De Prest, our financial manager, is going to present the financial performance in 2023.
Bonjour Jean-Pierre.
Good morning Jean-Pierre.
Bonjour à tous et merci Jean-Pierre.
Thank you Jean-Pierre, and good morning to all of you. First of all, our consolidated financial statements were established on the basis of the continuity of our operations. All the figures I'll be presenting will be in euros. I'm going to show you our main financial figures for 2023. Le chiffre d'affaires du groupe. The revenue of the group stood at EUR 10.7 billion in 2023, with an organic growth of 0.4% compared to 2022. Eviden has improved by 2.9%, and Tech Foundations has stepped back by 1.7%. The order entries have reached EUR 10.1 billion during the year. That is an order entry ratio and book-to-bill ratio of 94%, which is up 4 points compared to 2023. Operating margin of the group stood at EUR 467 million, that is 4.4% of the revenue, which is an organic growth of 170 basis points compared to 2023.
The two activities, therefore, contributed to this improvement. The available cash flow stood at less than EUR 1.1 billion for the entire year, including EUR 660 million of restructuring costs and divestment, and EUR 502 million of reduction of shares on the working capital at the end of the year compared to the end of December 2022. The net debt stood at EUR 2.230 billion at the end of 2023 in the respect of the banking ratio applicable to the financial.
C'est établi à EUR 3.4 billion.
In place in 2023. The loss of the group's net share stood at EUR 3.4 billion because of the impairment charge of EUR 2,046 million. The total headcount of the group was 95,000 people at the end of December 2023, which is a drop of 14% because of the disposals carried out in the year and the optimization of our personnel. This is an organic drop of 5.7% of the total workforce. Now, I would like to present the evolution of our revenue in 2023. Our revenue in 2022, we're going to begin with the left, was adjusted to less than EUR 71 million, which accounts for a drop of -0.6% compared to the reported revenue of 2022. Because of the revision of the accounting treatment applied to certain transactions, the purchasing and selling of certain software after a decision made by the ESMA in October 2023.
During 2023, the changes in scope impacted the revenue for -3.9%. They were mainly due to the disposals of our operations in Italy, UCC, and our participation in the State Street Corporation. The Forex negatively contributed to the revenue at -1.6%, mainly because of the depreciation of the American dollar, the pound, the Argentinian peso, and the Turkish lira compared to the euro. Organic growth stood at +0.4%, leading to a revenue in 2023 of EUR 10 billion and 693 million. The group's operating margin stood at EUR 467 million, that is 4.4% of the revenue. The operating margin of Eviden stood at EUR 294 million, that is 5.8% of the revenue, up by 110 basis points. The operating margin of Tech Foundations stood at EUR 172 million, that is 3.1%, up by 210 basis points organically.
Here on the slide, you can see the main levers that helped us improve our profitability. Now, please allow me to comment on the financial elements on the other lines of our P&L. Let's begin with the non-recurring items that accounted for a net expense of EUR 3.6 billion. I'm going to comment on the main points. First of all, the reorganization cost stood at EUR 696 million. The adaptation measures for the personnel stood at EUR 343 million and include EUR 147 million related to the extension of the restructuring plan in Germany that had been launched in 2022. The costs related to the transformation project and deconsolidation between Eviden and Tech Foundations stood at EUR 353 million and were made up approximately by 50% of external costs and 50% of internal costs. Secondly, the depreciation of the goodwill and the non-current assets reached EUR 2,546 million.
The annual goodwill depreciation tests were carried out at the end of the year in compliance with the IAS 36 standard. Test values were determined on the basis of a multi-criteria approach, including the DCF, with the discount rates included between 28% and 32% for Tech Foundations and between 15% and 18% for Eviden, reflecting the execution risk estimated for the adjusted value multiples in compliance with the methodology. Thirdly, in 2023, the other items represented a net expense of 169 million EUR versus 359 million EUR in 2022. They included the losses taken into account in the operating charges for 36 million EUR, the legal costs related to litigations and the renegotiation of supplier contracts for 65 million EUR, and net loss for the disposals of 46 million EUR, mainly related to the disposal of UCC. The net financial result represented an expense of 227 million EUR.
There's the net financial debt cost, EUR 102 million, up EUR 73 million because of the increase in the interest rates and the additional draws on the banking borrowings. And the other financial charges of EUR 125 million include the interest on pensions and the rental debt for EUR 26 million. So the group's net loss amounted to EUR 3.4 billion because of the depreciation of goodwill and the other non-current assets up to EUR 2.5 billion, and the reorganization cost EUR 0.7 billion. The consolidated equity of the group stood at EUR 55 million at the 31st of December 2023. Now, let's go on to the available cash flow table. I'm going to show you the key points.
The operating investments and the payment of all the rentals accounted for 562 million EUR, down 94 million EUR compared to the previous year, reflecting the measures taken by the group to better optimize these rents and these investments so that we can have less capital-intensive activities. The variation in the working capital requirements represented a negative cash flow of 291 million EUR. This was mainly caused by the reduction in the specific shares to optimize the working capital compared to the end of 2022. These specific shares accounted for 1.8 billion EUR at the end of 2023. This has to be compared with the 2.3 billion EUR of the previous year. Now, let me give you a few precisions on these figures in the following slides. Our working capital requirements at the end of the year were negative by 319 million EUR.
The group carried out specific actions to optimize its working capital. These actions are of three different types. The first, the disposal without having recourse to debt from the bank, which is called factoring for EUR 712 million. Secondly, customer debt, which was settled before the date, sorry, for EUR 455 million, and specific measures for the trade payables of EUR 650 million, resulting mainly from the extension of the payment terms to suppliers. Now, let's go back to the free cash flow. The total of the costs incurred for the reorganization represented EUR 660 million versus EUR 283 million in 2022. Reorganization costs amounted to EUR 605 million, EUR 382 million for separation costs.
The disbursements related to other variations amounted to EUR 312 million and included the costs for the expensive contracts provisioned at the end of December 2021 and EUR 126 million for the payment of all the agreements with the clients and suppliers, as well as the legal costs for EUR 115 million. Because of these impacts, the group posted a negative available working capital requirement, minus EUR 1,078 million in 2023 versus minus EUR 187 million in 2022. The net impact on the cash resulting from these net disposals amounted to EUR 411 million, and this is due to the disposal of Atos Italy EcoAct and the participation in the joint venture that we had with the State Street Group. No dividend was paid out to the shareholders of Atos in 2023, nor in 2022.
The EUR 35 million dispersed corresponded to the taxes taken from the internal distribution of dividends. Consequently, the net debt amounted to EUR 2.2 billion at the end of December 2023. Now, I would like to present the key elements of the P&L and the social accounts of Atos in 2023.
The revenue figure of the parent company stood at EUR 118 million and was mainly made up of brand royalties received by Atos SE from its own subsidiaries. The operating income stood at EUR 71 million. The financial earnings were a loss of EUR 5 billion, mainly due to a net impairment charge of investment securities to the tune of EUR 5.2 billion.
This impairment charge reflects the adjustment of the book values of the holdings held by Atos SE at their market value, determined on the basis of a multi-criteria approach, including discounted cash flow calculations and also stock market multiples. The evaluation of these investment securities was done on the basis of the information available in May 2024 and does not, therefore, take account of the events that have taken place since the accounts were closed. In particular, it does not take into account the consequences of the updating of the business plan of the Atos Group published on September 2, 2024.
The factoring in of this new business plan in the accounts of 2023 in Atos SE would have led to recognizing an additional impairment of the investment securities to the tune of EUR 1,470 million, an amount which is actually very close to the amount of the impairment of goodwill booked in the half-yearly consolidated accounts as of 30 June 2024 of the group. The exceptional earnings, non-recurring earnings of minus EUR 106 million, comprise the results of divestiture and the liquidation of subsidiaries, as well as exceptional one-off costs that were incurred, especially in the context of the reorganization of the group. The net earnings were a loss of EUR 5 billion, resulting mainly from the impairment charge concerning the investment securities that I have just commented upon. I'll give the floor back to Jean-Pierre Mustier, who will talk about the management of risks within Atos.
Thank you, Jacques-François . Jean-Pierre Franci s a company, Atos is exposed to different risks. In order to reduce our exposure and beyond that, in order to succeed and develop in a secure and sustainable way, Atos has set up a system for the management of risks at several levels, the governance of which can be described as follows. The first line of defense is provided by all of the employees of Atos in their day-to-day work under the supervision of our managers. They define and execute the operational processes, the systems, and the controls and checks in order to make sure that we're resilient and in compliance with legislations, regulations, contractual obligations, and so on, and also the group's standards and policies. The first line of defense also does the identification, evaluation, management, and reporting of the day-to-day risks. The second line of defense provides supervision and control.
On the basis of the risk analysis conducted with the help of additional approaches, it defines the requirements in terms of governance of risks at the level of the company and also those concerning the resilience of our business operations. It defines the functional policies, the limitations of authority, and maintains the framework for internal control while keeping an eye on the efficiency of the controls and checks conducted by the first line with the support of the officers in charge of internal control and the risk and internal control coordinators. The management of insurance is also part of the second line of protection. The third line of defense is made up of the team doing internal audit, which works as per an annual plan that's approved by the management of the group and the audit committee.
It conducts audits, investigations, and provides advisory services as well in order to supply independent assurance about the efficiency of the first and second lines of protection. The Chairman and CEO and the Executive Committee of the group receive regularly updates on the subjects connected with internal control, internal audit, and risks. The audit committee is informed of the internal audit activities at least six times per year, as well as receiving periodic reports on the contracts that represent substantial risks, as well as updates on the internal control and risk management. On the basis of the corporate risk mapping process, the chart shown on this slide identifies the main risks categorized together and classified by decreasing order of criticality in line with the most recent exercise concerning risk mapping that was done in the company.
I'll give the floor back to Jacques-François de Prest to talk about the main non-financial indicators. Thank you. Concerning the non-financial performance, the group is pursuing the execution of its commitments, the strong commitments that it made already more than 10 years ago. The non-financial performance is indeed an important element to be borne in mind, and it's a strong value for the group. It constitutes a differentiator for us, for our employees and for our clients. Right now, most of the requests for proposals contain CSR criteria, and thanks to our positioning and our long-standing investments in this area, we're capable of meeting those requirements. There are three key indicators concerning our environmental performance: environmental, that is, societal, and in terms of governance performance, ESG performance for 2023. They're on the screen here.
In 2023, the group maintained a leadership position in this sector concerning CSR, as we can see illustrated in the ratings awarded by EcoVadis and by Standard & Poor's, S&P Global, in the context of the corporate sustainability assessment. Atos confirms its CSR performance in 2024 and is placed in the top 5% of its industry in the context of the Standard & Poor's rating process, and it received a platinum medal from EcoVadis. Thank you, Jean-Pierre. Thank you, Jacques-François. Also, we'll continue with our shareholders' meeting, and I'd like to now suggest that we listen to the video recording of Elizabeth Tinkham, who is the lady chairperson of the committee in charge of appointments and governance. She will present the report of her committee and the resolutions concerning governance that will be submitted to you, that will be put on the poll later. Shareholders.
In my capacity as Independent Lead Director and Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee, it is my responsibility to present you the report of the work of the committee and, more generally, on Atos' corporate governance. You will find all this information in the 2023 Universal Registration Document, its amendments, and the meeting brochure. My presentation is divided into three parts. I'd like to start by talking to you about the general management of our company and the work carried out by the Nomination and Governance Committee on these subjects in 2023 and 2024. As you know, many changes have taken place over the last few years, and today, I am delighted to present our group's new management team, strengthened, forward-looking, and determined to open a new chapter in the group's history. I will then present our Board of Directors and the changes proposed to the Annual General Meeting.
Finally, I'd like to say a few words about the work of the board of directors in 2023. For your information, the board's activities in 2024 will be presented to you at the next annual general shareholders' meeting in the spring of 2025. Let's start with the work and priorities of the committee. During 2023 and 2024, the nomination and governance committee worked diligently and rigorously to renew and strengthen general management. Each appointment was subject to a rigorous and transparent process in line with the best practices of the AFEP-MEDEF code. We took care to select profiles aligned with the group's strategic priorities while drawing on key skills in finance, strategy, and governance. The changes that have taken place are linked to the group's profound transformation.
