SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16
or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act 1934
Report on Form 6-K dated
May 30,
2007
BT Group plc
(Translation of registrants
name into English)
BT Centre
81 Newgate Street
London EC1A 7AJ
England
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F | Form 40-F |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes | No |
Enclosure: Annual Review and Notice of Meeting 2007
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
BT Group plc | ||
By: | /s/ Alan Scott | |
Name: | Alan Scott | |
Title: | Assistant Secretary |
Date: May 30, 2007
|
|
Annual
Review &
Notice of
Meeting
2007
Summary financial statement
and Notice of
Annual General Meeting 2007
This document
is important and requires your immediate attention. If you have any
doubts about what action you need to take, you should contact your stockbroker,
bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent professional
advisor authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 immediately. If you have sold or transferred all of your shares you should pass this booklet and the accompanying documents to the person through whom the sale or transfer was effected, for transmission to the purchaser or transferee. |
BT is one of the worlds leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries.
Our principal activities include networked IT services; local, national and international telecommunications services; higher-value broadband and internet products and services; and converged fixed/mobile products and services.
Our vision is to be dedicated to helping customers thrive in a changing world.
Our mission is to be the leader in delivering converged networked services.
In this Annual Review, references to BT Group, BT, the group, the company, we or our are to BT Group plc (which includes the activities of British Telecommunications plc) and its subsidiaries, or any of them as the context may require.
Our performance
Revenue of £20,223
million, up
4%
New wave revenue of
£7,374 million,
up 17%
Profit before taxation and specific
itemsa of£2,495
million, up
15%
Earnings per share before specific
itemsa of
22.7 pence,
up 16%
Free cash flowa
of £1,354
million and net debta
of
£7.9 billion
Full year proposed dividends
of 15.1
pence per
share, up 27%
£2.5 billion
allocated to a new share buy back
programme
Key Dates for 2007/08 | |
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Annual General Meeting | 19 July 2007 |
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First quarter results | 26 July 2007 |
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Second quarter and half year results | 8 November 2007 |
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Third quarter and nine months results | February 2008 |
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Fourth quarter and full year results | May 2008 |
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2008 Annual Report & Form 20-F published | May 2008 |
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2 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Dear Shareholder,
Welcome to our combined Annual Review and Notice of Meeting. I very much hope that you will be able to join us at the AGM at The Sage Gateshead on Thursday 19 July 2007. If you do not plan to attend please complete and return a proxy form so that you will be able to vote at the Meeting. You will find enclosed a copy of Forward, our shareholder magazine which will bring you up to speed with some of the exciting things happening in your company. In line with our commitment to operating in an environmentally responsible way, this years AGM shareholder information has been produced in A5 format to save paper and reduce postage costs.
...............................................................................................................................................
Results
The
2007 financial year was a very good one for your company our results once again were excellent. Revenue grew by 4% and earnings per share before specific items grew by 16% to 22.7 pence. We continued to
invest in technologies, networks and systems that will, we believe, transform our customers lives
and businesses, along with their experience of dealing with BT.
I am delighted to report that our proposed full year dividend is 15.1 pence per share, 27% higher than last year, moving to a two-thirds pay out ratio a year earlier than we had previously
announced. We expect to increase the dividend, taking into account our earnings growth, cash generation and our ongoing investment needs. In addition, because of the financial strength of the company we are introducing a new £2.5
billion share buy back programme which we expect to be completed by 31 March
2009.
Business progress
We continued to implement our strategy for profitable growth. New wave revenue now accounts for 36% of our total business. We are a major player in the global networked IT services market, meeting the needs of our
customers around the world. In the UK, we have around 11
million broadband lines over which we are able to offer all our customers consumer, SME, corporate and wholesale a
more accessible, faster and richer broadband experience.
Our wider responsibilities
I am extremely proud of the fact that, for the sixth consecutive year, BT was the highest placed telecommunications company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. We are committed to operating in an ethical,
sustainable and socially responsible way, and to having a positive impact on all those communities whose lives we touch.
As the corporate social responsibility agenda evolves,
so does our strategy. We are, for example, increasingly emphasising three new
priorities:
• | tackling climate change. We are committed to cutting our CO2 emissions by 80% from 1996 levels by 2016 and to helping customers and suppliers cut theirs through the more effective use of communications technology. The fact that our Chief Executive, Ben Verwaayen, is chairing the CBls climate change task force indicates how seriously we take this issue. |
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 3 |
• | enabling sustainable economic growth. We are increasingly integrating sustainability in all our business processes. | |
• | helping to build a more inclusive society. We are looking at the ways in which communications technology can help to build a fairer, more inclusive society. |
Pensions
Investment
performance on assets in the BT Pension Scheme (BTPS) was very good, with year
end value at a record £38 billion. During the year, BT and the trustees of BTPS agreed the triennial funding of the scheme.
Under a new and more conservative actuarial methodology, the deficit at 31 December 2005 was calculated as £3.4
billion.
BT has agreed to make deficit payments equivalent to £280 million a year for ten years, with the first three years instalments paid up front £840
million was paid into the scheme by 30 April 2007. I believe this is a fair and
prudent deal for pensioners and shareholders, and demonstrates that your company
stands fully behind its pension obligations.
Your Board
I will be stepping down as Chairman in the autumn after more than six challenging and fascinating years with BT. Sir Mike Rake will take over as your next Chairman in September. Mike is currently chairman of KPMG
International; he has demonstrated outstanding leadership of this major global organisation during a time of turbulence and change. He will bring extensive international experience to BT as it continues to position itself as a truly global
company.
A number
of changes to the Board have occurred since I last wrote to you. Sir Anthony
Greener stepped
down as Deputy Chairman and from the Board on 30 September 2006 after six years
and I would like to thank him for his very significant contribution to the development
of our strategy. His successor is Maarten van den Bergh, who has been a non-executive
director since September 2000. Maarten, who prior to his retirement was president
of the Royal Dutch Petroleum
Company, also chairs the Remuneration Committee and is our senior independent
director. And Id like to welcome two new directors, Deborah Lathen and
François Barrault. Deborah, who is president of Washington-based Lathen
Consulting, joined the Board as a non-executive director in February 2007. She
brings strong US business and policy experience to BT, including as a previous
chief of the Cable Services Bureau at the US Federal Communications Commission.
François
joined
the Board on 24 April 2007 as Chief
Executive BT Global Services (in which role he succeeds Andy Green who became
CEO of Group Strategy and Operations). As President of BT International, François
established a record of
exceptional growth in BTs operations outside the UK.
Delivering our plan
I would like to thank shareholders and customers for their confidence in our strategy and the loyalty they have shown in the past six years.
Id also like to thank our Chief Executive,
Ben Verwaayen, the other members of the Board both executive and non-executive and
all BT people for their efforts and unwavering support. If I cannot entirely
resist the temptation to look back over the past six years, it is because that
is the best way of acknowledging what they have achieved.
