As an ordinary shareholder you are entitled to attend, speak and vote at general meetings of the company.
As an ADR holder you are entitled to vote by proxy which is then exercised on your behalf by the depositary bank, The Bank of New York.
If you attend a general meeting, you can vote in person on each resolution. If you cannot attend, you may appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf and your proxy can vote on a poll.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The Diageo AGM is held in October each year and gives you the opportunity to vote on various company matters, either by attending the meeting and voting in person or by sending in a proxy vote (to be used for a polled vote) in hard copy or electronic form.
If you attend the AGM, you have the opportunity to put questions to the board of directors and to speak to individual directors personally after the meeting. If you are unable to attend, or if you have any questions you wish to put to any of the directors during the course of the year, you may write to the company
Click here for contact details
Holders of Diageo ADRs will receive voting materials and have the sole right to vote the ordinary shares of Diageo represented by their ADRs, which are held by The Bank of New York. The proxy votes received by the return-by-date are then exercised through The Bank of New York. To be eligible to vote, ADR holders must be on the Register on the AGM record date.
Click here to find our the AGM record date
2007 AGM
The 2007 Diageo AGM was held at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE on Tuesday 16 October 2007 at 2.30 pm.
The following resolutions were passed at the meeting.
Resolution |
Votes for |
%* |
Votes against |
%* |
Votes withheld |
| Reports and accounts 2007 |
1,823,419,272 |
97.995 |
37,315,645 |
2.005 |
1,591,417 |
| Directors' remuneration report 2007** |
1,763,581,160 |
96.687 |
60,437,378 |
3.313 |
38,336,024 |
| Declaration of final dividend |
1,862,248,818 |
99.998 |
42,126 |
0.002 |
65,880 |
| Re-election of Ms M Lilja |
1,847,388,670 |
99.228 |
14,375,044 |
0.772 |
592,923 |
| Re-election of Mr NC Rose |
1,857,350,203 |
99.748 |
4,695,555 |
0.252 |
299,213 |
| Re-election of Mr PA Walker |
1,840,571,553 |
98.864 |
21,153,705 |
1.136 |
617,324 |
| Re-appointment and remuneration of auditor |
1,835,090,224 |
99.665 |
6,350,083 |
0.345 |
20,897,984 |
| Authority to allot relevant securities |
1,842,131,006 |
98.935 |
19,826,392 |
1.065 |
391,510 |
| Disapplication of pre-emption rights |
1,834,878,182 |
98.564 |
26,723,698 |
1.436 |
742,237 |
| Authority to purchase own ordinary shares |
1,859,897,113 |
99.882 |
2,200,821 |
0.118 |
247,785 |
| Authority to make political donations/expenditure** |
1,733,121,288 |
96.637 |
60,319,426 |
3.363 |
68,903,295 |
| 2007 US Employee Stock Purchase Plan** |
1,847,877,491 |
99.264 |
13,707,114 |
0.736 |
745,781 |
| Amendments to articles of association** |
1,858,084,085 |
99.977 |
431,328 |
0.023 |
3,835,268 |
* As a percentage of the aggregate of votes For plus votes Against (i.e. excluding votes Withheld).
**Resolutions passed other than those concerning ordinary business.
Click here for 2007 AGM documents
2008 AGM
The 2008 Diageo AGM was held at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE on Wednesday 15 October 2008 at 2.30 pm.
The following resolutions were passed at the meeting.
Resolution |
Votes for |
%* |
Votes against |
%* |
Votes withheld |
| Reports and accounts 2008 |
1,696,809,740 |
97.90 |
36,389,112 |
2.10 |
2,480,482 |
| Directors' remuneration report 2008** |
1,669,341,825 |
97.35 |
45,462,070 |
2.65 |
20,870,345 |
| Declaration of final dividend |
1,733,473,195 |
99.98 |
328,287 |
0.02 |
1,876,401 |
| Re-election of Dr F B Humer |
1,710,934,417 |
98.71 |
22,396,591 |
1.29 |
2,345,557 |
| Re-election of Ms M Lilja |
1,722,952,506 |
99.40 |
10,361,859 |
0.60 |
2,356,260 |
| Re-election of Mr W S Shanahan |
1,717,001,764 |
99.35 |
11,210,218 |
0.65 |
7,302,719 |
| Re-election of Mr H T Stitzer |
1,722,873,462 |
99.42 |
10,031,421 |
0.58 |
2,608,266 |
| Election of Mr P G Scott |
1,723,013,049 |
99.43 |
9,888,646 |
0.57 |
2,613,473 |
| Re-appointment and remuneration of auditor |
1,693,575,097 |
99.03 |
16,537,850 |
0.97 |
25,399,204 |
| Authority to allot relevant securities |
1,710,332,121 |
98.71 |
22,381,184 |
1.29 |
2,795,883 |
| Disapplication of pre-emption rights |
1,696,763,123 |
97.94 |
35,606,546 |
2.06 |
3,144,611 |
| Authority to purchase own ordinary shares |
1,731,495,978 |
99.89 |
1,947,590 |
0.11 |
2,071,958 |
| Authority to make political donations/expenditure** |
1,591,473,182 |
96.60 |
56,087,198 |
3.40 |
87,958,697 |
| Performance Share Plan** |
1,601,938,103 |
94.27 |
97,408,071 |
5.73 |
36,160,171 |
| Senior Executive Share Option Plan** |
1,646,112,795 |
96.27 |
63,777,381 |
3.73 |
25,615,150 |
| International Share Plans** |
1,674,229,067 |
96.87 |
54,170,901 |
3.13 |
7,117,950 |
| Amendments to articles of association** |
1,679,526,588 |
97.10 |
50,207,947 |
2.90 |
5,779,663 |
* As a percentage of the aggregate of votes For plus votes Against (i.e. excluding votes Withheld).