They have been guided by several priorities: one, supporting the group's financial restructuring; two, strengthening governance and skills; and three, ensuring an orderly transition. Let me talk a little bit about key developments within general management. As you know, on October 3, 2023, following the resignations of Nourdine Bihmane and Philippe Oliva, the board of directors appointed Yves Bernaert as CEO to lead the transformation plan and accelerate the turnaround of the business, with the support of Paul Saleh, appointed Chief Financial Officer on August 1, 2023. On January 14, 2024, Paul Saleh was appointed Chief Executive Officer, with the priority of refinancing the group's financial debts. As you also know, on July 24, 2024, the opening of the accelerated safeguard procedure marked the completion of an important stage in Atos' financial restructuring process and the start of a new cycle of recovery and development.
In this context, Paul Saleh stepped down from his position, and Jean-Pierre Mustier, previously Chairman of the Board, was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on July 23, 2024, to monitor and ensure the proper execution of the accelerated safeguard plan essential to the group's rescue. At the same time, the committee conducted a search and selection process for a new chairman and CEO, with the help of a recruitment firm and in consultation with certain of the company's creditors. As Jean-Pierre Mustier indicated at the last shareholders' meeting on September 27, 2024, this appointment is essential for the company, its employees, customers, and shareholders to embody the group's strategy.
At the end of this process, the board, on the recommendation of the committee, announced on October 14, 2024, the appointment of Philippe Salle first as the Chairman of the Board alongside Jean-Pierre Mustier to ensure an efficient and orderly transition, and then as Chairman and CEO as of tomorrow. Jean-Pierre Mustier will be stepping down as CEO from the board of directors, and I would like to thank him personally on behalf of the committee and the board for his exceptional contribution during this crucial period of transformation for Atos. From tomorrow, Philippe Salle will take over as Chairman and CEO, and I'd like to say a few words about the choice of this unified mode of governance.
After intensive work and reflection at the end of the search process, the committee and the board considered that this governance mode was the most appropriate, given the specific characteristics of the Atos group in the current context. It's a pragmatic approach designed to enable clear, stable, and embodied management of the group. Our new Chairman and CEO will embody a new dynamic conducive to the group's turnaround and responsiveness for teams, directors, and shareholders while ensuring the necessary stability for all stakeholders.
In line with best governance practices, this management mode is combined with strong checks and balances that already exist within the group, namely a very large majority of independent directors, the holding of executive sessions within our board of directors without the presence of executives, and in addition, a certain number of matters require the prior authorization of the board and are defined in our board internal rules. In addition, on June 4, 2023, the board appointed me as lead independent director to ensure that the board applies the highest standards of corporate governance and takes due account of shareholders' concerns. I would also like to inform you that as of yesterday, January 30, 2025, the board of directors decided to strengthen the powers and means of the lead independent director.
Firstly, the appointment of a lead independent director will be mandatory if the Chairman of the Board is also the CEO. Secondly, the lead independent director will play an enhanced role in preventing and managing conflicts of interest, executive sessions, and dialogues with shareholders. He or she is also responsible for ensuring compliance with the board's internal rules and the recommendation of the AFEP-MEDEF code. Thirdly, he or she will have additional means proposing to add items to the board's agenda, having enhanced access to all necessary information, notably by attending committees and requesting meetings with the group's operational managers if he or she so wishes. I would also like to remind you that Laurent Collet-Billon has been Vice Chairman of the Board since October 14, 2023. He assists the Chairman of the Board in particular with regard to the proper functioning of the company's governance bodies.
Let me now introduce you to our board of directors. Its composition changed in 2023 and 2024, and today you are asked to vote on a number of resolutions on this subject. The board, as of today, is presented on the screen. In a few words, our board of directors today is composed of 13 members with eight nationalities representative. It includes 54% women in total and 50% excluding employee directors, and includes 80% independent members excluding employee directors. At the close of this meeting, if you vote in favor of the proposed resolutions, the board will comprise nine members, including one director representing employees with six nationalities represented. The total number of women on the board is 56% and 62.5% excluding employee directors. It would include 75% independent members excluding employee directors. The creditors who participated in our financial restructuring will not be represented on the board.
The nomination and governance committee has also issued a recommendation to the board to appoint one Sanson. I will come back to this topic in a minute. These ratios are not only satisfactory but even exceed legal requirements and market recommendations. In view of the director's terms of office expiring at this year's annual general meeting, the nomination and governance committee has worked diligently in line with the board's diversity policy to further strengthen the skills of the board. The diversity policy defined by the board is set out in the Universal Registration Document 2023. The board has set itself targets in terms of age, parity, skills, nationalities, and, of course, the independence of its members. The proposed resolutions meet these objectives.
In particular, the diversity of the director's skills and professional experience has been significantly strengthened over the course of 2023 and 2024, notably through the cooptation of new members. The diversity will be further enriched by the appointments proposed at this annual general meeting, with a valuable blend of continuity and new perspectives. We will continue to have a strong international dimension on our board with six nationalities represented. Let me now take a closer look at the resolutions. In resolutions four and five, we propose that you ratify the cooptations of Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles and Jean-Jacques Morin for the remainder of the predecessor's term of office, i.e., until the annual general meeting in spring 2025.
In resolutions six, seven, and eight, we propose that you ratify the cooptations of Sujatha Chandrasekaran, Monika Maurer, and Alain Crozier for the remainder of the predecessor's term of office until the close of the general meeting. Under resolution nine, we propose that you ratify the cooptation of Philippe Salle for a term expiring at the close of the 2026 annual general meeting called to approve the 2025 financial statements. Under resolution 10, we propose that you renew the term of office of Sujatha Chandrasekaran, which is due to expire until the 2027 annual general meeting called to approve the 2026 financial statements. And finally, under resolutions 11 and 12, we propose that you appoint Joanna Dziubak and Hildegard Müller as new directors until the 2027 annual general meeting called to approve the 2026 financial statements.
The board of directors has also been informed that Alain Crozier, Monika Maurer, and Astrid Stange have decided not to seek renewal of their terms of office, which expire after this meeting. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank them warmly for their commitment and contribution to the board's work. I would now like to turn to the changes concerning directors representing employees and employees' shareholders. Let's start with Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, . The board will therefore be reduced to eight members after this meeting, in addition to the employee director. In accordance with our articles of association, the number of directors representing employees will be reduced to one Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, term of office will therefore come to an end. However, the nomination and governance committee, which met a few days ago, has decided to recommend to the board to appoint Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, as a censor to the board.
This appointment will become effective subject to and as from the decision of the board to that effect, which will meet just after this meeting. This appointment will be submitted to your ratification at the next annual general meeting. As a reminder, Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, is currently in charge of human resources for the group's management and strategic functions and is an undeniable asset to the board's work. Katrina Hopkins' term of office will also expire at the close of this meeting, subject to the adoption of the amendment to the articles of association set out in the 40th resolution. As you know, the appointment of a director representing employee shareholders is compulsory when employees hold 3% of the capital. At December 31, 2023, and even more so following the capital transactions carried out as part of the restructuring, employees currently hold less than 3% of the share capital.
It is proposed that the articles of association be amended to provide, in a final paragraph, for the consequences of this downward crossing and, more specifically, the effective date of the expiry in the term of this office. If this amendment is adopted, Katrina Hopkins' term of office will expire at the close of this term. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank her warmly for her commitment and contribution to this board's work. It is with great pleasure that I present to you today the candidates proposed to this annual general meeting for cooptation, renewal, and appointment as directors of Atos. As we have already mentioned, Philippe Salle joined the board of directors, October 14, 2024, as director and chairman of the board, and you are asked to ratify his appointment.
Philippe Salle has extensive experience as executive of companies, particularly in listed companies and in business transformation. In particular, he has led several major companies such as Vedior, GeoServices, Altran, Elior, and Emeria, which was formerly Foncia, where he demonstrated his ability to steer complex organizations and generate value. At the same time, he has chaired the board of directors of Viridien since 2018, a position from which he will step down on April 3, 2025, in view of his commitments to Atos. He is also a member of the board of directors of Banque Transatlantique. Philippe Salle's experience and qualities will be a crucial asset in enabling Atos to project itself into the future. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to create shareholder value. I invite you to give him a warm welcome. I'll continue with two candidates who were co-opted in January 2024.
Their term of office will run until the 2025 spring general meeting. First, Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles. She has been an independent director since January 2, 2024, and is chair of the CSR committee. She has an exceptional career that began in senior public service, then at Société Générale, where she led the group's digital transformation. In 2018, as CEO of Crédit du Nord, she strengthened the use of digital tools while integrating ecological issues into the business model. She is co-founder and president of Oïko , a platform dedicated to sustainable transition. She sits on the supervisory board of Eurazeo and co-chairs the Conseil National du Numérique. She has extensive experience in the strategic fields of technology, cybersecurity, CSR, and climate, and will strengthen the board's skills in these areas. Next, I'm delighted to introduce Jean-Jacques Morin, independent director since January 2, 2024, and chair of the audit committee.
Currently Group Deputy CEO of the Accor Group and Premium Mid-scale and Economy Division CEO, Jean-Jacques Morin has extensive financial and governance experience. After starting his career with Deloitte, he held key positions, including CFO in the semiconductor and energy sectors before joining Accor in 2015. He has also held non-executive positions, including on the supervisory board of Vallourec. His financial and strategic expertise is a major asset in helping Atos meet its current challenges. Next, I would like to introduce a candidate who was co-opted at the beginning of 2024. You are asked to ratify her co-optation and renew her term of office until the 2027 general meeting. Sujatha Chandrasekaran has been an independent director of Atos since January 14, 2024, and is a member of the Nomination and Governance Committee.
With over 25 years of experience in the strategic fields of digital technologies and major transformation projects, she would continue to bring her valuable expertise and skills to the board's work. She has held key management positions in major companies such as Nestlé, PepsiCo, Walmart, and Kimberly-Clark Corporation. As Chief Digital and Information Officer of CommonSpirit Health until 2022, she oversaw strategic functions such as technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. She also sits on several boards, including those of American Eagle Outfitters and Cardinal Health. Let me now introduce two candidates. Joanna Dziubak is a candidate for the position of Independent Director of the board. She has over 25 years' experience in alternative investments and governance and has held senior positions at Goldman Sachs and Park Square Capital, where she managed complex funds. Since 2016, she has launched her own advisory firm.
She has served on several boards, including as a member of the supervisory board of Caisse des Dépôts. Joanna Dziubak would bring her experience in strategy, financing, and M&A essential to the group's growth. She has extensive financial, strategic, and governance expertise. The second new candidate for the board is Hildegard Müller. She is an experienced leader with a career in politics and industrial and banking groups, including roles as a minister of the state in the German federal chancellery and as a member of the supervisory boards such as Siemens Energy AG and Vonovia. She has been president of the German Automotive Industry Association since 2020. She has in-depth international experience in industrial and economic issues and challenges, as well as in large-scale transformation processes, particularly in the automotive and energy sectors. She would be an undeniable asset to the board's work.
For your information, the board has decided not to qualify Hildegard Müller as independent director in view of her position as a member of the supervisory board of Siemens Energy AG and the existing business links between Atos and the Siemens Group. Allow me to briefly introduce Alain Crozier and Monika Maurer. These two candidates were coopted in 2024, and you are therefore asked to ratify their cooptation. However, their terms of office expire at the close of this meeting, and they have not asked for their appointments to be renewed. I would like to thank them personally for their contribution to the board's work at a crucial time for Atos. First, Monika Maurer. She was coopted into the board on January 14, 2024, as an independent director and is also a member of the CSR Committee.
As an international business leader and former CEO of Radio Frequency Systems, Monika Maurer has strengthened the board's skills in the strategic fields of digital technologies and major transformation projects. Next, let me say a few words about Alain Crozier. He was coopted as an independent director on April 2, 2024. His experience of over 30 years in the management and development of international technology companies has brought additional expertise to the board of directors in a group undergoing rapid transition. To conclude this presentation, I would like to say a few words about the work of the board in 2023. For your information, the board's activities in 2024 will be presented at the next annual general meeting in spring 2025.
First of all, I'd like to emphasize the strong involvement of our directors in the work of the board and its committees, with a very satisfactory attendance rate: 91.5% on average for 29 board meetings in 2023 and 96.2% average attendance at committee meetings for a total of 51 meetings in 2023. As it does every year, the board, with the support of the nomination and governance committee, reviewed its compliance with the recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF code and dedicated a specific session to this subject. The conclusions are published on our website. As in previous years, I oversaw the board's annual internal assessment in 2023. The overall assessment was very positive, and the board identified areas for improvement for the coming year, which were detailed in the 2023 Universal Registration Document.
