25 Mar 2021
Lonza Publishes Invitation to the 2021 Annual General Meeting and 2020 Annual and Sustainability Reports
  • Annual General Meeting to take place on 6 May 2021 at the company's headquarters in Basel, Switzerland
  • Albert M. Baehny proposed for re-election as Chairman of the Board of Directors
  • A dividend increase of CHF 0.25 per share to CHF 3.00 per share proposed
  • 2020 Annual and Sustainability Reports published

Basel, Switzerland, 25 March 2021 – Lonza today announced the publication of its 2020 Annual and Sustainability Reports, as well as its invitation to the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The event will take place on Thursday, 6 May 2021, at 10:00 a.m. CEST, at the company's headquarters in Muenchensteinerstrasse 38, 4002 Basel, Switzerland.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in line with the applicable COVID-19 regulations, the 2021 AGM will be conducted without the presence of shareholders. Shareholders are invited and encouraged to vote through the independent proxy.

2021 Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) invitation can be accessed on Lonza's Investor Relations website: 2021 Annual General Meeting.

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

The Board is also proposing the re-election of all Board members. 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 increase for shareholders of CHF 0.25 per share to CHF 3.00 per share. The proposal represents a pay-out of 25.8% of the 2020 reported net profit. Subject to approval at the upcoming AGM, 50% of the dividend of CHF 3.00 per share will be paid out of the capital contribution reserve and free from Swiss withholding tax.

All details on the motions can be found in the invitation to the 2021 Annual General Meeting.

2020 Annual and Sustainability Reports

Lonza published today its 2020 online Annual Report and Sustainability Report, which is aligned with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. PDF versions of the reports can be accessed here.

For the 2020 edition of the Annual Report, short personal perspectives are included from the leadership team, alongside five main sections:

Sustainability is a strategic priority for the global Lonza business and a critical component of its customer value proposition. With the 2020 Sustainability Report, Lonza aims to provide increased transparency on its approach and achievements.

Lonza has an ethical responsibility to protect the environment, promote diversity and invest in its local communities. To ensure accountability and leadership for these efforts, Lonza commits to reflecting environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures in the compensation of its Executive Committee by 2022. Aligned to Lonza's overall sustainability strategy, these measures will be clearly defined, focused and quantifiable, with an expected weighting of around 20%.