Report on Corporate Governance
The Company has a well developed investor relations programme managed by the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director. Through this programme the Company maintains regular contact with major shareholders to communicate clearly the Group's objectives and monitors movements in significant shareholdings.
Most shareholder contact is with the Chief Executive Officer and Group Finance Director through presentations made twice a year on the operating and financial performance of the Group and its longer term strategy. The Chief Executive Officer and Group Finance Director generally deal with questions from individual shareholders.
All financial and trading announcements are published immediately on the Company's website, www. diplomaplc.com, including copies of the presentations made to analysts and key shareholders.
The non-Executive Directors are given regular updates as to the views of institutional shareholders and an independent insight is sought through research carried out twice a year by the Company's advisors.
Through these processes, the Board is kept abreast of key issues and the opportunity for shareholders to meet the Chairman or Senior Independent Director, separately from the Executive Directors, is available on request.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting is sent to shareholders at least 20 working days prior to the meeting and includes a separate resolution on each substantially separate issue. All shareholders have the opportunity to put questions at the Company's Annual General Meeting when the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer give a statement on the Group's performance during the year, together with a statement on current trading conditions. The Chairman of the Board and of the Remuneration and Audit Committees will normally be available to answer questions at the meeting.
In the absence of a poll being called, proxy votes cast are declared after each resolution dealt with on a show of hands. The results of the AGM resolutions are published on the Company's website.