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Dassault Systemes

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FY2015 Annual Report · Dassault Systemes
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2015 3DEXPERIENCE®
A N N U A L   R E P O R T
DASSAULT SYSTÈMES FINANCIAL REPORT

GROUP PRESENTATION

FINANCIAL REVIEW & STATEMENTS

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

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 

2.3 

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

3

5

6

8

12

14

27

28

37

38

58

68

FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS  71

3.1  Operating and Financial Review 

3.2  2016 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 

72

83

84

85

86

124

150

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 Corporate Offi cers (mandataires sociaux) 

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

5.5  Statutory Auditors 

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

6.1 

Information about Dassault Systèmes SE 

6.2 

Information about the Share Capital 

6.3 

Information about the Shareholders 

6.4  Stock Market Information 

GENERAL MEETING 

7.1  Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed 

by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting 
on May 26, 2016 

7.2  Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors 

to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016 

152

171

172

181

184

185

186

189

194

199

201

202

208

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLES 

216

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT

This document is an English-language translation of Dassault Systèmes’ Document de référence (Annual Report), which was fi led 
with the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) on March  23 , 2016, 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 2015

1

GENERAL

This Annual Report also includes:

 (cid:125) the annual fi nancial report to be prepared and published by 
every listed company within four months of the end of its 
fi scal 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 SE’s 
Board  of  Directors,  which  must  be  provided  to  the 
General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  approving  the  fi nancial 
statements  for  each  completed  fi scal  year,  pursuant  to 
Articles L. 225-100 et seq. of the French Commercial Code.

The index set forth on page 216  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 SE and all the companies 
included in the scope of consolidation.

“Dassault  Systèmes  SE”  refers  only  to  the  European  parent 
company of the Group,which is governed by French law .

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  fi nancial  statements  on  pages  84  to  120 
(inclusive),  the  parent  company  fi nancial  statements  on 
pages 123 to 143 (inclusive), and the related audit reports on 
pages 121 to 122 and, 145 to 148 (inclusive) of the Annual 
Report (Document de référence) for the year 2014 fi led with 
the AMF on March 24, 2015, under no. D. 15- 0195;

 (cid:125) the  fi nancial  information  on  pages  70  to  82  (inclusive) 
of  the  Annual  Report  (Document  de  référence)  for  the 
year  2014  fi led  with  the  AMF  on  March  24,  2015,  under 
no. D. 15- 0195;

 (cid:125) the  consolidated  fi nancial  statements  on  pages  66  to  100 
(inclusive),  the  parent  company  fi nancial  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  fi led  with  the 
AMF on March 28, 2014, under no. D. 14-0227;

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

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 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

PERSON RESPONSIBLE

Person Responsible for the Annual Report

Bernard Charlès – President and Chief Executive Offi cer.

Certifi cation by the Person Responsible 
for the Annual Report

Vélizy-Villacoublay, March 22  , 2016.

“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 signifi cance has been omitted.

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

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

The  consolidated  fi nancial  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 – fi led with the AMF 
on  March  28,  2014  under  the  number  D.  14-0227  –  which 
contains an observation”.

 Bernard Charlès

President and Chief Executive Offi cer

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

3

4 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  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 

27

27

27

28

28

35

36

1.1  Key Figures 

1.2  History 

1.2.1  History and Development of the Company 

1.2.2  Investments 

1.3  Group Organization 

1.3.1  Dassault Systèmes SE’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

8

8

11

12

12

13

14

14

18

26

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 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 2015 and 2014 
can be found in Chapter 3, “Financial review and prospects”.

(in millions, except percentages and per share data)

Total revenue

Software 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

Software 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,

2015

€2,839.5

2,502.8

633.2

22.3%

402.2

€1.57

€0.47 (2)

2014

€2,294.3

2,035.0

430.8

18.8%

291.3

€1.14

€0.43

2013

€2,066.1

1,880.8

503.0

24.3%

352.3

€1.38

€0.42

€2,876.7

2,537.9

€2,346.7

2,078.6

€2,072.8

1,887.5

884.9

30.8%

576.6

€2.25

699.2

29.8%

465.5

€1.82

652.8

31.5%

445.5

€1.75

(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 26, 2016.
(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”.

6 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

(in millions)

ASSETS

Presentation of the Group 
Key Figures

1

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014*

2013

1

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments

€2,351.3

€1,175.5

€1,803.7

Trade accounts receivable, net

Other assets

TOTAL ASSETS

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Unearned revenue

Borrowings

Other liabilities

Parent shareholders’ equity

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

739.1

3,221.0

6,311.4

778.0

1,000.0

1,064.9

3,468.5

627.7

3,159.2

4,962.4

636.8

360.1

1,022.0

2,943.5

€6,311.4

€4,962.4

* 

The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 has been restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations.

(in millions)

Net cash provided by operating activities

Net cash used in investing activities

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

Year ended December 31,

2015

€633.3

(60.5)

548.4

55.1

2014

€499.5

(1,000.9)

(170.3)

38.0

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

€1,176.3

€(633.7)

472.6

1,911.6

4,187.9

489.0

380.0

708.4

2,610.5

€4,187.9

2013

€506.8

(168.6)

276.2

(35.8)

€578.6

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 7

1 Presentation of the Group 

History

1.2  History

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  and  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.

In  2012,  the  Company  unveiled 
its  current  horizon, 
3DEXPERIENCE,  based  on  the  Company’s  technology 
architecture  Version  6  (“V6”)  and  designed  to  support  its 
clients in their innovation process so that they can invent the 
future of their users’ experiences. 3DEXPERIENCE builds upon 
the Company’s work in 3D, DMU, and PLM, and reflects the 
evolution  Dassault  Systèmes  began  to  see  among  its  clients 
in  different  industry  verticals.  It  can  be  used  on  premise  or 
online,  in  a  public  or  private  cloud.  With  3DEXPERIENCE, 
the  Company  expanded 
its  purpose  to  encompass  the 
harmonization  of  product,  nature  and  life;  and  moved  to  an 
industry go-to-market strategy. 

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

8 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group 
History

1

1

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;

 (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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 9

1 Presentation of the Group 

History

 (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.

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.

2015
 (cid:96) Introduction of 3DEXPERIENCE R2015x, offering a simplifi ed 
and improved user experience, with powerful enhancements 
that signifi cantly increase productivity on premise as well as 
on  public  or  private  cloud.  In  addition,  R2015x  introduces 
groupings  of  applications  called  “roles”,  to  cover  industry-
specifi c needs;

 (cid:96) Dassault Systèmes completed the change of the legal status 
of the parent company from that of a french public limited 
company (société anonyme) to that of a European company. 
The adoption of the status of European company (Societas 
Europaea, SE) is refl ecting the international dimension of the 
Company and its growing presence in Europe;

 (cid:96) CATIA’s  capabilities  were  expanded  to  further  enhance  its 
coverage  of  complex  mechatronics  systems  engineering, 

10 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

with the acquisition of Modelon GmbH, an expert in “ready-
to-experience” content for systems modeling and simulation 
which  are  strategic  to  transform  the  Transportation  & 
Mobility industry.

2016
 (cid:96) 3DEXPERIENCE  2016x  general  availability  was  announced 

on February 4, 2016.

For  further  information  on  acquisitions  over  the  last  three 
years, 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 

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.

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”.

Acquisitions from 2013-2015

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. On 
a  net  cash  basis,  the  Company’s  investments  in  acquisitions 
totaled  €20.2  million  in  2015,  €952.9  million  in  2014  and 
€213.4 million in 2013.

systems 

complex  mechatronics 

In  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  expanded  CATIA’s  capabilities 
in 
engineering, 
acquiring Modelon GmbH, an expert in “ready-to-experience” 
content  for  systems  modeling  and  simulation  which  are 
strategic  for  the  transportation  and  mobility  industry.  With 
this transaction, Dassault Systèmes reinforces its portfolio of 
industry-leading  content,  applications  and  services  used  in 
today’s age of experience.

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 
in  bio-intelligence;  (ii) 
addressing marketers with the RTT acquisition, rebranded as 
3DEXCITE,  which  enables  the  reuse  of  virtual  mock-ups  or 
3D  product  designs  to  create  images,  marketing  brochures, 
promotional  films  or  virtual  but  very  realistic  show  rooms; 

internal  research 

Presentation of the Group 
History

1

1

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  total  net  cash  investment  of  €213.4  million,  in 
manufacturing, simulation and in urban modeling as follows: 
in  manufacturing  where  the  Company  significantly 
(i) 
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.

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

Year

2014

2014

2014

2013

Purchase Price

€542 million

€260 million

€191 million

€179 million

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. BIOVIA provides a scientific collaborative 
environment for biological, formulated products and advanced 
materials  to  help  science-  and  process-driven  companies 
develop  better  products  faster  and  more  cost-effectively  in 
regulated and non-regulated environments.

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

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 11

1 Presentation of the Group 

Group Organization

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.  Quintiq 
further  enriches  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  capabilities 
and  enables  a  better  support  for  the  Company’s  customers 
in  industries  such  as  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 results from record-breaking technology; 
and v) seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure.

2014:  Creation  of  the  3DEXCITE  brand,  following  the 
acquisition  of  RTT,  extending  the  Company’s  offerings  to 
address marketing professionals.

January  2014, 

In 
the  Company  acquired  Realtime 
Technology  AG,  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  3DEXCITE’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.

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.  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  DELMIA  Apriso’s  solutions 
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.

include: 

1.3  Group Organization

1.3.1  Dassault Systèmes SE’s Position within the Group

integrated 

Dassault  Systèmes  SE,  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 SE also operates as a holding company as it 
owns directly or indirectly all the companies that make up the 
Group. Dassault Systèmes SE 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 

in 

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  SE  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 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group 
Group Organization

1

1.3.2  Principal Subsidiaries of the Company

At  December  31,  2015,  the  Company  included  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  and  118  operational  subsidiaries,  as  compared  to 
128 operational subsidiaries in 2014.  T he decrease was due principally to the effort of the Company 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 SE

Dassault Systemes Deutschland GmbH
(Germany)

Dassault Systemes Americas Corp.
(USA)

Dassault Systemes UK Ltd
(United Kingdom)

Dassault Systemes SolidWorks

Corporation (USA)

%
0
0
1

Dassault Systemes K.K.
(Japan)

100%

Dassault Systemes Korea Corp.
(South Korea)

Dassault Systèmes (Shanghai)
Information Technology Co., Ltd 
(China)

Europe

Asia

Americas

Direct and indirect equity interest

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 2015 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  encompass  three  principal  spheres: 
“Product-Sphere”,  “Geo-Sphere”  and  “Bio-Sphere”  reflecting 
the  Company’s  expanded  purpose  to  provide  business  and 
people  with  3DEXPERIENCE  universes  enabling  to  imagine 
innovations capable of 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, July 2015), 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 customers and users with the 
Company’s Industry Solution Experiences.

Dassault Systèmes software offerings address users all across 
a  company’s  product  development  loop  enabling  the  Group 
to  provide  companies  with  a  comprehensive  perspective, 
encompassing:

 (cid:125) product idea and specification;

 (cid:125) design with early 3D digital models to full digital mock-ups;

 (cid:125) virtual testing of products;

14 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 (cid:125) virtual 

production 

and  manufacturing 

operations 

management;

 (cid:125) operations planning and optimization;

 (cid:125) digital marketing and sales;

 (cid:125) end-consumer shopping experience.

Dassault Systèmes has a diverse customer base, working with 
the  smallest  manufacturers  in  the  world  to  global  leaders, 
and  includes  companies  in  12  vertical  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 Strengths of Dassault Systèmes

Dassault  Systèmes,  the  3DEXPERIENCE  Company,  has  the 
mission to provide business and people with 3DEXPERIENCE 
universes  to  imagine  sustainable  innovations  harmonizing 
product, nature and life. Its world leading solutions transform 
the way products are designed, simulated, produced, marketed 
and supported, leveraging the virtual world to improve the real 
world.

its  current  horizon, 
In  2012,  the  Company  unveiled 
3DEXPERIENCE,  based  on  the  Company’s  technology 
architecture  Version  6  (“V6”)  and  designed  to  support  its 
clients in their innovation process so that they can invent the 
future of their users’ experiences. 3DEXPERIENCE builds upon 
the Company’s work in 3D, DMU, and PLM, and reflects the 
evolution  Dassault  Systèmes  began  to  see  among  its  clients 
in  different  industry  verticals.  It  can  be  used  on  premise  or 
online, in a public or private cloud.

The  Company  is  positioned  to  work  with  companies  from 
ideation  to  consumer  experience  and  across  departments 
from  research  and  development,  engineering,  testing, 
manufacturing,  governance  to  marketing  and  sales.  The 
Company  believes  its  global  market  leadership  and  financial 
performance benefit from key characteristics of the Company.

Dassault  Systèmes  is  a  scientific  company  serving  science, 
technology and art for a sustainable society.

Presentation of the Group 
Business Activities

1

1

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  products  and  Industry  Solutions 
whose  key  strength  is  in  their  scientific  content  and  deep 
understanding of industrial processes. This applies to a wide 
spectrum of applicative domains from modelling and scientific 
simulation to production and logistics optimization, applicable 
from  Natural  Resources  to  Cities,  Transportation,  Buildings, 
Smart  Products,  Consumer  Goods,  all  the  way  to  biological 
systems and chemistry.

Dassault  Systèmes  has  a  substantial  commitment  to 
technological  innovation  which  has  enabled  it  to  define 
and  create  new  markets,  expanding  from  3D  Design  to 
Digital Mock-Up, to Product Lifecycle Management and now 
3DEXPERIENCE.

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 of its software. 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  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  sixteen  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  workforce  which  totalled  13,974,  and 
represented  an  estimated  123  nationalities.  The  Company’s 
long-standing  financial  model,  with  a  high  level  of  recurring 
software  revenue,  representing  70%  of  the  Company’s 
total  non-IFRS  software  revenue  in  2015,  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’  3DEXPERIENCE  software  applications, 
comprised  of  leading  market  brands,  have  been  integral  to 
the Company’s success and continue to be principal areas of 
R&D investment.

The  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE  portfolio  is  designed  to 
support 3D realistic virtual experiences representing usage of 
future products, and is comprised of 3D modeling applications, 

simulation  applications  creating  virtual  twins  of  products  or 
production systems, social and collaborative applications, and 
information  intelligence  applications.  The  Company’s  brand 
strategy  (see  paragraph  1.4.2.4  “3DEXPERIENCE  Software 
Applications  Portfolio  –  Addressing  the  Needs  of  its  User 
Communities”)  focuses  on  providing  significant  value  to 
end-users with the objective of each brand/product line 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.

The Company is benefiting from a sophisticated organization 
supporting its multiple growth drivers.

In  connection  with  the  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE  strategy 
and reflecting its broadening software applications capabilities, 
the Company has organized itself along three axes: (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.

The  Company  believes  the  structure  of  its  sales,  well-
balanced between its direct and indirect sales channels has 
enabled it to have a broad market reach.

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 extend its sales radius, deepen its industry expertise and 
relationships, as well as domain or discipline knowledge of its 
three sales channels.

Dassault  Systèmes  has  had  a  long  history  of  partnering, 
leading  to  the  development  of  a  resilient  and  dynamic 
ecosystem  of  partners,  including  software  development, 
education  and  research  and  technology,  and  system 
integrators.

Since inception the Company has worked in close partnership 
in  software  development  and 
with  other  professionals 
technology, in sales and marketing, in services and in education 
and research. 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.  Looking  to  the 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 15

1 Presentation of the Group 

Business Activities

future, Dassault Systèmes has had long-standing commitment 
and  growing  connections  with  academic,  research  and  now 
medical  organizations  around  the  world,  working  to  use  3D 
to  enable  an  improved  learning  environment  for  students 
throughout  the  world  and  to  collaborate  in  accelerating  the 
creation of new software dedicated to help the digital world 
improve the real 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:

 (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”;

 (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  2015”  for  further  information  on  growth  by 
geographic region;

 (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 and Science”;

 (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 Science” 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 and Science

Dassault  Systèmes  has  a  substantial  commitment  to 
technological  innovation.  Important  areas  of  investment  in 
R&D  include,  among  others,  the  business  3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  foundations  and  services,  Modeling  Technologies 
(3D, systems engineering, natural resources and 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  business  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 Industry Solutions that offer end-to-end and 
integrated  scientific,  engineering,  marketing,  manufacturing 
and business capabilities and services. This is a unique holistic 
business-oriented platform.

These  solutions  are  based  upon  3DEXPERIENCE  platform 
offering the following capabilities:

 (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  mass  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) Social  Collaboration  Technologies  and  Services:  The 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  allows  any  business  to  become 
social,  extending  from  structured  project  and  organization 

16 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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1

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) Technologies and Services for Enterprise Data and Assets: 
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform integrates Dassault Systèmes’ 
brands  and  industry  offerings,  with  the  semantic  breadth 
representation and deepness to handle any kind of data and 
corporate  Intellectual  Property  for  any  product,  nature  or 
life  data  sets.  These  dedicated  technologies  and  services 
help enable unique experiences for social industries in terms 
of modeling, lifecycle management and data 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.

Virtual + Real 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; additive 
manufacturing;  logistics  operations  and  consumer  usages 
in  everyday  life.  This  relies  on  unique  assets  for  complexity 
management  and  distributed  massive  multi-discipline 
execution.

ranging 

Intelligent Information Technologies

Thanks  to  Exalead’s  unique  technologies,  the  Company  has 
significantly  expanded  its  indexing  and  search  capabilities 
technology  and  acquired  an 
important  search-based 
infrastructure for the development of information 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.

Connectivity Technologies

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.

Software, Technology and Science 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  participate  to  the  future  structure 
of  industries;  and  to  integrate  the  most  advanced  features 
of  these  technologies  into  its  solutions.  Further,  Dassault 
Systèmes  is  a  participant  in  several  hundred  public-private 
projects (for example with DARPA, Harvard, INRIA, INSERM, 
MIT), collaborates with renowned scientists (including Nobel 
Prize  winners)  and  is  engaged  in  technology  partnerships 
across the 12 industries (and industry sub-segments) it serves.

Finally,  the  Company  has  software  development  partners 
working  in  each  domain  of  its  software  solutions.  The 
Company’s  global  affiliate  program  enables  developers  to 
create and market their own applications fully integrated with 
and complementary to the Company’s software solutions.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 17

1 Presentation of the Group 

Business Activities

1.4.2  Principal Markets

1.4.2.1  Overview

In  connection  with  the  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE  strategy 
and reflecting its broad software applications capabilities, the 
Company has organized itself along three axes: (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”.

1.4.2.2 

3DEXPERIENCE Industries Served

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.

For its latest full fiscal year 2015, the composition of end-user 
software  revenue  by  major  industry  was  approximately  as 
follows: Transportation & Mobility about 32% (30% in 2014); 
Industrial Equipment about 15% (19% in 2014); Aerospace & 
Defense  about  14%  (12%  in  2014);  Business  Services  about 
9% (11% in 2014); Diversification Industries about 30% (28% 
in 2014).

In connection with the Company’s change in its go-to-market 
strategy  evolution  from  brands  to  industries  commencing  in 
2012, began the introduction of ‘Industry Solution Experiences’ 
which 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 
internal  development  and  by 
solutions,  both  through 
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  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 Industry Solutions

The  3DEXPERIENCE  platform 
is  a  business  experience 
platform. It provides software solutions for every organization 
within a company – from engineering to marketing and sales 
–  that  help  clients,  in  their  value  creation  process,  to  create 
differentiating  consumer  experiences.  With  a  single,  easy-
to-use  interface,  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform,  available  on 
premise and on cloud, powers Industry Solution Experiences 
–  based  on  3D  design,  analysis,  simulation,  and  intelligence 
software in a collaborative, interactive environment.

industry-leading  applications 
Dassault  Systèmes  offers 
the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform:  Design  & 
delivered  on 
Engineering,  Manufacturing  &  Production,  Simulation, 
for 
Governance  &  Lifecycle,  3D  Design  Experience 
Professionals,  and  number  of  solutions  and  processes.  The 
3DEXPERIENCE platform and industry solution experiences on 
premise and on cloud were first introduced in February 2014. 
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 
permanently,  and 
licensing,  and 
upgrades.  Total  Cost  of  Ownership  is  improved  by  reducing 
requirements  for  computing  and  storage,  as  well  as  facility 
and human resources costs.

includes  maintenance, 

A single user 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.

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  improve  processes  while 
eliminating costly IT operations, such as database replication.

See paragraph 1.4.1.4 “Technology and Science”.

18 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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  new  brands.  In  2014  the  Company  introduced  two  new 
brands: (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.

Presentation of the Group 
Business Activities

1

1

3D Modeling Applications

SOLIDWORKS – Authentic Designer Experience
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  applications  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.

 (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.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 19

 
1 Presentation of the Group 

Business Activities

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. It 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 Dassault Systèmes’ pioneer brand and the world’s 
leading  solution  for  3D  product  design  and  innovation” 
(source: CIMdata, July 2015).

CATIA  addresses  the  complete  experience  development  & 
innovation  process,  from  the  early  concept  definition  to 
delivering  interactive  virtual  product  experiences.  Providing 
innovators  with  “state  of  the  art”  user  experiences,  the 
Brand  complete  portfolio  covers  from  design  to  engineering, 
and  from  styling  to  systems  modeling,  within  a  “3D  Virtual 
Twin”  experiencing  Environment.  CATIA  shifts  traditional 
3D  CAD  (Computer  Aided  Design)  expectations,  delivering 
high-end  solutions  adapted  to  imagine  and  shape  a  human 
centric connected world. In alignment with its mission, CATIA 
proposes  the  capacity  to  design  products  in  context  of  its 
intrinsic usage, ultimately enabling innovator communities to 
virtually experience and share their vision.

CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE delivers:

 (cid:125) a  social  design  environment  driving  product  experience 

innovation, providing real collaborative features;

 (cid:125) an instinctive user experience, powered by state of the art 

and intuitive 3D modeling functionalities;

 (cid:125) an 

inclusive  experience  development  platform,  easily 
integrated with both modern and legacy tools, enabling all 
relevant communities to participate to the design process.

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

Successful  product  designs  evoke  positive  emotional 
responses  from  their  consumers.  Creative  designers  need 
software  solutions  that  enable  them  to  easily  craft  such 
products,  while  collaborating  with  engineering  on  the  same 
functional  scope.  CATIA  addresses  the  entire  shape  design, 
styling,  and  surfacing  workflow,  from  Creative  &  Industrial 
Design to Class-A surfacing and Creative Experience. Intuitive 
shape design solutions deliver flexibility to simplify the design 
of  any  kind  of  complex  shape,  with  advanced  functionality 
like reverse engineering, real-time diagnostics, 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 aspects 
concurrently.

 (cid:125) CATIA Engineering: Engineering Excellence

CATIA  Engineering  enables  the  creation  of  any  type  of 
3D  components  assemblies  for  all  engineering  processes.  It 
addresses the requirements of a complete range of industries 
and processes, covering from cast and forged parts, to plastic 
injection & molding operations, up to composites part design 
and manufacturing, sheet metal parts design or even advanced 
fastening  operations.  Engineers  rely  on  CATIA  3D  Modeling 
capabilities to define complete mechanical products, including 
functional  tolerances,  3D  annotations  as  well  as  kinematics. 
Highly adapted roles in CATIA empower engineers to deliver 
greatly  improved  productivity,  not  only  during  mechanical 
design completion, but also when performing design changes 
for new releases.

 (cid:125) CATIA  Systems  Engineering:  Mastering  Cross-discipline 

Systems Development

Within  a  dramatically 
increasing  connected  world,  the 
complexity  of  embedded  systems  continues  to  grow.  The 
definition,  modelling  and  simulation  of  individual  systems, 
as well as their interaction with other systems, are becoming 
definitely strategic. Systems Engineering is essential to avoid 
detecting unexpected system interactions during the validation 
and  verification  phases  of  the  product  development  process. 
CATIA  Systems  Engineering  delivers  complete  portfolio  fully 
supporting  cross-discipline  systems  engineering  including 
Electrical  and  Fluidic  systems,  covering  from  systems 
definition up to modeling, simulation, and verification. Within 
this solution, CATIA provides unified and integrated approach 
to systems engineering that manages the overall development 
process of cross discipline definition of the many relationships 
existing between different systems artifacts that are defining 
today’s complex products.

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GEOVIA – Virtual Planet
GEOVIA  provides  b usiness,  g overnment  and  i ndividuals  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 people’s life.

Mining
In  mining,  GEOVIA’s  customers  are  increasing  productivity, 
efficiency, and safety during the identification and  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.

GEOVIA’s  software  spans  all  mining  phases, 
including: 
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 links business 
strategy to mine optimization by examining the viability of 
mineral  deposits  in  consideration  of  mine  designs,  mining 
equipment,  and  economic  factors.  Other  applications  are 
used to schedule mine production or 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  increases 
the  confidence  in  a  company’s  operations’  ability  to  meet 
production targets, manage costs, and improve efficiencies 
to deliver expected results to stakeholders.

Cities
During 2014 the Company unveiled GEOVIA 3DEXPERIENCity, 
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  3DEXPERIENCity,  urban 
planners  work  in  a  virtual  world  to  model  and  simulate  the 
cityscapes  and  all  components  making  up  a  city  to  improve 
its functions.

GEOVIA  3DEXPERIENCity  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,  formulated  products  and  advanced  materials  to 
help  science-  and  process-driven  companies  develop  better 
products  faster  and  more  cost-effectively  in  regulated  and 
non-regulated  environments.  BIOVIA  solutions  are  used 
by  more  than  2,000  customers  in  the  pharmaceutical  and 
biotechnology,  chemicals,  consumer  packaged  goods,  food 
and beverage, energy, high-tech, transportation and mobility 
and aerospace industries and in academic/government sectors.

The  following  BIOVIA  solution  areas  integrate  the  diversity 
of  scientific  and  experimental  processes,  information  and 
compliance  requirements  across  research,  development,  QA/
QC (Quality Assurance and Quality Control) and manufacturing 
domains:

 (cid:125) Collaborative Science – faster discovery and innovation by 
leveraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge-
based understanding, as well as modelling/simulation and 
predictive science;

 (cid:125) Unified  Lab  Management  –  optimized  lab  operations  by 
managing  all  laboratory  workflows  and  resources  as  well 
as supporting information sharing and collaboration within 
and between laboratories, internally and externally;

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 21

1 Presentation of the Group 

Business Activities

 (cid:125) Process  Production  Operations  –  providing  real-time,  on-
demand data access, analysis and reporting of quality and 
process  data  to  optimize  manufacturing  processes  and 
outcomes globally and throughout the wider ecosystem;

 (cid:125) Quality  and  Regulatory  Management  –  supporting 
regulatory  and  quality  operations  to  ensure  compliance 
and reduce operational risk in life sciences and other highly 
regulated industries.

BIOVIA’s  vision  is  to  allow  organizations  to  collaborate  more 
effectively  by  managing  and  sharing  scientific  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 chemical, biological and 
new material substances.

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 – Simulation for Product, Nature and Life
SIMULIA  helps  engineers  and  designers  perform  realistic 
virtual testing to provide simulation for product, nature, and 
life – from Products such as simple parts to entire airplanes, 
to Nature such as volcano magma chambers and oil reservoir 
geomechanics, to Life such as Dassault Systèmes’ Living Heart 
Project and Virtual Human initiative.

As an integral part of the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE 
platform,  SIMULIA’s  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 needs.

SIMULIA  has  expanded  its  technology  applications  through 
recent  acquisitions  to 
include  multiphysics  simulation; 
multiscale  simulation;  optimization;  and  simulation  process, 
data  and 
lifecycle  management.  SIMULIA’s  technology 
portfolio  includes  Abaqus,  fe-safe,  Isight,  Simpack,  Simpoe-
Mold, and Tosca.

Multiphysics Simulation
 (cid:125) Structural Analysis (Finite Element Analysis): Analyze two 
or  more  interacting  physical  phenomena  within  a  virtual 
prototype  such  as  fluid-structure  interaction,  structural-

acoustics,  thermal-electric,  and  thermal-fluid-mechanical, 
among others.

 (cid:125) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis: 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) Plastic Injection Simulation: Predict and avoid manufacturing 
defects during the earliest stages of part and mold design. 
Also  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:  Analyze  structural  failure  and  life 
expectancy  due  to  repeated  or  random  loading  cycles. 
Also  analyze  fatigue  life  and  crack  locations  in  metals, 
elastomers, and welded joints.

Multiscale Simulation
 (cid:125) Multibody Dynamics: Generate and solve virtual 3D models 
to  predict  and  visualize  motion,  forces,  and  stresses, 
into  the 
including  high-frequency  transient  analyses, 
acoustic range and complex nonlinear models with flexible 
bodies and harsh shock contact.

Optimization
 (cid:125) Parametric  Optimization:  Manipulate  and  map  parametric 
data  between  process  steps  and  automate  multiple 
simulations  to  greatly  improve  efficiency,  reduce  manual 
errors,  and  accelerate  the  evaluation  of  product  design 
alternatives.

 (cid:125) Topology  Optimization:  Create 

lightweight,  ready-to-
manufacture  product  designs  and  reduce  time-to-market, 
physical tests, and prototype builds.

Simulation Process, Data, and Lifecycle Management
Simulation and test data management enable to simplify the 
capture- and deploy-approved simulation methods, automate 
standard  simulation  processes,  collaborate  on  performance-
based decisions, and manage and secure simulation-generated 
intellectual property.

DELMIA – The World of Value-Making
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  the  design  and  testing  of 
products in a simulated production environment, and then to 
plan, execute, manage and optimize resources and customer 
delivery.

22 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group 
Business Activities

1

1

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 end 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 managed holistically.

Further,  for  better  performance  and  higher  profitability, 
Quintiq  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. This enables customers to integrate 
supply chain planning and optimization to plan their workforce, 
manufacturing environment, and logistics operations.

3DVIA – 3DEXPERIENCE for All
3DVIA  provides  Brands  &  Consumer  Communities,  with 
engaging 3D Universes enabling the co-creation of personal & 
personalized experiences.

3DVIA  enables  consumers  to  virtually  create  and  experience 
their  personal  projects  in  both  a  fun  and  social  way.  With 
HomeByMe’s  online  service,  consumers  can  find  inspiration 
from  thousands  of  other  projects,  create  their  own  concepts 
or  simply  visualize  ideas  using  dedicated  online  experience. 
Within  HomeByMe,  top  designers,  brands  and  retailers 
propose their full catalogues in a myriad of colors and materials 
allowing the user to create and review their unique customized 
home experience.

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.

ENOVIA  offers  a  rich  portfolio  of  collaborative  enterprise 
business process applications that leverage the 3DEXPERIENCE 
platform and facilitate business processes orchestration.

ENOVIA applications by business themes include:

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

 (cid:125) Strategic  Customer  Relationships:  ENOVIA’s  customer 
relationship  portfolio  enables  users  to  manage  and 
leverage requirements, manage the product to be delivered, 
understand  customer  needs,  and  define  point  of  sale 
experience  using  3DMerchanding.  These  products  help 
companies  transform  from  designing  products  to  creating 
customer experiences;

 (cid:125) Global  Product  Development:  ENOVIA’s  applications 
eliminate costly product development errors by enhancing 
collaborative  innovation  among  the  product  development 
stakeholders. Designers, product engineers, manufacturing 
professionals  and  others  collaborating  on  product 
development are able to innovate leveraging bill of materials, 
enterprise  change  management,  multiple  computer  aided 
technologies  environments,  management  and  systems 
engineering;

 (cid:125) Strategic Supplier Relationships: ENOVIA’s users in supplier 
management, supplier quality, procurement, sourcing and 
sampling  are  able  to  leverage  applications  that  reduce  the 
latency typically found in supply chain innovation processes. 
Its  solutions  help  buyer  agents,  supplier  relationship 
managers and supplier representatives manage their most 
critical  business  processes  and  increase  the  value  addition 
of the development supply chain;

 (cid:125) Quality  and  Compliance:  ENOVIA’s  applications  support 
users  in  material  compliance,  auditing,  document,  and 
records  management.  These  applications  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  users  with  the 
flexibility to collaborate on a global scale while maintaining 
the  security  required  for  operating  their  businesses.  This 
provides  teams  with  the  confidence  to  innovate  while 
optimizing  the  product  catalog  and  reducing  the  carrying 
cost of non-value added design inventory.

3DEXCITE – Marketing in the Age of Experience
3DEXCITE  software,  solutions,  and  computer-generated 
imagery  (“CGI”)  services  provide  high-end  3D  visualizations 
in  real-time.  3DEXCITE  opens  up  creative  freedom  to  deliver 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 23

1 Presentation of the Group 

Business Activities

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.

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.

 (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:

 (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:

 (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  services:  Highest  visual 
quality,  sophisticated  artistic  effects,  and  spellbinding 

Information Intelligence Applications

EXALEAD – The Data Science
EXALEAD  helps  organizations  access,  analyze  and  reveal 
any  enterprise  digital 
intellectual  properties  or  external 
information,  thus  transforming  big  data  into  data  discovery 
and analytics applications.

More specifically, EXALEAD is focusing on two areas:

PLM Search & Analytics
These  applications  are  based  on  technology  developed 
to  combine  innovative  big  data  approaches  with  Dassault 
Systèmes unique PLM DNA, such as 3D or complex multi-level 
configured product structures.

EXALEAD  OnePart  allows  any  design,  standardization  or 
procurement  engineer  to  quickly  and  efficiently  discover 
the  most  relevant  reusable  parts  that  fit  design  constraints 
(technical,  costs,  compliance).  It  empowers  engineers  with 
unique  search  and  compare  capabilities  (keywords,  3D,  big 
data) while linking CAD and PLM systems with other enterprise 
IT  systems,  such  as  ERP  (Enterprise  Resource  Planning)  and 
SCM (Supply Chain Management).

EXALEAD OnePart Reduce accelerates the value delivered by 
OnePart  by  applying  machine  learning  technologies  to  the 
millions  of  legacy  CAD  parts  available,  quickly  identifying 
potential  deduplication  and  leveraging  procurement  with 
suppliers  via  an  “automated”  shape-based  classification 
approach.

EXALEAD  PLM  Analytics:  Dassault  Systèmes  has  developed 
the  best  of  analytics  and  made  it  applicable  to  PLM  while 
leveraging the richness and the full potential of product design 
and manufacturing processes. EXALEAD PLM Analytics allows 
customers to fully manage product programs, from design to 
traceability of changes, cost, quality, and issue analytics.

Customer Support & Service Analytics
Companies  are  able  to  compile,  analyze  and  uncover  the 
value  of  “product-generated”  data,  combined  with  customer 
information  and  aggregated  data  found  in  any  systems  that 
may be used during product support and operations, creating 
new  services  and  enhancing  competiveness  and  customer 
satisfaction.

24 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

EXALEAD OneCall
With a 360-degree view of customers and analytics capabilities, 
OneCall unlocks the value of data and information, improving 
customer interaction, recommendations, and engagement.

Product in Operations
Product in Operations is a range of collaborative search-based 
solutions developed for collecting, analyzing and capitalizing 
on information about product and machine use. Organizations 
can  manage  in  real  time  after-sales,  maintenance,  and 
customer  interactions.  Processes  are  optimized  while  new, 
innovative products and services are created.

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.  NETVIBES  includes  a 
Dashboard  of  Things  which  enables  users  to  program  their 
business logic by automating digital activities and customizing 
individualized real-time alerts from the dashboard. By creating 
a “Potion” with specific Trigger(s) and Action(s), anyone can 
easily program automatic interactions between data, apps and 
connected devices. Through a customer-facing, programmable 
dashboard, enterprises can also empower consumers to design 
their own custom product experiences.

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 one direct and two indirect sales channels. No 
single  customer  or  sales  channel  partner  represented  more 
than 5% of the Company’s total revenue in 2015 and 2014.

 (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 59% and 58% of  revenue  in  2015  and  2014, 
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 

Presentation of the Group 
Business Activities

1

value-added  resellers  with  Industry  specialization.  This 
channel  represented  21%  and  23%  of  the  Company’s 
revenue in 2015 and 2014, respectively.

1

 (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 
local  training, 
distributors  worldwide  providing  sales, 
services  and  support  to  customers.  Sales  through  this 
channel represented 20% and 19% of the Company’s total 
revenue in 2015 and 2014, 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  has  had  a  long-standing  commitment  to 
education, with its solutions in use in nearly 40,000 schools 
around the world. An estimated five 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.

leader 

(STEM) 

and  Mathematics 

As  the  3DEXPERIENCE 
in  Science  Technology 
Engineering 
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.

In  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  successfully 
launched  the 
3DEXPERIENCE  for  Academia  on  the  Cloud.  In  addition, 
Dassault  Systèmes  has  also  invented  a  very  innovative 
pedagogical approach named the Peer Learning Experience. It 
consists of gathering teachers from various universities and to 
have them co-develop very comprehensive multi-disciplinary 
and very flexible curricula which then become available, free 
of charge, for any new school joining the 3DEXPERIENCE for 
Academia  community.  To  do  so,  they  use  a  methodology, 
templates,  data  and  data  models  provided  by  the  Company 
which also does the overall project management.

Dassault  Systèmes  put  in  place  a  new  Certification  Program 
which  aims  at  certifying  that  students  trained  on  the 
Company’s  solutions  to  ensure  that  they  master  them  at  a 
good  enough  level  compatible  with  employers’  expectations 
thus maximizing employment and careers perspectives. That 
program  is  mostly  based  on  proctored  practice  workbenches 
run on the Cloud. At the end of 2015, there are approximately 
80 Certification Centers in operation all over the world with a 
majority of them located on Universities’ campuses.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 25

1 Presentation of the Group 

Business Activities

Dassault  Systèmes  is  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), 
(principally  with  respect  to  the  Company’s 
Autodesk 
SOLIDWORKS product line) and PTC. Competitors also include 
companies focusing on specific domains or industries, including 
among  others  Oracle  and  SAP  with  respect  to  ENOVIA  and 
DELMIA software applications and Altair Engineering, ANSYS, 
CD-adapco and MSC Software, among others, with respect to 
SIMULIA software applications.

Additional software developers who may compete directly or 
indirectly  with  the  Company  include,  among  others,  Adobe, 
ARAS,  Aveva,  Bentley,  Intergraph  (owned  by  Hexagon), 
Microsoft,  Nemetschek,  Onshape,  Salesforce.com,  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  chemistry  or  biology,  optimizing  processes  or 
digital marketing.

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 
and  system  integrators,  as  described  in  paragraph  1.4.2.5 
“Sales and Marketing”, and the strategic partnership contracts 
described in paragraph 1.4.1.4 “Technology and Science” (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, Dassault Systèmes SE entered into a term loan 
facility  agreement  for  €350  million,  which  will  be  repaid  in 
July  2019.  In  October  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  entered 
into  a  new  five-year  €650  million  credit  facility  which 

will  be  repaid  in  October  2020  and  which  maturity  can  be 
extended  by  two  additional  years  at  the  Company’s  option. 
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.

26 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group 
Research and Development

1

1.5  Research and Development

1

1.5.1  Overview

At December 31, 2015, the Company’s R&D teams included 
5,853  personnel,  compared  to  5,562  at  year-end  2014, 
representing  approximately  42%  of  the  Company’s  total 
headcount.  The  Company  increased  its  total  R&D  headcount 
by  5.2%  in  2015  primarily  through  internal  growth  and  by 
16.5% in 2014, principally reflecting growth in R&D resources 
through acquisitions.

R&D expenses totaled €492.5 million for 2015, compared to 
€409.7 million for 2014, increasing 20.2%, or approximately 
11%  excluding  net  negative  currency  effects.  R&D  costs 
benefited  from  government  grants  and  other  governmental 
programs  supporting  R&D  of  €34.8  million  in  2015  and 
€43.1  million  in  2014.  These  government  grants  include 
research and development tax credits received in France.

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

The Group has R&D facilities in the countries where its clients 
and  hight-talent  employees  are  located:  in  Europe  (mainly 
France,  Germany,  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Netherlands 
and  Poland),  the  Americas  (United  States  and  Canada)  and 
Asia-Pacific (mainly India, Malaysia and Australia).

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 without transfer of ownership. The 
contracts contain various provisions protecting the Company’s 
IP rights over its technology, as well as related confidentiality 
rights.

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 

The  Company’s  R&D  is  conducted  in  close  cooperation  with 
customers and users 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 these industries, customers and users.

in  the  countries  where  it  does  business.  Protection  through 
the  trademark 
international 
trademark, European Community trademarks and/or national 
registrations.

is  a  combination  of 

law 

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 2015, the Company’s portfolio comprised 
429  protected  inventions,  including  50  new  inventions  in 
2015. 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 protection 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.

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  1.6.1.12  “Infringement 
of Third-Party Intellectual Property Rights and of Third-Party 
risks  concerning  possible 
Technology’s  Licenses” 
third-party allegations of unauthorized use of their intellectual 
property.

for 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 27

1 Presentation of the Group 

Risk factors

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 likely 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 SE.

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  environment  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 renew ongoing paid 
maintenance  for  their  installed  base.  Such  situations  may 
impact  the  Company’s  revenues.  This  is  particularly  the 
case  in  core  industries  (aerospace,  automotive,  industrial 
equipment),  which  represent  a  significant  part  of  the 
Company’s  revenue.  Continued  pressure  on  raw  materials 
and  energy  prices  could  also  slow  down  the  Company’s 
diversification efforts in new industries;

 (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

 (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 
Information:  2015 
(see  paragraph  3.1.2  “Consolidated 
Compared to 2014” 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

The  Company’s  success 
its 
proprietary  software  technology.  The  Company  relies  on  a 
combination of copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret law 
and contractual restrictions to protect the proprietary aspects 

is  heavily  dependent  upon 

28 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group 
Risk factors

1

1

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 
agreements  with 
its  employees,  distributors,  customers 
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  and  compliance  programs,  which  are  proving 
effective.

1.6.1.3 

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. It could also lead to damage to or loss 
of data hosted by the Company on behalf of its customers as 
part of its cloud offerings, or to increased liability with respect 
to  interrupted  access  to  online  service.  Computer  viruses, 

whether  deliberately  or  unintentionally  introduced,  could 
also cause similar damage, loss or delays. The increasing use 
of  mobile  devices  (cellular  telephones,  tablets  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 terrorist attack or local violence, could materially reduce its 
ability to continue its normal business operations.

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, as well as its reputation.

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”).

Access to sites and security of employees traveling to specific 
countries is also monitored.

1.6.1.4 

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.

Errors,  defects  or  other  performance  problems 
in  the 
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.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 29

1 Presentation of the Group 

Risk factors

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”).

1.6.1.5 

Currency Fluctuations

The  Company’s  results  of  operations  have  been  affected  by 
changes and high volatility in exchange rates in 2015, and are 
likely  to  continue  to  be  impacted  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,  exchange  rate  fluctuation  of 
the U.S. dollar relative to the euro may impact the Company’s 
revenue  and  consequently  its  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”).

1.6.1.6 

Complex International Regulatory 
and Compliance Environment – Legal 
Proceedings

Establishing  or  strengthening  the  Company’s  presence  in 
countries where it previously had not been located or had been 
present only marginally until now, and increasing the breadth 
of its business and the diversity of its customers (particularly 
individuals),  have  added  to  the  complexity  of  the  regulatory 
environment in which the Company operates. 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  many  different  fields,  such 
as general business practices, competitive practices, handling 
of  personal  data,  consumer  protection,  financial  reporting 
standards,  corporate  governance,  ethics  and  compliance, 
employment  laws,  internal  controls,  local  and  international 
tax regulations and export compliance for high-tech products. 
Being listed on the French stock exchange, the Company also 
is subject to specific requirements and reporting standards.

The Company seeks to conduct its business in a wholly ethical 
and requires all of is employees, subsidiaries and indirect sales 
channels  to  comply  with  all  applicable  laws  and  regulations. 
The failure or suspected failure to comply with any of these 
laws  and  regulations  may  result  in  increased  regulatory 

30 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group 
Risk factors

1

1

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.

risk  of 

litigation  and  administrative 
The  Company’s 
proceedings also increases as it expands its activities, enhances 
its position and visibility on the software market, and develops 
new approaches to its business, including product distribution 
and online services. 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.

In  order  to  reduce  this  risk,  the  Company  has  implemented 
an  Ethics  &  Compliance  program  (as  further  described  in 
paragraph  2.1.5  “Business  E thics,  S ocial  D ialogue  and 
P ersonal  S afety”)  which  in  particular  requires  all  employees 
to attend online Ethics & Compliance trainings. Moreover the 
Company audits its subsidiaries around the world on a regular 
basis and consults outside experts to validate the compliance 
of various aspects of its practices with applicable regulations. 
The  Company’s  Legal  department,  assisted  by  technical 
experts, also monitors on a regular basis all outstanding claims 
and  litigation  (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”).

1.6.1.7 

Competition and Pricing Pressure

In  the  past  few  years,  there  have  been  fewer  contenders  in 
the  Company’s  historical  software  markets.  As  the  various 
players  compete  for  market  share,  adoption  by  competitors 
of  business  models  different  from  Dassault  Systèmes’  could 
lead  to  substantial  declines  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.

At  the  same  time,  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 participants 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 
organization  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.

1.6.1.8  Relationships with Extended 
Enterprise Partners

The  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE  strategy  requires  a  fully 
integrated  platform  with  access  to  computer-aided  design 
(“CAD”),  simulation,  collaboration,  manufacturing  and  data 
management products, which are increasingly complex and for 
which  customer  installations  represent  significant  enterprise 
projects. To implement its 3DEXPERIENCE strategy, Dassault 
Systèmes  has  continued  to  develop  an  extended  enterprise 
model and partners with other companies in areas such as:

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

from available technology;

 (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) consulting  and  services,  to  support  and  assist  customers 
as  needed  to  deploy  Industry  Solution  Experiences  on  the 
3DEXPERIENCE platform.

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.

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 service offerings.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 31

1 Presentation of the Group 

Risk factors

The  Company’s  ability  to  establish  partner  relationships  for 
the development, sale 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.

Due to the rapid evolution of the software development and 
distribution  sectors,  it  is  difficult  to  ensure  the  long-term 
success  of  the  Company’s  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.

1.6.1.9  Organizational and Operational 

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  continue  to  reorganize  itself  to 
maintain  efficiency,  while  ensuring  customer  retention  and 
the  integration  of  newly  acquired  companies.  It  must  also 
continue  to  focus  on  quality  of  execution  while  maintaining 
innovation.

As  its  organization  evolves,  the  Company  must  also  ensure 
the profiles and competencies of its employee are constantly 
upgraded and adapted.

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 performance.

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.

32 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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  off-balance  sheet  commitments ,  including  litigation  risk 
related to pre-acquisition events (for example, see below the 
risk  of  claims  that  embedded  components  violate  IP  rights). 
Each  of  these  potential  consequences  of  an  investment  or 
acquisition  could  reduce  the  Company’s  operating  margin, 
net income or cash.

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 providing 
a consistent client experience around the globe.

1.6.1.10  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.  An  inability  to  introduce  such  solutions  at  the 
desired speed, with the appropriate pricing model and with the 
right level of quality could impact the Company’s growth and 
future results, and give rise to technical and legal challenges:

 (cid:125) 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);

increased 

 (cid:125) the  Company  also  will  become  exposed  to  a  complex 
risk 
legal  environment  and  could  have 
regarding  regulatory  compliance  in  the  countries  where 
it  has  operations,  in  particular  with  respect  to  data 
privacy,  consumer  laws  and  data  confidentiality.  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.

Presentation of the Group 
Risk factors

1

1

1.6.1.11  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  diverse  and  high  level  of  skills  in 
appropriate domains (such as R&D, industry 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.

1.6.1.12 

Infringement of Third-Party 
Intellectual Property Rights and of 
Third-Party Technology’s Licenses

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

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

that incorporate the challenged IP;

 (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) 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.

1.6.1.13  Rapidly Changing and Complex 

Technologies

The  Company’s  software  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.

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,  managing  the  migration  of 
substantial amounts of data in the process;

 (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.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 33

 (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 and 

the software industry generally.

A substantial portion of the Company’s orders and shipments 
typically  occur  in  the  last  month  of  each  quarter,  and, 
therefore,  if  any  delay  occurs  in  the  timing  of  significant 
orders,  the  Company  may  experience  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  application  developers  in  the  Company’s 
markets.

1.6.1.15  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.

1.6.1.16  Shareholder Base

Groupe  Industriel  Marcel  Dassault  SAS  (“GIMD”),  which 
represents the interests of some of the Company’s founding 
shareholders, owned 41.18% of the Company’s outstanding 
shares,  representing  55.53%  of  the  exercisable  voting  rights 
(55.12%  of  theoretical  rights)  as  of  December  31,  2015.  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.

