Clariant’s shareholders approve all agenda items

AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR

• Integrated Report and Group Consolidated Financial Statements for fiscal year 2021 approved
• Günter von Au reelected as Chairman of the Board of Directors
• Three new candidates join the Board of Directors: Ahmed Mohamed Alumar, Roberto César Gualdoni, Naveena Shastri
• Confirmed distribution of CHF 0.40 per share
• KPMG confirmed as statutory auditor from 2022

MUTTENZ, JUNE 24, 2022 – Clariant, a focused, sustainable, and innovative specialty chemical company, today held its 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) where the shareholders approved all agenda items and resolutions as proposed by the Board of Directors. The AGM was held virtually, where shareholders were able to exercise their rights exclusively via the independent proxy. Overall, 698'945'298 shares or around 70.19 % of the share capital of Clariant were represented. 

Günter von Au was reelected as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, three new members were voted to join by a large majority: Ahmed Mohamed Alumar, Saudi Arabian Citizen; Roberto César Gualdoni, German and Italian Citizen; Naveena Shastri, US Citizen. These candidates were nominated by SABIC International Holdings B.V. As all other Board Members have been reelected, the Board’s female members increase to 36 %. 

The Integrated Report as well as the Financial Statements and Consolidated Financial Statements of Clariant for the 2021 fiscal year were approved with 99.80 % of the votes. The 2021 Compensation Report was also approved on an advisory basis with 91.87 % of the votes. 

A distribution of CHF 0.40 per share for all shareholders was agreed during this year’s AGM with 94.83 % of the votes. This distribution represents an attractive pay-out ratio of 49 % of continuing operations earnings per share (EPS: CHF 0.81) and is proposed to be made through capital reduction by way of a par value reduction.

After two decades with the same, trusted partner, shareholders further voted KPMG to become Clariant’s new statutory auditor from 2022.

“We can look back at a year that yielded many changes and external challenges, but in which Clariant proved its resilience and produced very strong results nonetheless,” said Günter von Au, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “We are well under way to becoming one of the world’s leading companies for specialty chemicals, generating sustainable, profitable growth and increasing the value we create for all our stakeholders.”

"We have been successful in the last year not only in moving toward achieving our mid-term targets, which we recently confirmed at the publication of our first quarter figures, but also in creating our new purpose ‘Greater chemistry – between people and planet’,” said Conrad Keijzer, Chief Executive Officer at Clariant. “I’m grateful for the trust and commitment of our customers, employees and shareholders as we have undergone the necessary transformational shifts to live up to our purpose and achieve our goals. Together we have been able to increase Clariant’s profitability, improve our sustainability profile and simultaneously contribute to the global sustainability agenda with our innovations.”

Please find additional documents related to the AGM available for download on https://www.clariant.com/agm