4 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Back in 2001 your companys net
debt had risen to nearly £30 billion. In response, in May 2001, your Board
put in place an action plan to reduce debt, manage costs and enhance our abilities
to serve our customers even more effectively. That plan has been delivered.
Debt was brought under control by a combination of the largest ever rights issue in UK corporate history and the disposal of a number of businesses including Yell (our international
directories and e-commerce business) and our interests in Japan and Spain. 02 (previously Cellnet) was demerged and Concert (our international joint venture with AT&T) was unwound. These structural changes have provided commercial and financial
flexibility for the group and our debt in recent years has reduced to sustainable levels.
We have rigorously managed our costs, taking a disciplined approach to eliminating waste and duplication, wherever possible using our own technology to become more cost
effective.
During that period, new technologies have given customers access to a range of services high-speed broadband, fixed-mobile convergence and next-generation TV that have
transformed their idea of what is possible. Our efforts in UK broadband and in global networked IT services have been very successful.
Looking forward
Looking
ahead, your company is positioned for success. With a new Chairman and an experienced
CEO at the helm, and a workforce experienced in the business of transformation,
the signs are very positive. It has been a
privilege to be involved with BTs journey to this point; I shall, of course,
continue to follow its future progress with great interest and pleasure.
Notice of meeting
To give as many shareholders as possible
the opportunity to attend the AGM, we hold the meeting in a different region
of the UK each year. We also broadcast my speech and the presentation by our
Chief Executive, Ben Verwaayen, live over the internet (see page
27).
Of the directors proposed for re-election this year, one is an independent non-executive director, John Nelson. I am pleased to confirm to shareholders that, following formal performance
evaluation, we continue to regard John as an effective non-executive director. He makes a valuable contribution to the Board and has demonstrated a high level of commitment to the role. Deborah Lathen and François Barrault, who have recently
joined the Board, are also retiring automatically and are proposed for election. The Board recommend Deborah and François
for election.
Even if you are not able to come to the meeting
in person, your vote is still important. I would urge you, regardless of the
number of shares you own, to vote.
You may vote by completing and returning the enclosed
Proxy Card. Alternatively, you may cast your vote online or by telephone or fax.
I look forward to seeing you at The Sage Gateshead.
Sir Christopher Bland
Chairman
16 May 2007
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 5 |
Our principal activities include networked IT services; local, national and international telecommunications services; higher-value broadband and internet products and services; and converged fixed/mobile products and services.
.......................................................................
Our strategy
.......................................................................
Key performance
indicators
The key performance indicators against
which we test the success of our strategy are earnings per share before specific
itemsa,
free cash flowa
and customer satisfaction.
.......................................... ..................................... ..........................................
|
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Earnings per share before specific itemsa pence | Customer
satisfaction (% increase in customers very/extremely satisfied
– 12 months average) |
|
.......................................... ..................................... ..........................................
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||
aProfit
before taxation and specific items, earnings per share before specific
items and free cashflow are non GAAP measures. |
||
bAmounts
presented in respect of the years ended 31 March 2004 and 2003 are presented
in accordance with UK GAAP. UK GAAP is not directly comparable with IFRS. |
6 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
.................................................................................................................................
|
|
Share
price (pence) over the financial year ended 31 March 2007 |
Dividends Proposed final dividend of 10.0p per share, giving a total dividend for the full year of 15.1p per share, up 27% |
.................................................................................................................................
|
|
aProfit
before taxation and specific items, earnings per share before specific
items and free cashflow are non GAAP measures. |
Our values
The BT values capture the way we get things done. They sum up what customers can expect from us and what BT people can expect from each other. They are at the heart of every compelling customer experience. Living our
values is key to our success.
Our values are: | |
TRUSTWORTHY | we do what we say we will |
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HELPFUL | we work as one team |
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INSPIRING | we create new possibilities |
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STRAIGHTFORWARD | we make things clear |
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HEART | we believe in what we do |
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We are committed to contributing positively to society and a sustainable future. This is part of the heart of BT.
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 7 |
BT in review continued
Our people
We
aim to create a high-performance team of people who can really make a difference.
Ensuring that every single employee has opportunities to develop innovative solutions
and realise his/her potential is the best way we know of meeting and exceeding
our customers expectations.
• | We are committed to recruiting, developing, recognising, rewarding and retaining the best. |
• | We recognise the power of diversity and are working to create an inclusive working environment in which all employees can thrive. |
• | We are focused on motivating leaders at all levels in BT and providing appropriate development opportunities. |
Building a global
workforce
Growth by region (excluding the UK, where the number of employees remained substantially the same)
+54% Americas |
+4% Europe, the Middle East and Africa |
+29% Asia Pacific |
106,200 Employees worldwide including the UK |
The way we do business
We aim to do business in an innovative,
ethical and sustainable way in accordance
with our published code of practice The
Way We Work not just because we believe thats the right
thing to do but also because we believe that its good business good
for customers, good for shareholders and good for the communities in which we
operate.
• | Our CO2 emissions are 60% below their 1996 levels and we are committed to achieving an 80% reduction from our 1996 baseline by 2016. |
• | We commit a minimum of 1% of our UK pre-tax profits to activities which support society. |
• | The Way We Work visit www.bt.com/twww |
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes Member 2006/07 |
BT is ranked as the top company in the telecommunications sector for the sixth year in a row.
We have ISO 9001 certification for most of our operations in the UK and around the world.
Consumer services | |||||
Further information on consumer services is available as follows: | |||||
• | BT Broadband
visit www.bt.com/ shareholders/broadband |
• | BT Mobile call 0800
107 8034 or visit www. bt.com/btmobile |
||
• | BT Home IT Support call
0800 432 0230 or visit www.bt.com/itadvice |
• | BT Vision call 0800
917 7610 or visit www. bt.com/btvision |
||
• | BT Fusion call 0800 783 2326 or visit www.bt.com/btfusion/shareholder | • | Shareholder offers call
0800 328 4478 or visit www.bt.com/shop/shareholders |
||
Information on the services we offer is regularly enclosed with BT phone bills. |
8 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Our capabilities | |
Our capabilities range from the provision of a single, domestic telephone line to the development of an innovative network infrastructure for the twenty-first century; from global networked IT services to broadband packages for the home; from next-generation TV to voice over IP services; from innovative calls packages for homes and businesses to personal help when your PC goes wrong. | |
• | We have the most comprehensive fixed-line communications network in the UK, one of the broadest IP-enabled networks in Europe, and our network-based services extend to and across North and South America and the Asia Pacific region. |
• | We had 10.7 million broadband lines including LLU (local loop unbundling) and in the retail market our market share of consumer and business DSL (digital subscriber lines) and LLU broadband connections in the UK was 34% at 31 March 2007. |
• | The first live customer call using our twenty-first century IP network (21CN) was made on 28 November 2006. |
• | BT is developing and delivering software-driven products over broadband harnessing the power of our 21CN platform. |
Serving our customers
Our 18 million customers range from individual
consumers with a single phone line, to government departments and some of the
worlds biggest multinationals. With effect from 1 July 2007, a new operational
structure will help us enhance our services.
