23 Jul 2020

Nationwide AGM results

The results of the voting at Nationwide Building Society's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held today, Thursday 16 July 2020, at Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon, SN38 1NW are detailed below.

Ordinary Resolutions:

1. To receive the Directors’ Report, the Annual Accounts, the Annual Business Statement and the Auditors’ Report for the year ended 4 April 2020
For: 507,755 (98.69%) Against: 6,731 (1.31%) Votes withheld*: 4,405

2. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report (excluding the Directors’ Remuneration Policy) for the financial year ended 4 April 2020
For: 478,066 (93.5 %) Against: 33,238 (6.5 %) Votes withheld*: 7,588

3. To approve the Directors’ Remuneration Policy, the full text of which is contained in the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the financial year ended 4 April 2020
For: 474,181 (92.8 %) Against: 36,789 (7.2 %) Votes withheld*: 7,933

4. To re-appoint Ernst & Young LLP as Auditors until the end of the next AGM
For: 494,814 (96.53%) Against: 17,775 (3.47%) Votes withheld*: 6,285

Special Resolution

5. To approve the amendments to the Rules as stated in the Notice of AGM
For: 492,951 (96.76%) Against: 16,490 (3.24%) Votes withheld*: 9,449

Election or re-election of Directors The results of the election or re-election of Directors of Nationwide Building Society are as follows:

 

Candidate Votes For Votes Against Votes Withheld*
Phil Rivett 492,726 18,350 7,805
Rita Clifton 495,209 17,529 6,145
Mai Fyfield 494,139 18,332 6,404
Joe Garner 491,151 20,557 7,182
Albert Hitchcock 492,825 18,344 7,719
Kevin Parry 492,060 19,315 7,510
Chris Rhodes 491,695 19,615 7,574
David Roberts 491,774 19,620 7,490
Tim Tookey 491,310 19,591 7,991
Gunn Waersted 493,228 18,652 6,996

 

Accordingly, all of the Directors standing for election or re-election were elected or re-elected.

*A ‘Vote Withheld’ is not a vote in law and will not be and has not been counted in the calculation of the proportion of votes ‘For’ and ‘Against’ the resolutions or candidates in the election or re-election of Directors.

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Society held its AGM with the minimum number of directors and colleague members required to form a quorum. Members were able to submit questions in advance of the meeting by email and post and watch the formalities via livestream. The Society is also holding a virtual TalkBack event on Friday 17 July where members can ask questions in real time.

David Roberts, Nationwide's Chair, said:

“The AGM is an important day in our calendar, to report on our progress, answer members questions and members vote on key decisions. Our format has been different this year, but we’ve worked hard to fulfil all these responsibilities.

"Over the last year we’ve used our financial strength and mutual purpose to give better value to members and provide great service, while investing in our future and communities. The final month of the year brought the unprecedented challenge of coronavirus, but we have prioritised the health and financial wellbeing of our members and colleagues as far as we can. Overall, we have more members, higher mortgage balances and higher retail deposits, and by looking after our members, we have grown our business despite quite intense competition.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Baroness Usha Prashar for her commitment and wise counsel to the Society over the past three and a half years as she retires from the Board today. We are delighted that Usha has agreed to continue advising the Society on our diversity and community programmes, and I expect to be able to provide members with a further update on Board composition in the coming weeks.”