Around 34 percent of Heidelberg’s share capital was represented at the first virtual Annual General Meeting of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) for financial year 2019/2020.
The Management Board explained the company’s strategy and the balance sheet figures for the past financial year (1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020) to shareholders in a live broadcast over the Internet. The clear focus of the strategy is on increasing the company’s profitability by concentrating on those markets and market segments that are profitable and in which Heidelberg has a leading global position. In addition, as the world’s largest supplier to the packaging printing industry, Heidelberg is ideally positioned to benefit from the potential of major growth markets such as China in this market segment. The company now generates around 50 percent of its offset press sales in this sector. Future-oriented technology in the form of digital solutions is guaranteed by Heidelberg’s Smart Printshop, which consistently pursues the digitization of processes in order to close automation gaps, drive forward digital process integration and exploit the potential of digital data and artificial intelligence.
Annual General Meeting elects two shareholder representatives to the Supervisory Board – Dr. Martin Sonnenschein confirmed as Chairman of the Supervisory Board
At the Annual General Meeting, the company’s shareholders had to vote on five of the six items on the agenda, including the election of two of the six shareholder representatives on the Supervisory Board. Dr. Martin Sonnenschein and Ina Schlie were the candidates for this election. In the resolution on the appointment of members of the Supervisory Board, the vast majority of those eligible to vote were in agreement with the candidates proposed by the management. Both candidates will actively support the company on its way into a digital future with their skills and experience. The term of office of the Supervisory Board member Ms. Kirsten Lange, who was elected by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, will end at the end of the 2020 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. In addition, the shareholders passed four further resolutions by a clear majority.
At the Supervisory Board meeting held after the Annual General Meeting, Dr. Martin Sonnenschein was confirmed as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Heidelberg until 2025. “The starting point for Heidelberg’s digital transformation is good,” said Martin Sonnenschein after the election. “As shareholder representative and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, I will provide impetus, drive forward decisions and demand their consistent implementation. Then we will be able to successfully develop Heidelberg together with the brand of the world market leader and a healthy core business.