Revenue mix
by customer segment
year ended 31 March 2007
We will serve our customers - consumer, business, wholesale and major corporate - through four lines of business | ||||||||||||||||
BT GROUP | BT
GLOBAL SERVICES |
BT RETAIL | BT WHOLESALE | OPENREACH | ||||||||||||
Ben Verwaayen CEO |
François Barrault CEO |
Ian Livingston CEO |
Paul Reynolds CEO |
Steve Robertson
CEO |
||||||||||||
Andy Green CEO Group Strategy and Operations | ||||||||||||||||
Hanif Lalani Group Finance Director |
BT DESIGN | |||||||||||||||
BT OPERATE | ||||||||||||||||
Two new business units will be responsible for developing and operating the platforms, systems and processes that will support our services around the world | ||||||||||||||||
Find out more | Read
more about BT in our full annual report or visit www.btplc.com |
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 9 |
Summary group income
statement
for the year ended 31 March
Before specific items | Specific items | a | Total | Total | |||||||
2007 | 2007 | 2007 | 2006 | ||||||||
£m | £m | £m | £m | ||||||||
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Revenue | 20,223 | | 20,223 | 19,514 | |||||||
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Operating profit | 2,713 | (172 | ) | 2,541 | 2,495 | ||||||
Net finance expense | (233 | ) | 139 | (94 | ) | (472 | ) | ||||
Share of post tax profit of associates and joint ventures | 15 | | 15 | 16 | |||||||
Profit on disposal of associate and joint ventures | | 22 | 22 | 1 | |||||||
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Profit before taxation | 2,495 | (11 | ) | 2,484 | 2,040 | ||||||
Taxation | (611 | ) | 979 | 368 | (492 | ) | |||||
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Profit for the year | 1,884 | 968 | 2,852 | 1,548 | |||||||
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Earnings per share | 34.4 | p | 18.4 | p | |||||||
Earnings per share before specific items | 22.7 | p | 19.5 | p | |||||||
Proposed dividends per share | 15.1 | p | 11.9 | p | |||||||
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aSpecific
items comprise items that are considered to be significant one-off or
unusual items such as disposals of businesses and investments. Separate
identification of these items is consistent with the way that financial
performance is measured by management and assists in providing a meaningful
analysis of the trading results of the group. The principal specific
item in the 2007 financial year related to the settlement of substantially
all open UK tax matters relating to tax years up to and including 2004/05
with HM Revenue & Customs. The total impact of this settlement was
a net credit of £1,067 million comprising a tax credit of £938
million representing those elements of the tax charges previously recognised
which were in excess of the final agreed liability, interest income of £139
million on the repayment and operating costs of £10 million representing
the costs associated with reaching this agreement. Specific items in
the 2006 financial year amounted to a net cost of £96 million, mainly
comprising property rationalisation costs and a provision for the costs
of establishing Openreach as a separate
line of business. |
Line of business
summary
for the year ended 31 March
Revenue | Operating profit (loss) | |||||||||
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2007 | 2006 | a | 2007 | 2006 | a | |||||
£m | £m | £m | £m | |||||||
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BT Global Services | 9,106 | 8,772 | 293 | 288 | ||||||
BT Retail | 8,414 | 8,507 | 674 | 569 | ||||||
BT Wholesale | 7,584 | 7,343 | 724 | 759 | ||||||
Openreach | 5,177 | 5,142 | 1,177 | 1,183 | ||||||
Other | 17 | 18 | (327 | ) | (304 | ) | ||||
Intra-group | (10,075 | ) | (10,268 | ) | | | ||||
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Group totals | 20,223 | 19,514 | 2,541 | 2,495 | ||||||
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a Restated to reflect the creation of Openreach. |
10 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Summary group
cash flow statement
for the year ended 31 March
2007 | 2006 | ||||
£m | £m | ||||
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Net cash inflow from operating activities | 5,210 | 5,387 | |||
Net cash (used) received in investing activities | (3,035 | ) | 365 | ||
Net cash used in financing activities | (2,898 | ) | (5,278 | ) | |
Effects of exchange rate changes | (37 | ) | | ||
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Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | (760 | ) | 474 | ||
Cash and cash equivalents at the start of the year | 1,784 | 1,310 | |||
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Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year | 1,024 | 1,784 | |||
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Free cash flowa | |||||
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Net cash inflow from operating activities | 5,210 | 5,387 | |||
Net purchase of property, plant and equipment | (3,209 | ) | (2,874 | ) | |
Net purchase of non-current asset investments | (3 | ) | (1 | ) | |
Dividends received from associates | 6 | 1 | |||
Net interest paid | (650 | ) | (901 | ) | |
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Free cash flow | 1,354 | 1,612 | |||
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aFree
cash flow is defined as the net increase in cash and cash equivalents less
cash flows from financing activities (except interest paid) and less the
acquisition or disposal of group undertakings and less the net sale of short
term investments. |
Summary
group balance sheet at 31 March |
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2007 | 2006 | a | |||
£m | £m | ||||
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Property, plant and equipment | 14,997 | 15,222 | |||
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Other non-current assets | 3,343 | 3,061 | |||
Current assets | 5,815 | 6,417 | |||
Current liabilities | (9,617 | ) | (9,480 | ) | |
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14,538 | 15,220 | ||||
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Non-current liabilities | 10,266 | 13,613 | |||
Parent shareholders equity | 4,238 | 1,555 | |||
Minority interests | 34 | 52 | |||
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14,538 | 15,220 | ||||
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aComparative amounts have been reclassified to conform with the presentation adopted in the 2007 financial year. |
This summary financial statement was approved by the Board of Directors on 16 May 2007 and was signed on its behalf by:
Sir Christopher Bland | Ben Verwaayen | Hanif Lalani | |
Chairman | Chief Executive | Group Finance Director |
BT
Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 11 |
Auditors’
statement Respective
responsibilities of directors and auditors Basis
of opinion Opinion PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP |
12 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Important note
This summary financial statement
is a summary of information contained in BTs Consolidated financial statements,
Report of the Directors and Report on directors remuneration as set out
in the BT Group plc Annual Report & Form 20-F (Annual Report).
It does not contain sufficient information to allow for as full an understanding
of the results of the group and state of affairs of the company or the group
and of their policies and arrangements concerning directors remuneration
as would be provided by the Annual Report. Also, for the companys disclosure
on any significant ways in which the companys corporate governance practices
differ from those followed by US companies under NYSE listing standards, please
see page 53 of the Annual Report. Shareholders who would like more detailed
information may obtain a copy of the full Annual Report for 2007 and/or future
years, free of charge, by calling our Shareholder Helpline on Freefone 0808
100 4141 (+44
121 415 7178 from outside the UK) or can view it online at www.bt.com/annualreport
The
auditors report on the full annual accounts for the year ended 31 March
2007 is unqualified and does not contain any statement under Section 237(2)
(accounting records or returns inadequate or accounts or directors remuneration
report not agreeing with records or returns) or Section 237(3) (failure to obtain
necessary information and explanations) of the Companies Act 1985.
