SAP Proposes Increased Dividend of €2.45 per Share

– Role of Lead Independent Director Created

The Supervisory Board and Executive Board of SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) have decided to recommend that shareholders approve a dividend of €2.45 per share for fiscal year 2021. This represents a year-over-year increase of approximately 32%. This payment includes a special dividend of €0.50 to celebrate SAP’s 50th anniversary. If the shareholders approve this recommendation, based on the number of treasury shares as of December 31, 2021, the total amount of dividends to be distributed would be approximately €2.89 billion (2020: €2.18 billion), representing a pay-out ratio of 54% (2020: 41%). Excluding the special dividend, the ratio would be approximately 43%. The 2021 fiscal year dividend is scheduled to be paid on or after May 23, 2022.

“Our strategy to accelerate our cloud transformation is working. We delivered an exceptional year of strong results and want our shareholders to participate in this success with an increased dividend. We are also recommending an additional special dividend to celebrate SAP’s 50^th anniversary,” said Luka Mucic, Chief Financial Officer, SAP SE.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Amanda Costanzi, Head of Marketing and Communications at Swisslog Healthcare

Supervisory Board Elections
Following the proposal of the Nomination Committee, the Supervisory Board has nominated three candidates to stand for reelection at the 2022 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM), in alignment with the Profile of Skills and Expertise and the objectives set by the Supervisory Board for its own composition.

The candidates are:

• Prof. Hasso Plattner (78), Potsdam, Germany, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SAP SE. In case of re-election, his 2-year term would expire in 2024.
• Dr. Gunnar Wiedenfels (44), Greenwich, CT, USA, Chief Financial Officer, Discovery, Inc., New York City, New York, USA. In case of re-election, his term would expire in 2026.
• Dr. Rouven Westphal (49), Potsdam, Germany, Member of the Executive Board of the Hasso Plattner Foundation, Potsdam, Germany, and Managing Director of the General Partner of HPC Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Potsdam, Germany. In case of re-election, his term would expire in 2026.

A fourth seat will become available after the 2022 AGM, as Bernard Liautaud has decided to step down from his role. The candidate for this seat will be announced in the coming weeks.

Naming of Lead Independent Director
The SAP Supervisory Board is introducing the role of Lead Independent Director. With this newly created role, the Supervisory Board strengthens its alignment with international corporate governance best practice, focusing on the importance of Supervisory Board independence. Dr. Friederike Rotsch, member of the Supervisory Board since 2018, will assume this role after the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in May 2022. For more information about the Lead Independent Director role, see the Corporate Governance section of the SAP Web site.

Marketing Technology News: New Report Shows Half of Websites Were Vulnerable to Exploitation Throughout 2021