1 Presentation of the Group 

Risk factors

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 
technological 
leaps  and  developing  new  solutions  and 
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.

1.6.1.14  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;

 (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;

34 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Presentation of the Group 
Risk factors

1

1

1.6.2.2 

Foreign Currency Risk

See  paragraph  1.6.1.5  “Currency  Fluctuations”  above  and 
Note 21 to the consolidated financial statements.

1.6.2.3 

Liquidity Risk

The  Company  has  a  low  liquidity  risk.  As  of  December  31, 
2015, the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term 
investments  totaled  €2.35  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, 
2015. The Company believes that it will be able to meet such 
obligations.

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 foreign currency exchange risk and interest rate 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.

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.

1.6.2.1 

Interest Rate Risk

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 Notes 20 and 21 to the consolidated financial statements.

The following table summarizes the Company’s principal contractual obligations to make future payments as of December 31, 
2015.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

(in thousands of euros)

Operating lease obligations(1)

Loan facilities(2)

Employee profit-sharing

TOTAL

Total

544,863

1,046,348

57,786

Less than
 1 year

77,353

10,596

57,786

Payments due by period

1-3 years

135,690

3-5 years

111,331

22,369

1,013,383

-

-

More than 
5 years

220,489

-

-

1,648,997

145,735

158,059

1,124,714

220,489

(1)  Including €253.2 million of future minimum rental payments for the Company’s headquarters facilities located in Vélizy-Villacoublay, France and €105.2 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 interests on the €350 million and €650 million term loan facilities (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 
its  cash  equivalents, 
to  credit  risk 
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.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015 35

1 Presentation of the Group 

Risk factors

1.6.3 

Insurance

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 policy covering 
professional  and  product  liability  as  well  as  civil  liability  for 
operations for a total insured value of €50 million for 2015.

In 2015, the Group renewed its Directors and Officer’s Liability 
Policy for Dassault Systèmes SE 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 of $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.

36 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

2

SOCIAL, SOCIETAL AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
RESPONSIBILITY

2.1  Social and Societal Responsibility 

38

2.2  Environmental Responsibility 

58

CONTENTS

2.1.1  Group Organization and Employees 

2.1.2  Attracting and Developing Talented Individuals 

2.1.3  Welcoming employees who have joined the Group 

via recently acquired companies 

39

42

49

2.1.4  Rewarding Performance and Recognizing Employees 50

2.1.5  Business ethics, social dialogue and personal safety  52

2.1.6  Methodology for Employee Reporting 

2.1.7  Appendices regarding the Group’s Employee 

Headcount 

54

56

2.2.1  The Group’s vision for environmental responsibility  58

2.2.2  Responsible Company 

2.2.3  Responsible Employee 

2.2.4  Responsible Partner 

2.2.5  Methodology for Environmental Reporting 

2.2.6  Industrial and Environmental Risk 

2.3  Independent Verifi er’s Attestation 

and Assurance Report on Social, 
Societal and Environmental 
Information 

59

65

65

66

67

68

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

37

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

“The  3DEXPERIENCE  Company”, 
Dassault  Systèmes, 
constantly  strives  to  provide  businesses  and  individuals 
with  3D  universes  that  allow  them  to  imagine  sustainable 
innovations capable of harmonizing product, nature and life. 
Through this ambition, Dassault Systèmes contributes to the 
improvement of society and quality of the environment.

By their very nature, virtual universes and the virtual experience 
that they produce make it possible to address major industrial 
challenges,  such  as  the  management  of  environmental 
impacts on a large scale, safety or ergonomics. The adoption 

of  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  by  customers  allows  them 
to envisage new ways of imagining, creating and producing. 
Planning  better,  collaborating  better,  learning  better:  these 
virtual universes are also essential to gaining insight into and 
resolving the current issues in society.

The  13,974  Group  employees  spread  over  40  countries  are 
driven by this  ambition.

Dassault Systèmes has been recognized in various sustainable 
development  indices  and  rankings,  including  the  Global  100 
Index, the FTSE4Good and the Carbon Disclosure Project.

2.1  Social and Societal Responsibility

Harmonizing product, nature and life: this ambition can only 
be achieved with the support of the Group’s employees, who 
are  its  most  valuable  asset.  They  represent  the  Company’s 
culture and values 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 
markets, its main social and societal challenges are as follows:

Sharing and increasing skills
For  Dassault  Systèmes,  sharing  skills  means  mobilizing   the 
Group’s technologies and talented people to improve  society 
in  areas  such  as  education.  Created  in  2015,  “The  Dassault 
Systèmes Foundation” lends it support to the academic world, 
research  centers  and  general  interest  organizations  (non-
profit  organizations,  museums  etc.)  in  Europe  in  their  quest 
for  knowledge  and  contributes  to  transforming  the  learning 
experience.  Virtual  universes  can  bring  much  more  than 
traditional classroom books and boards, such as the “3Dcodex”, 
a new generation of scientific media that can produce models 
of  the  physical  world  with  astonishing  realism,  like  a  digital 
twin.

Dassault  Systèmes  is  permanently  extending  its  range  of 
expertise  and  collaborates  with  varied  profiles:  biologists, 
doctors,  geologists,  designers,  architects…   The  Group  has 
numerous  “selling  points”  to  attract  these  candidates  and 
keep  them  motivated:  a  long-term  and  high  societal  value 
strategic  vision,  as  well  as  a  dynamic  and  collaborative 
working environment based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform 
and centered on communities of interest and expertise.

Inventing new ways to collaborate
Dassault  Systèmes  developed  an  initiative  in  2015  to  create 
new collaborative methods and a more transversal work model, 
more conducive to creativity. This initiative aims to allow each 
person to reveal and use their skills as well as to diversify their 
activity  and  expand  their  network.  Among  other  initiatives, 
the  3DEXPERIENCE  Lab,  implemented  in  November  2015, 
is an open innovation laboratory within the company to help 
innovative  start-ups  to  grow .  This  initiative  gives  employees 
the opportunity to get involved in new projects, not necessarily 
connected to their positions.

information, 

Structuring information, a 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,  or  on-line  communities ,  generates  a  vast 
quantity  of 
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.

38 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

Accelerating the integration of new employees
A  major  challenge  within  a  constantly  growing  company  is 
to  integrate  new  employees.  To  address  this,  in  addition  to 
the  reception  and  initial  support  process,  Dassault  Systèmes 
provides  online  communities  with  fast-paced  access  to 
information  on  the  Company,  organizations  and  projects, 
while showcasing the responsibilities, skills and contributions 
of each employee.

The different indicators related to these challenges and, more 
broadly, the human resources initiatives implemented within 
the Group are presented below.

 (cid:125) Group organization and employees (2.1.1);

 (cid:125) Attracting and developing talented individuals (2.1.2);

 (cid:125) Welcoming  employees  who  have  joined  the  Group  via 

recently acquired companies (2.1.3);

 (cid:125) Rewarding performance and recognizing employees (2.1.4);

 (cid:125) Business ethics, social dialogue and personal safety (2.1.5).

is  described 

in  paragraph  2.1.6. 
The  methodology 
“Methodology  for  Employee  Reporting”  and  additional 
information  is  presented  in  paragraph  2.1.7.  “Appendices 
regarding the Group’s Employee Headcount”.

2

2.1.1  Group Organization and Employees

The   Group  is  organized  by  major  fields  of  activity:  R&D; 
Sales,  Marketing  and  Services;  and  Administration  and 
Other  functions  for  its  main  markets  (see  paragraph  1.4.2 
“Principal  Markets”)  within  the  three  geographic  regions 
(Europe, Americas and Asia). The Total Workforce is made up 
of employees, employees of 3D PLM Software Solutions Ltd 

and  3DPLM  Global  Services  Private  Ltd,  in  which  the  Group 
owns less than 50% and service providers.

The  data  related  to  the  Group’s  workforce  presented  in  this 
report  is  expressed  in  Full  Time  Equivalents  according  to  the 
methodology  defined  in  paragraph  2.1.6.  “Methodology 
for  Employee  Reporting”.  The  other  indicators  used  are  also 
explained in this paragraph.

Overview and Growth of Total Workforce
As of December 31, 2015, the Total Workforce was 13,974, up 5% compared to December 31, 2014. The number of employees 
over the last three years is set forth below:

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

2013

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Employees

11,422*

11,013

8,587

S ervice 
Providers

405

474

378

3D PLM Total Workforce

Percent change

2,147

1,825

1,689

13,974

13,312

10,654

5.0%

24.9%

5.3%

Overview and Growth of Employee Headcount

Growth of the Company
As of December 31, 2015, the Employee Headcount increased 
4% year over year to 11,422 full-time equivalent employees, 
located  in  40  countries  and  originating  from  123  different 
countries.  This  growth  is  due  principally  to  recruitment 
carried out in 2015. For more details, see paragraph 2.1.2.1. 

“Attracting  talented  individuals  –  Movements  in  Employee 
Headcount over the period”.

The  Employee  Headcount 
remained overall stable between 2014 and 2015.

indicators  presented  below 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

39

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

Distribution by geographic region

Year ended December 31

Employees

% Employees

% Employees

% Employees

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

2015

2014

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Distribution by activity

5,987

5,787

52%

53%

3,524

3,449

31%

31%

1,911

1,777

17% 11,422*

16%

11,013

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Year ended December 31

R&D

Sales, Marketing and Services

Administration and other

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

2,281

2,924

782

38%

49%

13%

1,139

1,933

452

32%

55%

13%

300

1,425

186

16%

75%

9%

3,720

6,282

1,420

33%

55%

12%

3,518

6,091

1,404

%

100%

100%

%

32%

55%

13%

TOTAL

5,987

100%

3,524

100%

1,911

100% 11,422*

100%

11,013 

100%

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Distribution by gender
The proportion of women in the Group, while stable between 
2014 and 2015, may still seem relatively low. This is mainly 

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

Year ended December 31

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Women

Men

TOTAL

1,372

4,615

5,987

23%

77%

100%

876

2,648

3,524

25%

75%

100%

463

1,448

1,911

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

24%

76%

2,711

8,711

24%

76%

2,586

8,427

100% 11,422*

100%

11,013

100%

%

23%

77%

Other characteristics of Employee Headcount
As at December 31, 2015, the key figures to note are as follows 
(indicator verified by the independent verifier in 2015):

 (cid:125) 98% of the Employee Headcount had permanent contracts 

and Managers represented 19% of total headcount;

 (cid:125) 14% of the 2,711 women employed by Dassault Systèmes 
and 20% of the 8,711 men working for the Company are 
Managers; among the 2,156 Managers, 17% are women.

These  figures  are  relatively  stable  compared  to  2014.  The 
breakdown of this information and additional information with 
regard to the distribution by age and seniority are presented in 

paragraph 2.1.7 “Appendices regarding the Group’s Employee 
Headcount”.

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

The cost of using outside service providers in 2015 amounted 
to  €78.0  million,  compared  to  €75.1  million  in  2014,  an 
insignificant  amount  in  relation  to  the  Dassault  Systèmes 
operating  expenses  (€2.21  billion  in  2015  and  €1.86  billion 
in 2014).

40 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

At December 31, 2015, 405 outside service providers (data expressed in full-time equivalents) worked for the Group:

Year ended December 31,

Employees

% Employees

% Employees

% Employees

2015

2014

188

217

46%

46%

144

177

36%

37%

73

80

18%

17%

405

474

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

%

100%

100%

2

Dassault  Systèmes  only  establishes  contractual  relationships 
with  sub-contractors  that  respect  the  fundamental  laws 
and  regulations  concerning  labor  law  and  environmental 
protection (see “Principles of Enterprise Social Responsibility 
and  commitments  to  ensuring  respect  for  basic  rights”  in 
paragraph 2.1.5 “Business ethics, social dialogue and personal 
safety”).

Organization

Work time
In each country where Dassault Systèmes has operations, the 
length of the workweek is determined according to the local 
regulations.

For example, 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  (régime  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.

In most of the other countries where the Group is located, the 
workweek is set at 40 hours. This is the case in Germany, the 
United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, 
Japan, Malaysia, China and India. In Australia, the workweek 
is 38 hours.

Full-time and part-time
97% of the Employee Headcount works on a full-time basis. 
7% of women and 1% of men work on a part-time basis. These 
figures  are  relatively  stable  versus  2014.  Full  details  of  the 
information on this indicator are presented in paragraph 2.1.7 
“Appendices regarding the Group’s Employee Headcount”.

Absenteeism
Absenteeism is tracked locally in accordance with regulations 
applicable in the different countries where Dassault Systèmes 
operates. The Company does not have a harmonized system 
for  managing  absenteeism  throughout 
its  subsidiaries 
(indicator verified by the independent verifier in 2015).

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

 (cid:125) in 2015, the reasons for employees not reporting for work, 
excluding  annual  leave,  are  as  follows:  illness  for  10,272 
days,  maternity  and  paternity  leave  for  4,801  days,  work 
accident  and  work-related  travel  accident  for  285  days. 
The resulting absenteeism rate is 2.1%, stable compared to 
2014 (2.2%);

 (cid:125) the total number of authorized absences (such as parental 
leave and leave for family events excluding paid leave) was 
2,765  days  at  end  2015,  or  0.4%  of  the  number  of  days 
theoretically worked. This rate is identical to that of 2014.

In  the  other  main  countries  where  the  Group  operates,  the 
absenteeism rate was the following in 2015: 3.6% in Germany 
compared  to  2.9%  in  2014,  1.0 %  in  the  United  Kingdom 
compared to 1.3% in 2014, 3.3% in the Netherlands, 0.8% in 
the United States compared to 0.9% in 2014, 3.3% in Canada 
compared to 2.9% in 2014, 0.6% in Japan compared to 0.5% 
in 2014, 3.2% in Malaysia, 0.6% in China compared to 1.8% 
in 2014 and 2.4% in Australia. The rate remains very low in 
South  Korea   and   India  (less  than  0.5%),  where  absenteeism 
for reasons of short-term illness is difficult to ascertain as it is 
included in paid leave.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

41

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.2  Attracting and D eveloping T alented I ndividuals

2.1.2.1  Attracting talented individuals

To  work  for  Dassault  Systèmes,  it  is  important  to  have  a 
passion  for  technological  innovation,  a  desire  to  work  with 
other people and constantly learn and have an appetite for a 
challenge; these qualities correspond to the Group’s values.

Dassault Systèmes offers its employees an attractive working 
environment, in facilities, many of which boast excellent green 
ratings  and  infrastructure  conducive  to  teamwork.  In  2015, 
62%  of  the  Employee  Headcount  worked  in  certified  offices 
compared  to  57%  in  2014.  This  increase  comes  from  the 
 environmental  reporting  perimeter  change  as  defined  in  the 
paragraph 2.2.5 “Methodology for Environmental Reporting”.

Employees  are  mainly  recruited  locally  with  permanent 
contracts,  thus  contributing  to  economic  growth  in  each  of 
the 40 countries in which it operates. At December 31, 2015, 
two-thirds  of  the  Group’s  Employee  Headcount  was  located 
outside  France  and  the  Group  had  employees  from  123 
different countries.

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.

Recruitment  is  a  priority  for  Dassault  Systèmes,  in  order 
to  meet  requirements  generated  by  its  growth.  The  Group 
aims  to  be  recognized  as  an  exemplary  employer  that 
contributes  to  the  development  of  all  its  people  (permanent 
employees,  apprentices  and  interns).  Dassault  Systèmes 
forges  relationships  with  educational  establishments  and 
universities in the major countries in which the Group operates. 
Initiatives are undertaken in the vast majority of the countries 
where  the  Group  has  facilities  (see  also  paragraph  2.1.2.3 
“Developing relations with the social, regional and community 
environment”).

Movements in Employee Headcount over the period

Employee arrivals (Equivalent Full-time)
Most employee arrivals carried out in 2015 stem from direct 
recruiting  efforts.  In  2014,  acquisitions  represented  over 
two-thirds  of  the  Group’s  new  employees  and  explain  most 
variations between 2015 and 2014.

Year ended December 31

Permanent contracts

Temporary contracts

TOTAL

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

637

141

778

82%

18%

100%

443

7

98%

2%

324

9

98%

2%

1,404

90% 3,298**

157

10%

225**

450

100%

333

100%

1,561*

100% 3,523**

100%

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

* 
**  The figures reported for 2014 are based on the new methodology adopted for the year 2015 for this indicator (see paragraph 2.1.6 “Methodology for Employee Reporting”).

Year ended December 31,

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Women

Men

TOTAL

236

542

778

30%

70%

100%

137

313

450

30%

70%

100%

106

227

333

32%

68%

479

31%

932**

1,082

69% 2,591**

100%

1,561*

100% 3,523**

100%

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

* 
**  The figures reported for 2014 are based on the new methodology adopted for the year 2015 for this indicator (see paragraph 2.1.6 “Methodology for Employee Reporting”).

The breakdown of employees recruited by type of activity is 
as follows: 58% in Sales, Marketing and Services, 26% in R&D, 
16% in Administration and other.

Additional  Information  with  regard  to  the  age  pyramid  is 
presented  in  paragraph  2.1.7  “Appendices  regarding  the 
Group’s Employee Headcount”.

42 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

%

94%

6%

%

26%

74%

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

Employee departures (Full-Time Equivalent)
In 2015, 1,130 employees left the Company. Departures were broken down as follows:

Year ended December 31,

Permanent contracts

Temporary contracts

TOTAL

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

437

102

539

81%

19%

100%

390

4

99%

1%

194

3

98%

2%

1,021

109

90%

10%

950**

107**

394

100%

197

100%

1,130*

100% 1,057**

100%

%

90%

10%

2

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

* 
**  The figures reported for 2014 are based on the new methodology adopted for the year 2015 for this indicator (see paragraph 2.1.6 “Methodology for Employee Reporting”).

On average, the attrition rate was 10.1% in 2015 versus 10.5% in 2014. Excluding temporary contracts, the rate was 9.3% in 
2015 and 10.1% in 2014.

2.1.2.2  Developing, training and managing 

 (cid:125) the R&D College: IT technologies;

the careers of Dassault Systèmes 
employees

3DS University
In an environment of constant innovation, “Passion to Learn” is 
one of Dassault Systèmes’ core values. This core value is driven 
by the 3DS University mission, which is to offer development 
initiatives in line with the activities and the objectives for each 
employee.

Via  the  3DEXPERIENCE  University  tool,  based  on  the 
3DEXPERIENCE  platform  and  communities  of  experts, 
Dassault  Systèmes  offers  a  range  of  training  modules  and 
tests  in  various  formats  (on-line,  face-to-face,  e-classes),  to 
validate knowledge and skills.

In  2015,  strategic  development  focused  on  boosting  the 
performance of sales forces and services teams, consolidating 
and  sharpening  the  technical  skills  of  R&D  employees  and 
ensuring  that  all  employees  had  a  solid  grasp  of  Dassault 
Systèmes’ solutions and applications.

Within  this  framework,  the  challenge  is  for  each  person  to 
be able to participate in the modules at any time via a digital 
learning  experience.  The  focus  has  been  placed  on  blended 
learning:  e-learning,  exchanges  with  experts  and  ongoing 
dialogue with peers in on-line communities.

To  propose  a  coherent  training  offering,  the  3DS  University 
is  structured  around  core  skills  development.  Five  Colleges 
address  job  skills  and  two  Programs  deal  with  cross-sector 
skills. Each College and Program offers a reference libraries of 
learning opportunities:

 (cid:125) the Sales College: customer relations and marketing, sales 

and technical-commercial skills and service job skills;

 (cid:125) the  Business  Administration  College:  finance,  legal  and 

human resources management;

 (cid:125) the  Industry  College:  knowledge  of  Dassault  Systèmes’ 

software range;

 (cid:125) the  Brand  College:  mastery  of  products  sold  and  used  by 

customers;

 (cid:125) the Manager Program: leadership and team management;

 (cid:125) the  SwYmer  Program:  skills  associated  with  knowledge  of 

Dassault Systèmes, its values and soft skills.

Key 2015 actions in the Colleges
An  on-line  onboarding  program  for  the  sales  team  was 
developed  in  the  Sales  College.  The  sales  teams  can  now 
consult  modules,  work  on  exercises,  and  learn  the  sales 
processes and methods for their field at the most convenient 
time for them. This program was tested in 2015. Already one 
third of new employees in this function have taken the courses. 
The  marketing  department  also  benefited  from  modules 
made available on-line at the end of 2015, to understand the 
strategy,  tools  and  processes  implemented  within  Dassault 
Systèmes.

The  sales  support  teams  also  took  part  in  the  programs, 
focusing  on  understanding  the  sales  force  challenges  and 
contract  management,  in  order  to  strengthen  and  optimize 
everyone’s work in the sales process.

Web  development  training  on  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform 
was  deployed  worldwide.  Technological  innovation  is  at  the 
heart of Dassault Systèmes’ concerns. Half of all hours were 
provided  in  the  e-learning  format.  This  has  allowed  each 
Group employee to receive the same content, which doubled 
the total training hours provided worldwide.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

43

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2015  was  also  an  important  year  for  the  deployment  of 
training  on  product  knowledge  and  solutions.  Dassault 
Systèmes’ solutions experts set up workshops to offer training 
to  all  technical-sales  employees,  which  were  replicated 
worldwide.  The  provision  of  on-line  trainings  to  enhance 
product knowledge was a major component in improving skills 
in these subjects.

Key 2015 actions in the Programs
As  part  of  its  ongoing  development  efforts  for  Managers 
undertaken  in  2014,  Dassault  Systèmes  added  new  training 
offering to support individuals in their role. The Company has 
expanded its offer to include: coaching, tutorial sessions and 
special  team-building  events.  This  has  reinforced  Dassault 
Systèmes’  values  and  consolidated  a  network  of  internal 
experts devoted to this activity.

The implementation of onboarding sessions was harmonized 
and  is  being  gradually  rolled  out  in  the  different  countries 
where  the  Group  operates.  All  new  Group  employees  take 
part in the onboarding program, which presents the Dassault 
Systèmes Group, its strategy, values and the 3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  on  Day  1.  90  days  later,  additional  sessions  are 
organized to consolidate knowledge and canvas feedback from 
the new arrivals to continuously forge a sense of community 
and sharing.

In 2015, 236,043 training hours were delivered in the main 
Group  countries  (see  paragraph  2.1.6  “Methodology  for 
Employee  Reporting”).  This  number  represents  all  trainings 
formally  reported  by  the  different  countries.  It,  however, 
excludes other learning conditions falling outside this formal 

context,  such  as  on-the-ground  learning,  workshops  and 
virtual  exchange  communities.  Training  associated  with  the 
solutions portfolio in the Dassault Systèmes’ offering (Brand 
College) are now counted in this volume of hours as the result 
of  an  updated  reporting  system.  The  ratio  of  training  hours 
per employee increased to 23 hours in 2015 compared to 13.3 
hours in 2014. This 70% increase can be explained by the fact 
that  in  2015  the  following  were  accounted  for:  the  training 
on the solutions portfolio in the Dassault Systèmes’ offering 
(Brand College) and the integration of companies acquired in 
the operations of the 3DS University. Excluding the impact of 
these  two  combined  effects,  the  ratio  of  training  hours  per 
employee  was  stable:  14  hours  in  2015  compared  to  13.3 
hours in 2014.

The  number  of  hours  of  online  training  also  increased 
is 
considerably.  Online  training  was  used  more  and 
accounted for in all training courses. It is accessible from the 
3DEXPERIENCE University and built into the employee career 
development path. The share of this online training increased 
to  52%  in  2015  compared  to  7%  in  2014,  mainly  explained 
by  the  significant  use  of  this  type  of  training  by  employees 
from  Quintiq  Group  companies  acquired  in  2014.  27%  of 
the 236,043 training hours accounted for comes from these 
companies.

Training hours for women represent 22% of the total number 
of hours in 2015 compared to 25% in 2014. The Brand College 
explains this decrease which was predominantly attended by 
men (87%), representing 49,094 hours at end 2015. However, 
excluding  Brand  College,  this  proportion  remained  relatively 
stable in 2015 (24%) compared to 2014 (25%).

44 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

Distribution of training hours 
by College or Program at December 31, 2015

Sales College

R&D College

Business Administration College

Industry College

Brand College

SwYmers Program

Managers Program

TOTAL

Distribution of training hours by category

Managers

Non-Managers

TOTAL

Distribution of training hours by men/women

Men

Women

TOTAL

Ratio

Europe(1)

Americas(1)

13,402

30,017

11,802

2,839

19,303

25,865

4,765

107,993

14,495

93,498

107,993

82,930

25,063

107,993

8,705

11,055

12,291

1,890

18,756

9,983

3,189

65,869

9,775

56,094

65,869

52,152

13,717

65,869

Asia(1)

10,278

17,893

5,472

1,881

11,035

12,312

3,310

62,181

7,457

54,724

62,181

49,856

12,325

62,181

2015
Total

32,385

58,965

29,565

6,610

49,094

48,160

11,264

%

14%

25%

12%

3%

21%

20%

5%

236,043*

100%

31,727

204,316

236,043*

184,938

51,105

236,043*

23 H(2)

13%

87%

100%

78%

22%

100%

2

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

* 
(1)  Country > 150 Employees - Europe: France/Germany/United Kingdom/Netherlands – Americas: United States/Canada – Asia: Japan/Malaysia/China/South Korea/India/Australia.
(2)  Ratio = average number of hours per employee excluding 2015 acquisitions.

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,  assignment 
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  gender  equality  within  its 
workforce  by  developing  access  for  women  to  its  different 
businesses and by spearheading initiatives for women’s career 
advancement.

In  June  2015,  a  first  3DS  WIN  (Women  Initiative)  Summit 
brought  together  23  Group  representatives  globally.  An 
assessment  and  a  list  of  priority  actions  were  drafted,  in 
order to develop the recruitment plan for women at Dassault 
Systèmes  and  have  more  women  in  management  positions. 
At December 31, 2015, 24% of 3DS employees were women, 
representing 17% of Managers.

31% of people recruited during the year were women, spread 
over  the  following  services:  49%  in  Sales,  Marketing  and 
Services, 30% in Administration and other, and 21% in R&D. It 

is important to highlight that the Group’s ability to hire more 
female engineers is very limited as they are under-represented 
in engineering schools.

The 3DS WIN (3DS WOMEN INITIATIVE) internal community, 
implemented in 2012, continued to coordinate a network of 
women and men determined to encourage, inspire and mentor 
women to develop their careers within Dassault Systèmes. In 
2015, numerous actions were implemented locally including: 
a  partnership  with  the  Women’s  Forum  for  Economy  and 
Society; a conference on leadership at the 3DS Paris Campus; 
actions  to  promote  the  recruitment  of  women  in  India;  an 
inter-company exchange on best practices in North America, 
etc.

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

in  the  different  countries  where 

Dassault  Systèmes  endeavors  to  comply  with  applicable 
regarding  professional  equality  and  non-
regulations 
discrimination 
it  has 
employees.  The  French,  German,  English,  Dutch,  American, 
Canadian,  Japanese,  Chinese,  South  Korean  and  Australian 
companies  of  Dassault  Systèmes,  which  employ  86%  of  the 
Company’s  Employee  Headcount,  are  subject  to  specific 
employment anti-discrimination and gender-equality laws.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

45

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

For  example,  in  France,  the  agreement  regarding  equal 
professional  treatment  and  balanced  employment  between 
men and women at Dassault Systèmes SE was renewed and 
signed on July 9, 2015 for a three-year period.

It  covers  the  following  themes:  hiring  and  developing 
the  professional  gender  balance,  the  equal  compensation 
and  pay  policy  between  men  and  women,  promotion  and 
career  development,  work-life  balance,  awareness  and 
communication campaigns to change mindsets and behavior.

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

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

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,  German,  English,  Dutch,  American,  Canadian, 
Japanese, South Korean and Australian companies of Dassault 
Systèmes,  which  employ  more  than  80%  of  the  Employee 
Headcount  are  subject  to  specific  laws  on  disabled  persons. 
This is also the case for most of the other European countries 
where employees are located.

In  France,  since  the  first  agreement  implemented  in  2003 
within Dassault Systèmes SE to promote the employment of 
workers  with  disabilities,  which  created  conditions  favorable 
for their integration, several agreements have been renewed, 
the last of which was signed on December 7, 2015 (Insertion 
and  Employment  of  people  with  disabilities  within  the 
Dassault Systèmes Group 2016 - 2017 - 2018).

These agreements reflect Dassault Systèmes SE’s commitment 
to  make  the  hiring,  training  and  continued  employment  of 
workers with disabilities a major component of its policy.

At  December  31,  2015,  51  known  and  reported  disabled 
persons  were  employed  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  compared 
to 48 in 2014. Dassault Systèmes SE is committed to training 
and  hiring  at  least  35  disabled  persons  under  all  types  of 

contracts  (permanent,  fixed  term,  interns,  work-study)  over 
three years, including at least 12 permanent contracts, for all 
types of qualifications.

large  number  of 

Furthermore,  a 
initiatives  concerning 
employee  support,  training  and  awareness  have  been 
launched: 
improving  workstations,  conferences,  videos, 
sessions aimed at raising awareness with regard to welcoming 
and 
integrating  disabled  employees,  etc.  Actions  with 
external service providers have also been carried out, including 
partnerships  with  the  protected  sector  and  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  2015,  the  following 
efforts  were  continued:  initiatives  in  favor  of  recruitment, 
adapting workstations, training and awareness.

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 SE on October 8, 2013 for a 
three-year period.

This  agreement  extends  from  the  agreement  regarding 
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  broadened  to 
include 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 and Dassault Systèmes Provence 
SAS  for  a  three-year  period  and  there  are  corporate  action 
plans  at  Netvibes  SAS  and  3DVIA  SAS  in  particular.  There 
are no specific agreements for the Quintiq SAS and Dassault 
Systèmes Biovia SARL companies.

46 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

2.1.2.3  Developing relations with the social, 
regional and community environment

The Foundation
The  Dassault  Systèmes  Foundation  was  created  in  the  form 
of an endowment fund on August 15, 2015 (Official Journal, 
announcement no. 1460).

Its  purpose  is  to  contribute  to  transforming  education  and 
research by building on the powerful possibilities of learning 
and discovery offered by 3D technology and virtual universes. 
The  Dassault  Systèmes  Foundation  wants  to  support  the 
creation  of  conditions  conducive  to  developing  creative 
thinking to harmonize product, nature and life.

Its aim is to:

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 2015.

Training the engineers and technicians required by Dassault 
Systèmes’ customers
At the end of 2015, five million pupils and students were using 
one  or  more  of  the  Group’s  technologies  in  an  educational 
context,  mainly  in  secondary  and  higher  education.  The 
Company’s  efforts  have  led  to  the  overall  broadening  of  the 
user community as well as developing and modernizing their 
uses. To date, they include 36,000 institutions worldwide.

 (cid:125) actively  support  the  transformation  of  teaching  and 
educational  innovation  particularly  through  3D  experience 
imaging and content;

SOLIDWORKS continued its expansion to a total of 2.4 million 
licenses, including a large-scale installation of 20,000 licenses 
to the 13 California State University campuses.

2

 (cid:125) generate 

interest  from  young  people  for  careers 

in 

engineering, sciences and digital technologies;

 (cid:125) broaden  access  for  schools  and  universities  to  3D 

technologies and content, as well as simulations;

 (cid:125) encourage scientific and technological research, and

 (cid:125) contribute 

to 

the  preservation, 

conservation  and 

enhancement of humanity’s intellectual heritage.

The  Dassault  Systèmes  Foundation  grants  scholarships  and 
provides  digital  content  and  virtual  technology  expertise  to 
education  and  research  projects  led  by  universities,  research 
institutes  or  other  European  general  interest  organizations. 
This support promotes access to 3D technologies which have 
been used for a long time by industry to design, develop and 
manufacture most of the products on which society is based.

Nine projects were selected in 2015. Eight of the nine projects 
were  innovative  educational  initiatives  in  three  types  of 
schools: engineering schools, schools that provide Professional 
Aptitude  Certificates,  and  schools  for  disadvantaged  youth. 
The Dassault Systèmes Foundation also supports an ambitious 
international  scientific  mission  that  aims  to  use  the  most 
recent technologies and 3D simulation to understand how the 
Kheops pyramid was built.

The Dassault Systèmes Foundation focuses its general interest 
mission  on  society  to  build  a  better  future  in  a  constantly-
changing world.

The  academic  skills  certification  program  for  CATIA  was 
completely remodeled and includes a group of 86 certification 
centers  in  France,  Spain,  the  United  States,  Canada,  Japan, 
China and South Korea.

The  program  for  the  creation  of  education  expertise  centers 
(“PLMCC”), 
joining  Dassault  Systèmes  and  the  French 
Ministries of National Education and of Higher Education and 
Research, was extended by the addition of two new sites, in 
Mexico at the Technological University of Aguascalientes and 
in Argentina, at the National University of Cordoba. In Mexico, 
the  center  serves  125  institutions  where  100  teachers  have 
already  been  trained  to  use  Dassault  Systèmes  solutions.  In 
Argentina, 2,000 teachers and students have access to these 
solutions. 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  Course en Cours  competition  has 
maintained its level of participation across France and French 
high schools abroad, with 11,000 secondary and high school 
students taking part.

Facilitating educational innovation
The development of new educational practices implementing 
Dassault  Systèmes’  solutions  took  on  a  new  dimension  in 
2015 with the creation of a “Learning Lab” on the 3DS Paris 
Campus in Vélizy. Numerous directors of academic institutions 
worldwide  have  visited  this  lab  to  discover  new  learning 
experiences  which  replicate  real 
life  experiences  which 
students can apply to their future work environment.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

47

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

One  of  the  many  new  uses  of  the  Learning  Lab  illustrated 
by  the  Company  is  the  increasing  number  of  internet-based 
educational activities on industrial objects. New activities that 
draw  more  from  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  in  this  area 
include  the  use  of  the  humanoid  robot,  “Poppy”,  an  open 
source system that creates numerous learning scenarios.

In the area of scientific research, an innovative geology project 
was completed with La Salle Institute in Beauvais. This project 
broke new ground in the modelling of lava cooling phenomena 
and created new frameworks for students’ practical work. In 
particular, the project validated the transferability of industrial 
in 
life  cycle  management  methods,  generally  practiced 
industry, to the scientific domain.

Dassault  Systèmes  provided  an  international  consortium  of 
universities and engineering schools, led by the Metz National 
Engineering  School,  assistance  and  tools  necessary  to  the 
implementation of the “Digital Farm”, a one-of-a-kind project 
for the collaborative design of a precision agriculture solution. 
This  project  brought  together  14  universities,  engineering 
and agronomy schools, with students from 11 countries and 
across  four  continents,  using  diverse  engineering  skills  to 
leverage  the  social  and  technical  collaboration  environment 
provided by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

la Formation des Ingénieurs  (European  Society  for  Engineer 
Training  (SEFI),  the  International  Federation  of  Engineering 
Education  Societies  (IFEES),  the  Global  Engineering  Deans 
Council  (GEDC),  the  Indian  Society  for  Technical  Education 
(ISTE),  the  European  SchoolNet,  the  National  Academy  of 
Engineering  and  the  Association Française d'Ingénierie des 
Systèmes  (French  Association  for  Systems  Engineering). 
Dassault  Systèmes  also  cooperated  with  the  ICEE  (Indo-US 
Collaboration on Engineering Education) which works towards 
modernizing technical educational practices in India.

Facilitating open innovation, collective intelligence
The 3DEXPERIENCE Lab is Dassault Systèmes’ open innovation 
laboratory  that  was  officially  announced  on  November  9, 
2015. Its objective is to invent unique breakthrough products 
and services mixing different sectors, driven by its ambition to 
move society forward.

This system is based on the strong conviction that breakthrough 
projects  are  born  out  of  collective  intelligence.  Its  aims  is  to 
incubate projects in partnership with players including start-
ups,  and  research  or  innovation  laboratories.  This  implies  a 
new dynamic which will give these projects greater scope, as 
well as encompassing the idea of societal transformation.

Through  projects  financed  by  the  European  Union  and  the 
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (National Research Agency), 
Dassault Systèmes has provided its expertise and solutions to 
different educational innovation projects:

The  3DEXPERIENCE  Lab  supports  projects  based  on  themes 
from  everyday  life,  i.e.  cities,  life  styles  and  modes,  life 
sciences,  connected  objects,  the  ideation  (idea  creation) 
process, and “Fab Labs”.

 (cid:125) conclusion  of  “Manuskills”,  an  international  project  led 
by  the  Polytechnic  University  of  Milan,  to  increase  the 
outreach of manufacturing industries;

 (cid:125) continuation of “PLACIS”, led by the Paris Institut supérieur 
de mécanique (Higher Institute for Mechanics) with the aim 
of  developing  an  international  program  to  train  systems 
engineers;

 (cid:125) initial  findings  of  the  European  collaborative  robotics 
project,  EURLAB,  headed  by  the  Louis  Armand  High 
School in Nogent-sur-Marne, France, involving high school 
students in Germany and Italy in a first phase.

These  research  activities  enable  full  use  of  the  possibilities 
offered by the latest version of the 3DEXPERIENCE solutions 
on the cloud, solutions which saw their first rollout in most of 
the countries where the Group operates.

The 3DEXPERIENCE Lab program will give start-ups the most 
advanced  professional  software  on  the  market,  a  dedicated 
collaborative  cloud  area,  and  a  user  community.  In  addition, 
start-ups  will  receive  high  level  mentoring  to  support  their 
digital projects.

The  unique  market  positioning  of  the  3DEXPERIENCE  Lab 
program is also reflected in the possibility of giving these start-
ups  access  to  the  networks  and  connections  with  Dassault 
Systèmes’ extended ecosystem at an international level.

Finally,  the  3DS  Paris  Campus  welcomes  these  start-up 
founders to the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab with a dedicated area for 
training  and  coaching,  the  availability  of  high  performance 
equipment, and a Fab Lab for fast prototyping of parts.

(For more information, http://3dexperiencelab.3ds.com/en/).

All  of  these  activities  were  supported  by  the  active 
collaboration  of  the  Group  in  conjunction  with  a  number  of 
scientific  associations  including  the  American  Society  for 
Engineering  Education  (ASEE),  the  Société Européenne pour 

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 

48 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

and  in  Europe,  Dassault  Systèmes  is  a  founding  member  of 
AFDEL  (Association Française des Éditeurs de Logiciels,  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 
co-chairs the Alliance for the Industry of the Future in France, 
of which the AFDEL is a founding member. This Alliance helps 
promote  the  transformation  of  French  production  tools  and 
support  companies  in  transforming  their  business  models, 
organizations,  design  modes  and  marketing.  The  Group  also 
supports  the  “Villette-Universcience  Company”  in  France, 
whose  goal  is  to  promote  and  encourage  the  diffusion  of 
scientific  and  technical  culture  to  young  people  and  to  the 
general  public.  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  by  providing 
modeling  services,  and  subsequently  creating  demand  for 
such services.

Social projects
In France, Dassault Systèmes SE subsidizes its Works  Council 
in  the  amount  of  5.2%  of  total  gross  annual  payroll ,  with 
5.0%  for  social  and  cultural  activities  and  0.2%  for  the 
operating  budget.  In  2015,  the  Works  Council  thus  received 
€10.5 million, compared to slightly more than €9.1 million in 
2014 and €8.5 million in 2013.

This  yearly  allocation  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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 sports to art, as 
well  as  financial  support,  such  as  for  vacations,  children’s 
education, and membership in clubs.

Dassault  Data  Services  SAS  subsidizes  its  Works  Council  at 
a  level  of  1.5%  of  its  total  gross  annual  payroll ,  with  1.3% 
for  social  and  cultural  activities  and  0.2%  for  the  operating 
budget.

Dassault Systèmes Provence SAS subsidizes its Works Council 
in the amount of 1.8% of total gross annual payroll , with 1.6% 
for  social  and  cultural  activities  and  0.2%  for  the  operating 
budget.

2

2.1.3  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.

The goal is to share a common strategy and set of processes, 
culminating  in  the  integration  of   the  products  into  the 
portfolio.

For this purpose, Dassault Systèmes has defined a methodology 
and  processes  aimed  at  implementing  an  integration  plan. 
This plan takes place in three stages:

 (cid:125) the preparation of the finalization of the acquisition, which 

defines the integration strategy;

 (cid:125) a communication program on the date of the signature and 
a  convergence  plan  for  each  function  with  an  associated 
schedule.  This  plan  is  co-drafted  by  the  teams  of  the 
acquired company and Dassault Systèmes based on a value 
analysis of the respective processes;

 (cid:125) the implementation of the convergence plan at a rate that 
can vary depending on the acquired companies. This goes 
from  the  adoption  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  processes  up  to 
the complete integration of the legal entities.

Throughout  this  process,  a  project  monitoring  system 
is  leveraged  to  manage  the  progress,  allowing  for  plan 
modifications if necessary. Feedback is solicited to continually 
improve  the  process.  For  example,  in  2015,  integration 
perception  surveys  were  conducted  with  employees  from  
newly acquired companies.

Each  integration  process  is  adapted  specifically  to  each 
acquired company, with the aim of motivating and building the 
loyalty  of  talented  individuals  and  providing  each  employee 
with learning opportunities.

This methodology is based in particular on the 3DEXPERIENCE 
platform  as  well  as  the  online  communities  which  provide 
easy  access  to  the  information  concerning  the  Company, 
organizations 
the 
responsibilities,  competencies  and  contributions  of  each 
person.

and  projects,  while  highlighting 

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

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

49

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.4  Rewarding P erformance and R ecognizing E mployees

As part of the performance evaluation process, each employee 
meets  his  or  her  manager  on  a  formal  basis  at  least  twice  a 
year, to define goals for the year and to assess the results of 
the past year. A mid-year review is also recommended. These 
discussions relate to rewards and recognition attributed to the 
employees for their performance and contribution to Dassault 
Systèmes’ development.

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

 (cid:125) innovations  developed  within  the  Group  by  the  teams,  in 
all  organizations,  are  showcased  in  the  3DS  Innovation 
Forwards,  that,  each  year,  reward  the  most  innovative 
projects put forth by employees worldwide;

 (cid:125) programs and initiatives are put into place to recognize the 
employees’ hard work and enhance the work environment;

 (cid:125) Dassault Systèmes also recognizes the importance of being 
a  strong  corporate  citizen,  and   actively  participates  and 
encourages  employees  to  contribute  to  community  based 
activities.

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.  Compensation 
is  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  2015,  the  salary  increases  granted  by  Dassault  Systèmes 
depended  on  individual  performance  and  market  changes  in 
each country where the Company has activities.

Total  gross  annual  payroll  paid  by  the  Group  (including  for 
the employees of 3D PLM Software Solutions Ltd and 3DPLM 
Global Services Private Ltd) amounted to €1,019.0 million in 
2015 compared to €822.7 million in 2014, an increase of 24% 
for the year, principally due to negative currency effects and to 
the addition of acquisitions.

Payroll  taxes  for  the  Group  amounted  to  €254.5  million  in 
2015 compared to €228.9 million in 2014. In 2015 and 2014, 
payroll taxes included an amount directly related to a grant of 
performance shares.

Profi t-sharing (pursuant to Titles I and II of Book III, Section 
III of the Labor Code)
Employee  profit-sharing  (l'intéressement)  and  regulatory 
profit-sharing  (la  participation)  are  two   employee  savings 
vehicles established by law in France. Employee profit-sharing 
is  optional,  while  regulatory  profit-sharing  is  required  for  all 
companies with more than 50 employees.

The  employee  profit-sharing  and  regulatory  profit-sharing 
agreements  renegotiated  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  with  the 
labor  unions  in  2014  are  applicable  for  three  years  (2014, 
2015 and 2016).

Employee  profit-sharing  for  the  year  2014,  which  was  paid 
in 2015 at Dassault Systèmes SE, amounted to €17.9 million 
(€18.4 million in 2013). The total amount of the contribution 
by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  for  regulatory  profit-sharing  for 
the  year  2014,  which  was  paid  in  2015,  was  €17.9  million 
(€15.5 million in 2013).

The  results  of  operations  recorded  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE 
for the year 2015, and which will be submitted for approval 
at  the  General  Shareholders’  Meeting  on  May  26,  2016 
should permit the distribution of employee profit-sharing and 
regulatory profit-sharing of €21,163,228 each.

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

2015

2014

2013

(in thousands of euros)

Amount

% payroll

Amount

% payroll

Amount

% payroll

Contractual employee profit-sharing 
(intéressement)

Regulatory profit-sharing (participation)

TOTAL

21,163

21,163

42,326

11.0%

11.1%

22.1%

17,921

17,921

35,842

10.5%

10.4%

20.9%

18,422

15,512

33,934

12.0%

10.2%

22.2%

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

50 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

The amounts attributed individually to employee beneficiaries 
are,  at  the  employee's  option 
 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  2015  in  respect  of  year  2014  represented 
9.1% and 6.1% of the payroll respectively, and the regulatory 
profit-sharing  represented  1.9%  and  18.9%.  Optional  profit-
sharing agreements were also signed in 2013 and contractual 
profit-sharing agreements in 2014 in Netvibes SAS and 3DVIA 
SAS.  These  contractual  employee  profit-sharing  agreements 
(intéressement) represented respectively 17.5% and 8.4% of 
the  payroll  of  these  companies.  There  are  no  agreements  at 
Quintiq SAS and Dassault Systèmes Biovia SARL.

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 fl air 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  meet  industry 
challenges,  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  its  customers  and  partners,  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.

All  Dassault  Systèmes  employees  are  invited  to  submit  a 
full  description  of  the  project  within  a  dedicated  on-line 
community,  set  up  on  the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform.  The 
projects  can  be  seen  by  everyone  and  are  selected  via  an 
employee  vote  and  a  jury  made  up  of  members  of  the 
Executive Committee. There were 250 applicants in the 2015 
edition  of  the  competition  representing  1,799  employees, 
with 25 winning teams.

Initiatives to reward work and improve the lives 
of employees
Since  2010,  an  internal   satisfaction  survey  has  been  open 
to  all  Dassault  Systèmes  employees  worldwide.  This  survey 

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

enables employees to give their opinion about various themes 
such  as  well-being  at  work,  mutual  respect,  collaboration, 
pride  in  working  for  Dassault  Systèmes,  etc.  Following  the 
annual  survey,  a  specific  action  plan  is  implemented  at  the 
global or local levels to encourage progress year over year.

The global action plan is based on a catalogue of 40 initiatives 
from  best  practices  tested  within  the  organizations.  The 
initiatives  are  classified  according  to  three  major  themes 
which are:

2

1)  recognition and celebrations,

2)  the learning company and

3)  the working environment.

To promote the action plan and enrich the initiative catalogue, 
a  worldwide  on-line  community  -  called  life  @3DS-  was 
opened  to  all  in  November  2015.  Each  employee  can  thus 
discover, exchange and propose new ideas.

Collective company and social initiatives
Most of the Group’s subsidiaries organize or take part in local 
initiatives within their communities.

This  involves  taking  part  in  sporting  events  to  collect  funds 
for  various  charity  organizations.  For  example,  the  “Paris 
to  London  cycle  ride”  in  the  United  Kingdom,  including  the 
collection  of  donations  for  the  “Prince’s  Trust”  organization 
helps  people  from  13  to  30  years  old  in  education  or 
employment.  Employees  also  participated  in  the  “Mekong 
Challenge”  running  race  in  Belgium  to  collect  funds   to 
improve  the  life  of  poor  children  in  South-East  Asia.  Finally, 
the  “Montreal-Quebec”  cycling  race  contributed  to  cancer 
research .

Actions supporting children were also carried out. In Germany, 
donations  were  made  to  the  F.U.N.K.e.V  charity,  which 
supports the neuropediatric department in Stuttgart Hospital. 
In  France,  Dassault  Systèmes  is  a  partner  in  the  “Rêves de 
Gosse:  Tour  2015”  initiative  which  offers  “extraordinary” 
children (sick children) the opportunity to go on a first flight 
organized  by  amateur  and  professional  pilots.  In  the  United 
States,  toys  were  collected  and  donated.  Also  in  the  United 
States,  employees  volunteer  days  with  non-profits,  such  as 
the “Ronald Mc Donald House” whose aim is to facilitate the 
hospital stay for seriously ill children.

Initiatives in favor of disabled persons: in South Korea, Dassault 
Systèmes conducts an intern program for disabled students in 
partnership  with  the  “Korea  National  University  of  Welfare”. 
In  France,  again  within  the  “Rêves  de  Gosse”  initiative, 
the  disability  taskforce  sponsored  and  staffed  a  booth  and 
organized conferences in schools in the Yvelines département 
as well as a flight simulator competition with teams including 
with disabled employees.