It is also in this document that you will find details on the activities of the board and each of the committees in 2023. I would like to conclude by pointing out the board has been supported by its five committees, namely four permanent committees, all chaired by independent directors, and one ad hoc committee, which had been set up as part of the group's separation project and whose mission changed in 2024, notably to monitor changes in the company's financial situation and the progress of the restructuring. In view of the completion of the restructuring on December 18, 2024, it was decided to terminate the ad hoc committee. We'll be sure to keep you up to date on the reorganization of current committees, which will take into account the departures and arrivals of new directors on our board. Thank you, dear shareholders, for your attention. Merci, Elizabeth.
Thank you, Élisabeth. Ce compte rendu très détaillé. Merci, messieurs les commissaires de nomination. Thank you to the committee, of course, for all of the work it's been doing. Nous pouvons maintenant passer to the presentation. Now we'll move on to the compensation for corporate officers, and we'll once again have a video contribution. We will listen to Astrid Stange, who is the lady chairperson of the compensation committee, who will inform us. I mean, will tell us the details about the compensation arrangements for the corporate officers. In my capacity as Chair of the Remuneration Committee, it is my responsibility to present information on the compensation of your company's senior executives in accordance with the say-on-pay procedure. This presentation, therefore, concerns resolutions 16 to 27 submitted for your vote today.
Given the large number of resolutions, I will try to be as concise and clear as possible and will divide this presentation into three parts. Firstly, the compensation due or granted in respect of the financial year 2023. Secondly, the compensation policies for 2024. Thirdly, the compensation policy for the chairman and chief executive officer for 2025. Full details of the resolutions submitted for your approval have been provided in the 2023 Universal Registration Document in section 4.3, in the first amendment to the 2023 URD in section 4.5, and in the meeting brochure of this annual general meeting. The first part concerns the compensation items due or allocated in respect of the financial year 2023. These are resolutions 16 to 22 on the agenda.
The 16th resolution concerns the compensation paid in 2023 to Bertrand Meunier, chairman of the board of directors, from the 1st of January 2023 to the 14th of October 2023. The applicable compensation policy, which you approved at the 2023 annual general meeting, provides for a gross fixed annual compensation of EUR 400,000 as its sole component. This was paid pro rata temporis in 2023, that is EUR 324,005 for the duration of his term of office. He received no other compensation, notably respect of his mandate as director. The 17th resolution concerns Jean-Pierre Mustier, chairman of the board of directors, with effect from the 14th of October 2023. Similarly, the applicable compensation policy, which you approved at the 2023 annual general meeting, provides for a gross fixed annual compensation of EUR 400,000 as its sole component.
However, Jean-Pierre Mustier has informed the board that he does not wish to receive any compensation in respect of his office. He asked that the corresponding sum be donated by the group to the company's CSR program in India, which finances schooling for underprivileged children. Consequently, no compensation has been paid to Jean-Pierre Mustier in 2023. He has also waived the right to receive any compensation in respect of his mandate as director. The 18th and 19th resolutions concern the compensation paid or awarded to Nourdine Bihmane, CEO, from the 1st of January 2023 to the 3rd of October 2023, and Philippe Oliva, deputy CEO, over the same period. The compensation policy applied to these two corporate officers was approved by the 2023 annual general meeting under resolutions 16 and 17. Following their resignation, their fixed compensation, including a temporary impartial allowance for Nourdine Bihmane, was paid pro rata temporis.
The exact amounts are shown on the screen. Their variable compensation depends on criteria pre-established by the board of directors. At its meeting on the 2nd of April 2024, the board analyzed and approved 56.49% of these criteria, representing an amount due to each of them of EUR 256,791 in respect of the 2023 financial year. As regards their long-term compensation in shares, their resignation resulted in the loss of all their performance shares rights as the condition of presence was no longer met. As regards the incentive compensation based on the group's separation plan, the board considered that the conditions had not been met and that no payment was due. Finally, I would like to point out that Nourdine Bihmane and Philippe Oliva did not receive any severance package.
The 20th and the 21st resolutions concern the compensation paid or awarded to Yves Bernaert in his capacity as CEO for the financial year 2023, from the 3rd of October to the 31st of December 2023, then for the 2024 financial year from the 1st of January until his resignation on the 14th of January 2024. The compensation policy applied to Yves Bernaert for 2023 and also for the short period during which he was in office in 2024 was approved by the annual general meeting in 2023 under the 16th resolution. For 2023, Yves Bernaert has received a fixed compensation paid pro rata temporis, a variable compensation based on criteria pre-established by the board of directors, of which 56.49% have been approved for 2023, and a long-term compensation in shares. However, the shares have been forfeited as the condition of presence was no longer met.
For 2024, Yves Bernaert only received fixed compensation for the period from the 1st of January to the 14th of January with no severance package. Lastly, as part of the exposed say-on-pay procedure, you are asked in the usual way to approve the information set out in Article L22-10-9 of the French Commercial Code concerning the compensation of corporate officers in respect of the 2023 financial year. This information was presented in the 2023 universal registration document as amended. You will note that the total directors' compensation due in respect of the financial year 2023 amounts to EUR 799,897. The second part of my presentation now concerns the 2024 compensation policies for each category of corporate officer. These are resolutions 23 to 26 on the agenda. These policies have been drawn up in accordance with the recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF code to which your company refers.
Firstly, resolutions 23 and 24 concern directors' compensation. The total annual compensation allocated to them is proposed to be increased from EUR 800,000 to EUR 1.4 million for the financial year 2024. The board has already decided to reduce this envelope to EUR 1 million for 2025 and subsequent years. Why the increase? For two reasons. Firstly, this makes it possible to include an additional remuneration package for the vice chairman of the board equal to EUR 125,000 to reflect his increased responsibilities and the workload associated with this position. This also makes it possible to take into account the very specific context of the group in 2024, in particular its financial restructuring, which required an exceptional commitment from the directors with 121 meetings of the board and its committees. The board proposes to maintain the same rules for the allocation of this remuneration among the directors.
They are described in the 2023 universal registration document and the meeting brochure. Under the 25th resolution, you are asked to approve the compensation policy applicable to the chairman of the board. Two important facts about this policy. On the one hand, it provides for a reduction in the fixed compensation of the chairman of the board from EUR 400,000 to EUR 250,000, in particular to take into account the EUR 125,000 remuneration awarded to the vice chairman of the board. On the other hand, it will not be applied in 2024 as Jean-Pierre Mustier and Philippe Salle have both waived their entitlement to any remuneration as chairman of the board. Next, the 26th resolution concerning the chief executive officer for 2024. First of all, I would like to point out that this compensation policy will only apply to Paul Saleh in 2024.
It does not apply for Yves Bernaert, whose remuneration details I have presented to you in the 21st resolution. Nor does it apply to Jean-Pierre Mustier, who has waived his right to receive any compensation both as Chairman and CEO and as CEO in 2024. The Chief Executive Officer's compensation policy for 2024 aims to support the implementation of the strategy decided upon, particularly in the difficult context of the group's refinancing, to align the long-term interests of corporate officers with those of stakeholders. The structure of total compensation is based on a pay-for-performance approach, favoring a significant variable component associated with annual and multi-year horizons. A total of 65% of annual target compensation is subject to performance conditions.
The board of directors has set the components of the CEO's compensation as follows: the fixed annual compensation, EUR 600,000 applicable pro rata temporis until the 31st of May 2024. EUR 1.2 million applicable pro rata temporis from the 1st of June 2024 until Paul Saleh's departure on the 23rd of July 2024, that is less than two months. A variable annual compensation based on targets with a target equal to 100% of fixed remuneration, with a maximum cap of 150% in the event of outperformance and no minimum payment. The criteria are listed on the screen: a multi-year variable compensation in cash based on objectives assessed over two years, limited to EUR 1 million. The criteria are also listed on the screen, but I would like to point out that this compensation is not due, as a condition of presence on the 31st of December 2025 is not met.
In addition, it was stipulated that in the event of the CEO's dismissal due to a change in governance directly linked to the implementation of the restructuring plan, fixed and variable compensation would be maintained until the 31st of December 2024. I can already tell you that this is not applicable given Paul Saleh's resignation on the 23rd of July 2024. The slide shows details on the other components of remuneration. For example, the CEO does not benefit from any non-competition indemnity. Finally, the last part of my presentation concerns the compensation policy for the chairman and chief executive officer for 2025. This is resolution 27. If you approve it, this compensation policy will apply to Philippe Salle from the 1st of February 2025.
First of all, I would like to remind you that Philippe Salle has waived his right to any compensation in respect of his duties as chairman of the board from the 14th of October 2024 to the 31st of January 2025, and in respect of his duties as a director. In general, the compensation policy for the chairman and chief executive officer for 2025 is based on the following general principles. It is based on a pay-for-performance approach with 80% of target compensation subject to performance conditions. It is aligned with the current difficult environment, its time horizon, and the importance of safeguarding the group's interests, and it links a large part of the chairman and CEO's remuneration to the group's challenges and strategy, aligning his interests with those of shareholders and all stakeholders. This remuneration for 2025 is made up of following elements.
Firstly, a fixed annual compensation of EUR 1.2 million. This reflects the exceptional challenges currently facing the Atos Group and the essential leadership required to navigate in this complex environment. It takes into account Philippe Salle's extensive experience in similar positions. His remuneration also includes an annual variable component based on the following principles. Target compensation is maintained at 100% of fixed compensation, kept at 150% in the event of outperformance, and it is based on predefined, clear, and demanding performance criteria, 100% measurable with financial and non-financial criteria displayed on screen. Then his compensation includes a multi-year variable component in shares based on the following principles. On an annual basis, his compensation corresponds to 131% of the maximum total gross compensation of the chairman and CEO. This is an allocation of performance shares conditional on the share price performance over four years.
The system strengthens the alignment between the interests of the senior executives and those of the shareholders. This will be the only scheme of its kind for four years. No further share grants will be made before the 31st of December 2028. To obtain all shares, the share price must be multiplied by four. If the share price does not double, no shares are acquired. In addition, the Chairman and CEO will be required to retain the shares resulting from the free share allocation until the 31st of December 2030. Why this system? The board considered that it was particularly demanding and relevant for the company's context. Firstly, it creates a direct correlation between the compensation awarded and the value generated for shareholders. Secondly, the share price multiplication performance condition is particularly demanding, requiring the Chairman and CEO to create significant value.
Finally, this remuneration is transparent and easy to measure. The single criterion reflects the company's performance in real time. Lastly, Philippe Salle may receive exceptional compensation under specific and demanding conditions. If Atos SE is successfully refinanced before the end of the financial year 2027, he will receive a compensation equal to twice his gross fixed annual compensation. If this occurs before the end of the financial year 2026, this compensation will be equal to three times his gross fixed annual compensation. This strictly conditional mechanism reflects the group's strategic and financial challenges. It is designed to encourage and reward the strategic realization of an early refinancing, which would contribute to accelerating the group's financial stability and sustainability. The slide shows you the details of other elements of compensation.
For example, there is no severance package and a non-competition indemnity is provided for in accordance with the recommendation of the AFEP-MEDEF code. We recovered all the resolutions relating to say on pay. Ladies and gentlemen, thanks a lot for your attention. Merci Astrid pour cette vidéo. Thank you Astrid for this video presentation. Thank you to the compensation committee also for all of the work you've been doing and preparing this presentation. So we'll now move on to the report from our auditors. I would like to invite Jean-François Viat , representing our joint auditors, to present the reports of the joint auditors. You have the floor, sir. Merci Monsieur le Président. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mesdames et Messieurs les actionnaires et les gentlemen, chers shareholders. Good morning.
On behalf of the joint auditors for fiscal 2023, Deloitte et Associés and Grant Thornton, I have great pleasure in reporting to you on the fulfillment of our audit assignment for the financial year that ended on the 31st of December 2023. In the context of the general meeting, meeting on an ordinary basis, we issued three reports that are made available to you within the deadlines provided for by law concerning the consolidated accounts, the annual accounts, and the related party agreements. Deloitte et Associés, which was appointed an independent third-party organization, also issued a report on the DPEF, as it's called in France, the consolidated declaration of non-financial performance. I won't read out these reports in full if you don't mind, but I'll just summarize their content.
Concerning the reports that we've drawn up on the consolidated accounts and the annual accounts that are presented in section 611 and 621 of the Universal Registration Document, we'd like to recall that the purpose of our assignment is to obtain reasonable assurance that these accounts do not comprise any material misstatements. To this end, we draw up an annual audit plan that is adapted to meet the needs of the group's operations and organization and covering all of the substantially important entities in the consolidation scope. This audit plan also covers important or non-recurring operations such as the reorganization of the group and the uncertainties on its situation, which led to the recognition of substantial charges, liquidity, and business continuity. We also devote particular attention to the enforcement of the accounting principles and reviewing the material estimates that have been taken on board by the management.