Forward-looking
statements – caution advised
Certain statements in this
summary financial statement are forward-looking and are made in reliance on
the safe harbour provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These statements include, without limitation, those concerning: expectations
regarding progressive dividend policy and dividend payout ratio; the proposed
share buy back programme; cutting
CO2 emissions; deficit payments to the pension
scheme and being positioned for success.
Although
BT believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements
are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove
to have been correct. Because these statements involve risks and uncertainties,
actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause differences between actual
results and those implied by the forward-looking statements include, but are
not limited to: material adverse changes in economic conditions in the markets
served by BT; future regulatory actions and conditions in BTs operating
areas, including competition from others; selection by BT of the appropriate
trading and marketing models for its products and services; technological innovations,
including the cost of developing new products, networks and solutions and the
need to increase expenditures for improving the quality of service; prolonged
adverse weather conditions resulting in a material increase in overtime, staff
or other costs; timing of entry and profitability of BT in certain communications
markets; developments in the convergence of technologies; the anticipated benefits
and advantages of new technologies, products and services, including broadband
and other new wave initiatives, not being realised; significant changes in market
shares for BT and its principal products and services; fluctuations in foreign
currency exchange rates and interest rates; and general financial market conditions
affecting BTs performance. Certain of these factors are discussed in more
detail in the Annual Report including, without limitation, in Group risk factors.
BT undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 13 |
Summary report on Directors’ remuneration
Introduction
This is a summary of
the full Report on directors remuneration in the Annual Report, a copy
of which is available on request or at www.bt.com/annualreport. The full report will be voted on at the 2007 Annual General Meeting.
Remuneration Committee
The Remuneration Committee
sets the remuneration policy and individual packages for the Chairman, executive
directors and other senior executives reporting to the Chief Executive. It also
approves changes in the companys long-term incentive plans, recommends
to the Board those plans which require shareholder approval and oversees their
operation.
Remuneration policy
for executives
BTs executive remuneration
policy is to reward employees competitively, taking into account individual,
line of business and company performance, market comparisons and the competitive
pressures in the information and communications technology industry.
The policy for executive pay, in general terms,
is for base salaries to be positioned within a range, consistent with prevailing
market rates, with total direct compensation (basic salary, annual bonus and
the value of any long-term incentives) to be at the upper quartile for sustained
and excellent performance.
Main components
of remuneration
Executive benefits
packages comprise a mix of basic salary and performance-related remuneration,
as follows:
Basic salary
This is reviewed annually.
Performance-related remuneration | ||
• | Annual bonus the annual bonus plan is designed to reward the achievement of results against set objectives. Targets in respect of corporate performance, set at the beginning of the financial year 2006/07 for each objective, were based on earnings per share, free cash flow and customer satisfaction. In addition, the Chief Executive is entitled to an award of deferred shares equal to two times his cash bonus. Executive directors are entitled to a bonus in the form of deferred shares with a value of 75% of the cash bonus. The shares vest after three years and act both as an incentive and a retention measure. | |
• | Long-term incentives the BT Equity Incentive Portfolio, comprising share options, incentive shares and retention shares, is designed to ensure that equity participation is an important part of overall remuneration and aligned with shareholders interests. For the financial year 2006/07, the Committee granted incentive shares to executive directors, senior executives, key managers and professionals: | |
| Awards vest only if a predetermined performance target has been achieved. | |
| The performance measure is total shareholder return (TSR) calculated on a common currency basis and compared with a basket of companies in the European Telecom Sector. | |
| BTs TSR at the end of the three-year measurement period must be in the upper quartile for all of the awards to vest. At median, 25% of shares under award would vest. Below that point none of the share awards would vest. | |
Retention
shares are granted in special circumstances to help recruit or retain
individuals
with critical skills and to provide additional incentives. In the financial
year 2006/07, seven awards were granted for recruitment and retention
purposes. |
14 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
share award with a value of £535,000 will be granted to him; the award will vest in two years time and will not be subject to performance conditions.
Financial year 2007/08 policy
The Remuneration Committee carried out a review of executive remuneration
and, as a result, resolved to place a greater emphasis on long-term reward.
Incentive share awards with an initial value in the range of 100% to 200% of
salary will be awarded. Salaries have been increased to bring them more into
line with the market. Ben Verwaayens salary will be increased to £800,000,
Andy Greens salary to £520,000, Hanif Lalanis salary to £520,000,
Ian Livingstons salary to £560,000 and Paul Reynolds salary
to £475,000.
François Barrault receives an annual salary
of 750,000 (approximately £500,000).
The bonus targets for the Chief Executive and
for the executive directors will continue unchanged.
Pension arrangements
Pensions are based
on salary alone bonuses, other benefits and long-term incentives are
excluded.
Those directors and other employees, who joined
the company prior to 1 April 2001, are members of the BT Pension Scheme, which
is a defined benefits scheme. Andy Green is a member of the BT Pension Scheme.
Hanif Lalani and Paul Reynolds are members of the Scheme but have opted out
of future pensionable service accrual.
The executive directors, who opted out of future
pensionable service accrual following the pensions simplification legislation
which came into force on 6 April 2006, receive, as an alternative, a cash allowance
annually. This is broadly cash neutral for the company.
Other benefits
Other benefits include
some or all of: company car, fuel or driver, personal telecommunications facilities
and home security, medical and dental cover, special life cover, professional
subscriptions, and tax planning and financial counselling.
Service agreements
The policy is for the
Chairman and executive directors to have service agreements providing for one
years notice by the company. If BT terminates Sir Christopher Blands
contract before it expires on 30 September 2007, he is entitled to payment of
salary and the value of any benefits until that date. Ben Verwaayen is entitled
to £700,000 on termination by BT. François Barrault, Andy Green,
Hanif Lalani, Ian Livingston and Paul Reynolds are entitled to salary and benefits
until the earlier of 12 months from notice of BTs termination of the contract
or the director obtaining full-time employment. Sir Mike Rake has a service
agreement as a director and Chairman with effect from 26 September 2007.
See the tables on the next pages for details of
directors emoluments and interests in shares.
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 15 |
Directors remuneration
The emoluments of the directors for the year ended 31 March 2007 and the benefits received under the long-term incentive
plans were, in summary, as follows:
Total 2007 |
Total 2006 |
|||
£000 | £000 | |||
|
|
|
|
|
Salaries | 3,167 | 3,058 | ||
Performance-related bonus | 2,752 | 2,284 | ||
Deferred bonus in shares | 2,767 | 2,441 | ||
Other benefits | 223 | 203 | ||
|
|
|
||
8,909 | 7,986 | |||
Payments to non-executive directors | 528 | 467 | ||
|
|
|
|
|
Total emoluments | 9,437 | 8,453 | ||
Gain on the exercise of share options | 4 | | ||
Value of shares vested under the executive share plans | 2,633 | 652 | ||
|
||||
Retirement benefits are accruing to three directors under defined contribution arrangements and to three directors and one former director under defined benefit arrangements. |
Pensions
Sir Christopher Bland is
not a member of any of the companys pension schemes but in 2006/07 the
company paid him £15,186 as a retirement allowance. B Verwaayen and I Livingston
are not members of any of the
companys pension schemes but the company has agreed to pay an amount equal
to 30% of salary towards pension provision.