Sustainable development actions are also carried out globally. 
For example, in France and the United States IT and electronic 
equipment is collected by employees for recycling. In Canada, 
volunteer  days  are  held  at  the  Peter  McGill  Eco-Quarter 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

51

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

program, whose mission is to encourage Montreal inhabitants 
to  improve  daily  the  quality  of  their  living  environment   and 
reduce the impact of their life styles on the environment.

Finally, support has also been extended to local organizations 
via the “SnowFlake” initiative in the United States that collects 
winter  clothes,  and  “Sow  Much  Good”,  an  agricultural  farm 
that grows  and distributes vegetables to local populations.

2.1.5  Business ethics, social dialogue and personal safety

 (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 
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 to 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  SE  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 France, Germany, 
the  United  Kingdom,  the  Netherlands,  the  United  States, 
Canada,  Japan,  China,  South  Korea,  India,  Australia  and 
other  European  countries  (which  account  for  73%  of  the 
Group’s  Employee  Headcount)  and  their  service  providers 
contain clauses regarding respect for employees’ rights.

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 
business  citizenship 
through  procedures 
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 “DS Principles of 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 all  Company employees 
to guide their  behavior and  interactions when performing their  
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 fi ght against corruption
The  Code  of  Business  Conduct  prohibits  Group  employees 
from:

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

52 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

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 
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.

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 
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.

In  France,  numerous  meetings  were  organized  by  the  relevant 
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 
SE

Dassault 
Data 
Services 
SAS

Dassault 
Systèmes 
Provence 
SAS

Netvibes 
SAS

3DVIA 
SAS

Quintiq 
SAS

Dassault 
Systèmes 
Biovia 
SARL

Simpack 
France 
SAS

Number of collective agreements in effect at 12/31/2015

Number of collective agreements signed during 2015*

41

4

25

7

14

5

3

1

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

* 

These agreements may cover several topics such as the Mandatory Annual Negotiations, equality and professional gender balance, organizing working time, contractual employee 
profit-sharing and regulatory profit-sharing, and the inclusion and employment of people with disabilities.

Note: there are no agreement for Quintiq SAS, Dassault Systèmes Biovia SARL and Simpack France SAS.

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, Berlin and 
Simpack).  At  December  31,  2015,  there  were  9  agreements 
in  effect  in  Stuttgart,  27  in  Hanover,  none  still  in  effect  at 
December 31, 2015 in Aix-la-Chapelle and Berlin, and 19 with 
the Group Council.

In  2015,  Dassault  Systemes  Deutschland  GmbH  signed  9 
agreements at the level of the Group Council, several of which 
concern employee salaries and human resources management. 
Also, agreements were signed at a local level, including one in 
Stuttgart on similar topics.

In  the  other  main  countries  where  the  Group  operates  (the 
United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, 
Japan,  Malaysia,  China,  India  and  Australia),  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  in  organizing  the  Company’s  social 
activities.

Furthermore,  the  negotiations  begun  in  October  2014  with 
the  Special  Negotiation  Body  (“SNB”),  which  was  formed 
as  part  of  the  project  to  convert  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into 
a  European  company,  led  to  the  signing  of  a  unanimous 
agreement governing the terms and conditions for employee 
involvement  within  the  European  company.  This  new 
Committee  for  dialogue  with  its  European  employees  (the 
European  Works  Council)  will  consist  of  22  representatives 
from the 16 European countries in its jurisdiction. The body’s 
first  plenary  meeting  is  scheduled  for  the  end  of  the  first 
quarter of 2016.

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 certain other countries 
(the United States, Japan, China, and South Korea), individual 
medical  checkups  are  offered.  This  service  is  included  in  the 
health coverage plan. Lastly, there are no specific provisions in 
Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia, or Australia.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

53

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

Work accidents
Given  the  nature  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  activity,  few  work 
accidents are recorded. In France, in 2015, ten work or travel 
accidents  resulted  in  absence  from  work  for  more  than  one 
day.  There  were  six  in  Germany,  four  in  the  United  States, 
one in Japan, one in China and none in the United Kingdom, 
the  Netherlands,  Canada,  Malaysia,  South  Korea,  India,  and 
Australia.

Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee and 
specifi c 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.

Since  2009,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  has  launched  a  series  of 
initiatives  to  promote  well-being  in  the  workplace  for  all 
of  its  employees.  To  remind  them  of  the  information  and 

documents available on this topic (specific processes, training 
for  the  prevention  of  stressful  situations,  consultation  with 
a psychologist or social worker, etc.), an announcement was 
sent  to  all  employees  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  so  that 
everyone is aware of the tools made available to them by the 
Company.

At Dassault Systèmes Provence SAS, the actions implemented 
in 2014 through four working groups continued in 2015 for 
the  following  themes:  “Objectives,  planning  and  reporting”, 
“Helping  each  other,  support  and  sharing  expertise”,  “Value 
recognition, career and skills development”, and “Planning and 
organizing techniques”. Recommendations were prepared by 
each of the groups. These resulted in action plans submitted 
to and monitored by the CHSCT.

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.

2.1.6  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 employee reporting requirements, the Group chose key 
indicators  set  out  in  paragraphs  2.1.1  “Group  Organization 
and Employees” and 2.1.7 “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  SE  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, 
2015, the Employee Headcounts for companies in which it 
has less than a 50% shareholding include the employees of 
3D PLM Software Solutions Ltd and 3DPLM Global Services 
Private 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. Hiring and departure data are also determined 
using  this  rule  for  2015.  The  2014  data  in  relation  to  these 
indicators,  which  were  originally  denominated  in  number 
of  work  agreements,  were  recalculated  using  the  same 
methodology.

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  socio-professional  categories  (cadre  and 
non-cadre) 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.

54 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

2

Due  to  these   local  differences,  the  Company  is  not  able  to 
provide  consolidated  data  for  overtime,  the  severity   of  work 
accidents and occupational illnesses.

Gathering and consolidating employee data
T he following points should be taken into consideration:

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

 (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 3D PLM Software and 3DPLM Global Services Private 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 
2015), namely France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the 
Netherlands,  the  United  States,  Canada,  Japan,  Malaysia, 
China,  South  Korea,  India,  and  Australia.  These  countries 
represent  91%  of  the  Group’s  Employee  Headcount  in 
2015.  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  mentioned  above  is  extracted  from  the 
“3DEXPERIENCE University” solution, excluding companies 
acquired  in  2015,  covers  90%  of  the  Group’s  Employee 
Headcount.  Data  recorded  through  the  on-line  training 
platform is also taken into account for the same companies. 
The  data  for  companies  acquired  in  2014  and  belonging 
to  the  BIOVIA  and  QUINTIQ  brands  are  derived  from  their 
respective information systems and were consolidated with 
data from the 3DEXPERIENCE University;

 (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 non-profit organizations, 3DS INNOVATION 
Forwards, initiatives to reward work and improve the lives of 
employees.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

55

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Social and Societal Responsibility

2.1.7  Appendices regarding the Group’s Employee Headcount

DISTRIBUTION BY AGE

Year ended December 31

< 30 years old

31 to 40 years old

41 to 50 years old

> 51 years old

TOTAL

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

1,203

1,988

1,745

1,051

5,987

20%

33%

29%

18%

100%

423

945

1,086

1,070

3,524

12%

27%

31%

30%

342

854

531

184

17%

45%

28%

10%

1,968

3,787

3,362

2,305

17%

33%

30%

20%

1,923

3,809

3,229

2,052

100%

1,911

100% 11,422*

100%

11,013

100%

%

17%

35%

29%

19%

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

EMPLOYEE TENURE

Year ended December 31

Temporary contract

Less than 5 years

6 to 15 years

More than 16 years

TOTAL

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2015

158

2,818

1,877

1,134

5,987

Employees 
2015

8

1,606

1,312

598

%

3%

47%

31%

19%

Employees 
2015

12

1,278

532

89

%

0%

46%

37%

17%

Employees 
2015

178

5,702

3,721

1,821

%

1%

66%

28%

5%

Employees 
2014

178

5,372

3,900

1,563

%

2%

50%

32%

16%

%

2%

49%

35%

14%

100%

3,524

100%

1,911

100% 11,422*

100%

11,013

100%

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

DISTRIBUTION BY SOCIO-PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY

Year ended December 31

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

10%

90%

100%

18%

82%

100%

16%

84%

376

2,335

2,711

1,780

6,931

8,711

2,156

9,266

14%

86%

100%

20%

80%

100%

19%

81%

374

2,212

2,586

1,771

6,656

8,427

2,145

8,868

100% 11,422*

100%

11,013

100%

%

14%

86%

100%

21%

79%

100%

19%

81%

Women

Managers

Non-Managers 

TOTAL WOMEN

Men

Managers 

Non-Managers 

TOTAL MEN

Socio-professional category

Managers

Non-Managers

TOTAL

184

1,188

1,372

960

3,655

4,615

1,144

4,843

5,987

13%

87%

100%

21%

79%

100%

19%

81%

100%

144

732

876

553

2,095

2,648

697

2,827

3,524

16%

84%

100%

21%

79%

100%

20%

80%

100%

48

415

463

267

1,181

1,448

315

1,596

1,911

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

56 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Social and Societal Responsibility

2

FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME

Year ended December 31

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Full-time

Part-time

TOTAL

Women

Full-time

Part-time

TOTAL WOMEN

Men

Full-time

Part-time

TOTAL MEN

TOTAL

%

98%

2%

2

5,726

261

96%

4%

3,507

100%

1,903

100%

11,136

17

0%

8

0%

286

97%

3%

10,766

247

5,987

100%

3,524

100%

1,911

100% 11,422*

100% 11,013*

100%

1,211

161

88%

12%

1,372

100%

863

13

876

99%

1%

100%

458

5

99%

1%

2,532

179

93%

7%

2,420

166

94%

6%

463

100%

2,711

100%

2,586

100%

98%

2%

100%

4,515

100

4,615

5,987

0%

100%

5

2,648

3,524

2,643

100%

1,446

100%

2

0%

8,604

107

99%

1%

8,346

81

99%

1%

1,448

1,911

100%

8,711

100%

8,427

100%

11,422*

11,013

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

AGE DISTRIBUTION OF NEW ARRIVALS

Year ended December 31

< 30 years old

31 to 40 years old

41 to 50 years old

> 51 years old

TOTAL

Europe

Americas

Asia

Total

Total

Employees 
2015

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2015

%

Employees 
2014

%

425

237

94

22

55%

30%

12%

3%

778

100%

175

115

104

56

450

39%

26%

23%

12%

152

137

34

10

46%

41%

10%

3%

752

489

232

88

48% 1,192**

31% 1,324**

15%

6%

743**

264**

100%

333

100%

1,561*

100% 3,523 **

100%

%

34%

38%

21%

7%

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

* 
**  The figures reported for 2014 are based on the new methodology adopted for the year 2015 for this indicator (see paragraph 2.1.6. “Methodology for Employee Reporting”).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

57

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

2.2  Environmental Responsibility

Since  2010, 
the  Dassault  Systèmes  environmental 
responsibility  strategy  has  been  structured  in  stages  around 
the following main areas of focus:

 (cid:125) establishment  of  a  global  measurement  process  and 

collection of environmental information;

 (cid:125) establishment  of  a  collaborative  approach 

involving 
employees called Sustainability Leaders or the Green Team 
who  participate  in  initiatives  aimed  at  limiting  the  impact 
of operations;

 (cid:125) implementation  of  projects  and  industrial  partnerships  to 
assess among customers the benefits of its applications on 
the environment.

Systèmes’ 

Dassault 
is 
characterized by indirect positive and negative impacts on its 
customers and by direct negative impact of its activities on the 
environment:

environmental 

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 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;

 (cid:125) all  of  Dassault  Systèmes’  operations  are  located  in  offices 
(see paragraph 2.2.2 “Responsible Company”) 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.

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 as defined by 
the  SHINE  Project  described  in  paragraph  2.2.2.2  “Industry 
Collaborations on sustainability”.

In  2015,  the  Group  deepened  its  strategy  to  integrate  the 
environment  into  its  operations  and  structured  its  initiative 
around  the  responsibilities  of  the  Company  and  employees 
and partners.

2.2.1  The Group’s vision for environmental responsibility

2.2.1.1  An environmental strategy built 

on 3 pillars

In  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  defined  the  environmental 
strategy  for  its  operations  for  the  coming  three  years.  It  is 
based on the following three concepts:

 (cid:125) Responsible  Company:  Dassault  Systèmes  helps 

its 
customers  reduce  their  environmental  impact  through 
its  applications  while 
impact,  see 
limiting 
paragraph 2.2.2 “Responsible Company”;

its  own 

 (cid:125) Responsible  Employee:  Dassault  Systèmes  involves  its 
employees in its environmental strategy through awareness-
raising  efforts  at  all  of  its  sites,  see  paragraph  2.2.3 
“Responsible Employee”;

58 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 (cid:125) Responsible  Partner: 

the  Group  strives 

to  choose 
responsible  suppliers  through  the  integration  of  corporate 
and  environmental  commitments,  and  it  is  trying  to 
increase  recycling  and  local  actions,  see  paragraph  2.2.4 
“Responsible Partner”.

2.2.1.2 

Environmental Management: 
Integration of environmental 
responsibility into the Group’s real 
estate strategy

light  of 

In 
this  new  vision,  environmental  strategy 
management and the annual reporting thereof was entrusted 
to  the  Group’s  Real  Estate  and  Facilities  department  in 
2015, in conjunction with the Public Affairs and Sustainable 
Development  department,  which  continues  to  oversee 
partnership  development-related  tasks  to  assess  the  positive 
net impact of Dassault Systèmes on the environment through 
its applications.

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

2

2.2.2  Responsible Company

2.2.2.1 

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

Dassault Systèmes’ corporate purpose is to provide businesses 
and  people  with  3DEXPERIENCE  universes  to 
imagine 
sustainable  innovations  capable  of  harmonizing  product, 
nature  and  life  (see  paragraph  1.2.1.3  “Dassault  Systèmes’ 
Purpose and Strategy”).

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.  One 
of  the  Company’s  clients,  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 conformity  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 simulated to examine 
and reduce environmental impacts across the entire life cycle. 
For  example,  a  leading  packaging  designer  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 
are 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 
impacts 
applications  that  can  dashboard  environmental 
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.

Connectivity Technologies
Connecting  data  and  people  by  breaking  down  silos  in 
strategies. 
contributes 
organizations 
sustainability 
to 
Connectivity 
to  build 
technologies  allow  companies 
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,  one  of  the  Group’s 
customers,  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 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

59

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

sustainably.  The  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  lets  innovators 
truly  understand  the  impact  of  their  ideas  and  processes  on 
people and the environment, to achieve  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   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. This index is a series  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 
Enterprise  (SHINE).  SHINE  consists  of  a  consortium 
of  sustainability-focused  companies, 
including  Owens 
Corning, Eaton Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, Johnson & 
Johnson and Dassault Systèmes, and is led by the Center for 
Health and the Global Environment, part of the T.H. Chan 
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).  When  a  compagny's  Handprint  is 
larged than its Footprint, it is  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.

The Company recently co-authored, along with Professor Greg 
Norris of Harvard, a SHINE case study detailing the handprints 
created in the automotive industry with the application of 3D 

60 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

technology. Dr. Norris found that the widespread application 
of  3D  technology  can  result  in  300-600  million  Metric  Tons 
of  CO2  reduction  in  the  automotive  industry  alone  by  2020. 
Dr.  Norris  concluded  that  “by  pursuing  measures  such  as 
advanced  training  in  eco-design  and  increased  accessibility 
and power of eco-design functions within its design tools, the 
Company  can  enable  sectors  such  as  the  global  automotive 
sector to create handprints which are on the order of 10,000 
times  greater  than  its  own  footprint.”  The  full  case  study  is 
available on the Harvard SHINE website, hosted by the Center 
for Health and the Global Environment.

2.2.2.3 

Inclusion of environmental 
considerations in the Company’s 
operational locations

Dassault  Systèmes  chooses  its  site  locations  based  on  the 
objectives of supporting growth in the Company’s business and 
controlling  costs  while  integrating  sustainable  development 
strategies  such  as  encouraging  synergies  and   collaboration, 
reducing  the  environmental  footprint  of  activities,  and 
improving  employee  working  conditions.  The  Company  also 
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.

The rationalization of the Company’s facilities is  designed to 
foster collaboration among both its employees and its partners 
and  customers  by  grouping  together  sites,  subsidiaries  and 
operations  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).

Since  2008,  the  Group  has  implemented  a  policy  of  setting 
up its activities in offices certified by the local environmental 
standard  such  as  Haute  Qualité  Environnementale  (High 
Environmental  Quality)  in  France  and  LEED  in  the  United 
States, or on sites that applied an environmental management 
system  such  as  ISO  14001.  In  2015,  62%  of  the  Employee 
Headcount  worked  in  certified  offices  compared  to  57%  in 
2014 (this increase comes from offices in companies acquired 
in 2014).

Principal Sites
With the exception of facilities totaling 21,000 square meters 
belonging  to  3D  PLM  Software  Solutions  Limited  (“3DPLM 
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).

At December 31, 2015, the principal sites occupied by Group 
companies (except 3DPLM Ltd) in its three geographic regions 
are as set forth in the table below (sites > 4,500 sq.m.).

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

Geographic region

Principal Sites

Europe

3DS Paris Campus Vélizy-Villacoublay, France(1)
3DS Munich Rosenheimer, Germany 
3DS Bois-le-Duc, the Netherlands

Area
(in m2)

70,000
7,800
6,600

Activities on the site

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

Americas

3DS Boston Campus Waltham, Massachusetts, United States(2)

25,000

R&D, Marketing and sales

3DS Providence, Rhode Island, United States

3DS San Diego, California, United States

3DS Montreal, Canada

3DS Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States

Asia

3DS Tokyo, Japan

3DS Selangor, Malaysia

8,800

5,700

5,200

4,600

6,000

4,700

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

(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.

2

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. The Group has implemented 
real-time monitoring of operation and maintenance incidents 
related to the energy consumption of the 3DS Paris Campus 
buildings.  Construction  of  the  3DS  Paris  Campus  extension 
began in 2015. The Group wishes to apply the same strategy 
and  obtain  NF  Service  Sector  Buildings  –  HQE  certification 
under the HQE (High Environmental Quality) system.

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  boilers 
and high-yield air conditioning.

In the rest of the world, buildings in Vancouver and Montreal 
(Canada), Singapore, Shanghai (China), Tokyo (Japan), Auburn 
Hills  (United  States),  and  Stuttgart  (Germany)  are  certified 
according  to  local  or  international  environmental  standards. 
The  Providence  site  in  the  United  States  is  currently  being 
LEED Gold-certified.

2.2.2.4  Dassault Systèmes solutions 
for its environmental strategy

COP21: the 3DEXPERIENCity project
In 2015, France hosted the COP 21 or the 21st Conference of 
the Parties, which brought together heads of state from around 
the world to reach an international agreement against climate 
change.  During  this  event,  Dassault  Systèmes  presented 
its  applications  for  sustainable  cities,  the  3DEXPERIENCity 
project,  which  enables  the  visualization  of  the  Group’s 
environmental impact.

The 3DEXPERIENCity team also presented a 3D digital model 
of the city of Rennes. Cities are currently facing rapid growth, 
which  makes  managing  them  more  complex.  This  model 
allows  future  projects  and  services  to  be  visualized  to  better 
meet their environmental and social challenges.

Application technology: Use of Workplace 3D 
to optimize workspace
3D modeling technologies can be used in specialized interior 
design application fields. The solution developed by Dassault 
Systèmes,  HomeByMe,  is  a  free  application  for  the  general 
public  that  can  position  objects  such  as  furniture  in  a  room 
of  a  house.  The  HomeByMe  solution,  with  its  Workplace 
3D  application,  can  also  be  used  in  a  professional  context  to 
place  offices  in  workspaces  and  assign  offices  to  employees 
in  a  3D  environment.  As  a  result,  paper-based  processes  are 
replaced by digital processes, thus avoiding manual re-keying 
and  optimizing  resources.  Employees  can  also  visualize  their 
workspace and propose improvements in terms of comfort.

Finally, and ultimately, the application will be able to integrate 
all  of  the  elements  of  facilities  management  related  to 
workspaces, namely air conditioning and energy, to visualize 
energy  consumption  of  offices  based  on  the  computer 
equipment installed.

2.2.2.5  Monitoring and control of the Group’s 

environmental impacts

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 electronic and electrical equipment waste 
(WEEE). The remaining indicators are deemed “secondary” and 
relate to paper consumption, water consumption and general 
waste. (See paragraph 2.2.5 “Methodology for Environmental 
Reporting”).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

61

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

In  2015,  the  Group  implemented  new  actions  to  control 
so-called  “primary”  indicators  (implementation  of  energy 
management software, conducting of energy audits, etc.).

in 

the  environmental 

Data  presented 
report  covers 
Dassault Systèmes SE and all companies in respect of which it 
has a shareholding exceeding 50%. Globally, all consumptions 
including power and water and paper consumptions, as well 
as  greenhouse  gas  emissions  from  the  Group  grew  between 
2015 and 2014 driven by the Group acquisitions made in 2014 
and  integrated  in  2015.  See  paragraph  2.2.5  “Methodology 
for Environmental Reporting”.

Electricity consumption (in mWh)

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

TOTAL

* 

Indicator verified by the independent verifier.

Energy
The  information  below  concerns  electricity  and  natural  gas 
consumption  on  Dassault  Systèmes  sites  and  in  its  data 
centers.  Natural  gas  consumption  represents  4.6%  of  total 
energy consumption.

The Company does not use renewable energy on its sites, but 
has included in some of its energy contracts the purchase of 
electricity  produced  by  renewable  resources  for  certain  sites 
(3DS  Paris  Campus  in  France  in  2015,  3DS  Stuttgart  and 
3DS Munich J Wild in Germany). As a result, consumption of 
electricity  from  renewable  energy  represents  41%  of  total 
electricity consumption.

2015

34,725

20,247

19,535

2,430

2014

31,380

21,000

21,260

2,000

56,690*

54,640*

Electricity  consumption  of  the  3DS  Paris  Campus  fell  by 
3.6% between 2015 and 2014. This decrease is attributable 
to the implementation of (i) measures to improve the energy 
performance of the Campus and of (ii) an energy management 
system connected to the technical management of the building 
since  November  2014.  This  system  allows  malfunctioning 
equipment to be identified, thus limiting excess 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. Dassault Systèmes is far ahead 
in this area with more than 90% of the servers at its principal 
data center already virtualized.

Electricity  consumption  grew  between  2015  and  2014  in 
Europe  and  Asia  as  a  consequence  of  the  Group  acquisitions 
made in 2014 and to the Company’s organic growth in those 
regions.  In  Americas,  energy  consumption  decreased  thanks 
to mild winter temperatures and to the move from the old and 
energy-consuming  site  of  Providence  to  a  new  LEED  Gold-
certified site which enabled to save 85% energy consumption 
versus the previous location.

In  2015,  pursuant  to  the  EU  Energy  Efficiency  Directive 
(2012/27/EU), audits were conducted on 3DS Paris Campus 
and  Aix  en  Provence  sites  in  France  and  on  the  Bois-le-Duc 
site  in  the  Netherlands.  To  improve  energy  performance 
throughout its real estate facilities, the Group also decided to 
deploy additional energy audits across all geographic regions, 
auditing,  for  example,  its  Meudon-la-Forêt  site  as  early  as 
2015.

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 

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’ 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  its  carbon  footprint  on  a  global  basis,  Dassault 
Systèmes uses the “GHG Protocol” (Greenhouse Gas Protocol: 
www.ghgprotocol.org).

62 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

SCOPE 1

Emissions due to on-site natural gas 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.

2

2015 Metric 
Tons CO2 
emissions

2014 Metric 
Tons CO2 
emissions

485

3,990

3,865

–

125

315

670

2,340

2,100

–

240

870

4,790

3,880

11,810

10,090

4,275

6,000

1,535

3,230

5,655

1,205

11,810

10,090

32,630

12,165

12,825

7,640

1,680

180

–

1,500

2,185

640

1,105

440

21,870

8,020

9,210

4,640

1,446

235

1

1,210

2,045

525

1,040

480

36,495

53,095*

25,361

39,331*

Greenhouse gas emissions grew by 35% between 2014 and 
2015  and  were  mainly  driven  by  rising  Group’s  activities 
linked to acquisitions made in 2014 and to the Group organic 
growth, which led notably to an increase in business travels.

In  terms  of  carbon  intensity  by  employee,  greenhouse  gas 
emissions increased from 5.2 t CO2 per employee in 2014 to 
5.9 t CO2 per employee in 2015.

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63

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

Water consumption

Water consumption (in cubic meters)

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

TOTAL

2015

39,235

26,894

40,460

4,510

84,205

2014

29,980

20,624

31,910

4,870

66,760

The data related to water consumption presented above is mainly based on estimates and as such may differ from actual water 
consumption (see paragraph 2.2.5 “Methodology for Environmental Reporting – Limitations on environmental reporting”).

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

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

In 2015, the Krakow site in Poland introduced recycling in offices.

Paper and packaging

Paper consumption (in metric tons)

Europe

of which 3DS Paris Campus

Americas

Asia

TOTAL

2015

94%

100%

100%

100%

97%

2014

89%

100%

100%

100%

94%

2015

2014

26

14

15

11

52

28

18

13

8

49

On the 3DS Paris Campus, total paper consumption amounted 
to  14  metric  tons  in  2015  compared  with  18  metric  tons  in 
2014.  On  a  per-employee  basis,  this  consumption  fell  from 
7.8kg per employee in 2014 to 6.1kg per employee in 2015, 

representing  a  22 %  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.

64 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

2.2.3  Responsible Employee

2

Awareness-raising actions
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.

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.

In  April  and  November  2015,  for  National  Disabled 
Employment  Week  and  for  a  one-month  period,  a  “Collecte 
Solidaire – Agissons Ensemble”  event  was  held  once  again 
on the 3DS Paris Campus under the joint sponsorship of the 
Dassault Systèmes SE Disability Taskforce and the Real Estate, 
General Resources, and Environment department. Employees 

were asked to bring their own 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  837kg  of  equipment  was  recycled  by  disabled 
employees.

A desk-cleaning was also organized on the 3DS Paris Campus 
in  December  2015.  During  this  event,  employees  were 
invited  to  recycle  their  old  paper  archives  and  used  supplies 
and  cardboard  at  dedicated  collection  spaces.  As  a  result, 
3.8  metric  tons  of  equipment  were  recycled  over  one  and  a 
half days by persons with disabilities.

In the Asia Pacific region, a recycling week took place in China, 
on  the  Shanghai  and  Beijing  sites,  during  which  employees 
were asked to recycle their computer hardware.

Training
By  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  defined  an  employee  training 
program  to  raise  awareness  of  the  challenges  of  sustainable 
development  upon  their  arrival  in  the  Group.  The  Company 
plans to launch this training program starting in 2016 on its 
major sites.

2.2.4  Responsible Partner

Group commitments in favor of circular economy
In 2015, 3DS showed a continued willingness to promote local 
actions.  For  example,  during  events  organized  on  the  Paris 
3DS Campus to raise employee awareness, the Group shined 
the spotlight on partners that also integrated social and ethical 
commitments  in  the  recycling  of  its  electrical  and  electronic 
waste in Europe. Therefore, socially conscious and solidarity-
based companies are given preference wherever possible.

In  order  to  create  a  positive  impact  at  every  Group  location, 
local  contributions  that  integrate  an  ethical  and/or  socially 
responsible  approach  are  promoted  as  soon  as  possible.  In 
addition,  the  Group  tends  to  promote  recycling  activities 
throughout  the  world  and  focus  on  the  purchase  of 
materials and furniture that has been recycled or certified as 
environmentally friendly.

Specifi c waste treatment
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”.

For example, Dassault Systèmes has entrusted the refurbishing 
or recycling of computer equipment for the Europe region to 
two  socially  conscious  and  solidarity-based  companies  that 
employ  people  with  disabilities  near  its  registered  office  in 
Vélizy-Villacoublay. One of them recycles plastic materials to 
produce urban furniture. Dassault Systèmes purchased some 
of  this  urban  furniture  for  its  green  spaces  in  2015,  and  it 
plans to exchange all of its waste baskets for these items made 
from recycled material.

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2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

Specifi c 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.

2015

100

9,250

6,083

6,307

1,442

2014

100

9,420

8,325

3,020

510

16,999*

12,950*

In 2014 and 2015, all WEEE were recycled according to environmental standards.

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 SE and all the companies in 
respect of which it has a shareholding exceeding 50%.

The  environmental  reporting  scope  fits  to  the  published 
indicators and covers the following aspects:

 (cid:125) the  environmental  reporting  scope  currently  comprises 
the Group’s main sites for the following indicators: energy 
consumption, total greenhouse gas emissions scope 1 and 
2, water consumption, general waste treatment, paper and 
packaging, and specific waste. In 2014, the environmental 
reporting scope covered the sites with over 35 employees, 
representing  86%  of  the  target  scope  described  above. 
Following the 2015 inclusion of new sites, related to 2014 
acquisitions (Accelrys, Quintiq and RTT), the Group decided 
to focus on sites over 50 employees, representing 78% of 
the target scope.

 (cid:125) the  environmental  reporting  scope  currently  comprises 
the  Group’s  main  entities  for  the  total  greenhouse  gas 
emissions  scope  3.  In  2014,  the  environmental  reporting 

scope covered every entity with one site over 35 employees, 
representing  74 %  of  the  target  scope  described  above.  In 
2015, the environmental reporting scope covers the entities 
with one site over 50 employees, representing 93% of the 
target scope.

Variations related to the locations and to the legal structures 
included in the environmental reporting scope, as shown above, 
have  no  significant  impact  on  the  primary  environmental 
indicators; as a consequence, the 2014 opening data were not 
restated.

The  environmental  indicators  thus  determined  for  2015  are 
presented  in  paragraphs  2.2.2  “Responsible  Company”  and 
2.2.4 “Responsible Partner”.

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  Dassault  Systèmes  Real  Estate  and 
General Resources Management based on the environmental 
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 

66 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility
Environmental Responsibility

2

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 Dassault Systèmes Real Estate 
and  General  Resources  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  yearly  basis  by  the 
Sustainability Leaders.

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 which are included in the rent. 

For some foreign subsidiaries representing a small contribution 
in  the  ratio,  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 consumption is made on the basis 
of the averages recorded on the other sites in the geographic 
region  based  on  the  number  of  employees  or  square  meters 
taken  up).  As  a  result,  actual  consumption  may  be  different 
from estimates.

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 2015 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 “Responsible Company”).

2

2.2.6 

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:

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.

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

 (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 
hazardous substances, or is classified under ICPE (Classified 
Installation for the Protection of the Environment );

 (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  that  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 

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  2015,  no  provisions  or  guarantees  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  General 
Resources  and  Sustainable  Development  department  closely 
follow environmental regulations that may have an effect on 
its business.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

67

2 Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility

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

2.3 

Independent Verifi er’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 December 31, 2015, 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 both dated November 2015 
(hereafter referred to as the “Criteria”), and of which a summary is included in section 2.1.6 (social reporting) and in section 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 verifi er
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 five people between October 2015 and March 2016  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 
May 13,2013 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.

68 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  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 2.1.6 and 
2.2.5 of chapter 2 of the management report.

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, Facilities, Purchasing, Innovation, 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) assess  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) verify 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.

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69

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(1):

 (cid:125) at 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) at  the  level  of  the  representative  sample  of  entities  that  we  selected(2)  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 31 % of the workforce and between 
10% and 46% for quantitative environmental information(3).

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, on March 18,  2016

French original signed by:

Independent Verifier

ERNST & YOUNG et Associés

Eric Mugnier

Partner, sustainable development

Bruno Perrin

Partner

(1)  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).

(2)  The entities Dassault Systèmes S.E. and Dassault Data Service (DS Paris Campus and Terre Europa sites in Vélizy, France); the entities Dassault Systèmes 

Canada Inc. and DS Canada Software Inc. (Montreal, Canadian site).

(3)  The coverage rate of our work is 31 % of the workforce for the social data, 46% for the quantities of computers and servers recycled, 42% for energy 

consumption, and 18% for greenhouse gas emissions.

70 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 
 
 
 
 
3

FINANCIAL REVIEW 
AND PROSPECTS

CONTENTS

3.1  Operating and Financial Review 

3.1.1  General 

72

72

3.2  2016 Financial Objectives 

and Multi-Year Growth Plan 

3.1.2  Consolidated Information: 2015 Compared to 2014  78

3.1.3  Trends in Quarterly Results 

3.1.4  Capital Resources 

82

83

3.3  Interim and Other Financial 

Information 

83

84

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71

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  2015”  highlights  selected  aspects  of  the 
Company’s financial results for 2015. 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 2015 
(all revenue growth comparisons 
are in constant currencies)

Summary Overview
2015  represented  the  first  year  of  Dassault  Systèmes  five-
year growth plan to double non-IFRS earnings per share. This 
goal is based upon an expansion of the Company’s addressable 
market  powered  by  internal  and  external  investments  and 
reflects  the  opportunities  the  Company  envisions  reflecting 
its  expanded  purpose,  3DEXPERIENCE  addressable  market 
opportunity  and  the  3DEXPERIENCE 
industry  solutions 
strategy.

the  Company  set  a  good 

During  2015 
foundation, 
performing  well  from  multiple  aspects  and  achieving  all  of 
its key objectives. The expansion of its addressable market is 
translating into a more dynamic set of growth drivers which 
animated its financial performance.

 (cid:125) The  Company’s  revenue  growth  in  2015  reflected  strong 
overall  growth  in  its  core  industries  and  in  terms  of 
progression  of  its  diversification  industries.  During  2015 
Core  Industries  software  revenue  increased  approximately 
9%  in  total  in  constant  currencies,  with  strong  growth 
in  Transportation  &  Mobility,  Industrial  Equipment  and 
Aerospace  &  Defense.  Core  Industries  represented  70%  of 
total  software  revenue  in  2015.  Diversification  Industries 
represented  30%  of  total  software  revenue  up  two 
percentage  points  from  2014  with  the  contribution  mix 
well aligned with the Company’s mid-term target of 30%. 
In  addition  to  expanding  in  Life  Sciences  with  BIOVIA, 
industries  with  strong  growth  in  2015  included  Energy, 
Process & Utilities, Consumer Packaged Goods & Retail, and 
Natural Resources;

 (cid:125) 3DEXPERIENCE was an important driver with clients around 
the  globe.  In  terms  of  acceleration,  3DEXPERIENCE  sales 
represented 29% of related new licenses revenue for 2015, 
up 5 percentage points from 2014;

72 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

3

 (cid:125) The  Company  benefited  from  its  geographic  reach  which 
continues to expand thanks to its global/local orientation. In 
total, software revenue growth in constant currencies was 
well balanced across the Company’s three reporting regions, 
Europe,  Americas  and  Asia.  Moreover,  within  regions  the 
number of geos driving growth and becoming meaningful 
absolute  contributors  to  the  Company’s  revenue  base  is 
expanding;

 (cid:125) From a channel performance perspective, software revenue 
growth  during  2015  was  led  by  the  Company’s  direct 
sales  channel  with  new  licenses  revenue  growth  of  19% 
in  constant  currencies,  well  supported  by  its  two  indirect 
sales channels. Complementing new business activity with 
current  customers,  Dassault  Systèmes  added  22,000  new 
clients  in  2015,  thanks  to  its  sales  channels  in  particular 
its  Professional  Channel  reaching  the  volume  market.  In 
total,  the  Company  continues  to  benefit  from  a  balanced 
distribution  mix  of  direct  and  indirect  sales,  with  direct 
sales representing 59% of total revenue and indirect sales 
accounting for 41% of total revenue in 2015;

 (cid:125) At  the  outset  of  2015  the  Company  outlined  two  key 
financial  goals:  to  deliver  organic  double-digits  non-IFRS 
new licenses revenue growth and to generate an increase in 
its organic non-IFRS operating margin of approximately 100 
basis points – both targets excluding any currency benefits. 
These  goals  were  well  reflected  in  Dassault  Systèmes’ 
performance during 2015:

 (cid:125) the  Company  achieved  organic  double-digits  non-IFRS 
new  licenses  revenue  growth  in  constant  currencies, 
increasing 11% for 2015. This was on top of an organic 
growth of 10% during 2014,

 (cid:125) the Company continues to focus on improving its operating 
efficiency  and  this  is  demonstrated  by  the  organic  non-
IFRS  operating  margin  progression  which  increased  120 
basis points in 2015, exclusive of any currency benefits;

 (cid:125) Dassault  Systèmes  benefits  from  a  high  level  of  recurring 
software  revenue,  at  the  core  of  its  financial  model. 
Recurring  software  revenue  represented  70%  of  non-IFRS 
total software revenue in 2015, and grew 10% in constant 
currencies, of which 7% was organic;

 (cid:125) And  thanks  to  revenue  growth,  favourable  currency,  and 
operating  margin  expansion,  non-IFRS  earnings  per  share 
grew 24% in 2015;

 (cid:125) The Company had a very good evolution of operating cash 
flow  in  2015,  increasing  27%  to  €633.3  million  for  the 
full  year.  And  from  a  balance  sheet  perspective,  unearned 
revenue  increased  13%  excluding  currency  impacts  at 
December 31, 2015 compared to December 31, 2014;

 (cid:125) Finally, from a strategic perspective, the Company believes 
that its purpose, strategy and investments are well aligned 
with  the  issues  at  the  heart  of  its  clients’  businesses, 
with  its  financial  performance  demonstrating  that  its 
investments  in  research  and  development,  complemented 
by the appropriate acquisitions, well serve the industries and 
clients the Company addresses, as well as its shareholders.

Summary Financial Highlights (all revenue growth 
comparisons are in constant currencies)

Total Revenue: For the year ended December 31, 2015, IFRS 
total  revenue  increased  13%.  Software  revenue  represented 
88%  of  total  revenue  and  increased  13%  with  services  and 
other revenue growing 20%. Non-IFRS total revenue increased 
12% with software revenue growth of 12% and services and 
other  revenue  growth  of  17%.  Financial  results  for  2015 
and  2014  include  the  acquisitions  of  Accelrys  (acquired  late 
April 2014) and Quintiq (acquired September 2014).

Revenue  by  Region:  The  Company  continues  to  expand  its 
presence with clients in its three principal regions, strengthening 
and expanding its sales channels and local presence. For 2015, 
Europe represented 44% of total revenues, the Americas 31% 
and Asia 25%. By region, software revenue growth was well 
balanced across the Company’s three regions. Growth in Asia 
was led by most notably Japan, South Korea and India. In the 
Americas growth was driven by North America, with weaker 
results  for  Latin  America.  In  Europe,  growth  was  led  by  the 
United Kingdom, France and Southern Europe.

Software  Revenue  by  Type:  Non-IFRS  software  revenue 
increased  12%  in  total  for  2015.  New  licenses  revenue  rose 
15%  on  double-digit  organic  new  licenses  revenue  growth. 
Non-IFRS  periodic  license,  maintenance  and  other  software-
related  revenue  increased  10%  on  growth  of  maintenance 
revenue  and  rental  revenue.  Excluding  acquisitions,  non-
IFRS software revenue increased 8% in 2015, with non-IFRS 
new  licenses  software  revenue  growth  of  11%  and  periodic, 
maintenance and other software revenue growth of 7%.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

73

3 Financial Review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

Software  Revenue  by  Product  Line:  By  product  line,  non-
IFRS  software  revenue  increased  5%  for  CATIA,  12%  for 
SOLIDWORKS,  5%  for  ENOVIA,  and  Other  Software,  which 
included  the  2014  acquisitions  of  Quintiq  and  BIOVIA 
(Accelrys), increased 26%. On an organic basis, Other Software 
increased 11% led by SIMULIA, DELMIA and EXALEAD.

Recurring  Software  Revenue:  Since  inception  in  1981  the 
Company has had a long-term focus on maintaining a highly 
recurrent  software  revenue  model.  Non  IFRS  recurring 
software revenue represented 70% and 71% of total software 
revenue for 2015 and 2014, respectively. Recurring software 
revenue is comprised of maintenance and rental subscriptions.

IFRS  operating 

Income  and  Margin: 

Operating 
income 
increased  47%  and  non-IFRS  operating  income  increased 
27%  to  €884.9  million  for  2015  on  revenue  growth, 
favorable  currency  evolution  and  organic  operating  margin 
improvement.  The  non-IFRS  operating  margin  increased  to 
30.8%, compared to 29.8% in 2014. On an organic basis, the 
non-IFRS operating margin increased an estimated 120 basis 
points  for  2015  offsetting  acquisition  dilution  of  a  similar 
level.

Earnings  per  Share:  The  Company’s  earnings  per  share 
were sharply higher in 2015 driven principally by growth in 
revenue, a strong benefit from favorable currency effects and 
operating margin growth. IFRS diluted net income per share 
increased 38% and non-IFRS net income per share increased 
24%  to  €2.25  per  diluted  share,  compared  to  €1.82  per 
diluted share for 2014. On a non-IFRS basis, currency had a 
net favorable impact of approximately 13 percentage points. 
Average  diluted  shares  outstanding  were  256.6  million  and 
255.3 million for 2015 and 2014, respectively.

results 

financial 

Acquisitions:  The  2015 
the 
incorporation  of  several  acquisitions,  the  most  significant 
of  which  were  Accelrys  in  April  2014  and  Quintiq  in 
September  2014.  Based  upon  the  size  of  these  companies 
they had an important impact on the revenue growth of the 
Company in 2015.

reflect 

Currency: During 2015 currency exchange rate evolution had 
a  material,  net  positive  impact  on  the  Company’s  reported 
revenue  growth  rates  and  was  an  important  contributor  to 
operating  income  and  earnings  per  share  growth.  In  2014 
currency had a net negative impact on reported growth rates, 
operating income and earnings per share growth.

2016  Business  Outlook:  For  a  discussion  of  the  Company’s 
2016  business  outlook,  see  paragraph  3.2  “2016  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”.

74 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Cash Flow: Net operating cash flow was €633.3 million for the 
year ended December 31, 2015, compared to €499.5 million 
in  2014.  In  2015  and  2014  changes  in  working  capital 
included the net payment of €57.7 million and €22.2 million, 
respectively,  in  connection  with  ongoing  tax  proceedings. 
During  2015,  the  Company  uses  of  cash  were  principally 
for  cash  dividends  of  €98.4  million,  capital  expenditures  of 
€43.6 million, share repurchases of €28.3 million and payment 
for  acquisitions  of  €20.2  million,  net  of  cash  acquired.  The 
Company  received  cash  of  €650  million  in  conjunction  with 
a  new  credit  facility  entered  into  in  October  2015  and  fully 
drawn  down  at  the  time  and  for  stock  options  exercised  of 
€35.9 million.

Other Financial Highlights: At December 31, 2015, cash, cash 
equivalents and short-term investments totaled €2.35 billion 
and long-term debt was €1.0 billion compared to €1.18 billion 
and €350.0 million, respectively at December 31, 2014.

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.

Financial Review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

3

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 company. As a result, in the case of 
a typical one-year contract, the Company’s IFRS revenues 
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 
the  Company’s  operating 
expense  when 
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;

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

75

3 Financial Review and prospects

Operating and Financial Review

 (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.

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.

76 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Review and prospects
Operating and Financial Review

3

3

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.

(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)

Year ended December 31,

% Change

2015 IFRS

€2,839.5

Adjust-
ment (1)

2015 
non-IFRS

2014 IFRS

Adjust-
ment (1)

2014 
non-IFRS

IFRS non-IFRS (2)

€37.2

€2,876.7

€2,294.3

€52.4

€2,346.7

24%

23%

2,502.8

336.7

889.5

1,226.5

723.5

938.5

301.9

569.8

692.6

35.1

2.1

20.0

11.6

5.6

0.4

–

–

34.7

2,537.9

2,035.0

338.8

259.3

909.5

659.1

1,238.1

1,052.8

729.1

582.4

938.9

301.9

569.8

727.3

838.6

262.8

447.7

485.9

43.6

8.8

18.3

22.7

11.4

–

–

–

43.6

2,078.6

268.1

677.4

1,075.5

593.8

838.6

262.8

447.7

529.5

2,206.3

(214.5)

1,991.8

1,863.5

(216.0)

1,647.5

(42.5)

(159.6)

(12.4)
633.2

22.3%

(0.1)

633.1

(227.1)

42.5

159.6

12.4
251.7

–

251.7

(77.3)

–

–

(43.3)

(133.4)

–
884.9

30.8%

(0.1)

884.8

(39.3)
430.8

18.8%

15.0

445.8

(304.4)

(153.3)

(6.7)

(3.8)

6.7

–

–

(3.8)

2.1

(1.2)

43.3

133.4

39.3
268.4

(1.8)

266.6

(91.9)

(2.1)

(0.5)

–

–

–

699.2

29.8%

13.2

712.4

(245.2)

–

(1.7)

23%

30%

35%

16%

24%

12%

15%

27%

43%

18%

22%

26%

34%

15%

23%

12%

37%

21%

47%

27%

42%

48%

24%

24%

€402.2

€1.57

€174.4

€0.68

€576.6

€2.25

€291.3

€1.14

€174.2

€0.68

€465.5

€1.82

38%

38%

24%

24%

(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

Year ended December 31,

2015
IFRS Adjustment

2015
non-IFRS

2014
IFRS Adjustment

€437.9

492.5

892.2

211.7

€(1.3)

(17.7)

(15.4)

(8.1)

(42.5)

€436.6

€343.2

474.8

876.8

203.6

409.7

748.5

189.4

€(1.1)

(16.9)

(13.9)

(11.4)

(43.3)

2014
non-IFRS

€342.1

392.8

734.6

178.0

(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 256.6 million diluted shares for 2015 and 255.3 million diluted shares for 2014.

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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: 2015 Compared to 2014

Revenue
The Company’s total revenue is comprised of (i) software revenue, which is its primary source of revenue, representing 88% of 
total revenue in 2015, and (ii) services and other revenue, which represented 12% of total revenue in 2015.

(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, 
2015

€2,839.5

2,502.8

336.7

889.5

1,226.5

723.5

% change

24%

23%

30%

35%

16%

24%

% change 
in constant 
currencies

Year ended 
December 31, 
2014

13%

€2,294.3

13%

20%

14%

13%

14%

2,035.0

259.3

659.1

1,052.8

582.4

* 

The Company’s largest national markets as measured by total revenue are the United States, Germany, Japan, France and the United Kingdom. See Note 3 to the consolidated 
financial statements.

IFRS  total  revenue  increased  13%  in  constant  currencies. 
Non-IFRS total revenue increased 12%, on software revenue 
growth of 12% and services and other revenue growth of 17% 
in constant currencies. Excluding acquisitions and in constant 
currencies, non-IFRS software revenue increased 8% in 2015, 
with new licenses revenue growth of 11% and with recurring 
(periodic and maintenance subscriptions) and other software 
revenue growth of 7%.

Software  revenue  growth  was  well  balanced  across  the 
Company’s  three  regions.  Growth  in  Asia  was  led  by  most 
notably Japan, South Korea and India. In the Americas growth 
was  driven  by  North  America,  with  weaker  results  for  Latin 
America. In Europe, growth was led by the United Kingdom, 
France and Southern Europe.

Software Revenue
Software  revenue  is  primarily  comprised  of  new  licenses 
revenue  and  periodic 
licenses,  maintenance  and  other 
software-related  revenue.  Periodic  licenses  subscription  and 
maintenance subscription 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  subscription  or  cloud  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 

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3

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.

Non-IFRS  recurring  software  revenue  represented  70% 
and  71%  of  total  software  revenue  for  2015  and  2014, 
respectively.

Other  software  revenue  totaled  €20.4  million  for  2015 
compared  to  €11.3  million  for  2014  and  was  comprised  of 
revenue related to the development of additional functionalities 
of standard products requested by clients.

(in millions, except percentages)

2015

2014

Year ended December 31,

Software revenue

New licenses revenue

Periodic licenses, maintenance 
and other software-related 
revenue

Total software revenue

(as % of total revenue)

€716.5

€579.4

1,786.3

€2,502.8

88.1%

1,455.6

€2,035.0

88.7%

For  2015,  IFRS  software  revenue  increased  23.0%  and 
increased  13%  in  constant  currencies.  Similarly,  non-IFRS 
software revenue increased 22.1% and 12% excluding currency 
effects and totaled €2.54 billion compared to €2.08 billion for 
2014. Excluding acquisitions and currency impacts non-IFRS 
software revenue increased 8% in 2015.

IFRS  new  licenses  revenue  increased  23.7%  and  12%  in 
constant currencies in 2015. Non-IFRS new licenses revenue 
of  €735.6  million  increased  26.5%  and  15%  in  constant 
currencies, benefiting from organic growth estimated at 11% 
in  constant  currencies  and  2014  acquisitions.  New  licenses 
revenue  represented  28.6%  and  28.5%  of  total  software 
revenue for 2015 and 2014, respectively.

IFRS  recurring  software  revenue,  comprised  of  periodic 
licenses  and  maintenance  subscriptions,  increased  22.3% 
and 12% in constant currencies and totaled €1,765.9 million 
for 2015, compared to €1,444.3 million for 2014. Non-IFRS 
recurring  software  revenue  increased  19.9%  and  10%  in 
constant  currencies  and  totaled  €1,781.9  million  for  2015 
compared  to  €1,485.8  million  in  2014.  Excluding  currency 
effects,  recurring  software  revenue  growth  reflected  strong 
results across the Company’s three regions, and continued to 
reflect high maintenance attachment rates and renewal rates. 
Rental revenue increased in total while reflecting mixed results 
on an organic basis.

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  in  2014),  services  and  other 
revenue also include content-related digital production for use 
in 3D visualization, advertising, sales and marketing.

3

(in millions, except percentages)

Services and other revenue

(as % of total revenue)

Year ended December 31,

2015

€336.7

11.9%

2014

€259.3

11.3%

Services and other revenue growth was 29.8% and excluding 
currency impacts increased about 20%, reflecting the full year 
impact of the 2014 acquisitions. On an organic basis, Services 
and  other  revenue  grew  1%  consistent  with  the  Company’s 
focus on increasing engagements with system integrators.

Operating expenses

(in millions)

Operating expenses

Adjustments*

Non-IFRS operating expenses*

Year ended December 31,

2015

€2,206.3

(214.5)

€1,991.8

2014

€1,863.5

(216.0)

€1,647.5

* 

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 of €159.6 million and 
€133.4  million  for  2015  and  2014,  respectively,  (ii)  share-based  compensation 
expense and related social charges of €42.5 million and €43.3 million for 2015 and 
2014,  respectively,  and  (iii)  other  operating  income  and  expense,  net  of 
€12.4  million  and  €39.3  million  for  2015  and  2014,  respectively.  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”.

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Operating and Financial Review

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)

2015

2014

Year ended December 31,

Cost of software revenue
(excluding amortization 
of acquired intangibles)

(as % of total revenue)

€143.2

5.0%

€117.3

5.1%

IFRS  cost  of  software  revenue  (excluding  amortization  of 
acquired intangibles) increased 22.1% and primarily reflected 
both the addition of acquisitions and negative currency effects. 
Excluding  a  net  negative  currency  impact  of  approximately 
12  percentage  points  cost  of  software  revenue  (excluding 
amortization  of  acquired  intangibles)  increased  10%  due  to 
the addition of acquisitions and to a lesser extent from organic 
costs, including higher royalty and Cloud costs.

On  a  non-IFRS  basis  and  excluding  unfavourable  currency 
effects,  cost  of  software  revenue  (excluding  amortization 
of  acquired  intangibles)  similarly  increased  10%  in  total  of 
which 7 percentage points came from scope increase with the 
acquisitions and 3 percentage points of organic expense growth.

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)

2015

2014

Year ended December 31,

Cost of services 
and other revenue

(as % of total revenue)

€294.7

10.4%

€225.9

9.8%

Cost  of  services  and  other  revenue  increased  30.5%  and  on 
a  non-IFRS  basis  increased  30.3%,  principally  due  to  the 
addition of acquisitions and to currency effects. Excluding a net 
currency impact of approximately 8 percentage points, cost of 
services  and  other  revenue  increased  22%,  largely  reflecting 
growth in personnel and related costs from acquisitions and in 
part to underlying organic expense increase.

Research and Development Expenses
its  ongoing  significant 
The  Company  believes  that 
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, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Poland, 
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,

2015

2014

€492.5

17.3%

€409.7

17.9%

The  Company  continues  to  benefit  from  a  strong  focus  on 
investments  in  research  and  development,  with  underlying 
organic  investments  and  the  acquisitions  of  Accelrys,  a 
leading provider of scientific innovation lifecycle management 
software  for  the  chemistry,  biology  and  materials  sciences 
industries in April 2014 (BIOVIA brand) and Quintiq extending 
the  Company’s  3DEXPERIENCE  offering  to  global  business 
operations planning.

IFRS research and development expenses increased 20.2% and 
on a non-IFRS basis increased 20.9%. Excluding a net negative 
impact  of  approximately  8  percentage  points, 
currency 
growth  in  research  and  development  reflected  both  organic 
investments as well as the addition of the 2014 acquisitions.

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 

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3

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,

2015

2014

€(12.4)

€(39.3)

income  and 

 expense ,  net,  decreased 
Other  operating 
€26.9 million in 2015 principally reflecting lower acquisition-
related third-party professional fees of €(14.8) million as well 
as lower restructuring costs of €(8.7) million. See Note 8 to the 
consolidated financial statements.

3

Operating income

(in millions)

Operating income

Year ended December 31,

2015

€633.2

2014

€430.8

IFRS  operating  income  growth  of  47.0%  in  2015  was  due 
 to  revenue  growth  of  23.8%  and  to  a  3.5  percentage  point 
increase in the operating margin to 22.3% for 2015 compared 
to 18.8% for 2014.

On  a  non-IFRS  basis,  operating  income  increased  26.6%  to 
€884.9  million  for  2015,  compared  to  €699.2  million  for 
2014. The non-IFRS operating margin increased to 30.8% for 
2015 compared to 29.8% for 2014, reflecting approximately 
120  basis  points  of  organic  improvement  fully  offsetting 
acquisition dilution, and a favourable impact from currencies 
of 100 basis points.

Financial revenue and other, net
Financial  revenue  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.

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,

2015

€892.2

31.4%

2014

€748.5

32.6%

IFRS marketing and sales expenses increased 19.2% and on a 
non-IFRS basis increased 19.4% and included a net negative 
impact  of  approximately  8  percentage  points. 
currency 
Excluding currency effects, sales expenses increased reflecting 
the  combined  impact  of  acquisitions  as  well  as  underlying 
sales  expense  growth,  while  marketing  expenses  increased 
solely due to change in scope with the 2014 acquisitions.

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 
(excluding acquisition-related 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,

2015

2014

€211.7

7.5%

€189.4

8.3%

IFRS  general  and  administrative  expenses  increased  11.8% 
and on a non-IFRS basis, general and administrative expenses 
increased  14.4%.  Excluding  an  estimated  net  negative 
currency impact of 6 percentage points, the growth of general 
and  administrative  expenses  was  due  largely  to  the  addition 
of  acquisitions.  On  an  organic  basis  and  excluding  currency 
effects,  non-IFRS  general  and  administrative  expenses 
increased 2%.

Amortization of Acquired Intangibles
Amortization  of  acquired 
includes  mainly 
amortization  of  acquired  technology  and  acquired  customer 
relationships.

intangibles 

Year ended December 31,

(in millions)

2015

2014

Financial revenue and other, net

Year ended December 31,

2015

€(0.1)

2014

€15.0

(in millions)

Amortization of acquired 
intangibles

€159.6

€133.4

Amortization of acquired intangibles increased €26.2 million 
or  19.6%,  reflecting  principally  the  2014  acquisitions  of 
Accelrys in April and Quintiq in September, respectively.

2015 financial revenue and other, net was mainly comprised 
of  net  financial  interest  income  of  €11.2  million  (2014: 
€17.1 million) and exchange losses of €(12.0) million (2014: 
€(4.1)  million).  See  Note  9  to  the  consolidated  financial 
statements.

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Operating and Financial Review

IFRS financial revenue and other, net decreased €15.1 million in 
2015 principally due to higher exchange losses of €7.9 million 
related  to  the  high  volatility  of  currencies  and  lower  net 
financial interest income of €5.9 million due to lower interest 
rates.  On  a  non-IFRS  basis,  financial  revenue  and  other,  net 
decreased €13.3 million to €(0.1) million for 2015 compared 
to €13.2 million in 2014, reflecting higher exchange losses of 
€8.2 million in 2015 compared to 2014 as well as lower net 
financial interest income of €5.7 million.

Income tax expense

(in millions, except percentages)

Income tax expense

Effective consolidated tax rate

Year ended December 31,

2015

€227.1

35.9%

2014

€153.3

34.4%

IFRS  income  tax  expense  increased  €73.8  million  in  total  in 
2015 compared to 2014, of which €64.4 million of the change 
was  due  to  higher  pre-tax  income  in  2015.  The  effective 
consolidated  tax  rate  increase  was  mainly  due  to  the  one-
time  tax  impact  of  the  transfer  of  certain  contracts  in  Asia. 
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 2015 and 2014.

On a non-IFRS basis, income tax expense increased 24.1% to 
€304.4 million for 2015, compared to €245.2 million for 2014, 
due to growth of non-IFRS pre-tax income to €884.8 million 
compared  to  €712.4  million  for  2014.  On  a  non-IFRS  basis, 
the effective tax rate was 34.4% for 2015 and 2014.

Net income and diluted net income per share

Year ended December 31,

(in millions, except per share data)

2015

2014

Net income attributable to 
shareholders

Diluted net income per share

Diluted weighted average number 
of shares outstanding

€402.2

€1.57

€291.3

€1.14

256.6

255.3

IFRS  and  non-IFRS  net  income  per  diluted  share  growth 
principally benefited from strong revenue growth, the positive 
influence  from  currencies  and  organic  operating  margin 
expansion. IFRS diluted net income per share increased 37.7% 
compared  to  2014.  Non-IFRS  net  income  per  diluted  share 
increased 23.6% to €2.25 per diluted share in 2015, compared 
to  €1.82  per  diluted  share  in  2014.  On  a  non-IFRS  basis, 
currency had a estimated net favourable impact of about 13 
percentage points.

3.1.3  Trends in Quarterly Results

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  software 
revenue  is,  however,  less  sensitive  to  quarterly  variation 
due  to  its  significant  level  of  recurring  software  revenue, 
which  is  comprised  of  maintenance  revenue  and  on-premise 
software  subscriptions  as  well  as  initial  cloud  subscriptions. 
In  combination,  maintenance  and  periodic  licenses  revenue 
represented 71% of total IFRS software revenue in 2015 and 
2014. This significant level of recurring software revenue has 
served  and  continues  to  serve  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  new  license  sales  typically  occurs  in 
the  last  month  of  each  quarter,  and  the  Company  normally 

experiences  its  highest  new  licenses  sales  for  the  year  in  its 
fiscal fourth quarter ended December 31st. Software revenue, 
total  revenue,  operating  income,  operating  margin  and  net 
income have generally been highest in the fourth quarter of 
each year.

In 2015, total revenue for the fourth, third, second and first 
quarters  represented,  respectively,  28.1%  (29.3%  in  2014), 
23.8% (24.5% in 2014), 25.2% (24.3% in 2014) and 22.9% 
(21.9% in 2014) of the Company’s total revenue for the year, 
with the mix of revenues by quarter reflecting both seasonality 
as  described  above  and  the  carryover  impact  of  acquisitions 
completed 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  1.6.1.14  “Variability  in  Quarterly  Operating 
Results”.

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2016 Financial Objectives and Multi-Year Growth Plan

3

3.1.4  Capital Resources

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  and  short-term 
investments 
amounted to €2.35 billion as of December 31, 2015 compared 
to  €1.18  billion  as  of  December  31,  2014.  The  Company’s 
net  financial  position  was  €1.35  billion  at  December  31, 
2015,  compared  to  €825.5  million  at  December  31,  2014, 
and was comprised of cash, cash equivalents and short-term 
investments, less long-term debt.

In  2015  the  Company’s  principal  sources  of  liquidity  were 
cash  from  operations  of  €633.3  million,  and  proceeds  from 
the  new  five-year  credit  facility  of  €650.0  million,  as  well 
as proceeds from the exercise of stock options amounting to 
€35.9  million.  During  2015  cash  obtained  from  operations 
was used principally to distribute cash dividends aggregating 
€98.4  million  (based  upon  the  shareholders  electing  to 
receive  cash),  to  make  additions  to  property,  equipment 
and  intangibles  of  €43.6  million,  to  repurchase  shares  in 
the  amount  of  €28.3  million  and  to  fund  acquisitions  of 
€20.2 million net.

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, the Company uses of cash were principally for 
acquisitions in the amount of €952.9 million net, repurchase 
of  Company  shares  in  the  amount  of  €171.7  million  and 
distribution  of  cash  dividends  aggregating  €35.8  million 
(based  upon  the  shareholders  electing  to  receive  cash).  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”.

Exchange  rate  fluctuations  had  a  positive  translation  effect, 
on cash and cash equivalent balances, of €55.2 million as of 
December 31, 2015, and of €38.0 million as of December 31, 
2014.

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 SE.

3

3.2  2016 Financial Objectives and Multi-Year 

Growth Plan

The  Company  confirms  its  initial  2016  non-IFRS  financial 
objectives which were announced on February 4, 2016, when 
the  preliminary,  unaudited  annual  results  for  2015  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 
2016.

The Company’s initial 2016 non-IFRS financial objectives are 
as follows:

 (cid:125) 2016 non-IFRS revenue growth objective range of about 6% 
to 7% in constant currencies (€2.98 billion to €3.01 billion 
based upon the 2016 currency exchange rate assumptions 
outlined below for its principal currencies);

 (cid:125) 2016 non-IFRS operating margin of about 31%, compared 

to 30.8% for 2015;

 (cid:125) 2016  non-IFRS  earnings  per  share  of  about  €2.40, 
representing  a  growth  objective  of  about  7%,  embedding 
about 3 percentage points of assumed currency headwinds;

 (cid:125) These  financial  objectives  are  based  upon  exchange  rate 
assumptions  of  U.S.  dollar  1.14  per  euro  and  Japanese 
yen 130.00 per euro for 2016.

In addition to the 2016 objectives stated above, the Company 
has  outlined  two  goals  for  2016.  First,  while  the  Company 
sees  a  somewhat  more  volatile  macro-environment  in  2016 
compared to 2015, based upon an increase in 3DEXPERIENCE 
activity it has set a goal of organic double-digits new licenses 
revenue  growth  in  constant  currencies  for  2016.  Second, 
while it anticipates selective increases in investments in R&D 
and Sales resources in 2016 compared to 2015, the Company 
has, at the same time, set a goal targeting an increase in the 
organic operating margin of about 50 basis points in constant 
currencies for 2016.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

83

3 Financial Review and prospects

Interim and Other Financial Information

The  Company’s  objectives  are  prepared  and  communicated 
only  on  a  non-IFRS  basis.  The  2016  annual  non-IFRS 
objectives  set  forth  above  do  not  take  into  account  the 
following accounting elements and are based upon the 2016 
currency exchange rate assumptions above: deferred revenue 
write-downs currently estimated at approximately €2 million 
for  2016;  share-based  compensation  expense,  including 
related  social  charges,  currently  estimated  at  approximately 
€62  million  for  2016  and  amortization  expense  for  acquired 
intangibles currently estimated at approximately €147 million 
for  2016.  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 4, 2016.

On June 13, 2014 in conjunction with its 2014 Capital Markets 
Day,  Dassault  Systèmes  unveiled  its  2014-2019  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  principally  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. 
Such 
on 
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.

84 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

4

FINANCIAL 
STATEMENTS

4.1  Consolidated Financial Statements  86

4.3  Legal and Arbitration Proceedings  150

CONTENTS

4.1.1  Consolidated Financial Statements 

4.1.2  Statutory Auditors' Report on the Consolidated 

Financial Statements 

4.2  Parent Company Financial 

Statements 

86

122

124

4.2.1  Parent Company Financial Statements and Notes  124

4.2.2  Selected financial and other information 

for Dassault Systèmes SE over the last five years 

145

4.2.3  Statutory Auditors' Report on the Parent 

Company Financial Statements 

4.2.4  Statutory Auditors' Report on Related Party 

Agreements and Commitments 

146

148

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

85

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

The  consolidated  and  parent  company  fi nancial  statements  below  will  be  submitted  for  approval  at  the  General  Meeting  of 
Shareholders of Dassault Systèmes scheduled for May 26, 2016.

4.1  Consolidated Financial Statements

In compliance with article 28 of the European Regulation no. 809/2004 of the European Commission, the consolidated fi nancial 
statements for 2013 and 2014 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 fi nancial 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

2015

2014

€716,539

€579,360

1,786,240

1,455,625

4

2,502,779

2,034,985

336,676

259,295

2,839,455

2,294,280

(143,183)

(294,737)

(492,494)

(892,182)

(211,731)

(159,561)

(12,360)

633,207

11,172

(11,292)

633,087

(227,136)

€405,951

(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

€402,178

€291,241

€3,773

€1,209

€1.59

€1.57

€1.16

€1.14

8

9

9

10

11

11

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated fi nancial statements.

86 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(in thousands)

NET INCOME

Losses on cash fl ow hedges

Foreign currency translation adjustment

Income tax on items to be reclassifi ed

Other comprehensive income to be reclassifi ed to profi t or loss in subsequent periods, 
net of tax

Remeasurements of defi ned benefi t pension plans

Income tax on items not being reclassifi ed

Other comprehensive income not being reclassifi ed to profi t 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 fi nancial statements.

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2015

2014

€405,951

€292,450

23

22

(7,137)

173,658

2,549

169,070

1,331

(582)

749

169,819

(1,508)

187,036

575

186,103

(30,870)

9,712

(21,158)

164,945

€575,770

€457,395

€571,530

€451,510

€4,240

€5,885

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

87

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 fi nancial 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

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2015

2014*

12

12

13

13

14

15

10

17

18

19

10

20

19

€2,280,534

€1,104,206

70,752

739,141

48,367

102,386

71,286

627,662

78,160

99,198

3,241,180

1,980,512

135,326

132,498

115,284

136,737

69,526

86,345

1,024,809

1,125,995

1,662,333

1,563,269

3,070,250

2,981,872

€6,311,430

€4,962,384

€119,802

€130,327

274,933

778,036

47,570

91,525

246,623

636,750

16,870

104,307

1,311,866

1,134,877

213,854

1,000,000

298,012

1,511,866

128,357

454,448

222,393

350,000

295,610

868,003

128,182

484,208

(108,921)

(187,085)

2,797,556

2,489,667

197,091

28,488

3,468,531

2,943,460

19,167

16,044

23

3,487,698

2,959,504

€6,311,430

€4,962,384

* 

The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 has been restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations (see Note 16 
Business Combinations).

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated fi nancial statements.

88 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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 provided by (used in) fi nancing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

INCREASE (DECREASE) 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 fi nancial statements.

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2015

2014

€405,951

€292,450

24

24

14, 17

16

23

23

20

20

203,530

23,780

633,261

(43,579)

(93,283)

99,087

(20,209)

(2,538)

187,748

19,255

499,453

(45,393)

(95,141)

94,783

(952,913)

(2,197)

(60,522)

(1,000,861)

35,927

(98,418)

(28,295)

650,000

(10,796)

548,418

55,171

57,893

(35,764)

(171,660)

-

(20,685)

(170,216)

37,970

1,176,328

(633,654)

1,104,206

1,737,860

€2,280,534

€1,104,206

€209,276

€189,434

€6,354

€5,205

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

89

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity

(in thousands)

Common 
stock

Share 
premium

Treasury 
stock

Other items

Retained 
earnings and 
other 
reserves

Foreign 
currency 
translation 
adjustment

Cash fl ow 
hedges

Parent 
shareholders’ 
equity

Non-
controlling 
interest

Total
Equity

JANUARY 1, 2014

€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

Net income

Other 
comprehensive 
income, net of tax

COMPREHENSIVE 
INCOME, NET OF 
TAX

Dividends

Exercise of stock 
options

Treasury stock 
transactions

Share-based 
payments

Other changes

DECEMBER 31, 
2014

Net income

Other 
comprehensive 
income, net of tax

COMPREHENSIVE 
INCOME, NET OF 
TAX

Dividends

Exercise of stock 
options

Treasury stock 
transactions

Share-based 
payments

Other changes

DECEMBER 31, 
2015

−

−

−

−

−

−

802

70,330

1,188

49,457

−

−

−

−

−

270,083

(3,475)

184,902

(103,431)

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

451,510

(32,299)

5,885

457,395

(3,465)

(35,764)

50,645

(171,660)

29,950

4,787

−

−

−

−

50,645

(171,660)

29,950

4,787

(741)

(61,551)

(81,353)

(28,015)

−

−

−

−

−

−

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

402,178

−

−

402,178

3,773

405,951

749

(4,223)

172,826

169,352

467

169,819

402,927

(4,223)

172,826

(108,535)

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

−

571,530

(95,641)

4,240

575,770

(2,777)

(98,418)

35,224

(28,295)

40,194

2,059

−

−

−

1,660

35,224

(28,295)

40,194

3,719

(802)

(76,901)

78,164

(28,756)

−

−

−

−

−

−

40,194

2,059

€128,357

€454,448 €(108,921) €2,797,556 €(10,651)

€207,742 €3,468,531

€19,167 €3,487,698

−

−

−

93

−

−

−

12,801

884

34,340

−

−

−

−

−

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated fi nancial statements.

90 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for Years Ended 
December 31, 2015 and 2014

CONTENTS

Note 1  Description of Business 

92

Note 13  Trade Accounts Receivable, 

Note 2 

Summary of Signifi cant Accounting 
Policies 

Net and Other Current Assets 

92

Note 14  Property and Equipment 

Note 3 

Segment and Geographic Information  96

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 

98

99

99

99

102

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

108

110

111

112

113

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  113

Note 22  Post-employment Benefi ts 

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 

115

117

119

119

120

121

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

91

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 1  Description of Business

refers 

The  “Company”  or 
to  Dassault 
the  “Group” 
Systèmes SE and its subsidiaries. The Company provides end-
to-end  software  solutions  and  services,  designed  to  support 
companies’  innovation  processes,  from  specifi cation  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 
the end-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  3D  modeling  applications,  simulation  applications,  social 
and  collaborative  applications,  and  information  intelligence 
applications, all powered by its 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  is  a  European  company  (Societas 
Europaea),  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  France.  The 
Company’s  registered  offi ce  is  located  at  10,  rue  Marcel 
Dassault, in Vélizy-Villacoublay, France. The Dassault Systèmes 
SE  shares  are  listed  in  France  on  Euronext  Paris.  These 
consolidated fi nancial statements were established under the 
responsibility of the Board of Directors on March 17, 2016.

Note 2  Summary of Signifi cant Accounting Policies

The Company undertakes no early application of any standard 
or  interpretation  or  associated  amendments  which  were 
already published in the Offi cial Journal of the European Union 
at December 31, 2015.

In addition, the Company’s consolidated fi nancial statements 
do  not  take  into  account  new  standards,  interpretations 
and  amendments  not  yet  approved  by  the  European  Union 
at  December  31,  2015,  notably  IFRS  15  “Revenue  from 
contracts  with  customers”,  expected  to  be  effective  as  of 
January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company 
is currently assessing the impact of IFRS 15 on its consolidated 
fi nancial statements and plans to adopt the new standard on 
the required effective date.

Summary of significant accounting policies

Use of estimates
The preparation of fi nancial 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  fi nancial  statements.  Areas 
involving  the  use  of  signifi cant  estimates  and  assumptions 
mainly 
identifying 
the  different  elements  comprising  a  software  arrangement, 
including  the  distinction  between  upgrades/enhancements 

include:  assessing  product 

lifecycles; 

Basis of preparation and consolidation
The  accompanying  consolidated  fi nancial  statements  were 
prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards  (“IFRS”)  as  adopted  in  the  European  Union.  The 
consolidated fi nancial statements are presented in thousands 
of euros except where otherwise indicated.

The  consolidated  fi nancial  statements  include  the  accounts 
of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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  signifi cant  infl uence  are  accounted  for  under  the 
equity  method.  Intercompany  transactions  and  balances  are 
eliminated.

Impact of recently issued accounting standards
The  following  interpretation  which  was  published  in  the 
Offi cial Journal of the European Union at December 31, 2015 
was applied for the fi rst time in 2015:

 (cid:125) IFRIC 21 “Levies”, mandatory for fi nancial 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 had no material impact on 
the Company’s consolidated fi nancial statements.

92 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

4

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  fl ows  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 fl ows 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 
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  benefi ts 

associated  with  the  transaction  will  fl ow  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  unspecifi ed  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  signifi cant  modifi cation  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.

Service  revenues  derived  from  fi xed  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.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

93

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

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.  Non-
market  vesting  conditions  are  excluded  from  the  fair  value 
measurement  but  are  taken  into  account  to  estimate  the 
number of shares that will eventually vest. At the end of each 
reporting period, the Group reviews this estimate and records 
the  impact  of  changes  to  original  estimate,  if  any,  in  the 
statement of income.

For  performance  share  plans  that  allow  the  benefi ciaries  to 
acquire shares either upon satisfaction of a market condition or 
a non-market vesting condition, the Group estimates the fair 
value of the equity instrument at grant date for each possible 
outcome, and accounts for the share-based payment based on 
the most likely outcome at the end of each reporting period.

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 specifi cities 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 diffi cult 
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  fi nance  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  insuffi cient 
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  fi nancial  income  and  expense  primarily  includes  the 
impact of remeasuring fi nancial 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 fi nancial 
instruments not qualifi ed 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 
fi nancial  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  profi t  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  profi t  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 

94 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

4

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.

Allowance for doubtful accounts and loans receivable
The  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  and  loans  receivable 
refl ects  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  insignifi cant  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  classifi ed  as  trading  securities  with  changes  in 
fair value recorded in interest income and expense, net.

Non-Current  Financial  Assets  –  Non-current  fi nancial  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  are  recognized  in  the 
income  until 
consolidated  statements  of  comprehensive 
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,  specifi c 
industry  and  individual  company  data,  the  length  of  time 

and the extent to which the market value has been less than 
cost,  the  fi nancial  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 specifi c hedge accounting criteria 
are met. Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated as 
cash-fl ow 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 fi ve years; offi ce furniture 
and  equipment,  fi ve  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 identifi ed with an indefi nite 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. 
Identifi able  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 identifi able 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  benefi t  from  the  synergies  of  the  combination, 

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

95

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

irrespective of whether other assets or liabilities of the acquiree 
are assigned to those units.

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 fl ows 
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 
outfl ows  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 outfl ow 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  outfl ow  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  defi ned  contribution  plans  are 
recorded as expenses for the relevant period.

For  defi ned  benefi t  plans  concerning  post-employment 
benefi ts, the Company uses the projected unit credit method 
to  determine  the  present  value  of  its  obligations.  Under  this 
method, benefi ts are attributed to periods of service according 
to  the  plan’s  benefi t  formula.  However,  if  an  employee’s 
service  in  later  years  will  earn  a  materially  higher  level  of 
benefi t than in earlier years, benefi ts 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 benefi ts 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 benefi t 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  fi nancial  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,  scientifi c  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  fi nancial 
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 Signifi cant 
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 refl ect 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).

96 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  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,

2015

2014

€2,876,652

€2,346,660

(37,197)

(52,380)

€2,839,455

€2,294,280

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€884,834

€699,174

(37,197)

(42,509)

(52,380)

(43,293)

(159,561)

(133,376)

(12,360)

(39,309)

€633,207

€430,816

4

Data by geographic operations of the Company is established according to geographical location of the consolidated companies 
and is as follows:

(in thousands)

2015

Europe

of which France

of which Germany

Americas

of which the United States

Asia

of which Japan

TOTAL

2014

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

€984,154

€3,656,664

463,345

214,496

2,612,147

442,781

1,206,888

2,150,243

1,154,515

1,954,114

648,413

357,888

504,523

136,901

€22,447

18,134

891

12,370

11,580

8,762

1,207

€2,839,455

€6,311,430

€43,579

€864,599

€2,541,800

€17,371

439,108

211,131

903,602

850,581

526,079

373,838

1,524,100

450,348

1,996,773

1,779,693

423,811

175,173

14,405

1,030

23,151

22,525

8,371

2,727

€2,294,280

€4,962,384

€48,893

*  2014 figures have been restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €(5.7) million (see Note 16 Business 

Combinations).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

97

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

The  Company  also  receives  data  that  identifi es  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,

2015

2014

€1,226,426

€1,052,804

246,439

357,021

889,504

755,552

723,525

347,837

229,522

340,223

659,022

574,994

582,454

293,065

€2,839,455

€2,294,280

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€716,539

€579,360

1,765,873

1,444,327

20,367

11,298

€2,502,779

€2,034,985

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€938,484

€838,527

569,827

301,878

692,590

447,683

262,849

485,926

€2,502,779

€2,034,985

98 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  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

Note 6  Personnel Costs

Personnel costs
Personnel 
payments 
(€40.2  million  in  2015  and  €30.3  million  in  2014,  see 
Note  7  Share-based  Payments)  and  associated  payroll  taxes 

share-based 

excluding 

costs, 

(in thousands)

Personnel costs

Social security costs

TOTAL

Note 7  Share-based Payments

Year ended December 31,

2015

€34,780

1,308

€36,088

2014

€43,099

-

€43,099

4

(€2.3 million in 2015 and €13.0 in 2014), are presented in the 
following table:

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€(1,102,733)

€(882,120)

(252,212)

(215,836)

€(1,354,945)

€(1,097,956)

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,

2015

2014

€(16,968)

€(12,500)

(14,799)

(11,077)

(7,062)

(1,365)

(5,828)

(850)

€(40,194)

€(30,255)

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

99

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Changes during 2015 and 2014 of unvested options and performance shares were as follows:

UNVESTED AT JANUARY 1, 2014

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

UNVESTED AT DECEMBER 31, 2014

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

UNVESTED AT DECEMBER 31, 2015

Number of awards

Performance 
shares

Stock options

Total

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

1,034,600

1,965,555

3,000,155

(773,550)

-

(76,500)

(170,150)

(773,550)

(246,650)

2,673,390

2,405,255

5,078,645

As  of  December  31,  2015,  total  compensation  cost  related  to  unvested  awards  expected  to  vest  but  not  yet  recognized  was 
€95.6  million,  and  the  Company  expects  to  recognize  this  expense  over  a  weighted  average  period  of  2  years,  no  later  than 
September 4, 2018.

Performance shares
A summary of the Company’s performance shares plans is as follows:

Plans

2010-02

2010-04

2010-05

2014-A

2014-B

2015-A

2015-B

Date of General Meeting of Shareholders

05/27/2010 05/27/2010 05/27/2010 05/30/2013 05/30/2013 09/04/2015 09/04/2015

Date of grant by Board of Directors

09/29/2011 09/07/2012 09/07/2012 02/21/2014 02/21/2014 09/04/2015 09/04/2015

Total number of shares granted

406,400

539,230

150,000

529,940

150,000

734,600

300,000

Restated total number of shares 
granted(1)

Acquisition period (in years)(3)

812,800(2) 1,078,460(2)

300,000

1,059,880

300,000

734,600

300,000

Three or 
four(4)

Three or 
four(4)

Two

Four

Four

Two

Two

Performance conditions

See Note(5)

See Note(5)

See Note(6)

See Note(7)

See Note(7)

See Note(7)

See Note(7)

Performance conditions is reached
at December 31, 2015

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

(1)  For shares granted before July 17, 2014, total number of shares granted has been restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014 (see Note 23 Shareholders’ 

Equity).

(2)   Including 28,000 shares granted to the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), subject to an additional performance condition related to the CEO’s variable compensation. 
(3)   Subject to the condition that the beneficiary be an employee or a director of the Company at the acquisition date.
(4)   Three years in France and four years outside of France.
(5)   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.

(6)   Performance condition related to the CEO’s variable compensation dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board.
(7)   Performance condition measured based on two alternative criteria, the growth of the non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of the Group or the outperformance of the price of the 
Dassault Systèmes share compared to the performance of the CAC 40 index (market condition) for each of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for 2014-A and 2014-B Shares, and 
for the year 2016 for 2015-A and 2015-B Shares, compared to the year 2014. Such growth or difference must be at least equal to a threshold established by the Board. The 2015-
B 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.

Performance shares granted in 2015 are measured at fair value based on the quoted price of the Company’s common stock on 
the date of grant. 

100 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Stock option
The  main  features  of  the  Group  stock  option  plans  are  as 
follows: Options vest over various periods ranging from one to 
four years, subject to continued employment, options expire 
eight  to  ten  years  from  grant  date,  or  after  termination  of 
employment, whichever is earlier, options have generally been 
granted at an exercise price equal to or greater than the grant-
date market value of the Company’s share.

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 1,965,555 options to 
subscribe  to  Dassault  Systèmes  shares  to  certain  employees 
on September 4, 2015, at an exercise price of €62.

Such  options  shall  be  vested  at  the  end  of  an  acquisition 
period  of  one  to  three  years,  subject  to  the  condition  that 

the  benefi ciary  be  an  employee  of  the  Company  at  the 
acquisition date and to the achievement of certain non-market 
performance  objectives.  The  options  expire  ten  years  from 
grant date or after termination of employment, whichever is 
earlier.

The weighted average grant-date fair value of options granted 
in  2015  was  €11.44.  It  was  estimated  on  the  date  of  grant 
using  a  Black-Scholes  option  pricing  model.  Assumptions 
used  are  as  follows:  weighted-average  expected  life  of  6 
years, expected volatility rate of 22%, expected dividend yield 
of  0.70%  and  average  risk-free  interest  rate  of  0.41%.  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

2015

2014

Number 
of shares

5,287,411

1,965,555

(1,769,020)

(171,850)

5,312,096

2,906,841

Weighted 
average 
exercise price

€23.73

€62.00

€19.91

€47.57

€38.40

€21.50

Number 
of shares

7,094,974

624,450

(2,375,837)

(56,176)

5,287,411

4,677,561

Weighted 
average 
exercise price

€21.06

€45.50

€21.32

€29.22

€23.73

€20.90

A summary of the remaining contractual life and the exercise price of options outstanding as of December 31, 2015 is presented 
below:

Stock option plan

2008-02

2010-01

2014-01

2015-01

OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015

Number 
of shares

Remaining 
life (years)

Exercise price

1,455,264

1,451,577

463,850

1,941,405

5,312,096

1.91

2.40

6.40

9.68

5.28

€19.50

€23.50

€45.50

€62.00

€38.40

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

101

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)

Costs incurred in connection with relocation activities (2)

Restructuring costs (3)

Other

OTHER OPERATING INCOME AND EXPENSE, NET

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€(5,552)

€(20,312)

(5,085)

(1,556)

(167)

(6,438)

(10,286)

(2,273)

€(12,360)

€(39,309)

(1)  In  2014,  transaction  costs  primarily  relating  to  the  acquisition  of  Realtime  Technology  AG  (renamed  “Dassault  Systemes  3DExcite  GmbH”),  Accelrys  (renamed 

“Dassault Systemes Biovia Corp.”) and Quintiq.

(2)  In 2015 and 2014, primarily composed of expenses related to the reorganization of the Group’s premises in North America.
(3)  In 2014, primarily composed of severance costs relating to the termination of employees following the Company’s decision to rationalize its sales organization principally in 

Europe, as well as severance costs related to the closure of offices in the Unites States.

Note 9 

Interest Income and Expense, Net and Other Financial 
Income and Expense, Net

Interest income and expense, net and other fi nancial income and expense, net for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 
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

2015

2014

€18,576

€22,869

(7,404)

11,172

(11,963)

671

(5,738)

17,131

(4,060)

1,865

€(11,292)

€(2,195)

(1)  Interest income is primarily composed of interests on cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.
(2)  In 2015, mainly includes interest expense of €6.3 million due pursuant to two term loan facility agreements entered into in October 2015 and June 2013, respectively, for €650 
and €350 million, respectively. In 2014, mainly include interest expense of €4.4 million due pursuant to a term loan facility agreement entered into in June 2013 for €350 million 
(see Note 20. Borrowings).

(3)  Foreign exchange losses, net are primarily composed of realized and unrealized exchange gains and losses on receivables and loans denominated in U.S. dollars, Australian dollar 

and Canadian dollar in 2015 and U.S. dollars and Japanese yen in 2014.

102 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Note 10  Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

(in thousands)

Deferred tax assets:

Accelerated depreciation and amortization for fi nancial statement purposes

Profi t-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

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014*

€49,072

€44,118

53,686

80,449

44,418

42,551

88,813

53,358

227,625

228,840

(288,605)

(300,143)

(22,568)

(15,022)

(48,948)

(15,797)

(326,195)

(364,888)

€(98,570)

€(136,048)

4

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €3.0 million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

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

Year ended December 31,

2015

€76,425

38,859

115,284

(11,383)

(202,471)

(213,854)

2014*

€60,712

25,633

86,345

(12,824)

(209,569)

(222,393)

€(98,570)

€(136,048)

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €3.0 million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

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 LIABILITY 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,

2015

2014*

€(136,048)

€(15,243)

42,461

(1,398)

5,540

(9,125)

39,887

(158,905)

9,352

(11,139)

€(98,570)

€(136,048)

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €3.0 million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

103

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 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,

2015

2014

€298,189

€243,410

334,898

202,342

€633,087

€445,752

Year ended December 31,

2015

€(116,418)

(153,179)

(269,597)

42,461

2014

€(90,613)

(102,576)

(193,189)

39,887

€(227,136)

€(153,302)

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

Adjustments of prior income tax provision

Other, net(2)

INCOME TAX EXPENSE

Effective tax rate

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€(240,573)

€(169,386)

6,852

17,374

6,218

518

(17,525)

3,233

15,831

4,634

(1,754)

(5,860)

€(227,136)

€(153,302)

35.9%

34.4%

(1)  R&D tax credit and other tax credits derived mainly from research tax credits in France and in the United States.
(2)  In 2015, includes mainly tax impact in connection with transfer of certain contracts in Asia, and French cotisation sur la valeur ajoutée des entreprises (“CVAE”). In 2014, included 

mainly tax impact in connection with French CVAE.

At December 31, 2015, there were unrecognized tax losses and tax credit carried forward of €61.3 million, which are scheduled 
to expire after 2021.

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.

104 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  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

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€402,178

€291,241

252,480,762

250,855,961

4,111,621

4,430,104

256,592,383

255,286,065

€1.59

€1.57

€1.16

€1.14

Note 12  Cash and Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments

Cash and cash equivalents are comprised of the following:

(in thousands)

Bank accounts

Cash equivalents

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

4

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€88,716

€71,864

2,191,818

1,032,342

€2,280,534

€1,104,206

At  December  31,  2015  and  2014,  approximately  26%  and 
35%  of  cash  and  cash  equivalents  was  denominated  in 
U.S. dollars, respectively.

Short-term  investments  of  €70.8  and  €71.3  million  at 
December  31,  2015  and  2014,  respectively,  were  primarily 
comprised  of  bank  certifi cates  of  deposit,  mutual  funds  and 
fi xed term deposits. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, short-
term  investments  included  approximately  59%  and  53%  of 
investments denominated in U.S. dollars, respectively.

Cash,  cash  equivalents  and  short-term 
investments  are 
maintained  on  deposit  with  high  credit-quality  fi nancial 
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 SE.

The  Company  has  adopted  policies  regarding  fi nancial 
ratings  and  the  spread  of  maturity  dates  in  order  to  ensure 
the  security  and  liquidity  of  its  fi nancial  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 fi nancial 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.

The  Group  has  a  central  cash  management  operated  by  a 
banking institution. In this context, the parent company of the 
bank offered a guarantee to the Group in the amount of €459 
million, and at the same time the Group offered a guarantee to 
the bank for the same amount.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

105

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,

2015

2014

€759,609

€648,732

(20,468)

(21,070)

€739,141

€627,662

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€77,814

€96,694

12,970

8,065

98,849

640,292

11,756

9,593

118,043

509,619

€739,141

€627,662

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 2015 and 2014.

Other current assets
Other current assets consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Prepaid expenses

Value added tax

Derivatives, current (1)

Other current assets(2)

TOTAL OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€42,964

€39,097

40,248

2,272

16,902

35,302

4,931

19,868

€102,386

€99,198

(1)  See Note 21. Derivatives and Currency and Interest Rate Risk Management.
(2)  2014 figures have been restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €1.4 million (see Note 16 Business 

Combinations).

106 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Note 14  Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Computer equipment

Offi ce furniture and equipment

Leasehold improvements

Buildings

TOTAL

Year ended December 31, 2015

Year ended December 31, 2014

Gross

Accumulated 
depreciation

Net

Gross

Accumulated 
depreciation

Net

€172,640

€(123,572)

€49,068

€151,990

€(104,034)

€47,956

55,790

100,682

7,057

(35,806)

(40,177)

(1,288)

19,984

60,505

5,769

50,471

92,328

6,347

(28,676)

(30,714)

(975)

21,795

61,614

5,372

€336,169

€(200,843)

€135,326

€301,136

€(164,399)

€136,737

The change in the carrying amount of property and equipment as of December 31, 2015 is as follows:

(in thousands)

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT 
AS OF JANUARY 1, 2015

Additions

Other changes

Depreciation for the period

Exchange differences

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT AS OF 
DECEMBER 31, 2015

Computer 
equipment

Offi ce furniture 
and equipment

Leasehold 
improvements

Buildings

Total

€47,956

€21,795

€61,614

€5,372

€136,737

26,415

(1,338)

(25,912)

1,947

3,756

(414)

(6,431)

1,278

4,164

120

(9,796)

4,403

298

-

(251)

350

34,633

(1,632)

(42,390)

7,978

€49,068

€19,984

€60,505

€5,769

€135,326

The change in the carrying amount of property and equipment as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

(in thousands)

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT 
AS OF JANUARY 1, 2014

Additions

Business combinations

Other changes

Depreciation for the period

Exchange differences

NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT AS OF 
DECEMBER 31, 2014

Computer 
equipment

Offi ce furniture 
and equipment

Leasehold 
improvements

Buildings

Total

€35,391

€15,724

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

€5,032

€100,448

-

-

-

(216)

556

45,517

21,329

(1,609)

(37,010)

8,062

€47,956

€21,795

€61,614

€5,372

€136,737

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

107

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 15  Non-Current Financial Assets

Non-current fi nancial assets consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Tax receivable(1)

Loans receivable, non-current

Investments

Derivatives, non-current(2)

Deposits and other non-current fi nancial assets

NON-CURRENT FINANCIAL ASSETS

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€79,860

€22,194

15,169

11,194

8,643

17,632

14,487

12,422

4,663

15,760

€132,498

€69,526

(1)  In 2015 and 2014, tax payments following tax reassessments which are 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

The  estimated  fair  values  of  assets  acquired  and  liabilities 
assumed  in  connection  with  the  Accelrys,  Quintiq  and 
SIMPACK  acquisitions  presented  in  the  Group’s  consolidated 
fi nancial statements as of December 31, 2014 were provisional 
and have been fi nalized in 2015.

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.

States,  Accelrys  is  a  leading  provider  of  scientifi c  innovation 
lifecycle  management  software  for  chemistry,  biology  and 
materials sciences industries.

The allocation of the purchase price resulted in €325.1 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.
its 
On  September  8,  2014,  the  Company  completed 
acquisition  of  100%  of  Quintiq  Holding  B.V.  (“Quintiq”),  for 
cash consideration of approximately €256.5 million, including 
a  contingent  consideration  of  approximately  €6.7  million 
paid in 2015 in connection with sales performance achieved 
in 2014. Based in Bois-Le-Duc, the Netherlands, Quintiq is a 
global leader in operations management and optimization.

The allocation of the purchase price resulted in €119.5 million 
of  goodwill.  The  primary  items  that  generated  goodwill 
include mainly the value of the synergies between Quintiq and 
the Company’s activities.

Accelrys Inc. (renamed “Dassault Systemes Biovia 
Corp.”)
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 

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 
€20.0 million of goodwill.

108 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Purchase price allocation
The fi nal allocation of RTT, Accelrys, Quintiq and other acquisitions’ purchase prices to identifi able assets acquired and liabilities 
assumed based on estimated fair values at the date of the acquisition is 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

16,521

243,432

(12,669)

(24,048)

(75,661)

Quintiq

€7,148

18,082

10,326

180,219

(4,679)

(25,133)

(48,980)

€216,383

€136,983

325,106

119,495

Other 
acquisitions

€6,518

1,669

2,451

40,447

(2,169)

(13,025)

(9,059)

€26,832

20,036

Total

€73,604

63,847

38,025

537,604

(20,502)

(75,788)

(158,905)

€457,885

577,780

€190,830

€541,489

€256,478

€46,868

€1,035,665

4

(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

€167,013

13,206

-

€25,647

14,800

-

Total

€300,761

232,121

4,722

TOTAL INTANGIBLE ASSETS ACQUIRED

€73,506

€243,432

€180,219

€40,447

€537,604

(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.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

109

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 17  Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consist of the following:

(in thousands)

Software

Customer relationships

Other intangible assets

Year ended December 31, 2015

Year ended December 31, 2014*

Gross

Accumulated 
amortization

Net

Gross

Accumulated 
amortization

Net

€1,030,711

€(503,038)

€527,673

€981,032

€(399,873)

€581,159

972,529

27,796

(482,146)

(21,043)

490,383

6,753

903,952

26,781

(366,521)

(19,376)

537,431

7,405

TOTAL INTANGIBLE ASSETS

€2,031,036

€(1,006,227)

€1,024,809

€1,911,765

€(785,770)

€1,125,995

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €(44.6) million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

The change in the carrying amount of intangible assets as of December 31, 2015 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Software

Customer 
relationships

Other intangible 
assets

Total intangible 
assets

NET INTANGIBLE ASSETS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2015*

€581,159

€537,431

€7,405

€1,125,995

Business combinations

Other additions

Amortization for the period

Exchange differences

4,661

8,879

(83,054)

16,028

-

-

-

67

4,661

8,946

(84,720)

37,672

(1,229)

(169,003)

510

54,210

NET INTANGIBLE ASSETS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015

€527,673

€490,383

€6,753

€1,024,809

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €(44.6) million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

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

300,761

3,077

(69,299)

22,280

232,121

253

(68,930)

42,935

€3,396

4,722

46

€658,788

537,604

3,376

(1,103)

(139,332)

344

65,559

NET INTANGIBLE ASSETS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014*

€581,159

€537,431

€7,405

€1,125,995

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €(44.6) million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

intangible  amortization  expense  was  €169.0  and 
Total 
€139.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, and 
2014, respectively. The future amortization expense relating 

to  all  intangible  assets  that  are  currently  recorded  on  the 
consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015 is estimated 
to be the following:

(in thousands)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020 and thereafter

Estimated intangible assets’ amortization expense

€159,768

146,108

135,998

128,424

454,511

110 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Note 18  Goodwill

The change in the carrying amount of goodwill as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:

(in thousands)

GOODWILL AS OF JANUARY 1,

Business combinations

Exchange differences and other changes

GOODWILL AS OF DECEMBER 31,

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014*

€1,563,269

€872,952

4,401

94,663

577,780

112,537

€1,662,333

€1,563,269

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €31.2 million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

The  Company  performed  annual  impairment  tests  in  the 
fourth quarter of 2015 and 2014; no impairment of goodwill 
was identifi ed as a result of these tests.

For  the  purpose  of  the  impairment  test,  the  Company 
identifi ed  12  cash-generating  units  (“CGUs”)  or  groups  of 
CGUs  as  of  December  31,  2015,  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 benefi t from the synergies of 
the combination.

4

Goodwill allocated to each CGU or groups of CGUs is as follows:

(in thousands)

December 31, 2014*

Acquisitions

and other changes December 31, 2015

Exchange differences 

BIOVIA

SIMULIA

CATIA

ENOVIA

DELMIA

GEOVIA

QUINTIQ

3DEXCITE

Other

TOTAL

€372,394

226,207

217,553

149,823

132,500

124,011

119,495

113,143

108,143

-

-

4,401

-

-

-

-

-

-

€1,563,269

€4,401

€42,565

€414,959

21,724

8,469

15,087

12,341

(8,449)

-

-

2,926

€94,663

247,931

230,423

164,910

144,841

115,562

119,495

113,143

111,069

€1,662,333

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €31.2 million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

The recoverable amount of each CGU or groups of CGUs has 
been  determined  based  on  a  value  in  use  calculation.  This 
calculation  uses  cash  fl ow  projections  based  on  fi nancial 
budgets  covering  a  fi ve-  to  ten-year  period.  The  ten-year 
period  projections  are  used  for  activities  that  have  longer 
development  cycles,  representing  approximately  62%  of 
the  Group’s  total  goodwill  as  of  December  31,  2015.  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 pre-tax 
discount  rates  are  between  10.2%  and  13.0%.  Cash  fl ows 
beyond  that  fi ve-  to  ten-year  period  have  been  extrapolated 
using  a  steady  growth  rate  comprised  between  2%  and  3%, 
refl ecting long-term growth rates in the software industry.

