Sonova shareholders approve all motions of the Board of Director Donnerstag, 13. Juni 2019 - 17:45

Media Release

Stäfa (Switzerland), June 13, 2019 – The shareholders of Sonova Holding AG approved all motions of the Board of Directors at the Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting (AGM) on June 13, 2019, and thus decided on a dividend of CHF 2.90 per share. 452 shareholders attended the AGM of Sonova Holding AG in Zurich, representing approximately 63.0% of the total share capital.

The shareholders approved the Annual Report, the Annual Consolidated Financial Statements of the Group and the Annual Financial Statements of Sonova Holding AG for the 2018/19 financial year and authorized the proposed appropriation of retained earnings and a gross dividend of CHF 2.90 per share. This amounts to a payout of approximately CHF 186.7 million corresponding to an adjusted payout ratio of 41%. The distribution will be made with the anticipated value date of June 19, 2019.

The shareholders formally approved the actions of the members of the Board of Directors for their activities during the 2018/19 financial year. All members of the Board of Directors standing for re-election for a further term of office were re-elected individually. During the course of these elections, the current Chairman of the Board of Directors Robert F. Spoerry was also confirmed in office. Re-elected to the Nomination & Compensation Committee were Robert F. Spoerry (Chairman), Beat Hess and Stacy Enxing Seng.

The compensation report for the 2018/19 financial year was accepted by shareholders in a non-binding advisory vote. Shareholders also approved in two separate binding votes the maximum aggregate amount of compensation of the Board of Directors covering the period from the AGM 2019 to the AGM 2020 and the maximum aggregate amount of compensation of the Management Board for the 2020/21 financial year. Furthermore the capital reduction through cancellation of shares was accepted by the shareholders.

PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, Zurich, were re-elected as auditors for a further period of one year. The Law Office Keller Partnership, Zurich, was elected as the Independent Proxy.

The next AGM will be convened on June 11, 2020.

The presentation and the minutes (in German) of the AGM 2019 will soon be available on our website at www.sonova.com/en/AGM

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Disclaimer

This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside Sonova’s control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sonova undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

About Sonova

Sonova, headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland, is a leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions. The Group operates through its core business brands Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics and AudioNova. Sonova offers its customers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry – from hearing instruments to cochlear implants to wireless communication solutions.

Pursuing a unique vertically integrated business strategy, the Group operates through three core businesses – hearing instruments, audiological care and cochlear implants – along the entire value chain of the hearing care market. The Group’s sales and distribution network, the widest in the industry, comprises over 50 own wholesale companies and more than 100 independent distributors. This is complemented by Sonova’s audiological care business, which offers professional audiological services through a network of around 3,500 locations in 18 key markets.

Founded in 1947, the Group has a workforce of over 14,000 dedicated employees and generated sales of CHF 2.76 billion in the financial year 2018/19 as well as a net profit of CHF 460 million. Across all businesses, and by supporting the Hear the World Foundation, Sonova pursues its vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing and therefore lives a life without limitations.

For more information please visit www.sonova.com and www.hear-the-world.com.

Sonova shares (ticker symbol: SOON, Security no: 1254978, ISIN: CH0012549785) have been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1994. The securities of Sonova have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States of America, and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state securities laws, or outside the United States of America to non-U.S. Persons in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.