Reebok 2006 Annual Report Download - page 31

027
Corporate Governance Report ›
Code of Conduct Implemented
Integrity is one of the core values of the adidas Group. Accord-
ingly, all employees are expected to act with fairness and
responsibility as well as in compliance with the laws and
regulations while carrying out their tasks. In order to main-
tain good corporate governance, we therefore adopted a Code
of Conduct as part of our internal Global Policy Manual in
October 2006. The Code of Conduct defines binding rules for
all employees with respect to legally compliant and ethical
behavior towards other employees, business partners and
third parties, for handling information (in particular insider
information) as well as for dealing with financial matters. The
Compliance Program of adidas AG is regularly updated and
ensures that complaints and potential breaches of the Code
of Conduct are dealt with independently and objectively.
Noticeable Increase in Annual General Meeting Attendance
We are committed to ensuring that our shareholders have the
opportunity to exercise the basic rights they are entitled to by
law at the Annual General Meeting. The very diverse and inter-
national nature of adidas AG’s shareholder structure com-
bined with a 100% free float (see Our Share, p. 34) represents
a challenge and requires special measures. We therefore
welcomed the 2006 introduction of a record date in Germany,
which is already standard practice internationally. Accordingly,
we amended our 2006 Annual General Meeting invitation to
the extent that the applicable record date for registration and
verification of shareholders for attending the Annual General
Meeting is set at 21 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
It is therefore no longer necessary for shareholders to deposit
shares to participate in the Annual General Meeting and exer-
cise their voting rights. Additionally, we conduct a proxy soli-
citation prior to the Annual General Meeting to ensure that
our shareholders are directly contacted and informed on the
exact deadlines, registration requirements and possibilities
for exercising their voting rights. Further, we offer all share-
holders who register for the Annual General Meeting the
possibility to have their voting rights represented by proxies
appointed by adidas AG. This service can be requested in
writing or via the Internet until the end of the general debate.
There is also comprehensive information in two languages
available on our website at www.adidas-Group.com/agm,
including a live webcast of the Annual General Meeting. At
the Annual General Meeting on May 11, 2006, our efforts
were rewarded with an attendance rate of over 39%, which
has encouraged us to again utilize these measures for our
next Annual General Meeting, which will take place on May
10, 2007 in Fürth (Bavaria), Germany.
Transparency Strengthens Trust
Active and open internal and external communication is a pre-
requisite for strengthening stakeholder trust in the adidas
Group. In accordance with the principles of fair disclosure,
we make new important information available to institutional
investors, private shareholders, financial analysts, employ-
ees and the public in a prompt and comprehensive manner.
An important communication medium for this purpose is our
website www.adidas-Group.com. With our financial reports,
analyst and press conferences, ad hoc and press releases
as well as Annual General Meeting information, all inter-
ested parties have the possibility to form an up-to-date and
authentic opinion about our Group. A financial calendar with
all important events can be found on our website as well as
in our Quarterly and Annual Reports (see Financial Calendar
2007, Outside Back Cover).