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Dassault Systemes

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FY2014 Annual Report · Dassault Systemes
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THE FUTURE 
THROUGH THE EYES 
OF EXPERIENCE

2014

ANNUAL REPORT 

 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS

1

2

3

4

PERSON RESPONSIBLE 

PRESENTATION OF THE GROUP 

1.1  Key Figures 

1.2  History 

1.3  Group Organization 

1.4  Business Activities 

1.5  Research and Development 

1.6  Risk factors 

SOCIAL, SOCIETAL AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 

2.1  Social and Societal Responsibility 

2.2  Environmental Responsibility 

3

5

6

7

12

14

26

27

37

38

57

2.3 

Independent Verifi er’s Attestation and Assurance 
Report on Social, Societal and Environmental Information   66

FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS  69

3.1  Operating and Financial Review 

3.2  2015 Financial Objectives and Multi-Year Growth Plan 

3.3 

Interim and Other Financial Information 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

4.1  Consolidated Financial Statements 

4.2  Parent Company Financial Statements 

4.3  Legal and Arbitration Proceedings 

70

81

82

83

84

123

149

5

6

7

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

151

5.1  Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance 

and Internal Control 

5.2  Report of the Statutory Auditors on Corporate 

Governance and Internal Control 

5.3  Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due 

to Directors 

5.4  Transactions in the Company’s Shares 
by the Management of the Company 

5.5  Statutory Auditors 

INFORMATION ABOUT 
DASSAULT SYSTÈMES SA, THE SHARE 
CAPITAL AND THE OWNERSHIP 
STRUCTURE 

6.1.  Information about Dassault Systèmes SA 

6.2 

Information about the Share Capital 

6.3 

Information about the Shareholders 

6.4  Stock Market Information 

GENERAL MEETING 
OF SHAREHOLDERS 

7.1  Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed 

by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting 
of Shareholders on May 28, 2015 

7.2  Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board 

of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders 
on May 28, 2015 

152

171

172

181

186

187

188

192

196

200

201

202

208

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLES 

220

ANNUAL REPORT  2014
ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT

This document is an English-language translation of Dassault Systèmes’ Document de référence (Annual Report), which was filed with 
the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) on March  24 , 2015, in accordance with Articles 212-13 of the AMF General Regulation.

Only the French version of the Document de référence is legally binding.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 1

GENERAL

This Annual Report also includes:

 (cid:125) the annual financial report to be prepared and published by 
every listed company within four months of the end of its 
fiscal year, pursuant to Article L. 451-1-2 of the Monetary 
and Financial Code and Article 222-3 of the French Financial 
Markets Authority (“AMF”) General Regulation; and

 (cid:125) the annual management report of Dassault Systèmes SA’s 
Board  of  Directors,  which  must  be  provided  to  the 
General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  approving  the  financial 
statements  for  each  completed  fiscal  year,  pursuant  to 
Articles L. 225-100 et seq. of the French Commercial Code.

The index set forth on page 220  provides cross-references to 
the relevant portions of these two reports.

All references to “euro” or to the symbol “€” refer to the legal 
currency of the French Republic and certain countries of the 
European Union. All references to the “U.S. dollar” or to the 
symbol “$” refer to the legal currency of the United States.

As  used  herein,  “Dassault  Systèmes”,  the  “Company”  or  the 
“Group” refers to Dassault Systèmes SA and all the companies 
included in the scope of consolidation.

“Dassault  Systèmes  SA”  refers  only  to  the  French  parent 
company of the Group.

In compliance with Article 28 of European Regulation no. 809/2004 
of the Commission, the following information is incorporated 
by reference in this Annual Report:

 (cid:125) the  consolidated  financial  statements  on  pages  66 
to 100 (inclusive), the parent company financial statements 
on  pages  102  to  122  (inclusive),  and  the  related  audit 
reports on pages 101, 124 to 127 (inclusive) of the Annual 
Report  (Document de référence)  for  the  year  2013  filed 
with the AMF on March 28, 2014, under no. D. 14-0227;

 (cid:125) the  financial  information  on  pages  56  to  65  (inclusive) 
of  the  Annual  Report  (Document  de  référence)  for  the 
year  2013  filed  with  the  AMF  on  March  28,  2014,  under 
no. D. 14-0227;

 (cid:125) the consolidated financial statements on pages 74 to 109 
(inclusive),  the  parent  company  financial  statements  on 
pages 111 to 134 (inclusive), and the related audit reports 
on pages 109 to 110, 136 to 140 (inclusive) of the Annual 
Report  (Document de référence)  for  the  year  2012  filed 
with the AMF on April 3, 2013, under no. D. 13-0272;

 (cid:125) the financial information on pages 60 to 73 (inclusive) of the 
Annual Report (Document de référence) for the year 2012 
filed with the AMF on April 3, 2013, under no. D. 13-0272.

The portions of these documents which are not incorporated 
herein  are  either  not  relevant  for  current  investors,  or  are 
covered in another section of this Annual Report.

2 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

PERSON RESPONSIBLE

Person Responsible for the Annual Report

Bernard Charlès – President and Chief Executive Officer.

Certification by the Person Responsible 
for the Annual Report

Vélizy-Villacoublay, March 24 , 2015.

“I hereby certify, after having taken all reasonable measures 
for this purpose, that the information contained in this Annual 
Report  (Document  de  référence)  is,  to  my  knowledge,  in 
accordance  with  the  facts  and  that  no  information  liable  to 
affect its significance has been omitted.

I have received a completion letter (lettre de fin de travaux) from 
the  auditors  stating  that  they  have  verified  the  information 
regarding the financial situation and the financial statements 
included  in  this  Annual  Report  and  that  they  have  read  this 
document in its entirety.

I  certify  that,  to  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements 
have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting 
standards  and  give  a  faithful  representation  of  the  assets, 
financial situation and results of Dassault Systèmes SA and all 
the companies included in the scope of consolidation, and that 
the “management report” included in this Annual Report, as 
indicated in the cross reference index below, presents a faithful 
representation  of  the  business  trends,  results  and  financial 
situation  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  and  all  the  companies 
included in the scope of consolidation as well as a description 
of the principal risks and uncertainties which they face.

The  consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  year  2013 
are  covered  by  a  report  of  the  Statutory  Auditors,  set  forth 
on  page  101  of  the  English-language  translation  of  the 
registration document for the year 2013 – filed with the AMF 
on  March  28,  2014  under  the  number  D.14-0227  –  which 
contains an observation”.

Bernard Charlès

President and Chief Executive Officer

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 3

4 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

1

PRESENTATION 
OF THE GROUP

CONTENTS

1.5  Research and Development 

1.5.1  Overview 

1.5.2  Intellectual Property 

1.6  Risk factors 

1.6.1  Risks Related to the Company’s Business 

1.6.2  Financial and Market Risks 

1.6.3  Insurance 

26

26

26

27

27

34

35

1.1  Key Figures 

1.2  History 

1.2.1  History and Development of the Company 

1.2.2  Investments 

1.2.3  Facilities Strategy 

1.3  Group Organization 

1.3.1  Dassault Systèmes SA’s Position within the Group 

1.3.2  Principal Subsidiaries of the Company 

1.4  Business Activities 

1.4.1  Principal Activities 

1.4.2  Principal Markets 

1.4.3  Material Contracts 

6

7

7

10

11

12

12

13

14

14

17

26

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 5

1 Presentation of the Group

Key Figures

1.1  Key Figures

The  selected  financial  information  set  forth  below  has  been 
prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (“IFRS”) as adopted in the European Union, unless 
otherwise indicated.

A financial review including a comparison of 2014 and 2013 
can be found in Chapter 3, “Financial review and prospects”.

(in millions, except percentages and per share data)

Total revenue

Operating income

As a percentage of total revenue

Net income attributable to equity holders of the Company

Diluted net income per share(1)

Dividend  per share (1)

Supplemental non-IFRS financial information(3)

Total revenue

Operating income

As a percentage of total revenue

Net income attributable to equity holders of the Company

Diluted net income per share(1)

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

2012

€2,294.3

€2,066.1

€2,028.3

430.8

18.8%

291.3

€1.14

€0.43(2)

503.0

24.3%

352.3

€1.38

€0.42

501.0

24.7%

334.8

€1.33

€0.40

€2,346.7

€2,072.8

€2,038.5

699.2

29.8%

465.5

€1.82

652.8

31.5%

445.5

€1.75

644.3

31.6%

424.5

€1.69

(1)  All historical per share data reflects the two-for-one stock split effected in July 2014 (see paragraph 6.2 “Information about the Share Capital”).
(2)  To be proposed for approval at the General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for May 28, 2015.
(3)  Readers are cautioned that the supplemental non-IFRS financial information is subject to inherent limitations. It is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or 
principles and should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for IFRS measurements. The supplemental non-IFRS financial information should be read only in 
conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. Furthermore, the supplemental non-IFRS financial information may not be 
comparable  to  similarly  titled  adjusted  measures  used  by  other  companies.  For  a  reconciliation  of  this  non-IFRS  financial  information  with  the  Company’s  audited  financial 
statements, see paragraph 3.1.1.2 “Supplemental Non-IFRS Financial Information”.

(in millions)

ASSETS

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

2012*

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments

€1,175.5

€1,803.7

€1,319.1

627.7

3,164.9

4,968.1

360.1

1,664.5

2,943.5

472.6

1,911.6

4,187.9

380.0

1,197.4

2,610.5

457.8

1,835.5

3,612.4

63.8

1,211.7

2,336.9

€4,968.1

€4,187.9

€3,612.4

Trade accounts receivable, net

Other assets

TOTAL ASSETS

LIABILITIES

Borrowings

Other liabilities

Parent shareholders’ equity

TOTAL LIABILITIES

*  Restated to reflect the adoption of revised IAS 19.

6 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

1.2  History

Presentation of the Group
History

1

1

1.2.1  History and Development of the Company

1.2.1.1 

Summary

Dassault  Systèmes,  the  3DEXPERIENCE  Company,  provides 
software  applications  and  services,  designed  to  support 
companies’  innovation  processes.  The  Company’s  software 
applications  and  services  span  design  from  ideation,  to 
early  3D  digital  conceptual  design  drawings  to  full  digital 
mock-up;  virtual  testing  of  products;  end-to-end  global 
industrial  operations,  including  manufacturing  management 
to operations planning & optimization; and in marketing and 
sales from digital marketing and advertising to end-consumer 
shopping  experience.  The  Group  brings  value  to  over 
200,000  customers  of  all  sizes,  in  all  industries,  in  more 
than  140  countries.  Dassault  Systèmes  is  the  world  leader 
of the global Product Lifecycle Management (“PLM”) market 
(design, simulation, manufacturing, collaboration) based upon 
end-user software revenue, a position which it has held since 
1999.

Dassault  Systèmes  was  established  in  1981  through  the 
spin-off of a small team of engineers from Dassault Aviation, 
which was developing software to design wind tunnel models 
and  therefore  reduce  the  cycle  time  for  wind  tunnel  testing, 
using  modeling  in  three  dimensions  (“3D”).  The  Company 
entered into a distribution agreement with IBM the same year 
and started to sell its software under the CATIA brand. With 
the introduction of its Version 3 (“V3”) architecture in 1986, 
the  foundations  of  3D  modeling  for  product  design  were 
established.

its  work  with 

Through 
industrial  customers,  the 
large 
Company  learned  how  important  it  was  for  them  to  have  a 
software  solution  that  would  support  the  design  of  highly 
diversified  parts  in  3D.  The  growing  adoption  of  3D  design 
for all components of complex products, such as airplanes and 
cars, triggered the vision for transforming the 3D part design 
process  into  an  integrated  product  design.  The  Version  4 
(“V4”)  architecture  was  created,  opening  new  possibilities 

to  realize  full  digital  mock-ups  (“DMU”)  of  any  product.  The 
V4  architected  software  solutions  helped  customers  reduce 
the  number  of  physical  prototypes  and  realize  substantial 
savings  in  product  development  cycle  times,  and  it  made 
global  engineering  possible  as  engineers  were  able  to  share 
their ongoing work across the globe virtually.

In order to fulfill the mission to provide a robust 3D Product 
Lifecycle Management (“PLM”) solution supporting the entire 
product lifecycle from design to manufacturing, the Company 
developed  and  introduced  its  next  software  architecture  in 
1999,  Version  5  (“V5”).  In  conjunction  with  its  strategy  and 
product portfolio development plans, the Company undertook 
a  series  of  targeted  acquisitions  expanding  its  software 
applications portfolio offering to include digital manufacturing, 
realistic simulation, product data management and enterprise 
business process collaboration.

Building upon its work in 3D, DMU, and PLM, and in conjunction 
with the evolution it began to see among its clients in different 
industry  verticals,  the  Company  unveiled  in  2012  its  next 
horizon,  3DEXPERIENCE,  designed  to  support  its  customers 
in  their  innovation  processes  to  deliver  new  and  rewarding 
experiences for their end users. The Company's vision is now  
to  encompass  the  harmonization  between  products,  nature 
and  life  and  moved  to  an  industry  go  to  market  strategy. 
The  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  is  a  business  platform  which 
can be used on premise or online, in a public or private cloud 
leveraging  the  Company’s  technology  architecture  Version  6 
(“V6”). During 2013 the Company undertook an initial limited 
launch of its new platform and initial cloud offerings followed 
by a general availability release in February 2014.

See  paragraphs  1.2.1.3  “Dassault  Systèmes’  Purpose  and 
Strategy”,  1.4.1.1  “Summary”  and  1.4.1.4  “Technology”  for 
further information.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 7

1 Presentation of the Group

History

1.2.1.2 

Summary Timeline

1981
 (cid:96) Creation  of  Dassault  Systèmes  to  design  products  in  3D 
through the spin-off of a team of engineers from Dassault 
Aviation.

2000
 (cid:96) Creation  of  the  DELMIA  brand,  addressing  the  digital 
manufacturing  domain  (digital  process  planning,  robotic 
simulation and human modeling technology).

 (cid:96) The Company’s fl agship brand, CATIA, is launched.

 (cid:96) Worldwide  marketing,  sales  and  support  agreement  with 

IBM, beginning of a long-standing partnership.

 (cid:96) Initial industry focus: automotive and aerospace.

1986
 (cid:96) V3 software introduced for 3D Design.

1994
 (cid:96) V4  architecture  introduced  offering  a  new  technology 
enabling  the  full  Digital  Mock-Up  (“DMU”)  of  a  product, 
enabling  customers  to  signifi cantly  reduce  the  number  of 
physical prototypes and to have a complete understanding 
of the virtual product.

 (cid:96) Expansion  of  the  Company’s  industry  focus  to  seven 
industries,  adding  fabrication  and  assembly,  consumer 
goods, high-tech, shipbuilding and energy.

1996
 (cid:96) Initial public offering in Paris and listing on the NASDAQ (the 
Company voluntarily delisted from the NASDAQ in 2008).

1997
 (cid:96) Broadening  of  the  Company’s  3D  design  product  line  to 
the  entry  3D  market,  with  the  acquisition  of  the  start-up 
SOLIDWORKS, with a Windows-native architecture, to target 
principally the 2D to 3D migration market opportunity.

 (cid:96) Formation of the Company’s Professional channel, focused 

on marketing, sales and support of SOLIDWORKS.

 (cid:96) Organization of the Company into two business segments, 
its  customers’  end-to-end 
design-centric 
customers 

process-centric,  supporting 
and 
product 
(Mainstream/SOLIDWORKS),  dedicated 
seeking to design products in a 3D design environment.

development 

process, 

to 

1998
 (cid:96) Creation of the ENOVIA brand, focused on management of 
CATIA  product  data  with  the  acquisition  of  IBM’s  Product 
Manager software.

1999
 (cid:96) Launch of V5, a new architecture software for the PLM market 

designed for both Windows NT and UNIX environments.

 (cid:96) The  Company  expands  its  ENOVIA  product  line  with 
the  acquisition  of  SmarTeam  focused  on  product  data 
management  for  the  small  and  mid-sized  companies 
(“SMB”) market.

8 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

2005
 (cid:96) Creation  of  the  SIMULIA  brand,  addressing  realistic 
simulation,  representing  a  signifi cant  expansion  of  the 
Company’s simulation capabilities, leveraging the acquisition 
of Abaqus. 

 (cid:96) Sales  generated  through  the  long-standing  distribution 
agreement  with  IBM  account  for  52%  of  the  Company’s 
total revenues.

 (cid:96) Creation  of  the  Company’s  PLM  Value  Solutions  sales 
channel, an indirect channel for the PLM market specifi cally 
focused on supporting SMB companies.

2006
 (cid:96) Expansion  of  the  ENOVIA  portfolio  with  the  acquisition  of 
MatrixOne, a global provider of collaborative PDM software 
and services.

 (cid:96) Expansion  of  the  Company’s  industry  focus  from  seven  to 

11 industries.

2007
 (cid:96) Amendment  of  the  IBM  PLM  partnership  agreement, 
outlining  the  progressive  assumption  of  full  responsibility 
for the Company’s PLM Value Solutions channel.

 (cid:96) Creation  of  the  3DVIA  brand.  Building  upon  several  years 
of  research  and  investment,  3DVIA  was  launched  to  bring 
3D technology to new users to imagine, communicate and 
experience in 3D.

 (cid:96) Further  expanding  its  product  offering  for  CATIA,  the 
Company  acquired  ICEM,  a  company  well-known  in  the 
automotive industry for its styling and high-quality surface 
modeling and rendering solutions.

2008
 (cid:96) Introduction of the Company’s V6 architecture.

2010
 (cid:96) The  Company  acquires  full  control  of  its  distribution  sales 
channels with the acquisition of IBM PLM, the IBM business 
unit dedicated exclusively to the marketing, sale and support 
of the Company’s PLM software.

 (cid:96) Signing  of  a  Global  Alliance  agreement  with  IBM  in  which 
the  Company  and  IBM  defi ned  the  next  steps  in  their 
relationship,  extending  their  cooperation  in  key  areas: 
professional services, cloud computing, middleware, fl exible 
fi nancing and hardware.

 (cid:96) Acquisition of Exalead, a French company providing search 
platforms  and  search-based  applications  for  consumer  and 
business users.

Presentation of the Group
History

1

2011
 (cid:96) DELMIA’s offering expands with the acquisition of Intercim, 
offering  manufacturing  and  production  management 
software for advanced and highly regulated industries.

 (cid:96) Two-for-one  stock  split  of  the  Dassault  Systèmes  share 
par value on July 17, 2014, which was decreased from €1 
to  €0.50.  Multiplication  by  two  of  the  number  of  shares 
representing the share capital at this date.

1

 (cid:96) 100%  of  the  Company’s  total  revenues  are  derived  from 
its  wholly-directed  three  sales  channels,  completing  the 
transition from IBM begun in 2005.

 (cid:96) Dassault Systèmes announced its new online V6 architecture 

for 3DEXPERIENCE and applications.

2012
 (cid:96) Expansion  of  the  Company’s  strategy  to  3DEXPERIENCE. 
See  paragraph  1.2.1.3  “Dassault  Systèmes’  Purpose  and 
Strategy”.

 (cid:96) Creation  of  a  new  brand,  GEOVIA,  dedicated  to  model  the 
planet, focus on a new industrial sector, Natural Resources, 
with the acquisition of Gemcom in the mining sector.

 (cid:96) Acquisitions of Netvibes, bringing intelligent dashboarding 
capabilities,  and  SquareClock,  providing  cloud-based 
3D space planning solutions.

 (cid:96) Introduction  of  the  Company’s  fi rst  Industry  Solution 

Experiences.

2013
 (cid:96) Unveiling of V6 Release 2014, available to select customers, 
on  premise  as  well  as  Software  as  a  Service  (SaaS), 
featuring  the  controlled  availability  of  existing  and  new 
industry-focused  and  user-focused  offerings  and  the 
introduction of a new navigational user interface.

 (cid:96) Broadening  of  the  Company’s  manufacturing  offerings  to 
Manufacturing Operations Management with the acquisition 
of Apriso.

2015
 (cid:96) Introduction of 3DEXPERIENCE R2015x.

For  further  information  on  acquisitions  in  2014  and  2013, 
see paragraph 1.2.2 “Investments”.

1.2.1.3  Dassault Systèmes’ Purpose 

and Strategy

Dassault  Systèmes’  corporate  purpose  is  to  provide  business 
and  people  with  3DEXPERIENCE  universes  to 
imagine 
sustainable  innovations  capable  of  harmonizing  product, 
nature and life.

A  growing  number  of  companies  in  all  industry  verticals  are 
evolving their innovation processes to imagine the future both 
with,  and  for,  their  end-consumers.  To  meet  this  challenge, 
it  is  vital  to  ensure  collaborative  work  processes  internally 
and  externally  to  the  enterprise  with  designers,  engineers, 
researchers  and  marketing  managers,  as  well  as  external  ad 
hoc  participants  because  the  innovation  flow  comes  from 
many directions. Enabling this flow unleashes the innovation 
its  3DEXPERIENCE 
potential.  Dassault  Systèmes,  with 
platform leveraging its V6 architecture, provides this “linkage”, 
enabling  its  clients  to  create  the  value  that  their  ultimate 
consumers  are  seeking.  The  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE 
portfolio is designed to support 3D realistic virtual experiences 
representing  usage  of  future  products,  and  is  comprised  of 
social and collaborative applications, 3D modeling applications, 
 simulation 
intelligence 
and 
applications.

 applications, 

information 

2014
 (cid:96) Introduction  of  3DEXPERIENCE  R2014x,  the  fi rst  release 
of  the  Company’s  new  3DEXPERIENCE  platform,  offering 
end-to-end 
engineering, 
manufacturing and business capabilities and services, with 
the V6 architecture as its foundation.

integrated 

scientifi c, 

and 

 (cid:96) Creation  of  a  new  brand,  3DEXCITE,  with  the  acquisition 
of  Realtime  Technology  AG  (“RTT”)  providing  professional 
high-end  3D  visualization  software,  marketing  solutions 
and  computer  generated  imagery  services  to  extend  the 
Company’s offerings to marketing professionals.

 (cid:96) Creation  of  a  new  brand,  BIOVIA,  dedicated  to  address 
science-based  industries,  combining  the  acquisition  of 
Accelrys  and  the  Company’s  internal  developments  in 
BioPLM.

 (cid:96) Further  broadening  of  the  Company’s  manufacturing 
offerings with the Quintiq acquisition in operations planning 
and optimization.

For  Dassault  Systèmes  to  be  able  to  help  its  customers 
simulate  the  end-consumer  experience,  it  is  important  to 
have  a  complete  understanding  of  the  most  critical  business 
needs  of  the  industries  in  which  its  customers  operate. 
Therefore, Dassault Systèmes has adapted its organization to 
provide  a  strong  focus  on  the  users  of  its  software  through 
its  brands  structure,  while  at  the  same  time,  advancing  the 
understanding and development of the needs of its 12 target 
industries through  the combined action of its organization by 
industry, sales channels and local geographic presence.

Dassault  Systèmes  has  brought  value  to  customers  since 
its  inception  in  1981  by  providing  solutions  in  3D  Design 
for  product  creation,  DMU  for  replacing  physical  mock-ups, 
and  PLM  covering  the  product’s  whole  life,  from  design  to 
manufacture and service. Now Dassault Systèmes has crossed 
into the next stage in its vision of the future: the 3DEXPERIENCE 
era, where helping customers reach a new milestone in terms 
of  innovation  for  a  greater  end-user  satisfaction,  is  the  new 
way of doing business.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 9

1 Presentation of the Group

History

1.2.2 

Investments

The  Company’s  investments,  both  through  expenditures  on 
its  internal  R&D  efforts  and  through  acquisitions,  are  closely 
aligned with its strategic roadmap. The Company’s internal R&D 
investments are the principal driver of its product innovations 
and  enhancements.  In  addition,  with  its  expanded  purpose 
and  Industry  Solution  Experiences  strategy  the  Company  is 
growing its addressable market along two axes: (i) broadening 
its offer to cover the key product disciplines of clients adding 
upstream  consumer  insights  to  its  core  markets  of  design, 
engineering,  simulation  and  manufacturing,  and  extending 
through to business planning and operations and point of sales 
and end-consumer experiences; and (ii) expanding its market 
coverage  to  address  industries  focused  on  the  interaction  of 
business and people with nature (geosphere) and business and 
people with life sciences (biosphere).

As  a  result,  the  Company  has  and  will  continue  to  evaluate 
potential external investments complementing and extending 
the  business  value  it  brings  to  industries,  clients  and  users. 
For  further  information,  see  paragraphs  1.2.1.3  “Dassault 
Systèmes’  Purpose  and  Strategy”  and  1.4.1.3  “Growth 
Strategy”.

1.2.2.1  Acquisitions in 2014 and 2013

Well aligned with its expanded purpose and addressable market 
vision introduced in 2012, Dassault Systèmes has been in an 
active period of discussions with selected companies. During 
2014 the Company invested €952.9 million on a net cash basis 
to  acquire  companies  in  several  key  areas:  (i)  addressing  the 
life sciences where it introduced a new brand, BIOVIA, based 
upon the acquisition of Accelrys and the Company’s internal 
research in bio-intelligence; (ii) addressing marketers with the 
RTT  acquisition,  rebranded  as  3DEXCITE,  which  enables  to 
reuse virtual mock-ups or 3D product designs to create images, 
marketing  brochures,  promotional  films  or  virtual  but  very 
realistic show rooms; and (iii) addressing business operations 
management with the acquisition of Quintiq, for supply chain, 
logistics and workforce operations planning and optimization. 
In addition, the Company strengthened the capabilities of its 
simulation brand, SIMULIA with the acquisition of SIMPACK 
for multi-body simulation.

In  2013,  the  Company  completed  seven  acquisitions, 
for  a  net  cash  investment  of  €213.4  million.  Acquisition 
investments were made in manufacturing, simulation and in 
urban  modeling  as  follows:  (i)  in  manufacturing  where  the 
Company  significantly  expanded  its  DELMIA  offering  with 
Apriso,  providing  manufacturing  operations  management 
software  solutions;  (ii)  in  analysis  and  simulation,  further 
strengthening  CATIA  and  SIMULIA’s  capabilities  with  SFE 
bringing a fully integrated design-simulation approach to run 
simulations  at  an  early  stage  of  concept  design  and  shorten 

product  development  time;  FE-DESIGN  bringing  powerful 
design optimization technology; SIMPOE for plastic injection 
molding simulation and Safe Technology for fatigue simulation 
to  evaluate  product  durability;  and  (iii)  in  the  automated 
creation and management of urban cities and landscapes with 
Archivideo.

Acquisitions
2014: Creation of the BIOVIA brand, addressing science-based 
industries with the acquisition of Accelrys and the Company’s 
internal BioPLM developments.

In  April  2014,  Dassault  Systèmes  completed  the  acquisition 
of Accelrys, a leading provider of scientific innovation lifecycle 
management  software  for  chemistry,  biology  and  materials 
sciences  industries,  a  publicly-traded  company  based  in  San 
Diego,  United  States.  This  acquisition  was  completed  at  the 
end of a tender offer for all outstanding shares of Accelrys, for 
cash consideration of approximately €542 million. 

2014:  Introduction  of  a  new  brand,  3DEXCITE,  following 
the  acquisition  of  RTT,  extending  the  Company’s  offerings 
to  address  marketing  professionals  in  its  core  and  target 
industries.

I n  January  2014,  the  Company   acquired  84%  of  Realtime 
Technology  AG  (RTT),  a  publicly-traded  company,  and  then  
finalized  the  acquisition  of  the  remaining  shares,  leading  to 
a total purchase price of approximately €191 million in cash. 
RTT is a leading provider of professional high-end visualization 
software,  marketing  solutions  and  computer  generated 
imagery  services.  Its  customer  base  includes  a  number  of 
the  world’s  leading  automotive  companies  as  well  as  global 
industry leaders in aerospace and consumer goods. With RTT’s 
solutions,  companies  are  able  to:  i)  more  closely  link  design 
and  marketing  domains  thanks  to  very  high  level  of  realistic 
3D  real-time  visualization;  ii)  speed  time  from  design  to 
sales thanks to the ability to conduct marketing all along the 
product development cycle; and in turn, iii) derive significant 
returns on investment over traditional marketing methods.  

 2014: Dassault Systèmes Extends 3DEXPERIENCE platform to 
Global Business Operations Planning with Quintiq Acquisition.

In September 2014, the Company completed the acquisition 
of  Quintiq,  a  global  leader  in  operations  management  and 
optimization  with  offerings  spanning  notably  production, 
supply chain, logistics, and workforce management, for cash 
consideration of approximately €260 million. Receiving a top 
ranking by clients, Quintiq’s solutions are used at 1,000 sites, 
in  more  than  90  countries.  Quintiq  further  enriches  the 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  capabilities  and  enables  a  better 
support  for  the  Company’s  customers  in  industries  such  as 

10 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group
History

1

solutions  include:  i)  flexibility  to  quickly  adapt  to  customer 
environment  while  driving  best-in-class  manufacturing; 
ii)  standardization  across  multiple  plants  to  establish  best 
practices;  and  iii)  operations  monitoring  to  synchronize 
product releases across all manufacturing operations.

1

1.2.2.2 

Principal Acquisitions of the Past 
Three Years

The  Company’s  principal  acquisitions  with  an  individual 
purchase  price  greater  than  €100  million  over  the  last  three 
years include:

Acquisition

Accelrys

Quintiq

RTT

Apriso

Gemcom

Year

2014

2014

2014

2013

2012

Purchase Price

€542 million

€260 million

€191 million

€179 million

€274 million

metals, mining, oil & gas, air transport and rail, logistics and 
freight.  Key  reasons  customers  select  Quintiq’s  solutions 
include: i) a single, integrated solution able to solve operations 
planning puzzles; ii) a solution designed to be 100% adaptable 
to each client’s unique business processes, requirements and 
constraints;  iii)  KPI-based  planning;  iv)  superior  performance 
(Quintiq  holds 
results  from  record-breaking  technology 
120 world records in optimization); and v) seamless integration 
with existing IT infrastructure. 

   2013:  Broadening  of  the  Company’s  manufacturing  offerings 
to Manufacturing Operations Management

In  July  2013  Dassault  Systèmes  acquired  Apriso,  a  leading 
provider of manufacturing operations management software 
solutions,  headquartered 
in  Long  Beach,  California  for 
approximately  €179  million  in  cash.  Apriso  complements 
DELMIA’s  application  portfolio  through  its  manufacturing 
operations  management  capabilities  and  expands  DELMIA’s 
offer  across  multiple  industries,  such  as  Consumer  Goods  & 
Retail,  Consumer  Packaged  Goods  &  Retail,  High-Tech,  Life 
Sciences, Transportation & Mobility, Aerospace & Defense and 
Industrial  Equipment.  Key  reasons  customers  select  Apriso’s 

1.2.3  Facilities Strategy

With the exception of facilities totaling 21,000 square meters 
belonging to 3D PLM Software Solutions Ltd (“3D PLM Ltd”) 
located in Pune, India, the Company does not own the offices 
it occupies and does not have full ownership rights over any 
real estate or building, either directly or through a lease (see 
Notes 14 and 25 to the consolidated financial statements).

Decisions  regarding  the 
location  of  Dassault  Systèmes 
facilities are driven  by the objectives of supporting growth in 
the  Company’s  business.  The  Company  is  also  guided  by  its 
objectives  to  encourage  synergies  and  collaboration  within 
the Company, control costs and reduce environmental impact, 
while also improving staff working conditions. The Company 
seeks  to  be  close  to  its  customers,  its  partners  in  research 
and  principal  schools  and  universities,  which  are  one  of  the 
main  sources  of  recruitment  for  Dassault  Systèmes.  In  light 
of  the  challenges  lying  ahead  for  the  Group  in  the  next  few 
years, the facilities department has equipped itself with all the 
tools required to deal with them. It has formalized and unified 
the  decision-making  process,  and  put  in  place  occupancy 

and  economic  performance  indicators.  In  order  to  ensure 
continuous high performance, these indicators are compared 
with a panel of High-Tech companies.

1.2.3.1 

Facilities Rationalization Strategy

The rationalization of the Company’s facilities is determined 
by grouping together subsidiaries and operations on a limited 
number  of  sites  throughout  a  single  region  or  country.  This 
process has, in particular, led to an audit of the facilities and 
their usage conditions, during external growth transactions, in 
order  to  determine  steps  to  be  taken  in  connection  with  the 
Group’s strategy (maintaining the lease, facilities rehabilitation 
or consolidation).

1.2.3.2  Respecting the Environment

The  Company  is  committed  to  a  voluntary  process  of 
limiting  its  impact  on  the  environment  (see  paragraph  2.2.2 
leads  to  seeking 
“Environmental  Report”).  This  process 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 11

1 Presentation of the Group

Group Organization

sites  offering  performance  criteria  in  terms  of  modern 
facilities,  communications  networks,  environmental  impact, 
accessibility  and  Dassault  Systèmes’  corporate  image.  The 
Group seeks to rent buildings certified “HQE” (Haute Qualité 

Environnementale,  or  High  Environmental  Quality)  which  is 
well  illustrated  by  its  registered  office  in  Vélizy-Villacoublay, 
close to Paris (the “3DS Paris Campus”) and its major campus 
near Boston, to cite a few.

1.2.3.3 

Principal Sites

At December 31, 2014, the principal sites occupied by Group companies (except 3D PLM Ltd) in its three geographic regions are 
as set forth in the table below.

Geographic region

Principal Sites

Europe

3DS Paris Campus Vélizy-Villacoublay, France(1)
3DS Munich Rosenheimer, Germany(4)
3DS s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands(4)

Americas

3DS Boston Campus, Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S.(2)

3DS Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.(3)

3DS San Diego, U.S.(4)

3DS Montreal, Canada

3DS Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.

3DS Selangor, Malaysia(4)

3DS Tokyo, Japan

Asia

Surface area 
(in m2)

Activities on the site

70,000
7,800
5,400

20,000

8,800

5,700

5,200

4,600

4,700

4,500

Headquarters, R&D, Marketing and sales
R&D, Marketing and sales
R&D, Marketing and sales

R&D, Marketing and sales

R&D, Marketing and sales

R&D, Marketing and sales

Marketing and sales

R&D, Marketing and sales

R&D, Marketing and sales

Marketing and sales

(1)  Dassault  Systèmes  occupies  in  Vélizy-Villacoublay  a  facility  covering  60,000  square  meters  built  in  2008  in  accordance  with  the  Group’s  specifications.  Since  2011, 
Dassault Systèmes has rented 10,000 additional square meters in a nearby building. In February 2013, the Company entered into a build-to-suit lease agreement for a new 
building to expand its headquarters. Under this agreement the Company has committed to lease an additional 13,000 square meters of office space (see Note 25 to the consolidated 
financial statements).

(2)  The Company has options to lease additional space as necessary at its 3DS Boston Campus.
(3)  Since November 2014, Dassault Systèmes has occupied a new facility in the city of Johnston (near Providence, Rhode Island).
(4)  Sites obtained through acquisitions in 2014 (RTT, Accelrys and Quintiq).

Dassault  Systèmes  believes  that  its  existing  real  estate  facilities  are  adequate,  and  that  it  is  possible  to  acquire  additional  or 
alternative space in the future, depending on needs, at reasonable conditions.

1.3  Group Organization

1.3.1  Dassault Systèmes SA’s Position within the Group

in 

integrated 

Dassault  Systèmes  SA,  the  Group’s  parent  company,  fulfills 
several  roles:  first,  it  is  one  of  the  Group’s  largest  operating 
companies  and  one  of  its  principal  R&D  centers,  responsible 
for  the  development  of  a  number  of  the  Group’s  software 
the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform. 
solutions 
Dassault Systèmes SA also operates as a holding company as it 
owns directly or indirectly all the companies that make up the 
Group. Dassault Systèmes SA plays a centralizing role, defining 
the Group’s overall strategy and the means for its deployment, 
as well as the marketing and sales policy through the Group’s 
three sales channels (described in paragraph 1.4.2.5 “Sales and 
Marketing”). The parent company manages the Group’s cash 

and  financing  needs  centrally  (“cash  pooling”),  and  provides 
support  to  the  Group  for  a  number  of  activities,  including 
finance,  communication,  marketing,  legal  affairs  (including 
management  and  protection  of  IP),  human  resources  and  IT, 
and pools certain costs for its subsidiaries.

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  receives  dividends  paid  by 
its 
subsidiaries.  Additionally,  the  costs  of  providing  centralized 
services  are  charged  back  to  the  respective  subsidiaries 
benefiting  from  support  services  and  cost  pooling,  and  it 
receives royalties related to the IP it holds.

12 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group
Group Organization

1

1.3.2  Principal Subsidiaries of the Company

At  December  31,  2014, 
included 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  and  128  operational  subsidiaries,  as 
compared to 94 operational subsidiaries in 2013; the increase 
was  due  principally  to  the  acquisitions  of  RTT,  Accelrys  and 

the  Company 

Quintiq. In 2014, the Company continued its effort to simplify 
the  organization  of  its  legal  entities  throughout  the  world. 
The  objective  of  this  effort,  which  was  launched  in  2007,  is 
to reduce the number of legal entities held in each country.

1

The chart below sets forth the Company’s main subsidiaries.

Dassault Systèmes SA

Dassault Data Services SAS
(France)

Dassault Systemes K.K.
(Japan)

Dassault Systemes Korea Corp.

(South Korea)

Dassault Systemes Deutschland GmbH
(Germany)

%
0
0
1

Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation
(USA)

SolidWorks Japan K.K.
(Japan)

Dassault Systemes 3DExcite GmbH 
(Germany)

Dassault Systemes Simulia Corp.
(USA)

Dassault Systemes UK Ltd
(United Kingdom)

Dassault Systemes Canada Inc. 
(Canada)

Europe

Asia

Americas

Di rect and indirect equity interest 

Dassault Systemes Americas Corp.
(USA)

%
0
0
1

Dassault Systemes Services, LLC
(USA)

Dassault Systemes Biovia Corp.
(USA)

See also Note 27 to the consolidated financial statements and the table of subsidiaries and shareholdings under Note 24 to the 
parent company financial statements.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 13

 
 
1 Presentation of the Group

Business Activities

1.4  Business Activities

1.4.1  Principal Activities

1.4.1.1 

Summary

Dassault  Systèmes,  the  3DEXPERIENCE  Company,  provides 
end-to-end  software,  content  and  services,  designed  to 
support  companies’  innovation  processes.  The  Company’s 
software  applications  and  services  now  encompass  three 
principal  spheres:  “Product-Sphere”,  “Geo-Sphere”  and 
“ Bio- Sphere”  reflecting  the  Company’s  expanded  purpose 
to  provide  business  and  people  with  virtual  3DEXPERIENCE 
universes  enabling  to 
innovations  capable  of 
imagine 
harmonizing product, nature and life.

Dassault  Systèmes  is  the  world  leader  of  the  global  Product 
Lifecycle Management market based upon end-user software 
revenue  (source:  CIMdata),  a  position  which  it  has  held 
since  1999.  Its  world  leadership  reflects  its  core  DNA  as  a 
scientific  company,  combining  science,  technology  and  art 
to  help  advance  the  success  of  the  customers  and  users  it 
addresses with its Industry Solution Experiences.

Its  software  offerings  now  address  users  all  across  a 
company’s  product  development  loop  enabling  the  Group  
to  provide  companies  with  a  comprehensive  perspective: 
from the product idea and specification; to design with early 
3D digital models to full digital mock-ups; to virtual testing of 
products; to virtual production and manufacturing operations 
management;  to  operations  planning  and  optimization;  and 
lastly to digital marketing and sales to end-consumer shopping 
experience.

14 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

The Company has a diverse customer base, working with the 
smallest  manufacturers  in  the  world  to  global  leaders  across 
a  number  of  industries.  Its  customers  include   companies  in 
12  industrial  sectors:  Aerospace  &  Defense;  Transportation  & 
Mobility; Marine & Offshore; Industrial Equipment; High-Tech; 
Architecture, Engineering & Construction; Consumer Goods & 
Retail;  Consumer  Packaged  Goods  &  Retail;  Life  Sciences; 
Energy, Process & Utilities; Financial and  Business Services; and 
Natural  Resources.  See  paragraph  1.4.2.2  “3DEXPERIENCE 
Industries Served”.

1.4.1.2 

Key Business Strengths 
of the Company

its 

Dassault  Systèmes  believes  that 
leadership  of  the 
global  PLM  market  reflects  the  fact  that  it  has  developed 
the  largest  3D  PLM  software  applications  portfolio  in  the 
world  with  leadership  positions  in  3D  design,  simulation, 
digital  manufacturing  and  production  and  business  process 
management.  With  the  addition  of  information  intelligence, 
social  collaboration  and  realistic  3D  virtual  experiences 
is  positioned  to  work  with 
capabilities,  the  Company 
companies  from  ideation  to  consumer  experience  and  across 
departments  from  research  and  development,  engineering, 
testing, manufacturing, governance to marketing and sales.

Dassault  Systèmes  software  applications  are  focused  on 
helping  customers  address  many  of  their  most  critical 
product issues:

 (cid:125) innovation  to  design  new  and  rewarding  experiences  for 

their end-customers;

 (cid:125) time-saving for the launching cycle of new products;

 (cid:125) manufacturing cost reduction;

 (cid:125) improvement of the product quality and compliance;

 (cid:125) time-to-market;

 (cid:125) market globalization (design/manufacture anywhere);

 (cid:125) supply chain collaboration;

 (cid:125) regulatory compliance;

 (cid:125) IP protection;

 (cid:125) manufacturing efficiency.

Presentation of the Group
Business Activities

1

1

Dassault  Systèmes  maintains  a  long-term  focus,  well 
supported  by  its  financial  model  with  a  high  level  of 
recurring software revenue.

One  of  the  key  reasons  for  the  Company’s  market  share 
leadership over the last fifteen years is its focus on a long-term 
vision  which  is  characterized  by  investing  in  people  and 
its  long-term  financial  model.  The  Company  has  a  diverse, 
highly-educated  employee  base  of  over  13,000  employees 
representing 116 nationalities. The Company’s long-standing 
financial model, with a high level of recurring software revenue 
(accounting for 73% of the Company’s total non-IFRS software 
revenue  in  2014),  has  enabled  the  Company  to  maintain  as 
well as increase investments in critical resources in R&D and 
customer  support  even  during  challenging  macroeconomic 
environments.

Dassault  Systèmes  has  a  substantial  commitment  to 
technological innovation which has enabled it to define and 
create  new  markets,  such  as  3D  Design,  Digital  Mock-Up, 
Product  Lifecycle  Management  and  3DEXPERIENCE.  It 
maintains  an  active  dialogue  with  customers  and  users  in 
product development and an open development platform to 
broaden product offerings for customers.

A  key  component  to  advancing  the  Company’s  technology 
and enabling it to define and create new markets is the close 
relationship it has with its customers, including partnerships 
with  customers  who  are  global  leaders  in  their  respective 
industries,  and  the  input  the  Company  solicits  from  the 
day-to-day users. The Company works closely with customers, 
involving  them  in  many  phases  of  product  development. 
Through  these  close,  long-term  working  relationships,  the 
Company develops a good understanding of its customers and 
their most important business values. This level of knowledge 
enables the Group to develop software solutions more closely 
attuned  to  the  customers’  requirements,  highly  suited  to 
their  industries,  and  designed  to  maximize  user  productivity 
and experience.

Dassault Systèmes has developed a clear identity and value 
to  its  users  through  its  market-proven  brand  strategy. 
Commencing  in  2012  the  Company  began  to  launch 
Industry  Solution  Experiences  that  focus  on  key  processes 
and  bring  together  the  appropriate  applications  from  its 
market-leading brand applications portfolio.

The  Company’s  brand  strategy  (see  paragraph  1.4.2.4 
“3DEXPERIENCE  Software  Applications  Portfolio”)  focuses 
on providing significant value to end-users with the objective 
of  each  brand  being  a  leader  within  its  respective  markets. 
In  support  of  its  “Social  Industry  Experiences”  strategy,  the 
Company packages its applications and user roles in Industry 
Processes chosen because of their business relevance in each 
of the 12 industries the Company targets.

Dassault Systèmes has a resilient and dynamic ecosystem of 
partners,  including  for  business  sales,  service  with  system 
integrators, software development, educational and research 
and technology.

Since inception the Company has worked in close partnership 
with  other  professionals 
in  software  development  and 
technology, in sales and marketing, in services and in education 
and research. For marketing and sales, the Company operates 
through  both  a  direct  sales  force  and  indirectly  through 
value-added resellers, with total sales well balanced between 
direct  and  indirect  sales  channels.  It  continues  to  selectively 
expand  and  to  extend  its  sales  radius,  deepen  its  industry 
expertise  and  relationships,  as  well  as  domain  or  discipline 
knowledge of its three sales channels. Similarly, the Company 
is  also  expanding  its  relationships  with  system  integrators 
with strong industry expertise and regional presence for both 
sales and service engagements.

Moreover, the Group is engaging with its ecosystem, working 
with more than 400 software development partners building 
applications complementing its software applications as well 
as working with key technology partners.

The  Company  has  worked  closely  for  years  with  academic 
and  research  organizations  around  the  world  to  prepare  the 
STEM employees of tomorrow, collaborate in accelerating the 
creation of new software dedicated to help the digital world 
improve the real world and to use 3D to enable an improved 
learning environment for students throughout the world.

1.4.1.3  Growth Strategy

Dassault  Systèmes  principal  growth  opportunities  reflect 
its  current  addressable  market  opportunity  in  PLM  and  the 
increased potential size of its addressable market, estimated 
at  approximately  $32  billion,  with  the  expansion  of  its 
market  to  3DEXPERIENCE.  The  Company’s  growth  strategy 
is focused on expanding its 3DEXPERIENCE market offering, 
with  user  expansion  in  its  core  industries,  diversification 
of  its  industry  coverage,  deepening  of  its  regional  market 
penetration,  offering  software  on  the  c loud  and  through 
Mobile applications, and selected key acquisitions.

 (cid:125) Users  expansion  in  its  core  industries:  the  Company  sees 
opportunities to expand the number of users of its software 
solutions  within  its  core  industries  through  diversification 
by  addressing  new  disciplines  and  new  segments.  Within 
a  corporation,  the  Company’s  applications  now  target 
a  large  portion  of  the  enterprise  employees  engaged  in 
contributing  to  the  end-consumer  product  experience, 
spanning  from  design,  engineering  and  simulation,  to 
manufacturing, quality assurance and compliance, and from 
project  management,  business  planning  &  operations  and 
service departments to marketing, point of sales. For further 
information see paragraph 1.4.2 “Principal Markets”.

 (cid:125) Diversification  of  its  industry  coverage:  through  its  focus 
on developing industry specific solutions for the 12 vertical 
industries  it  addresses,  including  its  Industry  Solution 
Experiences and processes. The Company sees opportunities 
to expand its presence and has developed industry solutions 
to  further  its  progress  in  each  of  the  industrial  sectors  it 
targets.  For  further  information,  see  paragraph  1.4.2.2 
“3DEXPERIENCE Industries Served”.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 15

1 Presentation of the Group

Business Activities

 (cid:125) Deepening of its regional market penetration: the Company 
sees  opportunities  to  grow  its  presence  in  all  geographic 
markets.  In  order  to  strengthen  and  broaden  its  global 
footprint,  the  Company  has  established  12  regional  field 
organizations to prioritize and drive the Company’s growth 
initiatives at a local level. See paragraph 3.1.1.1 “Executive 
Overview  for  2014”  for  further  information  on  growth  by 
geographic region.

 (cid:125) 3D  Dashboarding  Technologies  and  Services:  The 
3DEXPERIENCE platform provides capabilities to dashboard, 
monitor  and  summarize  all  enterprise  and  business 
activities.  With  semantics  and  tagging  technologies, 
the  platform  provides  unique  ways  of  compassing  any 
businesses with real-time streamed media and information 
in  a  context-aware,  managed  and  intuitively-experienced 
fashion.

 (cid:125) Availability  of  on  premise  solutions,  on  the  cloud,  and 
mobile  applications:  with  the  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  utilizing  a  cloud-enabled  V6  architecture,  the 
Company  is  positioned  to  grow  through  its  Cloud  and 
Mobile offerings. The Company believes that it will become 
a growth driver with the progressive roll-out of its services 
offering over the coming years, as well as with the release 
of  mobile  applications  using  tablets  because  of  the  quick 
implementation  time  and  the  reduction  in  total  cost  of 
ownership it provides to customers. For further information 
see paragraph 1.4.1.4 “Technology”.

 (cid:125) Expanding  through  targeted  acquisitions:  in  2012,  the 
its  next  horizon,  3DEXPERIENCE, 
Company  unveiled 
representing a potential doubling of its addressable market, 
expanded its purpose and outlined a new strategy. Aligned 
with  its  strategy,  the  Company  is  complementing  its 
internal  developments  with  key  selected  acquisitions.  For 
further  information  see  paragraphs  1.2.2  “Investments”, 
1.4.1.4 “Technology” and 1.4.2 “Principal Markets”.

For  a  description  of  the  challenges  that  must  be  met  to 
maintain  growth,  see  paragraph  1.6.1  “Risks  Related  to  the 
Company’s Business”.

1.4.1.4 

Technology

Dassault  Systèmes  has  a  substantial  commitment  to 
technological  innovation.  Important  areas  of  investment  in 
R&D  include,  among  others,  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform 
foundations and services, Modeling Technologies (3D, systems 
engineering, natural resources & biosystems), technologies for 
product, production and usage realistic simulation, intelligent 
information  technologies  (indexing,  dashboarding  and  also 
project  management  and  compliance)  and  connectivity 
technologies 
(for  social  and  structured  collaboration). 
Moreover,  the  Company’s  R&D  efforts  are  centered  on 
advancing breakthrough user experiences, and expanding the 
reach of its solution with native cloud and mobility solutions.

3DEXPERIENCE platform, based on the V6 organic architecture

Since  1981,  the  Company  has 
introduced  six  versions 
of  its  architecture,  the  most  recent  of  which  is  V6.  The 
V6 software architecture is the foundation of the revolutionary 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform 
that  offers  end-to-end  and 
integrated scientific, engineering, manufacturing and business 
capabilities and services.

 (cid:125) Social  Collaboration  Technologies  and  Services:  The 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  allows  any  business  to  become 
social,  extending  from  structured  project  and  organization 
to  social  and  open  communities.  The  technology  and 
services allow seamless integration of communities, people, 
rich profiles and media with access control and best of breed 
practices  (project  management,  ideation,  wikis,  blogs, 
suggestion engines).

 (cid:125) IP as a Service Technologies: The 3DEXPERIENCE platform 
integrates  Dassault  Systèmes’  brands  and 
industry 
offerings,  with  the  semantic  breadth  and  deepness  to 
handle any kind of corporate Intellectual Property for any 
Product,  Nature  or  Life  data  sets.  IP  Technologies  and 
services  therefore  are  unique  assets  covering  IP  modeling, 
IP  lifecycle  management  and  IP  protection  for  all  social 
industries.

 (cid:125) Cloud  Technologies  and  Services:  The  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  provides  cloud-based  workspaces  services  and 
technologies to enable secured, concurrent, and controlled 
online collaborative environments to share, and innovate on 
any  IP.  This  technology  is  unique,  optimized  for  big  data 
and available for remote usage for a wide variety of industry 
practices.

 (cid:125) Experiences  Play  Technologies  and  Services:  The 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  aims  at  providing  real-time, 
realistic 3D experiences. The Play Technologies and Services 
deliver  unmatched  visualization,  execution,  interactivity, 
and scenarios experience in heterogeneous virtual universes.

3D Modeling Technologies

The Company’s DNA to model and represent as scientifically 
accurate as possible products, nature and life has given birth 
to  a  unique  portfolio  of  modeling  technologies  and  services 
ranging from 3D Modeling to Systems Logical and Functional 
Modeling.  This  applies  to  a  wide  spectrum  of  applicative 
domains  from  Smart/Connected  Products  to  urban  systems, 
to natural resources, to biological systems and chemistry.

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1

Virtual + Real Technologies

Connectivity Technologies

The  3DEXPERIENCE  is  made  possible  by  real-time  realistic 
simulation  of  virtual  universes.  The  Company  has  therefore 
made  significant  investments  in  technologies  and  services, 
enabling  simulation 
from  product’s  complex 
behaviors;  factory  and  production  systems  execution;  and 
consumer  usages  in  everyday  life.  This  relies  on  unique 
assets  for  complexity  management  and  distributed  massive 
multi-discipline execution.

ranging 

Intelligent Information Technologies

information 

Consistent  with  the  Company’s  understanding  of  the 
importance  of  harnessing  and  re-using  data,  the  Company 
acquired  Exalead  during  2010.  With  the  acquisition  of 
Exalead, the Company has significantly expanded its internal 
indexing  and  search  capabilities  technology  and  acquired  an 
important  search-based  infrastructure  for  the  development 
of 
intelligence  applications.  The  Company’s 
search-based  applications  combine  the  sophisticated  search 
and  access  typically  associated  with  databases  with  the 
speed,  scalability  and  simplicity  of  the  Web.  This  allows 
the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  customers  to  tackle  big  data 
challenges and benefit from next generation technologies to 
search, sort, filter, navigate and understand data. The real-time 
dashboarding  technologies  provided  by  Netvibes  are  in  that 
regard a unique combination for all businesses consuming and 
producing massive sets of information.

The  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  is  serving  the  social  industry 
experience  strategy.  With  unique  connectivity  technologies 
and services, allowing people and communities to connect in 
a secure and controlled environment, with mobility and online 
hybrid  environments,  it  enables  a  new  era  of  innovation  on 
extended  ecosystems  and  fosters  a  truly  open  platform 
innovation for all businesses. It also enables improved project 
management,  conformity  to  standards,  process  certification 
for customers and supply chain relationships.

Technology and Software Partners

The  Company  has  established 
long-standing,  technical 
collaborations  with  key  partners  in  order  to  maximize  the 
benefits from available technology and to increase the value 
for  shared  customers.  The  Company’s  technology  alliances 
are  established  with  three  objectives:  to  cover  end-to-end 
solutions  with  holistic  offerings;  to  expand  the  Company’s 
global  network  of  partners  sharing  the  same  interests;  and 
to  integrate  the  latest  features  of  these  technologies  into 
its  solutions.  The  Company  has  a  number  of  technology 
partnerships 
including  among  others,  AMD,  NVIDIA, 
3D Systems, Sculpteo and Z-Space.

The Company has software development partners working in 
each domain of its software solutions. The Company’s largest 
program  with  software  partners  is  its  software  community 
program  that  enables  developers  to  create  and  market  their 
own applications fully integrated with and complementary to 
the Company’s software solutions. See also paragraph 1.6.1.9 
in  Relationships  with  Extended  Enterprise 
“Difficulties 
Partners”.

1.4.2  Principal Markets

1.4.2.1  Overview

1.4.2.2 

3DEXPERIENCE Industries Served

introduction  of 

its 
In  connection  with  the  Company’s 
3DEXPERIENCE  strategy  and  reflecting  its  broad  software 
applications  capabilities,  the  Company  has  organized  itself 
along  three  axis:  (i)  a  strategy  to  cover  customer  processes 
based  upon  an  industry-focused  set  of  offerings,  “Industry 
Solution Experiences” based upon the Company’s underlying 
software  applications  portfolio,  content  and  services;  (ii)  a 
domain-focused group of software applications organized by 
brand in order to ensure a strong focus on the satisfaction of 
end-user needs; and (iii) a global-local-specialized organization 
in order to leverage its global strengths, while at the same time 
ensuring  a  strong  local  understanding  and  field  operations. 
See also paragraph 1.4.1.3 “Growth Strategy”.

The  Company’s  global  customer  base  includes  companies  in 
12  industrial  sectors:  Aerospace  &  Defense;  Transportation  & 
Mobility; Marine & Offshore; Industrial Equipment; High-Tech; 
Architecture, Engineering & Construction; Consumer Goods & 
Retail;  Consumer  Packaged  Goods  &  Retail;  Life  Sciences; 
Energy,  Process  &  Utilities;  Financial  and   Business  Services; 
and Natural Resources.

For its latest full fiscal year 2014, the composition of end-user 
software  revenue  by  major  industry  was  approximately  as 
follows: Transportation & Mobility about 30% (29% in 2013); 
Industrial Equipment about 19% (19% in 2013); Aerospace & 
Defense  about  12%  (14% 
in  2013);  Business  Services 
about  11%  (12%  in  2013);  Marine  &  Offshore  and  Other 
Target Industries about 28% (26% in 2013).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 17

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In connection with the Company’s change in its go-to-market 
strategy  evolution  from  brands  to  industries,  it  began  the 
introduction  of  ‘Industry  Solution  Experiences’  commencing 
in  2012.  The  Company’s  Industry  Solution  Experiences  are 
designed to address key business processes of the respective 
individual  industry  and  are  comprised  of  industry  process 
experiences.

To  deepen  its  penetration  of  each  industry,  the  Company 
undertakes  the  continuing  development  of  industry-specific 
solutions,  both  through 
internal  development  and  by 
acquisition, and increasing its expertise through partnerships 
with  leading  companies  and  system  integrators  and  the 
addition of specialized direct sales and sales partners.

Through strategic alliances with leading IT system integrators, 
service  providers  and  consulting  firms  with  deep  expertise 
in  industry  processes,  the  Company’s  Industry  Solution 
Partnerships  provide  innovative  PLM  solutions  and  services 
by industry or industrial segment to address clients’ business 
challenges.  Based  on  their  strong  competence  in  industries 
and application domains as well as their regional expertise, in 
conjunction with Dassault Systèmes’ products and solutions, 
these  partners  help  to  deliver  innovative  solutions  that 
customers need for success in their business.

See paragraph 1.2.2 “Investments”.

1.4.2.3 

3DEXPERIENCE Business Platform

introduced 

In  February  2014,  the  Company 
its  new 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  and  on  Premise  and  on  the  Cloud 
offerings  for  companies  of  all  sizes.  This  initial  release 
provided an on premise offering including 41 Industry Process 
Experiences  and  183  processes  while  the  Cloud  offering 
was  comprised  of  14  Industry  Process  Experiences  and 
60  processes.  With  the  introduction  of  its  second  release  in 
February 2015 the on premise and in public or private cloud 
portfolio was expanded to  cover  Roles for Users.

The V6 architecture unifies the user experience for all Processes 
and Industries. Built to answer customer and industry specific 
needs  for  ease  of  use  and  lower  training  costs,  it  allows 
customization  and  the  integration  of  customer  data  into  a 
single  environment.  It  provides  a  single  source  for  truth  by 
integrating  all  data  required  to  create  a  Process  experience 
while  eliminating  costly  IT  operations,  such  as  database 
replication.

The  3DEXPERIENCE  R2014x  update 
is  available  to  all 
Version 6 customers, and migration paths are available to the 
Version 5 installed base.

The  3DEXPERIENCE  Process  Portfolio  On  Cloud  is  offered  as 
Software  as  a  Service  (SaaS)  on  a  public  or  private  Cloud  to 
provide increased flexibility and fast deployment. In addition 
to  offering  the  same  software  applications  which  are  also 
available  on  premise  for  a  broad  portfolio  of  Processes  and 
Roles,  it  includes  the  operation  of  the  Cloud  environment  in 
the price of the Processes. The public cloud operates 24 hours 
per  day,  7  days  per  week,  365  days  per  year,  and  includes 
maintenance, licensing, and upgrades. Total Cost of Ownership 
is  improved  by  reducing  requirements  for  computing  and 
storage, as well as facility and human resources costs.

A  single  interface  –  the  3D  Compass  –  provides  easy-to-use 
navigation,  search,  and  collaboration  in  the  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  environment  that  is  extensible  to  any  discipline  in 
a  company  –  engineering,  manufacturing,  simulation,  sales, 
marketing, finance, procurement, and management.

See paragraph 1.4.1.4 “Technology”.

 1.4.2.4 

3DEXPERIENCE Software 
Applications Portfolio – Addressing 
the Needs of its User Communities

The Company’s 3DEXPERIENCE software applications portfolio 
is  designed  to  enable  the  powering  of  3D  realistic  virtual 
experiences  and  is  comprised  of  3D  modeling  applications, 
 simulation  applications,  social  and  collaborative  applications, 
and information intelligence applications.

Since  its  inception,  the  Company  has  focused  on  creating  a 
portfolio  of  leading  brands,  each  focused  on  specific  user 
groups.  The  Company  continues  to  expand  its  brands  and 
create  new  brands  to  meet  the  evolving  needs  of  existing 
and  new  users  across  its  expanded  addressable  market  and, 
in  addition,  began  introducing  in  2012  Industry  Solution 
Experiences. These solutions are designed on an industry-by-
industry  basis,  and  are  designed  to  trigger  and  connect  the 
value created by each discipline in an industry to ensure that 
the Company value stream is not interrupted.

Dassault Systèmes’ investments in research and development 
as well as targeted acquisitions enable the Company to deepen 
and broaden its offerings for customers as well as to bring its 
significant  assets  to  help  advance  innovation  in  other  target 
domains  and  industries.  These  investments  advance  the 
Company’s  brand  portfolio  and  have  led  to  the  introduction 
of several new brands in 2014 including: (i) BIOVIA, focused 
on science driven industries to help them introduce scientific 
innovation  in  the  biologic,  chemical  and  material  sciences; 
and (ii) 3DEXCITE, focused on helping companies across core 
and  other  industries  create  marketing  materials  from  virtual 
product representations.

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 (cid:125) Simulation:  SOLIDWORKS  offers  a  comprehensive  suite 
of  simulation  applications  to  set  up  virtual  real-world 
environments to test product designs before manufacture. 
Tests can be conducted against a broad range of parameters 
during  the  design  process  –  like  durability,  static  and 
dynamic response, motion of assembly, heat transfer, fluid 
dynamics, and plastics injection molding.

 (cid:125) Technical  documentation:  SOLIDWORKS  Composer  allows 
users  to  easily  repurpose  existing  3D  design  data  to  more 
rapidly create and update high quality graphical assets for 
product  deliverables,  including  documentation,  technical 
illustrations, animations, and interactive 3D experiences.

 (cid:125) Electrical  Design:  SOLIDWORKS  Electrical  applications 
provide a range of electrical system design functionality to 
meet the needs of design professionals. All project design 
data is synchronized with real-time, bi-directional updates 
between schematics and the 3D model. Powerful schematic 
design  tools  quickly  develop  embedded  electrical  systems 
for machines or products.

In  February  2015,  SOLIDWORKS  Industrial  Design  was 
introduced,  the  second  SOLIDWORKS  application  to  be 
available  on  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform,  following  the 
launch in 2014 of SOLIDWORKS Conceptual Design (formerly 
called  SOLIDWORKS  Mechanical  Conceptual).  With  Dassault 
Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, SOLIDWORKS Industrial 
Design provides social design capabilities and transparent data 
management  that  allow  engineers  and  designers  to  quickly 
solve  industrial  design  challenges  and  easily  transition  to 
mechanical  design.  Safe,  secure,  intelligent  data  storage  on 
the  cloud  can  be  accessed  anytime  from  anywhere  to  share 
designs,  collaborate  on  ideas,  save  and  evaluate  multiple 
concepts.

In  addition  to  the  products  it  offers  to  SOLIDWORKS  users, 
SOLIDWORKS  operates  a  development  partnership  program 
bringing  together  companies  supplying  complementary 
products that are either compatible with or tightly integrated. 
Through  this  program,  over  300  compatible  products  have 
been  made  available  to  customers  in  many  functional  areas, 
including manufacturing, rapid prototyping and mold design.

CATIA – Shape The World We Live In
CATIA  is  the  Company’s  pioneer  brand  and  is  the  world’s 
leading solution for 3D product design and innovation (source: 
CIMdata).  CATIA,  which  is  used  by  companies  of  all  sizes, 
addresses  the  complete  product  development  process,  from 
early product concept specification through product in service. 
CATIA provides unparalleled user experiences that enable the 
design and engineering of products and systems in a digitally 
accurate 3D world.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 19

3D Modeling Applications 

SOLIDWORKS – Inspiring Innovation
SOLIDWORKS  applications  cover  all  aspects  of  the  product 
development  process  with  a  seamless,  integrated  workflow 
for  design,  simulation,  technical  communication  and  data 
management.  Designers  and  engineers  can  span  multiple 
disciplines with ease, shortening the design cycle, increasing 
productivity  and  delivering  innovative  products  to  market 
faster.

SOLIDWORKS software applications are easy to learn and use 
and  work  together  to  help  professionals  to  design  products 
better,  faster,  and  more  cost  effectively.  The  SOLIDWORKS 
focus  on  ease  of  use  allows  more  engineers,  designers  and 
other  technology  professionals  than  ever  before  to  take 
advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life.

SOLIDWORKS applications include 3D tools to design, manage, 
simulate and communicate.

 (cid:125) 3D  Design:  3D  design  application  for  rapid  creation  of 
parts, assemblies, and 2D drawings with minimal training. 
Application-specific  tools  for  sheet  metal,  weldings, 
surfacing,  and  mold  tool  and  die  make  it  easy  to  deliver 
best-in-class designs.

 (cid:125) Data Management: SOLIDWORKS product data management 
(“PDM”) applications help professionals to get design data 
under  control  and  substantially  improve  the  way  teams 
manage and collaborate on product development.

  
1 Presentation of the Group

Business Activities

CATIA  goes  far  beyond  traditional  3D  CAD  to  offer  a  unique 
ability  to  imagine  and  shape  the  connected  world.  CATIA 
delivers the ability not only to model any product, but to do so 
in the context of product behavior. The CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE 
delivers:

 (cid:125) a  SOCIAL  design  environment  that  drives  business 
intelligence, real-time concurrent design and collaboration;

 (cid:125) an 

INSTINCTIVE  3DEXPERIENCE,  powered  by  top 

3D modeling functionalities;

 (cid:125) an  INCLUSIVE  product  development  platform,  easily 
integrated  with  existing  processes  &  tools  enabling 
everyone to participate in the product design process.

 (cid:125) CATIA Engineering: Engineering Excellence

CATIA Engineering solutions enable the creation of any type 
of  3D  assemblies  for  practically  all  mechanical  engineering 
processes.

They  address  the  specific  requirements  of  a  wide  range  of 
industries and processes, covering for example cast and forged 
parts,  plastic  injection  and  molding  operations,  composites 
part design and manufacturing, sheet metal parts design and 
advanced fastening operations.

Engineers  can  rely  on  CATIA  3D  Modeling  tools  to  define  a 
complete mechanical product, including functional tolerances, 
3D annotations as well as kinematics.

Predefined processes in CATIA empower engineers to deliver 
a  greatly  improved  productivity,  not  only  in  completing  the 
mechanical design more quickly, but also in reducing the time 
to perform changes in product design or in new releases.

 (cid:125) CATIA Design: Delivering Advantage by Design

Successful product designs evoke positive emotional responses 
from  their  consumers.  Creative  designers  need  software 
tools  that  enable  them  to  easily  craft  such  products,  while 
collaborating with engineering on the functional scope. CATIA 
addresses  the  entire  shape  design,  styling,  and  surfacing 
workflow, from industrial design to Class A surfacing. Intuitive 
shape  design  tools  deliver  flexibility  to  simplify  design  of 
any  kind  of  complex  shape,  with  advanced  functionality 
like  reverse  engineering,  real-time  diagnostics,  best-in-class 
unified  surface  modeling,  rapid  propagation  of  design 
changes,  and  high-end  visualization.  CATIA  enables  creative 
designers,  design  studios,  and  engineering  departments  to 
easily  collaborate  and  optimize  both  product  aesthetics  and 
engineering.

 (cid:125) CATIA Systems Engineering: Mastering the cross-discipline 

systems development process

As  the  number  and  complexity  of  embedded  systems 
continues  to  grow,  the  effective  definition,  modeling  and 
simulation  of  these  individual  systems,  and  their  interaction 
with other systems, becomes increasingly important. Systems 
engineering is essential to avoid detecting unexpected system 
interactions  during  the  validation  and  verification  phases  of 
the product development process.

CATIA delivers a unique solution that fully enables and supports 
the cross-discipline systems engineering development process 
from systems definition through to modeling, simulation, and 
verification.

This  solution  provides  a  unified  and  integrated  approach  to 
systems  engineering  that  manages  the  overall  development 
process with cross discipline definition and navigation of the 
many relationships that exist between the different systems 
artifacts that define today’s complex products.

GEOVIA – Virtual Planet
GEOVIA provides Business, Government and Individuals with 
3DEXPERIENCE  Universes  to  Model  and  Simulate  the  Earth 
from the vast expanse of the geosphere to the smallest details 
of urban settlements.

The dramatic increase of the world’s urban population affects 
the  entire  planet,  causing  a  rapid  change  in  the  geosphere, 
and a limited availability of global resources.

GEOVIA  supports  the  sustainable  capture,  use  and  re-use  of 
natural resources across the planet, including minerals, fresh 
water,  air,  oil  and  gas,  and  various  other  forms  of  energy. 
From mining to urbanization, GEOVIA delivers innovations to 
improve life on earth.

Mining
In  mining,  GEOVIA’s  customers  are  increasing  productivity, 
efficiency,  and  safety  during  the  identification  of  extraction 
of natural resources. At the same time, they are also achieving 
a greater level of production predictability and sustainability. 
With  GEOVIA,  geologists,  mining  engineers,  operations 
managers,  and  executives  improve  how  they  model,  plan, 
optimize  and  understand  mining  performance  to  increase 
profitability.

including: 
GEOVIA’s  software  spans  all  mining  phases, 
exploration and evaluation; mine planning; optimization; and 
mine production. Its applications include:

 (cid:125) Geology and Mine Planning: GEOVIA Surpac, GEOVIA GEMS, 
and GEOVIA Minex enable mineral deposits to be modeled 
and their extraction to be designed and planned in 3D;

 (cid:125) Optimization  and  Scheduling:  GEOVIA  Whittle  examines 
the  viability  of  mineral  deposits  in  consideration  of  mine 
designs, mining equipment, and economic factors. GEOVIA 
MineSched  is  used  to  schedule  mine  production.  GEOVIA 
PCBC provides these capabilities for block cave mines;

 (cid:125) Secure, Remote Collaboration: GEOVIA Hub provides secure 
remote collaboration that organizes, centralizes and enables 
the reliable sharing of exploration, planning, and production 
data over low-bandwidth connections;

 (cid:125) Mine  Production  Management:  GEOVIA  InSite  collates 
progress  of  production  activities  and  processes  to  better 
ensure conformance to plan. Real-time data allows for rapid 
response to changing operating conditions and production 
issues.

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Cities
During  2014  the  Company  unveiled  GEOVIACity,  with  the 
objective  to  help  potential  clients  improve  the  quality  of  life 
for  the  citizens  by  creating  better  urban  environments  for 
today  and  tomorrow.  With  GEOVIA,  city  planners  work  in 
a  virtual  world  to  model  and  simulate  the  cityscapes  and  all 
components making up a city to improve their functionnings.

 GEOVIA  3D EXPERIENCity  creates  unique  user  experiences 
that  holistically  model  and  analyze  all  parts  and  processes 
constituent to urban life in the geosphere.

Within the geosphere, human activities continuously relocate 
resources.  In  particular,  urban  settlements  are  aggregations 
and  condensation  points  capturing,  using,  and  reusing  the 
planet’s  natural  resources.  Consequently,  the  effects  of 
urbanization are not limited to the city, but rather affect the 
entire geosphere, the entire planet.

Through  3D  simulation,  the  future  can  be  displayed,  by 
actively  involving  government,  business,  and  individuals  to 
facilitate  critical  decision-making  processes  with  the  aim  to 
harmonize product, nature and life.

BIOVIA – Virtual Biosphere and Materials
BIOVIA  provides  a  scientific  collaborative  environment 
for  biological,  chemical  and  materials  experiences. 
Its 
customers include companies within a number of industries: 
spanning from pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; 
chemicals;  consumer  packaged  goods;  food  and  beverage; 
energy,  high-tech,  including  semiconductor  and  electronics; 
to  transportation  &  mobility,  aerospace  and  academic/
government sectors.

BIOVIA  solutions  create  an  unmatched  environment  for 
creating  and  connecting  biological,  chemical  and  material 
innovations. The industry-leading BIOVIA portfolio integrates 
the  diversity  of  science,  experimental  processes  and 
information  and  compliance  requirements  across  research, 
development, QA/QC (Quality Assurance and Quality Control) 
and manufacturing. BIOVIA capabilities include:

 (cid:125) Collaborative Science – faster discovery by leveraging multi-
disciplinary collaboration, modeling and simulation as well 
as predictive science for the wet lab;

 (cid:125) Unified  Laboratory  Management  –  harmonizing  and 
managing  all  of  the  resources  required  to  conduct 
experiments  within  a  laboratory  and  then  sharing  that 
information  internally  across  the  laboratories  within  an 
organization and externally with a company’s partners;

 (cid:125) Process  Production  Operations  –  providing  real-time, 
on-demand  data  access,  analysis  and 
reporting  of 
manufacturing  and  process  development  data  to  make 
manufacturing process outcomes more predictable;

 (cid:125) Quality  and  Regulatory  Management  –  supporting 
regulatory and quality operations in life sciences and other 
highly regulated industries.

BIOVIA’s  vision  is  to  allow  organizations  to  collaborate  more 
effectively  by  managing  and  sharing  information  across  the 
value chain from research to commercialization, internally and 
externally, with the supply chain and partners. By managing 
and sharing information down to the molecular level, scientists 
can better understand what is happening within a substance, 
whether it is a chemical, a biological entity or a new material.

Integrating  BIOVIA’s  suite  of  scientific  informatics  solutions 
with Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform will create 
significant opportunities for BIOVIA in terms of collaboration, 
project  management,  data  and  content  reuse,  traceability 
and  other  processes,  applications  and  integrations  that  are 
absolutely critical to science-driven industries.

Content and Simulation Applications

SIMULIA – Realistic Simulation
SIMULIA’s  simulation  software  is  used  to  perform  realistic 
virtual  testing  to  improve  the  quality,  reliability  and  safety 
of  their  products.  With  its  simulation  software  engineers 
and  designers  are  able  to  solve  a  wide  array  of  challenging 
problems  –  whether  they  are  developing  wind  turbines, 
trains,  planes,  automobiles,  clothing,  cellphones,  computers 
or medical devices; or researching earthquakes, volcanos and 
oil  and  gas  reservoirs;  or  even  analyzing  the  behavior  of  the 
human body.

In 2014, Dassault Systèmes launched The Living Heart project, 
which leverages SIMULIA’s simulation technology. The project 
unites 
leading  cardiovascular  researchers  and  educators 
with  medical  device  manufacturers,  regulatory  agencies  and 
practicing  cardiologists  to  develop  and  validate  personalized, 
digital  human  heart  models.  The  goal  is  to  evaluate  virtual 
testing paradigms – beginning with the insertion, placement 
and performance of pacemaker leads and other cardiovascular 
devices – to help bring personalized cardiac-patient care closer 
to reality.

SIMULIA has also expanded its technology applications through 
recent acquisitions to include design optimization, simulation 
process automation, durability and fatigue, injection molding 
analysis, and multibody dynamic simulation.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 21

1 Presentation of the Group

Business Activities

As an integral part of the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE 
platform,  SIMULIA  applications  accelerate  the  process  of 
evaluating the performance, reliability, and safety of materials 
and  products  before  committing  to  physical  prototypes.  The 
Company’s global team of simulation experts helps customers 
meet their education, research and development.

 (cid:125) Finite  Element  Analysis  (FEA):  Enables  users  to  create 
virtual prototypes to analyze realistic physical performance 
of  products,  materials  and  processes.  Analysis  capabilities 
enable  designers  and  engineers  to  evaluate  and  improve 
products  for  linear  and  nonlinear  stress,  temperature 
fluctuation,  vibration,  shock,  crash,  drop  contact  between 
parts and more.

 (cid:125) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Provides capabilities 
to gain deeper understanding of how fluids and gasses flow 
through  or  around  products  or  systems,  such  as  piping, 
valves, and human blood vessels.

 (cid:125) Multiphysics  Simulation:  Enables  designers  and  engineers 
to  analyze  two  or  more  interacting  physical  phenomena 
fluid-structure 
within  a  virtual  prototype  such  as: 
interaction,  structural-acoustics,  thermal-electric,  thermal-
fluid-mechanical, among others.

 (cid:125) Plastic 

Injection  Simulation:  Provides  capabilities  for 
designers of injection molds and plastic parts to predict and 
avoid  manufacturing  defects  during  the  earliest  stages  of 
part and mold design. It provides capabilities to simulate the 
filling  and  packing  phases,  clamping  forces  for  tools,  and 
cooling of molds and parts, as well as many others.

 (cid:125) Durability and Fatigue: Enables users to analyze structural 
failure  and  life  expectancy  due  to  repeated  or  random 
loading cycles. It provides capabilities to analyze fatigue life 
and crack locations in metals, elastomers and welded joints.

 (cid:125) Multibody  Dynamics:  Provides  capabilities  for  analyzing 
dynamic  performance  of  mechanical  or  mechatronic 
system.  It  enables  engineers  to  generate  and  solve  virtual 
3D models in order to predict and visualize motion, forces 
and  stresses  including;  high  frequency  transient  analyses, 
into the acoustic range and complex non-linear models with 
flexible bodies and harsh shock contact.

 (cid:125) Design Exploration and Optimization: Empowers designers 
and engineers to automate the process to perform hundreds 
of  design  trade-off  studies  of  real-world  behavior  rapidly 
using  a  full  range  of  tools  for  advanced  workflows  and 
optimization applications.

 (cid:125) Simulation  Process,  Data,  and  Lifecycle  Management: 
Enables  users  to  perform  simulation  and  test  data 
management.  Capabilities  are  provided  for  simplifying 
the  capture  and  deploy  approved  simulation  methods, 
automating standard simulation processes, collaborating on 
performance-based  decisions,  and  managing  and  securing 
simulation-generated intellectual property.

DELMIA – Global Industrial Operations
An  integral  part  of  the  Dassault  Systèmes  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform is the connection between the virtual and real worlds. 
Operational  excellence  requires  harmony  across  design, 
production,  distribution,  human  resources  management  and 
processes.  DELMIA  enables  to  design  and  test  products  in  a 
simulated production environment, and then to plan, produce, 
and manage resources and customer delivery.

DELMIA Digital Manufacturing solutions drive manufacturing 
innovation  and  efficiency  by  digitally  planning,  simulating, 
and  modeling  global  production  processes.  DELMIA  allows 
manufacturers  to  virtually  experience  their  entire  factory 
production.  These  simulation  activities  allow  manufacturers 
to better address and shift processes so as to quickly respond 
to  the  competition,  or  to  take  advantage  of  new  market 
opportunities.

improve  visibility 

Moreover,  DELMIA  Manufacturing  Operations  Management 
solutions  help 
into,  control  over  and 
synchronization across manufacturing operations and supply 
chain processes on a global scale. The ending result is improved 
agility  and  expanded  continuous  improvement  across  the 
enterprise  and  extended  global  supply  chain.  Manufacturers 
leverage  DELMIA  solutions  to  establish  a  common  set  of 
operational  processes  that  can  be  created,  managed  and 
governed holistically.

Further,  Quintiq  Operation  Planning  and  Optimization 
solutions  powers  planning,  scheduling  and  optimization  for 
complex  processes  across  all  planning  horizons.  It  enables 
customers  to  build  on  their  competitive  differentiators  and 
plan for profit by capturing their operational reality – down to 
the last significant detail. Quintiq enables DELMIA customers 
to  integrate  supply  chain  planning  and  optimization  to  plan 
their  workforce,  manufacturing  environment,  and  logistics 
operations.

22 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group
Business Activities

1

1

 (cid:125) Global Product Development: ENOVIA’s applications address 
bill  of  materials  management,  change  management, 
multi-CAx  management  and  systems  engineering  for 
designers, product engineers, manufacturing professionals 
and  others  collaborating  on  product  development.  These 
products help eliminate costly product development errors 
by enhancing collaborative product design, bill of material 
management integration and IP asset management;

 (cid:125) Strategic  Supplier  Relationships:  ENOVIA’s  applications 
address supplier management, supplier quality, procurement 
and sourcing and sampling. Its solutions help buyer agents, 
supplier relationship managers and supplier representatives 
manage their most critical business processes;

 (cid:125) Quality  and  Compliance:  ENOVIA’s  applications  support 
Materials  Compliance,  Auditing,  Document  and  Records 
Management. These products help companies pro-actively 
manage  regulatory  compliance  as  part  of  the  product 
development process;

 (cid:125) IP Classification and Security: ENOVIA’s applications for IP 
Classification and Security provide companies the flexibility 
to collaborate on global scale while maintaining the security 
required for operating their businesses.

3DEXCITE – Marketing in the Age of Experience
3DEXCITE  software,  solutions,  and  imagery  services  provide 
high-end  3D  visualizations  in  real-time.  3DEXCITE  opens 
up  creative  freedom  to  deliver  emotional  assets  for  digital, 
interactive marketing, and sales experiences. From consulting 
to workflow to final visualization assets, 3DEXCITE transforms 
engineering  data  into  powerful  visual  experiences  which  we 
call engineered excitement.

 (cid:125) Software:  3DEXCITE’s  leading  software  applications  and 
technologies form the basis to create 3D visualizations for 
all types of products with the highest visual quality – even 
before they are built. Key products include:

3DVIA – Consumer Experience
3DVIA  provides  enterprises  and  consumers  easy  to  use  and 
fun  3D space planning solutions and services that enable new 
ways to make the best buying decisions. 

For  enterprises,  3DVIA  Home  offers  home  improvement 
retailers  and  brand  manufacturers  an  omnichannel  space 
planning  solution  to  design  the  ideal  kitchen,  bathroom 
or  storage  area.  Retailers  enjoy  cost-effective  high  quality 
leads,  shortened  sales  cycle  and  greater  sales  productivity. 
With  3DVIA  Store,  retailers  test  and  optimize  store  design 
concepts and adapt centralized merchandizing plans to meet 
local store constraints. The result is a better in-store consumer 
experience,  greater  store  adherence  to  brand  guidelines  and 
marketing campaigns and improved results.

For individuals, 3DVIA enables consumers to design and plan 
home projects in a social way. Consumers can find inspiration 
from  thousands  of  other  projects,  build  their  own  concepts 
or  simply  visualize  ideas  quickly  using  dedicated  room 
configurators. Top designers’ and manufacturers’ products, as 
well  as  thousands  of  generic  furniture  selections,  colors  and 
materials empower users to fully customize their projects and 
truly make them unique.

Social and Collaborative Applications

ENOVIA – Collaborative innovation
ENOVIA  enables  companies  to  bring  together  people, 
processes, content and systems involved in product creation, 
development, introduction and maintenance.

process 

applications 

ENOVIA  offers  a  rich  portfolio  of  collaborative  enterprise 
business 
the 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  and  facilitate  business  processes 
interoperability  in  context  of  various  information  and  data 
authoring applications, such as CATIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA and 
other Dassault Systèmes’ solutions.

complete 

that 

ENOVIA applications by business themes include:

 (cid:125) quick & easy visualization: 3DEXCITE Bunkspeed;

 (cid:125) Product Planning and Programs: ENOVIA’s applications for 
Program and Project Management, Contract Management, 
Design History File Management for regulatory compliance 
address  the  needs  for  monitoring  enterprise-wide  critical 
PLM business processes;

 (cid:125) Strategic  Customer  Relationships:  ENOVIA’s  customer 
relationship  portfolio  includes  requirements  management, 
product 
and 
3DMerchandising solutions. These products help companies 
transform  from  designing  products  to  creating  customer 
experiences;

configurator, 

Networking 

Social 

 (cid:125) high-end 3D visualization: 3DEXCITE Deltagen, Deltaview, 

Deltatex;

 (cid:125) visual  asset  management:  3DEXCITE  Picturebook, 

Powerhouse.

Drawing  on  the  innovative  software  applications,  creative, 
interactive solutions cover all aspects of the product lifecycle. 
Solutions  are  structured  along  the  four  key  disciplines  of 
Design, Development, Marketing, and Sales:

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 23

1 Presentation of the Group

Business Activities

 (cid:125) 3DEXCITE Design Solutions enable a borderless workflow, 
allowing designers to continuously review the geometry, 
materials,  and  design  throughout  the  creative  process. 
Dedicated  tools  and  functions  allow  them  to  effectively 
communicate their ideas in real-time, involving consumers 
and decision-makers from the very start;

 (cid:125) 3DEXCITE  Development  Solutions  permit  instant  and 
continuous  visual  and  functional  analysis,  simulation, 
and  review  of  engineering  work.  Highly  realistic  3D 
visualizations allow testing of complex situations in real-
time,  enriched  by  different  types  of  simulation  data, 
leading to extensive cost and time savings;

 (cid:125) 3DEXCITE Marketing Solutions create a seamless interplay 
between  design  and  marketing  disciplines  to  accelerate 
communication from early stages, taking internal awareness 
of a new product to a new level. Global marketing teams 
are only a mouse-click away from the latest visualizations 
of  future  products,  allowing  them  to  fine-tune  for  local 
requirements.  Companies  can  plan  launch  events  even 
before  the  product  is  built  –  thanks  to  cross-channel 
imagery productions based on 3D design data;

 (cid:125) 3DEXCITE Sales Solutions provide the tools for a unique 
product experience – whether at the Point of Sale (PoS), 
at  events,  online,  or  on  the  go.  Its  integrated  approach 
intelligently uses source data created in earlier stages of 
the product development process, helping to significantly 
reduce the sales cycle and facilitating for customers their 
decision process, from try to buy.

 (cid:125) Computer  Generated  Imagery  (“CGI”)  services:  Highest 
visual quality, sophisticated artistic effects, and spellbinding 
interactive  experiences  are  what  make  the  CGI  services 
portfolio  so  unique.  The  main  categories  of  CGI  services 
include:  Stills;  Films  and  animations;  Real-time  interactive 
visuals; and Data preparation.

Information Intelligence Applications

EXALEAD – Data in Business
EXALEAD  has  been  helping  organizations  access,  explore, 
and  analyze  their  most  relevant  information,  delivering  data 
discovery  applications  that  make  sense  of  large  volumes  of 
digital  assets.  Its  breakthrough  experiences,  incorporating 
the EXALEAD CloudView infrastructure, significantly enhance 
customer interaction, digital asset management and machine 
Big Data analysis (Internet of Things, or IoT).

 (cid:125) Customer  Interaction:  Aggregate,  visualize  and  analyze 
information to better know and engage with customers.

With its 360-degree view of customers, EXALEAD OneCall 
unlocks  the  value  of  data  and  information  spread  across 
a  company’s  systems,  freeing  up  call  agents  to  engage 
customers in ways previously not possible.

 (cid:125) Digital  Assets:  Reveal  existing 

information  spread 

throughout the enterprise, capitalize on and reuse it.

EXALEAD  OnePart  quickly  and  efficiently  discovers 
digital  assets  (parts,  assemblies,  designs,  and  supporting 
documentation),  enabling  reuse  to  accelerate  product 
time-to-market  at  lower  cost  and  lower  risk,  leading  to 
duplicate part number avoidance and a significant reduction 
of  inventory.  EXALEAD  OnePart  Reduce  introduces  a  new 
way  to  work,  focused  on  classifying  and  deduplicating 
existing parts, thus decreasing legacy parts, simplifying the 
system, and cutting unnecessary costs tied up in stock.

 (cid:125) Big Data Applications (IoT): Compile, analyze, and uncover 
the value of system-generated data to create new services.

EXALEAD  CloudView  helps  making  sense  of  the  invisible 
for  smart  operational  decision-making.  The  EXALEAD 
CloudView  search  engine  gathers,  aligns  and  enriches 
today’s  distributed,  diverse  machine  data.  Leveraging 
previously  under-utilized  information,  CloudView  provides 
real-time  operational  reporting  and  analytics  to  accelerate 
innovative new product development.

As  part  of  the  Information  Intelligence  quadrant  of  the 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform,  EXALEAD’s  advanced  semantics 
and analytics capabilities deliver information in context across 
industries,  anywhere,  any  time.  Engineered  for  enterprise 
and  web  delivery,  EXALEAD  helps  users  and  decision 
makers  improve  business  processes  and  achieve  competitive 
advantage.

NETVIBES – Dashboard Intelligence
NETVIBES  dashboard  intelligence  helps  enterprises  identify 
and manage everything on real-time, personalized dashboards 
designed  to  enable  better,  faster  decision-making.  All 
employees  can  understand  everything  that  matters  across 
all  internal  systems  and  across  the  social  web,  anywhere, 
anytime, on any device – all in one place. NETVIBES also goes 
beyond business intelligence with real-time, industry-specific 
social  analytics  and  SmartTagging  for  gathering  expert 
human opinions, and it helps users save time with automated 
reporting and intelligent alerts on what matters, 24/7.

24 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group
Business Activities

1

1

1.4.2.5 

Sales and Marketing

The  Company’s  customers  range  from  start-ups,  small 
and  mid-sized  companies  to  the  largest  companies  in  the 
world  as  well  as  educational  institutions  and  government 
departments.  To  ensure  sales  and  marketing  coverage  of  all 
its  customers,  the  Company  has  developed  three  sales  and 
distribution channels, with sales teams combining individuals 
with deep knowledge of their respective industries with brand 
and  domain  specialists.  No  single  customer  or  sales  channel 
partner  represented  more  than  5%  of  the  Company’s  total 
revenue in 2014 and 2013.

