Geneva, Switzerland, 26 March 2009 – The Annual General Meeting of Givaudan SA, the world leader in fragrances and flavours, took place in Geneva on 26 March 2009. It was attended by 197 shareholders, representing 2,581,909 shares (35.51 % of a total of 7,270,340 registered shares).
The Annual General Meeting approved the annual report and the annual accounts for 2008 and released the Board of Directors.
The Annual General Meeting approved an ordinary dividend of CHF 10.00 per share. It also approved the issue and distribution of one shareholder warrant per share and the creation of conditional capital in the amount of CHF 3,500,000 reserved for the exercise of warrants granted to the shareholders of the company. The terms and conditions of the shareholder warrants will be determined by the Board of Directors and published on 6 April 2009 before the market opens. The cash dividend and the shareholder warrants will be distributed on 9 April 2009.
Furthermore, the Annual General Meeting approved an increase of the existing conditional share capital reserved for bond issues with option or conversion rights from CHF 9,000,000 to CHF 12,000,000. In this conditional capital, CHF 7’500’000 (representing 750’000 shares) have already been reserved to serve the Mandatory Convertibles Securities due 2010.
The Annual General Meeting elected Thomas Rufer as a new director to replace Prof John Marthinsen and re-elected André Hoffmann and Juerg Witmer, all for a term of three years.
Deloitte AG was elected as auditors for the financial year 2009.
For further information please contact:
Peter Wullschleger, Givaudan Investor & Media Relations
5, chemin de la Parfumerie, CH-1214 Vernier
T +41 22 780 90 93, F +41 22 780 90 90
E-mail: peter_b.wullschleger@givaudan.com