The
aggregate value of contributions paid, or treated as paid, to defined contribution
schemes in the 2007 financial year was £88,245. A Green is
a member of the BT Pension Scheme. Additional days of pensionable service are
being purchased for A Green to bring his pensionable service at age 60 up to
40 years. H Lalani and P Reynolds are members of the BT Pension Scheme but have
opted out of future pensionable service accrual and they each receive an annual
cash amount equal to 30% of their salary towards pension provision.
Basic salary and fees | Pension allowance net of pension contributions | Total salary and fees | Annual cash bonus | Expenses allowance | Other benefits excluding pension |
Total 2007 |
Total 2006 |
|||||||||
£000 | £000 | £000 | £000 | £000 | £000 | £000 | £000 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sir Christopher Bland | 500 | 15 | 515 | | | 36 | 551 | 532 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B Verwaayen(1)(2) | 742 | 190 | 932 | 884 | | 44 | 1,860 | 1,694 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Green(1) | 500 | | 500 | 483 | | 36 | 1,019 | 930 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H Lalani(1)(4) | 450 | 135 | 585 | 444 | | 39 | 1,068 | 759 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I Livingston(1)(2)(3) | 525 | 102 | 627 | 507 | 19 | 12 | 1,165 | 1,110 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P Reynolds(1)(3) | 450 | 135 | 585 | 434 | 19 | 18 | 1,056 | 834 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M van den Bergh | 93 | | 93 | | | | 93 | 59 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Alahuhta | 45 | | 45 | | | | 45 | 8 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C Brendish | 50 | | 50 | | | | 50 | 50 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P Hodkinson | 55 | | 55 | | | | 55 | 8 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baroness Jay | 50 | | 50 | | | | 50 | 50 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D Lathen(5) | 8 | | 8 | | | | 8 | | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J F Nelson | 55 | | 55 | | | | 55 | 52 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C G Symon | 115 | | 115 | | | | 115 | 87 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sir Anthony Greener(6) | 57 | | 57 | | | | 57 | 115 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
L R Hughes(7) | | | | | | | | 38 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,695 | 577 | 4,272 | 2,752 | 38 | 185 | 7,247 | 6,326 | |||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Notes |
1In
addition, deferred bonuses payable
in shares in three years time, subject to continued employment, were awarded
to B Verwaayen (£1,366,000), A Green
(£362,000), H Lalani (£333,000), I Livingston (£380,000) and P
Reynolds (£326,000). |
2Part
of the pension allowance of 30% of salary for B Verwaayen and I Livingston
was paid to them direct. |
3Expense allowance
includes a monthly cash allowance in lieu of a company car equivalent
to £18,500. |
4H Lalani received an additional cash payment of £150,000
on 30 June 2006 in respect of a special retention arrangement established
on 1 July 2004 when he was Chief Financial Officer, BT Wholesale. |
5D
Lathen was appointed as a director on 1 February 2007. |
6Sir Anthony Greener
retired as a director on 30 September 2006. |
7L Hughes retired
as a
director on 31 March 2006. |
16 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Summary of
Directors ’ interests in shares and share plans
as at 31 March 2007,
or date of appointment if later
Beneficial shareholdings | a | Number of shares under option | b | Incentive and retention shares | c | Deferred bonus awards | d | |
|
|
|||||||
Sir Christopher Bland | 674,386 | 314,244 | 329,418 | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
B Verwaayen | 1,238,827 | 1,369,820 | 806,894 | 958,537 | ||||
|
|
|||||||
F Barraulte | 107 | 362,500 | 900,328 | 206,271 | ||||
|
|
|||||||
A Green | 204,629 | 837,389 | 898,896 | 284,822 | ||||
|
|
|||||||
H Lalani | 36,358 | 415,410 | 417,420 | 171,416 | ||||
|
|
|||||||
I Livingston | 349,901 | 887,889 | 869,675 | 286,733 | ||||
|
|
|||||||
P Reynolds | 147,169 | 787,309 | 483,675 | 261,310 | ||||
|
|
|||||||
M van den Bergh | 13,621 | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
M Alahuhta | 20,000 | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
C Brendish | 30,920 | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
P Hodkinson | 4,622 | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
Baroness Jay | 10,185 | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
D Lathen | | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
J F Nelson | 50,000 | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
C G Symon | 15,069 | | | | ||||
|
|
|||||||
2,795,794 | 4,974,561 | 4,706,306 | 2,169,089 | |||||
|
||||||||
Executive directors are also able to participate in BTs all-employee share plans. |
Notes | |
aBeneficial
shareholdings include shares held in the directors own name or
by close family members. |
|
bOptions
granted under the Global Share Option Plan are normally exercisable
in full after the third anniversary of their date of grant only if
a corporate performance target has been met. Option prices range between
187p and 318p. Options granted in 2002/03 lapsed on 31 March 2007 because
the TSR target was not met. The TSR target for options granted in 2004/05
was met in part. As a result, 58% of each option will become exercisable
in June 2007; the remaining 42% of each option lapsed. |
|
cRetention
shares are used as a recruitment and retention tool. They normally
vest after three years and are transferred to participants, if they
are still employed by the company. The TSR target for awards of incentive
shares granted in 2004/05 was met in part. As a result, 55% of each
award of incentive shares will vest in May 2007; the remaining 45%
of each award lapsed on 31 March 2007. |
|
dAwards
of shares are directly linked to the value of annual bonuses. The shares
vest after three years and are transferred to participants, if they are
still employed by the company. Details of deferred bonus awards in respect
of the financial year 2006/07 are given in the notes to the table on page
16. Awards in respect of the deferred bonuses will be granted in June
2007. |
|
eF
Barrault was appointed as a director on 24 April 2007. |
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 17 |
Principal activities
BT is one of the worlds leading providers of communications
solutions and services operating in 170 countries. A review of BT is given on
pages 6-9.
Dividends
An interim dividend of 5.1 pence per share (2006: 4.3 pence) was paid on
12 February 2007. The directors recommend a final dividend of 10 pence per share
(2006: 7.6 pence) to be paid on 17 September 2007 to shareholders on the register
at the close of business on 24 August 2007. This makes a total dividend for
the year of 15.1 pence per share (2006: 11.9 pence), an increase of 27%.
...................................................
BT’s total shareholder return (TSR)
performance
over the five financial years to 31 March 2007
Source: Datastream
1 April 2001 = 100
The graph shows the relative TSR performance of BT and the FTSE 100.
...................................................
Directors
Details of the current members of the Board are shown
on pages 20-21. All served throughout the financial year,
with the exception of Deborah Lathen and François Barrault, who were
appointed on 1 February 2007 and 24 April 2007 respectively.