At December 31, 2015, based on management estimates, the 
Company concluded that the value in use of each CGU or groups 
of  CGUs  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 
signifi cantly  exceed  its  recoverable  amount.  In  particular,  an 
increase of 150 basis points in the pre-tax discount rate or a 
decrease  of  100  basis  points  in  the  long-term  growth  rates 
would not cause each CGU or groups of CGUs’ carrying amount 
to signifi cantly exceed its recoverable amount, except GEOVIA 
for which an increase of 30 basis points in the pre-tax discount 
rate or a decrease of 40 basis points in the long-term growth 
rate  would  cause  the  recoverable  amount  to  equal  carrying 
amount.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

111

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

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 (4)

TOTAL OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES

Post-employment benefi ts (5)

Provisions, non-current (1)

Accrual for deferred lease incentives

Employee profi t sharing, non-current

Derivatives, non-current (3)

Other non-current liabilities

TOTAL OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

Year ended December 31,

2015

€75,377

7,555

-

1,129

7,464

2014

€62,880

12,408

9,984

298

18,737

€91,525

€116,838

€104,307

€114,915

77,610

46,256

27,467

13,843

15,998

75,325

46,090

25,774

12,163

21,343

€298,012

€295,610

(1)  See reconciliation of provisions below.
(2)  See Note 20 Borrowings.
(3)  See Note 21 Derivatives and Currency and Interest Rate Risk Management.
(4)  2014 figures have been restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €(4.3) million (see Note 16 Business 

Combinations).

(5)  See Note 22 Post-employment Benefits.

The change in the carrying value of provisions as of December 31, 2015 is as follows:

(in thousands)

PROVISIONS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2015*

Additions

Utilization

Reversal of unused amounts

Exchange differences and oher

PROVISIONS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015

Tax risks

€60,107

20,631

(329)

(19,653)

1,557

€62,313

Claims, 
litigation 
and other

€15,478

2,849

(6,279)

(1,078)

424

Restructuring Total provisions

€12,148

6,680

(6,925)

(1,072)

627

€87,733

30,160

(13,533)

(21,803)

2,608

€85,165

€11,394

€11,458

*  Restated to reflect the finalized purchase price allocation for prior year business combinations for a total amount of €(5.1) million (see Note 16 Business Combinations).

112 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Note 20  Borrowings

In October 2015, the Company entered into a new fi ve-year 
term loan facility agreement, which maturity can be extended 
by  two  additional  years ,  for  €650  million.  The  facility 
was  immediately  fully  drawn  down  and  bears  interest  at 
Euribor 1 month plus 0.50% per annum.

In June 2013, the Company entered into a term loan facility 
agreement  for  €350  million,  which  was  immediately  fully 
drawn down. The facility provides credit for a period of 6 years 
and bears interest at Euribor 1 month plus 0.55% per annum.

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 fi nance a portion of the IBM 
PLM  acquisition.  The  facility  bore  interest  at  Japanese  yen 
Libor 1 month plus 0.60% per annum and was scheduled to 
be repaid in ten equal semi-annual installments. The Company 
repaid the last installment in June 2015.

The table below provides a breakdown of total borrowings by contractual maturity date as of December 31, 2015:

(in thousands)

Term loan facilities in euros

Payments due by period 

Total

€1,000,000

Less than
1 year

€–

1-3 years

3-5 years

€–

€1,000,000

4

Note 21  Derivatives and Currency and Interest Rate Risk 

Management

The  fair  market  values  of  derivative 
instruments  were 
determined  by  fi nancial  institutions  using  option  pricing 
models.

All fi nancial 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 
fi nancial instruments is minimal since the Company deals with 
major banks and fi nancial 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  2015,  revenue  denominated  in  U.S.  dollars  represented 
36.8% of total revenue, compared with 33.5% in 2014. The 
Company’s  operating  expenses  denominated  in  U.S.  dollars 
represented  36.3%  of  total  operating  expenses  in  2015, 
compared with 33.7% in 2014.

As  a  result,  the  Company’s  net  operating  exposure  to  U.S. 
dollars  amounted  to  €245.0  million  in  2015  (8.6%  of  the 
Company’s total revenue). The average value of the U.S. dollar 
increased  by  20%  against  the  euro  in  2015  following  a  fl at 
year in 2014, resulting in a positive impact on the Company’s 

revenue and operating income in 2015, and a neutral impact 
in 2014.

In  2015,  revenue  denominated  in  Japanese  yen  represented 
11.8%  of  total  revenue,  fl at  compared  with  2014.  The 
Company’s operating expenses denominated in Japanese yen 
represented  4.3%  of  total  operating  expenses  in  2015  and 
4.6% in 2014.

As  a  result,  the  Company’s  net  operating  exposure  to 
Japanese yen amounted to €239.2 million in 2015 (8.4% of 
the Company’s total revenue), and this exposure was in part 
hedged  through  market  instruments  at  a  level  of  €104.8 
million, as further described below. The average value of the 
Japanese  yen  increased  by  approximately  4%  against  the 
euro in 2015, after a decrease in value of approximately 8% 
in  2014,  resulting  in  a  favourable  impact  on  the  Company’s 
revenue  and  operating  income  in  2015  and  negative  impact 
2014.

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  specifi c  transactions,  such  as  acquisitions  paid  for  in 
foreign currencies. Hedging activities are generally carried out 
and  managed  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

113

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

The table below sets forth, for the year ended December 31, 2015, 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, 2015

U.S. dollars

Japanese yen

Euro and other 
currencies

Total

€1,045,931

€334,958

€1,458,566

€2,839,455

(800,892)

€245,039

(95,757)

(1,309,599)

(2,206,248)

€239,201

€148,967

€633,207

-

104,815

-

104,815

€245,039

€134,386

€148,967

€528,392

With  all  other  variables  held  constant,  movements  in  euro/
U.S. dollar exchange rates by +10% or -10% would have had 
an impact of €(22.3) and €27.2 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 €(21.7) and €26.6 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  2015  and  2014,  the 
portion of gains or losses from hedging instruments excluded 
from  the  assessment  of  effectiveness  and  the  ineffective 
portions of hedges was nil.

At December 31, 2015 and 2014, 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 euros/ U.S. dollars – 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)

2015

Nominal 
amount

€133,832

27,189

36,741

20,467

-

61,683

71,735

51,906

Year ended December 31,

2014

Fair value

€(792)

1,865

(666)

471

-

6,449

2,082

(40)

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)

(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  diffi cult  to  quantify,  the  Company  believes  that 
changes  in  interest  rates  in  2015  did  not  materially  affect 
its  revenue  and  earnings  before  fi nancial  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 fi nancial revenue.

In  October  2015,  the  Company  entered  into  interest  rate 
swap  agreements  for  a  total  amount  of  €650  million  that 
have  the  economic  effect  of  modifying  forecasted  interest 
obligations relating to the €650 million new French term loan 
facility (see Note 20 Borrowings) so that the interest payable 

effectively becomes fi xed at 0.72% from October 2015 until 
October 2020.

In  July  2013  and  October  2014,  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  €350  million 
French  term  loan  facility  (see  Note  20  Borrowings)  so  that 
the interest payable effectively becomes fi xed at 1.48% from 
June 2014 until June 2018 and 1.04% from June 2018 until 
July 2019.

In  June  2010,  the  Company  entered  into  interest  rate  swap 
agreements  for  a  total  amount  of  JPY14,500  million  that 
had  the  economic  effect  of  modifying  forecasted  interest 

114 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

obligations  relating  to  the  term  loan  facility  in  Japan  (see 
Note 20 Borrowings) so that the interest payable effectively 
became  fi xed  at  0.41%  until  June  2015.  In  June  2015,  the 
Company made the last term loan facility repayment and the 
related interest rate swap instruments also matured.

The effectiveness of interest rate swap agreements is measured 
using forward interest rates. In 2015 and 2014, the portion of 
gains or losses from hedging instruments excluded from the 
assessment  of  effectiveness  and  the  ineffective  portions  of 
hedges was nil.

Financial  revenue,  which  is  composed  of  interest  income 
from  cash,  cash  equivalents  and  short-term  investments,  is 
sensitive to fl uctuations in interest rates. As of December 31, 
2015, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments 
totaled  €2,351.3  million,  including  €713.0  million  sensitive 
to  fl uctuations  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  2015 
of €7.5 million on fi nancial income and a decrease in interest 
rates of 100 basis points would have had a negative impact of 
€8.7 million.

At December 31, 2015 and 2014, 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 Benefi ts

Year ended December 31,

2015

Nominal
amount

Fair value

2014

Nominal
amount

Fair value

4

€1,000,000

€(13,426)

€350,000

€(12,145)

-

-

9,984

(15)

Contributions  made  to  defi ned  contribution  plans  were 
€21.5 million and €16.2 million in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Retirement indemnity benefi ts vest and are settled as a lump 
sum paid to the employee upon the employee’s retirement.

The Company provides defi ned benefi t retirement indemnities 
to  the  employees  of  its  French  operations,  and  sponsors 
defi ned  benefi t  pension  plans  for  certain  employees  in  the 
United States. The Company also has certain defi ned benefi t 
plans in other countries, mainly in Germany and in Japan.

In  France,  defi ned  employee  benefi ts 
include  certain 
gratifi cations  paid  upon  anniversary  of  employment  and 
retirement  indemnities  that  are  based  upon  an  individual’s 
years of credited service and annualized salary at retirement. 

In  the  United  States,  pension  benefi ts  are  based  upon 
years  of  credited  service  and  the  employee’s  average  fi nal 
salary.  Retirement  benefi ts  are  funded  by  the  Company’s 
contributions to segregated pension plan assets, in an amount 
that  is  suffi cient  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 defi ned-benefi t pension plan, and in 2015, certain 
American  participants  received  a  lump  sum  distribution  of 
their benefi t from the plan.

The projected benefi t obligation was determined using the prospective method, based on the following assumptions:

Assumptions
Assumptions used to determine the benefi t obligation:

Discount rate

Europe

2.10%

Average rate of compensation increase

2.50% – 2.80%

Americas

4.40%

N/A

Asia

0.90%

2.60%

Europe

2.10%

2.50% – 2.80%

Americas

4.05%

N/A

Asia

0.80%

2.60%

Year ended December 31, 2015

Year ended December 31, 2014

Assumptions used to determine the net periodic benefi t cost:

Discount rate

Europe

2.10%

Average rate of compensation increase

2.50% – 2.80%

Americas

4.05%

N/A

Asia

0.80%

2.60%

Europe

3.50%

2.50% – 3.00%

Americas

4.90%

N/A

Asia

1.20%

2.60%

Year ended December 31, 2015

Year ended December 31, 2014

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

115

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

Components of net periodic benefit cost
The components of net periodic benefi t cost were as follows:

(in thousands)

Current service cost

Interest cost on benefi t obligations

Interest income on plan assets

Other

NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COST

Obligations and funded status
Changes in benefi t obligations and plan assets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Benefi t obligations at beginning of year

Current service cost

Interest cost on benefi t obligations

Remeasurement (gains) losses*

Change in scope

Benefi ts paid

Settlement

Exchange rate 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

Benefi ts paid

Remeasurement (losses)

Settlement

Exchange rate differences and other changes

FAIR VALUE OF PLAN ASSETS AT END OF YEAR

NET DEFINED BENEFIT LIABILITY

Year ended December 31,

2015

€(7,961)

(4,942)

2,326

698

2014

€(6,405)

(5,185)

2,626

(549)

€(9,879)

€(9,513)

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€185,245

€139,304

7,961

4,942

(3,845)

-

(3,578)

(6,557)

6,815

6,405

5,185

30,558

1,042

(3,026)

-

5,777

€190,983

€185,245

€70,330

€62,262

7,109

2,326

(1,415)

(2,461)

(5,990)

4,246

€74,145

3,154

2,626

(1,245)

(841)

-

4,374

€70,330

€(116,838)

€(114,915)

*  Remeasurement gains and losses mainly arise from changes in financial assumptions. A decrease of 150 basis points in the discount rates would increase the obligation by €50.6 

million.

The benefi t obligation by geographical location is as follows:

Europe

Americas

Asia

TOTAL BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS

The fair value of plan assets by geographical location is as follows:

Europe

Americas

TOTAL FAIR VALUE OF PLAN ASSETS

116 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Year ended December 31,

2015

67%

23%

10%

100%

2014

66%

26%

8%

100%

Year ended December 31,

2015

49%

51%

100%

2014

47%

53%

100%

Plan assets
The weighted average asset allocations are as follows:

Debt instruments

Equity instruments

TOTAL

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

2015

73%

27%

100%

2014

76%

24%

100%

Cash flows
The Company does not expect to make any additional contributions to its pension plans in 2016.

The following benefi t payments, which refl ect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid:

(in thousands)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021-2025

4

Total

€(3,781)

(4,522)

(5,167)

(6,526)

(6,827)

(55,247)

Note 23  Shareholders’ Equity

Shareholders’ equity activity
As  of  December  31,  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  had 
256,714,186 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 defi ne 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, 2015 and 2014 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,

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

256,364,077

253,865,970

185,709

1,604,620

1,769,020

2,375,837

(1,604,620)

(1,482,350)

256,714,186

256,364,077

(2,863,505)

(4,770,624)

253,850,681

251,593,453

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

117

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

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  profi tability  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, 2015 and 2014.

Dividend rights
Dassault Systèmes SE 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  €12.8  and 
€12.7 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, 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 SE.

Distributable  profi t,  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 profi t is subject to approval by the General 
Meeting  of  Shareholders  following  recommendations  by  the 
Board of Directors.

In  2015  and  2014,  the  Shareholders’  Meeting  approved  the 
distribution  of  a  dividend  of  €108.5  and  €103.4  million  for 
2014  and  2013  respectively,  and  offered  shareholders  the 

Components of other comprehensive income

option to receive payment of their dividend in the form of new 
Dassault Systèmes shares. Shareholders who opted to receive 
payment of the 2014 and 2013 dividend in the form of new 
Dassault Systèmes SE shares represented approximately 12% 
and 68% of Dassault Systèmes’ shares, respectively, resulting 
in  the  issuance  of  185,709  and  802,310  (1,604,620  after 
the  two-for-one  stock  split)  new  ordinary  shares  in  2015 
and 2014, respectively. The cash dividend was paid in 2015 
and  2014  in  an  aggregate  amount  of  €95.6  million  and 
€32.3 million, respectively.

Dividends per share were €0.43 and €0.42 (after the two-for-
one stock split) as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 
2013, respectively.

A dividend of €2.8 and €3.5 million was paid to non-controlling 
interest in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Stock repurchase programs
The General Meeting of Shareholders authorized the Board of 
Directors 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  €90 
per  share  or  above  a  maximum  annual  aggregate  amount  of 
€500 million.

Furthermore,  the  Group  signed  a  liquidity  agreement  for 
an  initial  period  until  December  31,  2015,  automatically 
renewable for subsequent 12-month terms. On December 31, 
2015, 2,625,732 shares were purchased, at an average price 
of  €64.95,  and  2,574,744  shares  were  sold,  at  an  average 
price of €65.42.

(in thousands)

Cash flow hedges:

(Losses) arising during the year

Less: reclassifi cation adjustments for gains or losses included in the income statement

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€(5,655)

1,482

€(2,290)

(782)

€(7,137)

€(1,508)

118 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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

Deferred taxes

Other

ADJUSTMENTS FOR NON-CASH ITEMS

Changes in operating assets and liabilities consist of the following:

(in thousands)

(Increase) in trade accounts receivable

(Decrease) Increase in accounts payable

Increase in accrued compensation

(Decrease) in income tax payable

Increase in unearned revenue

Changes in other assets and liabilities

CHANGES IN OPERATING ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Notes

14

17

7

10

Year ended December 31,

2015

€42,390

169,003

40,194

(42,461)

(5,596)

2014

€37,010

139,332

29,950

(39,887)

21,343

€203,530

€187,748

Year ended December 31,

2015

2014

€(71,581)

€(56,170)

(16,905)

27,260

(52)

85,475

(417)

23,543

418

(50,567)

86,712

15,319

€23,780

€19,255

4

Note 25  Commitments and Contingencies

Leases
The Company leases computer equipment, premises and offi ce equipment under operating leases. Rent expense under operating 
leases was €74.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 and €61.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.

At December 31, 2015, future minimum annual rental commitments under non-cancelable lease obligations were as follows:

(in thousands)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021 and thereafter

TOTAL FUTURE MINIMUM LEASE PAYMENTS

Operating leases

€77,353

70,045

65,645

58,219

53,112

220,489

€544,863

3DS Paris Campus (Headquarters facilities in Vélizy-
Villacoublay)
The  Company  has 
leased  approximately  60,000  square 
meters of offi ce 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  offi ce  space  expected  by 
year end 2016. Future minimum rental payments until the end 
of  the  lease  amount  to  approximately  €253.2  million  in  the 
aggregate and have been included in the table presented above.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

119

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

3DS Boston Campus
The Company has leased approximately 25,000 square meters 
of  offi ce  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 €105.2 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.  Certain  of  these 
reassessments,  in  particular  those  related  to  acquisition 
fi nancing,  are  being  challenged  by  the  Company  which  is 
strongly confi dent in the technical merits of its positions and 
will continue to defend them with the relevant tax authorities. 
In  this  context,  the  Company  made  payments  to  the  French 
tax  authorities  for  €57.7  million  and  €22.2  million  in  2015 
and  2014  respectively,  but  disputed  them  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 fi nancial statements 
of the Company.

Note 26  Related-Party Transactions

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 of Directors as of December 31, 2015 and 2014:

(in thousands)

Short-term benefi ts (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,

2015

€9,368

15,052

2014

€8,311

12,442

€24,420

€20,753

In certain circumstances, the Group Chief Executive Offi cer is 
entitled  to  an  indemnity  payment  upon  the  termination  of 
his  functions  as  Chief  Executive  Offi cer.  The  amount  of  the 
indemnity  due  would  be  equivalent  to  a  maximum  of  two 
years  of  compensation  as  Chief  Executive  Offi cer  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  SE  is  also  the  Chief  Executive  Offi cer  of 

the Industrial Group Marcel Dassault which controls 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  €16.8  and  €14.1  million  of  software  revenue  for 
the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. 
The  Company  also  provides  service  and  support  to  Dassault 
Aviation.  Such  activity  generated  service  revenues  of  €6.8 
and €8.0 million in the years ended December 31, 2015 and 
2014, respectively. The balances of trade accounts receivable 
with Dassault Aviation were €7.1 million, and €8.0 million at 
December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

120 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Note 27  Principal Dassault Systèmes Companies

The principal Dassault Systèmes SE subsidiaries included in the scope of consolidation as at December 31, 2015 are as follows:

Country

France

Germany

Germany

Consolidated companies

Dassault Data Services SAS

Dassault Systemes Deutschland GmbH

Dassault Systemes 3DExcite GmbH

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

United States

United States

China

India

India

Dassault Systemes Italia Srl

Dassault Systemes AB

Dassault Systemes UK Limited

Dassault Systemes Biovia Limited

Dassault Systèmes Canada Inc.

Dassault Systemes Canada Software Inc.

Dassault Systemes Americas Corp.

Dassault Systemes Corp.

Dassault Systemes Simulia Corp.

Dassault Systemes Services, LLC

Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation

Dassault Systemes 3DExcite Corp. (formerly “RTT USA, Inc.”)

Dassault Systemes Biovia Corp.

Quintiq, Inc.

Spatial Corp.

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

Australia

Malaysia

Dassault Systemes K.K.

SolidWorks Japan K.K.

Dassault Systemes Geovia Australia Pty Ltd

Quintiq Sdn Bhd

* 

The Company determined that it has control over 3DPLM. As a result, 3DPLM is fully consolidated in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

4

% of Interest

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

42%*

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

121

4 Financial Statements

Consolidated Financial Statements

4.1.2 

 Statutory Auditors' Report 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 readers . The Statutory Auditors’ report includes information specifi cally required by French law in such 
reports, whether modifi ed 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 signifi cant accounting and auditing matters. These assessments were 
considered for the purpose of issuing an audit opinion on the consolidated fi nancial statements taken as a whole and not to provide 
separate assurance on individual account captions or on information taken outside of the consolidated fi nancial 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 of Shareholders, we hereby report to you, for the 
year ended December 31, 2015, on:

 (cid:125) the audit of the accompanying consolidated fi nancial statements of Dassault Systèmes;

 (cid:125) the justifi cation of our assessments;

 (cid:125) the specifi c verifi cation required by law.

These consolidated fi nancial statements have been approved by the Board of Directors. Our role is to express an opinion on these 
consolidated fi nancial statements based on our audit.

I.  Opinion on the consolidated fi nancial statements

We conducted our audit in accordance with professional standards applicable in France.  T hose standards require that we plan 
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated fi nancial 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  fi nancial  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  fi nancial  statements.  We  believe  that  the  audit  evidence  we  have  obtained  is  suffi cient  and 
appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated fi nancial statements give a true and fair view of the assets and liabilities and of the fi nancial 
position of the Group as at December 31, 2015 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.  Justifi cation of our assessments

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  A rticle  L.  823-9  of  the  French  Commercial  Code (Code de commerce)  relating  to  the 
justifi cation of our assessments, we bring to your attention the following matters:

 (cid:125) the paragraph “Revenue recognition” of the Note 2 to the consolidated fi nancial statements sets out the accounting principles 
and methods used to account for revenue including fi rstly 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  fi nancial  statements  set   out  the 
accounting  principles  and  methods  used  to  determine  the  value  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  acquired  through  business 
combinations, which are based on signifi cant assumptions and estimates made by management;

 (cid:125) the paragraph “Share-based payment” of the Note 2 to the consolidated fi nancial statements sets out the accounting principles 
and  methods  used  to  determine  the  fair  value  of  the  share-based  payment  awards  granted  to  the  certain   employees  and 
executives, which is based on signifi cant assumptions and estimates made by management.

As part of our work, we verifi ed the correct application of the above-mentioned accounting principles and methods, examined the 
assumptions used and their application, and verifi ed that the information provided in the  Notes 4, 7, 16,  and 18  was appropriate.

These  assessments  were  made  as  part  of  our  audit  of  the  consolidated  fi nancial  statements  taken  as  a  whole,  and  therefore 
contributed to the opinion we formed which is expressed in the fi rst part of this report.

122 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements

4

III. Specifi c verifi cation

As required by law, and  in accordance with professional standards applicable in France, we have also verifi ed 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 fi nancial statements.

Neuilly-sur-Seine and Paris-La Défense, on March 18 , 2016

The Statutory Auditors

PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit

French original signed by:
Pierre Marty

ERNST & YOUNG et A utres

French original signed by: 
Pierre-Antoine Duffaud 

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

123

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

4.2  Parent Company Financial Statements

4.2.1  Parent Company Financial Statements and Notes

The 2015 fi nancial statements presented below are the individual parent company fi nancial statements of Dassault Systèmes SE.

Presentation of the parent company fi nancial statements and the valuation methods used

The fi nancial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 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 SE

In 2015, operating revenue increased 12.7% to €1,281.4 million from €1,137.2 million in 2014. The portion of revenue earned 
from export sales amounted to €1,064.7 million, or 84.4% of net sales. Software revenue increased 13.1% to €1,002.6 million 
in 2015 from €886.4 million in 2014.

Operating expenses increased 10.3% to €971.8 million in 2015, from €880.6 million in 2014. The main drivers of this change 
were:

 (cid:125) a 12.1% increase in personnel costs resulting from the increase in headcount, linked to the transfer of employees principally 
from Archividéo SA and Sobios SAS as part of the merger operations (transmissions universelles de patrimoine or TUP), from 
the full year impact of the 2014 TUP and from salary increases and hiring;

 (cid:125) a 9.3% increase in other purchases and external expenses, mainly due to an increase in fees relating to the Group anti piracy 

program, and in expenses relating to IT services principally for on-line service activities;

 (cid:125) a 15.2% decrease in depreciation and reserves, mainly resulting from a lower risk of non-collectability in Europe;

 (cid:125) a 15.2% growth in other expenses, principally due to an increase in royalties owed on Group products that are distributed.

Operating income increased 20.7% to €309.6 million in 2015 compared to €256.6 million in 2014.

Financial income for 2015 amounted to €74.9 million, compared with €30.2 million for the preceding year, showing an increase 
of €44.7 million. This change was principally due to additional dividends received from subsidiaries in 2015.

Exceptional income and loss amounted to an income of €33.4 million in 2015 compared to a loss of €22.8 million in 2014. This 
is principally explained by a capital gain of €43.2 million on a sale of a shareholding. 

In 2015, income tax expense amounted to €76.1 million as compared to €45.2 million in 2014. The effective income tax rate 
increased slightly to 20.3% in 2015 compared to 19.8% in 2014.

Net income increased to €299.5 million in 2015 compared with €183.0 million in 2014.

At  December  31,  2015,  cash  and  short-term  investments  stood  at  €2,035.2  million,  compared  with  €954.9  million  at 
December 31, 2014. This increase was principally due to the new €650 million loan facility, and to the cash generated from the 
Group’s operations in the absence of signifi cant acquisition.

124 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Statement of income

(in thousands of euros)

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 profi t-sharing (intéressement)

Mandatory employee profi t-sharing

INCOME TAX EXPENSE

NET INCOME

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2015

2014

1,281,356

1,137,227

3

1,260,846

1,125,687

1,064,663

20,510

942,156

11,540

(971,754)

(880,631)

(387,266)

(354,382)

(21,874)

(20,095)

4

(340,468)

(303,616)

(31,219)

(36,812)

(190,927)

(165,726)

5

6

7

309,602

74,880

384,482

33,446

(42,323)

(21,160)

(21,163)

(76,133)

299,472

256,596

30,167

286,763

(22,752)

(35,842)

(17,921)

(17,921)

(45,164)

183,005

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

125

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Balance sheet

(in thousands of euros)

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

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION ADJUSTMENT

TOTAL ASSETS

(in thousands of euros)

Liabilities

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Capital

Share and contribution premiums

Legal reserve

Retained earnings

Income (loss) for the fi scal year

Regulated provisions

PROVISIONS FOR CONTINGENCIES AND LOSSES

FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

TRADE PAYABLES

UNEARNED REVENUE

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION ADJUSTMENT

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

126 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2015
Net

2014
Net

10

11

12

13

14

14

2,412,937

2,552,145

317,845

35,794

312,474

37,612

2,059,298

2,202,059

2,602,789

1,356,173

460,799

2,029,351

106,822

5,817

23,095

25,633

291,924

947,409

109,382

7,458

19,975

20,430

5,064,454

3,948,723

Year ended December 31,

Notes

2015

2014

15

2,954,719

2,802,674

128,357

726,039

12,818

128,182

755,799

12,693

1,784,847

1,710,502

299,472

183,005

16

17

19

20

3,186

80,898

1,027,661

955,437

42,874

2,865

12,493

78,119

376,962

648,450

40,418

2,100

5,064,454

3,948,723

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for Years Ended 
December 31, 2015 and 2014

CONTENTS

Note 1  Description of Business 

and Key Events of the Year 

Note 2 

Summary of Signifi cant 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 

Note 13  Receivables 

128

128

131

131

132

133

133

134

134

135

135

136

136

Note 14  Treasury 

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 

137

137

139

140

140

141

141

142

143

143

144

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

127

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 1  Description of Business and Key Events of the Year

Description of business

Dassault Systèmes SE provides end-to-end software solutions 
and  services,  designed  to  support  companies’  innovation 
processes,  from  specifi cation  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. 
Dassault Systèmes SE also 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  and  Business 
Services;  and  Natural  Resources.  To  serve  its  customers, 
Dassault  Systèmes  SE  has  developed  a  broad  software 
applications portfolio, comprised of 3D modeling applications, 
simulation  applications,  social  and  collaborative  applications, 
and  information  intelligence  applications,  all  powered  by  its 
3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  is  a  European  company  (Societas 
Europaea) incorporated under the laws of France. The Company’s 
registered offi ce is located at 10, rue Marcel Dassault, in Vélizy-
Villacoublay,  France.  The  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  shares  are 

listed in France on Euronext Paris. These fi nancial statements 
were  established  under  the  responsibility  of  the  Board  of 
Directors on March 17, 2016.

Key Events of the Year

As part of its program to simplify the organization of its legal 
entities  throughout  the  world,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  carried 
out  three  merger  operations  (transmissions  universelles  de 
patrimoine) during the year:

 (cid:125) January 1, 2015, Archividéo SA and Simpoe SAS;

 (cid:125) April 1, 2015, Sobios SAS.

Since June 15, 2015, Dassault Systèmes has been a European 
company  (Societas Europaea,  SE)  incorporated  under  French 
law.  The  decision  to  adopt  this  new  status  refl ects  the 
international dimension of the Group and its growing presence 
in Europe.

In  October  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  entered  into  a  new 
fi ve  year  term  loan  facility  agreement,  which  maturity  can 
be  extended  by  two  additional  years ,  for  €650  million.  The 
facility  was  immediately  drawn  down  and  bears  interest 
at  Euribor  1-month  plus  0.50%  per  annum  (see  Note  17 
Financial  Liabilities).  The  Company  has  entered  into  interest 
rate  swap  agreements  to  fi x  interest  payable  (see  Note  21 
Financial Commitments).

Note 2  Summary of Signifi cant Accounting Policies

The fi nancial year lasts for 12 months from January 1 through 
December 31.

The  annual  fi nancial  statements  for  the  fi scal  year  ended 
December 31, 2015 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 fi nancial years, and the assumption that the 
business is a going concern. Assets and liabilities are initially 
recorded at historical cost.

Signifi cant accounting polices applied are as follows:

Revenue

(1)  new  software 

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  derives  revenue  from  three  primary 
licenses, 
sources: 
maintenance  and  other  software  revenue,  which  includes 
software 
the 
development of additional functionalities of standard products 

technical  support  and 

licenses,  periodic 

license  updates, 

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  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 license revenue is recognized (to 
the extent Dassault Systèmes SE 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  benefi ts  associated  with  the  transaction 
will fl ow to the Company. In instances when any of the four 
criteria are not met, Dassault Systèmes SE defers recognition 
of software license revenue until all criteria are met. Revenue 

128 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

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  unspecifi ed  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:

training services. Services generally do not require signifi cant 
modifi cation  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.

Service  revenues  derived  from  fi xed  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.

Research and development

Research  costs  are  expensed  as 
incurred.  T echnological 
feasibility  is  not  demonstrated  before  a  working  prototype 
has  been  completed.  Technological  feasibility  is  generally 
demonstrated  shortly  before  the  commercial  release  of 
software  products.  As  a  consequence,  costs  incurred  after 
technological  feasibility 
is  established  and  that  could 
potentially be capitalized are not material.

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  defi cits 
from  merger  operations 
(transmissions  universelles  de  patrimoine)  are  recorded  as 
goodwill. Technical defi cits are considered  as not depreciable 
items.  However,  these  items  undergo  impairment  testing 
when  there  is  an  evidence  of  risk  and  can  be  depreciated. 
Intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method 
over their expected useful life (three to fi ve years for software 
and fi ve to ten years for intellectual property).

4

Computer equipment

Fixtures and fi ttings

Offi ce furniture

Transportation equipment

Depreciation period

3 to 5 years

Over the term of the lease

10 years old

4 years

Depreciation, whether calculated using the straight-line or declining balance method, is calculated over the useful life of the asset.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

129

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Non-current Financial Assets

Provisions for Contingencies and losses

Investments  in  subsidiaries  are  recognized  at  cost  without 
revaluation  of  the  transaction  currencies.  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  outfl ows  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  SE  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-term 
profi tability  and  strategic  factors.  An  impairment  loss  is 
recognized if the net realizable value is less than the carrying 
value for a long period of time.

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.

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 risk of non-collectability.

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 current accounts used for the Group cash pooling 
and  the  cash  and  cash  equivalents  (except  for  marketable 
securities)  are  reevaluated  at  the  closing  rate  and  generate 
exchange  gains  or 
income 
losses  recorded 
(expense), net. This impact is shown in foreign exchange gains 
or losses, net.

in  fi nancial 

Derivatives

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  can  manage  exposure  to  foreign 
currency and interest rates with regards to revenue and cost 
generated by its ongoing and predictable activity.

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  can  also  mitigate  a  given  foreign 
currency  exposure  linked  to  specifi c  operations,  such  as  an 
acquisition  in  foreign  currency.  In  order  to  mitigate  foreign 
currency  exposure,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  uses,  as  needed, 
only  foreign  exchange  contracts  or  fi nancial  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 SE’s 
currency  position.  Unrealized  losses  on  these  derivatives  are 
taken into account in determining the provision for unrealized 
exchange losses.

Tax credit in favor of competitiveness and 
employment (CICE)

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  recognizes  the  tax  credit  in  favor  of 
competitiveness  and  employment  (the  Crédit d’impôt pour 
la compétitivité et l’emploi, or CICE) as an offset to personnel 
costs.

130 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Notes on the Income Statement

Note 3  Revenue Breakdown

(in thousands of euros)

New licenses revenue

Periodic licenses and maintenance revenue

Royalties

TOTAL SOFTWARE REVENUE

Services

Other revenue

TOTAL REVENUE

The breakdown of software revenue by geographic area is as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

Europe

Asia

Americas

TOTAL SOFTWARE REVENUE

Note 4  Personnel Costs

Personnel costs are comprised of the following:

(in thousands of euros)

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)

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

4

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

100,889

307,068

594,639

1,002,596

22,399

235,851

92,639

286,229

507,501

886,369

23,106

216,212

1,260,846

1,125,687

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

559,778

271,388

171,430

1,002,596

531,520

228,404

126,445

886,369

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

229,016

111,452

340,468

203,667

99,949

303,616

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

2,716

107

202

3,025

2,478

94

176

2,748

The  merger  operations  (transmissions  universelles  de  patrimoine)  carried  out  in  2015  increased  the  headcount  of 
Dassault Systèmes SE by 37 employees.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

131

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Tax credit in favor of competitiveness and employment (CICE)

The tax credit in favor of competitiveness and employment (the Crédit d’impôt pour la compétitivité et l’emploi, or CICE) is based 
on  total  compensation  due  for  the  current  period.  In  2015,  an  amount  of  €1.7  million  of  CICE  was  recognized  (compared  to 
€1.6 million in 2014), and was allocated to funding working capital requirements.

Compensation of Executives

The total gross compensation paid to executive offi cers by Dassault Systèmes SE during 2015 was as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

Salaries

Benefi ts

Directors’ fees*

TOTAL COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVES

* 

Compensation is based on payments made. 2015 directors’ fees represent €71,000 paid in 2016.

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

4,308

3,909

21

69

21

57

4,398

3,987

Note 5  Financial Income and Expense, Net

Net fi nancial income and expense is as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

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

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

63,105

(8,457)

54,648

16,821

3,411

74,880

30,415

(6,444)

23,971

19,972

(13,776)

30,167

Interest income is comprised primarily of dividends paid by Group subsidiaries for an amount of €48.9 million in 2015 compared 
to €19.3 million in 2014 as well as from income from treasury investments.

132 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Note 6  Exceptional Income/Loss

Exceptional income for the year ended December 31, 2015 was €33.4 million compared to a loss of €22.8 million for the year 
ended December 31, 2014. The change was primarily due to the recognition of a net capital gain on the sale of previously held 
investments.

Note 7 

Income Tax

The tax group included 11 entities at the end of December 2015.

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 SE, the head of 
the tax group, would have been €80.6 million in 2015.

The breakdown of income tax between current income and exceptional income for the year ended December 31, 2015, was as 
follows:

4

(in thousands of euros)

Current income

Exceptional income

TOTAL

Income 
before tax

Tax (expense) 
credit

Income after 
income tax

384,482

(8,877)

375,605

(93,954)

17,821

(76,133)

290,528

8,944

299,472

The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2015 was 20.3% against 19.8% in 2014.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

133

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 8  Performance Shares

Pursuant to an authorization granted by the Extraordinary General Meeting held on September 4, 2015, the Board of Directors 
of Dassault Systèmes SE, meeting on the same day, decided to grant 734,600 performance shares to certain employees and 
executives and 300,000 shares to the Chief Executive Offi cer in respect of the gradual process of associating the Chief Executive 
Offi cer with the Company share capital.

The main characteristics of the performance share plans impacting 2014 and 2015 accounts are shown in the table below:

Plan

2010-02

2010-04

2010-05

2014-A

2014-B

2015-A

2015-B

Date of General Meeting

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/30/2013

05/30/2013

09/04/2015

09/04/2015

Date granted by the Board 
of  Directors

Total number of shares 
granted

Restated total number 
of  shares granted(1)

Vesting period (in years)(3)

09/29/2011

09/07/2012

09/07/2012

02/21/2014

02/21/2014

09/04/2015

09/04/2015

406,400

539,230

150,000

529,940

150,000

734,600

300,000

812,800(2)

1,078,460(2)

300,000

1,059,880

300,000

734,600

300,000

Three or 
four (4)

Three or 
four (4)

Two

Four

Four

Two

Two

Performance conditions

See note(5)

See note(5)

See note(6)

See note(7)

See note(7)

See note(7)

See note(7)

Performance conditions 
is  reached at 
December 31 , 2015 

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

(1)  For shares granted before July 17, 2014, total number of shares granted has been restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected on July 17, 2014.
(2)  Including 28,000 shares granted to the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), subject to an additional performance condition related to the CEO’s variable compensation.
(3 )  The shares will be fully vested provided that the beneficiary is still in the Company’s employment or a Director on the vesting date.
(4 )  Three years in France and four years abroad.
(5 )  Non-market performance conditions based on non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of the Group realized 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.
(6 )  Performance condition related to the CEO’s variable compensation dependent on achieving performance criteria previously established by the Board of Directors.
(7 )  Performance condition measured based on two alternative criteria, the growth of the non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of the Group or the outperformance of the price of the 
Dassault Systèmes share compared to the performance of the CAC 40 index (market condition) for each of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for 2014-A and 2014-B Shares, and 
for the year 2016 for 2015-A and 2015-B Shares, compared to the year 2014. Such growth or difference must be at least equal to a threshold established by the Board of Directors. 
The 2015-B 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 expense related to performance shares plans, for personnel of subsidiaries of Dassault Systèmes SE is recharged when the 
shares  are  defi nitively  attributed  to  benefi ciaries.  During  the  vesting  period,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  accrues  only  for  the  costs 
related to the performance shares attributed to employees contributing directly to its activity.

Note 9  Additional Information

Research and Development Expenses

In 2015, Dassault Systèmes SE recorded a total of €225.8 million of research and development expenses, which corresponds to 
22.5% of software revenue.

134 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Statutory Auditors’ Fees

The amount of Statutory Auditors’ fees recorded in the income statement for the year is as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

Certifi cation of the individual and consolidated fi nancial statements

Other services

TOTAL STATUTORY AUDITORS’ FEES

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

1,242

54

1,296

1,293

561

1,854

Notes to the Balance Sheet

Note 10  Intangible Assets

(in thousands of euros)

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

4

12/31/2014

2015 additions

2015 disposals

12/31/2015

302,484

102,234

404,718

(20,227)

(72,017)

(92,244)

282,257

30,217

312,474

25,003

8,064

33,067

(16,961)

(10,735)

(27,696)

8,042

(2,671)

5,371

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

327,487

110,298

437,785

(37,188)

(82,752)

(119,940)

290,299

27,546

317,845

The increase in goodwill derives from merger operations (transmissions universelles de patrimoine) in 2015 (see Note 1 Description 
of Business and Key Events of the Year).

Note 11  Property and Equipment

(in thousands of euros)

Machinery and equipment

Fixtures and fi ttings

Offi ce furniture and equipment

TOTAL GROSS VALUE

Machinery and equipment

Fixtures and fi ttings

Offi ce furniture and equipment

TOTAL DEPRECIATION

Machinery and equipment

Fixtures and fi ttings

Offi ce furniture and equipment

TOTAL NET VALUE

12/31/2014

2015 additions

2015 disposals

12/31/2015

68,304

26,823

16,156

111,283

(52,327)

(11,461)

(9,883)

(73,671)

15,977

15,362

6,273

37,612

10,840

(4,191)

501

473

11,814

(9,779)

(1,937)

(997)

(12,713)

1,061

(1,436)

(524)

(899)

(104)

(915)

(5,210)

4,141

63

87

4,291

(50)

(41)

(828)

(919)

74,953

27,220

15,714

117,887

(57,965)

(13,335)

(10,793)

(82,093)

16,988

13,885

4,921

35,794

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

135

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 12  Non-Current Financial Assets

(in thousands of euros)

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

12/31/2014

2015 additions

2015 disposals

12/31/2015

1,725,797

402,412

516,194

77,703

2,319,694

(117,635)

(117,635)

1,608,162

516,194

77,703

43,128

3,758

449,298

(34,500)

(34,500)

367,912

43,128

3,758

(254,959)

(268,597)

(77,703)

1,873,250

290,725

3,758

(601,259)

2,167,733

43,700

43,700

(211,259)

(268,597)

(77,703)

(108,435)

(108,435)

1,764,815

290,725

3,758

2,202,059

414,798

(557,559)

2,059,298

The  increase  in  investments  in  subsidiaries  mainly  relates 
to  the  recapitalization  of  Dassault  Systemes  UK  Limited  and 
the acquisition of the securities of French subsidiaries of the 
Group. Moreover, the decrease in investments in subsidiaries 

refl ects the sale of securities as well as the cancellation of the 
securities of the merged companies (see Note 1 Description of 
Business and Key Events of the Year).

Note 13  Receivables

Receivables are as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET

Trade accounts receivable and related items

Allowance for trade accounts receivable

OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

Current accounts receivable*

Income tax receivable

Intercompany credit notes

Value added tax

Foreign currency hedges

Capital transactions

Other

TOTAL RECEIVABLES

* 

See Note 18 Elements Concerning Related Companies.

Less than 1 year

Due dates 
over one year

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

116,295

137,383

(21,088)

335,972

231,479

92,080

84

10,346

–

134

1,849

452,267

–

–

–

8,532

–

–

–

–

8,532

–

–

116,295

137,383

(21,088)

344,504

231,479

92,080

84

10,346

8,532

134

1,849

116,453

138,723

(22,270)

175,471

83,321

69,595

84

13,168

3,939

531

4,833

8,532

460,799

291,924

The €168.9 million increase in receivable mainly results from the increase of the current accounts receivable, in line with the 
Group activity.

136 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

The increase in marketable securities is principally attributable 
to the new loan facility (see Note 17 Financial liabilities), as 
well as the cash generated by the operations of the Group.

An  amount  of  €2,028.4  million  of  marketable  securities  are 
held in monetary investments.

4

Number 
of shares 
authorized 
and issued 

4,267,010

(773,550)

420,063

50,988

(1,604,620)

2,359,891

Average price
(in euros)

Total
(in thousands 
of euros)

43.84

37.17

62.36

73.70

48.42

46.86

187,085

(28,756)

26,196

3,758

(77,703)

110,580

Note 14  Treasury

Marketable Securities

At  December  31,  2015,  marketable  securities  amounted 
to  €2,029.4  million  compared  with  €947.4  million  at 
December 31, 2014. Marketable securities, invested in Euros, 
are also sourced by the Group multiple currency central cash 
pool  for  which  the  American  dollars  represented  22.5%  at 
December 31, 2015.

Treasury Shares

Share repurchases are analyzed below in 2015:

TREASURY SHARES AS OF JANUARY 1, 2015

Vesting of shares

Repurchase of treasury shares (1)

Repurchase of treasury shares through liquidity agreement

Cancellation of shares (2)

TREASURY SHARES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015

(1)  The Combined General Meetings of Shareholders authorized the Board of Directors to implement a share repurchase program not to exceed 10% of Dassault Systèmes SE’s share 
capital. In addition, Dassault Systèmes SE is authorized to purchase shares at a price not exceeding €90 per share and that the aggregate amount may not exceed €500 million.

(2)  Decision by General Shareholder Meeting on March 20, 2015.

Note 15  Shareholders’ Equity

Share Capital

Changes in share capital during the year ended December 31, 2015 were as follows:

SHARES AS OF JANUARY 1, 2015

Shares issued pursuant to exercise of share subscription options

Capital increase (1)

Capital reduction(2)

SHARES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015

(1)  See “Dividend rights” below.
(2)  Capital reduction due to the cancellation of securities as decided by the Board of Directors held on March 20, 2015.

Number 
of shares 
authorized 
and issued

256,364,077

1,769,020

185,709

(1,604,620)

256,714,186

Par value
(in euros)

Capital
(in euros)

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

128,182,039

884,510

92,854

(802,310)

128,357,093

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

137

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Shareholder base

On December 31, the share capital of Dassault Systèmes SE was held by:

(%)

Public

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Charles Edelstenne and benefi ciaries (1)

Bernard Charlès

Treasury shares(3)

TOTAL

On December 31, the voting rights in Dassault Systèmes SE were held by:

(in % of exercisable voting rights) (2)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Public

Charles Edelstenne and benefi ciaries (1)

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

2015

50.5

41.2

6.1

1.1

1.1

100

2015

55.5

34.9

8.2

1.4

100

2014

49.8

41.1

6.1

1.1

1.9

100

2014

55.7

34.7

8.3

1.3

100

(1)  At December 31, 2015, Mr. Edelstenne held 4,001,806 shares with all ownership rights and 3,318 shares through two family companies which he manages, representing a total 
of  1.56%  of  the  capital  and  2.08%  of  the  exercisable  voting  rights,  as  well  as  11,613 ,3 82  shares  with  “usage”  rights  (usufruit).  For  the  usage  rights  with  respect  to  these 
11,613 ,3 82 shares, representing 6.12% 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.

(3)  Including 50,988 shares held through the liquidity contract.

Stock Option Plans

A summary of stock option activity is as follows:

(in euros)

OUTSTANDING AS OF JANUARY 1,

Number of options granted

Exercised

Forfeited

OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31,

Exercisable

2015

2014

Number 
of shares 
authorized 
and issued

5,287,411

1,965,555

(1,769,020)

(171,850)

5,312,096

2,906,841

Average price

23.73

62.00

19.91

47.57

38.40

21.50

Number 
of shares 
authorized 
and issued

7,094,974

624,450

(2,375,837)

(56,176)

5,287,411

4,677,561

Average price

21.06

45.50

21.32

29.22

23.73

20.90

A summary of the remaining contractual life and the exercise price of options outstanding as of December 31, 2015 is presented 
below:

SOP plan

2008-02

2010-01

2014 -01

2015 -01

OUTSTANDING AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015

138 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Total of shares

Remaining life 
(years)

Exercise price

1,455,264

1,451,577

463,850

1,941,405

5,312,096

1.91

2.40

6.40

9.68

5.28

19.50

23.50

45.50

62.00

38.40

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Movements in Shareholders’ Equity

Movements in shareholders’ equity for the year ended December 31, 2015 were as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

Share Capital

Share and contribution premiums

Legal reserve

Retained earnings

Income (loss) for the fi scal year

Regulated provisions

12/31/2014

Appropriation of 
2014 earnings

128,182

755,799

12,693

1,710,502

183,005

12,493

93

12,801

125

74,345

(183,005)

-

Effect of 
exercising 
options

884

34,340

-

-

-

-

Net income for 
2015 fi scal year

-

-

-

-

299,472

Other

(802)

(76,901)

-

-

-

-

(9,307)

12/31/2015

128,357

726,039

12,818

1,784,847

299,472

3,186

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

2,802,674

(95,641)

35,224

299,472

(87,010)

2,954,719

Dividend rights

The  Combined  General  Meeting  of  Shareholders  held  on 
May  28,  2015  approved  a  dividend  of  €108.5  million, 
based  on  the  existing  shares  as  at  February  28,  2015.  The 
General  Meeting  approved  offering  shareholders  the  option 

to receive payment of their dividend for 2014 in the form of 
new Dassault Systèmes SE shares. As a result, 185,709 new 
ordinary shares were created. The cash dividend was paid in 
the total amount of €95.6 million.

4

Note 16  Provisions for Contingencies and Losses

Movements of provisions for contingencies and losses were as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

Provisions for performance shares

Provisions for exchange losses

Provisions for post-employment benefi ts

Other provisions for contingencies and losses

Provisions for jubilee awards

TOTAL PROVISIONS

12/31/2014

Additions

Utilization

Reversal of 
unused amounts

12/31/2015

30,919

20,427

18,152

3,767

4,854

78,119

24,514

25,633

3,535

1,717

393

(26,450)

(20,430)

–

(2,689)

(10)

–

–

(2,994)

(440)

–

55,792

(49,579)

(3,434)

28,983

25,630

18,693

2,355

5,237

80,898

Changes in provisions for contingencies and losses impacted captions of the income statement as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

Operating income

Financial income and expense, net

Exceptional income/(loss)

TOTAL

Additions

Utilization

24,340

25,633

5,819

55,792

(28,686)

(20,430)

(463)

(49,579)

Reversal of 
unused amounts

(3,434)

–

–

(3,434)

Provisions for Post-employment Benefits

Dassault  Systèmes  SE’s  commitment  in  terms  of  post-
employment benefi ts was evaluated and recognized using the 
prospective  actuarial  future  rights  pro-rata  method  with  the 
use of a corridor.