Our plan and the conclusions of our work were presented to the corporate management of your group, the audit committee that we met on several occasions, and also the board. In compliance with the law, our reports on the accounts mention the key audit matters and also the procedures that we instituted so as to meet the corresponding challenges. These key points concern the risk concerning material misstatements that we identified, given their relative weight in the accounts and also the high degree of estimation and judgment required in particular to determine the hypotheses used so as to evaluate them.
For the consolidated accounts, these key matters relate to the following areas: the recognition of the revenues with respect to long-term flat fee-based service contracts, and that includes in particular provisions for loss and completion on contracts that were identified as being loss-makers, the evaluation of goodwill and other fixed assets for which impairment tests led to accounting for a write-down of EUR 2.5 billion, the evaluation of the litigation with the monitoring of the judicial proceedings into which the group has embarked against TriZetto in the United States, the evaluation of the commitments with respect to pension schemes which are defined benefit pension schemes, and the accounting of deferred tax assets in respect of tax losses carried forward. Concerning the statutory accounts, as I see, the key audit matter here concerns the evaluation of the investment securities.
To conclude, we think that our work has encompassed a sufficient scope and has been appropriate in order to form our opinion. Without challenging the opinion that's being expressed, we drew the attention to the material uncertainty concerning business continuity, and we certify that the accounts of fiscal 2023 are fair and accurate and give a faithful picture of the earnings from the operations in the financial year of 2023 and also the financial situation and the asset situation for the consolidated accounts drawn up as per the IFRS accounting standards and the individual accounts prepared in line with the French GAAP. Also, our reports render an account of the specific verifications which are incumbent upon us. They concern the information given in the management report and the other documents sent to the shareholders for which we have no particular comment to make.
The report concerning moderate assurance, which was presented in section 562 of the Universal Registration Document concerning the DPEF, the non-financial performance declaration in France that was integrated into the management report, concludes that there are no material misstatements concerning all of the information supplied. Concerning our special report on related party agreements featuring in section 622 of the Universal Registration Document, we were not advised of any authorized and concluded related party agreement within this fiscal year to be submitted for approval to the general meeting or any related party agreement that was already approved, which continued to be executed.
In the context of the meeting gathered here today, on an extraordinary basis, your current joint auditors issued four reports established on the basis of the 30th to the 37th to the 39th resolutions concerning the proposed delegation to the board of directors of authority to conduct different transactions on the equity of your company. These reports do not require us to make any particular comment, which should be made to yourselves. No particular comment. Finally, our different reports concerning the meeting of the class of shareholders of the company in the context of the implementation of the Accelerated Safeguard Plan also were made available to you. Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, dear shareholders, I would like to thank you for your attention. Monsieur Salle, thank you, Jean-François Bioul, and thank you to yourself and our auditors for the work they've done.
I'd like to point out that the reports from our auditors are, of course, available on the website of the company. We can now move on to the presentation of our resolutions. I'll give the floor to Cécile, who is the General Secretary and Secretary of the Board as well, who she will present the resolutions which will be put to the vote here today. We won't detail out all of the text, but we'd like to walk you through them.Cécile May-Edouard , you have the floor. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Jean-Philippe. Ladies and gentlemen, dear shareholders, there are 41 resolutions on the table for the poll here today. For many of them, they've already been addressed during the previous presentations here this morning. This presentation will focus on the subjects which were not already addressed in previous presentations this morning.
Firstly, we have the ordinary part of this shareholders' meeting. The first three resolutions concern the approval of the accounts and the allocation of earnings. I won't go into the details because these topics were brought up already in the presentation made by our CFO. The fourth to twelfth resolutions concern the changes to the composition of the board of directors. These items of information were presented to you already by the chairperson of the nominations and governance committee. The 13th and 14th resolutions concern the appointment of Forvis Mazars as sustainability auditor. Since the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the CSRD, as it's called, since that directive was instituted, an auditor must be appointed in order to guarantee the reliability of the information provided in terms of sustainability.
After a selection process, the board of directors decided on the recommendation of the audit committee to propose Forvis Mazars, given their knowledge of the operations and the organization of the group, the expertise of their teams when it comes to sustainability and their audit approach. I'd like to avail of the opportunity to indicate that given the fact that this meeting was postponed, Forvis Mazars was appointed by the commercial court of Pontoise as being auditor of Atos to certify the 2024 accounts in December 2024. The office of sustainability auditor will therefore be fulfilled by Forvis Mazars for six financial years for 2024. And given the postponement of the shareholders' meeting, you are asked through the 14th resolution to give regular status to this situation by entrusting them with an additional assignment. The 15th resolution concerns the approval of the auditor's report on the related party agreements.
I will not add anything more because this report mentions that no regional party agreement was authorized or pursued in 2023. The 16th and 27th resolutions concern the compensation of the managers of the company, and this was presented in detail to you earlier on by the chairperson of the compensation committee. The 28th resolution is a traditional resolution for the buyback of shares by the company. This resolution presents the same characteristics as the one approved by the general meeting of the 28th of June 2023, except for the maximum purchasing price that was set at EUR 50. In a traditional way, the buyback of shares could have several ends, including the implementation of employee share ownership plans and the cancellation of actions and could not be carried out during the public offer period on the shares of the company. I'll continue with the extraordinary part of this assembly.
Through the 29th resolution, we propose to delegate the powers to the board of directors to regroup the shares of the company. The capital increases carried out within the framework of the Accelerated Safeguard Plan of the company have really increased the number of actual shares in circulation. Regrouping shares would have as an objective to have the usual number of shares in circulation to accompany a new stock exchange dynamism of the company by reducing volatility and improving the perception of the actual share. In other words, this operation consists in diminishing the number of shares in circulation, increasing the nominal value of these shares without it concerning the market value. Allow me to specify that this adjustment is purely arithmetic and will have no impact on the value of the securities of the company detained in the share portfolio.
As for parity, this will be fixed by the board. The maximum ratio that could be applied will be fixed at 10,000 former shares for one new share. If the board did implement this operation, you will be informed in compliance with the legal provisions through a publication in the Bulletin des Annonces Légales. I will pursue now with the 30th and 38th resolutions. The general meeting is asked to deliberate on a certain number of resolutions related to the registered capital of the company. In other terms, the financial resolutions that will be submitted to your vote today are similar to those that you approved in 2022 and in 2023. To look at the common characteristics of the resolutions 30 to 38, these delegations cannot be used during the public offering period. It is not a defense mechanism, therefore.
They have a duration of 18-26 months so that the general meeting can be regularly consulted about them. They are all capped with a limit of 40% of the capital, with a sub-limit at 10% of the capital, to which we can remove the increases in the capital with the suppression of the preferential subscription rights with specific sub-caps, for example, 2% of the registered capital for the capital increases reserved to the employees in the framework of a group savings plan. As for the capital increases that are the subject of these resolutions, we first have the traditional capital increases with the maintenance and suppression of the specific subscription rights. Resolution 30, with the maintenance of the subscription rights, this will allow the shareholders, if they wish, to subscribe according to the pro-rata of their participation.
Resolutions 31, 32, and 34 are increases in capital with the suppression of the preferential subscription rights, with an increase in capital for qualified investors. In the 32nd resolution, increases in capital with the suppression of the preferential subscription rights, which is appointed in Resolution 34. Resolution 35, called surallocation option, allows, if the increase in capital operation takes place with or without preferential subscription rights, to increase the number of securities to be issued. Now, the other delegations concern other types of capital increases. Capital increases to remunerate the contributions in kind, that is, Resolution 33, the company will give shares as a counterpart of assets that will be provided to the company. The increase in capital with the incorporation of premiums or reserves, that is, Resolution 36, the company would distribute shares to all shareholders.
Finally, an increase in capital meant for employees through a specific savings plan if they can benefit more widely from employee share ownership plans. These are Resolutions 37 and 38. Now, to pursue with Resolution 39, this authorizes your board to grant free shares to employees and executive officers of the company and/or its affiliated companies. The main characteristics of this resolution are the following. Its duration is 38 months in a scale with an overall cap which represents 11% of the registered capital and a sub-cap for the corporate officers, which represents roughly 2.4% of the registered capital. Its objective is to attribute free shares to the key talents in the group within the same conditions as the long-term action plan of the CEO, which was presented by the Chairman of the Compensation Committee earlier on.
As a reminder, this plan presents a performance condition which is related to the increase in the price of the Atos SE share over a period of four years compared to the subscription price of the increase in capital with the maintenance of the preferential subscription rights, that is, EUR 0.0037. To pursue with the 14th resolution, its objective is to modify several articles of our articles of association.
First of all, the proposal to update our social object, that's Article 2. We want to extend, according to the law, from three to six months the time for our directors to acquire Atos shares when they enter into function, that is, Article 15. And then to modify Article 16.2 of our articles of association, the seats held by the directors representing the employee directors expected to be appointed by the chairman of the compensation committee, the employees holding less than 3% of the registered capital, and this structure may compel the nomination of directors representing the employee shareholders. And then the modification of the articles of association, as in paragraph, in the end paragraph, the consequence of this threshold being prendra fin à l'issue de cette assemblée is the effective date of the expiration of the mandate of the director representing the employee shareholders.
And finally, it is proposed to update Article 18 of the articles of association to allow the board to make its decisions in writing. It is allowed by the new law on the attractiveness of the 13th of June 2024. The last resolution is a classical resolution on the powers given to accomplish all these formalities. I'd like to thank you for your attention. I'd like to give the floor back to Philippe Salle. Thank you, Cécile. I suggest we go on to the Q&A session. Tout d'abord, avant de vous donner la parole, to our shareholders, we have a certain number of written questions to be sent to us before this general meeting.
What we decided to do is to answer some of these questions now so as not to waste too much time considering the questions in the room and because some of the written questions are highly technical and very detailed. On our internet site this morning, we published the answers of the board so you can consult this page dedicated to this meeting in accordance with the law. So we have decided to choose four of them, and Jean-Pierre Mustier is going to take the floor to give you the answers to these questions. So the first question is the following. The shareholders on the market and the employee shareholders have invested into Atos and have lost everything.
Are you aware of the seriousness of the situation in the lives, finances, and even the indebtedness of certain families who have taken loans to support their investment and who believed in the company? Considering t
he situation of the person, I regret this situation, of course. We do understand the disarray because of the recent price list and what it could raise among our shareholders. As soon as possible, we communicated on the risk of massive dilution for the group shareholders, and this before the accelerated safeguard procedure was announced. And as the chairman of the board of Atos, between October 23 and October 24, and since July 24, my only compass every day has been the social interest of the company, which includes the employees, the clients, and the shareholders. I have done my best as to progress and have not asked for any compensation.
I know that you're aware that in the past few years, the group had to face several challenges. Now we know that we could overcome them thanks to the resilience and the mobilization of all our teams. We have continued to serve our clients with excellence and discipline. Now that the financial restructuring of Atos has been achieved and with the setting up of a new governance, the group is going to focus on the future so that the company can recover and so that we can implement our strategic plan. We've received another question. The serious press through various articles talks about the amounts paid to the different consulting companies that intervened at Atos during the crisis. Can you tell us what this is all about? How can you justify such huge sums or invoices?
As I said, the company doesn't want to comment on the figures mentioned in the press, but in the past three years, Atos had to manage several complex operations. First of all, the separation plan initiated in 2022 with global costs for the separation and transformation that were quite substantial in 2022, EUR 266 million, and in 2023, EUR 353 million. However, it is important to note that roughly half of the costs are internal costs for the group because of the mobilization of the teams, which allowed us to carry out this very complex operation. The separation costs and transformation costs for the group were really reduced in 2024. The external consultancy costs were lower than EUR 20 million. It was closer to EUR 10 million. So there was a massive reduction.
Besides the financial restructuring operations conducted in 2024, since they were very technical and since they were substantial, they were required to call on external advice, and the group used a lot of money to organize this major restructuring so as to preserve its economic unity, social unity, and allow the group to be saved. The company communicated in a transparent way about all these costs that amounted to EUR 130 million and diverse commissions because of the credits and the. Took part in the negotiations and in the financial restructuring. The remuneration of these advisors was duly controlled. It was in compliance with the standards, as in similar jobs like Orpea and Casino.
