2 Governance framework for compensation
2.1 Involvement of shareholders
The shareholders play a key role in matters relating to compensation. In particular, the General Meeting (GM) approves the Articles of Association and their compensation-related provisions. These are available here and cover the following:
- Election for a one-year term of office of the members of the Compensation Committee (Art. 21).
- Approval of the maximum total compensation and benefits for the members of the Board of Directors for the next term of office (Art. 23 para. 1 let. a).
- Approval of the maximum total compensation and benefits for the members of the Executive Committee for the following financial year (Art. 23 para. 1 let. b).
- Additional compensation for new members of the Executive Committee (Art. 24).
- Principles governing the variable, performance-related compensation of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors (Art. 25).
- Provisions regarding employment contracts of members of the Executive Committee (Art. 26).
- Rules concerning loans and retirement benefits for members of the Executive Committee (Art. 27).
The following chart illustrates how the General Meeting (GM) exerts its “say on pay”.
2.2 Compensation Committee
2.2.1 Organization and tasks
The Compensation Committee consists of three members of the Board of Directors. The General Meeting individually elects the members of the Compensation Committee for a term of office that concludes at the next Annual General Meeting. In its function as the Human Resources Committee, the Compensation Committee also assumes other responsibilities. At the Annual General Meeting on April 22, 2025, Urs Riedener (Chairman), Inge Delobelle, and Robert F. Spoerry were elected to the Compensation Committee.
The Compensation Committee meets as often as business requires, but at least three times a year. The tasks and responsibilities of the Compensation Committee comprise, among others, the following:
- Periodic review of Bystronicʼs compensation policy and principles.
- Review of the compensation system, the resulting payments to the Executive Committee, and their compliance with the Articles of Association.
- Annual review of the individual compensation of the CEO, the members of the Executive Committee, and the members of the Board of Directors, as well as regular benchmarking with regard to compensation.
- Review and approval of target setting and the performance assessment of the CEO and the other members of the Executive Committee.
- Preparation of the Compensation Report and deliberation discussion of the report with the external auditors.
As a general rule, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the CEO, and the CHRO participate in meetings of the Compensation Committee in an advisory capacity. The Committee Chairman may invite other individuals as appropriate. The CEO does not attend the meeting when his own compensation is the subject of deliberation.
After each meeting, the Chairman of the Compensation Committee reports to the Board of Directors on the activities of the committee. The minutes of the committee meetings are made available to all members of the Board of Directors.
The following table summarizes the decision-making powers for the most important compensation-related topics as stipulated by the Articles of Association and the Organizational Regulations of Bystronic AG:
|
Decision-making powers |
CEO |
|
Compensation Committee |
|
Board of Directors |
|
General Meeting |
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation policy |
|
|
proposes |
|
approves |
|
|
|
|
Maximum total compensation and benefits of the Board of Directors |
|
|
proposes |
|
proposes |
|
approves (binding vote) |
|
|
Individual compensation of the members of the Board of Directors |
|
|
proposes |
|
approves |
|
|
|
|
Maximum total compensation and benefits of the Executive Committee |
|
|
proposes |
|
proposes |
|
approves (binding vote) |
|
|
Individual compensation and terms of employment of the CEO |
|
|
proposes |
|
approves |
|
|
|
|
Individual compensation and terms of employment of the members of the Executive Committee |
proposes |
|
proposes |
|
approves |
|
|
|
|
Compensation Report |
|
|
proposes |
|
approves |
|
approves (consultative vote) |
|
The approval of the actual compensation of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee within the limits of the maximum compensation approved by the General Meeting is the responsibility of the Board of Directors.
2.2.2 Focus topics in the reporting year
In the reporting year, the Compensation Committee held four meetings. They were conducted according to the annual schedule, focusing on the following topics:
|
Review of the compensation strategy, policy, and governance |
|
Proposals to the Board of Directors concerning the compensation policy for the members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee |
|
Preparation of proposals for the General Meeting regarding the maximum total compensation and benefits for the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for the attention of the Board of Directors |
|
Preparation of the Compensation Report for approval by the members of the Board of Directors |
|
Compensation of the Board of Directors |
|
Recommendation on compensation for the next term of office |
|
Compensation of the Executive Committee |
|
STI 2024: Evaluation of performance target achievement |
|
STI 2025: Determination of target values |
|
LTI 2025–2028: Specification of (long-term) target values; review of calculation at the fair value of allocated PSUs |
Further information on the tasks and activities of the Compensation Committee/Human Resources Committee is in the Corporate Governance Report, section 3.5 organization and definition of areas of responsibility and in the Human Resources Committee Report.