This method 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 employees 
when they retire as a fi xed amount.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

139

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

The  projected  benefi t  obligation  at  December  31,  2015  was 
determined  based  on  the  following  assumptions:  retirement 
between  60  and  65  years  of  age,  discount  rate  of  2.10%, 
average  increase  in  salaries  of  2.80%  and  a  2.10%  expected 
return on plan. Dassault Systèmes SE has an insurance policy 
with  Sogecap,  a  life  insurance  company  affi liated  with  the 
Société  Générale,  intended  to  cover  the  retirement  payment 

commitments. Pursuant to this policy, Dassault Systèmes SE 
has  invested  a  total  of  €11.1  million,  including  €3.0  million 
paid in 2015. Actuarial gains and losses and the cost of past 
service  is  spread  in  profi t  using  the  corridor  method.  They 
totaled  €10.7  million  to  be  spread  over  an  average  residual 
employee service of 22 years.

Note 17  Financial Liabilities

Financial liabilities are as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

Bank loans and borrowings

Mandatory employee profi t-sharing scheme

Other fi nancial liabilities

TOTAL FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

Less than
1 year

1,321

3,135

19

1 to
5 years

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

1,000,000

1,001,321

351,888

15,357

7,829

18,492

7,848

20,339

4,735

4,475

1,023,186

1,027,661

376,962

In October 2015, Dassault Systèmes SE entered into a new term loan facility agreement for €650 million (See Note 1 Description 
of Business and Key Events of the Year).

Note 18  Elements Concerning Related Companies

(in thousands of euros)

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

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

290,315

41,634

231,479

1,603

–

757,806

61,324

514,616

30,581

83,322

2,231

–

453,637

30,384

140 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Less than
1 year

58,507

1,603

56,904

125,842

23,177

40,068

53,175

9,422

760,506

757,806

2,700

944,855

1 to
5 years

–

–

–

10,582

10,582

–

–

–

–

–

–

10,582

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

58,507

1,603

56,904

69,606

2,231

67,375

136,424

118,984

33,759

40,068

53,175

9,422

760,506

757,806

2,700

955,437

27,696

36,826

44,970

9,492

459,860

453,637

6,223

648,450

4

Note 19  Trade Payables

Trade payables are as follows:

(in thousands of euros)

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND RELATED ITEMS

Group trade payables

Third-party trade payables

TAX AND SOCIAL SECURITY PAYABLES

Mandatory and contractual profi t-sharing

Accrued vacation

Other employee expenses

Value added tax and other taxes and duties

OTHER OPERATING LIABILITIES

Current accounts payable*

Other liabilities

TOTAL PAYABLES

* 

See Note 18 Elements Concerning Related Companies.

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, 2015, the balance of Dassault Systèmes SE’s trade payables to its suppliers amounted to €11.6 million 
(2014: €19.3 million). Due dates are as follows:

Due within 30 days

Due in more than 30  days

TOTAL

Note 20  Unearned Revenue

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

58.5%

41.5%

100.0%

49.9%

50 .1%

100.0%

Unearned revenue is composed primarily of deferred software, maintenance and support revenue relating to periods subsequent 
to year end. Unearned revenue amounted to €42.9 million in 2015 compared to €40.4 million in 2014.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

141

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 21  Financial Commitments

Financial Instruments

At  December  31,  2015  and  2014,  the  fair  value  of  instruments  used  to  manage  currency  and  interest  rate  exposure  was  as 
follows:

(in thousands of euros)

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 euros/U.S. dollars – sale(2)

Forward exchange contract euros/U.S. dollars – sale(2)

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,

2015

Nominal 
amount

Fair
 value

1,000,000

(13,426)

–

–

133,832

61,683

71,735

36,741

36,741

–

–

21,853

–

–

(792)

6,449

2,082

(666)

666

–

–

(73)

2014

Nominal
 amount

350,000

9,984

9,984

38,163

73,412

72,064

–

–

5,507

5,507

37,789

Fair
 value

(12,145)

(15)

15

2,438

1,863

1,548

–

–

946

(946)

(297)

(1)  Term loan facilities obtained by Dassault Systèmes SE in June 2013 and October 2015 respectively for €350 million and €650 million (see Note 1 Description of Business and Key 

Events of the Year and Note 17 Financial liabilities)

(2)  Dassault Systèmes SE 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.
(4)  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 
instruments  were 
determined  by  fi nancial  institutions  using  option  pricing 
models.

At the end of 2015, foreign exchange contracts have maturity 
dates  of  less  than  12  months.  Swaps  of  cross  currency  and 
interest rates have respectively a maturity less than three and 
fi ve 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 of euros)

Nature of temporary differences

SHORT TERM

Provision for mandatory profi t-sharing

Depreciation of receivables

Provisions for Contingencies and losses

Other

LONG TERM (34.43% TAX RATE)

Provision for post-employment benefi ts

TOTAL TEMPORARY DIFFERENCES

Net reduction of the future corporate tax debt

(38.00% tax rate)

(34.43% tax rate)

142 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

12/31/2015

12/31/2014

42,553

21,163

21,088

–

302

18,692

18,692

61,245

–

21,087

43,030

17,921

22,270

2,537

302

18,151

18,151

61,181

16,351

6,249

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

Note 22  Other Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

On December 31, 2015, commitments stood at €272.6 million 
for real estate and equipment rentals including: €253.2 million 
relating to the lease for the headquarters in Vélizy-Villacoublay 
(compared  with  €273.1  million  as  of  December  31,  2014); 
and  €8.6  million  (compared  with  €10.9  million  as  of 
December 31, 2014) related to the lease of the “Terre Europa” 
site, next to the headquarters, effective as from July 2011.

In February 2013, Dassault Systèmes SE committed to lease 
an  additional  13,000  square  meters  of  offi ce  space  and  to 
enter into a new lease for its headquarters facilities for a non-
cancelable initial term of ten years which will take effect when 
construction is completed that is expected end of 2016.

Litigation and other proceedings

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  is  involved  in  litigation  and  other 
proceedings,  such  as  civil,  commercial  and  tax  proceedings, 
incidental  to  normal  operations.  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  is 
subject to ongoing tax audits and tax reassessments. Certain of 
these reassessments, in particular those related to acquisition 

fi nancing,  are  being  challenged  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE, 
which  is  strongly  confi dent  in  the  technical  merits  of  its 
positions and will continue to defend them with the relevant 
tax  authorities.  In  this  context,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  made 
payments to the French tax authorities for €57.7 million and 
€22.2  million  in  2015  and  2014  respectively  but  disputed 
them 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  fi nancial  statements  of 
Dassault Systèmes SE.

Guarantee pledged

The  Group  has  a  central  cash  management  operated  by  a 
banking  institution.  In  this  context,  the  parent  company  of 
the bank offered a guarantee to the Group in the amount of 
€459  million,  and  at  the  same  time  Dassault  Systèmes  SE 
offered a guarantee to the bank for the same amount.

4

Note 23  Additional Information

Events after the reporting period

Identity of the Consolidating Company

None.

Dassault Systèmes SE’s business is included in the consolidated 
fi nancial  statements  of  Groupe  Industriel  Marcel  Dassault 
SAS,  whose  registered  offi ce  is  located  at  9,  Rond-Point  des 
Champs-Élysées – Marcel Dassault, 75008 Paris, France.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

143

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

Note 24  Information Relating to Subsidiaries and Shareholdings

(in thousands 
of euros)(1)

Location of 
Headquarters

Dassault Systemes 
Corp.(2)

Waltham – 
USA

Dassault Systemes 
UK Limited

Coventry – 
UK

Dassault Systemes 
Deutschland 
GmbH

Dassault Systèmes 
International SAS

Stuttgart – 
Germany

Vélizy-
Villacoublay – 
France

Dassault Systèmes 
Israel Ltd

Kfar Saba –
Israel

Dassault Systemes 
K.K.

Tokyo – 
Japan

Dassault Systèmes 
Canada Inc.

Montreal – 
Canada

Dassault Systèmes 
Provence SAS

Netvibes France 
SAS

3DVIA SAS

Aix en 
Provence – 
France

Paris – 
France

Paris –
France

Dassault Systemes 
AB

Goteborg – 
Sweden

Dassault Systemes 
India Pvt Limited

Gurgaon – 
India

Dassault Systèmes 
Biovia SARL

Quintic SAS

Dassault Data 
Services SAS

Vélizy-
Villacoublay – 
France

Paris –
France

Vélizy-
Villacoublay – 
France

Dassault Systemes 
Italia Srl

Lainate – 
Italy

Simpack France 
SAS

Lyon – 
France

Other foreign 
subsidiaries

TOTAL

Gross book 
value of 
shares

Net book 
value of 
shares

% of 
interest

Share 
capital 
and share 
premiums

Reserves 
and 
retained 
earnings

Net profi t 

or loss Revenue

Dividend 
rights 
received

Loans and 
advances

Guarantees 
and 
sureties

788,462

788,462

100

1,514,004

252,357

(42,077)

–

416,533

416,533

100

420,400

5,688

(7,699)

71,234

226,354

179,300

100

10,601

165,614

(34,637)

188,819

183,041

137,041

100

128,943

(224)

801

–

64,883

49,502

100

32,249

(24,918)

8,011

30,759

43,742

43,742

100

33,188

4,848

16,216

325,888

36,673

36,673

100

33,406

7,925

3,624

27,794

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

15,308

–

137,481

–

–

61,682

32,248

32,248

100

32,394

16,754

17,110

39,751

25,400

31,258

31,258

13,350

13,350

9,540

9,540

8,823

8,823

6,240

6,240

4,000

4,000

2,576

2,576

1,949

1,949

1,600

1,600

1,978

1,978

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

3,235

–

(3,117)

2,010

873

(1,820)

(6,865)

2,217

11

5,247

894

46,334

4,398

7,115

1,623

45,348

152

1,624

35

4,816

1

–

(852)

5,979

–

–

–

–

–

–

3,000

2,300

3,405

52,166

5,200

20

37

886

499

172

35,491

13

694

Not 
disclosed

–

–

1,378

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,873,250 1,764,815

2,216,912

443,895 (43,343)

879,300

31,978

214,471

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1)  The earnings of foreign subsidiaries are in general presented in local GAAP for the year 2014. The results and revenue have been converted using the 2015 average annual 

exchange rates for the relevant currencies, while the shareholders’ equity of foreign subsidiaries have been converted using the closing rates in effect at year-end 2015.

(2)  American  holding  company  owning  100%  of  Dassault  Systemes  SolidWorks  Corp.,  and  Dassault  Systemes  Holding  LLC,  the  latter  itself  holding  principally  100%  of 

Dassault Systemes Simulia Corp. and Dassault Systemes Americas Corp.

144 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

4.2.2  Selected fi nancial and other information 

for Dassault Systèmes SE over the last fi ve years

(in euros)

Share capital

Share Capital

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

123,092,729

125,096,778

126,932,985

128,182,039

128,357,093

Number of shares authorized and issued (2)

123,092,729

125,096,778

126,932,985

256,364,077

256,714,186

Statement of income data

Revenue

Result before income tax, profi t sharing, amortization 
and provisions

Result before income tax, profi t sharing, amortization 
and provisions and reversals of provisions

Income tax

Regulated employee profi t-sharing

Optional employee profi t-sharing

Net income

Data per share

Result after income tax and profi t sharing 
and before amortization and provisions

Basic net income per share

Dividend per share (2)

Personnel

Average headcount

850,023,294

990,705,543 1,064,558,462 1,125,687,175 1,260,845,593

415,780,289

386,581,931

435,033,094

359,636,561

533,131,911

341,652,678

367,577,134

413,314,821

304,131,981

447,874,625

46,812,886

52,457,635

68,216,039

45,164,304

76,133,045

13,192,985

16,266,653

15,512,132

17,921,044

21,163,228

14,165,501

13,601,995

18,421,890

17,921,044

21,163,228

264,795,422

254,846,867

263,440,594

183,005,154

299,471,749

4

2.17

2.15

0.70

2.28

2.04

0.80

2.45

2.08

0.83

0.87

0.71

0.43

1.28

1.17

0.47(1)

2,141

2,372

2,541

2,748

3,025

Personnel costs paid during the year

140,056,445

164,250,610

180,114,271

203,666,853

229,015,587

Social security contributions paid during the year

70,506,943

88,239,898

86,640,481

99,949,422

111,452,364

(1)  To be proposed for approval at the General Meeting scheduled for May 26, 2016.
(2)  Historical data prior to 2014 does not reflect the two-for-one stock split of Dassault Systèmes SE shares carried out on July 17, 2014.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

145

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

4.2.3 

 Statutory Auditors' Report on the Parent Company Financial 
Statements

This is a free translation into English of the Statutory Auditors’ report on the fi nancial statements issued in French and it is 
provided solely for the convenience of English-speaking users.

The Statutory Auditors’ report includes information specifi cally required by French law in such reports, whether modifi ed or not. 
This information is presented below the audit opinion on the fi nancial statements and includes an explanatory paragraph discussing 
the auditors’ assessments of certain signifi cant accounting and auditing matters. These assessments were considered for the 
purpose of issuing an audit opinion on the fi nancial 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 specifi c verifi cation 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, 2015, on:

 (cid:125) the audit of the accompanying fi nancial statements of Dassault Systèmes;

 (cid:125) the justifi cation of our assessments;

 (cid:125) the specifi c verifi cations and information required by law.

These fi nancial statements have been approved by the Board of Directors. Our role is to express an opinion on these fi nancial 
statements based on our audit.

I.  Opinion on the fi nancial 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 fi nancial 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 fi nancial 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 fi nancial statements. We 
believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is suffi cient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

In  our  opinion,  the  fi nancial  statements  give  a  true  and  fair  view  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  and  of  the  fi nancial  position  of 
the Company as at December 31, 2015 and of the results of its operations for the year then ended in accordance with French 
accounting principles.

II.  Justifi cation of our assessments

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  A rticle  L.  823-9  of  the  French  Commercial  Code (Code de commerce)  relating  to  the 
justifi cation of our assessments, we bring to your attention the following matters:

 (cid:125) The paragraph "Revenue" of the Note 2  to the fi nancial statements sets out the accounting principles and methods used to 
account  for  revenue  including  fi rstly  new  software  licenses  along  with  the  related  maintenance,  and  secondly  services  and 
other revenue. We verifi ed the appropriateness of the retained accounting principles and methods, their application and the 
information disclosed in the notes;

 (cid:125) The paragraph "Intangible Assets, Property and Equipment" of the Note 2  to the fi nancial statements summarizes the methods 
of recognition and valuation of intangible assets. We verifi ed that the values in use of the business assets (" fonds de commerce")  
were consistent with their carrying value;

 (cid:125) The paragraph "Non-current Financial Assets" of the Note 2  to the fi nancial statements summarizes the methods of recognition 
and valuation of fi nancial fi xed assets. We verifi ed 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 fi nancial statements taken as a whole, and therefore contributed to the 
opinion we formed which is expressed in the fi rst part of this report.

146 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

III. Specifi c verifi cations and information

We  have  also  performed,  in  accordance  with  professional  standards  applicable  in  France,  the  specifi c  verifi cations  required  by 
French law.

We have no matters to report as to the fair presentation and the consistency with the fi nancial 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 
fi nancial position and the fi nancial 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 benefi ts received by the directors and any other commitments made in their 
favour, we have verifi ed its consistency with the fi nancial statements, or with the underlying information used to prepare these 
fi nancial 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  accordance  with  French  law,  we  have  verifi ed  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, on March 18 , 2016

The Statutory Auditors 

P ricewaterhouseC oopers A udit

French original signed by: 
Pierre Marty

ERNST & YOUNG et A utres

French original signed by: 
Pierre-Antoine Duffaud 

4

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

147

4 Financial Statements

Parent Company Financial Statements

4.2.4 

 Statutory Auditors' Report on Related Party  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 identifi ed in the performance of our engagement. We are not required to 
comment as to whether they are benefi cial 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 
benefi ts 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 fi nancial 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  Nationale  des  Commissaires  aux  Comptes)  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.

 Agreements and commitments submitted for approval by the General Meeting of Shareholders 

We hereby inform you that we have not been advised of any agreements or commitments authorized in the course of the year to 
be submitted to the General Meeting of Shareholders for approval in accordance with Article L.225-38 of the French commercial 
code (Code de Commerce). 

Agreements and commitments approved in prior years

We  hereby  inform  you  that  we  have  not  been  advised  of  any  agreements  or  commitments  already  approved  by  the  General 
Meeting of Shareholders, whose implementation 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.

 1.  With Mr Bernard Charlès, directeur général 

Nature and purpose  
Indemnity in the event of the removal of Mr Bernard Charlès from corporate offi ce 

Conditions 
At its meeting on 26 May 2014, on the occasion of the renewal of Mr Bernard Charlès’ term of offi ce 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 general according to the terms 
adopted by the Board of Directors at its meetings on27 May 2010, 28 March 2008 and 27 March 2009.

At its meeting on 26 May 2014, the Board of Directors decided to make no change to the conditions, as defi ned by the Board 
of Directors at its meeting on 27 March 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.

148 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Financial Statements
Parent Company Financial Statements

4

4

Thus, the amount due would be calculated according to the following formula:

 (cid:125) total gross remuneration (including variable remuneration but excluding benefi ts in kind and directors’ fees) due in respect of 

his corporate offi ce for the two years ended prior to the date of departure,

 (cid:125) multiplied by the fi gure 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 fi xed for the company (denominator).

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  signifi cant 
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 offi ce as directeur 
général, the Board of Directors may establish that the indemnity will not be due.

  2.  With the board members of your company, in connection with the insurance policy " Civil 

liability of the directors  and the corporate offi cers " 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 24 July 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  fi nancial 
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 23 September 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 in 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 18th 2016

The Statutory Auditors 

PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit 

French original signed by: 
Pierre Marty 

ERNST & YOUNG et Autres 

French original signed by:
 Pierre-Antoine Duffaud

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

149

 
4 Financial Statements

Legal and Arbitration Proceedings

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. 
Certain 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  2015  Annual  Report  (Document de 
référence),  or  is  likely  to  have,  a  signifi cant  impact  on  the 
Company’s fi nancial position or results of operations.

150 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  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 

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 Executive 
Offi cers 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 Benefi ts Due to Corporate 
Offi cers (mandataires sociaux) 

5.3.1  Compensation of the Company’s Corporate 

Offi cers (mandataires sociaux) 

5.3.2  Interests of Executive Management and 

Employees in the Share Capital of Dassault 
Systèmes SE 

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

5.5  Statutory Auditors 

171

172

172

176

181

184

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015 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 26, 2016
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 
SE,  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 Financial Markets 
Authority  (AMF),  based  on  work  carried  out  by  the  finance, 
legal and internal audit departments of Dassault Systèmes. It 
has been reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by 
the Board of Directors on March 17, 2016.

Since  its  IPO  in  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 therefore 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  SE  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) Arnoud De Meyer;

 (cid:125) Odile Desforges;

 (cid:125) Marie-Hélène Habert;

 (cid:125) Toshiko Mori; and

 (cid:125) Thibault de Tersant.

With  regard  to  the  composition  of  its  Board  of  Directors, 
Dassault  Systèmes  SE  pays  particular  attention 
to 
independence, diversity of background and the representation 
of women.

At  present,  44%  of  the  directors  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE 
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  SE  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  SE,  the  Group,  the 
Company  or  its  management  which  might  compromise  his/
her free judgment.

At  its  meeting  on  March  17,  2016,  the  Board  of  Directors 
reviewed,  as  it  does  each  year,  the  independence  criteria  for 
these  directors.  This  decision  by  the  Board  is  based  on  the 
recommendations  of  the  Compensation  and  Nomination 
Committee,  after  a  review  of  the  responses  of  each  director 
to  a  questionnaire,  with  regard  to  each  of  the  independence 
criteria recommended by the AFEP-MEDEF Code, particularly 
with regard to the absence of a business relationship. As none 
of the independent directors have a business relationship with 
the Group, the Board of Directors had to express an opinion, as 
at present, neither on the materiality of any such relationship 
nor on the criteria used to assess it.

Dassault Systèmes SE also makes every effort to ensure that 
the  Board  has  a  significant  number  of  women  members. 
As  44%  of  its  directors  are  women,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE 
currently exceeds the thresholds of 40% enshrined in law and 
recommended by the AFEP-MEDEF Code.

152 DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Corporate governance 
Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

5

The  Board  does  also  have  an  international  dimension,  with 
a Belgian and a Japanese director accounting for 22% of the 
members.

The  average  age  of  the  directors  was  66  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 SE

Director

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

Thibault de Tersant

Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï 

Nicole Dassault 

Arnoud De Meyer

Odile Desforges

Marie-Hélène Habert(1)

Toshiko Mori

Independence

Start of first 
term of office Term expires in

Changes in 2015

Contribution 
to the diversity of the 
Board’s composition

04/08/1993

04/08/1993

04/08/1993

04/15/2005

05/26/2011

2018

2018

2018

2019

2019

Re-appointment

Re-appointment

04/15/2005

2019

Re-appointment

05/30/2013

2017

07/23/2014

2016

Ratification(2)

05/26/2011

2019

Re-appointment

X

X

X

X

Enhanced female 
representation

Enhanced 
international 
representation

Enhanced female 
representation

Enhanced female 
representation

Enhanced female 
and international 
representation

5

(1)  The renewal of the term of office of this director is to be proposed to the General Meeting of May 26, 2016.
(2)  The appointment of Marie-Hélène Habert, who was co-opted in 2014, was ratified by the General Meeting of May 28, 2015.

A resolution will be submitted to the General Meeting of May 26, 2016 to appoint a new director, Mrs.Laurence Lescourret and to 
amend the by-laws to allow the appointment of a director representing the employees, the term of whom is scheduled to begin 
during 2016. For more information, see paragraph 7.1 “Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to 
the General Meeting on May 26, 2016”.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015 153

5 Corporate governance 

Report of the Chairman on Corporate Governance and Internal Control

The roles and duties performed by the Dassault Systèmes SE corporate officers (mandataires sociaux) in 2015 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 year ended December 31, 2017.

Date of first appointment: 04/08/1993

Dassault  Systèmes  shares  owned  at  December  31,  2015: 
15,618,506 (including a majority of beneficial ownership shares)

Age: 78

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 held 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 and Chairman of Dassault International, Inc.

(1)  GIMD is the main shareholder of Dassault Systèmes SE (See paragraph 6.3.2 “Controlling Shareholder”).
(2)  Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales.
(3)  Conseil des Industries de Défense Françaises.

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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 
Director of Strategy, Research & Development from 1988 to 1995.

Age: 58

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  Dassault  Systèmes  –  10  rue  Marcel 
Dassault, 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay – France

Principal responsibility: President and Chief Executive Officer of 
Dassault Systèmes SE

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Main  other  current  positions  and  Directorships  (inside  the 
Dassault Systèmes Group, outside France):

Date of first appointment: 04/08/1993

Dassault  Systèmes  shares  owned  at  December  31,  2015: 
2,890,441

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dassault Systemes Corp., 
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp., Dassault Systemes Simulia 
Corp.,  Dassault  Systemes  Biovia  Corp.  (United  States),  and 
Dassault  Systemes  Canada  Software  Inc.  (Canada);  Chairman 
of  the  Advisory  Board  (corporate  body)  of  Dassault  Systemes 
3DExcite GmbH (Germany)

Other positions held 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.

End  of  current  term:  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Date of first appointment: 04/08/1993

Age: 58

Nationality: French

Professional  address:  Dassault  Systèmes  –  10  rue  Marcel 
Dassault, 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay – France

Main  position:  Senior  Executive  Vice-President  Chief  Financial 
Officer

Main other current positions and Directorships:

Inside Dassault Systèmes Group, in France: Chairman of Dassault 
Systèmes International SAS

Dassault  Systèmes  shares  owned  at  December  31,  2015: 
127,051

Chairman  of  the  Board  of  the  Dassault  Systèmes  Endowment 
Fund

Inside  Dassault  Systèmes  Group,  outside  France:  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Spatial  Corp.,  Director  of  Dassault 
Systemes  Corp.,  Dassault  Systemes  SolidWorks  Corp.,  Dassault 
Systemes  Simulia  Corp.,  Dassault  Systemes  Biovia  Corp.  United 
States;  member  of  the  Advisory  Board   (corporate  body)  of 
Dassault Systemes 3DExcite GmbH (Germany)

Outside  Dassault  Systèmes  Group:  Director  of  Temenos  (listed 
company)  (Switzerland);  Director  of  the  DFCG  (the  French 
National  Association  of  Chief  Financial  Officers  and  Financial 
Controllers)

Other positions held during the past five years (all inside the 
Group, outside France):

Manager  of  Elsys  SPRL,  Director  of  Dassault  Systemes  Delmia 
Corp., and Dassault Systemes Enovia Corp. (United States)

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JEAN-PIERRE CHAHID-NOURAÏ – INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Chairman of the Audit Committee
Chairman of the Compensation and Nomination Committee

Age: 77

Nationality: French

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).

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 year ended December 31, 2018.

Other current positions and Directorships:

None

Date of first appointment: 4/15/2005

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2015: 2,054

Other positions held during the past five years:

Director of the Fondation Stanislas pour l’Éducation

NICOLE DASSAULT – DIRECTOR

Age: 85

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 year ended December 31, 2018.

Date of first appointment: 05/26/2011

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2015: 0*

*  Nicole Dassault is a shareholder of GIMD.

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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 year ended December 31, 2018.

Date of first appointment: 4/15/2005

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2015: 1,161

ODILE DESFORGES – INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Member of the Audit Committee

Biography:  Odile  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  in  2001  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  (RNPO).  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 year ended December 31, 2016.

Date of first appointment: 05/30/2013

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2015: 300

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Age: 61

Nationality: Belgian

Professional  address:  Singapore  Management  University  – 
81 Victoria Street, Singapore 188065 – Singapore

Main  position:  President  of  the  Singapore  Management 
University

Other current positions 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,  Director  of  the  Singapore 
Symphony Orchestra

Other positions held during the past five years:

Director of Kylian Technology Management Pte. Ltd.

5

Age: 66

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 held during the past five years:

Director of RNBV, RNTBCI and Renault Espana SA

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MARIE-HÉLÈNE HABERT – DIRECTOR

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  year  ended  December  31,  2015.  A 
resolution for her re-appointment will be submitted for approval 
at the General Meeting of May 26, 2016.

Date of first appointment: 07/23/2014

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2015: 500*

*  Marie-Hélène Habert is a shareholder of GIMD.

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 The Future of 
Cities, 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 year ended December 31, 2018.

Date of first appointment: 05/26/2011

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2015: 600

Age: 50

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

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

Age: 64

Nationality: Japanese

Professional  address:  Toshiko  Mori  Architect,  199  Lafayette 
Street, New York NY 10012 – USA

Main position: Partner of Toshiko Mori Architect PLLC

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 held 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

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5.1.1.2 

Practices of the Board of Directors

Separation of the offi ces of Chairman and Chief 
Executive Offi cer
Dassault  Systèmes  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 
(Mr.  Edelstenne  previously  held  both  roles  as  Chairman  and 
Chief Executive Officer of Dassault Systèmes SE).

The Chairman of the Board organizes and supervises the work 
of the Board and reports thereon at the General Shareholders 
Meeting. He ensures the proper functioning of the Board and 
the committees of Dassault Systèmes SE 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 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 
SE,  subject  to  the 
in 
paragraph  5.1.1.4  “Powers  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer” 
below.  He  represents  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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  (established  in 
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 Committees”.

Main provisions of the Board’s internal regulation
The  Board  of  Directors  established  its  internal  regulation 
(amended on December 4, 2015) to reflect the conversion of 
Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into  a  European  company.  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 updated in March 2015.

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The internal regulation stipulates the frequency of the 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 requires that, each year:

 (cid:125) the Board reviews the independence of the directors;

 (cid:125) 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

 (cid:125) the  Board  discusses  its  practices.  Every  three  years,  the 

Board conducts 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  Board  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 SE 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 Dassault Systèmes’ shares.

The Board of Directors’ activities in 2015
The  Board  of  Directors  met  nine  times  in  2015,  with  an 
attendance rate of 92%.

In addition to the deliberations on its agenda pursuant to the 
law (notice of the General Meeting and approval of the annual 
management report), the Board also discussed principally the 
following issues:

 (cid:125) the Company’s strategy (definition and review of strategic 
directions, review of partnership, acquisition, financing and 
guarantee transactions);

5

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 (cid:125) the accounts and the budget (approval of the 2014 annual 
financial statements and consolidated financial statements, 
the  consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  first  half  of 
2015,  the  2015  forward  accounts  and  the  review  of  the 
2015  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) it holds a debate at least once a year on its practices, and 
conducts  a  formal  review  every  three  years,  in  accordance 
with  its  internal  regulation  and  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code. 
During the evaluation conducted in 2015, the members of 
the Audit Committee said that they wished to be assisted by 
a third director, which has been welcomed by the Board and 
the management and is the subject-purpose of a proposition 
to appoint a new director (see Chapter 7 "General Meeting").

5.1.1.3 

Composition, Practices and Activities 
of the Board committees

Audit Committee
The Audit Committee consists solely of independent directors: 
Odile  Desforges  and  Jean-Pierre  Chahid-Nouraï  (Chairman  of 
this Committee). Both of them have been Company directors 
and have financial or accounting expertise.

It is the task of the Audit Committee to oversee:

 (cid:125) matters  related  to  the  preparation  and  the  auditing  of 
accounting  and  financial  information,  in  compliance  with 
the applicable regulations and its Charter;

 (cid:125) the  preparation  process  for  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 and;

 (cid:125) the  relationship  between  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  and  its 
Statutory  Auditors.  In  this  regard,  the  Audit  Committee 
is  involved  in  appointing  and  reappointing  the  Statutory 
Auditors  and  in  appointing  them  for  non-audit  related 
missions.

On  all 
recommendations to the Board of Directors.

these  matters, 

this  Committee 

reports 

its 

Lastly, it approves the annual plan for internal audits and gives 
its opinion on the department’s organization.

In  the  performance  of  its  missions,  the  Audit  Committee  is 
given  presentations  by  the  Group’s  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 Auditors informs 
the Audit Committee of their main findings and the Internal 
Audit Director reports to the Audit Committee the conclusions 
of his work. In addition, the Committee may call on external 
experts, having assessed their expertise and independence.

 (cid:125) the review of the assessment of the internal control system;

 (cid:125) the amendment of the Board’s internal regulation and the 

Audit Committee’s charter;

 (cid:125) the compensation of directors and allocation of shares and 

share subscription options;

 (cid:125) the  composition  and  the  functioning  of  the  Board  (review 
of  directors  identified  as  independent,  examination  of 
materiality of any business relationships with the Group);

 (cid:125) the compliance of Dassault Systèmes SE with the rules and 

recommendations on corporate governance;

 (cid:125) the creation of a foundation in the form of an endowment 

fund;

 (cid:125) the  conversion  of  Dassault  Systèmes  into  a  European 

company.

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. In addition, in 2015 an information day has been 
organised for the independant directors. This information day 
will be extended in 2016 to all the directors.

In  addition,  the  members  of  the  Audit  Committee  receive, 
upon  appointment,  information  on  the  specific  accounting, 
financial  and  operational  aspects  of  the  Group.  Finally,  the 
director who represents the employees may, upon his or her 
appointment,  receive  training  appropriate  to  the  exercise  of 
his or her term of office.

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  2015,  a  presentation 
was made to them on this topic, after which they were able 
to  have  a  discussion  without  the  presence  of  the  Dassault 
Systèmes teams, before reporting on their discussion to the 
Board;

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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  2015,  the  Audit  Committee  met  eight  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  Group  Controller, 
the  Financial  Reporting  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 2015 was 100%.

During  2015,  the  Audit  Committee  had  the  opportunity  to 
express an opinion on the following various topics:

 (cid:125)  evolution of IFRS 15 relating to revenue recognition;

 (cid:125) presentation  of  the  OCDE  recommendation  relating  to  the 

Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS);

 (cid:125)  Group’s IT security program;

 (cid:125)  Business Ethics & Compliance program;

 (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 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 officers;

 (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 two times in 2015, 
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 amount and allocation of the fees allocated to directors;

 (cid:125) the renewal and the ratification of directors;

 (cid:125) the  compensation  of  executive  officers 

(dirigeants 

 (cid:125) setting up of a term loan facility agreement; and

mandataires sociaux);

 (cid:125)  possible acquisitions of target companies, as well as Group’s 

 (cid:125) the  share  plans  and  share  subscription  option  plans  for 

corporate simplification scheme.

Group directors and employees.

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;

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.

Scientifi c Committee
Like the other Board committees, the Scientific Committee is 
comprised solely of independent directors: Ms. Toshiko Mori 
and  Mr.  Arnoud  De  Meyer  (Chairman  of  this  Committee). 
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.

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The  Scientific  Committee  met  three  times  in  2015,  with  an 
attendance  rate  of  83%.  At  these  meetings,  it  reviewed  a 
number  of  topics  central  to  Dassault  Systèmes  strategy  and 
in particular:

 (cid:125) the actions and services relating to the Cloud carried out by 
the Group with respect to the Biosphere for life sciences and 
the Geosphere for the virtual planet and urban systems; and

 (cid:125) the  3DEXPERIENCE  platform  which  allows  to  connect 
various  elements  within  the  value  chain  and  the  crowd 
innovation. In this context, it has focused on opportunities 
offered by the world of Makers and by the creation of the 
3DEXPERIENCE  Lab,  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  catalyse 
the  innovation  of  young  companies  on  the  collaborative 
capabilities of the Dassault Systèmes platform.

5.1.1.4 

Powers of the Chief Executive Offi cer

Pursuant to French law, the Chief Executive Officer represents 
Dassault Systèmes SE in dealings with third parties within the 

5.1.2  The Executive Committee

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 Dassault Systèmes SE’s by-laws, certain 
decisions  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  are  submitted  to 
the  prior  approval  of  the  Board.  This  concerns,  in  particular, 
acquisitions 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  17, 
2016, is € 500  million.

On March 17, 2016, the Board also renewed its authorization to 
the Chief Executive Officer to grant guarantees, endorsements 
or  securities  in  the  name  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  up  to  an 
aggregate amount of €500  million.

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

Chief Executive Officer

Senior Executive Vice-President, R esearch and D evelopment

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-Oceania), 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 SE and an executive officer (dirigeant mandataire social) as defined by the AFEP-MEDEF Code.
(2)  Mr. Thibault de Tersant is also a director of Dassault Systèmes SE.
(3)  Europe Middle-East Africa Russia.

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5.1.3  Declarations Regarding the Administrative Bodies 

and Senior Management

To Dassault Systèmes SE’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 above for the list 
of members), with the exception of Ms. Nicole Dassault and 
her daughter Ms. Marie-Hélène Habert;

 (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  SE, 
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 Executive Offi cers and Directors

Dassault  Systèmes  SE’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 SE were 
therefore invited to vote at the 2015 General Meeting on the 
compensation with respect to the 2014 financial year of the 
Chairman of the Board (7th resolution) and the Chief Executive 
Officer  (8th  resolution).  These  resolutions  were  approved  by 
98.02% and 96.20%, respectively.

The  shareholders  will  be  consulted  again  on  the  elements 
of  compensation  for  fiscal  year  2015  (see  paragraph  7.1 
“Presentation  of  the  Resolutions  Proposed  by  the  Board  of 
Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016”).

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  SE,  as  described  in  paragraph  5.1.4.5 
“Employee Profit-sharing”.

Grants of share subscription options and performance shares 
generally occur during identical periods. However, there may 
be rare exceptions to this rule, depending on the knowledge of 
inside information or the complex planning of the grants given 
the numerous changes in the tax and legal frameworks.

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5.1.4.1 

Compensation of Executive Offi cers

Each  year  the  Board  of  Directors  sets  the  amount  of  the 
Chairman’s  compensation  (fixed  only).  At  its  meeting  on 
March 17, 2016, the Board of Directors set the amount of the 
Chairman’s 2016 compensation at €982,000. The Chairman’s 
compensation has therefore remained the same since 2014.

As  regards  the  Chief  Executive  Officer,  his  annual  target 
compensation  with  objectives  achieved  for  is  comprised  of  a 
fixed  portion  for  50%,  paid  monthly,  and  a  variable  portion 
for 50%, paid annually in relation to 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%.

Each  year  the  Board  of  Directors  sets  the  annual  target 
compensation with objectives achieved for the Chief Executive 
Officer.  Any  significant  change  in  his  fixed  compensation  is 

made  over  the  long  term  and  relates  to  the  increase  in  the 
Group’s  scope  and  market  footprint.  In  2015,  the  Board  of 
Directors  therefore  significantly  revised  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer’s  base  compensation,  including  the  fixed  part,  to 
account  for  the  Group’s  increased  scope  arising  from  the 
multiple  acquisitions  made  since  2005,  the  last  time  his 
compensation was significantly revised. The Board of Directors 
has decided for 2016 that the Chief Executive Officer’s fixed 
annual compensation will remain the same as in 2015.

  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 information 
with respect to compensation of the executive officers.

The  amount  of  the  variable  compensation  due  to  the  Chief 
Executive  Officer  for  2015,  paid  in  2016,  was  fixed  at 
€1,523,750  by the Board of Directors during its meeting held 
on  March  17,  2016,  after  review  of  the  achievement  of  the 
performance criteria set in 2015. 

These criteria are set forth in the following table with an indication of their weighting:

Performance criteria categories

Diluted net profit per share on a non-IFRS consolidated basis (hereinafter referred to as the “EPS”) 
for 2015 as announced by the Company

Company’s efficiency processes

Dassault Système’s competitive position

Composition of product portfolio

Implementation of the Group’s short-, medium- and long-term strategy

Type

Weighting

Quantitative

Quantitative

Quantitative

Qualitative

Qualitative

20%

20%

20%

20%

20%

During  its  meeting  held  on  March  17,  2016,  the  Board  of 
Directors also set the foregoing performance criteria categories 
to  assess  the  payment  of  the  CEO’s  variable  compensation 
for  2016.  Therefore,  those  performance  criteria  categories 
show,  for  2016,  a  limit  of  40%  to  the  purely  qualitative 
part  of  this  variable  compensation .  In  order  to  protect  the 
Company’s  competitive  position,  the  Board  of  Directors 
considered  that  it  was  not  appropriate  to  disclose  further 
details  of  the  performance  criteria.  These  criteria,  which  are 
discussed  by  the  Compensation  and  Nomination  Committee 
and  the  Board,  are  both  internal  and  external  in  nature  and 
depend on the Group’s annual performance or its multi-year 
strategy (medium- and long-term). 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 
(see  paragraphs  2.2.2.1  “3DEXPERIENCE 
development 
platform for sustainability: apps and solutions for sustainable 
development”, 2.1.4 “Rewarding performance and recognizing 
employees” and 2.1.2.3 “Developing relations with the social, 
regional and community environment”).

At its meeting of March 17, 2016, the Board of Directors set 
for  2016   the  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 the objectives. 
This amount is the same to the amount for 2015 set forth by 
the Board of Directors on March, 20, 2015. 

   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 Offi cer

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 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.

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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.

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 
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.

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.

T he General Meeting of September 4, 2015 set the maximum 
number  of  shares  which  could  be  granted  to  the  executive 
officers (dirigeants mandataires sociaux) at 35% of the overall 
amount approved (1,793,169 shares).

Officer  (“2015-B  Shares”)  as  part  of  the  gradual  process 
of  associating  Mr.  Charlès  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  or  more  generally  his  peers  in  technology  companies 
around the world.

These 300,000 2015-B shares represent 5.86% of the overall 
amount  approved  by  the  General  Meeting  of  September  4, 
2015.

The  vesting  of  these  shares  to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer 
is  subject  to  his  remaining  in  office  and  two  cumulative 
performance conditions:

 (cid:125) the  first  performance  condition  is  identical  to  that  of  the 
2015-A performance shares plan decided by the Board held 
on  September 4, 2015, for the benefit of certain employees 
of  the  Group.  This  performance  condition  is  based  on  the 
two  following  alternative  criteria:  (i)  intrinsic  performance 
of  the  Group  measured  by  the  increase  of  the  EPS  for 
2016  compared  to  the  EPS  for  2014,  it  being  specified 
the  objective  of  such  increase  must  be  at  least  equal  to  a 
minimum (in percentage) set by the Board of September 4, 
2015, or (ii) the performance of the Dassault Systèmes stock 
price measured by reference to the difference between the 
evolution of the stock price as at closing of the last trading 
day for the years 2014 and 2016, with the value of the CAC 
40 index as at closing of trading day at the same dates, this 
performance must be at least equal to a minimum annual 
threshold (in percentage points) set by the same Board; and

 (cid:125) the additional performance condition, only applicable to the 
Chief Executive Officer, relates to its variable remuneration 
for  the  2015  and  2016  years,  actually  paid  in  2016  and 
2017, the amount of which is depending upon the level of 
achievement of performance criteria set by the Board.

In  accordance  with  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code  and  AMF 
recommendations,  the  Board  dated  September  4,  2015  has 
also  set  forth  the  commitment  of  the  CEO  to  maintain  in  a 
registered  form  at  least  15%  of  the  total  amount  of  shares 
he  acquires  as  a  consequence  of  the  2015-B  grant,  such 
percentage being calculated after deduction of the number of 
shares  which  would  be  necessary  to  sell  to  pay  taxes,  social 
charges and expenses related to the sale of the total number 
of shares vested.

The Chief Executive Officer also has formally agreed not to use 
foward contrats  in order to secure a capital gain in connection 
with  the  acquisition  of  the  sale   or  the  exercise  of  share 
subscriptions  options,  until  the  expiry  of  the  legal  lock-up 
period. The Dassault Systèmes’ Insider Trading Rules already 
imposed such restriction.

Further information concerning share subscription options and 
performance shares is provided in paragraph 5.3 “Summary of 
Compensation and Benefits Due to Directors”.

Within  the  framework  of  this  authorisation,  the  Board  of 
Directors  (which  met  on  the  same  day)  decided,  on  the 
recommendation  of  the  Compensation  and  Nomination 
Committee,  to  grant  300,000  shares  to  the  Chief  Executive 

Furthermore,  on  September  7,  2015,  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer  acquired  the  28,000  2010-04  performance  shares 
that were granted to him on September 7, 2012 (the 14,000 
shares initially granted have been increased to 28,000 further 

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to  the  two-for-one  split  of  the  Dassault  Systèmes  share  on 
July  17,  2014),  after  the  Board  of  Directors  determined  that 
the applicable performance conditions had been met.

Aside from Dassault Systèmes SE, no other Group company has 
granted  shares  or  options  to  corporate  officers  (mandataires 
sociaux) in 2015.

5.1.4.4  Directors’ Fees

Since  the  General  Meeting  of  May  26,  2014,  the  maximum 
annual  amount  of  directors’  fees  is  set  at  €350,000.  For 
2015,  the  amount  of  the  directors’  fees  actually  granted  to 
the Dassault Systèmes SE directors was €314,000, of which 
€154,000 was for their positions (fixed portion) and €160,000 
was for attendance of meetings of the Board of Directors and 
its  committees  (variable  portion).  In  accordance  with  the 
AFEP-MEDEF Code, the variable portion of the directors’ fees 
is greater.

The  distribution  of  the  fees  among  the  directors  for  2015 
is  based  on  the  following  principles,  which  were  set  by  the 
Board  of  Directors  in  its  meeting  on  May  28,  2015  and  are 
identical  to  those  used  for  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  prorated  for  the  actual  period  served 
in  the  positions  during  the  year);  €2,000  per  director  for 
physically  attending  a  Board  meeting;  €4,000  per  member 
of  the  Audit  Committee  for  physically  attending  a  meeting 
of that Committee; €2,000 per member of the Compensation 

and  Nomination  Committee  or  Scientific  Committee  for 
each  meeting  of  these  committees  they  physically  attend; 
and  €1,000  each  per  conference  call  or  videoconference  in 
relation to a meeting of the Board of Directors or one of these 
committees.

5.1.4.5 

Employee profi t-sharing

Finally  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  has  profit-sharing  plans  for 
all  employees.  The  results  of  the  year  ended  December  31, 
2015, which are subject to approval by the General Meeting 
on  May  26,  2016,  should  thus  enable  the  distribution  of  an 
amount  €42,326,455.75  in  profit-sharing  (intéressement et 
participation).

More than 90% of the employees of the French subsidiaries 
held  directly  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  also  benefit  from 
profit-sharing  agreements.  For  more  information  on  these 
agreements,  see  paragraph  2.1.4  “Rewarding  performance 
and recognizing employees”.

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 SE 
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)

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)

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)

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.

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  SE  considers  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.

Dassault Systèmes SE 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  Officer.  It  nevertheless  retains  three  cases  for  payment,  one  of  which  is  not 
explicitly provided for by such Code, in light of Dassault Systèmes SE’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.

5

5.1.6 

Internal Control Procedures and Risk Management

Because Dassault Systèmes 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 Organizations 
of  the  Treadway  Commission)  framework,  as  well  as  on  the 
AMF’s  suggested  reference  framework  regarding  internal 
control updated on July 22, 2010.

This  Chairman’s report on internal control procedures applies 
to Dassault Systèmes SE and its consolidated subsidiaries.

5.1.6.1  Defi nition and objectives of internal 

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  SE  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);

 (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

 (cid:125) prevent risks of error or fraud (an objective inspired by the 

COSO and AMF frameworks).

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 Committees”).

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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. The Internal Audit department also 
has the responsibility for the annual assessment, on behalf 
of  the  management,  of  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  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, such delegations having specific 
fields of application.

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 
located particularly in Japan, 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. The distribution of the Code of Conduct 
is accompanied by training, which is specifically provided to 
any new employee and to employees joining the Group as 
part of the integration process for such acquisitions;

 (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 paragraph 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 SE 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 
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. The Group is 
continuing to actively develop its program designed to 
fight against infringement concerning its products,

its 

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 
information  system 
security  of  servers  and  other 
facilities,

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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 
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  Financial  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 
in  order  to  establish  and  publish  required 
processes 
financial information every quarter as soon as possible. The 
consolidation  procedure  as  defined  by  Dassault  Systèmes 
SE 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 SE 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 intra-group 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 agreements 
(conventions réglementées),

5)  a  detailed  review  by  the  Group’s  financial  division  of 
the quarterly accounts of Dassault Systèmes SE and its 
subsidiaries,

6)  the  detailed  analysis  by  the  Company’s  accounting 
department  of  all  the  material  software  license  and/or 
services  transactions  in  order  to  validate  their  correct 
accounting recording;

 (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.

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 
statements,  treasury  management,  client  credit  risk 
management) are formalized and updated at the level of 
both Dassault Systèmes SE 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  2015,  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 

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5.1.6.5 

Evaluation of Internal Control

Since its voluntary delisting from the NASDAQ in October 2008, 
Dassault Systèmes SE 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.

As the Company management aims to maintain a high level 
of internal control within the Company, detailed assessment 
work was again performed in 2015, 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  internal  control 
evaluations, in the form of self-evaluation questionnaires and 

internal control reviews conducted in the months immediately 
following acquisition continues to expand to entities that had 
previously been considered immaterial and to newly acquired 
companies. The results of the evaluation of the internal control 
are  presented  to  the  Audit  Committee.  In  addition,  Internal 
Control’s efficiency is assessed by the Statutory Auditors.

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  the  exercise 
of  individual  judgments,  or  dysfunctions  which  may  occur 
as a result of human failure or simple error or in the external 
environment.

5.1.7  Other information required by Article L. 225-37 

of the French Commercial Code

5.1.7.1 

Specifi c Modalities Related 
to Shareholders’ Participation 
in the General Meeting

Shareholders  participate  in  the  General  Meetings  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  General  Meetings 
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  Meeting”  (concerning 
share issues), 6.2.5 “Stock Repurchase Programs” (concerning 
acquisition  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  of  its  treasury  shares), 
6.1.2.2  “General  Meetings”  (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 2015 Annual Report (Document de référence) 
which is also a part of the annual management report issued 
by the Board of Directors.

The  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

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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 SE , 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 December 31, 2015 .

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 fi nancial 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, on March 18 , 2016

The Statutory Auditors

PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit
French original signed by: 
Pierre Marty

ERNST & YOUNG et A utres
French original signed by: 
Pierre-Antoine Duffaud 

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Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Corporate Offi cers (mandataires sociaux)

5.3  Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due 
to Corporate Offi cers (mandataires sociaux)

5.3.1  Compensation of the Company’s Corporate Offi cers 

(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 corporate officers of Dassault Systèmes SE, 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”,  5.3.2.1. “Dassault Systèmes Share Subscription Options”  and 5.3.2.2. “Performance Shares”).

TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF THE COMPENSATION, OPTIONS AND SHARES AWARDED TO EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER

(in euros)

Charles Edelstenne, Chairman of the Board

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 granted during the year (detailed in Table 4)

Value of the performance share granted during the year (detailed in Table 6)

Bernard Charlès, 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 granted during the year (detailed in Table 4)

Value of the performance share granted during the year (detailed in Table 6)

2015

2014

1,025,000

1,024,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

2,887,684(1) 

2,365,534

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

(1)  As disclosed on March 24, 2015 in the 2014 Annual Report, the Board of Directors set, at its meeting on March 20, 2015, the total amount of the 2015 annual target compensation 
with objectives achieved for the Chief Executive Officer to €2,650,000, half of which will vary in relation to the achievement of the objectives. This revision in  the Chief Executive 
Officer‘s base compensation was decided in 2015 to take into account the change in the Group’s scope resulting from the multiple acquisitions completed since 2005, the date of 
the previous significant revision.

VALUE OF THE SHARES GRANTED TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AS PART OF THE PLAN TO PROGRESSIVELY 
ASSOCIATE HIM WITH THE COMPANY’S CAPITAL
Such  shares  are  granted  to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  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.

(in euros)

Bernard Charlès, Chief Executive Officer

Value of the shares granted during the year (see Table 6) (1)

2015

2014

11,653,530(2)

5,620,500(3)

(1)  Value based on the method chosen for the consolidated financial statements, before the spreading of the expense and taking into account the performance criteria.
(2)  i.e., 300,000 2015-B Shares granted in 2015.
(3)  i.e., 300,000 2014-B Shares the 150,000 shares initially granted have been multiplied by 2 following the two-for-one stock split on July 17, 2014 granted in 2014.

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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, Chief Executive Officer

Fixed compensation 

Annual variable compensation(5)

Multi-year variable compensation

Extraordinary compensation

Directors’ fees

Benefits(9)

TOTAL

2015

2014

Amount due in 
respect of year

Amount paid 
in 2015

Amount due in 
respect of year

Amount paid 
in 2014

982,000

982,000

982,000

982,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

43,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

42,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

42,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

36,000

N/A

1,025,000

1,024,000

1,024,000

1,018,000

1,325,000(4)

1,523,750(6)

1,325,000(4)

1,269,600(7)

1,058,000

1,058,000

1,269,600(7)

1,178,750(8)

N/A

N/A

28,000

10,934

N/A

N/A

27,000

10,934

N/A

N/A

27,000

10,934

N/A

N/A

21,000

10,934

2,887,684 

2,632,534

2,365,534

2,268,684

5

(1)  GIMD paid Mr. Charles Edelstenne, as GIMD’s Chief Executive Officer, gross fixed compensation of €800,000 in 2015 and in 2014.
(2)  GIMD paid Mr. Charles Edelstenne, for his term as a member of GIMD’s Supervisory Board, directors’ fees of €27,222 in 2015 and €22,719 in 2014.
(3)  GIMD granted benefits in kind related to the use of a car for Mr. Charles Edelstenne in an amount of €10,440 in 2015 and €10,063 in 2014.
(4)  As disclosed on March 24, 2015 in the 2014 Annual Report, the Board of Directors set, at its meeting on March 20, 2015, the total amount of the 2015 annual target compensation 
with objectives achieved for the Chief Executive Officer to €2,650,000, half of which will vary in relation to the achievement of the objectives. This revision in  the Chief Executive 
Officer‘s base compensation was decided in 2015 to take into account the change in the Group’s scope resulting from the multiple acquisitions completed since 2005, the date of 
the previous significant revision. Consequently, in 2015, the fix compensation of the Chief Executive Officer has been raised to 1,325,000 euros, which represent a 25.2% increase 
compared to 2014.

 (5)  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”.

(6)  Variable portion of the compensation due for 2015 and paid in 2016, it being emphasized that the Board of Directors set, at its meeting on March 20, 2015, the total amount of 
the  2015  annual  target  compensation  with  objectives  achieved  for  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  to  €2,650,000,  half  of  which  will  vary  in  relation  to  the  achievement  of  the 
objectives. This revision in  the Chief Executive Officer‘s base compensation was decided in 2015 to take into account the change in the Group’s scope resulting from the multiple 
acquisitions completed since 2005, the date of the previous significant revision. 

(7)  Variable portion due for 2014 and paid in 2015.
(8)  Variable portion due for 2013 and paid in 2014.
(9)  These benefits are related to the use of a car provided by Dassault Systèmes SE.

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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 (MANDATAIRES SOCIAUX NON-DIRIGEANTS)

Directors’ fees paid 
in 2015 for 2014

Directors’ fees paid 
in 2014 for 2013

Thibault de Tersant(1)

Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï

Nicole Dassault(2)

Serge Dassault (director until May 27, 2014)(3)

Arnoud De Meyer

Odile Desforges 

Bernard Dufau(5)

Marie-Hélène Habert (director since July 23, 2014)(4)

André Kudelski(5)

Toshiko Mori

TOTAL

(1)  The overall compensation received by Thibault de Tersant in 2015 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

27,000

53,000

22,000

10,000

38,000

42,000

–

9,657

–

28,000

229,657

21,000

32,956

16,200

18,600

24,600

14,835

17,408

–

15,164

24,600

185,363

Compensation
paid in 2015

Compensation 
paid in 2014

480,000

250,000(a)

–

1,056

27,000

9,865

767,921

450,000

240,000(b)

–

281

21,000

9,838

721,119

(a)  Variable portion due for 2014. In 2015, Thibault de Tersant also received €34,582.91 under the Company’s French profit sharing plans.
(b)  Variable portion due for 2013. In 2014, Thibault de Tersant also received €33,606 under the Company’s French profit sharing plans.
(c)  These benefits are related to the use of a car provided by Dassault Systèmes SE.
(2)  GIMD paid Nicole Dassault €14,778 in directors’ fees in 2015 and €19,035 in 2014, in connection with her role as a member of the Supervisory Board of GIMD.
(3)  GIMD paid Serge Dassault directors’ fees of €27,222 in 2015 and €26,403 in 2014, in connection with his role as a member of the Supervisory Board of GIMD, €630,000 in 2015 
and €600,000 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 €14,448 in 
2015 and €16,024 in 2014.

(4)  GIMD paid Marie-Hélène Habert directors’ fees of €25,325 in 2015 and €26,403 in 2014, in connection with her role as a member of the Supervisory Board of GIMD, €338,534 
in 2015 and €334,584 in 2014 in connection with her role as Director of Communication and Patronage, Dassault Group. GIMD also granted her a bonus in an amount of €5,000 
in 2015 and €5,140 in 2014 and benefits in kind related to the use of a car in an amount of €3,550 in 2015 and €3,803 in 2014.

(5)  The term of office as directors of Bernard Dufau and André Kudelski ended at the General Meeting of May 30, 2013.

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 2015 TO EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER BY THE ISSUER 
AND BY ANY OF THE GROUP COMPANIES

(in euros)

Charles Edelstenne

TOTAL

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

Plan number 
and date

Type of options 
(purchase or 
subscription)

Value of 
the options

Number of
options granted
in 2015

Exercise price

Exercise period

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

None

None

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

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TABLE 5: SUBSCRIPTION OR PURCHASE OPTIONS EXERCISED DURING 2015 BY EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER

(in euros)

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

Plan number
and date

–

2008-01 – 9/25/2008

Number of
options exercised 
in 2015*

–

100,000

100,000

Exercise
price*

–

€19.075

* 

Since the options exercised during 2015 were issued prior to the two-for-one stock split of the Dassault Systèmes share on July 17, 2014, the numbers listed in these columns take 
into account the correlative multiplication of the number of shares subscribed and the division in half of the exercise price.

Mr. Bernard Charlès generally reinvests the gains realized through the exercise of subscription stock options in shares of Dassault 
Systèmes  SE,  after  accounting  for  taxes,  social  charges  and  transaction  fees.  In  2015,  Mr.  Bernard  Charlès  did  not  sell  any 
Dassault Systèmes shares.

TABLE 6: SHARES GRANTED IN 2015 TO EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER BY THE ISSUER AND 
BY ANY OF THE GROUP COMPANIES

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

Number of shares 
authorized and issued 
performance shares 
granted in 2015

Value of
the shares
(in euros) (1)

Date of 
acquisition

Date of 
availability

Performance 
conditions

None

–

–

–

300,000(2)

€11,653,530

9/4/2017

9/4/2017

–

Yes

5

Plan number 
and date

–

2015-B
9/4/2015

300,000

(1)  Value based on the method chosen for the consolidated financial statements before the spreading of the expense and taking into account the performance criteria.
(2)  Such shares are granted to the Chief Executive Officer 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.

TABLE 7: SHARES THAT HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE DURING 2015 FOR EACH EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

TOTAL

Plan number and date

No. 2010-03
9/29/2011

Number of shares 
authorized and 
issued that became 
available in 2015

–

300,000(2)

300,000

Vesting conditions(1)

(1)  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 in paragraph 5.1.5 “Application of 

the AFEP-MEDEF Code”.

(2)  Such shares are granted to the Chief Executive Officer 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. In accordance with the law, a part of these shares is subject to a holding period (see 
paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares and Share Subscription Options”). Such 300,000 shares 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 that became available.

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 DIRECTORS 
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.

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TABLE 11: FOLLOW-UP OF THE AFEP-MEDEF’S RECOMMENDATIONS
As  indicated  in  the  table  below,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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

* 

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”.

There  is  no  specific  additional  retirement  plan  (régime 
complémentaire  de  retraite)  for  the  executive  officers.  The 
companies  controlled  by  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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 Share Capital of Dassault Systèmes SE

5.3.2.1  Dassault Systèmes Share Subscription 

Options

As  of  December  31,  2015,  there  were  four  active  shares 
subscription options plans for the benefit of certain Company 
managers and employees. One share subscription options plan 
expired during 2015. The exercise price of share subscription 
options granted pursuant to all the plans was fixed without a 
discount  compared  to  the  most  recent  price  of  the  Dassault 
Systèmes share on the date of grant of the options.

The General Meeting 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 SE’s share capital. At its 
meeting on September 4, 2015, the Board of Directors used 
this  authorization  to  grant  to  600  beneficiaries  1,965,555 

share  subscription  options  (the  “2015-01  Options”),  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 
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.

However,  the  new  shares  created  as  from  the  day  after  this 
A nnual  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).

The following table provides certain information on the stock 
options plans in effect during 2015.

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GRANTS OF SUBSCRIPTION OR PURCHASE OPTIONS
(Corresponding to Table 8 of the AMF Position-Recommendation No. 2009-16)

For all the grants prior July 17, 2014, the figures in this table (options, shares and exercise price) 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 that may be exercised.

Stock option plan

General Meeting

Board of Directors

Total Number of shares to be 
subscribed pursuant to options 
exercise

 (cid:125) by corporate officers 
(mandataires sociaux)

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

Thibault de Tersant

Starting point for exercising 
the options

Expiry date

Exercise price (in euros)

Modalities of exercise

Number of shares subscribed 
pursuant to options exercised 
as of 12/31/2015

Cumulative number of options 
canceled or null and void 
as of 12/31/2015

Number of options outstanding 
as of 12/31/2015

Number of shares subscribed 
pursuant to options exercised 
between 01/01/2016 
and 02/29/2016

Number of options canceled 
or null and void between 01/01/16 
and 02/29/2016

Number of options outstanding 
as of 2/29/2016

Number of shares subscribed 
pursuant to options exercised 
as of 02/29/2016

2008-01

2008-02

2010-01

2014-01

2015-01

Total

05/22/2008

05/22/2008

05/27/2010

05/30/2013

05/30/2013

09/25/2008

11/27/2009

05/27/2010

05/26/2014

09/4/2015

2,873,200

3,703,000

2,480,000

624,450

1,965,555

11,646,205

300,000

340,000

220,000

N/A

100,000

200,000

N/A

N/A

100,000(1)

100,000(1)

240,000

120,000

–

N/A

N/A

–

–

N/A

N/A

N/A

860,000

N/A

300,000

560,000

09/25/2009

11/27/2013

05/27/2014

02/21/2016

09/4/2016

09/24/2015

11/26/2017

05/26/2018

05/25/2022

09/3/2025

19.075

19.50

23.50

45.50

62.00

See note(2)

See note(3)

5

2,596,836

1,937,736

821,723

-

-

5,356,295

276,364

310,000

206,700

160,600

24,150

977,814

-

-

-

-

1,455,264

1,451,577

463,850

1,941,405

5,312,096

52,702

78,430

5,030

-

136,162

-

-

64,390

46,550

110,940

1,402,562

1,373,147

394,430

1,894,855

5,064,994

2,596,836

1,990,438

900,153

5,030

-

5,492,457

(1)  The options granted to the Chief Executive Officer are subject to performance conditions related to his variable compensation actually paid out over three years, the amount of 

which is itself dependant upon the satisfaction of the performance criteria defined by the Board of Diretors of Dassault Systèmes SE.

(2)  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 related to the target for his or her respective brand.

(3)  The 2015-01 options are exercisable by one-third tranches as from September 4, 2016, September 2017 and September 2018, respectively, provided that the beneficiary remains 
with the Company and fulfills the performance condition relating to the diluted net profit per share on a non-IFRS consolidated basis (hereinafter referred to as the “EPS”), and/or 
the achievement of the target for his or her respective brand.

For information regarding the dilutive effect on share capital 
by  the  exercise  of  options,  see  also  paragraph  6.2.1  “Share 
Capital at February 29, 2016”.

At  December  31,  2015,  the  only  corporate  officers 
(mandataires sociaux) owning such share subscription options 
were Bernard Charlès and Thibault de Tersant.

For  information  regarding  the  equity  interests  in  Dassault 
Systèmes SE of the corporate officers (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).

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SUBSCRIPTION AND PURCHASE OPTIONS OF THE TOP TEN EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND 
THE OPTIONS THEY EXERCISED DURING 2015
(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 Dassault Systèmes SE stock options during 2015 and who are not 
corporate officers (mandataires sociaux) of the Dassault Systèmes SE.

Stock options granted in 2015 
to the ten employees who received 
the largest number of stock options

Stock options exercised in 2015 
by the ten employees who exercised 
the largest number of stock options*

Total of 
options

Average 
weighted price 
per option

Plan. 
2008-01

Plan. 
2008-02

Plan. 
2010-01

Plan. 2014-01

Plan. 2015-01

326,500

€62.00

–

–

–

381,695

€40.20

199,900

103,300

78,495

–

–

326,500

–

* 

For all the grants prior July 17, 2014, the figures in this table (options and exercise price) 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 that may be exercised.

5.3.2.2 

Performance shares

The  General  Meeting  of  September  4,  2015  authorized 
the  Board  of  Directors  to  grant  Dassault  Systèmes  shares, 
representing  up  to  2%  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE’s  capital  at 
the date the Board of Directors granted them (i.e., 5,123,341 
shares),  this  authorization  being  valid  during  a  38-month 
period.

The  Board  meeting  of  September  4,  2015  used  this 
authorization to grant 734,600 “2015-A” performance shares 
to  570  beneficiaries,  and  300,000  “2015-B”  shares  to  the 
Chief  Executive  Officer  (see  paragraph  5.1.4.3  “Performance 
Shares and Share Subscription Options”). This second grant is 
compliant with the resolution of the General Meeting, which 
limited the portion of shares that could be granted to the Chief 
Executive Officer to 35% of the overall amount of shares as of 
the date of the grant, i.e., 1,793,169 shares.

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5

 HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE SHARES GRANTED

(Corresponding to Table 10 of the AMF Position-Recommendation No. 2009-16)

For all the grants prior July 17, 2014, the figures in this table 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.

Plan Number

General Meeting

2010-02 
– France Plan

2010-02 
– International 
Plan

2010-04 
– France Plan

2010-04 
– International 
Plan

2014-A

2015-A

Total

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/27/2010

05/30/2013

09/04/2015

Date of the Board meeting

09/29/2011

09/29/2011

09/07/2012

09/07/2012

02/21/2014

09/04/2015

Total number of shares 
granted, including the 
number granted to:

 (cid:125) to corporate officers 
(mandataires sociaux)

Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

Thibault de Tersant

621,000(1)

191,800(1)

661,600(1)

416,860(1)

1,059,880

734,600

3,685,740

62,000

–

28,000(2)

34,000

–

–

–

62,000

–

28,000(2)

34,000

–

–

–

–

40,000

40,000

204,000

–

–

–

–

40,000

40,000

–

56,000(2)

148,000

Vesting date of shares

09/29/2014

09/29/2015

09/07/2015

09/07/2016

02/21/2018

09/04/2017

Date of end of holding period

09/29/2016

none

09/07/2017

Yes(3)

Yes(3)

Yes(4)

588,000

152,300

622,000

none

Yes(4)

–

none

Yes(5)

–

none

Yes(6)

5

–

1,362,300

33,000

39,500

39,600

76,300

60,750

900

250,050

-

-

-

340,560

999,130

733,700

2,073,390

(1)  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.

(2)  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 SE.

(3)  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  satisfies  a 
performance condition, which is measured according to the EPS actually realized compared to the high end of the range EPS as published for each of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 
financial years.

(4)  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  satisfies  a 
performance condition, which is measured according to the EPS actually realized compared to the high end of the range EPS as published for each of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 
financial years.

(5)  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: growth in the EPS compared to 2014, and such growth must be at least equal to a threshold (expressed as a percentage) established 
at the Board meeting at which the shares were granted, or outperformance of the Dassault Systèmes share compared to the performance of the CAC 40 index; and this difference 
must be at least equal to a threshold (expressed as a percentage) established at the same Board meeting.

(6)  The  2015-A  Shares  will  be  fully  vested  at  the  end  of  the  vesting  period,  provided  that  the  beneficiary  remains  with  the  Company  and  fulfills  at  least  one  of  the  following 
performance conditions whose achievement will be measured in 2017: growth in the EPS compared to 2014, and such growth must be at least equal to a threshold (expressed as 
a percentage) established at the Board meeting at which the shares were granted, or outperformance of the Dassault Systèmes share compared to the performance of the CAC 40 
index; and this difference must be at least equal to a threshold (expressed as a percentage) established at the same Board meeting.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015 179

Performance conditions

Number of shares vested 
as at 02/29/2016

Total number of shares 
cancelled or lapsed 
as at 12/31/2015

Performance shares 
remaining at the end 
of financial year

5 Corporate governance 

Summary of the Compensation and Benefi ts Due to Corporate Offi cers (mandataires sociaux)

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”)

The figures in this table 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 .

Plan Details

General Meeting

Board of Directors

2009

2010

2010-03

2010-05

2014-B

2015-B

06/06/2007 05/27/2010 05/27/2010 05/27/2010 05/30/2013 09/04/2015

11/27/2009 05/27/2010 09/29/2011 09/07/2012 02/21/2014 09/04/2015

Total number of shares granted to Bernard Charlès

300,000

300,000

300,000

300,000

300,000

300,000

Vesting date of shares

11/27/2011 05/27/2012 09/29/2013 09/07/2014 02/21/2018 09/04/2017

Date of end of holding period (1)

11/27/2013 05/27/2014 09/29/2015 09/07/2016 02/21/2018 09/04/2017

Performance conditions

See note (2)

See note (3)

See note (4)

See note (5)

See note (6)

See note (7)

Number of shares vested as at 3/20/2016

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.
(7)  Performance condition (i) identical to the one stipulated for the 2015-A performance shares and (ii) an additional condition tied to the variable compensation of the Chief Executive 
Officer actually paid over the life of the plan, the amount of which is itself dependent on the achievement of performance criteria previously established by the Board meeting that 
set his compensation (see paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares and Share Subscription Options”).

180 DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015  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 SE carried out in 2015 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),  on  the  basis  of  the  declarations  made  by  the 
relevent parties to the AMF, available on www.amf-france.org.

Date and place Directors and Executive Officers

Nature of the transaction

Unit price
(in euros)

Gross amount
(in euros)

02/10/15
Euronext Paris Philippe Forestier

02/10/15
Euronext Paris Philippe Forestier

02/10/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

02/10/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

02/10/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

02/10/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

02/26/15
Euronext Paris Bruno Latchague

02/26/15
Euronext Paris Bruno Latchague

04/28/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

04/28/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

05/04/15
Euronext Paris Bruno Latchague

05/04/15
Euronext Paris Bruno Latchague

05/05/15
Euronext Paris Bruno Latchague

05/05/15
Euronext Paris Bruno Latchague

05/19/15
Euronext Paris Philippe Forestier

05/19/15
Euronext Paris Philippe Forestier

06/01/15
Euronext Paris Pascal Daloz

06/01/15
Euronext Paris Monica Menghini

06/01/15
Euronext Paris Monica Menghini

06/01/15
Euronext Paris Monica Menghini

06/01/15
Euronext Paris Monica Menghini

Exercise of share subscription options

19.08

190,750.00

Sale of shares

57.68

576,782.40

Exercise of share subscription options

19.08

45,780.00

Exercise of share subscription options

19.50

928,200.00

5

Sale of shares

Sale of shares

57.57

138,171.58

57.54 2,738,791.68

Exercise of share subscription options

23.50

940,000.00

Sale of shares

62.16 2,486,367.89

Exercise of share subscription options

19.50 1,170,000.00

Sale of shares

69.92 4,195,199.35

Exercise of share subscription options

23.50

785,910.50

Sale of shares

69.77 2,333,203.82

Exercise of share subscription options

23.50

118,722.00

Sale of shares

69.72

352,204.43

Exercise of share subscription options

19.50

195,000.00

Sale of shares

70.29

702,942.00

Exercise of share subscription options

19.08

138,770.63

Exercise of share subscription options

19.50

156,000.00

Exercise of share subscription options

23.50

188,000.00

Sale of shares

Sale of shares

70.40

563,200.00

70,40

563,200.00

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015 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)

06/04/15
Euronext Paris Pascal Daloz

06/04/15
Euronext Paris Pascal Daloz

06/17/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

06/25/15
Euronext Paris Bernard Charlès

06/25/15
Euronext Paris Pascal Daloz

06/25/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

06/25/15
Euronext Paris Jean-Pierre Chahid-Nouraï

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

06/25/15
Euronext

Charles Edelstenne

Physical person associated 
with Charles Edelstenne

Legal person associated 
with Charles Edelstenne

Legal person associated 
with Charles Edelstenne

Bernard Charlès

Bernard Charlès

Bernard Charlès

Bernard Charlès

Bernard Charlès

Bernard Charlès

Physical person associated 
with Bernard Charlès

Physical person associated 
with Bernard Charlès

07/30/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

07/30/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

08/26/15
Euronext

08/28/15
Euronext

09/02/15
Euronext

09/04/15
Euronext

Physical person associated 
with Nicole Dassault

Physical person associated 
with Nicole Dassault

Physical person associated 
with Nicole Dassault

Physical person associated 
with Nicole Dassault

09/16/15
Euronext Paris Bernard Charlès

182 DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Exercise of share subscription options

19.08 1,386,752.50

Exercise of share subscription options

19.08

476.88

Exercise of share subscription options

19.50

214,500.00

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

508,852.47

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

9,303.62

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

22,287.03

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

555.44

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43 1,364,021.78

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43 2,492,120.42

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

763.73

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

763.73

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

75,817.56

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

14,649.73

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

1,666.32

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

81,857.97

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

69.43

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

67,694.25

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

62,278.71

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

347.15

Exercise of share subscription options

19.50 1,170,000.00

Sale of shares

Acquisition of shares

Acquisition of shares

Acquisition of shares

Acquisition of shares

68.95 4,137,067.03

61.31 6,130,570.00

61.87 4,083,347.40

61.16 6,054,998.40

61.05 3,968,211.00

Exercise of share subscription options

19.08 1,907,500.00

Bernard Charlès

Reinvestment of dividends in shares

69.43

416.58

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

Unit price
(in euros)

Gross amount
(in euros)

09/23/15
Euronext Paris Dominique Florack

09/29/15
Euronext Paris Bruno Latchague

10/28/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

10/28/15
Euronext Paris Thibault de Tersant

Exercise of share subscription options

19.08 4,394,727.40

Sale of shares

64.61  1,938,225.00

Exercise of share subscription options

19.50 1,170,000.00

Sale of shares

69.69 4,181,283.84

5

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015 183

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 Pierre-Antoine Duffaud, 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.

 It will be proposed to the General Meeting of May 26, 2016 
to  renew  Ernst  &  Young  et  Autres’  mandate,  for  a  six  fiscal 
year period. This mandate will expire at the General Meeting 
approving  the  financial  statements  for  the  year  ending  on 
December 31, 2021. 

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.

 It will be proposed to the General Meeting of May 26, 2016 
to  renew  Auditex  mandate,  for  a  six  fiscal  year  period.  This 
mandate  will  expire  at  the  General  Meeting  approving  the 
financial  statements  for  the  year  ending  on  December  31, 
2021. 

Principal Auditors’ fees and services
The following table presents the amount of fees paid to each of the Company’s principal Statutory Auditors in 2015 and 2014:

(in thousands, excluding VAT)

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

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

€1,013

€1,065

1,636

1,390

-

339

2,988

139

139

512

167

3,134

136

136

32%

53%

0%

11%

96%

4%

4%

33%

42%

16%

5%

96%

4%

4%

€229

474

€228

342

54

227

984

901

901

49

1

620

717

717

12 %

25 %

3 %

12 %

52 %

48 %

48 %

17%

25%

4%

0%

46%

54%

54%

€3,127

€3,270

100%

100%

€1,885 

€1,337

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, 2015 and 2014, 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 2015 and 2014, 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.

184 DOCUMENT DE RÉFÉRENCE 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

6

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

CONTENTS

6.1  Information about Dassault 

6.3  Information about the Shareholders 194

Systèmes SE 

6.1.1  General Information 

6.1.2  Memorandum and Specific By-Laws Provisions 

186

186

187

6.3.1  Shareholder Base and Double Voting Rights 

6.3.2  Controlling Shareholder 

6.3.3  Shareholder Agreements 

194

196

197

6.2  Information about the Share Capital 189

6.4  Stock Market Information 

199 

6.2.1  Share Capital at February 29, 2016 

6.2.2  Potential Share Capital 

6.2.3  Changes in Dassault Systèmes SE Share Capital 

over the Past Three Years 

6.2.4  Delegations and Authorizations Granted 

to the Board of Directors by the General Meeting 

6.2.5  Stock Repurchase Programs 

189

189

190

191

193

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

185

6 Information about Dassault Systèmes SE, the share capital and the ownership structure

Information about Dassault Systèmes SE

6.1 

Information about Dassault Systèmes SE

6.1.1  General Information

6.1.1.1 

Commercial Name and Registered 
Offi ce

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  SE  is  a  European  company  (Societas 
Europaea)  incorporated  and  registered  under  French  law, 
governed  by  the  provisions  of  Council  Regulation  (EC) 
no.  2157/2001  as  well  as  by  French  provisions  in  force  at 
any time (hereinafter the “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  conversion  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into  a  European 
company was approved by the General Meeting on May 28, 
2015  and  became  effective  on  June  15,  2015,  the  date  on 
which Dassault Systèmes SE was registered with the Versailles 
trade and companies registry.

Dassault Systèmes SE is governed by a Board of Directors.

6.1.1.3  Date of Incorporation and Term

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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 
and  then  into  a  European  company  (Societas Europaea)  on 
June 15, 2015.

6.1.1.4 

Corporate Purpose

Pursuant to Article 2 of the Company’s by-laws, as amended 
by the Extraordinary General Meeting on September 4, 2015, 
Dassault  Systèmes  SE’s  corporate  purpose,  in  France  and 
abroad, is:

 (cid:125) the  conception,  development,  production,  marketing, 
purchase,  sale,  brokerage,  rental,  maintenance  and  the 
provision  of  after-sale  services  of  software,  digital  content 
and/or computer hardware;

 (cid:125) the  supply  and  providing  of  services  of  data  centers, 
including  the  supply  of  online  software  services  as  a 
service and the operation and supply of the corresponding 
infrastructures;

186 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

 (cid:125) the supply and providing of services to users notably in the 
area of training, demonstration, methodology, display and 
utilization; and

 (cid:125) the  supply  and  sale  of  computer  resources,  together  or 
separate from the supply or sale of software or services,

 notably  in  the  areas  of  3D  design,  solutions,  modeling, 
simulation, manufacturing, operations planning, collaboration, 
lifecycle management, business intelligence, marketing or 3D 
for public at large in the domains of products, nature and life.

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 1st to 
December 31st of each year.

6.1.1.6  Documents on Display

Dassault  Systèmes  SE’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 L aw may be viewed at Dassault Systèmes SE’s 
registered office.

Some  of  these  documents  are  also  available  on  the  Group’s 
website (www.3ds.com/investors/regulated-information).

Information about Dassault Systèmes SE, the share capital and the ownership structure
Information about Dassault Systèmes SE

6

6.1.2  Memorandum and Specifi c By-Laws Provisions

Dassault Systèmes SE’s by-laws were modified twice during 
the financial year ended December 31, 2015.

6.1.2.2  General Meetings

The  first  amendment  was  introduced  following  the  approval 
of  the  conversion  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SA  into  a  European 
company by the General Meeting on May 28, 2015. The second 
amendment related to the modification of Dassault Systèmes 
SE’s corporate purpose (Article 2), which was approved by the 
Extraordinary General Meeting on September 4, 2015.

6.1.2.1  Allocation of Profi ts 

(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).

Notice and agenda of meeting 
(Articles 25 and 26 of the Company’s by-laws)
General Meetings are convened by the Board of Directors or, 
if the Board of Directors fails to convene a General Meeting, 
by  the  Statutory  Auditor(s).  One  or  more  shareholders  who 
together hold at least 10% of the subscribed capital may also 
(i) request the Board of Directors to call and (ii) set the agenda 
of such General Meetings. The request to convene the meeting 
shall set out the items to be put on the agenda.

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 the Law.

Conditions for admission (Article 27 of the Company’s 
by-laws)
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.

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 
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.

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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 SE 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  the  provisions  of  the  Law.  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  provisions  of  the 
Law. 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 the provisions of the 
Law.

Except as may be otherwise provided for under the provisions 
of the 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 shares (Articles 13 and 39 of the 
Company’s by-laws)
All the shares are of the same class and are entitled to, under 
the Company’s by-laws, the same rights to the allocation 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).

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.  For  the  calculation  of 
the majority, the votes cast shall not include votes attaching 
to  shares  in  respect  of  which  the  shareholder  has  not  taken 
part in the vote or has returned a blank or spoilt ballot paper.

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).

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  SE  shares  except  in 
the  event  of  stripping  of  the  ownership  of  the  shares  (see 
paragraph “Conditions for exercising voting rights (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 
SE  and  the  Financial  Markets  Authority  (AMF)  in  the  event 
a  shareholder’s  interest  passes  the  thresholds  set  out  in 

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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 SE’s share capital or voting rights, 
or  a  multiple  thereof,  must  inform  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  of 
the  total  number  of  shares  or  voting  rights  which  it  holds. 
This  information  must  be  sent  to  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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 
SE  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.

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 SE 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-Laws)”), Article 10 
of  the  by-laws  provides  that  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  may,  at 
any  time  and  in  compliance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Law, 
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  SE  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 Modifi cations in Share 
Capital Which Are More Restrictive 
than the Law

The  by-laws  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  do  not  contain  any 
provisions concerning modifications of share capital which are 
more restrictive than those provided under the Law.

6

6.2 

Information about the Share Capital

6.2.1  Share Capital at February 29, 2016

At February 29, 2016, the Company’s share capital was comprised of 256,850,348 fully paid-up shares with a nominal value 
of €0.50 per share. At December 31, 2015, the Company’s share capital was €128,357,093, divided into 256,714,186 shares.

6.2.2  Potential Share Capital

At February 29, 2016, outstanding share subscription options 
(whether or not exercisable) would, if all were exercised, result 
in the issuance of 5,064,994 new shares, representing 1.97% 
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  29,  2016  (€69.89  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 
2,872,387 new shares, representing 1.12% of the Company’s 

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share capital at that date (on a diluted basis). The dilutive effect 
per share at December 31, 2015 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 SE 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,  2015,  as  at  February  29,  2016, 
SW   Securities  LLC  held  503,614  shares,  or  approximately 
0.20% on these dates, of the Company’s share capital. Similar 
to treasury stock, 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 
corporate officers” and paragraph 5.3.2 “Interests of Executive 
Management and Employees in the Share Capital of Dassault 
Systèmes  SE”,  there  are  no  other  securities  giving  a  right  to 
subscribe  shares  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE,  and  there  is  no 
agreement  which  could  result  in  a  capital  increase.  Dassault 
Systèmes  SE  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 February 29, 2016.

6.2.3  Changes in Dassault Systèmes SE Share Capital 

over the Past Three Years

Date

Operation

February 28, 
2013

Capital increase resulting from the exercise 
of share subscription options

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

292,488

125,389,266

292,488

125,389,266

June 25, 
2013

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 exercise 
of share subscription options

March 21, 
2014

Share capital reduction through cancellation 
of treasury stock

940,826

127,071,267

940,826

127,071,267

(741,175)

126,330,092

(741,175)

126,330,092

June 20, 
2014

July 9, 
2014

July 17,
2014

Capital increase by a dividend payment in shares

802,310

127,132,402

802,310

127,132,402

Capital increase resulting from the exercise 
of share subscription options

729,347

127,861,749

729,347

127,861,749

Split of the share nominal value by two

-*

127,861,749 127,861,749*

255,723,498

February 28, 
2015

Capital increase resulting from the exercise 
of share subscription options

March 20, 
2015

Share capital reduction through cancellation 
of treasury stock

555,900

128,417,649

1,111,800

256,835,298

(802,310)

127,615,339

(1,604,620)

255,230,678

June 22, 
2015

Capital increase by a dividend payment in shares

92,854.50 127,708,193.50

185,709

255,416,387

 February 29, 
2016 

 Capital increase resulting from the exercise 
of share subscription options 

* 

The nominal value of the share was reduced from €1 to €0.50 on July 17, 2014.

716,980.50

128,425,174

1,433,961

256,850,348

The changes in equity resulting from the operations through December 31, 2015 set forth above are included in the “Consolidated 
Statements of Shareholders’ Equity” in the consolidated financial statements.

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6.2.4  Delegations and Authorizations Granted to the Board 

of Directors by the General Meeting

The following table summarizes the delegations and authorizations granted by the General Meeting to the Board of Directors 
and with effect during the 2015 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.

Resolutions 
and General 
Meetings 
(“GM”)

Description of the delegation of authority granted to the Board of Directors

Utilization in 2015

SHARES BUYBACK AND CANCELLATION OF SHARES

14th 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

15th 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

Authorization: buy back or purchase Dassault Systèmes SE shares.
Duration: approximately 12 months (expiring at the GM approving the financial statements for the fiscal 
year ended on 12/31/2015).
Cap: 10% of share capital within the limit of €500 million and a maximum price per share not exceeding €90.

See paragraph 6.2.5 
“Stock repurchase 
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 12/31/2015).
Cap: 10% of share capital in a 24-month period.

See paragraph 6.2.5 
“Stock repurchase 
programs”

ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES

16th 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

17th 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

18th 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

19th 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

20th 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

Authorization: increase the share capital by issuance of shares or securities giving right to shares of 
Dassault Systèmes SE and issue securities giving right to debt securities, with preemptive right of 
shareholders.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/28/2017.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €12 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 SE and issue securities giving right to debt securities, with waiver of preemptive right 
of shareholders, by public offering.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/28/2017.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €12 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 07/28/2017.
Cap: To be deducted from the aforementioned overall nominal limit of €12 million (16th resolution).

Authorization: increase the share capital by incorporation of reserves, profits or premiums.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/28/2017.
Cap: Up to the aforementioned overall nominal limit of €12 million (16th resolution).

Authorization: increase the share capital to remunerate contributions in kind of shares or equity-linked 
securities.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/28/2017.
Cap: 10% of share capital.

None

None

None

None

None

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Resolutions 
and General 
Meetings 
(“GM”)

Description of the delegation of authority granted to the Board of Directors

Utilization in 2015

ISSUANCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF EMPLOYEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Authorization: grant free shares, existing or to be issued, for the benefit of certain employees and/or 
corporate officers of Dassault Systèmes SE  and its affiliated entities as defined in Article L. 225-197-2 of 
the French Commercial Code.
Duration: 38 months, i.e. until 07/28/2018.
Cap: 2% of share capital.
This authorization has been cancelled and replaced by the authorization below

None

Authorization: grant free shares, existing or to be issued, for the benefit of certain employees and/or 
corporate 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 11/04/2018.
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 corporate officers of Dassault Systèmes SE   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.

See 
paragraph 5.3.2.1 
“Dassault Systèmes 
SE Share Subscription 
options”

Authorization: increase the share capital for the benefit of members of a corporate savings plan of 
Dassault Systèmes SE and its affiliated entities.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 07/28/2017.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €5 million to be deducted from the  overall  limit set forth by 
the  16th resolution of the General Meeting on May 28, 2015 .
This authorization has been cancelled and replaced by the authorization below

2nd resolution
EGM of 
09/04/2015

Authorization: increase the share capital for the benefit of members of a corporate savings plan of 
Dassault Systèmes SE and its affiliated entities.
Duration: 26 months, i.e. until 11/04/2017.
Cap: For a maximum nominal amount of €5 million to be deducted from the   limit set forth by 
the    16th  resolution of the General Meeting on May 28, 2015 .

None

None

21st 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

1st resolution
EGM of 
09/04/2015

16th 
resolution
GM of 
05/30/2013

22nd 
resolution
GM of 
05/28/2015

The authorizations to purchase the Company’s shares and to 
cancel these purchased shares expire at the end of the General 
Meeting to be held on May 26, 2016. 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  26, 
2016”).  It  will  also  be  proposed  to  renew  the  authorization 
allowing  the  Board  of  Directors  to  grant  options  giving  right 
to  subscribe  to  shares  or  purchase  shares  for  corporate 

officers  and/or  employees  of  Dassault  Systèmes  and  its 
affiliated companies and the authorization allowing the Board 
of  Directors  to  increase  the  share  capital  for  the  benefit  of 
members  of  a  corporate  savings  plan  of  Dassault  Systèmes, 
without pre-emptive rights (see paragraph 7.1 “Presentation 
of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the 
General Meeting on May 26, 2016”).

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6.2.5  Stock Repurchase Programs

6.2.5.1 

Transactions carried out by Dassault 
Systèmes SE in 2015 and early 2016

Transactions carried out by Dassault Systèmes SE in 
2015
During 2015 financial year, Dassault Systèmes SE purchased, 
under the authorizations granted to the Board of Directors by 
the  General  Meetings  of  May  26,  2014  and  May  28,  2015, 
420,063 of its own shares.

These  shares  were  purchased  at  an  average  price  of  €62.36 
per  share,  giving  a  total  cost  of  €26,196,107.81  (excluding 
tax),  given  that  there  was  no  acquisition  of  blocks  of  shares 
on  the  over-the-counter  market.  The  transaction  costs  paid 
by the Company in connection with these shares repurchased 
amounted  to  €9,430.56,  all  taxes  included  (plus  the  tax  on 
financial transactions for an amount of €52,392.22).

These  420,063  shares  were  entirely  allocated  for  purposes 
of  coverage  of  the  Company’s  obligations  resulting  from 
performance share grants.

The shares repurchased before 2015 were used as follows:

 (cid:125) 1,604,620 shares were canceled by the Board of Directors 

of March 20, 2015;

 (cid:125) 773,550  shares,  which  had  been  allocated  to  cover  the 
Company’s obligations resulting from share grants decided 
prior  to  2015,  were  transferred  to  the  beneficiaries  (see 
paragraph 5.3.1 “Compensation of the Company’s corporate 
officers”).

The Company directly held, on December 31, 2015, 2,359,891 
(including 50,988 shares through the liquidity agreement) of 
its own shares of a nominal value of €0.50 each, which had 
been repurchased at an average price of €46.86, representing 
0.92% of share capital at that date. Out of these 2,359,891 
shares,  2,308,903  shares  are  at  the  disposal  of  Dassault 
Systèmes  SE  and  are  allocated  to  cover  the  Company’s 
obligations resulting from performance shares grants.

Pursuant to the authorization granted in 2014, on January 5, 
2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  signed  a  liquidity  agreement 
in  accordance  with  the  Code  of  Ethics  of  the  AFEI  (French 
association  of  investment  firms)  recognized  by  the  Financial 
Markets  Authority  (AMF),  with  Oddo  et  Cie(1)  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.

During  2015,  2,625,732  shares  have  been  purchased  and 
2,574,744 shares have been sold within the framework of this 
liquidity agreement. As at December 31, 2015, the following 
resources appeared on the liquidity account:

 (cid:125) 50,988 Dassault Systèmes shares; and

 (cid:125) €7,903,018.92 in cash.

Transactions carried out by Dassault Systèmes SE in 
early 2016
Since  the  beginning  of  2016,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  has 
acquired 502,437 of its own shares.

These  shares  were  purchased  at  an  average  price  of  €65.14 
per  share,  giving  a  total  cost  of  €32,729,925.75  (excluding 
tax). The transaction costs paid by the Company in connection 
with  these  shares  repurchased  amounted  to  €11,782.76,  all 
taxes  included  (plus  the  tax  on  financial  transactions  for  an 
amount of €65,459.85).

Under  this  liquidity  agreement,  since  January  1,  2016  until 
February  29,  2016,  311,440   shares  were  purchased  and 
294,430  shares were sold.

During  2015  and  since  the  start  of  2016,  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 Stock Repurchase 

Program Proposed to the General 
Meeting on May 26, 2016

Pursuant to Articles 241-2 et seq. of the General Regulations 
of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) and L. 451-3 of the 
French Monetary and Financial Code, and in accordance with 
European  Regulations,  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 26, 2016.

Breakdown of treasury stock by purpose as of the date 
of this document
On February 29, 2016, Dassault Systèmes SE held 2,877,820 
of  its  own  shares  directly  and  503,614  indirectly.  These 
2,877,820 shares were allocated to the following objectives:

 (cid:125) coverage of the Company’s obligations resulting from share 
grants decided in 2012, 2014 and 2015: 2,811,340 shares;

 (cid:125) liquidity agreement signed with Oddo et Cie (1) on January 5, 
2015  and  renewed  for  the  financial  year  2016:  66,480 
shares.

6

(1)  Agreement initially entered into with Corporate Finance transferred to Oddo et Cie by virtue of universal estate transfer with effect as at March 1, 2016.

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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   under  a  liquidity  agreement  with 
an  accredited  financial  service  provider,  in  accordance 
with a Code of Ethics recognized by the Financial Markets 
Authority (AMF).

4)  Meet obligations related to shares subscription options or 
other  share  grants  to  employees  or  corporate  officers  of 
Dassault Systèmes SE or of an affiliated company.

5)  Meet the Company’s cash obligations based on an increase 
in  the  market  price  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  shares,  as 
made to employees and corporate officers 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 SE.

7)  Carry out any market practice which may be authorized by 
the law or by the Financial Markets Authority (AMF).

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 Financial Markets 
Authority (AMF).

The  General  Meeting  of  May  26,  2016  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.

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.  25,685,034  shares  at  February  29,  2016,  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 €100 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 stock repurchase program
The  program  would  last  about  12  months,  starting  on 
the  General  Meeting  of  May  26,  2016.  This  authorization 
should be valid until the Ordinary General Meeting approving 
the  financial  statements  for  the  financial  year  ending 
December 31, 2016.

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  SE’s  shareholder  base  over  the  last  three 
fiscal  years.  Pursuant  to  the  Financial  Markets  Authority 
(AMF) recommendation no. 2009-16, it specifies:

 (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  General 
Regulations of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) 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  voting  rights  that  can  be  exercised  at  the  General 
Meeting (“GM” in the table below) or “nets”, not taking into 
account shares without voting rights.

Double voting rights are attributed to all fully paid-up shares 
held  in  registered  form  for  at  least  two  consecutive  years  in 
the name of the same holder.

The major shareholders of Dassault Systèmes SE do not hold 
voting  rights  which  are  different  from  voting  rights  of  other 
shareholders (such as double voting rights).

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6

Shareholders

AT DECEMBER 31, 2015

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

105,716,646

41.18%

210,104,554

55.12%

210,104,554

55.53%

Charles Edelstenne (1) 
and beneficiaries (2)

Bernard Charlès

Treasury stock (3)

Indirect treasury stock (4)

Directors and senior management (5)

Public

TOTAL

AT DECEMBER 31, 2014

15,618,506 

6.08 %

31,033,732 

8.14%

31,033,732 

2,890,441

2,359,891

503,614

867,821

128,757,267 

256,714,186

1.13% (6)

0.92%

0.20%

0.34%

5,239,723

2,359,891

503,614

914,765

1.37% (6)

5,239,723

0.62%

0.13%

0.24%

–

–

914,765

50.15 %

131,042,738 

34.38%

131,042,738 

100% 381,199,017(7)

100% 378,335,512(7)

8.20%

1.38% (6)

–

–

0.24%

34.65%

100%

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

105,386,646

41.11%

208,709,314

55.04%

208,709,314

55.74%

Charles Edelstenne (1) 
and beneficiaries (2)

Bernard Charlès

Treasury stock (3)

Indirect treasury stock (4)

Directors and senior management (5)

Public

TOTAL

AT DECEMBER 31, 2013

15,562,944

2,751,624

4,267,010

503,614

348,474

6.07%

30,978,146

8.17%

30,978,146

1.07% (6)

1.66%

0.20%

0.14%

4,719,926

4,267,010

503,614

390,618

1.24% (6)

4,719,926

1.13%

0.13%

0.10%

–

–

390,618

127,543,765

49.75%

129,610,747

34.19%

129,610,747

256,364,077(7)

100% 379,178,925(7)

100% 374,408,301(7)

8.27%

1.26% (6)

–

–

0.11%

34.62%

100%

6

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

52,193,954

41.12%

103,855,288

55.28%

103,855,288

55.78%

Charles Edelstenne (1) 
and beneficiaries (2)

Bernard Charlès

Treasury stock

Indirect treasury stock (4)

Directors and senior management (4)

Public

TOTAL

7,739,539

1,174,641

1,413,229

251,807

24,986

64,134,829

126,932,985

6.10%

15,391,802

8.21%

15,391,802

0.93% (6)

1.11%

0.20%

0.02%

1,973,688

1,413,229

251,807

39,389

1.05% (6)

1,973,688

0.75%

0.13%

0.02%

–

–

39,389

50.52%

64,909,781

34.56%

64,909,781

100%

187,866,910

100%

186,201,874

8.28%

1.06% (6)

–

–

0.02%

34.88%

100%

(1)  Including shares held in trust for the benefit of his family and managed by Mr. Edelstenne.
(2)  At December 31, 2015, Mr. Edelstenne held 4,001,806 shares with all ownership rights and 3,318 shares through two family companies which he manages, representing a total 
of  1.56%  of  the  capital  and  2.08%  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 6.12% 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)  Including 50,988 shares through the liquidity agreement.
(4)  Shares held by SW Securities LLC. This company is a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes SE, Dassault Systèmes’ shares held by it do not have voting rights.
(5)  Excluding Mr. Edelstenne and Mr. Charlès, “management” includes the officers listed in paragraph 5.1.2 “The Executive Committee” of this Annual Report (Document de référence).
(6)  For further information, see Table 5 of paragraph 5.3.1 “Compensation of the Company’s Corporate Officers (mandataires sociaux)”.
(7)  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.

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Information about the Shareholders

rights  amounted 

The  overall  number  of  voting 
to 
381,199,017  as  at  December  31,  2015  (the  number  of 
exercisable  voting  rights  was  378,335,512)  and,  as  at 
February  29,  2016,  381,332,631  (with  the  number  of 
exercisable  voting  rights  amounting  to  377,951,197).  The 
difference between the number of theoretical and exercisable 
voting  rights  is  explained  by  the  treasury  stock  and  shares 
controlled by the Company.

Investment  management 

MFS 
(MFS)  notified  Dassault 
Systèmes  SE  that  as  of  September  17,  2015  the  funds 
managed  by  companies  within  its  group  (i)  held  more  than 
2.5%  of  the  share  capital  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  and  (ii) 
crossed downward the 2.5% threshold of the voting rights of 
Dassault Systèmes SE.

Based on shareholders’ 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, 2015.

Although Dassault Systèmes SE 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 29, 2016 there were 
7,594,253 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  2016,  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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 474 
and held 42.8% of the Dassault Systèmes SE share capital as 
at December 31, 2015.