Now that the financial restructuring of Atos has been realized, the general management is focused with the board and the Atos collaborators to redress the situation of the company and create sustainable value for its shareholders and its stakeholders. We've received another question, which is the following: What is the financial situation of the company currently? The group and its employees, can they really believe in a more prosperous future? This Accelerated Safeguard Plan operations of Atos that was implemented on December 18, 2024 showed a clear structure with a conversion equity of EUR 2.9 million of the existing financial debt.
Additional liquidity thanks to EUR 1.6 billion of new privileged banking finances and debenture bonds, new money debt of roughly EUR 145 million, and new equity resulting in the subscription in cash and the increased capital with the maintenance of the preferential subscription rights, the increase in capital that was an additional increase. On the 20th of January, the company published an estimate of the liquidity position at the end of 2024 at EUR 2,191 million, which is above the cash position in the business plan presented in the framework of its Accelerated Safeguard Plan. The nominal value of the net debt of the group at the end of 2024 was considerably reduced, and the result of Atos with a net debt not including IFRS restatements is assessed at roughly EUR 1.3 billion. Now, therefore, the balance sheet is full.
In the absence of the refunding of the debt at the end of 2029, Atos has the resources and the required flexibility to determine and implement its new strategic orientations. The financial restructuring aims at guaranteeing the sustainability of the group based on projections established in the field of cash generation and the reduction of financial levers. The objective is also to reinforce the financial profile, as indicated in our communication of the 19th of December. The Atos credit rating has been improved to B-stable by S&P and B-stable by Fitch. This finalization of the operations and restructuring of Atos will allow us to open a new chapter and look at the future with confidence and tranquility.
The execution of the Accelerated Safeguard Plan decided by the Tribunal de Commerce spécialisé de Nanterre is being pursued under the supervision of the commissioner until the execution of the plan by Maître Thibaut Martinat until the complete refunding and refinancing of the initial debt. Next question, can you tell us how will the compensation of Philippe Salle be made up of? The remuneration of Philippe Salle as the future CEO of Atos has been designed to balance the recognition of his responsibility and alignment of the performance and the long-term incentives. As mentioned in the presentation, the fixed compensation is fixed at EUR 1.2 billion. It reflects the importance and the complexity of his role, as well as the exceptional experience of Philippe Salle.
The variable annual compensation, which is equivalent to 100% of the fixed compensation, is based on clear and ambitious criteria that were presented to you, which are financial and non-financial, and which are quantifiable at 100%. In case of outperformance, it can reach 150% of the fixed amount. A multi-annual system in terms of performance shares is also planned. It depends on the evolution of the stock price over four years, with shares to be kept until 2030. This reinforces the alignment between the interests of the managers and those of the shareholders. The exceptional remuneration has been decided. It is related to the anticipated refinancing of Atos' debt before 2026 and 2027. This mechanism is conditional and reflects the strategic issues and financial issues of the group.
It is meant to encourage and reward the strategic realization and the anticipated refunding, which would contribute to accelerating the financial stability and the sustainability of the group. Thank you, Jean-Pierre. We'll now take the questions from the room. I'd like to invite our shareholders here present in the room to kindly make a sign to the hostesses who will give you a microphone. Also, when you take the floor, please introduce yourself. Just tell us your name and your status as a shareholder. We'll take the first question. There's a microphone that will be handed to the gentleman with the first question.
No, it's a lady. Sorry. I hadn't seen you. Okay. If you could stand up, perhaps, madam. Thank you. Okay. My name is Brigitte Taieb. I'm a shareholder. I'm a shareholder like everybody else here. And there's going to be a share consolidation process.
Could you tell us roughly on what date that will take place? First, it's got to be voted through by this shareholders' meeting. We'll take a vote on that later on. Once the shareholders' meeting approves this, gives us the green light on that, and then the board, of course, would have that put. I would have to put that on the table, I mean, for the board to make a decision on the number. We said 10,000 would be the maximum. Once that's been decided, it takes about three months, usually, two to three months, the whole process. Six months, you said? No, no, no, no, no, no. It would be faster than that. We'd have it voted through fairly quickly, hopefully. So if it's three months, it would be between now and the end of April or early May. Thank you. Thank you.
Sir, you can take the floor now. The gentleman who's standing up towards the front. Thank you. Hervé Lecesne is my name. I'm the co-chair of the UDAAC with Christian Nicol, who is here with me too. We represent thousands of small shareholders who, as Jean-Pierre Mustier recalls, lost everything, everything in very serious circumstances. I'd like to pay tribute to the remarkable work done by Jean-Pierre Mustier in this very difficult context we had. He managed to keep the ship afloat, as they say. And I'd like to say congratulations for forgoing your own personal pay. So you've been as transparent as you could. But I have three proposals I'd like to make. Firstly, let's not forget the long-standing shareholders who've lost everything. Let's create a club of shareholders, as you have in the Orange Company, for example, who tie in the long-standing, the older shareholders.
I think it's something that could inspire trust back in people, give people back confidence, and they'll get to know the business operations of the group better too in belonging to that club. And then every quarter, I'd like to suggest there should be a physical meeting in person with shareholders and shareholders. Sorry, with shareholders and investors. So that's what was missing, I think, in the past, especially with Bertrand Meunier, who did not act transparently. And I think we really have to have that ongoing dialogue process. Not too many videos, but physical in-person dialogue. Have people here in the flesh and be able to talk to them and ask them questions. And the third proposal is the change of name. I think we should turn the page on this. And the name of Atos is now totally undervalued. I think it should be forgotten about.
It should be something of the past, and let's turn the page and have a new name. Thank you, sir, for your proposals rather than questions, I suppose. I obviously can't answer them off the cuff here, but I'll get back to you on that. It would be simpler, I think. Regarding the in-person meetings, the shareholders' club, and the change of name, the change of name for Atos, I think we've got to dissociate the brand we use and our name on the financial markets. For three and a half months now, I've been traveling around to see our teams and lots of clients too, and I think the Atos brand is a strong brand in our customers' minds anyway. I understand it's been downgraded on the financial markets, all right.
I understand where you're coming from with this proposal, but we'll have to talk about this within the board, and I'll get back to you on that. In any case, I've jotted down your suggestion that it's something you think we might envision. We'll talk about that at the board. Thank you. My name is gitte Tayeb but also the representative of the CFDT trade union here in the Atos group. I would like to reassert the fact that I'm proud of having been part of the measures that were taken. The objective in the Capital Increase wasn't to make billions, but to enable the Atos group to survive, to survive and to continue to exist, really, and maintain jobs, mine included, and the jobs of my colleagues too. I really believe strongly in this.
So on page 41 of your document, it said, "The right plan, the right plan for the right outcome." They're the words used in English. And you said in English, "We have the right plan and the right team to transform our business, and we have time to get the right outcome for all stakeholders." That's what you said in English, and that was 2023. Now, what's the current position on that? Given the current situation we're in, and you have the right team and so on, and the promising findings ahead of everybody, the employees, the clients, and the shareholders as well. Now, also, we've seen your compensation plan and the BSC, as it's called in this company, the BSC. And I'm very happy to see the percentage for CSR, that's reassuring regarding social, the S part of CSR, social and environmental responsibilities.
They're important in spite of our letters written to Ms. Tinkham, too. Be careful about the number of women in ex-coms in this group. Their participation must be on a par with what it should be at the board, too. If you look around the group at the ex-com and other places, there's only one woman, for example, in the ex-com, so Philippe Salle. We've heard that you've made speeches and told things to the employees in India. I think you made that remark. That's some hope held out before us for the women, I mean, in this company, that they might be given a bit more consideration in the future.
Concerning industrial dialogue, labor relations, labor dialogue, and with the employees, in your compensation package, you're entitled to complementary health insurance, which is, I assume, the one that's provided to all the employees in France. At the moment, we're in the middle of negotiations concerning our healthcare, complementary health insurance benefits, and you'll probably be part of that same process as ourselves. The last point I'd like to make is that also in the job I do every day, I act as a client partner for a large French group of companies. We have differentiators ourselves compared with our competitors because we provide support through data centers. It's a small company we have. Now, that little company that I think is a good one might possibly be sold off to the French state or elsewhere, but I would caution you on that.
I would ask you to really review very carefully, very seriously, the impact that the sale of that small company might have if it's sold to the French state. It's a company that has highly skilled colleagues in it. They are absolutely key. I see that in my job day-to-day. They're key for us in pursuing several different projects for our clients. As Mr. Mustier has said, we're here to service our customers with excellence and discipline. For our clients, we need data centers. Please do not sell off that part of the group. I'd like to thank Mr. Mustier on a personal basis, Mr. Mustier, as a trade unionist and as an employee. Thank you for forgoing your own pay. Thank you for giving us more time to breathe. Mr.
Salle and your teams, I would wish you good luck in picking up the gauntlet before you. Well, there's no question really in there, isn't there, Salle? I've noted your points. Although there is one on the right plan, right outcome. Okay, yes. Indeed. As I perhaps said, I'm not sure if I said it. Anyway, currently, what's very important for me as future Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of this company is to give a vision to our employees. It's very important and to our clients as well. Because I've already met clients and, of course, our shareholders. We've got to have a vision. And mid-May or early May, we'll come back to that in an investor day that will be organized. The date will be set shortly. And on that day, I'll give people the prospects, the guidance for the four years ahead of us. And between 2024 and 2028.
So we're working hard on that at the moment, but after three months, it'll all be completed and approved by the board, and we'll then be able to announce it to our clients and our shareholders too on that day in May. Thank you, madam. I'll take the next question. There's a gentleman here at the microphone. Yes, thank you. Good morning, Mr.Chairman . This is Laurent, my name. I've met you in Altran before, also in Vinci.
This is not the first time we've met. Now you're here in the chair. And you're very daring. You're very brave, I must say. No, no, it's a fine company, Atos, and it really deserves to be turned around. It's a great challenge. Well, I'd just like to say I've got three questions, if I may. The first one concerns your incentive of 10%.
If you retain the best talented people, the most talented people in the company, can you tell us some ballpark figure? What number of persons are we talking about here? What's the number? And then to retain people, to loyalize people, you've got to share value, usually. So it's not a simple matter. So that number. And then secondly, in terms of governance, clearly, by taking the steer and becoming chairman and CEO, you'll have to have a lead independent director. Otherwise, English-speaking investors will opt out. So regarding excellence in governance, could I suggest to you that you would have the board think about setting up two other committees. One, which would be a committee of stakeholders that we have in other big groups of companies already.
And a second committee that would be a shareholder advisory, a consultative committee where you could include a representative who would be qualified to represent employee shareholders. My third question concerns CSRD. Kind of on the beaten track here a little bit. France is really ahead of the movement here and is ahead of others, as I said, in the vanguard. But lots of other European countries have decided to soft-pedal a bit on CSRD and to buy their time a bit and wait for feedback from a steering committee to see how these matters could be imposed at European level. So insofar as France is in the vanguard on regulations, as usual, how would you perceive that going forward? You've appointed an ad hoc committee, all right. But do you think you'll be soft-pedaling, or do you think you'll continue at the same pace with respect to CSRD requirements?
The last question, sorry, I've got not the one. Yes, it's a fourth one. Last one is you decided to say there would be a sale to the state and would be between EUR 500 million and EUR 650 million price. I mean, so there's all sorts of consultation going on at the moment, lots of talking going on. And I'd like to know what's the percentage of success you would allocate to that sale. What would you predict? Would it be likely to succeed more than 50% or less than 50%? Because the state isn't in the money at the moment. Yes, I'll try and answer your questions. Some are more proposals than questions, but anyway, on staff retention, several thousands of people we're talking about here, about 3,000 people, actually. The success of a company, as I've seen in Altran, Elior, and Vinci, is the success of a team.
It all hinges on team success. It's not a one-man show. You need somebody to conduct the orchestra, but it's all those musicians that are important. So there'll be an executive committee, of course, and several bodies that will enable us to manage the group. All of this is in process at the moment. On governance, I note your two committee suggestions. You suggested that we set up two committees. I can't give you an answer here now, obviously. As Chairman and CEO, as I will be Chairman and CEO, obviously, we've got a lead director that's important. We have a Vice Chairperson of the Board too. So we've got all the checks and balances, so to speak, all the counterparts, so to speak, that you might need on the board. On CSRD, I think that that's an asset we have.
