Holiday Inn 2015 Annual Report Download - page 9

of cultural integrity ingrained within the way
IHG operates is a key part of this, as is our
ability to drive sustainable performance
and meaningful shareholder value.
The Board also spends a great deal of time
focusing on the macro perspective and
ensuring that we are being as competitive
as possible. We engage in matters where we
can add real value and we spend time and
attention shaping, agreeing to and monitoring
the implementation of IHG’s strategy. In order
to do this, we keep the composition of the
Board under constant review to ensure
that we have the right breadth of skills and
expertise to be truly effective and to deliver
real and tangible value. Anne Busquet and
Jo Harlow have brought their consumer-
facing technology experience to the Board,
which has significantly improved the quality
of discussion on our technology strategy,
at a time when new advances are playing
a transformative role in our industry.
Board changes
We formally welcomed Anne Busquet to
the Board as a Non-Executive Director in
March 2015. Anne has brought her impressive
breadth of experience in digital commerce,
hospitality, finance and marketing to the
Board. She sits on the Audit, Nomination
and Corporate Responsibility Committees.
In January 2016, we said goodbye to Tracy
Robbins, who stepped down from the Board
and from her position as Executive Vice
President, Human Resources for health
reasons. On behalf of IHG, I want to thank
Tracy for her long-standing contribution
to the business. Her passion for people and
strong commitment to developing talent has
played an important role in IHG’s success.
We wish her all the best for the future.
In February 2016, we announced that Jennifer
Laing and Ying Yeh will be retiring from
the Board following the AGM on 6 May 2016.
As long-standing members of the Board,
Jennifer and Ying have shown real
commitment and dedication to IHG. I would
like to thank them for the important role they
have played in IHG’s development over the
last decade. Jill McDonald, a Non-Executive
Director, will succeed Jennifer as Chairman
of the Corporate Responsibility Committee.
A winning team
I would like to close by thanking Richard
Solomons for his stewardship and leadership
of the business this year, which resulted in
HOTELS Magazine naming him 2015 Corporate
Hotelier of the World. This is a testament
to Richard, to the talented and passionate
people who bring IHG’s brands to life for
our guests each and every day, and to our
owners, for their continued confidence in
our business.
Patrick Cescau
Chairman
There have been three particular
highlights for me this year. First, the sale
of InterContinental Hong Kong and
InterContinental Paris – Le Grand, which
signalled the completion of our asset-light
strategy. Second, the completion of our
acquisition of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants,
which made IHG the clear market leader in
the boutique segment (source: Smith Travel
Research). Finally, the work we are doing
with Amadeus, the world’s leading provider of
advanced technology solutions, to develop
a next-generation Guest Reservation System
that will help us accelerate our efforts to
revolutionise and personalise the guest
experience. This is a very important piece
of work for IHG and will help set us apart
from our competitors into the future.
Leading shareholder returns
We are focused on delivering outstanding
shareholder value. I am therefore pleased
to announce that the Board is recommending
a final dividend of 57.5 cents (40.3 pence)
per ordinary share, an increase of 11 per cent
on the final dividend for 2014, resulting in a
full-year dividend of 85 cents (58 pence) per
share, up 10 per cent on 2014. The Board has
also proposed a $1.5 billion special dividend,
which will take the total funds returned
to shareholders since 2003 to more than
$12 billion.
Corporate governance
As a Board, we are committed to maintaining
our high standards of corporate governance
and I take this commitment very seriously.
The Board continues to focus not only on
what we deliver as a business, but also how
we deliver. Ensuring that there is a high level
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IHG Annual Report and Form 20-F 2015
STRATEGIC REPORT GOVERNANCE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONPARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS