Symrise held its Annual General Meeting on May 15, 2024. For the first time this took place with the new CEO. In his speech, Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot welcomed the nearly 350 shareholders gathered in the townhall of Holzminden for the first time in his new role. He also thanked his predecessor Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram for his many years of service. His following presentation featured an overview of the development and strategy of the Holzminden-based Group.
“I feel delighted to speak at the Symrise Annual General Meeting for the first time as the Group’s CEO,” said Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot. “We offer our shareholders good opportunities for successful business development, also amid ongoing global uncertainties. Our diversified portfolio, our high level of innovation and our global positioning contribute significantly to this. Our pioneering role in sustainability represents a further key to our success. We want to continue intensifying our efforts in this area until we have achieved net-zero status at all levels by 2045.”
In his presentation to the nearly 350 shareholders present, the new CEO started with a look at the 2023 fiscal year. The year turned out a successful one also with its geopolitical uncertainties. It produced stable organic sales growth of just under eight percent. Both divisions (Taste, Nutrition & Health as well as Scent & Care) recorded significant growth.
In his outlook for the 2024 fiscal year, Parisot stated that Symrise feels confident that it will be able to continue along this successful course. In the first quarter of 2024, the Group managed to increase sales by just under 11% compared with the first quarter of 2023. Overall, Symrise is aiming for organic growth of between five and seven percent this year. This would place the company at a faster growth rate than its respective market. To increase profitability, the company has also launched an efficiency program worth EUR 50 million.
Voting results available online
After the presentation of the business figures, the agenda continued to cover the agenda items up for vote. They included the following topics:
- Appropriation of the accumulated profit for the 2023 fiscal year
- Resolution to discharge the members of the Executive and of the Supervisory Board for the 2023 fiscal year
- Appointment of the financial and other auditors
- Approval of the Remuneration Report
- Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation to enable virtual Annual General Meetings and on the arrangements for the participation of Supervisory Board Members
- Removal of the existing Authorized Capital and the creation of a new Authorized Capital
- Removal of the existing authorization to issue bonds and to create a new conditional capital
The shareholders approved all items on the agenda with a large majority. The detailed voting results are available for download at https://www.symrise.com/investors/annual-general-meeting/
