses as quickly as possible and to treat or even cure them. The entire Roche team, with our 100,000-plus employees as well as our partners, will continue to do our utmost to make our medical innovations available globally to as many people as possible and as rapidly as possible."

About Roche
Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.

In recognising our endeavor to pursue a long-term perspective in all we do, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the thirteenth consecutive year. This distinction also reflects our efforts to improve access to healthcare together with local partners in every country we work.

Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.


Roche Group Media Relations
Phone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: media.relations@roche.com

Hans Trees, PhD Phone: +41 79 407 72 58	Nathalie Altermatt Phone: +41 79 771 05 25
Karsten Kleine Phone: +41 79 461 86 83	Nina Mählitz Phone: +41 79 327 54 74
Dr. Barbara von Schnurbein Phone: +41 79 699 97 44	Sileia Urech Phone: +41 79 935 81 48

 

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FAQ

What are the key outcomes of Roche's Annual General Meeting on March 14, 2023?

The key outcomes included the election of Severin Schwan as Chairman, the appointment of Thomas Schinecker as CEO, and the approval of a CHF 9.50 dividend, marking the 36th consecutive increase.

What was the dividend approved by Roche's shareholders in 2023?

Roche's shareholders approved a dividend of CHF 9.50 per share for the 2022 financial year.

Who was appointed as the new CEO of Roche on March 14, 2023?

Thomas Schinecker was appointed as the new CEO of Roche on March 14, 2023.

How did Roche's shareholders respond to the board's proposals in 2023?

Roche's shareholders approved all of the Board's proposals with a significant majority, reflecting strong support.

Who will audit Roche's financials for the 2023 financial year?

KPMG AG was appointed as the external auditor for Roche for the 2023 financial year.