- The Shareholders’ Meeting of Air Liquide, chaired by Benoît Potier, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in the presence of François Jackow, Chief Executive Officer, the members of the Board of Directors, and of Jérôme Pelletan, Chief Financial Officer, was attended by 2,692 people on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France. The Shareholders, who represented 58.27% of the voting rights, i.e. 81,563 Shareholders present or represented, approved all of the resolutions that were submitted.
According to the company’s website press release on May 3, 2023, Benoît Potier, Chairman of the Board, opened, alongside the Members of the Board, Air Liquide’s General Meeting, which had for theme this year "Inventing The Future Today". Presenting the performance of the Group, Jérôme Pelletan, Chief Financial Officer, highlighted the acceleration of its growth and its commitment to ESG, and more generally the quality of its financial as well as extra-financial results. Benoît Potier then presented the strategic background in which the Group evolved last year and reviewed the global context and its implications for Air Liquide. François Jackow, Chief Executive Officer, proceeded by detailing the strategy, the environmental and societal progress as well as Air Liquide’s perspectives for 2023. Benoît Potier presented the elements related to governance, in particular the proposed new composition of the Board of Directors and its committees, as well as the work completed in 2022. Xavier Huillard, Lead Director, reviewed the compensation of corporate officers in his capacity as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee. The Statutory Auditors continued with a summary of their reports.
More than 50 minutes of discussion followed with the audience and the meeting was concluded by the votes on the 23 resolutions.
The proposed dividend, with an ex-date of May 15 and a payment date of May 17, 2023, was approved: it will be 2.95 euros per share and 3.24 euros per share eligible for the loyalty bonus.
The Shareholders’ Meeting appointed Catherine Guillouard, Christina Law, Alexis Perakis-Valat and Michael H. Thaman as Directors for a term of four years. As the terms of office of Siân Herbert-Jones and Geneviève Berger expired at the close of the Meeting, the Board renewed its warm thanks to them. The General Meeting also ratified the co-option of Monica de Virgiliis by the Board of Directors on February 15, 2023, in replacement of Anette Bronder, for the remainder of the latter's term of office, i.e. until the close of the 2024 General Meeting. All the new members have joined the Board as independent Directors.
The Board of Directors is thus composed of 14 members: 12 members elected by the Shareholders, very largely independent (83% of independent Directors) out of which 5 women (42% of the Board) and 5 Directors of foreign nationality, and 2 Directors representing the employees. The composition of the Board offers a diversity of profiles, experiences, skills, nationalities and cultures, adapted to the Group’s challenges. It reflects the diversity policy implemented by the Board of Directors.
In addition, the Shareholders’s Meeting voted in favor of the resolution concerning the 2022 remuneration of:
- Benoît Potier, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from January 1, 2022, to May 31, 2022,
- François Jackow, as Chief Executive Officer from June 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022,
- Benoît Potier, as Chairman of the Board of Directors from June 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022,
as well as information on the compensation of all Corporate Officers for 2022.
The Shareholders’ Meeting also approved the remuneration policy of the Corporate Officers related to:
- François Jackow, as Chief Executive Officer,
- Benoît Potier, as Chairman of the Board of Directors,
- and to the non-executive Directors.
Lastly, on the recommendation of the Appointments and Governance Committee, the Board of Directors, held today, determined the composition of the Committees as follows:
- Audit and Accounts Committee: Catherine Guillouard (Chairwoman), Aiman Ezzat, Bertrand Dumazy,
- Appointments and Governance Committee: Xavier Huillard (Chairman), Annette Winkler, Bertrand Dumazy,
- Remuneration Committee: Xavier Huillard (Chairman), Kim Ann Mink, Fatima Tighlaline (Director representing the employees),
- Environment and Society Committee : Annette Winkler (Chairwoman), Philippe Dubrulle (Director representing the employees), Monica de Virgiliis.
The entire Shareholders’ Meeting can be viewed as a webcast on:
https://www.airliquide.com/investors/2023-annual-general-meeting
Air Liquide share ownership (as at December 31, 2022)
- 35% of the capital held by individual shareholders
- 51% of the capital held by non-French institutional investors
- 14% of the capital held by French institutional investors
About Air Liquide
A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 73 countries with approximately 67,100 employees and serves more than 3.9 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902.
