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2. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
4. AUDITOR’S REPORT
5. FINANCIAL STATEMENT
7. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
8. BUSINESS OVERVIEW
9. RISK FACTORS
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
This corporate governance statement is prepared in accordance with Chapter 7,
Section 7 of the Finnish Securities Markets Act (2012/746, as amended) and the
Finnish Corporate Governance Code 2020 (the “Finnish Corporate Governance
Code”). Regulatory framework Our corporate governance practices comply
with Finish laws and regulations, our Articles of Association approved by the
shareholders and corporate governance guidelines (“Corporate Governance
Guidelines”) adopted by the Board of Directors. The Corporate Governance
Guidelines reflect our commitment to good corporate governance. They include
the directors’ responsibilities, the composition and election of the members of
the Board and its Committees, and certain other matters relating to corporate
governance. We also comply with the Finnish Corporate Governance Code
adopted by the Securities Market Association.
In addition, we comply with the rules and recommendations of Nasdaq Helsinki
and Euronext Paris as applicable to us due to the listing of our shares on the
exchanges. Furthermore, as a result of the listing of our American Depositary
Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and our registration under the
US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, we follow the applicable U.S. federal
securities laws and regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 as
well as the rules of the NYSE, in particular the corporate governance standards
under Section 303A of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. We comply with
these standards to the extent such provisions are applicable to us as a foreign
private issuer.
Main corporate governance bodies of Nokia
Pursuant to the provisions of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act
(2006/624, as amended) (the “Finnish Companies Act”), the legislation under
which Nokia operates, and Nokia’s Articles of Association, the control and
management of Nokia are divided among shareholders at a general meeting of
shareholders, the Board, the President and CEO and the Group Leadership
Team, chaired by the President and CEO. General Meeting of Shareholders
Nokia’s shareholders play a key role in corporate governance, with our Annual
General Meeting offering a regular opportunity to exercise their decision-
making power in Nokia. In addition, at the meeting the shareholders may
exercise their right to speak and ask questions.
Each Nokia share entitles a shareholder to one vote at general meetings of
Nokia. The Annual General Meeting decides, among other things, on the
election and remuneration of the Board, the adoption of annual accounts, the
distribution of retained earnings shown on the balance sheet, discharging the
members of the Board and the President and CEO from liability, as well as on
the election and fees of the external auditor. As of the Annual General Meeting
2020, the Remuneration Policy is presented to the general meeting at least every
four years and the Remuneration Report annually as of 2021. Resolutions of the
general meeting regarding the policy and the report are advisory.
In addition to the Annual General Meeting, an Extraordinary General
Meeting may be convened when the Board considers such a meeting to be
necessary, or when the provisions of the Finnish Companies Act mandate that
such a meeting must be held.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
The Nokia platform guides everything we do across our global organization. Its
three elements shape our ambition, our strategy and our culture.
Our purpose
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. While our
lives may be getting longer, healthier and richer, the world is facing
fundamental challenges: Productivity is stalling, pressure on the planet is
increasing and access to opportunity remains stubbornly unequal.
Digitalization is central to the solution.
We see the potential of digital to transform business, industry and society. When
the world’s organizations, machines and devices are in sync with each other and
the people they serve, a new capability unfolds to create a more productive,
sustainable and accessible future.
Our commitment
We are delivering the next evolution in critical networking through technology
leadership and trusted partnerships. We are meeting the new demands placed on
networks through the next evolution of networking where networks meet cloud
with ‘networks that sense, think and act’. These networks go beyond connecting
people and things, bits and bytes. They’re adaptable, autonomous, and
consumable. They’re alive with intelligence and enable people, machines and
devices to interact in real time, like never before.Critically, ‘networks that sense,
think and act’ are creating new opportunities for our customers and partners,
both existing and new, to access and harness the full power of networking like
never before. How?