Sir Anthony Greener served as a director and Deputy
Chairman until 30 September 2006. He was succeeded as Deputy Chairman and senior
independent director by Maarten vanden Bergh.
Sir Christopher Bland, Andy Green, Ian Livingston
and John Nelson retire from the Board by rotation at the Annual General Meeting
and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election. Deborah Lathen and François
Barrault, having been appointed by the Board, will retire and will be proposed
for election.
Sir Mike Rake will succeed Sir Christopher Bland
as Chairman on 26 September 2007, when he joins the Board. Sir Christopher steps
down from the Board on 30 September 2007.
The letter of appointment of Maarten van den Bergh
was extended until 31 August 2009 on his appointment as Deputy Chairman and
is terminable by either party on three months notice.
The letter of appointment of Deborah Lathen is
for an initial period of three years from 1 February 2007 and is terminable
by either party on three months notice.
Annual General Meeting
The Notice of the Annual General Meeting to be held
at 10.30 am on 19 July 2007 at The Sage Gateshead, St Marys Square, Gateshead
Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR is contained on pages 22 to 27.
Corporate governance
It is BTs policy to achieve for all our operations best practice in
our standards of business integrity. The directors consider that BT has, throughout
the year, complied with the provisions set out in section 1 of the 2003 Combined
Code on Corporate Governance.
Board, directors
and board committees
The Board is currently made up of the part-time Chairman, the Chief
Executive,five other executive directors and eight independent non-executive
directors. It is BTs policy that the Board will comprise a majority of
independent non-executive directors. The roles of the Chairman and the Chief
Executive are separate. The non-executive directors provide a strong, independent
element on the Board. Non-executive directors are appointed initially for three
years at the end of
18 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
which the appointment may be continued by mutual agreement. The
Chairman and the non-executive directors meet regularly without the executive
directors. The Chairman ensures the views of shareholders are known to and appropriately
considered by the Board.
The Boards principal focus is the overall
strategic direction, development and control of the group. A formal statement
of its role is available on the companys website. The Board meets at least
nine times each year.
During summer 2006 the Board carried out a further
evaluation of Board and Board Committee performance and effectiveness. As part
of this process, the Chairman had one-to-one sessions with the directors; and
the previous Deputy Chairman, Sir Anthony Greener, met all directors individually
to review the Chairmans performance.
To meet best corporate governance practice, Audit,
Remuneration and Nominating Committees have long been an established part of
BTs system of governance. Each committee has written terms of reference,
which are available on the companys website. The Audit and Remuneration
Committees are made up entirely of independent non-executive directors. The
Board considers that several of the Audit Committees members have recent
and relevant financial experience. The Audit Committee reviews the companys
published financial results, the Annual Report & Form 20-F and other published
information for statutory and regulatory compliance and reports its views to
the Board. It recommends the appointment, reappointment and remuneration of
the companys external auditors and ensures that key partners are rotated
at appropriate intervals. The Board has policies determining what non-audit
services the companys external auditors can provide, in order to safeguard
their independence and objectivity.
The Nominating Committee ensures an appropriate
balance of experience and abilities on the Board, using this evaluation to review
the size and composition of the Board and to recommend any proposed changes
to the Board.The Equality of Access
Board monitors the companys compliance with the Undertakings made to Ofcom
following Ofcoms Strategic Review of Telecommunications. Its terms of
reference are also available on the companys website.
The Chief Executive, Ben Verwaayen, chairs the
Operating Committee, which meets weekly.
The Board also has a Community Support Committee
and a Pension Scheme Performance Review Group.
Internal control
and risk management
The Board is responsible for the groups systems
of internal control and risk management and for reviewing the effectiveness
of those systems. Such systems are designed to manage, rather than eliminate,
the risk of failure to achieve business objectives; any system can provide
only reasonable and not absolute assurance against material misstatement or
loss.
BT has processes for identifying, evaluating and
managing the significant risks faced by the group. These processes have been
in place for the whole of the 2007 financial year and have continued up to the
date on which this document was approved.
BTs management is responsible for establishing
and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the group.
Management has concluded that at 31 March 2007 the groups internal control
over financial reporting was effective.
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 19 |
................................................................................................................................................. |
Key to membership of Board committees | |||
a | Operating | ||
b | Audit | ||
c | Remuneration | ||
d | Nominating | ||
e | Community Support | ||
f | Pension Scheme Performance Review Group | ||
g | Equality of Access Board | ||
* | Chairs committee | ||
Sir Christopher
Bland Chairmand*e*f
Appointed to the Board as Chairman on 1 May 2001. Chairman of the BBC from 1996
to 2001. Appointed a non-executive director of LWT Holdings in 1982 and chairman
from 1983 to 1994, when LWT was acquired by Granada Group. A former chairman
of an NHS hospital trust. Aged 68.
Other appointments: a senior
advisor at Warburg Pincus and chairman of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
Ben Verwaayen
Chief Executivea*
A Dutch national, appointed
to the Board on 14 January 2002 and Chief Executive on 1 February 2002. Formerly
vice chairman of the management board of Lucent Technologies in the USA from
October 1999. Created an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in April 2006 and
appointed a Chevalier de la Légion dHonneur in June 2006. Aged
55.
Other appointments: non-executive director of
UPS.
François
Barrault Chief Executive, BT Global
Servicesa
A French national, appointed to the Board as Chief Executive, BT Global Services
on 24 April 2007. Previously, held the office of President BT International,
BT Global Services, and was formerly president, Lucent Technologies. Aged 46.
Other appointments: non-executive
director of eServGlobal (an Australian corporation).
Andy Green
Chief Executive,Group Strategy and Operationsa
Appointed to the Board on 19 November 2001. Held a number of senior positions
in BT, including Chief Executive, BT Global Services and Chief Executive BT
Openworld, and Group Director of Strategy and Development. Aged 51.
Other appointments: board
member of e-skills UK and ABESU (a charity) and a non-executive director of
NAVTEQ Corporation (a US corporation).
Hanif Lalani
Group Finance Directora
f
Appointed to the Board as Group Finance Director on 7 February 2005. A Chartered
Management Accountant, he was formerly Chief Financial Officer for BT Wholesale.
Joined BT in 1983 and held a number of positions including Chief Executive BT
Northern Ireland and chairman OCEAN Communications (BTs subsidiary in
the Republic of Ireland). Aged 45.
Ian Livingston
Chief Executive, BT Retaila
Appointed Chief Executive, BT Retail on 7 February 2005. A Chartered Accountant,
he was Group Finance Director from April 2002. Formerly group finance director
of Dixons Group, a non-executive director of Ladbrokes (formerly Hilton Group)
and also a director of Freeserve from its inception. Aged 42.
Dr Paul Reynolds
Chief Executive, BT Wholesalea
Appointed to the Board on 19 November 2001. Held a number of senior positions
in BT, including Director of Multimedia and Managing Director of Networks and
Information Services. Aged 50.
Other appointments: non-executive
director of E-Access (a Japanese corporation).
