Shareholders in French-Swiss building materials giant LafargeHolcim will be asked at the Group company’s upcoming annual general meeting (AGM) to vote on changing the Group company name to Holcim.
A Group spokesperson said: “As the company transforms to become the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, the Board of Directors recommends simplifying its name for efficiency and impact while building on the Group’s legacy. This name change concerns only the Group company name. All market brands will remain in existence, as the drivers of the company’s market success, building value and trust for its customers and partners around the world.”
LafargeHolcim shareholders will further be asked to vote on the move of the company’s registered office from Jona-Rapperswil to Zug, Switzerland, completing the company’s restructuring of its office locations.
The AGM will take place on May 4, 2021, at 10am CEST. Due to the ongoing exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal attendance of shareholders on site will not be possible.
LafargeHolcim’s Board of Directors has resolved that shareholders shall be represented at the AGM exclusively by the independent proxy. The Board of Directors invites shareholders to submit their questions in advance regarding the LafargeHolcim 2020 Integrated Annual Report and the AGM. The company says its main concern is to protect its shareholders from any potential health risks arising from the ongoing challenging pandemic.
Shareholders will also be asked to vote on compensation and consider a dividend proposal of CHF 2.00 per registered share of LafargeHolcim, to be paid out of capital contribution reserves and not subject to Swiss withholding tax.
Oscar Fanjul has decided to step down as vice-chairman after serving on the Board of LafargeHolcim since 2015.
Beat Hess, chairman of the Board of Directors: “On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I sincerely thank Oscar for his invaluable contributions since joining the Board of LafargeHolcim in 2015. He played an instrumental role in the successful merger of Lafarge and Holcim and in making it the global leader in building materials and solutions that it is today. He will be greatly missed.”
In line with the company’s commitment to continuity of leadership, the Board of Directors proposes the appointment of CEO Jan Jenisch as a member of the Board of Directors in addition to his CEO role.
Hess continued: “I’m very pleased to nominate Jan Jenisch as a member of the Board of Directors. With his broad industry experience, Jan will play a key role to support the company’s transformation to become the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. Jan has led the company to a new era of growth, financial strength and ESG performance since joining in September 2017. The Board looks forward to his contributions in developing the next strategic phase of the company.”
The Board of Directors has decided to publish the company’s first climate transition report in 2022. It will follow the completion of the company’s work with the Science-based Targets initiative, consistent with LafargeHolcim’s rigorous climate action approach. The climate transition report will be submitted to shareholders for a non-binding vote in 2022.
