Umicore - Notice of ordinary, special and extraordinary shareholders’ meetings

Umicore invites its shareholders to the ordinary, special and extraordinary shareholders’ meetings which will be held on Thursday 30 April 2020 at 17:00 at its registered office in Brussels.

In light of the global spread of COVID-19, Umicore’s priority is keeping its shareholders, employees and other stakeholders healthy and safe. Depending on the authorities’ measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Umicore may be required to adapt the participation modalities for the below shareholders’ meetings or, as the case may be, to postpone such shareholders’ meetings. Such revised participation modalities and/or postponement will be announced in due time on the website of Umicore () and by means of a press release. In the meantime and for public safety/health reasons, all shareholders are strongly encouraged to use, to the greatest extent as possible, the below described rights of postal voting, proxy voting and their right to ask questions in writing.

Please click the following link for more details regarding the agenda, the admission conditions and voting modes for these shareholders’ meetings:

Announcement of a change to the Board

Umicore also announces a change to its Board of Directors to be approved at the ordinary shareholders’ meeting.

The Board of Directors has decided to propose the appointment of Mario Armero as a new Board member, to replace Gérard Lamarche who will not seek re-election.

Mr Mario Armero, who is 62 and of Spanish nationality, is currently Chairman of companies Indo, Palex and Axion. He is also senior advisor at international fund GIP (Global Infrastructure Partners), member of the Advisory Committee at the private equity firm Ergon Capital Partners and board member of Bankinter Consumer Finance.

Mr Armero started his professional career at the Armero Law firm and later joined AT&T Spain. From 1992 to 1999 he served as Secretary General at General Electric Plastics Spain. In September 1999 he was appointed Chairman of General Electric Plastics Spain, a position which he held until 2001, when he was appointed Chairman and CEO of General Electric Spain and Portugal, being the ultimate responsible for all of the Group’s Divisions in Iberia. In March 2008, he joined Corporación Llorente, a diversified family owned industrial group, as CEO. Following that he joined Ezentis as Executive Chairman. From 2012 until 2020, Mr Armero has been the Executive Vice President of ANFAC, the Spanish Car manufacturers association. Mr Armero holds a degree in Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Thomas Leysen, Chairman of the Board, commented: “I would like to express my gratitude to Gérard Lamarche for his commitment and valuable contribution to the Board of Directors since 2017. I will miss his deep financial expertise and I am confident that Mario Armero’s leadership skills in several industries will provide a strong replacement. On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our thanks and good wishes to Gérard and to extend a warm welcome to Mario.”

Decision to reduce the dividend in respect of the full year 2019

As announced on 26 March 2020, Umicore’s Board of Directors has, as a matter of prudence and in light of the extreme unpredictability of the global situation, decided to propose a dividend of € 0.375 per share in respect of the full year 2019. This proposal replaces the proposal initially made on 7 February 2020 of € 0.75 per share and corresponds to the amount of the interim dividend of € 0.375 per share which was already paid out on 27 August 2019. This decision is also to be seen as a way for Umicore’s management and Board of Directors to share the efforts among its stakeholders. Umicore will assess the appropriate amount to be returned to shareholders in 2020 once it gains more clarity around the full impact of COVID-19.  

For more information

Investor Relations

Evelien Goovaerts                                

Eva Behaeghe                                     

Aurélie Bultynck                                   

Media Relations

Marjolein Scheers                                

Umicore profile

Umicore is a global materials technology and recycling group. It focuses on application areas where its expertise in materials science, chemistry and metallurgy makes a real difference. Its activities are organised in three business groups: Catalysis, Energy & Surface Technologies and Recycling. Each business group is divided into market-focused business units offering materials and solutions that are at the cutting edge of new technological developments and essential to everyday life.

Umicore generates the majority of its revenues and dedicates most of its R&D efforts to clean mobility materials and recycling. Umicore’s overriding goal of sustainable value creation is based on an ambition to develop, produce and recycle materials in a way that fulfils its mission: materials for a better life.  

Umicore’s industrial and commercial operations as well as R&D activities are located across the world to best serve its global customer base. The Group generated in 2019 revenues (excluding metal) of € 3.4 billion (turnover of € 17.5 billion) and currently employs 11,152 people.