Management remuneration

Compensation paid to the CEO and the other members of the group management in 2023

Guidelines for executive remuneration

The Annual General Meeting on 5 May 2021 resolved on guidelines for executive remuneration. The guidelines encompass salary and other remuneration for the Company’s CEO and other senior executives. The guidelines also encompass remuneration to Board members insofar as they receive remuneration in addition to Board fees for services relating to a position covered by these guidelines. The guidelines shall apply to remuneration agreed, and amendments to remuneration already agreed, after adoption of the guidelines at the AGM 2021. These guidelines do not apply to any remuneration resolved by general meeting.

For employments governed by rules other than Swedish, remuneration may be duly adjusted for compliance with mandatory rules or established local practice, taking into account, to the extent possible, the overall purpose of these guidelines.

The guidelines promotion of the Company’s business strategy, long-term interests and sustainability

A prerequisite for the successful implementation of the Company’s business strategy and safeguarding of its long-term interests, including its sustainability, is that the Company is able to recruit and retain qualified personnel. To this end, it is necessary that the Company offers competitive remuneration. These guidelines enable the Company to offer the executive management a competitive total remuneration.

For information about the Company’s business model and strategy, see the Company’s website (www.karnovgroup.com).

Long-term share-related incentive plans in form of a share saving program has been implemented in the Company. The plans have been resolved by the annual general meeting 2019 and 2020, therefore they are excluded from these guidelines. The plans include among others the CEO and other senior executives in the group. For more information regarding these incentive plans, including the criteria which the outcome depends on, please see https://www.karnovgroup.com/en/incentive-program/.

Types of remuneration

Remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment shall be adequate to enable the Company and the group to retain and recruit skilled senior executives at a reasonable cost. The remuneration to senior executives may consist of fixed remuneration, variable remuneration, pension, other benefits and severance payment and it shall be based on principles of performance, competitiveness and fairness. The general meeting can also, irrespective of these guidelines, resolve on, among other things, share-related or share price-related remuneration.

Fixed remuneration

Each senior executive shall be offered a fixed remuneration in line with market conditions and based on the senior executive’s responsibility, expertise and performance.

Variable remuneration

Variable remuneration may comprise of annual variable cash salary and long-term variable pay in the form of cash. Variable remuneration shall be subject to the fulfilment of defined and measurable targets. 60 per cent of the variable remuneration is based on financial performance decided by the Board of Directors based on the Company’s financial targets and 40 per cent of the variable remuneration is based on non-financial performance activities decided by Board of Directors to achieve the financial targets and the overall targets of the Company. This creates incentives to promote the Company’s business strategy, long-term interests and sustainability.

The satisfaction of criteria for awarding variable cash remuneration shall be measured over a period of one year. The variable cash remuneration for the CEO may amount to not more than 100 per cent of the total fixed annual salary and the variable cash remuneration for the other senior executives may amount to not more than 75 per cent of the total fixed annual salary. Variable cash remuneration shall not qualify for pension benefits unless otherwise provided by mandatory collective agreement provisions.

To which extent the criteria for awarding variable cash remuneration has been satisfied shall be evaluated/determined when the measurement period has ended. The remuneration committee is responsible for the evaluation so far as it concerns variable remuneration to the CEO. For variable cash remuneration to other executives, the CEO is responsible for the evaluation. For financial objectives, the evaluation shall be based on the latest financial information made public by the Company.

Terms for variable remuneration shall be designed so that the Board of Directors, under exceptional financial conditions, may limit or omit to pay variable compensation if such a measure is deemed reasonable.

In special cases, agreements may be reached on remuneration of a non-recurring nature, provided such remuneration does not exceed an amount corresponding to the individual’s total fixed annual salary and maximum variable cash salary, and is not paid more than once per year and per individual.

Pension

Agreements regarding pensions shall, where applicable, be premium based and designed in accordance with the level and practice applicable in the country in which the senior executive is employed. Senior executives shall receive pension premiums of no more than 35 per cent of the total fixed annual salary.

Other benefits

Other benefits, such as a Company car, preventive care, health care and health insurance, may be paid in accordance with customary market terms. The other benefits shall amount to not more than 10 per cent of total fixed annual salary.

Termination of employment

Fixed remuneration during notice periods and severance payment, including payments for any restrictions on competition, shall in aggregate not exceed an amount equivalent to the fixed remuneration for 12 months for the CEO and no more than 12 months for other senior executives. No severance pay shall be paid in the case of termination by the employee.

Salary and employment conditions for employees

In the preparation of the Board of Directors’ proposal for these remuneration guidelines, salary and employment conditions for employees of the Company have been taken into account by including information on the employees’ total income, the components of the remuneration and increase and growth rate over time, in the remuneration committee’s and the Board of Directors’ basis of decision when evaluating whether the guidelines and the limitations set out herein are reasonable.

The decision-making process to determine, review and implement the guidelines

The Board of Directors has established a remuneration committee. The committee’s tasks include preparing the Board of Directors’ decision to propose guidelines for executive remuneration. The Board of Directors shall prepare a proposal for new guidelines at least every fourth year and submit it to the AGM. The guidelines shall be in force until new guidelines are adopted by the general meeting. The remuneration committee shall also monitor and evaluate programs for variable remuneration for the executive management, the application of the guidelines for executive remuneration as well as the current remuneration structures and compensation levels in the Company. The members of the remuneration committee are independent of the Company and its executive management. The CEO and other members of the executive management do not participate in the Board of Directors’ processing of and resolutions regarding remuneration-related matters in so far as they are affected by such matters.

Derogation from the guidelines

The Board of Directors may temporarily resolve to derogate from the guidelines, in whole or in part, if in a specific case there is special cause for the derogation and a derogation is necessary to serve the Company’s long-term interests, including its sustainability, or to ensure the Company’s financial viability. As set out above, the remuneration committee’s tasks include preparing the Board of Directors’ resolutions in remuneration-related matters. This includes any resolutions to derogate from the guidelines.