 (cid:125) 3DS  Business  Transformation  channel:  sales  to 

large 
companies  and  government  entities  are  generally 
conducted  through  the  Company’s  direct  sales  channel, 
the  3DS  Business  Transformation  channel.  Direct  sales 
represented 58% and  56%  of  revenue  in  2014  and 2013, 
respectively.

 (cid:125) 3DS Value Solutions channel: sales to small and mid-sized 
companies  are  conducted  indirectly  generally  through  the 
Company’s  Value  Solutions  channel,  a  global  network  of 
value-added  resellers  with  Industry  specialization.  This 
channel  represented  23%  and  24%  of  the  Company’s 
revenue in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 (cid:125) 3DS  Professional  channel:  the  3DS  Professional  channel 
is  an  indirect  channel  focused  on  the  volume  market.  It 
is  comprised  of  a  network  of  value-added  resellers  and 
distributors  worldwide  providing  sales, 
local  training, 
services  and  support  to  customers.  Sales  through  this 
channel represented 19% and 20% of the Company’s total 
revenue in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

In  addition  to  its  sales  channels,  the  Company  is  actively 
developing  and  expanding 
relationships  with  system 
integrators with industry and domain expertise.

1.4.2.6 

Education Initiatives

Dassault Systèmes solutions are used in nearly 35,000 schools 
around  the  world.  An  estimated  4  million  students  use  the 
Company’s solutions. Students that apply Dassault Systèmes 
tools  in  school  and  in  research  are  well  prepared  for  their 
future jobs and careers.

As the 3DEXPERIENCE leader in Science Technology Engineering 
and Mathematics (STEM) education, Dassault Systèmes works 

hand-in-hand  with  teachers  all  over  the  world  to  develop 
innovative  pedagogical  curriculum  and  learning  experiences 
through  enhanced  teaching  methods  and  3D  experiences, 
which  will  contribute  to  the  training  for  the  engineers  of 
tomorrow. Dassault Systèmes is committed to help develop the 
21st century global skill sets.

Dassault Systèmes is also one of the founders of key academic 
associations  such  as  the  Global  &  European  Engineering 
Deans  Councils,  the  International  Federation  of  Engineering 
Education Societies or the Cartagena Network of Engineering.

1.4.2.7 

Competition

its  current  product  portfolio,  diversifying 

The  Company  operates  in  a  highly-competitive  marketplace. 
As  it  continues  to  broaden  its  addressable  market,  by 
expanding 
its 
client  base  in  new  sectors  of  activity,  and  developing  new 
applications  and  markets,  the  Company  faces  an  increasing 
level  of  competition,  from  new  competitors  ranging  from 
technology start-ups to the largest technology companies in 
the  world.  The  Company’s  competitors  generally  compete 
with it in specific areas of its portfolio or in a specific set of 
industries, but due to the breadth of the Company’s activities, 
no single company competes with it across its entire scope.

The  Company’s  competitors  include  Siemens  PLM  Software 
(a  business  unit  of  Siemens  Industry  Automation  Division), 
PTC  Inc.  and  Autodesk  Inc.  (principally  with  respect  to 
the  Company’s  SOLIDWORKS  product  line)  who  generally 
compete  with  it  on  a  worldwide  basis.  Competitors  also 
include companies focusing on specific domains or industries, 
including  among  others  Oracle  and  SAP  with  respect  to 
ENOVIA,  DELMIA  and  Quintinq  software  applications  and 
Altair  Engineering,  ANSYS  Inc.,  and  MSC  Software,  among 
others, with respect to SIMULIA software applications.

In  the  Company’s  overall  addressable  market,  additional 
software developers competing with the Company in specific 
applications  or  industries  include,  among  others,  Adobe, 
Autonomy  (owned  by  Hewlett  Packard),  Aveva,  Bentley, 
Intergraph  (owned  by  Hexagon  AB),  Microsoft,  Nemetschek 
AG,  Right  Hemisphere  (owned  by  SAP),  and  other  software 
companies  in  the  mining  sector  or  offering  information 
intelligence and social enterprise innovation and collaboration 
software capabilities, and developers in all areas of molecular 
 optimizing  processes  or  digital 
chemistry  or  biology, 
marketing.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 25

1 Presentation of the Group

Research and Development

1.4.3  Material Contracts

Other  than  contracts  entered  into  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
business,  the  Company’s  material  contracts  are  principally 
the distribution agreements with its value-added resellers, as 
described in paragraph 1.4.2.5 “Sales and Marketing”, and the 
strategic partnership contracts described in paragraph 1.4.1.4 
“Technology” (see “Technology and Software Partners”).

In  2011  Dassault  Systèmes  announced  its  investment  in 
Outscale,  a  start-up  to  provide  Cloud  operator  services,  and 
signed an agreement to use these services.

 In June 2013, the Company entered into a term loan facility 
agreement for €350 million, which will be repaid in July 2019. 
See paragraph 3.1.4 “Capital Resources” and Note 20 to the 
consolidated financial statements.

The  Company  signed  long-term  leases  (for  12  years)  for  its 
corporate headquarters in Vélizy-Villacoublay, France (the 3DS 
Paris Campus) in 2008 and for its offices, technology lab and 
data center in Waltham, outside Boston, United States (the 3DS 
Boston Campus) in 2010. In February 2013, the Company has 
committed  to  lease  an  additional  13,000  square  meters  of 
office space and to enter into a new lease for its headquarters 
facilities for a non-cancelable initial term of 10 years which will 
take effect during the first quarter of 2017 when construction 
is expected to be completed. See paragraph 1.6.2.3 “Liquidity 
Risk” and Note 25 to the consolidated financial statements.

1.5  Research and Development

1.5.1  Overview

At December 31, 2014, the Company’s R&D teams included 
5,562  personnel,  compared  to  4,774  at  year-end  2013, 
representing  approximately  42%  of  the  Company’s  total 
headcount.  The  Company  increased  its  total  R&D  headcount 
by 16.5% in 2014 and by 8% in 2013, principally reflecting 
growth in R&D resources through acquisitions for both periods.

The  Company  has  research  facilities  located  primarily  in 
France, the United States and Germany, as well as in India, the 
United  Kingdom,  Malaysia,  Poland,  Netherlands,  Australia, 
and Canada.

R&D expenses totaled €409.7 million for 2014, compared to 
€375.5  million  for  2013,  increasing  9.2%,  or  approximately 
11%  excluding  net  positive  currency  effects.  R&D  costs 
benefited  from  government  grants  and  other  governmental 
programs  supporting  R&D  of  €43.1  million  in  2014  and 
€27.4  million  in  2013.  These  government  grants  include 
research and development tax credits received in France.

The  Company’s  R&D  is  conducted  in  close  cooperation  with 
users and customers in their respective industries to develop 
a  deeper  understanding  of  the  unique  business  processes  of 
these  industries  as  well  as  the  future  product  directions  and 
requirements of its users and customers.

1.5.2 

Intellectual Property

its  technology  by  applying  a 
The  Company  protects 
combination  of  IP  rights 
including  copyrights,  patents, 
trademarks  and  trade  secrets.  The  Company  distributes  its 
software products to its customers under licenses that grant 

software  utilization  rights  and  not  ownership  rights.  The 
contracts contain various provisions protecting the Company’s 
IP rights over its technology, as well as related confidentiality 
rights.

26 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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Risk factors

1

1

The  source  code  (set  of  instructions  under  an  intelligible 
form,  and  used,  once  compiled,  to  generate  the  object  code 
licensed to clients and partners) of the Company’s products is 
protected both as a copyrighted work and as a trade secret. In 
addition, some of the key capabilities of its software products 
are protected through patents whenever possible.

However, no assurance can be given that others will not copy 
or  otherwise  obtain  and/or  use  the  Company’s  products 
or  technology  without  authorization.  In  addition,  effective 
copyright,  trade  secret,  trademark  and  patent  protection  or 
enforcement may be unavailable or limited in certain countries.

The  Company  is  nevertheless  engaged  in  an  active  policy 
against  piracy  and  takes  systematic  measures  to  prevent 
the  illegal  use  and  distribution  of  its  products,  ranging  from 
regularizing illegal use to initiating legal proceedings.

With regard to trademarks, the Company’s policy is to register 
trademarks  for  its  principal  products  and  services  in  the 
countries  where  it  does  business.  Such  registrations  are  a 
combination of international trademark, European Community 
trademarks and/or national registrations.

In order to protect its technology and key product capabilities, 
the  Company  generally  files  patent  applications  in  countries 
where  many  of  its  main  customers  and  competitors  are 
located. At year-end 2014, the Company’s portfolio comprised 
326  protected  inventions,  including  49  new  inventions  in 
2014. Patents have been granted in one or more countries for 
more than half these inventions, and patents for the others are 
pending.  When  a  patent  filing  is  deemed  unsuitable,  certain 
inventions  are  kept  secret,  with  the  proof  of  creation  being 
saved. The Company also has a cross-license policy for patents 
with major players in its industry. The acquisition of Accelrys 
increased the portfolio of around a hundred additional patents, 
in addition to the figures mentioned hereinbefore.

See  paragraph  1.6.1  “Risks  Related  to  the  Company’s 
Business”,  and  particularly  paragraph  1.6.1.2  “Challenges  to 
the Company’s Intellectual Property Rights” for the difficulties 
in  ensuring  adequate  protection  for  the  Company’s  own 
intellectual  property,  and  paragraph  1.6.1.10  “Infringement 
of  Third-Party  Intellectual  Property  Rights  and  Licensing 
of  Third-Party  Technology”  for  risks  concerning  possible 
third-party allegations of unauthorized use of their intellectual 
property.

1.6  Risk factors

The Risk Factors are set out hereafter in two main categories: 
risks related to the Group’s Business (1.6.1) and financial and 
market  risks  (1.6.2).  These  are  the  main  risks  identified  as 
being material, relevant and liable to have a negative impact 
on  the  Company’s  business  and  financial  position  as  of  the 

date  on  which  this  Annual  Report  (Document de référence) 
was filed with the AMF. However, other risks not mentioned 
or  not  yet  identified  can  affect  the  Company,  its  financial 
position,  its  reputation,  its  outlook  or  the  share  price  of 
Dassault Systèmes SA.

1.6.1  Risks Related to the Company’s Business

1.6.1.1  Uncertain Global Economic 

Environment

In  light  of  the  continuing  uncertainties  regarding  economic, 
business, social and geopolitical conditions at the global level, 
the  Company’s  revenue,  net  earnings  and  cash  flows  may 
grow  more  slowly,  whether  on  an  annual  or  quarterly  basis, 
mainly due to the following factors:

 (cid:125) the deployment of the Company’s solutions may represent 
a  large  portion  of  a  customer’s  investments  in  software 
technology.  Decisions  to  make  such  an  investment  are 
impacted  by  the  economic  environments  in  which  the 
customers  operate.  Uncertain  global  economic  conditions 
and  the  lack  of  visibility  or  the  lack  of  financial  resources 

may cause some customers to reduce, postpone or terminate 
their investments, or to reduce or not to renew ongoing paid 
maintenance  for  their  installed  base.  Such  situations  may 
impact the Company’s revenues;

 (cid:125) the automotive and industrial equipment industries, which 
represent  a  significant  part   of  the  Company’s  revenue, 
have been and will continue to be impacted by the current 
economic  context,  just  as  other  industry  sectors  such  as 
mining, energy or construction;

 (cid:125) the sales cycle of the Company’s products – already relatively 
long  due  to  the  strategic  nature  of  such  investments  for 
customers  –  could  further  lengthen  due  to  the  uncertain 
global economic context; and

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 27

1 Presentation of the Group

Risk factors

 (cid:125) the  political,  economic  and  monetary  situation  in  certain 
geographic  regions  where  the  Company  operates  could 
continue to deteriorate.

The Company makes every effort to take into consideration this 
uncertain  macroeconomic  outlook.  The  Company’s  business 
results, however, may not develop as anticipated. Furthermore, 
due to factors affecting sales of the Company’s products and 
services as described above, there may be a substantial time 
lag between an improvement in global economic and business 
conditions and an upswing in the Company’s business results.

The current economic context may also adversely impact the 
financial situation or financing capabilities of the Company’s 
potential  and  existing  customers,  reseller  network  and 
technology partners, some of whom may be forced to cease 
operations  due  to  cash  flow  and  profitability  issues.  The 
Company’s  ability  to  collect  outstanding  receivables  may  be 
affected.  In  addition,  the  uncertain  economic  environment 
could  generate  increased  price  pressure,  as  customers  seek 
lower prices from various competitors, which could negatively 
impact  the  Company’s  revenue,  financial  performance  and 
market position.

Finally,  given  public  debt  challenges,  an  increase  in  tax 
pressure  resulting  from  either  the  modification  of  current 
tax  structures,  the  creation  of  new  taxes  or  more  aggressive 
positions taken by tax administrations could have a negative 
effect on the Company’s business results.

To  limit  the  impact  of  the  economic  environment  on  its 
business  and  financial  results,  the  Company  continues  to 
further  diversify  its  customer  base  through  expanding  its 
presence in new business sectors and new geographic markets 
(see  paragraph  3.1.2  “Consolidated 
Information:  2014 
Compared to 2013” for the breakdown of consolidated Group 
revenue by geographic region). It also continues to ensure that 
its costs are controlled for the entire organization.

1.6.1.2 

Challenges to the Company’s 
Intellectual Property Rights

is  heavily  dependent  upon 

its 
The  Company’s  success 
proprietary  software  technology.  The  Company  relies  on  a 
combination of copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret law 
and contractual restrictions to protect the proprietary aspects 
of its technology. These legal protections don’t provide a full 
coverage  of  the  Company’s  products  and  can  be  breached 
by  third  parties.  In  addition,  effective  copyright,  patent, 
trademark and trade secret protection may be unavailable or 
limited in certain countries where IP rights are less protected 
than  in  the  United  States  or  Western  Europe.  If,  despite  the 
Company’s strategies for protecting its IP, certain third-parties 
are  able  to  develop  similar  technology,  a  reduction  in  the 

Company’s  software  revenues  may  result.  Furthermore, 
although the Company entered  into confidentiality and license 
its  employees,  distributors,  customers 
agreements  with 
and  potential  customers,  and  limits  access  to  and  carefully 
controls  the  distribution  of  its  software,  documentation 
and  other  proprietary 
information,  the  measures  taken 
may  be  inappropriate  to  deter  misappropriation  or  prevent 
independent  third-party  development  of  the  Company’s 
technology.

In  addition,  like  most  of  its  competitors,  the  Company  faces 
a  significant  level  of  piracy  of  its  leading  products,  by  both 
individuals  and  groups  acting  worldwide,  which  could 
potentially affect the Company’s growth in specific markets.

Litigation  may  be  necessary  to  enforce  the  Company’s  IP 
rights and determine the validity and scope of the proprietary 
rights of third-parties. Any litigation could result in substantial 
costs and diversion of Company resources and could seriously 
harm the Company’s operating results. The Company may not 
prevail  in  any  such  litigation  and  its  IP  rights  may  be  found 
invalid or unenforceable.

In  order  to  protect  its  IP,  the  Company  regularly  registers 
patents for its most advanced innovations and systematically 
registers  copyrights.  The  Company  continues  to  extend  its 
anti-piracy  strategy, which is proving effective.

1.6.1.3 

Product Errors, Defects 
and Installation Problems

Sophisticated software often contains errors, defects or other 
performance  problems  when  first  introduced  or  when  new 
versions or enhancements are released. If the Company is not 
able to correct in a timely manner errors or defects discovered in 
its current or future products or provide an adequate response 
to its customers, the Company may need to expend significant 
financial, technical and management resources, or divert some 
of its development resources, to resolve or work around those 
defects. The Company may also incur an increase in its service 
and warranty costs.

in  the 
Errors,  defects  or  other  performance  problems 
Company’s  products  may  also  result  in  the  loss  of,  or  delay 
in,  the  market  acceptance  of  its  products  or  postponement 
of  customer  deployment.  Such  difficulties  could  also  cause 
the  Company  to  lose  customers  and,  particularly  in  the 
case  of  its  largest  customers,  the  potentially  substantial 
associated  revenues  which  would  have  been  generated  by 
its sales to companies participating in the customer’s supply 
chain.  Technical  problems,  or  the  loss  of  a  customer  with  a 
particularly  important  global  reputation,  could  also  damage 
the Company’s own business reputation and cause the loss of 
new business opportunities.

28 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group
Risk factors

1

1

Finally, the Company could experience problems in installing 
complex  solutions  with  certain  customers  as  a  result  of  the 
customer’s infrastructure and software environment.

Because product errors, defects or installation problems could 
result in significant financial or other damage to its customers, 
such  customers  could  pursue  claims  against  the  Company. 
A  product  liability  claim  brought  against  Dassault  Systèmes, 
even if not successful, would likely be time consuming for its 
management and costly to defend and could adversely affect 
the Company’s marketing efforts.

To reduce the risk of product errors or defects, the Company 
carries out advanced testing of its new products, releases, and 
versions prior to market launch. The Company also works as 
closely  as  possible  with  its  customers  to  ensure  successful 
product installation.

The Company has also subscribed  to an “Errors & Omissions” 
insurance  policy  covering  possible  defects  in  its  products, 
although  insurance  carried  by  the  Company  may  only 
partially  offset  the  cost  of  correcting  significant  errors 
(see paragraph 1.6.3 “Insurance”).

1.6.1.4 

Currency Fluctuations

The  Company’s  results  of  operations  have  been  affected  by 
changes and high volatility in exchange rates in 2014, and are 
likely to be affected again in the future. In particular, exchange 
rate fluctuation of the Japanese yen or of the U.S. dollar relative 
to the euro, can impact revenues and expenses recorded in the 
Company’s  statement  of  income  upon  translation  of  other 
currencies into euro.

The Company bills its customers in major currencies, principally 
euros, U.S. dollars and Japanese yen. The Company also incurs 
expenses in different currencies, principally euros, U.S. dollars 
and  Japanese  yen,  depending  on   the  Company’s  employees 
and  suppliers  location  in  different  countries.  Moreover,  the 
Company  engages  in  mergers  and  acquisitions,  particularly 
outside  the  euro  zone  and  may  lend  money  in  different 
currencies  to  its  wholly  or  partially  owned  subsidiaries 
or affiliates.

Although  the  Company  currently  benefits  from  a  natural 
coverage  of  most  of  its  exposure  to  U.S.  dollars  from  an 
operating margin perspective, the loss of revenue if the euro 
regains strength against the dollar may still negatively impact 
the  Company’s  operating  income,  net  income  and  earnings 
per share. In addition, the Company’s revenues denominated 
in Japanese yen, Korean won and British pound substantially 
outweigh  its  expenditures  in  these  currencies.  As  a  result, 
the  Company’s  financial  results  are  exposed  to  a  potential 
depreciation  in  the  value  of  these  currencies  –  in  particular 
the Japanese yen – relative to the euro, which could adversely 
affect the Company’s revenue, as well as its operating income, 
operating margin, net income and earnings per share.

The Company’s net financial revenue can also be significantly 
affected by changes in exchange rates between the time the 
revenue is recognized and when cash payments are received, 
and between the time an expense is recorded and when it is 
paid.  Any  such  differences  are  accounted  for  in  the  “foreign 
exchange  gain/loss”  caption  of  the  Company’s  financial 
statements.

The  main  items  of  financial  income  subject  to  fluctuations 
linked to exchange rates are:

 (cid:125) the  difference  between  the  exchange  rate  used  to  record 
invoices in foreign currencies and the exchange rate when 
the Company receives or makes the payment; and

 (cid:125) the 

revaluation  of  monetary  assets  and 

liabilities 

denominated in foreign currencies.

To  address  the  risks  created  by  currency  fluctuations,  the 
Company  carries  out  hedging  operations  on  a  case-by-case 
basis (see Note 21 to the consolidated financial statements).

Since  market  growth  rates  for  the  Company’s  software 
applications  and  the  revenue  growth  rates  of  its  significant 
competitors  are  computed  in  U.S.  dollars,  such  growth  rates 
from period to period may not be comparable to the Company’s 
euro-computed revenue growth rates for the same periods.

Finally, in spite of less stress on sovereign debt and financial 
institutions, the Company continues to maintain a strengthened 
review of the quality of its investments and remains vigilant as 
to the liquidity of its assets (see paragraphs 1.6.2.3 “Liquidity 
Risk” and 1.6.2.4 “Credit or Counterparty Risk”).

1.6.1.5 

Security of Internal Systems 
and Facilities

The  Company’s  R&D  facilities  are  computer-based  and  rely 
entirely  on  the  proper  functioning  of  complex  software  and 
integrated  hardware  systems.  However,  it  is  not  possible 
to  guarantee  the  uninterrupted  operation  and  complete 
security  of  these  systems.  For  example,  the  invasion  of  the 
Company’s  computer-based  systems  by  either  computer 
hackers or industrial pirates could interfere with their proper 
functioning  and  cause  substantial  damage,  loss  of  data  or 
delays in on-going R&D activities. Computer viruses, whether 
deliberately  or  unintentionally  introduced,  could  also  cause 
similar  damage,  loss  or  delays.  The  increasing  use  of  mobile 
devices (cellular telephones and portable computers) linked to 
certain of the Company’s computer systems tends to increase 
the risk of unauthorized access as a result of their loss or theft.

In addition, because the Company’s key facilities are located 
in  a  limited  number  of  sites,  including  Japan  and  California, 
which  may  be  exposed  to  earthquakes,  substantial  physical 
damage to any one of the Company sites, by natural causes or 
by attack or local violence, could materially reduce its ability to 
continue its normal business operations.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 29

1 Presentation of the Group

Risk factors

If  any  of  these  circumstances  were  to  arise,  the  resulting 
damage, loss or delays could have a material negative impact 
on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial 
condition.

In order to reduce this risk, the Company therefore maintains 
an IT security framework, including intrusion protection, data 
storage back-up and restricted access to critical and sensitive 
information, and also subscribes to insurance policies covering 
these risks (see paragraph 1.6.3 “Insurance”).

1.6.1.6  Market introduction of a New Services 
Offering for Cloud Computing

Dassault  Systèmes  is  developing  and  distributing  a  services 
offering  for  the  online  use  of  certain  of  its  products  (SaaS) 
based  on  a   cloud  computing   infrastructure.  It  continues  to 
grow its portfolio of software solutions and processes available 
on  the  cloud.  As  a  result,  Dassault  Systèmes  manages  data 
hosting on behalf of its customers and therefore has increased 
responsibility  toward  its  clients,  particularly  with  respect  to 
uninterrupted  access  to  online  service  and  confidentiality  of 
hosted data.

The  progressive  roll  out  of  these  services  and  their 
distribution also involves the deployment of new support and 
management  processes  (for  example,  processing  orders  and 
billing). The Company will also become exposed to a complex 
legal  environment  and  could  have  increased  risk  regarding 
regulatory compliance in the countries where it has operations.

In case of difficulties in providing its clients with online services 
under  appropriate  conditions,  the  Company’s  revenues, 
results of operations and competitive position, as well as the 
reputation of Dassault Systèmes, could be negatively affected.

The Company is seeking to minimize these risks by developing 
alliances with partners with recognized technical capabilities, 
and by simulating and controlling, to the extent possible, the 
technical, legal, and financial consequences of processes put 
in place to serve its customers.

1.6.1.7 

Legal Proceedings

As a result of its business activity, the Company is subject to a 
variety of claims and lawsuits. The Company’s risk of litigation 
and  administrative  proceedings  increases  as  it  expands  its 
activities, enhances its position and visibility on the software 
market,  develops  new  approaches  to  its  business  (product 
distribution  and  online  services)  and  as  the  legal  and  tax 
regulations with which it must comply grow increasingly more 
complex. Litigation can be lengthy, expensive, and disruptive 
to  the  management  of  Company  operations.  Results  cannot 
be  predicted  with  certainty,  and  adverse  outcomes  in  some 

or all of the claims pending against the Company may result 
in  significant  monetary  damages  or  injunctive  relief  against 
the Company that could adversely affect its ability to conduct 
business. Actual outcomes of litigation and other claims may 
differ from management expectations, which could result in a 
material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position 
and results of operations.

The  Company’s  legal  department,  assisted  by  technical 
experts,  monitors  on  a  regular  basis  all  outstanding  claims 
and litigations (see also paragraph 4.3 “Legal and Arbitration 
Proceedings”  and  Note  25  to  the  consolidated  financial 
statements),  some  of  which  may  be  covered  by  insurance 
(see paragraph 1.6.3 “Insurance”).

1.6.1.8 

Competition and Pricing Pressure

In  the  past  few  years,  there  have  been  fewer  contenders  in 
the  Company’s  historical  software  markets,  which  may  lead 
to the adoption by competitors of business models different 
from  Dassault  Systèmes’  model  and  thus  a  substantial 
decline in pricing which could require the Company to adapt 
to  a  substantially  different  commercial  environment.  These 
competitive  pricing  pressures  could  cause  competitive  wins 
by  competitors  and  could  negatively  impact  the  Company’s 
revenue, financial performance and market position.

In  addition,  by  regularly  expanding  its  product  portfolio, 
entering new geographic markets, diversifying its client base 
in new sectors of activity, and developing new applications for 
its products, the Company encounters new competitors. Such 
competitors could have, as a result of their size or prior presence 
in these markets, financial, human or technological resources 
not  readily  available  to  the  Company.  The  development  of 
cloud  computing  offers  may  also  lead  to  new  contenders 
entering  the  market.  The  Company’s  ability  to  expand  its 
competitive position may thus be reduced.

In  the  event  the  Company  has  difficulties  setting  up  the 
infrastructures  needed  to  manage  its  businesses  and  the 
new competitive context, the revenues, results of operations, 
competitive  position  and  reputation  of  Dassault  Systèmes 
could be negatively impacted.

1.6.1.9  Difficulties in Relationships 

with Extended Enterprise Partners

The  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE  strategy  requires  a  fully 
integrated  platform  with  access  to  computer-aided  design 
(“CAD”), simulation and manufacturing and data management 
products,  which  are 
increasingly  complex  and  whose 
installation  at  the  customer  represents  significant  enterprise 
projects. To implement its 3DEXPERIENCE strategy, Dassault 

30 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group
Risk factors

1

Systèmes  has  developed  an  extended  enterprise  model  and 
partners with other companies in areas such as:

be  brought,  regardless  of  its  merits.  If  the  Company  fails  to 
prevail in IP litigation, it may be required to:

 (cid:125) computer  hardware  and  technology,  to  maximize  benefits 

 (cid:125) cease  making,  licensing  or  using  the  products  or  services 

from available technology;

that incorporate the challenged IP;

1

 (cid:125) product  development,  to  enable  software  developers  to 
create  and  market  their  own  software  applications  using 
Dassault Systèmes’ open product architecture; and

 (cid:125) obtain and pay for licenses from the holder of the infringed 
IP right, which might not be available on acceptable terms 
for Dassault Systèmes, if at all; or

 (cid:125) consulting  and  services,  to  support  and  accompany 

customers as needed to deploy 3DEXPERIENCE .

The  Company  believes  that  its  partnering  strategy  allows  it 
to  benefit  from  complementary  resources  and  skills  and  to 
reduce  costs  while  achieving  broader  market  coverage.  The 
Company’s  broad  partnering  strategy  nevertheless  creates  a 
degree of dependency on such partners.

The  Company’s  ability  to  establish  partner  relationships 
for  the  development  and  deployment  of  its  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform is an important element of its strategy.

Serious  difficulties  in  the  Company’s  relationships  with  its 
partners, or an unfavorable change of control of these partners, 
may  adversely  affect  the  Company’s  product  and  business 
development,  and  could  cause  it  to  lose  the  contribution  of 
the  employees  or  contractors  of  the  Company’s  partners, 
particularly in the area of R&D. In addition, any failure by the 
Company’s partners to deliver products of quality or according 
to the expected timing may cause delays in the delivery of, or 
deficiencies in, the Company’s own products.

In  addition  to  its  own  sales  force,  the  Company  also  relies 
on  an  international  network  of  distributors  and  value-added 
resellers.  The  type  of  relationship  that  the  Company  has 
with its distributors and value-added resellers as well as their  
financial and technical reliability could impact the Company’s 
ability to sell and deploy its product and services offering.

Due  to  the  rapid  evolution  of  the  software  development 
and  distribution  sectors,  it  is  difficult  to  ensure  the  long-
term  success  of  the  relationship  with  any  particular  partner. 
However,  whenever  entering  into  a  relationship  with  a  new 
partner,  the  Company  carefully  considers  the  potential  new 
partner’s technical and financial viability.

1.6.1.10 

Infringement of Third-Party 
Intellectual Property Rights and 
Licensing of Third-Party Technology

Third-parties,  including  the  Company’s  competitors,  may 
own or obtain copyrights, patents or other proprietary rights 
that  could  restrict  the  Company’s  ability  to  further  develop, 
use, or sell its own product portfolio. Dassault Systèmes has 
received,  and  may  in  the  future  receive,  letters  of  complaint 
alleging  that  its  products  infringe  the  patents  and  other  IP 
rights of others. Such claims could cause the Company to incur 
substantial costs to defend itself in any litigation which may 

 (cid:125) redesign its products, which could involve substantial costs 
and require the Company to interrupt product licensing and 
product releases, or which may not be feasible at all.

In addition, the Company embeds in its products an increasing 
number  of  third-party  components  selected  either  by  the 
Company itself or by companies which it acquires over time. 
Although Dassault Systèmes has implemented strict approval 
processes to certify the originality of third-party components 
and  verify  any  corresponding  licensing  terms,  the  same 
approval processes may not have been adopted by companies 
acquired by Dassault Systèmes before their acquisition. As a 
result,  the  use  of  third-party  embedded  components  in  the 
Company’s  products  generates  exposure  to  the  risk  that  a 
third-party will claim that these components infringe their IP 
rights. Also, due to the use of third-party components, there 
is  also  a  risk  that  such  license(s)  might  expire  or  terminate 
without renewal, thereby affecting certain Company products.

If any of the above situations were to occur for a significant 
product,  it  could  have  a  material  adverse  impact  on  the 
Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

The  Company  seeks  to  limit  this  risk  through  a  process  for 
certifying the origins of its products with respect to IP before 
making them available for sale.

1.6.1.11  Organizational and Management 

Challenges Arising from the Evolution 
of the Company

through 

its  addressable  market 

Dassault  Systèmes  has  continued  to  expand  through 
acquisitions and internal development, and has substantially 
launching 
increased 
3DEXPERIENCE.  The  Company’s  management  policies  and 
internal  systems  must  be  adapted  on  an  on-going  basis 
to  meet  the  needs  of  a  larger,  more  complex  structure  and 
implement the Company’s strategy to reach a broader market. 
The  Company  must  also  continue  to  reorganize  itself  to 
maintain  efficiency,  while  ensuring  customer  retention  and 
the integration of newly acquired companies. If the Company 
does not address these issues effectively and on a timely basis, 
the Company’s product development, internal processes, cost 
management  and  commercial  operations  could  be  impacted 
or  fail  to  satisfy  adequately  market  or  customer  demands, 
which  could  negatively  impact  its  financial  or  operational 
performances.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 31

1 Presentation of the Group

Risk factors

In  addition,  in  order  to  realize  acquisitions  or  investments, 
the  Company  may  use  significant  financial  resources,  make 
potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities or incur debt.

Moreover,  these  operations  may  require  the  Company  to 
recognize  amortization  of  acquired  intangible  assets  and/or 
depreciation  of  goodwill  in  case  of  impairment  (see  Note  2 
to  the  consolidated  financial  statements).  Minority  interests 
in  unaffiliated  partners  or  other  investments  may  also  have 
to  be  written  down  in  the  Company  accounts  as  a  result  of 
impairment. Acquired companies may also carry risks related 
to  commitments  or  contingent  liabilities,  including  litigation 
risk related to pre-acquisition events (for example, see above 
the  risk  of  claims  that  embedded  components  violate  third-
party  IP  rights).  Each  of  these  potential  consequences  of 
an  investment  or  acquisition  could  reduce  the  Company’s 
operating margin, cash, or net income.

The Company seeks to adjust on a regular basis its organization 
and  management  model  to  support  its  current  level  of 
growth  by  enhancing  its  geographic-based  organization  and 
constantly improving the productivity of its sales force in order 
to serve its customers in close proximity to their local markets.

1.6.1.12  Retention of Key Personnel 

and Executives

The Company’s success depends to a significant extent upon 
the continued service of its key managers and highly qualified 
personnel,  in  particular  in  R&D,  technical  support  and  sales 
management, and on its ability to continue to attract, retain 
and  motivate  qualified  personnel  as  well  as  keep  their  skills 
continuously up to date in line with the organizational needs. 
In  particular,  if  the  Company  fails  to  hire  on  a  timely  basis 
and  retain  highly  skilled  sales  forces,  revenue  may  grow 
more slowly. The competition for such employees is intense, 
and  if  the  Company  loses  the  ability  to  hire  and  retain  key 
employees  and  executives  with  a  diversity  and  high  level  of 
skills in appropriate domains (such as R&D and sales), it could 
have a material adverse impact on its business activities and 
operating results. The Company does not maintain insurance 
with respect to the loss of key personnel.

In order to limit this risk, the Company has put in place training, 
career  development  and  long-term  compensation  incentives 
to  attract  and  retain  key  personnel  and  executives,  and  has 
also  diversified  its  R&D  resources  in  different  regions  of  the 
world. The identification of key personnel also constitutes an 
important  step  in  the  process  of  integrating  newly  acquired 
companies into the Company.

1.6.1.13  Complex International Regulatory 

Environment

The Group’s acquisitions help it extend its geographic footprint 
by strengthening its position in countries where it previously 
had not been, or had only marginally been present until now, 
through  increasing  the  breadth  of  its  business,  the  diversity 
of its customers (particularly individuals). Due to these factors 
and to its listing on the French stock exchange, the Company 
is  subject  to  complex  and  rapidly  evolving  laws,  regulations 
and  requirements.  The  complex  laws  and  regulations  to 
which  the  Company  is  subject  apply  to  general  business 
practices,  competitive  practices,  handling  of  personal  data, 
consumer protection, financial reporting standards, corporate 
governance,  internal  controls,  local  and  international  tax 
regulations and export compliance for high-tech products.

The  Company  seeks  to  have  fully  compliant  practices 
and  requires  its  subsidiaries  to  respect  the  regulations  of 
the  countries  where  they  have  activities.  The  failure  or 
suspected  failure  to  comply  with  any  of  these  regulations 
may result in increased regulatory scrutiny through inquiries 
or  investigations,  adverse  media  attention  and  fines  and 
sanctions, as well as an increase to the Company’s litigation 
risk  or  limits  on  the  Company’s  business  operations.  A 
number  of  these  adverse  consequences  could  occur  even  if 
it  is  ultimately  determined  that  there  has  been  no  failure  to 
comply. There can be no assurance that additional regulation 
in  any  of  the  jurisdictions  in  which  the  Company  currently 
operates, or may operate in the future, would not significantly 
increase the cost of regulatory compliance. Furthermore, the 
focus  on  tax  matters  is  rapidly  increasing  in  many  countries 
where the Company has operations.

In order to reduce this risk, personnel within the financial and 
legal  departments  attend  regular  training  to  stay  abreast  of 
regulatory  or  related  issues.  Moreover  the  Company  audits 
its  subsidiaries  in  the  world  on  a  regular  basis  and  consults 
outside  experts  to  validate  the  compliance  of  some  of  its 
practices and the compliance with the applicable regulations.

1.6.1.14  Rapidly Changing and Complex 

Technologies

PLM solutions are characterized by the use of rapidly changing 
technologies  and  frequent  new  product  introductions  or 
enhancements.  These  solutions  must  address  complex 
engineering needs in various areas of product design, simulation 
and manufacturing, and must also meet sophisticated process 
requirements in the areas of change management, industrial 
collaboration and cross-enterprise work.

32 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

As a result, the Company’s success is highly dependent upon 
its ability to:

 (cid:125) understand  its  customers’  complex  needs  in  different 
business  sectors,  and  support  them  in  reengineering  key 
product lifecycle processes and managing the migration of 
substantial amounts of data;

 (cid:125) enhance its existing solutions by developing more advanced 

technologies;

 (cid:125) anticipate  and  take  timely  advantage  of  quickly  evolving 

technologies; and

 (cid:125) introduce  new  solutions  in  a  cost-competitive  and  timely 

manner.

The  Company  also  continues  to  face  the  challenge  of  the 
increasingly  complex  integration  of  its  products’  different 
functionalities  to  address  customers’  requirements.  As  a 
result, more difficult industrialization work is required for new 
releases  and  offerings,  with  limitations  on  the  options  for 
interfacing with third-party systems installed at the customer. 
In  addition,  if  the  Company  is  not  successful  in  anticipating 
leaps  and  developing  new  solutions  and 
technological 
services that address its customers’ increasingly sophisticated 
expectations, demand for its products could decline, and the 
Company’s results of operations and financial condition could 
be negatively affected.

To reduce this risk and keep abreast or ahead of technological 
developments  which  may  affect  its  products,  the  Company 
commits  substantial  resources  to  the  development  of  new 
offerings. It also maintains close and regular contacts with its 
key  customers  to  identify  and  capture  their  emerging  needs 
and  to  offer  the  most  adapted  solutions.  In  addition,  the 
Company provides training courses to its R&D teams on new 
technologies. Complementing its internal R&D, the Company 
seeks  to  maintain  an  active  monitoring  of  third-party 
technologies  that  it  might  acquire  to  improve  its  technology 
offerings where appropriate.

1.6.1.15  Variability in Quarterly Operating 

Results

The  Company’s  quarterly  operating  results  have  in  the  past 
varied significantly, and may vary significantly in the future, 
depending on factors such as:

 (cid:125) the  timing  and  cyclical  nature  of  revenues  received  due 
to  the  signing  of  important  new  customer  orders,  the 
completion of major service contracts or the completion of 
customer deployments;

Presentation of the Group
Risk factors

1

 (cid:125) the timing of any significant acquisitions or divestitures;

 (cid:125) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;

 (cid:125) the Company’s ability to develop, introduce and market new 
and enhanced versions of its products and customer order 
deferrals in anticipation of these new or enhanced products;

1

 (cid:125) the  number, 

significance  of  product 
enhancements or new products that the Company develops 
or that are released by its competitors; and

timing  and 

 (cid:125) general conditions in the Company’s software markets, the 
software  industry  generally  and  computer  industries  and 
regional economies.

A substantial portion of the Company’s orders and shipments 
typically  occurs  in  the  last  month  of  each  quarter  and 
therefore,  if  any  delay  occurs  in  the  timing  of  the  order,  the 
Company  may  experience  significant  quarterly  fluctuations 
in  its  results  of  operations.  Additionally,  as  is  typical  in  the 
software applications industry, the Company has historically 
experienced  its  highest  licensing  activity  for  the  year  during 
the  last  quarter  of  the  year.  Delays  in  orders  and  shipments 
can also affect the Company’s revenue and income.

The  trading  price  of  the  Dassault  Systèmes’  shares  may  be 
subject to wide fluctuations in response to quarterly variations 
in the Company’s operating results and the operating results 
of  other  software  applications  developers  in  the  Company’s 
markets.

1.6.1.16  Technology Stock Volatility

Under conditions of increased market uncertainty, the trading 
price  of  the  Company’s  shares  could  be  volatile.  The  market 
for shares of technology companies has in the past been more 
volatile than the stock market overall.

1.6.1.17  Shareholder Base

Groupe  Industriel  Marcel  Dassault  SAS  (“GIMD”),  which 
represents the interests of some of the Company’s founding 
shareholders, owned 41.11% of the Company’s outstanding 
shares,  representing  55.7 4%  of  the  exercisable  voting  rights 
(55.04%  of  theoretical  rights)   as  of  December  31,  2014.  As 
more  fully  described  in  paragraph  6.3  “Information  about 
the  Shareholders”,  GIMD  plays  a  decisive  role  with  respect 
to  matters  submitted  to  shareholders,  including  the  election 
and  removal  of  directors  and  the  approval  of  any  merger, 
consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s 
assets.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 33

1 Presentation of the Group

Risk factors

1.6.2  Financial and Market Risks

The Company’s overall risk management policy is based upon 
the  prudent  management  of  the  Company’s  market  risks, 
primarily interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange risk. 
The  Company’s  programs  with  respect  to  the  management 
of these risks, including the use of hedging instruments, are 
discussed in Note 21 to the consolidated financial statements. 
The  Company’s  exposure  to  these  risks  may  change  over 
time  and  there  can  be  no  assurance  that  the  benefits  of  the 
Company’s  risk  management  policies  will  exceed  the  related 
costs. Such changes could have a materially adverse impact on 
the Company’s financial results.

1.6.2.1 

Interest Rate Risk

The Company generates positive cash flows from operations 
and has financial obligations (e.g., bank loans, loan facilities, 
employee profit-sharing), but the Company’s cash position net 
of debt is positive throughout the year. The Company’s cash 
surplus  generally  earns  interest  at  fixed  or  floating  market 
rates,  while  the  Company’s  debt  carries  interest  at  floating 
rates. Therefore, the Company’s interest rate risk is primarily 
related to a reduction of financial revenue. See Note 21 to the 
consolidated financial statements.

1.6.2.2 

Foreign Currency Risk

See  Note  21  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and 
paragraph 1.6.1.4 “Currency Fluctuations” above.

1.6.2.3 

Liquidity Risk

The  Company  generates  positive  cash  flow  from  operations. 
The  Company  has  financial  obligations  (such  as  bank  loans, 
loan facilities and employee profit-sharing), but has a positive 
net  financial  position  throughout  the  year.  The  Company 
thus  has  a  low  liquidity  risk.  As  of  December  31,  2014,  the 
Company’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments 
totaled €1.18 billion. See Note 12 to the consolidated financial 
statements.

The  Company  has  analyzed  the  amounts  it  will  be  required 
to  pay  under  its  contractual  commitments  at  December  31, 
2014. The Company believes that it will be able to meet such 
obligations.

The  following  table  summarizes  the  Company’s  principal 
contractual  obligations  to  make  future  payments  as  of 
December 31, 2014.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

(in thousands of euros)

Operating lease obligations(1)

Loan facilities(2)

Employee profit-sharing

TOTAL

Less than 
1 year

70,282

15,186

55,451

Payments due by period

1-3 years

129,751

10,365

-

3-5 years

107,915

358,196

-

More than 
5 years

231,199

-

-

140,919

140,116

466,111

231,199

Total

539,147

383,747

55,451

978,345

(1)  Including €272.8 million of future minimum rental payments for the Company’s headquarters facilities located in Vélizy-Villacoublay, France and €102.8 million of future 
minimum rental payments for the American subsidiaries’ facilities located in Waltham near Boston, United States (see Note 25 to the consolidated financial statements).

(2)  Including interest on the €350 million term loan facility and on the Japanese loan facility (see Note 20 to the consolidated financial statements).

1.6.2.4 

Credit or Counterparty Risk

1.6.2.5 

Equity Risk

include  principally 

The  financial  instruments  which  could  expose  the  Company 
to  credit  risk 
its  cash  equivalents, 
short-term 
investments  and  customer  receivables.  The 
hedging  agreements  entered  into  with  financial  institutions 
pursuant to its policy for managing currency and interest rate 
risks  also  expose  the  Company  to  credit  and  counterparty 
risk.  See  Notes  12,  13  and  21  to  the  consolidated  financial 
statements.  The  Company  uses  a  rigorous  selection  process 
for  its  counterparts  according  to  credit  quality,  based  on 
several criteria including agency ratings and depending on the 
maturity dates of the transactions.

For  cash  management  purposes,  the  Company  does  not 
directly  invest  in  listed  shares,  or  any  material  amounts 
in  funds  invested  primarily  in  or  indexed  to  stocks.  The 
Company’s financial results are therefore not significantly and 
directly linked to stock market variations.

34 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 
1.6.3 

Insurance

Presentation of the Group
Risk factors

1

1

Dassault Systèmes is insured by several insurance companies 
for  all  significant  risks.  Most  of  these  risks  are  covered 
either  by  insurance  policies  underwritten  in  France  for  the 
whole  Group,  or  by  a  North  American  policy  that  covers  all 
the  North  American  subsidiaries  and  their  own  subsidiaries 
and  branches  around  the  world.  In  addition,  the  Company 
subscribes to specific coverage and/or local policies to comply 
with applicable local regulations or to meet the specific needs 
of certain activities or projects.

All  of  the  Group’s  companies  are  protected  by  a  civil 
and  product  liability  policy  for  a  total  insured  amount  of 
€30  million  for  2014.  A  policy  also  covers  the  operating 
liability  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  and  its  French  and  foreign 
subsidiaries (other than those covered by the North American 
program) for a total insured amount of €30 million for 2014.

In 2014, the Group renewed its Directors and Officer’s Liability 
Policy for Dassault Systèmes SA and its subsidiaries, for a total 
insured amount of €50 million.

The Company also carries insurance to cover computer risks in 
an amount equal to the value of its computer equipment and 
coverage for damage to goods.

Based  on  the  legal  requirements  applicable  in  each  country, 
the North American companies and most of their subsidiaries 
have  specific  insurance  cover.  This  insurance  includes  in 
particular coverage for damage to goods, computer risks, loss 
of  business  and  operational  civil  liability  and  professional 
liability.  In  connection  with  this  insurance,  the  Company 
also has coverage for work-related accidents and automobile 
accidents.  As  additional  coverage  for  the  various  insurance 
policies  covering  the  North  American  companies  and  their 
subsidiaries, Dassault Systèmes carries an umbrella policy for 
a maximum amount which has been increased to $25 million.

The  insurance  policies  are  reviewed  regularly  and  may  be 
modified to reflect changes in the revenue, activities and risks 
of the different companies within the Group.

Dassault  Systèmes  has  not  established  captive  insurance 
coverage.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 35

1 Presentation of the Group

36 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

2

SOCIAL, SOCIETAL AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
RESPONSIBILITY

2.1  Social and Societal Responsibility 

2.1.1  Dassault Systèmes and its Employees 

38

38

2.2  Environmental Responsibility 

2.2.1  Industrial and Environmental Risk 

2.1.2  Organizing to support growth and the delivery 

2.2.2  Environmental Report 

CONTENTS

2.3  Independent Verifier’s Attestation 

and Assurance Report on Social, 
Societal and Environmental 
Information  

of the strategy 

2.1.3  Attracting and developing talented individuals 
within the Group and developing relationships 
with the outside environment 

2.1.4  Welcoming employees who have joined the Group 

via recently acquired companies 

2.1.5  Acknowledging performance and rewarding 
contribution to delivering the strategy 

2.1.6  Safeguarding business ethics, employer-employee 

dialogue and personal safety 

2.1.7  Methodology for Employee Reporting 

2.1.8  Appendices regarding the Group’s Employee 

Headcount 

2.1.9  NRE correspondence table 

39

41

47

48

50

52

54

56

57

57

58

66

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 37

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, constantly 
strives  to  provide  business  and  people  with  3DEXPERIENCE 
universes  to  imagine  sustainable  innovations  capable  of 
harmonizing product, nature and life.

Given its activity as a software editor, the Group’s goals are to 
attract diversified talents around the world, to contribute to the 
development  of  scientific  profiles  and  to  enable  sustainable 
innovation for customers.

Social,  societal  and  environmental  engagement  has  always 
been at the heart of the Group’s strategy by the very nature of 
the solutions developed and beneficial effects. Indeed, virtual 
universes make it possible to address business challenges such 
as  process  security,  environmental  impact,  production  chain 
ergonomics, and more.

This strategy has enabled Dassault Systèmes to be recognized 
in  various  rankings  of  sustainable  development  such  as  the 
Global 100 Index, FTSE4Good, ECPI and the Carbon Disclosure 
Project.

2.1  Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.1  Dassault Systèmes and its Employees

Dassault  Systèmes’  ambition  can  only  be  achieved  with  its 
employees  who  are  its  most  valuable  asset.  They  represent 
the  culture  and  values  of  the  Company  and  are  at  the  heart 
of its strategy and its long-term development. In the light of 
the Group’s rapid growth, the climate of innovation in which it 
operates and its growing number of business sectors, its main 
human resource challenges are the following:

Developing a co-management system
One  challenge  within  an  international  company  is  to  ensure 
operational  excellence  in  every  country  while  remaining 
compliant  with  the  Group’s  policies  and  models.  With  this 
in  mind,  Dassault  Systèmes  has  implemented  a  system  of 
co-management  between  the  functional  and  operational 
management teams.

Continuing to develop the skills portfolio
Dassault  Systèmes  is  permanently  extending  its  range  of 
expertise and hires highly varied profiles. The Group has “selling 
points”  to  attract  these  talented  individuals  and  keep  them 
motivated: a long-term and high societal value strategic vision 
as well as a dynamic and collaborative working environment, 
focused on communities of interests and expertise.

Deployed in 2009 and based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 
this corporate social media community reveals new forms of 
learning, assembling and connecting ideas and expertise, thus 
stimulating  innovation  and  contributing  to  the  development 
of each employee.

Rapidly integrating new employees
One  of  the  challenges  within  a  rapidly  and  constantly 
growing  company  is  to  integrate  new  employees  rapidly. 
To  do  so,  Dassault  Systèmes  uses  on-line  communities  that 
provide  fast-paced  access  to  information  relating  to  the 
Company,  organizations  and  projects  while  showcasing  the 
responsibilities,  skills  and  contributions  of  each  employee. 
The new initiatives called “Day 1, Day 90” were put in place in 
2014 and are aimed at helping new hires settle into their new 
working environment.

Transforming information into strategic value for the 
Company and its ecosystem
The continual interaction of employees within the Company 
and  with  its  ecosystem  of  customers  and  partners,  through 
applications, on-line communities and social media, generates 
a  vast  quantity  of  information,  including  structured  and 
non-structured data on a daily basis, which form part of the 
Company’s intellectual and economic property. The challenge 
lies  with  analyzing,  processing  in  real  time,  connecting  and 
representing  this  information  and  data  so  that  it  can  be 
converted into competitive advantages and decision making-
aids.  With  its  3DEXPERIENCE  platform,  Dassault  Systèmes 
already  has  its  own  tools  for  managing  and  monitoring  the 
Company’s business.

In  order  to  meet  these  challenges,  and  drive  the  Group 
towards  its  goal  and  ensure  the  permanent  development 
of  its  employees’  skills,  the  Human  Resources  objectives  of 
Dassault Systèmes are based on the following areas of focus:

 (cid:125) “Organizing”  the  Company  to  support  growth  and  the 
delivery of the strategy, while encouraging the agility of the 
organizational structure and its ability to absorb growth and 
stimulate innovation;

38 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

 (cid:125) “Attracting  &  Developing”  a  wide  variety  of  talented 
individuals,  capable  of  integrating  and  developing  in 
the  Dassault  Systèmes  culture  and  respecting  its  values; 
developing these talented individuals by giving the priority 
to  a  “learning  through  doing”  approach,  in  other  terms 
learning  through  sharing  experiences  and  learning  in 
real  conditions;  developing  the  appeal  of  jobs  and  careers 
of  Dassault  Systèmes,  by  highlighting  the  societal  and 
technological  dimensions  of  the  Group;  lastly,  combining 
the  talented  individuals  and  providing  each  of  them  with 
the possibility to maximize their full potential through their 
involvement in projects consistent with their competencies 
and desires;

 (cid:125) “Welcoming”  the  employees  joining  the  Group  through 
acquisitions.  For  this  purpose,  Dassault  Systèmes  has 
defined  a  process  and  a  methodology  designed  to  guide 

new  employees  in  understanding  the  Dassault  Systèmes 
organization, processes and culture, by giving each of them 
new development opportunities within the Company;

 (cid:125) “Valuing” acknowledging and rewarding performance and 
the contribution made to delivering the corporate strategy, 
while encouraging a passion for innovation and favoring the 
collective and social dimensions advocated by the values of 
Dassault Systèmes;

 (cid:125) “Securing”  the  Company’s  human  resources,  real  estate 
and  other  property,  and 
(see 
paragraph 1.6.1.2 “Challenges to the Company’s Intellectual 
Property Rights”) and its ecosystem (clients and partners), 
guaranteeing  the  professional  ethics  and  employer/
employee dialogue, in order to secure the sustainable nature 
of Dassault Systèmes, its jobs and partnerships.

intellectual  property 

2

2.1.2  Organizing to support growth and the delivery of the strategy

The  Dassault  Systèmes  Group  is  organized  according  to  its 
major fields of activity: R&D; Sales; Marketing; administration 
and other functions, located in three large geographic regions: 
Europe,  Americas  and  Asia.  Its  workforce  is  made  up  of 
employees,  service  providers  and  3DPLM  Ltd,  a  company  in 
which the Group owns less than 50%.

In  2014,  the  Group  continued  its  growth  by  acquiring 
new  companies,  and  further  expanding  the  scope  of  skills 
development opportunities for it employees.

The data related to the characteristics of the Group’s workforce 
presented in this report was established using the employee 
reporting  method  defined  in  paragraph  2.1.7  “Methodology 
for Employee Reporting”.

Overview and growth of Total Workforce
As of December 31, 2014, the Total Workforce was 13,312, up 24.9% compared to December 31, 2013. The number of employees 
over the last three years is set forth below:

Years ended December 31,

Employees

Service Providers

3D PLM Total Workforce

Percent change

2014

2013

2012

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

11,013*

8,587

8,101

474

378

428

1,825

1,689

1,593

13,312

10,654

10,122

24.9%

5.3%

6.0%

Overview and growth of Employee Headcount

Growth of the Company
As  of  December  31,  2014,  the  Employee  Headcount  was 
11,013 full-time equivalent employees, located in 40 countries 

and  coming  from  116  different  countries,  up  28%  from 
December 31, 2013. This growth is mainly external due to the 
significant  acquisitions  made  during  2014  namely  Accelrys, 
Quintiq and RTT (see paragraph 1.2.2.1 “Acquisitions in 2014 
and 2013”).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 39

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

Distribution by geographic region

Years ended December 31,

Employees

% Employees

% Employees

% Employees

2014

2013

5,787

4,480

53%

52%

3,449

2,866

31%

33%

1,777

1,241

16% 11,013*

15%

8,587

%

100%

100%

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

The change in the distribution of the headcount between 2013 
and 2014 is explained by a difference in growth between the 
different  geographic  regions:  +29%  in  Europe,  +20%  in  the 
Americas and +43% in Asia resulting from the location of the 
Employees joining the Group following the acquisitions made 
by the Group in 2014.

Distribution by activity
Similarly, in 2014, the highest level of growth in the Employee 
Headcount was recorded in Sales and Marketing and Services 
as  a  result  of  these  acquisitions,  63%  of  the  Employee 
Headcount represented by these categories.

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2014

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2013

%

R&D

2,133

37%

1,121

33%

264

15%

3,518

32%

2,913

Sales, marketing and 
services

Administration and other

2,901

753

50%

13%

1,858

470

53%

14%

1,332

181

75%

10%

6,091

1,404

55%

13%

TOTAL AT DECEMBER 31

5,787

100%

3,449

100%

1,777

100% 11,013*

100%

4,611

1,063

8,587

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

%

34%

54%

12%

100%

Distribution by gender
The proportion of women in the Group, stable between 2013 
and 2014, may seem relatively low. This is mainly explained by 

the low number of women in engineering schools which is still 
one of the main sources of recruitment for Dassault Systèmes.

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Women

Men

TOTAL AT DECEMBER 31

Employees 
2014

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

1,301

4,486

5,787

22%

78%

100%

861

2,588

3,449

25%

75%

100%

424

1,353

1,777

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Employees 
2014

%

24%

76%

2,586

8,427

Employees 
2013

%

23%

77%

1,947

6,640

8,587

%

23%

77%

100%

100% 11,013*

100%

Other characteristics of Employee Headcount 
(Indicator verified by the independent verifier in 2014)
Breakdown  by  type  of  contract  remained  relatively  stable. 
98% of the Employee Headcount had permanent contracts in 
2014 versus 99% in 2013.

In 2014, Managers represented 19% of the Dassault Systèmes 
Headcount  versus  21%  in  2013.  This  reduction  is  explained 
by the fact that the proportion of managers in the companies 
acquired in 2014 is lower (16%).

The  breakdown  of  the  following  information  is  presented  in 
paragraph  2.1.8  “Additional  data  concerning  the  Group’s 
Employee Headcount”. The main items are as follows:

 (cid:125) at  December  31,  2014,  14%  of  the  women  employed  by 
Dassault  Systèmes  and  21%  of  the  men  working  for  the 
Company are Managers, versus 16% and 22% respectively 

in 2013. The reduction in the overall proportion of managers 
is  automatically  translated  in  the  same  manner  both  for 
men and women;

 (cid:125) the  distribution  of  the  Company’s  employees  by  age  and 

seniority remained stable between 2013 and 2014.

Outside service providers and sub-contracting
Dassault Systèmes regularly calls on outside service providers 
when it requires resources with specific know-how, for projects 
with a limited duration.

The cost of using outside Service Providers in 2014 amounted 
to €75.1 million, versus €66.2 million in 2013, an insignificant 
amount 
in  relation  to  the  Dassault  Systèmes  revenue 
(€2.29 billion in 2014 and €2.07 billion in 2013).

40 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

2

At December 31, 2014, 474 outside service providers (data expressed in full-time equivalents) worked for the Group:

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

%

46%

51%

217

192

%

37%

36%

177

138

% Employees

80

48

17%

13%

474

378

%

100%

100%

Dassault  Systèmes  only  establishes  contractual  relationships 
with  sub-contractors  that  respect  the  fundamental  laws 
and  regulations  concerning  labor  law  and  environmental 
protection (see paragraph 2.1.6 “Principles of Corporate Social 
Responsibility  and  commitments  to  ensuring  respect  for 
basic rights”).

Absenteeism (Indicator verified by the independent 
verifier in 2014)
Absenteeism is tracked locally in accordance with regulations 
applicable  in  the  countries  where  Dassault  Systèmes  has 
operations. The Company does not have a harmonized system 
for managing absenteeism throughout its subsidiaries.

Organization

Work time
In each country where Dassault Systèmes has operations, the 
length of the workweek is determined according to the local 
regulations in force. It is generally set at 40 hours. This is the 
case  in  particular  in  Japan,  China,  India,  the  United  States, 
Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.

In  France,  work  time  is  determined  according  to  whether  an 
employee is under the system of annual working days (forfait 
jours) or the hourly system (mode horaire). Employees under 
the system of annual working days work a predefined number 
of days per calendar year and other employees work a certain 
number of hours as defined by local labor agreements in force 
within each company.

Full-time and part-time
98%  of  the  Employee  Headcount  work  on  a  full-time  basis. 
6%  of  women  and  1%  of  men  work  on  a  part-time  basis. 
These figures are relatively stable versus 2013. Full details of 
the  following  information  are  presented  in  paragraph  2.1.8 
“Additional data concerning the Group’s Employee Headcount”.

The information presented below covers a part of the Group’s 
French companies (Dassault Systèmes SA, Dassault Systèmes 
Provence  SAS,  Dassault  Data  Services  SAS,  Netvibes  SAS, 
Archivideo  SA  and  3DVIA  SAS),  which  represent  30%  of  the 
Employee Headcount:

 (cid:125) in 2014, the reasons for employees not reporting for work, 
excluding annual leave, are as follows: illness: 9,806 days, 
maternity and paternity leave: 4,827 days; workplace and 
work-related  travel:  834  days.  The  resulting  absenteeism 
rate is 2.2%, a slight decrease from 2013 (2.5%);

 (cid:125) the total number of authorized absences (such as parental 
leave and leave for family events excluding paid leave) was 
2,803  days  at  end  2014,  or  0.4%  of  the  number  of  days 
theoretically worked. This rate was 0.6% in 2013.

In the Group’s other main countries, the rate of absenteeism 
is as follows: 0.9% in the United States versus 1.2% in 2013; 
2. 9% in Canada versus 3.5% in 2013; 2.9% in Germany versus 
3.9% in 2013; 1.3% in the United Kingdom versus 1 % in 2013; 
0.5 %  in  Japan  versus  1.5%  in  2013;  1.8%  in  China  versus 
1.5% in 2013. The rate remains very low in India and Korea 
(less than 1%), where absenteeism for reasons of short-term 
illness is difficult to ascertain as it is included in paid leave.

2.1.3  Attracting and developing talented individuals within 

the Group and developing relationships with the outside 
environment

2.1.3.1  Attracting talented individuals

Recruitment  is  a  priority  for  Dassault  Systèmes,  in  order  to 
meet requirements generated by its growth. The Group aims 
to be acknowledged as an exemplary operator that contributes 
to  the  development  of  employability  in  all  its  forms  (jobs, 
apprenticeships  and  internships)  and  forges  relationships 
with  major  educational  establishments  and  universities 

in  the  major  countries  in  which  the  Group  operates.  A  set 
of  actions  are  consequently  being  undertaken  in  the  vast 
majority of the countries where the Group has facilities. (see 
also paragraph 2.1.1.3 “Developing relations with the social, 
regional and community environment”).

Dassault  Systèmes  seeks  to  recruit  most  of  its  employees 
locally, thus contributing to economic growth in each of the 
40  countries  in  which  it  operates.  At  December  31,  2014, 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 41

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

two-thirds  of  the  Group’s  Employee  Headcount  was 
located  outside  France  and  the  Group  had  employees  from 
116 different countries.

To  work  for  Dassault  Systèmes,  it  is  important  to  have  a 
passion  for  technological  innovation,  a  desire  to  work  with 
other people and an appetite for a challenge.

In general, all available positions are published internally and 
externally  and  priority  is  given  to  internal  promotion  over 
external recruitment where the skill level is equal.

Moreover, Dassault Systèmes offers its employees an attractive 
working  environment  in  premises  most  of  which  boast 
excellent  green  ratings  (57%  of  the  Employee  Headcount 
in  2014  compared  with  52%  in  2013)  and  infrastructures 
conducive to teamwork.

Employee arrivals and departures

Employee arrivals

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Permanent contracts

Temporary contracts

TOTAL

Employees 
2014

1,650

272

Employees 
2014

%

86%

14%

1,003

16

1,922

100%

1,019

100%

Employees 
2014

%

98%

2%

715

7

722

Employees 
2014

%

99%

1%

3,368

295

Employees 
2013

%

92%

8%

1,286

163

%

89%

11%

100%

3,663*

100%

1,449

100%

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

The  companies  acquired  in  2014  represent  over  two-thirds 
of  the  Group’s  new  employees  and  largely  explain  the 
characteristics described hereafter.

Among the 3,663 employees hired in 2014, the vast majority 
were done so on a permanent basis as in 2013 and managerial 
positions represented 11% of hires in 2014 versus 7% in 2013.

On  average,  the  number  of  new  hires  was  43%  in  2014 
compared to the Employee Headcount at the end of 2013.

The  age  pyramid  for  new  employees  in  2014  remains 
relatively stable (see paragraph 2.1.8 “Additional information 
concerning the Group’s Employee Headcount”).

Lastly,  27%  of  new  hires  in  2014  were  women,  stable  with 
regard to 2013.

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Women

Men

TOTAL

Employees 
2014

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

500

1,422

1,922

26%

74%

297

722

29%

71%

100%

1,019

100%

208

514

722

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Employee departures
In 2014, 1,149 employees left the Company. Departures were split as follows:

Employees 
2014

%

29%

71%

1,005

2,658

Employees 
2013

%

27%

73%

368

1,081

1,449

100%

3,663*

100%

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Permanent contracts

Temporary contracts

TOTAL

Employees 
2014

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

395

120

515

77%

23%

100%

449

18

467

96%

4%

100%

161

6

167

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Employees 
2014

%

96%

4%

1,005

144

Employees 
2013

%

87%

13%

735

126

861

100%

1,149 *

100%

%

25%

75%

100%

%

85%

15%

100%

On average, attrition rate was 10.5% in 2014 versus 9.6% in 2013. Excluding temporary contracts, the rate is 10.1% in 2014 
and 8% in 2013.

42 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

2

2.1.3.2  Developing, training and managing 

the careers of Dassault Systèmes 
employees

In 2014, Dassault Systèmes SA deployed the “3DEXPERIENCE 
University” solution by using its 3DEXPERIENCE platform in 
order  to  create  a  network  made  up  of  the  Group’s  talented 
individuals, offering them programs adapted to their position 
and  in  relation  to  the  requirements  and  objectives  of  each 
employee.

Furthermore,  activities  are  supported  by  the  “Passion  to 
Learn”  community,  a  virtual  center  enabling  exchanges  of 
ideas  and  opinions  about  the  learning  process  and  modules 
accessible from the “3DEXPERIENCE University”. This enables 
employees to stay informed and exchange views concerning 
the  publication  of  new  modules,  put  questions  to  experts 
about  the  modules  available  or  those  which  they  feel  need 
creating as well as asking all necessary questions about using 
the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and its content.

The  manager  development  program  has  been  enhanced  this 
year in order to meet the requirements for managing matrix 
teams spread across the globe. A new initiative was launched 
through  the  “3DEXPERIENCE  University”  with  the  aim 
being  to  showcase  different  management  styles  thanks  to  a 
program  delivered  in  a  virtual  classroom  enabling  expertise 
and knowledge to be shared between the trainer in France and 
students  in  Asia.  This  program  is  due  to  be  used  on  a  larger 
scale in 2015 for all types of training.

Significant changes have been made to sales training courses 
this  year.  Programs  designed  for  managers  were  delivered 
to  150  employees.  The  deployment  of  training  courses 
concerning the sales process and the tools available in various 
formats:  face-to-face,  e-learning  and  virtual  classroom  made 
it possible for the Group to reach the whole sales population 
throughout the world.

In line with 2013, over 500 employees from across the world 
from the finance, legal and sales administration departments 
attended  two  three-day  training  sessions  at  the  BA  College 
(Business Administration College) within the framework of the 
“3DEXPERIENCE  University”.  In  addition  to  training  sessions 

covering  financial  and  legal  subjects,  modules  focusing  on 
new  technologies,  and,  in  particular,  the  cloud,  are  offered 
to  ensure  that  employees  understand  the  new  challenges 
presented  by  the  introduction  of  these  technologies  in  the 
Dassault Systèmes product portfolio.

Lastly, the R&D College training programs were significantly 
enhanced  in  2014  to  train  developers  with  regard  to  the 
application web development technologies in order to deliver 
the  best  “on  the  cloud”  products  on  the  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform.

training 
In  2014,  104,927  hours  of  “professional” 
(management,  languages,  etc.)  were  delivered  in  the  main 
countries  of  the  Group  (see  paragraph  2.1.7  “Methodology 
for Employee Reporting”). This amount of hours represents all 
training that can be recorded in a similar manner between the 
different countries without taking into account other learning 
conditions, falling outside this formal context, such as on-the-
ground learning, workshops and virtual exchange communities. 
The training courses related to the Dassault Systèmes portfolio 
of solutions are not included in this amount of hours because 
they are very often managed by the organizations themselves 
(R&D,  Marketing  and  Industries,  etc.)  and  are  not  always 
recorded in a centralized manner.

The  ratio  of  training  hours  per  employee  was  up  by  18% 
between  2013  and  2014.  The  number  of  hours  of  online 
training recorded increased considerably. Their use increased 
and  their  recording  was  extended  to  other  training  courses. 
They  are  accessible  from  the“3DEXPERIENCE  University” 
and  built  into  the  employee  career  development  path.  The 
percentage  of  these  online  training  courses  increased  to 
7%  in  2014  versus  1%  in  2013,  reaching  a  wider  audience 
throughout the whole world.

Lastly,  the  breakdown  of  hours  between  managers/non-
managers and between men and women remained relatively 
stable  in  2014.  Training  hours  for  women  represent  25%  of 
the  total  number  of  hours,  while  they  represent  23%  of  the 
Group’s total headcount. This percentage is 24% for managers 
who  represent  19%  of  the  Employee  Headcount,  the  latter 
benefiting in particular from a dedicated training management 
program.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 43

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

Distribution of training 
hours by type

Management

Job skills

Health, safety and 
environment

Language

Computer skills 
(Dassault Systèmes 
internal tools)

Personal development

Ethics and Compliance

DIF (French-specific)

TOTAL

Distribution of training 
hours by category

Managers

Non-Managers

TOTAL

Distribution of training 
hours by men/women

Men

Women

TOTAL

Europe France/
United Kingdom/
Germany

Americas 
United States/
Canada

Asia Japan/
China/India/
South Korea

2014 
total

2,101

19,527

497

6,931

12,020

65,401

62%

%

7%

4,333

33,854

332

6,879

895

4,515

2,166

4,169

-

923

-

332

0%

2,813

10,615

10%

442

4,078

2,365

-

1,117

1,062

839

-

2,454

9,655

5,370

4,169

2%

9%

5%

4%

2013 
ratio(1)

2014 
ratio(1)

2013 
total

9,212

41,379

1,112

4,626

2,538

10,727

10,562

2,808

%

11%

50%

1%

6%

3%

13%

13%

3%

57,143

29,436

18,348 104,927(2 ) 100% 13,3 HOURS(1 ) 82,964 100% 11.5 HOURS(1 )

13,433

43,710

57,143

41,435

15,708

57,143

6,878

22,558

29,436

22,212

7,224

29,436

4,675

13,673

24,986

79,941

24%

76%

18,348 104,927(2 )  100%

15,033

3,315

78,680

26,247

75%

25%

18,348 104,927(2 )  100%

20,538

62,426

25%

75%

82,964 100%

62,600

20,364

75%

25%

82,964 100%

(1)  Ratio = average number of hours per employee (excluding acquisitions).
(2)  Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Promoting diversity and gender balance
The  Code  of  Business  Conduct  demonstrates  the  extent  to 
which  the  Dassault  Systèmes  culture  is  based  on  mutual 
respect,  fairness,  and  the  diversity  of  its  employees.  Within 
this  context,  recruitment,  training,  promotion,  assigning 
and  more  generally,  all  work-related  decisions  are  based  on 
competencies, talent, achievements and employee motivation, 
without any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying.

Professional equality between men and women
Dassault Systèmes encourages hiring both men and women, 
developing  access  for  women  in  various  businesses,  and 
ensuring fair treatment for women’s career advancement.

A  certain  number  of  initiatives  were  launched  in  2014  not 
only  to  increase  the  proportion  hired  but  also  to  track  the 
development  of  women  at  Dassault  Systèmes  and  increase 
the percentage of women managers (at December 31, 2014, 
14%  of  the  women  employed  by  Dassault  Systèmes  are 
Managers).  A  3DS  WIN  (3DS  WOMEN  INITIATIVE)  internal 
community was put in place in 2012 to coordinate a network of 
women and men determined to encourage, inspire and mentor 
women to develop their careers with Dassault Systèmes.

The Dassault Systèmes Executive Committee is comprised of 
two women and eight men while the Board of Directors had 
four women members and five men at the end of 2014.

in  the  different  countries  where 

Dassault  Systèmes  endeavors  to  comply  with  applicable 
regarding  professional  equality  and  non-
regulations 
it  has 
discrimination 
Japanese, 
employees.  The  French,  American,  Canadian, 
English and German companies of Dassault Systèmes, which 
employ close to 80% of the Company’s employees included in 
the Employee Headcount, are subject to specific employment 
anti-discrimination and gender-equality laws.

For  example,  the  agreement  regarding  equal  professional 
treatment  and  balanced  employment  between  men  and 
women at Dassault Systèmes SA was renewed and signed on 
April 10, 2012 for a three-year period.

It  covers  the  following  themes:  hiring  and  developing 
the  professional  gender  balance,  the  equal  compensation 
and  pay  policy  between  women  and  men,  promotion  and 
career  development,  work-life  balance,  awareness  and 
communication  actions  in  favor  of  changing  mindsets  and 
behavior.

In  addition,  in  order  to  analyze  the  positioning  of  men  and 
women at Dassault Systèmes SA and to define actions to be 
undertaken to eliminate inequalities, a report on the situation 

44 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

2

comparing  general  employment  conditions  and  training  for 
men and women is prepared each year in accordance with the 
law. It has been available on the intranet site since 2010.

actions  were  conducted:  initiatives  in  favor  of  recruitment, 
adapting workstations, training and awareness, and initiatives 
in partnership with protected sectors.

Some French subsidiaries have also implemented agreements 
or  action  plans  on  equality  or  the  promotion  of  diversity 
(Dassault  Systèmes  Provence  SAS,  Dassault  Data  Services 
SAS, Archivideo SA).

In  the  United  States,  Dassault  Systèmes  ensures  compliance 
with  regulations  regarding  equality  in  the  workplace  (hiring, 
training,  promotions,  compensation,  dismissals  and  any 
other  decision  related  to  work),  in  particular  Title  VII  of  the 
Civil  Rights  Act.  It  sends  reports  of  compliance  with  these 
regulations (EEO1, Vet100 and Affirmative Action reports) to 
the U.S. authorities each year.

Disabled persons
The  French,  American,  Canadian,  Japanese,  English  and 
German companies of Dassault Systèmes, which employ close 
to  80%  of  the  Employee  Headcount,  are  subject  to  specific 
laws  in  this  area.  This  is  also  the  case  for  most  of  the  other 
European countries where employees are located.

In  France,  since  the  first  agreement  entered  into  in  2003 
within  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  for  employing  employees 
with disabilities, which created conditions favorable for their 
integration, a number of agreements have been renewed, the 
last of which was signed by all labor unions on December 21, 
2012, for the period 2013-2015.

These  agreements  reflect  Dassault  Systèmes  SA’s  desire  to 
make  the  hiring,  training  and  continued  employment  of  the 
disabled a major component of its policy.

As of December 31, 2014, 48 disabled persons were employed 
by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  versus  38  in  2013;  43  under 
permanent  employment  contracts,  3  under  apprenticeships 
and 3  under internships.

Furthermore, a large number of actions concerning employee 
support,  internal  communication,  training  and  awareness 
have been conducted: improving workstations, presentations, 
videos,  sessions  aimed  at  developing  awareness  with  regard 
to welcoming and the onboarding of disabled employees, etc. 
Actions  with  outside  service  providers  are  also  conducted  as 
are partnerships with institutions in the protected sector and 
the provision of services on the 3DS Paris Campus.

Access  to  3DS  Paris  Campus  for  disabled  persons  was 
specifically  considered  during  construction  (such  as  floor 
quality,  doors,  furniture,  Eo-guidage  signaling,  magnetic 
loops,  accessible  meeting  rooms,  parking  lot  entrances,  for 
example).

Since 2011, Dassault Data Services SAS has committed itself 
each year to adopt measures supporting the integration and 
employment  of  disabled  persons.  In  2014,  the  following 

There  are  no  specific  agreements  on  this  topic  for  the  other 
French subsidiaries.

In  the  United  States,  the  regulations  regarding  job  equality 
(see  the  paragraph  above  “Professional  equality  between 
men  and  women”)  apply  in  cases  of  discrimination  against 
disabled  employees.  It  is,  however,  not  permissible  to  ask 
about  the  type  of  the  employee’s  disability.  As  a  result,  no 
data is provided.

Intergenerational agreements
In application of French law, an intergenerational agreement 
was signed at Dassault Systèmes SA on October 8, 2013 for a 
three-year period.

This agreement follows on from the agreement on employing 
senior employees (agreement signed in 2010), building on the 
measures initiated to anticipate career changes, develop and 
transfer skills and manage the transition between working life 
and  retirement.  It  has  now  been  enhanced  by  a  component 
aimed at facilitating the recruitment and integration of young 
people within the Company.

An intergenerational agreement has also been put in place at 
Dassault Data Services SAS, Dassault Systèmes Provence SAS 
for a three-year period and there are corporate action plans at 
Netvibes SAS, Archivideo SA and 3DVIA SAS in particular.

2.1.3.3  Developing relations with the social, 
regional and community environment

Company relations with secondary and post-secondary 
education
Dassault Systèmes’ relations with the world of education are 
aimed at constantly updating teaching methods and fostering 
the  skills  and  talents  expected  by  its  clients.  This  effort  was 
stepped up in 2014.

Facilitating educational innovation
Educational  practices  have  continued  to  be  upgraded  more 
rapidly  leading  to  the  course  and  educational  material  being 
made free of charge to the Company’s academic clients so that 
they incorporate and become familiar with these innovations.

Cooperation with LEGO® Education has resulted in the creation 
of a program enabling secondary school children and students 
beginning  higher  education  to  experience  collaborative 
innovation learning. Called “BE an ENGINEER”, this program 
is aimed at encouraging the very young to undertake technical 
studies and students to continue in these fields.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 45

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

The “3D MOOCS Studio” project has led to making available 
a set of tools and methods enabling teachers to improve the 
interactivity  of  their  online  lessons  (MOOC:  Massive  Open 
Online Course)  and  reduce  the  high  drop-out  rates  that  are 
typical of the first large-scale e-learning experiments.

Lastly,  the  “internet  objects”  methods  have  been  applied  to 
teaching in order to create new educational uses. Thus, didactic 
equipments,  such  as  miniature  robots,  can  be  synchronized 
remotely via internet through their digital avatar simulated by 
CATIA solution. This type of practice – the remotely controlled 
laboratory – leads to numerous new learning scenarios such as 
remote access to equipment which is not available in emerging 
countries.

Research  into  innovative  educational  methods  has  been 
supported. Consequently, the PLACIS project, funded by the 
Agence nationale de la recherche en France (ANR), aimed at 
creating  training  courses  for  engineers  in  complex  systems 
saw  its  deployment  extended  in  Europe  thanks  to  funding 
from  the  European  Union’s  ERASMUS+  program.  Within  the 
same context, the funding of EURLAB, the European project, 
conducted by the Lycée Louis Armand (a high school located 
in Nogent-sur-Marne) in France, will initially involve secondary 
school  pupils  in  Germany  and  Italy.  The  Group  contributes 
to  this  collaborative  robotics  project  between  remote  sites 
by  providing  its  cloud  technology  and  expertise  in  their 
educational  applications  to  the  consortium  of  participating 
establishments.

All  of  these  activities  were  supported  by  the  Group’s  active 
collaboration  in  a  number  of  scientific  associations,  such 
as  the  American  Society  for  Engineering  Education  (ASEE), 
the  European  Society  for  Engineering  Education  (SEFI),  the 
International  Federation  of  Engineering  Education  Societies 
(IFEES),  the  Global  Engineering  Deans  Council  (GEDC), 
the  Indian  Society  for  Technical  Education  (ISTE)  and  the 
European  SchoolNet,  promoting  new  methods  in  teaching 
sciences  and  technology  in  secondary  school.  The  National 
Academy  of  Engineering  and  the  Association  Française 
d'Ingénierie  des  Systèmes  (French  Association  of  Systems 
Engineering)  are  just  two  of  the  new  learned  societies  with 
which Dassault Systèmes cooperates.

Facilitating open innovation, collective intelligence
Dassault  Systèmes  has  provided  its  support  to  community 
projects, in order to bring together players sharing a common 
interest on the same platform and create the 3D educational 
experiences of tomorrow.

With  regard  to  industry  skills,  teachers,  companies  and 
academics have joined forces to develop virtual 3D laboratories 
to teach skills in wind power. Leading academic establishments 
(CESI,  INSA,  ENI),  professional  training  organizations  (AFPA 
and ORT), the Académie de Créteil and the regional WindLab 
have teamed up to overhaul educational methods by favoring 
learning in real situations and through trial and error, thanks 
to simulation and measuring the results obtained. This project 

is  called  EAST:  Environnement d’Apprentissage Scientifique 
et Technique (Scientific and Technical Learning Environment) 
and for which Dassault Systèmes provides solutions softwares 
such as 3DVIA Studio Pro.

Furthermore, the DaVinci 3D project provides enthusiasts with 
the opportunity to work in a completely open and participatory 
manner, in order to reproduce the inventions and machines of 
Leonardo de Vinci in 3D. Enthusiasts, engineers, designers and 
scientists from across the world, from all generations, meet up, 
discuss, help each other via an online community and digitize 
these  inventions  using  codex  left  by  the  genius  inventor.  In 
just a few months, dozens of 3D machines were created, some 
of which are now publicly displayed in Château du Clos Lucé.

Training the engineers and technicians required 
by Dassault Systèmes’ customers
At the end of 2014, the number of pupils and students using 
one  or  more  of  the  Group’s  technologies  in  an  educational 
context  was  estimated  at  4  million,  essentially  in  secondary 
and  further  education.  The  Company’s  efforts  have  led  to 
the  overall  broadening  of  the  user  community  as  well  as 
developing and modernizing their uses.

Georgia  Tech,  the  leading  university  in  the  United  States  in 
terms  of  the  number  of  graduating  engineers,  has  extended 
its  use  of  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  to  10,000  students 
and  teachers.  They  benefit  from  a  wide  choice  of  uses 
ranging from programs for high school students to advanced 
engineering applications for complex systems. A special effort 
was  made  in  India  with  regard  to  the  programs  aimed  at 
increasing  the  employability  of  new  engineering  graduates. 
This  effort,  conducted  in  consideration  of  the  World  Bank’s 
initiatives,  resulted  in  a  teacher  training  program  (“FEAT”: 
Faculty  Enablement 
through  Avant-garde  Technology), 
concerning  assistance  with  developing  University/Business 
relationships  (e.g.  at  Chitkara  University,  one  of  the  major 
technical universities in Northern India) and awarding several 
“3DSAcademy  member”  labels  acknowledging  the  quality 
of the training delivered in relation to the Dassault Systèmes 
tools.

During  the  year  the  number  of  SOLIDWORKS  academic 
licenses passed the 2 million mark.

The  numerous  teaching  programs  were  intense.  In  order  to 
encourage greater interest in the sciences and technology, and 
contribute  towards  reversing  the  trend  of  disinterest  among 
young people for these disciplines in France, the multidiscipline 
competition  called Course en Cours,  has  maintained  its  level 
of  participation  across  France  –  11,500  secondary  and  high 
school students – and the leading French high schools abroad 
are  following  suit.  The  Company  extended  its  sponsorship 
program  for  teams  of  students  engaged  in  extracurricular 
scientific  and  technical  activities  such  as  the  “First  robotics” 
competition  which  saw  20,000  high  school  and  university 
students  use  Dassault  Systèmes  software.  In  Singapore, 
600 pupils use SOLIDWORKS in an international project called 

46 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

”Destination  Zero  Carbon”  and  12,000  students  involved  in 
the “Formula Student/Formula SAE” international competition 
have used CATIA or SOLIDWORKS.

12,622 students obtained the official Certified SOLIDWORKS 
Associates  (CSWA)  certification  proving  the  employability  of 
their skills using this software.

The  Group’s  audience  on  social  media  grew  significantly 
reaching the figure of 664,000 “fans” on Facebook.

Company commitment to associations
Dassault  Systèmes  is  involved  with  associations  to  support 
the  virtual  economy  and  encourage  sustainable  innovation. 
To promote the development of the digital economy in France 
and  in  Europe,  Dassault  Systèmes  is  a  founding  member  of 
AFDEL  (Association  Française  des  Éditeurs  de  L ogiciels,  or 
the French Association of Software Editors). The goal of this 
association is to promote the software industry as an industry 
that contributes to sustainable growth. Dassault Systèmes also 
supports the “Villette Foundation”, a part of Universcience in 
France, whose goal is to promote and encourage scientific and 
technical  culture  to  young  people  and  to  the  public  at  large. 
Throughout the world, Dassault Systèmes brands are involved 
in local community efforts.

Finally,  the  Company  spearheaded  an  initiative  to  provide 
support for education and economic development in Rwanda. 

The  project’s  initial  objective  was  to  provide  students  with 
CAD  program  skills,  with  SOLIDWORKS  contributing  the 
licenses  and  teaching  programs.  The  program  has  evolved 
into  helping  participants  structure  and  manage  businesses 
providing  modeling  services,  and  subsequently  into  creating 
demand for such services.

Social projects
In  France,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  subsidizes  its  Workers’ 
Council  in  the  amount  of  5.2%  of  total  gross  salaries  paid 
during the year, with 5.0% for social and cultural activities and 
0.2% for the operating budget. In 2014, the Workers’ Council 
thus  received  €9.1  million,  compared  to  slightly  more  than 
€8.5 million in 2013 and €7.9 million in 2012.

This yearly allocation by Dassault Systèmes allows employees, 
as  well  as  their  spouses  and  children,  to  be  offered  a  large 
range  of  social  and  cultural  activities  with  many  sections 
dedicated  to  specific  domains  from  sport  to  art,  as  well  as 
financial support, such as for vacations, children’s education, 
and membership in clubs.

Dassault Data Services SAS and Dassault Systèmes Provence 
SAS subsidize their Workers’ Councils at a level of 1.5% of their 
total gross salaries paid during the year, with 1.3% for social 
and cultural activities and 0.2% for the operating budget.

2

2.1.4  Welcoming employees who have joined the Group via recently 

acquired companies

Due  to  the  strong  growth,  speeding  up  the  onboarding  of 
employees joining the Group is a major challenge.

For this purpose, Dassault Systèmes has defined a methodology 
and  processes  aimed  at  putting  in  place  an  induction  plan 
specific  to  each  company  acquired,  motivating  and  building 
the  loyalty  of  talented  individuals,  providing  each  employee 
with greater room for development within the Group.

This methodology is based in particular on the 3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  as  well  as  the  online  communities  which  facilitate 

to 

the 

the 
dynamic  access 
Company,  organizations  and  projects,  while  highlighting 
the  responsibilities,  competencies  and  contributions  of  each 
person.

information  concerning 

A  team  of  employees  from  Dassault  Systèmes  as  well  as 
the  acquired  company  is  formed  in  order  to  conduct  this 
convergence  project  focusing  on  different  processes:  Sales 
and Marketing, R&D and Customer Support, Finance, Human 
Resources, IT and Working Environment.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 47

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.5  Acknowledging performance and rewarding contribution 

to delivering the strategy

As part of the performance evaluation process, each employee 
meets with his or her manager on a formal basis at least three 
times a year to assess the results of the past year, define goals 
for  the  coming  year  and,  on  a  half-yearly  basis,  discuss  the 
rewards granted to the employee for his or her performance 
and contribution to the development of Dassault Systèmes.

Dassault Systèmes also values other types of initiatives with 
particular attention paid to the spirit of innovation as well as 
collective and social actions:

 (cid:125) the innovations developed within the Group by the teams 
are then showcased through “3DS INNOVATION Forwards”, 
which  every  year  rewards  the  most  innovative  projects 
conducted by employees throughout the world;

 (cid:125) actions  are  conducted  to  highlight  the  importance  of  the 
work done by the personnel while also enhancing employee 
quality of life;

 (cid:125) Dassault  Systèmes  also  highlights  the  actions  aimed 
at  contributing  to  the  sustainable  development  of  its 
ecosystem by participating in social and societal actions.

Performance and compensation

Compensation
The  compensation  policy  at  Dassault  Systèmes  seeks  to 
ensure that each employee receives compensation consistent 
with  market  practices  in  the  advanced  technology  industry 
in  each  country  where  the  Company  has  operations,  and 
differentiated according to the individual performance of each 
employee as appraised by his or her manager during an annual 
interview reviewing performance and goals.

Increases take place for the entire Company in April each year. 
All the employees who were with the Company on October 1 
of the preceding year are eligible for an annual salary increase.

In  2014,  the  salary  increases  granted  by  Dassault  Systèmes 
depended  on  performance  and  market  changes  in  each 
country where the Company has activities.

Total  gross  annual  payroll  paid  by  the  Company  (including 
for  employees  of  3DPLM  Ltd)  amounted  to  €822.7  million 
in 2014, compared to €690.1 million in 2013, an increase of 
19% for the year principally driven by growth in the Group’s 
total headcount.

Payroll  taxes  for  the  Group  amounted  to  €228.9  million  in 
2014 compared to €195.5 million in 2013. In 2014, payroll 
taxes  included  an  amount  directly  related  to  a  grant  of 
performance  shares.  No  performance  shares  were  granted 
in 2013.

Profit-sharing (pursuant to Titles I and II of Book III 
of the Labor Code)
Employee  profit-sharing  (l'intéressement)  and  regulatory 
profit-sharing (la participation) are two methods of employee 
savings established by law in France. Employee profit-sharing 
is  optional,  while  regulatory  profit-sharing  is  required  for  all 
companies with more than 50 employees.

In  2014,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  renegotiated  its  agreements 
with labor unions for employee profit-sharing and regulatory 
profit-sharing for a period of three years, covering 2014, 2015 
and 2016.

Employee  profit-sharing  for  the  year  2013,  which  was  paid 
in 2014 at Dassault Systèmes SA, amounted to €18.4 million 
(€16.7 million in 2012). The total amount of the contribution 
by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  for  regulatory  profit-sharing  for 
the  year  2013,  which  was  paid  in  2014,  was  €15.5  million 
(€13.3 million in 2012).

The  results  of  operations  recorded  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA 
for the year 2014, and which will be submitted for approval at 
the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015 
should permit the distribution of employee profit-sharing and 
regulatory profit-sharing of €17,921,048 each.

The  table  below  sets  forth  the  amounts  of  employee  profit-
sharing and regulatory profit-sharing at Dassault Systèmes SA 
over the past three years.

