Link Administration : Group and RACQ set new Hybrid AGM record

Link Group and RACQ set new Hybrid AGM record

21 November 2019: Link Group, a leading administrator of financial ownership data, set a new record this week when it deployed its hybrid AGM voting platform to RACQ's nearly 1.8 million voting members - making this the largest number of eligible voting members to have access to Link Group's digital AGM voting platform in Australia and New Zealand to date.

RACQ members were able to remotely attend and vote at the motoring body's 114th AGM on Tuesday, 19 November via Link Group's hybrid meeting technology, making participation more accessible to members who could not physically attend the meeting. Hybrid AGMs enable participants to either attend the meeting in-person, or participate remotely via an online platform.

It was one of four hybrid AGM's facilitated by Link Group on the one day, in addition to the Mirvac, REA Group, and A2 Milk Company AGMs, with the latter welcoming 528 online participants - the largest number of online participants at a hybrid AGM to date, plus 75 physical attendees.

Link Group expects to facilitate 22 hybrid AGMs across Australia and New Zealand this season, a 22 per cent increase from last year (18), and CEO Corporate Markets APAC, Lysa McKenna said this trend is only likely to accelerate over the coming years.

"In the 2019 AGM season we've facilitated a record number of hybrid AGMs, with an increasing number of online participants, and with RACQ now - a record number of voting members able to access Link Group's hybrid meeting technology," Ms McKenna said.

"There is a clear trend towards this technology, both from listed and unlisted companies seeking to improve engagement with, and participation from, their shareholders and members, and from the shareholders themselves who are rapidly adopting the technology."

"In 2018, the introduction of hybrid AGM technology increased AGM attendance at Oz Minerals and Mirvac by 99% and 188% respectively, demonstrating that where companies provide shareholders with the option to engage and vote digitally, that option will be taken up, and in turn democratise AGM participation for those unable to physically attend."

The 2018 Link Group AGM Snapshotrevealed just 0.17 per cent of shareholders attended AGMs in 2018, with 34 per cent of votes cast online. The proportion of AGM votes cast online has increased every year for more than a decade.i

Link Group's hybrid meeting technology replicates the physical AGM experience by enabling online participants to view a live webcast of the meeting and presentation slides on the screen. Participants can also download relevant meeting documentation, and if they are verified investors or members, they can ask questions and submit their online voting card.

The hybrid meeting technology is part of Link Group's broader range of services facilitating and enabling AGMs and stakeholder engagement through technology and innovation.

Ends

Media Contact

Jonathan Costello, GRACosway, [phone], [e-mail]

About Link Group (ASX: LNK)

Link Administration Holdings (Link Group) administers financial ownership data and drives user engagement through technology. Underpinned by our investment in technology, people and processes, we deliver comprehensive data and information solutions for companies, large asset owners and trustees across the globe. We are a market-leading provider of technology-enabled administration solutions, continually developing our offerings to expand with our clients' needs.

Our core business, which consists of retirement & superannuation solutions and securities registration, is complemented by our expertise in digital solutions and data analytics. Our clients represent all industries and include some of Australia's largest superannuation funds and the world's largest corporations.

For more information, please visit: www.linkgroup.com

1. 2018 Link Group AGM Snapshot data is based on Link clients. Link facilitated over 700 meetings in Australia in 2018.