As at February 29, 2016, Dassault Systèmes SE held 66,480 
shares within the framework of the liquidity agreement entered 
into with Oddo et Cie, and 2,811,340 treasury shares. Out of 
these 2,811,340 treasury shares,  922,500 shares have been 
bought during the buyback program adopted by the General 
Meeting of May 28, 2015 and the remaining , i.e. 1,888,840 
shares within the framework of a program of earlier buybacks, 
which represents approximately 1.09% of the share capital as 
at February 29, 2016, with no voting rights or dividend rights 
being attached to these shares.

At  December  31,  2015,  131,303,888  Dassault  Systèmes 
 shares  (i.e.  approximately  51.15%  of  the  capital)  are  held  in 
registered  form;  they  provide  entitlement  to  252,976,302 
exercisable  voting  rights  (i.e.  approximately  66.36%  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  employees  through  the  corporate  savings  plan  (plan 
d'épargne entreprise)  was  340,230  shares  at  December  31, 
2015, or approximately 0.13% 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 SE with, as of December 31, 
2015, 41.18% of the share capital and 55.53% of the exercisable 
voting  rights  (i.e.  55.12%  of  theoretical  voting  rights).  With 
more than 50% of the voting rights of Dassault Systèmes SE, 
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  General 
Regulations  of  the  Financial  Markets  Authority  (AMF),  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  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  only  made  up  of 
independent directors.

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 
Financial Markets Authority (AMF), which the latter can grant 
at its discretion.

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6

6.3.3  Shareholder Agreements

In  2011,  2013,  2014  and  2015,  Dassault  Systèmes  was  informed  about  collective  undertakings  concluded  concerning  the 
holding of shares whose characteristics are summarized in the tables hereafter in accordance with Financial Markets Authority 
(AMF) recommendation no. 2009-16.

Collective undertakings concluded in 2015

System

Date of signing

Duration of collective undertakings

At least two years

December 17, 2015

December 17, 2015

At least two years

Article 787 B of the General Taxation Code

Article 787 B of the General Taxation Code

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)

24.85%  of  the  share  capital  and  33.33%  of 
the voting rights

24.66% of the share capital and 33.20% 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

Name(s)  of the signatorie(s)  having close 
links with executives

Names of the signatories holding at least 5% 
of the capital and/or voting rights of 
Dassault Systèmes SE 

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Mr. Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries (2)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Mr. 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”.

6

Collective undertakings concluded in 2014

System

Date of signing

Duration of collective undertakings

At least two years

February 27, 2014

Article 787 B of the General Taxation Code

Article 787 B of the General Taxation Code

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

Name(s) of the signatorie(s) having close 
links with executives

Names of the signatories holding at least 5% 
of the capital and/or voting rights of 
Dassault Systèmes SE 

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Mr. Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries (2)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Mr. 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”.

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Information about the Shareholders

System

Date of signing

Duration of collective undertakings

At least two years

July 11, 2011

October 29, 2013

At least two years

Collective undertakings concluded 
in 2011 still in force

Collective undertaking concluded in 2013

Article 787 B of the French Tax Code

Article 787 B of the French Tax Code

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 41.7% 
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

Name(s)  of the signatorie(s)  having close 
links with executives

Names of the signatories holding at least 5% 
of the capital and/or voting rights of 
Dassault Systèmes SE 

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Mr. Charles Edelstenne and beneficiaries(2)

Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault
Mr. 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

6.4  Stock Market Information

Stock Exchange
Shares of Dassault Systèmes  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 26, 2016”.

Share price history and trading volumes of Dassault Systèmes shares from January 1, 2015

(in euros except for Volume of shares traded)

Volume of 
shares traded

Share price 
on last day 
of the month

Highest share 
price during 
the month

Lowest share 
price during 
the month

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

May 2015

June 2015

July 2015

August 2015

September 2015

October 2015

November 2015

December 2015

January 2016

February 2016

5,006,706

7,599,064

7,102,507

8,694,220

6,573,144

7,210,403

6,975,163

6,491,880

8,966,921

6,486,389

5,360,353

5,010,962

6,224,855

7,085,498

54.92

62.53

63.14

68.80

71.17

65.22

68.77

61.89

66.00

71.84

75.33

73.77

71.19

69.89

55.31

63.48

64.23

71.43

73.00

71.75

72.90

70.33

66.95

72.66

75.59

76.97

73.42

71.90

48.85

53.17

60.04

61.03

66.86

65.17

63.70

58.92

59.84

65.73

71.22

70.93

64.11

63.50

6

Person Responsible for Financial Communications
François-José Bordonado

Vice-President, Investor Relations

Indicative Timetable for the Publication of Financial 
Information for 2016
 (cid:125) First quarter of 2016: April 21, 2016

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 2016: July 21, 2016

 (cid:125) Third quarter of 2016: October 21, 2016

 (cid:125) Fourth quarter of 2016: February 2017

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6 Information about Dassault Systèmes SE, the share capital and the ownership structure

200 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

7

GENERAL 
MEETING

CONTENTS

7.1  Presentation of the Resolutions 
Proposed by the Board of 
Directors to the General Meeting 
on May 26, 2016 

202

7.2  Draft Resolutions Proposed 

by the Board of Directors 
to the General Meeting 
on May 26, 2016 

208

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201

7 General Meeting

Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

7.1  Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed 

by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting 
on May 26, 2016

Annual fi nancial statements and allocation 
of the results
We  invite  you  to  approve  the  annual  financial  statements  of 
Dassault  Systèmes  SE  (or  the  “Company”  for  the  purposes 
of  the  present  Chapter  7  “General  Meeting”)  for  the  year 
ended  December  31,  2015,  prepared  on  the  basis  of  French 
accounting  principles,  as  they  have  been  presented 
in 
paragraph 4.2 “Parent company financial statements”.

Dassault  Systèmes  SE  has  paid  dividends  every  year  since 
1986. The decision to distribute dividends and their amount 
depend  on  the  profits  and  the  financial  position  of  Dassault 
Systèmes  SE  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 €299,471,748.73(1) has been realized for the year ended December 31, 2015, which we propose that 
you allocate as follows:

 (cid:125) to the legal reserve

 (cid:125) for distribution to the 256,850,348 shares making up the share capital as of February 29, 2016 of a dividend

of (€0.47 euro × 256,850,348 shares)(2)

 (cid:125) to retained earnings

which, increased by the retained earnings from prior years of €1,784,847,265.29, brings the amount of retained 
earnings to

€17,505.45

€120,719,663.56

€178,734,579.72

€1,963,581,845.01

(1)  After allocation to the legal reserve, this profit increased by the retained earnings from prior years of €1,784,847,265.29, results in a distributable profit of €2,084,301,508.57.
(2)  The aggregate amount of dividend will be increased, based on the number of new shares created between March 1, 2016 and the date of the General Meeting of May 26, 2016, 
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 
2,872,387, i.e., a maximum amount of a supplementary dividend of €1,350,021.89.

Further  new  shares  created  by  exercise  of  options  until  the 
date of the annual General Meeting deciding on the allocation 
of profit related to the preceding year will 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”).

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  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  Article  L.  225-210  of  the  French  Commercial 
Code  and  the  contractual  provisions  in  force  between  SW 
Securities LLC and Dassault Systèmes SE.

Therefore, we propose to the General Meeting of May 26, 2016 
to approve for the year 2015 the distribution of (i) a dividend 
of €0.47 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 29, 2016 
– in an aggregate amount of €120,719,663.56 and (ii) where 
applicable,  an  additional  aggregate  maximum  amount  of 
€1,350,021.89, which corresponds to the maximum number 
of new shares which could be issued between March 1, 2016 
and the date of the General Meeting (i.e., 2,872,387 shares).

Shares  will  be  traded  ex-dividend  as  of  June  2,  2016  and 
dividends made payable as from June 24, 2016.

On  the  date  of  payment,  the  amount  of  the  dividend 
corresponding to (i) the treasury shares of Dassault Systèmes 
SE and (ii) the treasury shares of Dassault Systèmes SE held 

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 on May 26, 2016. 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).

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Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

7

Pursuant to Article 243 bis of the French Tax Code, it is noted that dividends per share paid over the last three years have been 
as follows:

Dividend (in euros) 

Number of shares eligible for dividends 

2014

0.43

2013

0.83 

2012

0.80 

255,644,058 126,746,027* 125,572,474*

* 

The number of shares  was given before the two-for-one stock split of the Dassault Systèmes SE share 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  no  non-deductible  tax 
expenses and charges have been borne by the Company and 
consequently no taxation has been borne by the Company in 
this respect.

Consolidated fi nancial statements
In  addition  to  the  2015  parent  company  annual  financial 
statements,  it  is  also  proposed  to  approve  the  Company’s 
consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2015,  prepared  in  accordance  with  IFRS 
standards  as  described  in  paragraph  4.1.1  “Consolidated 
Financial Statements”.

Option to receive payment of dividends in the form of 
shares
It is proposed that each shareholder be granted the option to 
choose in whole or in part, 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, in whole or in part, 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  less  the  amount 
of the dividend and rounded up to the next one hundredth of 
a euro.

Shareholders may choose in whole or in part, for the payment 
of  the  dividend  in  new  shares  between  June  2  and  June  15, 
2016,  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  or  who  have  chosen  only  partial 
payment, will receive the dividend in cash for the portion for 
which  payment  in  shares  was  not  chosen  as  from  June  24, 
2016. 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.

Related-party  agreements (conventions réglementées)
The following agreements, which were approved in accordance 
with Articles L. 225-38 et seq. of the French Commercial Code, 
were in effect during the year ended December 31, 2015:

 (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  reimburse,  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  payment  of 
the costs in relation with legal defense related thereto, 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  the 
benefit  of  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  17,  2016,  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  Article  L.  225-40-1  of  the  French  Commercial 
Code.

The  Statutory  Auditors  have  prepared  a  special  report 
pursuant to Articles L. 225-40 and L. 225-40-1 of the French 
Commercial  Code,  as  set  forth  in  paragraph  4.2.4  “Special 
Report of the Statutory Auditors on Related-party  Agreements 
and  Commitments”.  The  General  Meeting  has  been  asked  to 
take note of this report  which refers to no new agreements .

7

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7 General Meeting

Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

Advisory opinion on the compensation elements 
due or granted with respect to 2015 to Mr. Charles 
Edelstenne, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and 
Mr. Bernard Charlès, Chief Executive Offi cer
In accordance with the recommendation of the AFEP-MEDEF 
Code, it is proposed that the General Meeting issue an advisory 
opinion  on  the  compensation  elements  due  or  granted  with 

respect  to  2015  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  (mandataires 
sociaux)”).

COMPENSATION ELEMENTS DUE OR GRANTED WITH RESPECT TO 2015 TO MR. CHARLES EDELSTENNE, CHAIRMAN 
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Compensation element 

(in euros) Observations

Amount 

Fixed compensation (1)

982,000 Gross fixed compensation for 2015 set by the Board of Directors on March 20, 2015, 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.

43,000 Gross amount of directors’ fees due for 2015.

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 SE.

Benefits (3)

N/A Mr. Charles Edelstenne receives no benefits in kind.

(1)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.1 “Compensation of Executive Officers”. In 2015, GIMD paid Mr. Charles Edelstenne, as GIMD’s Chief Executive Officer, gross fixed compensation of 

€800,000.

(2)  GIMD paid Mr. Charles Edelstenne €27,222 in directors’ fees in 2015 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 SE.

(3)  In 2015, GIMD granted benefits in kind related to the use of a car in an amount of €10,440 to Mr. Charles Edelstenne.

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7

COMPENSATION ELEMENTS DUE OR GRANTED WITH RESPECT TO 2015 TO MR. BERNARD CHARLÈS, CHIEF 
EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Compensation elements 

Amount 
(in euros) Observations

Fixed Compensation

1,325,000 Fixed gross compensation with respect to 2015 set by the Board of Directors on March 20, 

2015 (1).

Annual variable compensation

1,523,750  Variable  gross  compensation  with  respect  to  the  2015  actually  paid  and  decided  by  the 

Deferred annual variable 
compensation

Multi-year variable 
compensation

Directors’ fees (2)

Board of Directors on March 17, 2016 (1).

N/A Mr. Bernard Charlès receives no deferred annual variable compensation.

N/A Mr. Bernard Charlès receives no multi year annual variable compensation.

28,000 Gross amount of directors’ fees due for 2015.

Extraordinary compensation

N/A Mr. Bernard Charlès receives no extraordinary compensation.

Granting of share subscription 
options and/or performance 
shares

Indemnity upon start or 
termination of function

11,653,530 (3) Mr.  Bernard  Charlès  was  granted  300,000  2015-B  shares  by  the  Board  of  Directors  on 

September 4, 2015 (4) (5).

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. 225-40-1 and L. 225-42-1 of the French Commercial Code, this 
commitment on the part of Dassault Systèmes SE was authorized by the Board of Directors 
on May 26, 2014 and approved by the General Meetings on May 28, 2015. The Board of 
Directors  reviewed  this  commitment  on  March  17,  2016  as  it  remained  in  effect  during 
2015 (5 ).

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 SE.

(1)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.1 “Compensation of Executive Officers”, and 5.3.1 Table 2 "Summary of the compensation of each Executive Officer".
(2)  See also paragraph 5.1.4.4 “Directors’ Fees” on the conditions for distributing the directors’ fees at Dassault Systèmes SE.
(3)  Value based on the method chosen for the consolidated financial statements, before the spreading of the expense and taking into account the performance criteria.
(4)  Such shares are granted to the Chief Executive Officer 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.

7

(5 )  See also paragraph 5.1.4.3 “Performance Shares and Share Subscription Options”.
(6 )  See also paragraph 5.1.4.2 “Indemnities Due in the Event of the Imposed Departure (départ contraint) of the Chief Executive Officer”.

Re-appointment of a director
The  term  as  director  of  Ms.  Marie-Hélène  Habert,  whose 
appointment on an interim basis by the Board of Directors on 
July 23, 2014 was ratified by the General Meeting of May 28, 
2015, expires at General Meeting of May 26, 2016. You are 
invited to re-appoint her as a director for a four-year term.

For  a  presentation  of  the  directors,  see  paragraph  5.1.1.1 
“Composition of the Board of Directors”.

If  this  proposal  is  approved,  the  Board  of  Directors  will  still 
include four women 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.

The  proportion  of  independent  directors  (44%)  will  remain 
greater than that recommended by the AFEP-MEDEF Code for 
controlled companies.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

205

7 General Meeting

Presentation of the Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

Appointment of one new director 
After seeking an opinion from the Compensation and Nomination Committee, the Board of Directors proposes to appoint one 
new director, Mrs. Laurence Lescourret.

In compliance with Article R. 225-83 of the French Commerical Code, information regarding the director proposed for nomination 
by the General Meeting of Shareholders is set forth below.

MRS. LESCOURRET – DIRECTOR CANDIDATE

Biography:   Laurence  Lescourret  has  been  an  associate  professor 
at the Finance Department of ESSEC Business School since 2010. 
She is also a director of ESSEC’s “Capital Markets and Regulation” 
Excellence  Center  and  an  affi liate  academic  researcher  at  the 
Centre de Recherche en Economie et Statistique (CREST).

She  holds  a  PhD  in  fi nance  from  HEC  Paris  (2003),  a  Master  in 
management  from  EDHEC,  a  Master  “104  Finance”  from  Paris 
Dauphine University, and a Master in political economy analysis 
from the Ecole d’Economie de Paris. Between 2004 and 2011, she 
was fi rst an assistant professor, co-director and ultimately director 
of  the  ESSEC  Finance  Department.  She  also  taught  at  ENSAE 
between 2000 and 2010.

As an academic researcher, she is the author of several publications 
on  organizing  and  regulating  capital  markets  and  has  received 
distinction for her work. She was the 2013 recipient of the Vega 
Prize from the Federation of European Securities Exchanges and 
received  the  2015  award  for  best  research  article  on  derivative 
products  granted  by  the  IFSID  (Montreal  Institute  of  Structured 
Finance and Derivatives). 

 End  of  current  term:   General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the 
fi nancial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019. 

Dassault Systèmes shares owned at December 31, 2015: 0 

Age:  42

Nationality:  French 

Professional address:    ESSEC Business School – Avenue Bernard 
Hirsch –  95021 Cergy-Pontoise - France 

Main position:  Associate professor in the fi nance department – 
ESSEC Business School 

Other current positions and Directorships: 

 None

Other positions held during the past five years: 

Member of the supervisory board of Groupe ESSEC 

Determination of amount of directors’ fees
The General Meeting is invited to increase to  €420,000   for the 
current and subsequent years, the maximum annual amount 
of directors’ fees allocated to directors, which is currently set 
at €350,000.

This increase is justified by the necessity to hold an additional 
meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  since  the  transformation 
of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  into  a  Societas Europaea,  and  by 
the  designation  of  two   additional  directors,  one  of  which  is 
representing the employees.

Auditex  (which  is  a  member  of  the  Ernst  &  Young  network) 
also expires this year. You are also invited to re-appoint it for 
the same term.

In accordance with the law, (i) the Chief Executive Officer did 
not  participate  in  the  vote  of  the  Board  of  Directors  on  this 
re-appointment proposal and (ii) the Audit Committee issued 
a positive recommendation on the re-appointment proposal.

The amount of the professional fees received by Ernst & Young 
et  Autres  is  stated  in  paragraph  5.5  of  this  Annual  Report 
(Document de référence).

Re-appointment of a Principal Statutory Auditor, Ernst 
& Young et Autres, and its deputy, Auditex
Ernst  &  Young  et  Autres  was  appointed  Principal  Statutory 
Auditor  on  May  27,  2010.  Since  its  term  of  office  expires 
during  the  General  Meeting  called  to  approve  the  financial 
statements  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2015,  you  are 
invited  to  re-appoint  it  for  a  six-year  term,  until  the  General 
Meeting  called  to  approve  the  financial  statements  for  the 
year  ended  December  31,  2021.  The  term  of  its  deputy 

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 on 
May 28, 2015 will expire at the General Meeting of May 26, 
2016.  Under  this  authorization,  share  repurchases  were 
made in 2015  and at the beginning of 2016 , as described in 
paragraph  6.2.5  “Stock  Repurchase  Programs”.  In  additions, 
repurchases  were  also  made  in  2015  and  at  the  beginning 
of  2016  to  stimulate  the  market  or  provide  liquidity  for  the 

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7

Company’s shares through the intermediary of an investment 
services provider by means of a liquidity contract complying 
with  a  Code  of  Ethics  accepted  by  the  Financial  Markets 
Authority  (AMF)  and  initially  entered  into  between  Dassault 
Systèmes SE and Oddo Corporate Finance. This agreement has 
been automatically renewed for 2016.

Additional share repurchases may be made until the date of the 
General Meeting, and will be described in the Annual Report 
(Document de reference)  for  the  year  ending  December  31, 
2016.

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 May 26, 
2016, for a maximum purchase price of €100 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 approving the financial 
statements for the year ending December 31, 2016.

This authorization to repurchase shares may be used for the 
following purposes:

1) 

2) 

3) 

4) 

5) 

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  stimulate  the  market  or  provide  liquidity  for  the 
Company’s  shares  through  the 
intermediary  of  an 
investment  services  provider  by  means  of  a  liquidity 
contract complying with a Code of Ethics accepted by the 
Financial Markets Authority (AMF);

to perform all obligations related to stock options grants 
or other grants of shares to employees or directors of the 
Company and its affiliates;

to cover the Company’s commitments pursuant to rights 
to cash payments based on increases in the share price of 
the Company, granted to the employees and directors of 
the Company and its affiliates;

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  Financial  Markets 
Authority (AMF).

The share repurchase program is described in paragraph 6.2.5 
“Stock Repurchase 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.

Authorizations with respect to the access of the 
employees to the share capital
Authorization granted to the Board of Directors by the General 
Meeting  to  grant  options  to  subscribe  or  to  purchase  shares 
on May 30, 2013 expires on July 30, 2016. You are invited to 
reauthorize the Board of Directors to grant options to subscribe 
or to purchase shares.

This authorization would be granted for a period of 38 months, 
and the maximum number of options that may be granted by 
the Board of Directors that are still unexercised could not give 
a right to subscribe or acquire a number of shares exceeding 
 5%  of capital. Information relating to the uses by the Board of 
Directors of the authorization granted in 2013 by the General 
Meeting,  and  to  all  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  option  plans  is 
contained in paragraphs 6.2.4 “Delegations and Authorizations 
Granted  to  the  Board  of  Directors  by  the  General  Meetings” 
and 5.3.2 “Interests of Executive Management and Employees 
in the Share Capital of Dassault Systèmes SE”.

This  authorization  would  supersede,  for  the  unused  portion, 
the prior authorizations granted to the Board of Directors.

In accordance with the law and as a result of the proposal to 
authorize  the  granting  of  options  to  subscribe  or  purchase 
shares,  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 through the issue 
of new shares or securities giving access to capital would be 
€5 million. This new authorization will cancel and replace the 
one given by the General Meeting of September 4, 2015.

Furthermore,  pursuant  to  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Code  and  the 
recommendation  of  the  Nomination  and  Compensation 
Committee, it is proposed to cap the number of options that 
could be granted to executive officers within the meaning of 
this Code at 35% of the authorized overall amount.

7

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Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

Amendments to by-laws
The  General  Meeting  is  invited  to  make  two  series  of 
amendments to the Dassault Systèmes SE by-laws.

The  purpose  of  these  revisions  is  to  take  into  account  the 
provisions  relating  to  the  director  representing  employees 
described  in  Article  L.  225-27-1  of  the  French  Commercial 
Code,  to  which  the  Company  will  be  subject  because,  as  of 
December  31,  2015,  the  Group  has  had  more  than  10,000 
employees for the second consecutive year.

It  is  in  this  framework  that  the  General  Meeting  is  required 
to  approve  the  amendment  of  the  Company  by-laws  to 
anticipate  the  terms  for  the  appointment  of  the  director 
representing  employees  on  the  Board  of  Directors.  Because 
the Board of Directors of Dassault Systèmes SE has fewer than 
12 members, only one director representing employees shall 
be appointed within six months of the General Meeting, i.e., 
by November 26, 2016.

The draft amendment to the by-laws, prepared by the Board of 
Directors to be submitted to the vote of the General Meeting, 
states  that  the  director  representing  employees  shall  be 
appointed by the trade union organization that has obtained 
the  most  votes  in  the  first  round  of  the  elections  for  Works 
Council members.

This method of appointment allows for fair representation of 
the employees on the Board.

The  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  Works  Council  was  consulted  in 
accordance with the law, and it issued an  opinion with respect 
to the method of appointment selected.

In addition, we propose to modify the articles of association 
of  Dassault  Systèmes  SE  in  order  to  extend  to  85  years  old, 
the maximum age of the President of the Board of Directors, 
and to allow the Board of Directors to appoint a Vice-Chairma n  
if  it  deems  fit.  Should  this  draft  resolution  be  adopted  by 
the  General  Meeting  on  May  26,  2016,  the  C ompensation 
and  N omination  C ommitee  will  recomme nd  to  the  Board  to 
appoint Bernard Charlès as Vice-Chairma n of the Board.

information  about  the  proposed 
You  can  find  further 
resolutions in the draft resolutions submitted hereafter to you.

7.2  Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board 
of Directors to the General Meeting 
on May 26, 2016

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 year ended December 31, 
2015, 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 fact that there 
is no non-deductible tax expenses and charges referred to in 
Article  39.4  of  the  French  Tax  Code,  and  that  consequently 
such transactions did not give rise to corporate income tax.

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 year ended December 31, 2015, 
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 year amounting to 
€299,471,748.73(1) as follows:

 (cid:125) to the legal reserve

 (cid:125) for distribution to the 256,850,348 shares making up the share capital as of February 29, 2016 of a dividend

of (€0.47 euro × 256,850,348 shares)(2)

to retained earnings

which, increased by the retained earnings from prior years of €1,784,847,265.29, brings the amount of retained 
earnings to

€17,505.45

€120,719,663.56

€178,734,579.72

€1,963,581,845.01

(1)  After allocation to the legal reserve, this profit increased by the retained earnings from prior years of €1,784,847,265.29, results in a distributable profit of €2,084,301,508.57.
(2)  The aggregate amount of the dividend will be increased, based on the number of new shares created between March 1, 2016 and the date of the General Meeting of May 26, 
2016, 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 2,872,387, i.e., a maximum amount of a supplementary dividend of €1,350,021.89.

Shares  will  be  traded  ex-dividend  as  of  June  2,  2016  and 
dividends made payable as from June 24, 2016.

On  the  date  of  payment,  the  amount  of  the  dividend 
corresponding to (i) the treasury shares of Dassault Systèmes 
SE and (ii) the treasury shares of Dassault Systèmes SE 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  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  Article  L.  225-210  of  the  French  Commercial 
Code  and  the  contractual  provisions  in  force  between  SW 
Securities LLC and Dassault Systèmes SE.

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, 
2016  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  thus  distributed   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 years have been 
as follows:

7

Dividend (in euros) 

Number of shares eligible for dividends 

2014

0.43

2013

0.83 

2012

0.80 

255,644,058 126,746,027* 125,572,474*

* 

The number of shares  was given before the two-for-one stock split of the Dassault Systèmes SE share on July 17, 2014.

 ❘ Fourth resolution

Option to receive payment of dividends in the form of shares

The  General  Meeting,  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, 
in whole or in part, 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, in whole or in part, to receive 
payment of the dividend in cash or in shares.

If the shareholder chooses to receive payment of the dividend 
in the form of shares, the new shares will be issued without 
a 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  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 

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Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

January  1,  2016,  and  will  have  all  the  rights  and  privileges 
with the other shares issued by Dassault Systèmes SE.

Shareholders may choose in whole or in part, payment of the 
dividend in cash or new shares between June 2 and June 15, 
2016,  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).  Failing  exercise  of  such 
option as at June 15, 2016  at the latest, the dividend will only 
be paid out in cash.

Shareholders  who  have  not  chosen  payment  of  dividends 
in  shares  before  the  end  of  this  period  or  who  have  chosen 
only partial payment, will receive the dividend in cash for the 
portion for which payment in shares was not chosen as from 
June 24, 2016. 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  dividend  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 
with   the  shareholder  paying  the  difference  in  cash  on  the 
day  he/she  chose   to  receive  payment  in  the  form  of  shares, 
or  alternatively  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  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

Related-party  agreements (conventions réglementées)

The  General  Meeting,  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 .

2015  to  Mr.  Charles  Edelstenne,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Directors, as indicated in the 2015 Annual Report (Document 
de  référence),  under  Chapter  5  “Corporate  Governance”, 
paragraph 5.3.1 “Compensation of the Company’s Corporate 
Officers (mandataires sociaux)”.

 ❘ Seventh resolution

Advisory opinion on the compensation elements due or 
granted with respect to 2015 to Mr. Bernard Charlès, Chief 
Executive Officer

The  General  Meeting  issues  a  favorable  opinion  on  the 
compensation elements due or granted with respect to 2015 to 
Mr. Bernard Charlès, Chief Executive Officer, as indicated in the 
2015 Annual Report (Document de référence), under Chapter 5 
“Corporate  Governance”,  paragraph  5.3.1  “Compensation  of 
the Company’s Corporate Officers (mandataires sociaux)”.

 ❘ Eighth resolution

Re-appointment of Ms. Marie-Hélène Habert as director

The  General  Meeting  notes  that  Ms.  Marie-Hélène  Habert’s 
term as director expires at this General Meeting and re-appoints 
her for a four-year period. This term of office will expire at the 
General  Meeting  approving  the  financial  statements  for  the 
year ending December 31, 2019.

 ❘ Ninth resolution

Appointment of a new director

The General Meeting decides  to appoint Mrs. Laurence Lescourret 
as  director  of  the  Company  for  a  four-year  term.  This  term 
of  office  will  expire  at  the  General  Meeting  approving  the 
financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2019.

 ❘ Tenth  resolution

Determination of the amount of directors’ fees

The General Meeting sets forth the amount of the directors’ 
fees  to  be  distributed  among  the  directors  at   €42 0,000   for 
the  current  and  subsequent  years,  until   otherwise  decided 
by  the  General  Meeting.  It  gives  all  powers  to  the  Board  of 
Directors to allocate the directors’ fees, in whole or part, under 
conditions that it shall determine.

 ❘ Sixth resolution

 ❘ Eleventh  resolution

Advisory opinion on the compensation elements due or 
granted with respect to 2015 to Mr. Charles Edelstenne, 
Chairman of the Board of Directors

The  General  Meeting  issues  a  favorable  opinion  on  the 
compensation  elements  due  or  granted  with  respect  to 

Re-appointment of a Principal Statutory Auditor

The  General  Meeting,  after  the  reading  of  the  report  of  the 
Board  of  Directors,  decides  to  re-appoint  Ernst  &  Young  et 
Autres,  whose  registered  office  is  located  at  1-2  place  des 
Saisons – Paris la Défense 1 – 92400 Courbevoie, France, as 
Principal  Statutory  Auditor  for  a  term  of  six  years,  until  the 

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7

General Meeting called to approve the financial statements for 
the year ending December 31, 2021.

Ernst & Young et Autres has already indicated that it accepted 
its re-appointment.

 ❘ Twelfth  resolution

Re-appointment of a Deputy Statutory Auditor

The  General  Meeting,  after  the  reading  of  the  report  of  the 
Board  of  Directors,  decides  to  re-appoint  Auditex,  whose 
registered  office  is  located  1-2  place  des  Saisons  –  Paris  la 
Défense 1 – 92400 Courbevoie, France, as Deputy Statutory 
Auditor  for  a  term  of  six  years,  until  the  General  Meeting 
called to approve the financial statements for the year ending 
December 31, 2021.

Auditex  has  already 
appointment.

indicated  that 

it  accepted 

its  re-

 ❘ Thirteenth  resolution

Authorization to repurchase shares of Dassault Systèmes SE

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 SE 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 :

to  cancel  shares  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the 
profitability  of  shareholders’  equity  and  earnings   per 
share,  subject  to  adoption  by  the  Extraordinary  General 
Meeting of the  four teenth  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 
Financial Markets Authority (AMF);

to perform all obligations related to stock options grants 
or other grants of shares to employees or directors of the 
Company and its affiliates;

to  ensure  coverage  of  the  Company’s  commitments 
resulting  from  rights  granted  to  the  employees  and 
directors  to  cash  payments   based  on  increases  in  the 
share price of the Company;

to provide shares upon exercise of rights to the Company’s 
share capital which are attached to issued securities;

1) 

2) 

3) 

4) 

5) 

6) 

7) 

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  SE  may  not  purchase  shares  at  a  price 
per  share  which  exceeds  €100  (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 
approving  the  financial  statements  for  the  year  ending 
December  31,  2016.  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  Financial  Markets  Authority  (AMF),  accomplish  any 
formalities,  and  more  generally,  carry  out  any  necessary 
measures to complete such transactions.

The  General  Meeting  also  grants  any  and  all  powers  to  the 
Board  of  Directors,  in  case  that  the  law  or  the  Financial 
Markets  Authority  (AMF)  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.

7

to implement any stock exchange market practice which 
may  be  recognized  by  law  or  by  the  Financial  Markets 
Authority (AMF).

This  authorization  shall  replace  and  supersede  the  previous 
share  repurchase  program  authorized  by  the  Combined 
General Meeting of May 28, 2015, in its fourteenth resolution.

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Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

Extraordinary General Meeting

 ❘ Fourteenth  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 canceled 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  Financial  Markets  Authority  (AMF) 
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  year  ending 
December 31, 2016.

 ❘ Fifteenth  resolution

Authorization granted to the Board of Directors to grant 
options to subscribe or to purchase shares to the corporate 
officers (mandataires sociaux) and employees of Dassault 
Systèmes SE and its affiliated entities giving rise by virtue 
of law, to a waiver by the shareholders to the preferential 
subscription right

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,  under  the  provisions 
of Articles L. 225-177 et seq. of the French Commercial 
Code, to grant options giving rights to the subscription of 
new shares or the purchase of existing shares (“Options”) 
to  the  employees  and  corporate  officers  (mandataires 
sociaux) of the Company or companies affiliated with it as 
defined by Article L. 225-180 of the French Commercial 
Code,  or  those  among  them  that  individually  hold  less 
than 10% of the capital of the Company (“Beneficiaries”);

2)  decides that this authorization shall be granted for a term 

of 38 months from the date of this meeting;

3)  decides  that  the  maximum  number  of  Options  that 
may  be  granted  by  the  Board  of  Directors  that  are  still 
unexercised may not give a right to subscribe or acquire a 
number of shares exceeding 5% of capital. This limit shall 
be assessed at the time that the Options are granted by 
the Board and take into account not only the new options 
thus offered, but also from those that would result from 
the previous grants that remain unexercised;

4)  decides that the maximum number of Options that may 
be  granted  to  executive  officers  (dirigeants mandataires 
sociaux) under the AFEP-MEDEF Code shall represent no 
more than  35%  of the overall amount authorized by this 
General Meeting;

5)  decides that the list of the grantees of the Options among 
the  Beneficiaries  and  the  number  of  Options  granted  to 
each of them shall be freely determined by the Board of 
Directors;

6)  notes  that,  in  accordance  with  the  law,  that  no  Option 
to  subscribe  or  purchase  may  be  granted  during  the 
periods  prohibited  by  Article  L.  225-177  of  the  French 
Commercial Code;

7)  decides that the subscription price of the new shares or 
the purchase price of existing shares through the exercise 
of Options shall be determined by the Board of Directors 
on  the  date  that  the  Options  are  granted  and  that  (i) 
should  share  subscription  options  be  granted,  the  price 
thereof may not be less than 80% of the average trading 
price  of  the  share  on  the  Euronext  Paris  market  during 
the twenty trading sessions preceding the date when the 
Options  will  be  granted  and  (ii)  should  share  purchase 
options be granted, the price thereof may not be less than 
the  value  indicated  in  (i)  above  or  the  average  purchase 
price of the shares referred to in Article L. 225-179 of the 
French Commercial Code.

The  exercise  price  of  the  Options  as  determined  above 
may not be modified unless the Company performs one 
of the financial transactions or securities trades referred 
to in Article L. 225-181 of the French Commercial Code. 
In this case, the Board of Directors will, pursuant to the 
laws and regulations in force, adjust the exercise price and 
the number of shares that may be acquired or subscribed 
by  exercising  the  Options,  as  applicable,  to  take  into 
account of the impact of the transaction;

8)  notes  that  this  authorization  constitutes,  for  the 
Beneficiaries  of  the  share  subscription  options,  an 
express  waiver  by  the  shareholders  of  their  pre-emptive 
subscription right to the shares that may be issued as the 
Options are exercised;

9)  gives all powers to the Board of Directors for the purpose 
of setting the terms and conditions for the Options, which 
include but are not limited to the following:

 (cid:125) the  period  of  validity  of  the  Options,  with  the 
understanding that the Options must be exercised within 
a maximum period of 10 years,

212 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

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7

 (cid:125) the  date(s)  or  periods  for  the  exercise  of  the  Options, 
with  the  understanding  that  the  Board  of  Directors  may 
(a)  bring  forward  the  dates  or  periods  for  the  exercise 
of  Options,  (b)  extend  the  exercisability  of  the  Options 
or  (c)  modify  the  dates  or  periods  during  which  the 
shares  obtained  through  the  exercise  of  Options  may  be 
transferred or converted into bearer shares,

 (cid:125) any  clauses  that  prohibit  the  immediate  resale  of  all  or 
part  of  the  shares  obtained  through  the  exercise  of  the 
Options,  and  such  time  limit  imposed  for  the  lock-up 
of  shares  may  not  exceed  three  years  from  the  exercise 
of  the  Option,  without  prejudice  to  provisions  of  Article 
L. 225-185, paragraph 4 of the French Commercial Code,

 (cid:125) as  appropriate, 

limiting,  suspending,  restricting  or 
prohibiting  the  exercise  of  Options  or  the  transfer  or 
conversion  into  bearer  form  of  the  shares  obtained 
through  the  exercise  of  the  Options,  for  certain  periods 
or  after  certain  events,  and  such  a  decision  may  affect 
some or all of the Options or shares or some or all of the 
Beneficiaries,

 (cid:125) determining  the  dividend  eligibility  date,  retroactive  or 
otherwise, for the new shares from the exercise of share 
subscription options;

10)  decides that the Board of Directors shall also have, with 
the  option  to  delegate  under  the  conditions  set  by  law, 
all  powers  to  record  the  capital  increases  in  the  amount 
of  the  shares  that  shall  be  actually  subscribed  by  the 
exercise of the subscription Options, amend the by-laws 
accordingly,  and,  at  its  sole  discretion,  if  it  considers  it 
appropriate, 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,  and  carry  out  all  formalities 
necessary for the listing of the securities thus issued and 
all declarations with any bodies and do anything else that 
may be necessary;

11)  decides that this authorization supersedes as of this date 
the  unused  portion  of  the  similar  authorization   granted 
by  the  sixteenth  resolution  of  the  Combined  General 
Meeting of May 30, 2013.

 ❘ Sixteenth  resolution

Authorization 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,  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 
law, 
Company  under  the  conditions  prescribed  by 
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  the 
General Meeting of May 28, 2015;

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;

7

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213

7 General Meeting

Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

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  General   Meeting  of 
September 4, 2015 in the second resolution;

10)  the authorization thus granted to the Board of Directors is 
valid for 26 months from the date of this General Meeting.

 ❘ Seventeenth  resolution

Amendments to by-laws

The General Meeting, after review of the report of the Board of 
Directors, decides to:

1.  amend paragraphs 1 and 3 of Article 14 of the by-laws 

“Board of Directors”,  which states as follows:

“Article 14 – Board of Directors

1. Composition

The  Company  shall  be  administered  by  a  Board  of 
Directors established in accordance with the Law.

Directors shall be appointed and their positions renewed 
by an ordinary shareholders meeting, which may remove 
them at any time.

However, in the event of merger or split-up, d irectors may 
be appointed by an extraordinary shareholders meeting.

Directors  may  be  individuals  or  legal  entities.  Directors 
who  are  legal  entities  must,  at  the  time  of  their 
appointment, designate a permanent representative, who 
shall  be  subject  to  the  same  conditions  and  obligations 
and who shall incur the same civil and criminal liability as 

if he were a d irector on his own behalf, without prejudice 
to  the  joint  and  several  liability  of  the  legal  entity  that 
he represents. This mandate of permanent representative 
shall be given to him for the duration of the mandate of 
the  legal  entity  that  he  represents;  it  must  be  renewed 
whenever the mandate of the legal entity is renewed.

When the legal entity revokes its representative, it must 
so notify the Company, immediately, by registered letter 
and  appoint  a  new  permanent  representative  under  the 
same terms; the same shall hold true in the event of death 
or resignation of the permanent representative.

An  individual  d irector  may  have  multiple  mandates  in  a 
board  of  directors  or  supervisory  board,  in  so  far  as  the 
rules of Law are complied with.

An  employee  of  the  Company  may  be  appointed  as 
d irector  only  if  his/her  employment  contract  predates 
his appointment and that the contract corresponds to an 
actual job. The number of d irectors bound to the Company 
by an employment contract may not exceed one third of 
the d irectors in office.”

 […]

“3. Vacancy of Seats – Cooptation

In  the  event  of  vacancy  due  to  the  death  or  resignation 
of  one  or  more  of  the  directors,  the  Board  of  Directors 
may  make  temporary  appointments  between  two 
Shareholders Meetings.

However, if only one or two directors remain in office, such 
director  or  directors,  or  otherwise  the  auditor(s),  must 
immediately convene the Ordinary Shareholders Meeting 
to fill the remaining seats on the Board of Directors.

Provisional  appointments  made  by  the  Board  of 
Directors  shall  be  subject  to  confirmation  by  the  next 
Ordinary  Shareholders  Meeting.  In  the  absence  of  such 
confirmation,  the  resolutions  adopted  and  the  acts 
accomplished  previously  by  the  Board  of  Directors  shall 
remain valid nevertheless.

A  director  appointed  in  replacement  of  another  shall 
remain in office only for the un-elapsed remainder of his 
predecessor’s term of office.”

2.  add a paragraph 4 to Article 14 of the by-laws “Board of 
Directors”,  entitled  “Director   representing  employees”, 
which states as follows:

“4.  Director representing employees

In  accordance  with  Article  L.  225-27-1  of  the  French 
Commercial Code, the Board of Directors also includes a 
director  representing  employees  appointed  by  the  trade 
union organization that has obtained the highest number 
of  votes in the first round of the elections referred to in 
Articles  L.  2122-1  and  L.  2122-4  of  the  French  Labor 
Code in the Company and its direct or indirect subsidiaries 
whose registered office is located on French territory.

The failure to appoint a director representing employees 
pursuant to and under the conditions of the law and this 

214 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

General Meeting
Draft Resolutions Proposed by the Board of Directors to the General Meeting on May 26, 2016

7

article does not impair the validity of the deliberations of 
the Board of Directors.

The  term  of  office  of  a  director  representing  employees 
is four years.

The term of office of the director representing employees 
shall  expire  at  the  end  of  the  General  Meeting  called  to 
approve the parent company financial statements for the 
previous  year  held  during  the  year  in  which  his  or  her 
term of office expires.

In  the  event  of  vacancy  of  a  director  representing 
employees,  for  whatever  reason,  his  or  her  replacement 
shall be appointed according to the same procedure as the 
director in question and shall remain in office only for the 
remainder of his or her predecessor’s term. Up to the date 
of  such  replacement,  the  Board  of  Directors  may  meet 
and deliberate validly.

If, at the close of a year, the provisions of Article L. 225-27-
1 of the French Commercial Code are no longer applicable 
to  the  Company,  the  term  of  the  director  representing 
employees  expires  at  the  end  of  the  Ordinary  General 
Meeting  called  to  approve  the  financial  statements  for 
that year.

Paragraphs  1  to  3  of  this  Article  shall  not  apply  to  the 
director representing employees, with the exception of the 
rules  on  simultaneous  offices  referred  to  in  paragraph  1 
and  the  rules  relating  to  reappointment   referred  to  in 
paragraph 2.

Subject to the provisions of this Article or of the provisions 
of  the  law,  the  director  representing  employees  has  the 
same status, rights and responsibilities as other directors.”

3.  amend paragraphs 1 and 3 of Article 15 of the by-laws 
“Chairmanship – Organization of the Board of d irectors” 
as follows:

"1.  From  among  its  individual  members,  the  Board  of 
Directors shall elect a Chairman and set his term of office, 
which term may not exceed his term of office as Director.

The  Board  of  Directors  may  also,  under  the  same 
conditions, elect a Vice-Chairman.

The  Chairman  may  not  be  more  than  eighty-five  years 
of  age.  Should  he  exceed  this  age  limit ,  he  shall  be 
considered to have resigned automatically.

In  the  case  of  a  temporary  incapacity  or  death  of  the 
Chairman, the Vice-Chairman shall serve as Chairman on 
an interim basis and, in the event that no Vice Chairman 
has been appointed, the Board of Directors may appoint a 
Director to assume the role of Chairman. The replacement 
of the Chairman by the Vice-Chairman or by the delegate 
shall end on the date of resumption of the duties of the 
Chairman or as the case may be, upon the election of a 
new Chairman.”

[…]

“3.  Should  the  Chairman  be  absent  or  unavailable  to 
preside  over  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  the 
Vice-Chairman shall serve as Chair, and in the event that 
no  Vice-Chairman  has  been  appointed,  the  Board  shall 
appoint,  for  that  relevant  meeting,  one  of  its  members 
present to chair the meeting.”

4.  amend the title of Article 20 as follows:

"Article  20  -  Compensation  of  Directors,  the  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Directors,  the  Vice-Chairman,  Senior 
Management,  agents  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and 
members of committees."

5.  amend  paragraph  2  of  Article  20  of  the  by-laws 
"Compensation of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of 
Directors, the Vice-Chairman, Senior Management, agents 
of the Board of Directors and members of committees"as 
follows:

The  compensation  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Directors and the compensation of the Directeur general, 
and,  as  the  case  may  be,  the  compensation  of  the 
 Vice-Chairman   and   the  Directeurs  généraux  délégués, 
shall be determined by the Board of Directors. It may be 
fixed or proportional, or both."

7

6.  amend the first item  of the second paragraph of Article 28 
"General Meetings - Secretariat - Minutes" as follows:

"Shareholders meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman 
of the Board of Directors. In his absence, such meetings are 
chaired by the Vice-Chairman or by a Director specifically 
delegated by the Board of Directors for that purpose."

The other provisions of the By-laws remain unchanged.

 . Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting

 ❘ Eigh teenth 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 2015

215

 
 
T Cross-reference tables

Annual fi nancial report

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLES

Annual fi nancial 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

124 

86 

See Annual Management report 
cross-reference table below

–

4.2.3

4.1.2

5.5

3 

146 

122 

184 

216 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Cross-reference tables
Annual management report

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 et 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

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 2015

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 2015

11. Foreseeable Trend of the Situation

12. Substantial Events Occurred since the End of 2015

13. Research & Development Activities

14. Business and Results of Operations of the Parent Company Dassault Systèmes SE

15. Business and Results of the Parent Company’s Subsidiaries during the Fiscal Year 2015

16. 2016 Business Outlook

17. Selected Financial Information of Dassault Systèmes SE 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 2015

20. List of the Terms and Responsibilities of the Directors (mandataires sociaux) 

of Dassault Systèmes in 2015

21. Social and Environmental Information

Reference Document

Paragraphs

Pages

3.1

3.1

3.1

1.6

72 

72 

72 

28 

4.1.1 – Notes 2, 21

92, 113 

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

4.2.1 – Note 23

1.5

1.3, 1.4, 4.2

1.3.2, 1.4

3.1.1.1, 3.2

4.2.2

6.3.1

5.3

5.1.1.1

2

35 

191 

170 

193 

72, 86, 124 

72, 83 

143 

27 

12, 14,124 

13, 14 

72, 83 

145 

194 

172 

152 

37 

22. Equity Holdings or Controlled Companies, Subsidiaries with a French Head-Office

4.2.1 – Notes 1, 24

128, 144 

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

4.2.1 – Note 19

5.1

7.1

181 

141 

152 

202 

T

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES  ANNUAL REPORT 2015

217

T Cross-reference tables

Cross-reference table including the European Directive no. 809/2004 – Annex 1 items

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

Reference Document

Paragraphs

Pages

1. 

2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

PERSONS RESPONSIBLE
1.1  Name and function of the persons responsible

1.2  Declaration of the persons responsible

STATUTORY AUDITORS
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
RISK FACTORS
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUER
5.1  History and development of the Company

5.2 

Investments

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

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
7.1  Brief description of the Group

7.2 

List of the significant subsidiaries

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

OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW

9. 
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

3 

3 

184 

6 

28 

8 

11 

14 

18 

28 

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

2.2.2.3,
4.1.1 – Notes 14, 
25

60,107,119 

2.2.2.3

3.1

3.1.4

1.5

1.6.1.1

3.2

60 

72 

83 

27 

28 

83 

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 

218 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Cross-reference tables
Cross-reference table including the European Directive no. 809/2004 – Annex 1 items

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 

160 

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

2.1.1

5.1.1, 5.3.2

39 

152,176 

None

6.3

6.3.1

6.1.2.3

6.3.2

6.3.3

194 

194 

188 

196 

197 

4.1.1 – Note 26, 
4.2.4, 7.1

120,148,202 

4.1

86 

Not applicable

4.1, 4.2

86, 124 

4.1.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4

122, 146, 148 

December 31, 
2015

3.3

7.1

4.3

None

6.2, 6.3

6.1.2

1.4.3

Not applicable

84 

202 

150 

189,194 

187 

26 

T

6.1.1.6

186 

1.3.2, 4.1.1 – 
Note 27, 
4.2.1 – Note 24

13, 121,144  

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T Cross-reference tables

NRE correspondence table

NRE correspondence table

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

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 women and men

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

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

220 ANNUAL REPORT 2015  DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Reference Document

Paragraphs

Pages

2.1.1, 2.1.7

2.1.2, 2.1.7

39,56 

42,56 

2.1.4

2.1.1

2.1.5

2.1.5

2.1.5

2.1.5

2.1.5

2.1.2

2.1.2

2.1.2

2.1.2

2.1.2

2.1.5

2.1.2

2.1.5

2.1.5

2.1.2

2.1.2

2.1.1

2.1.5

2.2.1

2.2.3

2.2.6

2.2.6

50 

39 

52 

52 

52 

52 

52 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

52 

42 

52 

52 

42 

42 

39 

52 

58 

65 

67 

67  

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

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

Cross-reference tables
NRE correspondence table

T

Reference Document

Paragraphs

Pages

2.2.2.5 and 2.2.4

61, 65 

2.2.2.5

2.2.2.5 and 2.2.4

2.2.2.5 and 2.2.4

2.2.2.5

2.2.2.5

2.2.2.5

61 

61, 65 

61, 65 

61 

61 

61 

Information not published due to lack of relevancy

Explanation

Frequency/severity rate of work accidents.
Professional illnesses.

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

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.

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.

T

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