2014

2013

2012

(in thousands of euros)

Amount

% payroll

Amount

% payroll

Amount

% payroll

Contractual employee profit-sharing 
(intéressement)

Regulatory profit-sharing (participation)

TOTAL

17,921

17,921

35,842

10.5%

10.4%

20.9%

18,422

15,512

33,934

12.0%

10.2%

22.2%

16,786

13,291

30,077

11.8%

9.4%

21.2%

Payroll percentages are calculated on a capped payroll base as per the current profit sharing agreements.

48 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

2

The amounts attributed individually to employee beneficiaries 
are,  depending  on  the  choice  made  by  the  employee,  either 
directly received, contributed to one of the Company’s savings 
or  group  retirement  plans,  or  deposited  (only  possible  for 
regulatory  profit-sharing)  in  a  blocked  bank  account  bearing 
interest at 110% of the average interest rate on private bonds 
(Taux de Rendement Moyen des Obligations Privées).

At  Dassault  Data  Services  SAS  and  Dassault  Systèmes 
Provence  SAS,  the  amount  of  contractual  employee  profit-
sharing  paid  in  2014  in  respect  of  year  2013  represented 
7.3% and 3.9% of the payroll respectively, and the regulatory 
profit-sharing  represented  2.5%  and  20.3%.  Optional  profit-
sharing agreements were also signed in 2013 and contractual 
profit-sharing agreements in 2014 in Netvibes SAS and 3DVIA 
SAS.  Lastly,  Archivideo  SA  also  signed  an  employee  profit-
sharing agreement in 2014.

Other plans
In  Canada,  there  is  a  “Deferred  Profit-Sharing  Plan”  (DPSP) 
which allows a portion of profits to be distributed to employees 
registered on the “Registered Pension Plan” (RPP).

Recognizing the flair for innovation and showcasing 
collective initiatives advocated by the values of 
Dassault Systèmes

3DS INNOVATION Forwards
Every  year,  the  3DS  INNOVATION  Forwards  reward  the 
most  innovative  projects  led  by  Dassault  Systèmes’  teams 
worldwide.  Launched  in  2004,  the  initiative  encourages  a 
spirit  of  innovation  within  the  Group,  promotes  recognition, 
and  deepens  understanding  of  the  corporate  strategy.  The 
proposed  projects  are  designed  to  provide  solutions  for  the 
Company’s  strategic  issues:  contributing  to  the  response  to 
the  challenges  of  industries,  creating  new  user  experiences 
enabling them to see the advantages of the products made by 
the Dassault Systèmes brands, participating in the Company’s 
commitment  to 
increasing 
the  value  of  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform,  offering  new 
experiences that contribute to the development of the Group’s 
employees and its business activities, etc.

its  customers  and  partners, 

All Dassault Systèmes employees are invited to submit a full 
description of the project within an on-line community, set up 
on the 3DEXPERIENCE collaborative platform. The projects can 
be seen by everyone and are selected via a collective vote and 
jury made up of members of the Executive Committee. There 
were  354  applicants  in  the  2014  edition  of  the  competition 
representing 2,338 employees and 23 winning teams.

Initiatives to reward work and improve the lives of employees
Since  2010,  a  satisfaction  survey  has  been  open  to  all 
Dassault Systèmes employees worldwide. This survey enables 
employees  to  give  their  opinion  about  various  themes  such 
as  well-being  at  work,  mutual  respect,  pride  in  working  for 
Dassault Systèmes, etc. Following this annual survey, various 
targeted  initiatives  are  implemented  over  the  year  at  global 
and  local  levels  in  order  to  reward  good  practices  while 
improving quality of life at work.

These initiatives include the Managers's Café in France, where 
managers share their good practices or daily problems; actions 
concerning the work/life balance and preventing stress, where 
the participants have benefited from useful recommandations; 
and awards ceremonies in specific departments (e.g. “Finance 
Awards”) or countries (e.g. “Korea Recognition Awards”, “U.S. 
Years  of  Service  Anniversary  and  Star  Award  Recognition 
Programs”)  to  recognize  the  work  undertaken  by  certain 
teams or employees.

to  sustainable  development  within 

Collective company and social initiatives
the  Group’s  subsidiaries  organize  programs 
Most  of 
contributing 
their 
community e.g.  voluntary  work  days  with  local  associations 
organized  by  the  SIMULIA  employees,  DELMIA  employees’ 
food  drive,  participating  in  the  PanMassachussets  Challenge 
race, an event organized to raise money for a cancer research 
institute (Dana Farber).

Other similar initiatives can be noted as well. In the U.S. and 
Canada,  Dassault  Systèmes  employees  can  take  part  in  two 
community service half-days in the year. For example in 2014, 
Montreal office workers helped clean the banks of the Lachine 
Canal and worked as volunteers in a restaurant whose profits 
are given to associations in the city.

In South Korea, Dassault Systèmes contributes to the WISET 
professional  training  program  supported  by  the  government 
and whose objective is to help women who have interrupted 
their career to be able to study for a job in science, engineering 
and technologies. The Company has allowed them to use its 
facility and its CATIA software.

Lastly,  in  France,  Dassault  Systèmes  took  part  in  the  Rêves 
de Gosse: Tour 2014  initiative  which  offers  “extraordinary” 
children (sick children) the opportunity to go on a first flight 
organized  by  amateur  and  professional  pilots.  Within  this 
context, the Disability Task Force took part in the event: running 
a  Dassault  Systèmes  stand;  organizing  internal  awareness 
events  for  the  employees;  financing  two  promotional  films; 
and  co-organizing,  with  the  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  Works 
Council, a Vols Découvertes (Discovery Flights) Day for the the 
disabled children of Dassault Systèmes employees.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 49

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.6  Safeguarding business ethics, employer-employee dialogue 

and personal safety

or  companies,  whether  they  are  partners,  customers, 
suppliers, service or other companies or organizations, with 
the goal of benefiting from preferential treatment; and

 (cid:125) using  Group  funds  to  make  a  contribution  of  any  kind  to 

political candidates or parties.

These  principles  are  supplemented  by  an  “anti-corruption 
policy”, which applies in each Dassault Systèmes company.

Principles of Enterprise Social Responsibility 
and commitments to ensuring respect for basic rights
The  Code  of  Business  Conduct  requires  Dassault  Systèmes’ 
employees  to  comply  with  international  standards,  such 
as  the  Universal  Declaration  of  Human  Rights  of  the  United 
Nations and the various Basic Conventions of the International 
Labor  Organization.  With  respect  to  the  Group’s  activities, 
the  risk  of  these  basic  standards  being  violated  is  very  low 
and the actions undertaken to support human rights are not 
specifically reported on.

The Group also promotes corporate responsibility with respect 
to  its  ecosystem,  based  on  the  acknowledgment  of  and 
compliance with basic laws on social rights and environmental 
protection;  the  general  terms  and  conditions  of  the  sub-
contracting  and  purchase  agreements  of  Dassault  Systèmes’ 
major companies include specific commitments:

 (cid:125) the  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  model  contracts  oblige  its 
service  providers  to  follow  the  social  and  environmental 
responsibility  principles  which  Dassault  Systèmes  uphold. 
They  are  available  at  the  following  link:  http://www.3ds.
com/fileadmin/COMPANY/Ethics-and-compliance/
Principes-de-Responsabilite-Sociale.pdf;

 (cid:125) the agreements between Group entities in the United States, 
Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, and 
other  European  countries  (which  account  for  more  than 
60% of the Group’s Employee Headcount) and their service 
providers contain clauses regarding respect for employees’ 
rights.

Dassault  Systèmes  requests  that  its  suppliers  and  partners 
comply  with  the  provisions  of  the  basic  conventions  of  the 
International Labor Organization, in particular the principles of 
eradicating child labor by requiring children to attend school 
(and in any event under 15 years of age), eliminating forced 
labor,  ensuring  working  conditions  sufficient  to  provide  for 
employee health and safety, respecting applicable minimum 

Business ethics
Since  its  creation,  Dassault  Systèmes  has  developed  its 
culture  and  built  its  reputation  on  different  fundamental 
principles, particularly the creation of long-term relationships 
with  its  employees,  customers,  partners  and  shareholders, 
as  well  as  high-quality  products  with  high  added-value. 
Confidence  and  integrity,  supported  by  rigorous  ethics  and 
regulatory compliance, are at the heart of Dassault Systèmes’ 
commitments for sustainable innovation and growth.

is 

formalized 

The  Company’s  commitment  to  professional  ethics  and 
through  procedures 
business  citizenship 
regarding  corporate  governance,  in  particular  the  “Code 
of  Business  Conduct”  distributed  to  all  the  Company’s 
employees  (see  paragraph  5.1  “Report  of  the  Chairman  on 
Corporate  Governance  and  Internal  Control”)  and  “Principles 
of Enterprise Social Responsibility” on the Company’s internet 
site.  The  Code  of  Business  Conduct,  which  is  backed  up  by 
specific policies, is intended to serve as the reference for each 
Company  employee  to  guide  his/her  behavior  and  his/her 
interactions in connection with his/her activities.

This  commitment  is  also  borne  out  by  the  policy  of  making 
new  employees  aware  of  ethics  and  compliance  and  by 
targeted  training  courses  taken  by  the  employees  most 
exposed to ethical risks in their daily duties.

The  online  ethics  and  compliance  training,  created  in  2013, 
is now an integral part of the onboarding program for all new 
employees. This course comprises 14 modules, each of which 
is  broken  down  into  a  theory  section  followed  by  practical 
applications  in  a  question/answer  format.  The  topics  dealt 
with  include  the  fight  against  corruption,  the  protection  of 
intellectual property, respect for confidentiality, ethics in the 
workplace,  competition  law,  information  systems  security, 
personal data protection, and conflicts of interest etc.

The fight against corruption
The  Code  of  Business  Conduct  prohibits  Group  employees 
from:

 (cid:125) exchanging gifts or invitations in order to favor or influence 
a commercial decision, whether it be taken by a customer, 
partner, supplier or employees of the Group;

 (cid:125) using  Dassault  Systèmes’  funds  or  assets  to  pay  bribes  or 
kickbacks or make payments of a similar nature liable directly 
or indirectly to benefit third parties, including shareholders 

50 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

legal  or  regulatory  levels  of  pay,  freedom  to  unionize  and 
the  protection  of  labor  union  rights,  and  the  freedom  to 
collectively  negotiate  labor  contracts.  The  Company  also 
asks them to commit to ban all forms of discrimination (with 
respect to recruitment, professional development and the end 
of labor relations), to fight against corruption, and to respect 
applicable law on the protection of the environment.

their non-material nature. They are therefore not specifically 
reported on.

Social dialogue and collective agreements
The  quality  of  the  social  dialogue  is  based  on  the  numerous 
exchanges  between  the  Company’s  management  and  the 
employees and employee representatives.

Impact of products and services on the health 
and safety of the Group’s customers
The direct impact of Dassault Systèmes’ products and services 
on the health and safety of its customers is very limited given 

In  France,  numerous  meetings  were  organized  by  French 
companies of the Group. Collective agreements, concerning one 
or several subjects in connection with working and employment 
conditions, were negotiated and signed each year:

2

Dassault 
Systèmes SA

Dassault Data 
Services SAS

Dassault 
Systèmes 

Provence SAS Archivideo SA Netvibes SAS

3DVIA SAS

Number of collective agreements in effect 
at 12/31/2014

Number of collective agreements signed during 2014*

40

8

22

3

14

3

1

1

2

2

2

1

* 

These agreements may cover several topics such as the Mandatory Annual Negotiations, equality and professional gender balance, organizing working time, replacing collective 
by-laws related to the Universal Transmission of Assets, optional employee profit-sharing and compulsory profit-sharing.

In Germany, collective agreements are negotiated and signed 
with  the  Group  Council  and  the  Workers’  Council  of  each 
Company site (Stuttgart, Hanover, Aix-la-Chapelle and Berlin). 
At  December  31,  2014,  there  were  8  agreements  in  effect 
in  Stuttgart,  27  in  Hanover,  one  in  Aix-la-Chapelle,  three  in 
Berlin and 14 with the Group Council.

In 2014, Dassault Systemes Deutschland GmbH signed eight 
agreements at the level of the Group Council of which several 
concern  employee  salaries,  data  confidentiality,  training  and 
human resources management. Also, three agreements were 
signed in Stuttgart, one in Aix-la-Chapelle and three in Berlin 
on similar topics.

In  the  other  main  countries  where  the  Group  operates: 
United  Kingdom,  United  States,  Canada,  Japan,  China  and 
India,  there  is  no  personnel  representation  or  trade  union  in 
Dassault Systèmes. In South Korea, as in all companies with 
over  30  people,  an  employee  representative  Committee 
is  elected  each  year.  Its  role  is  to  participate  organizing  the 
Company’s social activities.

Furthermore,  as  part  of 
the  conversion  project  of 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into  a  European  company,  a  Special 
Negotiation  Body  (“SNB”)  has  been  formed  in  order  to 
negotiate with the top management the terms and conditions 
of the employees involvement inside the European company. 
The  negotiations  started  in  October  2014  and  should  be 
completed by the signature of an agreement on these terms 
and conditions. After the conversion into a European company, 
Dassault  Systèmes  will  have  a  new  Committee  for  dialogue 
with its European employees (the European Works Council) in 
addition to the existing Works Council.

Health and safety
In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  its  Code  of  Business 
Conduct, the Group undertakes to comply with all applicable 
laws and regulations on health and safety in the workplace.

Coverage of healthcare costs
its  employees  has 
The  Group  ensures  that  each  of 
medical  coverage  in  compliance  with  local  practices  in  the 
countries  where  it  has  activities.  Moreover,  the  Group  offers 
supplementary  health  coverage,  for  example  in  France,  the 
United  Kingdom,  the  United  States,  Canada,  South  Korea, 
Japan and India.

Health and medical checkup
The Group applies the provisions laid down by the countries 
where it has activities.

For  example,  in  France,  its  employees  undergo  regular 
medical checkups. On the 3DS Paris Campus, a medical team 
composed  of  two  physicians  and  four  nurses  looks  after  the 
health  and  well-being  of  all  on-site  employees.  In  Japan, 
South  Korea,  China,  India  and  the  United  States,  individual 
medical  checkups  are  offered  (this  service  is  included  in  the 
health coverage plan). Lastly, there are no specific provisions 
in the United Kingdom, Canada or Germany.

Work accidents
Given  the  nature  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  activity,  few  work 
accidents are recorded. In France, in 2014, nine work or travel 
accidents resulted in absence from work for more than one day. 
There were nine in the United States and three in Germany, 
while no days were recorded in the United Kingdom, Canada, 
Japan, South Korea, China, and India.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 51

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee 
and specific actions
In France, three Group companies have a Health, Safety and 
Working  Conditions  Committee  (CHSCT  in  French),  which 
meets several times during the year in each entity.

An agreement on preventing psychosocial risks was signed on 
June 11, 2010 for a three-year period within Dassault Systèmes 
SA. Following this agreement, a series of actions were started 
and  the  workshops  that  had  been  set  up  have  continued  to 
work on the following themes: “life balance and using means 
of  communication”  and  “workload  and  organization”.  The 
results of the work of the two working groups were reported 
to the Works Council and the CHSCT on March 20, 2014. The 
actions  recommended  by  these  groups  were  shared  with  all 
employees early April 2014. The results of the working groups 
efforts’  provided  a  basis  to  spearhead  the  initiatives  referred 
to  in  paragraph  2.1.5  “Acknowledging  performance  and 
rewarding contribution to delivering the strategy ”.

At  Dassault  Systèmes  Provence  SAS,  the  main  actions 
concerning  the  prevention  of  psychosocial  risks  were 
conducted  in  2014.  Four  working  groups,  each  one  made 
up  of  ten  people,  were  set  up  to  work  on  different  themes 
such  as  “Objectives,  planning  and  reporting”,  “Helping  each 
other,  support  and  sharing  expertise”,  “Value  recognition, 
career  and  skills  development”,  “Planning  and  organizing 
techniques”.  Lastly,  top  management  followed  a  training 
course  “Awareness  and  prevention  of  psychosocial  risks”  in 
December 2014.

In addition, in certain countries (such as Canada and Germany), 
employee representatives are responsible for communicating 
with  the  management  of  the  relevant  legal  entities  on 
employee health and safety.

2.1.7  Methodology for Employee Reporting

Scope
In  general,  employee  reporting  covers  all  Dassault  Systèmes 
companies at year end. Nevertheless, as indicated below, the 
scope covered for certain indicators may be more limited.

Key employee indicators
For 
its  social  reporting  requirements,  the  Group  chose 
key  indicators  set  out  in  paragraphs  2.1.2  “Organizing  to 
support  growth  and  the  delivery  of  the  strategy”  and  2.1.8 
“Appendices  regarding  the  Group’s  Employee  Headcount”. 
They  were  chosen  on  the  basis  of  the  indicators  in  Article 
R. 225-105-1 of the French Commercial Code and the specific 
indicators in the Group’s Human Resources policy.

In this respect, Dassault Systèmes has defined the following 
concepts:

 (cid:125) “Employee  Headcount”,  which  means  employees  of 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  and  subsidiaries  in  which  it  has  at 
least a 50% shareholding; and

 (cid:125) “Total Workforce” which includes the Employee Headcount, 
employees  of  companies  in  which  it  has  less  than  a  50% 
shareholding and outside service providers who have worked 
more  than  a  full  month  at  period  end.  At  December  31, 
2014,  employees  of  companies  in  which  the  Group  has 
less  than  a  50%  shareholding  include  the  employees  of 
3DPLM Ltd.

Data related to employees is calculated on the basis of “full-
time  equivalents”,  which  corresponds  to  the  proportion  of 
“hours worked per standard full-time work hours” and which 
was jointly defined and shared by both Human Resources and 
Finance teams.

Data  related  to  employee  arrivals  and  departures  are 
denominated in number of work agreements.

To  make  the  reporting  process  more  reliable,  an  internal 
methodological  guide  including  definitions  and  rules  for 
calculating each indicator is updated each year. Data reliability 
checks are carried out at the time of accounting consolidation 
as well as throughout the year in connection with analyzing 
changes from the preceding periods.

Limits of the social report
The  Company  operates  in  numerous  countries  with  local 
regulations  and  practices  which  are  not  always  harmonized 
or consolidated. For example, as the notions generally used in 
France  to  define  socioprofessional  categories  (non-managers 
and  managers)  are  not  used  outside  France,  and  over  two-
thirds of the Dassault Systèmes employees work abroad, the 
Group has decided to use the following categories: “Managers” 
who are in charge of the teams, and the “Non-Managers” who 
do not manage a team and are specialists in a specific field.

For the same reasons of local differences, the Company is not 
able to provide consolidated data for overtime, the degree of 
seriousness of work accidents and occupational illnesses.

52 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

2

Gathering and consolidating employee data
Special attention must be made to the following points:

 (cid:125) the data pertaining to employees and movements are taken 
from human resources and financial management software, 
both of which are deployed among all the companies and 
represent 100% of the reporting perimeter;

 (cid:125) the  information  pertaining  to  the  compensation  policy 
relates  to  Employee  Headcount.  The  data  relating  to 
the  total  payroll  and  payroll  taxes  is  provided  by  the 
Dassault  Systèmes  finance  department  and  covers  the 
Employee  Headcount  and  the  employees  of  companies  in 
which the Group has a shareholding below 50%, including 
employees at 3DPLM Ltd;

 (cid:125) the  data  relating  to  employees  and  the  amount  of  the 
payments  made  to  outside  service  providers  is  provided 
by the finance department. It concerns services referred to 
as  “Times  and  Material”,  supporting  a  Dassault  Systèmes 
activity corresponding to its core business and in respect of 
which  the  employees  are  present  for  at  least  one  month, 
paid on an hourly, daily or monthly basis;

 (cid:125) the  information  pertaining  to  policies  on  business  ethics, 
fighting  corruption,  the  Company’s  social  responsibility 
principles and commitments ensuring basic rights and the 
impacts of products and services on the health and safety 
of  the  Group’s  customers  is  provided  by  the  ethics  and 
compliance department and covers 100% of the reporting 
scope;

 (cid:125) the data relating to the main policies concerning industrial 
relations, health and safety, anti-discrimination initiatives, 
employee  and  regulatory  profit-sharing  and  other  reward 

systems,  working  time,  absenteeism,  fostering  diversity 
and  gender  balance,  and  social  projects  result  from 
additional  discussions  held  with  the  Human  Resources 
managers in Dassault Systèmes’ major countries with over 
150  employees  (excluding  companies  acquired  in  2014), 
namely  France,  the  United  States,  Canada,  Germany,  the 
United  Kingdom,  Japan,  South  Korea,  China  and  India, 
representing  just  under  85%  of  the  Group’s  Employee 
Headcount in 2014.  Absenteeism data includes sick leave, 
maternity  and  paternity  leave,  as  well  as  work-related 
accidents.  Employees  absent  for  a  period  exceeding  two 
years  are  no  longer  included  in  the  absenteeism  ratio.  It 
should be noted that this data is strongly influenced by local 
regulations; in certain countries, sick leave is counted as paid 
holiday  leave.  As  such,  absenteeism  should  be  considered 
on a country-by-country basis as it cannot be disclosed on 
a consolidated basis;

 (cid:125) the  data  relating  to  training  for  the  countries  with  over 
150 employees and mentioned above is extracted from the 
“3DEXPERIENCE University” solution, excluding companies 
acquired  in  2014,  covers  74%  of  the  Group’s  Employee 
Headcount.  Data  recorded  through  the  on-line  training 
platform is also taken into account for the same companies;

 (cid:125) lastly, the scope is specified in the body of the text for the 
other  data  not  previously  disclosed:  company  relations 
with  secondary  and  post-secondary  education,  Company 
commitment  to  associations,  3DS  INNOVATION  Forwards, 
Initiatives  to  reward  work  and 
lives  of 
employees.

improve  the 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 53

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.8  Appendices regarding the Group’s Employee Headcount

DISTRIBUTION BY AGE

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2014

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2013

%

< 30 years old

31 to 40 years old

41 to 50 years old

> 51 years old

TOTAL AT DECEMBER 31

1,252

1,980

1,656

899

5,787

22%

34%

29%

15%

100%

372

1,013

1,066

998

3,449

11%

29%

31%

29%

299

816

507

155

17%

46%

28%

9%

1,923

3,809

3,229

2,052

17%

35%

29%

19%

100%

1,777

100% 11,013*

100%

1,381

2,836

2,647

1,723

8,587

%

16%

33%

31%

20%

100%

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

EMPLOYEE TENURE

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Temporary contract

Less than 5 years

6 to 15 years

More than 16 years

TOTAL AT DECEMBER 31

Employees 
2014

168

2,708

1,916

995

5,787

Employees 
2014

6

1,505

1,451

487

3,449

%

3%

47%

33%

17%

100%

Employees 
2014

4

1,159

533

81

%

0%

44%

42%

14%

Employees 
2014

178

5,372

3,900

1,563

%

0%

65%

30%

5%

%

2%

49%

35%

14%

100%

1,777

100% 11,013*

100%

Employees 
2013

89

4,154

3,080

1,264

8,587

%

1%

48%

36%

15%

100%

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

DISTRIBUTION BY SOCIO-PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2014

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2013

%

Women

“Managers”

“Non-Managers”

TOTAL WOMEN

Men

“Managers”

“Non-Managers”

TOTAL MEN

TOTAL AT DECEMBER 31

167

1,134

1,301

957

3,529

4,486

5,787

13%

87%

100%

21%

79%

100%

157

704

861

558

2,030

2,588

3,449

18%

82%

100%

22%

78%

100%

50

374

424

256

1,097

1,353

1,777

12%

88%

100%

19%

81%

100%

374

2,212

2,586

1,771

6,656

8,427

11,013*

14%

86%

100%

21%

79%

100%

314

1,633

1,947

1,494

5,146

6,640

8,587

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

%

16%

84%

100%

22%

78%

100%

54 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Years ended December 31

Employees 
2014

Full-time

Part-time

TOTAL

Women

Full-time

Part-time

TOTAL WOMEN

Men

Full-time

Part-time

TOTAL MEN

TOTAL

5,568

219

5,787

1,155

146

1,301

4,413

73

4,486

5,787

Employees 
2014

%

96%

4%

3,432

17

Employees 
2014

%

99%

1%

1,766

11

Employees 
2014

%

99%

1%

10,766

247

Employees 
2013

%

100%

3,449

100%

1,777

100% 11,013*

100%

89%

11%

100%

98%

2%

100%

848

13

861

98%

2%

100%

417

7

424

98%

2%

100%

2,420

166

2,586

2,584

100%

1,349

100%

8,346

4

2,588

3,449

0%

100%

4

1,353

1,777

0%

81

100%

8,427

100%

11,013*

98%

2%

94%

6%

100%

99%

1%

8,394

193

8,587

1,807

140

1,947

6,587

53

6,640

8,587

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

AGE DISTRIBUTION OF NEW ARRIVALS

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2014

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2014

%

Employees 
2013

%

< 30 years old

31 to 40 years old

41 to 50 years old

> 51 years old

TOTAL

778

713

353

78

41%

37%

18%

4%

238

314

292

175

23%

31%

29%

17%

1,922

100%

1,019

100%

256

329

119

18

722

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

2

%

98%

2%

100%

93%

7%

100%

99%

1%

100%

%

40%

35%

17%

8%

35%

46%

16%

3%

1,272

1,356

764

271

35%

37%

21%

7%

574

508

254

113

100%

3,663*

100%

1,449

100%

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 55

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.9  NRE correspondence table

Article R. 225-105-1 of the French Commercial Code

Paragraphs

Page

Employment

Total employees and distribution by gender, age and geographic location

New hires and departures

Compensation

Organization of working time

Absenteeism

Labor Relations

Organization of employee relations and employee communications, consultation and negotiation 
procedures

Summary of collective agreements

Health and Safety

Health and safety conditions

Summary of agreements reached with labor unions or employee representatives regarding health and 
safety

Work accidents frequency and seriousness, and professional illnesses

Training

Training policies

Total training time

Equal treatment

Measures for the equal treatment of men and women

Measures for the employment of disabled persons

Anti-discrimination policy

Promotion of and respect for the provisions of the basic conventions of the International Labor 
Organization on

Respect for the freedom of association and the right to collective negotiation

Eliminating discrimination at work

Eliminating forced labor

Eliminating child labor

Information on societal commitments and commitments to sustainable development

Regional, economic and social impact of the business in terms of employment and regional development, 
on nearby or local populations

Relations with individuals and organizations interested by the Company’s business (job placement 
associations, educational establishments, environmental protection associations, etc.), 
partnership and sponsorship

Sub-contractors and suppliers: social responsibility. Taking social and environmental issues into account 
in the purchasing policy. Importance of sub-contracting. Taking suppliers’ and sub-contractors’ social 
and environmental responsibility into account in relations with them

Good citizen practices (actions to prevent corruption and measures to protect the health and safety 
of consumers) and other measures to support human rights

Summary of information not published

Information not published due to lack of relevancy

Explanation

2.1.2

2.1.8

2.1.3

2.1.8

2.1.5

2.1.2

2.1.6

2.1.6

2.1.6

2.1.6

2.1.6

2.1.3

2.1.3

2.1.3

2.1.3

2.1.3

2.1.6

2.1.3

2.1.6

2.1.6

2.1.3

2.1.3

2.1.2

2.1.6

39

54

41

54

48

39

50

50

50

50

50

41

41

41

41

41

50

41

50

50

41

41

39

50

Frequency/severity rate of work accidents.
Professional illnesses.

Given the nature of Dassault Systèmes’ activity, the number of work accidents is low 
and consists of only a few cases per year. This indicator is not calculated.

56 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 
Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

2.2  Environmental Responsibility

Systèmes’ 

environmental 

Dassault 
is 
characterized  by  the  indirect  positive  and  negative  impacts 
of the use of its software by its customers, and by its direct 
negative  impact  of  its  activities  on  the  environment  (see 
paragraph 1.4.1.1 “Summary”):

responsibility 

 (cid:125) Dassault Systèmes’ software solutions allow its customers 
to reduce the environmental impact of their products from 
the design stage. They can help reduce the consumption of 
raw  materials  through  digital  modeling,  optimize  energy 
consumption  and  working  processes  and  manage  the 
compliance of products with environmental standards. This 
is  the  potentially  positive  impact  of  Dassault  Systèmes’ 
products on the environment;

 (cid:125) the use of the Group’s software by its customers generates 
indirect  energy  consumption  for  Dassault  Systèmes.  This 
consumption is the potentially indirect negative impact of 
Dassault Systèmes’ products on the environment;

2

 (cid:125) all  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  operations  are  located  in  offices 
(see  paragraph  1.2.3  “Facilities  Strategy”)  and  in  data 
centers. For its activities, the Group uses computer hardware 
and employees are required to travel regularly to the Group’s 
sites,  and  to  visit  customers  and  partners.  The  Group’s 
environmental  impact  is  therefore  mainly  generated  by 
the energy consumption of its buildings and data centers; 
the  greenhouse  gas  emissions  produced  by  employee 
travel;  and  the  electrical  and  electronic  waste  generated 
by  computer-based  activities.  These  three 
indicators 
are  “primary”  for  Dassault  Systèmes.  Other  indicators 
are  monitored  by  the  Group  but  with  less  criticality  in 
relation  to  the  activity  carried  out  (see  paragraph  2.2.2.3 
“Dassault  Systèmes  and  environmental  management  – 
Environmental Management”).

In the light of these various contributions, Dassault Systèmes 
is working on the development of a model to define its overall 
net positive impact on the environment.

2.2.1 

Industrial and Environmental Risk

The Group is not aware of any industrial or environmental risks 
which may have a significant impact on its financial condition 
or operating results, and it believes that its business has a very 
limited environmental impact:

 (cid:125) a  significant  portion  of  its  assets  are  intangible,  which 

reduces industrial and environmental risk;

 (cid:125) none of the Company’s sites produces dangerous waste or 
waste with an environmental impact on the ground, air or 
water, and none of them meets criteria set forth under the 
European  SEVESO  directive  regarding  sites  at  risk  due  to 
dangerous substances, or is classified under ICPE (Classified 
Installation  for  the  Protection  of  the  Environment  or 
installations classées – et présentant des risques – pour la 
protection de l'environnement);

 (cid:125) the Company does not believe that it is directly exposed to 

climate change issues in the short or medium-term;

 (cid:125) Dassault  Systèmes’  business  does  not  have  any  known 
negative impact on biodiversity, nor does it create noise or 
odors which may create a nuisance locally. In addition, the 
Company is not involved with soil usage matters.

The  only  aspect  for  which  the  Group  believes  there  exists  a 
minor environmental risk, which would not have a significant 
impact  on  its  financial  condition  or  results  of  operations,  is 
the fuel storage at the 3DS Paris Campus and the 3DS Boston 
Campus, which would be used to produce electricity in case of 
an electrical shortage.

Based on the Company’s limited industrial and environmental 
risks, costs resulting from evaluating, preventing and treating 
industrial and environmental risks are not significant and are 
included under different line items representing investments 
and expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

In  2014,  no  provisions  or  guaranties  for  environmental 
risks  were  recorded  in  the  Group’s  consolidated  financial 
statements.  In  addition,  no  expense  was  recognized  in  the 
financial  statements  related  to  a  court  judgment  regarding 
environmental  issues  or  actions  taken  to  remediate  any 
environmental damage.

To  anticipate  any  regulatory  risks  related  to  environmental 
matters,  Dassault  Systèmes’  legal  department  and  Public 
Affairs  and  Sustainable  Development  department  closely 
follow  environmental  regulations  which  may  have  an  effect 
on its business.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 57

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

2.2.2  Environmental Report

impact  of 

limited  direct  environmental 

Despite  the 
its 
business  relative  to  its  operations,  Dassault  Systèmes  is 
aware of its responsibility for protecting the environment. It 
has  made  sustainable  development  central  to  its  objectives, 
with  a  strategy  based  on  sustainable  innovation,  and  has 
implemented  a  strategy  for  optimizing  and  transforming  its 
activities to reduce its environmental impact.

2.2.2.1 

3DEXPERIENCE Platform 
for Sustainability: Apps and Solutions 
for sustainable development

Companies  today  face  a  series  of  challenges  that  are 
both 
technological  and  ecological.  Dassault  Systèmes 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  helps  its  customers  achieve  their 
combined sustainability and business goals through a portfolio 
of sustainability Applications enriching several of its Industry 
Solutions Experiences, based on:

3D Modeling Technologies
The  Company’s  portfolio  of  modeling  technologies  makes  it 
possible to create scientifically accurate representations of the 
environmental  impacts  of  product.  These  technologies  also 
offer techniques to reduce these impacts, such as eco-design for 
predictive environmental assessment and virtual prototyping, 
which  improve  the  carbon  footprint,  energy  consumption, 
human health impacts, and overall sustainability of products 
and  systems.  For  example,  SOLIDWORKS  Sustainability 
features an integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) dashboard 
that estimates the environmental implications of each design 
decision  using  several  environmental 
indicators.  ASSA 
ABLOY,  the  global  leader  in  door-opening  solutions,  used 
SOLIDWORKS Sustainability to reduce product environmental 
impact and material usage while cutting their product material 
and energy costs by 15%.

Virtual+Real Technologies
Technologies  that  enable  real-time  realistic  simulation  can 
help optimize the physical world in virtual universes, leading 
to  reduced  environmental  impacts.  For  complex  products, 
the  Company’s  simulation  technologies  aid  in  performance 
testing  and  light  weighting  that  allows  engineers  to  verify 
functionality  and  integrity  while  optimizing  material  usage. 
Factory  and  production  systems  can  be  executed  with 
minimal  material  and  energy  expenditure  to  enable  “green” 
manufacturing.  Ultimately,  end  consumer  usage  can  be 

58 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

simulated  to  examine  and  reduce  environmental  impacts 
across  the  entire  life  cycle.  For  example,  packaging  designer 
Amcor used SIMULIA to simulate complex design interactions, 
resulting  in  a  27%  reduction  of  carbon  footprint  and  plastic 
resin usage while maintaining product integrity.

Intelligent Information Technologies
The searching, sorting, filtering, navigating, real-time analysis 
and  understanding  of  large  amounts  of  environmental  data 
is central to the achievement of sustainable innovation. With 
the scope of data requirements expanded from the enterprise 
to  the  entire  value  chain,  so-called  extended  producer 
responsibility  demands  both  sophisticated  and  scalable 
access  to  these  big  data,  allowing  information  intelligence 
applications  that  can  dashboard  environmental 
impacts 
across  the  extended  enterprise.  For  example,  the  EXALEAD 
search-based  infrastructure  enables  the  management  of 
structured  and  unstructured  environmental  data,  providing 
decision  support  to  execute  corporate  sustainability  and 
impact-reduction  strategies.  Central  to  the  success  of  these 
sustainability strategies is social listening: NETVIBES enables 
customers  to  gauge  public  sentiment  about  sustainability 
trends and campaigns.

technologies  allow  companies 

Connectivity Technologies
Connecting  data  and  people  by  breaking  down  silos  in 
organizations  is  key  to  achieving  sustainability  strategies. 
Connectivity 
to  build 
internal  and  external  communities  to  manage  sustainability 
efficiently. They also make it possible to connect product data 
with  governmental  data  to  proactively  manage  adherence 
to  government  and  industry  environmental  regulations  and 
standards,  such  as  the  Restriction  of  Hazardous  Substances 
(RoHS)  directive  and  the  management  of  conflict  minerals. 
Dassault  Systèmes’  solution  for  environmental  compliance 
and  materials  intelligence  help  maintain  a  proactive  risk 
minimization  strategy,  and  make  it  possible  to  engage  the 
people  and  communities  that  are  critical  to  the  success  of 
sustainability  strategies.  For  example,  Agilent  Technologies, 
a leader in test and measurement systems in electronics and 
bio-analytic instruments, uses ENOVIA Materials Compliance 
Management 
(MCM),  an  automated,  enterprise-wide 
materials  compliance  data  tracking  system,  to  demonstrate 
compliance  with  stringent  environmental  regulations  for 
more than 1,800 products and 160,000 parts from more than 
7,000 suppliers.

Dassault Systèmes is a forerunner in creating 3DEXPERIENCE 
for sustainable innovation to help customers achieve a positive 
environmental impact on the planet and grow their businesses 
sustainably.  Our  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  lets  innovators 
truly  understand  the  impact  of  their  ideas  and  processes  on 
people  and  the  environment,  to  realize  the  vision  of  a  more 
sustainable world.

2.2.2.2 

Industry Collaborations 
on sustainability

In  addition  to  aiding  its  customers  directly,  the  Company 
engages in several industry collaborations in order to leverage 
its  expertise  and  leadership  for  the  furthering  of  sustainable 
collaboration:

 (cid:125) International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEGTM). The 
IAEGTM is a self-governed trade association that represents 
most of the global commercial aerospace industry, such as 
Boeing and Airbus, as well as the global defense aerospace 
industry,  such  as  Lockheed  Martin,  Northrop  Grumman 
and  Safran  group.  Dassault  Systèmes  is  working  with  the 
IAEGTM  to  aid  in  the  development  of  chemical  material 
declaration  and  reporting  systems,  supplier  sustainability 
surveys, and the aerospace sector’s official guidance for the 
measurement of greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the World 
Resources Institute’s GHG Protocol;

 (cid:125) Sustainable  Apparel  Coalition  (SAC).  The  SAC  is  a  trade 
organization comprised of brands, retailers, manufacturers, 
government,  and  non-governmental  organizations  and 
academic  experts,  representing  more  than  a  third  of  the 
global  apparel  and  footwear  market,  and  is  working  to 
reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and 
footwear  products  around  the  world.  Dassault  Systèmes 
is  engaged  with  the  SAC  to  provide  its  leadership  in  life 
cycle  assessment  (LCA)-based  design  and  footprinting 
methodologies,  and  to  advise  and  assist  its  customers  in 
challenges involved with a proactive adoption of the SAC’s 
Higg Index, a suite of assessment tools that standardizes the 
measurement  of  the  environmental  and  social  impacts  of 
apparel and footwear products across the product lifecycle 
and throughout the value chain;

 (cid:125) Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enteprise 
(SHINE). SHINE consists of a consortium of sustainability-
including  Owens  Corning,  Eaton 
focused  companies, 
Corporation,  Abbott  Laboratories,  Johnson  &  Johnson  and 
Dassault Systèmes, and is led by the Center for Health and 
the Global Environment, part of the School of Public Health 
at Harvard. The goal of SHINE is to revolutionize corporate 
sustainability strategy by managing Handprints, or positive 
impacts,  in  addition  to  Footprints  (negative  impacts),  the 
comparison of which determines if an enterprise can be called 
Net Positive. Dassault Systèmes is contributing significant 
support and thought leadership to aid in the development of 
a new accounting standard and management methodology 
for environmental Handprinting.

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

2

2.2.2.3  Dassault Systèmes and environmental 

management

Environmental Management
The Public Affairs and Sustainable Development department 
is  responsible  for  environmental  reporting,  determining  how 
to reduce the Company’s environmental impact, and creating 
awareness  among  employees  regarding  the  importance  of 
sustainable development.

Dassault  Systèmes  has  formed  an 
international  team 
to  strengthen  the  steps  taken  to  reduce  the  Company’s 
environmental  impact.  A  “Sustainability  Leader”  in  each 
geographical region is responsible for ensuring the collection 
of  environmental  data,  the  review  of  environmental  matters 
in his/her region, the follow up on environmental indicators, 
and,  for  the  Group’s  principal  sites,  the  creation  of  a  local 
environmental  management  system.  Each  Sustainability 
Leader is supported by a “Green Team” made up of volunteers 
at each site. The Green Team supports actions for reducing the 
site’s environmental impact.

The Group carried out a project to analyze the material nature 
of its indicators, focusing, in particular, on the key “primary” 
indicators  related  to  its  activity.  The  Dassault  Systèmes 
primary  indicators  are:  electricity  consumption,  greenhouse 
gas emissions and waste electronic and electrical equipment. 
The remaining indicators are deemed “secondary” and relate 
to paper consumption, water consumption and general waste. 
(See  paragraph  2.2.2.4  “Methodology  for  Environmental 
Reporting”).

Employees invested in the Group’s 
environmental strategy
Dassault  Systèmes  pursues  an  ongoing  policy  of  employee 
awareness by involving them in steps taken to save water and 
energy  through  presentations  on  environmentally-friendly 
gestures and technologies that can reduce the environmental 
impact of the Company’s activities.

In  2014,  the  process  was  enhanced  across  all  geographical 
regions  with  the  implementation  of  local  initiatives  to  raise 
employee  awareness  of  environmentally-friendly  gestures. 
For example, on the 3DS Boston Campus, the North American 
Green  Team  organized  the  Spring  Green  Week.  During  this 
event,  employees  were  taught  about  energy  efficiency 
and  the  recycling  of  electrical  and  electronic  waste.  On  the 
Providence site and the 3DS Boston Campus, the employees 
were  also  made  aware  of  the  impact  of  transport,  and  have 
been encouraged to ride their bike to work.

communication  week  dedicated 

The 
sustainable 
development was renewed in 2014 on the 3DS Paris Campus, 
with the theme of Consommer autrement…oui mais comment? 
(Consuming differently...yes, but how?) in collaboration with 
the  Public  Affairs  and  Sustainable  Development  department 
and the Consumer Packaged Goods & Retail team; during this 

to 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 59

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

week,  employees  were  invited  to  participate  in  the  “Perfect 
Shelf”  experimental  solution,  an  application  developed  by 
Dassault Systèmes, and were made aware of the importance of 
sustainable consumption with a 3D representation of a virtual 
supermarket shelf. The objective of the experience was to put 
forth the so-called “sustainable” products on the shelves and 
to guide the choice of consumers to such products.

Finally, in November 2014, in recognition of Disability Week 
and  for  a  one-month  period,  a  Collecte Solidaire – Agissons 
Ensemble  (Giving  for  Others  –  Let’s  Act  Together)  event 
was  jointly  organized  on  the  3DS  Paris  Campus  by  the 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  Mission  Handicap  (Disability  Task 
Force)  and  the  Public  Affairs  and  Sustainable  Development 
department.  Employees  were  asked  to  bring  their  obsolete 
electrical and electronic equipment and appliances no longer 
in  working  order.  The  collected  equipment  was  sent  for 
recycling by a company in the protected worker sector in the 
French department of Les Yvelines and 860 kg of equipment 
was recycled by disabled employees.

2.2.2.4 

Company Environmental Indicators

The Group published two categories of indicators: “primary” 
indicators, which are directly linked to the Group’s business and 
“secondary” indicators (see paragraph 2.2.2.5 “Methodology 
for Environmental Reporting”).

in 

the  environmental 

Data  presented 
report  covers 
Dassault Systèmes SA and all companies in respect of which 
it  has  a  shareholding  exceeding  50%.  Data  from  companies 
acquired  during  2014  and  from  sites  with  fewer  than  35 
employees is excluded. See paragraph 2.2.2.5 “Methodology 
for Environmental Reporting”.

Energy consumption

Consideration of environmental matters in the Company’s 
operational locations
Dassault  Systèmes’  desire  to  limit  its  environmental  impact 
is  reflected  through  its  decisions  regarding  its  operational 
locations.

Since  2008,  the  Group  has  implemented  a  policy  of  setting 
up its activities in offices certified by the local environmental 
standard.  In  2014,  57%  of  employees  worked  in  offices 

Electricity consumption (in mWh)

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

TOTAL

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

60 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

certified by standards such as Haute Qualité Environnementale 
(High  Environmental  Quality)  in  France  and  LEED  in  the 
United  States,  or  sites  which  applied  an  environmental 
management system such as ISO 14001. These certifications 
allow the Company to use environmentally-friendly buildings.

Environmental performance is one of the criteria used to select 
and fit new buildings.

Dassault  Systèmes’  world  headquarters 
located  at  the 
3DS Paris Campus in Vélizy-Villacoublay (France) are certified 
as  NF  Service  Sector  Buildings  –  HQE  under  the  HQE  (High 
Environmental  Quality)  system.  To  the  extent  possible, 
Dassault Systèmes seeks to work with companies that are, or 
are in the process of becoming, ISO 9001 and 14001 certified. 
The  Company  has  put  in  place  real-time  monitoring  of  the 
results of operational incidents and building maintenance with 
the assistance of ISO 9001 certified companies.

The exterior of the 3DS Boston Campus is certified LEED Gold, 
and in 2014 the campus received LEED Platinum certification 
for  its  interior.  LEED  is  an  American  certification  awarded  to 
buildings designed with the goal of optimizing environmental 
performance.  To  optimize 
its  energy  consumption,  the 
3DS  Boston  Campus  is  equipped  with  condensation  heaters, 
high-yield air conditioning, and daylight sensors.

In  2014,  the  employees  at  the  Krakow  site  in  Poland  and 
the  personnel  working  at  the  Providence  facility  in  the 
United  States  moved  into  LEED  Gold  certified  buildings.  Just 
like  the  3DS  Boston  Campus,  these  buildings  are  equipped 
with energy and water saving technology and they also favor 
the penetration of natural light.

In the rest of the world, the buildings in Singapore, Shanghai 
(China),  Pune  (India),  Montreal  (Canada)  and  Stuttgart 
(Germany)  are  certified  according  to  local  environmental 
standards.

Energy
The  information  below  concerns  electricity  and  natural  gas 
consumption  on  Dassault  Systèmes  sites  and  in  its  data 
centers.  Natural  gas  consumption  represents  6%  of  total 
energy  consumption.  The  Company  does  not  use  renewable 
energy  on  its  sites  but  has  included  in  certain  of  its  energy 
contracts,  for  example  at  the  Stuttgart  and  Munich  sites  in 
Germany, the purchase of electricity produced by renewable 
resources.

2014

31,380

21,000

21,260

2,000

2013

32,600

22,000

22,130

2,980

54,640*

57,710*

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

2

Dassault Systèmes’ travel policy limits the impact of travel on 
the environment. Under this policy, employees are encouraged 
to schedule meetings by conference call and video conference 
rather than by physical travel, use train travel rather than air 
travel for trips under three hours in length, and use economy 
class for air travel (the carbon footprint of business class being 
substantially greater than for economy class).

Greenhouse gas emissions
To  analyze 
footprint  on  a  global  basis, 
its  carbon 
Dassault Systèmes uses the “GHG Protocol” (Greenhouse Gas 
Protocol). This method of evaluation of greenhouse gas effects 
was  launched  in  2001  by  the  World  Business  Council  for 
Sustainable  Development  (WBCSD)  and  the  World  Resources 
Institute (WRI).

The  GHG  Protocol  divides  the  operational  perimeter  of 
greenhouse gas emissions as follows:

 (cid:125) Scope 1: direct  emissions  resulting  from  the  combustion 
of  fossil  fuels  from  resources  owned  or  controlled  by 
the enterprise;

 (cid:125) Scope 2: indirect emissions resulting from the purchase or 

production of electricity;

 (cid:125) Scope 3:  all  other  indirect  emissions,  from  the  extended 

supply chain to transport of goods and persons.

Electricity consumption of the 3DS Paris Campus fell by 5% 
between  2013  and  2014.  This  reduction  is  mainly  due  to 
favorable weather during the whole of 2014.

In  all  regions,  electricity  consumption  decreased  between 
2013  and  2014  on  a  like-for-like  basis,  despite  the  increase 
in  the  Group’s  activities.  This  energy  efficiency  is  mainly 
into  environmentally-
due  to  favorable  weather,  moves 
friendly  buildings  and  heightened  employee  awareness  on 
environmentally-friendly gestures.

Dassault  Systèmes  has  located  part  of  its  servers  at  several 
data  centers  throughout  the  world.  Energy  consumption  in 
these centers is included in the total electricity consumption 
above. In 2010, the Group launched a process to virtualize its 
servers. The “virtualization” of servers leads to better use of 
material, savings in space at the data center and a reduction in 
power consumed by the infrastructure, and thus a reduction in 
greenhouse gas emissions. The percentage of virtual servers in 
the world was estimated at 48% for 2012 according to a study 
conducted by Gartner. Dassault Systèmes is far ahead in this 
area with more than 80% of the servers at its principal data 
center already virtualized.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Group transportation optimization policy
Since  the  Company’s  business 
is  publishing  software, 
transportation  is  the  principal  source  of  its  greenhouse 
gas emissions.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 61

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

SCOPE 1

Emissions due to on-site natural gas and fuel consumption

Total emissions due to the use of company vehicles

Emissions due to the use of company vehicles in Europe

Emissions due to the use of company vehicles in the Americas

Emissions due to the use of company vehicles in Asia

Emissions due to the use of refrigerants

TOTAL SCOPE 1

SCOPE 2

Total emissions due to purchases of electricity

Emissions due to purchases of electricity in Europe

Emissions due to purchases of electricity in the Americas

Emissions due to purchases of electricity in Asia

TOTAL SCOPE 2

SCOPE 3

Total emissions due to employee business air travel

Emissions due to employee business air travel in Europe

Emissions due to employee business air travel in the Americas

Emissions due to employee business air travel in Asia

Total emissions due to employee business travel by train

Emissions due to employee travel by train in Europe

Emissions due to employee travel by train in the Americas

Emissions due to employee travel by train in Asia

Total emissions due to employee travel by personal car in connection with work

Emissions due to employee travel using their personal vehicles in Europe

Emissions due to employee travel using their personal vehicles in the Americas

Emissions due to employee travel using their personal vehicles in Asia

TOTAL SCOPE 3

TOTAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (SCOPES 1 + 2 + 3)

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

2014 Metric 
Tons CO2 
emissions

2013  Metric 
Tons  CO2 
emissions

670

2,340

2,100

–

240

870

670

2,100

1,900

–

200

535

3,880

3,305

10,090

11,190

3,230

5,655

1,205

3,550

6,000

1,640

10,090

11,190

21,870

18,965

8,020

9,210

4,640

1,446

235

1

1,210

2,045

525

1,040

480

7,920

7,595

3,450

1,570

217

3

1,350

1,905

525

945

435

25,361

39,331*

22,440

36,935*

Greenhouse  gas  emissions  grew  by  6%  between  2013  and 
2014  mainly  driven  by  the  increase  in  the  Group’s  activities 
leading to business travel growth.

In  terms  of  carbon  intensity  by  employee,  greenhouse  gas 
emissions  decreased  to  5.20  tCO2  per  employee  in  2014 
compared to 5.30 tCO2 per employee in 2013. This reduction 
can  be  explained  by  favorable  weather  during  the  whole  of 
2014  and  by  initiatives  implemented  by  the  Sustainability 
Leaders and Green Teams in each region.

Specific waste treatment

Environmental considerations of the Company’s computer 
equipment management policy
Dassault Systèmes places significant importance on managing 
its computer equipment both in terms of usage and recycling. 
The  Company’s  computer  equipment 
includes  desktop 
computers, laptop computers and the servers of its data center 
and has received the “Energy Star” certificate. When buying 
new material, the Company gives preference to internationally 
recognized  environmental  certificates  such  as  “Energy  Star” 
and “TCO”.

62 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

Specific waste

% of specific waste recycled according to environmental standards

Quantity of WEEE (1 )  recycled according to environmental standards (in kg)

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

TOTAL

*  
Indicator verified by the independent verifier.
(1 )  WEEE: Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment.

In 2013 and 2014, all WEEE were recycled according to environmental standards.

Water consumption

Water consumption (in cubic meters)

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

TOTAL

2014

100

9,420

8,325

3,020

510

2013

100

13,700

13,140

4,350

2,100

12,950 * 

20,150 * 

2

2014

29,980

20,624

31,910

4,870

66,760

2013

26,000

20,000

30,000

4,970

60,970

The data related to water consumption presented above is mainly based on estimates and as such may differ from actual water 
consumption (see paragraph 2.2.2.5 “Methodology for Environmental Reporting – Limitations on environmental reporting”).

Paper and packaging

Paper consumption (in metric tons)

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

TOTAL SHARES

2014

2013

28

18

13

8

49

34

22

15

8

57

On the 3DS Paris Campus, total paper consumption amounted 
to  18  metric  tons  in  2014  compared  with  22  metric  tons  in 
2013.  On  a  per-employee  basis,  this  consumption  fell  from 
9.8 kg in 2013 to 7.8 kg per employee in 2014, representing 
a 20% decrease. This decrease was mainly due to the ongoing 
digitalization of data at the 3DS Paris Campus and the efficient 
management of paper consumption by employees.

supplier  responsible  for  packaging  complies  with  “REACH” 
(“Registration,  Evaluation,  Authorization  and  Restriction 
of  Chemicals”),  and  received  the  “Imprim’Vert”  label  for 
its  printing  facility,  (which  certifies,  among  other  things, 
that  no  toxic  products  are  used  and  that  waste  is  sorted  for 
recycling).  The  supplier’s  packaging  is  100%  recyclable  and 
biodegradable.

On the 3DS Paris Campus, the paper used is “FSC certified”, an 
eco-label which ensures sustainable forest management. At a 
global level, 95% of employees use paper that is recycled or 
“FSC” or “PEFC” certified, compared to 93% in 2013.

Packaging  at  Dassault  Systèmes  consists  principally  of 
packaging  for  the  Company’s  software  products.  The 

General waste treatment
In  light  of  the  nature  of  its  business,  Dassault  Systèmes 
generates  primarily  ordinary  waste  such  as  paper,  cardboard 
and plastic.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 63

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

The table -below indicates the percentage of employees with access to recycling facilities by geographic region:

Percentage of employees with access to recycling facilities at their work location

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

% OF EMPLOYEES WITH ACCESS TO RECYCLING FACILITIES AT THEIR WORK LOCATION

2014

89%

100%

100%

100%

94%

2013

94%

100%

98%

87%

95%

The Cracow site in Poland, integrated into the environmental 
reporting scope in 2014, does not carry out recycling.

The waste treatment service provider of the 3DS Paris Campus 
was unable to communicate any actionable intelligence related 
to the waste quantity recycled on site in 2014. Various options 
are currently under discussion to solve the problem.

2.2.2.5  Methodology for Environmental 

Reporting

Methodology and scope of environmental reporting
The  Dassault  Systèmes  Methodology  for  Environmental 
Reporting  is  summarized  in  the  “Environmental  reporting 
protocol”. The protocol defines:

 (cid:125) the  distinction  between  primary  environmental  indicators 

and secondary indicators;

 (cid:125) the  methodology 

for  collecting  and  consolidating 

environmental information;

 (cid:125) the scope for collecting environmental data.

In  application  of  the  provisions  of  Article  225  of  the  law 
referred to as “Grenelle II”, the environmental reporting target 
scope includes Dassault Systèmes SA and all the companies in 
respect of which it has a shareholding exceeding 50%. It should 
be noted that companies acquired during the period (primarily 
Accelrys,  Quintiq  and  RTT),  which  represent  approximately 
20%  of  employee  headcount  as  of  December  31,  2014  and 
which  will  not  be  integrated  until  2015  (after  a  complete 
operating  year),  are  excluded  from  the  2014  environmental 
reporting scope.

The  environmental  reporting  scope  currently  comprises  all 
the sites with over 35 employees, or 86% of the target scope 
described above, compared to 85% in 2013.

Environmental indicators determined using this methodology 
for  2014  are  presented  in  paragraph  2.2.2.4  “Company 
Environmental Indicators”.

The  Company’s  environmental  reporting  may  evolve  as  part 
of  the  ongoing  process  of  improvement  undertaken  by  the 
Company,  or  to  take  changes  in  applicable  regulations  into 
account.

Collecting and consolidating environmental data
Environmental  data  was  collected  by  the  Sustainability 
Leaders and consolidated by the Public Affairs and Sustainable 
Development  department,  based  on  the  reporting  protocol. 
For  selected  questions,  such  as  business  travel  and  data 
concerning  electronic  waste,  external  service  providers  were 
also consulted.

To  simplify  the  consolidation  of  environmental  data,  a 
dedicated  software  application  was  rolled  out.  This  new 
solution  facilitates  the  structuring  and  standardization  of 
environmental data (regarding all parameters but scope 3 data 
related to greenhouse gas emissions), like-for-like comparisons 
and  an  increase  in  the  frequency  of  information  collection 
from annual to quarterly. The deployment of this application 
was finalized in 2014 and has strengthened the management 
of environmental performance on a global scale.

Primary  indicators  are  collected  on  a  quarterly  basis  by  the 
Sustainability  Leaders  and  are  reviewed  and  published  in  a 
quarterly report issued by the Public Affairs and Sustainable 
Development  department.  These  indicators  are  presented  in 
detail in this report. They are also checked by the independent 
verifier and are subject to limited assurance.

Secondary  indicators  are  collected  on  a  half-yearly  basis  by 
the Sustainability Leaders and variances are reviewed by the 
Public Affairs and Sustainable Development department.

Limitations on environmental reporting
In certain cases, information cannot be provided on the bases 
of actual consumption e.g. for the sites with service charges 
related  to  water  consumption  and  recharging  the  refrigerant 
to  use  the  air-conditioning  system  are  included  in  the  lease 
and,  for  some  foreign  subsidiaries  representing  a  small 
contribution  in  the  ratio,  and  for  which  the  data  related  to 
travel is not available on the basis of the same format as the 
rest of the scope. In these cases, the Environmental Reporting 
Protocol specifies the procedure to follow in order to make the 
estimations required (e.g. an estimation of water and energy 
consumption is made on the basis of the averages recorded on 
the  other  sites  in  the  geographic  area  based  on  the  number 
of employees or square meters taken up). As a result, actual 
consumption may be different from estimates.

64 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

Regarding waste treatment, waste treatment and collection are 
handled for most subsidiaries by local government, which does 
not furnish any information on collected waste. It is therefore 
not  possible  to  provide  any  information  on  the  amount  of 
waste generated. Dassault Systèmes has nevertheless inquired 
of all subsidiaries included in the 2014 reporting scope as to 

whether recycling was put in place. Consequently, the Group 
produces  information  on  the  percentage  of  sites  adopting 
waste recycling rather than on the quantity of waste treated 
(see paragraph 2.2.2.4 “Company Environmental Indicators – 
Specific waste treatment”).

2.2.2.6  NRE correspondence table

Article R. 225-105-1 of the French Commercial Code

General policy on environmental issues

Organizing the Company to take into account environmental issues. If need be, environmental assessment 
or certification processes

Employee training and information actions regarding environmental protection

Resources devoted to the prevention of environmental risks and pollution

Amount of provisions and guarantees for environmental risks

Pollution and waste management

Measures for preventing, recycling or eliminating waste

Sustainable use of resources

Water consumption

Consumption of raw materials

Measures taken to improve the efficiency of the use of raw materials

Energy consumption

Measures taken to improve energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy

Climate change

Greenhouse gas emissions

Summary of information not published

Information not published due to lack of relevancy

Explanation

2

Paragraphs

Page

2.2.2.3

2.2.2.3

2.2.1

2.2.1

2.2.2.4

2.2.2.4

2.2.2.4

2.2.2.4

2.2.2.4

2.2.2.4

2.2.2.4

59

59

57

57

60

60

60

60

60

60

60

Consideration of noise pollution
Land use
Water supply in accordance with local constraints
Adaptation to the consequences of climate change
Biodiversity protection

Given Dassault Systèmes’ activity, these topics are not covered. 
The Group is not aware of any noise pollution that could negatively impact 
the environment, nor is it aware of any impact on biodiversity. With regards 
to land use, the Group is only a commercial user, and the Group is not aware 
of any local constraints with regards to water supply. The Group does 
not believe that it is at risk with regards to climate change in the near-or 
mid-term.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 65

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Independent Verifi er’s Attestation and Assurance Report on Social, Societal and Environmental Information

2.3 

Independent V erifier’s Attestation and  Assurance 
 Report on Social, Societal and Environmental 
Information  

This is a free translation into English of the original report issued in the French language and it is provided solely for the 
convenience of English speaking users. This report should be read in conjunction with, and construed in accordance with, French 
law and professional standards applicable in France.

To the shareholders,

In  our  quality  as  an  independent  verifier  accredited  by  the  COFRAC (1)  under  the  number  n°  3-1050,  and  as  a  member  of  the 
network of one of the statutory auditors of the company Dassault Systèmes, we present our report on the consolidated social, 
environmental and societal information established for the year ended on the 31st December 2014, presented in chapter 2 of the 
management report, hereafter referred to as the “CSR Information,” pursuant to the provisions of the article L.225-102-1 of the 
French Commercial code (Code de commerce).

 Responsibility of the company .
It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to establish a management report including CSR Information referred to in the 
article R. 225-105-1 of the French Commercial code (Code de commerce), in accordance with the protocols used by the company, 
consisting  in  HR  reporting  instructions  and  an  environmental  reporting  protocol  in  their  versions  dated  October  2014  and 
December 2014, respectively (hereafter referred to as the “Criteria”), and of which a summary is included in section 2.1.7 (social 
reporting)  and  in  section  2.2.2.5  (environmental  reporting)  of  the  management  report,  as  well  as  available  at  the  company’s 
headquarters.

Independence and quality control
Our independence is defined by regulatory requirements, the Code of Ethics of our profession as well as the provisions in the 
article L. 822-11 of the French Commercial code (Code de commerce). In addition, we have implemented a quality control system, 
including documented policies and procedures to ensure compliance with ethical standards, professional standards and applicable 
laws and regulations.

Responsibility of the independent verifier
It is our role, based on our work:

 (cid:125) to attest whether the required CSR Information is present in the management report or, in the case of its omission, that an 
appropriate explanation has been provided, in accordance with the third paragraph of R. 225-105 of the French Commercial 
code (Code de commerce) (Attestation of presence of CSR Information);

 (cid:125) to  express  a  limited  assurance  conclusion,  that  the  CSR  Information,  overall,  is  fairly  presented,  in  all  material  aspects,  in 

according with the Criteria (Limited assurance on CSR Information).

Our verification work was undertaken by a team of four people between October 2014 and March 2015 for an estimated duration 
of seven weeks.

We conducted the work described below in accordance with the professional standards applicable in France and the Order of 13 
May 2013 determining the conditions under which an independent third-party verifier conducts its mission, and in relation to the 
opinion of fairness and the reasonable assurance report, in accordance with the international standard ISAE 3000 (2). 

(1 )  Scope available at www.cofrac.fr

(2 )  ISAE 3000 – Assurance engagements other than audits or reviews of historical information 

66 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

2

2

Social, societal and environmental responsibility
Independent Verifi er’s Attestation and Assurance Report on Social, Societal and Environmental Information

1.  Attestation of presence of CSR Information

We obtained an understanding of the company’s CSR issues, based on interviews with the management of relevant departments, 
a presentation of the company’s strategy on sustainable development based on the social and environmental consequences linked 
to the activities of the company and its societal commitments, as well as, where appropriate, resulting actions or programmes.

We have compared the information presented in the management report with the list as provided for in the Article R. 225-105-1 
of the French Commercial code (Code de commerce).

In the absence of certain consolidated information, we have verified that the explanations were provided in accordance with the 
provisions in Article R. 225-105-1, paragraph 3, of the French Commercial code (Code de commerce).

We verified that the information covers the consolidated perimeter, namely the entity and its subsidiaries, as aligned with the 
meaning of the Article L.233-1 and the entities which it controls, as aligned with the meaning of the Article L.233-3 of the 
French Commercial code (Code de commerce) with the limitations specified in the Methodological Note in sections 2.1.7 and 
2.2.2.5 of chapter 2 of the management report, notably the fact that entities with less than 35 employees and entities acquired 
in 2014 are not included in the environmental reporting.

Based  on  this  work,  and  given  the  limitations  mentioned  above,  we  confirm  the  presence  in  the  management  report  of  the 
required CSR information.

 2.  Limited assurance on CSR Information

Nature and scope of the work
We  undertook  a  dozen  interviews  with  the  people  responsible  for  the  preparation  of  the  CSR  Information  in  the  different 
departments,  including  people  in  the  Human  Resources,  Public  Affairs  and  Sustainable  Development,  Products  and  Services 
functions, who are in charge of the data collection process and, if applicable, the people responsible for internal control processes 
and risk management, in order to:

 (cid:125) a ssess  the  suitability  of  the  Criteria  for  reporting,  in  relation  to  their  relevance,  completeness,  reliability,  neutrality,  and 

understandability, taking into consideration, if relevant, industry standards; 

 (cid:125) v erify the implementation of the process for the collection, compilation, processing and control for completeness and consistency 
of the CSR Information and identify the procedures for internal control and risk management related to the preparation of the 
CSR Information. 

We determined the nature and extent of our tests and inspections based on the nature and importance of the CSR Information, 
in  relation  to  the  characteristics  of  the  Company,  its  social  and  environmental  issues,  its  strategy  in  relation  to  sustainable 
development and industry best practices.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 67

2 Social, societal and environmental responsibility

Independent Verifi er’s Attestation and Assurance Report on Social, Societal and Environmental Information

For the CSR Information which we considered the most important(3):

 (cid:125) a t the level of the consolidated entity, we consulted documentary sources and conducted interviews to corroborate the qualitative 
information  (organisation,  policies,  actions,  etc.),  we  implemented  analytical  procedures  on  the  quantitative  information 
and  verified,  on  a  test  basis,  the  calculations  and  the  compilation  of  the  information,  and  also  verified  their  coherence  and 
consistency with the other information presented in the management report;

 (cid:125) a t  the  level  of  the  representative  sample  of  entities  that  we  selected (4)  based  on  their  activity,  their  contribution  to  the 
consolidated  indicators,  their  location  and  a  risk  analysis,  we  undertook  interviews  to  verify  the  correct  application  of  the 
procedures  and undertook detailed tests on the basis of samples, consisting in verifying the calculations made and linking 
them  with  supporting  documentation.  The  sample  reviewed  therefore  represented  on  average  36%  of  the  workforce  and 
between 40% and 68% for quantitative environmental information(5).

For the other consolidated CSR information, we assessed their consistency in relation to our knowledge of the company.

Finally, we assessed the relevance of the explanations provided, if appropriate, in the partial or total absence of certain information.

We consider that the sample methods and sizes of the samples that we considered by exercising our professional judgment allow 
us to express a limited assurance conclusion; an assurance of a higher level would have required more extensive verification work. 
Due to the necessary use of sampling techniques and other limitations inherent in the functioning of any information and internal 
control system, the risk of non-detection of a significant anomaly in the CSR Information cannot be entirely eliminated.

Conclusion
Based on our work, we have not identified any significant misstatement that causes us to believe that the CSR Information, taken 
together, has not been fairly presented, in compliance with the Criteria.

Paris-La Défense, the 23rd March 2015

French original signed by: 

Independent Verifier

ERNST & YOUNG et Associés

Eric Mugnier

Partner, sustainable development

Bruno Perrin

Partner

(3)  Environmental and societal information: 

Indicators  (quantitative  information):  energy  consumption  (in  MWh),  greenhouse  gas  emissions  (in  tonnes  of  CO2  equivalent),  quantity  of  waste 
electrical and electronic equipment recycled according to environmental norms (in kg). 

Qualitative  information:   general  environmental  policy  (organisation,  evaluation  or  certification  procedures),  measures  for  preventing,  recycling  and 
eliminating waste, sustainable use of resources and climate change (energy consumption, measures taken to improve energy efficiency and the use of 
renewable energy), importance of sub-contracting and the consideration of environmental and social issues in purchasing policies and relations with 
suppliers and subcontractors, business ethics (actions undertaken to prevent bribery and corruption), territorial, economic and social impact (impact on 
neighbouring or local populations). 

Social information : 

Indicators  (quantitative  information) :   workforce  size  and  breakdown  by  geography,  age,  gender,  type  of  contract  (long/short  term),  percentage  of 
female managers, absenteeism, hiring and terminations, turnover rate, total number of training hours and breakdown by type of training, by category, 
by gender, and the ratio of hours of training per employee. 

 Qualitative information: employment (total headcount and breakdown, hiring and terminations, remunerations and their evolution), the organisation of 
working time, absenteeism, social relationships (the organisation of social dialogue, collective bargaining agreements), health and safety conditions at 
work, training policies, diversity and equality of treatment and opportunities (measures undertaken for gender equality, the employment and inclusion 
of people with disabilities, anti-discrimination policies and actions). 

(4)  The entities Dassault Systèmes S.A. and Dassault Data Service (Vélizy, France site); the entity Dassault Systemes K.K. (Tokyo, Japan site).

(5)  The coverage rate of our work is 36% of the workforce for the social data, 68% for the quantities of computers and servers recycled, 40% for electricity 

consumption, and 44% for greenhouse gas emissions.

68 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 
 
 
 
 
3

FINANCIAL REVIEW 
AND PROSPECTS

CONTENTS

3.1  Operating and Financial Review 

3.1.1  General 

70

70

3.2  2015 Financial Objectives 

and Multi-Year Growth Plan 

3.1.2  Consolidated Information: 2014 Compared to 2013  76

3.1.3  Trends in Quarterly Results 

3.1.4  Capital Resources 

80

81

3.3  Interim and Other Financial 

Information 

81

82

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 69

3 Financial review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

3.1  Operating and Financial Review

3.1.1  General

The  executive  overview  in  paragraph  3.1.1.1  “Executive 
Overview  for  2014”  highlights  selected  aspects  of  the 
Company’s financial results for 2014. The executive overview, 
the  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information  and  the 
more detailed discussion that follows should be read together 
with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and 
the related notes included in paragraph 4.1.1 “Consolidated 
Financial Statements”.

In  discussing  and  analyzing  the  Company’s  results  of 
operations, the Company considers supplemental non-IFRS 
financial information: (i) non-IFRS revenue data excludes the 
effect of adjusting the carrying value of acquired companies’ 
deferred  revenue;  and  non-IFRS  expense  data  excludes, 
(ii) the amortization of acquired intangibles, (iii) share-based 
compensation expense and related social charges , (iv) certain 
other  operating  income  and  expense,  net,  (v)  certain  one-
time items included in financial income and other, net, and 
(vi) certain one-time tax effects and the income tax effects of 
the above adjustments. A reconciliation of this supplemental 
non-IFRS  financial  information  with  information  set  forth 
in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and the 
notes  thereto  is  presented  below  under  paragraph  3.1.1.2 
“Supplemental non-IFRS Financial Information”.

When  the  Company  believes  it  would  be  helpful  for 
understanding trends in its business, it restates percentage 
increases or decreases in selected financial data to eliminate the 
effect of changes in currency values, particularly the U.S. dollar 
and the Japanese yen, relative to the euro. Specifically, the 
Company’s constant currency revenue data calculations take 
into account the estimated impact of changes in the currency 
exchange rates compared to the euro. When trend information 
is  expressed  below  “in  constant  currencies”,  the  results  of 
the prior year have first been recalculated using the average 
exchange rates of the most recent year, and then compared 
with the results of the most recent year. All constant currency 
information  is  provided  on  an  approximate  basis.  Unless 
otherwise indicated, the impact of exchange rate fluctuations 
is approximately the same for both the Company’s IFRS and 
supplemental non-IFRS financial data.

3.1.1.1 

Executive Overview for 2014 
(all revenue growth comparisons 
are in constant currencies)

Summary Overview
Dassault  Systèmes,  the  3DEXPERIENCE   company,  provides 
 software  applications  and  services,  designed  to  support 
companies’  innovation  processes .  The  Company’s  software 
applications and services span design from ideation, to early 
3D  digital  conceptual  design  drawings  to  full  digital  mock-
up;  virtual  testing  of  products;  end-to-end  global  industrial 
including  manufacturing  management  and 
operations 
operations  planning  &  optimization;  and  in  marketing  and 
sales from digital marketing and advertising to end-consumer 
shopping experience.

Since the introduction three years ago of its market vision of 
3DEXPERIENCE and its Social Industry Experience strategy, the 
Company has undergone a deep transformation in its go-to-
market strategy, in the packaging of its software applications, 
and  in  its  regional  organization  structure  to  better  position 
itself on the estimated $32 billion market opportunity it sees. 
See also Section 1.4.2 “Principal Markets”.

2014 was a significant year of progress for Dassault Systèmes 
in  this  regard,  with  the  advancement  of  its  purpose,  offer, 
growth drivers and organizational goals. More specifically, key 
research and development releases, brand addressable market 
expansions  and  organizational  strengthening  during  2014 
included:

 (cid:125) in  February  2014,  the  Company  made  available  a  new 
major  release,  introducing  a  platform,  the  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform, a new user interface and on premise and on the 
Cloud offerings for companies of all sizes. The on premise 
offering included 41 Industry Process Experiences and 183 
processes  while  the   Cloud  offering  was  comprised  of  14 
Industry Process Experiences and 60 processes, representing 
one-third of the total on premise portfolio at the time;

70 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 (cid:125) well  aligned  with  its  expanded  purpose  and  addressable 
market  vision,  2014  was  an  active  period  of  strategic 
to 
engagements  with  selected  companies 
investments totaling €952.9 million on a net cash basis to 
acquire companies in several major areas of focus:

leading 

(i)  addressing  the  life  science  sector  where  the  Company 
introduced  a  new  brand,  BIOVIA,  based  upon  the 
acquisition of Accelrys. In addition to a leading presence 
in  life  science,  BIOVIA  has  a  strong  list  of  customers 
in  Aerospace,  in  Chemicals  as  well  as  High  Tech  and 
Consumer  Packaged  Goods  thanks  to  its  work  in 
materials sciences,

(ii)  addressing  marketers  with 

the  RTT  acquisition, 
rebranded as 3DEXCITE, offering professional high end 
3D  visualization,  marketing  solutions  and  computer 
(as  well  as  serving 
generated 
engineering  and  simulation  users).  Its  customer  base 
includes  a  number  of  the  world’s  leading  automotive 
companies as well as global industry leaders in aerospace 
and consumer goods, and

imagery  services 

(iii) addressing global business operations planning with the 
acquisition of Quintiq, with offerings spanning production, 
logistics and workforce planning applications.

In total, the Company is building a comprehensive product 
innovation  platform  for  businesses  and  people  from 
upstream experience thinking to sales and marketing;

 (cid:125) the Company expanded its worldwide executive management 
team and continued to align its business on its Social Industry 
Experience  strategy,  resulting  in  further  strengthening  of 
both its local/regional geographic and sales organizations as 
well  as  global  functions  to  address  a  much  broader  market 
opportunity  and  importantly  to  bring  greater  value  to  its 
customers leveraging global assets and local presence.

From  a  customer  perspective,  2014  was  a  period  of  strong 
growth  with  clients  in  its  largest  industry,  Transportation 
and  Mobility  with  end-user  software  revenue  increasing 
double-digits in constant currencies. In addition, the Company 
benefited  from  solid  demand  with  companies  in  High  Tech 
and  more  broadly  across  new  industries,  leading  to  further 
broadening of the Company’s reach by end-market verticals. 
New  industries  have  increased  to  27%  of  total  end-user 
software revenue in 2014 from 25% in 2013.

Summary Financial Overview
In  parallel,  2014  was  a  year  of  progressive  improvement  in 
the Company’s financial results, benefiting from broad-based 
strengthening of its performance from both a geographic and 
industry  perspective,  leading  to  financial  results  well  in  line 
with the Company’s objectives.

Financial review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

In addition, the Company achieved the two strong operational 
commitments  (non-IFRS)  it  had  established  at  the  outset  of 
2014: (i) to deliver organic two-digit growth in new licenses 
revenue on a constant currency basis for the full year, and (ii) 
to  deliver  organic  operating  margin  expansion  of  150  basis 
points excluding currency effects.

Total Revenue
IFRS  total  revenue  increased  14%.  N on-IFRS  total  revenue 
increased  16%,  with  software  revenue  growth  of  13% 
and  services  and  other  revenue  growth  of  46%.  Excluding 
acquisitions  and  divestitures,  non-IFRS  total  revenue  and 
software  revenue  increased  5%  and  6%,  respectively.  (All 
growth rates in constant currencies.)

3

Revenue By Region
On  a  regional  basis  and  in  constant  currencies,  non-IFRS 
revenue in Europe increased 14%, led by Germany, the United 
Kingdom  and  Southern  Europe;  revenue  in  the  Americas 
increased  20%,  with  an  improved  new  business  dynamic  in 
the direct sales channel, well supported by indirect sales; and 
in Asia, revenue increased 15% led by Korea, China and Japan. 
By  region,  Europe  represented  46%,  the  Americas  29%  and 
Asia 25% of total revenue.

Revenue By Industry
From  an  industry  perspective,  the  Company  experienced 
strong  new  business  activity  in  multiple  industries  during 
2014,  most  notably  Transportation  &  Mobility,  High  Tech, 
Life  Sciences,  Consumer  Packaged  Goods ,  Energy,  Process  & 
Utilities, and Architecture, Engineering & Construction.

Software Revenue
Software  revenue  growth  reflected  a  solid  dynamic  for 
both  new  licenses  and  maintenance  renewal  trends.  On  a 
non-IFRS  basis  and  in  constant  currencies,  total  software 
revenue increased 13%, with non-IFRS new licenses revenue 
increasing  18%  and  non-IFRS  recurring  software  revenue 
increasing  11%.  On  an  organic  basis  excluding  acquisitions 
and divestitures, new licenses revenue increased 10% led by 
the Company’s direct sales and its CATIA and ENOVIA product 
lines, and recurring software revenue increased 5% principally 
reflecting growth in maintenance.

Recurring Software Revenue
The Company continued to benefit from a high level of recurring 
software revenue, representing 71% of total software revenue 
in 2014 and comprised principally of maintenance and rental 
software revenue.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 71

3 Financial review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

Operating Income
IFRS operating income of €430.8 million decreased 14%, while 
non-IFRS  operating  income  increased  7%  to  €699.2  million. 
Excluding  net  negative  currency  effects,  non-IFRS  operating 
income would have increased approximately 13%.

Operating Margin
More  broadly,  the  Company  was  focused  on  driving  global 
operational  efficiency  leading  to  non-IFRS  organic  operating 
margin. The non-IFRS operating margin was 29.8% compared 
to  31.5%  in  2013  and  reflected  the  negative  impact  of 
currencies  of  approximately  80  basis  points  as  well  as 
dilution  from  acquisitions.  On  an  organic  basis  before  taking 
into  account  acquisition  and  currency  impact,  the  non-IFRS 
operating margin increased an estimated 150 basis points in 
2014, reflecting the focus on operational improvements.

Earnings per Share
IFRS  diluted  net  income  per  share  of  €1.14  per  share 
compared to €1.38 (after the two-for-one stock split effected 
on  July  17,  2014)  in  2013  principally  reflecting  higher 
acquisition  related   costs.  N on-IFRS  diluted  net  income  per 
share increased  4% to €1.82 or an estimated 10% excluding 
net negative currency impacts.

Acquisitions
2014  financial  results  reflect  several  acquisitions  most 
notably Accelrys in April 2014, RTT in January 2014, Quintiq 
in September 2014 as well as the full year impact of Apriso 
which was acquired in July 2013.

2015 Business Outlook
For  a  discussion  of  the  Company’s  2015  business  outlook, 
see paragraph 3.2 “2015 Financial Objectives and Multi-Year 
Growth  Plan”.  For  further  information  regarding  risks  facing 
the  Company,  see  paragraph  1.6.1  “Risks  Related  to  the 
Company’s Business”.

Other Financial Highlights
At December 31, 2014, cash, cash equivalents and short-term 
investments  totaled  €1.18  billion  and  long-term  debt  was 
€350.0 million compared to €1.80 billion and €360.0 million, 
respectively at December 31, 2013.

For  the  fiscal  year  2014,  the  Company  principal  uses  of 
cash  were   for  acquisitions  of  €952.9  million,  net  of  cash 
acquired; share repurchases of €171.7 million, cash dividends 
of  €35.8  million  and  capital  expenditures  of  €45.4  million. 
The  Company  received  cash  for  stock  options  exercised  of 
€57.9 million.

3.1.1.2 

Supplemental Non-IFRS Financial 
Information

Readers  are  cautioned  that  the  supplemental  non-IFRS 
financial information is subject to inherent limitations. It is 
not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or 
principles and should not be considered in isolation from or 
as  a  substitute  for  IFRS  measurements.  The  supplemental 
non-IFRS  financial  information  should  be  read  only  in 
conjunction  with  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial 
statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. Furthermore, 
the Company’s supplemental non-IFRS financial information 
may not be comparable to similarly titled non-IFRS measures 
used by other companies. Specific limitations for individual 
non-IFRS measures are set forth below.

In  evaluating  and  communicating  its  results  of  operations, 
the Company supplements its financial results reported on an 
IFRS basis with non-IFRS financial data. As further explained 
below,  the  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information 
excludes  the  effects  of:  deferred  revenue  adjustments  for 
acquired  companies,  amortization  of  acquired  intangibles, 
share-based compensation expense and related social charges, 
other  operating  income  and  expense,  net,  certain  one-  time 
items  included  in  financial  revenue  and  other,  net,  and  the 
income  tax  effect  of  the  non-IFRS  adjustments  and  certain 
one-time tax effects. Subject to the limitations set forth above 
and below, the Company believes that the supplemental non-
IFRS  financial  information  provides  a  consistent  basis  for 
period-to-period  comparisons  which  can  improve  investors’ 
understanding of its financial performance.

The  Company’s  management  uses  the  supplemental  non-
IFRS  financial  information,  together  with  its  IFRS  financial 
information, for financial planning and analysis, evaluation of 
its  operating  performance,  mergers  and  acquisition  analysis 
and  valuation,  operational  decision-making  and  for  setting 
financial  objectives  for  future  periods.  Compensation  of  its 
senior  management  is  based  in  part  on  the  performance 
of  its  business  measured  with  the  supplemental  non-IFRS 
information.  The  Company  believes  that  the  supplemental 
non-IFRS  data  also  provides  meaningful  information  to 
investors  and  financial  analysts  who  use  the  information 
for  comparing  the  Company’s  operating  performance  to  its 
historical trends and to other companies in its industry, as well 
as for valuation purposes.

The supplemental non-IFRS financial information adjusts the 
Company’s IFRS financial information to exclude:

 (cid:125) deferred revenue adjustment of acquired companies: under 
IFRS,  deferred  revenue  of  an  acquired  company  must  be 
adjusted  by  writing  it  down  to  account  for  the  fair  value 
of  obligations  assumed  under  contracts  acquired  through 
the acquisition of the c ompany. As a result, in the case of 
a typical one-year contract, the Company’s IFRS revenues 

72 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

3

for the one-year period subsequent to an acquisition do not 
reflect  the  full  amount  of  revenue  on  assumed  contracts 
that  would  have  otherwise  been  recorded  by  the  acquired 
entity in the absence of the acquisition.

In  its  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information,  the 
Company has excluded this write-down to the carrying value 
of the deferred revenue, and reflects instead the full amount 
of  such  revenue.  The  Company  believes  that  this  non-IFRS 
measure  of  revenue  is  useful  to  investors  and  management 
because  it  reflects  a  level  of  revenue  and  operational  results 
which  corresponds  to  the  combined  business  activities  of 
Dassault Systèmes and the acquired company. In addition, the 
non-IFRS financial information provides a consistent basis for 
comparing its future operating performance, when no further 
adjustments to deferred revenue are required, against recent 
results.

However, by excluding the deferred revenue adjustment, the 
supplemental non-IFRS financial information reflects the total 
revenue that would have been recorded by the acquired entity 
but may not reflect the total cost associated with generating 
the non-IFRS revenue.

 (cid:125) amortization of acquired intangibles, including amortization 
of  acquired  technology:  under  IFRS,  the  cost  of  acquired 
intangible  assets,  whether  acquired  through  acquisitions 
of  companies  or  of  technology  or  certain  other  intangible 
assets,  must  be  recognized  according  to  the  assets’  fair 
value and amortized over their useful life.

In  its  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information,  the 
Company  has  excluded  the  amortization  expenses  related 
to  acquired  intangibles  in  order  to  provide  a  consistent  basis 
for comparing its historical results. For technology and other 
intangible assets the Company develops internally, it typically 
expenses  costs  in  the  period  in  which  they  are  incurred.  For 
example, because it typically incurs most of its R&D costs prior 
to  reaching  technical  feasibility,  its  R&D  costs  are  expensed 
in  the  period  in  which  they  are  incurred.  By  excluding  the 
amortization  expenses  related  to  acquired  intangibles,  the 
supplemental  non-IFRS  financial 
information  provides  a 
uniform  approach  for  evaluating  the  development  cost  of  all 
the  Company’s  technology,  whether  developed  internally  or 
acquired externally. As a result, the Company believes that the 
supplemental  financial  information  offers  investors  a  useful 
basis for comparing its historical results.

However,  the  acquired  intangible  assets  whose  amortization 
costs  are  excluded  contributed  to  revenue  earned  during  the 
period, and it may not have been possible to earn such revenue 
without such assets. In addition, the amortization of acquired 
intangibles  is  a  recurring  expense  until  their  total  cost  has 
been amortized;

 (cid:125) share-based  compensation  expense  and  related  social 
charges: under IFRS, the Company is required to recognize 
in  its  income  statement  all  share-based  payments  to 
employees,  including  grants  of  employee  stock  options 

and performance shares, based on their fair values over the 
period  that  an  employee  provides  service  in  exchange  for 
the award.

The  Company  excludes  this  expense  in  its  supplemental 
non-IFRS  financial  information  as  financial  analysts  and 
investors  use  a  valuation  model  which  may  not  take  into 
account its share-based compensation expense. The exclusion 
of  share-based  compensation  expense  in  the  Company’s 
supplemental non-IFRS financial information therefore helps 
them  ensure  the  consistency  of  their  valuation  metrics.  The 
Company’s  management  considers  the  supplemental  non-
IFRS  information  which  excludes  share-based  compensation 
expense  when 
the  Company’s  operating 
performance,  since  share-based  compensation  expenses  can 
fluctuate  due  to  factors  other  than  the  level  of  its  business 
activity or operating performance.

reviewing 

However,  share-based  compensation 
is  one  component 
of  employee  compensation.  By  excluding  share-based 
compensation  expense,  the  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial 
information  does  not  reflect  the  Company’s  full  cost  of 
attracting,  motivating  and  retaining  its  personnel.  Share-
based compensation expense is a recurring expense;

 (cid:125) other operating income and expense, net: under IFRS, the 
Company  has  recognized  certain  other  operating  income 
and  expense  comprised  of  the  impact  of  restructuring 
activities,  gains  or  losses  on  sale  of  subsidiaries,  costs 
directly  related  to  acquisitions  and  costs  related  to  site 
closings and relocations.

In  its  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information,  the 
Company  excludes  other  operating  income  and  expense 
effects  because  of  their  unusual,  infrequent  or  generally 
non-recurring  nature.  As  a  result,  the  Company  believes 
that  its  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information  helps 
investors better understand the current trends in its operating 
performance.

However, other operating income and expense are components 
of the Company’s income and expense and by excluding them 
the  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information  excludes 
their impact to its net income;

 (cid:125) certain  one-time  items  included  in  financial  revenue  and 
other, net: under IFRS, the Company has recognized certain 
one-time items in financial revenue and other, net comprised 
of gains and losses on disposals of non-consolidated equity 
investments  and  the  expense  recognized  following  the 
impairment of non-consolidated equity investments.

In  its  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information,  the 
Company excludes certain one-time items included in financial 
revenue  and  other,  net  because  of  their  unusual,  infrequent 
or  generally  non-recurring  nature.  As  a  result,  the  Company 
believes that its supplemental non-IFRS financial information 
helps  investors  better  understand  the  current  trends  in  its 
operating performance.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 73

3 Financial review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

However, these one-time items included in financial revenue 
and other, net are components of the Company’s income and 
expense  and  by  excluding  them  the  supplemental  non-IFRS 
financial information excludes their impact to its net income;

 (cid:125) certain  one-time  tax  effects:  the  Company  restructured 
certain  activities  which  resulted  in  immediate  adjustment 
of the income tax provision. The Company’s IFRS financial 
statements reflect the impact of these one-time tax effects.

In  its  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information,  the 
Company  has  excluded  these  one-time  tax  effects  because 
of  their  unusual  nature  in  qualitative  terms.  The  Company 
does  not  expect  such  tax  effects  to  occur  as  part  of  its 

normal business on a regular basis. As a result, the Company 
believes  that  by  excluding  these  one-time  tax  impacts,  its 
supplemental  non-IFRS  financial  information  helps  investors 
understand  the  current  trends  in  its  operating  performance. 
The Company also believes that the exclusion of certain one-
time tax effects facilitates a comparison of its effective tax rate 
between different periods.

However, these one-time tax effects are a component of the 
Company’s  income  tax  expense.  By  excluding  these  effects, 
the supplemental non-IFRS financial information understates 
or overstates the Company’s income tax expense. These one-
time tax effects are not a recurring expense.

The following table sets forth the Company’s supplemental non-IFRS financial information, together with the comparable IFRS 
financial measure and a reconciliation of the IFRS and non-IFRS information.