In the companies I've been in charge of in my life, I've seen it's an important thing. I don't know what's going to happen this year. We see there's pressure being put by the U.S. on companies. I mean, people might slacken in their efforts regarding certain constraints of the CSRD or the way things are presented. But I think we have a beaten track ahead of us. As you said, there's no reason to slacken the pace on that. Anyway, what goes around comes around, as they say. I think there are virtuous circles in the CSRD process. And the sale to the state, you mentioned too. I'm not—I can't engage in probabilistic theory here. I don't know if the state is consistent or not consistent. But anyway, what I do know is that this is all part of the talks that were conducted last year.
Those negotiations are continuing, and we signed a letter of intent, and we've got to sign to affirm a letter of intent by the end of May. That's the objective that was set between ourselves and the state. Since those talks started, there was a change in the government minister, the prime minister too, of course. I don't know if that will change again between now and the end of May. In truth, we're continuing the negotiations. Obviously, we haven't got all the cards in our hands to say what's going to happen, if it's going to succeed or not. If the state has a firm intent to continue, well, we'll advance as planned. There's no reason we wouldn't advance in terms of that sale. I can't really tell you any more about that or the possibility of success or anything like that.
Is another hand going up?
Yes, sir. I'm an individual shareholder myself. I have a couple of small questions. How did you set the purchase price for the shares at EUR 50? I mean, it makes me fall off my seat to hear that figure. Then in your presentations, you mentioned the appointment of a lady censor. What will that person do at the board? Because in the draft resolutions, I didn't see it. I suggested that a new board member would be appointed. I didn't see the word censor coming up. And also, when you announced the quorum in the preliminary part of the meeting, I heard that you spoke about 80 billion shares representing more than 40% of the equity of the company. So if I do the sums, the current share capital is 200 billion shares. Is that correct?
Could we have a pie chart that would set down the breakdown of that for the proportion held by each shareholder as a function of those holdings? Thank you. Well, the EUR 50 share price, if we do a reverse split of 10,000, the share will go to EUR 22 or EUR 23. Yesterday it was EUR 0.0022. This is after that would be done, said this person with that microphone. Yes. The thing is, in truth, you've got to set a threshold. If you say that today it's 0.02 cents and you buy up to EUR 50, you'll fall off your seat, and I'll understand why. Yes, that's why we put down that price, actually so if we do 10,000, the truth is that the stock price would be, the share would go to EUR 23 maximum. This is the maximum ratio that was set.
On the censor, the lady censor, Cécile, will answer that, I think. I don't know if we have to vote on the resolution to approve the censor. On the censor, says Cécile, the lady censor, the censeur, as was reported by the chairperson in charge of the committee for nominations and governance, it is recommended by the committee to the board that we would see the appointment of a lady censor. That would be Mandy Metten. The board has acceded to that recommendation. And following this shareholders' meeting, it will be on the agenda to appoint that person. That appointment is, of course, subject to ratification by the upcoming shareholders' meeting that will be held before the end of June. It's got to be ratified. It's like a co-opting. It's a decision, then ratification. That's the process there.
So, okay, the number of shares. I have the exact number of shares: 186 billion, 840 million, 840,194. Yeah, we're not far off the 200 billion mark. Given the current stock price and the market cap at 400 million, well, you're asking me for a pie chart on the main shareholders of that. Well, firstly, it keeps on changing, as you know, every single day changes because we've got about a billion shares traded in every day. I'll see how we can provide that information. Anyway, I've jotted down your question. I can't give you the facts and figures here today. We've got a shareholder base that's really very diverse. The main core shareholder is less than 10% of the total equity, actually. I've jotted down your question. There was a question over there, I think. Hello, yes. Good morning.
Censor is my name.
I'm an individual shareholder. I'm over here. Yes, I've got several questions, if I may. The first question concerns cash flow. With restructuring, you've got visibility over how long? That's my first question. Second question is, what's the duration, average duration of the debt, and what are the deadlines? And then the refinancing rate. We've heard of a rate more than 10%. Earlier on, you mentioned a debt amount around 3 billion. No, what was it? No, 2 billion it was, wasn't it? Yeah, 2 billion. And we heard through the newspapers that it would be more like 3 billion. So could you confirm that? Also, could you confirm that the upcoming bond issuance due dates will be around 2029? Is that correct? As we speak, the company has not got a free cash flow. The structure is not making money.
So what are your solutions in the short term, short and medium term to resolve that equation? Are you thinking of selling off assets or setting up a voluntary leave plan in the company? And on Eviden, what about the demerger? Given the amount of cash in hand, is it relevant? Also, a question on debt. On creditors, sorry. Creditors have become shareholders following the restructuring. So could you give us the names of those creditors who have become shareholders? And what are their objectives? Are they going to keep their shares for a long time once the company is turned around? Thank you. The idea, in fact, is that we have enough cash to carry out all our operations ad vitam. I don't see any horizon according to which I could tell you, well, we're going to hold on for six months or 10 months.
We will hold on forever. The gross net is EUR 3 billion. You made a comment about the press. I just wanted to rebound on that. Atos is like the French football team. Everybody has an opinion about this beautiful company. That's nice, but there are a lot of things that are completely wrong and not correct in the press. And journalists just talk and say anything about our beautiful groups. I'm going to give you our figures. The net debt is EUR 3 billion. We've given the cash position at the end of the year. Sorry, the gross debt. The gross debt was EUR 3 billion. But the drawing of the RCF, a line that we can draw, is EUR 400 million. Then we gave our cash position at the end of the year, which included the RCF, which was EUR 2 billion, and the net debt is EUR 1.2 billion.
So you have to understand that we have €3 billion of gross debt. We've positioned a net debt at €1.2 billion. So we have €1.8 billion of cash. As for the sales of assets, well, that's the press. There are no sales of assets planned apart from the one we announced today on the HPCs. No sales of assets planned. And as you're saying, the separation, the disposal, well, this is not a topical subject anymore. And as for our debt, we have bond debt and bank debt. No deadline before 2030. So, there is no deadline before the end of 2029 to refinance our debt. Then we'll have to refinance €1.9 billion, and in 2030, €1.9 billion also. The question is, put off the financing rate. There are interests paid every year. These are PIK interests. They are paid at the end.
There is a mix in our debt, and the interests are above 10% and under 10%. So some bonds are under 10% and others are above 10%. The average, I don't know what is the average rate. I think we're around 10%. In cash per year, it is 9%, and with the peaks, it's 4% more. So between 9% and 13%. So I have EUR 3 billion of gross debt. That is EUR 300 million of interest, EUR 200 million of cash, and EUR 100 million of. I will give you more information at our next shareholder meeting, but that's roughly the trend. Sorry, questions put off mic. Anyway, what we want is to be absolutely clear about our debt situation. If we were to, everything would be written. There'd be no surprises. Our objective is not to play on our net debt and our gross net debt.
Things will be described in what we'll be doing. As for our cash, as you've seen at the end of the year, we said that we had received payments of clients in advance. I just have to specify that unlike what was written in the press, we didn't call our clients to pay us in advance. Absolutely not. But some of our clients do so. It's their habit to do so. I can't explain to you why, but we have some €300 million, and we disclosed this. And we've compared this with the cash position of €2.2 billion. So €400 million of RCF, so €1.8 billion, minus the €200 million, that is €1.5 billion, and minus the sales of, well, Worldgrid, that is €1.2 billion that we had in our plan, actually.
The only thing I can commit about is that there'll be a total transparency on our debt position. I'll take the question of this gentleman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning. We were supposed to talk about 2023, and we're the 31st of January 2025. Mr. Mustier is supposed to leave the company today. Is there something left still at Atos? And as for his activity, I think it can be assessed with precise figures. His remuneration is zero. His activity was zero. It's even negative because January 22, it was 4 billion. That was the stock price of Atos. And he brought it down to zero. So as I told him at the meeting of the shareholder class, there are figures. We can applaud him or not. Anybody can do whatever he likes. But I have a question of the same. Because as a shareholder, I was deceived.
Mr. Mustier, to talk for the last time about him, I hope he told at the meeting that Atos was saved. When you look that you have been selling Atos piece by piece, you're saying that a sale has been decided to date. Since you haven't talked about this, I'm not aware of this. You didn't talk about this at the shareholder meeting as you were supposed to. I'd like to know what this is all about. That was my first question. What is going to be sold off today? And I think it's a lie, Mr. Mustier, to tell that Atos is saved because this influenced on my decision to invest in this capital increase, and I invested more than EUR 200,000. And this is not what I find today at the stock exchange. But that's my personal situation. But what is certain is that it did influence.
You repeated today in a more moderate way. You addressed yourself to a journalist, as Mr. Salle did. You're saying, "Mr. Journalist should say that Atos is a beautiful company." To make Atos disappear by selling it in bits and pieces, that is not saving it. That is making it disappear. To go back to my second question, on which I'd like to have a specific figure, because it is surprising to see that a financial manager, a gentleman who just said in his presentation that the main event for 2023, although this was announced publicly at the beginning of 2024, that is the re-evaluation of the value of assets, €2.5 billion, that is not a small amount. From €2.6 billion to zero for the equity of a company, that's not nothing. This was assessed according to a multi-criteria approach. I think that is very correct.
I know that today, as said by the statutory auditor, there's a decorum in the shareholders' meetings. This empties these meetings of all its substance. In the Sapin Law, we talk about compensation. We talk of 23, 24, but we're not talking about the company as such. To go back to my question, I have one minute 15 left. Worldgrid was sold off for EUR 270 million, if I properly remember. In this reassessment of the assets that was carried out at the end of 2023 and announced at the beginning of 2024, what was the value of Worldgrid? Because according to what I've read, it was assessed at EUR 30 million. Since there are a lot of lies in the forum, I think this might not be true. I'd like to know the figure that was retained after the sales, EUR 270 million.
I was told that Atos was rent, and we realized a few days ago there's EUR 1 billion that has reappeared in our liquidity position, and I do not understand why, and I will vote against all the resolutions. Okay, I'm not going to comment. What you've said. We have commented on all this. We were negotiating with the state. No, there is no disposal today. No, there is no disposal today. I just said that today we've signed promesse de vente avec l'État sur nos ordinateurs for sale to the state on the hypercalculators. It wasn't signed today. This information is public. It's been disclosed. It's been put on our website and it has been commented in the press, which has said that it was an intention, and we had until the end of May to agree with the state, so we're negotiating with the state.
There's nothing new. We're not selling the company in bits and pieces. That's absolutely wrong. That is not our objective, neither of the general management nor of the board. For Worldgrid, in the write-off of the Goodwill, was there a write-off on Worldgrid? Jean-François, I think you have the answer to such questions. I don't think we can give you an answer here immediately. No, I don't have this information here right now. I think it's inexcusable to have this information. We're noting your question. I'm going to give the floor to Jean-Pierre because he was accused by you. You said whatever you have to say. Atos is saved. Atos is saved. That's our responsibility since October 2023. We are working for the social interest of the group.
The social interest of the group is determined by the preservation of the interests of the employees, preserve jobs, preserve our clients, while preserving our debt and work by trying to preserve the value of the company for the shareholders. With Laurent Collet-Billon, we've worked for a year and a half to make sure that the company can keep existing. The financial restructuring of Atos was extremely complex. Very, very complex, and we did it on time, and we've allowed this company to keep existing. I am really sorry, and we said it several times. There were risks of massive dilution. I'm sorry that you've lost so much money. Your entire investment. Let you speak. Please let me and allow me to speak, and I will keep speaking. I'm really sorry that you and other shareholders have lost all your investment in the company. I always tell the truth, sir.
I always say the truth, and we're very sorry. I have worked 24 hours around the clock without being paid to make sure that we preserve the jobs that we keep from providing good quality service to our clients, and this thanks to all our employees. They were all extraordinary, and all this to ensure the future of the company, so in the financial restructuring, there's the best and the worst. The best for Atos was the extraordinary work carried out by all the employees, and this allowed the company to continue to keep working and serve its customers. The worst are always the negative comments you can read in the press. You will not be able to restructure well, and if you restructure, you'll never do it on time, and we did it on time. You don't have cash, and we do have cash.
We even have more than what was planned because we took a certain number of actions. So the company has to look ahead with all its stakeholders, the employees, the customers, the creditors, and the share owners to build the future of the company because it has a means to build its future. And this is what I've been working on for a year and a half. Thank you, Jean-Pierre. Thank you. I joined this company mid-October, and it was a huge amount of work to carry out such a financial restructuring. That was a lot of work. And people don't realize the number of board meetings, meetings, decisions. It took us the whole nights and whole weekends. Good morning, Charles Lucas, independent shareholder. I'm extremely unhappy about the stock exchange situation. It's disastrous. It's a shame. I have a lot of questions. I have four questions.