**Resolutions passed other than those concerning ordinary business.
Click here for 2008 AGM documents
2009 AGM
The 2009 Diageo AGM was held at 2.30 pm on Wednesday, 14 October 2009 at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL.
The company's issued share capital at the latest practicable time before the date on which notice of meeting was given ('the Latest Practicable Date') was 2,499,648,605 Ordinary Shares carrying one vote each, excluding any Ordinary Shares held as treasury shares. As at the Latest Practicable Date , the company held 254,270,504 treasury shares representing 10% of the company's issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) as at that date. As at the Latest Practicable Date the total number of voting rights in the company was therefore 2,499,648,605.
Resolution |
Votes for |
%* |
Votes against |
%* |
Votes withheld |
| Reports and accounts 2009 |
1,668,904,081 |
98.02 |
33,792,109 |
1.98 |
4,810,804 |
| Directors' remuneration report 2009** |
1,581,396,960, |
95.66 |
71,810,694 |
4.34 |
54,296,393 |
| Declaration of final dividend |
1,706,649,375 |
99.99 |
222,982 |
0.01 |
629,288 |
| Re-election of Ms L Danon |
1,694,246,089 |
99.28 |
12,216,970 |
0.772 |
1,030,161 |
| Re-election of Lord Hollick |
1,693,899,711 |
99.27 |
12,525,422 |
0.73 |
1,070,640 |
| Re-election of Mr PS Walsh |
1,686,795,407 |
98.84 |
19,714,291 |
1.16 |
994,444 |
| Election of Ms PB Bruzelius |
1,618,936,726 |
96.20 |
63,972,050 |
3.80 |
24,591,116 |
| Election of Ms B Holden |
1,694,691,537 |
99.31 |
11,696,495 |
0.69 |
1,112,726 |
| Re-appointment of auditor |
1,679,173,089 |
99.42 |
9,841,253 |
0.58 |
18,478,636 |
| Remuneration of auditor |
1,697,218,572 |
99.69 |
5,310,517 |
0.31 |
4,966,704 |
| Authority to allot relevant securities |
1,554,951,595 |
91.70 |
140,668,382 |
8.30 |
11,875,799 |
| Disapplication of pre-emption rights |
1,669,881,505 |
97.98 |
34,489,215 |
2.02 |
3,124,373 |
| Authority to purchase own ordinary shares |
1,701,119,438 |
99.69 |
5,353,551 |
0.31 |
1,019,289 |
| Authority to make political donations/expenditure** |
1,554,182,369 |
93.21 |
113,287,670 |
6.79 |
40,022,239 |
| Adoption of Diageo plc 2009 Discretionary Incentive Plan** |
1,569,394,907 |
93.06 |
116,988,547 |
6.94 |
21,105,362 |
| Adoption of Diageo plc 2009 Executive Long Term Incentive Plan** |
1,657,203,151 |
98.54 |
24,487,823 |
1.46 |
25,797,802 |
| Adoption of Diageo plc 2009 International Sharematch plan** |
1,693,008,530 |
99.53 |
8,033,335 |
0.47 |
6,446,911 |
| Authority to establish international share plans** |
1,671,935,714 |
98.99 |
17,107,170 |
1.01 |
19,445,892 |
| Adoption of Diageo plc Irish Sharesave Plan** |
1,684,041,650 |
98.97 |
17,489,617 |
1.03 |
5,957,509 |
| < Option Share Executive plc Diageo the of rules to>Amendments to the rules of the Diageo plc Executive Share Option Plan** |
1,630,613,477 |
96.67 |
56,145,893 |
3.33 |
20,729,406 |
| Amendments to the rules of the Diageo plc 2008 Senior Executive Share Option Plan** |
1,636,083,192 |
97.03 |
45,415,289 |
2.70 |
25,990,295 |
| Amendments to the rules of the Diageo plc Senior Executive Share Option Plan** |
1,628,851,779 |
96.90 |
52,098,539 |
3.10 |
26,538,458 |
| Reduced notice of meeting other than an annual general meeting** |
1,611,008,102 |
94.43 |
95,009,701 |
5.57 |
1,470,973 |
| Adoption of articles of association** |
1,702,487,157 |
99.79 |
3,537,403 |
0.21 |
1,464,216 |
* As a percentage of the aggregate of votes For plus votes Against (i.e. excluding votes Withheld).
**Resolutions passed other than those concerning ordinary business.
Click here for 2009 AGM documents
Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
The company will call an EGM if an important matter requiring shareholder approval cannot wait until the next AGM.
For example, an EGM was held on 2 October 2000 to enable shareholders to vote on the proposed disposal of Pillsbury to General Mills, Inc.