74 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

Year ended December 31,

2014 IFRS Adjustment(1)

2014 
non-IFRS

€2,294.3

€52.4 €2,346.7

2013 IFRS Adjustment(1)
€6.7
€2,066.1

2013 
non-IFRS

€2,072.8

% Change

IFRS

non-
IFRS(2)
11% 13%

2,035.0

259.3

659.1

1,052.8

582.4

838.6

262.8

447.7

485.9

1,863.5

(43.3)

(133.4)

(39.3)

430.8

18.8%

15.0

445.8

(153.3)

2.1

(1.2)

€291.3

€1.14

43.6

2,078.6

1,880.8

6.7

1,887.5

8% 10%

8.8

268.1

185.3

– 

185.3

40% 45%

18.3

22.7

11.4

677.4

1,075.5

593.8

– 

– 

– 

43.6

838.6

262.8

447.7

529.5

567.2

937.8

561.1

818.9

249.4

409.5

403.0

2.4

2.4

1.9

– 

– 

– 

6.7

569.6

940.2

563.0

818.9

249.4

409.5

409.7

16% 19%

12% 14%

4%

5%

2%

5%

9%

2%

5%

9%

21% 29%

(216.0)

1,647.5

1,563.1

(143.1)

1,420.0

19% 16%

3

– 

– 

– 

699.2

29.8%

13.2

712.4

(35.5)

(100.9)

(6.7)

503.0

24.3%

18.0

521.0

(245.2)

(165.8)

43.3

133.4

39.3

268.4

(1.8)

266.6

(91.9)

(2.1)

(0.5)

– 

(1.7)

4.2

(2.9)

€352.3

€1.38

€174.2

€465.5

€0.68

€1.82

35.5

100.9

6.7

149.8

(0.4)

149.4

(56.2)

(4.2)

– 

€93.2

€0.37

– 

– 

– 

652.8

(14%)

7%

31.5%

17.6

670.4

(14%)

(222.0)

(8%)

6%

10%

– 

(2.9)

€445.5

(17%)

€1.75

(17%)

4%

4%

(in millions, except percentages 
and per share data)

Total Revenue

Total revenue by activity

Software revenue

Services and other revenue

Total revenue by geography

Americas

Europe

Asia

Total software revenue by product line

CATIA software revenue

ENOVIA software revenue

SOLIDWORKS software revenue

Other software revenue

Total Operating Expenses

Share-based compensation expense

Amortization of acquired intangibles

Other operating income and expense, net

Operating Income

Operating Margin

Financial revenue and other, net

Income before Income Taxes

Income tax expense

(of which certain one-time tax restructuring 
effects)

Non-controlling interest

Net Income attributable to shareholders
Diluted Net Income per Share(3)

(1)  In the reconciliation schedule above, (i) all adjustments to IFRS revenue data reflect the exclusion of the deferred revenue adjustment of acquired companies, (ii) adjustments to 
IFRS operating expense data reflect the exclusion of the amortization of acquired intangibles, share-based compensation expense and related social charges, as detailed below, and 
other operating income and expense, net (iii) adjustments to IFRS financial revenue and other, net reflect the exclusion of certain one-time items included in financial revenue and 
other, net, and (iv) all adjustments to IFRS income data reflect the combined effect of these adjustments, plus with respect to net income and diluted net income per share, the 
income tax effect of the non-IFRS adjustments and certain one-time tax effects.

(in millions)

Cost of revenue

Research and development

Marketing and sales

General and administrative

Total share-based compensation expense(4)

Year ended December 31,

2014
IFRS Adjustment

2014
non-IFRS

2013
IFRS Adjustment

€343.2

409.7

748.5

189.4

€(1.1)

(16.9)

(13.9)

(11.4)

€(43.3)

€342.1

€261.4

392.8

734.6

178.0

375.5

665.2

153.4

€(0.9)

(14.8)

(12.0)

(7.8)

€(35.5)

2013
non-IFRS

€260.5

360.7

653.2

145.6

(2)  The non-IFRS percentage change compares non-IFRS measures for the two different periods. In the event there is an adjustment to the relevant measure for only one of the periods 

under comparison, the non-IFRS change compares the non-IFRS measure to the relevant IFRS measure.

(3)  Based on a weighted average of 255.3 million diluted shares for 2014 and 255.2 million diluted shares for 2013,  adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014.
(4)  The increase in share-based compensation expense in 2014 principally reflected the fact that no performance shares were granted in 2013.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 75

3 Financial review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

3.1.1.3 

Critical Accounting Principles

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been 
prepared  in  accordance  with  IFRS.  The  preparation  of  these 
financial  statements  requires  the  Company  to  make  certain 
assumptions  and  estimates.  Actual  results  may  differ  from 
these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The 
Company  believes  the  following  critical  accounting  policies, 

among others, involve the more significant assumptions and 
estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial 
statements:  revenue  recognition,  share-based  payments, 
purchase price allocation for business combinations, goodwill 
and  other  intangible  assets,  income  taxes  and  reasonable 
estimates  about  the  ultimate  resolution  of  the  Company’s 
tax  uncertainties.  See  Note  2  to  the  consolidated  financial 
statements for a description of these accounting policies.

3.1.2  Consolidated Information: 2014 Compared to 2013

Revenue
The Company’s total revenue is comprised of (i) software revenue, which is its primary source of revenue, representing 89% of 
total revenue in 2014, and (ii) services and other revenue, which represented 11% of total revenue in 2014.

(in millions, except percentages)

Total Revenue

Total revenue by activity

Software revenue

Services and other revenue

Total revenue by geographic region*

Americas

Europe

Asia

Year ended 
December 31, 
2014

€2,294.3

2,035.0

259.3

659.1

1,052.8

582.4

% change in 
constant 
currencies

Year ended 
December 31, 
2013

14%

€2,066.1

11%

41%

17%

12%

14%

1,880.8

185.3

567.2

937.8

561.1

% change

11%

8%

40%

16%

12%

4%

* 

The Company’s largest national markets as measured by total revenue are the United States,  Germany, Japan, and France. See Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

IFRS  total  revenue  increased  14%  in  constant  currencies. 
N on-IFRS total revenue increased 16%, on software revenue 
growth of 13% and services and other revenue growth of 46% 
in constant currencies. Excluding acquisitions and divestitures, 
non-IFRS  total  revenue  and  software  revenue  increased  5% 
and 6%, respectively in constant currencies.

Software Revenue
Software  revenue  is  primarily  comprised  of  new  licenses 
licenses,  maintenance  and  other 
revenue  and  periodic 
software-related  revenue.  Periodic  licenses  and  maintenance 
revenue are referred to together as “recurring revenue”.

The Company’s products are principally licensed pursuant to 
one of two payment structures: (i) new licenses, for which the 

customer pays an initial or one-time fee for a perpetual license 
or  (ii)  periodic  (rental  or  subscription)  licenses,  for  which 
the  customer  pays  periodic  fees  to  keep  the  license  active. 
Access  to  maintenance  and  unspecified  product  updates 
or  upgrades  requires  payment  of  a  fee,  which  is  recorded 
as  maintenance  revenue.  Periodic  (rental  or  subscription) 
licenses  entitle  the  customer  to  corrective  maintenance  and 
product  updates  without  additional  charge.  Product  updates 
include  improvements  to  existing  products  but  do  not  cover 
new products. Other software-related revenue is comprised of 
 the Company’s product development revenue relating to the 
development of additional functionalities of standard products 
requested by customers.

76 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

IFRS  new  licenses  revenue  increased  15.9%,  and  17% 
in  constant  currencies  well  supported  by  organic  growth 
estimated at 10% in constant currencies.

(in millions)

Operating expenses

Adjustments*

(in millions, except percentages)

2014

2013

Year ended December 31,

Software revenue

New licenses revenue

Periodic licenses, maintenance 
and other software-related 
revenue

Total software revenue

(as % of total revenue)

€579.4

€500.1

1,455.6

€2,035.0

88.7%

1,380.7

€1,880.8

91.0%

IFRS software revenue increased 8.2% and excluding currency 
effects,  increased  11% .  Similarly,  non-IFRS  software  revenue 
increased 10.1% and 13% excluding currency effects and totaled 
€2.08  billion  compared  to  €1.89  billion  in  2013.  Excluding 
acquisitions  and  divestitures,  and  currency  impacts,  non-IFRS 
software revenue increased 6%.

IFRS  recurring  software  revenue  increased  5.2%  and  9%  in 
constant  currencies.  Maintenance  renewal  rates  continued 
to  be  high  for  existing  product  lines  and  acquisitions.  Non-
IFRS recurring software revenue increased 7.7% and 11% in 
constant currencies and totaled €1.49 billion in 2014 compared 
to €1.38 billion in 2013. Excluding acquisitions and currency 
impacts,  non-IFRS  recurring  software  revenue  increased  5% 
on growth in maintenance and mixed rental results. Non-IFRS 
recurring software revenue represented 71% of total software 
revenue in 2014 and 73% in 2013.

Other software-related revenue totaled €11.3 million in 2014 
compared to €8.0 million in 2013.

Services and Other Revenue
Services and other revenue have historically been comprised of 
revenue from consulting services in methodology for design, 
deployment  and  support,  training  services  and  engineering 
services. With the Company’s new brand, 3DEXCITE (renaming 
of  RTT  following  its  acquisition),  services  and  other  revenue 
also  include  content-related  digital  production  for  use  in 
3D visualization, advertising, sales and marketing.

(in millions, except percentages)

Services and other revenue

(as % of total revenue)

Year ended December 31,

2014

€259.3

11.3%

2013

€185.3

9.0%

Financial review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

Services and other revenue increased 39.9% and approximately 
41%  in  constant  currencies,  reflecting  the  higher  service 
and  content  revenue  component  of  2014  acquisitions,  most 
notably,  3DEXCITE  and  Quintiq.  Excluding  acquisitions, 
services and other revenue decreased, as the Company focused 
on  working  with  system  integrators,  for  deployment-related 
services engagements.

Non-IFRS  services  and  other  revenue  increased  44.7%  and 
approximately  46%  in  constant  currencies.  The  non-IFRS 
services  gross  margin  improved  to  15.8%  from  11.9%, 
benefiting  from  the  higher  service  margin  profile  of  various 
acquisitions as well as ongoing operational improvements.

Operating expenses

3

Year ended December 31,

2014

€1,863.5

(216.0)

€1,647.5

2013

€1,563.1

(143.1)

€1,420.0

Non-IFRS operating expenses*

* 

The  adjustments  and  non-IFRS  operating  expenses  in  the  table  above  reflect 
adjustments to the Company’s financial information prepared in accordance with 
IFRS  by  excluding  (i)  the  amortization  of  acquired  intangibles,  (ii)  share-based 
compensation expense and related social charges, and (iii) other operating income 
and expense, net. For the reconciliation of this non-IFRS financial information with 
information set forth in the Company’s financial statements and the notes thereto, 
see paragraph 3.1.1.2 “Supplemental Non-IFRS Financial Information”.

Operating expenses increased 19.2% (IFRS) and 16.0% (non-
IFRS). The increase in total operating expenses was driven by 
growth  in  personnel  principally  through  acquisitions.  Total 
headcount  increased  24.9%  during  2014  to  13,312  from 
10,654 at the end of 2013.

Excluding  acquisitions  and  acquisition-related  costs,  non-
IFRS operating expenses increased 1% in 2014 compared to 
2013,  with  an  estimated  net  favorable  currency   impact  of 
approximately two percentage points.

Cost of Software Revenue (excluding amortization 
of acquired intangibles)
The  cost  of  software  revenue  includes  principally  software 
personnel costs, licensing fees paid for third-party components 
integrated  into  the  Company’s  own  products,  preparation 
costs for user manuals and delivery costs.

(in millions, except percentages)

2014

2013

Year ended December 31,

Cost of software revenue (excluding 
amortization of acquired 
intangibles)

(as % of total revenue)

€117.3

5.1%

€97.7

4.7%

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 77

3 Financial review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

Cost of software revenue (excluding amortization of acquired 
intangibles)  increased  €19.6  million  or  20.1%.  The  increase 
in  cost  of  software  revenue  was  due  to  growth  in  personnel 
and   growth  in  other  expenses.  The  increase  in  personnel-
related costs reflected both internal growth and acquisitions. 
The  growth  in  other  expenses  was  principally  driven  by 
acquisitions.

Cost of Services and Other Revenue
The  cost  of  services  and  other  revenue  includes  principally 
personnel and other costs related to organizing and providing 
consulting,  deployment  services,  content  creation  and 
educational  services  less  the  technical  support  provided  to 
sales operations.

(in millions, except percentages)

2014

2013

Year ended December 31,

Cost of services and other 
revenue

(as % of total revenue)

€225.9

9.8%

€163.7

7.9%

Cost  of  services  and  other  revenue  increased  €62.2  million 
or 38.0% due to growth in personnel and related costs from 
acquisitions.  The  2014  acquisitions,  most  notably  3DEXCITE 
and Quintiq have a higher proportion of services revenue and 
related cost of services as a percentage of total revenue.

Excluding  the  impact  of  acquisitions  cost  of  services  and 
other  revenue  decreased  as  the  Company  continued  to 
focus on driving operational improvements in its core service 
organization.

Research and Development Expenses
The Company believes that its ongoing significant investment 
in R&D is one of the most important elements of its success. 
The  Company  conducts  its  research  primarily  in  France, 
the  United  States  and  Germany,  as  well  as  in  India,  the 
United  Kingdom,  Malaysia,  Poland,  Netherlands,  Australia 
and Canada.

Expenses  for  R&D  include  primarily  personnel  costs  as  well 
as  the  rental,  depreciation  and  maintenance  expenses  for 
computers and computer hardware used in R&D, development 
tools, computer networking and communication expenses.

Costs  for  R&D  of  software  are  expensed  in  the  period  in 
which  they  were  incurred.  The  Company  generally  does  not 
capitalize any R&D costs. A small percentage of R&D personnel 
pursue R&D activities in the context of providing clients with 
software  maintenance,  and  their  cost  is  thus  included  under 
cost of software revenue.

Expenses for R&D are recorded net of grants recognized from 
various  governmental  authorities  to  finance  certain  R&D 
activities (mainly R&D tax credits in France).

(in millions, except percentages)

Research and development 
expenses

(as % of total revenue)

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€409.7

17.9%

€375.5

18.2%

R&D expenses increased on a net basis by 9.1% or €34.2 million 
reflecting growth in R&D personnel and in other R&D expenses 
from acquisitions. Growth of R&D expenses was offset in part 
by an increase in government grants and other governmental 
programs  supporting  R&D  which  totaled  €43.1  million  in 
2014, including a one-time R&D tax credit benefit, compared 
to €27.4 million in 2013. Currency had a net positive impact 
estimated at two percentage points on R&D expense growth.

Marketing and Sales Expenses
Marketing  and  sales  expenses  consist  primarily  of  personnel 
costs,  which  include  sales  commissions  and  personnel  for 
processing sales transactions; marketing and communications 
expenses, including advertising; travel expenses; and marketing 
infrastructure costs, such as information technology resources 
used for marketing.

(in millions, except percentages)

Marketing and sales expenses

(as % of total revenue)

Year ended December 31,

2014

€748.5

32.6%

2013

€665.2

32.2%

Marketing  and  sales  expenses  increased  €83.3  million  or 
12.5% and reflected growth in personnel headcount principally 
from  acquisitions  and  growth 
in  other  expenses  from 
acquisitions. Currency had a net positive impact estimated at 
one percentage point on marketing and sales expense growth.

General and Administrative Expenses
General  and  administrative  expenses  consist  primarily  of 
personnel  costs  of  the  finance,  human  resources  and  other 
departments,  including  legal;  third-party  professional  fees 
and  other  expenses;  travel  expenses;  related  infrastructure 
costs,  including  information  technology  resources  as  well  as 
other expenses.

(in millions, except percentages)

General and administrative 
expenses

(as % of total revenue)

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€189.4

8.3%

€153.4

7.4%

78 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

General and administrative expenses increased €36.0 million 
or 23.5%, largely reflecting an increase in related costs from 
acquisitions,  while  also  reflecting  a  2013  one-time  benefit 
from  the  resolution  of  tax  proceedings.  Currency  had  a  net 
positive impact estimated at one percentage point on general 
and administrative expense growth.

Amortization of Acquired Intangibles
Amortization  of  acquired 
includes  mainly 
amortization  of  acquired  technology  and   acquired  customer 
relationships .

intangibles 

(in millions)

Amortization of acquired 
intangibles

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€133.4

€100.9

Amortization of acquired intangibles increased €32.5 million 
or 32.2%, reflecting the 2014 acquisitions of RTT in January, 
Accelrys  in  April  and  Quintiq  in  September  as  well  as  the 
acquisition of Apriso in July 2013.

Other Operating Income and Expense, Net
Other  operating  income  and  expense,  net,  includes  the  impact 
of events that are unusual, infrequent or generally non-recurring 
in nature.

(in millions)

Other operating income and 
expense, net

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€(39.3)

€(6.7)

income  and 
in  2014  and 

(expense),  net, 
reflected 

increased 
Other  operating 
increases  of 
€(32.6)  million 
€(13.4) million in third-party professional fees in connection 
with  acquisitions,  €(7.9)  million  in  restructuring  costs,  and 
€(3.5)  million  of  relocation  costs.  In  addition,  the  increase 
in  other  operating  income  and  (expense),  net  reflected  a 
€5.6 million gain on sales of subsidiaries in 2013. See Note 8 
to the consolidated financial statements.

Operating income

(in millions)

Operating income

Year ended December 31,

2014

€430.8

2013

€503.0

Financial review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

3

Operating  income  decreased  14.4%,  or  €72.2  million  and 
principally reflected an increase in amortization of intangibles 
of €32.5 million, higher other operating income and (expenses), 
net of €(32.6) million and an estimated net negative currency 
impact  of  5  percentage  points  or  €48.5  million.  Reflecting 
these factors, the operating margin decreased to 18.8% from 
24.3% in 2013.

On a non-IFRS basis, operating income totaled €699.2 million 
for 2014, compared to €652.8 million for 2013. Currency had 
a significant impact on operating income,  with an estimated 
six percentage points or €(32.1) million net negative currency 
headwind.

The  non-IFRS  operating  margin  was  29.8%  for  2014.  In 
comparison  to  2013,  where  the  non-IFRS  operating  margin 
was  31.5%,  approximately  80  basis  points  of  the  decrease 
is attributable to a net negative currency impact, which was 
more  than  offset  by  an  estimated  150  basis  points  increase 
on  an  organic  basis  excluding  currency  effects.  The  increase 
in the non-IFRS organic operating margin excluding currency 
effects  helped  mitigate  the  dilutive  impact  of  acquisitions 
estimated at 240 basis points.

Financial income (expense) and other, net
Financial income (expense) and other, net includes (i) interest 
income  and  interest  expense,  net;   (ii)   foreign  exchange 
gains  or  losses,  net,  primarily  composed  of  realized  and 
unrealized  exchange  gains  and  losses  on  receivables  and 
loans  denominated  in  foreign  currencies;  and  (iii)  one-time 
items, net principally composed of net gains or losses on sales 
of investments.

(in millions)

Financial income and (expense) 
and other, net

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€15.0

€18.0

2014  financial  income  (expense)  and  other,  net  was  mainly 
comprised  of  net  financial  interest  income  of  €17.1  million 
(2013: €18.2 million); exchange losses of €(4.1) million (2013: 
€(0.5)  million),  and  certain  one-time  items  related  to  the 
sales of non-consolidated equity investments of €1.8 million 
(2013: €0.4 million). See Note 9 to the consolidated financial 
statements.

On a non-IFRS basis, financial income (expense) and other, net 
decreased to €13.2 million for 2014 compared to €17.6 million 
in 2013, reflecting a net negative impact of €(3.6) million due 
to net exchange loss of €(4.1) million for 2014, compared to a 
net exchange loss of €(0.5) million for 2013.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 79

3 Financial review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

Income tax expense

Net income and diluted net income per share

(in millions, except percentages)

Income tax expense

Effective consolidated tax rate

Year ended December 31,

2014

€153.3

34.4%

2013

€165.8

31.8%

IFRS  income  tax  expense  decreased  €12.5  million  in  total 
in  2014  compared  to  2013,  of  which  €23.9  million  of  the 
change is due to lower pre-tax income in 2014, partially offset 
by an €11.6 million impact due to an increase in the effective 
tax rate to 34.4% for 2014 from 31.8% for 2013. The increase 
in the effective tax rate is principally due to higher tax credits 
in 2013. See Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements 
for an explanation of the differences between the effective tax 
rates and the taxes computed at the statutory French tax rate 
of 38% for 2014 and 2013.

On  a  non-IFRS  basis,  income  tax  expense  increased  10.5% 
to  €245.2  million  for  2014,  compared  to  €222.0  million  for 
2013, principally due to growth of non-IFRS pre-tax income 
to €712.4 million compared to €670.4 million for 2013 and to 
a lesser extent to an increase in the effective tax rate to 34.4% 
compared to 33.1% for 2013.

3.1.3  Trends in Quarterly Results

Year ended December 31,

(in millions, except per share data)

2014

2013

Net income attributable to 
shareholders

Diluted net income per share*

Diluted weighted average number 
of shares outstanding*

€291.3

€1.14

€352.3

€1.38

255.3

255.2

* 

 2013 adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014.

  IFRS diluted net income per share decreased 17.4% compared 
to  2013.  Currency  had  an  estimated  net  negative  impact  of 
6 percentage points or €0.08 per diluted share on IFRS diluted 
net income per share growth.

Non-IFRS  net  income  per  diluted  share  increased  4.0%  to 
€1.82  per  share,  compared  to  €1.75  per  share  on  a  split-
adjusted basis for 2013. Currency had an estimated negative 
impact of 6 percentage points or €0.10 per diluted share on 
non-IFRS net income per share growth.

The  Company’s  quarterly  new  licenses  revenue  has  varied 
significantly  and  is  likely  to  vary  significantly  in  the  future, 
according to the Company’s business seasonality and clients’ 
decision  process.  Service  and  other  revenue  activity  can  also 
vary by quarter. The Company’s total revenue is however less 
sensitive  to  quarterly  variation  due  to  its  significant  level  of 
recurring  software  revenue,  which  includes  maintenance 
as  well  as  software  rentals  and  cloud  subscriptions.  The 
significant  level  of  recurring  software  revenue  serves  as  a 
stabilizing  factor  when  new  licensing  activity  is  impacting 
revenue and net income. Acquisitions and divestitures can also 
cause the different elements of revenue to vary from quarter 
to quarter.

A significant portion of sales typically occurs in the last month 
of each quarter, and, as is typical in the software market, the 
Company  normally  experiences  its  highest  licensing  activity 

for  the  year  in  December.  Software  revenue,  total  revenue, 
operating  income,  operating  margin  and  net  income  have 
generally been highest in the fourth quarter of each year.

In  2014,  revenue  for  the  fourth,  third,  second  and  first 
quarters  represented,  respectively,  29.3%  (27.4%  in  2013), 
24.5% (23.9% in 2013), 24.3% (25.2% in 2013) and 21.9% 
(23.5% in 2013) of the Company’s total revenue for the year, 
with the mix of revenues by quarter reflecting the timing of 
acquisition activity during 2014.

Nonetheless,  it  is  possible  that  the  Company’s  quarterly 
total revenue could vary significantly and that its net income 
could  vary  significantly,  reflecting  the  change  in  revenues, 
together with the effects of the Company’s investment plans. 
See  paragraph  1.6.1.15   “Variability  in  Quarterly  Operating 
Results”.

80 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial review and prospects
2015 Financial Objectives and Multi-Year Growth Plan

3

3.1.4  Capital Resources

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  and  short-term 
investments 
amounted to €1.18 billion as of December 31, 2014 compared 
to  €1.80  billion  as  of  December  31,  2013.  The  Company’s 
net  financial  position  was  €825.5  million  at  December  31, 
2014,  compared  to  €1.44  billion  at  December  31,  2013, 
and was comprised of cash, cash equivalents and short-term 
investments, less long-term debt.

In  2014  the  Company’s  principal  sources  of  liquidity  were 
cash  from  operations  amounting  to  €499.5  million  and 
proceeds  from  exercise  of  stock  options  amounting  to 
€57.9  million.  During  2014  cash  obtained  from  operations 
was  used  primarily  to  fund  acquisitions  in  the  amount  of 
€952.9 million net, repurchase Company shares in the amount 
of  €171.7  million  and  distribute  cash  dividends  aggregating 
to  €35.8  million.  In  addition,  the  Company  made  additions 
to property, equipment and intangibles of €45.4 million, and 
repaid  borrowings  in  the  amount  of  €20.6  million.  (See  also 
the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows in paragraph 4.1.1 
“Consolidated Financial Statements”.)

In  2013  the  Company’s  principal  sources  of  liquidity  were 
cash  from  operations  of  €506.8  million,  and  proceeds  from 

the  new  long-term  credit  facility  of  €350.0  million,  as  well 
as  net  proceeds  from  sales  of  short-term  investments  of 
€91.4  million  and  proceeds  from  exercise  of  stock  options 
amounting to €40.2 million. During 2013 cash obtained from 
operations was used primarily to fund acquisitions and other 
related  investments  in  the  amount  of  €213.4  million  net  of 
cash  acquired,  complete  share  repurchases  in  the  amount 
of  €56.9  million,  and  distribute  cash  dividends  aggregating 
to  €34.8  million.  (See  also  the  Consolidated  Statements 
of  Cash  Flows  in  paragraph  4.1.1  “Consolidated  Financial 
Statements”.)

Exchange  rate  fluctuations  had  a  positive  translation  effect, 
on cash and cash equivalent balances, of €38.0 million as of 
 December 31, 2014, compared to a negative translation effect 
of €35.8 million as of December 31, 2013.

The  Company  follows  a  conservative  policy  for  investing 
its  cash  resources,  mostly  relying  on  short-term  maturity 
investments. Investment rules are defined by the Company’s 
financial  management  and  controlled  by  the  treasury 
department of Dassault Systèmes SA.

3

3.2  2015 Financial Objectives and Multi-Year 

Growth Plan

The  Company  confirms  its  initial  2015  non-IFRS  financial 
objectives which were announced on February 5, 2015, when 
the  preliminary,  unaudited  annual  results  for  2014  were 
released.  These  objectives  are  subject  to  the  assumptions 
and cautionary statements set forth below and are subject to 
revision, as market and business conditions evolve during 2015.

The Company’s initial 2015 non-IFRS financial objectives are 
as follows:

 (cid:125) non-IFRS revenue growth objective range of about 11% to 
12%  in  constant  currencies  (€2.70  billion  to  €2.72  billion 
based upon the 2015 currency exchange rate assumptions 
below);

 (cid:125) non-IFRS operating margin of about 29.8%, stable compared 

to 2014;

 (cid:125) non-IFRS earnings per share range of about €2.04 to €2.09, 
representing  a  growth  objective  range  of  about  12%  to 
15%, based upon the exchange rate assumptions below;

 (cid:125) these  financial  objectives  are  based  upon  exchange  rate 
assumptions  of  U.S.  dollar  1.20  per  euro  and  Japanese 
yen 140.00 per euro for 2015.

The Company’s objectives are prepared and communicated only 
on a non-IFRS basis. The 2015 annual non-IFRS objectives set 
forth above do not take into account the following accounting 
elements and are based upon the 2015 currency exchange rate 
assumptions  above:  deferred  revenue  write-downs  currently 
estimated at approximately €35 million for 2015; share-based 
compensation  expense  currently  estimated  at  approximately 
€19  million  for  2015  and  amortization  expense  for  acquired 
intangibles currently estimated at approximately €160 million 
for  2015.  These  objectives  do  not  include  any  impact  from 
other operating income and expense, net principally comprised 
of acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses. These 
estimates do not include any new stock option or share grants, 
or  any  new  acquisitions  or  restructurings  completed  after 
February 5, 2015.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 81

3 Financial review and prospects

Interim and Other Financial Information

On  June  13,  2014  in  conjunction  with  its  2014  Capital 
Markets Day, Dassault Systèmes unveiled its next multi-year 
growth plan with the initiation of a 2019 non-IFRS EPS goal 
of  about  €3.50  (on  a  split-adjusted  basis),  commenting  that 
this  goal  represents  about  a  15%  compound  annual  growth 
rate and is top-line driven with multiple key revenue growth 
drivers. The EPS goal assumes a relatively stable share count 
over  the  five-year  period,  and  is  based  upon  exchange  rates 
for  the  U.S.  dollar  of  $1.37  and  Japanese  yen  of  JPY140  in 
comparison to the euro.

are 

based 

statements 

forward-looking 

The  information  above  includes  statements  that  express 
objectives  for  the  Company’s  future  financial  performance. 
on 
Such 
Dassault  Systèmes  management’s  views  and  assumptions 
as of the date of this Annual Report and involve known and 
unknown  risks  and  uncertainties.  The  Company’s  actual 
results or performance may be materially negatively affected 
and differ materially from those in such statements due to a 
range of factors as described in this Annual Report. For more 
information  regarding  the  risks  facing  the  Company,  see 
paragraph 1.6 “Risk factors”.

3.3 

Interim and Other Financial Information

Dassault Systèmes has not published any quarterly or half-year financial information since the date of its last audited financial 
statements.

82 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

4

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

4.1  Consolidated Financial Statements  84

4.3  Legal and Arbitration Proceedings  149

CONTENTS

4.1.1  Consolidated Financial Statements 

4.1.2  Report of the Statutory Auditors 

on the Consolidated Financial Statements 

4.2  Parent Company Financial 

Statements 

4.2.1  Statement of income 

4.2.2  Balance sheet 

84

121

123

124

125

4.2.3  Notes to the Parent Company Financial Statements  126

4.2.4  Selected financial and other information for 

Dassault Systèmes SA over the last five years 

144

4.2.5  Report of the Statutory Auditors on the Parent 

Company Financial Statements 

4.2.6  Special report of the Statutory Auditors on 
Regulated Agreements and Commitments 

145

147

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 83

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

The  consolidated  and  parent  company  financial  statements  below  will  be  submitted  for  approval  at  the  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders of Dassault Systèmes scheduled for May 28, 2015.

4.1  Consolidated Financial Statements

In compliance with Article 28 of the European Regulation no. 809/2004 of the European Commission, the consolidated financial 
statements for 2012 and 2013 are incorporated by reference in this Annual Report as stated on page 2 hereof.

4.1.1  Consolidated Financial Statements

Consolidated Statements of Income

(in thousands, except per share data)

New licenses revenue

Periodic licenses, maintenance and other software revenue

Software revenue

Services and other revenue

TOTAL REVENUE

Cost of software revenue

Cost of services and other revenue

Research and development

Marketing and sales

General and administrative

Amortization of acquired intangibles

Other operating income and expense, net

OPERATING INCOME

Interest income and expense, net

Other financial income and expense, net

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense

NET INCOME

Attributable to:

Equity holders of the Company

Non-controlling interest

Earnings per share*

Basic net income per share

Diluted net income per share

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2014

2013

€579,360

€500,073

1,455,625

1,380,725

4

2,034,985

1,880,798

259,295

185,325

2,294,280

2,066,123

(117,332)

(225,919)

(409,660)

(748,428)

(189,440)

(133,376)

(39,309)

430,816

17,131

(2,195)

445,752

(153,302)

€292,450

(97,657)

(163,683)

(375,527)

(665,136)

(153,413)

(100,945)

(6,719)

503,043

18,248

(285)

521,006

(165,836)

€355,170

€291,241

€352,279

€1,209

€2,891

€1.16

€1.14

€1.41

€1.38

8

9

9

10

11

11

*  2013 figures have been restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014 (see Note 23 Shareholders’ Equity).

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

84 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(in thousands)

NET INCOME

Gain on available for sale securities

Losses on cash flow hedges

Foreign currency translation adjustment

Income tax on items to be reclassified

Other comprehensive income to be reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent periods, 
net of tax

Remeasurements of defined benefit pension plans

Income tax on items not being reclassified

Other comprehensive income not being reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent 
periods, net of tax

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME, NET OF TAX

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME, NET OF TAX

Attributable to:

Equity holders of the Company

Non-controlling interest

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2014

2013

€292,450

€355,170

23

23

22

−

(1,508)

187,036

575

186,103

(30,870)

9,712

(21,158)

164,945

169

(12,963)

(72,277)

4,343

(80,728)

7,066

(2,746)

4,320

(76,408)

€457,395

€278,762

€451,510

€278,137

€5,885

€625

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 85

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands)

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Short-term investments

Trade accounts receivable, net

Income tax receivable

Other current assets

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

Property and equipment, net

Non-current financial assets

Deferred tax assets

Intangible assets, net

Goodwill

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS

TOTAL ASSETS

(in thousands)

Liabilities and equity

Trade accounts payable

Accrued compensation and other personnel costs

Unearned revenue

Income tax payable

Other current liabilities

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

Deferred tax liabilities

Borrowings, non-current

Other non-current liabilities

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

Common stock

Share premium

Treasury stock

Retained earnings and other reserves

Other items

Parent shareholders’ equity

Non-controlling interest

TOTAL EQUITY

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

86 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2014

2013

12

12

13

13

14

15

10

17

18

19

10

20

19

€1,104,206

€1,737,860

71,286

627,662

78,626

97,782

65,785

472,624

54,866

88,896

1,979,562

2,420,031

136,737

100,448

69,526

79,575

1,170,626

1,532,031

48,203

87,471

658,788

872,952

2,988,495

1,767,862

€4,968,057

€4,187,893

€130,327

246,623

636,750

16,870

108,618

1,139,188

218,628

350,000

300,737

869,365

128,182

484,208

€84,972

211,052

488,961

20,845

82,364

888,194

102,714

360,019

212,815

675,548

126,933

425,972

(187,085)

(105,732)

2,489,667

2,316,293

28,488

(152,939)

2,943,460

2,610,527

16,044

13,624

23

2,959,504

2,624,151

€4,968,057

€4,187,893

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

Net income

Adjustments for non-cash items

Changes in operating assets and liabilities

Net cash provided by operating activities

Additions to property, equipment and intangibles

Purchases of short-term investments

Proceeds from sales and maturities of short-term investments

Payment for acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired

Other

Net cash used in investing activities

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

Cash dividends paid

Repurchase of treasury stock

Borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD

Supplemental disclosure

Income taxes paid

Cash paid for interest

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2014

2013

€292,450

€355,170

24

24

14, 17

187,748

19,255

499,453

(45,393)

(95,141)

94,783

168,478

(16,801)

506,847

(42,390)

(174,203)

265,596

16

(952,913)

(213,418)

(2,197)

(4,221)

(1,000,861)

(168,636)

23

23

20

20

57,893

(35,764)

(171,660)

-

(20,685)

(170,216)

37,970

(633,654)

40,194

(34,794)

(56,928)

350,000

(22,237)

276,235

(35,886)

578,560

1,737,860

1,159,300

€1,104,206

€1,737,860

€189,434

€143,172

€5,205

€5,148

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 87

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity

Common 
stock

Share 
premium

Treasury 
stock

Retained 
earnings and 
other 
reserves

Available-
for-sale 
securities

Cash flow 
hedges

Foreign 
currency 
translation 
adjustment

Parent 
shareholders’ 
equity

Non-
controlling 

interest Total Equity

Other items

€125,097 €314,402

€(57,399) €2,029,318

€(169)

€5,752

€(80,060) €2,336,941 €16,229 €2,353,170

352,279

−

−

−

352,279

2,891

355,170

4,320

169

(8,705)

(69,926)

(74,142)

(2,266)

(76,408)

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

Dividends

741

67,232

356,599

(99,537)

−

1,095

44,338

−

−

−

−

−

−

(48,333)

(8,595)

−

−

34,017

4,491

169

(8,705)

(69,926)

278,137

625

278,762

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

(31,564)

(3,230)

(34,794)

45,433

(56,928)

34,017

4,491

−

−

−

−

45,433

(56,928)

34,017

4,491

€126,933 €425,972 €(105,732) €2,316,293

€– €(2,953) €(149,986) €2,610,527 €13,624 €2,624,151

291,241

−

−

−

291,241

1,209

292,450

(21,158)

−

(3,475)

184,902

160,269

4,676

164,945

Dividends

802

70,330

1,188

49,457

270,083

(103,431)

−

(741)

(61,551)

(81,353)

(28,015)

−

−

−

−

−

−

29,950

4,787

−

−

−

−

−

−

(3,475)

184,902

451,510

5,885

457,395

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

(32,299)

(3,465)

(35,764)

50,645

(171,660)

29,950

4,787

−

−

−

−

50,645

(171,660)

29,950

4,787

€128,182 €484,208 €(187,085) €2,489,667

€− €(6,428)

€34,916 €2,943,460 €16,044 €2,959,504

(in thousands)

JANUARY 1, 
2013

Net income

Other 
comprehensive 
income, net of tax

COMPREHENSIVE 
INCOME, NET OF 
TAX

Exercise of stock 
options

Treasury stock 
transactions

Share-based 
payments

Other changes

DECEMBER 31, 
2013

Net income

Other 
comprehensive 
income, net of tax

COMPREHENSIVE 
INCOME, NET OF 
TAX

Exercise of stock 
options

Treasury stock 
transactions

Share-based 
payments

Other changes

DECEMBER 31, 
2014

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

88 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for Years Ended 
December 31, 2014 and 2013

CONTENTS 

Note 1  Description of Business 

90

Note 13  Trade Accounts Receivable, Net 

Note 2 

Summary of Significant Accounting 
Policies 

and Other Current Assets 

90

Note 14  Property and Equipment 

Note 3 

Segment and Geographic Information  94

Note 15  Non-Current Financial Assets 

Note 4 

Software Revenue 

Note 5  Government Grants 

Note 6 

Personnel Costs 

Note 7 

Share-based Payments 

Note 8  Other Operating Income 

and Expense, Net 

Note 9 

Interest Income and Expense, Net 
and Other Financial Income and 
Expense, Net 

Note 10 

Income Taxes 

Note 11  Earnings per Share 

Note 12  Cash and Cash Equivalents and 

Short-term Investments 

96

97

97

97

100

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

106

108

109

111

112

4

Note 16  Business Combinations 

Note 17 

Intangible Assets 

Note 18  Goodwill 

Note 19  Other Liabilities 

Note 20  Borrowings 

Note 21  Derivatives and Currency 

and Interest Rate Risk Management  112

Note 22  Post-employment Benefits 

Note 23  Shareholders’ Equity 

Note 24  Consolidated Statements 
of Cash Flows 

Note 25  Commitments and Contingencies 

Note 26  Related-Party Transactions 

Note 27  Principal Dassault Systèmes 

Companies 

114

116

118

118

119

120

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 89

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 1  Description of Business

The “Company” or the “Group” refers to Dassault Systèmes SA 
and its subsidiaries. The Company provides end-to-end software 
applications  and  services,  designed  to  support  companies’ 
innovation processes, from specification and design of a new 
product, to its manufacturing, supply and sale to the customer, 
through all stages of digital mock-up, simulation, and realistic 
3D virtual experiences representing user experience.

The  Company’s  global  customer  base  includes  companies  in 
12  industrial  sectors:  Aerospace  &  Defense;  Transportation  & 
Mobility; Marine & Offshore; Industrial Equipment; High-Tech; 
Architecture, Engineering & Construction; Consumer Goods & 
Retail;  Consumer  Packaged  Goods  &  Retail;  Life  Sciences; 
Energy, Process & Utilities; Financial & Business Services and 

Natural Resources. To serve its customers, the Company has 
developed a broad software applications portfolio, comprised 
of  social  and  collaborative  applications,  3D  modeling 
information 
 simulation  applications,  and 
applications, 
intelligence  applications,  all  powered  by  its  3DEXPERIENCE 
Platform.

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  is  a  société  anonyme,  a  form  of 
limited  liability  company,  incorporated  under  the  laws  of 
France.  The  Company’s  registered  office  is  located  at  10,  rue 
Marcel-Dassault,  in  Vélizy-Villacoublay,  France.  The  Dassault 
Systèmes SA shares are listed in France on Euronext Paris. These 
consolidated  financial  statements  were  established  under  the 
responsibility of the Board of Directors on March 20, 2015.

Note 2  Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of preparation and consolidation
The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  were 
prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards  (“IFRS”)  as  adopted  in  the  European  Union.  The 
consolidated financial statements are presented in thousands 
of euros except where otherwise indicated.

The  consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts 
of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  and  its  subsidiaries.  Companies 
over  which  the  Company  has  control  are  fully  consolidated. 
The  Group  controls  an  entity  when  it  is  exposed,  or  has 
rights,  to  variable  returns  from  its  involvement  with  the 
entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its 
power  over  the  entity.  Companies  over  which  the  Company 
exercises  significant  influence  are  accounted  for  under  the 
equity  method.  Intercompany  transactions  and  balances  are 
eliminated.

Impact of recently issued accounting standards
The  following  standards  which  became  mandatory  from 
January 1, 2014 and were published in the Official Journal of 
the European Union at December 31, 2014 were applied for 
the first time in 2014:

 (cid:125) IFRS 10 “Consolidated financial statements”, IFRS 11 “Joint 
arrangements”,  and  IFRS  12  “Disclosures  of  interests  in 
other entities”, mandatory for financial years beginning on 
or after January 1, 2014. The adoption of these standards 
had  no  material  impact  on  the  Company’s  consolidated 
financial statements.

The Company undertakes no early application of any standard 
or  interpretation  or  associated  amendments,  including  the 
following which was already published in the Official Journal 
of the European Union at December 31, 2014:

 (cid:125) IFRIC 21 “Levies”, mandatory for financial years beginning 
on  or  after  June  17,  2014.  The  interpretation  addresses 
when  an  entity  should  recognize  a  liability  to  pay  a 
government levy. The adoption of IFRIC 21 is not expected 
to  have  a  material  impact  on  the  Company’s  consolidated 
financial statements.

In addition, the Company’s consolidated financial statements 
do  not  take  into  account  new  standards,  interpretations 
and  amendments  not  yet  approved  by  the  European  Union 
at  December  31,  2014,  notably  IFRS  15  “Revenue  from 
contracts  with  customers”,  expected  to  be  effective  as  of 
January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company 
is currently assessing the impact of IFRS 15 on its consolidated 
financial statements and plans to adopt the new standard on 
the required effective date.

Summary of significant accounting policies

Use of estimates
The  preparation  of  financial  statements  in  conformity  with 
IFRS requires management to make estimates and assumptions 
that  affect  the  reported  amounts  of  assets  and  liabilities, 
revenue  and  expenses  and  disclosure  of  contingent  assets 
and  liabilities  at  the  date  of  the  financial  statements.  Areas 

90 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

lifecycles; 

include:  assessing  product 

involving  the  use  of  significant  estimates  and  assumptions 
mainly 
identifying 
the  different  elements  comprising  a  software  arrangement, 
including  the  distinction  between  upgrades/enhancements 
and new products; determining when technological feasibility 
is achieved for its products; estimating the recoverable amount 
of  goodwill;  determining  the  nature,  fair  value  and  useful 
life  of  acquired  intangible  assets  in  a  business  combination; 
determining assumptions to estimate the fair value of share-
based  payments;  assessing  the  recognition  of  deferred  tax 
assets;  and  making  reasonable  estimates  about  the  ultimate 
resolution  of  the  Company’s  tax  uncertainties  based  on 
current  tax  laws  and  the  Company’s  interpretation  thereof. 
Actual results and outcomes could differ from management’s 
estimates and assumptions.

Foreign currency adjustments
The functional currency of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries 
is generally the applicable local currency. Assets and liabilities 
with functional currencies other than the euro are translated 
into euro equivalents at the rate of exchange in effect on the 
balance  sheet  date.  Revenues,  expenses  and  cash  flows  are 
translated at the average exchange rates for the year unless this 
average is not a reasonable approximation of the cumulative 
effect of the rates prevailing on the transaction dates, in which 
case revenues, expenses and cash flows are translated at the 
rate  on  the  dates  of  the  transactions.  Translation  gains  or 
losses are recorded in Other items in shareholders’ equity.

Exchange  differences  on  the  settlement  or  retranslation 
of  monetary  items  in  a  currency  other  than  the  Company’s 
and  its  subsidiaries’  functional  currency  are  recorded  in  the 
statement of income.

Revenue recognition
The Company derives revenue from two primary sources: (1) new 
software  licenses,  periodic  licenses,  maintenance  and  other 
software  revenue,  which  includes  software  license  updates, 
technical support and the development of additional functionalities 
of  standard  products  requested  by  clients;  (2)  consulting  and 
training services and other revenue.

Revenues are disclosed net of taxes collected from customers 
and remitted to governmental authorities.

New Software Licenses, Periodic Licenses, Maintenance 
and Other Software Revenue
Software 
license  revenue  represents  fees  earned  from 
granting  customers  licenses  to  use  the  Company’s  software. 
The Company’s software license revenue consists of perpetual 
and  periodic  license  sales  of  software  products.  Software 

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

4

license  revenue  is  recognized  (to  the  extent  the  Company 
has  no  remaining  obligations  to  perform)  when:  evidence  of 
an arrangement exists, delivery and acceptance has occurred, 
the amount of revenue and associated costs can be measured 
reliably,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  economic  benefits 
associated  with  the  transaction  will  flow  to  the  Company. 
In  instances  when  any  of  the  four  criteria  are  not  met,  the 
Company defers recognition of software license revenue until 
all criteria are met. Revenue related to the licensing of software 
through  value-added  resellers  (VARs)   is  generally  recognized 
when evidence of a sale to an end-user customer is provided to 
the Company, assuming all other revenue recognition criteria 
have been met.

Periodic  licenses  generally  have  a  one-year  term  and  the 
corresponding  fee  is  recognized  ratably  over  the  term  of  the 
license.

Maintenance  revenue  represents  periodic  fees  associated 
with  the  sale  of  unspecified  product  updates  on  a  when-
and-if-available  basis  and  technical  support.  Maintenance 
agreements  are  entered  into  in  connection  with  the  initial 
software  license  purchase.  Maintenance  support  may  be 
renewed  by  the  customer  at  the  conclusion  of  each  term. 
Revenue  from  maintenance  is  recognized  on  a  straight-line 
basis over the term of the maintenance agreement.

Other  software  revenue  mainly  relates  to  the  development 
of  additional  functionalities  of  standard  products  requested 
by  clients  and  is  recognized  as  the  development  work  is 
performed.

Recurring  fees  for  periodic  licenses,  maintenance  and  other 
software revenue are reported within software revenue.

Revenue  under  multiple-element  arrangements,  which 
typically  include  new  software  licenses  and  maintenance 
agreements  sold  together,  is  allocated  to  each  element  in 
the  arrangement  primarily  using  the  residual  method  based 
upon the fair value of the undelivered elements. Discounts, if 
any,  are  applied  to  the  delivered  elements,  usually  software 
licenses,  under  the  residual  method.  For  maintenance,  fair 
value  is  generally  determined  based  upon  the  expected 
renewal rate.

Services and Other Revenue
Services  and  other  revenue  consists  primarily  of  fees  from 
consulting  services  in  methodology  for  design,  deployment 
and support, and training services. Services generally do not 
require significant modification or customization of software 
products and are accounted for separately to the extent they 
are  not  essential  to  the  functionality  of  software  products. 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 91

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Service revenues derived from time and material contracts are 
recognized as time is incurred.

Service  revenues  derived  from  fixed  price  contracts  are 
generally recognized using a percentage of completion basis. 
For customer support contracts, when no performance pattern 
is discernible, revenue is recognized ratably over the term of 
the contract, generally one year, on a straight-line basis.

Share-based payment
The  Company  recognizes  compensation  expense  for  share-
based  payment  awards  expected  to  vest  on  a  straight-line 
basis  over  the  requisite  service  period  of  the  entire  award. 
Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if 
necessary,  in  subsequent  periods  if  actual  forfeitures  differ 
from initial estimates.

Stock  options  are  measured  at  fair  value  on  the  date  of  the 
grant  using  an  option-pricing  model  based  on  assumptions 
made by management on expected volatility, expected option 
life and distributed dividends.

Performance  shares  are  measured  at  fair  value  based  on  the 
quoted price of the Company’s common stock on the date of 
grant. The fair value may also include the impact of a market 
condition based on an option-pricing model.

Cost of software revenue
Cost  of  software  revenue  primarily  includes  software  license 
expense  for  software  products  included  in  the  Company’s 
software, maintenance costs and delivery expense.

Research and development
Research costs are expensed as incurred.

Costs incurred to develop computer software products include 
mainly  payroll  and  other  headcount-related  costs  associated 
with  development  of  the  Company’s  products.  They  also 
include  amortization  expense,  lease  and  maintenance  costs 
of  computer  equipment  used  for  product  development, 
software  expenditures  and  costs  of  information  technology 
and communication.

Due  to  specificities  in  the  software  industry,  the  Company 
has determined that technological feasibility is the key criteria 
to  capitalize  development  expenditure  as  it  is  generally  the 
last  criteria  to  be  met.  Currently  the  risks  and  uncertainties 
inherent in the software development process make it difficult 
to  demonstrate  technological  feasibility  before  a  working 
prototype has been completed, which generally occurs shortly 
before  the  commercial  release  of  its  software  products.  As  a 
consequence,  costs  incurred  after  technological  feasibility 
is  established  that  could  potentially  be  capitalized  are  not 
material.

Government grants
The  Company  receives  grants  from  various  governmental 
authorities  to  finance  certain  research  and  development 
activities,  including  research  and  development  tax  credits  in 
France that are treated as government grants because they are 
realizable  in  cash  in  the  event  the  Company  has  insufficient 
income  tax  payable.  Government  grants  are  recognized  as 
a  reduction  of  research  and  development  costs  or  cost  of 
services and other revenue when the qualifying research and 
development  activities  have  been  performed  and  there  is 
reasonable assurance that the grants will be received.

Other operating income and expense, net
The  Company  distinguishes  income  and  expense  that  is 
unusual, infrequent or generally non-recurring in nature in the 
consolidated statement of income. Such income and expense 
includes  the  impact  of  restructuring  activity  and  other 
generally  non-recurring  events,  such  as  gain  or  loss  on  sale 
of subsidiaries, costs directly related to acquisitions, and costs 
related to site closings or moving from one site to another.

Other financial income and expense, net
Other  financial  income  and  expense  primarily  includes  the 
impact of remeasuring financial instruments at fair value, gains 
and losses on disposals and the impairment of investments in 
non-consolidated  companies,  exchange  gains  and  losses  on 
monetary items and change in fair value of derivative financial 
instruments not qualified for hedge accounting.

Income taxes
Deferred income tax is recognized using the liability method on 
temporary differences arising between the tax bases of assets 
and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the consolidated 
financial  statements.  However,  deferred  income  tax  is  not 
accounted  for  if  it  arises  from  initial  recognition  of  an  asset 
or liability in a transaction other than a business combination 
that, at the time of the transaction, affects neither accounting 
nor  taxable  profit  or  loss.  Deferred  income  tax  is  determined 
using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantially 
enacted by the balance sheet date and are expected to apply 
when the related deferred income tax asset is realized or the 
deferred income tax liability is settled.

Deferred income tax assets are recognized only to the extent 
that  it  is  probable  that  future  taxable  profit  will  be  available 
against which the temporary differences can be utilized.

Deferred  income  tax  is  provided  on  temporary  differences 
arising  on  investments  in  subsidiaries  and  associates,  except 
where the timing of the reversal of the temporary difference 
is  controlled  by  the  Company  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

92 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Allowance for doubtful accounts and loans receivable
The  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  and  loans  receivable 
reflects  the  Company’s  best  estimate  of  probable  losses 
inherent in the receivable balance. The Company determines 
the  allowance  based  on  known  troubled  accounts,  historical 
experience and other currently available evidence.

Financial instruments
Fair  Value  –  The  carrying  amounts  of  cash  and  cash 
equivalents,  short-term  investments,  accounts  receivable, 
accounts  payable  and  accrued  expenses  approximate  fair 
value, due to the short-term maturities of such instruments. 
Foreign  exchange  options  and  forward  contracts,  which  are 
designated  and  serve  as  hedges,  are  recorded  at  their  fair 
market  value.  Fair  value  is  measured  based  on  the  following 
fair  value  hierarchy:  level  1:  quoted  price  in  active  markets; 
level  2:  inputs  observable  directly  or  indirectly,  other  than 
quoted  price  included  in  level  1;  level  3:  inputs  not  based 
on  observable  market  data.  Cash,  cash  equivalents  and 
short-term  investments  are  measured  using  the  level  1  fair 
value. Derivative instruments are measured using the level 2 
fair  value.  Other  investments  that  are  not  equity  method 
investments are measured using the level 3 fair value.

Cash  and  Cash  Equivalents  and  Short-Term  Investments  – 
The Company considers deposits with banks, investments in 
money  market  mutual  funds  and  marketable  debt  securities 
with short-term maturities to be cash equivalents since they are 
readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject 
to  an  insignificant  risk  of  change  in  value.  Other  marketable 
debt securities and mutual funds that do not qualify as cash 
equivalents are considered to be short-term investments and 
are  generally  classified  as  trading  securities  with  changes  in 
fair value recorded in interest income and expense, net.

Non-Current  Financial  Assets  –  Non-current  financial  assets 
include, principally, available-for-sale equity securities at fair 
value,  loans,  deposits  and  other  non-current  receivables  at 
amortized cost and equity method investments. For available-
for-sale  equity  securities,  any  unrealized  holding  gains  and 
losses  excluded  from  operating  results  and  are  recognized 
in  the  consolidated  statements  of  comprehensive  income 
until realized. The Company assesses declines in the value of 
individual  investments  to  determine  whether  such  decline  is 
other-than-temporary  and  thus  the  investment  is  impaired. 
This  assessment  is  made  by  considering  available  evidence 
including  changes  in  general  market  conditions,  specific 
industry  and  individual  company  data,  the  length  of  time 
and the extent to which the market value has been less than 
cost,  the  financial  condition  and  near-term  prospects  of  the 
individual company, and the Company’s intent and ability to 
hold the investment.

Derivative  Instruments  –  The  Company  uses  derivative 
instruments  to  manage  exposures  to  foreign  currency  and 
interest  rates.  Derivative  instruments  are  measured  at  their 
fair value and changes in the fair value affect the consolidated 
statements of income unless specific hedge accounting criteria 
are met. Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated as 
cash-flow hedges are reported as a component of shareholders’ 
equity until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.

Property and equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated 
using  the  straight-line  method  over  their  estimated  useful 
lives: computer equipment, two to five years; office furniture 
and  equipment,  five  to  10  years;  buildings,  30  years; 
leasehold  improvements  are  depreciated  over  the  shorter  of 
the life of the assets or the remaining lease term. Repair and 
maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.

Intangible assets
Intangible  assets  primarily 
include  acquired  technology, 
contractual  customer  relationships  and   computer  software . 
Costs related to intangible assets are capitalized and amortized 
using  the  straight-line  method  over  their  estimated  useful 
lives, which range from two to 16 years. No intangible assets 
have been identified with an indefinite useful life.

Business combinations and goodwill
Business combinations are accounted for using the purchase 
method.  The  cost  of  an  acquisition  is  measured  as  the  fair 
value  of  the  assets  transferred,  equity  instruments  issued 
and  liabilities  incurred  or  assumed  on  the  acquisition  date. 
Identifiable  assets  acquired  and  liabilities  and  contingent 
liabilities  assumed  in  a  business  combination  are  measured 
initially at fair value at the date of acquisition, irrespective of 
the extent of any non-controlling interest.

Goodwill is initially measured at cost being the excess of the 
cost of the business combination over the Company’s share in 
the net fair value of the acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities 
and contingent liabilities.

After initial recognition, goodwill is measured at cost less any 
accumulated impairment losses. For the purpose of impairment 
testing, goodwill acquired in a business combination is, from 
the acquisition date, allocated to each of the Company’s cash 
generating  units  or  group  of  cash  generating  units  that  are 
expected  to  benefit  from  the  synergies  of  the  combination, 
irrespective of whether other assets or liabilities of the acquiree 
are assigned to those units.

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 93

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Goodwill is tested whenever events or changes in circumstances 
indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable, and 
at  a  minimum  annually.  For  the  purpose  of  the  impairment 
test, the Company relies upon projections of future cash flows 
and  takes  into  account  assumptions  regarding  the  evolution 
of  the  market  and  its  ability  to  successfully  develop  and 
commercialize  its  products.  Changes  in  market  conditions 
could  have  a  major  impact  on  the  valuation  of  assets  and 
liabilities and could result in additional impairment losses.

Provisions
Provisions  are  recognized  as  liabilities  to  cover  probable 
outflows  of  resources  that  can  be  estimated  and  that  result 
from  present  obligations  (legal,  contractual  or  constructive) 
relating to past events. In cases where a potential obligation 
resulting  from  past  events  exists,  but  where  occurrence  of 
the outflow of resources is not probable or where the amount 
cannot be reliably estimated, a contingent liability is disclosed 
among the Company’s commitments.

The amount of the provision provided is the best estimate of 
the  outflow  of  resources  required  to  extinguish  this  present 
obligation.

Treasury shares
Own  equity  instruments  which  are  reacquired  (treasury 
shares) are recognized at cost and deducted from equity. Gains 
and losses on the purchase, sale, issue or cancellation of the 
Company’s own equity instruments are credited or charged to 
shareholders’ equity and are not recognized in the statement 
of income.

Borrowings
Borrowings  are  recognized  initially  at  fair  value,  net  of 
transaction  costs 
incurred.  Any  difference  between  the 
recorded amount and the redemption value is amortized into 
income  over  the  period  of  the  borrowing  using  the  effective 
interest rate method.

Post-employment benefits
The  Company’s  payments  for  defined  contribution  plans  are 
recorded as expenses for the relevant period.

For  defined  benefit  plans  concerning  post-employment 
benefits, the Company uses the Projected Unit Credit Method 
to  determine  the  present  value  of  its  obligations.  Under  this 
method, benefits are attributed to periods of service according 
to  the  plan’s  benefit  formula.  However,  if  an  employee’s 
service  in  later  years  will  earn  a  materially  higher  level  of 
benefit than in earlier years, benefits are attributed to periods 
of service on a straight-line basis.

Actuarial gains and losses are charged or credited to equity in 
other comprehensive income in the period in which they arise.

The future payments for employee benefits are measured on 
the basis of future salary increases, retirement age, mortality 
and  length  of  employment  with  the  Company,  and  are 
discounted at a rate determined by reference to yields on long-
term high quality corporate bonds of a duration corresponding 
to the estimated duration of the benefit plan concerned.

The  net  expense  for  the  year,  corresponding  to  the  sum  of 
the  current  service  costs,  past  service  costs  and  net  interest 
expense or income, is charged in full to operating income.

Note 3  Segment and Geographic Information

Operating  segments  are  components  of  the  Company  for 
which  discrete  financial  information  is  available  and  whose 
operating  results  are  regularly  reviewed  by  management  to 
assess  performance  and  allocate  resources.  The  Company 
operates in a single operating segment, the sale of software 
solutions,  whose  aim  is  to  offer  customers  an  integrated 
innovation  process,  from  the  development  of  a  new  concept 
to  the  realistic  experience  of  the  resultant  product,  through 
all  stages  of  detailed  design,  scientific  simulation  and 
manufacturing, thanks to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

The  assessment  of  the  operating  segment’s  performance 
is  based  on  the  Group’s  supplemental  non-IFRS  financial 
information  (see  paragraph  3.1.1.2  “Supplemental  Non-
IFRS  Financial  Information”).  The  accounting  policies  used 

differ from those described in Note 2 Summary of Significant 
Accounting Policies as follows:

 (cid:125) the  measure  of  operating  segment  revenue  and  income 
includes the whole revenue that would have been recognized 
by  acquired  companies  had  they  remained  stand-alone 
entities but which is partially excluded from Group revenue 
to reflect the fair value of obligations assumed;

 (cid:125) the measure of operating segment income excludes share-
based  compensation  expense  and  associated  payroll  taxes 
(see  Note  6  Personnel  Costs  and  Note  7  Share-based 
Payments), amortization of acquired intangibles, and other 
operating  income  and  expense,  net  (see  Note  8  Other 
Operating Income and Expense, Net).

94 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

(in thousands)

TOTAL REVENUE FOR OPERATING SEGMENT

Adjustment for unearned revenue of acquired companies

TOTAL REVENUE

(in thousands)

INCOME FOR OPERATING SEGMENT

Adjustment for unearned revenue of acquired companies

Share-based compensation expense and related payroll taxes

Amortization of acquired intangibles

Other operating income and expense, net

OPERATING INCOME

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€2,346,660

€2,072,781

(52,380)

(6,658)

€2,294,280

€2,066,123

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€699,174

€652,762

(52,380)

(43,293)

(6,658)

(35,397)

(133,376)

(100,945)

(39,309)

(6,719)

€430,816

€503,043

4

Data by geographic operations of the Company is established according to geographical location of the consolidated companies 
and is as follows:

(in thousands)

2014

Europe

of which France

of which Germany

Americas

of which the United States

Asia

of which Japan

TOTAL

2013

Europe

of which France

of which Germany

Americas

of which the United States

Asia

of which Japan

TOTAL

Total revenue

Total assets

Additions to 
property, 
equipment and 
intangibles

€864,599

€2,558,112

€17,371

439,108

211,131

903,602

850,581

526,079

373,838

1,524,100

447,885

1,986,717

1,769,637

423,228

175,173

14,405

1,030

23,151

22,525

8,371

2,727

€2,294,280

€4,968,057

€48,893

€796,239

€2,616,507

460,129

159,217

789,294

737,993

480,590

353,802

2,151,410

230,987

1,263,015

968,596

308,371

169,536

€16,388

14,824

580

15,403

9,100

10,599

6,754

€2,066,123

€4,187,893

€42,390

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 95

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

The  Company  also  receives  data  that  identifies  the  location  of  the  Company’s  end-user  customers.  Using  such  information, 
revenue by geographic area would be as follows:

(in thousands)

Europe

of which France

of which Germany

Americas

of which the United States

Asia

of which Japan

TOTAL REVENUE

Note 4  Software Revenue

Software revenue is comprised of the following:

(in thousands)

New licenses revenue

Periodic licenses and maintenance revenue

Other software revenue

SOFTWARE REVENUE

Breakdown of software revenue by main product line is as follows:

(in thousands)

CATIA software revenue

SOLIDWORKS software revenue

ENOVIA software revenue

Other

SOFTWARE REVENUE

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€1,052,804

€937,844

229,522

340,223

659,022

574,994

582,454

293,065

241,611

290,649

567,196

480,356

561,083

310,751

€2,294,280

€2,066,123

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€579,360

€500,073

1,444,327

1,372,702

11,298

8,023

€2,034,985

€1,880,798

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€838,527

€818,850

447,683

262,849

485,926

409,545

249,372

403,031

€2,034,985

€1,880,798

96 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Note 5  Government Grants

Government grants and other government assistance were recorded in the consolidated statements of income as a reduction to 
research and development expenses and to cost of services and other revenue expenses, as follows:

(in thousands)

Research and development

Costs of services and other revenue

TOTAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS

Government grants notably include research and development tax credits received in France.

Note 6  Personnel Costs

Year ended December 31,

2014

€43,099

-

€43,099

2013

€27,368

1,556

€28,924

4

Personnel costs
Personnel costs, excluding share-based payments (€30.3 million 
in  2014  and  €35.4  million  in  2013,  see  Note  7  Share-based 

Payments) and associated payroll taxes (€13.0 million in 2014 
and nil in 2013), are presented in the following table:

(in thousands)

Personnel costs

Social security costs

TOTAL

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€(882,120)

€(755,516)

(215,836)

(195,528)

€(1,097,956)

€(951,044)

Individual right to training for employees in France
French  law  provides  employees  employed  under  indefinite-
term  employment  contracts  by  French  entities  within  the 
Company  with  the  right  to  receive  individual  training  of  at 
least  20  hours  per  year.  Individual  training  rights  can  be 

accumulated over six years and the related costs are expensed 
as incurred.

As  of  December  31,  2014,  accumulated  individual  training 
rights were approximately 301,000 hours.

Note 7  Share-based Payments

Compensation expense related to share-based payments is recorded in the consolidated statements of income as follows:

(in thousands)

Research and development

Marketing and sales

General and administrative

Cost of revenue

TOTAL COMPENSATION EXPENSE RELATED TO SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€(12,500)

€(14,850)

(11,077)

(11,911)

(5,828)

(850)

(7,812)

(824)

€(30,255)

€(35,397)

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 97

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Changes  during  2014  and  2013  of  unvested  options  and  performance  shares  to  which  IFRS  2  “Share-based  Payment”  is 
applicable are as follows:

UNVESTED AT JANUARY 1, 2013

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

UNVESTED AT DECEMBER 31, 2013

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

UNVESTED AT DECEMBER 31, 2014

*  Restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014 (see Note 23 Shareholders’ Equity).

Number of awards*

Performance 
shares

Stock options

Total

2,459,310

5,788,000

8,247,310

–

–

–

(300,000)

(3,390,400)

(3,690,400)

(70,800)

(85,600)

(156,400)

2,088,510

2,312,000

4,400,510

1,359,880

624,450

1,984,330

(888,750)

(2,272,000)

(3,160,750)

(70,800)

2,488,840

(54,600)

609,850

(125,400)

3,098,690

As  of  December  31,  2014,  total  compensation  cost  related  to  unvested  awards  expected  to  vest  but  not  yet  recognized  was 
€39.6  million,  and  the  Company  expects  to  recognize  this  expense  over  a  weighted  average  period  of  2  years,  no  later  than 
February 21, 2018.

Performance shares
A summary of the Company’s performance shares plans is as follows:

Plan

2010-02

2010-03

2010-04

2010-05

2014-A
and 2014-B

Date of General Meeting of Shareholders

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/30/2013

Date of grant by Board of Directors

Total number of shares granted

Restated total number of shares granted*   

Acquisition period (in years)(1 )

Performance conditions

09/29/2011

09/29/2011

09/07/2012

09/07/2012

02/21/2014

406,400

812,800

150,000

300,000

539,230

1,078,460

Three to four(2 )

Two Three to four(2 )

150,000

300,000

Two

679,940

1,359,880

Four

See Note(3 )

See Note(4 )

See Note(3 )

See Note(4 )

See Note(5 )

Performance conditions is reached at December 31, 2014

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A 

*     Restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014 (see Note 23 Shareholders’ Equity).
(1 )  Subject to the condition that the beneficiary be an employee or a director of the Company at the acquisition date.
(2 )  Three years in France and four years abroad.
(3 )  Non-market performance conditions based on actually realized non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of the Group compared to the upper limit of the non-IFRS diluted earnings per 
share objective during three years (2011, 2012 and 2013 for 2010-02 Shares and 2012, 2013 and 2014 for 2010-04 Shares). The shares granted to the CEO are also subject to 
an additional performance condition related to variable compensation dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board of Directors.

(4 )  Performance condition related to the CEO’s variable compensation dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board of Directors.
(5 )  Performance condition measured based on two alternative criteria, the evolution of the non-IFRS diluted earnings per share   of the Group or the evolution of the price of the 
Dassault Systèmes share compared to the CAC 40 index (market condition) for each of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. The shares granted to the CEO are also subject to an 
additional performance condition related to variable compensation dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board of Directors.

The weighted average fair value of shares granted in 2014 was 
€37.47 (€18.74 after the two-for-one stock split effected on 
July  17,  2014).  It  was  estimated  on  the  date  of  grant  using 
a  Monte-Carlo  simulation  model.  The  model  simulates  the 
performance of Dassault Systèmes share price and compares 
it against the performance of the CAC 40 index. Assumptions 
used are as follows: expected volatility rate of 21%, expected 
dividend  yield  of  1%  and  average  risk-free  interest  rate  of 
0.42%.

Stock option
Since  1996,  the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  has 
authorized the Board of Directors to implement several stock 
option  plans  for  eligible  employees  and  executives.  Options 
generally  vest  over  various  periods  ranging  from  one  to  four 
years,  subject  to  continued  employment.  Options  generally 
expire seven to eight years from grant date, or after termination 
of  employment,  whichever  is  earlier.  To  date  options  have 

98 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

generally been granted at an exercise price equal to or greater 
than the grant-date market value of the Company’s share.

from grant date or shortly after termination of employment, 
whichever is earlier.

Pursuant to an authorization granted by the shareholders at 
the General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 30, 2013, 
the  Board  of  Directors  decided  to  grant  312,225  options 
to  subscribe  to  Dassault  Systèmes  shares  (giving  right  to 
subscribe to 624,450 shares after the two-for-one stock split) 
to certain employees based outside of France of certain newly 
acquired companies on May 26, 2014, at an exercise price of 
€91 (€45.50 after the two-for-one stock split).

Such  options  shall  be  vested  at  the  end  of  an  acquisition 
period  of  two  to  four  years,  subject  to  the  condition  that 
the  beneficiary  be  an  employee  of  the  Company  at  the 
acquisition  date  and  to  the  achievement  of  certain  non-
market performance objectives. The options expire eight years 

The weighted average grant-date fair value of options granted 
in 2014 was €16.47  (€8.24  after the two-for-one stock split ). 
It  was  estimated  on  the  date  of  grant  using  a  Black-Scholes 
option  pricing  model.  Assumptions  used  are  as  follows: 
life  of  five  years,  expected 
weighted-average  expected 
volatility  rate  of  22%,  expected  dividend  yield  of  1%  and 
average risk-free interest rate of 0.23%.

The expected volatility was determined using a combination of 
the historical volatility of the Company’s stock and the implied 
volatility of the Company’s exchange-traded options adjusted 
for other factors, such as a comparison to the Company’s peer 
group.

A summary of the Company’s stock option activity is as follows:

4

OUTSTANDING AS OF JANUARY 1,

Granted

Exercised

Forfeited

OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31,

Exercisable

2014

2013

Number of 
shares*

Weighted 
average exercise 
price *

Number of 
shares *

Weighted 
average exercise 
price *

7,094,974

624,450

(2,375,837)

(56,176)

5,287,411

4,677,561

€21.06

9,376,838

€20.98

45.50

21.32

29.22

€23.73

€20.90

–

(2,190,064)

(91,800)

7,094,974

4,782,974

–

20.75

21.02

€21.06

€19.87

*  Restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014 (see Note 23 Shareholders’ Equity).

A summary of the remaining contractual life and the exercise price of options outstanding as of December 31, 2014 is presented 
below:

SOP plan

2008-02

2010-01

2008-01

2014-01

OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

*  Restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014 (see Note 23 Shareholders’ Equity).

Number of 
shares *

2,093,242

1,725,288

859,031

609,850

5,287,411

Remaining 
life (years)

Exercise price *

2.91

3.40

0.73

7.41

3.23

€19.50

23.50

19.08

45.50

€23.73

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 99

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 8  Other Operating Income and Expense, Net

Other operating income and expense, net are comprised of the following:

(in thousands)

Acquisition costs(1)

Restructuring costs(2)

Costs incurred in connection with relocation activities(3)

Other(4)

OTHER OPERATING INCOME AND EXPENSE, NET

Year ended December 31,

2014

€(20,312)

(10,286)

(6,438)

(2,273)

2013

€(6,936)

(2,414)

(2,931)

5,562

€(39,309)

€(6,719)

(1)  In 2014, transaction costs primarily relating to the acquisition of Realtime Technology AG (“RTT”) , Accelrys and Quintiq. In 2013, transaction costs primarily relating to the 

acquisition of Apriso (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

(2)  In 2014 and 2013, primarily composed of severance costs relating to the termination of employees following the Company’s decision to rationalize its sales organization principally 

in Europe. In 2014, also includes severance costs related to the closure of offices in the Unites States.

(3)  In 2014, primarily composed of expenses related to the reorganization of the 3DS Boston Campus in the United States. In 2013, primarily composed of costs related to the 

relocation of the Company’s premises in Tokyo, Japan.

(4)  In 2013, mainly composed of a gain recognized following the sale of a consolidated entity.

Note 9 

Interest Income and Expense, Net and Other Financial 
Income and Expense, Net

Interest income and expense, net and other financial income and expense, net for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 
are as follows:

(in thousands)

Interest income(1)

Interest expense(2)

INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE, NET

Foreign exchange losses, net(3)

Other, net

OTHER FINANCIAL INCOME AND EXPENSE, NET

Year ended December 31

2014

2013

€22,869

€21,302

(5,738)

17,131

(4,060)

1,865

€(2,195)

(3,054)

18,248

(468)

183

€(285)

(1)  Interest income is primarily composed of interests on cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.
(2)  Mainly include interest expense of €4.4 million and €1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, due under a term loan facility agreement entered 

into in June 2013 for €350 million (see Note 20. Borrowings).

(3)  In 2014, foreign exchange losses, net are primarily composed of realized and unrealized exchange gains and losses on receivables and loans denominated in U.S. dollars and 

Japanese yen.

100 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Note 10  Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

(in thousands)

Deferred tax assets:

Accelerated depreciation and amortization for financial statement purposes

Profit-sharing and pension accruals

Provisions and other expenses

Net tax loss and tax credit carryforward assets

TOTAL DEFERRED TAX ASSETS

Deferred tax liabilities:

Amortization of acquired intangibles

Accelerated depreciation and amortization for tax purposes

Other

TOTAL DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES

NET DEFERRED TAX LIABILITY

The schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities is as follows:

(in thousands)

Current deferred tax assets

Non-current deferred tax assets

TOTAL DEFERRED TAX ASSETS

Current deferred tax liabilities

Non-current deferred tax liabilities

TOTAL DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES

NET DEFERRED TAX LIABILITY

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

4

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€44,118

€41,619

42,551

77,276

58,125

27,747

59,887

44,657

222,070

173,910

(314,314)

(142,368)

(31,940)

(14,869)

(361,123)

€(139,053)

(30,228)

(16,557)

(189,153)

€(15,243)

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€51,618

€34,948

27,957

79,575

(12,411)

(206,217)

(218,628)

€(139,053)

52,523

87,471

(15,081)

(87,633)

(102,714)

€(15,243)

Non-current  deferred  tax  liabilities  mainly  include  the  tax  effect  of  intangible  assets  created  through  business  combinations 
(primarily Accelrys, Quintiq and Apriso).

Change in deferred taxes can be summarized as follows:

(in thousands)

NET DEFERRED TAX ASSET AS OF JANUARY 1,

Changes included in the income statement

Business combinations

Other changes included in shareholders’ equity

Currency translation adjustments

NET DEFERRED TAX (LIABILITY) AS OF DECEMBER 31,

Year ended December 31,

2014

€(15,243)

39,887

2013

€1,983

14,787

(163,112)

(37,227)

9,352

(9,937)

3,877

1,337

€(139,053)

€(15,243)

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 101

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

The components of income before income taxes are as follows:

(in thousands)

France

Foreign

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

The significant components of income tax expense are as follows:

(in thousands)

France

Foreign

CURRENT TAXES

Change in deferred taxes

INCOME TAX EXPENSE

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€243,410

€261,062

202,342

259,944

€445,752

€521,006

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€(90,613)

€(114,401)

(102,576)

(193,189)

39,887

(66,222)

(180,623)

14,787

€(153,302)

€(165,836)

Differences  between  the  income  tax  provision  and  the  provision  computed  using  the  statutory  French  income  tax  rate  are  as 
follows:

(in thousands)

Taxes computed at the statutory rate of 38%

Foreign tax rate differentials

R&D tax credit and other tax credits(1)

Tax exempt income(2)

Adjustments of prior income tax provision

Other, net

INCOME TAX EXPENSE

Effective tax rate

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€(169,386)

€(197,982)

3,233

15,831

4,634

(1,754)

(5,860)

8,383

14,701

11,179

1,503

(3,620)

€(153,302)

€(165,836)

34.4%

31.8%

(1)  R&D tax credit and other tax credits derived mainly from research tax credits in France and in the United States.
(2)  Income received by the Company in connection with certain intercompany financing arrangements is taxed at a reduced rate.

At December 31, 2014, there were unrecognized tax losses and tax credit carried forward of €97.4 million, which are scheduled 
to expire after 2020.

Note 11  Earnings per Share

Basic  net  income  per  share  is  determined  by  dividing  net 
income attributable to equity holders of the Company by the 
weighted  average  number  of  common  shares  outstanding 
during the period. Diluted net income per share is determined 

by  dividing  net  income  attributable  to  equity  holders  of 
the  Company  by  the  combination  of  the  weighted  average 
number of common shares outstanding during the period and 
the dilutive effect of stock options and performance shares.

102 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

The following table presents the calculation for both basic and diluted net income per share:

(in thousands, except shares and per share data)

Net income attributable to equity holders of the Company

Weighted average number of shares outstanding

Dilutive effect of share-based payments

Diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding

Basic net income per share

Diluted net income per share

*  Restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014 (see Note 23 Shareholders’ Equity).

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013 *

€291,241

€352,279

250,855,961

249,734,306

4,430,104

5,457,426

255,286,065

255,191,732

€1.16

€1.14

€1.41

€1.38

Note 12  Cash and Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments

4

Cash and cash equivalents are comprised of the following:

(in thousands)

Bank accounts

Cash equivalents

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€71,864

€68,825

1,032,342

1,669,035

€1,104,206

€1,737,860

At  December  31,  2014  and  2013,  approximately  35%  and 
28%  of  cash  and  cash  equivalents  was  denominated  in 
U.S. dollars, respectively.

Short-term  investments  of  €71.3  and  €65.8  million  at 
December  31,  2014  and  2013,  respectively,  were  primarily 
comprised  of  bank  certificates  of  deposit,  mutual  funds  and 
fixed term deposits. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, short-
term  investments  included  approximately  53%  and  50%  of 
investments denominated in U.S. dollars, respectively.

investments  are 
Cash,  cash  equivalents  and  short-term 
maintained  on  deposit  with  high  credit-quality  financial 
institutions,  principally  in  France.  The  Company  follows  a 
conservative  policy  for  investing  its  cash  resources,  mostly 
relying on short-term maturity investments. Investment rules 

are determined and controlled by the treasury department of 
Dassault Systèmes SA.

The  Company  has  adopted  policies  regarding  financial 
ratings  and  the  spread  of  maturity  dates  in  order  to  ensure 
the  security  and  liquidity  of  its  financial  instruments.  The 
Company’s  management  oversees  the  credit-worthiness  of 
its counterparts and the quality of its investments closely and 
believes that it has minimal exposure to the risk of bankruptcy 
of  any  one  of  them.  The  Company  also  closely  oversees  the 
liquidity of its financial assets held at these same counterparts. 
In  this  regard,  the  Company  follows  in  particular  the  credit 
rating  of  each  of  its  counterparties  and,  up  to  the  present 
time, all of its counterparties are rated in the Investment Grade 
category by rating agencies. As a result, the Company believes 
that it has very low exposure to credit or counterparty risk.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 103

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 13  Trade Accounts Receivable, Net and Other Current Assets

Trade accounts receivable and other current assets are receivables measured at amortized cost.

Trade accounts receivable

(in thousands)

Trade accounts receivable

Allowance for trade accounts receivable

TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET

The maturities of trade accounts receivable, net, were as follows:

(in thousands)

Less than 3 months past due

3 to 6 months past due

More than 6 months past due

TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE PAST DUE

Trade accounts receivable not yet due

TOTAL TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€648,732

€492,147

(21,070)

(19,523)

€627,662

€472,624

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€96,694

€63,580

11,756

9,593

118,043

509,619

7,374

4,769

75,723

396,901

€627,662

€472,624

The Company is not dependent on any of its principal clients. No single customer or sales channel partner represented more than 
5% of the Company’s total revenue in 2014 and 2013.

Other current assets
Other current assets consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Prepaid expenses

Value added tax

Derivatives, current (1) 

Other current assets

TOTAL OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

(1)   See Note 21. Derivatives and Currency and Interest Rate Risk Management.

Year ended December 31,

2014

€39,097

35,302

4,931

18,452

€97,782

2013

€33,568

32,762

929

21,637

€88,896

104 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Note 14  Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Computer equipment

Office furniture and equipment

Leasehold improvements

Buildings

TOTAL

Year ended December 31, 2014

Year ended December 31, 2013

Gross

Accumulated 
depreciation

Net

Gross

Accumulated 
depreciation

Net

€151,990 

€(104,034 )

€47,956

€132,350

€(96,959)

€35,391

50,471 

92,328 

6,347

(28,676 )

(30,714 )

(975)

21,795

61,614

5,372

41,529

69,654

5,704

(25,805)

(25,353)

(672)

15,724

44,301

5,032

€301,136 

€(164,399 )

€136,737

€249,237

€(148,789)

€100,448

The change in the carrying amount of property and equipment as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Computer 
equipment

Office furniture 
and equipment

Leasehold 
improvements

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2014

€35,391

€15,724

Additions

Business combinations

Other changes

Depreciation for the period

Exchange differences

23,307

10,487

225

(23,480)

2,026

7,348

3,885

(1,130)

(5,401)

1,369

€44,301

14,862

6,957

(704)

(7,913)

4,111

Buildings

Total

€5,032

€100,448

–

–

–

(216)

556

45,517

21,329

(1,609)

(37,010)

8,062

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

€47,956

€21,795

€61,614

€5,372

€136,737

The change in the carrying amount of property and equipment as of December 31, 2013 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Computer 
equipment

Office furniture 
and equipment

Leasehold 
improvements

Buildings

Total

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2013

€35,133

€19,425

€47,414

€5,871

€107,843

Additions

Other changes

Depreciation for the period

Exchange differences

21,561

16

(19,953)

(1,366)

3,068

(666)

(4,993)

(1,110)

5,982

1,121

(8,213)

(2,003)

267

–

(221)

(885)

30,878

471

(33,380)

(5,364)

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2013

€35,391

€15,724

€44,301

€5,032

€100,448

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 105

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 15  Non-Current Financial Assets

Non-current financial assets consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Tax receivable(1)

Loans receivable, non-current

Investments

Derivatives, non-current(2)

Deposits and other non-current financial assets

NON-CURRENT FINANCIAL ASSETS

Year ended December 31,

2014

€22,194

14,487

12,422

4,663

15,760

€69,526

2013

€–

13,012

9,531

9,650

16,010

€48,203

(1)  Tax payment following a tax reassessment which is disputed by the Group with the relevant authorities (see Note 25 Commitments and Contingencies).
(2)  See Note 21. Derivatives and Currency and Interest Rate Risk Management.

Note 16  Business Combinations

2014 acquisitions

Realtime Technology AG 
(renamed “Dassault Systemes 3DExcite GmbH”)
On January 13, 2014, the Company acquired 84% of Realtime 
Technology  AG  (“RTT”),  and  further  increased  its  share  to 
100% as of December 31, 2014, for total cash consideration 
of  approximately  €190.8  million.  Headquartered  in  Munich, 
Germany,  RTT  is  a  leading  provider  of  professional  high-end 
3D visualization software, marketing solutions and computer 
generated imagery services.

The allocation of the purchase price resulted in €113.1 million 
of  goodwill  primarily  composed  of  the  synergies  between 
RTT  and  the  Company’s  activities,  with  the  introduction  of 
a  new  brand,  3DEXCITE,  extending  the  Company’s  offerings 
to  address  marketing  professionals  in  its  core  and  target 
industries.

Accelrys Inc.
On  April  29,  2014,  the  Company  completed  its  acquisition 
of 100% of Accelrys Inc. (“Accelrys”), for cash consideration 
of approximately €541.5 million. Based in San Diego, United 
States,  Accelrys  is  a  leading  provider  of  scientific  innovation 
lifecycle  management  software  for  chemistry,  biology  and 
materials sciences industries.

The  preliminary  allocation  of  the  purchase  price  resulted  in 
€322.4 million of goodwill. The primary items that generated 
goodwill  include  mainly  the  value  of  the  synergies  between 
Accelrys and the Company’s activities, with the creation of the 
BIOVIA brand, addressing science-based industries.

Quintiq Holding B.V.
On  September  8,  2014,  the  Company  completed 
its 
acquisition  of  100%  of  Quintiq  Holding  B.V.  (“Quintiq”),  for 
cash consideration of approximately €259.8 million, including 
a contingent consideration of approximately €10 million to be 
paid in 2015 subject to performance achieved in 2014. Based 
in Bois-Le-Duc, t he Netherlands, Quintiq is a global leader in 
operations management and optimization.

The  preliminary  allocation  of  the  purchase  price  resulted  in 
€86.0 million of goodwill. The primary items that generated 
goodwill  include  mainly  the  value  of  the  synergies  between 
Quintiq and the Company’s activities.

Other acquisitions
In July 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% 
of  SIMPACK  and  Sobios  SAS  for  total  cash  consideration  of 
approximately  €46.9  million.  These  transactions  resulted  in 
€25.6 million of goodwill.

Purchase price allocation
The  estimated  fair  values  of  assets  acquired  and  liabilities 
assumed 
in  connection  with  the  Accelrys  and  Quintiq 
acquisitions  presented  below  are  provisional.  The  Company 
is  waiting  for  additional  information  necessary  to  finalize 
these  fair  values  and  the  provisional  measurements  of  fair 
value presented are subject to change. The Company expects 
to  finalize  the  valuation  and  complete  the  purchase  price 
allocation as soon as practical and no later than one year from 
the acquisition date.

106 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

The  purchase  prices  of  RTT,  Accelrys,  Quintiq  and  other  acquisitions  have  been  allocated  to  identifiable  assets  acquired  and 
liabilities assumed based on estimated fair values at the date of the acquisition, as follows:

(in thousands)

Cash and cash equivalents

Trade accounts receivable

Other assets

Intangible assets acquired(1)

Unearned revenue(2)

Other liabilities

Deferred taxes, net

TOTAL IDENTIFIABLE NET ASSETS

Goodwill

TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE

RTT

€13,176

22,050

8,727

73,506

(985)

(13,582)

(25,205)

€77,687

113,143

Accelrys

€46,762

22,046

15,688

243,432

(12,669)

(27,742)

(68,432)

Quintiq

€7,148

18,082

10,326

232,526

(4,679)

(27,035)

(62,562)

€219,085

€173,806

322,404

85,994

Other 
acquisitions

€6,518

1,669

2,451

32,771

(2,169)

(13,025)

(6,913)

€21,302

25,566

Total

€73,604

63,847

37,192

582,235

(20,502)

(81,384)

(163,112)

€491,880

547,107

€190,830

€541,489

€259,800

€46,868

€1,038,987

(1)  Intangible assets acquired are subject to amortization and include the following.

(in thousands)

Software

Customer relationships

Other

RTT

€49,506

20,000

4,000

Accelrys

€58,595

184,115

722

Quintiq Other acquisitions

Total

€214,289

18,237

-

€18,859

13,912

-

€341,249

236,264

4,722

TOTAL INTANGIBLE ASSETS ACQUIRED

€73,506

€243,432

€232,526

€32,771

€582,235

(2)  The carrying values of unearned revenue were reduced to reflect the fair value of obligations assumed. As a result, approximately €82.1 million of revenues that would have 

otherwise been recorded by these entities had they not been acquired by the Company will not be recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of income.

The  unaudited  financial  information  presented  in  the  table 
below  summarizes  the  combined  results  of  operations  for 
the year ended December 31, 2014 as if the acquisitions had 
occurred  at  the  beginning  of  the  period.  This  information  is 
presented for informational purposes and does not purport to 
be indicative of the results that will be achieved in the future. 
This  financial  information  reflects  the  adjustment  to  reduce 
unearned revenue to the fair value of the associated obligation, 
and  the  additional  amortization  expense,  assuming  the  fair 
value  adjustments  to  deferred  revenue  and  intangible  assets 
had been applied from the beginning of the period, with the 
related tax effects.

(in thousands)

Revenue

Net income

Year ended
December 31, 2014
(unaudited)

€2,376,472

€243,648

in  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  statements  as  of 
December 31, 2014 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Revenue

Net income

2013 acquisitions

Year ended
December 31, 2014

€160,923

€(44,897)

Apriso
On  July  1,  2013,  the  Company  completed  its  acquisition 
of  100%  of  Apriso  for  cash  consideration  of  approximately 
€179.2  million  (including  €2.0  million  to  be  paid  at  a  later 
date).  Headquartered  in  Long  Beach,  California,  Apriso  is  a 
leading  provider  of  manufacturing  operations  management 
software solutions.

In  addition,  the  portion  of  acquired  companies’  revenue  and 
net income generated since the acquisition date and included 

The allocation of the purchase price resulted in €95.3 million 
of goodwill.

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 107

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

The purchase price has been allocated to identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on estimated fair values at the 
date of the acquisition, as follows:

(in thousands)

Cash and cash equivalents

Trade accounts receivable

Other assets

Intangible assets acquired (1)

Unearned revenue (2)

Other liabilities

Deferred taxes, net

TOTAL IDENTIFIABLE NET ASSETS

Goodwill

TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE

(1)  Intangible assets acquired are subject to amortization and include the following:

(in thousands)

Software

Customer relationships

TOTAL INTANGIBLE ASSETS ACQUIRED

€14,838

10,382

2,646

94,730

(3,452)

(7,147)

(28,019)

83,978

95,263

€179,241

€61,747

32,983

€94,730

(2)  The carrying value of Apriso’s unearned revenue was reduced to reflect the fair value of the contracts in effect at the date of acquisition. As a result, approximately €2.4 million of 
revenues that would have otherwise been recorded by Apriso had this entity not been acquired by the Company will not be recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements 
of income.

Other acquisitions
In 2013, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% of 
FE-DESIGN group, SIMPOE, Archivide o, SFE, Safe Technology 

and Strategic Business Solutions for total cash consideration of 
approximately €60.1 million (including €5.5 million to be paid 
at  a  later  date).  These  transactions  resulted  in  €33.9  million 
of goodwill.