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
Maarten van
den Bergh Deputy Chairmanb
c*d f*
A Dutch national, appointed to the Board on 1 September 2000.He was appointed
Deputy Chairman on 1 October 2006. He chairs the Remuneration Committee and
the Pension Scheme Performance Review Group. He is the senior independent director.
Retired in 2000 as president of the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and vice chairman
of its committee of managing directors. He is a former chairman of Lloyds TSB
Group. Aged 65.
20 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
................................................................................................................................................. | |
Key to membership of Board committees | |||
a | Operating | ||
b | Audit | ||
c | Remuneration | ||
d | Nominating | ||
e | Community Support | ||
f | Pension Scheme Performance Review Group | ||
g | Equality of Access Board | ||
* | Chairs committee | ||
Other appointments: chairman of Akzo Nobel Supervisory Board; non-executive director of British Airways and Royal Dutch Shell.
Matti Alahuhtac
A Finnish national, appointed to the
Board on 1 February 2006. President of Kone Corporation since January 2005;
President and CEO since 2006 and a director since 2003. Formerly president,
Nokia mobile phones and president Nokia telecommunications. Aged 54.
Other
appointments: foundation board chairman of International Institute of Management
Development (IMD) and chairman of Technology Industries of Finland Centennial
Foundation.
Clayton Brendishb
e
Appointed to the Board on 1 September
2002. Retired in 2001 as executive deputy chairman of CMG. Aged 60.
Other
appointments: non-executive chairman of Anite, Close Beacon Investment Fund
and Echo Research Ltd; non-executive director of Herald Investment Trust; trustee
of Economist Newspapers and Foundation for Liver Research.
Phil Hodkinsonb*d
e
Appointed to the Board on 1 February
2006. He was appointed chairman of the Audit Committee on 1 October 2006. Group
finance director of HBOS. A Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, he was formerly
chairman of Insight Investment, Clerical Medical Investment Group and Halifax
Financial Services. Aged 49.
Other
appointments: non-executive director of Business in the Community and chairman
of HBOS Foundation.
The Rt Hon Baroness
Jay of Paddington PCc
e
Appointed to the Board on
14 January 2002. Formerly Lord Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords and
Minister for Women, and Minister of State at the Department of Health. Aged
67.
Other appointments: chairman of the Overseas Development
Institute, and non-executive director of Independent News & Media and a
member of its International Advisory Board.
Deborah Lathenc
A US national, appointed to the Board
on 1 February 2007. A US attorney, president of Lathen Consulting. Formerly
chief of the Cable Services Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission.
She was previously director of national consumer affairs and managing counsel
at Nissan Motor Corporation USA, and prior to that, held legal positions at
TRW Financial Systems and at the Quaker Oats Company. Aged 54.
John Nelsonb
d f
A Chartered Accountant,
appointed to the Board on 14 January 2002. Retired as chairman of Credit Suisse
First Boston Europe (CSFB) on 31 January 2002. Prior to joining CSFB in January
1999, he was vice chairman of Lazard Brothers from 1990. Aged 59.
Other
appointments: chairman of Hammerson, deputy chairman of Kingfisher, a member
of the Board of English National Opera and a senior advisor to Charterhouse
Capital Partners.
Carl G Symonb
c g*
A US national, appointed to the Board
on 14 January 2002. Formerly chairman and chief executive officer of IBM UK.
Aged 61.
Other
appointments: chairman of HMV Group and Clearswift Systems; non-executive director
of Rolls-Royce and Rexam, and an advisory board member of Cross Atlantic Capital
Partners.
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 21 |
The 2007 Annual General Meeting of BT Group plc will be held at The Sage Gateshead, St Marys Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR, at 10.30 am on Thursday 19 July 2007 to consider the following: ORDINARY
BUSINESS Resolution
2 Resolution
3 Resolutions
4-7: re-election of directors Resolution
4
|
22 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Resolution
5 Resolution
6 Resolution
7 Resolutions
8-9: election of directors Resolution
8
|
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 23 |
Resolution
9 Resolution
10 Resolution
11 SPECIAL
BUSINESS Resolution
12 The following three resolutions will be proposed as special resolutions. Resolution
13 |
|
• | extended to any sale of shares which the Company may hold as treasury shares; and |
• | renewed until 18 October 2008; and for that period the Section 89 Amount shall be £21 million. |
This resolution renews the authority given to directors to allot equity securities without needing to offer these shares to existing shareholders first: | |
• | for cash, up to an amount representing approximately 5% of the issued share capital (including treasury shares) as at the date of this Notice, approximately 420 million shares; or |
• | in connection with a rights issue defined in summary as an offer of equity securities to shareholders which is open for a period decided by the Board subject to any limits or restrictions that the Board thinks are necessary or appropriate. |
24 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
There
are no current plans to allot shares except in connection with the Companys
employee share plans and over a three year rolling period this disapplication
will not exceed 7.5% of issued share capital. References to allot
in this note include the sale of treasury shares. The authorities sought
by Resolutions 12 and 13 will last for 15 months until 18 October 2008,
although the directors intend to seek renewal of these powers at each
Annual General Meeting. Resolution
14 |
|
(a) |
the maximum number of shares which may be purchased is 827 million shares; |
(b) |
the minimum price which may be paid for each share is 5p; |
(c) |
the maximum price which may be paid for each share is an amount equal to 105% of the average of the middle market quotations of a share in the Company as derived from the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for the five business days immediately preceding the day on which the share is contracted to be purchased; and |
(d) | this authority will expire at the close of the Annual General Meeting of the Company held in 2008, or if earlier, 18 October 2008 (except in relation to the purchase of shares, the contract for which was concluded before the expiry of this authority and which might be executed wholly or partly after that expiry). |
The directors
would like the Company to continue to have the flexibility to buy its own
shares. This resolution renews the Companys authority to buy its own
shares in similar terms to previous years authorities. It would be
limited to 827 million ordinary shares, representing 10% of the issued share
capital (excluding treasury shares) at the date of this Notice. The directors
would exercise this authority only after considering the effects on earnings
per share and the benefits for shareholders generally. Shares purchased by the Company out of distributable profits may be held as treasury shares, which may then be cancelled, sold for cash or used to meet the Companys obligations under its employee share plans. During the 2007 financial year, 148 million shares were purchased (1.7% of the share capital) for a total consideration of £401 million, at an average price of £2.72 per share. As at 16 May 2007, 91 million treasury shares had been transferred to meet the Companys obligations under its employee share plans and as at that date, the Company still held 368 million treasury shares which is equal to 4.4% of the issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) in issue as at that date. The Companys current intention is to hold any shares purchased as treasury shares but it retains the flexibility to cancel them or sell them for cash if it considers this to be in the best interests of the Company. The authority sought by this resolution will end by 18 October 2008, although the directors intend to seek renewal of this power at each Annual General Meeting. As at 16 May 2007, there were options outstanding over 373 million shares (of which options over 271 million shares were in respect of options granted under the savings related share option plans), representing 4.5% of the Companys issued share capital (excluding treasury shares). If the authority given by this resolution were to be fully used, these would represent 5.0% of the Companys issued share capital (excluding treasury shares). There are no warrants outstanding. |
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 25 |
Resolution
15 The following resolution will be proposed as an ordinary resolution. Resolution
16 |
26 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Only
shareholders on the Register of Members at 6.00 pm on 17 July 2007 are
entitled to attend and vote. A shareholder entitled to attend and vote
is entitled to appoint a proxy or proxies to vote on his or her behalf.