The first, I'd like to doff my hat to Mr. Salle for his engagement of EUR 8 billion. My question is, at the time when you invested, what was the main asset of Atos to motivate such an investment? It's very courageous. And we need to talk about this. Well, I'll answer you immediately because I put EUR 9 million, actually, on a share which was at EUR 0.37 because of the increase in capital. Here again, a lot of lies. Atos would have paid me for that, which is absolutely untrue. I just did it with my personal funds. And because I have faith in this group, and I wanted to show that all this is serious. I'm not here just to look at what's going to happen for Atos. The company needs to recover. And personally, I invested EUR 9 million.
That is 1% of the capital to show how serious all this was. Second question on the directors. And here it's not the same thing. Very few actions, apart from Mr. Collet-Billon, were good. That shows his engagement, which is rarely the case of the others. So I have doubts, therefore, about their engagement, considering what has happened that led us to this current situation. So my question is, where are they? Are they here today? And secondly, Mrs. Tinkham, who is a very important director, why did she come and directly present her report here? I think it would have been a mark of respect for the shareholders who have lost everything. I'll answer your question first. You have disobliging comments on the directors. Mrs. Tinkham is here, but we have this video so that there can be subtitles. Mrs.
Tinkham speaks English, and we wanted to have subtitles for those who don't speak English. She is present. She is here. She attended all the meetings, and she's worked very hard. I think that we can thank her and respect her. I think it's better to have a translation live. It wasn't very convenient. Third point, I would like to go back on the 6th of December. On the 6th of December, more than €6 billion in shares were exchanged, and the capital at the time was 112 million shares. How can you explain that? Fourth point, the external consulting cost, €1 billion over four years. We talked about this, but could we know the purpose of this? Did it really help us? What were the benefits? I would like to give you some free advice to update the links of your former shareholder meetings.
Yesterday, when I wanted to prepare my questions, I wanted to look at the meetings of 2020, 2021, 2022. The message I got was error 404. So for an IT group, I'm sorry, but this is unacceptable. And other point, that's the right error 404, but I understand. I was irritated about that. And then I wanted to review the shareholder meeting of 2023. I think it's good to know about our history. And when we look at 2023, we don't have the French version. You have the English version, which is there. And for a group, yes, in such trouble, it is not normal. Can you reestablish everything for the next shareholder meeting? Thank you. Yeah, we'll check for the shareholder meetings, and I'll ask Jean-Pierre to answer the question about the 6th of December. Well, there were a certain number of shares exchanged.
It was a very large number. And the underlying question is, was there equal treatment of all the shareholders? Did we give shares to certain shareholders, and we didn't give them to others? But there was equal treatment of all the shareholders. There was no differentiation. A certain number of institutional shareholders have access to the loaning of shares. They can have agreements with their stock exchange intermediaries. So all the shareholders were treated in the same way. There were no differences. And the institutional shareholders can anticipate a certain number of transactions. They can sell if they have borrowed, if they are sure to receive. And they get sold short. But all the shareholders were all treated in the same way. That's the first point. The second point, this was the cost.
The cost for our external consultants, our costs in 2022, 2023 on the group separation, the cost, EUR 260 million in 2022, EUR 330 million in 2023. These costs, it wasn't EUR 1 billion. It was half. Half of these costs are internal costs. The group allocated internal resources to work on the group separation. Then we commented on the costs, the restructuring costs, EUR 130 million, plus EUR 38 million of commission. These are in line with the financial restructuring that took place also for Orpea or Casino. Thank you, Jean-Pierre. We're going to take one last question, and then we'll vote on the resolution. We need more time for the questions. Très bien. Mais si vous voulez prendre du temps, posez votre question. Well, then raise your question, and we'll listen to it. Thank you, Mr. Jander.
My name and Paul Saleh will have time to answer questions. There are only 42% of shares represented here at the meeting today. How come? Were you expecting that? And have you planned to do a note on the functioning of the governance of the company in the last few years? Because the strategy has been chopped and changed the whole time. I also remember the meeting in June 2023. There was a CV that was proposed, a résumé for a board member, Léo Apotheker, a big name in IT. And the board explained that they'd received the CV, the résumé, 30 days before the date of the shareholders' meeting. So they hadn't had time to look at it. I thought that was strange. And on Mr.
Mustier, I'd like to say thank you very much for working pro bono for all this period, spending days and nights, I'm sure, on very hard topics. Why did you come into Atos and assume that post? Because it's a private company. If I look at the compensation of the people who left Mr. Oliva and others, I've seen that they were granted EUR 1.9 million worth and 800 and 4,000 paid to each of them. I mean, what was granted and paid to them, will they get their 1.8 million at the end of the day? I'd like to know. And then the capitalization is EUR 400 million right now, even though you spent in terms of restructuring costs. Well, almost the same amount, it seems, like delirium. And then if I look at the universal registration document, I noticed that Mr.
David Layani has resigned, but it's not in the annual report for 2023, even though it happened after the closing of the accounts. I suppose it's a pity that information was not incorporated into the document. It's not really questions, but I made it as quick as I could. Yeah, okay, thank you. Some remarks, more than questions. On the audit and governance, it's not an audit and governance as such, but it's just a visiting of the position of Atos and the strategic plan that will be announced, as I said, early May. Somebody speaking without a microphone in the room. Sorry from the interpreters. Can't translate. Can't be heard very well. You talked about the turnout here. It's a bit more than 46% of shares represented. This is the attendance rate at shareholders' meetings of listed companies. It's nothing extraordinary, nothing exceptional.
The minimum quorum, as Philippe said earlier, concerns 20% for an ordinary meeting, 25% for an extraordinary session, so we're way beyond the quorum requirement, and it's a normal kind of turnout for this kind of shareholders' meeting. Then you asked me why I was attracted into Atos. Well, I knew some of the persons working at Atos who asked me could I help them out on a temporary basis, and then the situation went downhill, but I thought it was important to try and contribute to try and preserve the corporate interests. There are so many employees in the company. It was important to protect jobs, so that's why I came into Atos. I wanted to protect jobs and protect our ability to service our customers for a group that has a sensitive function in their country. I thought it was an important thing to do.
Sometimes you've got to try and do important things. And this French Republic, our French state, enabled me to engage in higher education, paid for my studies, and so on. And I felt I wanted to make this effort. So regarding what's due to be paid to former corporate officers, no, we won't go beyond the numbers mentioned in the presentation. There was a maximum theoretical figure that was granted, but what's been paid is what I mean, it has to be paid, but we won't be paying EUR 1 more. The resignation of the gentleman you mentioned was in the document. Maybe you just didn't see it there, but it was published there. There are a couple of people here with their hands up towards the front. We'll give you a microphone, if you don't mind. Thank you. Thank you. I'm an individual shareholder.
I've been a shareholder for many years. And I've lost a lot of money. Sur le parcours pour accéder à l'hébergement de l'AG Atos. Of registering for the Atos shareholders' meeting a few minutes ago before I came into the room. Terms of registering my attendance. I had my big umbrella with me that I use as a walking stick sometimes. And I needed that, even though the security guards didn't like to see it here, and they took it away from me, my umbrella that I was using as a walking stick. So what I would like to see when I'm hosted by Atos is to at least have a minimum amount of understanding for people who are reduced mobility persons. The other people on the welcome desk were fine, but the security guard did this. We've noted that down, says Mr. Salle. Thank you.
A gentleman over on your right will take the floor. Yes, Mr. Chairman, just to say, from memory, the figure that was announced for the restructuring at the start of 2024 was considered to be a high figure, was EUR 1 billion. No, I'm not good at reading all sorts of accounting statements, but our CFO talked about impairment of the value of investment securities and a high big sum of money was mentioned there. If Mr. Mustier says, though, that we're on the rails again and the journalists are writing nasty things about us, okay, I have my own opinion. I don't like other people's value judgments. But when I look at the figures, they are disastrous, even though I don't go into all the accounting details, but I see the figures are pretty disastrous. If you look at the restructuring costs, I'd like to know the real figures, please.
You were given figures for the restructuring. We've given you the real figures. On the goodwill, goodwill is something that's not cash by definition. It's important to make that point. Goodwill is not cash. I'm answering you, sir, so let me pursue my answer. Goodwill, these are non-cash items. So you depreciate goodwill for a given amount. It doesn't have an impact on the liquidity of the group. The gentleman speaking without a microphone, so the interpreter can't hear him. I'm sorry. Goodwill, says Mr. Mustier, is something that's clearly communicated on when we say that we depreciate goodwill. It doesn't have any impact on our liquidity. We communicated on that as of 31st of December, EUR 2.2 billion. And if there's depreciation of goodwill, that will be discussed later on. It doesn't change that liquidity position, in other words.
So there's no link between the financial health of the company and the depreciation of goodwill as such when it comes to liquidity. That's all I wanted to add on that. Thank you. Just a small question. We all make a distinction between the governance under Jean-Pierre Mustier and Laurent Collet-Billon, to whom we pay tribute, of course, for all the work they've put in. I'm convinced of that. And the previous governance structure now will the company be entitled, legally speaking, to take action, legal action against the former governance people who clearly cheated? There was obviously some things done that were not above board. There was wrong information provided to shareholders. I think nobody can deny that. We're not talking about doing Atos bashing. No, but at the time, maybe even before Mr.
In Thierry Breton's time, there were things that were not at all justified for a company in the CAC 40 index. With the connivance of the AMF and the statutory auditors at the time, it's a financial scandal, I think. You must recognize that. So the company that suffered a lot, including its employees, wouldn't it be entitled to take legal action against the former senior managers of the group? Mr. Mustier, we've been working for the last year and a half, as you mentioned, the work done by Laurent Collet-Billon and myself, so as to make sure that the company can look to the future and develop. If actions are rolled out, it will be up to the authorities to do that.
The company is focused on its business development and its ability to grow in the future, service its customers, maintain its jobs, and work with all of its stakeholders, creditors and shareholders. So we're interested in the future, and Philippe Salle is illustrating this future with all of our employees working together. They'll be working very hard to grow the company. And for the rest of it, maybe other parties, if there were to be something, it would be something to be done by other parties. We are looking to the future. I'll take the question from this gentleman towards the front. Mr. Salle, there's somebody else standing up without a microphone, so the interpreter can translate. To apologize. He has a microphone now. Well, I have trust in the future, confidence in the future.
Maybe Atos will survive like Alstom was sliced and diced and so on under the surveillance of our senior administration. But having said that, I've got 277,000 shares, not worth much. But when Édouard Philippe joined the company, it was relevant, wasn't it? Have a nice day. Je vais reprendre monsieur et après on va take that gentleman and then we'll take the question. There's somebody who didn't have a chance to speak. Yes, sir. I'm an individual shareholder. I've got a question concerning Mr. Thierry Breton, because we see that the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Mr. Thierry Breton seemed to say everything went fine when he was around. So is he the one that made this go kaput or was everything going fine under him when he was at the helm? When you're outside the company, it's not easy to understand this.
Are you going to report to the shareholders or stakeholders on this at some point? As I said already, says Mr. Mustier, we're looking to the future. It's not up to us to judge the action taken by different persons in the past. Our focus was to make sure that we succeed in the restructuring process of the group, no matter what were the reasons that led to that restructuring being done, and give the results to the company that it would need to develop. So we won't comment on the past. We're trying to work for the future to guarantee the future of the group and the growth of the group. That's our priority. Somebody speaking without a microphone in the middle of the assembly. Sorry, the interpreters can't hear. Coming back to speak on creditors who become shareholders.
Have they committed to keep their shares for a certain period of time until we get back to better financial health? Another comment, you made capital increase. There is a conversion of capital, but there was a securities conversion, but there was also capital increase and the restructuring costs with these consultancies exceeded two or three times the actual demerger between Eviden and Tech Foundations. I mean, the demerger between Eviden and Tech Foundations that was supposed to be done, you say, won't happen. So we spent all that money on the demerger. I mean, their fees were huge for a demerger that didn't take place between Tech Foundations and Eviden. That's what I mean. Factually, you're correct. There was a capital increase, cash brought in EUR 240 million to the company, then there were conversions of debt into shares that increased the size to about EUR 230 million worth.
And then if you look at the expenses paid, one half of those expenses were actually an allocation of staff to take care of the demerger process. Obviously, there were high fees, yes. Companies make decisions that change after that, that they go back on. But this happens. So with hindsight, you can see what decision was taken, was it a good idea or a bad idea. It's easy with hindsight to make judgments. But with Laurent Collet-Billon, we worked on setting up a restructuring process, and Philippe Salle has said that his opinion was that that demerger shouldn't take place. So money was spent on preparing a demerger that didn't take place. But there are lots of companies that do that kind of thing. They make plans for transactions that don't take place.
