Charenton-le-Pont, France (April 30, 2024 – 6:00 pm CEST) – EssilorLuxottica Annual Shareholders' Meeting was held today at 3 Mazarium in Paris. Shareholders approved all 34 resolutions submitted by the Board of Directors to the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting, including the distribution of a Euro 3.95 dividend per share for the financial year 2023, the compensation policy applicable to the Company's Executive Corporate Officers and the re-appointment of all previous directors to the new Board of Directors.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we would like to extend warm thanks to our shareholders for their continued support and trust. We would also like to express our deep sense of gratitude to our talented employee community for their outstanding contributions, which have propelled us through a unique journey. Looking ahead, our vision is set to unlock a new phase of growth while driving shareholder value. We aim to expand even beyond the boundaries of vision care, leveraging the success of our recently launched AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta and the upcoming Nuance Audio. This disruptive innovation, supported by our iconic brands and close relationship with consumers, will help us lead the vision care industry into a new era of interconnectivity, intelligence, and sustainability," commented Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO, and Paul du Saillant, Deputy CEO at EssilorLuxottica after the Meeting.
Payment of the dividend and option for payment of the dividend in shares
The resolution granting shareholders the option to receive their final dividend to be paid for the financial year ended on December 31, 2023, in shares has also been approved. As duly acknowledged by the Board of Directors, the price for newly issued shares for the payment of the dividend has been set at Euro 180.12 per share.
- This price corresponds to 90% of the average of the opening prices on Euronext Paris during the twenty trading days preceding the date of the Annual General Meeting less the amount of the final dividend to be distributed for the financial year ended on December 31, 2023, this total being rounded up to the next euro cent.
- The ex-dividend date1 is set on May 6, 2024. The record date2 is set on May 7, 2024.
Shareholders will be entitled to opt for payment of the dividend in newly issued shares between May 8, 2024 and May 28, 2024, inclusive (except for shareholders holding shares in pure registered form who have to exercise such option on May 24, 2024 at the latest). To exercise such option, shareholders have to address their request to the authorized financial intermediaries. For shareholders holding shares in pure registered form, the request will have to be addressed to the Company's agent (Uptevia, 90 – 110 Esplanade du Général de Gaulle – 92931 Paris La Défense Cedex). For shareholders who have not exercised their option by the abovementioned deadlines, the final dividend will be entirely paid in cash.
An application will be made to admit the new shares for trading on Euronext Paris market. The new ordinary shares allocated in payment will confer the same rights as the existing shares and carry current dividend rights ("jouissance courante"), i.e. they will confer the right to any distribution paid out as from the date of their issuance.
If the amount of the final dividend in respect of which the option will be exercised does not correspond to a whole number of shares, the shareholder will receive the number of shares rounded down to the nearest inferior whole number, and a balancing payment in cash ("soulte").
The payment of the dividend or the delivery of the new shares following the exercise of the option will take place on June 3, 2024.
Shareholders may connect to www.essilorluxottica.com to consult the Questions & Answers dedicated to the payment of dividend in shares.
Continuity for the Company's corporate governance to keep on focusing on long-term goals
Confirming its trust into the Group's management and its ability and commitment to lead EssilorLuxottica into the next chapter, the Shareholders' Meeting approved the staggered re-appointment of all previous directors to the new EssilorLuxottica Board of Directors, including: Francesco Milleri, Paul du Saillant, Jean-Luc Biamonti (independent) and Marie-Christine Coisne-Roquette (independent) for a three-year mandate; as well as Romolo Bardin (non-independent), José Gonzalo (independent), Virginie Mercier Pitre (representing the Valoptec Association), Mario Notari (non-independent), Swati Piramal (independent), Cristina Scocchia (independent), Nathalie von Siemens (independent) and Andrea Zappia (independent) for a two-year mandate.
At the end of the Shareholders' Meeting, the Board of Directors met and appointed the Company Officers confirming Francesco Milleri as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Paul du Saillant as Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
Additionally, the Board of Directors confirmed that three committees will continue supporting and advising the Board on four relevant topics and re-appointed their members as follows:
The members of the Audit and Risk Committee are:
- Jean-Luc Biamonti (Chairman)
- Cristina Scocchia
- Romolo Bardin
The members of the Nomination and Compensation Committee are:
- Andrea Zappia (Chairman)
- José Gonzalo
- Romolo Bardin
The members of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee are:
- Swati Piramal (Chairwoman)
- Nathalie von Siemens
- Virginie Mercier Pitre
The Board of Directors has also confirmed Jean-Luc Biamonti as Lead Director.
To learn more about the directors' profiles, please visit
https://www.essilorluxottica.com/en/governance/board-directors/
Webcast of the Annual Shareholders' Meeting
To access the replay webcast of the Annual General Meeting that will be made available at 6:30 pm CEST, please visit https://www.essilorluxottica.com/annual-shareholders-meetings
Forthcoming Shareholder Key Dates
- Ex date1: May 6, 2024.
- Record date2: May 7, 2024
- Period to exercise the option: May 8, 2024 to May 28, 2024, inclusive
- Date of payment: June 3, 2024.
Notes
1 First date from which EssilorLuxottica shares are traded without the dividend rights.
2 Date on which positions are determined by the central securities depository at close of business.