Set out below are some of the ways in which the Company interacts with investors and others, and keeps abreast of their views:
Board – Investor relations, and external communications and media, reports are circulated before every Board meeting. The investor relations report contains a commentary on key events in Experian’s main markets, share price performance, market movements, investor feedback from management and analyst meetings, broker and analyst forecasts and recommendations, investor relations activities (including ESG), and shareholder analysis. The external communications and media update provides details of the focus of external communication activities, which has included innovation, technology (including AI), financial health, data security and integrity, and people. The Chief Communications Officer provides regular updates at Board meetings.
Engagement with investors – The Chair of the Remuneration Committee wrote to our major shareholders and the main UK and US proxy advisory bodies in September 2023. She thanked them for their support on both the Report on directors’ remuneration and Directors’ remuneration policy at the 2023 AGM, and invited feedback on a proposed change to certain remuneration arrangements, following an expansion of role. The Board Chair also makes himself available to meet shareholders.
Investors and analysts – The executive team runs an ongoing programme of dialogue with institutional investors and analysts, through which they discuss a wide range of issues including strategy, performance, management and governance. Experian also engages with investors through industry conferences and by hosting events with members of the senior management team. The announcements of the full-year and half-year results and trading updates provide opportunities for us to answer questions from analysts, covering a wide range of topics. This year, executive management attended conferences and investor meetings virtually and in person (in the UK, USA and Canada).
Annual General Meeting – The AGM provides a valuable opportunity for the Board to communicate with shareholders and for shareholders to hear directly from the Board on the Company’s performance and strategic direction. All the directors attended the 2023 AGM, including the Audit, Remuneration, and Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee chairs. The 2024 AGM will take place on Wednesday 17 July 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. Shareholders are encouraged to use proxy voting on the resolutions put forward, all of which (except for procedural resolutions) are taken by a poll. In 2023, voting levels at the AGM were 78.62% of the Company’s issued share capital.
Private shareholders – The Company Secretary, Charles Brown, oversees communication with private shareholders, and ensures direct responses as appropriate for any matters raised by shareholders. The Company issues a Shareholder Questions card each year, together with the AGM documentation. The Company responded to shareholders directly, as appropriate, following the 2023 AGM and, during the year, the Company undertook a shareholder reunification programme with the intention of applying to good causes any resulting funds that could not be reunified with shareholders.
Investor relations app – This contains information about our financial performance, together with reports, presentations and news of upcoming events.
Website – Our website is an important channel for communicating with all stakeholders, including shareholders. All material information reported to the regulatory news services is published at experianplc.com/investors/investor-news-alerts/regulatory-news, together with copies of full-year and half-year results announcements and trading updates.
Other stakeholders – Information on Group-wide engagement with key stakeholders is contained in the Strategic report. You can also find out more on Board activities regarding key stakeholders, including engagement, summarised in the Governance section of the 2024 Annual Report.
Considering our stakeholders in our decision-making - all material business cases considered in the Group (for example, mergers, acquisitions and major capital investments) include an analysis of the stakeholder considerations, anticipated impact and mitigations. This process helps the Board perform the duties outlined in Section 172 of the UK Companies Act 2006 and provides assurance to the Board that potential impacts on stakeholders have been considered in the development of the proposal.