Shareholders

Major shareholders

(in %) 31 Dec 20191
 31 Dec 20181
Dr H.C. Thomas Straumann (Vice Chairman of the Board) 16.9
 17.1
Dr H.C. Rudolf Maag 11.5 11.5
BlackRock Inc. (concern)2
 7.3 6.5
Simone Maag de Moura Cunha
 3.7 3.7
Gabriella Straumann
 3.0 3.0
The Capital Group Companies, Inc.2 3.0 n/a
TOTAL  45.4 41.8

1 Or at last reported date if shareholdings are not registered in the share register.
2 Not or only partially registered in the share register

Shareholders by volume of shares held1

(absolute number)
 31 Dec 2019 31 Dec 2018
1 – 100 shares 10'528 8'612
101 – 1000 2'349 2'240
1 001 – 10 000 308 292
10 001 – 100 000 49 49
100 001 – 1 000 000 9 11
1 000 001 and more 3 3
Total 13'246 11'207

1 Non-registered shareholders are not considered in this table. 

Shareholdings on 31 December 2019

Shareholders by segment

Shareholders by segment

Entries in the share register

Share purchasers are entered in the share register as shareholders with voting rights if they expressly declare that they have acquired the registered shares in their own name and for their own account. Purchasers who are not willing to make such declarations are registered as shareholders withoutvoting rights. Proof of acquisition of title in the shares is a prerequisite for entry in the share register. Nominees approved by the Board of Directors are recorded in the share register as shareholders with voting rights. Nominees who have not been approved by the Board of Directors may be refused recognition as shareholders if they do not disclose the beneficiary. In such cases, the nominees will be recorded in the share register as shareholders without voting rights. As of 31 December 2019, no nominee had asked for registration and voting rights.

There are no statutory rules concerning deadlines for entry in the share register. However, for organizational reasons, the share register is closed several days before the General Meeting. The respective cut-off date for inscriptions is announced in the invitation to the General Meeting

Shareholders’ participation rights

Each share duly entered in the share register entitles the shareholder to one vote. On 31 December 2019, approximately 72.9% (2018: 73.0%) of the issued capital was registered in the share register.

All shareholders may be represented at the General Meeting by a proxy. Proxies and directives issued to the independent voting representative may be given either in writing or online. Other voting representatives must have a proxy signed by hand by the shareholder. The Board of Directors decides whether proxies shall be recognized.

The independent voting representative is elected by the General Meeting for a term of office until the end of the next AGM and can be re-elected. In the case of a vacancy, the Board of Directors shall designate an independent voting representative for the next General Meeting.


Quorum

The General Meeting adopts its resolutions and holds its ballots by a majority of votes cast. Abstentions and invalid ballots are not taken into account. The legal provisions (in particular section 704 of the Swiss Code of Obligations) that stipulate a different majority are reserved.

Convocation of General Meetings, Agenda Proposals

The Shareholders’ General Meeting is convened by the Board of Directors within six months of the end of the business year. In 2020, the Shareholders’ General Meeting will take place on 7 April at the Congress Center in Basel, Switzerland.

Shareholders individually or jointly representing at least 10% of the share capital may request an extraordinary General Meeting. The request must be made to the Board of Directors in writing, stating the agenda items and motions.

Invitations to the General Meeting are issued in writing and are delivered via ordinary mail to the address recorded in the share register at least 20 days before the General Meeting and are published on the company’s website. If shareholders agree to the electronic delivery of notices, the invitation is also sent by email. All agenda items and proposals by the Board of Directors and by shareholders who have requested the General Meeting must be announced in the notice convening the General Meeting. 

Shareholders who individually or jointly represent shares with a par value of at least CHF 15000 may request that an item be included in the agenda. The request shall be in writing at least 45 days before the General Meeting and must set forth the agenda items and the proposals of the shareholder(s).

Straumann Group 2019 AGM approves all proposals

 

The 2019 AGM took place on 5 April.   The Straumann shareholders approved all the proposals put forward by the Board of Directors by a large majority. 374 shareholders attended the meeting. Together with proxies and online voters, they represented 74% of the total share capital. 

The shareholders approved the following for the 2018 business year:

  • The Management Report, the Annual Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements. 
  • The Compensation Report, in a consultative vote.
  • The appropriation of earnings and dividend payment for the 2018 business year. 
  • The fixed compensation of the Board of Directors and the Executive Management.
  • The re-election of the Chairman and members of the Board, and the election of Juan-José Gonzalez as an additional Board Member, each for a term of one year.
  • The re-election of Neovius AG in Basel as the independent voting representative for a term of one year.
  • The re-election of Ernst & Young AG, Basel, as auditors for the 2019 business year. 

The minutes of the meeting (including voting results) are published here.