But the market cap of the company went down, not because of that financial restructuring process that was engaged in. So be careful not to compare figures that, as such, are not comparable. If you set them in perspective, what's important today is, no matter what was done in the past, we've got to look to the future and see how the company can develop in the future and have the resources available that we need to develop it. And that's important because, as Philippe said, and I'd like to reiterate this, we have a bit more than 80,000 employees in the group. We've got clients that are small, that are big. Whenever there are negative comments on the company, and it's past, I understand fully that as a shareholder, you might be disappointed, annoyed about what's happened.
But whenever there are negative comments made about the company, it's negative comments that our employees and our clients take negatively, perceive negatively too. I've never made negative comments on the company myself. And I think it's very important to change the dialectics here because the more we make negative comments. I understand your anger. I do understand you want to make these statements. But all these negative comments about the company put the company at risk in terms of its capability to bounce back. So we've got to really try to give the company all the levers it can have to develop.
The financial restructuring was set up to give it the financial wherewithal it needs, but we've also got to give it the right perception, the right image, restore it to some image building for this company so it's perceived in a good light, so that the employees believe in the company, and I think they do. They've shown us that already, and our clients believe in the company too. They've helped us. They've supported us, and that's what's important, so yes, you're angry, and we understand that, and we accept that. But let's now try to get into positive dialectics on this, go in the group's interest and in the interest of the group's future. "I'm not angry," said the gentleman, but he hasn't got a microphone, so the interpreters can't hear what he's saying, really.
I'm taking the floor again because everybody's taking the floor another time, says the lady from CFDT. I just want to talk about Thierry Breton because I would personally accuse him of having led the group into the situation it's in right now. I don't know what action might be possible or not and whatever. But history will remember what he did, and he'll bear the shame of that all his life because it'll be written down, and there'll be films and Netflix series on Atos. No doubt. Everybody knows what he did, the employees first and foremost. Secondly, Mr. Salle, you have intentions to do all sorts of things. I hope you'll succeed in doing that, but you won't do it without the employees. The employees are a very important part of the arrangements and the setup, and they've got to be tied in to the creation of value.
When we bounce back again, I'm sure we'll go into the positive and be mindful of the employees, their working conditions, their salaries, their career development possibilities. They've got to be tied into the upswing. And these employees are very resilient. It's a miraculous role still around. They're very resilient, but there'll come a point when you'll have to reassure them. And if the group is surviving and continuing to do business and so on, it must be mindful of the need to keep the employees on board. You mentioned 10%, but the talents and so on, the key people. But it's everybody who's part of the key people. So you've got to keep us all on board. A job can't be done if the assistant isn't there to do with the SDM and so on. Everybody in this organization is important. So tie them into the sharing of value.
I'm an Atos person, and I want us all to work together and do it fast as well. Yes, I'll take this gentleman one last time, and then we'll vote on the resolutions. Yes, sorry, says the gentleman. There's one of the resolutions that gives you, Mr. Philippe Salle, compensation that's EUR 2.4-EUR 3.6 billion in the event of the refinancing of the debt. Could you give us some explanations of that? What does it mean, refinancing the debt? I mean, is there information that can be provided here on that to the shareholders? To tell us in what conditions? I know what it means. I know what the words mean, but in what conditions? Mr. Salle, as we said earlier, this debt is expensive. The idea would be to renegotiate cheaper debt. It won't be more expensive.
We wouldn't engage in refinancing of the debt if it's going to be more expensive, so we go back to bond debt that would be in line with our credit rating, where B minus, I hope, will be better than that in the coming few years, so we should be able to renegotiate our debt so that the debt burden will go down, the interest rate will go down. Do we know the cost of debt? Well, I think it's rather between 9 and 10, B minus, and you know that it all depends on the... Aujourd'hui, we'll have to renegotiate this debt sooner or later. Thank you for your interest. Thank you for all your questions, and as Jean-Pierre said, now we have to look towards the future, be positive about this group of groups, so let's go on to the vote of the resolutions.
The definitive quorum is at 46.15%. That is 86,225 millions of shares, 397,305 shareholders, exactly. And as I said, this is 46.15% of the capital. So the vote might take place in the best conditions. I ask all the people to remain in the room until the end of this meeting. The vote will be done electronically with the tablet that was given to you when you entered this room. At the end of the meeting, please return your tablets to the hostesses when you leave only. And if you leave the room, it is definitive. Please follow the explanations on the electronic voting process. And we'll vote the resolution to vote the resolution of the shareholder meeting. You've been given a tablet. Elle est strictement personnelle. It is strictly personal. It is uniquement personal. And will can be used only during this meeting.
À l'annonce du vote d'une résolution, la fenêtre de vote s'affiche automatiquement sur votre tablette. Même si celle-ci est displayed automatically on your tablet, even if your tablet is on sleep. Pour voter, rien de plus. To vote, it's very simple. On the button corresponding to your choice. Abstention or against. In favor or against. Press on okay to validate your choice before the close of the vote. Once you have validated your vote, you cannot change it anymore. Merci de bien vouloir restituer votre tablette. Please return your tablet before leaving this room. Très bien. Nous allons maintenant passer à la présentation de la résolution. To give the floor to Cécile, who is going to proceed with the vote. So we're going to vote on each resolution.
Since there's a large number of resolutions, I will just read the summary of each resolution as it will appear on the screen. Resolution number 1, approval of the company's statutory financial statements for 2023. The vote is open. Le vote is closed. The resolution is adopted 99.92%. Resolution number 2, approval of the consolidated financial statements for 2023. The vote is open. Le vote est clos. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.82%. Resolution number 3, allocation of the net income of the financial year ending December 2023. The vote is open. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.82%. Resolution number 4, ratification for the appointment of Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles. The vote is open. The resolution is adopted at 99.74%. Resolution number 5, ratification of the appointment of Jean-Jacques Morin. The vote is open. The vote is closed.
The resolution is adopted at 99.74%. Resolution number 6, ratification for the appointment of Sujatha Chandrasekaran. The vote is open. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.73%. Resolution is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.73%. Resolution number 7, ratification for the appointment of Monika Maurer. The vote is open. The resolution is adopted at 99.78%. Resolution number 8, ratification for the appointment of Alain Crozier. The vote is open. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.79%. Resolution number 9, ratification for the appointment of Philippe Salle. The vote is open. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 94.18%. Let's go on to resolution number 10, renewal of the term of office of Sujatha Chandrasekaran. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.71%. Let's go on to resolution number 11, appointment of Joanna Dziubak as director.
The vote is open. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.77%. Resolution number 12, appointment of Hildegard Müller as director. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.77%. Resolution number 13, appointment of Forvis Mazars as sustainability auditor. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.81%. Resolution number 14, decision to entrust Forvis Mazars with an additional regularization assignment relating to the certification of sustainability information for 2024. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.82%. Resolution number 15, special report of the auditors regarding the party agreements. Voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.85%. Resolution number 16, exposed voting on the compensation of Bertrand Meunier, chairman of the board, from January 2023 to October 2023. The voting is open.
The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 94.73%. Let's go on to resolution number 17, exposed vote on the remuneration composition of Jean-Pierre Mustier, chairman of the board, for the period between October 14, 2023, until December 31, 2023. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.53%. Resolution number 18, exposed vote on the compensation of Nourdine Bihmane, chief executive officer from January 1, 2023, to October 3, 2023. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 94.72%. Resolution number 18, not 19, 19. Exposed voting on the compensation of Philippe Oliva, deputy chief executive officer, from January 1, 2023, to October 3, 2023. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 94.73%.
Resolution number 20, exposed vote on the compensation of Yves Bernaert from the period between October 3, 2023, until the 31st of December 2023. The vote is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 94.73%. Resolution number 21, exposed vote on the compensation of Yves Bernaert, Chief Executive Officer, from January 1, 2024, to January 14, 2024. The voting is open. The vote is closed. The resolution is adopted at 94.74%. Let's go on to resolution number 22, approval of the information relating to the compensation of the company officers referred to in Article L2210-9 of the French Commercial Code. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 98.88%. Resolution number 23, now determination of the total annual compensation of the directors. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 88.33%.
Resolution 24, approval of the compensation policy applicable to directors for 2024. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 88.27%. Resolution 25, approval of the compensation policy applicable to the Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2024. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 99.50%. Resolution number 26, approval of the compensation policy applicable to the Chief Executive Officer for 2024. The voting is open. The voting is closed. The resolution is adopted at 93.64%. Resolution 27, approval of the compensation policy applicable to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for 2025. The voting is open. The voting is closed. This resolution is adopted with 92.49%. Resolution 28, authorization to be granted to the Board of Directors for the purpose of purchasing, holding, or transferring shares in the company. The voting is open. The vote is closed.
The poll is now over. This motion stands approved, 99.57% in favor. We will now move on to resolution number 29, delegation of powers to be granted to the board of directors to carry out a reverse split of the company's shares. We open the poll now. The poll is now over. This motion is carried, 99.67% in favor. Thank you. Next is resolution number 30, delegation of authority to be granted to the board of directors to decide the issue of shares and/or securities giving access to share capital and/or securities carrying a right to the allocation of debt while maintaining preferential subscription rights. We open the poll now. The vote is closed. The poll is now over. This motion is approved, 88.47% in favor.
Next is resolution number 31, delegation of authority to be granted to the Board of Directors to decide the issue of shares and/or securities giving access to share capital and/or securities carrying a right to the allocation of debt through public offerings other than those referred to in the first paragraph of Article L. 411-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code without preferential subscription rights. We open the poll. The vote is closed. The poll is now over. This motion is carried, 87.59% in favor. Thank you. Next is resolution number 32, delegation of authority to be granted to the Board of Directors to decide the issue of shares and/or securities giving access to share capital and/or securities carrying a right to the allocation of debt through public offering referred to in Article L. 411-2, paragraph 1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code without preferential subscription rights. Please vote now.
The poll is now over. This resolution is carried, 88.20% in favor. Resolution number 33, delegation of powers to be granted to the board of directors to decide the issue of shares and/or securities giving access to share capital as consideration for contributions in kind of equity securities and securities giving access to share capital without preferential subscription rights. Please vote now. The poll is closed. This resolution is approved, 88.23% in favor. Thank you. Resolution number 34, delegation of powers to be granted to the board of directors to decide the issue of shares and/or securities giving access to share capital and/or securities giving a right to the allocation of debt instruments without preferential subscription rights in favor of one or more specifically designated persons. Please vote now. The poll is now over. Resolution 34 is approved, 87.05% in favor. Thank you.
Resolution number 35, delegation of authority to be granted to the board of directors to increase the number of securities to be issued in connection with the share capital increase with or without preferential subscription rights. The poll is now open. The poll is over. This motion is carried, 87.69% in favor. Thank you. Next is resolution number 36, delegation of authority to be granted to the board of directors to decide the increase of the share capital through the capitalization of premiums, reserves, profits, or other items. You may go ahead and vote now. The poll is now over. This motion is carried, 88.49% in favor. Thank you. Next is resolution number 37, delegation of authority to be granted to the board of directors to increase the share capital of the company without preferential subscription rights in favor of members of a company savings plan.
Please cast your vote now. The poll is now over. This motion is approved, 87.78% in favor. Thank you. Next is resolution number 38, delegation of authority to be granted to the board of directors to increase the share capital of the company by issuing shares reserved for certain categories of persons without preferential subscription rights in favor of such persons in connection with the implementation of employee shareholding plans. Please go ahead and cast your vote. The poll is now over. This motion is carried, 87.79% in favor. Thank you. Next is resolution number 39, authorization to be granted to the board of directors to grant free shares to employees and executive officers of the company and/or its affiliated companies. Please cast your vote now. The poll is now over. This resolution is carried, 91.68% in favor. Thank you. Resolution number 40, amendments to the Articles of Association.
The poll is open now. The poll is now over. Thank you. This motion is carried, 99.73% in favor, and resolution number 41, powers. Please vote on resolution 41. This poll is now over, and this resolution is approved, 99.72% in favor. Thank you. Thank you, Cécile. Ladies and gentlemen, dear shareholders, thank you once again for coming along. Thank you also for asking your questions, for showing your interest in this meeting. I'd like to close the meeting now and meet probably in June for the meeting that will approve the accounts for 2024. Thank you very much.