■ By ‘sensing’ and understanding human and machine parameters using next
generation mobile and optical technologies
■ By ‘thinking’ of actions before a fault occurs in the network or in an
enterprise using next generation analytics and AI
■ By ‘acting’ to connect humans and machines alike by enabling wide area or
local area networks.
Essentials
Our essentials highlight the culture we are creating for our people, customers
and partners. As we seek to realize the full potential of digital in every industry,
acting as a collaborative partner to our customers and pioneering the next
evolution of networks, we are creating the culture needed to drive the future
growth of Nokia.
■ Open – in mindset, to opportunity, through/with transparency
■ Fearless – bringing authenticity, sharing ideas and opinions,
embracing collaboration
■ Empowered – to make decisions, to act with clear accountability.
RISK FACTORS
Sustainability related risks and opportunities are part of our Enterprise
Risk Management framework. We recognize and aim to mitigate the potential
risks and negative impacts associated with our business whether related to
technology, supply chain, climate or people, while also driving the opportunities
within and beyond our business to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. We have clear policies and processes for each identified
material sustainability related risk, including our Code of Conduct which
reflects our values through clear and simple directions on ways of working for
all employees and business partners. The main features of our risk management
systems are described as part of our Corporate governance statement (see
Corporate Governance – Risk management, internal control and internal audit
functions at Nokia). In addition, the “Risk factors” section of this report
provides discussion on the most important risk factors affecting our operations.
These risks include sustainability-related issues such as:
■ product safety
■ environmental incidents
■ health & safety
■ privacy and security, including cybersecurity threats
■ potential human rights abuse through misuse of the technology we provide
■ potential lack of proper respect for human rights, fair labor conditions, the
environment and communities in our operations and supply chains
■ non-compliance with regulations or our supplier and customer requirements
■ violation of ethical standards, including our Code of Conduct
■ labor unrest and strikes
■ inability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled
employees
■ purchasing boycotts and public harm to our brand
■ issues with tariffs and taxation, including tax disputes
■ disruptions in our manufacturing, service creation, delivery, logistics or
supply chain caused, for instance, by natural disasters, military actions, civil
unrest, public health and safety threats (including disease outbreaks), many of
which may be fueled by the adverse effects resulting from climate change
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
LETTERS TO SHAREHOLDERS
The dividend to shareholders is Nokia’s principal
method of distributing earnings to shareholders. The dividend
policy was updated at the Capital Markets Day in March 2021
to be “We target recurring, stable and over time growing
ordinary dividend payments, taking into account the previous
year’s earnings as well as the company’s financial position
and business outlook” The Board of Directors proposes to the
Annual General Meeting 2023 that no dividend is distributed
by a resolution of the Annual General Meeting for the
financial year ended on 31 December 2022. Instead, the Board
proposes to the Annual General Meeting to be authorized to
decide, in its discretion, on the distribution of an aggregate
maximum of EUR 0.12 per share as dividend from the
retained earnings and/or as assets from the reserve for
invested unrestricted equity. The authorization would be used
to distribute dividend and/or assets from the reserve for
invested unrestricted equity in four installments during the
authorization period, in connection with the quarterly results,
unless the Board of Directors decides otherwise for a justified
reason. The proposed total authorization for distribution of
dividend and/or assets from the reserve for invested
unrestricted equity is in line with the Company’s dividend
policy. The authorization would be valid until the opening of
the next Annual General Meeting. The Board would make
separate resolutions on the amount and timing of each
distribution of dividend and/or assets from the reserve for
invested unrestricted equity.
In 2020 and 2021, Nokia generated strong cash flow
which has significantly improved the cash position of the
company. To manage the company’s capital structure, Nokia’s
Board of Directors initiated a share buyback program under
the authorizations from the Annual General Meetings 2021
and 2022 to repurchase shares to return up to EUR 600
million of cash to shareholders in tranches over a period of
two years. The first phase of the share buyback program with
a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 300 million
started in February 2022 and ended in November 2022. The
second EUR 300 million phase of the share buyback program
started in January 2023 and it will end at the latest by 21
December 2023.
GLOSSARY