The Board appreciates that wider engagement with stakeholders is a key component of long term sustainability and success and believes that by engaging effectively with stakeholders, it will in turn strengthen the business, promoting long term success to the benefit of stakeholders and shareholders alike. Some examples of the ways in which the Board and/or the Group have engaged with stakeholders are detailed below:

The Board’s principal role is to promote the long term success of the Company on behalf of its shareholders.

• A rolling programme of meetings between institutional shareholders and the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have been held throughout the year.
• The Board reviewed and considered feedback, collated by the Company’s brokers, after Investor Presentations by the Board.
• The Board is provided with market summary reports which detail share price and share register movements.
• All members of the Board attended the 2018 Annual General Meeting. This provided an opportunity for informal communications between shareholders and Directors.
• Board approval of significant announcements.

The Board believes that the Group’s employees are its greatest asset. Our ongoing objective is to continue to be a high performing business driven by highly skilled and committed teams. A key element of our People Plan is that we want Dechra to be a great and safe place to work.

• Results of the employee engagement survey have been presented and action planning sessions have taken place with employee groups to determine areas of focus to maintain and improve employee engagement.
• The Group HR Director provided an update to the Board in June 2019 on the actions taken by teams throughout the Group on the agreed key areas of focus from the 2018 employee engagement survey.
• Three scheduled Board meetings were held at business units, which provided the Board the opportunity to walk around the facilities with senior employees, to engage with employees at the sites and to experience the values and culture of the Company. In addition, they attended dinner with senior managers from the sites.
• The Board met formally and informally with the Senior Executive Team (SET).
• Twice a year a comprehensive health and safety report is provided to the Board for its review.
• Senior Leaders held regular functional and cross functional Town Hall meetings to keep employees informed and updated.
• Formal communications with Works Council employee representatives.
• Group-wide newsletter published twice a year along with other Group news via the Company intranet.
• 16 new courses added to our e-learning platform and 1,803 courses have been completed by our employees.
• The appointment of Lisa Bright as the Non-Executive Director designated for employee engagement.

The Company is committed to acting responsibly and with integrity, respecting the laws, regulations, traditions and cultures of the countries within which it operates. It expects its suppliers to trade with honesty and integrity.

• The Board reviewed and approved the Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABC) training course for Dechra’s third party network, which has been rolled out, and the updated internal ABC policies and procedures.
• The Board reviewed and approved the Modern Slavery Statement.
• The Manufacturing and Supply Director presented to the Board and this included a discussion on the contract manufacturing organisation strategy.

Our objectives are to innovate, develop, register, manufacture, supply and market high quality products to the veterinary profession worldwide. We provide high levels of service, technical support and educational training to develop a strong relationship with, and be recognised as an important partner to, veterinarians.

• Each of the SET members for DVP EU, NA, and International have provided in-depth presentations on their markets, customer requirements and customer consolidation.
• Approval of licensing arrangements which will bring new technologies and products into our pipeline and product portfolios.
• A presentation from the DVP International Managing Director which included a distribution strategy discussion.
• Launch of Dechra Cat and Dog App, an anaesthesia education and support tool.
• 40 new courses have been created this year in the strategic therapy areas of Endocrinology and Dermatology in the Dechra Academy, our continuous professional development platform.
• A total of 676 CPD presentations to an aggregate total of 18,680 attendees in North America and Mexico.

The Board encourages the business units to contribute to the social and economic welfare of the local communities in which they operate. It recognises that by taking voluntary action in this area it is helping to protect and develop its own business.

• 878 hours in the Community, working on a variety of projects, including beach clean ups in the Netherlands and supporting animal shelters in the US.
• The lease of land, free of charge, in Zagreb for use by the local community as a children’s playground.
• The provision of training to local residents and students in Denmark and Brazil.