A proxy need not be a shareholder of the Company. On a poll, the number
of shares held by each shareholder at 6.00 pm on 17 July 2007 will decide
the number of votes that the shareholder may cast. Copies of all service contracts and contracts of appointment between the directors and the Company are available for inspection during business hours at the registered office of the Company on any weekday (public holidays excluded), and will also be available for inspection at the place of the Annual General Meeting from 9.30 am on the day of the meeting until the conclusion of the meeting. Your directors believe that the proposals in Resolutions 1 to 16 are in the best interests of both the Company and its shareholders and unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of all these resolutions. The directors intend to do so in respect of their own beneficial holdings. By order of the Board
|
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If
you are not coming to the meeting |
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BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 27 |
You have the right to attend,
speak and vote at the Annual General Meeting if you are on the BT Group
Register of Members at 6.00 pm on 17 July 2007. Time and
place of meeting Place The Sage Gateshead, St Marys Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR. A map and travel information are on page 29. Admission Card/Proxy
Card Joint shareholders Questions
AGM venue VENUE
ARRANGEMENTS Smoking Mobile phones Refreshments |
28 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Shareholders
with disabilities The following facilities will be available |
|
• | sound amplification |
• | induction loop |
• | sign language interpretation |
• | Palantype speech-to-text transcription |
• | wheelchair facilities |
Anyone accompanying a shareholder in need of assistance will be admitted to the meeting. How to get
there If you travel by train If you travel by Metro If you travel by bus If you travel by car |
|
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 29 |
Report and accounts
You will be sent only the
Annual Review & Notice of Meeting, together with the shareholder magazine
Forward, unless you notify us that you wish to receive the Annual Report.
The Annual Report for 2007 is also available on
our website at www.bt.com/annualreport Alternatively, you can request
a printed copy of the Annual Report for 2007 and/or future years, free of charge,
by calling the Shareholder Helpline or contacting Lloyds TSB Registrars (see
Contact BT).
Online communication
Increasing numbers of shareholders
now receive all their BT shareholder communications online, and are discovering
the convenience of using the internet and e-mail to find out about their shareholdings
and about BT.
ShareholderPlus
Choose to receive all your
BT shareholder communications online at www.bt.com/signup
and you will qualify for ShareholderPlus,
an exclusive range of shareholder offers on products and services from BT and
partner companies. You can view the current offers at www.bt.com/shareholderoffers
Shareview When you sign up for ShareholderPlus you are automatically registered for Shareview, provided in association with Lloyds TSB Registrars. This online service enables you to: |
|
• | update address and/or bank details online |
• | view dividend information including tax details |
• | buy or sell BT shares online at www.shareview.co.uk/dealing (or telephone 0870 850 0852) |
• | build and manage a full share portfolio |
• | appoint a proxy to represent you at BT meetings. |
Just go to www.bt.com/signup and follow the on-screen instructions, or call the Shareholder Helpline (see Contact BT). You will need your unique eight-character shareholder account number (printed below your name on the accompanying Admission Card/Proxy Card and also on your share certificate(s)).
About
BT
www.bt.com/aboutbt has a wealth
of constantly updated information about BT, and www.bt.com/sharesandperformance
has information of particular interest to our shareholders.
E-mail alerts
To receive monthly e-mail
alerts about BT and new shareholder offers, click on email alerts at www.
btplc.com/emailalerts and
select shareholder offers as well as your other area(s) of interest.
Other publications
BT produces a series of reports
on its financial, business, social and environmental performance. Most of these
can be found on our website at www.bt.com/aboutbt
Contact the Shareholder Helpline
for printed copies, where available.
Contact
BT
You can contact us by telephone,
e-mail or post.
Telephone
Shareholder Helpline
for general enquiries call:
Freefone 0808 100 4141 (+44
121 415 7178 from outside the UK)
Textphone 0800 169 6907 (+44
121 415 7028 from outside the UK)
E-mail
Please send an e-mail to:
bt@lloydstsb-registrars.co.uk
30 BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 |
Post
Please write (including a daytime telephone
number) to:
Lloyds TSB Registrars (2450)
The Causeway
Worthing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA
Special needs
An audio cassette version of the Annual
Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 has been produced for shareholders with
special needs. To obtain a copy of this cassette, please contact the Shareholder
Helpline.
ShareGift
The Orr Mackintosh Foundation operates a charity share donation scheme for shareholders with small parcels of shares which may be uneconomic to sell. Details of the scheme are available from ShareGift at
www.sharegift.org or by telephone on 0207828 1151. Details can also be obtained from the Shareholder Helpline.
Unclaimed Assets
Register
BT,
along with many other leading UK companies, subscribes to Experians Unclaimed
Assets Register (UAR), a register of individuals owed unclaimed financial assets
such as shareholdings and dividends. UAR provides members of the public with
a search device to trace lost assets. UAR donates a proportion of its income
to charity. For further information visit www.uar.co.uk or
telephone 0870 241 1713.
Capital gains tax
The rights issue in June 2001 adjusted the value of your BT shares for capital gains tax (CGT) purposes. An explanatory leaflet is available from the Shareholder Helpline.
The demerger of O2 in November 2001 adjusted the
value of your BT shares for CGT purposes. For CGT calculations, the base cost
of the BT Group shares is calculated by multiplying the acquisition cost of the
BT shareholding by 77.544% . This is in accordance with the confirmed opening
prices for BT Group shares following the demerger.
BT Group plc Annual Review & Notice of Meeting 2007 31 |
BT Group plc
Registered office: 81 Newgate Street,
London EC1A 7AJ
Registered in England and Wales No.
4190816
Produced by BT Group
Designed by Greentarget, London
Typeset by Bowne
Printed in England by Howitt
Printed on Revive 50:50 Silk, which
is produced using
50% recovered waste
fibre and 50% virgin wood fibre.
All
pulps used are elemental chlorine free
(ECF).
Data Protection Statement
The Company (references to Company
include BT Group plc and British Telecommunications plc) collects and processes
information provided by you, or on your behalf, which relates to you as an individual
shareholder or as a participant in EasyShare or other scheme or plan. This information
(which is your personal data) includes your name and contact details, the votes
you cast and the Reference Number attributed to you by the Company. The Company
may process your personal data for the purposes of compiling and updating the
Company records, fulfilling its legal obligations, processing the shareholder
rights you exercise, and contacting you with shareholder information and related
communications. The Company may engage a third party to do this (for example
Lloyds TSB Registrars) who may process your personal data on the Companys
behalf.
www.bt.com | |
PHME 52341 | |