Form 8-K

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 24, 2011

 

 

Nielsen Holdings N.V.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

The Netherlands   001-35042   98-0662038

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

  (Commission File Number)  

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

770 Broadway

New York, New York 10003

(646) 654-5000

 

Diemerhof 2

1112 XL Diemen

The Netherlands

+31 20 398 8777

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨  

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨  

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨  

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨  

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 


Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

Nielsen Holdings N.V. (the “Company”) held its annual meeting of shareholders on May 24, 2011. The Company’s shareholders considered nine proposals, each of which is described in more detail in the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 12, 2011. The final voting results for each matter submitted to a vote of shareholders at the annual meeting are as follows:

 

     For      Against      Abstain      Broker
Non-Votes
 
1. To authorize the preparation of the Dutch statutory annual accounts and the annual report of the Board of Directors for the year ended December 31, 2010 in the English language and to adopt the Dutch statutory annual accounts for the year ended December 31, 2010      329,046,708         8,363         624,274         —     
2. To discharge the members of the Board of Directors from liability pursuant to Dutch law in respect of the exercise of their duties during the year ended December 31, 2010      327,412,198         60,575         2,206,572         —     
3. To elect the following Executive and Non-Executive Directors of the Board of Directors            

David L. Calhoun

     321,864,439         788,280         478,352         6,548,274   

James A. Atwood, Jr.

     307,059,609         15,593,090         478,372         6,548,274   

Richard J. Bressler

     307,065,342         15,587,312         478,417         6,548,274   

Simon E. Brown

     307,164,653         15,488,001         478,417         6,548,274   

Michael S. Chae

     307,060,002         15,592,697         478,372         6,548,274   

Patrick Healy

     307,059,802         15,592,797         478,472         6,548,274   

Karen M. Hoguet

     322,294,878         357,721         478,472         6,548,274   

James M. Kilts

     307,164,263         15,488,391         478,417         6,548,274   

Iain Leigh

     307,065,090         15,587,464         478,517         6,548,274   

Eliot P. S. Merrill

     307,064,896         15,587,658         478,517         6,548,274   

Alexander Navab

     307,158,984         15,493,715         478,372         6,548,274   

Robert Pozen

     322,297,028         355,626         478,417         6,548,274   

Robert Reid

     307,069,389         15,587,365         474,317         6,548,274   

Scott A. Schoen

     307,060,078         15,592,621         478,372         6,548,274   

Javier G. Teruel

     322,297,358         355,241         478,472         6,548,274   
4. To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2011      328,843,574         342,732         493,039         —     


     For      Against      Abstain      Broker
Non-Votes
 
5. To appoint Ernst & Young Accountants LLP as the Company’s auditor who will audit the Dutch statutory annual accounts for the year ending December 31, 2011      328,842,588         343,738         493,019         —     
6. To approve the extension of the authority of the Board of Directors to issue shares and/or grant rights to acquire the Company’s shares (including options to subscribe for shares) never to exceed the number of authorized but unissued shares, and to limit or exclude the preemptive rights of shareholders with respect to the issuance of shares and/or grant of the right to acquire shares until May 24, 2016      294,182,722         28,368,124         580,225         6,548,274   
7. To approve the extension of the authority of the Board of Directors to repurchase up to 10% of the Company’s issued share capital until November 24, 2012 on the open market, through privately negotiated transactions or in one or more self tender offers for a price per share not less than the nominal value of a share and not higher than 110% of the most recently available (as of the time of repurchase) price of a share on any securities exchange where the Company’s shares are traded      328,814,593         367,640         497,112         —     
8. To approve, in a non-binding, advisory vote the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement pursuant to the SEC rules      322,030,676         462,790         637,605         6,548,274   

Additionally, set forth below are the voting results on the following matter:

 

     1 Year      2 Years      3 Years      Abstain      Broker
Non-Votes
 
9. To determine, in a non-binding, advisory vote the frequency of shareholder votes to approve, in a non-binding, advisory vote, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the SEC rules      24,374,852         446,536         297,827,391         482,292         6,548,274   

In light of such vote, the Company’s Board of Directors determined that it currently intends to include an advisory, non-binding vote to approve the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers every three years until the next required vote on the frequency of shareholder votes on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers. The Company is currently required to hold votes on frequency every six years.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: May 31, 2011

 

NIELSEN HOLDINGS N.V.
By:   /s/ James W. Cuminale     
Name:   James W. Cuminale
Title:   Chief Legal Officer