AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, April 21, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Annual General Meeting of Shareholders Wolters Kluwer.
Wolters Kluwer, a leading multinational publisher and information services company, announced today that the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM), held in Amsterdam, approved the proposed dividend and the Supervisory Board appointments.
At the Meeting in the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam, Ms. Nancy McKinstry, Chairman of the Executive Board, addressed the shareholders with a presentation on the results for 2003, the new strategy for the period 2003-2006, and Wolters Kluwer's vision to be The Professional's First Choice. Nancy McKinstry commented in her presentation: "The purpose of our strategy is very straightforward: increase value to our shareholders by delivering sustained, profitable growth at Wolters Kluwer. 2003 was a transitional year for Wolters Kluwer. We have now set the Company on a course to improve our performance and grow our leading market positions." The presentation by the Chairman of the Executive Board to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is available on www.wolterskluwer.com.
Dividend
Wolters Kluwer will pay a dividend of EUR 0.55 (2002: EUR 0.55) per ordinary share in cash from the reserves. Shareholders and depositary receipt holders can also choose to take their dividend in the form of ordinary shares or depositary receipts for ordinary shares. The stock dividend will be determined on April 29, 2004 (after close of trading). The dividend will be made payable as from May 4, 2004.
Supervisory Board
Mr. K.A.L.M. Van Miert (1942, Belgian), member of the Supervisory Board of Wolters Kluwer nv, has been reappointed at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
Mr. H. Scheffers has been appointed as a new member of the Supervisory Board of Wolters Kluwer nv, at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Mr. Scheffers (1948, Dutch) is a member of the Management Board of SHV Holdings nv, where his primary responsibilities include finance and economic affairs, legal and tax affairs and information technology. Mr. H. Scheffers is a member of the Supervisory Board of NPM Capital nv.
A report on the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will shortly be available on www.wolterskluwer.com.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer (Euronext Amsterdam: WKL) is a leading multinational publisher and information services company. The Company's core markets are in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal and regulatory, and education sectors. Wolters Kluwer has annual revenues (2003) of EUR 3.4 billion, employs approximately 19,500 people worldwide, and maintains operations across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its depositary receipts of shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.
www.wolterskluwer.com http://hugin.info/130682/R/942186/131549.pdf