In 2016 we invited a number of shareholders to M&S’s Head Office for our very first Shareholder Panel, providing a platform for them to offer their views on the issues that are of most concern to them as investors, and to hear about how the Company is addressing these directly from members of the senior management team. This was hugely successful, and very well received by those who attended, and it was therefore decided to introduce a regular event and for which all registered shareholders can apply to attend.
If you are a member of the Shareholder Panel and unable to attend a particular meeting during the year, please notify M&S as soon as possible by responding to the email you received inviting you to the event. This will not affect your membership of the Panel and you will continue to receive invitations to Panel meetings until its membership is again refreshed for the following year.
Reasonable travel and accommodation costs incurred by panel members will be reimbursed by M&S and assistance with arranging accommodation may be available prior to each meeting. Please submit any queries regarding travel and accommodation to M&S by replying directly to the email you will receive inviting you to attend the next meeting of the Shareholder Panel.
Membership of the Shareholder Panel lasts for one financial year, from April to the following March, following which applications for membership are re-opened and a new group of shareholders is selected.
Your data will be used for the purposes of contacting you by email should you be selected to attend the shareholder panel.
Additionally, the registration website asks if you would like your email address to be retained for the purposes of notifying you of future shareholder panels and/or any other shareholder engagement programmes. You will only be contacted about these if you indicate your consent by answering ‘yes’ to the relevant question on the site.
For more information, please refer to the terms and conditions on the reverse of the flyer enclosed with your dividend documentation, and those available via the registration website.
As part of M&S’s ambition to become a digital-first retailer, we have taken the decision that all applications for the panel should be submitted online and all correspondence relating to panel meetings will be by email.
The online process is a simple, cost-effective, administration-light method of extending applications to as many shareholders as possible, since the vast majority of people these days have email addresses. This allows us to communicate with panel members and keep them informed of the arrangements for panel meetings more easily and far more quickly than would be possible by post.
We are not able to accept applications by post. Having a separate, postal registration process would be impractical since all correspondence with panel members in relation to upcoming meetings is by email only.
This is not a marketing circular and the company confirms that there is no breach of the Data Protection Act.
Your data will only be used for the purposes outlined in the flyer you received, and will not be used to send you marketing material.
Please note that if no longer wish to be considered for the Shareholder Panel, you opt out by contacting MarksandSpencerSurveyOptOut@Equiniti.com.
Panel members are selected at random each year to ensure fairness. The selection for 2020’s panel will take place following closure of the registration period on 29 February. Successful applicants will be notified by email and provided with further details regarding the arrangements for the panel shortly afterwards.
The closing date for applications is 29 February 2020.