Lonza Publishes Invitation to the 2023 Annual General Meeting and 2022 Annual and Sustainability Reports

Lonza Group AG / Key word(s): AGMEGM

27-March-2023 / 07:00 CET/CEST
Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

• Annual General Meeting to take place on 5 May 2023 at the Congress Center in Basel, Switzerland

• Albert M. Baehny proposed for re-election as Chairman of the Board of Directors, all current Board Members proposed for re-election

• KPMG proposed for re-election as auditors for the financial year 2023, with Deloitte Ltd, Zurich (CH) proposed for election for the financial year 2024

• Amendment of Lonza’s Articles of Association following the revision of the Swiss Company Law (Aktienrecht)

• Proposed dividend increase of 17% to CHF 3.50 per share

• 2022 Annual and Sustainability Reports published

Basel, Switzerland, 27 March 2023 – Lonza today announced the publication of its 2022 Annual and Sustainability Reports, as well as its invitation to the 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The event will take place on Friday, 5 May 2023, at 10:00 a.m. CEST, at the Congress Center Messe Basel, Messeplatz 21, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.

2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The AGM invitation can be accessed on the AGM webpage.

The Board of Directors proposes the re-election of Albert M. Baehny as Chairman of the Board of Directors. 

The Board of Directors also proposes the re-election of the following individuals to the Board of Directors for a further one-year term each, until the Annual General Meeting 2024:

• Marion Helmes
• Angelica Kohlmann
• Christoph Mäder
• Roger Nitsch
• Barbara Richmond
• Jürgen Steinemann
• Olivier Verscheure

Furthermore, the Board of Directors proposes the election of Deloitte Ltd, Zurich (CH), as auditors for the financial year 2024. For the financial year 2023, the Board of Directors proposes the re-election of KPMG, Ltd, Zürich (CH).

Following the revision of the Swiss Company Law (Aktienrecht), Lonza's Articles of Association have been updated. The full text of the proposed amendments and a comparison against the current version of the Articles of Association and related explanations, can be found in the separate Shareholder Information Brochure on the 2023 Revision of the Articles of Association ("Shareholder Information Brochure"), which can be accessed via our AGM webpage.

Further motions include the election of the Nominations and Compensation Committee, and the approval of the compensation of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.

Lonza’s Board of Directors is proposing a dividend for shareholders of CHF 3.50 per share for 2022, representing a year-on-year increase of 17% or CHF 0.50 per share. The proposal represents a pay-out of 21.4% of 2022 reported net profit of Lonza Group (or 25% excluding the gain from divestments). Subject to approval at the upcoming AGM, 50% of the dividend of CHF 3.50 per share will be paid out of the capital contribution reserve and will therefore be free from Swiss withholding tax.

All details on the motions can be found in the 2023 AGM invitation. 

2022 Annual and Sustainability Reports

Lonza today published its 2022 online Annual Report and Sustainability Report, which is aligned with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. PDF versions of the reports can be accessed via the Annual Report webpage, which can be found here. 

The 2022 Sustainability Report is Lonza’s fifth sustainability report. The report provides insights into the company’s commitments and performance related to the most relevant sustainability priorities for its business and stakeholders. 

Responsible business is both an ethical and a commercial imperative for Lonza. Since 2022, environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics have been incorporated into Lonza’s compensation policy for both management and employees. This ensures that sustainability remains an integral part of every employee’s daily work and sustainability achievements are recognized and rewarded as a core strategic pillar of Lonza’s long-term success. For more information, please visit Lonza’s 2022 Remuneration Report.
 

About Lonza
Lonza is a preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. Our business is structured to meet our customers' complex needs across four divisions: Biologics, Small Molecules, Cell & Gene and Capsules & Health Ingredients. Our unparalleled breadth of offerings across divisions enables our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare industry.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today, Lonza operates across five continents. With approximately 17,500 full-time employees, we comprise high-performing teams and individual talent who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 6.2 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 2.0 billion in Full-Year 2022. Find out more at www.lonza.com

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Lonza Contact Details

Victoria Morgan
Head of External Communications
Lonza Group Ltd
Tel +41 61 316 2283
victoria.morgan@lonza.com

Lyle Wheeler
Investor Relations
Lonza Group Ltd
Tel +41 79 154 9522
lyle.wheeler@lonza.com