Note 17  Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Software

Customer relationships

Other intangible assets

Year ended December 31, 2014

Year ended December 31, 2013

Gross

Accumulated 
amortization

Net

Gross

Accumulated 
amortization

Net

€1,021 ,520 

€(399 ,873 )

€621,647

€639,881

€(315,541)

€324,340

908,095

(366,521)

26,781 

(19 ,376 )

541,574

7,405

601,924

19,857

(270,872)

(16,461)

331,052

3,396

TOTAL INTANGIBLE ASSETS

€1,956 ,396 

€(785 ,770 )

€1,170,626

€1,261,662

€(602,874)

€658,788

The change in the carrying amount of intangible assets as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Software

Customer 
relationships

Other intangible 
assets

Total intangible 
assets

NET INTANGIBLE ASSETS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2014

€324,340

€331,052

Business combinations

Other additions

Amortization for the period

Exchange differences

341,249

3,077

(69,299)

22,280

236,264

253

(68,930)

42,935

€3,396

4,722

46

€658,788

582,235

3,376

(1,103)

(139,332)

344

65,559

NET INTANGIBLE ASSETS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

€621,647

€541,574

€7,405

€1,170,626

108 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

The change in the carrying amount of intangible assets as of December 31, 2013 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Software

Customer 
relationships

Other intangible 
assets

Total intangible 
assets

NET INTANGIBLE ASSETS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2013

€281,726

€384,387

€4,988

€671,101

Business combinations

Other additions

Amortization for the period

Exchange differences

94,778

11,403

(48,645)

(14,922)

35,029

–

(57,631)

(30,733)

25

109

129,832

11,512

(1,668)

(107,944)

(58)

(45,713)

NET INTANGIBLE ASSETS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2013

€324,340

€331,052

€3,396

€658,788

consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2014 is estimated 
to be the following:

Estimated intangible assets’ amortization expense

4

Total 
intangible  amortization  expense  was  €139.3  and 
€107.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, and 
2013, respectively. The future amortization expense relating 
to  all  intangible  assets  that  are  currently  recorded  on  the 

(in thousands)

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019 and thereafter

Note 18  Goodwill

The change in the carrying amount of goodwill as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:

(in thousands)

GOODWILL AS OF JANUARY 1,

Business combinations

Exchange differences and other changes

GOODWILL AS OF DECEMBER 31,

The  Company  performed  annual  impairment  tests  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2014  and  2013;  no  impairment  of  goodwill  was 
identified as a result of these tests.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 109

€166,253

153,257

141,090

132,594

577,432

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€872,952

€788,435

547,107

111,972

129,134

(44,617)

€1,532,031

€872,952

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

For  the  purpose  of  the  impairment  test,  the  Company 
identified  11  cash-generating  units  (“CGUs”)  or  groups  of 
CGUs  as  of  December  31,  2014,  generally  corresponding  to 
the Company’s main software products. Each CGU represents 
the  lowest  level  within  the  Company  at  which  goodwill  is 

monitored for internal management purposes. Goodwill tested 
for impairment purposes was allocated to each CGU, or groups 
of CGUs that were expected to benefit from the synergies of 
the combination.

Goodwill allocated to each CGU or groups of CGUs is as follows:

(in thousands)

2013 RTT acquisition

December 31, 

Accelrys 
acquisition

Quintiq 
acquisition

Other 
acquisitions

€169,199

185,118

134,001

119,896

118,984

–

–

145,754

€–

–

–

–

–

–

113,143

–

€–

–

–

–

–

322,404

–

–

€–

–

–

85,994

–

–

–

–

€–

24,226

–

–

–

1,340

–

–

Exchange 
differences and 
other changes

€6,520

22,393

15,822

12,603

5,027

45,383

–

4,224

December 31, 
2014

€175,719

231,737

149,823

218,493

124,011

369,127

113,143

149,978

€872,952

€113,143

€322,404

€85,994

€25,566

€111,972

€1,532,031

CATIA

SIMULIA

ENOVIA

DELMIA

GEOVIA

BIOVIA

3DEXCITE

Other

TOTAL

The recoverable amount of each CGU or groups of CGUs has 
been  determined  based  on  a  value  in  use  calculation.  This 
calculation  uses  cash  flow  projections  based  on  financial 
budgets  covering  a  five-  to  ten-year  period.  The  ten-year 
period  projections  are  used  for  activities  that  have  longer 
development  cycles,  representing  approximately  40%  of 
the  Group’s  total  goodwill  as  of  December  31,  2014.  Key 
assumptions used to determine the value in use of assets are 
derived from management objectives for revenue growth and 
operating margin of each CGU or groups of CGUs. The discount 
rates before taxes are between 11.7% and 14.7%. Cash flows 
beyond  that  five-  to  ten-year  period  have  been  extrapolated 
using  a  steady  growth  rate  comprised  between  2%  and  3%, 
reflecting long-term growth rates in the software industry.

At  December  31,  2014,  based  on  management  estimates, 
the  Company  concluded  that  the  value  in  use  of  each  CGU 
or  groups  of  CGUs  significantly  exceeded  its  carrying  value. 
Management  believes  that  any  reasonable  possible  change 
in  key  assumptions  described  above  on  which  recoverable 
amount  is  based  would  not  cause  each  CGU  or  groups  of 
CGUs’ carrying amount to significantly exceed its recoverable 
amount.  In  particular,  an  increase  of  200  basis  points  in  the 
pre-tax discount rate or a decrease of 200 basis points in the 
long-term growth rates would not cause each CGU or groups of 
CGUs’ carrying amount to significantly exceed its recoverable 
amount,  except  GEOVIA  for  which  an  increase  of  150  basis 
points in the pre-tax discount rate would cause the recoverable 
amount to equal the carrying amount.

110 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Note 19  Other Liabilities

Other liabilities are comprised of the following:

(in thousands)

Value added tax and other taxes

Provisions, current (1)

Borrowings, current (2)

Derivatives, current (3)

Other current liabilities

TOTAL OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES

Post-employment benefits (4)

Provisions, non-current (1)

Accrual for deferred lease incentives

Employee profit sharing, non-current

Derivatives, non-current (3)

Other non-current liabilities

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

2014

€62,880

12,408

9,984

298

23,048

€108,618

€114,915

80,452

46,090

25,774

12,163

21,343

2013

€49,003

1,148

20,039

2,492

9,682

€82,364

€77,042

54,744

38,201

24,992

2,499

15,337

4

TOTAL OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

€300,737

€212,815

(1)  See reconciliation of provisions below.
(2)  See Note 20. Borrowings.
(3)  See Note 21. Derivatives and Currency and Interest Rate Risk Management.
(4)  See Note 22 Post-employment Benefits.

The change in the carrying value of provisions as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

(in thousands)

PROVISIONS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2014

Additions

Utilization

Reversal of unused amounts

Business combinations

Exchange differences

Tax risks

€44,116

19,007

-

(11,643)

11,998

1,756

Claims, 
litigation 
and other

€10,464

13,342

(5,444)

(3,612)

367

361

Restructuring Total provisions

€1,312

15,614

(7,687)

(117)

2,265

761

€55,892

47,963

(13,131)

(15,372)

14,630

2,878

PROVISIONS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

€65,234

€15,478

€12,148

€92,860

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 111

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 20  Borrowings

In April 2010, the Company entered into a term loan facility in 
Japan for JPY14,500 million (the equivalent of €115.0 million 
as of the draw date) in order to finance a portion of the IBM 
PLM  acquisition.  The  facility  bears  interest  at  Japanese  yen 
Libor 1 month plus 0.60% per annum, and is scheduled to be 
repaid by the Company in ten equal semi-annual installments, 
with the last payment being due in June 2015.

In June 2013, the Company entered into a five-year term loan 
facility agreement for €350 million, which was immediately fully 
drawn down and bore interest at Euribor plus 0.75% per annum.
In July 2014, the term loan facility’s maturity was extended 
by one year and the facility now bears interest at Euribor plus 
0.55% per annum.

The table below provides a breakdown of total borrowings by contractual maturity date as of December 31, 2014:

(in thousands)

Term loan facility in euros

Term loan facility in Japanese yen

TOTAL

Payments due by period

Total Less than 1 year

1-3 years

3-5 years

€350,000

9,984

€359,984

€–

9,984

€9,984

€–

–

€–

€350,000

–

€350,000

Note 21  Derivatives and Currency and Interest Rate Risk 

Management

The fair market values of derivative instruments were determined 
by financial institutions using option pricing models.

All financial instruments related to the foreign currency hedging 
strategy of the Company have maturity dates of less than 3 
years  when  the  maturity  of  interest  rate  swap  instruments 
is less than 5 years. Management believes counter-party risk 
on financial instruments is minimal since the Company deals 
with major banks and financial institutions.

A  description  of  market  risks  the  Company  is  exposed  to  is 
provided in paragraph 1.6.2 “Financial and Market Risks”.

Foreign currency risk
The Company transacts in various foreign currencies, primarily 
U.S. dollars and Japanese yen.

In  2014,  revenue  denominated  in  U.S.  dollars  represented 
approximately  33%  of  total  revenue,  compared  with  32%  in 
2013.  The  Company’s  operating  expenses  denominated  in 
U.S.  dollars  represented  34%  of  total  operating  expenses  in 
2014, compared with 32% in 2013.

As  a  result,  the  Company’s  net  operating  exposure  to 
U.S. dollars amounted to €139.3 million in 2014 (6% of the 
Company’s total revenue). The average value of the U.S. dollar 
was stable  against  the  euro in  2014 following  a decrease of 
3% in 2013, resulting in a neutral impact on the Company’s 
revenue and operating income in 2014, and a negative impact 
in 2013.

In  2014,  revenue  denominated  in  Japanese  yen  represented 
approximately  12%  of  total  revenue,  compared  with  13%  in 
2013.  The  Company’s  operating  expenses  denominated  in 
Japanese  yen  represented  5%  of  total  operating  expenses  in 
2014 and 2013.

As a result, the Company’s net operating exposure to Japanese 
yen amounted to €198.8 million in 2014 (9% of the Company’s 
total revenue), and this exposure was in part hedged through 
market  instruments  at  a  level  of  €124.4  million,  as  further 
described  below.  The  average  value  of  the  Japanese  yen 
decreased by approximately 8% against the euro in 2014, after 
a decrease in value of approximately 21% in 2013, resulting in 
a  negative  impact  on  the  Company’s  revenue  and  operating 
income in 2014 and 2013.

The Company usually hedges exchange rate risk related to its 
revenues  and  expenses  coming  from  usual  and  predictable 
activity  arising  in  the  normal  course  of  operations.  The 
Company may also cover occasional exchange rate risk arising 
from  specific  transactions,  such  as  acquisitions  paid  for  in 
foreign currencies. Hedging activities are generally carried out 
and  managed  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  for  its  own  account 
and  on  behalf  of  its  subsidiaries.  In  certain  cases,  however, 
the Company can authorize selected subsidiaries to enter into 
hedging instruments directly. All hedging transactions and the 
Company’s  net  exposure  are  reported  to  the  Chief  Financial 
Officer on a quarterly basis.

112 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

The table below sets forth, for the year ended December 31, 2014, the euro value of the Company’s revenue, operating expenses 
and net position, before and after hedging, denominated in U.S. dollars, Japanese yen and other currencies, principally the euro:

(in thousands)

Revenue

Operating expenses

NET POSITION

Hedge

NET POSITION AFTER HEDGE

Year ended December 31, 2014

U.S. dollars

Japanese yen

Euro and other 
currencies

Total

€768,248

(628,918)

€139,330

–

€139,330

€284,449

€1,241,583

€2,294,280

(85,636)

(1,148,910)

(1,863,464)

€198,813

€92,673

€430,816

124,377

€74,436

–

124,377

€92,673

€306,439

With  all  other  variables  held  constant,  movements  in  euro/
U.S.dollar exchange rates by +10% or -10% would have had 
an impact of €(12.7) and €15.5 million on operating income, 
respectively. In addition, with all other variables held constant, 
movements in euro/Japanese yen exchange rates by +10% or 
-10% would have had an impact of €(18.1) and €22.1 million 
on operating income, respectively.

To  manage  currency  exposure,  the  Company  generally  uses 
foreign exchange forward contracts. Except as indicated in the 
table below, the derivative instruments held by the Company 

are  designated  as  accounting  hedges,  have  high  correlation 
with  the  underlying  exposure  and  are  highly  effective  in 
offsetting underlying price movements.

The  effectiveness  of  forward  contracts  and  currency  options 
is measured using forward rates and the forward value of the 
underlying  hedged  transaction.  During  2014  and  2013,  the 
portion of gains or losses from hedging instruments excluded 
from  the  assessment  of  effectiveness  and  the  ineffective 
portions of hedges was nil.

4

At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the fair value of instruments used to manage the currency exposure was as follows:

(in thousands)

Forward exchange contract Japanese yen/euros – sale (1)

Forward exchange contract euros/Indian rupees – sale (1)

Forward exchange contract U.S. dollars/Indian rupees – sale (1)

Forward exchange contract Japanese yen/U.S. dollars – sale (1)

Cross currency swaps Canadian dollars/euros (2)

Cross currency swaps Australian dollars/euros (2)

Other instruments(2)

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

Nominal 
amount

€38,163

28,901

27,977

5,507

73,412

72,064

37,861

Fair value

€2,438

2,320

472

946

1,863

1,548

(294)

Nominal 
amount

€2,229

28,464

36,733

–

70,370

69,787

27,258

Fair value

€929

(2,139)

(1,813)

–

4,972

4,672

(140)

(1)  Instruments entered into by the Company to hedge the foreign currency exchange risk of forecasted sales.
(2)  Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments. Changes in the derivatives’ fair value were recorded in other financial income and expense, net in the consolidated statement 

of income. These instruments mainly relate to the acquisition of Gemcom.

Interest rate risk
Except for their impact on the general economic environment, 
which  is  difficult  to  quantify,  the  Company  believes  that 
changes  in  interest  rates  in  2014  did  not  materially  affect 
its  revenue  and  earnings  before  financial  income.  Similarly, 
interest rates are not expected to affect its business or future 
operating income. Therefore, the Company’s interest rate risk 
is primarily a risk related to a reduction of financial revenue.

In  June  2010,  the  Company  entered  into  interest  rate  swap 
agreements  for  a  total  amount  of  JPY14,500  million  that 
have  the  economic  effect  of  modifying  forecasted  interest 
obligations  relating  to  the  term  loan  facility  in  Japan  (see 
Note 20. Borrowings) so that the interest payable effectively 
becomes fixed at 0.41% until June 2015.

In  July  2013,  the  Company  entered  into  interest  rate  swap 
agreements for a total amount of €350 million that have the 
economic  effect  of  modifying  forecasted  interest  obligations 
relating  to  the  term  loan  facility  entered  into  in  June  2013 
(see  Note  20.  Borrowings)  so  that  the  interest  payable 
effectively  becomes  fixed  at  0.93%  from  June  2014  until 
June 2018.

In July 2014, the maturity was extended by one year and the 
interest rate changed to Euribor plus 0.55% per annum.

In October 2014, the Company entered into interest rate swaps 
for  a  total  amount  of  €350  million  that  have  the  economic 
effect of modifying forecasted interest obligations relating to 
the term loan facility, so that the interest payable effectively 
becomes fixed at 0.49% from June 2018 until July 2019.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 113

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Financial  revenue,  which  is  composed  of  interest  income 
from  cash,  cash  equivalents  and  short-term  investments,  is 
sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates. As of December 31, 
2014, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments 
totaled  €1,175.5  million,  including  €303.0  million  sensitive 
to  fluctuations  in  interest  rates  mostly  in  Europe.  With  all 

other variables held constant, an increase in interest rates of 
100  basis  points  would  have  had  a  positive  impact  in  2014 
of €3.8 million on financial income and a decrease in interest 
rates of 100 basis points would have had a negative impact of 
€2.0 million.

At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the fair value of instruments used to manage the interest rate risk was as follows:

(in thousands)

Interest rate swaps in euros

Interest rate swaps in Japanese yen

Note 22  Post-employment Benefits

Year ended December 31,

2014

Nominal 
amount

Fair value

2013

Nominal 
amount

€350,000

€(12,145)

€350,000

9,984

(15)

30,058

Fair value

€(809)

(84)

Contributions  made  to  defined  contribution  plans  were 
€16.2 million and €12.5 million in 2014 and 2013 respectively.

The Company provides defined benefit retirement indemnities 
to  the  employees  of  its  French  operations,  and  sponsors 
defined  benefit  pension  plans  for  certain  employees  in  the 
United States. The Company also has certain defined benefit 
plans in other countries, mainly in Germany and in Japan.

In  France,  defined  employee  benefits 
include  certain 
gratifications  paid  upon  anniversary  of  employment  and 
retirement  indemnities  that  are  based  upon  an  individual’s 

years of credited service and annualized salary at retirement. 
Retirement indemnity benefits vest and are settled as a lump 
sum paid to the employee upon the employee’s retirement.

In  the  United  States,  pension  benefits  are  based  upon 
years  of  credited  service  and  the  employee’s  average  final 
earnings.  Retirement  benefits  are  funded  by  the  Company’s 
contributions to segregated pension plan assets, in an amount 
that  is  sufficient  to  meet  or  exceed  the  minimum  annual 
funding  requirements  of  the  Employee  Retirement  Income 
Security  Act.  In  2011,  the  Company  decided  to  freeze  the 
American defined-benefit pension plan.

The projected benefit obligation was determined using the prospective method, based on the following assumptions:

Assumptions
Assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation:

Year ended December 31, 2014

Year ended December 31, 2013

Discount rate

Europe

2.10%

Average rate of compensation increase

2.50% – 3.00%

Assumptions used to determine the net periodic benefit cost:

U.S.

4.05%

N/A

Asia

0.80%

2.60%

Europe

3.50%

2.50% – 3.00%

U.S.

4.90%

N/A

Asia

1.20%

2.60%

Discount rate

Europe

3.50%

Average rate of compensation increase

2.50% – 3.00%

U.S.

4.90%

N/A

Asia

1.20%

2.60%

Europe

3.50%

2.50% – 3.00%

U.S.

3.80%

N/A

Asia

1.25%

2.50%

Year ended December 31, 2014

Year ended December 31, 2013

114 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Components of net periodic costs
The components of net periodic benefit cost were as follows:

(in thousands)

Current service cost

Interest cost on benefit obligations

Interest income on plan assets

Other

NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COST

Obligations and funded status
Changes in benefit obligations and plan assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Benefit obligations at beginning of year

Current service cost

Interest cost on benefit obligations

Remeasurement losses (gains)(1) 

Change in scope

Benefits paid

Exchange differences and other changes

BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS AT END OF YEAR

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year

Employer contribution

Interest income on plan assets

Benefits paid

Remeasurement (losses) gains

Exchange rate differences and other changes

FAIR VALUE OF PLAN ASSETS AT END OF YEAR

NET DEFINED BENEFIT LIABILITY

(1)   Remeasurement gains and losses mainly arise from changes in financial assumptions.

The benefit obligation by geographical location is as follows:

Europe

United States

Asia

TOTAL BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS

The fair value of plan assets by geographical location is as follows:

Europe

United States

TOTAL FAIR VALUE OF PLAN ASSETS

4

Year ended December 31,

2014

€(6,405)

(5,185)

2,626

(549)

2013

€(5,829)

(4,767)

2,164

134

€(9,513)

€(8,298)

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€139,304

€139,002

6,405

5,185

30,558

1,042

(3,026)

5,777

5,829

4,767

(6,463)

1,813

(2,266)

(3,378)

€185,245

€139,304

€62,262

€59,499

3,154

2,626

(1,245)

(841)

4,374

€70,330

2,268

2,164

(1,100)

756

(1,325)

€62,262

€(114,915)

€(77,042)

Year ended December 31,

2014

66%

26%

8%

100%

2013

67%

24%

9%

100%

Year ended December 31,

2014

47%

53%

100%

2013

52%

48%

100%

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 115

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Plan assets
The weighted average asset allocations are as follows:

Debt instruments

Equity instruments

TOTAL

Year ended December 31,

2014

76%

24%

100%

2013

77%

23%

100%

Cash flows
The Company expects to make additional contributions to its pension plans in 2015 for €4 million.

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid:

(in thousands)

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020-2024

Total

€(3,148)

(2,985)

(3,797)

(4,658)

(5,937)

(44,445)

Note 23  Shareholders’ Equity

Shareholders’ equity activity
As  of  December  31,  2014,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  had 
256,364,077 common shares issued with a nominal value of 
€0.50 per share.

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of  May  26,  2014 
decided to split the par value of the Dassault Systèmes share 

in two. Consequently, the Board of Directors meeting held on 
the same day decided to define July 17, 2014 as the effective 
date of this split. Thus, for all former shares of €1 of nominal 
value held as of July 17, 2014, shareholders received two new 
shares of par value €0.50 each.

Changes in shares outstanding as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

(in number of shares)

SHARES ISSUED AS OF JANUARY 1,

Dividend paid in shares

Exercise of stock options

Cancellation of treasury stock

SHARES ISSUED AS OF DECEMBER 31,

Treasury stock as of December 31,

SHARES OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31,

*  Restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014.

Year ended December 31,

2014 *

2013 *

253,865, 970

250,193,556

1,604,620

1,482,350

2,375,837

2,190,064

(1,482,350)

−

256,364,077

253,865,970

(4,770,624)

(3,330,072)

251,593,453

250,535,898

116 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

The primary objective of the Company’s capital management 
is  to  ensure  that  it  maintains  a  strong  credit  rating  and 
healthy capital ratios in order to support its business and for 
the  purpose  of  increasing  the  profitability  of  shareholders’ 
equity  and  earnings  per  share.  The  Company  manages  its 
capital structure and adjusts it in light of changes in economic 
conditions.  To  maintain  or  adjust  the  capital  structure,  the 
Company may adjust the dividend payment to shareholders, 
return capital to shareholders or issue new shares. No changes 
were made in the objectives, policies or processes during the 
years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Dividend rights
Dassault Systèmes SA is required to maintain a legal reserve 
equal  to  10%  of  the  aggregate  nominal  value  of  its  issued 
share  capital.  The  legal  reserve  balance  was  €12.7  and 
€12.5 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, 
and  represents  a  component  of  retained  earnings  in  the 
consolidated balance sheet. The legal reserve is distributable 
only upon the liquidation of Dassault Systèmes SA.

Distributable  profit,  consisting  of  net  income  of  the  year 
increased  by  retained  earnings  from  prior  years  and  after 
deduction  for  legal  reserve  when  required,  is  available  for 
distribution  to  shareholders  of  the  Company  as  dividends. 
Allocation of this profit is subject to approval by the General 
Meeting  of  Shareholders  following  recommendations  by  the 
Board of Directors.

Components of other comprehensive income

In  2014  and  2013,  the  Shareholders’  Meeting  approved  the 
distribution  of  a  dividend  of  €103.4  and  €99.5  million  for 
2013  and  2012  respectively,  and  offered  shareholders  the 
option  to  receive  payment  of  their  dividend  in  the  form  of 
new  Dassault  Systèmes  shares.  Shareholders  who  opted  to 
receive payment of the 2013 and 2012 dividend in the form 
of new Dassault Systèmes shares represented approximately 
68%  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  shares,  resulting  in  the  issuance 
of  802,310  and  741,175  (1,604,620  and  1,482,350  after 
the  two-for-one  stock  split)  new  ordinary  shares  in  2014 
and 2013, respectively. The cash dividend was paid in 2014 
and  2013  in  an  aggregate  amount  of  €32.3  million  and 
€31.6 million, respectively.

Dividends per share were €0.42 and €0.40 (after the two-for-
one stock split) as of December 31, 2013 and December 31, 
2012, respectively.

A dividend of €3.5 and €3.2 million was paid to non-controlling 
interest in 2014 and 2013 respectively.

Stock repurchase programs
The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  authorized  the  Board 
to implement a share repurchase program limited to 10% of 
the  Company’s  share  capital.  Under  this  authorization,  the 
Company  may  not  buy  shares  at  a  price  exceeding  €150 
per  share  or  above  a  maximum  annual  aggregate  amount  of 
€500 million.

4

(in thousands)

Cash flow hedges:

(Losses) Gains arising during the year

Less: reclassification adjustments for gains or losses included in the income statement

Available-for-sale securities:

Losses arising during the year

Less: reclassification adjustments for losses included in the income statement

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€(2,290)

(782)

€9,889

22,852

€(1,508)

€(12,963)

€–

–

€–

€(165)

(334)

€169

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 117

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 24  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Adjustments for non-cash items consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Depreciation of property and equipment

Amortization of intangible assets

Non-cash share-based payment expense

Other

ADJUSTMENTS FOR NON-CASH ITEMS

Changes in operating assets and liabilities consist of the following:

(in thousands)

(Increase) in trade accounts receivable

Increase (Decrease) in accounts payable

Increase (Decrease) in accrued compensation

(Decrease) in income tax payable

Increase in unearned revenue

Changes in other assets and liabilities

CHANGES IN OPERATING ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

Notes

14

17

7

Year ended December 31,

2014

€37,010

139,332

29,950

(18,544)

2013

€33,380

107,944

34,017

(6,863)

€187,748

€168,478

Year ended December 31,

2014

2013

€(56,170)

€(24,887)

23,543

418

(4,511)

(6,614)

(50,567)

(16,181)

86,712

15,319

36,979

(1,587)

€19,255

€(16,801)

Note 25  Commitments and Contingencies

Leases
The Company leases computer equipment, premises and office equipment under operating leases. Rent expense under operating 
leases was €61.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and €52.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2013.

At December 31, 2014, future minimum annual rental commitments under non-cancelable lease obligations were as follows:

(in thousands)

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020 and thereafter

TOTAL FUTURE MINIMUM LEASE PAYMENTS

Operating leases

€70,282

66,321

63,430

56,090

51,825

231,199

€539,147

3DS Paris Campus (Headquarters facilities 
in Vélizy-Villacoublay)
The  Company  has  leased  approximately  60,000  square 
meters of office space for its headquarters facilities located in 
Vélizy-Villacoublay, outside Paris, France since June 30, 2008. 
In  February  2013,  the  Company  entered  into  a  new  lease 
agreement for its headquarters facilities for a non-cancelable 

initial  term  of  10  years  beginning  with  the  delivery  of  an 
additional 13,000 square meters of office space expected by 
year  end  2016.  Future  minimum  rental  payments  until  the 
end  of  the  lease  amount  to  approximately  €272.8  million  in 
the aggregate and have been included in the table presented 
above.

118 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

3DS Boston Campus
The Company has leased approximately 20,000 square meters 
of  office  space  for  its  campus  located  in  United  States  since 
June  1,  2011,  regrouping  the  primary  operating  facilities  of 
the  Company’s  main  American  activities.  The  total  rented 
space  will  progressively  increase,  reaching  30,000  square 
meters in 2017. Future minimum rental payments amount to 
approximately €102.8 million in the aggregate and have been 
included in the table presented above.

Litigation and other proceedings
The Company is involved in litigation and other proceedings, 
such  as  civil,  commercial  and  tax  proceedings,  incidental 
to  normal  operations.  The  Company  is  subject  to  ongoing 

tax  audits  and  tax  reassessments  in  jurisdictions  in  which 
the  Company  has  or  had  operations.  A  number  of  these 
reassessments,  in  particular  those  related  to  acquisition 
financing,  are  being  challenged  by  the  Company  which  is 
strongly confident in the technical merits of its positions and 
will continue to defend them with the relevant tax authorities. 
In this context, the Company made a €22.2 million payment 
to the French tax authorities in 2014 but disputed it with the 
relevant authorities.

It  is  not  possible  to  determine  with  certainty  the  outcome 
of  the  dispute  in  these  matters.  However,  in  the  opinion  of 
management,  after  consultation  with  legal  and  tax  counsel, 
the  resolution  of  such  litigation  and  proceedings  should  not 
have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements 
of the Company.

Note 26  Related-Party Transactions

4

Compensation of key management personnel
The table below summarizes compensation granted to the members of the Group Executive Committee and to the Chairman of 
the Board as of December 31, 2014 and 2013:

(in thousands)

Short-term benefits (1)

Share-based compensation (2)

COMPENSATION OF KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

(1)  Including gross salaries, bonus, incentives, profit-sharing, directors’ fees and fringe benefits.
(2)  Expense recorded in the income statement for share-based payments (stock options and performance shares).

Year ended December 31,

2014

€11,074

12,442

€23,516

2013

€11,253

16,626

€27,879

In certain circumstances, the  Group Chief Executive Officer is 
entitled  to  an  indemnity  payment  upon  the  termination  of 
his  functions  as  Chief  Executive  Officer.  The  amount  of  the 
indemnity  due  would  be  equivalent  to  a  maximum  of  two 
years  of  compensation  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  would 
depend on satisfying the performance conditions established 
for calculating his variable compensation.

Other transactions with related parties
The Company licenses its products for internal use to Dassault 
Aviation,  a  sister  company  to  the  Company.  The  Chairman 
of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  is  also  the  Chief  Executive  Officer 

of  the  Industrial  Group  Marcel  Dassault  since  January  2013. 
Until this date, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Dassault 
Aviation.  Dassault  Aviation  licenses  the  Company’s  products 
on  commercial  terms  consistent  with  those  granted  to  the 
Company’s  other  customers  of  similar  size.  These  licenses 
generated  €14.1  and  €13.4  million  of  software  revenue  for 
the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. 
The  Company  also  provides  service  and  support  to  Dassault 
Aviation.  Such  activity  generated  service  revenues  of  €8.0 
and €9.0 million in the years ended December 31, 2014 and 
2013, respectively. The balances of trade accounts receivable 
with Dassault Aviation were €8.0 million, and €8.7 million at 
December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 119

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 27  Principal Dassault Systèmes Companies

The principal Dassault Systèmes SA subsidiaries included in the scope of consolidation as at December 31, 2014 are as follows:

Country

France

Germany

Germany

Consolidated companies

Dassault Data Services SAS

Dassault Systemes Deutschland GmbH

Dassault Systemes 3DExcite GmbH (formerly “Realtime Technology AG”)

Netherlands

Quintiq Applications B.V.

Italy

Sweden

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Canada

Canada

United States

United States

United States

United States

United States

United States

United States

China

India

India

Dassault Systemes Italia Srl

Dassault Systemes AB

Dassault Systemes UK Limited

Dassault Systemes Biovia Limited (formerly “Accelrys Ltd”)

Dassault Systèmes Canada Inc.

Dassault Systemes Canada Software Inc. (formerly “Dassault Systemes Geovia Inc.”)

Dassault Systemes Americas Corp.

Dassault Systemes Corp.

Dassault Systemes Simulia Corp.

Dassault Systemes Services, LLC

Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation

RTT USA, Inc.

Dassault Systemes Biovia Corp. (formerly “Accelrys Software Inc.”)

Dassault Systèmes (Shanghai) Information Technology Co., Ltd

3D PLM Software Solutions Limited

Dassault Systemes India Private Limited

South Korea

Dassault Systemes Korea Corp.

Japan

Japan

Dassault Systemes K.K.

SolidWorks Japan K.K.

% of Interest

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

42% (1) 

100%

100%

100%

100%

(1)   The Company determined that it has control over operating and financial policies of 3DPLM. As a result, 3DPLM is fully consolidated in the Company’s consolidated financial 

statements.

120 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

4.1.2  Report of the Statutory Auditors on the Consolidated Financial 

Statements

This is a free translation into English of the Statutory Auditors’ report issued in French and is provided solely for the convenience 
of English speaking users. The Statutory Auditors’ report includes information specifically required by French law in such reports, 
whether modified or not.

This  information  is  presented  below  the  opinion  on  the  consolidated  fi nancial  statements  and  includes  an  explanatory 
paragraph discussing the Auditors’ assessments of certain significant accounting and auditing matters. These assessments were 
considered for the purpose of issuing an audit opinion on the consolidated financial statements taken as a whole and not to provide 
separate assurance on individual account captions or on information taken outside of the consolidated financial statements.

This report should be read in conjunction with, and construed in accordance with, French law and professional auditing standards 
applicable in France.

To the Shareholders

In  compliance  with  the  assignment  entrusted  to  us  by  your  General  Meetings,  we  hereby  report  to  you,  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2014, on:

 (cid:125) the audit of the accompanying consolidated financial statements of Dassault Systèmes;

4

 (cid:125) the justification of our assessments;

 (cid:125) the specific verification required by law.

These consolidated financial statements have been approved by the Board of Directors. Our role is to express an opinion on these 
consolidated financial statements based on our audit.

I – Opinion on the consolidated financial statements

We  conducted  our  audit  in  accordance  with  professional  standards  applicable  in  France;  those  standards  require  that  we  plan 
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material 
misstatement.  An  audit  involves  performing  procedures,  using  sampling  techniques  or  other  methods  of  selection,  to  obtain 
audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. An audit also includes evaluating 
the  appropriateness  of  accounting  policies  used  and  the  reasonableness  of  accounting  estimates  made,  as  well  as  the  overall 
presentation  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements.  We  believe  that  the  audit  evidence  we  have  obtained  is  sufficient  and 
appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets and liabilities and of the financial 
position of the Group as at December 31, 2014 and of the results of its operations for the year then ended in accordance with 
International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union.

II – Justification of our assessments

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  Article  L.  823-9  of  the  French  Commercial  Code (Code de commerce) relating  to  the 
justification of our assessments, we bring to your attention the following matters:

 (cid:125) the paragraph “Revenue recognition” of the Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements sets out the accounting principles 
and methods used to account for revenue including firstly new software licenses along with related maintenance, and secondly 
services and other revenue;

 (cid:125) the  paragraph  “Business  combinations  and  goodwill”  of  the  Note  2  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  sets  out  the 
accounting  principles  and  methods  used  to  determine  the  value  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  acquired  through  business 
combinations, which are based on significant assumptions and estimates made by management;

 (cid:125) the paragraph “Share-based payment” of the Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements sets out the accounting principles 
and methods used to determine the fair value of the share-based payment awards granted to the directors, senior management 
and employees, which is based on significant assumptions and estimates made by management.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 121

4 Financial statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

As part of our work, we verified the correct application of the above-mentioned accounting principles and methods, examined 
the assumptions used and their application, and verified that the information provided in the corresponding Notes 16, 17 and 7 
above was appropriate.

These  assessments  were  made  as  part  of  our  audit  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements  taken  as  a  whole,  and  therefore 
contributed to the opinion we formed which is expressed in the first part of this report.

III – Specific verification

As required by law, we have also verified in accordance with professional standards applicable in France the information presented 
in the Group’s management report.

We have no matters to report as to its fair presentation and its consistency with the consolidated financial statements.

Neuilly-sur-Seine and Paris-La Défense, on March 23, 2015

The Statutory Auditors

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUDIT

French original signed by:

Pierre Marty

ERNST & YOUNG ET AUTRES

French original signed by:

Jean-François Ginies

122 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

4.2  Parent Company Financial Statements

The 2014 financial statements presented below are the individual parent company financial statements of Dassault Systèmes SA.

Presentation of the parent company financial statements and the valuation methods used

The financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 have been prepared in accordance with the 2014 French General 
Chart of Accounts (Plan comptable général), the French Commercial Code and French regulatory requirements. They are presented 
in the same manner and prepared using the same valuation methods as the preceding year.

Results of operations of Dassault Systèmes SA

In  2014,  operating  revenue  increased  6.2%  to  €1,137.2  million  from  €1,070.5  million  in  2013.  Software  revenue  increased 
1.9% to €886.4 million in 2014 from €870.0 million in 2013. The portion of revenue earned from export sales amounted to 
€942.2 million, or 83.7% of net sales.

Operating expenses increased 8.3% to €880.6 million in 2014, from €813.4 million in 2013. The main drivers of this change are:

4

 (cid:125) a  7.5%  increase  in  other  purchases  and  external  expenses,  mainly  due  to  an  increase  in  fees  relating  to  the  acquisition  of 

Accelrys and Realtime Technology AG (“ RTT“) in 2014, which were rebilled in full to the acquiring subsidiary;

 (cid:125) a  13.8%  increase  in  personnel  costs  coming  from  the  increase  in  headcount,  linked  to  the  transfer  of  employees  from 
Exalead SA, SolidWorks Europe SARL and Apriso SAS as part of the merger operations (Article 1844-5 of the French Civil Code, 
or transmissions universelles de patrimoine) and from salary increases;

 (cid:125) a 13.6% increase in depreciation and reserves, mainly to hedge client risk in Europe.

Operating income was relatively stable at €256.6 million.

Financial  revenue  for  2014  amounted  to  €30.2  million,  compared  with  €129.6  million  for  the  preceding  year,  a  decrease  of 
€99.4 million. This change was principally due to one-time dividends received from subsidiaries in 2013.

In 2014, income tax expense amounted to €45.2 million in 2014 as compared to €68.2 million in 2013. This change was chiefly 
driven by the utilization of prior year tax losses from merger operations (transmissions universelles de patrimoine). Net income 
amounted to €183.0 million in 2014 compared with €263.4 million in 2013.

At December 31, 2014, cash and short-term investments stood at €954.9 million, compared with €1,615.1 million at December 31, 
2013. This decrease was chiefly due to the financing of acquisitions in 2014.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 123

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

4.2.1  Statement of income

(in thousands)

OPERATING REVENUE

Revenue

Of which exports

Other revenue

OPERATING EXPENSE

Other purchases and external expenses

Taxes, duties and similar payments

Personnel costs

Depreciation, amortization and provisions

Other operating expense

OPERATING INCOME

FINANCIAL INCOME AND EXPENSE, NET

CURRENT INCOME

EXCEPTIONAL INCOME/(LOSS)

REGULATED AND OPTIONAL EMPLOYEE PROFIT-SHARING

Contractual employee profit-sharing

Mandatory employee profit-sharing

INCOME TAX EXPENSE

NET INCOME

Years ended December 31

Notes

2014

2013

€1,137,227

€1,070,511

3

1,125,687

1,064,559

942,156

11,540

881,573

5,952

(880,631)

(813,435)

(354,382)

(329,669)

(20,095)

(17,748)

4

(303,616)

(266,755)

(36,812)

(32,391)

(165,726)

(166,872)

5

6

7

256,596

30,167

286,763

(22,752)

(35,842)

(17,921)

(17,921)

(45,164)

257,076

129,598

386,674

(21,083)

(33,934)

(18,422)

(15,512)

(68,216)

€183,005

€263,441

124 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

4.2.2  Balance sheet

(in thousands)

Assets

NON-CURRENT ASSETS

Intangible assets

Property and equipment

Non-current financial assets

CURRENT ASSETS

Receivables

Marketable securities

Treasury shares

Cash and cash equivalents

PREPAID EXPENSES

UNREALIZED EXCHANGE LOSSES

TOTAL ASSETS

(in thousands)

Liabilities

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Capital

Share and contribution premiums

Legal reserve

Retained earnings

Income (loss) for the fiscal year

Regulated provisions

PROVISIONS FOR CONTINGENCIES AND LOSSES

FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

TRADE PAYABLES

UNEARNED REVENUE

UNREALIZED EXCHANGE LOSSES

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

4

Years ended December 31

Notes

2014
Net

2013
Net

10

11

12

13

14

14

€2,552,145

€1,902,448

312,474

37,612

157,788

36,278

2,202,059

1,708,382

1,356,173

1,936,393

291,924

947,409

109,382

7,458

19,975

20,430

243,180

1,612,759

78,140

2,314

16,106

27,982

€3,948,723

€3,882,929

Years ended December 31

Notes

2014

2013

15

€2,802,674

€2,663,824

128,182

755,799

12,693

126,933

697,563

12,510

1,710,502

1,550,675

183,005

263,441

12,493

78,119

376,962

648,450

40,418

2,100

12,702

85,497

373,439

724,374

35,447

348

€3,948,723

€3,882,929

16

17

19

20

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 125

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

4.2.3  Notes to the Parent Company Financial Statements

CONTENTS 

Note 1  Description of Business and Key 

Note 14  Treasury 

Events of the Year 

Note 2 

Summary of Significant Accounting 
Policies 

Note 3 

Revenue Breakdown 

Note 4 

Personnel Costs 

Note 5 

Financial Income and Expense, Net 

Note 6 

Exceptional Income/Loss 

Note 7 

Income Tax 

Note 8 

Performance Shares 

Note 9  Additional Information 

Note 10 

Intangible Assets 

Note 11  Property and Equipment 

Note 12  Non-current Financial Assets 

Notes 13  Receivables 

127

127

130

130

131

131

132

132

133

134

134

135

135

Note 15  Shareholders’ Equity 

Note 16  Provisions for Contingencies 

and Losses 

Note 17  Financial Liabilities 

Note 18  Elements Concerning Related 

Companies 

Note 19  Trade Payables 

Note 20  Unearned Revenue 

Note 21  Financial Commitments 

Note 22  Other Commitments 

and Contingencies 

Note 23  Additional Information 

Note 24 

Information Relating to Subsidiaries 
and Shareholdings 

136

136

138

139

139

140

140

141

142

142

143

126 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Note 1  Description of Business and Key Events of the Year

Description of business

Key Events of the Year

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  provides  software  solutions  and 
consulting services, and operates as both a holding company 
and a provider of services for the Dassault Systèmes Group. 

The  Company’s  global  customer  base  includes  companies  in 
12  industrial  sectors:  Aerospace  &  Defense;  Transportation  & 
Mobility;  Marine  &  Offshore;  Industrial  Equipment;  High-
Tech;  Architecture,  Engineering  &  Construction;  Consumer 
Goods  –  Retail;  Consumer  Packaged  Goods  –  Retail;  Life 
Sciences;  Energy,  Process  &  Utilities;  Financial  &  Business 
Services;  and  Natural  Resources.  To  serve  its  customers, 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  has  developed  a  broad  software 
applications  portfolio,  comprised  of  social  and  collaborative 
applications, 3D modeling applications, content and simulation 
applications,  and  information  intelligence  applications,  all 
powered by its 3DEXPERIENCE Platform.

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  is  a  société  anonyme,  a  form  of 
limited  liability  company,  incorporated  under  the  laws  of 
France. The Company’s registered office is located at 10, rue 
Marcel-Dassault,  in  Vélizy-Villacoublay,  France.  The  Dassault 
Systèmes  SA  shares  are  listed  in  France  on  Euronext  Paris. 
These  financial  statements  were  established  under  the 
responsibility of the Board of Directors on March 20, 2015.

As part of its program to simplify the organization of its legal 
entities throughout the world, Dassault Systèmes SA carried 
out  three  merger  operations  (transmissions  universelles  de 
patrimoine)  as  per  Article  1844-5  of  the  French  Civil  Code 
during the year:

 (cid:125) Exalead SA and SolidWorks Europe SARL, on April 1, 2014;

 (cid:125) Apriso SAS, on October 1, 2014.

Dassault Systèmes SA used cash on hand to finance, via capital 
contributions  or  loans,  important  acquisitions  (Accelrys,  RTT 
and Quintiq) made by select subsidiaries during the year.

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of  May  26,  2014 
decided to split the par value of the Dassault Systèmes share 
in two. Consequently, the Board of Directors meeting held on 
the same day decided to define July 17, 2014 as the effective 
date of this split. Thus, for all former shares of €1 of nominal 
value  held  as  of  July  17,  2014,  shareholders  received  2  new 
shares of par value €0.50 each.

All  per  share  data  and  information  related  to  the  number  of 
shares reflect the two-for-one stock split.

4

Note 2  Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The financial year lasts for 12 months from January 1 through 
December 31.

The  annual  financial  statements  for  the  fiscal  year  ended 
December 31, 2014 have been prepared and are presented in 
accordance with the French General Chart of Accounts 2014. 
General accounting conventions have been applied in keeping 
with  the  principle  of  prudence,  the  principle  of  continuity 
of  accounting  methods  from  one  year  to  the  next,  the 
independence of financial years, and the assumption that the 
business is a going concern. Assets and liabilities are initially 
recorded at historical cost.

Significant accounting polices applied are as follows:

2.1  Revenue

Revenue recognition
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  derives  revenue  from  three  primary 
sources: (1) new software licenses, periodic licenses, maintenance 
and  other  software  revenue,  which  includes  software  license 
updates,  technical  support  and  the  development  of  additional 

functionalities  of  standard  products  requested  by  clients;  (2) 
consulting  and  training  services  and  other  revenue;  and  (3) 
royalties from distribution agreements signed primarily with the 
Group’s subsidiaries.

Revenues are disclosed net of taxes collected from customers 
and remitted to governmental authorities.

New  Software  License,  Periodic  License,  Maintenance  and 
Other  Software  Revenue  –  New  software  license  revenue 
represents  fees  earned  from  granting  customers  licenses  to 
use  Dassault  Systèmes  SA’s  software.  The  license  revenue 
from  software  commercialized  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA 
consists  of  perpetual  and  periodic  license  sales  of  software 
products.  Software  license  revenue  is  recognized  (to  the 
extent Dassault Systèmes SA has no remaining obligations to 
perform)  when:  evidence  of  an  arrangement  exists,  delivery 
and  acceptance  have  occurred,  the  amount  of  revenue  and 
associated costs can be measured reliably, and it is probable 
that  the  economic  benefits  associated  with  the  transaction 
will flow to Dassault Systèmes SA. In instances when any of 
the  four  criteria  are  not  met,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  defers 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 127

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

recognition  of  software  license  revenue  until  all  criteria  are 
met.  Revenue  related  to  the  licensing  of  software  through 
value-added  resellers  (VARs)   is  generally  recognized  when 
evidence of a sale to an end-user customer is provided to the 
Company, assuming all other revenue recognition criteria have 
been met.

training services. Services generally do not require significant 
modification  or  customization  of  software  products  and  are 
accounted for separately to the extent they are not essential 
to  the  functionality  of  software  products.  Service  revenues 
derived  from  time  and  material  contracts  are  recognized  as 
time is incurred.

Periodic  licenses  generally  have  a  one-year  term  and  the 
corresponding  fee  is  recognized  ratably  over  the  term  of 
the license.

Maintenance  revenue  represents  periodic  fees  associated 
with  the  sale  of  unspecified  product  updates  on  a  when-
and-if-available  basis  and  technical  support.  Maintenance 
agreements  are  entered  into  in  connection  with  the  initial 
software  license  purchase.  Maintenance  support  may  be 
renewed  by  the  customer  at  the  conclusion  of  each  term. 
Revenue  from  maintenance  is  recognized  on  a  straight-line 
basis over the term of the maintenance agreement.

Other  software  revenue  mainly  relates  to  the  development 
of  additional  functionalities  of  standard  products  requested 
by  clients  and  is  recognized  as  the  development  work 
is performed.

Recurring  fees  for  periodic  license,  maintenance  and  other 
software  revenue  are  reported  within  software  revenue;  see 
Note 3 Revenue.

Revenue  under  multiple-element  arrangements,  which 
typically  include  new  software  licenses  and  maintenance 
agreements  sold  together,  is  allocated  to  each  element  in 
the  arrangement  primarily  using  the  residual  method  based 
upon the fair value of the undelivered elements. Discounts, if 
any,  are  applied  to  the  delivered  elements,  usually  software 
licenses,  under  the  residual  method.  For  maintenance,  fair 
value  is  generally  determined  based  upon  the  expected 
renewal rate.

Services  and  Other  Revenue  –  Services  and  other  revenue 
consists  primarily  of  fees  from  consulting  services 
in 
methodology  for  design,  deployment  and  support,  and 

The useful life of property and equipment is presented below:

Service  revenues  derived  from  fixed  price  contracts  are 
generally recognized using a percentage of completion basis. 
For customer support contracts, when no performance pattern 
is discernible, revenue is recognized ratably over the term of 
the contract, generally one year, on a straight-line basis.

2.2  Research and development expenses

Research  costs  are  expensed  as  incurred.  Since  it  is  difficult 
to  demonstrate  technological  feasibility  before  a  working 
prototype  has  been  completed,  such  costs  are  expensed. 
Technological  feasibility  is  generally  demonstrated  shortly 
before  the  commercial  release  of  software  products.  As  a 
consequence,  costs  incurred  after  technological  feasibility 
is  established  that  could  potentially  be  capitalized  are 
not material.

2.3 

Intangible assets, property and equipment

Intangible  assets,  property  and  equipment  are  recognized  at 
cost, including ancillary expenses, when they are purchased, 
at  their  production  cost  when  they  are  produced  internally, 
and at their integration value when they are transferred.

resulting 

Technical  deficits 
from  merger  operations 
(transmissions  universelles  de  patrimoine)  are  recorded  as 
goodwill.  Technical  deficits  are  generally  not  depreciable 
items.  However,  the  constituent  components  of  the  deficits 
undergo impairment testing. Intangible assets are amortized 
using  the  straight-line  method  over  their  expected  useful 
life (three to five years for software and five to ten years for 
intellectual property).

Computer equipment

Fixtures and fittings

Office furniture

Transportation equipment

Depreciation period

2.5 to 5 years

Over the term of the lease

10 years

4 years

Depreciation, whether calculated using the straight-line or declining balance method, is calculated over the useful life of the asset.

128 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

2.4  Non-current financial assets

2.8  Provisions for contingencies and losses

Investments in subsidiaries are initially valued at cost. Expenses 
directly  related  to  the  acquisition  of  equity  securities  are 
included in the acquisition cost of these securities. Loans and 
advances to subsidiaries are valued at their net realizable value.

Provisions  for  contingencies  and  losses  are  recognized  as 
liabilities to cover probable outflows of resources resulting from 
a present obligation. These provisions are estimated taking in 
account the most probable hypothesis at the closing date.

Periodically  and  at  a  minimum  at  the  annual  closing  period, 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  reviews  the  net  realizable  value  of 
its  investments  and  loans  and  advances  to  subsidiaries. 
In  particular,  the  net  realizable  value  of  securities  takes 
into  account  the  amount  of  shareholders’  equity,  long-
impairment 
term  profitability  and  strategic  factors.  An 
loss  is  recognized  if  the  net  realizable  value  is  less  than  the 
carrying value.

2.5  Marketable securities

Marketable  securities  are  initially  recorded  at  cost  and  are 
depreciated,  when  applicable,  by  referring  to  their  quoted 
price in an active market at year end.

2.6  Receivables and payables

Trade receivables are reported at their net receivable value and 
trade payables are reported at their nominal value. For trade 
receivables, an allowance is recorded when the net realizable 
value is lower than the carrying value taking into account, in 
particular, aging and an assessment of collectability.

2.7  Foreign currency transactions

Transactions  in  foreign  currencies  are  recorded  in  euros  in 
the  income  statement  at  the  monthly  average  exchange 
rate. Receivables, payables and cash in foreign currencies are 
converted to euros in the balance sheet at the closing exchange 
rate or at the hedged rate when they are subject to exchange 
rate  hedging.  The  conversion  differences  are  recorded  on 
the balance sheet in “Unrealized Exchange Losses/Gains”. In 
the  event  of  unrealized  losses,  a  provision  for  contingencies 
(exchange  loss)  is  recorded.  However,  the  reevaluation  at 
closing rate of the current accounts used for the Group cash 
pooling  and  of  the  cash  and  cash  equivalents  (except  for 
marketable  securities)  generates  an  impact  on  the  exchange 
gains  or  losses  recorded  in  financial  income  (expense),  net. 
This impact is shown in foreign exchange gains or losses, net.

2.9  Derivatives

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  can  manage  exposure  to  foreign 
currency and interest rates with regards to revenue and cost 
generated by its ongoing and predictable activity.

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  can  also  mitigate  a  given  foreign 
currency exposure linked to operations realized, for instance, 
when it undertakes an acquisition in foreign currency. In order 
to mitigate foreign currency exposure, Dassault Systèmes SA 
uses only foreign exchange contracts or financial instruments 
for which total maximum losses are known from the outset.

Interest rate derivatives:

Financial  income  and  expense  resulting  from  the  use  of 
derivatives are recorded in the income statement in the same 
manner as income and expense from the covered transactions 
when the derivatives are considered to be hedging transactions 
from  an  accounting  perspective.  If  the  instruments  do  not 
qualify as hedging, they are accounted for as follows:

 (cid:125) net unrealized losses are fully reserved;

 (cid:125) net  gains  are  recognized  in  the  income  statement  upon 

settlement.

Exchange rate derivatives:

Exchange  rate  derivatives  are  included  in  Dassault  Systèmes 
Group’s  currency  position.  Unrealized 
losses  on  these 
derivatives are taken into account in determining the provision 
for unrealized exchange losses.

2.10  Tax credit for encouraging competitiveness 

and jobs (CICE)

recognizes  the  tax  credit  for 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA 
encouraging competitiveness and jobs (the Crédit d' impôt pour 
la compétitivité et l' emploi, or CICE) as an offset to personnel 
costs.

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 129

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Notes on the Income Statement

Note 3  Revenue Breakdown

(in thousands)

New licenses revenue

Periodic licenses and maintenance revenue

Royalties

SOFTWARE REVENUE

Services

Other revenue

TOTAL REVENUE

The breakdown of software revenue by geographic area is as follows:

(in thousands)

Europe

Asia

Americas

TOTAL SOFTWARE REVENUE

Note 4  Personnel Costs

Personnel costs are comprised of the following:

(in thousands)

Salaries and wages

Social security costs

TOTAL PERSONNEL COSTS

Average Headcount by Category

Salaried employees by category

Managers

Supervisors and technicians

Employees

TOTAL AVERAGE HEADCOUNT (IN FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS)

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€92,639

286,229

507,501

886,369

23,106

216,212

€88,648

271,648

509,754

870,050

25,679

168,830

€1,125,687

€1,064,559

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€531,520

€493,745

228,404

126,445

249,638

126,667

€886,369

€870,050

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€203,667

€180,114

99,949

86,641

€303,616

€266,755

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

2,47 8

94 

17 5

2,748 

2,269

85

187

2,541

The three major merger operations (transmissions universelles de patrimoine) carried out in 2014 increased the headcount of 
Dassault Systèmes SA by 170 employees.

130 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Tax credit for encouraging competitiveness and jobs (CICE)

The tax credit for encouraging competitiveness and jobs (the Crédit d’impôt pour la compétitivité et l’emploi, or CICE) is based 
on  total  compensation  due  for  the  current  period.  In  2014,  an  amount  of  €1.6  million  of  CICE  was  recognized  (compared  to 
€1.1  million in 2013), and was allocated to funding working capital requirements.

Compensation of Executives

The total gross compensation paid to executives by Dassault Systèmes SA during 2014 was as follows:

(in thousands)

Salaries

Benefits

Directors’ fees *

TOTAL COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVES

* 

Compensation is based on payments made. 2014 directors’ fees represent €69,000 and will be paid in 2015.

Note 5  Financial Income and Expense, Net

Net financial income and expense is as follows:

(in thousands)

Interest income

Interest expense

INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE, NET

REVENUE FROM DISPOSALS OF INVESTMENT SECURITIES

NET FOREIGN EXCHANGE INCOME (EXPENSE), NET PROVISIONS FOR IMPAIRMENT

FINANCIAL INCOME AND EXPENSE, NET

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€3,909

€3,740

21

57

17

80

€3,987

€3,837

4

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€30,415

€121,625

(6,444)

23,971

19,972

(13,776)

€30,167

(6,328)

115,297

18,701

(4,400)

€129,598

Interest and related income is comprised primarily of dividends received from Group subsidiaries, as well as from interest income 
from investments. Non recurring dividends were received in 2013.

Note 6  Exceptional Income/Loss

Exceptional  loss  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2014 
was  €(22.8)  million  compared  to  a  loss  of  €(21.1)  million  at 
December 31, 2013. In 2014  Dassault Systèmes SA impaired 
a  merger  loss  related  to  the  utilization  of  tax  losses  carried 

forward  coming  from  merger  operations  (transmissions 
universelles de patrimoine). In 2013, the Company recognized 
a net loss on the sale of previously held investments.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 131

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 7 

Income Tax

The tax group included 11 entities at the end of December 2014.

Under  the  tax  integration  agreement,  it  is  agreed  that  the 
income  tax  expense  of  tax-integrated  companies  will  be  the 

same as it would have been if each subsidiary had not been a 
member of the Group. Without the tax integration agreements, 
the income tax expense of Dassault Systèmes SA, the head of 
the tax group, would have been €48.5 million in 2014.

The  breakdown  of  income  tax  between  current  income  and  exceptional  income  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2014,  is 
as follows:

(in thousands)

Current income

Exceptional income 

TOTAL

Income 
before tax

Tax (expense) 
credit

Income after 
income tax

€286,763

€(81,011)

€205,752

(58,594)

35,847

(22,747)

€228,169

€(45,164)

€183,005

The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2014 was 19.8% (2013: 20.6%). This decrease in the effective rate 
is explained in Note 6 Exceptional Income/Loss, as well as by the decrease in di vidends received in 2014.

Note 8  Performance Shares

Pursuant to an authorization granted by the Combined General 
Meeting  held  on  May  30,  2013,  the  Board  of  Directors  held 
on February 21, 2014 decided to grant 529,940 performance 
certain  employees  and  executives,  and 
shares 

to 

150,000 shares to the CEO as part of a plan of progressively 
associating  him  with  the  Company’s  capital  (respectively 
1,059,800  and  300,000  shares  following  the  two-for-one 
stock split effected on July 17, 2014).

132 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

The main characteristics of the performance share plans outstanding at December 31, 2014 are shown in the table below:

Plan

2010-02

2010-03

2010-04

2010-05

2014-A

2014-B

Date of General Meeting

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/30/2013

05/30/2013

Date granted by the Board of Directors

09/29/2011

09/29/2011

09/07/2012

09/07/2012

02/21/2014

02/21/2014

Number of performance shares granted*   

812,800 (1 )

-

1,078,460 (1 )

-

1,059,880

-

Number of shares granted to the Chief 
Executive Officer as part of the plan 
of progressively associating him 
with the Company’s capital *  

Vesting period (in years) (2 )

Performance conditions

Performance conditions fulfilled 
at 12/31/2014

-

300,000

-

300,000

3 or 4 (3 )

2

3 or 4 (3 )

2

-

4

300,000

4

See Note (4 )

See Note (5 )

See Note (4 )

See Note (4 )

See Note (6 )

See Note (6 )

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A 

N/A  

*     Restated to reflect the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share carried out on July 17, 2014 (see Note 1 Description of Business and Key Events of the Year).
(1 )  Including  28,000  shares  allocated  to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer,  subject  to  satisfaction  of  the  additional  performance  conditions  established  for  calculating  his  variable 

compensation.

(2 )  The shares will be fully vested provided that the beneficiary is still in the Company’s employment on the vesting date.
(3 )  Three years in France or four years for certain employees on international assignment.
(4 )  Performance conditions based on actually realized non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of the Group compared to the upper limit of the non-IFRS diluted earnings per share 
objective for three fiscal years (2011, 2012 and 2013 for the 2010-02 Shares and 2012, 2013 and 2014 for the 2010-04 Shares). The vesting of shares granted to the Chief 
Executive Officer is also subject to a performance condition related to his variable compensation, which requires him to fulfill the performance criteria defined in advance by the 
Board.

(5 )  Performance condition related to the variable compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, which requires him to fulfill the performance criteria defined in advance by the Board.
(6 )  The fulfillment of the performance condition will be measured according to two alternative criteria reflecting the change in the non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of the Group 
or the change in the price of the Dassault Systèmes stock compared with the CAC 40 index for each of the three fiscal years from 2015 through 2017. The vesting of shares granted 
to the Chief Executive Officer is also subject to a performance condition related to his variable compensation, which requires him to fulfill the performance criteria defined in 
advance by the Board.

The  expense  related  to  personnel  of  subsidiaries  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  will  be  recharged  when  the  shares  are  definitively 
attributed to beneficiaries. During the vesting period, Dassault Systèmes SA accrues only for the costs related to the performance 
shares attributed to its own employees.

4

Note 9  Additional Information

Research and Development Expenses

Statutory Auditors’ Fees

In 2014, Dassault Systèmes SA recorded a total of €185.5 million 
of research and development expenses.

The amount of Statutory Auditors’ fees recorded in the income 
statement for the year is as follows:

(in thousands)

Certification of the individual and consolidated financial statements

Other services

TOTAL STATUTORY AUDITORS’ FEES

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€1,293

561

€1,854

€1,261

709

€1,970

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 133

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Notes to the Balance Sheet

Note 10  Intangible Assets

(in thousands)

Goodwill

Patents, licenses and trademarks

TOTAL GROSS VALUE

Goodwill

Patents, licenses and trademarks

TOTAL AMORTIZATION AND PROVISIONS

Goodwill

Patents, licenses and trademarks

TOTAL NET VALUE

12/31/2013 Additions 2014 Disposals 2014

12/31/2014

€123,426

€179,058

€–

€302,484

101,567

224,993

(2,280)

(64,925)

(67,205)

121,146

36,642

2,757

181,815

(17,947)

(9,136)

(27,083)

161,111

(6,379)

€157,788

€154,732

(2,090)

(2,090)

–

2,044

2,044

–

(46)

€(46)

102,234

404,718

(20,227)

(72,017)

(92,244)

282,257

30,217

€312,474

The increase in goodwill derives from merger operations (transmissions universelles de patrimoine) in 2014 (see Note 1 Description 
of Business and Key Events of the Year).

Note 11  Property and Equipment

(in thousands)

Machinery and equipment

Fixtures and fittings

Office furniture and equipment

TOTAL GROSS VALUE

Machinery and equipment

Fixtures and fittings

Office furniture and equipment

TOTAL DEPRECIATION

Machinery and equipment

Fixtures and fittings

Office furniture and equipment

TOTAL NET VALUE

12/31/2013 Additions 2014 Disposals 2014

12/31/2014

€68,166

€10,628

€(10,490)

€68,304

24,194

14,531

106,891

(52,485)

(9,089)

(9,039)

2,732

1,956

15,316

(10,089)

(2,469)

(1,169)

(70,613)

(13,727)

15,681

15,105

5,492

539

263

787

(103)

(331)

(10,924)

10,247

97

325

10,669

(243)

(6)

(6)

26,823

16,156

111,283

(52,327)

(11,461)

(9,883)

(73,671)

15,977

15,362

6,273

€36,278

€1,589

€(255 )

€37,612

134 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Note 12  Non-current Financial Assets

(in thousands)

Investments in subsidiaries

Loans and advances to subsidiaries

Treasury Shares

TOTAL GROSS VALUE

Provision for impairment

TOTAL PROVISION FOR IMPAIRMENT

Investments in subsidiaries

Loans and advances to subsidiaries

Treasury Shares

TOTAL NET VALUE

12/31/2013 Additions 2014 Disposals 2014

12/31/2014

€1,552,318

€332,795

€(159,316)

€1,725,797

237,909

27,592

686,551

112,404

(408,266)

(62,293)

516,194

77,703

1,817,819

1,131,750

(629,875)

2,319,694

(109,437)

(109,437)

1,442,881

237,909

27,592

(14,000)

(14,000)

318,795

686,551

112,404

5,802

5,802

(153,514)

(408,266)

(62,293)

(117,635)

(117,635)

1,608,162

516,194

77,703

€1,708,382

€1,117,750

€(624,073)

€2,202,059

4

The  increase  in  investments  in  subsidiaries  mainly  relates  to 
the  recapitalization  of  Dassault  Systemes  Americas  Corp., 
Dassault Systemes Deutschland GmbH, and Dassault Systèmes 
International  SAS  related  to  the  acquisitions  of  Accelrys, 
RTT,  and  Quintiq,  respectively.  Moreover,  the  decrease  in 

investments  in  subsidiaries  reflects  the  cancellation  of  the 
securities  of  these  companies,  following  merger  operations 
(transmission  universelle  de  patrimoine)  (see  Note  1 
Description of Business and Key Events of the Year).

Notes 13  Receivables

Receivables are as follows:

(in thousands)

TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET

Trade accounts receivable and related items

Allowance for trade accounts receivable

OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

Current accounts receivable(1) 

Income tax receivable

Intercompany credit notes

Value added tax

Foreign currency hedges

Capital transactions

Other

TOTAL RECEIVABLES

(1)   See Note 18 Elements Concerning Related Companies.

Less than 
one year

Due dates 
over one year

€116,453

138,723

(22,270)

171,539

83,321

69,595

84

13,168

7

531

4,833

–

–

–

3,932

–

–

–

–

3,932

–

–

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€116,453

€102,446

138,723

(22,270)

175,471

83,321

69,595

84

13,168

3,939

531

4,833

119,225

(16,779)

140,734

73,979

20,253

12,066

11,963

10,579

7,781

4,113

€287,992

€3,932

€291,924

€243,180

The €19.5 million increase in trade accounts receivable results from an increase in billing to third-party customers in the fourth 
quarter of 2014 compared with the same period of 2013.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 135

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 14  Treasury

Marketable Securities

At  December  31,  2014,  marketable  securities  amounted 
to  €947.4  million  compared  with  €1,612.8  million  at 
December 31, 2013. Marketable securities were denominated 
primarily in euros.

The  decrease  in  marketable  securities  is  attributable  to  the 
funding of acquisitions by Dassault Systèmes.

An amount of €946.4 million of marketable securities are held 
in monetary investments.

Treasury Shares

Share repurchases are intended to cover obligations resulting from performance share grants.

TREASURY SHARES AS OF JANUARY 1, 2014

Transfer of shares

Repurchase of treasury shares (2)

TREASURY SHARES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

Number of 
shares 
authorized and 
issued (1)

2,191,260

(888,750)

1,359,880

2,662,390

Average price (1)
(in euros)

Total
(in thousands)

€35.66

€31.52

€43.57

€41.08

€78,140

(28,015)

59,257 

€109,382 

(1)  Restated to reflect the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share carried out on July 17, 2014 (see Note 1 Description of Business and Key Events of the Year).
(2)  The Combined General Meetings of Shareholders of May 26, 2011, June 7, 2012, May 30, 2013 and May 26, 2014 authorized the Board of Directors to implement a  l share 
repurchase program not to exceed 10% of Dassault Systèmes SA’s share capital. In addition, these programs specify that Dassault Systèmes SA may not purchase shares at a price 
exceeding €75 per share and that the aggregate amount may not exceed €500 million.

Note 15  Shareholders’ Equity

Share Capital

Changes in share capital during the year ended December 31, 2014 were as follows:

SHARES AS OF JANUARY 1, 2014

Shares issued pursuant to exercise of share subscription options

Capital increase (1)

Capital reduction (2)

SHARES AS OF JULY 16, 2014

SHARES AS OF JULY 17, 2014(3)

Shares issued pursuant to exercise of share subscription options

SHARES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

(1)  See “Dividend rights” below.
(2)  Capital reduction due to the cancellation of securities as decided by the Board of Directors held on May 21, 2014.
(3)  Two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share (see Note 1 Description of Business and Key Events of the Year).

Number of 
shares 
authorized and 
issued

126,932,985

867,629

802,310

(741,175)

127,861,749

255,423,498

640,579

256,364,077

Par value
(in euros)

Capital
(in euros)

1

1

1

1

1

0.50

0.50

0.50

126,932,985

867,629

802,310

(741,175)

127,861,749

127,861,749

320,290

128,182,039

136 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Shareholder base

On December 31, the share capital of Dassault Systèmes SA was held by:

(as a %)

Public

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries (1)

Bernard Charlès

Treasury shares

TOTAL

On December 31, the voting rights in Dassault Systèmes SA were held by:

(in % of exercisable voting rights) (2)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Public

Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries (1)

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

2014

49.8

41.1

6.1

1.1

1.9

100

2014

55.7

34.7

8.3

1.3

100

2013

50.6

41.1

6.1

0.9

1.3

100

2013

55.8

34.9

8.3

1.0

100

4

(1)  At December 31, 2014, Mr. Edelstenne held 3,946,266 shares with all ownership rights and 3,296 shares through two family companies which he manages, representing a total 
of  1.54%  of  the  capital  and  2.09%  of  the  exercisable  voting  rights,  as  well  as  11,613,382  shares  with  “usage”  rights (usufruit).  For  the  usage  rights  with  respect  to  these 
11,613,382 shares, representing 6.18 % of the exercisable voting rights, Mr. Edelstenne can only exercise the right to vote on decisions of the General Meeting concerning the 
allocation of profits; the holders of the bare property rights (nue-propriété) exercise the right to vote for other resolutions in compliance with Article 11 of the by-laws.

(2)  The total number of exercisable voting rights in the table above is the net number of voting rights (which does not include shares for which voting rights are suspended), or the 

number of votes which may be exercised in a General Meeting of Shareholders.

Stock Option Plans

A summary of stock option activity is as follows:

OUTSTANDING AS OF JANUARY 1,

Number of options granted

Exercised

Forfeited

OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31,

Exercisable

2014

2013

Total of shares*

Average price* Total of shares* Average price*

7,094,974

624,450

(2,375,837)

(56,176)

5,287,411

4,677,561

€21.06

9,376,838

€20.98

45.50

21.32

29.22

€23.73

20.90

–

(2,190,064)

(91,800)

7,094,974

4,782,974

–

20.75

21.02

€21.06

19.87

*  Restated to reflect the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share carried out on July 17, 2014 (see Note 1 Description of Business and Key Events of the Year).

A summary of the remaining contractual life and the exercise price of options outstanding as of December 31, 2014 is presented 
below:

SOP plan

2008-02

2010-01

2008-01

2014-01

OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

Total of shares*

Remaining 
life (years)

Average price*

2,093,242

1,725,288

859,031

609,850

5,287,411

2.91

3.40

0.73

7.41

3.23

€19.50

23.50

19.08

45.50

€23.73

*  Restated to reflect the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share carried out on July 17, 2014 (see Note 1 Description of Business and Key Events of the Year).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 137

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Movements in Shareholders’ Equity

Movements in shareholders’ equity for the year ended December 31, 2014 were as follows:

(in thousands)

Share capital

Share and contribution premiums

Legal reserve

Retained earnings

Income (loss) for the fiscal year

Regulated provisions

12/31/2013

Appropriation of 
2013 earnings

€126,933

697,563

12,510

1,550,675

263,441

12,702

€802

70,330

183

159,827

(263,441)

–

Effect of 
exercising 
options

€1,188

49,457

–

–

–

–

Net income for 
2014 fiscal year

–

–

–

–

183,005

Other

12/31/2014

€(741)

€128,182

(61,551)

–

–

–

755,799

12,693

1,710,502

183,005

12,493

–

(209)

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

€2,663,824

€(32,299)

€50,645

€183,005

€(62,501)

€2,802,674

Dividend rights

The  Combined  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  held  on 
May  26,  2014  approved  a  dividend  of  €103.4  million, 
based  on  the  existing  shares  as  at  February  28,  2014.  The 

General  Meeting  approved  offering  shareholders  the  option 
to  receive  payment  of  their  dividend  in  the  form  of  new 
Dassault Systèmes shares. As a result, 802,310 new ordinary 
shares were created. The cash dividend was paid in the total 
amount of €32.3 million.

Note 16  Provisions for Contingencies and Losses

Movements of provisions for contingencies and losses were as follows:

(in thousands)

Provisions for performance shares

Provisions for exchange losses

Provisions for post-employment benefits

Other provisions for contingencies and losses

Provisions for jubilee awards

TOTAL PROVISIONS

12/31/2013

€32,191

27,981

15,221

6,180

3,924

Additions

€26,743

20,427

2,931

3,225

930

Utilization

€(28,015)

(27,981)

–

Reversal of 
unused amounts

–

–

–

(4,364)

(1,274)

–

–

12/31/2014

€30,919

20,427

18,152

3,767

4,854

€85,497

€54,256

€(60,360)

€(1,274)

€78,119

Changes in provisions for contingencies and losses impacted captions of the income statement as follows:

(in thousands)

Operating income

Financial income and expense, net

Exceptional income/(loss)

TOTAL

Additions

Utilization

€9,443

20,427

24,386

€(21,066)

(27,981)

(11,313)

€54,256

€(60,360)

Reversal of 
unused amounts

€(105)

–

(1,169)

€(1,274)

Provisions for post-employment benefits

Dassault  Systèmes  SA’s  commitment  in  terms  of  post-
employment  benefits  was  evaluated  using  the  future  rights 
pro-rata method.

This method, which is based on an actuarial valuation of rights, 
takes into account rights acquired by employees on the date 
of their retirement, computed on the basis of the employees’ 
seniority  and  annual  salary  at  the  time  of  retirement.  These 
rights  are  acquired  and  paid  to  the  employee  when  he/
she  retires  as  a  fixed  amount.  Provisions  are  made  for  post-
employment  benefits  acquired  by  employees  during  their 

138 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

career on the basis of actuarial assumptions and calculations 
made using the corridor approach.

The  projected  benefit  obligation  at  December  31,  2014 
was  determined  using  the  prospective  method,  based  on 
the  following  assumptions:  retirement  between  60  and 
65  years  of  age,  discount  rate  of  2.10%,  average  increase 
in  salaries  of  2.8%  and  a  2.10%  expected  return  on  plan.  In 

1998,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  took  out  an  insurance  policy 
with  Sogecap,  a  life  insurance  company  affiliated  with  the 
Société  Générale,  intended  to  cover  the  retirement  payment 
commitments. Pursuant to this policy, Dassault Systèmes SA 
has  invested  a  total  of  €8.3  million.  The  amount  of  the 
obligation at December 31, 2014 remaining to be recognized 
according to the corridor method over 19 years is €9.9 million.

Note 17  Financial Liabilities

Financial liabilities are as follows:

(in thousands)

Bank loans and borrowings

Mandatory employee profit-sharing scheme

Other financial liabilities

TOTAL FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

(in thousands)

Bank loans and borrowings

Mandatory employee profit-sharing scheme

Other financial liabilities

TOTAL FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€351,888

€350,268

20,339

4,735

20,436

2,735

€376,962

€373,439

4

Gross amount Less than 1 year

1 to 5 years

€351,888

20,339

4,735

€1,888

3,776

14

€350,000

16,563

4,721

€376,962

€5,678

€371,284

Note 18  Elements Concerning Related Companies

(in thousands)

Loans receivable

Trade accounts receivable and related items

Current accounts receivable

Accounts payable and related items

Other operating liabilities

Current accounts with credit balances

Finance income: dividends collected and net interest received

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€514,616

€236,577

30,581

83,322 

2,231 

–

453,637 

30,384

26,536

73,979

3,898

17,105

525,973

121,491

The increase in loans receivable and the decrease in current accounts payable primarily reflects the financing of acquisitions by 
Dassault Systèmes SA subsidiaries in 2014.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 139

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 19  Trade Payables

Trade payables are as follows:

(in thousands)

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND RELATED ITEMS

Group trade payables

Third-party trade payables

TAX AND SOCIAL SECURITY PAYABLES

Mandatory and contractual profit-sharing

Accrued vacation

Other employee expenses

Value added tax and other taxes and duties

OTHER OPERATING LIABILITIES

Current accounts payable(1) 

Other liabilities

TOTAL PAYABLES

(1)   See Note 18 Elements Concerning Related Companies.

Less than 1 year

1 to 5 years

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

€69,606

2,231

67,375

110,023

18,735

36,826

44,970

9,492

459,860

453,637

6,223

–

–

–

8,961

8,961

–

–

–

–

–

–

€69,606

€66,157

2,231

67,375

3,898

62,259

118,984

110,218

27,696

36,826

44 ,970

9,492

459,860

453,637

6,223

26,762

34,493

40,027

8,936

547,999

525,973

22,026

€639,489

€8,961

€648,450

€724,374

In accordance with Articles L. 441-6 and D. 441-4 of the French Commercial Code related to information regarding payment due 
dates, at December 31, 2014, the balance of Dassault Systèmes SA’s trade payables to its suppliers amounted to €19.3 million 
(2013: €11.9 million). Due dates are as follows:

Due within 30 days

Due within 60 days

TOTAL

Note 20  Unearned Revenue

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

49.9%

51.1%

100%

34.9%

65.1%

100%

Unearned revenue is composed primarily of deferred software, maintenance and support revenue relating to periods subsequent 
to year end. Unearned revenue amounted to €40.4 million compared to €35.4 million in 2013.

140 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Note 21  Financial Commitments

Derivatives

At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the fair value of instruments used to manage currency and interest rate exposure was as follows:

(in thousands)

Interest rate swaps in euros (1)

Interest rate swaps in Japanese yen (2)

Interest rate swaps in Japanese yen (2)

Forward exchange contract Japanese yen/euros – sale (3)

Cross currency swaps Canadian dollars/euros (4)

Cross currency swaps Australian dollars/euros (4)

Forward exchange contract Japanese yen/U.S. dollars – sale (2)

Forward exchange contract Japanese yen/U.S. dollars – sale (2)

Other instruments (5)

Year ended December 31

2014

Nominal 
amount

Fair value

2013

Nominal 
amount

€350,000

€(12,145)

€350,000

9,984

9,984

38,163

73,412

72,064

5,507

5,507

37,789

(15)

15

2,438

1,863

1,548

946

(946)

(297)

30,058

30,058

2,229

70,370

69,787

–

–

27,258

(143)

Fair value

€(809)

(84)

84

929

4,972

4,678

–

–

4

(1)  Term loan facility obtained by Dassault Systèmes SA in June 2013.
(2)  Dassault Systèmes SA has entered into hedging agreements for its subsidiaries.
(3)  Instruments entered into by the Company to hedge the foreign currency exchange risk of forecasted sales in Japanese yen.
(4)  Dassault Systèmes SA has concluded hedging contracts with regards to loans made to subsidiaries to finance acquisitions; these instruments are not designated as hedging 

instruments.

(5)  Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments.

The  fair  market  values  of  derivative 
determined 
pricing models.

financial 

institutions 

by 

instruments  were 
option 

using 

At  the  end  of  2014,  foreign  exchange  contracts  have 
maturity dates of less than 12 months and interest rate swap 
agreements have a maturity of approximately five years. Cross 
currency swaps have maturity dates of less than three years.

Increases and Reductions in Future Income 
Tax Payable

Increases  and  reductions  in  future  income  tax  payable  have 
been evaluated on the basis of the standard corporate tax rate, 
plus extraordinary contributions when applicable.

(in thousands)

Nature of temporary differences

12/31/2014

12/31/2013

SHORT TERM (38.00% TAX RATE FOR 2013 AND 2014)

€43,030

€38,474

Provision for mandatory profit-sharing

Depreciation of receivables

Provisions for Contingencies and losses

Other

LONG TERM (34.43% TAX RATE)

Provision for post-employment benefits

TOTAL TEMPORARY DIFFERENCES

Net reduction of the future corporate tax debt

(38.00% tax rate)

(34.43% tax rate)

17,921

22,270

2,537

302

18,151

18,151

15,512

16,779

5,038

1,145

15,221

15,221

€61,181

€53,695

€16,351

€6,249

€14,620

€5,241

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 141

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 22  Other Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

stood 

commitments 

On  December  31,  2014, 
at 
€294.1 million for real estate and equipment rentals including: 
(i)  €273.1  million  relating  to  the  lease  for  the  headquarters 
in  Vélizy-Villacoublay  (compared  with  €270.2  million  as  of 
December  31,  2013);  and  (ii)  €10.9  million  (compared  with 
€13.1 million as of December 31, 2013) related to the lease 
of the “Terre Europa” site, next to the headquarters, effective 
as from July 2011.

It  is  not  possible  to  determine  with  certainty  the  outcome 
of  the  dispute  in  these  matters.  However,  in  the  opinion  of 
management,  after  consultation  with  legal  and  tax  counsel, 
the  resolution  of  such  litigation  and  proceedings  should 
not  have  a  material  effect  on  the  financial  statements  of 
Dassault Systèmes SA.

Individual right to training for employees 
in France

In February 2013, Dassault Systèmes SA committed to lease 
an  additional  13,000  square  meters  of  office  space  and  to 
enter  into  a  new  lease  for  its  headquarters  facilities  for  a 
non-cancelable initial term of 10 years which will take effect 
during the first quarter of 2017 when construction is expected 
to be completed. Future minimum rental payments until the 
end  of  the  lease  amount  to  approximately  €272.8  million  in 
the aggregate and have been included in the paragraph above.

French law provides permanent employees in French entities 
with the right to receive individual training of at least 20 hours 
per year (Individual Training Rights). Individual Training Rights 
can  be  accumulated  over  six  years  and  the  related  costs  are 
expensed as incurred.

As  of  December  31,  2014,  accumulated  Individual  Training 
Rights amounted to 257,229 hours, including 254,421 hours 
that have not yet been requested by the employees.    

Litigation and other proceedings

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  is  involved  in  litigation  and  other 
proceedings,  such  as  civil,  commercial  and  tax  proceedings, 
incidental to normal operations. Dassault Systèmes SA is subject 
to  ongoing  tax  audits  and  tax  reassessments.  A  number  of 
theses reassessments, in particular those related to acquisition 
financing,  are  being  challenged  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA 
which  is  strongly  confident  in  the  technical  merits  of  its 
positions and will continue to defend them with the relevant 
tax authorities. In this context, Dassault Systèmes SA made a 
€22.2 million payment to the French tax authorities in 2014 
but disputed it with the relevant authorities.

Note 23  Additional Information

Events after the reporting period

Identity of the Consolidating Company

None.

Dassault Systèmes SA’s business is included in the consolidated 
financial statements of Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault SAS, 
whose  registered  office  is  located  at  9,  R ond-P oint  des 
Champs-Élysées – Marcel Dassault, 75008 Paris, France.

142 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Note 24  Information Relating to Subsidiaries and Shareholdings

(in thousands) (1)

Location of 
Headquarters

Gross book 
value of 
shares

Net book 
value of 
shares

% of 
interest

Share 
capital and 
share 
premiums

Reserves 
and 
retained 
earnings

Net profit 

or loss Revenue

Dividend 
rights 
received

Loans and 
advances

Guarantees 
and 
sureties

€788,462

€788,462

100 €1,522,359 €245,089 €423,802

–

–

242,977

242,977

10

154

439,658

16,961

152,653

14,913

–

–

226,354

213,801

100

10,601

14,764

850

181,610

–

111,400

Dassault Systemes 
Corp. (2)

Waltham – 
USA

Dassault Systemes 
Simulia Corp.

Johnston  – 
USA

Dassault Systemes 
Deutschland GmbH

Stuttgart – 
Germany

Dassault Systèmes 
International SAS

Vélizy-
Villacoublay – 
France

Dassault Systèmes 
Israel Ltd

Kfar 
Saba – Israel

Dassault Systemes 
K.K.

 Tokyo – Japan

Dassault Systèmes 
Canada Inc.

Montreal – 
Canada

183,041

137,041

100

108,924

495

711

41

64,883

5,801

100

28,918

(22,344)

6,446

24,585

43,742

43,742

100

29,952

4,288

10,319

280,869

36,673

36,673

100

35,907

12,174

3,506

26,892

Dassault Systèmes 
Provence SAS

Netvibes France 
SAS

Dassault Systemes 
UK Ltd

3DVIA SAS

Aix en 
Provence – 
France

32,248

32,248

100

32,394

177

16,577

38,323

Paris – France

31,277

31,277

100

577

(5,410)

(4,052)

1,153

Coventry – UK

Paris  – France

26,456

13,461

26,456

13,461

100

100

28,572

873

4,173

(206)

1,089

49,241

(1,614)

1,773

Dassault Systemes 
AB

Goteborg – 
Sweden

Dassault Systemes 
India Pvt Ltd

Gurgaon – 
India

9,540

9,540

100

11

4,255

906

38,066

8,823

8,823

100

4,129

7,983

931

36,795

6,260

6,260

100

2,795

(1,487)

(1,419)

732

5,228

5,228

100

791

424

(490)

1,167

4

–

–

–

–

–

–(3)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

129,981

–

–

73,412

–

4,200

17,699

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,576

2,576

100

3,000

1,172

4,127

58,072

3,000

Lainate – Italy

1,949

1,949

100

20

202

(125)

30,198

–

1,294

1,294

Not communicated

750

553

553

Not communicated

1,416

1,213

–

€1,725,797 €1,608,162

€1,809,977 €705,407 €478,525 €922,170 €19,329 €338,655

(1)  The earnings of foreign subsidiaries are presented in the locally applicable GAAP for the 2013 financial year and have been converted using the 2014 average annual exchange 

rates for the relevant currencies. The shareholders’ equity of foreign subsidiaries have been converted using the closing rates in effect at year-end 2014.

(2)  American  holding  company  owning  100%  of  Dassault  Systemes  SolidWorks  Corp.,  and  Dassault  Systemes  Holding  LLC,  the  latter  itself  holding  90%  of  Dassault  Systemes 

Simulia Corp. and 100% of Dassault Systemes Americas Corp., Dassault Systèmes Russia Corp. and Spatial Corp.

(3)  As regards the Japanese subsidiary Dassault Systemes KK, Dassault Systèmes SA is the guarantor for up to 14.5 billion Japanese yen through July 31, 2015 for the benefit of the 
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and Société Générale, for the credit line granted by these banks. Dassault Systèmes SA has not granted any other significant guarantees or endorsements 
to its subsidiaries.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 143

Vélizy-
Villacoublay – 
France

Rennes – 
France

Vélizy-
Villacoublay – 
France

Simpoe SAS

Archivideo SA

Dassault Data 
Services SAS

Dassault Systemes 
Italia Srl

Other French 
subsidiaries

Other foreign 
subsidiaries

TOTAL

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

4.2.4  Selected financial and other information for 

Dassault Systèmes SA over the last five years

(in euros)

Share capital

Share Capital

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

121,332,605

123,092,729

125,096,778

126,932,985

128,182,039

Number of shares authorized and issued(2)

121,332,605

123,092,729

125,096,778

126,932,985

256,364,077

Statement of income data

Revenue

Result before income tax, profit sharing, amortization 
and provisions

Result before income tax, profit sharing, amortization 
and provisions and reversals of provisions

Income tax

Regulated employee profit-sharing

Optional employee profit-sharing

Net income

Data per share

Result after income tax and profit sharing and before 
amortization and provisions

Basic net income per share

Dividend per share (2)

Personnel

Average headcount

742,259,080

850,023,294

990,705,543 1,064,558,462 1,125,687,175

365,948,323

415,780,289

386,581,931

435,033,094

359,636,561

339,981,856

341,652,678

367,577,134

413,314,821

304,131,981

33,005,838

46,812,886

52,457,635

68,216,039

45,164,304

11,058,164

13,192,985

16,266,653

15,512,132

17,921,044

10,501,560

14,165,501

13,601,995

18,421,890

17,921,044

219,126,831

264,795,422

254,846,867

263,440,594

183,005,154

2.35

1.81

0.54

2.17

2.15

0.70

2.28

2.04

0.80

2.45

2.08

0.83

0.87

0. 71

0.43 (1)

2,022

2,141

2,372

2,541

2,748 

Personnel costs paid during the year

120,640,263

140,056,445

164,250,610

180,114,271

203,666,853

Social security contributions paid during the year

69,681,295

70,506,943

88,239,898

86,640,481

99,949,422

(1)  To be proposed for approval at the General Meeting scheduled for May 28, 2015.
(2)  Historical data prior to 2014 does not reflect the two-for-one stock split effected in July 2014.

144 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

4.2.5  Report of the Statutory Auditors on the Parent Company 

Financial Statements

This is a free translation into English of the Statutory Auditors’ report on the financial statements issued in French and it is 
provided solely for the convenience of English-speaking users.

The Statutory Auditors’ report includes information specifically required by French law in such reports, whether modified or not. 
This information is presented below the audit opinion on the financial statements and includes an explanatory paragraph discussing 
the auditors’ assessments of certain significant accounting and auditing matters. These assessments were considered for the 
purpose of issuing an audit opinion on the financial statements taken as a whole and not to provide separate assurance on 
individual account balances, transactions or disclosures.

This report also includes information relating to the specific verification of information given in the management report and in the 
documents addressed to the shareholders.

This report should be read in conjunction with and construed in accordance with French law and professional auditing standards 
applicable in France.

To the Shareholders,

In compliance with the assignment entrusted to us by your Shareholders’ Meetings, we hereby report to you, for the year ended 
December 31, 2014, on:

4

 (cid:125) the audit of the accompanying financial statements of Dassault Systèmes;

 (cid:125) the justification of our assessments;

 (cid:125) the specific verifications and information required by law.

These financial statements have been approved by the Board of Directors. Our role is to express an opinion on these financial 
statements based on our audit.

I.  Opinio n on the financial statements

We conducted our audit in accordance with professional standards applicable in France; those standards require that we plan and 
perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An 
audit involves performing procedures, using sampling techniques or other methods of selection, to obtain audit evidence about the 
amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies 
used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made, as well as the overall presentation of the financial statements. We 
believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

In  our  opinion,  the  financial  statements  give  a  true  and  fair  view  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  and  of  the  financial  position  of 
the Company as at December 31, 2014 and of the results of its operations for the year then ended in accordance with French 
accounting principles.

II.  Justi fication of our assessments

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  Article  L.  823-9  of  the  French  Commercial  Code (Code de commerce)  relating  to  the 
justification of our assessments, we bring to your attention the following matters:

 (cid:125) Note 2.1 to the financial statements sets out the accounting principles and methods used to account for revenue including 
firstly new software licenses along with the related maintenance, and secondly services and other revenue. We verified the 
appropriateness of the retained accounting principles and methods, their application and the  information disclosed in the notes;

 (cid:125) Note 2.3 to the financial statements summarizes the methods of recognition and valuation of intangible assets. We verified 

that the values in use of the business assets (fonds de commerce) were consistent with their carrying value;

 (cid:125) Note 2.4 to the financial statements summarizes the methods of recognition and valuation of financial fixed assets. We verified 

that the values in use of the long-term equity interests were consistent with their carrying values.

