The General Meeting is Sanoma’s highest decision-making body, convening at least once a year in accordance with the Sanoma Articles of Association.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held by the end of June each year and it handles the matters that fall under its authority according to the Finnish Companies Act as well as any matters proposed to a General Meeting. Extraordinary General Meetings are convened to handle specific matters proposed to a General Meeting.
According to the Finnish Companies Act, e.g. the following matters are subject to the decision-making power of a General Meeting:
- amendments to the Articles of Association;
- increases or decreases in share capital;
- issues of shares or other rights entitling to shares;
- acquisition of own shares;
- decisions on the number, election and remuneration of Directors;
adoption of the financial statements; - distribution of profits / allocation of losses.
Shareholders’ right to have matters dealt with by the General Meeting
According to the Finnish Companies Act, a shareholder may also request that his or her proposal to be handled at the next General Meeting. Such a request shall be made in writing to the company’s Board of Directors and the proposed matters shall fall within the competence of the General Meetings according to the Finnish Companies Act. Such a written request are asked to be sent to the Board of Directors well in advance before the Notice to the Annual General Meeting is published.
Sanoma Corporation's Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday 13 April 2021.
Use of profit and payment of dividend
The AGM resolved that a dividend of EUR 0.52 per share shall be paid and a sum of EUR 700,000 shall be transferred to the donation reserve and used at the Board of Directors’ discretion.
The dividend shall be paid in two instalments. The first instalment of EUR 0.26 per share was be paid to a shareholder who was registered in the shareholders’ register of the Company maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the dividend record date 15 April 2021. The payment date for this instalment was 22 April 2021.
The second instalment of EUR 0.26 per share shall be paid in November 2021. The second instalment shall be paid to a shareholder who is registered in the shareholders’ register of the Company maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the dividend record date, which, together with the dividend payment date, shall be decided by the Board of Directors in its meeting scheduled for 26 October 2021. The dividend record date would then be on or about 28 October 2021 and the dividend payment date on or about 4 November 2021.
Decisions taken by Sanoma Corporation’s Annual General Meeting and Board of Directors (Stock Exchange Release on 13 April 2021)
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pekka Ala-Pietilä's speech at the AGM 2021 (interpreted in English)
President and CEO Susan Duinhoven's presentation at the AGM 2021
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2021 (appendice to Minutes, see below)
