According to a number of press reports we seem to be heading into the AGM season with another year of pay revolts. There are also rumours that Mrs May is to proceed with introducing annual pay votes.
Chris Cummings, CEO of the Investment Association, writing for the Guardian said “Too many people still feel they are not sharing this country’s prosperity. Companies can either act responsibly now and shape a more responsible 21st-century corporate Britain or they can carry on as before and have it foisted upon them”. Well said Mr Cummings.
Rolls-Royce looks like it will be one of the early battles. My wife has a nominal holding so I will probably go to the AGM on the 4th May as I have in previous years. I seem to have been writing a lot on Rolls-Royce in the last few years simply because of the amount of news, mostly bad, coming out of the company – profit warnings, bribery, imprudent accounting, new CEO and more.
The latest controversy is that CEO Warren East was paid a bonus of £960,000 last year even though underlying profits fell very substantially. It’s the usual story at Rolls-Royce – orders up but profits down (underlying profits down from £1,432m to £813m. Mr East clearly has not yet managed to sort out the company, and certainly not as quickly as hoped for when he joined. Other financial numbers are also poor – free cash flow down, debt doubled, and dividends to shareholders substantially reduced.
Mr East still managed to achieve 55% of his maximum bonus by reaching some of the profit and cash targets, although trying to understand the 22 page Remuneration Report to see how this was achieved is not at all easy. But in summary Mr East achieved total pay of £2.1 million (“single figure of remuneration”) in 2016. That compares with £543,000 in 2015 but he only served for part of that year.
Two other executive directors (both named Smith) achieved £1.3 million and £1.2 million, both up substantially. At least the Chairman did not get any more but he still collected £425,000 in salary.
Oliver Parry of the Institute of Directors said in the Guardian that “The idea that the CEO is receiving a bonus after two profit warnings doesn’t sit very well with investors”.
Needless to point out that the share price of Rolls-Royce remains in the doldrums and has only risen somewhat from its low point in February 2016. So how is this pay scheme aligning directors interests with those of shareholders? It is not apparent.
This year shareholders get to vote on both the Remuneration Report and the Remuneration Policy. In addition there is a vote on the Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP). But it’s the same kind of remuneration scheme that pays out enormous amounts as we see in lots of large public companies. For example under the proposed policy, Mr East can achieve a maximum of £5.1 million and the CFO £3.4 million.
ShareSoc’s recommendation is to vote against the Remuneration Report, the Remuneration Policy, the LTIP, and against the reappointment of Ruth Cairnie (Chairman of the Remuneration Committee). We also suggest voting against Chairman Ian Davis who must surely take some of the responsibility for these arrangements.
Is this not a company that would benefit from a Shareholder Committee? Clearly they need more input from stakeholders when making decisions on remuneration before they get put to a vote at the AGM.
The AGM of Rolls-Royce will be held in Derby near one of their main operating bases. But employees will be able to attend a separate “annual general meeting” for employees so as to strengthen links with them. Or is this a way of avoiding them attending the same AGM as shareholders and hearing the concerns expressed about pay?
Roger Lawson
Roger I have filled in my card with votes against the remuneration reports etc and against Ruth Cairnie and Ian Davis, I only have 250 shares, but I suppose they all count, Kind Regards Terry Richards
Hi Roger, my shares 450 are held in a nominee account at Barclays stockbrokers so no details of any AGM etc ever filter through to me. Another share society ongoing battle! Kind regards,
Graham Phillips
Unfortunately I have already sent in my proxy form without voting against Davis and Cairnes but against renumeration reports. Kind regards Kay Evans