Annual Report 2021
Additional information
7.4
Report of the Stichting Continuïteit ASR Nederland

For information purposes only.

Stichting Continuïteit ASR Nederland (the Foundation) was established on 26 May 2016. The Foundation has been established under Dutch law. Its objectives are to promote and protect the interests of a.s.r., its business and its stakeholders, and to counter possible influences that might threaten the continuity, independence, strategy and / or identity of a.s.r. or its business to such an extent that these could be considered contrary to the aforementioned interests.

a.s.r. has granted a call option to the Foundation under an agreement dated 27 May 2016; this agreement outlines the conditions under which the call option can be exercised. The call option is a continuous and repeatedly exercisable right, pursuant to which the Foundation is entitled to subscribe for preference shares, up to the lower of (a) the total number of shares that form a.s.r.’s issued capital at the time when the call option is exercised, less the number of preference shares already held by the Foundation at that time (if any) and less one, or (b) the maximum number of preference shares that may be issued under the authorised share capital as shown by the Articles of Association of a.s.r. at the time when the call option is exercised. The Foundation has the right to exercise the call option at any time, either fully or in part. The exercise price for preference shares issuable under the call option is equal to 25% of the nominal amount of those preference shares.

The call option is continuous in nature and can be exercised repeatedly and on more than one occasion, each time that the Foundation considers, or reasonably expects, there to be an act that is, in the opinion of the Foundation, materially contrary to the interests of a.s.r., its business or its stakeholders, which may include the following (to the extent materially contrary to the aforementioned interests), (i) the announcement of a public offer for shares in the capital of a.s.r., or the legitimate expectation that such a public offer will be announced, without agreement on the offer having been reached with a.s.r. or the offer being supported by a.s.r., and (ii) an activist shareholder (or group of activist shareholders acting in concert) in a.s.r. directly or indirectly representing at least 25% of the ordinary shares forming part of a.s.r.’s issued share capital.

Ultimately after the Foundation has held preference shares for a period of 20 months (or for such longer period as the Foundation deems appropriate given the facts and circumstances at hand), the Foundation may request, by means of a notice to that effect, that a.s.r. considers submitting, as soon as practicable, a proposal to the General Meeting for a resolution to cancel all preference shares. a.s.r. is free to propose such a resolution without this being requested by the Foundation if non-cancellation of the preference shares in a timely manner were to result in the Foundation being required to make a mandatory public offer in respect of a.s.r. In addition, if and when a.s.r. has issued preference shares to the Foundation, a.s.r. will convene a General Meeting, to be held within 20 months following such issuance, for the purpose of adopting a resolution on the cancellation of all such preference shares.

The Foundation has not exercised the call option and did not acquire any preference shares during the year under review.

The Foundation has an independent board. The membership of the Board of the Foundation is as follows:

  • Mr H.J. Hazewinkel (chair);

  • Mr A.A.M. Deterink;

  • Ms M.E. Groothuis.

The Board of the Foundation had two online calls in 2021. The matters discussed included the full-year 2020 results of a.s.r., the execution of a.s.r.’s strategy, the financing of a.s.r., acquisitions and divestments made by a.s.r., changes in the Executive Board (EB) of a.s.r., the impact that COVID-19 has had on a.s.r., other developments in the markets in which a.s.r. operates and the general course of affairs at a.s.r. At these meetings, a representative of the EB of a.s.r. provided the Board of the Foundation with information on the developments within a.s.r. and the relationship with its stakeholders. The Board of the Foundation also monitored the developments of a.s.r. outside of its Board meetings, for instance through occasional contacts with the EB and the receipt of press releases issued by a.s.r.

The Foundation is an independent legal entity for the purpose of Section 5:71(1)(c) of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act.

Utrecht, the Netherlands, 22 March 2022

Stichting Continuïteit ASR Nederland

Mr H.J. Hazewinkel (chair)

Mr A.A.M. Deterink

Ms M.E. Groothuis