These assessments were made as part of our audit of the financial statements taken as a whole, and therefore contributed to the 
opinion we formed which is expressed in the first part of this report.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 145

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

III. Spec ific verifications and information

We have a lso performed, in accordance with professional standards applicable in France, the specific verifications required by 
French law.

We have n o matters to report as to the fair presentation and the consistency with the financial statements of the information 
given in the management report of the Board of Directors and in the documents addressed to shareholders with respect to the 
financial position and the financial statements.

Concerning the information given in accordance with the requirements of Article L. 225-102-1 of the French Commercial Code 
(Code de commerce) relating to remunerations and benefits received by the directors and any other commitments made in their 
favour, we have verified its consistency with the financial statements, or with the underlying information used to prepare these 
financial statements and, where applicable, with the information obtained by your Company from companies controlling your 
Company or controlled by it. Based on this work, we attest the accuracy and fair presentation of this information.

In  accord ance  with  French  law,  we  have  verified  that  the  required  information  concerning  the  purchase  of  investments  and 
controlling  interests  and  the  identity  of  the  shareholders  and  holders  of  voting  rights  has  been  properly  disclosed  in  the 
management report.

Neuilly-sur-Seine and Paris-La Défense, March 23, 2015

The Statutory Auditors

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUDIT

French original signed by:

Pierre Marty

ERNST & YOUNG ET AUTRES

French original signed by:

Jean-François Ginies

146 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

4.2.6  Special report of the Statutory Auditors on Regulated 

Agreements and Commitments

 This is a free translation into English of a report issued in French and it is provided solely for the convenience of English speaking 
users. This report should be read in conjunction with, and construed in accordance with, French law and professional standards 
applicable in France. 

 To the Shareholders,

In our capacity as Statutory Auditors of your Company, we hereby report on certain related party agreements and commitments.

We are required to inform you, on the basis of the information provided to us, of the terms and conditions of those agreements 
and commitments indicated to us, or that we may have identified in the performance of our engagement. We are not required to 
comment as to whether they are beneficial or appropriate or to ascertain the existence of any such agreements and commitments. 
It is your responsibility, in accordance with Article R. 225-31 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), to evaluate the 
benefits resulting from these agreements and commitments prior to their approval.

In addition, we are required, where applicable, to inform you in accordance with Article R. 225-31 of the French Commercial Code 
(Code de commerce) concerning the implementation, during the last financial year, of the agreements and commitments already 
approved by the General Meeting of Shareholders.

We performed those procedures which we considered necessary to comply with professional guidance issued by the national 
auditing  body (Compagnie N ationale des Commissaires aux C omptes)  relating  to  this  type  of  engagement.  These  procedures 
consisted in verifying that the information provided to us is consistent with the documentation from which it has been extracted.

4

 Agreements and commitments submitted for approval by the General Meeting of Shareholders 

In accordance with article L.225-40 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), we have been advised of certain related 
party agreements and commitments which received prior authorization from your Board of Directors. 

With Mr Bernard Charlès, Directeur Général

Nature and purpose
Indemnity in the event of the removal of Mr Bernard Charlès from corporate office

Conditions
At its meeting on May 27 , 2014 , on the occasion of the renewal of Mr Bernard Charlès’ term of office as Directeur Général, the 
Board of Directors authorized, upon the proposal of the Remuneration and Selection Committee, the renewal of the agreement 
granting Mr Bernard Charlès a compensation in case of the termination of his functions as Directeur Général according to the 
terms adopted by the Board of Directors at its meetings on May 27, 2010, March 28, 2008 and March 27, 2009.

At its meeting on May 26 , 2014 , the Board of Directors decided to make no change to the conditions, as defined by the Board 
of Directors at its meeting on March 27, 2009, in which this compensation would be due in view of the recommendations of 
the  Remuneration  and  Selection  Committee  and  in  accordance  with  the  recommendations  integrated  into  the  AFEP/MEDEF 
Consolidated Corporate Governance Code (Code de gouvernement d’entreprise consolidé) of December 2008.

The amount of the indemnity due would be equivalent to a maximum of two years of remuneration of the Directeur Général and 
would depend on meeting performance targets established for the calculation of his variable remuneration.

The amount paid would be calculated as a prorated percentage of the variable remuneration paid during the three years prior to 
the departure in relation to the target variable remuneration for these same years.

Thus, the amount due would be calculated according to the following formula:

 (cid:125) total gross remuneration (including variable remuneration but excluding benefits in kind and directors’ fees) due in respect of 

his corporate office for the two  years ended prior to the date of departure;

 (cid:125) multiplied  by  the  figure  resulting  from  the  division  i)  of  the  amount  of  the  variable  remuneration  paid  to  the  Directeur 
Général during the three  years ended prior to the date of the departure (numerator), by ii) the amount of the target variable 
remuneration decided for each of these same years by the Board of Directors according to the achievement of the targets fixed 
for the Company (denominator).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 147

4 Financial statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

The indemnity may only be paid in the event of a change of control or strategy duly established by the Board of Directors that 
results in a forced departure within the following twelve months. It could also be paid in a scenario of a forced departure without 
being related to poor results of the Company or to mismanagement by the Directeur Général; the Board of Directors can then 
decide to grant all or part of the termination compensation.

The indemnity will not be due in a situation where the Directeur Général leaves the Company on his own initiative to take up a 
new position, or changes position within the Group, or if he is able to claim a pension within a short time period.

Besides,  in  the  event  of  exceptional  events  that  could  seriously  damage  the  group's   image  or  income  and  have  a  significant 
negative impact on the stock market share price of your Company, according to the assessment of the Board of Directors, or in 
the event of misconduct independent of his functions and incompatible with the normal performance of his office as Directeur 
Général, the Board of Directors may establish that the indemnity will not be due.

  Agreements and commitments already approved by the General Meeting of Shareholders

 In accordance with Article R. 225-30 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), we have been advised that the 
implementation of the following agreements and commitments, which were approved in prior years, continued during the 
year.

In addition, we have been advised that the following agreements and commitments which were approved by the General Meeting 
of Shareholders in prior years were not implemented during the year.

        With the Board members of your  Company, in connection with the insurance policy “Civil liability 
of the directors and the corporate officers” signed with the company Insurance Allianz

a. Nature and purpose
Advance to the Board members of their expenses of possible legal defense instituted against them in the exercise of their mandate.

Conditions
In its meeting on July 24, 1996, the Board of Directors authorized the decision to have your Company advance their expenses 
to a legal and compensations that the Board members might have if their personal civil liability would be questioned, in case 
the  insurance  policy  signed  with  the  company  CHARTIS  Insurance  (Allianz),  would  not  cover  these  advances  and  financial 
consequences.

b. Nature and purpose
Payment of the possible legal defense expenses of Board members taking place in the United Sates.

Conditions
In its meeting on September 23, 2003, the Board of Directors authorized the decision to have your Company pay the fees and 
travel expenses that Board members of the Company and of its subsidiaries might have to meet to prepare their personal defense 
before a civil, criminal or administrative jurisdiction of the United States if this defense were to be exercised within the scope of 
an inquiry or investigations being carried out against your Company.

Payment of these expenses is ensured on the three-part condition that the Board members and senior executives concerned are 
assisted by lawyers selected by the Company, that the Company remains i n control of its strategic choices in terms of procedure 
and methods of defense and that the expenses incurred be reasonable.

Neuilly-sur-Seine and Paris-La Défense, March 23, 2015

The Statutory Auditors

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUDIT

French original signed by:

Pierre Marty

ERNST & YOUNG ET AUTRES

French original signed by:

Jean-François Ginies

148 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial statements
Legal and Arbitration Proceedings

4

4.3  Legal and Arbitration Proceedings

In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  the  Company  is  involved 
from  time  to  time  in  litigation,  tax  audits  or  regulatory 
inquiries.  The  Company  is  subject  to  ongoing  tax  audits 
and  tax  reassessments  in  jurisdictions  in  which  it  has  or 
had  operations.  A  number  of  these  reassessments  have 
been  contested  and  the  Company  is  under  discussion  with 
the  relevant  tax  authorities.  To  the  Company’s  knowledge, 
there  is  no  outstanding,  suspended  or  pending  government 
proceeding, litigation or arbitration, which has had during the 
last  twelve  months  preceding  the  publication  of  this  2014 
Annual  Report (Document de référence), or  is  likely  to  have, 
a  significant  impact  on  the  Company’s  financial  position  or 
results of operations.

For information purposes only, the Company notes that two 
class action lawsuits were filed  and consolidated  in the Court 
of  Chancery  in  Delaware  in  February  2014,  pursuant  to  the 
tender offer made by Dassault Systèmes to acquire Accelrys, 
a NASDAQ-listed U.S. company. In addition to claiming false 
disclosure  in  connection  with  this  acquisition,  the  lawsuits 
alleged that the directors of Accelrys breached their fiduciary 
duties  to  Accelrys’  stockholders  in  connection  with  this 
acquisition and that the Company aided and abetted Accelrys’ 
directors  in  such  breach.  The  lawsuits  sought  equitable 
relief,  including  injunctions  to  prevent  consummation  of  the 
acquisition,  damages  and  recovery  of  costs  and  attorneys’ 
and  experts’  fees,  among  other  remedies.  The  acquisition  of 
Accelrys  was  completed  on  April  29,  2014.  On  January  7, 
2015,  the  Court  entered  an  order  approving  the  voluntary 
dismissal without prejudice of all claims filed by the plaintiffs 
in the two class action lawsuits. No compensation in any form 
was  paid  or  promised  by  the  Company  or  its  subsidiaries  to 
plaintiffs or plaintiffs’ counsel as part of the dismissal of the 
lawsuits.

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 149

4 Financial statements

150 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

5

CORPORATE 
GOVERNANCE

5.1  Report of the Chairman 

on Corporate Governance 
and Internal Control 

5.2  Report of the Statutory Auditors 
on Corporate Governance 
and Internal Control 

171

152

CONTENTS

5.1.1  Composition and Practices of the Board of Directors  152

5.1.2  The Executive Committee 

5.1.3  Declarations Regarding the Administrative Bodies 

and Senior Management 

5.1.4  Principles Established by the Board of Directors 
pertaining to Compensation of the Company’s 
Executive Officers and directors 

5.1.5  Application of the AFEP-MEDEF Code 

162

163

163

166

5.1.6  Internal Control Procedures and Risk Management  167

5.1.7  Other information required by Article L. 225-37 

of the French Commercial Code 

170

5.3  Summary of the Compensation 

and Benefits Due to Directors 

172

5.3.1  Compensation of the Company’s Directors 

(mandataires sociaux) 

172

5.3.2  Interests of Executive Management 

and Employees in the Company’s Share Capital 

176

5.4  Transactions in the Company’s 
Shares by the Management 
of the Company 

5.5  Statutory Auditors 

181

186

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 151

5 Corporate governance

Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

5.1  Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance 

and Internal Control

Report of the Chairman of the Board of Directors 
to the Combined General Meeting of May 28, 2015

Systèmes. It was reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved 
by the Board of Directors at its meeting on March 20, 2015.

To the Shareholders of Dassault Systèmes,

The  purpose  of  this  report  is  to  describe  the  composition 
and practices of the Board of Directors of Dassault Systèmes 
SA,  the  application  thereto  of  the  principle  of  balanced 
representation  of  men  and  women,  and  the  internal  control 
and risk management procedures established by the Company.

This  report  was  drawn  up  in  accordance  with  the  French 
Commercial  Code  and  the  regulations  of  the  French  Financial 
Markets  Authority  (AMF),  based  on  work  carried  out  by  the 
finance,  legal  and  internal  audit  departments  of  Dassault 

Since  its  IPO  (1996),  Dassault  Systèmes  has  sought  to 
implement  the  best  international  standards  of  corporate 
governance. Dassault Systèmes currently adheres to most of 
the  recommendations  of  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code  (available 
on  the  MEDEF  website:  www.medef.fr)  and  summarizes  in 
a  table  the  reasons  why  it  does  not  apply  certain  of  these 
recommendations  (see  paragraph  5.1.5  “Application  of  the 
AFEP-MEDEF Code”).

5.1.1  Composition and Practices of the Board of Directors

5.1.1.1 

Composition of the Board of Directors

The  Board  of  Directors  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  has  nine 
members, who are elected for a term of office of four years:

 (cid:125) Charles Edelstenne (Chairman);

 (cid:125) Bernard Charlès;

 (cid:125) Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï;

 (cid:125) Nicole Dassault;

 (cid:125) Serge Dassault (until his resignation on May 27, 2014);

 (cid:125) Arnoud De Meyer;

 (cid:125) Odile Desforges;

 (cid:125) Marie-Hélène Habert (since July 23, 2014);

 (cid:125) Toshiko Mori;

 (cid:125) Thibault de Tersant.

With  regard  to  the  composition  of  its  Board  of  Directors, 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  pays  particular  attention 
to 
independence, diversity of background and the representation 
of  women,  especially  since  a  number  of  terms  of  office  will 
expire in 2015.

At  present,  44%  of  the  directors  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA 
are  independent:  Odile  Desforges,  Toshiko  Mori,  Jean-Pierre 
Chahid-Nouraï and Arnoud De Meyer. This proportion exceeds 
the recommendation of the AFEP-MEDEF Code for controlled 
companies.

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  has  incorporated  the  definition  of 
independence  contained  in  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code  into 
the  internal  regulation  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  whereby  a 
director  is  independent  when  he  or  she  has  no  relationship 
whatsoever  with  Dassault  Systèmes  SA,  the  Group,  the 
Company  or  its  management  which  might  compromise  his/
her free judgment.

At  its  meeting  on  March  20,  2015,  the  Board  of  Directors 
reviewed  –  as  it  does  each  year  –  the  independence  criteria 
recommended  by  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code,  particularly  with 
regard  to  the  absence   of  a  business  relationship.  As  none  of 
the directors have a business relationship with the Group, the 
Board of Directors did not have to express an opinion  on the 
materiality   of any such  relationship. The Board’s decisions are 
based  on  recommendations  provided  by  the  Compensation 
and Nomination Committee, after examining a questionnaire 
completed by the relevant directors .  

 Dassault  Systèmes  SA  is  also  keen  to  ensure  that  the  Board 
has a significant number of women members. As 44% of its 
directors are women, Dassault Systèmes SA currently exceeds 
the  thresholds  enshrined  in  law  and  recommended  by  the 
AFEP-MEDEF Code. 

152 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

5

 The Board of Directors does not have a member nominated by 
the employees, as Dassault Systèmes does not fall within the 
scope of the legal provisions in this area.

However,  the  Board  does  have  an  international  dimension, 
with a Belgian and a Japanese director accounting for 22% of 
the members.

The  average  age  of  the  directors  was  65  at  the  date  of  this 
Annual Report (Document de référence).

The above information is summarized in the table below.

COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF DASSAULT SYSTÈMES SA

Term expires

Changes in 2014

Contribution to the 
diversity of the Board’s 
composition

Director

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

Thibault de Tersant

Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï (1)

Nicole Dassault (1)

Serge Dassault

Arnoud De Meyer (1)

Odile Desforges

Marie-Hélène Habert

Toshiko Mori (1)

Independence

X

X

X

X

Start of first 
term of office

04/08/1993

04/08/1993

04/08/1993

04/15/2005

05/26/2011

06/07/2012

2018

2018

2018

2015

2015

2016

Re-appointment

Re-appointment

Re-appointment

Resignation (2)

04/15/2005

2015

05/30/2013

2017

07/23/2014

2016

Appointment (3)

05/26/2011

2015

5

Enhanced female 
representation

Enhanced 
international 
representation

Enhanced female 
representation

Enhanced female 
representation

Enhanced female and 
international 
representation

(1)  The renewal of the terms of office of these directors is to be proposed to the General Meeting of Shareholders of May 28, 2015.
(2)  On May 27, 2014.
(3)  Co-opted on July 23, 2014 to replace Serge Dassault, until the latter’s term expires. The ratification of her appointment is to be proposed to the General Meeting of May 28, 2015 

(see paragraph 7.1 “Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of  Shareholders on May 28, 2015”).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 153

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The roles and duties performed by the Dassault Systèmes SA corporate officers in 2014 are indicated in the table below.

CHARLES EDELSTENNE – CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Biography:  Charles  Edelstenne  qualified  as  a  Chartered 
Accountant. He has spent his whole career with Dassault Aviation, 
where  he  started  working  in  1960  as  Head  of  the  financial 
studies department. In 1975 he became General Secretary then 
Vice-Chairman  responsible  for  economic  and  financial  affairs  in 
1986. From 2000 to 2013, he was Dassault Aviation Chairman-
Chief Executive Officer. In January 2013, Charles Edelstenne was 
appointed  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  Groupe  Industriel  Marcel 
Dassault.  He  was  founder,  Manager  then  President  and  Chief 
Executive Officer of Dassault Systèmes and is currently Chairman 
of its Board of Directors.

End of current term: General Meeting called to approve the financial 
statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2017.

Date of first appointment: 04/08/1993

Dassault  Systèmes  shares  owned  at  December  31,  2014: 
15,562,944 (including a majority of beneficial ownership shares).

Age: 77

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  Groupe  Industriel  Marcel  Dassault  – 
9 Rond-point des Champs Élysées – Marcel Dassault, 75008 Paris 
– France

Other current positions and Directorships:

Inside  Dassault  Group,  in  France:  Chief  Executive  Officer  and 
member  of  the  Supervisory  Board  of  Groupe  Industriel  Marcel 
Dassault  SAS  (GIMD) (1),  Honorary  Chairman  and  Director  of 
Dassault  Aviation  SA  (listed  company,  subsidiary  of  GIMD), 
Director of Sogitec Industries SA,

Inside Dassault Group, outside France: Director of SABCA (listed 
company,  subsidiary  of  GIMD)  (Belgium),  Director  of  Dassault 
Falcon Jet Corporation (United States)

Outside Dassault Group: Director of Thales and Carrefour (listed 
companies),  Honorary  Chairman  of  Gifas (2),  Manager  of  the 
partnerships Arie, Arie 2, Nili and Nili 2

Other positions expired during the past five years:

Chairman of Gifas and Cidef (3)

Chairman  and  CEO  of  Dassault  Aviation  SA  (listed  company, 
subsidiary  of  GIMD),  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Dassault  Falcon 
Jet Corporation (until January 8, 2013) and Chairman of Dassault 
International, Inc. (until April 29, 2013)

(1)  GIMD is the main shareholder of Dassault Systèmes SA. (See paragraph 6.3.2 “Controlling Shareholder”).
(2)  Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales.
(3)   Conseil des Industries de Défense Françaises.

154 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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5

BERNARD CHARLÈS – PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Biography:  Bernard  Charlès  has  been  Chief  Executive  Officer 
(Directeur  Général)  of  Dassault  Systèmes  since  2002  when 
Mr  Edelstenne  became  solely  the  Chairman  of  the  Company’s 
Board. Since 1995, Mr Charlès has had executive functions which 
he  shared  with  Mr  Edelstenne.  Prior  to  holding  this  position, 
Mr  Charlès  served  as  Director  of  the  New  Technology,  Research 
and  Development  and  Strategy  department  from  1986  to  1988 
and as President of Strategy, Research & Development from 1988 
to 1995.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 
2017.

Date of first appointment: 04/08/1993

Dassault  Systèmes  shares  owned  at  December  31,  2014: 
2,751,624

Age: 57

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  Dassault  Systèmes  –  10  rue  Marcel 
Dassault, 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay – France

Principal responsibility: President and Chief Executive Officer of 
Dassault Systèmes SA

Other current positions and Directorships (all inside the Group, 
outside France):

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dassault Systemes Corp., 
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp., Dassault Systemes Simulia 
Corp., Biovia Corp. (United States), and Dassault Systemes Canada 
Software  Inc.  doing  business  as  Dassault  Systemes  Geovia  Inc. 
(Canada)

Other positions expired during the past five years (all inside the 
Group, outside France):

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dassault Systemes Delmia 
Corp.,  Dassault  Systemes  Enovia  Corp.  and  Chairman  of  the 
Supervisory Board of RealTime Technology AG (Germany)

5

THIBAULT DE TERSANT – SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Biography:  Thibault  de  Tersant  has  been  Senior  Executive  Vice-
President and Chief Financial Officer of Dassault Systèmes since 
2003.  He  joined  Dassault  Systèmes  in  1988  as  Executive  Vice-
President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer.  Prior  to  joining  Dassault 
Systèmes, Mr de Tersant served as a finance executive at Dassault 
International.  Mr  de  Tersant  is  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  DFCG  (the  French  National  Association  of  Chief 
Financial Officers and Financial Controllers) and Temenos, a listed 
Swiss company specialized in software solutions for the banking 
industry.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 
2017.

Date of first appointment: 04/08/1993

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 81,730

Age: 57

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  Dassault  Systèmes  –  10  rue  Marcel 
Dassault, 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay – France

Main  position:  Senior  Executive  Vice-President  and  Chief 
Financial Officer

Other current positions and Directorships:

Inside Dassault Systèmes Group, in France: President of Dassault 
Systèmes International SAS

Inside  Dassault  Systèmes  Group,  outside  France:  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Spatial  Corp.,  Director  of  Dassault 
Systèmes  Corp.,  Dassault  Systemes  SolidWorks  Corp.,  Dassault 
Systemes Simulia Corp. (United States)

Outside  Dassault  Systèmes  Group:  Director  of  Temenos  (listed 
company) (Switzerland)

Other positions expired during the past five years:

Manager  of  Elsys,  SPRL,  Director  of  Dassault  Systemes  Delmia 
Corp.,  Icem  Ltd  and  of  Dassault  Systemes  Enovia  Corp.  (United 
States)

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JEAN-PIERRE CHAHID-NOURAÏ – INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

 Chairman and member of the Audit Committee
Chairman and member of the Compensation and Nomination 
Committee

is  an 

Jean-Pierre  Chahid-Nouraï 

Biography: 
independent 
consultant. He was a Managing Director (Administrateur Délégué) 
of  Finanval  Conseil  from  1992  to  2007.  Former  member  of  the 
Michelin management and Financial Manager, Mr Chahid-Nouraï 
was  also  an  investment  banker  at  MM.  Lazard  Frères  et  Cie, 
Banque  Veuve  Morin-Pons,  Financière 
Indosuez  and  S.G. 
Warburg,  as  well  as  a  consultant  with  McKinsey  &  Co.  He  has 
also  contemporaneously  taught  finance  at  ESSEC,  the  Centre  de 
Formation  à  l'Analyse  Financière,  INSEAD  and  CEDEP  (Centre 
Européen d'Éducation Permanente).

Age: 76

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  56  rue  de  Boulainvilliers,  75016  Paris  – 
France

Main position: Director

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial  statements  for  the  financial  year  ended  December  31, 
2014.

 Other current positions and Directorships:

Director of the Fondation Stanislas pour l’Éducation

Date of first appointment: 04/15/2005

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 2,046

NICOLE DASSAULT – DIRECTOR

Age: 84

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  Groupe  Industriel  Marcel  Dassault  – 
9 Rond-point des Champs Élysées – Marcel Dassault, 75008 Paris 
– France

Main  position:  Member  of  the  Supervisory  Board  (Conseil de 
surveillance) of GIMD

Other current positions and Directorships:

Inside  Dassault  Group:  Vice-Chairman  and  member  of  the 
Supervisory  Board  (Conseil  de  surveillance)  of  Immobilière 
Dassault SA, Chief Executive Officer (Directeur Général Délégué) 
of  Rond-Point  Immobilier  SAS,  Director  of  Dassault  Aviation 
(a  listed  company),  Dassault  Medias  SA,  Groupe  Figaro  SAS 
and  Artcurial  SA  and  founding  member  of  the  Serge  Dassault 
Foundation.

Outside Dassault Group: Director of Société des Amis du Louvre 
and Société des Amis du Musée d’Orsay.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial  statements  for  the  financial  year  ended  December  31, 
2014.

Date of first appointment: 05/26/2011

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 0(1) 

(1)   Nicole Dassault is a shareholder of GIMD.

156 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

SERGE DASSAULT – DIRECTOR(1)

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 
2015.

Date of first appointment: 06/07/2012

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 196(2)

(1)  Resigned on May 27, 2014.
(2)  Serge Dassault is a shareholder of GIMD.

ARNOUD DE MEYER – INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Chairman  of the Scientific Committee
Member of the Compensation and Nomination Committee 

Biography:  Arnoud  De  Meyer  is  President  of  the  Singapore 
Management  University.  Mr  De  Meyer  is  a  specialist  in  the 
management of innovation and has published numerous articles 
and  books  on  this  subject.  He  was  previously  Director  of  Judge 
Business School (University of Cambridge, U.K.) and Professor of 
Technology Management at INSEAD and Deputy Dean of INSEAD 
in France in charge of Administration and External Relations. He 
has also taught at Waseda University and Keio Business School in 
Japan and created the INSEAD Campus in Singapore.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial  statements  for  the  financial  year  ended  December  31, 
2014.

Date of first appointment: 04/15/2005

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 1,152

Corporate governance
Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

5

Age: 89

Nationality: French

Professional address: Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault – 9 Rond-
point des Champs Élysées – Marcel Dassault, 75008 Paris – France

Main position: President and member of the Supervisory Board 
of GIMD

Other current position and Directorships:

Inside Dassault Group, in France: Honorary Chairman (Président 
d'honneur)  and  Director  (Administrateur)  of  Dassault  Aviation 
(a 
listed  company),  President  of  GIFAS  (Groupement  des 
Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales), Chairman of the 
Board  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  (Président-Directeur Général) 
of  Dassault  Media  SA,  Chairman  and  Director  of  Groupe  Figaro 
SAS, Société du Figaro SAS, Rond-Point Immobilier SAS, Rond-
Point Holding SAS, Chief Executive Officer (Directeur Général) of 
Château  Dassault  SAS,  member  of  the  Strategic  Committee  of 
Dassault Développement SAS, Manager (Gérant) of Société Civile 
Immobilière de Maison Rouge, Rond-Point Investissement SARL 
and SCI des Hautes Bruyères.

Inside Dassault Group, outside France: Director (Administrateur) 
of Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation, Dassault International Inc. and 
Chairman  and  Director  of  Dassault  Belgique  Aviation,  Chairman 
of  Marcel  Dassault  Trading  Corporation  and  of  Serge  Dassault 
Trading Corporation.

Outside Dassault Group: Director of SITA

Other positions expired during the past five years:

Director of Société Financière Terramaris

5

Age: 60

Nationality: Belgian

Professional  address:  Singapore  Management  University  – 
81 Victoria Street, Singapore 188065 – Singapore

Main  position:  President  of  the  Singapore  Management 
University

Other current position and Directorships:

Outside  France:  Director  of  Temasek  Management  Services 
Pte.  Ltd,  Singapore  International  Chamber  of  Commerce,  SMU 
Ventures Pte. Ltd, member of the Board of Directors of Singapore 
National Research Foundation.

Other positions expired during the past five years:

Director  of  Kylian  Technology  Management  Pte.  Ltd,  Director 
of  SR&DM,  Director  of  Option  International  NV  Professor  and 
Director  of  the  Judge  Business  School  at  the  University  of 
Cambridge ( United Kingdom).

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ODILE DESFORGES – INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Member of the Audit Committee

Biography:  Born  in  1950  in  Rouen  (France),  Ms  Desforges 
graduated from the École Centrale Paris in 1973. She began her 
career at the Transport Research Institute, before joining Renault 
in 1981 as Planner and then Product Engineer. In 1986, she joined 
the purchasing department. She was Body Equipment Purchasing 
General  Manager  for  Renault/Volvo  Purchasing  Organization, 
then  for  Renault.  In  1999,  she  became  Executive-Vice-President 
of  Renault-VI  Mack  Group,  before  becoming  President  of  Volvo 
Group’s 3P Business Unit.

In  2003,  she  was  appointed  Senior  Vice-President,  Purchasing, 
and  Chairwoman  and  Managing  Director  of  Renault  Nissan 
Purchasing  Organization.  Between  March  1,  2009  and  July  1, 
2012, she was Executive Vice-President, Engineering and Quality, 
and a member of the Group Executive Committee.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 
2016.

Date of first appointment: 05/30/2013

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 300

MARIE-HÉLÈNE HABERT – DIRECTOR ( SINCE JULY 23, 2014)

Biography: After a Master’s degree in Business Law and Taxation, 
a business law practitioner diploma (Assas, 1988) and a Master’s 
in  Strategy  and  Marketing  (Sciences  Po,  1989),  Marie-Hélène 
Habert  began  her  career  at  DDB  Publicité  in  London  as  a  media 
planning  consultant.  She  joined  the  Dassault  Group  in  1991  as 
Deputy  Director  of  Communications.  Since  1998,  she  has  been 
Group Director of Communication and Patronage.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 
2015.

Date of first appointment: 07/23/2014

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 500 (1) 

(1)   Marie-Hélène Habert is a shareholder of GIMD.

Age: 65

Nationality: French

Professional address: 3, rue Henri Heine, 75016 Paris – France

Main position: Director

Other current positions and Directorships:

In France: Director of Safran and Sequana (listed companies)

Outside  France:  Director  of  Johnson  Matthey  Plc  (United 
Kingdom)

Other positions expired during the past five years:

Director of RNBV, RNTBCI and Renault Espana SA

Age: 49

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  Groupe  Industriel  Marcel  Dassault  – 
9 Rond-point des Champs Élysées – Marcel Dassault, 75008 Paris 
– France

Main  position:  Director  of  Communication  and  Patronage, 
Dassault Group.

Other current positions and Directorships:

Inside  Dassault  Group:  Member  of  the  Supervisory  Board  of 
GIMD,  Permanent  representative  of  GIMD  on  the  Supervisory 
Board of Immobilière Dassault, member of the Board of Directors 
of Dassault Aviation (a listed company), member of the Strategy 
Committee  of  Dassault  Développement,  Director  of  the  Serge 
Dassault  Foundation,  Director  of  Artcurial  and  of  Immobilière 
Dassault (a listed company)

Outside  Dassault  Group:  Director  of  Biomérieux  (a 
listed 
company),  General  Manager  of  H  Investissements,  General 
Manager of HDH and member of the Strategy Committee of HDF.

158 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

TOSHIKO MORI – INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Member of the Scientific Committee

Biography:  Toshiko  Mori  is  the  Robert  P.  Hubbard  Professor  in 
the  Practice  of  Architecture  at  Harvard  University’s  Graduate 
School  of  Design  and  was  the  Chairman  of  the  department  of 
architecture from 2002 to 2008. She is principal of Toshiko Mori 
Architect, and founder of VisionArc, a think-tank promoting global 
dialogue for a sustainable future. Her firm’s recent work includes 
performance spaces for the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and for 
ART/New York, as well as the School of Environmental Science for 
Brown University, a Master Plan for New York University, and a 
laboratory facility for Novartis’ Cambridge Campus. She is also a 
member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on 
Design & Innovation, member of the G1 Summit (Japan), Master 
Jury Member of the Aga Khan Prize and Master Jury Member of the 
Holcim Award 2014 for North America. Lastly she is a partner of 
Paracoustica, a non-for-profit organization which builds portable 
concert  halls  for  the  benefit  of  disadvantaged  populations  to 
foster an appreciation of music.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial  statements  for  the  financial  year  ended  December  31, 
2014.

Date of first appointment: 05/26/2011

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2014: 600

5.1.1.2 Practices of the Board of Directors

Separation of the offices of Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer
Dassault  Systèmes  has  separated  the  offices  of  Chairman  of 
the  Board  of  Directors  (Mr  Edelstenne)  and  Chief  Executive 
Officer (Mr Charlès). In addition to the balance of powers that 
this  offers,  it  enables  the  Chairman  and  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer  to  concentrate  on  their  specific  remits  (described 
below)  within  an  experienced  and  harmonious  management 
team, (both roles were previously held by Mr Edelstenne).

The Chairman of the Board organizes and supervises the work 
of  the  Board  and  reports  thereon  at  the  General  Meeting. 
He  ensures  the  proper  functioning  of  the  Board  and  its 
committees  and  their  compliance  with  the  best  practices  of 
good corporate governance, for example, by making sure that 
the  directors  are  capable  of  fulfilling  their  duties.  The  Chief 
Executive Officer keeps him regularly informed of significant 
matters  concerning  the  Company,  and  in  particular  its 
strategy, organization and investment projects. The Chairman 

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Age: 63

Nationality: Japanese

Professional  address:  Toshiko  Mori  Architect,  199  Lafayette 
Street, New York NY 10012 – USA

Main Position: Member of Toshiko Mori Architect PLLC

5

Other current positions and Directorships:

Outside France: Robert P. Hubbard Professor in Harvard Graduate 
School of Design, member of the American Institute of Architects 
College of Fellows, member of the World Economic Forum Global 
Agenda Council on Future of Cities, member of the Supervisory 
Board  of  A  +  U  Magazine,  member  of  the  G1  Summit  (Japan), 
Master  Jury  Member  in  Aga  Khan  Prize  and  member  of  the 
Sydney Modern jury.

Other positions expired during the past five years:

President  of  World  Economic  Forum  Global  Agenda  Council  on 
Design.

Member of the Board of Directors of Architecture for Humanity, 
member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on 
Design & Innovation.

also oversees maintaining quality relations with shareholders 
in close coordination with measures taken in this area by the 
Chief Executive Officer. All of these tasks of the Chairman of 
the Board are directed toward serving the Company, and his 
actions  are  taken  into  account  in  reviewing  and  determining 
his compensation.

The  Chief  Executive  Officer  is  vested  by  law  with  the  most 
comprehensive  powers  to  represent  Dassault  Systèmes 
in 
SA,  subject  to  the 
paragraph  5.1.1.4  “Powers  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer” 
below.  He  represents  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  in  its  dealings 
with third parties.

limitations  of  powers 

indicated 

The Board of Directors has set up a number of special committees 
to help it perform its tasks: the Audit Committee (established 
in  1996),  the  Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee 
and the Scientific Committee (2005). The committees report 
regularly to the Board as to the performance of their missions. 
The composition of these committees and their practices are 
described  in  paragraph   5.1.1.3  “Composition,  Practices  and 
Activities of the Board C ommittees”.

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Main provisions of the Board’s internal regulation
The  Board  of  Directors  established  its  internal  regulation 
(amended on March 21, 2014) to reflect the recommendations 
of the AFEP-MEDEF Code (June 2013). It defines the objectives, 
and the rules governing the composition and operation of the 
Board  and  its  committees,  and  their  interactions.  The  Audit 
Committee  has  its  own  charter,  which  was  also  updated 
recently (March 2015).

The internal regulation stipulates how often Board meetings 
take place and how Board members may participate in them. It 
also provides rules on the information and disclosure provided 
to the Board members on a regular basis (e.g. information on 
off-balance sheet commitments and the cash position) and on 
when  an  event  occurs  that  might  have  a  material  impact  on 
the Company’s prospects, outlook or on the implementation 
of  the  Company’s  strategy.  The  internal  regulation  imposes 
limitations on the powers of the Chief Executive Officer (see 
paragraph 5.1.1.4 “Powers of the Chief Executive Officer”). 

The internal regulation requires that, each year, (i) the Board 
reviews  the  independence  of  the  directors,  (ii)  the  non-
executive  directors  meet  on  one  occasion  without  the  other 
directors to have a general discussion on the practices of the 
Board of Directors, and if applicable, debate specific subjects, 
and  (iii)  the  Board  discusses  its  practices.  Every  three  years, 
the Board should conduct a formal review.

With  regard  to  the  obligations  applicable  to  directors, 
the  internal  regulation  provides  a  reminder  of  the  legal 
confidentiality  requirements  and  reflects  the  ethical  rules 
set  out  in  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code,  particularly  in  the  area 
of  conflicts  of  interest.  In  terms  of  the  number  of  positions 
held  in  other  companies,  each  director  is  required  to  inform 
the Company of any other position held in another French or 
foreign  company,  including  in  their  committees.  Moreover, 
the  executive  officers  (dirigeants mandataires sociaux)  must 
first  obtain  the  approval  from  the  Board  prior  to  accepting  a 
new term of office in a listed company.  The internal  regulation 
also  requires  them  to  hold,  directly  or  indirectly,  a  relatively 
significant number of Dassault Systèmes shares, and to comply 
with  the  Group’s  rules  on  the  prevention  of  insider  trading. 
These  rules  prohibit  directors  from  trading  in  any  securities 
issued by Dassault Systèmes if they are aware of any insider 
information  and  during  the  trading  blackout  periods  defined 
by  the  said  rules.  Even  outside  of  these  blackout  periods, 
directors must obtain the Insider Committee’s prior approval 
for any transactions involving the Company’s shares. 

The Board of Directors’ activities in 2014
The  Board  of  Directors  met  nine  times  in  2014,  with  an 
attendance rate of 84%.

In addition to the deliberations on its agenda pursuant to the 
law (notice of the General Meeting and approval of the annual 

160 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

management report), the Board also discussed principally the 
following issues:

 (cid:125) the  Company’s  strategy 

review  of 
strategic  directions,  review  of  partnership  and  acquisition 
transactions);

(definition  and 

 (cid:125) the accounts and the budget (approval of the 2013 annual 
financial statements and consolidated financial statements, 
the  consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  first  half  of 
2014, and the review of quarterly results); the Board is kept 
informed  as  to  the  Group’s  financial  position  by  reports 
from the Audit Committee and presentations made at each 
meeting  by  the  Senior  Executive  Vice-President  and  Chief 
Financial Officer;

 (cid:125) the review of the assessment of the internal control system;

 (cid:125) the two-for-one stock split of the Dassault Systèmes share 

on July 17, 2014;

 (cid:125) the  proposal  to  transform  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into 
a  European  company;  negotiations  with  the  employee 
representatives  began  in  autumn  2014  and  the  decisions 
relating  to  the  change  will  be  submitted  to  the  General 
Meeting  of  May  28,  2015  (see  paragraph  7.2  “Draft 
Resolutions  Proposed  by  the  Board  of  Directors  to  the 
General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015”);

 (cid:125) the compensation of directors and allocation of shares and 

share subscription options;

 (cid:125) the composition of the Board (review of the independence 
of directors identified as such and of the significant nature 
of  any  business  relationships  with  the  Group,  and  the  co-
opting of a new director); and

 (cid:125) the compliance of Dassault Systèmes SA with the rules and 
recommendations  on  corporate  governance,  particularly 
with respect to the Board’s composition and practices.

Directors’ training
In accordance with the AFEP-MEDEF Code, each director may 
request, if he or she considers it necessary, additional training 
relating  to  Dassault  Systèmes’  specific  features,  businesses 
and markets. 

The Board’s review of its practices and performance
The  Board  of  Directors  is  constantly  seeking  to  improve  its 
practices. It has two ways of doing this:

 (cid:125) it  asks  the  non-executive  directors  for  their  comments  on 
the  subject.  The  non-executive  directors  meet  every  year 
to  discuss  the  Board’s  practices.  In  2014,  a  presentation 
was  made  to  them,  after  which  they  were  able  to  have  a 
discussion without the presence of the Dassault Systèmes 
SA  teams,  before  reporting  on  their  discussion  to  the 
Board.  During  this  meeting,  they  also  had  access  to  the 
presentation  on  the  risks  faced  by  the  Group,  which  they 
had requested;

 (cid:125) it holds a debate at least once a year on its practices, and 
conducts  a  formal  review  every  three  years,  in  accordance 

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5

with its internal regulation and the AFEP-MEDEF Code. No 
major issues were discovered during the last review, and no 
specific action plans have been put in place as a result.

5.1.1.3 

Composition, Practices and Activities 
of the Board committees

Audit Committee
The  Audit  Committee  is  solely  comprised  of  independent 
directors:  Odile  Desforges  and  Jean-Pierre  Chahid-Nouraï 
(Chairman).  They  have  been  company  directors  and  have 
financial or accounting expertise.

The Audit Committee’s mission is to oversee matters related 
to the preparation and the auditing of accounting and financial 
information,  in  compliance  with  the  applicable  regulations 
and  its  Charter.  Without  limiting  the  powers  of  the  Board 
of  Directors,  this  Committee  is,  in  particular,  responsible 
for  overseeing  the  preparation  process  of  the  financial 
information, the effectiveness of the internal control and risk 
management  systems,  the  audit  by  the  Statutory  Auditors 
of the annual financial statements and consolidated financial 
statements and the independence of the Statutory Auditors. 
On  all  these  matters,  it  reports  its  recommendations  to  the 
Board of Directors.

The Audit Committee also oversees the relationship between 
the  Company  and  its  Statutory  Auditors  and  participates  in 
particular in their appointment or the renewal of their mandate, 
or in their appointment for non-audit related mission.

Lastly, it approves the annual plan for internal audits and gives 
its opinion on the department’s organization.

the  Group’s 

In  the  performance  of  its  mission,  the  Committee  is  given 
presentations  by 
financial  management, 
particularly regarding risks and, as the case may be, off-balance 
sheet  commitments,  and  during  the  audit  of  the  financial 
statements,  a  presentation  from  the  Statutory  Auditor  on 
the results of the statutory audit and the accounting options 
selected. With regard to the efficiency of the internal control 
and risk management systems, the Statutory Auditor informs 
the  Committee  of  its  main  findings  and  the  Internal  Audit 
Director reports on the conclusions of his work to the Statutory 
Auditor.  In  addition,  the  Committee  may  call  on  external 
experts, having assessed their expertise and independence.

For reasons of organizational efficiency, meetings of the Audit 
Committee  take  place  on  the  same  day  as  Board  meetings. 
However,  as  the  documentation  relating  to  the  consolidated 
and  annual  financial  statements  is  sent  out  at  least  five 
days  before  the  Board  approves  the  accounts,  the  members 
of  the  Audit  Committee  have  enough  time  to  review  the 
documentation  and  to  discuss  it,  if  necessary,  before  the 
Board meeting.

In  2014,  the  Audit  Committee  met  seven  times,  including 
three  meetings  at  head  office,  which  were  attended  by  the 
Senior  Executive  Vice-President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer, 
the  Company  Finance  Vice-President,  the  Consolidation 

Director,  the  Internal  Audit  Director,  the  General  Counsel 
and  the  Statutory  Auditors  of  the  Company,  with  which 
regular  discussions  were  held  without   the  management  in 
attendance.  The  meetings  preceding  the  disclosure  of  the 
quarterly results took place by conference call. The attendance 
rate for meetings of the Audit Committee in 2014 was 100%.

At  its  meeting  of  March  20,  2015,  the  Board  of  Directors 
amended  the  Audit  Committee’s  charter  following  a  review 
carried  out  in  2014,  to  clarify  the  role  and  duties  of  the 
Committee  in  relation  to  the  revised  version  of  the  AFEP-
MEDEF  Code  and  the  recommendations  of  the  AMF,  and  to 
formalize certain of the Committee’s governance practices (for 
example,  the  possibility  of  participating  by   videoconference  
and a review of the Audit Committee’s annual work schedule).

Compensation and Nomination Committee
The  Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee  is  comprised 
solely of independent directors: Mr Chahid-Nouraï (Chairman) 
and Mr De Meyer.

The main duties of this Committee are:

 (cid:125) to  propose  to  the  Board  of  Directors  the  amounts  for 
compensation  and  benefits  of  the  executive  officers 
(dirigeants mandataires sociaux), including the formulas and 
the  rules  to  apply  for  determining  variable  compensation, 
and to verify the application of these rules;

 (cid:125) to  evaluate  the  overall  amount  and  the  allocation  of  the 

directors’ fees;

 (cid:125) to  propose  to  the  Board  the  nomination  or  renewal  of 
directors and examine the independence of those who are 
so  identified,  based  on  the  criteria  set  out  in  the  AFEP-
MEDEF Code;

 (cid:125) to  examine  the  Company’s  policy  for  nominating,  and  to 
be informed of the compensation policy for the managers, 
including non-executive directors;

 (cid:125) to  discuss  the  employee  profit-sharing  and  incentive  plan 
comprised  of  grants  of  performance  shares  and  share 
subscription options; and  

 (cid:125) to  propose  to  the  Board  of  Directors  solutions  in  case  of 
vacancy  of  the  position  of  Chairman  of  the  Board  and  of 
Chief Executive Officer.

When  the  Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee  carries 
out  its  nomination  work,  it  liaises  with  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer and the Chairman.

In relation to its duties, the Committee met four times in 2014, 
with  an  attendance  rate  of  100%.  During  these  meetings, 
the  Committee  made  recommendations  to  the  Board  on  the 
following subjects:

 (cid:125) the  independence  of  directors,  which  was  in  reviewed  in 
relation to the responses of each director to a questionnaire;

 (cid:125) the co-opting of a director;

 (cid:125) the  amount  and  distribution  of  the  fees  allocated  to 

directors;

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 (cid:125) the renewal of the terms of office of the Chairman and Chief 

Executive Officer;

 (cid:125) the  compensation  of  executive  officers 

(dirigeants 

mandataires sociaux);

 (cid:125) the  share  plans  and  share  subscription  option  plans  for 

Group directors and employees;

 (cid:125) the changes with regard to the composition of the Executive 
Committee and the structure and level of compensation of 
non-executive directors.

On  a  general  and  ongoing  basis,  the  Compensation  and 
Nomination Committee monitors the compliance of Dassault 
Systèmes with the law and best practice in the area of corporate 
governance, particularly with regard to the composition of the 
Board.

Scientific Committee
Like the other Board committees, the Scientific Committee is 
comprised  solely  of  independent  directors:  Ms  Toshiko  Mori 
and Mr Arnoud De Meyer (Chairman). It meets at least once a 
year. The Committee reviews the main directions of research 
and  development,  as  well  as  the  Company’s  technological 
achievements and makes recommendations on these matters. 
The  persons  with  principal  responsibility  for  these  matters 
within  Dassault  Systèmes  are  invited  to  the  Committee’s 
meetings.

The  Scientific  Committee  met  three  times  in  2014,  with  an 
attendance  rate  of  83%.  At  these  meetings,  it  considered  a 
number  of  topics  central  to  Dassault  Systèmes   strategy.  In 

particular,  it  covered  the  aim  to  bring  the  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform to new audiences: in addition to the traditional PLM 
customers (engineers and manufacturers), the 3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  can  be  targeted  at  the  academic  community,  with 
education  solutions,  as  well  as  scientific  and  marketing 
customers, with the innovations of the BIOVIA and 3DEXCITE 
brands. The Scientific Committee also discussed the disruptive 
aspect of internet-connected devices and social networks and 
their implications for business users and consumers.

5.1.1.4 Powers of the Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to French law, the Chief Executive Officer represents 
Dassault Systèmes SA in dealings with third parties within the 
limits  set  by  the  corporate  purpose  of  the  Company  and  by 
the powers reserved by law to the shareholders or the Board 
of Directors.

However,  under  the  Board’s 
internal  regulation,  certain 
decisions  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  are  submitted  to  the 
prior  approval  of  the  Board.  This  concerns,  in  particular,  a 
significant  transaction  outside  the  scope  of  the  Company’s 
strategy,  or  an  acquisition  or  the  disposal  of  an  entity, 
shareholding or asset (excluding internal transactions) or the 
use of external funding (bank loan or capital market issue), if 
the  amount  of  the  transaction  exceeds  a  threshold  set  each 
year by the Board. This threshold, which was set by the Board 
on March 20, 2015, is € 500  million.

On March 20, 2015, the Board also renewed its authorization to 
the Chief Executive Officer to grant guarantees, endorsements 
or  securities  in  the  name  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  up  to  an 
aggregate amount of € 500  million.

5.1.2  The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee assists the Chief Executive Officer. The Committee comprises the heads of the main business areas and 
functions of Dassault Systèmes:

Bernard Charlès (1)

Dominique Florack 

Thibault de Tersant(2) 

Bruno Latchague 

Monica Menghini 

Pascal Daloz 

Sylvain Laurent  

Laurent Blanchard 

Laurence Barthès 

Philippe Forestier 

President & Chief Executive Officer

Senior Executive Vice President, Research and Development 

Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer 

Senior Executive Vice President, Global Field Operations (Americas), Industry solutions and 
Indirect channels 

Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer 

Executive Vice President, Brands and Corporate Development 

Executive Vice President, Global Field Operations (Asia), Worldwide Business Transformation 

Executive Vice President, Global Field Operations (EMEAR)(3), Worldwide Alliances and Services 

Executive Vice President, Chief People and Information Officer 

Executive Vice President, Global Affairs and Communities 

(1)  Mr.. Bernard Charlès is also a director of Dassault Systèmes SA and an executive officer as defined by the AFEP-MEDEF Code. 
(2)  Mr. Thibault de Tersant is also a director of Dassault Systèmes SA. 
(3)  Europe Middle-East Africa Russia. 

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5.1.3  Declarations Regarding the Administrative Bodies and Senior 

Management

To Dassault Systèmes SA’s knowledge:

 (cid:125) there  is  no  family  relationship  between  the  Company’s 
directors,  or  between  a  director  and  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  (see  paragraph  5.1.2  “The  Executive 
Committee” for the list of members) with the exception of 
Mr Serge Dassault (a director until May 27, 2014), his wife 
Ms  Nicole  Dassault  and  their  daughter  Ms  Marie-Hélène 
Habert (a director since July 23, 2014);

 (cid:125) in the past five years, none of the directors or members of 
the  Group’s  Executive  Committee  has  been  convicted  of 
fraud, been declared bankrupt or their property impounded 
or  liquidated,  been  subject  to  an  official  accusation  and/
or  penalty  delivered  by  legal  or  regulatory  authorities,  or 
been  prohibited  by  a  court  from  becoming  a  member  of 
an  administrative,  management  or  supervisory  body  of  a 
company,  or  from  being  involved  in  the  management  or 
direction of the affairs of a company;

 (cid:125) there  are  no  potential  conflicts  of  interest  between  the 
duties  to  the  Company  of  the  members  of  the  Board  of 
Directors and their private interests and/or other duties, and 
no director or member of the Group’s Executive Committee 
has  been  named  to  the  Board  or  to  an  administrative, 
management  or  supervisory  body  as  a  result  of  an 
agreement  between  the  Company’s  main  shareholders, 
customers, suppliers or any other persons;

 (cid:125) no director or member of the Group’s Executive Committee 
is  party  to  a  service  contract  with  Dassault  Systèmes  SA, 
or one of its subsidiaries, which provides him or her with a 
personal benefit; and

 (cid:125) no loans or guaranties have been granted or established on 
behalf of the directors or members of the Group’s Executive 
Committee, and there are no assets used by the Company 
which belong directly or indirectly to the directors, members 
of the Group’s Executive Committee or their families.

5

5.1.4  Principles Established by the Board of Directors pertaining 

to Compensation of the Company’s Executive Officers 
and directors

Dassault  Systèmes  SA’s  compensation  policy  is  designed  to 
attract, motivate and retain highly qualified individuals, with 
the  aim  of  ensuring  the  success  of  Dassault  Systèmes.  This 
success  depends  on  the  achievement  of  its  objectives,  in 
particular,  strategic,  business  and  financial  objectives,  over 
the medium and long term. In setting criteria for determining 
compensation,  Dassault  Systèmes  seeks  to  strike  a  balance 
between short-, medium- and long-term financial objectives, 
in order to take into account the creation of stockholder value 
and recognize individual performance.

Since  2013,  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code  has  recommended 
submitting the elements of the compensation due or allocated 
to  each  executive  officer  during  the  year  to  the  vote  of 
shareholders. The shareholders of Dassault Systèmes SA were 
therefore invited to vote at the 2014 General Meeting on the 
compensation with respect to the 2013 financial year of the 
Chairman of the Board (6th resolution) and the Chief Executive 
Officer  (7th  resolution).  These  resolutions  were  approved,  by 
97.22% and 84.92%, respectively.

The shareholders will be consulted again on the elements of 
compensation  for  2014  (see  paragraph  7.1  “Presentation  of 
the  Resolutions  Proposed  by  the  Board  of  Directors  to  the 
General Meeting on May 28, 2015”).

The  annual  compensation  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  is 
a  fixed  amount.  The  compensation  of  each  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  is  comprised  of  a  fixed  portion  and 
a  variable  portion.  The  variable  portion  may  represent  a 
significant part of the total compensation if the annual targets 
are achieved or outperformed. The targets are reviewed every 
year  in  order  to  be  consistent  with  the  Company’s  strategic 
orientations and include individual management targets.

Members of the Executive Committee within the French scope  
except for the Chief Executive Officer, are also eligible for profit-
sharing  payments  in  the  same  manner  as  other  employees 
of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA,  as  described  in  paragraph  5.1.4.5 
“Employee Profit-sharing”.

5.1.4.1 

Compensation of Executive Officers

The  annual  target  compensation  with  objectives  achieved 
for the Chief Executive Office is comprised of a fixed portion 
for 50%, paid monthly, and a variable portion for 50%, paid 
annually in relation to  of the achievement of the performance 
criteria previously set by the Board of Directors. The level of 
achievement of the objectives determines the amount actually 
paid  for  the  variable  compensation,  which  can  result  in  a 
payment below the target, or up to 140% above the target.

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In addition, the Chief Executive Officer receives benefits in-kind, 
as indicated in paragraph 5.3 “Summary of Compensation and 
Benefits  Due  to  Directors”,  which  contains  all  the  data  with 
respect to compensation of the executive officers.

The Board of Directors, during its meeting held on March 20, 
2015, decided to fix the amount of the variable compensation 
due to the Chief Executive Officer for 2014, paid in 2015, at € 
 1,269,600 , after review of the achievement of the performance 
criteria set in 2014, which included the diluted net profit per 
share  on  a  non-IFRS  consolidated  basis  (hereinafter  referred 
to as the “EPS”) for 2014 as announced by the Company, an 
evaluation of the Company’s efficiency processes as reflected 
by  the  non-IFRS  operating  margin,  Dassault  Systèmes’ 
competitive position as reflected by growth in total revenues 
compared  to  its  competitors,  the  product  portfolio  and  the 
implementation  of  the  Company’s  short,  medium  and  long 
term strategy, contributing to its future growth.

The  five  main  criteria  are  equally  weighted.  The  purely 
quantitative nature of some of the criteria, together with the 
above-mentioned distribution formula, sets a de facto limit on 
the qualitative portion in the assessment of the performance 
of the Chief Executive Officer. Nonetheless, Dassault Systèmes 
does not consider it pertinent to disclose this limit. Moreover, 
within  the  criteria  with  a  qualitative  component,  the 
measurement of performance is mainly based on quantifiable 
targets, making it difficult to determine the exact weighting of 
the purely qualitative portion.

During  its  meeting  held  on  March  20,  2015,  the  Board  of 
Directors  also  set  the  performance  criteria  on  which  the 
payment of the CEO’s variable compensation was dependent 
for 2015, based on the same categories as the ones that applied 
in  2014,  as  described  in  the  previous  paragraph.  In  order  to 
protect  the  Company’s  competitive  position,  the  Board  of 
Directors considered that it was not appropriate to reveal more 
details about these performance criteria, which are subject to 
discussion by the Compensation and Nomination Committee 
and by the Board of Directors. These criteria are both internal 
and  external  and  relate  to  the  annual  performance  of  the 
Group or to its multiannual (medium and long term) strategy. 
In addition, they include a strong “Social and Environmental 
Responsibility”  dimension 
in  relation  with  the  Group’s 
business,  each  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  brands  containing 
a  promise  of  sustainable  development  (see  paragraphs 
for  Sustainability: 
 2.2.2.1 
Apps  and  Solutions   for  sustainable  development”,  2.1.5 
“Acknowledging  performance  and  rewarding   contribution   
to  delivering the strategy” and 2.1.3.3 “Developing relations 
with the social, regional and community environment” ).

 “3DEXPERIENCE  Platform 

At its meeting on March 20, 2015, the Board of Directors set 
the 2015 fixed compensation for the Chairman at €982,000   
and the total 2015 annual target compensation with objectives 
achieved for the Chief Executive Officer at €2,650,000 , half of 
which will vary in relation to the achievement of objectives.  

The Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer are 
not beneficiaries of an additional retirement plan, nor are they 
entitled to any indemnities under a non-competition clause. 

The  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  also  receive 
director’s fees (see paragraph 5.3 “Summary of Compensation 
and Benefits Due to Directors”).   

5.1.4.2 

Indemnities Due in the Event of the 
Imposed Departure (départ contraint) 
of the Chief Executive Officer

In accordance with the French Commercial Code and the AFEP-
MEDEF Code, the principle and the amount of the indemnity 
paid  to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  upon  the  termination 
of  his  functions  are  subject  to  conditions,  in  particular 
performance  conditions.  Thus  the  indemnity  would  be  due 
in  case  of  a  change  in  control  or  strategy  of  the  Company 
duly  acknowledged  by  the  Board  of  Directors,  which  results 
in an imposed departure (départ contraint) in the subsequent 
12  months.  The  indemnity  may  also  be  paid  if  the  imposed 
departure is not linked to poor results of the Company or to 
mismanagement  by  the  Chief  Executive  Officer,  the  Board 
of Directors being entitled to decide to pay all or part of the 
indemnity.  The  Board  decided  to  provide  for  this  indemnity 
payment, which is in addition to those recommended by the 
AFEP-MEDEF  Code,  given  the  shareholder  structure  of  the 
Company  and  the  length  of  service  to  the  Company  of  the 
Chief Executive Officer.

However,  the  indemnity  would  not  be  due  in  the  event  the 
Chief  Executive  Officer  would  leave  the  Company  on  his 
own initiative to take a new position elsewhere, or would be 
assigned a new position within the Company, or if he would 
receive retirement benefits  shortly after leaving. Furthermore, 
in the event of exceptional circumstances seriously damaging 
the  image  or  results  of  the  Company  and  significantly 
reducing, in the opinion of the Board, the market price of the 
Company’s  shares  or  in  the  event  of  misconduct  other  than 
in connection with his corporate functions (faute séparable de 
ses fonctions) and incompatible with the normal performance 
of  his  mandate,  the  Board  may  decide  that  the  indemnity 
payment is not due.

Finally, the amount of the indemnity due to the Chief Executive 
Officer  in  the  event  of  the  termination  of  his  functions  will 
be  equivalent  to  a  maximum  of  two  years  of  compensation 
as  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  will  depend  on  satisfying  the 
performance conditions established for calculating his variable 
compensation. The amount paid would be calculated pro rata 
with  respect  to  the  percentage  of  variable  compensation 
which was paid during the three years preceding his departure 
as  compared  to  the  targeted  variable  compensation  for  such 
years. The amount due would be calculated by applying the 
following formula:

 (cid:125) the  aggregate  gross  compensation  (including  variable 
compensation  but  excluding  compensation  in  kind  and 
directors’ fees) due in connection with his position for the 
two  years completed prior to the date of departure;

 (cid:125) multiplied  by  the  quotient  of  (i)  the  amount  of  variable 
compensation actually paid during the three financial years 
completed  prior  to  the  date  of  departure  with  regard  to 
their respective years of reference (numerator), divided by 
(ii) the amount of target variable compensation determined 

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5

for  each  of  these  years  by  the  Board  of  Directors  on  the 
basis of achievement of the objectives set for the Company 
(denominator).

The  indemnity  is  thus  subject  to  performance  conditions 
related to achieving targets fixed for the variable compensation.

When  the  term  of  office  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  was 
renewed,  the  Board  of  Directors,  at  its  meeting  on  May  26, 
2014,  authorized,  in  accordance  with  the  proposal  of  the 
Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee  and  pursuant 
to  Article  L.  225-42-1  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  the 
renewal of the agreement relating to the commitments made 
by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  in  relation  to  these  indemnities, 
under  the  terms  adopted  by  the  Board  at  its  meeting  on 
May 27, 2010. This agreement will be submitted to the General 
Meeting  of  May  28,  2015  (see  paragraph  7.1  “Presentation 
of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the 
General Meeting on May 28, 2015”).

5.1.4.3 

Performance shares and Share 
Subscription Options

The  members  of  the  Group’s  Executive  Committee  are  given 
long-term  incentives  notably  through  grants  of  Dassault 
Systèmes  performance  shares  or  share  subscription  options 
to  associate  them  with  the  development  and  performance 
of  the  Company.  In  general,  performance  shares  or  share 
subscription  options  may  be  granted  to  key  employees  of 
the  Company,  and  the  number  granted  to  each  of  them  is 
dependent on performance and level of responsibility.

The  Board  of  Directors,  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee,  decided  to  grant 
150,000 shares to the Chief Executive Officer on February 21, 
2014  (the  “2014-B  Shares”)  (i.e.,  300,000  shares  following 
the  two-for-one  stock  split  on  July  17,  2014)  as  part  of  the 
gradual process of associating him with the Company’s capital 
that  began  several  years  ago,  with  the  aim  of  recognizing 
his  entrepreneurial  role  during  more  than  30  years  with  the 
Company and providing him with an equity interest comparable 
to that of founders of companies in the same sector, and more 
generally,  of  his  peers  in  technology  companies  around  the 
world. In accordance with the recommendations of the AFEP-
MEDEF  Code,  the  acquisition  of  these  shares  is  subject   to 
the condition that the Chief Executive Officer remains within 
the  Company,  and  to  the  fulfillment  each  year  during  three 
years of at least one of the following performance conditions: 
the  change  in  non-IFRS  diluted  earnings  per  share  of  the 
Dassault Systèmes Group in relation to the one in 2014, or if 
the Dassault Systèmes share outperforms the CAC 40 index. 
This  performance  condition  is  identical  to  that  stipulated 
for  the  performance  shares  granted  by  the  Board  to  certain 
employees of the Group (the “2014-A Shares”).

In accordance with the law, at the time of each of the share 
and  option  grants,  the  Board  of  Directors  has  set  a  lock-
up  commitment  for  shares  that  may  be  held  by  the  Chief 

Executive  Officer  following  the  exercise  of  stock  options  or 
the  acquisition  of  the  shares  concerned.  As  such,  the  Chief 
Executive  Officer  must  maintain  in  registered  form  at  least 
15% of the total amount of shares he subscribes or acquires in 
connection with stock options or shares granted to him since 
2007, until he has left his current functions at the Company. 
This percentage is calculated after deduction of the number of 
shares which it would be necessary to sell to pay taxes, social 
charges and expenses related to the sale of the total number 
of shares vested.

In  addition,  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Compensation 
the  Board  meeting  of 
and  Nomination  Committee, 
February  21,  2014  set  the  number  of  shares  which  could 
be  granted  to  the  executive  officers  (dirigeants mandataires 
sociaux) at 35% of the overall amount approved at the General 
Meeting of Shareholders of May 30, 2013, i.e. 879,007 shares 
(i.e.,  1,758,014  shares  following  the  two-for-one  stock  split 
on July 17, 2014). Thus, the 300,000 2014-B Shares allotted 
to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  as  part  of  the  gradual  process 
of associating him with the Company share capital introduced 
several  years  previously,  represent  5.97%  of  the  overall 
amount, as decided by the General Meeting of May 30, 2013.

Pursuant  to  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code,  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer  of  Dassault  Systèmes  has  formally  agreed  until  the 
expiry of the legal lock-up period not to engage in any future 
transactions guaranteeing him a capital gain from the sale of 
performance shares and/or the exercise of share subscription 
options. The Dassault Systèmes’ Insider Trading Rules already 
imposed such restriction (further information on the blackout 
periods  on  the  sale  of  shares  is  found  in  section  5.1.1.2 
“Practices  of  the  Board  of  Directors—Main  provisions  of  the 
Board’s internal regulation”.) 

The share grants noted above are in accordance with the law 
of  December  3,  2008,  regarding  remuneration  from  work. 
Further information concerning share subscription options and 
performance  shares  is  provided  in  paragraph  5.3  “Summary 
of Compensation and Benefits Due to Directors” of the 2014 
Annual Report (Document de référence).

Moreover,  at  its  meeting  on  March  20,  2015,  the  Board 
reported  that  the  performance  conditions  relating  to  the 
2010-04 performance shares granted on September 7, 2012 
to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  had  been  met,  and  that  the 
definitive  number  of  shares  acquired  as  a  result  was  14,000 
( 28,000 shares following the two-for-one split of the Dassault 
Systèmes  share  on  July  17,  2014).  Consequently,  the  Chief 
Executive  Officer  will  acquire  the  above-mentioned  2010-04 
shares  on  September  7,  2015  provided  that  he  remains  in 
office as of such date.

Aside  from  Dassault  Systèmes  SA,  no  other  Group  company 
has granted shares to directors (mandataires sociaux).

In  2013,  no  performance  shares  and  no  shares  subscription 
options were granted.

5

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5.1.4.4  Directors’ Fees

The  maximum  annual  amount  of  directors’  fees  was  set  at 
€350,000 by the General Meeting of May 26, 2014.

At  its  meeting  on  May  26,  2014,  the  Board  of  Directors 
increased the amount of directors’ fees linked to the diligence 
of the directors, in order to achieve a better balance between 
the  variable  and  fixed  portions  of  the  directors’  fees,  in 
accordance with the revised version of the AFEP-MEDEF Code. 
Thus, in respect of the financial year ended on December 31, 
2014, the amount of the directors’ fees granted to the Dassault 
Systèmes  SA  directors  is  €298,657,  including  €151,657  in 
respect  of  their  positions  (fixed  portion)  and  €147,000  for 
attending  the  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  its 
committees (variable portion). For 2015, the variable portion 
should  be  greater  than  the  fixed  portion  taking  into  account 
the number of Board meetings and assuming that all directors 
attended.

The  distribution  of  the  fees  among  the  directors  for  2014  is 
based on the following principles, set by the Board of Directors 
in  its  meeting  on  May  26,  2014:  €15,000  per  director,  an 
additional €15,000 for the Chairman of the Board of Directors 
and an extra €4,000 for the Chairman of the Audit Committee 
(these amounts are paid pro rata of the actual period served in 
the  positions  during  the  financial  year);  €2,000  per  director 
for physically attending a Board meeting (€1,200 previously); 
€4,000  per  member  of  the  Audit  Committee  for  physically 

attending  a  meeting  of  this  Committee  (€2,400  previously); 
€2,000  per  member  of  the  Compensation  and  Nomination 
Committee or Scientific Committee for each meeting of these 
committees  they  physically  attend  (€1,200  previously); 
and  €1,000  each  per  conference  call  or  videoconference  in 
relation to a meeting of the Board of Directors or one of these 
committees (€600 previously).

5.1.4.5 

Employee profit-sharing

Finally the Company has profit-sharing plans for all employees. 
The  results  of  the  financial  year  ended  December  31,  2014, 
which  are  subject  to  approval  by  the  General  Meeting 
on  May  28,  2015,  should  thus  enable  the  distribution  of 
€17,921,048 in profit and to set aside a special profit-sharing 
reserve (participation) of the same amount.

More than 90% of the employees of the French s ubsidiaries 
held  directly  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  also  benefit  from 
profit-sharing  agreements.  For  more 
information  on 
these  agreements,  see  paragraph  2.1.5  “Acknowledging 
and rewarding performance and the contribution to delivering 
the strategy”.

5.1.5  Application of the AFEP-MEDEF Code

Dassault  Systèmes  refers  to  the  recommendations  of  the 
AFEP-MEDEF  Code  and  reviews  its  corporate  governance 
practices  on  a  regular  basis  in  order  to  achieve  continual 
improvement in this area.

As permitted by such Code and the law, Dassault Systèmes SA 
has  not  adopted  all  of  the  Code’s  provisions,  or  has  adopted 
certain  provisions  in  modified  form,  in  view  of  its  particular 
situation or due to its compliance with other provisions of the 
Code. These are summarized in the table below, together with 
the reasons for their exclusion/modification.

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Recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF Code

Explanation

Time period between the review of the financial 
statements by the Audit Committee and the 
approval by the Board of Directors
(Article 16.2.1)

Indemnity payment in the event of the departure 
of the Chief Executive Officer only in the case of 
an imposed departure or due to a change in 
control or strategy
(Article 23.2.5)

Proportion of performance shares in executive 
officer compensation
(Article 23.2.4)

Acquisition of shares by the executive officers 
(dirigeants mandataires sociaux) benefitting from 
grants of performance shares
(Article 23.2.4)

For reasons of organizational efficiency, meetings of the Audit Committee take place on the 
same day as Board meetings. However, as the documentation relating to the consolidated 
and annual financial statements is sent out at least five days before the Board approves the 
accounts,  the  members  of  the  Audit  Committee  have  enough  time  to  review  the 
documentation and to discuss it, if necessary, before the Board meeting.

Dassault Systèmes SA respects the principles of the AFEP-MEDEF Code in this area and will 
not  pay  an  indemnity  in  the  event  of  poor  Company  results  or  mismanagement  by  the 
Chief Executive O fficer. It nevertheless retains three cases for payment, one of which is not 
explicitly provided for by such Code, in light of the Company’s shareholder base and the 
long  term  of  service  of  Bernard  Charlès  in  the  Company.  It  applies  in  the  event  of  an 
imposed departure (départ contraint) if the departure is not related to poor results of the 
Company or mismanagement on the part of the Chief Executive Officer. In such case, the 
Board could decide to pay all or a portion of the departure indemnity.

A significant portion of the shares granted to the Chief Executive Officer is done as part of 
the plan adopted several years ago to progressively associate with the Company’s capital, 
with the goal of recognizing his entrepreneurial role during more than 30 years with the 
Company  and  to  provide  him  an  equity  interest  comparable  to  that  of  founders  of 
companies in the same sector, and more generally, of his peers in technology companies 
around the world.

Dassault Systèmes SA believes that the lock-up commitment of the Chief Executive Officer of 
15%  of  the  shares  which  may  be  acquired  as  a  result  of  grants,  until  he  terminates  his 
functions, represents a mechanism with an effect equivalent to the recommendation in the 
AFEP-MEDEF Code to subject the performance shares granted to executive officers to the 
purchase of a fixed number of shares once such performance shares become available.

5

5.1.6 

Internal Control Procedures and Risk Management

Because Dassault Systèmes SA was listed on the stock market 
in the United States until the end of 2008, Dassault Systèmes 
defined and implemented an internal control procedure based 
mainly on the COSO (Committee of Sponsoring Organization 
of  the  Treadway  Commission)  framework,  as  well  as  on  the 
AMF’s  suggested  reference  framework  regarding  internal 
control updated on July 22, 2010.

The Chairman’s report on internal control procedures applies 
to Dassault Systèmes SA and its consolidated subsidiaries.

 (cid:125) ensure the reliability, quality and availability of financial data 
(an objective inspired by the COSO and AMF frameworks);

 (cid:125) ensure that operations comply with legislation in effect and 
the Company’s internal procedures (an objective inspired by 
the COSO and AMF frameworks);

 (cid:125) guarantee  the  security  of  assets,  particularly  intellectual 
property,  the  human  and  financial  resources  and  the 
image  of  the  Company  (an  objective  inspired  by  the  AMF 
framework); and

5.1.6.1  Definition and objectives of internal 

 (cid:125) prevent risks of error or fraud.

control

According  to  the  COSO  accounting  basis,  internal  control  is 
a  process  implemented  by  the  Board  of  Directors,  managers 
and  employees,  aimed  at  providing  a  reasonable  guarantee 
with regard to achieving the following objectives: performing 
and  optimizing  operations,  the  reliability  of  financial  and 
accounting  information,  and  compliance  with  the  laws  and 
regulations in force.

The internal control procedures within the Company, whether 
at  the  level  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  or  its  subsidiaries,  are 
designed to:

 (cid:125) improve  the  performance  and  efficiency  of  operations 
through  optimized  use  of  available  resources  (an  objective 
inspired by the COSO framework);

5.1.6.2 

Internal Control Participants 
and Organization

All  corporate  governance  bodies  participate 
implementation of the internal control processes.

in 

the 

The  Board  of  Directors,  concerned  with  the  issue  of  internal 
control,  created  in  1996  an  Audit  Committee,  with  the 
mission described above (see paragraph 5.1.1.3 “Composition, 
Practices and Activities of the Board C ommittees”).

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In  parallel,  the  Company’s  management  has  established  the 
following bodies:

5.1.6.3 

Internal Control and Risk 
Management Procedures

 (cid:125) an Insider Committee responsible for setting and applying 
the rules aimed at preventing insider trading. In particular, 
this  Committee  informs  all  interested  parties  (employees, 
directors,  consultants,  etc.)  of  the  periods  in  which  they 
are  prohibited  from  buying  or  selling  Dassault  Systèmes 
securities.   These  blackout  periods  are  longer  than  those 
recommended by the AMF.  In addition, as they have regular 
access  to  privileged  and  insider  information  in  relation  to 
their  roles,  the  Group  managers  must  obtain  the  Insider 
Committee’s  prior  approval  for  any  transactions  involving 
the  Company’s  securities  (as  defined  in  the  Group’s 
Insider Trading Rules). The Company applies the rules and 
recommendations of the AMF regarding the prevention of 
insider trading on a general basis;

 (cid:125) an  internal  audit  department  reporting  to  the  Senior 
Executive  Vice-President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer  and 
to  the  Audit  Committee,  one  of  its  main  missions  is  to 
evaluate  the  relevance  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  internal 
control processes, to alert the management and the Audit 
Committee  regarding  possible  deficiencies  or  risks,  and 
to  propose  measures  that  will  limit  the  risks  and  improve 
the efficiency of operations. In 2014, and in line with the 
work  conducted  in  the  previous  years,  the  internal  audit 
department had the responsibility for assessing, on behalf 
of  the  management,  the  internal  control  mechanisms 
related to financial reporting;

 (cid:125) an  “Ethics  &  Compliance”  department  reporting  to  the 
Chief  Executive  Officer,  responsible  for  ensuring  the 
implementation  and  respect  of  the  Code  of  Business 
Conduct,  as  well  as  the  Company’s  specific  policies, 
recommendations  and  procedures  regarding  ethics  and 
compliance.  This  department  is  supported  by  an  Ethics 
Committee which meets every month and investigates any 
alleged non-conformities brought to its knowledge.

The internal control organization is also based on the principle 
of  giving  responsibility  to  each  of  the  departments  and 
subsidiaries of the Company in its respective area of expertise, 
and  on  delegations  of  powers  to  certain  members  of  the 
Executive Committee of the Company.

Moreover, the subsidiaries’ local chief executive and financial 
officers are responsible for preparing the subsidiaries’ financial 
statements which are included in the Company’s consolidated 
financial statements, and the annual financial statements and 
management reports for each of their respective subsidiaries, 
whether  the  accounts  are  prepared  by  their  own  financial 
teams or by shared internal financial and accounting services 
centers, particularly in the United States and France.

The  Company’s  financial  planning  and  analysis  department 
is  responsible  for  directing  the  financial  objectives  of  the 
Company  in  accordance  with  budget  monitoring  procedures 
and,  in  this  respect,  performs  specific  controls  and  analyses 
of the quarterly accounts. It is also responsible for identifying, 
analyzing  and  warning  of  any  differences  from  the  previous 
year,  the  previous  quarter  and  the  Company’s  budget 
objectives, which are subject to a quarterly update.

The internal control mechanisms developed by the Company 
promote internal control in the following areas:

 (cid:125) control report: The professional ethics of the Company are 
set forth in the Code of Business Conduct, which describes 
the manner in which Dassault Systèmes expects its business 
to  be  conducted  and  which  may  serve  as  a  reference  tool 
for  all  Group  employees  to  help  guide  their  behavior  and 
their  interactions  in  their  professional  work.  The  Code 
of  Business  Conduct,  which  applies  to  all  employees  of 
Dassault Systèmes and is available on the Group’s internet 
site and online community platform, addresses, in particular 
(i) compliance with regulations applicable to the Company’s 
business,  (ii)  individual  interactions  within  the  Company 
and with its ecosystem, and (iii) protecting the Company’s 
assets  (in  particular,  the  Company’s  intellectual  property 
and that of its clients and partners). The Code also includes 
rules  governing  conflicts  of  interest,  insider  trading  and 
financial reporting. 

 (cid:125) risk  analysis:  The  main  risks  which  may  impact  the 
performance  of  the  Company  are  identified,  assessed  and 
regularly  reviewed  by  the  management  of  the  Company. 
These risks are described in paragraphs 1.6.1 “Risks Related 
to  the  Company’s  Business”.  This  paragraph  specifies  the 
measures taken by the Group to manage or limit these risks 
whenever possible.

Operational  risks  are  essentially  managed  by  subsidiaries. 
Risks in the area of IP protection, ethics and financial risks 
are specifically monitored by Dassault Systèmes SA as well 
as locally monitored. 

 (cid:125) protection and monitoring activities:

1)   protecting  its  intellectual  property  is  an  on-going 
concern  for  the  Group.  This  protection  is  ensured  by 
implementing  and  monitoring  corporate  processes 
designed  to  verify  the  Company’s  rights  before  it 
markets its software products.

The  Company  also  protects  its  inventions  through 
a  reasonable  and  well-considered  approach  to  filing 
patents in several jurisdictions. The Company’s principal 
brands are also registered in a large number of countries. 
Moreover, the Group is continuing to extend its program 
designed  to  fight  against  infringement  concerning 
its products,

2)   information  systems  security,  which 

is  critical  to 
ensuring  the  protection  of  the  source  codes  for  the 
Company’s applications, is continually evaluated, tested 
and  strengthened  in  the  areas  of  network  access  or 
performance,  anti-virus  protection,  and  the  physical 
security  of  servers  and  other 
information  system 
facilities,

3)   the internal control policies related to the main processes 
within the Company (information technology security, 
sales  administration,  human  resources,  protection  of 
intellectual property, closing and publication of financial 

168 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

statements,  treasury  management,  client  credit  risk 
management) are formalized and updated at the level of 
both Dassault Systèmes SA and its main subsidiaries or 
the related shared services centers,

4)   key  control  points  making  it  possible  to  prevent  or 
detect  risks  impacting  the  financial  information  in  the 
significant entities of the Company are documented,

5)   tests are performed annually on these key control points 

to evaluate their effectiveness,

6)  the operational entities implement action plans with the 

goal of continuous improvement. 

 (cid:125) monitoring:  The  Company  has  deployed  processes 
to  monitor,  review  and  analyze  on  a  regular  basis  its 
performance  at  the  level  of  its  main  entities,  brands, 
distribution  channels  and  geographical  areas  (governance, 
budget  reviews,  activity  reviews).  In  addition,  quarterly 
communication  meetings  are  also  held  to  ensure  a  better 
dissemination  of  the  Group’s  strategy  to  all  its  managers 
and discussions facilitating its implementation. 

 (cid:125) audit  missions:  In  2014,  the  internal  audit  department 
carried  out  different  missions  within  the  Company’s 
subsidiaries to verify compliance of the local internal control 
procedures  with  the  Company  objectives.  These  missions, 
authorized by the Audit Committee, result in the issuance of 
recommendations to the local management teams and the 
implementation  of  action  plans  when  deemed  necessary 
to  reinforce  the  audited  processes  and  organizations. 
The  internal  audit  department  carries  out  a  review  of  the 
implementation of these plans.

In addition, the Company has put in place internal preventative 
measures  to  continue  operations  and  limit  the  impact  of  a 
significant  loss  in  the  event  of  major  damage.  As  a  result, 
several secured computer systems protect source codes and all 
electronic data stored on the servers, work stations and laptop 
computers used in the different entities of the Company. The 
computer protection systems are maintained in different sites.

5.1.6.4 

Internal Control Procedures Relating 
to the Preparation and Treatment of 
Financial and Accounting Information

With  respect  to  the  internal  control  processes  related  to  the 
preparation  of  financial  and  accounting  information,  the 
Company’s focus has been to:

 (cid:125) implement  a  quarterly  control  system  to  update  budget 
objectives and identify and analyze any variation from the 
objectives set by the financial department of the Company 
and from the previous quarter and financial year.

Thus,  each  of  the  subsidiaries  prepares  a  detailed  and 
documented  presentation  of  its  sales  activity  for  the  past 
quarter and the year, and performs a comparative analysis 
of  its  financial  results  (revenues  and  costs)  in  comparison 

Corporate governance
Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

5

with the budget targets of the current year and compared 
to the same quarter for the previous year.

Budget  projections  are  reviewed,  analyzed  and  updated 
each  quarter  by  the  teams  of  the  f inancial  department  
to  take  into  account  all  changes  in  the  market  and  the 
economic  environment,  particularly  as  regards  exchange 
rates, and to present realistic objectives to shareholders and 
financial markets. 

 (cid:125) improve  the  reliability  of 

its  consolidation  tools  and 
processes 
in  order  to  establish  and  publish  required 
financial information every quarter as soon as possible. The 
consolidation procedure as defined by Dassault Systèmes SA 
is based on:

1)  giving responsibility to the chief financial officers in the 
subsidiaries,  who  are  required  to  certify  the  quarterly 
statements transmitted to Dassault Systèmes SA and to 
provide  detailed  business  reviews  and  analyses  before 
the accounts are consolidated,

2)   the  use  of  consolidation  tools  that  make  data 
transmission  and  processing  secure  and  allow  the 
elimination of intragroup transactions,

3)  standardization  of  processes  and  information  systems, 
particularly  with  respect  to  centralizing  and  recording 
most of the transactions at shared services centers, 

4)   the implementation of an annual process to monitor off-
balance sheet commitments, related-party or regulated 
agreements (conventions réglementées),

5)   a  detailed  review  by  the  Group’s  financial  division  of 
the quarterly accounts of Dassault Systèmes SA and its 
subsidiaries,

6)   the  detailed  analysis  by  the  Company’s  accounting 
department  of  all  the  software  license  and/or  services 
transactions  with  a  significant  impact  on  the  financial 
statements in order to validate the accounting process. 

 (cid:125) systematize  the  processes  by  which  the  Audit  Committee 
and the Board of Directors review financial information prior 
to publication. 

5

 (cid:125) structure 

its 

financial 

communications 

to  ensure 
simultaneous  and  equivalent  publication  of  information 
on  its  principal  markets  of  financial  results  or  any  other 
information  that  could  have  an  impact  on  the  price  of 
its shares.

5.1.6.5 

Evaluation of Internal Control

Since its voluntary delisting from the NASDAQ in October 2008, 
Dassault Systèmes SA is no longer subject to the requirements 
of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act with regard to the assessment 
of  its  internal  control  procedures.  The  Company  therefore 
evaluates  the  internal  control  procedures  applicable  to  its 
in  accordance  with 
principal  processes  and  subsidiaries 
European regulations.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 169

5 Corporate governance

Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

As the Company management aims to maintain a high level 
of internal control within the Company, detailed assessment 
work was again performed in 2014, as part of the process of 
achieving  continuous  improvement  and  for  the  purpose  of 
preparing  targeted  action  plans  and  audits.  In  this  respect, 
the  scope  of  Group  entities  subjected  to  an  internal  control 
evaluation  continued  to  be  expanded,  via  self-evaluation 
questionnaires, to entities that had previously been considered 
immaterial and newly acquired companies.  In addition, Internal 
Control’s efficiency is assessed by PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

5.1.6.6 

Limitations on Internal Control

The  internal  control  system  cannot  provide  an  absolute 
guarantee that the Company’s objectives in this area will be 
achieved.  Inherent  limitations  apply  to  all  internal  control 
systems, related in particular to uncertainties in the external 
environment,  the  exercise  of 
judgments,  or 
dysfunctions which may occur as a result of human failure or 
simple error.

individual 

5.1.7  Other information required by Article L. 225-37 of the French 

Commercial Code

5.1.7.1 

Specific Modalities Related 
to Shareholders’ Participation 
in the Meeting of Shareholders

Shareholders  participate  in  the  Meetings  of  Shareholders 
of  the  Company  according  to  provisions  specified  by  law 
and  by  the  Company’s  by-laws  (Articles  24  to  33).  Thus, 
every  shareholder  has  the  right  to  participate  in  Meetings 
of  Shareholders  and  deliberations  either  personally  or  via  a 
proxy, regardless  of  the  number  of shares held, according to 
conditions specified by Article 27 of the by-laws of Dassault 
Systèmes  (see  paragraph  6.1.2  “Memorandum  and  Specific 
By-Laws Provisions”).

In the case of the separation of the ownership of the shares, 
the voting right belongs to the bare owner (nu-propriétaire), 
except for decisions relating to the allocation of profits, where 
it belongs to the beneficial owner (usufruitier).

5.1.7.2  Mention of the publication 
of information provided for 
by Article L. 225-100-3 of the French 
Commercial Code

The  information  required  by  Article  L.  225-100-3  of  the 
French  Commercial  Code  is  indicated  in  paragraphs  6.3 
“Information  about  the  Shareholders”  (concerning  control 
of  GIMD),  6.2.4  “Delegations  and  Authorizations  Granted  to 
the Board of Directors by the General Meetings” (concerning 
share issues), 6.2.5 “Stock Repurchase Programs” (concerning 
acquisition  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  of  its  treasury  shares), 
6.1.2.2  “General  Meetings  of  Shareholders”  (concerning  the 
conditions for exercising voting rights) and 5.1.4.2 “Indemnity 
Due in the Imposed Departure (départ contraint) of the Chief 
Executive Officer” in this 2014 Annual Report (Document de 
référence)  which  is  also  a  part  of  the  annual  management 
report issued by the Board of Directors.

The 2014 Annual Report (Document de référence) is available 
on  the  AMF  website  (www.amf-france.org)  and  on  the 
Dassault Systèmes website (www.3ds.com). A press release is 
issued  to  announce  when  the  Annual  Report  (Document de 
référence) becomes available.

Charles Edelstenne

Chairman of the Board

170 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Report of the Statutory Auditors on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

5

5.2  Report of the Statutory Auditors on Corporate 

Governance and Internal Control

This is a free translation into English of the Statutory Auditors’ report issued in the French language and is provided solely for 
the convenience of English speaking readers. This report should be read in conjunction with, and construed in accordance with, 
French law and professional auditing standards applicable in France.

To the Shareholders,

In our capacity as Statutory Auditors of Dassault Systèmes SA, and in accordance with Article L. 225-235 of the French Commercial 
Code (Code de commerce), we hereby report to you on the report prepared by the Chairman of your company in accordance with 
Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code for the year ended 12/31/2014.

It is the Chairman’s responsibility to prepare, and submit to the Board of Directors for approval, a report describing the internal 
control and risk management procedures implemented by the Company and providing the other information required by Article 
L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code in particular relating to corporate governance.

It is our responsibility:

 (cid:125) to  report  to  you  on  the  information  set  out  in  the  Chairman’s  report  on  internal  control  and  risk  management  procedures 

relating to the preparation and processing of financial and accounting information; and

5

 (cid:125) to attest that the report sets out the other information required by Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code, it being 

specified that it is not our responsibility to assess the fairness of this information.

We conducted our work in accordance with professional standards applicable in France.

Information concerning the internal control and risk management procedures relating 
to the preparation and processing of financial and accounting information

The professional standards require that we perform procedures to assess the fairness of the information on internal control and 
risk management procedures relating to the preparation and processing of financial and accounting information set out in the 
Chairman’s report. These procedures mainly consisted of:

 (cid:125) obtaining an understanding of the internal control and risk management procedures relating to the preparation and processing 
of  financial  and  accounting  information  on  which  the  information  presented  in  the  Chairman’s  report  is  based,  and  of  the 
existing documentation;

 (cid:125) obtaining  an  understanding  of  the  work  performed  to  support  the  information  given  in  the  report  and  of  the  existing 

documentation;

 (cid:125) determining if any material weaknesses in the internal control procedures relating to the preparation and processing of financial 
and accounting information that we may have identified in the course of our work are properly described in the Chairman’s 
report.

On  the  basis  of  our  work,  we  have  no  matters  to  report  on  the  information  given  on  internal  control  and  risk  management 
procedures relating to the preparation and processing of financial and accounting information, set out in the Chairman of the 
Board’s report, prepared in accordance with Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code.

Other information

We attest that the Chairman’s report sets out the other information required by Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code. 

Neuilly-sur-Seine and Paris-La Défense, March 23, 2015

The Statutory Auditors

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUDIT

French original signed by:

Pierre Marty

ERNST & YOUNG ET AUTRES

French original signed by:

Jean-François Ginies

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 171

5 Corporate governance

Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

5.3  Summary of the Compensation and Benefits Due 

to Directors

5.3.1  Compensation of the Company’s Directors (mandataires sociaux)

The  tables  below  provide  a  summary,  in  accordance  with  the  recommendations  of  the  AMF  and  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code,  of 
the compensation and benefits paid to the directors of Dassault Systèmes SA, pursuant to Article L. 225-102-1 of the French 
Commercial Code (see also paragraphs 5.1.4 “Principles  established by the Board of Directors  pertaining to compensation of the 
Executive Officers and directors” and 5.3.2.1. “Dassault Systèmes Share Subscription Options”).

TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF THE COMPENSATION, OPTIONS AND SHARES AWARDED TO EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER

(in euros)

Charles Edelstenne, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Compensation due for the year (detailed in Table 2)

Value of the variable multi-year compensation granted during the  year

Value of the stock options awarded during the year (detailed in Table 4)

Value of the performance share grants awarded during the year (detailed in Table 6)

Bernard Charlès, President and Chief Executive Officer

Compensation due for the year (detailed in Table 2)

Value of the variable multi-year compensation granted during the  year

Value of the stock options awarded during the year (detailed in Table 4)

Value of the performance share grants awarded during the year (detailed in Table 6)

2014

2013

1,024,000  

987,500

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,365,534 

2,235,684

–

–

–

–

–

VALUE OF THE SHARES GRANTED TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AS PART OF THE PLAN TO PROGRESSIVELY 
ASSOCIATE HIM WITH THE COMPANY’S CAPITAL

(in euros)

Bernard Charlès, Chief Executive Officer

2014

2013

Value of the shares granted as part of as part of the plan to progressively associate him with the Company’s 
capital (see table 6) (1)(2)

 5,620,500 

None

(1)  i.e.,  150,000  2014-B  Shares  granted  in  2014,  as  part  of  the  gradual  process  of  associating  him  with  the  Company’s  capital  that  began  several  years  ago,  with  the  aim  of 
recognizing his entrepreneurial role during more than thirty years with the Company and providing him with an equity interest comparable to that of founders of companies in the 
same sector, and more generally, of his peers in technology companies around the world, with a unit value of €37.47 in accordance with the IFRS 2 method chosen for consolidated 
financial statements.

(2)  Following the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share on July 17, 2014, these 150,000 shares were multiplied by two to increase them to 300,000.

172 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

5

TABLE 2: SUMMARY OF THE COMPENSATION OF EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Gross compensation before tax of the executive officers (dirigeants mandataires sociaux) is set forth in the table below.

(in euros)

Charles Edelstenne,  Chairman of the Board

Fixed compensation (1)

Annual variable compensation

Multi-year variable compensation

Extraordinary compensation

Directors’ fees (2)

Benefits (3)

TOTAL

Bernard Charlès, President and Chief Executive Officer

Fixed Compensation

Annual variable compensation (4)

Multi-year variable compensation

Extraordinary compensation

Directors’ fees

Benefits (8)

TOTAL

2014

2013

Amount due in 
respect of year

Amount paid 
in 2014 

Amount due in 
respect of year

Amount paid 
in 2013

982,000

982,000

951,500

951,500

–

–

–

42,000

–

–

–

–

36,000

–

1,024,000

1,018,000

–

–

–

36,000

–

987,500

–

–

–

36,600

–

988,100

1,058,000

1,058,000

1,025,000

1,025,000

1,269,600 (5)

1,178,750 (6)

1,178,750 (6)

1,141,950 (7)

–

–

27,000

10,934

–

–

21,000

10,934

–

–

21,000

10,934

–

–

21,600

10,934

2,365,534 

2,268,684

2,235,684

2,199,484

5

(1)  GIMD paid Mr Charles Edelstenne, as GIMD’s Chief Executive Officer, gross fixed compensation of €800,000 in 2014 and €196,115 in 2013.
(2)  GIMD paid Mr Charles Edelstenne €22,719 in 2014 and €21,000 in 2013 directors’ fees for his term as a member of GIMD’s Supervisory Board .
(3)  GIMD granted benefits in kind related to the use of a car for Mr Charles Edelstenne in an amount of €10,063 in 2014 and €9,030 in 2013.
(4)  The rules governing the determination of variable compensation of the Chief Executive Officer are described in paragraph 5.1.4 “Principles Established by the Board of Directors to 

Determine the Compensation of the Company’s Executive Officers and members of the Group’s Executive Committee”.

(5)  Variable portion due for 2014 and paid in 2015.
(6)  Variable portion due for 2013 and paid in 2014.
(7)  Variable portion due for 2012 and paid in 2013.
(8)  These benefits are related to the use of a car provided by Dassault Systèmes SA.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 173

5 Corporate governance

Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

TABLE 3: DIRECTORS’ FEES AND OTHER COMPENSATION RECEIVED BY THE NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
The directors do not receive any compensation other than the fees set forth in the table below, except for Charles Edelstenne and 
Bernard Charlès, whose compensation is set forth in Table 2 above, and Thibault de Tersant, Senior Executive Vice-President and 
Chief Financial Officer, whose compensation is set forth in Note 1 to the table below.

(in euros)

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Thibault de Tersant (1)

Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï

Nicole Dassault (2)

Serge Dassault (3)

Arnoud De Meyer

Odile Desforges (4)

Bernard Dufau (5)

Marie-Hélène Habert (6)

André Kudelski (6)

Toshiko Mori

TOTAL

(1)  The overall compensation received by Thibault de Tersant in 2013 and 2014 is set out below:

Thibault de Tersant, Director, Senior Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

Fixed Compensation

Annual variable compensation

Multi-year variable compensation

Extraordinary compensation

Directors’ fees

Benefits (c)

TOTAL SHARES

Directors’ fees paid 
in 2014 for 2013

Directors’ fees paid 
in 2013 for 2012

21,000

32,956

16,200

18,600

24,600

14,835

17,408

–

15,164

24,600

185,363

21,600

31,200

21,000

10,947

21,600

–

38,200

–

34,200

24,000

202,747

Compensation paid 
 in  2014

Compensation paid 
 in  2013

450,000

24 0,000 (a)

–

281 

21,000

9,838€

721,119 

410,000

210,000 (b)

–

1,492

21,600

6,812

649,904

(a) 
(b) 
(c) 

Variable portion due for 2013. In 2014, Thibault de Tersant also received €  33,606  under the Company’s French profit sharing plans.
Variable portion due for 2012. In 2013, Thibault de Tersant also received €31,883 under the Company’s French profit sharing plans.
These benefits are related to the use of a car provided by Dassault Systèmes SA.

(2)  GIMD paid Nicole Dassault €19,035 in directors’ fees in 2013 and €25,666 in 2013, in connection with her role as a member of the Supervisory Board of GIMD.
(3)  GIMD paid Serge Dassault directors’ fees of €26,403 in 2014 and €25,666 in 2013, in connection with his role as a member of the Supervisory Board of GIMD, and €600,000 in 
2013 and in 2014 in connection with his role as President of GIMD. GIMD also granted benefits in kind related to the use of a car to Mr Dassault in an amount of €16,024 in 2014 
and €3,153 in 2013.

(4)  Odile Desforges was named director by the General Meeting of May 30, 2013; she therefore did not receive any directors’ fees in 2013 in respect of 2012.
(5)  The term of office as directors of Bernard Dufau and André Kudelski ended at the General Meeting of May 30, 2013.
(6)  Marie-Hélène Habert was co-opted as a director by the Board of Directors on July 23, 2014; she therefore did not receive any directors’ fees in 2013 in respect of 2012, nor in 2014 
in respect of 2013. In 2014, GIMD paid Marie-Hélène Habert  €26,403  in directors’ fees  as a member of GIMD’s Supervisory Board, €334,584 in compensation as the Dassault 
Group Director of Communication and Patronage,  €5,140 related to  professional disbursements   and  granted her benefits  in  kind related to the use of a car in an  amount of  €3,803.

Other elements relating to the compensation of the directors are described in paragraph 5.1.4.4 “Directors’ Fees”.

TABLE 4: SUBSCRIPTION OR PURCHASE OPTIONS GRANTED IN 2014 TO EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER 
BY THE ISSUER AND BY ANY OF THE GROUP COMPANIES

(in euros)

Charles Edelstenne

TOTAL

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

No. and date of 
the plan

Type of options 
(purchase or 
subscription)

Value of the 
options *

Number of options 
granted in 2014

Exercise price

Exercise period

Not used

Not used

*  Depending on the method used for the consolidated financial statements.

174 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 
 
 
Corporate governance
Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

5

TABLE 5: SUBSCRIPTION OR PURCHASE OPTIONS EXERCISED DURING 2014 BY EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER

(in euros)

Charles Edelstenne

TOTAL

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

No. and date of the plan

Number of options 
exercised in 2014 *

Exercise price

2006-02 – 06/06/2007

None

30,000

30,000

47.50

*  As from July 17, 2014 (the date of the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share), each option entitles the holder to two Dassault Systèmes shares of a par value of €0.50 each.

Mr Bernard Charlès generally reinvests the gains realized through the exercise of subscription stock options in shares of Dassault 
Systèmes SA, after accounting for taxes, social charges and transaction fees. In 2014, Mr Bernard Charlès did not sell any Dassault 
Systèmes shares.

TABLE 6:  SHARES GRANTED IN 2014 TO EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER BY THE ISSUER AND BY ANY OF THE 
GROUP COMPANIES

No. and date of 
the plan

Number of performance 
shares granted in 2014

Value of the 
shares (1)
(in euros)

Date of 
acquisition

Date of 
availability

Performance 
conditions

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

2014-B 
– 02/21/2014

None

150,000 (2)

 5,620,500 

02/21/2018

02/21/2018

Yes

5

150,000

(1)  Value based on the method chosen for the consolidated financial statements. The value retained for each granted share amounts to €37 .47 in accordance with the IFRS 2 method 

chosen for consolidated financial statements.

(2)  Following the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share on July 17, 2014, these 150,000 shares were multiplied by two to increase them to 300,000.

TABLE 7:  SHARES THAT HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE DURING 2014 FOR EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

No. and date of the plan

Number of shares 
authorized and issued that 
became available in 2014

Vesting conditions (3)

05/27/2010

None

150,000 (1)(2)

150,000

(1)  The 150,000 shares which became available in 2014 were granted to the Chief Executive Officer as part of the plan, adopted several years ago, to progressively associate him with 
the Company’s capital. It should be noted that, by law, a part of these shares is subject to a holding period (see paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares and Share Subscription 
Options”).

(2)  Following the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share on July 17, 2014, these 150,000 shares were multiplied by two to increase them to 300,000.
(3)   The Board of Directors did not set any quantity of shares to be vested at the date of the availability of the shares granted. See also explanation at paragraph 5.1.5 “Application of 

AFEP-MEDEF Code”. 

TABLE 8: GRANTS OF SHARE SUBSCRIPTION OR PURCHASE OPTIONS
See paragraph 5.3.2.1 “Dassault Systèmes Subscription Options” below.

TABLE 9: SHARE SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS GRANTED TO THE TOP TEN EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT EXECUTIVE 
OFFICERS AND WHO RECEIVED THE MOST SHARE SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS, AND OPTIONS EXERCISED 
BY THESE EMPLOYEES
See paragraph 5.3.2.1 “Dassault Systèmes Subscription Options” below.

TABLE 10: HISTORY OF THE PERFORMANCE SHARES GRANTED
See paragraphs 5.3.2.2 “Performance shares” below.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 175

5 Corporate governance

Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

TABLE 11: FOLLOW-UP OF THE AFEP-MEDEF’S RECOMMENDATIONS
As  indicated  in  the  table  below,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  complies  with  the  main  recommendations  of  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code 
regarding compensation and benefits granted to executive officers (dirigeants mandataires sociaux).

Employment 
agreement 

Additional 
retirement plan 

Indemnities or benefits due 
or which may become due in 
the event of termination of 
or change in present 
functions 

Indemnities related to 
a non-competition 
clause 

Executive officers 

Charles Edelstenne

Chairman of the Board
Director since (1st appointment): 04/08/1993
Term: until the annual General Meeting to be 
held in 2018

Bernard Charlès

Chief Executive Officer
Director since (1st appointment): 04/08/1993
Term: until the annual General Meeting to be 
held in 2018

Yes

No

X

X

Yes

No

X

Yes

Yes

No

X

X

X

No

X

X

When  the  term  of  office  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  was 
renewed,  the  Board  of  Directors,  at  its  meeting  on  May  26, 
2014,  authorized,  in  accordance  with  the  proposal  of  the 
Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee  and  pursuant 
to  Article  L.  225-42-1  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  the 
renewal of the agreement relating to the commitments made 
by Dassault Systèmes SA in relation to the indemnities which 
would be due upon the termination of his functions as Chief 
Executive  Officer,  under  the  terms  adopted  by  the  Board  at 
its  meeting  on  May  27,  2010.  The  conditions  for  payment 

and  the  amount  of  the  indemnities  owed  are  described  in 
paragraph  5.1.4.2  “Indemnities   Due  in  the  Event  of  the 
Imposed  Departure  (départ contraint)  of  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer”.

is  no  specific  additional 

There 
 retirement  plan  (régime 
complémentaire  de  retraite)  for  the  executive  officers.  The 
companies  controlled  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  have  not  paid 
any compensation or granted any other benefits to the executive 
officers (dirigeants mandataires sociaux) mentioned above.

5.3.2 

Interests of Executive Management and Employees 
in the Company’s Share Capital

5.3.2.1  Dassault Systèmes Share Subscription 

Options

As  of  December  31,  2014,  there  were  four  active  shares 
subscription options plans for the benefit of certain Company 
managers and employees. One share subscription options plan 
expired during 2014. The exercise price of stock options granted 
pursuant to all the plans was fixed without a discount in relation 
to the market value of the Dassault Systèmes SA shares on the 
date  of  grant  of  the  stock  options,  with  the  exception  of  the 
2008-01 plan, for which a discount of 3% was applied.

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  on  May  30,  2013 
authorized the Board of Directors to grant options to subscribe 
or  to  purchase  Company  shares  for  a  period  of  38  months, 
provided that the total of all outstanding stock options does not 
give a right to more than 5% of Dassault Systèmes SA’s share 
capital. At its meeting on May 26, 2014, the Board of Directors 
used this authorization to allocate 312,225 share subscription 

options  (the  “2014-01  Options”)  to  122  beneficiaries,  the 
exercise of which is subject to a performance condition.

The  new  shares  created  by  the  exercise  of  options  between 
January  1  and  the  date  of  the  annual  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders deciding on the allocation of profit related to the 
most recently completed financial year are entitled to receive 
the dividend distributed with respect to that year. As a result, 
the new shares are traded on the same line as the previously 
existing shares.

On the other hand, the new shares created as of the day after 
the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  do  not  have  a  right  to 
receive  this  dividend.  Those  shares  are  temporarily  quoted 
on  a  second  trading  line  until  the  date  the  shares  trade  ex-
dividend  (i.e.  without  the  right  to  receive  the  dividend  to  be 
distributed on Dassault Systèmes shares).

The  following  table  provides  certain  information  on  the 
Company’s stock options plans in effect during 2014.

176 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

5

GRANTS OF SUBSCRIPTION OR PURCHASE OPTIONS
(Corresponding to Table 8 of the AMF Position-Recommendation no. 2009-16)

Stock option plan

General Meeting

Board of Directors

Total Number of shares to be 
subscribed pursuant to Options 
exercise before 2-for-1 split

 (cid:125) by directors 

2006-02

2008-01

2008-02

2010-01

2014-01

Total shares

06/08/2005 05/22/2008 05/22/2008 05/27/2010

05/30/2013

06/06/2007 09/25/2008 11/27/2009 05/27/2010

05/26/2014

Total after 
2-for-1 
split(1)

1,325,900

1,436,600

1,851,500

1,240,000

312,225

6,166,225 12,332,450

(mandataires  sociaux)

150,000

150,000

170,000

110,000

–

50,000

100,000

–

50,000

100,000

–

50,000 (2)

120,000

–

50,000 (2)

60,000

–

–

–

–

580,000 1,160,000

- 

- 

200,000

380,000

400,000

760,000

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

Thibault de Tersant

Starting point for exercising 
the options

Expiry date

Exercise price in euro 
(before 2-for-1 split) (3)

Modalities of exercise

Cumulative n umber of shares 
subscribed pursuant to options 
exercised  as of 12/31/2014

Cumulative n umber of options 
canceled or null and void 
as of 12/31/2014

Number of shares subscribed 
pursuant to options exercised  
between 01/01/2015 and 
02/28/2015

Number of options canceled 
or null and void between 
01/01/15 and 02/28/2015

Number of options outstanding 
as of 02/28/2015  

Number of shares subscribed 
pursuant to options exercised  
as of 02/28/2015

06/07/2010 09/25/2009 11/27/2013 05/27/2014

02/21/2016

06/05/2014 09/24/2015 11/26/2017 05/26/2018

05/25/2022

47.50 (3)

38.15 (3)

39.00 (3)

47.00 (3)

91.00 (3)

(4)

5

1, 175, 033

869, 502.5

649, 879

274, 256

- 2, 968, 671 5, 937, 341

150, 867

137, 582

155, 000

429,515.5

1,046,621

103,100

862,644

22,300

568,849 1,137,698

289,925 2,628,705,5 5,257,411

-

-

-

-

73,557.5

91,538

70,515

-

235,611

471,221

-

-

-

4,000

-

-

355,958

955,083

792,129

285,925

2,103,170 4,206,340

-

943,060

741,417

344,771

- 2,029,248 4,058,496

(1)  The figures in this column reflect the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share effective on July 17, 2014 and the correlative multiplication of the number of shares  by two .
(2)  The options granted to the Chief Executive Officer are subject to performance conditions related to his variable compensation actually paid out over three years.
(3)  Since the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share effective on July 17, 2014, each of these options entitles the holder to two new Dassault Systèmes shares of a par value 

of €0.50 each.

(4)  The 2014-01 options are exercisable by one-third tranches as from February 21, 2016, February 21, 2017 and February 21, 2018, respectively, provided that the beneficiary 

remains with the Company and fulfills the performance conditions. 

For information regarding the dilutive effect on share capital 
by  the  exercise  of  options,  see  also  paragraph  6.2.1  “Share 
Capital at February 28, 2015”.

At  December  31,  2014,  the  only  Company  directors 
(mandataires sociaux) owning such share subscription options 
were Bernard Charlès and Thibault de Tersant.

For  information  regarding  the  equity  interests  in  Dassault 
Systèmes  SA  of  the  directors  (mandataires  sociaux),  see 
paragraphs 5.1.1 “Composition and Practices of the Board of 
Directors”  and  6.3  “Information  about  the  Shareholders”  in 
this Annual Report (Document de référence).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 177

5 Corporate governance

Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

SUBSCRIPTION AND PURCHASE OPTIONS OF THE TOP TEN EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 
AND THE OPTIONS THEY EXERCISED DURING 2014
(Corresponding to Table 9 of the AMF Position-Recommendation no. 2009-16)

The following table sets forth, on a global basis, the total number and weighted average exercise price of shares subscribed by 
the ten Company employees who exercised the largest number of Company stock options during 2013 and who are not directors 
of the Company.

Total 
number of 
options *

Average 
weighted price 
per option

Plan no. 
2006-01

Plan no. 
2006-02

Plan no. 
2008-01

Plan no.
2008-02

Plan no. 
2014-01

Stock options granted in 2014 to the ten 
employees who received the largest number 
of stock options

Stock options exercised in 2014 by the ten 
employees who exercised the largest 
number of stock options

259,000

33.17

–

–

–

–

259,000

403,500

42,88

66,000

10,000

201,000

126,500

–

* 

Following the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share on July 17, 2014, each option entitles the holder to two Dassault Systèmes shares.

5.3.2.2 

Performance shares

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of  May  30,  2013, 
authorized  the  Board  of  Directors  to  grant  Dassault 
Systèmes SA shares during a 38-month period, representing 
up  to  2%  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA’s  capital  at  the  date  of 
the  General  Meeting  (i.e.  up  to  2,511,449  shares,  that  is 
5,022,998 shares after the two-for-one split of the Dassault 
Systèmes share effective on July 17, 2014).

The  Board  meeting  of  February  21,  2014  used  this 
authorization  to  grant  529,940  performance  shares  (this 

number  was  multiplied  by  two  to  increase  it  to  1,059,880 
performance  shares  following  the  aforementioned  two-
for-one  split)  under  a  plan  called  “2014-A”  in  favor  of  917 
beneficiaries,  and   150,000  “2014-B”  shares  (this  number 
was  multiplied  by  two  to  increase  it  to  300,000  following 
the  aforementioned  two-for-one  split)   in  favor  of  the  Chief 
Executive Officer (see paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares 
and Share Subscription Options”).

The  following  tables  provide  certain  information  on  the 
Company’s performance shares plans in effect during 2014.

178 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

5

HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE SHARES GRANTED
(Corresponding to Table 10 of the AMF Position- Recommendation no. 2009-16)

Following the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share on July 17, 2014, the number of granted shares that are being 
vested or that have been vested and are currently locked-in were multiplied by two.

Plan Number

General Meeting

2010-02 Plan 
– France

2010-02 Plan 
– International

2010-04 Plan 
– France

2010-04 Plan 
– International

2014-A

Totals after 
2-for-1 split(1)

Total

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/30/2013

Date of the Board meeting

09/29/2011

09/29/2011

09/07/2012

09/07/2012

02/21/2014

Total number of shares 
granted, including the 
number granted to:

 (cid:125) to directors 

(mandataires  sociaux)

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

Thibault de Tersant

348,000 (2)

58,400 (2)

366,575 (2)

172,655 (2)

529,940

1,475,570

2,951,140

31,000

–

14,000 (3 )

17,000

–

–

–

31,000

–

14,000 (3 )

17,000

–

–

–

–

20,000

82,000

164,000

–

–

20,000

–

28,000 (3)

54,000

–

56,000 (3)

108,000

Vesting date of shares

09/29/2014

09/29/2015

09/07/2015

09/07/2016

02/21/2018

Date of end of holding period

09/29/2016

none

09/07/2017

none

none

Performance conditions

See Note (4)

See Note (4)

See Note (5)

See Note (5)

See Note (6)

Number of shares vested 
as at 03/20/2015

Total number of shares 
cancelled or lapsed 
as at 12/31/2014

Performance shares 
remaining at the end 
of financial year

Performance shares 
remaining at the end of 
financial year after 2-for-1 
split of the par value (1)

294,000

–

375

–

–

294,375

588,750

16,500

17,450

15,625

28,000

9,200

86,775

173,550

-

-

78,450

350,575

144,655

520,740

1,094,420

2,188,840

156,900

701,150

289,310

1,041,480

2,188,840

(1)   The figures in this column or this line reflect the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share par value on July 17, 2014 and the correlative multiplication of the number of 

shares  by two . 

(2)   In the event of international mobility, the beneficiaries of the France Plan may be transferred under certain conditions to the International Plan and vice versa during the vesting 

period. Therefore, the total number of vested shares under the France or International Plans may differ from the number of shares originally granted under these plans. 

(3)  The shares granted to the Chief Executive Officer are subject to an additional performance condition in relation to his variable compensation actually paid with respect to three 
financial years set forth in the regulations of the plan in question, the amount of which is itself dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board 
of Directors of Dassault Systèmes SA.

(4)  The 2010-02 Shares will be fully vested at the end of the vesting period applicable to the beneficiary, provided the beneficiary remains with the Company and satisfaction of a 
performance condition, which is measured according to the non-IFRS diluted earnings per share actually realized compared to the high end of the range set for Dassault Systèmes’ 
EPS objective as published for each of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 financial years.

(5)  The 2010-04 Shares will be fully vested at the end of the vesting period applicable to the beneficiary, provided the beneficiary remains with the Company and satisfaction of a 
performance condition, which is measured according to the non-IFRS diluted earnings per share actually realized compared to the high end of the range set for Dassault Systèmes’ 
EPS objective as published for each of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 financial years.

(6)  The 2014-A Shares will be fully vested at the end of the vesting period, provided the beneficiary remains with the Company and fulfils each year over a three-year period at least 
one of the following performance conditions: the increase  in non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of the Dassault Systèmes Group in relation to the one in 2014 or if the Dassault 
Systèmes share outperforms the CAC 40 index . 

5

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 179

5 Corporate governance

Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Directors

HISTORY OF THE SHARES GRANTS TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER IN RESPECT OF THE GRADUAL PROCESS OF 
ASSOCIATING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER WITH THE COMPANY SHARE CAPITAL
(See also paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares and Share Subscription Options”)

Following the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share on July 17, 2014, the number of granted shares that are being 
vested or that have been vested and are currently locked-in were multiplied by two.

Plan Details

General Meeting

2009

2010

2010-03

2010-05

2014-B

06/06/2007

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/30/2013

Date of the Board meeting

11/27/2009

05/27/2010

09/29/2011

09/07/2012

02/21/2014

Total number of shares granted to Bernard Charlès 
(before 2-for-1 split of the par value)

Vesting date of shares

Date of end of holding period (1)

Performance conditions

150,000

150,000

150,000

150,000

150,000

11/27/2011

05/27/2012

09/29/2013

09/07/2014

02/21/2018

11/27/2013

05/27/2014

09/29/2015

09/07/2016

02/21/2018

See Note (2)

See Note (3)

See Note (4)

See Note (5)

See Note (6)

Number of shares vested as at 03/20/2015

150,000

150,000

150,000

150,000

–

Number of shares vested as at 03/20/2015  after the 
2-for1 split of the par value (7)

300,000

300,000

300,000

300,000

(1)   Non applicable to the shares subject to the legal lock-up commitment set by the Board of Directors  (see paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares and Shares Subscription Options”). 
(2)  Performance condition related to variable compensation actually paid to the Chief Executive Officer with respect to the 2009 and 2010 financial years, the amount of which is itself 

dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board.

(3)  Performance condition related to variable compensation actually paid to the Chief Executive Officer with respect to the 2010 and 2011 financial years, the amount of which is itself 

dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board.

(4)  Performance condition related to variable compensation actually paid to the Chief Executive Officer with respect to the 2011 and 2012 financial years, the amount of which is itself 

dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board.

(5)  Performance condition related to variable compensation actually paid to the Chief Executive Officer with respect to the 2012 and 2013 financial years, the amount of which is itself 

dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board.

(6)  The same performance condition as that stipulated for the 2014-A performance shares granted by the Board on the same day to certain employees of the Group (see paragraph 5.1.4.3 

“Performance Shares and Share Subscription Options”).

(7)  The figures in this line reflect the two-for-one split of the Dassault Systèmes share par value on July 17, 2014 and the correlative multiplication of the number of shares  by two .

180 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Transactions in the Company’s Shares by the Management of the Company

5

5.4  Transactions in the Company’s Shares 
by the Management of the Company

Pursuant to Article 223-26 of the AMF’s General Regulations, the table below shows transactions involving securities issued by 
Dassault Systèmes SA carried out by directors or executive officers of the Company, or by persons related to them (according to 
Article R. 621-43-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code).

Date
and place

Directors and Executive Officers

Nature of the transaction

Unit price
(in euros)

Gross amount
(in euros)

02/11/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/11/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of other types of financial instruments

4.44

88,888.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

3.40

68,000.00

02/12/2014
Euronext Paris

02/12/2014
Euronext Paris

02/12/2014
Euronext Paris

02/12/2014
Euronext Paris

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options

47.50

237,500.00

Thibault de Tersant

Sale of shares

82.40

411,998.91

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options 

38.15

572,250.00

5

Thibault de Tersant

Sale of shares

82.46 1,236,831.38

02/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/18/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/21/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/21/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/21/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/25/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/25/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/25/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/25/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/25/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/28/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/28/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/28/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/28/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

02/28/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

8.50

340,000.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

7.08

283,200.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

8.10

324,000.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

4.52

90,480.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

6.08

243,080.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

8.34

333,440.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.00

40,000.00

Share subscription

84.54 3,381,600.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

9.46

378,400.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.96

59,280.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

3.03

60,680.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.07

82,800.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

  2.95

117,920.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.92

38,340.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

9.87

394,800.00

Acquisition of shares

83. 28

3,331,200

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 181

5 Corporate governance

Transactions in the Company’s Shares by the Management of the Company

Date
and place

Directors and Executive Officers

Nature of the transaction

Unit price
(in euros)

Gross amount
(in euros)

03/03/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/03/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/03/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/03/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/05/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/05/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/05/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/05/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/07/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/07/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/11/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/11/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/11/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/13/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

03/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of other types of financial instruments

9.87

394,720.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

3.75

75,020.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

3.74

74,812.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

9.74

389,624.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

10.01

400,360.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.79

55,740.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

10.69

427,680.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

0.69

13,840.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

8.85

353,800.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

9.56

382,400.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.91

58,240.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

6.57

262,840.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

8.03

321,080.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.51

50,260.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

6.46

258,520.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

0.13

5,120.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

5.49

219,760.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

3.29

131,640.00

04/29/2014
Euronext Paris

04/29/2014
Euronext Paris

Bernard Charlès

E xercise of share subscription options  

47.50 1,425,000.00

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options  

38.15

144,970.00

04/30/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

04/30/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

04/30/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.11

42,240.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

3.21

128,240.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.40

95,840.00

04/30/2014
Euronext Paris

04/30/2014
Euronext Paris

04/30/2014
Euronext Paris

04/30/2014
Euronext Paris

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options  

47.50

237,500.00

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options  

38.15

572,250.00

Thibault de Tersant

Sale of shares

Thibault de Tersant

Sale of shares

87.74

438,697.60

87.56 1,313,369.41

182 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Transactions in the Company’s Shares by the Management of the Company

5

Date
and place

05/02/2014
Euronext Paris

05/02/2014
Euronext Paris

Directors and Executive Officers

Nature of the transaction

Unit price
(in euros)

Gross amount
(in euros)

Philippe Forestier

E xercise of share subscription options  

38.15

381,500.00

Philippe Forestier

Sale of shares

88.58

885,821.98

05/05/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/07/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/07/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/07/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/12/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/12/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.71

34,160.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

0.87

34,680.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.46

29,260.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.09

83,640.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.59

31,880.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.30

25,940.00

05/14/2014
Euronext Paris

05/14/2014
Euronext Paris

Bruno Latchague

E xercise of share subscription options  

39.00

550,836.00

Bruno Latchague

Sale of shares

90.50 1,278,222.00

5

05/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/14/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/16/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/16/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/16/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.26

25,200.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.64

32,800.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.70

50,880.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.65

49,470.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.12

33,540.00

05/20/2014
Euronext Paris

05/20/2014
Euronext Paris

Bruno Latchague

E xercise of share subscription options  

39.00

660,933.00

Bruno Latchague

Sale of shares 

90.51  1,533,878.44 

05/20/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/20/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/20/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

1.73

69,200.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

3.40

136,000.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.83

36,600.00

05/21/2014
Euronext Paris

05/21/2014
Euronext Paris

05/22/2014
Euronext Paris

05/22/2014
Euronext Paris

Bruno Latchague

E xercise of share subscription options  

39.00

465,231.00

Bruno Latchague

Sale of shares

90.54 1,080,081.87

Bruno Latchague

E xercise of share subscription options  

39.00 1,053,000.00

Bruno Latchague

Sale of shares

90.73 2,449,697.53

05/23/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/23/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

05/23/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.35

93,840.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

3.28

131,120.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.01

40,200.00

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 183

5 Corporate governance

Transactions in the Company’s Shares by the Management of the Company

Date
and place

05/27/2014
Euronext Paris

05/27/2014
Euronext Paris

Directors and Executive Officers

Nature of the transaction

Unit price
(in euros)

Gross amount
(in euros)

Pascal Daloz

E xercise of share subscription options  

47.50 1,900,000.00

Pascal Daloz

Sale of shares

91.00 3,640,000.00

06/03/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

06/03/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.74

69,440.00

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.70

68,040.00

06/03/2014
Euronext Paris

06/03/2014
Euronext Paris

06/04/2014
Euronext Paris

06/04/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

06/25/2014
Euronext Paris

07/29/2014
Euronext Paris

07/29/2014
Euronext Paris

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options  

38.15

381,500.00

Thibault de Tersant

Sale of shares

93.24

932,370.82

Sylvain Laurent

E xercise of share subscription options  

47.00

376,000.00

Sylvain Laurent

Sale of shares

93.00

744,000.00

Bernard Charlès

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

88.66

15,870.14

Bernard Charlès

Reinvestment of dividends in shares 

88.66

558,823.98

Bernard Charlès

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

88.66

44,152.68

Bernard Charlès

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

88.66

2,571.14

Bernard Charlès

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

88.66

14,096.94

Bernard Charlès

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

88.66

265.98

Charles Edelstenne

Charles Edelstenne

Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï

Laurence Barthès

Legal entity associated 
with Charles Edelstenne

Legal entity associated 
with Charles Edelstenne

Legal entity associated 
with Charles Edelstenne

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares 

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares 

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares 

Legal entity associated 
with Charles Edelstenne 

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares 

88.66 2,405,168.48

88.66 1,304,277.26

88.66

620.62

88.66

1,507.22

88.66

88.66

88.66

88.66

88.66

709.28

88.66

709.28

Physical person associated 
with Bernard Charlès

Serge Dassault

Thibault de Tersant

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

88.66

60,111.48

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares 

New shares’ subscriptions through the option 
to receive payment of dividend in shares 

88.66

88.66

88.66

12,501.06

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options  

19.08

476,875.00

Thibault de Tersant

Sale of shares

48.76 1,218,943.30

184 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance
Transactions in the Company’s Shares by the Management of the Company

5

Date
and place

Directors and Executive Officers

Nature of the transaction

08/18/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of shares

Unit price
(in euros)

Gross amount
(in euros)

49.69 1,987,600.00

08/18/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.69

107,600.00

08/20/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of shares

49.77 1,990,800.00

08/21/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

08/26/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.27

90,800.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.76

165,600.00

08/26/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated 
with Serge Dassault

Sale of shares

50.26 3,015,600.00

09/08/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated with 
Nicole Dassault

09/08/2014
Over the counter market

Physical person associated with 
Nicole Dassault

Sale of other types of financial instruments

2.17

173,600.00

Acquisition other types of financial instruments

2.17

173,600.00

10/29/2014
Euronext Paris

10/29/2014
Euronext Paris

11/24/2014
Euronext Paris

11/24/2014
Euronext Paris

Thibault de Tersant

E xercise of share subscription options  

19.08

953,750.00

Thibault de Tersant

Sale of shares

48.83 2,491,484.53

Laurence Barthès

E xercise of share subscription options  

23.50

940,000.00

Laurence Barthès

E xercise of share subscription options  

19.50 1,560,000.00

5

TRANSACTIONS MADE BY GIMD, A LEGAL ENTITY AFFILIATED WITH MARIE-HÉLÈNE HABERT AND NICOLE DASSAULT, 
DIRECTORS OF DASSAULT SYSTÈMES SA

Date and place

20/01/14
Over the counter market

29/01/14
Over the counter market

29/01/14
Over the counter market

29/01/14
Over the counter market

29/01/14
Over the counter market

17/02/14
Over the counter market

28/05/14
Over the counter market

06/25/2014
Over the counter market

Nature of the transaction

Unit Price

Gross amount

Sale of other types of financial instruments

Sale of other types of financial instruments

Sale of other types of financial instruments

Acquisition   of other types of financial instruments

Acquisition  of other types of financial instruments

0.85

0.83

0.83

0.46

0.46

38,250

37,350

24,900

20,700

13,800

Sale of other types of financial instruments

0.6372

28,674

Sale of other types of financial instruments

1.2207

24,414

Share  subscription

88.66 43,387,455.54 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 185

5 Corporate governance

Statutory Auditors

5.5  Statutory Auditors

Principal Statutory Auditors
PricewaterhouseCoopers  Audit,  member  of  the  Compagnie 
Régionale des Commissaires aux Comptes de Versailles,  63, 
rue  de  Villiers  –  92200  Neuilly-sur-Seine,  represented  by 
Pierre  Marty,  whose  first  mandate  began  on  June  8,  2005 
and was renewed on May 26, 2011 for a period of six fiscal 
years  expiring  at  the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders 
approving the financial statements for the fiscal year ending 
on December 31, 2016.

Ernst & Young et Autres, member of the Compagnie Régionale 
des Commissaires aux Comptes de Versailles,  1/2,  place  des 
Saisons – 92400 Courbevoie – Paris-La Défense 1, represented 
by Jean-François Ginies, was appointed on May 27, 2010 to 
replace  Ernst  &  Young  Audit;  this  mandate  will  expire  at  the 
General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  approving  the  financial 
statements for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2015.

Deputy Statutory Auditors
Yves  Nicolas,  63,  rue  de  Villiers  –  92200  Neuilly-sur-Seine, 
whose  mandate  began  on  May  26,  2011  for  a  period  of  six 
fiscal  years  expiring  at  the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders 
approving the financial statements for the fiscal year ending 
on December 31, 2016.

The  company  Auditex,  1/2,  place  des  Saisons  – 
92400  Courbevoie  –  Paris-La  Défense  1,  whose  mandate 
was renewed on May 27, 2010 and will expire at the General 
Meeting  of  Shareholders  approving  the  financial  statements 
for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2015.

Principal Auditors’ fees and services
The following table presents the amount of fees paid to each of the Company’s principal Statutory Auditors in 2014 and 2013:

(in thousands, excluding VAT)

2014

2013

2014

2013

2014

2013

2014

2013

PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit

Ernst & Young et Autres

Amount

%

Amount

%

Audit

Audit opinion, review of statutory and 
consolidated financial statements (1):

 (cid:125) issuer

 (cid:125) other consolidated subsidiaries

Other audit-related services (2):

 (cid:125) issuer

 (cid:125) other consolidated subsidiaries

SUBTOTAL

Other services (3)

Legal, tax, social

SUBTOTAL

TOTAL

€1,065

€1,034

1,390

1,248

512

167

72

20

3,134

2,374

136

136

35

35

33%

42%

16%

5%

96%

4%

4%

43%

52%

3%

1%

99%

1%

1%

€228

342

49

1

€227

253

637

12

620

1,129

717

717

86

86

17%

25%

4%

0%

46%

54%

54%

19%

21%

52%

1%

93%

7%

7%

€3,270

€2,409

100%

100%

€1,337

€1,215

100%

100%

(1)  Audit fees consist of fees billed for the annual audit services engagement and other audit services for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, which are those services that 
only the Statutory Auditor reasonably can provide, and include the Group audit, statutory audits, consents, attest services, and services provided in connection with documents 
filed with the AMF.

(2)  Audit-related fees generally consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial 
statements or that are traditionally performed by the Statutory Auditor, and include due diligence services related to acquisitions, consultations concerning financial accounting 
and reporting standards, attestation services not required by statute or regulation, and information system reviews. In 2014 and 2013, they primarily included fees related to 
certain acquisitions.

(3)  Fees billed by members of the Statutory Auditors’ respective networks to consolidated subsidiaries are related to the support in the execution of software licensing reviews and to 
local and international tax compliance services, including the review of tax returns and tax services regarding statutory, regulatory or administrative developments and expatriate 
tax assistance and compliance.

186 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

6

INFORMATION ABOUT 
DASSAULT SYSTÈMES SA, 
THE SHARE CAPITAL AND 
THE OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE

CONTENTS

6.1.  Information about Dassault 

6.3  Information about the Shareholders 196

Systèmes SA 

6.1.1  General Information 

6.1.2  Memorandum and Specific By-Law Provisions 

188

188

189

6.3.1  Shareholder Base and Double Voting Rights 

6.3.2  Controlling Shareholder 

6.3.3  Shareholder Agreements 

6.2  Information about the Share Capital 192

6.4  Stock Market Information 

196

198

199

200

6.2.1  Share Capital at February 28, 2015 

6.2.2  Potential Share Capital 

6.2.3  Changes in Dassault Systèmes SA Share Capital 

over the Past Three Years 

6.2.4  Delegations and Authorizations Granted 

to the Board of Directors by the General Meetings 
of Shareholders 

6.2.5  Stock Repurchase Programs 

192

192

193

193

195

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 187

6 Information about Dassault Systèmes SA, the share capital and the ownership structure 

Information about Dassault Systèmes SA

6.1. 

Information about Dassault Systèmes SA

6.1.1  General Information

6.1.1.1 

Commercial Name and Registered 
Office

Dassault Systèmes

10, rue Marcel Dassault – 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay, France

Telephone: +33 (0)1 61 62 61 62

6.1.1.2 

Legal form – Applicable Law – 
Place of Registration and Registration 
Number – APE code

Dassault Systèmes SA is a limited liability company (SA) with 
a  Board  of  Directors  governed  by  French  law.  The  Company 
is registered with the Versailles trade and companies registry 
under  number  322  306  440.  The  Company’s  APE  code  is 
5829 C.

The  Board  of  Directors  of  March  21,  2014  approved  the 
conversion  project  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into  a  European 
company (Societa Europae). The conversion decision subject to 
the conclusion of negotiations with employee representatives 
on  the  arrangements  for  employee  involvement  in  the 
European company, will be submitted to the General Meeting 
of  May  28,  2015  (see  paragraphs  5.1.1.2  “Practices  of  the 
Board of Directors” and 7.1 “Presentation of the Resolutions 
Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on 
May 28, 2015”).

 (cid:125) to supply and sell computer resources, together or separate 

from software or services; 

in computer-aided manufacturing and design, product lifecycle 
management,  collaborative  work, 
technical  databases, 
management  of  manufacturing  processes,  and  software 
development tools, as well as in any other related areas and 
by any means.

The purpose of the Company shall also be:

 (cid:125) the  creation,  acquisition, 

rental  and  management-
lease  of  any  on-going  business,  signing  leases,  and  the 
establishment and operation of any facilities;

 (cid:125) the  acquisition,  operation  or  sale  of  any  industrial  or 
intellectual property rights as well as any knowhow in the 
field of computers; and

 (cid:125) more  generally,  taking  an  interest  in  any  business  or 
company  created  or  to  be  created  as  well  as  in  any  legal, 
economic, financial, industrial, civil, commercial, personal or 
real property enterprise connected directly or indirectly, in 
whole or in part, with the purposes above or any similar or 
related purposes.

6.1.1.5 

Fiscal Year

The 12-month fiscal year covers the period from January 1 to 
December 31 of each year.

6.1.1.3  Date of Incorporation and Term

6.1.1.6  Documents on Display

Dassault  Systèmes  SA’s  by-laws,  minutes  of  the  General 
Meetings  and  Board  of  Directors’  reports  to  the  General 
Meetings,  reports  of  the  Statutory  Auditors,  financial 
statements  for  the  last  three  years  and,  more  generally, 
all  documents  provided  or  made  available  to  shareholders 
pursuant to the law may be viewed at Dassault Systèmes SA’s 
registered office.

Some  of  these  documents  are  also  available  on  the  Group’s 
website (www.3ds.com/investors/regulated-information).

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  was  incorporated  as  a  limited  liability 
company (société à responsabilité limitée) on June 9, 1981 for 
a  99-year  term  starting  on  the  date  of  its  registration  (until 
August 4, 2080). The Company was transformed into a public 
limited liability company (société anonyme) on April 8, 1993.

6.1.1.4 

Corporate Purpose

Pursuant  to  Article  2  of  the  Company’s  by-laws,  Dassault 
Systèmes SA’s corporate purpose, in France and abroad, is:

 (cid:125) to develop, produce, market, purchase, sell, rent and provide 
after-sale service of computer hardware and/or software; 

 (cid:125) to  supply  and  provide  services  to  users  specifically  in  the 
areas of training, demonstration, methodology, deployment 
and utilization; 

 (cid:125) to supply and provide services of data centers, including to 
supply  services  dedicated  to  software  as  a  service  and  to 
operate and supply the corresponding infrastructures, and

188 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Information about Dassault Systèmes SA, the share capital and the ownership structure 
Information about Dassault Systèmes SA

6

6.1.2  Memorandum and Specific By-Law Provisions

6.1.2.1  Allocation of Profits 

(Article 36 of the Company’s By-Laws)

The  profits  for  each  year,  less  any  losses  from  prior  periods, 
where appropriate, are first allocated to the reserves as required 
by  law.  A  sum  of  5%  is  deducted  to  form  the  legal  reserve 
fund. This deduction ceases to be compulsory when said fund 
reaches  one-tenth  of  share  capital;  it  becomes  compulsory 
once again when the legal reserve falls below this amount.

The  distributable  profit  is  composed  of  the  profit  from  the 
year less any losses from prior periods as well as the amounts 
allocated to reserves as required by law or the Company’s by-
laws, and increased by retained profits.

The  General  Meeting  then  deducts  from  this  distributable 
profit  the  amounts  deemed  appropriate  to  allocate  to  any 
optional,  ordinary  or  special  reserves  or  to  the  retained 
earnings account.

As  appropriate,  any  remaining  balance  is  distributed  to  all 
shares proportionately to the unredeemed paid-up value.

However, except in the event of a share capital reduction, no 
distribution  can  be  made  to  shareholders  if  the  equity  is,  or 
would be as a result of the distribution, less than the amount 
of the share capital plus the reserves that cannot be distributed 
under the law or the by-laws.

The General Meeting may decide to distribute amounts taken 
from  available  reserves,  either  to  pay  or  increase  a  dividend, 
or  distribute  a  special  dividend.  In  this  case,  the  resolution 
explicitly  identifies  from  which  reserves  these  amounts  are 
to be withdrawn. Nevertheless, the dividends are distributed 
in  order  of  priority  starting  with  the  distributable  profit  of 
the year.

After the approval of the financial statements by the General 
Meeting,  any  losses  are  recorded  in  a  special  account  and 
carried forward against the profits of future years, until they 
have been eliminated.

In case of stripping of the ownership of the shares, Article 11 
of  the  by-laws  reserves  for  beneficial  owners  the  right  to 
vote  on  decisions  relating  to  the  allocation  of  profits  (see 
paragraph 6.1.2.3  “Shares and Voting Rights” below).

6.1.2.2  General Meetings of Shareholders

Notice and agenda of meeting 
(Articles 25 and 26 of the Company’s by-laws)
General  Meetings  of  Shareholders  are  convened  either  by 
the  Board  of  Directors  or,  if  the  Board  of  Directors  fails  to 
convene a General Meeting, by the Statutory Auditor(s) or by 
a representative appointed by the President of the Commercial 
Court  acting  on  the  request  of  one  or  several  shareholders 
holding together at least one-twentieth of the share capital.

If the General Meeting of May 28, 2015 approves the conversion 
of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into  a  European  company,  one  or 
more shareholders who together hold shares representing at 
least  10%  of  subscribed  capital  may  also,  from  the  date  of 
registration  on  the  trade  and  companies  registry  and  of  the 
companies  within  Dassault  Systèmes  SE,  request  the  Board 
of  Directors  to  call  a  General  Meeting,  specifying  the  items 
they  wish  to  be  included  on  the  agenda  (see  paragraph  7.1 
“Presentation  of  the  Resolutions  Proposed  by  the  Board  of 
Directors to the General Meeting on May 28, 2015”).

Notice  of  the  meeting  is  made  through  an  announcement 
placed  in  a  journal  of  legal  notices  in  the  department  of  the 
registered office, and in the French Bulletin of required legal 
notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires – BALO). 
Shareholders holding registered shares for at least one month 
from  the  date  of  the  announcement  are  also  notified  of  all 
General Meetings by letter sent by standard mail or, at their 
request and expense, by registered letter. The General Meeting 
cannot be held less than 15 days after the announcement is 
published or the letter is sent to registered holders.

One or more shareholders, representing at least the required 
percentage  of  capital,  also  have  the  possibility  of  requesting 
that items and proposed resolutions be added to the agenda in 
accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Conditions for admission 
(Article 27 of the Company’s by-laws)
Under  the  Decree  of  December  8,  2014,  which  amended 
Article  R.  225-85  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  every 
shareholder  has  the  right  to  participate  in  General  Meetings 
either in person or by proxy, provided his/her shares are fully 
paid-up and:

 (cid:125) for  holders  of  registered  shares,  that  they  are  held  in 
a  registered  account  (directly  or  through  a  financial 
intermediary)  at  0:00  a.m.  (Paris  time)  on  the  second 
business day preceding the meeting;

 (cid:125) for holders of shares in bearer form, that they are recorded 
in a bearer securities account maintained by the accredited 
intermediary  at  0:00  a.m.  (Paris  time)  on  the  second 
business day preceding the meeting.

A proposal will be submitted to the General Meeting on May 28, 
2015 to amend Article 27 of the by-laws in order to take into 
account the new book-entry deadline for the shares determining 
the  right  to  attend  General  Meetings  (see  paragraph  7.1 
“Presentation  of  the  Resolutions  Proposed  by  the  Board  of 
Directors to the General Meeting on May 28, 2015”).

The  registration  of  shares  in  a  bearer  securities  account 
maintained by the accredited intermediary shall be validated 
by  a  shareholding  certificate  (attestation  de  participation) 
issued  by  the  accredited  intermediary  to  the  holder  of  the 

6

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shares.  This  certificate  must  be  attached  to  the  voting  or 
proxy form or to the request for an admission card issued in 
the  shareholder’s  name.  A  certificate  can  also  be  issued  to 
a  shareholder  who  wishes  to  attend  in  person  the  General 
Meeting and who has not received an admission card by the 
second business day preceding the meeting.

Shareholders may vote by mail using a form that will be sent to 
them under the conditions indicated by the notice of meeting. 
The form, duly completed and accompanied, as the case may 
be, by a shareholding certificate (attestation de participation), 
must be received by Dassault Systèmes SA at least three days 
before the date of the General Meeting, or it will not be taken 
into consideration.

A  shareholder  may  be  represented  by  his/her  spouse  or  by 
any other natural or legal person who has been appointed as 
proxy, under conditions provided by the law. The shareholders 
who are legal entities are represented by the natural persons 
duly authorized to represent them with respect to third parties 
or  by  any  person  to  whom  the  power  of  proxy  has  been 
transferred.

A  shareholder,  who  is  a  non-French  resident  as  defined  in 
Article  102  of  the  French  Civil  Code,  may  be  represented  at 
General  Meetings  by  an  accredited  intermediary  registered 
according  to  applicable  legal  and  regulatory  provisions.  Such 
shareholder  will  be  considered  present  in  calculating  the 
quorum and the results of voting.

If the Board of Directors so decides when convening the General 
Meeting,  any  shareholder  may  also  participate  and  vote  at 
the  meeting  by  video-conference  or  by  any  other  means  of 
telecommunications permitting him/her to be identified and 
to participate effectively. Such participation must comply with 
the conditions and means set forth in the applicable legal and 
regulatory provisions. Such shareholder will be accounted for 
in calculating the quorum and the results of voting.

Actions needed to amend shareholders’ rights 
(Articles 13, 31 and 32 of the Company’s by-laws)
Only  an  Extraordinary  General  Meeting  can  amend 
shareholders’  rights  in  compliance  with  legal  and  regulatory 
requirements.

Except  as  may  be  otherwise  provided  for  under  applicable 
law  and  with  the  exception  of  reverse  share  splits  carried 
out  in  accordance  with  the  law,  no  majority  may  impose  on 
shareholders an increase in their commitments. If new classes 
of shares are created, only an Extraordinary General Meeting 
and a special Meeting of Shareholders of the specific class of 
shares  may  approve  any  amendment  to  the  rights  of  these 
classes of shares.

6.1.2.3 

Shares and Voting Rights

Rights, privileges and restrictions attached 
to each class of issued shares (Articles 13 and 39 
of the Company’s by-laws)
All the shares are of the same class are entitled to, under the 
Company’s  by-laws,  the  same  rights  to  the  distribution  of 
profits and any amounts distributed in the event of liquidation 
(see  also  paragraph  6.1.2.1  “Allocation  of  Profits  (Article  36 
of the Company’s By-Laws)”). However, a double voting right 
is attributed to any fully paid-up share held in registered form 
for  at  least  two  consecutive  years  in  the  name  of  the  same 
holder (see paragraph “Double voting rights (Article 29 of the 
Company's by-laws)” below).

The  new  shares  created  by  exercise  of  shares  subscription 
options between January 1 and the date of the annual General 
Meeting deciding on the distribution of profit from the previous 
financial  year  are  entitled  to  receive  the  dividend  distributed 
with respect to that financial year. As a result, the new shares 
are traded on the same line as the previously existing shares.

However,  the  new  shares  created  as  from  the  day  after  this 
annual  General  Meeting  do  not  have  a  right  to  receive  this 
dividend.  Those  shares  are  temporarily  quoted  on  a  second 
trading  line  until  the  date  the  shares  trade  ex-dividend  (i.e., 
without the right to receive the dividend to be distributed on 
Dassault Systèmes shares).

Conditions for exercising voting rights 
(Articles 11 and 29 of the Company’s by-laws)
The right to vote attached to shares or dividend-right shares is 
proportional to the portion of capital they represent.

Voting  is  carried  out  by  show  of  hands,  by  roll  call  or  secret 
ballot,  as  decided  by  the  secretariat  of  the  meeting  or  the 
shareholders. Shareholders may also vote by mail, by video-
conference  or  by  any  other  means  of  communication,  as 
indicated in the preceding paragraph. In the event of voting by 
mail, the voting forms not indicating any vote or expressing an 
abstention are considered as “No” votes.

 If  the  General  Meeting  of  May  28,  2015  approves  the 
conversion of Dassault Systèmes SA into a European company, 
in calculating the majority, the  valid  votes cast, including mail-
in  votes,  will  no  longer  include  those  attached  to  shares  for 
which the shareholder did not take part in the vote, abstained 
or returned a blank or invalid vote .

In case of stripping of the ownership of the shares, the voting 
right  attached  to  the  share  belongs  to  the  bare  owner  (nu-
propriétaire), except for the decisions relating to the allocation 
of  profits  for  which  it  belongs  to  the  beneficial  owner 
(usufruitier).

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6

In  the  event  of  non-compliance  of  this  requirement,  the 
shares  exceeding  the  fraction  of  2.5%  which  should  have 
been  declared  will  lose  their  voting  rights,  upon  the  request 
recorded in the minutes of the General Meeting of one or more 
shareholders holding a portion of Dassault Systèmes SA share 
capital  or  voting  rights  equal  to  at  least  2.5%  of  the  capital 
or voting rights. The voting rights will be lost for all General 
Meetings held until the expiration of two years following the 
date on which the required declaration is made.

6.1.2.5 

Terms in the Company’s By-Laws, 
Charter or Regulation Which Could 
Delay, Postpone or Prevent a Change 
in Control

Other  than  the  aforementioned  double  voting  right  (see 
paragraph  6.1.2.3  “Shares  and  Voting  Rights”)  and  the 
reporting  obligation  when  holdings  exceed  2.5% 
(see 
paragraph  6.1.2.4  “Declarations  Concerning  Crossing  of 
the  Ownership  Thresholds  (Article  13  of  the  By-L aws)”), 
Article 10 of the by-laws provides that Dassault Systèmes SA 
may, at any time and in compliance with legal and regulatory 
requirements,  request  that  a  central  depositary  maintaining 
the Company’s share register, communicate to it the name (or 
corporate name for legal entities), the nationality, the year of 
birth  or  the  year  of  incorporation  and  the  postal  and,  where 
applicable, e-mail address of holders of Dassault Systèmes SA 
shares in bearer form which grant, immediately or over time, 
the right to vote at General Meetings, as well as the number 
of  shares  held  by  each  of  these  shareholders  and,  where 
appropriate, any restrictions applicable to such shares.

6.1.2.6 

Terms in the Company’s By-Laws 
Concerning Modifications in Share 
Capital Which Are More Restrictive 
than the Law

The  by-laws  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  do  not  contain  any 
provisions concerning modifications of share capital which are 
more restrictive than those provided under the law.

6

Double voting rights (Article 29 of the Company’s by-laws)
Each  share  gives  the  right  to  one  vote.  Nevertheless,  since 
2002,  a  double  vote  has  been  awarded  to  all  fully  paid-up 
shares  held  in  registered  form  for  at  least  two  consecutive 
years in the name of the same holder. In the case of a capital 
increase  by  incorporation  of  reserves,  profits  or  premiums, 
this double voting right will be attached on the date of their 
issuance to free registered new shares allotted to a shareholder 
in  consideration  for  his  or  her  old  shares  giving  rise  to 
such right.

Under  the  law,  any  share  converted  into  a  bearer  share  or 
changing hands shall lose the right to the double voting right 
except  in  the  case  of  a  transfer  from  a  registered  account  to 
another registered account at inheritance or a gift inter vivos to 
a spouse or a relative entitled to succeed to the donor’s estate. 
The double voting right may also be cancelled by a resolution 
of  the  shareholders  at  an  Extraordinary  General  Meeting, 
provided the approval of the special Meeting of Shareholders 
having a double voting right.

Limitations on voting rights
The  by-laws  contain  no  restrictions  on  the  exercise  of 
voting  rights  attached  to  Dassault  Systèmes   shares  except 
in the event of stripping of the ownership of the shares (see 
paragraph “Conditions for e xercising v oting r ights (Articles 11 
and 29 of the Company's by-laws)” above).

6.1.2.4  Declarations Concerning Crossing of 

the Ownership Thresholds (Article 13 
of the Company’s By-Laws)

In addition to the legal obligation to inform Dassault Systèmes 
SA and the AMF in the event a shareholder’s interest passes 
the  thresholds  set  out  in  Article  L.  233-7  of  the  French 
Commercial  Code,  any  natural  or  legal  person,  acting  alone 
or  in  concert  with  others,  who  acquires  directly  or  indirectly 
shares  representing  at  least  2.5%  of  Dassault  Systèmes’ 
share  capital  or  voting  rights,  or  a  multiple  thereof,  must 
inform Dassault Systèmes SA of the total number of shares or 
voting rights which it holds. This information must be sent to 
Dassault Systèmes SA by registered letter with return receipt 
requested,  within  four  trading  days  following  the  date  of 
acquisition.

This declaration must be made each time the number of shares 
held exceeds this threshold of 2.5% (or one of its multiples), up 
to 50% (inclusive) of the total number of Dassault Systèmes 
SA shares or voting rights, or falls below it. The shareholder 
must certify in each declaration that it includes all shares or 
voting rights held or owned, in accordance with Article L. 233-
7 et seq. of the French Commercial Code. The declaration must 
also  indicate  the  date  or  dates  on  which  the  acquisitions  or 
divestitures occurred.

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6.2 

Information about the Share Capital

The  General  Meeting  of  May  26,  2014  decided  to  carry  out 
a  two-for-one  stock  split  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  shares.  The 
Board  of  Directors  which  took  place  the  same  day  as  the 
General  Meeting  set  that  the  two-for-one  stock  split  would 

enter  into  force  on  July  17,  2014.  Thus,  in  exchange  for 
any  old  share  which  worth  one  euro  and  held  on  this  date, 
shareholders were given two new actions which worth €0.50.

6.2.1  Share Capital at February 28, 2015

At  February  28,  2015,  the  Company’s  share  capital  was 
comprised  of  256,835,298  fully  paid-up  shares  with  a 
nominal value of €0.50 per share. At December 31, 2014, the 

Company’s share capital was €128,182,035.50, divided into 
256,364,077 shares.

6.2.2  Potential Share Capital

At February 28, 2015, outstanding share subscription options 
(whether or not exercisable) would, if all were exercised, result 
in the issuance of 4,808,190 new shares, representing 1.84% 
of the Company’s share capital at that date (on a diluted basis).

On  the  basis  of  the  closing  price  of  the  Company’s  shares 
on  February  28,  2015  (€62.53  per  share),  the  exercise  of 
all  exercisable  issued  options,  whose  exercise  price  was  less 
than that closing price, would have resulted in the issuance of 
4,808,190 new shares, representing 1.84% of the Company’s 
share  capital  at  that  date  (on  a  diluted  basis).  The  dilutive 
effect per share at December 31, 2014 is also set forth in Note 
 11  to the consolidated financial statements.

In connection with the acquisition of the SolidWorks company 
in 1997, Dassault Systèmes SA issued shares to the holders of 
shares subscription options and warrants issued by SolidWorks 
prior  to  this  acquisition.  These  Dassault  Systèmes  shares 
have  historically  been  held  by  the  Group’s  wholly-owned 
U.S. subsidiary, SW Securities LLC. No other SolidWorks share 
subscription  options  or  warrants  remain  outstanding  at  this 
time.  At  December  31,  2014,  as  at  February  28,  2015,  SW 
Securities LLC held 503,614 shares, or approximately 0.20% 
at  these  dates,  of  the  Company’s  share  capital.  Similar  to 
treasury shares, the shares held by SW Securities LLC do not 
have voting rights and are not eligible for dividends.

Other than the share subscription options granted in connection 
with  stock  option  plans  and  share  grants  as  described  in 
paragraph  5.3.1  “Compensation  of  the  Company’s  Directors 
(M andataires  S ociaux)”  and  paragraph  5.3.2  “Interests  of 
Executive  Management  and  Employees  in  the  Company’s 
Share  Capital”,  there  are  no  other  securities  giving  a  right 
to  subscribe  shares  of  Dassault  Systèmes,  and  there  is  no 
agreement  which  could  result  in  a  capital  increase.  Dassault 
Systèmes  SA  has  not  issued  any  securities  which  do  not 
represent an interest in its share capital.

Pledges of shares

To the Company’s knowledge, there was no pledge of Dassault 
Systèmes   shares  in  registered  form  and  representing  a 
significant portion of its share capital as of March 20 , 2015. 
Shares  held  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  in  its  subsidiaries  and 
their businesses (fonds de commerce) are not subject to any 
lien. To the Company’s knowledge, no shares of its subsidiaries 
which  are  not  held  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  are  subject  to 
any lien.

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6

6.2.3  Changes in Dassault Systèmes SA Share Capital 

over the Past Three Years

Date

Operation

Nominal amount of changes 
in share capital
 (in euros)

Amount in  
share  capital
 (in euros)

Number of 
shares created 
or canceled

Total number 
of  shares

February 29, 2012 Capital increase resulting from the 

754,232

123,846,961

754,232

123,846,961

June 30, 2012

exercise of share subscription options

Capital increase resulting from the 
exercise of share subscription options

1,188,835

125,035,796

1,188,835

125,035,796

July 25, 2012

Capital increase by contributions in kind

23,412

125,059,208

23,412

125,059,208

August 31, 2012

Capital increase resulting from the 
exercise of share subscription options

October 2, 2012

Share capital reduction through 
cancellation of treasury shares

131,629

125,190,837

131,629

125,190,837

(643,600)

124,547,237

(643,600)

124,547,237

December 31, 2012 Capital increase resulting from the 

549,541

125,096,778

549,541

125,096,778

exercise of share subscription options

February 28, 2013 Capital increase resulting from the 

292,488

125,389,266

292,488

125,389,266

June 25, 2013

exercise of share subscription options

Capital increase by a dividend payment 
in shares

741,175

126,130,441

741,175

126,130,441

February 28, 2014 Capital increase resulting from the 

940,826

127,071,267

940,826

127,071,267

exercise of share subscription options

March 21, 2014

Share capital reduction through 
cancellation of treasury shares

June 20, 2014

July 9, 2014

Capital increase by a dividend payment 
in shares

Capital increase resulting from the 
exercise of share subscription options

(741,175)

126,330,092

(741,175)

126,330,092

802,310

127,132,402

802,310

127,132,402

729,347

127,861,749

729,347

127,861,749

6

July 17, 2014

Split of the share par value by two

-*

127,861,749 127,861,749*

255,723,498

February 28, 2015 Capital increase resulting from the 

555,999

128,417,649

1,111,800

256,835,298

exercise of share subscription options

March 20, 2015

Share capital reduction through 
cancellation of treasury shares

* 

The par value of the share was reduced from €1 to €0.50 on July 17, 2014.

(802,310)

127,615,339

(1,604,620)

255,230,678

The changes in equity resulting from the operations through December 31, 2014 set forth above are included in the “Consolidated 
Statements of Shareholders’ Equity” in the consolidated financial statements.

6.2.4  Delegations and Authorizations Granted to the Board 
of Directors by the General Meetings of Shareholders

The  following  table  summarizes  the  delegations  and 
authorizations granted by the General Meeting to the Board of 
Directors and with effect during the 2014 financial year and 

as of the date of this Annual Report (Document de référence). 
It  includes  authorizations  to  increase  share  capital  and  to 
repurchase and cancel the Company’s own shares.

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Information about the Share Capital

Resolutions
and General 
Meetings

Description of the delegation of authority granted to the Board of Directors

Utilization in 2014

SHARES BUYBACK AND CANCELLATION OF SHARES

12th 
resolution
GM of 
05/26/2014

13th 
resolution
GM of 
05/26/2014

Authorization: buy back or purchase Dassault Systèmes shares.
Duration: approximately 12 months (expiring at the GM approving the financial statements for the fiscal 
year ended on 12/31/2014).
Cap: 10% of share capital within the limit of €500 million.

See paragraph 6.2.5 
“Share buyback 
programs”

Authorization: cancel shares purchased under the buyback program.
Duration: approximately 12 months (expiring at the GM approving the financial statements for the fiscal 
year ended on 12/31/2014).
Cap: 10% of capital in a 24-month period.

See paragraph 6.2.5 
“Share buyback 
programs”

ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES

9th resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

10th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

11th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

13th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

14th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

Authorization: increase the share capital by issuance of shares or securities giving right to shares of 
Dassault Systèmes SA and issue securities giving right to debt securities, with preemptive right of 
shareholders.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/30/2015.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €15 million for shares or securities – For a maximum nominal 
amount of €750 million for debt securities.

Authorization: increase the share capital by issuance of shares or securities giving right to shares of 
Dassault Systèmes SA and issue securities giving right to debt securities, with waiver of preemptive right 
of shareholders, by public offering.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/30/2015.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €15 million for shares or securities – For a maximum nominal 
amount of €750 million for debt securities (to be deducted from the aforementioned overall nominal 
limits).

Authorization: increase the share capital and issue securities giving right to debt securities, without 
preemptive rights of shareholders, under the delegation referred to in the previous line, by a private 
placement, under section II of the Article L. 411-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/30/2015.
Cap: To be deducted from the aforementioned overall nominal limit of €15 million (9th resolution).

Authorization: increase the share capital by incorporation of reserves, profits or premiums.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/30/2015.
Cap: Up to the aforementioned overall nominal limit of €15 million (9th resolution).

Authorization : increase the share capital to remunerate contributions in kind of shares or equity-linked 
securities.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/30/2015.
Cap: 10% of share capital.

ISSUANCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF EMPLOYEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Authorization: increase the share capital and issue redeemable subscription or purchase warrants 
(BSAAR) to employees and executive officers of Dassault Systèmes SA and its subsidiaries with waiver of 
preemptive rights by the shareholders for the benefit of the latter.
Duration: 18 months, i.e. until 11/30/2014.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €6 million to be deducted from the aforementioned overall 
nominal limit of €15 million (9th resolution).

None

None

None

None

None

None

Authorization: grant free shares, existing or to be issued, for the benefit of certain employees and/or 
executive officers of the Company and its affiliated entities as defined in Article L. 225-197-2 of the 
French Commercial Code.
Duration: 38 months, i.e. until 07/30/2016.
Cap: 2% of share capital.

Described in 
paragraph 5.3.2.2 
“Performance 
shares”

Authorization: grant stock options giving right to subscribe to new shares or purchase existing shares for 
the benefit of certain employees and/or executive officers of the Company and its affiliated entities as 
defined in Article L. 225-180 of the French Commercial Code.
Duration: 38 months, i.e. until 07/30/2016.
Cap: 5% of share capital.

Authorization: increase the share capital for the benefit of members of a corporate savings plan of 
Dassault Systèmes SA and its affiliated entities.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/30/2015.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €5 million to be deducted from the aforementioned overall 
nominal limit of €15 million (9th resolution).

None

None

12th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

15th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

16th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

17th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

194 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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6

The  authorizations  to  repurchase  the  Company’s  shares 
and  to  cancel  these  repurchased  shares  expire  at  the  end 
of  the  General  Meeting  to  be  held  on  May  28,  2015.  It 
is  thus  proposed  to  this  General  Meeting  to  renew  these 
authorizations  (see  paragraph  6.2.5.2  “Description  of  the 
Share Repurchase Program Proposed to the General Meeting 
on  May  28,  2015”).  It  will  also  be  proposed  to  renew  with 
slightly  lower  cap  conditions  (€12  million)  the  delegations 

allowing  a  capital  increase  and  to  renew  in  advance  and 
under the same conditions, the authorization to grant shares 
in order to benefit,  if applicable, from the new provisions of 
the draft “ Macron”  law pertaining to performance shares  (see 
paragraph 7.1 “Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by 
the  Board  of  Directors  to  the  General  Meeting  on  May  28, 
2015”).

6.2.5  Stock Repurchase Programs

6.2.5.1 

Transactions carried out by Dassault 
Systèmes SA in 2014 and early 2015

As a two-for-one stock split was applied to Dassault Systèmes’ 
shares on July 17, 2014, the figures concerning the number of 
shares  and  their  average  prices  mentioned  in  this  paragraph 
take this split into account, in order to facilitate reading and 
comprehension.

During  2014,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  repurchased,  under 
the  authorizations  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  by  the 
General  Meetings  of  May  30,  2013  and  May  26,  2014, 
3,811,652 of its own shares, this figure takes into account the 
aforementioned two-for-one stock split.

These shares were repurchased at an average price of €45.04 
per share, giving a total cost of €171,660,684.74 (excluding 
tax),  among  which  1,444,890  shares  by  over  the  counter 
market  block  trade  at  an  average  price  per  share  of  €46.28, 
for a total cost of €66,876,301.83. The transaction costs paid 
by the Company in connection with these shares repurchased 
amounted  to  €61,797.63  all  taxes  included  (plus  the  tax  on 
financial transactions for an amount of €343,321.35).

These  3,811,652  shares  were  allocated  to  the  following 
objectives:

 (cid:125) cancellation  in  order  to  increase  the  return  on  equity  and 

net income per share: 2,451,772 shares;

 (cid:125) coverage  of  the  Company’s  obligations  resulting  from 

performance share grants: 1,359,880 shares.

The shares purchased before 2014 were used as follows:

 (cid:125) 1,482,350  shares,  of  which  635,198  shares  repurchased 
before  2014,  were  canceled  by  the  Board  of  Directors  of 
March 21, 2014;

 (cid:125) 888,750  shares,  which  had  been  allocated  to  cover  the 
Company’s obligations resulting from share grants decided 
prior  to  2014,  were  transferred  to  the  beneficiaries  (see 
paragraph 5.3.1 “Compensation of the Company’s Directors 
– M andataires S ociaux”).

The Company directly held, on December 31, 2014, 4,267,010 
of its own shares of a nominal value of €0.50 each, which had 
been repurchased at an average price of €43.84, representing 
1.66% of share capital at that date, and which were allocated 
either to cancel shares or to cover the Company’s obligations 
resulting from performance shares grants.

Transactions carried out since the start of 2015
Pursuant to the authorization granted in 2013, on January 5, 
2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  signed  a  liquidity  agreement 
in  accordance  with  the  Code  of  Ethics  of  the  AFEI  (French 
association of investment firms) recognized by the AMF, with 
Oddo  Corporate  Finance  for  an  annual  amount  of  €50,000  
implemented from January 7, 2015 for an initial period until 
December 31, 2015,  automatically renewable for subsequent 
12-month terms.

Under this liquidity agreement, on March 20, 2015,  666,613  
shares  were  purchased,  at  an  average  price  of  € 56.42 ,  and 
 633,835  shares were sold, at an average price of € 57.47 . 

 The Board meeting of March 20, 2015 used the authorization 
granted by the General Meeting of May 26, 2014 by proceeding 
with  the  cancellation  of   1,604,620   shares  allocated  to  this 
objective.

During  2014  and  since  the  start  of  2015,  the  Company  has 
not performed any transactions on derivative securities linked 
to its shares and has not purchased or sold any of its shares 
by exercising them or through the maturity of such derivative 
securities.

6.2.5.2  Description of the Share Repurchase 

Program Proposed to the General 
Meeting on May 28, 2015

Pursuant  to  Articles  2412  et  seq.  of  the  AMF  General 
Regulation  and  L.  451-3  of  the  French  Monetary  and 
Financial  Code,  and  in  accordance  with  European  Regulation 
no.  2273/2003  of  December  22,  2003,  this  description 
relates  to  the  terms  and  objectives  of  the  Company’s  share 
repurchase program that will be submitted for approval at the 
General Meeting of May 28, 2015.

6

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Breakdown of treasury shares as of the date 
of this document
On  March  20,  2015,  the  Company  holds   2,695,168   of  its 
own shares directly and 503,614 indirectly. These  2,695,168  
shares were allocated to the following objectives:

 (cid:125) coverage of the Company’s obligations resulting from share 
grants decided in 2011, 2012 and 2014: 2,662,390 shares;

 (cid:125) liquidity agreement signed with Oddo Corporate Finance on 

January 5, 2015:  32,778  shares.

The  purposes  1-4  and  6  above  correspond  to  the  terms  of 
European Regulation no. 2273/2003 of December 22, 2003, 
in application of the directive 2003/6/EC of January 28, 2003, 
and market practices accepted by the AMF.

The  General  Meeting  of  May  28,  2015  will  also  be  asked  to 
authorize the Board of Directors to cancel, as the case may be, 
all or part of the shares which it may repurchase in connection 
with  the  share  repurchase  program  and  to  carry  out  the 
corresponding reduction in share capital.

Purposes of the new repurchase program
1)   Cancel shares in order to increase the return on equity and 

net income per share.

2)   Provide  securities 

(representing  no  more  than  5% 
of  the  Company’s  share  capital)  for  payment,  or  for 
exchange, particularly in connection with external growth 
transactions.

3)   Ensure that there is a market or liquidity for the shares of 
Dassault Systèmes SA under a liquidity agreement with an 
accredited financial service provider, in accordance with a 
Code of Ethics recognized by the AMF.

4)   Meet obligations related to shares subscription options or 
other share grants to employees or directors (mandataires 
sociaux)  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  or  of  an  affiliated 
company.

5)   Meet the Company’s cash obligations based on an increase 
in the market price of Dassault Systèmes  shares, as made 
to  employees  and  directors  (mandataires sociaux)  of  the 
Company or of an affiliated company.

6)   Provide  shares  in  connection  with  the  exercise  of  rights 
attached  to  securities  providing  access  to  the  capital  of 
Dassault Systèmes SA.

7)   Carry out any market practice which may be authorized by 

the law or by the AMF.

Maximum proportion of share capital, 
maximum number, characteristics of the 
securities that the Company proposes to acquire, 
and maximum purchase price
The  Board  of  Directors  may  repurchase  Dassault  Systèmes 
 shares  representing  up  to  10%  of  the  Company’s  share 
capital  at  the  date  of  the  General  Meeting  authorizing  the 
program,  i.e.  25,683,529  shares  at  February  28,  2015,  the 
most  recent  date  for  determining  the  capital  as  of  the  date 
of this description. The purchase price of the shares would be 
capped  at  €75  per  share  and  subject  to  the  limits  stipulated 
by  the  applicable  regulations.  The  maximum  amount  of  the 
funds  used  for  the  purpose  of  buying  back  shares  would  be 
€500 million.

Duration of the share repurchase program
The  program  would  last  for  12  months,  starting  on  the 
General Meeting of May 28. This authorization should be valid 
until  the  Ordinary  General  Meeting  ruling  on  the  financial 
statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2015.

6.3 

Information about the Shareholders

6.3.1  Shareholder Base and Double Voting Rights

The  table  below  sets  forth  certain  information  concerning 
Dassault Systèmes SA’s shareholder base over the last three 
fiscal years. Pursuant to AMF recommendation no. 2009-16, 
it specifies:

Regulations and used as a denominator by shareholders to 
calculate their percentage of shares held and voting rights 
for the purposes of regulatory declarations (in particular the 
declarations with regards to exceeding the threshold); and

 (cid:125) the theoretical or “gross” voting rights, taking into account 
the  voting  rights  attached  to  the  shares  without  voting 
rights, in accordance with Article 223-11 of the AMF General 

 (cid:125) the  voting  rights  that  can  be  exercised  at  the  General 
Meeting (“AG” in the table below) or “nets”, not taking into 
account shares without voting rights.

196 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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6

Double voting rights are attributed to all fully paid-up shares 
held in nominative form registered in the name of the same 
shareholder for at least two years.

The major shareholders of Dassault Systèmes SA do not hold 
voting  rights  which  are  different  from  voting  rights  of  other 
shareholders (such as double voting rights).

Shareholders

AT DECEMBER 31, 2014

Shares

% of capital

Theoretical 
voting rights

% of theoretical 
voting rights

Voting rights 
exercisable in 
the General 
Meeting 

% of voting 
rights 
exercisable in 
the General 
Meeting 

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

105,386,646

41.11% 208,709,314

55.04% 208,709,314

Charles Edelstenne(1) and beneficiaries(2)

15,562,944

6.07%

30,978,146

8.17%

30,978,146

Bernard Charlès

Treasury shares

SW Securities LLC(3)

Directors and senior management(4)

Public

TOTAL 

AT DECEMBER 31, 2013

2,751,624

4,267,010

503,614

348,474

1.07%(5)

4,719,926

1.24%(5)

4,719,926

1.66%

0.20%

0.14%

4,267,010

503,614

390,618

1.13%

0.13%

0.10%

–

–

390,618

127,543,765

49.75% 129,610,747

34.19% 129,610,747

256,364,077(6)

100% 379,178,925(6)

100% 374,408,301(6)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

52,193,954

41.12% 103,855,288

55.28% 103,855,288

Charles Edelstenne(1) and beneficiaries(2)

Bernard Charlès

Treasury shares

SW Securities LLC(3)

Directors and senior management(4)

Public

TOTAL 

AT DECEMBER 31, 2012

7,739,539

1,174,641

1,413,229

251,807

24,986

6.10%

15,391,802

8.21%

15,391,802

0.93%(5)

1,973,688

1.05%(5)

1,973,688

1.11%

0.20%

0.02%

1,413,229

251,807

39,389

0.75%

0.13%

0.02%

–

–

39,389

64,134,829

50.52%

64,909,781

34.56%

64,909,781

126,932,985

100% 187,866,910

100% 186,201,874

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

51,887,334

41.48%

86,974,668

51.49%

86,974,668

Charles Edelstenne(1) and beneficiaries(2)

Bernard Charlès

Treasury shares

SW Securities LLC(3)

Directors and senior management(4)

Public

TOTAL 

7,707,601

1,024,396

899,079

251,807

23,213

6.16%

15,391,790

0.82%(5)

1,467,798

0.71%

0.20%

0.02%

899,079

251,807

35,626

9.11%

0.87%

0.53%

0.15%

0.02%

15,391,790

1,467,798

–

–

35,626

63,303,348

50.61%

63,881,533

37.83%

63,881,533

125,096,778

100% 168,902,301

100% 167,751,415

55.74%

8.27%

1.26%(5)

–

–

0.11%

34.62%

100%

55.78%

8.28%

1.06%(5)

–

–

0.02%

34.88%

100%

51.85%

9.18%

0.87%

–

–

0.02%

38.08%

100%

(1)  Including shares held in trust for the benefit of his family and managed by Charles Edelstenne.
(2)  At December 31, 2014, Mr Edelstenne held 3,946,266 shares with all ownership rights and 3,296 shares through two family companies which he manages, representing a total 
of  1.54%  of  the  capital  and  2.09%  of  the  exercisable  voting  rights,  as  well  as  11,613,382  shares  with  “usage”  rights  (usufruit).  For  the  usage  rights  with  respect  to  these 
11,613,382 shares, representing 6.18% of the exercisable voting rights, Mr Edelstenne can only exercise the right to vote on decisions of the General Meeting concerning the 
allocation of profits; the holders of the bare property rights (nue-propriété) exercise the right to vote for other resolutions in compliance with Article 11 of the by-laws.

(3)  Because SW Securities LLC is a subsidiary of the Company, shares held by SW Securities LLC do not have voting rights.
(4)  Excluding  Mr  Edelstenne  and  Mr  Charlès,  “management”  includes  the  officers  listed  in  paragraph  5.1.2  “Group  Executive  Committee”  of  this  Annual  Report  (Document  de 

référence).

(5)  For further information, see paragraph 5.4 “Transactions in the Company’s Shares by the Management of the Company”.
(6)  The number of shares and voting rights making up the share capital were doubled after the two-for-one stock split applied to Dassault Systèmes’ shares on July 17, 2014.

6

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Information about the Shareholders

rights  amounted 

The  overall  number  of  voting 
to 
379,178,925  as  at  December  31,  2014  (the  number  of 
exercisable  voting  rights  was  374,408,301)  and,  as  at 
February  28,  2015,  379,762,592  (with  the  number  of 
exercisable  voting  rights  amounting  to  374,940,013).  The 
difference between the number of theoretical and exercisable 
voting  rights  is  explained  by  the  treasury  shares  and  shares 
controlled by the Company.

MFS  Institutional  Advisors,  Inc.  (MFSI)  notified  Dassault 
Systèmes SA, on April 27, 2011, that the holdings of the various 
funds  it  managed,  directly  or  indirectly,  had  exceeded  the 
2.5% threshold of the share capital of Dassault Systèmes SA. 
MFSI’s  parent  company,  MFS  Investment  Management 
(MFS), notified Dassault Systèmes SA that the funds managed 
directly or indirectly by companies within its group, including 
MFSI, held more than 2.5% of the Dassault Systèmes SA share 
capital as at February 19, 2015 as was the case on March 11, 
April  3,  April  11,  July  21  and  July  23,  2014,  December  17, 
2013 and on September 24, 2012.

To  the  knowledge  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA,  based  on 
shareholder obligations to declare if they exceed the threshold, 
there  are  no  other  shareholders  (except  as  indicated  above) 
who  held  2.5%  (threshold  set  forth  in  the  Company’s  by-
laws), directly or indirectly, alone or in agreement with other 
shareholders or more than 5% of the Company’s share capital 
or voting rights at December 31, 2014.

Although Dassault Systèmes SA voluntarily delisted its shares 
from  NASDAQ  in  October  2008,  it  continues  to  maintain  its 
ADR  (“American  Depositary  Receipts”)  program,  which  are 
still traded on the over-the-counter market (see paragraph 6.4 

“Stock Market Information”). On February 28, 2015 there were 
7,552,909 American Depositary Shares (“ADS”) outstanding 
and the number of recorded ADS holders, holding them either 
for themselves or for third parties amounted to 55.

In  January  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  commissioned  a 
survey on the Company’s shares from an external specialized 
services  provider.  According  to  this  survey,  institutional 
investors holding more than 2,000 shares each numbered 444 
and held 42.55% of the Dassault Systèmes SA share capital as 
at December 31, 2014.

As at March 20, 2015, Dassault Systèmes SA holds  2,695,168  
treasury  shares,  including   32,778   shares  bought  during 
the  buyback  program  adopted  by  the  General  Meeting  of 
May 26, 2014 and the rest, i.e.  2,662,390  shares within the 
framework of a program of earlier buybacks, which represents 
approximately   1.04 %  of  the  share  capital  as  at  March  20, 
2015, with no voting rights or dividend rights being attached 
to these shares.

At  December  31,  2014,  131,091,778  Dassault  Systèmes 
shares  (i.e.  approximately  51.14%  of  the  capital)  are  held  in 
registered  form;  they  provide  entitlement  to  249,639,936 
exercisable  voting  rights  (i.e.  approximately  66.67%  of  the 
gross voting rights).

In accordance with Article L. 225-102 of the French Commercial 
Code,  the  number  of  Dassault  Systèmes  shares  held  by  the 
employees through the corporate savings plan (plan d'épargne 
entreprise)  was  206,542  shares  at  December  31,  2014,  or 
approximately  0.08%  of  the  total  number  of  shares  at  that 
date.

6.3.2  Controlling Shareholder

GIMD  (Groupe  Industriel  Marcel   Dassault)  is  the  principal 
shareholder of Dassault Systèmes SA with, as of December 31, 
2014, 41.11% of the share capital and 55.74% of the exercisable 
voting  rights  (i.e.  55.04%  of  theoretical  voting  rights).  With 
more than 50% of the voting rights of Dassault Systèmes SA, 
GIMD controls Dassault Systèmes. GIMD is wholly-owned by 
the members of the Dassault family.

In order to ensure that the control of GIMD is not exercised in 
an “improper” manner under the meaning of the AMF General 
Regulation,  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA 
is made up of 44% of independent directors i.e. a proportion 
exceeding  the  requirement  stipulated  in  the  AFEP-MEDEF 
Code for controlled companies, and that all of the committees 

under  the  Board  (Audit  Committee,  Compensation  and 
Nomination Committee, Scientific Committee) are made up of 
independent directors only.

As  GIMD  possesses  more  than  one  third  but  less  than  half 
of  the  shares  and  more  than  half  of  the  voting  rights  in  the 
Company, GIMD may not increase its stake by more than 1% 
of the total number of shares of the Company in a period of 
12  consecutive  months,  unless  it  launches  a  public  tender 
offer on all the equity securities issued by Dassault Systèmes, 
except for an exemption from the obligation to make an offer 
based on Article 234-9 (6°) of the General Regulations of the 
AMF, which the latter can grant at its discretion.

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6.3.3  Shareholder Agreements

In 2011, 2013 and 2014, Dassault Systèmes was informed about collective undertakings concluded concerning the holding of 
shares whose characteristics are summarized in the tables hereafter in accordance with AMF recommendation no. 2009-16.

Collective undertakings concluded in 2014

System 

Date of signing 

Duration of collective undertakings 

Article 787 B of the General Taxation Code

Article 787 B of the General Taxation Code   

February 27, 2014

At least two years

December 16 and 17, 2014 

At least two years 

Contractual duration of the agreement 

Permanent with cases of termination

Permanent with cases of termination 

Conditions for renewal 

No specific conditions stipulated

No specific conditions stipulated 

Capital and voting rights % concerned by 
the agreement (at the date of its execution) 

25.0% of the share capital and 33.8% of 
the voting rights

24.7% of the share capital and 33.4% 
of the voting rights 

Names of the signatories having the capacity 
of executives (1)

Mr. Charles Edelstenne
Mr. Bernard Charlès

Mr. Charles Edelstenne
Mr. Bernard Charlès 

Names of the signatories having close links 
with executives 

Names of the signatories holding at least 5% 
of the capital and/or voting rights of the 
company 

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault 

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries(2)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries (2)

(1)  Pursuant to Article 885 O bis of the General Taxation Code.
(2)  See Note 2 under the table of paragraph 6.3.1 “Shareholder Base and Double Voting Rights”. 

Collective undertakings concluded in 2011 still in force

Collective undertakings concluded in 2013

Article 787 B of the French Tax    Code

Article 787 B of the French Tax   Code

6

System

Date of signing

Duration of collective undertakings

At least two years

July 11, 2011

October 29, 2013

At least two years

Contractual duration of the agreement

Permanent with cases of termination

Permanent with cases of termination

Conditions for renewal

No specific conditions stipulated

No specific conditions stipulated

Capital and voting rights % concerned by the 
agreement (at its date of execution)  

29.6 % of the share capital and 41.8% of the 
voting rights

28.2 % of the share capital and 41.6% of 
the voting rights

Names of the signatories having the capacity 
of executives(1)

Mr Charles Edelstenne
Mr Bernard Charlès

Mr Charles Edelstenne
Mr Bernard Charlès

Names of the signatories having close links 
with executives

Names of the signatories holding at least 5% 
of the capital and/or voting rights of the 
Company

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries(2)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries(2)

(1)  Pursuant to Article 885 O bis of the French Tax   Code.
(2)  See Note 2 under the table of paragraph 6.3.1 “Shareholder Base and Double Voting Rights”.

The same shares can be subject to several joint lock-up agreements.

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Stock Market Information

6.4  Stock Market Information

 Stock Exchange
Shares  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  have  been 
listed  on 
Compartiment A of Euronext Paris (ISIN code FR0000130650) 
since June 28, 1996. Its shares were also listed on the NASDAQ 
in  the  form  of  ADS  (American  Depositary  Shares)  under  the 
symbol  DASTY  until  October  16,  2008.  The  ADS  are  still 
traded under this symbol on the U.S. over-the-counter market. 

One ADS represents one ordinary share (see paragraph 6.3.1 
“Shareholding and Double Voting Rights”).

For  dividend  policy,  see  the  paragraph  7.1  “Presentation  of 
the  Resolutions  Proposed  by  the  Board  of  Directors  to  the 
General Meeting on May 28, 2015”.

 Share price history and trading volumes of Dassault Systèmes shares from January 1, 2014

(in euros except for Volume of shares traded)

January 2014

February 2014

March 2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

Volume of 
shares* traded

8,861,508

13,968,856

8,696,296

8,032,912

7,212,930

7,166,674

7,466,969

4,988,279

5,424,912

8,086,900

4,309,478

5,410,247

5,006,706

7,599,064

Share price on 
last day of the 
month*

Highest share 
price during the 
month*

Lowest share 
price during the 
month*

43.96

41.64

42.52

44.32

46.52

46.98

50.14

50.40

50.86

50.57

52.57

50.54

54.92

62.53

45.65

44.84

43.09

46.96

47.11

48.20

50.42

50.78

52.79

51.70

53.50

53.07

55.31

63.48

42.95

39.23

40.78

41.18

43.94

46.12

46.32

46.80

49.98

46.10

49.39

47.38

48.85

53.17

* 

The historical data has been restated to take into account the two-for-one stock split carried out on July 17, 2014. (Source: Euronext Paris).

 Person Responsible for Financial Communications
François-José Bordonado

Vice-President, Investor Relations

 Indicative Timetable for the Publication of Financial 
Information for 2015
 (cid:125) First quarter of 2015: April 23, 2015

To  obtain  all  financial  information  and  documents  published 
by the Company, please contact:

 Investor Relations Service

10 rue Marcel Dassault – CS 40501

78946 Vélizy-Villacoublay Cedex – France

Telephone: +33 (0)1 61 62 69 24

Fax: +33 (0)1 70 73 43 59

e-mail: investors@3ds.com

 (cid:125) Second quarter of 2015: July 23, 2015

 (cid:125) Third quarter of 2015: October 22, 2015

 (cid:125) Fourth quarter of 2015: February 2016

200 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

7

GENERAL MEETING 
OF SHAREHOLDERS

CONTENTS

7.1  Presentation of the Resolutions 
Proposed by the Board of 
Directors to the General Meeting 
of Shareholders on May 28, 2015  202

7.2  Draft Resolutions Proposed 

by the Board of Directors to the 
General Meeting of Shareholders 
on May 28, 2015 

208

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 201

7 General Meeting of Shareholders

Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

7.1  Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed 

by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting 
of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

Annual financial statements and allocation of the results
We  invite  you  to  approve  the  annual  financial  statements  of 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  (or  the  “Company”  for  the  purposes 
of the present Chapter 7 “General Meeting of Shareholders”) 
for  the  financial  year  ended  December  31,  2014,  prepared 
on  the  basis  of  French  accounting  principles,  as  they  have 
been presented in paragraph 4.2 “Parent Company Financial 
Statements”.

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  has  paid  dividends  every  year  since 
1986. The decision to distribute dividends and their amount 
depend on the profits and the financial situation of Dassault 
Systèmes  SA  as  well  as  other  factors.  Dividends  which  have 
been distributed but are not collected by a shareholder escheat 
to the French State at the end of the five-year period following 
the date of their payment.

Based on the financial statements and the management report of the Board of Directors included in this Annual Report (Document 
de référence), a profit of €183,005,153.92 (1) has been realized for the financial year ended December 31, 2014, which we propose 
that you allocate as follows:

 (cid:125) to the legal reserve

 (cid:125) for distribution to the 255,230,678  shares making up the share capital as of March 20, 2015 of a dividend of

(€0.43  × 255,230,678  shares)(2)

 (cid:125) to retained earnings

€124,905.35 

€109,749,191.54 

€73,131,057.03 

which increased by the retained earnings from the prior financial years (€1,710,501,691.33 ) brings the amount of 
retained earnings to

€1,783,632,748.36 

(1)  After allocation to the legal reserve, this profit increased by the retained earnings from the prior financial years of € 1,710,501,691.33  , results in a distributable profit of 

€1,893,381,939.90 .

(2)  The aggregate amount of dividend will be increased, based on the number of new shares created between March 1, 2015 and the date of the General Meeting of Shareholders 
of May 28, 2015, consecutively to the exercise of subscription options, it being specified that the maximum number of shares which could be issued upon the exercise of 
subscription options is   4,206,340,   i.e. a maximum amount of a supplementary dividend of €1,808,726.20 .

Further  new  shares  created  by  exercise  of  options  until  the 
date of the annual General Meeting of Shareholders deciding 
on  the  allocation  of  profit  related  to  the  preceding  year  will 
be entitled to receive the dividend distributed with respect to 
that  year  (see  paragraphs  5.3.2.1  “Dassault  Systèmes  Share 
Subscription Options” and 6.4 “Stock Market Information”).

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Article  L.  225-210  of 
the  French  Commercial  Code,  the  amount  of  the  dividend 
corresponding to the treasury shares of Dassault Systèmes SA 
or held by SW Securities LLC, a company which is controlled 
by the Dassault Systèmes Group, as of the date of payment, 
shall be allocated to “retained earnings”.

Therefore we propose to the General Meeting of Shareholders 
of  May  28,  2015  to  approve  (i)  to  distribute  for  the  year 
2014 a dividend of €0.43  per share comprising the capital as 
of the date of this General Meeting, resulting – on the basis 
of  the  number  of  shares  comprising  the  share  capital  as  of 
February  28,  2015  decreased  of  the  number  of  cancelled 
shares  by  the  Board  of  Directors  of  March  20,  2015  (See 
paragraph 6.2.5 “Share Buyback Programs”) – in an aggregate 
amount  of  €109,749,191.54 ,  and  (ii)  to  distribute,  where 
applicable,  an  additional  aggregate  maximum  amount  of 
€1,808,726.20  which corresponds to the maximum number 
of new shares which could be issued between March 1, 2015 
and  the  date  of  the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  (i.e. 
4,206,340  shares).

Shares  will  be  traded  ex-dividend  as  of  June  3,  2015  and 
dividends made payable as from June 25, 2015.

In  addition,  prior  to  distribution  of  the  dividend,  the  Board 
of  Directors,  or  if  so  delegated,  the  Chief  Executive  Officer, 
will  determine  the  number  of  additional  shares  issued  as  a 
result of the exercise of shares subscription options between 
March 1 and the date of the General Meeting of Shareholders 
on  May  28,  2015.  The  amount  required  for  payment  of 
dividends  for  shares  issued  during  this  period  shall  be  taken 
from “retained earnings”.

The amount distributed in this way may be taken into account 
for  determining  shareholders’  total  revenue  subject  to  the 
progressive rate of income tax for the year during which it was 
received  after  application  of  an  uncapped  deduction  of  40% 
(as provided by Article 158-3-2 of the French Tax Code). The 
dividend shall be subject to a non-discharging withholding of 
the income tax to the rate of 21% (as provided by Article 117 
quarter of the French Tax Code).

202 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

General Meeting of Shareholders
Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

7

Pursuant to Article 243 bis of the French Tax Code, it is noted that dividends per share paid over the last three financial years have 
been as follows:

Dividend*

Number of shares eligible for dividends*

2013

€0.83

2012

€0.80

2011

€0.70

126,746,027

125,572,474

125,026,338

* 

The information in this table shows the situation before the two-for-one split of Dassault Systèmes SA shares carried out on July 17, 2014.

Sumptuary expenses and general charges set forth 
in Article 223 of the French Tax Code
In accordance with the provisions of Article 223 quater of the 
French Tax Code, we inform you that the total amount of non-
deductible  tax  expenses  and  charges  for  2014  is  €410,755, 
which resulted in corporate income tax of €156,087.

Option to receive payment of dividends in the form 
of shares
It  is  proposed  that  each  shareholder  be  granted  the  option 
to  choose  to  receive  payment  of  the  dividends  noted  above, 
in cash or in the form of new shares of the Company. If the 
option for payment in the form of new shares is chosen, the 
new shares will be issued at a price equal to the average of the 
closing  prices  quoted  on  Euronext  Paris  during  the  20  stock 
exchange sessions preceding the date of the General Meeting 
of Shareholders less the amount of the dividend and rounded 
up to the next one hundredth of a euro.

Shareholders  may  choose  payment  of  the  dividend  in  new 
shares  between  June   3   and  June   16 ,  2015,  inclusive,  by 
sending their request to the financial intermediaries that are 
authorized  to  pay  the  dividend  or,  for  shareholders  listed  in 
the  direct  registered  share  accounts  held  by  the  Company, 
to  its  authorized  representative  (Société  Générale,  securities 
department,  32  rue  du  Champ  de  Tir,  CS  30812,  44308 
Nantes  Cedex  3).  Accordingly,  shareholders  who  have  not 
chosen payment of dividends in shares before the end of this 
period will receive the dividend in cash as from June 25, 2015. 
For shareholders who have chosen to receive payment of the 
dividend in shares, the new shares will be delivered as of the 
same day.

If the option selected does not correspond to a whole number 
of  shares,  the  shareholder  may  choose  between  receiving  a 
number of shares rounded up to the next whole number, by 
paying the difference in cash on the day the option is selected, 
or  receiving  a  number  of  shares  rounded  down  to  the  next 
whole number, and the balance in cash.

Consolidated financial statements
In  addition  to  the  2014  parent  company  annual  financial 
statements,  we 
invite  you  to  approve  the  Company’s 
consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  financial  year 
ended December 31, 2014, prepared in accordance with IFRS 
standards  as  described  in  paragraph  4.1.1  “Consolidated 
Financial Statements”.

Regulated agreements (conventions réglementées)
The following agreements, which were approved in accordance 
with Articles L. 225-38 et seq. of the French Commercial Code 
and reviewed by the Board at its meeting on March 20, 2015 
in  accordance  with  the  new  version  of  Article  L.  225-40-1, 
were in effect during the financial year ended December 31, 
2014:

 (cid:125) the  following  undertakings  made  by  the  Company  in 
connection with its “Directors & Officers” liability insurance 
policy entered into with Allianz (ACS):

 (cid:125) to  assume,  under  certain  conditions,  the  cost  of  legal 
defense of directors in the event of their personal liability 
being sought, and indemnify the directors for the financial 
implications of such liability to the extent they would not 
be  covered  by  that  insurance  policy  (approved  by  the 
Board of Directors’ meeting held on July 24, 1996),

 (cid:125) to  assume,  under  certain  conditions,  the  cost  of  legal 
defense of directors of the Company should they have to 
prepare  their  personal  defense  before  a  civil,  criminal  or 
administrative  court  in  the  United  States  in  connection 
with  an  inquiry  or  investigation  conducted  against  the 
Company  (approved  by  the  Board  of  Directors’  meeting 
held on September 23, 2003);

 (cid:125) agreement  regarding  the  Company’s  undertakings  to 
Bernard  Charlès,  relating  to  indemnities  which  would  be 
due upon the termination of his functions as Chief Executive 
Officer.

These  agreements  were  reviewed  by  the  Board  of  Directors 
at  its  meeting  on  March  20,  2015,  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  Article  L.  225-40-1  of  the  French  Commercial 
Code.

Note  that  agreements  with  wholly-owned  subsidiaries 
of  the  Company  are  now  excluded  from  the  scope  of 
regulated  agreements  pursuant  to  Order  no.  2014-863  of 
July  31,  2014  on  measures  aimed  at  helping  companies  to 
simplify  administrative  procedures  and  boost  development. 
Consequently,  at  its  meeting  on  March  20,  2015,  the  Board 
of  Directors  stated  that  the  non-exclusive  license  to  use  the 
ENOVIA  trademark  granted  free  of  charge  to  the  subsidiary 
Dassault Systèmes Americas Corp. was now outside the scope 
of  regulated  agreements  and  decided  pursuant  to  Article  38 
of the Order to exclude it from the annual review required by 
Article L. 225-40-1 of the French Commercial Code. 

7

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Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

When  the  term  of  office  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  was 
renewed,  the  Board  of  Directors,  at  its  meeting  on  May  26, 
2014,  authorized,  in  accordance  with  the  proposal  of  the 
Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee  and  pursuant 
to  Article  L.  225-42-1  of  the  French  Commercial  Code, 
the  renewal  of  the  agreement  regarding  the  Company’s 
undertakings  to  Bernard  Charlès,  relating  to  indemnities 
which would be due upon the termination of his functions as 
Chief Executive Officer, under the terms adopted by the Board 
of Directors at its meeting on May 27, 2010. The amount of 
the indemnity due would be equivalent to a maximum of two 
years  of  compensation  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  would 
depend on satisfying the performance conditions established 
for calculating his variable compensation.

In  accordance  with  Article  L.  225-42-1  of  the  French 
Commercial Code, this agreement is subject to the approval of 
the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  (see  paragraph  5.1.4.2 
“Indemnities  Due  in  the  Event  of  the  Forced  Departure  of 
the Chief Executive Officer” and Table 11 of paragraph 5.3.1 
“Compensation  of  the  Company’s  Directors”  –  M andataires 
sociaux).

The  Statutory  Auditors  have  prepared  a  special  report 
pursuant to Articles L. 225-40 and L. 225-42-1 of the French 

Commercial  Code,  as  set  forth  in  paragraph  4.2.6  “Special 
Report  of  the  Statutory  Auditors  on  Regulated  Agreements 
and Commitments”. The General Meeting of Shareholders will 
be asked to take note of this report and to approve the new 
agreement referred to therein.

Advisory opinion on the compensation elements 
due or granted with respect to 2014 to Mr Charles 
Edelstenne, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and 
Mr Bernard Charlès, Chief Executive Officer
In accordance with the recommendation of the AFEP-MEDEF 
Code, it is proposed that the General Meeting of Shareholders 
issue an advisory opinion on the compensation elements due 
or  granted  with  respect  to  2014  to  each  executive  officer 
as  defined  by  this  Code,  namely  Mr  Charles  Edelstenne, 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  Mr  Bernard  Charlès, 
Chief  Executive  Officer,  whose  compensation  elements  are 
summarized  in  the  tables  below  (see  also  paragraphs  5.1 
“Report  of  the  Chairman  on  Corporate  Governance  and 
Internal Control” and 5.3.1 “Compensation of the Company’s 
Directors” – M andataires sociaux).

COMPENSATION ELEMENTS DUE OR GRANTED WITH RESPECT TO 2014 TO MR CHARLES EDELSTENNE, 
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Compensation element (in euros)

Amount Observations

Fixed compensation(1)

982,000 Gross fixed compensation for 2014 set by the Board of Directors on March 21, 2014, upon 

the proposal of the Compensation and Nomination Committee.

Annual variable compensation

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne receives no annual variable compensation.

Deferred annual variable 
compensation

Multi year variable 
compensation

Directors’ fees(2)

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne receives no deferred annual variable compensation.

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne receives no multi-year variable compensation.

42,000 Director’s fees due for 2014.

Extraordinary compensation

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne receives no extraordinary variable compensation.

Granting of share subscription 
options and/or performance 
shares

Indemnity upon start or 
termination of function

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne does not hold any share subscription options and was not granted 

any performance shares.

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne receives no indemnity upon start or termination of function.

Non-competition indemnity

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne receives no non-competition indemnity.

Additional retirement plan

N/A No additional retirement plan was implemented by Dassault Systèmes SA.

Benefits(3)

N/A Mr Charles Edelstenne receives no benefits in kind.

(1)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.1 “Compensation of Executive Officers” of the Chairman of the Board’s Report on Corporate Governance and Internal Control. In 2014, GIMD paid 

Mr Charles Edelstenne, as GIMD’s Chief Executive Officer, gross fixed compensation of €800,000.

(2)  GIMD paid Mr Charles Edelstenne €22,719 in directors’ fees in 2014, in connection with his mandate as a member of the Supervisory Board of GIMD. See also paragraph 5.1.4.4 

“Directors’ Fees” on the conditions for distributing the directors’ fees at Dassault Systèmes SA.

(3)  In 2014, GIMD granted benefits in kind related to the use of a car in an amount of €10,063 to Mr Charles Edelstenne.

204 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

General Meeting of Shareholders
Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

7

COMPENSATION ELEMENTS DUE OR GRANTED WITH RESPECT TO 2014 TO MR BERNARD CHARLÈS, 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Compensation element (in euros)

Amount Observations

Fixed Compensation

1,058,000 Fixed gross compensation with respect to 2014 set by the Board of Directors on March 21, 

2014(1)

Annual variable compensation

1,269,600  Variable gross compensation with respect to the 2014 fiscal year actually paid and decided by 

Deferred annual variable 
compensation

Multi year variable 
compensation

Directors’ fees(2)

the Board of Directors on March 20, 2015(1).

N/A Mr Bernard Charlès receives no deferred annual variable compensation.

N/A Mr Bernard Charlès receives no multi year annual variable compensation.

27,000 Director’s fees due for 2014.

Extraordinary compensation

N/A Mr Bernard Charlès receives no extraordinary compensation.

Granting of share subscription 
options and/or performance 
shares

 5,620,500  Mr Bernard Charlès was granted 150,000 2014-B shares by the Board on February 21, 2014, 
increased  to  300,000  following  the  two-for-one  split  of  the 

which  subsequently 
Dassault Systèmes shares on July 17, 2014(3).

Indemnity upon start or 
termination of function

N/A Mr Bernard Charlès receives under certain conditions an indemnity upon the termination of his 
functions, the amount of which would not exceed two years of the Chief Executive Officer’s 
compensation and would depend on the satisfaction of the performance conditions for the 
payment of his variable compensation.
In accordance with Article L. 225-42-1 of the French Commercial Code, this commitment on 
the part of Dassault Systèmes SA was authorized by the Board of Directors on May 26, 2014, 
and is subject to the approval of the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015(4).

Non-competition indemnity

N/A Mr Bernard Charlès receives no non-competition indemnity.

Additional retirement plan

N/A No additional retirement plan was implemented.

Benefits

10,934 These benefits are related to the use of a car provided by Dassault Systèmes SA.

(1)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.1 “Compensation of Executive Officers” of the Chairman of the Board’s Report on Corporate Governance and Internal Control.
(2)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.4 “Directors’ Fees” on the conditions for distributing the directors’ fees at Dassault Systèmes SA.
(3)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares and Share Subscription Options” of the Chairman of the Board’s Report on Corporate Governance and Internal Control.
(4)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.2 “Indemnities Due in the Event of the Imposed Departure (départ contraint) of the Chief Executive Officer” of the Chairman of the Board’s Report on 

Corporate Governance and Internal Control.

Renewal of the terms of office of four directors 
and ratification of the co-opting of a new director
The  terms  of  office  of  Nicole  Dassault,  Toshiko  Mori,  Jean-
Pierre  Chahid-Nouraï  and  Arnoud  De  Meyer  expire  at  the 
General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  on  May  28,  2015.  You  are 
invited to renew their terms of office for a period of four years 
(For  a  presentation  of  these  directors,  see  paragraph  5.1.1.1 
“Composition of the Board of Directors”).

There  will  also  be  a  proposal  made  to  the  General  Meeting 
of  Shareholders  to  ratify  the  appointment  of  Marie-Hélène 

Habert to replace her father,  Serge Dassault, for the remainder 
of  his  term  of  office,  until  the  General  Meeting  that  will  be 
held to approve the financial statements for the year ending 
December 31, 2015, which was made on a provisional basis 
by the Board of Directors at its meeting on July 23, 2014.

If  these  proposals  are  approved,  the  Board  of  Directors  will 
include four women and four independent directors out of its 
nine members, i.e. a proportion of 44%, which is greater than 
that recommended by the AFEP-MEDEF Code and the law on 
the representation of women on Boards of Directors.

7

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Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

  Authorization to repurchase shares of the Company

The  authorization  to  repurchase  shares  of  the  Company 
granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  at  the  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders  on  May  26,  2014  will  expire  at  the  General 
Meeting  of  Shareholders  of  May  28,  2015.  Under  this 
authorization,  share  repurchases  were  made  in  2014  and  at 
the beginning of 2015, as described in paragraph 6.2.5 “Share 
Buyback  Programs”.  Additional  share  repurchases  may  be 
made until the date of the General Meeting of Shareholders, 
and  will  be  described  in  the  Annual  Report  (Document de 
reference) for the financial year ending December 31, 2015.

We  invite  you  to  renew  the  authorization  to  the  Board  of 
Directors  to  repurchase  shares  of  the  Company  according 
to  the  conditions  set  forth  in  Articles  L.  225-209  et  seq.  of 
the French Commercial Code, within the limit of 10% of the 
capital  of  the  Company  at  the  date  of  the  General  Meeting 
of  Shareholders  of  May  28,  2015,  for  a  maximum  purchase 
price  of  €90  per  share  and  within  the  limits  stipulated  in 
the  applicable  regulations.  The  maximum  amount  of  funds 
dedicated  to  repurchase  shares  of  the  Company  may  not 
exceed €500 million.

Should  you  approve  this  proposal,  the  authorization  will 
be  valid  until  the  annual  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders 
approving  the  financial  statements  for  the  financial  year 
ending December 31, 2015.

This authorization to repurchase shares may be used for the 
following purposes:

1) 

2) 

3) 

to  cancel  shares  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the 
profitability  of  shareholders’  equity  and  income  per 
share, subject to adoption by the Extraordinary Meeting 
of Shareholders of the resolution permitting shares to be 
cancelled;

to provide securities representing no more than 5% of the 
share capital of the Company in payment or in exchange, 
including external growth transactions;

to  animate  the  market  or  provide  liquidity  for  the 
intermediary  of  an 
Company’s  shares  through  the 
investment  services  provider  by  means  of  a  liquidity 
contract  complying  with  a  Code  of  Ethics  accepted  by 
the  Financial  Market  Authority  (Autorité  des  marchés 
financiers);

4) 

to perform all obligations related to stock options grants 
or other grants of shares to employees or directors of the 
Company and its affiliates;

5) 

to cover the Company’s commitments pursuant to rights 
to cash payments based on increases in the share price of 

6) 

7) 

the Company, granted to the employees and directors of 
the Company and its affiliates;

to provide shares upon exercise of rights to the Company’s 
share capital which are attached to issued securities;

to implement any stock exchange market practice which 
may be recognized by law or by the Autorité des marchés 
financiers.

The share repurchase program is described in paragraph 6.2.5 
“Share Buyback Programs”, where all relevant information is 
presented.

In light of the possible cancellation of the repurchased shares, 
we  propose  that  you  also  authorize  the  Board  of  Directors 
to  cancel,  as  the  case  may  be,  for  the  same  period,  all  or  a 
portion of the shares which it has repurchased and to reduce 
in a corresponding amount the share capital, within a limit of 
10% of its amount.

Delegations and authorizations to carry out a capital 
increase

General financial authorizations
Delegations and authorizations to carry out a capital increase 
granted by the Board of Directors by the General Meeting of 
Shareholders of May 30, 2013 are set to expire in July 2015. 
You  are  therefore  invited  to  authorize  the  Board  once  again 
to  carry  out  a  capital  increase  for  a  period  of  26  months, 
particularly    in  order  to  enable  it  to  select,  at  any  time,  from 
a  wide  range  of  securities  giving  access  to  capital  or  debt 
securities  of  the  Company  with  or  without  pre-emptive 
rights, through a public offer or private placement, the most 
appropriate funding for the Company’s development, in light 
of the market conditions at the time of consideration.

You  will  also  be  invited  to  renew  the  Board’s  authorization 
to  increase  the  share  capital  by  incorporation  of  reserves, 
profits or premiums, and to increase the capital to remunerate 
contributions in kind of shares or equity-linked securities.

The  resolutions  proposed  to  this  effect  will  replace  the 
resolutions adopted by the General Meeting of Shareholders 
of  May  30,  2013.  The  use  of  these  delegations  is  described 
in  paragraph  6.2.4  “Delegations  and  Authorizations  Granted 
to  the  Board  of  Directors  by  the  General  Meetings  of 
Shareholders” . The Board of Directors has made no other use 
of these delegations in 2014 or between the start of 2015 and 
the date of this Annual Report (Document de ré fé rence).

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7

If you adopt these resolutions, the Board will be able to:

 (cid:125) carry  out  capital  increases  with  or  without  pre-emptive 
rights (by using, in particular, the option offered by law to 
enter  into  a  private  placement  with  portfolio  managers  or 
qualified investors) up to the nominal limit of €12 million, 
and with regard to debt securities giving access to capital, up 
to the nominal limit of €750 million. This cap of €12 million 
also  represents  the  total  nominal  amount  of  all  capital 
increases  that  may  be  carried  out  under  resolutions  16  to 
19, and 22;

 (cid:125) carry  out  capital  increases  by  incorporation  of  reserves, 
profits or premiums, up to the limits of the same nominal 
amount of €12 million;

 (cid:125) carry  out  capital  increases  to  remunerate  contributions  in 
kind of shares or equity-linked securities, up to 10% of the 
share capital.

Financial authorizations intended for employees and directors
In  accordance  with  the  law,  there  will  also  be  a  proposal  to 
enable  the  Board  of  Directors  to  carry  out  capital  increases 
reserved  for  employees  of  the  Company  and/or  of  associate 
companies  and  members  of  Company  savings  plans.  The 
maximum nominal amount of the capital increases that may 
be  carried  out  in  this  way  would  be  €5  million,  through  the 
issue of new shares or securities giving access to capital. This 
new  authorization  will  cancel  and  replace  that  given  by  the 
General Meeting of Shareholders of May 30, 2013.

It is proposed to renew in advance the authorization granted 
to the Company’s Board of Directors by the shareholders on 
May 30, 2013 to grant free shares to Company employees and 
management in order to benefit from, if applicable, the new 
provisions provided in the draft “Macron” law with respect to 
performance shares. As this draft law was still being debated 
as  of  the  date  on  which  the  presentation  of  resolutions  was 
approved, it cannot be guaranteed that the published definitive 
text of the law will be applicable to this resolution. 

Shares granted under this authorization may not give rights to 
a total amount of shares greater than  2%  of the share capital 
on the day of the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 
2015.

The  relevant  information  on  the  different  uses  of  the  Board 
of  Directors  granted  in  2010  by  the  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders  are  contained  in  paragraphs  5.3  “Summary 
of  the  Compensation  and  Benefits  due  to  Directors”  and 
5.1  “Report  of  the  Chairman  on  Corporate  Governance  and 
Internal Control”.

This authorization may supersede, for the unused portion, the 
prior authorizations granted to the Board of Directors.

Amendments to by-laws
A proposal will be made to the General Meeting to amend the 
Company’s by-laws, primarily to reflect new legislation. The 
aim of these amendments is to:

 (cid:125) remove the reference to the period of six years for the term 
of  office  of  directors  for  those  terms  of  office  that  were 
under way on the date on which their duration was changed 
since this provision became obsolete  (paragraph 14.2 of the 
by-laws);

 (cid:125) take  account  of  the  new  provisions  relating  to  regulated 
agreements  pursuant  to  the  Order  of  July  31,  2014  on 
company law  (Article 22 of the by-laws);

 (cid:125) take  account  of  the  change  to  the  date  on  which  the 
Company’s shares must be registered in order to be able to 
participate  in  the  General  Meetings  of  Shareholders;  this 
date was three business days before the meeting at 00 h, 
Paris time; it is now two business days before the meeting, 
pursuant  to  Decree  no.  2014-1466  of  December  8,  2014 
(Article 27 of the by-laws).

Conversion into a European company
At  this  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  you  will  also  be 
invited to vote on the conversion of Dassault Systèmes SA into 
a  European  company,  which  would  require  the  adoption  of 
new by-laws.

We  would  remind  you  that  the  Board  of  Directors,  at  its 
meeting  on  March  21,  2014,  approved  the  plan  for  the 
conversion of Dassault Systèmes SA into a European company, 
which was filed with the clerk's  office of the Commercial Court 
of  Versailles  on  March  27,  2014,  together  with  the  report 
of  the  Board  of  Directors  explaining  the  legal  and  business 
reasons for the conversion and setting out the implications for 
shareholders and employees of the adoption of the European 
company form, it being specified that a revised version of the 
draft by-laws was filed with the Court’s administration office 
on   March  24,    2015.  These  drafts  and  the  above-mentioned 
report have been made available to you.

Ernst  &  Young  et  Autres   and  Finexsi,  the  auditors  appointed 
from the court-approved list to appraise the Company’s assets, 
by order of the President of the Commercial Court of Versailles 
on  February  12,  2015,  issued  a  report  stating  that  the  net 
assets of Dassault Systèmes SA were at least equivalent to the 
capital  plus  the  reserves  that  the  law  or  the  Company’s  by-
laws do not allow to be distributed. This report has also been 
made available to you.

7

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7 General Meeting of Shareholders

Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

The  completion  of  the  conversion  of  the  Company  into  a 
European  company  requires  prior  negotiations  between 
the  Company  and  its  employees  (represented  by  a  “Special 
Negotiation  Group”)  to  determine  the  procedures  for  the 
involvement of the employees within the European company. 
These negotiations may lead to one of the following:

 (cid:125) an agreement determining the procedures for the involvement 

of the employees within the European company;

 (cid:125) the  decision,  taken  on  a  majority  basis  as  provided  for  in 
Articles L. 2352-13 et seq. of the Labor Code, to terminate 
the  negotiations  under  way  and  apply  the  regulations 
relating  to  informing  and  consulting  employees  in  the 
member  states  of  the  European  Union  in  which  the 
Company has employees;

 (cid:125) the application of the subsidiary provisions relating to the 
European  Company  Committee  provided  for  in  Articles 
L.  2353-1  et  seq.  of  the  Labor  Code  if  no  agreement  has 

been reached at the end of the negotiation period stipulated 
in Article L. 2352-9 of the Labor Code.

On  March  20,  2015,  the  date  on  which  the   presentation  of 
the resolutions was approved by the Board of Directors, given 
that the negotiations between Dassault Systèmes SA and the 
Special Negotiation Group were still under way, it is proposed 
that the General Meeting of Shareholder formally acknowledge 
that such negotiations have been finalized with respect to the 
procedures  for  the  involvement  of  the  employees  within  the 
European  company  and,  where  relevant,  sign  an  agreement 
to this effect and affirm that the aforementioned prerequisite 
has been met and that the conversion of the Company into a 
European company has taken effect. 

You  can  find  further 
information  about  the  proposed 
resolutions in the draft resolutions submitted hereafter to you.

7.2  Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board 
of Directors to the General Meeting 
of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

Ordinary General Meeting

 ❘ First resolution

 ❘ Second resolution

Approval of the parent company annual financial statements

Approval of the consolidated financial statements

The  General  Meeting,  after  the  reading  of  the  management 
report of the Board of Directors and the report of the Statutory 
Auditors, in addition to the explanations made orally, hereby 
approves  the  report  of  the  Board  and  the  parent  company 
annual  financial  statements  for  the  financial  year  ended 
December 31, 2014, as they have been presented.

The General Meeting consequently approves any transactions 
disclosed by such financial statements or summarized in such 
reports and in particular, in accordance with the provisions of 
Article 223 quater of the French Tax Code, the total amount 
of  non  deductible  tax  expenses  and  charges  referred  to  in 
Article  39.4  of  the  French  Tax  Code,  which  amounted  to 
€410,755 and resulted in corporate income tax of €156,087.

The  General  Meeting,  after  the  reading  of  the  report  of  the 
Board of Directors with respect to management of the Group 
included  in  the  management  report  and  the  report  related 
to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  of  the  Statutory 
Auditors, in addition to the explanations made orally, hereby 
approves  in  all  respects  the  report  of  the  Board  and  the 
consolidated financial statements for the financial year ended 
December 31, 2014, as they have been presented.

The General Meeting consequently approves any transactions 
disclosed  by  such  consolidated  financial  statements  or 
summarized in such reports.

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7

 ❘ Third resolution

Allocation of the results

The General Meeting, upon the proposal of the Board of Directors, hereby resolves to allocate the profit of the financial year 
amounting to €183,005,153.92 (1) as follows:

 (cid:125) to the legal reserve

 (cid:125) for distribution to the 255,230,678 shares making up the share capital as of March 20, 2015 of a dividend of

(€0.43  x 255,230,678  shares)(2)

to retained earnings

which increased by the retained earnings from the prior financial years brings the amount of retained earnings to 
 €1,710,501,691.33  

€124,905.35 

€109,749,191.54 

€73,131,057.03 

€1,783,632,748.36 

(1)  After  allocation  to  the  legal  reserve,  this  profit  increased  by  the  retained  earnings  from  the  prior  financial  years  of  €1,710,501,691.33 ,  results  in  a  distributable  profit  of 

€1,893,381,939.90  .

(2)  The aggregate amount of dividend will be increased, based on the number of new shares created between March 1, 2015 and the date of the General Meeting of Shareholders of 
May 28, 2015, consecutively to the exercise of subscription options, it being specified that the maximum number of shares which could be issued upon the exercise of subscription 
options is 4,206,340, i.e. a  maximum amount of a supplementary dividend of €1,808,726.20 .

Shares  will  be  traded  ex-dividend  as  of  June   3 ,  2015  and 
dividends made payable as from June 25, 2015.

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Article  L.  225-210  of 
the  French  Commercial  Code,  the  amount  of  the  dividend 
corresponding to the treasury shares of Dassault Systèmes SA 
or held by SW Securities LLC, a company which is controlled 
by the Dassault Systèmes Group, as of the date of payment, 
shall be allocated to “retained earnings”.

In addition, prior to distribution of the dividend, the Board of 
Directors,  or  if  so  delegated,  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  will 
determine the number of additional shares issued as a result of 

the exercise of shares subscription options between March 1 
and the date of this General Meeting; the amount required for 
payment of dividends for shares issued during this period shall 
be taken from “retained earnings”.

The amount distributed in this way may be taken into account 
for  determining  shareholders’  total  revenue  subject  to  the 
progressive rate of income tax for the year during which it was 
received  after  application  of  an  uncapped  deduction  of  40% 
(as provided by Article 158-3-2 of the French Tax Code). The 
dividend shall be subject to a non discharging withholding of 
the income tax to the rate of 21% (as provided by Article 117 
quater of the French Tax Code).

Pursuant to Article 243 bis of the French Tax Code, it is noted that dividends per share paid over the last three financial years have 
been as follows:

7

Dividend*

Number of shares eligible for dividends*

2013

€0.83

2012

€0.80

2011

€0.70

126,746,027

125,572,474

125,026,338

* 

The information in this table shows the situation before the two-for-one split of Dassault Systèmes SA shares carried out on July 17, 2014.

 ❘ Fourth resolution

Option to receive payment of dividends in the form of shares

The General Meeting of Shareholders after the reading of the 
Board of Directors’ report, and finding that the capital is fully 
paid  up,  decides  to  offer  each  shareholder  the  possibility  of 
choosing  to  receive  payment  of  the  dividend  decided  in  the 
third resolution, and to which he is entitled, in the form of new 
shares in the Company.

Each  shareholder  may  decide  to  receive  payment  of  the 
dividend in cash, or in new shares. The choice may apply only 
on the total amount of the dividend to which he is entitled.

If the shareholder chooses to receive payment of the dividend 
in the form of shares, the new shares will be issued without 
discount at a price equal to the average of the closing prices 
quoted  on  the  regulated  market  of  Euronext  Paris  during 
the  20  stock  exchange  sessions  preceding  the  date  of  the 
General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  less  the  net  amount  of 
the  dividend  decided  in  the  third  resolution  rounded  up  to 
the  next  one  hundredth  of  a  euro.  Such  new  shares  will  be 
eligible for dividends as from January 1, 2015, and will have 
all  the  rights  and  privileges  with  the  other  shares  issued  by 
Dassault Systèmes SA.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 209

7 General Meeting of Shareholders

Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

Shareholders may choose payment of the dividend in cash or new 
shares between June 3 and June 16, 2015, inclusive, by sending 
their request to the financial intermediaries that are authorized 
to  pay  the  dividend  or,  for  shareholders  listed  in  the  direct 
registered share accounts held by the Company, to its authorized 
representative (Société Générale, securities department, 32 rue 
du  Champ  de  Tir,  CS  30812,  44308  Nantes  Cedex  3).  After 
June 16, 2015, the dividend will only be paid out in cash.

For  shareholders  who  have  not  chosen  payment  of  the 
dividend in shares, the dividend shall be paid as from June 25, 
2015, after the period for choosing payment in either cash or 
new shares has expired. For shareholders who have chosen to 
receive payment of the dividend in shares, the new shares will 
be delivered as of the same day.

If  the  amount  of  dividends  for  which  payment  in  the  form 
of  shares  has  been  chosen  does  not  correspond  to  a  whole 
number  of  shares,  the  number  of  shares  to  be  received  by 
the shareholder will be rounded up to the next whole number 
upon the shareholder paying the difference in cash on the day 
the choice to receive payment in the form of shares is made or 
the number of shares to be received by the shareholder will be 
rounded down to the next whole number and the shareholder 
will receive the balance in cash.

The General Meeting of Shareholders gives full powers to the 
Board  of  Directors,  with  the  right  of  sub  delegation  to  the 
Chairman of the Board under the conditions provided by law, to 
carry out the payment of dividends in new shares, to stipulate 
the  terms  of  application  and  implementation,  to  record  the 
number of new shares issued under this resolution, to make any 
necessary  changes  in  the  Company’s  by-laws  relating  to  the 
share capital and the number of shares it contains, and, more 
generally, to do whatever may be appropriate or necessary.

 ❘ Fifth resolution

Regulated agreements (conventions réglementées)

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed  the 
special  report  of  the  Statutory  Auditors  on  the  agreements 
governed  by  Articles  L.  225-38  et  seq.  of  the  French 
Commercial  Code,  acknowledges  the  report,  which  did  not 
include  any  new  agreements,  except  for  the  agreement 
referred to in the sixth resolution.

 ❘ Sixth resolution

Regulated agreement (conventions réglementées) between 
the Company and Bernard Charlès

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed  the 
special  report  of  the  Statutory  Auditors  on  the  agreements 
governed  by  Articles  L.  225-38  et  seq.  of  the  French 
Commercial  Code  and  in  accordance  with  Article  L.  225-42-
1  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  approves  the  renewal  of 
the  agreement  referred  to  in  the  said  report  relating  to  the 
commitments  made  by  the  Company  to  Bernard  Charlès  on 
the indemnities  due upon  the termination of his functions as 
Chief Executive Officer, according to the terms adopted by the 
Board of Directors at its meeting on May 26, 2014.

 ❘ Seventh resolution

Advisory opinion on the compensation elements due 
or granted with respect to 2014 to Mr Charles Edelstenne, 
Chairman of the Board of Directors

The General Meeting of Shareholders issues a favorable opinion 
on  the  compensation  elements  due  or  granted  with  respect 
to 2014 to Mr Charles Edelstenne, Chairman of the Board of 
Directors, as indicated in the 2014 Annual Report (Document 
de  référence),  under  Chapter  5  “Corporate  Governance”, 
paragraph  5.3.1  “Compensation  of  the  Company’s  Directors 
(M andataires sociaux)”.

 ❘ Eighth resolution

Advisory opinion on the compensation elements due 
or granted with respect to 2014 to Mr Bernard Charlès, Chief 
Executive Officer

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  issues  a  favorable 
opinion  on  the  compensation  elements  due  or  granted  with 
respect  to  2014  to  Mr  Bernard  Charlès,  Chief  Executive 
Officer,  as  indicated  in  the  2014  Annual  Report  (Document 
de  référence),  under  Chapter  5  “Corporate  Governance”, 
paragraph  5.3.1  “Compensation  of  the  Company’s  Directors 
(M andataires sociaux)”.

 ❘ Ninth resolution

Renewal of the term of Mr Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  notes  that  Mr  Jean-
Pierre Chahid-Nouraï’s term as director expires at this General 
Meeting of Shareholders and renews his term for four years. 
This  term  of  office  will  expire  at  the  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders  approving  the  financial  statements  for  the 
financial year ending December 31, 2018.

 ❘ Tenth resolution

Renewal of the term of Mr Arnoud De Meyer

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  notes  that  Mr  Arnoud 
De  Meyer’s  term  as  director  expires  at  this  General  Meeting 
of Shareholders and renews his term for four years. This term 
of  office  will  expire  at  the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders 
approving  the  financial  statements  for  the  financial  year 
ending December 31, 2018.

 ❘ Eleventh resolution

Renewal of the term of Ms Nicole Dassault

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  notes  that  Ms  Nicole 
Dassault’s term as director expires at this General Meeting of 
Shareholders  and  renews  her  term  for  four  years.  This  term 
of  office  will  expire  at  the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders 
approving  the  financial  statements  for  the  financial  year 
ending December 31, 2018.

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 ❘ Twelfth resolution

Renewal of the term of Ms Toshiko Mori

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  notes  that  Ms  Toshiko 
Mori’s  term  as  director  expires  at  this  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders  and  renews  her  term  for  four  years.  This  term 
of  office  will  expire  at  the  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders 
approving  the  financial  statements  for  the  financial  year 
ending December 31, 2018.

 ❘ Thirteenth resolution

Ratification of the co-option of Ms Marie-Hélène Habert 
as director

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  ratifies  the  co-option 
of  Ms  Marie-Hélène  Habert  as  a  director,  as  decided  by  the 
Board  of  Directors  at  its  meeting  on  July  23,  2014,  for  the 
remainder of the term of her predecessor Mr Serge Dassault, 
who had resigned, until the General Meeting of Shareholders 
held to approve the financial statements for the year ending 
December 31, 2015.

 ❘ Fourteenth resolution

Authorization to repurchase shares of Dassault Systèmes SA

The General Meeting, after the reading of the report of the Board 
of Directors, authorizes the Board of Directors to repurchase a 
number of shares representing up to 10% of the share capital 
of Dassault Systèmes SA at the date of the General Meeting, in 
accordance with the terms and conditions provided by Articles 
L. 225-209 et seq. of the French Commercial Code.

This authorization may be used by the Board of Directors for 
the following purposes:

1) 

2) 

3) 

to  cancel  shares  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the 
profitability  of  shareholders’  equity  and  income  per 
share, subject to adoption by the General Meeting of the 
fifteenth resolution;

to  provide  securities  (representing  no  more  than  5% 
of  the  share  capital  of  the  Company)  in  payment  or  in 
exchange, particularly in connection with external growth 
transactions;

to  animate  the  market  and  provide  liquidity  of  the 
Company’s  shares  through  the 
intermediary  of  an 
investment  services  provider  by  means  of  a  liquidity 
contract complying with an Ethical Code accepted by the 
Autorité des marchés financiers;

4) 

to perform all obligations related to stock options grants 
or other grants of shares to employees or directors of the 
Company and its affiliates;

5)   to  ensure  coverage  of  the  Company’s  commitments 
resulting  from  rights  granted  to  the  employees  and 
directors  to  payment  in  cash  based  on  increases  in  the 
share price of the Company;

6)   to provide shares upon exercise of rights to the Company’s 
share capital which are attached to issued securities;

7) 

to implement any stock exchange market practice which 
may be recognized by law or by the Autorité des marchés 
financiers.

The acquisition, sale, transfer or exchange of such shares may 
be  effected  by  any  means  allowed  on  the  market  (whether 
or  not  the  market  is  regulated),  multilateral  trade  facilities 
(MTF) or through a systematic internalizer or over the counter, 
in  particular  acquisition  of  blocks,  and  at  the  times  deemed 
appropriate  by  the  Board  of  Directors  or  any  person  acting 
pursuant to a sub delegation and according to the law.

Such  means  shall  include  (i)  use  of  available  cash  flow,  (ii) 
the  use  of  any  derivative  financial  instrument  negotiated  on 
a  market  (whether  or  not  the  market  is  regulated),  MTF  or 
through a systematic internalizer or over the counter, and (iii) 
the  implementation  of  optional  transactions  (purchase  and 
sale of options, provided however that the use of these means 
does  not  create  a  significant  increase  of  the  volatility  of  the 
stock exchange price).

The  maximum  amount  of  funds  dedicated  to  repurchase  of 
shares  of  the  Company  may  not  exceed  €500  million,  this 
condition being cumulative with the cap of 10% of the capital 
of the Company.

Dassault  Systèmes  SA  may  not  purchase  shares  at  a  price 
per  share  which  exceeds  €90  (excluding  acquisition  costs), 
and  in  any  case  the  price  per  share  shall  not  exceed  the 
maximum price provided by the applicable legal rules, subject 
to  adjustments  in  connection  with  transactions  on  its  share 
capital,  in  particular  by  capitalization  of  reserves  and  free 
allocation of shares and/or regrouping or split of shares.

This authorization can be used by the Board of Directors for all 
the treasury shares held by Dassault Systèmes.

This  authorization  shall  be  valid  commencing  on  the  date 
of  this  General  Meeting  until  the  Ordinary  General  Meeting 
ruling on the financial statements for the financial year ending 
December  31,  2015.  The  General  Meeting  hereby  grants 
any  and  all  powers  to  the  Board  of  Directors  with  option  of 
delegation when legally authorized, to place any stock orders 
or  orders  outside  the  market,  enter  into  any  agreements, 
prepare  any  documents  including  information  documents, 
determine  terms  and  conditions  of  Company  transactions 
on the market, as well as terms and conditions for purchase 
and  sale  of  shares,  file  any  declarations,  including  those 
required  by  the Autorité des marchés financiers,  accomplish 
any formalities, and more generally, carry out any necessary 
measures to complete such transactions.

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Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

The  General  Meeting  also  grants  any  and  all  powers  to  the 
Board  of  Directors,  in  case  that  the  law  or  the  Autorité des 
marchés  financiers  appear  to  extend  or  to  complete  the 
authorized  objectives  concerning  the  share  repurchase 
program, in order to inform the public, pursuant to applicable 
regulations  and  laws,  about  the  potential  changes  of  the 
program concerning the modified objectives.

In accordance with the provisions of Articles L. 225-211 and 
R.  225-160  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  the  Company 

or the intermediary in charge of securities administration for 
the Company shall keep registers which record purchases and 
sales of shares pursuant to this program.

This  authorization  shall  replace  and  supersede  the  previous 
share  repurchase  program  authorized  by  the  Combined 
General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of  May  26,  2014,  in  its 
twelfth resolution.

Extraordinary General Meeting

 ❘ Fifteenth resolution

Authorization granted to the Board of Directors to reduce the 
share capital by cancellation of previously repurchased shares 
in the framework of the share repurchase program

The  General  Meeting,  after  the  reading  of  the  report  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  and  the  special  report  of  the  Statutory 
Auditors, hereby authorizes the Board of Directors, pursuant to 
the provisions of Article L. 225-209 of the French Commercial 
Code, to:

 (cid:125) reduce  the  share  capital  by  cancellation,  in  one  or  several 
transactions, of all or part of the shares repurchased by the 
Company pursuant to its share repurchase program, up to a 
limit of 10% of the share capital over periods of twenty-four 
months;

 (cid:125) deduct the difference between the repurchase value of the 
cancelled  shares  and  their  nominal  value  from  available 
premiums and reserves.

The  General  Meeting  hereby  gives,  more  generally,  any 
and  all  powers  to  the  Board  of  Directors  to  set  the  terms 
and  conditions  of  such  share  capital  reduction(s),  record  the 
completion  of  the  share  capital  reduction(s)  made  pursuant 
to the cancellation transactions authorized by this resolution, 
amend  the  by-laws  of  the  Company  as  may  be  necessary, 
file any declaration with the Autorité des marchés financiers 
or  other  institutions,  accomplish  any  formalities  and  more 
generally  take  any  necessary  measures  for  the  purposes  of 
completing this transaction.

This  authorization  is  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  for  a 
period  ending  at  the  end  of  the  General  Meeting  called  to 
approve the financial statements for the financial year ending 
December 31, 2015.

 ❘ Sixteenth resolution

A uthorization of the Board to increase the share capital 
through the issue of shares or securities giving access to 
other equity securities of the Company or giving rights to 
debt securities and to issue securities giving access to equity 
securities of the Company to be issued, with pre-emptive rights

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed  the 
report of the Board of Directors and the special report of the 
Statutory Auditors:

1)  delegates  to  the  Board  of  Directors,  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  Articles  L.  225-129  to  L.  225-129-6, 
L. 228- 91 and  L. 228-92 of the French Commercial Code, 
the authorization to issue, in one or several transactions, at 
the time or times it selects, in the proportions that it deems 
appropriate,  both  in  France  and  abroad,  ordinary  shares 
and/or securities giving access to other equity securities or 
giving rights to debt securities and/or any other securities 
giving  access  to  equity  securities  of  the  Company  to  be 
issued; it being specified that the Board of Directors may 
delegate all the powers necessary to proceed with a capital 
increase to the Chief Executive Officer, or with the latter’s 
agreement,  to  one  or  several  Deputy  Chief  Executive 
Officers, under the conditions permitted by law;

2)  expressly  stipulates  that  the  issue  of  preference  shares 
and  securities  giving  access  to  preference  shares  is  not 
allowed;

3)  stipulates that the maximum nominal amount of capital 
increases that may be carried out in the near term and/
or  the  longer  term  under  this  authorization  cannot 
exceed  €12  million;  it  being  specified  that  this  overall 
maximum  amount  is  set  without  taking  into  account 
the  nominal  amount  of  shares  to  be  issued  to  preserve 
the  rights  of  holders  of  securities  or  other  rights  giving 
access to the share capital of the Company, in accordance 
with the applicable legal and regulatory provisions and, if 
applicable, any contractual conditions providing for other 
options to modify the amount;

4)  stipulates, furthermore, that the nominal amount of debt 
securities of the Company that may be issued under this 
authorization,  will  be  a  maximum  of  €750  million  or 
the equivalent of this amount in a foreign currency or in 
monetary units of account established with reference to 
several currencies;

5)  stipulates  that  the  shareholders  may  exercise, 

in 
accordance  with  the  conditions  provided  for  in  law, 
their  pre-emptive  rights  to  subscribe  for  shares,  equity 
securities and other securities issued under this r esolution;

6)  stipulates  that  if  subscriptions  on  an  irreducible  basis 
and,  if  applicable,  a  reducible  basis  do   not  absorb   all  of 

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7

the shares, equity securities or other securities,  the Board 
of Directors may offer all or a portion of the unsubscribed 
securities to the public ;

7)  states  that  this  authorization  automatically  entails 
that  the  shareholders  waive  their  pre-emptive  right  to 
subscribe  to  equity  securities  to  which  these  securities 
give entitlement in favor of the holders of the securities 
giving access to the Company’s share capital that may be 
issued; 

8)  stipulates  that  the  amount  received  or  that  should  be 
received  by  the  Company  for  each  of  the  shares  issued 
under  this  authorization  should  be  at  least  equal  to  the 
par value of the shares on the issue date;

9)  stipulates that the Board of Directors may, if it deems it 
appropriate, deduct the costs and expenses of carrying out 
the  issues  from  the  issue  premium(s),  and  if  applicable, 
deduct the sums needed to increase the legal reserve to 
one-tenth of the new share capital after each issue from 
this amount;

10)  stipulates that this authorization cancels and replaces the 
authorization  with  the  same  purpose  that  was  granted 
by  the  Combined  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of 
May 30, 2013 in its ninth resolution.

The  authorization  thus  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  is 
valid for 26 months from the date of this General Meeting.

 ❘ Seventeenth resolution

A uthorization of the Board to increase the share capital 
through the issue of shares or securities giving access 
to other equity securities of the Company or giving rights 
to debt securities and to issue securities giving access 
to equity securities to be issued of the Company, without 
the pre-emptive right of shareholders and through an offer 
to the public

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed  the 
report of the Board of Directors and the special report of the 
Statutory Auditors:

1)  delegates to the Board of Directors, in accordance with the 
provisions of Articles L. 225-129 to L. 225-129-6, L. 225-
135, L. 225-136, L. 225-148 and L. 228-91 to L. 228-
94 of the French Commercial Code, the authorization to 
decide on, through an offer to the public or, if applicable, 
subject  to  the  approval  of  a  specific  resolution  to  this 
effect by the General Meeting, through an offer pursuant 
to section II of Article L. 411-2 of the French Monetary 
and Financial Code, in one or several transactions, at the 
time or times it selects, in the proportions that they deem 
appropriate, both in France and abroad:

a) 

the  issue  of  shares  and/or  equity  securities  giving 
access to other equity securities or giving rights to debt 
securities  of  the  Company  and/or  all  other  securities 
giving access to equity securities of the Company to be 
issued,

b) 

c) 

d) 

the  issue  of  shares  and/or  equity  securities  giving 
access to other equity securities or giving rights to debt 
securities  of  the  Company  and/or  all  other  securities 
giving access to equity securities of the  Company to be 
issued following the issue by a company, in which it  
directly or indirectly holds more than half of the share 
capital, equity securities or securities giving access to 
equity securities of the Company to be issued,

the  issue  of  shares  and/or  equity  securities  and/or 
securities  by  the  Company  giving  access  to  equity 
securities  to  be  issued  by  a  company  it  directly  or 
indirectly holds more than half of the share capital,

the  issue  by  the  Company  of  securities  giving  access 
to  existing  equity  securities  or  giving  rights  to  debt 
securities of another company in which the Company 
does not directly or indirectly hold more than half of 
the share capital.

The  Board  of  Directors  may  delegate  all  the  powers 
necessary to proceed with a capital increase to the Chief 
Executive  Officer,  or  with  the  latter’s  agreement,  to  one 
or  several  Deputy  Chief  Executive  Officers  under  the 
conditions permitted by law.

Such  decision  automatically  entails  by  law  that  the 
holders  of  securities  that  may  be  issued  by  subsidiaries 
shall benefit from the waiving by the shareholders of their 
pre-emptive rights to subscribe for the equity securities to 
which these securities give entitlement; 

2)  stipulates that the maximum nominal amount of capital 
increases that may be carried out in the near term and/
or the longer term under this authorization cannot exceed 
€12 million; it being specified that this maximum amount 
is  set  without  taking  into  account  the  nominal  amount 
of  shares  to  be  issued  to  preserve  the  rights  of  holders 
of  securities  or  other  rights  giving  access  to  the  share 
capital of the Company, in accordance with the applicable 
legal  and  regulatory  provisions  and,  if  applicable,  any 
contractual  conditions  providing  for  other  options  to 
modify the amount;

3)  stipulates  that  the  nominal  amount  that  may  be  issued 
under  this  resolution  shall  be  included  in  the  maximum 
nominal  amount  for  capital  increases  of  €12  million  set 
under the sixteenth resolution of this General Meeting of 
Shareholders;

4)  expressly  stipulates  that  the  issue  of  preference  shares 
and  securities  giving  access  to  preference  shares  is  not 
allowed;

5)  stipulates  that  this  capital  increase  may  lead  to  the 
exercise of an entitlement attached to securities issued by 
a  company  in  which  the  Company  directly  or  indirectly 
holds more than half of the share capital, with the latter’s 
agreement;

6)  stipulates, furthermore, that the nominal amount of debt 
securities  that  may  be  issued  under  this  authorization, 
will  be  a  maximum  of  €750  million  or  the  equivalent 
of  this  amount  in  a  foreign  currency  or  in  monetary 
units  of  account  established  with  reference  to  several 

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currencies, and will be included in the maximum amount 
of €750 million set under the sixteenth resolution of this 
General Meeting of Shareholders;

7)  stipulates  to  eliminate   the  pre-emptive  rights  of 
shareholders to subscribe for shares, equity securities and 
other securities to be issued, it being understood that the 
Board  of  Directors  may  give  the  shareholders  a  priority 
subscription  period  in  respect  of  all  or  part  of  the  issue, 
for the period and according to the conditions that it will 
set,  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  Article  L.  225-135 
of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  and  that  such  priority 
subscription  period  shall  not  give  rise  to  the  creation  of 
tradable rights;

8)  states  that  this  authorization  automatically  entails  by 
law  that  the  holders  of  securities  giving  access  to  the 
Company’s share capital that may be issued shall benefit 
from the waiving by the shareholders of their pre-emptive 
rights to subscribe for the equity securities to which these 
securities give entitlement;

9)  stipulates  that  the  amount  received  or  that  should  be 
received by the Company for each of the shares issued or 
to be issued under this resolution will be at least equal to 
the minimum value set by the applicable regulation at the 
time this authorization is used, i.e. currently the average 
weighted share price of the Company on Euronext Paris 
on the three trading days prior to the setting of the issue 
price,  with  the  option  to  apply  a  maximum  discount  of 
5%, with this amount being adjusted later, if applicable, 
to take account of differences in dividend eligibility dates;

in  whole  or 

10)  stipulates  that  the  Board  of  Directors  may  use  this 
authorization, 
in  part,  to  remunerate 
securities tendered in a public exchange offer launched by 
the Company, within the limits and under the conditions 
in  Article  L.  225-148  of  the  French 
provided  for 
Commercial Code;

11)  stipulates that the Board of Directors may, if it deems it 
appropriate, deduct any  costs and expenses, including any 
fees, of carrying out the issues from the issue premium(s), 
and if applicable, deduct the sums needed to increase the 
legal reserve to one-tenth of the new share capital after 
each issue from this amount;

12)  stipulates that this authorization cancels and replaces the 
authorization  with  the  same  purpose  that  was  granted 
by  the  Combined  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of 
May 30, 2013 in its tenth resolution.

The  authorization  thus  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  is 
valid for 26 months from the date of this General Meeting.

 ❘ Eighteenth resolution

A uthorization of the Board of Directors to increase the share 
capital through the issue of shares or securities giving access 
to other equity securities or giving rights to debt securities 
and to issue securities giving access to equity securities to be 
issued, without pre-emptive rights, in the form of a private 
placement, as referred to in section II of Article L. 411-2 of the 
French Monetary and Financial Code

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed  the 
report of the Board of Directors and the special report of the 
Statutory Auditors:

1)  delegates  to  the  Board  of  Directors,  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  Articles  L.  225-136  of  the  French 
Commercial  Code,  the  authorization  to  proceed, 
in 
accordance  with  and  under  the  conditions  set  by  the 
seventeenth  resolution  of  this  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders and within the maximum nominal amount 
of €12 million, with the issue of equity or debt securities, 
through an offer pursuant to section II of Article L. 411-2 
of the French Monetary and Financial Code;

2)  stipulates that the maximum nominal amount of capital 
increases that may be carried out in the near term and/
or longer term under this authorization shall be included 
in  the  maximum  nominal  amount  for  capital  increases 
of €12 million set under the sixteenth resolution of this 
General Meeting of Shareholders;

3)  stipulates that this authorization cancels and replaces the 
authorization  with  the  same  purpose  that  was  granted 
by  the  Combined  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of 
May 30, 2013 in its eleventh resolution.

The  authorization  thus  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  is 
valid for 26 months from the date of this General Meeting.

 ❘ Nineteenth resolution

A uthorization given to the Board of Directors to increase the 
share capital by incorporation of reserves, profits or premiums

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  voting  in  accordance 
with  the  quorum  and  majority  requirements  for  Ordinary 
General Meetings, in accordance with the provisions of Article 
L. 225-130 of the French Commercial Code, and after having 
reviewed the report of the Board of Directors:

1)  delegates, to the Board of Directors, the authorization to 
increase the share capital, in one or several transactions, 
at the time or times it selects, in the proportions it deems 
appropriate, through the incorporation of reserves, profits 
or  premiums  or  other  sums  for  which  capitalization  is 
allowed,  or  through  the  combination  of  such  a  capital 
increase  with  a  cash  capital  increase  carried  out  under 
the  sixteenth,  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  resolutions 
of  this  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  through  the 
issue and allocation of free shares or the increase in the 
nominal value of existing shares, or by combining the two 
transactions,  it being specified that the Board of Directors 

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may  delegate  all  the  powers  necessary  to  proceed  with 
a  capital  increase  to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer,  or  with 
the  latter’s  agreement,  to  one  or  several  Deputy  Chief 
Executive Officers, under the conditions permitted by law;

2)  stipulates that the maximum nominal amount of capital 
increases that may be carried out under this authorization 
cannot  exceed  €12  million;  it  being  specified  that  this 
maximum  amount  is  set  without  taking  into  account 
the  nominal  amount  of  shares  to  be  issued  to  preserve 
the  rights  of  holders  of  securities  or  other  rights  giving 
access to the share capital of the Company, in accordance 
with the applicable legal and regulatory provisions and, if 
applicable, any contractual conditions providing for other 
options to modify the amount;

3)  stipulates  that  this  maximum  nominal  amount  shall  be 
included in the maximum nominal amount of the capital 
increases  that  may  be  carried  out  under  the  sixteenth 
resolution of this General Meeting of Shareholders;

4)  stipulates  that  the  rights  to  fractional  shares  cannot  be 
traded,  and  that  the  corresponding  shares  shall  be  sold. 
The  proceeds  from  such  sales  will  be  allocated  to  the 
rights  holders  no  later  than  30  days  from  the  date  on 
which the whole number of shares allocated is registered 
on their accounts;

5)  stipulates that the Board of Directors may, if it deems it 
appropriate, deduct any  costs and expenses, including any 
fees, of carrying out the issues from the issue premium(s), 
and if applicable, deduct the sums needed to increase the 
legal reserve to one-tenth of the new share capital after 
each issue from this amount;

6)  stipulates that this authorization cancels and replaces the 
authorization  with  the  same  purpose  that  was  granted 
by  the  Combined  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of 
May 30, 2013 in its thirteenth resolution.

The  authorization  thus  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  is 
valid for 26 months from the date of this General Meeting.

 ❘ Twentieth resolution

A uthorization of the Board of Directors to increase the capital 
through the issue of shares or equity securities giving access 
to other equity securities or giving rights to debt securities and 
securities giving access to equity securities to be issued, up to 
the limit of 10%, to remunerate contributions in kind of shares 
or equity-linked securities

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed  the 
report of the Board of Directors and the special report of the 
Statutory Auditors:

1)  delegates  to  the  Board  of  Directors,  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  Articles  L.  225-147  of  the  French 
Commercial  Code,  the  powers  necessary  to  increase  the 
share  capital  through  the  issue  of  shares  and/or  equity 
securities giving access to other equity securities or giving 
rights to debt securities of the Company and/or securities 

giving  access  to  equity  securities  of  the  Company  to  be 
issued, up to the limit of 10% of the share capital, based on 
the report of the court-approved expert valuer of in-kind 
contributions,  in  order  to  remunerate  the  contributions 
in kind made to the Company and comprising of equity 
securities  or  securities  giving  access  to  share  capital, 
where the provisions of Article L. 225-148 of the French 
Commercial Code do not apply;

2)  stipulates  that  the  Board  of  Directors  will  have  all  the 
powers  necessary  to 
implement  this  authorization, 
notably,  with  regard  to  determining  all  the  terms 
and  conditions  of  the  transactions  authorized,  and  in 
particular,  assessing  the  contributions  and  the  granting, 
if applicable, of special benefits, to decide on the number 
of securities to be issued to remunerate contributions in 
kind and the dividend eligibility date of the securities to 
be  issued,  to  make  any  applicable  deductions  from  the 
contribution premium(s), principally of the fees involved 
in carrying out the issues, to record the implementation of 
the capital increase and amend the by-laws accordingly, 
and,  more  generally,  to  make  all  the  appropriate 
arrangements,  enter  into  any  agreements  required  and 
carry  out  all  the  necessary  formalities,  especially  with 
regard to the admission to trading of the shares;

3)  acknowledges,  that  this  authorization  automatically 
entails  that  the  shareholders  waive  their  preemptive 
rights  regarding  equity  securities  of  the  Company,  on 
which the securities that would be issued on the basis of 
this authorization may grant rights;  

4)  stipulates that this authorization cancels and replaces the 
authorization  with  the  same  purpose  that  was  granted 
by  the  Combined  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  of 
May 30, 2013 in its fourteenth resolution.

The  authorization  thus  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  is 
valid for 26 months from the date of this General Meeting.

 ❘

 Twenty-first resolution

Authorization granted to the Board of Directors to make 
grants of Company shares to the employees and to the 
directors of Dassault Systèmes SA and its related companies 

The General Meeting, after review of the report of the Board 
of Directors and the special report of the Statutory Auditors:

1)  authorizes  the  Board  of  Directors,  in  accordance  with 
Articles  L.  225-197-1 et seq.  of  the  French  Commercial 
Code,  to  grant,  in  one  or  several  transactions,  free 
shares of the Company, existing or to be issued, for the 
benefit of employees or certain categories of employees, 
determined amongst eligible employees and directors of 
the Company or its affiliates as defined by Article L. 225-
197-2 of the French Commercial Code;

2)  stipulates   that  the  Board  of  Directors  will  determine 
the identity of the beneficiaries of the grants as well as 
the  conditions  and,  as  the  case  may  be,  the  criteria  for 
the grants;

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3)  stipulates   that  free  share  grants  made  under  this 
authorization may not give rise to a total number of shares 
greater than  2%  of the share capital of the Company at 
the  date  of  this  General  Meeting,  it  being  understood 
that  this  amount  does  not  take  into  account  possible 
adjustments which may be made pursuant to applicable 
legislative and regulatory provisions and, as the case may 
be,  to  contractual  terms  and  conditions  providing  for 
other cases of adjustment, in order to preserve the rights 
of  the  holders  of  securities  or  other  rights  giving  access 
to  the  share  capital  of  the  Company.  Toward  this  end, 
the General Meeting authorizes, if need be, the Board of 
Directors to increase the share capital by incorporation of 
reserves accordingly;

4)  stipulates  (a) that the grant of shares to the beneficiaries 
will be final after the expiration of an acquisition period 
the duration of which will be determined by the Board of 
Directors, it being specified that such period may not be 
less than two years and (b) that the beneficiaries will be 
required to hold the aforementioned shares for a duration 
determined  by  the  Board  of  Directors  and  which  may 
not be less than two years as from the final grant of the 
shares. However, and without prejudice to the provisions 
set  forth  under  Article  L.  225-197-1-II  of  the  last 
paragraph  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  the  General 
Meeting authorizes the Board of Directors, only where the 
acquisition period for all or part of one or several grants is 
at least equal to four years, to provide for a holding period 
of less than two years or to not provide a holding period 
for the said shares;

5)  stipulates, as an exception to the preceding paragraph, that 
in the event that legal or regulatory provisions applicable 
to  free  shares  were  amended,  especially  with  respect 
to  reducing  or  eliminating  the  minimum  acquisition  or 
holding  periods,  the  Board  of  Directors  could  determine 
the durations of the acquisition and holding periods of the 
granted shares pursuant to the new applicable provisions; 
it being stated that the cumulative acquisition and holding 
periods cannot be, in any event, less than two years;   

6) 

furthermore  stipulates   that  in  the  event  of  disability  of 
the  beneficiary,  as  defined  under  the  second  or  third 
categories set out in Article L. 341-4 of the French Social 
Security  Code,  the  shares  will  be  definitively  granted  to 
the  beneficiary  before  the  expiration  of  the  remainder 
of  the  acquisition  period.  The  said  shares  may  be  freely 
transferred from the date of their delivery;

7) 

this  authorization  provides,  in  favor  of  the  beneficiaries 
of free share grants, a waiver by the shareholders of their 
pre-emptive   subscription  right  to  the  shares  which  may 
be issued pursuant to this resolution;

8)  stipulates  that the Board of Directors shall have any and all 
powers, including the power of delegation, subject to legal 
and  regulatory  terms,  to  implement  this  authorization 
under the conditions set forth above and within the limits 

authorized by the laws and regulations in effect, and, in 
particular, to determine the terms and conditions of each 
issuance pursuant to this authorization, to set the dates 
after  which  the  new  shares  will  give  right  to  dividends, 
to take any measures, as may be decided by it, to protect 
the rights of the beneficiaries of the free share grants by 
making  appropriate  adjustments,  to  record  the  resulting 
capital increases, to amend the by-laws accordingly, and 
more generally, to carry out any formalities required for the 
issuances, the listing or the administration of the issued 
shares and take any measures which may be appropriate 
and required by applicable law and regulations;

9)  stipulates that this authorization shall be valid for a term 

of 38 months from the date of this meeting;

10)   stipulates  that  this  authorization  shall  replace  and 
supersede the previous authorization of the same nature 
granted by the Combined General Meeting of Shareholders 
held on May 30, 2013, in its fifteenth resolution.

 ❘ Twenty-second resolution

A uthorization of the Board of Directors to increase the share 
capital for the benefit of members of a corporate savings plan, 
without pre-emptive rights

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed 
the  report  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  the  special  report 
of  the  Statutory  Auditors,  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of 
Articles  L.  3332-1  et  seq.  of  the  French  Labor  Code  and 
Articles  L.  225-138-1  and  L.  225-129-6,  first  and  second 
paragraphs, of the French Commercial Code:

1)  authorizes  the  Board  of  Directors  to  increase  the  share 
capital  of  the  Company,  in  one  or  several  transactions, 
at  its  sole  discretion,  by  a  maximum  nominal  amount 
of  €5  million  through  the  issue  of  new  shares  or  other 
securities  giving  access  to  the  share  capital  of  the 
Company  under  the  conditions  prescribed  by 
law, 
reserved  for  members  of  corporate  savings  plans  of  the 
Company and/or its affiliated entities within the meaning 
of  Articles  L.  225-180  of  the  French  Commercial  Code 
and L. 3344-1 of the French Labor Code;

2)  stipulates   to  eliminate   the  pre-emptive  rights  of 
shareholders  to  subscribe  for  the  new  shares  to  be 
issued  or  other  securities  giving  access  to  share  capital 
and securities to which these securities give entitlement 
under  this  resolution  for  the  benefit  of  the  members  of 
the plans referred to in the previous paragraph and waives 
the rights to the shares or other securities that would be 
allocated through the application of this resolution;

3)  stipulates that the maximum nominal amount that may 
be  issued  under  this  authorization  shall  be  included  in 
the  maximum  nominal  amount  for  capital  increases  of 
€12  million  set  under  the  sixteenth  resolution  of  this 
General Meeting of Shareholders;

216 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

General Meeting of Shareholders
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7

4)  stipulates that the subscription price for the new shares 
will  be  at  least  80%  of  the  average  listed  price  of  the 
Company’s  shares  on  Euronext  Paris  in  the  20  trading 
days  preceding  the  day  on  which  subscriptions  open, 
where  the  lock-up  period  set  by  the  savings  plan  in 
accordance with Article L. 3332-25 of the French Labor 
Code is shorter than ten years, and 70% of this average 
where the lock-up period is ten years or more. However, 
the General Meeting of Shareholders expressly authorizes 
the Board of Directors, if it deems it appropriate, to reduce 
or cancel the above-mentioned discounts, within the legal 
and  regulatory  limits,  in  order  to  take  account  of,  inter 
alia,  the  legal,  accounting,  tax  and  social  security  rules 
applicable locally;

5)  stipulates that the Board of Directors may also replace all 
or part of the discount with the free allocation of shares 
or  other  securities  giving  access  to  the  share  capital 
of  the  Company,  whether  existing  or  to  be  issued,  it 
being specified that the total benefit resulting from this 
allocation and, if applicable, from the discount mentioned 
above,  cannot  exceed  the  total  benefit  that  members  of 
the  savings  plan  would  have  received  if  this  difference 
had been 20% or 30%, depending on whether the lock-
up period set by the plan is greater than or equal to ten 
years;

6)  stipulates  that  the  Board  of  Directors  may  proceed,  in 
accordance with Article L. 3332-21 of the French Labor 
Code,  the  free  allocation  of  shares  or  other  securities 
giving  access  to  the  share  capital  of  the  Company  to  be 
issued or already issued under a bonus scheme, provided 
that the inclusion of their monetary value, valued at the 
subscription price, does not result in the legal or regulatory 
limits being exceeded;

7)  stipulates  that  the  characteristics  of  the  other  securities 
giving access to the share capital of the Company will be 
determined  by  the  Board  of  Directors  according  to  the 
conditions laid down by the regulations;

8)  stipulates  that  the  Board  of  Directors  will  have  all  the 
necessary powers, with the option for delegation or sub-
delegation,  in  accordance  with  the  legal  and  regulatory 
provisions,  within  the  limits  and  under  the  conditions 
specified above, to determine all the terms and conditions 
of transactions and, in particular, to decide on the amount 
to be issued, the issue price and the terms of each issue, 
and to define the terms for the free allocation of shares or 
other securities giving access to share capital, in application 
of  the  authorization  given  above,  to  determine  the 
opening and closing dates for subscriptions, to set, within 
the maximum limit of three years, the period granted to 
subscribers to pay for their shares, to determine the date, 

which  may  be  retroactive,  from  which  the  new  shares 
will be eligible for dividends, to apply for their admission 
to listing on the stock market wherever they are advised 
to do so, to record the capital increase in the amount of 
shares  effectively  subscribed  for,  to  make  all  necessary 
arrangements to carry out the capital increases, carry out 
all formalities arising therefrom and amend the by-laws 
accordingly,  and  at  its  sole  discretion,  and  if  it  deems  it 
appropriate,  to  deduct  the  fees  involved  in  carrying  out 
the capital increases from the premiums relating to these 
capital increases as well as the sums necessary to increase 
the  legal  reserve  to  one-tenth  of  the  new  share  capital 
after each capital increase;

9)  stipulates  that  this  authorization  cancels  and  replaces 
all  previous  authorizations  relating  to  capital  increases 
reserved for members of corporate savings plans, and in 
particular, that granted by the Combined General Meeting 
of  Shareholders  of  May  30,  2013  in  the  seventeenth 
resolution;

10)  the authorization thus granted to the Board of Directors is 
valid for 26 months from the date of this General Meeting.

 ❘ Twenty-third resolution

Amendments to by-laws

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  wishes  to  amend  (i) 
paragraph 14.2 of the by-laws, which relates to the term of 
office  of  directors,  in  order  to  remove  any  reference  to  the 
transition  period  of  2009  when  certain  offices  retained  the 
term  of  six  years  instead  of  four  years;  (ii)  Article  22  of  the 
by-laws, which relates to regulated agreements, to reflect the 
changes arising from the Order of July 31, 2014 on company  
law ; and (iii) paragraph 1 of Article 27 of the by-laws, in order 
to reflect the new deadline of two business days for admission 
to  General  Meetings  arising  from  Decree  no.  2014-1466  of 
December 8, 2014, as follows:

“14.2 Age limit – Term of office

The number of directors aged 70 or over cannot exceed half 
the members of the Board of Directors at any time. If this limit 
is reached, the oldest director other than the Chairman of the 
Board shall automatically be considered to have resigned.

The term of office of directors is four years.

The  directors’  offices  expire  at  the  end  of  the  General 
Meeting of Shareholders held to approve the annual financial 
statements for the year just ended which takes place during 
the year in which their term of office expires.

Directors shall always be eligible for re-election.”

7

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 217

7 General Meeting of Shareholders

Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

“Article 22 – Regulated agreements

 ❘ Twenty-fourth resolution

All agreements, whether direct or through an intermediary, 
between  the  Company  and  one  of  its  directors,  its  Chief 
Executive Officer, one of its Deputy Chief Executive Officers, 
one of its shareholders with more than 10% of the voting 
rights, or in the case of shareholder that is a company, the 
Company  that  controls  it,  within  the  meaning  of  Article 
L.  233-3 of the French Commercial Code must be submitted 
to the Board of Directors for prior authorization.

The same applies to agreements in which one of the persons 
referred to in the previous paragraph has an indirect interest.

Prior  authorization  is  also  required  for  any  agreement 
between the Company and another company if one of the 
latter’s directors, Chief Executive Officer or one of the Deputy 
Chief Executive Officers is the owner, partner with unlimited 
liability, general manager, director, member of the Supervisory 
Board, or in general terms, a senior manager of that company.

For the prior authorization of the Board of Directors to be 
given, reasons must be given to justify the agreement, based 
on its interest to the Company, and in particular, the financial 
conditions of the agreement must be specified.

The requirements set out in the previous paragraphs are not 
applicable to agreements relating to current operations and 
signed under normal conditions, nor to agreements entered 
into  with  a  company  in  which  the  Company  directly  or 
indirectly holds 100% of the share capital under the conditions 
stipulated under the law.”

“Article 27 – Admission to General Meetings of Shareholders 
– Powers

1.  Every  shareholder  has  the  right  to  participate  in  the 
General Meeting of Shareholders and to vote either in 
person or by proxy, provided his/her shares are fully paid-
up, and:

 (cid:125) for holders of registered shares: that they are listed in 
the registered share accounts held by the Company or its 
intermediary at 0:00 a.m. Paris time two business days 
prior to the meeting;

 (cid:125) for holders of bearer shares: that they are recorded in a 
bearer securities account maintained by the accredited 
intermediary (bank, financial institution or stockbroking 
firm) at 0:00 a.m. (Paris time) two business days prior to 
the meeting, and in possession of a shareholder certificate 
provided by the latter.”

Approval of the conversion of the Company into a European 
company (Societas Europae), and the terms of the conversion 
plan and intention to leave unchanged the Board of Directors, 
the Statutory Auditors and the authorizations granted to the 
Board of Directors by the General Meeting of Shareholders

The General Meeting of Shareholders, after having reviewed:

 (cid:125) the  Company’s  plan  for  conversion 

into  a  European 
company,  which  was  prepared  by  the  Board  of  Directors 
on March 21, 2014 and filed with the clerk's  office of the 
Commercial Court of Versailles on March 27, 2014 and the 
draft  of  the  amended  by-laws,  which  was  modified  and 
then filed on March 24 , 2015; 

 (cid:125) the  report  of  the  Board  of  Directors  explaining  and 
justifying the legal and financial aspects of the conversion 
and  describing  the  consequences  for  shareholders  and  for 
employees of becoming a European company; 

 (cid:125) the  report  by  Ernst  &  Young  et  Autres   and  Finexsi,  the 
auditors appointed, on February 12, 2015 by order of the 
President  of  the  Commercial  Court  of  Versailles  from  the 
court-approved list, to appraise the Company’s assets; 

 (cid:125) the opinion of the Workers’ Council on the Company’s plan for 
conversion into a European company dated February 13, 2014.  

After  having  noted  that  the  Company  meets  the  conditions 
required  by  the  provisions  of  Council  Regulation  (EC) 
no.  2157/2001  of  October  8,  2001  on  European  company 
status,  and  in  particular,  those  referred  to  in  Articles  2, 
paragraph  4  and  37  of  the  said  regulation  and  Article  L. 
225-245-1  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  relating  to  the 
conversion  of  a  limited  liability  company  (société anonyme) 
into a European company; 

a nd after having duly noted that:

 (cid:125) the  conversion  of  the  Company  into  a  European  company 
does  not  entail  the  dissolution  of  the  Company  or  the 
creation of a new legal entity; 

 (cid:125) the term of the Company, its purpose and registered office 

remain unchanged; 

 (cid:125) the share capital of the Company remains set at the same 
amount and at the same number of shares with a par value 
of  €0.50  each,  which  shall  remain  admitted  to  trading  on 
Euronext Paris; 

 (cid:125) the  duration  of  the  current  fiscal  year,  which  will  end  on 
December  31,  2015,  has  not  been  changed  as  a  result  of 
the conversion into a European company and the financial 
statements for this fiscal year will be drawn up, presented 
and audited under the conditions stipulated by the by-laws 
of the Company in its new form and the provisions of the 
French Commercial Code relating to European companies; 

 (cid:125) the  terms  of  office  of  the  directors,  the  Chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Directors,  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  the 
Statutory Auditors and Deputy Statutory Auditors in post at 
the time of the conversion of the Company into a European 
company will continue until their normal respective expiry 
dates; 

218 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

General Meeting of Shareholders
Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

7

 (cid:125) all authorizations and delegations of powers that have been 
and  will  be  granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  as  a  limited 
liability company (société anonyme) by any General Meeting 
of Shareholders of the Company that are valid on the date 
of  the  Company’s  conversion  into  a  European  company, 
will, as of the said date, be automatically transferred to the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  Company,  in  its  new  form  as  a 
European company; 

 (cid:125) the  conversion  of  the  Company  into  a  European  company 
will be definitive from the date on which it is registered as a 
European company with the Versailles trade and companies 
registry; 

a fter having noted, in accordance with Article 12, paragraph 2 
of the above-mentioned regulation, that the registration of the 
European  company  cannot  take  place  before  the  procedures 
relating  to  the  involvement  of  employees,  pursuant  to 
Articles L. 2531-1 et seq. of the French Labor Code have been 
completed; 

Approves  the  conversion  of  the  Company  into  a  European 
company (Societas Europae) with a Board of Directors and the 
terms  of  the  plan  for  the  conversion  of  the  Company  into  a 
European  company,  and  duly  notes  that  this  conversion  will 
take effect from the date of the registration of the Company 
in its new form,

Grants  to  the  Board  of  Directors  all  the  necessary  powers  to 
(i)  record  the  completion  of  the  negotiations  relating  to  the 
terms for the involvement of employees within the European 
company  and  record,  if  applicable,  the  signature  of  an 
agreement  to  this  effect,  (ii)  note,  accordingly,  that  the  pre-
condition for the registration of the Company in its new form, 
i.e. the completion of the above-mentioned procedures relating 
to  the  involvement  of  employees,  has  been  fulfilled  and  (iii) 
carry  out  all  the  necessary  formalities  for  the  registration  of 
the Company in its new form as a European company.

 ❘ Twenty-fifh resolution

Approval of the company name of the Company in its new 
form as a European company

The  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  having  reviewed  the 
report  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  resolves,  subject  to  the 
adoption  of  the  previous  resolution,  that  from  the  date  of 
the  definitive  conversion  of  the  Company  into  a  European 
company, the current name of the Company will be followed 
by  the  initials  “SE”,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
Article  11  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  no.  2157/2001  of 
October 8, 2001 on European company status. The name of 
the Company will therefore become “Dassault Systèmes SE”.

This change will be reflected in the by-laws of the Company in 
its new form as a European company.

 ❘ Twenty-sixth resolution

Approval of the by-laws of the Company in its new form as a 
European company

In  accordance  with  the  decision  on  the  conversion  of  the 
Company  into  a  European  company,  and  having  reviewed 
the draft by-laws of Dassault Systèmes SE and the report of 
the Board of Directors, the General Meeting of Shareholders, 
subject to the adoption of the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth 
resolutions, adopts, article by article and then in its entirety, 
the text of the by-laws, which, from the date of the definitive 
conversion  of  the  Company  into  a  European  company,  will 
govern  the  Company  in  its  new  form.  These  by-laws  will 
take  effect  from  the  date  of  the  definitive  conversion  of 
the  Company  into  a  European  company,  i.e.  the  date  of  its 
registration.

The General Meeting of Shareholders duly notes that, subject 
to the adoption of the twenty-third resolution, the by-laws of 
the European company, as adopted by this resolution, will be 
amended to reflect the changes to the by-laws approved in the 
said resolution.

A copy of the by-laws of Dassault Systèmes SE is attached to 
the minutes provided at this General Meeting of Shareholders.

7

Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting

 ❘ Twenty-seventh resolution

Powers for formalities

The General Meeting hereby grants any and all powers to the bearer of an original, a copy or an excerpt of the minutes of these 
deliberations for the purpose of carrying out any legal formalities for publication.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 219

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLES

Annual financial report

The  cross-reference  table  below  allows  to  identify  the  information  included  in  the  annual  financial  report  provided  by  the 
Article L. 451-1-2 of the Monetary and Financial French Code and by the Article 222-3 of the General Regulation of the Autorité 
des marchés financiers.

Annual financial report

1.  Parent Company Financial Statements

2.  Consolidated Financial Statements of the Group

3.  Management Report

4.  Certification of the Person Responsible for the Reference Document

5.  Statutory Auditors Report on the Parent Company Financial Statements

6.  Statutory Auditors Report on the Consolidated Financial Statements

7.  Principal Accountants Fees and Services

Reference Document 

Paragraphs

4.2

4.1

Pages

123

84

See Annual Management report 
cross-reference table below

–

4.2.5

4.1.2

5.5

3

145

171

186

220 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Cross-reference tables
Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

T

Annual management report

The cross-reference table below identifies in the Reference Document the information included in the annual management report 
to be provided by the Company’s Board of Directors, as required by Articles L. 225-100 and seq. of the French Commercial Code.

Annual management report

1.  Business Trends Analysis

2.  Analysis of Results

3.  Financial Operations Analysis

4.  Description of Main Risks and Uncertainties

5.  Financial Instruments Use

Reference Document 

Paragraphs

Pages

3.1

3.1

3.1

1.6

70

70

70

27

4.1.1 – Notes 2, 21

90,112

6.  Risk Factors such as Pricing, Credit, Liquidity in Cash and Treasury

7.  Current Delegations to the Board of Directors and their Use during the Fiscal Year 2014

8. 

9. 

Information Required by the Article L. 225-100-3: Possible Consequences in Case of a Public 
Tender Offer

Information Required by the Article L. 225-211 of the French Commercial Code, Relating to the 
Shares Repurchases

10. Situation during the Fiscal year 2014

11. Foreseeable Trend of the Situation

12. Substantial Events Occurred since the End of 2014

13. Research & Development Activities

14. Business and Results of Operations of the Parent Company Dassault Systèmes SA

15. Business and Results of the Parent Company’s Subsidiaries during the Fiscal Year 2014

16. 2015 Business Outlook

17. Selected Financial Information of Dassault Systèmes SA over the Last Five Fiscal Years

18. Employees’ Involvement in the Capital of the Issuer the Last Day of the Fiscal Year

19. Compensation and Benefits Granted to each Director (mandataires sociaux) 

of Dassault Systèmes in 2014

20. List of the Terms and Responsibilities of the Directors (mandataires sociaux) of Dassault 

Systèmes in 2014

21. Social and Environmental Information

1.6.2

6.2.4

5.1.7.2

6.2.5

3.1, 4.1, 4.2

3.1.1.1, 3.2

 4.2.3 – Note 23

1.5

1.3, 1.4, 4.2

1.3.2, 1.4

3.1.1.1, 3.2

4.2.4

6.3.1

5.3

5.1.1.1

2

22. Equity Holdings or Controlled Companies, Subsidiaries with a French Head-Office

4.2.3 – Notes 1, 24

23. Table of Transactions in the Company’s Shares by the Management of the Company

24. Information on the Payment Cycles for Suppliers

25. Chairman of the Board’s Report on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

26. Dividends Paid over the Last Three Fiscal Years

5.4

4.2.3 – Note 19

5.1

7.1

34

193

170

195

70, 84, 123

70, 81

142

26

12, 14, 123

13, 14

70, 81

144

196

172

152

37

127, 143

181

126, 140

152

202

T

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 221

T Cross-reference tables

Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

Cross-reference table including the European Directive no. 809/2004 – Annex 1 items

The cross-reference table below identifies the information included in the Reference Document, and reflects the transposition of 
the European Directive no. 809/2004 in its Annex 1, adopted by the European Commission of April 29, 2004.

European directive – Annex 1 items

1.   PERSONS RESPONSIBLE

1.1  Name and function of the persons responsible

1.2  Declaration of the persons responsible

2.   STATUTORY AUDITORS
3.   SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
4.   RISK FACTORS
5.  

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUER
5.1  History and development of the Company

5.2 

Investments

6.   BUSINESS OVERVIEW
6.1  Principal activities

6.2  Principal markets

6.3 

6.4 

Exceptional factors

Extent to which the issuer is dependent on patents or licenses, industrial, commercial 
or financial contracts or new manufacturing processes

6.5  Basis for any statements made by the issuer regarding its competitive position

7.   ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

7.1  Brief description of the Group

7.2 

List of the significant subsidiaries

8.   PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

8.1 

Existing or planned material tangible fixed assets

8.2  Any environmental issues that may affect the issuer’s utilization of the tangible fixed 

assets

9.   OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
10.   CAPITAL RESOURCES
11.   RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, PATENTS AND LICENSES
12.   TREND INFORMATION
13.   PROFIT FORECASTS OR ESTIMATES
14.   ADMINISTRATIVE, MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISORY BODIES AND SENIOR 

MANAGEMENT
14.1 

Information relating the Board of Directors and Senior Management

14.2  Administrative, Management and Supervisory Bodies and Senior Management 

Conflicts of Interests

15.   REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

Reference Document 

Paragraphs

Pages

3

3

186

6

27

7

10

14

17

27

14

12

13

5.5

1.1

1.6

1.2.1

1.2.2

1.4.1

1.4.2

None

1.6

1.4.1

1.3.1

1.3.2

1.2.3.3,
4.1.1 – Notes 14, 
25

12
105, 118

1.2.3.2

3.1

3.1.4

1.5

1.6.1.1

3.2

11

70

81

26

27

81

5.1.1, 5.1.2

5.1.3

152, 162

163

15.1  Amount of remuneration paid and benefits in kind

5.3

15.2  Amount set aside or accrued to provide pension, retirement or similar benefits

5.3.1 – Table 11

172

176

222 ANNUAL REPORT 2014  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Cross-reference tables
Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting of Shareholders on May 28, 2015

T

European directive – Annex 1 items

16.   BOARD PRACTICES

16.1  Date of expiration of the current term of office

16.2  Service contracts with the issuer

16.3 

Information about the committees

Reference Document 

Paragraphs

5.1

5.1.1.1

5.1.3

5.1.1.3

Pages

152

152

163

161

16.4  Statement of compliance with the regime of corporate governance

5.1, 5.1.5

152, 166

17.   EMPLOYEES

17.1  Number of employees

17.2  Shareholdings and stock options

17.3  Arrangement involving the employees in the issuer’s capital

18.   MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS

18.1  Shareholders having more than 5% of interest in the issuer’s capital or of voting rights

18.2  Existence of different voting rights

18.3  Control of the issuer

18.4  Arrangement, known to the issuer, the operation of which may at a subsequent date 

result in a change in control of the issuer

19.  RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

20.   FINANCIAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ISSUER’S ASSETS AND 
LIABILITIES, FINANCIAL POSITION AND PROFITS AND LOSSES
20.1  Historical Financial Information

20.2  Pro forma Financial Information

20.3  Financial Statements

20.4  Auditing of Historical Annual Financial Information

20.5  Date of the latest financial statements

20.6 

Interim and Other Financial Information

20.7  Dividend Policy

20.8  Legal and Arbitration Proceedings

20.9  Significant Change in the Issuer’s Financial or Trading Position

21.   ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

21.1  Share Capital

21.2  Memorandum and By-laws

22.   MATERIAL CONTRACTS
23.   THIRD-PARTY INFORMATION, EXPERTS’ STATEMENTS AND DECLARATION 

OF ANY INTEREST

24.   DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
25. 

INFORMATION ON HOLDINGS

2.1.2

39

5.1.1, 5.3.2

152, 176

None

6.3

6.3.1

6.1.2.3

6.3.2

6.3.3

196

196

190

198

199

4.1.1 – Note 26, 
4.2.6, 7.1

84, 119
147, 202

4.1

84

Not applicable

4.1, 4.2

84, 123

4.1.2, 4.2.5, 4.2.6

121, 145, 147

December 31, 2014

T

3.3

7.1

4.3

None 

6.2, 6.3

6.1.2

1.4.3

Not applicable

6.1.1.6

1.3.2, 4.1.1 – 
Note 27, 
4.2.3  –  Note 24

82

202

149

192, 196

189

26

188

13, 120

143

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2014 223

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